Lesson One — 1

AN INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSE BY CORRESPONDENCEParalleling the Course of the Same Name and Number

Offered in Residence byTexas State University

San Marcos, Texas

2011 Edition(Three Semester Credit Hours)

Prepared by

Alfred B. Sullivan, PhD Department of Political Science

Texas State University

A PUBLIC SERVICE FUNCTION OF THE TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM

POSI 2310

Principles of American Government

Copyright © 2011by the

Office of Distance and Extended LearningTexas State University

2 — Lesson One

Copyright © 2011by the

Office of Distance and Extended LearningTexas State UniversityAll Rights Reserved

Correspondence Study Policy on Academic Freedom

Texas State University defends the rights of its faculty and students to express views on a full spectrum of issues. This principle of academic freedom is especially important in courses containing controversial subject matter. It extends to the Correspondence Curriculum as well as to on- campus classes. Views expressed in this study guide should not be expected to represent a consensus of the university faculty and administration.

Content Developed By

Dr. Alfred B. Sullivan

Course Production Staff:

Joshua Book, Assistant DirectorTravis Irby, Instructional Designer

Dana Ortiz, Administrative AssistantMelissa Vela, Administrative Assistant

POSI 2310Contents & Overview

Principles of American Government

Important Information ................................................................................................................. iPersonal Study Schedule ............................................................................................................. vCourse Author & Your Instructor ............................................................................................viiCourse Introduction .................................................................................................................... ix Scope and nature of the course, course objectives, required textbooks, course procedure, assignments, exams, gradingcriteria,studentlearningoutcomes,UniversityHonorCode,andfinalcomments.

Lessons

Lesson 1 American Political Life ........................................................ 1 Americans’ understanding of government and their core political values; the American political community and the role of the citizen in it; the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation; the basic principles of the Constitution; “separation of powers” and the three branches of government

Lesson 2 Foundations and Politics ..................................................... 9 The United States’ federal framework and its evolution; fundamental American values and issues; public opinion and its relationship to the government; the news media, their vulnerability to bias, and their role in a democracy

Lesson 3 Politics ................................................................................... 17 Politicalparticipation;thehistoryofsuffrageinAmericaandthegovernment’seffect on voter participation; the decline of voter participation and its implications

Lesson 4 Institutions ........................................................................... 25 Congress, its structure, function, and organization; how bills become laws; the scope of Congress’ power; the presidency, its powers, and their expansion over the years; the election of, and representation by, the president and vice-president; the bureaucracy, how it functions, and its organization and oversight

Prep for the Midcourse Exam ................................................................ 33 Midcourse review; exam tips; about your exam; midcourse exam request form

Lesson 5 The Federal Courts and Texas Politics ............................. 39 The federal court system and its organization; the importance of the courts and the power of judicial review; Texas’ political culture and demography; the evolution of Texas’ economy and the impact of urbanization; the development of constitutions in Texas and the salient points of the present Texas Constitution

Lesson 6 Texas Politics ......................................................................... 45 Political parties and their role in Texas politics; political campaigns and how they are conducted;thevotingprocessandthequalificationsforvotinginTexas;interest groups and lobbying in Texas; the state legislature, its structure, and its powers; how bills become laws in Texas; the role of the Speaker and lieutenant governor; the Legislative Budget Board; the budgeting powers of the comptroller and governor

Lesson 7 Texas Politics Continued ..................................................... 53 The powers of the governor; the plural executive in Texas government; the work of the state bureaucracy; the structure of the Texas court system; how Texas selects its judges;thesignificanceoftheTexasjudiciary Course Wrap-Up and Prep for the Final Exam .................................... 61 Coursewrap-up;finalreview;examtips;aboutyourexam;finalexamrequestform

Important Information — i

Important InformationBefore beginning work in your course, you will find it helpful to familiarize yourself with the policies and procedures of the Texas State Office of Distance and Extended Learning contained in the online student handbook and on our website. In addition, the following pages contain information important to know when taking a course from our office. Please take the time to carefully read through this section.

Textbooks and Course MaterialsBe sure to purchase all materials required for your course within thirty days of your enroll-ment date. After thirty days, course materials may become unavailable. If you need to order additional textbooks or course materials, you may contact the University Bookstore at 512-245-2273.

