EOC Practice Quiz

The statements below are from the Declaration of Independence. Which statement reflects the Enlightenment ideas of natural law as expressed by Locke?

• All men...are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...

• He has...obstruct[ed] the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither...

• Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

• The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history...having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.

What did many American colonists use Thomas Paine's Common Sense to justify?

• Acts of sabotage against British merchants

• Declaring independence from Britain

• Joining the army instead of the militia

• Supporting the British monarchy

The diagram describes a cause that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Which action completes the diagram?

• British eliminate all taxes on colonists

• Colonists vote to elect new member of Parliament

• British ignore colonist grievances

• Colonist send troops to Britain in protest

The Declaration of Independence included these complaints: Taxation without representation, Limiting judicial powers, Quartering Troops, Dissolving legislature. Which complaint should be added to this list?

• Requiring colonists to send representation to Parliament

• Suspending trial by jury in many cases

• Ordering colonists to move from Native American land

• Allowing the wealthy to avoid local laws

The passage below was written by John Locke in his Second Treatise of Civil Government. "Government being for the preservation of every man's right and property, by preserving him from the violence or injury of others, is for the good of the governed." Based on this passage, with which complaint in the Declaration of Independence would John Locke agree?

• He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.

• He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people...

• He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

• He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

Which of the following was a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

• The government did not have a separate judicial branch.

• The states could not print their own currency.

• The president was able to spend taxes freely.

• The government had too much power over trade.

How did the U.S. Constitution address the problem under the Articles of Confederation that Congress had no power to ensure its laws were followed by the states?

• It created an executive branch to enforce laws.

• It gave each state sovereign authority over its laws.

• It required the president to resolve disputes between states.

• It required unanimous consent of states to create new laws.

What does the phrase "insure domestic tranquility" in the Preamble of the Constitution mean?

• Give land to the homeless

• Fight wars on foreign soil

• Keep the homeland at peace

• Provide citizens with insurance

This diagram shows the purpose of government according to the Preamble of the Constitution.

• depends on people; serve the people

• depends on law; maintain the law

• depends on legislators; serve legislators

• depends on liberty; maintain those liberties

These boxes describe two events relating to the U.S. government. What constitutional principles are demonstrated in examples A and B?

• Example A: checks and balances; Example B: separation of powers

• Example A: checks and balances; Example B: judicial review

• Example A: separation of powers; Example B: individual rights

• Example A: separation of powers; Example B: checks and balances