US Government and Economy Quiz

The Articles of Confederation, the first government of the United States, lacked a strong central government, leading to a weak and ineffective national system. This resulted in disputes between states, economic instability, and a lack of national unity.

The first three articles of the US Constitution established the structure of the federal government, dividing power between the legislative (Congress), executive (President), and judicial (Supreme Court) branches. This division of power, known as separation of powers, ensures a balance and prevents any one branch from becoming too dominant.

The US Constitution establishes a republican form of government by emphasizing three key factors: (1) Representative government: Citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. (2) Limited government: The government's powers are restricted by a constitution. (3) Rule of law: Everyone is subject to the same laws, regardless of their position.

The Northwest Ordinance played a crucial role in shaping the US Constitution by establishing key principles: (1) Expansion and Governance: It provided a framework for westward expansion and the creation of new states. (2) Republican Values: It promoted democratic values like representative government and individual rights. (3) Slavery Prohibition: It banned slavery in the Northwest Territory, setting a precedent for future constitutional provisions.

Many criticized the New Deal because they believed it was too intrusive, expanded federal power, and interfered with the free market. Critics argued it led to a decline in individual responsibility and created a dependency on government programs.

Social Darwinism applied the concept of "survival of the fittest" to the business world, justifying cutthroat competition, ruthless tactics, and the concentration of wealth in the hands of the most capable.

Mergers and trusts involved combining businesses to create larger, more powerful entities. These arrangements often eliminated smaller companies and reduced competition, leading to higher prices for consumers.

Collective bargaining is a process where workers negotiate with their employers as a united group to improve working conditions, wages, and benefits. This is powerful because it gives workers leverage and a stronger voice.

A scab is a worker who replaces striking workers during a labor dispute. They are seen as traitors to the union by striking workers because they undermine the union's power and weaken the strike.

The Sherman Antitrust Act aimed to break up monopolies and trusts by preventing them from engaging in practices that restricted competition. It was an attempt to foster a fair and competitive market.

The 16th Amendment allowed the federal government to collect income tax, providing a stable source of revenue for government programs and services.

The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote, a significant victory in the women's suffrage movement, which had been fighting for decades to achieve equal voting rights.

Presidents Roosevelt and Taft were known as 'trustbusters' because they actively broke up monopolies and trusts that they believed hindered competition and exploited consumers.

Imperialism is a policy of extending a country's power and influence through diplomacy or military force, often by acquiring colonies or territories.

Racism is the belief that one race is superior to another, leading to prejudice and discrimination. Racism was a key factor in imperialism, as it fueled the idea of a 'civilizing mission' for European powers to impose their culture and institutions on other nations, often at the expense of the native populations.

Kipling's "White Man's Burden" is a poem that justifies Western imperialism by arguing that Europeans have a moral responsibility to "civilize" and govern other nations, even if it means imposing their own culture and values on those nations.

Two primary reasons justifying imperialism were economic gain and the desire for national power and prestige. Economic gain included access to raw materials, new markets, and cheap labor to enrich the imperial power. National power and prestige involved expanding the imperial power's sphere of influence, projecting military strength, and promoting a sense of national superiority.

The US obtained colonies through various methods including annexation (like Hawaii), purchase (like Alaska), and military conquest (like the Spanish-American War).

The Panama Canal was finished because it would shorten shipping routes between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, boost US trade and military power, and strengthen American influence in the region.

Big Business had a significant impact on US foreign policy by pushing for policies that promoted economic expansion and protected its overseas investments. This led to the pursuit of economic imperialism and the use of military force to secure business interests abroad.

Big Stick Diplomacy is a foreign policy approach that emphasizes the use of military force as a means of achieving diplomatic goals. The policy was named after Theodore Roosevelt's famous saying, "Speak softly and carry a big stick"; it implied that the US would not shy away from using military force to protect its interests.