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1 | |
Locke's conception of inalienable rights and the legitimacy of the social contract found its most explicit statement in |
| | A) | original state constitutions. |
| | B) | the Constitution of the United States. |
| | C) | the Declaration of Independence. |
| | D) | colonial charters. |
| | E) | the Bible. |
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2 | |
The principle of checks and balances is based on the notion that |
| | A) | leaders are the trustees of the people. |
| | B) | a weak government is always preferable to a strong government. |
| | C) | all legislative and executive action should be controlled through judicial power. |
| | D) | power must be used to offset power. |
| | E) | financial accounting is a key to a balanced budget. |
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3 | |
In Federalist No.10, Madison warns against the dangers of |
| | A) | judicial review. |
| | B) | factions. |
| | C) | allowing habeas corpus. |
| | D) | an independent executive. |
| | E) | a one-house Congress. |
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4 | |
As part of its power to "check" the courts, Congress has the constitutional authority to |
| | A) | decide the number of Supreme Court justices. |
| | B) | decide the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. |
| | C) | impeach and remove federal judges. |
| | D) | a and b only. |
| | E) | a, b and c. |
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5 | |
In practice, the most significant restraint imposed by Congress on the president is its |
| | A) | ability to override presidential vetoes. |
| | B) | power of impeachment. |
| | C) | power to make the laws and appropriate money. |
| | D) | power to approve presidential appointees. |
| | E) | ability to oversee the actions of the executive agencies. |
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6 | |
Which goals did the writers of the U.S. Constitution seek for government? 1) imperialism, 2) self-government, 3) limited government, 4) anarchy |
| | A) | 1 and 2 |
| | B) | 2 and 4 |
| | C) | 1 and 3 |
| | D) | 2 and 3 |
| | E) | 3 and 4 |
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7 | |
Judged in the context of U.S. history, the most effective constitutional constraint on abuses of power is |
| | A) | the separation of powers. |
| | B) | judicial review. |
| | C) | denials of power. |
| | D) | grants of power. |
| | E) | reserving powers to the people or to the states. |
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8 | |
The traditional objection to democratic government is the risk of |
| | A) | tyranny of the majority. |
| | B) | elite rule. |
| | C) | special-interest politics. |
| | D) | a weak presidency. |
| | E) | a strong presidency. |
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9 | |
Under which principle are minority rights and interests protected by putting restraints on the majority? |
| | A) | separation of powers. |
| | B) | self-government. |
| | C) | checks and balances. |
| | D) | judicial review. |
| | E) | bicameral Congress. |
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10 | |
All of the following reforms were accomplished during the Progressive era except |
| | A) | direct election of senators. |
| | B) | the initiative and referendum. |
| | C) | direct election of the president. |
| | D) | primary elections. |
| | E) | all were done during the Progressive era. |
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11 | |
Charles Beard's thesis about American government is that |
| | A) | democracy should not have been established in such a large country. |
| | B) | the poor and uneducated were bound to destroy popular sovereignty. |
| | C) | there is no way that a nation can prevent tyranny of the majority. |
| | D) | the Constitution was written to keep power in the hands of an elite. |
| | E) | the Constitution was written to preserve minority rights and privileges. |
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12 | |
In arguing that representatives should use their own judgment in deciding how best to serve their constituencies, Edmund Burke supported the view of representatives as |
| | A) | delegates. |
| | B) | trustees. |
| | C) | sovereigns. |
| | D) | electors. |
| | E) | politicos. |
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13 | |
Under the U.S. government under the Articles of Confederation, |
| | A) | the states were supreme in power over the national government. |
| | B) | the states were subordinate to the national government in all ways. |
| | C) | sovereignty was placed in the hands of France. |
| | D) | New York was forbidden to enter into trade with New Hampshire. |
| | E) | all of these were true under the Articles of Confederation. |
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14 | |
The effectiveness of separation of powers in the United States government is illustrated in your text by: |
| | A) | the ability to keep the government from expanding its powers. |
| | B) | the Watergate affair in the Nixon administration. |
| | C) | America's inability to respond to external aggression quickly. |
| | D) | the evolution of judicial review. |
| | E) | the different sales tax rates in each state. |
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15 | |
The "Great Compromise" called for a Congress based on |
| | A) | equal representation for the states. |
| | B) | equal representation in one house and population-based representation in the other house. |
| | C) | representation based on tax contributions. |
| | D) | representation based on a "three fifths" racial formula. |
| | E) | equal representation based on the racial makeup of the country. |
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16 | |
Shays's Rebellion drew attention to |
| | A) | the weakness of the national government under the Articles of Confederation. |
| | B) | the opposition of the smaller states to the Virginia Plan. |
| | C) | Antifederalists' opposition to ratification of the Constitution. |
| | D) | states' rights advocates and their fears of a domineering national government. |
| | E) | the federal import tax on Irish whiskey. |
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