All Buice Kahn

Based on previous rulings, the Supreme Court is most likely to view a case concerning which of the following as a symbolic speech case?

A man who was arrested for waving a Nazi flag at a rally

Which of the following policies is an example of a present-day debate about the balance of power between the federal government and state governments?

Congress passing the Every Student Succeeds (ESSA) Act that decreased the number of standardized tests

Which of the following may the judicial branch do to limit the power of the president?

Declare an executive order unconstitutional

Prior restraint is best defined as which of the following?

Government censorship that blocks free speech or publication

The "public safety" exception to the Miranda rule can best be defined as which of the following?

It allows the police to perform unwarned interrogation to stand as direct evidence in court if the information will help protect the public

Which of the following statements best explains an advantage the majority party in the House of Representatives has in lawmaking?

It can assign bills to committees

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) decision?

It emphasized the right of parents to control the religious upbringing of their children without state infringement

The commerce clause of the Constitution grants Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce. Which of the following might be an implied power that Congress would have to complete this task?

Setting a federal minimum wage

Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Fifth Amendment?

A person is tried twice for the same crime

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of "separation of powers" in the US Constitution?

Congress has authority over the federal budget, while the president appoints Supreme Court justices

The necessary and proper clause is best defined as which of the following?

Congress has the power to carry out its enumerated powers

In the 1960s and 1970s, women began protesting gender discrimination in colleges and universities, such as unequal scholarship allocation to men's sports and women's sports. Which of the following statements describes how Congress responded to this situation?

Congress passed Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972

In 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. organized the March on Washington to protest racial discrimination and segregation in public places. Which of the following statements describes how Congress responded to this situation?

Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Which of the following best defines civil liberties?

Freedoms that protect citizens, opinions, and property against government abuse of power

Which of the following is an enumerated power of Congress?

Generating a budget that addresses both discretionary and mandatory spending

Which of the following statements best explains the compromise behind the creation of the Electoral College?

It was a compromise between big and small states so that states with a larger population cannot control presidential elections

Which of the following statements describes judicial activism?

Judges ought to freely strike down laws that are inconsistent with their understanding of the Constitution

In 2006, the Supreme Court heard a case about a state banning a substance used during religious ceremonies. The state banned the substance because it contained a drug prohibited by the Controlled Substances Act. But the religious organization, O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao de Vegetal (UDV) said the government was interfering with religious practices by banning the use of the substance. The Supreme Court agreed and ruled that the government did not prove a compelling interest in regulating the UDV's use of drugs for religious ceremonies. Which of the following constitutional clauses does this case have in common with Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)?

The free exercise clause

A senator wants to incentivize higher education for students from low-income families and wants to provide clear guidelines on how states must implement those incentives.

A categorical grant

The exclusionary rule can best be described as which of the following?

Evidence obtained without a search warrant is subject to being excluded from use at a trial to convict someone

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the United States v. Lopez (1995) decision?

It established limits to federal power under the commerce clause

Which of the following statements best explains the impact the necessary and proper clause has had on congressional power?

It has broadened the power of Congress to enact legislation addressing a wide range of economic, environmental, and social issues

Which of the following explains how modern technology has changed the president's ability to respond to political issues?

It has made it easier for the president to rapidly respond to political issues by appealing directly to the public

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Roe v. Wade (1973) decision?

It incorporated a woman's right to privacy when having an abortion to state and local governments

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the McDonald v. Chicago (2010) decision?

It incorporated an individual's right to bear arms for self-defense and made it apply to state and local governments

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) decision?

It incorporated the right to legal counsel, as protected under the Sixth Amendment, to state and local governments

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Marbury v. Madison (1803) decision?

It increased the power of the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of acts of Congress, states, and the president

The president wants Congress to pass a new tax to help raise funds for a high-speed transcontinental train. Which of the following is the first step in the process of passing the bill?

A member of the House must introduce the bill to the House floor

Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Eighth Amendment?

A minor is sentenced to the death penalty

Affirmative action is best defined as which of the following?

A policy benefiting those who tend to suffer from discrimination or are members of a historically disadvantaged group

The free exercise clause is best defined as which of the following?

