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Foundations of Constitutional Government

Total questions: 66

Worksheet time: 2hrs 0mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What were the big three natural rights according to John Locke?

a)

Pursuit of happiness

b)

Liberty

c)

Property

d)

Money

e)

Life

2.

Which of the following answer choices describes an Authoritarian government?

a)

A government that controls all aspects of its citizens lives

b)

A system of government in which the people rule

c)

A type of government without a Constitution

3.

Which of the following answer choices describes a Democratic government.

a)

A government that is not limited

b)

A system of government in which the people rule

c)

A government that controls all aspects of its citizens lives

4.

North Korea: One man leads North Korea and controls its government. He also controls the ruling political party. The ruling political party chooses candidates for an Assembly, and citizens vote. The candidates do not have opponents, so citizens have no real choices.

a)

Direct Democracy

b)

Dictatorship

c)

Monarchy

d)

Representative Democracy

5.

A monarchy can be like a dictatorship or it can be part of a democracy.

a)

True

b)

False

6.

A democracy can have both representatives and direct characteristics at the same time.

a)

True

b)

False

7.
God and religious law are the government authority.
a)
Theocracy
b)
Anarchy
8.
What is a government?
a)
a group of corporations that control laws
b)
a group of people who overthrow the leaders
c)
a nation that has no leaders
d)
a person or group of people who control a country
9.
A monarch presides over ceremonies, but elected leaders run the gov. What form of gov is this?
a)
absolute monarchy 
b)
dictatorship
c)
constitutional monarchy 
d)
republic
10.
Led by a king or queen.
a)
Monarchy
b)
Oligarchy
11.

There are ___ branches of government.

a)

5

b)

4

c)

3

d)

2

12.

The president works under ___.

a)

the legislative branch

b)

the judicial branch

c)

all branches

d)

the executive branch

13.

The Legislative Branch is made up of ___.

a)

the President and Vice President

b)

the Supreme Court and President

c)

judges and police

d)

the Senate and House of Representatives

14.

There are ___ Senators in the Senate.

a)

435

b)

100

c)

535

d)

50

15.

There are ___ Representatives who work in the Legislative Branch.

a)

435

b)

100

c)

535

d)

50

16.

There are ___ Supreme Court Justices.

a)

10

b)

9

c)

8

d)

7

17.

The job of the Legislative Branch is to ___ laws.

a)

carry out

b)

administer

c)

make

d)

interpret

18.

Supreme Court Justices work under ___.

a)

the Executive Branch

b)

the Legislative Branch

c)

the Judicial Branch

d)

all branches

19.

The 3 branches of government are ___.

a)

Executive, Legislative, and Judicial

b)

Judges, Senators, and Secretaries

c)

President, Vice President, and the Cabinet,

d)

City, State, and County

20.
Where is the Judicial Branch Housed?
a)
Capitol Building
b)
Supreme Court
c)
White House
d)
Washington Monument
21.

Members of ___ may serve until they die or retire.

a)

the Legislative Branch

b)

the Executive Branch

c)

the Judicial Branch

d)

no branch

22.

It is ___ that the number of Senators is the same for all states.

a)

true

b)

false

23.

The number of Representatives a state has is based on the its ___.

a)

location

b)

economy

c)

population

d)

size

24.

What system of government is based on dividing power?

a)

Federal

b)

Confederate

c)

Unitary

d)

None of these

25.

In this form of democracy, DIRECTLY elect whatever they are voting for

a)

Direct Democracy

b)

Representative Democracy

c)

Republic

d)

None of These

26.

In these elections, representatives speak on behalf of the citizens that elected them

a)

Direct Democracy

b)

Representative Democracy

c)

Town Hall Meetings

d)

None of These

27.
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
28.
Under the Articles of Confederation, how many votes did each state get?
a)
Zero
b)
One
c)
Two 
d)
Three
29.
Which of the following weaknesses  in the Articles of Confederation does  this picture represent?
a)
no common currency (money)
b)
no executive branch
c)
no power to tax
d)
one vote for each state
30.
In the Articles of Confederation, where was most of the government power placed?
a)
The States
b)
The National Government
c)
The Continental Congress
d)
The Legislative Branch
31.
Which strong feature of the Articles of Confederation created a method for territories to become states?
a)
The ability to sign peace treaties
b)
Shays' Rebellion
c)
Northwest Ordinance
d)
60,000 Ordinance
32.
Ultimately, the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation lead to the adoption of:
a)
The Treaty of Paris
b)
The Affordable Care Act
c)
The U.S. Constitution
d)
The Declaration of Independence
33.
Which of the following events lead to a decision by the colonies to meet and revise the Articles of Confederation?
a)
The Boston Tea Party
b)
Shay’s Rebellion
c)
The Revolutionary War
d)
The Civil War
34.
What did Shays' Rebellion help Americans realize they needed?
a)
A strong national government
b)
A stronger militia
c)
A common currency
d)
The ability to sign peace treaties
35.
Shays' Rebellion was made up of which group of people?
a)
farmers and merchants
b)
bankers
c)
government leaders
d)
basketball players
36.

