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Question Dissection – Part VII
US History/Napp
Name: _________________
Introduction to Review:
Some things just go together. Like
Or
A multiple-choice question also has parts that naturally go together.
In this review, I will present multiple-choice questions and answers. I will explain what
the question is asking and provide its answer. I will also reveal why these two parts of the
question must go together.
Yes, some things just naturally go together.
The Question Dissection:
A. “Although important strides were made, Reconstruction failed to provide lasting
guarantees of the civil rights of the freedmen.”
Which evidence best supports this statement?
(1) passage of Jim Crow laws in the latter part of the 19th century
(2) ratification of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments
(3) refusal of Southern States to allow sharecropping
(4) passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1866
What the question is asking:
What was Reconstruction and why did it fail?
Answer:
Reconstruction was the name given to the process of reestablishing the Union to include the
seceded states after the Civil War. It began during the war and lasted until 1877. While
the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were passed during Reconstruction and freed slaves
were given new rights; after Reconstruction ended, segregation was established in the
South under Jim Crow laws. Segregation or the separation of the races led to the unfair
treatment of African Americans in the South. The social system that developed in the
aftermath of Reconstruction was one of racial segregation and white supremacy, depriving
African Americans of their political and civil rights. African Americans were not
permitted to ride in the same train cars, attend the same schools, or use any of the same
public facilities as whites.
Thus, the answer must be 1.

B. Which statement about the philosophies of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois is
most accurate?
(1) They differed as to the best way that African Americans could effectively achieve
equality.
(2) Both demanded programs that would provide for immediate social equality.
(3) Both believed that vocational training would provide the most important kind of
education for African Americans.
(4) Neither wanted the Federal Government to play a major role in protecting the civil
rights of African Americans.
What the question is asking?
Who were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois?
Booker T. Washington, a former slave, believed that African Americans should concentrate
on first trying to achieve economic independence before seeking full social equality. In
1881, he founded the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. W.E.B. DuBois believed African
Americans should work for full social equality immediately and not accept an inferior
social and economic status. In 1909, DuBois helped form the N.A.A.C.P. (the National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and began editing its journal, The
Crisis.
Thus, the answer must be 1.
C. Poll taxes and grandfather clauses were devices used to
(1) deny African Americans the right to vote
(2) extend suffrage to women and 18-year-old citizens
(3) raise money for political campaigns
(4) prevent immigrants from becoming citizens
What is the question asking?
What were poll taxes and grandfather clauses?
Poll taxes, grandfather clauses, and literacy tests were used by Southern whites to prevent
African Americans from voting in the South. Literacy tests were introduced as a
requirement for voting. Most freedmen lacked a formal education and could not pass these
tests. Poll taxes were registration fees for voting, which many African Americans could not
afford. “Grandfather clauses” allowed those whose ancestors had voted before the Civil
War to avoid passing a test or paying a tax to vote. These clauses empowered poor whites
but not poor African Americans.
The 15th Amendment prohibited denying the vote to a person on the basis of race or prior
enslavement. So, Southern states created alternative techniques to disenfranchise (to
deprive the vote) African Americans. Starting in 1877, when Georgia passed a poll tax,
other Southern states implemented similar ways of disenfranchisement.
Thus, the answer is 1.
D. “[The registrar] brought a big old book out there, and he gave me the sixteenth section
of the constitution of Mississippi, . . . I could copy it like it was in the book, but after I got
through copying it, he told me to give a reasonable interpretation and tell the meaning of
the section I had copied. Well, I flunked out.”
Source: A History of the United States since 1861
The main intent of the literacy test described in the passage was to
(1) encourage reform of the political system
(2) encourage Mississippi residents to learn about their state’s legal system
(3) prevent African Americans from exercising a basic right
(4) enforce the provisions of the United States Constitution
What is the question asking?
What was a literacy test and how did a literacy test affect voting?
A literacy test is a test given to determine if a person can vote. The literacy test included a
difficult reading passage. Former slaves were not well-educated and could not pass the
test. Of course, any test can be created in a way where it is impossible for a person to pass.
Thus, the goal of the literacy test was to prevent African Americans from voting in the
South.
