AP Gov. Chapter 2: The Constitution

Which of Congress's powers was at the center of the challenge to the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990?

a.The power to regulate commerce.

b.The power to lay and collect taxes.

c.The power to raise and support armies

a.The power to regulate commerce.

The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 was challenged in which U.S. Supreme Court case?

a. McDonald v. Chicago

b. U.S. v. Lopez

c. District of Columbia v. Heller

b. U.S. v. Lopez

On what grounds did the U.S. Supreme Court find the Gun-Free School Act of 1990 to be unconstitutional?

a.Bringing guns into school zones was not a defense activity.

b.Bringing guns into school zones was not an economic activity.

c.Bringing guns into school zones was not a military activity.

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b.Bringing guns into school zones was not an economic activity.

Which argument has been used to justify gun-free school zones?

a.Children should be protected from gun violence.

b.Congress should regulate school activities.

c.Guns are not a national problem.

a.Children should be protected from gun violence.

Which of the following best describes the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in U.S. v. Lopez (1995)?

a.It was a deadlocked vote.

b.It upheld the law.

c.It struck down the law.

c.It struck down the law.

Which of these statements reflect reasons Thomas Paine gave for declaring independence from British rule? Check all that apply.

a. King George lacked the education to make wise policy decisions.

b. King George's reign was colored by abusive uses of power.

c. The king was envious of the colonies' prosperity.

d. The king was unable to act efficiently due to checks on his power.

b. King George's reign was colored by abusive uses of power.

c. The king was envious of the colonies' prosperity.

Explanation:

'In Common Sense Thomas Paine articulated reasons why colonists should declare independence from Great Britain. His objections to continued British rule centered largely on the arbitrary manner in which he believed King George had used his power. Paine accused the king of abuses of power and being jealous of American prosperity and said that a monarch who ruled only by the standard that "there shall be no laws but such as I like" did not deserve to govern.' (Cengage)

Based on the information presented, with which of these statements would Thomas Paine likely agree?

a. American government should be organized under one powerful central figure.

b. The king's governance is reasonable but illegitimate.

c. It's not likely the king will change his ways, so the colonists need to take action.

c. It's not likely the king will change his ways, so the colonists need to take action.

Explanation:

'Paine clearly believed that colonists were suffering under the rule of King George and that the circumstances were not likely to improve without strong action by the American colonies. He suggested that colonists were wasting their efforts by "perpetually quarrelling or ridiculously petitioning" and encouraged colonists to take decisive action by declaring independence from Britain.' (Cengage)

According to the Declaration, why was it necessary "to dissolve political bands which have connected them with another?"

a. The absolute despotism of the king

b. Impatience with the laws of nature

c. A destructive relationship with Parliament

a. The absolute despotism of the king

Explanation: 'In ending the political connection between the colonies and Great Britain, The Declaration of Independence puts forth the reasons that it was necessary "to dissolve political bands which have connected them with another." The main cause for which was the absolute despotism of the king. Specifically, the Congress claimed that the king has subjected the colonies to "a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny." As a consequence of these abuses of power, the Congress declared the right of the people to abolish the existing government and establish a new one.' (Cengage)

Frustrated with their powerlessness, the colonists fought for the right to ______ ________. Arguing, as they did in the Declaration of Independence, that all men were created equal and entitled to_____ _____ ____ _____ _____ ____ _________, the Congress vowed to create new institutions operating on these principles.

govern themselves; life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

Based on colonial experiences with British rule, which of the following power systems would probably have had the most appeal when creating new institutions?

a. A system in which power was delegated to an international authority

b. A system in which power was concentrated in an executive

c. A system in which power was diffused

c. A system in which power was diffused

Which of the following statements is true regarding the Articles of Confederation? Check all that apply.

a. Equal voting rights were assigned to each state.

b. Military matters were assigned to the national government.

c. Approval of a supermajority of 9 of the 13 states was required to pass any laws.

d. A majority of votes, or approval of 7 of the 13 states, was required to amend the Articles.

a. Equal voting rights were assigned to each state.

c. Approval of a supermajority of 9 of the 13 states was required to pass any laws.

Which of these statements concerning the American government under the Articles of Confederation is accurate?

a. The Articles of Confederation allowed the few states with militias to dictate military policy.

b. The Articles of Confederation created a system in which governmental power was greatly decentralized.

c. The Articles of Confederation gave more power to large states.

b. The Articles of Confederation created a system in which governmental power was greatly decentralized.

Which of these statements is true about the U.S. system of checks and balances?

a. The power of courts to overturn laws has been an overriding influence since the Constitution was written.

b. The idea of separation of powers was developed in order to streamline authority, by focusing power in the executive branch of government.

c. The system was created to establish a stronger federal government without giving too much power to any one branch.

c. The system was created to establish a stronger federal government without giving too much power to any one branch.

According to the video, [on Cengage] which of the following statements about the debt ceiling conflict are accurate? Check all that apply.

a. The conflict arose in part because the president and Congress generally have to compromise in order to resolve these kinds of fiscal problems.

b. Republicans in Congress agree that the president has the legal right to continue borrowing money, but they argue that he shouldn't do so.

c. Refusing to raise the debt ceiling would mean the Treasury could not pay bills already accrued.

d. Raising the debt ceiling is a tough decision because so many people have strong, well-informed opinions on the issue.

e. This report raises the idea that the president could bypass Congress using a provision in the Fourteenth Amendment.

a. The conflict arose in part because the president and Congress generally have to compromise in order to resolve these kinds of fiscal problems.

c. Refusing to raise the debt ceiling would mean the Treasury could not pay bills already accrued.

e. This report raises the idea that the president could bypass Congress using a provision in the Fourteenth Amendment.

