AP Unit 1 Assessment

What is your name?

In order to appease both Federalists and Anti-Federalists, it was agreed at the Constitutional Convention that a group of delegates would be charged with selecting the president. This would ensure that

• the president would be chosen directly by the people to ensure that the process adheres to the principles of democracy
• the president would be chosen by Congress since Congress has been elected and represents the will of the people
• a qualified person representative of the people would become president
• the president would be chosen by the Supreme Court because the Court is charged with making unbiased decisions

Read the passage from Brutus 1 below to answer questions 2-3. “In every free government, the people must give their assent to the laws by which they are governed. This is the true criterion between a free government and an arbitrary one. The former are ruled by the will of the whole, expressed in any manner they may agree upon; the latter by the will of one, or a few. If the people are to give their assent to the laws, by persons chosen and appointed by them, the manner of the choice and the number chosen, must be such, as to possess, be disposed, and consequently qualified to declare the sentiments of the people; for if they do not know, or are not disposed to speak the sentiments of the people, the people do not govern, but the sovereignty is in a few. Now, in a large extended country, it is impossible to have a representation, possessing the sentiments, and of integrity, to declare the minds of the people, without having it so numerous and unwieldy, as to be subject in great measure to the inconveniency of a democratic government….” Which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely agree with?

• Average citizens cannot be trusted to vote because of low levels of education.
• Nations with extended territory cannot fairly represent their citizens in a republican form of government.
• The federal government should have greater authority than state legislatures.
• A small federal legislature is the best way to represent the will of the people in a large country.

In the passage, Brutus is most concerned with the conflict between which of the following political ideas?

• Participatory democracy and elite democracy
• Civil rights and national security
• Political parties and special interest groups
• Religious liberty and the separation of church and state

Both Locke and Jefferson believed that the government should get their powers by having the ______________ of the governed.

• Grievances
• Power
• Business
• Consent

As a compromise, the framers agreed on a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives directly elected by popular vote within states and the Senate selected by state legislatures. The method chosen for electing members of the House of Representatives conforms most to which of the following democratic ideals?

• The social contract is an agreement between citizens and government.
• Policy makers should be the most well-informed and wealthy members of society.
• State power should be respected in a federal constitution.
• Government should be based on the consent of the governed.

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates from larger states argued that each state’s representation in the legislature should be proportional to its population. Smaller states argued that each state should have equal representation, regardless of population. The disagreement over representation threatened to derail the ratification of the United States Constitution. Which statement accurately describes the compromise that led to both sides reaching agreement?

• A bicameral legislature with an upper house selected by the lower house and the lower house representation proportional to each state’s population
• A bicameral legislature with an upper house representing each state equally and a lower house with representation proportional to each state's population
• A unicameral legislature with equal representation for every state
• A unicameral legislature with representation proportional to each state's population.

In The Federalist 10, which of the following did James Madison argue would best control the negative effects of factions?

• A law that prohibits factions
• A small direct democracy
• A large unitary government
• A large federal republic

The first government of the United States was known as the_______________________.

• Constitution
• The Declaration of Independence
• Articles of Confederation
• The British Parliament
• The Iroquois Confederacy

The Declaration of Independence cites specific reasons for separating from British rule, including the British imposing taxes and maintaining a standing army without consent. Which of the following principles or ideas would these grievances be most related to?

• Natural rights such as life and liberty
• The authority to create a centralized military among the colonies
• The incorporation of checks and balances among the branches of government
• Concurrent powers allowing the colonies to draft their own laws