Civics Proficiency Test Flashcards
Scripture clearly teaches that ________.
government has the authority to use force to punish evil-doers.
Liberals are correctly described by all of the following statements except
they believe that traditional values should be upheld even at a considerable cost to those citizens who disagree with those values
the number of U.S. Senators per state is:
equal, with each state having two members of the Senate
Under Our Constitution, some powers belong to the federal government. What is one power of the federal government?
Make treaties
The phrase “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…” is found in ______.
The Declaration of Independence
Which of the following are the inalienable rights referred to in the Declaration of Independence?
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
the principle of popular sovereignty refers to
the idea that all political power is derived from the people
what part of the government has the power to declare war?
Congress
Thinking of political parties in America, it seems we generally have
two main parties that compete for influence
Members of the House of Representatives are
elected directly by the people
Who was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
T or F? In American government, the majority has the power to do whatever it wishes.
False
Voter turnout in America is best described as:
somewhat low but cyclical, with more voters in presidential elections, but fewer otherwise
Our civil liberties are found in:
the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other constitutional amendments
If no candidate wins a majority of the Electoral College vote, the Constitution stipulates that:
the U.S. House of Representatives selects the President from the top three candidates
What are the two possible reasons there has never been a major socialist movement in the United States?
support for economic competition and a distrust of central government authority
The ____ prohibits Congress from creating a national religion
Establishment Clause
Christians, according to the Bible, are able to disobey the government _______.
When it commands believers to engage in sinful behavior
The executive branch of the federal government is described in Article ___ of the U.S. Constitution.
II
The legislative branch of the federal government is described in Article ____ of the U.S. Constitution
I
The Judicial branch of the federal government is described in Article ___ of the U.S. Constitution
III
The Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court is:
John Roberts
What are the two phases of most American elections?
primary election and general election
How many branches are in the federal government?
3
According to the Bible, government derives its power and authority from _______
God
Libertarians are opposed to governmental intervention ______
in both the economic and social sphere
Which of the following is a formal constitutional requirement for becoming president?
One must be a natural-born citizen
assuming good behavior, federal judges serve a term of ______
life
The number of U.S. Representatives per state is ________
determined by the state’s population
which of the following accurately describes the President’s veto power?
A president can threaten to veto the bill to influence decision making, because congress is usually unable to override a President’s veto
Free enterprise or capitalism exists insofar as:
individual citizens create, exchange, and control goods and resources
The judiciary’s status as an independent branch of national government depends on judicial review, which grants the judiciary the authority to
invalidate the actions of other branches of government
the executive branch of the federal government is primarily responsible for _____ the law
enforcing and implementing
Who is the commander in chief of the U.S. military?
President
A major distinction of the United States from other countries is a wide-spread belief in ________
individual responsibility
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects all the freedoms EXCEPT _____.
against self-incrimination
How does direct democracy differ from representative democracy?
Representative democracy is carried out by elected officials who make laws on behalf of the citizens, but direct democracy includes all citizens
The United States Electoral College:
is a constitutionally mandated assembly that elects the president
The Apostle Paul makes it clear that Christians are commanded to ______.
all of the answers provided are correct
the phrase “city on a hill” is often used in politics to express the
belief that the United States should serve as an example to other nations
Which Supreme Court case ruled that racially segregated education was unconstitutional?
Brown v. Board of Education
A conservative is opposed to government intervention _________.
in the economic but not in the social sphere
The Great (or Connecticut) Compromise at the constitutional convention provided for:
a bicameral legislature
the legislative branch of the federal government is primarily responsible for _____ the law
writing
According to the original Constitution, Senate terms are served for
six years
The theory of constitutional interpretation which holds that judges should look to how the Constitution was understood by those who wrote and ratified it is called
originalism
The judicial branch of the federal government is primarily responsible for ____ the law
interpreting
The best one word definition of America’s government would be _____
republic
Jim Crow laws mandated
segregation of the races in most social relations
The phrase that in America there should be a “wall of separation” between church and state appears in
Thomas Jefferson’s letters
