Deck 2: The Constitution

Question 1

Which of the following generally favored a stronger national government and supported the proposed U.S.Constitution?

A)Daniel Shays
B)Federalists
C)Anti-Federalists Consider This: This group supported the work of the Constitutional Convention and included James Madison.
D)Constitutionalists

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is a form of government in which the people select representatives to govern and make laws?

A)republic
B)monarchy
C)theocracy
D)oligarchy-Consider This: This form of government is considered to be more workable than one where citizens make all of decisions directly.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Amending the Constitution to give women the right to vote was an important step in the
women’s rights movement. Here suffragettes march in New York City in 1913 for the right
to vote.


-How did the protesters' success lead to change?

A)States gained greater power over voter eligibility.
B)The Constitution offered more specific mandates on voter eligibility.
C)The Equal Rights Amendment was ratified.-Consider This: The ERA was proposed in 1923 and has yet to be ratified.
D)The people gained direct access to the lawmaking process.

Answer 3

The Constitution offered more specific mandates on voter eligibility.

Question 4

Which of the following are rights that are inherent in all human beings and not dependent on government?

A)natural rights
B)positive rights
C)intrinsic laws-Consider This: These rights were described in John Locke's Second Treatise of Civil Government.
D)Constitutional law

Question 5

Questions 4-5 refer to the following image. Credit: North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy Stock Photo
Based on this image,what was one result of the foreclosures imposed by Massachusetts state courts?

A)The Committee of Correspondence-Consider This: These protests led to a call for a convention to consider revising the Articles of Confederation.
B)The nation moved away from agriculture and became more industrial.
C)Farmers moved westward to enjoy the available land there.
D)A violent farmer uprising under the direction of Daniel Shays.

Question 6

What number of slaves did the delegates agree would be counted for determining population for representation in the House of Representatives?

A)one-third
B)three-fifths
C)two-thirds-Consider This: This famous constitutional compromise led to slaves being counted in terms of representation for the House of Representatives.
D)four-fifths

Question 7

The meaning of the Constitution can change through __________.

A)judicial interpretation
B)national referendum-Consider This: A national referendum would not be legal under the Constitution.
C)congressional inaction
D)natural law

Question 8

Against which of the following impositions by the British government did the colonists rebel?

A)taxes
B)a military draft-Consider This: One instance of the colonists' rebellion was the Boston Tea Party.
C)curfews
D)religious laws

Question 9

How many constitutions or governing documents have the United States had in its history?

A)one-Consider This: The government established by the Constitution was not the colonies' first attempt at self-government.
B)two
C)three
D)four

Question 10

Which branch of government is responsible for passing laws?

A)bureaucratic
B)judicial
C)executive-Consider This: The executive branch is responsible for implementing laws but relies on another branch to create laws.
D)legislative

Question 11

Which of the following debated and drafted the Declaration of Independence?

A)the First Continental Congress
B)the Second Continental Congress
C)the Committees of Correspondence
D)the Constitutional Convention-Consider This: The Constitutional Convention would meet some years later in order to consider changes to the Articles of Confederation.

Question 12

While working on the Constitution,what aspect of the new government most concerned James Madison?

A)foreign affairs
B)slavery
C)elitist control-Consider This: Checks and balances and separation of powers were established to deal with this issue.
D)tyranny of the majority

Question 13

Questions 14 and 15 refer to the image.
The Constitution is a short document that has survived for more than 200 years,in large part
because of its adaptability to the needs of new generations. Credit: Mike Luckovich/Creators Syndicate
Which of the following provides for the Constitution's flexibility?

A)Article I-Consider This: Article I outlines Congressional powers,including the "necessary and proper" clause that allows the government to change over time.
B)Article III
C)Article V
D)Article VI

Question 14

Questions 6 and 7 refer to the following graph.
Power Shift: Economic status of state legislators before and after The Revolutionary War
Based on the graph,what shift in power took place after the Revolutionary War?

