Government Exam 1 Chapter 2

D

In Federalist No. 51, which government structure did James Madison recommend to ensure "ambition . . . be made to counteract ambition"? A. direct democracy B. a bicameral legislature C. an executive branch with unchecked power D. separation of powers among the branches of federal government

C

The president can check the federal judiciary by ______. A. campaigning against judges in retention elections B. impeaching judges C. issuing pardons D. withholding judges' salaries

D

The principle that each branch of government guards against the abuse of power by the others is called ______. A. separation of powers B. fusion of powers C. federalism D. checks and balances

C

Article III of the Constitution ______. A. describes the structure and organization of the national judiciary in detail B. does not permit Congress to adjust the structure and organization of national courts C. mentions only the Supreme Court specifically when discussing the judiciary D. originally mandated a 10-year term of office for federal judges

A

A major compromise hashed out at the Constitutional Convention involved federalism, a system of power sharing in which ______.A. the state and national governments receive roughly equal portions of power B. legislatures can remove the chief executive through a vote of no confidenceC. each branch of government can limit the powers of the other branchesD. the judiciary can strike down laws passed by the legislature as unconstitutional

A

England took control of North America from France and Spain in the 1700s because______.A. its military and economic power was greater than Spain'sB. American Indians helped England C. the Pope decreed that England should control North AmericaD. Spain gave a majority North America to England

True

A unitary system is a government in which all power is centralized

D

According to James Madison, the effects of factions are best managed by ______. A. the legislative branch B. the judiciary C. the use of force D. a large republic

B

According to the Federalists, the advantage of federalism over a confederation was that it would ______.A. give city governments significant amounts of powerB. divide power between the federal and state governmentsC. give all the power to state governments D. lead to the elimination of slavery

True

After the Revolutionary War, farmers wanted powerful state governments.

B

American Indians saw land as ______ and Europeans had a view of ______. A. cultural; protectionism B. communal; private ownership C. magical; science D. sacred; monarchy

C

The ______ Plan proposed equal representation for the states in a unicameral legislature.A. Connecticut B. VirginiaC. New JerseyD. Pennsylvania

B

At the Constitutional Convention, the ______ Plan proposed a two-chamber (bicameral) legislature for the national government.A. New JerseyB. VirginiaC. New YorkD. New Hampshire

B

Barbour and Wright describe the impact of the Revolutionary War on women as a(n)______. A. opportunity to fight against tyranny alongside men B. step backward for securing their rights C. new dawn of female equality D. sidelight to the conflict that did not matter much in the end

C

Barbour and Wright explain that although many free and enslaved Blacks fought in the Revolutionary War, the predicament of most African Americans ______.A. improved due to their superior performance on the battlefieldB. worsened significantly immediately after the war's conclusionC. did not change much after the end of the conflictD. improved slightly due to them receiving military pensions

C

Barbour and Wright state that the document that acts as the rulebook for the current game of American politics is the ______. A. Bill of Rights B. Declaration of Independence C. Constitution D. Articles of Confederation

C

Bring the period of time during which the United States was governed by theArticles of Confederation, elites came to fear tyranny by the ______. A. king B. legislature C. people D. political parties

B

Colonial leaders relied on John Locke's political philosophy because it ______. A. justified both slavery and democracy B. contained both a theory of revolution and a theory of constitutional government C. was read by most Americans at the time of the American Revolution D. encouraged all creeds of people to vote

D

Early colonists came to America for ______. A. religious freedom B. free land and the right to vote C. a higher quality of living including running water and medical care D. various economic, political, religious, and philosophical reasons

C

The ______ believed in strong national power and supported the new constitution.A. Jacksonian DemocratsB. New NationalistsC. FederalistsD. Whigs

D

For a member of the early American elite, an example of popular tyranny during the years between the Revolution and the Constitutional Convention would be ______. A. Britain's refusal to abandon their forts on American territory B. the enactment of the Northwest Ordinance C. Congress' inability to regulate international trade D. state legislatures giving financial relief to debtors

