Which of the following best describes the view of the constitution as a living document?
a.one should view the constitution as an instrument of government
b.one should read the constitution based on the intent of the founding authors
c.one should adhere t
One should be willing to adapt the constitution to changing societal needs
The United States' first written constitution was known as the __________.
a.mayflower compact
b.declaration of independence
c.articles of confederation
d.magan carta
e.second treatise of civil government
Articles of confederation
When the framers constructed a federal government in which each branch has specific powers that are checked by the other two branches, what was one advantage they intended?
a.it protected against government by one branch or by all three acting together
b.
It protected against government tyranny by one branch or by all three acting together
One of the recommendations of the great compromise was __________.
a.three branches of government
b.a system of governmental checks and balances
c.a bicameral legislature
d.suffrage for african-americans
e.suffrage for woemn
A bicameral legislature
Why did the framers create the Electoral College?
a.to placate the british parliament
b.so that ordinary americans could influence the selection of the president
c.because they don't trust the masses to elect the president directly
d.to ensure that the pu
Because they didn't trust the masses to elect the president directly
In creating a national government with a system of checks and balances, the framers sought to __________.
a. make sure the president was the nation's true leader who would get the final say about everything
b.limit the ability of any branch of the nationa
Limit the ability of any branch of the national government to become too powerful
The first method for proposing amendments to the constitution�and the only one used so far�is_____________.
a.a two-thirds approval vote of Congress
b.a constitutional convention held by a minimum of nine states
c.a two-thirds approval vote in the House o
A 2/3s approval vote of congress
When was the bill of rights added to the constitution?
a.informally, piece by piece, during the early years of the nation
b.during the Constitutional Convention, at the insistence of Thomas Jefferson
c.after the ratification of the Constitution, to fulfil
After the ratification of the constitution, to fulfill a promise to anti-federalists
The _________ proclaims: "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
a.declaration of Independence
b.second Treatise of Civil G
Declaration of independence
The division of powers between the national and state governments is known as _______.
a.checks and balances
b.constitutionalism
c.federalism
d.representative republicanism
e.separate institutions sharing powers
Federalism
When the framers constructed a federal government in which each branch has specific powers that are checked by the other two branches, what was one advantage they intended?
a.it ensured that the federal government was less powerful than state governments
It protected against government tyranny by one branch or by all three acting together
Which of the following features of the constitution best illustrates the concept of mixed or balanced government?
a.creation of the Supreme Court
b.separation of powers
c.elastic clause
d.necessary and proper clause
e.creation of the Electoral College
Separation of powers
The constitution has much language that is vague and often hard to interpret for exact meaning. How have the problems created by such language been solved?
a.by relying on individual state legislatures to pass laws to bypass or clarify confusion in the Co
Through the practice of judicial interpretation in state and federal courts
Why must the president give a State of the Union speech to Congress every year?
a.It is how the president starts an election campaign.
b.Article II of the Constitution instructs the president to report directly to Congress.
c.It is a good way for the pres
Article II of the constitution instructs the president to report directly to congress
Which of the following represents the appropriate actions of each branch of government in regard to laws?
a.legislative branch passes laws, judicial branch enforces laws, and executive branch interprets laws
b.judicial branch passes laws, executive branch
Legislative branch passes laws, executive branch enforces laws, and judicial branch interprets laws
The stamp act of 1765________.
a.censored all newspaper publications and pamphlets
b.allowed the British to open all mail to and from the colonies
c.mandated all paper goods in the colonies obtain a tax stamp
d.blocked all mail to and from the colonies
e.
Mandated all paper goods in the colonies obtain a tax stamp
Which of these is one of the rights outlined in the declaration of independence?
a.in a criminal prosecution, the accused has the right to a speedy, public trial by jury
b.citizens cannot be denied the right to vote on account of their sex.
c.the governme
Human beings possess rights that cannot be legitimately given away or taken from them
_______can formally amend the constitution.
a.rules of law
b.a proposal advocated by the delegates at a national convention
c.judicial interpretation
d.a congressionally approved proposal
e.ratification
Judicial interpretation
The anti-federalists opposed ratification of the proposed constitution because ________.
a.they opposed direct election of members of the House of Representatives
b.they felt the national government was not given enough power
c.they believed that state go
It did not include a bill of rights
Delegates from the less populated states wanted to be sure_________.
a.the legislative branch regulated commerce
b.they could have more legislators chosen by their governors
c.they were equally represented
d.the national government regulated elections
e.t
They were equally represented
The national minimum wage was initially established by ______.
a.reserve powers
b.the Fair Labor Standards Act
c.the National Recovery Administration
d.the National Labor Relations Act
e.a federal mandate
The fair labor standards act
As part of the New Deal, financing for new home construction was available through _________.
a.the Federal Housing Administration
b.the Civilian Conservation Corps
c.state savings and loans
d.federal reserves
e.private banks only
The federal housing administration
Block grants give states _______.
a.more money than other grants
b.less flexibility than other grants
c.less money than other grants
d.narrow categories for spending
e.more flexibility than other grants
More flexibility than other grants
In his "Court-packing plan", President Roosevelt proposed to ________.
a.have only the Supreme Court hear bankruptcy cases
b.expand the number of Supreme Court justices to thirteen
c.limited the number of Supreme Court justices to nine
d.expand the number
Expanded the number of Supreme Court justices to thirteen
If a township mayor and the state governor worked with a national government agency to solve a problem with large implications, such as a failing energy grid, it could be said that the problem is being solved through __________.
