Test Bank for GOVT 5th Edition by Sidlow

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CHAPTER 2: The Constitution

MULTIPLE CHOICE

     1.   The majority of American colonists came from

a.	Germany.
b.	France and Ireland.
c.	England and Scotland.
d.	Spain.
e.	Sweden and the Netherlands.

ANS:  C                    REF:   24

     2.   The first permanent English settlement in North America was

a.	founded in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
b.	the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
c.	in what is now Connecticut.
d.	in Jamestown, in what is now Virginia.
e.	founded in Pennsylvania.

ANS:  D                    REF:   25

     3.   In the __________, the Pilgrims set up a government and promised to obey its laws.

a.	Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
b.	Massachusetts Body of Liberties
c.	Mayflower Compact
d.	Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges
e.	U.S. Constitution

ANS:  C                    REF:   25

     4.   The Mayflower Compact

a.	established the Articles of Confederation.
b.	was essentially a bill of rights.
c.	provided for the popular election of a governor and judges in an early settlement of Connecticut.
d.	was America’s first written constitution.
e.	was essentially a social contract.

ANS:  E                    REF:   25

     5.   America’s first written constitution, the __________, called for the laws to be made by an assembly of elected representatives from each town.

a.	Fundamental Orders of Connecticut
b.	Massachusetts Body of Liberties
c.	Mayflower Compact
d.	Pennsylvania Charter of Privileges
e.	Pennsylvania Frame of Government

ANS:  A                    REF:   25

     6.   Before the mid-1700s, the majority of American colonists

a.	were anxious to break free of British colonial rule.
b.	despised the British monarchy.
c.	were loyal to the British monarch and viewed Britain as their homeland.
d.	were loyal to France.
e.	were secretly planning to declare their independence from Britain.

ANS:  C                    REF:   26

     7.   Following the British victory in the Seven Years’ War, the

a.	British relinquished their authority over the American colonies.
b.	relationship between Britain and its American colonies was permanently altered.
c.	British government repealed the taxes it had imposed on the American colonies.
d.	French expanded their control over several southern colonies.
e.	British government decided to fight on the side of the French in the French and Indian War.

ANS:  B                    REF:   26

     8.   The colonists began using the word American to describe themselves

a.	when the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
b.	when Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America, was founded.
c.	after writing the Articles of Confederation.
d.	after adopting the Declaration of Independence.
e.	in the aftermath of the Seven Years’ War.

ANS:  E                    REF:   26 | 27

     9.   In 1764, the British Parliament passed __________, which prompted a “nonimportation” movement that soon spread to several colonies.

a.	the Sugar Act
b.	the Stamp Act
c.	the “Intolerable Acts”
d.	the Coercive Acts
e.	taxes on glass, paint, and lead

ANS:  A                    REF:   27

   10.   In 1765, the British Parliament passed the __________ Act, which imposed the first direct tax on the colonists.

a.	Income
b.	Sugar
c.	Stamp
d.	Importation
e.	Tea

ANS:  C                    REF:   27

   11.   After the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act, James Otis, Jr.

a.	declared that there could be “no taxation without war.”
b.	wrote Common Sense.
c.	proposed that the colonies impose a sugar tax on Britain.
d.	declared that there could be “no taxation without representation.”
e.	wrote A Handbook for Dumping Tea.

ANS:  D                    REF:   27

   12.   In __________, anger over the taxes Britain had imposed on the colonies reached a climax at the Boston Tea Party.

a.	1765
b.	1767
c.	1773
d.	1775
e.	1776

ANS:  C                    REF:   27

   13.   In response to the Boston Tea Party, the British Parliament

a.	passed the Coercive Acts.
b.	wrote the Articles of Confederation.
c.	repealed the Stamp Act.
d.	imposed taxes on glass, paint, and lead.
e.	passed the Sugar Act.

ANS:  A                    REF:   28

   14.   The First Continental Congress

a.	decided that the colonies should send a petition to King George III to explain their grievances.
b.	urged the people of Boston to dress as Mohawk Indians and dump chests of British tea into Boston Harbor as a gesture of tax protest.
c.	assumed the powers of a central government.
d.	named George Washington as the commander in chief of the army that was made up of militiamen who had gathered around Boston.
e.	drafted a declaration of independence from Britain.

