Unit 1 Forms & Foundations Of American Government
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50 multiple choice and true/false questions (1 point each)
- 1.A system for maintaining order and security in a society is known as a _____________
- A.
Monarchy
- B.
Government
- C.
Culture
- 2.When the control in a government is in a hereditary position, such as a king or queen, this is known as a _______________
- A.
Democracy
- B.
Monarchy
- C.
Oligarchy
- 3.When a government has total control over every aspect its citizens lives, it is known as a_____________ government.
- A.
Totalitarian
- B.
Dictatorship
- C.
Anarchy
- 4.When no formal government system exists, the country is considered to be an _________________.
- A.
Oligarchy
- B.
Anarchy
- C.
Dictatorship
- 5.When the control of government is achieved and maintained through force, this is known as a ______________________
- A.
Oligarchy
- B.
Monarchy
- C.
Dictatorship
- 6.A ___________________ exists when people are the source of authority in a government.
- A.
Democracy
- B.
Oligarchy
- C.
Dictatorship
- 7.When the people directly vote on issues confronting their society, their form of government is a ________________________________
- A.
Representative Democracy
- B.
Direct Democracy
- C.
Indirect Monarchy
- 8.When the people elect representatives to vote on the issues confronting their society, their form of government is a _________________________
- A.
Direct Democracy
- B.
Direct Monarchy
- C.
Representative Democracy
- 9.When a government is controlled by a few select individuals or a small group of people, this is known as an _________________________
- A.
Anarchy
- B.
Monarchy
- C.
Oligarchy
- 10.When there is a division of powers between national and state governments, this is a _________________________ form of government.
- A.
Federal
- B.
Unitary
- C.
Confederate
- 11.When all key powers are concentrated with the national or central government, this is a ___________________________ form of government.
- A.
Democratic
- B.
Unitary
- C.
Confederate
- 12.When all key powers lie with each individual state governments, this is a ______________ form of government.
- A.
Federal
- B.
Democratic
- C.
Confederate
- 13.Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States could best be described as a Confederate form of government.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 14.Under the Constitution, the United States could best be described as a ______________ form of government.
- A.
Totalitarian
- B.
Federal
- C.
Confederate
- 15.The Ancient Greeks contributed the idea of a ___________________ to the world.
- A.
Direct Democracy
- B.
Social Contract
- C.
Representative Democracy
- 16.The Ancient Romans contributed the idea of a __________________ to the world.
- A.
Direct Democracy
- B.
Social Contract
- C.
Representative Democracy
- 17.The Magna Carta was the first document to set limits on a monarch’s power.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 18.The Magna Carta established the “rule of law,” but these laws did not apply to the monarchy.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 19.The English “Right of Petition” was the first document to prohibit “arbitrary arrests,” but it did allow the king to “quarter” his army in private homes.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 20.The English Bill of Rights gave British subjects the right to petition the king, to bear arms, and freedom from cruel and unusual punishment.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 21.Thomas Hobbes was the political theorist who first introduced the idea that government was the result of a social contract between people and their rulers.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 22.Thomas Hobbes believed that people living under a social contract did not need an absolute ruler to enforce the laws of their social contract.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 23.John Locke also believed in a social contract theory, which he based on the theory of natural rights that included the right to life, liberty, and the ownership of property.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 24.John Locke believed that people needed an absolute monarch to ensure their natural rights.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 25.Montesquieu was the first to introduce the concept of “separation of powers.”
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 26.Montesquieu was also the first to introduce the idea of a three-branch form of government.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 27.Jean-Jacque Rousseau was a political theorist from France, who introduced the idea that in order to have a legitimate government, it had to be based on “popular sovereignty.”
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 28.Jean-Jacque Rousseau believed that if a government based on “popular sovereignty” broke the social contract, the people had every right to overthrow the government and create a new one in its place.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 29.The beginning of the Constitution introduces the document and briefly describes the purpose of the American Government. This part of the Constitution is known as the ________
- A.
Introduction
- B.
Articles
- C.
Preamble
- 30.The Mayflower Compact was one of the first documents that governed American colonists. It was written by members of the British Parliament, under the order of King George.
- A.
True
- B.
False
- 31.Article I of the Constitution deals primarily with the _____________________ branch.
- A.
Legislative
- B.
Executive
- C.
Judicial
- 32.Article II of the Constitution deals primarily with the __________________ branch.
- A.
Legislative
- B.
Executive
- C.
Judicial
- 33.Article III of the Constitution deals primarily with the _____________________branch.
- A.
Legislative
- B.
Executive
- C.
Judicial
- 34.House of Representatives members serve a ________ year term.
- A.
Two
- B.
Four
- C.
Six
- 35.Members of the US Senate serve a ____ year term
- A.
Lifelong
- B.
Four
- C.
Six
- 36.The President of the United States serves a ____ year term.
- A.
Two
- B.
Four
- C.
Six
- 37.Justices of the Supreme Court serve a ____ term.
- A.
Lifelong
- B.
Four-year
- C.
Six-year
- 38.The __________________ has the sole power to propose tax laws.
- A.
Senate
- B.
House of Representatives
- C.
President
- 39.The ___________________ has the sole power to impeach the President.
- A.
Supreme Court
- B.
House of Representatives
- C.
Senate
- 40.The __________________ has the sole power to nominate Supreme Court Justices.
- A.
President
- B.
Senate
- C.
House of Representatives
- 41.The __________________ has the sole power to confirm Supreme Court Justices.
- A.
President
- B.
Senate
- C.
House of Representatives
- 42.The ___________________has the sole power to be the Commander-in-Chief of US military forces.
- A.
President
- B.
Senate
- C.
House of Representatives
- 43.The _______________________has the sole power to declare laws unconstitutional.
- A.
President
- B.
Senate
- C.
Supreme Court
- 44.The ______________________ has the sole power to ratify treaties with foreign governments.
- A.
Supreme Court
- B.
President
- C.
Senate
- 45.The _____________________ has the sole power to approve or veto laws.
- A.
President
- B.
Supreme Court
- C.
House of Representatives
- 46.The _____________________ has the sole power to settle disputes between two or more states.
- A.
Senate
- B.
Supreme Court
- C.
House of Representatives
- 47.Delegate who introduced the idea of three branches of government; also known as the "Father of the Constitution" was ________________________
- A.
Thomas Jefferson
- B.
Ben Franklin
- C.
James Madison
- 48.The ___________________ gives Congress the right to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the powers expressed in clauses of the Constitution
- A.
Supremacy Clause
- B.
Elastic Clause
- C.
Checks and Balances
- 49.Each branch of the central government has the power to restrain the powers of the other two branches, which is a system of _______________________
- A.
Supremacy Clause
- B.
Elastic Clause
- C.
Checks and Balances
- 50.Today the American system of government is a democracy, and its form is congressional.
- A.
True
- B.
False
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