AMSCO + Test Multiple Choice (Chp. 1-6)
The framers of the Constitution intended to establish
A representative republic
Which governmental principle does the right to a jury trial support?
Individual liberties
Which of the following statements is reflected in the table above?
Medical and social needs receive the most federal grant money.
Which of the following is the best example of a categorical grant?
Money given to states for special education programs
Which of the following accurately describes the data in these graphs?
The Supreme Court overturns more federal laws each year than it overturns prior Supreme Court Precedents.
Cabinet departments differ from independent regulatory agencies in which of the following ways?
The President can dismiss cabinet officers, but not commissioners of independent regulatory agencies.
Which of the following statements best summarizes the argument in the Texas Justice Foundation's brief?
The judicial branch can determine if Congress is operating within its enumerated powers and thus checks legislative power
Which type of power did President Trump exert in issuing this executive order?
Informal
Which of the following constitutional principles allowed the events shown in the cartoon?
The Senate's advice and consent role.
In The Federalist 10, which of the following did James Madison argue would best control the negative effects of factions?
A large federal republic
The president is most likely to use an executive order to make important policy when
A compromise cannot be reached with Congress
Which of the following documents created a compromise that led to the formulation of a bicameral legislature?
Connecticut Compromise
Congress is most likely to exert oversight of the executive bureaucracy in which of the following ways?
Controlling an executive agency's annual budget.
In Marbury v. Madison (1803), the Supreme Court assumed the power to
Decide on the constitutionality of a law or an executive action.
After ratification of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, this new system featured a strong central government that helped national supremacy over the states.
Federal
Which is the most democratic institution of government that represents the framers' commitment to a limited republic?
House of Representatives
Which of the following statements is reflected in the table above?
New elected senators were on average older than newly elected House members.
Which of the following may the president do to limit the Supreme Court's power?
Refuse to enforce a ruling by the Court
All of the following are considered enumerated powers of the congress EXCEPT
Setting up the first national bank of the united states
In recent presidential administrations, the principal staff for the President has been made up of the
White House Office
With which statement would supporters of this executive order most likely agree?
The president should make protecting the nation from foreign terrorism a top priority.
Which of the following statements best summarizes Hamilton's argument?
The proposed federal courts and the Supreme Court will provide national consistency in law.
How are power and authority related?
A government can have power without having authority
A committee chair in the House of Representatives is always
A member of the majority party in the chamber
Which of the following sections of the United States Constitution is most related to the case Marbury v. Madison (1803)?
Article III
American political culture is characterized by strong popular support for all of the following EXCEPT
Economic equality
As originally ratified, the United States Consitution included provisions designed to
Increase the economic powers of the central government
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of federal block grants and categorical grants?
Lead to loss of congressional oversight on spending grant money ---- Require states or localities to meet certain criteria
With which statement would a Seventeenth Amendment supporter agree?
Legislatures should be representative bodies.
Which of the following best summarizes Hamilton's argument?
Listing rights will lead some to assume that government may regulate those rights.
Which of the following best describes the message in the cartoon?
One president's appointment was replaced by another president's.
Which of the following describes President Trump's perspective in the executive order?
People who have already immigrated from the named countries may be untrustworthy.
Ratification of the constitution was done by
Special conventions in each state
Which of the following excerpts from Article I of the United States Constitution resolves a problem described by the author?
"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;"
10. If Viacom disagrees with this notice, what is the most likely step it will take?
(A) Appeal the rulings to the appropriate Circuit Court of Appeals
9. Which bureaucratic authority is illustrated with this allegation?
(A) Enforcement
6. Which department of the following is an accurate comparison of Cabinet-level departments and regulatory agencies?
(A) Fifteen Cabinet departments, each with a secretary or head that serves on the president's Cabinet Created and empowered by Congress to monitor particular industries and enforce unique laws
1. Which of the following statements in relation to the bureaucracy would Stevens most likely support?
(B) A degree of discretion is necessary when bureaucratic agencies must apply laws that are written perfectly
8. Which of the following statements best reflects the role of the Federal Communications Commission in this instance?
(B) The FCC is fining Viacom for the actions of one of its companies that violated broadcast regulations
5. What conclusion can you draw from the patterns of change represented in the table?
(B) The size of the federal bureaucracy is fairly stable
3. A federal agency has been accused of not enforcing laws it is charged with enforcing. Which is the most likely action the relevant House committee will first take?
