Deck 3: The Constitution

Question 1

A republic is a government

A)resting on the consent of the governed through their representatives.
B)based on majority law.
C)ruled by two political parties.
D)ruled by a monarch.
E)divided by two opposing cultures but ruled by one ruler.

Answer 1

A

Question 2

The first fighting in the American Revolution happened in ________ in early 1775.​

A)​Georgia
B)​New York
C)​Texas
D)​Virginia
E)Massachusetts

Answer 2

E

Question 3

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"?

A)Locke's Second Treatise of Government
B)The Treaty of Lisbon
C)The Declaration of Independence
D)The Articles of Confederation
E)The Constitution

Answer 3

C

Question 4

The chief goal of the drafters of the Articles of Confederation was to​

A)protect states' rights.
B)​​create a strong central authority to protect the states from foreign invasion.
C)​reduce the power of the executive, who had come to be seen as too much like a monarch.
D)​ensure that the judiciary had the ability to decide which laws were constitutional.
E)​create a system in which states would be represented on the basis of their population.

Question 5

Shays's Rebellion consisted of

A)Massachusetts residents protesting New Hampshire's import tax on their state's products.
B)farmers trying to prevent foreclosure on their property for debts and taxes owed.
C)Massachusetts residents protesting the national government's tax on liquor.
D)Bostonians throwing British tea into Boston Harbor.
E)tobacco farmers protesting tariffs on their crops.

Question 6

​Historian Jack Rakove argues that in the Declaration of Independence,Thomas Jefferson was arguing for

A)​protection of individual liberty for all Americans.
B)​abolition of slavery.
C)​equality of states under the U.S. Constitution.
D)​the collective right of revolution and self-government.
E)​a utopian vision of equal rights for all persons everywhere.

Question 7

​The notion that governmental authority springs from the consent of the governed is derived from

A)​British common law.
B)​the U.S. Constitution.
C)​social contract theory.
D)the Bible.
E)​a speech given by Thomas Jefferson.

Question 8

The chief objective of the First Continental Congress was​ to

A)​establish trade relations with foreign powers like France and Germany.
B)​select a commander for the Continental Army.
C)​draft the U.S. Constitution.
D)​restore peaceful relations between the colonies and Great Britain.
E)​decide how to deal with the issue of slavery.

Question 9

Which document proclaimed,"Each state retains its sovereignty,freedom,and independence,and every power,jurisdiction,and right,which is not … expressly delegated to the United States"?

A)John Locke's Second Treatise of Government
B)The Treaty of Lisbon
C)The Declaration of Independence
D)The Articles of Confederation
E)The Constitution

Question 10

According to John Locke,all legitimate political authority exists to preserve​

A)​the principal of "one person, one vote."
B)​natural rights.
C)​each nation's military power.
D)​the free enterprise system.
E)​free and fair elections.

Question 11

The Daughters of Liberty opposed British rule by

A)organizing large public protest marches.
B)dumping tea into Boston Harbor.
C)refusing to marry, date, or associate with British loyalists.
D)engaging in violent guerilla actions.
E)spinning their own cloth and using colonial products rather than buying imported British products.

Question 12

The Articles of Confederation failed because

A)they did not provide an effective means for the government to raise money.
B)they did not include an independent leader to direct the government.
C)they did not give the government the power to regulate commerce.
D)they did not provide an effective means for the government to raise money, they did not include an independent leader to direct the government, and they did not give the government the power to regulate commerce.
E)None of these choices is true.

Question 13

One result of the Second Continental Congress was

A)the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
B)a plan for the Boston Tea Party.
C)a brief reconciliation with Britain.
D)the decision to create thirteen colonies.
E)increases in colonial taxes paid to England.

Question 14

To amend the Articles of Confederation required a(n)

A)agreement between the president and the legislature.
B)majority vote among citizens of the colonies.
C)opinion from the supreme court approving the amendment.
D)majority vote of the Confederation Congress.
E)unanimous vote of the Confederation Congress.

Question 15

A confederation can best be described as

A)a loose association of independent states.
B)a government without a monarch.
C)a government ruled by a dictator.
D)a form of socialism.
E)smaller units of government controlled by a larger government unit.

Question 16

A major event that led to greater British taxation of American colonies was

A)the Feudalism Act.
B)the increased success of cotton as an American export.
C)the growth of the American slave trade.
D)the increased industrialization of the Northern colonies.
E)the Seven Years' War.