A provision of the First Amendment that prohibits the government from interfering with someone's ability to practice their religion

The establishment clause is best defined as which of the following?

A provision of the First Amendment which prohibits the federal government from making an official American religion

Based on previous rulings, the Supreme Court is likely to view which of the following as a free exercise clause case?

A public school prevents Muslim students from wearing headscarves

A signing statement is best defined as which of the following?

A released letter explaining how the president's administration plans to interpret the law

Which of the following scenarios would be considered logrolling?

A senator agrees to vote on another senator's bill, provided that the senator will support their own legislation

Which of the following is a consequence of holds applied to a bill in the Senate?

A senator can slow down the legislative process

Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Twenty-second Amendment?

A sitting president runs for a third term in office after overwhelming support from the American public

Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Second Amendment?

A state bans the sale and purchase of handguns

Which of the following best explains how a president would use a bully pulpit to achieve policy goals?

By appealing directly to the public, the president hopes members of the public will influence their representatives to support those policy goals

Which of the following statements describes a way for the executive branch to limit the Supreme Court's power?

By appointing new Supreme Court justices

Which of the following constitutional principles best explains why there was variation among states on the legality of same-sex marriage?

Federalism

Which of the following actions could a group who supported the legalization of same-sex marriage take to influence the Supreme Court decision?

Petition to file a brief on behalf of the same-sex couple involved in the case

Why are the compromises that were necessary to secure ratification of the Constitution still debated today?

They left some matters unresolved

"The school officials banned and sought to punish petitioners for a silent, passive expression of opinion, unaccompanied by any disorder or disturbance on the part of petitioners. There is here no evidence whatever of petitioners' interference, actual or nascent, with the schools' work or of collision with the rights of other students to be secure and to be let alone. Accordingly, this case does not concern speech or action that intrudes upon the work of the schools or the rights of other students." -Justice Abe Fortas Which of the following Supreme Court cases is most relevant to the topic of the passage?

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Which of the following policies is an example of specific legislation that extended civil rights to women?

Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972

Which of the following procedures results in the addition of an amendment to the Constitution?

Two-thirds of state legislatures propose a Constitution Amendment Bill, which is ratified by three-fourths of the states

In Federalist No. 10, Madison argues that the Constitution disperses power between the federal government and state governments. Which of the following describes a constitutional provision in the newly-ratified Constitution that does that?

US senators were chosen by state legislatures

A senator wants to incentivize higher education for students from low-income families and wants to provide clear guidelines on how states must implement those incentives. Which type of grant should she propose?

A categorical grant

Based on the information in the graphic, which of the following claims would an opponent of the ruling in Roe v. Wade most likely make?

43% of Americans believe that abortion is morally wrong

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government." -Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

A government is only just if citizens have a voice in it

Which of the following scenarios is an example of how a state can reasonably restrict speech protected under the First Amendment?

A group of protesters is arrested after staging a sit-in on the governor's front lawn to protest a Voter ID law

Every year, the Seafair Air Show performance takes place in Seattle, Washington. To protect guests attending the festival, Congress passed a law designating the area a safety zone. In response, the Department of Homeland Security created a regulation requiring the Coast Guard to enforce the boundaries of the safety zone from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The action taken by the Department of Homeland Security is an example of which of the following?

A guideline issued by the federal bureaucracy, providing specific details about how a policy will be implemented

In 1963, Congress passed the Clean Air Act to control air pollution on a national level. In response, the Environmental Protection Agency set standards to limit carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants in the United States. The action taken by the Environmental Protection Agency is an example of which of the following?

A guideline issued by the federal bureaucracy, which provide specific details about how a policy will be implemented

Precedents are best defined as which of the following?

A legal decision that establishes a rule for similar cases going forward

The relationship between the states under the Articles of Confederation could best be described as which of the following?

A loose league of friendship

Which of the following scenarios is an example of how a state may constitutionally limit free speech at a protest demonstration?

Antoni starts yelling for other protestors to light buildings on fire and the police arrest him

Which of the following may the president do to limit the Supreme Court's power?

Appoint new justices to the Supreme Court

Which of the following statements is most consistent with the cartoon's message?

