This page shows a list of units in the American Government public release collection at MSDE. American Government
Released Questions in Unit "Structure and Origins of Government"
Select a question from the following list. The content of that question will be shown, and you can interact with it here.
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Which of these quotes from the Constitutional Convention best represents the principle of separation of powers?
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Which of these is a characteristic of an authoritarian system of government?
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Which of these is important to a successful democracy?
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The United States Constitution is called a "living document" because it
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Which of these forms of government allows citizens to choose their government leaders most freely?
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Read the quote below.
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Lord Acton, 1887
Based on the quotation, Lord Acton would probably be most opposed to which system of government?
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The process of amending the Constitution is an example of federalism because it requires
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A police officer stopped a citizen for speeding. Without probable cause, the officer opened the trunk of the citizen's car to look for drugs.
The citizen can challenge the actions of the police officer on the grounds that a citizen has
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Read the quotation below.
" . . . in all that people can individually do for themselves, government ought not to interfere."
Abraham Lincoln
Which of these constitutional principles best applies to this quote?
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In 1908, Theodore Roosevelt said, "Oh, if I could be President and Congress too, for just ten minutes."
Which principle of United States government was frustrating President Roosevelt when he made this statement?
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When a defendant was tried and found innocent of a crime, the state prosecutor was disappointed but could not legally try the case again. Doing so would violate the defendant's right to protection from
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In an authoritarian government, freedom of speech is usually
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Which of these is most associated with an authoritarian government?
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The right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure is an example of
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Which of these is an advantage of a representative democracy?
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Read the excerpts below.
Article 1
"That all government of right originates from the people; . . . they have . . . the right to alter, reform, or abolish their form of Government. . . . "
Article 24
"That no man ought to be taken or imprisoned . . . but by the judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land."
Maryland Declaration of Rights
Which of these constitutional principles is described in Article 1 of the Maryland Declaration of Rights?
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Read the excerpt below.
"No freeman [person] shall be taken or imprisoned, . . . or outlawed, or banished, or in any way destroyed, unless by the lawful judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land. . . . "
Magna Carta, 1215
Which of these principles found in the Bill of Rights is based on the Magna Carta?
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Which of these is a similarity between the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence?
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Look at the flowchart below.
Based on the information in the diagram, which of these controls does Mexico's National Congress have over the President?
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Which of these examples best reflects the principle of representative democracy?
This is a test question that allows you to enter extended text in your response.
The exclusionary rule states that prosecutors may not use illegally obtained evidence in court.
- Explain the privacy protections in the Bill of Rights that support this rule.
- Do the advantages of the rule outweigh the disadvantages? Explain why or why not.
- Include details and examples to support your answer.
Write your answer on the lines in your Answer Book.
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Read the paragraph below.
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution thereof, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people thereof."
Article 3, Declaration of Rights, Constitution of Maryland
What principle of government is best reflected in the article above?
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When a famous actress was accused of wrong-doing, the newspapers covered the event extensively. The actress was convicted of the crime, but appealed the verdict on the grounds that the pre-trial publicity prejudiced the jury.
Which of these rights is in conflict with the freedom of the press?
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Read the information below.
In Utah, students from a Native American reservation had to travel 90 miles to the nearest high school. As a result, the United States Department of Justice sued the school district for failing to build a high school near the reservation.
Based on the information above, what is the role of the United States Department of Justice?
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Read the quotation below.
"Our citizens have wisely formed themselves into one nation as to others and several States as among themselves . . . "
Thomas Jefferson, 1801
The quotation refers to the principle of
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Which of these would not take place in an authoritarian system of government?
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In 2001 the Supreme Court ruled that a public school in New York violated the constitutional right to free speech when it prevented a Christian children's club from meeting on school grounds.
What was most likely an effect of this ruling?
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One of the main purposes of the Bill of Rights is to
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If the President and Congress disagree over a tax bill, the President can veto the bill.
Which of these applies to a presidential veto?
This is a test question that allows you to enter extended text in your response.
Use your knowledge about government to answer the BRIEF CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE.
- Describe ways the government can limit freedom of the press in newspapers and magazines.
- Do you agree or disagree with these limits? Explain why.
- Include details and examples to support your answer.
Write your answer on the lines in your Answer Book.
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Which of these statements is true of a representative democracy?
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Read the excerpt below.
“After [dividing] the several classes of power, as they may in their nature be legislative, executive, or judiciary, the next and most difficult task is to provide some practical security for each, against the invasion of the others.”
The Federalist, No. 48
Which of these principles of government is described in the excerpt?
This is a test question that allows you to enter extended text in your response.
Read the information below and use it to answer the BRIEF CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE that follows.
In 2002, the United States Supreme Court ruled that cities may set guidelines for demonstrations in public parks.
Thomas et al. v. Chicago Park District
- Explain how the Supreme Court's decision in this case affects the protection of individual freedoms.
- Do you agree with the Supreme Court's decision? Explain why or why not.
- Use details and examples to support your answer.
Write your answer on the lines in your Answer Book.
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Which of these is a power reserved for state governments by the United States Constitution?
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Which of these statements is usually true about the people who pass laws in a representative democracy?
