AP GOV/POLITICS LAMB

under which of the following circumstances does a president usually experience a reduction in political power I. the president is in the final two years of his or her second term II. the number and severity of international crises is increasing III. different parties control congress and the white house IV. the economy is strong and the president's approval ratings are high

I and III: the president is in the final two years or his or her second term and, different parties control congress and the white house

which of the following statements are true about the media's agenda-setting functions I. media outlets choose which stories to cover based on which ones are likely to receive high ratings II. by focusing on stories that attract public attention, the media can force politicians to confront issues that they might not have otherwise addressed III. the media have become less influential over the political agenda in the past few decades IV. the federal communications commission is primarily responsible for determining the content of the news V. the government has a significant amount of influence over the political agenda presented in the media because most news its gathered from official sources

I, II and V

which of the following activities by interest groups best illustrates attempts to educate members of congress on public policy a. a green energy group sending a research report to congressional offices b. a law-reform group sending alerts to its members encouraging them to contact their representatives c. a single-issue group holding a rally in washington to show support for their cause d. a PAC giving contributions to the reelection campaigns of members of congress

a. a green energy group sending a research report to congressional offices

considered as a single group, the small business administration, the small business committees in the house and senate, and small business advocacy groups are an example of a. an iron triangle b. a conference committee c. a regulatory agency d. dual federalism e. a third party

a. an iron triangle

which of the following is true of congress's power of oversight a. congressional oversight activities most often take place at the committee and subcommittee levels b. state challenges to congressional oversight have severely weakened congress's oversight power c. congressional oversight is primarily directed at the judicial branch d. constituent input does not influence congressional oversight e. congressional oversight primarily concerns congress's power to discipline its own members

a. congressional oversight activities most often take place at the committee and subcommittee levels

during the second half of the 20th century, the supreme court's position on free speech was that a. free speech is essential to liberty therefore may be abridged only under extreme circumstances b. the government may never limit speech because free speech is protected by the first amendment c. state governments may place limits on free speech, but the national government may not because of the first amendment d. the government may limit speech that the majority of americans find offensive e. the government may place limits on free speech in print and broadcast media but may not limit the spoken word

a. free speech is essential to liberty therefore may be abridged only under extreme circumstances

Under Chief Justice Earl Warren, the Supreme Court a. greatly expanded the rights of criminal defendants b. greatly limited the power of federal governments over the states c. established the principle of judicial review d. refused to enforce the sherman antitrust act e. weakened the unconstitutional division between church and state

a. greatly expanded the rights of criminal defendants

The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urges its members to take action in support of what term "animal friendly" legislation through their website. In addition to providing information about important issues that legislators may vote on. The nonprofit organization also describes the best ways to contact a legislator and tips on how best to interact with lawmakers. Which of the following is being illustrated in the scenario a. interest groups sometimes form around a narrow set of issues with the goal of impacting policy making b. interest groups lacking funding can overcome the free-rider problem by proposing legislation on their website c. interest groups work to mobilize citizens and members of congress to form an iron triangle d. interest groups post messages on social media to request donations from members

a. interest groups sometimes form around a narrow set of issues with the goal of impacting policy making

a supreme court that demonstrates a willingness to change public policy and alter judicial precedent is said to be engaging in a. judicial activism b. due process c. judicial restraint d. ex posto facto lawmaking e. judicial review

a. judicial activism

all of the following are specifically mentioned in the constitution EXCEPT a. judicial review b. the national census c. rules of impeachment d. the state of the union address e. length of term of federal judges

a. judicial review

which of the following is true of the seniority system of congress in relation to committee leadership and committee staffing a. members of congress with the longest continuous service are assured the chairmanship of major congressional committees b. members of congress must be elected from safe seats to accrue committee seniority c. members of congressional committees are the most senior members of the body's majority party d. the oldest members of congress have the most seniority e. the chairs of congressional committees tend to be senior members of the body's majority party

a. members of congress with the longest continuous service are assured the chairmanship of major congressional committees

