AP U.S. Government and Politics - Unit 1 Progress Check: MCQ

Brutus 1 Which of the following excerpts from the passage best describes the author's reason for opposing an expansion of the scope of the federal government?

"... [I]t is impossible to have a representation, possessing the sentiments, and of integrity, to declare the minds of the people, without having it so numerous and unwieldy, as to be subject in great measure to the inconveniency of a democratic government."

Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist 15 Which of the following excerpts from Article I of the United States Constitution resolves a problem described by the author?

"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;"

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates from larger states argued that each state's representation in the legislature should be proportional to its population. Smaller states argued that each state should have equal representation, regardless of population. The disagreement over representation threatened to derail the ratification of the United States Constitution. Which statement accurately describes the compromise that led to both sides reaching agreement?

A bicameral legislature with an upper house representing each state equally and a lower house with representation proportional to each state's population

In The Federalist 10, which of the following did James Madison argue would best control the negative effects of factions?

A large federal republic

Which of the following best characterizes the general argument made in Brutus 1?

A large republic is dangerous to personal liberty and undermines the states.

Which of the following is an accurate summary of James Madison's argument in The Federalist 10?

A large republic presents more opportunities for groups to participate, compete, and limit each other.

Andrew Napolitano, "At War with the Separation of Powers," The Washington Times, 2018. Which of the following describes a possible method that can check the power of the president who willingly violates the constitutional balance of power as described in the passage?

Congress can impeach and remove a president who is unable or unwilling to perform his or her official functions.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the majority opinion of the Supreme Court in United States v. Lopez (1995) ?

Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime.

As a compromise, the framers agreed on a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives elected by popular vote within states and the Senate selected by state legislatures. The direct election method conforms most to which of the following democratic ideals?

Government should be based on the consent of the governed.

Article I, Section 9 of the United States Constitution lists several powers that are denied to the federal government, such as granting titles of nobility and passing ex post facto laws. This best demonstrates which of the following ideals of democracy?

Limited government

Which of the following cases expanded the powers of Congress by defining the necessary and proper clause more broadly?

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Brutus 1 Which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely agree with?

Nations with extended territory cannot fairly represent their citizens in a republican form of government.

The Declaration of Independence cites specific reasons for separating from British rule, including the British imposing taxes and maintaining a standing army without consent. Which of the following principles or ideas would these grievances be most related to?

Natural rights such as life, liberty, and property

Brutus 1 In the passage, Brutus is most concerned with the conflict between which of the following political ideas?

Participatory democracy and elite democracy

Andrew Napolitano, "At War with the Separation of Powers," The Washington Times, 2018. Which of the following principles of government is most related to the author's argument in the passage?

Separation of powers is necessary to our constitutional system to limit the power of the three branches and guarantee limited government.

Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist 15 Which of the following is a difference between the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution that is a response to a problem expressed in the passage?

The Articles of Confederation allowed for the federal government to request revenues from states but did not permit it to tax citizens directly, whereas under the United States Constitution the federal government could tax citizens directly.

Andrew Napolitano, "At War with the Separation of Powers," The Washington Times, 2018. Which of the following political processes would best solve the problem regarding the system of checks and balances, as articulated by the author in the passage?

The Supreme Court rules on a suit brought by an interest group that legislation permitting the president to launch military strikes without congressional approval is unconstitutional.

In the 1950s Southern states attempted to prevent integration of their public schools. In return, the National Guard was sent to force states to implement federal regulations. This scenario illustrates which of the following about the relationship between the state and national governments?

The debate over the role of the central government and state powers is ongoing.

Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist 15 Which of the following experiences most likely influenced the perspective conveyed in the passage?

The debt crisis of the 1780s which the national government was unable to address due to lack of authority

The Gun-Free School Zones Act made it illegal for individuals knowingly to carry a gun in a school zone. The Supreme Court determined this act to be an unconstitutional stretch of the commerce clause in

United States v. Lopez (1995)

In order to appease both Federalists and Anti-Federalists, it was agreed at the Constitutional Convention that a group of delegates would be charged with selecting the president. This would ensure that

the most capable individuals would decide which candidate would be president