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FCLE pretest

Total questions: 67

Worksheet time: 1hrs 23mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Qualifications for Senator

a)

30 years old - minimum

b)

A US citizen for 9 years

c)

25 years old - minimum

d)

Masters degree

e)

Must be born a citizen

2.

Congress - House of Representatives

a)

Must be a US Citizen for at least 7 years

b)

Bachelor's Degree

c)

Must have served in State government

d)

At least 25 years old

e)

Must live in the state they represent

3.

Choose all the powers the Legislative Branch has over the Executive Branch.

a)

Can withhold money/spending

b)

Can veto laws

c)

Can override vetoes

d)

Confirms Executive appointments

e)

Can declare a law unconstitutional.

4.

A candidate for President or VP must....

a)

be a natural born citizen.

b)

be at least 75 years old.

c)

have at least one son under criminal investigation.

d)

have lived in the USA for 14 years prior to running for election.

e)

have attained the age of 35 years.

5.

The power the Executive Branch has over the Legislative Branch is

a)

the President can remove elected lawmakers.

b)

veto power to cancel a law written by congress.

c)

impeachment

6.

(a)   is the process of removing a President. It is a power held by the Legislative Branch. The House of Representatives brings the charges - and the Senate runs a trial based on the charges.

7.

The people in this branch have almost no requirements for age or residency but they are confirmed by the Senate and the Senate is not going to confirm just anyone for this branch.

a)

Legislative Branch

b)

Executive Branch

c)

Judicial Branch

8.

To win a presidential election a candidate must ...

a)

Win the most individual votes.

b)

Win the most states.

c)

Win a majority of electoral votes

d)

Win a majority of popular votes

e)

Win both the most popular votes and electoral votes.

9.

For a bill to become law it must...

a)

Pass through the House and Senate in the same form - unchanged.

b)

Begin with the President.

c)

Go through committees in both the House and Senate.

d)

Be signed into law by the President

e)

Be vetoed by the President

10.

Impeachment of a President is a check of the (a)   Branch over the Executive Branch.

11.

The President has the authority to appoint Judges. This is a power the Executive Branch has over the (a)   Branch.

12.

If the Senate has the authority to confirm or deny Presidential appointments - that is a power the Legislature has over the (a)   branch.

13.

These aspects of government are related to a state's population.

a)

Number of electoral votes a state has.

b)

Number of Senators a state has.

c)

Number of Congress people (House of Representatives members) a state has.

d)

State sales taxes

e)

Number of Justices on the Supreme Court.

14.

Enumerated powers include....

a)

Taxation

b)

Raising an Army

c)

Marriage and divorce laws

d)

Post offices

e)

Coining money/currency

15.

Reserved Powers include...

a)

taxation

b)

administration of schools and education

c)

raising and funding an Army

d)

hunting and fishing licenses

e)

a court system

16.

Concurrent powers ....

a)

Coining money

b)

Taxation

c)

Justice - courts

d)

Education and operating schools

e)

Regulating foreign trade

17.

(a)   is the term for a government in which state and federal governments share power.

18.

The Constitution gives powers to the various branches of government so ...

a)

no one branch, especially the executive, gets too powerful.

b)

laws can be passed quickly and easily.

c)

the President can make sure everyone is doing the right thing.

19.

Branch of government closest to the people and with the most power.

a)

Judicial

b)

Legislative

c)

Executive

20.

In the House and Senate, committees are ...

a)

equal with both Democrats and Republicans sharing power.

b)

run by the majority party.

c)

run by the minority party to give them more say

21.

If the Judicial Branch can declare a law unconstitutional - it has power over the ... branch

(a)  

22.

What is the minimum age requirement for someone to serve as President of the United States?

a)

25 years

b)

30 years

c)

35 years

d)

40 years

23.

Which of the following ancient civilizations established a republican form of government?

a)

Roman

b)

Egyptian

c)

Greek

d)

Persian

24.

The same family ruling over a nation for centuries is based on which principle?

a)

Popular Soveriegnty

b)

Due process of law

c)

Social Contract theory

d)

Divine Right of Kings

25.

Which modern democratic concept practiced in the United States is most like the democratic process of ancient Greece?

a)

The referendum

b)

The presidential election

c)

The primary election

d)

The nominating convention

26.

What is the principal function of a written constitution?

a)

Resolving disagreements between competing parties

b)

confirming resistance to civil disobedience

c)

declaring the independence of a state

d)

outlining the structure and powers of a government

27.

Which of the following objectives best describes the purpose of the system of checks and balances, as defined in the US Constitution?

a)

establishing accountability for the government when levying taxes

b)

maintaining a healthy economy and establishing trade with other governments

c)

keeping any one of the three branches of government from becoming too powerful

d)

assuring that the government spends only as much money as it takes in

28.

Which modern process would be supported by the ancient Greeks

a)

electing governors

b)

hiring press secretaries

c)

nominating an ambassador

d)

appointing a majority leader

29.

