Federal Government practice test

Currently, there are about ____ officially recognized reservations in the United States.

 

51

 

100

 

574

 

326

326

Which of the following is NOT considered a basic principle of United States Indian law?

 

The federal government has a trust responsibility over the Indian tribes.

 

Congress has plenary power, or full power, over Indian nations.

 

Indian tribes are the equivalent of foreign nations with the borders of the United States.

 

Indian tribes are understood to have territorial sovereignty because they are domestic dependent nations.

Indian tribes are the equivalent of foreign nations with the borders of the United States.

In which of the following locations would citizenship NOT be granted at birth?

 

Puerto Rico

 

Washington, D.C.

 

American Samoa

 

Alaska

American Samoa

The federal district, where the government of the United States is centralized, is the ____

 

State of Washington, Douglas Commonwealth

 

State of Washington

 

District of Columbia

 

District of Washington

District of Columbia

Territories of the United States such as _____ do not have presidential electors, and so people in those territories cannot vote for the president.

 

Puerto Rico

 

Hawaii

 

Alaska

 

Washington, D.C.

 

Puerto Rico

The _____ Nation occupies over 17 million acres, an area larger than 10 states

 

Sioux

 

Navajo

 

Cherokee

 

Apache

Navajo

The United States is larger by population than all of the following countries except

 

China

 

Italy

 

Great Britain

 

Canada

China

Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement about the political rights and powers of the people who reside in Washington, D.C.?

 

They have a nonvoting representative in the House of Representatives.

 

They have 2 Senators in Congress.

 

They have three electoral votes for President.

 

They govern themselves through a mayor and city council.

 

They have 2 Senators in Congress.

The United States is larger by land area than all of the following countries except

 

Mexico

 

Germany

 

France

 

Russia

Russia

The United States is a federal republic of 50 states, a federal district, _____ territories and several uninhabited island possessions.

 

Three

 

Four

 

Two

 

Five

Five

In 1988, ______ allowed Indians and states to form compacts, or agreements, by which Indians would be able to run gaming enterprises.

 

The President

 

Congress

 

The Supreme Court

 

The National Indian Gaming Commission

Congress

There have been several referenda on the island of _____, in which residents were asked whether they would like to be a U.S. state, to be an independent country, or to continue as a commonwealth or territory of the United States.

 

Puerto Rico

 

Hawaii

 

Samoa

 

Guam

Puerto Rico

The Pico Act (1859) was one of several attempts over the years to divide _____ into smaller states.

 

Texas

 

Nevada

 

Alaska

 

California

California

The national or federal government created by the U.S. Constitution could best be described as a _____.

 

Monarchy

 

Oligarchy

 

Democracy

 

Republic

 

Republic

Which of these is not a way that the legislature can check the executive?

 

Approval of appointments, treaties, and ambassadors

 

Impeachment

 

Nullification

 

Overriding vetoes

Nullification

The national or federal government created by the U.S. Constitution was intended to be a government with _____ powers.

 

Unlimited

 

Limited

 

Weak

 

Few

Limited

Which of the following is a central principle of the Declaration of Independence?     

 

All men deserve the right to vote.

 

All men must relinquish their inalienable rights to the authority of the sovereign.

 

Freedom is derived from your place of birth.

 

All men are equal.

 

All men are equal.

The idea that a government’s authority comes from the people might be called ____.

 

Popular sovereignty

 

Republicanism

 

Monarchism

 

Divine right

 

Popular sovereignty

Unlike the U.S., the constitution of Great Britain _____.

 

Explains the basic structures and procedures by which the government operates.

 

Contains the fundamental principles of the government.

 

Is written.

 

Is unwritten.

Is unwritten.

The state constitutions written after independence transformed the legal status of the people from subjects into

 

Citizens

 

Objects

 

Monarchs

 

Slaves

Citizens

Which of these was not a feature of the U.S. Constitution?

 

A unicameral legislature

 

Dual sovereignty

 

Separation of powers

 

Checks and balances

A unicameral legislature

The U.S. Constitution has been in effect since

 

1776

 

1789

 

1791

 

1801

 

1789

The system of government in which ultimate governing authority is divided between two levels of government is called ____.

