The United States’ republican

/in /by

How is the United States’ republican form of government reflected in its political institutions?

 

a.through the amendment process, where citizens vote on whether to ratify an amendment

 

b.through referendum votes, where citizens directly choose to enact a policy at the local level

 

c.through the presidential election, where the winner of the popular vote becomes president

 

d.through midterm elections, where citizens elect their representatives for the House and Senate

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 16

 

  1. The ability of Congress to make legislation that requires stricter background checks on all firearms purchases is an example of the government’s ______.

 

a.social contract

 

b.authority

 

c.legitimacy

 

d.power

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 17

 

  1. Who is responsible for spearheading the loose construction ideology during the United States’ early years?

 

a.Thomas Jefferson

 

b.John Adams

 

c.John Marshall

 

d.George Washington

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 18

 

  1. How many votes are required in Congress to propose an amendment to the Constitution?

 

a.two-thirds of the Senate and the House of Representatives

 

b.three-quarters of the Senate and the House of Representatives

 

c.a unanimous vote of the Senate and the House of Representatives

 

d.half of both the Senate and the House of Representatives

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 19

 

  1. Where did the American Revolution begin?

 

a.Boston

 

b.Lexington and Concord

 

c.New York City

 

d.Philadelphia

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 20

 

  1. Which act passed in 1767 imposed taxes on a variety of items that were imported into the colonies?

 

a.the Stamp Act

 

b.the Sugar Act

 

c.the Townshend Acts

 

d.the Coercive Acts

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 21

 

  1. How did those who were opposed to the Constitution during the ratification debates respond to the Federalist papers?

 

a.by boycotting pro-Federalist newspapers

 

b.by refuting each point during public debates

 

c.by conceding to ratification

 

d.by launching a media campaign of their own

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 22

 

  1. Which regulation imposed import duties on textiles, coffee, indigo, and other goods?

 

a.the Tea Act

 

b.the Sugar Act

 

c.the Stamp Act

 

d.the Intolerable Acts

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 23

 

  1. How did James Madison support the claim that the Constitution would protect against government abuses of power in Federalist No. 51?

 

a.by reassuring citizens that states will retain sovereignty under federalism

 

b.by describing the nature of the executive and how it differs from Britain

 

c.by outlining the government’s division into separate branches and levels

 

d.by pointing out the many failures of the Articles of Confederation

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 24

 

  1. How were the supporters of the Constitution able to alleviate fears and state the benefits of the Constitution so effectively during the ratification debates?

 

a.by holding the Constitutional Convention publicly

 

b.by stoking fears of a renewal of British rule

 

c.by touring to each state to answer questions

 

d.by publishing a series of persuasive essays

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 25

 

  1. Which option best describes the Federalist position?

 

a.strongly in favor of the Articles of Confederation as is

 

b.in favor of altering, but not replacing, the Articles of Confederation

 

c.favorable to the newly proposed Constitution

 

d.strongly opposed to the new Constitution

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 26

 

How did Thomas Jefferson justify the addition of a bill of rights to the Constitution to James Madison?

 

a.He suggested that the bill of rights could always be removed later.

 

b.He stated that they should do whatever necessary to secure ratification.

 

c.He explained that even if they could not secure all rights it was critical to secure whatever rights they could.

 

d.He argued that not adding a bill of rights would lead to certain anarchy.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 27

 

  1. Why would a less-populous state like Maryland oppose the Virginia Plan?

 

a.It would keep the institution of slavery intact.

 

b.It would give larger states more lawmaking power.

 

c.It would give a single executive too much power.

 

d.It would allow for large states to tax the small states.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 28

 

  1. Why were Northerners opposed to the Southern states counting slaves as free people in their population?

 

a.Doing so would boost the Southern representation in the legislature.

 

b.It would mean the North would be taxed at a higher rate than the South.

 

c.They did not want slaves to feel as though they were free persons in any way.

 

d.Doing so would signal the end of slavery and a likely economic collapse.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 29

 

  1. What was the significance of the Stamp Act Congress that met in 1765?

 

a.It was the meeting at which the Declaration of Independence was drafted.

 

b.It served as a way for the colonists to discuss concerns with the British monarchy.

 

c.It allowed the colonists to meet with one another to plot an attack against Parliament.

 

d.It was the first instance of coordinated intercolonial resistance to Britain.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 30

 

  1. How did the structure of government under the new Constitution differ from the structure of government in Great Britain at the time?

 

a.The Constitution granted the federal government more power than Parliament had.

 

b.The Constitution separated the powers of the government, while Parliament combined them.

 

c.Many of the structures of government were either nearly identical or very similar.

 

d.The powers under Parliament were clearly defined, while those under the Constitution were not.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 31

 

  1. What was the underlying belief informing the enumeration of powers in the Constitution?

 

a.They would serve as a bare minimum for the scope of power for Congress.

 

b.They would be available to both the states and the federal government.

 

c.The federal government would have the ability to expand its powers to carry out its duties.

 

d.The federal government would be limited to only those powers listed in the Constitution.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 32

 

  1. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has been known for his narrow interpretations of the Constitution’s language. Specifically, Thomas has consistently interpreted the Commerce Clause of the Constitution in a way that limits the scope of what can be classified as “commerce.” Given this information, to which judicial ideology does Justice Clarence Thomas most likely subscribe?

