Government Chapter 2 Test

Which statement best defines federalism? A) It is the sharing of power among multiple central governments B) It is the sharing of power between central and state governments C) It is the distribution of power among different state governments D) It is the distribution of power between state and local governments

B

Why did the Anti-Federalists support the inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution? A) to ensure equal rights among people in different states B) to prevent the federal government from overstepping its authority C) to ensure that the judicial branch could check the legislature's power D) to prevent interference by the federal government in the affairs of states

B

Which statement describes how the Nineteenth Amendment changed U.S. history? A) It prohibited job discrimination based on gender B) It allowed all citizens to own property regardless of gender C) It expanded the right to vote to all citizens regardless of gender D) It prohibited discrimination against running for political office based on gender

C

Which document argued for the colonists' right to rebel against the king of England and Parliament? A) The Bill of Rights B) The Articles of Confederation C) The Declaration of Independence D) The Virginia Declaration of Rights

C) The Declaration of Independence

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." This amendment is based on which principle? A) Powers are shared by different levels of government. B) Powers are divided among three branches of government. C) Laws apply equally to both elected officials and everyday citizens. D) Elected leaders represent the will of the people who selected them

A

Economic problems + Shay's Rebellion = ? A) Effort to strengthen the Union B) States begin to leave the Union C) Bill of Rights added to the Constitution D) Anti-Federalists' campaign against the Constitution

A

Federalist support for ratification + Anti-Federalist concerns about the Constitution = ? A) Bill of Rights added to the Constitution B) Limits on slavery removed from Constitution C) Majority of states reject ratification on first vote D) Great Compromise creates bicameral legislature

A

Read the headline below: "U.S. Signs International Peace Treaty" The action described in the headline best supports which statement about the Constitution? A) It gives the federal government specific powers to serve the national interest B) It authorizes the federal government to go beyond its expressed powers C) It specifies powers denied to the federal government D) It reserves many important powers to the states

A

Read the list below. CONCURRENT POWERS -Establishing courts -Chartering banks -Building roads and highways -? Which government action completes the list? A) Collecting taxes B) Printing currency C) Establishing a navy D) Making treaties with foreign nations

A

The quotation below is from the Declaration of Independence. "He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing armies without the Consent of our legislatures..." Based on the quotation, what did the colonists believe about King George III? A) They believed that he violated their natural rights. B) They believed that he tried to influence their elections. C) They believed that he wanted to take away privately held land. D) They believed that he wanted to start a war with the native tribes.

A

The statement below regarding the proposed Bill of Rights is from the Federalist Papers (1788). "Why, for instance, should it be said that the liberty of the press shall not be restrained, when no power is given by which restrictions may be imposed?" -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Papers No. 84 Which statement describes how an Anti-Federalist would have responded to the argument made in the excerpt? A) The Constitution's commerce power could allow Congress to place limits on a free press. B) Future amendments to the Constitution could increase the power of the government to place limits on the free press. C) Supporters of the Constitution secretly believed the government should be authorized to place limits on the free press. D) The Constitution's lack of proper checks and balances within the federal government could result in the government placing limits on the free press.

A

The text below is an excerpt from the U.S. Constitution. The Congress... shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or... shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states... - Article V, Constitution of the United States (1787) Which statement explains why the underlined portion of the excerpt added to the Constitution? A) State governments feared that the central government could strip them of their powers. B) State legislatures needed assurance that states would always have veto power over federal lawmaking. C) State governments wanted the popular vote of the people to have more importance to the federal system. D) State legislatures worried that a state's governor could overturn the will of the people regarding the federal constitution.

A

What issue was addressed in McCulloch v. Maryland? A) federal supremacy B) individual rights C) statehood D) slavery

A

Which action can state governments take to propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution? A) organize a convention of state legislatures B) begin negotiations with the federal government C) hold a referendum open to all of the state's voters D) present an amendment for congressional ratification

A

Which example illustrates the Constitution's checks and balances in action? A) A president vetoes a bill passed by Congress. B) A Republican governor appoints an adviser from the Democratic party. C) A Senate committee rejects a bill passed by the House of Representatives. D) A local newspaper publishes a story exposing corruption in the state General Assembly.

