us government
Although the national government had the power to declare war under the Articles of Confederation, how was this specific power limited? Select the one correct answer. 1. There was no national military from which to draw soldiers. 2. There was no President to serve as commander in chief of the national military. 3. The national government could not appoint military officials. 4. The national government needed approval from the states in order to declare war.
1
How is the unicameral Congress different from a bicameral Congress? Select the one correct answer. 1. A unicameral Congress has one chamber while a bicameral Congress has two. 2. A unicameral congress does not have the power to make treaties with foreign countries but a bicameral congress has treaty-making power. 3. A unicameral Congress is structured to limit states' power while a bicameral Congress is structured to expand states' powers. 4. The unicameral Congress had very limited powers and authority while a bicameral Congress has more power and authority.
1
How long is the term for federal judges? Select the one correct answer. 1. Judges serve during times of good behavior. 2. Judges remain in office until removed from office by the president. 3. Judges serve for ten years, but reappointment can allow for additional terms. 4. Judges serve until the next national election.
1
Select the one correct answer. In proposing the New Jersey Plan, its proponents were interested in what? 1. Maintaining the structure of the Articles of Confederation and basing representation on the states 2. The protection of individual rights and privileges 3. Preventing small population states from exercising too much power in the national government 4. Securing a stable basis for domestic economic activity
1
What is an important weakness of a social contract? Select the one correct answer. 1. Social contracts require consensus. 2. Social contracts are fixed. 3. All social contracts eventually fail 4. Social contracts don't aspire to create a perfect moral order.
1
What is the purpose of a social contract? Select the one correct answer. 1. To acknowledge and protect natural rights 2. To realize the will of God 3. To create natural rights
1
What was a major weakness of the Articles of Confederation? Select the one correct answer. 1. Congress could not enlist men for a national army. 2. Only the states could sign treaties. 3. Congress could not declare war without the approval of the state governments. 4. Congress could not establish departments within the institution.
1
What was one reason why it was necessary to replace the Articles of Confederation? Select the one correct answer. 1. The United States lacked the military forces to defend the new country. 2. The national government was so strong that it threatened the rights of citizens. 3. Countries refused to trade with the new country since the government was so weak. 4. The states did not have enough power.
1
Which is not an accurate example of checks and balances in the national government? Select the one correct answer. 1. Congress has the power to declare laws and actions by the executive branch as unconstitutional. 2. The Supreme Court can rule laws passed by Congress as unconstitutional. 3. The president can veto laws he or she disapproves of, and Congress can override a presidential veto. 4. Congress can refuse a request from the president for a declaration of war.
1
Which natural right was explicitly protected in the Declaration of Independence? Select the one correct answer. 1. Liberty 2. Property 3. Wealth 4. Voting
1
Which of these compromises were struck during the Constitutional Convention over how slaves would be counted in a state's population? Select the one correct answer. 1. The Three-Fifths Compromise 2. The Virginia Plan 3. The Fugitive Slave Clause 4. The Great Compromise
1
Which plan for representation in the national legislature advocated for the voice of less populous states? Select the one correct answer. 1. The New Jersey Plan 2. The New York Plan 3. The Connecticut Plan 4. The Virginia Plan
1
Which power did the national government have under the Articles of Confederation? Select the one correct answer. 1. To manage relationships with Indian tribes 2. To create an army and a navy 3. To have national courts practice judicial review 4. To enforce laws
1
Which was designed with a concern for the tyranny of factional majority? 1. The Constitution 2. The Bill of Rights 3. The Declaration of Independence 4. The Social Contract
1
Why was the inability to regulate trade among the states a weakness of the national government under the Articles of Confederation? Select the one correct answer. 1. It allowed the states to make their own agreements with countries without the national government knowing. 2. It prevented lower priced international goods from being sold in the United States. 3. It allowed foreign nations to undermine the national government by encouraging the individual states to declare independence and become their own countries. 4. The inability to regulate trade among the states was not weakness of the national government under the Articles of Confederation.
1
In what ways does Article I of the Constitution prevent the national government from engaging in taxation without representation? Select the two correct answers. 1. Both the House and Senate must approve of all revenue bills. 2. All bills to raise revenue must begin in the House of Representatives. 3. There are no mechanisms in place to limit taxation without representation. 4. It gives Congress the ability to borrow and coin money.
