AP U.S. GOVERNMENT CHAPTER 6: Constitutional Foundations Questions

The Declaration of Independence states "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." This was a revolutionary change from the system of British monarchy, which was based on the divine right of kings. For which of the ideals of democracy does this quote provide a foundation? A) Popular sovereignty B) Federalism C) Separation of power D) Limited government

A) Popular sovereignty

Which of the following is commonly identified as a failure of the Articles of Confederation? A) The national government lacked an effective power to raise revenue. B) The executive branch was granted too much power over the legislature. C) The federal government had too much control over interstate commerce. D) The judicial branch was elected and did not consistently adhere to rule of law.

A) The national government lacked an effective power to raise revenue.

Which of the following was NOT a weakness of government under the Articles of Confederation? A) The national judiciary resolved arguments between the states. B) Congress lacked the power to tax. C) It lacked a national judiciary. D) It was unable to control commercial interests.

A) The national judiciary resolved arguments between the states.

In The Federalist 70, Alexander Hamilton states that "energy in the executive is a leading character in the definition of good government." In this statement, Hamilton is arguing in favor of the need for A) a single executive who can respond quickly to crises B) a president who has a good understanding of public policy C) an electoral college in the selection of the president D) a president who is youthful and assertive

A) a single executive who can respond quickly to crises

Amending the Constitution is a multi-step process. Which of the following steps are required to amend the Constitution? A) proposal at the national level B) proposal at the state level C) presidential signature D) congressional ratification

A) proposal at the national level

Which of the following is argued by James Madison in The Federalist paper number 10? A) system of republican representation helps to limit the excesses of factionalism. B) Small republics are better able to ensure individual liberty than are large republics. C) The presence of a few large factions helps to protect the rights of minorities. D) Participatory democracy is the surest way to prevent tyranny. E) The elimination of the causes of factionalism is the best protection against tyranny.

A) system of republican representation helps to limit the excesses of factionalism.

According to James Madison, which of the following best controls the effects of faction? A) Direct democracy B) The popular election of state judges C) A large republic D) Property requirements for eligibility to work E) The creation of a merit-based civil service

C) A large republic

Slavery and the taxation of exports were important topics to the Founding Fathers. Which compromise describes how the Founding Fathers resolved both of these issues? A) Great Compromise B) Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise C) Electoral Compromise D) Three-Fifths Compromise

B) Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise

Which of the following documents best describes a government based on unity, natural rights, and the social contract theory? A) Articles of Confederation B) Declaration of Independence C) Mayflower Compact D) U.S. Constitution

B) Declaration of Independence

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government . . ." ". . . Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled. The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise. He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice. He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men. . . . Having deprived her of this first right of a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides. He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead. He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns." Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Seneca Falls Convention, 1848 The language in the first paragraph of the selection most closely parallels that of which of the following documents? A) The Preamble to the United States Constitution B) The Declaration of Independence C) The Federalist 10 D) Brutus 1

B) The Declaration of Independence

Which of the following best describes the positions of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists regarding the powers given to the national government under the proposed U.S. Constitution?

B) The Federalists wanted a stronger national government and weaker state governments , while the Anti-Federalists wanted a weaker national government and stronger state governments.

The Supreme Court's decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803) A) supported the concept of national supremacy B) established the principle of judicial review C) allowed Congress to amend the Constitution D) strengthened the powers of the states

B) established the principle of judicial review

Those who support the pluralist theory of democracy believe that A) government depends on the "consent of the governed" B) interest groups compete to promote their preferences C) democracy is based on choosing officials to run the government D) a small number of powerful corporate and military leaders rule in their own self-interest.

B) interest groups compete to promote their preferences

"...If we resort to violence then one of two things will happen: either the violence will be escalated and there will be many injuries and perhaps deaths on both sides, or there will be total demoralization of the workers. Nonviolence has exactly the opposite effect. If, for every violent act committed against us, we respond with nonviolence, we attract people's support. We can gather the support of millions who have a conscience and would rather see a nonviolent resolution to problems. We are convinced that when people are faced with a direct appeal from the poor struggling nonviolently against great odds, they will react positively. The American people and people everywhere still yearn for justice. It is to that yearning that we appeal. ...When victory comes through violence, it is a victory with strings attached. If we beat the growers at the expense of violence, victory would come at the expense of injury and perhaps death. Such a thing would have a tremendous impact on us. We would lose regard for human beings. Then the struggle would become a mechanical thing. When you lose your sense of life and justice, you lose your strength...." César Chávez, "He Showed Us the Way," 1978 Which of the following is a similarity between the views expressed in the excerpt above and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail"? A) Unlike César Chávez, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. supported the use of violence after all other means had been exhausted. B) Unlike Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., César Chávez supported the use of violence as a means to start the movement. C) Both César Chávez and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. argued for the continued use of nonviolence to further their causes. D) Both César Chávez and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. argued for the use of nonviolence after standards of equality had been met.

