Deck 2: The Constitution

Question 1

The principal goal of the American Revolution was

A) equality.
B) financial betterment.
C) political efficacy.
D) fraternity.
E) liberty.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

The colonists fought to protect liberties that they believed were

A) discoverable in nature and history.
B) essential to human progress.
C) ordained by God.
D) based on "higher law."
E) all of the above.

Answer 2

E

Question 3

The public mood in the thirteen states between the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution can best be described as

A) confident and calmly optimistic.
B) warlike but with a common spirit of right and justice.
C) brash and arrogant.
D) fearful and tumultuous.
E) unified and fearless.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

By 1776, eight states

A) had strong executive leaders.
B) had written constitutions.
C) had expanded voting rights considerably.
D) continued to rely on colonial charters.
E) had abolished elective offices.

Question 5

One conspicuous feature of most state constitutions was

A) a detailed bill of rights.
B) separation of powers.
C) a strong executive branch.
D) disregard for individual rights.
E) economic regulation.

Question 6

The Declaration of Independence explicitly stated that governments were instituted among men to

A) improve human nature.
B) create equality.
C) protect borders.
D) secure rights.
E) punish criminals.

Question 7

The American Revolution is described by the text as a war of

A) attrition.
B) ideology.
C) economic viewpoints.
D) political elites.
E) contending social systems.

Question 8

The liberties that the colonists fought to protect were based on

A) the language of the individual states' constitutions.
B) the rights proclaimed originally by the king of Great Britain.
C) a historical understanding of the essentials of human progress.
D) colonial charters.
E) natural rights.

Question 9

One of the basic liberties sought by the colonists through independence from Great Britain was

A) freedom from taxation without representation.
B) the right to bear arms and to defend life and property.
C) freedom to assemble in public and to engage in public debate.
D) the right to own and trade slaves.
E) the right to travel.

Question 10

The list of the essential rights demanded by the colonists included life, liberty, and

A) trading rights.
B) property rights.
C) the right to own slaves.
D) the pursuit of truth.
E) fraternity.

Question 11

Which of the following statements regarding the Constitutional Convention is incorrect?

A) The delegates were not chosen by popular election.
B) The meetings were held in secret.
C) There was no press coverage.
D) One state sent no delegates at all.
E) None of the above.

Question 12

The author of the Declaration of Independence was

A) Thomas Jefferson.
B) Thomas Paine.
C) George Washington.
D) Alexander Hamilton.
E) James Madison.

Question 13

Which of the following statements about the Declaration of Independence is correct?

A) It was written primarily by George Washington and James Madison.
B) It primarily focused on concerns over economic inequality.
C) It was a rejection of the philosophy of John Locke.
D) It drew on the works of Thomas Hobbes.
E) It was essentially a lawyer's brief justifying a revolution.

Question 14

In the Declaration of Independence, the list of complaints against George III and his ministers spoke of

A) social conditions in the colonies.
B) economic conditions in the colonies.
C) specific violations of political liberties.
D) the lack of equality among the colonists.
E) all of the above.

Question 15

In 1776, one important reason that colonists regarded independence as a desirable alternative was that they

A) no longer had confidence in the British constitution.
B) could no longer afford the price of British exports.
C) had come to reject the philosophy of John Locke.
D) had come to reject British ideas of individual rights.
E) were struggling economically.

Question 16

An unalienable right is one that is based on

A) nature and Providence.
B) the Constitution and primary documents.
C) custom and tradition.
D) legal precedent.
E) executive proclamations.

Question 17

A central premise in the understanding of the colonists was that liberty

A) was a privilege, not a right.
B) was to be found in human institutions such as government.
C) was not possible without equality.
D) existed before government.
E) could not be attained in a republic.

Question 18

Equality was a goal of

A) the French Revolution.
B) the American Revolution.
C) both the French and the American revolutions.
D) neither the French Revolution nor the American Revolution.
E) the French, American, and Russian revolutions.

Question 19

"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" were

A) rights commonly listed in colonial charters.
B) Jefferson's variation on commonly listed rights.
C) explicitly named in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution.
D) enumerated in the Bill of Rights.
E) incorporated in the First Amendment.

Question 20

Which of the following was not among the ideas underlying the American Revolution?

A) The need for a strong executive
B) The priority of human liberty over government
C) The necessity of a written constitution
D) Legislative supremacy over the executive branch
E) The tendency of human nature toward ambition

Question 21

John Hancock was elected to the position of "president" under the Articles, but he did not even show up for the job because

A) the office featured no significant powers and was generally meaningless.
B) there was a controversy concerning his selection.
C) several states threatened to secede if he took office.
D) Washington and Hamilton protested his choice as president.
E) he felt that the national judiciary held too much power over the executive.

