American Government

  1. Although the American Constitution specified the powers and duties of each branch of government, a. The delegates understood that many of the vague terms in the Constitution would have to be worked out in the future.b. Much of it was experimental.c. It was a fairly complex system.d. All of these. 2. Which describes accurately the position of the Federalists? a. They favored strict interpretation of the Implied Powers Clause.b. They favored states′ rights over the national government′s power.c. None of these.d. They supported the French Revolution. 3. What clauses or components does the 14th Amendment have? a. Automatic citizenship to natural-born citizens; equal protection of the laws.b. Due process clause and automatic citizenship to natural-born citizens.c. Equal protection of the law and due process of law.d. Automatic citizenship to natural-born citizens; equal protection of the law; due process of law. 4. James Madison’s argument concerning Montesquieu’s theory about the size of republics was that a. Montesquieu’s theory applied only to Italy.b. Montesquieu was correct that the most successful republic was a small one.c. Montesquieu′s theory about the size of republics was correct but that the American republic could overcome the problem with adequate funds.d. The large and diverse population of America was an advantage, as it would bring ideological balance in a republican government. 5. Things had deteriorated so badly in 1774-76, most Americans simply wanted to go back to obedience of the king and Parliament, but the Patriots, or advocates for a revolution, would not let them. a. FALSEb. TRUE 6. What is the difference between dual federalism and shared federalism? a. Dual federalism was a system of government in the time of monarchies, while shared federalism is typical of all modern democracies.b. Dual federalism is a parliamentary system, while shared federalism is a constitutional government like the US.c. Dual federalism is when the states and the federal government have no collaboration at all, while shared federalism is when they share governing responsibilities.d. Dual federalism is only between the president and Congress, while shared federalism is between the courts and the two other branches. 7. A primary concern of Madison was to prevent corruption in Congress. a. TRUEb. FALSE 8. The Massachusetts Declaration of Rights argued a. Liberty was best secured by keeping the branches as separate as possible.b. That there were three rigidly separate forms of government.c. All of these.d. No branch could impinge on the power of the others. 9. An example of a power shared by the state and federal governments is a. Establishing and maintaining schools.b. Declaring war.c. Levying taxesd. All of these. 10. Perhaps the most famous example of ″blowback″ was a. The Right-to-Life Movement.b. The founding of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).c. The Same-Sex Marriage Movement.d. Brown v. Board of Education (1954). 11. On the one hand, federalism has the great strength of being flexible; on the other hand, it has the weakness of a. None of these.b. Letting the states get too much of the upper hand in terms of power.c. Creating conflicts between the state and federal governments.d. Not adequately protecting the rights of individuals. 12. What are the characteristics of a social movement? a. An organized series of protests by people with common interests but not wishing to work with political elites.b. Just another word for the activities of an interest group c. Collective challenges by people with common interests, working with members of the political elite.d. An unorganized collection of citizens fighting for a vague set of beliefs. 13. The check on the president′s power to make war is a. The power of the Congress to remove the president temporarily as Commander in Chief.b. The power of the Supreme Court to approve declarations of war.c. The power of Congress to declare war and raise armies.d. None of these. 14. Madison argued that, since strict separation of powers was not possible, it was best to create checks and balances between the branches of the government. a. FALSEb. TRUE 15. According to recent Gallup polls, the trust that Americans have in their government is a. Actually quite low, much less than half.b. About half and half the country trusting the government.c. None of these.d. Very high, well over half. 16. The Supreme Court has established the following for cases brought under the 14th Amendment: a. Three tiers of review for deciding whether due process of law was denied.b. Three tiers of review for deciding whether equal protection was denied.c. Three tiers of review for deciding whether citizenship was denied unconstitutionally. d. All of these. 17. An overwhelming majority of speech is protected by the 1st Amendment. a. FALSEb. TRUE 18. In designing the three branches of federal government, the Framers were influenced by a. The lack of tax revenues available.b. The Supremacy Clause.c. The lingering feeling that a small republic was best.d. Practical experiences of the dominance and corruption of state legislatures during the Articles of Confederation. 