Test Bank for Revel For Government By The People, 2018 Elections and Updates Edition,26th Edition

2 Constitutional Foundations  Multiple-Choice Questions 1. __________ is a type of government in which one person with unlimited power rules. a. An autocracy b. A republic c. A unified government d. An oligarchy Answer: a Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Remember the Facts Difficulty Level: Easy 2. What is the name given to the law that would govern human beings before governments existed? a. original law b. common law c. natural law d. universal law Answer: c Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Remember the Facts Difficulty Level: Easy 3. Prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment, how were senators selected? a. by direct election b. by the president c. by state governors d. by state legislators 1 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Answer: d Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 4. Which of the following is a drawback of divided government? a. It leads to a significant decrease in governmental performance. b. It makes it difficult for voters to hold anyone or any party accountable. c. It makes Congress unable to check the power of the president. d. It leads to lower trust in government. Answer: b Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Analyze It Difficulty Level: Difficult 5. The U.S. Constitution was adopted in response to the weaknesses of the Articles of __________. a. Unity b. Revolution c. America d. Confederation Answer: d Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Remember the Facts Difficulty Level: Easy 6. Why did the Framers adopt the separation of powers system? a. to prevent autocracy b. to promote efficiency c. to promote democratic rule d. to ensure flexibility in the governing system Answer: a Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Analyze It Difficulty Level: Difficult 7. The Supreme Court’s decision in Marbury v. Madison hinged on an interpretation of __________. 2 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. a. the Court’s original jurisdiction in Article III b. the commerce clause in Article I c. the necessary and proper clause in Article I d. the privileges and immunities clause in Article IV Answer: a Topic: Judicial Review and Constitutional Interpretation (Action) Learning Objective: 2.2 Describe the constitutional foundations of the federal judiciary and judicial review. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 8. In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decided that segregation by race violated which of the following? a. due process clause b. equal protection clause c. full faith and credit clause d. necessary and proper clause Answer: b Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Remember the Facts Difficulty Level: Easy 9. Which of the following is one reason people may want to propose amendments to the Constitution? a. Americans feel strongly that the equal protection clause is insufficient for prohibiting all forms of discrimination. b. Groups frustrated by Supreme Court decisions hope to make constitutional something previously ruled unconstitutional. c. People get impatient while waiting for their case to get to the Supreme Court, so they try to bypass it. d. Special-interest groups try to get around current amendments by proposing new ones. Answer: b Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Analyze It Difficulty Level: Difficult 10. Which of the following generally favored a stronger national government and supported the proposed U.S. Constitution? 3 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. a. Tories b. Whigs c. Federalists d. Constitutionalists Answer: c Topic: Judicial Review and Constitutional Interpretation (Action) Learning Objective: 2.2 Describe the constitutional foundations of the federal judiciary and judicial review. Skill Level: Remember the Facts Difficulty Level: Easy 11. Since 1789, how many times has the House of Representatives impeached a president? a. zero b. two c. five d. ten Answer: b Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Remember the Facts Difficulty Level: Easy 12. How many amendments are contained in the Bill of Rights? a. 27 b. 17 c. 10 d. 33 Answer: c Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Remember the Facts Difficulty Level: Easy 13. James Madison sought to prevent the tyranny of the __________ by distributing governmental authority among several branches. a. minority b. wealthy c. majority d. king Answer: c Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) 4 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 14. In The Federalist No. 51, James Madison explained how the Constitution both __________ and __________ powers. a. centralizes; devolves b. democratizes; grants c. grants; limits d. creates; eliminates Answer: c Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 15. Which of the following is a method of ratification for a constitutional amendment? a. by three-fourths of the state legislatures b. by three-fourths of the state governors c. by three-fourths of voting-age citizens d. by half of the state legislatures Answer: a Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 16. How did the Federalists react when they were defeated by Thomas Jefferson in 1800? a. They proposed an amendment to the Constitution that would weaken Jefferson’s role. b. They tried to retain power through the judiciary by packing it with their appointees. c. They were not concerned as they still had control of both houses of Congress. d. They applied to the Supreme Court for a writ of mandamus to prevent Jefferson from being inaugurated. Answer: b Topic: Judicial Review and Constitutional Interpretation (Action) Learning Objective: 2.2 Describe the constitutional foundations of the federal judiciary and judicial review. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 17. Which constitutional amendment allowed voting by all qualified citizens aged 18 or older? 5 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. a. Twenty-Sixth b. Fifteenth c. Twentieth d. Nineteenth Answer: a Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Remember the Facts Difficulty Level: Easy 18. Which of the following philosophers greatly influenced James Madison’s beliefs regarding the nature of liberty? a. John Dewey b. John Locke c. Martin Heidegger d. Michel Foucault Answer: b Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 19. Which of the following is an example of an executive order? a. President Obama’s order raising the minimum wage of federal contractors b. President Obama’s proposal to reform health care policy c. President Bush’s order to send troops to Afghanistan d. President Nixon’s order to hold back funding for the Clean Water Act Answer: a Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 20. In United States v. Eichman, the Supreme Court struck down a statute that prohibited __________. a. student protests b. leafleting on private property c. flag desecration d. school prayer Answer: c Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) 6 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Remember the Facts Difficulty Level: Easy 21. Recent debate over the Second Amendment involves which of the following issues? a. the right to bear arms b. the right to a minimum wage c. the right to own property d. the right to travel from state to state Answer: a Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Easy 22. What was the most important means the Framers used to make sure that elected government officials would observe the constitutional limits on their powers? a. partisanship b. the Electoral College c. unified government d. free and fair elections Answer: d Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 23. In what year was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution? a. 1788 b. 1789 c. 1791 d. 1798 Answer: c Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Remember the Facts Difficulty Level: Easy 24. What occurs when a single party controls both the White House and both houses of Congress? a. unified government b. checks and balances 7 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. c. divided government d. autocracy Answer: a Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Easy 25. Which of the following occurs when Congress creates legislation to change the meaning of the Constitution without actually amending it? a. congressional elaboration b. executive privilege c. impoundment d. executive order Answer: a Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 26. On what basis did the Supreme Court uphold the portion of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that requires Americans to purchase health insurance? a. Congress’s authority to regulate interstate commerce b. Congress’s taxing authority c. the supremacy clause d. the equal protection clause Answer: b Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 27. James Madison stated that the accumulation of all powers—legislative, executive, and judiciary—in the same hands is the definition of which of the following? a. democracy b. tyranny c. centralization d. majority Answer: b Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. 