Civics Final Exam ReviewNovember 2012

A naturalized citizen cannot

a) become President.b) vote for President.c) hold elected office.d) elect representatives.

a) become President.

To vote in the colonies, you were not required to

a) be white.

b) have an education.c) own land.d) be a man.

b) have an education.

Unlike our duties as citizens, our responsibilities are

a) limited.b) voluntary.c) required.d) general.

b) voluntary.

“Consent of the governed” gives power to

a) citizens.b) Congress.c) the President.d) judges.

a) citizens.

Direct democracy was first practiced in

a) Greece.b) United States.c) England.d) none of the above.

a) Greece.

You are legally an American citizen if you were

a) under age eighteen when your parents were naturalized.

b) naturalized.c) born in the United States or its

territories.d) any of the above.

d) any of the above.

Which document outlined the reasons the

colonists separated from England?

a) First Continental Congressb) English Bill of Rightsc) Declaration of Independenced) Committees of Correspondence

c) Declaration of Independence

Natural rights are people’s rights to

a) life.b) liberty.c) property.d) all of the above.

d) all of the above.

Once you are a citizen, you can

a) decide to give up citizenship.b) have citizenship taken away.c) remain a citizen for life.d) all of the above.

d) all of the above.

Citizens have the power to

a) disobey traffic laws without punishment.

b) refuse to pay taxes to local, state, and federal governments.

c) decide what government will and will not do.

d) make agreements with other countries.

c) decide what government will and will not do.

Both the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights

a) set up a new government.b) made the monarchy stronger.c) listed basic freedoms.d) limited free speech.

c) listed basic freedoms.

Writers Locke and Montesquieu inspired the colonists with the ideas of a) republic and direct democracy.b) natural rights and separation of

powers.c) free speech and free press.d) traditions and values.

b) natural rights and separation of powers.

Which freedom has its roots in the colonial period?

a) freedom of the pressb) freedom of religionc) freedom of speechd) all of the above

d) all of the above

Under the Articles of Confederation, most of the power remained with the

a) Congress.b) states.c) President.d) monarch.

 

b) states.

Many delegates were afraid that a strong national government would

a) share power.b) give up power.c) hold power.d) abuse power.

d) abuse power.

Duties of citizens of the United States include

a) defending the nation.b) obeying the laws.c) serving on a jury or as a witness.d) all of the above.

d) all of the above.

The Constitution is organized into

a) preambles.b) laws.c) articles.d) treaties.

c) articles.

The first three articles of the Constitution describe the

a) goals of government.b) branches of government.c) rights of citizens.d) duties of citizens.

b) branches of government.

Under the new Constitution, the President would hold

a) judicial power.b) executive power.c) the most power.d) all of the above.

b) executive power.

The Anti-Federalists were troubled because

the Constitution did not include a

a) legislative branch.b) Supreme Court.c) bill of rights.d) central government.

c) bill of rights.

The Federalists argued that a strong federal government would

a) maintain order.b) provide protection.c) regulate trade.d) all of the above.

d) all of the above.

The First Amendment protects

a) persons accused of crimes.b) individual freedoms.c) citizens from abuse of power.d) all of the above. 

b) individual freedoms.

Which does not describe a part of the Great Compromise?

a) a House of Representatives based on state population

b) including slaves in state population counts

c) a Senate with two senators for each state

d) a bicameral legislature

b) including slaves in state population counts

Which of the following is not a goal of our government under the Constitution?

a) to establish justiceb) to promote the general welfarec) to form a more perfect uniond) to protect against taxation

d) to protect against taxation

All of the following limit the government’s power, except

a) checks and balances.b) priority of federal law.c) federalism.d) separation of powers.

b) priority of federal law.

Accused persons have a right to

a) be tried by jury.b) put up bail.c) remain silent.d) all of the above.

d) all of the above.

The Miranda warning explains a person’s rights under the

a) Fifth Amendment.b) First Amendment.c) Tenth Amendment.d) none of the above.

a) Fifth Amendment.

Which offers protections against the abuse of power by the government?

a) Second Amendmentb) Third Amendmentc) Fourth Amendmentd) all of the above

d) all of the above

Freedom of petition is the right to

a) meet together in a group.b) ask a government official for help.c) express a point of view.d) choose your religion.

b) ask a government official for help.

