Constitution Basics Quiz

What was the main purpose of the Federalist papers?

• to encourage the federal government to grant rights to the people
• to persuade people to support a strong federal government
• to describe the roles of different branches of the federal government
• to defend the federal government against accusations of corruption

Which is the BEST description of federalism?

• a government in which a Supreme Court is the highest level of the judicial branch
• a government with rules and laws that are spelled out by a constitution
• a system in which power is shared between a national government and state governments

• a type of government in which there are two legislative bodies of different sizes

Shays' Rebellion helped point out weaknesses in which of the following documents?

• the Constitution
• the Federalist Papers
• the Articles of Confederation
• the Declaration of Independence

The term separation of powers in the U.S. government refers to separate powers given to

• the president and the Cabinet.
• the Senate and the House of Representatives
• the federal, state, and local levels.
• the executive, legislative, and judicial branches

Which newspaper headline BEST illustrates the concept of checks and balances?

• “Congress Overrides President’s Veto”
• “Governors Look for Help in New Federal Budget”
• “Secretary of State Addresses United Nations”
• “Local Man to Be Tried in State and Federal Courts”

Which BEST describes the Three-Fifths Compromise?

• Enslaved persons were entitled to only three-fifths of a vote in national elections.
• When determining a state’s population, an enslaved person counted as three-fifths of a free person.
• Three-fifths of the members of the House of Representatives were from states that allowed slavery.
• Three-fifths of Southern states were permitted to count enslaved people as part of their population.

What was a MAJOR difference between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution?

• The power of individual states was greater under the Constitution.
• The powers of the federal government were increased under the Articles of Confederation.
• More freedoms were given to women, blacks, and Native Americans under the Constitution.
• The powers of the federal government were increased under the Constitution.

After both houses of Congress pass a bill, what must happen before it becomes a law?

• The Supreme Court must approve the bill.
• The President must sign the bill.
• The Secretary of State has to approve the bill
• Public hearings must be held to consider the bill.

During the Constitutional Convention, the Great Compromise was proposed MAINLY to settle a disagreement between which two groups?

• Federalists and Anti-Federalists
• large states and small states
• slave states and free states
• slave states and free states

A system of checks and balances was built into the Constitution to prevent...

• states from passing laws that duplicate federal laws
• individual states from deciding to leave the Union.
• any one branch of government from becoming too powerful.
• the federal government from spending more money than it collects in taxes.