Common Assessment The Constitution

Which feature of the federal government is specifically described in the United States Constitution?

• President’s cabinet

• Two-party political system

• Congressional committee system

• Senate approval of nominations to the Supreme Court, a formal check and balance

To avoid having too much power concentrated in one branch of government, the framers of the Constitution established

• a bicameral legislature

• a federal system of government

• the system of two political parties

• the system of checks and balances

One similarity between the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights is that both documents

• provide for a government with three separate branches

• discuss colonial grievances against the monarchy

• stress the importance of individual liberty

• criticize the practice of slavery

Which has been an important application of the “due process of law” clause of the Fifth Amendment?

• Freedoms of speech and the press have been limited

• The reciting of prayers in public schools has been prohibited

• Persons accused of a crime have been protected from abusive behavior by the police

• The power of the Supreme Court in criminal cases has been limited

In the United States, evidence that is obtained illegally cannot be used in a court of law. This rule is based on an individual’s constitutional right to—

• Face one’s accusers in an open and public court

• Be protected against double jeopardy

• A speedy and public trial by an impartial jury

• Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures

What has been the impact of the First Amendment’s position about separation of church and state on the American way of life?

• It has brought about an end to religious differences

• It has helped to promote religious freedom

• It has increased American interest in religion

• It has led to inequality between religious groups

Which of the following actions is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights?

• Voters elect a new Senator to the United States Congress

• The President vetoes a law passed by both houses of Congress

• A letter sent by a citizen to Congress criticizing US foreign policy

• A bill is approved by both the Senate and the House of Representatives

A primary reason for the passage of the Fourteenth Amendment (1868) was to

• Punish the South for their secession from the Union

• Uphold the legality of the Black Codes

• Continue the Presidential plan for Reconstruction

• Guarantee citizenship rights to the newly freed slaves

What has been the impact of the Seventeenth Amendment on the US?

• It allowed the national government to place more restrictions on the actions of state governments

• It prevented the power of state governments from enacting Prohibition laws

• It reduced the power of the President over the Congress

• It led to a more democratically elected US Senate

Judicial review is an important change to the power of the judiciary since it allows the Supreme Court to

• Determine the constitutionality of federal laws

• Remove elected officials from office

• Oversee the financing of the lower federal courts

• Approve Presidential firings in executive agencies