Which clause counts enslaved persons as three-fifths for representation and taxation?

Which clause counts enslaved persons as three-fifths for representation and taxation?

• A. Three-Fifths Clause
• B. Five-Fifths Clause
• C. One-Fifth Clause
• D. All Persons

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how population counts influence political power and federal funding. The Three-Fifths Clause said enslaved people would be counted as three-fifths of a person when determining a state's representation in the House and its share of taxes. This was a compromise between free and slaveholding states: it gave Southern states more seats than counting enslaved people as nothing, but not as many as counting them fully. It shaped the balance of power in Congress for decades and was later superseded by constitutional changes that moved toward counting all persons for representation.

The idea being tested is how population counts influence political power and federal funding. The Three-Fifths Clause said enslaved people would be counted as three-fifths of a person when determining a state's representation in the House and its share of taxes. This was a compromise between free and slaveholding states: it gave Southern states more seats than counting enslaved people as nothing, but not as many as counting them fully. It shaped the balance of power in Congress for decades and was later superseded by constitutional changes that moved toward counting all persons for representation.