Name Period
Practice Test – Constitution
Directions: Choose the number that best answers the question or completes the
statement.
Then, explain why the answer is correct.
1. Which statement describes a characteristic of the government established by the Articles of Confederation?
(1) A Supreme Court had the authority to declare acts of Congress
unconstitutional.
(2) The national government controlled interstate commerce.
(3) The president maintained exclusive control over foreign policy.
(4) A system was created where the states held the most power.
2. A major criticism of the Articles of
Confederation was that too much power had been given to the
(1) British monarchy (2) House of Burgesses (3) state governments (4) national government
3. The Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 are considered
achievements under the Articles of Confederation because they
(1) established processes for settling and governing the western territories (2) settled boundary disputes with Great
Britain and Spain
(3) provided the basic methods of collecting taxes and coining money (4) created a system of state and federal
courts
4. Which concept from the European Enlightenment was included in the US Constitution?
(1) despotism (2) absolutism
5. What is a principle of government that is stated in the Preamble to the United States
Constitution?
(1) Federal laws must be subject to state approval.
(2) The power of government comes from the people.
(3) The right to bear arms shall not be infringed.
(4) All men and women are created equal.
6. The implied powers suggested by the US Constitution show that the writers recognized the
(1) powers of government needed to be able to adapt to change
(2) powers of the Supreme Court needed to be checked
(3) rights of citizens were the first concern of government
(4) rights of the states had to be protected
7. Only a small number of amendments have been added to the United States Constitution mainly because the
(1) executive branch feared a loss of power (2) Constitution has been broadly
interpreted and applied (3) Public has not objected to the
government’s use of power
(4) Constitution is clear in its original intent and seldom needs amending
8. Which idea did the Founding Fathers include in the Constitution that allows Congress to meet the needs of a changing society?
(1) Federalism
9. The elastic clause of the United States Constitution gives Congress the power to
(1) “make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;…”
(2) “regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;…”
(3) “lay and collect taxes, duties, imports and excises,…”
(4) “make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers,…”
10. The writers of the US Constitution created a federal form of government (federalism) primarily to
(1) divide power between the levels of government
(2) develop a criminal justice system (3) limit the power of the Senate (4) provide for civilian control over the
military
11. Which statement is an example of the system of federalism?
(1) Cabinet members are appointed by the president.
(2) Revenue bills must begin in the House of Representatives.
(3) The National Government coins money, but the states cannot.
(4) The president can negotiate treaties, but the Senate has the power to ratify them.
12. Which feature of the United States Constitution traditionally gives the states authority over public education?
(1) reserved powers (2) preamble
(3) fifth amendment (4) supremacy clause
13. Which power was delegated to the federal government in the United States Constitution?
(1) establishing an official religion
(2) controlling interstate commerce (trade) (3) regulating marriage and divorce
14. According to the United States Constitution, the president has the power to
(1) Negotiate treaties (2) Declare war
(3) Grant titles of nobility
(4) Reverse Supreme Court decisions
“President Wilson Represents the United States at Versailles”
“President Reagan Meets with Soviet President Gorbachev”
“President Carter Negotiates Camp David Accords” 15. Each headline illustrates a time when the
president of the United States acted as (1) chief diplomat
(2) chief legislator (3) commander in chief (4) head of a political party
16. Disagreement at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 over the Virginia and New Jersey plans was resolved by a compromise that
(1) guaranteed continuation of the slave trade for at least twenty more years (2) limited the power of the federal
government to wage war
(3) provided for construction of a new national capital in the south (4) created a Congress made up of a
Senate and a House of Representatives
17. During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Great Compromise resolved a conflict over
(1) presidential power (2) the issue of nullification (3) representation in Congress (4) taxes on imports
18. To prevent tyranny, the authors of the
Constitution drew on Montesquieu’s concept of (1) religious liberty
19. Which principle of the United States
Constitution is intended to ensure that no one branch of government has more power than another branch?
(1) checks and balances (2) federalism
(3) limited government (4) rule of law
20. If the President has vetoed a bill, the US Constitution provides that the bill will become a law when the bill is
(1) declared constitutional by the Supreme Court
(2) passed again by 2/3rds of both houses of Congress
(3) approved by 3/4ths of the State legislatures
(4) approved by a joint committee of Congress
21. Which action can be taken by the United States Supreme Court to illustrate the concept that the Constitution is “the supreme law of the land”?
(1) hiring new federal judges (2) voting articles of impeachment (3) declaring a state law unconstitutional (4) rejecting a presidential nomination to
the cabinet
22. In order to win ratification of the United States Constitution, supporters agreed to
(1) add a bill of rights
(2) admit new states to the Union (3) establish an electoral college (4) give the Senate the power to ratify
treaties
23. One similarity between the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights is that both documents
(1) Provide for a government with three separate branches
(2) Discuss colonial grievances against the monarchy
(3) Stress the importance of individual liberty
