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H5 Practice 11 17 09
Mr Eisenberg |
TEACHER ANSWER KEY
November 17, 2009 |
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1. Base your answer on the passage below and on your knowledge of social studies.
You
have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to
speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided
for you at government expense.
-- www.usconstitution.net
The requirements included in this passage are part of the Supreme
Court's effort to protect the rights of |
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| 1. individuals accused of crimes |
3. defendants from double jeopardy |
| 2. students from unreasonable searches |
4. criminals from cruel and unusual punishment |
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1 The requirements included in the passage are part of the Supreme Court's effort to protect the rights
of individuals accused of crimes. Police officers must read this passage to people when they are arrested. This requirement
followed the Supreme Court decision in the case of Miranda v. Arizona (1966). The Miranda decision revolved
around the issue of self-incrimination. The 5th Amendment states that people do not have to testify against themselves. But
that right is meaningless if arrested people are not aware of it. In this decision, the Court ruled that arrested people must
be read basic rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to have a lawyer.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2)
The requirement to read the passage is not part of the effort to protect the rights of students from unreasonable searches.
The Supreme Court has ruled, in the case of New Jersey v. TLO (1985) that students have fewer rights under the 4th
Amendment than adults do. The 4th Amendment protects people from searches unless the police have first obtained a warrant.
Administrators in schools, however, have the right to search students if they have reasonable cause.
(3) The requirement
to read the passage is not part of the effort to protect defendants from double jeopardy. The 5th Amendment states that people
shall not be tried twice for the same offense. The Constitution gives the state one attempt to bring a case against an accused
person. If the state is not successful in convincing a jury of the defendant's guilt, then the defendant is free and cannot
be tried again for that crime. If the defendant is found guilty, then he or she may appeal that verdict to a higher court.
(4)
The requirement to read the passage is not part of the effort to protect criminals from cruel and unusual punishment. The
8th Amendment protects people from cruel and unusual punishment. Opponents of the death penalty have argued that capital punishment
constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. The Supreme Court has not agreed. In the case of Furman v. Georgia (1972),
the Court briefly banned capital punishment but only two justices argued that it constituted cruel and unusual punishment.
In 1976, the Court allowed for the reinstatement of capital punishment if the methods for implementing it were not random
and capricious. |
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2. Base your answer on the following quotation and on your knowledge of social studies.
.
. . The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public
Safety may require it. . . .
— Article I, Section 9, Clause 2,
United States Constitution
During which war was
the writ of habeas corpus suspended by the president? |
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| 1. Revolutionary War |
3. Mexican War |
| 2. War of 1812 |
4. Civil War |
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4 The writ of habeas corpus was suspended by President Lincoln during the Civil War. In 1863, he authorized
the arrest without due process of people he thought were aiding the Southern cause. By the end of the war, over 14,000 people
had been arrested under Lincoln's wartime provisions. Most of those arrested, however, were people actively aiding the Southern
side in the Civil War. The Democratic Party, the party of the southern slaveholders, still operated openly in the North during
the war, running a vigorous campaign for president against Lincoln in 1864.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1)
The Revolutionary War occurred before the Constitution was written.
(2) President Madison did not suspend the writ of habeas
corpus during the War of 1812. The war was unpopular among some Americans, especially among New England merchants who saw
their trade with England disappear, but there were no political arrests of opponents of the war.
(3) President Polk did
not suspend the writ of habeas corpus during the brief Mexican War (1848). Abraham Lincoln, then a representative from Illinois,
opposed Polk's decision to declare war on Mexico, challenging Polk's assertion that Mexican forces shed American blood on
American soil. Henry David Thoreau, the transcendentalist writer, was arrested during the war for nonpayment of taxes. As
a pacifist, Thoreau refused to contribute to the funding of the war. No one was arrested for holding political views during
this war. |
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3. The first amendment of the Constitution deals primarily with |
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| 1. states' rights |
3. rights of the accused |
| 2. property rights |
4. rights of self-expression |
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4 The 1st Amendment of the Constitution deals primarily with the right to self-expression. Specifically,
the amendment states that Congress cannot make laws abridging freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to worship,
the right to assemble, or the right to petition the government. The amendment also states that there shall be no established,
or official, religion in the United States.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1) States' rights are protected in
the 10th Amendment.
(2) Property rights are protected in the 5th Amendment. The amendment states that private property
shall not be taken by the government unless it is for public use and the owner is justly compensated. This power of the government
to take private property is called eminent domain.
(3) Rights of the accused are found in the 5th and 6th Amendments.
The 5th Amendment includes the right not be tried twice for the same crime and the right not to testify against yourself.
The 6th Amendment includes the right to a speedy and public trial and the right to have a lawyer in court. |
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4. What is the primary constitutional principle exemplified by the United States Senate's
rejection of a treaty? |
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| 1. federalism |
3. States rights |
| 2. checks and balances |
4. executive privilege |
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2 The constitutional principle shown when the Senate rejects a treaty is that of checks and balances.
Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution gives the President the power to negotiate treaties and conduct foreign affairs.
However, the same article provides that treaties must be ratified by two-thirds of the Senate. Thus, the Senate is given the
power to check the power of the President by turning down a treaty that it believes is not in the best interests of the nation.
This happened in 1919, when the Senate rejected the Treaty of Versailles that established the League of Nations.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) and (3) Negotiating and ratifying treaties are exclusively the province of the federal government.
Federalism refers to the system of government that provides for some powers to be exercised by the states, whereas others
are reserved for the federal government. States have no rights when it comes to making treaties with other nations. (4) Executive
privilege is not a constitutional principle. It is an assumed right that the executive department may keep its internal correspondence
confidential. |
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5. Under the United States Constitution, state governments have the power to |
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| 1. coin money |
3. regulate interstate commerce |
| 2. license teachers |
4. establish term limits for members of Congress |
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2 Under the United States Constitution, state governments have the power to license teachers. Control
of education is one of the powers reserved to the states by the Tenth Amendment, which states that "powers not delegated to
the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states." Because Article I,
Section 8, where the powers of Congress are specified, does not include education, it is reserved to the states. Licensing
of teachers is assumed to be one of the elements of state regulation of education.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
and (3) Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution specifically gives Congress the power to coin money and regulate interstate
commerce. These powers are denied to the states by the Constitution.
(4) In the 1990s, some states tried to establish
term limits for members of Congress. However, the Supreme Court ruled in U.S. Term Limits v. Thornton (1995)
that qualifications for members of Congress are specified by the Constitution in Article I, Section 2, and that states cannot
add other qualifications. Thus, term limits could only be added by amending the Constitution. |
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6. "Illegally obtained evidence cannot be used in a court of law."
This statement is
based on a person's constitutional right to |
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| 1. face an accuser in open court |
3. a speedy and public trial by an impartial jury |
| 2. protection against double jeopardy |
4. protection against unreasonable searches and seizures |
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4 The quotation refers to the exclusionary rule, a protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.
The Fourth Amendment states that persons and their homes cannot be searched and evidence seized unless authorities first obtain
a search warrant, which can only be issued by a judge based on probable cause. To discourage police from conducting illegal
searches, the Supreme Court has ruled that illegally obtained evidence cannot be used in a trial against the owner of the
seized property. The exclusionary rule was first applied to federal officers in Weeks v. United States (1914)
and to state police in Mapp v. Ohio (1961).
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) and (3) The Sixth
Amendment to the Constitution gives the accused the right to be confronted by witnesses against him or her and to a speedy
and public trial by an impartial jury. These are rights of the accused in addition to the Fourth Amendment protection against
illegal searches and seizures.
(2) The Fifth Amendment states that no person shall "be subject for the same offence to
be twice put in jeopardy of life and limb." This double jeopardy protection means that a defendant who has been declared innocent
of a crime cannot be arrested and tried again for the same crime. Otherwise, a determined prosecutor could keep trying a person
until a jury comes up with a conviction. |
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7. The Bill of Rights was added to the United States Constitution to |
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| 1. provide the president with the power to enforce the laws |
3. establish a presidential cabinet |
| 2. protect individuals' civil liberties |
4. guarantee voting privileges to all citizens |
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2 The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to protect individual liberties. In 1788 a number
of states were reluctant to ratify the Constitution because it did not contain a Bill of Rights, as did many state constitutions.
Commitments to add the first ten amendments as the first order of business of the First Congress ensured the ratification
of the Constitution. The Bill of Rights includes guarantees of freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion and protections
of the rights of the accused.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Article I, Sections 1 and 2 of the original Constitution
give the President the power to enforce the laws. The purpose of the Bill of Rights was to further limit the power of the
federal government.
(3) The Constitution does not specifically create a cabinet; however, Article I, Section 2 implies
the existence of a cabinet by noting that there would be "principal officers in each of the executive departments" who would
be subordinate to the President.
(4) The Bill of Rights makes no reference to voting. The original Constitution requires
that the members of the House of Representatives be elected by the people and gives the states control of the election process
and voter qualifications. Amendments after the first ten--the Bill of Rights--broadened the electorate to include women, former
slaves, and citizens over eighteen years of age. |
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8. "We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of 'separate but equal'
has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal."
--Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Which constitutional idea was the basis for this Supreme
Court decision? |
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| 1. protection against double jeopardy |
3. freedom of speech |
| 2. equal protection of the law |
4. right of assembly |
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2 The Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that segregation of the
races in public schools is inherently unequal and thereby is a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause.
According to the unanimous decision, "separate but equal" facilities no longer meet the test of fairness and equality required
by the Fourteenth Amendment, which affirms that no state shall "deny to any persons within its jurisdiction the equal protection
of the law."
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The double jeopardy clause of the Fifth Amendment protects criminal
defendants from being tried twice for the same crime.
(3) and (4) Freedom of speech and assembly are guaranteed to all
people by the First Amendment, whereas the Brown decision applies only to the racial segregation of children in public
schools. |
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9. The Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade (1973) was based on the constitutional
principle of |
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| 1. protection of property rights |
3. right to privacy |
| 2. freedom of speech |
4. freedom of religion |
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3 In the Roe v. Wade decision (1973), the Supreme Court declared that states shall not prohibit
women from having an abortion during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. Previously the decision had been left to the states,
and many states forbade abortions. The Supreme Court reasoned that the Constitution guaranteed people the right to privacy.
Abortion, they argued, was a decision that should be left to the woman with the advice of her physician. This decision echoed
the reasoning of an earlier decision, Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), in which the Court ruled that laws forbidding
the use of birth control devices were unconstitutional. The issue of abortion has proved to be one of the most contentious
issues in America in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Property rights
was not an issue in Roe v. Wade. Property rights has been at the center of cases involving government use of eminent
domain and zoning decisions.
(2) Abortion is not a free speech issue.
(4) Even though the debate around abortion has
religious overtones, especially on the antiabortion or pro-life side, the case of Roe v. Wade does not touch on the
right to practice religion freely. |
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10. Delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 adopted the Great Compromise to settle
differences over |
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| 1. slavery |
3. interstate trade |
| 2. representation in Congress |
4. taxation |
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2 Delegates to the Constitutional Convention adopted the Great Compromise to resolve differences over
representation in Congress. New Jersey, supported by other small states, wanted each state to have equal representation, as
in the Congress under the Articles of Confederation. Virginia, supported by other large states, proposed that representation
should be based on population. The delegates from Connecticut proposed what became known as the Great Compromise. Congress
would be a two-chamber legislature with a House of Representatives whose delegations from states would be proportional to
population and a Senate with equal representation from each state.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Slavery was
not mentioned in the Constitution because the delegates to the Constitutional Convention realized that the divisive issue
would ruin any chances for agreement on a proposed Constitution. Indirect references to slavery were made in the three-fifths
compromise over inclusion of slaves in the populations of states for purposes of taxation and representation and in the ban
on legislation to block the slave trade until 1808.
(3) The disruption in trade brought about by states controlling interstate
commerce under the Articles of Confederation led to proposals to revise the Articles or adopt a new Constitution. The delegates
to the Constitutional Convention agreed that the federal government would control interstate commerce while states retained
control over commerce within their boundaries.
(4) Delegates readily agreed that the federal government should have the
right to impose taxes in order to support government operations. They were aware that the government under the Articles of
Confederation was crippled by its dependence on contributions from states to fund its activities. |
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11. Which concept from the European Enlightenment was included in the United States Constitution? |
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| 1. absolutism |
3. limited monarchy |
| 2. despotism |
4. consent of the governed |
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4 The political philosophers of the European Enlightenment had a significant impact on political development
in the English colonies in North America. The English philosopher John Locke wrote in The Second Treatise on Government
(1690) that the power of government is derived from the people, who have the natural right to protect their lives, liberty,
and property and who create government to help protect those rights. Locke believed that a parliament expressed the consent
of the governed. The original Constitution of the United States created a two-house legislature with an elected House of Representatives
similar to the British House of Commons and an appointed Senate to emulate the British House of Lords.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(1) and (2) The philosophers of the European Enlightenment opposed absolutism and despotism because they
threatened the natural rights of the people and ignored the consent of the governed. The Constitution avoids absolutism and
despotism by creating a federal system, limiting the powers of government, and including a Bill of Rights.
(3) Many of
the European Enlightenment philosophers advocated a limited monarchy as the best form of government. Though some American
colonists preferred a king with limited powers, the United States Constitution rejected the idea by providing for an elected
President with a limited term of office as the chief executive of the nation. |
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12. A system of checks and balances was included in the United States Constitution because
the authors were concerned about |
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| 1. one branch of government becoming too strong |
3. the people having a voice in government |
| 2. the states having too much power |
4. the military gaining control of the United States |
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1 A system of checks and balances was included in the Constitution to prevent any one branch of government
from becoming too powerful. Remembering that the Revolutionary War was fought to free themselves from a tyranny, the Founding
Fathers did not want to create a new one. To that end, the three branches of government--executive, legislative, and judicial--were
granted powers to block the other two branches from becoming tyrannical. The President can veto laws passed by Congress; however,
Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds vote. Congress can impeach members of the judicial and executive branches
who abuse their powers and remove them from office if convicted in a trial. The President, Vice President, and members of
Congress are elected for specific terms and must periodically go back to the voters to remain in office. However, members
of the judiciary have lifetime terms of office to insulate them from political pressures in rendering their decisions.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) The system of checks and balances refers only to the federal government. The powers of the states
are limited in the Constitution by Article I, Section 10, which forbids certain powers to the states, and by Section 8, which
defines the broad powers of the federal government. However, states retained considerable powers to tax, police powers, and
control of intrastate commerce and the health, safety, and welfare of their citizens.
(3) Giving people a voice in government
was part of the grand design of the Constitution to prevent a tyranny. However, the Founding Fathers had enough distrust of
democracy that they gave the people a direct voice only in electing members of the House of Representatives. The President
was to be selected by an electoral college and the members of the Senate by state legislatures.
(4) The military is part
of the executive branch of government. The Constitution provides for civilian control of the military by making the President
commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Congress exerts influence on the armed forces by control of the military budget. |
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13. "The Constitution is as the Supreme Court interprets it."
--President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Which
constitutional principle does this quotation best describe? |
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| 1. judicial review |
3. federalism |
| 2. reserved powers |
4. concurrent powers |
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1The quotation describes the constitutional principle of judicial review, established in another significant
Supreme Court decision under the leadership of John Marshall. Marbury v. Madison (1803) established that laws passed by Congress
or actions of the Executive Branch were null and void if they were not authorized by the Constitution, as determined by the
Supreme Court in cases brought before it. The decision expanded the power of the Supreme Court, even though judicial review
was not specifically authorized by the Constitution.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(2) Reserved powers are those powers
retained by the states in accordance with the Ninth and Tenth Amendments to the Constitution. The states exercise those powers
not specifically delegated to Congress by Article 1, Section 8, and to the President by Article 2, Section 2, or powers not
specifically forbidden to the states by Article 1, Section 10.
(3) Federalism means that the United States is a government
of states that retain some powers and responsibilities while a central government exercises other powers and responsibilities.
(4)
Concurrent powers are powers exercised by both the states and the central government. Both states and the federal government
can levy taxes and establish court systems to try those who violate their laws. |
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14. The amendment process was included in the United States Constitution in order to |
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| 1. remove government officials from political office |
3. allow government to meet the changing needs of society |
| 2. check the power of the Supreme Court |
4. preserve the federal system of government |
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3 The Constitution does not state why it included an amending process; however, political scientists
generally agree that constitutions should include a procedure for changing the basic law of the land to reflect changing needs
of society and changing values of the people and to correct errors or omissions in the original document. By the end of the
nineteenth century many Americans believed that a Senate made up of senators appointed by state legislatures was undemocratic.
The Seventeenth Amendment provided for the direct election of senators. The Twelfth Amendment was ratified only sixteen years
after the Constitution was ratified because the original document contained provisions about the election of the President
and Vice President that were awkward and didn't work out the way the Founding Fathers intended.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
The original Constitution provides for the removal from office of the President, Vice President, other executive branch officials
and members of the judicial branch upon impeachment and conviction for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanors."
The House of Representatives has the power to impeach, after which the Senate conducts a trial that requires a two-thirds
vote to convict. Each house of Congress has the power to expel its own members by a two-thirds vote.
(2) The primary check
upon the power of the Supreme Court is the authority provided in the original Constitution for the House of Representatives
to impeach and the Senate to convict an errant justice. Any other attempt to reduce the power of the Supreme Court would require
an amendment to the Constitution.
(4) The federal system of government is built into the basic provisions of the Constitution.
The amendment process has been used to make government more democratic and to protect the rights of individuals. One consequence
of the amendment process has been to make the federal government more powerful by limiting the powers of the states, most
specifically by the Fourteenth Amendment. |
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15. Which United States Supreme Court decision assured accused persons the right to be informed
of certain constitutional rights at the time of their arrest? |
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| 1. Engel v. Vitale |
3. Miranda v. Arizona |
| 2. Baker v. Carr |
4. Gideon v. Wainwright |
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3 The Supreme Court decision in Miranda v. Arizona (1966) established that the Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth
Amendments guarantee defendants' rights to remain silent during questioning by the police and to consult with an attorney
while under arrest. Miranda was convicted of violent crimes based, in part, on a confession obtained under police questioning
without his being advised of his constitutional rights. His conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court. Since 1966, police
recite what has come to be called the "Miranda Rights" when arresting suspects. Defendants are advised of their right to remain
silent, that anything they say may be used against them in court, the right to consult with an attorney, and the right to
be provided with an attorney if they cannot afford one.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Engel v. Vitale (1962)
confirmed the First Amendment prohibition against government establishment of religion. (2) The Supreme Court ruled in Baker
v. Carr (1962) that legislative districts for elections to state legislatures must conform to the "one person, one vote" rule
by being approximately equal in population. Legislative reapportionment was required by the equal protection of the law clause
in the Fourteenth Amendment. (4) In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the Supreme Court established that states must provide poor
defendants with attorneys to help them in their defense against even minor crimes. The Sixth Amendment right to counsel was
extended to the states by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. |
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16. This statement is an example of a citizen's constitutional right to |
 |
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| 1. petition for a redress of grievances |
3. receive a speedy, public trail |
| 2. seek election to public office |
4. assemble peacefully |
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1 The statement made by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton is an example of a citizen's right
to petition the government for a redress of grievances. This right is specified in the First Amendment to the Constitution.
Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were leaders in the women's suffrage movement. Their grievance was that women
did not have the right to vote. They were appealing to Congress to end the discrimination against women by permitting women's
suffrage.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) The statement did not refer directly to the right to run for public office.
However, it could be inferred that the right of women to vote also meant the right to run for public office. The Constitution
is not gender specific; all references to people are as persons. However, state laws, political party rules, and customs prevented
women from being candidates for public office. (3) Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were not seeking their rights
under the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution to a speedy trial. Ms. Anthony had already been tried and convicted of a crime
for attempting to vote. (4) The statement was presented in writing to Congress. It was not an example of the right to assemble
peacefully. Ms. Anthony and Ms. Stanton already exercised that right when they met with other women to form organizations
dedicated to gaining women the right to vote. |
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17. Constitutional amendments have been proposed to ban forced busing, forbid abortion,
and prohibit burning the United States flag. These proposals indicate that |
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| 1. the Constitution is an inflexible document |
3. some people disagree with certain Supreme Court decisions |
| 2. amending the Constitution is a simple process |
4. American society has been unwilling to deal with complex social issues |
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3 Constitutional amendments proposed in recent years have been put forth in response to Supreme Court
decisions that are unpopular among some groups in American society. Many people opposed busing programs adopted by school
districts to integrate schools to comply with the Brown v. Topeka Board of Education (1954) decision that ended racial segregation
of the public schools. Others opposed a 1989 decision that allowed the burning of the American flag as a form of symbolic
speech protected by the First Amendment. The Roe v. Wade (1973) decision allowing abortions has been the center of controversy
for a quarter of a century. Those opposing the Supreme Court decisions realize that one way to reverse them is to change the
Constitution.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The Constitution is a flexible document, as demonstrated by the fact
that it has been amended twenty-seven times to reflect changing values. (2) Amending the Constitution is complex. It requires
a majority vote in Congress before it is submitted to the states, three fourths of which must ratify it before it can become
part of the Constitution. (4) The fact that amendments have been proposed shows that Americans feel strongly about the complex
issues. |
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18. "Senate Fails To Ratify Treaty of Versailles", "President Truman Vetoes Taft-Hartley
Act","Senate Rejects Nomination of Robert Bork to Supreme Court". These headlines illustrate the constitutional principle
of |
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| 1. republicanism |
3. due process of law |
| 2. executive privilege |
4. separation of powers |
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4 The headlines refer to the separation of powers. Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution gives the
Senate the power to ratify or reject, as they did with the Treaty of Versailles, a treaty recommended to them by the President.
Article I, Section 7 gives the President the power to veto an act of Congress; however, Congress can override the veto by
a two-thirds vote, as happened with the Taft-Hartley Act. Article II, Section 2 also gives the Senate the power to approve
nominees to the Supreme Court. In 1987, the Senate refused to accept President Reagan's nomination of Robert Bork to the Supreme
Court.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Republicanism is a general concept of government. The three headlines refer
to specific events and powers of branches of government. (2) Executive privilege is not a constitutional principle. It is
an implied right of the executive branch to withhold certain information from Congress. It is not a factor in the events of
the three headlines. (3) Due process of law is a right of the people specified in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. It
is not a factor in the events of the three headlines. |
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19. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, a major obstacle to drafting a new constitution
was the |
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| 1. disagreement between the states over representation in Congress |
3. delegates' lack of talent and lack of government experience |
| 2. controversy over the separation between church and state |
4. hostility of the Federalists |
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1 A major controversy developed at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 regarding representation in
Congress. Small states, such as New Jersey and Rhode Island, wanted Congress to be a single-chamber legislature in which states
had equal representation, as in the Congress under the Articles of Confederation. Large states, such as Virginia and Massachusetts,
wanted representation in the single-chamber legislature to be more equitably based on population. The controversy was resolved
by the Connecticut plan, a proposal to create a two-chamber legislature made up of a Senate with equal representation for
each state and a House of Representatives with the size of a state's delegation based on their population.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(2) Separation of church and state was not a major issue at the Constitutional Convention. Many state legislatures
had already included the principle of freedom of religion in their own constitutions. Under pressure from a number of states,
the concept was later included in the Bill of Rights as a condition for their ratification of the Constitution. (3) The delegates
to the Constitutional Convention were among the best educated, knowledgeable, and politically experienced men in the United
States. Many had served in the Continental Congress and as leaders in their state governments. (4) The Federalists were major
supporters of a strong central government at the Constitutional Convention. They were among the writers of the Federalist
Papers that argued for ratification of the proposed Constitution. |
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20. At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, a major conflict between delegates centered
on the issue of |
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| 1. giving women the right to vote |
3. setting the length of the President's term of office |
| 2. structuring the Federal court system |
4. determining the basis for representation in Congress |
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4 A major conflict developed during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 over the basis for representation
in Congress. Small states wanted a unicameral legislature with one vote for each state, as was the case under the Articles
of Confederation. Large states wanted representation based on population in order to increase their power in the legislature.
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, resolved the conflict by proposing a two-house legislature
that consisted of a Senate with two Senators for each state and a House of Representatives with representation based on population.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The question of giving women the right to vote was not considered at the Constitutional
Convention. The prevailing attitude at the time was that women lacked the understanding of public issues to vote intelligently.