Which document was the United States' first official constitution?

a)

Articles of Confederation

b)

Declaration of Independence

c)

Mayflower Compact

d)

Magna Carta

37.

Why did the colonists write the Declaration of Independence?

a)

To officially break away from Britain

b)

As a final attempt at peace with Britain

c)

To form the U.S. military

d)

To get France on their side

38.

What are unalienable rights?

a)

rights that can't be taken away

b)

rights that can be denied

c)

rights that are temporary

d)

rights that can be removed at any time

39.

Which country did the colonists declare independence from?

a)

France

b)

Spain

c)

Great Britain

d)

United States

40.

How many grievances are in the Declaration of Independence?

a)

3

b)

4

c)

13

d)

27

41.

Who was the leader of the Second Continental Congress

a)

Thomas Jefferson

b)

Thomas Paine

c)

John Hancock

d)

John Locke

42.

When was the Declaration of Independence signed?

a)

July 4 1776

b)

July 17, 1776

c)

July 4, 1774

d)

August 2, 1776

43.
The first ten Amendments are called the
a)
Constitution Day
b)
Senators 
c)
Bill of Rights
44.
What is the name for a change or addition to the Constitution?
a)
Federalism
b)
Amendment
c)
Ratification
d)
Veto
45.

Based on the US Constitution, the government is run by _________.

a)

The President

b)

Congress

c)

The Supreme Court

d)

"The People"

46.

What was the purpose of the Constitution?

a)

It was created to break away from England.

b)

It was a plan for how the government would run that guaranteed our rules, rights, and responsibilities.

c)

It freed the slaves

d)

It said that England and the U.S. would always be enemies.

47.

A system of __________ and __________ is used to keep any one branch of the government from being dominant, or having too much power.

a)

checks and balances

b)

power and authority

c)

politics and philosophy

d)

life and liberty

48.

When was the Constitution written?

a)

1776

b)

1781

c)

1787

d)

1789

49.

How many articles are there in the Constitution?

a)

27

b)

7

c)

10

d)

3

50.

Ratification means...

a)

To Approve

b)

To Deny

c)

To Block

d)

To Allow

51.

Which are the two steps of the amendment process?

a)

proposal

b)

ratification

c)

executive confirmation

52.

Which can officially propose an amendment?

a)

Congress alone

b)

state legislatures alone

c)

state legislatures via Congress and National Conventions

d)

the executive

53.

Which can officially ratify an amendment?

a)

Congress alone

b)

state legislatures alone

c)

state conventions

d)

the executive

54.
How many states must approve of a proposed amendment before it becomes part of the Constitution?
a)
2/3s
b)
34
c)
3/4
d)
37.5
55.
Which of the following is necessary to propose a new amendment to the Constitution?
a)
approval by a popular vote held in every state
b)
approval by two thirds of the House and Senate
c)
approval by three quarters of the House and Senate
d)
approval by the legislatures in at least three fourths of the states
56.

Which statement accurately reflects the Amendment process to the U.S. Constitution so far?

a)

All 50 states must approve the Amendment in their legislatures.

b)

The majority of the U.S. Congress must approve the amendment; state involvement isn’t necessary.

c)

The process starts in the U.S. Congress and final approval rests with the states.

d)

The process starts in the State Legislature and final approval is given by the U.S. Congress.

57.
What do we call the first ten amendments to the Constitution?
a)
The Bill of Rights
b)
The First Ten Amendments
c)
The Rights of the People
d)
The Amendments of the Constitution
58.
How many amendments does the Constitution have?
a)
10
b)
12
c)
27
d)
50
59.

Which amendment gives Americans the right to own a weapon?

a)

4th

b)

7th

c)

11th

d)

2nd

60.

Which of the following rights and freedoms is specifically guaranteed by the first 1st amendment?

a)

Right to an education

b)

Right to bear arms

c)

Freedom of press

d)

Right to privacy 

61.

Lin is a Buddhist. He just moved to a new town in Iowa that has banned all religions. The sheriff has threatened to arrest him if he didn’t take an oath against his religion. Which amendment has the sheriff violated? 

a)

1st

b)

3rd

c)

5th

d)

7th

62.

Bob wrote a letter to the editor complaining about the way the government is treating convicts in federal prisons. Because of his letter, Bob was arrested and placed in jail. Which amendment was violated?

a)

2nd

b)

5th

c)

8th

d)

1st

63.

An Anti Federalist believed...

a)

There should be a weak central government

b)

There should be a powerful central government

64.

An anti-federalist

a)

Supported checks and balances, separation of powers

b)

Wanted the executive branch to have ultimate power

65.

These were the people who wanted to ratify the new Constitution

a)

Federalists

b)

Anti-Federalists

66.

These people argued that the Constitution did not protect individual rights, and that a bill of rights was needed to protect freedom of speech, religion, and the press

a)

Federalists

b)

Anti-Federalists