U.S. Government
Ebert
Exam I – Review
Chapter 1, Section 1
1. What is the definition of government (from your textbook, page 4)?
2. What is a constitution?
3. What is the definition of the term “politics”?
4. What are the four essential features of a state? What does “sovereignty” mean?
5. What is the evolutionary theory of the origin of the state?
6. What is the divine right theory of the origin of the state?
7. What is the social contract theory of the origin of the state? What two men are primarily
responsible for the development of this theory?
8. What are the six purposes of government outlined in the Preamble to the Constitution?
Chapter 1, Section 2
9. What is a democracy? How does are direct and indirect democracies different? What are two
terms that being with the letter “r” that are synonyms for indirect democracy?
10. What is an oligarchy? What are some of the sources of power for oligarchies?
11. What is an autocracy? What are some common forms of autocracy?
12. How do unitary, federal and confederate systems of government differ?
Chapter 2, Section 1
13. What is the significance of each of the following documents: Magna Carta, Petition of Right,
English Bill of Rights?
14. What is a unicameral legislature?
Chapter 2, Section 2
15. What was the Stamp Act? Why was it significant?
16. Who was the president of the Second Continental Congress?
17. Who was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence?
Chapter 2, Section 3
18. What were the characteristics of the government established under the Articles of Confederation?
19. What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
20. Why was Shay’s Rebellion significant?
Chapter 2, Section 4
21. What are the key components of the Virginia Plan?
22. What are the key components of the New Jersey Plan?
23. How did the Connecticut Compromise resolve the differences between the two plans?
24. What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
Chapter 2, Section 5
25. Who were the Federalists? What was their view of the new constitution?
26. Who were the Anti-Federalists? What was their view of the new constitution? What were their
specific objections to the new constitution?
Chapter 3, Section 1
27. What is the basic structure of the constitution? What is contained in the Preamble? What does
each article describe?
28. What are the (six) major principles incorporated in the constitution? What is the meaning of each
of these?
29. What are some common examples of checks and balances?
30. What is the meaning of the term “impeach”?
31. Which court case established the power of judicial review in the Supreme Court?
Chapter 3, Section 2
32. What are the two steps of the amendment process? What are the two methods for completing each
of these two steps? Which methods have been used the most?
33. Which amendments are together described as the Bill of Rights? What is the purpose of the Bill of
Rights?
34. Understand the basic provisions of the following amendments: First, Thirteenth, Fourteenth,
Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Nineteenth.
35. Which amendments are known as the Civil War Amendments?
Chapter 3, Section 3
36. What is meant by the phrase “informal amendment”? What are some ways the constitution is
amended informally?
Chapter 4, Section 1
37. What does the term “division of powers” refer to?
38. Distinguish between the following powers: enumerated (expressed), implied, inherent, delegated,
reserved, concurrent and exclusive. What are some examples of each type of power?
39. What is the Necessary and Proper Clause? What is another name for this clause?
40. What early court case supported the concept of implied powers?
41. What part of the constitution is the basis for implied powers?
42. What is the Supremacy Clause?
Chapter 4, Section 2
43. What is the first step in the process of admitting a new state to the union?
Chapter 4, Section 3
44. What is Full Faith and Credit?
45. What is extradition?
From Notes / Discussion
46. What are the three branches of the federal government? What is the basic function of each of the
three branches of government?
47. What is anarchy?
48. What is a bicameral legislature?