(C) Call for an oversight hearing to understand the problem
4. Which of the following accurately describes the data presented in the table?
(C) Homeland Security was a high federal priority requiring many workers during these years
2. Those who disagree with the above Supreme Court's opinion would likely point to which facts?
(D) The lawmaking process becomes less democratic when bureaucratic agencies can regulate beyond their defined jurisdiction
7. Which of the following statements can be determined from the data in the chart?
(D) The ratio of men to women working in the Senior Executive Service has stayed similar over the years depicted in the chart
Which of the following best characterizes the general argument made in Brutus I?
A large republic is dangerous to personal liberty and undermines the states
Which of the following is a chief argument in James Madison's Federalist No. 10
A large, diverse republic will tame factions
A fundamental source of power for the federal bureaucracy lies in its
Ability to set specific guidelines after receiving a general mandate from Congress.
A first-term member of the House of Representatives from North Dakota who wished to maximize opportunities for constituent service would be most likely to seek placement on which of the following committees?
Agriculture
Elite theory holds that a representative democracy
Allows an elite class to make the most important political decisions
Which of the following conclusions is best supported by the infographic above?
Amendments are proposed more often by Congress than special conventions.
"The Congress has the power ... to create all laws that are necessary and proper..." can be found in which part of the Constitution
Article I
Which of the following statements describes a difficult presidents face in the policy implementation process?
Because of civil service laws, it is not easy for the president to remove professional bureaucrats when they disagreed with the president's agenda.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of Federalist and Anti-Federalist views on government?
Believed a large republic ensured the best protection of individual freedoms ---- Believed only a small republic could best ensure protection of individual freedoms
Which of the following policies would the states most likely prefer according to the political cartoon?
Block grants
How does the Constitution provide an executive check on the judicial branch?
By nominating federal judges, subject to Senate confirmation
Which of the following describes a possible method that can check the power of the president who willingly violates the constitutional balance of power as described in the passage?
Congress can impeach and remove a president who is unable or unwilling to perform his or her official functions
On which of the following issues did Federalists and Jeffersonians have most widely differing views?
Creating a national bank
A "cloture motion" passed in the Senate does which of the following?
Cuts off debate on a bill
A senator realizes a Senate vote on an immigration bill is coming up. The senator examines public opinion polls on the issue and carefully reads her inbox for constituents' views on the bill and the issue. This senator is following which model of representation?
Delegate
Shay's Rebellion was significant in that it
Demonstrated the need for a strong central government to respond to national emergencies
A President attempting to influence Congress to pass a legislative program might employ all of the following strategies EXCEPT
Denying campaign reelection funds to legislators who oppose the President's policy stand.
Which of the following statements about congressional reapportionment and redistricting is true?
Districts must be drawn so that, within a state, every person's vote is roughly equal to every other person's vote.
Since the 1970s, Presidents have made use of executive orders at an increasing rate because executive orders
Do not need to be passed by Congress.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of changes in the scope of the presidency?
Earlier Presidents: Times of national stability led to a contraction in presidential scope under James Buchanan. Later Presidents: Times of crisis such as during the Great Depression led to the expansion of the president's powers under Franklin D. Roosevelt.
In the Constitution as originally ratified in 1788, the provisions regarding which of the following most closely approximate popular, majoritarian democracy?
Election of members of the House of Representatives
Which of the following constitutional provisions limits the power of the national government in Hamilton's argument?
Enumerated powers in Article I
Which of the following is usually seen as a power reserved for the states?
Establishing local governments
A main purpose of the Federalist Papers was to
Explain the rationale behind Constitutional provisions
Which of the following statements accurately describes federalism?
Federalism is a sharing of powers between national and regional governments
Which concern of the framers does the method illustrated in the infographic address?
Flexibility
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan?
Gave the national legislature only defined and limited powers ---- Included a three-branch system and a bicameral legislature
As a compromise, the framers agreed on a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives elected by popular vote within states and the Senate selected by state legislatures. The direct election method conforms most to which of the following democratic ideals?
Government should be based on the consent of the governed
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate?
Has more rules of procedures to guide its lawmaking process ---- Has authority over the ratification of treaties with other nations.
