Govt 2305 TEST1

What was the MOST common form of taxation during the colonial era? a. the income tax b. taxes on commercial products and activities c. the animal head tax d. taxes for use of governmental services and lands

b. taxes on commercial products and activities

The rights of disabled individuals to access public businesses is guaranteed by the a. Civil Rights Act of 1964. b. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. c. amended Civil Rights Act of 1991. d. federal courts, not laws passed by Congress.

b. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

________ compels state governments to obey costly federal regulations but does not reimburse those costs. a. A grant-in-aid b. An unfunded mandate c. A block grant d. General revenue sharing

b. An unfunded mandate

The inclusion of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution was MOST strongly supported by the a. Federalists. b. Antifederalists. c. Whigs. d. Progressives.

b. Antifederalists.

Why was the Declaration of Independence a remarkable philosophical statement for its time? a. It asserted that slavery was a "morally unjust" institution that should be outlawed. b. It asserted that there were "unalienable rights" that could not be abridged by governments. c. It asserted that laissez-faire capitalism would be the "supreme law of the land" in America. d. It asserted that America was "first and foremost, a Christian nation."

b. It asserted that there were "unalienable rights" that could not be abridged by governments.

Colonial protesters of the Stamp Act and the Sugar Act rallied around which slogan? a. "No taxation without representation" b. "Give me liberty or give me death" c. "A house divided against itself cannot stand" d. "Don't tread on me"

a. "No taxation without representation"

The Bill of Rights was adopted because the a. Antifederalists demanded it as the price of ratification of the Constitution. b. Federalists realized that no Constitution would last for long without a bill of rights. c. federal government in the early days of the republic was violating too many individual rights. d. Supreme Court ruled that a bill of rights was needed.

a. Antifederalists demanded it as the price of ratification of the Constitution.

The Boston Tea Party was largely a response to the a. British government's decision to grant the East India Company a monopoly on the export of tea from Britain. b. British government's decision to remove all of its soldiers from the colonies. c. British government's decision to tax the colonists' personal incomes. d. Boston Massacre.

a. British government's decision to grant the East India Company a monopoly on the export of tea from Britain.

How was political power in the Continental Congress divided under the Articles of Confederation? a. Each state had an equal vote. b. Each state's votes were proportionate to its population. c. Each state's power depended on its geographic size. d. Each state's power depended on its economic wealth.

a. Each state had an equal vote.

Which of the following is true about the Bill of Rights? a. It is the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution. b. It includes all the civil liberties and civil rights found in the U.S. Constitution. c. It is the first national Constitution of the United States. d. It is the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

a. It is the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Which clause of the U.S. Constitution has been most important in allowing the growth of national power? a. the commerce clause b. the full faith and credit clause c. the comity clause d. the Tenth Amendment

a. the commerce clause

Politics can be defined as a. conflicts over the character, membership, and policies of government. b. the informal, private organizations through which a land and its people are ruled. c. a hierarchically structured organization that is designed to distribute labor among several different groups of people. d. a line-and-staff organization that is designed to facilitate control over complex social arrangements.

a. conflicts over the character, membership, and policies of government.

Freedom of speech and of the press have a special place in the American system because a. free and open debate is an essential mechanism for determining the quality and validity of competing ideas. b. they were the last provisions in the Bill of Rights to be incorporated through the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. c. they have never been restricted in the history of the United States.

a. free and open debate is an essential mechanism for determining the quality and validity of competing ideas.

Unfunded mandates are unpopular among people who want to a. give states and localities the ability to set their own priorities. b. increase the scope of federal regulations. c. exercise a strong principle of preemption. d. eliminate the principle of home rule.

a. give states and localities the ability to set their own priorities.

What is it called when a state grants a city the ability to govern its own local affairs? a. home rule b. dual federalism c. separation of powers d. city governance

a. home rule

Government is best defined as the a. institutions and procedures by which a territory and its people are ruled. b. set of political principles and values that guide political life. c. means by which wealth is redistributed. d. invisible hand that turns private interests into public goods.

a. institutions and procedures by which a territory and its people are ruled.

A state government's authority to regulate the safety, health, and morals of its citizens is called a ________ power. a. police b. reserved c. concurrent d. implied

a. police

Shays's Rebellion was an attempt to a. prevent the state of Massachusetts from foreclosing on the lands of debt-ridden farmers. b. invade New England by royalists from Canada. c. bring a Georgian slave revolt to Virginia. d. force the British government to rescind the Tea Act.

a. prevent the state of Massachusetts from foreclosing on the lands of debt-ridden farmers.

Under the Articles of Confederation, it was left to the ________ to execute laws passed by the Continental Congress. a. states b. council of presidents c. courts d. president

a. states

Who orchestrated the Boston Tea Party? a. John Adams b. Samuel Adams c. John Hancock d. Paul Revere

b. Samuel Adams

Direct democracy is best defined as a. the system of government run by one person. b. a system that allows citizens to vote directly for laws and policies. c. the competition between interest groups for governmental power. d. a system that allows citizens to elect representatives who play a significant role in governmental decision making.

b. a system that allows citizens to vote directly for laws and policies.

The issue of representation was addressed in the Great Compromise by giving each state a. the opportunity to elect its own governors. b. an equal number of senators but linking representation in the House of Representatives to population. c. an equal number of votes in the Electoral College. d. a veto over constitutional amendments.

b. an equal number of senators but linking representation in the House of Representatives to population

The willingness to be restrained by the power of social institutions, but not political or legal institutions, is a hallmark of a(n) ________ regime. a. totalitarian b. authoritarian c. democratic d. monarchic

b. authoritarian

A government that is formally limited by laws and rules is called a. democratic. b. constitutional. c. oligarchic. d. totalitarian.

b. constitutional.

