1. Formal ties between Great Britain and the United States were severed:
a. when the American Declaration of Independence was signed.
b. when the colonists boarded British ships and threw tea overboard.
c. through the drafting of the Magna Carta.
d. at the meeting of the First Continental Congress.
2. The Magna Carta was created:
a. to ensure that states maintained power apart from the national government.
b. to outline
colonists’ complaints
against the British crown.
c. in England to guarantee that the king could not put himself above the law.
d. by British Parliament in protest of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.
3. The second paragraph of the Declaration of
Independence
stated that a
government’s
right to rule is based upon:
a. the obligation of the wealthy to provide for those less fortunate.
b. permission from the people who are governed.
c. the need for a strong centralized government on American soil.
d. the Magna Carta’s guarantee that rulers shall not place themselves above the law.
4. The primary reason some states were reluctant to accept the Constitution was:
a. It failed to establish a balance of power.
b. It failed to abolish slavery.
c. It did not contain a bill of rights.
d. It did not allow smaller states adequate representation in the national government.
5. The Second Continental Congress resulted in all of the following, except:
a. the naming of George Washington as Commander of the Continental Army.
b. the battles at Lexington and Concord.
c. instructing each colony to assume the powers of independent states.
d. the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
6. The Magna Carta was an important prelude to the U.S. Constitution because it. :
a. guaranteed due process and limited government power.
b. provided the inspiration for the Great Compromise.
c. was based upon the separation of powers between branches of government.
d. ensured that there would be no monarchy in the United States.
7. The first written agreement among the colonies to stand together in resistance to Great Britain was:
a. a result of the First Continental Congress.
b. a result of the Second Continental Congress.
c. known as The Federalist Papers.
d. the Mayflower Compact.
8. American law is:
a. entirely original, having no roots in any previous legal system.
b. designed to resist changes.
c. influenced by the laws of the societies that helped found America.
d. based solely on the Napoleonic Code.
9. Balancing the rights of the states and individual citizens against the power of the central government was the
purpose of the:
a. Bill of Rights b. Articles of Confederation
c. first three Articles of the Constitution d. Great Charter
10. The Constitution and Bill of Rights are housed at:
a. the Smithsonian museum. b. the National Archives.
c. the White House. d. the Supreme Court Building.
11. What serious omission occurred in the Bill of Rights?
a. it failed to provide recourse for violations by the federal government.
b. it failed to ensure state sovereignty.
c. it failed to abolish slavery.
d. it failed to provide the right to privacy.
12. The branch of government is authorized to declare war is the:
a. executive branch b. legislative branch
c. judicial branch d. military branch
13. The Articles of Confederation formally pledged the states to:
a. a unified tax structure. b. a perpetual union.
c. the formation of the Confederate Army. d. maintain a centralized government.
14. The necessary and proper clause, establishing the authority of the federal government to address national issues,
was addressed by the Supreme Court in:
a. Marbury v. Madison b. McCulloch v. Maryland
c. Gibbons v. Ogden d. Adams v. Hamilton
15. The famous
supremacy
clause, declaring the “Supreme Law of the Land,” is contained in:
a. the Declaration of Independence.
b. the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights.
c. Article 6 of the Constitution itself.
d. the Great Compromise.
16. According to the text, pluralism challenged the colonists to:
a. strive to maintain their original culture.
b. exercise tolerance and respect for the opinions, customs, traditions and lifestyles of others.
c. band together in self–defense.
d. combine English and Roman common law with Native American customary law.
17. Membership in which of the following is based on state populations?
a. Senate b. House of Representatives
c. State Judiciary d. Constitutional Convention
18. The following are true of the Legislative Branch of the United States government, except:
a. it passes laws but has no power to enforce them.
b. it is comprised of the House and Senate.
c. it can enter into treaties with other nations.
d. it regulates interstate and international commerce.
19. In 1774, the First Continental Congress accomplished all of the following, except:
a. defining the rights of the colonists and outlining violations of these rights by the British government.
b. addressing American grievances to King George and calling for restoration of rights.
c. calling for a boycott of British goods until demands were met.
d. formally severing ties with Great Britain.
