Unit 3 Quiz 4
Which of these BEST describes the term enumerated powers? a) powers reserved for the states b) powers given to the federal government c) powers denied to the federal government d) powers shared by federal and state governments
b) powers given to the federal government These powers are listed in several places within the US Constitution.
What is federalism? a) a form of government with elected representatives b) a division of power between the national and state governments c) a sharing of power between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial systems d) a form of government in which elected officials make all economic decisions
b) a division of power between the national and state governments This helps to decentralize the process (and power) of governing the country, and puts much control in the lands of locals
Under the ORIGINAL US Constitution, the people voted directly for a) the President b) the Chief Justice c) members of the House of Representatives
c) members of the House of Representatives State legislatures selected US Senators, and the electoral college voted on the President.
Why was the Bill of Rights added to the US Constitution? a) the New Jersey Plan mandated it b) it was necessary to maintain trade relations with foreign countries c) federalists forced the Anti-Federalists to add it to protect the rights of minorities d) Anti-Federalists wanted citizens to have guaranteed of protection from government tyranny
d) Anti-Federalists wanted citizens to have guaranteed of protection from government tyranny As the Constitution was originally approved by the Constitutional Convention in 1787, there were no guarantees in it that individual liberties would be protected. However, the Anti-Federalists threatened to campaign against the ratification of the document unless a "Bill of Rights" was added. Federalists agreed to add one, and, eventually, both became the framework of our current government.
In Federalism, the power to govern is a) given to the people b) limited to the national government c) given mainly to the state governments d) shared between the national and state governments
d) shared between the national and state governments While the Articles of Confederation may have given too much power to the states, it was feared the Constitution would give too much power to the national government. This system was introduced in order to provide balance between national and state powers of governance.
This movement was characterized by a belief that the US national government under the Articles of Confederation was too weak, and that a stronger central government was needed. a) federalism b) nationalism c) judicial review d) separation of powers
a) federalism Federalism holds that a strong "federal" government is needed to control certain aspects of the country. But it also allows for states to control certain aspects of governance.
What is the highest legal authority in the United States government? a) the President b) US Constitution c) the Supreme Court d) state constitutions
b) US Constitution Article 6 of the Constitution declares that the Constitution is the "supreme law of the land." The Constitution is the basic law of the US.
Some powers of the national government: borrow money, collect taxes, provide defense, postal service, regulate national trade Some powers of the state government: borrow money, collect taxes, establish schools, license professionals, regulate in-state trade According to the chart, the power to tax is a concurrent power, meaning a) it belongs to the state government b) it is a government power that is shared c) it is less important than the power to borrow money d) it is more important than the regulating state trade
b) it is a government power that is shared Some powers are delegated to states (establishing schools), others are reserved for the federal government (postal service, military), while still others are shared concurrently by both levels of government. Taxation is one such power since it is a government power that is shared.
"A _____ is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, & what no government should refuse, or rest on inference." -Thomas Jefferson, 1787 Thomas Jefferson is referring to what part of US government? a) Bill of Rights b) First Amendment c) Separation of Powers d) Presidential Authority
a) Bill of Rights Jefferson was referring to the Bill of Rights, which was to be added to the Constitution. Many people pledged NOT to support the passage of the Constitution unless a Bill of Rights was added, and it was in 1791.
A special power delegated only to the House of Representatives is a) bringing charges of impeachment b) approving presidential appointments c) proposing a constitutional amendment d) ratifying treaties with foreign nations
a) bringing charges of impeachment The Senate approves presidential appointments and ratifies treaties. An amendment to the Constitution may be introduced in either house of Congress.
Which of these powers belongs exclusively to states? a) the formation of roads and bridges b) the operation of a postal service c) the creation and collection of taxes d) the regulation of intrastate commerce
d) the regulation of intrastate commerce Only a state constitution can define the regulation of intrastate commerce. The US Constitution regulates interstate commerce, or commerce between states, international business. However, states have the power to regular intrastate commerce, or commerce inside a state.
