Government Pre/Post Test
Please enter your name: and Student ID#:

1) The individuals and processes that make society's rules about resolving conflicts over who gets what, and that possess the power and authority to enforce those rules is called?
a) politics.
b) socialization.
c) government.
d) political participation.

2) The United States claimed sovereignty when it?
a) adopted the Constitution of 1789
b) won the Revolutionary War
c) adopted the Declaration of Independence
d) ratified the Treaty of Paris

3) The theory of the origin of government which holds that it first originated when strong persons or groups conquered territories, and made those living in the territories submit to their will, is called the?
a) force theory.
b) social contract theory.
c) evolutionary theory.
d) divine right theory.

4) The theory of the origin of government which holds that government developed gradually as family structures grew is called the
a) force theory
b) social contract theory.
c) evolutionary theory.
d) divine right theory

5) According to the social contract theory of government, people enter into voluntary association or governments in order to?
a) increase their productivity.
b) gain greater power and influence.
c) prevent social strife and regimentation.
d) protect their natural rights.

6) The term that means the same thing as a representative democracy is?
a) presidential system
b) republic.
c) federalism.
d) constitutionalism.

7) Which is NOT true of the United States government?
a) It has a presidential democracy.
b) It has a federal system.
c) It has a constitutional monarchy.
d) It has a representative democracy.

8) Which is NOT a basic principle of democracy?
a) voluntary consent of the governed
b) individual freedom
c) inequality of all persons
d) majority rule and minority rights

9) Which is NOT a skill necessary for citizens in a democratic society?
a) cooperation
b) making quick judgments
c) making decisions
d) acquiring and using information

10) In England the principle of limited government was established by the
a) English Bill of Rights.
b) Magna Carta.
c) Petition of Rights.
d) Declaration of Independence.

11) The principle of government in which the people choose a limited number of individuals to make governmental decisions for all citizens is called?
a) representative government.
b) constitutional government.
c) limited government.
d) federalism.

12) The document that asserted the intention of the colonies to establish their own sovereign government was the
a) Declaration of Independence.
b) Proclamation of 1763.
c) Articles of Confederation.
d) Constitution of 1789.

13) Which is NOT part of the Declaration of Independence?
a) the belief that all men are obligated to obey the divinely anointed monarch
b) the belief that natural rights are inherent and cannot be taken away by government
c) that the purpose of government is to protect the individual's natural rights
d) that government derives its power from the consent of the governed

14) Today the Constitution serves as
a) a plan of government.
b) the supreme law of the land.
c) an outline of the ideals of American government
d) all of the above.

15) Which is NOT a role of the Constitution today?
a) It tells us what our rights are.
b) It gives unlimited authority to the government.
c) It describes how the ideals of American government should be achieved.
d) It is the supreme law of the land

16) Article I of the Constitution establishes
a) the rights of the people.
b) the national and state governments.
c) the purposes of the Constitution and American government.
d) the legislative branch of government.

17) Article III of the Constitution establishes
a) the Bill of Rights.
b) the states.
c) the system of election.
d) the judicial branch of government.

18) The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are generally called the
a) Preamble.
b) Bill of Rights.
c) Civil War Amendments.
d) American Creed.

19) Under a limited government, all citizens must live according to
a) civil rights.
b) popular sovereignty.
c) the rule of law.
d) executive privilege

20) The constitutional principle by which the powers of government are divided into three branches is called
a) separation of powers
b) popular sovereignty
c) representative democracy
d) federalism.

21) A president's veto of a bill passed by Congress best illustrates the principle of
a) federalism.
b) separation of powers
c) checks and balances
d) representative democracy

22) What did the founders do to prevent the rise of tyranny?
a) They established the principle of judicial review
b) They separated the powers of the government.
c) They called for a special session of Congress
d) They developed the principle of executive privilege

23) Which is the BEST example of a judicial check on the Congress?
a) declaring a law unconstitutional
b) writing a minority opinion of the court
c) granting a writ of certiorari
d) reconsidering a controversial decision

24) What is one way that Congress has a check on the president's authority?
a) The Senate must approve of Supreme Court nominees
b) The House must administer any presidential order.
c) The Congress can declare any presidential action unconstitutional
d) None of the above.