Executive agreements have been cited as evidence that a. modern presidents often try to avoid legislative checks and balances on their authority b. the executive branch has become too large and bureaucratic c. presidents have less power in handling foreign policy than in handling domestic policy d. interest groups have too much power in the contemporary governmental system e. the courts have few means of limiting presidential power

a. modern presidents often try to avoid legislative checks and balances on their authority

an interest group would likely have the greatest influence on policy matters involving a. narrow issues, only a few interest groups, and technical information b. broad, highly visible national issues c. broad foreign policy issues d. major constitutional questions about civil rights and liberties e. areas in which members of congress have considerable expertise and commitment

a. narrow issues, only a few interest groups, and technical information

which of the following is a basic tenet of pluralist theory a. politics is best understood as competition among groups of people with shared interest b. politics best understood as the study of individuals rather than groups c. interest groups are too closely controlled by their leaders to be representative of the public at large d. courts should play almost no role in the political process because judges are almost never elected e. political leaders are motivated more by their values or visions than by their desire to be reelected

a. politics is best understood as competition among groups of people with shared interest

The absence of a political party solely dedicated to labor and working class issues in the United States a. proves US politicians are not concerned about serving working-class constituencies b. is the result of government restrictions placed on the political activities of labor unions c. reflects the difficulty of unifying a party around a single issue in a "winner-take-all" system d. demonstrates that, in the United States, most political issues regarding workers have been decided in the workers' favor e. illustrates that race, not class, is the primary political division in the United States

a. proves US politicians are not concerned about serving working-class constituencies

a writ of certiorari from the supreme court indicates that the court a. will review a lower court decision b. has rendered a decision on a case c. has decided not to hear an appeal d. will recess until the end of the calendar year e. plans to overturn one of its previous rulings

a. review a lower court decision

uncertainty over the limits to presidential power is caused primarily by the fact that a. the constitutional definition of those powers is broad and unspecific b. most people agree that the constitution places too many limits on presidential power c. the supreme court consistently refuses to rule on cases concerning presidential power d. constitutional amendments have greatly increased presidential powers e. some states cede more power to their governors than the national governments cedes to the president

a. the constitutional definition of those powers is broad and unspecific

all of the following have resulted from the growing profusion of sound bites in news reporting EXCEPT a. the news media have had to narrow their scope of coverage because they have only a limited amount of material to broadcast b. the news media have increased their influence over the public agenda by selecting what material to feature in sound bites c. the complexity of most issues is not fully understood by the electorate, who might as a result be misled about government actions d. the public tends to judge candidates by their appearance as much as, if not more, the candidates' stand on foreign and domestic issues e. politicians do not have to explain their views in much detail because most of their speeches go unreported to the public

a. the news media have had to narrow their scope of coverage because they have only a limited amount of material to broadcast

members of congress who have adopted the delegate role of representation normally cast their votes based on which of the following a. the preferences of the majority of their constituents b. their judgement of what is best for their constituency c. the instructions of their political party's leadership d. their political party's most recent policy platform e. the advice of congressional staffers and political consultants

a. the preferences of the majority of their constituents

under which of the following circumstances is congress least likely to pass a bill the president has threatened to veto? a. the presidents public approval rating is extremely high b. a failed attempt has been made to develop a compromise bill with the white house c. the party controlling congress is not the president's party d. the president has also expressed the possibility that he might not veto the bill e. congressional leaders believe they have the votes necessary to override a veto

a. the presidents public approval rating is extremely high

which of the following is an accurate comparison of the establishment clause and the free exercise clause establishment clause: a. used by founders to establish christianity as the national religion b. prohibits the federal government from promoting religion or creating a national religion c. provides a wall of separation between church and state d. ensures that all students must attend public school regardless of religious views free exercise clause: a. reflects a basic belief in the protection of religious freedom b. protects an individual's religious beliefs and reasonable religious practices c. not a civil liberty incorporated to the states d. protects against school led prayer ceremonies

b. (est clause:) prohibits the federal government from promoting religion or creating a national religion and (free exercise clause:) protects an individual's religious beliefs and reasonable religious practices

which of the following scenarios is most closely related to the supreme court's decision in citizens united v. federal election commission (2010) a. a member of congress establishes a political action committee to gain influence within the chamber b. a labor union spends millions of dollars to independently run negative ad's about presidential candidate shortly before the election c. a state senator receives a large cash donation from a corporate executive in exchange for specific political favors d. a lobbyist writes the language of a bill that is later introduced into both chambers of congress