(2) The structure of the federal court system was not a major issue at the Constitutional Convention. The delegates agreed
on the need for a federal court system; however, they only specifically provided for a Supreme Court in Article III, Section
1 and left it up to Congress to set up a system of lower courts. (3) The length of the term of office of the President was
not a major issue; however, there was considerable discussion over the means by which a President should be selected. |
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21. Which statement best expresses the meaning of the opening words of the United States
Constitution, "We the people..."? |
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| 1. Sovereignty is derived from the consent of the governed. |
3. Federal laws are subject to popular referendum. |
| 2. All citizens are guaranteed freedom of speech. |
4. Americans favor unrestricted immigration. |
|
1 The opening words in the Preamble to the Constitution, "We, the people..." imply that the national
government gets its right to rule from the people. This concept is consistent with the Declaration of Independence that stated
that "governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..." The concept of
popular sovereignty was commonly accepted among educated people who were influenced by Enlightenment philosophers.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) The Preamble to the Constitution states the reasons for establishing the Constitution. It does
not specify rights of individuals or powers of the government. (3) Federal laws are not subject to public referendum. In a
republic, elected representatives are chosen to make the laws. (4) The Preamble does not presume to identify attitudes of
the people on any issue. |
|
2
22. The United States Constitution corrected one of the major weakness of the Articles of
Confederation by |
|
| 1. granting the right of universal suffrage |
3. increasing the power of state governments |
| 2. giving the national government the power to collect taxes |
4. establishing a policy for the admission of new states |
|
2 Article I, Section 8 of the United States Constitution gives Congress "the power to lay and collect
taxes, duties, imposts, and excises" to raise money needed to provide for the defense and the welfare of the nation. This
provision corrected a major flaw in the Articles of Confederation that required Congress to ask the states for money to support
the activities of the national government. This provision limited the effectiveness of the national government because Congress
did not know if it would have enough money to pay for laws it passed.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Neither the
original United States Constitution nor the Articles of Confederation provided for universal suffrage. Both left decisions
up to the states about who could vote. The states denied the right to vote to women and slaves and gave the right to vote
only to white males who owned property. (3) A major weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that it gave too much power
to the states, a flaw that left the national government unable to function effectively. (4) Article IV, Section 3 of the Constitution
provides for the admission of new states from the territories; however, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, adopted when the
United States was governed under the Articles of Confederation, had already established criteria and procedures for the admission
of new states. |
|
1
23. What is an example of the unwritten constitution in the United States? |
|
| 1. system of political parties |
3. guarantee of freedom of religion |
| 2. operation of checks and balances |
4. sharing of power between state and national governments |
|
1 The system of political parties is an example of the unwritten constitution. The unwritten constitution
includes those organizations and procedures basic to the operation of government, but not included in the Constitution. The
Constitution makes no mention of political parties, nor does it provide for a means of nominating candidates for federal office.
Political parties developed outside the structure of government to meet that need.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2),
(3), and (4) are specifically provided for within the Constitution. The Constitution provides for checks and balances by giving
Congress certain powers in Article 1, Section 8, the President certain powers in Article 2, Section 2, and establishes an
independent judiciary in Article 3. Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the 1st Amendment to the Constitution. Federalism,
or the sharing of powers by the states and the federal government, is provided for by the 10th Amendment. |
|
4
24. "... no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, ... and particularly describing
the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
This section of the 4th Amendment to the United
States Constitution addresses the issue of |
|
| 1. states' rights |
3. implied powers |
| 2. separation of powers |
4. limits on governmental power |
|
4 The clauses quoted in the question are taken from the 4th Amendment to the Constitution, which limits
the power of government by preventing unreasonable searches and seizures. Governments are required to obtain warrants before
they can invade a person's privacy by searching that person's home. A warrant must be issued by a judge who requires the police
to state the reasons why they want to conduct a search, what they expect to find, and where they expect to find it. The 4th
Amendment was included in the Bill of Rights because the colonists remembered when they were subjected to random searches
by British soldiers. The limit on government power was extended to state governments by the 14th Amendment.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) States' rights are addressed in the 10th Amendment, which reserves powers not specifically given
to the federal government to the states.
(2) Separation of powers is addressed in the basic Constitution by granting Congress
certain powers and the president other powers and by limiting powers of Congress and by forbidding other powers to the Congress
and to the states.
(3) The requirement to obtain search warrants that specify objects to be seized is a very specific limit
on the power of government. However, courts have interpreted this provision based on the implied powers for authorities to
protect themselves from harm. Thus police can chase a suspect into his home without a warrant under a "hot pursuit" doctrine
and search someone being placed under arrest for weapons. |
|
1
25. The flexibility of the original United States Constitution is due mainly to |
|
| 1. its provision for the amending process and judicial interpretation |
3. the extensive powers delegated to the executive branch |
| 2. its guarantees of freedom and justice for all people |
4. the willingness of the states to accept Federal control |
|
| No Explanation Available. |
|
3
26. "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by
it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
— United States Constitution, 10th amendment This part of the Bill of Rights was
intended to |
|
| 1. give the people the right to vote on important issues |
3. limit the powers of the federal government |
| 2. reduce the rights of citizens |
4. assure federal control over the states |
|
3 This part of the Bill of Rights was intended to limit the power of the federal government. The reading
is the 10th Amendment to the Constitution. It assures the states that they can retain powers that are neither given to the
federal government nor explicitly prohibited by the Constitution. The exact meaning of the amendment was the subject of a
great deal of controversy, especially before the Civil War. Southern states insisted that this amendment prohibited the federal
government from interfering in slavery. Generally, the 10th Amendment protects the right of states to regulate internal state
affairs, such as education, commerce, and local government.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The passage was
not intended to give the people the right to vote on important issues. Voting rules are mainly left to the various states,
as asserted in the 10th Amendment. Not all states allow people to vote directly on issues. It was not until the Progressive
era of the early 20th century that some states created mechanisms for individuals to vote on important issues through the
referendum process.
(2) The passage was not intended to reduce the rights of citizens. If anything, the passage would increase
the rights of citizens by making clear that powers that are not expressly given to the federal or state government, nor expressly
forbidden by law, are in the hands of the people.
(4) The passage was not intended to assure federal control over the states.
The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution assures that the Constitution and federal laws and treaties are the "supreme law
of the land." |
|
4
27. The purpose of adding the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution was to |
|
| 1. assure the end of slavery |
3. allow the adoption of new amendments |
| 2. strengthen the power of the federal government |
4. protect the people from abuse by the federal government |
|
4 The Bill of Rights protects the people from abuses by the federal government. Some states insisted
on the addition of a Bill of Rights before they agreed to ratify the Constitution because they were fearful that the central
government would become too powerful. The Bill of Rights specifies the civil rights of citizens to freedom of speech, press,
religion, and assembly. It also protects the rights of citizens from arbitrary search and arrest and the rights of the accused
to a fair trial and representation by an attorney. The American people, remembering how Great Britain violated the rights
of citizens before the Revolutionary War, did not want their new government to have the same power.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
Neither the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights makes any reference to the end of slavery. To have done so would have stopped
the southern states from agreeing to the documents. (2) The Bill of Rights begins with the words, "Congress shall make no
law . . ." The Bill of Rights weakens the federal government by denying it the right to make certain laws. (3) Article V of
the Constitution provides for amendments. It was ratified before the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution. |
|
2
28. The adoption of the Bill of Rights (1791) addressed Antifederalist criticism of the
new Constitution by |
|
| 1. providing for an indirect method of electing the president |
3. allowing the national government to coin money |
| 2. protecting citizens from abuses of power by the national government |
4. establishing a process for impeaching federal officials |
|
2 The adoption of the Bill of Rights (1791) addressed Antifederalist criticisms of the new Constitution
by protecting citizens from abuses of power by the national government. Antifederalists feared the Constitution would create
an omnipotent and unaccountable government. They had vivid memories of the intrusions of the royal British government into
their lives, and wanted to have assurances that the people would have basic protections from government abuses. The Bill of
Rights is the first ten amendments to the Constitution. The first amendment protects the people from government limitations
on freedom of expression and of religion; it also affirms the right of people to protest against government actions. In addition,
it establishes separation of church and state. The second amendment establishes the right to "bear arms." The fourth amendment
holds that people are to be free from unwarranted searches by government authorities. The fifth and sixth amendments list
a variety of protections that people have when they are accused of crimes, such as the right to a "speedy and public trial."
The eighth amendment states that the government shall not inflict "cruel and unusual" punishments on people.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The Bill of Rights does not deal with the method of electing the president. The Constitution
describes how the president is to be elected. It calls for an indirect method of electing the president. An electoral college,
rather than the people directly, decides on who becomes president.
(3) The Bill of Rights does not deal with the coining
of money. The Constitution grants Congress the power to coin money.
(4) The Bill of Rights does not deal with impeachment.
The Constitution describes how a president may be impeached and removed from office, if found guilty of "high crimes and misdemeanors." |
|
2
29. The major reason the Bill of Rights was added to the United States Constitution was
to |
|
| 1. limit the power of state governments |
3. provide for equal treatment of all people |
| 2. protect individual liberties against abuse by the federal government |
4. separate powers between the three branches of government |
|
2 The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution primarily to protect individual liberties from government
abuses. During the ratification debates after the Constitutional Convention accepted the Constitution, some states expressed
a reluctance to ratify the document because it did not list specific individual rights, as many state constitutions did. To
ensure ratification by key states, leaders gave assurances that the first order of business of the first Congress would be
to amend the Constitution to provide a Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(1) The initial effect of the Bill of Rights was to limit only the power of the federal government. The
Bill of Rights was not applied to the states until the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified in 1868. (3) The Bill of Rights was
not intended to promote equal treatment; instead it was adopted to prevent abusive treatment by the federal government. The
principle of equal treatment before the law was not adopted until the Fourteenth Amendment. (4) The principle of separation
of powers was basic to the Constitution before the Bill of Rights was adopted. The Bill of Rights initially applied only to
the federal government. Note that the wording of the First Amendment begins, "Congress shall make no law..." |
|
3
30. One similarity between the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights is that
both documents |
|
| 1. provide for a government with three separate branches |
3. stress the importance of individual liberty |
| 2. discuss colonial grievances against the monarchy |
4. criticize the practice of slavery |
|
3 The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the United States
Constitution) not only are important in United States history but are key documents in the development of ideas of democracy
and individual liberty. The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson and ratified by the Second Continental
Congress in 1776, expressed the intent of the signers and the colonists they represented to be free of British control and
to govern their own affairs. In justifying this bold move, Jefferson asserted broad concepts about equality and the rights
of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" that all men are born with. The Bill of Rights makes many of these rights
explicit. The 1st Amendment not only protects the people from the government limitations on freedom of expression and of religion
but also affirms the right of people to protest against government actions and established the separation of church and state.
The 2nd Amendment established the right to "bear arms." The 4th Amendment holds that people are to be free from unwarranted
searches by government authorities. The 5th and 6th Amendments list a variety of protections that people have when they are
accused of crimes, such as the right to a "speedy and public trial." The 8th Amendment states that the government shall not
inflict "cruel and unusual" punishments on people.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1) It is the Constitution itself
that establishes three separate branches of government - the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.
(2) The Declaration
of Independence does contain a long list of grievances against the monarchy. But the Bill of Rights, written 13 years after
independence, does not refer to the period of British rule over the colonies.
(4) Neither document criticizes the practice
of slavery. An early draft of the declaration criticized the practice of slavery, blaming the king for imposing the practice
on the colonies. Although the practice of slavery was introduced and expanded by the colonists themselves, not by the King,
this statement was too much for Southern delegates to the Second Continental Congress, and it was scrapped. In the 1800s,
the declaration was repeatedly used by abolitionists who asked how slavery could be justified if everyone is born with the
right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"? The Bill of Rights does not mention slavery. |
|
2
31. ". . . Now, one of the most essential branches of English liberty is the freedom of
one's house. A man's house is his castle; and whilst he is quiet, he is as well guarded as a prince in his castle. . . ."
-- James Otis, Against the Writs of Assistance, 1761
Which provision in the Bill of Rights
includes this same belief? |
|
| 1. right to a fair trial |
3. guarantee against double jeopardy |
| 2. protection against unreasonable search and seizure |
4. prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment |
|
2 The 4th Amendment to the Constitution states that the people shall be "secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures." In other words, governmental authorities are not permitted
to intrude upon the private lives of the people, unless they have a compelling reason to do so. In such cases, authorities
must obtain a search warrant from a judge. The 4th Amendment and the nine other initial amendments to the Constitution are
known collectively as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was added to address the fears of those who thought the Constitution
would create an omnipotent and unaccountable government. These critics of the Constitution, known as the Antifederalists,
had vivid memories of the intrusions of the royal British government into their lives and wanted to have assurances that the
people would have basic protections from government abuses.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1), (3), (4) The wrong
choices are all rights included in the Bill of Rights, but they are not the subject of the quote. The right to a fair trial
is implicit in the 6th Amendment, which provides for the right to a lawyer and a "speedy and public trial" judged by an "impartial
jury." The guarantee against double jeopardy is spelled out in the 5th Amendment. The government is given one chance to convict
someone of a crime. If the government fails in its case, the defendant does not have to worry about being prosecuted for the
same crime again in the future, even if new evidence emerges. Of course, this amendment does not bar a defendant from appealing
a guilty verdict to a higher court. The prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishment" is in the 8th Amendment. The amendment
has been used by the Supreme Court to alleviate harsh conditions in some prisons. Opponents of the death penalty have attempted
to use the language of the 8th Amendment to ban executions. Generally they have failed, although in the Furman v. Georgia
decision (1972), the Supreme Court ruled that states had to revamp death penalty procedures because many of the procedures
were "arbitrary" and "cruel." |
|
2
32. The Bill of Rights was added to the United States Constitution to |
|
| 1. provide the president with the power to enforce the laws |
3. establish a presidential cabinet |
| 2. protect individuals' civil liberties |
4. guarantee voting privileges to all citizens |
|
2 The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to protect individual liberties. In 1788 a number
of states were reluctant to ratify the Constitution because it did not contain a Bill of Rights, as did many state constitutions.
Commitments to add the first ten amendments as the first order of business of the First Congress ensured the ratification
of the Constitution. The Bill of Rights includes guarantees of freedom of speech, press, assembly, and religion and protections
of the rights of the accused.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Article I, Sections 1 and 2 of the original Constitution
give the President the power to enforce the laws. The purpose of the Bill of Rights was to further limit the power of the
federal government.
(3) The Constitution does not specifically create a cabinet; however, Article I, Section 2 implies
the existence of a cabinet by noting that there would be "principal officers in each of the executive departments" who would
be subordinate to the President.
(4) The Bill of Rights makes no reference to voting. The original Constitution requires
that the members of the House of Representatives be elected by the people and gives the states control of the election process
and voter qualifications. Amendments after the first ten--the Bill of Rights--broadened the electorate to include women, former
slaves, and citizens over eighteen years of age. |
|
4
33. The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights are similar in that both |
|
| 1. support a federal system of government |
3. provide for a system of checks and balances |
| 2. maintain the importance of a strong chief executive |
4. support limitations on governmental power |
|
4 The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights are similar in that both support limitations
on government power. The Declaration of Independence lists the various actions taken by the king that the colonists considered
abuses of power. The Declaration asserts that governments receive their right to rule from the consent of the governed and
that the people can take back their consent if government becomes abusive. The Bill of Rights begins with the words "Congress
shall make no law . . . ." The first ten amendments to the Constitution enumerate rights of the people that the government
cannot violate and prevent the government from making laws that violate freedoms of religion, press, speech, and assembly.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) and (3) The federal system of government and the principle of checks and balances are established
in the basic Constitution of the United States written in 1787. The Constitution enumerates the powers of Congress and the
powers denied to the Congress and to the states. It also gives the three branches of government--executive, legislature, and
judiciary--specific powers to check abuses of power by each other.
(2) The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of
Rights limit the powers of a chief executive. The Declaration establishes the right of the people to overthrow an abusive
ruler. The Bill of Rights bans actions by the executive as well as by the legislature that violate specific civil liberties
enumerated in the first ten amendments. |
|
2
34. The "clear and present danger" doctrine stated by the Supreme Court in the case of Schenck
v. United States (1919) had an important impact on the Bill of Rights because it |
|
| 1. limited the powers of the president |
3. clarified standards for a fair trial |
| 2. placed limits on freedom of speech |
4. expanded the rights of persons accused of crimes |
|
2 The "clear and present danger" doctrine in Schenck v. United States (1919) placed limits on
freedom of speech guaranteed by the 1st Amendment of the Constitution. Schenck was arrested during World War I for violating
the Espionage Act of 1917 that made actions to obstruct the military draft or encourage mutiny or insubordination in the military
illegal. The Supreme Court ruled that Schenck's arrest and conviction were proper because the nation in wartime had the right
to protect itself if the exercise of freedom of speech presented a danger to the nation. As an example of a proper restriction
on speech, the Supreme Court noted that no one has the right to yell "fire" in a crowded theater.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(1) The Schenck case did not limit the power of the president. Conversely, the Supreme Court expanded the
power of the president in wartime to limit the exercise of freedom of speech.
(3) The Schenck case did not consider the
fairness of the trial. It dealt with the constitutional issue of whether Schenck should have been brought to trial and convicted
for violating the Espionage Act of 1917.
(4) The rights of persons accused of crimes were expanded by a number of Supreme
Court decisions in the 1960s that considered confessions, search and seizure, and the right to counsel. |
|
4
35. Those who supported the ratification of the United States Constitution promised to add
a bill of rights in order to |
|
| 1. encourage economic development |
3. increase the power of the National Government over the states |
| 2. prevent the return of English control over the new nation |
4. persuade the anti-Federalists to accept the Constitution |
|
4 Those who supported ratification of the Constitution in 1788 promised to add a bill of rights to persuade
anti-Federalists to support the Constitution. Virginia and New York, two large states without which the new government could
not survive, were reluctant to ratify the Constitution, in part because they feared the new central government would be too
powerful. They were convinced to do so by the Federalist Papers and by commitments to limit the power of the federal government
by passing a bill of rights once the new government was formed.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The Bill of Rights
makes no mention of economic development. It limits the power of the federal government by specifying freedoms of expression
and the rights of the accused.
(2) A new constitution, with or without a bill of rights, was needed to create a nation
united and strong enough to oppose any attempts at restoration of British control.
(3) The effect of the Bill of Rights
was to weaken the power of the central government over the states by guaranteeing that many individual rights could not be
violated by the federal government and that many powers would be retained by the states. |
|
3
36. "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by
it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."
--10th amendment
This part of the Bill
of Rights was intended to |
|
| 1. give the people the right to vote on important issues |
3. limit the powers of the Federal Government |
| 2. assure the same rights to citizens of all states |
4. limit the power of the states over their citizens |
|
3 The 10th Amendment of the Bill of Rights limits the powers of the federal government by affirming that
the powers not specifically given to the federal government by Article 1, Section 8, or forbidden to the states by Article
1, Section 9, remain under the control of the states. These include, among others, regulation of commerce within the state,
marriage, divorce, adoption, crimes against the state, civil disputes, and education.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
Regulation of voting was among the powers reserved to the states. In the early years of the Republic, states established property
qualifications that denied the right to vote to many men. All women, Native American Indians, and slaves also could not vote.
(2)
The effect of the 10th Amendment was to establish that some citizens had rights that were denied to others. Each state had
its own bill of rights, or none at all.
(4) Until the 14th Amendment, the protections of rights established by the first
nine amendments limited only the federal government. Unless limited by their own bills of rights, states could establish a
religion, deny freedom of speech, and imprison suspects without a trial. |
|
3
37. The Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade (1973) was based on the constitutional
principle of |
|
| 1. protection of property rights |
3. right to privacy |
| 2. freedom of speech |
4. freedom of religion |
|
3 In the Roe v. Wade decision (1973), the Supreme Court declared that states shall not prohibit
women from having an abortion during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. Previously the decision had been left to the states,
and many states forbade abortions. The Supreme Court reasoned that the Constitution guaranteed people the right to privacy.
Abortion, they argued, was a decision that should be left to the woman with the advice of her physician. This decision echoed
the reasoning of an earlier decision, Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), in which the Court ruled that laws forbidding
the use of birth control devices were unconstitutional. The issue of abortion has proved to be one of the most contentious
issues in America in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Property rights
was not an issue in Roe v. Wade. Property rights has been at the center of cases involving government use of eminent
domain and zoning decisions.
(2) Abortion is not a free speech issue.
(4) Even though the debate around abortion has
religious overtones, especially on the antiabortion or pro-life side, the case of Roe v. Wade does not touch on the
right to practice religion freely. |
|
4
38. The cartoon most clearly implies that since its decision in Roe v. Wade the Supreme
Court has |
 |
|
| 1. ignored public opinion on the issue |
3. refused to deal with the issue again |
| 2. experienced serious conflict between female and male Justices over the issue |
4. struggled to accommodate conflicting viewpoints on the issue |
|
4 The cartoon implies that the Supreme Court has attempted to steer a middle course between conflicting
viewpoints on the issue of abortion. In 1973, the Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that women have an unrestricted right to obtain
an abortion during the first three months of a pregnancy and a limited right in the next three months. The decision was viewed
as a victory for those supporting abortion rights (pro-choice mine in the cartoon); however, it came under severe criticism
from those opposed to abortions (the pro-life mine in the cartoon). More conservative Supreme Courts have whittled away at
the Roe v. Wade decision without overturning the basic concept that a woman has a right to terminate a pregnancy. In Webster
v. Reproductive Health Services (1989), the Court ruled that a state could prevent the use of state health facilities or public
employees to perform abortions. And, in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), the Court ruled that a state could impose some
restrictions on abortion, such as requiring a waiting period and parental consent for teenagers.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
The cartoon implies that the Supreme Court pays attention to public opinion on the issue of abortion. Conservative courts
have kept the basic principle of Roe v. Wade, in part because polls indicate that public opinion favors abortion rights. However,
pro-choice advocates have many supporters in Congress. (2) The first female Justice of the Supreme Court, Sandra Day O'Connor,
has steered a middle course on the issue. She was one of the authors of the Planned Parenthood v. Casey decision. (3) The
Supreme Court has issued at least ten decisions regarding abortion rights cases since Roe v. Wade. |
|
3
39. In the Supreme Court cases New Jersey v. T.L.O. and Tinker v. Des
Moines School District, the Court ruled that |
|
| 1. individual student rights are more important than a safe school environment |
3. civil liberties can be both protected and limited in schools |
| 2. students can be expelled from school without a hearing |
4. the Bill of Rights does not apply to minors |
|
3 Two Supreme Court decisions demonstrated that civil liberties can be both protected and limited in
public schools. Students have some constitutional rights, but not to the same extent as adults. In Tinker v. Des
Moines School District (1969) the Supreme Court ruled that schools couldn't violate students' rights to freedom of expression
as long as the students didn't materially disrupt the educational process. Two Tinker children were suspended for wearing
black armbands in school to protest the war in Vietnam. The Court ruled the suspension improper because the armbands were
a form of symbolic speech protected by the 1st Amendment. The Court said, "Students do not shed their constitutional rights
at the schoolhouse gate." In New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985), the Supreme Court ruled that school authorities need
only a "reasonable suspicion" to conduct a search of a student's property whereas police need the higher standard of "probable
cause" to violate a person's 4th Amendment right to protection against unreasonable search and seizure. The Court said that
it was proper for a vice-principal to have searched the handbag of T.L.O. who had been caught smoking in a school lavatory
in violation of school rules. The search revealed not only cigarettes, but also marijuana and evidence of drug dealing.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The two cases imply that students have constitutional rights, but that a safe school environment
is more important. The Tinker children did not threaten a safe school environment, so they retained their right to freedom
of expression. However, a student using a bullhorn to express a point of view could be stopped because the action is disruptive.
Drug use and dealing is a threat to the school environment. To maintain a safe school, school authorities have the right to
search students' persons, pockets, and lockers if they suspect wrongdoing.
(2) Goss v. Lopez (1975) established
that students are entitled to a hearing before, or immediately after, being suspended from school. The Court ruled that education
is a property right that cannot be denied without due process.
(4) The cases cited in this question and other Supreme Court
decisions have established that minors have rights, but not to the same extent as adults. |
|
2
40. Which category most accurately completes the heading for the partial outline below?
I.
Supreme Court Cases that Deal With
__________________________________
A. Engel v. Vitale (1962)
B.
