POS – Chapter 2 – Flashcards
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Sugar Act 1764
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Enforced a previous tax on molasses
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Stamp Act 1765
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Required printed materials to have a stamp on them
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The Boston Tea Party (1773)
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- East India Trade Company had monopoly on importing tea and sought to bypass the merchants by selling it directly to the colonists
- Goal was to provoke a government clampdown: Closed the Port of Boston and shut down the Massachusetts government
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The Declaration of Independence, 1776
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- Philosophical document stating that certain rights were inalienable
- Political document explaining that since the king had violated those rights, the colonists had the right to separate
- Addressed multiple audiences
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Shays's Rebellion, 1787
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- Goal was to prevent the court from repossessing debt-ridden lands held by poor farmers in western Massachusetts
- The rebellion revealed the weaknesses of the new central government, which lacked both the power to tax and also a national army.
- Served as a focal point for those who would draft the new constitution
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Constitutional Convention, 1787
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- Interests: the financial interests of the wealthy were better protected under the new Constitution.
- Principles: the new Constitution embodied leading political theories of the time regarding liberty, equality, and democracy.
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Virginia Plan
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states would have delegates proportionate to
population or wealth.
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New Jersey Plan
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each state would have equal representation.
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Connecticut Compromise
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equal representation in the Senate, proportional in the House of Representatives.
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The Legislative Branch
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- Most powerful branch of new government
- Two chambers: House and Senate
• Each has different powers • Each is accountable to a different constituency • Different term lengths (2 yrs. House, 6 yrs. Senate) • Share some powers with the other branches
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Power and Consent
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- Congress directly accountable to the people in the
House
- Congress directly accountable to the states in the Senate
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The Executive Branch
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- The framers needed an executive both to offset the potential power of the new Congress and to act with speed during times of crisis.
- They also needed a unifying figure who would serve as the head of state.
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The Judicial Branch
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Goal was to nationalize government power through one court that was supreme over all the others and that could stand up to the other branches.
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National Unity and Power
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- The Constitution had to allow states enough freedom to pursue their own policies and unify the nation enough to have a common economy.
- States were given tremendous leeway, but were asked to respect contracts made in other states.
- The Constitution stands supreme over state laws.
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Limiting the National Government's Power
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- Separation of powers with checks and balances
- Dividing constituencies to make officeholders accountable to different elements of the public
- Federalism - Bill of Rights
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Federalists (ratification)
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• Favored a stronger central government
• Federal control over the economy
• Clear property rights
• Government by elites
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Antifederalists (ratification)
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• Favored the balance of power being with the states
• Clearly articulated rights (not just property)
• Government by leaders who shared the economic interests of the people
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Antifederalists (representation)
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representatives who shared the same financial interests and backgrounds as those they represented.
- Feared only the rich would be elected and would act against everyone else's interests
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Federalists (representation)
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thought elections would keep the legislators concerned for their constituents' interests.
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Antifederalists (tyranny)
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were concerned government would be controlled by the wealthy elite.
- Feared tyranny of a wealthy minority
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Federalists (tyranny)
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feared the mass electorate would team up against the wealthy elite, who would always be in the minority.
- Feared tyranny of an unsophisticated majority
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Under the Articles of Confederation, the relationship between the states and the federal government can best be compared to
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the United Nations' relationship with member states
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What led British officials to raise taxes on the American colonists during the 1760s?
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the amount spent on fighting the French and Indian Wars
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Which of the following was a ramification of the Three-fifths Compromise?
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It allowed for a political agreement between the North and the South.
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On the subject of representation, Antifederalists wanted
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representative bodies that resembled those represented to the highest degree.
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Montesquieu called ________ the principle of giving each branch of government its own constituency.
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a mixed regime
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Judicial review is the power of
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the courts to decide on the constitutionality of actions taken by the other branches of government
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________ defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre.
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John Adams
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Which of the following statements about the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate is FALSE?
a) The Senate has the power to ratify treaties while the House does not.
b) The Senate has the power to approve presidential appointments while the House does not.
c) The House has the power to overturn a president's veto while the Senate does not.
d) The House has the power to originate revenue bills while the Senate does not.
e) Members of the House have two-year terms while senators have six-year terms
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c) The House has the power to overturn a president's veto while the Senate does not.
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The idea of a "living constitution" means
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the judiciary can shape the interpretation of the Constitution in line with contemporary problems and values.
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A ________ vote by both houses of Congress and a ratification vote of ________ of the states are required to amend the U.S. Constitution.
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2/3; 3/4
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A ________ is a person who believes that the U.S. Constitution should not be amended by judges and that judges should adhere closely to the document's text.
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strict constructionist
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Shays's Rebellion was an attempt to
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prevent the state of Massachusetts from foreclosing on the lands of debt-ridden farmers.
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How was political power in Congress divided under the Articles of Confederation?
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Each state had an equal vote
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The supremacy clause
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announces that the Constitution and all laws made under it are superior to any state laws.
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The electoral college is
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designed to select the U.S. president.
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Colonial protesters of the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act rallied around ________.
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"no taxation without representation"
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The 1787 convention to draft a new constitution was held in ________.
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Philadelphia
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The Virginia Plan of the Philadelphia Convention proposed a system of representation in the national legislature that was based upon
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the population of each state or the proportion of each state's revenue contribution, or both.
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The framers employed the separation of powers and federalism in order to
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prevent the new government from abusing its power.
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There are ________ amendments to the U.S. Constitution
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27
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The ability of the president to veto a bill passed by Congress is a good example of ________.
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checks and balances