Making a ScheduleYou have nine months to complete your course. To meet graduation or other personal dead-lines, you may need to complete your course earlier. Using the Personal Study Schedule in the front of this study guide, set a reasonable schedule for submitting each assignment and taking any required exams. When making your schedule, keep in mind that unless otherwise stated in the Introduction of this study guide, you may submit no more than two assignments per week. Consider the assignment turnaround time involved with a correspondence course. You should plan around dates when the university is closed for extended periods of time and faculty will not be on campus or grading correspon-dence assignments. Also be aware that it will take longer to get your assignments graded dur-ing exceptionally busy times for faculty, such as when final exams are being administered in on-campus classes. Allow four weeks for final grades to be reported to the Texas State reg-istrar. Allow additional time for receipt of transcripts. It is your responsibility to know your personal deadlines. Take these into consideration when making your schedule, particularly if you need to complete this course to graduate. Once you have constructed a study schedule, stick to it. Refer to it often to ensure that you are staying on track. If you should fall behind, amend your schedule so that it is still a useful tool for helping you complete the course in a reasonable amount of time.

Doing and Submitting AssignmentsFollow assignment directions carefully. If possible, complete your assignments using a com-puter word processing program. If you do not have access to a computer or need to write out hard-copy assignments, print legibly in ink unless otherwise directed by the instructor. For mathematical work, show all calculations and circle your final answer.

ii — Important Information

Identify your work. Number all pages of your assignment and include on each page the course prefix and number, the assignment number, and your name. (This is especially impor-tant for assignments submitted via e-mail or online.) Attach an assignment cover sheet from the back of this study guide to all hard-copy assignments. Fill out all information completely and clearly. If you have questions, e-mail your instructor or ask them on the cover sheet for hard-copy assignments. Your instructor or our office will respond. Make or save a copy of your work. Doing so will save you from having to redo your assignment if it is lost.

When you submit your assignment, our office notes your submission, and your instructor grades it. Your instructor may take up to ten working days to grade your assignment. Our office records the grade, and graded hard-copy or e-mailed assignments are returned to you. Assignments submitted online are graded by your instructor online and available for your review online.

Submitting Assignments by MailPlace your assignment in one of the pre-addressed envelopes provided. If you find the enve-lope is too small for your entire assignment, obtain a larger envelope and record on it your return address, course name, and assignment number. Do not split an assignment into more than one envelope. Never give or send your assignment directly to your instructor.

Be sure your assignment has sufficient postage to avoid any last-minute delays. You must pay any outstanding postage fees incurred during your enrollment period to avoid a hold being placed on your records. Mail exam request forms separately from your assignments; do not mail an exam request form in the same envelope with an assignment.

Submitting Assignments by FaxIn some courses, you may fax your assignments to our office for an additional fee. Check the Introduction of this study guide to see if your instructor will accept faxed assignments. When faxing an assignment to our office, fill out the assignment cover sheet and use this as the cover sheet for your fax. Always call to verify receipt of the assignment and the total amount of the fax charge.

Submitting Assignments OnlineSome print-based courses have companion websites in TRACS, Texas State’s online learning environment. If your course has a companion site that includes online assignment submission, follow the directions for submitting assignments in that TRACS site. Not all print-based cours-es have companion sites in TRACS, and not all course companion sites include online assign-ment submission. The Introduction of this study guide will inform you if your course includes a course companion site in TRACS.

Important Information — iii

ExamsAlmost all correspondence courses require you to take at least one exam. For these courses, a minimum grade on the exam(s) is required to pass the course independent of the grades you earn on the assignments. An explanation of the exam grade requirement for your course can be found in the Introduction of this study guide.

If you live at a distance from the Texas State campus and need to have your exam proctored, be sure to read the information on exam proctors in the About Your Exam section of this study guide. We will contact all proctors for verification. Review proctor requirements to avoid pos-sible delays in your exam being mailed to your testing location.

Reporting Course Grades and IncompletesAll assignments must be completed and all exams must be taken for you to receive credit for your course. Once you have completed your course and the instructor has determined your final grade, you will receive a final grade report. Letter grades of A, B, C, D, and F are used for final grades. The lowest passing grade is a D. There is no pass/fail grading option for any course except MATH 1311. Final grades are reported to the Texas State Registrar only if you complete the course. No grade is reported if you do not complete the course. If your enroll-ment expires and you do not drop your course, your course remains on your transcript as “in progress,” but no grade is reported. If you drop your course, no transcript entry is made.

