josephs gov final

According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, approximately how many American governments can be found in the United States?

89,000

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the House and Senate? HouseSenate(A)435 members with representation based on population100 members with representation equal per state(B)Must be at least 30 years old to run for officeMust be at least 35 years old to run for office(C)Must be a natural born citizenMust reside in the state(D)Emphasizes foreign policyEmphasizes tax policy

A

Which of the following scenarios is an accurate comparison of an interest group and a political party? Political PartyInterest Group(A)An entity that recruits, nominates, and elects members to office to control the governmentAn entity whose specific goal is to get legislation passed in favor of the group's policies(B)An entity whose specific goal is to raise and spend money to influence electionsA fluid web of connections among those concerned about a policy(C)Groups representing industries or corporationsLabor organization comprising federal, state, and municipal workers(D)The National Rifle AssociationLibertarian Party

A

Which of the following scenarios is an accurate comparison of primaries and caucuses? Primary Caucus(A)The most common way of selecting presidential nomineesOnly utilized in states with small populations(B)Meetings of party members who openly show support for candidatesVoters determine which candidate's delegates will attend the party's convention(C)Closed to registered party members onlyOpen to all registered party members(D)Limited to presidential contests onlyTend to turn into riots as activists are crowded into small rooms to debate the candidates

A

Which of the following best describes a filibuster?

A filibuster is an oratorical tactic that can only be used in the Senate.

Which of the following is the main reason interest groups are often successful in getting legislation passed to benefit their members?

A narrow constituency derives the benefits from such legislation but the costs are spread broadly across the population.

`Presidential campaigns in the United States differ most from campaigns in other countries in which of the following ways?

American campaigns are much longer than other campaigns.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the Trustee and Instructed delegate models of representation? TrusteeInstructed Delegate(A)Legislators should vote based on constituents' viewsLegislators should vote contrary to their constituents if they feel it is in the best interests of the country(B)Legislators should follow their conscience when votingLegislators should act as agents of their constituency(C)Legislators should vote based on their partyLegislators should vote as their staff instructs them(D)Legislators should vote based on how the president trusts them to voteLegislators should vote based on PAC campaign contributions

B

Which of the following scenarios is an accurate comparison of the Democratic and Republican parties? DemocratsRepublicans(A)Expansion of civil rightsExpansion of safety net programs(B)Favors government spending on social welfare programsFavors government spending on defense(C)Strong state governmentsStrong central government(D)Pro-lifePro-choice

B

Which of the following statements accurately summarizes the reasoning for the decision in Baker v. Carr (1962) ?

Because rural districts had fewer people, representation was unevenly distributed; thus, Baker was denied equal protection under the law.

Which of the following scenarios is an accurate comparison of a PAC and an interest group? PACInterest Group(A)An entity that recruits, nominates, and elects members to office to control the governmentA grassroots conservative protest movement that opposes economic stimulus spending(B)An informal group striving for a broad, common goalLabor organization comprising federal, state, and municipal workers(C)An entity whose specific goal is to raise and spend money to influence electionsAn entity who specific goal is to get legislation passed in favor of the group's policies(D)Groups representing industries of corporationsA fluid web of connections among those concerned about a policy

C

Which plan proposed at the Constitutional Convention called for a bicameral legislature with one chamber having members from states calculated proportionally based upon population and the other having two members per state?

Connecticut Compromise

The debate over representation of the states in Congress was finally settled at the Constitutional Convention with the

Connecticut Compromise.

Which of the following provides the most accurate explanation of how consumer-driven media increases partisan polarization?

Consumer-driven media reinforces existing political biases in individuals.

Which of the following scenarios is an accurate comparison of open and closed primaries? Open Primary Closed Primary (A)Facilitates the choosing of the party's strongest nominee May result in a weak nominee (B)Typically has multiple restrictions on who can vote Results in crossover voting and possible raiding (C)Allows independent voters to participate Permits only Republican voters to choose nominees for both parties (D)Any registered voter may vote in any party's primaryOnly registered party members may participate

D

Which of the following is a true statement about the role of the media in providing citizens with information?

