Week 2- U.S. Constitution

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  • 1/25 Questions

    Which of the following documents represents the first adopted Constitution for the United States

    • Declaration of Independence
    • Bill of Rights
    • Articles of Confederation
    • Virginia Plan
    • Connecticut Plan
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About This Quiz

This quiz, titled 'Week 2- U. S. Constitution,' explores the foundational aspects of the U. S. Legislative system, focusing on Congressional powers and limitations. It assesses understanding of the Constitution's intent and the evolution of democratic processes in the U. S. Senate.

Week 2- U.S. Constitution - Quiz

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  • 2. 

    1.  “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This text is from which Amendment?

    • A. 5th Amendment

    • B. 4th Amendment

    • C. 10th Amendment

    • D. 2nd Amendment

    • E. 6th Amendment

    Correct Answer
    A. D. 2nd Amendment
    Explanation
    The given text is from the 2nd Amendment. It states that the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed. This amendment is often interpreted as protecting the individual right to own firearms.

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  • 3. 

     Every ten years, the House must

    • A. Select a new speaker

    • B. Reorganize the committees

    • C. Set the national budget priorities

    • D. Redistribute the numbers of representatives the states have

    • E. Redistribute the power of subcommittee and committee chairpersons

    Correct Answer
    A. D. Redistribute the numbers of representatives the states have
    Explanation
    due to the constitutionally mandated census and reapportionment of the House

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  • 4. 

    When the Articles of Confederation were adopted, the nation's major concern was dominated by

    • Slavery

    • Religious freedom

    • Equality for Women

    • Political dominance by the central government

    • Economic issues

    Correct Answer
    A. Political dominance by the central government
    Explanation
    Remember colonists feared how strong the central government was under the British Monarchy

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  • 5. 

    Which of the following was viewed by the framers of the Constitution as the center of policy making in the U.S.?

    • A. President’s Cabinet

    • B. Secretary of State

    • C. President

    • D. Congress

    • E. Supreme Court

    Correct Answer
    A. D. Congress
    Explanation
    legislative branch is law making body

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  • 6. 

    Which power was NOT included in the U.S. Constitution

    • The vice president's position in two federal branches

    • The president is the commander in chief

    • Congress's power to filibuster bills to death

    • Congress's power to suspend writs of habeas corpus

    • Congress's ability to tax

    Correct Answer
    A. Congress's power to filibuster bills to death
    Explanation
    The Senate's power to filibuster (talk a bill to death) is a power granted to them through tradition. It is NOT written in the U.S. Constitution

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  • 7. 

    Today the Constitution calls for these officials to be directly elected by registered voters

    • A. Justices of the Supreme Court

    • B. President and vice president

    • C. Cabinet secretaries in the Presidential Cabinet

    • D. House and Senate Members

    • E. Members of the electoral college

    Correct Answer
    A. D. House and Senate Members
    Explanation
    the officials directly elected by the people are House and Senate members. How members were always chosen by the people; the 17th Amendment changed the election of United States senators from state legislatures to the people of the various states.

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  • 8. 

    1. Which of the following has the responsibility for creating additional federal courts and assigning the number of judges who will preside in them?

    • A. The secretary of the treasury

    • B. The attorney general

    • C. The secretary of the Department of Justice

    • D. The president

    • E. The Congress

    Correct Answer
    A. E. The Congress
    Explanation
    the Constitution grants Congress the power to create federal courts and to assign the number of judges who preside in them

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  • 9. 

    1.  Which of the following concepts are mentioned in the Preamble to the Constitution
    I.   Establish justice II.  Provide for the common defense III. Secure the blessings of education IV. Promote the general welfare

    • I, II, III, and IV

    • III only

    • I and II only

    • I, II, III only

    • I, II and IV

    Correct Answer
    A. I, II and IV
    Explanation
    The Preamble to the Constitution mentions the concepts of establishing justice, providing for the common defense, and promoting the general welfare. These concepts reflect the goals and intentions of the Constitution, which include ensuring a fair and just society, protecting the nation, and improving the well-being of the people. The concept of securing the blessings of education is not mentioned in the Preamble. Therefore, the correct answer is I, II, and IV.