Your final exam grade report (for courses that have a final exam) and a course report are mailed to you upon completion of the course. You may also obtain a course grade on an of-ficial Texas State transcript. Transcripts are available from the Registrar’s Office, 111 J.C. Kel-lam Building, and may be requested in person, by mail, or by fax at 512.245.2367. The cost is $5 per transcript, payable by check, cash, or credit card. No official transcript can be released if there is any financial obligation to Texas State. For more information, refer to the website of the Texas State Registrar’s Office, www.txstate.edu/registrar.

Additional ResourcesThe Texas State LibraryAll Texas State students, including correspondence students, receive library support services from the Alkek Library, located on the main campus. The library website (which can be found at www.library.txstate.edu/services/distance-students) is your essential portal to resources and services. Distance learning students are also eligible for additional assistance (including document delivery) from the Distance Services Librarian. Some library resources may require a Texas State username and password, which you may obtain by contacting the Texas State Of-fice of Distance and Extended Learning. Please contact the Alkek Library for more information on specific library services. Contact the Reference Desk at 512.245.2686, or contact the Distance Librarian at 866.255.3511.

iv — Important Information

Online TutoringThe Texas State Office of Distance and Extended Learning provides students with online tutor-ing for correspondence courses offered through our office. The subject areas in which students can receive help include math, writing, and Spanish. For detailed information about this ser-vice, visit our website or contact us by phone.

A Final WordThe Office of Distance and Extended Learning will work with you to see that you benefit from and enjoy correspondence study. Should you have any questions about our procedures, call 512.245.2322 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday. If you have questions concerning course content, e-mail your instructor or use the assignment cover sheets to com-municate with your instructor. The Office of Distance and Extended Learning is committed to offering you the highest quality educational experience. We appreciate feedback concerning our services to you, your instructor, and ideas for new courses. For current course listings, visit our website, www.correspondence.txstate.edu.

You may also contact our office directly:

Texas State University, Office of Distance and Extended Learning,

601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666-4615.

Local: 512.245.2322 • Toll-free: 800.511.8656 • Fax: 512.245.8934Website: www.correspondence.txstate.edu • E-mail: corrstudy@txstate.edu

Personal Study Schedule — v

Personal Study ScheduleHere’s a planning schedule to help you successfully complete your course. Follow these steps: First, enter the course abbreviation and number, and the date you enrolled in the course, at the top of the schedule. Second, enter your deadline for completing the course at the bottom of the schedule. Be sure to allow for holidays and between semesters. Third, enter the dates you plan to take the exams. Fourth, enter the dates you plan to mail each assignment.

Planning Schedule

START I began__________________________________ on __________________________. Assignment Planned Actual Date Date Date Sent Received Grade 1 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

2 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

3 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

4 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

MIDCOURSE EXAM I plan to take the midcourse exam on ____________________

5 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

6 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________

7 ___________ ___________ ___________ ___________ FINAL EXAM I plan to take the final exam on _________________________

DEADLINE My grade must be received on __________________________

vi — Personal Study Schedule

CORRESPONDENCE NOTE:

Plan your personal study schedule wisely, so you will get the most out of the course.

About the Author — vii

About the Author & InstructorDr. Sullivan received his B.A. from Dartmouth College, his M.A. from the University of Rhode Island, and his Ph.D. from the University of Utah. He is a co-author of Texas Government To-day, one of the highest rated books on Texas government. Dr. Sullivan taught at the University of Utah and the University of Southern Mississippi before coming to Texas State University. In 1972, he received Texas State’s Outstanding Professor Award. A former naval aviator and veteran of the Korean and Vietnam Wars, Dr. Sullivan completed post-doctoral work at Oxford and Cambridge Universities in England.

If you need to contact Dr. Sullivan, please call his office at 512.245.3280.

viii — About the Author

CORRESPONDENCE NOTE:

If you have any questions for your professor, type them up and submit them along with your assignments.

Introduction — ix

Introduction

POSI 2310 Principles of

American Government

Scope and Nature of the CourseThis course is a survey of the fundamental principles of political science, of the American system of government, and of the origins and development of the constitutions of the United States and Texas. This course satisfies the legislative requirements for teacher certification.

Course ObjectivesAfter you have completed this course, you should be able to do the following:

• understand why we replaced our experiment called the Articles of Confederation with a constitution in 1789;

• discuss such principles of American government as sepa- ration of powers, Federalism, and judicial review;

• have an increased familiarity with the constitutions of the United States and Texas; and

• appreciate your political heritage more.