Thus, the answer is 3.
E. The Jim Crow laws of the post-Civil War Era were attempts by
(1) the Federal Government to improve the status of African Americans and Native
American Indians
(2) state and local governments to restrict the freedoms of African Americans
(3) states to ban organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan
(4) the Radical Republicans in Congress to carry out Reconstruction plans
What is the question asking?
What were Jim Crow laws?
Jim Crow laws were segregation laws in the American South. These laws were created to
prevent African Americans from having full equality in the South after the Civil War.
Separate public facilities were created and African Americans were denied their rights as
American citizens. Here is a photograph from Jim Crow segregation:
Thus, the answer is 2.
F. The Jim Crow laws, upheld by the Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896),
provided for
(1) free land for former slaves
(2) separate public facilities based on race
(3) racial integration of public schools
(4) voting rights for African-American males
What is the question asking?
What were Jim Crow laws? What was Plessy v. Ferguson?
Jim Crow laws were laws of racial segregation. In the Supreme Court case of Plessy v.
Ferguson, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was legal. In 1896, the Supreme
Court upheld racial segregation in Plessy v. Ferguson.
The Court upheld a Louisiana law segregating railroad facilities. The court held that if
facilities were separate but equal, the African-American was not deprived of equal
protection of the law under the Fourteenth Amendment; separate was not unequal
according to the 1896 Court and this concept of “separate but equal” remained the “law of
the land” until reversed by the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954.
Thus, the answer is 2.
G. Which statement most accurately describes President Abraham Lincoln’s plan for
Reconstruction after the Civil War?
(1) Southerners should be made to pay for their rebellion.
(2) The Union should be restored as quickly as possible.
(3) African Americans should be given free land.
(4) War damages should be collected through military occupation.
What is the question asking?
What was President Abraham Lincoln’s plan for Reconstruction?
Reconstruction, the name given to the process of reestablishing the Union to include the
South, began during the Civil War and lasted until 1877. Abraham Lincoln believed
secession was unconstitutional, and so legally, the Southern states were still in the Union.
He also believed the executive branch, particularly the president, should establish the
process of reconstruction and the terms should be generous. He wanted to restore the
Union as quickly as possible to heal the nation’s wounds.
Thus, the answer is 2.
H. The underlying reason for the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson was
(1) the Credit Mobilier scandal
(2) a power struggle with Congress over Reconstruction
(3) his refusal to appoint new justices to the Supreme Court
(4) his policies toward Native American Indians
What is the question asking?
What is impeachment? Why was President Andrew Johnson impeached?
The impeachment (charging a government official with a crime) of President Andrew
Johnson was the result of political conflict after the Civil War. Before Abraham Lincoln
was assassinated in 1865, he had formulated a plan of reconstruction that would be lenient
(not harsh) toward the defeated South as it rejoined the Union. Andrew Johnson became
President after Lincoln’s assassination. Johnson was intent on carrying out Lincoln’s plan
when he assumed the presidency. However, the Radical Republicans in Congress did not
agree with this plan. Radical Republicans in Congress wanted to set up military
governments and implement more stringent (harsh) terms for readmission for the seceded
states. President Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives and the Senate
tried the case but did not find Johnson guilty. Thus, Johnson was not impeached.
Thus, the correct answer is 2.
I. What effect did the system of sharecropping have on the South after the Civil War?
(1) It kept formerly enslaved persons economically dependent.
(2) It brought investment capital to the South.
(3) It encouraged Northerners to migrate south.
(4) It provided for a fairer distribution of farm profits.
What is the question asking?
What was sharecropping and how did sharecropping after African Americans?
Without slave labor, the old plantation system could not be restored. Many plantation
owners entered into share-cropping arrangements with their former slaves. A
sharecropper was a tenant farmer who was provided with credit for seed, tools, living
quarters, and food and who worked the land and received an agreed share of the value of
the crop minus charges. The charges were usually exceptionally high and thus, the
sharecropper lived in a state of permanent debt and poverty.
Thus, the answer is 1.
J. The institution of slavery was formally abolished in the United States by the
(1) Compromise of 1850
(2) Emancipation Proclamation of 1863
(3) creation of the Freedmen’s Bureau in 1865
(4) ratification of the 13th amendment in 1865
What is the question asking?
