Government Test Prep Answers Explained

Part I — Multiple Choice (75 points): What is the type of democracy practiced by the national government of the United States?

• Representative Democracy

• Direct Democracy

• Parliamentary Democracy

• Unitary confederation

Answer explanation

The United States practices a Representative Democracy, where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf, rather than a Direct Democracy where citizens vote on every issue directly.

Part I — Multiple Choice (75 points): The Social Contract theory of government states that:

• The family is the prime unit of governance

• Rulers derive their power from God

• Only the strongest governments can survive

• People agree to be governed in order to maintain order and stability

Answer explanation

The Social Contract theory posits that individuals consent to be governed to ensure order and stability in society, making the correct choice about governance based on mutual agreement.

Part I — Multiple Choice (75 points): Which theory states that early governments began with families and clans, which then led to nation-states?

• Absolutist theory

• Force theory

• Evolution theory

• Divine Right theory

Answer explanation

The Evolution theory posits that governments originated from family and clan structures, gradually evolving into more complex forms like nation-states, making it the correct choice for this question.

Part I — Multiple Choice (75 points): At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, supporters of the Virginia plan and supporters of the New Jersey plan differed over the method for

• determining congressional representation

• selecting the president's cabinet

• adopting the amendment process

• giving powers to the executive branch

Answer explanation

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Virginia Plan proposed representation based on population, while the New Jersey Plan favored equal representation for each state. This fundamental difference was about determining congressional representation.

Part I — Multiple Choice (75 points): Which Enlightenment thinker believed people to be cruel, selfish and greedy, therefore requiring a monarchy to keep order?

• Locke

• Voltaire

• Wollstonecraft

• Hobbes

Answer explanation

Hobbes believed that humans are inherently cruel, selfish, and greedy. He argued that a strong monarchy is necessary to maintain order and prevent chaos, distinguishing him from thinkers like Locke and Voltaire.

Part I — Multiple Choice (75 points): An example of a reserved power is:

• The creation of a national bank

• Regulation of interstate commerce

• The power to declare war

• States’ issuing of driver’s license

Answer explanation

The power to issue driver's licenses is reserved for states, as it is not explicitly granted to the federal government. This makes it a clear example of a reserved power, unlike the other options which are federal powers.

Part I — Multiple Choice (75 points): When the United States Constitution was written, which compromise was reached by the authors that established a bicameral legislature?

• Congress would consist of both a House of Representatives and a Senate.

• Five enslaved persons would be counted as three free persons for the purpose of taxation

• The President would be selected by the direct vote of the people.

• Exported goods could not be taxed, but imported goods could be taxed.

Answer explanation

The correct choice is that Congress would consist of both a House of Representatives and a Senate, which was established by the Great Compromise during the Constitutional Convention, creating a bicameral legislature.

Part I — Multiple Choice (75 points): The judicial branch of government can check the legislative branch of government by

• vetoing bills passed by Congress

• declaring laws unconstitutional

• calling special sessions of Congress

• reducing congressional budgets

Answer explanation

The judicial branch checks the legislative branch by declaring laws unconstitutional, ensuring that laws align with the Constitution. This power is a key aspect of judicial review, unlike the other options listed.

Part I — Multiple Choice (75 points): What does sovereignty mean?

• Attempts to influence government

• A nation-state’s right to rule itself

• A government based on a social contract

• The institution through which a state makes policy

Answer explanation

Sovereignty refers to a nation-state's right to govern itself without external interference, making the correct choice 'A nation-state’s right to rule itself'. Other options describe different political concepts.

Part I — Multiple Choice (75 points): Which theory sees government as power handed down from God?

• The Evolution Theory

• The Force Theory

• The Divine Right Theory

• The Social Contract Theory

Answer explanation

The Divine Right Theory posits that government authority is derived from God, legitimizing rulers' power as divinely ordained. This distinguishes it from other theories that attribute power to evolution, force, or social contracts.