1 | Social Studies

Rangoon International Higher Education Academy

Mid-Term Exam
GED
Social Studies Time Allowed: 70 minutes

Student Information

Name ____________________ Date ____________________

Class/Batch ____________________ Campus ____________________

Exam Results
Date Score Grade Status

Teacher’s Comments

Grading Scheme
Total Score – 200
Passing Score – 145

200 – 190 = A+
189 – 175 = A
174 – 165 = B
164 – 145 = C
144 and less = D (failed)

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1.Some nations have been ruled by a form of government known as constitutional monarchy.
While a king or queen is the single, sovereign ruler of the country, his or her power is limited by
a constitution, a formal document outlining which of the monarch’s decisions are subject to review
or may be overruled by a court of law.
Which of the following was most likely a constitutional monarchy?
A. the ancient city-state of Athens
B. any country ruled by fascism
C. the United States at the time of its founding
D. England during the Age of Enlightenment

2. If the United States were a parliamentary democracy, which of the following would be
most likely to occur?
A. The office of the president would decrease in power.
B. The office of the president would increase in power.
C. The president would be elected by a majority vote of all citizens.
D. The president would be appointed by the majority party in Parliament.

3. The Constitution is a relatively brief document containing only about seven thousand words. It
establishes the structure and powers of the U.S. government but does not give many specifics.
What assumption were the drafters of the Constitution working under as they kept the
document general and brief?
A. There was not enough time to draft a long, detailed document before the states had to ratify
it.
B. Most of the power of the federal government would be reserved to the president, who could
govern as he saw fit.
C. The details of government would be worked out in the future, as the need arose, within the
framework of the Constitution.
D. Written constitutions were an untested basis for democratic government, so it was better to
keep such a document brief.

4. Why do lifetime appointments help ensure that federal judge’s rule impartially on legal
issues?
A. Federal judges need not worry about pleasing their constituents in order to be reelected.
B. Only people who demonstrate loyalty to the ruling political party are appointed.
C. Lifetime appointments mean that federal judges acquire a great deal of experience.
D. A federal judge must be impartial or he or she will not be reelected.

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5. Match each of the following definitions to the matching term

Terms

By virtue of existing acts of Congress, and also under the proclamation of the President, large
numbers of slaves have suddenly become free. These may now be counted by the hundred
thousand. In the progress of victory, they will be counted by the millions. As they derive their
freedom from the United States, under legislative or executive acts, the national Government
cannot be excused from making such provisions as may be required for their immediate protection
and welfare during the present transition period. The freedom that has been conferred must be
rendered useful, or at least saved from being a burden. Reports, official and unofficial show the
necessity of action. In some places it is a question of life and death. It would be superfluous to
quote at length from these reports, while all testify alike. Whether from Louisiana, South Carolina,
Fortress Monroe, Vicksburg, Tennessee, Arkansas. I know not where the call is most urgent. It is
urgent everywhere; and in some places it is the voice of distress.
Wherever our arms have prevailed the old social system has been destroyed. Masters have fled,
and slaves have assumed a new character. Released from their former obligations, and often adrift
in the world, they naturally look to the prevailing power. Here, for instance, is testimony which I
take from an excellent report made in the department of Tennessee, under date of April 29, 1863:
"Negroes, in accordance with the acts of Congress, free on coming within our lines, circulated
much like water: the task was to care for and render useful. "They rolled like eddies around military
posts: many of the men employed in accordance with Order No. 72, district West Tennessee;
women and children largely doing nothing but eating and idling, the dupes of vice and crime, the
unsuspecting sources of disease." From this statement Senators may form an idea of the numbers
who seek assistance. — Senator Charles Sumner, 1864.

6. According to the passage, which of the following describes the reason Sumner gave for
speaking to the US government on the situation of recently freed slaves?
A. The US government was responsible for freeing the slaves.
B. Without direction or resources, freed slaves naturally looked to the prevailing power for help.
C. The US government had the most funding to provide resources for freed slaves.
D. The US government reported that the freed slaves were too ―adrift in the world.

