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

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.

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.

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

Answer 1

The advantage of this policy is that it ensures that the Southern slave states remain part of the Union. By counting three-fifths of enslaved people towards the state's population, it gives Southern states a stronger representation in the national government and a larger share of the apportioned direct taxes. This provision helped to maintain the unity of the newly formed United States by preventing the Southern states from seceding or breaking away from the Union.