Principles of Government
Which principle of American government is best represented by the following three excerpts from the Constitution?
“The executive Power shall be vested in a President . . .” (Article II)
“The judicial Power of the United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court. . .” (Article III)
A. federalism
B. separation of powers
C. limited government
D. checks and balances
B. separation of powers
Which of the following is NOT an example of checks & balances?
A. Congress votes to override the president’s veto?
B. The Supreme Court overturns a law made by Congress
C. The government's power is limited by the bill of rights which guarantees our inalienable rights
D. The Senate must confirm and approve of the President's cabinet members
C. The government's power is limited by the bill of rights which guarantees our inalienable rights
Which of the following is a power reserved only for the states?
A. collecting taxes
B. establishing schools
C. declaring war
D. coining money
B. establishing schools
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of an authoritarian government?
A. Freedom of the press is protected.
B. The government has unlimited powers.
C. Voting rights are not given to all citizens.
D. Individual rights are restricted.
A. Freedom of the press is protected.
How many Senators does each state get?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 4
D. 5
B. 2
Which of the following is an example of how we follow consent of the governed?
A. Representatives rewrite a bill in committee meetings.
B. Representatives hold hearings to allow citizens to voice opinions.
C. The president enforces a law passed by Congress.
D. The president fires a cabinet member who is performing poorly.
B. Representatives hold hearings to allow citizens to voice opinions.
What was the ruling of the Supreme Court in McCulloch v. Maryland?
A. The federal government does not have the authority to create a bank.
B. State laws are allowed to contradict national laws.
C. States are allowed to tax the national government.
D. National laws are supreme to, or above, state laws.
D. National laws are supreme to, or above, state laws.
The power to coin money and declare war is an example of...
A. a power delegated to the national government.
B. a power reserved to the states.
C. a power concurrent (shared) to both levels of government.
D. a power denied to both levels of government.
A. a power delegated to the national government.
What constitutional principle is best illustrated when Congress votes to override the president’s veto?
a. federalism
b. checks and balances
c. separation of powers
d. limited government
b. checks and balances
The amount of members in the House of Representatives each state gets is determined by...
A. the number of senators that state has
B. geographic size of the state
C. population size
D. Each state gets 2 representatives
C. population size
Why was the First Amendment added to the U.S. Constitution according to the excerpt below?
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for redress of grievances.”
- First Amendment, U.S. Constitution
A. to preserve the power of the legislative branch
B. to strengthen the power of the federal courts
C. to divide powers between the state and federal governments
D. to protect the rights of citizens from abuses by the government
D. to protect the rights of citizens from abuses by the government
Which group has the power to impeach the president?
A. the Maryland General Assembly
B. the House of Representatives
C. the Vice President
D. the Department of Justice
B. the House of Representatives
Negotiating treaties and building relationships with other countries is an example of which role of the president?
A. commander in chief
B. chief diplomat
C. chief legislator
D. chief of state
B. chief diplomat
Montgomery County students vote for the student member of the Board of Education who will participate in county school board meetings.
Which type of government does this example illustrate?
A. oligarchy
B. monarchy
C. representative democracy
D. direct democracy
C. representative democracy
The power to raise an army and navy is an example of…
a. a power DELEGATED to the national government.
b. a power RESERVED to the states.
c. a power CONCURRENT (SHARED) to both levels of government.
d. a power DENIED to both levels of government.
a. a power DELEGATED to the national government.
Which principle of government does the following scenario demonstrate?
The president declares southern Maryland a Federal Disaster Area after it suffers a severe drought. The national government then provides money to the Maryland state government. The Maryland government gives the money to county governments in southern Maryland. The county governments use the money to support farmers hurt by the drought.
A. federalism
B. separation of powers
C. checks and balances
D. limited government
A. federalism
The Constitution requires the Senate to confirm the president's nominations to the Supreme Court in order to…
A. decrease the power of Congress
B. prevent federal abuse of state power
C. limit the power of the president
D. expand the authority of the executive branch
C. limit the power of the president
The supremacy clause is best applied in a scenario when...
A. the federal government can infer what powers they have based on the constitution
B. there is a conflict between state law and federal law
C. the legislative branch overrides a presidential veto
D. the federal government enforces a law created by congress
B. there is a conflict between state law and federal law
Which action by the president fulfills the role of party leader?
A. appointing members of his political party to cabinet positions
B. speaking at the graduation of a college or university
C. delivering the State of the Union address to Congress
D. working with the Attorney General to reduce crime
A. appointing members of his political party to cabinet positions
What is the name of our state government?
a. the Maryland Legislative Branch
b. the Maryland House of Delegates
c. the Maryland General Assembly
d. Congress
c. the Maryland General Assembly
The following headlines represent a debate over which principle of government?
"It’s time to shrink the size of our government!"
"Government needs to do more to help America!"
A. separation of powers
B. limited government
C. federalism
D. checks and balances
B. limited government
What concept does the following conflict demonstrate?
Congress and the president couldn’t agree on several issues related to education. As a result a bill establishing an education policy was not passed and states did not receive new funding.
A. The powers of the US government have changed over time.
B. Checks and balances can interfere with the functioning of government power.
C. The government must balance the protection of rights with maintaining order.
D. The government always tries to promote the common good.
B. Checks and balances can interfere with the functioning of government power.
Which of the following is a power of both the governor and county executive?
A. the power to be commander in chief
B. the power to negotiate treaties
C. the power to propose budgets
D. the power to impeach judges
C. the power to propose budgets
How are lawmaking bodies at the national, state, and local levels of government similar?
A. The legislatures make laws.
B. The legislatures must approve treaties.
C. The legislatures can veto executive orders.
D. The legislatures require citizens to introduce bills.
A. The legislatures make laws.
DAILY DOUBLE!
Describe what a filibuster is in your own words
When a member of congress stalls the legislative process to stop a bill from becoming a law. Usually a speech