government: chapter 1-3 final test review

limitations/weaknesses of articles of confederation

- firm league of friendship - only one vote - powerless to levy taxes - powerless to regulate commerce - no executive power - no national court system - consent of all states - 9/13 majority

individual rights in the first amendment

- freedom of religion - freedom of assembly - freedom of protest - freedom of press - freedom of speech

electoral college

- group of persons chosen in each state and the district of columbia every four years who make a formal selection of the president and vice president

u.s. government branches and purposes

- legislative; power to make laws and Fram public policies - executive; power to execute, enforce, and administer laws - judicial; interprets laws, determines their meaning, settle disputes

influences of john locke on u.s. political/governmental system

- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness - came up with the idea for the social contract theory

other individual rights in the constitution

- mention any rights from the bill of rights, first 10 amendments

inherent powers

- powers the constitution is presumed to have delegated to the national government because it is the government of a sovereign state within the world community

cabinet

- presidential advisory body - traditionally made up of the head so the executive departments and other officers

what are the rights given to us by the first amendment?

- religion - assembly - press - protest - speech

general powers of state and local governments

- state and local governments exercise important functions in the united states - pay for most roads, run public schools, provide water, organize police and fire services, establish zoning regulations, license professions, and arrange elections for their citizens

checks and balances

- system of overlapping the powers of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to permit each branch to check the actions of the others

bill of rights

- the first ten amendments to the constitution

inferior courts

- the lower the federal courts - beneath the Supreme

judicial review

- the power of a court to determine the constitutionality of a governmental action

implied powers

- those delegated powers of the national government that are suggested by the expressed powers set out in the constitution - those necessary and proper to carry out the expressed powers

concurrent powers

- those powers that both the national government and the states possess and exercise

exclusive powers

- those powers that can be exercised by the national government alone

delegated powers

- those powers, expressed, implied, or inherent, granted to the national government by the constitution

plans/compromises in u.s. constitution

- virginia plan; called for a gov with three branches, would have two houses with representation on population and money given to the central gov. - new jersey plan; a plan that called for a unicameral congress and equal rep for each state - connecticut compromise; a plan that divided congress into two houses, one based on population and one based on equal rep - 3/5 compromise; each slave was seen as 3/5ths of a person

what are the three basic governmental powers?

1. executive 2. legislative 3. judicial

fundamental principles of the u.s. constitution, six basic principles

1. popular sovereignty 2. limited government 3. separation of powers 4. checks and balances 5. judicial review 6. federalism

what are the six basic principles of the constitution? a. popular sovereignty; limited government; separation of powers; checks and balances; judicial review; federalism b. autocracy; limited government; separation of powers; presidential veto; judicial review:federalism c. popular sovereignty; parliamentary government; unitary government; presidential veto; judicial review; formal amendment d. popular sovereignty; limited government; divine right theory; checks and balances: judicial review; change by other means

a. popular sovereignty; limited government; separation of powers; checks and balances; judicial review; federalism

which of the following was NOT a weakness of the articles of confederation a. a central government that was too powerful b. congress's lack of power to tax c. congress's lack of power to regulate trade between the states d. an inability to make the states obey national laws

a. a central government that was too powerful

which form of government does not exist at the national level anywhere in the world today? a. direct democracy b. representative democracy c. autocracy d. oligarchy

a. direct democracy

a government in which the powers of government are divided between a central government and several local governments is called a _______ government a. federal b. confederate c. unitary d. parliamentary

a. federal

what made american colonists angry and resentful toward england? a. harsh taxes and trade restrictions b. a lack of military protection C. an english boycott of american goods d. british attempts to destroy their governments

a. harsh taxes and trade restrictions

who became known as the "father of the constitution'? a. james madison b. george washington C. thomas jefferson d. benjamin franklin

a. james madison

what are the basic powers that every government holds? a. legislative, executive, and judicial powers b. population, territory, and sovereign powers c. those granted by God as divine rights d. those granted by the people through free and open elections

a. legislative, executive, and judicial powers

the opening of the preamble ("we the people of the united states ...") demonstrates what basic principle? a. popular sovereignty b. limited government c. separation of powers d. presidential veto

a. popular sovereignty

what is the definition of government a. the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies b. the population and territory of a given region c. the idea that people agree of their own free will to give power to others d. the supreme authority of a state, which is not subordinate to any other authority

a. the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

anti-federalists initially opposed ratification of the constitution because they a. wanted a bill of rights b. supported a strong central government. c. feared losing their representatives in Congress. d. wanted the States to dissolve their confederation.

a. wanted a bill of rights

changing the constitution requires what to be proposed and ratified?

an amendment

the first government of the US was called the...

articles of confederation

which of the following is NOT in the 1st amendment? a) freedom of speech b) freedom of privacy c) freedom of protest d) freedom of the press

b) freedom of privacy

the first attempt to unite the former colonies under a central government was called a. declaration of independence. b. albany plan of union. c. articles of confederation. d. u.s. constitution.

