Unit 2 Gov Test

What was the most significant influence of the Magna Carta on the development of American government?

• It gave rise to the idea that a government's power was not absolute.

• It established the rights of common people as well as landed nobles.

• It affirmed that all people possess certain "natural rights".

• It created a permanent system of representative government.

It gave rise to the idea that a government's power was not absolute.

One way that the English Bill of Rights expanded on the Magna Carta was by

• establishing an independent judiciary.

• stating that the monarch must have Parliament's consent to levy taxes.

• re-establishing the supremacy of the monarchy.

• stating that people had the right to a fair and speedy trial.

stating that the monarch must have Parliament's consent to levy taxes.

In 1776, states began creating written constitutions because they

• knew that once they were independent, they needed orderly governments.

• realized they needed British protection in order to survive.

• wanted the states to be united under a single national government.

• wanted to increase the amount of goods they were trading with Britain.

knew that once they were independent, they needed orderly governments.

The Founders incorporated Jean-Jacques Rousseau's concept of freedom of religion into the Constitution by stating that

• Congress can establish a state religion.

• all citizens must practice a religion, but it may be a religion of their choosing.

• religious groups cannot be taxed or treated differently from other types of groups.

• Congress cannot make any laws preventing people from practicing their religion.

Congress cannot make any laws preventing people from practicing their religion.

Leaders such as Thomas Jefferson formed committees of correspondence that

• urged resistance to the British.

• sent soldiers to fight in the French and Indian War.

• established colonial legislatures.

• began writing a national constitution.

urged resistance to the British.

Which of John Locke's beliefs had a major influence on the colonists?

• Monarchs are appointed by God and should have supreme power.

• All people have certain "natural" or inalienable rights such as the right to liberty.

• The powers of government must be separated.

• People need government to maintain order and prevent conflict.

All people have certain "natural" or inalienable rights such as the right to liberty.

A basic principle affirmed in the Declaration of Independence is that government should ____________ .

• be led by enlightened rulers

• abolish all forms of aristocracy

• be based upon the consent of the governed

• guarantee economic equality for all

be based upon the consent of the governed

What did Britain do in response to the French and Indian War that caused the colonists to boycott British goods?

• Britain increased the colonists' taxes.

• Britain removed all its troops from the colonies.

• Britain stopped exporting goods to the colonies.

• Britain prohibited the colonies from creating their own charters.

Britain increased the colonists' taxes.

Because of the great distance between Great Britain and the American colonies, ____________ .

• colonists grew accustomed to governing themselves

• colonists sold most of their manufactured goods to Native Americans

• the colonies began to form political alliances with France

• the colonists demanded more British soldiers for protection

colonists grew accustomed to governing themselves

Why did Shay's Rebellion upset so many Americans?

• It showed that the Articles of Confederation had given Congress too much power.

• The British used the rebellion as an excuse to send troops into Massachusetts.

• It revealed an inability of the national government to maintain public safety.

• Americans resented the harsher tax enforcement policies of Great Britain.

It revealed an inability of the national government to maintain public safety.

What was the greatest weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

• The Articles established a burdensome national income tax that quickly sent most of the states into debt.

• The executive branch had significantly more power than the legislative and judicial branches, violating the principles of separation of powers.

• The Articles prohibited the national government to make treaties with foreign nations which made oversease trade difficult.

• The restrictions of the national government made it impossible for Congress to coordinate the actions of the states.

The restrictions of the national government made it impossible for Congress to coordinate the actions of the states.

New Jersey delegates did not support the Virginia Plan because they thought

• the legislature would be able to control the executive branch.

• the judicial branch would not be independent.

• the number of votes a state had in the legislature should be based on population.

• it gave too much power to the large states.

it gave too much power to the large states.

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention settled on the Electoral College system as a compromise between ____________ .

• those who wanted the president to serve for a long term and those who feared a long term would give the president too much power

• those who wanted enslaved persons to be counted for representation only and those who wanted enslaved persons to be counted for tax purposes only

• those who wanted congressional representation to be based on population and those who wanted each state to have the same number of votes

• those who wanted the president to be directly elected and those who wanted Congress or state legislatures to select the president

those who wanted the president to be directly elected and those who wanted Congress or state legislatures to select the president

The Anti-Federalists demanded that the Constitution have a bill of rights because they

• believed it was needed in order to protect individual liberties.

