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U.S Constitution Test Unit 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6

Total questions: 58

Worksheet time: 52mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

The issue of allowing prayer in public schools has faced controversy because of differing interpretations of the:

a)

Free of speech and due process clauses of the Constitution

b)

Representation and appointment clauses of the Constitution

c)

Establishment and free exercise clauses of the Constitution

d)

Supremacy and declarative clauses of the Constitution

2.

The right to due process of law means that

a)

Law and procedures of goverment must be fair and reasonable

b)

Important public questions must be settled by direct vote of the people Proposed laws must be passed by both houses of CongressLaws and procedures of government must be fair and reasonable

c)

Laws will be publicly debated

3.

The primary purpose of the civil rights movement was to

a)

Encourage civic participation among immigrants

b)

Oppose the Vietnam War

c)

Ensure that public schools remain segregated

d)

Obtain equal protection of the laws for African American

4.

The Nineteenth Amendment

a)

Freed the slaves

b)

Formally ended the Revolutionary War

c)

Gave women the right to vote

d)

Ended prohibition

5.

The establishment clause limits the government’s ability to

a)

Support an official state religion

b)

Set up public universities and colleges

c)

Compel students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance

d)

Raise and support standing armies

6.

The Constitution guarantees, with some limits each citizen right to free

a)

Speech, quality of life, and public education

b)

Speech, healthcare, shelter, and public welfare

c)

Speech, press, and practice of a professional trade

d)

Speech, press, assembly, and religious belief

7.

The Supreme Court can serve as a check on the power of the legislature by

a)

Impeaching members of Congress

b)

Declaring laws or actions unconstitutional

c)

Approving amendments passed by popular vote

d)

Approving presidential vetoes of congressional laws

8.

In the case Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court established its power of judicial review, which allows the court to

a)

Hear any case it wants to at any time

b)

Dispute the results of presidential elections

c)

Argue that it does not have to follow the Constitution

d)

Declare laws passed by Congress unconstitutional

9.

The first ten amendments to the Constitution are called the

a)

Statement of Purposes

b)

Preamble

c)

Bill of Rights

d)

Freedom Principle

10.

“This Constitution, and Laws of the United States… shall be the supreme Law of the Land” means that

a)

Only the laws of the U.S Constitution must be obeyed

b)

The Constitution may not be changed

c)

The laws of the U.S government may not be changed

d)

Federal law will prevail over state laws if the two conflict.

11.

A system of government in which power is shared by the national government, the state governments and the people is called a

a)

Unitary system

b)

Totalitarian system

c)

Federal system

d)

Confederation system

12.

The Constitution was ratified by a vote of

a)

State legislatures

b)

Special state conventions

c)

All registered voters

d)

Members of Congress

13.

To get enough support for the ratification of the Constitution, the Federalist agreed to

a)

Remove the necessary and proper clause

b)

Amend the three-fifths clause

c)

Outlaw slavery in the territories

d)

Add a bill of rights

14.

The Anti-Federalist were people who

a)

Opposed increasing the power of the national government.

b)

Opposed the creation of the Articles of Confederations

c)

Were loyal to the British monarch

d)

Supported Shays Rebellion

15.

Political parties came about as a result of

a)

A constitutional amendment

b)

Disagreements over the powers of the national government

c)

Conflicts between the Senate and House or Representatives

16.

One way of ensuring the neutrality of the national judiciary was to

a)

Have a judges be elected by the people

b)

Have judges be appointed for four-year terms

c)

Allow judges to hold their offices for life with good behavior

d)

allow judges salaries to be decided by popular vote

17.

The system the Framers created for choosing the president is known as

a)

The electoral college

b)

Voter registration

c)

Nomination by convention

d)

Political campaigning

18.

The Constitution grants the president the power to

a)

Make laws that congress refuses to make

b)

Veto laws passed by Congress

c)

Declare war

d)

Put people in jail without a trail

19.

The general welfare clause of the Constitution allows Congress to

a)

Override the president's veto by two-thirds vote of both houses

b)

Provide for the common good defense and common good of the United States

c)

Declare a person guilty of violating the law and set the punishment without a court trial

d)

Make all laws that are necessary and proper for carrying out the other powers of Congress.

20.

Powers that are specifically granted to Congress by the Constitution are called

a)

Executive powers

b)

Bureaucratic powers

c)

Judicial powers

d)

Enumerated powers

21.

The Framers resolved the conflict between the Northern and Southern states by

a)

Exempting the South from certain parts of the Constitution

b)

Prohibiting the expansion of slavery into new territories

c)

Expanding trade with Southern states

d)

Allowing the slave trade to continue

22.

The decision to divide Congress into two houses, with equal representation in one and proportional representation in the other, was called the

a)

Virginia Plan

b)

Great Compromise

c)

New Jersey Plan

d)

New York Compromise

23.

Gives states with larger populations a greater number of representatives in Congress is called

a)

Equal representation

b)

Adequate representation

c)

Proportional representation

d)

Legislative representation


24.

The Purpose of the Philadelphia Convention was to

a)

Declare independence from Great Britain

b)

Ratify the Articles of Confederation

c)

Secretly take control of the new states

d)

Improve the articles of confederation

25.

An important difference between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution is that Constitution gives

a)

Congress the power to act directly on the people

b)

Congress the right to establish a national school system

c)

Any state the right to leave the Union if it wishes

d)

Smaller states greater power

26.

The authors of the Articles of Confederation feared a strong national government, so they created a single branch of government, the

a)

Legislature

b)

Executive

c)

Judiciary

d)

Monarchy

27.

