AP US Government : Concerns and Fears

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for AP US Government

varsity tutors app store varsity tutors android store

Example Questions

← Previous 1 3

Example Question #1 :Concerns And Fears

The Supremacy Clause states that __________

Possible Answers:

Congress has the power to make all laws necessary to the maintenance of the powers granted to it under the Constitution.

the Judicial Branch has the ability to regulate the constitutionality of all legislative acts.

The United States Constitution is the ultimate law of the country.

no one branch of the United States government has supremacy over any other.

the states have the right to nullify any Federal law they deem unconstitutional.

Correct answer:

The United States Constitution is the ultimate law of the country.

Explanation:

The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution states that the United States Constitution is the supreme and ultimate law of the country and that no other law may be made which supersedes it. This might seem irrelevant to us now, but it is important to note that when the Constitutional Framers were drawing up the Constitution, there was no guarantee it would be universally or permanently respected.

Example Question #61 :Constructing The Constitution

Which of these was not a problem that the Federal Government faced under the Articles of Confederation?

Possible Answers:

All of these were problems faced by the Federal government under the Articles of Confederation.

It could not raise or levy taxes on citizens.

It could not draft soldiers or maintain an adequate militia.

It was in massive debt from the Revolutionary War.

It had no established national currency.

Correct answer:

All of these were problems faced by the Federal government under the Articles of Confederation.

Explanation:

All of these answer choices were problems that the Federal government faced under the Articles of Confederation. The important thing to remember about the Articles of Confederation is that the Federal government had almost no power to do just about anything we contemporarily associate with a national government. It was almost completely beholden to the states, and it did not take long before the early political figures of America realized that such a system could not function in a large democratic society, like the United States.

Example Question #1 :Concerns And Fears

How did Shays’ Rebellion primarily influence the drafting of the United States Constitution?

Possible Answers:

It demonstrated that the Executive Branch should be heavily limited, so as to prevent tyrannical abuses of power.

It supported the adoption of a Bill of Rights in the Constitution.

It demonstrated the need for a strong centralized government to preserve order and peace.

It demonstrated that slavery was a contentious issue which would be resolved permanently in the Constitution

It supported the idea that slavery should remain legal under the new Constitution.

Correct answer:

It demonstrated the need for a strong centralized government to preserve order and peace.

Explanation:

Shays’ Rebellion is generally considered to be the primary turning point that finally demonstrated the inefficacy of the Articles of Confederation. Under the Article's the inability of the United States Government to fund a response to the rebellion was cause for great concern among the majority of the Constitutional Framers. Many historians consider that the timing of Shays’ Rebellion was crucial for ensuring that the government created by the Constitution would be both stronger and more centralized than that of the Articles of Confederation.

Example Question #2 :Concerns And Fears

InFederalist No. 10, the author, James Madison, is primarily concerned with __________.

Possible Answers:

America’s international standing and reputation

the rise of political factions

the tyranny of central government

the lack of a Bill of Rights in the Constitution

arguing for a stronger separation of powers

Correct answer:

the rise of political factions

Explanation:

Federalist No. 10is an article, written by James Madison as part of the collection of essays arguing in favor of ratifying the Constitution, collectively called The Federalist Papers. InFederalist No. 10, Madison warns against the rise of political factions, advising common citizens and politicians on how to guard against the rise of factions. As part of his support for the Constitution, Madison notes that a larger republic would be less likely to be dominated by factionalism than would a smaller republic: (so, the states would have more trouble guarding against factionalism alone than they would as a collective national government).

Example Question #5 :Concerns And Fears

How did the French and Indian War primarily contribute to the deteriorating relationship between Britain and the American colonies?

Possible Answers:

Britain raised taxes and put the financial burden of the war effort on the colonies.

America refused to cooperate with the British forces, siding with the French forces.

British troops ransacked American towns and disrespected American communities.

英国在殖民住宅和驻扎军队refused to leave once the war ended.

Britain allowed Native Americans to gain extra territory at the expense of the Westernmost colonies.

