5/6 study questions LOF

Which statement describes a primary purpose of most constitutions?

defining and limiting government

In the 1990s, the U.S. government helped Hondurans recover from a devastating hurricane by providing troops. This is an example of

military humanitarian aid.

No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. . . . —14th Amendment, 1868 According to the 14th Amendment, state governments must

protect the individual rights of all citizens.

When is a direct democracy most effective?

when it is used with smaller populations

According to the Declaration of Independence, which of the following is a right that all people have and that legitimate governments should protect?

unalienable right

The principle of republicanism is preserved by the Constitution because it grants citizens the right to

vote for their leaders.

Identify the foreign policy position of the United States toward the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

containment

The Bill of Rights is the name of which of the following?

Amendments 1-10 of the U.S. Constitution

Which of the following documents was ratified in 1781 and established a confederation of sovereign states?

Articles of Confederation

One of the most important parts of the Magna Carta influenced the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. This was the right to

a fair and speedy trial.

Which convention of American government reflects the principle of popular sovereignty?

The House of Representatives is composed of individuals elected every two years directly by the people.

Distinguish between anarchy and other forms of government.

Unlike most forms of government, anarchy has a lack of governmental authority.

Which document was a forerunner to the U.S. Constitution?

The Mayflower Compact

Even though the "elastic clause" gives the Congress the power to pass all laws considered "necessary and proper," which of the following legally protects the people from congressional abuses?

The executive and judicial branches

Explain how an aristocracy is different from a monarchy.

An aristocracy places power among a few in the upper class, while a monarchy is ruled by a single individual.

Which of these was the result of the Spanish-American War?

The U.S. became a world power.

What is Anti-Federalism?

a political position in support of states' rights

Which form of government attempts to plan, produce, and distribute goods equally to all citizens?

a socialist system

Which constitutional government guaranteed political, economic, and social rights to citizens in theory but not in practice?

Stalinist Soviet Union

Jill will be getting her driver's license during her junior year of high school. She wants to find out the procedure and laws regarding driver's licenses. What should she consult?

State law

Which responsibility is shared by state and national government under the system of federalism?

Collecting taxes

Which of the following was a weakness of the federal government under the Articles of Confederation?

Congress had no control over each state's military and taxing.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Which document contains these lines?

Declaration of Independence

The _______, written in 1776, is historically significant because it argued for equality among citizens and effective government serving the people.

Declaration of Independence

Which of the following U.S. documents severed the colonies' ties to England?

Declaration of Independence

Which department is primarily responsible for matters of foreign policy?

Department of State

Which of the following facts is an example of the "separation of powers" Constitutional principle?

Each branch of the federal government has different responsibilities.

Which of the following phrases in the Constitution gives the Congress the power to pass laws that are "necessary and proper" for carrying out Congress's other specific powers?

Elastic clause

The _______, created in 1689, served as a model for the Bill of Rights.

English Bill of Rights

Which of the following is the term for powers granted to the U.S. government that the Constitution mentions directly and explicitly?

Enumerated powers

• Freedom of religion • Freedom of speech • Freedom of the press • Right to peaceable assembly • Right to petition the government Which amendment to the United States Constitution contains all of the above rights?

First Amendment

Which statement most accurately explains the result of the Great Compromise?

It settled a debate over representation in Congress.

How did the philosopher John Locke influence the principles of the Declaration of Independence?

He wrote that people were born with natural rights to life, liberty, and property.

Which of the following powers of the U.S. government is derived from the "elastic clause" of the U.S. Constitution?

Implied powers

Declaration of Independence The Constitution The Bill of Rights What value do these documents have in common?

Individual citizens should have rights.

• John Locke's Second Treatise • Montesquieu's Spirit of Laws • Thomas Paine's Common Sense The documents in the box above all

Influenced the structure of the United States government.

Which of the following best describes the Constitution of the United States of America?

It is the supreme law of the land.

Which of the following pamphlets by Thomas Paine said that the colonial cause should not be elimination of British troops and taxation, but rather revolution and independence from England?

common sense

Thomas Jefferson based concepts in the Declaration of Independence on philosophies from the Enlightenment. The ideas of the unalienable rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" are based on which of these political principles?

Natural rights

Which is an example of a historic constitutional government that failed to limit power?

Nazi Germany

When a state establishes standards for high school graduation, it is exercising which of the following?

Power reserved by the states

Powers that remain with the states after other powers were delegated to the national government by the Constitution are called which of the following?

Reserved powers

How does the U.S. Constitution reflect the democratic principle of rule of law?

The Constitution insures that laws are applied equally to all citizens.

Distinguish between the constitutional governments of Nazi Germany and contemporary Germany.

The contemporary German government protects inalienable rights.

Why was the Magna Carta, signed in 1215, historically significant to the development of democratic governments?

The document established the principle that no person is above the law and that the government must follow its own laws in its dealings with its citizens.

The idea of representative government flourished in colonial America because the colonists wanted

The people to be the source of power.

• The president, as commander in chief, can send troops to a foreign country.• Congress influences foreign aid by the amount of money it includes in the budget for foreign aid.• The president's secretary of state is responsible for United States relations with foreign countries.Which of the following is the best conclusion that can be made from these statements?

The power to make foreign policy is divided between the legislative and executive branches.

How are federal and confederal governments similar?

They both split powers between a central government and the states.

Who drafted the original Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

Which of the following is a characteristic of a monarchy?

a government run by a king or queen

The principle of checks and balances in the U.S. government is reflected in the

ability of Congress to override a presidential veto.

Which of these is an organization that attempts to influence legislators in favor of one particular issue?

an interest group

Which is a state power under the Constitution?

establishing local elections

• Magna Carta • English Bill of Rights • Declaration of Independence The documents in the box above all

express principles that helped to shape the United States government.

Because of the Constitutional principle of _______, the central government must share power with local and state governments.

federalism

Which provision in the United States Constitution was originally found in the English Bill of Rights?

freedom from cruel and unusual punishment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press . . . . —First Amendment to the US Constitution This excerpt reflects the principle of

individual rights.

The Bill of Rights was written to protect the rights of

individuals.

Identify which constitutional principle was established with Marbury v. Madison (1803).

judicial review

Laissez-faire policy during the Gilded Age, in which government let businesses function without regulation, reflected the Constitutional principle of

limited government.

Which action by the U.S. government would likely increase unemployment in Mexico?

limiting immigration from Mexico

Which type of law is being enforced when a police officer arrests someone for disorderly conduct?

local law

Which of the following is a required duty of working citizens in the United States today?

paying taxes

The Constitutional principle of checks and balances is exemplified by

presidential veto.

Which of the following duties is solely in the realm of National government?

printing money

In the United States Congress, policymakers submit bills to legal counsel to ensure that they comply with legal standards. This describes which American value?

rule of law

The creation of three branches of government is an example of________

separation of powers

Which action would most allow a person to play an important role in the justice system?

serving on a jury

Which of these would be considered a naturalized citizen of the United States?

someone who applies for and passes a citizenship test

Under the system of federalism, power is shared by

the national and state governments.

Which of the following is a right guaranteed by the Bill of Rights?

the right to freedom of speech