Read this passage from a letter written by abraham lincoln. “we have just carried an election on principles fairly stated to the people. now we are told in advance, the government shall be broken up, unless we surrender to those we have beaten . . if we surrender, it is the end of us, and of the government.” –abraham lincoln letter to senator j. t. hale january 11, 1861 in this passage, lincoln expresses concern about a. the secession of several southern states. b. the splintering of the democratic party. c. confederate troops firing on fort sumter. d. the formation of a new state, west virginia.

The correct answer is A) The secession of several Southern states.

After the election of 1860, many Southern states decide to leave (aka secede) the Union. It started with the state of South Carolina in December of 1860. Within a few months, seven other states like Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, etc. left the Union as well. When they all seceded they joined together to develop their own nation called the Confederacy. This secession, followed by the firing on Fort Sumter, would help lead to the beginning of fighting between the Union and Confederacy.

the answer is false.

in the united states, the president is controlled by the

constitution, and in all respects subordinate to it. insofar

as it deals with presidential power, however, the american

constitution has proved to be a highly malleable document.

with very few exceptions,' the constitutional provisions relating to the president have not been changed at all since

they were ratified in 1787. but in the late twentieth century, those provisions do not mean what they meant in

1787. the constitution is a legal document, and it is enforced judicially; but its meaning was hardly fixed when it

was ratified. in particular, the contemporary president has

far broader powers than the original constitution contemplated. it is remarkable but true that large-scale changes in

the authority of the president have been brought about

without changes in the constitutional text, but nevertheless

without significant illegality.

this is a paradox. is it not clear that constitutional

changes, if not textual, are illegal? the paradox has considerable relevance to our current thinking about the presidency in particular and about constitutionalism in general.

perhaps the framers of the american constitution feared

legislative power most of all; 2 but from well-known events

in the twentieth century, it is possible to conclude that it is

presidential power that holds out the greatest risks to both

liberty and democracy. the president is by far the most visible leader in the nation; he is often the only person in government with a national constituency. moreover, he is