b. a labor union spends millions of dollars to independently run negative ad's about presidential candidate shortly before the election

which of the following would most likely be protected by the first amendment a. a reporter knowingly publishes a false story that injures the subject's reputation b. a student wears a black armband at school to protect government involvement in a war c. an individual issues a threat against another individual on social media d. an individual spray paints graffiti on a public building to protect a government action

b. a student wears a black armband at school to protect government involvement in a war

in selecting members of the white house staff, presidents primarily seek people who a. give the white house ideological balance b. are personally loyal to the president c. have extensive governmental experience d. will help the president develop a good working relationship with congress e. can bring a nonpartisan perspective to policy deliberations

b. are personally loyal to the president

When party members meet to nominate a candidate for office, they participate in which of the following a. general election b. caucus c. open primary d. blanket primary e. closed primary

b. caucus

which of the following provides the most accurate explanation of how consumer-driven media increases partisan polarization a. consumer-driven media tends to avoid discussing controversial political topics b. consumer-driven media reinforces existing political biases in individuals c. consumer-driven media relies heavily on corporate advertising d. consumer-driven media is overwhelmingly conservative

b. consumer-driven media reinforces existing political biases in individuals

which of the following best accounts for the lack of success generally encountered by minor political parties in electing members to the house or senate a. PAC contributions are restricted by law to the two major parties b. general elections in the US are based on the winner-take-all principle c. house and senate rules exclude members of minor parties from organizing coalitions with the major parties d. the public has great faith in the two major political parties e. some states outlaw minor political parties

b. general elections in the US are based on the winner-take-all principle

compared with political parties in countries such as england and israel, both of which have multiparty systems, american political parties are a. less interested in influencing the outcome of elections b. less clearly identified with consistent political ideologies c. less effective at raising money from political supporters d. better able to reflect the goals of their entire constituencies e. more likely to organize around a single issue or goal

b. less clearly identified with consistent political ideologies

over the past three decades, changes in the process of choosing presidential nominees have increased the role and influence of all of the following EXCEPT a. a public opinion pollsters b. party leaders c. journalists d. campaign consultants e. primary election voters

b. party leaders

which of the following is an accurate statement about the leadership of the two major political parties? a. the national party organization controls all facets of party activity throughout the country b. party leadership is dispersed among numerous officials at the national state, and local levels c. the highest elected officials in each national party directs that party's activities and operations all the way down to the state and local levels d. all major decisions concerning party activities are made during each [arty's presidential nomination conventions e. prominent former officeholders, such as ex-presidents, lead their respective political parties

b. party leadership is dispersed among numerous officials at the national, state, and local levels

The amount of access cabinet secretaries have to the president is most likely to be controlled by the a. vice president b. presidents chief of staff c. national security advisor d. chair of the federal reserve board e. president's press secretary

b. presidents chief of staff

which of the following is a significant political consequence of the trend towards investigative journalism a. the job requirements for becoming a journalist are now more stringent b. public attention is focused more on scandal than on political issues c. americans are better informed than they were in the decades before television d. the public now gets most of its information from television news sources e. americans are now more likely to think critically about political issues

b. public attention is focused more on scandal than on political issues

In the case of McDonald v. Chicago (2010) the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms for self-defense was applicable to the states. This ruling is an example of the application of the doctrine of a. strict scrutiny b. selective incorporation c. stare decisis d. literalism

b. selective incorporation

which of the following best explains why the winner of a presidential election usually claims to have a mandate from voters a. the president's party often wins a majority of seats in congress by riding the president's coattails b. the allocation of electoral votes in the winner-take-all system exaggerates the margin of victory c. presidents are allowed to implement their legislative agendas without interference during their first term d. the new president is allowed to replace a significant number of justices on the supreme court e. the incoming president automatically gains control of congress

b. the allocation of electoral votes in the winner-take-all system exaggerates the margin of victory

which of the following is most likely an effect of the data reported in the chart a. younger voters were more likely to vote in 2016 presidential election b. the california state government is more likely to address issues that affect older people c. political parties will work to recruit more younger candidates to run for office d. the media will likely be skeptical of the general election results

b. the california state government is more likely to address issues that affect older people

