Florida Civic Literacy Examination

(FCLE)
Sample Items

Copyright
State of Florida
Department of State
2022
The purpose of these sample test materials is to orient faculty and students to the types
of questions on the Florida Civic Literacy Examination. The sample questions and
answers are not intended to demonstrate the length of the actual test; however, each of
the four outcomes assessed on the test are represented in the same proportion on the
sample test as on the actual test (approximately 25% each). Student performance on the
sample test should not be used as a predictor of performance on the actual test, and the
sample test is not intended to guide classroom instruction.

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1. Which of the following ancient civilizations established a republican form of
government?
A. Roman
B. Egyptian
C. Greek
D. Persian

2. During the 6th century B.C.E., the ancient Athenians divided the powers of their
government between two assemblies and guaranteed certain political rights to all
male citizens. How do these political reforms best illustrate how societies develop?
A. by limiting government authority
B. by choosing government leaders
C. by improving government services
D. by reducing government expenditures

3. A certain country is characterized by the following traits:

1. power achieved through inheritance

2. same ruling family for over a century
3. finite freedoms and rights
4. hierarchical social status
5. single established state religion

The establishment and maintenance of these traits is based on which of the

following principles?
A. popular sovereignty
B. due process of law
C. social contract theory
D. divine right of kings

4. Which modern democratic concept practiced in the United States is most like the
democratic process of ancient Greece?
A. the referendum
B. the presidential election
C. the primary election
D. the nominating convention

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5. What is the principal function of a written constitution?
A. resolving disagreements between competing parties
B. confirming resistance to civil disobedience
C. declaring the independence of a state
D. outlining the structure and powers of a government

6. Which of the following objectives best describes the purpose of the system of checks
and balances, as defined in the U.S. Constitution?
A. establishing accountability for the government when levying taxes
B. maintaining a healthy economy and establishing trade with other governments
C. keeping any one of the three branches of government from becoming too
powerful
D. assuring that the government spends only as much money as it takes in

7. Which modern process would be supported by the ancient Greeks?

A. electing governors
B. hiring press secretaries
C. nominating an ambassador
D. appointing a majority leader

8. Laws against defamation, including libel and slander, property damage and breach
of contract represent which legal concern underlying most Western nations?
A. criminal law
B. military law
C. civil law
D. juvenile law

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9. Use the passage below, from an exchange between former president Nixon and a
television interviewer, to answer the question that follows.

“Well, when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal”--Richard M. Nixon

Source: The Washington Post, June 5, 1977

Which constitutional principle does the statement from President Nixon contradict?
A. separation of powers
B. republicanism
C. rule of law
D. equality

10. Which form of government is based on popular sovereignty?

A. communism
B. dictatorship
C. monarchy
D. republic

11. Use the provided Preamble to the United States Constitution to answer the question.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,
promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and
our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of
America.”
Source: National Archives and Records Administration

Which of the following statements best describes the Preamble of the U.S.
Constitution?
A. Governments are accountable to the citizens over whom they rule.
B. States will ensure that all citizens are granted certain freedoms.
C. People allow representatives to speak on behalf of all citizens.
D. Courts will elect officials to represent the people and ensure liberty.

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12. The U.S. Congress fulfilled which of the following purposes of government when it
declared war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor?
A. ensuring domestic tranquillity
B. promoting the general welfare
C. providing for the common defense
D. establishing a system of justice

13. Which circumstance would require a search warrant?

A. searching persons with reasonable suspicion
B. examining evidence that is in plain view
C. searching school lockers for contraband
D. examining the contents of a hotel room

14. In the United States, which of the following is permitted to citizens by the right of
freedom of assembly?
A. the right to demonstrate
B. the right to riot
C. the right to immigrate
D. the right to work

15. A man is walking down a public street window-shopping. A robbery is reported in

that same area. Police officers stop and search the man who is shopping. On what
Constitutional grounds could this man contest this search as a violation of his rights?
A. Second Amendment
B. Third Amendment
C. Fourth Amendment
D. Fifth Amendment

16. In the United States, how are conflicts between state laws and federal laws generally
resolved?
A. The conflict must be resolved by the U.S. attorney general.
B. The conflict must be resolved by a national referendum.
C. The conflict must be resolved using the Supremacy Clause.
D. The conflict must be resolved using the Tenth Amendment.