Laws against defamation, including libel and slander, property damage and breach of contract represent which legal concern underlying most Western nations?

a)

Criminal law

b)

Military law

c)

Civil law

d)

Juvenile law

30.

What constitutional principle does this quoted statement from President Richard Nixon contradict?

"Well, when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal."

a)

Separation of Powers

b)

Republicanism

c)

Rule of Law

d)

Equity

31.

Which form of government is based on popular sovereignty?

a)

Communism

b)

Dictatorship

c)

Monarchy

d)

Republic

32.

Which of the following statements best describes the Preamble of the US Constitution?

a)

Governments are accountable to the citizens over whom they rule

b)

States will ensure that all citizens are granted certain freedoms

c)

People allow representatives to speak on behalf of all citizens

d)

Courts will elect officials to represent the people and ensure liberty

33.

Congress fulfilled which of the following purposes of government when it declared war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor?

a)

Ensuring domestic tranquility

b)

Providing for the common defense

c)

Promoting the general welfare

d)

Establishing a system of justice

34.

Which circumstance would require a search warrant?

a)

Searching persons with reasonable suspicion

b)

Examining evidence that is in plain view

c)

Searching school lockers for contraband

d)

Examining the contents of a hotel room

35.

In the US, which of the following is permitted to citizens by the right of freedom of assembly?

a)

The right to demonstrate

b)

the right to riot

c)

the right to immigrate

d)

the right to work

36.

A man is walking down a public street window-shopping when a robbery is reported in the same area. Police officers stop and search the man who is shopping. On what constitutional grounds could this man contest this search as a violation of his rights?

a)

2nd Amendment

b)

3rd Amendment

c)

4th Amendment

d)

5th Amendment

37.

In the US, how are conflicts between state laws and federal laws generally resolved

a)

The US Attorney General

b)

National referendum

c)

Supremacy Clause

d)

10th Amendment

38.

Which article of the US Constitution grants the power to coin money, make treaties, and levy important duties?

a)

Article I

b)

Article II

c)

Article III

d)

Article IV

39.

A suspect is accused of a crime in one state and flees to another state where they are captured. The state is very slow in returning the suspect to the state of origin and keeps them imprisoned.

Which of the following represents a suitable petition in this situation regarding their constitutional rights?

a)

Petition for a writ of extradition

b)

Petition for a writ of habeas corpus

c)

A petition for release into their custody

d)

A petition for overturning the charges

40.

Which phrase best describes the power of impeachment?

a)

The ability of the US House to charge federal officers with a crime or violation

b)

The ability of the SCOTUS to determine the constitutionality of laws

c)

The power of the US Senate to remove federal officers for a crime or violation

d)

The power of the US President to enforce decisions of federal courts

41.

Which constitutional provision was inspired by this quote from the Declaration of Independence?

"He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures."

a)

The president has the power to declare war under Article II

b)

The 2nd Amendment ensures that citizens have the right to keep and bear arms

c)

The 3rd Amendment limits the quartering of soldiers to specific circumstances

d)

The president has the power to determine the deployment and use of soldiers under Article II

42.

The Preamble to the US Constitution best reflects which philosophical movement?

a)

Transcendentalism

b)

Reformation

c)

Progressivism

d)

Enlightenment

43.

Which of the following influenced the aims and strategies of the authors of the Declaration of Sentiments?

a)

Northwest Ordinance

b)

Articles of Confederation

c)

US Constitution

d)

Declaration of Independence

44.

Which political philosophers ideas are best represented in the Declaration of Independence

a)

Thomas Hobbes

b)

Ethan Allen

c)

John Locke

d)

James Madison

45.

Why did colonists living under British rule protest British tax policies?

a)

The colonists claimed that the tax policies violated their political rights

b)

The colonists claimed that the monetary policies prohibited them from developing industries

c)

The colonists claimed that the commercial policies hindered westward expansion of the colonies

d)

The colonists claimed that the regulatory policies caused widespread criminal behavior

46.

The Mayflower Compact pledged to unite the settlers into a "civil body politic" and agreed to make and abide by laws that "insured the general Good of the Colony."

Which founding document did this set a precedent for?

a)

Declaration of Independence

b)

US Constitution

c)

Magna Carta

d)

Bill of Rights

47.

Which person is considered to be the principal author of the US Constitution?

a)

Thomas Jefferson

b)

Richard Henry Lee

c)

Benjamin Franklin

d)

James Madison

48.

Government by the people and the separation of powers are the main principles of which founding document?

a)

Bill of Rights

b)

US Constitution

c)

Mayflower Compact

d)

Northwest Ordinance

49.

Which of the following contains a clause that may have served as an inspiration for the 13th Amendment?

a)

Declaration of Independence

b)

Articles of Confederation

c)

Northwest Ordinance

d)

Federalist Papers

50.

