VALENCIA COLLEGE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT (POS 2041, CRN: 17172) EXAM 1: CHAPTERS 1, 2 and 3 PDF

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Answers for all the questions as well as the definitions and short answers at the end. and some of them are difficult...

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VALENCIA COLLEGE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT (POS 2041, CRN: 17172) EXAM 1: CHAPTERS 1, 2 and 3 [Maximum Value: 75 Points] Name: ----------------------------------------Date: ------------------------------A. MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS: Circle, highlight or underline the items that best complete the statements or answer the questions below: 1. ------------, as noted in the textbook, refers to “conflicts and struggles over the leadership, structure, and policies of government.” a. Bicameralism b. Political efficacy c. The American political culture d. Politics 2. Most people refer to the United States as a democracy, but the Founding Fathers in fact created a system of government called ------------. a. a Monarchy b. an Oligarchy c. a Constitutional Republic d. an Autocracy 3. What was the most important goal for the 13 original American states under the Articles of Confederation? a. to end British rule in the American colonies b. no taxation without representation c. to limit the power of the National government d. to prevent “excessive” democracy 4. The National government has grown bigger and much more powerful than the Founding Fathers intended. All the following, except ------------, explain why this has happened. a. The Tenth Amendment b. the Great Depression and the “New-Deal” programs c. the Necessary and Proper Clause d. the Supreme Court’s “broad interpretation” of the Commerce Clause 5. Which of the following describes a system of government that gives citizens a regular opportunity to elect their leaders? a. Direct democracy b. Totalitarianism c. Representative democracy d. Monarchy

6. What is the name of the constitutional principle that divides powers and functions between the National government and the States? a. Federalism b. Democracy c. Unitary government d. Socialism 7. The decision by the delegates (Founders) to the 1787 Convention to discard the Articles of Confederation and replace it with a brand new system of government is described in the textbook as -------------a. the Declaration of Independence b. Shay’s Rebellion c. the First Continental Congress d. the Second Founding

8. Which of the following has the authority or power to make most of the rules and regulations that affect the lives of ordinary Americans? a. the National government b. the County sheriff c. State governments d. State and Local governments 9. A political system in which lower levels of government with little independent power mainly carry out decisions made by the National (Central) government is known as a -------------- system. a. Unitary b. Democratic c. Totalitarian d. Socialist 10. What are the three “unalienable” (natural) rights mentioned in the Declaration of Independence? a. “Life, Liberty, and Equality” b. “Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” c. “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity” d. “Life, Equality, and the pursuit of Happiness” 11. Which of the following most strongly influenced the shift in the “balance of power” from the states to the National government? a. the federalists b. Federal Grants-in-Aid c. the McCulloch v. Maryland court case d. Block grants

12. Who defined citizenship as “Enlightened political engagement”? a. the Founding Fathers b. Harold Lasswell c. the Ancient Greeks d. the Bourgeoisie

13. Which of the following was included in the Constitution to ensure a strong role for the states in the Federal system of government created by the Founders? a. The Necessary and Proper Clause b. the Articles of Confederation c. the Tenth Amendment d. the Supremacy Clause 14. What was the first nation to adopt federalism as a governing framework? a. Great Britain b. The United States of America c. France d. Germany 15. The (Expressed) powers explicitly granted to the National government by the U.S. Constitution include the following, except ------------.

a. power to collect taxes b. power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, the Indian tribes, and among the states c. power declare war d. power to regulate the health, safety, and morals of citizens e. coin money 16. The national spokesman for education policy in France once boasted that he could glance at his watch any time, any day of the week and say exactly what all schoolchildren in the entire country were learning at that moment. His ability to make such as claim suggests that France has a ----------- system of government. a. Federal b. Representative c. Unitary d. Democratic 17. During the fight for ratification, the federalists and antifederalists disagreed over the following, except ----------. a. representation b. political knowledge c. tyranny d. government power

