General Questions government foundations 1. Local governments derive their power from (1 pt) [A] the Constitution and federal laws [B] State constitutions and State laws (correct answer) [C] both State constitutions and the National Government [D] city and county governments 2. The Bill of Rights guarantees all of the following EXCEPT (1 pt) [A] the right to a speedy trial by jury [B] the right of women to vote (correct answer) [C] freedom of speech [D] the right to bear arms 3. Concurrent powers are those that are (1 pt) [A] exercised simultaneously by the National and the State governments (correct answer) [B] exercised jointly by the National and the State governments [C] exercised by the National Government alone [D] denied to both the National and the State governments 4. government serving the will of the people (1 pt) [A] boycott [B] federalism [C] popular sovereignty [D] representative government (correct answer) [E] Virginia Plan 5. The people themselves--rather than representatives--make governmental policies and laws in a(n) *. (1 pt) [B] compromise [C] confederation [F] direct democracy (correct answer) [G] federal government [I] parliamentary government [J] presidential government [K] representative government 6. When there is a separation of powers (1 pt) [A] power is divided between the National Government and the States [B] power is distributed among three independent branches of government
(correct answer) [C] the people grant the States the authority to govern [D] the basic powers of government are held by a single agency 7. agreement that, in Congress, States be represented equally in the Senate and by population in the House (1 pt) [A] Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise [B] Connecticut Compromise [C] Magna Carta [D] representative government [E] Virginia Plan (correct answer) 8. The Constitution provides for the * by creating three distinct branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial (1 pt) [A] amendment [B] Bill of Rights [C] checks and balances [D] constitutionalism [E] executive agreement [F] federalism [G] formal amendment [H] informal amendment [I] judicial review [J] limited government [K] popular sovereignty [L] rule of law [M] separation of powers (correct answer) [N] unconstitutional 9. Which of the following is NOT necessarily a characteristic of the state? (1 pt) [A] population [B] democracy (correct answer) [C] government [D] sovereignty 10. Which of the following is the basic characteristic of federalism? (1 pt) [A] it divides power between a National and State governments (correct answer) [B] it gives most power to the National Government [C] it gives most power to local units of government [D] It encourages citizen participation in government 11. If an act of Congress conflicts with the provisions of a treaty (1 pt) [A] the act has priority [B] the more recent one has priority [C] the treaty has priority (correct answer)
[D] both are declared null and void 12. organized action to change opponents' behavior by refusing to buy or sell their goods (1 pt) [A] boycott (correct answer) [B] ratification [C] popular sovereignty [D] representative government 13. The social contract theory was based mainly on the ideas of which of the following? (1 pt) [A] Lincoln, Jefferson, Franklin, Madison [B] Qaddafi, Hitler, Stalin, Gorbachev [C] Locke, Harrington, Hobbes, Rousseau (correct answer) [D] Holmes, Kennedy, King 14. In a democracy, compromise is used to (1 pt) [A] limit the power of the majority [B] reach majority agreement (correct answer) [C] eliminate discrimination based on race, color, religion, or sex [D] promote the fundamental worth of the individual 15. The President's power to veto an act of Congress is an example of (1 pt) [A] executive agreement [B] judicial review [C] checks and balances (correct answer) [D] limited government 16. Which of the following is NOT true of the Constitution? (1 pt) [A] it sets guidelines within which the government must operate [B] it is open to interpretation [C] it has not been changed in 50 years (correct answer) [D] it is the highest form of law in the US 17. those powers exercised only by the National Government (1 pt) [A] concurrent powers [B] delegate powers [C] division of powers [D] exclusive powers (correct answer) [E] inherent powers [F] reserved powers 18. those powers granted in the Constitution to the National Government (1 pt) [A] concurrent powers [B] delegated powers (correct answer)
[C] division of powers [D] exclusive powers [E] inherent powers [F] reserved powers 19. Both democratic and dictatorial governments (1 pt) [A] often hold popular elections (correct answer) [B] can be limited by the people [C] tend to be totalitarian [D] are based on the concept of popular sovereignty 20. Decisions reached through * merge differing viewpoints into a generally acceptable plan of action (1 pt) [B] compromise (correct answer) [C] confederation [F] direct democracy [G] federal government [I] parliamentary government [J] presidential government [K] representative government 21. Independent states that agree to form a(n) * may still retain their sovereignty (1 pt) [B] compromise [C] confederation (correct answer) [F] direct democracy [G] federal government [I] parliamentary government [J] presidential government [K] representative government 22. "Government of the people, by the people, and for the people" describes a system of government in which the people are sovereign (1 pt) True (correct answer) False
23. To be both accountable to the people and manageable, most democratic governments rely on a system of (1 pt) [B] compromise [C] confederation [F] direct democracy [G] federal government [I] parliamentary government [J] presidential government [K] representative government (correct answer) 24. Which idea is NOT included in the Declaration of Independence? (1 pt) [A] people have certain natural rights [B] God gives certain people the right to govern (correct answer) [C] Government can exist only with the people's permission [D] the people may change or abolish the government 25. Which of the following illustrates the concept of equality of opportunity? (1 pt) [A] public schools may not exclude students because of their sex or race (correct answer) [B] citizens must obey the tax laws but may work to change them [C] government may not limit or control the beliefs of any individual [D] Senators consider testimony both for and against Supreme Court nominees 26. An * to the Constitution, both written and unwritten, can be made in one of two basic ways (1 pt) [A] amendment (correct answer) [B] Bill of Rights [C] checks and balances [D] constitutionalism [E] executive agreement [F] federalism [G] formal amendment [H] informal amendment [I] judicial review [J] limited government [K] popular sovereignty [L] rule of law [M] separation of powers [N] unconstitutional
