Government Foundations
This is the objective portion of the Unit I test that I gave to my high school students. It covers the foundations of American government.
You have 20 minutes to complete this test. Each of the questions or incomplete statements that follow is followed by five suggested answers or completions. Select the one that is best in each case.
- 1.
The theorist who believed that the bureaucracy was the real power in government was
- A.
Karl Marx.
- B.
Max Weber.
- C.
C. Wright Mills.
- D.
James Barber.
- E.
Alexander Hamilton.
Correct Answer
B. Max Weber. -
- 2.
Which type of federal grant would be seen as most desirable by a state government?
- A.
Project
- B.
Revenue-sharing
- C.
Categorical
- D.
Block
- E.
Impounded
Correct Answer
B. Revenue-sharing -
- 3.
Reserved powers are held by the
- A.
National government.
- B.
State governments.
- C.
Both national and state governments.
- D.
Local governments.
- E.
All levels of government.
Correct Answer
B. State governments. -
- 4.
In The Federalist (#10), James Madison expressed the view that political factions
- A.
Should be nurtured by a free nation.
- B.
Should play a minor role on any free nation.
- C.
Are central to the creation of a free nation.
- D.
Are undesirable but inevitable in a free nation.
- E.
Are necessary to control the masses in a free nation.
Correct Answer
D. Are undesirable but inevitable in a free nation. -
- 5.
The Constitution may be changed informally by
- A.
A congressional vote of no confidence against the president.
- B.
A Supreme Court decision.
- C.
A majority vote of one house of Congress.
- D.
A majority of the state legislatures.
- E.
A majority of state-wide conventions.
Correct Answer
B. A Supreme Court decision. -
- 6.
Which of the following statements would a Federalist most likely agree with?
- A.
Direct democracy must be preserved at all costs.
- B.
Individual liberties must be protected by the national government.
- C.
Not all citizens are well-suited to participate in government.
- D.
More power should be concentrated in state and local governments.
- E.
Tyranny was a more realistic political fear than anarchy.
Correct Answer
C. Not all citizens are well-suited to participate in government. -
- 7.
Which of the following statements regarding authority is correct?
- A.
It is always derived from the consent of the governed.
- B.
It is defined as the right to use power.
- C.
It resides in government, not in the private sector.
- D.
It typically results from the use of force.
- E.
It is the opposite of legitimacy.
Correct Answer
B. It is defined as the right to use power. -
- 8.
The requirement that a state or locality match federal money is most common with
- A.
Categorical grants.
- B.
Land grants.
- C.
Block grants
- D.
Revenue sharing.
- E.
Philanthropic grants.
Correct Answer
A. Categorical grants. -
- 9.
According to the table above, on balance, the data seems to suggest a preference for which level of government to have authority over public policy?
- A.
Federal government
- B.
State governments
- C.
Neither federal nor state governments
- D.
Local governments
- E.
Federal and local governments
Correct Answer
B. State governments -
- 10.
All of the following are true regarding the divine right theory EXCEPT:
- A.
It became increasingly under attack as Protestantism spread.
- B.
It mirrored the hierarchical design of the Catholic Church.
- C.
It eventually evolved into the social contract theory.
- D.
It is one of the theories of the creation of the state.
- E.
It equated acting against the state with acting against God.
Correct Answer
C. It eventually evolved into the social contract theory. -
- 11.
Which of the following are features of a state?I. TerritoryII. GovernmentIII. DemocracyIV. Population
- A.
I only
- B.
I and II only
- C.
II, III and IV only
- D.
I, II and IV only
- E.
III and IV only
Correct Answer
D. I, II and IV only -
- 12.
All of these are true about the Constitution’s formal amending process EXCEPT
- A.
That a proposal can be accomplished with a constitutional convention called by Congress at the request of 2/3 of the states.
- B.
That there are four separate formal amendment methods.
- C.
That the method of ratification is determined by Congress.
- D.
That the method of proposal by constitutional convention has raised some concerns regarding the scope of the convention.
- E.
That ratification can be accomplished with a 2/3 vote in both houses of Congress.
Correct Answer
E. That ratification can be accomplished with a 2/3 vote in both houses of Congress. -
- 13.
All of the following are true regarding racial inequalities as written in the Constitution EXCEPT
- A.