Question 22

The Pennsylvania constitution was

A) hailed by philosophers in France.
B) used as a model in Germany.
C) based on documents from Russia.
D) created by immigrants from Spain.
E) the cause of several riots in Great Britain.

Question 23

One conspicuous feature of the Articles of Confederation was that there was no

A) legislature.
B) executive.
C) national judiciary.
D) recognition of states.
E) mention of the treaty-making power.

Question 24

In part, the Federalist papers contain the results of studies of various forms of government assembled by

A) Benjamin Franklin.
B) Thomas Jefferson.
C) John Adams.
D) George Washington.
E) James Madison.

Question 25

Under the Articles of Confederation, delegates to the national legislature were

A) elected by the people.
B) selected by state governors.
C) appointed by state committees.
D) chosen by the state legislatures.
E) None of the above.

Question 26

The purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was to

A) prepare a new constitution.
B) consider revisions to the Articles of Confederation.
C) draft a declaration of independence.
D) adopt a common state constitution.
E) prepare for a second revolution.

Question 27

Pennsylvania's government was somewhat unusual in that it featured no

A) constitution.
B) written laws.
C) elected officials.
D) legislature.
E) governor.

Question 28

The Pennsylvania constitution was notable for

A) being very democratic.
B) the protection it granted to minorities.
C) granting so much power to the executive.
D) the opposition it drew from French philosophers.
E) all of the above

Question 29

The state of affairs in Pennsylvania seemed to suggest that

A) state constitutions were generally successful.
B) the rights and liberties of citizens were secure in a confederation.
C) unitary systems were more liberal than confederations.
D) democracy and tyranny might not be all that far apart from one another.
E) it is not a good thing to create a separate, independent executive.

Question 30

Under the Articles of Confederation, amendments had to

A) be written in secret.
B) be submitted to the national judiciary for approval.
C) have the approval of half of the state governors.
D) be supported by all thirteen states.
E) all of the above

Question 31

Madison's review of books on history and law led him to conclude that in the matter of government,

A) there were more warnings worth noting than there were models worth emulating.
B) confederations were generally strong and unified.
C) the Roman Republic was a clear example of a stable government that respected the liberties of its citizens.
D) the confederacies of ancient Greece were immune from collapse by internal dissension.
E) personal liberty was rarely affected by governmental structure.

Question 32

All of the following were true of the government under the Articles of Confederation except that

A) larger states had more votes in the national legislature.
B) there was no national judicial branch.
C) the national government could not levy taxes.
D) the national government could not regulate commerce.
E) amendment required the support of all thirteen states.

Question 33

Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government could

A) run the post office.
B) levy taxes.
C) regulate commerce.
D) establish a national judicial system.
E) None of the above.

Question 34

In the year 1787, Florida was

A) still unoccupied.
B) one of the original thirteen colonies.
C) occupied by France.
D) part of Georgia.
E) occupied by Spain.

Question 35

Under the Articles, Congress could appoint key army officers, but the army was

A) too large to fund in any practical manner.
B) small and dependent for support on independent state militias.
C) easily swayed by foreign influences.
D) independent of the states and heavily garrisoned.
E) generally supportive of the British monarchy.

Question 36

Which statement most accurately summarizes the aftermath of the American Revolution?

A) Many cities were in ruins, and the British were still a powerful presence.
B) The economy was strong, and the British military was on the verge of complete collapse.
C) Cities were booming, and the currency was strong.
D) Taxes were low, and the currency was sound.
E) Spain and Britain were no longer relevant on the North American continent.

Question 37

Compared with the Pennsylvania state constitution of 1776, the constitution adopted by Massachusetts in 1780 was

A) less democratic, with power residing largely in the hands of a strong executive council.
B) more democratic, with power residing largely in the hands of the people through town meetings.
C) less democratic, with a clear separation of powers among the various branches of government.
D) more democratic, with power given to a one-house legislature, the members of which were elected to one-year terms.
E) more democratic, with power residing largely in the hands of the courts.

Question 38

Shays's Rebellion, an early test of the powers of the Articles of Confederation, took place in

A) Virginia.
B) Rhode Island.
C) Massachusetts.
D) Maryland.
E) Pennsylvania.

Question 39

The Articles of Confederation attempted to create a

A) strong central government.
B) unified collective.
C) unitary system.
D) league of friendship.
E) federal system.

Question 40

Previous to the Philadelphia Convention, critical meetings were held at

A) New York and Boston.
B) George Washington's home and Annapolis Maryland.
C) the homes of Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.
D) Ellis Island and Fort McHenry.
E) Bunker Hill and Dover.

