Government Foundations Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What does the force theory of the origins of the State emphasize?

army

Which basic characteristic of a state do individual 50 states in the United States lack?

Federalism

Sovereignty (correct)

Democracy

Republicanism

The form of democracy where people exercise their civil responsibility to participate and vote in elections is direct democracy.

False

Montesquieu stated that a single human cannot be trusted with power. Therefore, __ is necessary to keep them honest.

separation of powers Signup and view all the answers

Match the country with the type of government: Which country has a dictatorship?

North Korea = Dictatorship United States = Republic England = Unitary system France = Democracy Signup and view all the answers

What concept did the Federalists include in the Constitution to help with its ratification?

Bill of Rights Signup and view all the answers

Where was the Constitutional Convention held?

Philadelphia Signup and view all the answers

How many times has the Constitution been amended?

The President can check the power of the courts by nominating judges to be on the courts.

True Signup and view all the answers

Federal money used to assist a county specifically to repair potholes on the interstate is an example of __ grant.

categorical Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes the act of choosing a running-mate that compliments the party’s choice for president?

Balancing the Ticket Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about the FEC (Federal Election Commission) is false?

It regulates the use of money in state and local elections only Signup and view all the answers

What is a formal duty assigned to the Vice President by the Constitution?

Preside over the Senate Signup and view all the answers

According to the Constitution, how many electoral votes does a presidential candidate need to secure for victory?

270 Signup and view all the answers

If the President and Vice President are disabled, the line of succession states that __ becomes President.

Speaker of the House Signup and view all the answers

What amendment limited the President to two terms or a total of 10 years?

The 22nd Amendment Signup and view all the answers

The 25th Amendment allows for transferring the powers of the President to the Vice President in case of unavailability.

True Signup and view all the answers

What system awards electoral votes to the districts assigned to House members and provides additional votes to the statewide winner?

the Congressional District plan Signup and view all the answers

Match the court cases with their respective Amendments:

Brown v. Board = 14th Amendment Miranda v. Arizona = 5th Amendment Roe v. Wade = 9th Amendment Gideon v. Wainwright = 6th Amendment Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Unit 1: Foundations of Government

The force theory of the origins of the State emphasizes the role of army.
The 50 states lack sovereignty in the United States.
Not all states in the world are democracies.
England has a unitary system of government.
North Korea is an example of a country with a dictatorship.
Democracy is a system of government where power is held by the people.
Indirect democracy is a system where people exercise their civil responsibility to participate and vote in elections to choose their representation.
Equal conditions for all is not a basic concept of US democracy.
Separation of powers is a concept that Montesquieu stated was necessary to keep power holders honest.

Unit 2: Ratification of the Constitution

Limited government means that the government must operate within certain bounds set by the people.
George Mason was not a federalist in favor of ratifying the Constitution.
The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia.
Virginia and Maryland were the first states to meet and come up with an agreement on trade, inspiring other states to attend the Constitutional Convention.
Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution.
The Declaration of Independence was written to state the moral and philosophical justifications for independence and justify an illegal action.
The final concession made by the Federalists to help get the Constitution ratified was including a Bill of Rights.
States such as Connecticut, Delaware, and New Jersey favored a plan for government that featured equal representation among the states.

Unit 3: The Constitution

The Constitution is based on the concept of popular sovereignty.
Article IV spells out the relationship between the states.
The Constitution has been amended a total of 27 times.
The Preamble outlines the purposes of government, including defending the nation, ensuring order and tranquility, establishing justice, and promoting the general welfare.
The Bill of Rights was not ratified at the same time as the Constitution.
An example of an Informal Amendment is a Supreme Court decision, Acts of Congress, custom, or activities of political parties.
The President can check the power of the courts by nominating judges to be on their courts.
To finalize a proposed Formal Amendment to the Constitution, it needs to be ratified by at least ¾ of the states.

Unit 4: Federalism

The Constitution specifically grants expressed powers to the federal government.
The Supreme Court case McCulloch v. Maryland supported the idea of implied powers.
An enabling act directs a territory to make a constitution to be submitted to Congress.
Interstate compacts are agreements between states that are permitted under the Constitution with Congressional approval.
Categorical grants are federal money used to assist a county specifically to repair potholes on the interstate.
Devolution is when the states must carry out a mandate from the federal government.
An example of an implied power is Creating Social Security.
Reserved powers are powers that are not granted to the federal government by the Constitution and are therefore left to the states.
Marble Cake federalism is a system where federal and state/local governments share powers.

