United States Government Pre-Test

Which of the following is a true statement?

Reserved powers are listed in the Constitution and belong to the state governments.

Which statement best describes why the ruling of Gibbons v. Ogden is significant?

It clarified the meaning of the commerce clause to say that national government has the right to regulate interstate commerce.

Which of the following quotes best reflects the principle of popular sovereignty in the Declaration of Independence?

"He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected."

Implied powers are those that are

interpreted from the language of the Constitution as belonging to the national government

The act of collaborating to write and send the Declaration of Independence reflected the principle of

popular sovereignty

Imagine the state of California passes a law to tax all banking activities within the state. Which of the following could happen?

The national bank of the United States, or the Federal Reserve, could challenge the California law based on the McCulloch v. Maryland decision.

Which of the following is a true statement about the Articles of Confederation?

It created a strong legislative branch, a weak executive branch, and no judicial branch.

The Constitution gives the legislative branch the power to

establish postal service

How does the U.S. Constitution reflect the principle of democracy?

Most of the people can elect leaders and petition the government.

Which of the following quotes best reflects the principle of natural rights in the Declaration of Independence?

"For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury."

The Declaration of Independence reflected the idea of social contract because it

said a new government must form due to the king’s actions

The power to declare war is

granted to the national government, not states

The District of Columbia v. Heller case clarified the meaning of the

Second Amendment

The executive branch has the responsibility of

enforcing laws passed by the legislative branch

How did early American leaders think the Articles of Confederation would protect natural rights?

They believed that keeping the federal government weak would protect the rights of the states and people.

In the U.S. Constitution, the principle "separation of powers" is

evident because the first three articles describe the three branches of government

The "necessary and proper clause" is a phrase in the U.S. Constitution designed to protect the principle of

rule of law

The grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence were

presented as evidence for the king’s breaking of the social contract

Which of the following makes a true statement?

Reserved powers are those that are exclusive to the states, such as ratifying amendments.

The power to create and collect taxes is an example of

a concurrent power

Article Six of the Constitution illustrates how the national government’s power is

derived from the states and the people

Which of the following statements accurately describes the relationship between the principle of "separation of powers" and the Articles of Confederation?

Because the Articles of Confederation created a central government that contained only a legislative branch, it does not reflect the principle of "separation of powers".

Under the Articles of Confederation, the principle of "republicanism" helps explain why

state governments

The framers of the Constitution believed that they created a government

limited to the powers described in the document

Article One of the Constitution describes the powers of the

legislative branch, such as declaring war

Under the Constitution, the principle of "federalism" is the reason that power and responsibility are

shared by state and national governments

The Articles of Confederation reflected the principle of federalism because it

divided power between state and national governments

Article Two of the Constitution describes the powers of the

executive branch, such as enforcing laws

Articles I, II, and III of the Constitution describe the

powers of the branches of federal government

How is the principle of "rule of law" evident in the Constitution?

It creates a government that can make, enforce, and review its own laws.

Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States: If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated…"-U.S. Constitution

This quote directly reflects the principle of

checks and balances

The first three articles of the U.S. Constitution

explain the powers delegated to the national government