25) What would be the best example of a Supreme Court check on the Congress?
a) The Supreme Court can override a congressional veto
b) The Supreme Court can ignore legislation under the writ of mandamus
c) The Supreme Court can carry out laws without congressional approval
d) The Supreme Court can declare congressional legislation unconstitutional.

26) The case of Marbury v. Madison is important because it established the constitutional precedent of
a) national supremacy
b) civil rights
c) judicial review
d) executive privilege

27) The Constitution's guarantee of freedom of religion and speech best illustrates the constitutional principle of
a) federalism.
b) popular sovereignty
c) limited government
d) checks and balances

28) Which constitutional principle is better illustrated when the Senate rejects a presidential nominee for the Supreme Court?
a) separation of powers
b) checks and balances
c) judicial review
d) limited government

29) The part of the Constitution that sets out the basic guarantees of freedom and fair treatment by the government is found in
a) the Preamble
b) Article III
c) the Bill of Rights.
d) the Articles of Ratification.

30) An order issued by a court to force a government to do something is called a
a) writ of habeas corpus.
b) bill of attainder
c) writ of mandamus.
d) writ of certiorari

31) Which would NOT be considered a primary source?
a) an autobiography
b) a court record
c) a newspaper editorial
d) a government textbook

32) In order to legally arrest a person, the police need to have
a) evidence
b) probable cause.
c) reasonable doubt
d) habeas corpus

33) People who are uncommitted to either political party are called
a) partisans
b) independents
c) straight-ticket voters.
d) bullet voters.

34) Declarations of the party's beliefs and positions on major issues are called
a) platforms
b) conventions
c) planks
d) ideologies

35) Which is NOT a function of American political parties?
a) They link people to the government.
b) They exclude the public from determining the nation's agenda
c) They pick candidates
d) They run campaigns

36) An election to choose a party's candidate or nominee is called a(n)
a) referendum
b) endorsement
c) general election
d) primary

37) An election in which only party members can vote to choose that party's candidates for the general election is called a(n)
a) open primary
b) closed primary
c) blanket primary
d) proportional primary

38) In a campaign, volunteer workers
a) put up posters
b) hand out pamphlets.
c) call voters
d) do all of the above

39) Suffrage is
a) a term for procedural due process.
b) a registered trademark.
c) the right to vote.
d) a copyrighted book or patented invention.

40) Women were given the right to vote by the
a) Civil Rights Act of 1964.
b) National Women's Party
c) Nineteenth Amendment
d) Eighteenth Amendment.

41) The legislative power is the power to
a) make laws.
b) enforce laws.
c) interpret the law.
d) do all of the above.

42) Which branch of the federal government did the founders intend to be the central institution?
a) Congress
b) the presidency
c) the Supreme Court
d) the cabinet

43) Under the Constitution, which branch of government has the power to make laws?
a) Congress
b) president
c) Supreme Court
d) all of the above

44) The Constitution establishes Congress and spells out its powers in
a) Article I.
b) Article II.
c) Article III.
d) Article IV.

45) Drafts of proposed laws in precise legal language presented to the House or Senate for passage are called
a) resolutions.
b) bills.
c) riders.
d) laws.

46) Who may suggest or recommend legislation?
a) interest groups
b) Congress members and their staffs
c) the executive branch
d) anyone

47) If a president vetoes a bill,
a) it may not be considered again until the next session of Congress.
b) it may be over ridden by a two-thirds vote of both chambers
c) the president must secure the agreement of the cabinet.
d) the president does not have to inform Congress for 30 days.

48) The Constitution gives the executive power of the government to the
a) president.
b) executive branch.
c) cabinet.
d) president and vice president

49) The president's term of office is
a) two years.
b) four years.
c) eight years.
d) ten years.

50) The source of the president's authority comes from which article in the Constitution?
a) Article I
b) Article II
c) Article III
d) Article IV

Quiz script provided by
JavaScriptKit.com