ANS:  A                    REF:   28

   15.   On April 19, 1775, Redcoats fought against Minutemen in the towns of __________ and __________, the first battles of the American Revolution.

a.	Washington; Philadelphia
b.	Baltimore; Albany
c.	Plymouth; Jamestown
d.	Lexington; Concord
e.	Boston; Richmond

ANS:  D                    REF:   28

   16.   __________classic pamphlet, Common Sense, presented a rousing argument in favor of independence and helped sever any remaining ties of loyalty to the British monarch.

a.	Alexander Hamilton’s
b.	Thomas Jefferson’s
c.	Benjamin Franklin’s
d.	Roger Sherman’s
e.	Thomas Paine’s

ANS:  E                    REF:   28

   17.   The influential pamphlet Common Sense

a.	contended that America could survive economically on its own and no longer needed its British connection.
b.	argued against breaking ties with Britain.
c.	urged the colonists to remain loyal to King George III, calling him a “good and decent man.”
d.	denounced the Declaration of Independence.
e.	laid out the strategy for the Boston Tea Party.

ANS:  A                    REF:   28

   18.   The concepts expressed in the Declaration of Independence reflected European political philosophy. In particular, the theories of __________ provided philosophical underpinnings by which the American Revolution could be justified.

a.	John Locke
b.	James Otis, Jr.
c.	Patrick Henry
d.	Roger Sherman
e.	Philip Livingston

ANS:  A                    REF:   30

   19.   As the colonies transformed themselves into sovereign states, republican sentiment was so strong in many of them that the __________became all-powerful.

a.	executives
b.	courts
c.	bureaucracies
d.	national government
e.	legislatures

ANS:  E                    REF:   30

   20.   The Articles of Confederation, which served as the nation’s first national constitution, established the __________ as the central governing body.

a.	executive branch
b.	Congress of the Confederation
c.	committees of “safety”
d.	Supreme Court
e.	Second Continental Congress

ANS:  B                    REF:   30 | 31

   21.   Under the Articles of Confederation, each state had __________ the unicameral assembly of representatives.

a.	one vote in
b.	two votes in
c.	one vote for each ambassador it sent to
d.	proportional representation (based on state population) in
e.	seven votes in

ANS:  A                    REF:   31

   22.   Under the Articles of Confederation, the early government of the United States

a.	could not declare war.
b.	could not enter into treaties and alliances.
c.	created a postal system.
d.	regulated interstate commerce.
e.	established a strong executive branch.

ANS:  C                    REF:   31 | 32

   23.   Under the Articles of Confederation,

a.	the central government could draft soldiers to form a standing army.
b.	there was a national judicial system.
c.	Congress had significant power to enforce its laws.
d.	Congress could regulate commerce between the states and with other nations.
e.	Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance.

ANS:  E                    REF:   31–33

   24.   The Treaty of Paris, which confirmed the colonies’ independence from Britain, was signed in 1783. By 1784, the new nation

a.	had annexed Vermont to Canada.
b.	was suffering from a serious economic depression.
c.	had created a strong national government with the power to regulate interstate commerce and to directly tax the people.
d.	had created a national judicial system so that disputes among the states could be settled by the central government.
e.	had established a monetary system that gave the power to print money exclusively to the central government

ANS:  B                    REF:   32

   25.   Indebted farmers in western Massachusetts seized county courthouses and disrupted debtors’ trials in 1786. An attack was also launched on the national government’s arsenal. This uprising, known as __________, was an important catalyst for change because it helped to convince many Americans that a true national government had to be created.

a.	Shays’ Rebellion
b.	the Boston Tea Party
c.	the Whiskey Rebellion
d.	the Massachusetts mutiny
e.	Agrarian Revenge

ANS:  A                    REF:   32 | 33

   26.   Shays’ Rebellion

a.	was a protest against the imposition of a tax on all sugar imported into the American colonies.
b.	was an indication to American political and business leaders that the national government under the Articles of Confederation was too weak.
c.	prompted the British Parliament to close Boston Harbor.
d.	was the first battle of the American Revolution.
e.	allowed the French to expand their control over several southern states.