"Pork barrel" legislation helps the reelection chances of a member of Congress because such legislation
Helps earn the member of Congress a reputation for service to his or her district
Which of the following is an accurate pair of descriptions of the two chambers of Congress?
House: serves 2-year terms Senate: serves 6-year terms
Which of the following is a central assumption of John Locke's social contract theory?
Humans are self-interested
In the case Twining v. New Jersey (1908), the Supreme Court held that the Fifth Amendment's protection again self-incrimination is not applicable to the states. In 1964 the Supreme Court overruled the decision in Malloy v. Hogan (1964) and held that the right was incorporated to the states. This scenario illustrates which of the following?
Ideological changes to the Supreme Court can lead to the overturning of precedent.
Based on the date shown in the table, which of the following statements is true about the electoral college?
It can work against the principles of popular sovereignty when a candidate wins without winning the most votes nationwide.
In what way did the Seventeenth Amendment broaden democracy>
It gave citizens greater impact on lawmaking in the U.S. Senate.
In what way did the Seventeenth Amendment broaden democracy?
It gave citizens greater impact on lawmaking in the U.S. Senate.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of judicial activism and judicial restraint?
It is practiced when courts overrule legislative acts or shape policy ---- Is exercised when courts refrain from interfering with policies created by elected bodies
Which of the following statements is true regarding the Court's decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803)?
It overturned part of an act of Congress
The Connecticut (Great) Compromise drafted at the Const. Convention of 1787 is significant for which of the following reasons?
It proposed a Senate with equal representation for each state and a House of Representatives with membership established according to the population of each state.
Which statement best sums up the Anti-Federalist position on the necessity of adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution?
It would protect the rights of citizens from federal government overreach.
Shay's Rebellion highlighted which of the following weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation?
Lack of power to keep a standing army
All of the following have contributed to an increase in presidential power in the post-1945 era EXCEPT
Legislation granting the President the power to impound funds appropriated by Congress.
A difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that in the House
Legislative activity on the floor is more constrained by rules
Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on the data in the table above?
Levels of reelection in both the House and Senate are high.
Appointments to the federal judiciary are often contentious for which of the following reasons?
Life terms for federal judges mean that presidential appointments will continue to have influence long after the president's term is over.
Madison believed that in order to prevent a "tyranny of the majority" the new government should include all the following EXCEPT
Limiting the president's term of office
Most members of Congress believe the legal driving age should be 18, because statistics show that drivers under eighteen have many more accidents than those 18 and older. Which of the following is the most practical and lasting action Congress can take to address this issue?
Mandate states to set the driving age at 18 and then withhold highway funds from any state that does not comply.
Most members of Congress believed the legal driving age should be 18 because statistics show that drivers under eighteen have many more accidents than those 18 and older. Which of the following is the most practical and lasting action Congress can take to address this issue?
Mandate states to set the driving age at 18 and then withhold highway funds from any state that does not comply.
Which of the following best demonstrates the Supremacy Clause?
Maryland is forced to cease taxation on a federal bank after a Supreme Court ruling. (McCulloch v. Maryland)
Which of the following cases expanded the powers of Congress by defining the necessary and proper clause more broadly?
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
In The Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that factions in a republic are
Natural but controllable institutions
A new president has been elected and has a number of positions to fill within the federal bureaucracy. Which of the following is an example of filling a position based on political patronage?
Nominating a high-level campaign fundraiser to serve as an ambassador to New Zealand.
Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?
People are protected from a dangerous president by elections every four years and a process the legislature can undertake.
Which of the following is a basic tenant of the pluralist theory?
Politics is best understood as competition among groups of people with shared interest
The Declaration of Independence states "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." This was a revolutionary change from the system of British monarchy, which was based on the divine rights of kings. For which of the ideals of democracy does this quote provide a foundation?
Popular sovereignty
Which of the following principles of the Constitution is most directly grounded in John Locke's concept of "consent of the governed"?
Popular sovereignty
Which of the following situations is an example of the president using the bully pulpit as a tool for agenda setting?
President Reagan delivering a televised address urging a reduction in federal taxes.
All of the following are formal or informal sources of presidential power EXCEPT
Presidential authority to raise revenue.
A major reason why the majority of Supreme Court justices have had political experience prior to appointment to the Court is that
Presidents seek to place individuals on the Court whose policy views are similar to their own.
Which of the following methods is the most certain way to override a Supreme Court decision?
