Heading:
AP Constitution Test
1) Compared to the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution created a
a) Stronger national government.
b) Weaker national government.
c) Stronger executive.
d) a and b.
e) b and c.
2) After the American Revolution, economic issues moved to the top of the political agenda
because
a) Banks across the country faced a series of foreclosures.
b) A period of tremendous economic prosperity began.
c) Slavery was growing increasingly economically unstable.
d) State legislatures started a vigorous campaign of debt collection.
e) A postwar depression hurt small farmers and many others.
3) Two key of 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) Require a system of checks and balances and extend democracy.
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) Promote state power while separating the powers of different national institutions.
4) Shay’s Rebellion is significant because it
a) led to the overthrow of British rule
b) scared the American elites, leading to the adoption of the Constitution
c) caused the American colonies to join together in the face of a threat from the French
d) led to the enactment of slavery in the South
e) narrowly avoided overthrowing the government of Vermont
5) Which of the following was NOT a problem with the Articles of Confederation
a) There was no strong federal army to prevent revolutions
b) The Articles were almost impossible to amend
c) Each state was taxing trade with other states
d) States were establishing ties with foreign powers
e) The articles did not adequately protect the freedom of the states
6) The issue of the representation of slaves was decided by the
a) Three- Fifths Compromise
b) Connecticut Compromise
c) Commerce and Slave- Trade Compromise
d) Bill of Rights
e) Articles of Confederation
7) The principle of American Government that establishes concurrent, state and national
governments is known as
a) Separation of powers
b) Limited government
c) Federalism
d) Check and balances
e) Judicial review
8) The Virginia Plan would have created a
a) Legislature dominated by the small states
b) Legislature dominated by the big states
c) Legislature controlled by the slave states
d) Legislature that balanced control between the large and small states
e) Constitutional monarchy
9) Which of the following statements about the relationship between Congress and the Supreme
Court is valid?
a) A decision can be overturned by a two-thirds vote of both houses
b) Nominations to the Supreme Court must be approved by Congress
c) A constitutional amendment is the only way Congress can overturn a Supreme Court
decision
d) Congress can expand the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court through legislation
e) Congress can remove a Supreme Court justice
10) A constitutional responsibility given to the vice president is
a) Representing the president at official functions
b) Serving as leader of the of president’s party in the Senate
c) Recommending appointments to the cabinet
d) Presiding over the Senate
e) Heading special executive committees created by the president
11) All the following were weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation EXCEPT
a) Congress did not have the power to control interstate and foreign trade
b) Congress had the power to make laws
c) It was difficult to amend the Articles of Confederation
d) There was no independent judiciary
e) Few limits were imposed on the executive branch
12) The arguments used by Antifederalist against ratification of the Constitution included which of
the following?
I.
The Constitution gave too much power to the federal government
II.
The Constitution did not protect individual liberties
III.
The Constitution protected the interest of small farmers against the country’s wealthy
elite
IV.
The Constitution took too many rights away form states
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
I only
I and II only
I, II , III only
I, II, and IV only
II and III only
13) The authority that Congress has under the Necessary and Proper Clause is called
a) Implied powers
b) Enumerated powers
c) Reserved powers
d) Elastic powers
e) Categorical powers
14) Limiting members of Congress to a specific number of terms can be imposed only by
a) A decision of the Supreme Court
b) Laws enacted in all 50 states
c) An executive order of the president
d) A constitutional amendment
e) Legislation passed by a two-third vote of both houses
15) All the following statements about the amendment process are true EXCEPT
a) Amendments are proposed by a vote of two-thirds of the state legislatures
b) Conventions in three-fourths of the states can ratify an amendment
c) A national convention can propose an amendment
d) Amendment are proposed through a two thirds vote of both houses of Congress
e) Ratification require approval of three-fourths of the state legislature
16) The Supremacy Clause in the Constitution states that
a) Congress is the most important branch of government
b) The constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land
c) The federal government has more power than the states
d) The armed forces are under the control of civilian authority
e) The president has supreme power as commander-in-chief
17) Evidence that the framers of the Constitution may have distrusted the common people is
a) Senate approval of presidential appointments
b) The introduction of money bills in the House of Representatives
c) The method by which the president is elected
d) The age and citizenship requirements for the Senate
e) The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives
18) The Virginia and New Jersey plans both provided for
a) A bicameral legislature
b) Separation of powers
c) A strong executive
d) Equal representation of states
e) Slavery
19) The purpose of the system of checks and balances in the Constitution is to ensure that
a) The federal courts are independent
b) The president has the power to control Congress
c) The military is under civilian control
d) One branch does not dominate the others
e) Congress has a role in foreign policy
20) Which of the following civil liberty protections is included in the Constitution as ratified?
