Download Civics Midterm - Elkin City Schools

Civics Midterm
Directions: Read each question and answer by darkening in the correct letter on the bubble sheet
1. For many Americans, the problems inherent in disaster management were clearly demonstrated by FEMA’s 2005 response to
A) global warming.
B) the 9/11 Attacks.
C) the War on Terror.
D) Hurricane Katrina.
2. The positions of loose interpretation and strict interpretation of the Constitution were first established by the Federalists and AntiFederalists. Which of the following is an example of loose interpretation?
A. Ratification of a treaty with France.
B. The power of the national and state governments to tax.
C. Using the military to suppress rebellion.
D. Creating a Bank of the United States.
3. The uprising known as Shay’s Rebellion revealed the weaknesses of
A. the Intolerable Acts.
B. Parliament.
C. taxation. D. Articles of Confederation
4. One of the major Anti-Federalist objections to the Constitution was that it
A. allowed for freedom of religion.
B. gave too much power to state governments.
C. did not contain a bill of rights.
D. did away with the Electoral College.
5. Members of the U.S. Congress receive a number of benefits. Which benefit helps chances for re-election by earmarking certain
funds for their state or district in particular bills?
A) the right to sponsor pork-barrel projects
C) the right to legal protection in certain situations
B) the ability to pigeonhole a bill in committee
D) the ability to send job-related mail without paying postage
6. According to the United States Constitution, which of these positions can NOT be impeached by the House of Representatives?
A) a federal judge
B) United States President
C) the Governor of Alabama
D) a Senator from Wisconsin
7. A major weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that Congress
A. had no power to tax.
B. had full power to enforce the laws it created.
C. was made up of a bicameral legislature
D. had nearly unlimited central powers.
8. A person committed a federal crime and is awaiting trial. Which court has original and exclusive jurisdiction to hear the case?
A) a state trial court
B) a U.S. district court
C) a state supreme court
D) a U.S. appellate court
9. According to the Declaration of Independence, the people have the right to alter or abolish a government if that government
A. is a limited monarchy
C. violates natural rights
B. becomes involved in entangling alliances
D. favors one religion over another
10. The right of trial by a jury of one’s peers in criminal cases was first established by the
A. Magna Carta B. Mayflower Compact
C. Articles of Confederation
D. Middle Passage
11. The significance of the British policy of "salutary neglect" prior to 1763 is it
A. allowed royal colonies to elect their own governors.
B. enforced the Navigation Acts.
C. took the Royal Navy off the high seas.
D. contributed to a growing sense of American identity
12. The authors of the United States Constitution believed that the voice of the people should be heard frequently. Which part of the
Government was instituted to respond most directly to the will of the people?
A. Senate
B. Supreme Court
C. House of Representatives
D. Presidency
“The only representatives of the people of these colonies are persons chosen therein by themselves; and that no taxes ever have
been, or can be constitutionally imposed on them but by their respective legislatures.”
-Statement by the Stamp Act Congress, 1765
13. What is a valid conclusion that can be drawn from this quotation?
A. The colonial legislatures should be appointed by the English King with the consent of Parliament.
B. Only the colonists’ elected representatives should have the power to levy taxes.
C. The English King should have the right to tax the colonists.
D. The colonists should be opposed to all taxation.
14. The elastic clause, the amending process, and judicial review are all methods by which
A. Congress may check the power of the executive branch
B. the wording of the original Constitution may be altered
C. state governments may limit the power of the Federal Government
D. the Constitution may be adapted to meet changing conditions
15. Which quotation from the United States Constitution provides for Federalism system of government?
A. “He shall have power . . . with the advice and consent of the Senate, . . . and . . . shall appoint . . .“
B. “Every bill . . . shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the President of the United States; . . ."
C. “The powers not delegated to the United States . . . are reserved to the states . . .“
D. “Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records…of every other state.”
16. The system of checks and balances is best illustrated by the power of
A. the President to veto a bill passed by Congress
C. Congress to censure one of its members
B. a governor to use the National Guard to stop a riot
D. state and Federal governments to levy and collect taxes
17. What executive department is responsible for assisting the President in developing and implementing foreign policy?
A) State Department
B) Department of Defense
C) Department of Justice
D) Federal Bureau of Investigation
18. Which phrase from the Declaration of Independence most clearly reflects the idea that the people are the source of government?
A. “. . . that all men are created equal,...”
B. “. .. all men are . . . endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights
C. “. . . deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. . .“
D. “. . . governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes . . .
19. One way in which the United States Constitution differed from the Articles of Confederation was it
A. created a national government having three branches
B. provided for the direct election of the President by the voters
C. made the amendment process more difficult
D. increased the powers of the states
20. Which branch of government heads the Federal bureaucracy which consists of hundreds of agencies and millions of employees
and oversees the enforcement of federal laws?
