Deck 2: The Constitution

Question 1

imposed tax increases on which of these commodities?

A) sugar
B) molasses
C) coffee
D) textiles
E) All these answers are correct.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

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

Answer 2

B

Question 3

Which of these countries employs an unwritten constitution?

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

Answer 3

B

Question 4

What repercussions 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 these answers are correct.

Question 5

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

Question 6

Which of the following statements best describes 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 7

In 1768, the ________ colonial legislature petitioned King George III to repeal the Townshend Act.

A) New Hampshire
B) Virginia
C) Maryland
D) Massachusetts
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 8

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 9

In 1770, about how many British soldiers were quartered among the 16,000 civilians living in Boston?

A) 400
B) 1,400
C) 4,000
D) 14,000
E) 20,000

Question 10

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 11

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 these answers are correct.

Question 12

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 13

Which of these features are 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 these answers are correct.

Question 14

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 these answers are correct.

Question 15

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

Question 16

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 17

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 18

?

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 19

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 20

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

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

Question 21

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

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

Question 22

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 these answers are correct.

Question 23

Bicameral legislatures contain two separate parts, known as

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

Question 24

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 25

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) Samuel Adams
E) John Hancock

Question 26

This was the main reason why the Constitution was eventually ratified by the states:

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 27

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 28

The state constitutions written after the Declaration of Independence

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

Question 29

?

A) Approval of policies and treaty ratification required nine affirmative votes.
B) State courts retained jurisdiction over most legal matters, except in cases of inter-state 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 these answers are correct.

Question 30

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 31

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 32

Which of the following thinkers influenced the creation of the Declaration of Independence?

A) Thomas Paine and Thomas Hobbes
B) Thomas Hobbes and David Hume
C) Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Friedrich Engels
D) John Locke and Thomas Paine
E) Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Locke

Question 33

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 34

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 35

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 36

Why 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 37

Shays' 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) people still loyal to the British crown.
E) All these answers are correct.

Question 38

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 39

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 40

The "dual sovereignty" of the Constitution refers to its

A) provision for both a president and a vice president.
B) pitting the legislative branch against the executive branch.
C) sharing of power between the national government and state governments.
D) creation for the national government of both strong domestic power and strong international power.
E) All these answers are correct.

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

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 of votes
B) three-fifths majority vote
C) two-thirds majority vote
D) three-quarters majority vote
E) unanimous vote

Question 43

Who among the following was considered, along with Thomas Jefferson, to be one of the most influential of the Anti-Federalists?

A) George Washington
B) Alexander Hamilton
C) Mercy Otis Warren
D) John Jay
E) James Madison

Question 44

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 45

What year saw the passage of the Bill of Rights?

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

Question 46

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

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

Question 47

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

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

Question 48

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 49

Which of the following is NOT a power of the president?

A) call emergency sessions of Congress
B) negotiate treaties
C) appoint federal judges
D) veto laws passed by Congress
E) decide the constitutionality of laws

Question 50

Marburyv. Madison is a landmark Supreme Court decision because it

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 51

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 52

Constitutional amendments are proposed in Congress by

A) a majority vote that can be vetoed by the president.
B) a two-thirds vote that can be vetoed by the president.
C) a two-thirds vote that cannot be vetoed by the president.
D) a three-fourths vote that can be vetoed by the president.
E) a three-fourths vote that cannot be vetoed by the president.

Question 53

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 54

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 55

Which of the following is NOT a power of Congress?

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 56

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) the method would shield executive power from popular majorities and Congress.
C) the method guaranteed a majority winner.
D) the method 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 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 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 59

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 60

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 61

Discuss the intellectual origins of the Declaration of Independence.

Question 62

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

Question 63

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

Question 64

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

Question 65

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 66

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

Question 67

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

Question 68

How many proposed constitutional amendments have been introduced in Congress since 1789?

A) over 100
B) over 500
C) over 1,000
D) over 5,000
E) over 10,000

Question 69

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

Question 70

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

Question 71

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

Question 72

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

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