Government Unit 2 Test Questions – Flashcards

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