A. the Congress.
B. the legislative.
C. the judicial.
D. the executive.
21. The Sons of Liberty were most directly involved with which of the following
A. declaring war on Britain.
B. organizing the Boston Tea Party.
C. boycotting British goods.
D. holding the First Continental Congress.
“The most stringent (strict) protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing
a panic.”
-Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes
22. Which interpretation of the Bill of Rights does this statement illustrate?
A. The needs of the government are more important than civil liberties.
B. Constitutional protections of liberty are not absolutely guaranteed.
C. The Supreme Court can eliminate freedoms listed in the Bill of Rights.
D. The Bill of Rights does not safeguard individual liberties.
23. Which action was necessary to create Presidential term limits?
A. ratification of a constitutional amendment
C. passage of a Federal law
B. a Supreme Court decision
D. a national referendum
“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.”
- Declaration of Independence
24. This quotation above reflects beliefs mainly derived from
A. the Magna Carta
C. the divine right monarchs of Europe
B. John Locke’s theory of natural rights
D. Marxist philosophy
25. When a senator or representative introduces a bill, it is then sent to the appropriate
A. chairperson
B. committee
C. secretary
D. department
26. A group of people brought together to decide if there is enough evidence to indict someone for committing a crime can be
described as what?
A. Supreme Court
B. Grand Jury
C. Petit Jury
D. Parliament
27. The election of a Presidential candidate occurs through
A. delegates’ votes at a national party convention
C. decisions of the electoral college
B. actions of the State legislatures
D. citizens’ choices in public opinion polls
28. According to the theory of mercantilism, colonies could strengthen the mother country by:
A. producing manufactured goods
B. providing needed raw materials
C. providing an outlet for political and religious dissidents
D. providing land for sale by the proprietors
29. The United States Constitution grants powers only to the Federal Government. For example, only Congress can declare war. These
powers are called:
A. police powers B. reserved powers
C. delegated powers
D. concurrent powers
30. The President may VETO a bill he dislikes. A POCKET VETO
A. is one which went to the laundry in the President's shirt pocket.
B. is a delayed veto.
C. automatically applies to a bill the President receives and fails to sign within 10 days of the end of a session of Congress.
D. is an example of executive privilege.
31. How did the Stamp Act, Tea Act, and Intolerable Acts encourage American colonists to consider revolution against British rule?
A by ignoring American representatives in Parliament on issues of taxes levied in the American colonies
B by raising taxes in the American colonies without granting the colonies any representation in Parliament
C by representing an effort in Britain to end the slave trade in the colonies
D by revealing the British plan to expand the American colonies farther west on the continent
32. In writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was most influenced by the writers of the
A. Romantic Era
B. Enlightenment
c Renaissance
D. Middle Ages
33. The conference committee of both House and Senate members has approved a bill creating a new national forest in North
Carolina. What is the next step in this situation?
A. debate in the Senate Committee
B. bill is sent to the President
C. the bill is pigeonholed
D. both the full House and Senate approve the revised bill
34. When the United States Constitution was written, which compromise was reached by the authors to gain the support of the states
with small populations?
A. Exported goods could not be taxed, but imported goods could be taxed
B. Congress would consist of both a House of Representatives and a Senate.
C. Five enslaved persons would be counted as three free persons for the purpose of taxation
D. The President would be selected by the direct vote of the people.
35. The United States Constitution requires that a census be taken every ten years to reapportion
A. membership in the House of Representatives B. the number of delegates to national nominating conventions
C. Federal aid to localities
D. agricultural subsidies
36. The major reason the Bill of Rights was added to the United States Constitution was to
A. limit the power of state governments
C. provide for equal treatment of all people
B. protect individual liberties from the Government
D. separate powers between the three branches of government
37. In the United States Congress, differences between Senate and House of Representatives versions of a bill are usually resolved by
accepting the version that is
A. agreed to by a joint conference committee of both Houses
C. supported by the Supreme Court
B. preferred by the House in which the bill originated
D. preferred by a majority of the State legislatures
38. Which Supreme Court case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson?
A. Brown v. Board of Education
B. Marbury v. Madison C. Miranda v. Arizona
D. Tinker v. Des Moines
39. When a legal alien decides to become an American citizen, he/she must go through the naturalization process. What is one of the
purposes of naturalization?
A. to make sure they know the basic rights and responsibilities of being an American citizen
B. to allow them to qualify for medical insurance
C. to restrict people from certain parts of the world from entering the U.S.
D. to help them find a job in the U.S. government
Speaker A:"States must be represented in the national government solely on the basis of population. It is indeed the only fair
situation."
