1. Which of the following BEST describes the fundamental principle of democracy? a) majority rule b) equal rights for all c) government by the people d) rule in the people s best interest 2. With which of the following opinions would the authors of America Faces Serious Obstacles in Exporting Democracy and America Can Successfully Export Democracy agree? a) Democracy cannot coexist with Islam. b) Democracy requires the commitment of those governed. c) Democracy is the best form of government for all people. d) Democracy is the only form of government that offers freedom. 3. Which government institution BEST illustrates representative democracy? a) Congress b) political parties c) the Supreme Court d) the president s cabinet 4. Read the below excerpt from the Declaration of Independence, and answer the question that follows. We hold these truths to be self-evident, 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 This excerpt provides evidence that the Founding Fathers were influenced by. a) Aristotle b) John Locke c) John Stuart Mill d) Baron de Montesquieu PAGE 1
5. Which of the following fundamental principles of the Declaration of Independence BEST expresses the theory of the social contract expressed by Enlightenment philosophers? a) Every individual has natural rights. b) All people have equal status under the law. c) People derive their rights from the government. d) Governments derive their power from the citizens. 6. In addition to James Madison (who proposed the separation of church and state in the Bill of Rights), which Founding Father was the main advocate for the separation of church and state? a) John Adams b) Thomas Paine c) Thomas Jefferson d) Benjamin Franklin 7. Which of the following constitutional principles was tested in the Scopes trial of 1925? a) freedom of assembly b) the right to a trial by jury c) equal protection of the laws d) the separation of church and state 8. What did the Supreme Court rule as unconstitutional in Engel v. Vitale (1962)? a) separate but equal public schools b) the teaching of evolution in public schools c) enforced administration of prayer in public schools d) the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools 9. A theocracy is BEST defined as a form of government in which. a) the authority of the state dominates religion b) the authority of religion dominates the state c) there is an official state church but citizens can practice other religions d) church and state have authority in distinctly different areas of public life PAGE 2
10. The idea that government gets its authority from the people is known as. a) popular sovereignty b) indirect democracy c) majority rule d) natural law PAGE 3
ANSWER KEY 1. c 3. a 5. d 7. d 9. b 2. b 4. b 6. c 8. c 10. a COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.10 Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.3 Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that are drawn between them. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.10 By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 9 10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 9 10 text complexity band independently and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.3 Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.10 By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 11 CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 11 CCR text complexity band independently and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information. PAGE 4
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS (CONTINUED) CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of a text. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.3 Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.6 Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.8 Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author s claims. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.9 Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.10 By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 9 10 text complexity band independently and CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.3 Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.10 By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 11 CCR text complexity band independently and PAGE 5