a.dillon's Rule
b.joint go
Cooperative federalism
States' rights supporters, such as Thomas Jefferson, believed that the states should be able to _______ a federal law if they thought it was unconstitutional.
a.legislate against
b.deratify
c.nullify
d.adapt
e.ignore
Nullify
In the 1980s, President Reagan proposed returning administrative power to the states. This is known as ______.
a.reconstruction
b.dual federalism
c.the devolution revolution
d.new federalism
e.cooperative federalism
New Federalism
An example of cooperative federalism is a _______.
a.public policy program that was jointly funded, administered, and determined by national, state and local governments
b.public policy program funded by the national government and administered by a state
Public policy program that was jointly funded, administered, and determined by national, state and local governments
The U.S. Constitution reserves specific powers for the federal government and assigns separate powers to the states. Which of the following best defines the federalism design by the U.S. Constitution?
a.Dual federalism
b.Permissive federalism
c.Competitiv
Dual federalism
_______ grants are allocated by Congress for specific purposes.
a.Unfunded
b.Categorical
c.Mandate
d.Block
e.Unified
Categorical
President Johnson created the Great Society Program to fight the "War on Poverty" by providing funding through ________ to states, local governments, and private citizens.
a.block grants
b.categorical grants
c.agency requests
d.programmatic requests
e.Pel
Categorical grants
In terms of its intended purpose only, a block grant most closely resembles a _______ whereas a categorical grant most closely resembles a _________.
a.car loan; mortgage
b.personal loan; mortgage
c.mortgage; personal loan
d.mortgage; car loan
e.car loan;
Personal loan; mortgage
What was one outcome of the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment?
a.Government reach was expanded for the states.
b.Only special districts could elect state senators.
c.State senators are directly elected by voters.
d.The federal government became li
State senators are directly elected by voters
The necessary and proper clause permits the Congress to ______.
a.make laws essential to exercising its specified powers
b.limit presidential actions in the area of foreign policy
c.overturn any decisions of state legislatures
d.exercise oversight of the
Make laws essential to exercising its specified powers
In dual federalism, ________.
a.the state governments assume greater fiscal responsibility
b.there are only two branches of government
c.powers are shared between states and the federal government
d.states and the national government each remain supreme w
States and the national government each remain supreme within their own spheres
The full faith and credit clause ______.
a.regulates commerce between states
b.requires states to honor each other's official acts
c.allows each state to accept its own state laws as superior to other state laws
d.prevents states from showing preferential
Requires states to honor each other's official acts
What was one of the major arguments against progressive federalism?
a.Meeting state regulations would be more costly than trying to meet one national standard.
b.It is more costly to monitor a federal entity than several states.
c.The federalism model est
Meeting state regulations would be more costly than trying to meet one national standard
Which of the following choices best describes the role of the Marshall Court in American government?
a.The Marshall Court sought to narrow the range of congressional regulation done under the auspices of the commerce clause.
b.The Marshall Court helped to
The Marshall Court helped to define the constitutional relationship between state and national power, and also created an ongoing role for the Supreme Court in federalism
Delegated or enumerated powers are described in the U.S. Constitution as powers ________.
a.given to all the people
b.belonging to the states
c.belonging to the national government
d.shared between two levels of government
e.given to certain groups of pri
Belonging to the national government
The enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act is an example of _______, as states normally could control education legislation under the 10th amendment.
a.progressive federalism
b.a federal grant
c.a failed education initiative
d.preemption
e.an executive
Preemption
Powers given to states by the Tenth Amendment, which allow them to legislate for the public health and welfare of their citizens, are _______.
a.concurrent powers
b.enumerated powers
c.attainder powers
d.reserved powers
e.implied powers
Reserved powers
Under the New Deal, more control went to _______ to end the depression.
a.individual states
b.city councils
c.the Federal Reserve
d.the federal government
e.townships
The federal government
When out-of-state residents have equal access to state courts or to the protection of the police in another state, this is an expression of the __________ clause.
a.privileges and immunities
b.federal
c.interstate protection
d.elastic
e.supremacy
Privileges and immunities
American federalism can be seen as a response to the _________.
a.concerns about the potential abuses by a strong central government
b.desire of the Founders to establish a government responsive to the majority and minority alike
c.popularity of the Briti
Concerns about the potential abuses by a strong central government
The Framers designed a system, where the national and state governments share power and derive authority from the _________.
a.Declaration of Independence
b.Magna Carta
c.people
d.confederation
e.Supreme Court
People
Which of the following expanded the government's right to search private property without notifying the owner?
a.The USA PATRIOT Act
b.Prior restraint
c.The Alien and Sedition Acts
d.Ex post facto laws
e.The direct incitement test
The USA PATRIOT Act
Evidence that was illegally seized cannot be used in a trail based on the Supreme Court's ______ adopted in 1914.
a.good faith exceptions rule
b.defendant's rule
c.search warrant rule
d.exclusionary rule
e.evidence rule
Exclusionary rule
The free exercise clause _______.
a.required websites to abide by community standards for obscene materials
b.prohibits Congress from impeding religious beliefs
c.requires community colleges to install filtering software
d.prohibits making available offen
Prohibits congress from impending religious beliefs
The two clauses in the constitution that concern religion are the ______.
a.free exercise clause and the due process clause
b.establishment clause and the free exercise clause
c.due process clause and the clear and present danger clause
d.clear and presen
Establishment clause and free exercise clause
The principle established by the Supreme Court, holding that evidence gathered illegally cannot be introduced into trial, is known as _______.
