Deck 2: The Constitution the Constitution

Question 1

 A driving principle of the American Revolution was that the __________ branch should be superior to the __________ branch. 

A) legislative; executive 
B) executive; legislative 
C) legislative; judicial 
D) judicial; legislative 
E) judicial; executive 

Answer 1

A

Question 2

 The purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was to 

A) prepare a new constitution. 
B) consider revisions to the Articles of Confederation. 
C) draft a declaration of independence. 
D) adopt a common state constitution. 
E) prepare for a second revolution.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

 Which statement MOST accurately summarizes the aftermath of the American Revolution? 

A) Many cities were in ruins, many farmers owned large debts, and the British were still a powerful presence. 
B) The economy was gaining in strength and the British military had left North America. 
C) Cities had strong economies, and the currency was strong. 
D) Taxes were low, and the currency was sound. 
E) Spain and Britain were no longer relevant on the North American continent.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

 All of the following were true of the government under the Articles of Confederation EXCEPT 

A) larger states had more votes in the national legislature. 
B) there was no national judicial branch. 
C) the national government could not levy taxes. 
D) the national government could not regulate commerce. 
E) amendment required the support of all thirteen states.

Question 5

 What Jefferson referred to as "the pursuit of happiness" most other people simply called __________. 

A) life 
B) property 
C) liberty 
D) truth 
E) democracy

Question 6

 The principal goal of the American Revolution was 

A) equality. 
B) financial betterment. 
C) political efficacy. 
D) fraternity. 
E) liberty.

Question 7

 The philosophical ideas that drove the American Revolution could best be described as  

A) destined to succeed. 
B) truly revolutionary. 
C) standard for the time. 
D) lofty and impractical. 
E) cautiously moderate.

Question 8

 Under the Articles of Confederation,the national government could 

A) make peace. 
B) levy taxes. 
C) regulate interstate commerce. 
D) establish a national judicial system. 
E) establish a national bank.

Question 9

 According to the American colonists,a major problem with the English constitution was that it 

A) was unwritten. 
B) did not protect human liberties. 
C) gave too much power to Parliament. 
D) gave too much power to the king. 
E) unfairly advantaged the more populous colonies.

Question 10

 Under the Articles of Confederation,amendments had to 

A) be written in secret. 
B) be submitted to the national judiciary for approval. 
C) have the approval of half of the state governors. 
D) be supported by all thirteen states. 
E) All of these are correct.

Question 11

 The economic standing of most American colonists was __________ by the American Revolution. 

A) improved, but only minutely, 
B) significantly improved 
C) worsened, but only minutely, 
D) significantly worsened 
E) unaffected

Question 12

 By 1776,eight states 

A) had strong executive leaders. 
B) had written constitutions. 
C) had expanded voting rights considerably. 
D) continued to rely on colonial charters. 
E) had abolished elective offices.

Question 13

 The Articles of Confederation created a 

A) strong central government. 
B) strong military. 
C) unitary system. 
D) league of friendship. 
E) federal system.

Question 14

 In 1776,one important reason that colonists regarded independence as a desirable alternative was that they 

A) no longer had confidence that the British government would protect their liberties. 
B) could no longer afford the price of British exports. 
C) had come to reject the philosophy of John Locke. 
D) had come to reject British ideas of individual rights. 
E) were struggling economically.

Question 15

 One of the basic liberties sought by the colonists through independence from Great Britain was 

A) freedom from taxation without representation. 
B) the right to bear arms and to defend life and property. 
C) freedom to assemble in public and to engage in public debate. 
D) the right to own and trade slaves. 
E) the right to travel.

Question 16

 An unalienable right is one that is based on 

A) nature and Providence. 
B) the Constitution and primary documents. 
C) custom and tradition. 
D) legal precedent. 
E) executive proclamations.

Question 17

 Under the Articles of Confederation,delegates to the national legislature were 

A) elected by the people. 
B) selected by state governors. 
C) appointed by state committees. 
D) chosen by the state legislatures. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 18

 How many of the delegates of the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in 1787 were women or non-white men? 

A) 0 
B) 1 
C) 2 
D) 3 
E) 5

Question 19

 Which of the following statements about the Declaration of Independence is CORRECT? 

