Notes

Our Founding Fathers took Baron de Montesquieu's (1689-1755) advice on dividing our government into three branches: The Legislature, The Executive Branch, and The Judicial Branch. What was accomplished by dividing our government into three branches?

• Elastic Clause
• Supremacy Clause
• checks and balances
• the separation of power (correct answer, your response)
• protection from self-incrimination

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Americans are citizens of both their states and of the United States. In this system, power is constitutionally divided between the central government and regional (state) governments.

Federalism, or dual sovereignty, means:

• that the role of government is to protect the rights of the people.
• personal responsibility and freedom of choice.
• the separation of the government into multiple branches.
• the sharing of power between the states and the central government. (correct answer, your response)
• a government in which the people rule through their elected representatives.

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Baron de Montesquieu (1689-1755) once wrote that "power should be a check to power." His comment referred to the principle of 'checks and balances'. Each branch of government can exercise checks, or controls, over the other branches. Though the branches of government are separate, they rely on one another to perform the work of government.

The principle of checks and balances operates by:

• giving each branch of government ways to limit the powers of the other two branches. (correct answer, your response)
• dividing the powers of government between the states and the federal government.
• making it possible to change the Constitution over time.
• balancing the needs of the government with the rights of the individual citizen.

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John Locke spoke of the 'unalienable rights' of man, and, our Founding Fathers included these same 'unalienable rights' in the Declaration of Independence. So... what ARE 'unalienable rights'?

• rights that only immigrants are entitled to
• rights of people who are not aliens
• rights of people to own slaves
• rights that God gave us and cannot be taken away (correct answer, your response)

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Judicial review is

• the Supreme Court's power to declare a law unconstitutional. (correct answer, your response)
• the power the Supreme Court has to try impeachment cases.
• the process by which the Supreme Court hears appeals.
• the process by which the Senate consents to new Supreme Court appointments.

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Dividing our government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches

• is an example of the principle of separation of powers. (correct answer, your response)
• is part of the amendment process.
• was required by the Bill of Rights.
• was required by Article 7 of the Constitution.

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The 'elastic clause' allows Congress to

• make any law necessary to carry out its delegated powers. (correct answer, your response)
• ignore rulings issued by the Supreme Court.
• over-rule presidential vetoes.
• ignore the Bill of Rights during a national emergency.

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Federalism means

• a government in which the people rule through their elected representatives.
• the sharing of power between the states and the central government. (correct answer, your response)
• personal responsibility and freedom of choice.
• that the role of government is to protect the rights of the people.
• the separation of the government into multiple branches.

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The Great Awakening contributed to the coming of the American Revolution by

• demonstrating that God was on the side of the colonial revolutionaries.
• giving Englishmen a sense of superiority over their European neighbors.
• discouraging any rebellion and criticism of established authority.
• inspiring a sense of nationalism among the colonists. (correct answer, your response)

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Which THREE of the following are among the key tenets (principles) found in the Declaration of Independence?

• The people have a right to abolish a government that doesn't protect their rights. (correct answer, your response)
• People have a right to freedom of speech and religion.
• All men are endowed with certain unalienable rights. (correct answer, your response)
• All men are created equal. (correct answer, your response)
• Kings get their power to rule from God.

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According to the Declaration of Independence, which reason best describes why governments are created?

• to help people find what they want to do in life
• to create opportunities for people and improve their lives
• to protect people's rights or natural condition of freedom (correct answer, your response)
• to protect people from harm and make them feel secure

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The Declaration of Independence is based on the idea that people have certain unalienable rights, which

• provide for an orderly society.
• protect people during judicial proceedings.
• the government cannot take away. (correct answer, your response)
• gave kings their right rule because God chose them to.

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Which of the following is true about the Alien and Sedition Acts?

• They were supported most strongly by the Federalists. (correct answer, your response)
• They reduced the waiting period for American citizenship.
• They made it illegal for aliens to run for government office.
• They expanded the number of aliens allowed into the country.

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The Whiskey Rebellion and Shays’ Rebellion were similar in that both

• were led by Revolutionary War officers.
• ended in the creation of new federal laws.
• were rebellions against unpopular taxes. (correct answer, your response)
• showed how little trust Sountherners had for the federal government.

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Under dual sovereignty, power is divided clearly between

• the various social classes.
• voters and their elected representatives.
• two separate countries that share a common border.
• the states and the federal government. (correct answer, your response)

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The system of checks and balances within the Constitution provides and maintains

• dual sovereignty.
• an alternative to revolution.
• a separation of powers. (correct answer, your response)
• for representative government.

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The country most influenced by the ideals of the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence was

• France. (correct answer, your response)
• Italy.
• Mexico.
• India.
• Germany.

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Supreme Court justices are appointed by

• Congress.
• the Judicial Branch.
• state governors.
• the President. (correct answer, your response)

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The United States Congress was modeled after

• the French Estates General.
• the German Reichstag.
• the British Parliament. (correct answer, your response)
• the Russian Duma.

