Question 1

During Lewis and Clark's expedition in the American West, they
A) practiced democracy, with all-women and slaves-having a vote.
B) allowed Clark's slave York to vote but not the Native American Sacagawea.
C) were stranded during the winter and resorted to a form of dictatorship.
D) were purely a military commission given by Thomas Jefferson and did not include women.
E) were Army captains and always dictated to the others.

Accepted Answer

A

Question 2

Which of the following political actors is most accurately thought of as a part of government?
A) The federal bureaucracy
B) Political parties
C) Public opinion
D) Interest groups
E) Constitutional lawyers

Accepted Answer

The federal bureaucracy is a part of the government as it consists of agencies and departments that implement and administer federal laws and programs.

Question 3

Canada, Great Britain, and the United States are examples of
A) monarchies.
B) pluralist societies.
C) oligarchies.
D) authoritarian systems.
E) pure democracies.

Accepted Answer

Canada, Great Britain, and the United States are examples of pluralist societies, which are characterized by a diversity of groups and interests that compete for influence in the political system.

Question 4

British policies that led to the casual enforcement of trade laws with the hopes of great economic gain were referred to as
A) tributary custom.
B) salutary neglect.
C) customary practice.
D) taxation without representation.
E) sufficient efficacy.

Accepted Answer

Salutary neglect was a British policy of deliberately ignoring or only casually enforcing trade laws in the American colonies in order to promote economic growth and prosperity.

Question 5

The so-called Boston Tea Party was a result of
A) Parliament passing the Coercive Acts, referred to as the Intolerable Acts.
B) Parliament granting the East India Company a monopoly on importing tea into the colonies, among other trade acts.
C) the closing of Port of Boston by British war ships because of unrest in the colonies.
D) the driving desire for liberty from a corrupt government, led by the Sons of Liberty.
E) Parliament granting control of Boston Harbor to the Hudson Bay Company.

Accepted Answer

The Boston Tea Party was a protest against the Tea Act, which granted the East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in the American colonies, leading to discontent and the famous protest.

Question 6

Referred to as the Intolerable Acts in the colonies, the British referred to the acts intended by the British Parliament to quell unrest and punish colonial insolence as the _____ Acts.
A) Coercive
B) Repressive
C) Redistributive
D) Tributary
E) Colonial Law

Accepted Answer

The British referred to these acts as the Coercive Acts, which were designed to punish the Massachusetts colonists for the Boston Tea Party and to restore order in the colonies.

Question 7

The Declaration of Independence is widely regarded today as one of the best arguments in favor of
A) the social contract theory.
B) capitalism.
C) just law theory.
D) political realism.
E) conservatism.

Accepted Answer

The Declaration of Independence is considered a foundational document that argues for the social contract theory, which posits that government's legitimacy comes from the consent of the governed. This theory is central to the Declaration's argument that when a government fails to protect the rights of the people, it is not only the right but the duty of the people to alter or abolish it.

Question 8

Why did American public support for the Continental Army lag throughout the revolution against England?
A) The public was confident of an American victory.
B) Most Americans supported the British cause.
C) A lack of information about the war meant that the public was unaware of conditions.
D) A majority of Americans were deeply suspicious of professional armies.
E) Most Americans felt apathetic about the war.

Accepted Answer

Many Americans were suspicious of professional armies due to their experiences with British troops and preferred local militias, leading to lagging support for the Continental Army.

Question 9

Demonstrating his support for the Revolutionary War, who claimed in 1787 that "the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants"?
A) George Washington
B) Aaron Burr
C) Samuel Adams
D) Thomas Jefferson
E) Thomas Paine

Accepted Answer

Thomas Jefferson is credited with the quote "the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants," which he wrote in a letter to William Stephens Smith in 1787. This statement reflects his belief in the necessity of occasional rebellion to maintain the health of a republic.

Question 10

The Articles of Confederation ___________ the U.S. Constitution.
A) followed
B) amended
C) preceded
D) served as a preamble to
E) was the British model of

Accepted Answer

The Articles of Confederation preceded the U.S. Constitution, serving as the first constitution of the United States before it was replaced by the current Constitution in 1789.

Question 11

Amending the Articles of Confederation required the consent of
A) 5 of the 13 states.
B) 7 of the 13 states.
C) 9 of the 13 states.
D) 11 of the 13 states.
E) all 13 of the 13 states.

Accepted Answer

Amending the Articles of Confederation required the unanimous consent of all 13 states, making it a very difficult process to make any changes or amendments.

Question 12

The primary lesson drawn from Shays's Rebellion was the idea that the
A) national government was too powerful.
B) states needed to maintain strong police forces.
C) right to bear arms needed to be expanded.
D) right to bear arms needed to be restricted.

