Ch+2+The+Constitution+-+Study+Questions+(with+Answers)

Ch 2 The Constitution - Study Questions (with Answers)

 * 1) What is the process for amending the Constitution, and why does it look that way?


 * 1) Explain how the colonial experience and the ideas of John Locke influenced the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.


 * 1) The framers of the Constitution deliberately built inefficiency into our system of government. Why? Are there recent examples of where this has been proven to be beneficial? What are some of the problems?


 * 1) What was the dilemma faced by the U.S. Supreme Court when deciding the case Marbury v. Madison (1803). Explain what the case was about.


 * 1) In detail, describe the impeachment process. Make sure to identify the specific roles of the House, Senate, and the Chief Justice. Why is each actor given that responsibility? Why did the framers of the Constitution make it so difficult to impeach a President?


 * 1) How is the Equal Rights Amendment an example of the pitfalls of ratification? Identify the proposals of the ERA, where it succeeded and where it failed.


 * 1) Amendments to the Constitution have been used for major purposes. Identify each purpose and give examples of amendments that accomplished that.


 * 1) Discuss how the power in state legislatures changed after the revolution. How did these changes differ in Northern and Southern states? What do these changes suggest about the nature of the revolution itself?


 * 1) Describe the major features of the Articles of Confederation and explain why the Articles failed.


 * 1) Describe the strengths and weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation. Would you call the Constitution an improvement? Explain.


 * 1) What was the economic condition of the country at the time of the Constitutional Convention? What were the major economic issues at the convention and how were they resolved? Why were economic issues so important to the founders?


 * 1) What were the personal characteristics of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention? What were their basic philosophical views and how did these views affect the document they ultimately approved?


 * 1) Some have referred to the Constitution as a conservative victory. In what ways were the framers less interested in republican liberty than in property and social order? Was this necessary for the country's survival, or selfishness? Explain.


 * 1) At the Constitutional Convention, there was consensus on some policy issues and conflict necessitating compromise on others. Identify these issues and describe how the convention dealt with them.


 * 1) Describe the founders' attitudes toward democracy. What specific features of the Constitution reflect this sentiment?


 * 1) How was the issue of slavery resolved at the Constitutional Convention? Was this necessary for national survival? Explain.


 * 1) Describe the major elements of the Madisonian model as embodied in the Constitution. Why did the Founding Fathers make this model so fundamental to the document?


 * 1) Describe some of the key checks and balances in the United States government as established by the Constitution. Does this lead to more smooth and efficient government? Why or why not?


 * 1) Describe which groups in society the Federalists and Anti-Federalists represented. How did the political views of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists differ?


 * 1) Summarize the major arguments of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. What were the major political compromises and manipulations used to ensure ratification of the Constitution?


 * 1) What was the significance of the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution? Were they intended to extend or to limit the power of the central national government? Explain.


 * 1) Identify and explain the formal method of amending the Constitution. Give examples of both successful and unsuccessful amendments.


 * 1) How can the Constitution be amended? Is this process meant to encourage or discourage changes? Explain and evaluate.


 * 1) Some argue that the Constitution has been "democratized" over the years. Explain what is meant by "democratization," and give examples using references to relevant Constitutional amendments.


 * 1) Evaluate the democratic nature of the original and current Constitution with its amendments. Does the Constitution, with its checks and balances and separation of powers facilitate or impede effective policy making? Use relevant examples.


 * 1) Explain what the founders intended the scope of the new United States government to be. Has the structure created by the founders actually limited government or made it more accessible to citizens?


 * 1) What are the roles of judicial interpretation and cultural/technological change in constitutional change?


 * 1) Fully discuss the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and how they were addressed in the new Constitution.


 * 1) Explain the controversies of the Constitutional Convention and the document that was drafted there.


 * 1) Fully discuss the ratification debates over the Constitution.


 * 1) Compare and contrast the formal and informal methods of constitutional change.


 * 1) Proponents of the Constitution claimed that its structure would provide a strong but limited governing system. How was this to be achieved? Discuss the elements of both power and limitation found in the Constitution.


 * 1) What is the difference between enumerated and implied powers? How could these different powers tip the balance of power within the federal system?


 * 1) Describe and discuss the Anti-Federalists. Who were they? What did they think about the proposed Constitution? What were some of the arguments they made?


 * 1) Fully discuss the amendment process and some of the amendments it has given rise to over the history of the nation. How has it impacted the Constitution over time?


 * 1) Describe the basis on which colonists felt having a legitimate government in contrast to monarchies of their day such as Great Britain's was possible.


 * 1) Compare and contrast the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan, and show how they led to the Great Compromise.


 * 1) Explain Madison's position on the Aristotelian notion that government should cultivate virtue among the governed.


 * 1) What did the U.S. Constitution include on the subject of slavery, and why did it fail to outlaw the practice?


 * 1) Proposals for reforming the U.S. Constitution divide into two general kinds of criticisms. Discuss the arguments of those who believe the federal government is too weak, pointing out their proposals for reform.


 * 1) The U.S. Constitution is based on a particular view of human nature. How did that view influence the structure of the government? How were the weaknesses of human nature exploited to safeguard against abuses of government power?


 * 1) The text leaves open the question of whether the U.S. Constitution created a democratic system of government that truly respects liberty. What evidence exists that the U.S. Constitution cut back on democracy and curtailed the power of the people to influence decisions? In other words, argue that the U.S. Constitution was designed to limit democracy and individual liberty.


 * 1) Explain Madison's logic with respect to liberty and the size of republics. How can liberty be more secure when republics are “extended” and there are more factions?


 * 1) Why was the writing of the Constitution such a point of contention between large and small states?


 * 1) Do we need a written constitution?


 * 1) Why was a Bill of Rights necessary?


 * 1) Explain how the principles of procedural democracy threaten liberty.


 * 1) “Which is better: a government that is highly responsive to public opinion on all matters, or one that responds deliberately to organized groups that argue their cases effectively?” What are the pros and cons of each side of the issue? Which side do you find more convincing and why?