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Although Cooperative Federalism has roots in the civil war, the Great Depression marked an
abrupt end to Dual Federalism and a dramatic shift to a strong national government. . . .The
national government was forced to cooperate with all levels of government to implement the New
Deal policies; local government earned an equal standing with the other layers, as the federal
government relied on political machines at a city level to bypass state legislatures. The formerly
distinct division of responsibilities between state and national government had been described as
a "layer cake," but, with the lines of duty blurred, cooperative federalism was likened to a "marble
cake" or a "picket fence." In cooperative federalism, federal funds are distributed through grants
in aid or categorical grants which gave the federal government more control over the use of the
money.

7.According to the passage, which presidential policy moved the US government into
cooperative federalism?
A. Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal
B. Harry Truman's Fair Deal
C. Herbert Hoover's Cooperative Individualism
D. Theodore Roosevelt's Square Deal

During the era of Reconstruction, black Americans’ political rights were affirmed by three
constitutional amendments and numerous laws passed by Congress. Racial discrimination was
attacked on a particularly broad front by the Civil Rights Act of 1875. This legislation made it a
crime for an individual to deny ―the full and equal enjoyment of any of the accommodations,
advantages, facilities, and privileges of inns, public conveyances on land or water, theaters and
other places of public amusement; subject only to the conditions and limitations established by
law, and applicable alike to citizens of every race and color.‖ In 1883, the Supreme Court struck
down the 1875 act, ruling that the 14th Amendment did not give Congress the authority to prevent
discrimination by private individuals. Victims of racial discrimination were told to seek relief not
from the Federal Government, but from the states. Unfortunately, state governments were passing
legislation that codified inequality between the races. Laws requiring the establishment of separate
schools for children of each race were most common; however, segregation was soon extended to
encompass most public and semi-public facilities. Beginning with the passage of an 1887 Florida
law, states began to require that railroads furnish separate accommodations for each race. These
measures were unpopular with the railway companies that bore the expense of adding Jim Crow
cars. Segregation of the railroads was even more objectionable to black citizens, who saw it as a
further step toward the total repudiation of three constitutional amendments. When such a bill was
proposed before the Louisiana legislature in 1890, the articulate black community of New Orleans
protested vigorously. Nonetheless, despite the presence of 16 black legislators in the state
assembly, the law was passed. It required either separate passenger coaches or partitioned coaches
to provide segregated accommodations for each race. Passengers were required to sit in the
appropriate areas or face a $25 fine or a 20-day jail sentence. Black nurses attending white children
were permitted to ride in white compartments, however. In 1891, a group of concerned young
black men of New Orleans formed the ―Citizens’ Committee to Test the Constitutionality of the
Separate Car Law. They raised money and engaged Albion W. Tourgée, a prominent Radical
Republican author, and politician, as their lawyer. On May 15, 1892, the Louisiana State Supreme
Court decided in favor of the Pullman Company’s claim that the law was unconstitutional as it
applied to interstate travel. Encouraged, the committee decided to press a test case on intrastate

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travel. With the cooperation of the East Louisiana Railroad, on June 7, 1892, Homer Plessy, a
mulatto (7878 white), seated himself in a white compartment, was challenged by the conductor
and was arrested and charged with violating the state law. In the Criminal District Court for the
Parish of Orleans, Tourgée argued that the law requiring ―separate but equal accommodations‖
was unconstitutional. When Judge John H. Ferguson ruled against him, Plessy applied to the State
Supreme Court for a writ of prohibition and certiorari. Although the court upheld the state law, it
granted Plessy’s petition for a writ of error that would enable him to appeal the case to the Supreme
Court.

8.Why did Homer Plessy sit in the whites-only compartment of the railroad car?
A. He mistakenly thought he was in the Jim Crow compartment.
B. He felt that since he was 7878 white that he should be allowed to sit in the whites-only section.
C. There were no available seats in the Jim Crow section of the car.
D. He was encouraged to in order to create a test case that could challenge the Louisiana state
law on railroad segregation.

9. Which statement best describes the main difference between the Federalists and the Anti-
federalists?
A. Anti-federalists were in favor of a strong central government, Federalists preferred a weaker
central government with more power going to the states.
B. Federalists were in favor of a strong central government, Anti-federalists preferred a weaker
central government with more power going to the states.
C. Anti-federalists were in favor of a national bank, and they supported amendments to the US
Constitution known as the Bill of Rights.
D. Federalists were concerned that the presidency could evolve into a monarchy and supported
a fiscally sound and strong national government.

