Deck 2: The Constitution

Question 1

The goal of the American Revolution was

A) equality.
B) financial betterment.
C) political efficacy.
D) liberty.
E) fraternity.

Answer 1

liberty.

Question 2

The Russian Revolution (1917) and the Chinese Revolution (1949) were chiefly concerned with

A) politics.
B) economics.
C) equality.
D) liberty.
E) fraternity.

Answer 2

equality.

Question 3

The explanation for the inadequacy of British government was

A) ideology.
B) human nature.
C) distance.
D) economics.
E) political inefficiency.

Answer 3

human nature.

Question 4

The liberties that the colonists fought to protect were based on

A) the Bill of Rights in the federal Constitution.
B) the rights proclaimed originally by the king of England.
C) the leaders of the French Revolution.
D) "natural rights" created by God.
E) human nature.

Question 5

Jefferson changed __________ to "pursuit of happiness" when he wrote the Declaration of Independence.

A) "pleasure"
B) "security"
C) "welfare"
D) "equality"
E) "property"

Question 6

For most Americans, the Revolution was about

A) money.
B) property.
C) ideology.
D) trade.
E) expansion.

Question 7

The Declaration of Independence contains twenty-seven paragraphs that list

A) specific complaints against the king and his ministers.
B) political prisoners in the colonies.
C) rights enumerated in the British constitution.
D) trade regulations violated by British ships.
E) reasons for desiring a written constitution.

Question 8

The political theory of the Declaration of Independence was influenced greatly by the writings of

A) Thomas Hobbes.
B) Soren Kierkegaard.
C) John Locke.
D) Karl Marx.
E) Elbert Hubbard.

Question 9

Two Treatises of Government argued that __________ was a critical element in the formation of government.

A) representation
B) elasticity
C) compromise
D) voluntary consent
E) social equality

Question 10

Who said that the "real revolution" was the "radical change in the principles, opinions, and sentiments, and affections of the people?"

A) James Madison
B) John Locke
C) Thomas Jefferson
D) John Adams
E) George Washington

Question 11

The "new sentiment" that the United States was founded upon was

A) concentrated political power.
B) tradition.
C) compromise.
D) economic equality.
E) consent of the governed.

Question 12

The period of time between the Revolution and the signing of the Constitution was _____ years.

A) two
B) four
C) six
D) nine
E) eleven

Question 13

The problem with the government created under the Articles of Confederation was that

A) it allowed well-populated states to exploit less-populated states.
B) it offended citizens with high rates of taxation.
C) it received such strong support that it became abusive.
D) several states refused to ratify the Articles and did not belong to the new government.
E) it was too weak and could not rule effectively.

Question 14

Under the Articles of Confederation, there was

A) no national judicial system.
B) a politically inept judicial system.
C) a small judicial system.
D) a weak judicial system.
E) an all-powerful judicial system.

Question 15

The stated purpose for the delegates' assembly in Philadelphia in 1787 was to

A) write a new constitution.
B) discuss trade regulation.
C) discuss taxation.
D) revise the Articles of Confederation.
E) discuss slavery.

Question 16

The ______ constitution created the most radically democratic of the new state regimes.

A) Massachusetts
B) Pennsylvania
C) New Jersey
D) Virginia
E) Connecticut

Question 17

The experience of Pennsylvania's constitution demonstrated that

A) the people are competent to exercise power wisely.
B) it is possible to give minority groups too much protection.
C) the doctrine of separation of powers works well.
D) majority rule is an efficient safeguard to political rights.
E) even democracies can be tyrannical by placing all power in one set of hands.

Question 18

Which of the following is true of the Massachusetts constitution?

A) It was far more democratic than the Pennsylvania constitution.
B) It did not provide for a separation of powers.
C) It provided for a directly elected governor.
D) It allowed a limited four-year term for state judges.
E) It created the office of governor to be held by three persons at once.

Question 19

The experience of the Massachusetts constitution of 1780 proved that even a conservative form of government could

A) be too weak.
B) guarantee personal liberties.
C) function without a clear separation of powers.
D) govern effectively without a court system.
E) reduce the possibility of excessive taxes.

Question 20

Shays's Rebellion was interpreted by political leaders at the time as proving that

A) too little political power was left to the states.
B) state militias were a satisfactory answer to foreign invasion.
C) there was much popular dissatisfaction with the leadership of George Washington.
D) the British still retained the allegiance of many Americans.
E) many state governments were about to collapse from internal dissension.

