CIVICS MID-TERM EXAM

Read the following questions and write the correct answer on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Voting for the president of the United States is a right enjoyed by millions of people. Which of the following are entitled to vote for president?

  1. Any person holding a green card
  2. Any person living in the US
  3. Citizens
  4. Resident aliens

2. A person is a U.S. citizen if:

  1. The person was born in a foreign country of parents who are U.S. citizens.
  2. The person is a Resident alien.
  3. The person has lived in the U.S. for 18 years.
  4. The person holds a voting visa

3. Mr. Smith, a naturalized citizen, was picked to serve on a jury. Two days into the trial, Mr. Smith, informs the Court that he does not understand the testimony because his knowledge of English is limited. Mr. Smith:

  1. Is allowed to continue serving on the jury.
  2. Is allowed to continue serving on the jury with the aid of an interpreter.
  3. Is not allowed to continue serving on the jury.
  4. Is not allowed to continue on this jury, but may be assigned to another jury.

4. You are developing a new immigration policy. You want to emphasis that new immi-grants must benefit the economy and workers of your country. Which of the following provisions would BEST support your policy?

  1. Require immigrants to pay a $10,000 fee to process their citizen application.
  2. Require immigrants to start a new business within 1 year of entering the US.
  3. Require immigrants to hire cheap foreign labor.
  4. Require immigrants to pay US taxes.

5. A person may become a US citizen by:

a. Being born of a parent of any nationality, if the child was born in the US’

b. Paying a fee of $100,000.

c. After meeting all other pre-test requirements, taking and passing a citizenship test.

d. Acquiring a green card.

6. Use the following quote from the Magna Carta to answer question # 6.“No freeman shall be taken or imprisoned or exiled or any way destroyed, nor will we go upon him or set upon him, except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.”

Which right was granted under the Magna Carta?

  1. Trial by jury
  2. No taxation without representation
  3. Freedom of the press
  4. Freedom of religion

7. A neighbor has been arrested and is given the following Miranda warning: “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be used against you in a Court of law. You have the right to an attorney before any questioning. If you can’t afford an attorney, one will be appointed to you at no charge.” These rights are provided in which of the following:

  1. 1st Amendment right to free speech.
  2. Every episode of Law and Order.
  3. The 5th Amendment.
  4. The 14th Amendment.

8. A foreign couple comes to the US for a visit. The couple wants to finish their vacation and head back home to have the baby born in their home country surrounded by family. While in the US, mom is in an accident and delivers her baby 1 month early. The baby:

  1. Is a US citizen by the theory of “law of blood.”
  2. Is not a US citizen because the baby was born earlier than expected.
  3. Is a US citizen under the theory of “law of soil.”
  4. Is not a citizen because the baby was not supposed to born in the US.

9. Which freedom is set out in the U.S. Constitution?

  1. assembly
  2. education
  3. privacy
  4. travel

Use the graph below to answer questions 10 and 11.

Source: Adapted from Florida Division of Elections

10. Based on the graph, what conclusion can be drawn about voter turnout in Florida since the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed?

a.Voter turnout among blacks has decreased.

b.Voter turnout among whites has decreased.

c.Voter turnout among blacks has increased.

d.Voter turnout among whites has increased.

Standard: SS.7.C.2.2; Rigor Level: Moderate

11. Based on the graph, what prediction can be made about voter turnout in Florida for the years after 2002?

a. Voter registration among blacks will decrease

b. Voter registration among blacks will pass voter registration among whites.

c.. Voter registration among whites will pass voter registration among blacks

d. Voter registration among whites will be the same as voter registration among blacks.

12. A person was thought by police to have committed a crime. The police found the suspect and stopped him in his car. The suspect’s car was searched. A gun was found and seized. Unless an exception applies, which of the following amendments required a warrant to search the car and seize the gun?

a. 1st Amendment

b. 2nd Amendment

c. 4th Amendment

d. 6th Amendment

13. Originally passed for the purpose of establishing former slaves’ status as US citizens, this amendment has been used to provide citizenship to any baby born in the US, even babies born to non-citizen mothers who enter the US for the sole purpose of having their child born in the US.