The Federalist Party was the first American political party. It existed from the early 1790s to 1816;
its remnants lasted into the 1820s. The Federalists called for a strong national government that
promoted economic growth and fostered friendly relationships with Great Britain, as well as
opposition to revolutionary France. The party controlled the federal government until 1801, when
it was overwhelmed by the Democratic-Republican opposition led by Thomas Jefferson. The
Federalist Party came into being between 1792 and 1794 as a national coalition of bankers and
businessmen in support of Alexander Hamilton's fiscal policies. These supporters developed into
the organized Federalist Party, which was committed to a fiscally sound and nationalistic
government. The only Federalist president was John Adams; although George Washington was
broadly sympathetic to the Federalist program, he remained officially non-partisan during his
entire presidency. Federalist policies called for a national bank, tariffs, and good relations with
Great Britain as expressed in the Jay Treaty negotiated in 1794. Hamilton developed the concept
of implied powers and successfully argued the adoption of that interpretation of the United States
Constitution. Their political opponents, the Democratic-Republicans led by Thomas Jefferson,
denounced most of the Federalist policies, especially the bank and implied powers, and vehemently
attacked the Jay Treaty as a sell-out of republican values to the British monarchy. The Jay Treaty
passed, and the Federalists won most of the major legislative battles in the 1790s. They held a
strong base in the nation's cities and in New England. After the Democratic-Republicans, whose
base was in the rural South, won the hard-fought election of 1800, the Federalists never returned

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to power. They recovered some strength by their intense opposition to the War of 1812, but they
practically vanished during the Era of Good Feelings that followed the end of the war in 1815. The
Democratic-Republican Party was an American political party formed by Thomas Jefferson and
James Madison in 1791–93 to oppose the centralizing policies of the new Federalist Party run by
Alexander Hamilton (1755/57-1804), who was secretary of the treasury and chief architect of
George Washington's administration. The new party controlled the presidency and Congress, as
well as most states, from 1801 to 1825, during the First Party System. It began in 1791 as one
faction in Congress and included many politicians who had been opposed to the new constitution.
They called themselves Republicans after their ideology, Republicanism. They distrusted the
Federalist commitment to republicanism. The party splintered in 1824 into the Jacksonian
movement (which became the Democratic Party in 1828) and the short-lived National Republican
Party (later succeeded by the Whig Party). Jefferson denounced those subversives of
republicanism. He also denounced programs that led to monarchy. Jefferson needed to have a
nationwide party to challenge the Federalists, which Hamilton was building up with allies in major
cities. Foreign affairs took a leading role in 1794–95 as the Republicans vigorously opposed the
Jay Treaty with Britain, which was then at war with France. Republicans saw France as more
democratic after its revolution, while Britain represented the hated monarchy. The party
denounced many of Hamilton's measures as unconstitutional, especially the national bank. The
party was strongest in the South and weakest in the Northeast. It demanded states' rights as
expressed by the "Principles of 1798" articulated in the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions that
would allow states to nullify a federal law. Above all, the party stood for the primacy of the yeoman
farmers. Republicans were deeply committed to the principles of republicanism, which they feared
were threatened by the supposed monarchical tendencies of the Hamiltonian Federalists. The party
came to power in 1801 with the election of Jefferson in the 1800 presidential election. The
Federalists—too elitist to appeal to most people—faded away, and totally collapsed after 1815.
The Republicans dominated the First Party System, despite internal divisions, until partisanship
itself withered away during the Era of Good Feelings after 1816.

10. Which of the following best describes the major difference between the Federalist and
Democratic-Republican parties during the Jeffersonian Era?
A. The Federalist Party favored states’ rights, while the Democratic-Republican Party favored
a strong national government.
B. Thomas Jefferson believed that the upper-class should rule, while Alexander Hamilton
believed that the common man should self-govern. C. Thomas Jefferson believed in a
strong national government, while Alexander Hamilton believed in the power of the
common man.
C. The Federalist Party favored a strong national government, while the Democratic-
Republican

Article I describe the Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. Section 1 reads:
"All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which
shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives." The article establishes the manner of
election and the qualifications of members of each body. Representatives must be at least 25 years
old, be a citizen of the United States for seven years, and live in the state they represent. Senators
must be at least 30 years old, be a citizen for nine years, and live in the state they represent. Article
II describes the office, qualifications, and duties of the President of the United States and the Vice

