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WorksheetsAm Gov Ch 1 - Foundations of Government
Total questions: 40
Worksheet time: 20mins
What is government?
the services provided a community, such as police protection, fire protection, and public health programs
the laws that protect peoples' rights and ensure the safety of a state's citizens
the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies
the process by which public officials are elected to and removed from office
Which of the following is the best definition of the public policies of a government?
everything a government decides to do
everything a government does related to public services
everything a government does to collect taxes
everything a government decides to do regarding foreign affairs
Which of these characteristics represents the system a state uses to make and enforce public policy?
population
sovereignty
government
territory
Which one of these explanations about the origins of states best applies to the type of political system created by the U.S. Constitution?
force theory
evolutionary theory
divine right of kings theory
social contract theory
Use the Preamble to the Constitution to answer the question.
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, 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."—U.S. Constitution, Preamble
Which of the following actions is one example of how the American government establishes justice?
keeping the peace within the borders of the United States
creating a set of laws and a court system
protecting the United States from foreign threats
establishing safety regulations to protect the public
Use the photo to answer the question.
In which way are the women shown on this poster demonstrating their support for the ideals of American government?
fighting on the country's behalf overseas
preserving the freedom of individuals
displaying patriotism by volunteering to serve the public good
showing good citizenship by obeying the law
Which of the following examples shows a government exercising its executive powers?
deciding whether or not a law is constitutional
.enforcing a new tax law
.making a law that alters voting requirements
settling a dispute between two branches of government
This image shows Kim Jong-un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, surrounded by his military officers.
Which type of government does Kim Jong-un represent?
oligarchy
democracy
republic
theocracy
Use this excerpt from the text to answer the question.
"Some people insist the United States is more properly called a republic rather than a democracy."
The people who support this statement argue that the United States is a republic because in its government,
powers are divided between the executive, judicial, and legislative branches.
political power is used indirectly by elected officials, not directly by the citizens themselves.
power is shared by a central government and many State governments.
the people do not have the power to influence the decisions made by the government.
If you know that a nation uses a parliamentary system of government, but have no other information, what do you know for certain about the structure of that government?
who is allowed to participate in the governing process
the geographic distribution of power in the state
the relationship between the executive and legislative branches
that its laws must be collected in a written constitution
Use this excerpt from the text to answer the question.
"A majority of the governmental systems in the world today are parliamentary, not presidential, in form."
Which of the following explanations best explains why people support parliamentary systems?
Parliamentary systems are not democracies, so rulers can keep more power for themselves.
Parliamentary governments are better able to prevent conflict between the executive and legislative branches.
In a parliamentary system, there are checks and balances between the executive and legislative branches.
A parliamentary system allows the people to choose who will be the chief executive.
Use this quote written by the English jurist William Blackstone about the common law to answer the question.
"For it is an established rule to abide by former precedents, where the same points come again … to keep the scales of justice even and steady."
Which of the following statements is an accurate rephrasing of Blackstone's argument?
The common law is based upon the will of the people who decide what is just and what is not.
Courts should interpret each new case based mainly on the judge's personal opinions.
Only laws that are written down can be considered by the courts.
Judges have a duty to look at previous legal decisions when deciding new cases.
Use this quote by the French Enlightenment thinker Baron de Montesquieu to answer the question.
"In every government there are three sorts of power; the legislative; the executive, in respect to things dependent on the law of nations; and the executive, in regard to things that depend on the civil law."
What principle of government presented by the U.S. Constitution is Montesquieu describing?
federalism
republicanism
separation of power
sovereignty
In what way was the government of ancient Athens different from that of the United States?
Athens was a direct democracy in which citizens voted on laws themselves.
Athens was an oligarchy ruled by the wealthy members of the Council of Five Hundred.
Athens was a republic in which the people voted for their representatives.
Athens was an autocracy ruled by a dictator who had absolute power.
Which system of government was mostly closely associated with scenes like this one showing serfs working in a field?
democratic republic
feudalism
absolute monarchy
theocracy
Use the chart to answer the question.
Duties are actions a citizen is required to take. Responsibilities are actions a citizen should take. Which of the following actions is a responsibility of citizenship?
serving on a jury if called
voting in elections
paying taxes
registering for the draft
In the United States, the concept of equality means that every individual
must sacrifice his or her interests so the needs of the many can be met.
is born with as much talent and ability as everyone else.
is entitled to receive the same treatment under the law.
should receive the same share of worldly goods as everyone else.
In what way are representative democracy and the free enterprise system similar?
Both are designed to protect the rights of individuals.
Both are regulated by a central government.
Both are types of political systems.
Both are based on the principles of individual liberty and choice.
What political theory did John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Jean Jacques Rousseau all contribute to
Force theory
Divine Right of Kings theory
Social Contract theory
Evolutionary theory
Which of the following is not a purpose of government set forth by the Preamble of the U S Constitution?
