Deck 2: The Constitution and the Founding

Question 1

The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution after it was already ratified.

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Which one of the following best describes the context in which the Constitution was created?

A)Most elites believed that the Articles of Confederation were effective.
B)Most Americans had a prosperous and peaceful life.
C)Life in America was fairly chaotic at that time.
D)Shays's Rebellion demonstrated that the national government could manage a domestic crisis.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Among the president's powers are the power to pass the federal budget, the ability to recognize representatives from other countries, and the responsibility for executing the law.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

The framers of the Constitution ultimately endorsed John Locke's ideas about having a strong executive.

Question 5

The original Constitution prevented a constitutional amendment banning the slave trade until 1808.

Question 6

The Bill of Rights is a list of limits on the control that the federal government has over state governments.

Question 7

________ occurred after the Revolutionary War was over.

A)The Stamp Act
B)The Tea Act
C)The Boston Tea Party
D)Shays's Rebellion

Question 8

The Virginia Plan guaranteed that large states would hold more power in the constitutional balance by having membership in both houses of Congress based on population.

Question 9

America's relative economic equality compared to Europe did NOT influence the context of debates at the Constitutional Convention.

Question 10

The Constitution created a stronger national government than the one that existed under the Articles of Confederation.

Question 11

The Constitution places more limits on government power than do the Articles of Confederation.

Question 12

How did the Articles of Confederation limit government?

A)The Articles of Confederation included an executive and judicial branch but no legislative branch.
B)The Articles of Confederation included a legislative and executive branch but no judicial branch.
C)The Articles of Confederation did not create a federal level of government.
D)Federal power was given to the legislative branch, where each state had one vote.

Question 13

During the ratification debate, Antifederalists such as James Madison favored a stronger national government while Federalists favored stronger state governments.

Question 14

The framers believed that protecting natural rights of citizens would be accomplished through a government that relied on the consent of the governed.

Question 15

James Madison was mostly concerned about tyranny of minority factions.

Question 16

The Constitution sets up our basic rules of governance, limits government actions against citizens, and provides for specific individual rights.

Question 17

The Supreme Court justices gained the power of judicial review in Article III of the Constitution.

Question 18

There are 27 amendments to the U.S.Constitution out of more than 10,000 proposed in Congress in U.S.history.

Question 19

The Antifederalists pushed for the inclusion of the national supremacy clause.

Question 20

Which one of the following statements about the Articles of Confederation is accurate?

A)The executive branch was fairly powerful during this time period.
B)The Articles were submitted to the states for ratification in 1777 and subsequently ratified by all 13 states by 1781.
C)The document gave the legislative branch too much power.
D)The document placed too many limits on governmental power.

Question 21

What kind of government exists when the interests of the people are represented through their elected leaders?

A)monarchy
B)tyranny
C)republic
D)oligarchy

Question 22

The Annapolis Convention

A)was well attended by the states.
B)was organized by a group of delegates from Virginia.
C)was only attended by delegates from New York and Maryland.
D)was organized to discuss the powers of the chief executive.

Question 23

James Madison's size principle was based on the premise that

A)the new nation of 13 states would be small where the majority would rule.
B)the new nation of 13 states would be large and diverse so that majority interests would be unlikely to organize and dominate public policy making.
C)the new nation of 13 states would be unlikely to expand in size and scope.
D)a strong president would be able to control Congress the majority of the time.

Question 24

Who wrote the Federalist Papers?

A)James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and John Jay
B)John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton
C)Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and Thomas Jefferson
D)James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay

Question 25

________ wrote the influential pamphlet, Common Sense, in 1776.

A)Thomas Jefferson
B)Samuel Adams
C)John Hancock
D)Thomas Paine

Question 26

Which key part of the government was formed under the Articles of Confederation?

A)direct election of members of Congress by the people
B)a federal court system
C)a weak national government
D)an executive branch led by the president

Question 27

Which one of the following events exposed discontent with the new government and led to the Constitutional Convention?

A)Shays's Rebellion
B)the publication of Common Sense
C)the Declaration of Independence
D)Washington's election as president

Question 28

For James Madison, the problem associated with a tyranny of the majority was that

A)large factions might capture control of the government and ignore the rights of those in the minority.
B)the representative legislative branch would exercise too much power over the presidency.
C)regional majorities would become entrenched and prevent government from working for the common good.
D)the president would have too much power over the legislative agenda.

Question 29

The main reaction to the failure of the Articles of Confederation was to

A)focus on resolving debates between the state governments.
B)rein in the power of the national government.
C)encourage stronger state governments.
D)make the national government stronger.

Question 30

A faction is a group of ________ that seek to control government power to ________.

A)minority interests; protect themselves from everyone else
B)majority interests; promote the public good
C)minority interests; promote the public good
D)minority or majority interests; pursue their own interests

Question 31

Which one of the following concepts best describes the problems associated with the Articles of Confederation?

