Name: __________________________

Date: ___________________________

Period: __________________________

Civics Unit #1 Test

Multiple Choice (4 points each)

Circle the correct answer. Good luck!

1. Which characteristic serves as a long-term protection against tyranny* and is a foundation of

liberty in the United States?

A. the commerce clause C. the right to trial

B. the elastic clause D. the rule of law

(*Hint: A tyrant is a harsh ruler, like a king)

Read, write
and speak
English

Be of a Eligibility Possess basic

requirements knowledge
good moral of US history
character for and
___________ government
 2. Which statement completes the diagram on the previous page?

A. Joining a Military Service C. Becoming a Naturalized Citizen

B. Obtaining a Drivers License D. Receiving a Social Security Card

3. Why are citizens obligated to respond to such documents?

A. to guarantee court hearings remain public
B. to guarantee courts provide probable cause
C. to protect the constitutional right to be tried
by ones peers
D. to protect the constitutional right to confront
ones accuser

4. Which of the following is a system of rules established and enforced by the government?

A. Order
B. Justice
C. Law
D. Obligation

5. When a US citizen votes, it reflects which of the following attributes?

A. Good citizens have skills

B. Good citizens are informed
C. Good citizens have positive attitudes
D. Good citizens perform positive actions
6. What process is being pictured above?

A. Path to Citizenship Exam

B. Oath of Allegiance
C. Documentation
D. Naturalization

7. The Oath of Allegiance most reflects which attribute of citizens?

A. Respect
B. Fairness
C. Rule of Law
D. Loyalty

8. One of the major concepts of American democracy is rule of law, meaning which of the
following?

A. The President holds most of the power in the government

B. Senators are excused for breaking the law under certain circumstances
C. Nobody is above the law
D. The states have more power than the federal government
9. What is the basic difference between laws and rules?

A. Laws are for citizens, rules are for students

B. Laws are for the city, rules are for the school
C. Laws are made by the government, rules are made by private institutions
D. Laws are for citizens, rules are for children

10.How would laws apply in an arbitrary application of laws?

A. Laws do not apply to anyone
B. Laws apply to everyone
C. Laws apply to anyone who wants them to
D. Laws apply to some, but not others

11.Which is the primary reason that we have laws?

A. To protect parks
B. To promote fairness and justice
C. To protect the majority
D. To promote arbitrary abuse of power

12.What do we call US citizens who were not born in the United States?
A. Naturalized citizens
B. Natural-born citizens
C. Undocumented immigrants
D. Aliens

13.The citizen requirement of registering for selective service reflects on which of the following
obligations?

A. Defending the nation

B. Serving on juries
C. Paying taxes
D. Performing community service duties
 14.What Amendment to the Constitution formally defined citizenship in 1868 by granting it to
African Americans?

A. The 13th Amendment

B. The 14th Amendment
C. The 29th Amendment
D. The 138th Amendment

The clearest way to show what rule of law means to us in everyday life is to recall what has happened
when there is no rule of law

-President Dwight D. Eisenhower (1955)

15.Which of the following is an example of the quote above?

A. Citizens do not vote in a recent election

B. Illegal aliens are not granted automatic citizenship
C. The King of England breaks the law and does not go to jail
D. The police give out lots of speeding tickets

Short Response (15 points each)

The government of the United States has been termed a government of laws, and not of men.

- Chief Justice John Marshall (1803)

16.Put the meaning of this quote in your own words (at least 5 sentences):
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