1, 2
Why did the Federalists want to make the national government as strong as possible? Select the two correct answers. 1. To build and maintain a strong economy. 2. To provide more protection for the United States against potential threats. 3. To provide the potential for the people to overtake the government. 4. To give the government enough power to take away individual freedoms.
1, 2
What best describes the ideas and beliefs of federal and state sovereignty in the Virginia Plan? Select the two correct answers. 1. Supporters of the Virginia Plan believed that a strong national government was vital to the success of the United States. 2. The Virginia Plan argued for a national government that had less sovereignty than state governments. 3. The Virginia Plan not only sought to give more representation to populous states, it also advocated for a national government that would legislate for the states. 4. Although the Virginia Plan differed from the New Jersey Plan in its idea of state representation, these plans had similar ideas for federal and state sovereignty.
1, 3
Why did the Anti-Federalists advocate for the addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution? Select the two correct answers. 1. To explicitly protect the rights of individuals. 2. To please the Federalists who wanted to make the government as strong as possible. 3. To provide a way for the national government to take advantage of the people. 4. To prevent tyranny over the people by the national government.
1, 4
What is the Enlightenment? Select the two correct answers. 1. The source of our ideas about natural rights. 2. A period of Western European history following the Middle Ages. 3. Where democratic government is invented. 4. A revival of Roman Catholicism.
1,2
Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Select the two correct answers. 1. The Articles gave the states too much authority. 2. The Articles limited the powers of the national government too much, making it weak and ineffective. 3. The Articles created a republican form of government. 4. The Articles created a bicameral legislature
1,2
What best describes the differences between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans in the role of federal and state sovereignty? Select the three correct answers. 1. Supporters of the New Jersey Plan believed that the states were best suited to represent the needs of the citizens while supporters of the Virginia Plan believed that effective representation could happen at the national level. 2. Supporters of the New Jersey Plan advocated for states to retain power over the national government while supporters of the Virginia Plan wanted the national government to legislate for the states and even veto laws passed by state legislatures. 3. The Virginia Plan advocated for more powers for the central government. 4. The Virginia and New Jersey Plans only differed in their ideas for appropriate representation in the national legislature; they agreed on the ideas of appropriate federal and state sovereignty.
1,2,3
After the Articles of Confederation went into effect, how was the British government able to continue impacting what would happen in the United States? Select the three correct answers. 1. The British government was able to form individual relationships with the states. 2. The British government was able to put pressure on the states through its occupation of land west of the United States. 3. The British government did not seek to interact with the United States government after it gained independence. 4. The British government could refuse to accept the currency of the United States as a means to pay off any lingering debts.
1,2,4
How did the inability to regulate trade among the states prove to be a weakness for the United States? Select the three correct answers. 1. The inability to regulate trade allowed the states to make their own agreements with other countries without the national government's knowing. 2. The national government had no power to regulate the price of goods. 3. Too many officials became caught up in trade regulation and didn't fulfill their assigned duties. 4. Many local farmers and business owners could not survive in the economy under the Articles of Confederation.
1,2,4
Ultimately, why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Select the three correct answers. 1. It harmed the international reputation of the United States. 2. It weakened the economy of the United States. 3. It gave too much power to the national government and not enough power to the states. 4. It weakened the powers of the national government too much.
1,2,4
Which statement describes characteristics of a social contract? Select the three correct answers. 1. A definition of human nature 2. A collective expression of a collectively shared interest 3. A manifestation of the will of God 4. A specification of natural rights
1,2,4
Why was the inability of the national government to tax a weakness of the Articles of Confederation? Select the three correct answers. 1. The currency of the United States became worthless. 2. Being unable to tax often left the national government underfunded. 3. People who used other countries' currency instead of U.S. currency began to feel less "American." 4. Foreign countries did not want to lend or trade with the national government.
1,2,4
How do checks and balances keep the branches of government from abusing its power? Select the two correct answers. 1. Checks and balances allow each branch of government the ability to restrict other branches of government. 2. Checks and balances require the national government to run a balanced budget every year. 3. Checks and balances require the different branches of government to work together
1,3
The power to draft soldiers under the Articles of Confederation required the national government to do which of the following? Select the two correct answers. 1. Appoint senior officials 2. Create a system of sharing troops with the individual states 3. Ask each state to send troops any time they wanted to engage in war 4. Set entry requirements of the national army
1,3
What type of rights are contained in the Bill of Rights? Select the two correct answers. 1. The Bill of Rights contains natural rights. 2. The Bill of Rights contains objective rights. 3. The Bill of Rights contains procedural rights. 4. The Bill of Rights contains consensus rights.
