US History Quiz 6A - The Constitution (15 Questions)

The following is a quiz with The Constitution (Unwritten, Tested, and Interpreted) based questions. Take this quiz as often as you would like. You goal for this exam should be 60% or higher.

1 The establishment of a Cabinet and political parties during the administration of George Washington best illustrates

	the early development of the "unwritten constitution"
	the application of specific provisions of the United States Constitution
	efforts to maintain a division of power between the three branches of government
	the use of the amending process to the Constitution

2 Which political development in the United States is considered part of the unwritten constitution?

	system of checks and balances
	system of political parties
	power of the President to grant pardons
	power of Congress to issue patents

3 Base your answer to question on the following poster and on your knowledge of social studies.

Source: Washington and His Cabinet, 1876

Disagreements between members of Washington's cabinet shown in this illustration contributed most directly to which of the following?

	President Washington's decision not to seek a third term
	a decrease in federal power during Washington's time as president
	formation of the country's first political parties
	creation of a system of military alliances with European powers

4 Which of the following best describes the purpose of the cabinet shown in this illustration?

	advise the president on important issues
	interpret laws and government actions using the Constitution
	write and approve new legislation
	vote on nominees for vacancies on the Supreme Court

5 Political parties, the president's cabinet, and national nominating conventions are considered examples of

	delegated powers
	separation of powers
	the elastic clause
	the unwritten constitution

6 Congress established a minimum wage for workers and regulations on radio broadcasts by combining its delegated power to regulate interstate commerce with the

	sanctity of contract clause
	due process clause
	elastic clause
	writ of habeas corpus clause

7 One reason the United States Constitution is considered a flexible document is that it

	can be rewritten every ten years
	allows for the creation of a multiparty political system
	gives the states the power to change federal laws
	includes the elastic clause

8 The Congress shall have Power . . . To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested [granted] by thisConstitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof. . . ."

This section of the United States Constitution was frequently used during the 20th century to

	expand federal control of interstate commerce
	reduce the number of federal courts
	overturn decisions of the electoral college
	impeach the president

9 From 1798 to 1800, following the XYZ Affair, the United States waged an undeclared Naval War against which country?

	France
	Great Britain
	Portugal
	Spain

10 Which statement from the United States Constitution is referred to as the elastic clause?

	“All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States. . . . ”
	“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. . . . ”
	“All bills for raising revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives. . . . ”
	“Congress shall have power . . . to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers. . . . ”

11 Before the Civil War, the collapse of the Whig Party and the formation of the Free Soil and the Republican parties showed that

	opposing views on slavery affected national unity
	Americans were united in their political views
	major political parties received most of their support in the South
	Americans were divided over the issue of unlimited coinage of silver

12 Which presidential role resulted from practice and custom rather than from constitutional authority?

	commander in chief
	chief executive
	head of his political party
	head of state

13 During the presidency of George Washington, disagreements between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson over the interpretation of the Constitution contributed to the

	impeachment of federal judges
	defeat of the Whiskey Rebellion
	formation of political parties
	elimination of the commerce clause

14 Base your answer on the following passage and on your knowledge of social studies.

"It is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is. Those who apply the rule to particular cases, must of necessity expound and interpret that rule. If two laws conflict with each other, the courts must decide on the operation of each.

So if a law be in opposition to the constitution... and the constitution is superior to any ordinary act of the legislature, the constitution, and not such ordinary act, must govern the case to which they both apply...

... the constitution of the United States confirms and strengthens the principle, supposed to be essential to all written constitutions, that a law repugnant to the constitution is void; and that courts, as well as other departments, are bound by that instrument."

Source:Chief Justice John Marshall, Marbury v. Madison, 1803

Which of the following is an example of the "principle" described in this Supreme Court decision?

	The Senate confirms a president's nominee to the Supreme Court.
	The Supreme Court overturns a federal regulation as unconstitutional.
	The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court oversees the impeachment trial of a president.
	The Supreme Court rules that a lower court did not follow proper procedure when trying a case.

15 Alexander Hamilton’s proposal to create a national bank and Thomas Jefferson’s proposal to purchase the Louisiana Territory were criticized because both actions would

	place too much power in the hands of Congress
	violate protections in the Bill of Rights
	increase foreign influence in the United States
	require a loose interpretation of the Constitution

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