A

From a modern perspective, a possible criticism of the New Jersey Plan was that it would have ______.A. done little to solve the problems engendered by the Articles of ConfederationB. allowed the more populous states to dominate both houses of CongressC. required the Senate to approve all presidential nominees without sufficient evaluationD. created a national judiciary with the power of judicial review

A

In concert with the states, Congress can limit the Supreme Court's power of judicial review by ______. A. amending the Constitution B. cutting the salaries of the justices C. creating new state and local courts D. adding new justices to the Court

C

In drafting the Constitution, the founders ______.A. adopted the Virginia Plan completelyB. adopted the New Jersey Plan completelyC. took from both the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan D. rejected totally both the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan and started over

A

In the United States, judicial review ______. A. permits federal courts to check the powers of the president and Congress B. subjects all actions of the president to close scrutiny C. allows federal judges to seek out and strike down laws that they believe to be unconstitutional D. mandates that all state legislation be reviewed by federal courts before they are implemented

B

In the mid 1800s, ______ was required to vote in England and the American colonies. A. literacy B. property ownershipC. slave ownershipD. taxation

B

James Madison believed that factions were particularly dangerous to a republic because ______. A. they would create a split between the north and the south B. they would likely pit the haves and have-nots against each other C. they would try to eliminate the system of checks and balances in the Constitution D. they would likely create tension between minorities

B

John Locke's most famous work ______ greatly influenced the founders' conception of equality. A. The Mayflower Compact B. Second Treatise of Government C. Common Sense D. The Declaration of Independence

C

One of the biggest differences between the Articles of Confederation and theConstitution was that ______.A. under the Articles a bicameral legislature existed, whereas under the Constitution a unicameral legislature existedB. under the Articles a multiple executive existed, whereas under the Constitution a single executive existedC. under the Articles the states were sovereign, whereas under the Constitution the people were sovereignD. the Articles could not be amended, but the Constitution could

A

One of the powers that Congress had under the Articles of Confederation was the ability to ______. A. declare war B. control interstate commerce C. set national tariff levels D. levy taxes directly

B

The original stated purpose of the Constitutional Convention was to ______. A. plan the seizure of Canada from the British B. revise the Articles of Confederation C. compose the text of the Declaration of Independence D. write an entirely new constitution

B

Separation of powers is the principle that ______ .A. allows the judiciary to check decisions made by the president and Congress to ensure that they are constitutional B. assigns executive, legislative, and judicial powers to different branches of government C. street-level bureaucrats must follow the orders of their political superiors or risk being fired D. compels each branch of government to limit the power and reach of the other branches

B

Shays's Rebellion demonstrated the ______.A. strong opposition to the Declaration of IndependenceB. frustration of debtors and the failure of the Articles of ConfederationC. need for additional courthouses to process foreclosuresD. unpopularity of the Revolutionary War

True

Shays's Rebellion was a grassroots uprising during the confederation period by armed Massachusetts farmers protesting foreclosures.

A

The Anti-Federalists feared the adoption of the Constitution would lead to ______. A. a great deal of corruption in government B. a weak national government C. attacks on property rights D. popular tyranny

A

The Articles of Confederation did not contain a separately elected federal executive primarily because ______. A. the Founders feared it as a threat to their liberty B. American political life was so straightforward that it was unnecessary C. it was less expensive to not have one D. the judiciary could perform that function

B

The Articles of Confederation established a ______. A. federal system in which the national government held most of the power B. confederal system with a very weak central government C. unitary system featuring an all-powerful national government D. federal system possessing an even division of power between the state and national governments

True

The British government imposed taxes that the colonists resented in order to pay for the debt created by the French and Indian War.

D

The Constitution mandates that in order to serve in the House of Representatives, a person must have been a citizen of the United States for at least 7 years and ______. A. not have a criminal record B. have served in previous elected office C. be literate D. be at least 25 years old

D

The Constitutional Convention delegate who arguably had the greatest influence on its final product is ______.A. Thomas PaineB. Thomas JeffersonC. George WashingtonD. James Madison

False

The Declaration of Independence was first and foremost a religious document.

