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.

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

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.
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Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The advantage of this policy is that it protected the property rights of slave owners. By including three-fifths of the enslaved population in the apportionment of representatives and direct taxes, the policy ensured that the Southern slave states, where slavery was most prevalent, would have a greater influence in the national government. This provision helped to maintain the unity of the Union by appeasing the slave states and preventing them from seceding.