Deck 2: The Constitution

Question 1

An amendment to the Constitution may be proposed by

A)a two-thirds vote in each house of Congress.
B)a national convention called by Congress at the request of two-thirds of the state legislatures.
C)the request of the president of the United States.
D)All of these are true.
E)None of these is true.

Answer 1

E

Question 2

John Locke's Second Treatise of Civil Government set down the principles of natural rights,limited government,and consent of the governed.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Which of the following was favored by the Anti-Federalists?

A)Stronger state governments
B)Weaker state governments
C)Longer terms for elected officials
D)Indirect elections of elected officials
E)Weakened protections for individuals liberties

Answer 3

A

Question 4

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

A)Thomas Jefferson
B)Benjamin Franklin
C)Richard Henry Lee
D)Thomas Paine
E)John Adams

Question 5

The foundation of Locke's philosophy was that human beings

A)derive their rights from nature.
B)have rights that are granted them by government.
C)determine their own rights.
D)derive their rights from God.
E)are granted rights by their king.

Question 6

Which of the following was NOT one of the features of the Madisonian system that sought to limit majority tyranny?

A)Separation of powers
B)Bicameral Congress
C)Federalism
D)Life term tenure for judges
E)Bill of Rights

Question 7

A major purpose of the economic provisions in the Constitution was to

A)promote a more equal distribution of wealth in the country.
B)guarantee the states a significant economic role.
C)preserve and strengthen the farm economy to the disadvantage of manufacturing.
D)establish a comprehensive set of social welfare programs to assist people in times of need.
E)create a strong national government so as to bring stability out of economic chaos.

Question 8

The case in which Chief Justice John Marshall first asserted the right of the Supreme Court to determine the meaning of the U.S.Constitution was

A)Marbury v. Madison.
B)McCulloch v. Maryland.
C)United States v. Eichman.
D)Dred Scott v. Sandford.
E)None of the above is true.

Question 9

What was the significance of the Annapolis meeting?

A)It was the first national convention of women demanding the right to vote.
B)It issued the Declaration of Independence.
C)It dissolved the Continental Congress.
D)It selected George Washington as the first post-Revolutionary president.
E)It issued the first call for the Constitutional Convention,which would form in Philadelphia in 1787.

Question 10

Who authored The Second Treatise of Civil Government?

A)Thomas Jefferson
B)John Locke
C)Thomas Paine
D)James Madison
E)Peyton Randolph

Question 11

There were 105 delegates to the Constitutional Convention.

Question 12

Which of the following best describes the United States government under the Articles of Confederation?

A)It was weak and ineffective.
B)It was frequently involved in foreign affairs.
C)It was very large and bureaucratic.
D)It was dictatorial.
E)It was a puppet for George Washington.

Question 13

Under the Articles of Confederation,the national government was too weak to govern effectively.

Question 14

A constitution is a nation's basic law.

Question 15

Which of the following comprised the core of agreement among the delegates to the Constitutional Convention?

A)Beliefs about human nature
B)Beliefs about the causes of political conflict
C)Shared views regarding the objectives of government
D)Understanding about the nature of republican government
E)All of the above are true.

Question 16

Which of the following characteristics do NOT apply to the 55 delegates who convened the Constitutional Convention?

A)Most were residents of western frontiers.
B)They were all men.
C)A significant number were urbanites.
D)Many were college graduates.
E)They were mostly wealthy planters.

Question 17

Locke believed that government must be built

A)on the consent of the governed.
B)on the laws of the previous government.
C)on the morals of the rulers.
D)on laws given by the king.
E)on the continuity of government,thus all efforts to overthrow a government are treason.

Question 18

__________ was proposed by William Patterson,in which each state was to be equally represented in the new Congress.

A)The New Jersey Plan
B)The Connecticut Compromise
C)The Virginia Plan
D)The Federalist Papers
E)The Articles of Confederation

Question 19

The Connecticut Compromise created a bicameral Congress and a system of representation that ultimately gives greater representation to citizens of less populous states.

Question 20

Which of the following statements regarding the Constitution is FALSE?

A)One of the central themes of American history has been the gradual democratization of the Constitution.
B)The original Constitution was characterized by numerous restrictions on direct voter participation.
C)The original Constitution offers numerous guidelines on voter eligibility.
D)Five of the 17 constitutional amendments passed since the Bill of Rights have focused on the expansion of the electorate.
E)Political change,such as the emergence of political parties,has contributed to the changing nature of the Constitution.

Question 21

Over time and through a series of amendments that have expanded voting rights,the U.S.Constitution has become more democratic.

Question 22

The idea that there must be restrictions placed on government to protect the natural rights of citizens is known as

A)limited government.
B)natural law.
C)the consent of the governed.
D)American republicanism.
E)a confederation.

