Deck 1: Constitutional Democracy

Question 1

A theocracy is defined as

A)government by the many.
B)government by religious leaders, who claim divine guidance.
C)government by one family.
D)government by a relatively small group of economic elites.
E)government by non-self-interested bureaucrats.

Answer 1

B

Question 2

The government in which those who have governmental authority get that authority as a result of winning free and relatively frequent elections is called

A)a republic.
B)constitutional democracy.
C)an authoritarian system.
D)direct democracy.
E)representative democracy.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

The democracy that has emerged under the U.S.Constitution requires that citizens do NOT participate, and that all citizens maintain an unchallenged faith in government.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The modern Constitution is the one that was implemented in 1781, and has been the only basis for American government since that time.

Question 5

The initial proposal at the Constitutional Convention that advocated a legislature with representation in both houses based on population or wealth was called the

A)New Jersey Plan.
B)New York Plan.
C)Great Compromise.
D)Virginia Plan.
E)three-fifths compromise.

Question 6

Which of the following was an author of The Federalist?

A)Thomas Jefferson
B)Patrick Henry
C)James Madison
D)George Washington
E)John Marshall

Question 7

Believers in democracy do NOT accept

A)statism.
B)equality.
C)individualism.
D)liberty.
E)self-determination.

Question 8

The word democracy comes from two Greek words: demos (the people) and kratos (authority or power).

Question 9

Supporters of the new government who endorsed ratification were called

A)Federalists.
B)Antifederalists.
C)Compromisers.
D)Nationalists.
E)Confederates.

Question 10

Thomas Jefferson was the author of the Declaration of Independence.

Question 11

The Antifederalists opposed ratification of the proposed Constitution because

A)it included a bill of rights.
B)they felt the national government was not given enough power.
C)they believed that state governments should be abolished.
D)they were concerned that it did not do enough to ensure frequent rotation of elected officials.
E)they opposed direct election of members of the House of Representatives.

Question 12

The writings of John Locke exerted a heavy influence on the framers of the Constitution.

Question 13

The Annapolis Convention

A)was held in 1770.
B)is also known as the Constitutional Convention.
C)was held to consider problems of trade and navigation.
D)was attended by all 13 colonies.
E)led to changes in the Articles of Confederation.

Question 14

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention can best be described as

A)representative of both men and women.
B)a cross-section of all crafts, trades, and laborers.
C)all white male landowners.
D)all committed Antifederalists.
E)former slaves from southern states.

Question 15

Winning an election by a plurality would mean

A)a candidate received 60% or more of the total vote.
B)that the election was held under a parliamentary system.
C)several candidates are headed for a run-off election.
D)one candidate received more votes than any other candidate.
E)two or more candidates are running on the same party ticket.

Question 16

The provision whereby all judges were to treat laws of the national government and treaties of the United States as superior to the constitutions and laws of each of the states is called the

A)Connecticut Compromise.
B)elastic clause.
C)supremacy clause.
D)superiority clause.
E)national clause.

Question 17

Representatives to the Constitutional Convention were charged with

A)considering basic amendments to the Articles of Confederation.
B)writing a new Constitution.
C)enforcing the provisions of the Articles of Confederation.
D)weakening the national government.
E)drafting a Declaration of Independence.

Question 18

Which of the following events was instigated by problems inherent in the Articles of Confederation?

A)Shays' Rebellion.
B)The War of 1812.
C)The Boston Massacre.
D)The Civil War.
E)Abigail Adams' hunger strike.

Question 19

The oldest constitutional democracy in the world is

A)Greece.
B)Great Britain.
C)the United States.
D)Germany.
E)France.

Question 20

Which of the following is NOT an example of a form of direct democracy?

A)Direct primaries
B)Referenda
C)Initiatives
D)Presidential elections through the electoral college
E)Ratification of state constitutional amendments in popular votes

Question 21

Which of the following is NOT mentioned by the authors as a condition conducive to the existence of constitutional democracy?

A)Relative economic prosperity
B)A society without fragmentation into groups that fiercely disagree on fundamental issues
C)Relatively widespread agreement on ideological components of democracy
D)Limited geographic scope of a nation
E)A relatively educated population

Question 22

The last state to ratify the Constitution was New Jersey.

