Gov Midterm

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One of the long term effects of Federalist No. 10 was passage of the

12th Amendment

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness... That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,... That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,.." -The Declaration of Independence, 1776 Over time the government of the United States struggled with fulfilling the promise that "all men are created equal, and are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights." Which amendment below has done the most to fulfill the promise of equality embedded in the Declaration of Independence?

14th Amendment

The primary purpose of which of the following amendments was to limit the impact of a specific decision of the Supreme Court and thus act as a check on the judiciary?

16th Amendment

While police officers need to have probable cause to search a person's home without a warrant, in schools they need reasonable suspicion. What part of the Constitution makes this possible?

4th Amendment

Which of the following scenarios describes how pork barrel legislation affects lawmaking?

A Senator attaches an amendment to an environmental bill on the floor that funds the construction of an airport in his home state.

Which of the following types of federal funding would be most likely to shift the balance of power from states to the national government?

A categorical grant related healthcare.

Which of the following is the most accurate comparison about the goals of small states and large states ameliorated by Great Compromise at the Constitutional Convention?

A government consisting of three branches: Legislative,Executive, and Judicial. A government that included a system of checks and balances.

"But quitting the dim light of historical research, and attaching ourselves purely to the dictates of reason and good sense, we shall discover much greater cause to reject than to approve the idea of plurality in the executive, under any modification whatever. "Wherever two or more persons are engaged in any common enterprise or pursuit, there is always danger of difference of opinion.. Whenever these happen, they lessen the respectability, weaken the authority, and distract the plans and operations of those whom they divide. If they should unfortunately assail the supreme executive magistracy of a country, consisting of a plurality of persons, they might impede or frustrate the most important measures of the government in the most critical emergencies of the state. And what is still worse, they might split the community into the most violent and irreconcilable factions, adhering differently to the different individuals who composed the magistracy." Alexander Hamilton- Federalist No. 70 Which of the following best summarizes Hamilton's argument?

A single chief executive is the most efficient and most sensible approach to governance.

"If the constitution, offered to [your acceptance], be a wise one, calculated to preserve the invaluable blessings of liberty, to secure the inestimable rights of mankind, and promote human happiness, then, if you accept it, you will lay a lasting foundation of happiness for millions yet unborn..But if, on the other hand, this form of government contains principles that will lead to the subversion of liberty — if it tends to establish a despotism, or, what is worse, a tyrannic aristocracy; then, if you adopt it, this only remaining assylum for liberty will be [shut] up, and posterity will execrate your memory." -Brutus No. 1 October 18, 1787 Which statement below best describes the sentiments of the author?

Adopting the Constitution could lead to an abuse of power by the national government.

Alexander Hamilton, the author of Federalist No 78, most strongly supports which of the following statements about a national judiciary?

An independent, national judiciary is the best safeguard of the integrity of the Constitution.

Which of the following inspired Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s writing of the Letter from Birmingham Jail?

An open newspaper letter submitted by a group of white, Alabama clergymen which criticized his leadership of the Civil Rights Movement.

"If the constitution, offered to [your acceptance], be a wise one, calculated to preserve the invaluable blessings of liberty, to secure the inestimable rights of mankind, and promote human happiness, then, if you accept it, you will lay a lasting foundation of happiness for millions yet unborn..But if, on the other hand, this form of government contains principles that will lead to the subversion of liberty — if it tends to establish a despotism, or, what is worse, a tyrannic aristocracy; then, if you adopt it, this only remaining assylum for liberty will be [shut] up, and posterity will execrate your memory." -Brutus No. 1 October 18, 1787 Which faction below would most closely identify with the point of view of the excerpt?

Anti-Federalists

" In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates. The remedy for this inconveniency is to divide the legislature into different branches; and to render them, by different modes of election and different principles of action, as little connected with each other as the nature of their common functions and their common dependence on the society will admit. It may even be necessary to guard against dangerous encroachments by still further precautions. As the weight of the legislative authority requires that it should be thus divided..." -Federalist No.51 Which of the following Constitutional provisions limits the power of Congress as outlined in the excerpt above?

