9th grade · Social Studies · Unit 8 of 10
Forms of Government
Democracy, monarchy and more
What your child practices
Democracies, monarchies, oligarchies and authoritarian states, federal, confederal and unitary systems, and the roots of American ideas about limited government.
California Content Standards learning standard: 12.9.1; 12.9.2; 12.9.3 · different political systems, how power is shared and limited, and federal, confederal and unitary systems
Sample questions
A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.
Question 1
The name of the US Senate comes from…
- the Mongol Empire
- ancient Egypt
- the Roman Republic
the Roman Republic
Hint: Rome's senate advised its leaders.
Question 2
The Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace set up…
- a single hereditary king
- a council of leaders from several nations
- rule by the army
a council of leaders from several nations
Hint: It united several nations.
Question 3
The idea of separating government powers into branches came largely from…
- Machiavelli
- Confucius
- Montesquieu
Montesquieu
Hint: He wrote The Spirit of the Laws.
Question 4
Which form of government did the Founders deliberately avoid?
- monarchy
- federalism
- republic
monarchy
Hint: They had just fought a king.
Question 5
Popular sovereignty is shown when…
- a king names his heir
- citizens vote in free and fair elections
- a general takes power
citizens vote in free and fair elections
Hint: Power comes from the people.
Question 6
A confederation, like the US under the Articles, has…
- a weak central government and strong member states
- no member states
- a strong central government
a weak central government and strong member states
Hint: The Articles created a confederation.