Am Gov Unit 1 5/28/2016 pp. 1of 2
Name: _______________________________
MULITIPLE CHOICE: Select the best choice possible. (3 pts. each for 75 pts. total)
____ 1. The many different ways that people enter the political world are called
a. political participation
b. government
c. social conflict
d. politics
____ 2. In order to live together in larger groups, people need
a. to accept the majority culture
b. to have a king
c. to have a written constitution
d. some form of authority and organization
____ 3. Power that is recognized and accepted by society as legally and morally correct is
a. government power
b. legitimate power
c. military power
d. public power
____ 4. Government plans to support or achieve goals are called
a. public policy
b. national security measures
c. political participation
d. public welfare
____ 5. To be a nation, a country must have at least
a. some clearly defined territory
b. 100 thousand square miles of territory
c. a geographically compact territory
d. a map of its territory
____ 6. A government in which all authority is vested in the central government is called
a. unitary
b. federal
c. confederal
d. parliamentary
____ 7. The theory of the origin of government which holds that government developed gradually as family
structures grew is called the
a. force theory
b. social contract theory
c. evolutionary theory
d. divine right theory
____ 8. According to the social contract theory of government, people enter into governments in order to
a. increase their productivity
b. gain greater power and influence
c. prevent social strife and regimentation
d. protect their natural rights
____ 9. The term that means the same thing as a representative democracy is
a. presidential system
b. republic
c. federalism
d. constitutionalism
Am Gov Unit 1 5/28/2016 pp. 1of 2
____ 10. Which is NOT part of the Declaration of Independence?
a. the belief that all men are obligated to obey the divinely anointed monarch
b. the belief that natural rights are inherent and cannot be taken away by government
c. that the purpose of government is to protect the individual’s natural rights
d. that government derives its power from the consent of the governed
____ 11. Which would be the LEAST valuable source of information about current American government?
a. The Congressional Record
b. the United States Government Manual
c. the Austin telephone book
d. Statistical Abstract of the United States
____ 12. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are generally called the
a. Preamble
b. Bill of Rights
c. Civil War Amendments
d. American Creed
____ 13. A president’s veto of a bill passed by Congress best illustrates the principle of
a. federalism
b. separation of powers
c. representative democracy
d. checks and balances
____ 14. What did the founders do to prevent the rise of tyranny?
a. They established the principle of judicial review
b. The separated the powers of the government
c. They called for a special session of Congress
d. They developed the principle of executive privilege
____ 15. When the Supreme Court declares a law unconstitutional
a. Congress my override the decision by a two-thirds vote of both houses
b. the Congress must amend the Constitution
c. the president must concur with the court for the law to be invalid
d. the law is null and void
____ 16. The constructional principle in which the powers of government are divided between the national
government and the states is called
a. popular sovereignty
b. federalism
c. separation of powers
d. local autonomy
____ 17. Which would NOT be considered a primary source?
a. an autobiography
b. a court record
c. a newspaper editorial
d. a government textbook
____ 18. Commerce among the states
a. is called intrastate commerce
b. is prohibited by the Constitution
c. is called interstate commerce
d. was left up to each state to regulate by the Constitution.
Am Gov Unit 1 5/28/2016 pp. 1of 2
____ 19. In a federal system
a. the national laws are supreme
b. state laws are always given precedence over national actions
c. there cannot be any conflict between the levels of government
d. member states may exempt themselves from any national laws
____ 20. Federalism was a compromise between
a. a strong executive branch and a strong legislature
b. a representative democracy and a direct democracy
c. a unitary system and a confederal system
d. an agrarian economy and an industrial economy
____ 21. According to Locke, what are the natural rights of all people?
a. life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
b. life, liberty and property
c. the right to vote, and the right to due process of law
d. freedom of religion and speech
____ 22. Which of the following is a power reserved to the states?
a. to borrow money
b. to ratify amendments to the Constitution
c. to conduct foreign relations
d. to admit new states
____ 23. Which would NOT be considered a concurrent power?
a. grant titles of nobility
b. borrow money
c. establish courts
d. charter banks
____ 24. Which is NOT an obligation of the national government to all the states?
a. to guarantee a republican form of government
b. to change their boundaries after each decennial census
c. to protect them against foreign invasion
d. to protect them against domestic violence
____ 25. New states are admitted to the Union by
a. a majority vote of the states
b. the consent of the original thirteen states
c. Congress
d. constitutional amendment
Am Gov Unit 1 5/28/2016 pp. 1of 2
TRUE OR FALSE: Place an X next to each of the following statements that are false. If a statement is True leave
the space next to it blank. (2 pts. each for 20 pts. total)
The purest form of direct democracy was produced in ancient Egypt
Autocrats usually inherit their power or use force to gain and keep it
Most modern monarch are absolute rulers
The document that asserted the intention of the North American colonies to establish their own
sovereign government was the Constitution of 1789
All 13 colonies signed the Constitution within a month.
A law is Unconstitutional if it violates local and state laws
The separation of powers spreads government power to different authorities, allowing for balance
Under the separation of powers, the three separate branches of government are local, state, federal
The Articles of Confederation failed because it had a president that was too strong
The term ‘interdependence’ means that each nation must rely on other for many reasons
ESSAY: Chose TWO of the following to answer in a COMPLETE paragraph. Use complete sentences and
proper paragraph structure with opening and closing sentences. Support your answers with material you learned in
this unit. (25 pts. Each)
A. Consider the different types of governments we have studied in this unit. Under which type would you prefer
to live? Why? Defend your answer with clear arguments, supported with information you have learned.
B. How did the British Parliament serve as a model for the way American government is organized?
C. Explain why and how the Bill of Rights was added to the original Constitution.