Speaker B:"The national legislature must be based on equal representation of the states to protect the interests of the small states."
Speaker C:"States must accept the supremacy of the national government on all issues; otherwise, the system will fail."
Speaker D:"The national Congress should consist of two houses: one in which representation is based on population, and one in
which states are equally represented."
40. Which document was being written when the discussion above most likely occurred?
A. Declaration of Independence
B. Covenant of the League of Nations
C. United States Constitution
D. Charter of the United Nations
41. The terms of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided for:
A. settlers to live without taxation in existing states
B. individual purchase of large blocks of land.
C. higher tax rates on small farmers.
D. a process for the admission of states to the Union.
42. The process of ending a filibuster in the Senate is called
A. referendum
B. initiative
C. recall
D. cloture
43. Which of the following correctly describes the attitude of most English settlers toward the Indians and their way of life?
A. they assumed the Indians to be their equals but showed little respect for Indian society.
B. they accepted and respected the differences between their own culture and Indian culture.
C. they were very interested in understanding as many aspects of Indian culture as possible.
D. they were openly hostile toward the Indians and had no thoughts of living in peace with them.
44. During the Revolutionary War period, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was important because it
A. described a military plan for the defeat of England
B. convinced many Americans who had been undecided to support independence
C. contained a detailed outline for a new form of government
D. argued for the addition of a bill of rights to the Constitution
“AMONG the numerous advantages promised by a well constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed
than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction…If a majority be united by a common interest, the rights of the
minority will be insecure.” – Alexander Hamilton and James Madison
45. Which document is represented by these statements:
A. the Navigations Acts
B. the Northwest Ordinance
C. the Federalist Papers D. the Intolerable Acts
“. . . Congress shall have power . . . to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying
into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States. . . .”
- Article One, US Constitution
46. The above statement from the United States Constitution is the source of
A. veto power
B. implied powers
C. judicial review
D. states’ rights
47. The American Constitutional Convention of 1787 was dominated by?
A. isolationists and speculators.
B. officers and enlisted men of the Continental Army.
C. property owning men and lawyers
D. backwoods farmers and frontiersmen.
48. Which of the following correctly states the effect of the 13th amendment which was ratified in 1865?
A. It returned the seceding states to the nation.
B. It provided pensions for civil war veterans.
C. It abolished slavery in the United States.
D. It guaranteed equal rights to all citizens.
49. The Cabinet is composed of all the heads of the 15 “cabinet level” departments within the
A. executive branch
B. legislative branch
C. judicial branch
D. department of defense
50. A factor that led to the formation of the first two political parties in the United States was conflict over the
A. distribution of power between the federal and state governments B. spread of slavery into the western territories
C. control of interstate commerce
D. acquisition of lands from France and Spain
"President Plans Trip to China To Meet with Chairman"
"President Signs New Treaty"
"President Concludes Trade Agreement with Japan"
51. Each headline illustrates an action of a President fulfilling his role as
A. Political Party Leader B. Commander in Chief
C. Chief Diplomat
D. Chief Legislator
52. The “establishment clause” of the First Amendment states which of the following about religious beliefs?
A. there is no separation of church and state
B. the U.S. Congress cannot name an official religion
C. people are free to exercise their religion
D. both B and C
53. The member of Congress who assists the floor leader and tries to persuade party members to vote together is
A. the whip
B. the president pro tempore
C. the speaker of the house
D. the minority leader.
54. Disagreement between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson over the interpretation of the Constitution led to the
development of the
A.Great Compromise
B. national judicial system
C. President's Cabinet D. political party system
55. The largest proportion of cases that reach the Supreme Court do so via:
A. writ of certiorari.
B. writ of appeal
C. writ of mandamus.
D. writ of injunction.
56. The Parliament of Great Britain was important to the development of democracy in the thirteen colonies because it
A. provided an example of a representative form of government
B. created the first written constitution in America
C. provided for direct election of senators
D. began the practice of legislative override of executive vetoes
57. Besides the elastic clause, a reason the United States Constitution is considered a flexible document is that it
A. can be rewritten every ten years
B. allows for the creation of a multiparty political system
C. gives the states the power to change federal laws D. includes an amendment process
58. As a result of the Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg decision, Charlotte schools were the first in the nation to use busing to
A) segregate schools
B) improve school performance
C) transport students to school
D) integrate schools
59. Which Amendments are known as the Civil War Amendments?
A. Twelfth, Thirteenth, and Fourteenth Amendments
B. Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments
C. Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Sixteenth Amendments
D. Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Amendments
60. Which of the following may propose an amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
A. a 3/4ths vote by both houses of Congress
B. a 2/3rds vote by both houses of Congress
C. a national convention called by the President D. a petition generated by the U.S. citizens
61. Which federal government power was upheld by the ruling in Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)?
A. right to regulate interstate commerce
B. right to detain suspects
C. right to ensure civil rights of its citizens
D. right to bus students to eliminate segregation
The Structure of the Federal Courts
United States Supreme Court
↑ ?
