EOC Prep Questions 2
1. ". . . I endeavored to prove that the language of the article relative to the establishment of the
executive of this new government was vague and inexplicit, that the great powers of the
President, connected with his duration in office would lead to oppression and ruin."
The author of this statement most likely supports
A. a stronger central government
C. a Federalist position
B. the ratification of the Constitution
D. an Anti-Federalist position
2. Which view of presidential power led to the Twenty-Second Amendment?
A. The office of the president had too much power in the nineteenth century
B. Original checks and balances in the Constitution sufficiently limit the president’s power
C. Congress should have more power to check the president’s power
D. Term limits are needed to keep any one president from growing too powerful
3. Can override president veto, can impeach and remove president, can reject presidential
appointments and refuse to ratify treaties and can conduct investigations into presidential
actions are all examples of checks by the ________ branch on the ______ branch.
A. Legislative, Executive
C. Judicial, Executive
B. Executive, Judicial
D. Judicial, Legislative
4. “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither
external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government
which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first
enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”
James Madison, Federalist Paper 51 Which concept is James Madison discussing?
A. Checks and Balances
C. Individual Rights
B. Federalism
D. Strict Interpretation
5. Jack works at a store where the manager oftentimes hands power over to employees while he
sits in the back messing around the company’s computer. The manager is usually unaware of
what his employees do while he is at work. Which type of leadership style is shown by the
manager?
A. Authoritarian
B. Democratic
C. Laissez-faire
D. None of the above
6. Which of the following is a check the executive branch can impose on the legislative
branch?
A. The attorney general can call Congress into a special session
B. The president can remove a Congressperson from office
C. The vice president can cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate
D. The secretary of state can veto acts approved by Congress
7. “The accumulation of all powers legislative, executive and judiciary in the same hands [. . .]
may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny." James Madison, Federalist Paper 47
Which concept is James Madison discussing?
A. Bill of Rights
C. Executive Branch
B. Separation of Powers
D. Strict Interpretation
8. Which of the following is an example of a legislative check on the judicial branch?
A. Senators can pardon those convicted in federal court
B. Representatives can overrule federal court rulings
C. Congress can impeach and remove federal judges
D. Congress can appoint the judges of the Supreme Court
9. "The judicial power will operate to effect . . . an entire subversion of the legislative, executive
and judicial powers of the individual states . . . any question that may arise upon the nature and
extent of the general government, will affect the limits of the state jurisdiction."
The above was written in 1788 by an Anti-Federalist. Which statement best describes the
author's position on the judiciary?
A. He supports federal judicial power over state governments
B. He believes state judicial powers will restrict federal government
C. He believes federal judicial power will restrict states rights
D. He believes state judicial powers will be enhanced
10. “The most powerful, and perhaps the only, means of interesting men in the welfare of their
country which we still possess is to make them partakers in the government.” This quote by
Alexis de Tocqueville is best reflected by which of the following:
A. Becoming involved in society will make businesses prosper
B. Taking an active role in society will help promote contributions to a nation
C. Encouraging people to become involved in communities will improve schools
D. Participating in the creation of legislation is particularly important for young citizens
11. Which part of the Connecticut Compromise (Great Compromise) benefits states with
larger populations?
A. Each state has two representatives in the Senate
B. The Senate ratifies all treaties with foreign nations
C. All bills for spending money must originate in the House of Representatives
D. A state’s population determines how many members it has in the House of Representatives
12. Which quotation from the United States Constitution provides for a Federal System of
government?
A. “He shall have power…with the advice and consent of the Senate…and shall appoint…
B. “Every bill . . . shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the President of the United
States; . . ."
C. “The powers not delegated to the United States . . . are reserved to the states . . .“
D. “Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial
proceedings of every other state”
13. The Fourteenth Amendments gave more power to which of the following:
A. States
B. Constitution
C. Supreme Court
D. Congress
14. Initiating constitutional amendments, power to alter size of Supreme Court and set
jurisdiction of courts are all checks the ___________ branch has on the __________ branch.
