Quarterly Exam Practice Test
3. The principles of government that Thomas Jefferson included in the Declaration of Independence were most influenced by A) John Locke's social contract theory B) Adam Smith's ideas of free enterprise C) Louis XIVs belief in divine right D) William Penn's views on religious toleration
A) John Locke's social contract theory
7. Which statement about the British colonial policy of mercantilism is most accurate? A) Raw materials from the colonies were shipped to England. B) England encouraged the colonies to seek independence. C) The colonies were required to send manufactured goods to Europe. D) The British opposed the use of slave labor in the colonies.
A) Raw materials from the colonies were shipped to England.
5. Which statement best expresses the meaning of the opening words of the United States Constitution, "We, the people..."? A) Sovereignty is derived from the consent of the governed. B) All citizens are guaranteed freedom of speech. C) Federal laws are subject to popular referendum. D) Americans favor unrestricted immigration.
A) Sovereignty is derived from the consent of the governed.
18. Antifederalists opposed ratification of the United States Constitution until they were assured that A) a bill of rights would be added to the original document B) their supporters would receive a fair share of federal government jobs C) the president would be given increased powers D) senators would be elected directly by the people
A) a bill of rights would be added to the original document
31. The amendment process was included in the Constitution to A) allow for change over time B) expand the powers of the president C) increase citizen participation in government D) limit the authority of the United States Supreme Court
A) allow for change over time
33. The major benefit of having the elastic clause in the United States Constitution is that it A) allows the government to respond to changing conditions B) protects the rights of racial minorities C) prevents one branch of government from becoming too powerful D) establishes a postal service
A) allows the government to respond to changing conditions
30. Judicial review gives the United States Supreme Court the power to A) declare state laws unconstitutional B) override a congressional veto C) impeach and remove the president from office D) approve treaties with foreign nations
A) declare state laws unconstitutional
10. In his pamphlet Common Sense, Thomas Paine urged American colonists to A) establish their own nation B) pay their colonial taxes C) obey the laws of Parliament D) form an alliance with France
A) establish their own nation
23. According to the United States Constitution, the president has the power to A) nominate federal judges B) declare war C) grant titles of nobility D) reverse Supreme Court decisions
A) nominate federal judges
24. Which action illustrates the president's power as commander in chief? A) ordering American troops into a foreign country B) appointing the secretary of state C) entertaining a foreign leader at the White House D) delivering the State of the Union address
A) ordering American troops into a foreign country
2. According to the Declaration of Independence, the fundamental purpose of government is to A) protect people's natural rights B) equalize opportunities for all citizens C) provide for the defense of the nation D) establish a system of free public education
A) protect people's natural rights
13. One accomplishment of the national government under the Articles of Confederation was the passage of legislation establishing A) a central banking system B) a process for admitting new states to the Union C) the president's right to put down rebellions D) the ability of Congress to tax the states effectively
B) a process for admitting new states to the Union
8. Before 1763, the British policy of salutary neglect toward its American colonies was based on the desire of Great Britain to A) treat all English people, including colonists, on an equal basis B) benefit from the economic prosperity of the American colonies C) encourage manufacturing in the American colonies D) ensure that all mercantile regulations were strictly followed
B) benefit from the economic prosperity of the American colonies
17. The Great Compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention resulted in the A) formation of the Supreme Court B) creation of a bicameral legislature C) development of a two-party system D) ban on the importation of enslaved African
B) creation of a bicameral legislature
32. To provide for change, the authors of the United States Constitution included the amendment process and the A) commerce clause B) elastic clause C) supremacy clause D) naturalization clause
B) elastic clause
12. Shays' Rebellion (1786) became a concern for many national leaders because it A) indicated there would be future conflicts over the spread of slavery B) exposed fundamental weaknesses in government under the Articles of Confederation C) pointed to the need for federal government regulation of interstate commerce D) showed that frontier settlements were vulnerable to raids by Native American Indians
B) exposed fundamental weaknesses in government under the Articles of Confederation
35. What has been the greatest success of third parties in United States political history? A) winning Presidential elections B) having their ideas adopted by the major parties C) securing appointments to the President's Cabinet D) replacing one of the two major parties
B) having their ideas adopted by the major parties
27. Passing marriage and divorce laws, creating vehicle and traffic regulations, and setting high school graduation requirements are examples of powers traditionally A) exercised solely by local governments B) reserved to the state governments C) delegated entirely to the federal government D) shared by the national and local governments
B) reserved to the state governments
37. Base your answer to the following question on the passage below. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense. - www.usconstitution.net This passage resulted from which Supreme Court decision? A) Mapp v. Ohio (1961) B) Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) C) Miranda v. Arizona (1966) D) Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
C) Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
26. Which statement most accurately describes federalism? A) The judicial branch of government has more power than the other two branches. B) The president and vice preSident divide executive power. C) Power is divided between the national government and the states. D) Power is shared between the two houses of Congress.