Tinker v. Des Moines School District (1969)
C. New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985)
D. Vernonia
School District v. Acton (1995) |
|
| 1. Right to Counsel |
3. School Integration |
| 2. Student Rights |
4. Federal Funding of Education |
|
2 The most accurate heading for the partial outline in the question is "Supreme Court Cases that Deal
With Student Rights." In the case of Engel v. Vitale (1962), the court ruled that students had the right not
to recite a school-sponsored prayer. The court ruled that the required recitation of the prayer was unconstitutional because
it violated the doctrine of separation of church and state. In the case of Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), the
court ruled that a school board prohibition against students wearing black armbands in protest of the war in Vietnam was unconstitutional.
The court ruled that students in school had the right to free speech, including symbolic speech, as long as their actions
did not interfere with the educational process. The court said, "Students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse
gate." The Supreme Court moved in a different direction in New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985) and Vernonia School
District v. Acton (1995). Both cases established limits on a student's right to privacy, and demonstrated that
students in school do not always enjoy the same constitutional liberties that adults do. The case of New Jersey v.
T.L.O. deals with the legality of student search without search warrants. T.L.O. are the initials of a female student
in a New Jersey high school whose bag was searched by school officials. In the search, evidence was found implicating her
in both taking and selling marijuana. T.L.O. was convicted of delinquency and appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that
the school's search of her bag was illegal because the school did not have a warrant, and therefore violated the 4th Amendment.
The Supreme Court ruled that the search was permissible, noting that school officials may balance a student's expectation
of privacy with the school's need to maintain discipline and security. The case of Vernonia School District v. Acton
upheld the random drug testing of students. Opponents challenged random drug testing on the grounds that it amounted to a
search without a warrant. The Supreme Court acknowledged that the drug tests amounted to a search, but ruled that a school
could conduct them. The court ruled that school districts have a legitimate interest in preventing teenage drug use.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The cases do not deal with the right to counsel. The most prominent Supreme Court decision dealing
with the right to counsel is Gideon v. Wainwright (1963). In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that the states
must provide court appointed attorneys to impoverished defendants.
(3) The cases do not deal with school integration. The
most prominent Supreme Court case that deals with school integration is Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
(1954). In this case, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation in public schools was inherently unfair and detrimental to
African American students.
(4) The cases do not deal with federal funding of education. |
|
3
41. The Supreme Court cases of Tinker v. Des Moines and New Jersey
v. TLO involved the issue of |
|
| 1. freedom of the press |
3. the rights of students in school |
| 2. freedom of religion |
4. the rights of prison inmates |
|
3 Tinker v. Des Moines and New Jersey v. TLO involved the rights of students
in public schools. Students had long questioned whether they as minors in public schools had the same constitutional rights
as adults. The Supreme Court decisions in the two cases established that they have some, but not all, of the same rights.
In the Tinker case, two students were suspended in 1965 for wearing black armbands to school to protest the Vietnam
War despite being told not to by school administrators. The Supreme Court ruled that the suspension was improper because students
had the right to freedom of speech, including symbolic speech, guaranteed by the 1st Amendment as long as there was no substantial
interference with the educational process. The Court further said that "students do not shed their constitutional rights at
the schoolhouse gate." In TLO v. New Jersey, the Supreme Court ruled that students have fewer rights under the
4th Amendment than adults. A school administrator had searched the purse of a girl caught smoking. In the search, he found
not only cigarettes, but also marijuana and evidence of drug dealing. The student claimed that the search was a violation
of the 4th Amendment protection against unreasonable search. The Supreme Court ruled that because of the nature of a school,
administrators have the right to conduct a search of a suspicious student if they have reasonable cause whereas police are
held to a higher standard of probable cause in conducting a search in a criminal investigation.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
and (2) Other court cases and administrative rulings have involved the issues of freedom of press and freedom of religion
in public schools.
(4) The Tinker and TLO cases apply only to students in public schools, not to prison inmates
who have fewer constitutional rights than students. |
|
1
42. What principle was established by the United States Supreme Court decision in Miranda
v. Arizona (1966)? |
|
| 1. Persons placed under arrest must be informed of their legal rights. |
3. Poor persons must be provided free legal counsel. |
| 2. Defendants in capital punishment cases cannot appeal their sentences. |
4. Evidence obtained by an illegal search is inadmissible in court. |
|
1 Miranda v. Arizona (1966) established the principle that criminal defendants must be
informed of their constitutional rights under the 5th, 6th, and 14th Amendments. Miranda's conviction for rape and kidnapping
was reversed by the Supreme Court because he made incriminating statements to the police without being advised that he had
a right to remain silent and to legal counsel. Today, police routinely give those under arrest their "Miranda warnings" before
questioning them.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(2) The Miranda ruling applies to any defendant in a
criminal case, not only to capital punishment crimes.
(3) The principle that poor persons must be provided with free legal
counsel was established by the ruling in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963).
(4) The principle that evidence obtained
by an illegal search cannot be used against a defendant was established by the ruling in Mapp v. Ohio (1961). |
|
1
43. One similarity in the Supreme Court decisions in Gideon v. Wainwright and Miranda
v. Arizona is that both decisions |
|
| 1. expanded the rights of the accused |
3. lengthened sentences for violent felony offenses |
| 2. improved the ability of the police to gather evidence |
4. set limits on the use of the death penalty |
|
1 Both the Gideon v. Wainwright decision (1963) and the Miranda v. Arizona decision (1966)
expanded the rights of the accused. In Gideon, the Supreme Court ruled that the states must provide court-appointed
attorneys to impoverished defendants. Previously this stipulation only applied to federal court procedures. The Miranda
v. Arizona decision revolved around the issue of self-incrimination. The 5th Amendment guarantees that people do not have
to testify against themselves. But that right is meaningless if arrested people are not aware of it. In this decision, the
Court ruled that arrested people must be read basic rights, now known as Miranda rights, including the right to remain
silent and the right to have an attorney. These decisions were issued by the Supreme Court under the leadership of Earl Warren,
who was Chief Justice from 1953 to 1969. Conservatives have accused the Warren Court of getting in the way of proper law enforcement
and letting criminals go free. Liberals have generally welcomed Warren Court decisions as promoting equal treatment in the
legal system for all people, regardless of race or class.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) These decisions do
not deal with the ability of police to gather evidence. A Supreme Court case that deals with the issue of evidence gathering
is Mapp v. Ohio (1962).
(3) These decisions do not deal with the length of prison sentences. Warren Court decisions
generally expanded the rights of accused; they did not "get tough" on criminals.
(4) Neither of these decisions has to
do with capital punishment. In the case of Furman v. Georgia (1972), the Supreme Court suspended the death penalty
on the grounds that state procedures were "arbitrary" and "cruel." In 1976, the Court approved a resumption of the death penalty
if states revamped their statutes related to death penalty procedures. |
|
2
44. The Supreme Court decisions in Mapp v. Ohio, Gideon v. Wainright,
and Miranda v. Arizona all expanded |
|
| 1. integration of public facilities |
3. presidential powers |
| 2. rights of the accused |
4. equality in the workplace |
|
2 Three major Supreme Court decisions in the 1960s expanded the rights of the accused. In Mapp
v. Ohio (1961), the Supreme Court ruled that police had to get a search warrant (unless in hot pursuit) to enter a
person's home without permission. Miss Mapp's conviction for possessing obscene material was reversed because the evidence
was found during a search conducted without a court order. The decision upheld the 4th Amendment right to be secure in one's
home unless police have a valid search warrant. In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the Supreme Court ruled that
Clarence Gideon was wrongfully convicted of a burglary because an attorney did not represent him. The 6th Amendment guarantees
the right to counsel; however, Florida provided attorneys for poor defendants only in death sentence cases. The Supreme Court
said that all defendants have the right to counsel regardless of the level of the crime and that the states are obligated
to provide counsel to poor defendants. Miranda v. Arizona (1966) expanded the rights of the accused by establishing
that defendants must be advised of their right to an attorney and their right to remain silent when being questioned by the
police. The decision was based on the 5th and 6th Amendments to the Constitution.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
Racial integration of public facilities was based on Brown v. Topeka Board of Education (1954) and the Civil
Rights Act of 1964.
(3) Presidential powers have been expanded by legislation, custom, and a number of other Supreme Court
cases. These three cases limit the powers of state and local authorities.
(4) Equality in the workplace is guaranteed by
the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bans discrimination in employment based on race or gender. |
|
4
45. The decisions of the United States Supreme Court in Miranda v. Arizona, Gideon v. Wainwright,
and Escobedo v. Illinois all advanced the |
|
| 1. voting rights of minorities |
3. principle of separation of church and state |
| 2. guarantees of free speech and press |
4. rights of accused persons |
|
4 Three major Supreme Court cases from the 1960s advance the rights of the accused. In Miranda v. Arizona
(1966), the court ruled that defendants must be advised of their constitutional right to remain silent before they may be
questioned by the police. Two years earlier, the Supreme Court had ruled in Escobedo v. Illinois (1964) that defendants had
a right to consult with an attorney before being questioned by the police. In both cases, convictions gained by confessions
were reversed because the defendants' rights under the Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments were violated. The Supreme
Court also ruled in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) that defendants must be provided a counsel paid for by the state if they cannot
afford to hire one. Gideon had been convicted of a crime in Florida because he had not been provided with counsel. The three
cases formed the basis of what became known as the "Miranda Rights," a statement that police now make to defendants advising
them of their right to remain silent, their right to consult with an attorney, and their right to counsel provided by the
state if they cannot afford one.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1), (2), and (3) Voting rights of minorities are
guaranteed by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. The First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press and speech and
the separation of church and state. These civil rights have been upheld in other cases before the Supreme Court; however,
the cases cited in the question dealt only with rights of criminals or the accused. |
|
4
46. Supreme Court decisions in Mapp v. Ohio, Gideon v. Wainwright,
and Miranda v. Arizona affected individual liberties by |
|
| 1. eliminating the poll tax as a voting requirement |
3. requiring equal pay for men and women performing the same job |
| 2. preventing the use of organized prayer in public schools |
4. expanding the constitutional rights of people accused of' crimes |
|
4 The three Supreme Court cases cited in the question expanded the constitutional rights of those accused
of crimes. Mapp v. Ohio (1961) established that evidence seized without a search warrant could not be used against
a defendant in a criminal trial. The exclusionary rule was based on the 4th Amendment right to be secure in one's home unless
police obtained a court order. In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the Supreme Court ruled that a defendant's 6th
Amendment right to counsel was violated when he was forced to defend himself against an accusation of committing a felony.
Miranda v. Arizona (1966) established that a defendant's 4th and 5th Amendment rights were violated when he
was questioned by police without being advised of his right to remain silent. Since Miranda, police have been required
to inform defendants that they have a right to remain silent, to advice of counsel, and to state-paid attorneys if they can't
afford one.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The poll tax was made unconstitutional in federal elections when
the 24th Amendment was ratified in 1964.
(2) Engel v. Vitale (1962) established that required organized school
prayer was an unconstitutional violation of the 1st Amendment that forbids government from establishing a religion.
(3)
The requirement of equal pay for equal work for men and women performing the same job was implied by the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, but it would have been more firmly established had the Equal Rights Amendment been ratified. |
|
4
47. The Supreme Court decisions in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) and Miranda
v. Arizona (1966) resulted in |
|
| 1. an increase in the power of the police to obtain evidence |
3. a limitation of a citizen's right to an attorney |
| 2. a clarification of rules pertaining to cruel and unusual punishment |
4. an expansion of rights for persons accused of crimes |
|
4 The Supreme Court decisions in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) and Miranda v. Arizona
(1966) resulted in an expansion of rights for persons accused of crimes. In Gideon v. Wainwright, the Court
ruled that the states must provide court appointed attorneys to impoverished defendants. Previously this requirement only
applied to federal court procedures. The Miranda v. Arizona (1966) decision revolved around the issue of self-incrimination.
The 5th Amendment guarantees that people do not have to testify against themselves. But that right is meaningless if arrested
people are not aware of it. In this decision, the Court ruled that arrested people must be read basic rights, now known as
"Miranda rights," including the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. These decisions were issued by the Supreme
Court under the leadership of Earl Warren (chief justice from 1953 to 1969).
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1)
The cases did not result in an increase in the power of the police to obtain evidence. The Warren Court has been accused of
making decisions that limited the power of the police.
(2) The cases did not result in a clarification of rules pertaining
to cruel and unusual punishment. The constitutional prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment often comes up in discussions
of capital punishment. In the case of Furman v. Georgia (1972) the Supreme Court suspended capital punishment
on the grounds of cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the 8th Amendment to the Constitution. Capital punishment was
reinstituted in 1976.
(3) The cases did not result in a limitation on a citizen's right to an attorney. Gideon v.
Wainwright did the opposite. It made attorneys more accessible to impoverished defendants. |
|
1
48. The Supreme Court decisions in Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) and Miranda
v. Arizona (1966) have been criticized because these rulings |
|
| 1. expanded the rights of the accused |
3. lengthened prison sentences for the guilty |
| 2. granted more powers to federal judges |
4. reinstated the use of capital punishment |
|
1 Both of these decisions expanded the rights of the accused. In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963),
the Supreme Court ruled that the states must provide court-appointed attorneys to impoverished defendants. Previously this
stipulation applied only to federal court procedures. The Miranda v. Arizona (1966) decision revolved around the issue
of self-incrimination. The 5th Amendment guarantees that people don't have to testify against themselves. But that right is
meaningless if arrested people are not aware of it. In this decision, the Court ruled that arrested people must be read basic
rights, now known as Miranda rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to have a lawyer. These decisions
were issued by the Supreme Court under the leadership of Earl Warren (who was Chief Justice from 1953 to 1969). Conservatives
have accused the Warren Court of getting in the way of proper law enforcement and letting criminals go free. Liberals have
generally welcomed Warren Court decisions as promoting equal treatment in the legal system for all people, regardless of race
or class.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) Neither of these decisions granted more power to federal judges. Overall,
the decisions of the Warren Court expanded the power and scope of the Supreme Court, but no decision specifically granted
federal judges more power.
(3) These decisions do not deal with the length of prison sentences. Warren Court decisions
generally restricted the powers of authorities; they did not expand them.
(4) Neither of these decisions has to do with
capital punishment. In the case of Furman v. Georgia (1972), the Supreme Court suspended the death penalty on the grounds
that state procedures were "arbitrary" and "cruel." In 1976 the Court approved a resumption of the death penalty if states
revamped their statutes related to death penalty procedures. |
|
1
49. In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) and Miranda v. Arizona (1966), the Supreme
Court ruled that persons convicted of crimes had been |
|
| 1. denied due process of law |
3. victimized by illegal search and seizure |
| 2. denied a speedy and public trial |
4. sentenced to cruel and unusual punishment |
|
1 The two Supreme Court decisions mentioned in the question both expanded the rights of accused people
by finding that particular procedures had denied people due process of law. The phrase due process of law simply refers
to procedures that one goes through after they are arrested for committing a crime. These procedures must be consistent with
the Constitution and apply equally to all citizens. Clarence Earl Gideon had been accused of breaking into a poolroom. The
state court rejected his demand for a state-appointed lawyer. After defending himself and being found guilty, he appealed,
eventually bringing the case to the Supreme Court. In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the Supreme Court ruled that the
states must provide court-appointed lawyers to impoverished defendants. The Miranda v. Arizona (1966) decision involved
the issue of self-incrimination. The 5th Amendment guarantees that people do not have to testify against themselves. But that
right is meaningless if arrested people are not aware of it. People might blurt out incriminating information without knowing
about the 5th Amendment. In this decision, the Court ruled that when people are arrested, they must be read basic rights,
now known as Miranda rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to have a lawyer.
Wrong Choices
Explained:
(2) These decisions do not have to do with a speedy and public trial. The 6th Amendment guarantees people
a speedy and public trial.
(3) These decisions do not deal with searches and seizures. The 4th Amendment protects people
from police searches and seizures, unless the police first obtain a warrant. The Supreme Court has excluded evidence gained
illegally, declaring it inadmissible in court. Recently, however, the Court has weakened the "exclusionary rule" by admitting
illegally obtained evidence if the police officers acted in "good faith."
(4) These decisions do not deal with the 8th
Amendment prohibition against the use of "cruel and unusual" punishment. Anti-death penalty activists have argued that the
death penalty is cruel, but the Supreme Court has let it stand. When the Court did suspend the death penalty, in the case
of Furman v. Georgia (1972), the decision held that the irregular and "arbitrary" way that capital punishment was applied
amounted to "cruelty." But in 1976, the Court approved a resumption of the death penalty if states revamped their statutes
related to death penalty procedures. |
|
1
50. In the 1960s, Supreme Court decisions in the cases Miranda v. Arizona
and Gideon v. Wainwright specifically protected the rights of |
|
| 1. the accused |
3. military veterans |
| 2. women |
4. persons with disabilities |
|
1 Miranda v. Arizona (1966) and Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) protected the
rights of the accused. Miranda's conviction of a crime was reversed when the Supreme Court ruled that his Fifth Amendment
rights had been violated because he had not been advised of his right to remain silent during questioning by the police. Gideon's
criminal conviction was reversed because his Sixth Amendment right to counsel during a trial had been violated. Since these
decisions, police routinely advise those under arrest that they have a right to remain silent, have a right to consult with
an attorney, and that they will be provided with an attorney if they cannot afford to pay one.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2)
and (4) Women and people with disabilities have the same constitutional rights as other Americans. Various civil rights acts
have been passed to protect women and the disabled against discrimination. The Supreme Court has ruled in a number of cases
that antidiscrimination laws are constitutional.
(3) Military veterans are presumed to have the same rights as all Americans. |
|
3
51. As a result of the Supreme Court ruling in Miranda v. Arizona (1966),
a person accused of a crime is entitled to |
|
| 1. a speedy trial |
3. a reading of his or her rights at the time of arrest |
| 2. reasonable bail |
4. protection against cruel or unusual punishment |
|
3 In Miranda v. Arizona the Supreme Court ruled in 1966 that a person accused of a crime is entitled
to a reading of his or her rights at the time of arrest. The effect of the decision is that police now give what is called
the Miranda warnings at the time of arrest. They inform those arrested that they have the right to remain silent, are entitled
to an attorney, and have a right to be provided with legal counsel provided by the government if they cannot afford an attorney.
The Miranda warnings are recited to guarantee prisoners their rights under the 5th, 6th, and 14th Amendments. The Miranda
decision reversed the conviction of Ernesto Miranda because he had confessed while being interrogated without being informed
that he did not have to answer questions by the police and was not given an opportunity to speak to a lawyer before being
questioned.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1), (2), and (4) The 6th Amendment guarantees defendants the right
to a speedy trial. The 8th Amendment guarantees the right to reasonable bail and to protection against cruel and unusual punishment.
These were not issues in Miranda's appeal of his conviction for rape and kidnapping. |
|
H5 10 21 09 Practice
Mr Eisenberg |
TEACHER ANSWER KEY
October 21, 2009 |
|
3
1. During the 1990s, an increase in Mexican immigration to the United States was caused
by the immigrants' desire for |
|
| 1. greater political freedom |
3. better economic opportunities |
| 2. bilingual education |
4. religious freedom |
|
3 Mexicans who immigrated into the United States in the 1990s were, for the most part, drawn to the United
States by better economic opportunities. In fact, it is safe to say that the vast majority of immigrants to the United States
throughout its history have sought greater economic opportunities. Immigration has become a contentious issue in the United
States, with many Americans arguing that immigration should be restricted because it hurts the country and others arguing
that immigrants contribute to economic growth and should be allowed to enter the country.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
Most Mexicans were not motivated by the desire for greater political freedom. Mexico has a democratic government.
(2) Bilingual
education would not be a cause for immigration to the United States. However, many immigrants, once here, have pushed for
bilingual education programs.
(4) Most Mexicans were not motivated by the desire for greater religious freedom. The one
immigrant group in United States history that is associated with the desire for religious freedom were the Puritans of the
early 17th century. The Puritans were persecuted in England. |
|
1
2. Until the early 20th century, few restrictions on immigration to the United States existed
primarily because |
|
| 1. industry needed an increasing supply of labor |
3. labor unions had always favored unrestricted immigration |
| 2. immigration totals had always been relatively low |
4. the Supreme Court had ruled that Congress could not restrict immigration |
|
1 Until the early twentieth century, few restrictions on immigration to the United States existed primarily
because industry needed an increasing supply of labor. In the second half of the 1800s, the industrial output of the United
States grew dramatically. Workers were needed in these new factories. Some of these workers migrated from the rural areas
of the United States, but a major new source of labor to work in American factories was immigrants from southern and eastern
Europe. The large wave of immigrants who came to the United States between 1880 and the 1920s was essential to the industrialization
of the United States. An estimated 20 million people, from Russia, Italy, Poland, the Balkan region and elsewhere, immigrated
to the United States, most settling in industrial cities such as New York, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. Some nativists opposed
immigration. They feared that Anglo-Saxon Americans were committing "race suicide" by allowing "inferior" races to enter America
in large numbers. Up until the 1920s there were very few restrictions on immigration, except toward the Chinese. In the 1920s,
the United States passed the Emergency Quota Act (1921) and the National Origins Act (1924), both of which greatly reduced
the number of new immigrants allowed into the United States.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) Immigration totals
to the United States had not always been low before the twentieth century. Immigration has always been central to the growth
of the United States. Large numbers of Irish immigrants came to the United States in the 1840s and 1850s, and over 20 million
of the "new immigrants" from Eastern and Southern Europe came to the United States between 1880 and 1920.
(3) Labor unions
had not always favored unrestricted immigration. The powerful American Federation of Labor, a union of skilled workers, actively
opposed unrestricted immigration. The union did not want large numbers of unskilled immigrants to enter the United States
and undermine the position of skilled workers.
(4) The Supreme Court never ruled that Congress could not restrict immigration. |
|
4
3. Base your answer on the chart (see image) and on your knowledge of social studies.
The
data in the chart support the idea that the immigration laws of 1921 and 1924 were primarily designed to |
 |
|
| 1. stop illegal entry into the country |
3. encourage immigration from southern Europe |
| 2. admit skilled workers |
4. reduce immigration from specific regions |
|
4 The data in the chart supports the conclusion that the immigration laws of 1921 and 1924 were designed
to reduce immigration from specific regions. The laws were passed in response to pressures from various groups to reduce overall
immigration by establishing quotas based on national origin. The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 provided that the quota for any
European nation was 3% of the people of that nationality living in the United States as of 1910. Since most of the people
of the United States were of northern and western European ancestry based on immigration from the colonial era to 1910, immigrants
from Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Scandinavia were favored, as reflected by the immigration figures under the 1921
quotas. However, some Americans were concerned that over 158,000 of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe were admitted
under the 1921 quota because so many had immigrated in the years between 1890 and 1910. Immigrants from southern and eastern
Europe were considered less desirable because they were more likely to be Roman Catholic, Jewish, or Eastern Orthodox religions
and of Slavic or Italian ethnicity with cultural traits and values different from those of mainstream America. In response
to these concerns, Congress passed the 1924 immigration law that set the quotas at 2% of the population as of the 1890 census,
effectively excluding almost all immigration from Russia, Poland, Hungary, the Balkans, and Italy.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(1) The immigration laws created new categories of illegal immigrants because some who were excluded by
the quotas tried to enter the United States anyway.
(2) The 1921 and 1924 immigration laws did not consider the level of
education or skills of immigrants. After the national origins quota system was discarded in the Immigration Act of 1965, a
new system of priorities for admission was established that included skills in short supply in the United States.
(3) The
1921 and 1924 immigration laws were specifically designed to exclude immigration from southern Europe. |
|
1
4. Base your answer to the following on the quotation and on your knowledge of social studies.
"The
quotas established by the immigration act of 1921 . . . were unsatisfactory for two reasons: they admitted too large a number
of immigrants; they did not discriminate sufficiently in favor of immigration from Northern and Western Europe."
--Henry
Steele Commager
This quotation can be used to demonstrate the way in which the United States Government was influenced
by |
|
| 1. nativism |
3. humanitarianism |
| 2. progressivism |
4. containment |
|
1The quotation shows that the United States government gave in to nativist demands to severely restrict
immigration to the United States. Nativists were Americans born in the United States who were opposed to the different cultures
and non-Protestant religions of immigrants. Nativists had been calling for an end to unrestricted immigration since the mid-1800s.
They weren't satisfied with a quota of 350,000 a year, a sharp reduction from the number of immigrants who arrived in the
late 1800s and early 1900s.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(2) Progressivism refers to political and economic reform
rather than immigration policy.
(3) Humanitarians opposed restrictions on immigration because immigrants sought a better
life and an escape from tyrannies.
