Which of the following was the original purpose of the Bill of Rights?
A. to give the people their natural rights
B. to restrict the power of the national government
C. to restrict the power of state governments
D. to list civil rights that would apply to all people
B. to restrict the power of the national government
Which of the following is the name of the interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment that requires states, in addition to the federal government, to follow the Bill of Rights?
A. Federalism doctrine
B. Supreme doctrine
C. Incorporation doctrine
D. Civil Liberties doctrine
C. Incorporation doctrine
How does the Bill of Rights protect you?
A. it restricts both the federal and state governments from abusing your natural rights
B. it keeps the local police from searching your home without having federal permission
C. it lists your civil rights and provides penalties if they are not kept
D it allows citizens to decide for themselves which rules a government must follow
A. it restricts both the federal and state governments from abusing your natural rights
The correct answer is D. to list civil rights that would apply to all people. The original purpose of the Bill of Rights was to guarantee certain civil rights and liberties to all individuals, regardless of their status or position. It outlines specific protections and freedoms, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the right to a fair trial, that are essential to individual freedoms.
The original purpose of the Bill of Rights was to list civil rights that would apply to all people. To confirm this, we can examine the historical context of the creation of the Bill of Rights.
The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution, which were ratified in 1791. It was added to address concerns that the original Constitution did not sufficiently protect individual liberties.
Option A, "to give the people their natural rights," is not accurate because the Bill of Rights is not focused on granting rights but rather on protecting and explicitly recognizing rights that were already believed to be inherent to the people.
Option B, "to restrict the power of the national government," is partially true. The Bill of Rights does place limitations on the power of the national government by outlining specific rights that the government cannot infringe upon. However, its main purpose was broader than just restricting the national government's power.
Option C, "to restrict the power of state governments," is not correct. The original intent of the Bill of Rights was primarily to address concerns about the power of the federal government, not the state governments.
Option D, "to list civil rights that would apply to all people," is the most accurate statement. The Bill of Rights was intended to enumerate specific civil liberties and rights that would apply to all individuals within the United States, protecting them from government intrusion and abuse. These rights include freedom of speech, religion, and assembly, the right to bear arms, protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and the right to a fair trial, among others.