Question 23

According to John Locke,the "state of nature" refers to

A)a state in which there are no formal laws or government.
B)a state of uninhabited territory ripe for government control.
C)a state ruled by the people,or a democracy.
D)a state in which human law is able to create natural rights.
E)All of the above are true.

Question 24

Political parties,as we know them today,did not exist when the Constitution was written.

Question 25

The New Jersey Plan called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state's population.

Question 26

Publius authored the Federalist Papers.

Question 27

Judicial review refers to the power of the Courts to determine whether acts of Congress and actions of the executive are constitutional.

Question 28

The Lockean phrase "life,liberty,and property" captures Locke's belief in

A)consent of the governed and government's obligation to protect property.
B)government's obligation to spread property equally among citizens.
C)the notion that happiness was secondary to the right to own land.
D)laissez-faire economics.
E)the state of nature as the locale of human happiness.

Question 29

According to your textbook,the Constitution both reinforces individualism and encourages stalemate.

Question 30

Which of the following statements represents John Locke's understanding of the relationship between natural rights and human law?

A)Natural rights are less important than human law.
B)Natural rights are higher than,that is superior to,human law.
C)Human law is the source of natural rights.
D)Human law protects property rights,making human law the equivalent to natural rights.
E)Human law and natural rights are equivalent.

Question 31

The document approved by the American colonies in 1776 stating grievances against the British monarch and declaring the colonies independence was the

A)Articles of Confederation.
B)Magna Carta.
C)Bill of Rights.
D)U.S. Constitution.
E)Declaration of Independence.

Question 32

The Federalists promised to add a Bill of Rights to the Constitution to ally Anti-Federalist fears that the new government would erode fundamental liberties.

Question 33

Of the two types of factions,Madison and the Federalists feared minority tyranny the most.

Question 34

The Constitution left it to the states to decide qualifications for voting.

Question 35

The British government stepped up its control over the American colonies with new taxes and stronger commerce right after

A)King Philip's War.
B)the assassination of the Duke of Windsor.
C)King George's War.
D)the Civil War.
E)the French and Indian War.

Question 36

Lockean thought and the Declaration of Independence are similar in that both

A)recognize the right of people to determine their own form of government,short of resorting to revolution.
B)were developed in the late 1700s.
C)value the preservation of private property.
D)seek common ideals in government through the establishment of a constitutional monarchy.
E)support the concept of natural rights and the idea that the government is built on the consent of the governed.

Question 37

An amendment to the Constitution can be ratified either by the legislature of three-fourths of the states or by special conventions called in three-fourths of the states.

Question 38

According to John Locke,natural rights are

A)inherent in human beings,not dependent on government.
B)given to individuals from governments.
C)secondary to the government's primary purpose of protecting property.
D)inclusive of the right to free speech and gun ownership.
E)None of these is true.

Question 39

The sole purpose of government,according to John Locke,was to

A)promote the common good.
B)prevent anarchy.
C)educate the people.
D)protect individuals from violence.
E)protect natural rights.

Question 40

Which of the following is NOT true of the Articles of Confederation?

A)They vested all meaningful power in the states.
B)They represented a "league of friendship" among the states.
C)They provided for no judiciary.
D)They gave the president too much power.
E)They provided for a unicameral national legislature.

Question 41

The Framers of the Constitution gave chief economic policymaking power to the

A)courts.
B)states.
C)U.S. Congress.
D)president.
E)Federal Reserve Board.

Question 42

Regarding the right to vote in national elections,the Framers of the Constitution

A)required that all free,adult males with property worth at least $50 be allowed to vote.
B)decided to leave it up to the individual states to determine voter qualifications in their own states.
C)finally granted women the right to vote.
D)included a requirement that all free,adult males be allowed to vote.
E)provided that free men and women over the age of 20 be allowed to vote.

Question 43

In determining congressional representation and taxation,the Constitution

A)counted slaves as three-fifths of a person.
B)did not count slaves.
C)counted slaves as free persons.
D)was silent on the issue of how slaves would be counted,instead leaving the issue to each state to decide.
E)counted slaves as one-half of a person.

Question 44

Among the most important ends of government for the delegates at the Constitutional Convention was the

A)prevention of tyranny.
B)redistribution of wealth.
C)abolition of slavery.
D)extension of suffrage,that is,the right to vote.
E)All of these were among the most important.

Question 45

Which of the following was NOT occurring under the Articles of Confederation?

A)Abolition of religious qualifications for office holding
B)Adoption of bills of rights
C)Upper-class dominance
D)Expanded political participation
E)None of the above was occurring under the Articles.

