4. Multiple Choice Flashcards
When the first Congress under the new Constitution met in 1789, the most important item of business was the consideration of a proposal to …
add a Bill of Rights to the Constitution
Why was the proposal by Virginia delegate George Mason for a bill of rights turned down with little debate in the waning days of the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention in September 1787?
The delegates thought a Bill of Rights unnecessary for a government with such limited powers.
Why did Alexander Hamilton and other Federalists argue that a Bill of Rights was not necessary?
The national government could not abuse powers not given to it in the first place.
Although James Madison was initially opposed to the addition of a bill of rights to the Constitution, why did he subsequently support the proposal?
because of his pragmatic recognition of political realities
The Bill of Rights is a series of restraints designed to limit government’s jurisdiction. These restraints best reflect which principle of politics?
he institution principle
The Bill of Rights is basically a series of amendments on what …
the federal government must not do.
What is the Bill of Rights?
a series of substantive and procedural restraints on government
The establishment of procedural and substantive limitations on government to protect civil liberties reflects which of the five principles of politics?
the institution principle
Which is a general term for rules that restrict the range of outcomes from collective action?
civil liberties
The role of precedent in guiding and constraining Supreme Court decision making illustrates which of the five principles of politics?
history
Which term defines the protection of citizens from improper governmental action?
civil liberties
The constitutional amendment protecting citizens from being forced to quarter troops in private homes during peacetime is an example of which concept?
civil liberty
In the past, solid majorities of the American public and U.S. Congress have supported laws to punish anyone who burns an American flag, yet these laws have not been allowed. Which principle explains how preferences are constrained by institutions?
policy principle
The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution soon after the first meeting of Congress convened in 1789 as a response to the concerns of Antifederalists. Which principle of politics holds that political decision making requires actors to work together to accommodate the interests of critical groups and institutions?
collective action
The constitutional prohibition against the government establishing a religion is an example of a …
substantive restraint
The constitutional prohibition against the government depriving a citizen of life, liberty, or property without due process of law is an example of a …
procedural restraint
Which of the following is an example of a procedural restraint that protects our civil liberties?
A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Which amendment in the Bill of Rights explicitly addresses itself exclusively to the national government?
the First Amendment
The fact that John Barron was treated separately as a citizen of the state of Maryland (and was thus entitled to certain protections from the Maryland state government) and as a citizen of the United States (which entitled him to a different set of protections valid only against infringements on his liberty by the U.S. government) exemplifies the principle of …
dual citizenship
The notion that each American is a citizen of the national government and separately a citizen of one of the states is known as …
dual citizenship
The 1833 case of Barron v. Baltimore revolved around the city of Baltimore’s deprivation of …
property
What constitutional concept did the 1833 case Barron v. Baltimore confirm?
dual citizenship
Which constitutional amendment sought to nationalize citizenship and the Bill of Rights?
the Fourteenth Amendment
In an important 1873 decision known as the Slaughter House Cases, the Supreme Court rejected the notion that …
the Fourteenth Amendment fully incorporated the Bill of Rights to apply to the states.
The Supreme Court case McDonald v. Chicago (2010) declared unconstitutional state laws that infringed on the individual right to bear arms. This application of the Second Amendment to state laws is an example of ..
selective incorporation/”incorporation”
The piecemeal application of the Bill of Rights to the states is known as …
selective incorporation
The incorporation of the Bill of Rights into the Fourteenth Amendment took place by …
action of the U.S. Supreme Court gradually over time.
Which provision of the Bill of Rights was the first to be selectively nationalized, or applied to the states, by the U.S. Supreme Court?
the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee that private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation
What was the ultimate result of the Palko v. Connecticut case when it was reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court?
Palko was executed.
The Supreme Court’s deliberation on whether or not Frank Palko could be tried twice for the same crime in the case Palko v. Connecticut exemplifies questions about constitutional protection against …
double jeopardy
