What issues were at the center of the Constitutional Convention as it progressed, and how were these issues resolved?
What will be an ideal response?
Many of the same issues that concerned the larger and smaller states as they addressed the issue of revising the Articles of Confederation shone through during the Constitutional Convention. Among these were the question of how much power would be given to states and how much would be given to the new federal government. In addition, those who opposed the Constitution desired that it include a Bill of Rights and specific protections that would ensure the sovereignty of the states. The issue of representation was addressed through three specific proposals. The first, called the Virginia Plan, called for a strong central government, weak state sovereignty, and a bicameral legislature based purely on proportional population. Smaller states and Southern states questioned this proposal and countered with the New Jersey Plan, which called for weaker national government, stronger state government and the same unicameral system that was used under the Articles of Confederation. As a compromise, the Connecticut Plan, or Great Compromise, was offered, which called for a federal system of balanced power between states and the national government as well as a representative system that was proportionally based in the lower house (the House of Representatives) and equally representative in the upper house (the Senate). Other compromises surrounding the issue of slavery were also necessary. As a way of keeping the Southern states on board with the new Constitution, a “logrolling,” or trading of votes, occurred that resulted in a 20-year moratorium on the regulation of slavery, the counting of slaves as three-fifths of a person for representative purposes, and the return of slaves from free states to the slave states from which they originated. In return, those who supported strong national government were able to include provisions concerning the regulation of interstate trade and a supremacy clause that made the Constitution the highest law in the land. Even with these compromises and debates, it took great effort and persuasion to arrive at the Constitution we have today.
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Discuss how Marxism is still a relevant theory in the post-Cold War era. Consider recent political or armed struggles that are driven, at least in part, by significant class issues. Why might it be difficult to separate class issues from other issues that also drive political and arms struggles, such as religion, military power, or political oppression and freedom?
What will be an ideal response?
Prior to passage of the Affordable Care Act, what statement would proponents of the bill have used to support of their position?
a. Private insurance companies are adequate to provide health care coverage to nearly all Americans. b. Uninsured Americans have access to health care because hospitals are required to treat patients with life-threatening conditions. c. Health care costs have risen substantially over the past few decades. d. Health care costs have declined over the past few decades.