Demand for instantaneous news reporting has led to the growth of 24-hour news operations and a shift to online media consumption.

Cooperative federalism can best be described by which of the following statements?

Different levels of government are involved in common policy areas.

Which of the following best represents popular sovereignty in the original Constitution as it was ratified in 1789?

Election of members of the House of Representatives

Which of the following institutions was specifically outlined in the Constitution?

Electoral College

According to the Supreme Court in Shaw v. Reno, redistricting on the basis of race is a violation of

Equal protection

Which of the following statements are NOT true about bills in the legislative process?

Every bill only has to be approved in one of the two houses of Congress before being sent to the president for his signature.

Which of the following best represents the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. FEC (2010)?

Federal bans on corporate and union expenditures violated an organization's right to free speech.

The power of the national government to regulate interstate commerce was expanded in the landmark case of

Gibbons v. Ogden.

James Madison addressed factions in Federalist #10. Which statement is true of this document?

Given the nature of man, factions are inevitable.

A Libertarian would generally agree with which of the following?

Government action is necessary in both social and economic matters during a crisis.

The Founding Fathers designed a system of checks and balances for the national government. Which of the following best illustrates that concept? I. Congress overrides the president's veto. II. The Supreme Court declares a law unconstitutional. III. The President issues an executive order reducing the size of the bureaucracy. IV. The House and Senate cannot agree on a conference committee report.

I and II

Which of the following statements accurately describe critical elections? I. Critical elections tend to occur only after significant political or social events. II. After a critical election, the existing minority party usually collapses and a new party forms. III. A critical election ensures that the existing majority party will maintain its position of power. IV. Critical elections usually signal the beginning of a new political era.

I and IV only

Which of the following are differences between the legislative process in the House of Representatives and that in the Senate? I. Debate is more restricted on the House floor than on the Senate floor. II. The amendment process is more restricted in the House than in the Senate. III. Bills are more likely to bypass committee consideration in the House than in the Senate. IV. A Rules Committee sets the guidelines for floor debate in the House but not in the Senate.

I, II, and IV only

Which of the following statements are true about the media's agenda-setting function? 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 significant amount of influence over the political agenda presented in the media because most news gathered from official sources.

I, II, and V only

The case of McCulloch v. Maryland (1809) ruled I. the federal government could exercise only the enumerated powers of the Constitution. II. the implied powers in Article I of the Constitution allowed Congress to create a nationally chartered bank. III. the state governments could levy taxes on national government institutions. IV. neither states nor the federal government could tax one another. V. the state courts had sole jurisdiction over regulatory affairs within their boundaries.

II and IV

What is the main difference between a capitalist economy and a socialist economy?

In a socialist economy, the government or workers own the means of production, or the businesses and industry within society.

Which of the following generalizations about the party in the electorate are true?

Independents are unaffiliated with either party but often vote partisan.

What explanation best describes why there are only 27 amendments to the United States Constitution?

It is difficult to get two thirds of Congress to propose and three fourts of state legislatures to ratify a constitutional amendment.

Which explanation best describes why there are only 27 amendments to the United States Constitution?

It is difficult to get two-thirds of Congress to propose an amendment and three-fourths of state legislatures to ratify a constitutional amendment

Which of the following is true about reapportionment?

It occurs every ten years with the decennial census.

Which of the following is true about divided government?

It often leads to legislative inaction, also known as "gridlock".

Which of the following best demonstrates the Supremacy Clause?

Maryland is forced to cease taxation on a federal bank after a Supreme Court ruling.

Which of the following best describes the concept of elite theory?

Members of Congress act on their own with little regard for constituent opinion.

Which of the following is a possible explanation for why favorable opinion of the Democratic Party never dips below 40?

More demographic groups have a favorable view of the Democratic Party due the party's stance on social issues.

Which of the following statements about rules of eligibility for federal office is correct?

Naturalized citizens born in another country cannot run for president.

Which of the following statements is true of a federal system of government?

Power is divided among levels of government so that more than one level has authority over a body of people.