18. Initially, what was the purpose of the 1787 Constitutional Convention? a. to draft a new constitution b. to plan the American Revolution c. to raise taxes on the American colonies d. to revise the Articles of Confederation 19. Which of the following describes the introductory statement explaining the purpose and fundamental guiding principles of the U.S. Constitution? a. Great Compromise b. Bill of Rights c. Preamble d. Articles of Confederation 20. All the following, except ------------, are true statements about the antifederalists. a. Many of them were ordinary citizens—small farmers, debtors, shopkeepers, etc. b. They favored strong State governments and a weak National government. c. They demanded a Bill of Rights as a condition for supporting ratification of the Constitution d. They believed the states should get their authority from the National government. 21. What was the name of the new social class in 17th/18th-Century Europe that pushed for limited government? a. bourgeoisie b. Federalists c. radicals d. antifederalists 22. What is the most important power possessed by State governments? a. Separation of powers b. Police power c. Home Rule d. Constitutional power 23. “Enlightened political engagement,” the standard for citizenship established by the Ancient Greeks requires good citizens to do the following, except -------------. a. have political knowledge b. actively participate in the political process c. make informed decisions on important matters such as voting d. choose one party over the other because of family tradition or peer pressure

24. Which of the 13 newly-independent states was absent from the 1787 Constitutional Conventions? a. Rhode Island b. Connecticut c. Virginia d. New York 25. Which Founding Father is known as the “Father of the Constitution”? a. Benjamin Franklin b. George Washington c. James Madison d. Samuel Adams 26. The constitutional principle of dividing government into branches and assigning each branch with different powers and responsibilities is ----------. a. bicameralism b. federalism c. separation of powers d. the Supremacy Clause 27. What are the three core values or set of principles that form the American political culture? a. freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to assembly b. trade, taxation, and commerce c. the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence d. liberty, equality, and democracy 28. The “New-Deal programs” of the 1930s resulted in a brand of federalism in which National, State, and Local governments worked together to achieve common policy objectives. This new intergovernmental collaboration is known as ------------- or “Marble-Cake” federalism. a. Cooperative b. Dual c. New d. Regulated 29. State governments have the authority or power to regulate all the following aspects of people’s lives, except -------------. a. business and professional activities b. health and safety c. interstate commerce d. morals e. private property

30. Disagreements over representation and slavery almost wrecked the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Which of the following resolved the issue of representation? a. the Three-fifths Compromise b. the Great Compromise c. the New Jersey Plan d. the Virginia Plan 31. All the following, except ------------, are true statements about trust in government. a. The number of Americans who trust government has increased since the 1960s. b. African Americans and Latinos tend to trust government more than Whites. c. Distrust in government can make it more difficult to attract talented workers to public service. d. The American Revolution grew out of the Founders’ distrust of government. 32. The role of the ------------ in American federalism has been likened to that of an “umpire,” since this part of the Judicial branch often serves as a referee for conflicts between the National government and the states and ultimately decides the powers and limitations of each. a. Constitution b. States c. Congress (Legislative branch) d. U.S. Supreme Court 33. Who presided over the Constitutional Convention of 1787? a. James Madison b. Thomas Jefferson c. George Washington d. Alexander Hamilton e. Benjamin Franklin

34. Under the U.S. Constitution, states, are “normally expected” to recognize or uphold governmental actions and decisions from other states. What clause in the Constitution spells out this obligation? a. the Supremacy Clause b. the Comity Clause c. the Full-Faith and Credit Clause d. the Necessary and Proper Clause 35. Which of the following best explains the main purpose of the Bill of Rights? a. to protect government from the people b. to protect individual liberty