As entitlement costs grow, discretionary spending has to decrease unless tax revenues increase or Congress permits the budget deficit to increase

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the federal government authorized the Justice Assistance Grant in order to provide states and local governments with the funding necessary to support a range of law enforcement and crime prevention programs. Which response illustrates the best rationale for the type of grant fitting this scenario?

Block grants provide states with a great deal of flexibility in using federal funds to address specific local needs

Which of the following Supreme Court Cases ruled that "separate but equal" public schools are a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment?

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

" To what expedient, then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be given is, that as all these exterior provisions are found to be inadequate, the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 51, 1788 Which of the following principles of US government is most consistent with the author's argument?

Checks and balances

A president issues an executive order banning newspapers from printing articles critical of the US government. The Supreme Court declares the executive order unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment right to freedom of the press. This is an example of which of the following principles of US government?

Checks and balances

Removal of a public official for crimes or abuse of power is an example of which of the following principles of American government?

Checks and balances

"In so extensive a republic, the great officers of government would soon become above the control of the people, and abuse their power to the purpose of aggrandizing themselves, and oppressing them. The trust committed to the executive offices, in a country of the extent of the United States, must be various and of magnitude." -Brutus No. 1 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Citizens cannot hold distant elected representatives accountable for their actions

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the powers of the judicial branch and the powers of the legislative branch? Judicial powers-Legislative powers A Interpreting the Constitution-Establishing inferior courts B Vetoing legislation-Setting the budget C Appointing Supreme Court justices-Confirming Supreme Court nominations D Ratifying treaties-Negotiating treaties

Comparison A

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Marbury v. Madison (1803)-Baker v. Carr (1961) A Declared that Congress had implied powers to carry out their enumerated powers-Established limits to Congress's power under the commerce clause B Led to more power for the Supreme Court to check the other branches-Led to the "one-person, one-vote" judicial doctrine C Ruled that national laws were supreme to state laws-Decided that federal courts could intervene and decide redistricting cases D Decided that the Supreme Court could declare laws unconstitutional-Ended gerrymandering across the United States

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of civil liberties and civil rights? Civil liberties-Civil rights A Freedom from racial discrimination-Right to vote B Freedom from unreasonable search and seizure-Freedom of religion C Freedom of assembly-Freedom from gender discrimination D Right to privacy-Right to a fair court trial

Comparison C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Marbury v. Madison (1803)-Shaw v. Reno (1993) A Gave check and balance power to the Supreme Court-Ruled that North Carolina violated the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment B Declared that states did not have the power to tax the federal government-Prohibited oddly-shaped majority-minority districts C Decided that the Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional-Decided that redistricting plans based on race must be held to a high standard of scrutiny D Led to an increase in power for the legislative branch-Led to an increase in power for the national government

Comparison C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Roe v. Wade (1973)-Brown v. Board of Education (1954) A Bolstered the power of the states-Bolstered the power of the federal government B Ruled that symbolic speech is protected by the First Amendment-Ruled that legislative redistricting must ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act C Ruled on the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment-Ruled on the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment D Extended the right to privacy to a woman's decision to have an abortion-Ruled that compelling Amish students to attend school beyond the eighth grade violates the free exercise clause

Comparison C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the exclusive and concurrent powers of the federal government? Exclusive powers of the federal government-Concurrent powers shared with the states A Make laws-Conduct elections B Regulate commerce-Establish local governments C Charter banks and corporations-Regulate the postal system D Declare war-Levy taxes

Comparison D

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the roles of President of the Senate and Speaker of the House? President of the Senate-Speaker of the House A Manages the Rules Committee-Oversees day-to-day operation of the legislative process B Persuades members to support the majority party's position-Serves as national spokesperson for the party C Elected by the minority party of the Senate-Elected by the majority party of the House D Casts a vote only if there is a tie-Assigns legislation to committees

Comparison D

Which of the following is an intended consequence of ideological divisions within Congress?

Compromise between the two parties on congressional legislation

"Senators have increasingly used holds, their ability to block consideration of a nominee indefinitely, as a broader partisan weapon to keep presidents from filling key positions, including many qualified and usually noncontroversial nominees . . . . The confirmation rate of presidential circuit court appointments has plummeted from above 90 percent in the late 1970s and early 1980s to around 50 percent in recent years." Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein, It's Even Worse than it Looks, 2012 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the authors most likely agree with?

