Political Science 001 - The Government of the United States » Fall 2021 » Chapter 2 and 3 Quiz

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Question #1
The Constitution expressly grants which of the following powers to Congress?
A.   to abolish state boundaries
B.   to appoint judges
C.   to receive ambassadors
D.   to regulate interstate commerce
Question #2
Which of the following is NOT a tool that Congress can use to influence the federal judiciary?
A.   changing the jurisdiction of the federal courts
B.   choosing which cases will be heard before the Supreme Court
C.   adding to or subtracting from the total number of federal judges
D.   creating new lower-level federal courts
Question #3
The Boston Massacre occurred when
A.   five British soldiers were killed by an angry mob of colonists protesting outside the seat of the colonial government in Boston.
B.   five colonists were killed by British soldiers outside the seat of the colonial government in Boston.
C.   50 British soldiers were killed by an angry mob of colonists protesting outside the seat of the colonial government in Boston.
D.   50 colonists were killed by British soldiers outside the seat of the colonial government in Boston.
Question #4
The expressed powers of Congress are listed in ________ of the U.S. Constitution.
A.   Article III, Section 2
B.   Article I, Section 8
C.   the Bill of Rights
D.   Article II, Section 1
Question #5
Judicial review is the power of
A.   the courts to review and edit pieces of legislation before they are voted on in Congress.
B.   the courts to decide on the constitutionality of actions taken by the other branches of government.
C.   the states to review the constitutionality of federal actions and laws.
D.   Congress to review the decisions of the federal courts.
Question #6
Only one-third of the Senate is up for re-election during any single election year because the framers believed that
A.   the state legislatures would conspire with each other to elect a Senate dominated by a single party.
B.   too many elections would be difficult for the states to run.
C.   this would make members of the Senate more responsive to the preferences of their constituents.
D.   this was a way to make the Senate resistant to popular pressure.
Question #7
What is the term length of a federal judge?
A.   four years
B.   two years
C.   six years
D.   barring impeachment, life
Question #8
________ defended the British soldiers who were involved in the Boston Massacre.
A.   John Adams
B.   Samuel Adams
C.   John Hancock
D.   Thomas Jefferson
Question #9
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program
A.   prohibited the detention of undocumented children captured along the border of Mexico and the United States.
B.   provided full citizenship to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.
C.   provided legal status and work permits to undocumented immigrants who were parents of U.S. citizens.
D.   provided temporary legal status and work permits to undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children.
Question #10
The power of Congress to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among the several states, and with Native American tribes is found in ________ of the U.S. Constitution.
A.   First Amendment
B.   Tenth Amendment
C.   Article I
D.   Preamble
Question #11
A federal grant to states specifically to assist in the building of new public schools is an example of a ________ grant.
A.   general revenue
B.   formula
C.   block
D.   categorical
Question #12
In a federal system, governmental responsibilities are
A.   under the complete authority of state governments.
B.   under the complete authority of local governments.
C.   under the complete authority of the federal government.
D.   shared by both state and federal governments.
Question #13
The fact that state governments are required to enforce restraining orders placed on stalkers and batterers in other states is a result of the
A.   supremacy clause of the Constitution.
B.   Supreme Court’s decision in Loving v. Virginia.
C.   full faith and credit clause of the Constitution.
D.   Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act.
Question #14
Which of the following statements best describes state-level same-sex marriage laws prior to 2015?
A.   Every state but one (Texas) allowed same-sex couples to be legally married.
B.   No state government had ever allowed same-sex couples to be legally married.
C.   Thirteen states had passed laws prohibiting same-sex couples from being legally married.
D.   No state government had ever passed a law prohibiting same-sex couples from being legally married.
Question #15
Which event was most influential in triggering the rise of a more active national government?
A.   Cold War
B.   Civil War
C.   Great Depression
D.   War of 1812
Question #16
The inclusion of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution was MOST strongly supported by the
A.   Antifederalists.
B.   Whigs.
C.   Progressives.
D.   Federalists.
Question #17
What was the overall importance of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?
A.   The Court allowed Congress to use the necessary and proper clause to broadly interpret its delegated powers.
B.   The Court declared that a national bank was unconstitutional.
C.   The Court announced that dual federalism did not conform to the framers’ design.
D.   The Court gave a very restricted definition of Congress’s delegated and implied powers.

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