BLS 342 - EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS 2025
First Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER --
Protects freedom of religion, press, speech, and peaceable assembly
-Ensures that citizens have the right to ask the government to redress grievances
Second Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--Finds that in light of the need for a well-
regulated militia for security, government cannot infringe on citizens' right to bear arms
Third Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--
Provides that government cannot house soldiers in private residences during peacetime, or during war e
xcept for provisions in the law.
Fourth Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--Protects citizens from unreasonable search and seizure.
-Ensures that government issues warrants only with probable cause.
Fifth Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--
Ensures that government does not put citizens on trial except by the indictment of a grand jury.
-Gives citizens the right to not testify against themselves.
-Prevents government from trying citizens twice for the same crime.
-Creates the right to due process
-Provides that government cannot take private property for public use without just compensation.
Sixth Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--
Provides the right to a speedy public trial with an impartial jury, the right to know what criminal accus
ations a citizen faces, the right to have witnesses both against and for the accused, and the right to hav
e an attorney.
Seventh Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--
States that in common law suits where the monetary value exceeds $20, citizens have the right to a tria
l by jury.
Eighth Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--
Provides that government will not set bail at excessive levels
-Prohibits government imposition of excessive fines
-Prohibits cruel and unusual punishment
Ninth Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER --
Provides that although the Bill of Rights names certain rights, such naming does not remove other righ
ts retained by citizens
Tenth Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER --
Provides that powers that the Constitution does not give to the federal government are reserved to the s
tates
Sources of Law - CORRECT ANSWER -Statute
, Constitution
Case Law (Common Law)
Executive Orders
Administrative Law
Restatement
Treaty
Statute - CORRECT ANSWER --A law that is passed by Congress
-Local statutes are called ordinances
-Federal statute
-If we see the abbreviations U.S.C. or U.S.C.A. we are in federal court and dealing with federal issues
Constitution - CORRECT ANSWERV--
For a law to be valid, it has to be constitutional. The Supreme Court looks at laws and decisions from
lowerVcourts to determine if the law is constitutional.
-The U.S. Constitution is the law of the land.
Case Law (Common Law) - CORRECT ANSWER --
It is not the judges job to create the laws; however, the people who create laws (Congressman) are not
always intelligent.
-
EX. You can't sexually harass someone in the workplace. The court doesn't create the law, but has to i
nterpret the law.
Precedent - CORRECT ANSWERV-
Talking about lower courts looking to higher courts for guidance on how the lower courts should rule.
Mandatory Authority - CORRECT ANSWER -
When the IL Courts of Appeals has to listen to the IL Supreme Court
Persuasive Authority - CORRECT ANSWERV-
If the IL Supreme Court did not have anything related to rape, but Wisconsin did, IL could look to Wi
sconsin for guidance, but IL is not obligated to follow their laws.
Stare Decisis - CORRECT ANSWER --Latin term "let the decision stand"
-EX. Roe v Wade -
Supreme Court ruled that women have the right and privacy to get an abortion. There are justices who
do not agree with abortion, but they do not want to overturn the case and want to follow stare decisis.
Executive Orders - CORRECT ANSWERV--
The President is directing people in the executive range to carry out particular orders or to perform the
ir duties in a particular order.
-
There is nothing explicitly in the Constitution that gives the President this power, but they interpret the
role of commander in chief to issue these executive orders.
-Most executive orders in history were made by F.D.R.
Administrative Law - CORRECT ANSWER --Talking about administrative agencies
-Often times Congress creates a law, but can't predict all of the rules with enacting the law.
Restatement - CORRECT ANSWERV--Different states that have different common laws
CORRECT ANSWERS 2025
First Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER --
Protects freedom of religion, press, speech, and peaceable assembly
-Ensures that citizens have the right to ask the government to redress grievances
Second Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--Finds that in light of the need for a well-
regulated militia for security, government cannot infringe on citizens' right to bear arms
Third Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--
Provides that government cannot house soldiers in private residences during peacetime, or during war e
xcept for provisions in the law.
Fourth Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--Protects citizens from unreasonable search and seizure.
-Ensures that government issues warrants only with probable cause.
Fifth Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--
Ensures that government does not put citizens on trial except by the indictment of a grand jury.
-Gives citizens the right to not testify against themselves.
-Prevents government from trying citizens twice for the same crime.
-Creates the right to due process
-Provides that government cannot take private property for public use without just compensation.
Sixth Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--
Provides the right to a speedy public trial with an impartial jury, the right to know what criminal accus
ations a citizen faces, the right to have witnesses both against and for the accused, and the right to hav
e an attorney.
Seventh Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--
States that in common law suits where the monetary value exceeds $20, citizens have the right to a tria
l by jury.
Eighth Amendment - CORRECT ANSWERV--
Provides that government will not set bail at excessive levels
-Prohibits government imposition of excessive fines
-Prohibits cruel and unusual punishment
Ninth Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER --
Provides that although the Bill of Rights names certain rights, such naming does not remove other righ
ts retained by citizens
Tenth Amendment - CORRECT ANSWER --
Provides that powers that the Constitution does not give to the federal government are reserved to the s
tates
Sources of Law - CORRECT ANSWER -Statute
, Constitution
Case Law (Common Law)
Executive Orders
Administrative Law
Restatement
Treaty
Statute - CORRECT ANSWER --A law that is passed by Congress
-Local statutes are called ordinances
-Federal statute
-If we see the abbreviations U.S.C. or U.S.C.A. we are in federal court and dealing with federal issues
Constitution - CORRECT ANSWERV--
For a law to be valid, it has to be constitutional. The Supreme Court looks at laws and decisions from
lowerVcourts to determine if the law is constitutional.
-The U.S. Constitution is the law of the land.
Case Law (Common Law) - CORRECT ANSWER --
It is not the judges job to create the laws; however, the people who create laws (Congressman) are not
always intelligent.
-
EX. You can't sexually harass someone in the workplace. The court doesn't create the law, but has to i
nterpret the law.
Precedent - CORRECT ANSWERV-
Talking about lower courts looking to higher courts for guidance on how the lower courts should rule.
Mandatory Authority - CORRECT ANSWER -
When the IL Courts of Appeals has to listen to the IL Supreme Court
Persuasive Authority - CORRECT ANSWERV-
If the IL Supreme Court did not have anything related to rape, but Wisconsin did, IL could look to Wi
sconsin for guidance, but IL is not obligated to follow their laws.
Stare Decisis - CORRECT ANSWER --Latin term "let the decision stand"
-EX. Roe v Wade -
Supreme Court ruled that women have the right and privacy to get an abortion. There are justices who
do not agree with abortion, but they do not want to overturn the case and want to follow stare decisis.
Executive Orders - CORRECT ANSWERV--
The President is directing people in the executive range to carry out particular orders or to perform the
ir duties in a particular order.
-
There is nothing explicitly in the Constitution that gives the President this power, but they interpret the
role of commander in chief to issue these executive orders.
-Most executive orders in history were made by F.D.R.
Administrative Law - CORRECT ANSWER --Talking about administrative agencies
-Often times Congress creates a law, but can't predict all of the rules with enacting the law.
Restatement - CORRECT ANSWERV--Different states that have different common laws
