Question 1

Why did the delegates at the Philadelphia Convention turn down the idea of including a list of citizens' rights in the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

A)  They believed that protecting citizens' rights was not an important responsibility for government. 
B)  They believed that such a list would limit economic development. 
C)  They believed that since the federal government was already limited to its expressed powers, further protection of citizens was not needed. 
D)  They believed that citizens should vote directly on which rights should be protected. 
E)  They believed that such a list would make government too weak to protect national security. 
A)  They believed that protecting citizens' rights was not an important responsibility for government. 
B)  They believed that such a list would limit economic development. 
C)  They believed that since the federal government was already limited to its expressed powers, further protection of citizens was not needed. 
D)  They believed that citizens should vote directly on which rights should be protected. 
E)  They believed that such a list would make government too weak to protect national security.

Question 2

Write an essay describing the causes and effects of the American Revolution. What were the colonists' grievances against the British? What were some of the economic, social, political, and geographic conflicts among the colonists themselves? What kind of new government was established under the Articles of Confederation?

Accepted Answer

The American Revolution was a pivotal mo

Question 3

Who was not appointed to help draft the Declaration of Independence?

Accepted Answer

A)  Thomas Jefferson 
B)  Benjamin Franklin 
C)  John Adams 
D)  George Washington 
E)  Robert Livingston 
A)  Thomas Jefferson 
B)  Benjamin Franklin 
C)  John Adams 
D)  George Washington 
E)  Robert Livingston

Question 4

The electoral college is

Accepted Answer

A)  an expression of direct democracy. 
B)  designed to select the president. 
C)  established in the Bill of Rights. 
D)  a school attended by all members of Congress. 
E)  the federal organization that oversees the operation of all elections held in the United States. 
A)  an expression of direct democracy. 
B)  designed to select the president. 
C)  established in the Bill of Rights. 
D)  a school attended by all members of Congress. 
E)  the federal organization that oversees the operation of all elections held in the United States.

Question 5

Which of the following was designed by the framers to be an office directly elected by the people?

Accepted Answer

A)  member of the House of Representatives 
B)  senator 
C)  president 
D)  federal court judge 
E)  vice president 
A)  member of the House of Representatives 
B)  senator 
C)  president 
D)  federal court judge 
E)  vice president

Question 6

Which of the following statements best describes the Founders' view of liberty?

Accepted Answer

A)  Liberty is the absence of government. 
B)  Liberty is less important than social and economic equality. 
C)  Liberty is not essential to democratic government. 
D)  Monarchies are better suited to protecting liberty than democracies. 
E)  Government is needed to create liberty by maintaining order. 
A)  Liberty is the absence of government. 
B)  Liberty is less important than social and economic equality. 
C)  Liberty is not essential to democratic government. 
D)  Monarchies are better suited to protecting liberty than democracies. 
E)  Government is needed to create liberty by maintaining order.

Question 7

Bicameralism is a constitutional principle that means the

Accepted Answer

A)  division of national government into two branches. 
B)  division of the powers of the executive branch between two individuals: the president and the vice president. 
C)  division of the powers of the executive branch between two individuals: the head of state and the head of government. 
D)  division of Congress into two chambers. 
E)  division of the federal court system into two levels: the Supreme Court and the appellate courts. 
A)  division of national government into two branches. 
B)  division of the powers of the executive branch between two individuals: the president and the vice president. 
C)  division of the powers of the executive branch between two individuals: the head of state and the head of government. 
D)  division of Congress into two chambers. 
E)  division of the federal court system into two levels: the Supreme Court and the appellate courts.

Question 8

The issue of representation, which threatened to wreck the entire Constitutional Convention, was resolved by the Great Compromise, also called the

Accepted Answer

A)  New Jersey Plan. 
B)  Connecticut Compromise. 
C)  Pennsylvania Compromise. 
D)  Delaware Deal. 
E)  Virginia Plan. 
A)  New Jersey Plan. 
B)  Connecticut Compromise. 
C)  Pennsylvania Compromise. 
D)  Delaware Deal. 
E)  Virginia Plan.