Any bill passed by one house of Congress must be passed in the identical state by the other house of Congress.

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Amendment X the U.S. Constitution Which of the following actions were used by states to challenge the legitimacy of the federal government in the antebellum period?

Arguments that justified secession as permissible under the Constitution.

Which part of the Constitution directly addresses many of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation the best?

Article 1, Sec 8: The enumerated powers of Congress

Today in the U.S., what possible remedy might female collegiate athletes seek to redress the issue of inequality in scholarship opportunities?

Both Title IX and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

Which of the following Supreme Court cases is offers the best comparison between Judicial Activism and Judicial Restraint?

Brown v. Board (activism) Gibbons v. Ogden (restriction)

"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Amendment XIV the United States Constitution Which of the following landmark Supreme Court decisions best represents the protection of the right to "equal protection under the law" represented in the amendment above.

Brown v. Board of Education

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) is a landmark Supreme Court case. The Court ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the due process clause and the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The decision requires all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and all other U.S. possessions to perform and recognized the marriages of same-sex couples as equal to the marriages of opposite-sex couples, with all accompanying rights and responsibilities. Which of the following Supreme Court decisions rests on the same constitutional underpinnings as Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)?

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

Based on Federalist No. 51, which of the following can best be inferred about one of the three branches of the federal government?

Candidates for the judiciary branch may require special qualifications and appointment.

Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on a comparison of the trends in the graph and your knowledge of Senatorial cloture?

Changing the cloture requirement to a majority for appointments has dramatically increased the likelihood of cloture votes.

Which of the following statements is an accurate description of Congress utilizing the "Necessary and Proper Clause" found in the U.S. Constitution?

Congress authorizes the Federal Reserve System in 1913.

The Constitution provides Congress with the ability to check the powers of the president. Which of the following represents one of those checks?

Congress can refuse to appropriate funds for the president to carry out his policy objectives.

The dissenting opinion of Roe v. Wade (1973) is most closely associated with which judicial interpretation?

Constitutional Originalism.

Which of the following is an accurate description of the information in the pie chart?

Discretionary spending was projected to be less than half of the overall federal budget.

In which of the following types of federal systems is the separation of power between national and state governments most clearly established?

Dual federalism.

Individual liberty has most often been restricted by the Supreme Court under which context below?

During times of war.

Which of the following correctly identifies characteristics of the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan?

Each state must have equal representation in the legislature. Legislative representation must be proportionately based upon population

Which of the following powers is exercised exclusively by the national government, thus limiting the role of state governments?

Entering into treaties with foreign nations.

"..Under the existing provisions, applying 1960 census figures, only 25.1% of the State's total population resided in districts represented by a majority of the members of the Senate, and only 25.7% lived in counties which could elect a majority of the members of the House of Representatives. Population variance ratios of up to about 41-to-1 existed in the Senate, and up to about 16-to-1 in the House. Bullock County, with a population of only 13,462, and Henry County, with a population of only 15,286, each were allocated two seats in the Alabama House, whereas Mobile County, with a population of 314,301, was given only three seats, and Jefferson County, with 634,864 people, had only seven representatives.." -Excerpted from the majority Opinion Reynolds v. Simms (1963) If you were an attorney arguing this case before the Supreme Court, which constitutional principle below would you use as your strongest argument?

Equal protection under the law.

"If the constitution, offered to [your acceptance], be a wise one, calculated to preserve the invaluable blessings of liberty, to secure the inestimable rights of mankind, and promote human happiness, then, if you accept it, you will lay a lasting foundation of happiness for millions yet unborn..But if, on the other hand, this form of government contains principles that will lead to the subversion of liberty — if it tends to establish a despotism, or, what is worse, a tyrannic aristocracy; then, if you adopt it, this only remaining assylum for liberty will be [shut] up, and posterity will execrate your memory." -Brutus No. 1 October 18, 1787 Which document below would be the best rebuttal to the concerns raised by Brutus No. 1?

