We The People
Unit 2 Study Guide
Lesson 10:
1. Why did the Articles of Confederation fail to provide for an executive and a judicial branch of government?
2. What were some of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
3. What were some of the achievements of the national government under the Articles of Confederation?
4. What was the Shays’ Rebellion? Why did it occur? What was its historical importance?
5. What is a “faction”? Why did some Founders consider factions to be a threat to natural rights?
Lesson 11:
6. Why did Congress call for a Constitutional Convention?
7. How would you describe the delegates to the Philadelphia Convention? What prominent political leaders
attended?
8. Why did the delegates to the Philadelphia Convention decide to conduct their deliberations in secret?
Lesson 12:
9. Why is it said the delegates to the Philadelphia Convention ignored their instructions?
10. What was the conflict between larger and smaller states over representation in Congress? Which states favored
equal representation?
11. What is the difference between equal and proportional representation?
12. What were the important differences between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan? Why did the Framers
decided to work with the Virginia Plan?
Lesson 13:
13. What was the Connecticut or Great Compromise? How did it resolve the conflict over representation?
14. What is meant by “enumerated powers”? Why did the Framers decide to specifically enumerate the powers
granted to Congress?
15. What is the “necessary and proper clause”? What was it controversial?
16. What is the “supremacy clause”? Where is it located in the Constitution?
17. How did the Framers deal with the issue of slavery? Why did they choose to take the approach they did?
Lesson 14:
18. What issues did the Framers have to decide regarding the organization of the executive branch would have
enough power to fulfill its responsibilities, but not so much power that it could dominate the other branches of
government?
20. What is the Electoral College and why did the Framers decide to create it?
21. Why did the Framers provide that judges would be appointed be the president, rather than elected by the
people?
22. Why did the Framers provide that judges would keep their positions “during good behaviors”?
23. What is meant by the term “judicial review”?
Lesson 15:
24. Why is the Constitution sometimes described as “ a bundle of compromises”?
25. What was the Benjamin Franklins opinion of the Constitution crafted by the Framers?
26. Why did George Mason refuse to sign the Constitution?
Lesson 16:
27. What objections and concerns did Anti-Federalists have with regard to the Constitution drafted at the
Philadelphia Convention?
28. How did the Anti-Federalists use the ideas of classical republicanism to support their position?
Lesson 17:
29. What is The Federalist? How and why was it written?
30. What arguments did the Federalists make to resist the demand for a bill of rights? Why did they eventually give
in to this demand?
Unit Two District Questions
Unit Theme: How Did the Framers Create the Constitution?
Questions 1
How is the Constitution designed to limit government power in order to protect individual rights?
In what ways did the Framers try to improve on the Articles of Confederation?
Why did Anti-Federalists believe that the design of the Constitution was insufficient to
protect individual rights and, in fact, would lead to violations of rights by the new
national government?
Questions 2
What were the major conflicts of the Philadelphia Convention and how were they resolved?
What arguments can you make for and against giving each state the right to send the
same number of members to the Senate?
What arguments can you make for and against including the "three-fifths clause" and the
"fugitive slave clause" in the Constitution?
Question 3
What were the major differences between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists?
How did the arguments of the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists reflect their points of
view regarding natural rights, republicanism, and constitutionalism?
What is the relevance of arguments or points made by the Federalists and Anti Federalists
to contemporary events under our present government?