Divided government has led to an increase in congressional refusal to confirm appointments of presidents of the opposite party

Use the excerpt to answer the question below. "Senators have increasingly used holds, their ability to block consideration of a nominee indefinitely, as a broader partisan weapon to keep presidents from filling key positions, including many qualified and usually noncontroversial nominees . . . . The confirmation rate of presidential circuit court appointments has plummeted from above 90 percent in the late 1970s and early 1980s to around 50 percent in recent years." Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein, It's Even Worse than it Looks, 2012 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the authors most likely agree with?

Divided government has led to an increase in congressional refusal to confirm appointments of presidents of the opposite party

Which of the following statements describes a difficulty the federal government faces in policymaking when there is a divided government?

Divided government may result in the delay or death of major policy because of ideological clashes between parties

Which of the following actions by a state government would most likely violate the precedent established by Shaw v. Reno (1993)?

Drawing new congressional district lines in a city that grouped people based on race

"All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are the rich and the wellborn, the other the mass of the people. . . . The people are turbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right. Give therefore to the first class a distinct, permanent share in the government. They will check the unsteadiness of the second, and as they cannot receive any advantage by a change, they therefore will ever maintain good government." -Alexander Hamilton, "Speech in the Constitutional Convention on a Plan of Government," 1787 Which of the following models of democracy is the author advocating?

Elite democracy

"Even as they welcome the opportunities opened up by having an ally in the White House, some worry that the continued emphasis on executive actions is just another step in the dilution of legislative power. "'We need to go back to being the legislative branch,' said Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican opposed to a potential executive order by Mr. Trump that would end a special program allowing younger illegal immigrants to remain in the United States. 'We didn't like this when Obama was doing it, so why should we accept it now?'" -Carl Hulse, "Trump Follows Obama's Lead in Flexing Executive Muscle," The New York Times, January 26, 2017 Based on the text, which of the following statements would Representative Ros-Lehtinen most likely agree with?

Executive orders can create conflict with Congress as they do not require congressional input or approval

Which of the following scenarios is an example of a present-day constitutional issue about democracy and governmental power?

FBI agents being able to obtain phone records without a judge's approval

Based on the data shown in the table, which of the following statements is true?

Federal employees are more likely than private sector employees to have master's degrees

"The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States . . . The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative . . . "SECTION 3 "The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote." Sections 2 and 3 of the United States Constitution The excerpt above is the result of which compromise in the Constitutional Convention?

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Based on the information in the infographic, which of the following statements accurately describes the effect the Burger Court had on existing precedents?

It made slightly more conservative changes to precedent than liberal changes

"That inflexible and uniform adherence to the rights of the Constitution, and of individuals, which we perceive to be indispensable in the courts of justice, can certainly not be expected from judges who hold their offices by a temporary commission. Periodical appointments, however regulated, or by whomsoever made, would, in some way or other, be fatal to their necessary independence." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 78, "The Judiciary Department," 1788 Which of the following government policies would the author most likely support?

Life terms, pending good behavior, for Supreme Court justices

"When the Articles of Confederation were drafted, Americans had little experience of what a national government could do for them and bitter experience of what an arbitrary government could do to them. In creating a central government they were therefore more concerned with keeping it under control than with giving it the means to do its job." -Edmund S. Morgan, The Birth of the Republic, 1763-89, 1956 Which of the following concepts is most consistent with the author's argument?

Limited government

"In a pure democracy the people are the sovereign, and their will is declared by themselves; for this purpose they must all come together to deliberate, and decide. This kind of government cannot be exercised, therefore, over a country of any considerable extent; it must be confined to a single city, or at least limited to such bounds as that the people can conveniently assemble, be able to debate, understand the subject submitted to them, and declare their opinion concerning it." -Brutus No. 1 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Local and state governments are better equipped to deal with issues affecting people's daily lives

"No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family . . . It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right." -Justice Anthony Kennedy, majority opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Marriage is a fundamental right under the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection and due process clauses

In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees people of the same sex the right to marry in the same manner as opposite-sex couples. Following this ruling, the National Organization for Marriage appealed to members of Congress encouraging them to pass an amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. This is an example of which of the following principles of American government?