A

". . . Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice President, chosen for the same Term, be elected as follows . . ." Constitution has which purpose? A) to formally limit the legislative powers of Congress B) to establish the executive branch of the government C) to describe how the Supreme Court will be organized D) to define the states' role within the federal system of government

B

"The States have no power . . . [to] impede, burden, or in any manner control, the operations of the constitutional laws enacted by Congress to carry into execution the powers vested in the [national] government." -Chief Justice John Marshall, McCulloch v. Maryland, 1824 Which quotation from the Constitution best supports Chief Justice Marshall's claim made in this excerpt? A) "Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts...of every other state" B) "This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States...shall be the supreme Law of the Land" C) "The powers not delegated to the united States by the Constitution...are reserved to the States respectively" D) "To form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the commom defense, and promote general welfare"

B

According to the Declaration of Independence, how do humans acquire "certain inalienable rights"? A) They fight wars for them. B) They are born with them. C) They receive them from governments. D) They earn them by increasing their social status.

B

In 1954, a federal ruling determined that state laws requiring racial segregation in public schools were unconstitutional. This ruling changed the government's interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment. Which institution of the federal government was responsible for this decision? A) U.S. Senate B) Supreme Court C) Department of Education D) House of Representatives

B

New Jersey Plan + Connecticut Plan + Virginia Plan = The Great Compromise This process resolved which question debated by delegates to the Constitutional Convention? A) What tax powers should Congress have? B) How should the legislative branch be organized? C) What method should be used to select the president? D) Should the national government put restrictions on slavery?

B

Read the excerpt below. "This court is of opinion that so much of the several laws of the state of New York as prohibits vessels, licensed according to the laws of the United States, from navigating the waters of the state of New York, by means of fire or steam, is repugnant to the said Constitution and void." -Chief Justice John Marshall, Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824 Which provision of the Constitution best supports the decision described in this excerpt? A) Article II, Section 2: Executive Powers B) Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3: Commerce Power C) Article IV, Section 3: Admission of New Territories D) Article III, Section 1: Organization of the Judicial Branch

B

The excerpt below is from the Articles of Confederation (1777). "And the Articles of this Confederation shall be...observed by every State...nor shall any alteration at any time hereafter be made in any of them; unless such alteration be agreed to in a Congress of the United States, and be afterwards confirmed by the legislatures of every State." -Article XIII The excerpt best supports which statement about the Articles of Confederation? A) It gave equal power over the Articles to each state regardless of population. B) It was extremely difficult to make changes to the Articles in response to new challenges. C) It weakened states' authority by giving Congress the power to begin altering the Articles. D) It prevented the central government under the Articles from levying taxes in times of war.

B

Which phrase describes the separation of powers found in the Constitution? A) compelling all branches of government to work together B) dividing authority among co-equal branches of government C) giving one branch of government authority over other branches D) ensuring that each branch of government performs similar functions

B

Which statement describes an important impact of rulings by the Supreme Court? A) They can override presidential vetoes of legislation B) They can change how the Constitution is interpreted C) They can reorganize the government by removing representatives from office D) They can prevent elected officials from interpreting the Constitution on their own.

B

Which statement describes the difference between concurrent powers and reserved powers in a federal system? A) Reserved powers are kept for the state/local governments, and concurrent powers belong to the national government. B) Concurrent powers are shared between the levels of government, and reserved powers are kept exclusively for the state and local governments. C) Reserved powers are responsibilities that only the national government exercises, and concurrent powers are shared powers between all levels. D) Concurrent powers are shared between the different levels of government, and reserved powers are kept only for the national government.

B

Which statement explains how the rule of law protects citizens from abusive uses of government power? A) The president vetoes new laws passed by Congress. B) Elected officials have to follow the same laws as the people. C) Judges can selectively enforce laws to control other officials. D) The president is responsible for enforcing violations of the law.