a.the Miranda rule
b.the rule against prior restraints
c.the exclusionary rule
d.the USA PATRIOT Act
e.due proce
Exclusionary rule
In the U.S., individual rights and civil liberties are protected by ______.
a.the state government
b.the federal government
c.civil rights legislation
d.the Supreme Court
e.the Constitution
The constitution
A governmental decree that a person is guilty of a crime that carries the death penalty, rendered without benefit of trial, is known as ______.
a.a bill of attainder
b.an ex post facto law
c.a writ of habeas corpus
d. selective incorporation
e.a contract
Bill of attainder
With certain exceptions, the right to freedom of speech has been expanded by the Supreme Court to include ________.
a.fighting words
b.symbolic speech, such as flag burning
c.libel
d.obscenity
e.slander
Symbolic speech, such as flag burning
The most famous prior restraint cases, New York Times Co. v. U.S., _______.
a.involved the publication of libel
b.involved the government's desire not to publish a history of World War I based on State Department documents
c.involved the government's desi
Involved the government's desire not to publish a history of the Vietnam War based on State Department documents
The Supreme Court has incorporated most of the amendments that make up the Bill of Rights so that they protect citizens against state laws. They have not done so for certain amendments, however, including the ________.
a.Fifth Amendment (self-incriminatio
Third amendment (housing of soldiers)
When government attempts to deprive a citizen of certain rights, the citizen must be allowed "due process," which means that _______.
a.the government must give citizens ample time to adjust to the new restrictions (e.g., a "due date")
b.before making any
Established procedures and laws must be followed
Despite the lasting popularity of the 2nd amendment, the U.S. has passed gun control legislation such as the National Firearms Act, which outlawed certain types of assault weapons in response to organized crime. What does this tell us?
a.The right to bear
The right to bear arms remains important to Americans, though they are willing to compromise some freedom for public safety
The procedural safeguard for the taking of private property for public use is found in _______.
a.equal protection of the laws of the Fourteenth Amendment
b.unreasonable searches and seizures of the Fourth Amendment
c.just compensation of the Fifth Amendm
Just compensation of the 5th amendment
In 1942, the Supreme Court ruled that _______ is (are) not protected by the first amendment.
a.anti-governmental speech
b.criticism of the government
c.hate speech
d.symbolic speech
e.fighting words
Fighting words
Which of the following is cited as one argument against the death penalty in the 1972 Supreme Court case Furman v. Georgia?
a.It was deemed cruel and unusual punishment, thereby violating the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.
b.There was lack of availabil
It was deemed cruel and unusual punishment, thereby violating the 8th and 14th amendments
In the Pentagon Papers case, the Supreme Court ruled ________.
a.the U.S. government did not deny The New York Times its right of free speech
b.the U.S. government could not stop The New York Times from publishing secret Department of Defense documents
c.
The U.S. government could not stop The New York Times from publishing secret Department of Defense documents
In 1991, the Supreme Court upheld a state ban on nude erotic dancing in Indiana, on the basis that it qualified as ________ according to the state's standards, and thus was not protected by the first amendment.
a.sedition
b.obscenity
c.slander
d.hate spee
Obscenity
What are civil liberties as defined in your text?
a.Freedoms found in the Declaration of Independence granting equal protection in the eyes of the law
b.The provisions for minority protection under U.S. law as written in the Declaration of Independence
c.
Freedoms found primarily in the Bill of Rights that protect people from government interference
Laws that make an act punishable as a crime even if the act was legal at the time it was committed are known as ______.
a.double jeopardy trials
b.exclusionary rules
c.ex post facto laws
d.writs of habeas corpus
e.bills of attainder
Ex post facto laws
Which of the following is true about the 8th amendment?
a.Five states have laws that require a mandatory death penalty for felony murder convictions.
b.Capital punishment was reinstated in 1965.
c.The Supreme Court has never declared capital punishment to
The Supreme Court has never declared capital punishment to be "cruel and unusual
In 2006, Congress passed the __________, which authorized a system to try alien unlawful enemy combatants and to deny access to the courts for any alien detailed by the U.S. government determined to be an enemy combatant.
a.Detainee Treatment Act
b.Milita
Military commissions act
In Miller v. California (1973), what was the "literary, artistic, political, or scientific value" test used for?
a.To determine if something is legally obscene
b.To determine whether or not to prohibit publication of a newspaper or magazine
c.To determine
To determine if something is legally obscene
Hate speech is covered by the first amendment, but can be considered ___________.
a.if it becomes an action with the intent of racial intimidation
b.when dealing with the Ku Klux Klan
c.a crime when combined with other crimes
d.when it involves destructio
If it becomes an action with the intent of racial intimidation
Before entering a home to investigate the cause of a recent fire, the fire department must _______.
a.set a legal parameters and a timeframe for the wiretap
b.know a crime has been committed
c.gather evidence against the person who is subject of the wiret
Obtain a warrant
Article I of the Constitution guarantees ________ to prisoners, such as knowing what charges are being pressed against them.
a.bills of attainder
b.ex post facto law
c.fundamental rights
d.habeas corpus rights
e.search warrant rights
Habeas corpus rights
Which is included as part of the free exercise clause of the fist amendment?
a.The government cannot embrace some religions at the expense of others.
b.The government cannot interfere with the individual practice of religious beliefs.