c. to promote “equality” d. to promote Free-Market capitalism

36. ------------ reflected attempts by conservatives such as Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan to reduce the size and limit the power of the National government by returning certain policymaking duties or responsibilities to State and Local governments. a. Regulated federalism b. New federalism c. Dual federalism d. Cooperative federalism 37. A country that permits its citizens to vote directly on laws and policies is practicing a form of ------------. a. Socialism b. Direct democracy c. Authoritarianism d. Representative democracy 38. The Founding Fathers included state obligations in the Constitution to make sure that the states were less like independent nations and more like components of the same country. The goal of this decision, in other words, was to ----------. a. prevent the states from ratifying the Constitution b. promote national unity c. increase State power over the National government d. ensure that each state retained its sovereignty and independence 39. All the following principles, except ------------, were included in the Constitution to prevent the threat of “excessive democracy.” a. Checks and balances b. bicameralism c. The Articles of Confederation d. Federalism e. Separation of powers 40. Which of the following principles did the Framers include in the Constitution to secure public support for the new government? a. direct popular election for members of the House of Representatives b. direct popular election of senators c. direct popular election of the president d. the Electoral College 41. ------------ refers to a system of government that recognizes no formal limits on its power and seeks to eliminate any challenges to its authority. a. Authoritarian b. Totalitarian c. Constitutional d. Oligarchy

42. In the national debate over ratification of the new Constitution, who on the list below supported the proposal for a strong National government? a. the federalists. b. Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, and Patrick Henry c. the antifederalists d. Daniel Shays and his followers who stormed the Massachusetts Courthouse [2] 43. Which of the following most accurately describes the current U.S. National government? a. Its actions are limited in scope, reflecting the intent of the Founding Fathers. b. The powers exercised by today’s National government have far exceeded the limits of those explicitly granted to it by the U.S. Constitution. c. The National government has now injected itself into aspects of citizens’ lives in which State governments no longer have the power to interfere. d. Today’s National government is less powerful than it was at the Founding of our nation. 44. The size and power of the National government have increased dramatically over time. All the following, except -----------, are explanations for the growth in National power. a. the Necessary and Proper Clause b. the Supreme Court’s “broad interpretation” of the Commerce Clause c. the Bill of Rights d. the Full-Faith-and-Credit Clause e. the Great Depression and the resulting “New-Deal” programs 45. A “Social Contract,” as conceived by philosopher Thomas Hobbes, is best explained as: a. the right of government to tax its citizens without their consent. b. life in a government-free “state of nature.” c. an implicit agreement among the people of a country to voluntarily give up some personal freedoms in exchange for an ordered society or government protection. d. as a persuasive argument against the need for government authority. 46. For much of the 19thCentury, the Tenth Amendment was used as an argument to bolster the claim to ------------, the assertion that State governments did not have to obey Federal

laws that they believed exceeded the National government’s constitutional authority. a. b. c. d.

States’ Rights National supremacy Individual freedom Federal Grants-in Aid

47. Who was mostly responsible for organizing the Boston Tea Party? a. Benjamin Franklin b. Samuel Adams c. Thomas Jefferson d. Daniel Shays

48. Which of the following is a false statement about the Articles of Confederation? a. The first goal was to limit the power of the Central/National government. b. Each state retained its sovereignty, freedom, and independence to govern itself. c. A strong Central government made all the major decisions for the states. d. There was no president, national army, or navy under the Articles. 49. The political philosophers who had the greatest influence on the Founders were ------------. a. Hobbes, Locke, and Montesquieu b. Jefferson, Franklin, and Madison c. Hitler, Stalin, and Marx d. Locke, Madison, and Hobbes 50. What famous political slogan did colonial protesters use as a rallying cry in their opposition to British taxes? a. “No taxation without representation” b. “Give me liberty or give me death” c. “Government governs best that governs least” d. “A house divided against itself cannot stand” 51. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that, among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The source of this statement is the ---------------. a. Articles of Confederation b. US Constitution c. Declaration of Independence d. Pledge of Allegiance 52. What was the main significance of Shay’s Rebellion? a. It took place during 1786-1787 in the state of Massachusetts. b. It underscored the weakness and inability of the National government to act decisively in times of crisis and ultimately convinced the delegates to meet for the Constitutional Convention. c. It led to the “First Founding” and the resulting Articles of Confederation. d. Samuel Adams organized and led the rebellion.