B

Which term describes powers explicitly granted to the national government in the Constitution? A) reserved B) expressed C) implied D) inherent

B

"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power . . which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States , in Congress assembled." This is evidence that the Articles of Confederation was written to support which idea? A) The States need to form a strong union to survive. B) The States should have constitutions that all follow the same framework. C) The states should be authorized to govern themselves and develop their own laws D) The states have common concerns that are more important than their individual interests.

C

"The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second year by the People of the several States...The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years." Which statement explains the purpose of this section of the U.S. Constitution? A) It limits the power of Congress B) It ensures that the rule of law is obeyed C) It describes the structure of the legislative branch D) It lays out the relationship between different levels of government

C

How does a federal system of government limit the roles and responsibilities of each level of government? A) The state and local governments delegate certain tasks to the national government. B) The state and local governments have more political power than the national government. C) The national government has some responsibilities and the state and local governments have others. D) The national government has all of the power and delegates certain tasks to state and local governments.

C

Read the excerpt below. "After the most deliberate consideration, it is the unanimous and decided opinion of this Court, that the act to incorporate the Bank of the United States is a law made in pursuance of the constitution, and is a part of the supreme law of the land. . . ." -Chief Justice John Marshall, McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819 Which statement describes the importance of the decision described in the excerpt? A) It enabled state governments to request national protection B) It encouraged the court system to review legislative actions C) It enforced the power of the national government over the states D) It entrusted legislatures with the power to override executive decisions

C

The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to address which problem? A) Conflict between the South and the North over the issue of slavery B) Disagreement between large and small states over the design of the legislative branch C) Resistance to ratification by political leaders who worried about the amount of power given to the federal government D) The weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation that prevented the national government from solving the nation's economic problems

C

The quotation below is from Federalist #3 (1787), written by John Jay. "Not a single Indian war has yet been occasioned by aggression of the present [government]; but there are several instances of Indian hostilities having been provoked by the improper conduct of individual States..." The issue described in the excerpt is evidence of which problem with the Articles of Confederation? A) the nation's inability to bring criminals to justice if they cross state boundaries B) the nation's failure to provide funding for a standing army strong enough to fight off attackers C) the central government's lack of authority to address issues that affected the entire nation's policies D) the central government's lack of ability to raise taxes to deal with problems caused by the nation's growth

C

The statement below is from the Supreme Court decision Marbury v. Madison (1803). "It is emphatically the province and duty of the Judicial Department to say what the law is. Those who apply the rule to particular cases must, of necessity, expound and interpret that rule. If two laws conflict with each other, the Courts must decide on the operation of each." -Chief Justice John Marshall Based on the excerpt, how did the Marbury v. Madison decision limit government power? A) It prevented the executive branch from enforcing two conflicting laws. B) It granted the legislature authority to pass laws affecting court operations. C) It allowed the judicial branch to review laws passed by the legislative branch. D) It affirmed the equality of each branch of government when laws are incompatible.

C

What phrase describes a requirement for an amendment to be added to the Constitution? A) signed by the president B) approved by the Supreme Court C) ratified by three-fourths of the states D) passed by a simple majority of the Senate

C

Which level of government sets policies for the whole nation? A) local B) state C) federal D) regional

C

Which outcome was the result of the Supreme Court's decision in Gibbons v. Ogden? A) elimination of state taxes to support federal programs B) expansion of state involvement in the federal budget C) expansion of federal authority over state commerce D) elimination of federal grants to state public schools

C

Which statement best describes the position of the Anti-Federalists? A) The Bill of Rights does not effectively limit the power of the government. B) The Bill of Rights prevents states from governing according to the people's will. C) The Constitution creates a government that will violate state and individual rights. D) The Constitution needs to assign more power to the courts to keep Congress and the president in check.

C

Read the headline below: "Senate Rejects President's Nominee for Supreme Court" This headline shows which constitutional principle in action? A) The government has limited powers B) The law is the final authority of the nation C) Power is split between central and state governments D) Each branch of government checks the power of the other two branches

D

The Declaration of Independence includes which complaint against King George III? A) He made colonists sell their goods in foreign markets. B) He forced the colonists to sit on juries for lengthy trials. C) He outlawed groups that did not follow the state church. D) He dissolved the representative legislatures of various colonies.

