Before checking
your answers, talk to someone about your responses. |
Civics Education Knowledge Test Open a spreadsheet file (like Excel) and number 1-20 down the left hand side. Mark your responses in column A and the correct responses in column B. When you have completed the pretest, go to the answer key and check your knowledge (no peeking :-).
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| "Absolute arbitrary power, or governing without
settled laws, can neither of them be consistent with the ends of society
and government."
- John Locke |
| I often wondered whether we do not rest our hopes too
much upon constitutions, upon laws and upon courts. These are false hopes;
believe me, these are false hopes. Liberty lives in the hearts of men and
women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it.
- Judge Learned Hand, 1941 |
| Most democratic countries elect legislatures through
one of two types of electoral systems: single-member district or proportional
representation. In single-member district systems, citizens in specific
areas vote for candidates who represent their districts. In proportional
representation systems, citizens in the country vote for political parties.
Parties are then awarded seats in the legislature proportionate to the percentage
of the vote they have won. In other words, if a party wins 20 percent of
the vote, it receives 20 percent of the seats in the legislature. 3 . Which of the following is the best argument that a single-member district system is better than a proportional representation system? A) Voters should make choices about individual candidates, as they do in single-member district systems, rather than simply vote for a party. B) Single-member district systems lead to stronger political parties, which are good for democracy. C) Single-member district systems are better at representing the interests of minorities. D) Voters will make wiser choices if they focus on national issues, as they do in single-member district systems, rather than on local issues, as they tend to do in proportional representation systems. |
| 4. The primary purpose of the Bill of Rights was to
A) limit the spread of slavery in the United States B) limit the power of the federal government C) establish judicial review D) allot specific powers to the states |
| 5. Imagine that Congress is considering severe cutbacks
in the Social Security program. Which of the following national interest
groups would be most concerned about and opposed to such a policy? A) Mothers Against Drunk Drivers B) American Association of Retired Persons C) National Association for the Advancement of Colored People D) American Bar Association |
| 6. What happens to most of the bills introduced in
the House of Representatives? A) They become laws. B) They are passed but then vetoed by the President. C) They are passed by the House but not by the Senate. D) They are never sent by committees to the full House. |
| 7. At the Constitutional Convention, there was a major
debate between large states and small states about representation in the
new Congress. This debate was resolved by the Connecticut Compromise, which
said that A) the number of citizens in a state would determine how many seats that state had in Congress, but slaves and other noncitizens would not be counted for this purpose B) Congress would have two houses in which the number of seats a state had in each house was based on its population C) Congress would have two houses, one in which state representation was based on population and one in which all states had equal representation D) Congress would be made up of two houses in which all states had an equal number of representatives in each house |
| The United States is not a fully democratic country.
The framers of the Constitution created a system in which majorities—even
large majorities or their representatives in Congress—do not have
the right to do anything and everything they want. 8. The framers of the Constitution wanted to limit the power of majorities in order to A) encourage the growth of political parties B) ensure that state governments would remain weak C) enable the government to act quickly in times of crisis D) protect the rights of individuals and minorities |
| The United States is not a fully democratic country.
The framers of the Constitution created a system in which majorities—even
large majorities or their representatives in Congress—do not have
the right to do anything and everything they want. 9 . Which aspect of the American system of government shows one of the limits on the power of majorities discussed above? A) The ability of Congress to override presidential vetoes B) The Supreme Court's power to overturn unconstitutional laws C) The right of Congress to impeach Presidents and federal judges D) The ability of people in many states to vote public initiatives into law |
| Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954).
Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities . . . may be equal, deprive children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does. To separate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely on the basis of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status and community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely to ever be undone. . . Whatever may have been the extent of psychological knowledge at the time of Plessy v. Ferguson, this finding is amply supported by modern authority. Any language in Plessy v. Ferguson contrary to this finding is rejected. 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 of Topeka (1954).
Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities . . . may be equal, deprive children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does. To separate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely on the basis of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status and community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely to ever be undone. . . Whatever may have been the extent of psychological knowledge at the time of Plessy v. Ferguson, this finding is amply supported by modern authority. Any language in Plessy v. Ferguson contrary to this finding is rejected. 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
of Topeka (1954). Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities . . . may be equal, deprive children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does. To separate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely on the basis of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status and community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely to ever be undone. . . . Whatever may have been the extent of psychological knowledge at the time of Plessy v. Ferguson, this finding is amply supported by modern authority. Any language in Plessy v. Ferguson contrary to this finding is rejected. We conclude that in the field of public education, the doctrine of separate
but equal has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently
unequal. |
|
13. Which sentence states what most New Deal supporters
thought the federal government should do? |
| Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably
to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
- First Amendment to the United States Constitution Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international cooperation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality. - Article 22 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
1948 |
| Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the
freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably
to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
- First Amendment to the United States Constitution Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international cooperation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality. - Article 22 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
1948 |
| When two [people] come into [the Supreme] Court, one
may say: "an act of Congress means this." The other may say it
means the opposite. We [the Court] then say it means one of the two or something
else in between. In that way we are making the law, aren't we?
— Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court |
| One may well ask, "How can you advocate breaking
some laws and obeying others?" The answer is found in the fact that
there are two types of laws: There are just laws and there are unjust laws.
I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal
but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral
responsibility to disobey unjust laws. . . .
— Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail,"
1963 |
| 18. Who is primarily responsible for carrying out United
States foreign policy? A) The governors of the states B) The State Department C) The Supreme Court D) The Treasury Department |
| One may well ask, "How can you advocate breaking
some laws and obeying others?" The answer is found in the fact that
there are two types of laws: There are just laws and there are unjust laws.
I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal
but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral
responsibility to disobey unjust laws. . . .
— Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail,"
1963 |
|
20. Imagine that a person was convicted of stealing
a candy bar and sentenced to 50 years in prison. He or she might challenge
the sentence by citing the |
Before checking
your answers, talk to someone about your responses.
Answer Key
Learn more about the items by exploring these related websites!
Interested in reading more questions in the National Assessment of Educational Progress website? Use this link to explore the National Center for Ed Statistics
Take
an opportunity to write about your responses in your Civic Journal.
Which areas were you most knowledgeable? Least knowledgeable? Why?