Fed 51

The City of Chicago's argument in McDonald v. Chicago (2010) is most closely associated with which political belief?

Federalism.

In which of the following ways can interest groups most effectively exercise influence over the federal courts?

Form a PAC that donates campaign funds to help elect particular Senate candidates.

Which of the following is an accurate statement regarding mandatory and discretionary spending by Congress?

Funded programs include the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Housing Authority, and the National School Lunch Program. Funded programs include Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

(Graphic with weird shapes of states)

Gerrymandering Schemes

The attitude towards Congress' power under the Commerce Clause reflected in U.S. v Lopez (1995) deviates most from

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824).

Which of the following statements is true based on the concept of unalienable rights found in the Declaration of Independence?

God and the forces of nature are greater than any government.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of particitaory vs. elite democracies?

Government depends on consent of governed. Government depends on a small number of powerful individuals

The main argument of the dissenting opinion in Wisconsin v. Yoder rested upon which of the following concerns?

High School students might deserve some say in the matter of whether they want to continue their public education past 8th grade.

Which of the following scenarios could result in changes to the U.S. Constitution without the support of Congress?

If at least two-thirds of the states call for a convention to propose an amendment to the Constitution, anything in the Constitution could be changed if the proposed amendment is ratified by at least three-fourths of the state legislatures or special ratification conventions held at the state level.

Which of the following is true about the impeachment process in the United States?

Impeachment can occur at the federal and state level.

"But quitting the dim light of historical research, and attaching ourselves purely to the dictates of reason and good sense, we shall discover much greater cause to reject than to approve the idea of plurality in the executive, under any modification whatever. "Wherever two or more persons are engaged in any common enterprise or pursuit, there is always danger of difference of opinion.. Whenever these happen, they lessen the respectability, weaken the authority, and distract the plans and operations of those whom they divide. If they should unfortunately assail the supreme executive magistracy of a country, consisting of a plurality of persons, they might impede or frustrate the most important measures of the government in the most critical emergencies of the state. And what is still worse, they might split the community into the most violent and irreconcilable factions, adhering differently to the different individuals who composed the magistracy." Alexander Hamilton- Federalist No. 70 Based on the excerpt above, which statement below would the author most likely agree with?

Including a constitutional provision to include a council that had to approve presidential actions would be a mistake.

Which of the following is a consequence of partisan gerrymandering?

Incumbents for the House of Representatives are more likely to have very safe seats without much competition from challengers.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of separation of powers among the three branches of government?

Indirectly elected by the people (Executive) Directly elected by the people (legislative) Are appointed, not elected (judicial)

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the separation of powers in Congress

Introduces all tax bills. (house) Confirms presidential appointments. (senate)

Which of the following Enlightenment ideas most influenced the writing of the Declaration of Independence?

John Locke's theory of resisting "the aggressor" from the Second Treatise on Government

The dissenting opinion in Baker v. Carr (1962) is most closely associate with which judicial interpretation?

Judicial Restraint.

Federalist No. 78, Alexander Hamilton, 1788 "[W]here the will of the legislature, declared in its statutes, stands in opposition to that of the people, declared in the Constitution, the judges ought to be governed by the latter rather than the former. They ought to regulate their decisions by the fundamental laws, rather than by those which are not fundamental. . . .[W]henever a particular statute contravenes the Constitution, it will be the duty of the judicial tribunals to adhere to the latter and disregard the former. Quoted in the Avalon Project, Yale Law School. http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed78.asp. Accessed 13 August 2018. Hamilton's argument most directly favors a check on the legislative process known as

Judicial review

Which of the following correctly identifies an implication of the graph?

Laws creating entitlements limit Congress' ability to decrease the federal deficit.