A)separation of powers
B)tyranny of the minority
C)pluralism
D)checks and balances

Question 32

Which one of the following concepts reflects the need to balance the principle of self-government against the rights of specific groups?

A)providing for both civil liberties and civil rights
B)protecting small states from powerful large states
C)creating a legislative government while allowing for executive leadership
D)providing for majority rule while protecting minority rights

Question 33

Despite significant agreement on the need for a ________ national government at the Constitutional Convention, there was serious division about ________.

A)weaker; how much stronger state governments should be
B)weaker; how much weaker the federal government should be
C)stronger; how much stronger the federal government should be
D)stronger; how much stronger state governments should be

Question 34

________ was the only state to boycott the Constitutional Convention.

A)North Carolina
B)South Carolina
C)Rhode Island
D)Maine

Question 35

Which one of the following is true about the Federalists and the Antifederalists?

A)They were the first two political parties in America.
B)They had similar views of how much national power was appropriate.
C)Americans largely supported one movement or the other following the drafting of the Constitution.
D)Americans generally favored the Articles of Confederation over the Constitution during the ratification debate.

Question 36

Which one of the following was implemented in order to protect minorities from majority tyranny?

A)a stronger presidency than under the Articles of Confederation
B)separation of powers between three branches of government
C)a direct democracy
D)a parliamentary system of governance

Question 37

When did the Revolutionary War end?

A)1779
B)1781
C)1784
D)1786

Question 38

To deal with the problem of factions, James Madison proposed

A)controlling them through checks and balances.
B)controlling them by prohibiting citizens from taking certain actions.
C)reducing factions by encouraging citizens to have the same interests.
D)eliminating factions through limits on individual liberties.

Question 39

How did the framers design the Constitution to protect minority rights?

A)separation of powers and checks and balances
B)allowing majority tyranny to occur to protect the rights of the many
C)through the creation of political parties
D)through the creation of interest groups

Question 40

When it comes to economics in America in the eighteenth century,

A)there were no class differences whatsoever.
B)the North was largely agricultural while manufacturing was prominent in the South.
C)southerners favored free trade.
D)northerners favored free trade.

Question 41

Which one of the following addressed Antifederalist concerns about the absence of limits on national governing power?

A)Three-Fifths Compromise
B)separation of powers
C)Ninth Amendment
D)Tenth Amendment

Question 42

Why did the Connecticut delegation play a pivotal role in the Constitutional Convention?

A)Connecticut was one of the most populated states.
B)Connecticut was in a position to appeal to both large and small states.
C)Connecticut was one of the least populated states.
D)Connecticut's delegation was led by the prominent Benjamin Franklin.

Question 43

Which part of government was considered the weakest by the framers of the Constitution?

A)state governments
B)legislative branch
C)judicial branch
D)local governments

Question 44

Which article of the Constitution describes the procedures for ratification?

A)Article VII
B)Article VI
C)Article III
D)Article II

Question 45

How many states were needed to ratify the Constitution?

A)11 out of 13
B)10 out of 13
C)7 out of 13
D)9 out of 13

Question 46

A form of government in which the executive leader is chosen by the legislature is called

A)a separation of powers system.
B)a presidential system.
C)a parliamentary system.
D)a democratic system.

Question 47

The framers viewed ________ as the first branch of government.

A)the citizens
B)the Supreme Court
C)the president
D)Congress

Question 48

According to the authors of the text, what is a serious technical error in the Constitution?

A)It gives electors two votes each.
B)It fails to give the president the right to introduce legislation.
C)It does not better define judicial review.
D)It does not define the power of bureaucrats.

Question 49

Antifederalists

A)were concerned that the president would have too much power.
B)supported the proposal that presidents should not be subject to term limits.
C)were concerned that the national government would not have sufficient power to promote economic prosperity.
D)generally opposed adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution.

Question 50

Under the Constitution,

A)Congress had the authority to ban the slave trade at any time.
B)the states had the authority to ban the slave trade.
C)the president had the authority to ban the slave trade.
D)Congress had the authority to ban the slave trade but not until 1808 at the earliest.

Question 51

Which agreement gave the legislature two houses?

A)Great Compromise
B)Three-Fifths Compromise
C)Virginia Plan
D)New Jersey Plan

Question 52

Why did the New Jersey Plan contain a proposal for a legislature with equal representation per state?

A)New Jersey prospered economically under the Articles of Confederation, which had such a system.
B)New Jersey had relatively little population and would therefore gain more representation under an equal system.
C)New Jersey legislators had negotiated a separate treaty with the British and they wanted members of Congress to ratify it.
D)Antifederalists controlled the New Jersey legislature and they favored equal representation per state.

Question 53

The Three-Fifths Compromise referred to

A)giving states with small populations three-fifths of the number of representatives as large-population states.
B)allowing three slave states into the Union for every five nonslave states allowed to enter.
C)counting large states as equal to small states in the Senate but not the House.
D)counting slaves as three-fifths of a person when determining a state's population.