c. articles of confederation.

what did the framers use to build a strong national government while preserving the existing states and local self-government? a. checks and balance b. judicial review c. federalism d. formal amendment

c. federalism

more and more voters get information from the Internet to inform themselves about important issues and help them decide how to vote. what is a drawback to this development? a. others might be able to see how citizens will vote through their internet activity. b. fewer voters are volunteering to campaign in person or become directly involved in the political process. c. information found on the Internet can be false, difficult to verify, or biased. d. online voting is unlikely to happen any time soon because it is unreliable.

c. information found on the Internet can be false, difficult to verify, or biased.

which of the following is NOT part of the constitution? a. preamble b. articles c. legislation d. amendments

c. legislation

the idea that government can exist and function only with the consent of the governed is called a. ordered government. b. civil liberties. c. popular sovereignty. d. a delegate.

c. popular sovereignty

federalists favored ratification of the constitution because they a. wanted a bill of rights. b. wanted to avoid another revolution c. supported a strong central government. d. supported a weak central government

c. supported a strong central government.

those who created the framework of the new government and wrote the constitution are called a. rebels. b. constitutionalists. c. the framers of the constitution. d. the great compromisers.

c. the framers of the constitution.

which of the following is NOT one of the purposes of the u.s. government stated in the preamble to the u.s. constitution? a. to establish justice b. to insure peace at home c. to make the United States the most powerful country in the world d. to provide for the common defense by providing military protection

c. to make the United States the most powerful country in the world

why did leaders decide that only nine of the thirteen states would need to ratify the constitution for it to take effect? a. they knew that only two states, virginia and new york, were important. b. they believed that most of the anti-federalists opposed to the constitution lived in four states. c. they knew that four of the states would never ratify the constitution, so they tried to leave them out. d. they had learned under the articles that it was impossible to get all thirteen states to agree to anything.

d. they had learned under the articles that it was impossible to get all thirteen states to agree to anything.

the first state to ratify the constitution was...

delaware

what was the first state to ratify the constitution?

delaware

the concept that the ultimate power to govern belongs to the people is also known as...

democracy

when the people are able to immediately change how the laws work within a government, this is formed.

direct democracy

the people who supported the constitution being ratified were called...

federalists

he was also known as the "father" of the constitution.

james madison

what supreme court case established the idea of judicial review?

marbury v. madison

what was the name of the supreme court case that established judicial review?

marbury v. madison

what does unicameral mean?

one house in congress

which of the following is not a natural right, according to john locke?

property

process of amending the u.s. constitution, formally

proposing - either 1. by congress by a 2/3 vote in both houses or 2, at a national convention called by congress when requested by 2/3 of the state legislatures ratifying - either 1. by the state legislatures of 3/4 of the states or 2. by conventions held in 3/4 of the states

who wrote the federalist papers?

publius

which theory stated men came together voluntarily to create a government?

social contract theory

which of the following is NOT a power granted to the federal government?

supervise and manage marriages

what does the 27th amendment cover?

that congress gets to set the next terms salary

expressed powers

those delegated powers of the national government that are spelled out, expressly, in the constitution - also called the "enumerated powers"

when the executive branch strikes down a congressional law being proposed, he/she is implementing their power of ...

veto

what is ratification? a formal approval b. a refusal to buy certain goods c. meeting to protest against a government d. disagreement

a formal approval

which of the following is NOT in the preamble? a) insure equality for all b) establish justice c) form a more perfect union d) promote the general welfare

a) insure equality for all

supremacy clause

- federal law is supreme over state law

treaty

- a formal agreement between two or more sovereign states

executive agreement

- a pact made by the president directly with the head of a foreign state -a binding international agreement with the force of law but which, unlike a treaty, does not require senate consent

basic elements of american democratic government

- a system of government and choosing those through fair elections - active participation - protection of human rights for all

executive article

- article II of the constitution - establishes the presidency and gives the executive power of the federal government to the president

separation of powers

- basic principle of American system of government that the executive, legislative, and judicial powers are divided among three independent and coequal branches of government

division of powers

- basic principle of federalism - the constitutional provisions by which governmental powers are divided on a geographic basis - in the united states, between the national government and the states

amendment

- change in, or addition to, a constitution or law

formal amendment

- change or addition that becomes part of the written language of the constitution itself through one of four methods set forth in the constitution

rule of law

- concept that government and its officers are always subject to the law

unconstitutional

- contrary to constitutional provision and so illegal - null and void - of no force and effect

senatorial courtesy

- custom that the senate will not approve a presidential appointment opposed by a majority-party senator from the state in which the appointee would serve

the bill of rights is our first how many amendments?

10

what majority is needed in order to propose an amendment?

2/3

how many states were needed to originally ratify the constitution?