Which of the following describes a way that political institutions can limit the influence of interest groups?

Legislation passed by Congress following a letter writing campaign by an interest group is then vetoed by the president.

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Amendment X the U.S. Constitution The first major challenge to the powers "reserved to the States respectively" in the early days of the republic occured when a state tried to tax the newly formed Bank of the United States in which case below?

McCulloch v. Maryland

Based on your knowledge of 19th century America, which of the following Supreme Court cases seems to confirm the misgivings expressed in Brutus No. 1?

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Speaker of the House (cartoon about speaker) Which of the following best describes the message in the above political cartoon?

Members of the conservative Tea Party movement have been able to manipulate the Speaker to get more power and say in Congress.

"No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Amendment XIV the United States Constitution Which of the following landmark Supreme Court decisions best represents the protection of the right to "due process" represented in the amendment above.

Miranda v. Arizona

Congress believes a president's use of executive orders represents an excessive use of presidential power, yet from the president's perspective the executive orders allow quick action and effective implementation of the president's policy agenda. If Congress believes an executive order initiated by the president represents an excessive use of power by the executive, which option below would be the most appropriate response?

Pass legislation to void the executive order.

Which of the following comparisons about the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan are the most accurate?

Proposed a bicameral Congress based on population in the lower house elected by the people and an upper house elected by state legislatures. Proposed a one-house legislative body very similar to what existed under the Articles of Confederation.

Which of the following describes an example of policy development within an iron triangle?

Scientists from the Sierra Club successfully petition the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to declare fruit bats an endangered species.

"If the constitution, offered to [your acceptance], be a wise one, calculated to preserve the invaluable blessings of liberty, to secure the inestimable rights of mankind, and promote human happiness, then, if you accept it, you will lay a lasting foundation of happiness for millions yet unborn..But if, on the other hand, this form of government contains principles that will lead to the subversion of liberty — if it tends to establish a despotism, or, what is worse, a tyrannic aristocracy; then, if you adopt it, this only remaining assylum for liberty will be [shut] up, and posterity will execrate your memory." -Brutus No. 1 October 18, 1787 What mechanism below was embedded in the Constitution to "prevent despotism, or, what is worse, a tyrannic aristocracy.." as the excerpt describes?

Separation of Powers/Checks and Balances

"To what expedient, then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be given is, that as all these exterior provisions are found to be inadequate, the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places. Without presuming to undertake a full development of this important idea, I will hazard a few general observations, which may perhaps place it in a clearer light, and enable us to form a more correct judgment of the principles and structure of the government planned by the convention." —James Madison, The Federalist paper number 51 In the excerpt above, Madison argues that the Constitution will protect which of the following principles of American government?

Separation of powers.

"That there are important defects in the system of the Federal Government is acknowledged by the Acts of all those States, which have concurred in the present Meeting; That the defects, upon a closer examination, may be found greater and more numerous, than even these acts imply, is at least so far probable, from the embarrassments which characterize the present State of our national affairs, foreign and domestic, as may reasonably be supposed to merit a deliberate and candid discussion, in some mode, which will unite the Sentiments and Council's of all the States. In the choice of the mode, your Commissioners are of opinion, that a Convention of Deputies from the different States, for the special and sole purpose of entering into this investigation, and digesting a plan for supplying such defects as may be discovered to exist, will be entitled to a preference from considerations, which will occur, without being particularized." PROCEEDINGS OF COMMISSIONERS TO REMEDY DEFECTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ANNAPOLIS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND (The Annapolis Convention 1786) One of the "...defects in the system of the Federal Government" mentioned in the excerpt above was the inability of the government to suppress domestic insurrections. Which of the following rebellions represented the turning point that finally convinced the states that the government needed more power to rectify this situation?

Shays' Rebellion

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." -Amendment X the U.S. Constitution Supporters of the powers granted by the tenth amendment would use it to justify state laws that allowed which practice below in the early republic.

