GED Social Studies : Civil Rights
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Bill Of Rights
Which of these tenets was not part of the English Bill of Rights?
Limits on the power of the Crown
The right to petition the Monarch without fear of punishment
The guarantee of free speech in parliament
Regular elections in parliament
The protection from forced quartering of soldiers in the homes of private citizens
The protection from forced quartering of soldiers in the homes of private citizens
The English Bill of Rights was signed in 1689, shortly after King William ascended to the throne during the Glorious Revolution. It’s primary intention was to ensure that the King could no longer act without impunity and to ensure the continued liberty and supremacy of the English Parliament. Among its basic tenets were placing limits on the power of the English royalty, the right to petition the Monarch without fear of punishment, the promise of regular elections in parliament, and the guarantee of freedom of speech in parliament. The English Bill of Rights is considered to be the forebear of the later American Bill of Rights. One right that is not included in the English Bill of Rights, but is included in the American, is the protection from the forced quarter of soldiers in the homes of private citizens. This was included in the American Bill of Rights in response to the British colonial policy of quartering soldiers in American houses during and after the French-Indian Wars.
Example Question #1 : Civil Rights
Which Amendment to the Constitution is related to “the right to remain silent”?
The Eighth Amendment
The Ninth Amendment
The Fifth Amendment
The Seventh Amendment
The Sixth Amendment
The Fifth Amendment
The right to remain silent effectively states that every accused individual has the right not to speak if they choose to do so. This is related to the Fifth Amendment which says that a defendant cannot be forced to be a witness against themselves.
Example Question #2 : Civil Rights
The right to a public trial is guaranteed in which Amendment to the Constitution?
The Sixth Amendment
The Fifth Amendment
The Seventh Amendment
The Eighth Amendment
The Ninth Amendment
The Sixth Amendment
The right to a "speedy and public trial" is guaranteed in the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution. All American citizens have the right to a public trial in order to prevent any corruption or miscarriage of justice that might occur behind closed doors.
Example Question #1 : Individual Freedoms
Jim Crow Laws were designed to __________.
prevent female suffrage
support the war effort during the Korean War
enforce segregation
suppress criticism of the government
prevent the spread of slavery
enforce segregation
Jim Crow Laws were enforced in the South during the decades after the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of slaves. Jim Crow Laws were designed to further segregation in the United States.
Example Question #2 : Individual Freedoms
Margaret Sanger is best known for her efforts to __________.
extend suffrage rights to women
establish universal free and public education
overturn prohibition
prohibit the sale and consumption of alcohol
encourage support for birth-control for women
encourage support for birth-control for women
Margaret Sanger was an American activist in the early twentieth century. She believed passionately that giving women the ability to control when and if they got pregnant would do a great deal to advance the autonomy of women in society. Throughout her life, Sanger was an active supporter of allowing women to legally use birth-control.
Example Question #6 : Civil Rights
Habeas Corpus __________.
allows the attorney general to dictate what cases are heard by the Federal government
allows citizens to bring challenges to laws before the Supreme Court
makes it illegal for the government to detain a citizen without a trial
allows the President to veto any bill passed by Congress
makes it impossible for a Supreme Court Judge to be removed from office
makes it illegal for the government to detain a citizen without a trial
Habeas Corpus is a British legal tradition that has passed into American law. It essentially states that the government cannot detain a citizen for a lengthy period of time without a trial. It ensures no illegal detention, and that every accused individual will be given the opportunity to go to court to be acquitted of any wrongdoing.
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