US government UT high school answer keys
Which of the following did the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights attempt to limit?
The divine right of kings
What was the Enlightenment?
An intellectual movement that questioned existing political forms.
How did the Enlightenment contribute to the American Revolution?
Philosophers began to question traditional notions of power.
Use the excerpt to answer the question:
“All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”
Which Enlightenment philosopher influenced this excerpt from the Declaration of
Independence?
John Locke
The concept of natural rights was a radical departure in thought at the time of the Enlightenment because:
it rejected the idea that rights were given by the ruler.
Why did American colonists believe they had to set up forms of self-government?
The British government was too remote to govern the colonies directly.
Which of the following was a form of colonial self-government?
Virginia House of Burgesses
How did the Seven Years’ War affect the relationship between the colonies and Great Britain?
It increased tensions between the two because Great Britain increased taxes to pay for the war.
Why was the government created by the Articles of Confederation ineffective?
It was too weak.
Which of the following best describes John Adams’s contributions to the writing of the Constitution?
He argued for a bicameral legislature and the separation of powers.
What did the conflict between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson center on?
The amount of power that a central government should hold over the states
Which of the following best describes John Jay’s contributions to the writing of the Constitution?
He helped author the Federalist Papers in support of a strong central government.
Why is James Madison considered the “father of the Constitution”?
He played a pivotal role in drafting the Bill of Rights.
George Mason and John Jay were similar in that they both:
argued for an end to slavery.
Which of the following best describes Roger Sherman’s contributions to the writing of the Constitution?
He helped negotiate the Great Compromise.
Which of the following individuals was most influential on how the executive branch functions?
George Washington
Which of the following best describes James Wilson’s contributions to the writing of the Constitution?
He proposed the Three-Fifths Compromise.
Why did larger states favor the Virginia Plan for representation?
Representation would be based on population.
What did the Great Compromise create?
A bicameral legislature
Why was the Electoral College created?
To reconcile differences between states’ rights and federal rights supporters
Which principle of the Constitution prohibits the federal and state governments
from taking certain actions?
Limited government
Which principle of the Constitution divides power between federal and state governments?
Federalism
Which principle of the Constitution is the basis for its first ten amendments?
Individual rights
Which principle of the Constitution defines the power of the government as derived from the power of people?
Popular sovereignty
Which principle of the Constitution establishes three branches of government?
Separation of powers
Which principle of the Constitution creates a system where elected representatives serve the will of the people?
Republicanism
Which principle of the Constitution allows the executive branch to limit the power of the legislative and judicial branches?
Checks and balances
How are the principles of checks and balances and separation of powers related?
Checks and balances helps maintains separation of powers
Which other principle helps to support republicanism?
Popular sovereignty
How does federalism serve to limit the power of the government?
It grants certain powers to the state government and others to the federal government.
How many Articles are there in the Constitution?
7
Which principle of the Constitution helps define the subjects of the first three Articles of the Constitution?
Separation of powers
Which principle of the Constitution helps define the subjects of Articles IV and VI of the Constitution?
Federalism
Which of the following is a check that the executive branch has over the judicial branch?
The power to appoint judges
Which of the following is a check that the judicial branch has over the executive branch?
The power to declare presidential acts unconstitutional
Which of the following is a check that the judicial branch has over the legislative branch?
The power to declare laws unconstitutional
Which of the following is a check that the legislative branch has over the judicial branch?
The power to approve federal judges
Which of the following is a check that the legislative branch has over the executive branch?
The power to impeach
Which of the following is a check that the executive branch has over the legislative branch?
The power to veto bills
What process is outlined in Article V of the Constitution?
The process of amending the document
Which of the following is a way in which an amendment to the Constitution can be proposed?
Both houses of Congress adopt a proposed amendment with a 2/3 vote
Which of the following is a way in which an amendment to the Constitution can be ratified?
3/4 of state legislatures ratify the amendment
How many times has the Constitution been amended?
27
Which of the following is NOT a reason the Constitution has been amended?
To modify the principles of government
Why is the process of amending the Constitution so difficult?
The founders did not want the document changed for insignificant reasons
All of the following are responsibilities of the legislative branch EXCEPT:
Appointing Supreme Court Justices
How is the legislative branch structured?
Bicameral chambers, made up of representatives and senators elected by the people
How does the legislative branch check the powers of the judicial branch?
The legislative branch approves Supreme Court appointments.
How does the legislative branch check the powers of the executive branch?
The legislative branch has the power to impeach and remove the president.
What best describes the purpose of a standing committee?
Gather information and develop expertise on a specific topic
Which best describes the members of the House of Representatives?
Representatives have unlimited two-year terms.
Which best describes the members of the Senate?
Senators have unlimited six-year terms.
Which best describes the process of impeachment?
The House files the case for impeachment, and the Senate hears the trial to vote for removal.
How are the 435 representatives in the House divided among the states?
A census every ten years determines population shifts, and representatives are reapportioned.
The process of drawing district lines in order to create an advantage for a political party in election is called:
gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering affects all of the following EXCEPT:
the election of the President
Congress has the authority to regulate commerce throughout the states and globally.
True
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate must approve foreign agreements.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate must approve foreign agreements.
Congress has the power to levy taxes, and therefore has the authority to manage the budget.
True
The legislative branch has specific checks on the power of both the executive branch and judicial branch.