Question 17

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"?

A)James Madison
B)John Adams
C)John Hancock
D)Joseph Ellis
E)John Locke

Question 18

An estimated _________ American colonists remained loyal to the British Crown.

A)one-half of
B)one in three
C)one in five
D)one in ten
E)one in twenty

Question 19

The original draft of the Declaration of Independence

A)did not mention slavery.
B)condemned slavery but did not call for its end.
C)specified that slaves did not count as human beings.
D)called for the end of slavery everywhere.
E)condemned the king's support of the slave trade.

Question 20

The American Revolution effectively ended with the surrender of Cornwallis and his army at Yorktown in​

A)​1775.
B)​1776.
C)​1781.
D)​1787.
E)​1789.

Question 21

Article I of the Constitution refers to the

A)preamble.
B)legislative branch.
C)executive branch.
D)judicial branch.
E)None of these choices is true.

Question 22

The Great Compromise provided for

A)a two-chamber legislature with equal representation for all states.
B)a two-chamber legislature with equal representation for all states in one chamber and population-based representation in the other.
C)a one-chamber legislature with representation based on population.
D)a two-chamber legislature with representation based on population.
E)upper-house members elected separately from lower-house members.

Question 23

The power of Congress to charter a bank is an example of what type of power?

A)Inherent
B)Implied
C)Derived
D)Reserved
E)Enumerated

Question 24

Article I,Section 8 of the constitution articulates the principle of _________,granting Congress limited powers.​

A)​checks and balances
B)​judicial review
C)​separation of powers
D)​the bicameral legislature
E)​enumerated powers

Question 25

A constitutional clause that allows for a broad interpretation of implied powers is known as a(n)__________ clause.

A)earmark
B)reciprocal
C)rudimentary
D)elastic
E)ornate

Question 26

Shays's Rebellion was ultimately defeated by​

A)​the U.S. military, called into action by the Confederation Congress.
B)​a mercenary force recruited by the central government, because American soldiers would not fire on other Americans.
C)​the weather, when rebels were not prepared for the winter.
D)​a group of citizens who self-organized to combat the threat from the rebels.
E)​the Massachusetts militia.

Question 27

​The main positive result of the Annapolis Convention was

A)​a call for a larger meeting of the states, with a broader mission.
B)​revision of commercial arrangements among the states.
C)​amendments to the Articles of Confederation.
D)​ending state-level export/import restrictions and tariffs.
E)​finally paying debts owed to Revolutionary War veterans.

Question 28

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

A)federalism.
B)republicanism.
C)authority.
D)economic manipulation.
E)checks and balances.

Question 29

Unless they are impeached,federal judges serve

A)for two years.
B)for ten years.
C)for twenty years.
D)for life.
E)on the grace of the executive.

Question 30

The original procedure for selecting the vice president,under the electoral college,was

A)the vice president would be selected by the Senate.
B)the vice president would be selected by the House.
C)the candidate with the next-greatest number of votes would become vice president.
D)the president would select a vice president after being elected.
E)None of the above is true.

Question 31

The plan presented at the Constitutional Convention generally favored ​by large states was

A)​the Connecticut Compromise
B)​the New Jersey Plan
C)​the Three-fifths Compromise
D)​the Virginia Plan
E)​the Annapolis Compromise

Question 32

Among the most undemocratic​ features of the U.S.Constitution is the

A)​bicameral legislature.
B)creation of a single executive​.
C)​state equality rule.
D)​creation of a Supreme Court.
E)​direct election of Senators.

Question 33

One similarity between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan was that both plans

A)provided for a legislature with two houses.
B)based representation on state population.
C)specified the creation of a system of national courts.
D)left unspecified how many people might comprise the executive.
E)gave the executive the right to veto legislation.

Question 34

Which state legislature sent no delegates to the Constitutional Convention?

A)Delaware
B)Massachusetts
C)Georgia
D)South Carolina
E)Rhode Island

Question 35

Which of the following is not one of the political principles relied on by the founders?

A)​Federalism
B)​​Checks and balances
C)One person, one vote
D)​Republicanism
E)Separation of powers

Question 36

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)judicial review.
B)direct democracy.
C)inherent powers.
D)separation of powers.
E)None of these choices is true.

