Question

1. when the united states had agreed to buy the louisiana territory, the deal still had to be approved by congress. however, there were questions about whether it was legal. the constitution did not say anything about buying new land. so, supporters separated two questions: was it legal to make the purchase?
2. some people said that the constitution had to be amended, or changed, to include the right to buy land.
3. other people said that an amendment was not needed. the constitution already gave the federal government the power to make treaties, or formal agreements between countries. the louisiana purchase was a treaty.
4. for each statement below, decide which argument it would support.

statements:
we need an amendment to clarify that the government can buy land.
we dont need an amendment, since the government is allowed to make treaties.

treaties between countries have always included the exchange of land.
it takes a long time to pass a constitutional amendment. we dont want to miss out on this deal, so we should treat the louisiana purchase like any other treaty.
its dangerous to let the government do something that is not clearly written in the constitution.

Explanation:

1. For "Treaties between countries have always included the exchange of land.": This supports the idea that the government can make land-related treaties without a new amendment, as it aligns with existing treaty norms.
2. For "It takes a long time to pass a constitutional amendment. We don't want to miss out on this deal, so we should treat the Louisiana Purchase like other treaties.": This argues against needing an amendment, favoring using existing treaty powers to act quickly.
3. For "It's dangerous to let the government do something that is not clearly written in the Constitution.": This supports the need for an amendment to explicitly give the government the power to buy land, to avoid overstepping constitutional bounds.

Answer:

1. "Treaties between countries have always included the exchange of land." → We don't need an amendment, since the government is allowed to make treaties.
2. "It takes a long time to pass a constitutional amendment. We don't want to miss out on this deal, so we should treat the Louisiana Purchase like other treaties." → We don't need an amendment, since the government is allowed to make treaties.
3. "It's dangerous to let the government do something that is not clearly written in the Constitution." → We need an amendment to clarify that the government can buy land.