c.The government can
The government cannot interfere with the individual practice of religious beliefs
The fifth amendment protection against self-incrimination means that ____________.
a.police officers may use whatever force is necessary to protect themselves from harm in arrest situations
b.you have a right to confront witnesses against you
c.you cannot
You cannot be forced to be a witness against yourself
Why did many anti-federalists insist on including a "bill of rights" in the Constitution?
a.They were pressured to do so by their local governments.
b.They distrusted states with the power given to them by the Constitution.
c.They did not share the same c
They did not share the same confidence they had in the states for the federal government to protect civil liberties
The Supreme Court uses the "Lemon test" (from the case Lemon v. Kurtzman) to determine the constitutionality of which type of law?
a.Laws that define the separation between church and state
b.Laws applying to agricultural imports
c.Laws having to do with
Law that defines the separation between church and state
In deciding to incorporate parts of the Bill of Rights into state laws since 1925, the Supreme Court has relied on the due process clause of the _________.
a.Fourteenth Amendment
b.First Amendment
c.Twenty-Sixth Amendment
d.Eighteenth Amendment
e.Fifth Am
14th amendment
What do the Constitution and particularly the 14th amendment say about equality?
a.All laws must be equally applied to all citizens.
b.The Constitution does not refer to any equality of protections.
c.All Americans are equally entitled to due process in t
All Americans are equally entitled to due process in the courts
The Jim Crow laws that were used in the South to impose segregation of public accommodations were outlawed by the __________.
a.Civil Rights Act of 1875
b.Plessy v. Ferguson decision
c.Voting Rights Act of 1965
d.Brown v. Board of Education decision
e.Civ
The civil rights act of 1964
Which of the following are the so called civil war amendments?
a.The Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Amendments
b.The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments
c.The Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Amendments
d.The Ninth, Tenth, and Eleve
13th, 14th, and 15th amendments
Poll taxes, grandfather clauses and literacy tests were all attempts to limit ________.
a.higher taxes paid by minorities
b.fair pay for women
c.economic equality for African Americans
d.affirmative action programs
e.opportunities for African Americans to
Opportunities for African Americans to vote
A discrimination suit using the intermediate standard of review would be applied to which of these examples?
a.A law using a gender-based classification
b.A law limiting the immigration of a particular ethnic group
c.A law prohibiting age discrimination i
A law using a gender-based classification
The thirteenth amendment makes it unconstitutional to _______.
a.deny former slaves equal protection under the law
b.deny someone the right to vote based on race or color
c.deny anyone the right to exercise religion freely
d.own slaves anywhere in the Uni
Own slaves anywhere in the U.S.
Which of these is an example of a classification within an issue most likely to receive strict scrutiny from the supreme court.
a.A gender distinction in an employment program
b.A mental fitness distinction in a right-to-work law
c.An age distinction in a
A racial distinction in a marriage law
Initially, the strategy for the national association for the advancement of colored people (NAACP) focused on ________.
a.enlarging the membership of the organization
b.educating members to gain entrance to the social strata
c.agitating members against wh
Legal actions to achieve more equality in relation to the separate-but-equal doctrine
What was designed to expand the opportunities for women in elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education institutions?
a.Title IX
b.The Civil Rights Act of 1964
c.The Fifteenth Amendment
d.Romer v. Evans
e.The Lilly Leadbetter Act
Title IX
________ was (were) eventually overturned by Brown v. Board of Education, after being upheld in Plessy v. Ferguson.
a.The separate but equal doctrine
b.Jim Crow laws
c.The practice of slavery
d.Employment discrimination
e.Black codes
The separate but equal doctrine
The _____ Act prohibits discrimination against disabled people in private employment, government programs, public accommodations, and telecommunications.
a.Anti-Discrimination
b.Equal Opportunity
c.Americans with Disabilities
d.Civil Rights
e.Equal Access
American with Disabilities
The importance of the equal protection clause is demonstrated by its _________.
a.permitting the unionization of the workplace
b.specific prohibition against discrimination against the aged in employment practices
c.expansion of the franchise to women
d.c
Widespread use by the civil-rights movement through the court pathways
Ensuring equal access to voting and securing prohibitions against categorical discrimination became the central focus of the drive for civil rights in the __________.
a.twentieth century
b.late eighteenth century
c.early nineteenth century
d.late nineteen
Twentieth century
When the Supreme Court upheld a state law requiring police officers to retire at a certain age, it meant the Supreme Court _______.
a.would not overturn coverture
b.did not believe that any cases of age discrimination existed
c.did consider age to be a fu
Was not placing age in the suspect classification category
After the Civil War, women's rights activists called for universal suffrage. What did they mean by this?
a.The right to participate in direct avenues of democracy
b.The right to work in the same professions as men
c.The right of all adult citizens to soci
The right of all adult citizens to vote
The forerunners of Jim Crow laws were the _______ that southern states instituted after the civil war.
a.Reconstruction Acts
b.civil rights laws
c.Southern Codes
d.Black Codes
e.Enforcement Acts
Black codes
Most civil laws and court decisions that set the framework for the legal status of other groups were originally implemented in the area of relations between _______.
a.blacks and Hispanics
b.blacks and whites
c.the Irish and Italians
d.black women and whi
Blacks and whites
The goal of the Montgomery Bus Boycott was to ________.
a.secure voting rights for African Americans
b.end segregation on public transportation
c.put an end to enforced busing for desegregation
d.get Rosa Parks released from the Montgomery jail
e.get gove
End segregation on public transportation
The drive for women's voting rights that took place in the U.S. from 1890 to 1920 is known as ____________.