A. Judicial; Executive
C. Executive; National
B. Legislative; Executive
D. Legislative; Judicial
15. Congress proposes an amendment legalizing an income tax. The Supreme Court rules that
the income tax is unconstitutional. These events illustrate the use of
A. delegated powers
C. checks and balances
B. judicial legislation
D. unwritten constitution
16. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, a bicameral legislature was proposed as the
solution to the disagreement over
A. taxation within each state
C. limits on the treaty-making power of a President
B. control of interstate commerce
D. state representation in the National Government
17. Which situation best illustrates the constitutional principle of federalism?
A. Congress listens to the President's State of the Union Address.
B. A congressional committee "kills" a bill by majority vote.
C. The House of Representatives votes to impeach the President.
D. Governors ask the National Government for more financial aid for their states.
18. Traditionally, third parties have had the greatest impact on American politics by
A. requiring additional Presidential primaries
B. supporting issues often ignored by the major parties
C. reducing the costs of Presidential campaigns
D. endorsing candidates of the major parties
19. What principle was established by the United States Supreme Court decision in
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)?
A. Persons placed under arrest must be informed of their legal rights
B. Defendants in capital punishment cases cannot appeal their sentences
C. Poor persons must be provided free legal counsel
D. Evidence obtained by an illegal search is inadmissible in court
20. A MAJOR intention of the framers of the Articles of Confederation was to
A. weaken the American people’s primary loyalty to their individual states
B. give Congress control of interstate and foreign commerce
C. model the new government after Great Britain
D. limit the central government’s opportunities to infringe upon the people’s liberties
21. Which is generally considered to be the MAJOR shortcoming of the Electoral College
system for selecting a President of the United States?
A. Electoral votes are unevenly distributed among the states
B. A candidate can win the popular vote but lose the Presidency
C. Too much time elapse between the general election in November and the counting of the
electoral votes in January
D. Candidates tend to ignore the states with young voters
22. The elastic clause was included in the United States Constitution to
A. allow Congress to make laws to reflect changing conditions
B. govern the District of Columbia
C. restrict the power of the Supreme Court
D. permit the creation of a national army
23. The purpose of MOST of the amendments to the United States Constitution is to
A. guarantee individual civil and political rights
B. ensure the proper functioning of the checks and balances system
C. strengthen the authority of state governments
D. expand the power of the Presidency
24. The United States Constitution is BEST described as a
A. statement of rules and procedures for government
B. summary of governmental customs and traditions
C. guarantee of governmental customs and traditions
D. justification for rebellion against Great Britain
25. Which quotation from the United States Constitution BEST illustrates the balance
between order and liberty?
A. "The Congress shall have the power… to borrow money on the credit of the United States."
B. "The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of
rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it."
C. "The President shall be Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and
of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States."
D. “The judicial power of the United States shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such
inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish."
26. A MAJOR problem of the government under the Articles of Confederation was that the
A. courts of the national government had nearly unlimited power.
B. President could make major decisions without the approval of Congress.
C. national government could levy and collect unlimited taxes.
D. Congress depended on the states for men and money to support an army.
27. The constitutional guarantee of the writ of habeas corpus makes it unlawful for a citizen
of the United States to be
A. a defendant in a trial without the benefit of counsel
B. jailed for an extended period without a hearing before a judge
C. prosecuted for his/her religious beliefs
D. taxed without the approval of Congress
28. The ideals of the Athenian State, Roman law, and the Mayflower Compact contributed
MOST significantly to the growth of the principles of
A. government under law and the consent of the governed
B. religious freedom and women’s suffrage
C. checks and balances and separation of powers
D. racial equality and equal treatment under law
29. Which of the following actions would be unconstitutional?
A. the President vetoing a foreign aid bill
B. a state levying a tax on products from another state
C. the Senate rejecting a treaty negotiated by the President
D. the Supreme Court declaring a state law null and void
30. The United States Constitution has survived for more than 200 years primarily because
A. most Presidents have ignored provisions that are obsolete
B. the United States has won most of its wars
C. most immigrants to the United States have come from democratic countries
D. the language of the Constitution allows for a variety of interpretations
31. Which issue discussed at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 continues to be a major
concern in the United States?
A. relationship of states to each other
B. balance of power between state and national governments
C. power to regulate foreign trade
D. location of the national capital
32. The MOST serious weakness of the Articles of Confederation was brought about by the
authors'
A. fear of concentration of power in national government
B. distrust of representative government
C. disregard of the principles of states rights
D. inability to provide for regional differences
33. The primary purpose of the United States Declaration of Independence is to
A. establish the basic law of the land in the United States
B. explain and justify why the American colonists revolted against their mother country
C. provide a clear plan for a meaningful and effective political system
D. guarantee human rights for all Americans
34. Which provision of the United States Constitution would a group most likely use as the
basis for bringing legal action to end discriminatory practices?