27. It is the people who are the only source of governmental power in a system of *. (1 pt) [A] amendment [B] Bill of Rights [C] checks and balances [D] constitutionalism [E] executive agreement [F] federalism [G] formal amendment [H] informal amendment [I] judicial review [J] limited government [K] popular sovereignty (correct answer) [L] rule of law [M] separation of powers [N] unconstitutional 28. Which statement about the Supremacy Clause is true? (1 pt) [A] it established the Constitution as the nation's highest law (correct answer) [B] it establishes acts of Congress as the nation's highest law [C] it grants State constitutions priority over acts of Congress [D] it grants State laws priority over treaties 29. A pact made by the President, using the process of *, carries the same force of law as a treaty (1 pt) [A] amendment [B] Bill of Rights [C] checks and balances [D] constitutionalism [E] executive agreement (correct answer) [F] federalism [G] formal amendment [H] informal amendment [I] judicial review [J] limited government [K] popular sovereignty [L] rule of law [M] separation of powers [N] unconstitutional 30. The idea that the people have a right to abolish an abusive and unresponsive government was FIRST formally expressed by the Americans in the (1 pt) [A] Constitution [B] Petition of Right [C] Declaration of Independence (correct answer)
[D] Declaration of Rights 31. Public debate over governmental policies would pose a threat to most (1 pt) [A] dictatorships (correct answer) [B] republics [C] democracies [D] unitary governments 32. Under a system of *, the executive must resign if defeated by the legislature on an important issue (1 pt) [B] compromise [C] confederation [F] direct democracy [G] federal government [I] parliamentary government (correct answer) [J] presidential government [K] representative government 33. All political powers in a state are concentrated at the central level under which form of government (1 pt) [A] federal [B] confederate [C] unitary (correct answer) [D] executive 34. The Constitution clearly states all of the implied powers of the National Government (1 pt) True False (Correct answer) 35. The structure of * requires that power be divided between a state's central and local levels of government (1 pt) [B] compromise [C] confederation [F] direct democracy [G] federal government (correct answer) [I] parliamentary government
[J] presidential government [K] representative government 36. In a democracy, the will of the majority (1 pt) [A] cannot be changed or improved upon [B] is not open to compromise [C] rarely leads to satisfactory policy decisions [D] cannot be used to deprive a minority of its rights. (correct answer) 37. first English charter of liberties protecting against absolute power of the Crown (1 pt) [A] Anti-Federalists [B] English Bill of Rights [C] Magna Carta (correct answer) [D] Virginia Plan 38. All of the following are types of powers delegated to the National Government EXCEPT (1 pt) [A] expressed powers [B] implied powers [C] inherent powers [D] reserved powers (correct answer) 39. Population, territory, government, and sovereignty are the defining characteristics of a democracy (1 pt) True False (Correct answer) 40. those powers held by the States, not granted specifically to the National Government by the Constitution (1 pt) [A] concurrent powers [B] delegated powers [C] division of powers [D] exclusive powers [E] inherent powers [F] reserved powers (correct answer) 41. The power of the Crown was first limited by Parliament under the (1 pt) [A] Magna Carta (correct answer) [B] English Bill of Rights [C] Petition of Right [D] Stamp Act of 1765 42. Which characteristic of the Constitution most angered Anti-Federalists? (1 pt)
[A] lack of a bill of rights (correct answer) [B] 3/5ths compromise [C] separation of powers [D] amendment process 43. Dictatorship is the complete absence of government (1 pt) True False (Correct answer) 44. The system of * helps keep one branch of government from dominating the actions of the others (1 pt) [A] amendment [B] Bill of Rights [C] checks and balances (correct answer) [D] constitutionalism [E] executive agreement [F] federalism [G] formal amendment [H] informal amendment [I] judicial review [J] limited government [K] popular sovereignty [L] rule of law [M] separation of powers [N] unconstitutional 45. The Bill of Rights guarantees (1 pt) [A] fair and equal treatment before the law (correct answer) [B] women the right to vote [C] African Americans the right to vote [D] the popular election of US senators 46. National government use their reserved powers to function in such areas as foreign diplomacy and defense (1 pt) True False (Correct answer) 47. Which of the following is NOT an example of the checks and balances system? (1 pt) [A] the President makes an executive agreement (correct answer) [B] the Supreme Court declares a law passed by Congress to be unconstitutional [C] The President vetoes a bill [D] the Senate approves the President's nominee for Supreme Court justice 48. After the Revolutionary War, the National Government (1 pt)
[A] proved too weak to deal with growing economic and political problems (correct answer) [B] refused to repay the war debt it owed to the states [C] permitted the states to make agreements with foreign governments [D] began imposing harsh tax policies on property owners and merchants 49. The power of the National Government to prohibit discrimination in places of public business is implied through its power to regulate (1 pt) [A] labor-management relations [B] occupational safety [C] interstate compacts [D] interstate commerce (correct answer) 50. The legislative branch can check the judicial branch by its power to (1 pt) [A] name federal judges [B] override a presidential veto [C] declare executive actions unconstitutional [D] remove judges through impeachment (correct answer)