Which of the following is true of the supreme court? a. every case appealed to the supreme court is ruled upon by the court b. the courts helps set the public agenda by deciding which appeals to hear c. the courts hears all cases when two or more justices agree that the case has merit d. in deciding cases, the chief justice's vote counts as two votes e. the court does not rule on cases in which five justices refuse to sign a single opinion

b. the courts helps set the public agenda by deciding which appeals to hear

which of the following attributes of the political cartoon would best represent the government's use of prior restraint a. the steps of the building b. the fallen pillars c. the word "democracy" written on the building d. the standing pillars

b. the fallen pillars

the doctrine of original intent holds that a. supreme court justices must emphasize independent and original thinking in considering constitutional matters b. the meaning of the constitution depends on the intention of the framers c. cases selected for review by the supreme court must address an original and new concern not previously addressed by the court d. supreme court justices should avoid bias by documenting their original impressions of a case e. the supreme court should review all treaties that alter previously established foreign policy

b. the meaning of the constitution depends on the intention of the framers

which of the following is a member of the white house staff a. the chair of the federal reserve board b. the national security advisor c. the secretary of commerce d. the ambassador to the united nations e. the attorney general

b. the national security advisor

The concept of realignment refers to changes in a. the United States system of international alliances b. the social bases of the parties' voting support c. the media's criticism of the president and Congress d. spending priorities in the federal budget e. the rate of voter participation

b. the social bases of parties' voting support

the government often finds it difficult to make a substantive changes to entitlement programs for which of the following reasons a. most such programs were established by constitutional amendments b. these programs are extremely popular among the numerous beneficiaries c. such programs are vital to national defense d. most such programs primarily benefit the wealthy, a powerful political bloc e. these programs' budgets are determined by non elected bureaucrats, not by congress

b. these programs are extremely popular among the numerous beneficiaries

which of the following is true of federal judges a. they serve four year terms that coincide with the presidential term b. they are appointed for life and can only be removed by impeachment c. they are elected by congress and serve ten years d. they are appointed for life and cannot be removed from office e. they are appointed by the supreme court to life terms

b. they are appointed for life and can only be removed by impeachment

under which of the following conditions are people most likely to vote a. when they believe that none of the contested races is close b. when media coverage of the election is intense c. when the voter is unfamiliar with the candidates d. when the voter is unaffiliated with the politicians e. during a midterm election

b. when media coverage of the election is intense

which of the following is an accurate comparison of rights protected and not protected by the first amendment protected by the first amendment: a. libel/slander b. freedom of religion c. the right to burn a flag d. online newspapers not protected by the first amendment: a. fighting words b. freedom of peaceable assembly c. obscenity d. the right of a student to pray in school

c. (protected) the right to burn a flag, (not protected) obscenity

which of the following scenarios would be considered a violation of the rights of someone accused of a crime, according to the supreme court a. a witness is called to testify against a suspect accused of plotting a terrorist attack b. a police officer acts to stop a crime while it is being committed but does so without a warrant c. a person who is unable to afford an attorney is tried and convicted of a crime without legal representation d. a suspect is informed of the right to an attorney but confesses to a crime prior to receiving legal advice

c. a person who is unable to afford an attorney is tried and convicted of a crime without legal representation

which of the following best describes an "iron triangle" a. an alliance between steel manufacturers and the defense industries b. an alliance between national, state, and local bureaucracies to advance bureaucratic objectives c. a relationship between bureaucrats, legislators and, lobbyists, all of whom seek policies in their particular interest d. the combined efforts of the house, the senate, and the executive branch to put a ceiling on prices for iron and steel e. linkage between iron, steel and coal for national basis or wartime

c. a relationship between bureaucrats, legislators and, lobbyists, all of whom seek policies in their particular interest

which of the following exemplifies the free-rider program for interest groups a. a supporter of the 2nd amendment who is a member of the national rifle association b. a bird enthusiast who contributes to the sierra club to receive a free bird watching guide c. a teacher who does not join the local teachers union but receives a salary negotiated by the union d. a 50 year old woman who joins the AARP to get a discount card

c. a teacher who does not join the local teachers union but receives a salary negotiated by the union

which of the following best illustrates the protection of an individual's 5th amendment rights a. an appeals court rules that a lower court imposed excessive punishment on an individual who broke a law b. a judge blocks an attempt by law enforcement to search a home without probable cause c. after arrest, a suspect is informed of the right to remain silent during interrogation d. during a time of war, soldiers are not quartered in a person's home without the consent of the owner

c. after arrest, a suspect is informed of the right to remain silent during interrogation