What ended slavery in the United States?
The Thirteenth Amendment legally ended slavery in the United States.
Thus, the answer is 4.
K. During the late 1800s, Southern voters solidly supported the Democratic Party
primarily because Democrats
(1) favored a stronger national government
(2) led efforts to advance civil rights
(3) opposed the Jim Crow legal system
(4) disliked the Reconstruction programs of the Republicans
What is the question asking?
Why did Southerners vote for the Democratic Party during the late 1800s?
Look at the date. The late 1800s is after the Civil War. The South lost the Civil War. The
South blamed the Republicans for their troubles. It is important to remember that the
South seceded or left the Union after the Republican Abraham Lincoln was elected
President. After the war, the Republicans were also responsible for Reconstruction. Thus,
for Southerners, the Republican Party was the Party that changed their way of life.
Thus, the answer is 4.
L. Following the Civil War, many Southern states enacted Black Codes to
(1) provide free farmland for African Americans
(2) guarantee equal civil rights for African Americans
(3) restrict the rights of formerly enslaved persons
(4) support the creation of the Freedmen’s Bureau
What is the question asking?
What were Black Codes and why would Southern states adopt Black Codes?
Southern states passed Black Codes to preserve traditional Southern lifestyles despite the
ban on slavery (abolition of slavery). For example, Black Codes made it illegal for
freedmen or former male slaves from holding public office, travelling freely or serving on
juries. Black Codes restricted the rights of formerly enslaved persons.
Thus, the answer is 3.
M. Booker T. Washington stated that the best way for formerly enslaved persons to
advance themselves in American society was to
(1) leave their farms in the South and move to the North
(2) run for political office
(3) pursue economic gains through vocational training
(4) form a separate political party
What is the question asking?
Who was Booker T. Washington and what did he believe was the best way for former
slaves to improve their lives?
Booker T. Washington was a former slave. He advocated vocational or job training.
He believed that African Americans should concentrate on first trying to achieve economic
independence before seeking full social equality. In 1881, he founded the Tuskegee
Institute in Alabama.
Thus, the answer is 3.
N. The provision of the Radical Republicans’ plan for Reconstruction that Southern States
found most objectionable was that a former Confederate State could not be readmitted to
the Union unless that State
(1) gave land and money to former slaves
(2) granted full citizenship to former Confederate leaders
(3) ratified the 14th amendment
(4) agreed to modernize its economy
What is the question asking?
What did former Confederate States have to accept to be readmitted to the Union?
The Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to all persons “born or naturalized in the
United States,” including former slaves, and provided all citizens with “equal protection
under the laws,” extending the provisions of the Bill of Rights to the states. Congress
required former Confederate states to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment as a condition of
regaining federal representation.
Thus, the answer is 3.
O. W.E.B. Du Bois believed that African Americans should attempt to gain equality in the
United States by
(1) setting up a separate nation within the United States
(2) entering vocational training programs in separate schools
(3) demanding full and immediate participation in American society
(4) taking over the leadership of the two major political parties
What is the question asking?
Who was W.E.B. Du Bois and what did he believe?
W.E.B. DuBois believed African Americans should work for full social equality
immediately and not accept an inferior social and economic status. In 1909, DuBois helped
form the N.A.A.C.P. (the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and
began editing its journal, The Crisis.
Thus, the correct answer is 3.
P. In the period from 1860 to 1890, which experience was shared by most Native Americans
living in western states?
(1) They maintained control of their traditional lands.
(2) They benefited economically from government policy.
(3) They became farmers and small business owners.
(4) They were forced to live on reservations.
What is the question asking?
What happened to Native American Indians living in western states from 1860 to 1890?
Native American Indians were frequently pushed off their lands and onto reservations as
American settlers moved west. A reservation is a piece of land that has been given over to
Native American Indians. They do not have full power over the land, but they do have
limited governmental rule. Reservations were established to help settle the growing conflict
between the Native Americans and the early settlers. Of course, Native American Indians
would have preferred to remain on their traditional lands but as American settlers had
better weapons, Indians were forced onto reservations.
