Question 1

The ratification of which of the following amendments prompted the Supreme Court to begin applying the Bill of Rights to the states?

Accepted Answer

The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, included the Due Process and Equal Protection clauses which effectively extended the protections of the Bill of Rights to state governments. In the 20th century, the Supreme Court began applying the Bill of Rights to state actions on a case-by-case basis, relying on this amendment.

Question 2

What did the Bill of Rights do as originally presented in the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The Bill of Rights, as originally presented in the Constitution, was designed to limit the powers of the national government, not those of the states. This was intended to ensure that the federal government could not infringe on the rights and freedoms of individuals. The application of the Bill of Rights to the states came later through the process of incorporation via the Fourteenth Amendment.

Question 3

Which of the following is true of the Bill of Rights when it was ratified in 1791?

Accepted Answer

The Bill of Rights, when ratified in 1791, was made up of ten amendments.

Question 4

Originally, the Bill of Rights limited only the power of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The Bill of Rights refers to the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution and was written to limit the powers of the national government. It established specific rights for individuals and reserved powers to the states.

Question 5

Which of the following amendments has been construed to extend a constitutional limit on national power to state governments?

Accepted Answer

The Fourteenth Amendment has been construed to extend various constitutional limits on national power to state governments, including the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses.

Question 6

When adopted, the Bill of Rights imposed limits on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The Bill of Rights, when first adopted, imposed limits specifically on the national government, not on state governments or individuals. It was designed to prevent the federal government from infringing on certain fundamental rights and freedoms.

Question 7

The basis of freedom of religion is found in which two principles in the Bill of Rights?

Accepted Answer

The establishment clause and the free exercise clause form the basis of freedom of religion in the Bill of Rights. The establishment clause prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or giving preferential treatment to one religion over another, while the free exercise clause protects the right of individuals to practice their religion without government interference.

Question 8

Civil liberties are understood to be which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Civil liberties refer to individual freedoms that are protected from government interference. These may include the freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and the press, as well as protections against unreasonable search and seizure, and the right to a fair trial. Option C is the only answer that directly refers to limits on government power to interfere with personal freedoms, which is a key aspect of civil liberties.

Question 9

As originally written, the Bill of Rights limited the activities of which level(s) of government?

Accepted Answer

The Bill of Rights was originally designed to limit the power of the national government, specifically to protect individual liberties from federal encroachment. It was later applied to the states through the 14th Amendment.

Question 10

Which clause of the Constitution is the basis for the separation of church and state?

Accepted Answer

The Establishment Clause, found in the First Amendment of the Constitution, prohibits the government from establishing or promoting any particular religion, thereby creating an official separation of church and state.

Question 11

The view that most liberties and rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights are protected from state government actions through the due process clause is known as what?

Accepted Answer

Incorporation theory, also known as selective incorporation, is the view that most liberties and rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights are protected from state government actions through the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court has gradually applied various provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states through this theory. The other answer choices are not relevant to this concept.

Question 12

What did the ruling in the 1833 Supreme Court case of Barron v. Baltimore hold?

Accepted Answer

The ruling in the 1833 Supreme Court case of Barron v. Baltimore held that the Bill of Rights did not apply to state laws. This decision established the principle of dual citizenship, meaning individuals had both national and state citizenship, and the federal government was limited in its power to enforce the Bill of Rights on state governments.

Question 13

Beginning in 1897, the Supreme Court slowly began to use the protection of "life, liberty, or property" in what clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to incorporate some of the provisions of the Bill of Rights as binding on the states?

Accepted Answer

The protection of "life, liberty, or property" is found in the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Supreme Court began to use this clause to incorporate some of the provisions of the Bill of Rights as binding on the states starting in 1897.

Question 14

What does the incorporation doctrine do?

Accepted Answer

The incorporation doctrine is the view that the provisions of the Bill of Rights, which protect individuals from the federal government, are extended to individuals for protection against action by states. This means that states are bound by the Bill of Rights and cannot violate individuals' constitutional rights under the Fourteenth Amendment.

Question 15

What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution collectively known as?

Accepted Answer

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights.

Question 16

Over time, the Supreme Court has used which of the following provisions of the Constitution to apply the specifics of the Bill of Rights to the states?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court has used the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause to apply the specifics of the Bill of Rights to the states, particularly through selective incorporation. This means that certain provisions of the Bill of Rights have been deemed applicable to the states through the due process clause, which prohibits the states from depriving individuals of their liberty without due process of law.

Question 17

Which of the following statements is correct regarding the Bill of Rights?

Accepted Answer

The interpretation of the Bill of Rights by the Supreme Court has evolved over time and continues to change. For example, the interpretation of the First Amendment's protection of free speech has expanded to include forms of speech such as symbolic speech and hate speech, which were not initially protected.

Question 18

States are now obligated to protect most provisions of the Bill of Rights as a result of the Supreme Court's interpretation of which Fourteenth Amendment clause?

Accepted Answer

The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to incorporate most of the protections of the Bill of Rights, making them applicable to the states. This process is known as incorporation.

Question 19

Which 1868 amendment's passage allowed the potential for the application of the Bill of Rights to the states which adds several restrictions on what the states can do?

Accepted Answer

The passage of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 allowed for the potential application of the Bill of Rights to the states through the doctrine of incorporation, which adds several restrictions on what the states can do.

Question 20

The Supreme Court applied the provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states through which of the following processes?

Accepted Answer

The process of applying the provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states is known as incorporation. This was accomplished through a series of Supreme Court cases that selectively incorporated certain provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.

Quiz 4: Civil Liberties