Principles of Government

The framers of the United States Constitution included

the concepts of federalism, checks and balances, and

separation of powers in the document because they

• feared a government with unlimited power

• favored the poor over the rich

• wanted to increase the powers of the states

• hoped to expand the democratic process

The term federalism is best defined as

• the process of amending a constitution

• the power of the courts to determine the

  constitutionality of laws

• a republican form of government with no hereditary

  ruler

• the division of power between the states and the

  national government

To prevent tyranny, the authors of the Constitution drew

on Montesquieu's concept of

• religious liberty

• universal suffrage

• separation of powers

• supremacy of the nobility

The United States Congress can check the executive

branch of government by

• appointing ambassadors

• overriding vetoes

• nominating judges

• declaring laws unconstitutional

The adoption of the Bill of Rights (1791) addressed

Antifederalist criticism of the new Constitution by

• providing for an indirect method of electing the

  president

• protecting citizens from abuses of power by the

  national government

• allowing the national government to coin money

• establishing a process for impeaching federal

  officials

Which statement most accurately describes federalism?

• The judicial branch of government has more

  power than the other two branches.

• The president and vice preSident divide executive

  power.

• Power is shared between the two houses of

  Congress.

• Power is divided between the national government

  and the states.

Passing marriage and divorce laws, creating vehicle and

traffic regulations, and setting high school graduation

requirements are examples of powers traditionally

• exercised solely by local governments

• reserved to the state governments

• delegated entirely to the federal government

• shared by the national and local governments

Judicial review is most accurately described as the

power of the

• president to override a decision of the Supreme

  Court

• state courts to overturn decisions of the Supreme

  Court

• Senate to approve all presidential appointments to

  federal courts

• Supreme Court to determine the constitutionality

  of laws

Judicial review gives the United States Supreme Court

the power to

• declare state laws unconstitutional

• override a congressional veto

• impeach and remove the president from office

• approve treaties with foreign nations

The amendment process was included in the

Constitution to

• allow for change over time

• expand the powers of the president

• increase citizen participation in government

• limit the authority of the United States Supreme

  Court