Thus, the answer is 4.
Q. The passage of the Homestead Act and the completion of the transcontinental railroad
helped to fulfill the United States commitment to
(1) Reconstruction
(2) racial equality
(3) manifest destiny
(4) conservation of natural resources
What is the question asking?
What was the Homestead Act? What was the transcontinental railroad?
Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act
encouraged Western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land. In exchange,
homesteaders paid a small filing fee and were required to complete five years of continuous
residence before receiving ownership of the land. The transcontinental railroad was a
railroad from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast – across the nation. Thus, the
Homestead Act and the transcontinental railroad encouraged westward expansion. This
fulfilled the American belief in Manifest Destiny that the United States should stretch from
the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast.
Thus, the correct answer is 3.
R. The Indian Wars that occurred between 1860 and 1890 were mainly the result of
(1) disputes over the spread of slavery
(2) conflict with Mexico over Texas and California
(3) the search for gold in California
(4) the movement of settlers onto the Great Plains
What is the question asking?
What were the Indian Wars? What caused the Indian Wars?
After the Civil War, thousands of Americans poured into the Great Plains on a collision
course with western Indian tribes. Homesteaders, ranchers, and miners encroached
(intruded on) on Indian lands and threatened native game and ways of life. They called on
the U.S. Army to crush Indian resistance and confine tribes to government-controlled
reservations.
Thus, the correct answer is 4.
S. The passage of the Dawes Act in 1887 was primarily an attempt by the United States
government to
(1) limit the power of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
(2) return eastern land to Native American Indian tribes
(3) encourage Native American Indians to give up their traditional cultures
(4) hire Native American Indians as military scouts
What is the question asking?
What is the Dawes Act?
Federal Indian policy during the period from 1870 to 1900 marked a departure from
earlier policies. The new policy focused specifically on breaking up reservations by
granting land allotments to individual Native Americans. Some Americans reasoned that if
a person adopted white clothing and ways, and was responsible for his own farm, he would
gradually drop his Indian-ness and be assimilated into the population. It would then no
longer be necessary for the government to oversee Indian welfare in the paternalistic way it
had been obligated to do, or provide meager annuities that seemed to keep the Indian in a
subservient and poverty-stricken position.
On February 8, 1887, Congress passed the Dawes Act, named for its author, Senator Henry
Dawes of Massachusetts. Also known as the General Allotment Act, the law allowed for the
President to break up reservation land, which was held in common by the members of a
tribe, into small allotments to be parceled out to individuals. It also encouraged the Native
American Indians to assimilate to American culture or to give up their traditional cultures
and adopt American culture.
Thus, the correct answer is 3.
T. The purpose of the Homestead Act of 1862, which provided free federal land, was to
(1) encourage settlement of the West
(2) set up reservations for Native American Indians
(3) establish land-grant agricultural colleges
(4) assist in the construction of transcontinental railroads
What is the question asking?
What was the Homestead Act? Why did it provide Americans with free federal land?
Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act
encouraged Western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land. In exchange,
homesteaders paid a small filing fee and were required to complete five years of continuous
residence before receiving ownership of the land.
Thus, the answer is 1.
U. The Homestead Act, the mass killing of buffalo, and the completion of the
transcontinental railroad are most closely associated with the
(1) rise of organized labor
(2) building of the Erie Canal
(3) northern migration of African Americans
(4) decline of the Plains Indians
What is the question asking?
What did the Homestead Act, the mass killing of the buffalo, and the completion of the
transcontinental railroad lead to?
The Homestead Act gave free federal land to Americans willing to settle the West or settle
in Indian Territory. The killing of the buffalo led to a loss of an important food source for
American Indians. The completion of the transcontinental railroad made it easier for
Americans to settle the West. All of these actions led to the decline of the Plains Indians.
Thus, the answer is 4.
V. In the period from 1865 to 1900, the United States Government aided the development
of the West by
(1) maintaining free and unlimited coinage of silver
(2) offering low-interest loans to businesses
(3) granting land to railroad companies
(4) providing price supports for farm products
What is the question asking?
How did the United States Government encourage American settlement of the West?
