USVA Government Final Exam-Review
Fill-in-the blank: From the word bank beneath each section, select the word or phrase that
best completes the statement.
1. The term REPUBLIC refers to the system of government which is an indirect form of
democracy and puts political decisions one step away from the people.
2. Prior to the US Constitution, the United States had a CONFEDERAL form of government.
3. The form of government where power is divided between a central and regional or state
government is known as FEDERAL.
4. A State has what four characteristics: TERITORY, POPUATION, GOVERNMENT,
SOVEREIGNTY
5. The political thinker who felt man was basically evil and needed a repressive form of
government to keep people from being at war with one another was THOMAS HOBBES.
6. The concept of a “Mandate from Heaven” is the basis for most monarchies as the right
to rule was seen as a DEVINE RIGHT.
7. A government that is formed as a result of people agreeing among themselves to submit
to the authority of the state is known as the SOCIAL CONTRACT.
8. The notion of “All men are created equal” reflects the belief in INDIVIDUAL WORTH.
9. The term Liberty is often used to mean FREEDOM.
10. The inability of the Government to tax was a weakness of the ARTICLES OF
CONFEDERATION.
11. The primary objection of England placing taxes on the colonies was over the fact that
the colonist did not have any representation in PARLIAMENT.
12. The major point of the Declaration of Independences that Jefferson addressed was that
when a government disregarded the will of the people, they had the right to
OVERTHROW their government.
13. The term that refers to placing the common good over individual selfish interest is CIVIC
VIRTUE.
14. Under the Articles of Confederation, most governmental power was held by the STATES.
15. The English philosopher who is known for his ideas on natural rights was JOHN LOCKE.
1. Parliament
8. Overthrow
15. Confederal
2. Social Contract
9. States
16. Republic
3. Thomas Hobbes
10. Articles of Confederation
17. John Locke
4. Population
11. Government
18. Civic virtue
5. Freedom
12. Sovereignty
6. Divine Right
13. federalism
7. Territory
14. Individual worth
16. The “Father of the Constitution” was JAMES MADISON
17. MONTESQUIEU was the French philosopher who is given credit for the concept of
separation of powers.
18. Because in this plan representation was based on population big states favored the
VIRGINIA PLAN.
19. As a result of the Great Compromise, states would be represented equally in the HOUSE
OF REPRESENTATIVES.
20. The 3/5th’s Compromise had to do with determining how slaves would be counted for
both taxation and REPRESENTATION
21. In the Electoral College, the number of electors a state has is equal to their
representation in SENATE.
22. The primary objection of the ANTI-FEDERALISTS, was that the Constitution did not
protect individual rights.
23. The purpose of the FEDERALIST PAPERS, written by Hamilton, Jay and Madison was to
argue in defense of ratifying the Constitution.
24. The Bill of Rights refers to the first TEN Amendments to the Constitution.
25. The final step in ratifying an amendment is approval of 3/4 of the State legislatures.
26. The branch of government responsible for passing laws is the LEGISLATIVE branch.
27. The ultimate authority to determine if a law is constitutional belongs to the SUPREME
COURT
28. The principle of “JUDICIAL REVIEW was established by the Supreme Court case,
Marbury v. Madison.
29. The 16th amendment gave the power for the federal government to collect an INCOME
TAX.
30. The group that actually elects the president is the ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
31. The primary check of the executive on the legislative branch is the power to VETO
legislation.
32. The notion of “We the People” refers to the concept of POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY.
33. A power of the Congress to declare war is an example of an EXPRESSED power.
34. All bills that have to do with appropriations of money must originate in the HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
35. The duty of Commander in Chief is an expressed power of the EXECUTIVE.
1. Supreme Court
11. veto
2. Anti-federalists
12. Montesquieu
3. Representation
13. Federalist Papers
4. Senate
14. James Madison
5. House of Representatives
15. Legislative
6. Judicial review
16. Popular sovereignty
7. Congress
17. executive
8. Income tax
18. Virginia Plan
9. ¾
19. expressed
10. Electoral College
20. Ten
36. Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 is often referred to the ELASTIC CLAUSE, because it is
the basis for most IMPLIED powers.
37. Article VI (6) of the US Constitution makes it clear that it is the SUPREME law that takes
precedent over state and local laws, also known as the SUPREMACY clause.
38. Article I, Section 9 forbids all level of government from trying a person for an EX POST
FACTO law, meaning it was passed after the crime was committed.
39. Article IV of the US Constitution requires that states must honor the acts and court
proceedings of other states, Known as the FULL FAITH AND CREDIT clause.
40. Members of Congress represent their CONSTITUENTS.
41. The length for a term of the House of Representatives is TWO years.
42. The total number of senators is 100, and for the House of Representatives is 435.
43. The term for senators is SIX years and roughly 1/3 are up for re-election each
Congressional election.
44. The person who would serve as the judge for an impeachment trial for the president or
vice-president is the CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT.
45. The citizenship eligibility for the House of Representatives is SEVEN years, and for the
Senate is NINE years.
46. Issuing a writ of HABEUS CORPUS, requires the government to present a person in court
to inform them of the charges being placed against them.
47. The 12TH amendment was ratified to make sure separate votes were cast for the
president and vice-president, to avoid the problem which surfaced during the election of
1800.
48. The practice of drawing district boundaries to the political advantage of the party in
power is known as GERRYMANDERING.
49. JOHN BOEHNER is currently the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
50. The 17TH amendment provided for the direct election of senators.
51. The permanent committees of the House and Senate are referred to as STANDING
committees.
