Civics Review

What did many American colonists use Thomas Paine's Common Sense to justify?

• A. Acts of sabotage against British merchants 

• B. Declaring independence from Britain 

• C. Joining the army instead of the militia 

• D. Supporting the British monarchy

Which of the following was a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

• A. The government did not have a separate judicial branch. 

• B. The states could not print their own currency. 

• C. The president was able to spend taxes freely. 

• D. The government had too much power over trade.

How did the U.S. Constitution address the problem under the Articles of Confederation that Congress had no power to ensure its laws were followed by the states?

• A. It created an executive branch to enforce laws. 

• B. It gave each state sovereign authority over its laws.

• C. It required the president to resolve disputes between states. 

• D. It required unanimous consent of states to create new laws.

What does the phrase "insure domestic tranquility" in the Preamble of the Constitution mean?

• A. Give land to the homeless 

• B. Fight wars on foreign soil 

• C. Keep the homeland at peace 

• D. Provide citizens with insurance

What are the three branches of government?

Select one:

• legislative, judicial, executive

• executive, Republican, Democrat

• states, federal, executive

• liberal, federal, republicanism

How does rule of law affect U.S. government officials and institutions?

• A. It holds government officials and institutions accountable to the law. 

• B. It requires government officials and institutions to create new laws. 

• C. It prevents government officials and institutions from making their work public. 

• D. It ensures government officials and institutions are exempt from laws.

What is a government that is run by the people, either directly or indirectly?

• A. Democracy

• B. Oligarchy

• C. Autocracy

• D. Communism

What happened in American schools after the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education?

• A. States could continue segregation as long as facilities were separate but equal. 

• B. Individuals of different races voluntarily stopped all forms of school segregation. 

• C. The federal government ordered that states desegregate classes.

• D. Desegregation was ordered for only high schools

How do modern Democrats and Republicans view taxation?

• A. Democrats tend to favor tax increases to support new social programs more than Republicans. 

• B. Republicans tend to favor tax increases to support new social programs more than Democrats. 

• C. Democrats tend to favor tax decreases, while Republicans tend to favor keeping tax rates the same. 

• D. Republicans tend to favor tax increases, while Democrats tend to favor keeping tax rates the same.

Which example involves changing foreign policy?

• A. Congress lifting the oil embargo on a formerly communist government 

• B. A Supreme Court hearing on worker discrimination based on national origin 

• C. Congress voting to construct an aid center in Florida for political refugees 

• D. A Supreme Court justice voting to take a case involving his country of birth