8 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 28. Which of the following carries the full force of law and does not require congressional approval, although it is subject to legal challenge? a. constitutional elaboration b. executive order c. impoundment d. executive privilege Answer: b Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 29. A situation in which one political party holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress is known as __________. a. divided government b. checks and balances c. autocracy d. separation of powers Answer: a Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Remember the Facts Difficulty Level: Easy 30. When government is divided rather than unified, which of the following is true? a. Not much important legislation is passed. b. Just as much important legislation is passed. c. Far more important legislation is passed. d. Legislation comes to a standstill. Answer: b Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Analyze It Difficulty Level: Difficult 31. Which of the following describes the purported power of the president to keep communications confidential? 9 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. a. constitutional restriction b. impoundment c. separation of powers d. executive privilege Answer: d Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Remember the Facts Difficulty Level: Easy 32. Under the Constitution, the president is elected by which of the following? a. the Senate b. Electoral College c. Presidential College d. popular vote Answer: b Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Easy 33. What is the principle that each branch of the federal government has the means to thwart or influence actions by other branches of government? a. checks and balances b. balances and powers c. checks and freedoms d. freedom and power Answer: a Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Easy 34. How did the process of proposing the Equal Rights Amendment resemble that of the Nineteenth Amendment? a. The same arguments were used against both. b. Both amendments passed Congress but failed to be ratified. c. The same cluster of southern states opposed ratification of both amendments. d. In both cases, women favored the amendments, but men were strongly opposed. Answer: c Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) 10 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Analyze It Difficulty Level: Difficult 35. Which of the following is true of judicial review? a. The United States is the only country in which it is legal. b. It has been used only twice in U.S. history. c. It has given the president significant power over the judiciary in the United States. d. It originated in the United States and has been adopted by many other countries. Answer: d Topic: Judicial Review and Constitutional Interpretation (Action) Learning Objective: 2.2 Describe the constitutional foundations of the federal judiciary and judicial review. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 36. The legislative branch is in charge of which of the following? a. vetoing laws b. pardoning those convicted of federal crimes c. nominating federal judges d. confirming cabinet appointments Answer: d Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 37. Which of the following is a major reason the U.S. Constitution has endured for more than two hundred years? a. it concentrates power in the chief executive b. it ensures an independent judiciary c. there is widespread acceptance among the public d. it gives most power to the states Answer: c Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Analyze It Difficulty Level: Difficult 38. Because the Framers believed that people are not angels, they created a Constitution giving the government which type of authority? 11 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. a. legitimate b. limited c. implied d. defined Answer: b Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Apply What You Know Difficulty Level: Difficult 39. How have new communication technologies affected the system of checks and balances? a. They have added to the powers of the president. b. They have decreased the power of the judiciary. c. They have decreased the power of interest groups. d. They have increased the power of political parties. Answer: a Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 40. Executive privilege is often invoked in matters related to __________. a. national security b. private property rights c. interstate commerce d. federal contracting Answer: a Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 41. When the Democratic and Republican Parties become splintered, the influence of which of the following can be increased? a. the Supreme Court b. the president c. third-party candidates d. special-interest groups Answer: d Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) 12 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Apply What You Know Difficulty Level: Difficult 42. When does divided government frequently occur? a. when special-interest groups achieve more influence in Congress b. when the president’s party loses congressional seats in the midterm elections c. when the president’s party gains congressional seats in the midterm elections d. when it is time to appoint new Supreme Court justices Answer: b Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Apply What You Know Difficulty Level: Difficult 43. Although not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, the Supreme Court interpreted the Constitution in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) to protect which of the following rights? a. right to privacy b. right to bear arms c. right to free speech d. right to make contracts Answer: a Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 44. If one political party controls at least one chamber of Congress and the other party controls the White House, which of the following is intensified? a. autocracy b. influence of the Electoral College c. partisanship d. power of the president Answer: c Topic: Constitutional Framework (Structure) Learning Objective: 2.1 Describe the framework for government expressed in the Constitution. Skill Level: Apply What You Know Difficulty Level: Difficult 45. The case of District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) revolved around the __________ Amendment. a. Second 13 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. b. Fifth c. First d. Fourteenth Answer: a Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 46. Which of the following is true of efforts to pass a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning? a. These efforts have been repeatedly rejected by the Supreme Court. b. Most Americans do not support efforts to ban flag burning. c. These efforts have never gotten to the ratification stage. d. These efforts have been repeatedly rejected by Congress. Answer: c Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Understand the Concepts Difficulty Level: Moderate 47. What difficulty is posed by the method of proposing constitutional amendments through a constitutional convention? a. It allows no input from the states. b. It is unclear whether such a convention would be limited to a specific subject. c. It limits the president’s involvement in the amendment process. d. It does not provide a timetable for when the convention must convene. Answer: b Topic: Changing the Letter of the Constitution (Impact) Learning Objective: 2.3 Describe the process by which the Constitution can be changed. Skill Level: Analyze It Difficulty Level: Difficult 14 Copyright © 2020, 2018, 2015 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.