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  • 10. 

    Which of the following statements describe the Articles of Confederation? I. Domination of the government by the states II. A national congress with one house and no executive III. No national court system IV. No ability of the central government to enforce the collection of taxes

    • I only

    • I and II only

    • I, II, and III only

    • I and IV only

    • I, II, III, and IV

    Correct Answer
    A. I, II, III, and IV
    Explanation
    all of the statements describe the Articles of Confederation

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  • 11. 

    The Senate became a more democratic institution because

    • A. Filibuster and cloture rules were clarified

    • B. More nonwealthy citizens were being elected

    • C. More states were added to the union, thus more senators

    • D. The seniority system was weakened

    • E. Elections were taken from states and given to the public

    Correct Answer
    A. E. Elections were taken from states and given to the public
    Explanation
    the 17th Amendment gives people the power to elect their senators directly

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  • 12. 

    The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution establishes which of the following?

    • A. It repealed the policy of prohibition established earlier

    • B. It limited U.S. presidents to two terms

    • C. It established a system for presidential succession and presidential disability

    • D. It lowered the voting age in the United States to 18 years of age

    • E. It changed the method by which Congress can raise its salaries

    Correct Answer
    A. B. It limited U.S. presidents to two terms
    Explanation
    following Franklin Roosevelt having been elected to four terms as president

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  • 13. 

    Which of the following plans created a compromise that led to the formation of a bicameral legislation

    • The Great Compromise

    • New Jersey Plan

    • Virginia Plan

    • Three-Fifth Compromise

    • The federalist and anti federalist compromise

    Correct Answer
    A. The Great Compromise
    Explanation
    The Great Compromise created a compromise that led to the formation of a bicameral legislation. This plan, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was proposed during the Constitutional Convention of 1787. It resolved the conflict between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan by suggesting a bicameral legislature, with representation based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation for all states in the Senate. This compromise successfully balanced the interests of both large and small states, ultimately leading to the formation of the United States Congress as we know it today.

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  • 14. 

    One power the president holds without congressional check is

    • A. Selecting the leaders of the executive branch

    • B. Creating the federal budget

    • C. Guiding the year’s agenda through the State of the Union message

    • D. The ability to request that certain committees hear his priorities

    • E. The ability to forgive the crimes of some citizens

    Correct Answer
    A. E. The ability to forgive the crimes of some citizens
    Explanation
    one power that presidents hold without Congressional checks is the power of the pardon.

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  • 15. 

    Which of the following powers is NOT given to the president by the U.S. Constitution

    • The president has the power to grant pardons for federal crimes

    • The president can create new Cabinet

    • The president has the power to veto bills sent to him by Congress

    • The president commissions officers in the various branches of the military

    • D. The president has the power to appoint ambassadors with the advice and consent of the United States Senate

    Correct Answer
    A. The president can create new Cabinet
    Explanation
    the president does not have the power to create Cabinet-level departments as he feels necessary. Only Congress can create new Cabinet-level positions. The president may request them but it is Congress that creates them

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  • 16. 

    1. Which of the following BEST describes the concept of “reserved powers” of the states?

    • A. These are powers given to the states through the implied powers concept

    • B. These are powers not specifically granted to the national government or denied to states

    • C. These are powers given only to Congress and are not available to the executive branch

    • D. These are powers given only to the Supreme Court

    • E. These are powers such as foreign trade agreements over which states maintain only a small amount of control

    Correct Answer
    A. B. These are powers not specifically granted to the national government or denied to states
    Explanation
    reserved powers are discussed in the 10th Amendment to the Constitution. Essentially, reserved powers are any powers not given to the national government or prohibited to the states by the Constitution; these powers are reserved for the state

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  • 17. 

    All of the following are considered enumerated or expressed powers of the Congress except

    • Coining U.S. currency after the Constitution was ratified

    • Establishing inferior courts in addition to the Supreme Court

    • Setting up the first National Bank of the United States

    • Establishing uniform immigration laws

    • Regulating commerce among the several states

    Correct Answer
    A. Setting up the first National Bank of the United States
    Explanation
    enumerated powers are implied powers of Congress--- usually based on the elastic clause

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  • 18. 

