Exam #1 Practice Test – Flashcards
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Which of the following statements best describes naturalization laws in the United States prior to 1870?
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Only free whites could become naturalized citizens.
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What do we call the belief that political authority should rest with the people themselves?
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popular sovereignty.
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Which of the following is the best example of a unitary system of government?
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The federal government sets detailed educational guidelines that all local governments must implement.
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A woman's constitutional right to privacy was established in which case?
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Griswold v. Connecticut (1965).
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Which of the following statements best describes why Alexander Hamilton opposed a bill of rights?
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He believed it was unnecessary for a national government to possess only explicitly delegated powers.
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What is direct democracy?
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a system that allows citizens to vote directly for laws and policies.
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Why was the Supreme Court's decision in King v. Burwell (2015) was most significant?
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It ensured that federal subsidies to help pay for health insurance would be available to residents in all states.
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The National Origins Quota System, adopted in 1924, does what?
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Allows for more immigrants from Northern European countries like Germany and Norway, and restricts the numbers of immigrants from other parts of the world
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Roughly what percentage of Americans are able to name at least 2 branches of government?
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25%
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Which of the following statements about the Articles of Confederation is true?
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The Continental Congress had no power to lay taxes.
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Approximately what percent of the world's population currently lives in a constitutional democracy?
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43
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Using block grants to return power to the states was a hallmark of which type of federalism?
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New Federalism
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Government is best defined as what?
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the institutions and procedures by which a territory and its people are ruled.
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Which state did NOT send delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia?
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Rhode Island
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How did the Supreme Court rule in Lawrence v. Texas (2003)?
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laws criminalizing sexual behavior are a violation of the right to privacy.
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Which of the following countries does NOT have a written constitution?
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The United Kingdom
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Which of the following is true of government and politics?
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Government is an institution, while politics is a process
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What was Justice Potter Stewart talking about when he declared, "I know it when I see it"?
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pornography
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What do we call the requirement that a person under arrest be informed of his or her right to remain silent?
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Miranda
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By 1932, approximately what percentage of the labor force in the United States was unemployed?
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25
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The is the name of the key group in Europe that pushed for limited government?
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bourgeoisie
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According to the Naturalization Act of 1906, which of the following was required to become a US Citizen?
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Be white and Speak English
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Which of the following best describes the primary purpose of the Annapolis Convention?
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to discuss revising the Articles of Confederation
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Which of the following is the most accurate example of the process of direct democracy?
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Citizens in a state approving the use of medical marijuana through a popular referendum
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The Boston Tea Party was largely a response to which of the following scenarios?
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British government's decision to grant the East India Company a monopoly on the export of tea from Britain.
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What is "digital citizenship"?
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the ability to participate in society online.
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Which of the following is true regarding women immediately following the Revolutionary War?
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Prohibition on women's suffrage become common in many states
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The Federalists believed that the most likely source of tyranny was from whom?
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the general public
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Which of the following best describes a system of government in which member states retain almost all of their sovereign authority and delegate limited powers to a weak central body?
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confederation
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Which of the following Supreme Court cases limited federal power?
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United States v. Lopez
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Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) established which right?
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The right to counsel in felony cases.
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Under the Naturalization Act of 1790, which of the following were requirements for citizenship?
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Be white, and have lived in the country for at least 2 years
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Which of the following most accurately describes the consequences of declining trust in government?
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Distrust makes it difficult for government to attract talented and effective workers to public service.
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Which of the following statements best describes why Progressives supported women's suffrage in the early twentieth century?
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The Progressives believed women would support their reform movement.
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To what does the "individual mandate" in the Affordable Care Act refer?
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the requirement that individuals purchase health care insurance coverage or pay a penalty to the federal government
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Which of the following is considered to be one of the key successes of the Articles of Confederation?
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The Northwest Ordinance
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What was the primary purpose of the Federalist Papers?
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To persuade in favor of ratifying the Constitution
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How did the American Duties Act of 1764 (aka The Sugar) Act differ from the Molasses Act of 1733?
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The Sugar Act allowed officers who found contraband to split the profits
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A federal grant to states to assist in the building of new public schools is an example of what type of grant?
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categorical
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Why were attempts by Congress to regulate child labor and factory conditions in local workplaces struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional in the late nineteenth century?
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Regulating local workplaces was beyond the scope of interstate commerce at the time
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"Marble cake federalism" is most closely associated with which of the following terms?
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Cooperative federalism
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Which of the following amendments would be MOST likely to succeed?
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An amendment to lower the voting age in federal elections to 16 years old
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What do we call areas of personal freedom from which the government is constrained from interfering?
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Civil liberties
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Which of the following is required by the Constitution's Full Faith and Credit Clause?
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States must honor each other's public acts and legal decisions.
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Which clauses of the U.S. Constitution involve the relationships between and among the various states?
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the full faith and credit clause and the privileges and immunities clause
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What was the Supreme Court's ruling in EEOC v. Abercrombie ; Fitch Stores, Inc.(2015)?
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Retail stores cannot refuse to hire individuals whose religious dress is in violation of company dress policies.
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What do we call the judicial doctrine that places a heavy burden of proof on the government when it seeks to regulate speech?
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strict scrutiny
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Which of the following statements best describes the National Origin Quota System? The National Origin Quota System...
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allowed a large quota of new immigrants from northern European countries but only a small quota of new immigrants from eastern and southern European countries.
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Which of the following is the most common method of passing an amendment to the Constitution?