  1. 13th amendment
  2. 14th amendment
  3. 15th amendment
  4. All three civil war amendments.

14. A US citizen, who is 24, wants to vote in the upcoming presidential election. She is a life-long resident of a Guam, a US territory, and has never lived in any of the 50 states. Will she be permitted to vote?

  1. She will be able to vote because she is a US citizen.
  2. She will not be able to vote because she has always resided on Guam.
  3. She will not be able to vote because she does not have a Florida driver’s license.
  4. She will be able to vote if she registers with the election office on Guam prior to the election.

15. The final step in the naturalization process:

a. passing a citizenship test

b. taking an oath of allegiance

c. applying for a resident visa

d. Paying a fee to process required paperwork

16. Joe spreads false rumors about a girl in his school. The stories hit social media and upset the girl. She goes to the administration. A search is made and Joe is caught. Joe claims that he can say anything because the 1st amendment guarantees freedom of speech. Joe is:

  1. Correct because the 1st amendment allows anyone to say anything.
  2. Correct because Joe exercised his free speech rights.
  3. Incorrect because the rumors were mean.
  4. Incorrect because Joe’s stories constitute cyberbullying and the 1st amendment does not protect cyberbullying.

17. Which of the following amendments protects a US citizen’s right to own guns?

  1. 1st amendment
  2. 2nd amendment
  3. 4th amendment
  4. 5th amendment

Use the following excerpt from an historical documentto answer questions 18, 19, and 20.

“He has refused to Assent to Laws

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.”

18. From which document can the excerpt be found?

  1. Magna Carta.
  2. Mayflower Compact.
  3. Articles of Confederation.
  4. Declaration of Independence

19. How did the opinions expressed in the excerpt help influence the American political system?

  1. Citizens believed legislatures should be elected.
  2. Citizens believed government should be limited.
  3. Voters believed laws should be publicly debated.
  4. Voters believed equality should be legally assured.

20. How does the modern American political system uphold the principles expressed in the excerpt?

  1. By requiring voter registration laws for local elections.
  2. By causing elected officials to be responsible to citizen needs.
  3. By allowing federal judges to be appointed by elected officials.
  4. By making local governments responsible for monitoring elections.

Use the following excerpt from the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights to answer question # 21.

“1) That in all capital or criminal prosecutions a man hath the right to demand…. Evidence in his favor, and a speedy trial by an impartial jury…

2) That the legislative, executive, and judiciary department shall be separate and dis-tinct…

3) That the freedom of the press is one of the great bulwarks of liberty, and can never be restrained…

4) That a well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free man…”

21. Which statement reflects the Enlightenment idea expressed by Montesquieu?

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4

Use the following diagram to answer question #22.

THE MAGNA CARTA IS TO LIMITED MONARCHY

AS THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT IS TO ------?

22. Which of the following completes the diagram?

  1. Separation of Powers.
  2. Economic freedom.
  3. Self-government.
  4. Individual rights.

23. President Obama has expressed an intent to use his executive powers to require gun buyers to undergo a rigorous background search. The Florida legislature passes a bill adopting the president’s executive order. The Eustis City Council passes an Ordinance requiring gun sales in Eustis to be held up for 10 days while a comprehensive background search is conducted. Mr. P wants to challenge the constitutionality of the Eustis ordinance. In which Court would he bring his suit?

  1. U.S. federal district court
  2. Lake County district court.
  3. Lake County Court at Law.
  4. Eustis municipal court.