Question 23

In Cuba there is an emphasis on governmental authority (including control of the economy) over the rights of individuals.This is an example of

A)equality.
B)corporatism.
C)fascism.
D)popular consent.
E)statism.

Question 24

The United States is a ____________________.

A)representative democracy
B)direct democracy
C)oligarchy
D)pure democracy
E)confederation

Question 25

Shays' Rebellion, in large part, destroyed the faith in government under the Articles of Confederation.

Question 26

To secure ratification, supporters of the Constitution promised a presidential veto power.

Question 27

Direct democracy

A)generally involves the manipulation of public opinion by political elites.
B)permits citizens to directly vote on laws and select officials.
C)is a form of government in which a single person has ultimate power.
D)is the form of government found in China today.
E)requires the choosing of representatives who are responsible for formulating governmental policy.

Question 28

The essence of _______ is self-determination.

A)personal liberty
B)respect of the individual
C)equality of opportunity
D)popular consent
E)statism

Question 29

The town of Rock Ridge has called together its residents to meet in the town hall to discuss and vote on its sales tax.This is an example of

A)direct democracy.
B)elite manipulation.
C)temporary insanity.
D)constitutional interpretation.
E)representative democracy.

Question 30

The author of the Declaration of Independence was

A)Alexander Hamilton.
B)James Madison.
C)Thomas Jefferson.
D)John Adams.
E)Benjamin Franklin.

Question 31

The distinguishing feature of democracy is

A)that government derives its authority from its citizens.
B)the fact that so many government officials face popular elections.
C)the concentration of governmental authority in the hands of a few individuals.
D)the protection of a nation from foreign threats.
E)a commitment to a written constitution that cannot be changed.

Question 32

According to the text, "government by the people" means all of the following EXCEPT

A)active participation.
B)popular control.
C)faith in government.
D)skepticism of government.
E)everyone must be involved in politics.

Question 33

George W.Bush's election in 2000 was due to the fact that

A)the Supreme Court refused to hear the case.
B)he won the majority of the popular vote.
C)the electoral college declared him the winner.
D)the fear of violence due to the contested election was strong.
E)there were many irregularities in the Florida voting process.

Question 34

All of the below can be considered components of the political process that are necessary to make democratic values a reality EXCEPT

A)free and fair elections.
B)majority rule.
C)freedom of expression.
D)the right to assemble and protest.
E)a rigid class structure.

Question 35

In the Federalist, No.10, James Madison reflected fears held by framers of the Constitution over

A)potential tyranny by rulers.
B)the threat of communism.
C)having the president elected by the electoral college.
D)having representation in Congress determined by state population.
E)citizens having power to decide policy directly.

Question 36

Thomas Jefferson believed in all of the following EXCEPT

A)popular control.
B)representative processes.
C)accountable leadership.
D)the common sense of the people.
E)government by special interests.

Question 37

Bicameralism refers to a two-house legislature.

Question 38

The Connecticut Compromise called for the president to be elected by the legislature.

Question 39

John Smith has just been elected to the U.S.House of Representatives, having received 40% of the vote.His opponents received 35% and 25% of the vote, respectively.Smith's victory is an example of

A)realignment.
B)majority rule.
C)popular consent.
D)minority rights.
E)plurality rule.

Question 40

The country of Alipaxia is considering adopting a constitution that calls for annual elections open to candidates of any political party.The proposed constitution states that governmental authority is rooted in these elections.This is an example of

A)direct democracy.
B)constitutional monarchy.
C)a confederated republic.
D)an oligarchy.
E)constitutional democracy.

Question 41

Governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority is known as

A)majority rule.
B)statism.
C)tyranny of the majority.
D)individual rights.
E)plurality principle.

Question 42

As the Revolutionary War widened to include all thirteen colonies, the 1777 Congress established a new national government under the __________ .

A)Articles of Confederation
B)Declaration of Independence
C)Federalist papers
D)Gettysburg Address
E)Doctrine of Natural Rights

Question 43

The American Revolution began during the

A)1750s.
B)1760s.
C)1770s.
D)1780s.
E)1700s.

