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Civics 2nd 9 Weeks Exam Review

Total questions: 74

Worksheet time: 3hrs 54mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which American document is the basis of all U.S. national law?

a)

Articles of Confederation

b)

Magna Carta

c)

Constitution

d)

Declaration of Independence

2.

What document protects the freedoms of American citizens?

a)

Mayflower Compact

b)

Declaration of Independence

c)

Constitution

d)

Missouri Compromise

3.

Which phrase from the Declaration of Independence describes the source of government’s authority?

a)

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

b)

“Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes.”

c)

“Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

d)

“These united colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent states.”

4.

“Life, liberty, and property” were considered by John Locke to be

a)

legal rights.

b)

natural rights.

c)

constitutional rights.

d)

divine rights.

5.

Which political philosopher’s ideology most influenced Thomas Jefferson’s draft of the Declaration of Independence?

a)

John Locke

b)

Montesquieu

c)

Thomas Hobbes

d)

Machiavelli

6.

Use the information below to answer the question that follows.


Some Features of the Articles of Confederation

• Each state had one vote

• Laws required approval from 9 of the 13 states to pass

• Congress lacked power to tax citizens

• No national court system or national executive

• Amendments required approval by all 13 states


What was one argument that critics could make about the Articles of Confederation?

a)

The national government had little power to get states to cooperate.

b)

The power of the national government threatened states’ rights.

c)

The large states could easily change the rules of government to their advantage.

d)

The president had more power than the other branches of government.

7.

Some Features of the Articles of Confederation

• No national court system or national executive

• Amendments required approval by all 13 states

• Laws required approval from 9 of the 13 states to pass

• Congress could raise money only by requesting it from the states

• No national army: States voluntarily sent troops when requested by Congress


What was MOST important to supporters of the Articles of Confederation?

a)

respect for states’ rights

b)

a strong national government

c)

the influence of large states

d)

an effective national military

8.

Which of the following is a check the president has on the Supreme Court?

a)

the power to nominate new members to the Supreme Court

b)

the power to declare an action of the Supreme Court unconstitutional

c)

the power to approve the new appointments to the Supreme Court

d)

the power to veto decisions of the Supreme Court

9.

What was the purpose of the constitutional provision for the creation of a system of “checks and balances” within the national government?

a)

to ensure that no governmental branch becomes too powerful

b)

to allow Congress to appoint officials of the Executive Branch

c)

to allow the president the authority to veto the Supreme Court

d)

to establish three branches of government

10.

What is the purpose of the U.S. system of checks and balances?

a)

to limit authority of government branches

b)

to increase voter participation

c)

to improve procedures for the legislature

d)

to limit state powers

11.

Which action correctly demonstrates a check on the authority of the executive branch?

a)

a two-thirds vote by both houses of Congress that overrides a presidential veto

b)

a majority of state legislature votes that reverses a federal mandate

c)

a Supreme Court nominee being approved by a majority of state governors

d)

a ruling by the judicial branch that overrides an action of the president’s Cabinet

12.

Which governmental principle does this section of the U.S. Constitution enforce?


The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.

—Article II, Section 4, U.S. Constitution

a)

checks and balances

b)

majority rule

c)

popular sovereignty

d)

states’ rights

13.

Which position leads the executive branch of the U.S. government?

a)

President

b)

Secretary of Defense

c)

Senate Majority Leader

d)

Speaker of the House

14.

Why is the principle of separation of powers important in a democracy?

a)

It limits the actions of each branch of government.

b)

It prevents government leaders from serving for life.

c)

It requires government duties to be completed quickly.

d)

It requires that laws be written by each branch of government.

15.

Why is it important for the President of the United States to have veto power over laws?

a)

to check the power of Congress

b)

to limit the influence of the Supreme Court

c)

to ensure federal control over state governments

d)

to allow for the selection of department secretaries

16.
Why is the Magna Carta an important document in British history?
a)
It was the first document to place limits on the king's power
b)
It outlawed feudalism and gave voting rights to all citizens
c)
It established Parliament as the nation's legislative body.
d)
It determined England's physical boundaries
17.