Question 46

According to the U.S.Constitution,the House of Representatives has how many members from each state?

A)Two
B)Depends on the state's population
C)A total of three
D)Six
E)One

Question 47

On the issue of slaves,the Constitution specified

A)that a gradual end to slavery must be worked out by Congress and the states within ten years.
B)that slavery would be banned beginning in 1800.
C)a boundary,known as the Mason-Dixon line,south of which slavery would be legal.
D)nothing; it was too controversial a subject,and the delegates could not agree on anything regarding it.
E)that slaves would count as three-fifths of a person for counting the nation's population and determining seats in the House.

Question 48

Which of the following was NOT one of the economic difficulties the writers of the Constitution attempted to address?

A)States that kept printing virtually worthless money
B)The tariffs states had erected against one another to protect their state-made products
C)Lack of unemployment compensation and welfare payments
D)The difficulty of the Continental Congress in raising money from the states
E)All of these were dealt with in the Constitution.

Question 49

Which of the following does NOT,in general,describe the "Gentlemen in Philadelphia"?

A)College educated
B)Wealthy
C)Western
D)Successful
E)An "assembly of demigods," according to Thomas Jefferson

Question 50

Which of the following is NOT true of state governments after the American Revolution?

A)Government in the states became more responsive to the people.
B)State constitutions concentrated power in state legislatures.
C)States were increasingly influenced by the idea of equality.
D)States were increasingly influenced by civic republicanism.
E)Elites entered state legislatures at higher numbers.

Question 51

According to James Madison,the "most common and durable source of factions" was

A)the unequal division of property.
B)urban and rural divisions.
C)aristocracy.
D)the British army.
E)racial inequalities.

Question 52

Which of the following is NOT true of the United States government under the Articles of Confederation?

A)Each state had only one vote in Congress.
B)Most authority rested with the United States Congress rather than the state governments.
C)The Congress had only one house.
D)There was no president.
E)All of these are false.

Question 53

Which of the following is true of the system of representation established by the Connecticut Compromise?

A)It gives more power to people living in states with small populations.
B)It gives more power to people living in states with large populations.
C)It distributes power among people of large and small states exactly equally.
D)It gives more power to large states,particularly in presidential elections.
E)Both b and d are true.

Question 54

According to the U.S.Constitution,how many senators does each state have?

A)Two
B)Depends on the state's population
C)A total of three
D)Six
E)One

Question 55

The Connecticut Compromise at the Constitutional Convention

A)resolved the impasse between those who favored the New Jersey Plan and those who preferred the Virginia Plan.
B)added the Bill of Rights to the Constitution in order to lessen concerns about too much power for the new government.
C)settled the dispute about whether slavery should be permitted in the final Constitution.
D)threw out the idea of having a monarch in the United States,opting instead for an indirectly elected president.
E)involved all of these elements.

Question 56

The Constitution prohibited the states from doing each of the following EXCEPT

A)harboring runaway slaves.
B)placing duties on imports from other states.
C)printing paper money.
D)establishing a republican form of government.
E)interfering with lawfully contracted debts.

Question 57

Which statement best describes the view of human nature held by delegates to the Constitutional Convention?

A)Humans are basically good.
B)Human beings are basically selfish and self-interested.
C)Humans are solely the product of their environment.
D)Humans are basically evil.
E)Humans are naturally altruistic.

Question 58

The ____________,offered as a proposal at the Constitutional Convention,called for giving each state in Congress representation in proportion to the state's share of the population.

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

Question 59

Which of the following was NOT a power given to Congress by the Constitution in terms of the economy?

A)The ability to levy taxes
B)The ability to pay debts
C)The ability to force states to abolish slavery
D)The ability to borrow money
E)The ability to regulate interstate and intrastate foreign commerce

Question 60

Each of the following violations of individual rights is forbidden in the original Constitution EXCEPT

A)passing ex post facto laws.
B)strict limits on the prosecution of treason.
C)passing bills of attainder.
D)suspension of the writ of habeas corpus.
E)suspension of freedom of speech.

Question 61

Which of the following is NOT one of the checks and balances?

A)Congress approves presidential nominations and controls the budget.
B)The president nominates judges and enforces judicial decisions.
C)The court can declare presidential actions unconstitutional.
D)The Senate confirms the president's nominations.
E)Congress vetoes presidential actions.

Question 62

Which of these has no formal role in amending the Constitution?

A)The states
B)The House of Representatives
C)The president
D)The Senate
E)None of the above; they all have a formal role in amending the Constitution.

Question 63

What was the series of articles written by Publius called?

A)Common Sense
B)The Federalist Papers
C)The Constitution
D)The Bill of Rights
E)The Second Treatise of Civil Government

Question 64

Which of the following was among the Anti-Federalists' concerns about the Constitution?

