WGU C963 American politics and US
Constitution questions and answers
2024\2025 A+ Grade
Social Contract
- correct answer An agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to being
governed so long as the government protects their natural rights.
Natural Rights
- correct answer the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and
property
State of Nature
- correct answer A theory on how people might have lived before societies came into existence. is a
condition in which all of us live individually and solitarily, prior to the existence of society. We are
physically and mentally capable of achieving our own survival.
Montesquieu (1689-1755)
- correct answer contribution in The Spirit of the Laws (1748) regards the structure of political
institutions. He argues for a separation of powers: legislative, executive, and judicial. Each will serve as a
check on the power of the other, limiting the harm each might do. separates power to offset the power
of different social interests: ordinary people, the aristocracy, and the monarch.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679):
- correct answer One of the first individuals to contribute to the idea of the social contract was a pre-
Enlightenment English philosopher. Hobbes argues that society is not something natural and immutable,
but rather it is something created by us. We do this to resolve problems we collectively face, to make
our lives better. State of Nature: it's "a war of all against all." Basically, the state of nature is a pretty
nasty place where lives are perpetually insecure.
,John Locke (1632-1704)
- correct answer we are autonomous individuals, capable of using reason, and are driven to advance our
personal interests. Our primary interest is survival, which we want to make secure and comfortable. To
achieve this security and comfort, we acquire property. Two Treatises of Government, disagrees, saying
the state of nature is a relatively decent place. All its inhabitants are rational people, mindful of the
basic law of nature to not harm another, and people will get along okay. But our relationship in the state
of nature is "inconvenient," implying an incentive for us to devise a better, more convenient
arrangement.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
- correct answer A French man who believed that humans are naturally good and free and can rely on
their instincts. He also advocated a democracy because he believed the government should exist to
protect common good. Like other Enlightenment thinkers, he was passionately committed to individual
freedom, but he attacked rationalism and civilization as destroying, rather than liberating, the individual.
He also called for a rigid division of gender roles, believing women should be subordinate in social life.
His ideals greatly influenced the early romantic movement, which rebelled against the culture of the
Enlightenment in the late eighteenth century. Rousseau was both one of the most influential voices of
the Enlightenment and, in his rejection of rationalism and social discourse, a harbinger of reaction
against Enlightenment ideas.
Constitution is influenced by the Enlightenment
- correct answer (Separation of powers) embodies Montesquieu's principles by separating the
legislative, executive, and judicial power, placing each into the hands of different political actors.
Bill of Rights influenced by Enlightenment
- correct answer · The First Amendment gives us a definitive declaration for the protection of natural
rights. Protections of individual conscience as well as protections for democratic participation (John Lock
ideology).
· The Second Amendment, which also embodies Lockean ideas, permits the possession of arms for the
"security of a free State."14 In this Amendment, the right to rebellion is established.
· Due process says all citizens are subject to fair and equitable treatment.
· The Fourth - Eighth Amendments serve to both limit the power government has over us and lay out
procedures which must be followed when dealing with us.
,· The Ninth Amendment makes it clear that the list of rights protected in the first eight Amendments is
not exhaustive and that we, the people, can assert additional natural rights when we see fit (at least in
theory.)
· The Tenth Amendment makes clear that powers not specifically granted to the federal government are
retained by the states and the people (these last two are Lockean ideals)
Declaration of Independence influenced by Enlightenment
- correct answer Locke maintains that society is a rational but voluntary expression. Government, which
serves to regulate the terms of the social contact on which society is created, serves to protect our
natural rights and serve as a democratic conduit for our interests. Most important of our natural rights
are liberty and property.
National Government under the Articles of Confederation
- correct answer unicameral congress, or one chamber known as the Confederation Congress. no
executive or judicial branch. Functions in order to make sure that the national government did not have
too much power and that the power of the states remained protected. had the authority to exchange
ambassadors and make treaties with foreign governments and Indian tribes, declare war, coin currency
and borrow money, and settle disputes between states. Each state legislature appointed delegates to
the Congress; these men could be recalled at any time. Regardless of its size or the number of delegates
it chose to send, each state would have only one vote. Delegates could serve for no more than three
consecutive years, lest a class of elite professional politicians develop. The nation would have no
independent chief executive or judiciary. Nine votes were required before the central government could
act, and the Articles of Confederation could be changed only by unanimous approval of all 13 states.
