Constitutional Law and the Criminal Justice System, Harr - Exam Preparation Test Bank (Downloadable Doc)

1. Formal ties between Great Britain and the United States were severed:
a. when the American Declaration of Independence was signed.
b. when the colonists boarded British ships and threw tea overboard.
c. through the drafting of the Magna Carta.
d. at the meeting of the First Continental Congress.

ANSWER: a

REFERENCES: 10

2. The Magna Carta was created:

a. to ensure that states maintained power apart from the national government.
b. to outline colonists’ complaints against the British crown.
c. in England to guarantee that the king could not put himself above the law.
d. by British Parliament in protest of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.

ANSWER: c

REFERENCES: 13

3. The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence stated that a government’s right to rule is based upon:

a. the obligation of the wealthy to provide for those less fortunate.
b. permission from the people who are governed.
c. the need for a strong centralized government on American soil.
d. the Magna Carta’s guarantee that rulers shall not place themselves above the law.

ANSWER: b

REFERENCES: 10
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.15.1 - 6

4. The primary reason some states were reluctant to accept the Constitution was:

a. It failed to establish a balance of power.
b. It failed to abolish slavery.
c. It did not contain a bill of rights.
d. It did not allow smaller states adequate representation in the national government.

ANSWER: c

REFERENCES: 20
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.15.01 - 16

,5. The Second Continental Congress resulted in all of the following, except:
a. the naming of George Washington as Commander of the Continental Army.
b. the battles at Lexington and Concord.
c. instructing each colony to assume the powers of independent states.
d. the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

ANSWER: b

REFERENCES: 10
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.14.4 - 5

6. The Magna Carta was an important prelude to the U.S. Constitution because it. :

a. guaranteed due process and limited government power.
b. provided the inspiration for the Great Compromise.
c. was based upon the separation of powers between branches of government.
d. ensured that there would be no monarchy in the United States.

ANSWER: a

REFERENCES: 13-14
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.14.5 - 9

7. The first written agreement among the colonies to stand together in resistance to Great Britain was:

a. a result of the First Continental Congress.
b. a result of the Second Continental Congress.
c. known as The Federalist Papers.
d. the Mayflower Compact.

ANSWER: a

REFERENCES: 9
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.14.4 - 5

8. American law is:

a. entirely original, having no roots in any previous legal system.
b. designed to resist changes.
c. influenced by the laws of the societies that helped found America.
d. based solely on the Napoleonic Code.

ANSWER: c

REFERENCES: 5
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.14.6 - 1

, 9. Balancing the rights of the states and individual citizens against the power of the central government was the
purpose of the:
a. Bill of Rights b. Articles of Confederation
c. first three Articles of the Constitution d. Great Charter

ANSWER: a

REFERENCES: 21
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.14.7 - 17

10. The Constitution and Bill of Rights are housed at:

a. the Smithsonian museum. b. the National Archives.
c. the White House. d. the Supreme Court Building.

ANSWER: b

REFERENCES: 26
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.14.8 - 19

11. What serious omission occurred in the Bill of Rights?

a. it failed to provide recourse for violations by the federal government.
b. it failed to ensure state sovereignty.
c. it failed to abolish slavery.
d. it failed to provide the right to privacy.

ANSWER: c

REFERENCES: 15
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.14.9 - 18

12. The branch of government is authorized to declare war is the:

a. executive branch b. legislative branch
c. judicial branch d. military branch

ANSWER: b

REFERENCES: 16-17
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.14.10 - 11

13. The Articles of Confederation formally pledged the states to:

a. a unified tax structure. b. a perpetual union.
c. the formation of the Confederate Army. d. maintain a centralized government.

ANSWER: b

REFERENCES: 27
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.14.11 - 7

, 14. The necessary and proper clause, establishing the authority of the federal government to address national issues,
was addressed by the Supreme Court in:
a. Marbury v. Madison b. McCulloch v. Maryland
c. Gibbons v. Ogden d. Adams v. Hamilton

ANSWER: b

REFERENCES: 17
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.14.10 - 11

15. The famous supremacy clause, declaring the “Supreme Law of the Land,” is contained in:

a. the Declaration of Independence.
b. the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights.
c. Article 6 of the Constitution itself.
d. the Great Compromise.

ANSWER: c

REFERENCES: 19

16. According to the text, pluralism challenged the colonists to:

a. strive to maintain their original culture.
b. exercise tolerance and respect for the opinions, customs, traditions and lifestyles of others.
c. band together in self-defense.
d. combine English and Roman common law with Native American customary law.

ANSWER: b

REFERENCES: 5

17. Membership in which of the following is based on state populations?

a. Senate b. House of Representatives
c. State Judiciary d. Constitutional Convention

ANSWER: b

REFERENCES: 15
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.14.10 - 11

18. The following are true of the Legislative Branch of the United States government, except:

a. it passes laws but has no power to enforce them.
b. it is comprised of the House and Senate.
c. it can enter into treaties with other nations.
d. it regulates interstate and international commerce.

ANSWER: c

REFERENCES: 17
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: CLCJ.HAHE.14.10 - 11