FINAL EXAM: PRINCIPLES OF DEMOCRACY
  • 1. A legislature is
A) a group of people chosen to make laws
B) a group of people who have the right to vote
C) a group of people elected to create charters
D) a group of people who support tyranny
  • 2. Freedom of the press
A) allowed everything except criticizing the government
B) did not exist under English Law
C) meant that newspapers had to print the truth
D) led to John Peter Zenger's arrest
  • 3. The idea of direct democracy came from
A) Roman Law
B) the Magna Carta
C) ancient Athens
D) colonial newspapers
  • 4. Tyranny refers to
A) a government that abuses its power
B) a government controlled by citizens
C) a strong central government
D) a powerful monarchy
  • 5. Madison's plan for government
A) seemed too weak to many delegates
B) was rejected almost immediately
C) created a strong central government
D) was especially popular with the smaller states
  • 6. The Great Compromise
A) was never adopted by the delegates
B) established a two-house legislature
C) showed the weaknesses of the Constitutional Convention
D) won by a huge majority of the votes at the Constitutional Convention
  • 7. In order the the Constitution to go into effect it had to be approved by
A) a least nine state legislatures
B) the Continental Congress
C) at least nine state conventions
D) The President
  • 8. Under federalism
A) state and federal governments have completely different powers.
B) the federal government decides what powers the states have
C) the states can check the power of the federal government.
D) state and federal governments have some shared and some separate powers
  • 9. Separation of powers means that
A) state and federal governments have different powers.
B) each branch can limit the powers of the other branches.
C) the judicial branch decides the powers of the other branches.
D) power is divided among the three branches of government.
  • 10. People who take "the fifth"
A) have to tell the truth even if it will send them to jail.
B) are admitting their guilt.
C) are using their constitutional right to remain silent.
D) misunderstand the Constitution.
  • 11. In the Tinker case, the Supreme Court ruled that
A) armbands may be regulated by a school principal.
B) schools are not places for political demonstrations.
C) armbands are a form of speech protected by the First Amendment.
D) political armbands disrupt classes and may not be worn.
  • 12. The 13th Amendment
A) was overturned by a later amendment.
B) abolished slavery.
C) made African Americans citizens of the states in which they lived.
D) gave African American men the right to vote.
  • 13. The 14th Amendment
A) abolished slavery.
B) gave African American men the right to vote.
C) was found unconstitutional.
D) gave citizenship to African Americans born in the United States.
  • 14. The 15th Amendment
A) made segregation illegal.
B) gave African American men the right to vote.
C) made African Americans citizens of the states in which they lived. B. made segregation illegal.
D) abolished slavery.
  • 15. The 24th Amendment
A) has not yet been passed.
B) gave African American women the right to vote.
C) declared that citizens do not have to pay a tax to vote.
D) gave African Americans equal protection of the laws.
  • 16. Women gained suffrage
A) from the 23rd Amendment
B) from the Bill of Rights
C) from the 24th Amendment
D) from the 19th Amendment
  • 17. The Twenty-sixth Amendment granted the right to vote to
A) people between 18 and 21 years of age.
B) all women
C) immigrants
D) African American Women
  • 18. The amendments to the Constitution are evidence that the Constitution
A) is finally perfect
B) changes only in wartime
C) gives people too much power
D) is flexible
  • 19. The Supreme Court
A) can change the Constitution.
B) cannot overturn its earlier decisions.
C) must be obeyed except by the President.
D) has the final say over whether a law is constitutional.
  • 20. Which statement does NOT describe what the colonists usually meant by religious freedom?
A) People would not be punished for joining the Presbyterian church.
B) People could belong to any Christian church.
C) Non-Christians would be free to practice their religions.
D) Colonists could disagree with the Anglican church.
  • 21. The Magna Carta is still important today because
A) it still protects the English nobles.
B) it is England’s constitution.
C) it lists the rights of England’s kings and queens.
D) it was an important step toward establishing rights that no government can take away.
  • 22. Which was NOT a reason for revising the Articles of Confederation?
A) Congress could not enforce the laws.
B) Congress could not settle disputes between states.
C) Congress had already agreed on a new form of government.
D) Congress could not tax.
  • 23. On the question of the slave trade, the delegates
A) could not reach agreement.
B) agreed that the national government could not end it before 1808.
C) agreed to end it in 1808.
D) agreed that each state should end it by 1808.
  • 24. Which of the following is NOT a goal set forth in the Preamble to the Constitution?
A) to provide for the common defense
B) to promote the general welfare
C) to establish justice
D) to create a bicameral legislature
  • 25. The main argument in favor of the Bill of Rights was that it would
A) win more public support for the new government.
B) test whether the amendment process worked.
C) limit the constitutional powers of the federal government.
D) make the Constitution more like the Magna Carta.
  • 26. All of the following are true about the powers of state government EXCEPT
A) none are shared with the national government.
B) the U.S. Constitution does not specifically list them.
C) they are part of the compromise called federalism.
D) states alone have the power to set up public school systems.
  • 27. State constitutions
A) were models for the national Constitution.
B) are less detailed than the national Constitution.
C) cannot be amended.
D) usually do not include a bill of rights.
  • 28. A common argument for strong state governments is that, compared to the federal government, they are
A) less corrupt.
B) better able to serve their citizens’ needs.
