1. The first permanent English colony in the Americas was a settlement at
a. Massachusetts Bay.
b. Roanoke.
c. Jamestown.
d. Charles Town.
e. Philadelphia.
2. According to the Separatists, the Mayflower Compact was necessary because it
a. limited the power of women in the colonies.
b. imposed some form of public authority on the colonists.
c. protected the colonists from England.
d. protected the colonists from other foreign governments.
e. imposed religious order on the colonies.
3. OneelementoftheMayflowerCompact’shistoricalandpoliticalsignificancewasthatit
a. served as a prototype for many similar compacts.
b. shunned all previous forms of government.
c. did not depend on the consent of the affected individuals.
d. established the colony of Massachusetts.
e. was a constitution.
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4. All of the following developments took place in the colonial period EXCEPT
a. the colonists developed a concept of limited government.
b. the colonists exercised a large measure of self-government.
c. the colonists passed the Pennsylvania Frame of Government, which foreshadowed our modern Constitution.
d. Louisiana was established as the last of the thirteen colonies.
e. the colonists acquired crucial political experience.
5. Which of the following factors BEST influenced the taxation of the British colonies after 1763?
a. The coronation of King George III
b. The establishment of more colonies
c. The costs of defending the colonists during the French and Indian War
d. The purchase of Canada (Quebec) from the French
e. The Revolutionary War
6. Which of the following taxes did the British NOT impose on the colonists?
a. The Sugar Act
b. The Stamp Act, which taxed, among other things, legal documents and newspapers
c. Duties on glass, lead, and paint
d. A tax on tea
e. An income tax
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7. Thecolonists’furyovertaxationreacheditspeakover
a. the French and Indian War.
b. the repeal of the Stamp Act.
c. the passage of the Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges.
d. the Boston Tea Party.
e. the Mayflower Compact.
8. All of the following about the First Continental Congress is true EXCEPT
a. it was comprised of delegates from twelve colonies.
b. the delegates spoke very little about declaring independence.
c. the delegates declared independence from Great Britain.
d. it resolved to petition King George III.
e. it was condemned by the British government as rebellious.
9. The Second Continental Congress
a. established an army.
b. signed a treaty with Great Britain that avoided armed conflict.
c. signed a treaty with France to declare war with the colonies on Great Britain.
d. created a unitary government in the United States.
e. brought the remaining seven colonies into its organization.
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10. InThomasPaine’sCommon Sense, he argued that
a. human affairs are naturally stable and self-correcting.
b. immigration to the colonies should be outlawed.
c. it is unwise and unsafe to rebel against the king.
d. an independent colonial government of their own is a natural right.
e. taxation is both important and necessary.
11. Who wrote drafts of the Declaration of Independence before the American Revolution formally started?
a. John Locke
b. John Adams
c. Thomas Jefferson
d. George Washington
e. Benjamin Franklin
12. Whichofthefollowingdocumentscontainedthephrase:“Thattosecuretheserights,Governmentsareinstituted
amongMen,derivingtheirjustPowersfromtheConsentoftheGoverned…”?
a. Constitution of the United States of America
b. Declaration of Independence
c. Magna Carta
d. United Nations Charter
e. Bill of Rights
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13. A _________ is a voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and welfare by creating a
government and abiding by its rules.
a. confederation
b. social contract
c. unitary govenrment
d. constitution
e. carte
14. The unalienable rights stipulated in the Declaration of Independence included the right
a. of free speech and a free press.
b. to freely associate and assemble.
c. to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
d. to life, liberty, and property.
e. to freedom of religion.
15. Rights held to be inherent in natural law, not dependent on governments, are called
a. constitutional rights.
b. social benefits.
c. implied rights.
d. natural rights.
e. enumerated rights.
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16. After American independence was recognized by Great Britain, General George Washington
a. declared himself king.
b. failed to mollify the grumblings of his officers.
c. disbanded the Continental Army.
d. spent seven more years ejecting the British from the Old Northwest by force.
e. retired completely from public life, never to return.
17. The American Revolution ended when Britain recognized American independence in the
a. Treaty of Paris.
b. Treaty of Bretton Woods.
c. Treaty of Geneva.
d. Treaty of Stockholm.
e. Declaration of Independence.
18. In almost all states, the ________ branch was predominant.
a. military
b. bureaucratic
c. judical
d. executive
e. legislative
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19. The term confederation refers to
a. a system in which most power is with the central government.
b. a voluntary association of independent states.
c. a system in which state and local governments have equal power with the central government.
d. a national legislature.
e. the southern states where slavery was legal.
