UTHS US Government Final Exam Study Guide

Which of the following did the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights attempt to limit?

The divine right of kings

What was the Enlightenment?

An intellectual movement that questioned existing political forms.

How did the Enlightenment contribute to the American Revolution?

Philosophers began to question traditional notions of power.

Which Enlightenment philosopher influenced this excerpt from the Declaration of

Independence?

John Locke

The concept of natural rights was a radical departure in thought at the time of the Enlightenment because:

it rejected the idea that rights were given by the ruler.

Where did John Locke believe governments derive their power?

The people

A social contract exists when:

the government rules according to the consent of the governed.

Use the excerpt to answer the question:

"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Which of the following concepts does the excerpt illustrate?

Social contract theory

Which of the following concepts did Charles de Montesquieu develop?

Separation of powers

Why did American colonists believe they had to set up forms of self-government?

The British government was too remote to govern the colonies directly.

Which of the following was a form of colonial self-government?

Virginia House of Burgesses

How did the Seven Years' War affect the relationship between the colonies and Great Britain?

It increased tensions between the two because Great Britain increased taxes to pay for the war.

Why was the government created by the Articles of Confederation ineffective?

It was too weak.

Which of the following best describes John Adams's contributions to the writing of the Constitution?

He argued for a bicameral legislature and the separation of powers.

What did the conflict between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson center on?

The amount of power that a central government should hold over the states

Why is James Madison considered the "father of the Constitution"?

He played a pivotal role in drafting the Bill of Rights.

Which of the following best describes John Jay's contributions to the writing of the Constitution?

He helped author the Federalist Papers in support of a strong central government.

George Mason and John Jay were similar in that they both:

argued for an end to slavery.

Which of the following best describes Roger Sherman's contributions to the writing of the Constitution?

He helped negotiate the Great Compromise.

Which of the following individuals was most influential on how the executive branch functions?

George Washington

Which of the following best describes James Wilson's contributions to the writing of the Constitution?

He proposed the Three-Fifths Compromise.

Why did larger states favor the Virginia Plan for representation?

Representation would be based on population.

What did the Great Compromise create?

A bicameral legislature

Why was the Electoral College created?

To reconcile differences between states' rights and federal rights supporters

Which principle of the Constitution prohibits the federal and state governments

from taking certain actions?

Limited government

Which principle of the Constitution divides power between federal and state governments?

Federalism

Which principle of the Constitution is the basis for its first ten amendments?

Individual rights

Which principle of the Constitution defines the power of the government as derived from the power of people?

Popular sovereignty

Which principle of the Constitution establishes three branches of government?

Separation of powers

Which principle of the Constitution creates a system where elected representatives serve the will of the people?

Republicanism

Which principle of the Constitution allows the executive branch to limit the power of the legislative and judicial branches?

Checks and balances

How are the principles of checks and balances and separation of powers related?

Checks and balances helps maintains separation of powers

Which other principle helps to support republicanism?

Popular sovereignty

How does federalism serve to limit the power of the government?

It grants certain powers to the state government and others to the federal government.

How many Articles are there in the Constitution?

7

Which principle of the Constitution helps define the subjects of the first three Articles of the Constitution?

Separation of powers

Which principle of the Constitution helps define the subjects of Articles IV and VI of the Constitution?

Federalism

Which of the following is a check that the executive branch has over the judicial branch?

The power to appoint judges

Which of the following is a check that the judicial branch has over the executive branch?

The power to declare presidential acts unconstitutional

Which of the following is a check that the judicial branch has over the legislative branch?

The power to declare laws unconstitutional

Which of the following is a check that the legislative branch has over the judicial branch?

The power to approve federal judges

Which of the following is a check that the legislative branch has over the executive branch?

The power to impeach

Which of the following is a check that the executive branch has over the legislative branch?

The power to veto bills

What process is outlined in Article V of the Constitution?

The process of amending the document

Which of the following is a way in which an amendment to the Constitution can be proposed?

Both houses of Congress adopt a proposed amendment with a 2/3 vote

Which of the following is a way in which an amendment to the Constitution can be ratified?

