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Chapter 2 – Establishing a Constitutional Democracy

Reading Comprehension Quiz

Multiple Choice:

  1. The first document in colonial America in which people gave their consent to be governed was called

A) a proprietary colony.

B) the Jamestown agreement.

C) the Mayflower Compact.

D) the Articles of Confederation.

E) the Declaration of Independence.

Answer: C

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

2. The country's first constitution

A) was the Articles of Confederation.

B) was ratified five years after independence.

C) was written by the Second Continental Congress.

D) did nothing more than create “a firm league of friendship” among the states.

E) all of the above

Answer: E

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.2, pp. 38-41

3. Under the Articles of Confederation

A) each state had equal representation in the Congress.

B) Congress could raise an army through a draft.

C) only Congress could negotiate tariffs with other nations.

D) Congress could levy national taxes.

E) the executive could declare war.

Answer: A

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.2, pp. 38-41

4. Under the Virginia Plan,

A) there would be a single house in the legislature.

B) there would be a plural executive.

C) representation in the legislature would be equal among the states.

D) representation in the legislature would be based on population.

E) slaves would count as 3/5ths of a person.

Answer: D

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

5. Under the Constitution, the president

A) can appoint federal judges with a two-thirds vote of approval in the House of Representatives.

B) can dissolve Congress if they fail to take action.

C) can be impeached and removed from office by the legislature.

D) can declare war.

E) has absolute veto power.

Answer: C

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

6. The simplest method of amending the Constitution requires

A) unanimity among the states.

B) the approval of a simple majority of states.

C) a two-thirds vote in Congress and a three-fourths approval by state legislatures.

D) a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

E) a three-fourths vote in state conventions.

Answer: C

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.4, pp. 50-51

7. The Constitution has been amended a total of ______times.

A) 17 B) 27 C) 30 D) 15 E) 100

Answer: B

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.4, pp. 50-51

8. Constitutional Amendments have extended suffrage to all of the following EXCEPT

A) African Americans.

B) women.

C) residents of the District of Columbia.

D) citizens aged 18-21.

E) Constitutional Amendments have extended suffrage to all of these groups.

Answer: E

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.4, pp. 50-51

9. According to the text, one of the greatest assets of the Constitution is

A) its specificity.

B) its adaptability.

C) its clear and precise language.

D) its use of precedent

E) its large number of amendments.

Answer: B

Skill Level:Analysis

Reference:L.O. 2.5, PP. 51-59

10. In the electoral college,

A) states must allow the voters to choose the members of the electoral college.

B) each state chooses a number of electors equal to the state’s representation in Congress (House and Senate).

C) a candidate must receive two-thirds of the electoral votes to be chosen president.

D) the candidate with the most popular votes always wins.

E) if no candidate receives enough votes to become president, the Senate chooses the president.

Answer: B

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

11. Which of these is true about the Federalists?

A) They supported ratification of the Constitution.

B) They stoked voters' suspicions about the new system.

C) They opposed ratification of the Constitution.

D) They argued that a strong national government would lead to suppression of the rights of states.

E) They argued that a strong national government would lead to suppression of the rights of individuals.

Answer: A

Skill Level:Analysis

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

12. The Connecticut Compromise

A) called for a lower house of the legislature with representation by population.

B) called for an upper house of the legislature with equal representation for the states.

C) was put forward by a committee of moderates.

D) all of the above

E) none of the above

Answer: D

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

13. ______criticized the drafting of the Constitution because the delegates were wealthy and motivated by a desire to protect the interests of their social class.

A) Charles Beard

B) Thomas Paine

C) Thomas Jefferson

D) James Madison

E) Benjamin Franklin

Answer: A

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.5, PP. 51-59

14. The new Constitution facilitated the economic development of the U.S. by

A) providing explicit instructions on the future expansion of the country.

B) unifying the currency and regulating commerce.

C) maintaining the dominant power of the states in commerce.

D) establishing the separation of powers.

E) allowing individual states to coin money.

Answer: B

Skill Level:Analysis

Reference:L.O. 2.5, PP. 51-59

15. British kings

A) prohibited colonists from electing assemblies.