• did not want the national government to be able to restrict the slave trade.

• wanted representation in the Senate to be based on population.

• were concerned that the judicial branch would be overly powerful.

believed it was needed in order to protect individual liberties.

The Federalist Papers were successful primarily because they

• presented a way of solving the dilemma between the large and small states.

• clearly explained the principles of American constitutional government.

• set up a clear way of separating the powers of the three governmental branches.

• limited the power of the executive branch.

clearly explained the principles of American constitutional government.

The 14th Amendment did away with the Three-Fifths Compromise by stating that

• every individual counted as a whole person.

• the people should directly elect the president.

• legislative representation should be based on population.

• interstate commerce could not be taxed.

every individual counted as a whole person.

As the Articles of Confederation were written, a major debate centered around whether

• there should be an army under the control of the national government.

• the national government or state and local governments should be stronger.

• the government should have both an executive and a legislative branch.

• slavery should be legal.

the national government or state and local governments should be stronger.

How did Congress function under the Articles of Confederation?

• Each state had two votes in the Senate and one or more votes in the House of Represenatives.

• Congress and the president had equal responsibility for running the national government.

• Congress could pass laws only with the consent all all thirteen states.

• Each state had one vote in Congress, no matter its population.

Each state had one vote in Congress, no matter its population.

How has the executive branch of the national government changed since the Constitution was ratified?

• The executive has far less power than the Founders intended.

• The size of the executive branch has grown tremendously.

• The president now has a vote in Congress.

• The president can override decisions of the Supreme Court.

The size of the executive branch has grown tremendously.

What is meant by the term popular sovereignty?

• Courts have the power to determine if the government's actions are legal.

• Political power is divided among a central government and several regional governments.

• The powers of the national government are divided among three branches.

• Legitimate political power must derive from the consent of the governed.

Legitimate political power must derive from the consent of the governed.

What is the role of the executive branch of the federal government?

• to recommend laws for state legislature to pass

• to appoint the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader

• to carry out or enforce the laws passed by the legislature

• to interpret the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress

to carry out or enforce the laws passed by the legislature

How does representation in the U.S. Senate differ from representation in the House?

• The representatives in the House are elected by Congress.

• The House of Representatives is made up of appointed officials.

• The number of representatives in the House is based on state population.

• The House of Representatives includes two representatives from each state.

The number of representatives in the House is based on state population.

In the system of checks and balances, veto power is balanced by

• the power of Congress to override a veto.

• the power of the people to vote for legislation.

• the power of the president to override a veto.

• the power of the president to write legislation.

the power of Congress to override a veto.

A written constitution is important because it

• provides a rule book for government.

• cannot be changed, or amended.

• allows government to control its citizens.

• prevents citizens from breaking laws.

provides a rule book for government.

Which branch of government interprets the law and includes the Supreme Court?

• the judicial branch

• the executive branch

• the presidential branch

• the legislative branch

the judicial branch

How long do federal judges hold their offices?

• until a new president takes office

• for 25 years

• until they are removed by Congress

• for life

for life

What does Article I of the Constitution do?

• It establishes the legislative branch to make laws.

• It explains how the Constitution can be amended.

• It describes the relationship of the states to the national government.

• It establishes an executive branch to carry out the laws that Congress passes.

It establishes the legislative branch to make laws.

Which constitutional amendment states that powers not given to the federal government were retained by the states or the people?

• 8th Amendment

• 5th Amendment

• 1st Amendment

• 10th Amendment

10th Amendment

How does the state legislature method of amendment ratification differ from the state convention method?

• State legislature methods are rarely used due to abuse of power.

• State legislature methods give governors an opportunity to vote on amendments.

• State conventions allow only state legislators to vote on an amendment.

• State conventions allow people to directly vote for amendments.

State conventions allow people to directly vote for amendments.

What must happen before a local government can be established?

• The federal government must issue a local charter.

• Citizens must vote on a mayor to run the local government.

• The state government must issue a local charter.

• Local officials must hold elections for city offices.

The state government must issue a local charter.

The right to due process of law is guaranteed by the

• 7th Amendment

• 5th Amendment

• 2nd Amendment

• 10th Amendment

5th Amendment

In what ways is the structure of state governments like that of the federal government?

• Both have a judicial branch to pass laws.

• Both have legislative representatives to pass laws.