C) more likely to provide equal opportunities.
D) better able to solve problems involving many states.
  • 29. Seats in state legislatures are apportioned on the basis of the
A) area of the districts.
B) population of the districts.
C) wealth of the districts.
D) needs of the districts.
  • 30. One main difference between state legislatures and Congress is that
A) state legislatures cannot propose constitutional amendments.
B) all state legislators are volunteers.
C) state legislators are appointed by the governor.
D) citizens in some states can propose and pass laws.
  • 31. Most state tax revenue comes from
A) sales and excise taxes.
B) excise and property taxes.
C) property and income taxes.
D) income and sales taxes.
  • 32. The greatest source of executive power is the governor’s
A) power to change the state constitution.
B) power to enforce laws.
C) budget-making role.
D) role as commander in chief of the National Guard.
  • 33. Local governments are created by
A) the state government.
B) the U.S. Constitution.
C) the local voters.
D) a board of supervisors.
  • 34. The weak-mayor plan
A) requires direct election of the mayor by voters.
B) is one type of commission plan.
C) gives executive power to the city manager.
D) gives both legislative and executive power to a council.
  • 35. Local governments spend the most money on
A) jails
B) schools
C) roads
D) parks
  • 36. Education is paid for by
A) state governments.
B) local governments.
C) local, state, and federal governments.
D) local government and the federal government.
  • 37. Zoning is the power of local government to
A) make sure that restaurants meet health standards.
B) make rules for land use.
C) divide power among city, state, and federal governments.
D) provide for public safety.
  • 38. A job of the local planning commission is to
A) decide what form of government a city should have.
B) set goals for land use.
C) set a city’s spending goals.
D) attract new businesses to a community.
  • 39. To pay for the services they provide, local governments
A) depend on state and federal funds.
B) can never collect income taxes
C) can collect any taxes they want.
D) dependentirelyonpropertytaxes.
  • 40. Which is NOT a way that local governments cooperate?
A) building hospitals
B) operating jails
C) providing emergency services
D) combining their city councils
  • 41. Local, state, and federal governments disagree about all of the following EXCEPT
A) who will decide what kinds of services to provide.
B) that no one level of government can meet all citizens’ needs.
C) how to spend grant money.
D) how to spend grant money.
  • 42. The governors in many states have less power than the President to
A) appoint top executive branch officials.
B) veto bills.
C) make the budget.
D) influence lawmaking.
  • 43. The first unit of local government to form in the colonies was the
A) township
B) special district
C) city
D) county
  • 44. Capital includes
A) time and energy
B) soil, minerals, and water.
C) knowledge and skills.
D) tools and factories.
  • 45. In a market economy, economic choices are NOT affected by
A) competition
B) central parking
C) bargaining
D) profit seeking
  • 46. Most economic systems of the world today are
A) market economies
B) traditional economies
C) command economies
D) mixed economies.
  • 47. A command economy is
A) able to meet all the wants of its people.
B) largely based on choices made by producers and consumers.
C) not based on choices.
D) largely based on choices made by the government.
  • 48. The economy of the United States is
A) largely based on choices made by the government.
B) able to meet all the wants of its people.
C) not based on choices.
D) largely based on choices made by producers and consumers.
  • 49. Which of the following steps is NOT part of the circular flow of economic activity?
A) Individuals work for wages.
B) Producers sell goods for money.
C) Union members strike for higher wages.
D) Consumers pay money for goods.
  • 50. According to the law of demand, when the price of a commodity goes up
A) the supply curve will slope down.
B) people will usually buy less of it.
C) people will usually buy more of it.
D) the demand curve will slope up.
  • 51. According to the law of supply, when the price of a good goes up
A) producers will want to make more of it.
B) the supply curve will slope down.
C) the demand curve will slope up.
D) producers will want to make less of it.
  • 52. People who start a business take a risk in return for
A) goods and services.
B) the hope of earning a profit.
C) rent, wages, and interest.
D) money borrowed from the bank.
  • 53. Entrepreneurs are important in a market economy because they
A) make decisions about who should get goods and services.
B) provide interest on investments.
C) keep corporations from getting too large.
D) take risks to start new businesses.
  • 54. The major costs of running a business usually include
A) wages, rent, and interest.
B) profit.
C) the market price.
D) shares of stock.
  • 55. Most products, profits, and jobs in the United States are created by
A) partnerships
B) corporations
C) sole proprietorships
D) stockholders
  • 56. American workers formed labor unions because
A) their jobs required special skills.
B) they wanted control over working conditions
C) immigrants were taking their jobs.
D) they needed work.
  • 57. When unions and employers meet to reach agreement on wages and working conditions, it is called
A) collective bargaining
B) a sit-down strike.
C) a boycott.
D) strikebreaking.
  • 58. Labor unions have played a key role in bringing about all of the following gains EXCEPT
A) minimum wage laws.
B) the shift from a manufacturing to a service economy.
C) laws protecting the safety of workers.
D) banning child labor.
  • 59. Workers have a basic conflict with employers because
A) Workers want to limit wages.
B) Employers want to increase profits
C) Workers want to keep profits high.
D) Employers want to keep costs high.
  • 60. The first steps in learning how to manage your money include all of the following EXCEPT
A) understanding your income.
B) knowing what your expenses will be.
C) understanding stocks.
D) knowing what your goals and values are
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