Deck 1: An Historical Overview

Question 1

According to Article 1 of the Constitution, which branch of government is authorized to declare war?"

A) the executive branch.
B) the legislative branch.
C) the judicial branch.
D) the military branch.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The first written agreement among the colonies to stand together in resistance to Great Britain was the result of:

A) the First Continental Congress.
B) the Second Continental Congress.
C) The Federalist Papers.
D) the Mayflower Compact.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

How many of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence went on to become President of the United States?

A) zero
B) one
C) two
D) three

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The principle that government should have power distributed, and be limited by a system of laws that must be obeyed by those who rule, is known as:

A) constitutionalism.
B) confederalism.
C) capitalism.
D) communism.

Question 5

According to the first three articles of the Constitution, what are the three branches of American government?

A) legislative, judicial, and correctional
B) judicial, executive, and formative
C) legislative, judicial, and executive
D) formative, correctional, and legislative

Question 6

Pluralism refers to:

A) a society in which numerous distinct ethnic, religious, or cultural groups coexist within one nation, each contributing to the society as a whole.
B) the combination of constitutional, statutory, and common law.
C) a single act being classified as both a crime and a tort.
D) a society in which numerous distinct ethnic, religious, or cultural groups maintain their individual beliefs and form of government.

Question 7

A union of independent states, in which each state maintains sovereignty, is known as:

A) an alliance
B) a league
C) a confederation
D) an amalgamation

Question 8

All of the following statements about constitutions are true, except:

A) constitutions are a system of fundamental laws and principles that prescribe the nature, functions, and limits of a government or other body.
B) constitutions are distinguished from ordinary acts of legislation, in that they are drafted by special assemblages and ratified by special conventions chosen by the people.
C) constitutions are supreme law and, therefore, can be annulled only by legislation.
D) constitutionalism is one of the most original, distinctive contributions of the American system of government.

Question 9

Who of the following did not sign the U.S. Constitution?

A) George Mason
B) John Jay
C) Alexander Hamilton
D) James Madison

Question 10

According to the text, pluralism challenged the colonists to:

A) strive to maintain their original culture.
B) exercise tolerance and respect for the opinions, customs, traditions, and lifestyles of others.
C) band together in self-defense.
D) combine English and Roman common law with Native American customary law.

Question 11

While the opening paragraph of the Declaration of Independence was issued to break political ties with Great Britain, the second paragraph declares that a government's right to rule is based on:

A) the will of the King.
B) the elected officials of the colonies.
C) the permission of the people who are governed.
D) equal representation throughout the colonies.

Question 12

The Great Compromise was important because it:

A) allowed for a civil resolution to prisoner exchange after the Revolutionary War.
B) gave each state an equal vote in the Senate and a proportionate vote in the House.
C) settled the nearly 10-month debate on who would become the first President of the United States.
D) was the first time "freedom" was discussed in a formal document of the United States pertaining to slavery.

Question 13

The Magna Carta was created:

A) to ensure that states maintained power apart from the national government.
B) to outline colonists' complaints against the British crown.
C) in England, to guarantee that the king could not put himself above the law.
D) by the British Parliament, in protest of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

Question 14

Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton are the only two Presidents of the United States to be:

A) elected to a third term by executive order of Congress.
B) impeached.
C) the president, and then serve as a member of Congress years later.
D) assassinated in office.

Question 15

The Boston Tea Party was all of the following, except:

A) a demonstration of the unwillingness of the colonists to pay taxes to Great Britain without representation.
B) an act of protest against British rule over the colonies.
C) the culmination of growing resentment towards Parliament for the passage of laws such as the Stamp and Quartering Acts.
D) a formal meeting between British and colonial officials to establish a trade agreement.

Question 16

Those colonists who bought British goods against the boycott were branded:

A) loyalists.
B) harbourers.
C) rebels.
D) patriots.

Question 17

The famous Supremacy Clause, declaring the "Supreme Law of the Land," is contained in:

A) the Declaration of Independence.
B) the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights.
C) the Constitution (Article 6).
D) the Great Compromise.