State laws that allowed monopolies within state borders.

Debates over the rights retained by the States was a major issue at the Constitutional Convention between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Today those debates continue. Which of the following comparisons is correctly paired with the ideologies of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists?

State laws that legalize marijuana violate federal law. State laws that legalize marijuana are permitted under the doctrine of state's rights.

Which of the following contentious relationships did the Connecticut Compromise (or "Great Compromise") do the most to quell?

States with large populations versus states with small populations

Which of the following accurately summarizes the entities involved in the case?

Students were petitioning the court to challenge their school district's decision to suspend them for wearing armbands as an anti-war protest, an act that was explicitly banned by the school beforehand.

Many of the debates that began with the Federalists and Anti-Federalists still resonate in American Politics today. Which of the following represents an accurate comparison of modern issues that are correctly paired with the ideologies of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists?

Terrorist threats permit more leeway in federal surveillance of citizens. The government must follow due process as outlined in the Bill of Rights to surveil citizens.

"But quitting the dim light of historical research, and attaching ourselves purely to the dictates of reason and good sense, we shall discover much greater cause to reject than to approve the idea of plurality in the executive, under any modification whatever. Wherever two or more persons are engaged in any common enterprise or pursuit, there is always danger of difference of opinion.. Whenever these happen, they lessen the respectability, weaken the authority, and distract the plans and operations of those whom they divide. If they should unfortunately assail the supreme executive magistracy of a country, consisting of a plurality of persons, they might impede or frustrate the most important measures of the government in the most critical emergencies of the state. And what is still worse, they might split the community into the most violent and irreconcilable factions, adhering differently to the different individuals who composed the magistracy." -Alexander Hamilton- Federalist No. 70 Which of the following constitutional provisions would replace a division of executive power into a plurality of executives to check the power of single chief executive?

The "advise and consent" power given to the U.S. Senate in Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the effects of the 3/5ths Compromise during the first fifty years of the Republic?

The 3/5ths Compromise gave southern states a decided advantage in electing the President. The 3/5ths Compromise allowed slaves to be counted for representation, but Northern states lobbied successfully for them to counted for taxes as well.

Based on your knowledge of the Warren Court, which of the following best describes the relevance of Baker v. Carr (1962)?

The Baker decision illustrated Chief Justice Earl Warren's efforts to elevate the power of the Supreme Court vis a vis Congress and the Presidency through its liberal decisions.

"Hence, it clearly appears, that the same advantage which a republic has over a democracy, in controlling the effects of faction, is enjoyed by a large over a small republic,--is enjoyed by the Union over the States composing it. Does the advantage consist in the substitution of representatives whose enlightened views and virtuous sentiments render them superior to local prejudices and schemes of injustice? It will not be denied that the representation of the Union will be most likely to possess these requisite endowments. " -Federalist No. 10 The above excerpt from Federalist No. 10 expresses a claim about models of representative democracies. Which of the following actions would most likely be a result of this claim?

The Congressional vote in favor of Alexander Hamilton's Financial Plan.

Which of the following statements best summarizes how Baker v. Carr (1962) impacted the movement towards redistricting reform?

The Court empowered the federal government to intervene in redistricting questions within a state.

The basis of the Federal Government's lawsuit in New York Times Company v. U.S. (1971) involved which of the following?

The Espionage Act

"As has been stated by numerous legal scholars i have the absolute right to pardon myself, but why would I do that when I have done nothing wrong?" President Donald Trump. Public post on Twitter. 6/4/2018 Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution defines the power of the presidential pardon in that the president, "shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment." If a president were to pardon himself and Congress wanted to impeach him, which process would Congress follow?

The House of Representatives brings up the Articles of Impeachment and the Senate conducts the impeachment trial overseen by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Conviction requires a 2/3rds vote of the Senate to convict.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the debate over representation resolved by the Great Compromise?

