Unit 2 Test: Ideas About Government

Which word best completes the sentence below?

• The _____ of the United States provide(s) the country’s structure, laws, and leadership and keep(s) the society functioning.

• nation

• government

• state

• mayors

In the United States, people vote to choose the senators whom they think will best serve them.

Which principles does this represent?

• majority rule

• minority rule

• rule of law

• public policy

Which trait would cause commentators to label a modern-day government as an oligarchy?

• 
  The government came to power through a military coup.

• 
  The most powerful person inherited their position.

• 
  The government attempts to control people’s private lives.

• 
  A small group of wealthy people influence leaders.

In the fictional country of the Chartered Commonwealth, all citizens over the age of 20 have the right to vote. They elect leaders, and these leaders meet once a week to make decisions for the country. What kind of government is this?

• Direct Democracy

• Republic

• Oligarchy

• Dictatorship

Which of the following are characteristics of capitalism?

• 
  The community owns the means of production.

• 
  Companies are privately owned.

• 
  Supply and demand determine prices.

• Governments decide how much of an item to produce.

Which of the following are examples of socialism in the United States? (2 correct answers)

• 
  Employers must pay at least the minimum wage.

• National retail chains and local shops compete for business.

• 
  Workers can freely quit a job and find a different job.

• 
  Most roads are public and do not charge tolls.

How was the democracy of ancient Athens similar to today’s United States government?

• Minority rule

• Women had the right to vote

• Citizens had the right to vote

• We are both direct democracies

What did the power of the veto do in the Roman Republic?

• 
  It allowed leaders to form a military and make decisions about war and peace.

• 
  It allowed arrested people to defend themselves in court.

• 
  It allowed enslaved people to buy their freedom and become citizens.

• 
  It allowed leaders to block the decision of another person or group.

  
  

What was the main difference among royal, charter, or proprietary colonies?

• 
  how much influence the British Crown had in the colony’s government

• How much in taxes they paid

• 
  how many representatives the colony had in the British legislature

  
  

• what freedoms the colonists had

Why is the Mayflower Compact significant in the history of American government?

• 
  It cemented the idea that colonial populations would elect representatives.

• It was an example of the kind exerting his power.

• 
  It was an early example of colonists governing themselves separately from Britain.

• It was an example of a dictatorship.