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The text of the Constitution deals with slavery by referring to slaves as
"all other Persons."
The U.S. Constitution contains about _________ words.
4,300
Before it could take effect, the Constitution had to be ratified by__________ states:
9
A result of the Second Continental Congress was
Adoption of the Declaration of Independence
In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson's statement that "all men are created equal" is similar to which theorist's belief that government is based on the "consent of the governed"?
John Locke
Which political philosopher inspired the phrase "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" in the Declaration of Independence?
John Locke
The compact among the thirteen original colonies that established the United States in 1777 was known as the
Articles of Confederation
The ________ Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.
Fourth
Under the Constitution, if no candidate wins a majority of the electoral vote, then the president will be selected by the
House of Representatives.
Which of the following states was not present at the Second Continental Congress' vote for independence?
Rhode Island
The Great Compromise provided for
a two-chamber legislature with equal representation for all states in one chamber and population-based representation in the other.
When selecting the president, each state has a number of electors equal to
the number of its representatives in Congress.
The chief obstacle to ratification of the Constitution by the states was
the omission of a bill of rights.
According to the text, "it is hard to imagine a government framework better suited [than the Constitution] to __________."
the pluralist model
Suppose Congress funds elementary education by giving states a grant that the states then designate the specific educational programs to receive these funds. This is an example of a ________ grant.
block
The power of the president to veto laws is an example of
checks and balances.
Under separation of powers, the U.S. system keeps power among branches balanced by enabling one branch to counter the actions of another by the use of
checks and balances.
The following group values both equality and order more than freedom, and its members support both affirmative action and laws that restrict pornography:
communitarians.
Under the Constitution, the slave trade
could be ended after twenty years.
The 2007 European Reform Treaty did all but
create a centralized debt-refinancing agency for indebted countries.
Congress exercises a potential check on the judicial branch through its constitutional power to
create or eliminate lower federal courts.
The Great Depression represented a shift away from _________ and toward _________.
dual federalism; cooperative federalism
The text suggests that there are _________ forces that may be pushing authoritarian governments toward democratization.
economic
Examples of public goods are
education, sanitation, and parks.
The text suggests that the United States fulfills the __________ model quite well.
egalitarian
A constitutional clause that allows for a broad interpretation of implied powers is known as a(n) __________ clause.
elastic
The "necessary and proper" clause of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution is an example of a(n) "__________ clause."
elastic
A referendum is best described as a(n)
election on a policy issue.
American colonists in the eighteenth century under Great Britain
enjoyed freedoms denied most other people in the world at that time.
Government's "modern dilemma" is how best to balance
equality and freedom.
When one person has the same chance to succeed in life as another, this is called
equality of opportunity.
Social order is usually defined as
established patterns of authority and traditional modes of behavior.
The law-enforcing branch of government is known as the
executive branch.
Shays's Rebellion consisted of
farmers trying to prevent foreclosure on their property for debts and taxes owed.
Unless they are impeached, federal judges serve
for life.
During the 1990s, Congress prohibited private businesses from discriminating in employment, public services, and public accommodations on the basis of physical or mental disabilities. This act creates a clash between
freedom and equality.
Money paid by one level of government to another level of government to be spent for a given purpose is called a
grant-in-aid.
An organized group that seeks to influence government policy is called a(n)
interest group.
According to the Declaration of Independence, when a government fails to secure the people's unalienable rights,
it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it.
One similarity between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan was that both plans
left unspecified how many people the executive might have.
Article I of the Constitution refers to the
legislative branch.
The broad, basic definition of government given by the text is
legitimate use of force within specified geographic boundaries to control human behavior.
The "unalienable rights" identified by the Declaration of Independence are
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Elite theory is discredited as an explanation of American national politics because studies show that
no one identifiable group regularly prevails on different issues.
According to Thomas Hobbes, author of Leviathan, the proper objective of government is to ensure
order.
According to John Marshall's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), the elastic clause might be interpreted to mean that Congress can take a particular action not specified in the Constitution if that action is
plainly adapted to achieving a legitimate constitutional end.
The complexity of the American federal system encourages
pluralism.
The process of redrawing boundaries for electoral jurisdictions is known as
redistricting.
