GED Social Studies : Laws

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for GED Social Studies

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Example Questions

Example Question #41 : Content Areas

The McCarran Act __________

Possible Answers:

provided funding for Cuban dissidents who were dedicated to overthrowing Fidel Castro.

required all Communist organizations and members to register with the United States government.

declared that separate, but equal was inherently unconstitutional.

established the chain of succession should the President and Vice-President be rendered unable to fulfill the duties of the Presidential office.

provided financial aid to returning veterans after the Second World War.

Correct answer:

required all Communist organizations and members to register with the United States government.

Explanation:

The McCarran Act was signed into law in 1950; it was part of the Red Scare period of American history. The McCarran Act required all Communist organizations and members to register their affiliation with the United States government.

Example Question #1 : Government Organization

The Equal Protection Clause is part of __________

Possible Answers:

The English Bill of Rights.

The Fourteenth Amendment.

The Articles of Confederation.

The Federalist Papers.

The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.

Correct answer:

The Fourteenth Amendment.

Explanation:

The Equal Protection Clause appears in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. It prohibits the states from denying equal protection under the law to anybody on the basis of race, gender, or other forms of discrimination. It also essentially ensures that the Bill of Rights are extended to cover actions taken by state governments as well as the national government.

Example Question #1 : Laws

The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed during the Presidency of ___________.

Possible Answers:

John Adams

Abraham Lincoln

James Madison

Andrew Jackson

Thomas Jefferson

Correct answer:

John Adams

Explanation:

The Alien and Sedition Acts were passed in 1798, during the Presidency of John Adams. The Alien and Sedition Acts were released during the so-called Quasi War with France, and sought to (in theory) increase national security by making it illegal to speak out against the government, and by making it harder for immigrants to come to the new nation. The Acts were denounced by Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans as an attempt to solidify the power of the Federalist Party, which helped propel the Democratic-Republicans into the Presidency in 1800.

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