Social studies GED

A recent magazine article examined government in the United States during the first decades after independence from Britain.Question:

Which quotation from the article allows a reader to infer that the power of the U.S. government is limited?

• "A fear of tyranny led to the creation of a national government under the Articles of Confederation, which lasted less than a decade."

• "As a result, the founders drafted the U.S. Constitution, which addressed weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation."

• "The U.S. Constitution, ratified over two hundred years ago, greatly changed the relationship between the national and state governments."

• "The U.S. Constitution included safeguards to protect individual rights against abuse by the government."

After President Lincoln's assassination in April of 1865, President Andrew Johnson and the Radical Republicans in Congress battled for control of Reconstruction. The battle included setting the conditions for former Confederate states to be readmitted to the Union. President Johnson wanted even milder conditions than those that had been proposed by Lincoln. The Radical Republicans demanded policies that punished the South and ensured civil rights for African Americans.

By 1866, enough Radical Republicans had been elected to Congress to override Johnson's vetoes. Over the next two years, Congress passed a series of Reconstruction Acts. All the former Confederate states, except one, were placed under military control. These acts also required each state to accept the 14th and 15th Amendments, which granted political and voting rights to African American men. It was under these conditions that the remaining Confederate states returned to the Union. Question:

Which event in the passage happened second?

• Radical Republicans and President Johnson disagreed over Reconstruction policies.

• President Lincoln proposed mild conditions for states to rejoin the Union.

• Radical Republicans in Congress took control of Reconstruction.

• Civil and political rights were granted to African American men.

Much of the 20th century was marked by conflict between the ideas of communism and capitalism.

Question:

Which term is associated with the ideas of communism?

• profit motive

• private property

• classless society

• competitive market

Question:

Which publication is the best example of propaganda?

• a website that lists the federal taxes paid by individuals at different income levels

• a newspaper article that quotes a senator who argues that federal income taxes are too high

• a wartime cartoon that claims American citizens who fail to pay taxes are helping the enemy

• a pamphlet written by a socialist group that describes the history of taxes on wealthy American citizens

This excerpt is from the "Declaration of Sentiments" presented to the Seneca Falls Convention by Elizabeth Cady Stanton in 1848.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government...

• nationalism

• natural rights

• imperialism

• majority rule

The chart describes the four methods used to amend the U.S. Constitution.

The 17th Amendment

The 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention decided to give state legislatures the power to select U.S. senators. The purpose was to ensure that the interests of the states were represented in that national legislature. However, some argued that the people should directly elect their senators. They thought the interests of the states would be preserved because the people were the source of all government power.

The first of nearly 300 congressional resolutions calling for direct election of senators came in 1826. Over the next 85 years, an amendment to directly elect U.S. senators was debated extensively. Finally, in 1913, the 17th Amendment, which allowed for the direct election of senators, was ratified.

Question:

What does the word convention mean in both the chart and The 17th Amendment passage?

• cultural tradition

• formal assembly

• agreed-upon contract

• preferred writing style

This excerpt is from President Barack Obama's 2017 farewell address.

Our democracy is threatened whenever we take it for granted. . . . When voting rates in America are some of the lowest among advanced democracies, we should be making it easier, not harder, to vote. When trust in our institutions is low, we should . . . insist on the principles of transparency and ethics in public service. When Congress is dysfunctional, we should draw our congressional districts to encourage politicians to cater to common sense and not rigid extremes.

But remember, none of this happens on its own. All of this depends on . . . each of us accepting the responsibility of citizenship, regardless of which way the pendulum of power happens to be swinging.

Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift. But it's really just a piece of parchment. It has no power on its own. We, the people give it power. We, the people, give it meaning. . . . Whether or not we stand up for our freedoms. Whether or not we respect and enforce the rule of law. That's up to us. America is no fragile thing. But the gains of our long journey to freedom are not assured. . . .

Question:

Based on the excerpt, which phrase identifies an unstated purpose of President Obama's speech?

• to encourage support for the incoming administration

• to gain support for the newly elected members of Congress

• to convince his audience to actively participate in government

• to convince his audience to be honest when dealing with the government

In January 1991, President George H. W. Bush made a speech about Iraq's invasion of Kuwait.

Question:

Which statement from President Bush's speech is an opinion?

• "The United Nations, with the full support of the United States, has already tried to peacefully pressure Iraq out of Kuwait . . . ."

• "And our own economy is suffering . . . the effects of higher oil prices stemming from Saddam's aggression. . . ."

• ". . . Economic sanctions are taking a toll, but they are still not forcing Saddam out of Kuwait. . . ."

• "We have seen too often in this century how quickly any threat to one becomes a threat to all."

This paragraph is paraphrased from Federalist No. 84, an essay by Alexander Hamilton, published in 1788.

Hamilton's Essay

Not only is a bill of rights unnecessary, I am sure that in the proposed constitution it would even be dangerous. Why declare that things will not be done when there is no power to do them? Why assert that certain rights are protected when the government has no power to violate those rights? Why state that there is freedom of the press when the government is not given power that can be used to violate freedom of the press? It would only provide an excuse for power-hungry men to claim such a power.

This paragraph is paraphrased from a letter written by James Madison to Thomas Jefferson in 1788.

Madison's Letter

I have always favored a bill of rights, so long as it does not imply that the government has powers it is not meant to have. At the same time, I do not think the absence of a bill of rights is a major defect. The real threat to individual rights is not the government, but a strong-willed majority of the people. Nevertheless, the threat may occasionally come from the government, in which case a bill of rights will be essential. It is a sad truth that freedom is endangered whether the government has too much or too little power, and finding the thin line between the extremes is not easy.

Question:

How does Hamilton's essay differ from Madison's letter?

• Only Hamilton suggests that governments might abuse power.

• Only Hamilton argues that no other constitution contains guarantees of individual liberty.

• Only Hamilton says that a bill of rights is acceptable as long as it does not give unintended power to the government.

• Only Hamilton says that a bill of rights would damage the safeguards of liberty the proposed constitution

The information in the graph is from the U.S. Senate website.

Question:

Which session of Congress had twice as many women representatives as the 101st session?

• 104th

• 106th

• 108th

• 110th