UNIT I Test – Foundations of American Government
Part A – Multiple Choice – 75% of Test Grade
CONFLICT
1. During the times of colonial America, the colonists
were in conflict with England. What was the vested
interest of England that the colonists challenged?
a. England needed more land and the
colonists did not want to have to fight the
Native Americans to get it for them
b. England was trying to enslave the colonists
and force them to work for free
c. England was in need of money to pay off
their debt they built up during their war
with France
d. England was in search of oil and took away
the rights of the colonists because they
could not find any
2. Which of the following was the most effective
method of protest for the colonists?
a. Burning pictures of the King in town squares
b. Boycotting goods that were usually bought
from England
c. Shooting English soldiers
d. Destroying the property of government
officials
3. The Navigation Acts angered the colonists because
a. the King was forcing colonists to house and
take care of British soldiers
b. they could only trade with England and this
made the cost of goods higher due to lack
of competition
c. they did not want to pay any more taxes on
tea
d. the King closed the Port of Boston as a
result of the Boston Tea Party
4. The first colonists started their own governments
because
a. the British government was too far away to
deal with daily problems
b. they were angry about Stamp Act taxes
c. they knew that England would reject the
idea
d. they were in debt after fighting the Native
Americans
Glass
Tea
Fabric
Tobacco
5. Which of the following above does not go with the
others and why?
a. Glass – because it was cheap
b. Tea – because it was taxed too much
c. Fabric – because silk was made in Asia
d. Tobacco – because the colonists grew it
themselves
6. Which of the following is not a component of a
conflict?
a. Having at least two sides
b. Always coming to a peaceful compromise
c. One side having a particular goal that they
are trying to reach
d. A challenge to an interest held by the other
party
"By letters received from Boston in New England, there
is an account of a dangerous mob, which arose in the
middle of August, on account of the stamp duty, and did
considerable mischief; but on the 16th of August they
were more violent than before, which continued till
Sunday the 1st of September, by which time the local
government had raised and armed 500 men, and had
committed several of the rioters to jail, but not till they
had destroyed all the goods and papers of the
comptroller, judge of admiralty, distributor of the
stamps, as well as every individual article in the house
of the lieutenant governor."
7. The event described above that was published in
the London Magazine in October of 1765 was
written as a result of
a. Actions taken by colonists against the
passing and enforcement of the Stamp Act
b. the Sons of Liberty leading the Boston Tea
Party
c. British soldiers firing on a crown of colonists
during the Boston Massacre
d. the Townshend Acts causing an increase in
the price of tea
8. The conflict between the Virginia Plan and New
Jersey Plan was over what central issue?
a. How should we elect a president for the
United States?
b. How should the people be represented in
Congress?
c. Should slaves count towards the population
totals for a state?
d. When should the slave trade be ended?
COMPROMISE
9. Why didn't many loyalists support going to war
against Great Britain?
a. The loyalists believed that Thomas Jefferson
was trying to take over the country himself
b. The patriots threatened to kill any loyalists
remaining after the American Revolution
was over
c. The loyalists felt it was foolish to believe
that a group of mostly farmers with
muskets had any chance of winning against
the British military
d. All loyalists respected the King and thought
of him as their own father
10. Which of the following was not an outcome of the
Second Continental Congress?
a. the colonists decided to create their own
military called the Continental Army and
placed George Washington in charge of it
b. Thomas Jefferson was commissioned to
write the Declaration of Independence
c. John Adams was elected to become the
leader of the Sons of Liberty
d. The colonists decided to begin to print their
own paper money so they could pay for a
war against England
11. Which of the following groups was most pleased
with the government under the new U.S.
Constitution?
a. Slaves
b. Workers
c. Bankers
d. Poor Farmers
12. Who is known to be the "Father of the
Constitution?"
a. Ben Franklin
b. John Adams
c. James Madison
d. Thomas Jefferson
13. The name of the compromise the resolved that
problem between the Virginia Plan and New Jersey
Plan is the
a. 3/5 Compromise
b. Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
c. Electoral Compromise
d. Great Compromise
POWER
14. Which was not a fundamental problem of the U.S.
under our first government?
a. The national government was not given
enough power
b. The lack of a national court system made it
difficult to enforce national laws created by
Congress
c. The new president was given too many
powers
d. It was basically impossible to change the
government due to constant gridlock
15. A constitution is a document that
a. lists the structure and function of
government and its relationship with the
government's citizens
b. lists all of the laws of a nation and the
punishments given if individuals commit
crimes
c. details only the powers of a nation's leader
d. describes the rights denied to the people
16. What impact did Shays' Rebellion have on the U.S.
government?
a. It caused many to realize that the
government was too weak and needed to
be changed
b. It caused many to realize that the
government was too strong and we needed
to remove our new president
c. It caused many states to decide to revolt
against the new government and another
war broke out
d. It caused Congress to pass a new law giving
judges the power to put anyone in jail what
went against the new U.S. government
17. Which of the following is not a provision held under
the U.S. Constitution?
a. States have more power than the federal
government
b. Congress has the power to tax the people
c. The U.S. government has three branches
that work with the laws in different ways
d. The U.S. has a bicameral legislative branch
18. The central issue of conflict between the Federalists
and Anti-Federalists was
a. How much power should be given to a
governor of a state?
b. How much voting power should be given to
the people?
c. How much power should be given to U.S.