Unit 5: Political Parties

Where someone falls on the political spectrum is a result of how that person feels about change.
In the USA, citizens seem to seriously distrust extremists.
The party that lost the most recent election will occupy itself until the next election by acting as a watchdog, appealing to people who voted for a third party, reorganizing and consolidating the party's key issues, and nominating newer/more attractive candidates for office.
Republicans are considered to be the primary party for conservatives.
Major parties in the US are decentralized for all reasons except lack of fundraising ability.
During the period of time from the 1800 election to the 1860 election, the Democratic party reigned supreme.
If one does not affiliate themselves with a political party, that person is an Independent.
A major party might support a minor party candidate if the minor party candidate is likely to draw votes from the opposition.
Most Democrats would support a woman's right to decide on abortion and an increase on the minimum wage.
The Right to Life Party is an example of a single-issue party.

Unit 6: Voting & Voting Rights

Political socialization is the process by which groups of people formulate their political attitudes and opinions.
Today, all states require that all voters be citizens of the US, residents of the state, and at least 18 years old.
All of the following are significant reasons for nonvoting in the US today except widespread use of literacy and religion tests.
Union members have tended to support the Democratic Party in recent decades.
To prevent fraudulent voting, most states require voters to register.
Split-ticket voting is characteristic behavior of those voters who vote for members of all different parties on the same ballot.
Statistics have shown that voter turnout during midterm elections is lower than during presidential years.
Education is not a qualification for voting.
Ballot fatigue is when fewer votes are cast for offices farther down the ballot.

Unit 7/8/9: Congress

The presiding officer in the House is the Speaker.
The President of the Senate is the VP of the United States.
In both houses, standing committees are always subject-matter committees.
To block a bill from being discussed and voted on in the Senate, one can talk a bill to death by threatening to filibuster.
Select committees are set up for a limited time to investigate a current matter.
The majority party controls everything in each house of Congress except who is selected as President of the Senate.
The House Rules Committee controls the flow of bills to the floor.
Following the Vice President in the line of succession is the Speaker of the House.
If the Senate and the House produce two different versions of the same bill, a conference committee is set up to settle the differences.

Unit 10: Campaigns & Elections

In order to appear on a ballot in most states, a person must secure a requisite number of signature endorsements.
Soft money is privately donated.
A party's platform is a set or principles, goals, and philosophies.
Campaign funding through subsidies is not permitted.
Virginia has an open primary system.
The only point in which there is any real contest for a public office in a one-party constituency is during the direct primary.
Once in office, elected officials are often pressured to reward campaign contributors.
The "Blue Wave" of 2008 and the "Red Wave" of the Trump election showcase the Coattail Effect.
Choosing a running-mate that complements the party's choice for president is called Balancing the Ticket.
The FEC regulates the use of money in federal elections, not state and local elections.

Unit 11/12: The Presidency

A formal duty assigned to the Vice President by the Constitution is to preside over the Senate.
In order to be elected president, a candidate must secure at least 270 electoral votes.
According to the Constitution, the President must be 35 years of age and have been born a US Citizen.
In case the President and VP are disabled, the line of succession states that the Speaker of the House becomes President.
The 22nd Amendment limited the President to two terms or a total of 10 years.
One of the major flaws in the Electoral College system is that the winner of the popular vote is not guaranteed the presidency.
The President's compensation includes free food, entertainment, and clothing for life.
The least number of presidential electors a state can have is three.
If a president is unavailable in a crisis due to incapacitation, disability, or otherwise being compromised, the 25th Amendment could be used to transfer the powers of the president to the VP with the approval of the VP and the majority of the President's Cabinet.

Unit 13: The Judiciary

The federal court with original jurisdiction over most cases heard in the federal court system is the 94 District Courts.
The Supreme Court exercises both original and appellate jurisdiction.
For a case to reach the Supreme Court, at least four judges must want to hear it.
The Supreme Court's decision in Marbury v. Madison established the Court's power of judicial review.
We say we have a dual court system because we have federal and state courts.
Most trials in this country take place in state courts.
The Constitution says that judges must be removed by impeachment process.
If the government is at fault for something, a citizen may sue them in a court of federal claims.
The Supreme Court typically hears cases that involve constitutional matters.

Unit 14/15: Civil Rights

Incorporation extends the Bill of Rights to protect individuals from all levels of government.
The Lemon Test decides if aid to parochial schools is appropriate.
A democracy must allow freedom of expression otherwise democracy does not really exist.
Freedom of assembly is essential for democracy.
The Tinker v. Des Moines case protected student rights.
Prior Restraint prevents the government from curbing freedom of the press.
Laws against seditious speech have been upheld by the Supreme Court if the speech urges people to overthrow the government.
Shield laws protect freedom of the press.
To protest, picket, or rally in a public place, the organizer must first secure a permit.
Free speech is defined by Supreme Court rulings.
Pleading the Fifth means one does not have to testify against oneself.
A subpoena is a court order that requires a witness to offer their testimony in a trial.
If one chooses to waive their right to a trial by jury, their other option is a bench trial.
Inflicting a punishment upon a

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Test your knowledge of government foundations, including the origins of the state, characteristics of a state, and government structures.