Powers under the Articles of Confederation (national government):
- correct answer The Power to Borrow and Coin Money
The Power to Declare War
The Power to Make Treaties and Alliances with Other Nations
The Power to Regulate Trade with the Native Americans
The Power to Settle Disputes among Other States
The Power to Borrow and Coin Money (National Government)
- correct answer The national government could make the currency of the United States, known as
Continental currency. It could also borrow money from other nations to cover the country's debts that
, remained from fighting during the American Revolution. This power to borrow and coin money was
limited, as the national government had to rely on the states for enough money to cover debts and back
any loans taken from other countries.
The Power to Declare War (National Government)
- correct answer The national government could declare war as it deemed appropriate with other
nations. It could also appoint military officials. However, this power was limited. The national
government could declare war, but there was no national military to draw soldiers from. The soldiers
came from the individual states.
The Power to Make Treaties and Alliances with Other Nations (National Government)
- correct answer The national government could enter into treaties or agreements with other nations as
it deemed appropriate. Under this power, the national government could also appoint foreign
ambassadors.
The Power to Regulate Trade with the Native Americans (National Government):
- correct answer The national government was given power to negotiate and regulate trade with the
Native Americans. Native Americans were not considered citizens of the United States and were treated
as foreign nations by the both the national and state governments.
The Power to Settle Disputes among Other States (National Government)
- correct answer the national government had the authority to settle any and all boundary disputes that
arose between the states, which were bound to happen in this newly formed country.
Problems with the Articles of Confederation (Power to Raise an Army or Navy):
- correct answer Although the central government could declare war and agree to peace, it had to
depend upon the states to provide soldiers. If state governors chose not to honor the national
government's request, the country would lack an adequate defense. The lack of a national army meant
that the national government could not draft any soldiers into the military.
Problems with the Articles of Confederation (Taxation)
- correct answer Articles of Confederation gave the national government no power to impose and collect
taxes. To avoid any perception of "taxation without representation," the Articles of Confederation
allowed only state governments to levy taxes. To pay for its expenses, the national government had to
request money from the states, which were required to provide funds in proportion to the value of the
land within their borders. The states, however, were often negligent in this duty, and the national
government was underfunded as a result. The national government could not impose taxes on citizens.
It could only request money from the states.
Constitution questions and answers
2024\2025 A+ Grade
Social Contract
- correct answer An agreement between people and government in which citizens consent to being
governed so long as the government protects their natural rights.
Natural Rights
- correct answer the idea that all humans are born with rights, which include the right to life, liberty, and
property
State of Nature
- correct answer A theory on how people might have lived before societies came into existence. is a
condition in which all of us live individually and solitarily, prior to the existence of society. We are
physically and mentally capable of achieving our own survival.
Montesquieu (1689-1755)
- correct answer contribution in The Spirit of the Laws (1748) regards the structure of political
institutions. He argues for a separation of powers: legislative, executive, and judicial. Each will serve as a
check on the power of the other, limiting the harm each might do. separates power to offset the power
of different social interests: ordinary people, the aristocracy, and the monarch.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679):
- correct answer One of the first individuals to contribute to the idea of the social contract was a pre-
Enlightenment English philosopher. Hobbes argues that society is not something natural and immutable,
but rather it is something created by us. We do this to resolve problems we collectively face, to make
our lives better. State of Nature: it's "a war of all against all." Basically, the state of nature is a pretty
nasty place where lives are perpetually insecure.
,John Locke (1632-1704)
- correct answer we are autonomous individuals, capable of using reason, and are driven to advance our
personal interests. Our primary interest is survival, which we want to make secure and comfortable. To
achieve this security and comfort, we acquire property. Two Treatises of Government, disagrees, saying
the state of nature is a relatively decent place. All its inhabitants are rational people, mindful of the
basic law of nature to not harm another, and people will get along okay. But our relationship in the state
of nature is "inconvenient," implying an incentive for us to devise a better, more convenient
arrangement.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)
- correct answer A French man who believed that humans are naturally good and free and can rely on
their instincts. He also advocated a democracy because he believed the government should exist to
protect common good. Like other Enlightenment thinkers, he was passionately committed to individual
freedom, but he attacked rationalism and civilization as destroying, rather than liberating, the individual.
He also called for a rigid division of gender roles, believing women should be subordinate in social life.
His ideals greatly influenced the early romantic movement, which rebelled against the culture of the
Enlightenment in the late eighteenth century. Rousseau was both one of the most influential voices of
the Enlightenment and, in his rejection of rationalism and social discourse, a harbinger of reaction
against Enlightenment ideas.