Question 18

The Proclamation of 1763, signed by King George III, was significant to the colonies because:

A) it ended the reign of King George III as ruler of Britain.
B) it ended westward expansion of the colonies and placed them under military rule.
C) it began westward expansion of the colonies, eventually leading to the demise of Native Americans.
D) it led to the appointment of George Washington to his first political post in the colonies.

Question 19

Formal ties between Great Britain and the United States were severed when:

A) the American Declaration of Independence was signed.
B) the colonists boarded British ships and threw tea overboard.
C) the Magna Carta was drafted.
D) the colonists met at the First Continental Congress.

Question 20

The Second Continental Congress resulted in all of the following, except:

A) the naming of George Washington as Commander of the Continental Army.
B) the battles at Lexington and Concord.
C) the instruction to each colony to assume the powers of independent states.
D) the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Question 21

Laws are enforced through legal means.

Question 22

The Amendment that contains the famous Due Process Clause, "nor shall any person be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law," is the:

A) Fifth Amendment.
B) Sixth Amendment.
C) Fourth Amendment.
D) Eighth Amendment.

Question 23

Thomas Jefferson was selected to coordinate writing a formal announcement, which would become known as the Declaration of Independence.

Question 24

Contrary to popular belief, the Declaration of Independence neither proclaimed independence nor listed actions the new United States of America could take as a country.

Question 25

All of the following are true of the legislative branch of the United States government, except:

A) it passes laws but has no power to enforce them.
B) it comprises the House and the Senate.
C) it can enter into treaties with other nations.
D) it regulates interstate and international commerce.

Question 26

The Stamp Act, passed in 1765, required stamps to be purchased and placed on legal documents (such as marriage licenses and wills) in the colonies.

Question 27

Opponents of the death penalty most frequently cite the prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment in the:

A) Fifth Amendment.
B) Sixth Amendment.
C) Fourth Amendment.
D) Eighth Amendment.

Question 28

Cultural and ethnic diversity has always been an attribute of America.

Question 29

Constitutionalism is one of the most original, distinctive contributions of the American system of government.

Question 30

In regard to the U.S. Constitution, Delaware is most known for:

A) being the first state to ratify the Constitution.
B) being the only state to oppose the ratification of the Constitution.
C) failing to send a delegate to represent the state.
D) imposing the new "state rule," where individual states maintain power with no federal authority to oversee their survival.

Question 31

The Constitution was signed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.

Question 32

The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are housed at the:

A) American History Museum.
B) National Archives Building.
C) White House.
D) Supreme Court Building.

Question 33

Which of the following permits the U. S. Supreme Court to become the ultimate decision-maker in whether the laws and actions of government circumvent the Constitution and, if so, whether to invalidate them?

A) the Bill of Rights
B) the Articles of Confederation
C) the Supremacy Clause
D) the Quartering Act

Question 34

The Amendment that requires a grand jury indictment in felony cases, prohibits double jeopardy, and provides the right against self-incrimination is the:

A) Fifth Amendment.
B) Eighth Amendment.
C)  Sixth Amendment.
D) Fourth Amendment.

Question 35

The First Continental Congress met in Trenton, New Jersey, on December 19, 1771-one of the coldest winters on record.

Question 36

As a result of the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament restricted town meetings in American colonies to one a year and required British troops to be housed in private homes.

Question 37

The Amendment that guarantees the right against unreasonable searches and seizures is the:

A) Fifth Amendment.
B) Sixth Amendment.
C) Fourth Amendment.
D) Eighth Amendment.

Question 38

The Articles of Confederation established a Congress to conduct the necessary tasks of a central government.

Question 39

The Amendment that describes the requirements for a fair trial-including the rights of the accused to a speedy and public trial, to an impartial jury, to be advised of the charges against them, to confront witnesses against them, and to be represented by a lawyer-is the:

A) Fifth Amendment.
B) Eighth Amendment.
C) Sixth Amendment.
D) Fourth Amendment.

Question 40

Article XI of the Articles of Confederation mentions allowing Canada to join and receive all of the same benefits as each state, if it agreed to the confederation.

Question 41

The president nominates Supreme Court Justices, but the ___________ branch confirms or denies the nomination.

