U.S. Constitution Exam Questions and
Answers 100% Solved
What is the Constitution? - ✔✔-Organizing document and framework for
public life in the U.S.
-Supreme law of the U.S.
-Symbol, artifact, set of meanings
What 6 things does the Constitution do? - ✔✔-Provides new framework for
national government
-Grants, defines, and assigns power and responsibilities (most importantly
provides limits on power )
-Protects individual rights from government encroachment
-Protects states from centralized power
-Stands as the supreme law
-Balances: granting enough power to govern, but not enough to oppress
and rights of the community vs. rights of the individual
What are the central principles of the Constitution? - ✔✔1. Recognize
inherent rights
1
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,2. Recognize democratic principles
3. Limit government powers
4. Separate and balance powers in the central government
5. Create a Federation of States (Federalism)
6. Judicial Review
7. Confirm civilian supremacy
8. Define and secure individual rights
Why do we need a constitution? - ✔✔Communal life needs organization--
there will always be a government. Therefore, the government needs a
framework and controls and limits on its power.
Where did the Constitutional Convention take place? - ✔✔Independence
Hall, Philadelphia, PA
Summer 1787
What were the primary issues of the Constitutional Convention? -
✔✔Primary issues:
-What is to be the relationship between states and the central government?
-What is the relationship of the central government's branches to one
another?
-Who should participate in decision making? How will they be represented?
-What rights and responsibilities shall citizens have?
2
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
,-How will officials be selected and removed?
-How much power should be given to the new gov?
Special points of contention:
-Representation in congress
-Slavery
-Elections, voting and democracy
-Rights of citizens
What were the "Battleground states" during the ratification of the new
Constitution? - ✔✔New York, Massachusetts, Virginia
When were the Articles of Confederation ratified? - ✔✔They were finished
in 1777, but not ratified until 1781 because of a territorial dispute with
Maryland
How did the Articles of Confederation set up the government? - ✔✔Under
the authority of the Articles, the states created a national Congress
comprised of annually elected delegates from all thirteen states. Each state
had one vote in Congress, and, in most cases, decisions were made based
on majority rule. There was no executive and no national judiciary.
3
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
, What were the main weakness of the Articles of Confederation? - ✔✔1.
Frontier lands faced threats from Spain & England, and the government
had no national authority to regulate and protect frontier territories or to
solve disputes over which states had control over what western territories.
2. No national currency. Continental dollars used during the war lost their
value due to inflation after the war
3. National gov needed taxes from states but had no authority to do so
4. National government did not regulate foreign or interstate trade, needed
some power to!
Why was the government made under the AOC made so weak? - ✔✔The
AOC made the national Congress too weak on purpose, as most
Americans were fearful of falling under a new King (like Britain) and the
federal gov abusing their power to impose federal taxes.
Virginia Plan - ✔✔"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for
proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress. The
plan favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back
with their own plan for apportioning representation.
New Jersey Plan - ✔✔A constitutional proposal that would have given each
state one vote in a new congress
4
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
Answers 100% Solved
What is the Constitution? - ✔✔-Organizing document and framework for
public life in the U.S.
-Supreme law of the U.S.
-Symbol, artifact, set of meanings
What 6 things does the Constitution do? - ✔✔-Provides new framework for
national government
-Grants, defines, and assigns power and responsibilities (most importantly
provides limits on power )
-Protects individual rights from government encroachment
-Protects states from centralized power
-Stands as the supreme law
-Balances: granting enough power to govern, but not enough to oppress
and rights of the community vs. rights of the individual
What are the central principles of the Constitution? - ✔✔1. Recognize
inherent rights
1
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
,2. Recognize democratic principles
3. Limit government powers
4. Separate and balance powers in the central government
5. Create a Federation of States (Federalism)
6. Judicial Review
7. Confirm civilian supremacy
8. Define and secure individual rights
Why do we need a constitution? - ✔✔Communal life needs organization--
there will always be a government. Therefore, the government needs a
framework and controls and limits on its power.
Where did the Constitutional Convention take place? - ✔✔Independence
Hall, Philadelphia, PA
Summer 1787
What were the primary issues of the Constitutional Convention? -
✔✔Primary issues:
-What is to be the relationship between states and the central government?
-What is the relationship of the central government's branches to one
another?
-Who should participate in decision making? How will they be represented?
-What rights and responsibilities shall citizens have?
2
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
,-How will officials be selected and removed?
-How much power should be given to the new gov?
Special points of contention:
-Representation in congress
-Slavery
-Elections, voting and democracy
-Rights of citizens
What were the "Battleground states" during the ratification of the new
Constitution? - ✔✔New York, Massachusetts, Virginia
When were the Articles of Confederation ratified? - ✔✔They were finished
in 1777, but not ratified until 1781 because of a territorial dispute with
Maryland
How did the Articles of Confederation set up the government? - ✔✔Under
the authority of the Articles, the states created a national Congress
comprised of annually elected delegates from all thirteen states. Each state
had one vote in Congress, and, in most cases, decisions were made based
on majority rule. There was no executive and no national judiciary.
3
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
, What were the main weakness of the Articles of Confederation? - ✔✔1.
Frontier lands faced threats from Spain & England, and the government
had no national authority to regulate and protect frontier territories or to
solve disputes over which states had control over what western territories.
2. No national currency. Continental dollars used during the war lost their
value due to inflation after the war
3. National gov needed taxes from states but had no authority to do so
4. National government did not regulate foreign or interstate trade, needed
some power to!
Why was the government made under the AOC made so weak? - ✔✔The
AOC made the national Congress too weak on purpose, as most
Americans were fearful of falling under a new King (like Britain) and the
federal gov abusing their power to impose federal taxes.
Virginia Plan - ✔✔"Large state" proposal for the new constitution, calling for
proportional representation in both houses of a bicameral Congress. The
plan favored larger states and thus prompted smaller states to come back
with their own plan for apportioning representation.
New Jersey Plan - ✔✔A constitutional proposal that would have given each
state one vote in a new congress
4
©JOSHCLAY 2024/2025. YEAR PUBLISHED 2024.
