question

Constitutional powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments are called

answer

concurrent powers

question

When the Congress exercises power given to it under Article I, the federal law it creates may supersede a state law. This process is known as the doctrine of

answer

preemption

question

The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that

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any powers not expressly given to Congress are reserved to the states

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Madison declared that a federal system allows the states the ability to counter "ambitious encroachments of the federal government" in

answer

Federalist No. 46

question

What term best describes Thomas Hobbes' image of society without government?

answer

Brutish

question

The era of cooperative federalism was rooted in the Great Depression struggles of the late 1930's. How did cooperative federalism differ the previous era of dual federalism?

answer

Cooperative federalism increased the powers of the federal government when necessary, but retained basic state powers.

question

From a state's perspective, a positive aspect of cooperative federalism is

answer

grants-in-aid and block grant funds.

question

Which of the following is NOT an enumerated power granted to Congress under the U.S. Constitution?

answer

To provide for the welfare of citizens

question

In one state, the civil court settles a dispute concerning assets in the estate of a deceased person. The one who loses the case in civil court cannot go into another state and have that state's civil court revisit the case. This is an example of

answer

an application of the full faith and credit clause of the U.S. Constitution

question

What was the name of the landmark case that concluded when a state supreme court's decision is in direct conflict with a decision by the United States Supreme Court, each state legislature must abide by those rulings?

answer

Martin v. Hunter's Lessee

question

The power to establish tax laws is an example of

answer

concurrent power.

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Unlike our current constitution, the Articles of Confederation could be amended

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only with the unanimous consent of the states

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The underlying concept behind the principle of separation of powers is that

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when power is not exercised by the same institution, it cannot be easily abused.

question

The power of the United States Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality of an act of Congress was established in

answer

Marbury v. Madison

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What has been the most common method used to amend the U.S. Constitution?

answer

2/3rds of both chambers of Congress, then ratified by 3/4ths of state legislatures

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What was the significance of Shays's Rebellion in Massachusetts in early 1787?

answer

It showed that the federal government was too weak under the Articles of Confederation to combat violence and rebellion in the states.

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The Virginia Plan provided for a

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bicameral legislature, one house elected by the people and a second selected by the first.

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With the original Constitution completed on September 17, 1787, how many states were needed to ratify the new governmental in order for it to become operative?

answer

Nine.

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Thomas Jefferson described his concept of limited government as

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"The government that governs least governs best."

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A system of government in which representatives of the people are chosen by election is called

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indirect democracy

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Hamilton attacked the Articles of Confederation based on the impossibility of governing if each state is essentially sovereign in

answer

Federalist No. 15

question

The primary purpose of the system of checks and balances is

answer

to ensure that no one interest or faction could easily dominate the government

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On behalf of the Continental Congress, the draft of the Declaration of Independence was written primarily by

answer

Thomas Jefferson

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Under the Articles of Confederation the number of votes each state cast in the U.S. Congress was

answer

one vote for each state delegation regardless of population

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The passage of the National Minimum Drinking Age Amendment is an example of

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a coercive burden on states that rely on federal funding

question

The expression "layer cake federalism" describes a system in which

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the authority of the state and federal governments is more distinct and easily delineated

question

Article IV, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution is referred to as the privileges and immunities clause. What does this section guarantee to American citizens?

answer

Every citizen has the right to reside in any state, and participate in business

question

During the first 30 years or so of the new constitutional democracy in the United States, what was the relationship between the states and the new federal government?

answer

The states managed their own affairs with little interference from the federal government

question

Article VI of the U.S. Constitution contains the supremacy clause provides that

answer

no state laws or constitutions may override the U.S. Constitution

question

If one state does not have a death penalty, can that state refuse to return a fugitive to face a possible death penalty in another state?

answer

No, states must respect and uphold the extradition laws of other states

question

Representative democracy is often referred to as which of the following synonymous terms?

answer

republic

question

Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an eighteenth-century French philosopher, posited that

answer

social contracts are a fact

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The 13 pre-revolutionary colonial governments

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mirrored those of England, including an elected lower house.

