POLI 2051 FINAL EXAM

If a judge believes that she should defer to the decisions made by elected representatives whenever possible, she likely believes in which of the following?

judicial restraint

What is the name given to the power of the courts to determine whether the actions of Congress and the executive branch are permissible under the Constitution?

judicial review

The increase in __________ threatens the viability of the intergenerational system for funding Social Security.

life expectancy

What does the Twenty-Second Amendment do?

limits the president's terms of office

What is the primary responsibility of the secretary of defense?

military policy

Which presidential power is checked by required approval of the Senate with a two-thirds vote?

negotiating treaties with other nations

Which of the following is a judicial power given to the president?

nominating federal judges

What is the source of money in the Social Security Trust Fund?

payroll taxes

A __________ tax is one by which the government takes a greater share of the income of the rich than of the poor.

progressive

The fact that 43 percent of people filing income tax returns in 2013 paid no income tax at all is partly explained by the fact that the income tax is __________.

progressive

What is a goal common to both the Pendleton Act and the Hatch Act?

reducing the influence of partisan politics on the federal bureaucracy

A __________ tax is one in which the burden falls relatively more heavily on low-income groups than on wealthy taxpayers.

regressive

Who represents the federal government in appeals to the Supreme Court?

solicitor general

Which of the following citizens would be ineligible to become president?

someone who has already been elected president twice

In court rulings, reliance on past decisions to formulate decisions in new cases is known as which of the following?

stare decisis

Which of the following limits judicial power?

stare decisis

In which courts are the vast majority of all cases tried?

state

Max Weber identified which of the following as a characteristic of bureaucracy?

task specialization

Which of the following entities is responsible for influencing interest rates in the United States?

the Federal Reserve Board

Which of the following is an example of monetary policy?

the Federal Reserve Board buying government bonds

Which of the following organizations contains a broad array of the president's foreign policy advisers, including the secretary of defense, the secretary of state, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the director of national intelligence

the National Security Council

Which of the following is an example of foreign aid?

the Peace Corps

Which of the following is a government corporation?

the U.S. Postal Service

Which of the following is a group of 15 presidential advisers that is too large, diverse, and concerned with individual fiefdoms to effectively serve as a collective board of directors, leaving ultimate decision-making authority with the president?

the cabinet

Who nominates judges to the U.S. district courts?

the president

What is implementation?

the process of translating the goals and objectives of a policy into an operating, ongoing program

Which of the following is the role of the Budget Committees and the Congressional Budget Office?

to advise Congress on consequences of its budget decisions

What is the purpose of continuing resolutions?

to allow agencies to continue to spend money even when Congress has not met its budgetary timetable

Why did Congress enact the War Powers Resolution?

to limit the powers of the president in the conduct of war

If you subscribe to Keynesian economic policies, you are most concerned with __________.

unemployment

CHAPTER 12 QUIZ QUESTIONS...

(terms 2-13)

CHAPTER 15 QUIZ QUESTION

(terms 28-39)

CHAPTER 13 QUIZ QUESTIONS

(terms 41-52)

CHAPTER 16 QUIZ QUESTIONS

(terms 54-65)

CHAPTER 17 QUIZ QUESTIONS

(terms 67-78)

CHAPTER 18 QUIZ QUESTIONS

(terms 80-91)

CHAPTER 14 QUIZ QUESTIONS...

(terms 15-26)

The Social Security Act was enacted in __________.

1935

__________ is an act of Congress that attempts to bind Congress to a total expenditure level for all programs in a given year.

A budget resolution

What distinguishes a means-tested program from a social insurance program?

A social insurance program provides benefits to those who have paid into the program, while a means-tested program provides benefits based on demonstrated need.

Why do Americans tend to think that red tape is more prevalent than it actually is?

Americans tend to notice the bureaucracy only when it is inefficient and not when it works well.

__________ regulates industries using market-like strategies such as rewards.

An incentive system

__________ is the approach to regulation in which the government tells business how to meet certain goals, makes sure these directions are followed, and punishes those who do not follow the orders.

Command-and-control policy

In what sense is Social Security spending uncontrollable?

Congress has enacted laws that make Social Security payments automatic for all those who are eligible.

Which of the following best describes the executive branch's role in the budget process before the Budget and Accounting Act of 1921?

Executive branch agencies sent budget requests to the secretary of the treasury.

Which provision is part of the Affordable Care Act?

Health insurance companies are prohibited from discriminating against people with preexisting conditions.

How did the Cold War start?

It began after all of Eastern Europe fell under Soviet domination after World War II, prompting fears that the Soviets would spread communism.

Which of the following best describes a cap-and-trade system?

It limits emissions and uses market-based incentives for businesses to more efficiently use energy.

