Question

Excerpt from a Speech by George Mason Does any man suppose, that one general National Government can exist in so extensive a country as this? I hope that a Government may be framed which may suit us, by drawing the line between the general and State Governments, and prevent that dangerous clashing of interest and power, which must, as it now stands, terminate in the destruction of one or the other. When we come to the Judiciary, we shall be more convinced, that this Government will terminate in the annihilation of the State Governments: The question then will be, whether a consolidated Government can preserve the freedom, and secure the great rights of the people.—George Mason, 1788QuestionUse the passage to answer the question.(2 points)To interact with this question use tab to move through the text tokens. Use space or enter to select or deselect the relevant tokens

Answer 1

Mason warns that a single, powerful national (consolidated) government over such a large country will destroy the state governments and threaten the people’s freedom and rights. He argues the Constitution must clearly divide powers between national and state governments (especially in the Judiciary) to prevent consolidation.