Semester 1 Exam Review Part 1

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Question 1 - 10 Among the broad purposes of the United States government spelled out in the Preamble to the Constitution is the obligation to a. keep the executive and legislative branches of government separate. b. create an autocratic form of government. c. defend the country against Americans who oppose its policies. d. provide for justice and the people's general welfare.

Answer 1 – 10 d. provide for justice and the people's general welfare.

Question 1 - 20 Locke, Harrington, Hobbes, and Rousseau would most likely agree that a. the state developed out of force. b. those of royal birth should rule the state. c. the state exists to serve the will of the people. d. government should be eliminated.

Answer 1 – 20 c. the state exists to serve the will of the people.

Question 1 - 30 The dominant political unit in the world today is the a. government. c. Constitution. b. nation. d. state.

Answer 1 – 30 d. state.

Question 1 - 40 A federal government is one in which a. all power is concentrated in the central government. b. limited powers are assigned to a central agency by independent states. c. power is divided between a central government and local governments. d. powers are divided between a legislative branch and an executive branch.

Answer 1 – 40 c. power is divided between a central government and local governments.

Question 1 - 40 The individual 50 States lack which basic characteristic of a state? a. government c. Constitution b. sovereignty d. defined population

Answer 1 – 40 b. sovereignty

Question 1 - 50 The Internet seems especially suited to satisfy which of these needs in a democracy? a. to control the lives of citizens b. to be informed about the many different institutions and policies of the government c. the need for accurate, and always reliable, information on which to base decisions d. the need for an uneducated elite to run the government

Answer 1 – 50 b. to be informed about the many different institutions and policies of the government

Question 2 - 10 Which of the following statements about sovereign states is NOT true? a. Sovereign states decide their own foreign and domestic policies. b. Sovereign states can determine their own form of government. c. A county or city is considered sovereign because it is subordinate to a larger form of government. d. Sovereign states have supreme power within their own territories.

Answer 2 – 10 c. A county or city is considered sovereign because it is subordinate to a larger form of government

Question 2 - 20 In a democracy, the will of the majority a. cannot be changed or improved upon. b. is not open to compromise. c. rarely leads to satisfactory policy decisions. d. cannot be used to deprive rights to a member of a minority group.

Answer 2 – 20 d. cannot be used to deprive rights to a member of a minority group.

Question 2 - 30 Which statement about the social contract theory is NOT true? a. The state was created voluntarily by a free people. b. The state is a natural extension of people's family structure. c. Governmental powers are granted by the people. d. Governmental powers may be limited by the people.

Answer 2 – 30 b. The state is a natural extension of people's family structure.

Question 2 - 40 Which of the following illustrates the concept of equality of opportunity? a. Public schools may not exclude students because of their sex or race. b. Citizens must obey the tax laws but may work to change them. c. Government may limit the beliefs and ideas of individuals. d. Senators consider testimony both for and against Supreme Court nominees.

Answer 2 – 40 a. Public schools may not exclude students because of their sex or race.

Question 2 - 50 Which idea is NOT included in the Declaration of Independence? a. People have certain natural rights. b. God gives certain people the right to govern. c. Government can exist only with the people's permission. d. The people may change or abolish the government.

Answer 2 – 50 b. God gives certain people the right to govern.

Question 3 - 10 Which feature did the State constitutions and the Articles of Confederation have in common? a. royal governors b. bill of rights c. principle of popular sovereignty d. a strong executive elected by popular vote

Answer 3 – 10 c. principle of popular sovereignty

Question 3 - 20 In Benjamin Franklin's opinion, the final Constitution created by the delegates can best be summarized as a. absolutely perfect. b. as near perfect as possible. c. showing errors of opinion and self-interest. d. as full of imperfections as those who assembled it.

Answer 3 – 20 b. as near perfect as possible.