A)The inclusion of a formal bill of rights
B)The potential to strengthen the state governments at the expense of the national government
C)The potential to strengthen the national government at the expense of the state government
D)The absence of a plural executive
E)The role of the Electoral College

Question 65

Which of the following was among Madison's proposal to prevent majority tyranny?

A)Combine the powers of different institutions
B)Construct a system of checks and balances
C)Incorporate majoritarianism across the three branches of government
D)Form national political parties
E)All of these were among Madison's proposals

Question 66

The Seventeenth Amendment provided for

A)women's suffrage.
B)direct election of senators.
C)direct election of members of the House of Representatives.
D)African American suffrage.
E)suffrage for all citizens age 18 and older.

Question 67

Some scholars have suggested that a consequence of separation of powers and checks and balances has been

A)an inability of groups to get their grievances heard.
B)gridlock and inadequate policy.
C)tyranny of the majority.
D)streamlined but hasty government decision making.
E)political instability.

Question 68

Among the primary differences between Federalists and Anti-Federalists,

A)Federalists favored stronger state governments; Anti-Federalists favored a stronger national government.
B)Federalists favored a stronger national government; Anti-Federalists favored stronger state governments.
C)Federalists insisted on a Bill of Rights; Anti-Federalists opposed a Bill of Rights.
D)Federalists favored shorter terms for elected officials; Anti-Federalists favored longer terms for elected officials.
E)All of these are primary differences between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

Question 69

Opposition to ratification of the Constitution was based on the belief that it would

A)provide for elite control,endanger liberty,and weaken the states.
B)produce more democratic elements than desirable for a strong central government.
C)give too much power to the states.
D)promote pluralism,which would threaten liberty.
E)All of the above are true.

Question 70

Constitutional amendments are usually ratified by

A)state conventions called by a two-thirds vote in Congress.
B)a national convention.
C)a majority of the Supreme Court.
D)a two-thirds vote in each house of Congress.
E)legislatures of three-fourths of the states.

Question 71

Ratification of the Constitution

A)needed the approval of nine states.
B)needed the approval of a majority of the people.
C)occurred when it was approved by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
D)needed the approval of all the states.
E)was by a two-thirds vote of the Continental Congress.

Question 72

The power of the courts to determine whether acts of Congress and the executive branch are constitutional is called

A)judicial review.
B)stare decisis.
C)precedent.
D)laissez-faire.
E)Liberalism.

Question 73

What was the purpose of the Twenty-sixth Amendment?

A)To give African Americans the right to vote
B)To give women the right to vote
C)To prohibit flag burning
D)To lower the voting age to 18
E)To abolish slavery

Question 74

Which of the following was NOT among Anti-Federalist objections to the proposed Constitution?

A)It weakened the power of the states.
B)It did not include a Bill of Rights.
C)It promised to create a government run largely by wealthy elites.
D)It would erode fundamental liberties including freedom of the press.
E)It was far too decentralized and fragmented.

Question 75

Judicial review was established in

A)Marbury v. Madison.
B)McCulloch v. Maryland.
C)Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka,Kansas.
D)U.S. v. Lopez.
E)Dred Scott v. Sandford.

Question 76

The Fifteenth,Nineteenth,Twenty-third,Twenty-fourth,and Twenty-fifth Amendments to the U.S.Constitution have what in common?

A)They each pertain to the voting rights of African Americans.
B)They each were a direct result of the Civil War.
C)They each contributed to the expansion of the electorate.
D)They each contributed to the shrinkage of the electorate.
E)They each are part of the Bill of Rights.

Question 77

As of January 2011,how many amendments have been added to the Constitution?

A)Ten
B)Twelve
C)Fifteen
D)Twenty
E)Twenty-seven

Question 78

Madison was most fearful of tyranny of the _________; one result in the U.S.Constitution was the _______________.

A)minority; Bill of Rights
B)majority; Bill of Rights
C)minority; separation of powers
D)majority; separation of powers
E)minority; direct elections of the U.S. House of Representatives

Question 79

The constitutional amendment passed by Congress in 1972 stating that "equality of rights under the law shall not be abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex" is also known as the _______________ Amendment.

A)Equal Opportunity
B)Equal Rights
C)Women's Liberation
D)Civil Rights
E)Gay Rights

Question 80

Two key elements of the Madisonian model were to

A)keep most of the government beyond the control of a popular majority and separate the powers of different institutions.
B)promote state power while separating the powers of different national institutions.
C)keep as much of the government as possible beyond the control of a popular majority and extend the right to vote to everyone.
D)combine the powers of different institutions and create a powerful presidency.
E)require a system of checks and balances and extend democracy.