The Mayflower Compact includes a pledge to ensure that all citizens look out for the general good of the colony. Based on this, what impact has the Mayflower Compact had on modern understanding of the purpose of government in the United States?

a)

The government should protect the property of influential citizens.

b)

The government should provide equal protection under the law.

c)

The government should advance the goals of the elite.

d)

The government should establish religious unity.

51.

At the Constitutional Convention, there was a major debate between large states

and small states about representation in the new Congress. This debate was

resolved by the Great Compromise.

What was the result of this compromise?

a)

The number of citizens in a state would determine how many seats that state had

in Congress, but slaves and other noncitizens would not be counted for this

purpose.

b)

Congress would have two houses, one in which state representation was based

on population and one in which all states had equal representation.

c)

The number of seats each state would have in both houses of Congress would

be based on the state's population.

d)

Congress would be made up of two houses in which all states had an equal

number of representatives in each house.

52.

Which of the following reflects the most important consequence of the Watergate

break-in?

a)

legalization of capital punishment.

b)

creation of levees around coastal cities.

c)

resignation of the president of the United States.

d)

integration of surveillance technology in society.

53.

The U.S. Supreme Court enabled which government practices to continue in its

ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson?

a)

Prohibiting monopoly formation.

b)

Establishing immigration quotas.

c)

Segregating public facilities.

d)

Regulating financial markets.

54.

Which of the following statements regarding the Monroe Doctrine is accurate?

a)

The Monroe Doctrine prohibited future European colonization in the Western

Hemisphere.

b)

Debates over the Monroe Doctrine heightened sectional divisions in the United

States.

c)

The United States used the Monroe Doctrine to justify the annexation of

overseas territories.

d)

Great Britain's opposition to the Monroe Doctrine was a major cause of the War

of 1812.

55.

By what process were eighteen-year-olds fully granted the right to vote?

a)

resolution of Congress

b)

voter initiative

c)

Supreme Court decision

d)

constitutional amendment

56.

Based on the passage, which government program would the speaker support?

“What do the people of America want more than anything else? To my mind, they

want two things: work, . . . and with work, a reasonable measure of security . . .”

a)

Great Society

b)

Fair Deal

c)

New Deal

d)

Brain Trust

57.

In order to attract investment and business and reduce expenses, a state legislature proposes passing a law that removes the need for certain federal regulatory features relating to office and factory environments.

Which legislative action would most likely cause the U.S. Supreme Court to decide

that this violated the Supremacy Clause?

a)

Pendeleton Act

b)

Fair Housing Act

c)

Social Security Act

d)

Occupational Safety and Health Act

58.

“So if a law be in opposition to the constitution; if both the law and the constitution

apply to a particular case, so that the court must either decide that case conformably to the law, disregarding the constitution; or conformably to the constitution, disregarding the law; the court must determine which of these conflicting rules governs the case.”

Which Supreme Court case established the precedent described in the opinion?

a)

Bush v. Gore

b)

Miranda v. Arizona

c)

Marbury v. Madison

d)

Dred Scott v. Sandford

59.

Which of the following cases resulted in a decision that undermined civil rights and

liberties in prioritization of national security?

a)

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

b)

Brown v. Board of Education

c)

District of Columbia v. Heller

d)

Korematsu v. United States

60.

A person is charged with felony breaking and entering. During the court

proceedings, the defendant requested an attorney and was denied the right to

counsel.

Which Supreme Court case overturned the trial court's decision, due to lack of

counsel?

a)

Miranda v. Arizona

b)

Plessy v. Ferguson

c)

McCulloch v. Maryland

d)

Gideon v. Wainwright

61.

Which Supreme Court decision incorporated the 2nd Amendment?

a)

Baker v. Carr

b)

McDonald v. Chicago

c)

Gideon v. Wainwright

d)

Roe v. Wade

62.

Which landmark SCOTUS decision prohibits racial gerrymandering?

a)

Shaw v. Reno

b)

Roe v. Wade

c)

Baker v. Carr

d)

Miranda v. Arizona

63.

Which foundational document argued that the United States was too large and diverse for a single government to govern effectively or safely?

a)

Brutus I

b)

Articles of Confederation

c)

Federalist 10

d)

Letter from Birmingham Jail

64.

Which article of the US Constitution describes the amendment process?

a)

Article VII

b)

Article IV

c)

Article V

d)

Article VI

65.

Which section of the US Constitution would one find the commerce clause and the elastic clause?

a)

Article II, Section 7

b)

Article I, Section 8

c)

Article III, Section 2

d)

Article VI, Section 1

66.

Which required SCOTUS decision incorporated the establishment clause?

a)

Wisconsin v. Yoder

b)

Schenck v. United States

c)

Engel v. Vitale

d)

Roe v. Wade

67.

Which constitutional clause was used in Roe v. Wade to protect the right to privacy against state action?

a)

Equal Protection Clause

b)

Due Process clause

c)

Free Exercise clause

d)

Elastic Clause