C) Power is divided between the national government and the states.
39. According to the United States Constitution, the federal census is used to determine the A) size of the United States Supreme Court B) maximum number of cabinet members C) apportionment of members in the House of Representatives D) number of senators allotted to each state
C) apportionment of members in the House of Representatives
21. "We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice.... and secure the blessings of liberty ... do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." - Preamble to the United States Constitution This quotation from the Preamble illustrates the constitutional principle that people A) have a right to a trial by jury B) are guaranteed an adequate standard of living C) are the true source of political power D) have the right to assemble
C) are the true source of political power
1. One of the principles stated in the Declaration of Independence is that government should A) guarantee economic equality among citizens B) have unlimited power to rule the people C) be based upon the consent of the governed D) be led by educated citizens
C) be based upon the consent of the governed
15. • A bicameral legislature is created in which states have equal representation in the Senate, but representation in the House depends on population. • An enslaved person is counted as three-fifths of one person for purposes of both representation and taxation. These two statements describe A) grievances included in the Declaration of Independence B) provisions found in the Articles of Confederation C) compromises reached at the Constitutional Convention D) amendments included in the Bill of Rights
C) compromises reached at the Constitutional Convention
20. Which action can be taken by the United States Supreme Court to illustrate the concept that the Constitution is "the supreme law of the land"? A) hiring new federal judges B) voting articles of impeachment C) declaring a state law unconstitutional D) rejecting a presidential nomination to the cabinet
C) declaring a state law unconstitutional
16. The primary purpose of the Federalist Papers was to A) justify the American Revolution to the colonists B) promote the continuation of British rule C) encourage ratification of the United States Constitution D) support the election of George Washington as president
C) encourage ratification of the United States Constitution
34. Which presidential role resulted from practice and custom rather than from constitutional authority? A) commander in chief B) chief executive C) head of his political party D) head of state
C) head of his political party
28. Federalism is a term used to define the division of power between the A) president and the vice president B) Senate and the House of Representatives C) national and state levels of government D) three branches of the federal government
C) national and state levels of government
19. The ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791 illustrated a commitment to A) limiting the power of state governments B) expanding the power of Congress C) protecting individual liberties D) safeguarding citizens against excessive taxation
C) protecting individual liberties
22. To prevent tyranny, the authors of the Constitution drew on Montesquieu's concept of A) religious liberty B) universal suffrage C) separation of powers D) supremacy of the nobility
C) separation of powers
25. Which individual's action was directly protected by the first amendment? A) Alexander Graham Bell's invention of the telephone in 1876 B) Theodore Roosevelt's command of the Rough Riders in 1898 C) President Franklin D. Roosevelt's election to a third term in 1940 D) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s leading a march on Washington, D.C., in 1963
D) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s leading a march on Washington, D.C., in 1963
6. The Proclamation of 1763 was intended to A) allow American farmers to use the Mississippi River B) outlaw slavery in the Ohio River valley C) prevent France from expanding into the Great Lakes region D) avoid conflicts with Native American Indians west of the Appalachian Mountains
D) avoid conflicts with Native American Indians west of the Appalachian Mountains
40. Which constitutional principle best protects the public from abuse by one branch of government? A) equality B) federalism C) executive privilege D) checks and balances
D) checks and balances
4. In colonial America, the House of Burgesses, the Mayflower Compact, and town hall meetings were all developments that led to the A) regulation of trade with Native American Indians B) protection of the rights of women C) elimination of the power of the upper classes D) creation of representative government
D) creation of representative government
29. To win a presidential election, a candidate must win a A) two-thirds vote of the state legislatures B) two-thirds vote in Congress C) majority of the popular vote D) majority of the electoral college vote
D) majority of the electoral college vote
11. Critics of the Articles of Confederation argued that it A) imposed unfair taxes on the states B) used a draft to raise a national army C) provided a strong system of federal courts D) placed too much power in the hands of the states
D) placed too much power in the hands of the states
38. "Illegally obtained evidence cannot be used in a court of law." This statement is based on a person's constitutional right to A) face an accuser in open court B) protection against double jeopardy C) a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury D) protection against unreasonable searches and seizures
D) protection against unreasonable searches and seizures
14. At the Constitutional Convention (1787), which issue was resolved by the Great Compromise? A) method of electing the president B) power of Congress to tax exports C) regulation of interstate commerce D) representation of states in Congress
D) representation of states in Congress
36. The first amendment of the Constitution deals primarily with A) states' rights B) property rights C) rights of the accused D) rights of self-expression
D) rights of self-expression
9. The colonists' slogan, "No taxation without representation," expresses a belief in A) free trade B) economic interdependence C) the supremacy of Parliament D) the consent of the governed
D) the consent of the governed