ANS:  B                    REF:   33

   27.   The Philadelphia meeting that became the Constitutional Convention was called “for the sole and express purpose” of

a.	drafting a national constitution.
b.	electing a president.
c.	drafting the Bill of Rights.
d.	revising the Articles of Confederation.
e.	revising the Mayflower Compact.

ANS:  D                    REF:   33

   28.   Only __________, where feelings were strong against creating a more powerful central government, did not send any delegates to the Constitutional Convention.

a.	Connecticut
b.	Georgia
c.	New Jersey
d.	New York
e.	Rhode Island

ANS:  E                    REF:   34

   29.   __________ was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention.

a.	John Adams
b.	Thomas Jefferson
c.	Patrick Henry
d.	John Locke
e.	James Madison

ANS:  E                    REF:   34

   30.   __________ did not attend the Constitutional Convention, because he “smelt a rat.”

a.	Patrick Henry
b.	George Washington
c.	Alexander Hamilton
d.	Robert Morris
e.	Benjamin Franklin

ANS:  A                    REF:   34

   31.   __________ of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention owned slaves.

a.	None
b.	Only seven
c.	At least nineteen
d.	A majority
e.	All

ANS:  C                    REF:   34

   32.   For the most part, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were

a.	representative of the population as a whole.
b.	uneducated.
c.	poor.
d.	from the best-educated and wealthiest classes.
e.	ordinary farmers and merchants.

ANS:  D                    REF:   34

   33.   The proposals of the __________ delegation immediately set the agenda for the Constitutional Convention.

a.	New Jersey
b.	New York
c.	Connecticut
d.	Virginia
e.	Massachusetts

ANS:  D                    REF:   34

   34.   The __________ Plan that was proposed at the Constitutional Convention favored large states. It called for a legislature in which the number of representatives would be in proportion to each state’s population.

a.	New Jersey
b.	Georgia
c.	Pennsylvania
d.	Virginia
e.	South Carolina

ANS:  D                    REF:   34 | 35

   35.   The __________ Plan that was proposed at the Constitutional Convention favored small states. It called for a legislature in which each state would have only one vote.

a.	New Jersey
b.	New York
c.	Connecticut
d.	Virginia
e.	Massachusetts

ANS:  A                    REF:   35

   36.   The __________ Compromise called for a bicameral legislature with a lower chamber in which the number of representatives from each state would be determined by the number of people in that state, and an upper chamber that would have two members from each state.

a.	New Jersey
b.	Pennsylvania
c.	Connecticut
d.	Virginia
e.	North Carolina

ANS:  C                    REF:   35

   37.   The Great Compromise at the Constitutional Convention

a.	resolved the issue of slavery.
b.	guaranteed land for Native Americans.
c.	called for a bicameral legislature in which each state would have equal representation in both chambers.
d.	called for a unicameral legislature in which representatives from each state would be determined by the number of people in that state.
e.	resolved the small-state/large-state controversy.

ANS:  E                    REF:   35

   38.   The three-fifths compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention settled the deadlock between the

a.	eastern states and the western states over the national court system.
b.	northern states and the southern states over export taxes.
c.	large states and the small states over the regulation of commerce.
d.	large states and the small states over how the president would be chosen.
e.	southern states and the northern states over how slaves would be counted for purposes of representation in Congress.

ANS:  E                    REF:   35

   39.   In a compromise reached during the Constitutional Convention, it was agreed that each slave would count as __________ of a person in determining representation in the House of Representatives.

a.	one-half
b.	three-fifths
c.	one-third
d.	two-thirds
e.	four-fifths

ANS:  B                    REF:   35 | 36

   40.   The delegates to the Constitutional Convention agreed that Congress could prohibit the importation of slaves into the country

a.	beginning in 1808.
b.	as soon as the Constitution was ratified.
c.	when all the states agreed that slaves would be given the right to vote.
d.	when the Civil War was over.
e.	if the people voted to abolish slavery.

ANS:  A                    REF:   36

   41.   In a compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention,

a.	slavery was prohibited.
b.	the importation of slaves into the country could be prohibited at a later date.
c.	the southern states agreed to free their slaves by 1808.
d.	escaped slaves who fled to the northern states were considered free.
e.	domestic slave trading was abolished.