Multiple access points for stakeholders to influence policymaking

Members of the National Organization for Women (NOW) protest a congressional bill that eliminates protections for pregnant workers. After the bill passes, they form a letter-writing campaign hoping to influence the president to veto the bill. This is an example of which of the following principles of American government?

Multiple access points for stakeholders to influence policymaking

"The District Court's assessment that all this evidence proved racial predominance clears the bar of clear error review. The court emphasized that the districting plan's own architects had repeatedly described the influx of African-Americans into District 12 as a . . . compliance measure, not a side-effect of political gerrymandering. And those contemporaneous descriptions comported with the court's credibility determinations about the trial testimony—that Watt told the truth when he recounted Rucho's resolve to hit a majority-BVAP target; and conversely that Hofeller skirted the truth (especially as to Guilford County) when he claimed to have followed only race-blind criteria in drawing district lines. We cannot disrespect such credibility judgments." -Associate Justice Elena Kagan, opinion of the Court in Cooper v. Harris, 2017 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?

North Carolina created a district predominantly based on racial lines, which is unconstitutional

In 1993, the Supreme Court struck down the formation of North Carolina's 12th congressional district (shown in pink) in Shaw v. Reno (1993). Which of the following best explains why the court ruled against North Carolina?

North Carolina formed an oddly-shaped district that was a majority-minority district

A Supreme Court precedent banning prayer in schools could be viewed as interfering with state powers under the Constitution, and as creating law rather than interpreting it. Which of the following may Congress do to limit the Supreme Court's power?

Pass legislation changing the court's jurisdiction

Which of the following may Congress do to limit the Supreme Court's power?

Pass legislation to limit the Court's jurisdiction

Which of the following is a legitimate course of action for Congress to take to place a restriction on the Supreme Court?

Pass legislation to modify the impact of the decision

After a hard-fought election, President Greene appoints a major campaign donor as ambassador to Greece. This is an example of which of the following concepts?

Patronage

A right to privacy is best defined as which of the following?

People are protected from the government infringing in their personal life

In 2015, the Supreme Court heard a case challenging laws in several states that refused to recognize legal same-sex marriages. Which of the following actions could a group who supported the legalization of same-sex marriage take to influence the Supreme Court decision?

Petition to file a brief on behalf of the same-sex couple involved in the case

Anthony is concerned by his state government's efforts to decrease regulations on pesticides that could hurt the bee population. He decides to join the League of Conservation Voters to help them lobby against deregulating pesticides. This is an example of which of the following models of democracy?

Pluralist democracy

The National Rifle Association (NRA) testifies in front of Congress to advocate for several laws, including one that would protect gun manufacturers from lawsuits concerning violence committed with weapons they made. This is an example of which of the following models of democracy?

Pluralist democracy

"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed . . . The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Political liberty is best protected by the fragmentation of political power in a large republic

What role do coalitions play in the policymaking process?

Politicians create coalitions to enact policy that has broad support from the public

After a House of Representatives member supports an unpopular tax despite protests from his constituents, he loses his bid for reelection. This is an example of which of the following democratic ideals?

Popular sovereignty

Which of the following statements is reflected in the data in the chart?

Presidents have become less successful at getting federal judges confirmed over the past 50 years

Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on a comparison of the trends in the line graph and your knowledge of presidential communication strategies?

Presidents have increased the length of their State of the Union messages to make the most of the opportunity to influence the electorate directly

Chris Wallace: "Mr. Trump, you're pro-life. But I want to ask you specifically: Do you want the court, including the justices that you will name, to overturn Roe v. Wade, which includes -- in fact, states -- a woman's right to abortion?" Donald Trump: "Well, if that would happen, because I am pro-life, and I will be appointing pro-life judges, I would think that that will go back to the individual states. Trump: "Well, if we put another two or perhaps three justices on, that's really what's going to be -- that will happen. And that'll happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court. I will say this: It will go back to the states, and the states will then make a determination." -Presidential candidate Donald Trump, Final Presidential Debate, 2016 Which of the following statements best explains how a president's ideology can influence presidential nominations to the judiciary?

