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WorksheetsCivics Unit 2 Study Guide
Total questions: 82
Worksheet time: 42mins
What is the term for a system of government where power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units?
Unicameral
Federalism
Bicameral
Compact
Which principle refers to the idea that government power should be restricted by law, usually in a written constitution?
Popular sovereignty
Limited government
Rule of law
Constitutionalism
Which form of city government, combining democratic rule with professional expertise, is most common in the United States today?
council-manager
elected commission
weak mayor-council
strong mayor-council
What is the term for the belief that government should be based on the consent of the people?
Popular sovereignty
Civic virtue
Natural law
Ratification
Which concept refers to the division of government responsibilities into distinct branches to limit any one branch from exercising the core functions of another?
Separation of powers
Majority rule
Representative government
Electoral College
What is the term for rights that cannot be surrendered, sold, or transferred to someone else?
Individual rights
Unalienable rights
Natural rights
Civic virtue
Which term describes a two-house legislative system?
Bicameral
Unicameral
Charter
Compact
What is the name of the group that opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, fearing it gave too much power to the national government?
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
Militia
Electoral College
Which term refers to the legal principle that law should govern a nation, as opposed to being governed by arbitrary decisions of individual government officials?
Rule of law
Natural law
Compact
Charter
What is the term for a formal agreement or contract between two or more parties?
Charter
Compact
Ratification
Civic virtue
Which term refers to the process by which a proposed law or treaty is officially approved?
Ratification
Charter
Majority rule
Electoral College
What does Natural Law mean?
What are unalienable rights?
What is civic virtue?
What is the primary purpose of the system of checks and balances in the U.S. government?
To ensure that the federal government has more power than the states
To prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful
To allow the President to make laws without Congress
To give the Supreme Court the ability to veto legislation
Which clause in the U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate trade between states and with foreign countries?
Supremacy Clause
Elastic Clause
Commerce Clause
Necessary and Proper Clause
What are concurrent powers?
Powers that are exclusively held by the federal government
Powers shared by both the federal and state governments
Powers reserved for the state governments
Powers implied but not explicitly stated in the Constitution
Which term refers to the powers specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution?
Reserved powers
Delegated powers
Implied powers
Concurrent powers
What does the term "due process" refer to in the context of the U.S. legal system?
The right to a speedy trial
The right to free speech
Fair treatment through the normal judicial system
The right to bear arms
Which clause is also known as the "Elastic Clause"?
Supremacy Clause
Necessary and Proper Clause
Commerce Clause
Due Process Clause
What is eminent domain?
The power of the government to take private property for public use
The right of individuals to own property without government interference
The ability of states to regulate commerce within their borders
The power of the President to declare war
What are enumerated powers?
Powers that are implied but not explicitly stated in the Constitution
Powers specifically listed in the Constitution
Powers reserved for the state governments
Powers shared by both the federal and state governments
What is executive privilege?
The President's power to veto legislation
The President's right to keep certain communications confidential
The President's ability to declare war
The President's power to appoint Supreme Court justices
What is federalism?
A system where the national government holds all the power
A system where power is divided between national and state governments
A system where states have more power than the national government
A system where the judiciary has the most power
What is the purpose of a writ of habeas corpus?
To allow the government to detain individuals indefinitely
To require a person under arrest to be brought before a judge
To allow the President to bypass Congress
To enable states to nullify federal laws
What is impeachment?
The process of removing a Supreme Court justice
The process of charging a government official with misconduct
The process of passing a new law
The process of amending the Constitution
What are implied powers?
Powers explicitly stated in the Constitution
Powers that are not listed but are necessary to carry out enumerated powers
Powers reserved for the state governments
Powers shared by both the federal and state governments
What is the role of an independent judiciary?
To ensure that the judiciary is influenced by political pressures
To interpret and apply the law impartially
To create laws
To enforce laws
What is the Supremacy Clause?
It establishes the President as the supreme leader of the country
It declares that federal laws take precedence over state laws
It gives states the power to override federal laws
It allows the Supreme Court to veto state legislation
What is the main function of the checks and balances system in the U.S. Constitution?
To ensure all states have equal power
To prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful
To allow the President to make all major decisions
To ensure the military controls the government
the powers that both federal and state governments may exercise
enumerated powers
concurrent powers
checks and balances
reserved powers
the powers set aside for the states
enumerated powers
popular sovereignty
concurrent powers
reserved powers
Which of these units of government is most likely to regulate water systems, cemeteries, hospitals, sewers, fire protection services, and schools?
a city council
a state legislature
a special-purpose district
a county board of supervisors
the people's right to rule
reserved powers
limited government
concurrent powers
popular sovereignty
the idea that the law applies to everyone
rule of law
limited government
reserved powers
concurrent powers
This was the "thesis" of the Constitution that set out its purpose
The Introduction to the Constitution
The Bill of Rights
The Preamble
The Checks and Balances
This branch is made up of a lower and upper house
Legislative
Executive
Presidential
Judicial
What does precedent mean?
What is an amendment?
A change or addition
An introduction or statement of purpose
A formal meeting called for a special purpose
A belief or judgement of an individual group
The first 3 ___________ of the Constitution set up the government into legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
amendments
articles
preambles
rights
Amendments are found in what part of the Constitution?
beginning
middle
end
The amendment process is
easy and quick
difficult and long
How many amendments have been added over time?
10
27
30
50
How many Congress votes are required to ratify an amendment?
2/3
1/2
1/3
How many states must approve an amendment?
1/3
1/4
3/4
What is the legal term for the release of a defendant from custody, usually on the condition that a sum of money is lodged to guarantee their appearance in court?
