AP Gov Unit 1 Progress Check MCQ

(Brutus 1) Which of the following excerpts from the passage best describes the author's reason for opposing an expansion of the scope of the federal government?

"... [I]t is impossible to have a representation, possessing the sentiments, and of integrity, to declare the minds of the people, without having it so numerous and unwieldy, as to be subject in great measure to the inconveniency of a democratic government."

In The Federalist 10, which of the following did James Madison argue would best control the negative effects of factions?

A large federal republic - James Madison was a federalist and therefore believed in the ideas of federalism duh - Federalism: Strong central government. Says large REPUBLIC is best way to control factions - Disperse power between states and national government

Which of the following best characterizes the general argument made in Brutus 1?

A large republic is dangerous to personal liberty and undermines the states.

(At War with the Separation of Powers, 2018) Which of the following describes a possible method that can check the power of the president who willingly violates the constitutional balance of power as described in the passage?

Congress can impeach and remove a president who is unable or unwilling to perform his or her official functions. - Example: Trump lol, Congress can be like "Hey we're charging you with misconduct (impeachment)."

(Federalist 15) Which of the following excerpts from Article I of the United States Constitution resolves a problem described by the author?

"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;"

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates from larger states argued that each state's representation in the legislature should be proportional to its population. Smaller states argued that each state should have equal representation, regardless of population. The disagreement over representation threatened to derail the ratification of the United States Constitution. Which statement accurately describes the compromise that led to both sides reaching agreement?

A bicameral legislature with an upper house representing each state equally and a lower house with representation proportional to each state's population - House of Representatives: The higher the population, the more representatives the state receives - Senate: Every state receives two representatives no matter what

Which of the following is an accurate summary of James Madison's argument in The Federalist 10?

A large republic presents more opportunities for groups to participate, compete, and limit each other. - Republic: Supreme power held by people and elected representatives

Which of the following statements accurately describes the majority opinion of the Supreme Court in United States v. Lopez (1995) ?

Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime. - Commerce Clause: Congress has power to regulate interstate commerce (trade)

As a compromise, the framers agreed on a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives directly elected by popular vote within states and the Senate selected by state legislatures. The method chosen for electing members of the House of Representatives conforms most to which of the following democratic ideals?

Government should be based on the consent of the governed. - Bicameral legislature: Two houses in Congress/legislative branch, House of Representatives and the Senate. With the HoR, the higher the population, the more representatives. In the Senate, every state receives 2 reps. - Makes sure everyone has an equal of a vote has possible. Senate pleased smaller states, HoR pleased larger states.

Article I, Section 9 of the United States Constitution lists several powers that are denied to the federal government, such as granting titles of nobility and passing ex post facto laws. This best demonstrates which of the following ideals of democracy?

Limited Government - Again, the feds only have rights granted to them by the Constitution

Which of the following cases expanded the powers of Congress by defining the necessary and proper clause more broadly?

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) - In McCulloch v. Maryland, MD tried to tax the National Bank. With this case, Supreme Court ruled that federal law was stronger than state law. - Significance: Congress has implied powers from the Necessary and Proper Clause and the Supremacy Clause

(Brutus 1) Which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely agree with?

Nations with extended territory cannot fairly represent their citizens in a republican form of government. - Brutus 1: Emphasized benefits of a small, decentralized republic. Warned of a loss of liberty that would result from a large, centralized government

The Declaration of Independence cites specific reasons for separating from British rule, including the British imposing taxes and maintaining a standing army without consent. Which of the following principles or ideas would these grievances be most related to?

Natural rights such as life and liberty - Natural rights: Fundamental rights of all humans and are NOT received from the government. - Consent is like tea...

(Brutus 1) In the passage, Brutus is most concerned with the conflict between which of the following political ideas?

Participatory democracy and elite democracy - Participatory democracy: Emphasizes broad participation in politics and civil society. May violate minority rights - Elite democracy: Emphasizes limited participation in politics and civil society, representative democracy. Government may be dominated by wealthy/high status individuals.

(At War with the Separation of Powers, 2018) Which of the following principles of government is most related to the author's argument in the passage?

Separation of powers is necessary to our constitutional system to limit the power of the three branches and guarantee limited government. - Every branch needs the power to nerf each other - Limited government: Governmental power is restricted by the Constitution/law. This type of gov receives power from the people

(Federalist 15) Which of the following experiences most likely influenced the perspective conveyed in the passage?

Shay's Rebellion, which was an armed response to the inability of the national government to address unjust economic state policies. - Shay's Rebellion: Rebellion of farmers led by Daniel Shays in western Massachusetts as a response to the debt crisis, aggressive tax and debt collection, and political corruption - Federalist 15: Essay written by Alexander Hamilton (founding father) that warned of impending anarchy

(Federalist 15) Which of the following is a difference between the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution that is a response to a problem expressed in the passage?

The Articles of Confederation allowed for the federal government to request revenues from states but did not permit it to tax citizens directly, whereas under the United States Constitution the federal government could tax citizens directly. - Articles of Confederation: The OG before the Constitution. Loose confederation of sovereign states and weak central government

(At War with the Separation of Powers, 2018) Which of the following political processes would best solve the problem regarding the system of checks and balances, as articulated by the author in the passage?

The Supreme Court rules on a suit brought by an interest group that legislation permitting the president to launch military strikes without congressional approval is unconstitutional.

In the 1950s Southern states attempted to prevent integration of their public schools. In return, the National Guard was sent to force states to implement federal regulations. This scenario illustrates which of the following about the relationship between the state and national governments?

The debate over the role of the central government and state powers is ongoing.

The Gun-Free School Zones Act made it illegal for individuals knowingly to carry a gun in a school zone. The Supreme Court determined this act to be an unconstitutional stretch of the commerce clause in

United States v. Lopez (1995) - In United States v. Lopez, Congress may not use the commerce clause to make the possession of a gun in a school zone to be a federal crime.

In order to appease both Federalists and Anti-Federalists, it was agreed at the Constitutional Convention that a group of delegates would be charged with selecting the president. This would ensure that

a qualified person representative of the people would become president - Electoral College