Social Studies Praxis Practice Test

The Bill of Rights was originally added to the United States Constitution explicitly to ensure protection from abuse of power by?

1. the national government

2. state governments

3. individual citizens

4. religious institutions

The correct answer is: the national government

The Bill of Rights was originally added to the United States Constitution primarily to safeguard individual liberties against potential overreach by the national government. When the Constitution was drafted, many Founding Fathers recognized that a strong federal government could pose a threat to the rights of citizens. To address these concerns and secure ratification of the Constitution, the promise of a Bill of Rights was made, which consists of the first ten amendments explicitly stating certain rights and freedoms. These amendments include protections such as freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, all designed to limit the power of the national government and ensure that citizens' fundamental rights were preserved. The intent was to create a system of checks and balances that would prevent any future government from infringing upon the rights of individuals. In this context, while state governments and other institutions could also have impacts on rights and freedoms, the immediate concern at the time of the Constitution's ratification centered on preventing the federal government from abusing its powers.