Chapter 1 and 2 Quiz
What accurately describes American's attitudes about government
American's do not have much trust in government
What pamphlet written by Thomas Paine is credited with turning the tide of public opinion in favor of a formal break with England?
Common Sense
What two primary factors led to the calling of the constitutional convention?
Economic distress and the inability of the existing government to address the problems
After declaring independence, most European countries formally recognized the colonies' independence from Britain. TF
False
Although he turned out to be quite popular, George Washington's election as the first president of the US was strongly contested and highly contentious. TF
False
Fewer than 5% of Americans live below the poverty line
False
Fewer than 5% of Americans live below the povery line
False
In terms of population, the fastest growing states are in the Northeast. TF
False
Majority rule always prevents tyranny. TF
False
Natural law is an agreement among members of society in which they accept existing laws and penalties as binding. TF
False
The Articles of Confederation created a strong national government with the power to tax
False
The Federalist Papers argued in favor of strong state governments
False
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention hailed from and represented the nation's middle classes TR
False
The median age of the American population has decreased in recent years due to the increased immigration from Central America. TF
False
The senate is given the sole power to impeach the president, but the house alone has the authority to convict and remove
False
In terms of population, the fastest growing states are in the Northeast
Falsle
President Bill Clinton was impeached by
House of Representatives
What happened to the proposed constitutional amendment that would have prohibited burning the American flag?
It was passed by the House but not the Senate
Shay's Rebellion came about because
Massachusetts was taxing its citizens too heavily
What type of equality did Thomas Jefferson stress i nthe Declaration of Independence
Moral equality
The skirmish between British soldiers and Massachusetts minutemen at Lexington in 1775 catalyzed what important meeting
The Second Continental Congress
The Connecticut Compromise prevented the collapse of the Constitutional Convention by resolving which fundamental conflict between the Virginia and new Jersey Plans?
The disagreement among members about representation in the national legislation
Which amendment to the Consistution abolished slavery
Thirteenth
A constitutional amendment prohibiting slavery was not ratified until after the Civil War
True
Adopted in 1791, the Bill of Rights sought to protect the individual against abuses of power by the government
True
An example of a civil liberty is the freedom to worship or not worship as one chooses. TF
True
The Supreme Court's power of judicial review extends not only to the actionsn of the US congress and the president but also to acts of the state governements.
True
What two regions of the US have recently had the largest increase in population?
West and South
Alexis de Tocqueville was
a French aristocrat who visited America in 1830's
One of the prominent features of the New Jersey Plan was
a single house in which all states would be represented equally
A government that places written legal limits on the power of the majority to act is often referred to as a
constitutional democracy
Representative democracy differs from direct democracy in that in the former, citizens transfer their ________ power to people whom they elect to represent them.
decision-making
Why are labor unions and corporations NOT considered to be a part of goveernment
labor unions and corporations cannot enforce rules for all of society
Some third part supporters complain that the Democratic Party and the Republican Party monopolize power in the United States, yet are nearly identical in the way they operate and the policies they pursue. These critics are most likely to believe that American democracy is jeopardized by
lack of meaningful organized opposition
The filibuster, which permits a minority of US senators to indefinitely postpone or delay a vote in the Senate, is an example of
minority rights
Diversity poses challenges to a democracy as it leads to wide differences of opinion thereby making it difficult to
obtain agreement on proposed solutions to political problems
Popular sovereignty implies that the final source of legal authority rests with the
people
For whicWhat did the longest time elapse between the time a consistutional amendment was proposed and the time it was ratified
prohibition on salary increases for members of congress
Locke believed that government's primary role was to
protect the life, liberty and property of those it governs