Based on the data, which of the following is the most likely consequence for the legislative process in congress a. more competitive races for house seats in the general election b. a decrease in party-line voting on important legislation introduced in the house c. an increase in gridlock and failure to compromise on legislation d. greater cooperation between congress and the president on nominations

c. an increase in gridlock and failure to compromise on legislation

which of the following accurately describes the composition of congressional committees a. committees are organized by the executive branch to ensure that both branches can communicate and negotiate policy goals b. the united states constitution requires that congress organize itself into committees, with each party having equal access to committee seats c. committees are organized by the majority party to maintain control of the policy-making process d. committees are organized by state delegations so that each state has some role in deciding which bills get passed

c. committees are organized by the majority party to maintain control of policy-making process

which of the following best matches a political ideology with that ideology's position on the proper rule of government in regulating the economy? a. communitarian b. libertarian c. conservative d. liberal

c. conservative

the president executes a "pocket veto" by doing which of the following? a. publicly expressing rejection of a bill b. issuing an executive order invalidating a recently passed bill c. failing to sign a bill after congress has adjourned d. recalling ambassadors from a peace negotation e. refusing to seat a federal judge whom the senate has confirmed

c. failing to sign a bill after congress has adjourned

when none of the presidential candidates receives a majority of the votes in the electoral college, the winner is chosen by the a. federal elections commissions b. supreme court c. house of representatives d. senate e. congress

c. house of representatives

If Congress wanted to effect a change in the Social Security payroll tax, to what congressional committee would the task initially be assigned a. house appropriations committee b. senate appropriations committee c. house ways and means committee d. house rules committee e. senate finance committee

c. house ways and means committee

which of the following is a way congress can influence the federal judiciary a. it can prohibit judicial activism b. it can filibuster decisions made by courts c. it can change appellate jurisdiction of federal courts d. it can review federal judges for reappointment every ten years e. it can exercise oversight authority over rulings of individual justices

c. it can change appellate jurisdiction of federal courts

which of the following statements about americans' trust in the mass media is best supported by the data in the graph a. it generally increased over time b. it experienced its largest increase in 2013 c. it generally decreased over time d. it experienced its largest decrease in 2016

c. it generally decreased over time

which of the following is an accurate statement about the voter turnout rate in the united states a. it is high because of the large numbers of elective offices b. it is significantly higher among men than among women c. it is lower than most other western democracies d. it increased sharply when 18 year old's were given the right to vote e. it has been steady over the last 30 years

c. it is lower than most other western democracies

which of the following is true of congressional redistricting a. the responsibility of redrawing congressional districts belongs to congressional committees b. it is a noncontroversial process because it has few political ramifications c. it occurs every ten years to reflect changes in population according to the census d. the supreme court has ruled that legislators may not consider racial demographics when redrawing districts e. when redrawing districts, the chief concern of legislators is to maintain the integrity of neighborhoods

c. it occurs every ten years to reflect changes in population according to the census

an important change in political culture since 1950 is that united states citizens have become a. more likely to believe that their actions can influence government policy b. more trusting of nongovernmental institutions and leaders c. less trusting of governmental institutions and leaders d. less supportive of school integration e. less likely to think of themselves as ideologically moderate

c. less trusting of governmental institutions and leaders

the exclusionary rule was established to a. create "separate but equal" facilities to facilitate racial segregation b. allow private organizations to restrict their memberships c. limit the governments ability to use illegally obtained evidence d. deny control of interstate commerce to the states e. provide the president with greater independence in their negotiating foreign policy

c. limit the governments ability to use illegally obtained evidence

all of the following are commonly used by interest groups to influence the political process EXCEPT a. lobbying b. contributing money to candidates c. nominating candidates d. filing lawsuits e. appealing to public opinion

c. nominating candidates

a major difference between political parties and interest groups is that a. interest groups typically shift their positions on issues overtime, while political parties tend to keep the same position on issues over time b. interest groups usually recruit candidates for office, while political parties usually limit themselves to making campaign contributions to candidates c. political parties seek to gain control of government, while interest groups seek to influence public policy d. political parties tend to have narrow coalitions of support, and interest groups tend to have broad coalitions of support e. political parties usually focus on one issue, while interest groups focus mainly on many issues