Question 21

The Philadelphia convention attracted a total of __________ delegates.

A) seventy-four
B) fifty-five
C) thirty-nine
D) thirty
E) twelve

Question 22

About __________ of the delegates in Philadelphia were regular participants at the convention.

A) seventy-four
B) fifty-five
C) thirty-nine
D) thirty
E) twelve

Question 23

Of the men at the Constitutional Convention, the most famous in the world as a scientist and writer was

A) Alexander Hamilton.
B) George Washington.
C) James Madison.
D) Thomas Jefferson.
E) Benjamin Franklin.

Question 24

The Constitutional Convention can be described as

A) creating a new form of national government.
B) revising the Articles of Confederation.
C) supporting state sovereignty.
D) favoring a parliamentary system of governance.
E) forming the world's first large direct democracy.

Question 25

The framers believed that which of the following is a greater threat than rule by the few?

A) inequality
B) tyranny of the majority
C) decentralization
D) states' rights
E) aristocracy

Question 26

The chief problem the framers faced was balancing the power of the government to maintain

A) liberty.
B) equality.
C) states' rights.
D) economic status.
E) political efficacy.

Question 27

The Virginia Plan was authored by

A) Alexander Hamilton.
B) George Washington.
C) Benjamin Franklin.
D) James Madison.
E) John Adams.

Question 28

The Virginia Plan called for

A) a strong national union with two branches of government.
B) a strong national union with three branches of government.
C) a weak national union with two branches of government.
D) a weak national union with three branches of government.
E) a weak national union with an all powerful legislature.

Question 29

The New Jersey Plan was favored by less-populated states because

A) both houses of Congress would be based on population.
B) the president probably would reside in less-populated states.
C) the president would be elected by vote of the people.
D) states were taxed on the basis of population.
E) Congress would be unicameral, with each state having one vote.

Question 30

The number of senators allowed to each state under the Great Compromise was

A) one.
B) two.
C) based on population.
D) two, plus additional members on the basis of population.
E) two, plus additional members on the basis of state seniority.

Question 31

Under the Great Compromise, senators were chosen by

A) the electoral college.
B) vote of the people.
C) state governors.
D) the judiciary of each state.
E) state legislatures.

Question 32

The Great Compromise received support because it

A) reconciled the interests of small and large states.
B) allowed for the election of the president by the electoral college.
C) proposed the Bill of Rights.
D) gave the Supreme Court the power of judicial review.
E) allowed slavery to continue in the southern states.

Question 33

The Framers of the Constitution intended to create a

A) democracy.
B) pure democracy.
C) direct democracy.
D) republic.
E) participative democracy.

Question 34

The Constitution was approved in Philadelphia by

A) five states still in attendance.
B) nine states still in attendance.
C) all twelve states still in attendance.
D) all thirteen states.
E) none of the states in attendance.

Question 35

The Framers of the Constitution believed that two types of majorities were essential on important questions. They are majorities of

A) both large and small states.
B) the Supreme Court and Congress.
C) voters and states.
D) state governors and state legislatures.
E) state legislatures and judges.

Question 36

The power of popular majorities is limited by

A) national sovereignty.
B) majority rule.
C) selection of the House of Representatives.
D) the First Amendment.
E) judicial review.

Question 37

Under the Constitution, the powers of the branches of government are not separated but shared owing to

A) the Great Compromise.
B) the commerce clause.
C) judicial review.
D) checks and balances.
E) the Fourth Amendment.

Question 38

The Constitution is based on the philosophical belief that

A) people are good and can be trusted with power.
B) only a few people can be trusted to rule, and the people have the wisdom to recognize them.
C) power does not corrupt if rulers are subjected to regular elections.
D) people will pursue their self-interest, but their ambition can be checked by the self-interest of others.
E) government can reform human nature if given an adequate amount of power.

Question 39

James Madison argued that

A) liberty is safest in a small republic because all people will have the same interests.
B) liberty is safest in a large republic where each faction will be moderated through competition with other factions.
C) liberty is not possible without a bill of rights.
D) no liberty is possible so long as factions exist.
E) liberty is most secure when there are a small number of factions.