53. All the following, except ----------- are false statements about the status of Local government in the American political system. a. It shared powers equally with the National government under the Articles of Confederation. b. Local-Government status is clearly defined in the U.S. Constitution. c. Local governments are not sovereign powers but are instead subject to State control.

d. Local governments are sovereign powers or entities, with the right to act independently and run their own affairs. 54. The goals established by the authors (Framers) of the Constitution included all of the following, except -----------a. to promote commerce and protect private property. b. to prevent the threat of “excessive” democracy. c. to eliminate social and economic inequality from American society. d. to limit the power of the Central government. 55. What was the main reason for the 1787 Constitutional Convention? a. to plan a strategy to counter the radicals’ opposition to Shay’s Rebellion. b. the struggle between the federalists and the antifederalists. c. the weakness of the Central government under the Articles of Confederation. d. the rejection of the Articles of Confederation by all 13 states. 56. A form of government based on the principle of “majority rule” or “rule by the

people” is called ------------. a. b. c. d.

Anarchy Oligarchy Monarchy Democracy

57. What, according to the textbook, has been one of the most significant changes in federalism over time? a. The shift in the “balance of power” between the National government and the states, with the increase in National power since the 1930s b. The change in the definition of federalism c. The shift in the balance of power between the states and the National government, with the states gaining considerable new powers d. The number of countries adopting federalism as a governing system 58. Under the Articles of Confederation, the National/Central government did not have the power to ------------. a. coin or borrow money b. declare war c. tax or regulate commerce among the states. d. to make treaties and alliances with foreign countries 59. Why did the Founders include the Separation-of-Powers principle, federalism, and the Bill of Rights in the Constitution? a. to prevent the states from becoming too powerful

b. to encourage the states to work together c. to limit the power of the National government d. to promote national unity. 60. The ------------ principle is central to the system of government created by the Founding Fathers for the United States of America. a. Majority-Rule b. Founding c. Democratic d. Rule-of-Law 61. All the following, except -----------, are true statements about the American form of government. a. Government is restrained by law or the Constitution b. The government created by the Founders is the world’s greatest democracy. c. The word “democracy” does not appear in the Declaration of Independence, in the US Constitution, or in the constitutions of any of the 50 states. d. Citizens’ rights are not subject to majority rule, but to the law. 62. What is the importance or benefit of political knowledge? a. It undermines the foundation of a true people’s democracy. b. Political knowledge enables citizens to critically examine and debate important issues and figure how best to act in their own interests. c. Political knowledge was a requirement for citizenship in Ancient Greece. d. It is also now a requirement for U.S. citizenship. 63. Which of the following is a false statement about political efficacy in the United States? a. Studies indicate that it has been declining. b. A sense of political efficacy leads to greater political participation. c. Majority of Americans believe their elected representatives value their opinions d. Americans increasingly believe that government benefits only some people. 64. Of the three fundamental principles or “core values” that define the American political culture, which was most important for the Founding Fathers? a. “individual” liberty (liberty) b. social justice c. equality d. democracy 65. The ideal of “equality,” is perhaps the most misunderstood of the Founding principles. Which of the following best explains the misunderstanding?

a. confusion between political, social, and economic equality b. the distinction between “equality of opportunity” and “equality of results c. lack of a standard definition, leaving people to interpret “equality” in different ways d. the never-ending conflict resulting from it 66. -----------, which means rule by a group or by “few”, is the most common form of government in history and also the most common form of government today. a. Republic b. Democracy c. Monarchy d. Oligarchy 67. All the following, except ------------, are true statements about federalism, as created by the Founding Fathers. a. It is also referred to as “traditional,” “Dual,” and “Layer-Cake” federalism. b. Much of the responsibility for governing was left to the National government. c. The National government was quite small (“limited”) and performed only few specialized functions. d...