Semester Overview: Quiz Review

Which action is a violation of the First Amendment?

• A citizen's house is searched without a warrant.
• An individual is put on trial twice for the same crime.
• A person is forced to testify against himself or herself in court.
• A reporter is arrested for writing an article that criticizes the government.

Which phrase describes the system of federalism established by the United States Constitution?

• the restriction of the government to exercise only the powers granted to it by the people
• the ability of one branch of government to restrain the powers of the other branches
• the distribution of powers among independent branches of government
• the division of powers between the national government and the states

How was the Constitution amended to provide representation to the residents of the District of Columbia?

• by giving them voting members of Congress
• by giving them electors in the Electoral College
• by allowing them to vote directly for a president
• by allowing them to vote in either Virginia or Maryland

In what way can the President check the power of the Supreme Court?

• appoint judges
• declare a law unconstitutional
• veto laws
• approve judges

In what way can the Supreme Court check the power of Congress?

• appoint judges
• declare a law unconstitutional
• veto laws
• approve judges

The Bill of Rights was adopted to address Anti-Federalist concerns about the US Constitution. One of the amendments from the Bill of Rights is shown. "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed..." What was an Anti-Federalist concern about the US Constitution that was addressed by this amendment?

• The Constitution would reduce the power of the federal government
• The Constitution failed to give sufficient powers to the executive branch
• The Constitution failed to adequately protect the civil liberties of individuals
• The Constitution would produce state courts that were more powerful than federal courts

Which statement summarizes the original Federalist position of the Bill of Rights?

• Additional amendments were needed, given the Constitution's lack of individual protections
• Adopting the Bill of Rights was too risky because it might threaten ratification of the Constitution
• The Bill of Rights should be adopted because national sovereignty should always come before states' rights
• No amendments were needed, as the Constitution already had protection against excessive government power

Under the Articles of Confederation, all 13 states were sovereign. Why did this cause problems?

• States did not want to be independent, so they were unhappy
• States had their own currencies, some charged others tariffs, and they refused to help pay national debts
• Some states tried to leave the United States and return to British control

This country is run by a small group of very wealthy individuals. What kind of government does this country have?

• Dictatorship
• Democracy
• Monarchy
• Oligarchy

Who had the most power under the Articles of Confederation?

• The states
• The national government