GED® TEST SOCIAL STUDIES TEST
1. Which of the following can you infer from this cartoon? (A very large pig that
has a money sign on its side crushing a man that has a paper in his hand labeled
'political freedom'.
a. Economic freedoms are the same as political
freedoms.
b. The economy has no effect on political
freedoms in the United States.
c. Political freedoms can be hindered by the
economy.
d. Race remains a key factor in the economic
opportunities available to Americans. - ANSWERS-1. Choice c is correct.
This answer shows that the reader comprehends that the person in the cartoon
cannot reach "political freedom" because he is being sat on by a piggy bank, a
visual symbol of the economy.
Choice a is incorrect. There is no evidence or
graphic representation in the cartoon that
suggests the two are the same.
Choice b is incorrect. It neglects the visual
representation of money, as symbolized by the
,piggy bank, as restricting the person from grabbing "political freedom."
Choice d is incorrect. The cartoon does not
emphasize race as a component that can restrict
economic opportunities or political freedoms.
Please use the following passage and painting to answer questions 2 and 3.
2 The following is an excerpt from "On Indian Removal," by President Andrew
Jackson (1830).
"What good man would prefer a country covered with forests, and ranged by a
few thousand savages to our extensive Republic, studded with cities, towns, and
prosperous farms embellished with all the improvements which art can devise or
industry execute, occupied by more than 12,000,000 happy people, and filled
with all the blessings of liberty, civilization and religion? . . . The tribes which
occupied the countries not constituting the Eastern States were annihilated or
have melted away to make room for the whites. The waves of population and
civilization are rolling to the westward, and we now propose to acquire the
countries occupied by the red men of the South and West by a fair exchange, and,
at the expense of the United States, to send them to - ANSWERS-2. Choice d is
correct.
By dressing this allegorical figure of American Progress in classical robes as
though she were from Greek or Roman times, the painter is suggesting that the
United States' displacement of native people is as important to civilization as the
creation of democracy and republic in ancient times. This is propaganda.
,Choice a is incorrect. The painting does show
this progression of transportation, but this
would be seen more as illustrating the industry
of the time rather than as propaganda.
Choice b is incorrect. The United States did
actually set aside land for displaced Indian
tribes, but this is fact rather than propaganda.
Choice c is incorrect. The population of the
United States was actually expanding westward,
but this is fact rather than propaganda.
Please use the following passage and painting to answer questions 2 and 3
3 The following is an excerpt from "On Indian Removal," by President Andrew
Jackson (1830).
"What good man would prefer a country covered with forests, and ranged by a
few thousand savages to our extensive Republic, studded with cities, towns, and
prosperous farms embellished with all the improvements which art can devise or
industry execute, occupied by more than 12,000,000 happy people, and filled
with all the blessings of liberty, civilization and religion? . . . The tribes which
occupied the countries not constituting the Eastern States were annihilated or
have melted away to make room for the whites. The waves of population and
, civilization are rolling to the westward, and we now propose to acquire the
countries occupied by the red men of the South and West by a fair exchange, and,
at the expense of the United States, to send them to - ANSWERS-3. Choice a is
correct.
American Indians are considered citizens, so in today's society, forcibly removing
them would be seen as an infringement on the rights of individuals.
Choice b is incorrect. Although much of where
American Indians have lived has become farmland, this would not be seen as a
valid reason to
move citizens.
Choice c is incorrect. Since American Indians
are considered citizens, removing them would
not be a removal of foreign people.
Choice d is incorrect. Although this could be
seen as infringing on the rights of the state, this
is not the best choice.
Please use the following excerpts to answer question 4.
The following excerpt is from the Majority Decision of Marbury v. Madison (1803).