Constitutional Pre-Test
Which statement best describes a function of interest groups?
They advocate for citizens who have similar ideas about issues.
Which example best demonstrates a change in government involvement in the economy?
creation of the Social Security Administration
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were originally intended as restrictions against?
the new National Government
The number of presidential electors a state gets is the same as
the number of its senators and representatives.
The Federalist Papers were written to
win support for the ratification of the Constitution.
Congress is prohibited from establishing an official religion by the what amendment?
1st Amendment
The type of majority that is necessary to override a veto is a
2/3 majority
Which of these circumstances illustrates a danger of majority rule?
A law is used to oppress a group of people.
Which interest group would most likely oppose eliminating the social security system?
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
The Presidential advisory body who usually are the heads of the executive departments is called the
Cabinet
Which best explains why groups may hold meetings to discuss unpopular ideas in the United States?
Constitutional rights protect their actions.
Raj thinks he has a great idea for a law. What is the best action for Raj to take to get the law passed?
Contact his representative in Congress about his idea.
Which part of the Connecticut (or Great) Compromise benefits states with smaller populations?
Each state has two representatives in the Senate.
Mexico has a governmental system in which the power is divided between the national government and each state. Based on the information above, what type of government system does Mexico have?
Federalism
The Missouri Legislature is called the
General Assembly.
Which of the following best describes the concept of limited government?
Government must operate within certain bounds set by the people.
"Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Abraham Lincoln, 1863. Which is the best conclusion about President Lincoln's quotation?
He supported a republic.
1980: Candy Lightner establishes Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to advocate for strong drunk driving laws 1988: Minimum drinking age set at twenty-one in all fifty states 1992: Alcohol-related driving deaths drop 26% since 1984 The best title for the above statements is
How an Individual Citizen Helped Improve Community Safety
Which is a result of having a political system dominated by two political parties?
It is easier to obtain a majority of votes.
Which of these situations illustrates citizens responsibly practicing the freedoms of a democratic society?
Jacob and some friends protest the local shoe factory because of recent layoffs.
In the 2000 Presidential Election, the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot was as follows: 29% of 18-24 year olds voted 55% of those registered voted Which of these can best be concluded from the above?
Many young people neglected their civic responsibilities.
Since the 1960's, which political party in the U S has most closely represented the views of conservative voters?
Republican Party
Which headline best illustrates an example of checks and balances?
Senate Confirms New Chief Justice
Which of these is an example of popular sovereignty?
Some states decided to prohibit slavery by a vote of residents.
Which person is a member of the legislative branch?
Speaker of the House
Which of these received increased authority under the reserved powers clause of the Constitution?
States
"The most powerful, and perhaps the only, means of interesting men in the welfare of their country which we still possess is to make them partakers in the government." - Alexis de Tocqueville Which statement best reflects Alexis de Tocqueville's point of view?
Taking an active role in society will help promote contributions to a nation.
No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of the President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected shall be elected to the office President more than once. United States Constitution, Amendment Twenty Two Section One Which view of presidential power led to the Twenty-Second Amendment?
Term limits are needed to keep any one President from growing too powerful.
According to the chart, which state has the largest delegation in the U S House of Representatives? State Populations - Texas 23,507,783 Florida 18,089,800 Michigan 10,095,643 Missouri 5,842,713
Texas
In order for a bill to become a law, what happens after both houses of Congress pass it?
The President signs it.
Which executive action best demonstrates a check on legislative branch power?
The President vetoes a bill passed by Congress.
What happens when a state law conflicts with a federal law?
The state must yield to the federal government.
Which of these is the main function of the legislative branch?
To make laws
Which issue is exclusively the responsibility of federal law?
counterfeit money
The expansion of suffrage in the United States best illustrates society's changing views of what?
civil rights
People who live in an elected official's district (voters) are called a
constituent
Ian challenged the law in his home state that allowed the chief of police to identify him as a dangerous driver based on observation. This classification denied him the right to renew his driver's license. Ian successfully argued that he was entitled to a hearing before the state could post his name on the dangerous driver list. Which constitutional principle does the scenario represent?
due process of law
In a presidential form of government, the head of the executive branch is
elected independently from the legislative branch and serves a fixed term.
Enlightenment-era political philosophers such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Montesquieu ...
emphasized the role of natural rights based on social contracts for governmental structure.
Under the Articles of Confederation, taxes were applied by Congress and collected by the states. Under the Constitution, taxes are both applied and collected by Congress. Which of these best describes this change in government?
expanding the political power of the national government
The Articles of Confederation represented the what?
first attempt at self-government in the United States
The main reason for wanting to change the Articles of Confederation was to
form a stronger government.
The governor serves a term of ____ years.
four
With the words, "We the People," the Constitution establishes its authority on the basis of
popular sovereignty.
The power of the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional is an example of which of the following principles?
judicial review
The power that courts have to declare laws unconstitutional when challenged is
judicial review
A Supreme Court justice is appointed for
life
The Bill of Rights was adopted to
list and guarantee basic individual rights.
Which activity of an interest group for teachers would have the most significant political impact?
lobbying elected officials to enact new education laws
Mr. Clarke was not required to testify at his own trial for armed robbery. This is known as?
right against self-incrimination
"No freeman shall be taken, or imprisoned, . . . or in any way harmed . . . save by the lawful judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land . . .To none will we sell, to none deny or delay, right or justice." Magna Carta, 1215 According to this statement, which constitutional guarantee is most related to the Magna Carta?
rights of the accused
Which feature of ancient Rome made it a republic?
rule by elected representatives
"It is equally evident, that the members of each department should be as little dependent as possible on those of the others . . .Were the executive magistrate, or the judges, not independent of the legislature in this particular, their independence in every other would be merely nominal." - Federalist No. 51 Which constitutional principle is described in the quotation?
separation of powers
Some people believe that the Supreme Court has too much power because justices?
serve until they die or choose to retire
Enlightenment-era political philosophers such as Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, and Montesquieu would most likely agree that
the state exists to serve the will of the people.
The Constitution is
the supreme law of the land.
Which of the following is the role of the Electoral College?
to choose the President of the United States.
How many senators does each state have?
two
How many representatives does each state have?
varies by population
The most important role of the Electoral College is to?
vote for the President and Vice President.