 

Republicanism

 

Democracy

 

Popular sovereignty

 

Federalism

Federalism

Each state constitution written after independence established a

 

Monarchy

 

Autocracy

 

Oligarchy

 

Republic

Republic

The legislature can check the federal judiciary by ____ federal judges.

 

lowering the salary of

 

impeaching

 

firing

 

overruling

impeaching

The new state constitutions of the United States did all of the following except _____.       

 

express customs and traditions accumulated over the years.

 

receive their authority from the consent of the people.

 

contain laws and judicial decisions collected over the centuries.

 

specify the principles, structures, and operating procedures of the government.

express customs and traditions accumulated over the years.

Which of the following is an example of the “negative” kinds of rights that are protected by the Constitution?

 

Right to work

 

Right to education

 

Right to liberty

 

Right to housing

Right to liberty

The idea that each branch of government has specific powers and responsibilities that allow it to operate independently of the other branches so that no one group of government officials controls all the governing functions is called ____.

 

Republicanism

 

Separation of powers

 

Popular sovereignty

 

Federalism

Separation of powers

The power to rule on the constitutionality of laws resides in the

 

Executive branch

 

Judicial branch

 

State governments

 

Legislative branch

Judicial branch

Which of the following is NOT an element of the Declaration of Independence?     

 

Citizens have the duty to abolish a government that does not protect their rights.

 

Men and women should have equal rights.

 

Governments should be based on the consent of the governed.

 

The rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are paramount.

Men and women should have equal rights.

The Articles of Confederation ____.

 

Gave Congress the power to borrow money.

 

Created a strong national government.

 

Gave Congress the power to tax.

 

Created a bicameral legislature.

Gave Congress the power to borrow money.

Each federal district court also has a ­________­ court that specializes in those proceedings.

 

Bankruptcy

 

Appellate

 

Trial

 

Divorce

Bankruptcy

The ________ Circuit includes the states of Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

 

Sixth

 

Fifth

 

Fourth

 

Third

Fifth

Which of the following is a requirement to be a U.S. Supreme Court justice?

 

The Constitution sets no formal requirements

 

The justices must be licensed to practice law

 

The justices must be at least 35 years old

 

The justices must be citizens of the United States

The Constitution sets no formal requirements

The final level of appeal in the federal court system is the

 

Trial Court

 

District Court

 

Appellate Court

 

Supreme Court

Supreme Court

The three levels of the federal court system include all of the following except:

 

State courts

 

The Supreme Court

 

District courts

 

Appellate courts

State courts

There are over 670 ____________ nationwide.

 

Supreme Court judges

 

U.S. attorneys

 

Appellate Court judges

 

District court judges

District court judges

__________ jurisdiction allows a plaintiff of one state to file a lawsuit in federal court when the defendant is located in a different state.

 

Mutual

 

Diversity

 

Appellate

 

Original

Diversity

At the end of the process, a _____ majority of the Senators present and voting is required for a judicial nominee to be confirmed.

 

simple

 

2/3

 

4/5

 

3/4

simple

According to the Constitution, federal judges “shall hold their Offices ______.”

 

until dismissed by the Senate

 

during good Behavior

 

for four-year Terms

 

until voted out of Office by the People

during good Behavior

Circuit court judges are appointed for _______ by the president

 

6-year terms

 

4-year terms

 

8-year terms

 

Life

Life

There are _________ justices on the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

Six

 

Twelve

 

Nine

 

Seven

Nine

To bring a state law claim in federal court, all of the plaintiffs must be located in different states than all of the defendants, and the “amount in controversy” must be greater than

 

$750

 

$75,000

 

$750,000

 

$7,500

$75,000

The Supreme Court’s annual term begins

 

The first Monday of October

 

The second Monday of January

 

The first Monday of April

 

The first Tuesday of November

The first Monday of October

There are _________ federal circuits that divide the country into different regions.

 

Thirteen

 

Twelve

 

Eleven

 

Ten

Twelve

Article II section 2 of the Constitution states that the Presidents "shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the _____, shall appoint ... Judges of the Supreme Court..."

 

People

 

Supreme Court

 

Senate

 

House

Senate

Spectators are not allowed to ____ while the Supreme Court is in session.

 

Take notes

 

Take pictures

 

Sit

 

Draw

Take pictures

The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is headquartered in ______.

 

Dallas

 

Austin

 

New Orleans

 

Houston

New Orleans

The Court usually announces its orders and opinions during the months of _____.

