WGU C963 CERTIFICATION SCRIPT 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉Anti-Federalists. Answer: Opponents of ratification. feared the
power of the national government and believed state legislatures
could better protect their freedoms. most distrusted the elite and
believed a strong federal government would favor the rich over
those of "the middling sort." fears that the strong central
government for which the Federalists advocated would levy taxes on
farmers and planters who lacked the hard currency needed to pay.
Many also believed Congress would impose tariffs on foreign
imports that would make American agricultural products less
welcome in Europe and in European colonies in the Western
Hemisphere. Argued, the diversity of religion tolerated by the
Constitution would prevent the formation of a political community
with shared values and interests.
◉Federalist no. 10. Answer: The Federalists address the fear of
factions. James Madison argued that there was no need to fear the
power of factions because the diversity that existed in the country
was so large that it would not allow for the development of large
political interest groups. Madison argued that having a
representative government would be the best way to control against
the detrimental effects of factions.
,◉Federalist, no. 51. Answer: Addresses constitutional mechanisms
of checks and balances and separation of powers. Madison provided
his arguments for why increasing the powers of the national
government would not lead to an automatic abuse of power due to
separation of powers and checks and balances.
◉The Legislative Branch. Answer: Article I, Congress composed of
the Senate and the House of Representatives, which served as the
principal lawmaking body. Laws would originate in the Congress, but
Congress would not have the power to carry out the laws for the
country. It also would not be able to assume the right of convicting
individuals of crimes.
· right to deal with international trade and commerce between the
states. The states were prohibited from interfering with
international and interstate trade.
· Only Congress would have the power to declare war on foreign
countries.
· The Senate was also required to approve treaties by a two-thirds
majority in order for the treaties to go into effect.
· potential role in the selection of the president.
◉The Judicial Branch. Answer: Supreme Court to head the Judicial
Branch in Article III. While the president and Senate control the
nomination process, once appointed, justices and judges are
protected from political pressure. They serve during time of good
,behavior, ensuring that it will be difficult to pressure judges to make
a particular decision. They can only be removed if a majority of the
House of Representatives votes to impeach them and two-thirds of
the Senate votes to remove them from power.
· The courts have the power of judicial review, which permits them
to overturn laws passed by Congress and actions of the president, or
others in the executive branch, that conflict with the Constitution.
· judicial review is important in upholding the Constitution as the
supreme law of the land.
◉The Executive Branch. Answer: Article II, consists of the president,
the vice president, and the bureaucracy (the agencies that carry out
the programs of the national government). The president was also to
serve as chief diplomat. He, or those reporting to him, are
responsible for the foreign affairs of the country. The president
nominates ambassadors and other officials that deal with foreign
policy subject to approval by the Senate, which is their constitutional
role related to the concept of "advise and consent." He oversees
negotiating treaties that must then be approved by the Senate.
· The president also serves as the official head of state, which often
involved ceremonial functions, although it did provide the president
with the power to grant pardons or to reduce prison terms for
national crimes. He can grant such pardons to anyone without limits.
· The vice president has relatively few constitutional duties he is the
presiding officer of the Senate and only gets to vote to break a tie.
· Electoral College and its makeup as the means of electing the
president.
, · president to report to Congress each year on the state of the union
· The president has a great deal of power in terms of nominating
individuals to fill key posts in the judicial branch and the executive
branch. The president nominates justices of the Supreme Court and
judges of lower courts.
◉Making and Interpreting Laws (Checks and Balances). Answer:
laws must be signed by the president in order to go into effect,
providing a major check by the executive branch on Congress. the
president also has the power to veto legislation. Congress can
override a veto if it re-passes the law with a two-thirds majority in
both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Laws passed by
Congress are also subject to judicial review by the judiciary. While
Congress can pass any law and have it signed by the president, the
courts can overturn it if they determine that the law violates the
Constitution. The courts can also interpret laws in a way that
ensures that they do not violate the Constitution.
◉Foreign Policy (Checks and Balances):. Answer: · The president or
his people can negotiate treaties, but they are subject to approval by
two-thirds of the Senate.
· Presidents can sign executive agreements with foreign leaders.