United States District Court
62. Which court correctly completes the diagram above?
A United States Court of Records B United States Civil Court
C United States Superior Court D United States Court of Appeals
63. People accused of a crime are still protected by laws. They have the right to due process of law. Which of the following
amendments protects this right?
A. Fourth Amendment
B. Second Amendment
C. Fifth Amendment
D. Tenth Amendment
64. The term which refers to the right of people to rule themselves is
A.popular vote
B.popular sovereignty
C.popular democracy
D. popular monarchy
65.Which of the following is considered part of the “unwritten Constitution”?
A. Supreme Court
B. House of Representatives
C. Senate
D. Cabinet
66. Prior to the Revolution, Committees of Correspondence were created to?
A. keep colonial leaders in contact with each other. B. publicize grievances against England.
C. improve the writing skills of young gentlemen.
D. correspond with English leaders
67. Which of the following amendments to the Constitution was NOT part of the Bill of Rights?:
A. the right to bear arms. B. trial by jury. C. protection against illegal search. D. direct election of senators.
68. Duties assigned by the Constitution allow the President to do all of the following EXCEPT:
A. veto a bill
B. propose a bill
C. introduce a bill in the House of Representatives
D. pocket veto
69. Which is a delegated power of the federal government?
A. determining election laws
B. providing and maintaining armed forces
C. making laws about marriage and divorce D. providing and maintaining public schools
70. Which action attempting to force Parliament to repeal the Stamp Act is an example of boycotting?
A. Sons of Liberty burning effigies of custom agents
B. Colonial legislators sending resolutions to King George III
C. Sons of Liberty tarring and feathering royal officials
D. Colonial merchants refusing to import goods from Britain
71. How many members of Congress are there?
A. 270
B. 440
C. 535
D. 680
72. Which amendment to the United States Constitution concerns the goal “provide for the common defence” from the Preamble?
A. amendment I
B. amendment II C. amendment III D. amendment IV
73. All of the following are formal requirements to serve as president EXCEPT:
A. must be at least 35 years old
B. must be a native-born citizen of the United States
C. must have lived in the United States at least 14 years
D. be a person of good moral quality.
74. Which Department regulates development and use of oil, gas reserves and nuclear power
A. interior B. energy
C. commerce
D. agriculture
“The only representatives of the people of these colonies are persons chosen therein by themselves; and that no taxes ever have been,
or can be constitutionally imposed on them but by their respective legislatures.”
-Statement by the Stamp Act Congress, 1765
75. What is a valid conclusion that can be drawn from this quotation?
a. The colonial legislatures should be appointed by the English King with the consent of Parliament.
b. Only the colonists’ elected representatives should have the power to levy taxes.
c. The English King should have the right to tax the colonists.
d. The colonists should be opposed to all taxation.
76. Which is used to decide whether the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case?
certiorari
rule of law
mandamus
rule of four
77. Which of the following groups was allowed to vote in colonial America?
A. Native Americans
B. black Americans
C. white male landholders D. white female landholders
78. The first article of the United States Constitution explains the procedures and powers of which branch of government?
A. executive
B. judicial
C. legislative
D. presidential
79. What natural boundary divides the territory controlled by England prior to the French and Indian War?
A. Mississippi River
B. Atlantic Ocean
C. Appalachian Mountains
D. Missouri River
80. Why is compromise essential to Conference Committees?
A. It determines when meetings will be conducted.
B. It allows for the resolution of differences between bills from the House and the Senate.
C. It provides for a stronger relationship between the president and the legislative branch.
D. It encourages representatives of state and federal governments to resolve disagreements.
Answer Key
1. D
2. D
3. D
4. C
5. A
6. C
7. A
8. B
9. C
10.A
11.D
12.C
13.B
14.D
15.C
16.A
17.A
18.C
19.A
20.D
21.B
22.B
23.A
24.B
25.B
26.B
27.C
28.B
29.C
30.C
31.B
32.B
33.D
34.B
35.A
36.B
37.A
38.A
39.A
40.C
41.D
42.D
43.D
44.B
45.C
46.B
47.C
48.C
49.A
50.A
51.C
52.B
53.A
54.D
55.A
56.A
57.D
58.D
59.B
60.B
61.A
62.D
63.C
64.B
65.D
66.A
67.D
68.C
69.B
70.D
71.C
72.B
73.D
74.B
75.B
76.D
77.C
78.C
79.C
80.B