The United States Constitution

Federalists and Anti-Federalists

100

The Federalist Papers were A) essays in support of ratification of the constitution. B) essays written that were critical of the constitution. C) newspapers which backed the Federalist party in early United States elections. D) the original name of the constitution written by the Constitutional Convention. E) the notes that George Washington took at the Constitutional Convention.

A) essays in support of ratification of the constitution.

200

Which of the following statements about the Anti-Federalists is FALSE? A) The Anti-Federalists believed the new Constitution was a class-based document. B) The Anti-Federalists fought to prevent ratification of the new constitution. C) The Anti-Federalists believed that the new government was an enemy of freedom. D) The Anti-Federalists believed the new government would erode fundamental liberties. E) The Anti-Federalists were basically unpatriotic and un-American.

E) The Anti-Federalists were basically unpatriotic and un-American.

300

Opposition to ratification of the Constitution was based on the belief that it would A) provide for elite control, endanger liberty, and weaken the states. B) produce more democratic elements than desirable for a strong central government. C) give too much power to the states. D) promote pluralism, which would threaten liberty. E) all of the above

A) provide for elite control, endanger liberty, and weaken the states.

400

The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution A) during the ratification process, before final ratification of the constitution. B) during the Constitutional Convention, at the insistence of Thomas Jefferson. C) after the ratification process was complete, and partly to fulfill a promise to those who supported ratification. D) in 1865 after the union victory in the Civil War. E) piece by piece during the first hundred years of its operation

C) after the ratification process was complete, and partly to fulfill a promise to those who supported ratification.

500

In this Federalist Essay, James Madison argues in favor of a system to limit the power he government, he writes, "If all me were angels, no government would be necessary.... In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself.

Federalist No. 51

Articles of Confederation

100

Under the Articles of Confederation, most power rested with the A) the British Parliament. B) president. C) United States Senate. D) state legislatures. E) Continental Congress.

D) state legislatures.

200

The United States government under the Articles of Confederation can best be described as A) weak and ineffective. B) overly prone to intervention in foreign affairs. C) overly bureaucratic. D) dictatorial. E) a personal tool of George Washington.

A) weak and ineffective.

300

37) Which of the following was NOT a source of revenue for the United States government under the Articles of Confederation? A) taxes levied by the Continental Congress B) printing its own money C) selling off western lands D) state governments E) All of the above were revenue sources.

A) taxes levied by the Continental Congress

400

A small band of farmers in western Massachusetts took up arms in what is remembered as A) the Farmersʹ Revolt. B) King Georgeʹs War. C) the Boston Tea Party. D) the Whiskey Rebellion. E) Shaysʹ Rebellion.

E) Shaysʹ Rebellion.

500

57) What was the original, sole, and express purpose of the constitutional convention in Philadelphia? A) to revise the Articles of Confederation B) to choose the first president C) to negotiate the peace treaty with Great Britain D) to abolish the Articles of Confederation E) to grant women the right to vote

A) to revise the Articles of Confederation

The Constitutional Convention

100

The view of human nature most prevalent among the Founding Fathers was that A) men abhor power and the burdens that come with it. B) people are self-interested in acquiring wealth and power. C) human nature can be perfected, given the right social and political institutions. D) people are basically cooperative and community-oriented. E) people are disorganized and without vision.

B) people are self-interested in acquiring wealth and power.

200

The Virginia and New Jersey Plans introduced at the Constitutional Convention differed mainly over whether A) states should send equal numbers of representatives to Congress. B) there should be a president. C) the states or the national government should regulate interstate commerce. D) there should be a legislative branch at the national level. E) slavery should be permitted in the country.

A) states should send equal numbers of representatives to Congress.