The Fourth Amendment protects citizens from

a) government restrictions on guns.b) unreasonable searches and seizures.c) having to provide housing for

soldiers.d) all of the above.

b) unreasonable searches and seizures.

In the Tinker case, the Supreme Court ruled that students

a) have a right to free speech.b) have no right to free speech.c) must obey school officials.d) interfered with others’ rights.

a) have a right to free speech.

Citizens’ rights are often difficult to interpret because the Bill of Rights

a) is not in the Constitution.b) was added to the Constitution.c) explains how to apply rights.d) is a broad description of rights.

d) is a broad description of rights.

Which has the final say in the interpretation of the Constitution?

a) the peopleb) the Congressc) the Supreme Courtd) the President

c) the Supreme Court

What group pushed for the Nineteenth Amendment?

a) suffragistsb) Hispanic Americansc) eighteen year oldsd) none of the above

a) suffragists

Plessy v. Ferguson was overturned by

a) the Fifteenth Amendment.b) Brown v. Board of Education of

Topeka.c) the Constitution.d) civil rights laws.

b) Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka.

The Fourteenth Amendment

a) abolished slavery.b) gave African Americans citizenship.c) set separate but equal standards.d) outlawed racial discrimination.

b) gave African Americans citizenship.

The Twenty-Fourth Amendment ended

a) racial discrimination.b) equal protection.c) the poll tax.d) all of the above.

c) the poll tax.

What might be an argument behind the Twenty-Sixth Amendment?

a) Government cannot last, half slave and half free.

b) Women are part of “we the people.”c) If you are old enough to fight, you

are old enough to vote.d) None of the above.

c) If you are old enough to fight, you are old enough to vote.

The most important job of Congress is

a) leading our military forces.b) making laws.c) governing cities.d) helping lobbyists.

b) making laws.

A member of Congress is primarily responsible to

a) the people he or she represents.b) special interest groups.c) lobbyists.d) his or her governor.

a) the people he or she represents.

The most powerful member of the House of Representatives is the

a) Speaker.b) U.S. President.c) president pro tempore.d) majority floor leader.

a) Speaker.

A filibuster can occur

a) only in the House.b) in either house of Congress.c) only in the Senate.d) if the majority party agrees.

 

c) only in the Senate.

What is a requirement of all members of Congress?

a) serve for only two yearsb) live in the state that elects themc) at least 30 years oldd) U.S. citizens for at least nine years

b) live in the state that elects them

Which statement is true?

a.) There are more senators than representatives in Congress.

b.) Representatives serve for longer terms than senators.

c) Representatives focus on the interests of their whole state.

d) Senators focus on the interests of their whole state.

d) Senators focus on the interests of their whole state.

Which is an example of a power of Congress?

a) regulate commerceb) borrow moneyc) declare ward) all of the above

 

d) all of the above

In order to reach the President, a bill must pass through

a) the state legislatures.b) only the Senate.c) a standing committee.d) both houses of Congress. 

d) both houses of Congress.

Congress is made up of

a) presidents and vice-presidents.b) judges and mayors.c) interest groups and lobbyists.d) representatives and senators.

d) representatives and senators.

Which of these people could not serve as President?

a) a person who is a natural-born U.S. citizen

b) a person who has lived in the United States for 15 years

c) a person who is 30 years oldd) a person who has been elected to

office

c) a person who is 30 years old

A President can

a) serve more than two terms.b) carry out laws.c) make laws.d) be a U.S. immigrant.

 

b) carry out laws.

How many Presidents have been impeached and convicted?

a) noneb) twoc) threed) five

a) none

Which executive department carries out foreign policy?

a) Department of Laborb) Department of Justicec) Department of Stated) Department of the Interior

c) Department of State

The Department of Homeland Security was created

a) during the Cold War.b) after World War I.c) by the Constitution.d) after terrorist attacks in 2001.

d) after terrorist attacks in 2001.

