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Name Date REVIEW CALIFORNIA CONTENT STANDARD 8.10.3 The Doctrine of Nullification Specific Objective: Identify the constitutional issues posed by the doctrine of nullification and secession and the earliest origins of that doctrine. Read the summary below to answer the questions on the next page. Copyright © McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin Company Federal Government versus State Government When the United States was new, there was much disagreement about the balance of power between the federal and state governments. The Constitution was designed to put those issues to rest. It defined the powers of each branch and level of government. But not everyone agreed about how to interpret the Constitution with regard to how much power the federal government should have over the individual states. Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions An early crisis occurred with the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. These four laws limited the rights of recent immigrants to the United States and upset citizens in many states, particularly Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. Jefferson and Madison favored the theory of states’ rights. According to this theory, a state could nullify, or declare “not binding,” any federal law within its borders believed to be unconstitutional. Jefferson and Madison wrote resolutions passed by Virginia and Kentucky stating that the Alien and Sedition Acts violated the Constitution. No other states at the time took this position. The Alien and Sedition Acts eventually were repealed or expired, but the issue of nullification had been introduced. Tariff of Abominations In 1828, Congress passed a bill raising tariffs on raw materials and manufactured goods. Southerners thought the new tariffs gave Northerners an unfair advantage. They called the law the Tariff of Abominations. Doctrine of Nullification South Carolina was especially affected by the tariff. The vice president in 1828 was John C. Calhoun a native of that state. He returned to the doctrine of nullification. He said that a state could nullify a federal law that it found unconstitutional. The state would make the law void within its own borders. Like Jefferson and Madison before them, those who favored the doctrine of nullification said that the Union was a league of self-governing states. They thought that each state had the right to limit the influence of the federal government. One of a state’s rights was to judge whether federal laws were unconstitutional. If a state decided a law was unconstitutional it was not bound to obey it. Calhoun and his supporters also thought a state could withdraw from the Union at any time. Opponents said that the Constitution was the supreme law of the land. In addition, they agreed that the Supreme Court alone could decide if laws were constitutional. They also pointed out that the Constitution specifically gave Congress the right to levy tariffs. CSS Specific Objective 8.10.3: Review 159 Name Date PRACTICE CALIFORNIA CONTENT STANDARD 8.10.3 The Doctrine of Nullification Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. 2 John C. Calhoun was vice president in 1828. When he proposed the doctrine of nullification, he was acting in the interests of 4 The doctrine of nullification was based on the theory of A checks and balances. A Congress. B federalism. B the Democratic Party. C separation of powers. C South Carolina. D states’ rights. D the president. A Civil War. Southern states said they would nullify laws they felt were unfair. What else did they do to protest unfair tariffs? B the Tariff of Abominations. A declared war C Kentucky Resolution. B boycotted goods from the North D Missouri Compromise. C asked Britain for help D threatened to secede The doctrine of nullification came in response to 3 The issue of nullification was first raised by A John Quincy Adams. B John C. Calhoun. C Andrew Jackson. D Thomas Jefferson. 160 CSS Specific Objective 8.10.3: Practice 5 6 Opponents of Calhoun’s doctrine of nullification pointed out that Congress had the constitutional right to A favor certain states. B levy tariffs. C rewrite the Constitution. D nullify state laws. Copyright © McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin Company 1