Practice Test 02

The text "The Balance of Power: Congress and the Executive Branch" is for question number 1 until number 5

You do not need to take the pool, read the text in 45 seconds

• Read

• Read

1. What does the author suggest is the root cause of the shift in power toward the executive branch?

• The Constitution explicitly grants unlimited war powers to the President.

• Presidents are evidently more effective communicators than Congress.

• Congressional inaction and political division have enabled greater executive autonomy.

• The public increasingly favors presidential and ministerial decision-making in peacetime.

Answer explanation

The author explicitly discusses how Congress has “willingly abdicated” its responsibilities due to “political gridlock and partisanship,” which has led to increased executive action.

2. What is the author’s likely purpose in referencing the AUMF of 2001?

• To praise bipartisan cooperation after national tragedy

• To demonstrate how Congress reasserted its military authority

• To illustrate how Congress ceded long-term war powers to the President

• To show how the Constitution’s war-making process was strengthened

Answer explanation

The author refers to the AUMF as a law that granted “broad authority” to the President and notes its use beyond its original scope, implying executive overreach.

3. Based on the passage, which statement most accurately reflects the author’s viewpoint?

• The legislative branch has become stronger in modern U.S. politics.

• Constitutional mechanisms no longer constrain the presidency.

• The erosion of legislative oversight is largely a political, not legal, failure.

• Congress’s power has been permanently removed by executive orders.

Answer explanation

The final paragraph clearly states that the issue lies in “political will rather than constitutional design.”

4. Which of the following would be considered a  fact based on the passage?

• Congress often ignores constitutional obligations.

• The President is the commander-in-chief of the military.

• The AUMF was a misuse of legislative power.

• Presidents always exceed their authority during crises.

Answer explanation

“Commander-in-chief” is a constitutionally assigned title for the President. The other options reflect opinion or assumptions.

5. What reasoning is used by critics of the AUMF to argue it gave excessive power to the President?

• It limits military funding from Congress.

• It allows the President to conduct foreign policy independently.

• It authorizes long-term use of force beyond its original target.

• It made congressional approval necessary for all future wars.

Answer explanation

The passage criticizes the AUMF for justifying “military actions in countries far beyond Afghanistan.”

The text "The Reconstruction Era: A Battle Over Freedom and Power" is for question number 6 until number 10

You do not need to take the pool, read the text in 45 seconds

• Read

• Read

6. What central tension does the author highlight in the Reconstruction era?

• The South’s desire to industrialize versus the North’s push for agriculture

• The conflict between local economic prosperity and national budget deficits

• The struggle between federal authority and Southern resistance to racial equality

• The balance between state-sponsored education and religious institutions

Answer explanation

The passage emphasizes Southern pushback against federal reforms and the attempt to uphold white supremacy despite federal laws.

7. Which sentence best supports the claim that federal reforms were insufficient to achieve lasting equality?

• “The Civil War may have ended in 1865… but the conflict over the meaning of freedom….”

• “Southern states…passed ‘Black Codes’ to limit the rights of African Americans.”

• “Congress imposed military rule on much of the South…”

• “The Freedmen’s Bureau was created to assist freedmen…”

Answer explanation

This sentence directly shows how states resisted federal efforts, undermining legal reforms.

8. Which of the following reflects the author’s  point of view regarding Reconstruction?

• Reconstruction was a complete failure and should never have been attempted.

• Reconstruction achieved its intended goal and permanently transformed the South.

• Reconstruction was an ambitious but ultimately fragile effort toward racial justice.

• Reconstruction proved that local governments are more effective than federal ones.

Answer explanation

The tone suggests respect for the ambition but acknowledges that the effort was “fragile” and resulted in “broken promises.”