Question 1

The Constitution expressly grants Congress the power to
A)appoint judges.
B)receive ambassadors.
C)regulate interstate commerce.
D)abolish state boundaries.

Accepted Answer

The Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce in Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3. This power has been interpreted broadly by the Supreme Court to include not only the regulation of goods and services but also activities that have an impact on commerce, such as environmental regulation and labor laws. The Constitution does not grant Congress the power to appoint judges or receive ambassadors, which are powers granted to the President. The Constitution also does not grant Congress the power to abolish state boundaries, as the federal government is designed to operate within a system of federalism in which states retain considerable power and autonomy.

Question 2

The Federalists believed that the MOST apparent source of tyranny was the
A)king of Great Britain.
B)popular majority.
C)northern merchants.
D)landowning elite.

Accepted Answer

The Federalists believed that the greatest threat to individual rights and liberties came from the potential tyranny of the majority, or the uneducated and uninformed masses. They believed that the people were prone to fickle emotions and could easily be swayed by demagogues, leading to a breakdown of law and order. Therefore, they supported strong centralized government and restricted suffrage to property-owning white males, in order to limit the power of the majority.

Question 3

The oldest constitution still in use belongs to which country?
A)the United States
B)France
C)South Africa
D)India

Accepted Answer

The oldest constitution still in use belongs to the United States, which was ratified in 1788.

Question 4

Which of the following is the president NOT given the unconditional right to do under the Constitution?
A)veto congressional enactments
B)convene Congress in special session
C)appoint the Speaker of the House of Representatives
D)grant pardons and reprieves

Accepted Answer

The Constitution does not give the president the power to appoint the Speaker of the House of Representatives. This power is given to the House of Representatives itself, which elects its own Speaker.

Question 5

The framers attempted to reassure citizens that their views would be represented in the new government created by the Constitution by
A)allowing citizens to vote directly on all laws enacted by the federal government.
B)making the Constitution easy to amend.
C)requiring the direct election of senators, members of the House, and the president.
D)defining the new government's most important powers, such as collecting taxes, borrowing money, and regulating commerce, as belonging to Congress.

Accepted Answer

The framers of the Constitution aimed to reassure citizens about their representation by outlining specific powers of Congress, such as taxation, borrowing, and regulating commerce, to ensure a government responsive to the people's needs. Direct elections and the ease of amending the Constitution were not initially as emphasized or implemented as described in the other options.

Question 6

Brutus and The Federal Farmer were two pseudonyms used by the
A)Federalists.
B)Antifederalists.
C)Monarchists.
D)Constitutionalists.

Accepted Answer

Brutus and The Federal Farmer were two pseudonyms used by the Antifederalists, who were opponents of the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in favor of a more decentralized government.

Question 7

Which two constitutional provisions have been at the heart of constitutional struggles between federal and state powers throughout American history?
A)the preamble and the elastic clause
B)the Eighteenth Amendment and the Twentieth Amendment
C)the Eighteenth Amendment and the Twenty-Fifth Amendment
D)the elastic clause and the Tenth Amendment

Accepted Answer

The elastic clause, also known as the necessary and proper clause, grants Congress the power to make laws that are necessary and proper for carrying out its enumerated powers. This has been a point of contention between federal and state powers, since laws made under this clause can potentially expand federal power at the expense of state power. The Tenth Amendment, on the other hand, states that any powers not delegated to the federal government nor prohibited to the states belong to the states or the people. This has been used as a defense by states seeking to limit federal power and assert their own authority.

Question 8

On the subject of representation, Antifederalists wanted
A)representative bodies that resembled those represented to the highest degree.
B)representatives who would reflect commercial interests.
C)as few representatives as possible.
D)representatives who were significantly more educated and wealthier than the majority of the public.

Accepted Answer

Antifederalists were concerned that representatives would not truly understand the needs and concerns of the people they were meant to represent. They believed that having representative bodies that closely resembled the people they were representing would ensure that their voices were heard and their interests were protected.

