apgov unit 1

Brutus was an example of an Anti-Federalist because he

believed a centralized government posed a major threat to individual rights

In 2005, the Utah legislature passed a law that allowed school districts to ignore parts of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), a law passed by Congress in 2001 that supported standards-based education reform. Utah did this despite the fact that it endangered losing $76 million in federal aid to Utah public schools. Which of the following statements best explains why Utah took this action?

Educational policy is not mentioned in the Constitution, which has created debate about the proper role for the national government in educational policy.

Concurrent powers have which of the following effects on the United States political system?

They make it possible for the states and the national government to simultaneously exercise influence in the same areas of public policy.

Which of the following was a direct outcome of the Three-Fifths Compromise?

A formula for calculating a state’s enslaved population for the purposes of representation was enacted.

In 1974, the House of Representatives approved a resolution granting the Judiciary Committee authority to investigate impeachment of President Nixon for obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress. Which constitutional ideal of democracy is demonstrated in this scenario?

Limited government

Members of Congress receive many phone calls, meeting invitations, and e-mails from various competing interest groups asking for support on their preferred public policies. This situation best exemplifies which of the following models of democracy?

A

Pluralist

The Declaration of Independence states “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” This was a revolutionary change from the system of British monarchy, which was based on the divine right of kings. For which of the ideals of democracy does this quote provide a foundation?

Popular sovereignty

Throughout most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, most African Americans were prevented from voting in many Southern states despite the Fifteenth Amendment, which extended the right to vote to African American males. Southern states were able to take this action because

the framers allowed the individual states to create voting processes and voter qualifications

The process shown in the diagram is outlined in which of the following parts of the United States Constitution?

Article V

The process in the diagram reflects which of the following about the perspective of the framers on constitutional government?

The system should be able to accommodate political change, but the process for change should incorporate checks and balances.

In The Federalist 10, James Madison argued that the new constitution would help control faction by doing which of the following?

By creating a large republic, the new constitution made it less likely that a faction could gain enough power to completely dominate.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the arguments made in The Federalist 10 and Brutus 1 ?

The Federalist 10	Brutus 1
Factions are most dangerous at the local level.	Small republics are best for stable governments.

In the early part of the twenty-first century, public opinion polls showed that a majority of Americans believed it should be illegal to burn the American flag. As a result, many members of Congress introduced amendments to make it illegal to burn or desecrate the American flag. However, these efforts have been unsuccessful. Which of the following statements best explains why these efforts have been unsuccessful?

The framers made the amendment process difficult in order to protect individual rights.

The language in the first paragraph of the selection most closely parallels that of which of the following documents?

The Declaration of Independence

Which of the following best captures a portion of the author’s argument?

The government has made women subservient by denying them the right to vote.

Which of the following amendments to the United States Constitution addresses the grievance that a woman is not permitted “to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise”?

Nineteenth Amendment

Which of the following is an accurate description of the decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) ?

The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 was struck down as unconstitutional because it exceeded the commerce clause.

Which of the following best describes Madison’s primary concern about representative government?

Those who seek to represent the people may be tempted to act in their own interests instead.

Which of the following statements best reflects James Madison’s beliefs about political representation as expressed in the passage?

People are best represented by a few politicians chosen to voice their issues.

Which of the following sections of the United States Constitution most concerns Madison according to the passage?

Article I, Section 2—“The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.”

Which of the following best captures the author's argument regarding the forms of democracy?

Pluralist democracy, though it involves groups at different stages of the process of developing policy, excludes a significant portion of the population.

Which of the following ideals of democracy is reflected in the procedure for apportionment in the House of Representatives?

Government is based on the consent of the governed.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the checks held by the legislative and judicial branches?

A

Which of the following characteristics best explains the data on the map?

Federalism creates differences between states on the implementation of health-care policy.

Which of the following statements is supported by the data on the map?

Texas (TX) has a higher rate of uninsured people than New Jersey (NJ).

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of concurrent powers?

The federal government provides about 25% of the total funding for highways and transit in the United States, while the other 75% of the funding comes from states.

In May of 2015, a federal appeals court ruled that the National Security Agency’s collection of Americans’ phone records was in violation of the USA PATRIOT Act. Which of the following debates is at the center of the national conversation regarding the surveillance program referred to in this scenario?

Liberty versus stability and order

The House of Representatives impeaches the president. Which of the following scenarios represents how bicameralism is used as a check on the vote to impeach?

The Senate deliberates the case and votes to determine the president’s guilt or innocence.

The decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) reflected new ideas about federalism at the time that can be best characterized by which of the following?

Acknowledgement of the limitations of national power and a recognition of the reserved power of the states.

South Carolina passed a law to increase the state tax on gasoline to help fund repairs on highways and bridges. The state tax is in addition to the federal tax on every gallon of gasoline that is sold. Which of the following constitutional provisions does this scenario illustrate?

Concurrent powers

Which of the following best describes the influence of social contract theory on the Constitution of the United States?

The framers attempted to legitimize the Constitution through an appeal to popular sovereignty.

Which of the following is the best example of a constitutional concept that supports the vision of the United States as a union of states, rather than a union of individual citizens?

The electoral college

Which of the following is a consequence of having concurrent powers within a federal system of government?

Citizens and interest groups seeking policy change can choose from multiple access points.

Which of the following is a method by which Congress is likely influencing state policy being depicted in the cartoon?

Unfunded mandates

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) required states to implement standards-based education reform in order to receive federal funds. Which of the following criticisms of NCLB is being expressed in the cartoon?

Education resources are being systematically reduced, while education standards are becoming more unreachable.

Which of the following features of the United States Constitution would most concern the author of Brutus 1?

The supremacy clause, which gives the federal government supremacy over states

Which of the following is the most accurate interpretation of the political cartoon?

State governments prefer federal funding but do not want federal oversight over how the money is spent.

Which of the following policies would the states most likely prefer according to the political cartoon?

Block grants

Arizona enacted an immigration law in 2010, claiming the legislation complemented existing federal law. The Obama administration disagreed, claiming the state law conflicted with national law. Which clause of the Constitution did the Supreme Court most likely use to strike down a section of the state law?

Supremacy clause

Which of the following ideals of United States government is most relevant to this passage?

Limited government