WGU C963: American Politics and the US Constitution Objective Assessment. It covers the
core competencies of the course, including the Enlightenment, the Founding Documents,
Federalism, the Three Branches of Government, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
Question 1
Which group of philosophers is most closely associated with the development of Social Contract
Theory?
A) Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Machiavelli
B) Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau
C) Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
D) Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton
E) Marx, Engels, and Lenin
Correct Answer: B) Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau
Rationale: These three thinkers are the pillars of Social Contract Theory. Thomas Hobbes
argued for a strong sovereign to prevent a "war of all against all"; John Locke emphasized
natural rights (life, liberty, property) and the right to revolt; Jean-Jacques Rousseau
focused on the "general will" and collective sovereignty. Together, their ideas influenced the
democratic foundations of the U.S. government.
Question 2
According to the Social Contract Theory, what is the primary reason individuals agree to form a
government?
A) To ensure that one religious faith dominates the region.
B) To expand territorial boundaries through military conquest.
C) To protect their natural rights and provide security that cannot be achieved in a state of nature.
D) To ensure that the wealthiest members of society remain in power.
E) To eliminate the need for any form of individual labor.
Correct Answer: C) To protect their natural rights and provide security that cannot be
achieved in a state of nature.
Rationale: The theory posits that in a "state of nature," individuals are vulnerable. They
voluntarily surrender some absolute freedom to a government in exchange for the
protection of their remaining rights and the maintenance of social order, ensuring they can
obtain food, clothing, and shelter safely.
Question 3
Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution most directly reflects the Enlightenment idea that
"people have rights beyond those specifically listed in the document"?
A) First Amendment
B) Second Amendment
C) Fifth Amendment
D) Ninth Amendment
E) Tenth Amendment
Correct Answer: D) Ninth Amendment
, 2
Rationale: The Ninth Amendment states that the enumeration of certain rights in the
Constitution shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. This
reflects the Enlightenment belief that rights are inherent to human beings and not simply
"granted" by a government document.
Question 4
The Declaration of Independence’s claim that people have "unalienable rights" including "Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" is a direct application of the ideas of which philosopher?
A) Thomas Hobbes
B) Baron de Montesquieu
C) John Locke
D) Adam Smith
E) David Hume
Correct Answer: C) John Locke
Rationale: John Locke’s "Second Treatise of Government" famously argued that all
individuals are born with natural rights to "life, liberty, and estate (property)." Thomas
Jefferson adapted this phrase for the Declaration, substituting "pursuit of happiness" for
"property" to reflect a broader American ideal.
Question 5
Which of the following was a significant weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
A) The national government had too much power over state trade.
B) There was no national executive or judicial branch.
C) The President had the power to veto all state laws.
D) The central government could easily tax individuals without state consent.
E) The Supreme Court could overturn any state court decision.
Correct Answer: B) There was no national executive or judicial branch.
Rationale: Under the Articles of Confederation, the government consisted only of a
unicameral legislature. The lack of an executive to enforce laws and a judiciary to settle
disputes between states made the national government effectively toothless and unable to
respond to crises like Shays' Rebellion.
Question 6
What was a primary strength of the Articles of Confederation?
A) It created a powerful national army to protect the frontiers.
B) It allowed the national government to regulate interstate commerce effectively.
C) It provided a framework for diplomacy and the ability to deal with territorial issues like the
Northwest Ordinance.
D) It established a single national currency used by all states.
E) It gave the central government the power to draft citizens into military service.
Correct Answer: C) It provided a framework for diplomacy and the ability to deal with
, 3
territorial issues.
Rationale: Despite its flaws, the Articles allowed the colonies to stay united during the
Revolution, negotiate the Treaty of Paris, and pass the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which
established a clear process for admitting new states to the Union and banned slavery in the
new territories.
Question 7
The New Jersey Plan proposed at the Constitutional Convention was primarily supported by
which group?
A) Large states who wanted representation based on population.
B) Southern states who wanted to count slaves for representation.
C) Small states who wanted equal representation regardless of population.
D) Federalists who wanted a strong national executive.
E) Anti-Federalists who wanted to abolish the presidency.
Correct Answer: C) Small states who wanted equal representation regardless of population.
Rationale: The New Jersey Plan sought to maintain the "one state, one vote" structure of
the Articles of Confederation. Small states feared that the population-based "Virginia
Plan" would allow large states like Virginia and Pennsylvania to dominate national politics.
Question 8
The "Great Compromise" (Connecticut Compromise) at the Constitutional Convention resulted
in:
A) A unicameral legislature with representation based on wealth.
B) A bicameral legislature with a population-based House and an equal-representation Senate.
C) The direct election of the President by the people.
D) The abolition of the slave trade within ten years.
