Question 1

A constitutional amendment can be proposed by

Accepted Answer

A)  a national convention called by Congress at the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures. 
B)  a two-thirds vote in each chamber of Congress. 
C)  the legislatures in two-thirds the states. 
D)  a majority vote in both chambers of Congress provided the amendment is not vetoed by the president. 
E)  Options A and B are true.

Question 2

The colonies in the New World provided for opportunities to

Accepted Answer

A)  promote trade. 
B)  explore religious freedom. 
C)  practice limited self-government. 
D)  implement the social contract. 
E)  All of the above are true.

Question 3

The Jamestown colony was established as

Accepted Answer

A)  a trading post. 
B)  a military fort. 
C)  a settlement in Maryland. 
D)  the first French settlement in the New World. 
E)  a settlement for religious Separatists.

Question 4

Describe the competing interests of the small states and the large states. How were these conflicting interests resolved in the final version of the Constitution in 1787?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Describe the competing interests of the small...

Question 5

The group that actually elects the president of the United States is called

Accepted Answer

A)  the Presidential Election Commission. 
B)  the Congressional Election Forum. 
C)  the Association of State Legislatures. 
D)  the electoral college. 
E)  the electorate at large.

Question 6

Under the electoral college system

Accepted Answer

A)  a presidential candidate can be elected without receiving a majority of the popular vote. 
B)  a presidential candidate cannot win without receiving the majority of the popular vote. 
C)  a presidential candidate can win with a majority of the popular vote but a minority of the electoral college vote. 
D)  more than 20 presidents have failed to win over 50 percent of the popular vote. 
E)  All of the above are true.

Question 7

English philosopher John Locke believed that the main purpose of government was

Accepted Answer

A)  to defend against foreign enemies. 
B)  to protect man's natural rights of life, liberty, and property. 
C)  to raise taxes to build an army. 
D)  to promote equality under the law. 
E)  to promote religious separatism.

Question 8

A voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules is called

Accepted Answer

A)  a confederation. 
B)  a social contract. 
C)  a syndicate. 
D)  a constitution. 
E)  natural law.

Question 9

The concept of separation of powers was included in the Constitution to prevent

Accepted Answer

A)  disputes between the federal and state governments. 
B)  the imposition of export taxes. 
C)  a major dispute over power between the House and the Senate. 
D)  disputes over power between Congress and the president. 
E)  tyranny by either the majority or by a minority.

Question 10

Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense advocated

Accepted Answer

A)  the formation of a new government that would still be loyal to the king. 
B)  the establishment of a government that would limit further immigration. 
C)  an end of hostilities toward Britain. 
D)  the idea that the formation of the country's own government was a "natural right." 
E)  the repeal of all taxes, including those the colonists had imposed on themselves.

Question 11

The voting age of eighteen was set by

Accepted Answer

A)  Congress. 
B)  the Twenty-sixth Amendment. 
C)  the Nineteenth Amendment. 
D)  the Supreme Court. 
E)  the states.

Question 12

The concept of checks and balances allows

Accepted Answer

A)  Congress to declare presidential actions unconstitutional. 
B)  the Supreme Court to break the tie on legislation. 
C)  the President to veto legislation he/she does not support. 
D)  Congress to remove members of the Supreme Court. 
E)  Options A and B are true.

Question 13

A constitutional amendment can be ratified by

Accepted Answer

A)  a positive vote in conventions in three-fourths of the states. 
B)  a positive vote in the legislatures of three-fourths the states. 
C)  a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress. 
D)  the legislatures in two-thirds of the states. 
E)  Options A and B are true.

Question 14

Opponents of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Accepted Answer

A)  believe that individuals should not be forced to buy health insurance by the government. 
B)  believe that government will next tax those who are overweight, smoke or buy foreign cars. 
C)  believe that healthcare is a right. 
D)  believe that the government does not have the right to impose new taxes. 
E)  Options A and B are true.

Question 15

The major historical and political significance of the Mayflower Compact was that it

Accepted Answer

A)  served as a prototype for many similar compacts. 
B)  was the start of the first settlement in America. 
C)  depended on the consent of the individuals involved. 
D)  established the colony of Massachusetts. 
E)  Options A and C are true.

Question 16

The Anti-Federalists

Accepted Answer

A)  lived in urban areas. 
B)  attended the Constitutional Convention. 
C)  supported a strong central government. 
D)  opposed the new Constitution. 
E)  Options A and B are true.

Question 17

Compare and contrast the structures of government formed under the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution. How are the colonists' historical experiences reflected in each document? How did the weaknesses of the Articles lead to a different structure in the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast the structures of government...

Question 18

The Great Compromise

Accepted Answer

A)  was advanced by the delegates from Georgia. 
B)  proposed a bicameral legislature with equal representation in the Senate. 
C)  was presented too late to be considered. 
D)  was proposed by Texas. 
E)  proposed a unicameral legislature in which each state would have one vote.

Question 19

Ratification of the Constitution required the

Accepted Answer

A)  approval of the thirteen state legislatures. 
B)  approval by nine out of thirteen state conventions. 
C)  approval of the thirteen state legislatures and two-thirds of Congress. 
D)  approval by popular vote in nine states. 
E)  None of the above is true.

Question 20

The winner-take-all provision of the current presidential election system

Accepted Answer

A)  provides that the winner of the state's popular vote takes all of the state's electoral votes. 
B)  is sometimes called the unit rule. 
C)  causes some candidates to skip safe states and only campaign in close contests. 
D)  causes candidates to spend little time in California, Illinois, New York, and Texas. 
E)  All of the above are true.

Exam 2: The Constitution