Unit #3 & #4 Exam

1. Which of the following best defines the principle of popular sovereignty?

A. the powers of a government are limited by the people

B. government is based on laws that apply to all the people
C. the ultimate source of governmental authority is the people
D. elected leaders work through the government to serve the people

2. The idea of representative government first developed in ancient…

A. Egypt
B. Greece
C. Israel
D. Rome

3. Who is known as the Father of the Constitution and as the principal author of
the Bill of Rights?

A. Will Ferrell
B. Benjamin Franklin
C. James Madison
D. George Washington

4. The rule of law applies to which of the following?

A. government employees
B. Congress
C. citizens
D. All of the above

5. What was the compromise made in order to ratify the Constitution?

A. Including a bill of rights

B. It had to be approved by all 13 states
C. It allowed too many people to vote
D. It created a weak central government
6. Both quotes below list what our nation's founders believed to be…

“Life, liberty, and property . . .” —John Locke

“Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness . . .” —Declaration of Independence

A. Civil Virtue
B. Natural rights
C. the general will
D. the rights of Englishmen

7. Which of these issues at the Constitutional Convention was resolved by the

Great Compromise?

A. the representation of the states in Congress

B. abolishment of slavery in the South
C. the power of Congress to regulate foreign trade
D. methods for choosing the president of the United States

8. The Articles of Confederation attempted to prevent…

A. permanent standing army

B. a strong central government
C. threat of a foreign invasion
D. a breakdown in law and order

9. Which political philosopher favored separate legislative, executive, and judicial

branches?

A. Thomas Jefferson
B. Thad Lear
C. Baron de Montesquieu
D. Tony Stark

10. Rousseau’s argument that a government should be dissolved if it…

A. was too weak to be effective

B. acted contrary to the general will
C. depended on inherited leadership
D. could not keep a stable economy
11. Which of these terms refers to the principle that people accused of a crime
must be granted certain legal rights?

A. Due Process
B. Habeas Corpus
C. Judicial Review
D. Eminent Domain

12. What did the Magna Carta do?

A. defined the rights and duties of English nobles

B. set a limitations on the power of the monarchy
C. established the principle of the rule of law
D. All of the above

13. The Preamble of the Constitution lists which of the following?

A. steps for amending the Constitution

B. the purpose to be served by the Constitution
C. procedures for ratifying the Constitution
D. guidelines for interpreting the Constitution

14. Why did the framers of the Constitution create three separate branches of
government?

A. to help people with different opinions cooperate

B. to increase the power of the central government
C. to keep any one group from gaining too much power
D. to provide enough officials to handle the volume of work

15. The first words of the Constitution indicate that power and authority in our
system of government come from the…

A. States
B. Voters
C. Lawmakers
D. People
16. Which of these is the defining characteristic of federalism?

A. elected representatives make decisions for the nation

B. power is divided between central and regional bodies
C. separate branches have different areas of responsibility
D. legislative actions are limited by a set of written guidelines

17. Article one of the Constitution outlines which of the following?

A. the purpose and functions of the Legislative branch

B. amending the Constitution
C. the purpose and functions of the Judicial branch
D. deciding supreme court cases

18. Overtime, constitutional amendments have extended what right to the groups
listed below?

Women Residents of Washington Dc

African Americans 18 year olds

A. Right to an education
B. Right to serve on a jury
C. Right to vote in elections
D. Right to a fair and speedy trial

19. Which of these is an example of constitutional checks and balances?

A. Treaties require Senate approval

B. Supreme Court members are decided by both the president and Senate
C. The presidential veto power
D. All of the above

20. How did the decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803) strengthen the power of
the Supreme Court?

A. It denied state courts the authority to override federal precedent

B. It asserted the Court could order the president to carry out a law
C. It established the Court's right to declare an act unconstitutional
D. Intervened in a conflict between the other two branches of government
21. Article Two of the constitution outlines which of the following?

A. The purpose and functions of the Legislative branch

B. Amending the Constitution
C. The purpose and functions of the Executive branch
D. Deciding supreme court cases

22. Federalists supported which of the following?

A. the Constitution
B. a strong central government
C. a strong state government
D. rejoining the British

23. Antifederalists supported which of the following?

A. a strong state government

B. a strong central government
C. the Brutus Essays
D. the Constitution

24. How were the colonies governed at the local level?

A. british officials appointed by the king governed each colony

B. colonists developed legislative bodies to govern themselves locally
C. the colonists sent representatives to the British Parliament
D. colonists had no effective local government

25. How did the 13 new state constitutions limit democracy?

A. they only gave the vote to white male property owners and taxpayers.
B. none of the state constitutions made slavery illegal.
C. all southern states denied slave equal rights as human beings.
D. All of the above

26. How did the Three-Fifths Compromise contradict the ideal of equality?

A. each slave counted as three-fifths of a person in population counts

B. women's vote counted as only three-fifths of a man’s vote
C. free states had three reps for every five reps that a slave state had
D. states could only give the vote to 60% of adult male property owners
27. Article Three of the constitution outlines which of the following?

A. The purpose and functions of the Legislative branch

B. The purpose and functions of the Executive branch
C. The purpose and functions of the Judicial branch.
D. All of the above

28. The process of amending the Constitution involves both

A. Congress and the states

B. the president and Congress
C. the states and the Supreme Court
D. the Supreme Court and the president

29. The United States legal system requires that people accused of crimes be

A. held in prison until trial

B. informed of the charges against them
C. responsible for proving their innocence
D. given money if they are found to be innocent

30. Which of these could result if a state’s population declined over time?

A. increased funding from Congress for social programs

B. reduced representation in the United States Senate
C. reduced representation in the House of Representatives
D. greater number of electors to the Electoral College

31. The function of the Legislative Branch is to…

A. make and pass the laws

B. enforce the laws
C. interpret the laws
D. None of the above

32. The function of the Executive Branch is to…

A. make and pass the laws

B. enforce the laws
C. interpret the laws
D. All of the above
33. The function of the Judicial Branch is to…

A. make and pass the laws

B. enforce the laws
C. interpret the laws
D. None of the above

34. Congratulations you have finished the exam, bubble in letter C for a free point!

A. I don’t like government class

B. I don’t want my free point
C. I want my free point
D. What's going on?

Short Response Questions

Please Answer in TCI

1. Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Please provide at least two concrete
examples and explain how each of those examples lead to its failure.

2. Pick either the New Jersey or the Virginia Plan and describe what the strengths
and weaknesses of the chosen plan., Please include who it benefited, what the
main argument was about and any other relevant information.

3. Describe in your own words what it means to establish a precedent. Please

provide at least one example and explain how it is a precedent.