B

The Declaration of Independence was first and foremost a(n) ______.A. philosophical treatiseB. political documentC. attempt to persuade King George III to listen to the coloniesD. plan of action

A

The political document that announced the alleged dissolution of colonial ties between the United States and United Kingdom was the ______.A. Declaration of IndependenceB. Articles of ConfederationC. Emancipation ProclamationD. Constitution

C

The Federalists believed that the human tendencies toward ambition and corruption should be dealt with by ______. A. socializing citizens to make decisions according to civic virtue B. ignoring these characteristics because most people are basically good C. creating institutions that made use of those characteristics to produce good outcomes and protect against bad outcomes D. governing through monarchy

C

The Great Compromise ______.A. provided strong powers to the state governments B. established slaves as equal to three fifths a person when totaling populations for both representation and taxation C. established a legislature with equal state representation in the Senate and representation by state population in the House D. limited the importation of slaves for 20 years

True

The Sugar Act of 1764 imposed customs taxes or duties and was seen as unfair and burdensome in a postwar economy.

A

The Tea Party movement is important to examine in light of the politics of the American founding because ______. A. it highlights the tension between government authority and individual rights of citizens B. it shows that people are too apathetic to demonstrate against the government C. militia movements are drafting their own constitutions D. it illustrates the tension between the Second Amendment and the right to free speech

D

The authors suggest that Thomas Jefferson might have changed John Locke's argument for government to protect property to protection of "the pursuit of happiness"because Jefferson ______.A. liked the sound of "pursuit of happiness" betterB. was trying to avoid the suggestion the Declaration was arguing for the protection of slavery C. could not remember what Locke had actually saidD. was trying to gain the support of those who had little property to protect

D

The biggest winners under the Articles of Confederation were ______. A. the economic elites B. those who wanted a strong national government C. the British government D. small farmers and artisans

D

The case that established judicial review as part of American politics was ______. A. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) B. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) C. Scott v. Sanford (1857) D. Marbury v. Madison (1803)

D

The central goal of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention was to ______. A. increase the power of the states B. increase the power of the people C. decrease the power of the national government D. increase the power of the national government

B

The country of ______ has a bicameral legislature. A. Spain B. the United States C. Denmark D. New Zealand

A

The delegate to the Constitutional Convention who had the greatest impact on the document was ______.A. James Madison B. Thomas JeffersonC. Alexander HamiltonD. Ben Franklin

C

The delegates at the Constitutional Convention ______. A. encouraged widespread public interest in what was happening at the convention B. actively sought the input of foreign leaders C. met in Philadelphia to reconstruct the foundations of American government D. were very open to the press about their daily accomplishments

False

The delegates at the Constitutional Convention met in New York to reconstruct the foundations of American government.

A

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention were ______. A. the most educated, powerful, and wealthy citizens of the new country B. young merchants who wanted to achieve economic success C. ordinary Americans who confronted great challenges D. made up entirely of the leaders of the Revolutionary Army

D

The end of the French and Indian War changed relations between England and the colonies because ______.A. the colonies were grateful to the English government for saving themB. the English government kept insisting on providing more aid to the coloniesC. the English had made the colonies fund the French and Indian War, and the colonists were resentfulD. the colonies felt they no longer needed English troops, but the English wanted the colonies to pay for the war

A

The federal government's legislative powers ______. A. originate in Article I of the Constitution B. are lodged in a unicameral legislature C. can only be limited by the Supreme Court using their power of judicial review D. do not extend to declaring war or settling standards for weights and measures

True

The first shots in what would become the American Revolution were fired in 1775

D

The founders adopted a federal political system ______.A. because they hoped King George III would approve such an arrangementB. because they were inspired by the writings of John Locke, who advocated such an arrangement C. because a division of sovereignty between a central government and regional governments is a basic principle of democracyD. as a compromise between those who wanted a strong central government and those who wanted to retain strong state governments

D

The institutional design laid out by the Great Compromise ______.A. did not permit the establishment of a national judiciaryB. proposed the creation of a unicameral legislatureC. contained numerous compromises over slaveryD. borrowed most heavily from the Virginia Plan

