U.S. Government (Grade 12) Midterm — Units 3–4

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. The Federal Communications Commission, which regulates broadcasting, is an example of
   1. A. an independent regulatory commission
   2. B. a cabinet department
   3. C. a government corporation
   4. D. a congressional committee
2. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment deals mainly with
   1. A. presidential disability and filling a vacancy in the vice presidency
   2. B. the abolition of poll taxes
   3. C. the creation of the Electoral College
   4. D. the two-term limit for presidents
3. What does the War Powers Resolution of 1973 require?
   1. A. Congress must declare war before any troops are deployed
   2. B. The president must notify Congress within 48 hours of sending troops into hostilities
   3. C. The president must get Supreme Court approval before using force
   4. D. Only Congress may command troops in combat
4. How does an executive agreement differ from a treaty?
   1. A. It requires approval by both houses of Congress
   2. B. It must be approved by the Supreme Court
   3. C. It does not require Senate approval
   4. D. It can be made only during wartime
5. The president's Cabinet is made up mainly of
   1. A. the justices of the Supreme Court
   2. B. the governors of the largest states
   3. C. the leaders of both houses of Congress
   4. D. the heads of the executive departments
6. Who is next in the line of presidential succession after the vice president?
   1. A. The Chief Justice
   2. B. The Secretary of State
   3. C. The Senate majority leader
   4. D. The Speaker of the House
7. What is an executive order?
   1. A. A Supreme Court ruling on presidential power
   2. B. A treaty approved by the Senate
   3. C. A directive from the president that manages how the executive branch operates
   4. D. A law passed by Congress at the president's request
8. What does the Twenty-Second Amendment do?
   1. A. Lowers the voting age to eighteen
   2. B. Limits a president to two elected terms
   3. C. Allows the direct election of senators
   4. D. Sets the order of presidential succession
9. Which is a constitutional requirement to be president?
   1. A. Holding a college degree
   2. B. Owning property in the United States
   3. C. Having served in Congress
   4. D. Being at least 35 years old
10. What did the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 do?
    1. A. Began hiring many federal workers based on merit instead of political loyalty
    2. B. Created the president's Cabinet
    3. C. Required federal workers to join political parties
    4. D. Allowed presidents to fire any federal employee
11. Most federal cases begin in which courts?
    1. A. U.S. courts of appeals
    2. B. State supreme courts
    3. C. U.S. district courts
    4. D. The U.S. Supreme Court
12. What is a dissenting opinion?
    1. A. A written opinion by justices who disagree with the majority's decision
    2. B. An opinion that agrees with the outcome for different reasons
    3. C. A brief filed by an outside group
    4. D. The official ruling of the Court
13. How long do federal judges appointed under Article III serve?
    1. A. Ten-year terms
    2. B. During good behavior, which usually means for life
    3. C. Until the president who appointed them leaves office
    4. D. Six-year terms, like senators
14. Which case established the Supreme Court's power of judicial review?
    1. A. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
    2. B. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
    3. C. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
    4. D. Marbury v. Madison (1803)
15. In which type of case does the Supreme Court have original jurisdiction?
    1. A. A case first decided by a federal appeals court
    2. B. A dispute between two states
    3. C. An appeal from a state supreme court
    4. D. A criminal trial for a federal crime
16. The principle of stare decisis means that courts
    1. A. must rule in favor of the government
    2. B. must use juries in every case
    3. C. cannot hear cases about the Constitution
    4. D. generally follow precedents set in earlier cases
17. Under the Supreme Court's "rule of four,"
    1. A. four states must ask the Court to rule
    2. B. four justices must agree to decide a case
    3. C. four justices must agree for the Court to hear a case
    4. D. a case must pass through four lower courts first
18. What is a concurring opinion?
    1. A. An opinion that agrees with the majority's decision but for different reasons
    2. B. A ruling issued by a lower court
    3. C. An opinion that disagrees with the majority's decision
    4. D. An order sending a case back for retrial
19. A judge who practices judicial restraint believes courts should
    1. A. ignore the original meaning of the Constitution
    2. B. overturn precedents whenever possible
    3. C. defer to elected branches and strike down laws only when clearly unconstitutional
    4. D. actively use rulings to create new social policy
20. When the Supreme Court grants a writ of certiorari, it
    1. A. refuses to hear an appeal
    2. B. orders a new trial with a jury
    3. C. sends a case to Congress
    4. D. agrees to review a lower court's decision

Part 2: Written Response

21. Explain how judicial review gives the federal courts power, and evaluate whether judges should practice judicial restraint or judicial activism. Use at least one Supreme Court case.