The term issue framing refers to the media's providing of a contextual setting specifically designed to

Provide the public with important information that allows people to form opinions on public policy

The United States is an example of which type of government?

Republic

Which of the following is NOT specifically mentioned in the Constitution, including its amendments?

Right to privacy

Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the two major political parties in the United States?

Separate and largely independent party organizations exist at national, state, and local levels.

Holding the highest position in the House of Representatives, who is selected by members of the majority party as their leader?

Speaker of the House

Membership in the House is determined by which of the following methods?

States are divided into congressional districts of equal population, with one representative per district.

Which of the following was not a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?

States resented the amount of power placed in the federal government.

Which amendment states "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people"?

Tenth Amendment

Which of the following is NOT an example of checks and balances?

The 9th District Court of Appeals rules a lower court decision as procedurally invalid.

All of the following are reasons for the decline in newspaper circulation EXCEPT:

The accessibility of news and information on the Internet

Which of the following describes the result in a winner-take-all, single-member-district plurality system?

The candidate who receives the most votes in the election wins.

What happens if no presidential candidate receives majority Electoral College votes?

The election is decided by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Which of the following statements about political parties and the United States Constitution is true?

The issue of political parties is not addressed in the Constitution.

Which of the following best accounts for why the media are often referred to as the fourth branch of government?

The media act as a watchdog over the three branches checking their actions

Which of the following is true about media consolidation?

The number of alternative viewpoints may be stifled

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about political parties in the United States?

The percentage of voters identifying themselves as either Democrats or Republicans has been declining since the 1970's.

Which of the following is NOT true of the seniority rule?

The seniority rule allows the most qualified individual to be selected for the job.

Which of the following describes a consequence of the growing concentration of ownership of the news media?

There is increased similarity of network news coverage.

Which of the following is true of amicus curiae briefs?

They are used by interest groups to lobby courts.

Which of the following statements about motions for cloture is true?

They are used by senators to end a filibuster and bring a bill to a vote.

Which of the following was NOT a main argument the Anti-Federalists had against the ratification of the new Constitution?

They claimed that it should be a class-based document.

In order for an amendment to be formally added to the Constitution it must go through which of the following processes?

Two-thirds of the houses of Congress must approve the proposed amendment and three-fourths of the states must ratify.

Advantages of the federal system include all of the following EXCEPT:

Vague constitutional language that allows fo conflicting interpretations

Which of the following is NOT a valid explanation for low voter turnout?

Wealthy Americans feel that they don't need to rely on the federal government.

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."

Who is LEAST likely to vote in the next presidential election?

a Millennial

Interest groups can best be defined as

a group of people who share a common interest and work together to influence government.

All of the following reasons why people do not vote EXCEPT

a lack of funds for poll taxes.

Which of the following is the best definition of a realignment?

a major ideological and demographic shift within a party

A committee chair in the House of Representatives is always

a member of the majority party in the chamber

Which of the following was NOT outlined as a characteristic of American government in the Constitution?

a unicameral legislative body

The term "narrowcasting" refers to media coverage that

aims content towards specific segments of the public.

Which of the following were credited to a disastrous Articles of Confederation?

all of the above

Buckley v. Valeo (1976) was a significant Supreme Court ruling because it

allowed political parties to raise unlimited funds for party-building activities.

In addition to officially nominating a party's candidate for the presidency, national conventions perform which of the following tasks?

announce the party's platforms

Which of the following is NOT a power granted to Congress by the Constitution?

appoint justices and ambassadors

The "gender gap" refers to the idea that women

are more likely to vote for Democrats than are men.

People will low political efficacy reflect all the following EXCEPT

arguing with their friends about which candidate is best for the country.

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the media and trust in government?

as the availability of news has increased, trust in government has decreased

All of the following are guaranteed under the Fifth Amendment EXCEPT

bail cannot be denied.

The Federal Election Campaign Act did all of the following EXCEPT

ban the use of soft money.

Voters in presidential elections have

become more focused on individual candidates

Federal grants given more or less automatically to states or communities to support broad programs in areas such as community development and social services are known as

block grants.

