The answer is: They demonstrated that the national government had the power to infringe on individual rights and liberties.
This option is incorrect because the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed in 1798, under the Constitution, not the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation were replaced by the Constitution in 1789.
This option is incorrect because the Alien and Sedition Acts did not extend the protections of the Bill of Rights to the states. In fact, they were seen as infringing on the rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, particularly the First Amendment.
This option is correct. The Alien and Sedition Acts were controversial because they were seen as an overreach of federal power, infringing on individual rights and liberties, particularly freedom of speech and the press. The Sedition Act, in particular, made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or its officials, which was viewed as a direct violation of the First Amendment.
This option is incorrect because the Supreme Court did not rule on the constitutionality of the Alien and Sedition Acts at the time. The Acts expired or were repealed before the Court had the opportunity to review them. However, they were widely criticized and contributed to the eventual decline of the Federalist Party.
Answered