 

a.open interpretation

 

b.loose construction

 

c.judicial activism

 

d.strict construction

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 33

 

  1. During the period of initial settlement in the colonies, many of those who came over did so to escape religious persecution. America welcomed those from various religions, including Quakers, Lutherans, and Puritans. This tradition of religious acceptance continued after the Constitution was ratified through the passage of which amendment?

 

a.the Sixth Amendment

 

b.the Fourth Amendment

 

c.the First Amendment

 

d.the Tenth Amendment

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 34

 

Under the American system of federalism, who has the power to overturn or reverse a precedent set by the Supreme Court?

 

a.the American people

 

b.the Supreme Court

 

c.the president

 

d.the Senate

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 35

 

What is a confederation?

 

a.An army that is formed and led by the national government.

 

b.A group of people who want to overthrow the government.

 

c.An organization of nations that aim to facilitate foreign policy.

 

d.A league of multiple independent states that unite to achieve shared goals.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 36

 

What is one notable disadvantage of federalism as cited by  authors of the text?

 

a.American values of liberty and freedom are not prioritized.

 

b.There can be significant disparities in wealth among states.

 

c.Each state has its own unique culture and there is too much diversity across the states.

 

d.Some policies are only implemented at the state level.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 37

 

One issue with federalism is that it can cause the federal and state governments to play the “blame game,” which generally leads to ______.

 

a.fiscal disparities.

 

b.a lack of accountability.

 

c.a strong reliance on the courts.

 

d.allegations of inactive voters.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 38

 

The powers of the federal government that are specifically listed in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution are known as ______.

 

a.enumerated powers

 

b.federalist powers

 

c.reserved powers

 

d.concurrent powers

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 39

 

When a federal law explicitly bars the states from making a certain law or taking a certain action this is known as ______.

 

a.preemption

 

b.tyranny

 

c.exercising concurrent powers

 

d.authoritarianism

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 40

 

  1. Why is it a concern that the states and the federal government rely heavily on the courts to resolve conflicts over who has the power to regulate an area?

 

a.Judges and justices in the courts often do not have the necessary expertise to make these decisions.

 

b.The Founders intended for the states to take precedent when lawmaking powers conflict.

 

c.The Constitution clearly states that the federal government is supreme in its lawmaking abilities.

 

d.Decisions made by the courts are not always consistently applied or binding in the future.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 41

 

  1. Which statement best describes the balance of federalism since the adoption of the Constitution?

 

a.The balance of power between the states and the national government has remained stable.

 

b.The balance of power between the states and the federal government has shifted back and forth.

 

c.The authority of the states has consistently increased at the expense of the national government.

 

d.The authority of the federal government has increased, while the states have lost some powers.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 42

 

  1. Which option best describes concurrent powers?

 

a.powers that are implied as belonging to the federal government

 

b.powers that are shared by the federal and state governments

 

c.powers that are retained by the states

 

d.powers that are granted only to the federal government in the Constitution

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 43

 

  1. Why do state and national governments lack accountability under federalism?

 

a.State governments tend to preempt national laws, which cause confusion among citizens.

 

b.Both the federal and state governments are subject to extreme gridlock when making laws.

 

c.Lawmakers often get into arguments over who is responsible due to states’ reserved powers.

 

d.Shared responsibility can sometimes cause inaction over who should implement a policy.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 44

 

Which of the following is mostly directly responsible for inaction that may result from a system of federalism?

 

a.the American people

 

b.the president

 

c.state and federal lawmakers

 

d.the Supreme Court

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 45

 

  1. How did Chief Justice John Marshall’s Court impact the balance of federalism?

 

a.It granted states certain powers that were also enumerated to Congress.

 

b.It gave states the ability to pass laws that conflicted with and overrode national laws.

 

c.It shifted the power balance away from the states toward the national government.

 

d.It shifted the balance of power from the state governments to local governments.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 46

 

  1. During the era of cooperative federalism, which action would Congress have been likely to take if a state law conflicted with a federal law?

 

a.assert exclusive control over the policy matter at hand

 

b.jail representatives at the state level for violating federal law

 

c.penalize that state by implementing higher taxes

 

d.remove that state’s representation in Congress

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 47

 

  1. Who has sovereignty in a federalist system?

 

a.the states and the federal government

 

b.a single executive

 

c.each of the 50 states

 

d.the central government

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 48

 

What is meant by a “laboratory of democracy”?

 

a.Universities in America are excellent for fostering political discussion and debate.

 

b.American provides a unique case study for political scientists to observe democracy in action.

 

c.States are able to experiment with local policies without impacting the nation as a whole.

 

d.The federal government can try out policies quickly and easily without severe repercussions.

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 49

 

  1. In the United States, the federal government and the state and local governments share power with one another. In some instances, the federal government has powers that the state governments do not have and the states have power the federal government does not have, while in other instances the state and federal governments share power. This is an example of which system of government?

 

a.federalism

 

b.authoritarian

 

c.unitarian

 

d.confederation

 

 

 

 

2 points   

QUESTION 50

 

  1. Suppose Congress is attempting to pass a law that would require all manufacturing businesses in each state to adhere to a strict set of requirements, including cleanliness standards, hiring practices that promote gender equality in hiring practices, and a higher minimum wage. The Supreme Court has ruled that this law violates the rights of the state to set such standards, since the cost of living and workforce differ from state to state. Which period of federalism is this decision best representative of?

 

a.marble-cake federalism

 

b.cooperative federalism

 

c.national supremacy

 

d.dual federalism