Unit 1 Test

The Framers of the Constitution preferred which of the following political arrangements? A. a republic as opposed to a pure democracy B. a monarchy as opposed to a constitutional system C. a pure democracy over a republic D. a pure democracy over a representative democracy E. socialism over capitalism

A constitutional democracy A. provides for majority influence in elections B. protects minority rights C. operates under the rule of law D. was created in 1787 by the U.S. Constitution E. all these answers are correct

Americans’ national identity rests largely upon A. ethnic kinship B. common language C. shared political ideals D. religion E. federal law

The American ideal of equality A. promotes the idea that all citizens should be equal in their standard of living B. is fully consistent with individualism C. does not include the idea that everyone is entitled to fair treatment under the law D. is a concept whose precise definition is frequently contested among American citizens E. has always fully been implemented in U.S. history

Inalienable rights A. belong to the government only B. belong to individuals but can be denied by government C. belong to individuals and cannot be denied by government D. do not exist in the United States E. are not mentioned in the Declaration of Independence

Complications in the practice of America’s ideals occurs because these ideals A. are general principles, not precise rules B. sometimes conflict with one another C. are only one of many sources of political action D. are enduring and powerful E. all of these answers are correct

The principle of self-government emphasizes majority rule whereas the principle of liberty emphasizes individual rights. There principles A. are universal and are the foundation of all legitimate governments B. have no real meaning in practice C. have the same meaning for all Americans D. are not fully consistent with each other E. are not expressed in the Declaration of Independence

Political conflict is rooted in which two general conditions of society? A. authority and scarcity of resources B. differing values and scarcity of resources C. differing values and liberty D. authority and liberty E. authority and differing values

In a constitutional system, A. there are no restrictions on the lawful uses of power, as long as this power is obtained by the majority rule B. citizens have basic rights which government cannot deny C. the economy is based on the free enterprise system D. officials govern according to the traditions established by their predecessors E. all citizens have absolute free speech rights

Americans’ emphasis on self-sufficiency and material accumulation reflects their belief in A. liberty B. self-government C. individualism D. diversity E. collectivism

Which concept is integral to the political philosophies of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau? A. popular sovereignty B. absolutism C. inalienable rights D. social contract E. constitutionalism

A major criticism of the theory of pluralism is that A. there are no organized interest groups B. majorities always win C. only a small number of powerful groups are well-organized and influence policy makers D. the needs of special interest groups are ignored E. none of these answers are correct

In Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that A. government is most dangerous when a single group is powerful enough to gain full political control B. monarchies are preferable to democracies C. America was not diverse enough to prevent powerful interest groups from exercising too much political power D. interest groups should be heavily regulated in America E. interest groups are less troublesome than political parties are

Viewed in historical terms, federalism has been a A. pragmatic principle, in that the relationship between the nation and the states has adapted to the needs of time B. theoretical principle, in that constitutional provisions for federalism have had virtually no impact on the relationship between the nation and the states C. flawed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and the states has been a constant source of problems without many positive benefits D. fixed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and states is almost completely defined by the provisions of the Constitution E. poor replacement of the confederal system which existed before the Constitution

Which of the following is not an enumerated power? A. public education B. regulation of commerce C. declaration of war D. taxation E. print money

Which of the following were arguments in favor of federalism at the time of the writing of the Constitution? A. federalism will protect liberty B. federalism will force officials to be more responsive to the people C. federalism will provide for a stronger national government than existed under the Articles of Confederation D. federalism will preserve the states as sovereign governments E. all these answers are correct

The Constitution grants the states the power to A. make treaties B. provide for law and order C. wage war D. print money E. do anything that is "necessary and proper"

The Tenth Amendment addressed the concerns of Anti-Federalists about A. individual freedoms B. the meaning of the commerce clause C. popular representation in Congress D. the powers of state governments E. the Electoral College

The idea that government should be restricted in its lawful uses of power and hence in its ability to deprive people of their liberty is expressed by the term A. federalism B. self-government C. judicial review D. limited government E. natural rights

Through the grants of power in the Constitution, the Framers sought to A. define the powers of state governments B. create a government in which sovereignty was invested in the national government only C. both empower government and limit it D. enumerate the rights of individuals E. abolish slavery

The principle of checks and balances is based on the notion that A. leaders are the trustees of the people B. a weak government is always preferable to a strong government C. all legislative and executive action should be controlled through judicial power D. power must be used to offset power E. legislators and executives cannot be trusted, but judges are trustworthy

In practice, the most significant restraint imposed by Congress on the president is its A. ability to override presidential vetoes B. power of impeachment C. power to make laws and appropriate money, for these determine the programs the executive can implement D. power to approve presidential appointees E. power to investigate presidential activities

Marbury v. Madison was an ingenious decision because it A. returned a case that involved the issue of states’ rights into one that asserted national power B. redefined the constitutional relationship between the president and congress C. asserted the power of the judiciary without bringing it into direct conflict with the president or congress D. turned a case that involved the issue of states’ rights into one that asserted judicial power over the institutions of society E. gave more power to the presidency, at the expense of congress

Which of the following is an example of checks and balances? A. the veto B. the impeachment process C. approval of treaties D. judicial review E. all these answers are correct