American Government:Theories,Policies, and Politics

American Government:Theories,Policies, and Politics

____  1. A political system in which power is shared between national and regional governments is an example of

a. federalism.

b. consolidation.

c. capitalism.

____  2. The Petition of Right was the first legal document to establish that political leaders are not above the law.

a. true

b. false

____  3. What is the process by which a society tells how power and resources will be distributed?

a. politics

b. policies

c. rules

____  4. Who was most influential in getting Virginia to ratify the Constitution?

a. Richard Henry Lee

b. Thomas Jefferson

c. Patrick Henry

____  5. In colonial America, royal colonies

a. had charters that allowed complete self-government.

b. had governors appointed by a proprietor.

c. were under direct control of the Crown.

____  6. How many methods are there to amend the Constitution?

a. four

b. six

c. seven

____  7. In a confederate government,

a. the central government holds most of the power.

b. the regional governments hold most of the power.

c. power is shared by the central and regional governments.

____  8. The Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution does which of the following?

a. lists the rights with which government cannot interfere

b. lists the services and utilities government is required to provide

c. outlines the duties and procedures of each branch of government

____  9. In a parliamentary system, the executive branch of government is often referred to as

a. the Lords.

b. the government.

c. the Commons.

____  10. Dictatorial regimes can be led by one person or a small group of people.

a. true

b. false

____  11. The absence of a bill of rights was one of the Federalists’ main objections to the United States Constitution.

a. true

b. false

____  12. What is a feature of a presidential system of government?

a. the legislature choosing the chief executive

b. the executive appointing the legislature

c. the legislature and the executive being elected separately

____  13. An executive agreement is

a. a formal treaty with another country.

b. a pact between a president and the leader of another country.

c. an interpretation of a law made by a president in the United States.

____  14. Anti-discrimination laws are examples of government serving the purpose of establishing justice.

a. true

b. false

____  15. An Anti-Federalist would agree with which statement?

a. Strong government is necessary to keep order.

b. Thomas Hobbes had an accurate view of government.

c. Central government can become oppressive.

____  16. The Declaration of Independence established the idea of popular sovereignty in the United States.

a. true

b. false

____  17. __________ was most influential in getting New York to ratify the Constitution.

a. George Clinton

b. Bill Clinton

c. Alexander Hamilton

____  18. The 10th Amendment to the Constitution is the basis for federalism in the United States.

a. true

b. false

____  19. A sovereign state

a. is subordinate to other governments.

b. cannot determine its own form of government.

c. can shape its own foreign policy.

____  20. Nazi Germany is an example of

a. a dictatorship.

b. a republic.

c. a constitutional monarchy.

____  21. A Federalist would be most likely to agree with which statement?

a. Central government is always dangerous.

b. The individual states should have sovereignty.

c. A stronger bond between regions will strengthen a country.

____  22. The Connecticut Compromise resolved the debate about __________ at the Constitutional Convention.

a. whether to form an alliance with Spain

b. whether to declare independence

c. representation in Congress

____  23. The United States federal government has

a. two separate but equally powerful branches.

b. three separate but equally powerful branches.

c. one supreme branch and two inferior branches.

____  24. John Jay was a main author of The Federalist.

a. true

b. false

____  25. The ability to create laws and public policies is called

a. executive power.

b. legislative power.

c. judicial power.

____  26. When James Madison said that “if men were angels, no government would be necessary,” he meant that

a. the church should play an active role in government.

b. the United States should avoid a strong national government.

c. government is necessary to keep order and prevent anarchy.

____  27. The Virginia Plan for revising the Articles of Confederation resembled a parliamentary system in what way?

a. It provided for a unicameral legislature.

b. It provided for popular election of judges.

c. It provided for the legislature to choose the executive.

____  28. The state constitutions written after the Declaration of Independence were based on the idea of

a. Swiss cantons.

b. popular sovereignty.

c. confederation.

____  29. Which idea is NOT a basic ideal of American democracy?

a. acceptance of the necessity of compromise

b. guaranteed equality of income

c. insistence on the widest possible degree of individual freedom

____  30. Which amendment applies the Constitution’s Bill of Rights to the state governments?

a. 13th Amendment

b. 14th Amendment

c. 15th Amendment

____  31. The Articles of Confederation

a. were a strong form of government.

b. were a very weak form of central government.

c. provided strong economic leadership but forbade the United States from conducting foreign relations.

____  32. The Albany Plan of Union may be considered a forerunner to the Declaration of Independence because it

proposed greater freedom and greater responsibilities for the colonists.

a. true

b. false

____  33. In a parliamentary system, who selects the chief executive?

a. the legislature

b. the electorate

c. the judiciary

____  34. A state legislature voting to ignore a federal law is an example of judicial review.

a. true

b. false

____  35. Which feature of the Articles of Confederation did the New Jersey Plan intend to keep?

a. a separate executive branch of government

b. a bicameral legislature

c. a unicameral legislature

____  36. A unitary government is always a dictatorship.

a. true

b. false

____  37. Executive departments forming a Cabinet is an unwritten custom in the American political system.

a. true

b. false

____  38. What did Benjamin Franklin mean by the phrase “sawing boards to make them fit”?

a. choosing the wording of the Constitution carefully to avoid offending anyone

b. compromising on issues so that the final product would be agreeable to all states

c. forcing larger states to agree with the smaller states in order to finish the Constitution

____  39. The American economy is completely free of government involvement.

a. true

b. false

____  40. Which theory of government says the idea of a state began when someone claimed an area of land and

began creating rules for the people who lived there?

a. force theory

b. evolutionary theory

c. divine right theory

____  41. Which amendment to the Constitution protects freedom of speech, religion, and the press?

a. 3rd Amendment

b. 4th Amendment

c. 1st Amendment

____  42. Judicial review is an example of

a. legislative authority.

b. a check or balance.

c. federalism.

____  43. The Declaration of Independence justified the American Revolution through the

a. force theory.

b. divine right theory.

c. social contract theory.

____  44. What function do political parties provide in the United States?

a. impeaching federal judges

b. nominating candidates

c. overruling the electoral college

____  45. Direct democracy is also known as

a. majority rule.

b. split decision.

c. the best system of government.

____  46. Promoting the general welfare is one purpose of government. What is an example of promoting the general

welfare?

a. an environmental protection law

b. maintaining an army and a navy

c. uniting the states into a single country

____  47. A republic is a political system in which

a. all decisions are made by direct majority rule.

b. voters elect leaders to act on behalf of the people.

c. one person or a small group hold absolute power.

____  48. The United States is an example of a republic.

a. true

b. false

____  49. An amendment to the Constitution must be approved by __________ of the states.

a. two-thirds

b. three-fifths

c. three-fourths

____  50. Which court case established judicial review?

a. New York Times v. United States

b. McCulloch v. Maryland

c. Marbury v. Madison