Kanovitz: Manual site for Constitutional Law, 13th Edition
Chapter 01: History, Structure, and Content of the United States Constitution
Multiple Choice
1. The following country’s government provided a precedent for the federal-state system
devised under the Constitution:
a. England
b. France
c. Greece
d. none of the above
2. The following made the case for ratifying the Constitution:
a. the Declaration of Independence
b. the Federalist Papers
c. Common Sense
d. The Articles of Confederation
3. Which of the following is not a branch of the federal government?
a. Presidency
b. Governorship
c. Judiciary
d. Congress
4. Once proposed, an amendment to the Constitution must be ratified by ____ of the
states.
a. two-thirds
b. three-fifths
c. four-fifths
d. three-fourths
5. Although not specifically listed among the powers granted to the federal government,
the Supreme Court ruled that Congress had the power to establish a national bank
under the following:
a. necessary and proper clause
b. the First Amendment
c. the due process clause
d. the Tenth Amendment
6. All of the following federal laws fall under the interstate commerce clause, except
1-2
for:
a. Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act
b. Mann Act
c. National Motor Vehicle Theft Act
d. Federal Kidnapping Act
7. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are collectively known as:
a. the Interstate Commerce Clause
b. the Bill of Rights
c. Articles of Confederation
d. the Necessary and Proper Clause
8. The Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution was passed in the aftermath of which
war?
a. Revolutionary War
b. War of 1812
c. Civil War
d. Spanish American War
9. The Fourteenth Amendment contains the following guarantee:
a. the right to trial by jury
b. the right of the people peaceably to assemble
c. equal protection under the laws
d. the right against unreasonable searches and seizures
10. Lawrence v. Texas, the Supreme Court decision overturning sodomy laws, has been
compared to which other landmark Supreme Court ruling?
a. Plessy v. Ferguson
b. United States v. Virginia
c. Marbury v. Madison
d. Brown v. Board of Education
11. Which of the following would qualify for strict scrutiny at this time under the equal
protection clause?
a. gender-based discrimination
b. racial profiling
c. discrimination based on sexual orientation
d. laws regulating handguns
12. Under the Constitution, states are prohibited from doing all of the following, except:
a. lay duties on exports, without the consent of Congress
b. enter into treaties
c. pass ex-post facto laws
d. conduct background checks before allowing citizens to purchase handguns
13. Petitioners file this when requesting review by the Supreme Court:
a. writ of certiorari
b. writ of habeas corpus
c. due process
d. constitutional challenge
14. Habeas corpus review is a post-conviction constitutional remedy for state prisoners
that rectifies the following:
a. unlawful confinement
b. cruel and unusual punishment
c. parole violation
d. illegal searches and seizures
15. After the Constitution was drafted, it was submitted to the states for ratification.
Ratification was opposed by some states because:
a. the Constitution contained no bill of rights.
b. excessive power was concentrated in the President.
c. Congress had no power to tax.
d. small states were not given fair representation in the Senate of the United States.
16. Under the terms of the proposed Constitution, the new government was to become
operative if a certain number of states ratified. This number was:
a. 9
b. 10
c. 11
d. All 13 states
17. The ratification process was completed and the Constitution went into effect:
a. 1787
b. 1788
c. 1791
d. 1776
18. The United States Constitution, as originally adopted:
a. prohibited the federal government from depriving any person of life, liberty, or
property without due process of law.
b. was divided into nine articles.
c. defined the crime of treason and the proof necessary for a conviction.
d. failed to provide for a method of amendment.
19. Article I of the United States Constitution:
a. grants Congress the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce.
b. contains the supremacy clause.
c. protects freedom of speech.
d. delegates to the President the power to declare war.
20. Article II of the United States Constitution:
a. establishes the powers of the President.
b. establishes the powers of the President.
c. guarantees the right to bear arms.
d. guarantees that the federal government will not quarter troops in private homes.
21. Article I of the United States Constitution:
a. grants Congress the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce.
b. contains the supremacy clause.
c. protects freedom of speech.
d. delegates to the President the power to declare war.
22. Article II of the United States Constitution:
a. establishes the powers of the President.
b. establishes the powers of the President.
c. guarantees the right to bear arms.
d. guarantees that the federal government will not quarter troops in private homes.
23. Article I of the United States Constitution:
a. grants Congress the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce.
b. contains the supremacy clause.
c. protects freedom of speech.
d. delegates to the President the power to declare war.
True/ False
24. The Articles of Confederation created a strong federal government.
a. True
b. False
25. The government set up under the Constitution is called a federalist system.
a. True
b. False
26. The First Amendment addresses the right to bear arms.
a. True
b. False
27. The Bill of Rights is a declaration of the rights that citizens have against each other.
a. True
b. False
28. Before the Civil War, the American people viewed the states as the watchdogs of
liberty.
a. True
b. False