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Individuals in the U.S. have official status as citizens

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in both the state in which they reside and in the nation as a whole

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Our legislative branch consists of two chambers: The U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. This arrangement is referred to as

answer

a bicameral legislature

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What is the length of a term for a U.S. Senator?

answer

Six years

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What role does the Senate play in the removal of an official from office?

answer

It conducts a trial and votes to remove (or not) the individual from office

question

In Congress, both chambers vote individually on bills, and often the two versions of a bill differ. To reach consensus, the two chambers create which type of committee?

answer

Conference committee

question

Passing new laws through Congress is difficult because

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both chambers must come to agreement on the precise wording of a bill

question

In the U.S. House of Representatives, representation from each state is based on

answer

current population of the state

question

In the process of enacting a bill into law, the president does NOT

answer

cast a vote to break a tie in either chamber of Congress

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Which of the following is NOT true regarding congressional committees?

answer

Appointing members of the president's cabinet

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If Congress passes a bill and sends it to the president within 10 days of the end of a congressional session and the president does not act on the bill, then the bill does not become law. This procedure is known as

answer

the pocket veto

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England has a strong elected Parliament that serves as the central government. All local governments are subordinate to Parliament. This governmental arrangement is an example of a

answer

unitary system.

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A system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political subunits is called a

answer

federal system.

question

A confederation form of government

answer

may be a league of independent states that voluntarily unite to achieve certain goals.

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The Sugar Act of 1764 placed tariffs and duties on goods imported into the colonies by England. However, its political significance was that

answer

it opened the debate by the colonists of taxation without representation.

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The wording of the Declaration of Independence drew heavily upon John Locke's theories of

answer

natural rights and social contract

question

The underlying concept behind the principle of separation of powers is that

answer

when power is not exercised by the same institution, it cannot be easily abused.

question

Madison explains how the many different parts of the government and its attendant "multiplicity of interests" significantly reduces the chance of a majority oppression of individuals or minorities in

answer

Federalist No. 51

question

Which of the following was NOT part of the colonial government?

answer

Colonial archbishops

question

The ultimate authority for enacting new laws lies with

answer

Congress.

question

The idea that the House of Representatives directly connects voter sentiment with popular representation was expressed in

answer

Federalist No. 51.

question

Permanent committees in both the House and Senate that deal with constant, recurring issues are called

answer

standing committees

question

Of the 10,000 or so bills introduced annually in Congress, __________ eventually become law.

answer

5 to 10 percent

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The chairpersons of the powerful congressional committees are

answer

members of the majority party, appointed by the party leadership

question

The U.S. Senate may call for a __________ vote, which immediately ends all debate and forces a vote on the issue.

answer

cloture

question

The U.S. Senate was created as a slower, more deliberative body in which legislation is forced to proceed at a more thoughtful pace in order to

answer

protect from radical shifts in popular opinion

question

Once the number of representatives in the House of Representatives had been capped, it was necessary to allocate the appropriate amount of seats in the House to the states. This process is known as

answer

reapportionment

question

What is the minimum age for qualifying to become a U.S. Senator?

answer

30 years old

question

The function in which Congress monitors federal agency performance and holds hearings to inquire about agency policies and decisions is called

answer

oversight.

question

The first Congress in North America was the

answer

Albany Congress.

question

As a bill comes to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote, it passes through the Rules Committee. A bill that is presented to the floor with a "closed rule" means that

answer

House members are severely limited in their ability to amend the bill.

question

A temporary committee within either chamber of Congress that is established to investigate a particular issue of concern and report back to the full chamber is called a

answer

select committee

question

The function in which Congress monitors federal agency performance and holds hearings to inquire about agency policies and decisions is called

answer

oversight

question

The process of gerrymandering refers to

answer

drawing congressional district boundaries to favor a political party

question

Which of the following is NOT a duty or responsibility of the Speaker of the House?

answer

Censuring House members for disciplinary reasons

question

Both majority and minority parties in the chambers choose a member to keep track of how members are planning to vote on upcoming legislation and to work to keep the party in unison. This party leadership position is called the

answer

party whip

question

Public Law 62-5, passed by Congress in 1911, capped the total number of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives at

answer

435

question

What is the threshold that Congress needs to be successful to override a presidential veto?

answer

A two-thirds majority in both chambers

question

The term "gerrymandering" was coined because Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts created a new congressional district that on the map appeared to his opponents as resembling a

answer

salamander

question

Which of the following is NOT considered to be a normal task of a member of the modern Congress?

answer

Developing and negotiating treaties

question

To qualify as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, an individual must

answer

a U.S. citizen for at least seven years.

question

The presiding officer of the U.S. Senate is the

answer

vice president of the United States

question

Which of the following does NOT require consent by a two-thirds vote of the U.S. Senate?

answer

Confirmation of an appointee

question

The role assigned by the Constitution to the U.S. Senate in the selection of cabinet officers and federal judges is to

answer

confirm that appointment before the candidate assumes the office.

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