Question 44

The first form of government that was planned for the newly independent United States was a

A)confederation system.
B)federal system.
C)unitary system.
D)libertarian system.
E)monarchy.

Question 45

The Puritans of Massachusetts

A)established a monarchy.
B)established a direct democracy.
C)established federalism.
D)permitted their slaves to vote.
E)established a theocracy.

Question 46

The set of arrangements (including checks and balances, federalism, separation of powers, rule of law, due process, and a bill of rights) that require leaders to listen, think, bargain, and explain prior to making laws is called

A)personal liberty.
B)a priori rationalization.
C)constitutionalism.
D)natural law.
E)the divine right of the people.

Question 47

A distinctive element of the U.S.constitutional system under the original Constitution includes which of the following?

A)States' rights
B)Judicial supremacy
C)Bicameralism
D)Executive hegemony
E)Popular elections for all national officials

Question 48

The United States operates under a system of

A)constitutional democracy.
B)legislative superiority.
C)direct democracy.
D)judicial restraint.
E)totalitarianism.

Question 49

Charles Beard argued that the primary motive of the framers of the Constitution was

A)protection from foreign threats.
B)the enshrinement of the majority rule principle.
C)the protection of their own economic self-interests.
D)westward expansion of the country.
E)giving voting rights to as many people as possible.

Question 50

The principle that everyone has the opportunity to realize his or her own goals is called

A)autonomy.
B)self-determination.
C)hegemony.
D)negative freedom.
E)balance of powers.

Question 51

Shays' Rebellion

A)was the initial uprising by the Americans against the British in 1753.
B)demonstrated the need for every state to deal with domestic unrest on its own.
C)was a revolt by slaves in South Carolina that led to the inclusion of the three-fifths compromise in the Constitution.
D)was an uprising by farmers in western Massachusetts protesting mortgage foreclosures.
E)was suppressed by the U.S.marines.

Question 52

The Constitutional Convention was held in

A)Annapolis.
B)Detroit.
C)Los Angeles.
D)Philadelphia.
E)New York.

Question 53

An election in which a candidate can win by getting the most votes, even if it is less than 50% of the votes, is called a

A)runoff election.
B)plurality.
C)recall election.
D)majority.
E)retention election.

Question 54

The Annapolis Convention

A)was held in 1777.
B)issued the call for another convention to consider amendments to the Articles of Confederation.
C)was attended by delegates from all of the states.
D)drafted the Constitution.
E)was led by Andrew Jackson.

Question 55

In the summer of 1787, fifty-five delegates gathered in Philadelphia to accomplish which of the following tasks?

A)Write the Declaration of Independence
B)Amend the Articles of Confederation
C)Write the Pledge of Allegiance
D)Abolish state laws
E)Secede from Great Britain

Question 56

Problems with the Articles of Confederation included

A)the lack of a national judiciary system.
B)the lack of an executive branch.
C)inability to levy taxes to support the army and navy.
D)inability to regulate trade between the states.
E)All of the above

Question 57

Which of the following is NOT a political process that is part of democracy?

A)The right to assemble and protest
B)Free and fair elections
C)Annual public elections of political leaders
D)Freedom of expression
E)Majority and plurality rule

Question 58

The idea that a just government must derive its powers from the people it governs is called

A)equality.
B)popular consent.
C)electoral politics.
D)equality of opportunity.
E)statism.

Question 59

The three broad categories for dividing the meanings of democracy are

A)a system of interacting values, a system of interrelated political processes, and a system of interdependent political structures.
B)a system of derived expectations, a system of correlated institutions, and a system of independent politicians.
C)a system of rule of the people, a system of rule by the people, and a system of rule for the people.
D)a system of rule by the one, a system of rule by the few, and a system of rule by the many.
E)A system of guaranteed personal liberties, a system of limited governmental authority, and a system of checks and balances.

Question 60

Statism is the idea that the rights of the nation are supreme over the rights of the

A)popular consent.
B)region.
C)individual.
D)community.
E)government.

Question 61

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the proposed constitution on

A)September 17, 1787.
B)July 4, 1776.
C)April 22, 1860.
D)December 7, 1941.
E)August 13, 1781.

