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Difficulty: MediumThe Constitutional Convention and Ratification Debates

"It is evident, therefore, that, according to their primitive signification, they [bills of rights] have no application to constitutions professedly founded upon the power of the people, and executed by their immediate representatives and servants. Here, in strictness, the people surrender nothing; and as they retain every thing they have no need of particular reservations."

— Publius (Alexander Hamilton), Federalist No. 84, 1788

Which of the following arguments from the ratification debates is most directly supported by the excerpt?

  1. A formal declaration of rights was unnecessary because the new federal government possessed only the specific powers delegated to it by the citizens.Answer
  2. B
    The decentralized authority of the Articles of Confederation was superior to the proposed Constitution because the Articles already contained a comprehensive list of civil liberties.
  3. C
    The creation of a national executive with absolute veto power was necessary to prevent the rise of political factions and parties.
  4. D
    The lack of a bill of rights was the primary reason the Continental Congress failed to raise revenue through taxation during the Revolutionary War period.

Answer

A formal declaration of rights was unnecessary because the new federal government possessed only the specific powers delegated to it by the citizens.
The correct answer is supported by the excerpt because Alexander Hamilton (writing as Publius) argues that a bill of rights is unnecessary in a system where the people 'surrender nothing' and retain all powers not explicitly delegated to the federal government. Since the Constitution only grants enumerated powers, there is no need to write down restrictions on powers the government was never given in the first place.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided historical text excerpt.
The excerpt from Federalist No. 84 argues that a bill of rights has no application to a constitution founded directly on the power of the people, where the government is strictly bound by delegated authority.
Understanding the core argument of the source text is the first step in matching it to the correct historical debate.
2
Identify the historical context and the debate it represents.
The text represents the Federalist argument during the ratification debates, which maintained that listing rights was redundant because the Constitution established a government of limited, enumerated powers.
This contextualizes the quote within the broader Constitutional Convention and ratification debates.
3
Evaluate the answer choices against the analyzed text.
The option stating that a formal declaration of rights was unnecessary due to the government having only delegated powers directly matches Hamilton's argument in the excerpt.
Selecting the option that correctly interprets the primary source ensures alignment with the learning objective.

Key Concept

The Federalist perspective during ratification debates arguing that a bill of rights was redundant under a system of enumerated powers.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

The Constitutional Convention and Ratification Debates

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