(4) Containment was a military and foreign policy to oppose communist expansion after
World War II. |
|
2
5. Why did the United States follow a policy of open immigration during much of the 1800s? |
|
| 1. Many United States citizens wanted to live abroad. |
3. Prosperous conditions in Europe resulted in fewer immigrants coming to the United States. |
| 2. The United States had a shortage of labor. |
4. Immigrants provided United States industry with investment capital. |
|
2 The United States followed a policy of open immigration during the 1800s to settle the West and to
supply needed workers for the nation's expanding industries. Until late in the century, there were large tracts of unclaimed
land west of the Mississippi. Before the Civil War, many Europeans came to the United States for the opportunity to migrate
westward to work their own farms. After the Civil War, the Homestead Act encouraged westward migration and settlement. Immigrants
also came to work on the railroads and in mines. After the Civil War, American industry expanded rapidly. Immigration was
encouraged to provide cheap labor for mills and factories in the East and Midwest. Companies sent agents abroad to sign up
workers and help them pay for their passage. Late in the century, opposition to open immigration grew, primarily from labor
unions protesting that cheap labor from abroad caused unemployment among American-born workers.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
Few American citizens born in the United States chose to emigrate to other countries where there were undemocratic governments
and fewer economic opportunities.
(3) Immigrants came to the United States because of the economic opportunities. They
were mostly very poor people who in their native countries did not own their own land, worked for very low wages, and lived
under repressive governments.
(4) Most immigrants were too poor to provide United States industry with investment capital.
However, wealthy Europeans who continued to live in their native lands provided American industry with capital as an overseas
investment because interest rates were high and there were more opportunities for making high profits in the United States. |
|
4
6. Which group in the United States presented the strongest opposition to unlimited immigration
during the late 19th century? |
|
| 1. steel-producing industrialists |
3. recent immigrants |
| 2. steamship company owners |
4. organized labor |
|
4 Organized labor opposed unlimited immigration in the late 19th century because they regarded immigrants
as their competitors for employment in mines and factories. Immigrants were not likely to join and support unions and were
willing to work for less money and with fewer benefits than unionized workers. Organized labor also adopted membership rules
to exclude immigrants so that they could not take jobs in unionized industries.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
Steel-producing industrialists supported unlimited immigration because it provided a pool of unskilled labor to work in their
factories. The greater the competition for jobs, the lower the wages they would have to pay. (2) Steamship company owners
supported unlimited immigration because they profited from transporting immigrants from Europe to the United States. (3) Recent
immigrants could not oppose further immigration because they could not vote. Furthermore, many wanted their relatives in the
"old country" to be able to join them in the United States. |
|
3
7. A primary aim of United States immigration policy in the 1920's was to |
|
| 1. encourage immigration of well-educated and wealthy persons |
3. limit immigration from southern and eastern European nations |
| 2. increase the number of immigrants from Asia and Latin America |
4. help solve the World War I refugee problem |
|
3 United States immigration policy in the 1920s was designed to limit immigration from southern and eastern
Europe. The immigration acts of 1921, 1924, 1927, and 1929 established a maximum number of immigrants allowed in each year
and quotas that favored immigrants from western and northern Europe. Many legislators believed that immigrants from eastern
and southern Europe were less desirable because their customs were different and they were less likely to be Protestants.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Immigration laws did not require immigrants to have a minimum level of income or education.
(2)
Immigration restrictions did not apply to nations within the Western Hemisphere; however, there had been little immigration
from Latin America. The 1920s' immigration laws excluded almost all immigration from Asia.
(4) The immigration laws contributed
to the refugee problem in Europe because most refugees were in southern and eastern Europe. |
|
2
8. Which aspect of the American political system was most influenced by the ideas of John
Locke and Baron de Montesquieu? |
|
| 1. executive control of foreign policy |
3. government regulation of the economy |
| 2. limitations on the power of government |
4. creation of the electoral college |
|
2The European political philosophers, John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu, influenced the American political
system by writing that the powers of government should be limited. Locke claimed in The Second Treatise on Government that
the power of government is derived from the people, who have the natural right to protect their lives, liberty, and property.
He further argued that the people have the right to rebel against governments that violate their natural rights. Locke's ideas
had a strong influence on the Declaration of Independence. Montesquieu, in The Spirit of Laws, proposed that the best way
to limit the power of government is to divide the powers of government among three branches so that no one branch could establish
a tyranny. His ideas influenced the writing of the United States Constitution.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1) Neither
Locke nor Montesquieu defined what particular powers should be exercised by different branches of government, though it can
be inferred that Montesquieu expected that determining foreign policy would be an executive power.
(3) Neither Locke nor
Montesquieu supported government regulation of the economy, which did not become a feature of the American political system
until a century after the Constitution was written.
(4) The electoral college was a unique creation of the Founding Fathers
of the Constitution as a compromise between those who supported a monarchy and those who favored direct election of a President. |
|
2
9. In writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was influenced most
by John Locke's idea of |
|
| 1. due process of law |
3. the rights of the accused |
| 2. natural rights |
4. the right to privacy |
|
2 In writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was most influenced by John Locke's ideas
on natural rights. John Locke was a 17th century English Enlightenment philosopher. He wrote in 1690 in Two Treatises on
Civil Government that humans created governments to protect their natural rights to life, liberty, and property. He further
argued that citizens have the right to change their form of government if the government abuses their natural rights. Jefferson
used these ideas to justify the American Revolution and to declare the colonies' independence of Great Britain. Later in the
Declaration of Independence he listed the various abuses inflicted on the colonists by King George that violated their natural
rights.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Due process of law, protected by the 5th and 14th Amendments of the
Constitution, arose from English Common Law. Jefferson had no role in writing the Constitution because he was serving as Minister
to France during the Constitutional Convention.
(3) The rights of the accused are protected by the 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments
to the Constitution. They were included because the British had violated rights during the colonial era.
(4) The right
to privacy evolved long after Jefferson's time. Supreme Court decisions in the 20th century inferred the right to privacy
from the 4th and 14th Amendments. |
|
1
10.
- The United States government taxes gasoline.
- New York State law requires a sales tax on many goods.
These two statements best illustrate the principle
of |
|
| 1. concurrent powers |
3. reserved powers |
| 2. property rights |
4. popular sovereignty |
|
1 The two statements illustrate the principle of concurrent powers. The Constitution grants certain powers
to the federal government, known as "delegated powers," and certain powers to the state governments, known as "reserved powers."
If both the federal government and the state governments have a particular power, then it is known as a "concurrent power."
Concurrent powers include the power to levy taxes, to establish highways, and to maintain courts.
Wrong Choices
Explained:
(2) The statements do not discuss property rights. The right of the people to feel secure that their property
will not be taken from them is in the 5th Amendment. It states that the government can only take someone's property if it
is for public use and if the owner is justly compensated. This governmental power is known as "eminent domain."
(3) The
powers mentioned in the two statements are not reserved powers. Reserved powers are powers that only state governments have.
Reserved powers include the power to establish public education systems and to establish laws for marriage and divorce.
(4)
The statements do not illustrate the principle of popular sovereignty. The term literally means the power of the people to
decide something. In American history, the term was used in relation to the question of whether slavery would exist in new
states. The people of a territory would vote on the issue before it applied for statehood. Popular sovereignty was first included
in the Compromise of 1850, but it became extremely contentious after passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854). The Kansas-Nebraska
Act allowed for the possibility of slavery, under the principle of popular sovereignty, in the territories of Kansas and Nebraska—areas
that had been closed to slavery by the Missouri Compromise (1820). Violence erupted in Kansas as pro- and antislavery men
fought for control of the territory. "Bleeding Kansas" can be seen as a dress rehearsal for the Civil War. |
|
3
11. A major criticism of the Articles of Confederation was that too much power had been
given to the |
|
| 1. British monarchy |
3. state governments |
| 2. House of Burgesses |
4. national government |
|
3 A major criticism of the Articles of Confederation was that too much power had been given to the state
governments. The government created by the Articles of Confederation (1781–1788) was unsuccessful at solving many major
problems because most power remained with the state governments. The framers of the Articles of Confederation created a "firm
league of friendship" among the states, rather than a strong, centralized nation. Before 1776 they had lived under a powerful,
distant authority and did not want to repeat that experience. Also, many of these early leaders were fiercely loyal to their
states and did not want to see state power taken away. Funding the new government proved to be a major problem. As written,
the articles did not give the national government the power to levy taxes. A proposal to alter the document and allow the
national government to collect import duties was blocked by Rhode Island and New York, states with major ports. The Articles
of Confederation period was not without its successes, but contemporaries and historians have tended to focus on the problems
of the period, such as inflation and lack of government revenues. In fact, the period is often labeled the critical period,
in the sense of a patient being in critical condition.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The Articles of Confederation
was the first governing document of an independent United States. Because the country was separated from Great Britain, no
power was given to the British monarchy.
(2) The Articles of Confederation was the first governing document of an independent
United States. The House of Burgesses was the governing body of colonial Virginia. When the United States was founded, the
colonial governing bodies ceased to exist.
(4) The national government had very little power under the Articles of Confederation.
A major criticism of the document was that the state governments, not the national government, had too much power. |
|
2
12. Passing marriage and divorce laws, creating vehicle and traffic regulations, and setting
high school graduation requirements are examples of powers traditionally |
|
| 1. exercised solely by local governments |
3. delegated entirely to the federal government |
| 2. reserved to the state governments |
4. shared by the national and local governments |
|
2 Passing marriage and divorce laws, creating vehicle and traffic regulations, and setting high school
graduation requirements are examples of powers traditionally reserved to the state governments. In the Constitution there
is a division of powers between the federal government and the state governments. Federal powers are called delegated powers,
because they are given or delegated to the federal government. State powers are called reserved powers, because they are held
on to or reserved by the states. Powers that both the federal and the state governments have are called concurrent or shared
powers. The regulating of marriage and divorce is a state power. Every state has different rules related to marriage and divorce.
Massachusetts, for example, allows homosexual couples to marry and Nevada has some of the most liberal divorce laws in the
country. Vehicle and traffic regulations are also set by the state. Maximum speed limits, for instance, can vary from state
to state. Finally, states establish guidelines for education. In New York State, for example, every high school student must
take certain Regents exams. In each case, the federal government might play a role in guiding states, but the power rests
primarily with the states.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The powers listed in the question are not exercised
by local governments. Local governments may vary slightly from one another in how they carry out state laws and programs,
but the powers listed are state powers.
(3) The powers listed in the question are not delegated entirely to the federal
government. The federal government may issue guidelines or standards, such as the federal No Child Left Behind policy. But
the powers listed are primarily state powers. Delegated powers include the power to issue currency and to declare war.
(4)
The powers listed in the question are not shared by the national and local governments. They are powers traditionally reserved
to the states. Shared powers include the power to collect an income tax and to establish courts. |
|
2
13. Which geographic factor most helped the United States maintain its foreign policy of
neutrality during much of the 1800s? |
|
| 1. climate of the Great Plains |
3. large network of navigable rivers |
| 2. oceans on its east and west coasts |
4. mountain ranges near the Atlantic and Pacific coasts |
|
2 The geographic feature that most helped the United States maintain its foreign policy of neutrality
during much of the 1800s was the presence of oceans on its east and west coasts. The two oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific,
created distance between the United States and the major world powers. This distance allowed the United States to develop
independently and to avoid the conflicts that involved many of the European nations for much of the 1800s. In 1823, President
James Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine warning European nations to keep their hands off the Americas. For the most part,
the European powers did so, in part, because of the great physical distance between the United States and the European powers.
The foreign policy of neutrality is also associated with President George Washington. He issued the 1793 Neutrality Act and
in his Farewell Address he urged the United States to avoid "permanent alliances" with foreign powers.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(1) The climate of the Great Plains did not help the United States maintain its foreign policy of neutrality.
The Great Plains, the relatively flat land between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, became a significant agricultural
region by the end of the 1800s, but did not significantly affect foreign policy.
(3) The large network of navigable rivers
did not help the United States maintain its foreign policy of neutrality. In the 1800s, navigable rivers helped the United
States to industrialize, but did not significantly affect foreign policy.
(4) Mountain ranges do exist near both coasts—the
Appalachians near the Atlantic coast and the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Mountains near the Pacific coast—but they
did not significantly affect foreign policy. |
|
4
14. Which concept found in the United States Constitution was a belief held by the social
contract philosophers of the Enlightenment period? |
|
| 1. presidential cabinet |
3. limited monarchy |
| 2. judicial review |
4. sovereignty of the people |
|
4 An Enlightenment concept found in the United States Constitution is that the people are sovereign.
The Preamble to the Constitution states that "We the People of the United States in order to form a more perfect Union . .
. do ordain and establish this Constitution." The Preamble reflects the principle stated in the Declaration of Independence
that "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." The concept of the
sovereignty of the people was first stated by French and English philosophers of the Enlightenment in opposition to the then
current principle that monarchs derive their right to rule from God. The principle of popular sovereignty was clearly enunciated
by the English philosopher John Locke in 1690 in Two Treatises on Civil Government.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
The Constitution makes no specific provision for a presidential cabinet, though it does refer in Article II, Section 2 to
officers of executive departments. The Enlightenment philosophers stated broad principles rather than outlining specific structures
of government.
(2) The Constitution does not specifically provide for judicial review. The power was assumed by the Supreme
Court in Marbury v. Madison in 1803. The Enlightenment philosophers did not discuss details of the powers of
the judiciary.
(3) Most Enlightenment philosophers wrote about governments with limited monarchies. The Constitution created
an elected president as the chief of state. Some of the representatives at the Constitutional Convention favored a limited
monarchy, but that concept was quickly rejected in favor of an elected chief executive. |
|
3
15. The main criticism of the Articles of Confederation was that they failed to |
|
| 1. allow for the admission of new states |
3. provide adequate powers for the central government |
| 2. limit the powers of the president |
4. prevent the development of military rule |
|
3 The main criticism of the Articles of Confederation is that they failed to provide enough powers for
the federal government. Because Congress lacked the power to tax, it had to ask states for money to fund its activities. The
failure to provide for federal regulation of interstate commerce caused economic problems because each state had different
regulations for trade with other states. The Articles of Confederation did not provide for an executive department to enforce
the laws or for a judiciary to interpret them.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) One of the major accomplishments
of the Articles of Confederation was the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 that adopted a procedure for the admission of new states
formed from territories. Though the ordinance initially applied only to the region we now call the Midwest, it became the
model for states formed from other territories.
(2) The president under the Articles of Confederation presided over the
single-chamber Congress. He had no authority to exercise executive powers.
(4) Congress under the Articles of Confederation
had the power to appoint military officers. This power established the principle of civilian control of the military, an important
factor in preventing military rule. |
|
1
16. The Gentlemen's Agreement, literacy tests, and the quota system were all attempts by
Congress to restrict |
|
| 1. immigration |
3. voting rights |
| 2. property ownership |
4. access to public education |
|
1 The Gentlemen's Agreement, literacy tests, and the quota system were attempts by Congress to restrict
immigration. The Gentlemen's Agreement was arranged between the United States government and Japan to restrict immigration
of Japanese to the West Coast of the United States where some communities had passed laws discriminating against Japanese.
President Theodore Roosevelt convinced the communities to repeal the discriminatory laws in return for an understanding with
Japan that the Japanese government would deny passports to potential immigrants. Nativists and labor unions had long sought
restrictions on immigration for different reasons. In 1917 Congress gave in to demands by requiring immigrants to demonstrate
an ability to read and write. Nativists especially approved because the law would favor immigrants from countries in Western
Europe that had better systems of education. Congress passed quota systems in 1921, 1924, and 1929 to restrict immigration.
Each foreign nation was assigned a certain number of immigrants that could come to the United States in any one year. The
quotas established favored immigrants from Western Europe. The national origins quota system remained in effect until 1965.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) and (3) Congress has not attempted to restrict property ownership or voting rights. Instead,
property ownership has been encouraged by government loans to potential homeowners. Congress expanded voting rights when it
passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 because southern states were preventing African-Americans from voting.
(4) Education
has historically been the responsibility of states. However, Congress has tried to improve access to public education by civil
rights acts and the federal aid to public schools. |
|
3
17. What major trend related to population occurred during the industrialization boom of
the late 1800s? |
|
| 1. Immigration decreased. |
3. Urbanization increased. |
| 2. Suburbanization decreased. |
4. Migration to rural areas increased. |
|
3 Urbanization increased during the rapid industrialization of the late 1800s. Factories were built in
urban areas where they were close to means of transportation and centers of population. The population of urban centers increased
as more factories were built or existing ones expanded. Farmers came to urban areas seeking employment in factories because
agriculture was a chronically depressed segment of the economy. Immigrants flooded into the United States to seek employment,
in part because agents of American businesses recruited them in their home countries. Urbanization resulted in crowded tenements
and inadequate sanitation and water supply systems.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Immigration increased rapidly
in the late 1800s. In 1890, 455,300 immigrants came to the United States, a large increase over the 84,000 who had arrived
in 1840. By 1910, over 1,000,000 immigrants came in one year.
(2) Suburbanization was a major phenomenon of the 20th century
with the widespread ownership of the automobile. However, some suburbs developed in the late 1800s with the spread of suburban
railroads and the invention of electric streetcars.
(4) Migration to rural areas decreased in the late 1800s. Farming was
unprofitable, the frontier had closed with most of the available arable land occupied, and jobs were to be found in the factories
of urban centers. |
|
1
18. The principles of government that Thomas Jefferson included in the Declaration of Independence
were most influenced by |
|
| 1. John Locke's social contract theory |
3. Louis XIV's belief in divine right |
| 2. Adam Smith's ideas of free enterprise |
4. William Penn's views on religious toleration |
|
1 The principles of government in the Declaration of Independence were most influenced by John Locke's
social contract theory. In 1690 the British philosopher published Two Treatises on Civil Government to justify the
Glorious Revolution in Great Britain. He wrote that governments are organized by people to protect their natural rights to
life, liberty, and property. If governments became abusive and tyrannical, the people can reclaim their sovereignty to organize
a new government that will protect their rights. Thomas Jefferson incorporated those ideas in the Declaration of Independence
when he wrote that all men "are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights" and that governments derive "their
just powers from the consent of the governed." The Declaration of Independence also states "it is the right of the people
to alter or abolish [tyrannical government] and to institute new government."
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2)
Adam Smith published the Wealth of Nations in Great Britain in 1776, the same year that Thomas Jefferson wrote the
Declaration of Independence. Thus it is unlikely that Jefferson read the book before writing the Declaration of Independence.
Though Jefferson probably agreed with much of what Smith wrote, it was primarily a book about economics that would have had
little influence on the political reasoning in the Declaration of Independence.
(3) Louis XIV's 17th-century belief in
divine right was disputed by Enlightenment thinkers in the 18th century. Jefferson believed and wrote that governments get
their right to rule from the people, not from God.
(4) Jefferson agreed with William Penn's views on religious tolerance
but did not include them in the Declaration of Independence, which did not make reference to religion. While Jefferson served
as governor of Virginia during the Revolutionary War, he proposed a bill guaranteeing freedom of religion that later became
law. |
|
2
19. The first amendment guarantee of freedom of speech was added to the United States Constitution
primarily because its supporters believed it was essential to |
|
| 1. discourage criticism of government policies |
3. limit political debate in Congress |
| 2. ensure the functioning of democracy |
4. encourage more candidates to run for office |
|
2 The 1st Amendment was added to the Constitution in order to ensure the functioning of democracy. The
first 10 amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. They were added to the Constitution in 1791 to allay
the fears of those who believed that the new powerful government would step on the rights of individuals. The 1st Amendment
guarantees freedom of worship, of speech, of the press, to assemble, and to petition the government. It also guarantees that
there shall be no established, or official, religion in the United States.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
The addition of the 1st Amendment would not discourage criticism of the government. The 1st Amendment would encourage criticism
by protecting it from government censors.
(3) The addition of the 1st Amendment would not limit political debate in Congress.
The 1st Amendment would encourage debate in Congress. The one significant attempt to limit freedom of speech in Congress was
the passage of the "gag rule" in Congress (1831-1844), preventing the introduction of bills regarding slavery.
(4) The
1st Amendment was not added to encourage more candidates to run for office. Certainly candidates for public office enjoy freedom
of speech, but the amendment was added to ensure the functioning of democracy. |
|
3
20. Federalism is a term used to define the division of power between the |
|
| 1. president and the vice president |
3. national and state levels of government |
| 2. Senate and the House of Representatives |
4. three branches of the federal government |
|
3 Federalism is a term used to define the division of power between the national and state levels
of government. The Constitution created a federal system, granting powers to both the national, or federal, government and
the state governments. This system of divided power is different from the government established by the Articles of Confederation
(1781-1788). The articles left most power on the state level and created merely a "firm league of friendship" among the sovereign
states. The system is also different from the unitary system of countries such as France. In France, the central government
sets policies for the entire country with very little decision-making power on the local level.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
The term federalism does not describe the division of power between the president and the vice-president. The Constitution
provides for a vice-president, but does not spell out that relationship with the president. The vice-president generally advises
and assists the president. The vice-president also has the power to break a tie in the Senate.
(2) The term federalism
does not describe the division of power between the Senate and the House of Representatives. Article I of the Constitution
spells out the powers of Congress and the specific duties of each house.
(4) The term federalism does not describe
the division of power between the three branches of government. The three branches--the legislative, the executive, and the
judicial--each have specific powers spelled out in the Constitution. In order to prevent any branch from acquiring too much
power, the framers created a system in which each branch has the ability to check the powers of the other two. The goal was
keep the three branches in balance. An example of this concept of "checks and balance" is the president's ability to veto
(or reject) bills passed by Congress, or the Supreme Court's ability to strike down laws that it deems unconstitutional. |
|
2
21. The government created by the Articles of Confederation was unsuccessful at solving
many major problems because |
|
| 1. unlimited power was given to the Supreme Court |
3. members of Congress were elected according to each state's population |
| 2. most power remained with the state governments |
4. political parties prevented the passage of legislation |
|
2 The government created by the Articles of Confederation (1781-1788) was unsuccessful at solving many
major problems because most power remained with the state governments. The framers of this first American government created
a "firm league of friendship" among the states, rather than a strong, centralized nation. Before 1776, they had lived under
a powerful, distant authority and did not want to repeat that experience. Also, many of these early leaders were fiercely
loyal to their states and did not want to see state power superseded. Routine decisions under the articles required the agreement
of seven of the 13 states, and major decisions required the approval of nine states. Altering the document required the consent
of all 13 states. Funding the government proved to be a major problem. As written, the articles did not give the national
government the power to levy taxes. A proposal to alter the document and allow the national government to collect import duties
was blocked by Rhode Island and New York, states with major ports. The event that convinced many Americans that change was
needed was Shays' Rebellion (1786-1787). This revolt of Massachusetts farmers who felt cheated by the state's economic policies
was eventually put down by state armed forces. The Articles of Confederation period was not without its successes. The United
States won the Revolutionary War and the problems of western lands were effectively dealt with. However, contemporaries and
historians have tended to focus on the problems of the period, such as inflation and lack of government revenues. In fact,
the period is often labeled the critical period, in the sense of a patient being in critical condition.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The Supreme Court was not given unlimited powers by the Articles of Confederation. In fact,
the articles did not provide for a federal court system. The Supreme Court was created by the Constitution.
(3) Members
of Congress were not elected according to each state's population under the Articles of Confederation. Under the articles,
states could send as many delegates to Congress as they liked, but each state's delegation would get one vote in Congress.
In the Congress created by the Constitution, members of the House of Representatives are allocated based of each state's population.
(4)
Political parties did not exist during the Articles of Confederation period. Political factions developed during the administration
of President Washington. Rival politicians came to be labeled Republican or Federalist. In the late 1780s, these ideological
tendencies developed into political parties. |
|
3
22. John Locke's theory of natural rights, as reflected in the Declaration of Independence,
states that |
|
| 1. government is the source of all individual rights |
3. power to govern belongs to the people |
| 2. power should be concentrated in the monarchy |
4. individual liberties are best protected by a strong government |
|
3 John Locke's theory of natural rights states that power to govern belongs to the people. Locke was
one of the main intellectual influences in the writing of the Declaration of Independence. He wrote Two Treatises on Government
in the early 1690s to defend England's Glorious Revolution (1688) and to challenge Thomas Hobbes' defense of an absolutist
monarchy. The body of the Declaration of Independence is a list of grievances against the king of England, but the eloquent
preamble contains key elements of Locke's natural rights theory. It states that "all men are created equal" and "endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable rights." The declaration goes on to assert that government gains its legitimacy from
having "the consent of the governed." If a government violates people's natural rights, the people have the right "to alter
or abolish it." These ideas have shaped democratic practices in the United States and beyond.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
Locke did not state that government is the source of all individual rights. His theory of natural rights held that people
are born with individual rights. It is the job of good government to protect those rights.