Question 54

Slave state delegates wanted slaves counted for the purposes of ________ but did not want slaves counted when it came to the issue of ________.

A)representation; determining taxes
B)determining taxes; tariffs
C)tariffs; determining taxes
D)tariffs; representation

Question 55

The war powers held by the president and Congress are an example of

A)shared powers.
B)exclusive powers.
C)powers of the purse.
D)implied powers.

Question 56

Who wanted to debate adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution during the Constitutional Convention?

A)James Madison and George Washington
B)James Madison and Alexander Hamilton
C)Thomas Jefferson and John Adams
D)George Mason and Elbridge Gerry

Question 57

Which one of the following statements is accurate about the U.S.Constitution?

A)The president has more specific powers delineated in the Constitution than does Congress.
B)The Supreme Court received the most attention by the framers of the Constitution of the three primary institutions of government.
C)The creation of Congress was the most important issue to the framers of the Constitution, along with its assignment of duties.
D)The framers of the Constitution clearly wanted the president to have the power to tax.

Question 58

The concept of shared powers means that

A)the legislative and executive branches have equal powers.
B)in some areas of governmental action no branch has exclusive control.
C)the branches can exercise the same powers.
D)no branch can act without approval from other branches.

Question 59

Which branch of government has the longest and most specific list of powers?

A)legislative
B)executive
C)judicial
D)All of the branches have comparable lists of powers.

Question 60

Which one of the following concepts applies most directly to the balance of power between state and national governments?

A)parliamentary system
B)bicameralism
C)checks and balances
D)supremacy clause

Question 61

Which one of the following is an exclusive power of the legislative branch?

A)the ability to implement laws
B)judicial review
C)power to declare war
D)the power to issue pardons

Question 62

The Constitution is a "living document"

A)because there is a consensus among Americans that it should be strictly followed.
B)because it is very explicit and clear.
C)because there are a variety of viewpoints on how to interpret it.
D)because Congress can change it through the amendment process.

Question 63

________ established the power of judicial review.

A)Marbury v.Madison
B)Fletcher v.Peck
C)McCulloch v.Maryland
D)Barron v.Baltimore

Question 64

While ________ powers are not held exclusively by any branch of government, ________ powers are those that one branch can exercise over the other.

A)negative; shared
B)shared; negative
C)shared; exclusive
D)exclusive; shared

Question 65

When Congress authorizes an agency to spend money, it is using its

A)power of the sword.
B)shared power.
C)power of the purse.
D)reserved powers.

Question 66

What events preceded Lord Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown, Virginia in October of 1781?

Question 67

Which one of the following is a check that the president holds over the judicial branch?

A)the ability to nominate judges for the federal courts
B)the ability to veto decisions made by the Supreme Court
C)the ability to interpret the constitutionality of new laws
D)the ability to remove federal judges from office

Question 68

What are natural rights and why are they important?

Question 69

What was the biggest objection of the Antifederalists to the Constitution?

Question 70

What is the supremacy clause and why is it important?

Question 71

While the ________ can make decisions about how to use armed forces, only the ________ can make decisions about funding such actions.

A)president; Supreme Court
B)Congress; House of Representatives
C)president; Congress
D)House of Representatives; Senate

Question 72

According to some legal scholars, why is the living document argument problematic for interpreting the Constitution today?

A)Ignoring the framers' intent can allow for arbitrary law based on the individual preferences and biases of judges.
B)The framers could not have envisioned the complex public policy issues of today, and an eighteenth-century document cannot adequately address contemporary societal problems.
C)Congress, not the Supreme Court, should have the right to determine the meaning of the Constitution.
D)The framers did not provide a means to amend the Constitution, so they did not want the structure of government to change over time.

Question 73

What were the Federalist Papers and why are they important?

Question 74

Why was Shays's Rebellion important?

Question 75

The Antifederalists argued that the power of ________ was "a political error of the greatest magnitude."

A)the purse
B)the sword
C)the veto
D)declaring war

Question 76

The ability to remove someone because of corruption or abuse of power is called

A)the power of the purse.
B)impeachment.
C)the power to pardon.
D)the power to veto.

Question 77

Which one of the following is a power the president can use to check the legislative branch?

A)judicial review
B)impeachment
C)veto
D)power of the sword

Question 78

What is meant by James Madison's "size principle"?

Question 79

The Constitution can be amended

A)by a three-fourths majority vote in Congress and a two-thirds ratification vote in the states.
B)by a majority vote in Congress and a two-thirds ratification vote in the states.
C)by a two-thirds majority vote in Congress and a three-fourths ratification vote in the states.
D)by ratifying conventions in the states.

Question 80

What are two important negative checks that Congress can exercise over both the executive and the judicial branches?

A)alteration of their jurisdiction and overriding their decisions
B)overriding their decisions and impeachment
C)impeachment and the power of the purse
D)alteration of their jurisdiction and power of the purse