Unit 1 Lessons 1-3

In a real-life scenario, during the time of the Constitutional Convention, the citizens were allowed to directly elect:

• only the House of Representatives.

• only the Senate.

• only the president.

• both the House and Senate.

In a town hall meeting discussing the local political system, a speaker mentions that it resembles the American political system as described by pluralist theorists. Which of the following statements did the speaker likely make about the local political system?

• The public interest is normally served in the town through a process of bargaining and compromise.

• Organized interest groups fairly shape the public agenda by broadly representing the interests of the town's residents.

• Multiple small groups among the wealthiest one percent of the public are in some way responsible for most policymaking in the town.

• Policymaking reflects the desires of those who control many of the largest corporations in the town.

In a historical context, when was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?

• After the ratification process was complete, and partly to fulfill a promise to those who supported ratification.

• In 1865 after the union victory in the Civil War.

• During the Constitutional Convention, at the insistence of Thomas Jefferson.

• During the Constitutional Convention, at the insistence of Thomas Jefferson.

In a conversation about the importance of government, what would be the single most important message to convey about Government in America?

• Citizens, who are politically ignorant, are not free.

• Most Americans are apathetic about politics and government.

• Politics and government matter.

• Government should regulate all aspects of society.

Imagine a group of people who believed that a Bill of Rights was unnecessary because the national government was limited to the powers granted to it in the Constitution. Who were they?

• Federalists

• Anti-Federalists

• Both Federalists and Anti-Federalists

Imagine you are a citizen concerned about your rights. How does the Constitution protect your individual rights in this situation?

• It prevents Congress from passing bills of attainder.

• It gives Congress the power to impeach the President.

• It invests the President with the powers of commander in chief.

• It divides government into the national and state levels.

In a local community meeting, a challenge faced by American democracy is observed to be

• limited participation of residents in decision-making.

• the uniformity of political interests among the community members.

• lower levels of technical expertise among the participants.

• majority rule balanced with the rights of minority groups.

In the context of a country's political system, how does federalism, as described in the Federalist Papers, affect the formation and influence of political factions?

• It reduces the risks associated with factionalism by dispersing political power

• It creates an organized framework that allows factions to thrive

• It completely removes the possibility of factions forming

• It prohibits factions by declaring them illegal

In a fictional country, which scenario best represents the elite theory in its government?

• A large interest group, such as the Association of Retired Citizens, heavily influences government decisions.

• A small group of wealthy individuals holds significant control over government policymaking.

• Various powerful interest groups within the country often weaken the government's authority.

• More than 20,000 special interest groups actively lobby the country's legislative body each year.

In a debate between two groups discussing the formation of a new organization, the New Jersey and Virginia Plans disagreed mainly on whether

• the organization should abolish a certain practice in all its branches.

• there should be a decision-making body at the highest level of the organization.

• each branch of the organization should have an equal number of representatives.

• the central authority of the organization should regulate interactions between branches.