According to John Locke, if the government didn't protect the people's natural rights, what could the people do?

a)

Overthrow the government

b)

Petition the government for their rights

c)

Nothing, the people don't have rights

18.
The law is applied equally to everyone
a)
Shared Powers
b)
Rule of Law
c)
Individual Rights
d)
Limited Government
19.

The Magna Carta accomplished which of the following?

a)

Limited powers of the king, allowed for trial by jury

b)

Fair trial by juries

c)

Taxes can't be raised without approval of nobles, all free men protected equally by law

d)

All of these are true

20.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights....


What is the main idea of this passage?

a)

Only citizens can enjoy the rights guaranteed by a government

b)

Government is necessary to promote equality.

c)

Government must equally distribute power among people

d)

People have rights that cannot be denied by any government

21.

How did Common Sense impact the way colonists thought about government?

a)

They began to believe that they should be governed by the King rather than by Parliament.

b)

They began to believe that it was not practical to be governed by England.

c)

They began to believe that they should boycott laws with which they did not agree.

d)

They began to believe that it was important to develop their own English style of government

22.

How does natural law relate to John Locke's theory of Social Contract?

a)

If the government breaks the social contract, the people have a right to rebel against the government according to natural law

b)

Natural law says that people must abide by the social contract no matter what the king's actions are towards his people

c)

Natural law has no relation to social contract

d)

John Locke believed that all colonies should be free from tyranny under natural law

23.

What was the benefit to the signers of the Mayflower Compact?

a)

created self-government, which allowed a better, safer life

b)

presented the rights of land ownership of the colonist

c)

created the forerunner to political group in America

d)

ensured the king's place as ruler of the colonies

24.
Why did King George III tax the colonists so heavily?
a)
He hated the colonist
b)
He wanted more money for himself
c)
The national debt increase from the French and Indian War
d)
To make money for the colonies
25.
This revolutionary cartoon by Benjamin Franklin was meant to -
a)
persuade colonists to support the loyalists
b)
recruit colonists for the Royal Navy
c)
encourage colonists to unite together and overcome their differences
d)
convince colonists to maintains state sovereignty
26.
The colonists were upset about _____________ without representation.
a)
Tea
b)
revolution
c)
Parliament 
d)
taxation
27.
Which of the following placed a tax on colonists to save the British East India Company?
a)
Townshend Act
b)
Sugar Act
c)
Intolerable Acts
d)
Tea Act
28.

What did the Colonists do after the Stamp Act?

a)

Boycott British goods

b)

Made their own goods

c)

Decided they didn't need goods

d)

Stopped paying all of their taxes

29.

Which of the following was a complaint against the King?

a)

Suspended trial by jury in many cases

b)

He forced colonists to move back to England

c)

He let the rich people not pay taxes

d)

He had too much representation for the colonists

30.

What are unalienable rights?

a)

Rights that government cannot take away

b)

Rights that government takes away

c)

rights for aliens

d)

Government is needed to promote equality

31.
The List of Grievances were the part of the Declaration that
a)
detailed the colonists' complaints with King George.
b)
listed a man's natural rights.
c)
introduced the Declaration.
d)
concluded the Declaration, declaring America a free country.
32.
What is the connection between natural rights and government? 
a)
government is meant to provide services 
b)
people have the right to alter government 
c)
people have certain unalienable rights
d)
government is meant to protect rights
33.

"Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it and to institute new government."

What does this quote mean?

a)

If a government is corrupt the people need to change it or make a new government

b)

The people have no say in their government

c)

The people have no power to change a corrupt government

d)

It's the people's fault if the government is corrupt

34.