a.Prohibition
b.the suffrage movement
c.the Jim Crow era
d.Reconstruction
e.Equal Rights Amendment
The suffrage movement
Established by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the agency responsible for monitoring affirmative action programs in private employment is the ____________.
a.Affirmative Action Commission
b.Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
c.Civil Rights Council
d.Na
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
When it comes to classifications for making decisions about policies or programs, which of the following would fall into the "suspect category"?
a.Nationality
b.Gender
c.Age
d.Sexual orientation
e.Ethnicity
Ethnicity
Sit-ins and boycotts are examples of _________ used by MLK Jr. to protest laws he considered unjust and deserving of national attention.
a.violent unrest
b.voter intimidation
c.motivational bias
d.racial intimidation
e.nonviolent protest
Nonviolent protest
Policies meant to overcome past discriminations are called ______ policies.
a.beneficial change
b.useful
c.productive action
d.affirmative action
e.reaction
Affirmative action
In trying a case involving gender equality, which standard of review would the Supreme Court use?
a.Heightened standard
b.Minimum rationality standard
c.Intermediate standard
d.Strict scrutiny
e.Rational basis
Intermediate standard
Which of the following implemented the separate but equal doctrine?
a.The Civil Rights Act of 1875
b.Jim Crow laws
c.Plessy v. Ferguson
d.Dred Scott v. Sandford
e.Brown v. Board of Education
Plessy v. Ferguson
The equal protection clause in the _______ declares that no state can "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
a.Equal Rights Amendment
b.Eighteenth Amendment
c.Nineteenth Amendment
d.Fourteenth Amendment
e.Bill of Ri
Fourteenth amendment
According to the Supreme Court, classifications based on race are to be subject to _____.
a.evaluation
b.some scrutiny, but not strict
c.no scrutiny
d.strict scrutiny
e.assessment
Strict scrutiny
Under ________, Congress had the authority to settle disputes between the states.
a.Great Compromise
b.Article V
c.the Articles of Confederation
d.the Bill of Rights
e.the U.S. Constitution
The articles of confederation
The Second Continental Congress was convened in 1776 because ________.
a.it published the Federalist Papers
b.King George III refused to yield and tensions continued to grow
c.the First Continental Congress had failed to approve the Declaration of Indepen
King George III refused to yield and tensions continued to grow
The formal process by which the U.S. Constitution may be amended is detailed in ________.
a.the Declaration of Independence
b.the Great Compromise
c.the Connecticut Compromise
d.Article V of the U.S. Constitution
e.the Articles of the Confederation
Article V of the U.S. constitution
Amending the Constitution requires ________.
a.two-thirds majority in the proposal stage and a three-quarters majority in the ratification stage
b.a two-thirds majority in the proposal stage and a simple majority in the ratification stage
c.simple majorit
a two-thirds majority in the proposal stage and a three-quarters majority in the ratification stage
The Framers created and placed the election of the president with the ________.
a. Congress
b.Electoral College
c.Senate
d.Supreme Court
e.National Convention
Electoral college
Compared to the Federalists, Anti-Federalists were ________.
a.anti-French
b.aristocrats
c.landowners
d.anti-British
e.elitists
Anti-British
According to the Declaration of Independence, from what source does our national government derive its powers?
a.The legislative branch
b.The judicial branch
c.The people
d.The states
e.The executive branch
The people
The supremacy clause can be found in ________ of the U.S. Constitution.
a.Article I
b.Article VI
c.Article III
d.Article II
e.Article V
Article VI
The Three-Fifths Compromise involved slavery and apportioning representation in Congress, especially for the less populated states. Which of the following is the best explanation of the Southern position in the debate?
a.The South preferred that slaves no
Slaves could not vote but the South wanted them included in the population count
What is one reason why amendments to the Constitution are relatively rare?
a.Partisan divisions in Congress caused by the two-party system make legislative approval of amendments practically impossible.
b.The Constitution's Framers set the precedent of in
The formal amendment process is long and difficult and requires widespread support in Congress as well as the states.
Which of the following best explains why anti-Federalists pushed for the inclusion of a Bill of Rights in the Constitution before ratification?
a.They felt that an explicit guarantee of basic rights was essential to prevent the new government from losing
They felt that an explicit guarantee of basic rights was essential to prevent the new government from abusing its power.
What was the intention of The Federalist Papers?
a.To illustrate the Framers' intentions regarding the new Constitution
b.To explain a new system of taxation
c.To dictate the bill of rights
d.To show the benefits of a strong central government
e.To give t
To illustrate the Framers's intentions regarding the new Constitution
What argument is regularly used to support new interpretations of the Constitution?
a.The Constitution must be applied in a fashion that adapts to the challenges of today.
b.The Constitution has little relevance today except to protect freedom of speech.
The Constitution must be applied in a fashion that adapts to the challenges of today.
