Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumStructure and Core Principles of the U.S. Constitution

"The Constitution is said to have beautiful features; but when I come to examine these features, they appear to me horribly frightful... Your President may easily become king... If your American chief be a man of ambition and abilities, how easy is it for him to render himself absolute! The army is in his hands, and if he be a man of address, it will be an easy part for him to conceive that the interest of the kingly office is to support him..."

— Patrick Henry, speech at the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 1788

Which of the following constitutional design elements was most directly intended to address the concerns expressed by Patrick Henry in the excerpt?

  1. The division of military authority, which gives Congress the power to declare war and fund the armed forces while the president serves as commander-in-chiefAnswer
  2. B
    The continuation of the Articles of Confederation's requirement that all states must approve federal tax levies to fund national defense
  3. C
    The implementation of a strict constructionist framework promoted by Alexander Hamilton's Federalist faction to restrict executive actions
  4. D
    The total elimination of a standing national army, reverting to the state-controlled militia system of the Revolutionary War era

Answer

The division of military authority, which gives Congress the power to declare war and fund the armed forces while the president serves as commander-in-chief
The correct option is correct because the framers addressed concerns about executive overreach and potential military dictatorship by establishing shared war powers (checks and balances). Under Article I and Article II of the Constitution, while the president is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Congress holds the power to declare war, raise and support armies, and control the funding (power of the purse) for national defense.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze Patrick Henry's concern in the excerpt.
Henry is expressing deep concern over the power of the executive branch under the new Constitution, specifically warning that the president could use command of the army to establish an absolute monarchy.
Understanding the core historical concern is necessary to evaluate the constitutional remedies.
2
Evaluate the constitutional mechanisms created by the framers to check executive military power.
The Constitution established a system of shared military authority, where the president is the Commander-in-Chief (Article II), but Congress retains the sole power to declare war, raise and support armies, and control the budget (Article I).
This shows how the separation of powers and checks and balances directly address Henry's fear of a president using the army to become a tyrant.
3
Differentiate between the constitutional provisions and the incorrect options.
The Constitution did not keep the state-based vetoes of the Articles of Confederation (such as unanimous tax approval or reliance solely on state militias), nor did it outlaw standing armies. Additionally, Hamilton's Federalist faction supported a strong executive rather than strict constructionist limitations.
Eliminating historical misconceptions confirms the correct answer.

Key Concept

Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances in the U.S. Constitution
Rate this question

Topics

Structure and Core Principles of the U.S. Constitution

More questions from this topic