CHAPTER 3: THE CONSTITUTION

unconstitutional

A governmental action that denies someone fair and equal treatment under the law may be declared ____.

executive agreement

A(n) ____ carries the same force of law as a treaty.

amendment

A(n) ____ is a way to change the Constitution.

article

A(n) ____ is one of the seven numbered sections of the Constitution.

a. deprive a State of its equal representation in the Senate.

According to Article V of the Constitution, no amendment may a. deprive a State of its equal representation in the Senate. b. abolish the protections guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. c. deny people the right to vote because of race, color, or gender. d. reestablish slavery or other forms of involuntary servitude.

d. result from the daily experiences of government.

Changes to the Constitution by means other than formal amendment a. involve changing the written words of the Constitution. b. have occurred very rarely in the past 200 years. c. can occur only with the approval of the States. d. result from the daily experiences of government.

formal amendment

Changes to the written provisions of the Constitution may be made only through the process of ____.

b. demonstrates the principle of federalism

Each of the four methods of formal amendment a. can proceed only with the approval of the President. b. demonstrates the principle of federalism. c. involves unwritten changes in the interpretation of the Constitution. d. is undertaken jointly by the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

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

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

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

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

c. found the governmental actions in question to be constitutional.

In most cases involving judicial review, the courts have a. had their decisions overturned by Congress. b. found the governmental actions in question to be unconstitutional. c. found the governmental actions in question to be constitutional. d. had their decisions vetoed by the President.

d. State legislatures, rather than convention delegates elected by the people, often ratify amendments

One criticism of the formal amendment process is that a. the Framers did not intend for the words of the Constitution to be changed. b. the process is too short and, therefore, too many amendments are approved. c. the judicial branch cannot propose an amendment. d. State legislatures, rather than convention delegates elected by the people, often ratify amendments

Article VI

States the issues of national debts, supremacy of national law, and oaths of office

Article II

States the powers of the Executive branch

Article III

States the powers of the Judicial branch

Article I

States the powers of the Legislative branch

Article IV

States the process of amending the Constitution

Article VII

States the process of ratifying the Constitution

Preamble

States the purpose of the Constitution

Article IV

States the relations among the States

b. Anti-Federalists

The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to meet the demands of the a. Federalists. b. Anti-Federalists. c. Congress. d. Patriots.

separation of powers

The Constitution provides for the ____ by creating three distinct branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial.

c. congressional change to the Constitution

The Judiciary Act of 1789 was an example of a. a formal amendment to the Constitution. b. an executive agreement. c. congressional change to the Constitution. d. a court decision.

unwritten custom.

The President's Cabinet is an example of constitutional change by _____________.

b. checks and balances

The President's power to veto an act of Congress is an example of a. executive agreement. b. checks and balances. c. judicial review. d. limited government.

b. Bill of Rights

The basic constitutional rights of the people were FIRST set out in the a. 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. b. Bill of Rights. c. 10th Amendment. d. Equal Rights Amendment.

b. senatorial courtesy

The custom that the Senate will approve only appointees acceptable to the senator or senators of the President's party from the state involved is known as a. executive action. b. senatorial courtesy. c. "no-third-term tradition." d. constitutional amplification.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments are called the ____.

rule of law

The government and its officers must obey the ____, which is another way of describing the concept of limited government.

d. Article IV

The inability of the central government to gain the support of the States under the Articles of Confederation contributed to the inclusion in the new Constitution of a. Article II. b. Article VI. c. the Preamble. d. Article IV.

remove judges through impeachment

The legislative branch can check the judicial branch by its power to a. name federal judges. b. declare executive actions unconstitutional. c. remove judges through impeachment. d. override a presidential veto.

checks and balances

The system of ____ helps keep one branch of government from dominating the actions of the others.