1,3
Which statements are true about natural rights? (Choose the two correct answers.) 1. They impart an equality of being among all people. 2. They compel the creation of democratic government. 3. They let you do what you need to survive and be secure. 4. They are given by the government and not God.
1,3
Why does the Enlightenment influence American politics and government? Select the three correct answers. 1. Ideas of the Enlightenment frame the colonists' response to British violations of natural rights. 2. The colonists are attracted to the idea of the divine right of kings. 3. Those immigrating to the American colonies are attracted to the Enlightenment's ideas of liberty and property. 4. The colonists have a long history of self-government, consistent with the Enlightenment's ideas about government by consent.
1,3,4
Which ideas are embodied in the Declaration of Independence? Select the two correct answers. 1. The natural rights of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness 2. The ideas of Thomas Hobbes 3. The purpose of government is to secure justice for all people 4. The idea that governments are created by people to protect their natural rights
1,4
Why is it important to know what the quality of life is like in the state of nature? Select the two correct answers. 1. It explains the incentive for working cooperatively with others. 2. It provides the basis for a measure of human progress. 3. It provides a utopian goal for society to try and realize. 4. It helps to frame the type of social contract that is needed to make individual life better.
1,4
Even though the national government had the power to declare war under the Articles of Confederation, why was the power limited and ultimately ineffective? Select the one correct answer. 1. There was no chief executive who could determine a strategy for fighting wars. 2. There was no national army, so the national government had to rely on the individual states to allow their soldiers to participate. 3. Individual states had the power to disagree with the national government and overrule their decision to go to war. 4. There was no money to cover the costs of war.
2
How did creating a republican form of government in the United States ease the fears of the national government becoming too powerful? Select one correct answer. 1. Republican government permitted little authority for the states. 2. Republican government rested political power in the hands of the people. 3. Republican government allowed for one political party to control the laws and policies. 4. Republican government gave a majority of the power to the national government.
2
Select the one correct answer. In Federalist no. 51, Madison argues for the division of government authority to each branch of government. What is this known as? 1. Equal protection 2. Separation of powers 3. A mixed regime 4. Non-eminent domains
2
Select the one correct answer. Resting at the heart of the debate over the Virginia and New Jersey plans was: 1. The possibility that new states would be created, thus shifting political power within the system westward. 2. A disagreement over the national government being representative of the people or of the states. 3. An argument over the desirability of westward expansion. 4. A concern over the adequacy of the new nation's ability to fend off foreign invasion.
2
Select the one correct answer. The most important structural outcome of the Great Compromise was: 1. The concession to admit new states into the Union on terms equal to existing states. 2. The creation of a bicameral national legislature, with each chamber representing a different type of political actor. 3. The establishment of a single, rather than a multiple, executive. 4. The shifting of political authority from the large states to the small states.
2
Select the one correct answer. The motivation for those who introduced and promoted the Virginia Plan was: 1. To protect the institution of slavery. 2. To shift more power to the national government. 3. To more firmly entrench the confederal nature of the national government 4. To assert a need for greater state cooperation in the face of foreign threats.
2
Select the one correct answer. To reinforce the representational differences in the national bicameral legislature, the Great Compromise required that: 1. One representative of one chamber be selected in odd-number years, and the other in even-numbered years. 2. Members of the House of Representatives be selected by the voters, and members of the Senate be selected by the state legislatures. 3. No two representatives for a state come from the same city or township. 4. No property qualifications be imposed for members of the House of Representatives, but significant property qualifications be imposed for Senators.
2
Select the one correct answer. The Anti-Federalist insistence on a Bill of Rights resulted from: 1. A concern that propertied elites would use government to suppress American's middle and lower classes. 2. The view that the Constitution offered little protection for liberty or natural rights. 3. A belief that the slave-based economy of the Southern states was in jeopardy. 4. A worry that state governments would act to restrict individual liberty and suppress natural rights.
2
The Three-Fifths Compromise worked to: 1. Restrict the enumerated taxing power of the national government. 2. Increase the representation of Southern states in the House of Representatives. 3. Require a 60% majority vote to approve a bill in the Senate. 4. Prohibit the further importation of slaves into the United States.
