AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

SEMESTER EXAM REVIEW

1. What type of power is the power to collect taxes? concurrent

2. What is a system of government in which the power to govern is shared between the national government
and the states? Federalism
3. What is the power of the Supreme Court to review any law and declare it unconstitutional? Judicial review
4. What is the power to hear a case first, before any other court? Original jurisdiction
5. Who was the first African American to serve on the United States Supreme Court?
Thurgood Marshall
6. How long is a term for a justice of the U.S. Supreme Court? Life
7. Who was the first Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court? John Jay
8. Who was the first woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court? Sandra Day O’ Connor
9. Who appoints justices to the United States Supreme Court? The President
10. Who confirms those appointments? The Senate
11. Which article of the Constitution deals with the Judicial Branch? Article III
12. Which of the following is not true of the Vice President?
The Vice President is the President of the Senate.
The Vice President counts electoral votes.
The Vice President is limited to two, four year terms. (ANS)
13. Which branch does the President belong to? The Executive Branch
14. Who was the first President to die in office? William Henry Harrison
15. Who was the first Catholic to be President? John Kennedy
16. What are the three qualifications to be President? (One answer per student)
born a citizen, at least 35 years old , a resident of the United States for at least 14 years
17. What is dividing a state into odd-shaped districts for strictly political reasons? Gerrymandering
18. What is talking until a bill’s sponsor withdraws it? Filibuster
19. How are bills introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives?
They are dropped into the hopper
20. How are bills introduced in the U.S. Senate? By announcing them
21. Who acts as jury in the impeachment trial of a President? The Senate
22. What are permanent committees that specialize in a particular topic? Standing committees
23. Who is the official leader of the United States Senate? The Vice President
24. What is the “lower house” of the United States Congress? The House of Representatives
25. Which article is concerned with the Legislative Branch? Article I
26. What is the place where the voters who are living in a voting district actually vote?
Polling place
27. What is a voting district, the smallest geographic unit for the conduct of elections? Precinct
28. What date has Congress set for national elections?
The first Tuesday-after-the-first-Monday in November of every even-numbered year
29. What is a primary in which only declared party members can vote? Closed
30. When an absolute majority is needed to carry a primary, but no one wins a majority in a race, what type of
primary must be held? runoff
31. What type of primary is held when candidates for a local office are not identified by party labels?
nonpartisan
32. What is a fee demanded by States as a condition of voting? Poll tax
33. What are congressional elections that are held in the even-numbered years between presidential elections?
Off-year elections
34. What is a primary in which any qualified voters can cast ballots? Open
35. What is depriving a person or group of voting rights? disenfranchisement
36. What is the ability to read and write? Literacy
37. Why did many States at one time adopt literacy and poll tax requirements for voting?
They were attempting to discourage African Americans from voting
38. What is another word that means suffrage or the right to vote? franchise
39. What is the potential voting population? (Basically, you are registered to vote) Electorate
40. Which amendment provides that no State can set the minimum age for voting at more than 18 years of
age? 26th
41. Who was the first President to live in the White House? John Adams
42. Why was the South known as the Solid South after Reconstruction?
They voted solidly for the Democratic Party
43. Who was the only President to unanimously win Electoral College? George Washington
44. What is the symbol of the Democratic Party? The donkey
45. What is a group of persons who seek to control government through the winning of elections and the
holding of public office? Political party
46. America’s two-party system started during the debate over what?
The ratification of the Constitution
47. What are powers that both the National Government and the States possess and exercise?
Concurrent
48. What are powers given to the National Government that are written in the Constitution?
Expressed
49. What are powers that the Constitution does not grant to the National Government nor deny to the States?
Reserved
50. What are powers that can be exercised by the National Government alone? Exclusive
51. What is the legal process by which a fugitive from justice in one State is returned to that State?
Extradition
52. What are powers given to the national government by the Constitution? (A general term)
delegated
53. The President’s power to veto bills passed by Congress is a reflection of which principle of the
Constitution? Checks and balances
54. Who has the power to declare war? Congress
55. Where did women first have the right to vote in the United States? Wyoming
56. Which amendment gave women the right to vote? 19th
57. Which President started the tradition of only serving two terms? George Washington
58. Which President broke that tradition? Franklin Roosevelt
59. Which principle of the Constitution is best expressed through elections? Popular sovereignty
60. Which amendment gave African American men the right to vote? 15th
61. What are the first ten amendments to the Constitution called? The Bill of Rights
62. What is the power of the court to declare a governmental action unconstitutional?Judicial review
63. What states the purpose of the Constitution? The Preamble
64. Which amendment limited the President to two terms in office? 22nd
65. What is the highest authority in the nation? The Constitution
66. Which issue did the Three-Fifths Compromise dealt with?
How to count slaves in matters of representation and taxation
67. Where was the first Presidential Oath of Office given? New York City
68. Who was the first person to take the Presidential Oath of Office? George Washington
69. Which of the following is false about the New Jersey Plan?
It called for equal representation of states in the legislature
It called for three branches of government (ANS)
It was similar to the form of government under the Articles of Confederation
It favored the smaller states
70. What was the original intent of the Constitutional Convention? To revise the Articles of Confederation
71. How many states did it take to ratify the U.S. Constitution? 9
72. Which colony did not send delegates to the Constitutional Convention? Rhode Island
73. Which city was the Constitutional Convention was held in? Philadelphia
74. Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence? Thomas Jefferson
75. What was considered our first constitution? The Articles of Confederation
76. The Virginia Plan called for all of the following EXCEPT _____
a bicameral legislature.
a President.
a court system.
a unicameral legislature. (ANS)
77. On December 16, 1773, what secret organization, disguising themselves as Indians, stormed aboard three
British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 crates full of tea overboard? The Sons of Liberty
78. Which of the following groups was allowed to vote in the colonies?
white men who owned a certain amount of land (ANS)
slaves who had been released by their masters
men, women, and children
white men who were members of the Church of England
79. Who founded Georgia? James Oglethorpe
80. What was the first permanent English settlement in North America? Jamestown
81. Most of our laws, customs, practices, and institutions were influenced primarily by which country?
Great Britain
82. What describes the structure or plan of the government and the rights of the American people?
The Constitution
83. What is the power to interpret laws? Judicial power
84. What is a form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority? Dictatorship
85. Which branch is responsible for enforcing the law? Executive branch
86. What is the introduction to the United States Constitution? The Preamble
87. What is a form of government in which the supreme authority rests with the people? Democracy
88. What is the institution through which a society makes and enforces its public policies? Government
89. Which branch of government is the Supreme Court part of? Judicial
90. Which branch of government is responsible for making the law? Legislative