A)southern states were more powerful than northern states
B)the wealthy took power away from the lower classes-Consider This: Before the war wealthy Americans held more seats in state assemblies,but that shifted after the war.
C)people with moderate income held more seats in state legislatures than the wealthy
D)lawyers had more political power than farmers

Question 15

Burning the flag is constitutionally protected because it is an act of __________.

A)political speech
B)privacy-Consider This: Although flag burning is an unpopular action,the Supreme Court has generally protected it on these grounds.
C)due process
D)commercial expression

Question 16

Credit: North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy Stock Photo

-Shays's Rebellion contributed to calls for a stronger national government because

A)the Massachusetts state militia was stronger than the United States army.
B)farmers in other states assisted those affected by the foreclosures.-Consider This: Farmers throughout the country were struggling,not just those in Massachusetts.
C)foreigners supported Shays's Rebellion and sent supplies to help the farmers.
D)it indicated that the state and national governments were weak.

Question 17

Questions 14 and 15 refer to the image.
The Constitution is a short document that has survived for more than 200 years,in large part
because of its adaptability to the needs of new generations. Credit: Mike Luckovich/Creators Syndicate
Which of the Constitution's characteristics does the cartoon address?

A)structure and detail
B)attention to civil liberties
C)national supremacy-Consider This: The cartoon doesn't indicate whether the national or state government is more powerful.
D)adaptability

Question 18

In Federalist 10,who wrote,"The most common and durable source of factions has been the various and unequal distribution of property"?

A)Alexander Hamilton-Consider This: In this work,the author warned of factions,which we might today call interest groups.
B)Thomas Jefferson
C)John Jay
D)James Madison

Question 19

Amending the Constitution to give women the right to vote was an important step in the
women’s rights movement. Here suffragettes march in New York City in 1913 for the right
to vote.


-Which of the following rights did the women pictured demand?

A)suffrage
B)workplace equality
C)abortion
D)equal pay-Consider This: Many of the women in the suffrage movement did not work.

Question 20

The U.S.Constitution was adopted in response to the weaknesses of which document?

A)Declaration of the Rights of Man
B)Magna Carta
C)the Declaration of Independence-Consider This: While the Declaration of Independence was a critical foundational document,the document in question served as the legal organizing document for the early United States.
D)the Articles of Confederation

Question 21

Under the Constitution,the president is elected by which of the following?

A)King Caucus-Consider This: This institution gives greater relative weight to smaller states.
B)People's Plebiscite
C)electoral college
D)direct popular election

Question 22

What did the Connecticut Compromise help to establish?

A)the Senate and the House of Representatives
B)the federalist system-Consider This: This compromise was designed to reconcile the differences between the Virginia and the New Jersey plans.
C)an independent judiciary
D)universal male suffrage

Question 23

Which of the following was part of both the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution?

A)a congress
B)the presidency-Consider This: The government under the Articles did not have an executive branch,one of the sources of inefficiency in that system.
C)the federal judiciary
D)the right of taxation by the federal government

Question 24

Which of the following were most likely to oppose the proposed Constitution?

A)lawyers
B)merchants
C)small farmers
D)large landowners-Consider This: The Federalists were generally drawn from the economic elite.

Question 25

What type of legislature did the United States have under the Articles of Confederation?

A)a single chamber with membership based on a state's population
B)a single chamber with each state receiving equal power
C)a single chamber whose members were appointed by the president
D)two chambers?-Consider This: The Constitution would significantly change the form of the legislature.

Question 26

Which of the following is a method for proposing constitutional amendments?

A)by a majority of voting-age citizens-Consider This: A national convention could propose constitutional amendments,but requests from two-thirds of the states are needed to convene the convention.
B)by a majority of state governors
C)by a two-thirds vote in each house of Congress
D)by a two-thirds vote in a special election called for the purpose of voting on the amendment

Question 27

Which of the following urged the colonies to become independent from Britain?