52. The person who is next in line for the presidency, behind the vice-president is the
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.
53. A bill does not be come a law until the PRESIDENT signs it, or 10 day days pass while
Congress is in session, without his signature.
54. The GOVERNOR of the state has the authority to appoint a new senator, should a seat
become vacant.
55. The VIRGINIA and NEW JERSEY Plans were the basis for the Great Compromise.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Speaker of the House
7. Standing
13.
Elastic Clause
8. John Boehner
14.
100
9. Ex post facto
15.
Full Faith & credit
10. Seven
16.
Gerrymandering
11. 17th
17.
Virginia
12. President
18.
25. Chief Justice of SC
26. 1/3rd
Nine
435
Habeas Corpus
Governor
Implied
Supremacy
19.2
20. six
21. New Jersey
22. 12th
23.federal
24. Constituents
56. Because of the courtesy of unlimited debate in the Senate, sometimes a FILIBUSTER is
used to delay taking action on a bill, unless ended by CLOTURE.
57. Federal elections, by law, occur on the TUESDAY after the first MONDAY in the month of
NOVEMBER, every EVEN numbered year.
58. The 8th Amendment forbids CRUEL- and unusual punishment.
59. The following freedoms are protected in the 1st Amendment to the Constitution: RELIGION,
SPEECH, PRESS, the right to assemble, and the right to petition the government for redress of
grievances.
60. The 10th Amendment is the basis for reserved powers for the states.
61. The Amendment ratified in 1868 that is the basis for many Supreme Court cases, because it
deals with providing protection of civil liberties to all citizens was the 14th amendment.
62. Those who believe that the US Constitution is open to interpretation and should be
interpreted to reflect the current needs of society believe in the LOOSE interpretation, and
those who believe in STRICT interpretation of the Constitution feel it should be taken literally.
63. The primary responsible of all legislators is the work they do in COMMITTEES.
64. The amendments which extended protections for voting to different groups of were the
15th, 19th and 26TH amendments.
65. The Supreme court case of WESBURY V. SANDERS, requires that voting districts in all states
be fairly equal in population.
66.The amendment to the Constitution that covers due process, eminent domain ,selfincrimination and double jeopardy is the 5TH Amendment.
67. The base pay for members of the House of Representatives and the Senate is THE SAME
$174,000.
68. An example of an implied power of Congress is creating a NATIONAL BANK.
69. A CENSUS occurs every ten years and is used to help reapportion the seats of the House of
Representatives.
70. The Constitutional principle that calls for a division of power between a central government
and local government is called FEDERALISM.
1. Strict
2. 26th
3. census
4. 10th
5. Wesberry v. Saunders
6. federalism
7. committees
8. Speech
9. 5th
10. National Bank
11. Press
12. Filibuster
13. Loose
14. Tuesday
15. Religion
16. Monday
17. November
18 even
19. The same ($174,000)
20. Cruel
21. Cloture
22. 14th
71. The minimum age to be elected to the presidency is 35 years old.
72. Anyone who is an American citizen at birth, either because they were born on American soil,
or were born to a parent who is an American citizen is considered NATURAL BORN.
73. The president can issue an EXECUTIVE ORDER which does NOT require Congressional
approval, but has the same effect as a law.
74. The number of electors in the Electoral College is equal to the number of members that a
State has in CONGRESS. The total number of electors is 538, and to be elected president one
needs to receive 270 of those votes.
75. One on the most powerful informal powers of the president is the use of the MEDIA to
influence peoples’ opinions.
76. If the president dies in office, the VICE-PRESIDENT becomes the president, which was
made clear in the 25TH AMENDMENT.
77. The fact that the SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE is 2nd in line for the presidency after the vicepresident was established in the PRESIDENTIAL SUCCESSION ACT OF 1947.
78. Anyone who is appointed by the president may be FIRED by the president without
congressional approval, at anytime, for any reason.
79. According to the WAR POWERS RESOLUTION the maximum length of time the president
can commit troops to military action without Congressional approval is 90 days.
80. The title used for the head of Executive Departments is SECRETARY and these individuals
are members of the president’s CABINET.
81.The most significant check the president has on Congress is the power of VETO
82. Prior to the Civil Service Act, most people who got their jobs working for the Federal
Government got their jobs through what was called the SPOILS system, which cause the
Federal bureaucracy to be inexperienced and INEFEECTIVE.
83. A tax which requires in higher payments from wealthy people than from poor people is a
PROGRESSIVE tax.
84. Independent REGULATORY Agencies are responsible for setting and enforcing rules to
regulate some aspect of the economy.
85. FISCAL Policy involves the spending and taxing decisions of the President and Congress.
86. MONETARY Policy involves actions taken by the FEDERAL RESERVE to control the money
supply, in order to stimulate or slow down the economy.
87. The Federal Government’s 2013 Fiscal Year runs from OCTOBER , 2012 to SEPTEMBER,
2013.
88. When the government spends more money than they take in a DEFICIT occurs.
89. The Current national debt exceeds 16 trillion dollars.
90. If the federal government wants to slow down the economy, the Federal Reserve system
can SELL a government bond, which in effect BORROWS money from the buyer and takes
money out of the economy.
Federal Reserve
Progressive
War Powers Resolution
Removed
16
25
Regulatory
Spoils
Fiscal
90
borrows
Sept.30
Congress
Executive Order
35
538
Monetary
Oct. 1
ineffective
secretary
cabinet
veto
natural born
deficit
270
sell
media
vice-president
Presidential Succession Act 1947
Speaker of the House