    Congress has all of the following powers EXCEPT

    • The right to set salaries for its members

    • The right to remove members of Congress

    • The right to create huge national debt

    • The power to serve temporarily as members of the Electoral College

    • The right not to pay the military

    Correct Answer
    A. The power to serve temporarily as members of the Electoral College
    Explanation
    Congress does not have the right to serve temporarily as members of the Electoral College. All of the other rights listed are granted by the Constitution except this dual role. Members of the Electoral College may not hold elected office

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  • 19. 

    Each of the following was true of the founders’ goals for the legislature EXCEPT

    • A. The public could directly select only some members

    • B. The legislature should have controls placed on its powers

    • C. The legislature should defer to the executive in foreign matters

    • D. The legislature could set its own salary level

    • E. The legislature should be the clear leader of the national government

    Correct Answer
    A. C. The legislature should defer to the executive in foreign matters
    Explanation
    it is not true that the legislature should defer to the executive in foreign matters. The fact that the legislature must approve treaties is an example of its involvement in foreign affairs.

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  • 20. 

    John Locke's Second Treatise of Civil Government advocates

    • Social contract

    • Rights for the minority

    • Natural rights

    • Democratic rule

    • Life, liberty and property

    Correct Answer
    A. Natural rights
    Explanation
    John Locke talks about natural rights and social contract between government and the people. He had a major influence on Thomas Jefferson when he wrote the Declaration of Independence

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  • 21. 

    The constitution's writers carefully drafted a document that would create

    • Strong states and a weak central government

    • Weakened power in the state and national government

    • The ability to adapt to changing times

    • A dominant national government with no active participation from the states

    • An equal distribution of power between the states and national government

    Correct Answer
    A. The ability to adapt to changing times
    Explanation
    Articles of Confederation required unanimous consent to changing the constitution, the new constitution allows for more adaptations because it only requires 2/3 of congress and 3/4 of the states

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  • 22. 

    Which of the following governmental bodies is most directly responsible to the electorate

    • The House of Representatives

    • The Senate

    • The executive branch

    • The Supreme Court

    • The bureaucracy

    Correct Answer
    A. The House of Representatives
    Explanation
    The House of Representatives is the body closest to the people

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  • 23. 

    All of the following are evidence of the original dominance of Congress EXCEPT

    • Presidential veto powers

    • The length and detail of Article I

    • Checks on presidential appointments

    • The legislative branch is the first Article of the Consitution

    • All are examples of Congressional dominance

    Correct Answer
    A. All are examples of Congressional dominance
    Explanation
    Congress can override vetos, the length shows the powers the founders wanted to give to the body directly elected by the people, Senate has to approve presidential appointments, recess appointments have to be reviewed after one year. So all are ways that Congress is more powerful than the president

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  • 24. 

    The founders wanted to limit the legislative powers over citizens by

    • A. Denying them the power to remover certain rights in peace times

    • B. Having only the House create tax legislation

    • C. Having the Supreme Court decide the constitutional status of laws

    • D. Giving the executive power to increase or decrease taxes

    • E. Giving the executive the power to create independent agencies

    Correct Answer
    A. A. Denying them the power to remover certain rights in peace times
    Explanation
    the founders wanted to limit legislative powers by not letting them remove certain rights in normal times. These limitations are contained in Article 1, Section 9

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  • 25. 

    The implied power clause in the Constitution has been described as the ability of Congress to take which of the following actions

    • Pass an assault weapons ban

    • Withdraw funds allocated to troops in Haiti

    • Pass a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution

    • Raise the price of stamps to 34 cents

    • Pass a law setting quotas for immigration

    Correct Answer
    A. Pass an assault weapons ban
    Explanation
    implied means its not expressedly written into the constitution- Troop funding, passing an amendment, postal service and immigration policy are all expressed powers to congress

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  • Current Version
  • Jan 04, 2023
    Quiz Edited by
    ProProfs Editorial Team
  • May 01, 2012
    Quiz Created by
    Spbadgley
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