2
Under the terms of the original Constitution, what would happen to a slave who escaped and fled to another state? Select the one correct answer. 1. Runaway slaves would be free unless they ever returned to the state from which they had escaped. 2. Runaway slaves could be reclaimed by their owners and taken back. 3. Runaway slaves that cross state lines would be assigned to a new owner in the state in which they were apprehended. 4. Runaway slaves would be put to death if they fled across state lines.
2
What concern did "separation of powers" address during the Constitutional Convention? Select the one correct answer. 1. The concern was that the national government would engage in taxation without representation. 2. The concern was that increasing the power of the national government would allow it to become too powerful. 3. The concern was that the larger more populous states would not give smaller states a voice in the government. 4. The concern was that the Southern states would not have enough representation in the national government.
2
What debate did the Great Compromise settle so that the Constitutional Convention could continue? Select the one correct answer. 1. The Great Compromise settled the debate between the delegates who wanted to increase the powers of the national government and those who wanted to maintain state sovereignty. 2. The Great Compromise settled the debate between the large states and small states over state representation in the legislative branch. 3. The Great Compromise settled the debate between northern and southern states over how slaves would be counted in regards to a state population for the purpose of representation in Congress. 4. The Great Compromise settled the debate between northern and southern states over whether or not slavery would continue in the United States.
2
What does the power of judicial review permit the courts to do? Select the one correct answer. 1. Overturn an act of Congress if it is unpopular with the public 2. Determine the constitutionality of a Congressional Act 3. Remove presidential appointees from office for wrongdoing 4. Release individuals wrongly convicted of a crime
2
Which constitutional mechanism discussed in Federalist, no. 51 discusses the powers that each branches of government has in order to impact how the other branches of government operate? Select the one correct answer. 1. The Bill of Rights 2. Checks and balances 3. Representative government 4. Separation of powers
2
Which of these are powers of the national government under the Articles of Confederation? Select one correct answer. 1. The power to enforce laws 2. The power to declare war 3. The power to tax 4. The power to declare laws passed by other states as invalid
2
Which of these describes the theory of the social contract? Select the one correct answer. 1. Society was created by God. 2. Society is not natural, but created by the people. 3. The people do not control society, but society controls the people. 4. We must accept society as it is since it was naturally created.
2
Which statement is true concerning the powers of the president as chief diplomat? Select the one correct answer. 1. The president has the power to approve treaties. 2. The president is in charge of negotiating treaties. 3. The president alone determines who will be U.S. ambassadors. 4. Congress has more power in foreign policy than the president.
2
Who has the most important role in foreign policy? Select the one correct answer. 1. Congress 2. The president 3. The president and Congress equally 4. The Supreme Court
2
Why did the Anti-Federalists want the government to remain closer to the people? Select the two correct answers. 1. To keep the national government from realigning with the British government. 2. To keep the wealthy elites from having complete power. 3. To prevent the possibility of government tyranny.
2, 3
What conditions are required for a social contract to work? Select the two correct answers. 1. A commitment to toleration 2. Uniformity of ability and purpose among those who agree to the social contract 3. Consensus among those whom the social contract applies to 4. The desire for a utopian society among those who want the social contract
2,3
What powers does Congress possess? Select the two correct answers. 1. The power to convict individuals of crimes 2. The power to declare war 3. The power (by the Senate) to pass treaties with a two-thirds majority vote 4. The power to enforce laws
2,3
Which statements are true concerning the state of nature? Select the two correct answers. 1. Describes the relationship between human beings and animals. 2. Is a thought experiment upon which a definition of proper society and government are built 3. Permits a philosophical definition of human nature. 4. Suggests that human beings are naturally social
2,3
What are specific powers given to Congress in Article I of the Constitution? Select the three correct answers. 1. The power to declare laws and actions unconstitutional 2. The power to declare war 3. The power to tax 4. The power to regulate trade and commerce
2,3,4
What powers did the national government have under the Articles of Confederation? Select the three correct answers. 1. The power to declare laws passed by other states as invalid 2. The power to declare war 3. The power to borrow and coin money 4. The power to settle disputes among different states
2,3,4
In what key ways does the Constitution differ from the Declaration of Independence? Select the two correct answers. 1. The Constitution expands the list of natural rights. 2. The Constitution makes justice more important than liberty. 3. The Constitution elevates the rights of property. 4. The Constitution is more concerned with controlling rather than expressing the popular will.
