U.S. Constitution Practice Test 2

An amendment to the Constitution must pass by what minimum margins?

A 2/3 majority in the House and Senate and adoption by at least 3/4 of the states - a signature by the president is not required.

The Constitution allows the president to make treaties and agreements with foreign powers, provided that

A 2/3 majority of the Senate concurs.

The Constitution creates what type of government?

A republic

When the Constitution was first ratified, how were U.S. Senators elected?

By a vote of the state legislatures

The head of the Supreme Court is called

Chief Justice

The term meaning the President is head of all American armed forces is

Commander in Chief

Who has the power to declare war on another country?

Congress

Who is often called the Father of the Constitution?

James Madison

how long does a justice of the Supreme Court remain a member of the court?

Life

The officer who presides over the senate when the vice-president in is not in attendance is called the

President Pro Tempore

The only duty officially outlined for the Vice President by the Constitution is

President of the Senate.

After an officeholder is impeached, they have the sole power to try the case.

Senate

After the VP, the next federal official in line for the presidency is

Speaker of the House

The officer who presides over the House of Representatives is called the

Speaker of the House

The Constitution does not allow any bills of attainder to be passed - bills of attainder are

bills which allow forfeiture of rights or property without trial.

How are cabinet officers chosen?

by the president, with the approval of the senate

Rules for becoming a U.S. citizen are made by

congress

What is "the supreme law of the land" for the United States?

constitution

Congress can grant these protection of intellectual property.

copyrights

The 5th Amendment guarantees these rights during legal proceedings.

due process

the courts may not take a man's life without

due process of law

Government's right to take away private property with just compensation is called

eminent domain

What are the two basic political principles embodied in the constitution?

federalism and checks and blances

The relationship - the distribution of power - between the national government and the states is called

federalism.

In order to do their work, the house and senate must have a quorum present, which means

fifty percent plus one, of the members

Bills that propose taxes or government spending must start in the

house of representatives

The power of the Supreme court to judge the constitutionality of any lower courts' decision is called ...

judicial review

which of the following is NOT a check on the power of a president by the congress?

judicial review

The Constitution does not allow the passage of any ex post facto law - ex post facto laws are

laws which take effect before they are passed.

Printed remarks meant to ruin a person reputation are called

libel

The 2nd amendment provides for the right to bear arms and " a well regulated"

militia, or national guard

One third of the senators are elected every

two years

A court order allowing an individual or his property to be searched or seized is called (an)

warrant

Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution establishes

the executive branch

According to the Constitution, who has the right to be leader of that part of the military employed in the service of the United States?

the president

Presidential appointees must be approved by whom and by what vote?

the senate by a simple majority vote

Why did the founding fathers create the electoral college?

they did to trust ordinary voters to choose the president and vice president directly.

The Senate and the electoral college share a common reason for their existence, which is

to give a greater voice to the smaller states.

What is the main idea of the Preamble of the Constitution?

to state the purpose of the constitution

According to the Constitution, a trial by jury cannot be denied if the value of the lawsuit exceeds

$20

in order to be elected to the presidency, a person must have lived the U.S. at least

14 years

Which amendment guarantees freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion?

1st

How is representation in the Senate determined?

2 senators for each state

How long is the term of office for a representative?

2 years

What clause in the Constitution guarantees that laws and contracts made in one state are legal in another?

Full Faith and Credit Clause

Who has the sole power to impeach officials of the federal government?

House of Representatives

As designed by the Constitution,

The federal judiciary were appointed, not elected by the people.

Which of the following is not a check against presidential power in the constitution?

The house can remove the president from office after impeaching him.

the only power which the Constitution does not give to Congress.

The power to create a Social Security system

The 16th amendment changed the Constitution by

allowing Congress to tax income.

Which of the following is NOT necessary to be elected to the United States House of Representatives?

must be at least thirty-five years old. rules to be HOR: at least 25yrs, citizen for 7, and a resident of intended state.

What qualifications did the Constitution ratified in 1787 impose for voting?

none; it left voting rules to the states

The Constitution requires Congress to be assembled

only once per year.

The Constitution has always allowed Congress to

pass tariffs, coin money, regulate interstate commerce, and issue patents

The writ of habeas corpus prevents

people being held in prison indefinitely without being accused of a crime.

How is representation in the House of Representatives determined?

population of the states (435 in total).

The executive branch's power to refuse to sing a bill into law is called

presidential veto

All of the following are powers the President except

proposing laws

The Bill of Rights

protects people from unreasonable search and seizure by agents of the government protects people's freedom of speech, protects people from torture protects people's rights when accused of a crime

invoking the 5th amendment means that an accused person

refuses to testify against himself

Nobody holding a united states office shall ever have to pass a

religious test

the longest possible time a person could now serve president is

ten years

the establishment clause is located where and deals with what?

the 1st amendment and the prevention of a state supported religion

Original jurisdiction refers to

the authority of the Supreme Court to be the first to hear certain cases.

The judicial branch of our national government consist of

the congress