Deck 2: The Constitution

Question 1

By declaring independence, the delegates to the Continental Congress thrust on themselves the responsibility for supplying essential public goods, including which of the following?

A) copies of the Declaration of Independence to be posted across the country
B) a uniform criminal code for all the states and an expansive federal criminal code
C) educational standards for the various colleges and universities, especially those run by the states
D) defense and regulation of commercial markets

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which event provided the first serious proposal for a national government?

A) Richmond Congress
B) Macon Congress
C) Albany Congress
D) Hartford Congress

Answer 2

C

Question 3

At the First Continental Congress, called by Boston resistance leader Samuel Adams, the delegates from the colonies did which of the following?

A) passed resolutions condemning British taxes and administrative decrees and adopted the Declaration of American Rights
B) adopted the Articles of Confederation
C) adopted Benjamin Franklin's "Plan of the Union"
D) ended without adopting anything because of the conflict between loyalists and the resistance

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The Second Continental Congress instructed the local colonial committees to do which of the following?

A) assert their continued loyalty to King George to avoid war
B) organize a defensive multistate naval blockade of the Port of New York
C) reconstitute themselves as state governments based on republican principles
D) initiate trade agreements with other countries to replace the goods no longer available from Britain

Question 5

During the Revolutionary War, state officials were prepared to sacrifice for the war effort only if they were confident all states would do their part and this is an example of what?

A) free riding
B) coordination
C) agency loss
D) prisoner's dilemma

Question 6

Thomas Jefferson articulated the real rationale for throwing off British rule in the Declaration of Independence as ______.

A) allowing slavery to continue in the colonies
B) the fundamental right of self-governance
C) embracing the divine right of kings
D) mandating that government officials should be elected for fixed terms

Question 7

Why did home rule not provide the necessary training for self-governance?

A) The prisoner's dilemma was a constant concern as the Crown kept getting the colonies to defect from group action.
B) It instilled a sense that the only effective government was one with strong command authority.
C) The colonies struggled to coordinate their actions in response to British kings.
D) British regulation of commerce and provision of military security ingrained free riding and provided limited opportunities for engaging in collective action.

Question 8

Which of the following was the primary point of Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense?

A) The colonies should maintain loyalty to the British Crown.
B) Only in the creation of an independent republic would the people find contentment.
C) The leading thinkers of Europe were now advocating democracy
D) Only the aristocracy should be concerned with the running of government, as the commoners did not have enough sense to be trusted.

Question 9

Blame for the free riding and other forms of shirking that hampered the early American Revolutionary War effort should be placed on which of the following?

A) ineffective government
B) unfit commanders and unwilling troops
C) the intelligence network of the British monarchy
D) the relative lack of sophistication of the weapons available

Question 10

On October 17, 1781, the American collaboration with ______ finally paid off with a decisive victory over Great Britain at Yorktown, Virginia, which ended the war.

A) Hessians
B) Russia
C) the Spanish Armada
D) France

Question 11

What was the name of the practice where Britain ceded control to the colonists to manage their own domestic affairs including taxation?

A) home rule
B) a parliamentary system
C) command authority
D) republicanism

Question 12

The Stamp Act ______.

A) was controversial because the tax on printed materials was imposed by Britain
B) was controversial because it raised the cost of sending mail in the most populous colonies
C) was accepted easily because the colonists made a conscious decision to raise additional revenues to pay for national security
D) generated intense opposition because it raised the cost of sending transatlantic mail so that it was only available to the wealthy

Question 13

How did the First Continental Congress propose to combat free riding that was likely to occur as a result of the boycott of British goods?

A) relying on institutional design that established a code for determining reasonable exceptions
B) using committees that could identify and sanction those who violated the boycott
C) imposing ban on certain types of commerce
D) counting on the willingness of individuals to sacrifice their own interests for the greater good

Question 14

The first American Constitution created a confederation, which can best be described as which of the following?

