WGU C963 - American Politics
Final Exam Questions & 100%
Correct Answers
Graded A+
Which concept is an Enlightenment idea that influenced the leaders of the American
Revolution? - Answer - Social Contract
How does the Bill of Rights reflect the influence of the Enlightenment ideas on the
Constitution? - Answer - The Bill of Rights explicitly listed individual freedoms
What was a major problem with the Articles of Confederation? - Answer - The national
government did not have the power to impose taxes
What describes Clause 3 of Article IV, Section 2 in the constitution? - Answer - Slave
owners could reclaim their slaves in states where they had fled
What describes the opposing views in the debates between the Federalists and the
Anti-Federalists? - Answer - Federalists favored a strong central government while the
Anti-Federalist favored strong state governments
How do the branches of the government operate under the concept of checks and
balances? - Answer - The branch of government must cooperate to to function, and
each branch can restrict the other branches' powers
What describes the general structure of the U.S. government under the Articles of
Confederation? - Answer - It was an alliance of independent states under a limited
central government
Which major compromise was made at the Constitutional Convention? - Answer - The
proportional representation of enslaved persons (3/5)
What is an argument outlined in Federalist, no. 10? - Answer - The diverse interests of
the people would prevent the development of powerful political parties
,What is a primary effect of the census on the functioning of Congress? - Answer - It is
used to determine the number of House representatives for each state
Which describes the purpose of Congressional appropriations committees? - Answer -
They recommended how specific funds are allocated
Which power is assigned to the House under the Constitution? - Answer - Originating
congressional spending bills
What is an example of checks and balances between the executive and legislative
branches of government? - Answer - The Senate must confirm the President's Supreme
Court nominee
Which presidential power can be restricted by Congress? - Answer - Appointing cabinet
members
Which president was impeached by the House of Representatives? - Answer - Andrew
Johnson for firing his secretary of war
What is true about the U.S. court system? - Answer - It is a dual system with a federal
court system and courts in each state
Which type of power is a state's right to tax? - Answer - A concurrent power
What is an example of a state exercising a concurrent power? - Answer - Issuing bonds
to fund an infrastructure project
How does apportionment influence the makeup of Congress? - Answer - It determines
the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives based on the equal proportions
method
What is the general purpose of the president making recess appointments? - Answer -
To fill cabinet vacancies while bypassing Senate approval
What describes the Supreme Court's use of the judicial principal of stare decisis? -
Answer - The Supreme Court's precedents are treated as established law
What was the significance of the Supreme Court's ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland? -
Answer - It established a loose constructionist view of the necessary and proper clause
What is an example of a state exercising its reserve power? - Answer - Establishing
laws to regulate businesses in the state
Which statement describes characteristics of a social contract? - Answer - A collective
expression of a collectively shared interest, A definition of human nature, A specification
of natural right
, In what way is the state of nature important for constructing a social contract? - Answer
- The state of nature gives definition to what it means to be human and gives definition
to natural rights
Why is it important to know what the quality of life is like in the state of nature? - Answer
- It explains the incentive for working cooperatively with others and it helps to frame the
type of social contract that is needed to make individual life better
What is the purpose of a social contract? - Answer - To acknowledge and protect
natural rights
What is an important weakness of a social contract? - Answer - Social contracts require
consensus
Which statements are true about natural rights? - Answer - They let you do what you
need to survive and be secure and they impart an equality of being among all people
Which statements are true concerning the state of nature? - Answer - Is a thought
experiment upon which a definition of proper society and government are built and
permits a philosophical definition of human nature
What conditions are required for a social contract to work? - Answer - Uniformity of
ability and purpose among those who agree to the social contract and Consensus
among those whom the social contract applies to
Which of these describes the theory of the social contract? - Answer - Society is not
natural, but created by the people.
What are social contracts constructed to be compatible with? - Answer - Human Nature
and Natural Rights
Why were foreign governments reluctant to loan money to the United States during the
time of the Articles of Confederation? - Answer - Since the national government lacked
the ability to tax its citizens, foreign governments feared that the national government
would not be able to repay the loans.
What was a major weakness of the Articles of Confederation? - Answer - Congress
could not enlist men for a national army.
Why did the Articles of Confederation provide for such a weak national government? -
Answer - The colonists/citizens of the United States were afraid of a strong central
government.
What was one reason why it was necessary to replace the Articles of Confederation? -
Answer - The United States lacked the military forces to defend the new country.