C) Both César Chávez and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. argued for the continued use of nonviolence to further their causes.

The original purpose of the Constitutional Convention was to A) write a new constitution B) review the problems of the state governments C) revise the Articles of Confederation D) deal with the issue of slavery

C) revise the Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation implemented the principle of A) a strong national government B) a unified system of taxes C) universal suffrage D) an independent judiciary E) state sovereignty

E) state sovereignty

Too often, we take our form of government for granted, not fully appreciating its unique and exceptional qualities. The framers of our Constitution, having revolted against tyranny, bequeathed to the nation, and to us as its citizens, a form of government with checks and balances intended to assure that we would never, as a nation, be subject to the abuses we experienced as a colony under a monarchy. . . . We should appreciate that the separation of powers enshrined in our Constitution was modeled on the constitutions and declarations of the states, where the separation of powers was equally observed. Mirroring our U.S. Constitution, 40 state constitutions now specify that government is to be divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The separation of powers at the state level, with an independent executive, legislature, and judiciary, is also one of the fundamental tenets of our democracy. What often gets lost in translation is how dynamic the competition among the branches of government has been, and how much stronger we are as a country because of that ongoing debate. It has been said that the Constitution is not just a historic document, but a living participant in who we are as a nation. Out of the continuing effort to assure the separation of powers, we have built a system of government that functions remarkably well. Although the powers ascribed to each of the three branches may sometimes appear to swing like a pendulum, we have continuously reconsidered and recentered our understanding of the authority and limitation of each of these branches. Linda Leali, "Reflecting on the Great Gift of the Separation of Powers," Daily Business Review, 2018 Which of the following best explains how the view of the author of the passage compares with The Federalist 51 regarding separation of powers and checks and balances? A) The author of the passage views the structure of government as providing a balance between the branches of government, whereas The Federalist 51 supports the idea of a powerful executive branch. B) The author of the passage views separation of powers as a limitation on the authority of government, whereas The Federalist 51 argues in favor of using separation of powers as a means to expand the role of government. C) Both the author of the passage and The Federalist 51 argue that elections are a sufficient means to ensure good government. D) Both the author of the passage and The Federalist 51 assert that the structure of government helps control ambitions among the branches in such a way as to promote effective government.

D) Both the author of the passage and The Federalist 51 assert that the structure of government helps control ambitions among the branches in such a way as to promote effective government.

In The Federalist 78, Alexander Hamilton argued that the federal judiciary "is beyond comparison the weakest of the three departments of power." Which of the following statements represents a reason he gave for this argument? A) It has the power of the sword and the power of judgment but lacks the power of the purse. B) Each branch must be given the ability to defend its power and check the others. C) The federal government is further from the people and thus less accountable. D) It must depend on the executive for enforcement of its decisions.

D) It must depend on the executive for enforcement of its decisions.

Which of the following was a direct outcome of the Three-Fifths Compromise? A) The number of senators increased in slaveholding states. B) Slavery quickly declined, especially in larger cities in the South. C) Slaveholding states were able to count slaves to determine their number of senators. D) The number of representatives in the House of Representatives from slaveholding states increased.

D) The number of representatives in the House of Representatives from slaveholding states increased.

Which of the following is the best example of checks and balances as it functions today? A) The congressional veto B) A declaration of war by Congress C) The appointment of the Speaker of the House D) The ratification of treaties by the Senate

D) The ratification of treaties by the Senate

Which of the following features of the United States Constitution would most concern the author of Brutus 1? A) The Bill of Rights, which protects individual liberties and states' rights B) The reservation of any power not given to the federal government to the states C) The two-year term for members of the House of Representatives D) The supremacy clause, which gives the federal government supremacy over states

D) The supremacy clause, which gives the federal government supremacy over states

In the 1780s, proponents of the new Constitution cited Shays' Rebellion as an example in support of which of the following criticisms of the national government under the Articles of Confederation? A) The national government did not provide sufficient protection of individual rights. B) The lack of a centralized judiciary made enforcement of national laws difficult. C) States with larger populations were underrepresented in Congress. D) There was a lack of a national military power to address security concerns.

D) There was a lack of a national military power to address security concerns.

Which of the following best reflects a function of the Supreme Court in Article III of the Constitution? A) To interpret the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress B) To adjudicate disputes between the president and Congress C) To overturn legislation passed by the state legislatures D) To serve as the highest court of appeals

D) To serve as the highest court of appeals

Compared to the government under the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution A) is harder to amend B) created a league of friendship among the states C) created a unitary system D) called for separation of powers among the three branches of government

D) called for separation of powers among the three branches of government

The Bill of Rights includes A) the Preamble B) the Articles of Confederation C) the articles of the Constitution D) the first 10 amendments

D) the first 10 amendments