19. Issues of civil rights and civil liberties include a. The NSA tapping your telephones.b. A corporation suing another corporation for breech of contract.c. An employer paying you less than somebody else who does the same job.d. A state refusing to give the right to vote to convicted felons. 20. Which republic was considered the best model in The Spirit of the Laws? a. Athenian republicb. Roman republicc. Venetian republicd. Republic of Genoa 21. According to Jack Rakove, some of our beliefs about the Constitution are a. Best accepted and not questioned.b. None of these.c. Founded on pure fact.d. Actually myths. 22. Government compromise at the Constitutional Convention a. Was actually not a compromise but a series of wins and defeats.b. Benefited small states.c. Instituted a formula which counted slaves as three-fifths of a non-slave.d. All of these. 23. What is a civil liberty? a. A privilege described in the articles of the US Constitution.b. A state injunction against the federal government.c. A right guaranteed to groups by the 13th Amendment.d. A liberty guaranteed to individuals by the Bill of Rights. 24. According to Rakove, the easiest part of the Constitution process turned out to be ratification, but the hard part was a. The interpretation of the Constitution.b. The impending crisis of slavery.c. The struggle over states rights.d. Ratification of the Bill of Rights. 25. In the United States, the guiding principal is the supremacy of the Constitution over any other laws. a. TRUEb. FALSE 26. The Three-Fifths Compromise provided that a. Three-fifths of the states had to ratify the Constitution.b. Three-fifths of women would be counted during the national census.c. Three-fifths of the Congress was a quorum.d. Each slave would be counted as three-fifths of a constituent in the apportionment of representation for the House. 27. The protests throughout the Arab World in 2011 a. Were just coincidences. b. Was an example of common themes of injustice in one Arab country igniting protests in others.c. Is not actually a very good example of the cycle of contention.d. Led to a flourishing of democracy in this part of the world. 28. The US Supreme Court in a case called United States v. Winsor struck down a. Segregation of private schools in North Carolina.b. The federal Defense of Marriage Act.c. Florida′s method of counting votes in the 2000 presidential election.d. Voter ID laws in Wisconsin. 29. The right to ″privacy″ is explicitly referenced in the 5th Amendment a. FALSEb. TRUE 30. An example where states and communities might pose restrictions that seem to violate the rights of women but are acceptable under the 14th Amendment is weight-lifting requirements for firefighters. a. TRUEb. FALSE 31. There is a tension between the centralized federal government and localized state interests that creates problems in governance. a. TRUEb. FALSE 32. The American form of government differed from the British in that a. The British did not have a bicameral legislature.b. The British executive branch was a co-equal of the judiciary.c. The Americans divided many of the traditional British executive powers between their executive and their legislature.d. None of these. 33. The role of the Supreme Court in determining constitutionality of laws is still debated today. a. TRUEb. FALSE 34. The British claimed that what Parliament said at any given time a. Could be overruled by the king.b. Was based on the Magna Carta, the British Constitution.c. Was the law of the empire.d. Was negotiable in the colonies. 35. An example of where federalism works very well is a. In the management of the federal reserve banks across the country.b. In the placement of ambassadors, particularly in foreign countries.c. Recovery from a natural disaster like a hurricane or a flood, where the damage crosses state lines.d. In the declaration of war, at least in the 20th century. 36. According to Hancock, the genius of bifurcated, or two- part, federal government is a. It creates centralized federal components and localized state components of government.b. It creates a very decentralized legal structure.c. It is easier to make law.d. It creates a very centralized legal structure. 37. According to Hancock, unless citizens attempt to exercise their civil liberties and civil rights, a. The liberties and freedoms government is supposed to protect will not prevail.b. Federalism is unlikely to work well.c. Our ongoing experiment in democracy will not function.d. All of these. 38. According to Ange-Marie Hancock, citizens who ″opt out″ by choosing not to vote have no impact one way or another on the ability of government to meet their needs. a. TRUEb. FALSE 39. During the Revolutionary War, most of the states that wrote constitutions did so with the popular approval of their citizens. a. FALSEb. TRUE 40. While many Americans are still troubled about the right to privacy in cases involving reproductive issues, most Americans accept that a general right to privacy is a civil liberty. a. Ninety percent of Americans accept the right to an abortion.b. Ninety percent of Americans still do not accept abortion.c. Most Americans accept that a general right to privacy is a civil liberty.d. None of these. 41. The filibuster is one example of the way that legislators a. Ease the effects of gridlock.b. Compromise.c. Move bills to the front of the legislative calendar.d. Delay or block legislation.