ANS:  B                    REF:   36

   42.   At the Constitutional Convention, Congress guarantee that

a.	export taxes would be imposed on agricultural products to raise revenue for the national government.
b.	the Supreme Court would be prohibited from hearing cases involving commerce.
c.	the northern states would not produce goods that would compete in the marketplace with goods produced in the southern states.
d.	no export taxes would be imposed on products exported by the states.
e.	the southern states would be exempt from federal taxes.

ANS:  D                    REF:   36

   43.   At the Constitutional Convention, the South agreed

a.	that a Supreme Court and other “inferior” federal courts could be established
b.	to create an independent executive
c.	that the president would have extensive appointment powers
d.	to make the president commander in chief of the army and navy
e.	to let Congress have the power to regulate interstate commerce as well as commerce with other nations

ANS:  E                    REF:   36

   44.   The Constitution provides that a federal official who commits __________ may be impeached by the House of Representatives.

a.	“a Felony, Misdemeanor, or other Criminal transgression”
b.	“an Abuse of Presidential Authority”
c.	“Obstruction of Justice and failure to abide by the Law”
d.	“Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors”
e.	“Lack of Judgment, Crimes against the State, or an Abuse of Power”

ANS:  D                    REF:   37

   45.   A federal official may be impeached by the

a.	Supreme Court.
b.	Senate.
c.	House of Representatives.
d.	attorney general.
e.	president.

ANS:  C                    REF:   37

   46.   A federal official who has been impeached is tried by the

a.	Supreme Court.
b.	Senate.
c.	House of Representatives.
d.	Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
e.	Solicitor General of the United States.

ANS:  B                    REF:   37

   47.   The final draft of the Constitution was approved by the delegates on

a.	July 4, 1776.
b.	March 1, 1781.
c.	September 17, 1787.
d.	February 6, 1788.
e.	May 29, 1790.

ANS:  C                    REF:   37

   48.   The battle over ratification of the Constitution was fought chiefly by two opposing groups, the

a.	Constitutionalists and the Confederates.
b.	nationalists and the federalists.
c.	Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
d.	Hamiltonians and the Madisonians.
e.	Republicans and the Democrats.

ANS:  C                    REF:   37

   49.   In the debate over ratification of the Constitution, the Federalists were at a(n)

a.	disadvantage because they had very little time, money, or prestige.
b.	advantage because they had attended the Constitutional Convention and thus were familiar with the arguments both in favor of and against various constitutional provisions.
c.	advantage because such patriots as Samuel Adams and Patrick Henry spoke forcefully in favor of the Constitution.
d.	disadvantage because they were unable to be elected as delegates to the states’ ratifying conventions.
e.	advantage because they stood for the status quo.

ANS:  B                    REF:   37

   50.   John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison wrote a series of essays in defense of the Constitution, known collectively as

a.	the Federalist Papers.
b.	The Washington Post.
c.	Publius.
d.	Caesar.
e.	Poor Richard’s Almanac.

ANS:  A                    REF:   37 | 38

   51.   In Federalist Paper No. 10, Madison argued that the nation’s size was actually an advantage in controlling

a.	poverty.
b.	crime.
c.	factions.
d.	racism.
e.	immigration.

ANS:  C                    REF:   38

   52.   In the debate over ratification, the Anti-Federalists argued vigorously that the Constitution

a.	would lead to an overly weak central government.
b.	would expand personal freedom too greatly.
c.	needed a bill of rights.
d.	should guarantee voting rights for women.
e.	would put an end to aristocratic tyranny.

ANS:  C                    REF:   39

   53.   __________ became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, thus formally putting it into effect.

a.	Rhode Island
b.	New York
c.	Virginia
d.	New Hampshire
e.	Pennsylvania

ANS:  D                    REF:   39

   54.   Implicitly, the principle of limited government rests on the concept of

a.	popular sovereignty.
b.	federalism.
c.	separation of powers.
d.	checks and balances.
e.	the rule of law.

ANS:  A                    REF:   40

   55.   The Constitution incorporated the principle of __________, which was the solution to the debate over whether the national government or the states should have ultimate sovereignty.

a.	checks and balances
b.	federalism
c.	limited government
d.	separation of powers
e.	popular sovereignty

ANS:  B                    REF:   40

   56.   In the Madisonian model of government, the powers of the national government were

a.	balanced by the powers of the states.
b.	subordinate to the powers of the large states.
c.	separated into different branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
d.	limited to those that it had under the Articles of Confederation.
e.	superior to popular sovereignty and the rule of law.

