Module One: American Political Culture and the Characteristics of the Constitution

IN the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson's statement that " all men are created equal" is similar to which of the following theorist's belief that government is based on the "consent of the governed"?

John Locke

What was the principal goal of the American Revolution?

Liberty

Which principle of American political culture holds that people should generally be able to do whatever they want as long as they don't hurt other people?

Liberty

Which principle of American political culture holds that people should generally be accountable for their own actions and well-being?

Individual responsibility

What was the effect of Shays's Rebellion on the attendance of delegates at the planned Constitutional Convention of 1787?

It encouraged attendance because delegates feared the collapse of state governments.

In a federal political system, how is authority distributed?

It is divided between the central government and regional or sub divisional governments.

Shays's Rebellion plays an important role in American history for which of the following reasons?

It made obvious the weaknesses of the government under the Articles of Confederation.

The struggle over power or influence within organizations that can grant benefits or privileges best defines which of the following?

Politics

A major weakness of the Articles of Confederation was a lack of which of the following?

Power to raise funds for the militia

To whom do most democracies give the power to make laws?

Representatives

The Framers of the Constitution chose to form which type of government?

Republic

The Constitutional assignment of lawmaking, law-enforcing, and law-interpreting functions to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, respectively, is known as which of the following?

Separation of powers

The president of the United States is selected by which of the following?

The Electoral College

Religious diversity flourished in the United States due to the absence of what?

established religion

Why didn't the Framers of the Constitution create a direct democracy?

They believed the rights of the minority would be suppressed by the dominating majority.

Which of the following was true of the Federalists?

They supported the new Constitution.

What is the basic premise of federalism?

Two or more governments share power and authority over the same land and people.

Under the separation of powers, the U.S. system keeps power among the branches balanced by enabling one branch to counter the actions of another by the use of which of the following?

Checks and Balances

Which of the following is the transfer of government power from the national government to state governments?

Devolution

According to the Framers of the Constitution, who is the best judge of the people's best interests?

Elected officials

Which of the following is the power to coin money, create naturalization laws, admit new states, and declare war?

Enumerated

What is the system of government in which sovereignty is constitutionally divided between the national and state governments?

Federalism

Which of the following statements MOST accurately characterizes the motives behind the support that different Framers gave to the U.S. Constitution?

Most Framers acted out of a mixture of motives, with economic interests playing only a modest role.

The first draft of the Declaration of Independence was written by whom?

Thomas Jefferson