(2) Locke did state that power
should be concentrated in the monarchy. He was against absolute monarchy. His writings challenged Thomas Hobbes' defense of
absolute monarchy.
(4) Locke did not state that liberties are best protected by a strong government. He believed that power
should reside with the people, not with a strong government. Also, he supported the idea of checks and balances--built-in
mechanisms to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too strong. |
|
2
23. Base your answer on the accompanying map and on your knowledge of social studies.
A
conclusion supported by the information on the map is that slavery in the American colonies was |
 |
|
| 1. declining by the start of the Revolutionary War |
3. becoming illegal in the northern colonies |
| 2. concentrated in areas suitable for large plantations |
4. growing fastest in the New England colonies |
|
2 The map would support the conclusion that slavery in the American colonies was concentrated in areas
suitable for large plantations. This question requires map reading skills and an understanding of the relationship between
slavery and geography. The map indicates the approximate percentage of slaves, as a proportion of total population, in the
different areas of the thirteen colonies. All of the areas with a high proportion (30% or more) of slaves were in the Southern
colonies, indicating that slavery was more firmly entrenched in the South. The question then requires you to draw a conclusion
based on this information. The large plantations of the South lent themselves to a slave system of labor much more so than
the small farms of the North. The smaller farms of the North were generally worked by the owner of the property and his family,
with, perhaps, more people hired for planting and harvesting. The amount of work required on a large tobacco or cotton plantation
made slavery profitable.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The map does not indicate any change in slavery over
time. The information on the map is from one year, 1775. Slavery was decreasing on the eve of the American Revolution, but
it gained new strength in the Southern states after 1800 with the development of the cotton gin.
(3) Slavery did not become
illegal in the northern colonies. It was made illegal in the northern states after the American Revolution. Vermont made slavery
illegal when it adopted its Constitution in 1777. By 1804, all the states north of the Mason-Dixon line passed some sort of
legislation ending slavery. Some of these laws called for gradual emancipation. Pennsylvania, for example, did not fully abolish
slavery until 1847.
(4) The map does not show the growth or contraction of slavery. The map does show that in New England
in 1775 slavery was not widespread. |
|
4
24. The colonists' slogan, "No taxation without representation," expresses a belief in |
|
| 1. free trade |
3. the supremacy of Parliament |
| 2. economic interdependence |
4. the consent of the governed |
|
4 The colonists' slogan, "No taxation without representation," expresses a belief in the consent of the
governed. The phrase asserts that taxes should be imposed on people only by their elected representatives. In this way, the
people are consenting, through their elected representatives, to be taxed. Taxation became a contentious issue in the colonies
after the French and Indian War (1754–1763). To defray the costs of the war, the British government enacted a series
of revenue, or tax acts that many colonists found objectionable. The British believed their victory in the French and Indian
War had been especially beneficial to the colonists. In return, the British reasoned that it was fair for the colonists to
shoulder some of the costs of the war and of continued protection. The most hated act was the Stamp Act (1765), which imposed
a tax on the paper used for various documents in the colonies. The phrase, "consent of the governed," is contained in the
Declaration of Independence. The document puts forth the idea that governments derive their "just powers from the consent
of the governed."
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The slogan, "No taxation without representation," does not
express a belief in free trade. The colonists were not arguing against trade regulations. They were asserting that any tariffs
or taxes should be imposed only by their elected representatives.
(2) The slogan, "No taxation without representation,"
does not express a belief in economic interdependence. The slogan became a rallying cry for independence not for continued
interdependence.
(3) The slogan, "No taxation without representation," does not express a belief in the supremacy of Parliament.
The slogan became a rallying cry in the colonists' attempt to break free from Parliament and monarchical rule. |
|
1
25. Increased immigration from Ireland to the United States during the 1840s was primarily
a result of |
|
| 1. crop failures in Ireland that led to mass starvation |
3. unemployment in Ireland caused by industrialization |
| 2. refugees fleeing the new monarchy in Ireland |
4. religious warfare in Ireland between Catholics and Protestants |
|
1 Increased immigration from Ireland to the United States during the 1840s was primarily the result of
crop failures that led to mass starvation. A blight afflicted the potato crop, which was a staple for Irish people. The potato
blight was partly a natural phenomenon and partly the result of British policies. Great Britain controlled Ireland and used
the best land to grow wheat and other crops for export, while potato farming was pushed to marginal land. The result was weak
potato plants less able to withstand disease. It is estimated that a million Irish starved to death between 1845 and 1850,
while another million left for America. Most Irish settled in port cities such as New York and Boston.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(2) Irish immigrants were not refugees from a new monarchy in Ireland. Ireland was controlled by the British
monarchy during the time of mass migration. Ireland was officially part of Great Britain from 1801 to 1922 but English involvement
in Irish affairs dates back to the 12th century.
(3) Irish immigrants were not dislocated by the industrial revolution.
Industrialization was slow to come to Ireland. When a nation industrializes, jobs are created. Industrialization was one of
the reasons that the United States became such a magnet for immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Irish immigrants
were mainly rural farm people, not unemployed laborers.
(4) Irish immigrants in the 1840s were not, for the most part,
escaping religious violence between Catholics and Protestants. Sectarian conflict in Ireland has occurred sporadically since
the English Protestant Reformation of the 1520s and 1530s. Sectarian violence persisted after Ireland gained independence
from England. England retained six counties of Ireland, known as Northern Ireland. From the 1960s to the 1990s, struggles
ensued in Northern Ireland between Protestant Unionists, who wanted to maintain ties to England and Catholic Nationalists,
who wanted Northern Ireland to be part of Ireland. |
|
Practice H5 Oct 9 09
Mr Eisenberg |
TEACHER ANSWER KEY
October 09, 2009 |
|
1
1. What was the experience of most of the "new immigrants" who arrived in the United States
from southern and eastern Europe in the late 1800s and early 1900s? |
|
| 1. They lived in urban areas and most held low-paying jobs. |
3. They became discouraged with America and returned to their homelands. |
| 2. They obtained free land in the West and became farmers. |
4. They were easily assimilated into mainstream American culture. |
|
1 Immigrants who arrived in the late 1800s and early 1900s generally lived in urban areas and worked
in low-paying jobs. They arrived in the port cities of the East Coast to work in the industrial Northeast. Often they were
recruited in Europe by agents of American industries to work in American factories. Arriving with little money, the immigrants,
mostly of southern or eastern European origin, often illiterate and lacking knowledge of the English language and American
customs, settled in enclaves of people of similar ethnic background in tenement sections of cities. They took whatever jobs
they could find, usually low-paying unskilled work in mills, factories, and sweatshops, and in urban construction.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) By the late 1800s the frontier was closed, most good available land had been settled, and farming
was a depressed industry plagued by overproduction. Most new immigrants lacked the money to travel west to seek what free
land remained available under the Homestead Act.
(3) Most new immigrants remained in the United States because social,
political, and economic conditions were worse in their home countries. Immigrants came to escape from oppression and seek
economic opportunities in America's more open society.
(4) Many new immigrants were not assimilated into mainstream America.
They lived in urban enclaves where they continued to speak their native language with coworkers, neighbors, and shopkeepers.
They also faced discrimination by native-born Americans who were hostile to the foreign languages, dress, cultures, and religions
of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. |
|
2
2. One way in which the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Gentlemen's Agreement, and the National
Origins Act were similar is that all were expressions of |
|
| 1. imperialism |
3. militarism |
| 2. nativism |
4. Manifest Destiny |
|
2 A number of laws passed by Congress were expressions of nativism, which was a feeling of hostility
toward immigrants, especially those who were not white, Protestant, or of northern European origin. The Chinese Exclusion
Act (1882) that banned all immigration of Chinese was in response to a strong prejudice on the West Coast against Chinese.
Under the Gentlemen's Agreement (1907), the government of Japan denied passports to Japanese who wanted to emigrate to the
United States rather than have laws passed restricting Japanese immigration. The National Origins Acts of 1921, 1924, and
1929 limited immigration to the United States with quotas based on national origins that favored immigrants from northern
Europe.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Imperialism was the policy, favored by many Americans, to spread United
States influence overseas. Imperialists wanted the United States to acquire colonies in the Caribbean area and in the Pacific
Ocean to further American economic interests.
(3) Militarism means to develop a strong military establishment and promote
military values and ideals. The United States has disparaged militarism throughout its history.
(4) Manifest Destiny refers
to the feeling that developed following the Louisiana Purchase that the United States was destined to expand its territory
to the Pacific Ocean. |
|
4
3. Which concept from the European Enlightenment was included in the United States Constitution? |
|
| 1. absolutism |
3. limited monarchy |
| 2. despotism |
4. consent of the governed |
|
4 The political philosophers of the European Enlightenment had a significant impact on political development
in the English colonies in North America. The English philosopher John Locke wrote in The Second Treatise on Government
(1690) that the power of government is derived from the people, who have the natural right to protect their lives, liberty,
and property and who create government to help protect those rights. Locke believed that a parliament expressed the consent
of the governed. The original Constitution of the United States created a two-house legislature with an elected House of Representatives
similar to the British House of Commons and an appointed Senate to emulate the British House of Lords.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(1) and (2) The philosophers of the European Enlightenment opposed absolutism and despotism because they
threatened the natural rights of the people and ignored the consent of the governed. The Constitution avoids absolutism and
despotism by creating a federal system, limiting the powers of government, and including a Bill of Rights.
(3) Many of
the European Enlightenment philosophers advocated a limited monarchy as the best form of government. Though some American
colonists preferred a king with limited powers, the United States Constitution rejected the idea by providing for an elected
President with a limited term of office as the chief executive of the nation. |
|
3
4. According to the Declaration of Independence, governments are established to |
|
| 1. protect the nation from invasion |
3. protect the natural rights of citizens |
| 2. provide a system of checks and balances |
4. guarantee voting rights for all citizens |
|
3 According to the Declaration of Independence, governments are established to protect the natural rights
of citizens. The purpose of the Declaration of Independence was to end British rule over the thirteen American colonies and
state the reasons why the colonists wanted to break away from Great Britain. The Declaration states that "all Men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the
Pursuit of Happiness." The Declaration further affirms that governments are established to protect these rights, and that
if a government fails to do so, then "it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it." Most of the Declaration of Independence
is a list of specific actions taken by Great Britain that violated the natural rights of the citizens of the American colonies.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The Constitution of the United States provides for the defense of the nation in the Preamble
and in Article I, Section 8, where Congress is authorized to declare war and raise an army and a navy.
(2) The Constitution
provides a system of checks and balances by granting specific powers to the executive, legislative, and judicial branches
of government to block actions taken by the other two branches. Each branch of government is also limited in the powers it
can exercise.
(4) When the nation was formed, only some free, white males were allowed to vote. Over the years the federal
government has acted to extend the right to vote to more citizens. The Constitution has been amended to guarantee voting rights
to former slaves (Fifteenth Amendment) and women (Nineteenth Amendment). Federal legislation has extended the right to vote
to Native American Indians and has been adopted to end discrimination in voting practices. |
|
2
5. A republican form of government is described as one in which |
|
| 1. there is a two-party system |
3. elected officials have limited terms |
| 2. representatives are elected by the people |
4. government power is limited by checks and balances |
|
2 A republican form of government is one that has representatives elected by the people. There are many
kinds of republics. Some, such as the United States, France, and Italy are democratic republics because their representatives
are elected in fair, competitive elections in which voters have a choice among at least two candidates. However, other republics,
such as Iraq under Saddam Hussein and Germany under Adolf Hitler, were not democratic because elections were controlled to
make sure that only supporters of the dictator could be elected as representatives to parliament.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(1) and (3) A two-party or multiple-party system and set terms of office for elected officials are criteria
for democratic governments that may not be republics. Great Britain, Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Japan are not republics
because their heads of state are heredity monarchs. They are constitutional monarchies that are democratic because they have
free, competitive elections to parliament and their head of government, usually called a prime minister or premier, is elected
by the parliament.
(4) To have government power limited by checks and balances is not an essential criterion for a republic
or a democratic government. The United States takes pride in its system of checks and balances; however, many democratic nations
do not have a similar system. Parliamentary systems (constitutional monarchies such as those in Great Britain and republics
such as Germany and Italy) are democratic even though the leaders of the executive branch are members of the legislature.
Some democratic governments do not have supreme courts that can check the power of the legislature or the executive. These
nations are democratic because they have free, competitive elections. The check on their power is having to go to the people
periodically for reelection. |
|
4
6. Base your answer on the chart (see image) and on your knowledge of social studies.
The
data in the chart support the idea that the immigration laws of 1921 and 1924 were primarily designed to |
 |
|
| 1. stop illegal entry into the country |
3. encourage immigration from southern Europe |
| 2. admit skilled workers |
4. reduce immigration from specific regions |
|
4 The data in the chart supports the conclusion that the immigration laws of 1921 and 1924 were designed
to reduce immigration from specific regions. The laws were passed in response to pressures from various groups to reduce overall
immigration by establishing quotas based on national origin. The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 provided that the quota for any
European nation was 3% of the people of that nationality living in the United States as of 1910. Since most of the people
of the United States were of northern and western European ancestry based on immigration from the colonial era to 1910, immigrants
from Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Scandinavia were favored, as reflected by the immigration figures under the 1921
quotas. However, some Americans were concerned that over 158,000 of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe were admitted
under the 1921 quota because so many had immigrated in the years between 1890 and 1910. Immigrants from southern and eastern
Europe were considered less desirable because they were more likely to be Roman Catholic, Jewish, or Eastern Orthodox religions
and of Slavic or Italian ethnicity with cultural traits and values different from those of mainstream America. In response
to these concerns, Congress passed the 1924 immigration law that set the quotas at 2% of the population as of the 1890 census,
effectively excluding almost all immigration from Russia, Poland, Hungary, the Balkans, and Italy.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(1) The immigration laws created new categories of illegal immigrants because some who were excluded by
the quotas tried to enter the United States anyway.
(2) The 1921 and 1924 immigration laws did not consider the level of
education or skills of immigrants. After the national origins quota system was discarded in the Immigration Act of 1965, a
new system of priorities for admission was established that included skills in short supply in the United States.
(3) The
1921 and 1924 immigration laws were specifically designed to exclude immigration from southern Europe. |
|
2
7. Why did the United States follow a policy of open immigration during much of the 1800s? |
|
| 1. Many United States citizens wanted to live abroad. |
3. Prosperous conditions in Europe resulted in fewer immigrants coming to the United States. |
| 2. The United States had a shortage of labor. |
4. Immigrants provided United States industry with investment capital. |
|
2 The United States followed a policy of open immigration during the 1800s to settle the West and to
supply needed workers for the nation's expanding industries. Until late in the century, there were large tracts of unclaimed
land west of the Mississippi. Before the Civil War, many Europeans came to the United States for the opportunity to migrate
westward to work their own farms. After the Civil War, the Homestead Act encouraged westward migration and settlement. Immigrants
also came to work on the railroads and in mines. After the Civil War, American industry expanded rapidly. Immigration was
encouraged to provide cheap labor for mills and factories in the East and Midwest. Companies sent agents abroad to sign up
workers and help them pay for their passage. Late in the century, opposition to open immigration grew, primarily from labor
unions protesting that cheap labor from abroad caused unemployment among American-born workers.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
Few American citizens born in the United States chose to emigrate to other countries where there were undemocratic governments
and fewer economic opportunities.
(3) Immigrants came to the United States because of the economic opportunities. They
were mostly very poor people who in their native countries did not own their own land, worked for very low wages, and lived
under repressive governments.
(4) Most immigrants were too poor to provide United States industry with investment capital.
However, wealthy Europeans who continued to live in their native lands provided American industry with capital as an overseas
investment because interest rates were high and there were more opportunities for making high profits in the United States. |
|
4
8. The Supreme Court has the power to |
|
| 1. control the federal budget |
3. approve presidential appointments |
| 2. vote to end a tie in the Senate |
4. interpret the Constitution |
|
4 The Supreme Court has the power to interpret the Constitution. Article VI of the Constitution provides
that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land; however, the Constitution does not specifically empower the Supreme
Court to interpret it. The Court, in Marbury v. Madison (1803), assumed that power when it ruled that a provision in
the Judiciary Act passed by Congress in 1789 was unconstitutional. The Court's assumption of the right of judicial review
was not challenged and has been a major feature of the American political system for over 200 years.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(1) Article I, Section 7 of the Constitution provides that all bills for raising revenue must originate
in the House of Representatives. Thus, the House has primary responsibility for developing a budget. In reality, our governmental
system has developed so that the president develops a budget and presents it to the Congress that may approve, reject, or
amend it. The Supreme Court has no role in the budget process unless some element of it is challenged as contrary to the Constitution.
(2)
Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution provides that the vice-president, as presiding officer of the Senate, can vote to
break a tie. Otherwise, the vice-president does not have a vote in the Senate.
(3) Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution
gives the Senate the power to approve presidential appointments of members of the executive and judicial branches. The Supreme
Court has no role in the appointment or approval process. |
|
2
9. In writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was influenced most
by John Locke's idea of |
|
| 1. due process of law |
3. the rights of the accused |
| 2. natural rights |
4. the right to privacy |
|
2 In writing the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson was most influenced by John Locke's ideas
on natural rights. John Locke was a 17th century English Enlightenment philosopher. He wrote in 1690 in Two Treatises on
Civil Government that humans created governments to protect their natural rights to life, liberty, and property. He further
argued that citizens have the right to change their form of government if the government abuses their natural rights. Jefferson
used these ideas to justify the American Revolution and to declare the colonies' independence of Great Britain. Later in the
Declaration of Independence he listed the various abuses inflicted on the colonists by King George that violated their natural
rights.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Due process of law, protected by the 5th and 14th Amendments of the
Constitution, arose from English Common Law. Jefferson had no role in writing the Constitution because he was serving as Minister
to France during the Constitutional Convention.
(3) The rights of the accused are protected by the 5th, 6th, and 8th Amendments
to the Constitution. They were included because the British had violated rights during the colonial era.
(4) The right
to privacy evolved long after Jefferson's time. Supreme Court decisions in the 20th century inferred the right to privacy
from the 4th and 14th Amendments. |
|
2
10. Which feature must a nation have to be considered a democracy? |
|
| 1. a strong president |
3. elected judges to conduct trials |
| 2. citizen participation in government |
4. a set of laws |
|
2 Citizen participation is an essential feature of a democracy. Participation may be direct, as in the
democracy of Ancient Athens, or indirect because citizens elect representatives to serve in legislatures. Direct democracies
are too unwieldy to be effective in large nations. However, elements of direct democracy are preserved in the United States
in New England town meetings and in the use of referendums, initiatives, and recalls that enable voters to force legislators
to take certain actions by obtaining enough voters on petitions. Representative systems are democratic only when there are
multiple political parties, multiple candidates from which voters can choose, and no inappropriate government interference
in the electoral process.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) A strong president is not an essential feature of
a democracy. Strong presidents can be threats to democracy if they circumvent the law and abuse their powers. However, the
nation may need strong presidents during times of crisis.
(3) Elected judges are not an essential feature of a democracy.
All federal judges in the United States are appointed, not elected. Judges should be chosen for their judicial temperament,
experience, and knowledge of the law, not for their personality or loyalty to a political party.
(4) All nations, democracies
or dictatorships, have sets of laws. The essential features of a democracy are how well the laws reflect the needs and wishes
of the people and the extent to which the people have a role in choosing those who make and carry out the laws. |
|
2
11. ". . . Now, one of the most essential branches of English liberty is the freedom of
one's house. A man's house is his castle; and whilst he is quiet, he is as well guarded as a prince in his castle. . . ."
-- James Otis, Against the Writs of Assistance, 1761
Which provision in the Bill of Rights
includes this same belief? |
|
| 1. right to a fair trial |
3. guarantee against double jeopardy |
| 2. protection against unreasonable search and seizure |
4. prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment |
|
2 The 4th Amendment to the Constitution states that the people shall be "secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures." In other words, governmental authorities are not permitted
to intrude upon the private lives of the people, unless they have a compelling reason to do so. In such cases, authorities
must obtain a search warrant from a judge. The 4th Amendment and the nine other initial amendments to the Constitution are
known collectively as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was added to address the fears of those who thought the Constitution
would create an omnipotent and unaccountable government. These critics of the Constitution, known as the Antifederalists,
had vivid memories of the intrusions of the royal British government into their lives and wanted to have assurances that the
people would have basic protections from government abuses.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1), (3), (4) The wrong
choices are all rights included in the Bill of Rights, but they are not the subject of the quote. The right to a fair trial
is implicit in the 6th Amendment, which provides for the right to a lawyer and a "speedy and public trial" judged by an "impartial
jury." The guarantee against double jeopardy is spelled out in the 5th Amendment. The government is given one chance to convict
someone of a crime. If the government fails in its case, the defendant does not have to worry about being prosecuted for the
same crime again in the future, even if new evidence emerges. Of course, this amendment does not bar a defendant from appealing
a guilty verdict to a higher court. The prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishment" is in the 8th Amendment. The amendment
has been used by the Supreme Court to alleviate harsh conditions in some prisons. Opponents of the death penalty have attempted
to use the language of the 8th Amendment to ban executions. Generally they have failed, although in the Furman v. Georgia
decision (1972), the Supreme Court ruled that states had to revamp death penalty procedures because many of the procedures
were "arbitrary" and "cruel." |
|
1
12. According to the Declaration of Independence, the fundamental purpose of government
is to |
|
| 1. protect people's natural rights |
3. provide for the defense of the nation |
| 2. equalize opportunities for all citizens |
4. establish a system of free public education |
|
1 The Declaration of Independence asserts that the major purpose of government is to protect the natural
rights of the people. Thomas Jefferson wrote the document in 1776; the Second Continental Congress ratified it in July of
that year. The Declaration explained the reasons the thirteen American colonies were breaking their ties with Britain. The
document was addressed to the King but was also intended to convince cautious Americans to support independence. A major reason
for independence was that the King of England failed to protect the natural rights of the American people. The preamble sets
forth some of the natural rights that all people are born with. These include "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) Even though the Declaration of Independence does state, "all men are created equal," it does
not assert that one of the purposes of government is to create a level playing field. However, the idea of equalizing opportunities
for all has existed to some extent throughout American history and grew stronger in the 20th century. It is implicit in the
push for free public education before the Civil War and more recently in affirmative action programs.
(3) The idea that
the government should provide for the defense of its citizens predates the Declaration of Independence. The document does
fault the King for not protecting the colonists, but the concept of protection is not central to the document.
(4) The
Declaration of Independence does not discuss education. The campaign for free public education gained a large following in
the 1840s. Horace Mann was among the most vocal advocates during this period. |
|
2
13. Which statement is most accurate about the movement for independence in the thirteen
colonies? |
|
| 1. The independence movement began soon after the founding of the Plymouth Colony. |
3. The King of England required the colonists to become economically self-sufficient. |
| 2. Protests against British colonial policies gradually led to demands for independence. |
4. The movement for independence was equally strong in all of the colonies. |
|
2 The American colonists began to protest British policies after the French and Indian War, which ended
in 1763. These protests grew more intense and led to the colonies declaring their independence from Great Britain in 1776.
Following the French and Indian War, the British government enacted a series of measures, which many colonists found objectionable.
The colonists were angered by a series of revenue or tax acts that the British imposed, in part to defray the costs of the
war. The British believed their victory in the French and Indian War had been especially beneficial to the colonists. In return,
the British reasoned it was fair for the colonists to shoulder some of the costs of the war and of continued protection. The
Stamp Act (1765), which imposed a tax on the paper used for various documents in the colonies, provoked the most intense opposition.
This tax was solely a revenue-raising measure as opposed to earlier taxes that were designed to regulate trade. Many colonists
asserted that only representatives elected by them could enact taxes on the colonies. "No taxation without representation"
became their rallying cry. The Stamp Act itself was rescinded, but a series of British moves and colonial responses in the
coming years worsened the situation. Fighting occurred at the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord in 1775. The conflict
intensified after King George III rejected the Olive Branch Petition (1775), the colonists' last attempt at reconciliation.
Finally, Thomas Paine's influential pamphlet Common Sense pushed the colonists toward independence, which was made
formal on July 4, 1776.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Most early colonists did not entertain notions of independence.
They considered themselves loyal subjects of the crown. Also, from the founding of the first colonies until after the French
and Indian War, the British largely let the colonies develop on their own. This hands-off approach is referred to as salutary
neglect.
