Test: Foundations of Government and Constitutional Convention

Last updated about 1 year ago
50 questions
1
John Locke thought that people were born with __________ and that the purpose of government was to __________ their __________.
1

Which of these is the correct definition of a state.

1

Locke thought that people would naturally fight because resources are scarce. So they would need an all-powerful government to keep them from fighting.

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Locke thought that people are born into a state of liberty and that nobody else should have power over them.

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Locke thought that the people had the right to change the __________ if it was __________.
1
Montesquieu taught that the legislative, executive, and judicial functions of the government should be __________ between three different groups or people. These groups should have the power to check the others. This would prevent any one part of the government from gaining too __________ power.
1

A confederation is when the central government and the member states share power. It's a permanent structure.

1

John Locke had more influence over the American Founding Fathers than any other political philosopher.

1

The United States is a federation of states.

1

Choose the options that are present in a parliamentary system.

1

Choose the options that are present in a federation.

1

Federalism is a system where the national government has all the power.

1

The "Great Compromise" was the agreement reached at the constitutional convention that decided how power would be apportioned in the Congress. In the Senate, each state would get two votes. In the House, states with bigger populations would get more representatives.

1

What was the Great Compromise?

1

At the Constitutional Convention what was decided about the importation of slaves?

1

What plan was proposed on the first day of the convention and served as the basic blueprint for the Constitution?

1

The Virginia Plan proposed a new government with a new congress and an executive, but no national court system.

1

Why is Madison considered the "Father of the Constitution?"

1

In what year was the US Constitution written?

1

Why did George Mason refuse to sign the Constitution?

1

Who was the “indispensable man” at the constitutional convention?

1

Why did Madison think a large republic would be better than a small republic?

1

The central government had the power to tax under the Articles of Confederation.

1

The Articles of Confederation had a president.

1

What were the Articles of Confederation?

1

What was the issue over which the small states would have stayed out of union?

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Why did they decide to count 3/5 of the slave population for purposes of representation in the House?

1

Madison wanted a stronger central government because he thought the states were corrupt and weren't governing their people fairly.

1

What are the main ideas of Enlightenment thinking?

1

American democracy has always protected the rights of those not in the majority. (those in the minority)

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This is Henry VIII. The King of England from 1509-1547. He is an example of what?

1
A __________ possesses ultimate political authority in a country.
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In __________the __________ are the __________
2

Mark which idea applies to which plan for government.

Virginia Plan
New Jersey Plan
Proposed an executive made up of multiple people.
Proposed a congress where states were represented equally. Population wouldn't matter.
The plan served as the framework for the Constitution.
Would have made the states strong and the national government weak.
Called for a Congress made up of two parts.
Basically an upgrade of the Articles of Confederation.
A complete overhaul of the government of the United States.
Stronger national government.
Proposed an executive made up of a single person.
Proposed an executive made up of multiple people.
1

The civil society is any private organization created by the people that is not part of the government.

1

Which are true of the Magna Carta?

1

Greece was divided up into small city-states. What is a city state?

2

Match the descriptions with the type of government.

The Roman Republic
Athenian Democracy
The people ran all parts of the government.
Some were concerned that this government led to "mob rule."
There was part of the government that rich families controlled and was unelected.
This government lasted longer and was more successful than the other one. Mainly because it was more stable.
They had a group of 500 citizens that would run the day-to-day business of the government.
This government spread power out over many different elected offices because they did not want one leader to get too much power.
This government elected two leaders each year to run the government and the army.
1

The main reason the Americans fought the British in the American Revolution was to determine who would control the colonies, the colonial governments or Parliament?

1

By the time of the American Revolution the colonies had already been governing themselves for over 100 years.

1

After the Constituion was written, it was sent out to the states for approval. Virginia and New York were the first states to ratify the Constitution.

1

The small states were happy with the Constitution because it gave them some power in the Senate. Small states ratified the Constitution by huge majorities at their conventions.

1

The Anti-Federalists were the group that opposed the Constitution. Their main demand was that a bill of rights be added to the Constitution.

1

The group that favored the Constitution were know as, the Federalists.

1
__________ wrote the __________ which became the first ten amendments (changes) to the Constitution.
1

Part of the reason a strong executive was written into the Constitution is because everybody knew Washington would be the first president.

1

What is the main reason that the American people loved and trusted Washington?

1
The __________ set up the framework for how __________ and the federal government will operate in our system.
1

The Constitution is above both the federal government and the state governments.

1

States are subdivisions of the federal government, they are almost totally controlled by the federal government.