POLITICAL SCIENCE - EXAM 1
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Politics - answer- A political system that puts selection of policymakers and policy in
the hands of the people
Federalists - answer- those who favored a strong national government and
supported the Constitution proposed at the American Constitutional Convention of
1787 **Alexander Hamilton
Anti-federalists - answer- those who favored strong state governments and a weak
national government and who were opponents of the Constitution proposed at the
American Constitutional Convention of 1787 ** Thomas Jefferson
articles of confederation - answer- America's first written constitution; served as the
basis for America's national government until 1789
Purpose: established a central administrative/political mechanism to handle primarily
the business of war with the British (declare war/peace, make treaties, borrow
money, raise a military force, establish weight-measurements-postal service)
Shortcomings: Couldn't collect taxes, no national court system, powerless to regulate
inter-colonial trade, no strong executive to enforce laws and policies, no strong
central government
popular consent - answer- the people agree to be governed by a government of their
choice
Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government - answer- Identifies natural laws: life,
liberty, property
Role of government is to protect people & people agree to abide by decisions made
by the majority vote.
Consent of the people, popular consent & popular sovereignty, is only true basis of
any government.
Factors that contributed to a democratic model of government - answer- 1) Western
Political Philosophy
2) English Government Examples
3) Colonial Experiences
The 4 OFFICIAL ways the Constitution can be amended - answer- 1) Article 5: 2/3 of
congress approves --> ratified/adopted by 3/4 of state legislatures **Most popular
2)Article 5: 2/3 of congress approves --> ratified/adopted by amendment conventions
of 3/4 of states (used once)
3) Amendment is proposed by national constitutional conventions requested by 2/3
of state legislature -->ratified by 3/4 of states (never used)
4) Amendment is proposed the same way -->ratified by state constitutional
conventions in 3/4 if states (never used)
, The 4 UNOFFICIAL ways the Constitution can be amended - answer- 1) Supreme
Court decisions
2) Legislative Actions/Laws
3) Presidential and Congressional Action
4) Popular Customs and Practices
Preamble - answer- "We the People..." : contract between population & government
Article 1 - answer- All legislative power: 2 houses (bicameralism), longest article,
Section 8=areas government can operate and authority
Article 2 - answer- The executive power: President "hammer", short article
Article 3 - answer- The judiciary power: Supreme Court; court system
Article 4 - answer- Full faith and credit... : Section 1, interstate obligations, and
Section 3, how new states are admitted
Article 5 - answer- Amendments to constitution: official pathways for ratification; only
Prohibition was ever repealed
Article 6 - answer- Debts, supremacy, oaths: supremacy clause
Article 7 - answer- Ratification; approval by 9 states
checks and balances - answer- mechanisms through which each branch of
government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches.
Major examples include the presidential veto power over congressional legislation,
the power of the Senate to approve presidential appointments, and judicial review of
congressional enactments
federalism - answer- a system of government in which power is divided, by a
constitution, between a central government and regional governments
the Federalist Papers - answer- a series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton,
James Madison, and John Jay supporting the ratification of the Constitution
the Great Compromise - answer- the agreement reached at the Constitutional
Convention of 1787 that gave each state an equal number of senators regardless of
its population, but linked representation in the House of Representatives to
population
Virginia Plan - answer- a framework for the Constitution, introduced by Edmund
Randolph, which called for representation in the national legislature based on the
population of each state
New Jersey Plan - answer- a framework for the Constitution, introduced by William
Paterson, which called for equal state representation in the national legislature
regardless of population
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Politics - answer- A political system that puts selection of policymakers and policy in
the hands of the people
Federalists - answer- those who favored a strong national government and
supported the Constitution proposed at the American Constitutional Convention of
1787 **Alexander Hamilton
Anti-federalists - answer- those who favored strong state governments and a weak
national government and who were opponents of the Constitution proposed at the
American Constitutional Convention of 1787 ** Thomas Jefferson
articles of confederation - answer- America's first written constitution; served as the
basis for America's national government until 1789
Purpose: established a central administrative/political mechanism to handle primarily
the business of war with the British (declare war/peace, make treaties, borrow
money, raise a military force, establish weight-measurements-postal service)
Shortcomings: Couldn't collect taxes, no national court system, powerless to regulate
inter-colonial trade, no strong executive to enforce laws and policies, no strong
central government
popular consent - answer- the people agree to be governed by a government of their
choice
Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government - answer- Identifies natural laws: life,
liberty, property
Role of government is to protect people & people agree to abide by decisions made
by the majority vote.
Consent of the people, popular consent & popular sovereignty, is only true basis of
any government.
Factors that contributed to a democratic model of government - answer- 1) Western
Political Philosophy
2) English Government Examples
3) Colonial Experiences
The 4 OFFICIAL ways the Constitution can be amended - answer- 1) Article 5: 2/3 of
congress approves --> ratified/adopted by 3/4 of state legislatures **Most popular
2)Article 5: 2/3 of congress approves --> ratified/adopted by amendment conventions
of 3/4 of states (used once)
3) Amendment is proposed by national constitutional conventions requested by 2/3
of state legislature -->ratified by 3/4 of states (never used)
4) Amendment is proposed the same way -->ratified by state constitutional
conventions in 3/4 if states (never used)
, The 4 UNOFFICIAL ways the Constitution can be amended - answer- 1) Supreme
Court decisions
2) Legislative Actions/Laws
3) Presidential and Congressional Action
4) Popular Customs and Practices
Preamble - answer- "We the People..." : contract between population & government
Article 1 - answer- All legislative power: 2 houses (bicameralism), longest article,
Section 8=areas government can operate and authority
Article 2 - answer- The executive power: President "hammer", short article
Article 3 - answer- The judiciary power: Supreme Court; court system
Article 4 - answer- Full faith and credit... : Section 1, interstate obligations, and
Section 3, how new states are admitted
Article 5 - answer- Amendments to constitution: official pathways for ratification; only
Prohibition was ever repealed
Article 6 - answer- Debts, supremacy, oaths: supremacy clause
Article 7 - answer- Ratification; approval by 9 states
checks and balances - answer- mechanisms through which each branch of
government is able to participate in and influence the activities of the other branches.
Major examples include the presidential veto power over congressional legislation,
the power of the Senate to approve presidential appointments, and judicial review of
congressional enactments
federalism - answer- a system of government in which power is divided, by a
constitution, between a central government and regional governments
the Federalist Papers - answer- a series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton,
James Madison, and John Jay supporting the ratification of the Constitution
the Great Compromise - answer- the agreement reached at the Constitutional
Convention of 1787 that gave each state an equal number of senators regardless of
its population, but linked representation in the House of Representatives to
population
Virginia Plan - answer- a framework for the Constitution, introduced by Edmund
Randolph, which called for representation in the national legislature based on the
population of each state
New Jersey Plan - answer- a framework for the Constitution, introduced by William
Paterson, which called for equal state representation in the national legislature
regardless of population
