Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  True

Question 2

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. E

Question 3

Compared with the Articles of Confederation, federalism under the Constitution has led to

Accepted Answer

A)   greater centralization of power.
B)   increased state autonomy.
C)   the establishment of unitary government.
D)   more local autonomy, at the expense of the states.
E)   a weaker national military. A

Question 4

If a person believes that the Constitution should not be amended by judges and that judges should adhere closely to the document's text when deciding cases, this person believes in

Accepted Answer

A)   "strict construction."
B)   the idea of the "living Constitution."
C)   the supremacy clause.
D)   the separation of powers.
E)   federalism.

Question 5

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 answer of Write an essay describing the causes and...

Question 6

Which was the only state not to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention?

Accepted Answer

A)   Rhode Island
B)   Massachusetts
C)   Virginia
D)   Connecticut
E)   New York

Question 7

The idea of a "living constitution" means

Accepted Answer

A)   the Constitution should be continually amended to keep up with the times.
B)   the judiciary can shape the interpretation of the Constitution in line with contemporary problems and values.
C)   each generation must design its own constitution.
D)   only an unwritten constitution can grow with a people.
E)   the president can make changes to the Constitution after each election.

Question 8

The Great Compromise led to the

Accepted Answer

A)   legalization of slavery.
B)   creation of a bicameral Congress.
C)   creation of the Supreme Court.
D)   peaceful conclusion of Shays's Rebellion.
E)   abolition of the slave trade.

Question 9

The Three-fifths Compromise stated that no more than three out of every five states could be slave states.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Which of the following statements about the House and the Senate is false?

Accepted Answer

A)   The Senate has the power to ratify treaties while the House does not.
B)   The Senate has the power to approve presidential appointments while the House does not.
C)   The House has the power to overturn a president's veto while the Senate does not.
D)   The House has the power to originate revenue bills while the Senate does not.
E)   Members of the House have two-year terms while Senators have six-year terms.

Question 11

As a constitution, the Articles of Confederation were concerned primarily with

Accepted Answer

A)   creating a national government that had significant power and authority.
B)   creating a federal form of government.
C)   creating a form of government in which the states were largely subservient to the national government.
D)   limiting the powers of the central government.
E)   creating a strong and unified national armed forces.

Question 12

Which of the following powers are not explicitly given to Congress by the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

A)   to borrow money
B)   to declare war
C)   to maintain an army and a navy
D)   to regulate commerce
E)   to abolish state boundaries

Question 13

Who were the writers of the Federalist Papers?

Accepted Answer

A)   James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton
B)   John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson
C)   George Washington, Samuel Adams, and William Paterson
D)   Charles Beard, Daniel Shays, and Paul Revere
E)   James Madison, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson

Question 14

The Virginia Plan of the Constitutional Convention proposed a system of representation in the national legislature that was based upon

Accepted Answer

A)   equal representation between the states.
B)   the concept of universal suffrage.
C)   the population of each state or the proportion of each state's revenue contribution, or both.
D)   the geographical size of a state.
E)   the strength of each state's militia.

Question 15

The framers of the Constitution intended to create a presidency capable of

Accepted Answer

A)   completely dominating Congress.
B)   withstanding excessive popular pressure by making it subject to indirect election through the electoral college.
C)   spending money with little interference from any other branch of government.
D)   regulating all forms of commerce.
E)   declaring war on any country that posed a threat to American national security.

Question 16

The Constitution gives Congress the power to recognize other nations and to accept ambassadors from foreign countries.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Who orchestrated the Boston Tea Party?

Accepted Answer

A)   John Adams
B)   Samuel Adams
C)   Samuel Lipton
D)   Alexander Hamilton
E)   Paul Revere

Question 18

Which of the following was not discussed as a purpose of government in the Constitution's preamble?

Accepted Answer

A)   to promote justice
B)   to maintain peace at home
C)   to guarantee an equal distribution of wealth for all citizens
D)   to defend the nation from foreign foes
E)   to secure the "blessings of liberty"

Question 19

Shays's Rebellion was significant because it

Accepted Answer

A)   convinced many observers that the government of the Confederation had become dangerously inefficient and indecisive.
B)   led to the admission of Vermont into the Union.
C)   led to the abolition of slavery.
D)   convinced Congress to approve the Louisiana Purchase.
E)   led to the start of the Civil War.

Question 20

According to the text, the writing of the Constitution demonstrates the

Accepted Answer

A)   marriage of interests and principles.
B)   triumph of self-interest over the common good.
C)   epitome of civic virtue.
D)   rupture with the past.
E)   triumph of the common good over self-interest

Exam 2: The Founding and the Constitution