 

January and February

 

March and April

 

July and August

 

May and June

May and June

Sometimes, the jurisdiction of _____ will overlap with that of federal courts.

 

Civil courts

 

Criminal courts

 

State courts

 

Divorce courts

State courts

The U.S. Supreme Court hears fewer than ____ of the cases that are appealed to it.

 

50%

 

10%

 

20%

 

1%

1%

When the President nominates a candidate, the nomination is sent to the _____ for consideration.

 

Senate Judiciary Committee

 

White House

 

House Judiciary Committee

 

United States Supreme Court

Senate Judiciary Committee

Federal courts can only hear cases authorized by the United States ______ or federal statutes.

 

President

 

Constitution

 

Supreme Court

 

Courts of Appeal

Constitution

Each year, approximately ____ new cases are filed in the Supreme Court.

 

7,000 – 8,000

 

70,000 – 80,000

 

700 – 800

 

70 – 80

7,000 – 8,000

There is only 1 United States ____________ .

 

Justice of the peace courts

 

Supreme Court

 

District courts

 

Appellate courts

Supreme Court

The starting point for cases arising under federal statutes, the Constitution, or treaties is usually the

 

U.S. appellate courts

 

State district court

 

Federal district court

 

State supreme court

Federal district court

The Supreme Court, like other federal courts, limits itself to dealing with actual _____.

 

Policies

 

Scandals

 

Cases and Controversies

 

Crimes and Misdemeanors

Cases and Controversies

With rare exceptions, each side is allowed only ____ in oral argument before the Court.

 

3 minutes

 

1 hour

 

90 minutes

 

30 minutes

30 minutes

The federal government may only bring criminal prosecutions in __________.

 

Courts of Appeals

 

The U.S. Supreme Court

 

Federal court

 

State court

Federal court

The Supreme Court has the power to decide appeals on all cases brought in federal court or those brought in state court that deal with _______.

 

Important issues

 

Disputes over $75,000

 

Federal law

 

Controversial topics

Federal law

There are 13 United States____________ .

 

Appellate courts

 

Supreme Court

 

Justice of the peace courts

 

District courts

Appellate courts

If the U.S. Supreme Court refuses to hear an appeal, then the lower court’s decision

 

Is overturned

 

Is in limbo

 

Stands

 

Is vacated

Stands

Some tasks of a U.S. district court are given to federal ______ judges

 

Temporary

 

Appellate

 

Magistrate

 

Special

Magistrate

There are 94 United States____________ .

 

Justice of the peace courts

 

District courts

 

Supreme Court

 

Appellate courts

District courts

In Wilkerson v. Utah, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of execution by _____ .

 

Beheading

 

Disemboweling

 

Firing squad

 

Burning

Firing squad

The interpretive methodology known as _____ considers the plain meaning of the Constitution’s text as it would have been understood by the public at the time the Constitution was ratified.

 

Original Meaning

 

Moral reasoning

 

Pragmatism

 

Stare decisis

Original Meaning

The idea that the Constitution’s text should be seen as evolving over time could be called ____.

 

Textualism

 

Original intent

 

The living Constitution

 

Original meaning

The living Constitution

The dissent in Furman v. Georgia made all of the following arguments except _____.

 

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution implied that the death penalty was constitutional.

 

The death penalty deters crime.

 

The 5th Amendment to the Constitution implied that the death penalty was constitutional.

 

The legislature, not the Court, should decide upon the wisdom of the death penalty.

The death penalty deters crime.

The judiciary’s power of judicial review was established in the 1803 case ____.

 

Marbury v. Madison

 

Gibbons v. Ogden

 

Fletcher v. Peck

 

McCulloch v. Maryland

Marbury v. Madison

According to William Brennan, the “genius of the Constitution” lies in the “______ of its great principles.”

 

Intractability

 

Adaptability

 

Durability

 

Permanence

Adaptability

According to Richard Posner, judges should ____ when the Constitution is silent on controversial issues.

 

Follow judicial precedent

 

Resist legislative tyranny

 

Ask what the framers would have done

 

Follow traditional practices

Resist legislative tyranny

According to Justice William Brennan, the death penalty was unconstitutional because it did not comport with his concept of ______.