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." -Preamble to the United States Constitution What ideas about government did the Founding Fathers include in the Preamble to the Constitution? a) popular sovereignty b) checks and balances c) individual liberties d) separation of powers
a) popular sovereignty The Preamble's reference to "We the People" shows that the Founding Fathers included the idea of popular sovereignty or rule by the people. That particular wording shows that the power of the government is coming from the people who "ordain and establish this Constitution."
The division of governing power between the national and state/local governments is called a) federalism b) conservatism c) checks and balances d) separation of powers
a) federalism The Constitution allowed for the sharing of governing powers between the federal government and the state governments. This is the principle of federalism, and is integral to the governing of the United States. "Separation of powers" refers to each branch having specific duties, while "checks and balances" deals with each branch preventing the other two from abusing their powers.
Which scenario MOST LIKELY encouraged America's Founding Fathers to design a government that shares power? a) a king and his associates dominate an elected parliament b) a citizen feels that her views are not represented in government c) an alliance forms between countries in response to the threat of war d) a country builds a strong navy to win control of international waters
a) a king and his associates dominate an elected parliament The power sharing in the United States government is meant to keep any part of the government from controlling other ones. The Founding Fathers may have seen the dangers that may occur when a king and his associates dominate an elected parliament. After all, the unwillingness of George III and Parliament to listen seriously to colonial grievances was the entire cause of the events that led to the American Revolution.
Which statement BEST describes why the United States government can be called a representative democracy? a) people elect members of Congress to make laws b) all citizens debate issues and vote on the laws c) power is shared between the nation and the states d) division of power exists among three branches
a) people elect members of Congress to make laws In a representative democracy, citizens elect a smaller group of people to represent them, make laws, and govern on their behalf. This is what citizens do when electing people to Congress, state legislatures, and other government institutions.
The principle of "Separation of Powers" is improved with a bicameral legislature rather than a unicameral legislature because a bicameral legislature a) creates a legislature that has less power than the judicial branch b) needs fewer representatives to pass the same number of laws c) takes more of the power from the executive branch d) requires that two bodies of government pass laws
d) requires that two bodies of government pass laws A bicameral legislature improves the separation of powers because it requires that two bodies of government pass laws. A unicameral government (like that of the United States during the era of the Articles of Confederation) has a legislature with only one house.
Which of these is an example of a "check and balance" power of Congress? a) the power to tax b) the power to veto c) the power to borrow money d) the power to impeach public officials
d) the power to impeach public officials The power to impeach public officials is a power of Congress and can be used to check the power of the other two branches. Specifically, it is a power that originates in the House of Representatives and is later carried out by the Senate.
Limited government is the concept that a government's power over its citizens should have limitations. Which of these is MOST closely associated with the idea of limited government? a) the Bill of Rights b) the Mayflower Compact c) the Articles of Confederation d) Washington's Farewell Address
a) the Bill of Rights The Bill of Rights guarantees a number of personal freedoms and protects the people from being abused by the government.
Where would you be MOST likely to find the basic rules and structure of the United States government? a) the Constitution b) the Bill of Right c) the Mayflower Compact d) the Declaration of Independence
a) the Constitution Constitutions are extremely important in limited governments because they spell out the things that government can - and often cannot - do. The Bill of Rights was created to list many of the freedoms and liberties that citizens have, as well as define some of the limits of power of the federal government.
Which situation would MOST LIKELY be checked by other branches of the government? a) the Judiciary tries to declare a state of emergency b) the president tries to declare himself commander in chief c) the Supreme Court tries to declare a law unconstitutional d) the Legislative branch tries to declare war on another country
a) the Judiciary tries to declare a state of emergency According to the rules of the Separation of Powers, the Judicial Branch is mainly responsible for dealing with laws and deciding whether they are constitutional. A case in which the judiciary tried to declare a state of emergency would be beyond its authority. That action would be checked by other branches of government.
Which of these is a role of Congress? a) to veto legislation b) to pass the federal budget c) to nominate Cabinet members d) to interpret the Constitution
b) to pass the federal budget The President and the Executive Branch can make suggestions and submit their own budget proposal, but it is the Congress that must prepare the final budget. The President can veto legislation and nominate Cabinet members and the Supreme Court and other federal courts interpret the Constitution.
