Which of the following is not one of the reasons power was centralized in a commander in chief via the Constitution?

Question

A. The US was surrounded by antagonistic foreign powers

B. The US was facing rebellions at home

C. The Framers wanted the government to be more responsive to threats

D. The Congress was overburdened with logistical issues following the ratification of the Constitution

Answer 1

Prior to the ratification of the Constitution, the US was organized under the Articles of Confederation. This system gave almost no power to the federal government -- all decisions had to run through the states.

There were a couple of events around this time that explain why (D) is likely the correct answer:

1. The weak federal government was unable to mount an effective response to Shay's Rebellion. --> Rule out (B)
2. The newly established nation had just broken free of the British crown and shared the space of the continent with the British, the French, the Spanish, and Indigenous Peoples. The French may not have been antagonistic at the time and the Spanish wouldn't be a major threat until later, but the overall political climate was such that threats and the possibility of war were a reality. --> Rule out (A) and (C)

That leaves (D) as the remaining answer. This answer also makes the most sense because Congress being "overburdened with logistical issues following ratification" comes chronologically AFTER the decision to vest commander-in-chief power with the President.