Review these objectives again as you progress through this course.

x — Introduction

Ours is the oldest written constitution in the world and has been used as a model by a number of other countries. What makes it work is the citizenry that accepts the principles on which the Constitution is based—democracy, republican government, and a recognition of the importance of individual rights being among them.

Required TextbooksGinsberg et al., We the People: An Introduction to American Politics, 5th (Texas) ed., 2005. ISBN 0-393-92621-4

If you have not already purchased all of your course materials, you must do so within thirty days of your enrollment. If you wait lon-ger, the Office of Distance and Extended Learning cannot guarantee the availability of all the materials required for your course.

Course ProcedureThis course is arranged in seven lessons. Each lesson contains a reading assignment from the required textbook for this course. Before you begin the assigned reading, go over the objectives listed for each lesson preceding the Discussion section; then begin the textbook readings. Once you have completed the reading from the textbook, begin reading the study guide discussion section.

AssignmentsAssignments count for 10 percent of your final course grade. How-ever, you must submit all assignments before the final exam may be taken and credit can be awarded. Students are not allowed to waive any written assignments. All assignments consist of two parts:

Part I—Objective Questions: These questions are to be answered on the answer sheet provided at the end of each lesson.

Part II—Essay Questions: Answer these questions on your own paper. Ideally, this part of each assignment should be typewritten on 8 ½ x 11” paper with one-inch margins on all sides. You do not have to retype each question, but you should clearly number the question you are answering. If you do not have access to a computer or typewriter, you

Remember to buy the textbook within thirty days of your enrollment.

You must submit all assignments before the final exam may be taken and credit can be awarded.

Advised LessonProcedures

Assignments account for 10 percent of the course grade.

Introduction — xi

may handwrite each assignment. However, you must write clearly and neatly. Work that is difficult to read will be returned ungraded.

ExamsMidcourse Exam—forty pointsThis is a closed-book exam. You will be allowed 2 ½ hours to complete it. The midcourse exam covers Lessons One through Four. The exam consists of thirty objective questions worth one point each, plus two essay questions worth five points each. The objective questions include true/false questions and multiple-choice questions. You have a choice of two out of four essay questions to answer. The essay answers should typically be about one page long.

Final Exam—fifty pointsThis is a closed-book exam. You will be allowed 2 ½ hours to complete it. The final exam covers Lessons Five, Six, and Seven only. The exam consists of thirty objective questions worth one point each, plus four essay questions worth five points each. The objective questions are the same types of questions as on the midcourse exam. You have a choice of four out of six essay questions to answer. The essay answers should typically be about one page long.

Grading CriteriaYour grade for the semester will be determined as follows:

Homework average x 0.10 = 10%

Midcourse Exam grade x 0.40 = 40%

Final Exam grade x 0.50 = 50%

NOTE: The average score for both your midcourse and final exams must be 60 percent or better for you to pass this course. All lessons prior to any exam must be submitted for grading before the exam can be administered.

There is no pass/fail grading option.

Together, the midcourse and final exams account for 90 percent of the course grade.

The average score for both your midcourse and final exams must be 60 percent or better for you to pass this course.

xii — Introduction

Student Learning OutcomesStudent learning outcomes will be assessed upon your completion of this course. This assessment is mandatory for all students, but this assessment will not affect your grade in the course.

The assessment of learning outcomes for POSI 2310 will accompany your final exam, and you will return the completed assessment, along with your completed final exam, to your exam proctor. You must complete and submit the assessment to receive credit for this course. Refer to the Course Wrap-Up and Prep for the Final Exam for more information.

University Honor CodeThe Texas State University Honor Code serves as an affirmation that the University demands the highest standard of integrity in all actions related to the academic community. The Honor Code ap-plies to all Texas State students, including correspondence students. As stated in the Texas State Student Handbook,

Violation of the Honor Code includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagia-rism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials.

Academic work means the preparation of an essay, thesis, report, problem, assignment, or other projects which are to be submitted for purposes of grade determination.