Correct answer:

Britain raised taxes and put the financial burden of the war effort on the colonies.

Explanation:

法国和印度的战争是th的一部分e larger Seven Years War between the British and French Empires. It resulted in an overwhelming victory for the British Empire, but may have proved the final straw that ended up costing the British Empire its American colonies. Although it is true that the British quartered troops in colonial homes, this question asks how the French and Indian War primarily contributed to the deteriorating relationship. The main reason was that the British government felt that the American colonies should bear the majority of the financial burden for protecting colonial lands, and thus raised taxes for this purpose. This helped create the revolutionary cry of "no taxation without representation."

Example Question #6 :Concerns And Fears

For what purpose were the Federalist Papers written?

Possible Answers:

To defend the Articles of Confederation

To persuade the public not to support the ratification of the Constitution

To persuade the public to support the ratification of the Constitution

To highlight the deficiencies of the Articles of Confederation

To campaign for an inclusion of a Bill of Rights in the Constitution

Correct answer:

To persuade the public to support the ratification of the Constitution

Explanation:

The Federalist Papers were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, in 1787 and 1788. Their purpose was to try to persuade the general public to support the ratification of the Constitution. If you did not know this, it is helpful to remember that the key is in the name—Federalist. The Federalists supported Constitutional ratification, whereas the Anti-Federalists opposed it.

Example Question #2 :Concerns And Fears

The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions are related to __________.

Possible Answers:

the issue of nullification

None of the other answers

the counting of slaves for representation in Congress

tariffs on foreign goods

the extension of slavery into the territories

Correct answer:

the issue of nullification

Explanation:

The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions argued that the states could deem a Federal law unconstitutional and then, having done so, declare the law null and void. They were immediately controversial with many politicians, including George Washington, stating that the principle was a recipe for disunion (something he would be proved at least partially right about). The nullification issue would continue throughout the first half of the nineteenth century, contributing directly to the outbreak of Civil War.

Example Question #3 :Concerns And Fears

The Establishment Clause states that __________.

Possible Answers:

Congress will not make any laws regarding the establishment of a state religion

Congress cannot make any laws regarding the prohibition of religion

the President must consult Congress before declaring war

the President cannot be impeached without a two-thirds majority vote in both houses of Congress

the President has the sole right to make judicial appointments

Correct answer:

Congress will not make any laws regarding the establishment of a state religion

Explanation:

The Establishment Clause appears in the Constitution as part of the First Amendment. It states that the Federal government will make no laws regarding the establishment of an official state religion.

Example Question #9 :Concerns And Fears

Shays’ Rebellion primarily contributed to__________.

Possible Answers:

the weakening of British forces during the War of Independence

the downfall of the British forces in the War of 1812

the demise of the Articles of Confederation

the strengthening of the United States Constitution under George Washington

the declining influence of the judiciary under Chief Justice Taney

Correct answer:

the demise of the Articles of Confederation

Explanation:

Shays’ Rebellion took place in 1786 and 1787 in the years between American independence and the adoption of the Constitution. The rebellion was lead in part by Daniel Shays, and the rebels were dissatisfied with the state of government and tried to overthrow the government in Massachusetts. The rebellion was important for demonstrating to the Founding Fathers the limitations of the Articles of Confederation and was one of the primary motivations behind drawing up a stronger national constitution and abolishing the Articles of Confederation.

Example Question #10 :Concerns And Fears

Federalist No. 51is primarily concerned with__________.

Possible Answers:

warning against the rise of political factions

explaining the need for maintaining a strong navy and militia force

explaining why a Bill of Rights would be a hindrance to progress that could be made by a national government

advocating the doctrine of Manifest Destiny

arguing in favor of a strict separation of powers in a republican government

Correct answer:

arguing in favor of a strict separation of powers in a republican government

Explanation:

Federalist No. 51is an essay written by James Madison as part of the larger collection of essays calledThe Federalist Papers. In this essay, Madison argues why a separation of powers is necessary in a Republican government to provide protection against the tyranny of any one part of the government.

← Previous 1 3
Learning Tools by Varsity Tutors