U.s. Constitution Exam Questions And Answers

U.S. CONSTITUTION EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS


What6is6the6Constitution?-6ans-6-
Organizing6document6and6framework6for6public6life6in6the6U.S.
-Supreme6law6of6the6U.S.
-Symbol,6artifact,6set6of6meanings

What666things6does6the6Constitution6do?-6ans-6-
Provides6new6framework6for6national6government
-
Grants,6defines,6and6assigns6power6and6responsibilities6(most6importantly6provides6limit
s6on6power6)
-Protects6individual6rights6from6government6encroachment
-Protects6states6from6centralized6power
-Stands6as6the6supreme6law
-
Balances:6granting6enough6power6to6govern,6but6not6enough6to6oppress6and6rights6of6th
e6community6vs.6rights6of6the6individual

What6are6the6central6principles6of6the6Constitution?-6ans-61.6Recognize6inherent6rights
2.6Recognize6democratic6principles
3.6Limit6government6powers
4.6Separate6and6balance6powers6in6the6central6government
5.6Create6a6Federation6of6States6(Federalism)
6.6Judicial6Review
7.6Confirm6civilian6supremacy
8.6Define6and6secure6individual6rights

Why6do6we6need6a6constitution?-6ans-6Communal6life6needs6organization--
there6will6always6be6a6government.6Therefore,6the6government6needs6a6framework6and6c
ontrols6and6limits6on6its6power.

Where6did6the6Constitutional6Convention6take6place?-6ans-
6Independence6Hall,6Philadelphia,6PA

Summer61787

What6were6the6primary6issues6of6the6Constitutional6Convention?-6ans-6Primary6issues:

,-What6is6to6be6the6relationship6between6states6and6the6central6government?
-What6is6the6relationship6of6the6central6government's6branches6to6one6another?
-Who6should6participate6in6decision6making?6How6will6they6be6represented?
-What6rights6and6responsibilities6shall6citizens6have?
-How6will6officials6be6selected6and6removed?
-How6much6power6should6be6given6to6the6new6gov?

Special6points6of6contention:
-Representation6in6congress
-Slavery
-Elections,6voting6and6democracy
-Rights6of6citizens

What6were6the6"Battleground6states"6during6the6ratification6of6the6new6Constitution?-
6ans-6New6York,6Massachusetts,6Virginia



When6were6the6Articles6of6Confederation6ratified?-6ans-
6They6were6finished6in61777,6but6not6ratified6until617816because6of6a6territorial6dispute6wit

h6Maryland

How6did6the6Articles6of6Confederation6set6up6the6government?-6ans-
6Under6the6authority6of6the6Articles,6the6states6created6a6national6Congress6comprised6of

6annually6elected6delegates6from6all6thirteen6states.6Each6state6had6one6vote6in6Congres

s,6and,6in6most6cases,6decisions6were6made6based6on6majority6rule.6There6was6no6exec
utive6and6no6national6judiciary.

What6were6the6main6weakness6of6the6Articles6of6Confederation?-6ans-
61.6Frontier6lands6faced6threats6from6Spain6&6England,6and6the6government6had6no6natio

nal6authority6to6regulate6and6protect6frontier6territories6or6to6solve6disputes6over6which6st
ates6had6control6over6what6western6territories.6
2.6No6national6currency.6Continental6dollars6used6during6the6war6lost6their6value6due6to6i
nflation6after6the6war
3.6National6gov6needed6taxes6from6states6but6had6no6authority6to6do6so
4.6National6government6did6not6regulate6foreign6or6interstate6trade,6needed6some6power6
to!

Why6was6the6government6made6under6the6AOC6made6so6weak?-6ans-
6The6AOC6made6the6national6Congress6too6weak6on6purpose,6as6most6Americans6were6f

earful6of6falling6under6a6new6King6(like6Britain)6and6the6federal6gov6abusing6their6power6t
o6impose6federal6taxes.

Virginia6Plan-6ans-
6"Large6state"6proposal6for6the6new6constitution,6calling6for6proportional6representation6in

6both6houses6of6a6bicameral6Congress.6The6plan6favored6larger6states6and6thus6prompte

d6smaller6states6to6come6back6with6their6own6plan6for6apportioning6representation.

, New6Jersey6Plan-6ans-
6A6constitutional6proposal6that6would6have6given6each6state6one6vote6in6a6new6congress



The6Connecticut6Compromise-6ans-
6Compromise6agreement6by6states6at6the6Constitutional6Convention6for6a6bicameral6legis

lature6with6a6lower6house6in6which6representation6would6be6based6on6population6and6an6
upper6house6in6which6each6state6would6have6two6senators.

Why6was6the63/56Compromise6necessary?-6ans-
6Southern6states6wanted6their6slaves6to6be6counted6for6population6&6representation6purp

oses6but6NOT6taxes.6
Northern6states6wanted6the6South's6slaves6to6be6counted6for6taxation6purposes6but6NOT
6representation.6This6created6a6huge6divide6between6North6&6South6in6Congress6that6pre

vented6the6Constitution6from6being6ratified

What6is6the63/56compromise?-6ans-
6Slaves6in6the6south6would6be6counted6as63/56for6the6house6of6representation6and6taxes



What6did6the6Constitutional6Convention6decide6about6slavery6in6general?-6ans-
6Southern6states6made6it6clear6that6Congress6would6be6denied6the6power6to6regulate6or6li

mit6slavery.6Southern6states6would6only6participate6if6there6was6no6talk6of6limiting6slave6tr
ade6or6slavery,6and6it6was6decided6that6there6would6be6a6set6date6in6206years6where6slav
ery6would6be6discussed.

What6was6one6of6the6main6objections6to6the6Constitution?-6ans-
6One6of6the6main6objections6to6the6Constitution6was6the6absence6of6a6section6which6spec

ifically6enumerated6the6liberties6of6individuals

Who6were6the6Federalists6and6what6did6they6believe?-6ans-
6supporters6of6the6constitution

Many6wrote6what6was6later6published6as6The6Federalist6Papers6in6attempts6to6sway6peo
ple6in6favor6of6the6new6Constitution

Who6were6the6Anti-Federalists?-6ans-
6people6who6opposed6the6Constitution6due6to6their6fears6of6the6branches6of6government6

abusing6their6power6and6the6absence6of6the6rights6of6individuals6in6the6Constitution.6The
y6believed6in6state6rights,6opposed6increased6taxes.
Preferred6AOC

Why6was6the6Bill6of6Rights6added6to6the6Constitution?-6ans-
6Federalists6agreed6to6add6TBOR6to6the6Constitution6if6the6Southern6states6voted6to6ratif

y.6It6was6the6first6act6of6the6first6congress,6adding6the6first6106amendments6to6the6constitu
tion.

Federalism-6ans-
6A6system6of6political6organization; 6a6union6is6formed6of6separate6states6or6groups6that6ar