Final Exam Questions & 100%
Correct Answers
Graded A+
Which concept is an Enlightenment idea that influenced the leaders of the American
Revolution? - Answer - Social Contract
How does the Bill of Rights reflect the influence of the Enlightenment ideas on the
Constitution? - Answer - The Bill of Rights explicitly listed individual freedoms
What was a major problem with the Articles of Confederation? - Answer - The national
government did not have the power to impose taxes
What describes Clause 3 of Article IV, Section 2 in the constitution? - Answer - Slave
owners could reclaim their slaves in states where they had fled
What describes the opposing views in the debates between the Federalists and the
Anti-Federalists? - Answer - Federalists favored a strong central government while the
Anti-Federalist favored strong state governments
How do the branches of the government operate under the concept of checks and
balances? - Answer - The branch of government must cooperate to to function, and
each branch can restrict the other branches' powers
What describes the general structure of the U.S. government under the Articles of
Confederation? - Answer - It was an alliance of independent states under a limited
central government
Which major compromise was made at the Constitutional Convention? - Answer - The
proportional representation of enslaved persons (3/5)
What is an argument outlined in Federalist, no. 10? - Answer - The diverse interests of
the people would prevent the development of powerful political parties
,What is a primary effect of the census on the functioning of Congress? - Answer - It is
used to determine the number of House representatives for each state
Which describes the purpose of Congressional appropriations committees? - Answer -
They recommended how specific funds are allocated
Which power is assigned to the House under the Constitution? - Answer - Originating
congressional spending bills
What is an example of checks and balances between the executive and legislative
branches of government? - Answer - The Senate must confirm the President's Supreme
Court nominee
Which presidential power can be restricted by Congress? - Answer - Appointing cabinet
members
Which president was impeached by the House of Representatives? - Answer - Andrew
Johnson for firing his secretary of war
What is true about the U.S. court system? - Answer - It is a dual system with a federal
court system and courts in each state
Which type of power is a state's right to tax? - Answer - A concurrent power
What is an example of a state exercising a concurrent power? - Answer - Issuing bonds
to fund an infrastructure project
How does apportionment influence the makeup of Congress? - Answer - It determines
the allocation of seats in the House of Representatives based on the equal proportions
method
What is the general purpose of the president making recess appointments? - Answer -
To fill cabinet vacancies while bypassing Senate approval
What describes the Supreme Court's use of the judicial principal of stare decisis? -
Answer - The Supreme Court's precedents are treated as established law
What was the significance of the Supreme Court's ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland? -
Answer - It established a loose constructionist view of the necessary and proper clause
What is an example of a state exercising its reserve power? - Answer - Establishing
laws to regulate businesses in the state
Which statement describes characteristics of a social contract? - Answer - A collective
expression of a collectively shared interest, A definition of human nature, A specification
of natural right
, In what way is the state of nature important for constructing a social contract? - Answer
- The state of nature gives definition to what it means to be human and gives definition
to natural rights
Why is it important to know what the quality of life is like in the state of nature? - Answer
- It explains the incentive for working cooperatively with others and it helps to frame the
type of social contract that is needed to make individual life better
What is the purpose of a social contract? - Answer - To acknowledge and protect
natural rights
What is an important weakness of a social contract? - Answer - Social contracts require
consensus
Which statements are true about natural rights? - Answer - They let you do what you
need to survive and be secure and they impart an equality of being among all people
Which statements are true concerning the state of nature? - Answer - Is a thought
experiment upon which a definition of proper society and government are built and
permits a philosophical definition of human nature
What conditions are required for a social contract to work? - Answer - Uniformity of
ability and purpose among those who agree to the social contract and Consensus
among those whom the social contract applies to
Which of these describes the theory of the social contract? - Answer - Society is not
natural, but created by the people.
What are social contracts constructed to be compatible with? - Answer - Human Nature
and Natural Rights
Why were foreign governments reluctant to loan money to the United States during the
time of the Articles of Confederation? - Answer - Since the national government lacked
the ability to tax its citizens, foreign governments feared that the national government
would not be able to repay the loans.
What was a major weakness of the Articles of Confederation? - Answer - Congress
could not enlist men for a national army.
Why did the Articles of Confederation provide for such a weak national government? -
Answer - The colonists/citizens of the United States were afraid of a strong central
government.
What was one reason why it was necessary to replace the Articles of Confederation? -
Answer - The United States lacked the military forces to defend the new country.
