46. Explain what is meant by representative democracy.
1. Deine a representative democracy as referring to a
system of government in which the people elect leaders
who govern and make laws. This is also known as a
republic.
2. Indicate that a representative democracy requires free
and fair elections where all adult citizens are allowed to
participate.
Topic: Deining Democracy
Learning Objective: LO 1.2: Diferentiate democracy from
other forms of government, and identify conditions conducive to
a successful democracy.
Page Reference: 24
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
47. Deine direct democracy and give two examples of it.
1. Deine direct democracy as a system of government
where the citizens directly vote on laws and elect leaders.
2. Provide historical and/or contemporary examples of
direct democracy. Historical examples include the Greek
city-states and the Roman Republic. Contemporary
examples include the direct primary, where voters
determine party candidates; initiatives and referendums,
where citizens can directly vote on state laws or
constitutional amendments; and the recall, which allows
voters to remove state and local elected oicials from
oice.
Topic: Deining Democracy
Learning Objective: LO 1.2: Diferentiate democracy from
other forms of government, and identify conditions conducive to
a successful democracy.
Page Reference: 22
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Diiculty Level: Diicult
48. Deine statism and give an example.
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1. Deine statism as a form of government with centralized
authority where the rights of the nation are superior to
those of the individuals within that nation.
2. Provide an example such as China, Vietnam, or Cuba.
Topic: Deining Democracy
Learning Objective: LO 1.2: Diferentiate democracy from
other forms of government, and identify conditions conducive to
a successful democracy.
Page Reference: 26
Skill Level: Apply What You Know
Diiculty Level: Diicult
49. Explain the diference between majority rule and plurality rule.
1. Note that majority rule requires that the candidate or
party that wins more than half of the votes wins the
election.
2. Explain that plurality rule requires that the candidate
or party with the most votes wins the election. The winner
may not have a majority of votes. Democracies often
function under plurality rule rather than majority rule.
Topic: Deining Democracy
Learning Objective: LO 1.2: Diferentiate democracy from
other forms of government, and identify conditions conducive to
a successful democracy.
Page Reference: 29
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
50. Describe the process of the ratiication of the Constitution.
1. Describe how the states selected delegates who
assembled at the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
2. Discuss how the ratiication of the Constitution required
signiicant deliberation regarding issues of representation
and the structure of government.
3. Note how after the delegates voted to recommend the
Constitution to the nation, it had to be approved by
popularly elected conventions in nine states.
4. Explain how this meant that the Constitution would be
approved by the people, thereby granting it greater legal
and moral authority than had it been approved by state
legislatures.
Topic: The Constitutional Convention of 1787; To Adopt or Not
to Adopt
Learning Objective: L.O. 1.4 Assess the important
compromises reached by the delegates to the Constitutional
Convention of 1787; LO 1.5: Evaluate the arguments for and
against ratiication of the Constitution.
Page Reference: 35 – 44
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
Essay Questions
51. Referring to Table 1.1, identify the economic conditions most
conducive to democracy.
1. Discuss how a prosperous nation with a relatively
equitable distribution of resources provides a foundation
for democracy. For example, hungry citizens are more
concerned with obtaining adequate food than with voting.
Thus, wealthy nations have better prospects for
democracy than those that are poorer.
2. Explain the relationship between the concentration of
economic power and the concentration of political power.
3. Describe how private ownership of property and a
market economy are related to the creation and
maintenance of democratic institutions. Freedom to make
economic choices typically translates to other freedoms
related to religion or voting, for example.
4. Provide examples of prosperous nations like the United
States, Canada, or France.
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Topic: Deining Democracy
Learning Objective: LO 1.2: Diferentiate democracy from
other forms of government, and identify conditions conducive to
a successful democracy.
Page Reference: 32
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
52. Interpret the Articles of Confederation as a guide for democracy
in the United States. Were they successful? Why or why not?
1. Discuss how the Articles of Confederation were
designed to restrict a strong centralized government that
might tyrannize the people. For example, the
Confederation has been described as a “fragile league of
friendship” among states. The nation lacked a national
executive, judiciary, or single national currency. The
national government had little to no authority over the
citizens and relied on the states in matters ranging from
taxation to interpreting and enforcing the laws.
2. Describe how, because of the deiciencies, the Articles
of Confederation were largely unsuccessful. In the interest
of protecting the citizens from government, the country
under the Articles of Confederation was inefective in
providing for the citizens or regulating economic issues
among the states.
Topic: The Roots of the American Constitutional Experiment
Learning Objective: LO 1.3: Show how politics before 1787
shaped the Constitution.
Page Reference: 33 – 34
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
53. Referring to Table 1.2, identify the most important compromises
1787.
1. Discuss the compromise between the large and small
states and issues regarding the composition and structure
of Congress. The answer should discuss how larger states
wanted greater representation in the legislative branch,
whereas the small states favored equal representation.
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The Virginia Plan, for example, would have included a two-
chambered legislature, and representation would be based
on wealth and population, thus favoring larger states. The
New Jersey Plan favored smaller states and would have
had a unicameral legislature, where all states had equal
representation. The Connecticut Compromise created a
two-chambered legislature with one chamber based on
population and the other based on equal representation
across states.
2. Explain that compromises also had to be made between
states in the North and the South. Southern states, for
example, were concerned that northern majorities in
Congress might discriminate against southerners in trade
issues. The solution was to require a two-thirds vote to
ratify treaties in the Senate.
3. Indicate that the northern and southern states also
disagreed over how slaves should be counted for
representational purposes. The southern states wanted
slaves counted; the northern states were not as keen. The
compromise was to count each slave as three-ifths of a
person.
4. Describe other issues such as the structure and nature
of the federal court system and how the president would
be selected. Ultimately, the Electoral College was created.
Topic: The Constitutional Convention of 1787
Learning Objective: LO 1.4: Assess the important
compromises reached by the delegates to the Constitutional
Convention of 1787.
Page Reference: 40
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
54. Describe the Antifederalists and evaluate their objections to the
Constitution. Do you believe their fears were warranted? Why or
why not?
1. Deine Antifederalists as those who opposed ratiication
of the new Constitution and the prospect of a strong
central government. They expressed concerns that
Congress might obstruct commerce and that infrequent
elections might prevent turnover of elected oicials. Thus,
government oicials would be less concerned with their
constituents.
2. Note that Antifederalists characterized the Constitution
as “an aristocratic document.” They also noted that the
3. Argue whether or not the fears of the Antifederalists
were warranted. If arguing that the fears were warranted,
note that government can be too strong and authoritative.
Citizens are sometimes deprived of their rights. Or,
oppressive regulation might impede commerce. If arguing
that the Antifederalists’ concerns were not warranted,
provide support for this assertion. For example, in the
United States, protections against government tyranny are
widespread. Citizens do have many protections in the Bill
of Rights. Additionally, citizens can elect oicials and
throw them out of oice if they are not satisied.
Topic: To Adopt or Not to Adopt
Learning Objective: LO 1.5: Evaluate the arguments for and
against ratiication of the Constitution.
Page Reference: 42 – 43
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
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