The House of Representatives most closely resembles the plan proposed by states with large populations. The U.S. Senate most closely resembles the plan proposed by states with small populations

Which of the following actions by Congress would most likely be protected by the precedent of a "clear and present danger" established by Schenck v. United States (1919)?

The P.A.T.R.I.O.T Act passed after the attacks of September 11, 2001.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness... That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,... That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,..." -The Declaration of Independence, 1776 Which of the following best reflects the sentiments of the excerpt above?

The Social Contract

Which of the following organizations would initially support the tactic of non-violent disobedience depicted in Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail but would later adopt a more aggressive confrontational stance that often advocated violence?

The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee

Which of the following constitutional guarantees allayed the fears held by Anti-Federalists that the adoption of the U.S. Constitution would restrict the sovereignty of the states?

The Tenth Amendment reserved powers clause.

Which of the following events proved that the power of the federal government to secure domestic tranquility under the Constitution was greater than it had been under the Articles of Confederation?

The Whiskey Rebellion

The PATRIOT Act authorizes the use of sneak-and-peek warrants in which law enforcement personnel are able to search a property without the owner's knowledge in order to find illegal activity. This has led to some breaking and entering by law enforcement agents and a negative reaction by some wrongfully searched. Which of the following provides the best legal challenge to these types of searches?.

The challenge could be made that it violates the 4th Amendment by not notifying the owner of the warrant and search.

"That there are important defects in the system of the Federal Government is acknowledged by the Acts of all those States, which have concurred in the present Meeting; That the defects, upon a closer examination, may be found greater and more numerous, than even these acts imply, is at least so far probable, from the embarrassments which characterize the present State of our national affairs, foreign and domestic, as may reasonably be supposed to merit a deliberate and candid discussion, in some mode, which will unite the Sentiments and Council's of all the States. In the choice of the mode, your Commissioners are of opinion, that a Convention of Deputies from the different States, for the special and sole purpose of entering into this investigation, and digesting a plan for supplying such defects as may be discovered to exist, will be entitled to a preference from considerations, which will occur, without being particularized." Proceedings Of Commissioners To Remedy Defects Of The Federal Government Annapolis In The State Of Maryland. The Annapolis Convention, 1786 Which of the following provisions in the United States Constitution directly addresses the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation best expressed in the excerpt?

The delegated power to lay and collect taxes.

In the weeks following the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001, Congress passed the USA PATRIOT Act which increased the ability of law enforcement to search personal telephone, email and financial records without a court order. Which of the following best explains this scenario?

The desire to guarantee public safety can lead to limits on individual rights.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness... That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,... That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,..." -The Declaration of Independence, 1776 Which of the following Constitutional provisions reflect the sentiments expressed above in the Declaration of Independence?

The establishment of the House of Representatives under the original Constitution.

"That there are important defects in the system of the Federal Government is acknowledged by the Acts of all those States, which have concurred in the present Meeting; That the defects, upon a closer examination, may be found greater and more numerous, than even these acts imply, is at least so far probable, from the embarrassments which characterize the present State of our national affairs, foreign and domestic, as may reasonably be supposed to merit a deliberate and candid discussion, in some mode, which will unite the Sentiments and Council's of all the States. In the choice of the mode, your Commissioners are of opinion, that a Convention of Deputies from the different States, for the special and sole purpose of entering into this investigation, and digesting a plan for supplying such defects as may be discovered to exist, will be entitled to a preference from considerations, which will occur, without being particularized." PROCEEDINGS OF COMMISSIONERS TO REMEDY DEFECTS OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ANNAPOLIS IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND (The Annapolis Convention 1786) Which of the following best represents the most significant of the "defects in the system of the Federal Government" under the Articles of Confederation that led delegates to attend this convention at Annapolis in 1786?

The inability of the government established by the Articles of Confederation to regulate trade among the states.