Proposing and ratifying a constitutional amendment that counters the decision
The framers of the Constitution all believed that one of the primary function of government is
Protecting individual property rights
Of the following, the most significant difference between the Constitution of 1787 and the Articles of Confederation was the the Constitution
Provided for a strong national government with many powers, while the Articles created a weak central government with few independent powers
Which of the following was the ruling in Shaw v. Reno (1993)?
Racial gerrymandering violates the Fourteenth Amendment.
After a constitutional amendment has been proposed by both houses of Congress, its adoption requires
Ratification of three-fourths of the states
Which of the following is a potential cause of the trend illustrated in the bar graph with the presidents after Truman?
Recent presidents may be trying to control the public information people receive so they have limited press conferences.
Which of the following correctly describes the facts in Shaw v. Reno (1993)?
Redistricting in order to confine minority voters to a majority in one district was challenged under the Fourteenth Amendment.
Only the national government is allowed to
Regulate commerce with foreign nations
In general, independent regulatory commissions are created primarily for the purpose of
Regulating certain industries to protect the public interest.
Which is the most basic definition of democracy?
Rule of the many
A member of the House of Representatives who wishes to be influential in the House itself would most likely seek a place on which of the following committees?
Rules
Which of the following principles of government is most related to the author's argument in the passage?
Separation of powers is necessary to our constitutional system to limit the power of the three branches and guarantee limited government
The legislative process at the national level of government reflects the intent of the framers of the Constitution to create a legislature that would be
Slow and deliberate in the law making process.
Which of the following principles does Hamilton suggest the new federal judiciary will establish?
Stability in the law
The Supreme Court upholds a law passed by Congress as constitutional. The chief justice states in the majority opinion that previous decisions supporting Congress' power to make laws based on the commerce clause of the Constitution were the basis for the decision. Which of the following legal concepts did the chief justice apply in writing the opinion?
Stare decisis
The Supremacy Clause of the Constitution states that all of the following are the supreme law of the land, EXCEPT
State Consitutions
Which of the following is the most accurate interpretation of the political cartoon?
State governments prefer federal funding but do not want federal oversight over how the money is spent.
All of the following were problems under the Articles of Confederation EXCEPT
State governments taxed each other disproportionately
The Articles of Confederation implemented the principles of
State sovereignty
What was the result of the Great Compromise?
States were represented in the upper house, and individuals were represented in the lower house.
How did the Anti-Federalists differ from the Federalists?
The Anti-federalist believed that a strong central government would be too distant from the people.
Which of the following is a difference between the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution that is a response to a problem expressed in the passage?
The Articles of Confederation allowed for the federal government to request revenues from states but did not permit it to tax citizens directly, whereas under the United States Constitution the federal government could tax citizens directly.
Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
The Bill of Rights could potentially be used to limit civil liberties.
Based on the information in the charts, which of the following conclusions can you draw?
The Court has issued more conservative rulings when it overturns prior Court precedents.
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the process of bureaucratic rule making?
The Department of Veterans Affairs rewrites its regulations regarding compensation and pensions into plain language that is easier for beneficiaries to understand.
The Supreme Court's decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803) relates to the foundational documents in which of the following ways?
The Federalist 78 is about the power and the roles of the federal courts, and in Marbury v. Madison, Madison expands that role by giving the courts the power to determine whether laws or executive actions conflict with the Constitution.
Which of the following is true regarding the impeachment process?
The House can impeach a president and the Senate can remove a president on conviction of bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.
One example of constitutional checks and balances is
The House can impeach federal judges and the president, and the Senate holds the impeachment trial
Which statement about impeachment under the Constitution is true?
The House can impeach officials for "high crimes and misdemeanors."
Which of the following procedures results in the removal of the President from office?
The House votes for impeachment, and the Senate conducts a trial and reaches a guilty verdict.
All of the following help to explain the President's difficulty in controlling cabinet-level agencies EXCEPT
The President can only fire appointees before they have been confirmed by the Senate.
Based on the results shown in the table, which candidate won the election?
The Republican Party candidate
Which of the following political processes would best solve the problem regarding the system of checks and balances, as articulated by the author in the passage?
The Supreme Court rules on a suit brought by an interest group that legislation permitting the president to launch military strikes without congressional approval is unconstitutional
Which of the following statements best summarizes this excerpt from Senator Paul's speech?