24. Montesquieu advocated the concept of separation of powers in order to spread government’s power among three branches. In Florida, Montesquieu’s theory is demonstrated by which of the following?

a. North Florida, Central Florida, South Florida

b. Florida, Lake County, the City of Eustis

c. Florida Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal, State District Courts

d. Governor, Florida Legislature, Florida Supreme Court

25. You want to establish a new form of government. You do not trust your citizens to elect wise rulers because they are young and uneducated; they do not vote. You do not want to share power. You do not want to be a monarch. You most likely would select which of the following forms of government?

  1. oligarchy
  2. monarchy
  3. dictatorship
  4. democracy

26. According to the Declaration of Independence, what is the “unalienable right” enjoyed by everyone?

aright to social equality

b. right to personal liberty

c. right to religious liberty

d. right to elect government officials

27. America’s experience under England’s King George III influenced the Articles of Confederation in which way?

a.The new legislature had 2 houses just like the British Parliament

b.The states were sovereign, just like the Colonies under British rule

c. The new central government was not given any power to direct the military.

d. The new central government was not able to tax citizens as the British government tried to do.

Use the following excerpt from the Declaration of Independence to answer question # 29.

“…He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without Consent of our legislatures,,,”

28. Which section of the Declaration of Independence?

  1. List of colonial grievances
  2. Justification for colonists’ actions
  3. Theory of government based on social contract
  4. Announcement of America’s independence from Britain

Use the following scenario to answer questions 29 and 30: The Curtwright Center (Eustis High’s 9th grade campus) used to be Eustis’ “Black High School.” Only black students attended the school. White students went to Eustis High. Today, the Center is used by students of all races for 9th grade while students of all races attend Eustis High for the rest of high school.

29. Which former constitutional principal allowed segregation of black and white high school students in Eustis?

a. “Separate but Equal”

b. US citizenship shall not be restricted by race

c. Every child is entitled to a quality education.

d. Voting rights shall not be restricted by race.

30. What is the constitutional principle that overturned the case of Plessy v. Ferguson?”

a. “Separate but Equal”

b. US citizenship shall not be restricted by race

c. Every child is entitled to a quality education

d. Voting rights shall not be restricted by race.

Use the following statement to answer questions 31 and 32.Britain’s colonial position was based on the idea that the mother country (Britain) owned the Colonies and that the Colonies existed to support the mother country. The Colonists, most of whom came from Britain, claimed that they were British citizens and had certain rights

31. Based on the English Bill of Rights, colonists argued that they did not have to pay taxes because:

a. as colonists, they were exempt from British taxes

b. as colonists, they were denied representation in Parliament

c. as colonists, they sent raw goods back to England

d. as colonists, they bought English finished products

32. The English response to the colonists’ complaints about paying taxes was to:

a. Repeal all colonial taxes.

b. Increase economic pressure on the Colonies

c.. Allow colonists to elect members to Parliament

d. Grant the colonists independence.

33In response to the Boston Tea Party, Britain exerted its sovereignty and punished Boston by sending troops, closing town meetings, and closing Boston’s port. Britain hoped that these actions would end colonial dissent. As a result of Britain’s punishment, the colonists:

a. Accepted the punishment

b. Welcomed the British soldiers

c. Ended all dissent

d. United together and declared independence

34. Based on the Declaration of Independence, which of the following is a natural right?

  1. The right to vote
  2. The right to bear arms
  3. The pursuit of happiness
  4. The right to equal protection under the law

Use the following excerpt from the Mayflower Compact to answer question 35:“We whose names are underwritten…solemnly and mutually covenant (agree to) and combine ourselves together into a Body Politick (government) for our better Ordering and Preservation…:

35. This excerpt is an example of how Colonists used which of the following Enlightenment principles?

  1. Social Contract Theory
  2. Common law
  3. Statute
  4. Checks and balances

36. Which of the following headlines reports a British action that angered Colonists and led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence.

  1. “BOYCOTT BRITISH GOODS!”
  2. “THE KING GRANTS INDEPENDENCE!”
  3. “BRITISH TAXES UNFAIR!”
  4. “ANGRY COLONISTS DUMP TEA!”

