US - answer key

1. The Declaration of Independence embodied the principles of [A] James Madison. [B] John Locke. [C] Charles Beard. [D] Thomas Hobbes. 2. Social contract theory essentially means that [A] agreements made in one state will be enforced in all other states. [B] the people agree to set up rulers for certain purposes and have the right to remove rulers who act against those purposes. [C] those who are governed give up all power to those who rule. [D] nations may enter into treaties with one another. 3. The Declaration of Independence had input from many people, but its primary author was [A] George Washington. [B] James Madison. [C] Thomas Jefferson. [D] Benjamin Franklin. 4. A republic is a government [A] ruled by a monarch. [B] resting on the consent of the governed. [C] based on majority rule. [D] ruled by two political parties. 5. A confederation can best be described as a [A] government ruled by a dictator. [B] loose association of independent states. [C] government without a monarch. [D] form of socialism. 6. A primary goal of the Articles of Confederation was to [A] forge a central government with the power to levy taxes only for the support of a strong military. [B] preserve the sovereignty of the states. [C] create a government in which consensus was easy to achieve. [D] create a strong national executive. 7. The goal of the First Continental Congress was to [A] select a leader for the army of the colonies. [B] restore harmony between Britain and the colonies. [C] plan further resistance to the Coercive Acts. [D] declare independence from Great Britain. [E] draft a new constitution. 8. The Second Continental Congress resulted in [A] the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. [B] a plan for the Boston Tea Party. [C] a brief reconciliation with Britain. [D] the decision to create thirteen colonies. [E] increases in taxes to the colonists by England. 9. Shays’s Rebellion consisted of [A] Massachusetts residents protesting New Hampshire’s import tax on their state’s products. [B] Bostonians throwing British tea into Boston Harbor. [C] Massachusetts residents protesting the national government’s tax on liquor. [D] farmers trying to prevent foreclosure on their property for debts and taxes owed. 10. The U.S. Constitution was written in [A] 1776. [B] 1787. [C] 1812. [D] 1492. 11. A key component of the Virginia Plan was [A] an executive who would have an absolute veto power over legislative actions. [B] a strong national legislature. [C] keeping essential powers with the states. [D] that legislative representation be equal for all states. 12. According to the New Jersey Plan, how was representation to be structured in Congress? [A] One house would exist, and all states would have equal representation in it. [B] Representation in both houses would be population based. [C] States would have equal representation in one house and population-based representation in the other. [D] One house would exist, and representation in it would be based on population. 13. The conflict between ________ was resolved by the Great Compromise. [A] those who wanted a strong national government and those who wanted a weak one [B] those who wanted a strong executive and those who wanted a weak one [C] large and small states [D] slave and free states 14. The principle of dividing power between a central government and regional units is called [A] unitary government. [B] pluralism. [C] republicanism. [D] federalism. 15. In contrast to the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution [A] placed all power in a central government. [B] conferred substantial powers on the national government at the expense of the states. [C] granted greater political power to the states than to the national government. [D] granted greater political power to local governments than to the states. 16. Which of the following statements best describes the principle of separation of powers? [A] Democrats and Republicans should alternate in the exercise of political power. [B] Power is sharply divided between the states and the national government. [C] Lawmaking, law-enforcing, and law-interpreting powers are shared by separate and independent U.S. government institutions. [D] Each nation has the power to exercise political control within its borders. 17. Each branch of government has a way to exercise some control over other branches according to the principle of [A] checks and balances. [B] republicanism. [C] separation of powers. [D] federalism. 18. Examples of Congress’s ________ powers are the ability to coin money, collect taxes, and regulate interstate commerce. [A] enumerated [B] federal [C] implied [D] inherent 19. The constitutional basis for Congress’s implied powers is the [A] doctrine of separation of powers. [B] necessary and proper clause. [C] concept of checks and balances. [D] supremacy clause. 20. At the Constitutional Convention, the institution of slavery was [A] not considered important enough to discuss. [B] heartily approved of by all the delegates. [C] opposed by some but was preserved in order to maintain unity among the states. [D] abolished for violating the fundamental principles of the new nation. 21. The text of the U.S. Constitution deals with slavery by [A] not mentioning it directly. [B] requiring the individual states to decide the issue for themselves. [C] prohibiting it after 1807. [D] abolishing it. 22. Supporters of the U.S. Constitution named themselves [A] Democrats. [B] Republicans. [C] Antifederalists. [D] Federalists. 23. The Federalist papers [A] deal with outdated ideas and problems and have little relevance to politics in the 1990s. [B] were rendered obsolete by the passage of the Bill of Rights. [C] are of equal legal status with the U.S. Constitution and its amendments. [D] are considered an important commentary on the U.S. Constitution. 24. The primary goal of Federalist No. 10 and Federalist No. 51 was to demonstrate that the new government would [A] honor the Bill of Rights. [B] not fall under the dominance of any one faction. [C] if unopposed, become a tyranny. [D] eventually overwhelm the states. 25. The chief obstacle to ratification of the U.S. Constitution by the states was the [A] grant of the power to tax. [B] failure to abolish slavery. [C] lack of court structure below the Supreme Court. [D] omission of a bill of rights. 26. Since 1787, how many amendments have been added to the Constitution? [A] 19 [B] 54 [C] 10 [D] 27 27. The Supreme Court first declared that the courts have the power to overturn government acts that conflict with the U.S. Constitution in [A] Barron v. Baltimore. [B] Marbury v. Madison. [C] Hammer v. Dagenhart. [D] Hamilton v. Burr. 28. To which of the following concerns did the U.S. Constitution pay the least attention? [A] Freedom [B] Order [C] Republicanism [D] Equality 29. If we evaluate the U.S. Constitution using concepts from this course, we find that it was designed to [A] create a democracy based on majority rule. [B] advance economic equality. [C] strike a balance between order and freedom. [D] advance social equality. 