State Standards & Testing - Kaplan Test Prep - Sample U.S. History and Government Regents Questions

Sample U.S. History and Government Regents Questions
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"The only representatives of the people of these colonies are persons chosen therein by themselves; and that no taxes ever have been, or can be constitutionally imposed on them but by their respective legislatures."

-Statement by the Stamp Act Congress, 1765
What is a valid conclusion that can be drawn from this quotation?
1. The colonial legislatures should be appointed by the English King with the consent of Parliament.
2. Only the colonists' elected representatives should have the power to levy taxes.
3. The English King should have the right to tax the colonists
4. The colonists should be opposed to all taxation.
The authors of the Articles of Confederation established a decentralized political system mainly to
1. cancel state debts incurred during the Revolutionary War
2. assist the southern states in their efforts to gain a manufacturing base
3. promote the common goal of national sovereignty
4. prevent the abuses of power that had existed under British rule
In stating the principle of a "clear and present danger" in Schenck v. United States, the Supreme Court established that
1. constitutional rights are not absolute
2. the Constitution guarantees the right to privacy
3. Congress can pass a law to eliminate any part of the Bill of Rights
4. all individual rights are eliminated during wartime
Which is a valid conclusion based on United States involvement in the Korean War?
1. The policy of containment was applied in Asia as well as in Europe
2. United Nations economic sanctions are more effective than military action
3. The American people will support United States participation in any war, whether declared or undeclared
4. United States cooperation with a wartime ally ends when the war ends.
The main purpose of a progressive income tax is to
1. base tax rates on a person's ability to pay
2. increase government spending on welfare programs
3. tax everyone at the same percentage rate
4. ensure a balanced budget

Answer Key

The correct answer is B. This was the basis of "taxation without representation." The colonists are arguing that they can be taxed only by their own colonial legislatures.
The correct answer is D. The fundamental reason for a decentralized political system is to decentralize power. The colonists equated centralization of power with abuse and corruption.
The correct answer is A. Justice Holmes held that "free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting "fire" in a theater and causing a panic." This indicated that there were limits to constitutional rights. However, this specific case dealt with a wartime incident; choice D would not be valid because it says all individual liberties are eliminated.
The correct answer is A. This was one of the first examples of containment applied in Asia. The other answers have all been proven incorrect during the last fifty years: B, in Iran; C, in Vietnam; D, the Marshall Plan.
The correct answer is B. The Great Society is best remembered for the creation of the welfare state. Choices A and C already existed, and D is illogical, given the fact that we were engaged in military conflict during this period.