D

The Three-Fifths Compromise affected what outcome? A) the method used to select the President B) the process used to pass or block legislation C) the rights of states to accept or reject federal laws D) the amount of political power each state would have

D

The excerpt below is from Statement on Signing the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 from President Barack Obama. "As my Administration previously informed the Congress, certain provisions in this bill...could interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct the foreign relations of the United States. In these instances, my Administration will interpret and implement these provisions in a manner that does not interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct diplomacy." —President Barack Obama Based on the excerpt, why does the president have the authority to choose how to implement provisions of bills that he or she signs into law? A) The president is more powerful than the Congress. B) The president is responsible for interpreting the Constitution. C) The president is required to sign all bills that are passed by Congress. D) The president is obligated to follow the Constitution when carrying out executive powers.

D

The excerpt below is from the Federalist Papers. "[European dislike of the U.S.] will naturally indicate the policy of fostering divisions among us, and of [taking from] us, as far as possible... an ACTIVE COMMERCE in our own [ports]. This would answer the threefold purpose of preventing our interference in their [shipping], of monopolizing the profits of our trade, and of clipping the wings by which we might soar to a dangerous greatness... If we continue united, we may counteract a policy so unfriendly to our prosperity in a variety of ways." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist Papers No. 11, edited for modern spelling This excerpt argues that a federal Constitution could solve what problem? A) European use of trade power to cause a breakup of the United States B) European manufactured goods becoming popular in American markets C) European refusal to send ships to trade in the ports of the United States D) European nations using their greater resources to control American trade

D

The statement below is from the Anti-Federalist Papers (1788). "The liberties of a people are in danger from a large standing army...because the rulers may employ them for the purposes of supporting themselves in any [seizure] of power..." -Anti-Federalist Papers, Brutus No. 10 Which Federalist belief shows disagreement with this statement? A) The president would not allow a standing army to support a rebellion. B) A standing army would be more likely to protect the rights of the people. C) A responsible federal government would not want to raise a standing army. D) The legislature could effectively limit the power of a standing army by passing laws.

D

The statement below is from the United States Bill of Rights (1791). "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." -Amendment 10 to the U.S. Constitution In which way does the Tenth Amendment limit the powers of the federal government? A) It assigns specific powers to state governments. B) It determines which powers are the most important. C) It denies the federal government all powers within the states. D) It prevents the federal government from assuming additional powers.

D

Which phrase best explains why the Anti-Federalists insisted upon adding the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution? A) to maintain national control of all concurrent powers instead of sharing them with the states B) to address concerns that the states would not have enough power to fulfill their responsibilities C) to enumerate powers given to the states, while leaving fewer responsibilities for the national government D) to ensure that the national government's powers were limited, so that it would not become tyrannical

D

Which statement describes flaws in the Articles of Confederation that were revealed by Shay's Rebellion? A) The states might have reasons to go to war against one another. B) The states have no way of defending one another when needed. C) The national government did not have a functioning court system. D) The national government could not solve the nation's economic problems.

D

Which statement explains a reason why the Framers made the Constitution difficult to amend? A) Since political parties can benefit from amendments, only amendments supported by both parties should be passed. B) As state governments have less power than the federal government, it is important that they be allowed to work together in the amendment process. C) As amendments could alter the balance of power among government branches, it is important that all branches have the option to stop the process. D) Since amendments can change the relationship between citizens and the government, only amendments that are overwhelmingly supported should be passed.

D

Which statement explains how Shays's Rebellion contributed to support for the Constitutional Convention? A) It showed tension between states that could lead to civil war. B) It exposed the dangers of unrestricted rights in a divided nation. C) It showed great anger with laws enacted by the national legislature. D) It exposed the weakness of the national government in handling crises.

D

Federalists: wanted a strong central government to share powers with the states, supported ratification Anti-Federalists: opposed ratification, and.... A) Objected to separation of powers B) Opposed the institution of slavery C) Wanted a more unified national system D) Worried about abuses of individual rights

D) Worried about abuses of individual rights