The U.S. Constitution is considered to be which of the following?

What was the colonists’ primary complaint about the rule of the British Crown?

Which of the following was a component of the Coercive Acts?

The Coercive Acts caused which of the following events?

Which section of the Declaration of Independence contains arguments on the right to revolution?

Who was given the primary responsibility for drafting the Declaration of Independence?

What were the main ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence?

What did the Declaration of Independence actually do?

Which document served as the system of government for the colonies during the Revolutionary War?

The Articles of Confederation specified that the United States would be which form of government?

What concerned the Founders in drafting the Articles of Confederation?

Why didn’t the Articles of Confederation establish an executive branch of government?

Which of the following was a component of the Articles of Confederation?

What led the Founders to realize that the Articles of Confederation needed to be reconfigured?

As the Constitution was being drafted, who were MOST in support of equal representation in the national legislature?

Which plan presented at the Constitutional Convention called for the establishment of three branches of government?

Which of the following plans for representation was incorporated into the Connecticut Compromise?

Debates at the Constitutional Convention surrounding the executive branch included which of the following?

Which of the following was established by the Constitution?

The Constitution differed from the Articles of Confederation in which of the following ways?

Why was the support of New York and Virginia considered important?

What did it take for Virginia and New York to finally agree to ratify the Constitution?

Why did the Framers choose a republican form of government when drafting the Constitution?

The principle of the separation of powers was PRIMARILY intended to do which of the following?

The Framers divided power among which three branches of government?

Why has federalism been a subject of ongoing debate?

How does the U.S. Constitution differ from many state constitutions?

What are the three major parts of the Constitution?

The powers granted to Congress are enumerated in which article of the Constitution?

What does Article II do?

Article III gives Congress power over the judicial branch in which of the following ways?

Which Article of the Constitution declares the national government to be supreme?

Which of the following interpretations BEST explains the significance of the wording of each constitution’s preamble?

What type of government do both the United States and Russian constitutions envision?

Which of the following concepts is established in Article I of the U.S. Constitution?

According to Chapter 1, article 15, what are the fundamental principles identified in the first chapter of the Russian Constitution?

What is the separation-of-powers arrangement found in the governments of both the United States and Russia, as outlined in their constitutions?

How do the civil liberties articulated in the Russian Constitution compare with those articulated in the amendments to the U.S. Constitution?

Which of the following statements is TRUE regarding criminal rights in the United States and Russia?

Freedom in the World 2019: United States Overview The United States is arguably the world’s oldest existing democracy. Its people benefit from a vibrant political system, a strong rule-of-law tradition, robust freedoms of expression and religious belief, and a wide array of other civil liberties. However, in recent years its democratic institutions have suffered erosion, as reflected in partisan manipulation of the electoral process, bias and dysfunction in the criminal justice system, flawed new policies on immigration and asylum seekers, and growing disparities in wealth, economic opportunity, and political influence. Key Developments in 2018 The opposition Democratic Party took control of the lower house of Congress in November elections, which also featured contests for one-third of the Senate and numerous state-level offices. Turnout was the highest for midterm elections since 1914, and spending was the highest ever for US midterm elections. Among numerous other judicial appointments, President Donald Trump secured his second appointment to the Supreme Court in October, when the Senate narrowly approved Judge Brett Kavanaugh to succeed retiring justice Anthony Kennedy after a tempestuous hearing process in which Kavanaugh was accused of past sexual abuse. The administration took several steps aimed at tightening control over immigration that ran afoul of due process standards and both US and international law. They included an attempt to block asylum applications for those who cross the border outside official ports of entry, though that and other policies were being contested in the courts at year’s end. The investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election made significant progress during the year, resulting in criminal charges against multiple Russian nationals and guilty pleas from several Americans associated with Trump’s campaign. According to the above excerpt from Freedom House’s 2019 profile on the United States, in what ways has the U.S. political system diverged from the fundamental principles established in the U.S. Constitution?

