Chapter 2

The __________ Amendment attempted to give former slaves the right to vote.

15

In what year was the Declaration of Independence signed?

1776

In what year was the U.S. Constitution ratified?

1788

In what year was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?

1791

How many constitutions has the United States had in its history?

2

How many amendments have been made to the Constitution since its ratification?

27

The Constitution has been amended __________ times.

27

At the Constitutional Convention, the delegates agreed that slaves would be counted as __________ of a person for determining population for representation in the House of Representatives.

3/5

At least __________ states had to ratify the proposed Constitution for it to become law.

9

Which of the following accurately describes the Constitutional Convention?

A disproportionate number of delegates were economic elites

Which of the following specifies the procedure for amending the Constitution? (article)

Article V (5)

The Continental Congress adopted the __________ in 1777.

Articles of Confederation

The __________ was added to the Constitution to protect personal freedoms.

Bill of Rights

Which of the following urged for the colonies to become independent from Britain?

Common Sense

Which of the following was a problem under the Articles of Confederation?

Congress lacked the authority to regulate commerce.

Which of the following concepts most directly helps to make American government legitimate?

Consent of the governed

The body whose delegates signed the Declaration of Independence was the __________.

Continental Congress

T or F. Under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government had broad power to levy taxes.

False

T or F. The Constitution was ratified in 1776.

False, 1788

Which of the following generally favored a stronger national government and supported the proposed U.S. Constitution?

Federalist

In Federalist 10, who wrote, "The most common and durable source of factions has been the various and unequal distribution of property"?

James Madison

Which of the following philosophers greatly influenced the colonists' views on the role of government?

John Locke

__________ was a protest by Massachusetts farmers to stop foreclosures by state courts.

Shay's Rebellion

__________ of indebted farmers exposed the problems under the Articles of Confederation.

Shay's rebellion

The U.S. Constitution was adopted in response to the weaknesses of which document?

The Articles of Confederation

Which of the following most directly protects individuals' civil liberties?

The Bill of Rights

How did the Constitution differ from the Articles of Confederation?

The Constitution created a stronger federal government than did the Articles of Confederation.

Which of the following debated and drafted the Declaration of Independence?

The Continental Congress

__________ was/were most likely to support a strong state government and a weak national government.

The anti-federalist

John Locke's belief that government derives its authority from the people influenced the Declaration of Independence, which says, "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from __________."

The consent of the governed

What did the Connecticut Compromise help to establish?

The senate and the House of Representatives

Who was the author of the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

While working on the Constitution, what aspect of the new government most concerned James Madison?

Tyranny of the Majority

Which constitutional plan called for representation in Congress to be based on state population?

Virginia Plan

Which of the following is a form of government in which the people select representatives to govern them and make laws?

a republic

The Federalists preferred __________ than did the Anti-Federalists.

a strong national government

The __________ favored a weak national government and strong state governments.

anti-federalist

Which of the following is a method for proposing constitutional amendments?

by a two-thirds vote in each house of Congress

What is the feature of the Constitution that allows each branch of government to limit the power of the other branches?

checks and balances

The Constitution prohibits having __________ qualifications for holding public office.

competency

How is a constitutional amendment ratified?

either by three-fourths of state legislatures or by special state conventions in three-fourths of the states

Under the Constitution, the president is elected by which of the following?

electoral college

T or F. None of the 13 states would ratify the Constitution until after the Bill of Rights was added.

false

T or F. The New Jersey Plan proposed a powerful central government with three branches

false

T or F. The Framers implemented a strong executive after being influenced by Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes.

false, Common Sense by Thomas Payne

T or F. The three-fifths compromise specified that only three-fifths of slaves could vote.

false, each slave counted as 3/5 of a person

T or F. All of the amendments to the U.S. Constitution were ratified by a supermajority vote in the state legislature.

false, unanimously

James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay authored the __________.

federalist papers

Burning the flag is generally considered to be __________ that is protected by the Constitution.

free speech

In Texas v. Gregory Lee Johnson, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that anti-flag-burning laws were an unconstitutional violation of __________.

freedom of speech

The meaning of the Constitution can change through __________.

judicial interpretation

John Locke argued that __________ included life, liberty, and property.

natural law

What is the name given to the rights that are inherent in all human beings and not dependent on government?

natural law

What type of legislature did the United States have under the Articles of Confederation?

one comprised of a single chamber

Under a __________ system, power is shared among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Each of these three branches is relatively independent so that one cannot control the others.

separation of powers

Which of the following were most likely to oppose the proposed Constitution?

small farmers

How is eligibility for voting determined under the Constitution?

states determined eligibility

The colonists rebelled against the imposition by the British government of which of the following?

taxes

What was a fear of the Anti-Federalists during the Constitutional Convention and subsequent debate?

that a strong national government would infringe on the rights of the states

Which of the following was written to encourage passage of the Constitution and remains a compelling source for determining the intent of the Framers?

the federalist papers

What was the subject of the Connecticut Compromise?

the form of the legislative branch

Which of the following was part of both the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution?

the presidency

Which of the following is a reason for the separation of powers?

to prevent tyranny by any one branch

T or F. A constitution is a nation's basic law; it creates political institutions, assigns or divides powers in government, and often provides certain guarantees to citizens.

true

T or F. After the Revolutionary War, power in the state legislatures shifted from the wealthy to a broader, more democratic group.

true

T or F. Many of the Framers were skeptical of democratic government in the sense that we understand it today.

true

T or F. Most of the Framers believed that the principal objective of government is to protect the right of individuals to acquire and hold property.

true

T or F. The Anti-Federalists strongly supported the Bill of Rights.

true

T or F. The Declaration of Independence asserts that the people have a right to revolt against an oppressive government.

true

T or F. The Federalist Papers are a valuable resource for those who want to reflect on the thinking of the Framers.

true

T or F. The New Jersey Plan proposed a one-house legislature with one vote for each state.

true

T or F. The main weakness of the Articles of Confederation was a weak national government.

true

The Articles of Confederation required __________ consent from the states for ratification.

unanimous

The Constitution limits the government's ability to suspend writs of habeas corpus. What does this protect individuals against?

unlawful incarceration