Unit I – Constitutional Underpinnings

1. All of the following statements support the pluralist view of American politics EXCEPT:
a. No elites exist in a modern representative democracy.
b. Many groups compete for control of public policy, with no one group or set of groups
dominating.
c. Bargaining and compromise among groups are essential ingredients in a democratic policy
process
d. While claiming to represent the general welfare, groups tend to represent narrow interests.
e. Some people do have more power than others, but their influence tends to be limited to
particular issues and areas.

2. The document which includes 27 paragraphs that list specific complaints of the colonists against
George III and his ministers was
a. The Constitution
b. Common Sense
c. the Declaration of Independence
d. Federalist #10
e. Second Treatise of Civil Government

Questions 3-4 refer to the following passage:

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither
external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. A dependence on the people is,
no doubt, the primary control on the government, but experience has taught mankind the
necessity of auxiliary precautions.”

3. The author of the passage was

a. Benjamin Franklin
b. Thomas Jefferson
c. John Locke
d. James Madison
e. Samuel Adams

4. The passage intended to support which of the following principles of government?

a. federalism
b. rule by an elite
c. direct democracy
d. majoritarian
e. minority rights

5. Which of the following was a provision of BOTH the Articles of Confederation AND the
Constitution?
a. A president enforces the law.
b. Congress may regulate interstate commerce.
c. Congress may declare war.
d. Certain cases are decided by the Supreme Court.
e. Congress may not levy taxes.

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6. All of the following conditions characterized the United States under the Articles of Confederation
EXCEPT:
a. Sovereignty was left to the states.
b. Expanded political participation brought a new middle class more power.
c. Economic turmoil brought economic issues to the top of the political agenda.
d. A series of attacks on courthouse in Massachusetts called attention to the demands of
debtors.
e. Several states were on the verge of rebellion because of harsh new restrictions placed by the
national government on interstate trade.

7. The 55 members of the Constitutional Convention generally held which view of human nature?
a. Man, by nature, wants to be ruled by government.
b. Humans are naturally good, and are only corrupted by society
c. Human nature is most characterized by conflict and chaos
d. Humans are motivated by self interest and therefore cannot be trusted with political power.
e. Common people can be trusted with power, but rulers cannot.

8. For Madison, in the Federalist #10, “the most common and durable source factions has been…”
a. unequal natural abilities of people
b. the unequal distribution of property
c. religion and ideology
d. the various regional interests within the country
e. the various political views held by the elites

9. The Connecticut Compromise addressed which of the following issues at the Constitutional
Convention?
a. representation of the states in a bicameral legislature
b. slavery
c. imports and exports
d. political equality of individuals
e. the national debt

10. All of the following individual rights were protected in the Constitution BEFORE the Bill of Rights
was added EXCEPT:
a. prohibition of the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus
b. right to a speedy and public trial
c. prohibition of bills of attainder
d. right to trial by jury in criminal cases
e. prohibition of ex post facto laws

11. With which of the following goals for government would the founders most likely disagree?
a. controlling the tyranny of the majority
b. protecting private property
c. protecting political freedom
d. reconciling economic inequality with political freedom
e. ensuring economic equality

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12. In the original Constitution, which of the following elements of government was placed within
direct control of the votes of the majority?
a. the Senate
b. the presidency
c. the Supreme Court
d. the House of Representatives
e. the vice presidency

13. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in 1791 largely because
a. most of the founders believed that individual rights were not adequately addressed at the
convention
b. the southern states insisted that additional safeguards for individual rights were needed
c. the Anti-Federalist attacks were so strong that the founders feared the Constitution would not
be ratified
d. the Federalist majority in the state legislatures proposed a strong argument for protection of
enumerated rights
e. Alexander Hamilton lobbied the state legislatures of New York and new Hampshire until he
convinced them to support a Bill of Rights

14. All but one of the 27 amendments to the Constitution have followed the amending process of
a. proposal by 2/3 vote in each house of Congress and ratification by special conventions called
3/4 of the states
b. proposal by a national convention called by Congress and ratification by special conventions
called in 3/4 of the states
c. proposal by 2/3 vote in each house of Congress and ratification by ¾ of the state legislatures
d. proposal by a national convention called by Congress and ratification by ¾ of the state
legislatures
e. proposal by ¾ of the state legislature and ratification by 2/3 vote in each house of Congress

15. A federal system of government differs from a confederation in that in a federal system
a. state governments are stronger than the central government
b. the central and state governments are more clearly distinct and separate
c. the state governments have no distinct and separate powers
d. the central government shares governing powers with constituent states
e. all policy making power is concentrated in a central government

16. The Constitution Convention of 1787 included all of the following issues EXCEPT
a. Those who wanted a significantly stronger government argued with those who wanted to
retain the Articles of Confederation.
b. Leaders from state with large populations argued with representatives from states with
small population over the new form of Congress.
c. Leaders from Rhode Island refused to attend.
d. Localists feared the creation of a new dictatorship.
e. Virginia’s leaders initially wanted a parliamentary system.

