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