WorksheetsTopic 5 Test
Total questions: 26
Worksheet time: 13mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
What was the first attempt at government for the United States after gaining independence from Great Britain?
a)
The Constitution
b)
The Articles of Confederation
c)
The Declaration of Independence
d)
The Federalist Papers
2.
Which of the following best describes a primary weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
a)
It gave too much power to the president
b)
It prevented states from trading with each other
c)
It lacked the power to tax citizens directly
d)
It had too many amendments
3.
What was Shays's Rebellion?
a)
A protest against the Constitution
b)
A revolt by former Continental Army Captain Daniel Shays and farmers against debt collection and farm foreclosures
c)
A rebellion against British taxes
d)
A protest led by enslaved people seeking freedom
4.
Which of the following was NOT a plan presented at the Constitutional Convention?
a)
The Virginia Plan
b)
The New Jersey Plan
c)
The Great Compromise
d)
The Boston Plan
5.
The Three-Fifths Compromise addressed which issue at the Constitutional Convention?
a)
How to count enslaved persons for representation and taxation
b)
How many Supreme Court justices to appoint
c)
How to divide power between the federal government and states
d)
How to elect the president
6.
Which principle of the Constitution establishes that the government gets its power from the people?
a)
Federalism
b)
Separation of powers
c)
Checks and balances
d)
Popular sovereignty
7.
What did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 establish?
a)
A process for western territories to become states
b)
A tax on imported goods
c)
A permanent capital for the United States
d)
The Supreme Court system
8.
Which of the following best describes the principle of federalism?
a)
The division of power among the three branches of government
b)
The sharing of power between the national and state governments
c)
The system where each branch can limit the power of others
d)
The authority of the people to govern themselves
9.
Who is often called the "Father of the Constitution"?
a)
George Washington
b)
Thomas Jefferson
c)
James Madison
d)
Benjamin Franklin
10.
Which compromise resolved the conflict between large and small states regarding representation in Congress?
a)
The Three-Fifths Compromise
b)
The Great Compromise
c)
The Commerce Compromise
d)
The New England Compromise
11.
What are the three branches of government established by the Constitution?
a)
Federal, state, and local
b)
Executive, legislative, and judicial
c)
House, Senate, and President
d)
National, state, and territorial
12.
Which of the following is an example of checks and balances?
a)
States having their own constitutions
b)
The president appointing Supreme Court justices
c)
Congress passing a law that the president can veto
d)
The House and Senate having different powers
13.
People who supported the new Constitution were called:
a)
Anti-Federalists
b)
Republicans
c)
Democrats
d)
Federalists
14.
The Bill of Rights consists of:
a)
The first five amendments to the Constitution
b)
The first ten amendments to the Constitution
c)
Articles I, II, and III of the Constitution
d)
The preamble to the Constitution
15.
What is judicial review?
a)
The process of amending the Constitution
b)
The power of the Supreme Court to determine if laws are constitutional
c)
The president's power to appoint federal judges
d)
Congress's ability to override presidential vetoes
16.
How many states needed to ratify the Constitution before it could go into effect?
a)
All 13 states
b)
A majority (7 states)
c)
Nine states
d)
Three-fourths of the states
17.
Which of the following is an enumerated power of Congress?
a)
Establishing schools
b)
Creating marriage laws
c)
Regulating trade with foreign nations
d)
Setting speed limits
18.
The Land Ordinance of 1785 was important because it:
a)
Ended the Revolutionary War
b)
Created a system for dividing and selling western lands
c)
Established the first national bank
d)
Created the first state constitutions
19.
Which document stated "We the People" in its opening words?
a)
The Declaration of Independence
b)
The Articles of Confederation
c)
The Constitution
d)
The Federalist Papers
20.
What is a concurrent power in the U.S. system of government?
a)
A power held only by the federal government
b)
A power shared by the federal and state governments
c)
A power held only by the states
d)
A power held by the judicial branch
21.
Read the following excerpt from the Articles of Confederation:
"Every state shall abide by the determinations of the United States in congress assembled, on all questions which by this confederation are submitted to them."
What does this quote reveal about the Articles of Confederation?
a)
States had to follow all laws created by Congress
b)
States only had to follow Congress on certain matters
c)
Congress had unlimited power over the states
d)
The president could override state decisions
22.
In the Federalist Papers, the author writes:
"If men were angels, no government would be necessary."
What point is the author making with this statement?
a)
The government should be run by perfect people
b)
Human nature requires a system of government with controls
c)
The Articles of Confederation were sufficient
d)
The Constitution gives too much power to the government
23.
In a letter about the Constitution, Thomas Jefferson wrote:
"I am glad to hear that the new constitution is received with favor. I sincerely wish that the 9 first [states] conventions may receive [approve], & the 4 last [states] reject it."
What was Jefferson's main concern about the Constitution?
a)
That it would not be ratified by enough states
b)
That it needed a declaration of rights added to it
c)
That it gave too much power to the president
d)
That it would be rejected by all states
24.
Read this excerpt from the Northwest Ordinance:
"There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory."
What does this reveal about the early United States government's approach to slavery?
a)
Slavery was banned throughout the entire United States
b)
The government prohibited the expansion of slavery into the Northwest Territory
c)
All enslaved people were immediately freed
d)
Southern states had agreed to end slavery
25.
What is the definition of "ratification" in the context of the Constitution?
a)
Writing a new document
b)
Formal approval by the required number of states
c)
Changing or amending a document
d)
Rejecting a proposal
26.
The term "popular sovereignty" refers to:
a)
A government ruled by the most popular political party
b)
The principle that the authority of government comes from the people
c)
The power held exclusively by the president
d)
A system where only wealthy citizens can vote
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