Presidents nominate Supreme Court justices who are likely to be sympathetic to their views, changing the ideological leanings of the Court

"Because of our two-party system, voters often find themselves voting for the 'lesser of two evils,' rather than a candidate they really feel would do the best job. . . . "Since most states distribute their electoral votes on a winner-take-all basis, the smaller party has no chance to gain support without seeming to take this support from one of the major parties. Few people will support a party that never wins, especially when they are supporting that party at the possible expense of their least favorite candidate taking power." Which of the following governmental policies would the author of this passage most likely support?

Reforming or eliminating the Electoral College

Which of the following actions can the states take to limit the Supreme Court's power?

Refuse to implement and enforce a ruling by the Court

A president believes the Court has overstepped its constitutional authority by requiring state legislatures to redraw congressional districts to address partisan gerrymandering. Which of the following could the president do to limit the Supreme Court's power in response?

Refuse to implement the decision

Which of the following may the Senate do to limit the president's power?

Reject presidential nominees

"The defeat of Robert Bork's 1987 Supreme Court nomination was a watershed event that unleashed what Stephen Carter has called 'the confirmation mess.' There was no question that Bork was a highly qualified nominee. He was rejected not because of any lack of qualification, or any impropriety, but because of his stated judicial philosophy: how he would vote as a judge." -John Maltese, "Anatomy of a Confirmation Mess: Recent Trends in the Federal Judicial Selection Process," 2004 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?

Robert Bork failed confirmation as a Supreme Court justice because some Senators were concerned about the impact he would have on the Court

Shana has a daughter in a public school whose students take a national reading test each year. Shana strongly disagrees with the test's methods and believes the test should either be replaced or eliminated. Which of the following is an action Shana could take to influence education policy?

Run for a seat on her local school board in order to influence her district not to use the test

Which of the following describes the role of the House Rules Committee?

Schedules and manages the flow of legislation on the floor

"The District Court's assessment that all this evidence proved racial predominance clears the bar of clear error review. The court emphasized that the districting plan's own architects had repeatedly described the influx of African-Americans into District 12 as a . . . compliance measure, not a side-effect of political gerrymandering. And those contemporaneous descriptions comported with the court's credibility determinations about the trial testimony—that Watt told the truth when he recounted Rucho's resolve to hit a majority-BVAP target; and conversely that Hofeller skirted the truth (especially as to Guilford County) when he claimed to have followed only race-blind criteria in drawing district lines. We cannot disrespect such credibility judgments." -Associate Justice Elena Kagan, opinion of the Court in Cooper v. Harris, 2017 Supporters of Kagan's view that a state cannot use race as a predominant factor in creating districts could cite which of the following cases as precedent?

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

"Mitt Romney and I ran a long and spirited campaign against one another, but I've always believed that when he was governor here in Massachusetts, he did the right thing on health care. It's because you guys had a proven model that we built the Affordable Care Act on this template of proven bipartisan success. [The Massachusetts' universal health care measure] was the model for the nation's law." President Barack Obama, in a speech in Boston on the Affordable Care Act, 2013 Which of the following statements is most consistent with President Obama's argument in this passage?

State and local governments can become proving grounds for new ideas

Before the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution granted women the right to vote nationwide, 13 states allowed women the right to vote in their state elections. This is an example of which of the following aspects of federalism in the United States?

State and local governments can become proving grounds for new ideas

"It is clear that the ancient and humane limitation upon the State's ability to execute its sentences has as firm a hold upon the jurisprudence of today as it had centuries ago in England. The various reasons put forth in support of the common-law restriction [on executing the insane] have no less logical, moral, and practical force than they did when first voiced. For today, no less than before, we may seriously question the retributive value of executing a person who has no comprehension of why he has been singled out and stripped of his fundamental right to life." -Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall, majority opinion in Ford v. Wainwright (1986) Based on the text, which of the following amendments was the focus of the Court's ruling in Ford v. Wainwright (1986)?

The Eighth Amendment

Which of the following amendment protects citizens from cruel and unusual punishments?

The Eighth Amendment

Which of the following scenarios is an example of a bureaucratic agency using its discretionary authority?