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in both houses of Congress by a two-thirds vote, followed by a majority vote in three-fourths of the state legislature.
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Who orchestrated the Boston Tea Party?
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Samuel Adams
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Which of the following is true about the Southern Manifesto?
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It was written during the 1950's
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What was the overall importance of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?
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The Court interpreted the delegated powers of Congress broadly, creating the potential for increased national powers.
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Overall, Americans' how has Americans' trust in government changed over time?
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It has declined sharply
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Which of the following statements is most accurate?
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Native Americans became U.S. citizens in 1924.
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Which of the following best describes a grand jury?
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a jury that determines whether there is enough evidence to justify a trial
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What do we call the belief that citizens can influence what government does?
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political efficacy
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Which of the following statements best describes the 2005 Supreme Court ruling on medicinal marijuana?
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The federal government has the power to regulate use of medicinal marijuana under the commerce clause.
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Which of the following statements best describes the employment of Americans by the federal government today?
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The federal government is the nation's largest employer.
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States were constitutionally permitted to ban firearms until what year?
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2010
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Which of the following statements most accurately describes the Three-Fifths Compromise?
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It determined that three out of every five slaves would be counted for purposes of representation and taxation.
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According to the textbook, states routinely disobey federal law regarding what policy issue?
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Marijuana legalization
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How did dual federalism help to establish a "commercial republic"?
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The function of the federal government was to promote and assist commerce.
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During the ratification debates, who were the Antifederalists?
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those who opposed the new Constitution because they wanted a weaker central government
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What was the key goal of the Articles of Confederation?
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limiting the powers of the central government.
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What was the goal of Shay's Rebellion?
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To prevent the state of Massachusetts from foreclosing on the lands of debt-ridden farmers.
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Which of the following statements best describes the intended balance of power in the Constitution?
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The legislative branch was designed to be the most powerful
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Which of the following statements concerning political values in the United States is most accurate?
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American values often conflict with each other in practice.
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Who coined the term "A republic, if you can keep it"?
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Benjamin Franklin
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Prior to the Stamp Act, New England merchants and Southern planters most closely aligned themselves with which group?
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Royalists
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According to the Founding Fathers, all of the following are functions of government EXCEPT:
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Popular sovereignty
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During the era of dual federalism, what was the primary goal of the federal government's domestic policies?
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to promote the development of commercial activity between and among the states
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What is a government that is formally limited by laws and rules called?
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constitutional
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During the ratification debate, which group argued that a Bill of Rights was unnecessary?
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The Federalists
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Which of the following is the best example of a concurrent power under the U.S. Constitution?
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the power to regulate commercial activity
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Which of the following is true about African-Americans immediately following the Revolutionary War?
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Some states passed laws banning free blacks from entering the state
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The British chose to tax the colonists in response to what event?
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The French and Indian War
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Individual rights are mostly designed to protect us against which of the following?
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the tyranny of the majority
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What do we call the process by which the Supreme Court has expanded specific parts of the Bill of Rights to protect citizens against both state and federal actions?
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selective incorporation
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The idea to institute a boycott of British goods was a product of what event?
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The Stamp Act Congress
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Under the Articles of Confederation, who executed the laws passed by the Continental Congress.
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the states
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Which principle gives the federal government the power to override any state or local law?
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preemption
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Which of the following is most necessary for political efficacy?
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political knowledge
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What was the Stamp Act?
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a tax on commerce
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Which level of government writes the majority of criminal laws?
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the state governments
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The destruction of Governor Hutchinson's home was a response to the passage of which law by Parliament?
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The Stamp Act
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Which of the following statements best describes the history of American federalism?
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Since the Founding, there has been considerable debate about the allocation of responsibilities between the states and the federal government.
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What is the main benefit of a constitutional government?
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The government is limited by the rule of law.
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Which of the following best describes a key accomplishment of the Declaration of Independence?
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It helped unify colonial groups that were divided along economic, regional, and philosophical lines by identifying shared problems, grievances, and principles.
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Which clause is the source of implied powers under the U.S. Constitution?
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necessary and proper
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Which legal principle prohibits the introduction in trial of any piece of evidence that has been obtained illegally?
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exclusionary rule
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What was the most common form of taxation during the colonial era?
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taxes on commercial products and activities
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Ohio University was founded in 1804 as a direct result of what piece of legislation?
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The Northwest Ordinance
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What is a government that is not constrained by legal limits and also seeks to eliminate any challenges to its authority?
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totalitarian
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According to Laswell (1936), what is politics?
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"Who gets what, when, and how?"
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At the time of the founding of the republic, approximately what percentage of non-Native American inhabitants of the thirteen states were of European ancestry?
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80
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Compared with the Articles of Confederation, federalism under the Constitution led to which trend?
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greater centralization of power
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What motto best describes Thomas Hobbes' view of life without government?
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"Nasty, brutish, and short"
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Which of the following statements best describes the term "politics"?
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Conflicts over the character, membership, and policies of any organization to which people belong.
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Samuel Adams drafted the "circular letter" in response to which event?
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The Townshend Duties
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The closing of the Athens Insane Asylum (also known as The Ridges) is a direct result of which of the following?
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Devolution
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As of 2016, which of following statements about immigration law is most accurate?
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The Supreme Court has ruled that state police are allowed to check the immigration status of anyone stopped or arrested.
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Which of the following is an example of a policy designed to support equality of outcome?
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An increase in the minimum wage
