American Government Straighterline Test 1
How was the power of the states restricted by the Fourteenth Amendment? -States were required to give all citizens due process before depriving them of life, liberty, or property. -States were required to treat all citizens equally before the law. -States were required to grant to people the same protections against the abuses of state government that the Bill of Rights gave them against abuse by the federal government. -All of the above
-All of the above
How many states must ratify an amendment to the Constitution before it becomes law? -Amendments must be ratified by a simple majority of the states (26 states) before they become law. -Amendments must be ratified by two-thirds of the states before they become law. -Amendments must be ratified by 75 percent of the states. -Amendments must be ratified by all 50 states before they become law.
-Amendments must be ratified by 75 percent of the states.
In which of the following ways did the Framers make it possible for the American people to participate in government? -Americans were allowed to vote directly on laws proposed by Congress. -Americans were allowed to vote for senators from the time of the Constitution's ratification. -Americans were allowed to elect members of the House of Representatives from the time of the Constitution's ratification. -The Framers allowed the president to be popularly elected by the American people.
-Americans were allowed to elect members of the House of Representatives from the time of the Constitution's ratification
Where did Americans get the idea for a legislature with two chambers? -Roman republic -British parliamentary system -the Council of 500 -Athenian democracy
-British parliamentary system
Which of the following features of the American form of government was also characteristic of government in BOTH the Athenian democracy and the Roman republic? -Citizens have the right to vote. -Citizens elect representatives to make the laws for them. -Leaders may serve for only limited amounts of time. -All of the above
-Citizens have the right to vote.
What does the Supremacy Clause do? -The Supremacy Clause gives the president the right to veto bills passed by Congress. -In the event of a conflict between state and federal law, the Supremacy Clause says that federal law wins out. -The Supremacy Clause gives states the right to refuse to obey federal laws with which they disagree. -The Supremacy Clause gives the federal government powers beyond those specifically granted to it in the Constitution.
-In the event of a conflict between state and federal law, the Supremacy Clause says that federal law wins out.
Where does power rest in a federal system of government? -Power is divided between the national government and state governments. -Power rests with state governments, and the national government has no power. -Power rests with the national government, and the states have no power. -Power rests with state governments, and the national government has limited powers given to it by the states for administrative purposes.
-Power is divided between the national government and state governments.
How much power do states have in a confederacy? -Power is equally divided between state governments and the national government, but in cases of conflict, the states are more powerful. -Power is equally divided between state governments and the national government, but in cases of conflict, the national government is more powerful. -Power rests with the states. -Power rests with the national government.
-Power rests with the states.
Which of the following is a way in which the power of the president may be checked by the other branches? -The Supreme Court can remove the president from office. -The Senate can vote to impeach the president, and the House of Representative can find him guilty. -The Senate has the right approve presidential appointments of ambassadors and Supreme Court justices. -Congress may veto the president's action.
-The Senate has the right approve presidential appointments of ambassadors and Supreme Court justices.
How have those who favor gun control tried to use a strict construction of the Second Amendment (the right to bear arms) to limit gun ownership? -They have argued that the exact wording of the Second Amendment says that people may have shotguns but not handguns. -They have argued that the exact wording of the Second Amendment says that people may not have guns for self-defense. -They have argued that the exact wording of the Second Amendment specifies that Americans may bear arms if they are part of a militia. -They have argued that the exact wording of the Second Amendment says that only law enforcement officers may have guns.
-They have argued that the exact wording of the Second Amendment specifies that Americans may bear arms if they are part of a militia.
What did the Framers do in 1789 to address fears that the Constitution made the national government too powerful? -They reduced the amount of time that presidents could hold office before having to run for reelection. -They wrote the Bill of Rights to protect the liberties of Americans. -They gave states the right to sue the national government. -They took away the right of the national government to impose taxes
-They wrote the Bill of Rights to protect the liberties of Americans.