Question 42

The purpose of the Constitution was to establish a central government authorized to deal directly with individuals rather than states.

Question 43

The_______________ was established vertically, through the separation of power between the federal government and the states, and laterally, through the three branches of government.

Question 44

The issue of ____________ was omitted during the Constitutional debates, because the framers knew the document would not be ratified by the Southern states if they dealt with the slavery issue.

Question 45

The original Declaration of Independence had 76 signees, which did not include George Washington or Thomas Jefferson.

Question 46

Attempting to persuade individuals to ratify the Constitution, political leaders such as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote powerful collection of essays called _________________.

Question 47

A belief in a government in which power is distributed and limited by a system of laws that must be obeyed by those who rule is known as ____________.

Question 48

The______________________________ Amendment prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishment.

Question 49

The term_______________refers to the interaction and assimilation that occurred over time among the colonists.

Question 50

England's historic_______________ , a precedent for democratic government and individual rights, played an
important role in the framing of the United States Constitution.

Question 51

The Federalists, who favored a strong central government, were challenged by the Anti-Federalists, who advocated against the creation of any type of central government.

Question 52

The agreement reached in drafting the U.S. Constitution, which gave each state an equal vote in the Senate and a proportionate vote in the House, was known as the ____________________.

Question 53

Laws of the United States may only originate in the House of Representatives.

Question 54

The______________________________ Amendment states: "The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people," thus answering the objections of those who thought that naming some rights, but not all, might result in the government claiming more power than was intended.

Question 55

The ________________ was an event orchestrated by colonists, who boarded British ships and threw
the cargo into the harbour, because of an unwillingness to pay taxes without representation.

Question 56

The balance of power was established by creating three separate branches of government, all of which work completely independently of each other.

Question 57

The Supreme Court addressed the Necessary and Proper Clause in the case of _____________ in 1819.

Question 58

Colonists who supported the boycott of British goods in the colonies were known as _________, because they vowed allegiance to America rather than to the British monarchy.

Question 59

In the Supremacy Clause, the______________________________ declared itself to be the supreme law of the land.

Question 60

The men who signed the Declaration of Independence were the elite of their colonies, men of wealth and social standing.

Question 61

Explain the problem of dual sovereignty of the federal and state governments, and the way the problem was resolved.

Question 62

The Constitution established the U.S. government as a(n) ____________, not a democracy.

Question 63

How do you think the omission of slavery from the United States Constitution impacted the history of the United States?

Question 64

The right of the people to "keep and bear arms" is contained in the______________________________ Amendment.

Question 65

There have been 27 Amendments to the United States Constitution. If you could draft the Twenty-Eighth Amendment, what would it be? Why do you think this Amendment is necessary? Does it conflict with any other Amendments? Defend your answer.

Question 66

The_______________  Amendment prohibits the government from housing soldiers in private homes in peacetime without the owners' consent.

Question 67

The______________________________ Amendment concerns the right to privacy and security, and it forbids the government or its agents from searching individuals, their homes, or their personal possessions, or from seizing them, unless the government has "probable cause" to believe that a crime has been committed.

Question 68

Freedom of religion, speech, and the press is contained in the_______________ Amendment.

Question 69

Explain the role of the Magna Carta in framing the U.S. Constitution.

Question 70

In 1791, the first 10 Amendments to the United States Constitution were passed to guarantee individual rights. Which of these Amendments do you feel is most important? Which of these Amendments is least important? Justify your answers.

Question 71

The Constitution established a balance of power between the federal government and the states, as well as between the three branches of government (legislative, judicial, and executive). Which is more important, the balance between federal and state authority, or the balance between the three branches of government? Explain your answer.

Question 72

If the United States Supreme Court did not have the authority to rule acts of the President of the United States or of the United States Congress that were inconsistent with the Constitution, do you think the government would run more smoothly? Do you think the government would run more fairly? Explain your answers to both questions.

Question 73

Describe the purposes and accomplishments of the two Continental Congresses.

Question 74

Discuss the reluctance by some states to accept the Constitution, and the way this issue was remedied.

Question 75

Explain the primary purpose of the Constitution, and how that purpose is achieved.