• Both have two branches of government.

• Both have a governor as head of the executive branch.

Both have legislative representatives to pass laws.

Which of the following rules applies to the amendment process?

• Amendments can be proposed by one state calling a convention.

• Congress must set time limits on ratification of amendments.

• Amendments must be proposed by a three-fourths vote in Congress.

• Congress must allow citizens to vote directly for amendments.

Congress must set time limits on ratification of amendments.

To maintain law and order in their state, governors can use their power as

• commander in chief of the National Guard.

• army generals.

• commander in chief of the U.S. militia.

• dictator of the U.S. government.

commander in chief of the National Guard.

In what way can the meaning of the Constitution change over time?

• Congress can rewrite parts of the Constitution to satisfy voters.

• The U.S. Congress can rewrite the Constitution, if they believe it is justified.

• The judiciary can change the way they interpret the meaning of the Constitution.

• State governments can change the Constitution as needed.

The judiciary can change the way they interpret the meaning of the Constitution.

Each state's highest court is usually called its

• appellate court.

• supreme court.

• general court.

• trial court.

supreme court.

Which part of the government decides whether someone's right to free speech has been violated and when it should be upheld?

• presidential appointees

• the House of Representatives

• the Supreme Court

• local police departments

the Supreme Court

The First Amendment protects citizens who express themselves through

• political opinions.

• obscenity.

• seditious speech.

• defamation.

political opinions

In which location would the most strongest restrictions on free speech be placed?

• a public school

• a private home

• a church or mosque

• city street corner

a public school

In which case would free speech be limited by the government?

• to protect public safety

• to protect public opinion

• to keep people from slandering themselves

• to keep the government from looking bad

to protect public safety

Why would a gag order be placed on the media when reporting about an upcoming murder trial?

• to grant media permission to broadcast details and opinions

• to limit freedom of the press through prior restraint

• to decide when a jury should be sequestered

• to protect the right to a fair trial

to protect the right to a fair trial

In which case would the government limit the freedom of the press?

• to keep the outcome of a trial from being influenced

• to keep the identify of convicted criminals safe

• when a media audience thinks the information is biased

• when a gag order is issued by a private citizen

to keep the outcome of a trial from being influenced

How does the Supreme Court describe speech that is likely to cause immediate violence?

• libel

• fighting words

• commercial speech

• censorship

fighting words

In 1957, the Supreme Court ruled that standards for what qualifies as obscene speech should be determined by ____________ .

• local communities

• state legislatures

• federal judges

• Congress

local communities

In which event would freedom of assembly be limited?

• an event that is larger than three thousand people

• an event that promotes counterdemonstrations of violence

• an event in which people have already protested through the press

• an event that protests against the government

an event that promotes counterdemonstrations of violence

Why did the Supreme Court rule in 1947 that state funds could be used to pay for busing students to religious schools?

• The law would benefit the students and not the religion.

• The justices decided that freedom of religion did not apply to state funding.

• Citizens protested and petitioned enough to influence the courts.

• The law would benefit the religion and not the students.

The law would benefit the students and not the religion.

Which of the following is a right protected through procedural due process?

• the right to travel

• the right to vote

• the right to an attorney

• the right to a fair trial

the right to an attorney

Which Supreme Court ruling upheld Jim Crow laws?

• Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

• Marbury v. Madison (1803)

• Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Because of the incorporation doctrine, ____________ .

• the government can reasonably regulate the time, place, and manner of assemblies as long as it does so in the same way for all groups

• the government cannot compel speech, like requiring someone to recite the Pledge of Allegiance

• selected provisions of the Bill of Rights are made applicable to the states through the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

• constitutional protections of the spoken word also apply to other forms of verbal and nonverbal communication

selected provisions of the Bill of Rights are made applicable to the states through the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

Which constitutional amendment guarantees fair treatment through the judicial system?

• Nineteenth Amendment

• First Amendment

• Tenth Amendment

• Fourteenth Amendment

Fourteenth Amendment

In what kinds of cases is procedural due process most often used?

• real estate law

• family law

• criminal law

• civil law

criminal law

What does the equal protection clause protect?

• the Fourteenth Amendment rights

• citizenship for Native Americans

• individual rights and limits to the power of government

• procedural and substantive due process

individual rights and limits to the power of government

The free exercise clause relates to which part of the Constitution?