2,4
In what way is the state of nature important for constructing a social contract? Select the two correct answers. 1. The state of nature is fictional and offers nothing meaningful for constructing a social contract. 2. The state of nature gives definition to what it means to be human. 3. The state of nature offers an ideal in which a social contract should seek to emulate. 4. The state of nature gives definition to natural rights.
2,4
During the Constitutional Convention, how did the Virginia Plan differ from the New Jersey Plan? Select the one correct answer. 1. The New Jersey Plan wanted to abolish slavery, while the Virginia Plan wanted to keep it. 2. The New Jersey Plan wanted a legislature in which states received representation in proportion to the size of their population, while the Virginia plan wanted a legislature that gave each state equal representation, regardless of the size of its population. 3. The Virginia Plan wanted a legislature in which states received representation in proportion to the size of their population, while the New Jersey plan wanted a legislature that gave each state equal representation, regardless of the size of its population. 4. The Virginia Plan wanted a unicameral legislature, while the New Jersey Plan wanted a bicameral legislature.
3
How was slavery involved in the Constitutional Convention? Select the one correct answer. 1. The Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery was passed so that all enslaved children in the United States would become indentured children to be set free at the age of 28. 2. The North and South viewed slave inclusion in a state's population similarly. 3. Representatives from the North were adamant that slaves not be counted towards a state's population while Southerners insisted that they be counted.
3
On which branch of government does the Constitution provide the most detail as it relates to powers? Select the one correct answer. 1. The Electoral College 2. The judiciary 3. Congress 4. The president
3
Select the one correct answer. The name of the series of essays published beginning in 1787 that argued in support of a strong federal government and the ratification of the Constitution was: 1. The Pentagon Papers 2. The Brutus Papers 3. The Federalist Papers 4. The Publius Papers
3
Select the one correct answer. As a compromise to win support for ratification of the Constitution from the Anti-Federalists, the Federalists agreed to: 1. To allow presidents to suspend habeas corpus rights in peacetime. 2. Appoint a slate of Anti-Federalist judges to the Supreme Court. 3. Add a bill of rights to the Constitution. 4. Decrease the power of the judicial branch.
3
Several mechanisms were put into place to satisfy the fears of those who felt that if the Constitution gave the national government more power, it would be able to abuse its power and the rights of the people. Which is not one of those mechanisms? Select the one correct answer. 1. Checks and balances 2. Separation of powers 3. The Supremacy Clause 4. The veto
3
What area of trade does Congress control? Select the one correct answer. 1. Congress can only regulate international trade. 2. Congress controls trade within the states. 3. Congress controls all international and interstate trade. 4. Congress controls only domestic trade.
3
What effect did the Fugitive Slave Clause (Clause 3, Article IV of the Constitution) have? Select the one correct answer. 1. It allowed runaway slaves to apply for amnesty if they reached states that were North of Virginia. 2. It limited the ability of slave owners to retrieve slaves who had left the United States. 3. It allowed slave owners to reclaim their slaves even if they fled to other states. 3. It limited the ability of slave owners to retrieve slaves who had left their state to flee to another state.
3
Which Constitutional principle, suggested by Montesquieu, lessens the potential harm of the national government over the people? Select the one correct answer. 1. A bicameral legislature 2. Separation of powers 3. Natural Rights 4. Checks and balances
3
Which is not a reason James Madison found it necessary to write Federalist, no. 10? Select the one correct answer. 1. To address the fears of the Anti-Federalists who were suspicious of a government run by elites 2. To get more states to support ratification of the Constitution 3. To make states understand that factions did not have to exist under a strong national government 4. To inform the states that factions could be contained by a representative government
3
Which of the following accurately describes the outcome of the Great Compromise? Select the one correct answer. 1. The Great Compromise created a confederation. 2. The Great Compromise created a compromise over the issue of slavery. 3. The Great Compromise created a bicameral legislature. 4. The Great Compromise created a unicameral legislature.
