Protecting Liberty: Limited Government
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American Government 100 Part I Patterson, pgs. 44-64, AG3-15 Woll, pgs. 46-50 & pgs. 52-57 Protecting Liberty: Limited Government True or False Questions 1. Government has the unique characteristic that it alone has the legitimate right to legally arrest, imprison, and even kill people who violate its directives. True or False 2. State legislatures are not allowed to propose amendments to the Constitution. True or False 3. Prior to the Constitution's incorporation, Pennsylvania's legislature proved that the majority of the people would protect the rights of the minority against the abuses of government. True or False 4 In the British government system, the judiciary has the power to review the constitutionality of parliamentary acts. True or False 5. Although the president has the power to appoint federal judges, he is dependent upon the Congress for their confirmation. True or False 6. In their wisdom to achieve an effective central government, the framers of the Constitution explicitly granted the judiciary the power of judicial review. True or False 7. By the term democracy, the framers meant a government in which the power of the majority is unlimited, whether exercised directly or through a representative body. True or False 8. The Framers believed that a republican government is superior to a democratic one. True or False 9. The Constitution has some provisions for direct popular participation in the making of policy decisions. True or False 10. The judiciary was an unelected institution that would uphold the rule of law and serve as a check on the elected branches of government. True or False 11. Unlike the House of Representatives, institutions such as the Senate, presidency, and judiciary would not yield to an impassioned majority in a single election. True or False 12. Jefferson was a champion of the common people and had a clear vision of how a popular government might work in practice. True or False 13. Based on the system for electing the president, it is impossible for anyone to serve as chief executive by losing the popular vote. True or False 3-1 14. All states have a form of the legislative referendum, but only some states have the initiative and popular referendum. True or False 15. The Progressive Movement held that officeholders should behave as delegates who act in accordance with the expressed desires of the people they represent and should not deviate from that mandate. True or False 16. Charles S. Beard finally reversed himself on his claim that the Constitution was designed to protect the interests of the wealthy rather than to promote self-government. True or False 17. The United States schedules the election of its larger legislative chamber, the House, and its chief executive more frequently than does any other democracy. True or False 18. In fact, the link between an electoral majority and a governing majority is less direct in the American system then in nearly all other democratic systems. True or False Multiple Choice Questions 1. What did history teach the framers of the Constitution? a) government determines the rights of the people, b) there will be times when the people must be allowed to violate the rights of an unruly minority independent of government, c) in times of stress popular majorities have often recklessly trampled on the liberty of others, d) political leaders must be given the flexibility to restrict the natural rights of the people. 2. The principle that individuals should be free to act and think as they choose: a) freedom, b) liberty, c) sovereignty, d) independence. 3. The power of the courts to declare governmental action null and void when it is found to violate the Constitution. a) judicial review, b) appellate jurisdiction, c) stare decisis, d) writ of mandamus. 4. Based on Article V of the Constitution, an amendment could be proposed by: a) a majority vote of the Senate, b) a two-thirds vote of the House, c) a majority vote of state legislatures, d) a two- thirds vote of Congress. 5. From the framers of the Constitution point of view, what would limit government’s ability to accumulate too much power? a) the Constitution’s grants and denials of power would suffice, b) the people’s vigilance, c) the public officials themselves would respect the Constitution’s limitations and the laws that are its consequence, d) the division of powers among the separate branches. 6. What type of government system did the framers ultimately support when creating the Constitution? a) a system of concentrated power that assure greater efficiency; thus, limiting the costs of government, b) a system of separated but overlapping powers that would require factions to work together; thus moderating demands, c) a system of pure separation to prevent abuses from the 3-2 outside; thus, freeing each branch to create the best outcomes, d) a system that restricted the power of the legislature and maximized the power of the executive; thus, preventing mob rule from disproportionately infecting government activities. 