Question 37

Which of the following is not a power granted to the president under the Constitution?

A)The power to make treaties
B)The power to appoint government officers, diplomats and judges
C)The power to declare war
D)The power to veto
E)The power to convene Congress

Question 38

According to the New Jersey Plan,how was representation to be structured in Congress?

A)There would be population-based representation in both houses.
B)There would be one house, and representation in it would be based on population.
C)States would have equal representation in one house and population-based representation in the other.
D)There would be one house, and all states would have equal representation in it.
E)Representation was to be based on the three-fifths compromise.

Question 39

Originally,the Constitutional Convention's purpose was to

A)eliminate the power of the Second Continental Congress.
B)overturn articles amended by the Second Continental Congress.
C)revise the Articles of Confederation.
D)file a formal tax protest with England.
E)adopt a new constitution.

Question 40

The power of the president to veto laws is an example of

A)federalism.
B)implied powers.
C)checks and balances.
D)separation of powers.
E)enumeration.

Question 41

Article VI of the constitution contains provisions establishing​

A)​separation of powers and checks and balances.
B)​the supremacy clause and the no religious test clause.
C)​the unitary executive and the supremacy clause.
D)​the commerce power and the full faith and credit clause.
E)​the three-fifths compromise and the no religious test clause.

Question 42

​Federalist No.10 and Federalist No.51 each argue,from different angles,that the constitution combats

A)​excessive power in the executive.
B)​tyranny.
C)​weakness of the states.
D)​attacks from foreign nations.
E)​the problem of an uninvolved population.

Question 43

Before it could take effect,the Constitution had to be ratified by __________ states.

A)13
B)8
C)10
D)9
E)5

Question 44

The Bill of Rights consists of the first __________ amendments to the Constitution.

A)five
B)ten
C)fifteen
D)twenty
E)twenty-two

Question 45

Under the Constitution,the slave trade

A)was banned.
B)was guaranteed only for Southern states.
C)could be ended after twenty years.
D)was not mentioned.
E)was initially condemned, but this language was removed to win support from Southern delegates to the Convention.

Question 46

The primary contribution of the Federalist papers is

A)they serve as the collective writings of theorists.
B)to assert independence from England.
C)their insights into the roots of the American Revolution.
D)their ideas supporting the Bill of Rights.
E)their insight into the reasons for constitutional provisions.

Question 47

Amendments to the constitution may be proposed by two-thirds votes in both the House and the Senate or by​ a

A)​presidential order.
B)​vote of a two-thirds of the population.
C)​national convention.
D)supreme court opinion.
E)majority of the state legislatures.

Question 48

Supporters of the Constitution named themselves

A)Republicans.
B)Democrats.
C)Sons of Liberty.
D)Antifederalists.
E)Federalists.

Question 49

The main argument against the need for a bill of rights was that

A)the national government would be weakened if limits on its powers were listed.
B)states could use the power of nullification if national laws violated individual liberties.
C)the Constitution established a government of limited powers; because the government was not given the power to regulate individual liberties, no bill of rights was necessary.
D)the states could easily withdraw from the Union if the national government violated individual liberties.
E)the design of the institutions of government would preclude them from abusing rights anyway.

Question 50

The three-fifths compromise resolved the issue of​

A)​representation of slaves.
B)​representation in the electoral college.
C)​appointments to the federal judiciary.
D)​taxation of trade between states.
E)​procedures for amending the constitution.

Question 51

Including the Bill of Rights,__________ amendments have been added to the Constitution.

A)ten
B)nineteen
C)seventeen
D)fifty-four
E)twenty-seven

Question 52

The Federalist Papers were drafted by​

A)​Adams, Hamilton, and Madision
B)​Jeffferson, Washington, and Adams
C)​Madison, Adams, and Jefferson
D)​Franklin, Madision, and "the Federal Farmer"
E)​Madison, Hamilton, and Jay

Question 53

The _________ Amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures.

A)First
B)Second
C)Fourth
D)Eighth
E)Thirteenth

Question 54

The chief obstacle to ratification of the Constitution by the states was

A)the power it granted to tax.
B)the omission of a bill of rights.
C)its failure to abolish slavery.
D)the lack of court structure below the Supreme Court.
E)inclusion of the plural executive.