A) It was written primarily by George Washington and James Madison. 
B) It primarily focused on concerns over economic inequality. 
C) It was a rejection of the philosophy of John Locke. 
D) It drew on the works of Thomas Hobbes. 
E) It was essentially a lawyer's brief justifying a revolution.

Question 20

 One primary feature of MOST early state constitutions was 

A) a detailed bill of rights. 
B) a planning for land use. 
C) a strong executive branch. 
D) disregard for individual rights. 
E) economic regulation.

Question 21

 The delegates to the Constitutional Convention were,for the most part 

A) the same people who had written the Declaration of Independence. 
B) rich. 
C) intellectuals. 
D) young, but experienced. 
E) soldiers and veterans of the Revolutionary War.

Question 22

 The Great Compromise finally allocated representation on the basis of 

A) population, in both houses. 
B) equality, in both houses. 
C) population in the House and statehood equality in the Senate. 
D) equality in the House and population in the Senate. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 23

 The state of affairs in Pennsylvania seemed to suggest that 

A) state constitutions were generally successful. 
B) the rights and liberties of citizens were secure in a confederation. 
C) unitary systems were more liberal than confederations. 
D) democracy and tyranny might not be all that far apart from one another. 
E) it is not a good thing to create a separate, independent executive.

Question 24

 The "state of nature" refers to 

A) society without government. 
B) government without society. 
C) formation of government along the lines of natural law. 
D) the clash between government and society. 
E) the very highest form of government.

Question 25

 The New Jersey Plan was a reaction by some states primarily to the fear that 

A) the legislative veto power called for by the Virginia Plan would seriously undermine individual states' rights. 
B) the weak central government devised by the Virginia Plan would grant too much power to rural states. 
C) the strong central government devised by the Virginia Plan would grant too much power to small states. 
D) the Virginia Plan gave too much power to populous states. 
E) Hamilton's suggestions about the executive branch would be accepted by the convention.

Question 26

 The Constitutional Convention delegates' defense of liberty as a natural right was derived from the writings of the philosopher 

A) John Locke. 
B) Montesquieu. 
C) Jean-Jacques Rousseau. 
D) Thomas Hobbes. 
E) Immanuel Kant.

Question 27

 The Great Compromise refers to the  

A) adoption of the Virginia Plan 
B) adoption of the New Jersey Plan  
C) decision to count each slave as sixty percent of a person 
D) creation of the Senate and House of Representatives 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 28

 The Massachusetts constitution adopted in 1780 was  

A) weak and undemocratic. 
B) strong and democratic. 
C) weak and undemocratic. 
D) strong and undemocratic. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 29

 The Pennsylvania constitution adopted in 1776 was  

A) weak and undemocratic. 
B) strong and democratic. 
C) weak and undemocratic. 
D) strong and undemocratic. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 30

 Pennsylvania's government was considered "radically democratic" because it featured no 

A) constitution. 
B) written laws. 
C) elected officials. 
D) legislature. 
E) governor.

Question 31

 Which of the following is a key difference between the Virginia Plan and the present-day American government? 

A) The Virginia Plan did not call for three branches of government. 
B) The Virginia Plan did not divide the legislature into two houses. 
C) In the Virginia Plan, the president was not elected by the people. 
D) In the Virginia Plan, none of the legislature was elected by the people. 
E) In the Virginia Plan, the legislature could not override an executive veto.

Question 32

 This plan presented at the Constitutional Convention called for a bicameral legislative body with states' representation in each house based on population. 

A) Connecticut Plan 
B) New Jersey Plan 
C) Maryland Plan 
D) Virginia Plan 
E) Great Compromise

Question 33

 This rebellion occurred in January 1787 when a group of ex-Revolutionary War soldiers,fearful of losing their property to creditors and tax collectors,forcibly prevented the courts in western Massachusetts from sitting. 

A) Shays's Rebellion 
B) Bacon's Rebellion 
C) Whiskey Rebellion 
D) Clarke's Rebellion 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 34

 The central issue in the framing of the U.S.Constitution was that of 

A) how strong to make the national government. 
B) how best to divide powers among the branches of government. 
C) how best to break with Great Britain. 
D) how to adopt liberty but still allow slaveholding. 
E) how to create a truly independent judiciary.