Which of the following best describes the impact of the internet on politics?

citizens have more access to information

The task of joint committees in Congress is to

combine members of both the House and the Senate to consider overlapping policy areas.

To receive federal funding, state programs usually must

comply with some federal regulations.

The term "legislative oversight" refers to Congress's authority to

conduct investigations.

Which of the following ideologys consists of an emphasis on community and family and government playing a more limited role?

conservatism

The United States is an example of which type of government?

constitutionalism

The agenda-setting function of the media refers to the power to

decide which issues are important enough to bring to public attention

Shays' Rebellion was significant in that it

demonstrated the need for a strong central government to respond to national emergencies.

Referendum and initiative are related in that they are both examples of

direct democracy.

All of the following were problems under the Articles of Confederation EXCEPT

each state had its own Bill of Rights to protect citizens from government.

Which of the following practices has been criticized as abusing Congress's "power of the purse?"

earmarks

Which of the following is the leading predictor of whether an individual will vote in a presidential election?

education

All of the following are true of the Electoral College system EXCEPT

electors are awarded proportionally in most states.

The Constitution grants Congress the power to establish post offices and post roads. This is an example of

enumerated powers.

The Constitution grants Congress the power to establish post offices, declare war, and impose taxes. These are examples of

enumerated powers.

Since the early 1980s, the Republican Party platform has been increasingly influenced by

evangelical Christians

Reapportionment of seats in the House of Representatives occurs

every 10 years as a result of the census report.

The case of Marbury v. Madison

firmly established the power of judicial review.

What is the term for the recent tendency of the states to hold primaries early in the calendar in order to capitalize on media attention?

frontloading

One reason that minority groups are more likely to favor liberal policies is that they

have benefited from federal social programs in the past.

`The politics in which behavior of citizens and policymakers as well as political agenda itself are increasingly shaped by technology is known as what term?

high-tech politics

All of the following are concurrent powers of the federal and state governments EXCEPT the

imposition of export tariffs.

The Motor Voter Act was intended to

increase voter registration

The greatest predictor of a candidate's elective success is

incumbency.

PAC money gives the greatest advantage to

incumbents.

The United States system of representation provides a modern-day example of

indirect democracy.

The media's effect on public opinion can best be described as

influencing which issues the public sees as important.

Government is defined as the

institution that creates and implements the policy and laws that guide the conduct of the nation and its people.

The membership in the House of Representatives

is dependent on the national census.

Elite theorists believe that the power of interest groups

is held by only a few wealthy groups.

An interest group is most likely to have influence in Congress when the issue at stake

is narrow in scope and low in public visibility

All of the following statements are true of Congress EXCEPT

it is a requirement to be a lifelong resident of the United States.

Most of the work of legislating in Congress takes place in

joint committees

The case of Marbury v. Madison (1803) established which principle?

judicial review

One of the best strategies that interest groups can use to achieve their goals is

lobbying members of Congress to make small changes in existing policy

The goal of the Federal Election Campaign Act was to

make campaigns more fair and transparent.

The news media influence the outcome of a presidential election by

making rushed judgement about the contest early in the primaries.

Which of the following is the best example of a categorical grant?

money given to states for special education programs

Which of the following is an incumbent's greatest advantage during an election?

name recognition

Super delegates are

national party leaders who automatically get a delegate slot at the Democratic national convention.

The debates between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists were mainly focused on

national vs. state supremacy.

Congress derives a significant amount of its power from

necessary and proper clause.

The government of North Korea provides a modern-day example of

oligarchy.

What is an example of unconventional political participation?

organizing a protest

Which of the following has led to ticket splitting in recent elections?

partisan dealignment

All of the following are demographic factors that are related to voter turnout EXCEPT

party affiliation.

The key difference between open and closed primaries centers on

party affiliation.