17. The Federalist Paper were

a. aimed at convincing readers that the Constitution would properly limit the powers of the
new federal system
b. aimed at convincing the public that Jefferson and Adam would support the Constitution
once they returned from Europe
c. not successful in keeping opportunities from demanding a Bill of Rights

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 d. key in swaying state votes in Virginia could organize itself
e. critical of how the new government could organize itself

18. The development of political parties in the early republic

a. can be traced to the leadership of Washington
b. was developed independently by early American politicians
c. was dominated by the conflict between Adams and Hamilton
d. was rooted in English traditions of liberal and conservative views
e. gave the Federalists a long period of dominance

19. Madison’s role in the early political development of the United States included all of the following
EXCEPT
a. drafting the bulk of the Constitutional plan
b. leading the debates supporting the new plan
c. staying loyal to the Federalist program
d. helping create the goals of Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans
e. writing the great essay on the power of the central government

20. Early Nationalists supported ____________, Localists supported ___________.

a. conservative agenda; a liberal agenda
b. Jefferson; Hamilton
c. Washington; Adams
d. A liberal agenda; a conservative agenda
e. Trade with our ally, France; trade with England

21. Federalism originally meant that

a. The national government would protect minimal rights in states.
b. State governments would have relatively equal sets of rights.
c. The national and state governments would protect similar rights.
d. Layers of government could have unique forms of rights.
e. States would join the union only if they adopted the Constitution.

22. All of the following are evidence of the original dominance of Congress EXCEPT
a. Presidential veto powers
b. The length and detail of Article I
c. Checks on presidential appointments
d. Presidential “recess appointment” powers
e. All are examples of Congressional dominance

23. Which power was NOT included in the Constitution?

a. The vice president’s position in two federal branches
b. Congress’s power to declare the punishment for treason
c. Congress’s power to filibuster bills to death
d. Congress’s power to suspend writs of habeas corpus
e. Congress’s inability to tax products sold from states.

24. A major point of power disputes between presidents and Congress centers on
a. Presidents assuming powers given to Congress in Article I
b. Presidents acting without actual Constitutional authority
c. Congress’s unwillingness to allow presidents to be a real “Commander-in-Chief”
d. Congress’s giving presidents power to control rules of the military

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 e. Congress’s refusal to protect the states in times of crisis.

25. Congress has all of the following powers EXCEPT

a. The right to set salaries for themselves
b. The right to remove members of Congress
c. The right to create a huge national debt
d. The power to serve temporarily as members of the Electoral College
e. The right not to pay the military

26. Federalism contains the idea that our two major forms of government are both
a. Sovereign
b. Republics
c. Elected
d. Checked and balanced
e. Equal

27. In the early days of the republic, federalism was meant to

a. Allow for strong local governments
b. Guarantee general equality of laws in the country
c. Protect the overall liberties of the nation
d. Encourage voting by all eligible voters
e. Strengthen the power of the national capital

28. One major goal of recent Republican administrations and majorities has been to
a. Return more control of federal monies to states
b. Return more control of civil rights to states
c. Return the administration of policies to the states
d. Return more tax authority to states
e. All of the above

29. Major shifts in the scope of federalism were caused by

a. States failing to protect civil rights
b. The inability of capitalist economies to avoid major collapses
c. Conflicts between republics and totalitarian nations
d. Changes in attitudes about the general rights of minorities
e. All of the above

30. After the Great Depression and the Civil Rights era, interstate commerce powers of Congress
came to include
a. The movement of goods and services across state lines
b. The movement of goods, but not of laborers
c. The general movement of goods anywhere in the U.S.
d. Activities related to economic trade across states
e. Criminal acts inside states

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 Answers to Unit Exam #1
Practice Exam #1
1. a
2. c
3. d
4. a
5. c
6. e
7. d
8. b
9. a
10. b
11. e
12. d
13. c
14. c
15. d
16. e
17. a
18. b
19. c
20. a
21. d
22. e
23. c
24. a
25. d
26. a
27. c
28. c
29. e
30. d
31.
32.