Freedom in the World 2019: Russia Overview Power in Russia’s authoritarian political system is concentrated in the hands of President Vladimir Putin. With loyalist security forces, a subservient judiciary, a controlled media environment, and a legislature consisting of a ruling party and pliable opposition factions, the Kremlin is able to manipulate elections and suppress genuine dissent. Rampant corruption facilitates shifting links among bureaucrats and organized crime groups. Key Developments in 2018 Vladimir Putin easily won a fourth term as president in a March election that excluded viable opposition candidates. In October, compelled by budget constraints, Putin signed deeply unpopular pension legislation that increased the retirement age for men from 60 to 65 and for women from 55 to 60. Thousands of people had participated in protests against the change, leading to hundreds of arrests across the country. The pro-Kremlin United Russia party generally dominated regional elections during the year, though it lost its hold on the governorship in four of the 22 regions at stake. The authorities blocked the popular messaging application Telegram in April. Also that month, journalist Maksim Borodin was found dead at his Yekaterinburg residence under suspicious circumstances, after investigating the deaths of Russian mercenaries fighting in Syria. According to the above excerpts from Freedom House’s 2019 profile on Russia, in what ways has the Russian political system diverged from the fundamental principles established in the Russian Constitution?

Amending the Constitution It is best to think of the amendment process as a decision tree. At a few points along the way, there are decisions that have to be made by several actors in order to move to the next phase in the sequence. Explained broadly, amending the Constitution is a two-stage process. In the first stage, amendments are proposed by one of two methods: they can be proposed by a two-thirds vote in both the House and the Senate or by a national convention called by Congress in response to petitions by two-thirds of the states. Of these two methods of proposal, only the first has ever been employed. If either of those two decisions is made, then an amendment moves to the ratification phase of the process. Ratification can also be done using one of two methods: a proposed amendment has been ratified when it has been approved by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states or by special ratification conventions held in three-fourths of the states. Of these two methods of ratification, the second has only been used once—to ratify the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition. Why does the text describe the amendment process as a decision tree? Choose the BEST answer.

Which stage of the amendment process requires a greater majority for passage?

How have the vast majority of constitutional amendments been passed?

Why did the Framers make it relatively difficult to amend the Constitution? Choose the BEST answer.

Roughly one-third of the amendments to the U.S. Constitution fall under which of the following categories?

In total, how many amendments have been added to the U.S. Constitution?

Eight of the seventeen amendments added after the Bill of Rights address which of the following issues?

Which amendment has the Supreme Court largely ignored?

Which amendment(s) may be considered “coercive” in regard to the states?

What was the purpose of the 15th Amendment?

Why were many suffragists frustrated with the passage of the 15th Amendment?

According to those in favor of women’s suffrage, what was understood to be “woman’s work”?

According to the anti-suffragists (those opposing women’s right to vote), why should women not be allowed to vote?

Which of the following statements BEST summarizes the anti-suffragistsʼ response to the suffragists’ argument that the inability to vote keeps women from being citizens?

Which of the following explanations BEST summarizes the requirements for amending the Constitution?

By what path was the 19th Amendment ratified and added to the Constitution?

From the time of the original call for women’s suffrage at the Seneca Falls Convention, how long did it take to secure women’s right to vote?

Which of the following lobbying activities did both suffragists and anti-suffragists engage in, according to the article?

In the music video, the legislators voting on the amendment are portrayed as wearing roses pinned to their jackets. Based on the article, what was the significance of those flowers?

Which of the following BEST describes the mood among suffragists and anti-suffragists alike during the time leading up to the special session of the Tennessee House of Representatives?

Which of the following explains the legislative events leading up to the actual vote on the amendment by the Tennessee House on August 18, 1920?

What was a significant influence on state representative Harry Burn’s crucial vote in favor of women’s suffrage?

How does the information in this investigation about the passage of the 19th Amendment illustrate the idea that one person can make a difference? Choose the BEST answer.

Which of the following statements about the amendment process is accurate?

Which of these is considered an advantage of the amendment process?

Which of these is considered a disadvantage of the amendment process?

Which of the following accurately characterizes the Necessary and Proper Clause?

The Full Faith and Credit Clause was intended for which purpose?

“The supreme law of the land” includes which of the following?