Deck 2: The Constitution

Question 1

How many foundational government bodies, or branches, are described by the U.S. Constitution?

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four
E) six

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following chronological sequences of events is correct?

A) Boston Tea Party; First Continental Congress; Declaration of Independence
B) Shays's Rebellion; Annapolis Convention; Declaration of Independence
C) Declaration of Independence; Stamp Act; Philadelphia Convention
D) Articles of Confederation; Declaration of Independence; Annapolis Convention
E) First Continental Congress; Stamp Act; Articles of Confederation

Answer 2

A

Question 3

In the two-tiered system of colonial government in the early eighteenth century, which group had authority over day-to-day matters?

A) local officials and assemblies
B) Parliament
C) governors appointed by royal authority
D) the king
E) the British cabinet

Answer 3

A

Question 4

According to the Constitution,

A) the legislature enforces the law.
B) the executive makes the law.
C) the Supreme Court interprets the law.
D) the bureaucrats make the law.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 5

Who formed the Massachusetts Committee of Correspondence in 1772?

A) John Hancock
B) Paul Revere
C) Patrick Henry
D) Samuel Adams
E) Benjamin Franklin

Question 6

After the Sugar and Stamp Acts were imposed by Britain's Parliament, what proved to be the colonists' "single and most valuable tool, short of war"?

A) protests
B) supplying the British soldiers
C) boycotting
D) women who provided homegrown or homespun textiles
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 7

What repercussion followed the Boston Tea Party of December 16, 1773?

A) passage of the Coercive Acts
B) closure of the port of Boston
C) imposition of martial law
D) prohibition of the colonial assembly and town meetings
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 8

The assembled delegates at the Second Continental Congress

A) called for a truce in the hostilities with the British.
B) demanded participation in Parliament's policy-making processes.
C) empowered Congress to function as an independent government.
D) adopted the Declaration of Rights and Grievances.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 9

In 1772, which colony formed the first Committee of Correspondence, which called for rebellion and organized acts of resistance and protest toward the British?

A) New Hampshire
B) Virginia
C) Maryland
D) Massachusetts
E) All of these colonies were involved in creating the first Committee of Correspondence.

Question 10

Which of these features is contained within written constitutions?

A) mission statements
B) descriptions of foundational structures
C) identification of core bodies
D) details of essential operating procedures
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 11

Which of the following chronologies is correct?

A) Stamp Act, Sugar Act, Declaratory Act, Townshend Duties Act
B) Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Declaratory Act, Townshend Duties Act
C) Declaratory Act, Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Duties Act
D) Sugar Act, Declaratory Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Duties Act
E) Stamp Act, Declaratory Act, Sugar Act, Townshend Duties Act

Question 12

Which of the following best represents the eighteenth-century colonists' desire for government by the people?

A) popular sovereignty
B) representational democracy
C) universal suffrage
D) government established to protect the people's liberties
E) a two-tiered system of government, with power split between Britain and the colonies

Question 13

In 1770, about how many British soldiers were quartered among the civilians living in Boston?

A) about thirty
B) a hundred or so
C) nearly five hundred
D) thousands
E) The number is unknown.

Question 14

In the two-tiered system of colonial government in the early eighteenth century, which group had authority to enact laws that applied both to colonists and to people in Great Britain?

A) local officials and assemblies
B) Parliament
C) governors appointed by royal authority
D) the king
E) the British cabinet

Question 15

In September 1774, all colonies sent delegates to the First Continental Congress EXCEPT

A) Delaware.
B) Georgia.
C) Rhode Island.
D) New York.
E) New Hampshire.

Question 16

According to Thomas Paine's Common Sense, ________ was the only option that would ensure American liberty and religious freedom.

A) diplomacy
B) civil disobedience
C) parliamentary representation
D) popular protest
E) war

Question 17

Which of these countries employs an unwritten constitution?

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

Question 18

The Seven Years' War was fought between

A) Britain and Holland.
B) Britain and Russia.
C) Britain and France.
D) Britain and Spain.
E) Britain and Portugal.

Question 19

Which group gained a monopoly over the tea trade after the passage of the Tea Act (1773)?

A) a shipping cartel led by John Hancock
B) the East India Tea Company
C) business interests connected to King George III
D) French and Dutch traders
E) Mohawk Indians

Question 20

Indentured servants were those who worked for a number of years

A) for a master in America, then returned to Europe.
B) for a master in America who had paid for their passage.
C) for a master in America after being transported against their will.
D) in America, then gained access to land and other property.
E) for a master in America, then left for the Caribbean and Mexico.

Question 21

Bicameral legislatures contain two separate parts, known as

A) departments.
B) chambers.
C) houses.
D) parliaments.
E) bodies.

Question 22

That national laws prevail over conflicting state laws is part of the Constitution's

A) separation of powers.
B) supremacy clause.
C) checks and balances.
D) judiciary function.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 23

Which of the following is NOT an element of the Declaration of Independence?