A

The intermediate body created by the Constitution to choose the president is the ______. A. Electoral College B. House of Representatives C. Supreme Court D. Cabinet

A

The main difference between farmers and the elites after the Revolutionary War was that ______.A. farmers wanted powerful state governments whereas the elites wanted a powerful federal government B. the elites wanted independence from a strong central government whereas farmers did not C. unlike the elites, farmers weren't concerned with economic stability D. unlike the elites, farmers weren't concerned with political power

D

The significance of The Federalist Papers is that ______. A. they were the first writings that documented the idea of popular sovereignty B. without them, we likely wouldn't have a Bill of Rights C. they convinced the colonists to revolt against England D. without them, New York might not have ratified the Constitution

A

The two factions that emerged during the ratification struggle were the ______. A. Federalists and Anti-Federalists B. Republicans and Democrats C. Federalists and Whigs D. Republicans and Jeffersonians

D

The way the founders treated slavery in the Constitution indicated that ______. A. it was not an important issue at the convention B. they wanted to use the Constitution as a way to "phase out" slavery C. they were unified in their desire to eventually eliminate it D. slavery was such a divisive issue they did not dare to mention it directly in the Constitution

A

Thee unpopular taxes the British imposed on the American colonies were meant to______.A. pay for the debt created by the French and Indian War B. punish the colonists for acts of rebellionC. pay for slaves England was shipping to the coloniesD. pay for the lavish lifestyles of the English nobility

False

Thomas Jefferson might have changed John Locke's argument for government to protect property to protection of "the pursuit of greatness."

C

Under Article II of the Constitution, presidents can conclude treaties ______. A. if two thirds of the House members concur B. on their own authority C. with the consent of the Senate D. only if the Supreme Court approves

True

Under the Articles of Confederation, the rights and obligations of citizens were determined by each state constitution.

B

Under the Articles of Confederation, the rights and obligations of citizens were______.A. stated explicitlyB. determined by each state constitutionC. negotiated among the several statesD. covered by the Declaration of Independence

A

Under the Three-Fifths Compromise, ______.A. each slave would count as three fifths of a person for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives B. three fifths of the states would have to ratify the Constitution for it to take effectC. three fifths majority of the Senate would be required to adopt a treatyD. three fifths of the states would have to agree to constitutional amendments

B

What did James Madison mean when he stated that the founders needed to"discover a republican remedy for those diseases most incident to republican government"? A. A Bill of Rights needed to be added to the Constitution. B. Government had to contain the will of the people even though it was based on the will of the people. C. The country needed to develop a court system to address the conflicting rights of citizens. D. The country only needed stronger state governments in order to control the people.

B

When he argued that "all men are equal," John Locke meant that ______.A. slavery is an unjustified evilB. men are naturally equalC. American citizenship applies to anyone who wants itD. nothing justifies differences of treatment in society

D

Which branch of government did the Founders expect to be the most important? A. bureaucratic B. executive C. judicial D. legislative

D

Which of the following features of the presidency was true at the time the Constitution was adopted but has been changed by constitutional amendment since then? A. Presidents can veto proposed laws that have been passed by Congress. B. Presidential terms last 4 years. C. Vice presidents succeed presidents who die while in office D. Presidents may serve an unlimited number of terms.

C

Which of the following were generally first to ratify the Constitution? A. New England states B. Northern states C. small states D. large states

B

Which statement best describes the distribution of power during the founding period? A. The divisiveness of the new nation's elites led to a stalemate in the attempt to solve the nation's problems. B. The nation was composed of competing elites. C. The new nation's elites went to great lengths to promote equality among ordinary citizens. D. The new nation's elites were particularly concerned with promoting voters' rights.

C

Which statement is true regarding rules and norms? A. Norms are universal and rules are specific. B. Norms are specific and rules are universal. C. Norms are informal standards that inform rules. D. Rules are informal standards that inform norms.

D

Which statement is true regarding the Virginia Plan?A. It was created by Alexander Hamilton.B. It protected the interests of smaller states.C. It gave each state one vote.D. It called for a bicameral legislature