c. political parties seek to gain control of government, while interest groups seek to influence public policy

which of the following best describes the reasoning in baker v. carr a. unequal representation of citizens in legislative districts in unconstitutional and may be reviewed by the courts b. political issues such as reapportionment, redistricting, are gerrymandering are to be resolved by the legislative branch c. racial gerrymandering is a violation of the 14th amendment's exclusionary clause d. gerrymandering that favors a single party is not subject to legal action because there is no standard to determine how a state legislative district map should be drawn

c. racial gerrymandering is a violation of the 14th amendment's exclusionary clause

Incumbent members of the House of Representatives win reelection more often than incumbent senators for all of the following reasons EXCEPT a. representatives' constituents more often belong largely to the representatives party b. senators have more political power than representatives, and senate races are accordingly contested more aggressively c. representatives may use federal funds to publicize their achievements via direct mail to constituents d. representatives more often run uncontested e. the fact that the senate races are held statewide generates more media coverage and thus more public awareness

c. representatives may use federal funds to publicize their achievements via direct mail to constituents

the difference between an appellate court and a district court is that an appellate court a. conducts trials by jury b. has original jurisdiction c. reviews previous court decisions d. hears civil cases but not criminal cases e. does not follow the principle of stare decisis

c. reviews previous court decisions

which of the following is a correct statement about political action committees (PAC's) a. the number of PAC's has remained stable over the past decade b. most PAC money is distributed to challengers in an effort to unseat hostile incumbents c. the amount of money that PAC's can contribute directly to an individual candidate is limited by law d. PAC's are illegal in most states e. PAC's rarely attempt to influence legislation through lobbying activities

c. the amount of money that PAC's can contribute directly to an individual candidate is limited by law

Of the following, the most important role in the political socialization of children is played by a. their peer groups b. their place of worships c. the family d. the media e. the school

c. the family

An investigative reporter uncovers illegal and unethical behavior on the part of a state government official. When the local newspaper announces that it will publish the story, the state government issues an injunction to stop the story from being released before being reviewed by government lawyers. Which of the following best represents how the court will most likely respond to the case a. the newspaper will be required to delay publication until after the lawyers review the materials b. the newspaper will publish the story but face a libel lawsuit if the information contained is embarrassing to the government c. the newspapers will be permitted to publish the story without review by the government's lawyers d. the newspapers will not be permitted to publish the story if the government objects

c. the newspapers will be permitted to publish the story without review by the government's lawyers

Which of the following most accurately describes the right of american citizens to privacy? a. the right to privacy is determined entirely by the states on a case-by-case basis b. the right to privacy is explicitly granted in the preamble to the constitution c. the supreme court has ruled that the right to privacy is implied by the bill of rights d. common law requires the government to respect citizens' right to privacy e. americans have no right to privacy, but the government rarely violates individuals' privacy because to do so is not in the government's interest

c. the supreme court has ruled that the right to privacy is implied by the bill of rights

of the following which best predicts the likelihood that citizens will vote a. their race b. their religion c. their educational belief d. their gender e. their region of residence

c. their educational belief

The most widely performed act of political participation in the United States is a. writing letters to public officials b. voting in local elections c. voting in presidential elections d. contributing money to political candidates e. attending local party meetings

c. voting in presidential elections

which of the following is an accurate comparison of an exit poll and a tracking poll exit poll: a. the poll is conducted immediately after voting occurs b. respondents are assembled to participate in discussion led by the polling company c. the poll allows both voters and nonvoters to participate d. responses can be used to judge election results before the official count is obtained tracking poll: a. nonrandom sampling techniques are used to choose respondents to take part in the poll b. tracking polls are used to gauge presidential approval ratings over time c. the poll is conducted in a way that does not ensure that the opinions are representative of the larger population d. the poll is conducted over time to obtain information about changes in public opinion

d. (exit poll:) responses can be used to judge election results before the official count is obtained, (tracking poll:) the poll is conducted over time to obtain information about changes in public opinion