B) claimed to rule by divine right.

C) allowed only religious colonies to be formed.

D) allowed the creation of only royal colonies.

E) ruled by delegation from Parliament.

Answer: B

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

True/False Questions:

  1. The Constitutional Convention was held in 1787 in Philadelphia.

Answer: TRUE

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

2. Amendments to the Constitution must be approved by two thirds of the state legislatures.

Answer: FALSE

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.4, pp. 50-51

3. The Sons of Liberty used violence to express their views.

Answer: TRUE

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

4. Under the Articles of Confederation, each state had equal representation in Congress.

Answer: TRUE

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.2, pp. 38-41

5. Shays’s Rebellion seemed to show that state governments were too weak to govern effectively.

Answer: TRUE

Skill Level:Analysis

Reference:L.O. 2.2, pp. 38-41

6. The New Jersey Plan was proposed and supported by the large states.

Answer: FALSE

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

7. Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia made the promise of a Bill of Rights a condition for their ratification.

Answer: TRUE

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

8. The Anti-Federalists opposed the addition of a Bill of Rights to the Constitution.

Answer: FALSE

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

9. The Federalist Papers were written to argue the case against the ratification of the Constitution.

Answer: FALSE

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

10. The ambiguous language of the Constitution is one of its major flaws.

Answer: FALSE

Skill Level:Evaluation

Reference:L.O. 2.5, PP. 51-59

CHAPTER EXAM

Multiple Choice Questions:

  1. Those who wrote and campaigned for the ratification of the Constitution were called

A) Federalists. B) Anti-Federalists. C) the Pilgrims. D) Tories. E) Republicans.

Answer: A

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. “Divine right” is the doctrine that claims

A) the king selects the sovereign for the people.

B) when a leader is well-chosen, his actions will be favored by God.

C) the sovereign is decided by the people.

D) God selects the sovereign for the people.

E) governing bodies should collectively select the sovereign for the people.

Answer: D

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. A colony governed by the king’s representative with the advice of an elected assembly is a

A) monarchic democracy.

B) represented colony.

C) proprietary colony.

D) royal colony.

E) colonial council.

Answer: D

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. Patronage power is

A) the power to hand out jobs and benefits upon election and while in office.

B) the power to develop a strong business base.

C) the power to maintain the needs of all the people at the same time.

D) the power of the people to elect officials.

E) the power of the people to use their voice to enact change.

Answer: A

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. The lower legislative chamber of either a proprietary or royal colony, elected by male property owners in the colony, was called the

A) colonial council.D) colonial assembly

B) federalists.E) senate assembly.

C) senate council.

Answer: D

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. The upper legislative chamber of either a proprietary or royal colony, appointed by British officials upon the recommendation of the governor, was called the

A) colonial council. B) federalists. C) senate council. D) colonial assembly. E) senate assembly.

Answer: A

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. In 1765, Parliament required colonists to purchase a small stamp to affix to legal and other documents. This was known as the

A) Proclamation of 1765.

B) Mayflower Compact.

C) stamp tax.

D) U.S. Postal Service.

E) supremacy clause.

Answer: C

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. Colonial voting qualifications

A) excluded non-property owners.

B) excluded women.

C) excluded slaves.

D) denied as many as one-half of the male population the right to vote.

E) all of the above.

Answer: E

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. The first political organization that brought leaders from several colonies together for a common purpose was the

A) Federalists.

B) Stamp Act Congress.

C) Patriots.

D) First Continental Congress.

E) Whigs.

Answer: B

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. The political authority that directed the struggle for independence beginning in 1775 was the

A) Stamp Act Congress.

B) First Continental Congress.

C) Second Continental Congress.

D) Sons of Liberty.

E) Tories.

Answer: C

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. A group in Boston calling themselves the Sons of Liberty protested taxation by

A) hanging the tax collector in effigy.

B) looting the home of the lieutenant governor.

C) looting the home of the tax collector.

D) enforcing the Stamp Act Congress resolutions.

E) all of the above

Answer: E

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. In response to the Boston Tea Party, the British

A) blockaded Boston's harbor.

B) changed the governor.

