AP Gov Unit 1

Which of the following actions by the federal government best illustrates the concept of unfunded mandates?

Requiring states and municipalities to provide certain services for their citizens without providing resources to pay for those services

Which of the following is a chief argument in James Madison's Federalist No. 10?

a large, diverse republic will tame the mischief of factions

In the early part of the twenty-first century, public opinion polls showed that a majority of Americans believed it should be illegal to burn the American flag. As a result, many members of Congress introduced amendments to make it illegal to burn or desecrate the American flag. However, these efforts have been unsuccessful. Which of the following statements best explains why these efforts have been unsuccessful?

The framers made the amendment process difficult in order to protect individual rights

In the McCulloch v Maryland decision, which two provisions of the Constitution were upheld and strengthened?

The necessary and proper clause and the supremacy clause

As a compromise, the framers agreed on a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives elected by popular vote within states and the Senate selected by state legislatures. The direct election methods conforms most to which of the following democratic ideals?

Government should be based on the consent of the governed

Which of the following is an example of checks and balances, as established by the Constitution?

The requirement that presidential appointments to the Supreme Court be approved by the Senate

Which of the following features of the United States Constitution would most concern the author of Brutus 1?

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

The Declaration of Independence cites specific reasons for separating from British rule, including the British imposing taxes and maintaining a standing army without consent. Which of the following principles or ideals would these grievances be most related to?

Natural rights, such as life, liberty, and property

In McCulloch v. Maryland , the Supreme Court established which of the following principles?

States cannot interfere with or tax the legitimate activities of the federal government

Which of the following clauses in the Constitution justifies the "implied powers doctrine" ?

The necessary and proper clause

All of the following issues were decided at the Constitutional Convention EXCEPT

Voting qualifications of the electorate

Which of the following cases expanded the powers of Congress by defining the necessary and proper clause more broadly?

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

In order to appease both federalists and anti-federalists, it was agreed at the Constitutional Convention that a group of delegates would be charged with selecting the president. This would ensure that

The most capable individuals would decide which candidate would be president

Which of the following best characterizes the general argument made in Brutus 1?

A large republic is dangerous to personal liberty and undermines the states

In The Federalist 10, James Madison argued that the new constitution would help control faction by doing which of the following?

By creating a large republic, the new Constitution made it less likely that a faction could gain enough power to completely dominate

Of the following, which has been used most to expand the power of the national government?

The commerce clause of the Constitution

Brutus was an example of an Anti-Federalist because he

believed a centralized government posed a major threat to individual rights

The congressional power that has been contested most frequently in the federal courts is the power to

regulate interstate commerce

In the Federalist 10, which of the following did James Madison argue would best control the negative effects of factions?

A large federal republic

All of the following were concerns about the Articles of Confederation that led to the calling of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 EXCEPT

Dissatisfaction over safeguards of individual rights and liberties

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?

Popular Sovereignty

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates from larger states argued that each state's representation in the legislature should be proportional to its population. Smaller states argued that each state should have equal representation, regardless of population. The disagreement over representation threatened to derail the ratification of the United States Constitution. Which statement accurately describes the compromise that led to both sides reaching agreement?

A bicameral legislature with an upper house representing each state equally and a lower house with representation proportional to each state's population

The decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) reflected new ideas about federalism at the time that can be best characterized by which of the following?

A delegation of power from the federal government to state governments, increasing state and local sovereignty

Which of the following is an accurate summary of James Madison's argument in Federalist 10?

A large republic presents more opportunities for groups to participate, compete, and limit each other

Which of the following statements accurately describes the majority opinion of the Supreme Court in United States v. Lopez (1995)

Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime

Which of the following is a fundamental element of the United States Constitution?

Division of government authority across political institutions

Article I, Section 9 of the United States Constitution lists several powers that are denied to the federal government, such as granting titles of nobility and passing ex post facto laws. This best demonstrates which of the following ideals of democracy?

Limited Government

In the 1950s, Southern States attempted to prevent integration of their public schools. In return, the National Guard was sent to force states to implement federal regulations. This scenario illustrates which of the following about the relationship between the state and national governments?

The debate over the role of the central government and state powers is ongoing

The debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists were primarily about which of the following issues?

The scope of power of the central government

Concurrent powers have which of the following effects on the United States political system?

They make it possible for the states and the national government to simultaneously exercise influence in the same areas of public policy.

The Gun-Free School Zones Act made it illegal for individuals knowingly to carry a gun in a school zone. The Supreme Court determined this act to be an unconstitutional stretch of the commerce clause in

United States v. Lopez (1995)

The Connecticut (Great) Compromise provided for

a bicameral legislature with one house's composition based upon state population and another's on equal state representation

The framers of the Constitution intended to establish

a representative republic

All of the following are consequences of the federal system in the United States EXCEPT

a strict division of power among levels of government

The terms "fiscal federalism" and "cooperative federalism" refer to situations in which

federal, state, and local governments work together to complete a project, with the federal government providing much of the project funding