U.S. Government

Final Exam

Unit I (Origins of United States Government)

What are the characteristics of the state?
What are the three classifications of governments?
The people themselves rather than representatives make governmental policies and laws
The executive must resign if defeated by the legislature on an important issue, they may even call for a vote of no confidence which will allow for a new election in what type of government?
Independent states that agree to a government may still retain their sovereignty is known as
The structure of ___ requires that power be divided between a state’s central and local levels of government.
What are the principal characteristics of a presidential form of government?
Public debate over governmental policies would pose a threat to which form of government?
All political powers in a state are concentrated at the central level under which form of government?
Discuss the four theories of the origins of government
Which forms of government best represent the British government?
Which forms of government best represent the U.S. government?
A colony subject to the direct control of the Crown
How did many colonial legislatures persuade governors to bend to their will? Hint: It deals with a specific colonial power over governors
Government exists and functions only with the consent of the governed; people hold political power
The first State constitutions had what three things in common? Popular sovereignty, _____________, and _________________.
Why was the Articles of Confederation so weak?
The main reason no amendments were ever added to the Articles of Confederation was that
The first government of the United States of America was
What philosopher most influenced the framers of the Constitution in the area of separation of powers (three balanced branches of government)?
Which philosopher most influenced the framers in the area of no cruel or unusual punishment, no excessive bail (rights of the accused)?

Unit II. (The Constitution, Three Branches, and the Bill of Rights)

Which of the following principles holds that government may do only those things that the people have given it power to do?
List the six constitutional principles
When James Madison wrote, “The accumulation of all powers… in the same hands… may be pronounced as the very definition of tyranny,” he was arguing on behalf of which constitutional principle?
Define the principle of checks and balances
Which of the principles of the Constitution was devised as a compromise between a powerful central government and a loose confederation of states?
Which constitutional principle applies when the Senate confirms or rejects the President’s appointee to run the CIA?
Who may veto legislation?
Who may declare acts of Congress unconstitutional?
Who can remove a President?
Who can remove a Judge?
Who appoints federal judges?
Who may formally propose an amendment?
Changes or additions that become part of the written language of the Constitution are known as
The first 10 amendments to the Constitution, which set out the guarantees of specific freedoms, is called the
Government and its officers are always subject to and never above the law is known as
List the six purposes of government (The Preamble)
What is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights?
List the five processes for informally amending the Constitution.
Changes in the Constitution that do not lead to changes in the written document
Describe the controversy over the ratification of the Constitution. Was the Bill of Rights ratified at the same time as the Constitution or after?
The Constitution has grown and changed mostly as a result of
What does The Bill of Rights guarantee
Why has the Constitution remained a living, flexible document for more than 200 years
According to Thomas Jefferson, the Establishment Clause created a “wall of separation” between
In its rulings dealing with the First Amendment issues, how has the Supreme Court ruled on freedom of speech in schools?
Describe the “exclusionary rule”
A constitutional challenge to the death penalty probably would be based on which amendment?
What population of the United States was represented in the case of Gideon v. Wainwright?
Specific and fair rules the government must follow when accusing a person of a crime is called
The right for you to where a T-shirt with a politically unpopular message printed on it is a protection you have under which amendment?
What are the procedural rights we have guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment?
Terry v. Ohio found that frisking a person without a warrant is allowed. The men standing outside a jewelry store looked suspicious and were searched. Weapons were found. This evidence was allowed in court. This was found to be constitutional under which amendment?
You must be read your constitutional rights, 5^th and 6^th amendments, when being arrested. The Supreme Court decided this in which court case?
Which court case set the precedent for everyone having the right to counsel even if a person cannot afford it?
The ability of the Legislative Branch to make laws necessary and proper for the united States is also called what?
What federal offices would the following individual be allowed to hold?

She is a 33 year old who has been a U.S. citizen for ten years residing in Washington D.C.

The President Pro Tempore is the leading officer of what body of the Central Government of the United States?
If a Supreme Court Justice has been impeached, who presides over the trial?
Which body of Congress has the power of impeachment?
Who are the Commander in Chiefs of the Colorado National Guard?
Who can administer the oath of office to the President of the United States?
Eminent Domain is the power of the government to condemn private property, purchase the property using the property for the benefit of the public. True or False.
Madison’s plan for a National Government with greatly expanded powers, which included a way for the National Government to enforce legislation on States.
A combination of the Virginia and New Jersey plans
To whom did the three-Fifths Compromise refer?
What was the significance of The Federalist ?
Which group wanted to keep the Articles of Confederation, the Federalists or the Anti-Federalists?
Which principles holds that government may do only those things that the people have given it power to do?
Which constitutional principle applies when the Senate confirms or rejects the President’s appointee to run the CIA?
The power of the courts to decide whether government acts are constitutional or not is the principle of _________________.

Unit III. (Congress, Voter Behavior, and Citizenship Responsibilities)

How many members are in the House of Representatives?
What is the term for a Senator?
What is the title of the person who counts the votes on bills advising the floor leader of the number of votes they have?
A closed meeting of each political party in each house of Congress prior to Congress convening each year.
This term means: to bring up on charges, to indict
Seats in the House of Representatives are distributed among States based on the population of each State. California for instance has more representatives than Colorado, which directly correlates with the population difference between the two states. This distribution of representatives is called
When congressional districts are redrawn to favor the political party that is in power as the majority party of the state this is called
The people who are citizens of the district or State in which the person represents
What is the Senate Steering Committee?

Unit IV (The Presidency, Foreign Policy, and our Place in the World)

Define the War Powers Act and why it was passed
Define the four theories of presidential power, giving examples of each
A directive, rule, or regulation given by the executive branch that has the effect of law
Who was the first President to send forces into harms way without having Congress declare war?
What is a filibuster and how does cloture keep it, at times, keep it in check and other times not?
Discuss the 8 powers of the President?