Question 9

The events that led to the Revolutionary War were triggered by which of the following?

Accepted Answer

A)  The British raised revenue by increasing the tax rate of the colonies. 
B)  The British had established suspicious alliances with Indian tribes during the French and Indian Wars. 
C)  American separatists assassinated King George II. 
D)  Protestant fundamentalists in New England were attempting to establish a theocracy. 
E)  The British were attempting to end slavery in the colonies. 
A)  The British raised revenue by increasing the tax rate of the colonies. 
B)  The British had established suspicious alliances with Indian tribes during the French and Indian Wars. 
C)  American separatists assassinated King George II. 
D)  Protestant fundamentalists in New England were attempting to establish a theocracy. 
E)  The British were attempting to end slavery in the colonies.

Question 10

Brutus and Federal Farmer are two pseudonyms used by the

Accepted Answer

A)  Federalists. 
B)  Antifederalists. 
C)  Publius. 
D)  Monarchists. 
E)  Constitutionalists. 
A)  Federalists. 
B)  Antifederalists. 
C)  Publius. 
D)  Monarchists. 
E)  Constitutionalists.

Question 11

Under the Articles of Confederation, it was left to the ______ to execute the laws passed by Congress.

Accepted Answer

A)  states 
B)  chief executive 
C)  courts 
D)  bureaucracy 
E)  president 
A)  states 
B)  chief executive 
C)  courts 
D)  bureaucracy 
E)  president

Question 12

Only one-third of the Senate is up for re-election during any single election year because the framers believed that

Accepted Answer

A)  too many elections would be difficult for the states to run. 
B)  the voters should not have to make too many decisions during any single election. 
C)  this was the only way to protect the Senate against radical changes. 
D)  the state legislatures would conspire with each other to elect a Senate dominated by a single party. 
E)  this would make members of the Senate more responsive to the preferences of their constituents. 
A)  too many elections would be difficult for the states to run. 
B)  the voters should not have to make too many decisions during any single election. 
C)  this was the only way to protect the Senate against radical changes. 
D)  the state legislatures would conspire with each other to elect a Senate dominated by a single party. 
E)  this would make members of the Senate more responsive to the preferences of their constituents.

Question 13

During the ratification debates, who were the Antifederalists?

Accepted Answer

A)  those who opposed the new Constitution because they wanted a weaker central government 
B)  those who opposed the Constitution because it did not create a strong enough central government 
C)  those who opposed the Constitution because it did not provide women with the right to vote 
D)  those who supported the Constitution 
E)  those who believed that the United States should enter into a confederation with Britain and Canada 
A)  those who opposed the new Constitution because they wanted a weaker central government 
B)  those who opposed the Constitution because it did not create a strong enough central government 
C)  those who opposed the Constitution because it did not provide women with the right to vote 
D)  those who supported the Constitution 
E)  those who believed that the United States should enter into a confederation with Britain and Canada

Question 14

The doctrine of expressed powers means that Congress does not have any powers not listed in the Constitution.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

What did the New Jersey Plan propose for Congress?

Accepted Answer

A)  Representation would be equal for each state. 
B)  Representation would be appointed according to population. 
C)  Representation would be proportionate to the share of taxes paid by each state to the federal government. 
D)  The powers of Congress would check those of state legislatures. 
E)  Representatives to Congress would be appointed by the state legislatures. 
A)  Representation would be equal for each state. 
B)  Representation would be appointed according to population. 
C)  Representation would be proportionate to the share of taxes paid by each state to the federal government. 
D)  The powers of Congress would check those of state legislatures. 
E)  Representatives to Congress would be appointed by the state legislatures.