Cheating means engaging in any of the following activities:

• copying from another student’s test paper, laboratory report, other report or computer files, data listing, or programs; • using, during a test, materials not authorized by the person giving the test; • collaborating, without authorization, with another person during an examination or in preparing academic work; • knowingly, and without authorization, using, buying, selling, stealing, transporting, soliciting, copying, or possessing, in whole or in part, the content of an unadministered test;

Academic Offenses

Texas State University Honor Code

Introduction — xiii

• substituting for another student—or permitting another per- son to substitute for oneself—in taking an exam or preparing academic work; • bribing another person to obtain an unadministered test or information about an unadministered test;

• purchasing, or otherwise acquiring and submitting as one’s own work, any research paper or other writing assignment prepared by an individual or firm. This section does not apply to the typing of the rough or final versions of an assignment by a professional typist.

Plagiarism means the appropriation of another’s work and the unacknowledged incorporation of that work in one’s own writ-ten work offered for credit.

Collusion means the unauthorized collaboration with another person in preparing written work offered for credit.

Abuse of resource materials means the mutilation, destruction, concealment, theft, or alteration of materials provided to assist students in the mastery of course materials.

Final CommentsHaving read this Introduction, you are now ready to begin learning about the principles of American government. I hope you find the course interesting and perhaps that you gain some insight into the functions of state and national government.

Your success in this course depends upon your understanding the material. Therefore, if you have any questions as you progress through this course or if you have any suggestions on how to improve the course, please be sure to submit them with your assignments or on the end of the course evaluation.

If you have questions as you progress through this course, submit them to your instructor.

xiv — Introduction

CORRESPONDENCE NOTE:

Devote at least a half-hour daily to your correspondence study.

Lesson One — 1

Lesson One

American Political Life

Reading AssignmentChapter One, “American Political Culture”Chapter Two, “The Founding and the Constitution”

ObjectivesAfter completing this lesson, you should be able to do the following:

• know what Americans think and understand about govern- ment;

• appreciate Americans’ core political values;

• understand how the American political community has ex - panded over time, and the role of the citizen in the community; • know the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation (1781-89);

• know the basic principles of the Constitution and how the three branches of government reflect the principle of “separa- tion of powers”; and

• discuss the differences between Federalists and Antifederalists over ratification, and explain how the framers valued liberty, equality, and democracy.

Review these objectives again after completing the lesson.

2 — Lesson One

DiscussionWhen Americans gained their independence, their fear of highly centralized government was reflected in their first national gov-ernment, the Articles of Confederation (1781-89), which featured a very weak central government. Citizens had more loyalty to their state governments that dominated this confederate form of govern-ment; this structure is typically too ineffective to be lasting. Under the Articles, the national government had no executive or judicial branches. Members of the unicameral Congress were paid and cho-sen by their state legislatures and did their bidding. Congress could neither levy taxes (it could ask the states to contribute), nor could it regulate interstate commerce (which the states taxed almost to death). The army was simply a collection of state militias.

The famous Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 pitted Federalists, who wanted to replace the confederacy with a federal form of government in which the national and state govern-ments both have important powers, against Antifederalists, who feared a more centralized government might lead to a return of governmental abuses such as those inflicted by George III.

Virginia, being the most populated state, and thus biased in favor of big states, proposed a bicameral Congress. The opposite, the New Jersey Plan advanced by Paterson, sought to keep the unicam-eral Congress of the Articles and allow each state, regardless of size, only one congressman. This plan was favored by the small states but unacceptable to the larger ones. Paterson’s plan also had the su-premacy clause which, by making national laws supreme over state laws, would end the inept confederacy. This clause was adopted in Article VI of the Constitution.

Madison, the “Father of the Constitution,” made notes on the daily debate in Liberty Hall and related that this impasse was the most difficult the convention had to deal with. In the end, Roger Sher-man, who had more than a dozen children and knew the value of compromise, solved the problem. His Connecticut Plan featuring a bicameral legislature had a popularly elected lower house to please the large states and an upper house or senate, in which the small states would enjoy equal representation with the larger ones.

Those who promoted the Constitution were called Federalists as they came up with the first working federal form of government, one which featured a stronger central government than the pitifully

The Articles of Confederation featured a very weak central government.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 pitted Fedaralists against Antifederalists.

Roger Sherman’s Connecticut Plan featured a bicameral legislature with a popularly elected lower house and an upper house or senate.

Lesson One — 3

weak confederacy, but not one in which the central government would be unitary, such as the one the British had imposed, in which all decision-making had been done by central government officials. Madison, with Hamilton and John Jay, wrote 85 Federalist Papers explaining the Constitution and the principles of American govern-ment. The Supreme Court often refers to these papers in exercising its power of judicial review—a power which is clearly outlined by Hamilton in Federalist #78.

