Articles of Confederation
Which was a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
A. Congress could control all state laws.
B. The president had too much power.
C. Congress could not collect taxes.
D. The courts could remove laws.
C. Congress could not collect taxes.
What document replaced the Articles of Confederation?
A. Declaration of Independence
B. U.S. Constitution
C. Bill of Rights
D. Mayflower Compact
B. U.S. Constitution
What is the main purpose of the Preamble?
A. State the goals of government
B. To list the powers of Congress
C. To explain court cases
D. To list amendments
A. State the goals of government
Which principle divides government responsibilities among three branches?
A. rule of law
B. due process
C. individual rights
D. separation of powers
D. separation of powers
Which idea means the government's power is restricted?
A. popular sovereignty
B. limited government
C. federalism
D. judicial review
B. limited government
Under the Articles of Confederation, which part of the national government was missing?
A. executive branch
B. legislative branch
C. state governments
D. Congress
A. executive branch
Which problem made it difficult for the national government to control trade between states?
A. Congress could not create courts.
B. States could not collect taxes.
C. Congress had too many powers.
D. Congress could not regulate trade.
D. Congress could not regulate trade.
Which Preamble goal means keeping peace and order inside the country?
A. provide for the common defense
B. secure the blessings of liberty
C. ensure domestic tranquility
D. form a more perfect union
C. ensure domestic tranquility
Which principle allows one branch to limit the power of another branch?
A. rule of law
B. checks and balances
C. due process
D. popular sovereignty
B. checks and balances
Which principle means government officials must obey the law just like everyone else?
A. rule of law
B. separation of powers
C. popular sovereignty
D. checks and balances
A. rule of law
How many states had to agree to change the Articles of Confederation?
A. 7 states
B. 9 states
C. 10 states
D. all 13 states
D. all 13 states
Why was the government under the Articles considered weak?
A. It could not enforce its own laws.
B. It controlled all state governments.
C. It had a powerful president.
D. It had too many national courts.
A. It could not enforce its own laws.
What does the phrase “We the People” mean?
A. Courts control the government.
B. Government receives its power from the people.
C. States have all government power.
D. Congress gives citizens their rights.
B. Government receives its power from the people.
Congress makes laws, the president carries out laws, and courts interpret laws.
Which principle does this illustrate?
A. due process
B. checks and balances
C. separation of powers
D. rule of law
C. separation of powers
Which principle protects people by requiring government to follow fair legal procedures?
A. checks and balances
B. separation of powers
C. popular sovereignty
D. due process
D. due process
Shays's Rebellion showed that the national government had difficulty responding to an armed uprising.
Which weakness of the Articles of Confederation did this event demonstrate?
A. Congress could not regulate trade.
B. The national government had no national armed forces.
C. Congress could not create state governments.
D. The national government had too many courts.
B. The national government had no national armed forces.
Congress passes a national law, but the government has no power to make the states follow it.
Which change would best address this weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
A. Give each state the power to ignore national laws.
B. Require all states to approve every national law.
C. Give the national government power to enforce its laws.
D. Remove the national legislative branch.
C. Give the national government power to enforce its laws.
The U.S. government uses the military to protect the country from an attack by another nation.
Which goal of the Preamble is illustrated by this action?
A. establish justice
B. promote the general welfare
C. ensure domestic tranquility
D. provide for the common defense
D. provide for the common defense
Congress passes a bill. The president disagrees with the bill and vetoes it.
Which constitutional principle is illustrated by this action?
A. checks and balances
B. due process
C. rule of law
D. individual rights
A. checks and balances
A government official orders a citizen to be punished without giving the citizen a fair legal hearing.
Which constitutional principle would protect the citizen from this government action?
A. separation of powers
B. checks and balances
C. due process
D. popular sovereignty
C. due process
Name two weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Congress could not tax, regulate trade, or enforce laws; there was no executive branch, no national court system, no national armed forces, and changes required all 13 states to agree.
Why did the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation lead to the writing of the U.S. Constitution?
The Articles created a national government that was too weak to solve important problems, so a new Constitution was written to create a stronger national government.
Explain what “We the People” means and name two goals of the Preamble.
Government gets its power from the people and exists to serve them. Goals include forming a more perfect union, establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting the general welfare, or securing liberty.
Explain the difference between separation of powers and checks and balances.
Separation of powers gives different jobs to different branches. Checks and balances allow each branch to limit the power of the other branches.
Name three ways the Constitution limits government power.
separation of powers, checks and balances, individual rights, rule of law, due process