b. 22nd Amendment

What amendment was ratified as the result of the popularity of Franklin D. Roosevelt? a. 21st Amendment b. 22nd Amendment c. 23rd Amendment d. 24th Amendment

b. federalism

What did the Framers use to build a strong National Government while preserving the existing States and local self-government? a. checks and balances b. federalism c. judicial review d. formal amendment

a. political parties

What has most dramatically reshaped the electoral college from its intended purpose? a. political parties b. the Senate c. the Cabinet d. court decisions

d. 25th Amendment

What part of the Constitution says that the office of the President should be transferred to the Vice President if the President dies while in office? a. Article II b. 17th Amendment c. 13th Amendment d. 25th Amendment

c. freedom from slavery

What right is NOT included in the Bill of Rights? a. freedom of belief and expression b. fair and equal treatment before the law c. freedom from slavery d. freedom and security of the person

b. power is distributed among three independent branches of government

When there is a separation of powers, a. power is divided between the National Government and the States. b. power is distributed among three independent branches of government. c. the people grant the States the authority to govern. d. the basic powers of government are held by a single agency.

a. Congress proposes, State legislatures ratify

Which method of amending the Constitution has been the most commonly used? a. Congress proposes, State conventions ratify b. Congress proposes, State legislatures ratify c. national convention proposes, State legislatures ratify d. national convention proposes, State conventions ratify

c. Government must operate within certain bounds set by the people

Which of the following best describes the concept of limited government? a. Powers are divided among three independent branches of government. b. All political power belongs to the people. c. Government must operate within certain bounds set by the people. d. The people must behave according to rules set by the government.

a. the use of the electoral college as a "rubber stamp" for the popular vote

Which of the following constitutional changes was a result of party practices? a. the use of the electoral college as a "rubber stamp" for the popular vote b. the revised structure of the federal court system c. executive agreement d. the practice of senatorial courtesy

c. by deciding what the words of the Constitution mean in practice

Which of the following describes the avenue by which the Supreme Court can shape the Constitution? a. by proposing a constitutional amendment b. by exerting influence on political parties c. by deciding what the words of the Constitution mean in practice d. by voting in federal elections

d. It is among the executive powers listed in Article II of the Constitution

Which of the following is NOT true of the use of executive agreement? a. It extends the President's power. b. It carries the same legal force as a treaty. c. It can be used to avoid the lengthy treaty-making process. d. It is among the executive powers listed in Article II of the Constitution.

c. proposal by two-thirds of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of State legislatures

Which of the following is a method of formal amendment? a. proposal by three-fourths of the House of Representatives and ratification by conventions in three-fourths of State legislatures b. proposal by two-thirds of the Senate and ratification by two-thirds of State legislatures c. proposal by two-thirds of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of State legislatures d. all of the above

a. succession of Vice President to presidency

Which of the following is mentioned by the Constitution and its amendments? a. succession of Vice President to presidency b. political parties c. custom of senatorial courtesy d. the President's Cabinet

b. presidential term limits

Which of the following is the subject of a constitutional amendment? a. the prohibition of alcohol b. presidential term limits c. repeal of a previous amendment d. all of the above

a. separation of powers

Which of the six basic principles of the Constitution can be diluted when the President and a majority of the members of Congress are of the same political party? a. separation of powers b. limited government c. federalism d. all of the above

b. The amendments were ratified at the same time as the Constitution.

Which statement about the Bill of Rights is NOT true? a. The amendments arose from the controversy over ratification of the Constitution. b. The amendments were ratified at the same time as the Constitution. c. The amendments guarantee such basic rights as freedom of expression and fair and equal treatment before the law. d. The amendments are the first ten of the Constitution.

c. federalism and (2) popular sovereignty

Which two principles of the Constitution are illustrated by the formal amendment process? a. popular sovereignty and (2) limited government b. separation of powers and (2) checks and balances c. federalism and (2) popular sovereignty d. judicial review and (2) federalism

popular sovereignty.

With the words, "We the People," the Constitution establishes its authority on the basis of this Constitutional principle.