Semester Review

Which change was made by the 17th Amendment to increase the influence of ordinary citizens in the U.S. government?

• It allowed women to vote in federal elections.

• It required senators to be chosen directly by voters.

• It lowered the voting age to 18.

• It ended property requirements for voting.

Which statement explains the principle of the United States Constitution?

• The three branches of government have the ability to prevent an abuse of power of another branch of government.

• Popular Sovereignty

• The government has restricted power and must also follow the law.

• Checks and Balances

• The people have the right to vote and change the government if it abuses its power.

• Limited Government

This excerpt explains the roles of different branches in the United States government.

Which part of the excerpt describes the responsibility of a member of Congress?

• makes the laws for the country

• bi-cameral legislature which means it is divided into two houses

• main job is to enforce the laws of the country

• interpret the laws

• see that they are fairly applied

Which issue most contributed to the decision to revise the Articles of Confederation?

• lack of communication with Great Britain

• the signing of the Declaration of Independence

• military challenges during the Revolutionary War

• weaknesses in the structure of the national government

Which statement best explains how the states were connected after gaining independence?

• A. The states operated independently without any shared laws.

• B. The states formed a "league of friendship" under a common set of laws.

• C. Each state created its own government without any cooperation.

Which statement best describes the distribution of power under the Articles of Confederation?

• The federal government had limited authority, while the states retained most of the power.

• The federal government controlled all aspects of governance, leaving states with no power.

• Power was shared equally between the federal government and the states.

• Neither the federal government nor the states had any real power.

During the Constitutional Convention, delegates debated how states should be represented in the new government. Large states wanted representation based on population, while small states wanted equal representation for all states. The final agreement created a two-house legislature, with one house based on population and the other with equal representation for each state.

Part A
What is the name of the agreement that settled this debate?

• The 3/5ths Compromise

• The Missouri Compromise

• The Great Compromise

• The Compromise of 1850

This excerpt discusses a key decision made during the Constitutional Convention. Delegates from larger states argued that their states should have more influence in Congress due to their greater populations. Delegates from smaller states believed that every state should have equal representation, regardless of size. After much debate, a compromise was reached. Congress would be divided into two chambers. In one chamber, representation would be determined by population, while in the other, each state would have the same number of representatives. This arrangement allowed both large and small states to participate fairly in the legislative process. Part B Which statement BEST explains how the compromise addressed the concerns of both large and small states?

• Congress would have only one chamber, with representation based on population.

• Each state would have equal representation in both chambers of Congress.

• Congress would be divided into two chambers, with different methods of representation.

• Only large states would have a voice in the government.

Why did the framers of the US Constitution include a system of checks and balances?

• To allow citizens to directly create laws.

• To prevent any one branch of government from dominating the others.

• To ensure the President has more power than Congress.

• To eliminate the need for a judicial branch.

Determine which statement correctly summarizes the rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Move the answers to the correct boxes.

• right to a trial by jury in civil trials

• right to a trial by jury in civil trials

• people have rights beyond what are mentioned in the Constitution

• right to a speedy and public trial in criminal cases

• right to a speedy and public trial in criminal cases

• no excessive bail or "cruel and unusual" punishment

• no excessive bail or "cruel and unusual" punishment

• people have rights beyond what are mentioned in the Constitution

• powers not given to the federal government belong to the state government or the people

• powers not given to the federal government belong to the state government or the people