Question 40

Generally, the Anti-Federalists felt that the government created by the Constitution was

A) an insufficient check on the power of the states.
B) too strong and too centralized.
C) too liberal.
D) barely strong enough to be effective.
E) weak as a result of the absence of a federal judiciary.

Question 41

According to Madison, it was best for the government to be at some distance from the people because

A) a government should debate in secrecy to allow the representatives to say what they truly believe.
B) to avoid corruption, legislators should not be distracted by too many influences.
C) presidents could play to the crowd and be tempted to become demagogues.
D) the government should be insulated from the momentary passions of the people.
E) the people tend to be better informed about local matters.

Question 42

When the Constitution was written, slaves were ____ of the population of the five Southern states.

A) one-half
B) one-third
C) two-thirds
D) three-fourths
E) one-fourth

Question 43

According to Charles Beard, the chief factor motivating the Framers of the Constitution was

A) punishing British loyalists.
B) opposing antistate sentiment.
C) protecting slavery.
D) protecting economic self-interest.
E) weakening the power of the central government.

Question 44

Most historians today reject the argument of Charles Beard because

A) ratification debates in most states centered on political questions.
B) ratification debates in most states centered on economic questions.
C) wealthy landowners consistently opposed the Constitution.
D) slavery was not an important issue at the time.
E) economic inequalities were not nearly so pronounced at the time.

Question 45

The ratification debates about the Constitution focused on the question of

A) slavery.
B) equality.
C) economics.
D) liberty.
E) commerce.

Question 46

If one were to argue that the Constitution included women, they might focus on the

A) direct mention of females in several instances.
B) right of females to vote in the states.
C) use of masculine pronouns.
D) use of such words as "citizens" and "person."
E) use of wholly generic terminology.

Question 47

Under the U.S. constitutional system, generally the only time when the government can take bold, decisive action is when

A) one party controls both chambers of Congress.
B) there is consensus of opinion and a broad, generally moderate coalition.
C) the president takes strong action.
D) there is a radical coalition in control of the government.
E) the judiciary is selected by the party in power.

Question 48

Locke argued that men are born equal with respect to rights.

Question 49

Whatever the merit of his work, Locke did not think the will of the majority was relevant in matters related to government.

Question 50

The Articles of Confederation were so flawed that several states refused to ratify them.

Question 51

The Constitutional Convention was advertised as a meeting to revise the Articles of Confederation.

Question 52

Madison's review of history found that confederations tended to collapse from internal dissension.

Question 53

The constitution adopted by Pennsylvania in 1776 was radically antidemocratic.

Question 54

Shays's Rebellion had a profound effect on public opinion.

Question 55

Few of the delegates in Philadelphia were lawyers.

Question 56

The Framers faced major challenges in trying to produce a constitution that was strong enough to unite the country without threatening liberty.

Question 57

The Virginia Plan featured a weak national union with three governmental branches.

Question 58

The New Jersey Plan would have simply amended the Articles of Confederation.

Question 59

The Great Compromise established a Senate based on population and a House of Representatives with two members per state.

Question 60

The Framers intended to create a "pure" democracy.

Question 61

Prohibition was repealed when an amendment was ratified by conventions in three-fourths of the states.

Question 62

There have been thousands of proposed constitutional amendments.

Question 63

Separation of powers refers to the allocation of power among national, state, and local governments.

Question 64

Under federalism, states surrender all their power to the central government.

Question 65

James Madison believed that government could be kept in check by allowing the self-interest of one person to check the self-interest of another.

Question 66

The Antifederalists wanted most of the powers of government kept firmly in the hands of state legislatures and state courts.

Question 67

An ex post facto law makes an act a crime that was not a crime at the time that is was committed.

Question 68

Habeas corpus cannot be suspended.

Question 69

Most states' debates over ratification centered on political rather than economic questions.

Question 70

In designing the Constitution, the Founders wanted to encourage bold action on the part of the government.

Question 71

Summarize the views of John Locke regarding the purpose, role, and foundation of government.

Question 72

List some of the notable features of the Articles of Confederation

Question 73

Identify some of the constitutional checks that Congress has on the president.

Question 74

Identify some of the constitutional checks Congress has on the courts.

Question 75

What are some of the possible explanations for the Constitution's lack of a bill of rights?

Question 76

Identify and summarize the three provisions in the Constitution related to slavery.