01
Choose one
1 point
Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress needs money to pay national debts. Which limitation most directly makes this difficult?
Free Practice Quiz Question List
4 The Constitution and the Founding Debates Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 4 The Constitution and the Founding Debates, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
20 questions
02
Choose one
1 point
At the Constitutional Convention, delegates needed a plan acceptable to both large and small states. Which arrangement did the Great Compromise establish?
- A
Both chambers would give each state equal representation.
- B
The House would reflect population, while the Senate would give states equal representation.
- C
Both chambers would assign representation according to population.
- D
The president would appoint representatives to one chamber.
03
Choose one
1 point
Which approval rule did the Constitution establish for creating the new government among states that ratified it?
- A
Approval by every state legislature
- B
Approval by special conventions in nine states
- C
Approval by a majority of the population nationwide
- D
Approval by Congress under the Articles
04
True or false
1 point
The Constitution allowed Congress to prohibit the international importation of enslaved people at any time before 1808.
- A
True
- B
False
05
True or false
1 point
The three-fifths arrangement increased the political power of slaveholding states rather than protecting the rights of enslaved people.
- A
True
- B
False
06
Written response
1 point
How many states had to ratify the Constitution for it to establish the government among the states that ratified it?
07
Written response
1 point
What group name described supporters of a stronger national government during the debate over the Constitution?
08
Fill in the blank
1 point
Changing the Articles of Confederation required approval from .
09
Fill in the blank
1 point
The Constitution’s division of governing powers between the national government and the states is called .
10
Choose all
1 point
Which concerns were associated with Anti-Federalists during the debate over the Constitution? Select all that apply.
- A
Distant officials might threaten liberty.
- B
The national government needed more authority to raise revenue.
- C
A large republic might be less responsive to ordinary people.
- D
Individual rights needed explicit protection.
11
Choose all
1 point
Which responsibilities could Congress carry out under the Articles of Confederation? Select all that apply.
- A
Conduct diplomacy
- B
Make treaties
- C
Directly tax people
- D
Oversee national defense
- E
Regulate interstate commerce
12
Open ended
1 point
Explain how the Constitution addressed weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation while also limiting or dividing governmental power. Give at least one example of each.
13
Written response
1 point
On what date did the delegates approve the Constitution? Enter the date as YYYY-MM-DD.
14
Choose one
1 point
Which statement best describes the change in purpose at the Constitutional Convention?
- A
They met to approve the Bill of Rights.
- B
They met to elect the first president.
- C
They met to revise the Articles but chose to design a new framework.
- D
They met to settle the states' borders through a national court.
15
True or false
1 point
True or false: Federalists and Anti-Federalists were two fully organized modern political parties.
- A
True
- B
False
16
Choose one
1 point
A critic of the proposed Constitution worries that distant officials could threaten liberty and overpower state governments. Which concern does this most closely express?
- A
They wanted a national government with no power to respond to shared problems.
- B
They believed state governments should be abolished immediately.
- C
They feared distant officials might threaten liberty and weaken state governments.
- D
They opposed every form of written protection for individual rights.
17
Choose one
1 point
Which option correctly matches the Constitution’s three branches with their primary functions?
- A
Congress makes laws, the president executes them, and federal courts interpret them.
- B
Congress interprets laws, the president makes them, and federal courts execute them.
- C
The president makes and interprets laws, while Congress executes them.
- D
Federal courts make laws, Congress executes them, and the president interprets them.
18
Written response
1 point
A proposed constitution uses special state conventions for ratification. According to the Constitution’s rule, how many states had to approve it to establish the government among the states that ratified? Enter a whole number of states.
19
Choose one
1 point
At the Convention, large states favored representation by population while small states wanted equal state representation. Which arrangement addressed both interests?
- A
It gave every state the same number of representatives in both chambers.
- B
It based House representation on population and gave every state equal Senate representation.
- C
It based Senate representation on population and gave every state equal House representation.
- D
It gave states representation according to the amount of tax they paid.
20
Choose one
1 point
Congress regulates trade between states, while states retain authority over many local matters. Which constitutional principle best describes this division of governing authority?
- A
Checks and balances, because each branch can limit the others.
- B
A league of friendship, because states retain nearly all national authority.
- C
Federalism, because governing powers are divided between the national government and states.
- D
The Great Compromise, because legislative representation differs by chamber.