U.S. Constitution Practice Test 2
An amendment to the Constitution must pass by what minimum margins?
A 2/3 majority in the House and Senate and adoption by at least 3/4 of the states - a signature by the president is not required.
The Constitution allows the president to make treaties and agreements with foreign powers, provided that
A 2/3 majority of the Senate concurs.
The Constitution creates what type of government?
A republic
When the Constitution was first ratified, how were U.S. Senators elected?
By a vote of the state legislatures
The head of the Supreme Court is called
Chief Justice
The term meaning the President is head of all American armed forces is
Commander in Chief
Who has the power to declare war on another country?
Congress
Who is often called the Father of the Constitution?
James Madison
how long does a justice of the Supreme Court remain a member of the court?
Life
The officer who presides over the senate when the vice-president in is not in attendance is called the
President Pro Tempore
The only duty officially outlined for the Vice President by the Constitution is
President of the Senate.
After an officeholder is impeached, they have the sole power to try the case.
Senate
After the VP, the next federal official in line for the presidency is
Speaker of the House
The officer who presides over the House of Representatives is called the
Speaker of the House
The Constitution does not allow any bills of attainder to be passed - bills of attainder are
bills which allow forfeiture of rights or property without trial.
How are cabinet officers chosen?
by the president, with the approval of the senate
Rules for becoming a U.S. citizen are made by
congress
What is "the supreme law of the land" for the United States?
constitution
Congress can grant these protection of intellectual property.
copyrights
The 5th Amendment guarantees these rights during legal proceedings.
due process
the courts may not take a man's life without
due process of law
Government's right to take away private property with just compensation is called
eminent domain
What are the two basic political principles embodied in the constitution?
federalism and checks and blances
The relationship - the distribution of power - between the national government and the states is called
federalism.
In order to do their work, the house and senate must have a quorum present, which means
fifty percent plus one, of the members
Bills that propose taxes or government spending must start in the
house of representatives
The power of the Supreme court to judge the constitutionality of any lower courts' decision is called ...
judicial review
which of the following is NOT a check on the power of a president by the congress?
judicial review
The Constitution does not allow the passage of any ex post facto law - ex post facto laws are
laws which take effect before they are passed.
Printed remarks meant to ruin a person reputation are called
libel
The 2nd amendment provides for the right to bear arms and " a well regulated"
militia, or national guard
One third of the senators are elected every
two years
A court order allowing an individual or his property to be searched or seized is called (an)
warrant
Article 2 of the U.S. Constitution establishes
the executive branch
According to the Constitution, who has the right to be leader of that part of the military employed in the service of the United States?
the president
Presidential appointees must be approved by whom and by what vote?
the senate by a simple majority vote
Why did the founding fathers create the electoral college?
they did to trust ordinary voters to choose the president and vice president directly.
The Senate and the electoral college share a common reason for their existence, which is
to give a greater voice to the smaller states.
What is the main idea of the Preamble of the Constitution?
to state the purpose of the constitution
According to the Constitution, a trial by jury cannot be denied if the value of the lawsuit exceeds
$20
in order to be elected to the presidency, a person must have lived the U.S. at least
14 years
Which amendment guarantees freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion?
1st
How is representation in the Senate determined?
2 senators for each state
How long is the term of office for a representative?
2 years
What clause in the Constitution guarantees that laws and contracts made in one state are legal in another?
Full Faith and Credit Clause
Who has the sole power to impeach officials of the federal government?
House of Representatives
As designed by the Constitution,
The federal judiciary were appointed, not elected by the people.
Which of the following is not a check against presidential power in the constitution?
The house can remove the president from office after impeaching him.
the only power which the Constitution does not give to Congress.
The power to create a Social Security system
The 16th amendment changed the Constitution by
allowing Congress to tax income.
Which of the following is NOT necessary to be elected to the United States House of Representatives?
must be at least thirty-five years old. rules to be HOR: at least 25yrs, citizen for 7, and a resident of intended state.
What qualifications did the Constitution ratified in 1787 impose for voting?
none; it left voting rules to the states
The Constitution requires Congress to be assembled
only once per year.
The Constitution has always allowed Congress to
pass tariffs, coin money, regulate interstate commerce, and issue patents
The writ of habeas corpus prevents
people being held in prison indefinitely without being accused of a crime.
How is representation in the House of Representatives determined?
population of the states (435 in total).
The executive branch's power to refuse to sing a bill into law is called
presidential veto
All of the following are powers the President except
proposing laws
The Bill of Rights
protects people from unreasonable search and seizure by agents of the government protects people's freedom of speech, protects people from torture protects people's rights when accused of a crime
invoking the 5th amendment means that an accused person
refuses to testify against himself
Nobody holding a united states office shall ever have to pass a
religious test
the longest possible time a person could now serve president is
ten years
the establishment clause is located where and deals with what?
the 1st amendment and the prevention of a state supported religion
Original jurisdiction refers to
the authority of the Supreme Court to be the first to hear certain cases.
The judicial branch of our national government consist of
the congress