3
Which of these options helped the Federalists gain more support for their theories of a representative government with increased national powers? Select the one correct answer. 1. The Anti-Federalist Decree 2. The Second Treatise on Government 3. The Federalist Papers 4. The Declaration of Independence
3
Which system of government allows states to retain most of their power and authority while delegating few defined powers to the national government? Select the one correct answer. 1. A federal system 2. A monarchy 3. A confederation 4. An oligarchy
3
Why did the Articles of Confederation provide for such a weak national government? Select the one correct answer. 1. The country was destitute after winning the American Revolution. 2. Foreign powers provided money for those opposing a strong national government so the new country would be weak. 3. The colonists/citizens of the United States were afraid of a strong central government. 4. The writers of the Articles wanted a government as strong as Britain.
3
Why did the founding fathers provide so little detail for the judiciary? Select the one correct answer. 1. The Founding Fathers provided little detail for the judiciary because they were uncertain about what a national court system would be. 2. The Founding Fathers provided little detail for the judiciary so that Congress could provide all the necessary details that were left out of the Constitution. 3. The Founding Fathers provided little detail for the judiciary because they understood the role of courts and the judicial system from the English system and the colonial period. 4. The Founding Fathers provided little detail for the judiciary because they wanted to keep the judiciary similar to that which existed under the Articles of Confederation.
3
Why was limiting the powers of the national government under the Articles of Confederation a major concern? Select the one correct answer. 1. It guaranteed that the Articles of Confederation would only be a temporary document. 2. It did not create an institution to print money. 3. It maintained the sovereignty of state governments.
3
Why were foreign governments reluctant to loan money to the United States during the time of the Articles of Confederation? Select the one correct answer. 1. Foreign governments feared the perception of "taxation without representation." 2. Foreign governments were not reluctant to loan money to the United States and embraced forming monetary agreements with the national government. 3. Since the national government lacked the ability to tax its citizens, foreign governments feared that the national government would not be able to repay the loans. 4. Foreign governments feared that they would be attacked by the British government for loaning money to the United States after the American Revolution.
3
Why were the powers of the national government severely limited under the Articles of Confederation? Select the one correct answer. 1. To prevent the states from feeling alienated from the national government. 2. To create a government that would only have the ability to function for a limited amount of time. 3. To prevent the national government from becoming too powerful or abusing the rights of individual citizens and states. 4. To give the national government a layer of protection against the desires of the citizens.
3
How do conflicting ideas of the Enlightenment influence American government and politics? Select the two correct answers. 1. The conflict among ideas leads to an increasingly undemocratic system of government. 2. The conflict between popular government and the separation of powers creates an ideal balance of interests. 3. The Constitution sets up a system of government that isn't favorable to the democratic expression of the popular will. 4. The protection of private property can interfere with the government's dealing with important social needs.
3,4
Select the one correct answer. The Constitution's demotion of liberty, and lack of protections for natural rights, suggests the framers were what? 1. Fearful the new national government would be subject to insurrection by disgruntled Anti-federalists. 2. Worried that expressing certain rights would serve to legitimize the institution of slavery. 3. Hostile towards the interests of individuals. 4. More interested in the practicalities of government.
4
Select the one correct answer. The Constitution's first three articles create separate legislative, executive and judicial branches, is consistent with: 1. Jean Jacques Rousseau's belief that those without property would attempt to take it from those who do have it 2. The framers' overall distrust in government 3. John Locke's views about the nature of liberty and how it fits into the social contract 4. Montesquieu's theory for the separation of political power.
4
Select the one correct answer. As a "check" on the power of Congress to pass laws, the president was given the power to: 1. Confirm justices to the Supreme Court. 2. Declare war. 3. Declare laws unconstitutional. 4. Veto legislation.
4
Select the one correct answer. As a "check" on the power of the Supreme Court, Congress has the power to: 1. Grant pardons to people who members of Congress think are innocent. 2. Nominate justices to the Supreme Court. 3. Override a Supreme Court decision (with a 2/3 majority in the House and Senate). 4. Increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court.
4
Select the one correct answer. The Great Compromise sought to balance: 1. The differing interests between a minority of economic elites and a majority of people with middle- and low-incomes. 2. The sectional interests of Northern and Southern states. 3. Competing economic interests of an urban industrial sector and a rural agricultural sector. 4. The ideological differences over representation of the people or of the states.
4
What are social contracts constructed to be compatible with? Select the one correct answer. 1. Ordinary Rights and Government Rights 2. Nature and God 3. Direct and Representative Democracies 4. Human Nature and Natural Rights
4
What was the basis of representation in Congress under the Articles of Confederation? Select the one correct answer. 1. Each state was allowed only two members. 2. States were given representation based on population. 3. States had equal representation in the upper house and representation based on population in the lower house. 4. Each state had one vote in the Congress.