The Constitution was amended almost immediately after it was adopted because many citizens feared they did not have enough protections. The first 10 amendments are referred to as the ________.
a.Magna Carta
b.Uniform Code of Military Justice
c.Bill of Rig
Bill of Rights
When the ________ approved the Articles of Confederation as the country's first system of government, it did not create a(n) ________ to administer national laws.
a.delegates; judicial branch
b.delegates; executive branch
c.Continental Congress; executive
Continental Congress; executive branch
The document that legally establishes government authority is a(n) ________.
a.executive order
b.constitution
c.mandate
d.declaration of independence
e.social contract
Constitution
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment, ratified in 1971, guaranteed voting rights to all ________.
a.citizens 18 years of age or older
b.naturalized immigrants
c.freed blacks and indentured servants
d.African-American male citizens
e.female citizens
Citizens 18 years of age
What article of the Constitution establishes a bicameral Congress?
a.Article I
b.Article II
c.Article III
d.Article IV
e.Article V
Article I
Article I, section 8 of the Constitution, known as the elastic clause, gives Congress the authority to ________.
a.transfer its responsibilities to the president in times of war
b.override a presidential veto of legislation
c.delegate its responsibilities
Make whatever laws are necessary to carry out its duties
The preamble to the Constitution begins with the phrase "We the people." Why is this phrase significant?
a.It signifies that the United States is a direct democracy.
b.It signifies that the states are no longer powerful institutions in the American system
It signifies that the power comes directly from the people
The Framers placed sole authority to ________to investigate if the chief executive needs to be removed from office.
a.the states
b.the Senate
c.the Supreme Court
d.the people
e.the House of Representatives
The House of Representatives
Which of the following is an example of checks and balances?
a.A citizen must be 35 years old to hold the office of president.
b.Police must read suspects their rights before arresting them.
c.Each state has two senators, but its number of representatives
The president can veto a bill that has been passed by Congress
In the late eighteenth century, most societies in the world were ruled by ________.
a.presidents
b.parliamentary systems
c.constitutional monarchies
d.bicameral legislatures
e.kings with divine right
Kings with divine right
The fact that a legal marriage performed in Nevada is also legally valid in Florida is an example of ________, in which one state must recognize the legal proceedings of other states.
a.checks and balances
b.the full faith and credit clause
c.federalism
d
The full faith and credit clause
Reserved powers, stated in the ________, are the basis for state criminal laws.
a.Fifth Amendment
b.Tenth Amendment
c.Fifteenth Amendment
d.Sixteenth Amendment
e.Seventeenth Amendment
Tenth Amendment
The ________ settles power disputes between the states and federal government.
a.Congress
b.president
c.Supreme Court
d.Attorney General
e.vice president
Supreme Court
The Tenth Amendment reserves the powers that are not specifically delegated to the national government to ________.
a.state governments
b.counties
c.Congress
d.regional governments
e.municipal governments
State governments
The ________ prevents Congress from creating federal programs that the states then have to fund from their own budgets.
a.Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
b.New Deal
c.Tenth Amendment
d.No Child Left Behind Act
e.Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Act
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
Under the Constitution, which of the following powers is reserved to the federal government?
a.Regulating state commerce
b.Ratifying amendments
c.Chartering local governments
d.Making treaties with foreign nations
e.Regulating intrastate commerce
Making treaties with foreign nations
A goal of President Ronald Reagan's New Federalism was to ________.
a.return power to the states
b.decrease regulations on block grants
c.return power to the national government
d.defund all national grants
e.increase regulations for categorical grants
Return to power to the states
The necessary and proper clause is also known as the ________.
a.commercial clause
b.commerce clause
c.elastic clause
d.enumerated clause
e.constitutional clause
Elastic clause
The Framers feared a unitary system of government or centralized power which is why they made ________.
a.state and federal governments accountable to the people
b.an argument for the Articles of Confederation
c.an asymmetrical system of government
d.a co
State and federal governments accountable to the people
Under President Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society, the government took the unprecedented step of funding community groups directly. Which of the following choices best explains this unprecedented step?
a.It ensured that funds would be better allocated tha
It placed federal funds directly into the hands of citizen action groups and circumvented state and local government of opposing parties.
Which of the following statements would best describe how the Rehnquist Court viewed federalism cases?
a.The Rehnquist Court ruled in favor of more states' rights and less federal government intervention.
b.The justices refused to hear federalism cases.
c
The Rehnquist Court ruled in favor of more states' rights and less federal government intervention
The federal government relied on the commerce clause as the primary constitutional mechanism for implementing the wide reaching social reforms of the New Deal in the 1930s, which resulted in ________.
a.a less restrictive interpretation of the reserve pow
An expansion of the federal government's power
While categorical grants provide states and local governments with federal funding for a specific purpose, block grants give state and local officials the ability to determine for themselves how to best spend federal grant money. One area block grants are
Health care
The pattern of federalism in which the federal government and the states separately exercise their delegated and reserved powers is referred to as ________.
a.marble cake federalism
b.competitive federalism
c.permissive federalism
d.cooperative federalism
Dual federalism
Before the 1960's, the federal government ________.
a.imposed regulations using interstate commerce powers
b.did not need to design programs to help Americans as the economy was robust
c.designed federally funded programs in cooperation with the states
d.
