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WorksheetsUnit 5 Test: United States Constitution
Total questions: 24
Worksheet time: 24mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
What kind of government did the Articles of Confederation create?
a)
a strong federal government
b)
a republic
c)
a legislature
2.
Which weakness in the Articles of Confederation made it difficult for Congress to be effective?
a)
To pass any law, the governors of all the states needed to vote yes.
b)
Any amendment to the Articles required majority approval.
c)
To pass any law, 9 of the original 13 states needed to vote yes.
3.
From the viewpoint of a settler, what was a positive feature of the Ordinance of 1785 and related laws?
a)
Land was parceled out into sections and sold at a set price.
b)
Land was parceled out into sections for farming and granted to the first 10 settlers in each section.
c)
Settled land was protected by laws passed in conjunction with the ordinance.
4.
Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was limited because it could not
a)
raise money by taxing citizens.
b)
pass laws about land use.
c)
enforce treaties with Native Americans.
5.
What was one way the Land Act of 1800 was different from both the Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance?
a)
It allowed settlers to pay for land over a period of several years rather than all at once.
b)
It allowed settlers to pay less for land but limited the amount of land they could buy.
c)
It set aside land for Native Americans as long as they could pay for it.
d)
It set aside free land for anyone who committed to farm the land while they lived on it.
6.
Many settlers in America started thinking the country needed a stronger central government to
a)
demand financial support from states to pay Revolutionary soldiers.
b)
address the ongoing financial crisis and negotiate with Britain and Spain.
c)
settle disputes among states as groups fought over limited land.
7.
Massachusetts farmers revolted in Shays's Rebellion of 1786-1787 because
a)
when four farmers escaped imprisonment for failure to pay debts, they were killed.
b)
when farmers in debt asked for help, the state seized their lands and imprisoned them.
c)
farmers became reliant on governmental help and revolted when aid stopped.
8.
How did free African Americans respond to ongoing discrimination in the Northern states?
a)
They formed their own churches, schools, and aid groups.
b)
They demanded entry into white schools, churches, and aid groups.
c)
They revolted and participated in the movement that began as Shays's Rebellion.
d)
They returned to Africa to reunite with family and friends.
9.
Why was a constitutional convention called in 1787?
a)
Many leaders saw a need for a stronger national government.
b)
Many states opposed changes in the new national government.
c)
Most governors wanted a committee to run the executive branch of government.
10.
Which plan called for a stronger national government?
a)
the New Jersey Plan
b)
the Philadelphia Plan
c)
the Virginia Plan
11.
What did some of the Constitutional delegates worry would happen without a Bill of Rights?
a)
Native Americans would revolt.
b)
State governments could abuse their powers.
c)
The federal government could abuse its power.
12.
How did the Constitutional Convention address the buying and selling of enslaved people?
a)
Southern states refused to compromise until the Northern states agreed that the trade of enslaved people was necessary to the economy.
b)
Northern and Southern states agreed that trading enslaved people must end, but postponed the issue until 1808.
c)
Northern states had already banned the trade of enslaved people but agreed to postpone the issue until 1808.
13.
Which idea from the Magna Carta was incorporated into the U.S. Constitution?
a)
The national government should be divided into three separate branches.
b)
Citizens should support a strong, centralized government.
c)
Everyone, even the head of government, must obey the law.
14.
How did the French writer Montesquieu influence the U.S. Constitution?
a)
He believed that people have natural rights.
b)
He advocated that governments should guarantee jury trials.
c)
He developed the idea of the separation of powers.
15.
The concept that power should be shared between the national government and state governments is called
a)
republicanism.
b)
separation of powers.
c)
due process.
d)
federalism.
16.
What is the job of the judicial branch of the federal government?
a)
to interpret the laws of the United States
b)
to write and pass laws for the United States
c)
to choose the president and vice president
17.
During the ratification debate, Federalists and Anti-Federalists were primarily divided over the
a)
necessity of a bicameral legislature.
b)
division of power between the states and the federal government.
c)
granting of suffrage to women and non-landowners.
18.
Why was it critical that the states of New York and Virginia ratify the U.S. Constitution?
a)
The new government needed these large states' support to succeed.
b)
These states' approval curbed the veto power of slave-holding states in the Senate.
c)
All 13 states had to ratify the Constitution before it could go into effect.
19.
In the United States, the people rule through elected representatives who make laws on behalf of the people. This is an example of the constitutional principle of
a)
mercantilism.
b)
checks and balances.
c)
republicanism.
20.
Which is an example of a concurrent power?
a)
the power to raise taxes
b)
the power to coin money
c)
the power to establish schools
21.
The power of the Supreme Court to declare a presidential action unconstitutional is an example of the constitutional principle of
a)
popular sovereignty.
b)
republicanism.
c)
checks and balances.
22.
In which part of the Constitution are freedom of speech and freedom of religion protected?
a)
Article I
b)
the Preamble
c)
the Bill of Rights
23.
The authority of the nation's people to establish a system of government that promotes their well-being is the principle of
a)
checks and balances.
b)
popular sovereignty.
c)
federalism.
24.
Evolving interpretations of constitutional language, as well as the amendment process, have been used to
a)
reduce the importance of the Supreme Court.
b)
limit the number of terms elected legislators can serve.
c)
allow the application of the Constitution to adapt to changing times.
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