A) All men are created equal.
B) Governments should be based on the consent of the governed.
C) The rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are paramount.
D) Citizens have the duty to abolish a government that does not protect their rights.
E) Men and women should have equal rights.

Question 24

How could the Articles of Confederation be amended?

A) by a majority vote of Congress
B) by approval of seven of the thirteen state delegations to Congress
C) by approval of nine of the thirteen state delegations to Congress
D) by approval of eleven of the thirteen state delegations to Congress
E) by approval of all thirteen state delegations to Congress

Question 25

Which of these states enacted state constitutions in 1777?

A) New York, Georgia, and Vermont
B) Georgia, Massachusetts, and Vermont
C) New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island
D) Connecticut, Georgia, and Rhode Island
E) Vermont, Georgia, and Massachusetts

Question 26

Which of the following is a central principle of the Declaration of Independence?

A) All men are equal.
B) Natural rights are derived from the consent of the governed.
C) Freedom is derived from the right to vote.
D) All men must relinquish their inalienable rights to the authority of the sovereign.
E) All men deserve the right to vote and gain parliamentary representation based on population numbers.

Question 27

Shays's Rebellion was undertaken by

A) Revolutionary War veterans who wanted to be paid.
B) small farmers with large debts.
C) urban businessmen concerned about high taxes.
D) Revolutionary War veterans who wanted to be paid and small farmers with large debts.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 28

Which of these dates marked the War for Independence?

A) 1756-1763
B) 1765-1775
C) 1770-1780
D) 1775-1783
E) 1776-1785

Question 29

Which state was the only one that did NOT send delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787?

A) Georgia
B) Rhode Island
C) New York
D) New Jersey
E) Maryland

Question 30

The main factor in the eventual ratification of the Constitution by the states was

A) the creation of the office of vice president.
B) the large amount of power given to the national government.
C) the elegant nature of the separation of powers.
D) the promise that a bill of rights would be added.
E) the inclusion of checks and balances.

Question 31

At the Second Continental Congress, who argued that "these united Colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent States"?

A) Richard Henry Lee
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) James Madison
D) John Hancock
E) Samuel Adams

Question 32

Under the Articles of Confederation, most power rested with

A) Congress.
B) the states.
C) towns and cities.
D) the British government.
E) the national court system.

Question 33

The "dual sovereignty" of the Constitution refers to

A) its provision for both a president and a vice president.
B) the way it pit the legislative branch against the executive branch.
C) the sharing of power between the national government and state governments.
D) the creation for the national government of both strong domestic power and strong international power.
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 34

How many governing bodies were created for the United States within the Articles of Confederation?

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four
E) six

Question 35

Shays's Rebellion

A) was a successful revolt.
B) occurred after the Philadelphia Convention of 1787.
C) convinced many political leaders that the national government was not powerful enough.
D) reinforced public support for the Articles of Confederation.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 36

Which of the following statements reflects the constitutional structure within the Articles of Confederation (1781-1789)?

A) Approval of policies and treaty ratification required nine affirmative votes.
B) State courts retained jurisdiction over most legal matters, except in cases of interstate conflict.
C) State governments would implement and pay for congressionally approved policies.
D) Any constitutional amendments required unanimous approval of all 13 states.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 37

The state constitutions written after the Declaration of Independence were

A) written under the guidance of Thomas Jefferson.
B) specifically required to have bicameral legislatures.
C) invalidated once the Constitution was ratified.
D) designed to preserve natural rights.
E) All of these answers are correct.

Question 38

Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress did NOT have the power to

A) negotiate treaties.
B) levy taxes.
C) appoint a presiding officer.
D) pass legislation.
E) coin money.

Question 39

In what way were the new state constitutions revolutionary?

A) They were unwritten but strictly followed, unlike the English constitution.
B) They were the accumulation of laws written over time and based on customs and traditions.
C) They were adopted whole at a specific moment in time.
D) They established independence, yet still submitted to the rule of a king.
E) They lacked the specified principles and structures of previous constitutions.

Question 40

The president vetoing congressional legislation best illustrates

A) the supremacy of the federal government over state governments.
B) the concept of separation of powers.
C) the concept of checks and balances.
D) the wisdom of the Connecticut Compromise.
E) the importance of judicial review.

Question 41

The Federalist Papers were written by

A) Washington, Adams, and Jefferson.
B) Madison, Hamilton, and Jay.
C) Marshall, Jefferson, and Madison.
D) Jefferson, Washington, and Madison.
E) Marshall, Jay, and Jefferson.

Question 42

Which Anti-Federalist wrote under the pen name "A Columbian Patriot"?

A) Thomas Jefferson
B) Alexander Hamilton
C) Mercy Otis Warren
D) John Jay
E) James Madison

Question 43

Which year saw the passage of the Bill of Rights?

