American Government (101-002)
Exam 1
Name______________________ Social Security #________________
1. The
first constitution in the
a. The Magna Carta
b. The Mayflower Compact
c. The
d.
The Articles of Confederation ß
2. At the time of the founding, the nation’s economy was predominantly:
a. Urban
b.
Rural ß
c. Suburban
d. Traditional
3. One of the dominant influences on the formation of the American government has been a:
a.
Fear of standing armies ß
b. Fear of invading armies
c. Fear of standing navies
d. Fear of isolationism
4. Under the Articles of Confederation, the dominant level of government was:
a. The national government
b. The federal government
c.
The state governments ß
d. The legislature
5. Under
which president did the
a. Herbert Hoover
b. Franklin Pierce
c. Benjamin Franklin
d.
Theodore Roosevelt ß
6. Which of the following was NOT a weakness of the first American constitution:
a. No executive branch
b.
The federal government was too powerful ß
c. The states had too much power
d. It required unanimous consent to amend/abolish it
7. Which of the following was a small uprising in New England, led by a farmer who was protesting the government:
a. The Boston Tea Party
b. The Boxer Rebellion
c. The Whisky Rebellion
d.
Shay’s Rebellion ß
8. Who is the “Father of the Constitution”?
a.
James Madison ß
b. James Monroe
c. John Adams
d. Thomas Jefferson
9. Who was the “Father of the Bill of Rights”?
a.
James Madison ß
b. James Monroe
c. John Adams
d. Thomas Jefferson
10. Who was the author of the Virginia Plan?
a.
James Madison ß
b. James Monroe
c. John Adams
d. Thomas Jefferson
11. Which of the following was NOT a compromise of the Constitutional Convention?
a. Slaves would count as 3/5 of a person for taxation and representation purposes
b.
Inclusion of Bill of Rights ß
c. Representation in the House by population; Representation in Senate equal for all states
d. Selection of the president through the Electoral College
12. For the most part, the Constitution can be described as:
a. Overly specific
b.
Intentionally vague ß
c. Very lengthy
d. None of the above
13. The
a. Formation of a state guard
b. Passage of a new budget
c.
Bingo ß
d. Passage of legislation
14. Which institution was described in the most detail in the Constitution?
a.
The Legislature ß
b. The Presidency
c. The Courts
d. The Military
15. The Bill of Rights consists of:
a. The first 5 amendments to the Constitution
b. The first 10 amendments to the Constitution ß
c. The first 15 amendments to the Constitution
d. All amendments to the Constitution
16. Which branch of government has the power to tax, declare war, and support/maintain an army?
a.
The Legislature ß
b. The Executive
c. The Judicial
d. The Military
17. Which of the following is NOT a guaranteed right in the First Amendment?
a. Freedom of speech
b. Freedom of the press
c.
Right to bear arms ß
d. Freedom of religion
18. Which of the following occurs every 10 years?
a. Redistricting
b.
Reapportionment of House seats ß
c. Election
of
d. Selection of Speaker of House
19. The U.S government is an example of a :
a. Direct democracy
b. Confederacy
c.
Representative democracy ß
d. Unitary system
20. The Founders feared which form of government above all others?
a.
Direct democracy ß
b. Confederacy
c. Representative democracy
d. Unitary system
21. Which of the following were directly elected by the public under the Constitution?
a.
Representatives in the House ß
b. Senators
c. The President
d. The Chief Justice
22. Which of the following officials come up for re-election every two years?
a. Every member of the Senate
b.
Every member of the House ß
c. ½ of the Senate
d. ½ of the House
23. Which of the following is NOT part of the separation of powers/checks and balances system?
a. Bicameral legislature
b. Three branches of government
c. Federalism
d.
3/5 clause ß
24. Which of the following branch of government was the most powerful at the time of the founding?
a.
The Legislature ß
b. The Executive
c. The Judicial
d. The Military
25. Which of the following branch of government is seen as the most powerful today?
a. The Legislature
b.
The Executive ß
c. The Judicial
d. The Military
26. Since World War II, roughly what percentage of incumbents in the House have won re-election?
a. 25%
b. 40%
c. 75%
d.
90% ß
27. Which of the following is NOT an explanation for Incumbency Advantage?
a. Money
b. Name recognition
c. Constituent service
d. Franking privilege
e.
All of the above are explanations for Incumbency Advantage ß
28. Which of the following is NOT true of the Connecticut Compromise?
a. It resolved differences between the large and small states
b. It resolved differences between the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan
c. It created a bicameral legislature
d.
It stated that slaves would be counted as 3/5 of a person ß
e. All of the above are true of the Connecticut Compromise
29. Roughly what percentage of members of the U.S. House are women?
a.
Less than 20% ß
b. 40%
c. 50%
d. 75%
30. Which of the following is typically thought of as the most powerful person in Congress?
a. The President Pro Tempore of the Senate
b. The
Majority Leader of the Senate
c.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives ß
d. The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives
1. Which of the following is NOT part of the process of a bill becoming a law?
a. Bill is referred to a conference committee
b. Introduction of bill by member of Congress
c. Presidential signature or veto
d. Bill is assigned to a standing committee
e.
All of the above are part of the process ß
2. Seeing that legislation that is passed by Congress is implemented, that the expected results come about, and whether new laws are needed is referred to as:
a. Budget oversight
b. Fire-alarm oversight
c.
Policy oversight ß
d. Executive oversight
3. A tactic where a member of the Senate talks continuously until a bill is killed is called:
a. Cloture
b. Franking
c. Extension
d.
Filibuster ß
4. Committees that are formed to resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill are referred to as:
a. Standing Committees
b. Joint Committees
c.
Conference Committees ß
d. Select Committees
5. Most bills that are introduced into Congress:
a. Pass and are signed into law
b. Pass and are vetoed by the President
c. Fail once they come up for a vote
d.
Fail without every coming up for a vote ß
6. When one political party controls the White House, while another political party controls at least one chamber of Congress, what exists?
a. Unified government
b.
Divided government ß
c. Gridlocked government
d. Interpartisan government
7. The practice of drawing district lines for partisan or political advantages is called:
a. Reshaping
b. Reapportionment
c. Gerryrigging
d.
Gerrymandering ß
8. Which of the following is most correct regarding midterm elections:
a. The president’s party usually gains seats in the House
b.
The president’s party usually loses seats in the House ß
c. The president’s party usually retains control of its seats in the House
d. None of the above
9. The delegate theory of representation holds that members of Congress should vote:
a. According to their own policy preferences
b. According their religious beliefs
c.
According to the policy preferences of their constituents ß
d. None of the above
10. Every member of the House of Representatives represents roughly how many people?
a. 50,000 people
b.
600,000 people ß
c. 5 million people
d. Each member represents a different number, depending on the size of his/her state