Unit VI Semester Exam Review
1. What right concerning religion does the First Amendment protect?
What limit does this place on the government?
Guarantees people have the freedom of religion, speech, assembly,
and press, and the right of people to petition the government.
2. What is Federalism?
In this government system, power is divided between national and
state governments.
3. How might Freedom of the Press and Speech as protected by the First
Amendment influence politics in America?
Citizens and members of the press are free to speak and report their
views on political issues in America without reprisal from the
government.
4. What is the main function of the Legislative Branch?
Congress, the legislative branch of government, makes the nation’s
laws. It also has the power to “lay and collect taxes” and declare war.
Congress has two houses, the House of Representatives and the
Senate. Congress has two main functions: to make the nation’s laws
and control government spending.
5. Which amendment assures that the people of the United States have
the right to trial by a jury of one’s peers in criminal cases and then civil
cases? Amendment 6 then Amendment 7
6. What is self-incrimination? Which amendment deals with the
protection against self-incrimination?
Self-incrimination is being forced in a trial or while in custody of
police to testify against himself or herself. Amendment 5.
7. What was the stance of Anti-Federalists when it came to the Bill of
Rights? Why did they say it must be enumerated in the Constitution?
Antifederalists
Against the Constitution
Feared that the Constitution took too much power away from the people
Thought the Constitution gave too much power to the federal government
Believed that states should be more powerful than the federal government because states are
closer to the people
Considered the Bill of Rights necessary because the absence of such a bill raises the threat of
tyranny
8. What protections does the Fifth Amendment provide?
This amendment contains important protections for people
accused of crimes. Government may not deprive any person of
life, liberty, or property without due process of law. Grants the right
against self-incrimination, and of protection of private property
9. What does the Third Amendment protect against?
Forbids the government of quartering of soldiers in citizens’ houses.
10. What is Representative Government?
The US and many other democracies have representative
governments, in which voters elect people to act on their behalf —
to represent them. In the US, the House of Representatives is the
largest legislative body at 435 members as opposed to the Senate
having 100. Its members — congressmen and congresswomen —
are elected by the voters of their districts. These representatives
are supposed to listen to the views of the people from their
districts and act in their best interests in policymaking and the
creation of laws.
11. What does the Tenth Amendment protect against?
The Tenth Amendment restates the Constitution’s principle of
federalism by providing that powers not granted to the national
government nor prohibited to the states are reserved to the states
and to the people.
12. Define Separation of Powers. What French philosopher argued that
for governments to be successful they must have separation of
powers?
The Constitution creates a government with three different
branches. This separation of powers ensures that no branch
becomes powerful enough to overwhelm the other two. The
legislative branch (Congress) makes the laws, the executive branch
(the president) enforces the laws, and the judicial branch (the
courts) interprets the law. Each branch functions independently
from the others, possessing its own powers and area of influence.
No branch can accomplish anything of significance without the
cooperation of at least one of the others. By dividing power in this
way, the framers sought to prevent tyranny: No one person or
group can exercise excessive power. Montesquieu.
13. What steps must be taken to amend the Constitution?
Changing the Constitution is a two-step process:
An amendment must be proposed by either a two-thirds vote in
both houses of Congress or by conventions called in two-thirds of
the states.
The amendment must then be ratified by either the approval of
three-fourths of the state legislatures or by special ratifying
conventions held in three-fourths of the states.
14. What are the powers of the President as ascribed by the Constitution?
These roles include the commander in chief, nation’s chief
executive, chief diplomat, chief of state, and legislative leader.
 As chief diplomat directs foreign policy, appoints
ambassadors, and negotiates treaties with other nations.
 As chief of state the president serves as a symbolic role as the
representative of all Americans.
 As Legislative leader the President proposes laws to Congress
and works to see that they are passed. He also delivers the
State of the Union Address and presents goals for the nation.
 As commander in chief of the armed forces, the President can
use the military to intervene or offer assistance in crises at
home and around the world.
15. What is Republicanism? What does John Locke say about
representative government?
It is where people elect their representatives. Voters hold
sovereign power. The people elect representatives and give them
the responsibility to make laws and conduct government. That
government is based on an agreement, or contract between the
people and the government. The contract protects the people’s
rights by limiting the government’s power by operating on behalf
of the will of the people.
16. How does the Constitution address the concept of Federalism?
Federalism is a system of government in which the national and
state governments share power. The Constitution recognizes state
governments and grants them certain powers, making federalism
an implicit part of the Constitution.
17. What is the role of the Federal Court System?
The role of the federal court system is to examine the laws of local,
state, and national governments and to cancel them if they violate
the Constitution.
18. What is the main duty of the Judicial Branch as ascribed by the
Constitution?
The Constitution in Article III calls for the creation of a Supreme
Court and “such inferior (lower) courts as Congress may from
time to time ordain and establish.” The Supreme Court is both a
political and legal institution because it is responsible for settling
disputes and interpreting the meaning of laws. The Court is a
political institution when it applies the law to specific disputes; it
often determines what national policy will be.
19. What are the main components of the principle of Limited
Government in the Constitution?
The Constitution limits the actions of government by specifically
listing powers it does and does not have. They wanted to prevent
the government from using its power to give one group special
advantages or to deprive another group of its rights. No people or
groups are above the law. Government officials must obey the law.
20. What are checks and balances?
Each branch of government holds some control over the other
two branches.
21. What protections does the Fourth Amendment provide?
The right against unreasonable searches and seizures, warrants
without probable cause and description of what is being searched
and things to be seized.
22. What are the main goals of the preamble in the Constitution?
The main goals of the Preamble are:
 To Form a More Perfect Union
 To Establish Justice
 To Insure Domestic Tranquility
 To Provide for the Common Defense
 To Promote the General Welfare
 To Secure the Blessings of Liberty
23. What is popular sovereignty?
A doctrine in political theory that states government is created by
and subject to the will of the people.