Designed federally funded programs in cooperation with the states
The Framers adopted a federal system of government because they ________.
a.feared armed conflict would erupt between the states
b.found the nation had been corrupted by political party leadership
c.wanted the nation to be a democracy ruled by the people
Wanted to solve problems created by the Articles of the Confederation
________are the most abundant U.S. governments.
a.State governments
b.Townships
c.School districts
d.Special districts
e.Municipalities
Special districts
Supreme Court Chief Justice Marshall's 1819 ruling in favor of the federal government in the McCulloch v. Maryland case primarily relied on his interpretation of which constitutional provision?
a.The interstate compacts
b.The commerce clause
c.The necessa
The necessary and proper clause
The formation of state boundaries is part of ________.
a.the national party conventions
b.city council agendas
c.an interstate compact
d.Dillon's Rule
e.Supreme Court decisions
An interstate compact
________ was at issue when the state of Maryland tried to collect taxes from a federal bank because it was not chartered by the state of Maryland.
a.The right of due process guaranteed in the Fourteenth Amendment.
b.The necessary and proper clause
c.The c
The supremacy clause
An example of a developmental policy is ________.
a.the building of bridges
b.welfare reform
c.the No Child Left Behind Act
d.the United States Armed Forces
e.the United States Postal Service
The building of bridges
If you look at your paycheck, you will probably notice you were taxed by both your state and federal government. This is a reflection of the fact that these two levels of government ________.
a.share ideas and agree on a single set of tax policies
b.enfor
Have concurrent power on taxes
Which of the following would be an example of an interstate compact?
a.There must be the same number of state senators in each state.
b.Public school educational requirements must be identical.
c.All state revenues must be shared.
d.Corporations must be c
A valid driver's license must be recognized in all states
A convicted felon has been captured in the state of Colorado, he is wanted for a crime in the state of Texas; ________ requires that Colorado sends the felon back to Texas.
a.the elastic clause
b.the privileges and immunities clause
c.the extradition clau
The extradition clause
If you were living under a unitary system of government, ________.
a.power would be divided between the two houses of the legislature
b.all power would be concentrated at the national level
c.all power would be concentrated at the state level
d.power woul
All power would be concentrated at the national level
________ are serviced by special districts.
a.City councils
b.State courts
c.Small communities
d.School districts
e.Federal courts
School districts
In a ________, the national government gets its powers from the states.
a.unitary system
b.democracy
c.confederate system
d.monarchy
e.federal system
Confederate system
Which of the following is an example of cooperative federalism?
a.The national government proposing standard operating procedures towards job creation
b.States paying back funds over a specified period of time
c.States allowing federal agencies to adminis
States working with the federal government to stabilize the economy
________ are given by the federal government to states specifically for the funding of special projects. The amount allocated is based on the size of the population.
a.Earmarks
b.Block grants
c.Categorical grants
d.Categorical loans
e.Mandates
Categorial grants
In a ________ system, all ruling authority rests in a single national government.
a.centralized federal
b.unitary
c.federal
d.confederal
e.monarchical
Unitary
The national and state governments are banned by the Constitution from making ________ laws which make an act punishable as a crime even if the action was legal at the time it was committed.
a.extradition
b.bill of attainder
c.grandfather
d.habeas corpus
Ex post facto
Enumerative powers are specifically stated in the Constitution under _____.
a.Article 8, Section 1
b.Article V
c.Article VI
d.the Tenth Amendment
e.Article 1, Section 8
Article I, Section 8
A form of governmental structure in which the national government is weak and most or all power is in the hands of its components (e.g., states) is known as ________.
a.a statist government
b.a unitary government
c.federalism
d.a confederation
e.a parliam
A confederation
Prior to the ratification of the new Constitution, the United States was governed under _______.
a.the Emancipation Proclamation
b.the Articles of Confederation
c.the Declaration of Independence
d.Dillon's Rule
e.the Bill of Rights
The articles of confederation
Federal funds requested for a designated project within a Congressional district are ________, as exemplified by the huge increases in the transportation budget between 1996 and 2005.
a.special funding
b.block grants
c.unfunded mandates
d.categorical gran
Programmatic requests or earmarks
Beginning in the late 1980s, the Supreme Court under the direction of Chief Justice Rehnquist began making a series of rulings that reinterpreted the commerce clause ________.
a.attempting to claim regulatory oversight that was not granted to it in the co
By limiting federal government intervention
The Supreme Court ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland is significant because it ________.
a.questioned our understanding of the national government's enumerated powers
b.questioned the definition of the reserved powers granted to states by the Tenth Amendment
Upheld the power of the national government over the states
While the American system of government is characterized by federalism, most nations have a ________ where authority is concentrated in one central government.
a.unilateral system
b.confederation
c.unitary system
d.direct democracy
e.monarchy system
Unitary system
In 2010, the source of most state revenue was through ________.
a.taxes
b.federal grants
c.service charges
d.donations
e.lottery sales
Taxes
Which of the following statements best describes a federal system?
a.A system of government in which state governments have little power
b.A system of government in which regional governments have ultimate power
c.A system of government in which national
A system of government in which national and state government's authority is derived from the people
In 1828, South Carolina's refusal to accept the federal tariff law exemplified _______.
a.concurrency
b.secession
c.nullification
d.confederation
e.segregation
Nullification
A majority of the states apply block grants, which come with general spending guidelines, towards funding ________.
a.commerce programs
b.federally-subsidized programs
c.infrastructure
d.education and health care programs
e.agriculture programs
Education and health care programs
Refusing to salute the flag or sing the national anthem at a baseball game as a form of political protest is an example of what type of speech?
a.Direct incitement
b.Hate
c.Sedition
d.Symbolic
e.Libel
Symbolic
An editor of the weekly campus paper needs to decide whether or not to print an article that's highly critical of the state senator. Can he or she print the article without legal repercussion?
a.Yes, freedom of the press is protected by shield laws.
b.Yes
Yes, freedom of the press is protected by the First Amendment
Pleading the Fifth Amendment" means that ________.