7. No institution can act decisively without the support or acquiescence of the other institutions: a) separation of powers, b) limited government, c) consent of the governed, d) checks and balances. 8. The power of the courts to invalidate actions of the legislative or executive branch: a) judicial sovereignty, b) judicial review, c) judicial activism, d) judicial restraint. 9. Most democracies in the world are: a) presidential forms, b) federal forms, c) parliamentary forms, d) confederations. 10. The president’s power to make treaties and appoint high-ranking officials, for example, is subject to: a) House approval, b) Senate Approval, c) Congress’s approval, d) The president does not need congressional approval. 11. Government could not lawfully engage in actions, such as the suppression of speech or trial by jury, that were not authorized by the Constitution: a) reserved powers, b) expressed powers, c) implied powers, d) conditional powers. 12. How did the Adams administration react to the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800? a) The Federalists shut the government down and refused to allow Jefferson the executive office, b) The Federalists acquiesced, respecting the people's mandate, c) Fearing Jefferson, the Adams Administration created a slew of federal judgeships and appointed loyal Federalists, d) The Adams Administration was able to find a loophole in the Constitution that would assure a Federalist majority in the Senate. 13. A court order that directs an official to take a specific action: a) writ of habeas corpus, b) writ of mandamus, c) writ of adjudication d) writ of adjournment. 14. Why was Marshall’s decision in Marbury ingenious? a) Because it asserted the power of judicial review without creating the possibility of its rejection by either the executive or the legislative branch, b) Because it was able to galvanize public support for creating judicial review without a constitutional crisis, c) Because it allowed Jefferson some wiggle room to not appear weak at a time when the young republic had just been established, d) Because it gave the Federalist Party a victory at a time when it inept. 15. Originally, Senators were selected by: a) the president, b) the people of the state, c) state legislatures, d) special state conventions. 16. What subsequent changes to the United States government system were designed to lower barriers and increase the power of voting majorities? a) separation of powers, b) political parties, c) indirect elections, d) party nomination for public office. 3-3 17. How did Andrew Jackson expand the role of popular sovereignty? a) by creating independent political parties, b) by ensuring the election of state legislatures, c) by limiting the number of candidates running for national office, d) by persuading the states to choose presidential electors on the basis of popular voting. 18. Progressive reforms of state and local governments included: a) partisan caucuses, b) recall elections, c) party leaders selecting representatives, d) strong support for the electoral college. 19. Citizens place an act of the state legislature on the ballot, which the voters can accept or reject: a) legislative referendum, b) Initiative, c) popular referendum, d) recall. 20. Officeholders are trustees who are obligated to serve the interest of those who elected them with the flexibility to vote their conscience when necessary: a) Burkean idea, b) Hamilton proviso, c) Plato’s contract, d) Hobbesian mandate. 21. Which of the following is true in a parliamentary system? a) the legislative and executive powers are separated, b) the judiciary can check the legislative and executive power, c) the legislative and executive power are acquired through winning a legislative majority in national elections, d) the legislative and executive powers are acquired through separate elections for each branch. Fill-in Questions 1. Congress's lawmaking powers are specifically listed in Article I, section 8, of the Constitution with seventeen, including: a) the powers to ____, b) to establish an _____ and navy, c) to declare ____, d) to regulate _________ among the states, e) to create a national _________. 2. Based on Article 1, Section 9, of the Constitution, what are some of the rights of citizens against national government abuse? a) People have the right of _______ _______, which requires that an individual who is arrested must be brought before a judge or magistrate to be notified of the charges, b) People are protected against ___ _____ _______ laws, under which citizens would be prosecuted for an act that was not illegal at the time it was committed, c) People are protected against a _____ ___ __________, which would allow the legislature to determine the punishment for a convicted criminal. 3-4 3. How can Congress limit the power of the judiciary? Congress is empowered to a) determine the _____ of the federal court system; b) restrict the Supreme Court's __________ jurisdiction in some circumstances; c) _________ & remove federal judges from office.