Question 41

Under the Virginia Plan, acts of the national legislature could have been vetoed by

A) the president.
B) the Supreme Court.
C) a council of revision.
D) any federal court.
E) no one; they would have been supreme.

Question 42

About ___ of the delegates to the Convention were regular participants.

A) 74
B) 55
C) 39
D) 30
E) 12

Question 43

Madison dramatized his perspective in a Federalist paper by observing that "if men were _______, no government would be necessary."

A) Federalists
B) Anti-Federalists
C) angels
D) aristocrats
E) Puritans

Question 44

The intent of the New Jersey Plan was to ________ the old Articles of Confederation.

A) replace
B) amend
C) rescind
D) weaken
E) emasculate

Question 45

Which state refused to send a delegate to the Constitutional Convention?

A) New York
B) Pennsylvania
C) Massachusetts
D) Virginia
E) Rhode Island

Question 46

The central issue in the framing of the U.S. Constitution was that of

A) how strong to make the national government.
B) how best to divide powers among the branches of government.
C) how best to break with Great Britain.
D) how to adopt liberty but still allow slaveholding.
E) how to create a truly independent judiciary.

Question 47

John Locke suggested that the chief limitation on government should derive from the fact that it

A) is created by the consent of the governed.
B) has checks and balances.
C) is separated into various branches.
D) was not found in the state of nature.
E) cannot function without military strength.

Question 48

According to the Virginia Plan, proposed at the Constitutional Convention, all state laws would be

A) immune from interference by the central government.
B) immediately null and void, and new national laws would be enacted.
C) subject to veto by a national legislature.
D) subject to revision by a national judiciary.
E) revised and then submitted to a national judiciary.

Question 49

The Constitutional Convention attracted ___ delegates.

A) 74
B) 55
C) 39
D) 30
E) 12

Question 50

Which of the following does the text suggest may have been "the most famous American in the world?"

A) Washington
B) Franklin
C) Madison
D) Hamilton
E) Adams

Question 51

The presiding officer at the Philadelphia convention was

A) James Madison.
B) George Washington.
C) Thomas Jefferson.
D) Alexander Hamilton.
E) Benjamin Franklin.

Question 52

The effect of Shays's Rebellion on attendance by delegates at the planned Constitutional Convention of 1787 was to

A) encourage attendance by delegates fearing the collapse of state governments.
B) encourage attendance by delegates fearing intervention by the British.
C) discourage attendance by delegates fearing a public outcry against any strengthening of the Articles of Confederation.
D) discourage attendance by delegates fearing intervention by the British.
E) discourage attendance by delegates who fought in the Revolutionary War.

Question 53

The "state of nature" refers to

A) society without government.
B) government without society.
C) formation of government along the lines of natural law.
D) the clash between government and society.
E) the very highest form of government.

Question 54

Which of the following responded to news of Shays's Rebellion by saying, "A little rebellion now and then is a good thing"?

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) George Washington
C) John Adams
D) Alexander Hamilton
E) Benjamin Franklin

Question 55

The individuals who participated in Shays's Rebellion were

A) lawyers.
B) ex-Revolutionary War soldiers and officers.
C) former officials appointed by the King.
D) former slaves.
E) French immigrants.

Question 56

The national legislature would have had the power to veto state laws under the

A) Connecticut Plan.
B) New Jersey Plan.
C) Maryland Plan.
D) Virginia Plan.
E) Great Compromise.

Question 57

Who said that he "smelled a rat" and would not attend the Constitutional Convention?

A) Benjamin Franklin
B) George Washington
C) John Adams
D) Henry Clay
E) Patrick Henry

Question 58

The New Jersey Plan was a reaction by some states primarily to the fear that

A) the legislative veto power called for by the Virginia Plan would seriously undermine individual states' rights.
B) the weak central government devised by the Virginia Plan would grant too much power to rural states.
C) the strong central government devised by the Virginia Plan would grant too much power to small states.
D) the Virginia Plan gave too much power to populous states.
E) Hamilton's suggestions about the executive branch would be accepted by the convention.

Question 59

Among those who were conspicuously absent from the Constitutional Convention were

A) Alexander Hamilton and George Washington.
B) Benjamin Franklin and John Hancock.
C) John Adams and James Madison.
D) George Washington and James Madison.
E) Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry.

Question 60

If a new constitutional convention were called today and the delegates modeled their behavior precisely on that of delegates to the original Constitutional Convention, the first group to be outraged by the delegates' behavior would probably be

A) state legislators.
B) Supreme Court justices.
C) the media.
D) the general public.
E) governors in the various states.