· Executive agreements are not treaties but arrangements between
the president and a specific foreign political leader. Congress can
limit the effectiveness of such agreements if they require funding
provided by Congress. The courts, through the power of judicial
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉Anti-Federalists. Answer: Opponents of ratification. feared the
power of the national government and believed state legislatures
could better protect their freedoms. most distrusted the elite and
believed a strong federal government would favor the rich over
those of "the middling sort." fears that the strong central
government for which the Federalists advocated would levy taxes on
farmers and planters who lacked the hard currency needed to pay.
Many also believed Congress would impose tariffs on foreign
imports that would make American agricultural products less
welcome in Europe and in European colonies in the Western
Hemisphere. Argued, the diversity of religion tolerated by the
Constitution would prevent the formation of a political community
with shared values and interests.
◉Federalist no. 10. Answer: The Federalists address the fear of
factions. James Madison argued that there was no need to fear the
power of factions because the diversity that existed in the country
was so large that it would not allow for the development of large
political interest groups. Madison argued that having a
representative government would be the best way to control against
the detrimental effects of factions.
,◉Federalist, no. 51. Answer: Addresses constitutional mechanisms
of checks and balances and separation of powers. Madison provided
his arguments for why increasing the powers of the national
government would not lead to an automatic abuse of power due to
separation of powers and checks and balances.
◉The Legislative Branch. Answer: Article I, Congress composed of
the Senate and the House of Representatives, which served as the
principal lawmaking body. Laws would originate in the Congress, but
Congress would not have the power to carry out the laws for the
country. It also would not be able to assume the right of convicting
individuals of crimes.
· right to deal with international trade and commerce between the
states. The states were prohibited from interfering with
international and interstate trade.
· Only Congress would have the power to declare war on foreign
countries.
· The Senate was also required to approve treaties by a two-thirds
majority in order for the treaties to go into effect.
· potential role in the selection of the president.
◉The Judicial Branch. Answer: Supreme Court to head the Judicial
Branch in Article III. While the president and Senate control the
nomination process, once appointed, justices and judges are
protected from political pressure. They serve during time of good
,behavior, ensuring that it will be difficult to pressure judges to make
a particular decision. They can only be removed if a majority of the
House of Representatives votes to impeach them and two-thirds of
the Senate votes to remove them from power.
· The courts have the power of judicial review, which permits them
to overturn laws passed by Congress and actions of the president, or
others in the executive branch, that conflict with the Constitution.
· judicial review is important in upholding the Constitution as the
supreme law of the land.
◉The Executive Branch. Answer: Article II, consists of the president,
the vice president, and the bureaucracy (the agencies that carry out
the programs of the national government). The president was also to
serve as chief diplomat. He, or those reporting to him, are
responsible for the foreign affairs of the country. The president
nominates ambassadors and other officials that deal with foreign
policy subject to approval by the Senate, which is their constitutional
role related to the concept of "advise and consent." He oversees
negotiating treaties that must then be approved by the Senate.
· The president also serves as the official head of state, which often
involved ceremonial functions, although it did provide the president
with the power to grant pardons or to reduce prison terms for
national crimes. He can grant such pardons to anyone without limits.
· The vice president has relatively few constitutional duties he is the
presiding officer of the Senate and only gets to vote to break a tie.
· Electoral College and its makeup as the means of electing the
president.
, · president to report to Congress each year on the state of the union
· The president has a great deal of power in terms of nominating
individuals to fill key posts in the judicial branch and the executive
branch. The president nominates justices of the Supreme Court and
judges of lower courts.
◉Making and Interpreting Laws (Checks and Balances). Answer:
laws must be signed by the president in order to go into effect,
providing a major check by the executive branch on Congress. the
president also has the power to veto legislation. Congress can
override a veto if it re-passes the law with a two-thirds majority in
both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Laws passed by
Congress are also subject to judicial review by the judiciary. While
Congress can pass any law and have it signed by the president, the
courts can overturn it if they determine that the law violates the
Constitution. The courts can also interpret laws in a way that
ensures that they do not violate the Constitution.
◉Foreign Policy (Checks and Balances):. Answer: · The president or
his people can negotiate treaties, but they are subject to approval by
two-thirds of the Senate.
· Presidents can sign executive agreements with foreign leaders.
· Executive agreements are not treaties but arrangements between
the president and a specific foreign political leader. Congress can
limit the effectiveness of such agreements if they require funding
provided by Congress. The courts, through the power of judicial