Question 9

Compared with the Articles of Confederation, federalism under the Constitution has led to
A)greater centralization of power.
B)increased state autonomy.
C)more local autonomy, at the expense of the states.
D)a weaker national military.

Accepted Answer

The Constitution created a stronger central government compared to the Articles of Confederation, leading to greater centralization of power. This shift allowed for a more unified national policy and stronger federal institutions, including a stronger national military, contrary to option D. Options B and C suggest a decrease in central power, which is the opposite of the impact of the Constitution on federalism.

Question 10

The Federalist Papers were
A)a series of essays that argued against the ratification of the Constitution.
B)a series of essays that argued for the ratification of the Constitution.
C)a series of pamphlets written by Thomas Paine in 1775 and 1776 advocating independence from Great Britain.
D)the collected essays of French political philosopher Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu that argued for the separation of powers.

Accepted Answer

The Federalist Papers were a series of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay that argued for the ratification of the Constitution.

Question 11

During the ratification debates, the Federalists were those who
A)opposed the new Constitution because they wanted a weaker national government.
B)opposed the Constitution because it did not create a strong enough central government.
C)opposed the Constitution because it did not provide women with the right to vote.
D)supported the Constitution because it contained a strong national government.

Accepted Answer

The Federalists supported the Constitution because they believed in a strong national government. They argued that a strong central government was necessary for stability and to preserve the liberties of the people. They also believed that the Constitution provided adequate protections for individual rights.

Question 12

The decision to assign jurisdiction over controversies between citizens of different states to the Supreme Court was significant because it meant that
A)the federal judiciary, rather than the state courts, would ultimately become the primary venue for resolving disputes.
B)the state courts, rather than the federal judiciary, would ultimately become the primary venue for resolving disputes.
C)courts at both the state and federal levels would become irrelevant to the operating of the American political system.
D)the state courts would be allowed to use the power of judicial review on cases involving economic disputes.

Accepted Answer

The decision to assign jurisdiction over controversies between citizens of different states to the Supreme Court meant that the federal judiciary would ultimately become the primary venue for resolving disputes. This decision expanded the power of the federal government and the role of the federal judiciary in interpreting and enforcing federal law, increasing the importance of the Supreme Court in the American political system.

Question 13

Who were the authors of the Federalist Papers?
A)James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton
B)John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson
C)Charles Beard, Daniel Shays, and Paul Revere
D)James Madison, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson

Accepted Answer

The Federalist Papers were a series of essays written by James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton in support of ratifying the U.S. Constitution.

Question 14

Which of the following is true about the U.S.Constitution?
A)The president is elected directly by the people.
B)The Constitution can be amended with a two-thirds majority vote of both houses of Congress and a ratification vote by three-fourths of the states.
C)Federal judges are appointed by Congress for life.
D)Senators are elected directly by the people for 10-year terms.

Accepted Answer

The U.S. Constitution can be amended with a two-thirds majority vote of both houses of Congress and a ratification vote by three-fourths of the states. The other options listed are inaccurate: the president is elected indirectly by the Electoral College, federal judges are appointed by the president, and senators are elected directly by the people for six-year terms.

Question 15

During the ratification debates, the Antifederalists were those who
A)opposed the new Constitution because they wanted a weaker central government.
B)opposed the Constitution because it did not create a strong enough central government.
C)opposed the Constitution because it contained a strong national government.
D)believed that the United States should enter into a confederation with Britain and Canada.

Accepted Answer

The Antifederalists opposed the new Constitution because they feared it created a central government that was too strong and would infringe on the rights of states and individuals.

