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)
The national government assesses taxation on an equal basis, regardless of state population size.
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.
Taxes are divided on an equal basis regardless of race, ensuring taxation is fair.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

One advantage of this policy is that it helped to keep the Southern slave states from seceding from the Union. By counting enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation purposes, it gave Southern states more power in Congress while also ensuring that they contributed more in taxes. This compromise ultimately helped to maintain the unity of the country during a time of great division over the issue of slavery.