Chapter 5 Quiz

Question 1

What are two ways constitutional amendments can be proposed ?

Answer 1

2/3rd vote by both houses of congress or national convention called 2/3rd of the states

Question 2

What are the first ten amendments called ?

Answer 2

Bill of rights

Question 3

Define libel

Answer 3

Defaming a person in writing

Question 4

Define franchise

Answer 4

The right to vote

Question 5

What is drawing district lines to benefit one group or party over another is called ?

Answer 5

Gerrymandering

Question 6

What is an official who is still in office but who was not reelected is known as ?

Answer 6

Lame duck

Question 7

Which Supreme Court case expanded the Third and Fourth Amendments to imply a right to privacy as one of American citizens’ fundamental rights ?

Answer 7

Griswald v Connecticut

Question 8

Who was the first president to assume the presidency after the death of a president ?

Answer 8

John Tyler

Question 9

What article of the constitution makes provision for amending the document ?

Answer 9

Article V

Question 10

Who is the head of the Senate and when does that person vote ?

Answer 10

Vice President

When there is a tie

Question 11

What happens when the president does not sign a bill within ten days of receiving it and congress adjourns within that time ?

Answer 11

Pocket veto

Question 12

Which president added the words “so help me God” to the presidential oath, and thus making it a tradition ?

Answer 12

George Washington

Question 13

Which amendment limits the president to two terms or no more than ten years in office ?

Answer 13

Twenty second amendment

Question 14

List and define six basic principles of the Constitution

Answer 14

limited government—Government is limited to only those powers given it by the people through law
separation of powers—division of power into separate, but not independent, branches
checks and balances—ability of one branch to prevent the other branches from becoming too powerful judicial review—power of the judicial branch to review the constitutionality of laws passed by thelegislative branch
federalism—division of power between national and state levels of government
popular sovereignty—The people are the ultimate source of their government’s authority

Question 15

Describe how each of the three branches of government checks and balance the others

Answer 15

Executive checks judicial by appointing judges and granting pardons and checks the legislature bysuggesting legislation, vetoing bills, and calling special sessions of Congress
Judicial checks the executive by ruling on the constitutionality of presidential actions and interpretingtreaties and checks the legislature by ruling on the constitutionality of legislative actions and interpretingtreaties and laws
Legislative checks the executive by approving treaties and presidential appointments, overridingvetoes, and impeaching and removing officials, including the president, and checks the judiciary byimpeaching judges, establishing lower courts, regulating appeals, and setting the number of justices onthe Supreme Court