37. After winning independence, States feared having a strong central government. As a result, power is kept in the States. The national government has no power to enforce laws passed by the Congress or the States. A law is passed that requires farmers to pay taxes in silver. Farmers do not have silver and begin to lose their farms. They riot. The national government is powerless to stop the farmers.

Which of the following is a change to the Articles of Confederation that would allow the national government to stop the farmers?

  1. Establish a national Congress
  2. Establish a Supreme Court
  3. Establish a presidency
  4. Pardon the farmers and forgive their taxes

38. What is the most likely reason it was difficult to pass laws under the Articles of Confederation?

  1. Passage required a unanimous vote of all 13 States
  2. Passage required a vote of 9 of the 13 States
  3. The national government did not have a legislature
  4. Americans were content to follow British laws.

39. Under the Articles of Confederation, States acted in their own best economic interest. As goods moved from one state to another, each State added a fee on the goods. As a result, peaches moving from Georgia to Virginia cost ten times as much in Virginia as they did in Georgia. What of the following is a possible reason why Virginia charged a fee on the peaches?

a.Virginia wanted to protect its tobacco crop

b.Virginia wanted to develop its own peach crop

c.Virginia and Georgia wanted to establish an interstate highway that would make moving the peaches more quickly and more cheaply

d.Virginia wanted to harm Georgia farmers.

Use the following fact situation to answer question #s 40, 41, and 42: The US Congress is debating whether to amend the Constitution to provide the President a line-item veto. Currently, the President has to veto an entire bill that proposes to spend or provide money on projects. The line-item veto would allow the President to veto specific projects without vetoing the entire bill. The House passed the proposed amendment with the required majority. The bill is now in the Senate.

40. How many senators must vote in favor of the proposed amendment to send it to the 50 states for ratification?

a. 50

b. 67

c. 75

d. 100

41. The Senate passes the proposed amendment with the required majority. How many states must ratify the proposed amendment before it becomes an amendment to the U Constitution?

a. 25

b. 34

c. 38

d. 50

42. As an alternative to the states voting on the proposed amendment, ratification could take place in which of the following locations?

a. in a nominating convention

b. in a political convention

c. in a national convention to propose an amendment

d. in a special ratification convention

43. The Preamble to the Constitution begins with the words “We the People.” These open-ing words demonstrates which of the following principles of our government?

a. The US national government has limited powers

b. States are the source of national political power.

c. The federal government is divided into 3 branches with checks and balances.

d. Ultimate political power belongs to the citizens of the US.

44. Which of the following identified one of the goals set out in the Preamble?

a. guarantee employment for all US citizens

b. expand national frontiers westward.

c. Establish independence from Great Britain.

d. Protect the rights and freedoms of all US citizens.

Use the following diagram to answer question # 45:

THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH MAKESLAWS.

THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH CARRIES OUT THE LAWS WHICH CCONGRESS PASSED.

THE JUDICIAL BRANCH INTERPRETS AND ENFORCED THE LAWS WHICH CONGRESS PASSED.

45. Which constitutional principle is illustrated in the above chart?

a. Federalism.

b. Separation of Powers.

c. Confederalism

d. Popular Sovereignty.

46. President Obama nominated John Kerry to serve as the new Secretary of State after Hillary Clinton resigned. Which of the following constitutional principles is illustrated by the fact that the Senate must confirm Kerry before he can take over?

a. Limited Government.

b. Popular Sovereignty.

c. Checks and Balances

d. Separation of Powers.

Use the following diagram to answerquestion # 47.

THE PRESIDENT MEETS THE PRIME MINISTER OF GREAT BRITAIN.

THE SUPREME COURT DECLARES A LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

THECONGRESS PASSES A NEW ENVIRONMENTAL LAW.

47. Which of the following constitutional principles are illustrated by the chart?