MATCHING
1. Separate Power
2. Articles of Confederation
3. Senate
4. President
5. Supreme Court
6. 14th Amendment
7. Anti-Federalist
8. Confederation
9. House of Representatives
10. Federalism
A. A loose alliance among states
B. Branch with no qualifications
C.
D.
E. First US government
F. Must be a natural born citizen
G.
H. Youngest members in Congress
I. Has a 6 year term
J. Wanted a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution
TRUE AND FALSE
1. England’s policy of salutary neglect during the years before the revolution allowed the colonies
to thrive on their own.
2. Intrastate rivalry developed between big and small, rich and poor, north and south after 1783.
This became a major reason for the convention in 1787.
3. The most important items from the Second Continental Congress were its wringing indictments
of King George called the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation.
4. The larger states might well have been reluctant to join a federation or national government for
the fear of losing their land, power, and prosperity.
5. The Articles of Confederation were ultimately decided to be weak as a national government
and that is why they were eliminated.
6. Article 5 of the Constitution covers the documents ratification.
7. Someone who supports states rights withes to have a system where the national government is
weaker than state governments.
8. According to the Constitution, the President is Commander and Chief of the Armed Services.
9. The 2nd Amendment of the Constitution gives citizens the right to bear arms.
10. The Legislative branch of our government confirms Presidential appointments.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The initial aim or real purpose of the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 was to:
a. Draft a new constitution
b. Fix the Articles
c. Control Commerce
d. National system of taxation
2. Shay’s Rebellion was caused primarily by:
a. Mandatory drafting age of 19 for the military
b. Inability to pay debts with paper money
c. Desires for a strong centralized government
AP Government: Unit 1
1. All of the following were weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation EXCEPT:
a. The national government could not resolve state boundary
b. Currency was not accepted outside of local areas
c. The military could not put down even small rebellions
d. The national government had too much power
e. There was no national judicial system
2. What was the result of the Great Compromise?
a. States were represented in the upper house, and individuals were represented in the
lower house.
b. Individuals were represented in the upper house, and states were represented in the
lower house.
c. Individuals were given proportional representation in both the House of Representatives
and the Senate.
d. All members of the Congress were selected by direct election.
e. Slaves were not counted in the census.
3. Under the original Constitution, which branch or branches of government were selected
directly by the citizens?
I.
the president and vice president
II. the Supreme Court
III. the Senate
IV. the House of Representatives
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
I and II
I, III, and IV
III and IV
III only
IV only
4. What is the main result of judicial review?
a. The Supreme Court is protected from interference by the executive.
b. The Supreme Court has the power to revise state laws.
c. The Constitution is safeguarded from popular passions.
d. The Supreme Court has the power to advise Congress in drafting bills.
e. The Supreme Court provides supervision of the lower courts.
5. All of the following are part of the amendment process EXCEPT:
a. A proposal accepted by a two-thirds vote of Congress
b. A proposal accepted at a national convention called by Congress as requested by twothirds of the states
c. A national referendum (by popular vote) with two-thirds voter approval
d. Ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures
e. Ratification by three-fourths of states in special conventions
6. How does the Constitution provide an executive check on judicial branch?
a. By allowing the president to remove Supreme Court justices from office
b. By permitting bureaucrats to ignore a decision of the Supreme Court
c. By allowing the president to propose a bill to Congress to overturn a decision by the
Supreme Court
d. By nominating federal judges, subject to Senate confirmation
e. By appointing federal judges
7. How did the Anti-Federalists differ from the Federalists?
a. The Anti-Federalists wanted a stronger central government
b. The Federalists wanted to protect state sovereignty.
c. The Anti-Federalists had a more positive view of human nature.
d. The Anti-Federalists believed that a strong central government would be too distant
from the people.
e. The Anti-Federalists were opposed to representative democracy.
8. Which of the following guarantees of individual liberties is found in the original Constitution?
a. Freedom of speech, press, and assembly
b. No official state religion
c. A prohibition against double jeopardy
d. No unreasonable searches and seizures
e. No religious tests to hold office
9. Which of the following is NOT a criticism of separation of powers?
a. It creates gridlock in policy-making.
b. It makes it difficult for the government to act decisively in times of crisis.
c. It results in prompt, but hasty, decision-making.
d. It makes it difficult to stimulate economic growth.
e. It damages our position of international leadership.
10. What would be the impact of the line-item veto in the separation of powers?
a. It would weaken the presidency and strengthen Congress.
b. It would strengthen the presidency in relation to Congress.
c. It would prevent the Supreme Court from using judicial review.
d. It would strengthen the power of the states.
e. It is not clear how the line-item veto would affect the separation of powers.
