POSC 225 CORRECT TEST PAPER QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔Items still unclear after philadelphia meeting - ✔✔Will there be a lower level national
judiciary?
What will be the extent of the court's authority to overturn federal laws and executive
actions as unconstitutional?
JUDICIAL REVIEW
✔✔Framing the Constitution - ✔✔Weaknesses in the Articles led to the framing of a
new constitution that gave more power to the national government
✔✔Slavery while framing the constitution - ✔✔3/5 rule
slave trade extended till 1808
philly did not help slaves and pushed it off longer
Fugitive slave law: required those in the south to return runaway slaves
✔✔Ratifying the constitution - ✔✔9 states needed to ratify
new york and virginia were not included but needed to be put on board
✔✔Federalists vs Antifederalists - ✔✔Federalists supported ratification, anti-federalist
did not. Federalists preferred a strong, central government but anti-Federalists wanted
power to go to individual states. Federalists had a broad interpretation, but anti-
Federalists had a strict interpretation.
✔✔Bill of Rights - ✔✔The first ten amendments to the Constitution that could not be
trampled by the constitution
✔✔Federalist 10 (Madison) - ✔✔argues against anti federalist notion that a large
republic could not survive, localized government was best
✔✔Federlist 51 (madison) - ✔✔suggestions on how to keep representatives from
betraying the public trust and thwarting the will of the people
, ✔✔How to remove clauses - ✔✔destroy liberty: impossible
give everyone same interest/passion: wont work because of class, race, age etc.
control its effects: majority faction can be controlled by majority rule
✔✔Legislative Branch: Major Points about Congress - ✔✔Congress occupies center
stage in national policy making
electoral politics influence everything members of congress do
majority party runs things and sometimes dominates
Rules and organizational structures determine power and policy in congress and the
different rules and structures in the house and senate
incumbents win a lot:the person currently in the seat, 90-95% of the time
✔✔Reelection incentive - ✔✔impacts decisions made by legislators, legislatively,
institutionally, and electorally
✔✔House of Representatives - ✔✔chosen in popular elections every other year
short tenure was designed to keep the house close to the people
simgle member district: first past the post, whoever gets the most votes wins
minimum age 25, 7 year citizen
✔✔The Senate - ✔✔chosen by state legislatures (1913 the 17th amendment mandated
the direct election of senators)
2 senators to represent each state
only 1/3 of the senate is up for reelection every 2 year
minimum age of 30, citizen for 9 years
✔✔Apportionment - ✔✔Distribution of representatives among the states based on the
population of each state
✔✔Wesberry v. Sanders (1963) - ✔✔Ordered House districts to be as near equal in
population as possible.
✔✔Thornburg v. Gingles (1986) - ✔✔lines cannot be drawn to dilute minority votes but
also cannot be drawn with race as predominant consideration
✔✔Redistricting - ✔✔The redrawing every 10 years of congressional and other
legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and
keep districts as equal as possible in population.
✔✔Senate Activity - ✔✔More floor oriented
100 senators
more time to speak and publicize views
run for 6 years and have more influence than the house
ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔Items still unclear after philadelphia meeting - ✔✔Will there be a lower level national
judiciary?
What will be the extent of the court's authority to overturn federal laws and executive
actions as unconstitutional?
JUDICIAL REVIEW
✔✔Framing the Constitution - ✔✔Weaknesses in the Articles led to the framing of a
new constitution that gave more power to the national government
✔✔Slavery while framing the constitution - ✔✔3/5 rule
slave trade extended till 1808
philly did not help slaves and pushed it off longer
Fugitive slave law: required those in the south to return runaway slaves
✔✔Ratifying the constitution - ✔✔9 states needed to ratify
new york and virginia were not included but needed to be put on board
✔✔Federalists vs Antifederalists - ✔✔Federalists supported ratification, anti-federalist
did not. Federalists preferred a strong, central government but anti-Federalists wanted
power to go to individual states. Federalists had a broad interpretation, but anti-
Federalists had a strict interpretation.
✔✔Bill of Rights - ✔✔The first ten amendments to the Constitution that could not be
trampled by the constitution
✔✔Federalist 10 (Madison) - ✔✔argues against anti federalist notion that a large
republic could not survive, localized government was best
✔✔Federlist 51 (madison) - ✔✔suggestions on how to keep representatives from
betraying the public trust and thwarting the will of the people
, ✔✔How to remove clauses - ✔✔destroy liberty: impossible
give everyone same interest/passion: wont work because of class, race, age etc.
control its effects: majority faction can be controlled by majority rule
✔✔Legislative Branch: Major Points about Congress - ✔✔Congress occupies center
stage in national policy making
electoral politics influence everything members of congress do
majority party runs things and sometimes dominates
Rules and organizational structures determine power and policy in congress and the
different rules and structures in the house and senate
incumbents win a lot:the person currently in the seat, 90-95% of the time
✔✔Reelection incentive - ✔✔impacts decisions made by legislators, legislatively,
institutionally, and electorally
✔✔House of Representatives - ✔✔chosen in popular elections every other year
short tenure was designed to keep the house close to the people
simgle member district: first past the post, whoever gets the most votes wins
minimum age 25, 7 year citizen
✔✔The Senate - ✔✔chosen by state legislatures (1913 the 17th amendment mandated
the direct election of senators)
2 senators to represent each state
only 1/3 of the senate is up for reelection every 2 year
minimum age of 30, citizen for 9 years
✔✔Apportionment - ✔✔Distribution of representatives among the states based on the
population of each state
✔✔Wesberry v. Sanders (1963) - ✔✔Ordered House districts to be as near equal in
population as possible.
✔✔Thornburg v. Gingles (1986) - ✔✔lines cannot be drawn to dilute minority votes but
also cannot be drawn with race as predominant consideration
✔✔Redistricting - ✔✔The redrawing every 10 years of congressional and other
legislative district lines following the census, to accommodate population shifts and
keep districts as equal as possible in population.
✔✔Senate Activity - ✔✔More floor oriented
100 senators
more time to speak and publicize views
run for 6 years and have more influence than the house