a) The prohibition of the cruel and unusual punishment
b) The protection of freedom of assembly
c) The limitation imposed on the slave trade
d) The power given the states over elections
e) No religious test for holding office
21) Which of the following statements best characterizes the attitudes of the framers of the
Constitution toward slavery?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
They were all slave owners and were determined to preserve slavery
They supported the expansion of slavery beyond the original 13 states
They wanted to limit slavery, but political considerations made that impossible
They believed that if slavery was not mentioned, ratification would be harder
They preferred the gradual emancipation of all slaves
22) The Constitution prohibits the states from doing all the following EXCEPT
a) Granting titles of nobility
b) Giving sanctuary to runaway slaves
c) Determining qualifications for voting
d) Imposing tariffs on goods from foreign countries
e) Coining money
23) Which of the following statements about judicial review is NOT true?
a) Judicial review gives the Supreme Court the power to declare an action by the president
unconstitutional
b) The Supreme Court’s decision in Marbury v. Madison was based on judicial review
c) Judicial review can significantly mentioned in the Constitution under the powers of the
Supreme Court
d) Judicial review can significantly impact the meaning of the Constitution
e) The power of the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional was recognized in
The Federalist Papers
24) Federalism originally meant that
a) The national government would protect minimal rights in states
b) State governments would have relatively equal sets of rights
c) The national and state governments would protect the similar rights
d) Layers of government could have unique forms of rights
e) States would join the union only if they adopted the Constitution
25) All of the following are evidence of the original dominance of Congress EXCEPT
a) Presidential veto powers
b) The length and detail of Article 1
c) Checks on presidential appointments
d) Presidential “recess appointment” powers
e) All are examples of Congressional dominance
26) Which power was NOT included in the Constitution?
a) The vice president’s position in two federal branches
b) Congress’s power to declare the punishment for treason
c) Congress’s power to filibuster bills to death
d) Congress’s power to suspend writs of habeas corpus
e) Congress’s ability to tax products sold from states
27) A major point of power disputes between presidents and Congress centers on
a) Presidents assuming powers given to Congress in Article 1
b) Presidents acting without actual Constitutional authority
c) Congress’s unwillingness to allow presidents to be a real “commander-in chief”
d) Congress’s giving presidents power to control rules of the military
e) Congress’s refusal to protect the states in time of crisis
28) Congress has all of the following powers EXCEPT
a) The right to set salaries for its members
b) The right to remove members of Congress
c) The right to create a huge national debt
d) The power to serve temporarily as members of the Electoral College
e) The right not to pay the military
29) Governments in which all power resides in the central government are called
a) Federal governments
b) Confederate governments
c) Unitary governments
d) Pluralist governments
e) National governments
30) How common is a federal governmental structure around the world?
a) Fewer than 1 in 10 nations have them
b) Only about one-third of nations have them
c) Roughly half of nations have them
d) More than three-quarters of nations have them
e) All nations have some form federalism
31) Which of the following is NOT considered part of the supreme law of the land, according to the
supremacy clause?
a) The Constitution
b) Laws of the national government
c) Treaties
d) Executive orders
e) All of the above are considered part of the supreme law of the land
32) The Eleventh Amendment protects states from :
a) Individual damage suits against state officials
b) Being sued against their consent by private parties in federal courts
c) Being sued against their consent by private parties in state courts
d) Being sued against their consent by private parties before federal administrative
agencies
e) All of the above
33) The term “devolution” refers to the transfer of responsibility for policies:
a) From the local to the state level
b) From the local to the national level
c) From the state to the national level
d) From one state to another
e) From the national to the state local level
34) In the past, there have been debates among some groups about adding Puerto Rico as the
United States’ 51st state. Based on the division of power in the U.S. federalist system, at what
level would this decision need to be made?
a) In the U.S. Senate only
b) In the House of Representatives
c) In Congress, with presidential approval
d) In Congress, with state legislatures’ approval
e) In state legislatures only
35) The “full faith and credit” clause in Article IV of the Constitution is primarily design to ensure the
principle of
between states.
a) Communication
b) Reciprocity
c) Honesty
d) Commerce
e) Goodwill
36) According the regulation of privileges and immunities between states, a tourist from Michigan
buying a product in California.
a) Pays the Michigan sales tax
b) Pays the California sales tax
c) Pays both the California and the Michigan sales tax
d) Can choose whether s/he wants to pay the California or Michigan sales tax
e) Pays the California sales tax, but can ask to be reimbursed when returning to Michigan
37) Which of the following is NOT an example of cooperative federalism?
a) No Child Left Behind
b) The National Defense Education Act
c) The Elementary and Secondary Education Act
d) The U.S. Postal Service Act
38) If the federal government tells a state that in order to receive federal funds to fight drug abuse
the state has to agree to restrict access of teenagers to cigarettes, this is an example of:
a) Categorical grants
b) Block grants
c) Formula grants
d) Crossover sanctions
e) Crosscutting requirements.