Congress was barred from legislating on the slave trade until a specified date.
- B.
A slave was counted as 3/5 of a person.
- C.
A fugitive slave clause was included.
- D.
Slave states received a political benefit by increasing the numbers of slaves.
- E.
Slaves had only 3/5 the rights of other citizens.
Correct Answer
E. Slaves had only 3/5 the rights of other citizens. -
- 14.
The statement “We, the People…” embodies which of the following?
- A.
Separation of powers
- B.
Federalism
- C.
Popular sovereignty
- D.
Limited government
- E.
Checks and balances
Correct Answer
C. Popular sovereignty -
- 15.
All of the following are true of the Federalists EXCEPT
- A.
They made up the majority of the Constitution's framers.
- B.
They supported a strong central government.
- C.
They feared the political decisions the masses might enact.
- D.
They had a great deal of popular support among early Americans.
- E.
They believed the Articles of Confederation granted “too” much democracy.
Correct Answer
D. They had a great deal of popular support among early Americans. -
- 16.
All of the following help account for the trend towards the greater authority of the federal government EXCEPT
- A.
The Great Depression.
- B.
Categorical grants.
- C.
The Great Society.
- D.
Checks and balances.
- E.
Mandates.
Correct Answer
D. Checks and balances. -
- 17.
The government set up by the Articles of Confederation had
- A.
No legislative or judicial bodies.
- B.
Only legislative and executive bodies.
- C.
Only an executive body with legislative powers.
- D.
Only a legislative body, consisting of a unicameral Congress.
- E.
Only a legislative body, consisting of a bicameral Congress.
Correct Answer
D. Only a legislative body, consisting of a unicameral Congress. -
- 18.
Which of the following accurately characterizes the main difference between elite theories and pluralist theories of politics in the Untied States?
- A.
Elite theories concentrate on the role of interest groups; pluralist theories emphasize the role of individuals.
- B.
Elite theories argue that a single minority dominates politics in all policy areas; pluralist theories argue that many minorities compete for power in different policy areas.
- C.
Elite theories argue that social status is the major source of political power; pluralist theories argue that wealth is the major source.
- D.
Elite theories emphasize the multiple access points that interest groups have to public officials; pluralist theories stress the limits in the number and effectiveness of such access points.
- E.
Elite theories view government as efficient; pluralist theories view it as slow and wasteful
Correct Answer
B. Elite theories argue that a single minority dominates politics in all policy areas; pluralist theories argue that many minorities compete for power in different policy areas. -
- 19.
A concurrent power is to
- A.
Levy taxes.
- B.
Coin money.
- C.
Make treaties.
- D.
Control interstate commerce.
- E.
Tax imports.
Correct Answer
A. Levy taxes. -
- 20.
The framers of the Constitution believed that one of the primary functions of government is
- A.
Educating citizens.
- B.
Protecting individual property rights.
- C.
Protecting new immigrants from persecution.
- D.
Expanding the borders of the country.
- E.
Ensuring procedural due process at the state level.
Correct Answer
B. Protecting individual property rights. -
- 21.
Questions 29—30 refer to the following excerpt from a United States Supreme Court decision That the power to tax involves the power to destroy; that the power to destroy may render useless the power to create; that there is a plain repugnance, in conferring on one government a power to control the constitutional measures of another…What issue was being discussed in this case?
- A.
Whether or not taxes are constitutional.
- B.
Whether or not the federal government can tax the states
- C.
Whether or not the executive branch can tax the legislative branch.
- D.
Whether or not the states can tax the federal government.
- E.
Whether or not the Supreme Court can hear cases regarding taxes.
Correct Answer
D. Whether or not the states can tax the federal government. -
- 22.
That the power to tax involves the power to destroy; that the power to destroy may render useless the power to create; that there is a plain repugnance, in conferring on one government a power to control the constitutional measures of another…What was one of the results of this decision?
- A.
State governments must always defer to the national government.
- B.
The national government must always defer to the Supreme Court.
- C.
A “ladder of laws” with the Constitution at the top.
- D.
An unrestrained power of the national government to tax local entities.
- E.
An interpretation of the necessary and proper clause that favored the states.
Correct Answer
C. A “ladder of laws” with the Constitution at the top. -
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