Question

Critique the following constitutional provision protecting the property of slave owners. What would be an advantage of this policy?

“Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons.”

(1 point)
Responses

The national government assesses taxation on an equal basis, regardless of state population size.
The national government assesses taxation on an equal basis, regardless of state population size.

Taxes are divided on an equal basis regardless of race, ensuring taxation is fair.
Taxes are divided on an equal basis regardless of race, ensuring taxation is fair.

Identifying enslaved people as property ensures that Southern slave states remain part of the Union.
Identifying enslaved people as property ensures that Southern slave states remain part of the Union.

States retain the power to decide what taxes will be paid to the federal government, thus increasing state autonomy.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

One advantage of this policy is that it helped to maintain the unity of the Union by ensuring the participation of Southern slave states. By counting three-fifths of enslaved individuals for the purpose of representation in the House of Representatives and apportioning direct taxes, this provision helped to address some of the concerns of Southern slave owners who feared that their states would be underrepresented and overtaxed in the federal government. This compromise allowed slave states to have a greater voice in the national government, thereby preserving the overall balance of power between the North and the South.