WGUC963 American Politics Exam|Complete with A+
Graded Answers Updated 2024
Which concept is an Enlightenment idea that influenced the leaders of the American Revolution?
Social Contract
How does the Bill of Rights reflect the influence of the Enlightenment ideas on the Constitution?
The Bill of Rights explicitly listed individual freedoms
What was a major problem with the Articles of Confederation?
The national government did not have the power to impose taxes
What describes Clause 3 of Article IV, Section 2 in the constitution?
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?
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?
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?
It was an alliance of independent states under a limited central government
Which major compromise was made at the Constitutional Convention?
The proportional representation of enslaved persons (3/5)
What is an argument outlined in Federalist, no. 10?
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?
It is used to determine the number of House representatives for each state
Which describes the purpose of Congressional appropriations committees?
They recommended how specific funds are allocated
Which power is assigned to the House under the Constitution?
Originating congressional spending bills
,What is an example of checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches of
government?
The Senate must confirm the President's Supreme Court nominee
Which presidential power can be restricted by Congress?
Appointing cabinet members
Which president was impeached by the House of Representatives?
Andrew Johnson for firing his secretary of war
What is true about the U.S. court system?
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?
A concurrent power
What is an example of a state exercising a concurrent power?
Issuing bonds to fund an infrastructure project
How does apportionment influence the makeup of Congress?
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?
To fill cabinet vacancies while bypassing Senate approval
What describes the Supreme Court's use of the judicial principal of stare decisis?
The Supreme Court's precedents are treated as established law
What was the significance of the Supreme Court's ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland?
It established a loose constructionist view of the necessary and proper clause
What is an example of a state exercising its reserve power?
Establishing laws to regulate businesses in the state
Which statement describes characteristics of a social contract?
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?
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?
, 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?
To acknowledge and protect natural rights
What is an important weakness of a social contract?
Social contracts require consensus
Which statements are true about natural rights?
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?
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?
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?
Society is not natural, but created by the people.
What are social contracts constructed to be compatible with?
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?
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?
Congress could not enlist men for a national army.
Why did the Articles of Confederation provide for such a weak national government?
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?
The United States lacked the military forces to defend the new country.
What powers did the national government have under the Articles of Confederation?
Graded Answers Updated 2024
Which concept is an Enlightenment idea that influenced the leaders of the American Revolution?
Social Contract
How does the Bill of Rights reflect the influence of the Enlightenment ideas on the Constitution?
The Bill of Rights explicitly listed individual freedoms
What was a major problem with the Articles of Confederation?
The national government did not have the power to impose taxes
What describes Clause 3 of Article IV, Section 2 in the constitution?
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?
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?
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?
It was an alliance of independent states under a limited central government
Which major compromise was made at the Constitutional Convention?
The proportional representation of enslaved persons (3/5)
What is an argument outlined in Federalist, no. 10?
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?
It is used to determine the number of House representatives for each state
Which describes the purpose of Congressional appropriations committees?
They recommended how specific funds are allocated
Which power is assigned to the House under the Constitution?
Originating congressional spending bills
,What is an example of checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches of
government?
The Senate must confirm the President's Supreme Court nominee
Which presidential power can be restricted by Congress?
Appointing cabinet members
Which president was impeached by the House of Representatives?
Andrew Johnson for firing his secretary of war
What is true about the U.S. court system?
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?
A concurrent power
What is an example of a state exercising a concurrent power?
Issuing bonds to fund an infrastructure project
How does apportionment influence the makeup of Congress?
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?
To fill cabinet vacancies while bypassing Senate approval
What describes the Supreme Court's use of the judicial principal of stare decisis?
The Supreme Court's precedents are treated as established law
What was the significance of the Supreme Court's ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland?
It established a loose constructionist view of the necessary and proper clause
What is an example of a state exercising its reserve power?
Establishing laws to regulate businesses in the state
Which statement describes characteristics of a social contract?
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?
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?
, 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?
To acknowledge and protect natural rights
What is an important weakness of a social contract?
Social contracts require consensus
Which statements are true about natural rights?
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?
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?
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?
Society is not natural, but created by the people.
What are social contracts constructed to be compatible with?
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?
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?
Congress could not enlist men for a national army.
Why did the Articles of Confederation provide for such a weak national government?
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?
The United States lacked the military forces to defend the new country.
What powers did the national government have under the Articles of Confederation?