Parole
Bail
Probation
Acquittal
Which term refers to the government-imposed penalty of death for a crime?
Life imprisonment
Capital punishment
Exile
Community service
What are the freedoms and rights that protect individuals from government actions called?
Civil liberties
Civil rights
Human rights
Social rights
Which clause in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution requires states to provide equal protection under the law to all people within their jurisdictions?
Due Process Clause
Equal Protection Clause
Supremacy Clause
Establishment Clause
What is the legal principle that prevents an individual from being tried twice for the same offense?
Habeas corpus
Double jeopardy
Ex post facto
Stare decisis
Which term describes the process by which the Bill of Rights is applied to the states through the 14th Amendment?
Federalism
Incorporation
Delegation
Nullification
Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan both advocated a policy known as devolution. What was this policy aimed at?
limiting taxes levied by states
reducing federal grants to the states
transferring power back to the states
improving cooperation among the states
What is the term for a false and defamatory written statement about someone?
Slander
Libel
Satire
Parody
Which term refers to government censorship of information before it is published or broadcast?
Prior restraint
Post-publication review
Content moderation
Information embargo
What is the term for the right to express ideas and opinions through actions without using words?
Verbal speech
Symbolic speech
Written speech
Artistic speech
Which clause in the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution states that private property cannot be taken for public use without just compensation?
Commerce Clause
Takings Clause
Necessary and Proper Clause
Full Faith and Credit Clause
This card is an example of...
Due Process
Habeus Corpus
What is the name given to violations against people's civil rights and liberties by governments?
Human Rights Violations
Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense, was influenced by Rousseau’s argument that a government should be dissolved if it
was too weak to be effective.
acted contrary to the general will.
depended on inherited leadership.
could not keep the economy stable.
An individual has the right to freedom until
they use their rights to promote patriotism
their freedom effects someone else
they gain too much power
the government intervenes
What is symbolic speech?
What is the term for the distribution of seats in a legislative body based on population?
Gerrymandering
Apportionment
Redistricting
Devolution
Which system of government involves a division of powers between a central government and regional governments?
Dual Federalism
Commission System
Council-Manager System
Special-Purpose District
What is the term for a grant given by the federal government to state or local governments for a specific purpose?
Block Grant
Unfunded Mandate
Grants-in-Aid
Expressed Powers
Which of the following refers to the powers explicitly granted to Congress by the Constitution?
Expressed Powers
Interstate Commerce
Intrastate Commerce
Regulated Federalism
What is the term for the manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a particular political party?
Redistricting
Gerrymandering
Apportionment
Devolution
Which system of local government combines the roles of mayor and council, where the mayor has significant administrative authority?
Council-Manager System
Mayor-Council System
Commission System
Cooperative Federalism
What is the term for the transfer of powers from a central government to regional or local governments?
Devolution
New Federalism
Regulated Federalism
Cooperative Federalism
Which type of federalism is characterized by a strong national government that sets policies for the states to follow?
Dual Federalism
Cooperative Federalism
Regulated Federalism
New Federalism
What is the minimum number of members required to be present for a legislative body to conduct official business?
Quorum
Apportionment
Redistricting
Block Grant
Which term describes a district created for a specific purpose, such as a school district or a water district?
County Seat
Special-Purpose District
Commission System
Interstate Commerce
What is interstate commerce?
Interstate commerce is the trade of goods between states
What is intrastate commerce?
The Articles of Confederation reflected Americans’ fear of
a permanent standing army
a strong central government.
a threatened foreign invasion.
a breakdown in law and order.
"Dual federalism" refers to the fact that
both the national and state governments can levy taxes on citizens.
there is a distinct line between policies surrounding public education and private education in the states.
the Constitution provides two layers of government in the nation- the national and the state.
there are two distinct eras in American history- the era before cooperative federalism and the era since the development of cooperative federalism.
Explain the concept of dual federalism.
The concept of dual federalism is the idea that the powers and responsibilities of the federal government and state governments are clearly defined and separate.
The concept of dual federalism is the idea that the powers and responsibilities of the federal government and state governments overlap and are not clearly defined.
Dual federalism is the idea that the federal government has no power over the state governments and each state operates independently.
Dual federalism refers to the concept of a single centralized government with no separate state governments.
What are the exclusive powers of the federal government?
Powers determined by local municipalities
Powers delegated by the judicial branch
Powers specifically listed in the Constitution
Powers granted by state governments
Explain the significance of the Tenth Amendment in federalism.
The Tenth Amendment limits the power of the federal government by reserving certain powers to the states or to the people.
The Tenth Amendment has no impact on the division of powers between the federal government and the states.
The Tenth Amendment only applies to certain states and not others.
The Tenth Amendment gives the federal government unlimited power over the states.
Federalism as a form of government has many disadvantages. A major disadvantage of federalism is
conflicts may arise over authority of government
there is concentration of political power
government is not close to the people
existing state governments ar not accommodated
The Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth amendments protect
voting rights.
privacy rights.
rights in the legal system.
rights reserved to the states
Which complaint was the greatest barrier to ratifying the Constitution?
It did not include a bill of rights.
It had to be approved by all 13 states.
It allowed too many people to vote.
It created a weak central government.
Discuss the concept of cooperative federalism.
Cooperative federalism means that each level of government operates independently without collaboration.
Cooperative federalism involves competition between different levels of government to address shared issues.
Cooperative federalism is a system where the federal government has complete control over all issues without involving state or local governments.
Cooperative federalism involves collaboration between different levels of government to address shared issues.
