Question

Critique the following constitutional provision protecting the property of slave owners. What would be an advantage of this policy?

“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”

(1 point)
Responses

Taxes are divided on an equal basis regardless of race, ensuring taxation is fair.
Taxes are divided on an equal basis regardless of race, ensuring taxation is fair.

States retain the power to decide what taxes will be paid to the federal government, thus increasing state autonomy.
States retain the power to decide what taxes will be paid to the federal government, thus increasing state autonomy.

Identifying enslaved people as property ensures that Southern slave states remain part of the Union.
Identifying enslaved people as property ensures that Southern slave states remain part of the Union.

The national government assesses taxation on an equal basis, regardless of state population size.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The advantage of this policy is that it provides a method for apportioning representatives and direct taxes among the states, ensuring a fair distribution of political power and financial burden. Additionally, it helps maintain unity and inclusion within the Union by recognizing enslaved people as property and counting them as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of representation and taxation. This provision helps to appease Southern slave states, ensuring their continued participation in the Union and avoiding potential secession.