the rules governing the electoral college make is especially important for presidential candidates to a. win as many states as possible, regardless of the size of the states b. spend most of their time campaigning in the south c. campaign most aggressively among those who will be chosen as electors d. concentrate their campaign efforts on "battleground" states e. concentrate on the states in which they are farthest behind, to reduce the margin of their eventual losses in those states

d. concentrate their campaign efforts on "battleground" states

which of the following is an accurate statement about the federal court system a. the creation of new federal courts requires a constitutional amendment b. the creation of new federal courts requires the unanimous consent of all 50 states c. the supreme court has the sole power to create new federal courts d. congress has the power to create new federal courts e. the number of federal courts is fixed by the constitution and cannot be changed

d. congress has the power to create new federal courts

Filibusters are less likely to occur in the House of Representatives than in the Senate because a. senate decorum forbids one senator from attempting to stop another's speech b. the house meets for substantially fewer hours per day than does the senate c. senate sessions, unlike house sessions, are open to the public d. debate in the house is in most instances strictly regulated by the rules e. all speeches in the house are delivered by the house speaker

d. debate in the house is in most instances strictly regulated by the rules

the largest portion of the federal budget covers the cost of a. national defense b. the department of energy c. interest on the national debt d. entitlement programs e. presidents press secretary

d. entitlement plans

In the past decade many states have moved forward the date of their presidential primary elections in an effort to a. minimize the cost of running the election b. convince the national government to move forward the date of the general election c. restrict the number of entrants in the presidential race d. focus greater national attention on their state primary races e. increase the significance of their election results

d. focus greater national attention on their state primary races

the constitutional powers of the president include all of the following EXCEPT a. acting as head of the military b. vetoing legislation c. declaring war d. granting pardons e. appointing ambassadors

d. granting pardons

In 2014, a poll reported that 51 percent of Americans support legislation to reduce carbon emissions, while 47 percent oppose it. The reported margin of sampling error was +/- 4 percent. Which of the following inferences can be made from the poll a. more people support legislation to reduce carbon emissions than oppose it b. more states are passing laws to reduce carbon emissions c. a majority of people under 35 years of age support legislation to reduce carbon emissions d. it is unclear whether more people support legislation to reduce carbon emissions than oppose it

d. it is unclear whether more people support legislation to reduce carbon emissions than oppose it

all of the following are tactics used b interest groups to influence political parties EXCEPT a. distributing incumbents' voting records before upcoming elections b. filing amicus curiae briefs before the supreme court c. supporting legislation before congress d. keeping all lobbying records confidential e. creating political action committees to donate funds to candidates

d. keeping all lobbying records confidential

The legislative success of the National rifle association, antiabortion activists, and other powerful interest groups demonstrates that... a. us domestic policy has grown more conservative in the 1990's b. the influence of political action committees has weakened in recent years c. the power of interest groups depends on the degree of support for their positions in the white house d. majority opinion on an issue can sometimes be overridden by the intensity of a minority's commitment to activism e. The most powerful interest groups in the US are generally those that support uncontroversial positions

d. majority opinion on an issue can sometimes be overridden by the intensity of a minority's commitment to activism

which of the following portrays an accurate example of horse race media coverage a. after a lengthy investigation, a newspaper publishes an article about a candidate receiving thousands of dollars in illegal campaign funds b. a cable news show intentionally smears a candidate by running an exaggerated story about indiscretions in a candidate's person life c. a candidate announces her intention to run for president of the US on twitter rather than through a television appearance d. news media outlets report the results of public opinion polls that show the relative popularity of presidential candidates

d. news media outlets report the results of public opinion polls that show the relative popularity of presidential candidates

which of the following situations is an example of the president using the bully pulpit a. president clinton invoking executive privilege in resisting a subpoena by the US senate during the whitewater investigation b. president bush issuing a signing statement in the detainee treatment act of 2005 that considerably weakened its provisions c. president obama issuing an executive order delaying the deportation of at least five million undocumented immigrants d. president reagan delivering a televised address urging a reduction in federal taxes

d. president reagan delivering a televised address urging a reduction in federal taxes

an emerging third party is struggling to get congressional candidates elected to office. which of the following is a feature of the american political system that would explain why the party is struggling to achieve its goal a. the free-rider problem b. candidate-centered campaigns c. voter identification laws d. single-member districts