Question 35

 The Philadelphia Convention deviated from its stated task when it  

A) chose George Washington to be its presiding officer. 
B) attempted to amend the Articles of Confederation. 
C) enacted the Three-Fifths Compromise. 
D) began debating the New Jersey Plan. 
E) began debating the Virginia Plan.

Question 36

 The final report of the Constitutional Convention was approved on September 17,1787 by 

A) all twelve states in attendance. 
B) eleven of the twelve states attending. 
C) every state and delegate attending. 
D) every state in the Confederation. 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 37

 This delegate at the Constitutional Convention suggested that the president be elected directly by the people. 

A) James Madison 
B) Alexander Hamilton 
C) George Washington 
D) Aaron Burr 
E) James Wilson

Question 38

 Each state would have had an equal number of votes in the legislature under the 

A) Connecticut Plan. 
B) New Jersey Plan. 
C) Maryland Plan. 
D) Virginia Plan. 
E) Georgia Plan.

Question 39

 The importance of the Great Compromise was that it 

A) created a legislature similar in structure to that under the Articles of Confederation. 
B) established a single, "one-state, one-vote" formula under which all states would benefit. 
C) strengthened the power of larger states at the expense of smaller states. 
D) granted equal power to the three branches of the new central government. 
E) ensured support for a strong national government from small as well as large states.

Question 40

 The effect of Shays's Rebellion on attendance by delegates at the planned Constitutional Convention of 1787 was to 

A) encourage attendance by delegates fearing the collapse of state governments. 
B) encourage attendance by delegates fearing intervention by the British. 
C) discourage attendance by delegates fearing a public outcry against any strengthening of the Articles of Confederation. 
D) discourage attendance by delegates fearing intervention by the British. 
E) discourage attendance by delegates who fought in the Revolutionary War.

Question 41

 Under the Constitution,the powers shared by the state and national governments are the __________ powers. 

A) enumerated 
B) reserved 
C) concurrent 
D) federalist 
E) antifederalist

Question 42

 Madison's confidence in the usefulness of separation of powers rested on the assumption that 

A) the strongest would survive. 
B) human nature was basically good. 
C) no one would purposely seek power. 
D) ambitions would counteract each other. 
E) government would create virtuous citizens.

Question 43

 The text suggests that the Antifederalists might have been more accurately called the 

A) nationalists. 
B) states' rights advocates. 
C) monarchists. 
D) loyalists. 
E) anarchists.

Question 44

 The First Amendment addressed the issue of 

A) double jeopardy. 
B) trial by jury. 
C) cruel and unusual punishment. 
D) unreasonable searches and seizure. 
E) freedom of speech.

Question 45

 A major argument in favor of reducing the separation of powers called for in the U.S.Constitution is that doing so would 

A) allow leaders to act promptly, decisively, and comprehensively. 
B) weaken the presidency and give greater protection against executive dictatorship. 
C) disperse credit or blame equally among the three branches of government. 
D) apportion responsibility for implementing government programs among members of Congress. 
E) create a truly independent judiciary.

Question 46

 Generally,the Antifederalists felt that the government created by the U.S.Constitution was 

A) an insufficient check on the power of the states. 
B) too strong and too centralized. 
C) too liberal. 
D) barely strong enough to be effective. 
E) overprotective of individual rights.

Question 47

 Under the Constitution,the powers given to the states exclusively are the __________ powers. 

A) enumerated 
B) reserved 
C) concurrent 
D) federalist 
E) antifederalist

Question 48

 Who introduced a set of twelve proposals to the First Congress from which the eventual Bill of Rights would be ratified? 

A) Hamilton 
B) Jefferson 
C) Washington 
D) Adams 
E) Madison

Question 49

 Ancient political philosophers,such as Aristotle,held that the first task of any government was to 

A) cultivate virtue among the governed. 
B) represent the will of the people. 
C) exalt those who were wise above all others. 
D) protect and enlarge the aristocracy. 
E) build and maintain a conquering army.

Question 50

 Which of the following statements MOST accurately characterizes the motives behind the support that different Framers gave to the U.S.Constitution? 