(3) The King of England did not encourage economic self-sufficiency on the part of the colonies. Far from
it; mercantilism, the guiding economic theory of the British in establishing an empire, called for the colonies to be economically
dependent on the mother country. This way, the colonies would be a perpetual market for British-made goods, and the British
would have a steady source of colonial raw materials.
(4) Enthusiasm for independence varied greatly from colony to colony
and even within colonies. Loyalism was a significant movement in the colonies of New York and South Carolina. |
|
4
14. Base your answer on the accompanying series of maps and on your knowledge of social
studies.
What is the best title for this series of maps? |
 |
|
| 1. Industrialization of the United States |
3. Transportation Revolution in the United States |
| 2. Sectional Conflicts in the United States |
4. Shifting Frontier of the United States |
|
4 This question requires basic map-reading skills and an understanding of what the term frontier
has meant in United States history. The student must be able to make a connection between the information in the map legend
and the maps themselves. The differently shaded bands on the maps represent different degrees of human settlement. The darker
the band, the more densely that area was settled. The areas settled by migrants to the United States, and their descendents,
grew larger as time went forward. The East Coast was settled first, when colonies were established along the Atlantic seaboard
in the 17th century. As these areas became more densely populated, people pushed west into the interior, settling in areas
that were sparsely populated, mostly by Native Americans. Settlement patterns leapt over much of the west to California after
the discovery of gold in 1849. The process of westward expansion was aided by the acquisition of additional lands by the United
States government, including the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the Mexican Cession (1848). Most people moved west to acquire
cheaper land. Some believed the move west was sanctioned by God, part of the Manifest Destiny of the United States. The shifting
boundary between settled and sparsely settled lands has been labeled the frontier in American history. While not an
officially drawn boundary, like that between the United States and Canada, the frontier has played an important role in United
States history.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The map legend makes no mention of terms associated with industrialization,
such as steel mills or coal mines.
(2) Maps focusing on sectional conflicts would show divisions between the Northern
states and the Southern states and would note the issue of the spread of slavery in the decades leading up to the Civil War.
(3) Transportation maps would note the development of canals, rudimentary roads, and railroads in the 19th century and
highways in the 20th century. |
|
1
15. French Enlightenment philosopher Baron De Montesquieu praised the British political
system because it divided the power of government between the monarch and the two houses of Parliament.
Which principle
included in the United States Constitution shows that the framers agreed with Montesquieu? |
|
| 1. separation of powers |
3. implied powers |
| 2. federal supremacy |
4. due process |
|
1 This question provides a statement about the political philosophy of Montesquieu and then asks how
this philosophy was applied in the United States Constitution. Montesquieu was pleased with the British system for preventing
the king from exercising absolute power. Power was separated with the king having certain powers and Parliament having certain
powers. This principal was adopted by the framers of the United States Constitution. Power is separated into three branches
by the Constitution - the executive, the legislative, and the judicial. All three branches are given certain powers, and each
has the ability to limit, or check, the powers of the other two. The goal is to create balance among the three branches, with
no branch able to dominate the other two. This principle is known as checks and balance.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(2)
The quote does not support the concept of federal supremacy. It does not indicate that one branch should be supreme over the
others.
(3) The quote does not support the concept of implied powers. The implied powers of Congress grow out of the elastic
clause, which states that Congress has powers in addition to the ones specifically listed. These implied powers can be exercised
if Congress deems it "necessary and proper."
(4) The quote does not support the concept of due process. The framers of
the Constitution wanted to protect people from arbitrary authority. They did not want police officers or governors to be able
to throw people in jail indefinitely at their will. Therefore, the Constitution spells out procedures that individuals must
be subjected to before they are punished. |
|
3
16. One similarity between the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights is that
both documents |
|
| 1. provide for a government with three separate branches |
3. stress the importance of individual liberty |
| 2. discuss colonial grievances against the monarchy |
4. criticize the practice of slavery |
|
3 The Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights (the first ten amendments to the United States
Constitution) not only are important in United States history but are key documents in the development of ideas of democracy
and individual liberty. The Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson and ratified by the Second Continental
Congress in 1776, expressed the intent of the signers and the colonists they represented to be free of British control and
to govern their own affairs. In justifying this bold move, Jefferson asserted broad concepts about equality and the rights
of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" that all men are born with. The Bill of Rights makes many of these rights
explicit. The 1st Amendment not only protects the people from the government limitations on freedom of expression and of religion
but also affirms the right of people to protest against government actions and established the separation of church and state.
The 2nd Amendment established the right to "bear arms." The 4th Amendment holds that people are to be free from unwarranted
searches by government authorities. The 5th and 6th Amendments list a variety of protections that people have when they are
accused of crimes, such as the right to a "speedy and public trial." The 8th Amendment states that the government shall not
inflict "cruel and unusual" punishments on people.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1) It is the Constitution itself
that establishes three separate branches of government - the executive, the legislative, and the judicial.
(2) The Declaration
of Independence does contain a long list of grievances against the monarchy. But the Bill of Rights, written 13 years after
independence, does not refer to the period of British rule over the colonies.
(4) Neither document criticizes the practice
of slavery. An early draft of the declaration criticized the practice of slavery, blaming the king for imposing the practice
on the colonies. Although the practice of slavery was introduced and expanded by the colonists themselves, not by the King,
this statement was too much for Southern delegates to the Second Continental Congress, and it was scrapped. In the 1800s,
the declaration was repeatedly used by abolitionists who asked how slavery could be justified if everyone is born with the
right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness"? The Bill of Rights does not mention slavery. |
|
2
17. The Mayflower Compact and the Virginia House of Burgesses are examples of |
|
| 1. equal opportunities for women during the colonial period |
3. economic agreements between the colonists and Native American Indians |
| 2. steps toward representative government |
4. limitations placed on colonial Americans by the British government |
|
2 The Mayflower Compact was a document written and signed by the Pilgrims on board the Mayflower
before it touched land at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. The King had granted the Pilgrims land further south in Virginia.
To give themselves a sense of legitimacy in an area in which they had no legal status, the Pilgrims agreed in this document
to set up a government and obey its laws. The House of Burgesses was created by the Virginia Company in 1619. The company
had founded the colony of Virginia in 1607 as a profit-generating venture. The company saw the need for some sort of body
to govern the inhabitants of the colony and created this representative assembly. All free adult men could vote for representatives.
Later this was limited to wealthy men. After Virginia came under the jurisdiction of the crown, instead of the Virginia Company
(1624), the King allowed the Houses of Burgesses to continue. Both are seen as early examples of representative government.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1) Neither the Mayflower Compact nor the House of Burgesses extended any rights
or privileges to women. Both made it clear that men would be the decision makers in colonial America. It was not until much
later that women (and their male allies) fought for political and social equality, and even later that they began to achieve
it. The Seneca Falls Convention for women's rights occurred in 1848. Women got the right to vote in the United States in 1920.
(3)
The Mayflower Compact did not mention the native inhabitants. The House of Burgesses dealt with the Native American "problem,"
but in general, economic interchanges between Europeans and Native Americans occurred on an ad hoc basis, not as a result
of broad agreements.
(4) Neither the Mayflower Compact nor the House of Burgesses was created by the King. Both, in fact,
contributed to a sense of self-rule, not royal control. |
|
1
18. During the colonial period, the British Parliament used the policy of mercantilism to |
|
| 1. limit manufacturing in America |
3. deny representation to the colonists |
| 2. prevent criticism of royal policies |
4. force colonists to worship in the Anglican Church |
|
1 Mercantilism is essentially an economic theory. Only choice (1) refers to economics. There are several
important elements of mercantilism. Mercantilism holds that only a limited amount of wealth exists in the world. Nations increase
their power by increasing their share of the world's wealth. Nations therefore try to maximize the amount of precious metals
they hold. One way of acquiring precious metals is to maintain a favorable balance of trade, with the value of exports exceeding
the value of imports. Mercantilist theory suggests that governments should advance these goals by maintaining colonies so
as to have a steady and inexpensive source for raw materials. The theory also holds that the colonies should not develop manufacturing
but should purchase manufactured goods from the ruling country. England imposed several navigation laws on the American colonies
to make sure the colonies fulfilled their role. But some of these laws were difficult to enforce and the thirteen colonies
began to develop an economy independent of England.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(2) Preventing criticism of
royal policies involves political regulations rather than economic regulations. England did try to limit criticism of royal
policies. In 1734 a newspaper publisher named John Peter Zenger was arrested for printing material critical of the king. He
was ultimately found not guilty. The case helped establish the concept of freedom of the press.
(3) England did deny representation
to the colonies, but that was a political rather than an economic policy. England developed the theory of "virtual representation"
in response to colonial complaints of not being represented in Parliament. This theory held that members of Parliament represented
the entire British Empire. The colonists therefore were "virtually represented" by the members of Parliament.
(4) England
did not insist that colonists worship in the Anglican Church. The different colonies developed their own regulations around
religion, with Anglicans, Puritans, Quakers, Catholics, and other sects operating in the various colonies. |
|
3
19. Acquiring New Orleans as part of the Louisiana Purchase was considered important to
the development of the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys because the city |
|
| 1. provided protection from attacks by the Spanish |
3. served as a port for American agricultural goods |
| 2. provided migrant workers for river valley farms |
4. served as the cultural center for the nation |
|
3 This question recognizes the important role that New Orleans has played from the early years of the
United States until today. This role was highlighted recently by the devastation to New Orleans caused by Hurricane Katrina
and the disruptions to trade that followed. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, pioneers crossed over the Appalachian Mountains
and settled in the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys and established farms. It was impractical to transport agricultural
goods such as wheat and corn by overland routes to the population centers along the eastern seaboard. Roads were primitive
and railroads had not yet been developed. Therefore, water routes down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to New Orleans and
beyond became very important for the farmers. But the United States did not possess New Orleans. Spain controlled it until
1800, and France did after that. The United States got control of it in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase.
Wrong
Choices Explained:
(1) The Spanish had interfered with American shipping in the United States when Spain controlled
the Louisiana Territory and New Orleans, especially before Pinckney's Treaty (1795) declared that both the United States and
Spain would respect each other's ships. But Spain was out of the picture by the time of the Louisiana Purchase (1803).
(2)
Migrant workers are more of a 20th century phenomenon. The small scale of farming in the early 19th century and the primitive
state of transportation made migrant farming less common.
(4) New Orleans has been a major American cultural center since
the late 19th century. The city is extremely important in the development of jazz and blues music. |
|
4
20. Which characteristic of the 1920s is illustrated by the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti? |
|
| 1. hostility toward woman's suffrage |
3. opposition to separation of church and state |
| 2. support for segregation |
4. intolerance toward immigrants |
|
4 The trial of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti for robbery and murder illustrated the intolerance
that many Americans had toward immigrants in the 1920s. The two men were accused of robbing and killing a payroll clerk in
Massachusetts in 1920. The evidence against them was sketchy and the judge was openly hostile to the two men, who were not
only immigrants, but anarchists as well. After they were found guilty, many Americans protested the verdict and wondered if
an immigrant, especially one with radical ideas, could get a fair trial in the United States. Despite protests the two men
were executed in 1927. Anti-immigrant sentiment ran very high in the 1920s. The United States passed the Emergency Quota Act
(1921) and the National Origins Act (1924), both of which greatly reduced the number of new immigrants allowed into the United
States. These acts set quotas for new immigrants based on nationality.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1) The
trial of Sacco and Vanzetti did not illustrate hostility toward woman's suffrage. Some of the same people who were anti-immigrant
were also critical of women getting the right to vote, but neither Sacco nor Vanzetti was female.
(2) The trial of Sacco
and Vanzetti did not illustrate support for segregation. The trial was of two Italian immigrants. Segregation by race of public
facilities existed at the time. It was not outlawed until the Civil Rights Act (1965).
(3) The trial of Sacco and Vanzetti
did not illustrate opposition to the separation of church and state. Some of the same people who were anti-immigrant also
opposed the separation of church and state. The issue of separation of church and state emerged in the Scopes trial (1925).
John Scopes, a Tennessee biology teacher, was tried for teaching the theory of evolution in violation of state law. |
|
4
21. In the pamphlet Common Sense, Thomas Paine urged the American colonists to |
|
| 1. oppose the French colonization of North America |
3. reaffirm their loyalty to King George III |
| 2. compromise with the British |
4. declare their independence from Great Britain |
|
4 Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense, written in January 1776, was important in convincing many
Americans that the 13 American colonies should declare independence from England. Americans who supported independence were
labeled "patriots" and those who supported maintaining ties to England were labeled "loyalists." Tensions between England
and the colonies were strained at the time Paine wrote his pamphlet. In April 1775 fighting began between patriots and English
troops in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord. During the rest of 1775 relations between the colonies and England
worsened. The Battle of Bunker Hill occurred in Boston and the British parliament declared American ships enemy vessels. The
Second Continental Congress, a body of representatives from the 13 colonies, created an army, declared war against England,
and began issuing its own currency. At the same time, some members of the Congress still hoped for reconciliation. Congress
sent the Olive Branch Petition to the king of England, affirming loyalty to the monarch and blaming the current problems on
Parliament (King George III rejected the petition). Paine refuted the logic of the petition, plainly and forcefully putting
the blame on the king. He argued that the 13 colonies would thrive if they were free of their ties to England. Paine's arguments
carried the day. On July 4, 1776, the delegates to the Second Continental Congress formally ratified the Declaration of Independence.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1) The pamphlet did not discuss French colonization of North America. French colonies
in North America were all but eliminated as a result of the French and Indian War (1755–1763).
(2) The Olive Branch
Petition, issued July 1775, called for compromise with England, but it was rejected by King George III.
(3) The pamphlet
did not reaffirm loyalty to King George III. It called for an end to monarchical rule. |
|
1
22. Which federal government program has been most affected by the longer life expectancy
of people in the United States? |
|
| 1. Medicare |
3. War on Poverty |
| 2. Americans with Disabilities Act |
4. No Child Left Behind Act |
|
1 Medicare has been most affected by the longer life expectancy of people in the United States. The Medicare
program provides health care for every American once they reach the age of 65. The program, begun in 1965, was one of President
Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs. The main components of these were landmark civil rights acts as well as a comprehensive
"war on poverty." Many aspects of Johnson's Great Society were underfunded as the federal government spent more and more on
the war in Vietnam.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(2) The Americans with Disabilities Act has not been dramatically
affected by the longer life expectancy of people in the United States. The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into
law by President George H. W. Bush in 1990. It prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities.
(3) The War on
Poverty was the name given to a series of programs initiated in the 1960s by President Johnson to eliminate poverty in the
United States. The programs have not had a great deal of long-term success, but not because of the longer life expectancy
of the American people.
(4) The No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law in 2002 by President George W. Bush. As a
program designed to reform public education, it would not be directly affected by the longer life expectancy of the American
people. |
|
1
23. Until the early 20th century, few restrictions on immigration to the United States existed
primarily because |
|
| 1. industry needed an increasing supply of labor |
3. labor unions had always favored unrestricted immigration |
| 2. immigration totals had always been relatively low |
4. the Supreme Court had ruled that Congress could not restrict immigration |
|
1 Until the early twentieth century, few restrictions on immigration to the United States existed primarily
because industry needed an increasing supply of labor. In the second half of the 1800s, the industrial output of the United
States grew dramatically. Workers were needed in these new factories. Some of these workers migrated from the rural areas
of the United States, but a major new source of labor to work in American factories was immigrants from southern and eastern
Europe. The large wave of immigrants who came to the United States between 1880 and the 1920s was essential to the industrialization
of the United States. An estimated 20 million people, from Russia, Italy, Poland, the Balkan region and elsewhere, immigrated
to the United States, most settling in industrial cities such as New York, Pittsburgh, and Chicago. Some nativists opposed
immigration. They feared that Anglo-Saxon Americans were committing "race suicide" by allowing "inferior" races to enter America
in large numbers. Up until the 1920s there were very few restrictions on immigration, except toward the Chinese. In the 1920s,
the United States passed the Emergency Quota Act (1921) and the National Origins Act (1924), both of which greatly reduced
the number of new immigrants allowed into the United States.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) Immigration totals
to the United States had not always been low before the twentieth century. Immigration has always been central to the growth
of the United States. Large numbers of Irish immigrants came to the United States in the 1840s and 1850s, and over 20 million
of the "new immigrants" from Eastern and Southern Europe came to the United States between 1880 and 1920.
(3) Labor unions
had not always favored unrestricted immigration. The powerful American Federation of Labor, a union of skilled workers, actively
opposed unrestricted immigration. The union did not want large numbers of unskilled immigrants to enter the United States
and undermine the position of skilled workers.
(4) The Supreme Court never ruled that Congress could not restrict immigration. |
|
2
24. Base your answer on the accompanying cartoon and on your knowledge of social studies.
Which
constitutional principle is the focus of this cartoon? |
 |
|
| 1. individual liberties |
3. freedom of speech |
| 2. separation of powers |
4. federalism |
|
2 The focus of the cartoon is the constitutional principle of separation of powers. The framers of the
Constitution created three branches of government, each with powers separate from the other two. The legislative branch creates
laws, the executive branch carries out laws, and the judicial branch interprets laws. The Constitution spells out the powers
of each branch. The framers were very conscious of the problems of a government with limitless powers. After living under
the British monarchy, they came to believe that a powerful government without checks was dangerous to liberty. Therefore,
they created a governmental system with three branches, each with the ability to check the powers of the other two. The goal
was to keep the three branches in balance. Although it is not necessary to know the specific referents in the cartoon to answer
the question, the teacher is Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who served from 1986 to 2005, and the student
is President George W. Bush. In June 2004 the Court issued two decisions that asserted that President Bush overstepped the
bounds of presidential power following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The Court, for instance, ruled that the
government cannot keep detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, indefinitely without allowing them a hearing or a trial. In the
cartoon, Rehnquist is seen lecturing President Bush about the powers of each branch of government, and the importance of not
overstepping the limits of those powers. The Court's rebuke of the president is an example of checks and balances.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The cartoon does not focus on the constitutional principle of individual liberties. Individual
liberties, enshrined in the Bill of Rights, include freedom of speech, the right to worship freely, the right to a lawyer,
and many others.
(3) The cartoon does not focus on the constitutional principle of freedom of speech. The right to free
speech is contained in the First Amendment to the Constitution.
(4) The cartoon does not focus on the constitutional principle
of federalism. Federalism refers to the relationship between the federal government and the state governments. |
|
1
25. In the early 1800s, the Mississippi River was important to the United States because
it |
|
| 1. served as a major highway for trade |
3. divided the Indian territories from the United States |
| 2. led to wars between Great Britain and Spain |
4. served as a border between the United States and Mexico |
|
1 In the early 1800s, the Mississippi River was important to the United States because it served as a
major highway for trade. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, pioneers crossed over the Appalachian Mountains and established
farms in the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys. It was impractical to transport agricultural goods such as wheat and corn
by overland routes to the population centers along the Eastern Seaboard. Roads were primitive and railroads had not yet been
developed. Therefore, water routes down the Mississippi River to New Orleans and beyond became very important for the farmers.
The United States did not initially control navigation of the Mississippi River. Spain controlled the land on the west side
of the river, as well as New Orleans, until 1800, when France regained control of the land. The United States gained control
of the Louisiana Territory in 1803, when it purchased the land from France.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2)
Great Britain and Spain did not fight a war over the Mississippi River. Tensions arose in the late 1700s between the United
States and Spain over control of the Mississippi River, but these tensions did not lead to war. Great Britain and Spain fought
several wars from the 1500s to the 1800s. The last one was in the first decade of the 1800s, but it had nothing to do with
the Mississippi River.
(3) The Mississippi River did not divide the Indian territories from the United States. At that
time, Indian territories existed on both sides of the Mississippi River.
(4) The Mississippi River did not serve as a border
between the United States and Mexico. The Mississippi River was the western boundary of the United States from its founding
in 1776 until the purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803. The territory on the west side of the river was controlled
first by Spain and then by France before it became part of the United States. The current boundary between the United States
and Mexico is the Rio Grande. |
|
3
26. Which action can be taken by the United States Supreme Court to illustrate the concept
that the Constitution is "the supreme law of the land"? |
|
| 1. hiring new federal judges |
3. declaring a state law unconstitutional |
| 2. voting articles of impeachment |
4. rejecting a presidential nomination to the cabinet |
|
3 An illustration of the concept that the Constitution is "the supreme law of the land" is the ability
of the Supreme Court to declare a state law unconstitutional. The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution states that the Constitution,
federal laws, and treaties are the "supreme law of the land." Therefore, state laws must operate within the bounds of the
Constitution, as defined by the Supreme Court.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The Supreme Court does not have
the power to hire new federal judges. Federal judges are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
(2) The
Supreme Court does not have the power to vote on articles of impeachment. The House of Representatives would do so. If the
House votes to impeach a president, the Senate holds a trial to determine if he is guilty of the articles brought against
him.
(4) The Supreme Court does not have the power to reject a presidential nomination to the cabinet. Cabinet members
are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. |
|
1
27. An example of a primary source of information about the War of 1812 would be a |
|
| 1. battle plan for the attack on Fort McHenry |
3. movie on the life of President James Madison |
| 2. historical novel on the Battle of New Orleans |
4. textbook passage on the naval engagements of the war |
|
1 A battle plan for the attack on Fort McHenry is an example of a primary source of information about
the War of 1812. A battle plan would have been produced by generals who participated in the war. Primary sources are documents
used by historians that were created in the time period being studied by a participant or witness of the events being described.
They are considered the key building blocks of historical research. Primary sources include diaries, letters, government documents,
maps, works of art, artifacts, photographs, organizational records, and speeches. Newspaper accounts of historical events
are usually considered primary sources, even though the journalist may not have actually witnessed the event being discussed.
Primary documents are often considered to be more objective accounts of the past than secondary texts, written after the fact.
But primary sources have their limitations. They usually can only shed light on a particular aspect of the past, from a particular
perspective. A slave narrative, for instance, would almost certainly provide a different perspective on slavery than the diary
of a slave owner.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) A historical novel about the Battle of New Orleans is not
an example of a primary source of information on the War of 1812. A novel, written after the fact, would be considered a secondary
source.
(3) A movie about the life of President James Madison is not an example of a primary source of information on the
War of 1812. A movie, produced after the fact, would be considered a secondary source.
(4) A textbook passage on the naval
engagements of the war is not an example of a primary source of information on the War of 1812. A textbook, written after
the fact, would be considered a secondary source. |
|
2
28. Before 1763, the British policy of salutary neglect toward its American colonies was
based on the desire of Great Britain to |
|
| 1. treat all English people, including colonists, on an equal basis |
3. encourage manufacturing in the American colonies |
| 2. benefit from the economic prosperity of the American colonies |
4. ensure that all mercantile regulations were strictly followed |
|
2 Before 1763, the British policy of salutary neglect toward the American colonies was based on the desire
of Great Britain to benefit from the economic prosperity of the American colonies. Great Britain's colonial empire in the
1600s and 1700s was a central component of the policy of mercantilism. The policy called for colonies to provide Great Britain
with raw materials and markets. Great Britain imposed several navigation laws on the American colonies to make sure the colonies
fulfilled their role. However, some of these laws were difficult to enforce and the thirteen colonies began to develop an
economy independent of Great Britain. This policy of letting the colonies develop without excessive regulation is called salutary
neglect. The policy benefited both the colonies and Great Britain. Great Britain abandoned this policy after the French
and Indian War, which ended in 1763. Great Britain wanted the colonies to help pay off the debt from the war and to contribute
to colonial defense.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The colonists and the residents of England itself were
not treated on an equal basis. The colonists, for instance, had no representation in Parliament.
(3) Great Britain did
not encourage manufacturing in the American colonies. Mercantilist policies discouraged manufacturing in the colonies. The
theory held that the mother country should engage in manufacturing and the colonies should supply raw materials. This way,
the colonies would be a perpetual market for British-made goods and the British would have a steady source of colonial raw
materials.
(4) Salutary neglect implies that mercantile regulations would not be followed strictly. Because the colonies
were so far from Great Britain, it was difficult for Great Britain to ensure that its regulations were strictly followed. |
|
2
29. Which geographic factor most helped the United States maintain its foreign policy of
neutrality during much of the 1800s? |
|
| 1. climate of the Great Plains |
3. large network of navigable rivers |
| 2. oceans on its east and west coasts |
4. mountain ranges near the Atlantic and Pacific coasts |
|
2 The geographic feature that most helped the United States maintain its foreign policy of neutrality
during much of the 1800s was the presence of oceans on its east and west coasts. The two oceans, the Atlantic and the Pacific,
created distance between the United States and the major world powers. This distance allowed the United States to develop
independently and to avoid the conflicts that involved many of the European nations for much of the 1800s. In 1823, President
James Monroe issued the Monroe Doctrine warning European nations to keep their hands off the Americas. For the most part,
the European powers did so, in part, because of the great physical distance between the United States and the European powers.