a.a defendant is not required to say anything that will self-incriminate him or her
b.the question put to the defendant was not relevant to the charges
c.the defendant is likely guilty
d.the printing of
A defendant is not required to say anything that will self-incriminate him or her
The Supreme Court's opinion on libel in relation to the First Amendment is that it is ________.
a.considered obscene and not protected
b.protected better by the Fifth Amendment
c.not protected
d.protected as freedom of expression
e.protected as symbolic s
Not protected
The purpose of the Second Amendment ________.
a.is to guarantee the right of citizens to bear arms
b.is to protect the rights of non-citizens as well as citizens
c.can be interpreted by the states
d.is to ensure that all guns are obtained legally
e.is to
Is to guarantee the right of citizens to bear arms
Which amendment prevents the national government from taking away personal property without providing just compensation?
a.The Eighth Amendment
b.The Sixth Amendment
c.The Second Amendment
d.The Fifth Amendment
e.The Fourth Amendment
The fifth amendment
The ability of a group of people being allowed to protest legally if they get a permit to do so is an example of________.
a.a First Amendment right
b.sovereignty
c.a restriction of civil rights
d.public use
e.collective rights
A first amendment right
Which incident during the war on terror caused the most public outrage among the American people and calls for investigations into government action?
a.Constraints on the press to only report positive aspects of U.S. efforts to combat terrorism after the
Photos of cruel treatment of prisoners by U.S. military personnel while held in Abu Ghraib, Iraq
What is today's Supreme Court's position on prior restraint?
a.It approves of prior restraint in cases of national security.
b.It approves of prior restraint in cases of political partisanship.
c.It approves of prior restraint during times of war.
d.It is
It is reluctant to tolerate prior restraint
Which of the following best describes the trend in recent Supreme Court decisions regarding the separation of church and state?
a.The Supreme Court has consistently prohibited all government aid to religious schools.
b.The Supreme Court is willing to ease
The Supreme Court is willing to ease the strict division between church and state by not using the Lemon test to examine establishment cases, as long as school prayer is not involved.
When suspects were apprehended leaving a burglary and were asked if they were involved, they said they "plead the fifth." What Fifth Amendment right are they invoking?
a.They are avoiding self-incrimination.
b.They are invoking their right against cruel a
They are avoiding self-incrimination
The First Amendment to the Constitution protects what basic civil liberty?
a.Freedom of expression
b.The right to amend the Constitution by popular vote
c.Freedom to do what you want to guarantee personal happiness
d.The right to recall poorly performing
Freedom of expression
The writ of habeas corpus ________.
a.that any person being held can represent himself
b.allows a person to be tried for an act that was not illegal when it was committed
c.deals with the issues of illegal search and seizure
d.asserts that any person cann
Asserts that any person cannot be confined illegally
According to the Fourteenth Amendment, we are all entitled to certain civil liberties and to equal protection of the laws. This means that ________.
a.as a citizen, you have the right not to be subjected to discrimination because of your status
b.some of
As a citizen, you have the right not to be subjected to discrimination because of your status
Most of our civil liberties flow from ________, or the supreme law of the United States.
a.the Articles of Confederation
b.the Federalist papers
c.the U.S. Constitution
d.the American Revolution
e.the Declaration of Independence
The U.S. constitution
To declare that something is a natural right implies that the government ________.
a.grants it to its citizens at its discretion
b.permits it so long as it does not disrupt the societal order
c.denies its validity and offers it no legal protections
d.has
Does not bestow it upon the people; they are born with it
Civil liberties provide all citizens with fundamental liberties such as freedom of speech and religion. Where would you find these in the U.S. Constitution?
a.Article II
b.The Bill of Rights
c.Article III
d.Article I
e.The Declaration of Independence
The Bill of Rights
How is the U.S. government prohibited from interfering with a citizen's right to practice his or her religion?
a.Supreme Court rulings
b.free exercise clause
c.Establishment clause
d.State laws
e.School prayer practices
Free exercise clause
In the development of the Supreme Court's position on restrictions of freedom of speech in Schenck v. U. S., what was the key condition that allowed the exception?
a.Standard of presumed reasonableness and the preferred position
b.The gravity of the dange
The communication presented a standard of clear and present danger
Protections granted in the Bill of Rights overwhelmingly fell into which category?
a.Property rights
b.Rights of those accused of crimes
c.Freedom of religion
d.Freedom of speech
e.The right to bear arms
Rights of those accused of crimes
What phrase best describes the Supreme Court's stance on the use of obscenity when expressing an idea?
a.One man may think a word is lyrical while another may think the word is vulgar.
b.Obscene words are banned.
c.If it is not malicious, it is okay.
d.It
It is not protected as freedom of speech
The American Civil Liberties Union group on your campus has organized a protest against capital punishment. What civil liberties issue are they basing their protest on?
a.The Tenth Amendment state rights argument
b.The Fifth Amendment eminent domain provi
The 8th amendment prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment
The Supreme Court based its decisions allowing access to birth control and abortions on ________.
a.the fundamental freedoms
b.the right to freedom of expression
c.the due process clause
d.the free exercise clause
e.the right to privacy
The right to privacy
Wiki Leaks released classified documents about the Afghanistan War. The U.S. government tried to stop this information from being published. If the government had been successful, what would this censorship be called?
a.Slander
b.Prior restraint
c.Libel
d
Prior restraint
The Supreme Court has been responsible for not only the interpretations, but also the expansions of the ________.
a.Miranda rights
b.establishment clause
c.double jeopardy clause
d.free exercise clause
e.due process clause
Due process clause