POS MIDTERM UPDATED ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS

POS MIDTERM UPDATED ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS

Question:
1. 1. What were John Locke's theories on government and natural law rights? Did those theories influence
the writings of Thomas Jefferson?
Answer:
John Locke believed that human nature allowed people to be selfish. This is apparent with the introduction
of currency. In a natural state all people were equal and independent, and everyone had a natural right to
defend his "life, health, liberty, or possessions". John Locke was another prominent Western philosopher
who conceptualized rights as natural and inalienable. Like Hobbes, Locke believed in a natural right to life,
liberty, and property.

Question:
2. 2. Most Americans in the early republic were interested in protecting citizens from what kind of power?
Answer:

Question:
3. 3. What were characteristics of American political culture in the early republic?
Answer:
American political culture contains a number of core ideals and values. Not all Americans share the same
view, of course, but the vast majority subscribe to these general ideals, including liberty, equality,
democracy, individualism, unity, and diversity.

Question:
4. 4. What political arguments did Americans use to challenge the Stamp Act of 1765
Answer:
no taxtation without representation

Question:
5. 5. What was the first framework of government adopted by the U.S. after becoming independent?
Answer:
The Articles of Confederation

Question:
6. 6. What did the Virginia Plan call for at the Constitutional Convention?
Answer:
A new form of government and called for the number of votes each state received in Congress to be based
on population rather than each state receiving one vote.

Question:
7. 7. What did the New Jersey Plan call for at the Constitutional Convention?
Answer:
For each state to have one vote in Congress instead of the number of votes being based on population.

, Question:
8. 8. Which men were most involved in drafting and ratifying the Constitution?
Answer:
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton.

Question:
9. 9. What are some major examples of checks and balances in the Constitution?
Answer:
The legislative branch makes laws, but the President in the executive branch can veto those laws with a
Presidential Veto. The legislative branch makes laws, but the judicial branch can declare those laws
unconstitutional.

Question:
10. 10. What is the commerce clause in the Constitution?
Answer:
The Commerce Clause describes an enumerated power listed in the United States Constitution. The clause
states that the Unites States Congress shall have power "to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and
among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes"

Question:
11. 11. What was the process used for ratifying the U.S. Constitution?
Answer:
The ratification process started when the Congress turned the Constitution over to the state legislatures for
consideration through specially elected state conventions of the people.

Question:
12. 12. What is federalism?
Answer:
Sharing of power between federal and state government.

Question:
13. 13. What part of the federal government was designed in the 1787 Constitution to be directly elected by
the framers?
Answer:
The framers of the Constitution created the United States Senate to protect the rights of individual states
and safeguard minority opinion in a system of government designed to give greater power to the national
government.

Question:
14. 14. What is bicameralism? Why was this structure created in the legislative branch?
Answer:
A Bicameral legislature simple refers to a particular body of government that consists of two legislative
house or chambers. In certain variations, a bicameral system may include two parliamentary chambers.

Question:
15. 15. What are the three branches of the federal government?