The British government moved the army from the western lands into the cities. The law required colonists who were innkeepers of public officials to house and feed the British soldiers.

a)

Stamp Act, 1765

b)

Quartering Act, 1765

c)

Tea Act, 1773

d)

Declaratory Act, 1766

35.

What did the Townshend Acts do?

a)

put a restriction on storage for the colonists

b)

give colonists in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston a curfew

c)

taxed all imports into the colonies

d)

taxed products made in the colonies

36.

Punishment for the Boston Tea Party, including the closing of Boston Harbor and the removal of the legislature.

a)

Proclamation of 1763

b)

Intolerable Acts

c)

Sugar Act

d)

Townshend Act

37.
Which branch of government existed when the Articles of Confederation was created?
a)
Legislative (congress)
b)
Judicial (Supreme court)
c)
Executive (President)
d)
Legislative, Executive, and Judicial
38.
Under the Articles of Confederation, which government had the MOST power?
a)
Legislative branch
b)
the president
c)
the state governments
d)
national government
39.
Under the Articles of Confederation, how many votes did each state get?
a)
Zero
b)
One
c)
Two 
d)
Three
40.
Which of the following is an example of a weakness in the Articles of Confederation?
a)
Congress couldn't collect taxes
b)
Weak national government
c)
Provided no common currency/money for all 13 states
d)
All of the  above
41.
Why was this first U.S. government so weak?
a)
King George III  was still in charge of USA
b)
Americans were afraid to give their new government too much power
c)
The American army did not win their independence from Great Britain and King George III
d)
ask; no
42.
The Articles of Confederation created a ________ national government.
a)
weak
b)
strong
c)
both strong and weak
d)
neither  strong nor  weak
43.
What is the name of the first written plan of government for the newly independent U.S.A.?
a)
Constitution
b)
Treaty of Paris
c)
Declaration of Independence
d)
Articles of Confederation
44.
Because of the Articles  of  Confederarion the government could NOT regulate(control) ______ among the states.
a)
food quality
b)
laws
c)
travel
d)
commerce (trade)
45.
Which of the following are identified in the quote?"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with ... Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..."
a)
economic rights
b)
unalienable rights
c)
legal rights
d)
states' rights
46.
According to the Declaration of Independence, the main purpose of a government is to-
a)
ensure the stability of the economy
b)
protect the rights of the individual
c)
provide strong military leadership
d)
protect a nation from foreign invasions
47.
According to the Declaration of Independence, from where does government get the power to achieve its purpose?
a)
it is endowed by nature
b)
from the permission of the king
c)
from the authority of parliament
d)
from the consent of the governed
48.
Which of the following was the main purpose for writing the Declaration of Independence?
a)
convince Great Britain to stop mercantilism in North America
b)
force Spain to support a Revolutionary War against England
c)
proclaim war on Great Britain due to lack of economic rights
d)
state the colonists' reasons for separating from Great Britain
49.
The principles of government that Thomas Jefferson included in the Declaration of Independence were most influenced by which of the following people?
a)
John Locke
b)
Ben Franklin
c)
King George III
d)
Charles de Montesquieu
50.
What event completes the timeline?1. First Continental Congress2. Petition to King is sent3. ________________________4. Second Continental Congress
a)
the Boston Massacre defendants are tried
b)
the Battles of Lexington and Concord
c)
the Proclamation of 1763 bands westward settlement
d)
the Stamp Act repealed
51.
Who is the primary author of the Declaration of Independence?
a)
John Adams
b)
John Locke
c)
Thomas Jefferson
d)
Ben Franklin
52.
On which date was the Declaration of Independence adopted by the Second Continental Congress? 
a)
May 4, 1607
b)
January 23, 1620
c)
September 17, 1787
d)
July 4, 1776
53.
In the Declaration of Independence the author states that the Americans hold "these truths to be self-evident." Which of the following is one of these truths? 
a)
all men are created equal
b)
all rights must be earned
c)
all citizens have a right to vote
d)
all rights come from the king
54.
Tyranny is best described by which of the following?
a)
A government where all the power is in the hands of one person.
b)
A government headed by a king or a queen.
c)
A government that abuses its power.
d)
A government where some citizens are not allowed to vote.
55.
Which monarch ruled when the colonies declared their independence?
a)
George III
b)
Elizabeth I
c)
Henry VIII
d)
James VI
56.
Which house in Congress gives each state have equal representation? 
a)
Senate 
b)
House of Representatives 
c)
General Assembly 
d)
House of Commons 
57.
What document replaced the Articles of Confederation and established a new national government? 
a)
The Declaration of Independence 
b)
The Constitution 
c)
The Magna Carta 
d)
The English Bill of Rights 
58.
The Constitutional Convention was ORIGINALLY 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.
59.
The idea that Representation should be based on a states' population was the 
a)
New Jersey plan
b)
Virginia plan
c)
Connecticut plan
d)
Commerce Compromise
60.
Shay's Rebellion started as a protest against
a)
unfair taxes and farmer debt
b)
the death penalty
c)
no judicial system
d)
debtors' prisons
61.
Who is the "Father of the Constitution?"
a)
Benjamin Franklin
b)
George Washington
c)
Thomas Jefferson
d)
James Madison
62.
Small states favored the plan by William Patterson called the
a)
New Jersey Plan
b)
Three-Fifths Compromise
c)
Virginia Plan
d)
Georgia Plan
63.
Americans were afraid that a ______ would lead to tyranny.
a)
strong state government
b)
weak government
c)
strong central government
d)
legslature
64.

