constitution quiz

Which headline illustrates the use of judicial review?

"New York State's Reapportionment Plan Ruled Unconstitutional"

Which headline is the BEST illustrates an example of checks and balances?

"Senate Confirms New Supreme Court Justice"

Which newspaper headline is the BEST examples of checks and balances?

"Senate Rejects President's Choice of Supreme Court Justice"

Which quotation from the United States Constitution provides for a Federal System of government?

"The powers not delegated to the United States . . . are reserved to the states . . ."

During floor debate in both the House and Senate, the constitutionality of a proposal is often brought up as a debating point by both proponents and opponents of a bill. Which reason BEST explains why the question of constitutionality is persuasive in a debate?

All government bodies are accountable to the Constitution

Which of the following IS a shared power between the state and national government?

Borrow Money

Which of the following IS a shared power between the state and national government?

Borrow money

• Congress proposes an amendment legalizing an income tax. • The Supreme Court rules that the income tax is unconstitutional. These events illustrate the use of

Checks and Balances

When the President goes around the United States promoting a specific idea from his "bully pulpit", he is utilizing which Presidential hat?

Chief Citizen

Congress has all of the following powers EXCEPT

Establish licenses for marriage and teacher certifications

After the President has proposed the Federal budget, the next step in the process of adopting the budget is to submit it to the

House of Representatives

I. Interpreting law II. Declaring laws unconstitutional III. Forbidding Congress to pass certain laws In which of the following ways can the Judicial Branch check the Legislative Branch?

I and II only

Which of these is an advantage of the system of checks and balances?

It allows the executive branch the power to supervise the actions of the other two branches

Identify which statement BEST explains the possible impact of a filibuster.

It could prevent the Senate from voting on a bill

• Can declare executive actions unconstitutional • Power to issue warrants • Chief justice presides over impeachment of president The checks in the box are all powers that the _______ branch has over the _______ branch.

Judicial;Executive

Can override presidential veto, can impeach and remove the president, can reject presidential appointments, refuse to ratify treaties and conduct investigations into presidential actions are all examples of checks the _____ branch has on the ____ branch.

Legislative, Executive

The _______ branch makes laws, the _______ branch executes laws, and the _____ branch interprets laws.

Legislative, Executive, Judicial

Initiating constitutional amendments, power to alter size of Supreme Court and set jurisdiction of courts are all checks the ___________ branch has on the __________ branch.

Legislative; Judicial

The checks of impeachment, overriding Presidential vetoes and the power to declare war are all checks the ___________ branch has on the __________ branch.

Legislative;Executive

Which of the following was NOT a key influence on the delegates at the Constitutional Convention?

Napoleonic Code and French common law

Granting pardons/reprieves, receiving ambassadors and being commander-in chief of the armed forces are powers reserved for which of the following elected officials?

President

Military force, trade sanctions and foreign aid assistance are foreign policy tools of which elected federal official?

President of the United States

Which of the following is NOT a power granted to the federal government in the Constitution?

Regulate intrastate trade

Which of the following is NOT a correct description of the six parts of the preamble?

Secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity - stronger central government than what existed under the Articles of Confederation

Who can prevent the President of the United States from controlling the Supreme Court by blocking appointments to the bench?

Senate

Which newspaper headline is the BEST examples of checks and balances?

Senate Rejects President's Choice for Chief Justice

Which of the following is an example of popular sovereignty?

Some states decided to prohibit slavery by a vote of residents

Which of the following people is NOT a member of the Executive Branch?

Speaker of the House

Which person is a member of the legislative branch?

Speaker of the House

The decision of the United States Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison established the power of the

Supreme Court to determine constitutionality of laws

Which statement best represents a "liberal interpretation" of the Constitution?

The Constitution allows everything, unless it specifically forbids it

Which historical event best demonstrates the operation of checks and balances?

The Senate approved the appointment of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court

Which of the following IS TRUE concerning the Legislative Debate at the Constitutional Convention?

Virginia Plan wanted a bicameral legislature and New Jersey wanted a unicameral legislature

The Articles of Confederation and the US Constitution both provided for

a national legislature

Which of the following actions would be unconstitutional?

a state levying a tax on products from another state

The U.S. Government is considered a federal system because

both national and state governments exist within the nation

The vice president's ONLY critical role in Congress is to

break tie votes in the Senate

• Congress proposes an amendment legalizing an income tax. • The Supreme Court rules that the income tax is unconstitutional. These events illustrate the use of

checks and balances

Which of the following is exclusively the responsibility of federal law?

counterfeit money

One way in which the United States Constitution differed from the Articles of Confederation was that the Constitution

created a national government having three branches

The Great Compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention resulted in the

creation of a bicameral legislature

• Under the Articles of Confederation, taxes were applied by Congress and collected by the states. • Under the Constitution, taxes are both applied and collected by Congress. Which of these BEST describes the change in government as reflected by the scenario above?

expanding power of the political government

How is law used to manage conflict, protect individual rights and serve the common good in US society?

laws set guidelines and limit areas of uncertainty

A system of checks and balances was included in the United States Constitution because the authors were concerned about

one branch of government becoming too strong

A system of checks and balances was included in the United States Constitution because the authors were concerned about

one branch of government becoming too strong

A system of checks and balances was included in the United States Constitution because the authors were concerned about

one branch of the government becoming too strong

Informal Sources of Presidential Power

personal exercise of power, immediate needs of nation, mandate of people

Which of the following is an example of a concurrent power?

power to make/enforce laws

Soon after the Constitution of the United States was ratified, the first ten amendments were added because many citizens felt the need for

protecting their liberties from abuses by the federal government

"The United States shall guarantee to every state in this Union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened), against domestic violence." — United States Constitution, Article IV, Section IV According to this excerpt, a goal of the framers of the Constitution was to ensure that the US

provided for the common defense of every state

Once an amendment has been added to the United States Constitution, which process must be used to change that amendment?

ratifying a new amendment

The reserved powers clause in the Constitution reserves powers to the

states

In the United States, the use of implied powers, the amending process, and Supreme Court interpretations have resulted in

the Constitution being adapted to fit changing times

Which of these is most likely a reason Presidents issue executive orders?

to make policy without congressional approval