WorksheetsRoots of American Constitution
Total questions: 29
Worksheet time: 36mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
How many votes, from the 13 states, did it take to make a change (amendment) to the Articles of Confederation?
a)
1
b)
7
c)
10
d)
13
2.
Under the Articles of Confederation, most of the power was where?
a)
Legislative branch
b)
the president
c)
the states
d)
national government
3.
Under the Articles of Confederation, how many votes did each state get when voting on a new law?
a)
Zero
b)
One
c)
Two
d)
Three
4.
The Constitutional Convention was convened to...
a)
write the Treaty of Paris.
b)
get all the signers of the Declaration together to celebrate.
c)
decide who would fight Daniel Shay.
d)
improve the Articles of Confederation.
5.
The New Jersey Plan was supported by _____ states and the Virginia Plan was supported by _____ states
a)
northern; southern
b)
large; small
c)
southern; northern
d)
small; large
6.
What plan called for a two house legislature with representation based on population?
a)
New York Plan
b)
New Jersey Plan
c)
Virginia Plan
d)
Georgia Plan
7.
This branch enforces or carries out the laws
a)
Executive
b)
Judicial
c)
Legislative
d)
Supreme Court
8.
How many states had to ratify the Constitution before it went into effect?
a)
9
b)
13
c)
27
d)
245
9.
Why style of government was established under the Articles?
a)
democracy
b)
republic
c)
confederation
d)
monarchy
10.
Bicameral means there are ___ branches or houses
a)
one
b)
two
c)
three
d)
five
11.
Which principle states that the government is subject to the will of the people (the people decide)?
a)
limited government
b)
checks and balances
c)
popular sovereignty
d)
federalism
12.
The __________ supported the Constitution and wanted a stronger national government.
a)
Federalists
b)
Anti-Federalists
c)
Constitutionalists
d)
Anti-Constitutionalists
13.
The __________ did not support the Constitution and believed the Constitution created a central government that was too strong.
a)
Federalists
b)
Anti-Federalists
c)
Constitutionalists
d)
Anti-Constitutionalists
14.
Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison published several essays arguing for the Constitution known as the ____________.
a)
Publius Papers
b)
Federation Articles
c)
A Discussion on Constitutional Ratification
d)
Federalist Papers
15.
At the Constitutional Convention (1787), which issue was resolved by the Great Compromise?
a)
A) Method of electing the president
b)
B) Power of Congress to tax exports
c)
C) Regulation of interstate commerce
d)
D) Representation of states in Congress
16.
The Great Compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention resulted in the
a)
A) Formation of the Supreme Court
b)
B) Creation of a bicameral legislature
c)
C) Development of a two-party system (Democrats and Republicans)
d)
D) Ban on the importation of enslaved Africans
17.
How long is the term of the office of President?
a)
2 years
b)
4 years
c)
8 years
d)
unlimited
18.
Why was it hard to get laws passed under the Articles of Confederation?
a)
To pass a law, all states needed to agree.
b)
To pass a law, 9 of 13 states needed to agree.
c)
The President could veto a law before it was passed.
d)
The Supreme Court could rule any law unconstitutional
19.
Building support for the ratification of the United States Constitution was the purpose of the
a)
Farewell Address of George Washington
b)
Albany Plan of Union
c)
Mayflower Compact
d)
Federalist Papers
20.
The government structure and powers under the Articles of Confederation differed from the government under the U.S. Constitution. How did the role of the government expand under the U.S. Constitution?
a)
Congress could not collect taxes.
b)
Federal courts had no jurisdiction.
c)
A unicameral legislature made the laws.
d)
The executive branch could enforce laws.
21.
What is the highest law in the United States government?
a)
The President
b)
U.S. Constitution
c)
The Supreme Court
d)
State constitutions
22.
“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” This quote from the Declaration of Independence illustrates the concept of
a)
Popular sovereignty
b)
Judicial review
c)
Federalism
d)
Separation of powers
23.
What is the purpose of the United States Bill of Rights?
a)
To provide more power to the national government
b)
To protect individual rights of the people
c)
To grant powers to the states
d)
To establish the rule of law
24.
The Declaration of Independence was written in order to
a)
explain to the world the reasons for the colonies taking such a drastic step
b)
demonstrate the new government's power
c)
explain the philosophy of democracy
d)
formally declare war on England
25.
According to the Declaration, governments are created
a)
to protect the rights of men
b)
to protect the country from invasion
c)
for the happiness of men
d)
to show that people can control themselves
26.
Under the Articles of Confederation, when a state didn't accept a law passed by Congress it
a)
passed a new law
b)
obeyed it anyway
c)
sent a Lobbyist to Washington to get it changed
d)
ignored it
27.
The main reason the government under the Articles of Confederation failed was
a)
states wouldn't give any of their important powers to the central government
b)
it didn't have enough money to go on
c)
the British won the Revolutionary War
d)
it was a bad idea to begin with
28.
Once the delegates at the special convention began work, they quickly realized that they had
a)
to go home and take care of their own business
b)
no reason to be there
c)
to start over and write an entirely new plan that would replace the Articles of Confederation
d)
come to the wrong city
29.
How did the new constitution "check and balance the powers" of the central government?
a)
it watched the President very closely
b)
it gave it no power
c)
it gave all the power to the states
d)
it had each of the three branches of government be accountable to the other two
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