Government Unit 2 Test Questions – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
Which best describes a role of the executive branch of the federal government
answer
enforcing laws
question
Why were the Articles of Confederation replaced with the Constitution
answer
The Articles of Confederation did not give strong power to the federal government
question
Which power does the federal government share with state governments
answer
collecting taxes
question
The power to create laws and to regulate taxes and commerce belong to which branch of government
answer
legislative
question
The preamble begins with "We the People of the United States," which establishes the idea of
answer
popular sovereignty
question
When the Supreme Court declares a law that was created by Congress unconstitutional, it is an example of
answer
checks and balances
question
According to the Constitution, the right of freedom of religion supports
answer
practicing any religion one chooses
question
According to the preamble, where does the power of government come from?
answer
the people
question
And secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. According to this excerpt of the preamble, who were freedoms and rights established for?
answer
framers of the constitution and future generations
question
The purpose of the preamble of the Constitution is to
answer
introduce and explain the core ideas of the new government.
question
To which branch of government does the power to interpret laws and apply the Constitution to the law belong
answer
judicial
question
The Constitution regulates government powers by
answer
providing guides and limits to the government's power.
question
The idea that government is not above the law is an example of
answer
limited government
question
Which statement about federalism is accurate
answer
It divides power between state and national governments.
question
Which is an implied power of the federal government
answer
drafting soldiers
question
Which of these is considered a concurrent power
answer
collecting taxes
question
Declaring war and coining money are considered
answer
expressed powers
question
What is the primary purpose of the Supremacy Clause?
answer
to describe the relationship between federal and state powers
question
The Supremacy Clause forms the root of what aspect of the country's government system
answer
the concept of federalism
question
a government in which power is divided between state and national levels
answer
federalism
question
Which of these powers is considered an implied power
answer
creating a national bank
question
Which term defines a power equally shared by state and federal governments
answer
concurrent
question
The United States system of government is based on
answer
federal and state level powers
question
Congress shall have power . . . to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers. Which part of this quote is the basis for implied powers?
answer
necessary and proper
question
Expressed powers are those that are
answer
specifically granted in the Constitution
question
Which powers are given directly to the people
answer
reserved
question
Congress shall have power . . . [t]o make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers. Which type of powers does this quote refer to, and why is this type often the source of debate
answer
implied powers, which are often difficult to interpret or understand.
question
Which statement is an accurate description of the American federal system
answer
The federal and state governments share powers, but federal has the majority
question
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved for the States respectively, or to the people. Which type of powers does this quote describe?
answer
powers held by the states alone
question
The sources of state power are specifically outlined in
answer
the Tenth Amendment
question
If you are declared guilty of a crime without being given a trial, you can state Congress has given you
answer
A bill of attainder
question
Which statement about the bill process is accurate?
answer
A bill can have a second chance after a veto
question
Congress checks on the power of the presidency by
answer
overriding a presidential reversal or veto.
question
What is the focus of Article I of the Constitution
answer
describing the powers of the legislative branch
question
Which statement about Congress is accurate
answer
It is based on the Constitution's bicameral legislature
question
After a bill has been introduced, what happens next
answer
It is reviewed in committee
question
Why is the Necessary and Proper Clause a source of ongoing debate
answer
The clause deals with powers that are ambiguous and misinterpreted.
question
Which of these is an expressed power of Congress
answer
admitting new states
question
Why has the House of Representatives grown so much faster than the Senate
answer
Representation is based on population, and the US has grown steadily.
question
Which of these is considered a power of governance
answer
admitting new states
question
What statement about the Necessary and Proper Clause is accurate
answer
It is the source of implied powers.
question
What can happen if the president chooses to veto a law that has been passed?
answer
The president's decision can be overridden by a majority of Congress.
question
Which of these steps is second in the bill process?
answer
The bill passes in both houses
question
Which is an example of an expressed power Congress holds?