Congress checks the power of the President by

a) appointing members of the executive branch.

b) ignoring the President’s actions as a legislative leader.

c) deciding if the President’s actions are unconstitutional.

d) approving many presidential decisions and appointments.

d) approving many presidential decisions and appointments.

Which is an advantage of Presidents being able to act on their own?

a) They may exercise weaker judgment in making decisions.

b) They may defeat the purpose of checks and balances.

c) They may avoid separation of powers.

d) They may act swiftly in time of crisis.

d) They may act swiftly in time of crisis.

The major purpose of the Supreme Court is to

a) hear cases about kidnapping.b) hear cases about foreigners.c) conduct special jury trials.d) serve as final court of appeals.

d) serve as final court of appeals.

How does the Supreme Court decide which cases to hear?

a) hears all casesb) the President decidesc) hears cases about Constitutional

issuesd) Congress decides by voting

c) Hears cases about Constitutional issues

How do judges come to serve on special federal courts?

a) electionsb) rise from lower courtsc) appointed by the Presidentd) chosen by Congress

c) appointed by the President

Which courts are the workhorses of the federal court system?

a) state appeals courtsb) state supreme courtsc) state trial courtsd) district courts

d) district courts

The Supreme Court hears cases involving

a) disputes between states.b) representatives of foreign

governments.c) appeals from state and federal courts.d) all of the above.

d) all of the above.

What was the purpose of the Judiciary Act?

a) to create Supreme Court seatsb) to establish lower courtsc) to set out appeals court procedured) to remove ineffective judges

b) to establish lower courts

Judicial review gives the judicial branch

a) the right to overturn a law.b) rights in the Constitution.c) the right to study precedents.d) the duty to hear disputes among

states.

a) the right to overturn a law.

How can a precedent help a judge make a decision?

a) The judge may find an earlier case similar to the current case.

b) A judge may use a precedent to discuss a current political issue.

c) A judge may use a precedent to question people not part of the case.

d) The judge may use a precedent to keep secrets from lawyers.

a) The judge may find an earlier case similar to the current case.

A Supreme Court opinion

a) shows how to apply the law.b) interprets the Constitution.c) is written by a justice.d) all of the above.

d) all of the above.

Who is the defendant in this case: The People of the State of Florida v. Jones? a) The Peopleb) The State of Floridac) the governmentd) Jones

d) Jones

Checks and balances help ensure that government

a) acts in citizen’s best interests.b) officials are not subject to the law.c) always protects the President.d) has control of all media reports.

a) acts in citizen’s best interests.

What is an organization of citizens who wish to influence government by getting their

members elected to office? a) a political partyb) independent votersc) a caucusd) an open primary

a) a political party

Historically, the purpose of voter registration was to

a) prevent fraud.b) count voters.c) remind people to vote.d) none of the above.

a) prevent fraud.

Which is not a requirement for voting in a general election?

a) being at least 18 years oldb) being a U.S. citizenc) being a member of a political partyd) being a state resident where you

vote

c) being a member of a political party

A voter who agrees with a political party’s basic positions is likely to

a) vote for the opposing party.b) ask friends who they support.c) support that party’s candidates.d) send mailings to other voters.

c) support that party’s candidates.

To win a presidential election, a candidate needs

a) half the electoral votes.b) less than 200 electoral votes.c) an absolute majority of popular

votes.d) an absolute majority of electoral

votes.

d) an absolute majority of electoral votes.

How is the number of electors determined for each state?

a) It is equal to the number of members of Congress in that state.

b) It is three times the amount of voters in that state.

c) It is equal to the number of Republicans and Democrats in that state.

d) It is half the amount of incumbents in that state.

a) It is equal to the number of members of Congress in that state.

How can third party candidates change the outcome of an election?

a) keep voters away from pollsb) confuse votersc) take votes from a main partyd) distract media from main candidates

c) take votes from a main party

Presidential elections are held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in

a) October.b) November.c) September.d) January.

b) November.

An absentee ballot is

a) mailed in before election day.b) marked at a polling place.c) punched into a card.d) mailed in after election day.

a) mailed in before election day.

Television has a major impact on elections by

a) doing long reports.b) reaching so many voters.c) focusing on major issues.d) giving complex messages.

b) reaching so many voters.