American Government Pearson Connexus Practice semester exam

1. Almighty God hath created the mind free. . . . All men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion. . . . If any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present, or to narrow its operation, such act shall be an infringement of the natural right.
–Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom (1786)
Use the quote to answer the question.
This quotation most clearly anticipates which amendment in the Bill of Rights?

ANSWER IS A ( first )

2. Which basic steps are central to the process for changing a state’s constitution

ANSWER IS B ( proposal and ratification )

3.How did the Supreme Court decision Baker v. Carr (1962) bring about a landmark change in the way seats are apportioned in the House of Representatives?

ANSWER IS A ( The Supreme Court decision, in this case, required nearly every state in the Union to redistrict on the principle of “one person, one vote,” thus increasing the influence of urban areas and decreasing that of rural areas in the House. )

4. According to the Supreme Court decision in Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971), a three-pronged standard must be applied to decide if a state law amounts to an "establishment" of religion.
A law must have a secular, non-religious purpose.
It must neither advocate nor inhibit religion.
It must not foster an "excessive entanglement of _________________.
Use the table to answer the question.
Which of the following correctly fills in the blank?

ANSWER IS A ( government and religion )

5. When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position different from that which they have hitherto occupied. . . We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal . . .
–Declaration of Sentiments, 1848
Use the quote to answer the question.
In what way does the Declaration of Sentiments expand the ideas in the Declaration of Independence?

ANSWER IS C ( The Declaration of Sentiments expands the idea that all men are equal to include women, who therefore deserve the same rights.)

6.Why was the Hernandez v. Texas case important in the fight against discrimination?

ANSWER IS B ( It ruled that African Americans are not the only ethnic group to be protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.)

7. Use the political cartoon to answer the question.
Identify the responsibility of citizenship to which this political cartoon refers. What problem is the cartoon characterizing?

ANSWER IS A ( voter apathy )

8.What was the significance of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965?

ANSWER IS D ( It eliminated the quota system and allowed as many as 270,000 immigrants to enter the United States each year. )

9.Which of the following are nonlegislative powers held by state legislatures? Select all that apply.

ANSWER IS A, B, D ( amending state constitutions, approving or rejecting executive appointments, conducting impeachment proceedings )

10.What kind of law relates to disputes between private persons, such as divorce or custody disputes?

ANSWER IS C ( civil law )

11.The Missouri Plan calls for the governor to appoint all the judges in a state. Each new judge serves until election time. What happens to the judge at election time?

ANSWER IS A ( The judge must win voter approval to stay. )

12.Which is an important function of the county government?

ANSWER IS D ( running elections )

13.Which tax is a regressive tax?

ANSWER IS D ( a sales tax )

14. What idea from Keynesian economics did President Franklin D. Roosevelt put into practice to help the nation recover from the Great Depression?

ANSWER IS C ( Government should increase public spending in times of high unemployment. )

15. A B C
DEMAND SUPPLY PRICES
If demand increases supply decreases prices rise
If demand decreases supply increases prices fall
Use the table to answer the question.
Look at the table. How does the role of government in a free enterprise system, such as the one in the United States, differ from the role of government in a communist system regarding these market forces?

ANSWER IS B ( In a free enterprise system, the government does not control any of these market forces. )

16.Which of the following budget items is an example of uncontrollable spending on the part of the federal government?

ANSWER IS D ( interest on public debt )

I hope this is helpful for anyone who needs it! :)