2
Constitutional
Foundations
Multiple–Choice Questions
1. A(n) __________ is a type of government in which one person with
unlimited power rules.
a. autocracy
b. republic
c. uniied government
d. oligarchy
Topic: Checking Power with Power
Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Analyze how the Constitution
grants, limits, separates, and balances governmental power.
Page Reference: 55
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
2. What is the name given to the law that would govern human
beings before governments existed?
a. original law
b. Biblical law
c. natural law
d. universal law
Topic: Views of the Constitution
20
Learning Objective: LO 2.1: Describe the basic structure of
the Constitution and its Bill of Rights.
Page Reference: 50
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
3. On what date did the Framers meet and sign their names to the
Constitution?
a. September 17, 1787
b. April 15, 1787
c. July 4, 1787
d. October 19, 1787
Topic: Views of the Constitution
Learning Objective: LO 2.1: Describe the basic structure of
the Constitution and its Bill of Rights.
Page Reference: 51
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
4. Which of the following is a drawback of divided government?
a. It leads to a signiicant decrease in governmental
performance.
b. It makes it diicult for voters to hold anyone or any party
accountable.
c. It makes Congress unable to check the power of the
president.
d. It leads to lower trust in government.
Topic: Checking Power with Power
Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Analyze how the Constitution
grants, limits, separates, and balances governmental power.
Page Reference: 55
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
5. The U.S. Constitution was adopted in response to the
weaknesses of the Articles of __________.
a. Unity
21
b. Revolution
c. America
d. Confederation
Topic: Checking Power with Power
Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Analyze how the Constitution
grants, limits, separates, and balances governmental power.
Page Reference: 53
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
6. Why did the Framers adopt the separation of powers system?
a. to prevent autocracy
b. to promote eiciency
c. to promote democratic rule
d. to ensure lexibility in the governing system
Topic: Checking Power with Power
Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Analyze how the Constitution
grants, limits, separates, and balances governmental power.
Page Reference: 55
Skill Level: Analyze It
Diiculty Level: Diicult
7. The Supreme Court’s decision in Marbury v. Madison hinged on
an interpretation of __________.
a. the Court’s original jurisdiction in Article III
b. the commerce clause in Article I
c. the necessary and proper clause in Article I
d. the privileges and immunities clause in Article IV
Topic: Judicial Review and the “Guardians of the Constitution”
Learning Objective: LO 2.3: Explain how the use of judicial
review strengthens the courts in a separation of powers system.
Page Reference: 60
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
22
8. In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decided that
segregation by race violated which of the following?
a. due process clause
b. equal protection clause
c. full faith and credit clause
d. necessary and proper clause
Topic: Informal Change: The Unwritten Constitution
Learning Objective: LO 2.4: Assess how the Constitution has
evolved through changes in the informal, unwritten
Constitution.
Page Reference: 64
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
9. Which article provides that the Constitution shall be the
supreme law of the land?
a. Article II
b. Article VII
c. Article V
d. Article VI
Topic: Views of the Constitution
Learning Objective: LO 2.1: Describe the basic structure of
the Constitution and its Bill of Rights.
Page Reference: 50
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
10. Which of the following generally favored a strong national
government and supported the proposed U.S. Constitution?
a. Tories
b. Whigs
c. Federalists
d. Constitutionalists
Topic: Judicial Review and the “Guardians of the Constitution”
23
Learning Objective: LO 2.3: Explain how the use of judicial
review strengthens the courts in a separation of powers system.
Page Reference: 58
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
11. Since 1789, how many times has the House of Representatives
impeached a president?
a. zero
b. two
c. ive
d. ten
Topic: Checking Power with Power
Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Analyze how the Constitution
grants, limits, separates, and balances governmental power.
Page Reference: 54
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
12. How many constitutional amendments have been proposed
since its ratiication?
a. 10
b. 17
c. 27
d. 31
Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution
Learning Objective: LO 2.5: Describe the processes by which
formal changes to the Constitution can be made.
Page Reference: 64
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
13. James Madison sought to prevent the tyranny of the __________
by distributing governmental authority among several branches.
a. minority
b. wealthy
c. majority
24
d. king
Topic: Checking Power with Power
Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Analyze how the Constitution
grants, limits, separates, and balances governmental power.
