FRQ—Constitutional Underpinnings
4th Period
Choose ONE of the three FRQs below and respond to that FRQ clearly and completely, but succinctly. The hints,
tips and strategies contained in the PowerPoint posted to the class website should guide the layout of your
response. Use correct grammar, punctuation and spelling. You may use your text, notes, supplemental
readings and materials on the class website as resources. You may also use a dictionary or your textbook’s
glossary to look up unfamiliar words/terms.
1. In The Federalist paper number 10, James Madison expressed concern over the possibility that both
majority and minority factions would have too much power over government and he presented ways
of minimizing the danger. The U.S. Constitution established a democratic government but also
contained several provisions that limited majority rule. Throughout the next two centuries, the role of
majority rule in the United States government and politics continued to change.
a. Identify the part of the national government that was originally most closely tied to citizens and
explain how it was tied to citizens.
b. Explain two ways the U.S. Constitution limited majority rule.
c. Choose two of the following 20th century developments and explain how each moved the U.S.
from a less democratic system to a more democratic system
 Primary elections
 The 17th Amendment
 Expansion of suffrage
2. The framers of the Constitution created a political system based on limited government. The original
Constitution and the Bill of Rights were intended to restrict the powers of the national government.
Later constitutional developments also limited the powers of the state governments.
a. Explain how each of the following limits the powers of the national executive.
 Federalism
 Checks and Balances
b. Explain how each of the following two provisions in the Bill of Rights limits the powers of the
national government.
 Establishment clause
 Guarantee of a public trial
c. Choose one of the following and explain how it limits the power of state governments.
 Citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment
 Selective incorporation
3. There are several different approaches to representation within a democratic political system.
a. Define direct democracy
b. Define republican form of government
c. Describe one reason the framers of the U.S. Constitution chose a republican form of
government over a direct democracy.
d. Describe each of the models of congressional representation.
 Trustee model (attitudinal view)
 Delegate model (representational view)
e. Explain why a member of Congress might sometimes act as a trustee rather than a delegate.