9

what is a bicameral legislature? a. a legislature with one house b. a legislature with two houses c. a legislature that is run directly by the crown d. a legislature that is appointed by a governor

b. a legislature with two houses

what is the main difference between the executive of a presidential government and the executive of a parliamentary gov a. the president holds absolute power to rule, while a prime minister is help accountable to the people b. a president is elected by the people, whereas a prime minister is appointed by the parliament c. a president can be removed from office at any time when his or her party loses the majority, but a prime minister serves for life d. a president can choose his or her own cabinet, whereas a prime minister must accept a cabinet

b. a president is elected by the people, whereas a prime minister is appointed by the parliament

who holds the supreme authority in a dictatorship? a. a majority of the people b. a single person or small group of people c. the courts d. the legislature

b. a single person or small group of people

why is the belief in the equality of all persons essential to democracy? a. all people must be perfectly equal in all ways for a democracy to work. b. all people in a democracy must be entitled to equality of opportunity and equality before the law c. equality makes it possible for groups to compromise effectively. d. equality eliminates minority and majority groups and creates agreement in a society

b. all people in a democracy must be entitled to equality of opportunity and equality before the law

how is an amendment proposed? a. either 1. by the state legislatures of 3/4 of the states or 2. at a national convention called by the president b. either 1. by congress by a 2/3 vote in both houses or 2, at a national convention called by congress when requested by 2/3 of the state legislatures c. either 1, by congress by a 2/3 vote in both houses or 2, by conventions held in 3/4 of the states d. either 1, by the governors of 3/4 of the states or 2, by conventions held in 3/4 of the states

b. either 1. by congress by a 2/3 vote in both houses or 2, at a national convention called by congress when requested by 2/3 of the state legislatures

which of the following theories expresses the belief that the state developed naturally out of family and tribunal organizations a. force theory b. evolutionary theory c. divine right theory d. social contract theory

b. evolutionary theory

what right is NOT included in the bill of rights? a. freedom of belief and expression b. freedom from slavery c. fair and equal treatment before the law d. freedom and security

b. freedom from slavery

a unitary government is defined based on what type of classification? a. who can participate b. geographic distribution of power c. relationship between legislative and executive branches d. none of the above

b. geographic distribution of power

what was the main point of disagreement between supporters of the virginia and new jersey plans? a. whether or not they should keep the articles of confederation b. how the states would be represented in congress c. whether or not there should be an executive d. how they would present the completed constitution to their states

b. how the states would be represented in congress

the idea that government is not all-powerful is called government. a. ordered b. limited c. representative d. proprietary

b. limited

what three types of governments developed in the colonies? a. ordered, representative, and limited b. royal, proprietary, and charter c. unicameral, bicameral, and self-governing d. religious, commercial, and free

b. royal, proprietary, and charter

what resulted from the weaknesses of the articles of confederation? a. strengthening of relations between the states b. widespread violent rebellions against the national government c. many revisions of the articles to strengthen the national government d. bickering among the states and economic chaos

b. widespread violent rebellions against the national government

constitutionalism

basic principle that government and those who govern must obey the law - the rule of law

how is an amendment ratified? a. either 1, by the governors of 3/4 of the States or 2, at a national convention called by congress when requested by 2/3 of the state legislatures b. either 1, by congress by a 2/3 vote in both houses or 2, at a national convention called by congress when requested by 2/3 of the state legislatures c. either 1, by the president or 2, by conventions held in 3/4 of the states d. either (1) by the state legislatures of 3/4 of the states or (2) by conventions held in 3/4 of the states

d. either (1) by the state legislatures of 3/4 of the states or (2) by conventions held in 3/4 of the states

the democratic government of the united states would fall apart without the a. american people's belief in the basic concepts of democracy. b. vast amounts of information available on the Internet. c. support of the global community. d. free enterprise economic system.

d. free enterprise economic system.

which of the following is NOT one the four defining characteristics of all states? a. population b. territory c. sovereignty d. individual freedoms

d. individual freedoms

how did the social contract theory influence the formation of the government of the united states? a. the founders of the u.s. government believed strongly in the divine right of kings, but they wanted to use some of the ideas of the social contract theory as well. b. the british colonies had been formed under a social contract, so the founders of the new u.s. government rejected it completely when they formed the new government. c. those who established the american government reluctantly agreed that the only way to establisha new state would be through military force. d. its important ideas of popular sovereignty, limited government, and individual rights strongly shaped the thinking of those who established american governmental system.

d. its important ideas of popular sovereignty, limited government, and individual rights strongly shaped the thinking of those who established american governmental system.

the concept that the ultimate power to govern belongs to the people is known as a. republicanism b. politics c. federalism d. none of the above

d. none of the above

which of the following is an example of a government classified by its relationship between executive branches a. direct democracy b. oligarchy c. confederate government d. presidential government

d. presidential government

which of the following is NOT one of the historical british documents that helped shape the governments of the american colonies? a. the magna carta b. the petition of right c. the english bill of rights d. the articles of colonial charter

d. the articles of colonial charter

which of the following was NOT one of the major compromises made during the constitutional convention? a. the connecticut compromise b. the three-fifths compromise c. the commerce and slave trade compromise d. the bundle compromise

d. the bundle compromise