Concept of limited government

Question

Assignment:

Question 1. In providing for representative government, the writers of the Constitution were determined to

• reduce the likelihood that a tyrannical majority would gain control of government.
• make the president dependent on popular support.
• make the Senate directly responsible to the voters.
• give the majority absolute governing power

Question 2. Which institution determines most of rules governing U.S. elections, including whether and when a primary will be held, most voter registration procedures, and how long polling places will stay open on Election Day?

• Congress as a whole
• president
• state governments
• House

Question 3. Which aspect of U.S. elections has proven to be the most susceptible to manipulation by lawmaking officials?

• campaign spending reporting requirements
• primary election scheduling
• voter registration rules
• candidate eligibility rules

Question 4. Which quote best represents the concept of limited government?

• "the government that governs least is the government that governs best"
• "power must never be trusted without a check"
• "all men are created equal"
• "a government of the people, by the people, and for the people"

Question 5. Which of the following is least likely to contribute to the breakdown of America's system of limited government?

• when the Supreme Court is dominated by appointees of the same party correct
• when the three branches of government are united in the belief that a breach of the Constitution is in the national interest
• presidential secrecy
• when one party controls both the presidency and Congress

Question 6. Based on the lecture, which institution poses the greatest threat to America's system of limited government?

• presidency
• House of Representatives
• Senate
• Supreme Court

Question 7. Which of the following statements best describes how the Constitution provides for a federal system of government?

• The Constitution defines the powers of the federal government and reserves the unlisted powers for the states
• The Constitution defines the powers of the state government and reserves the unlisted state powers to the federal govenment
• The Constitution defines the powers of government and then expressly indicates which powers are assigned to the federal government and which are assigned to the states.
• The Constitution gives the federal government the authority to decide which powers it will exercise while also giving the states wide leeway in defining their powers.

Question 8. Over the course of U.S. history, the federal system has become increasingly "nationalized" in the sense that the federal government's authority has expanded relative to the power of the states. Which factor has been least important in this development?

• Supreme Court rulings that have broadly interpreted the federal government's constitutional powers.
• The use of federal grants-in-aid as a means of exerting federal authority in policy areas traditionally reserved for the states.
• The states' desire to cede authority to the national government to relieve themselves of some of their policy responsibilities
• Increased levels of industrialization and urbanization have made the American economy and people increasingly interdependent, requiring national solutions to policy problems.

Question 9. In comparing the Supreme Court rulings upholding the New Deal programs with the Supreme Court ruling upholding the 2010 health care reform act, which statement is true?

• Both the New Deal rulings and the health care ruling centered on the supremacy clause.
• Both the New Deal rulings and the health care ruling rested on the Court's interpretation of the Tenth Amendment.
• Both the New Deal rulings and the health care ruling hinged on the Court's interpretation of the necessary and proper clause.
• Many of the New Deal rulings centered on the commerce clause while the Court's upholding of the health care act was based on the taxing clause.

Question 10. According to the video, Professor Akhil Amar believes that the most important phrase in the Constitution, the idea that revolutionized the relationship between the people and their government is

• "The executive power shall be vested in the president"
• "We hold these truths to be self- evident"
• "We the People"
• When in the course of human events"