d. single-member districts

in a public opinion poll, a polling company used a online surveyor tool to random contact respondents who did not have telephone lines in addition to contacting people over the phone. which of the following best explains this decision a. the company saved money because it did not need to hire as many telephone interviewees to conduct the poll b. they company was establishing a benchmark poll at the beginning of a campaign c. the company was interested in asking different questions to different individuals d. the company wanted to ensure that the sample of the population was truly random

d. the company wanted to ensure that the sample of the population was truly random

what is one foreseeable political consequence of narrow casting a. the print media will appeal to a greater percentage of the public b. politicians will have more freedom to act according to their own agenda, because they will be able to avoid the public eye c. journalists will be forced to concentrate more on political issues on politicians d. the gap between the political elite and politically uninformed will increase e. the public will have less access to public information

d. the gap between the political elite and politically uninformed will increase

which of the following statements about the electoral college is correct a. each state must split its electoral votes among all the candidates that recieve votes b. each state is equally represented in the electoral college c. the electoral college was created by an amendment to the constitution d. the results of the electoral college voting tends to distort the winner's margin of victory, when compared with the popular vote for president e. each state's delegation to the electoral college consists of that states's US senators and representatives

d. the results of the electoral college voting tends to distort the winner's margin of victory, when compared with the popular vote for president

which of the following is true of most third parties in US history a. they arose and succeeded during times of prosperity b. they were created to protest wars c. at some point they won a majority of seats in congress d. they flourished during periods of widespread dissatisfaction e. they arose in response to increased government regulation

d. they flourished during periods of widespread dissatisfaction

The term "budget deficit refers to the..." a. annual increase in federal spending on the military b. amount of interest on the national debt c. difference between the initial budget proposals made by the president and congress d. period after the fiscal year ends during which the government operates without an official budget e. amount the government spends in excess of its revenues

e. amount the government spends in excess of its revenues

which of the following is NOT a way in which the federal government regulates campaigns a. by requirements for disclosure of campaign donations b. by establishment of federal agencies to regulate campaign finance activities c. by limits on the distribution of soft money d. by limits on individual donations to campaigns e. by prohibitions on negative ads

e. by prohibitions on negative ads

Both the War Powers Act of 1974 and the Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 represent efforts by Congress to limit the powers of the a. joint chiefs of staff b. house ways and mean committee c. central intelligence agency d. secretary of defense e. president

e. president

the responsibilities of the secretary of state are most likely to overlap with those of a. the secretary of the interior b. the secretary of the treasury c. the speaker of the house d. the president's chief of staff e. the chief national security advisor to the president

e. the chief national security advisor to the president

during a presidential campaign, the media focuses its attention primarily on a. each candidate's position on foreign policy issues b. the candidates' previous political experience c. the issues most important to the electorate d. the party platform of each candidate e. the daily campaign activities of the two candidates

e. the daily campaign activities of the two candidates

which of the following statements about political parties and the united states constitution is true a. according to the constitution, only two major political parties may exist at any time b. the constitution requires political parties to be restricted by both federal and state law c. the constitution indicates that political party leaders at the national level be elected by political party leaders at the state level d. the constitution specifies that political party leaders must be native-born to US citizens e. the issue of political parties is not addressed in the constitution

e. the issue of political parties is not addressed in the constitution

house members are more concerned about their committee assignments than are senators because a. house members may serve on only one committee at a time b. senate committees have relatively little power to alter legislation c. bills in the senate must pass through all committees before reaching the floor d. senators may change their committee assignments whenever they wish e. the rules make it extremely difficult for representatives to influence legislation on the house floor

e. the rules makes it extremely difficult for representatives to influence legislation on the house floor

which of the following describes a consequence of the growing concentration of ownership of the news media a. newspaper prices have gone down b. coverage of political events has gotten more liberal overtime c. prices for televised campaign ads have gone down d. candidates get more free airtime e. there is increased similarity of network news coverage

e. there is increased similarity of network news coverage

critical elections in the united states typically have occurred a. as a result of a temporary shift in the popular coalition supporting one or both parties b. whenever a third party has secured more than 15% of the presidential vote c. each time a republican has been elected president d. when voter turnout has declined significantly from the previous election e. when groups of voters have changed their traditional patterns of party loyalists

e. when groups of voters have changed their traditional patterns of party loyalists