The Environmental Protection Agency decides to enforce the Clean Air Act by imposing fines on companies that knowingly exceed certain pollution standards

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of limited government?

The Supreme Court ruled that a law passed by Congress was unconstitutional

"So if a law be in opposition to the constitution; if both the law and the constitution apply to a particular case, so that the court must either decide that case conformably to the law, disregarding the constitution; or conformably to the constitution, disregarding the law; the court must determine which of these conflicting rules governs the case. This is of the very essence of judicial duty. If, then, the courts are to regard the constitution, and the constitution is superior to any ordinary act of the legislature, the constitution, and not such ordinary act, must govern the case to which they both apply." -John Marshall, decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803) Which of the following statements best summarizes Marshall's argument?

The Supreme Court should judge whether a law is constitutional

"In addition to educating the country, [President Barack Obama's] goal is to frame the political debate and set an agenda that the next Democratic presidential nominee can run on next year—an agenda that Obama hopes will put opposition Republicans at a big disadvantage. Obama has been getting lots of attention for bypassing the Republican-controlled Congress and using his unilateral powers, such as executive orders, to get his way. But his power to persuade is another vital weapon in the president's arsenal, since he can command media and public attention almost whenever he wants." -Kenneth T. Walsh, U.S. News & World Report, 2015 The strategy described in the passage above is an example of which of the following?

The bully pulpit

"Energy in the Executive is a leading character in the definition of good government. It is essential to the protection of the community against foreign attacks; it is not less essential to the steady administration of the laws; to the protection of property against those irregular and high-handed combinations which sometimes interrupt the ordinary course of justice; to the security of liberty against the enterprises and assaults of ambition, of faction, and of anarchy . . ." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70, "The Executive Department Further Considered," 1788 "Energy," as used by Hamilton in Federalist No. 70, is best defined as which of the following?

The capacity to act quickly and decisively

In Federalist No. 10, Madison argues that the Constitution delegates authority to elected representatives. Which of the following constitutional provisions does this?

The election of members of the House of Representatives in Article I

"Energy in the Executive is a leading character in the definition of good government. It is essential to the protection of the community against foreign attacks; it is not less essential to the steady administration of the laws; to the protection of property against those irregular and high-handed combinations which sometimes interrupt the ordinary course of justice; to the security of liberty against the enterprises and assaults of ambition, of faction, and of anarchy . . ." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70, "The Executive Department Further Considered," 1788 Which of the following is a consequence of the ideas set forth by the author of this passage?

The establishment of the president as Commander in Chief of the military

"The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential in a limited Constitution. By a limited Constitution, I understand one which contains certain specified exceptions to the legislative authority . . . Limitations of this kind can be preserved in practice no other way than through the medium of courts of justice, whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void. Without this, all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 78, "The Judiciary Department," 1788 Which of the following statements best summarizes Hamilton's argument?

The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting the Constitution and judging whether the laws passed by Congress are constitutional

"When the Articles of Confederation were drafted, Americans had little experience of what a national government could do for them and bitter experience of what an arbitrary government could do to them. In creating a central government they were therefore more concerned with keeping it under control than with giving it the means to do its job." -Edmund S. Morgan, The Birth of the Republic, 1763-89, 1956 Which of the following pieces of evidence would best support the author's conclusion?

The lack of centralized military power under the Articles of Confederation

Senator Leslie Knope plans to vote in favor of two major bills. The first bill is about buying some land in Indiana and turning it into a national park. The second bill will ban any fast food restaurant from serving a 128-ounce soft drink. 21,000 constituents have called her asking her to vote against the second bill, but no constituents have called her about the national park bill. Senator Knope decides to vote in favor of the first bill, but listens to her constituents and votes against the second bill. Which model of representation do her actions embody?

The politico model

Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on a comparison of the trends in the chart above and your knowledge of presidential appointments?

The potential for conflict with the Senate depends upon the type of executive branch appointment

In the public opinion poll described in the table above, two groups of approximately 1500 people were asked if they favored or opposed the following statements: Statement A: To overcome past discrimination, do you favor affirmative action programs to help blacks get better jobs/education? Result: 60% of respondents said they favored these programs. Statement B: To overcome past discrimination, do you favor affirmative action programs which give special preferences to qualified blacks in hiring/education? Result: 46% of respondents said they favored these programs. Which of the following most likely accounts for the different results?