C) withdrew British troops.

D) lowered the tax on tea.

E) none of the above.

Answer: A

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. In 1774, the Patriots called together the first quasi-governmental institution designed to speak for all the colonies. It was called the

A) Colonial Congress.

B) Colonial Assembly.

C) Continental Congress.

D) Continental Assembly.

E) Stamp Act Congress

Answer: C

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. Those colonists who opposed independence from Great Britain were known as

A) Whigs.

B) Tories.

C) monarchists.

D) Federalists.

E) Anti-Federalists.

Answer: B

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. The ______were a political group defending American liberties against infringement by the British.

A) Federalists B) democrats C) Anti-Federalists D) Raiders E) Patriots

Answer: E

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. Which of the following is NOT true about the Declaration of Independence?

A) It was written by Thomas Jefferson.

B) It was based on ideas that had been developed in Britain.

C) It asserted that God gave people the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

D) It praised King George III but blamed Parliament for denying colonists their rights.

E) It called upon the people to change governments that did not protect their fundamental rights.

Answer: D

Skill Level:Analysis

Reference:L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. Thomas Hobbes was among the first philosophers to express the notion that

A) people by nature are basically good.

B) government should rule with the consent of the people.

C) America should be independent from Britain.

D) the people have a right to revolt against unfair government.

E) separation of powers helps prevent tyranny.

Answer: B

Skill Level:Analysis

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. A system of government in which the powers of government are divided among different institutions is called

A) divided government.

B) a democracy

C) separation of powers.

D) a parliamentary government.

E) a republican government.

Answer: C

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. Which of the following principles did NOT shape the writing of the Constitution?

A) the pursuit of happiness C) separation of powers E) right of representation

B) consent of the governed D) protection of liberty

Answer: A

Skill Level:Comprehension

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. The idea that government rules with the consent of the people was expressed in

A) Common Sense.

B) Two Treatises of Government.

C) The Social Contract.

D) Leviathan.

E) Spirit of the Laws

Answer: D

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. Common Sense was written by

A) Thomas Hobbes. B) John Locke. C) Charles De Secondat.

D) Thomas Paine. E) James Harrington

Answer: D

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.1, pp. 32-38

  1. A very weak central government was a tenet of the

A) Mayflower Compact.

B) Declaration of Independence.

C) Bill of Rights.

D) Constitution.

E) Articles of Confederation.

Answer: E

Skill Level: Analysis

Reference: L.O. 2.2, pp. 38-41

  1. All of the following occurred under the Articles of Confederation EXCEPT

A) Congress had the power to coin money.

B) the national government was weak.

C) there was no independent executive.

D) states had the power to coin money.

E) the national government asserted power to tax.

Answer: E

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.2, pp. 38-41

  1. Foreign threats under the Articles of Confederation included all of the following EXCEPT

A) British impressment of U.S. sailors into the Royal Navy.

B) the Spanish claims to lands in the south.

C) a French blockade of trade with the West Indies.

D) a disputed boundary with Canada.

E) an attempted invasion by France.

Answer: E

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.2, pp. 38-41

  1. Shays’s Rebellion caused many prominent leaders to believe

A) commoners will take advantage of freedom.

B) taxes were too high.

C) state governments were too weak.

D) military forces were too powerful.

E) domestic policy should be reorganized.

Answer: C

Skill Level: Analysis

Reference: L.O. 2.2, pp. 38-41

  1. At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, two major cleavages soon became apparent:

A) party affiliation and age.

B) state size and slavery.

C) religious and political.

D) gender and religion.

E) east v. west and north v. south.

Answer: B

Skill Level:Analysis

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. Although there was some dissent, the majority at the Philadelphia Convention agreed that

A) the central government was too strong.

B) the central government needed to be strengthened.

C) slavery should be slowly phased out of the United States.

D) state governments were too strong.

E) both C and D

Answer: B

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. Population-based representation in the legislature was part of the

A) New Jersey Plan. B) Federalist Papers. C) Three-Fifths Compromise.

D) Virginia Plan. E) Articles of Confederation.

Answer: D

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. A one-chamber legislature was a part of the

A) New Jersey Plan.