• freedom of petition

• freedom of the press

• freedom of assembly

• separation of church and state

separation of church and state

Because of the First Amendment, the government cannot ____________ .

• discriminate on the basis of race

• deny a criminal defendant by jury trial

• establish a state or national religion

• arrest someone without probable cause

establish a state or national religion

With which issue is the Supreme Court's 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education most closely associated?

• free speech rights

• racial discrimination

• sexual discrimination

• privacy rights

racial discrimination

G un control laws are often said to conflict with which constitutional amendment?

• Fourteenth Amendment

• Fifth Amendment

• First Amendment

• Second Amendment

Second Amendment

In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that ____________ .

• same sex marriages were legal throughout the country

• openly gay people were free to serve in the military

• the "separate but equal" doctrine should be overturned

• discrimination based on national origin was unconstitutional

same sex marriages were legal throughout the country

The National Rifle Association (NRA) fights for Second Amendment rights through

• lobbying and legislation.

• private surveillance.

• gun control legislation.

• private business donations.

lobbying and legislation.

Under what circumstances would the government limit privacy by conducting surveillance on individual citizens?

• to limit gun ownership

• to seize guns

• to protect national security

• to limit reproductive rights

to protect national security

The Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade is an example of privacy as it relates to

• information gathering.

• government surveillance.

• the right to bear arms.

• reproductive rights.

reproductive rights.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, women protested and staged hunger strikes in an effort to ____________ .

• end discrimination based on sexual orientation

• gain entrance into public schools

• win full and equal voting rights

• gain equal pay for equal work

win full and equal voting rights

How did the Supreme Court rule on affirmative action in college admissions?

• It ordered schools to institute gender quotas.

• It said that racial quotas must be instituted.

• It put off the decision until more cases were presented.

• It said that racial quotas were illegal.

It said that racial quotas were illegal.

Title IX of the Educational Amendment Act prohibits discrimination based on

• race.

• disability.

• gender.

• age.

gender

Charles de Montesquieu believed that government power

• belonged in the hands of an absolute monarch.

• should never be used to wage war.

• could be undermined by policies of religious tolerance.

• was best divided among separate branches.

was best divided among separate branches.

Who argued that if a sovereign, or government, violated people's natural rights, the social contract was broken and they had the right to revolt and establish a new government?

• Jean Jacques Rousseau

• Charles de Montesquieu

• Thomas Hobbes

• John Locke

John Locke

Thomas Hobbes believed that human nature was

• shaped by the scientific thinking of the times.

• characterized by good will.

• responsive to changes in politics, science, and religion.

• characterized by violence and disorder.

characterized by violence and disorder.

What Enlightenment thinker argued that the purpose of government is to safeguard the natural rights of the people?

• John Locke

• Thomas Hobbes

• Charles de Montesquieu

• Jean Jacques Rousseau

John Locke

Who believed that the best form of government was the English system because he was under the impression at the time that it was divided?

• John Locke

• Thomas Hobbes

• Charles de Montesquieu

• Jean Jacques Rousseau

Charles de Montesquieu

Which statement best describes the ideas of Hobbes and Rousseau?

• Hobbes believed people in their natural state were bad; Rousseau believed they were good.

• Rousseau believed people in their natural state were bad; Hobbes believed they were good.

• Hobbes believed democratic government was good; Rousseau believed it was bad.

• Rousseau believed free speech was dangerous; Hobbes believed it helped society progress.

Hobbes believed people in their natural state were bad; Rousseau believed they were good.

Who published the book "The Social Contract" in 1762?

• Jean Jacques Rousseau

• Charles de Montesquieu

• Thomas Hobbes

• John Locke

Jean Jacques Rousseau

A Swiss Enlightened philosopher who argued that people are sovereign and consent to be ruled.

• Jean Jacques Rousseau

• Charles de Montesquieu

• Thomas Hobbes

• John Locke

Jean Jacques Rousseau

How did the Scientific Revolution lead to the Enlightenment?

• It encouraged people to use reason to try to understand social, political, and economic issues.

• It gave monarchs more power.

• It helped factories to grow larger and factory owners to become rich.

• It extended the natural rights of European citizens.

It encouraged people to use reason to try to understand social, political, and economic issues.

In general, the philosophes believed in which of the following?

• progress for society

• expanding women's rights

• all Church decrees

• authoritarian rule

progress for society