1. What are the specific qualities of the Constitution that permit us to call the government a democracy? What is most democratic about the government that the Constitution establishes and permits? In what way is the democracy of the United States of America different from other world democracies? Name at least two other world democracies and describe if or how they are different.
2. In Article I Section 10, and elsewhere in the Constitution, there are frequent references to limitations on the powers of the states. What are these limitations, and does it seem justified to have them appear in the Constitution? Do any of these limitations significantly reduce the liberty of people living in the states? Do you favor these limitations? What powers of individual states might come in conflict with the Constitution's "law of the land? In what way might limiting the power of specific states help guarantee the democratic values of the nation? Give an example of a conflict between a state's action and the federal interpretation of the Constitution.