Question 16

Property owners, creditors, and merchants were more likely to side with the ________ in the debate over ratification; small farmers, frontiersmen, debtors, and shopkeepers were more
Likely to side with the ________.
A)Antifederalists; Federalists
B)Federalists; Antifederalists
C)Libertarians; Secularists
D)Secularists; Libertarians

Accepted Answer

Property owners, creditors, and merchants generally supported the Federalists because they favored a strong central government that could provide economic stability. Small farmers, frontiersmen, debtors, and shopkeepers were more likely to support the Antifederalists, who advocated for states' rights and were wary of a powerful central government potentially infringing on individual liberties.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a tool that Congress can use to influence the federal judiciary?
A)creating new lower-level federal courts
B)choosing which cases will and will not be heard before the Supreme Court
C)changing the jurisdiction of the federal courts
D)adding to or subtracting from the total number of federal judges

Accepted Answer

Congress does not have direct control over which cases will be heard before the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court has discretion over the cases it will take up, although Congress can indirectly influence the types of cases by passing laws that raise important legal issues. The other options listed--creating new lower-level federal courts, changing the jurisdiction of the federal courts, and adding or subtracting federal judges--are all tools that Congress can use to shape the federal judiciary.

Question 18

The Antifederalists argued that the powers of the national government should be limited by
A)providing Congress with a larger grant of powers.
B)decreasing the powers of the executive branch, especially those of the vice president.
C)adding a bill of rights to the Constitution.
D)preventing government from collecting revenue through taxation.

Accepted Answer

The Antifederalists argued that the Constitution granted the national government too much power, and that a bill of rights was necessary to protect individual liberties and limit the scope of government authority. Option A would have expanded, rather than limited, the powers of the national government. Option B references the executive branch specifically, but the Antifederalist concern was with limiting the powers of all branches of government. Option D would have prevented the government from functioning at all, as taxation is necessary for the government to fund its operations.

Question 19

Antifederalists were sharply critical of the structure of the Senate, the executive, and the federal judiciary under the Constitution because they
A)wanted a system of direct democracy instead of a system of representative democracy.
B)worried these undemocratic institutions would lead those in power to tyrannize the public.
C)preferred a government with a unicameral legislature, a multimember executive council, and no federal judiciary.
D)feared the government would become too deadlocked to pass any meaningful laws by the system of separation of powers and checks and balances.

Accepted Answer

Antifederalists were concerned that the structure of the Senate, the executive, and the federal judiciary under the Constitution would concentrate too much power in the hands of those in power, leading to tyranny and the oppression of the public. They argued that these institutions were undemocratic and would not adequately represent the interests of the people.

Question 20

What does the supremacy clause assert?
A)Congress is the most powerful branch of the government.
B)The Constitution and all laws made under it are superior to any state laws.
C)State laws are superior to any federal laws.
D)No European powers shall interfere in North America.

Accepted Answer

The Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution, found in Article VI, Clause 2, establishes that the federal Constitution, and federal law generally, take precedence over state laws, and even state constitutions. This means that in any conflict between federal laws and state laws, the federal law must be followed.

Quiz 2: The Founding and the Constitution

The Constitution expressly grants Congress the power to

The Federalists believed that the MOST apparent source of tyranny was the

The oldest constitution still in use belongs to which country?

Which of the following is the president NOT given the unconditional right to do under the Constitution?

The framers attempted to reassure citizens that their views would be represented in the new government created by the Constitution by

Brutus and The Federal Farmer were two pseudonyms used by the

Which two constitutional provisions have been at the heart of constitutional struggles between federal and state powers throughout American history?

On the subject of representation, Antifederalists wanted

Compared with the Articles of Confederation, federalism under the Constitution has led to

The Federalist Papers were

During the ratification debates, the Federalists were those who

The decision to assign jurisdiction over controversies between citizens of different states to the Supreme Court was significant because it meant that

Who were the authors of the Federalist Papers?

Which of the following is true about the U.S.Constitution?

During the ratification debates, the Antifederalists were those who

Property owners, creditors, and merchants were more likely to side with the in the debate over ratification; small farmers, frontiersmen, debtors, and shopkeepers were more Likely to side with the .

Which of the following is NOT a tool that Congress can use to influence the federal judiciary?

The Antifederalists argued that the powers of the national government should be limited by

Antifederalists were sharply critical of the structure of the Senate, the executive, and the federal judiciary under the Constitution because they

What does the supremacy clause assert?