Form a more perfect Union
Establish Justice
Insure Domestic Tranquility
Prevent War with other nations
Which type of government will have power resting with one person?
direct democracy
indirect democracy
dictatorship
oligarchy
Our United States government has three types of power which of the following is not one of them?
Legislative
Judicial
Military
Executive
Which of the following is a basic power of every government that allows it to interpret laws?
.executive power
.judicial power
political power
egislative power
Which of the following accurately describes the divine right of kings and the social contract theories?
The divine right of kings and the social contract theories hold that government power derives from a divinity.
The divine right of kings theory holds that the power of government derives from a divinity; the social contract theory holds that the power of government is acquired through force.
The divine right of kings theory holds that the power of government derives from a divinity; the social contract theory holds that the power of government is acquired from the people.
The divine right of kings and the social contract theories hold that government power derives from a social contract that requires the people to obey their ruler as they would a god.
Which of the following is the most likely reason the phrase "the laws of nature and nature's God" was included in the Declaration of Independence?
The writers of the Declaration of Independence respected the natural world.
The writers of the Declaration of Independence wanted to send a message to King George that nature was the most powerful force in the world.
The writers of the Declaration of Independence believed in nature's law and nature's God as part of their religion.
The writers of the Declaration of Independence used the phrase to express their belief in John Locke's theory of natural rights.
Considering that the Preamble to the Constitution states that part of forming a more perfect union is to establish justice, what did Martin Luther King, Jr., mean when he said that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"?
If even one person is affected by injustice, everyone is affected.
If one nation treats people equally, then all nations need to treat people equally.
Justice is always reasonable, fair, and impartial.
Justice is only as good as the judges who hear cases.
Which of the following is an advantage of a written constitution?
A written constitution establishes the different branches of government.
A written constitution gives the people sovereignty.
A written constitution defines the powers of the government.
A written constitution tells the government how to make laws for the state.
How do the presidential and parliamentary forms of government differ from one another?
The presidential form has an executive branch and a legislative branch, whereas the parliamentary form does not have any branches.
The parliamentary form has a system of checks and balances, whereas the presidential form has no such system.
The presidential form has executive and legislative branches that are separate but equal, whereas the parliamentary form has an executive branch that is a part of the legislative branch.
The parliamentary form of government is structured so conflict between branches is frequent, whereas the presidential form is structured to promote compromise.
What is the difference between an autocracy and an oligarchy?
.In an autocracy, a single person holds all the power. In an oligarchy, a small group of people hold the power
An autocracy is a form of dictatorship. An oligarchy is a form of democracy.
In an autocracy, a small group of people hold the power. In an oligarchy, a single person holds the power.
An autocracy is a form of democracy. An oligarchy is a form of dictatorship.
A disadvantage of a confederate government is that
member states are frequently invaded by other states within the confederation.
they tend to be weak since they have only the powers granted to them by member states.
member states are unwilling to give up their independence.
they are not respected by other sovereign states.
What is the purpose of the separation of powers in a presidential form of government?
to ensure that no branch has more power over another
to ensure that political authority rests with the people
to ensure that the executive branch is under the direct control of the legislative branch
to ensure that local and national governments are co-equal partners
The Athenian concept of government, echoed by the modern United States, is best described as
rule by the people.
rule by an elected leader.
rule by all equally.
rule by a hereditary monarch.
Legitimacy is important to a government because it is
a way to affirm belief in the government's right to rule and provide stability.
the means by which to establish leadership.
a way for a ruler to wield absolute power.
.a means by which to ensure that everyone abides by the rule of law.
Enlightenment thinker William Blackstone believed strongly in "common law," the concept that legal decisions
should be overturned if they cause disagreement.
should each stand alone, independent of other cases.
should be based upon similar, previous decisions.
should be decided by the people.
To benefit from colonialism, monarchs adopted mercantilism. Which of the following best explains this theory?
Mercantilism allowed monarchs to wage war without fear of religious consequence.
Mercantilism allowed monarchs to increase their own wealth and power.
Mercantilism allowed monarchs to maintain better control over the members of their government.
Mercantilism provided monarchs with greater legitimacy.
Paying taxes in a democracy is considered
a duty.
an opportunity.
a compromise.
a process.
Which of the following best illustrates the difficulty of striking a balance between an individual's rights and the rights of society as a whole?
A citizen votes for her chosen candidate for office.
A businessman votes for the candidate he thinks will help his business prosper.
In her pursuit of prosperity, a woman breaks the law by shoplifting.
A man exercises his freedom of speech by wearing a T-shirt that is offensive to some conservative persons.
How does democracy protect minority rights?
by not allowing the passage of unsatisfactory public policies
by recognizing that the minority usually represents the popular will
by permitting the minority to overrule the majority on vital public issues
by insisting that the majority listen to the arguments and ideas of the minority
Which of the following is considered a civic responsibility of an American citizen?
insisting on equality for all
allowing rule by the minority
voting in a presidential election
taking care of one's family
Which of the following is an example of a government regulation that might restrict private enterprise?
antitrust laws
teacher certification
traffic laws
professional licensing