In 1862, Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act, which authorized the construction of a
transcontinental railroad. The first such railroad was completed on May 10, 1869. By 1900,
four additional transcontinental railroads connected the eastern states with the Pacific
Coast. Four of the five transcontinental railroads were built with assistance from the
federal government through land grants. Receiving millions of acres of public lands from
Congress, the railroads were assured land on which to lay the tracks and land to sell, the
proceeds of which helped companies finance the construction of their railroads. The
railroad opened the way for the settlement of the West, provided new economic
opportunities, stimulated the development of town and communities, and generally tied the
country together.
Thus, the answer is 3.
W. After the Civil War, one way business leaders tried to eliminate competition was by
(1) forming monopolies or trusts
(2) developing overseas markets
(3) increasing the prices of their products
(4) paying high wages to their workers
What is the question asking?
How do business leaders eliminate competition?
It is the natural goal of any business to make as much profit as it can and to eliminate its
competition. When a corporation eliminates its competition it becomes known as a
“monopoly.” A monopoly occurs when a single seller or a single business controls a
market. To the American public all monopolies were known simply as “trusts.”
Thus the answer is 1.
X. In the 19th century, the major national labor unions wanted to improve the position of
workers mainly by
(1) obtaining the legal right to organize and bargain collectively
(2) using government troops to settle labor disputes with management
(3) supporting government ownership of major industries
(4) endorsing a third political party for workers only
What is the question asking?
What is a union? How do unions improve the lives of workers?
A union is an organization of workers. A union wants to improve working conditions and
wages for its workers. In order to improve working conditions and wages, the union must
have the legal right to exist. In other words, it must be recognized by government that
workers have a right to form a union. When workers form a union, then the union leaders
can engage in collective bargaining. Collective bargaining occurs when the leaders of the
union and the bosses of the company meet to negotiate a new labor contract. In the
contract, the wages and working conditions are listed and protected.
Thus, the answer is 1.
Y. Nativism in the late 19th century was motivated primarily by
(1) hostility toward immigrant workers
(2) the need to reduce overcrowding in western states
(3) cultural conflicts with Native American Indians
(4) the migration of African Americans to northern cities
What is the question asking?
What is Nativism?
Nativism is anti-immigrant. Nativism is the belief that immigrants harm the nation. This
belief began increasingly popular in the late 19th century because of the arrival of the “new
immigrants” or immigrants from Southern and Central Europe. These immigrants often
did not speak English and were Catholics or Jews. They culturally differed from the “old
immigrants” who spoke English and were generally Protestant. The “new immigrants”
faced discrimination and nativist beliefs.
Thus, the answer is 1.
Z. Which term best describes United States economic policy during the era of the rise of big
business (1865-1900)?
(1) laissez-faire capitalism
(2) mercantilism
(3) Marxism
(4) welfare-state capitalism
What is the question asking?
What was the U.S.A.’s economic policy during the time of big business?
Laissez-faire is the belief that government should not interfere in the market. It literally
means “let them [business] do as it pleases.” This belief allowed big businesses to form
monopolies and eliminate competition because the government did not interfere or regulate
the market.
Thus the answer is 1.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Here are some more to practice. You may need my Two Hundred and Fifty Facts to Pass
the US History and Government Regents to find your answers. This packet is the first link
on my U.S. History – Consent of the Governed page on my webpage. Here is a link to my
U.S. page:
http://www.whiteplainspublicschools.org//site/Default.aspx?PageID=12862
According to the theory of laissez faire, the economy functions best when the government
(1) subsidizes business so that it can compete worldwide
(2) regulates businesses for the good of the majority
(3) owns major industries
(4) does not interfere in business
Clue: Look at Letter Z for the definition of Laissez-faire.
The term business monopoly can best be described as
(1) the most common form of business in the United States
(2) government control of the means of production
(3) an agreement between partners to manage a corporation
(4) a company that controls or dominates an industry
Clue: Look at Letter W for a definition of a monopoly.
The 19th-century philosophy of Social Darwinism maintained that
(1) the government should have control over the means of production and the
marketplace
(2) all social class distinctions in American society should be eliminated
(3) economic success comes to those who are the hardest working and most competent
(4) wealth and income should be more equally distributed
Clue: Social Darwinism is the belief that stronger groups have the right to dominate
weaker groups.