An alleged weakness of the majoritarian democratic model is its
reliance on the American public to be knowledgeable and participatory.
According to the New Jersey Plan, how was representation to be structured in Congress?
There would be one house, and all states would have equal representation in it.
In 2010 Congress passed the Affordable Health Care Act that
required nearly all Americans to buy health coverage or pay a penalty.
Republicanism is a form of government in which power
resides in the people and is exercised by their elected representatives.
A republic is a government
resting on the consent of the governed through their representatives.
Originally, the Constitutional Convention's purpose was to
revise the Articles of Confederation.
The idea that the people agree to establish rulers for certain purposes, but they have the right to resist or remove rulers who violate those purposes, is also known as
social contract theory.
After the Constitution was amended to permit the federal government to levy a progressive income tax, government could more effectively further the goal of
social equality.
A person who favors government ownership of some basic industries and a strong government role in directing the economy, but also some private ownership of productive capacity, would best be labeled as a
socialist.
The Bill of Rights is at the core of our
substantive theories of democracy.
Capitalism is best described as a(n)
system of government that favors privately owned businesses.
The Bill of Rights consists of the first __________ amendments to the Constitution.
ten
A greater percentage of the United States population died or was wounded during the Revolution than in any other U.S. conflict except
the Civil War.
The __________ Amendment prohibited slavery.
Thirteenth
The broad, basic definition of politics given by the text is
the authoritative allocation of values for a society.
A group of delegates to the Constitutional Convention proposed a powerful national government to replace the weak confederation of states. This was known as the
Virginia Plan.
A confederation can best be described as
a loose association of independent states.
Compared with majoritarian thought, the pluralist model of democracy shifts the focus of democratic decision making from _________ to _________.
the mass electorate; organized groups
The assignment in the Constitution of lawmaking, law-enforcing, and law-interpreting functions to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches respectively is known as
a separation of powers.
Thomas Hobbes's ideal form of government was
a single ruler with unquestioned authority.
A key component of the Virginia Plan was
a strong national legislature.
Including the Bill of Rights, __________ amendments have been added to the Constitution:
twenty-seven
The basic premise of federalism is that
two or more governments share power and authority over the same land and people.
According to Madison in Federalist No. 10, the most common and durable source of factions has been
unequal distribution of property.
Federalism, or the division of power between a national government and regional units, stands in contrast to
unitary government.
Shays's Rebellion indicated the
urgent need to maintain domestic order.
Compared to citizens in other nations, Americans
value freedom of speech more than order.
The primary goal of Federalist No. 10 was to demonstrate that the new government
would not fall under the dominance of any one faction.
The primary goal of Federalist No. 51 was to argue for
the separation of powers and checks and balances.
The primary contribution of the Federalist papers is
their insight into the meaning of the Constitution.
To amend the Articles of Confederation required a
unanimous vote.
The United States Constitution was written in
1787
Liberals are more likely to favor generous government support for education. wildlife protection. public transportation. a whole range of social programs. All of the above are true.
All of the above are true.
The Great Compromise was also known as the __________ Compromise because of the state delegation that initially proposed it.
Connecticut
The _________ protects against excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishment.
Eighth Amendment
Supporters of the Constitution named themselves
Federalists.
Which of the following European nations was not debt-ridden and did not suffer questions from creditors during 2012?
Germany
By 2012, members of the European Union (EU) agreed to greater central authority over their respective economies, with the exception of
Great Britain.
The power of Congress to charter a bank is an example of what type of power?
Implied
Conservatives strongly favor free enterprise. argue against government job programs. want to preserve traditional patterns of social relations. Options A, B, and C are true. None of the above is true.
Options A, B, and C are true.
The Articles of Confederation failed because they did not provide an effective means for the government to raise money. they did not include an independent leader to direct the government. they did not give the government the power to regulate commerce. Options A, B, and C are true. None of the above is true.
Options A, B, and C are true.
The Federalist papers were written by Alexander Hamilton. John Jay. John Adams. James Madison. Options A, B, and D are true.
Options A, B, and D are true.
Which document proclaimed, "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"?
The Declaration of Independence
Which of the following is not a power granted to the president under the Constitution?
The power to declare war
The Declaration of Independence was based on input from many people, but its primary author was
Thomas Jefferson.