A) Most Framers acted out of a mixture of motives, with economic interests playing only a modest role. 
B) Those Framers who did not hold government debt but who did own slaves tended to support the U.S. Constitution. 
C) Those Framers who held debt but who did not own slaves tended to oppose the U.S. Constitution. 
D) The support that different Framers gave to the U.S. Constitution tended to divide along class lines. 
E) The Framers acted in a manner that reflected the religious convictions of their respective states.

Question 51

 The American version of representative democracy is based on two major principles: __________ and __________. 

A) separation of powers; federalism 
B) unicameralism; federalism 
C) judicial review; federalism 
D) party government; federalism 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 52

 It quickly became clear that the Constitution would NOT be ratified without at least the promise of 

A) the abolition of slavery. 
B) female suffrage. 
C) an elaborate federal court system. 
D) a bill of rights. 
E) a two-party system.

Question 53

 The goal of the Framers of the U.S.Constitution was to create a(n) 

A) political system in which majority rule was supreme. 
B) pure democracy modeled after the New England town meeting. 
C) pluralist democracy ruled by political elite. 
D) autonomous collective. 
E) republic based on a system of representation.

Question 54

 Relative to the notion of democratic government,the Supreme Court's power of judicial review 

A) places limits on majority rule. 
B) is limited to state issues. 
C) generally favors the executive. 
D) is sometimes democratic, sometimes not. 
E) is applied frequently.

Question 55

 Under the Constitution,the powers given to the national government exclusively are the __________ powers. 

A) enumerated 
B) reserved 
C) concurrent 
D) federalist 
E) antifederalist

Question 56

 One of the biggest mistakes made by the Framers of the Constitution was  

A) making the government too strong. 
B) not making the government strong enough. 
C) not including a bill of rights. 
D) giving too much power to James Madison. 
E) giving too much power to George Washington.

Question 57

 Dividing power between the states and the national government is referred to as 

A) sovereignty. 
B) dual legitimacy. 
C) egalitarianism. 
D) plutocracy. 
E) federalism.

Question 58

 In Federalist No.10 and No.51,Madison argued in favor of a large republic,which went against the ideas of this political philosopher. 

A) John Locke 
B) Thomas Hobbes 
C) Plato 
D) Montesquieu 
E) None of these are correct.

Question 59

 Three-fifths of the slaves were counted for purposes of 

A) electing state legislatures. 
B) apportioning delegates to presidential conventions. 
C) allotting seats in the House of Representatives. 
D) assigning delegates to state conventions. 
E) allotting seats in the Senate.

Question 60

 James Madison's main argument in favor of a federalist position,stated in Federalist No.10 and No.51,was in defense of 

A) large republics. 
B) small democracies governed by direct democracy. 
C) a bill of rights. 
D) large legislatures with small districts and frequent turnover. 
E) centralized judiciaries.

Question 61

 The Articles of Confederation empowered the national government with the ability to regulate interstate commerce. 

Question 62

 Prior to the American Revolution,most people in America did not own property. 

Question 63

 The colonists saw "higher law" as something that was discoverable in nature. 

Question 64

 In 1776,most state constitutions had detailed bills of rights. 

Question 65

 A republic is a government in which a system of representation operates. 

Question 66

 The Virginia Plan called for a strong national government. 

Question 67

 The Articles of Confederation created a strong central government. 

Question 68

 The declaration of independence listed complaints about social and economic abuses on the colonies. 

Question 69

 The Framers' view of natural rights was heavily influenced by the writings of John Locke. 

Question 70

 The delegates to the Constitutional Convention were popularly elected. 

Question 71

 James Madison believed that ancient Greece provided a good model for American government. 

Question 72

 Alexander Hamilton was a strong supporter of the government set up by the Articles of Confederation. 

Question 73

 During the ratification debate,the supporters of the U.S.Constitution called themselves Federalists. 

Question 74

 George Washington believed the country could survive only with a strong national government. 

Question 75

 There was general agreement that the essential rights included life,liberty,and property long before Thomas Jefferson wrote them into the Declaration of Independence. 

Question 76

 The Great Compromise reconciled the interests of the small and large states over representation. 

Question 77

 Rhode Island refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention. 

Question 78

 The Framers of the Constitution did not agree with the philosophy of Hobbes. 

Question 79

 Under the Articles of Confederation,each state had one vote in a national legislative body with only one house. 

Question 80

 The Framers' primary goal was to create a true democracy.