 

Human dignity

 

Retribution

 

Rehabilitation

 

Crime prevention

Human dignity

Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. coined the term “______” to describe a judge who “consciously exercises the judicial power with an eye to social results.”

 

judicial activism

 

judicial pragmatism

 

judicial restraint

 

judicial originalism

judicial activism

Which of these judges is not a proponent of some form of originalism?

 

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

 

Robert Bork

 

Antonin Scalia

 

Clarence Thomas

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

According to John Marshall, “It is emphatically the province of the ____ to say what the law is.

 

judicial department

 

executive branch

 

people

 

legislature

judicial department

According to Clarence Thomas, there are “only two ways to interpret the Constitution – try to discern as best we can what the framers intended or _____.”

 

Use moral reasoning

 

Appeal to tradition

 

Make it up

 

Use pragmatism

Make it up

In ____, the Supreme Court decided that it was unconstitutional to strip a U.S. soldier of citizenship as a penalty for desertion.

 

Wilkerson v. Utah

 

Weems v. United States

 

Trop v. Dulles

 

Furman v. Georgia

Trop v. Dulles

In National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the national government the ability to deny ___ funds to those states that refused to expand healthcare coverage.

 

Medicare

 

Medicaid

 

Social Security

 

Children’s Health Insurance Program

Medicaid

That there are two levels of government with authority over different policy matters and geographic areas is a feature of our ____ system.

 

Federal

 

Populist

 

Democratic

 

Republican

Federal

In South Dakota v. Dole, the Supreme Court said that the national government could require that states raise their drinking age to 21 in order to receive ____ funds.

 

Criminal justice

 

Welfare

 

Highway

 

Healthcare

Highway

Which of the following is an accurate description of “Dual Federalism,” a term scholars use do describe the first hundred years or more of federalism in the United States?

 

State and federal governments did not blend together, but had clearly defined differences.

 

Supreme Court rulings blocked attempts by state and federal governments to overstep their authority.

 

The federal governments often used mandates and preemption to coerce state governments into doing what the national government wanted.

 

The states and the national government exercised exclusive authority in distinct, separate spheres of jurisdiction.

The federal governments often used mandates and preemption to coerce state governments into doing what the national government wanted.

The Supreme Court upheld the supremacy of a license granted by Congress over one granted by the New York State legislature in the case of _____.

 

Massachusetts v. Mellon

 

Gibbons v. Ogden

 

National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius

 

South Dakota v. Dole

Gibbons v. Ogden

The idea that a national law supersedes a state or local one is called

 

Enumeration

 

Federalist

 

Preemption

 

Implication

Preemption

States have all of these powers except the power to

 

Establish health and safety laws

 

Create naturalization laws

 

Provide roads and other transportation infrastructure

 

Regulate intrastate commerce

Create naturalization laws

Which of these is NOT a power that both the national and state governments have?

 

Coin money

 

Raise money

 

Borrow money

 

Spend money

Coin money

The process by which the Bill of Rights came to be applied to the states is referred to as

 

Enumeration

 

Incorporation

 

Preemption

 

Implication

Incorporation

The powers to raise revenue and establish courts are examples of ____ powers that states and the federal government both have.

 

Plenary

 

Concurrent

 

Federal

 

Arbitrary

Concurrent

Laws regarding birth, death, and marriage are usually determined by

 

The President

 

The U.S. Senate

 

The U.S. Congress

 

The states

The states

The national government has all of these powers except the power to

 

Admit new states

 

Establish standard weights and measures

 

Regulate intrastate commerce

 

Make treaties

Regulate intrastate commerce

Those powers specifically delegated to the national government in the Constitution are

 

Enumerated powers

 

Proper powers

 

Necessary powers

 

Implied powers

Enumerated powers

The Supreme Court held in Printz v. United States that

 

Congress could not commandeer state officials to execute federal laws

 

Congress could prohibit states from passing legislation to allow sports betting.

 

Congress could threaten to cut all Medicaid funding to states that refused to expand Medicaid eligibility requirements.

 

Congress could not withhold transportation funds to coerce states into raising their drinking age.

Congress could not commandeer state officials to execute federal laws

States’ powers to protect the health and safety of their citizens are called _____ powers.

 

Implied powers

 

Enumerated powers

 

Federal powers

 

Police powers

Police powers