If a state law is in conflict with a national law, a state judge must a) uphold the state law b) uphold the Constitutional law c) refer the matter to a federal court d) refer the matter to a municipal court
b) uphold the Constitutional law That is a founding principle of the United States government and usually referred to as the Supremacy Clause. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land.
"The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good." -The Declaration of Independence This passage of the Declaration of Independence BEST refers to which principle of government that would later be part of the US Constitution? a) Federalism b) Judicial Review c) Popular Sovereignty d) Checks and Balances
c) Popular Sovereignty A common complaint of colonists was that they had no say in their governing at the national (British) level. You probably remember the phrase "no taxation without representation is tyranny." The principle of Popular Sovereignty is an example of this. Popular Sovereignty refers to the ability of the people to have a say in government; for the government to rule only with the consent of its people.
The concept of separation and balance of powers in the Constitution refers to a) a separation of powers between various executive departments b) a separation of powers between the national and state governments c) a separation of powers between separate and coequal branches of government d) a separation of individual rights from the rights that are granted to state governments
c) a separation of powers between separate and coequal branches of government The US Constitution defines each of the three branches of government so that no one branch should be able to dominate or eliminate the other.
The US Constitution establishes a federal system of government. Which statement best describes a federal system of government? a) a Bill of Rights protects the individual liberties b) state laws are the highest authority in the nation c) the people elect the president and members of Congress d) power is divided between national and state governments
d) power is divided between national and state governments Based on the US Constitution, certain powers are delegated to the national government while other powers are reserved for the states. In addition, some powers are shared powers by both levels of government.
It can be said that, since Americans elect people to make the laws of the country, the United States is actually a a) aristocracy b) democracy c) oligarchy d) republic
d) republic The United States is a representative democracy, which is another name for a republic. This is not technically a democracy, which would require all people to vote on all bills before they could become laws. Instead, we elect members of Congress, town councils, school boards and the like to do that for us.
Bills Vetoed by Presidents Gerald Ford; 66; 12 Jimmy Carter; 31; 2 Ronald Reagan; 78; 9 George H. Bush; 44; 1 The chart shows an example of a) the absolute power of Congress b) checks and balances in government c) the absolute power of the presidency d) judicial activism throughout US history
b) checks and balances in government The process to establish laws forces both the House of Representatives and the Senate to agree before a bill gets passed on to the president. The president then has an opportunity to sign this bill into law or veto the bill.
Congress -spend money -create and pass taxes -approve treaties -? Which of these BEST shows the type of power possessed by Congress? a) veto laws b) declare war c) appoint ambassadors d) enact constitutional amendments
b) declare war The President may appoint ambassadors (with Senate approval) and veto acts of Congress. Enacting Amendments requires much more than just Congressional approval.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." This quote from the Declaration of Independence is referring to the principle of a) federalism b) limited government c) checks and balances d) one person, one vote
b) limited government Thought the Declaration of Independence is not a binding legal document it did eloquently express the ideals of the country, one of which was that the people control the government. This principle of limited government was later incorporated into the Constitution.
The face that the Constitution is the "supreme law of the land" illustrates which aspect of our government? a) limited government b) national supremacy c) popular sovereignty d) separation of powers
b) national supremacy Article VI of the Constitution establishes national supremacy, meaning that state laws can not take precedence over or contradict laws of Congress or rulings of the US Supreme Court.
Which federal document limits the power of the government while guaranteeing freedoms to the American people? a) the Magna Carta b) the US Constitution c) the Federalist Papers d) the Gettysburg Address
b) the US Constitution The US Constitution, because of the Bill of Rights, allows American citizens freedoms while promising the government will operate following boundaries and rules. This is an example of limited government.
What role does the Executive Branch play in checking the power of Congress? a) it can declare war on foreign countries b) the president may veto Congressional legislation c) Congress can create federal courts and can impeach judges d) the president can decide that laws of Congress are unconstitutional
b) the president may veto Congressional legislation However, another part of that Constitutional principle is that Congress can override that veto.