B) Articles of Confederation.

C) Connecticut Compromise.

D) Virginia Plan.

E) A and B.

Answer: E

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. The convention proposal that created a House with representation based on population and a Senate in which all states were represented equally was the

A) New Jersey Plan.

B) Federalist Papers.

C) Connecticut Compromise.

D) Virginia Plan.

E) Articles of Confederation.

Answer: C

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. Under the original Constitution, which members of government were directly elected by the people?

A) Senators

B) members of the House of Representatives

C) the president

D) A & B

E) all of the above

Answer: B

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. According to the Constitution,

A) the president can be impeached by the legislature.

B) the president is elected by popular vote.

C) the national legislature determines voter qualifications.

D) a term limit should be set for members of Congress.

E) the states appoint federal judges.

Answer: A

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. Passage by a two-thirds margin in both chambers of Congress is required to

A) confirm a cabinet appointment.

B) confirm a judicial appointment.

C) override a presidential veto

D) raise taxes.

E) A and B

Answer: C

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. Those chosen to cast a direct vote for president by a process determined by each state are collectively called

A) judicial nominees. B) the electoral college. C) muckrakers. D) delegates. E) trustees.

Answer: B

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. Which of the following is NOT true of the U.S. government under the Constitution?

A) Congress has the power to levy taxes.

B) States are prohibited from coining money.

C) States cannot regulate interstate commerce without the consent of Congress.

D) The executive branch has the power to establish lower federal courts.

E) An independently elected president holds executive power.

Answer: D

Skill Level: Analysis

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. In which of the following presidential elections did the candidate who won the electoral college vote receive fewer popular votes?

A) 2000B) 1912C) 1884D) 1968E) 2004

Answer: A

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. The ______states that the Constitution is the “law of the land.”

A) necessary and proper clause

B) supremacy clause

C) advice and consent clause

D) checks and balances clause

E) proprietary clause

Answer: B

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. With respect to the judicial branch, the Constitution

A) created a Supreme Court.

B) created a system of lower level federal courts.

C) established the power of judicial review.

D) specified that there would be nine justices on the Supreme Court.

E) all of the above.

Answer: A

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. The Supremacy Clause states that

A) Congress is the most important branch of government.

B) the president is the most powerful member of government.

C) the Constitution is the supreme law of the land.

D) the states are supreme over the federal government.

E) the Supreme Court is the most powerful branch of government.

Answer: C

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. The three-fifths compromise was

A) a compromise on slavery.

B) a compromise on representation.

C) repealed by the Fourteenth Amendment.

D) necessary to achieve ratification of the Constitution.

E) all of the above

Answer: E

Skill Level:Analysis

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. A provision protecting freedom of speech was rejected during the Constitutional Convention on the grounds that

A) regulating speech was the responsibility of the states.

B) the Declaration of Independence already discussed this freedom.

C) it was no longer needed after the Revolutionary War.

D) free speech is covered by the right to a free press in the Constitution.

E) free speech would threaten the new government.

Answer: A

Skill Level:Analysis

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. Which of the following concerning the Bill of Rights is NOT correct?

A) It was not originally included in the Constitution.

B) It protects the rights of individuals and the states.

C) It was promised for future inclusion to win ratification by key states such as Massachusetts and Virginia.

D) It is comprised of the first ten amendments.

E) It was added to the Constitution during the fight over ratification.

Answer: E

Skill Level:Analysis

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. Anti-Federalists

A) feared the shift of power from the states to a strong national government.

B) opposed a Bill of Rights.

C) opposed term limits for members of Congress and the President.

D) proposed their own Constitution.

E) all of the above.

Answer: A

Skill Level:Knowledge

Reference:L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. The Constitutional division of power into separate institutions, giving each institution the power to block the actions of the others, is called

A) checks and balances.

B) the three-fifths compromise.

C) divine right.

D) necessary and proper.

E) judicial review.

Answer: A

Skill Level: Knowledge

Reference: L.O. 2.3, pp. 41-50

  1. By unifying currency and regulating commerce the new Constitution

A) came under close scrutiny by merchant and trade leaders.