Evolution of Federalism
Activity 1, Strategy 5 Scoring Guide: Table 2 - Is it Constitutional?

You belong to a committee consisting of members of the U.S. Congress in some year early when the United States was a young nation, such as 1820. Several bills have been proposed, and you need to decide which of them could be legally passed (in the nation at that time) according to the United States Constitution. The subject matter of the bills is shown in Table 2 below.

Table 2. Bills Proposed in the United States Congress in 1820
Subject Matter of Bills Proposed in Congress Circle if bill is constitutional
* = Correct Answer
1. Tax products imported from other nations to help protect manufacturing of products produced within the United States *Yes -- No
2. Establish a system of public schools for the United States Yes -- *No
3. Increase the pay of members of Congress *Yes -- No
4. Increase the number of judges who are to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court *Yes -- No
5. Vote to ratify a treaty with Great Britain to help provide for the defense of the nation *Yes -- No
6. Tax people's incomes in order to help pay for and maintain roads crossing state lines Yes -- *No
7. Coin money for citizens to use in the United States *Yes -- No
8. Declare by law that a specific citizen, John Smith, is guilty of murder (Wit-nesses saw him commit the act, and he confessed) Yes -- *No
9. Allocate money to pay for the construction of new ships for the U.S. navy *Yes -- No
10. Allocate money to pay for the construction of new ships to be used by a pri-vate company in business to make a profit Yes -- *No
11. Make it official that the church with the most members in the nation shall be designated as the national church Yes -- *No
12. Set rules for how a person may become a citizen of the United States *Yes -- No
13. Allocate money to increase the number of federal prisons *Yes -- No
14. Establish a minimum age for voting in state and national elections Yes -- *No
15. Allocate money for an office that will allow people to patent their inventions *Yes -- No
16. Set minimum wages for people working in restaurants Yes -- *No
17. Forbid the hiring of women for jobs that require heavy lifting Yes -- *No
18. Establish a postal system for the nation *Yes -- No