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President. It is modified by the 12th Amendment which tacitly acknowledges political parties, and
the 25th Amendment relating to office succession. The president is to receive only one
compensation from the federal government. The inaugural oath is specified to preserve, protect
and defend the Constitution. Article III describes the court system (the judicial branch), including
the Supreme Court. It says there shall be one court called the Supreme Court. The article describes
the kinds of cases the court takes as original jurisdiction. Congress can create lower courts and an
appeals process. Congress enacts laws defining crimes and providing for punishment. Article III
also protects the right to trial by jury in all criminal cases and defines the crime of treason. Article
IV outlines the relations among the states and between each state and the federal government. In
addition, it provides for such matters as admitting new states and border changes between the
states. For instance, it requires states to give "full faith and credit" to the public acts, records, and
court proceedings of the other states. Congress is permitted to regulate the manner in which proof
of such acts may be admitted. Article V outlines the process for amending the Constitution. Eight
state constitutions in effect in 1787 included an amendment mechanism. The power to make
amendments rested with the legislature in three of the states and in the other five it was given to
specially elected conventions. The Articles of Confederation provided that amendments were to
be proposed by Congress and ratified by the unanimous vote of all thirteen state legislatures. This
proved to be a major flaw in the Articles, as it created an insurmountable obstacle to constitutional
reform.

11. According to the passage, the Articles of Confederation ―created an insurmountable

obstacle to constitutional reform. What is the most likely reason that the author of the
passage views this as a negative aspect of the Articles of Confederation?
A. Constitutional reform is necessary to keep legislatures working.
B. Constitutional reform allows the government to adapt to better protect its citizens.
C. Constitutional reform is an important check on activist judges.
D. Constitutional reform is unimportant; it is unclear why this is interpreted as a negative.

The Parliament of England had its roots in the restrictions on the power of kings written into
Magna Carta (1215), which explicitly protected certain rights of the King's subjects and implicitly
supported what became the English writ of habeas corpus, safeguarding individual freedom against
unlawful imprisonment with right to appeal. The first representative national assembly in England
was Simon de Montfort's Parliament in 1265. The emergence of petitioning is some of the earliest
evidence of parliament being used as a forum to address the general grievances of ordinary people.
However, the power to call parliament remained at the pleasure of the monarch. During the early
modern period, the power of the Parliament of England continually increased. Passage of the
Petition of Right in 1628 and Habeas Corpus Act in 1679 established certain liberties and remain
in effect. The idea of a political party took form with groups freely debating rights to political
representation during the Putney Debates of 1647. After the English Civil Wars (1642–1651) and
the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the Bill of Rights was enacted in 1689, which codified certain
rights and liberties, and is still in effect. The Bill set out the requirement for regular elections, rules
for freedom of speech in Parliament and limited the power of the monarch, ensuring that, unlike
much of Europe at the time, royal absolutism would not prevail.

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12. According to the passage, the Bill of Rights, passed in 1689, altered the English
government from a limited monarchy to what?
A. a direct democracy
B. a representative democracy
C. a despotic monarchy
D. a constitutional monarchy

The Federalist Party (or Federal Party) was an American political party from 1792 to 1816. The
Federalists controlled the federal government until 1801. Alexander Hamilton formed the party
during George Washington's first term. Hamilton built a network of supporters for his financial
policies. Many supporters came from cities. These supporters grew into the Federalist Party, which
wanted a fiscally sound and strong nationalistic government.
With the start of the new government under the Constitution, President George Washington
appointed his former chief of staff, Alexander Hamilton, to the office of Secretary of the Treasury.
Hamilton wanted a strong national government with financial credibility.
By 1790, Hamilton started building a nationwide coalition. He and his network of treasury agents
tried to link together friends of the government, especially merchants and bankers, in the new
nation's dozen major cities. His attempts to manage politics in the national capital to get his plans
through Congress, then, "brought strong responses across the country. In the process, what began
as a capital faction soon assumed status as a national faction and then, finally, as the new Federalist
party.―.

