Shaping a New Republic Practice Test
•15 QuestionsA political scientist describes the Bill of Rights as a product of ratification politics: Federalists accepted amendments to reassure skeptics that the new government would not trample individual liberties. The scientist emphasizes that the first ten amendments did not initially apply to state governments in the same way they constrained the federal government. Which statement best captures the primary purpose of adding the Bill of Rights in 1791?
A 90-word secondary-source excerpt is embedded here: Ratification was not simply an endorsement of a new frame of government; it was a bargain. Many Americans feared that a stronger center would recreate British-style tyranny, so they demanded explicit protections for speech, religion, due process, and arms. Federalists often argued that structural limits were enough, yet they recognized that amendments could neutralize opposition and legitimize the new regime. The resulting Bill of Rights listed restrictions on federal power and became a touchstone of political culture even before courts made it enforceable against states.
A political scientist describes the Bill of Rights as a product of ratification politics: Federalists accepted amendments to reassure skeptics that the new government would not trample individual liberties. The scientist emphasizes that the first ten amendments did not initially apply to state governments in the same way they constrained the federal government. Which statement best captures the primary purpose of adding the Bill of Rights in 1791?
A 90-word secondary-source excerpt is embedded here: Ratification was not simply an endorsement of a new frame of government; it was a bargain. Many Americans feared that a stronger center would recreate British-style tyranny, so they demanded explicit protections for speech, religion, due process, and arms. Federalists often argued that structural limits were enough, yet they recognized that amendments could neutralize opposition and legitimize the new regime. The resulting Bill of Rights listed restrictions on federal power and became a touchstone of political culture even before courts made it enforceable against states.