The U.S. Senate should decide on war-like actions on its merit, not along with other legislation.
Which foreign policy reality might limit what the Senate can do in this scenario?
The War Powers Act gives the president freedom to act with the military for a limited time.
Which of the following statements is supported by the data in the chart?
The average number of press conferences per year varies from administration to administration.
Which of the following was a provision of the Articles of Confederation that contributed directly to a weak central government?
The central government could not levy taxes
In the 1950s Southern states attempted to prevent integration of their public schools. In return, the National Guard was sent to force states to implement federal regulations. This scenario illustrates which of the following about the relationship between the state and national governments?
The debate over the role of the central government and state powers is ongoing.
Which of the following experiences most likely influenced the perspective conveyed in the passage?
The debt crisis of the 1780s which the national government was unable to address due to lack of authority
Which power of Congress is Senator Paul probably most concerned about based on this passage?
The expressed power to declare war.
Which of the following statements most closely conveys the main message in the cartoon below?
The framers foresaw the federal government becoming too powerful
Which of the following statements most closely conveys the main message of the cartoon below?
The framers foresaw the federal government becoming too powerful.
When the Senate Judiciary Committee passes a proposed crime bill by a vote of 11 to 10, which of the following scenarios is most likely to follow?
The full Senate will consider the bill
A U.S. district judge in Alabama has a dispute in his court in which an employee is suing her employer over improper termination. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the U.S. District Court of Kansas have both ruled on highly similar cases under the same law and sided with the employee. Which of the following is the likely action this federal judge will take?
The judge must rule in the same way because of binding precedent.
Which of the following statements is most consistent with Hamilton's argument in this passage?
The lack of specific reference to something in the Constitution does not mean it is disallowed.
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of iron triangles?
The long-term relationship between agencies, congressional committees, and interest groups in specific policy areas.
In the McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) decision, which two provisions in the Constitution were upheld and strengthened?
The necessary and proper clause and the supremacy clause
In the McCulloch vs. Maryland (1819) decision, which two provisions in the Constitution were upheld and strengthened?
The necessary and proper clause and the supremacy clause
Which of the following statements is best supported by the line graph?
The number of vetoes has generally decreased since 1945, but so has the number of bills passed by Congress.
Which of the following options represents the majority opinion in United States v. Lopez?
The power of the federal government in relation to state governments is limited in this case
Which of the following options represents the majority opinion in United States vs. Lopez?
The powers of the federal government in relation to state governments is limited in this case.
Which of the following may the president to to limit the power of Congress?
The president can veto a congressional bill that has passed the House and Senate.
The debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists were primarily about which of the following issues?
The scope of power of the central government
Which of the following features of the United States Constitution would most concern the author of Brutus I?
The supremacy clause, which gives the federal government supremacy over states
All of the following serve as checks on the power of the federal courts EXCEPT
The voters can oust federal judges in national elections.
A major difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that
There is unlimited debate in the Senate but not in the House
All of the following statements about the beliefs of the framers of the Constitution are true EXCEPT
They believed that government decision should mirror popular viewpoints
Which amendment to the Constitution has made some of the argument in the passage above moot?
Twenty-Second Amendment
The Gun-Free School Zones Act made it illegal for individuals knowingly to carry a gun in a school zone. The Supreme Court determined this act to be an unconstitutional stretch of the commerce clause in
United States v. Lopez (1995)
Which of the following is an action a president can take to rally public support for the administration's legislative agenda?
Use the State of Union Address to pressure Congress to pass a bill lowering income taxes.
An advantage that bureaucrats in federal government have over the president in the policymaking process is that bureaucrats
Usually have a continuity of service in the executive branch that the President lacks.
For representative democracy to work, all of the following must be present EXCEPT
Voter turnout above 60 percent
All of the issues were decided at the Constitutional Convention EXCEPT
Voting qualifications of the electorate
The passage best aligns with which of the following opinions in United States v. Lopez?
We hold that the [Gun-Free School Zones] Act exceeds the authority of congress "[t]o regulate Commerce...among the several states...." - Justice Rehnquist
Which of the following best reflects the philosophy expressed in Thomas Hobbes' Leviathan that the framers eventually drew on to shape the government of the United States?
Without a social contract, man lives a life that is "nasty, brutish and short"