"TO WHAT expedient then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be given is ..... the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places." -James Madison, Federalist Paper #51 Which of the ideas incorporated in the United States Constitution is expressed in the question above? a) judicial review b) direct democracy c) checks and balances d) the powers of the three branches of government
c) checks and balances James Madison is arguing in the quotation from Federalist Paper #51 that the United States Constitution is written so that the three branches of government, legislative, executive, and judicial each check and balance the powers of the others. He sees no other way to avoid one of the branches of government from becoming too powerful.
A special power delegated only to the Senate is a) passing Constitutional amendments b) introducing all revenue and tax bills c) ratification of all treaties and Presidential appointments d) bringing impeachment charges against the president or federal judges
c) ratification of all treaties and Presidential appointments Only the Senate has the power to approve treaties and appointments of the president.
"Powers not delegated to the United State by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are _____ to the states respectively, or to the people." -Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution What word BEST completes this principle of the United States government? a) denied b) optional c) reserved d) supreme
c) reserved Reserved powers are those given to the state, and the Tenth Amendment was added to the Bill of Rights to ensure states had such powers.
Controversies in the British colonies in North America involving their elected officials being manipulated and controlled by Parliament was later an influence in the incorporation of what principle into the Constitution? a) Federalism b) Bill of Rights c) Judicial Review d) Separation of Powers
d) Separation of Powers Separation of Powers is a political doctrine under which the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of government are kept distinct to prevent abuse of power. The Legislative Branch makes the laws, the Executive Branch enforces the laws, and the Judicial Branch interprets the laws.
Taxes may be levied on US citizens by both the federal and state governments. This is an example of a) double jeopardy b) a reserved power c) an exclusive power d) a concurrent power
d) a concurrent power A concurrent power is a governmental power that is held by both federal and state governments.
For a time, the President was given the power to veto specific parts of a bill without vetoing the entire bill. This was known as a) a filibuster b) a pocket veto c) a confirmation d) a line-item veto
d) a line-item veto The line-item veto was meant to save the bulk of a bill but give the President to strike down specific riders that had been tacked on to a bill. In 1996, Congress gave the President this power in the Line Item Veto Act, but the Supreme Court soon ruled the power to be unconstitutional.
The United States Congress may pass laws, and they go into effect if the president signs the law. However the Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional. This is an example of a) supremacy b) veto power c) federalism d) checks and balances
d) checks and balances
Which of these is an advantage of the system of checks and balances? a) it makes it easy for one person or group to seize power b) it prevents election fraud and results in greater voter turnout c) it allows the executive branch the power to supervise the actions of the other two branches d) it requires the different branches of the federal government to work together to seek the common good
d) it requires the different branches of the federal government to work together to seek the common good None of the other choices are true in relation to our system of checks and balances.
Which of these is an example of a concurrent power? a) establishment of schools b) administer elections c) military defense d) levying taxes
d) levying taxes A concurrent power is one which is held by both the federal and state or local governments. In this case, levying taxes is a concurrent power. The federal government requires the people to pay income taxes. Some states also require this, but they may also charge property and sales taxes.
House: 435 members, members organized into 22 permanent committees, all members elected every 2 years, headed by Speaker, elected from districts within each state Senate: 100 members, members organized into 16 permanent committees, 1/3 of members elected every 2 years, headed by Vice President, elected from entire state According to the chart, how are the House and Senate similar? a) number of members b) number of committees c) length of term of members d) members represent geographical areas
d) members represent geographical areas Their length of term varies (2 as opposed to 6 years), members varies (435 to 100), and their committees (22 to 16).
1982; Edgar v. Mite Corporation; state laws are void when they conflict with federal laws 1992; Stone v. City and County of San Francisco; federal courts can make rulings and override state laws 2000; Crosby v. National Foreign Trade Council; Congress can override state laws to accomplish its goals Based on the data table, how does the balance of power in government change when the Supremacy Clause is applied? a) the powers of both the state and national governments are reduced b) the powers of both the state and national governments are balanced c) the power of the national government is reduced; the power of the states is increased d) the power of the national government is increased; the power of the states is reduced
d) the power of the national government is increased; the power of the states is reduced The list of Supreme Court Rulings on the Supremacy Clause shows that power of the national government is increased and the power of the states is reduced. As you can see from the data table, in each court case the Court ruled that federal laws and goals are more important than state laws.
