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Difficulty: HardThe Constitutional Convention and Ratification Debates

“We must resolve to cherish the Union, and to support the national government... The great and radical vice in the construction of the existing Confederation is in the principle of LEGISLATION for STATES or GOVERNMENTS, in their CORPORATE or COLLECTIVE CAPACITIES, and as contradistinguished from the INDIVIDUALS of whom they consist... If we still will adhere to the design of a national government... we must resolve to incorporate into our plan those ingredients which may be considered as forming the characteristic difference between a league and a government; we must extend the authority of the Union to the persons of the citizens, the only proper objects of government.”
— Alexander Hamilton, *Federalist No. 15*, 1787

Which of the following constitutional provisions most directly addresses the “radical vice” described in the excerpt?

  1. A
    The retention of sovereign veto power by state legislatures over federal statutory laws
  2. B
    The establishment of a bicameral legislature balancing the representation of large and small states
  3. The authority of the federal government to levy taxes directly on individual citizensAnswer
  4. D
    The limitation of federal authority to the regulation of interstate commerce while leaving internal policing to states

Answer

The authority of the federal government to levy taxes directly on individual citizens
The correct answer, which is the authority of the federal government to levy taxes directly on individual citizens, directly addresses Hamilton's critique. Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government could not tax individuals directly and had to rely on requisitions from state legislatures, which were frequently ignored. The Constitution resolved this 'radical vice' by granting the federal government the power to lay and collect taxes directly from individuals, establishing direct authority over the citizenry.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided stimulus to identify Hamilton's primary criticism of the Articles of Confederation.
Hamilton identifies the 'great and radical vice' as legislation that acts upon states in their corporate or collective capacity rather than directly on individual citizens.
Understanding the core argument is essential to finding the constitutional provision that resolved this issue.
2
Evaluate the options to find the constitutional provision that allows the federal government to bypass state governments and act directly on individuals.
The power of the federal government to levy taxes directly on individual citizens represents a shift from state requisitions to direct national authority over individuals.
This directly matches Hamilton's proposed solution to extend the authority of the Union to the persons of the citizens.
3
Confirm that other options do not address the specific issue of direct legislation over individuals.
Bicameralism, state vetoes, and commerce limitations either address state representation conflicts or perpetuate decentralized state sovereignty, failing to establish direct federal authority over individuals.
This eliminates incorrect options and verifies the correctness of the final selection.

Key Concept

The transition from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution, specifically the expansion of federal powers to act directly on individual citizens rather than through state governments.
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Topics

The Constitutional Convention and Ratification Debates

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