4
Which Constitutional change was not advocated by the Federalists? Select the one correct answer. 1. Senators elected by state legislatures 2. The power of the national government to collect taxes 3. One national currency 4. The addition of the Bill of Rights
4
Which Constitutional mechanism, suggested by Montesquieu, balances the national government and prevents any one section of government from having sole/complete power? Select the one correct answer. 1. Natural rights 2. Separation of powers 3. A bicameral legislature 4. Checks and balances
4
Which check limits the power of Congressional law-making? Select the one correct answer. 1. The need for approval by the states is a limitation to Congressional law-making. 2. Pre-approval by federal courts is a limitation to Congressional law-making. 3. The need for a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress is a limitation to Congressional law-making. 4. The president's power to veto is a limitation to Congressional law-making.
4
Which entity has the power to execute laws passed by Congress? Select the one correct answer. 1. The judiciary has the power to execute laws. 2. Congress and the president jointly executive the laws that are passed. 3. The states are always involved in the execution of laws. 4. The president and officials in the executive branch are in charge of executing the laws passed by Congress.
4
Which is not a reason James Madison found it necessary to write Federalist, no. 51? Select the one correct answer. 1. Madison wrote Federalist, no. 51 to explain that each branch of government would be given its own degree of independence as a way to prevent tyranny. 2. Madison wrote Federalist, no. 51 to address the fears of the Anti-Federalists who believed that increasing the powers of the national government would leave room for the government to abuse its power and people. 3. Madison wrote Federalist, no. 51 to get more states to support the Constitution. 4. Madison wrote Federalist, no. 51 to make states understand that there was no way to prevent the government from becoming tyrannical and abusing its people.
4
Which of the following arguments would be more likely to be advanced by an Anti-Federalist? Select the one correct answer. 1.In a large republic, factions would have a difficult time taking control of the government. 2. Effective governance requires a strong executive branch in the federal government. 3. Only the federal government could lay out roads and other infrastructure to facilitate trade across state lines. 4. In small republics, similarities among members of the community lead them to similar issue positions, making it easier for elected officials to represent the views of their constituents.
4
Which of the following groups would have been least likely to support ratification of the Constitution? Select the one correct answer. 1. The wealthy 2. Former military commanders 3. Businessmen and merchants 4. Small farmers and planters
4
Which of the following protects Locke's idea of natural rights and provides Montesquieu's protections known as due process of law? Select the one correct answer. 1. The Declaration of Independence 2. The Constitution 3. The Articles of Confederation 4. The Bill of Rights
4
Which of these beliefs would have been least likely to be held by a Federalist at the time the Constitution was being developed? Select the one correct answer. 1. A belief in a strong executive who could quickly make decisions 2. A belief that the national government should have its own court system 3. A belief in the need for a strong centralized government 4. A belief that the Constitution should not be ratified
4
Which of these powers does the president hold? Select the one correct answer. 1. The power to declare war 2. The power to select members of state legislatures 3. The power to pass laws when Congress fails to do so 4. The power to grant pardons
4
Which plan for representation argued for greater representation for the more populous states? Select the one correct answer. 1. The Connecticut Plan 2. The New Jersey Plan 3. The New York Plan 4. The Virginia Plan
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Why did the United States have currency problems under the Articles of Confederation? Select the one correct answer. 1. The new government could not create a currency. 2. The new government could not borrow money. 3. There was no paper currency. 4. The new government had to rely on states to provide funds for backing a currency and paying back loans.
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Why was it so difficult to change the Articles of Confederation? Select the one correct answer. 1. The Articles of Confederation were only an experiment so changing them would ruin the results. 2. The Articles of Confederation required two-thirds of the states to approve changes. 3. The Articles of Confederation specifically stated that they were not to be changed. 4. The Articles of Confederation required unanimous consent by all the states for any changes.
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Why was the national government given power to regulate trade with the Native Americans under the Articles of Confederation? Select the one correct answer. 1. Because Native American territories were considered states so any boundary disputes had to be settled by the national government. 2. Because Native Americans used the national currency, they had to negotiate all trade agreements directly with the national government. 3. The national government did not have the power to regulate trade with Native Americans, only state governments had this power. 4. Because Native Americans were not considered citizens of the United States and were treated as foreign nations.
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