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WorksheetsA Constitution for the United States
Total questions: 35
Worksheet time: 18mins
What was the purpose of the Articles of Confederation?
to establish state governments in the colonies
to establish a government in lands west of the Appalachians
to reduce land claims of larger states
to unite the colonies under one national government
Who was in charge of enforcing the laws that Congress passed under the Articles of Confederation?
the states
the Continental Army
the central government
the leader of the Congress
Congress privatized much of the Northwest Territory by
setting aside sections of land for public schools.
dividing the territory into townships.
selling pieces of land to settlers.
dividing the townships into 36 sections.
Shays’ Rebellion involved a group of farmers who were angry about
A. being ignored after fighting for the Patriot cause.
not being able to ship their products from New Orleans.
more rights being given to settlers in the Northwest Territory.
losing their farms due to low crop prices and high state taxes.
Why were the laws that Congress passed relating to the Northwest Territory considered a success?
The laws discouraged the creation of new states.
The laws granted essential rights and civil liberties to settlers.
The laws required basic education to help settlers gain employment.
The laws allowed Congress to give away land to settlers free.
What was the original purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787?
to write a new constitution
to revise the Articles of Confederation
to decide who the leaders of the country should be
to decide between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans
What was the main subject of debate among delegates to the Convention?
how legislature would be structured
whether there would be a chief executive
how many branches of government to have
who should be the head of the executive branch
Why was the Great Compromise so important?
It settled the slavery debate.
It was an extremely popular plan.
It created a legislative system everyone could accept.
It established James Madison as a leader.
The Three-Fifths Compromise
gave Congress the power to ban slavery in individual states.
determined how enslaved people would be counted in the population.
expanded the powers of the executive branch and the President.
gave states the power to ban slavery within their borders.
Some delegates refused to sign the Constitution because they thought that it
was unfair to the smaller states in the Union.
was the result of too many compromises.
gave too much power to the national government.
would affect trade agreements between states.
What essential idea in the Magna Carta influenced the U.S. government?
People have basic rights.
Property should be equally distributed.
Government should have three branches.
Every citizen is entitled to vote.
The English Bill of Rights influenced the U.S. government with its emphasis on
the powers granted to a king.
elections and fair trials.
freedom of speech.
the benefits of public property.
What effect did individual state constitutions and the Articles of Confederation have on the Founding Fathers?
The documents showed the importance of voting rights for citizens.
The documents provided experience with formal government systems.
The documents showed the problems that come from a strong central government.
The documents demonstrated that the states were capable of governing themselves.
John Locke’s ideas influenced the Constitution in several ways, including his idea that
government should control free enterprise.
compromise was necessary in forming a government.
the people have no right to rebel against a government.
government is an agreement between ruler and the ruled.
Montesquieu’s idea of separation of powers kept one person or group of people from gaining too much power by
supporting a free and fair economy within the nation.
dividing power among three branches of government.
separating powers between the central and state governments.
clarifying that government is a contract between the ruler and the ruled.
The purpose of the Federalist was to
oppose the Constitution.
attack the Anti-Federalists.
explain and defend the Constitution.
expose the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
Patrick Henry was specifically concerned about too much power resting with
the states.
the President.
the judicial branch.
the legislative branch.
Why did the Antifederalists believe that it was important for the Constitution to include a bill of rights?
Most state constitutions already had a bill of rights.
The English Bill of Rights had proven effective for the colonies.
The rights of women and minorities were not included in the Constitution.
They feared that a strong central government would ignore basic rights.
What finally persuaded the delegates to the Virginia convention to ratify the Constitution?
They believed a bill of rights would be added to the Constitution.
It had been ratified by nine states, so it was already law.
James Madison's logical approach made sense to the delegates.
Governor Randolph decided that the Federalists had the better argument.
Why did the Federalists think it dangerous to leave too much power to the states?
States government could develop their own king-like leaders.
The states would not value the well-being of the whole country.
A weak federal government would make the United States look weak to the world.
An imbalance of power would make it too difficult for the central government to function.
The three branches of government as described in Articles I–III of the Constitution illustrate the principle of
individual rights.
republicanism.
popular sovereignty.
separation of powers.
How does the Constitution reflect the principle of federalism?
by establish a strong executive branch
by implementing a system of checks and balances
by dividing power between federal and state governments
by establishing a strong legislative branch
The term “judicial review” means that the Supreme Court has the ability to determine if
a law passed by Congress is unconstitutional.
a lower court's decision is correct.
the executive branch is enforcing laws properly.
one of the justices should be removed from office.
What does the principle of separation of powers make possible in American government?
It enables citizens to choose their representatives by popular vote.
It expands the power of the central government and limits the power of state governments.
It maintains the sovereignty of the executive branch.
It provides for a system of checks and balances among branches of government.
Which part of the federal government has the sole power to introduce an appropriations bill that sets aside money for government programs?
the House of Representatives
the Senate
the President
the judiciary
Which of the following is a way to propose a new amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
approval by a popular vote held in every state
approval by two-thirds of the House and Senate
approval by three-fourths of the House and Senate
approval by the legislature of three-fourths of the states
What right does the Fifth Amendment protect?
the right to bear arms
the right to free speech
the right to not give evidence against oneself
the right to a trial by jury
The First Amendment can best be described as:
prohibiting unlawful searches and seizure.
the rights of people accused of crimes.
guarantees of basic individual liberties.
protection against giving evidence against oneself.
What issue did the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments address?
women's voting rights
term limits for federal officeholders
the rights of African Americans
the rights of persons accused of crimes
How can a state constitution be amended?
State constitutions can be amended with the approval of Congress.
The state legislature proposes an amendment, and the people of the state approve it.
The state legislature proposes an amendment, and the state judicial branch approves it.
The state legislature proposes an amendment, and the state executive branch approves it.
How does a citizen responsibly exercise his or her right to vote?
by exercising the right not to vote if he or she chooses
by making an informed decision based on candidates and issues
by studying one of the candidates and choosing that candidate
by choosing the candidate he or she thinks will win
What did Thomas Jefferson mean when he said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free . . . it expects what never was and never will be”?
The government assumes that people are ignorant of their rights.
Citizens often expect too much from their government.
Citizens need to know their rights and stay informed in order to be free.
Citizens who are free are ignorant of their rights.
Naturalized citizens include individuals who
can become President or Vice President one day.
were under 18 when their parents were naturalized.
have received formal permission to remain in the country.
entered the United States in order to settle here.
What is a reason to serve on a jury when called to do so?
Naturalized citizens who do not appear for jury duty will lose their citizenship.
Serving on a jury prevents less qualified people from being on juries.
The Bill of Rights guarantees trial by jury, so serving on one keeps the judiciary functioning.
Serving on a jury ensures all legal opinions are heard.
An example of civic virtue is
doing chores around the house.
supporting local sports teams.
attending and graduating from college.
volunteering for a community program.
