Topic 1 Test: Foundations of Government

What is government?

• the services provided a community, such as police protection, fire protection, and public health programs
• the laws that protect peoples’ rights and ensure the safety of a state's citizens
• the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies
• the process by which public officials are elected to and removed from office

Which of the following is the best definition of the public policies of a government?

• everything a government decides to do
• everything a government does related to public services
• everything a government does to collect taxes
• everything a government decides to do regarding foreign affairs

Which of the following lists the three basic powers a government must have?

• executive power, legislative power, military power
• legislative power, executive power, judicial power
• economic power, judicial power, legislative power
• judicial power, diplomatic power, executive power

In what way is the United States a representative democracy?

• Citizens allow a self-appointed elite to make decisions for them.
• Citizens decide laws and policies directly in mass meetings.
• Citizens choose small groups of people to make laws and policy for them.
• Citizens elect a President who has absolute power to make decisions for them.

A newspaper headline that reads "President Rejects Tax Increase Bill" is an example of which of the following?

• The President has powers but they are subject to direct control by the legislature.
• The legislative and executive branches must always act together.
• The legislature can act on its own and can never be blocked by the president.
• The President has power to block actions of the legislature.

Where did the only direct democracy exist?

• Ancient Rome
• Ancient Egypt
• Ancient Greece
• Mesopotamia

A government ruled by a dictator is a form of

• indirect democracy.
• direct democracy.
• autocracy.
• oligarchy.

"The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins." —Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes What point was Justice Holmes making about the foundations of democracy?

• Everyone has rights, and they can freely use force to exercise them.
• Everyone has rights, but only those willing to use force will keep them.
• Everyone has rights, but the exercise of these rights cannot endanger others.
• Everyone has rights, and can exercise them in any way they want.

Use the following quote to answer the question.“The first requisite of a good citizen in our republic is that he should be able and willing to pull his weight.”—President Theodore Roosevelt, 1902~ Which of the following BEST summarizes Roosevelt's statement?

• In a republic, good citizens fulfill all their obligations by electing a representative to serve their interests in the government.
• Good citizens should be willing and able to accept the duties and responsibilities of living in a free society.
• Good citizens should be willing to work hard and earn a living so they don’t become a burden to the state.
• In a free society, all citizens should be able to freely decide how much or how little they will contribute.

Which of the theories BEST describes the origin of England?

• Divine Right of Kings Theory
• Social Contract Theory
• Evolutionary Theory
• Force Theory