Midterm Review

Under American law, which of the following would not be considered a United States citizen?

• any baby born in the U.S. to two foreign parents

• any baby born overseas to non-American citizens

• any baby born in the U.S. to American parents

• any baby born overseas to American parents

Which is a defining characteristic of both absolute monarchies and dictatorships?

• both are ruled by a single national leader

• both are ruled by a king or queen

• both have a variety of political parties

• both allow significant citizen participation in government

Which statement describes a similarity between the state and the federal governments under the U.S. Constitution?

• Both levels of government allow for the election of judges

• Both levels of government have the power to ratify treaties

• Both levels of government allow for the collection of taxes

• Both levels of government have the power to appoint ambassadors

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, once made a statement about the press. He said he would choose newspapers without a government over a government without newspapers. With which of the following statements would Jefferson most likely agree?

• Freedom of the press is a basic & fundamental right

• A government cannot function in a society without media

• Freedom of the press is more important than freedom of speech

• A government must be able to control the media to control the country

Which First Amendment right is being exercised by the people in this photograph?

• freedom of religion

• freedom of the press

• freedom of assembly

• freedom to petition the government

Based on this passage, which of the following is correct?

• Serving on a jury is a right of every responsible American citizen

• Serving on a jury is on a volunteer basis because it is not authorized by state law

• Serving on jury duty is a duty all responsible citizens must perform when asked

• Serving on a jury is prohibited by the U.S. Constitution

Which scenario violates the rights of the accused as spelled out in the Bill of Rights?

• A city uses eminent domain to buy a house

• A suspect is jailed indefinitely without a trial

• The accused waives his or her right to a jury trial

• The accused does not testify on his or her own behalf

Which statement suggests the Fifteenth Amendment's purpose was not initially fulfilled?

• Many African American men were prevented from voting through the use of poll tax laws

• African American women did not gain suffrage until passage of the Nineteenth Amendment

• African American teenagers did not gain suffrage until passage of the Twenty-sixth Amendment

• Many Southern states restricted the rights of African Americans by passing laws called black codes

Leaders of colonial independence in the 1760s and 1770s began to speak about "natural rights" rather than talking about "English liberties." What is the best explanation for this?

• Their language reflected the growing racial & ethnic diversity of the American colonies in the eighteenth century

• Many colonial assemblies passed laws to protect the civil rights of ethnic minorities

• More & more colonists had been exposed to the ideas advocated by Enlightenment thinkers

• Independence leaders advocated that government take steps to improve the lives of minorities

Which phrase completes the diagram?

• Separation of Powers

• Economic Freedom

• Self-Government

• Individual Rights