The foreign policy of neutrality is also associated with President George Washington. He issued the 1793 Neutrality Act and
in his Farewell Address he urged the United States to avoid "permanent alliances" with foreign powers.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(1) The climate of the Great Plains did not help the United States maintain its foreign policy of neutrality.
The Great Plains, the relatively flat land between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, became a significant agricultural
region by the end of the 1800s, but did not significantly affect foreign policy.
(3) The large network of navigable rivers
did not help the United States maintain its foreign policy of neutrality. In the 1800s, navigable rivers helped the United
States to industrialize, but did not significantly affect foreign policy.
(4) Mountain ranges do exist near both coasts—the
Appalachians near the Atlantic coast and the Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Mountains near the Pacific coast—but they
did not significantly affect foreign policy. |
|
4
30. What was the primary reason that slavery became more widespread in the South than in
the North? |
|
| 1. The abolitionist movement was based in the North. |
3. Opposition to slavery by the Anglican Church was stronger in the North. |
| 2. The textile industry was controlled by southern merchants. |
4. Geographic factors contributed to the growth of the southern plantation system. |
|
4 The primary reason that slavery became more widespread in the South than in the North was that geographic
features contributed to the growth of the southern plantation system. The fertile soil, relatively flat land, and long growing
season of the coastal regions of the South made the area ideal for large tobacco and cotton plantations. These large plantations
lent themselves to a slave system of labor much more so than the small farms of the North. The smaller farms of the North
were generally worked by the owner of the property and his family, with, perhaps, more people hired for planting and harvesting.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The abolitionist movement was strong in the North, but the movement was a response
to slavery, not a cause of it.
(2) The textile industry was not controlled by southern merchants. The owners of the major
textile mills in the United States were mostly northerners.
(3) The Anglican Church did not take a strong stand against
slavery. Also, the Anglican Church was as strong in the South as it was in the North. |
|
4
31. The climate and topography of the southeastern United States had a major impact on the
history of the United States before 1860 because the region |
|
| 1. became the center of commerce and manufacturing |
3. was the area in which most immigrants chose to settle |
| 2. developed as the largest domestic source of steel production |
4. provided agricultural products that were processed in the North and in Europe |
|
4 The climate and topography of the southeastern United States had a major impact on the history of the
United States before 1860 because the region provided agricultural products that were processed in the North and in Europe.
The most important agricultural product was cotton. Cotton needs a long frost-free season, lots of sunshine, and moderate
rainfall. These conditions are present in a broad swath of the South. Eli Whitney's cotton gin (1793) was instrumental in
helping meet the growing demand for raw cotton. A cotton gin separates the cotton seeds from the raw cotton strands. Southern
plantation owners needed workers to plant, tend, and harvest the cotton crop. Thus, the institution of slavery saw a dramatic
increase in the first half of the 1800s. From the 1830s onward, slavery became a contentious issue in American society. The
issue intensified as the United States acquired more territory in the West. The question of whether these new territories
would be slave or free became a central political issue in the 1850s and led to the Civil War (1861–1865).
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The southeastern United States was not the center of commerce and manufacturing, either before
or after 1860. Throughout the 1800s, the northern states dominated these sectors of the economy.
(2) Steel production was
not significant in the southeastern United States before 1860. Steel production was centered in Pennsylvania and Ohio, and
became prominent only after the Civil War.
(3) The southeastern United States was not a magnet for immigrants, either before
or after 1860. Throughout the 1800s, most immigrants to the United States settled in the cities of the northern states. |
|
4
32. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many members of Congress supported legislation requiring
literacy tests for immigrants in an attempt to |
|
| 1. stop illegal immigration from Latin America |
3. limit the power of urban political machines |
| 2. provide highly skilled workers for industry |
4. restrict immigration from southern and eastern Europe |
|
4 In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many members of Congress supported legislation requiring literacy
tests for immigrants in an attempt to restrict immigration from southern and eastern Europe. During this period a strong Nativist,
or anti-immigrant, movement developed in the United States. Some members of the movement exhibited prejudice toward people
who seemed "different." Others did not want immigrant workers to compete with Americans for jobs. Still others worried that
the United States might become overpopulated. One strategy for restricting immigration was requiring immigrants to pass a
literacy test before they would be admitted to the United States. Large numbers of immigrants were not literate in their native
tongue, let alone English. Nativists failed to implement such a literacy test, but they were successful in the 1920s in restricting
immigration. The United States passed the Emergency Quota Act (1921) and the National Origins Act (1924), both of which greatly
reduced the number of new immigrants allowed into the United States. These acts set quotas for new immigrants based on nationality.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Illegal immigration was not a major issue before the 1920s. In the 1920s, the
United States passed laws drastically restricting the number of immigrants allowed into the country, based on complicated
quota systems. Before the 1920s, however, the United States had virtually open borders. Therefore, one did not have to break
the law to come into the United States.
(2) Literacy tests would be used to keep out immigrants, not to entice highly skilled
workers into the United States. Further, by the early 1900s, there was much more demand for unskilled workers than for skilled
workers. Mass production techniques required unskilled factory operatives, not skilled craftsmen.
(3) To participate in
the electoral process, immigrants would have to become citizens of the United States. Reading, writing, and speaking English
were prerequisites for citizenship. |
|
2
33. The term supreme law of the land refers to which document? |
|
| 1. Fundamental Orders of Connecticut |
3. Articles of Confederation |
| 2. Constitution of the United States |
4. Declaration of Independence |
|
2 The term supreme law of the land refers to the Constitution. The framers of the Constitution
grappled with the issue of where power should reside in the United States—on the national level or on the state level.
While the Constitution left certain powers in the hands of the states, the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution states that
the Constitution and federal laws and treaties are the "supreme law of the land." Therefore, state laws must operate within
the bounds of the Constitution, as defined by the Supreme Court.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The Fundamental
Orders of Connecticut are not the "supreme law of the land" in the United States. The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut were
adopted in 1638 and established the basic framework for government in the colony of Connecticut. It is considered to be one
of the first written constitutions in the western world. For this reason, Connecticut is known as the Constitution State.
(3)
The Articles of Confederation are not the "supreme law of the land" in the United States. The Articles guided the United States
during the 1780s, before the ratification of the Constitution. Even then, the Articles would not have been considered the
"supreme law of the land." The states kept many significant powers, including the power to tax, hampering the ability of the
national government to rule.
(4) The Declaration of Independence is not the "supreme law of the land" in the United States.
The Declaration was both a statement of intent and a propaganda piece, but it was not intended to be a governing document. |
|
3
34. "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by
it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
— United States Constitution, 10th amendment This part of the Bill of Rights was
intended to |
|
| 1. give the people the right to vote on important issues |
3. limit the powers of the federal government |
| 2. reduce the rights of citizens |
4. assure federal control over the states |
|
3 This part of the Bill of Rights was intended to limit the power of the federal government. The reading
is the 10th Amendment to the Constitution. It assures the states that they can retain powers that are neither given to the
federal government nor explicitly prohibited by the Constitution. The exact meaning of the amendment was the subject of a
great deal of controversy, especially before the Civil War. Southern states insisted that this amendment prohibited the federal
government from interfering in slavery. Generally, the 10th Amendment protects the right of states to regulate internal state
affairs, such as education, commerce, and local government.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The passage was
not intended to give the people the right to vote on important issues. Voting rules are mainly left to the various states,
as asserted in the 10th Amendment. Not all states allow people to vote directly on issues. It was not until the Progressive
era of the early 20th century that some states created mechanisms for individuals to vote on important issues through the
referendum process.
(2) The passage was not intended to reduce the rights of citizens. If anything, the passage would increase
the rights of citizens by making clear that powers that are not expressly given to the federal or state government, nor expressly
forbidden by law, are in the hands of the people.
(4) The passage was not intended to assure federal control over the states.
The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution assures that the Constitution and federal laws and treaties are the "supreme law
of the land." |
|
3
35. Base your answer on the accompanying time line and on your knowledge of social studies.
Which
title is most accurate for this time line? |
 |
|
| 1. Forms of Colonial Protest |
3. Causes of the American Revolution |
| 2. Effects of British Navigation Laws |
4. Abuse of Power by Colonial Legislatures |
|
3 The most accurate title for the time line would be "Causes of the American Revolution." All the items
on the time line reflect the growing tension between the British government and the American colonies in the period following
the French and Indian War. After that war, which lasted from 1754 to 1763, the British government enacted a series of measures
that many colonists found objectionable. The colonists were angered by a series of revenue or tax acts that the British imposed,
in part to defray the costs of the war. The British believed their victory in the French and Indian War had been especially
beneficial to the colonists. In return, the British reasoned it was fair for the colonists to assume some of the costs of
the war and of continued protection.
The Stamp Act (1765), which imposed a tax on the paper used for various documents
in the colonies, provoked the most intense opposition. This tax was solely a revenue raising measure as opposed to earlier
taxes that were designed to regulate trade. Many colonists asserted that only representatives elected by them could enact
taxes on the colonies. "No taxation without representation" became their rallying cry. The Stamp Act itself was rescinded,
but a series of British moves and colonial responses in the coming years worsened the situation. The Townshend Acts (1767)
imposed additional taxes on the colonists. In addition, the British stationed troops in Boston, forcing local residents to
house and feed British troops (1765). The resentments between local residents and British troops resulted in a violent standoff
that led to British troops firing on a crowd of colonists (1770). This so-called massacre intensified colonial resentment
of the British presence. In 1773, the British passed the Tea Act, which eliminated British tariffs from tea sold in the colonies
by the British East India Company. This act actually lowered tea prices in Boston, but it angered many colonists who accused
the British of doing special favors for a large company. The colonists responded by dumping cases of tea into the Boston harbor.
The British responded to the Boston Tea Party by imposing a series of punitive measures known as the Coercive Acts (1774).
Protests grew more intense and led to the colonies declaring their independence from Great Britain in 1776.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) "Forms of Colonial Protest" would not be an accurate title for the time line. The Boston Tea
Party is the only colonial protest mentioned on the time line. The rest of the items are actions taken by the British.
(2)
"Effects of British Navigation Laws" would not be an accurate title for the time line. Some of the items involve navigation
laws, but the Quartering Act, the Stamp Act, and the Boston Massacre are not directly related to trade regulations.
(4)
"Abuse of Power by Colonial Legislatures" would not be an accurate title for the time line. None of the items on the time
line are actions taken by colonial legislatures. They are either acts of the British parliament or acts of resistance by crowds
of colonists. |
|
3
36. Base your answer on the accompanying map and on your knowledge of social studies. Each
letter on the map represents a specific geographic feature.
At the end of the Revolutionary War, which geographic feature
became the western boundary of the United States? |
 |
|
| 1. A |
3. E |
| 2. B |
4. G |
|
3 At the end of the Revolutionary War, the western boundary of the United States became the Mississippi
River, represented by the letter E on the map. The Treaty of Paris (1883) established the Mississippi River as the
western boundary of the United States. The purchase of the Louisiana Territory in 1803 enlarged the territory of the United
States and pushed the western boundary beyond the Mississippi River.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The letter
A represents the coast of the Pacific Ocean. This is the current western boundary of the continental United States,
but it was not the western boundary at the end of the Revolutionary War. The United States extended to the Pacific with the
acquisition of Mexican Cession (1848) and the Oregon Territory (also 1848).
(2) The letter B represents the Rio
Grande. This is the current boundary between the United States and Mexico. It was not a boundary at the end of the Revolutionary
War. This boundary was established after the Mexican War (1848).
(4) The letter G represents the Gulf of Mexico.
The coast of the Gulf of Mexico is the southern boundary of the United States today. It was part of the southern boundary,
not western boundary, at the end of the Revolutionary War. The other part of the southern boundary of the United States at
the end of the Revolutionary War was Florida, which was controlled by Spain until 1819. |
|
1
37. Base your answer on the accompanying map and on your knowledge of social studies. Each
letter on the map represents a specific geographic feature.
Which geographic feature most limited the westward movement
of American colonists before 1750? |
 |
|
| 1. H |
3. C |
| 2. I |
4. F |
|
1 The geographic feature that most limited the westward movement of American colonists before 1750 was
the Appalachian Mountains, represented by the letter H on the map. The Appalachian Mountain range runs from Georgia
to Maine, and provided an effective barrier to large-scale movement westward. Before 1750, the lack of transportation routes
beyond the Appalachian Mountains also inhibited western settlement. No navigable rivers extend from the Atlantic coast through
the Appalachian Mountains, and trails through mountain passes were crude. After 1750, as land in the original colonies along
the Atlantic became more expensive, a few settlers crossed over the Appalachian Mountains and established farms in the Mississippi
and Ohio River valleys. These forays to the West led to conflicts with the French, who had earlier established outposts in
the Ohio River valley. These conflicts contributed to the French and Indian War (1754–1763). After the war, the British
passed the Proclamation Act (1763), forbidding colonists from venturing beyond the Appalachian Mountains. This act contributed
to colonial resentment of British policies.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) The letter I appears to
represent New England. New England was one of the population centers in colonial America and would not be considered an obstacle
to westward movement.
(3) The letter C represents the Rocky Mountains. Colonists had not ventured that far west
before 1750, so it would not be considered an obstacle to westward movement.
(4) The letter F represents the Great
Lakes. Few colonists had ventured into the Great Lake region before 1750. In addition, the Great Lakes are navigable bodies
of water. They would not be considered an obstacle to movement. |
|
H5 9 23 09
Mr Eisenberg |
TEACHER ANSWER KEY
September 23, 2009 |
|
3
1. In the 1920's, the Immigration Act of 1924 and the Sacco-Vanzetti trial were typical
of the |
|
| 1. rejection of traditional customs and beliefs |
3. increase in natives and intolerance |
| 2. acceptance of cultural differences |
4. support of humanitarian causes |
|
| No Explanation Available. |
|
3
2. During the 1990s, an increase in Mexican immigration to the United States was caused
by the immigrants' desire for |
|
| 1. greater political freedom |
3. better economic opportunities |
| 2. bilingual education |
4. religious freedom |
|
3 Mexicans who immigrated into the United States in the 1990s were, for the most part, drawn to the United
States by better economic opportunities. In fact, it is safe to say that the vast majority of immigrants to the United States
throughout its history have sought greater economic opportunities. Immigration has become a contentious issue in the United
States, with many Americans arguing that immigration should be restricted because it hurts the country and others arguing
that immigrants contribute to economic growth and should be allowed to enter the country.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
Most Mexicans were not motivated by the desire for greater political freedom. Mexico has a democratic government.
(2) Bilingual
education would not be a cause for immigration to the United States. However, many immigrants, once here, have pushed for
bilingual education programs.
(4) Most Mexicans were not motivated by the desire for greater religious freedom. The one
immigrant group in United States history that is associated with the desire for religious freedom were the Puritans of the
early 17th century. The Puritans were persecuted in England. |
|
1
3. Base your answer on the chart (see image) and on your knowledge of social studies.
The
United States adopted the immigration policies shown in the chart mainly because of |
 |
|
| 1. pressures from nativists and labor unions |
3. prejudices generated during World War II |
| 2. hardships caused by the Great Depression |
4. threats from other nations to stop migration to the United States |
|
1 The national origins quota system became the immigration policy of the United States because of pressures
from nativists and labor unions. Nativists had been calling for limitations on immigration from southern and eastern Europe
since the Know-Nothing Party of the early 1850s. Labor unions began calling for limitations on all immigration when they were
formed soon after the Civil War. Labor unions were concerned that immigrants competed with their members for jobs and that
immigration provided a pool of cheap labor that kept wages for native-born Americans low. Some labor union members, most of
whom were of northern and western European ancestry, shared the prejudices against people of southern and eastern European
ancestry.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) and (3) The national origins quota system in the immigration laws
of 1921 and 1924 was established before the Great Depression began in 1929 and before World War II began in 1939.
(4) Few
Americans chose to emigrate to other nations in the world. Some Americans lived abroad to further their education or for new
experiences, but few became citizens of other countries. Poor Americans did not emigrate for economic opportunities in other
countries. |
|
1
4. Increased immigration from Ireland to the United States during the 1840s was primarily
a result of |
|
| 1. crop failures in Ireland that led to mass starvation |
3. unemployment in Ireland caused by industrialization |
| 2. refugees fleeing the new monarchy in Ireland |
4. religious warfare in Ireland between Catholics and Protestants |
|
1 Increased immigration from Ireland to the United States during the 1840s was primarily the result of
crop failures that led to mass starvation. A blight afflicted the potato crop, which was a staple for Irish people. The potato
blight was partly a natural phenomenon and partly the result of British policies. Great Britain controlled Ireland and used
the best land to grow wheat and other crops for export, while potato farming was pushed to marginal land. The result was weak
potato plants less able to withstand disease. It is estimated that a million Irish starved to death between 1845 and 1850,
while another million left for America. Most Irish settled in port cities such as New York and Boston.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(2) Irish immigrants were not refugees from a new monarchy in Ireland. Ireland was controlled by the British
monarchy during the time of mass migration. Ireland was officially part of Great Britain from 1801 to 1922 but English involvement
in Irish affairs dates back to the 12th century.
(3) Irish immigrants were not dislocated by the industrial revolution.
Industrialization was slow to come to Ireland. When a nation industrializes, jobs are created. Industrialization was one of
the reasons that the United States became such a magnet for immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Irish immigrants
were mainly rural farm people, not unemployed laborers.
(4) Irish immigrants in the 1840s were not, for the most part,
escaping religious violence between Catholics and Protestants. Sectarian conflict in Ireland has occurred sporadically since
the English Protestant Reformation of the 1520s and 1530s. Sectarian violence persisted after Ireland gained independence
from England. England retained six counties of Ireland, known as Northern Ireland. From the 1960s to the 1990s, struggles
ensued in Northern Ireland between Protestant Unionists, who wanted to maintain ties to England and Catholic Nationalists,
who wanted Northern Ireland to be part of Ireland. |
|
4
5. Base your answer on the chart (see image) and on your knowledge of social studies.
The
data in the chart support the idea that the immigration laws of 1921 and 1924 were primarily designed to |
|
|
| 1. stop illegal entry into the country |
3. encourage immigration from southern Europe |
| 2. admit skilled workers |
4. reduce immigration from specific regions |
|
4 The data in the chart supports the conclusion that the immigration laws of 1921 and 1924 were designed
to reduce immigration from specific regions. The laws were passed in response to pressures from various groups to reduce overall
immigration by establishing quotas based on national origin. The Emergency Quota Act of 1921 provided that the quota for any
European nation was 3% of the people of that nationality living in the United States as of 1910. Since most of the people
of the United States were of northern and western European ancestry based on immigration from the colonial era to 1910, immigrants
from Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, and Scandinavia were favored, as reflected by the immigration figures under the 1921
quotas. However, some Americans were concerned that over 158,000 of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe were admitted
under the 1921 quota because so many had immigrated in the years between 1890 and 1910. Immigrants from southern and eastern
Europe were considered less desirable because they were more likely to be Roman Catholic, Jewish, or Eastern Orthodox religions
and of Slavic or Italian ethnicity with cultural traits and values different from those of mainstream America. In response
to these concerns, Congress passed the 1924 immigration law that set the quotas at 2% of the population as of the 1890 census,
effectively excluding almost all immigration from Russia, Poland, Hungary, the Balkans, and Italy.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(1) The immigration laws created new categories of illegal immigrants because some who were excluded by
the quotas tried to enter the United States anyway.
(2) The 1921 and 1924 immigration laws did not consider the level of
education or skills of immigrants. After the national origins quota system was discarded in the Immigration Act of 1965, a
new system of priorities for admission was established that included skills in short supply in the United States.
(3) The
1921 and 1924 immigration laws were specifically designed to exclude immigration from southern Europe. |
|
2
6. Why did the United States follow a policy of open immigration during much of the 1800s? |
|
| 1. Many United States citizens wanted to live abroad. |
3. Prosperous conditions in Europe resulted in fewer immigrants coming to the United States. |
| 2. The United States had a shortage of labor. |
4. Immigrants provided United States industry with investment capital. |
|
2 The United States followed a policy of open immigration during the 1800s to settle the West and to
supply needed workers for the nation's expanding industries. Until late in the century, there were large tracts of unclaimed
land west of the Mississippi. Before the Civil War, many Europeans came to the United States for the opportunity to migrate
westward to work their own farms. After the Civil War, the Homestead Act encouraged westward migration and settlement. Immigrants
also came to work on the railroads and in mines. After the Civil War, American industry expanded rapidly. Immigration was
encouraged to provide cheap labor for mills and factories in the East and Midwest. Companies sent agents abroad to sign up
workers and help them pay for their passage. Late in the century, opposition to open immigration grew, primarily from labor
unions protesting that cheap labor from abroad caused unemployment among American-born workers.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
Few American citizens born in the United States chose to emigrate to other countries where there were undemocratic governments
and fewer economic opportunities.
(3) Immigrants came to the United States because of the economic opportunities. They
were mostly very poor people who in their native countries did not own their own land, worked for very low wages, and lived
under repressive governments.
(4) Most immigrants were too poor to provide United States industry with investment capital.
However, wealthy Europeans who continued to live in their native lands provided American industry with capital as an overseas
investment because interest rates were high and there were more opportunities for making high profits in the United States. |
|
2
7. Base your answer on the cartoon (see image) and on your knowledge of social studies.
What
Native American Indian viewpoint does the cartoonist support? |
 |
|
| 1. Illegal immigrants should not be allowed to settle on Native American Indian reservations. |
3. Government efforts to restrict immigration should be supported. |
| 2. European settlers took Native American Indian land. |
4. Native American Indians support government efforts to stop illegal immigration. |
|
2 The cartoonist supports the Native American Indian viewpoint that Europeans since the first settlers
arrived in 1607 are illegal immigrants who took Indian lands from them. The white American in the suit represents contemporary
Americans descended from immigrants from Europe who arrived and settled without the consent of Native American Indians who
lived on the land before them. The white American is pointing to and denouncing a Hispanic family as illegal immigrants who
should leave the United States. The Native American Indian implies that the white American is also an illegal immigrant who
should leave the country. European settlers pushed Indian tribes from their lands beginning in the 17th century. Early in
the 19th century, Indians were forced to move west of the Mississippi in what has been called the "Trail of Tears." Later
in the 19th century, settlers in the West moved onto Indian lands reserved to them by treaties with the federal government.
The government abrogated those treaties and forced the Indians to move to smaller reservations located on less land.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Under current laws, Native American Indians have control of reservation land. Non-Indians may
not settle on Indian land without the consent of the tribal council.
(3) and (4) The cartoon does not take a position on
Native American Indians' attitudes toward current legal or illegal immigration. The point of the cartoon is to highlight the
hypocrisy of white Americans who oppose illegal immigration even though they themselves are descended immigrants, some of
whom could be considered illegal immigrants. |
|
3
8. "Once I thought to write a history of the immigrants in America. Then I discovered that
the immigrants were American history."
--Oscar Handlin, The Uprooted
Which aspect of American society is referred to by this statement? |
|
| 1. nationalism |
3. assimilation |
| 2. ethnocentrism |
4. racism |
|
3 Oscar Handlin refers to the notion that all Americans are descended from immigrants. American history
is the history of the achievements of immigrants, the rapid growth of the population because of unlimited immigration in the
1800s, and the influences of immigrants on the evolving culture of the United States. Most immigrants in the 1700s and 1800s
assimilated to form a uniquely American culture. Later immigrants from Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia did not assimilate
as readily into the American culture that had its primary roots in the British Isles, Germany, and Scandinavia. However, their
children usually adapted to American speech and values while retaining some of the culture of their parents and grandparents.
Immigrants contribute to a nation that is more of a cultural patchwork than a melting pot.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1) Nationalism refers to patriotism and pride in the nation, whether by immigrants or native-born Americans.
(2) Though
some immigrants were ethnocentric by adhering to their cultures and believing them to be superior, most assimilated.
