Civics Unit 2, 3, and 4 Test Questions

Woodrow Wilson made which of the following statements?

"Men as communities are supreme over men as individuals."

The Declaration of Independence states that governments are established by:

"The consent of the governed"

Which of these phrases is included as a purpose of the national government in the Preamble of the United States Constitution:

"To secure the blessing of liberty."

What did the Framers of the U.S. Constitution mean by an "energetic" government?

A government equipped to protect Americans from both external and internal threats, secure trade and commerce, and safeguard individual rights.

Which of the following is true about James Madison's beliefs about republican government?

A republican government should be large in size in order to prevent mob rule.

The Founders increased the power of the national government in the Constitution as compared to the Articles of Confederation. They did this because their experience under the Articles convinced most of them that:

A stronger central government was necessary to protect commerce and provide for common defense.

About which of the following topics did most of the Anti-Federalists' debate with the Federalists occur during the process of ratification by states? Anti-Federalists...

Advocated a Bill of Rights.

Which Founder stated that "it seems to have been reserved to the people of this country, by their conduct and example, to decide the important question, whether societies of men are really capable or not of establishing good government from reflection and choice, or whether they are forever destined to depend for their political constitutions on accident and force."

Alexander Hamilton

How did the Founders understand the phrase, "All men are equal"?

All humans are born with certain natural rights.

In response to criticism that the new national government framed in the 1787 Constitutional Convention would be too powerful, supporters of the Constitution explained that:

All of these.

Which of the following political thinkers contributed to the development of the principle of separation of powers as reflected in the United States Constitution?

All of these.

Which of these accurately reflects James Madison's approach concerning a bill of rights?

All of these.

Which of these did the Founders believe could be threats to individual rights?

All of these.

Which of these documents helped inform development of the principle of due process of law in the United States Constitution?

All of these.

Incorporation

Applied the Bill of Rights to the states, making it not only a series of limits on government power, but also a set of rights guaranteed by the federal government.

The Civil Rights Act of 1965

Banned racial discrimination in employment and public accommodations.

The Fourteenth Amendment

Banned states from passing laws that denied the privileges and immunities of citizens, due process, or equal protection of the laws.

Why did the Founders divide power into three branches in the Constitution?

Both A and B.

Aristotle advocated for a combination of certain aspects of three forms of government. Which of these was NOT part of the "mixed regime" that he recommended?

Bureaucracy

What is justice?

Citizens will be treated equally and fairly under the law.

What did the Framers believe would be the preeminent department of the national government?

Congress

Which form of government did the Framers of the United States Constitution believe would best provide for majority rule while protecting individual liberty?

Constitutional republic

The Founders believed that government should exist to:

Ensure a just society by protecting inalienable rights.

The most accurately state distinction between the Founders' and Progressives' views of the purpose of government is:

Founders: Powers not expressly granted to the national government are forbidden. Progressives: Powers not expressly forbidden to the national government are granted.

Which of these documents did NOT influence the Founders' ideas about natural rights?

France's Declaration of the Rights of Man.

According to the principles included in the Declaration of Independence, how does government receive its just (or legitimate) powers?

From the authority of the governed, who express their wishes through elected representatives.

Which of these does NOT correctly match a Supreme Court decision with its significance?

Gonzales v. Raich—the Freedom of the Press Clause requires that truth is a defense for libel.

According to John Locke, no one has the right to rule over a society unless the members of that society:

Have given their consent.

Most of the due process protections listed in the United States Bill of Rights deal with fair application of the law to people in which situation(s)?

Having been suspected, accused, or convicted of a crime.

What is the best comparison between a direct democracy and a republic?

In a direct democracy, individual citizens personally represent themselves in the government. In a republic, citizens are represented by elected officials in the government.

What does it mean for certain rights to be "inalienable"?

Inalienable rights are rights that government cannot violate under any circumstances.

Which of these actions did Hamilton and Madison think might have a role in preventing the federal government from exceeding its rightful powers over the states?

Interposition

One of the effects of the Fourteenth Amendment was

It limited the power of states while increasing the power of the federal government.

Which of these best expresses the significance of the United States Bill of Rights?

It provides a list of certain rights and freedoms that the Founders believed are critical to legitimate representative government.

What was an important result of Shay's Rebellion in western Massachusetts?

Leading thinkers in several states became more supportive of the idea of a stronger central government.

According to the Madisonian Model, which branch of government did the Founders expect to be the predominant branch?

Legislative

The Alien and Sedition Acts

Made it a crime to publish "malicious writing" against the government and made it easier to deport foreign nationals.

Which of these was the earliest document to contain principles of limited government that were later reflected in the United States Constitution?

Magna Carta

Which protection embodies the limit that was proposed by all states that recommended amendments when they ratified the Constitution?

Powers reserved to the states and the people.

Which statement best reflects James Madison's argument about separation of powers?

Powers should be shared between branches so that each branch serves as a watchdog over the others.

Why was the right to vote restricted to property owners in colonial America?

Property owners would have a vested interest in the community and could be expected to carefully attend to the issues and participate responsibly in public life.

The term "positive rights" can be defined as:

Rights that require others to perform a duty or act in a certain way.

Why did the Founders believe the Articles of Confederation was an inadequate framework for government?

The Articles did not sufficiently protect the individual rights of citizens.

The authors of the Declaration of Independence asserted that they were justified in breaking away from England because

The British king had violated their natural rights.

Which of the following best describes how the Founders understood the term justice?

The Founders believed that the law should equally protect people's freedoms and property.

Which of these is an example of constitutional protection of state interests?

The President is elected through an electoral college, so that states with small populations have more impact on the outcome than they would through a straight popular vote.

Which of these topics was the source of the widest agreement among the Framers at the beginning of the Constitutional Convention?

The United States would be a republic.

What is federalism?

The division of government power between state and national levels.

John Adams wrote that the United States Constitution provides the United States with is "a government of laws, and not of men." Which of the following best expresses his meaning?

The law is intended to apply equally to promote justice to everyone; no one is above the law.

"Rule of law" means:

The laws of a country apply equally to everyone and are made by an open, fair, and predictable process.

What does "consent of the governed" mean?

The people give power to the government through their representatives.

Which of the following statements is true?

The president has the power and responsibility to enforce legislation.

Which of these features in the U.S. Constitution best reflects the Founders' commitment to rule of law?

The procedure for impeachment and removal from office of the president.

Which of these is an example of natural rights (as opposed to legal rights)?

The right to think for oneself

Why did Thomas Jefferson and James Madison disagree with a proposed Virginia law that would support Protestant ministers through taxation?

They were concerned that supporting specific religions financially could lead to the establishment of a national religion.

According to the Declaration of Independence, what is the main purpose of government?

To protect the natural rights of citizens.

According to the principles included in the Declaration of Independence, what is the main purpose of government?

To protect the natural rights of citizens.

The Thirteenth Amendment

Unlike the Emancipation Proclamation, had the legal force to ban slavery throughout the U.S.

The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Were critical of the Alien and Sedition Acts for being unconstitutional.

With respect to political participation, you have the right to free speech. Which of these is a corollary to that right?

You have the responsibility to listen to what others have to say so that you may be informed about important public issues.