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17. Which article of the U.S. Constitution grants the power to coin money, make treaties,
and levy import duties?
A. Article I
B. Article II
C. Article III
D. Article IV

18. Use the scenario below to answer the question that follows.

A suspect is accused of a crime in one state and flees to another state where they
are apprehended. The state is very slow in returning the suspect to the state of
origin and keeps them imprisoned.

Which of the following represents a suitable petition for the suspect in this situation,
in regard to their constitutional rights?
A. petition for a writ of extradition
B. petition for a writ of habeas corpus
C. petition for release into their custody
D. petition for overturning of the charges

19. Which phrase best describes the power of impeachment?

A. the ability of the U.S. House to charge federal officers with a crime or violation
B. the ability of the U.S. Supreme Court to determine constitutionality of laws
C. the power of the U.S. Senate to remove federal officers for a crime or violation
D. the power of the U.S. President to enforce decisions of federal courts

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20. Use the excerpt below, from the Declaration of Independence, to answer the
question that follows.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of
our legislatures.
Source: National Archives and Records Administration

Which constitutional provision was inspired by the above complaint?

A. The president has the power to declare war under Article II.
B. The Second Amendment ensures that citizens have the right to keep and bear
arms.
C. The Third Amendment limits the quartering of soldiers to specific circumstances.
D. The president has the power to determine the deployment and use of soldiers
under Article II.

21. Use the passage below, from a historical document, to answer the question that
follows.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union,
establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,
promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and
our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of
America.”
Source: The U.S. Constitution, National Archives and Records Administration

Which philosophical movement best reflects the ideals in the passage?

A. Transcendentalism
B. Reformation
C. Progressivism
D. Enlightenment

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22. Use the passage below, which was included in the Declaration of Sentiments
adopted at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, to answer the question that
follows.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal;
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among
these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Source: Cady Stanton, E. (2006). Declaration of sentiments. In M. Boezi (Ed.), Voices of the
American people (Vol. 1, p. 173). New York: Pearson Longman. From E. Cady Stanton, S. B.
Anthony, & M. J. Gage (Eds.) (1881), History of woman suffrage (Vol. 1, pp. 67–94).
Rochester, NY: Charles Mann. (Original work published 1848)

Which of the following documents influenced the aims and strategies of the authors
of the Declaration of Sentiments?
A. Northwest Ordinance
B. Articles of Confederation
C. U.S. Constitution
D. Declaration of Independence

23. Which political philosopher’s ideas are best represented in the Declaration of
Independence?
A. Thomas Hobbes
B. Ethan Allen
C. John Locke
D. James Madison

24. Why did colonists living under British rule protest British tax policies?
A. The colonists claimed that the tax policies violated their political rights.
B. The colonists claimed that the monetary policies prohibited them from developing
industries.
C. The colonists claimed that the commercial policies hindered westward expansion
of the colonies.
D. The colonists claimed that the regulatory policies caused widespread criminal
activity in the colonies.

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25. In the Mayflower Compact, Plymouth settlers pledged to unite into "a civil body
politic" and agreed to make and abide by laws that "insured the general Good of the
Colony."

What founding document did this set a precedent for?

A. Declaration of Independence
B. U.S. Constitution
C. Magna Carta
D. Bill of Rights

26. Which person is considered to be the principal author of the U.S. Constitution?
A. Thomas Jefferson
B. Richard Henry Lee
C. Benjamin Franklin
D. James Madison

27. Government by the people and the separation of powers are the main principles of
which founding document?
A. Bill of Rights
B. U.S. Constitution
C. Mayflower Compact
D. Northwest Ordinances

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28. Use the excerpt below, from the Thirteenth Amendment, to answer the question that
follows.

“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof
the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any
place subject to their jurisdiction.”
Source: National Archives and Records Administration

Which of the following contains a clause that may have served as an inspiration for
the above language?
A. Declaration of Independence
B. Articles of Confederation
C. Northwest Ordinances
D. Federalist Papers

29. The Mayflower Compact includes a pledge to ensure that all citizens look out for the
general good of the colony. Based on this, what impact has the Mayflower Compact
had on modern understanding of the purpose of government in the United States?
A. The government should protect the property of influential citizens.
B. The government should provide equal protection under the law.
C. The government should advance the goals of the elite.
D. The government should establish religious unity.

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30. At the Constitutional Convention, there was a major debate between large states
and small states about representation in the new Congress. This debate was
resolved by the Great Compromise.

What was the result of this compromise?

