Constitution STAAR Questions

The U.S. Constitution grants certain powers to each branch of the government. For example, the judicial branch has the power to settle legal disputes, but it does not have the power to enforce laws . This example best reflects the principle of--

• Federalism

• Republicanism

• individual rights

• separation of powers

The English Bill of Rights and the American Bill of Rights are similar because both documents

• explain the system of checks and balances

• Establish the three branches of government

• include instructions for allowing each citizen to vote

• Lay out the basic rights of all citizens in each country

Which examples best represents the government principle of checks and balances?

• Individual states are allowed to sign any treaties or agreements with any other countries.

• The President of the United States must be a natural born citizen and be at least 35 years old

• The President appoints members of the Cabinet, but the Senate must approve each of these appointments.

• The judicial branch of government consists of the U.S. Supreme Court and other lower federal courts

Which principle of government is best represented by the diagram above?

• Judicial Review

• Checks and Balances

• Individual Rights

• limited government

Which principle of government is best represented by this graphic?

• Separation of powers

• popular sovereignty

• judicial review

• republicanism

Before the Civil War, arguments over admitting new territories as free or slave states were common. Some politicians suggest that the PEOPLE living in each territory should decide whether a new state would be a free state or slave state. This suggestion was based on the principle known as-

• federalism

• limited government

• popular sovereignty

• separation of powers

The sharing of powers between the national and state government is known as which principle--

• Federalism

• Checks and Balances

• separation of powers

• limited government

Which other characteristic of the Constitution best supports the guarantee made in this excerpt?

• The Constitution established Congress as a body of elected representatives

• The Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation

• The Constitution allowed the federal government to make foreign policy

• The Constitution created three branches of government

The President can check the power of Congress by using the executive power to-

• Impeach judges

• declare laws unconstitutional

• pardon persons convicted of a crime

• veto bills

Based on the diagram above, the framers of the Constitution wanted to ensure that-

• state did not have the right to secede from the Union

• no one branch of government had too much power

• states had some powers denied to the federal government

• voters had the right to choose state and federal officials