20. Which of the following was NOT true under the Articles of Confederation?
a. Congress was a unicameral assembly.
b. Congress lacked an independent source of revenue.
c. Congress could regulate foreign affairs.
d. The president of the United States was chosen by Congress.
e. Each state possessed a single vote in Congress.
21. Probably the most fundamental weakness of the Articles of Confederation, and the most basic cause of their
eventual replacement by the Constitution, was the
a. absence of an executive committee.
b. lack of provision for a president of the United States.
c. one-vote-per-state system.
d. lack of ability to conduct foreign policy.
e. lack of power to raise funds for the militia.
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22. Which state refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention?
a. Delaware
b. South Carolina
c. Rhode Island
d. Maryland
e. Virginia
23. A majority of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention were
a. unaware that there were problems with the Articles of Confederation.
b. against a strong central government.
c. nationalists in favor of instituting a monarchy.
d. moderates in favor of keeping the Articles of Confederation with very few changes.
e. nationalists in favor of a stronger central government.
24. The Virginia Plan
a. called for a bicameral legislature.
b. worked to the advantage of small states.
c. provided for the direct election of a president by the people.
d. settled all controversy at the Constitutional Convention.
e. lacked the creation of a national judiciary.
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25. Basically, the New Jersey Plan was
a. the result of the Great Compromise.
b. a way for large states to grab power.
c. simply an amendment of the Articles of Confederation.
d. simply an amendment of the Mayflower Compact.
e. the Constitution.
26. The supremacy doctrine asserts the priority of
a. large states over small states.
b. non-slave states over slave states.
c. national law over state laws.
d. natural law over man-made laws.
e. the legislative body over the chief executive.
27. The plan known as the Great Compromise
a. was advanced by the delegates from Georgia.
b. proposed a bicameral legislature.
c. was presented too late to be considered.
d. was proposed by Texas.
e. proposed a unicameral legislature in which each state would have one vote.
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28. The three-fifths compromise illustrates the power of ______ at the Constitutional Convention.
a. the southern states
b. the northern states
c. the small states
d. the large states
e. women
29. Which of the following was NOT a compromise made in the Constitution?
a. There was no ban on the importation of slaves before 1808.
b. Only a Supreme Court was mandated, and the establishment of lower courts was left up to Congress.
c. Slavery was outlawed.
d. RepresentationintheHouseofRepresentativeswasbasedonastate’spopulation.
e. States were equally represented in the Senate.
30. The United States is among the few countries that does not tax their exports because
a. it does not need the money.
b. exportation is a natural right.
c. the South obtained a promise that export taxes would not be imposed.
d. the World Trade Organization prohibits it from doing so.
e. the president of the United States of America vetoed the bill.
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31. The concept of separation of powers was included in the Constitution to prevent
a. disputes between the federal and state governments.
b. the imposition of export taxes.
c. a major dispute over power between the House and the Senate.
d. disputes over power between Congress and the president.
e. theimpositionoftyranny—eitherbythemajorityorbyaminority.
32. The separation of government powers into three branches (executive, legislative, and judicial) is sometimes called the
a. Compromise model.
b. American model.
c. Washingtonian model.
d. Madisonian model.
e. Jeffersonian model.
33. The concept of checks and balances allows
a. each branch of the government to be able to check the actions of the others.
b. the president to veto judicial decisions.
c. the president to pass laws during a time of crisis.
d. Congress to select justices of the Supreme Court.
e. the Treasury to print paper currency.
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34. The group that officially elects the president of the United States is called
a. the Presidential Election Commission.
b. the Congressional Election Forum.
c. the Association of State Legislatures.
d. the Electoral College.
e. the Electorate at Large.
35. The Constitution that was to be ratified established the following fundamental principles EXCEPT
a. popular sovereignty, or control by the people.
b. a republican government in which the people choose representatives to make decisions for them.
c. limited government with written laws.
d. afederalsystemthatallowsforstates’rights,becausethestatesfearedtoomuchcentralizedcontrol.
e. presidential infallibility.
36. Ratification of the Constitution was to occur when it was approved by
a. the thirteen state legislatures.
b. nine out of thirteen states.
c. the thirteen state legislatures and two-thirds of Congress.
d. popular vote in nine states.
e. popular vote in all thirteen states.