A) a highly centralized governmental system in which the national government derives broad authority directly from the citizens rather than from the states
B) a highly decentralized governmental system in which the national government derives limited authority from the states rather than directly from the citizens
C) a parliamentary system heavily reliant on party discipline
D) a presidential system featuring a very strong executive with broad police powers

Question 15

What was one of the most important experiences colonial Americans learned about government?

A) Chief executives with command authority solve many problems.
B) A popularly elected legislature controlling the purse strings could dominate other government institutions.
C) Elected judges were critical for maintaining the proper checks and balances in representative government.
D) Agency loss is always greater in a bicameral legislature than in a unicameral legislature.

Question 16

During the Revolutionary War, the management of the war can best be described as ______.

A) focused with all actors devoted to a single goal of winning independence
B) extremely centralized because all major decisions were left to George Washington
C) fragmented because Congress functioned only as a coordinator
D) chaotic because of disputes over the strategic goals of the war

Question 17

After the Second Continental Congress, most states adopted a ______.

A) bicameral, two-chamber legislature
B) weak executive
C) unicameral, one-chamber legislature
D) strong executive

Question 18

Britain responded to the Boston Tea Party with the Restraining Acts and Coercive Acts. What did these acts do?

A) restrained the importation of any sort of tea into the colonies and coerced citizens into involuntary servitude dissolved the Massachusetts Assembly and forced Americans to quarter British soldiers
B) effectively declared war on the colonies
C) repealed the colonial tea tax code but required the public execution of the protestors in Boston
D) in part closed the Boston Harbor to all commerce, dissolved the Massachusetts Assembly, forced Americans to quarter or house British soldiers, and ordered Americans charged with protest crimes be sent to England for trial

Question 19

Under the Articles of Confederation, the states faced a classic prisoner's dilemma for which of the following reasons?

A) Great Britain still ran most of the institutions in the United States.
B) With no enforcement mechanism in place, no state would contribute its share of the revenue so long as it suspected other states might not meet their obligations.
C) The efficiency of the design of government meant that no free riding occurred among the states.
D) Individuals paid federal income taxes, but the states were not required or expected to contribute troops to the war effort.

Question 20

The American Revolution was nearly undermined by what collective action problem when the states failed to contribute their promised money and supplies or soldiers enlisted and quickly deserted with their new booty?

A) decentralization
B) coordination
C) free riding
D) privatization

Question 21

Which of the Framers was most enthusiastic about a strengthened and independent executive?

A) James Madison
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) Benjamin Franklin
D) Alexander Hamilton

Question 22

The commerce clause of the Constitution ______.

A) gave Congress the authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several states
B) gave the President sole authority to draft commercial tax legislation
C) prohibited Congress from interfering in interstate commerce
D) provided for a national tariff on the sale of any goods

Question 23

What is the name of the principle where citizens delegate authority to their agents in government while retaining the right to rescind that authority?

A) agency loss
B) privatization
C) popular sovereignty
D) checks and balances

Question 24

A central feature of the Great Compromise was which of the following?

A) a bicameral legislature with the upper chamber representation equal for all states and the lower chamber representation based on population
B) a bicameral legislature with the upper chamber representation selected by the national executive and the lower chamber representation based on population
C) a bicameral legislature with the upper chamber representation equal for all states and the lower chamber representation selected by the national executive
D) a unified legislature with two classes of representatives, some elected from at-large districts and some elected from single-member districts

Question 25

The writings of Charles, Baron de Montesquieu, provided the Framers of the Constitution with which of the following?

A) the foundations of physics that were translated into governing concepts such as checks and balances
B) his discussion of the classification of governmental functions and forms as the legislative, executive, and judicial
C) the importance of individual rights and the limited scope of government authority
D) the notion that politics should be treated as a competition among contending interests

Question 26

Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution contains the ______.

