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WorksheetsPowers, Checks and Balances
Total questions: 21
Worksheet time: 1hrs 1mins
Which example shows how branches of government interact with each other?
The Supreme Court rules on a case.
The House of Representatives votes on a bill.
The president recommends legislation to Congress.
The president signs a treaty with a country in Europe
Which of these could result if a state’s population declined over time?
greater number of electors to the Electoral College
reduced representation in the United States Senate
increased funding from Congress for social programs
reduced representation in the House of Representatives
How is the power of the judicial branch limited by the U.S. Constitution?
It lacks the authority to approve new legislation.
It lacks the authority to hand down punishments.
It lacks the authority to evaluate the actions of government officials.
It lacks the authority to make people appear in court without their consent.
Which of these excerpts from the United States Constitution best reflects the principle of checks and balances?
“This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States . . . shall be the supreme Law of the Land. . . .”
“The [listing] in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be [interpreted] to deny . . . others retained by the people.”
“All persons born or naturalized in the United States . . . are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
“Every Bill which shall have passed [Congress] shall, before it becomes a Law, be presented to the President of the United States.”
Read the following excerpt and answer the question below. …[W]henever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government… -Declaration of Independence, 1776 Source: National Archives/Public Domain
Which political principle is reflected in this quote?
class warfare
social contract
order of succession
separation of powers
The concept of separation and balance of powers in the Constitution refers to:
a separation of powers between various executive departments.
a separation of powers between the national and state governments.
a separation of powers between separate and coequal branches of government.
a separation of individual rights from the rights that are granted to state governments
All of the following goals are outlined in the preamble of the constitution EXCEPT
Promote general welfare
Identify rights of all citizens
Provide for common defense
Establish a more perfect union
. Read the following excerpt and answer the question below.
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure . . . peace, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and [future generations], do [call for] and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." Source: www.loc.gov
Based on the excerpt, what was the main reason that the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution?
They wanted to reduce the power of the states.
They wanted to improve the alliance of the states.
They wanted to establish new courts for the states
They wanted to resolve important differences among the states
Read the following chart and answer the question below.
Which column correctly explains how the legislative branch can check the power of the executive and judicial branches?
A
B
C
D
Th following statements describe two events relating to the U.S. government....
A. The U.S. Supreme Court declares a law created by Congress unconstitutional
B. Congress passes a new tax law and the Internal Revenue Service enforces it.
What constitutional principles are demonstrated in examples A and B?
Example A: checks and balances; Example B: separation of powers
Example A: checks and balances; Example B: judicial review
Example A: separation of powers; Example B: individual rights
Example A: separation of powers; Example B: checks and balances
Read the following information and answer the question below.
The federal government is divided into three branches: the executive power, granted to the president; the legislative power, given to Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate); and the judicial power, vested in one Supreme Court and other federal courts created by Congress. The Constitution provides a system of checks and balances designed to avoid the tyranny of any one branch. Most important actions require the participation of more than one branch of government.
For example, Congress passes laws, but the president can veto them. The executive branch prosecutes persons for criminal violations, but they must be tried by the courts.
Which statement about the executive branch should be added to the information?
When prosecuting a suspect, the executive branch must secure funds from the legislative branch.
When building a court system, the executive branch must gain approval from the judicial branch.
When appointing judges, the executive branch must gain approval from the legislative branch.
When vetoing a law, the executive branch must wait for approval from the judicial branch.
The statement below was written by John Adams in April 1776.
A representation of the people in one assembly being obtained, a question arises, whether all the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judicial, shall be left in this body? I think a people cannot be long free, nor ever happy, whose government is in one assembly.
Source: Thoughts on Government, Letter of John Adams
Which basic principle of American government is John Adams describing in this statement?
separation of powers
individual rights
natural laws
civic virtue
Look at the following table and answer the question below
Which letters match the column numbers in the chart?
A 1, B 2, C 3
B 1, C 2, A 3
A 1, C 2, B 3
C 1, A 2, B 3
. Read the following sentence and answer e question below:
“The Constitution limits the kind of laws that can be made by the federal government and thereby grants the states the power to make all other necessary laws”
Which word describes this type of power?
Absolute
Democratic
Enumerated
Reserved
We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America
Which statement reflects an idea expressed in the preamble?
The power of the three branches of government should be limited
The leader of the federal government should be directly elected
The government should provide a college education to all citizens
The government should protect the freedom of future generations
. Which branch is in charge of coining money?
The congress
The senate
The president
The house of representatives
The passage below is from a speech by President George W. Bush, March 19, 2003.
On my orders, coalition forces have begun striking selected targets of military importance to undermine Saddam Hussein's ability to wage war. These are opening stages of what will be a broad and concerted campaign.
Source: Office of the White House Press Secretary Archives
What constitutional power justifies the actions described in the passage?
chief regulator
chief legislator
commander-in-chief
negotiator-in-chief
Why was separation of powers included in the constitution?
to ensure that all citizens would become active participants in the government
to provide a more efficient manner in which to organize the government
to make the federal government move slowly compared with the states
to prevent one branch of government from gaining too much control over the federal government
. The passage below is from Federalist 51, written by James Madison in 1788.
the interior structure of the government as
that its several constituent parts may, by their
mutual relations, be the means of keeping
each other in their proper places
Source: Public Domain
Which constitutional principle does Madison describe in the passage?
Popular sovereignty
Judicial review
Separation of powers
Checks and balances
How are the responsibilities of the legislative and executive branches of government different when it comes to treaties?
U.S. Senate proposes treaties; the president carries out foreign treaties.
U.S. Senate negotiates foreign treaties; the president approves treaties.
U.S. Senate carries out foreign treaties; the president proposes treaties.
U.S. Senate ratifies treaties; the president negotiates foreign treaties.
The newspaper headline below describes an event in U.S. history.
Which parts of the national government participated in the process described in the newspaper headline?
Supreme Court and president
House of Representatives and Senate
Supreme Court and House of Representatives
Senate and president
