Purposes, Principles, and Constitution-HSA Questions

Read the following quote:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution… are reserved to the States… or to the people….”

— Article 3, Maryland Declaration of Rights

Which of these principles of government is described in the excerpt?

• Citizens elect representatives in government to make laws.

• Each branch of government has different responsibilities.

• State governments exist at the will of the federal government.

• Powers are divided among different levels of government.

Which principle of government would be affected by the proposed amendment?

• individual rights

• popular sovereignty

• separation of powers

• checks and balances

Which of these excerpts from the United States Constitution best reflects the principle of checks and balances?

• “This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States… shall be the supreme Law of the Land.….”

• “All persons born or naturalized in the United States… are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”

• “Every Bill which shall have passed [Congress] shall, before it becomes a Law, be presented to the President of the United States.”

• “The [listing] in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be [interpreted] to deny… others retained by the people.”

Which of these is an example of separation of powers?

• Representatives rewrite a bill in committee meetings.

• Representatives hold hearings to hear public opinion.

• The President enforces a law passed by Congress.

• The President fires a cabinet member who is performing poorly.

Which of these is a power reserved for state governments by the United States Constitution?

• the power to coin money

• the power to maintain an army and a navy

• the power to establish public schools

• the power to make treaties with foreign countries

Congress may respond to United States Supreme Court rulings by

• declaring rulings of the court invalid

• rewriting a law overturned by the court

• deciding which lawyers may argue the case

• determining which justices will review a particular case

Which of these is an example of following the rule of law?

• Citizens vote for a new amendment.

• The General Assembly approves the governor’s budget.

• Political parties hold a convention to nominate candidates.

• The governor is impeached for wrongdoing.

Read the quotation below.

“The Government of [the United States], then, is… truly a government of the people…. Its powers are granted by them and are to be exercised directly on them for their benefit.”

—John Marshall, 1810

Which of these constitutional principles best applies to Marshall’s quotation?

• judicial review

• checks and balances

• separation of powers

• representative democracy

Which of these is the goal of a state law to reduce air and water pollution?

• Expanding the economy

• promoting economic equity

• protecting individual rights

• protecting public health

What was the purpose of the Supreme Court ruling described in the image?

• to maintain public order

• to expand productivity

• to provide job training

• to promote equity