A) enumerated powers of the Supreme Court
B) implied powers of the President
C) enumerated powers of Congress
D) civil liberties of American citizens

Question 27

Following the Revolutionary War, the United States ______.

A) confronted significant problems paying the national debt and addressing trade problems that generated calls for a national authority to solve the problems
B) experienced an economic boom as the nation was rebuilt following the war and citizens could turn their attention to more productive activities instead of fighting
C) formalized its relationship with France into a military alliance that helped protect U.S. trade interests overseas
D) operated confidently under the Articles of Confederation

Question 28

The necessary and proper clause of the Constitution ______.

A) specifies the internal workings of Congress
B) provides Congress with the authority to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers enumerated by the Constitution
C) provides the judicial branch with jurisdiction over any matter the Supreme Court deems to be "necessary and proper"
D) provides the executive with the power to override any act of Congress so long as the President certifies that such an override is "necessary and proper"

Question 29

Which of the following events mobilized states behind reforming the Articles of Confederation?

A) the 1786 Annapolis Convention
B) the Boston Tea Party
C) Patrick Henry's famous "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech
D) Shays's Rebellion

Question 30

Which plan perpetuated the composition and selection of Congress as it functioned under the Articles of Confederation?

A) Virginia Plan
B) Connecticut Plan
C) Delaware Plan
D) New Jersey Plan

Question 31

When Madison proposed independent executive and judicial branches that could contain efforts by the states to subvert national policy, which of the following was he establishing?

A) habeas corpus
B) federalism
C) states' rights
D) checks and balances

Question 32

James Madison attributed the failure of the confederation to which of the following?

A) faulty institutions
B) the moral vices of the citizens
C) the rejection of home rule by the colonists
D) George Washington's party coalition

Question 33

Which of the following statements about the Virginia Plan is true?

A) It was a significant revision of the Articles of Confederation that maintained a bicameral legislature but allowed majorities to govern.
B) It enhanced the command authority of the President by allowing him to influence the agenda of Congress.
C) It eliminated the states and established a unitary government in the United States.
D) It created a more active national government possessing the authority to solve the collective action problems of the nation.

Question 34

The legacy of the Great Compromise is ______.

A) an illustration of how institutions survive long after the circumstances that fashioned it in a particular form have changed beyond all recognition
B) that the nationalists were able to present the states' rights supporters with a credible take it-or-leave it offer that strengthened the national government immensely
C) that delegation to small groups often produces compromises that satisfy the interests of all parties involved
D) the Framers designed a government that has shifted seamlessly with changes in society

Question 35

The nation's debt was at a staggering all-time high after the six years of the war. The most urgent concern was ______.

A) the money owed to creditors
B) debts to foreign governments
C) the money owed to businesses that supplied the armies
D) the back pay owed to the army

Question 36

The checks and balances contained within the Constitution result in which of the following?

A) consolidation of power in the executive branch, since the House and Senate are usually at odds
B) some capacity of each of the three branches to limit the power of the other two
C) a national bank of the United States
D) separation of power so that each branch can operate independently of the others

Question 37

To solve the nation's collective action problems, the Virginia Plan gave the national government a(n) ______.

A) independent judiciary
B) strong executive
C) a bicameral national legislature
D) enforcement authority

Question 38

Which of the following philosophers treated politics as a competition among contending interests?

A) Charles, Baron de Montesquieu
B) James Madison
C) David Hume
D) John Locke

Question 39

The Constitution that arose out of the convention was grounded in all of the following except for ______.

A) faith
B) science
C) economics
D) politics

Question 40

The Constitutional Convention that convened in 1787 was called for which purpose?

A) for the express purpose of scrapping the Articles of Confederation and starting over
B) for the express purpose of establishing trade relations with powers in Europe
C) to revise the Articles of Confederation
D) to adopt the reform plan proposed by Patrick Henry

Question 41

Which is true about the document produced by the Constitutional Convention?

