Government Chapter 1 Quiz

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

Which statement BEST expresses the concerns of the founders of the American government?

• Their focus was to create a government that protected the nation from foreign enemies.

• Their focus was to create a government that protected the nation from domestic threats.

• Their focus was to create a nation that protected national interests over individual rights.

• Their focus was to create a government that protected all aspects of the nation and its people.

Use the following quotation to answer the question. “If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” —James Madison, Federalist No. 51 Which of the following BEST summarizes this idea?

• Government is necessary to make policy, but should not control people.

• Government is necessary, because people do not always behave perfectly.

• Government is not necessary, but people are better off when it exists.

• Government is not necessary, because people are naturally good.

Use this excerpt from the text to answer the question. "To many people, the most meaningful of these classifications [of government] is the one that depends on the number of persons who can take part in the governing process." Why might this particular classification be most meaningful to people?

• It indicates the balance of power in a government.

• It indicates how democratic a government is.

• It indicates a government’s geographic distribution of power.

• It indicates how flexible a government’s laws are.

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.

What is the difference between a unitary government and a federal government?

• In a unitary government, power is shared by an alliance of independent states; in a federal government power is divided between a central government and local governments.

• In a federal government, power is shared by an alliance of independent states; in a unitary government power is divided between a central government and local governments.

• In a federal government, power is held by a single, central agency; in a unitary government power is divided between a central government and local governments.

• In a unitary government power is held by a single, central agency; in a federal government power is divided between a central government and local governments.

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.

How does the chief executive of a parliamentary system differ from that of a presidential system?

• Unlike a president, a prime minister is a member of both the legislative and executive branches.

• Unlike a president, the prime minister is elected by the citizenry.

• Unlike a president, the prime minister is the only member of the executive branch.

• Unlike a president, the prime minister is under the direct control of the legislature.