The specific powers granted to Congress in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution are called the ________ powers. a. implied b. expressed c. sovereign d. executive

b. expressed

The Boston Massacre occurred when a. five British soldiers were killed by an angry mob of colonists protesting outside the seat of the colonial government in Boston. b. five colonists were killed by British soldiers outside the seat of the colonial government in Boston. c. 50 colonists were killed by British soldiers outside the seat of the colonial government in Boston. d. 50 British soldiers were killed by an angry mob of colonists protesting outside the seat of the colonial government in Boston.

b. five colonists were killed by British soldiers outside the seat of the colonial government in Boston.

Block grants are designed to a. fund urban improvements on specific city blocks. b. give the states considerable discretion in how money from the federal government is spent. c. fund capital improvements in schools. d. impose strict limits on how state governments can spend money from the federal government.

b. give the states considerable discretion in how money from the federal government is spent.

Federalism is best defined as a system of government a. where member nations meet in a multinational conference. b. in which power is divided between a national government and lower-level governments. c. in which the national government is funded through direct taxation of local governments. d. in which authority is divided into separate branches and each individual branch is given some power over the other branches.

b. in which power is divided between a national government and lower-level governments.

The so-called wall of separation between church and state is best found in which clause of the Constitution? a. the free exercise clause b. the establishment clause c. the equal protection clause d. the wall of separation clause

b. the establishment clause

The full faith and credit clause of the Constitution requires a. the federal government to accept a state's outstanding debt at the time of ratification. b. the states to honor each other's public acts and legal decisions. c. the states, but not the federal government, to maintain a balanced budget. d. the federal government, but not the states, to maintain a balanced budget.

b. the states to honor each other's public acts and legal decisions.

A government that is not constrained by legal limits and also seeks to eliminate any challenges to its authority is known as a(n) ________ government. a. authoritarian b. totalitarian c. democratic d. republican

b. totalitarian

The United States' first written constitution was called the a. Magna Carta. b. Bill of Rights. c. Articles of Confederation. d. Declaration of Independence.

c. Articles of Confederation.

The Articles of Confederation were ratified by all of the states in a. 1763. b. 1777. c. 1781. d. 1791.

c. 1781.

Which political philosopher wrote that life in a government-less state of nature would be "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short"? a. Montesquieu b. Locke c. Hobbes d. Aristotle

c. Hobbes

The ________ affirms that national laws and treaties are the supreme law of the land. a. full faith and credit clause b. necessary and proper clause c. doctrine of national supremacy d. doctrine of stare decisis

c. doctrine of national supremacy

The ________ clause of the First Amendment protects an individual's right to believe and practice whatever religion he or she chooses. a. establishment b. free association c. free exercise d. religious freedom restoration

c. free exercise

Generally speaking, in order to be a good citizen in the United States, it is most critical to have a. a lot of corporate connections. b. significant resources, such as money. c. knowledge of the American political system. d. strongly held convictions.

c. knowledge of the American political system.

Which of the following civil liberties is NOT included in Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution? a. prohibition of ex post facto laws b. prohibition of bills of attainder c. prohibition of government "taking" private property "without just compensation" d. guarantee of habeas corpus

c. prohibition of government "taking" private property "without just compensation"

________ are areas of personal freedom with which governments are constrained from interfering. a. Civil rights b. Political rights c. Electoral rights d. Civil liberties

d. Civil liberties

________ powers exist when both the state and national governments share authority in certain domains. a. Implied b. Reserved c. Expressed d. Concurrent

d. Concurrent

The constitutional basis for the nationalization of the Bill of Rights is the ________ Amendment. a. First b. Fourth c. Tenth d. Fourteenth

d. Fourteenth

Why was the Declaration of Independence a remarkable political statement for its time? a. It convinced southern states to abolish slavery. b. It persuaded the British government to give back all of the tax revenue it had collected from the colonies. c. It ended the Revolutionary War by offering a compromise with the British government. d. It helped unify colonial groups that were divided along economic, regional, and philosophical lines by identifying shared problems, grievances, and principles.

d. It helped unify colonial groups that were divided along economic, regional, and philosophical lines by identifying shared problems, grievances, and principles.

Which amendment preserves a strong role for the states in the American federal republic? a. First b. Fifth c. Ninth d. Tenth

d. Tenth

________ argued that there was a "wall of separation" between church and state. a. George Washington b. James Madison c. Ben Franklin d. Thomas Jefferson

d. Thomas Jefferson

Habeas corpus refers to a. any law that declares an action to be illegal after it has been committed. b. the right of government to take private property for public use. c. a law that declares a person guilty of a crime without a trial. d. a court order demanding that an individual in custody be brought into court and shown the cause for detention.

d. a court order demanding that an individual in custody be brought into court and shown the cause for detention.

Daniel Shays was a. one of the authors of the Federalist Papers. b. the primary architect of the New Jersey Plan. c. the primary architect of the Virginia Plan. d. a former army captain who led a mob of farmers in a rebellion against the Massachusetts government.

d. a former army captain who led a mob of farmers in a rebellion against the Massachusetts government.

Which of the following forms of speech receives the greatest level of First Amendment protection? a. slander b. obscenity c. libel d. political speech that stops short of inciting violence

d. political speech that stops short of inciting violence

The Stamp Act was a a. tax on commerce. b. prohibition on all unofficial mail. c. law permitting the Crown to open mail. d. tax on sugar, molasses, and other commodities.

d. tax on sugar, molasses, and other commodities.