SSCG1 Practice

Which of the following is an advantage of a unitary government?

• The central government holds all of the power.

• The central government is a dictatorship

• The local governments hold most of the power.

• The central government and local governments share power equally.

1. Which statement accurately explains the key difference between the divine right of kings and a constitutional government?

• The divine right of kings is the belief that a government has legitimacy because it is chosen by God, while a constitutional government has legitimacy because it is bound by the rule of law.

• Neither a constitutional government nor the divine right of kings acknowledges the concept of legitimacy of government.

• The divine right of kings ensures that the monarch will answer to the parliament, while a constitutional government ensures that the parliament will answer to a monarch.

• The divine right of kings and a constitutional government are based on the idea that leaders are chosen by God and are therefore legitimate.

1. Which of these characteristics represents the system a state uses to make and enforce public policy?

• territory

• sovereignty

• government

• population

Answer explanation

1. Which of the following statements about the forms of government shown in the chart is correct?

• Under the federal system, the states have only those powers granted by the national government.

• In a unitary system, the central government determines which powers the local governments have.

• The central government is strongest in a confederate system.

• Under the confederate and federal systems, local and central governments have equal powers.

Answer explanation

Which one of these explanations about the origins of states best applies to the type of political system created by the U.S. Constitution?

• force theory

• evolutionary theory

• divine right of kings theory

• social contract theory

Answer explanation

Which statement best describes the form of government that is most common in Europe and the Americas?

• Power is held by a small, ruling elite.

• A single individual has absolute control over the govern

• The people elect officials to represent them in government.

• Rule of the country is passed down through family members.

If you know that a nation uses a parliamentary system of government, but have no other information, what do you know for certain about the structure of that government?

a.

• the geographic distribution of power in the state

• the relationship between the executive and legislative branches

• that its laws must be collected in a written constitution

• who is allowed to participate in the governing process

Which of the theories BEST describes the origin of the ancient Mayan civilization?

• Divine Right of Kings Theory

• Social Contract Theory

• Evolutionary Theory

• Force Theory

Answer explanation

Which of the following is an advantage of a presidential government?

• The president is part of the legislative branch of government.

• A system of checks and balances increases legislative power.

• A system of checks and balances increases presidential power.

• The president is elected independently of the legislature.

What is government?

• the laws that protect peoples' rights and ensure the safety of a state's citizens

• the services provided a community, such as police protection, fire protection, and public health programs

• he institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies

• the process by which public officials are elected to and removed from office