Which of the following characteristics of a republican form of government are also characteristic of the American system of government? -limits placed on the power of government -the use of the powers of one branch of government to limit the ------powers of other branches of government -the election of leaders -all of the above
-all of the above
Which of the following is a recently proposed amendment to the Constitution? -an amendment to prohibit the burning of the American flag -an amendment to require that all students stay in school until they are 18 -an amendment to raise the voting age to 30 -an amendment to raise the drinking age to 30
-an amendment to prohibit the burning of the American flag
Which of the following is an example of an issue on which state governments and the federal government have adopted different positions? -the necessity of providing public education to children -qualifications for air traffic controllers -allowing individuals to consume alcoholic beverages when they reach age 21 -reproductive rights
-reproductive rights
Which of the following protections from the American Bill of Rights comes from the English Bill of Rights? -freedom of the press -right to bear arms -freedom of religion -freedom of assembly
-right to bear arms
What is general revenue sharing? -the granting to the states of federal funds that the states must use for a specific purpose determined by the federal government -the granting of funds to the states to reward them for complying with federal law -the granting to the states of federal funds that the states may use for any purpose that they wish -the denial of federal funds to the states if states do not comply with federal law
-the granting to the states of federal funds that the states may use for any purpose that they wish
Which of the following is an example of how a federal system of government promotes equality among citizens? -A federal system of government allows states to make laws regarding certain issues. Therefore, some states might deny their residents the right to do things that other states allow their residents to do. -The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) prevented states from extending equal protection to same-sex couples. -A federal system of government gives the national government the power to require state governments to grant their residents the same protections against abuse by government. -all of the above
A federal system of government gives the national government the power to require state governments to grant their residents the same protections against abuse by government
What is the difference between strict construction and loose construction of the Constitution? -A strict construction of the Constitution allows people to interpret the document as they please. A loose construction of the Constitution requires that people give the document the meaning that the Framers wanted it to have. -A strict construction of the Constitution attempts to determine the intention of the Framers when writing the document. A loose construction of the Constitution gives the document the meaning that will be most popular with people today. -A strict construction of the Constitution relies on the exact wording of the document to determine its meaning. A loose construction of the Constitution relies upon the goal that those who wrote the Constitution hoped to accomplish with the document. -A strict construction of the Constitution relies upon previous interpretations of the Constitution to determine its meaning. A loose construction of the Constitution ignores previous interpretations of the Constitution.
A strict construction of the Constitution relies on the exact wording of the document to determine its meaning. A loose construction of the Constitution relies upon the goal that those who wrote the Constitution hoped to accomplish with the document.
Which of the following characteristics of the American system of government makes it different from a dictatorship? -In the United States, political power is held by all the people. -In the United States, laws protect people from abuse by the government. -In the United States, the nation's leader is elected and may be voted out of office in a legitimate election. -All of the above
All of the above
What is the difference between enumerated powers and reserved powers? -Enumerated powers may be exercised only by the federal government. Reserved powers may be exercised only by the states. -Enumerated powers are powers that may be exercised by both the federal government and state governments. Reserved powers are powers exercised by state governments. -Enumerated powers are those powers specifically given to the federal government in the Constitution. Implied powers are powers that may be exercised by the states. -Enumerated powers may be exercised only by the states. Reserved powers may be exercised only by the federal government.
Enumerated powers may be exercised only by the federal government. Reserved powers may be exercised only by the states
What is the difference between a federal system of government and a unitary system of government? -In a federal system of government, the national government has all the power and states have none. In a unitary system of government, states govern themselves, but states give some powers to the national government to handle matters such as national defense and foreign affairs. -In a federal system of government, power is shared by the national government and state governments. In a unitary system of government, the national government has all the power, and state governments have only those powers given to them by the national government. -In a unitary system of government, power is shared by the national government and state governments. In a federal system of government, the national government has all the power, and state governments have only those powers given to them by the national government. -In a federal system of government, citizens' rights are protected by the national government. In a unitary system of government, citizens' rights are protected by state governments.
In a federal system of government, power is shared by the national government and state governments. In a unitary system of government, the national government has all the power, and state governments have only those powers given to them by the national government.
What is a unitary system of government? -In a unitary system of government, the national government has all the power and states have only those powers that the national government allows them to have. -In a unitary system of government, power is divided between the national government and the states. -In a unitary system of government, state governments have the majority of the power and the national government has only those powers that the states allow it to exercise. -In a unitary system of government, there is no national government, and the states govern themselves.
In a unitary system of government, the national government has all the power and states have only those powers that the national government allows them to have.
Which of the following characteristics of the American system of government is a characteristic of a democratic form of government? -In the United States, people are allowed to vote regardless of wealth or social class. -Every November, American voters elect people to the House of Representatives and the Senate to make laws for them. -The candidate chosen by the Electoral College becomes president even if another candidate receives the majority of Americans' votes. -The U.S. president can only be elected to office twice.
In the United States, people are allowed to vote regardless of wealth or social class.
The American practice of allowing people to choose their religious affiliation comes from __________. -John Locke -the Athenian democracy -the English Bill of Rights -the Roman republic
John Locke John Locke, with a few exceptions, believed that governments should not force people to belong to a particular religion.
Which of the following is a characteristic of a democracy? -Only those people hold political power who have wealth or social class. -Political power belongs to all people, and they may participate directly in government. -The leader comes to power through unfair elections or by force. -Citizens choose representatives to make and enforce the laws for them.