A) It is a plan no delegate favored or even could have imagined on the opening day of the convention.
B) It is Jeffersonian in its philosophy and construction.
C) It is a slightly altered version of the New York State Constitution.
D) It is a minor alteration of the Articles of Confederation.

Question 42

For the purposes of representation in the House of Representatives, slaves would be ______.

A) uncounted
B) counted as one half a citizen
C) counted as three fifths a citizen
D) counted as a full citizen

Question 43

The Framers of the Constitution carved out a major role for the President in domestic legislation in part by enabling the executive to check congressional action through which of the following?

A) the privileges and immunities clause
B) the right of the President to introduce legislation into the House and have it automatically advance to the front of the agenda
C) the right of the President to end a Senate filibuster by declaration
D) the presidential veto

Question 44

Although a convoluted concept, as a device, the Electoral College is designed to do which of the following?

A) mix state, congressional, and popular participation in the election process
B) limit the ability of a majority to elect a president
C) give the Senate the final say in presidential elections
D) ensure that the Supreme Court resolves any controversy over presidential elections

Question 45

The Senate's power to confirm appointments and to ratify treaties are examples of which of the following?

A) a legislative check on presidential duties
B) key features of a parliamentary system
C) the vague powers conveyed by the Constitution
D) unitary government

Question 46

In short, which of the following is true about Federalist No. 51?

A) It was adopted almost word for word into Article IV of the Constitution.
B) It deals with the delegation problem of keeping the citizenry's agents honest.
C) It was written by a leading Federalist who was later opposed to the adoption of the Constitution.
D) It establishes the reasoning behind Madison's beliefs regarding the failure of pluralism.

Question 47

The supremacy clause contained in Article IV of the Constitution declares which of the following?

A) that the U.S. forbids foreign colonization in the western hemisphere
B) that the Supreme Court is the final and supreme arbiter of the meaning of the Constitution
C) that national laws take precedence over state laws when both properly discharge their government's respective responsibilities
D) that the President is the supreme commander of the military and cannot be overruled by Congress or the courts

Question 48

To keep the amendment of the Constitution from being too easy an option for a popular majority to accomplish, the Framers did which of the following?

A) They imposed heavy transaction costs on changing the Constitution that required support of Congress and the states.
B) They made amending the Constitution the responsibility of state and local governments.
C) They reserved approval of constitutional amendments to the Senate.
D) They allowed the executive to veto any amendment effort.

Question 49

The ability of the Supreme Court to overturn federal laws and executive actions as unconstitutional is known as ______.

A) judicial supremacy
B) judicial review
C) judicial fiat
D) judicial activism

Question 50

The Constitution allows an amendment to be proposed by which of the following?

A) Two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress or by an "application" from two-thirds of the states.
B) Two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress
C) A presidential executive order.
D) Two-thirds vote of the population of each state.

Question 51

Why were women not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution?

A) The delegates were less concerned with individual rights than with making government more effective.
B) The Framers assumed that gender-neutral language would include political rights for women.
C) Most women were apolitical and focused on matters other than politics.
D) The delegates believed that women did not have any interest in government.

Question 52

The Madisonian view of democracy often is referred to as which of the following?

A) elitism
B) factionalism
C) pluralism
D) conditional party government

Question 53

Under the Constitution, which of the following is true about the responsibility for common defense and security?

A) It is a shared responsibility between the states and the federal government.
B) It is solely the responsibility of the national government.
C) The federal government sets general policies, but a supermajority of states can disapprove of any policies.
D) The states would continue to handle these policies because the national government would take responsibility for regulating commerce.

Question 54

Which of the following individuals was an author of The Federalist Papers?

A) Benjamin Franklin
B) James Madison
C) Thomas Jefferson
D) James Monroe

Question 55

Modern presidents have asserted that the "take care clause" of Article II allows them to take whatever action the nation's well-being requires provided that which of the following is true?