True
Congress is the final branch of government to approve a law.
False
Representatives almost always tend to vote on a bill based on their party’s views and their constituents’ desires.
True
International trade organizations place trade restrictions on specific regions to make international trade more difficult.
False
Congress creates tariffs in order to promote American businesses.
True
Capitalism is an economic system in which the government owns all the property and businesses.
False
Congress has the authority to create tariffs and regulate interstate commerce.
True
In order to promote bipartisanship, members of Congress have freedom to sit where they wish no matter which political party they belong to.
False
America’s economy is considered a mixed capitalist economy since the government does own some property and services, like transportation and education.
True
A bill can not become a law if the President vetoes it.
False
For a bill to become a law, it must be
approved by both chambers of Congress, and signed by the president.
The White House Chief of Staff is repsonsible for providing daily briefings for the media.
False
If a president vetoes a bill, Congress can override the veto with a 2/3 majority rule in both the House and Senate.
True
When Congress and the president are unable to pass bills into laws, it is called gridlock.
True
The president has the power to appoint only Supreme Court justices.
False
The executive branch is responsible for enforcing laws.
True
The Electoral College is based on a “winner-take-all” system in all states except for two.
True
The executive branch is solely made up of the president and vice president.
False
The president has the power to appoint his or her cabinet members.
True
Once a president vetoes a bill, the bill is officially dead.
False
If a candidate does not receive a minimum of 270 electoral votes, the House of Representatives chooses
the president.
True
There have been four occasions where the president elected lost the popular vote.
There have been four occasions where the president elected lost the popular vote.
The Senate must approve a presidential appointment of a Supreme Court Justice.
True
Every state has the same number of electoral votes.
False
If the House of Representatives has to choose the president, each state receives only one vote.
True
Which president advised the United States to avoid political parties?
George Washington
Which president issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which ultimately ended the institution of slavery?
Abraham Lincoln
Which president appointed 3 Supreme Court Justices, including the first woman Sandra Day O’Connor?
Ronald Reagan
Which president created the Executive Office of the President?
Franklin Roosevelt
Which president was the first to take advantage of the veto power and heavily use the veto power?
Andrew Jackson
Which president purchased Louisiana, doubling the size of the United States?
Thomas Jefferson
Which president passed many progressive laws including the National Parks Act?
Theodore Roosevelt
Which president won 4 terms, and was responsible for the Great Depression and World War II?
Franklin Roosevelt
The role in which the president is the symbol of America.
Chief of State
The role where the president appoints members of his or her party.
Chief of party
The role in which the president urges Congress to pass laws.
Legislative Chief
The role where the president is in charge of all the armed forces.
Commander in Chief
The role where the president is responsible for the entire executive branch.
Chief Executive
The role in which the president is in charge of foreign policy.
Chief Diplomat
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA) are not part of a cabinet.
True
All bureaucrats are appointed by the president and approved by the Senate?
False
Because of the spoils-system, civil servant bureaucrats make up most of the bureaucracy
True
The bureaucracy has grown significantly since World War I.
False
Which cabinet coordinates efforts to protect the nation against terrorism?
Department of Homeland Security
Which cabinet provides education and home loans for veterans and their families?
Department of Veteran Affairs
Which cabinet administers federal financial aid programs?
Department of Education
Which cabinet oversees the nation’s nuclear weapons program?
Department of Energy
Which cabinet oversees railroads and bridges?
Department of Transportation
Which department administers Medicare and Medicaid?
Department of Health and Human Services
Which cabinet assists in disasters and attempts to prevent conflict?
Department of Defense
Which cabinet protects minimum wage and retirement benefits?
Department of Labor
Which cabinet promotes American businesses and trade?
Department of Commerce
Which cabinet is led by the attorney general?
Department of Justice
Which cabinet promotes policy on farming and food?
Department of Agriculture
Which cabinet protects natural resources and public lands?
Department of Interior
Which cabinet protects the banking institutions of the United States?
Department of Treasury
Which cabinet is responsible for implementing the United States foreign policy?
Department of State
A judge exercising judicial activism could be criticized for which of the following:
Applying his or her own values to a judicial decision.
Supreme Court Justices are appointed by the President and approved by the Senate because:
It allows the legislative branch to check the power of the executive branch.
The power of the U.S. government is limited in all of the following cases EXCEPT:
The president may write an executive order, which has the force of law.
All courts must ultimately make their decisions based on:
Jurisdiction, precedent, and judicial review
Supreme Court Justices with good behavior may serve a life term because:
Justices should not be indebted to a political party or person, but rule only according to the law.
The Supreme Court checks and balances the powers of the executive and legislative branches by __.
Having the power to declare acts of government unconstitutional
U.S. courts are divided into local, state, and federal (national) courts because:
This division gives power to both federal and regional governments.
How does a court determine whether or not it is entitled to hear a case?
Jurisdiction
Why does the Supreme Court have two types of jurisdiction?
because they are given this power by the Constitution
Which one of the following cases is the Supreme Court more likely to hear?
Texas suing New Mexico over water rights
An appellate court:
reviews the decisions of a lower court.
State and local courts hear most cases because:
Most laws that get broken are state and local laws.
What steps could a government take to protect the civil liberties of its citizens?
They could create civil rights by amending the Constitution.
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US government UT high school exam