WGU C963 Exam Questions Complete
Solutions Current Update
What was the enlightenment? - ✔✔Ideas centered around the idea of human
happiness. Liberty, progress, toleration, fraternity, constitutional govt and
separation of church and state came from the enlightment
John Locke - ✔✔English philosopher whose ideas would be used as the basis for
the American Revolution. "Father of liberal philosophy". He believed most
people are good and respect the rights of others because their conscious tells
them to
What natural rights did John Locke believe the social contract should protect? -
✔✔Life, liberty and property
What is popular sovereignty? - ✔✔the idea that the authority of government
comes from the people. The people decide whether their territories would enter
the union as free or slave states
Social Contract - ✔✔A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their
rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules. Sacrificing
some individual freedoms for state protection
1|Page
©NINJANERD 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
,Structure of Government under the Articles of Confederation - ✔✔Unicameral
(one-house legislature). No national executive or judiciary, delegates to
congress were appointed by teh state legislatures and each state had one vote
only
Powers of the government under the Articles of Confederation - ✔✔Power to
declare war
Appoint military officers
sign treaties
make alliances
appoint foreign ambassadors
manage relations with Indians
Weaknesses of the government under the Articles of Confederation -
✔✔Required unanimous consent of the states to change the articles
Each state had only 1 vote in congress regardless of size
Congress had no power to tax
No power to regulate foreign trade
No executive branch to enforce any acts passed by congress
2|Page
©NINJANERD 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
, During Shay's Rebellion the government could not form a military or craft bc the
federal govt had no money bc they couldn't tax
What was the Virginia Plan? - ✔✔Representation in each house would be based
on population. Three branches of govt and two houses of congress
What was the New Jersey Plan? - ✔✔Representation in Congress equal for all
states. Three branches of govt and one house of congress
What was the Great Compromise? - ✔✔what settled the difference between
the New Jersey and the Virginia plan, two houses of congress, senate had two
people from each state, and house of rep was based on population
3/5 Compromise - ✔✔-each slave would count for 3/5 of a person for taxation
and representation purposes
Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances - ✔✔Three branches of govt --
executive, judicial and legislative) are kept separate and each branch is given
certain powers to check and balance the other branches
Federalism - ✔✔a form of government in which power is divided between the
federal, or national, government and the states
3|Page
©NINJANERD 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
Solutions Current Update
What was the enlightenment? - ✔✔Ideas centered around the idea of human
happiness. Liberty, progress, toleration, fraternity, constitutional govt and
separation of church and state came from the enlightment
John Locke - ✔✔English philosopher whose ideas would be used as the basis for
the American Revolution. "Father of liberal philosophy". He believed most
people are good and respect the rights of others because their conscious tells
them to
What natural rights did John Locke believe the social contract should protect? -
✔✔Life, liberty and property
What is popular sovereignty? - ✔✔the idea that the authority of government
comes from the people. The people decide whether their territories would enter
the union as free or slave states
Social Contract - ✔✔A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their
rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules. Sacrificing
some individual freedoms for state protection
1|Page
©NINJANERD 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
,Structure of Government under the Articles of Confederation - ✔✔Unicameral
(one-house legislature). No national executive or judiciary, delegates to
congress were appointed by teh state legislatures and each state had one vote
only
Powers of the government under the Articles of Confederation - ✔✔Power to
declare war
Appoint military officers
sign treaties
make alliances
appoint foreign ambassadors
manage relations with Indians
Weaknesses of the government under the Articles of Confederation -
✔✔Required unanimous consent of the states to change the articles
Each state had only 1 vote in congress regardless of size
Congress had no power to tax
No power to regulate foreign trade
No executive branch to enforce any acts passed by congress
2|Page
©NINJANERD 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
, During Shay's Rebellion the government could not form a military or craft bc the
federal govt had no money bc they couldn't tax
What was the Virginia Plan? - ✔✔Representation in each house would be based
on population. Three branches of govt and two houses of congress
What was the New Jersey Plan? - ✔✔Representation in Congress equal for all
states. Three branches of govt and one house of congress
What was the Great Compromise? - ✔✔what settled the difference between
the New Jersey and the Virginia plan, two houses of congress, senate had two
people from each state, and house of rep was based on population
3/5 Compromise - ✔✔-each slave would count for 3/5 of a person for taxation
and representation purposes
Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances - ✔✔Three branches of govt --
executive, judicial and legislative) are kept separate and each branch is given
certain powers to check and balance the other branches
Federalism - ✔✔a form of government in which power is divided between the
federal, or national, government and the states
3|Page
©NINJANERD 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025.
