3A.1.1 Nature of the US Constitution Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Politics, Unit 3

The 20 questions

1. In what year was the US Constitution drafted at the Philadelphia Convention?

   • 1791
   • 1787
   • 1776
   • 1789

2. Which term describes a constitution contained within a single written document?

   • Bipartisanship
   • Codification
   • Federalism
   • Entrenchment

3. Which term describes a constitution protected from alteration by ordinary legislation?

   • Unitary
   • Codification
   • Entrenchment
   • Unwritten

4. Which Article of the US Constitution sets out the formal amendment process?

   • Article V
   • Article II
   • Article I
   • Article III

5. Which principle divides US government power between three separate branches?

   • Popular sovereignty
   • Federalism
   • Separation of powers
   • Judicial review

6. Which set of constitutional amendments forms the US Bill of Rights?

   • First ten
   • First fifteen
   • First five
   • First twelve

7. Which section of the US Constitution sets out the enumerated powers of Congress?

   • Article III, Section 1
   • Article IV, Section 3
   • Article II, Section 2
   • Article I, Section 8

8. Which amendment reserves powers to the states if not granted to the federal government?

   • Fourteenth Amendment
   • Fifth Amendment
   • First Amendment
   • Tenth Amendment

9. Which term describes the division of sovereignty between national and state governments?

   • Devolution
   • Federalism
   • Codification
   • Separation of powers

10. What is a main practical consequence of the US Constitution being entrenched?

    • Laws pass easily
    • Power is centralised
    • Presidents rule supreme
    • Amendments are rare

11. What proportion of US states must ratify a constitutional amendment for it to pass?

    • One-half
    • Two-thirds
    • Three-quarters
    • Four-fifths

12. What congressional supermajority is required to propose a US constitutional amendment?

    • Two-thirds
    • Simple majority
    • Three-quarters
    • Three-fifths

13. Through which process has the US Constitution adapted without formal amendment?

    • Congressional vetoes
    • Judicial review
    • Filibusters
    • Executive orders

14. Which constitutional provision reserves non-enumerated powers to the individual states?

    • Supremacy Clause
    • Tenth Amendment
    • Elastic Clause
    • Commerce Clause

15. Which principle gives each branch of the US government power to limit the others?

    • Executive privilege
    • Federal pre-emption
    • Devolution
    • Checks and balances

16. Which principle restricts government power to protect individual rights and prevent tyranny?

    • Judicial review
    • Limited government
    • Checks and balances
    • Executive privilege

17. Which judicial philosophy views the US Constitution as an evolving document that adapts over time?

    • Strict constructionism
    • Living constitutionalism
    • Originalism
    • Textualism

18. Which term describes political cooperation between Democrats and Republicans to pass legislation?

    • Bipartisanship
    • Partisanship
    • Sectionalism
    • Hyperpartisanship

19. Which constitutional feature can cause legislative gridlock when different parties control Congress and the presidency?

    • Judicial review
    • Popular sovereignty
    • Checks and balances
    • Federalism

20. Which constitutional amendment reserves unallocated powers to the states or the people?

    • Tenth Amendment
    • Fourteenth Amendment
    • First Amendment
    • Fifth Amendment

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