A) 1787
B) 1789
C) 1791
D) 1793
E) 1795

Question 44

Constitutional amendments can be ratified by

A) a two-thirds vote in Congress.
B) a three-fourths vote in Congress.
C) a two-thirds vote in either state legislatures or state conventions.
D) a three-fourths vote in either state legislatures or state conventions.
E) a unanimous vote of the president and the president's cabinet.

Question 45

The Constitution

A) protected the voting rights of all citizens.
B) gave the national government the power to determine who gets to vote.
C) gave state governments the power to determine who gets to vote.
D) gave local governments the power to determine who gets to vote.
E) did not provide for any direct election of federal office holders.

Question 46

The writers of the Constitution devised the Electoral College as the method of choosing presidents because

A) direct election was impractical, due to the poor systems of communication and transportation that existed in the late 1700s.
B) it would shield executive power from popular majorities and Congress.
C) it would guarantee a majority winner.
D) it would give weight to the preferences of ordinary people.
E) the framers had a great deal of faith in the wisdom of the masses.

Question 47

Which article of the Constitution describes the process of constitutional ratification?

A) Article IV
B) Article V
C) Article VI
D) Article VII
E) Article VIII

Question 48

At Philadelphia, who proposed the Virginia Plan, which included a three-branch government?

A) James Madison
B) William Paterson
C) Benjamin Franklin
D) George Washington
E) John Hancock

Question 49

Which of the following is NOT a presidential power?

A) calling emergency sessions of Congress
B) negotiating treaties
C) appointing federal judges
D) vetoing laws passed by Congress
E) deciding the constitutionality of laws

Question 50

Constitutional amendments are proposed in Congress by

A) a majority vote that can be vetoed by the president.
B) a two-thirds vote majority vote in both the House and Senate.
C) a two-thirds vote in the Senate.
D) a three-fourths vote in either the House or Senate.
E) a three-fourths vote that cannot be vetoed by the president.

Question 51

Under the original Constitution, Congress could not ban the slave trade until

A) 1808.
B) 1818.
C) 1828.
D) 1857.
E) 1865.

Question 52

According to Article II of the Constitution, which body of government is the main check of the legislative authority of Congress?

A) the judiciary
B) the executive
C) the president of the Senate
D) the Electoral College
E) None of these answers is correct.

Question 53

According to Article I of the Constitution, a proposed piece of legislation requires a ________ in both the House and Senate to become law.

A) simple majority vote
B) three-fifths majority vote
C) two-thirds majority vote
D) three-quarters majority vote
E) unanimous vote

Question 54

Which of the following is NOT a congressional power?

A) initiation of constitutional amendments
B) impeaching and removing the president
C) approving presidential appointments
D) appointing Supreme Court justices
E) overriding presidential vetoes

Question 55

Article III of the Constitution describes the powers and structure of which of the following?

A) legislative branch
B) executive branch
C) judicial branch
D) state-to-state relations
E) the amendment process

Question 56

Marbury v. Madison is a landmark Supreme Court decision that

A) established national supremacy.
B) set the precedent for judicial review.
C) defined the scope of state powers under the Tenth Amendment.
D) affirmed the necessary and proper clause.
E) helped to end Thomas Jefferson's political career.

Question 57

What issue led to the Three-Fifths Compromise?

A) states' rights
B) individual liberty versus federal power
C) slavery
D) foreign treaties
E) disagreement over separation of powers

Question 58

The Connecticut Compromise (or Great Compromise) produced

A) checks and balances.
B) the abolition of slavery.
C) a bicameral Congress.
D) separation of powers.
E) federalism.

Question 59

Which constitutional amendment indicated that the list of already-included civil liberties in previous amendments was NOT exhaustive?

A) Sixth Amendment
B) Seventh Amendment
C) Eighth Amendment
D) Ninth Amendment
E) Tenth Amendment

Question 60

Article ________ of the Constitution details the process of constitutional amendment.

A) IV
B) V
C) VI
D) VII
E) VIII

Question 61

Discuss the formation of electors and the Electoral College, and discuss the role they play in the election of the president and vice president.

Question 62

Outline the important features of the federal structure created by the Articles of Confederation.

Question 63

Outline the factors that led to increased friction between Britain and its North American colonial subjects during the eighteenth century.

Question 64

Identify and explain the features of executive power that the Constitution grants as checks on legislative power.

Question 65

Identify the factors that encouraged the formation of the Continental Congress.

Question 66

Explain and discuss the important features of the system of dual sovereignty.

Question 67

How many proposed constitutional amendments are introduced in Congress every term?

A) about 100
B) about 500
C) about 700
D) about 900
E) about 1,000

Question 68

Define what a constitution is, and compare and contrast the structures of written and unwritten constitutions.

Question 69

How many amendments have actually been ratified by the states since 1789?

A) 23
B) 27
C) 29
D) 33
E) 35

Question 70

Discuss the chief issues of debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

Question 71

Discuss the intellectual origins of the Declaration of Independence.

Question 72

Identify the factors that have allowed for the continuous re-interpretation of the Constitution since its creation.