E) The removal of all taxing power from the states.
Correct Answer: B) A bicameral legislature with a population-based House and an equal-
representation Senate.
Rationale: Roger Sherman’s compromise merged the Virginia and New Jersey plans. It
created the House of Representatives (satisfying large states) and the Senate (satisfying
small states), forming the basis of the modern U.S. Congress.
Question 9
What was the purpose of the Three-Fifths Compromise?
A) To allow three-fifths of the states to veto a national law.
B) To determine how slaves would be counted for both representation and taxation.
C) To ensure that three-fifths of the Cabinet were members of the opposing party.
D) To require a three-fifths vote in the Senate to approve all treaties.
E) To allow the President to serve three-fifths of a decade per term.
Correct Answer: B) To determine how slaves would be counted for both representation and
, 4
taxation.
Rationale: Southern states wanted slaves counted for representation but not taxation;
Northern states wanted the opposite. The compromise counted each slave as 3/5 of a person
for both purposes, a provision later negated by the 13th and 14th Amendments.
Question 10
Which constitutional principle is designed to prevent any one branch of government from
becoming too powerful?
A) Popular Sovereignty
B) Federalism
C) Checks and Balances
D) Judicial Review
E) Direct Democracy
Correct Answer: C) Checks and Balances
Rationale: Checks and Balances provide each branch with specific powers to influence or
block the actions of the other branches (e.g., a Presidential veto, a Congressional override,
or a Judicial ruling of unconstitutionality).
Question 11
In Federalist #10, James Madison argued that the "mischiefs of faction" could best be controlled
by:
A) Outlawing political parties and interest groups.
B) Ensuring all citizens have the exact same opinions.
C) A large republic where many different interests would compete, making it difficult for one to
dominate.
D) Giving the President the power to dissolve factions.
E) Returning to a direct democracy where every citizen votes on every law.
Correct Answer: C) A large republic where many different interests would compete.
Rationale: Madison argued that in a small society, a majority faction could easily oppress
the minority. In a large republic, the sheer number of different factions (religious,
economic, regional) would force them to compromise and prevent any single elite group
from taking total control.
Question 12
Federalist #51 is primarily famous for its defense of which structural feature of the Constitution?
A) The Electoral College
B) The Bill of Rights
C) Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
D) The power of the Supreme Court to interpret laws
E) The ability of the President to serve as Commander-in-Chief
Correct Answer: C) Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
core competencies of the course, including the Enlightenment, the Founding Documents,
Federalism, the Three Branches of Government, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
Question 1
Which group of philosophers is most closely associated with the development of Social Contract
Theory?
A) Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Machiavelli
B) Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau
C) Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
D) Jefferson, Madison, and Hamilton
E) Marx, Engels, and Lenin
Correct Answer: B) Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau
Rationale: These three thinkers are the pillars of Social Contract Theory. Thomas Hobbes
argued for a strong sovereign to prevent a "war of all against all"; John Locke emphasized
natural rights (life, liberty, property) and the right to revolt; Jean-Jacques Rousseau
focused on the "general will" and collective sovereignty. Together, their ideas influenced the
democratic foundations of the U.S. government.
Question 2
According to the Social Contract Theory, what is the primary reason individuals agree to form a
government?
A) To ensure that one religious faith dominates the region.
B) To expand territorial boundaries through military conquest.
C) To protect their natural rights and provide security that cannot be achieved in a state of nature.
D) To ensure that the wealthiest members of society remain in power.
E) To eliminate the need for any form of individual labor.
Correct Answer: C) To protect their natural rights and provide security that cannot be
achieved in a state of nature.
Rationale: The theory posits that in a "state of nature," individuals are vulnerable. They
voluntarily surrender some absolute freedom to a government in exchange for the
protection of their remaining rights and the maintenance of social order, ensuring they can
obtain food, clothing, and shelter safely.
Question 3
Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution most directly reflects the Enlightenment idea that
"people have rights beyond those specifically listed in the document"?
A) First Amendment
B) Second Amendment
C) Fifth Amendment
D) Ninth Amendment
E) Tenth Amendment
Correct Answer: D) Ninth Amendment
, 2
Rationale: The Ninth Amendment states that the enumeration of certain rights in the
Constitution shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. This
reflects the Enlightenment belief that rights are inherent to human beings and not simply
"granted" by a government document.
Question 4
The Declaration of Independence’s claim that people have "unalienable rights" including "Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness" is a direct application of the ideas of which philosopher?
A) Thomas Hobbes
B) Baron de Montesquieu
C) John Locke
D) Adam Smith
E) David Hume
Correct Answer: C) John Locke
Rationale: John Locke’s "Second Treatise of Government" famously argued that all
individuals are born with natural rights to "life, liberty, and estate (property)." Thomas
Jefferson adapted this phrase for the Declaration, substituting "pursuit of happiness" for
"property" to reflect a broader American ideal.
