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AP®HistoryCollege BoardUS HistoryExam QuestionsPeriod 3: 1754-1800The Constitution

The Constitution (College Board AP® US History): Exam Questions

7 mins7 questions
11 mark

“Section 1

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section 2

The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.”

The United States Constitution, Article 1, Sections 1 and 2, 1787

The United States Consitution was issued to

  • Replace the Articles of Confederation

  • Announce the separation of the American colonies from Great Britain 

  • Protect the rights of citizens from infringement by public officials and private citizens

  • Avoid war between Great Britain and the American colonies   

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21 mark

“Section 1

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section 2

The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.”

The United States Constitution, Article 1, Sections 1 and 2, 1787 

The excerpt is most directly a reaction to

  • Concerns over taxation without representation 

  • The writings of John Locke

  • The Great Compromise 

  • The “Three-Fifths Compromise”

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31 mark

“Section 1

All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.

Section 2

The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.”

The United States Constitution, Article 1, Sections 1 and 2, 1787 

Which of the following would have been most likely to support the articles outlined in the excerpt?

  • The Federalists 

  • The Democratic-Republicans 

  • The Whigs 

  • The Boston Tea Party 

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41 mark

"But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others. The provision for defense must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack. Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government."

James Madison, Federalist No. 51, 1788

The ideas expressed in the excerpt most directly reflect which of the following debates among the framers of the U.S. Constitution?

  • Whether to establish a unicameral or bicameral legislature

  • The balance of power between the national and state governments

  • The role of political parties in government

  • The need to maintain a standing army to defend the republic

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51 mark

"But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others. The provision for defense must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack. Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government."

James Madison, Federalist No. 51, 1788

Which of the following was a direct result of the principles Madison describes in the excerpt?

  • The impeachment power granted to Congress

  • The expansion of the executive branch’s power in the early 19th century

  • The ratification of the Bill of Rights to limit federal authority

  • The creation of the Articles of Confederation 

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61 mark

"But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others. The provision for defense must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack. Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government."

James Madison, Federalist No. 51, 1788

Historians would find this excerpt most useful in studying which aspect of the U.S. government?

  • The evolution of political parties in the early republic

  • The reasoning behind the establishment of the Electoral College 

  • The justification for an independent judiciary

  • The debate over the need for a national banking system 

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71 mark

"But the great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the others. The provision for defense must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack. Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government."

James Madison, Federalist No. 51, 1788

Which of the following political theorists' ideas most directly influenced Madison’s argument in the excerpt?

  • John Locke’s theory of natural rights

  • Montesquieu’s concept of checks and balances

  • Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s social contract

  • Thomas Hobbes’ view of a strong central authority 

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