Question 1

Early revolutionary activities in the American colonies of Great Britain were principally motivated by opposition to ____________________.

Accepted Answer

A)   taxes imposed with the consent of colonial legislatures
B)   continued British support for the slave trade
C)   the Louisiana Purchase
D)   the terms of the treaty ending the French and Indian War
E)   King George III's efforts to promote religious reforms in the Church of England A

Question 2

Why did the Federalists argue that a strong national government was essential?

Accepted Answer

A)   They felt that power lodged in one branch of government was too easily controlled by one faction.
B)   They thought that governments are designed to constrain ambitious behavior and lead to better collective outcomes.
C)   They believed citizens would become primarily loyal to the national government.
D)   They believed that internal competition between states would overstimulate the economy, leading to inflation.
E)   They felt that institutions of government are put in place to ensure maximum liberty for state governments. B

Question 3

Which term denotes an institutional arrangement in which specific governmental powers are divided among distinct branches of government?

Accepted Answer

A)   federalism
B)   bicameralism
C)   separation of powers
D)   checks and balances
E)   reserved powers C

Question 4

Which is NOT a major feature of the Constitution adopted by the Philadelphia Convention in 1787?

Accepted Answer

A)   unitary executive
B)   bicameral legislature
C)   Bill of Rights
D)   independent judiciary
E)   enumerated powers

Question 5

What does the supremacy clause declare?

Accepted Answer

A)   The Supreme Court's interpretation of the Constitution is final.
B)   The president has supreme authority over the United States military.
C)   The chief justice may override a presidential veto.
D)   The U.S. Constitution is the supreme law of the land.
E)   The Senate is superior to the House of Representatives.

Question 6

Two neighbors have a dispute about the placement of their mailboxes.Which federal institution is designed to handle such a conflict?

Accepted Answer

A)   Congress, because it handles issues of interstate commerce
B)   the Supreme Court, because citizens have the right to have their cases heard in the highest court
C)   the Supreme Court, because it is designed to settle disputes about interstate commerce
D)   none, because conflicts between citizens of the same state should be handled by state governors
E)   none, because states have maintained their own court systems for disputes between state residents

Question 7

What proportion of the states' votes was required to amend the Articles of Confederation?

Accepted Answer

A)   a simple majority
B)   three-fifths
C)   two-thirds
D)   three-quarters
E)   unanimous consent

Question 8

The "Letters from the Federal Farmer to the Republicans" argue ____________________.

Accepted Answer

A)   for a declaration of independence from Great Britain
B)   for ratification of the U.S. Constitution
C)   against a declaration of independence from Great Britain
D)   against ratification of the U.S. Constitution
E)   against the New Jersey Plan

Question 9

Officials in North Korea,which is an authoritarian regime,may avoid paying taxes,receive usually banned foreign luxury goods,and arrest everyday people for violating laws that they themselves need not obey.This is a violation of ____________________.

Accepted Answer

A)   international coordination problems
B)   natural liberty
C)   civil liberty
D)   the rule of law
E)   statutory protections

Question 10

How did the Constitution deal with the issue of slavery? How were slaves treated in the apportionment of representation in the House of Representatives and taxes? What powers did Congress have to regulate or eliminate slavery or the slave trade?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How did the Constitution deal with the...

Question 11

Which of the following has most encouraged popular participation in government?

Accepted Answer

A)   the creation of the Electoral College
B)   the extension of presidential and senatorial terms
C)   the expansion of suffrage
D)   the rise of public opinion
E)   direct election of Senators

Question 12

For purposes of apportioning representation and tax obligations to the states,slaves were counted as ____________________ of free persons.

Accepted Answer

A)   one-third
B)   one-half
C)   three-fifths
D)   two-thirds
E)   three-quarters

Question 13

Are written constitutions the best guarantor of equal rights?

Accepted Answer

A)   Yes, all countries write equal rights into their constitutions.
B)   Yes, all countries abide by their written constitutions.
C)   Yes, most countries mimic the United States' rights-based legal structures.
D)   No, some countries do not abide by rights protections written into their constitutions.
E)   No, most countries derive rights protections from international treaties instead of national constitutions.

Question 14

When the United States was founded,slavery was legally protected and many groups did not vote.Why have changes been possible?

Accepted Answer

A)   The Constitution was written with broad rights protections.
B)   These rights were always guaranteed and over time society adjusted so that they could be implemented.
C)   The Constitution is a living document designed to evolve in response to changing circumstances.
D)   The Supreme Court has attached amendments to the original constitution to increase groups' rights.
E)   Social changes have led to de facto group inclusion even without constitutional changes.

Question 15

What was Shays's Rebellion? Explain how Shays's Rebellion illustrates a collective-action problem among the states under the Articles of Confederation.What remedies to the collective-action problem at work during Shays's Rebellion are incorporated into the United States Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What was Shays's Rebellion? Explain how Shays's...

Question 16

What proportion of votes cast in each house of Congress is necessary to send a proposed amendment to the U.S.Constitution to the states for possible ratification?

Accepted Answer

A)   simple majority
B)   three-fifths
C)   two-thirds
D)   three-quarters
E)   unanimous consent

Question 17

Judicial review,the presidential veto,and requirements of senatorial "advice and consent" are examples of ____________________.

Accepted Answer

A)   federalism
B)   separation of powers
C)   checks and balances
D)   expressed powers
E)   reserved powers

Question 18

Under the Articles of Confederation,many states failed to pay the full amount of money "requisitioned?" by the national government to support the nation's military forces.This is most clearly an example of a/an ____________________.

Accepted Answer

A)   collective-action problem
B)   political institution
C)   unstable coalition
D)   Prisoner's Dilemma
E)   path dependent outcome

Question 19

Why was the Bill of Rights an important part of the Constitutional ratification process?

Accepted Answer

A)   Large states, including Virginia and New York, refused to ratify the Constitution until the Bill of Rights was added to it.
B)   It addressed the concerns of Federalists, who believed that the Bill of Rights would help enumerate the powers of government.
C)   It addressed the concerns of Federalists, who believed that a strong central government also needed to be flexible.
D)   It addressed the concerns of Antifederalists, who were concerned that the Constitution did not protect states' rights against the intrusion of the federal government
E)   It addressed the concerns of Antifederalists, who were concerned that the Constitution did not protect individual rights against the intrusion of the federal government.

Question 20

What major disagreements faced the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia? How did the delegates choose to compromise in order to resolve these important differences? What major features of the Constitution reflect these compromises?

Accepted Answer

The answer of What major disagreements faced the delegates to...

Exam 2: the Constitution