30. The basic premise of federalism is that [A] supreme political authority remains with the states. [B] a national government has ultimate sovereignty over a country’s land and people. [C] supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses. [D] two or more governments share power and authority over the same land and people. 31. Which of the following is not a part of dual federalism? [A] The national government rules by enumerated powers only. [B] The relationship between nation and states is best characterized as tension rather than cooperation. [C] The national government has an unlimited set of constitutional purposes. [D] Each government unit (nation and state) is sovereign within its sphere. 32. The states’ rights principle is most closely tied to [A] cooperative federalism. [B] implied federalism. [C] marble-cake federalism. [D] dual federalism. 33. Which metaphor best describes cooperative federalism? [A] The sponge cake [B] The layer cake [C] The marble cake [D] The fruitcake 34. The Tenth Amendment states that powers not delegated to the national government or prohibited to the states are reserved to [A] the states. [B] local governments. [C] the states or the people. [D] the national government. 35. The Supreme Court’s interpretation of the commerce clause has generally served to [A] increase national power. [B] preserve states’ rights. [C] leave the balance of power between the national and state governments unchanged. [D] have no consistent effect on national and state power. 36. The general term for money paid by the national government to a state is [A] grant-in-aid. [B] project grant. [C] categorical grant. [D] formula grant. 37. Which of the following best describes the state of federalism after the conservative reforms of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan? [A] The original system of dual federalism has been restored. [B] Federal mandates and federal aid have continued to increase. [C] The federal government has cut its aid to the states but continues to enforce mandates. [D] Federal aid to the states and federal power have significantly decreased. 38. Preemption is [A] the power of Congress to enact laws that assume responsibility for functions that were previously state or local responsibilities. [B] the right of local governments to make their own rules without state interference. [C] the right of states to nullify federal laws. [D] crime control emphasizing prevention rather than punishment. 39. Unfunded mandates [A] are strongly criticized by state and local officials. [B] force the states to pay for policies they may not want or have not chosen. [C] are requirements that the national government places on the states without granting the states the funds to carry out the requirement. [D] All of these. 40. How many government units exist in the United States? [A] 1,713 [B] 51 [C] 1 [D] More than 80,000 41. The cooperative federalism model [A] supports an elitist power structure. [B] works against the operation of pluralist democracy. [C] supports majoritarian democracy by allowing diverse interests to develop and exist within separate states and localities. [D] supports pluralist democracy by allowing groups to pursue their interests at several levels of government. 42. The “unalienable rights” identified by the Declaration of Independence were [A] life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. [B] freedom of speech, press, and assembly. [C] life, liberty, and property. [D] ownership of property and bearing arms to protect it. [E] equality, liberty and equal protection. 43. The method for choosing the president was designed to address which of the following concerns? [A] The people’s desire to have a direct voice in the selection of the chief executive [B] Distrust of the judgment of the people and the small states’ fears that the large states would dominate the process [C] Large states’ fears that small states would dominate the selection process [D] The demand that each state have an equal voice in selecting the president [E] Fear that a plural executive would possess too many powers 44. If a state’s drinking law allowed 18 year olds to drink alcoholic beverages in violation of the federal government’s age requirement of 21, the federal government’s age restriction would supercede the state’s law based upon the [A] hold harmless clause. [B] elastic clause. [C] establishment clause. [D] implied law clause. [E] supremacy clause. 45. Antifederalists attacked the proposed Constitution on the grounds that [A] it was not democratic enough. [B] the national government it created was too weak. [C] the national government it created was too strong. [D] it created an independent judiciary. [E] too much authority was enumerated. 46. The key principle decided in the case Marbury v. Madison is [A] national supremacy. [B] slavery. [C] the application of the necessary and proper clause. [D] judicial review. [E] the application of the elastic clause to the federal government. 47. The struggle to devise a new constitution at the Constitutional Convention represented an attempt to find an appropriate balance between [A] freedom and equality. [B] structure and power. [C] equality and order. [D] majoritarian and pluralist democracy. [E] freedom and order. 48. In the 2000 Presidential election controversy, the final decision regarding the legality of Florida’s voting rules was determined by [A] the U.S. Congress. [B] the U.S. Supreme Court. [C] the Florida secretary of state. [D] the sitting president. [E] the Florida Supreme Court. 49. A power not specifically mentioned in the Constitution but necessary if another specific grant of power is to be carried out is called a(n) _____ power. [A] assigned [B] general [C] enumerated [D] implied [E] concurrent 50. In response to the events of September 11, 2001, Congress and the President enacted the USA Patriot Act using primarily what authority? [A] The elastic clause [B] The emergency clause [C] The due process clause [D] The enumerated clause [E] The superceding clause [1] [B] [2] [B] [3] [C] [4] [B] [5] [B] [6] [B] [7] [B] [8] [A] [9] [D] [10] [B] [11] [B] [12] [A] [13] [C] [14] [D] [15] [B] [16] [C] [17] [A] [18] [A] [19] [B] [20] [C] [21] [A] [22] [D] [23] [D] [24] [B] [25] [D] [26] [D] [27] [B] [28] [D] [29] [C] [30] [D] [31] [C] [32] [D] [33] [C] [34] [C] [35] [A] [36] [A] [37] [C] [38] [A] [39] [D] [40] [D] [41] [D] [42] [A] [43] [B] [44] [E] [45] [C] [46] [D] [47] [E] [48] [B] [49] [D] [50] [A]