Government & Supreme Court Cases

In the 1780’s, many Americans distrusted a strong central government. This distrust is best shown by the

A.lack of debate over the ratification of the United States Constitution B.plan of government set up by the Articles of Confederation C.development of a Federal court system D.constitutional provision for a strong President

The authors of the United States Constitution believed that the voice of the people should be heard frequently. Which part of the Government was instituted to respond most directly to the will of the people?

A.Senate B.House of Representatives C.Supreme Court D.Presidency

Which quotation from the United States Constitution provides for a Federal system of government?

A.“He shall have power . . . with the advice and consent of the Senate, . . . and . . . shall appoint . . .“ B.“Every bill . . . shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the President of the United States; . . ." C.“The powers not delegated to the United States . . . are reserved to the states . . .“ D.“Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.”

The system of checks and balances is best illustrated by the power of

A.the President to veto a bill passed by Congress B.Congress to censure one of its members C.a governor to send the National Guard to stop a riot D.state and Federal governments to levy and collect taxes

Adherence to a strict interpretation of the Constitution would have prevented

A.President Thomas Jefferson frommaking the Louisiana Purchase B.writing “State of the Union” messages C.receiving ambassadors D.commissioning military officers

Which phrase from the Declaration of Independence most clearly reflects the idea that the people are the source of government?

A.“. . . that all men are created equal,...” B.“. .. all men are . . . endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights C.“. . . deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. . .“ D.“. . . governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes . . .

One way in which the United States Constitution differed from the Articles of Confederation was that the Constitution

A.created a national government having three branches B.provided for the direct election of the President by the voters C.made the amendment process more difficult D.increased the powers of the states

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates from the small states most strongly supported the idea of

A.establishing a strong national executive B.levying taxes on exports C.popular election of Senators D.equal representation for the states in the national legislature

One way in which the authors of the Constitution tried to create “limited government” was by providing for

A.a loyal opposition through a two-party system B.a division of power between the national and state governments C.the establishment of naturalization laws D.the popular election of Federal judges

The flexibility of the original United States Constitution is due mainly to

A.its provision for the amending process and judicial interpretation B.its guarantees of freedom and justice for all people C.the ability to create new branches of government as needed D.the willingness of the states to accept Federal control

“In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this, you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, oblige it to control itself.”

This passage from the Federalist Papers refers to the need for

A.a strong executive B.a system of checks and balances C.an independent military D.a national education system

During the debates over the ratification of the United States Constitution, Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagreed most strongly over the

A.division of powers between the national and state governments B.provision for admitting new states to the Union C.distribution of power between the Senate and the House of Representatives D.method of amending the Constitution

Which constitutional provision was intended to give the people the most influence over the Federal Government?

A.President’s duty to give Congress information about the state of the Union B.electoral college system for choosing the President C.direct election of members of the House of Representatives for two-year terms D.process for proposing and ratifying amendments to the Constitution

The Articles of Confederation are best described as a

A.statement of principles justifying the Revolutionary War B.plan of union for the original thirteen states C.set of arguments supporting ratification of the Constitution D.list of reasons for the secession of the Southern States

The major reason the Bill of Rights was added to the United States Constitution was to

A.limit the power of state governments B.protect individual liberties against abuse by the Federal Government C.provide for equal treatment of all people D.separate powers between the three branches of government

Which idea is illustrated by the Supreme Court cases Schenck v. United States and Korematsu v . United States?

A.The free speech rights of Communists have often been violated. B.During wartime, limitations on civil rights have been upheld by judicial action. C.The rights of protestors have been preserved even in times of national stress. D.Economic interests of foreign nations are frequently upheld in United States courts.

The Dred Scott decision on the issue of slavery upheld the Southern viewpoint that

A.the power of the Supreme Court does not extend to cases of race B.Congress could not pass a law depriving territorial residents of their property C.a national vote should be held to decide the legality of slavery D.the economic well-being of the western states depended on slave labor

The decisions of the United States Supreme Court in Miranda v. Arizona, Gideon v. Wainwright, and Escobedo v. Illinois all advanced the

A.voting rights of minorities B.guarantees of free speech and press C.principle of separation of church and state D.rights of accused persons

The significance of the Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison is that the decision

A.advanced civil rights for minorities B.upheld the constitutionality of a national bank C.limited Presidential control of foreign policy D.established the power of judicial review

"Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal." -Brown v. Board of Education

The effect of this Supreme Court ruling was to

A.establish affirmative action programs in higher education B.require the integration of public schools C.desegregate the armed forces and the military academies D.force states to spend an equal amount on each public school student

What was the result of many of the Supreme Court decisions made under Chief Justice John Marshall between 1801 and 1835?

A.The system of slavery was weakened. B.The federal government was strengthened. C.The rights of workers were supported. D.Antitrust laws were upheld.

The Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade (1973) was based on the constitutional principle of

A.protection of property rights B.freedom of speech C.right to privacy D.freedom of religion

The Jim Crow legal system, which expanded in the South after Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), was based on the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the

A.due process clause of the 5th Amendment B.states’ rights provision of the 10th Amendment C.equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment D.voting rights provision in the 15th Amendment

The cartoonist is commenting on public reaction to the Supreme Court decision that

A. restricted attendance in churches

B. mandated home-based prayer

C. declared school-sponsored prayer unconstitutional

D. banned public observance of religious holidays