Winthrop argued that because the states are so dissimilar, they must be free to _____ _____ for themselves.

make laws

One major concern of Antifederalists such as Winthrop was that the proposed Constitution's ________ ___ _______ clause gave too much power to Congress.

necessary and proper

Which of these statements captures an objection Winthrop had to the proposed Constitution?

a. It made congressional laws the supreme laws of the land.

b. It took too much power from Congress, giving it to the president.

c. It forced states to abandon standing trade agreements with other states.

b. It took too much power from Congress, giving it to the president.

What type of government did the colonists at Jamestown institute?

a. direct democracy

b. representative assembly

c. constitutional monarchy

d. parliament

b. representative assembly

In 1620, the first colonists in New England came to the New World in search of

a. fertile farmlands.

b. gold and precious minerals.

c. social freedom.

d. religious freedom.

d. religious freedom.

What was the first response of colonists to the passage of the 1765 Stamp Act?

a. boycott British commodities

b. declare war

c. organize the Boston Tea Party

d. muster an armed militia

a. boycott British commodities

What event occurred at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774?

a. signing the Mayflower Compact

b. passage of the Intolerable Acts

c. the First Continental Congress

d. the Second Continental Congress

c. the First Continental Congress

When the Second Continental Congress met, one of its main actions was to

a. write the Constitution.

b. send a petition to King George III.

c. establish a federal government.

d. establish an army.

d. establish an army

Which document enumerated the colonists' major grievances against the British crown?

a. Declaration of Independence

b. Articles of Confederation

c. Constitution

d. Bill of Rights

a. Declaration of Independence

Thomas Jefferson was influenced by ______ ______ when he chose to include the concept of natural rights and a social contract between government and the people in the Declaration of Independence.

John Locke

Explanation:

'Thomas Jefferson was influenced by John Locke when he chose to include the concept of natural rights and a social contract between government and the people in the Declaration of Independence. For more information see Declaring Independence in your text. LO1: Explain the theoretical and historical factors that influenced the writers of the U.S. Constitution.' (Cengage)

All thirteen states adopted written constitutions between 1776 and 1780. _____ sentiment led to increased power for the ______.

a. Democratic; executive

b. Federalist; executive

c. Republican; legislatures

d. Bicameral; legislatures

c. Republican; legislatures

The Articles of Confederation created a voluntary association of independent states marked by

a. a strong central government.

b. a bicameral legislature.

c. an elected president.

d. a weak central government.

d. a weak central government.

Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress did NOT have the authority to

a. declare war.

b. raise funds for a national militia.

c. conduct foreign policy.

d. regulate coinage.

b. raise funds for a national militia

Shays's Rebellion demonstrated that the _____ __________ _______ ___ __________ ___ _______________ could not protect the citizenry from armed rebellion or provide adequately for the public welfare.

central government, under the Articles of Confederation

Explanation:

'Shays's Rebellion demonstrated that the central government, under the Articles of Confederation, could not protect the citizenry from armed rebellion or provide adequately for the public welfare. For more information see The Articles of Confederation: The First Form of Government in your text. LO2: Describe the structure of the Articles of Confederation and explain why the confederation failed.' (Cengage)

When did the Constitutional Convention take place?

a. 1776

b. 1777

c. 1781

d. 1787

d. 1787

The majority of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were

a. nationalists.

b. monarchists.

c. federalists.

d. anti-federalists.

a. nationalists

The notable feature of the New Jersey Plan, which was later included in the Constitution, was its reference to

a. the separation of church and state.

b. freedom of the press.

c. the supremacy doctrine.

d. separation of powers.

c. the supremacy doctrine

Passage of the Three-Fifths Compromise illustrates the power of __ ________ _____ at the Constitutional Convention.

the Southern states

Explanation:

'Passage of the three-fifths rule illustrates the power of the Southern states by expanding their representation in the House. For more information see The Articles of Confederation: The First Form of Government in your text. LO3: Identify and explain the compromises made by the delegates to come to agreement on the U.S. Constitution.' (Cengage)

Which constitutional model includes a system of checks and balances through which each branch of the government can check the actions of the others?

a. New Jersey model

b. Virginia model

c. Madisonian model

d. Jeffersonian model

c. Madisonian model

The _____ _____ is a cumbersome election process, with the purpose of keeping the president completely independent of Congress.

electoral college

The Constitution creates a _____ _____ of government meaning that the sovereign powers of the nation are divided between the states and the national government.

federal system

A series of 85 essays in defense of the Constitution and of a republican form of government were known as

a. Common Sense.

b. Treatises on Government.

c. Beard's Thesis.

d. the Federalist Papers.

d. the Federalist Papers.

The Anti-Federalists believed that the ______ would create an overbearing and overburdening central government hostile to personal liberty.

Constitution

Who primarily wrote the Bill of Rights?

a. Thomas Jefferson

b. Alexander Hamilton

c. James Madison

d. John Jay

c. James Madison

The most commonly used formal method of proposing an amendment to the Constitution is

a. a two-thirds vote in each chamber of Congress.

b. a national convention called by Congress at the request of state legislatures.

c. the process of judicial review.

d. the drafting of congressional legislation.

a. a two-thirds vote in each chamber of Congress.

Although Congress has considered more than 11,000 amendments, only __ have been ratified.

27

The power of Congress to informally amend the Constitution is demonstrated by all of the following EXCEPT

a. the establishment of the federal court system.

b. the delegation of legislative power to federal agencies.

c. passing legislation which defines the meaning of interstate commerce.

d. conducting casework to benefit constituents.

d. conducting casework to benefit constituents.

The Supreme Court first claimed the power of judicial review in the case known as

a. Gideon v. Wainwright.

b. McCulloch v. Maryland.

c. Marbury v. Madison.

d. Plessy v. Ferguson.

c. Marbury v. Madison