Early state constitutions include the principle of popular sovereignty, which means that

a)

The government has supreme power over the people

b)

The government has the power to make laws

c)

The government gets its right to govern from the people

d)

The legislature has absolute supremacy

28.

Diplomacy played an important role in the American Revolutionary War by ensuring that

a)

The Quebec campaign would succeed.

b)

Martha Washington could assist the troops with supplies

c)

France would provide loans and military assistance to the Americans

d)

Benjamin Franklin could negotiate a treaty with Britain

29.

The purpose of government as described in the Declaration of Independence is to

a)

Protect the people's natural rights

b)

Prevent attacks on foreign countries

c)

Make agreements with other nations

d)

Serve as a check on special interest groups

30.

The Declaration of Independence was

a)

The peace treaty that ended the American Revolution

b)

An explanation of the colonist revolt against Britain

c)

The first U.S. Constitution

d)

The first ten amendments to the Constitution

31.

The Colonist argued that laws such as the Stamp Act of 1765

a)

Were consistent with their rights as Englishmen

b)

Were invalid because the colonist were not allowed to vote for members of Parliament

c)

Were justified to help pay English debts

d)

Did not raise enough money to help the colonies

32.

To protect themselves from the abuse of power, the colonist created their colonial government to include

a)

A classical republic

b)

Judicial supremacy

c)

A constitutional monarchy

d)

Representative government

33.

The Magna Carta, an agreement between the nobles and the king of England, required

a)

The king to govern according to established rules of law

b)

The king to return taxes unfairly collected

c)

The king and the nobles to represent the common people

d)

The king and the nobles to agree on all new laws enacted

34.

The system of checks and balances was established to

a)

Prevent political parties from being created

b)

Provide government officials with unlimited powers

c)

Prevent branches of government from abusing power

d)

Guarantee that people’s rights are never limited

35.

Dividing the government into different branches is an example of

a)

Federalism

b)

Constitutional government

c)

Separation of powers

d)

Private domain

36.

A constitution is considered a higher law if it

a)

Must be obeyed by those running the government

b)

Can never be changed

c)

Comes from a divine source

d)

Keeps the government above the people

37.

A constitutional government always includes

a)

A strong executive

b)

A limitation of powers

c)

Written constitution

d)

The idea of judicial review

38.

Citizens who put the common good above their own selfish interest demonstrate

a)

Democracy

b)

Separation of powers

c)

Balance of powers

d)

Civic virtue

39.

An agreement to create a government and follow its laws is known as an

a)

Natural agreement

b)

Constitution

c)

Social contract

d)

Declaration of intent

40.

The Founders believed that natural rights meant the right to

a)

Education, privacy, and security

b)

Life, liberty, and property

c)

Clothing, food, and shelter

d)

Freedom, work and protection

41.

The founders were the ___.

a)

a. people who opposed the Articles of Confederations

b)

b. political leaders of the colonies

c)

c. British governors of the colonies

d)

d. people who supported the king.


42.

The United States has given much to the world. Among the democratic ideals other nations have learned from our country is

a)

Consent of the governed

b)

Separation of powers

c)

Legislative supremacy

d)

Necessary and proper laws

43.

The Constitution give our government power to deal with other nations. Among those powers is the authority

a)

Of Congress to approve treaties

b)

Of the Supreme Court to regulate commerce

c)

Of individual states to make treaties

d)

Of the president to address the United Nation

44.

Citizens have both personal and civic responsibilities that go along with their rights. An example of a civic responsibility

a)

Supporting one's family

b)

Making charitable donations

c)

Serving as a juror

d)

Contributing money to a political party

45.

Henry David Thoreau and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. are examples of people who went to jail because they

a)

Supported the impeachment of the president

b)

Disobeyed laws that they believed were unjust

c)

Refused to serve in the military

d)

Committed violent acts of protest

46.

Participation in the political life of our nation is consistent with the principle of

a)

Judicial activism

b)

Popular sovereignty

c)

Autocratic government

d)

The supremacy clause

47.

Who was the first Vice President

a)

John Adams

b)

Benjamin Franklin

c)

Alexander Hamilton

d)

James Madison

48.

Immigrants can become citizens

a)

True

b)

False

49.

Where was the Constitutional Convention held?

a)

Philadelphia

b)

Chicago

c)

Jamestown

d)

Annapolis

50.

The British won the American Revolution

a)

True

b)

False

51.

Which is not an unalienable right of the Declaration?

a)

Life

b)

Liberty

c)

Pursuit of Happiness

d)

Education

52.

What year was the Declaration signed and adopted?

a)

1776

b)

1727

c)

1775

d)

1876

53.

What does "We the People" mean?

a)

Make sure freedom continues

b)

care for those in need

c)

Citizens of America

d)

Make states get along as perfectly as possible

54.

What does "In order to form a more perfect Union" mean?

a)

Give protection to everyone

b)

Make sure everything is fair

c)

Promise of peace in our country

d)

Make states get along as perfectly as possible

55.

What does "Establish Justice" mean?

a)

Give protection to everyone

b)

Make sure everything is fair

c)

Promise of peace in our country

d)

Make states get along as perfectly as possible

56.

What does "Ensure domestic tranquility" mean?

a)

Give protection to everyone

b)

Make sure everything is fair

c)

Promise of peace in our country

d)

Make states get along as perfectly as possible

57.

Which branch has the power to "Appoint Judges"?

a)

Legislative Branch

b)

Executive Branch

c)

Judicial Branch

58.

Which branch has the power to "Removes judges from office"?

a)

Legislative Branch

b)

Executive Branch

c)

Judicial Branch