answer
declaring war and maintaining an army
question
Which of these steps might happen after a bill is sent to the president?
answer
the president can veto the bill
question
What is considered the most important power Congress holds?
answer
creating laws
question
Which best explains how the president selects a justice for the Supreme Court?
answer
he considers the most qualified and will most likely support his agenda
question
An important duty of the president is
answer
addressing Congress
question
Under Article II of the Constitution, the president needs to be at least
answer
35 years old
question
A limitation on the president's power to appoint ambassadors is that
answer
the Senate must approve them
question
According to the Constitution, the amount of time the president and vice president serve in office together for one term is
answer
four years
question
Which statement best explains why the Constitution limits the power of the executive branch
answer
to keep the president from becoming too powerful
question
Which best describes how the Electoral College affects the executive branch?
answer
chooses the president and the vice president
question
A qualification for president under Article II of the Constitution is
answer
being born in the United States
question
Which best explains how the Senate affects the powers of the president
answer
must approve many presidential actions
question
Which is an example of a presidential power that has no clear limitation?
answer
granting pardons
question
What does the executive branch do
answer
carry out the laws
question
Article II of the Constitution defines the roles of
answer
the president and the vice president
question
The State of the Union address requires the president to update the who on what is going on in the country
answer
congress
question
Article II of the Constitution states that the president is also
answer
commander in chief
question
Which describes how Congress affects the president's abilities to grant pardons and appoint cabinet members
answer
The Senate approves cabinet members but not pardons
question
The judicial branch has the power to try criminal cases by
answer
jury
question
The diagram shows one way that cases reach the Supreme Court. The diagram is an example of
answer
appellate jurisdiction
question
In which jurisdiction would further review of a federal court decision fall under?
answer
appellate
question
Which explains why the Constitution gave Congress the power to create a system of federal courts
answer
anticipated the need for courts lower than the Supreme Court
question
In terms of jurisdiction, the Supreme Court has
answer
original and appellate
question
People who make judgments in lower federal courts are called
answer
judges
question
Which is the most likely reason the framers of the Constitution did not tell the judicial branch how to interpret the document
answer
to reach its own conclusions
question
Which explains why Supreme Court justices are given lifetime appointments
answer
They protect justices from political pressure
question
Which is a true statement about federal judges
answer
They serve lifetime terms
question
The selection of federal judges by the executive branch is an example of
answer
checks and balances
question
Which best describes how the structure of the judicial branch affects the judicial branch's interpretation of the Constitution
answer
give the judicial branch many opportunities to interpret the Constitution
question
During criminal cases, which are guaranteed by the Constitution?
answer
trials and juries
question
The final authority on legal questions in the United States is
answer
the Supreme Court
question
The Supreme Court is best characterized as
answer
an appellate court
question
Amendments to the Constitution can be proposed by
answer
Congress and state legislatures
question
Which is a true statement about the Privileges and Immunities Clause
answer
deals with shared rights for citizens
question
What does the Supremacy Clause do
answer
establishes a foundation for government
question
Which is a true statement about the Full Faith and Credit Clause
answer
legal proceedings between states
question
The process of approving the Constitution is best described as
answer
difficult
question
How many states must approve an amendment before it can be added to the Constitution
answer
3/4s
question
Which statement summarizes the Enslaved Persons Clause
answer
escape must be returned to their home states
question
Which process does Article V of the Constitution describe
answer
amending the Constitution
question
How many states had to vote for the Constitution to approve it
answer
nine of thirteen
question
Based on the Supremacy Clause, which must US judges support?
answer
the Constitution
question
The first two sections of Article IV of the Constitution focus on relationships between
answer
different US states
question
Which best explains how Article IV is connected to federalism
answer
Article IV grants powers to states while limiting the powers of the federal government.
question
A similarity between the ratification process in Article VII and the amendment process in Article V is that both involve
answer
overcoming difficult barriers
question
Which best explains why the Privileges and Immunities Clause forbids states from discriminating against citizens from other states?
