Midterm U.S. Government 2025

Citizens must decide whether to build a new city auditorium or repair the old one. Supporters of the new building say their plan is more cost-effective. To judge whether this claim is trustworthy, what information should citizens focus on?

• How many events the auditorium hosts each year

• How much money supporters spend promoting their plan

• How popular the supporters are in the community

• Cost estimates from architects and financial experts

Some Americans want the government to remove TV shows they believe teach harmful values to kids, while TV stations say they should choose their own programs. Which action represents a reasonable compromise?

• Allow stations full freedom to air anything

• Ban all programs that some viewers find inappropriate

• Schedule questionable programs late at night when children are unlikely to watch

• Survey children and only air shows they choose

Who would give the most reliable description of life under a dictatorship?

• A high-ranking official who works for the dictator

• A political prisoner who was recently jailed by the regime

• A historian who interviewed many citizens living under the dictator

• A leader of a country that is a close ally of the dictator

When two sides each give up something to reach an agreement, what method of conflict resolution is being used — the same method that helped large and small states settle disputes during the Constitutional Convention?

• Compromise

• Negotiation

• Consensus Building

• Persuasion

Why does the Declaration of Independence list specific complaints against King George III?

• To show that the colonies needed a new king

• To explain why independence from Britain was necessary

• To persuade the king to fix the problems

• To argue that colonists deserved positions in the British Parliament

How did the Virginia Plan differ from the New Jersey Plan?

• The New Jersey Plan proposed all three branches; the Virginia Plan did not

• The Virginia Plan proposed representation based on population; the New Jersey Plan proposed equal representation

• The Virginia Plan supported a monarchy; the New Jersey Plan supported democracy

• The New Jersey Plan focused on state sovereignty; the Virginia Plan focused on federal power

How did the Connecticut (Great) Compromise resolve the conflict between large and small states about representation in Congress?

• It created one house based on population and another with equal representation for each state

• It created separate governments for large and small states

• It required Connecticut to provide the most representatives

• It kept the same representation system used under the Articles of Confederation

What did Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke argue?

• That universal laws could not be discovered

• That they should rebel against King John of France

• That governments must protect the natural rights of the people

• That absolute monarchies were the best form of government

Why did Federalists support adding the Necessary and Proper (Elastic) Clause to the Constitution?

• To protect individual rights

• To guarantee state sovereignty

• To allow the national government to operate effectively

• To increase citizen participation in choosing officials

Article III establishes the Supreme Court and allows for:

• Local courts created by city governments

• State courts created by state governments

• Lower courts created by Congress

• International courts created by treaties