A member of Congress has proposed an amendment to the Constitution to revise the 2nd Amendment. Which of the following options best describes what would have to happen for this proposed change to 2nd Amendment to take effect?

The proposed change to the 2nd Amendment would need to be passed by a 2/3rd majority in both the House and Senate and ratified by 3/4ths of the State Legislatures.

Which of the following most clearly states the outcome of Baker v. Carr (1962)?

The redistricting of state legislative districts is justiciable by the Federal Courts

A member of House of Representatives has introduced a bill to protect undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States with their parents, but it has been killed in the House Rules Committee. Which of the following is the best course of action to get the bill a vote on the floor of the House?

The representative should rally support behind a discharge petition to pull it out of the House Rules Committee

"..Under the existing provisions, applying 1960 census figures, only 25.1% of the State's total population resided in districts represented by a majority of the members of the Senate, and only 25.7% lived in counties which could elect a majority of the members of the House of Representatives. Population variance ratios of up to about 41-to-1 existed in the Senate, and up to about 16-to-1 in the House. Bullock County, with a population of only 13,462, and Henry County, with a population of only 15,286, each were allocated two seats in the Alabama House, whereas Mobile County, with a population of 314,301, was given only three seats, and Jefferson County, with 634,864 people, had only seven representatives.." -Excerpted from the majority opinion Reynolds v. Simms (1963) Which republican ideal does the situation in the excerpt above seem to negate?

The right to direct representation.

Which of the following most accurately reflects the school district's defense in the case of Engel v. Vitale?

The school's prayer was broad enough to avoid referencing a specific religion and was voluntary.

Remarks at the New York Ratifying Convention, Alexander Hamilton, 1788 "Much has been said of the impropriety of representing men who have no will of their own. Whether this be reasoning or declamation, I will not presume to say....The regulation complained of was one result of the spirit of accommodation which governed the [constitutional] convention; and without this indulgence no Union could possibly have been formed." Based on the text, to which slavery-related compromise reached during the 1787 Constitutional Convention is Hamilton referring?

The three-fifths clause

Which of the following events lends support for the view of state supremacy depicted in Brutus No. 1?

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison drafting the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions in 1798 and 1799.

Which of the following correctly identifies a case which limited the power of the national government and a case which limited the power of state governments?

United States v. Lopez (national power) Wisconsin v. Yoder (state power)

The author of Brutus No. 1, Robert Yates, most strongly supports which of the following statements about the proposed Constitution?

When citizens cede liberty to a large governing force, they can seldom regain it without the use of force.

There exists an ongoing debate regarding judicial activism v. judicial restraint in the United States. Which comparison below is the most accurate description of the difference between judicial activism and judicial restraint.

When judges issue decisions based on personal opinion, rather than on existing law (activism) When judges base their decisions on the intent of legislation and a strict interpretation of the Constitution (restraint)

" In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates. The remedy for this inconveniency is to divide the legislature into different branches; and to render them, by different modes of election and different principles of action, as little connected with each other as the nature of their common functions and their common dependence on the society will admit. It may even be necessary to guard against dangerous encroachments by still further precautions. As the weight of the legislative authority requires that it should be thus divided..." -Federalist No.51 Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in the passage above?

You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.

Given their six-year term of office, Senators can afford to take a longer view on policy, especially when it comes to

foreign affairs.

According to the McCulloch v. Maryland case, the establishment of the Second Bank of the United states was

implied in the text of the Constitution.

One of the long term effects of Dr. Martin Luther King's Letter from Birmingham Jail was

its application of the ideals found in the letter by opponents of apartheid in South Africa and of communism behind the Iron Curtain.

The McCulloch v. Maryland decision is a good example of

loose constructionism.

To ensure ratification of the Constitution there were many compromises between Federalists and Anti-Federalists that needed to be accomplished. Which set of comparisons below most accurately reflect the final resolutions each group desired?

the constitution was the "supreme law of the land" and the 10th amendment


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