answer
regardless of location, to have the same rights.
question
The House and Senate can only pass amendments to the Constitution if
answer
the amendment receives a two-thirds vote.
question
In republican government, the [lawmaking] authority necessarily [has the most power]. The remedy for this...is to divide the legislature into different branches; and to render them...as little connected with each other [as possible]. —Publius Which idea does this excerpt support?
answer
the Federalist idea that lawmaking power should be divided among the different branches of government
question
Anti-Federalist argued
answer
it was impossible to separate government into equal branches
question
What did Anti-Federalists fear would happen if the Constitution became law
answer
Congress would have too much power over states
question
Federalists believed a strong government would
answer
encourage states to work together
question
Instead of being thirteen republics, under a federal head, [the Federalists' plan] is clearly designed to make us one [unified] government. . . . Whether such a change can ever be [made] in any manner; whether it can be [made] without convulsions and civil wars; whether such a change will not totally destroy the liberties of this country—time only can determine. -The Federal Farmer What best summarizes the point of view the excerpt expresses?
answer
Under one unified government, people will be robbed of their freedoms.
question
In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. —Publius How would Federalists most likely respond to this?
answer
They would agree and be confident that the Constitution meets those goals.
question
How were Samuel Adams and Thomas Jefferson alike in their position on ratifying the Constitution
answer
They both opposed a strong federal government
question
Unlike the Anti-Federalists, the Federalists believed
answer
the president should have enough power to lead
question
Federalists believed a workable government
answer
must separate government into branches
question
What is the purpose of checks and balances in the Constitution
answer
They would keep any one branch from having too much power.
question
He was an Anti-Federalist and opposed the Constitution
answer
Patrick Henry
question
What was the Federalists' view of the Constitution
answer
They approved the Constitution
question
According to Anti-Federalists, the Constitution
answer
could give the president too much influence
question
A faction is a group that
answer
strongly disagrees with another group
question
What was the purpose of the Judiciary Act of 1789?
answer
It created a federal court system
question
Before McCulloch v. Maryland went to court, the state of Maryland
answer
passed a law that required federal banks to pay state taxes.
question
By ruling in James McCulloch's favor in McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court agreed that
answer
Congress had the power to create a federal bank
question
Why did William Marbury support the Judiciary Act of 1789
answer
It allowed Marbury to take his case to the Supreme Court.
question
Congress shall have power to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States. This excerpt reinforces the idea of
answer
federal supremacy.
question
James McCulloch most likely supported the idea that Congress could create banks because
answer
he didn't want to pay state taxes on his bank.
question
How might the decision in McCulloch v. Maryland make future Supreme Court decisions more complicated?
answer
The principle of implied powers meant the Court might spend more time interpreting the Constitution rather than simply following it to the letter.
question
In the case Marbury v. Madison, what was William Marbury's appointment?
answer
He was appointed as a federal judge.
question
What was a result of Gibbons v. Ogden?
answer
Thomas Gibbons was allowed to operate his steamboats in New York.
question
An implied power is one that
answer
is suggested by the Constitution.
question
Which is the best definition of "supremacy"?
answer
highest authority
question
How did Gibbons v. Ogden expand the idea of federal supremacy
answer
It said that Congress has power to regulate trade between states.
question
What was the most significant result of the ruling in Marbury v. Madison?
answer
The ruling expanded the powers of the federal government.
question
It is emphatically the province and duty of the Judicial Department to say what the law is. How does this excerpt summarize the case?
answer
It explains that the Supreme Court should decide whether a law or action is constitutional.
question
Who was involved in the case of Gibbons v. Ogden?
answer
two competing owners of steamboat companies
question
If two laws conflict with each other, the Court must decide on the operation of each. . . . the Constitution . . . must govern the case to which they both apply. The excerpt describes
answer
the principle of judicial review