20. The Great Compromise was:
a. another term for the Constitution.
b. the foundation of the Bill of Rights.
c. the agreement that gave each state an equal vote in the Senate and a proportionate vote in the House.
d. the purchasing agreement made for most of the Indian land west of the Mississippi River.
21. Pluralism refers to:
a. a society in which numerous distinct ethnic, religious or cultural groups coexist within one nation, each
contributing to the society as a whole.
b. the combination of constitutional, statutory and common law.
c. a single act being classified as both a crime and a tort.
d. a society in which numerous distinct ethnic, religious or cultural groups maintain their individual beliefs and
form of government.
22. When the Articles of Confederation were drafted, the number of independent states in the Union was:
a. 7 b. 9
c. 11 d. 13
23. The Boston Tea Party was not:
a. a demonstration of the unwillingness of the colonists to pay taxes to Great Britain without representation.
b. an act of protest against British rule over the colonies.
c. the culmination of growing resentment towards Parliament for passage of laws such as the Stamp and
Quartering Acts.
d. a formal meeting between British and colonial officials to establish a trade agreement.
24. Who said, “Forbid it, Almighty God—I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or
give me death!”
a. Samuel Adams. b. Paul Revere.
c. Patrick Henry. d. George Washington.
25. The Amendment which describes the requirements for a fair trial, including the right of the accused to a speedy
and public trial, an impartial jury, to be advised of the charges against them, to confront witnesses against them
and to be represented by a lawyer is the.
a. Fifth Amendment b. Eighth Amendment
c. Sixth Amendment d. Fourth Amendment
26. The Amendment which requires a grand jury indictment in felony cases, prohibits double jeopardy and provides
the right against self–incrimination is the:
a. Fifth Amendment b. Eighth Amendment
c. Sixth Amendment d. Fourth Amendment
27. Of the following, the one that permits the U. S. Supreme Court to become the ultimate decision maker in whether
laws and actions of government circumvent the Constitution and invalidate them if they do so, is/are the:
a. Bill of Rights b. Articles of Confederation
c. Supremacy Clause d. Quartering Act
28. The Amendment that guarantees the right against unreasonable searches and seizures is the:
a. Fifth Amendment b. Sixth Amendment
c. Fourth Amendment d. Eighth Amendment
29. The
Amendment
that contains the famous due process clause, “nor shall any person be deprived of life, liberty, or
property without due process of law,” is the:
a. Fifth Amendment b. Sixth Amendment
c. Fourth Amendment d. Eighth Amendment
30.
Opponents
of the death penalty most
frequently
cite which
Amendment’s prohibition
against cruel and unusual
punishment?
a. Fifth Amendment b. Sixth Amendment
c. Fourth Amendment d. Eighth Amendment
31. The Federalists, who favored a strong central government, were challenged by the Anti-Federalists, who
advocated against the creation of any type of central government.
a. True
b. False
32. Laws of the United States may only originate in the House of Representatives
a. True
b. False
33. Laws are enforced through punishment.
a. True
b. False
34. Constitutionalism is one of the most original, distinctive contributions of the American system of government.
a. True
b. False
35. The Constitution did not abolish slavery, an error that was rectified in the Bill of Rights.
a. True
b. False
36. As a result of the Boston Tea Party, British Parliament restricted town meetings in American colonies to one a
year and required British troops to be housed in private homes.
a. True
b. False
37. The Articles of Confederation established a Congress to conduct the necessary tasks of a central government.
a. True
b. False
38. The Constitution was signed in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776.
a. True
b. False
39. Cultural and ethnic diversity has always been an attribute of America.
a. True
b. False
40. The balance of power was established by creating three separate branches of government, all of which work
completely independently of each other.
a. True
b. False
41. The right of the people to “keep and bear arms” is contained in the Amendment.
42. The was established vertically through the separation of power between the federal
government and the states, and laterally through the three branches of government.