Political power belongs to all people, and they may participate directly in government
How does the doctrine of original intent differ from the idea of a living Constitution? -The doctrine of original intent says that the Constitution cannot be amended. The idea of a living Constitution says that the Constitution should be amended to change with the times. -The doctrine of original intent says that when interpreting the Constitution, one should attempt to determine what the Framers intended when writing the document. The idea of a living Constitution says that when interpreting the Constitution, one should take into account the way in which society has changed since the document was written. -The doctrine of original intent says that when interpreting the Constitution one should rely on the manner in which courts have interpreted it over the years. The idea of a living Constitution says that one should ignore earlier interpretations of the document. -The doctrine of original intent says that the Constitution should be interpreted as one wishes. The idea of a living Constitution says that the Constitution should be interpreted in a way that will win the support of current public opinion.
The doctrine of original intent says that when interpreting the Constitution, one should attempt to determine what the Framers intended when writing the document. The idea of a living Constitution says that when interpreting the Constitution, one should take into account the way in which society has changed since the document was written.
The rallying cry of the American Revolution, "no taxation without representation," is reflected in which of the following grievances against the British government listed in the Declaration of Independence? -The king has "obstructed the Administration of Justice." -The king has "plundered our seas." -The king has "impos[ed] taxes on us without our consent." -The king has "cu[t] off our Trade with all parts of the world."
The king has "impos[ed] taxes on us without our consent."
Which of the following was a problem with the Articles of Confederation? -It was too easy to change the law, so there was no consistency in government. -The national government taxed the states too much. -The government was too powerful, and states resented this. -The national government could not regulate commerce.
The national government could not regulate commerce.
What is the states' rights position? -State legislatures should choose senators and members of the House of Representatives instead of allowing people to vote for them. -The federal government is supreme, and states have only those rights that the federal government allows them to have. -The states are sovereign and do not have to obey federal laws with which they disagree. -It is the responsibility of the federal government to protect those who have been deprived of their rights by state governments.
The states are sovereign and do not have to obey federal laws with which they disagree.
In what way can having a federal system of government lead to inequality among citizens? -Under a federal system of government, states may pass laws that deprive their residents of certain rights enjoyed by citizens who live in other states so long as those laws are not in violation of the laws of the federal government. -Under a federal system of government, the federal government can give rights to citizens who live in some states and deny those same rights to citizens who live in different states. -Under a federal system of government, people who become citizens after immigrating to the United States from other countries have fewer rights than people who are born citizens of the United States. -All of the above
Under a federal system of government, states may pass laws that deprive their residents of certain rights enjoyed by citizens who live in other states so long as those laws are not in violation of the laws of the federal government.
When interpreting the meaning of the Constitution, a person favors -_________________________________________________________________________ if he or she believes it is important to take into consideration how society has changed since the Constitution was written
a living constitution
What kind of person would be most likely to rule in a theocracy? a king a dictator an elected president a religious leader
a religious leader A society in which religious leaders hold power is a theocracy.
A power that may be exercised by a state is ___________________________________
a reserved or concurrent power
The federal government's giving additional power to the states, especially to manage federally funded programs, is known as -______________________________________________
devolution
In what kind of government does a ruler abuse people and deprive them of their rights? democracy dictatorship republic oligarchy
dictatorship
When interpreting the meaning of the Constitution, a person favors -_____________________________________________________ if he or she believes it is important to determine what the Framers wanted the Constitution to do.
doctrine of original intent
When states combine in their attempt to force the federal government to change laws that they believe are unconstitutional, this is called -______________________________ .
interposition
When interpreting the meaning of the Constitution, a person favors -____________________________________________ if he or she believes that one should consider the intent of the document instead of on the document's exact wording.
loose construction
Which of the following types of government takes it name from Greek words for "rule of the few"? oligarchy democracy monarchy republic
oligarchy Oligarchy means "rule of the few."
In what kind of government are laws made by the elected representatives of the people? republic theocracy democracy dictatorship
republic The elected representatives of the people make the laws in a republic.
The idea in the U.S. Bill of Rights that citizens should be protected from cruel forms of punishment comes from__________________________________
the English Bill of Rights
What is devolution? -the ability of state governments to reject federal laws that they find unconstitutional -the denial of funds to the states by the federal government to force the states to comply with national government policy -the ability of the federal government to overturn state laws -the granting to the states of additional powers by the federal government, especially the power to administer federally funded programs
the granting to the states of additional powers by the federal government, especially the power to administer federally funded programs
Which of the following is an example of a grant of power to the president of the United States? -the power to declare war -the power to declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional -the power to impose taxes -the power to command the armed forces in a time of war
the power to command the armed forces in a time of war