Constitution is influenced by the Enlightenment
- correct answer (Separation of powers) embodies Montesquieu's principles by separating the
legislative, executive, and judicial power, placing each into the hands of different political actors.
Bill of Rights influenced by Enlightenment
- correct answer · The First Amendment gives us a definitive declaration for the protection of natural
rights. Protections of individual conscience as well as protections for democratic participation (John Lock
ideology).
· The Second Amendment, which also embodies Lockean ideas, permits the possession of arms for the
"security of a free State."14 In this Amendment, the right to rebellion is established.
· Due process says all citizens are subject to fair and equitable treatment.
· The Fourth - Eighth Amendments serve to both limit the power government has over us and lay out
procedures which must be followed when dealing with us.
,· The Ninth Amendment makes it clear that the list of rights protected in the first eight Amendments is
not exhaustive and that we, the people, can assert additional natural rights when we see fit (at least in
theory.)
· The Tenth Amendment makes clear that powers not specifically granted to the federal government are
retained by the states and the people (these last two are Lockean ideals)
Declaration of Independence influenced by Enlightenment
- correct answer Locke maintains that society is a rational but voluntary expression. Government, which
serves to regulate the terms of the social contact on which society is created, serves to protect our
natural rights and serve as a democratic conduit for our interests. Most important of our natural rights
are liberty and property.
National Government under the Articles of Confederation
- correct answer unicameral congress, or one chamber known as the Confederation Congress. no
executive or judicial branch. Functions in order to make sure that the national government did not have
too much power and that the power of the states remained protected. had the authority to exchange
ambassadors and make treaties with foreign governments and Indian tribes, declare war, coin currency
and borrow money, and settle disputes between states. Each state legislature appointed delegates to
the Congress; these men could be recalled at any time. Regardless of its size or the number of delegates
it chose to send, each state would have only one vote. Delegates could serve for no more than three
consecutive years, lest a class of elite professional politicians develop. The nation would have no
independent chief executive or judiciary. Nine votes were required before the central government could
act, and the Articles of Confederation could be changed only by unanimous approval of all 13 states.
Powers under the Articles of Confederation (national government):
- correct answer The Power to Borrow and Coin Money
The Power to Declare War
The Power to Make Treaties and Alliances with Other Nations
The Power to Regulate Trade with the Native Americans
The Power to Settle Disputes among Other States
The Power to Borrow and Coin Money (National Government)
- correct answer The national government could make the currency of the United States, known as
Continental currency. It could also borrow money from other nations to cover the country's debts that
, remained from fighting during the American Revolution. This power to borrow and coin money was
limited, as the national government had to rely on the states for enough money to cover debts and back
any loans taken from other countries.
The Power to Declare War (National Government)
- correct answer The national government could declare war as it deemed appropriate with other
nations. It could also appoint military officials. However, this power was limited. The national
government could declare war, but there was no national military to draw soldiers from. The soldiers
came from the individual states.
The Power to Make Treaties and Alliances with Other Nations (National Government)
- correct answer The national government could enter into treaties or agreements with other nations as
it deemed appropriate. Under this power, the national government could also appoint foreign
ambassadors.
The Power to Regulate Trade with the Native Americans (National Government):
- correct answer The national government was given power to negotiate and regulate trade with the
Native Americans. Native Americans were not considered citizens of the United States and were treated
as foreign nations by the both the national and state governments.
The Power to Settle Disputes among Other States (National Government)
- correct answer the national government had the authority to settle any and all boundary disputes that
arose between the states, which were bound to happen in this newly formed country.
Problems with the Articles of Confederation (Power to Raise an Army or Navy):
- correct answer Although the central government could declare war and agree to peace, it had to
depend upon the states to provide soldiers. If state governors chose not to honor the national
government's request, the country would lack an adequate defense. The lack of a national army meant
that the national government could not draft any soldiers into the military.
Problems with the Articles of Confederation (Taxation)
- correct answer Articles of Confederation gave the national government no power to impose and collect
taxes. To avoid any perception of "taxation without representation," the Articles of Confederation
allowed only state governments to levy taxes. To pay for its expenses, the national government had to
request money from the states, which were required to provide funds in proportion to the value of the
land within their borders. The states, however, were often negligent in this duty, and the national
government was underfunded as a result. The national government could not impose taxes on citizens.
It could only request money from the states.
