Unit 2 HW: The Constitution

One way in which the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the original United States Constitution (1789) are similar is that both documents

• include a specific bill of rights

• guarantee voting rights to all persons

• list grievances against the British monarchy

• state that government receives its power from the people

6 What was one effect of the Three-fifths Compromise? 

• (1) Slave states gained additional congressional representation.
• (2) The number of justices on the Supreme Court was established. 
• (3) Presidential appointments were assured easy confirmation.
• (4) A two-house legislature was created.

 At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Great Compromise between the large states and the small states resulted in

•  the creation of a bicameral legislature
•  a provision for equal protection of the laws
•  a permanent solution to the slavery issue 
•  the guarantee of voting rights for all male property owners

Based on the United States Constitution, the census helps to determine the number of 

• (1) presidential candidates
• (2) members of congressional subcommittees
• (3) electoral votes assigned to each state
• (4) senators from each state 

The term federalism is best described as the

• division of power between the national government and state governments

• creation of a two-house legislature in the national government

• method of reviewing laws and executive actions

• establishment of three branches of government

What is the most democratic feature of the original Constitution of the United States?

• role given to the electoral college in presidential elections

• appointment of ambassadors by the president

• direct election of the members of the House of Representatives

• lifetime appointments for Supreme Court justices

To what expedient [method], then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be given is, that as all these exterior provisions are found to be inadequate, the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places. . . . — The Federalist No. 51, 1788

Which principle of the United States Constitution is most directly described in this passage?

• States rights

• checks and balances

• the elastic clause

• concurrent powers

A presidential veto of a bill can be overriden by a

• majority vote of registered voters

• majority vote of the Supreme Court

• two-thirds vote of the state legislatures

• two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress

“Senate Rejects Supreme Court Nominee”
“Supreme Court Declares National Recovery Act (NRA) Unconstitutional”
 “Congress Overrides Truman Veto of Taft-Hartley Act”
Each of these headlines illustrates the use of

• (1) reserved powers
• (2) checks and balances
• (3) executive privilege 
• (4) federal supremacy

Which action is an example of the system of checks and balances?

• An individual pays both a state and a federal income tax

• New York State requires at least 180 school days per year

• The House of Representatives votes to expel one of its members

• The Senate approves a president’s nominee to the Supreme Court