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