Pre-assessment Flashcards
What is a key aspect of John Locke’s view of natural rights?
- They are granted by an elected government and cannot be abolished by a future government.
- They are granted by the Church of England and can be abolished through excommunication.
- They are granted by God and cannot be abolished by the government.
- They are granted by a monarch and can be abolished by a future monarch.
They are granted by God and cannot be abolished by the government.
Who was responsible for drafting the Bill of Rights and submitting it to Congress?
- Patrick Henry
- Alexander Hamilton
- James Madison
- Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
Why did the colonists oppose being taxed by Great Britain?
- They did not have elected representatives in the House of Commons.
- They had already paid taxes to fund Great Britain’s war with France.
- They needed the funds for maintaining the colonies.
- They were not allowed to import British manufactured goods.
They did not have elected representatives in the House of Commons.
What was a Federalist argument in support of the ratification of the Constitution?
- A strong national government is better for national defense and economic growth
- A strong national government is better for the representation of small landowners of modest wealth
- Strong state governments are better for funding internal improvements like roads
- Strong state governments are better for facilitating business transactions
A strong national government is better for national defense and economic growth
Which concept was James Madison referencing when he stated, “Ambition must be made to counteract ambition” in Federalist, no. 51?
- Free enterprise and competition
- Life and the pursuit of happiness
- Separation of powers and checks and balances
- Equality and individual rights
Separation of powers and checks and balances
What was a major difference between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution?
- The Articles of Confederation did not provide for a national judiciary
- The Articles of Confederation required states to provide troops for national defense
- The Articles of Confederation did not allow states to establish banks
- The Articles of Confederation required states to pay for land claims west of the Appalachian Mountains
The Articles of Confederation did not provide for a national judiciary
Why did the framers design the government under the Articles of Confederation with a Congress?
- They wanted a government funded by the people
- They wanted a government that protected state sovereignty
- They wanted the government to have supreme authority instead of a monarch
- They wanted the government to resemble the British Parliament
They wanted a government that protected state sovereignty
What did the Great Compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan that was finalized in the Constitution establish?
- Authority to tax and regulate trade
- A two-chamber Congress
- National armed forces
- A national currency
A two-chamber Congress
What were the results of the three-fifths compromise?
- It allowed free states to pay taxes on only three-fifths of its foreign imports
- It required slave states to pay taxes on three-fifths of enslaved persons sold domestically
- It allowed slave states to count three-fifths of their enslaved population for the purpose of representation
- It required slave states to pay taxes on three-fifths of all imported enslaved persons
It allowed slave states to count three-fifths of their enslaved population for the purpose of representation
What is a judicial check on the executive branch?
- The Supreme Court can veto an executive order
- The Supreme Court can override an executive pardon
- The Supreme Court can declare actions by the executive branch unconstitutional
- The Supreme Court can block a declaration of war
The Supreme Court can declare actions by the executive branch unconstitutional
Which power does the president have under the Constitution?
- Regulating international commerce
- Appointing judges
- Declaring war
- Raising and maintaining an army
Appointing judges
What is a protection against an elected president abusing powers for personal gain?
- The restriction on presidents being elected to only two terms
- The power of Congress to impeach the president
- The election of the president by the Electoral College
- The oath of office needing to be administered by the chief justice
The power of Congress to impeach the president
Which constitutional amendment established term limits for the president?
- The Nineteenth Amendment
- The Seventeenth Amendment
- The Twentieth Amendment
- The Twenty-Second Amendment
The Twenty-Second Amendment
What is the purpose of executive agreements?
- To influence domestic policy without passing legislation through Congress
- To establish agreements with foreign countries without congressional approval
- To exercise the use of the military without requiring a declaration of war from Congress
- To override congressional legislation that the president does not support
To establish agreements with foreign countries without congressional approval
Which congressional action would be the result of the implied powers of Congress?
- Congress passes a law appropriating money to build a new army base
- Congress passes a law raising the minimum wage to $10.00 per hour
- Congress passes a law creating a new post office
- Congress passes a law raising taxes on the top 1% of income earners
Congress passes a law raising the minimum wage to $10.00 per hour
What best explains why individual members of the Senate have more power than individual members of the House of Representatives?
- The increased length of the term of office in the Senate
- The higher minimum age requirement in the Senate
- The ability of the Senate to approve members of the president’s cabinet
- The smaller total number of Senate members compared to the number of representatives
The smaller total number of Senate members compared to the number of representatives
What describes the equal proportions method of congressional apportionment?
- Congressional districts are drawn in order to maintain similar numbers of voters in each district
- Congressional districts are drawn so that states are each given an equal number of members in the House of Representatives
- Congressional districts are drawn to guarantee that each district will be equally represented in the Senate
- Congressional districts are drawn so each will have an equal number of members of the Republican and Democratic parties
Congressional districts are drawn in order to maintain similar numbers of voters in each district
What describes the process of bills becoming laws in Congress?
- Bills change significantly through House and Senate revisions
- Bills can be filibustered in the House of Representatives
- Bills are initially proposed by Senate committees
- Bills that are vetoed must be rewritten in committee
Bills change significantly through House and Senate revisions
What is a power reserved for the states?
- Conducting foreign relations
- Coining money
- Declaring war
- Conducting elections
Conducting elections
Which constitutional amendment allows states to reserve powers?
- The Eighth Amendment
- The Tenth Amendment
- The Twelfth Amendment
- The Nineteenth Amendment
The Tenth Amendment
What did the Supreme Court’s ruling in Gibbons v. Ogden establish?
- A basis for exercising broad states’ rights under the Tenth Amendment
- A loose constructionist interpretation of the commerce clause
- A strict constructionist interpretation of the supremacy clause
- A foundation for the constitutional principle of judicial review
A loose constructionist interpretation of the commerce clause
What describes the importance of the Supreme Court decision in Marbury v. Madison?
- It reinforced congressional impeachment power
- It protected presidential control over the military
- It established the principle of judicial review
- It affirmed the presidential use of veto power
It established the principle of judicial review
How many federal appellate courts exist in the United States?
- 11
- 13
- 25
- 50
13
How many sitting justices are there on the Supreme Court?
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
9