Page Reference: 53
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
14. In The Federalist No. 51, James Madison explained how the
Constitution both __________ and __________ powers.
a. centralizes; devolves
b. democratizes; grants
c. grants; limits
d. creates; eliminates
Topic: Views of the Constitution
Learning Objective: LO 2.1: Describe the basic structure of
the Constitution and its Bill of Rights.
Page Reference: 51
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
15. What is the purpose of Constitution Day?
a. to analyze the Constitution for possible future amendments
b. to encourage other countries to adopt written constitutions
c. to educate Americans about their rights and responsibilities
under the Constitution
d. to celebrate America’s Declaration of Independence from
Great Britain
Topic: Views of the Constitution
Learning Objective: LO 2.1: Describe the basic structure of
the Constitution and its Bill of Rights.
Page Reference: 51
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
25
16. When did Congress begin investigating the actions of the
George W. Bush administration?
a. in 2001, as soon as Bush took oice
b. in 2003, following the start of the Iraq war
c. in 2006, when Democrats regained control of Congress
d. in 2008, during the inancial crisis
Topic: Checking Power with Power
Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Analyze how the Constitution
grants, limits, separates, and balances governmental power.
Page Reference: 55
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
17. Which constitutional amendment allowed voting by all qualiied
citizens aged 18 or older?
a. Twenty-Sixth
b. Fifteenth
c. Twentieth
d. Nineteenth
Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution
Learning Objective: LO 2.5: Describe the processes by which
formal changes to the Constitution can be made.
Page Reference: 66
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
18. Which of the following philosophers greatly inluenced James
Madison’s beliefs regarding the nature of liberty?
a. John Dewey
b. John Locke
c. Martin Heidegger
d. Michel Foucault
Topic: Checking Power with Power
26
Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Analyze how the Constitution
grants, limits, separates, and balances governmental power.
Page Reference: 53
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
19. Which of the following is an example of an executive order?
a. President Obama’s order raising the minimum wage of
federal contractors
b. President Obama’s proposal to reform health care policy
c. President Bush’s order to send troops to Afghanistan
d. President Nixon’s order to hold back funding for the Clean
Water Act
Topic: Informal Change: The Unwritten Constitution
Learning Objective: LO 2.4: Assess how the Constitution has
evolved through changes in the informal, unwritten
Constitution.
Page Reference: 62
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
20. In United States v. Eichman, the Supreme Court struck down a
statute that prohibited __________.
a. student protests
b. lealeting on private property
c. lag burning
d. school prayer
Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution
Learning Objective: LO 2.5: Describe the processes by which
formal changes to the Constitution can be made.
Page Reference: 65
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
21. Recent debate over the Second Amendment involves which of
the following issues?
a. the right to bear arms
27
b. the right to a minimum wage
c. the right to own property
d. the right to travel from state to state
Topic: Introduction
Learning Objective: Introduction
Page Reference: 48
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Easy
22. What was the most important means the Framers used to make
sure government oicials would observe the constitutional limits
on their powers?
a. partisanship
b. the Electoral College
c. uniied government
d. free and fair elections
Topic: Checking Power with Power
Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Analyze how the Constitution
grants, limits, separates, and balances governmental power.
Page Reference: 53
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
23. In what year was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?
a. 1788
b. 1789
c. 1791
d. 1798
Topic: Views of the Constitution
Learning Objective: LO 2.1: Describe the basic structure of
the Constitution and its Bill of Rights.
Page Reference: 50
Skill Level: Remember the Facts
Diiculty Level: Easy
28
24. Governance in which one party controls both the White House
and both houses of Congress is referred to as what?
a. uniied government
b. checks and balances
c. divided government
d. autocracy
Topic: Checking Power with Power
Learning Objective: LO 2.2: Analyze how the Constitution
grants, limits, separates, and balances governmental power.
Page Reference: 55
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Easy
25. Which of the following allows Congress to create legislation to
make needed changes without amending the Constitution?
a. congressional elaboration
b. executive privilege
c. impoundment
d. executive order
Topic: Informal Change: The Unwritten Constitution
Learning Objective: LO 2.4: Assess how the Constitution has
evolved through changes in the informal, unwritten
Constitution.
Page Reference: 62
Skill Level: Understand the Concepts
Diiculty Level: Moderate
26. On what basis did the Supreme Court uphold the portion of the
Patient Protection and Afordable Care Act that requires
Americans to purchase health insurance?
a. on the basis of Congress’s authority to regulate interstate
commerce
b. on the basis of Congress’s taxing authority
c. on the basis of the supremacy clause
d. on the basis of the equal protection clause