Accepted Answer

Shays's Rebellion highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, particularly the inability of the national government to maintain order and protect property rights. This led to the realization that the national government was too weak, not too powerful, prompting calls for a stronger central government, which eventually led to the drafting of the U.S. Constitution.

Question 13

The plan to dump the Articles of Confederation and start from scratch with a new Constitution (rather than revising the old Articles) was advanced at the Constitutional Convention by
A) George Washington.
B) Edmund Randolph.
C) George Clinton.
D) Thomas Jefferson.
E) Benjamin Franklin.

Accepted Answer

Edmund Randolph introduced the Virginia Plan, which proposed the creation of a new government rather than revising the Articles of Confederation, at the Constitutional Convention.

Question 14

The New Jersey Plan was supported primarily by
A) large states.
B) small states.
C) agricultural states.
D) industrial states.
E) slave states.

Accepted Answer

The New Jersey Plan was supported primarily by small states because it proposed a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state, regardless of size, which would protect their interests against the larger states.

Question 15

Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution prohibited Congress from stopping the importation of slaves from overseas until
A) 1796.
B) 1808.
C) 1819.
D) 1832.
E) 1899.

Accepted Answer

Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution explicitly states that Congress could not prohibit the importation of slaves before the year 1808.

Question 16

The idea that each branch of government would be afforded its own specific powers but would also be dependent on the branches of government to carry out its powers is sometimes referred to as
A) sharing of powers.
B) de jure powers.
C) de facto separation.
D) limited government.
E) the supremacy clause.

Accepted Answer

The concept of sharing powers, also known as the separation of powers, is fundamental to the structure of the United States government. It ensures that each branch (legislative, executive, and judicial) has its own distinct powers but also relies on the other branches to function effectively, preventing any single branch from gaining too much power.

Question 17

The ability of Congress to override a presidential veto is an example of
A) relative powers.
B) distributional powers.
C) checks and balances.
D) representative republicanism.
E) federalism.

Accepted Answer

The ability of Congress to override a presidential veto is an example of checks and balances, a system designed to ensure that no single branch of government becomes too powerful by providing each branch with powers to check the others.

Question 18

The series of documents supporting ratification of the new Constitution and written under the pseudonym Publius in New York City newspapers was the
A) Constitutional Council.
B) Federalist Papers.
C) Madisonian Papers.
D) New World Gazette.
E) Poor Richard's Almanack.

Accepted Answer

The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the pseudonym "Publius" to promote the ratification of the United States Constitution.

Question 19

The belief that representative republics must be small and relatively homogeneous if they are to succeed was common to the
A) Democrats.
B) Republicans.
C) Whigs.
D) Federalists.
E) Anti-Federalists.

Accepted Answer

The Anti-Federalists believed that for a representative republic to succeed, it needed to be small and relatively homogeneous. They were concerned that a large, diverse republic would struggle to represent its citizens' interests effectively. This belief was part of their broader argument against the Constitution, which they felt created too strong a central government for such a large nation.

Question 20

The most important contribution of the Anti-Federalists was the
A) Supreme Court.
B) Connecticut Compromise.
C) Three-fifths compromise.
D) Bill of Rights.
E) end of slavery.

Accepted Answer

The Anti-Federalists' most significant contribution was the Bill of Rights. They argued for a stronger protection of individual liberties and rights against the potential tyranny of a strong central government, leading to the first ten amendments to the Constitution.

Quiz 2: Early Governance and the Constitutional Framework

During Lewis and Clark's expedition in the American West, they

Which of the following political actors is most accurately thought of as a part of government?

Canada, Great Britain, and the United States are examples of

British policies that led to the casual enforcement of trade laws with the hopes of great economic gain were referred to as

The so-called Boston Tea Party was a result of

Referred to as the Intolerable Acts in the colonies, the British referred to the acts intended by the British Parliament to quell unrest and punish colonial insolence as the _____ Acts.

The Declaration of Independence is widely regarded today as one of the best arguments in favor of

Why did American public support for the Continental Army lag throughout the revolution against England?

Demonstrating his support for the Revolutionary War, who claimed in 1787 that "the tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants"?

The Articles of Confederation ___________ the U.S. Constitution.

Amending the Articles of Confederation required the consent of

The primary lesson drawn from Shays's Rebellion was the idea that the

The plan to dump the Articles of Confederation and start from scratch with a new Constitution (rather than revising the old Articles) was advanced at the Constitutional Convention by

The New Jersey Plan was supported primarily by

Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution prohibited Congress from stopping the importation of slaves from overseas until

The idea that each branch of government would be afforded its own specific powers but would also be dependent on the branches of government to carry out its powers is sometimes referred to as

The ability of Congress to override a presidential veto is an example of

The series of documents supporting ratification of the new Constitution and written under the pseudonym Publius in New York City newspapers was the

The belief that representative republics must be small and relatively homogeneous if they are to succeed was common to the

The most important contribution of the Anti-Federalists was the