A. establishment clause of the first amendment
B. due process clause of the fifth amendment
C. reserved powers clause of the tenth amendment
D. equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment
35. Federalism is BEST described as the
A. authority to make and enforce decisions based on a written constitution
B. difference in the function of the public and private sectors of the economy
C. division of power between a national government and state governments
D. use of checks and balances between the three branches of government
36. In the United States, the most significant way that political party primaries have helped
to increase public interest in the political process is by enabling voters to
A. remove corrupt officials from office
C. help select party candidates
B. meet the candidates in person
D. help write party platforms
37. In the United States, informing suspects of their legal rights during an arrest procedure
is required as a result of
A. customs adopted from English common law
C. laws passed by Congress
B. decisions of the United States Supreme Court
D. state legislation
38. Which characteristic is MOST essential to a democratic society?
A. a respect for individual rights
C. a strong two-party system
B. a federal structure of government
D. a written constitution
39. Adherence to a strict interpretation of the Constitution would have prevented President
Thomas Jefferson from
A. making the Louisiana Purchase C. writing the "State of the Union" messages
B. receiving ambassadors
D. commissioning military officers
40. In the United States, the significant change represented by the Supreme Court's
decisions concerning Dred Scott (1857) and Brown v. Board of Education (1954) best
illustrates the
A. ability of government to revise tax laws
B. desire of minority groups to be recognized
C. disappearance of prejudice and discrimination
D. continuing struggle of African Americans to achieve equality
41. Which constitutional provision was intended to give the people the MOST influence
over the Federal Government?
A. President’s duty to give Congress information about the state of the Union
B. electoral college system for choosing the President
C. direct election of members of the House of Representatives for two-year terms
D. process for proposing and ratifying amendments to the Constitution
42. Which historical event best demonstrates the operation of checks and balances?
A. Pres. George Washington used the Army to suppress a tax rebellion by Penn. farmers
B. South Carolina seceded from the Union over the issues of slavery and States rights.
C. Pres. Eisenhower sent Federal troops to enforce public school integration in Little Rock, AR.
D. The Senate approved the appointment of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court.
43. The Supreme Court’s power of judicial review is a result of
A. an order by the President
B. Court’s own interpretation of the Constitution
C. a provision in the Bill of Rights
D. the Court’s decision to hear appeals regarding taxation
44. Which action would be necessary before the government could deny a person a public
trial by an impartial jury?
A. a national referendum
C. a unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court
B. passage of a law by Congress
D. ratification of a constitutional amendment
45. The United States Government is considered a federal system because
A. national laws must be passed by both houses of Congress
B. powers are divided between the State and National Governments
C. the States are guaranteed a republican form of government
D. the President is selected by the electoral college
46. The flexibility of the original United States Constitution is due mainly to
A. its provision for the amending process and judicial interpretation
B. its guarantees of freedom and justice for all people
C. the ability to create new branches of government as needed
D. the willingness of the states to accept Federal control
47. Which action was necessary to change from indirect to direct election of US Senators?
A. ratification of a constitutional amendment
C. passage of a Federal law
B. a Supreme Court decision
D. a national referendum
48. “The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire
in a theater and causing a panic.” -Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
Which interpretation of the Bill of Rights does this statement illustrate?
A. The needs of the government are more important than civil liberties.
B. Constitutional protections of liberty are not absolute.
C. The Supreme Court can eliminate freedoms listed in the Bill of Rights.
D. The Bill of Rights does not safeguard individual liberties.
49. The elastic clause, the amending process, and judicial review are all methods by
A. which Congress may check the power of the executive branch
B. which the wording of the original Constitution may be altered
C. which state governments may limit the power of the Federal Government
D. which the Constitution may be adapted to meet changing conditions
50. One way in which the authors of the Constitution tried to create “limited government”
was by providing for
A. a loyal opposition through a two-party system
B. a division of power between the national and state governments
C. the establishment of naturalization laws
D. the popular election of Federal judges