STAAR Amendments 2013 - 2018

Which right best completes the diagram? 8.15(D)

• The right to bear arms

• Freedom to speak without fear of punishment

• Protection from cruel and unusual punishment

• Freedom of the press to report on court proceedings

Which of these describes a result of the Thirteenth Amendment? 8.16(A)

• African Americans in the North could vote.

• State governments were required to protect individual rights.

• Former Confederate officials were prohibited from holding elected office.

• African Americans in the South could move elsewhere.

When citizens report for jury duty, they are helping uphold a constitutional right guaranteed by the — 8.19(C)

• First Amendment

• Second Amendment

• Sixth Amendment

• Ninth Amendment

This diagram describes events in colonial America that are related to — 8.25(A)

• the eventual adoption of the U.S. Constitution

• the formation of a government controlled by religious officials

• the creation of a national system of checks and balances

• the establishment of the principle of religious freedom

This event best demonstrates which feature of the American way of life? 8.25(C)

• The First Amendment guarantees personal freedoms.

• The Declaration of Independence asserts the principle of popular sovereignty.

• The U.S. Constitution establishes the structure of the federal government.

• The Fifth Amendment protects the rights of the accused.

The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution affected the lives of millions of African Americans by — 8.16(D)

• providing them with voting rights

• guaranteeing their freedom of speech

• providing them with access to the court system

• guaranteeing their permanent freedom from slavery

This painting of a Missouri scene was completed in 1852. Such scenes would look dramatically different after the — 8.26(C)

• ratification of the Fifteenth Amendment

• Second Great Awakening

• emergence of Manifest Destiny

• expansion of the factory system into the South

The constitutional amendment excerpted above protects people in the United States from — 8.19(B)

• excessive fines for traffic violations

• imprisonment for life without a jury trial

• excessive surveillance by the government

• conscription by the armed forces

Which headline provides the best example of a First Amendment guarantee in action? 8.25(C)

• “Religious University Forced to Close by State”

• “Mormons Hold State Convention Downtown”

• “Congress Declares a National Day of Remembrance”

• “Protesters Arrested at Antiwar Rally”

The Constitution describes two ways to propose an amendment. Which of the following gives an example of one way? 8.16(A)

• The president officially requests that Congress propose the amendment.

• Three-fourths of state governors sign a petition in favor of proposing the amendment.

• A majority of citizens vote in favor of proposing the amendment.

• Two-thirds of both congressional houses vote in favor of proposing the amendment.