43. Freedom of religion, speech and the press is contained in the Amendment.
44. The Amendment states: “The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not
be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people,” thus answering the objections of those who
thought that naming some rights but not all might result in the government‘s claiming more power than was
intended.
45. In the supremacy clause, the declared itself to be the supreme law of the land.
46. England’s historic , a precedent for democratic
government
and individual rights, played an
important role in the framing of the United States Constitution.
47. The Amendment prohibits excessive bail, excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishment.
48. The Amendment prohibits the government from housing soldiers in private homes in
peacetime without the owner’s consent.
49. The Amendment concerns the right to privacy and security and forbids the government or
its agents from searching individuals, their homes or their personal possessions or from seizing them unless the
government
has “probable cause” to believe that a crime has been committed.
50. The term refers to the interaction and assimilation that occurred over time among the colonists.
51. Explain the primary purpose of the Constitution and how it is achieved.
52. Discuss some states’ reluctance to accept the Constitution and how it was remedied.
53. Describe the purposes and accomplishments of the two Continental Congresses.
54. Explain the role of the Magna Carta in framing the U.S. Constitution.
55. Explain the problem of dual sovereignty of the federal and state governments and how it was resolved.
56. A is a system of basic laws and principles that establishes the nature, functions, and limits of the
government or other institution.
57. refers to a society in which distinct ethnic, religious, or cultural groups coexist.
58. In 1775, of the colonists were English.
59. Great Britain believed the American colonies should share any expenses of the battles fought in North America
against the French, so Parliament passed the in 1765.
60. The First Continental Congress met in 1774 in the city of .
61. In general, those colonists who opposed boycotting British goods in 1774 were known as Patriots or rebels.
a. True
b. False
62. The Second Continental Congress resulted in the first written agreement among the colonies to stand together in
resistance against Britain.
a. True
b. False
63. The Second Continental Congress named George Washington the commander of the Continental Army.
a. True
b. False
64. The opening paragraph of the Articles of Confederation explains why the Articles were issued, that is, the
compelling necessity for the colonists to break their political ties with Great Britain.
a. True
b. False
65. The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were all honored at a special ceremony on July 4, 1785.
a. True
b. False
66. In 1777, the delegates of the Second Continental Congress created a governmental model for the new country with
the
a. Declaration of Independence.
b. Magna Carta.
c. Articles of Confederation.
d. Bill of Rights.
67. The Articles of Confederation did not empower Congress to
a. regulate trade.
b. levy taxes.
c. establish a court system.
d. all of the above.
68. The Magna Carta established the supremacy of the law over the ruler and
a. established a court system in the American colonies.
b. took the place of the Articles of Confederation.
c. reestablished the monarchy in Canada.
d. guaranteed English feudal barons individual rights and due process.
69. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates elected to preside over the meetings.
a. Thomas Payne
b. Alexander Hamilton
c. George Washington
d. Thomas Jefferson
70. The Great Compromise
a. gave a proportionate vote to each state in the House.
b. gave each state an equal vote in the Senate.
c. differed from the New Jersey Plan.
d. all of the above.
71. How do you think omission of slavery from the United States Constitution impacted the history of the United States?
72. The Constitution established a balance of power between the federal government and the states, as well as between
the three branches of government (legislative, judicial, and executive). Which is more important, the balance between
federal and state authority or the balance between the three branches of government? Explain your answer.
73. In 1791, the first 10 Amendments to the United States Constitution were passed to guarantee individual rights. Which
of these Amendments do you feel is most important? Which of these Amendments is least important? Justify your
answers.
74. There had been 27 Amendments to the United States Constitution. If you could draft the 28th Amendment, what
would it be? Why do you think this Amendment is necessary? Does it conflict with any other Amendments?
Amendments after the Bill of Rights can be found at
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html.
75. If the United States Supreme Court did not have the authority to rule that acts of the President of the United States
or the United States Congress were inconsistent with the Constitution, do you think the government would run more
smoothly? Do you think the government would run more fairly? Explain your answers to both questions.