A meeting held in Philadelphia in 1787 at which delegates from the states wrote the U.S. Constitution.

a)

Congress

b)

Constitutional Convention

c)

First Continental Congress

d)

The Northwest Ordinance

65.

The "Age of Reason" in 17th and 18th-century Europe. Enlightenment thinkers emphasized using rational thought to discover truths about nature and society.

a)

Enlightenment

b)

The Great Compromise

c)

The Federalist Papers

d)

Republic

66.

A series of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay in support of the ratification of the Constitution by the states.

a)

Articles of Confederation

b)

Constitution

c)

The Federalist Papers

d)

The Great Compromise

67.

The plan of government adopted at the Constitutional Convention that established a two-house Congress. In the House of Representatives, representation from each state is based on state population. In the Senate, each state is represented by two senators.

a)

The Great Compromise

b)

The Three-Fifths Compromise

c)

The Federalist Papers

d)

The Articles of Confederation

68.

A law passed by Congress in 1787 that specified how western lands would be governed.

a)

The Northwest Territory

b)

The Northwest Ordinance

c)

Republic

d)

Constitution

69.

A region of the United States bounded by the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and the Great Lakes. The region was given to the United States by the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

a)

Republic

b)

Ratify

c)

Northwest Ordinance

d)

Northwest Territory

70.

A country governed by elected representatives.

a)

Ratify

b)

Enlightenment

c)

Constitution

d)

Republic

71.

An agreement made at the Constitutional Convention stating that enslaved persons would be counted as three-fifths a person when determining a state's population for representation in the House of Representatives.

a)

The Great Compromise

b)

The Articles of Confederation

c)

The Three-Fifths Compromise

d)

The Federalist Papers

72.
The Political Party that advocated for the creation of the Constitution
a)
Federalists
b)
Antifederalists
c)
Whigs
d)
Tories 
73.

Easy SS.7.C.1.1 : The image below concerns government.

Which Enlightenment idea is represented by the image?

a)

separation of powers

b)

checks and balances

c)

social contract

d)

natural law

74.

Easy SS.7.C.1.3

Which document addressed colonial concerns about English policies?

a)

Declaration of Independence

b)

Mayflower Compact

c)

U.S. Constitution

d)

Bill of Rights

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