This document contains 50 multiple choice questions about principles of American government and the US Constitution. It covers topics like the framers' view of democracy as a republic, key debates at the Constitutional Convention, the structure and powers allocated to the national and state governments, important Supreme Court cases that have shaped interpretations of the Constitution, and the evolution of federalism over time. Students are directed to an online resource to find answers to the questions.

1. For answers, go to
http://www.homeworksimple.com/govt-220-test-1/
LIBERTY GOVT 220 Test 1
1. The framers of our constitution called a representative democracy
a republic.
2. A government whose decisions people will obey because they
think the government has the right to make them is considered
3. Hardly any policy becomes law without adjustments to the needs
of the states.
4. The prime minister can rule as long as he or she
5. In a parliamentary system, power is decentralized.
6. In 1935, most Americans paid no federal income tax.
7. In the late 1700s the federal government was broke and sinking
deeper into debt.
8. Today, the average income tax rate for American families is over
__________ percent.
9. The term that the Framers of the Constitution used to describe our
form of democracy was
10. When citizens vote on major issues that are put on the ballot,
this is an example of a(n)
11. A government is only legitimate if its citizens obey all its
laws.
12. It is possible to be critical of government and yet
passionately defend its principles.
13. Who predicted ratification of the Constitution would result in
the creation of an ever‐growing government that would greatly
increase taxes?
14. Winston Churchill observed that democracy is
15. The United States is a(n)
16. Debates over government finances have generally been
debates about

2. 17. If a society has become pluralist, power and resources have
been distributed widely.
18. The Constitution contained no bill of rights because, among
other things,
19. Who, notably, said, “A little rebellion now and then is a good
thing”?
20. Under the Articles of Confederation, there was
21. The U.S. Constitution is the world’s oldest written national
constitution.
22. The Framers of the Constitution believed that two types of
majorities were essential on important questions; they are
majorities of
23. The Virginia Plan was authored by
24. By the end of the Convention, one state was represented by a
single delegate—the other delegates having left the Convention;
that state was
25. The Articles of Confederation granted the federal
government the rights to levy taxes and regulate commerce.
26. The text notes a recent Supreme Court case involving
________ received extensive and intense media coverage before
and after the Court’s decision.
27. Cruel and unusual punishment is forbidden in the
28. Generally, the Antifederalists felt that the government
created by the Constitution was
29. The Framers of the Constitution intended to create a
30. Which of the following statements regarding the
Constitutional Convention is incorrect?
31. An ex post facto law makes an act a crime that was not a
crime at the time that is was committed.
32. The Virginia Plan called for
33. For most Americans, the Revolution was about
34. The Constitution has been amended __________ times in
more than 225 years.
35. There are over __________ elected officials in this county.
36. In McCulloch v. Maryland the Supreme Court concluded that

3. chartering a bank was within the powers of Congress.
37. President Clinton signed into law the Real ID Act, in effect
creating a national identity card.
38. The decision in McCulloch v. Maryland rested largely on the
premise that the government
39. In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled the individual mandate of
“Obamacare” was not a tax.
40. The Constitution was ratified in
41. In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled the most controversial
aspect of Obamacare withstood constitutional scrutiny as a
_________ as opposed to a “penalty.”
42. The text suggests that the fears of the Antifederalists
regarding expansion of the power of the national government have
proved to be unfounded.
43. The Constitution clearly allocated power to the national and
state governments.
44. Sovereignty is
45. Hamilton’s view of the new government generally was
rejected by
46. The Framers were clear about how the federal system was
supposed to work.
47. Federal grants to the states began in the early 1900s.
48. Early in our Nation’s history, land grants were employed to
support the building of
49. The federal government shifted toward block grants because
local governments complained that
50. Congress has played a major part in preserving federalism by