13. Which of the following statements are NOT consistent with the beliefs of the Anti-
federalists?
A. the Bill of Rights
B. states' rights
C. the national bank
D. limited national government

Questions 14–15 are based on the following passage:

The authority to amend the Constitution of the United States is derived from Article V of the
Constitution. The Constitution provides that an amendment may be proposed either by the
Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate or
by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the State legislatures. None of the 27
amendments to the Constitution have been proposed by constitutional convention. Congress
proposes an amendment in the form of a joint resolution. Since the President does not have a
constitutional role in the amendment process, the joint resolution does not go to the White House
for signature or approval. A proposed amendment becomes part of the Constitution as soon as it is
ratified by three-fourths of the States (38 of 50 States), either by approval by majority votes in
both houses of three-quarters of the state legislatures or by approval by a majority vote in state
conventions in three-quarters of all states. Since none of the 27 amendments to the Constitution
have been proposed by constitutional convention, none have been approved by this second method.
Source: Excerpted from archives.gov
[Source: https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution]

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14. Which step has been followed in the case of every amendment that has
been proposed for consideration to date?
A. approval by special convention called by two-thirds of states
B. approval by three-quarters of state legislatures
C. approval by two-thirds majorities in both House and Senate
D. approval by the president

15. Which statement is the best explanation of why the Founders who wrote the Constitution
made the amendment process a two-step process and required supermajorities to approve
each step?
A. to make amending the Constitution difficult
B. to make amending the Constitution impossible
C. to keep the president from being involved in the process
D. to ensure that citizens voted directly on all proposed amendments

The eighteenth-century slave trade was a “triangular” trade. A ship would travel from Europe to
West Africa carrying cotton fabrics, hardware, and guns. In Africa, these items would be traded
for slaves. The ship would then carry the slaves to the West Indies and the southern American
colonies. Finally, the ship would return to Europe carrying sugar and tobacco.

16. Which of the following would you most likely find on board an eighteenth-century ship
sailing from the West Indies to Great Britain?
A. slaves
B. sugar
C. guns
D. textiles

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Drought in Australia: The wheat fields west of Canberra, New South Wales, are in great danger
today because of the ongoing drought. If the drought continues, farmers may have to write off this
year’s entire crop, and this will likely lead to financial ruin for many of them. To add to the misery,
hundreds of thousands of sheep had to be sold because there was not enough water for them to
drink.

17. How does extreme drought cause financial problems for farmers?
A. Farmers lose their entire year’s crop and income.
B. Selling off large herds of sheep at once leads to much lower prices and fewer sheep
for future breeding stock.
C. There may be a minor problem, but crop insurance covers these losses.
D. Choices (A) and (B).

Timeline of Major Events in U.S. History

1900: Gold standard for currency adopted by United States.
1914: World War I begin.
1918: World War I end.
1929: Stock market crashes; Great Depression begins.
1933: Gold exports banned; daily price established; U.S. citizens ordered to turn in all gold.
1934: Price of gold fixed at $35 per troy ounce.
1939: World War II begins.
1945: World War II ends.
1950: Korean Conflict begins.
1953: Korean Conflict ends.
1965: Vietnam War begins.
1973: Vietnam War ends; gold prices allowed to float; U.S. currency removed from gold standard.
1974: U.S. citizens allowed to own gold again.
1979: Soviet Union invades Afghanistan; U.S. hostages seized in Iran.
1980: Historic high prices for gold.
1987: Stock market crashes.
1989: Berlin Wall falls.
1990: Gulf War begins.
1991: Gulf War ends.
2001: Terrorist attacks on the United States.
2002: Invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq.
2008: United States elects first black president.
2009: United States slips into a recession.

18. In 1900, the value of the United States’ dollar was based on
A. stock market
B. value of gold
C. value of silver
D. trade surplus

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19. What, if anything, is the connection between the stock market crash and the Great
Depression in 1929?
A. It was the trigger.
B. Very little; economic problems had been building for some time before the crash.
C. Pure coincidence.
D. The stock market crash actually delayed the Great Depression.

20. Based on what you see in the timeline, what likely caused the price of gold to reach a
historic high?
A. Citizens were allowed to hold bullion.
B. Gold stocks were sold.
C. The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan.
D. The Gulf War began.

21. What problems are the students face in the future?

A. unemployment
B. shortage of energy
C. escalating debt
D. all of the above

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