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Politics of the United States
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Which of the following countries has a federal system of government?Which of the following principles protects a citizen from imprisonment without trial?In order to get the Constitution ratified, what did the Federalists agree to add?What did the conflict between the large and small states result in?What did the VA and KY resolutions argue that the states could do because the federal law violated the Constitution?What level of government dealt with Shays Rebellion?What document guarantees freedom of speech, right to bear arms, and protection from unreasonable search and seize?What were the two things that the 3/5 Compromise delt with?Which branch of the Congress has the sole power to try an impeachment case?How is the representation in the Senate determined?Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist 21Which of the following scenarios illustrates a solution for the problem of getting states to comply with federal government policies, as described in the passage?A. The federal government can withhold highway funds from states that do not raise the age to drink alcohol to 21.B. The federal government can place a tax on any goods that an individual regularly transports across state borders.C. Both the states and the federal government have the power to issue income taxes.D. A constitutional amendment can be passed to override a Supreme Court decision."[A] pure democracy... can admit of no cure for the mischiefs of faction. . . . [S]uch democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths. . . .The two great points of difference between a democracy and a republic are: first, the delegation of the government, in the latter, to a small number of citizens elected by the rest; secondly, the greater number of citizens, and greater sphere of country, over which the latter may be extended.. . . [I]t may well happen that the public voice, pronounced by the representatives of the people, will be more consonant to the public good than if pronounced by the people themselves, convened for the purpose. On the other hand, the effect may be inverted. Men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, may, by intrigue, by corruption, or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests, of the people."James Madison, The Federalist 10Which of the following statements best reflects James Madison's beliefs about political representation as expressed in the passage?APeople would be best served by having a strong leader to make the decisions.BPeople will not truly have a voice in government until they can vote on laws directly.CPeople are best represented by a few politicians chosen to voice their issues.DPeople should elect political representatives who are wealthy enough to avoid corruption.Which of the following statements accurately describes the majority opinion of the Supreme Court in United States v. Lopez (1995) ?A. The necessary and proper clause did not allow Congress to create the Bank of the United States.B. Congress may regulate commerce between the states.C. State governments can declare federal statutes unconstitutional if they conflict with state law.D. Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime.Which of the following best characterizes the general argument made in Brutus 1?A. A large republic would be preferable to a small one because more people could participate.B. A small republic would pose more danger to individual liberty than a large republic.C. A large republic is dangerous to personal liberty and undermines the states.D. A small republic is more susceptible to corruption than a large republic.Too often, we take our form of government for granted, not fully appreciating its unique and exceptional qualities. The framers of our Constitution, having revolted against tyranny, bequeathed to the nation, and to us as its citizens, a form of government with checks and balances intended to assure that we would never, as a nation, be subject to the abuses we experienced as a colony under a monarchy. . . .We should appreciate that the separation of powers enshrined in our Constitution was modeled on the constitutions and declarations of the states, where the separation of powers was equally observed. Mirroring our U.S. Constitution, 40 state constitutions now specify that government is to be divided into three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The separation of powers at the state level, with an independent executive, legislature, and judiciary, is also one of the fundamental tenets of our democracy.What often gets lost in translation is how dynamic the competition among the branches of government has been, and how much stronger we are as a country because of that ongoing debate. It has been said that the Constitution is not just a historic document, but a living participant in who we are as a nation. Out of the continuing effort to assure the separation of powers, we have built a system of government that functions remarkably well. Although the powers ascribed to each of the three branches may sometimes appear to swing like a pendulum, we have continuously reconsidered and recentered our understanding of the authority and limitation of each of these branches.Linda Leali, "Reflecting on the Great Gift of the Separation of Powers," Daily Business Review, 2018Which of the following is a consequence of the dynamic competition among branches of government described in the passage?A. Many states have the decision-making powers of the legislative and executive branches fused together.B. The executive branch tends to increase at the expense of other branches.C. Effective policy change among governmental levels and branches occurs with little long-term abuse of authority.D. Many states do not have significant policy-making power since the federal government is effective in making policy for them.Linda Leali, "Reflecting on the Great Gift of the Separation of Powers," Daily Business Review, 2018The author explains that the powers given to each branch "sometimes appear to swing like a pendulum" from one branch to another. Which of the following best describes how these shifts ensure that constitutional government is functional?A. Separation of powers divides responsibilities and authority between branches, which allows each branch to be checked by the other two branches to ensure accountability.B. The coequal branches have power evenly distributed between them and are not permitted to check another branch of government.C. The greatest power resides within the legislative branch of government, but the legislature can give this power to the executive branch.D. Each branch of government is elected by the people, which ensures that they all reflect the preferences of the population.Linda Leali, "Reflecting on the Great Gift of the Separation of Powers," Daily Business Review, 2018Which of the following best explains how the view of the author of the passage compares with The Federalist 51 regarding separation of powers and checks and balances?A. The author of the passage views the structure of government as providing a balance between the branches of government, whereas The Federalist 51 supports the idea of a powerful executive branch.B. The author of the passage views separation of powers as a limitation on the authority of government, whereas The Federalist 51 argues in favor of using separation of powers as a means to expand the role of government.C. Both the author of the passage and The Federalist 51 argue that elections are a sufficient means to ensure good government.D. Both the author of the passage and The Federalist 51 assert that the structure of government helps control ambitions among the branches in such a way as to promote effective government.The Gun-Free School Zones Act made it illegal for individuals knowingly to carry a gun in a school zone. The Supreme Court determined this act to be an unconstitutional stretch of the commerce clause inA. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)B. Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)C. New York Times Company v. United States (1971)D. United States v. Lopez (1995)James Madison, The Federalist 10Which of the following best describes Madison's primary concern about representative government?AThose who seek to represent the people may be tempted to act in their own interests instead.BA truly representative government will quickly become too large to function effectively.CLocal government is ineffective because there are not enough competitive factions.DLong term lengths may lead to political representatives who are disengaged from their constituents.In the 1950s Southern states attempted to prevent integration of their public schools. In return, the National Guard was sent to force states to implement federal regulations. This scenario illustrates which of the following about the relationship between the state and national governments?A. Most issues regarding education are settled at the state level.B. The Constitution gives state governments the exclusive power to interpret federal laws.C. The power of the national government to enforce state policy had been struck down by the Supreme Court.D. The debate over the role of the central government and state powers is ongoing.
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