Vocabulary
Constitutional Convention
Compromises
Divisions of Power
Anything Goes
100
A constitution is best described as a a. plan to get candidates elected to office b. plan describing the organization and operation of a government c. government’s plan for getting and spending money d. military plan of attack
c. government’s plan for getting and spending money
100
At the Constitutional Convention, the Great Compromise settled the dispute over a. Representation in Congress b. The issue of slavery c. The presidential veto power d. judicial review
a. Representation in Congress
100
Which part of the United States Government resulted from the Great Compromise on the issue of representation? a. Presidency b. Supreme Court c. Congress d. Cabinet
c. Congress
100
Which statement illustrates the system of checks and balances at work? a. The president sends American troops on a peacekeeping mission to Europe b. Congress passes a law regulation the sale of handguns c. The senate refuses to approve the president’s choice for a Supreme Court justice. d. The governor of New York discusses policy with the president
c. The senate refuses to approve the president’s choice for a Supreme Court justice.
100
The Preamble of the United States Constitution says that the power to govern originates with the a. states b. president c. Supreme Court d. people
d. people
200
By which process can the United States Constitution be changed? a. veto b. amendment c. resolution d. legislative hearing
b. amendment
200
A major task facing the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 was to create a government powerful enough to get things done but not so powerful that the government would a. threaten the rights of the people b. become more powerful than the church c. discourage people from running from office d. become too costly
a. threaten the rights of the people
200
Delegates at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 agreed to the Three-Fifths Compromise as a way to a. limit the power of the president b. provide legal rights for women c. settle differences over representation in Congress d. established term lengths for senators
c. settle differences over representation in Congress
200
The statement in the U.S. Constitution that the President “...shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint... judges of the Supreme Court” illustrates which governmental principle? a. judicial review b. checks and balances c. executive privilege d. minority rights
b. checks and balances
200
Which part of the federal government is most like the New York State Assembly? a. cabinet b. Supreme Court c. House of Representatives d. Treasury Department
c. House of Representatives
300
Any nation which is a republic must provide for a. a written constitution b. election of representatives c. guaranteed civil liberties d. separation of powers
c. guaranteed civil liberties
300
The New York State Constitution, adopted in 1777, was important because it a. inspired the writing of the Declaration of Independence b. maintained British influence in the State c. served as a model for the Constitution of the United States d. gave all adult males the right to vote
c. served as a model for the Constitution of the United States
300
During the struggle over ratification of the Constitution, Federalist and Antifederalist disagreed mainly over the a. wisdom of maintaining friendship with England b. need for the continuation of slavery c. election of George Washington as the first president d. division of power between the national government and the states
d. division of power between the national government and the states
300
Which action best illustrates the principle of checks and balances in the United States Constitution? a. The President negotiates a treaty b. The House of Representatives initiates a revenue bill c. The Vice President presides over a Senate meeting d. The Senate ratifies a Presidential appointment
d. The Senate ratifies a Presidential appointment
300
Supreme Court decision based on First Amendment issues usually involve the a. rights of individuals b. control of big business c. collection of taxes on income d. corruption in government
a. rights of individuals
400
What is the group of people who supported the ratification of the Constitution called?
Federalists
400
Which statement best explains the great number of disagreements between delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787? a. The delegates represented states with very different needs and interests b. The delegates did not have enough time to consider different points of view c. Most of the delegates had little experience in government d. Most of the delegates opposed doing away with the Articles of Confederation
a. The delegates represented states with very different needs and interests
400
At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Great Compromise was concerned mainly with a. representation of the states in Congress b. the question of slavery c. the powers of the executive d. control of interstate commerce
a. representation of the states in Congress
400
The principle of federalism as established by the U.S. Constitution provides for the a. separation of powers of the three branches of government b. placement of ultimate sovereignty in the hands of the state governments c. divisions of power between the state governments and the national government d. creation of a republican form of government
c. divisions of power between the state governments and the national government
400
The New York State Legislature and the United States Congress are similar in that members of both a. serve in the Federal Government b. can declare war c. are directly elected by the people d. can ratify treaties with foreign nations
c. are directly elected by the people
500
A basic principle of our system of government which maintains that all power is derived from the people is known as a. representative democracy b. popular sovereignty c. constitutional law d. freedom
b. popular sovereignty
500
* Congress could not levy and collect taxes * Congress could not regulate interstate or foreign trade * There was no national court system to settle disputes * The thirteen separate states lacked national unity Which document is characterized by these statements? a. Articles of Confederation b. Federalist Papers c. Northwest Ordinance d. United States Constitution
a. Articles of Confederation
500
Which was the basic reason that the Bill of Rights was added to the original United States Constitution? a. Local governments demanded a listing of their powers b. There was a need for a strong central authority c. Individuals needed protection from possible abuses of Government powers d. The powers of Congress were not sufficiently defined in the original Constitution
c. Individuals needed protection from possible abuses of Government powers
500
The fact that the United States Constitution provided for federalism and a system of checks and balances suggests that a. the original thirteen states sought to dominate the national government b. its writers desired the national government to rule over the states c. its writers feared a concentration of political power d. the American people at that time supported a military government
c. its writers feared a concentration of political power
500
The case Marbury v. Madison was a landmark Supreme Court decision because it a. established the power of the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional b. increased the power of the Federalist in the legislative branch c. resulted in an increase in the number of Supreme Court justices d. reinforced the power of the president as commander in chief
a. established the power of the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional
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