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Read the excerpt below.
"No freeman [person] shall be taken or imprisoned, . . . or outlawed, or banished, or in any way destroyed, unless by the lawful judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land. . . . "
Magna Carta, 1215
Which of these constitutional protections is described in the excerpt?
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Which of these describes an authoritarian government?
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Read the excerpt below.
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution… are reserved to the States… or to the people. . . . "
Article 3, Maryland Declaration of Rights
Which of these principles of government is described in the excerpt?
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Which of these is an example of separation of powers?
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Which of these is an example of following the rule of law?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the excerpt below.
"No freeman shall be taken or imprisoned… unless by the lawful judgement of his peers, or by the law of the land."
Magna Carta, 1215
Which of these constitutional protections is based on the principle described in the excerpt above?
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Which of these excerpts from the United States Constitution best reflects the principle of checks and balances?
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Read the quotation below.
"The Government of [the United States], then, is . . . truly a government of the people. . . . Its powers are granted by them, and are to be exercised directly on them for their benefit."
John Marshall, 1810
Which of these constitutional principles best applies to Marshall's quotation?
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Which of these could be a disadvantage of living under an authoritarian government?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the excerpt below.
“Everyone is entitled . . . to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal [judge/jury], in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.”
Article 10 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
According to the excerpt, all people are entitled to
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A treaty signed by the President of the United States must be approved by two-thirds of the Senate before it can go into effect.
Which principle of government does this reflect?
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Read the excerpt below.
“In [creating] a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place, [make it ] control itself.”
The Federalist No. 51
Which of these principles is best reflected in the excerpt?
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Read the headline below.
Which principle of government would be affected by the proposed amendment?
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Which of these excerpts from the Constitution describes federalism?
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In which of these government systems are government leaders most accountable to citizens?
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Read the excerpt below.
“The right of citizens . . . to vote shall not be denied . . . on account of race, color or previous condition of servitude.”
U.S. Constitution, Amendment 15
Which of these principles of government is reflected in this amendment?
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Read the quotation below.
“ . . . government of the people, by the people, for the people . . . ”
Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address, 1863
Which type of government does Abraham Lincoln describe?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
The U.S. Constitution corrected a weakness of the Articles of Confederation by
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Which of these is a characteristic of a dictatorship?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the excerpt below.
“That all Government of right originates from the People . . . and they have, at all times, the inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish their Form of Government. . . . ”
Article 1, Declaration of Rights, Constitution of Maryland
Which of these principles of government is stated in the excerpt?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Which of these is an example of separation of powers?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Which of these excerpts from the Constitution describes federalism?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the excerpt below.
"No freeman shall be taken or imprisoned . . . unless by the lawful judgement of his peers, or by the law of the land."
—Magna Carta, 1215
Which of these constitutional protections is based on the principle described in the excerpt above?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Which of these is a power reserved for state governments by the United States Constitution?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the excerpt below.
"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution . . . are reserved to the States . . . or to the people. . . . "
—Article 3, Maryland Declaration of Rights
Which of these principles of government is described in the excerpt?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Congress may respond to United States Supreme Court rulings by
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Which of these is an example of following the rule of law?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the quotation below.
"The Government of [the United States], then, is . . . truly a government of the people. . . . Its powers are granted by them, and are to be exercised directly on them for their benefit."
—John Marshall, 1810
Which of these constitutional principles best applies to Marshall’s quotation?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the headline below.
Which principle of government would be affected by the proposed amendment?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Which of these could be a disadvantage of living under an authoritarian government?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Which of these excerpts from the United States Constitution best reflects the principle of checks and balances?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Read the information below.
For over 150 years, the state of Virginia operated an all-male college called the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). In 1990, the United States government sued the state of Virginia at the request of a female high school student seeking admission to VMI. The Supreme Court ruled that VMI had to admit women who could meet the physical and other requirements.
Which of these principles of law most likely influenced the Supreme Court's decision?
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Study the political cartoon.
Which type of government is most likely the focus of this political cartoon?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select several options.
Read the excerpt.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, 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; that, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."
—Declaration of Independence, 1776
Which two phrases best exemplify the principle of popular sovereignty?
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Which of these is an example of checks and balances?
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Which of these situations best demonstrates the principle of majority rule?
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Read the excerpt.
"The Senate of the United States shall be . . . elected by the people. . . . "
—Amendment 17, U.S. Constitution
Which of these excerpts from the Declaration of Independence is most reflected in the Seventeenth Amendment?
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Which headline best illustrates an example of representative democracy?
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Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution best reflects the principle of representative democracy?
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Which type of government provides the best protection of individual rights?
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Which statement describes a characteristic of federalism?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
Which situation is a violation of the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select several options.
Which two types of government are generally considered to be most efficient in their decision-making processes?
This is a multiple choice question that allows you to select only one option.
An individual accused of stealing identities on the Internet was held without formal charges.
Which excerpt from the U.S. Constitution best applies to this situation?
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Which specific action is protected by the U.S. Bill of Rights?
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Study the political cartoon.
Which principle of U.S. government does the political cartoonist imply the President is destroying?