Supreme Court justices?
d. How much power should be given to the
national and state governments?
19. What aspect was missing in the Constitution in the
minds of the Anti-Federalists?
a. A guaranteed protection of rights
b. A powerful leader
c. A national judicial system
d. A system of checks and balances
"The national government could not become tyrannical
because of the limitations placed on it by the system of
checks and balances and separation of powers."
20. The previous quote would most likely be a
statement made by
a. a Federalist
b. a Loyalist
c. a Patriot
d. an Anti-Federalist
PRINCIPLES AND IDEALS
21. Which category of the Declaration of Independence
does the phrase "All men are created equal" belong
in?
a. Preamble
b. Natural Rights
c. Grievances
d. Resolution of Independence
"That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from
the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is
the Right of the people to alter or abolish it..."
22. The previous quote from the introduction to the
Declaration of Independence can be interpreted to
mean
a. only men can run the new U.S. government
and if women try to run the government it
will fail
b. in order for the people to have their rights,
the government must only get its power
from the people and if the government
does not do what it is supposed to the
people can get rid of the government
c. the rights of the people are not as
important the power of the government
and if the people try to gain too many rights
the government can punish them
d. governments are created to make sure the
people behave themselves, therefore the
government can never be abusive or wrong
23. The Pilgrims created a government based on the
“consent of the governed” with the Mayflower
Compact. Which of the following principles does
this idea connect to?
a. Limited government
b. Popular sovereignty
c. Checks and balances
d. Federalism
Federalist No. 51
If men were angels, no government would be
necessary. If angels were to govern men, controls on
government would be necessary. In framing a
government which is to be administered by men over
men: you must first enable the government to control
the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control
itself.
24. The previous document was written to demonstrate
the need for a
a. Theocracy.
b. Bill of rights.
c. Check and Balance system.
d. Strong President.
25. Which of the following is not an issue created by
federalism?
a. Flag burning
b. Same sex marriage
c. Marijuana
d. Gun laws
28. Which is not a common characteristic associated
with Americans?
a. Hard working
b. Melting pot
c. Tyrannical
d. Independent
26. Many states are now beginning to create Voter ID
Laws that require voters to show a valid state ID
before they can vote. This has been a controversial
issue because many believe that the requirement
will hurt which principle?
a. Popular sovereignty
b. Rule of law
c. Religious freedom
d. Freedom of expression
AMERICAN IDENTITY
“Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning
To breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your
Teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless,
Tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the
Golden door!”
27. The previous statement is a famous American quote
that can be found on the Statue of Liberty. What is
its message?
a. The U.S. only wants those who are
struggling to come immigrate to the
country
b. The U.S. is meant to only accept those who
struggle
c. The U.S. should be a safe haven for those
who want a better life to come to
d. The U.S. does not want anyone else
immigrating into the United States
29. The political cartoon is expressing what message?
a. Americans are too overweight and need to
become more active
b. The American Dream is no longer what it
used to be
c. American women are no longer interested
in American men
d. The American Dream can still be achieved
through determination and hard work
30. The principles and ideals that many Americans
believe in today began
a. During colonial America
b. After the adoption of the Bill of Rights
c. During the Civil War
d. After the attack on September 11, 2001
Part B – CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE – WRITING PORTION (25% of Test Grade)
All answers should be done on sheet provided. DO NOT WRITE ON THIS TEST!
Honors – Choose 3 of the following prompts to complete
Regular – Choose 2 of the following prompts to complete
1. During the 18th century, the Enlightenment Period changed the way many people thought.
This change included thoughts on government and rights of the people.
a. Identify an 18th century Enlightenment philosopher
b. Discuss the main belief/philosophy of the person you chose
c. Explain how this person’s view influenced the U.S. government
2. The debate over the Constitution created two groups of individuals.
a. List 2 reasons why the Federalists supported the U.S. Constitution
b. List 2 reasons why the Anti-Federalists did not support the U.S. Constitution
3. Many principles and ideals are held within the Constitution that we find to be very
important to running our government. Define each of the following principles:
a. Federalism
b. Separation of Powers
c. Checks and Balances
4. Great Britain passed many laws that caused conflict between them and the colonies.
Choose ONE of the acts listed below and then answer the following questions.
 Stamp Act
 Navigation Acts
 Tea Act
a. What did the act do?
b. Why didn’t the colonists like the act?
c. How did the colonists react to the act?
You can each earn some extra credit on your test. You
get to choose whether you want 2 points added to your
grade, or 6 points. But there’s a catch: if more than
10% of the class selects 6 points, then no one gets any
points. All selections are anonymous.
YOUR SELECTION: ______ points