(4)
Some Americans, both native-born and immigrants, were racists. Though racism is a dark stain on the history of the United
States, it is not what makes Americans uniquely American. |
|
4
9. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many members of Congress supported legislation requiring
literacy tests for immigrants in an attempt to |
|
| 1. stop illegal immigration from Latin America |
3. limit the power of urban political machines |
| 2. provide highly skilled workers for industry |
4. restrict immigration from southern and eastern Europe |
|
4 In the late 1800s and early 1900s, many members of Congress supported legislation requiring literacy
tests for immigrants in an attempt to restrict immigration from southern and eastern Europe. During this period a strong Nativist,
or anti-immigrant, movement developed in the United States. Some members of the movement exhibited prejudice toward people
who seemed "different." Others did not want immigrant workers to compete with Americans for jobs. Still others worried that
the United States might become overpopulated. One strategy for restricting immigration was requiring immigrants to pass a
literacy test before they would be admitted to the United States. Large numbers of immigrants were not literate in their native
tongue, let alone English. Nativists failed to implement such a literacy test, but they were successful in the 1920s in restricting
immigration. The United States passed the Emergency Quota Act (1921) and the National Origins Act (1924), both of which greatly
reduced the number of new immigrants allowed into the United States. These acts set quotas for new immigrants based on nationality.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Illegal immigration was not a major issue before the 1920s. In the 1920s, the
United States passed laws drastically restricting the number of immigrants allowed into the country, based on complicated
quota systems. Before the 1920s, however, the United States had virtually open borders. Therefore, one did not have to break
the law to come into the United States.
(2) Literacy tests would be used to keep out immigrants, not to entice highly skilled
workers into the United States. Further, by the early 1900s, there was much more demand for unskilled workers than for skilled
workers. Mass production techniques required unskilled factory operatives, not skilled craftsmen.
(3) To participate in
the electoral process, immigrants would have to become citizens of the United States. Reading, writing, and speaking English
were prerequisites for citizenship. |
|
4
10. What do nativists generally believe about immigrants? |
|
| 1. Immigrants are better workers. |
3. Immigrants assimilate easily into society. |
| 2. Immigrants bring valuable skills to the marketplace. |
4. Immigrants take jobs from Americans. |
|
4 Nativists believe that immigrants take jobs away from native-born Americans. Beginning in the middle
of the 19th century, Nativists called for an end to the open immigration policy under which millions of people had come to
the United States to seek jobs in urban areas or to become farmers on the frontier. Early Nativist groups, such as the Know-Nothing
Party, especially opposed immigration of Roman Catholics. Later Nativists opposed immigration of people from Eastern and Southern
Europe because many of them were Jews, Roman Catholics, or Orthodox Christians.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1)
and (2) Nativists generally believed that Protestants of West European ancestry were superior to people of other religious
and ethnic backgrounds. They were motivated not by concern about the skills or quality of workmanship of immigrants, but by
the fear that immigrants would be willing to work for lower wages than native-born Americans.
(3) Nativists claimed that
immigrants failed to assimilate into American society. They asserted that immigrants failed to learn to speak English and
retained their European customs and values. |
|
3
11. During the last quarter of the 19th century, large numbers of immigrants were admitted
to the United States primarily because of the economy's need for more |
|
| 1. skilled craftsmen |
3. unskilled factory workers |
| 2. educated professionals |
4. scientists and technicians |
|
3 During the last quarter of the 19th century, large numbers of immigrants were admitted into the United
States primarily because of the economy's need for more unskilled factory workers. During this period, the United States was
experiencing an unprecedented increase in industrial production. Factories were increasingly adopting mass production techniques.
Instead of producing goods using traditional craft techniques, factory owners broke down the production process into smaller
steps. Each individual step could be done by a worker with relatively little training. In response to the demand for workers
in these new factories, the number of immigrants coming into the United States grew dramatically after 1880. Large numbers
of immigrants came from eastern and southern Europe.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) During the last quarter
of the 19th century, most of the immigrants who came into the United States were unskilled factory workers, not skilled craftsmen.
The number of skilled craftsmen needed by the economy in the late 19th century was decreasing. As factory owners adopted the
techniques of mass production, skilled workers were not in demand.
(2) During the last quarter of the 19th century, most
of the immigrants who came into the United States were unskilled factory operatives, not educated professionals. The number
of educated professionals, such as teachers, managers, lawyers, and doctors, was growing, but these positions tended to be
filled by native-born Americans, not immigrants.
(4) During the last quarter of the 19th century, most of the immigrants
who came into the United States were unskilled factory operatives, not scientists and technicians. The number of scientists
and technicians was growing, but these positions tended to be filled by native-born Americans, not immigrants. In the late
20th and early 21st centuries, an increasing number of these positions were being filled by immigrants. |
|
3
12. During the 1990s, an increase in Mexican immigration to the United States was caused
by the immigrants' desire for |
|
| 1. greater political freedom |
3. better economic opportunities |
| 2. bilingual education |
4. religious freedom |
|
3 Mexicans who immigrated into the United States in the 1990s were, for the most part, drawn to the United
States by better economic opportunities. In fact, it is safe to say that the vast majority of immigrants to the United States
throughout its history have sought greater economic opportunities. Immigration has become a contentious issue in the United
States, with many Americans arguing that immigration should be restricted because it hurts the country and others arguing
that immigrants contribute to economic growth and should be allowed to enter the country.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1)
Most Mexicans were not motivated by the desire for greater political freedom. Mexico has a democratic government.
(2) Bilingual
education would not be a cause for immigration to the United States. However, many immigrants, once here, have pushed for
bilingual education programs.
(4) Most Mexicans were not motivated by the desire for greater religious freedom. The one
immigrant group in United States history that is associated with the desire for religious freedom were the Puritans of the
early 17th century. The Puritans were persecuted in England. |
|
2
13. During the period from 1880 to 1920, the majority of immigrants to the United States
settled in urban areas in the North mainly because |
|
| 1. the Populist Party was successful in preventing immigrants from buying farmland |
3. labor unions gave financial help to immigrants willing to work in the factories |
| 2. rapid industrializationhad created many job opportunities |
4. most immigrants had lived in cities in their native countries |
|
2 Immigrants mostly settled in the North from 1880 to 1920 because rapid industrialization created many
job opportunities. At the time, the cities of the Northwest and the Midwest were the major industrial cities of the nation.
Most of the jobs required only unskilled labor that could be done by immigrants from farm or rural areas of Europe. Managers
preferred to hire immigrants because they were desperate for jobs, willing to work for lower wages, and less likely to become
agitators for improvements in wages and working conditions.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) The Populist Party
did not try to block immigrants from buying land. Few immigrants had the money to buy land and most of the free land under
the Homestead Act was already taken. (3) Labor unions resented the immigrants, who took jobs from native-born Americans. Labor
unions agitated for limits on immigration. (4) Most immigrants came from rural areas of Europe, especially after 1880 when
the number of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe increased significantly. |
|
1
14. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, where did most of the immigrants to the United
States settle? |
|
| 1. urban centers of the Northeast |
3. mining areas of the Far West |
| 2. plantations of the New South |
4. farming regions of the Great Plains |
|
1 During the late 1800s and early 1900s most immigrants settled in the urban centers of the Northeast
where they could find employment in mills and factories. The frontier was gone because earlier pioneers had already settled
the good land in the Great Plains and the West. Later immigrants settled in urban areas where the rapid industrialization
of the United States provided employment opportunities. In fact, many of the immigrants came to the United States because
agents of factory owners had recruited them in Europe. Immigrants also settled in urban areas where others of their nationality
had established ethnic enclaves where immigrants could find familiar foods, shops, and others who spoke their language, worshipped
in the same religion, and followed the same cultural practices.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) Immigrants avoided
the South where the people were hostile to them. The New South was no longer a plantation society. Instead, it was a land
of small farms and sharecroppers.
(3) Later immigrants did not go to the mining areas of the Far West. Asian immigration
had ended with the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The miners of the Far West were mostly Asians who had arrived earlier in
the century and native-born Americans who went west seeking their fortunes by discovering gold and silver mines, but ended
up working in mines for wages.
(4) Later immigrants did not go to the farming regions of the Great Plains. The Homestead
Act had been so successful in enticing many earlier immigrants and native-born Americans with the promise of free land that
the usable farmland in the Great Plains had already been claimed. |
|
4
15. In the United States during the late 19th century, much of the prejudice expressed toward
immigrants was based on the belief that they would |
|
| 1. cause overcrowding in farm areas |
3. support the enemies of the united States in wartime |
| 2. refuse to became citizens |
4. fail to assimilate into American society |
|
| No Explanation Available. |
|
1
16. Base your answer on the speakers' statements below and on your knowledge of social studies.
Speaker
A:
"Our nation has grown and prospered from the ideas and labor of immigrants. The nation has been enriched by immigrants
from different nations who brought new ideas and lifestyles, which have become part of American culture."
Speaker
B:
"United States industries are competing with established European manufacturers. To prosper, American industries
need the vast supply of unskilled labor that is provided by immigrants."
Speaker C:
"Immigrants are taking
jobs at low wages without regard for long hours and workers' safety. American workers must unite to end this unfair competition."
Speaker
D:
"Immigrants arrive in American cities poor and frightened. They are helped to find jobs or housing. These newcomers
should show their gratitude at voting time."
Which speaker is most clearly expressing the melting pot theory? |
|
| 1. A |
3. C |
| 2. B |
4. D |
|
1 Speaker A expresses the melting pot theory by arguing that the American culture is enriched
by the new ideas and lifestyles introduced by immigrants of diverse cultural backgrounds. The speaker believes that these
new cultural attributes are absorbed into, and transform, American culture. He could probably cite the varied cuisines --
Chinese, Italian, German, Spanish, Mexican -- that are now enjoyed by Americans of all ethnic backgrounds. Some historians
question the melting pot theory by contending that so many immigrants retain their distinct ethnic identity and cluster in
ethnic communities that America is more of a patchwork than a melting pot.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) and
(3) These speakers refer to the economic, not the cultural, impact of immigrants. Speaker B believes that immigrants
make a positive contribution by providing needed labor during a period of industrial expansion. Speaker C contends
that immigrants take jobs from native American workers.
(4) Speaker D suggests that help for immigrants can be used
for a political advantage. |
|
3
17. Base your answer to the following on the quotation and on your knowledge of social studies.
"The
quotas established by the immigration act of 1921 . . . were unsatisfactory for two reasons: they admitted too large a number
of immigrants; they did not discriminate sufficiently in favor of immigration from Northern and Western Europe."
--Henry
Steele Commager
To achieve the goals stated in the quotation, Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1924, which provided
for |
|
| 1. an increase in the number of immigrants admitted annually |
3. a reduction in immigration from southern and eastern Europe |
| 2. the elimination of most aspects of the quota system |
4. a return to an open immigration policy |
|
3The Immigration Act of 1924 met the demands of nativists by changing the quota system from a base of
the 1910 census to a base of the 1890 census. Since entry into the United States was based on the percentage of the United
States population of different ethnic groups as of 1890, it sharply reduced immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe because
people emigrated from those regions in large numbers only after 1890.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1), (2), and
(4) The Immigration Act of 1924 reduced the number of immigrants admitted annually; the quota system was retained and made
more exclusionary. |
|
1
18. What was the experience of most of the "new immigrants" who arrived in the United States
from southern and eastern Europe in the late 1800s and early 1900s? |
|
| 1. They lived in urban areas and most held low-paying jobs. |
3. They became discouraged with America and returned to their homelands. |
| 2. They obtained free land in the West and became farmers. |
4. They were easily assimilated into mainstream American culture. |
|
1 Immigrants who arrived in the late 1800s and early 1900s generally lived in urban areas and worked
in low-paying jobs. They arrived in the port cities of the East Coast to work in the industrial Northeast. Often they were
recruited in Europe by agents of American industries to work in American factories. Arriving with little money, the immigrants,
mostly of southern or eastern European origin, often illiterate and lacking knowledge of the English language and American
customs, settled in enclaves of people of similar ethnic background in tenement sections of cities. They took whatever jobs
they could find, usually low-paying unskilled work in mills, factories, and sweatshops, and in urban construction.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) By the late 1800s the frontier was closed, most good available land had been settled, and farming
was a depressed industry plagued by overproduction. Most new immigrants lacked the money to travel west to seek what free
land remained available under the Homestead Act.
(3) Most new immigrants remained in the United States because social,
political, and economic conditions were worse in their home countries. Immigrants came to escape from oppression and seek
economic opportunities in America's more open society.
(4) Many new immigrants were not assimilated into mainstream America.
They lived in urban enclaves where they continued to speak their native language with coworkers, neighbors, and shopkeepers.
They also faced discrimination by native-born Americans who were hostile to the foreign languages, dress, cultures, and religions
of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe. |
|
1
19. Base your answer to the following on the quotation and on your knowledge of social studies.
"The
quotas established by the immigration act of 1921 . . . were unsatisfactory for two reasons: they admitted too large a number
of immigrants; they did not discriminate sufficiently in favor of immigration from Northern and Western Europe."
--Henry
Steele Commager
This quotation can be used to demonstrate the way in which the United States Government was influenced
by |
|
| 1. nativism |
3. humanitarianism |
| 2. progressivism |
4. containment |
|
1The quotation shows that the United States government gave in to nativist demands to severely restrict
immigration to the United States. Nativists were Americans born in the United States who were opposed to the different cultures
and non-Protestant religions of immigrants. Nativists had been calling for an end to unrestricted immigration since the mid-1800s.
They weren't satisfied with a quota of 350,000 a year, a sharp reduction from the number of immigrants who arrived in the
late 1800s and early 1900s.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(2) Progressivism refers to political and economic reform
rather than immigration policy.
(3) Humanitarians opposed restrictions on immigration because immigrants sought a better
life and an escape from tyrannies.
(4) Containment was a military and foreign policy to oppose communist expansion after
World War II. |
|
4
20. In the late 1800's and early 1900's, most nativists feared continued immigration to
the United States because they believed that immigrants would |
|
| 1. become the dominant groups in colleges and universities |
3. obtain the best farmland |
| 2. lead antigovernment protests |
4. work for cheaper wages |
|
4 Nativists in the late 1800s and early 1900s opposed continuing immigration because they believed that
immigrants would work for cheaper wages. Lacking knowledge of English and desperate for work, many immigrants did work for
very low wages and tolerated very bad working conditions. Nativists also opposed unlimited immigration because they were hostile
to immigrants' different customs and Catholic or Jewish religions.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Few members of
the working classes attended college, whether they were native-born or immigrants.
(2) Immigrants were unlikely to lead
antigovernment protests. They came from authoritarian nations, were unfamiliar with American customs and politics, and were
subject to deportation.
(3) By the late 1800s few immigrants went west to become farmers. Most settled in eastern cities
to work in factories. |
|
1
21. Which social practice has done the most to assimilate immigrants into American culture? |
|
| 1. educating immigrant children in public schools |
3. making low-cost medical care available |
| 2. housing immigrants in tenements |
4. forming ethnic neighborhoods in cities |
|
1 Immigrants become assimilated into American culture when they attend public schools where they are
required to learn English, are exposed to American history and American values, and meet and socialize with native-born children
and those with other ethnic backgrounds.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) Housing in tenements may promote assimilation
if other ethnic groups and native-born Americans also live in the tenement. However, a public school is the best place for
children to assimilate because they are away from their parents who may continue to speak in the native language, practice
ethnic customs, and promote ethnic values.
(3) Low-cost medical care does little to promote assimilation, though it would
be helpful for the well-being of immigrant children.
(4) Living in ethnic neighborhoods slows assimilation because immigrants
do not find it necessary to learn English and are not exposed to American values and customs. |
|
1
22. A major purpose of both the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) and the Gentlemen's Agreement
with Japan (1907) was to |
|
| 1. limit immigration of certain ethnic groups |
3. treat all Asian and European immigrants equally |
| 2. enrich America's cultural diversity |
4. relocate Asians displaced by war |
|
1 A major purpose of both the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) and the Gentleman's Agreement with Japan (1907)
was to limit immigration of certain ethnic groups. After the Civil War many Chinese people immigrated to the United States.
Many Chinese immigrants worked on the transcontinental railroad. Nativist, or anti-immigrant, sentiment developed in the United
States alongside the growing number of immigrants. Chinese and Japanese immigrants were especially targeted by nativists.
Racist assumptions of the time held that Asian immigrants would never fully assimilate into the United States. The Chinese
Exclusion Act (1882) was the only instance of a particular nationality being prohibited from entering the country. The Gentleman's
Agreement (1907) between the United States and Japan grew out of discriminatory legislation in California. Earlier, California
had established segregated public schools for Orientals. In response to protests from the Japanese government, President
Theodore Roosevelt negotiated an agreement in which California ended this segregated school system and Japan agreed to limit
immigration into the United States.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) These policies were not intended to enrich
America's cultural diversity. Both limited immigration into the United States and therefore reduced cultural diversity.
(3)
These policies were not intended to treat all Asian and European immigrants equally. They did the opposite. These policies
specifically targeted Chinese and Japanese people for exclusion.
(4) These policies were not intended to relocate Asians
displaced by war. They both dealt with immigration into the United States. |
|
1
23. The Chinese Exclusion Act, the Gentlemen's Agreement, and the National Origins Act all
show that at times the United States |
|
| 1. opposed the principle of open immigration |
3. encouraged immigrants who would provide cheap labor |
| 2. supported the restriction of immigration from western Europe |
4. favored immigration from all parts of the world |
|
1 The three laws demonstrated that at various times the United States government responded to nativist
demands by opposing the principle of open immigration. The first instance was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which banned
all immigration from China. In 1907, the United States negotiated an understanding called the "Gentleman's Agreement" with
Japan to severely limit immigration from Japan. In the 1920s, Congress passed laws that restricted immigration to a maximum
number per year and established a national origins quota system that favored immigrants from western and northern Europe.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(2) The national origins quota system favored immigrants from western and northern
Europe over those from other parts of Europe and from Asia and Africa. (3) The three laws cited in the question blocked immigration
of those who would provide the cheapest labor because they were among the poorest and least educated immigrants. (4) The Chinese
Exclusion Act and the Gentleman's Agreement discriminated against immigration from Asia. The national origins quota system
favored immigration from one part of Europe. |
|
2
24. One way in which the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Gentlemen's Agreement, and the National
Origins Act were similar is that all were expressions of |
|
| 1. imperialism |
3. militarism |
| 2. nativism |
4. Manifest Destiny |
|
2 A number of laws passed by Congress were expressions of nativism, which was a feeling of hostility
toward immigrants, especially those who were not white, Protestant, or of northern European origin. The Chinese Exclusion
Act (1882) that banned all immigration of Chinese was in response to a strong prejudice on the West Coast against Chinese.
Under the Gentlemen's Agreement (1907), the government of Japan denied passports to Japanese who wanted to emigrate to the
United States rather than have laws passed restricting Japanese immigration. The National Origins Acts of 1921, 1924, and
1929 limited immigration to the United States with quotas based on national origins that favored immigrants from northern
Europe.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Imperialism was the policy, favored by many Americans, to spread United
States influence overseas. Imperialists wanted the United States to acquire colonies in the Caribbean area and in the Pacific
Ocean to further American economic interests.
(3) Militarism means to develop a strong military establishment and promote
military values and ideals. The United States has disparaged militarism throughout its history.
(4) Manifest Destiny refers
to the feeling that developed following the Louisiana Purchase that the United States was destined to expand its territory
to the Pacific Ocean. |
|
4
25. What do nativists generally believe about immigrants? |
|
| 1. Immigrants are better workers. |
3. Immigrants assimilate easily into society. |
| 2. Immigrants bring valuable skills to the marketplace. |
4. Immigrants take jobs from Americans. |
|
4 Nativists believe that immigrants take jobs away from native-born Americans. Beginning in the middle
of the 19th century, Nativists called for an end to the open immigration policy under which millions of people had come to
the United States to seek jobs in urban areas or to become farmers on the frontier. Early Nativist groups, such as the Know-Nothing
Party, especially opposed immigration of Roman Catholics. Later Nativists opposed immigration of people from Eastern and Southern
Europe because many of them were Jews, Roman Catholics, or Orthodox Christians.
Wrong Choices Explained:
(1)
and (2) Nativists generally believed that Protestants of West European ancestry were superior to people of other religious
and ethnic backgrounds. They were motivated not by concern about the skills or quality of workmanship of immigrants, but by
the fear that immigrants would be willing to work for lower wages than native-born Americans.
(3) Nativists claimed that
immigrants failed to assimilate into American society. They asserted that immigrants failed to learn to speak English and
retained their European customs and values. |
|
1
26. In the decade after World War I, both organized labor and nativist groups favored passage
of laws that would |
|
| 1. reduce immigration |
3. guarantee pensions for retired workers |
| 2. end racial segregation |
4. provide citizenship for Native American Indians |
|
1 Nativists and organized labor supported laws to limit immigration for different reasons. Nativists
were hostile to immigrants because many of the latter were Jews and Roman Catholics who spoke foreign languages and practiced
different customs. Organized labor opposed immigration because immigrants competed with native-born Americans for jobs and
were generally less likely to support labor unions. They succeeded in laws passed in 1921, 1924, and 1929 that severely limited
immigration to the United States and gave preference to immigrants from northern and western Europe.
WRONG CHOICES
EXPLAINED:
(2) Nativists supported racial segregation because they were hostile to African Americans. Organized labor
did not oppose racial segregation because many labor unions excluded African Americans and some of their members were also
nativists. (3) Pensions for retired workers was not a public policy issue under consideration in the 1920s. (4) The Snyder
Indian Citizenship Act (1924) was passed without the support of nativists or organized labor. Nativists were prejudiced against
Native American Indians because they were not white. Organized labor was not concerned with policies affecting Native Americans
living in rural areas away from cities and towns where labor was unionized. |
|
4
27. Which factor contributed most to the growth of nativist attitudes in the United States
in the years immediately following World War I? |
|
| 1. the establishment of national Prohibition |
3. the increase in the number of settlement houses |
| 2. a decline of organized religions |
4. the large numbers of immigrants from southern and eastern Europe |
|
4 Nativism, or opposition to immigration, rose steeply in the years after World War I. This nativist
impulse led to the passage of the Emergency Quota Act (1921) and the National Origins Act (1924). These acts greatly reduced
the number of immigrants allowed into the United States. A large wave of immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe had arrived
in the United States between 1880 and 1920. There are several reasons nativists resented this new wave of immigation. Some
nativists focused on the fact that most of the new immigrants were not Protestant. Poles and Italians tended to be Catholic,
Russians and Greeks tended to be Eastern Orthodox, and Jews came from several countries in eastern Europe. Some nativists
objected to the cacophony of languages heard on the streets of New York or Chicago. Some Americans were anti-European after
the trauma of World War I. Some nativists associated the immigrants with either radical movements or drunkenness. Finally,
working class people feared that low-wage immigrant laborers would take jobs from native-born American workers.
WRONG
CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Prohibition, the outlawing of the production, sale, and consumption of alcoholic beverages,
became the law of the land with the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution in 1919. It ended when the 21st
Amendment (1933) repealed Prohibition. Prohibition did not contribute to the rise of nativism. However, the reverse is true;
nativism contributed to the success of the passage of Prohibtion, as Americans identified the immigrant groups with excessive
drinking.
(2) The nativists did not view immigrants as godless or unreligious. Rather, nativists did not approve of the
particular religious affiliations of the immigrants. The Protestant nativists feared the growing numbers of Catholics, Jews,
and members of Eastern Orthodox churches.
(3) Settlement houses were established to aid immigrants, especially immigrant
women. By 1911, over 400 settlement houses existed in the United States, usually run by women. Jane Addams ran Hull House
in Chicago. Even though a nativist might not be pleased with the clientele of a settlement house, the existence of these houses
was not an important factor in the rise of nativism. |
|
4
28. In the late 1800's and early 1900's, most nativists feared continued immigration to
the United States because they believed that immigrants would |
|
| 1. become the dominant groups in colleges and universities |
3. obtain the best farmland |
| 2. lead antigovernment protests |
4. work for cheaper wages |
|
4 Nativists in the late 1800s and early 1900s opposed continuing immigration because they believed that
immigrants would work for cheaper wages. Lacking knowledge of English and desperate for work, many immigrants did work for
very low wages and tolerated very bad working conditions. Nativists also opposed unlimited immigration because they were hostile
to immigrants' different customs and Catholic or Jewish religions.
WRONG CHOICES EXPLAINED:
(1) Few members of
the working classes attended college, whether they were native-born or immigrants.
(2) Immigrants were unlikely to lead
antigovernment protests. They came from authoritarian nations, were unfamiliar with American customs and politics, and were
subject to deportation.
(3) By the late 1800s few immigrants went west to become farmers. Most settled in eastern cities
to work in factories. |
|
|