Question 5
Which of the following was a significant weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
A) The national government had too much power over state trade.
B) There was no national executive or judicial branch.
C) The President had the power to veto all state laws.
D) The central government could easily tax individuals without state consent.
E) The Supreme Court could overturn any state court decision.
Correct Answer: B) There was no national executive or judicial branch.
Rationale: Under the Articles of Confederation, the government consisted only of a
unicameral legislature. The lack of an executive to enforce laws and a judiciary to settle
disputes between states made the national government effectively toothless and unable to
respond to crises like Shays' Rebellion.
Question 6
What was a primary strength of the Articles of Confederation?
A) It created a powerful national army to protect the frontiers.
B) It allowed the national government to regulate interstate commerce effectively.
C) It provided a framework for diplomacy and the ability to deal with territorial issues like the
Northwest Ordinance.
D) It established a single national currency used by all states.
E) It gave the central government the power to draft citizens into military service.
Correct Answer: C) It provided a framework for diplomacy and the ability to deal with
, 3
territorial issues.
Rationale: Despite its flaws, the Articles allowed the colonies to stay united during the
Revolution, negotiate the Treaty of Paris, and pass the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which
established a clear process for admitting new states to the Union and banned slavery in the
new territories.
Question 7
The New Jersey Plan proposed at the Constitutional Convention was primarily supported by
which group?
A) Large states who wanted representation based on population.
B) Southern states who wanted to count slaves for representation.
C) Small states who wanted equal representation regardless of population.
D) Federalists who wanted a strong national executive.
E) Anti-Federalists who wanted to abolish the presidency.
Correct Answer: C) Small states who wanted equal representation regardless of population.
Rationale: The New Jersey Plan sought to maintain the "one state, one vote" structure of
the Articles of Confederation. Small states feared that the population-based "Virginia
Plan" would allow large states like Virginia and Pennsylvania to dominate national politics.
Question 8
The "Great Compromise" (Connecticut Compromise) at the Constitutional Convention resulted
in:
A) A unicameral legislature with representation based on wealth.
B) A bicameral legislature with a population-based House and an equal-representation Senate.
C) The direct election of the President by the people.
D) The abolition of the slave trade within ten years.
E) The removal of all taxing power from the states.
Correct Answer: B) A bicameral legislature with a population-based House and an equal-
representation Senate.
Rationale: Roger Sherman’s compromise merged the Virginia and New Jersey plans. It
created the House of Representatives (satisfying large states) and the Senate (satisfying
small states), forming the basis of the modern U.S. Congress.
Question 9
What was the purpose of the Three-Fifths Compromise?
A) To allow three-fifths of the states to veto a national law.
B) To determine how slaves would be counted for both representation and taxation.
C) To ensure that three-fifths of the Cabinet were members of the opposing party.
D) To require a three-fifths vote in the Senate to approve all treaties.
E) To allow the President to serve three-fifths of a decade per term.
Correct Answer: B) To determine how slaves would be counted for both representation and
, 4
taxation.
Rationale: Southern states wanted slaves counted for representation but not taxation;
Northern states wanted the opposite. The compromise counted each slave as 3/5 of a person
for both purposes, a provision later negated by the 13th and 14th Amendments.
Question 10
Which constitutional principle is designed to prevent any one branch of government from
becoming too powerful?
A) Popular Sovereignty
B) Federalism
C) Checks and Balances
D) Judicial Review
E) Direct Democracy
Correct Answer: C) Checks and Balances
Rationale: Checks and Balances provide each branch with specific powers to influence or
block the actions of the other branches (e.g., a Presidential veto, a Congressional override,
or a Judicial ruling of unconstitutionality).
Question 11
In Federalist #10, James Madison argued that the "mischiefs of faction" could best be controlled
by:
A) Outlawing political parties and interest groups.
B) Ensuring all citizens have the exact same opinions.
C) A large republic where many different interests would compete, making it difficult for one to
dominate.
D) Giving the President the power to dissolve factions.
E) Returning to a direct democracy where every citizen votes on every law.
Correct Answer: C) A large republic where many different interests would compete.
Rationale: Madison argued that in a small society, a majority faction could easily oppress
the minority. In a large republic, the sheer number of different factions (religious,
economic, regional) would force them to compromise and prevent any single elite group
from taking total control.
Question 12
Federalist #51 is primarily famous for its defense of which structural feature of the Constitution?
A) The Electoral College
B) The Bill of Rights
C) Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
D) The power of the Supreme Court to interpret laws
E) The ability of the President to serve as Commander-in-Chief
Correct Answer: C) Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances