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37. The Federalists advocated
a. preserving the status quo.
b. returning to the Articles of Confederation.
c. ratifying the new Constitution.
d. a strong state government system.
e. constitutional monarchy.
38. The Anti-Federalists advocated
a. altering the Constitution to include guaranteed personal liberties.
b. a strong central government.
c. ratifying the new Constitution.
d. an end to slavery.
e. rule by the aristocracy.
39. The Bill of Rights was important for ratification of the Constitution because
a. state constitutions already had such rights.
b. such rights were stipulated in the Articles of Confederation.
c. some states would not have voted to ratify the Constitution without the promise of amendments to protect
individual liberties.
d. the colonists wanted to conform to international standards.
e. the Federalists were wary of a strong central government.
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40. The Bill of Rights provided for
a. protection of individual liberties at the state level.
b. protection of individual liberties at the national level.
c. equal protection under the law.
d. protection against state infringements on the freedoms of conscience, the press, and jury trial.
e. separation of powers.
41. The U.S. Constitution is shorter than any state constitution EXCEPT that of
a. Maryland.
b. Vermont.
c. South Carolina.
d. Georgia.
e. New York.
42. One of the two formal methods of proposing an amendment to the Constitution is by
a. popular vote.
b. a two-thirds vote in each chamber of Congress.
c. approval of the legislatures in a majority of the states.
d. a majority vote in both chambers of Congress, provided the amendment is not vetoed by the president.
e. a judicial submission.
43. A constitutional amendment can be ratified by
a. a majority of the popular vote.
b. a positive vote in three-fourths of the legislatures of the various states.
c. a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress.
d. approval of the legislatures in two-thirds of the states.
e. presidential approval.
44. Which groups are involved in proposing and ratifying amendments to the Constitution?
a. The state legislatures, the president, and Congress
b. The Senate, the Supreme Court, and the House of Representatives
c. Congress, the president, and the people
d. The Senate, the House of Representatives, and the state legislatures
e. The House of Representatives, the president, and the Senate
45. Out of more than 11,000 amendments to the Constitution that have been considered by Congress, only ______ have
been ratified.
a. 10
b. 12
c. 18
d. 27
e. 33
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46. Judicial review is
a. a method by which the president can check the judiciary.
b. the process of confirmation of federal judges by Congress.
c. the power of the courts to declare federal or state laws and other acts of government unconstitutional.
d. not applicable to actions by state governments.
e. restricted to the Supreme Court in overturning decisions by lower courts.
47. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to
a. override presidential vetoes.
b. establish a system of courts below the Supreme Court.
c. limit the power of local governments.
d. regulate the media.
e. levy income taxes.
48. All of the following is widely considered to be an informal method of amending the Constitution EXCEPT
a. Supreme Court decisions.
b. Congressional legislation.
c. Presidential action.
d. interpretation, custom, and usage.
e. the formal amendment process.
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49. In 1803, the Supreme Court claimed the power of ______ for itself in Marbury v. Madison.
a. judicial review
b. constitutional amendment
c. legislative ratification
d. executive review
e. appeal
50. The law is what ______ says it is at any point in time, generally speaking.
a. the Senate
b. the Supreme Court
c. the president
d. the press
e. the academic community
51. What institutions had the most impact on the founding of state governments and the Federal Government of the
United States of America?
52. Did the founders intend the United States to be a Christian nation? Describe both sides of the argument.
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53. What significance does the Declaration of Independence have to Americans today, relative to the Constitution or
other famous American documents?
54. Did the government under the Articles of Confederation do more to preserve individual liberty than that of the
federal government under the Constitution? Why or why not?
55. Describe the controversy surrounding the slavery issue. How was this resolved at the Constitutional Convention?
56. Describe the concepts of separation of powers and checks and balances, and explain why the Founding Fathers
included these concepts in the framework of the Constitution.
57. At the Constitutional Convention, several compromises were made to garner the support of various states. Describe
these compromises and the debates that surrounded them.
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58. TheConstitution’sratificationprocessincludedargumentsforandagainstratificationbyFederalistsandAnti
Federalists, respectively. Describe and evaluate the arguments expressed by both of these groups.
59. Describe the two formal methods of proposing an amendment to the Constitution.
60. The process of amending the U.S. Constitution is an intentionally difficult one. Yet those in each branch of
government have found ways in which the Constitution can be changed informally. Describe the methods, both
formal and informal, of constitutional change.
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