Foundations Assessment

Why have there been relatively few constitutional amendments?

A Constitution Amendment Bill requires more than a simple majority to be ratified

In June 2017, voters in Puerto Rico voted on a referendum to make Puerto Rico the 51st state of the United States. This is an example of which of the following models of democracy?

Participatory democracy

The National Rifle Association (NRA) testifies in front of Congress to advocate for several laws, including one that would protect gun manufacturers from lawsuits concerning violence committed with weapons they made. This is an example of which of the following models of democracy?

Pluralist democracy

A president issues an executive order banning newspapers from printing articles critical of the US government. The Supreme Court declares the executive order unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment right to freedom of the press. This is an example of which of the following principles of US government?

Checks and balances

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of "separation of powers" in the US Constitution?

Congress has authority over the federal budget, while the president appoints Supreme Court justices

Which of the following scenarios would violate the Tenth Amendment?

Congress passing a law raising the minimum driving age to 21

Which of the following may Congress do to limit the power of the executive?

Impeach the president

Which of the following statements best explains the compromise behind the creation of the Electoral College?

It was a compromise between big and small states so that states with a larger population cannot control presidential elections

In the 1960s, the federal government passed the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, which compelled state and local governments to desegregate public schools and public places. This is an example of which of the following aspects of federalism in the United States?

Pressure at the national level can force state and local policy changes

Which of the following scenarios would be considered an unconstitutional use of state power?

Requiring Amish students to attend school until age 16 despite their religious beliefs

Before the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution granted women the right to vote nationwide, 13 states allowed women the right to vote in their state elections. This is an example of which of the following aspects of federalism in the United States?

State and local governments can become proving grounds for new ideas

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of limited government?

The Supreme Court ruled that a law passed by Congress was unconstitutional

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of "separation of powers" in the US Constitution?

The president commands the nation's armed forces, while Congress has the power to ratify treaties

Which of the following is the most immediate consequence of impeaching a president?

The president is tried in the Senate

In 1972, both houses of Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a Constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal rights for all citizens regardless of sex. However, the amendment failed, as three-quarters of the states did not ratify it before the deadline expired. This is an example of which of the following aspects of federalism in the United States?

The sharing of power between states and the federal government constrains national policymaking

Why are the compromises that were necessary to secure ratification of the Constitution still debated today?

They left some matters unresolved

In Federalist No. 10, Madison argues that the Constitution disperses power between the federal government and state governments. Which of the following describes a constitutional provision in the newly-ratified Constitution that does that?

US senators were chosen by state legislatures

Federal nutrition guidelines require public schools to serve healthy lunches to students and limit the amount of "junk food" available in vending machines. A state seeking to challenge these nutrition rules should cite which of the following cases?

United States v. Lopez