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By blending ideas from classic liberalism and civic republicanism, the Constitution formed a government that

• is responsible to the people and works for their benefit. (correct answer, your response)
• should be the model for the governments of other nations.
• can be changed very easily.
• resembles that of ancient Greece and Rome.

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As a principle found in the United States government, republicanism means that

• all people are to be considered equal, regardless of sex, race, or religion.
• governmental power is shared between the states and the federal government.
• representatives elected by the people run the government. (correct answer, your response)
• the powers of government should be divided among three different branches.

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The Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, and the Mayflower Compact

• were laws created to expand the power of the king of England.
• served as models for the Constitution's Bill of Rights.
• were laws created by the English Parliament.
• weakened the king's power and gave the people more protection against him. (correct answer, your response)

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One of the major differences between the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution is that

• the Constitution created a stronger central government. (correct answer, your response)
• the Articles of Confederation created a stronger central government.
• the Articles of Confederation gave Congress the power to regulate trade.
• the Constitution gives no specific powers to the states.

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The Articles of Confederation gave Congress the power to

• declare war. (correct answer, your response)
• enforce the laws it made.
• force men to serve in the army.
• collect taxes.

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The New Jersey Plan

• gave each state an equal vote in Congress, regardless of size. (correct answer, your response)
• denied Congress the right to collect tariffs on imported goods.
• called for a strong central government.
• was supported by the larger states.

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The Three-Fifths Compromise settled the question of

• how slaves would be counted for taxation and for representation in Congress. (correct answer, your response)
• how states would be represented in Congress.
• whether the Western territories would be open to slavery.
• whether the government would have three branches or five branches.

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The Constitution gives the power to pass laws and to lay and collect taxes to

• the President.
• Congress. (correct answer, your response)
• the states.
• the Supreme Court.

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Which of the following is NOT true?

• Federalists believed a bill of rights should be added to the Constitution.
• Federalists thought the Constitution took too much power away from the states. (correct answer, your response)
• Federalists believed in a system of government in which power is shared between the federal government and the states.
• Both Federalists and Antifederalists felt the Articles of Confederation created a government that was too weak.

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The Connecticut Compromise (or the Great Compromise) settled the issue of representation in the legislature by

• creating a House of Representatives that would be based on state populations.
• creating a Senate in which each state would have an equal number of votes.
• ending the controversy of how slaves should be counted for taxation and representation.
• All the above
• A and B only (correct answer, your response)

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James Madison is known as the "Father of the Constitution" because he

• helped write the Virginia Plan.
• contributed to The Federalist papers.
• wrote the Bill of Rights.
• All of the above (correct answer, your response)
• A and B only

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Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between the Federalist Papers and the Constitution?


• The Federalist Papers gave an interpretation of the Constitution. (correct answer, your response)
• The Federalist Papers were added to the Constitution to help it become law.
• The Federalist Papers expressed views not contained in the Constitution.
• The Federalist Papers were a first draft for the Constitution.

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Place the following steps of the legislative process in the correct order.

Correct answer Your response (correct)
A bill is written by a member of the House of Representatives. A bill is written by a member of the House of Representatives.
The bill is introduced in the House of Representatives. The bill is introduced in the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives votes on and passes the bill. The House of Representatives votes on and passes the bill.
The Senate votes on and passes the bill. The Senate votes on and passes the bill.
The bill is signed into law by the President of the United States. The bill is signed into law by the President of the United States.

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The Antifederalist Patrick Henry was NOT a strong supporter of

• the separation of church and state. (correct answer, your response)
• the addition of a bill of rights to the Constitution.
• protection for states' rights.
• limits on the power of the federal government.

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Thomas Jefferson's "Statute for Religious Freedom" is reflected in the Bill of Rights because it became the basis for

• the Federalist Papers.
• the First Amendment. (correct answer, your response)
• the Articles of Confederation.
• the Great Compromise.

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Republicanism provides the most basic opportunity for citizens to participate in the political process by

• creating an electoral college to select the President of the United States.
• allowing them to elect Representatives and Senators. (correct answer, your response)
• providing for a public referendum on all new laws passed by Congress.
• empowering them to elect justices to the Supreme Court.

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Which statement accurately describes the Bill of Rights?

• It protects the rights of states under the federal government.
• It protects the exact same set of freedoms as the English Bill of Rights.
• It is the first part of the Constitution.
• It is a name for the first ten amendments to the Constitution. (correct answer, your response)

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Patrick Henry and George Mason both opposed ratification of the Constitution

• unless slavery was protected.
• at the Annapolis Convention.
• because it did not contain a bill of rights. (correct answer, your response)
• because it gave too much power to the states.

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The Second Amendment protects a citizen's right to

• a jury trial.
• have an attorney during questioning and during a trial.
• reasonable bail and fines.
• keep and bear arms. (correct answer, your response)

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