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Chapter 4.2 Constitution Making during the Revolutionary War

Terms in this set (24)

The revolutionary generation drew inspiration from pre-existing materials when drafting the Constitution. What were they?

a. The leading writers on what the Founders called the science of politics
b. Their own experiences under their colonial systems of government
c. The Republic, by Plato
d. The Spirit of the Laws, by Montesquieu.
a. The leading writers on what the Founders called the science of politics
b. Their own experiences under their colonial systems of government
d. The Spirit of the Laws, by Montesquieu.
The American Revolution occurred during a period in history known as the Age of ____________________________ (1685-1815). This was a period marked by a high level of optimism about the capacity for human beings to use reason to better understand their world and to thereby improve the human condition.
Enlightenment
The American Founders took inspiration from a French lawyer and a political scientist known as Montesquieu (1689-1755)

What principle was Montesquieu's influence on the founding of America?

a. The Great Compromise
b. Checks and balances
c. Bicameral legislature
d. Separation of powers
d. Separation of powers
Although each state created its own constitution, what design features did they have in common?

a. Declarations of individual rights
b. The formation of a direct democracy
c. Tightly democratically-controlled legislatures
d. A progressive income tax
e. Separation of powers
a. Declarations of individual rights
c. Tightly democratically-controlled legislatures
e. Separation of powers
What does it mean to give the people tight democratic control over their legislature?

a. The people have the right to vote on policies and laws
b. Members of the state legislature are regularly held accountable to voters
c. Citizens have the right to appeal and present directly to the legislature
d. The establishment of the electoral college
b. Members of the state legislature are regularly held accountable to voters
How were legislatures under tight democratic control held accountable to the public?

a. Direct popular elections
b. The people could review and vote on policies going to the legislature
c. Short terms for representatives
d. The representatives could be removed from office with a special vote.
a. Direct popular elections
c. Short terms for representatives
In accordance with the first state constitutions, who was allowed to vote in all of the states?

a. White men
b. Slaves
c. Free African American men
d. White Women
a. White men
It is estimated that, on average, the percentage of white men eligible to vote in America under the new revolutionary constitutions was _______________________ greater than in Britain
four times
Why did the revolutionary state constitutions place a heavy emphasis on separation of powers.

a. It was viewed as necessary for preserving liberty
b. It was the best way for a centralized government to raise funding
c. British rule had taught them to disdain government that is dominated by the executive and/ or judicial branches
d. It was the most efficient way to maintain a tightly democratically-controlled legislature.
a. It was viewed as necessary for preserving liberty

c. British rule had taught them to disdain government that is dominated by the executive and/ or judicial branches
After several years of experience with the revolutionary state constitutions, what did many Founders come to conclude?

a. The legislature was not living up to the ideals of rule of law and constitutional government
b. The legislatures dominated the other branches of government
c. Strong state level government is preferable to a strong central government
d. The central government was not dispersing adequate funding to the states.
a. The legislature was not living up to the ideals of rule of law and constitutional government

b. The legislatures dominated the other branches of government
The U.S Constitution was designed to avoid giving the legislature too much power. How did they accomplish this?

a. Implementing the principle of checks and balances between the branches of government

b. By removing the power of executive appointment from the legislature

c. By giving the executive branch power to remove representatives from office

d. By withholding funding from the legislature until a detailed budget is proposed
a. Implementing the principle of checks and balances between the branches of government

b. By removing the power of executive appointment from the legislature
___________________are legal rights that are designed to protect individuals from government abuse.
Civil liberties
The Founders would write and ratify a new constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union i 1787-1788.
The basic reason they replaced the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was that it created a government that was too weak and by extension, allowed the state to have too much power and independence.
In an ________________there is a central government and state governments, but the system is designed such that the states maintain as much sovereignty and independence as possible.
confederacy
What are the characteristics of a confederacy?

a The central government does not claim direct authority over the individual persons

b. The central government taxes the States and its citizens

c. the central government Has enough power to maintain good relations between the States and for coordinating collective action

d the state governments were subordinate to the central government

e the central government only claims authority over the state governments
a The central government does not claim direct authority over individual persons

c. the central government Has enough power to maintain good relations between the States and for coordinating collective action
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