Question 3 - 30

A major objective of both the Annapolis Convention and the Philadelphia Convention was to a. determine how the States should be represented in Congress. b. recommend a federal plan for regulating interstate trade. c. raise n army for quelling incidents like Shay'sRebellion. d. limit the growing power of the National Government.

Answer 3 – 30 b. recommend a federal plan for regulating interstate trade.

Question 3 - 40 The Federalist was written to a. win support for the Constitution in New York. b. expose the lack of civil liberties protected in the Constitution. c. urge ratification of the Constitution in Virginia. d. condemn the Constitution for the absence of any mention of God.

Answer 3 – 40 a. win support for the Constitution in New York.

Question 3 - 50 Benjamin Franklin's attitude toward the new constitution may be summarized as a combination of a. despair and hope. b. astonishment and optimism. c. relief and anger. d. fatigue and thankfulness.

Answer 3 – 50 b. astonishment and optimism.

Question 4 - 10 Much of the work of the Framers centered around the proposals that had been set out in a. the Virginia Plan. b. the New Jersey Plan. c. The Federalist. d. the Declaration of Independence.

Answer 4 – 10 a. the Virginia Plan.

Question 4 - 20 Which statement about the Bill of Rights is NOT true? a. The amendments arose from the controversy over ratification of the Constitution. b. The amendments were ratified at the same time as the Constitution. c. The amendments guarantee such basis rights as freedom of expression and fair and equal treatment before the law. d. The amendments are the first ten of the Constitution.

Answer 4 – 20 b. The amendments were ratified at the same time as the Constitution

Question 4 - 30 Which of the following best describes the concept of limited government? a. Powers are divided among three independent branches of government. b. All political power belongs to the people. c. Government must operate within certain bounds set by the people. d. The people must behave according to rules set by the government.

Answer 4 – 30 c. Government must operate within certain bounds set by the people.

Question 4 - 40 Which of the following is a method of formal amendment? a. proposal by three-fourths of the House of Representatives and ratification by conventions in three-fourths of State legislatures b. proposal by two-thirds of the Senate and ratification by two-thirds of State legislatures c. proposal by two-thirds of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of State legislatures d. all of the above

Answer 4 – 40 c. proposal by two-thirds of Congress and ratification by three-fourths of State legislatures

Question 4 - 50 Which of the following is NOT true of the use of executive agreement? a. It extends the President's power through the informal amendment process. b. It carries the same legal force as a treaty. c. It can be used to avoid the lengthy treatymaking process. d. It is among the executive powers listed in Article II of the Constitution.

Answer 4 – 50 d. It is among the executive powers listed in Article II of the Constitution

Question 5 - 10 The President's power to veto an act of Congress is an example of a. executive agreement. b. judicial review. c. checks and balances. d. limited government.

Answer 5 – 10 • c. checks and balances.

Question 5 - 20 Which of the following accounts for the ability of the Constitution to endure for more than 200 years? a. built-in provisions for accommodating change b. detailed provisions that anticipated changing customs c. very specific language that limits reinterpretation d. inflexible provisions designed to resist change

Answer 5 – 20 a. built-in provisions for accommodating change

Question 5 - 30 Which of the following is NOT an example of the checks and balances system? a. The President makes an executive agreement. b. The Supreme Court declares a law passed by Congress to be unconstitutional. c. The President vetoes a bill. d. The Senate approves the President's nominee for Supreme Court justice.

Answer 5 – 30 a. The President makes an executive agreement.

Question 5 - 40 When there is a separation of powers, a. power is divided between the National Government and the States. b. power is distributed among three independent branches of government. c. the people grant the States the authority to govern. d. the basic powers of government are held by a single agency.

Answer 5 – 40 b. power is distributed among three independent branches of government.

Question 5 - 50 Congress can informally amend the Constitution by a. passing basic legislation. b. adding meaning to skeletal portions of the Constitution. c. simply exercising many of its powers. d. all of the above.

Answer 5 – 50 d. all of the above.