WGU C963 Exam Questions and Answers Latest Update 2025-2026
Physical Security - Answers social contract should protect the right to life (Thomas Hobbes)
Quality of Life - Answers People have rights from god that the government cannot take away.
The social contract should protect life, liberty, and property. (John Locke)
Freedom of Choice - Answers You cannot be "forced to be free" and it should protect liberty
(Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
State of Nature - Answers How people may have lived before societies came into existence
Natural Rights - Answers "Basic human rights" we choose how we want to live
Sovereignty - Answers A person who has supreme power/authority
Consensual political rule - Answers People consent the government to make rules to follow-
allowing the government to tell you what you can and can't do
Areas of the Constitution influenced by the Enlightenment - Answers John Locke's natural rights,
Rousseau's social contract in article 1 section 2 clause 1.
The separation of powers is found in articles 1,2 and 3.
Enlightenment influence on bill of rights - Answers Society and government are created to
protect and advance natural rights.
Enlightenment influence on Deceleration of Independence - Answers Fundamental natural rights
are life, liberty, and property to which we are individually and equally entitled.
Primary goals of the Articles of Confederation. - Answers Limit the national government's power,
which in return provides greater state sovereignty.
Structure of Government under the Articles of Confederation - Answers unicameral congress=1
chamber;confederation
each state had only one vote in Congress
The central government was weaker than the states
Powers of government under Articles of Confederation - Answers Borrow and coin money,
Declare war,
,Make treaties,
Alliance with other nations,
Regulate trade with Native Americans, and
Settle disputes among other states.
Weakness of Article of Confederations - Answers No power to tact or interstate commerce or
regulate trade. They could only request money from the state., No national army or navy., No
Judicial or executive branches., Each state had one vote regardless of the size of congress; The
articles could not be changed without a unanimous vote to do so.
New Jersey Plan - Answers Unicameral (one vote per state),
State-based (Each state is equally represented),
Small states are given the same power as the more significant states in the national legislature,
Legislature gave all states one vote each regardless of the population size.
Virginia Plan - Answers Bicameral,
population based,
larger states would have more power than small states and the national legislature,
Legislature in what states receive representation based on their population.
Major compromises of the constitutional convention - Answers Bicameral Legislature=senate
and house reps
Two senators regardless of size representation
representation in the house would be based upon population
elected members of the house=2 years in office
appointed to the senate by each state political elite would serve a term of 6 years
Three-Fifths Compromise - Answers Satisfied the concerns of the South's concerns over
, counting their slave population by allowing 60% of the slave population to be counted for State
representation and tax purposes. Five slaves=3votes
Checks and Balances - Answers A system that allows each government branch to limit the other
branches' power to prevent abuse of power.
Separation of Powers - Answers The government is separated into three branches: legislative,
executive, and judicial.
Federalist's Views - Answers Strong government for national defense and economic growth.
National currency=government power to create
Ability to regulate trade and place tariffs
collections of taxes
Anti-Federalist's Views - Answers Feared National government and believed in states
legislatures
believed the strong federal government would favor the ridge over those of the middle sort
Reasons for and against ratifying the constitution - Answers Federalists wanted a strong
government.
Anti-federalists wanted to protest people's rights.
Purpose and main arguments made in Federalist #10 - Answers To assure readers that they do
not need to worry about special interests or powerful political parties taking hold because the
republic is too big to allow for it (James Madison)
Purpose and main arguments made in Federalist #51 - Answers Separating powers/checks and
balances would protect people from an abusive government.
purpose of having separations of powers - Answers In order to avoid the possibility of the
government ignoring the right of citizens.
Legislative branch powers - Answers 100 US senators/2 per state
Physical Security - Answers social contract should protect the right to life (Thomas Hobbes)
Quality of Life - Answers People have rights from god that the government cannot take away.
The social contract should protect life, liberty, and property. (John Locke)
Freedom of Choice - Answers You cannot be "forced to be free" and it should protect liberty
(Jean-Jacques Rousseau)
State of Nature - Answers How people may have lived before societies came into existence
Natural Rights - Answers "Basic human rights" we choose how we want to live
Sovereignty - Answers A person who has supreme power/authority
Consensual political rule - Answers People consent the government to make rules to follow-
allowing the government to tell you what you can and can't do
Areas of the Constitution influenced by the Enlightenment - Answers John Locke's natural rights,
Rousseau's social contract in article 1 section 2 clause 1.
The separation of powers is found in articles 1,2 and 3.
Enlightenment influence on bill of rights - Answers Society and government are created to
protect and advance natural rights.
Enlightenment influence on Deceleration of Independence - Answers Fundamental natural rights
are life, liberty, and property to which we are individually and equally entitled.
Primary goals of the Articles of Confederation. - Answers Limit the national government's power,
which in return provides greater state sovereignty.
Structure of Government under the Articles of Confederation - Answers unicameral congress=1
chamber;confederation
each state had only one vote in Congress
The central government was weaker than the states
Powers of government under Articles of Confederation - Answers Borrow and coin money,
Declare war,
,Make treaties,
Alliance with other nations,
Regulate trade with Native Americans, and
Settle disputes among other states.
Weakness of Article of Confederations - Answers No power to tact or interstate commerce or
regulate trade. They could only request money from the state., No national army or navy., No
Judicial or executive branches., Each state had one vote regardless of the size of congress; The
articles could not be changed without a unanimous vote to do so.
New Jersey Plan - Answers Unicameral (one vote per state),
State-based (Each state is equally represented),
Small states are given the same power as the more significant states in the national legislature,
Legislature gave all states one vote each regardless of the population size.
Virginia Plan - Answers Bicameral,
population based,
larger states would have more power than small states and the national legislature,
Legislature in what states receive representation based on their population.
Major compromises of the constitutional convention - Answers Bicameral Legislature=senate
and house reps
Two senators regardless of size representation
representation in the house would be based upon population
elected members of the house=2 years in office
appointed to the senate by each state political elite would serve a term of 6 years
Three-Fifths Compromise - Answers Satisfied the concerns of the South's concerns over
, counting their slave population by allowing 60% of the slave population to be counted for State
representation and tax purposes. Five slaves=3votes
Checks and Balances - Answers A system that allows each government branch to limit the other
branches' power to prevent abuse of power.
Separation of Powers - Answers The government is separated into three branches: legislative,
executive, and judicial.
Federalist's Views - Answers Strong government for national defense and economic growth.
National currency=government power to create
Ability to regulate trade and place tariffs
collections of taxes
Anti-Federalist's Views - Answers Feared National government and believed in states
legislatures
believed the strong federal government would favor the ridge over those of the middle sort
Reasons for and against ratifying the constitution - Answers Federalists wanted a strong
government.
Anti-federalists wanted to protest people's rights.
Purpose and main arguments made in Federalist #10 - Answers To assure readers that they do
not need to worry about special interests or powerful political parties taking hold because the
republic is too big to allow for it (James Madison)
Purpose and main arguments made in Federalist #51 - Answers Separating powers/checks and
balances would protect people from an abusive government.
purpose of having separations of powers - Answers In order to avoid the possibility of the
government ignoring the right of citizens.
Legislative branch powers - Answers 100 US senators/2 per state
