American Gov MCQ: American Government Chapter 2

The principle of checks and balances is based on the notion that

A.) leaders are the trustees of the people
B.) a weak government is always preferable to a strong government
C.) all legislative and executive action should be controlled through judicial power.
D.) power must be used to offset power
E.) legislators and executives cannot be trusted, but judges are trustworthy.

Answer: D

Which of the following chronologies is correct?

A.) Boston tea party, first continental congress; and Declaration of Independence
B.) shays rebellion (1773) , Annapolis convention (1774) , Declaration of Independence (1776)
C.) stamp act (1775), Declaration of Independence (1776) and Philadelphia convention (1788)
D.) common sense (1769) Declaration of Independence (1776) and the federalist papers (1783)
E.) Declaration of Independence (1776), articles of confederation (1787), constitution (1791) and the federalist no. 10 (1795)

Answer: A

The constitution prevents the government from suspending the writ of habeas corpus, meaning that the government cannot

A.) prosecute persons for acts that were legal at the time they were committed
B.) establish a state religion based on Christian beliefs
C.) enact laws that would legalize the practice of indentured servitude
D.) jail a person without a court hearing to determine the legality of his or her imprisonment
E.) silence freedom of the press

Answer: D

Through the grants of power in the constitution, the framers sought out to

A.) define the powers of state governments
B.) create a government in which sovereignty was invested in the national government only.
C.) both define the powers of the national government and limit them
D.) enumerate the rights of individuals
E.) abolish slavery

Answer: C

All but one state constitution formed after the American revolution

A.) provided to choosing governors in direct annual elections
B.) provided for a less direct form of self-government than the national-level framers intended
C.) provided for annual legislative elections
D.) included more severe checks and balances than the u.s constitution
E.) drastically limited the power of the executive in comparison to the legislature

Answer: C

Early Americans preference for limited government was strengthened by

A.) their exposure to life under the British Parliament and some of the "rights of Englishmen"
B.) lockean philosophy
C.) Britains treatment of the colonies after the French and Indian war
D.) taxation without representation
E.) all of the above

Answer: E

The words of the Declaration of Independence reflected

A.) Aristotle's conception of democracy
B.) Montesquieu's view of constitutionalism
C.) Hobbes idea of the state of nature
D.) Locke's philosophy of inalienable rights
E.) Madison's view of fractions

Answer: C

President John Adams publicly indicated that

A.) the federal government would not use force against common people that were simply seeking their inalienable rights
B.) the constitution was designed for a governing elite
C.) dissent against the federal government would Be welcomed as a part of the birthing pangs of a republic
D.) he disagreed with the concept of a republic and preferred more direct democratic rule.
E.) he felt he was the president of the "common folk"

Answer: B

The European philosopher whose concept of Natural Rights had a great impact on American politics is

A.) Montesquieu
B.) Locke
C.) Hobbes
D.) Aristotle
E.) Burke

Answer: B

The idea that government should be restricted in its lawful uses of power and hence in its ability to deprive people of their liberty is expressed by the term

A.) federalism
B.) self-government
C.) Judicial review
D.) limited government
E.) Natural rights

Answer: D