Respect for individual rights and equality of opportunity are examples of
Values held by most citizens of the United States
Both cities and countries are
states
Which of the following types of government was most common until the early 1900s?
Monarchy
Totalitarian governments are an extreme form of
dictatorship
Which of the following describes a confederal system?
members of confederation set up and organization to carry out agreed-upon policies
Which of the following governmental systems is used today by Japan, the United Kingdom, and Israel?
Unitary
The relationship between the branches of government may take two basic forms, which are called
Parliamentary and presidential
Which of the following is a contemporary example of a confederation?
The European union
The chief executive is chosen independently from the legislature in a(n)
Presidential system
Totalitarian governments
outlaw free speech
Which of the following principles is essential to a successful democracy?
producing policies that address a variety of concerns rather than just a few
Anarchy is
a state of political disorder created by the absence of rules or government
In a presidential system
The Legislative & executive branches are independent of each other
Most decisions in a democracy are made by
majority rule
Indonesia, China, Mexico, Russia, and the United States are all
sovereign states
The English philosopher John Locke believed that
a government has legitimacy because the people give it authority
monarchs today have significant power in
just a few countries
How does a democracy serve the public good?
it lets citizens make informed decisions about public policies
You are opposed to a recent change in the zoning laws in your community, and tonight you will speak out against that change at a city council meeting. What broad principle of democracy does your action illustrate?
Promoting respect for the law
In a parliamentary system
the chief executive and the head of state are separate offices
Each of the following forms of government has declined in popularity during the 1900s EXCEPT
Democracy
Direct democracies are
systems in which laws may be made directly by all citizens
goverments maintain order by
allowing every citizen to vote four times each year.
In some parliamentary systems the head of state is a
monarch
In a democratic republic authority comes from which of the following sources?
the people
Good governments attempt to
to serve the public good
in a presidential system the
chief executive serves a set term
The Committees of Correspondence were
a network of patriotic groups that helped with colonial resistance
The Declaration of Rights and Grievances was written to protest
British policies and the Stamp act
Which of the following is an "unalienable right" as described by Thomas Jefferson?
liberty
Which of the following groups of people wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Robert Livingston, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson
On April 19, 1775, in Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts, British troops battled
colonial militia
According to the Declaration of Independence, if a government does not protect citizens' natural rights, citizens
have the right to alter or abolish that government.
In the eighteenth century, most colonies did not allow which of the following groups to vote?
free and enslaved African Americans, women, and American Indians
Which of the following British ideals were attractive to North American colonists?
representative government and limited government
Before the 1200s government in England had
few restrictions
Parliament consists of
House of Lords and House of Commons
All of the following statements are correct except
the Magna Carta gave judges the right to convict without conducting trials
The English concept of representative government has its roots in
a council of high religious officials and nobles that advised monarchs.
Which of the following documents is most similar to the Magna Carta?
the petition of right
In the early 1700s, most colonies had governors who were advised by
councils of a dozen male property owners.
Early attempts to unify the 13 colonies
failed
Which of the following was a good reason for the colonies to unify?
succeeded
most colonial charters included
efforts to restrict government
The British Government believed that
Colonists must help pay for expenses from the French and Indian war
In 1774 delegates from almost every colony met in Philadelphia for the
First continental congress
Thomas Jefferson's beliefs about human rights were similar to those of
John Locke
Congress under the Articles of Confederation had all of the following powers EXCEPT the power to
Settle arguments between states
The British forced colonists to pay
taxes on purchases of goods from other countries
Nearly every delegate to the Second Continental Congress was in favor of
Independence
Most state constitutions gave little power to governors because
colonists associated the failings of a monarchy with a strong executive branch.
The Articles of Confederation
excluded a president
In the new nation, which of the following caused conflicts between the states?
economical differences
The new national government under the Articles of Confederation was weakened by all of the following EXCEPT
the lack of authority to manage relations with American Indians
Why did attempts to strengthen Congress fail?
Amendments to the articles of confederation required every state's approval
How many states had to ratify the Constitution before it could be adopted?
9
Congress is which of the following types of legislature?
Bicameral
Which of the following groups share responsibility for passing legislation?
the Senate and the House of Representatives
The Constitution states that the national government does not have authority to grant
titles of nobility
Only the senate is authorized to
approve treaties with foreign countries and presidential appointments.
Legislation to fun the government begins in
The House of representatives
The executive branch consists of the
president, vice president, and various executive departments
Separation of powers is an important way of preventing
the concentration and abuse of power.
Which of the following officials is commander in chief of the nation's armed forces?
The president
The checks and balances system allows each branch of government to restrain the powers of the
other two branches
Each of the following statements is true EXCEPT
Congress can veto the judicial branch's decisions.
The highest law in the nation is
The Constitution
The president's power to influence legislation is
limited
Federal judges must be nominated by the president and
Approved by the senate
Judicial review is
not mentioned in the constitution
International treaties that have been negotiated by the president do not become law unless
a two-thirds vote in the Senate approves them.
Under the "supremacy clause" in Article VI of the Constitution, the
power of the national government is superior to that of the state governments.
If the Constitution were compared to a house, the structure would
have changed significantly over the years.
The Constitution specifies two ways to
propose an amendment and ratify an amendment.
Every amendment to the Constitution but one has been
ratified by votes in state legislatures.
The framers of the Constitution wanted a national government to do all of the following EXCEPT
Discourage taxation
One method of ratifying an amendment requires the approval of
special conventions in at least three fourths of the states.
Up to the present time, every amendment to the Constitution has been
proposed by a vote in Congress.
The deadline for ratifying an amendment
is about 7 years
Why is it that the Constitution is called a "living document"?
It is flexible and lets government adapt as needed.
The Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison
established the power of federal courts to decide if a government action or law is constitutional.
Which of the following documents was adopted just two years after the Constitution went into effect?
Bill of rights
The Constitution gives Congress the power to
expand and change the system of lower-level federal courts.
According to James Madison,
majority factions are more dangerous than minority factions.
Why did the framers of the Constitution fear political parties?
They were concerned that different parties would divide the nation.
Which of the following statements is true?
During the past two decades, western and southern states have gained representatives in the House, and northeastern and midwestern regions have lost them.
The "one-person, one-vote" ruling means that
each person's representation in the House must be equal with every other person's.
Many critics argue that the method of apportioning House seats among states is
Unfair
Which of the following are qualifications for members of the House of Representatives?
Members must be legal residents of the state they represent, be at least 25 years old, and have been U.S. citizens for a minimum of 7 years.
Life insurance, special tax deductions, pensions, medical services, free parking, and free health club memberships are among the generous benefits received by
Congressmembers
The salary of representatives is determined by
congress
Which of the following statements describes senators?
They are usually older than members of the House, and better known by the public.
Each of the following statements is true EXCEPT
senators can be impeached by governors of the states they represent.
In 1791 French architect Pierre-Charles L'Enfant designed the city of
Washington, D.C.
Which of the following are qualifications for senators?
They must have been U.S. citizens for a minimum of nine years, be at least 30 years old, and be legal residents of the state where they are elected.
Each of the following statements is true EXCEPT
senators receive more legal protection than House members.
The race and gender of congressmembers are
not proportionately representative of the race and gender of the U.S. population.
Many Americans are divided about whether congresspersons should support
local interests or general national interests.
During the past 15 years, party loyalty on key votes in Congress has
Increased
All of the following are expressed powers of Congress EXCEPT
issuing bills of attainder.
(Added question) Impeachment trials are held in the
Senate
(Added Question) One of the most important elements of a congressperson's job is
serving constituents
(Added Question) The Impeachment process has occurred
Rarely