Question 16

At the Constitutional Convention, the plan to create a Congress where representation was distributed according to population was called the

Accepted Answer

A)  Virginia Plan. 
B)  Adams Proposal. 
C)  New Hampshire Suggestion. 
D)  Washington Doctrine. 
E)  New Jersey Plan. 
A)  Virginia Plan. 
B)  Adams Proposal. 
C)  New Hampshire Suggestion. 
D)  Washington Doctrine. 
E)  New Jersey Plan.

Question 17

According to historian Charles Beard, the framers of the Constitution were most concerned with

Accepted Answer

A)  establishing principles of good government. 
B)  pursuing military glory and imperialism. 
C)  promoting their economic interests. 
D)  creating a religious community. 
E)  creating a form of government that maximized popular sovereignty. 
A)  establishing principles of good government. 
B)  pursuing military glory and imperialism. 
C)  promoting their economic interests. 
D)  creating a religious community. 
E)  creating a form of government that maximized popular sovereignty.

Question 18

The framers of the Constitution attempted to create a government that could do all of the following except

Accepted Answer

A)  promote commerce. 
B)  protect private property from radical state legislatures. 
C)  limit excessive democracy. 
D)  restrict the power of the central government. 
E)  lead to the eventual inclusion of nonwhites in political life. 
A)  promote commerce. 
B)  protect private property from radical state legislatures. 
C)  limit excessive democracy. 
D)  restrict the power of the central government. 
E)  lead to the eventual inclusion of nonwhites in political life.

Question 19

To amend the Constitution requires a ______ vote by Congress, and approval by ______ of the states.

Accepted Answer

A)  majority; a majority 
B)  two-thirds; three-fourths 
C)  three-fourths; a majority 
D)  majority; two-thirds 
E)  three-fourths; three-fourths 
A)  majority; a majority 
B)  two-thirds; three-fourths 
C)  three-fourths; a majority 
D)  majority; two-thirds 
E)  three-fourths; three-fourths

Question 20

The office of the president was designed by the framers to be capable of overcoming the inevitable stalemate of the bicameral legislature.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 2: The Founding and the Constitution

Why did the delegates at the Philadelphia Convention turn down the idea of including a list of citizens' rights in the Constitution?

Who was not appointed to help draft the Declaration of Independence?

The electoral college is

Which of the following was designed by the framers to be an office directly elected by the people?

Which of the following statements best describes the Founders' view of liberty?

Bicameralism is a constitutional principle that means the

The issue of representation, which threatened to wreck the entire Constitutional Convention, was resolved by the Great Compromise, also called the

The events that led to the Revolutionary War were triggered by which of the following?

Brutus and Federal Farmer are two pseudonyms used by the

Under the Articles of Confederation, it was left to the ______ to execute the laws passed by Congress.

Only one-third of the Senate is up for re-election during any single election year because the framers believed that

During the ratification debates, who were the Antifederalists?

The doctrine of expressed powers means that Congress does not have any powers not listed in the Constitution.

What did the New Jersey Plan propose for Congress?

At the Constitutional Convention, the plan to create a Congress where representation was distributed according to population was called the

According to historian Charles Beard, the framers of the Constitution were most concerned with

The framers of the Constitution attempted to create a government that could do all of the following except

To amend the Constitution requires a ______ vote by Congress, and approval by ______ of the states.

The office of the president was designed by the framers to be capable of overcoming the inevitable stalemate of the bicameral legislature.

American Political Culture

Federalism

Civil Liberties

Civil Rights

Public Opinion

The Media

Political Participation and Voting

Political Parties

Campaigns and Elections

Groups and Interests

Congress

The Presidency

Bureaucracy in a Democracy

The Federal Courts

Government and the Economy

Social Policy

Foreign Policy and Democracy

The Political Culture, People, and Economy of Texas

The Texas Constitution

Parties and Elections in Texas

Interest Groups and Lobbying

The Texas Legislature

The Texas Executive Branch

The Texas Judiciary

Local Government in Texas

Public Policy in Texas

Filters

To amend the Constitution requires a vote by Congress, and approval by of the states.