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Unit 2 POST Assessment: Creating a New Government

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 13mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following is NOT a constitutional qualification for becoming president of the United States of America?

a)

Being at least 35 years old

b)

Being a natural-born American citizen

c)

Being a resident of the United States for at least 14 years

d)

Being a male

2.

Which of the following terms describes the checks and balances system, or the idea that no one branch can gain too much power over another?

a)

limited government

b)

federalism

c)

popular sovereignty

d)

separation of powers

3.

Which statement below best describes a republic?

a)

A king or queen rules according to a constitution

b)

One political or economic group rules over everyone

c)

Priests or religious leaders rule as representatives of divine will

d)

The people elect representatives to make policy decisions for them

4.

What was one similarity between the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution?

a)

Congress had the ability to make laws under both

b)

The president had to sign a bill before it could become a law under both

c)

The president had the same powers under both

d)

States were given the same number of votes in Congress under both.

5.

What was the main purpose of the Great Compromise of 1787?

a)

To give large states the most power

b)

To give small states an advantage over large states

c)

To balance the interests of both large and small states

d)

To encourage small states to appoint representatives

6.

What is one example of action the federal government regularly takes to promote the general welfare of all citizens?

a)

Maintaining the military

b)

Protecting freedom of religion

c)

Building roads, bridges, and highways

d)

Selling inexpensive household goods

7.

Which statement BEST describes the power of government provided by the Articles of Confederation?

a)

The national government held most of the power.

b)

Congress enforced its power by taxing the states.

c)

The states had more power than the national government.

d)

Government served to successfully unite the needs of all states.

8.

Suppose that Americans in 1786 had wanted to amend national law to include slavery. Which situation BEST describes how this might have been achieved?

a)

All of the states would have to agree to the amendment.

b)

9 out of 13 states would have to agree to the amendment.

c)

7 out of 13 states would have to agree to the amendment.

d)

A simple majority of states would have to agree to the amendment.

9.

One reason why the Constitution was adopted over the Articles of Confederation was

a)

the Articles gave too much power to the national government.

b)

the states were not free to trade among themselves under the Articles.

c)

small states were underrepresented under the Articles of Confederation.

d)

Shay's Rebellion revealed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

10.

The Articles of Confederation represented the Americans' distrust of

a)

the British.

b)

states rights.

c)

any governing authority.

d)

a strong central government.

11.

The Virginia Plan would have granted more power to

a)

industrial states.

b)

agricultural states

c)

states with large population.

d)

states with small population

12.

The person most known for contributing to the final form of the Constitution was

a)

James Madison

b)

George Washington

c)

Benjamin Franklin

d)

Alexander Hamilton

13.

Although the Three-Fifths Compromise helped Northern and Southern states reach an agreement that allowed for ratification of the Constitution, in the long run it had a negative effect on the nation because

a)

it gave too much power to the executive branch of the government.

b)

it forced the Founding Fathers to add the Bill of Rights to the Constitution

c)

it was only a temporary solution to the argument between "free" and "slave" states.

d)

it gave too much power to state governments and not enough to the federal government.

14.

What is federalism?

a)

a division of power between the national and state governments

b)

a form of government with elected representatives

c)

a sharing of power between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial systems

d)

a form of government in which elected officials make all economic decisions

15.

Which liberty is guaranteed by the First Amendment?

a)

the right to vote

b)

freedom of speech

c)

the right to bear arms

d)

protection from unreasonable search and seizure

16.

Which of these BEST explains why many Anti-Federalists finally agreed to the approve the U.S. Constitution?

a)

George Washington favored it

b)

the Bill of Rights was added

c)

they wanted to have a better relationship with the Federalists

d)

they feared a civil war would break out if the dispute continued

17.

Those who supported adoption of the Constitution were called

a)

Abolitionists.

b)

Democrats.

c)

Federalists.

d)

Republicans.

18.

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.--Preamble to the United States Constitution. Why might the Founding Fathers have included the phrase "insure domestic Tranquility"?

a)

because England's policies sometimes caused citizens to fight with each other

b)

because they wanted there to be major punishments for causing public disturbance

c)

because American Colonists were wild and the Founding Fathers wanted them to calm down

d)

because they wanted to make sure that families would try to resolve problems and disagreements quietly

19.

Which of the following is a job of the Legislative branch? Select two.

a)

Declare a law unconstitutional

b)

Interpret the law

c)

Declare war

d)

Make laws

e)

Enforce laws

20.

Which of the following best explains why the Constitution places a term limit on some offices?

a)

They are worried about old people being in charge, because they are more likely to die in office.

b)

They are worried about voter fraud or problems with the ballots.

c)

They are worried about someone holding power for too long and becoming tyrannical.

d)

They are worried that people who wanted to run for office would never get a chance to.

21.

Which of the following best describes what the illustrator was trying to achieve?

a)

Convincing people that the states needed to agree and ratify the Constitution.

b)

Convincing people that the states needed to agree and keep the Articles of Confederation.

c)

Convincing people that the British would take over the states if they did not agree.

d)

Convincing people that the framers should not have written the Constitution in secret.

22.

Who is in charge of the executive branch?

a)

The Speaker of the House

b)

The Prime Minister

c)

The President

d)

The Chief Justice

23.

What does the judicial branch do?

a)

Decides if a law goes against the Constitution.

b)

Reviews laws.

c)

Resolves disputes.

d)

All of the above.

24.

What is an amendment?

a)

An addition (to the Constitution)

b)

The Preamble to the Constitution.

c)

An introduction

d)

The beginning of the Declaration of Independence.

25.

Which power does NOT belong in the shaded area of the diagram?

a)

Collect Taxes

b)

Establish COurts

c)

Establish Post Offices

d)

Make and Enforce Laws