A)Common Sense
B)Revolution
C)Federalist 10-Consider This: This pamphlet,written by Thomas Paine,encouraged the colonists to separate from Britain.
D)Our American Cousin

Question 28

Which of the following concepts most directly legitimizes the American government?

A)the right to bear arms?-Consider This: This concept was described in John Locke's Second Treatise of Civil Government.
B)the divine right
C)consent of the governed
D)executive privilege

Question 29

The Constitution limits the government's ability to suspend writs of habeas corpus.What does this protect individuals against?

A)free speech infringement
B)taxation of private property
C)unlawful detention
D)infringement of religious freedom-Consider This: This is a major civil liberty as it limits the power of government in peacetime.

Question 30

From how many states did the Articles of Confederation require consent for ratification?

A)majority-Consider This: Under the Articles of Confederation,states retained most political power,leaving the national government weak. b three-fifths
C)two-thirds
D)unanimous

Question 31

How is a constitutional amendment ratified?

A)either by a majority of state legislatures or by special state conventions in a majority of the states-Consider This: Amending the U.S.Constitution in a very difficult process,where super majorities are required throughout.
B)either by three-fourths of state legislatures or by special state conventions in three-fourths of the states
C)either by a majority of state governors or by a majority of the U.S.Senate
D)either by three-fourths of state governors or by three-fourths of the U.S.Senate

Question 32

What was a fear of the Anti-Federalists during the Constitutional Convention and subsequent debate?

A)that a weak national government would undermine the survival of the United States-Consider This: The Constitution was designed to expand the power of the national government while protecting the power of states and the liberties of individuals.
B)that a strong national government would infringe on the rights of the states
C)that a powerful judiciary would restrict freedom of religion
D)that powerful state governments would infringe on individual liberties

Question 33

Which of the following was a problem under the Articles of Confederation?

A)The national government was too strong compared to the states.
B)Amendments were too easy to ratify.
C)Congress imposed excessive taxes.-Consider This: Under the Articles,each state was largely independent and could generally establish their own policies.
D)Congress lacked the authority to regulate commerce.

Question 34

Which of the following most directly protects individuals' civil liberties?

A)Second Treatise of Civil Government
B)The Federalist Papers
C)the Bill of Rights
D)the Declaration of Independence-Consider This: These were added to the Constitution in order to allay the fears of the Anti-Federalists.

Question 35

Which of the following did the Federalists prefer more than the Anti-Federalists?

A)stronger state governments
B)a stronger national government
C)stronger protections of individual liberties-Consider This: The Anti-Federalists were concerned that the Constitution did not do enough to protect individual liberties.
D)shorter terms of office

Question 36

Which constitutional plan called for representation in Congress to be based on state population?

A)Republican Plan
B)Democratic Plan
C)Virginia Plan
D)New Jersey Plan-Consider This: This state was,at the time,one of the largest and most wealthy.

Question 37

Which of the following was written to encourage passage of the Constitution and remains a compelling source for determining the intent of the Framers?

A)the Declaration of Independence
B)The Federalist Papers
C)Common Sense-Consider This: These 85 essays,largely written by James Madison and Alexander Hamilton,provide a spirited and detailed defense of the Constitution.
D)Two Treatises on Government

Question 38

Which of the following accurately describes the Constitutional Convention?

A)The delegates spent more of their time trying to figure out how to revise the Articles of Confederation.-Consider This: By the time the delegates met at the Constitutional Convention,dissatisfaction with the Articles was widespread.
B)Many of the delegates were economic elites.
C)The Convention was free of significant disagreement.
D)The Convention lasted only one week.

Question 39

What is the feature of the Constitution that allows each branch of government to limit the power of the other branches?

A)weights and measures
B)checks and balances
C)oversight and influence
D)privileges and immunities-Consider This: This feature is designed to prevent tyranny but also tends to protect the status quo and creates the potential for gridlock.