The free rider problem occurs when

people benefit from an interest group's efforts without making any contribution

Which of the following supports James Madison's theory in Federalist No. 10 that factions ensure representation of competing interests?

pluralism

People's collective beliefs about government, including liberty and equality, is known as

political culture

A person's ideas or beliefs about political values and the role of government is known as their

political ideology

Which of the following terms best describes the legislative tactic of acquiring funds or projects for a Congressman's home district?

porkl barrel legislation

Advantages to congressional incumbency include all of the following EXCEPT

presidential endorsements.

The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to

protect individual rights.

The Three-Fifths Compromise as the Constitutional Convention

provided a formula by which slaves would be counted for apportioning the House of Representatives.

What is the key role of Political Action Committees (PACs)?

raising funds in support of a favored candidate's election

Most of the bills introduced in the House and the Senate are then

referred to committee but never sent to the full Congress

The Federal Communications Commission's oversight of interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire satellite, and cable throughout the U.S. is an example of

regulation

A voter who decides that his or her life has improved as the result of an incumbent candidate's last four years in office is engaging in

retrospective voting.

Extradition requires that states

return a person charged with a crime in another state to the state for trial or imprisonment.

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

Interest groups do all of the following EXCEPT

select candidates to run for political office.

Which of the following is NOT a function of political parties?

selecting key members of the White House staff

Conservatives are likely to endorse all of the following EXCEPT

social welfare programs.

The media act as a linkage institution in that they serve as an agent of political

socialization

Buckley v. Valeo (1976) and Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010) are similar Supreme Court cases in that both cases concern

speech.

Most government authority prior to the Constitution rested with

state legislatures.

The notion that when state and federal laws conflict, the national laws will prevail is the

supremacy clause.

The Constitution specifically denies to states the power to

tax imports and exports.

The full faith and credit clause would require all of the following EXCEPT

that something against the law in one state is against the law in all other states.

"Dual federalism" refers to the fact that

the Constitution provides two layers of government in the nation- the national and the state.

A key difference between the House and the Senate is that

the House is larger, and as a result, has more formal rules than the Senate.

Federalist #51 focuses on the topic of

the branches of government and their independence from one another.

Congress shall use means "necessary and proper" to fulfill responsibilities according to

the elastic clause.

Each state must recognize official documents and civil judgments rendered by the courts of other states due to

the full faith and credit clause.

James Madison's model of government is based on the idea that

the power of the government's institutions should be separated.

A resident of New Mexico is robbed while he is visiting relatives in Texas and call the local police, who arrest the culprit and charge him with a crime. This is an example of

the privileges and immunities clause.

All of the following are criticisms raised against the primary system EXCEPT

the process of selecting delegates is unfair because it prevents representation of minority groups at the national conventions.

The debates between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists were primarily about which of the following issues?

the scope of the power of the central government

If the House and Senate pass two different versions of a bill,

the two versions are sent to a conference committee to work out a compromise bill.

Which of the following is more likely to determine a candidate's chance of getting elected to Congress?

their incumbency status

Small interest groups often meet with more success because

their members are more active.

Which type of government controls every aspect of their citizen's lives, including no rights or freedoms enjoyed by the people?

totalitarianism

When a member of Congress exercises personal judgement rather than consulting his constituents, he is called a(n)

trustee.

The fiscal relationship between the national and state governments involves complex relationships. Which would least likley be favored by state governments?

unfunded mandates

Unlike the United States, most government in the world today are not federal, but instead

unitary governments in which all power resides in the central government.

Primary elections are not very representative of the electorate's preferences because

voters in primary elections are usually older and more affluent than the majority.

All of the following are valid criticisms of voting by mail EXCEPT

voting by mail leads to more ballot spoilage.

Which of the following is the most common form of political participation in the United States?

voting in a presidential election

Critical elections in the United States typically have occurred

when groups of voters have changed their traditional patterns of party loyalties

When does a referendum occur in the United States?

when states give voters an opportunity to vote on legislation

Which of the following best accounts for the continued existence of the two-party system in U.S. politics?

winner-take-all system

Congress can override a presidential veto of legislation

with a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress.

All of the following are tactics used by interest groups during election campaigns EXCEPT

writing party platforms.