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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What was the Pennsylvania dissenters' primary objection to the Constitution?
(a) The strength of the federal government.
(b) The lack of restrictions on the government's ability to tax the people.
(c) The lack of a bill of rights.
(d) A free government cannot govern so large and disparate an area.

2. What does James Madison argue on the question of suffrage?
(a) He thought that suffrage restrictions were a step toward monarchy.
(b) He thought that suffrage restrictions were regrettable but necessary.
(c) He thought that universal suffrage would ruin the government.
(d) He thought that universal suffrage should triumph.

3. What was eliminated from the Constitution draft?
(a) Protections against taxes on slavery.
(b) Property qualifications for office.
(c) Restriction on imports.
(d) Laws governing territories and provinces.

4. What did Gouverneur Morris advocate about executive veto power?
(a) He said that the executive should not have a veto.
(b) He said that the executive veto itself should be able to be overridden.
(c) He said that the executive should have absolute veto.
(d) He said that the executive should have veto power over the legislature, but not the judiciary.

5. What alternative did "Federal Farmer" propose in his first letter?
(a) Confederation.
(b) Partial consolidation.
(c) Decentralization.
(d) Deregulation.

6. What did "Federal Farmer" say the current Constitution would lead to?
(a) Aristocracy.
(b) Tyranny.
(c) Chaos.
(d) Tyranny of the mass.

7. What did Benjamin Franklin advocate in a speech?
(a) Signing the Constitution.
(b) Revising the Constitution one more time.
(c) Sending the Constitution to the states for ratification.
(d) Sending the Constitution back to committee.

8. What did "Federal Farmer" say the framers of the Constitution ultimately wanted?
(a) To create monarchy.
(b) To abolish the states.
(c) To subdue slavery.
(d) To tax the rich.

9. What is the current residency requirement for citizenship?
(a) 10 years residence.
(b) American birth.
(c) 7 years residence.
(d) 4 years residence.

10. What compromise did the Northeast states reach with Georgia and South Carolina over slavery?
(a) That northern states will legalize slavery if southern states will prohibit importation of slaves.
(b) New England would not restrict slavery if the southern states will not require 2/3 majority to pass commercial restrictions.
(c) That northern states will not regulate slavery for fifty years, if southern states will abolish it themselves in that time.
(d) Northern states will regulate slavery if southern states will have lower tariffs on exported raw materials.

11. What did the draft of the Constitution contain concerning slavery?
(a) The draft outlawed the domestic slave trade.
(b) The draft prevented a tax or prohibition on slavery.
(c) The draft did not mention slavery explicitly.
(d) The draft outlawed the importation of slaves.

12. What did Benjamin Franklin say about supporters of the residency requirement for citizenship?
(a) He said that delegates were cutting off sources of new talent by limiting immigration.
(b) He said that delegates were exaggerating the threat of European immigration.
(c) He said that delegates were opening the floodgates to a tide of poor workers by opening restrictions on immigration.
(d) He said that delegates were understating the ease with which people assimilate into American culture.

13. Which party did James Wilson belong to?
(a) Whig.
(b) Tory.
(c) Anti-Federalist.
(d) Federalist.

14. What did "Brutus" argue in his letters?
(a) That the nation was too big for a central government.
(b) That the government will be weak on military defense.
(c) That the Supreme Court had too much power.
(d) That the framers wanted to abolish the states.

15. Where else did the question of proposing limitations arise, besides the debate over suffrage?
(a) Qualifications for holding office.
(b) Qualifications for traveling abroad.
(c) Qualifications for owning property.
(d) Requirements for serving in the military.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was Mr. Mason's fear about the Constitution as it was then drafted?

2. How did Benjamin Franklin interpret the symbol on the President's chair?

3. What reason did Alexander Hamilton give for ratification of the Constitution?

4. What did James Wilson argue regarding the abolition of trial by jury at the federal level?

5. What was Mr. Mason's fear regarding the House of Representatives?

(see the answer keys)

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