A) The action is expressly provided for in other areas of the Constitution.
B) The action is mandated by some specified duty determined by Congress.
C) The action is not expressly forbidden by the Constitution or public law.
D) The action is also ratified by the Senate.

Question 56

The most successful objection the Antifederalists raised against the proposed Constitution was ______.

A) the absence of a Bill of Rights that would protect individuals
B) the lack of term limits on members of the legislative and executive branches
C) the necessary and proper clause gave Congress too much leeway to extend its authority
D) the strong provisions for judicial review would turn the Supreme Court into the most powerful branch of the government

Question 57

A "logroll" refers to which of the following?

A) a congressional override of a presidential veto
B) a standard bargaining strategy in which two sides swap support for dissimilar policies
C) members of the majority party in the House voting against the wishes of the congressional leadership
D) the overturn of a federal law by a state supreme court

Question 58

The evolution of the American presidency ______.

A) was expected by the Framers as the responsibilities facing the government increased
B) has occurred through delegation on domestic policies, but the expansion of responsibility on foreign affairs reflects the limited and general language on foreign affairs in the Constitution
C) reflects the strong command authority the Framers thought was needed to solve collective action problems
D) would meet the hopes of the Framers because their ideal president was someone who could solve collective action problems by minimizing transaction costs

Question 59

The Antifederalists argued that ______.

A) the United States needed one set of laws that could unite the country and encourage the development of a national marketplace
B) the Articles of Confederation were sufficient for governing the United States
C) the United States was too large and too diverse to be ruled by a single set of laws
D) only the establishment of a monarchy could protect the United States against European encroachment

Question 60

In Federalist No. 10, Madison defines a faction as "a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest ______.

A) adverse to the rights of other citizens but not to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community"
B) adverse to the rights of other citizens or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community"
C) adverse to the rights of a minority of other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of that minority community"
D) adverse to the rights of other citizens or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community and in particular to the stability of government"

Question 61

Why were women not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution?

Question 62

Discuss the concept of logrolling and, as an example, use the desire of the Northern states for a unified commercial policy and the desire of the Southern states to protect slavery at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

Question 63

The writings of Thomas Hobbes deeply influenced the structure of the U.S. Constitution.

Question 64

Thomas Paine wrote the Declaration of Independence.

Question 65

Compare and contrast Federalist No. 10 and Federalist No. 51?

Question 66

Compare and contrast the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, and the Great Compromise.

Question 67

How was the Articles of Confederation structured and why did it fail?

Question 68

The British government allowed the colonists complete control of domestic and foreign affairs.

Question 69

The phrase "No taxation without representation" was an expression of a desire for home rule rather than representation in the British Parliament.

Question 70

Discuss the necessity for ratifying the Constitution and what were the major arguments offered on both sides.

Question 71

After the Revolutionary War, the states eagerly contributed revenue to retire the national debt and help rebuild the nation.

Question 72

James Madison emerged as a strategic politician who embraced the idea of checks and balances because he was concerned that the states could corrupt the new national government.

Question 73

In what ways were the colonists prepared for self-governance at the start of the Revolutionary War and where were they not prepared?

Question 74

Some scholars have argued that the American system is not so much one with a separation of powers among the branches of government, but rather is a system of power sharing. Assess the accuracy of this assertion and include specific examples to support your argument.

Question 75

The U.S. Constitution was negotiated secretly to increase the chances of bargaining and compromise.

Question 76

During the Revolutionary Era, the nation benefited from having politicians experienced in self-governance and experienced in negotiating collective agreements.

Question 77

Discuss the challenge posed by gridlock.

Question 78

Gridlock, the inability of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the president to agree on new policies, poses a challenge for America's constitutional system.

Question 79

Identify and discuss the influence the ideas of John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and David Hume had on the Framers of the Constitution. Be specific when you identify the concepts you discuss.

Question 80

Under the Articles of Confederation, each state received one vote and there was no executive branch.