3/4 of state legislatures ratify the amendment

How many times has the Constitution been amended?

27

Which of the following is NOT a reason the Constitution has been amended?

To modify the principles of government

Why is the process of amending the Constitution so difficult?

The founders did not want the document changed for insignificant reasons

All of the following are responsibilities of the legislative branch EXCEPT:

Appointing Supreme Court Justices

How is the legislative branch structured?

Bicameral chambers, made up of representatives and senators elected by the people

How does the legislative branch check the powers of the judicial branch?

The legislative branch approves Supreme Court appointments.

How does the legislative branch check the powers of the executive branch?

The legislative branch has the power to impeach and remove the president.

What best describes the purpose of a standing committee?

Gather information and develop expertise on a specific topic

Which best describes the members of the House of Representatives?

Representatives have unlimited two-year terms.

Which best describes the members of the Senate?

Senators have unlimited six-year terms.

Which best describes the process of impeachment?

The House files the case for impeachment, and the Senate hears the trial to vote for removal.

How are the 435 representatives in the House divided among the states?

A census every ten years determines population shifts, and representatives are reapportioned.

The process of drawing district lines in order to create an advantage for a political party in election is called:

gerrymandering

Gerrymandering affects all of the following EXCEPT:

the election of the President

Congress has the authority to regulate commerce throughout the states and globally.

true

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate must approve foreign agreements.

false

Congress has the power to levy taxes, and therefore has the authority to manage the budget.

true

The legislative branch has specific checks on the power of both the executive branch and judicial branch.

true

Congress is the final branch of government to approve a law.

false

Representatives almost always tend to vote on a bill based on their party's views and their constituents' desires.

true

International trade organizations place trade restrictions on specific regions to make international trade more difficult.

false

Congress creates tariffs in order to promote American businesses.

true

Capitalism is an economic system in which the government owns all the property and businesses.

false

Congress has the authority to create tariffs and regulate interstate commerce.

True

In order to promote bipartisanship, members of Congress have freedom to sit where they wish no matter which political party they belong to.

False

America's economy is considered a mixed capitalist economy since the government does own some property and services, like transportation and education.

true

A bill can not become a law if the President vetoes it.

false

For a bill to become a law, it must be

approved by both chambers of Congress, and signed by the president.

The White House Chief of Staff is repsonsible for providing daily briefings for the media.

false

If a president vetoes a bill, Congress can override the veto with a 2/3 majority rule in both the House and Senate.

true

When Congress and the president are unable to pass bills into laws, it is called gridlock.

true

The president has the power to appoint only Supreme Court justices.

false

The executive branch is responsible for enforcing laws.

true

The Electoral College is based on a "winner-take-all" system in all states except for two.

true

The executive branch is solely made up of the president and vice president.

false

The president has the power to appoint his or her cabinet members.

true

Once a president vetoes a bill, the bill is officially dead.

false

If a candidate does not receive a minimum of 270 electoral votes, the House of Representatives choosesthe president.

true

There have been four occasions where the president elected lost the popular vote.

true

The Senate must approve a presidential appointment of a Supreme Court Justice.

true

Every state has the same number of electoral votes.

false

If the House of Representatives has to choose the president, each state receives only one vote.

true

Which president advised the United States to avoid political parties?

George Washington

Which president issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which ultimately ended the institution of slavery?

Abraham Lincoln

Which president appointed 3 Supreme Court Justices, including the first woman Sandra Day O'Connor?

Ronald Reagan

Which president created the Executive Office of the President?

Franklin Roosevelt

Which president was the first to take advantage of the veto power and heavily use the veto power?

Andrew Jackson

Which president purchased Louisiana, doubling the size of the United States?

Thomas Jefferson

Which president passed many progressive laws including the National Parks Act?

Theodore Roosevelt

Which president won 4 terms, and was responsible for the Great Depression and World War II?

Franklin Roosevelt

The role in which the president is the symbol of America.

Chief of State

The role where the president helps regulate things like poverty and unemployment.

Chief of Economy

The role where the president appoints members of his or her party.

Chief of party

The role in which the president urges Congress to pass laws.

Legislature Chief