How did the Pendleton Act reform the system of hiring and firing federal employees?

It required hiring and firing decisions to be based on merit rather than partisan loyalty.

Before 1883, how were federal government jobs awarded?

Jobs were awarded based on applicants' loyalty to the party in power.

In which of the following cases did the Supreme Court first claim the right of judicial review?

Marbury v. Madison

The most rapidly increasing part of the federal budget is __________.

Medicare

How might democracy distort budgeting?

Politicians spend public funds and give tax cuts to win votes.

How did the expectations for the vice presidency change starting with Walter Mondale?

Presidents are more likely to use their vice presidents as close policy advisers.

The __________ Amendment permits Congress to levy income taxes.

Sixteenth

Which of the following is a concern about the Social Security Trust Fund?

Soon there will be too few workers contributing to the Trust Fund to support the increasing number of retirees.

Why is terrorism such a troublesome issue in national security today?

Terrorism is difficult to defend against in an open society and root out everywhere.

Which statement describes a reason why universal health care was not adopted in the United States when it was first proposed more than 60 years ago?

The American Medical Association opposed what it called "socialized medicine."

At President Roosevelt's urging, Congress passed dozens of laws designed to end the Depression. Why did the Supreme Court initially overturn these New Deal policies?

The Court believed that federal intervention in the economy was unconstitutional.

What has to happen in Congress in order for the president to be impeached and removed from office?

The House must impeach the president by a simple majority; the Senate must convict with a two-thirds majority.

Which statement best describes the conflict that has sometimes existed between the National Security Council (NSC) and others within the national security establishment?

The NSC has sometimes competed with cabinet departments such as State and Defense.

Which of the following accurately describes the United Nations?

The UN was created in 1945 as an international peacekeeping organization that, over time, has not always succeeded at making or keeping peace.

Which statement best describes the world's superpowers since the end of World War II?

The United States and the Soviet Union were rival superpowers until the end of the Cold War, when the United States became the sole superpower.

Who instituted the Marshall Plan and who benefited directly from it?

The United States instituted the Marshall Plan to benefit Europe.

Which of the following statements provides the best characterization of the members of the White House staff?

The White House staff is composed of advisers who do whatever is in the best interest of the president.

What distinguishes the contemporary presidency from the institution originally envisioned by the Framers of the Constitution?

The contemporary presidency is much more powerful.

Why does the NIMBY problem arise?

The costs of storing or disposing of hazardous waste are not equally distributed.

Which best describes a president's constitutional duty to Congress?

The president must give Congress an occasional update on the state of the union.

Why have multinational corporations become forces to be reckoned with in nearly all nations?

They account for a large portion of the global economy and have voiced strong opinions about government and economics.

Which of these statements best describes the possible effect of efforts by the Federal Reserve Board to lower interest rates?

They can spur economic growth by increasing the available money supply.

How do standard operating procedures influence bureaucratic decision making?

They promote uniform application of rules.

Which statement explains a reason why the United States relies more heavily on expensive, high-tech medical treatments as compared to European countries?

U.S. health care costs are paid from a mixture of sources, leaving no single source primarily responsible for controlling health care costs.

When did health insurance become linked to employment?

World War II

Which of the following is most consistent with the foreign policy of isolationism?

a country's refusal to intervene in an armed conflict between two other countries

Which situation is most likely to create an incentive for doctors to perform unnecessary procedures?

a fee-for-service health insurance policy

What is a government program called that provides benefits only to individuals who qualify based on specific needs?

a means-tested program

Which of the following best describes the nuclear arms race between the world's two superpowers during the 20th century?

a tense relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1950s and 1960s, during which each side was intent on obtaining more weapons than the other

The U.S. health care system tends to emphasize __________.

advances in medical technology

What is the national debt?

all of the money the federal government has borrowed and has not yet repaid

Only __________ court can review the decisions of a lower court.

an appellate

Many assume that presidents with high __________ are more effective leaders.

approval ratings

Who are the three main players in an iron triangle?

bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional subcommittees

Who has been most likely to oppose federal clean air mandates?

car manufacturers

Which of the following is an opinion written by a justice in the majority that outlines an alternative basis for the decision?

concurring

Financially, who benefits the most from the military-industrial complex?

defense contractors

Those who believe that regulations on business and industry are too numerous and too complex are most likely to favor the policy of __________.

deregulation

Which of the following poses the greatest threat to endangered species?

economic development

What is the main concern about nuclear energy?

environmental impact

When it comes to strengthening the economy, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to prioritize __________.

fighting inflation

Which of the following is a possible solution to the long-term problem of solvency in the Social Security program?

increase the minimum retirement age

Proponents of which of the following believe that it is appropriate for judges to make bold policy decisions when doing so is necessary to address pressing societal needs?

judicial activism