Question 55

The _________ Amendment protects against excessive bail,excessive fines,and cruel and unusual punishment.

A)First
B)Second
C)Fourth
D)Eighth
E)Thirteenth

Question 56

The constitutional amendment process requires

A)the exercise of judicial review.
B)extraordinary majorities.
C)a simple majority.
D)the exercise of executive privilege.
E)unanimity in the proposal phase.

Question 57

Antifederalists attacked the proposed Constitution on the grounds that

A)it was not democratic enough.
B)the national government it created was too weak.
C)the national government it created was too strong.
D)it created an independent judiciary.
E)it created too many enumerated powers for the states.

Question 58

Which amendment does the text categorize as "disastrous"?

A)First Amendment
B)Tenth Amendment
C)Fifteenth Amendment
D)Eighteenth Amendment
E)Nineteenth Amendment

Question 59

The text of the Constitution deals with slavery by

A)prohibiting it after 1807.
B)abolishing it.
C)requiring the individual states to decide the issue for themselves.
D)not mentioning it directly.
E)making each state responsible for its own policy.

Question 60

According to Madison in Federalist No.10,the most common and durable source of factions has been

A)religious disputes.
B)monarchy.
C)slavery.
D)democracy.
E)unequal distribution of property.

Question 61

Summarize Madison's Federalist No.10 definition of factions and his argument for how the Constitution would control them.

Question 62

Compare and contrast the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plans,and describe how the Great Compromise resolved their conflicts.​

Question 63

The _________ guaranteed citizenship to all persons,including blacks.

A)Thirteenth Amendment
B)Fourteenth Amendment
C)Nineteenth Amendment
D)Twenty-sixth Amendment
E)None of these choices is true.

Question 64

__________was heard from some 20,000 protesters,many of them women,in October of 1932 as they demanded repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment.

A)"Stop the war"
B)"No taxation without representation"
C)"Let women vote"
D)"We want beer"
E)"Impeach Hoover"

Question 65

After the Constitution was amended to permit the federal government to levy a progressive income tax,government could more effectively further the goal of

A)social order.
B)social equality.
C)economic freedom.
D)minority rights.
E)redistribution.

Question 66

Identify and discuss the four main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation that led to its failure.

Question 67

Explain the manner in which the Constitution can be amended.

Question 68

Discuss Shays's Rebellion,and explain its historical significance.

Question 69

Discuss the way the constitution dealt with slavery and the effects of the framers' compromises on this issue.

Question 70

The Supreme Court first declared that the courts have the power to overturn government acts that conflict with the Constitution in

A)Marbury v. Madison.
B)Hamilton v. Burr.
C)Hammer v. Dagenhart.
D)Barron v. Baltimore.
E)McCulloch v. Maryland.

Question 71

The key principle argued in the case Marbury v.Madison was

A)national supremacy.
B)slavery.
C)the application of the necessary and proper clause.
D)judicial review.
E)the application of the elastic clause to the federal government.

Question 72

Discuss the conflicts,and actions in response to them,​ that led to the Revolutionary War.

Question 73

After the failure of the Articles of Confederation,the founders adopted a ________ form of government,strong enough to maintain order but not to dominate the states.​

A)​unicameral
B)​bipartisan
C)​parliamentary
D)​federal
E)​presidential

Question 74

Explain the difference between enumerated and implied powers,and cite some examples of each.

Question 75

What is social contract theory,and how did John Locke's view on this topic impact drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?

Question 76

The _________ guarantees that citizens' right to vote cannot be denied "on account of sex."

A)Thirteenth Amendment
B)Fifteenth Amendment
C)Nineteenth Amendment
D)Twenty-sixth Amendment
E)None of these choices is true.

Question 77

When compared with the U.S.Constitution,most American state constitutions

A)are longer and more detailed.
B)are shorter and less specific.
C)have been amended less frequently.
D)vary greatly in text and subjects.
E)provide more enumerated protections.

Question 78

Describe how the ​constitution deals with social and political equality,and how this has changed since the constitution was ratified.

Question 79

The framers of the Constitution intended _________ to be the strongest branch(es)of government.

A)the executive branch
B)the judiciary branch
C)Congress
D)the executive and the judiciary branches
E)None of these choices is true.

Question 80

Describe the impact that the Antifederalists had on the Constitution.