ANS:  C                    REF:   41 | 42

   57.   A major principle of American government, __________, was devised to ensure that no one branch of government can exercise exclusive control.

a.	checks and balances
b.	popular sovereignty
c.	limited government
d.	federalism
e.	the rule of law

ANS:  A                    REF:   42

   58.   The president checks Congress by

a.	exercising the power of judicial review.
b.	controlling taxes and spending.
c.	appointing federal judges.
d.	holding a veto power.
e.	exercising the power of impeachment.

ANS:  D                    REF:   42

   59.   Staggered terms of office for members of the House of Representatives, members of the Senate, and the president reflect the principle of

a.	federalism.
b.	popular sovereignty.
c.	the rule of law.
d.	separation of powers.
e.	checks and balances.

ANS:  E                    REF:   42

   60.   The first __________ amendments to the Constitution constitute our Bill of Rights.

a.	two
b.	ten
c.	twelve
d.	sixteen
e.	seventeen

ANS:  B                    REF:   42

   61.   Since the Constitution was written, __________ amendments have been introduced in Congress.

a.	more than eleven thousand
b.	nearly three thousand
c.	about one hundred
d.	only thirty-three
e.	only twenty-seven

ANS:  A                    REF:   42

   62.   There are __________ possible ways for an amendment to be added to the Constitution.

a.	two
b.	three
c.	four
d.	six
e.	eight

ANS:  C                    REF:   43

   63.   All of the existing amendments to the Constitution have been proposed

a.	by a two-thirds vote in the Senate and in the House of Representatives.
b.	by a vote in two-thirds of the state legislatures.
c.	in special state conventions.
d.	by a three-fourths vote in the Senate and in the House of Representatives.
e.	at national constitutional conventions.

ANS:  A                    REF:   43

   64.   All but one of the existing amendments to the Constitution have been ratified by

a.	three-fourths of the states in special ratifying conventions.
b.	a three-fourths vote in the Senate and in the House of Representatives.
c.	votes in two-thirds of the state legislatures.
d.	votes in three-fourths of the state legislatures.
e.	the Supreme Court.

ANS:  D                    REF:   44

   65.   The __________ was ratified by a vote in three-fourths of the states at special conventions.

a.	First Amendment
b.	Tenth Amendment
c.	Fourteenth Amendment
d.	Twenty-first Amendment
e.	Twenty-seventh Amendment

ANS:  D                    REF:   45

ESSAY

     1.   Describe how the colonists derived their understanding of social compacts, the rights of the people, limited government, and representative government from their own experiences.

ANS: 

Answers may vary.

     2.   Discuss the significant events leading up to American independence. Why did the colonists revolt? What happened to sever the political, economic, and emotional bonds that tied them to Britain?

ANS: 

Answers may vary.

     3.   Describe the limits on the central government under the Articles of Confederation and explain why the Articles eventually proved ineffective.

ANS: 

Answers may vary.

     4.   How did the Constitution address the central government’s lack of certain powers under the Articles of Confederation?

ANS: 

Answers may vary.

     5.   Describe the major compromises that were reached at the Constitutional Convention. Why were these compromises necessary? What were the long-term effects of the compromises that were reached?

ANS: 

Answers may vary.

     6.   Describe the debate that took place over ratification of the Constitution. Why did the Federalists prevail?

ANS: 

Answers may vary.

     7.   How do the Constitution’s major principles of government reflect the framers’ fear of concentrated power?

ANS: 

Answers may vary.

     8.   Discuss how the system of checks and balances in the constitutional framework works to ensure that no one group or branch of government can exercise exclusive control.

ANS: 

Answers may vary.

     9.   What are some of the differences between the parliamentary system in the United Kingdom, which is based on the fusion of powers, and the American system, which is characterized by the separation of powers?

ANS: 

Answers may vary.

   10.   Why did the framers make the formal process for amending the Constitution so difficult? How has the constitutional framework been altered informally over time?

ANS: 

Answers may vary.