The major input of the Antifederalists, who were states-righters, was the Bill of Rights, which put limits on the central government’s powers over citizens. Years later, the Supreme Court used the Four-teenth Amendment’s due process clause to apply the U.S. Bill of Rights to the states, one piece at a time, via “selective incorpora-tion.”

Under the Federalists’ Constitution, the three branches of govern-ment—executive, legislative and judicial—were given somewhat overlapping powers, which keeps them busy defending their turf. A series of checks and balances also serves to advance the principle of limited government.

In our democracy, the majority rules, but not even a majority can take away the fundamental rights of the individual outlined in the Bill of Rights. Direct democracy, in which voters personally cast their ballots for candidates and issues, is impractical outside of tiny areas such as in a New England town meeting. Instead, we have a republican form of government in which people elect representa-tives to write their laws at the city, county, state, and national levels of government. So our government is that of a representative de-mocracy—democratic in that the majority rules, and representative in that the people elect others to enact legislation in their name.

Madison, Hamilton, and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers.

The major input of the Antifederalists was the Bill of Rights.

Our government is a representative democracy.

4 — Lesson One

CORRESPONDENCE NOTE:

Assignment cover sheets are located in the back of this study guide.

Lesson One — 5

Assignment One Please complete Part I of this assignment using the answer sheet provided, complete Part II on your own paper, and then submit the assignment for grading. Be sure to fill out and attach an assignment cover sheet from the back of this study guide. You may also type out the assignment using a word processor and submit the document online via TRACS.

Submit written work in typed form, or on pages detached from this study guide. You may mail in written work, or if you’d prefer, you may scan the pages and submit them as a .pdf docu-ment online via TRACS.

Part ITrue or False—On the accompanying answer sheet, circle T if the statement is true or F if it is false.

1. Americans’ trust in government has declined in the past thirty years, and apathy and cynicism have accordingly increased.

2. There are many types of political participation: aiding in campaigns, voting, running for office, joining activist groups, and even disobeying civil law.

3. The British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre were defended by Samuel Adams.

4. The Great Compromise at the Constitutional Convention resulted in the adoption of the Virginia Plan.

5. The provision of four methods of amending the U.S. Constitution (Article V) makes the Constitution rather easy to amend.

6. While the Constitution grants Congress important powers and gives those powers priority over all conflicting state powers, any power not granted to Congress by the Constitution or the people is reserved to the states or the people.

Multiple Choice—On the accompanying answer sheet, circle the letter of the word or phrase that best completes the statement or answers the question.

7. Political equality is best stated today as a. equality of opportunity. b. equality of results. c. one person, one vote.

6 — Lesson One

8. Which is an important principle of American democracy? a. popular sovereignty b. the majority rules, but minorities still have fundamental rights c. limited government d. all of the above

9. Which is NOT a core value of our political culture? a. liberty b. equality c. property d. democracy

10. Which was NOT one of the two most divisive issues that threatened to wreck the Constitutional Convention? a. representation of the states in Congress b. the Three/Fifths Compromise c. presidential powers

11. What mechanism was created in Congress to guard against “excessive democracy”? a. bicameralism b. staggered Senate terms c. giving senators long terms d. all of the above

12. The first document of governance in the U.S. was a. the Declaration of Independence. b. the Articles of Confederation. c. the Constitution.

13. Antifederalists were most concerned with a. protecting property. b. interstate commerce. c. weakness in the central government. d. the dangers of too strong a central government.

Short Answer—On the accompanying answer sheet, answer the following.

14. What is an oligarchy?

Lesson One — 7

15. Define: a. democracy b. republic

16. What is autocracy?

17. What did James Madison have to do with the Constitutional Convention?

18. The powers given to Congress in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution are ____________ . (Choose one:) a. implied powers. b. express powers. c. reserved powers.

19. What are the three branches of U.S. government?

Part IIEssay—On your own paper, respond to the following. Write a paragraph or two as appropri-ate.

1. List and briefly explain the three requirements the text outlines for one to be a true “citizen.”

2. Define the three basic American ideals of liberty, equality, and democracy.

3. Discuss the positions taken by Federalists and Antifederalists, and what each group accomplished.

4. List and discuss the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation that caused its replace- ment by the Constitution.