Which statement describes a result of the Industrial Revolution in the United States?
(1) Farm production decreased.
(2) Slavery in the South increased.
(3) The population of the cities decreased.
(4) Immigration to the United States increased.
Clue: During an Industrial Revolution, machines in factories are used to produce goods.
As new factories are built, more factory workers are needed. The “new immigrants” often
provided labor for these factories.
A goal of the Granger and Populist movements was to
(1) expand rights for African Americans
(2) help western farmers fight unjust economic practices
(3) provide support for the banking industry
(4) enable big business to expand without government interference
Clue: The Granger movement was a movement to address the concerns and needs of the
American farmer. In 1892, farmers gave their support to the new Populist Party, which
represented laborers, farmers and industrial workers in their battle against banking and
railroad interests. Populists believed rich industrialists and bankers had a stranglehold on
government.
Which geographic advantage did the United States gain by purchasing the Louisiana
Territory from France in 1803?
(1) warm-water ports on the Atlantic coast
(2) rich fishing areas in the Great Lakes
(3) full control of the Mississippi River
(4) vast coal reserves in the region west of Pennsylvania
Clue: Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France. This territory
included the Great Plains, full control of the Mississippi River, and the port of New
Orleans.
The Louisiana Purchase (1803) was a land deal between the United States and France, in
which the U.S. acquired approximately 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi
River for $15 million dollars.
Because of fertile land and a long growing season, plantations in the thirteen colonies
developed in
(1) New England
(2) the Middle Atlantic region
(3) the South
(4) the upper Mississippi River valley
Clue: The American South had fertile land for farming and a long growing season. These
geographic conditions gave rise to large farms or plantations.
The Mayflower Compact is important to the concept of a democratic society because it
represents
(1) an effort by the colonists to use force to resist the King
(2) a clear step toward self-government
(3) an early attempt to establish universal suffrage
(4) an attempt by the colonists to establish freedom of religion
Clue: The Mayflower Compact was a document signed on the English ship Mayflower on
November 21 [November 11, Old Style], 1620, prior to its landing in Plymouth,
Massachusetts. It was the first framework of government written and enacted in the
territory that is now the United States of America.
The British system of mercantilism was opposed by many American colonists because it
(1) placed quotas on immigration
(2) discouraged the export of raw materials to England
(3) placed restrictions on trading
(4) encouraged colonial manufacturing
Clue: Mercantilism is the belief that colonies exist for the benefit of the mother country.
The colony must only trade with the mother country. The colony must export natural
resources or raw materials to the mother country. The colony must only buy finished
goods from the mother country.
During the Revolutionary War period, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense was important
because it
(1) described a military plan for the defeat of England
(2) convinced many Americans who had been undecided to support independence
(3) contained a detailed outline for a new form of government
(4) argued for the addition of a bill of rights to the Constitution
Clue: Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense to encourage colonists to fight for independence.
“Our corn will fetch its price in any market.”
“But Britain is the parent country, say some. Then the more shame upon her conduct.
Even brutes do not devour their young, nor savages make war upon their families.”
~ Thomas Paine, Common Sense
An example of the use of the unwritten constitution is the creation of the
(1) presidential veto
(2) United States Navy
(3) federal postal system
(4) president’s cabinet
Clue: The unwritten constitution refers to traditions and customs in American government
that are not included in the Constitution. Many of these traditions and customs were
established in the days of President George Washington. Examples of the unwritten
constitution include the President’s cabinet and political parties.
Which statement is an example of the system of federalism?
(1) Cabinet members are appointed by the president.
(2) Revenue bills must begin in the House of Representatives.
(3) The national government coins money, but states cannot.
(4) The president can negotiate treaties, but the Senate has the power to ratify them.
Clue: In Federalism, the national government and the state government have powers.
Some powers are specifically granted to the federal government while some powers are
specifically granted to the state governments. Of course, some powers are shared. Yet only
the national government coins money.
The Supreme Court has the power to
(1) control the federal budget
(2) vote to end a tie in the Senate
(3) approve presidential appointments
(4) interpret the Constitution
Clue: Only the Court has the power of judicial review.