Question 62

The Connecticut Compromise was mainly a compromise between

A)Democrats and Republicans.
B)northern and southern states.
C)Federalists and Antifederalists.
D)large and small states.
E)George Washington and Alexander Hamilton.

Question 63

The proceedings of the Constitutional Convention were kept secret so that

A)delegates would be encouraged to speak freely.
B)it would be difficult for delegates to change their minds after debate and discussion.
C)opponents of the convention would have easy arguments against decisions made at the convention.
D)foreign leaders didn't sabotage the convention.
E)All of the above

Question 64

The plan that advocated a single-house legislature in which each state would have the same vote was called the

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

Question 65

The best characterization of the framers of the Constitution would be

A)visionary idealists.
B)political philosophers.
C)experienced, practical politicians.
D)spokesmen for the average person.
E)ordinary people.

Question 66

The framers of the Constitution ultimately agreed that the president should be elected by the

A)Senate.
B)people.
C)electoral college.
D)House of Representatives.
E)state legislatures.

Question 67

A national judiciary appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate was advocated in the

A)Virginia Plan.
B)New Jersey Plan.
C)Connecticut Compromise.
D)All of the above
E)None of the above

Question 68

In the early 1780s the existing states

A)were making no claims to lands to the west.
B)were all bounded on the west by French territory.
C)had hopes of expanding their territory.
D)were at war with one another.
E)had no borders between them that were not under dispute.

Question 69

As a delegate from a small state at the Constitutional Convention, you would have been most likely to support the ________________ as the basis for representation in the legislature.

A)Connecticut Plan
B)Bicameral Plan
C)New Jersey Plan
D)Supremacy clause
E)Virginia Plan

Question 70

Which of the following statements is true of the ratification process?

A)The opponents tried to get a quick "no" vote.
B)Most newspapers were Federalist opponents.
C)Most of the opponents were in rural areas.
D)Opposition was concentrated in the small states.
E)The opponents were well-organized from the beginning.

Question 71

The arrangement whereby slaves would be counted (in part) for purposes of representation was called the

A)Virginia Plan.
B)New Jersey Plan.
C)Connecticut Compromise.
D)three-fifths compromise.
E)Indentured Servant Arrangement.

Question 72

The New Jersey Plan included all of the following EXCEPT

A)it was derived from states, based on equal votes for each state.
B)it said the government could compel obedience to national laws.
C)a bicameral legislature.
D)ratification would be done by the states.
E)the federal government would have no power of the states.

Question 73

Most delegates to the Constitutional Convention accepted the idea of

A)state supremacy.
B)direct democracy.
C)tyranny of the majority.
D)republican government.
E)executive hegemony.

Question 74

The Federalists favored

A)strong state governments, relative to the central government.
B)an all-powerful central government.
C)strong ties to Native American tribes.
D)strong economic ties to Europe.
E)a strong central government, relative to the state governments.

Question 75

At the Constitutional Convention, which plan contained the idea of what would eventually become the supremacy clause?

A)Virginia Plan
B)Judicial Plan
C)Connecticut Compromise
D)New York Plan
E)New Jersey Plan

Question 76

Legislatures which have two houses, or chambers, are

A)unicameral.
B)bicameral.
C)replicative.
D)undemocratic.
E)bipolar.

Question 77

The framers of the Constitution did NOT make voting qualifications for federal elections more restrictive than those of the states because

A)they all believed in universal suffrage.
B)they thought that true democracy required permitting all citizens to vote.
C)they felt that individuals without property were the only ones able to protect property rights.
D)the delegates were so diverse.
E)they feared that states might not approve the Constitution if they did so.

Question 78

______________ presided over the Constitutional Convention.

A)Alexander Hamilton
B)John Jay
C)Benjamin Franklin
D)George Washington
E)Abraham Lincoln

Question 79

In a balanced government

A)no single interest dominates.
B)Democrats and Republicans are guaranteed equal representation in the legislature.
C)the president and Congress have no shared powers.
D)state governments can veto laws of the national government.
E)the people must approve constitutional amendments by popular vote.

Question 80

The three-fifths compromise was mainly a compromise between

A)Whigs and Democratic Republicans.
B)northern and southern states.
C)Federalists and Antifederalists.
D)large and small states.
E)the Senate and the House of Representatives.