Question 61

The Great Compromise was supported by the votes of delegates from ________ states.

A) thirteen
B) twelve
C) ten
D) nine
E) five

Question 62

Those powers that are given exclusively to the states are ________ powers.

A) enumerated
B) reserved
C) concurrent
D) revolving
E) complicit

Question 63

The goal of the Framers of the U.S. Constitution was to create a(n)

A) political system in which majority rule was supreme.
B) pure democracy modeled after the New England town meeting.
C) pluralist democracy ruled by a political elite.
D) autonomous collective.
E) republic based on a system of representation.

Question 64

When the first decisive vote was taken on the Virginia and New Jersey plans, the vote

A) was unanimous in favor of starting over.
B) was evenly split.
C) favored the Virginia Plan seven to three.
D) was unanimous in favor of the Virginia Plan.
E) favored the New Jersey Plan seven to six.

Question 65

Dividing power between the states and the national government is referred to as

A) sovereignty.
B) dual legitimacy.
C) egalitarianism.
D) plutocracy.
E) federalism.

Question 66

The Great Compromise finally allocated representation on the basis of

A) population, in both houses.
B) equality, in both houses.
C) population in the House and statehood equality in the Senate.
D) equality in the House and population in the Senate.
E) None of the above.

Question 67

Each state would have had an equal number of votes in the legislature under the

A) Connecticut Plan.
B) New Jersey Plan.
C) Maryland Plan.
D) Virginia Plan.
E) Georgia Plan.

Question 68

The nature of the amendment process has probably kept the amendments added to the U.S. Constitution

A) relatively simple in nature.
B) legally complex in nature.
C) relatively few in number.
D) extremely controversial.
E) somewhat redundant.

Question 69

The New Jersey Plan would have allotted votes in Congress to states on the basis of

A) area.
B) statehood seniority.
C) population.
D) voting population.
E) equality.

Question 70

An amendment can be proposed by

A) a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress.
B) a national convention called by Congress at the request of two-thirds of the states.
C) a two-thirds vote by the Senate only.
D) either a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress or a national convention called by Congress at the request of two-thirds of the states.
E) None of the above.

Question 71

Which of the following statements is correct with respect to the Philadelphia convention's Committee on Detail?

A) It consisted of only five members.
B) It inserted new proposals into the Constitution.
C) It made changes in old proposals.
D) It drew inspiration from state constitutions.
E) All of the above

Question 72

Collecting taxes, building roads, borrowing money, and establishing courts would be examples of ________ powers.

A) enumerated
B) reserved
C) concurrent
D) revolving
E) complicit

Question 73

The final report of the Constitutional Convention was approved on September 17, 1787 by

A) all twelve states in attendance.
B) eleven of the twelve states attending.
C) every state and delegate attending.
D) every state in the Confederation.
E) None of the above.

Question 74

The importance of the Great Compromise was that it

A) created a legislature similar in structure to that under the Articles of Confederation.
B) established a single, one-state-one-vote formula under which all states would benefit.
C) strengthened the power of larger states at the expense of smaller states.
D) granted equal power to the three branches of the new central government.
E) ensured support for a strong national government from small as well as large states.

Question 75

Among the many compromises worked out at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 after the adoption of the Great Compromise was that of the

A) adoption of a five-year term of office for the president.
B) selection of the Supreme Court by the Senate.
C) popular election of members of the House of Representatives.
D) use of an Electoral College for choosing a president.
E) establishment of an elective monarchy.

Question 76

A majority of the states at the Convention ___________ the Great Compromise.

A) voted for
B) voted against
C) favored the Virginia Plan over
D) favored the New Jersey Plan over
E) either voted against, or did support,

Question 77

Those powers that are given to the national government exclusively are ________ powers.

A) enumerated
B) reserved
C) concurrent
D) revolving
E) complicit

Question 78

Relative to the notion of democratic government, the Supreme Court's power of judicial review

A) places limits on majority rule.
B) is limited to state issues.
C) generally favors the executive.
D) is sometimes democratic, sometimes not.
E) is applied frequently.

Question 79

One indication of the degree of contention at the convention might be found in Benjamin Franklin's suggestion that each day's meeting begin with

A) fisticuffs.
B) a mock gun duel.
C) a toast.
D) prayer.
E) handshakes.

Question 80

The power of the people-popular majority rule-was limited by the U.S. Constitution in several ways, including by

A) establishing a directly elected House of Representatives.
B) granting lawmaking powers to the judicial branch of government.
C) concentrating political power in a single, supreme legislature.
D) making the amending of the U.S. Constitution relatively difficult.
E) removing all formal titles from the heads of government.