300

Which of these was NOT one of the big three disagreements at the Constitutional Convention? A) what to do about slavery B) who should have the right to vote C) whether or not the states should have an equal number of votes in Congress D) whether the courts should have the power of judicial review E) issues of equality

D) whether the courts should have the power of judicial review

400

In determining congressional representation and taxation, the Constitution A) counted slaves as three-fifths of a person. B) did not count slaves. C) counted slaves the same as free persons. D) was silent on the issue of how slaves would be counted, instead leaving the issue to each state to decide. E) counted slaves as one-half of a person

A) counted slaves as three-fifths of a person.

500

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention did not worry about preserving individual rights for all of the following reasons EXCEPT A) every state had its own bill of rights. B) they were constructing a limited government that could not threaten personal freedoms. C) they included a bill of rights in Article V. D) they dispersed power so that each branch or level could constrain the other. E) the various states were already doing a sufficient job of protecting individual rights.

C) they included a bill of rights in Article V.

The Declaration of Independence

100

The Declaration of Independence was a A) valid legal document under British law. B) bitter attack against the British king for abuses said to have been done to the colonists over a long period of time. C) proclamation from King George III granting the American colonists the right to form their own nation. D) thoughtful, cautious explanation of why independence might be a good idea if certain demands were not met. E) last effort by the American colonists to get back on good terms with England, while only threatening independence.

B) bitter attack against the British king for abuses said to have been done to the colonists over a long period of time.

200

The primary author of the Declaration of Independence was A) Thomas Jefferson. B) Benjamin Franklin. C) James Madison. D) King George III. E) George Washington.

A) Thomas Jefferson.

300

17) The Declaration of Independence argued that A) nations are indivisible and a people must never secede from their mother nation. B) people should revolt when they suffer deep injustices. C) the British parliament was to blame for the evils imposed upon the colonists. D) people should always work peacefully within the system to redress any grievances they have. E) revolution is justifiable whenever people become angry with their government.

B) people should revolt when they suffer deep injustices.

400

Lockean thought and the Declaration of Independence are similar in that both A) recognize the right of the people to determine their own form of government, short of resorting to revolution. B) were developed in the late 1700s. C) value the preservation of private property. D) seek common ideals in government through the establishment of a constitutional monarchy. E) support the concept of natural rights and the idea that government be built on the consent of the governed.

E) support the concept of natural rights and the idea that government be built on the consent of the governed.

500

Reflecting the natural rights philosophy, the Declaration of Independence stated that governments derive their just powers from A) God. B) the consent of the governed. C) tradition. D) their elected leaders. E) a Constitution.

B) the consent of the governed.

The Madisonian System

100

Two key elements of the Madisonian model were to A) keep most of the government beyond the control of a popular majority and separate the powers of different institutions. B) promote state power while separating the powers of different national institutions. C) keep as much of the government as possible beyond the control of a popular majority and extend the right to vote to everyone. D) combine the powers of different institutions and create a powerful presidency. E) require a system of checks and balances and extend democracy.

A) keep most of the government beyond the control of a popular majority and separate the

200

Madisonian principles in the Constitution were based on A) statesʹ rights. B) a concentration of power, so that the minority faction could dominate the government. C) the belief that government should always be dominated by the majority. D) concern that government would be dominated by a majority or minority faction. E) the ideas of a group of professors at Madison University.

D) concern that government would be dominated by a majority or minority faction.

300

The Madisonian requirement that each branch of government acquire the consent of the others for many of its actions created a system of A) confederated government. B) checks and balances. C) constitutional republic. D) cross-cutting requirements. E) separation of powers.

B) checks and balances.

400

95) Under the Madisonian model, people desiring change A) find a government that is highly responsive and acts quickly and decisively. B) must usually have a sizable majority. C) have no chance of victory. D) need only win at one point in the policymaking process. E) need just a simple majority over 50 percent.

B) must usually have a sizable majority.

500

The one element of government that Madisonʹs plan placed within direct control of the voters was the A) Senate. B) presidency. C) Congress. D) House of Representatives. E) Supreme Court.

D) House of Representatives.