A. The number of citizens in a state would determine how many seats that state had
in Congress, but slaves and other noncitizens would not be counted for this
purpose.
B. Congress would have two houses, one in which state representation was based
on population and one in which all states had equal representation.
C. The number of seats each state would have in both houses of Congress would
be based on the state's population.
D. Congress would be made up of two houses in which all states had an equal
number of representatives in each house.

31. Which of the following reflects the most important consequence of the Watergate
break-in?
A. legalization of capital punishment
B. creation of levees around coastal cities
C. resignation of the president of the United States
D. integration of surveillance technology in society

32. Which legislation reflects federal efforts to regulate transportation?

A. Interstate Commerce Act
B. Sherman Anti-Trust Act
C. Bland-Allison Act
D. Pendleton Act

33. The U.S. Supreme Court enabled which government practices to continue in its
ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson?
A. prohibiting monopoly formation
B. segregating public facilities
C. establishing immigration quotas
D. regulating financial markets

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34. Which of the following statements regarding the Monroe Doctrine is accurate?
A. The Monroe Doctrine prohibited future European colonization in the Western
Hemisphere.
B. Debates over the Monroe Doctrine heightened sectional divisions in the United
States.
C. The United States used the Monroe Doctrine to justify the annexation of
overseas territories.
D. Great Britain's opposition to the Monroe Doctrine was a major cause of the War
of 1812.

35. By what process were eighteen-year-olds fully granted the right to vote?
A. resolution of Congress
B. voter initiative
C. Supreme Court decision
D. constitutional amendment

36. Use the passage below, taken from a presidential nomination speech, to answer the
question that follows.

“What do the people of America want more than anything else? To my mind, they
want two things: work, . . . and with work, a reasonable measure of security . . .”
Source: National Archives and Records Administration

Based on the passage, which government program would the speaker support?
A. Great Society
B. Fair Deal
C. New Deal
D. Brain Trust

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37. In order to attract investment and business and reduce expenses, a state legislature
proposes passing a law that removes the need for certain federal regulatory features
relating to office and factory environments.

Which legislative action would most likely cause the U.S. Supreme Court to decide
that this violated the Supremacy Clause?
A. Pendleton Act
B. Fair Housing Act
C. Social Security Act
D. Occupational Safety and Health Act

38. Use the passage below, from a landmark Supreme Court case opinion, to answer
the question that follows.

“So if a law be in opposition to the constitution; if both the law and the constitution
apply to a particular case, so that the court must either decide that case conformably
to the law, disregarding the constitution; or conformably to the constitution,
disregarding the law; the court must determine which of these conflicting rules
governs the case.”
Source: National Archives and Records Administration

Which Supreme Court case established the precedent described in the opinion?
A. Bush v. Gore
B. Miranda v. Arizona
C. Marbury v. Madison
D. Dred Scott v. Sandford

39. Which of the following cases resulted in a decision that undermined civil rights and
liberties in prioritization of national security?
A. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
B. Brown v. Board of Education
C. District of Columbia v. Heller
D. Korematsu v. United States

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40. A person is charged with felony breaking and entering. During the court
proceedings, the defendant requested an attorney and was denied the right to
counsel.

Which Supreme Court case overturned the trial court’s decision, due to lack of
counsel?
A. Miranda v. Arizona
B. Plessy v. Ferguson
C. McCulloch v. Maryland
D. Gideon v. Wainwright

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 FCLE Sample Item Key

Item Correct Item Correct

Number Response Number Response

1 A 21 D
2 A 22 D
3 D 23 C
4 A 24 A
5 D 25 B
6 C 26 D
7 A 27 B
8 C 28 C
9 C 29 B
10 D 30 B
11 A 31 C
12 C 32 A
13 D 33 B
14 A 34 A
15 C 35 D
16 C 36 C
17 A 37 D
18 B 38 C
19 A 39 D
20 C 40 D

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 Authorization

Developed, produced, and printed under the authority of the Florida Department of Education.

Authorization for reproduction of this document is hereby granted to persons acting in an official capacity
within the Florida K-20 education system, as enumerated in Section 1000.04, Florida Statutes.

Permission is NOT granted for distribution or reproduction outside the State system of public education or
for commercial distribution of the copyrighted materials without written authorization from the Department
of Education. Questions regarding use of these copyrighted materials are to be addressed to:

FTCE/FELE Administrator
Florida Department of Education
325 West Gaines Street, Suite 414
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-0400

Copyright 2022
State of Florida
Department of State

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