To avoid having too much power concentrated in one branch of government, the framers of
the Constitution established
(1) a bicameral national legislature
(2) division of power among different levels of government
(3) the system of two political parties
(4) the system of checks and balances
Clue: To check is to limit the power of the other branches in our system of separation of
powers in government.
The Federalist Papers were published in 1787 and 1788 to help gain support for
(1) a bill of rights
(2) the ratification of the Constitution
(3) a weaker central government
(4) the abolition of slavery and the slave trade
Clue: Essays written to encourage the ratification or approval of the Constitution.
At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Great Compromise resolved the issue of
(1) representation
(2) taxation
(3) slavery
(4) control of trade
Clue: The Great Compromise – a House of Representatives based on each state’s
population yet two Senators per state.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was important because it
(1) ensured universal suffrage for all males
(2) extended slavery north of the Ohio River
(3) provided a process for admission of new states to the Union
(4) established reservations for Native American Indians
Clue: An accomplishment of the Articles of Confederation government – a way of
admitting new states to the Union
The writers of the United States Constitution included the requirement for a census every
ten years primarily to
(1) regulate numbers of immigrants
(2) determine representation in Congress
(3) decide when new states were needed
(4) set goals for population growth
Clue: A census to record population every ten years – to determine each state’s population
and thus, its number of representatives in the House of Representatives
Which group had the most influence on the ideas stated in the Declaration of Independence
and United States Constitution?
(1) political leaders of Spain and Portugal
(2) religious leaders of the medieval period
(3) writers of the Renaissance
(4) philosophers of the Enlightenment
Clue: In the Declaration of Independence, the right to life and liberty – natural rights – the
ideas of John Locke, a philosopher of the European Enlightenment
The basic purpose of the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution is to
(1) describe the powers of the three branches of government
(2) limit the powers of state governments
(3) guarantee the rights of individuals
(4) establish a system of checks and balances
Clue: The first Ten Amendments – the Bill of Rights – the rights of individuals!
“. . . no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause . . . and particularly describing the
place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
This section of the 4th Amendment to the United States Constitution addresses the issue of
1. states’ rights
2. separation of powers
3. implied powers
4. limits on governmental power
Clue: If you want to search, you must have a warrant. This is to ensure that governmental
powers are limited. For while it is reasonable to search, there must be a reason for the
search or else the individual is always at the mercy of powerful government.
“Illegally obtained evidence cannot be used in a court of law.”
This statement is based on a person’s constitutional right to
1. face an accuser in open court
2. protection against double jeopardy
3. a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury
4. protection against unreasonable searches and seizures
Clue: To use evidence from a search in court, the search must be legal. That is a search
warrant must be issued by a judge based on probable cause or a very good reason for the
search. If evidence is obtained without a search warrant, it cannot be used in court. This
high standard encourages legal or reasonable searches.
At times, the United States Government has passed protective tariffs to
(1) encourage foreign trade
(2) help the nation’s manufacturers
(3) reduce the cost of consumer goods
(4) improve the quality of goods
Clue: A tariff is a tax on imported or foreign goods. Tariffs raise the price of foreign
goods. Tariffs encourage Americans to buy American products because American
products are cheaper than foreign products. This is due to the law of demand that states
that people buy more at lower prices. Since the foreign goods are more expensive,
Americans buy more domestic goods or goods produced in the nation.
The speakers below are discussing foreign policies that the United States has followed at
various times. Base your answers on their statements and on your knowledge of social
studies.
Speaker A: Steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world.
Speaker B: The United States will give economic aid to needy countries anywhere in the
world, but will not provide military aid.
Speaker C: The United States must prevent the growth of communism.
Speaker D: The United States can take over other countries to help them become more like
us.
Which speaker states a policy most similar to the foreign policy advice given by President
George Washington in his Farewell Address?
1. A
2. B
3. C
4. D
Clue: In his Farewell Address, George Washington encouraged Americans to steer clear of
permanent alliances or adopt a policy of neutrality – no alliances. The new nation needed
time to grow and flourish and could not be involved in Europe’s many wars.
Always read carefully!
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