11. All of the following are examples of checks an balances EXCEPT:
a. Presidential veto
b. Impeachment of the president
c. Appointment of Supreme Court justices
d. Ratification of treaties
e. Declaration of war by Congress
12. Which of the following documents best describes a government based upon unity, natural
rights, and the social contract theory?
a. Articles of Confederation
b. Declaration of Independence
c. Mayflower Compact
d. U.S. Constitution
e. Petition of Rights
13. The original purpose of the Constitutional Convention was to
a. Write a new constitution
b. Review the problems of the state governments
c. Revise the Articles of Confederation
d. Develop a new plan for the current national government
e. Deal with the unsuccessful economic chaos and violence that resulted from the
conferences at Mt. Vernon and Annapolis
14. Compared to government under the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution
I. can more easily be amended
II. created a federal republic
III. called for separation of powers among three branches of government
IV. created a league of friendship among the states
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
I only
I and III only
II and IV only
I, II, and III only
I, II, III, and IV
15. Which of the following was not a weakness of government under the Articles of
Confederation?
a. The national judiciary resolved arguments between the states.
b. Congress lacked the power to tax.
c. Lack of national judiciary.
d. Inability to control commercial interests
e. Unanimous decisions necessary to amend articles
16. Slavery and taxation were important topics to the founding fathers. Which compromise best
describes how the founding fathers resolved both of these issues?
a. Constitutional Compromise
b. Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
c. Connecticut Compromise
d. Three-Fifths Compromise
e. Representation and Taxation Compromise
17. Those who support the pluralist theory of democracy believe that:
a. Government depends on the “consent of the governed”
b. Democracy is a hierarchical structure with bureaucrats holding the real power
c. Democracy is based on choosing officials to run the government
d. A small number of powerful corporate and military leaders rule in their own self interest
e. Interest groups compete to promote their preferences
18. The Supreme Court’s decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803):
a. Expanded the powers of Congress
b. Established the principle of judicial review
c. Allowed Congress to amend the Constitution
d. Strengthened the powers of the states
e. Supported the concept of national supremacy
19. The Bill of Rights includes:
a. The preamble
b. The Articles of Confederation
c. The articles of the Constitution
d. All the formal amendments
e. The first ten amendments
20. Amending the Constitution is a multi-step process. Which of the following steps are required
to amend the Constitution?
I. proposal at the national level
II. proposal at the state level
III. presidential signature
IV. ratification at the state level
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
II and III only
I and IV only
III and IV only
I, II, and III only
I, II, III and IV
21. All of the following characteristics are features of the pluralistic power perspective EXCEPT:
I. a multiplicity of institutional access points
II. a divers and numerous set of actors with competing policy objectives
III. changing coalitions of actors
IV. a single process for making policy outcomes
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
I and II
II and III
III and IV
III
IV
22. Political participation is an essential element of all of the following approaches EXCEPT:
a. The political system.
b. Elitism.
c. Pluralism.
d. Power.
e. Hyperpluralism.
23. The value or importance of an analytic framework in understanding politics and government is
that:
a. It predicts results of the process
b. It explains all dimensions of politics and government.
c. It encompasses all the variables that might account for policy outcomes.
d. It provides a comprehensive and systematic perspective of politics.
e. It results in the disclosure of truth.
24. Initiatives and referenda are examples of:
a. Direct, popular government.
b. Republicanism.
c. Political party control.
d. Oligarchy.
e. Indirect democracy.
25. Popular sovereignty can be defines as:
a. Translation of legislation into a set of government programs and policies.
b. The level of popular support that presidents enjoy from approval surveys.
c. The influence that public opinion polls have in deciding policy questions.
d. The right of the majority to govern themselves.
e. The idea that governments draw authority from the governed.
26. The presentment clause in the Constitution states that:
a. The House of Representatives must be presented with appropriations bills first.
b. The president must be presented with bills passed by both houses of Congress for his
approval or veto.
c. The Senate must give its advice and consent to treaties negotiated by the president.
d. Each house of Congress must be presented with bills that have been approved by the
other chamber.
e. The vice president must be allowed an opportunity to break a tie vote in the Senate.
27. The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists disagreed about all of the following EXCEPT:
a. The need to have the people represented in the new government.
b. The amount of power given the national government by the Constitution.
c. The power of the central government versus that of the states.
d. The absence of a Bill of Rights in the original Constitution.
e. The need to ratify the Constitution.
28. The process of amending the Constitution can include all of the following EXCEPT:
a. A two-thirds vote by both houses of Congress to approve a proposed amendment.
b. A vote of two-thirds of the states to call a constitutional convention.
c. A vote of three-fourths of the states to call a constitutional convention.
d. Ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures.
e. Ratification by three-fourths of state conventions.
29. Judicial Review has which of the following characteristics?
I. It was first announced in Marbury v. Madison
II. It was a point on which the framers all agreed.
III. It applies to federal laws.
IV. It applies to state laws.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
I
I and II
I, II, and III
II, III, and IV
I, II, III, and IV