The questions contained a difference in wording

Which of the following civil liberties is protected under the Second Amendment?

The right to own guns

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of civil rights?

The rights of individuals against discrimination based on their race, sex, or other demographic characteristics

Based on previous rulings, which of the following scenarios would the Supreme Court most likely rule violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?

The state of Illinois creates an all-black congressional district

"To what expedient, then, shall we finally resort, for maintaining in practice the necessary partition of power among the several departments, as laid down in the Constitution? The only answer that can be given is, that as all these exterior provisions are found to be inadequate, the defect must be supplied, by so contriving the interior structure of the government as that its several constituent parts may, by their mutual relations, be the means of keeping each other in their proper places." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 51, 1788 Which of the following statements best summarizes Madison's argument?

The structure of the government itself should limit its powers

Republicanism is best defined as which of the following?

The system by which the interests of the people are represented through elected leaders

In 1993, Congress passed the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which required background checks for gun purchases from licensed gun dealers. The bill required local chief law enforcement officers to perform background checks on prospective handgun purchasers until the Attorney General created a federal system to do this task. Two county sheriffs sued the United States, arguing that the law was an unconstitutional use of federal power. The case, Printz v. United States, went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of the county sheriffs. The Court ruled that the necessary and proper clause does not give the federal government the power to require local law enforcement to fulfill the federal task of performing background checks. This is an example of which of the following aspects of federalism in the United States?

The system of checks and balances between the branches of the federal government constrains policymaking

Which of the following statements is the most likely motivation for a president to issue an executive order?

To achieve policy goals when a compromise cannot be reached with Congress

"Our Debts being unfunded and unprovided for, the Interest cannot be paid. Those therefore who trusted us in the Hour of Distress are defrauded. To expect that under such Circumstances others will confide in the Government would be Folly, and to expect that Foreigners will Trust a Government which has no Credit with its own Citizens must be madness . . . "The United States have call'd for eight Million of Dollars early in November last, of which the first quarterly Payment was to have been made on the first Day of April next. But I cannot find that a single State has laid the Taxes." -Robert Morris, letter to the president of Congress, 1782 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?

The taxation structure under the Articles poses a serious threat to the economic well-being of the United States

Senator Ramirez listens to her constituents' wishes on every piece of legislation, but always votes her conscience, even if it goes against her constituents' wishes on pieces of legislation they care about. Which model of representation do her actions embody?

The trustee model

"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed . . . The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10 According to the author, what is the purpose of government?

To control factions

Every ten years congressional redistricting occurs for which of the following reasons?

To divide a state into new political districts after changes in population

Which of the following explains how President Obama is using social media to affect policy in the example above?

To inform American citizens of his policy goals

Which of the following is an enumerated power Congress has in making foreign policy?

Confirming ambassadors to foreign countries

Which of the following is a consequence of the merit system in the bureaucracy?

Greater professionalism in the bureaucracy

"[I]t has already been incontrovertibly shown that on the present occasion a bill of rights was totally unnecessary, and that it might be accompanied with some inconveniency and danger if there was any defect in the attempt to enumerate the privileges of the people. This system proposes a union of thirteen sovereign and independent states in order to give dignity and energy to the transaction of their common concerns. It would be idle, therefore to countenance the idea that any other powers were delegated to the general government than those specified in the Constitution itself." Justice Thomas McKean at the Pennsylvania State Convention to ratify the Constitution, edited by John Back McMaster and Frederick D. Stone, 1788 Which of the following best summarizes the author's argument?

A Bill of Rights would potentially give the federal government more power than is explicitly stated in the Constitution

Which of the following accurately summarizes the information presented in the pie charts?

Entitlement spending has steadily become a larger portion of the federal budget

"In the First Amendment, the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors. The Government's power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the Government. The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government." -Justice Hugo Black Supporters of Black's view that "only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government" could point to which of the following cases?

New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)

Why have there been relatively few constitutional amendments?

A Constitution Amendment Bill requires more than a simple majority to be ratified

Based on previous rulings, the Supreme Court is most likely to view a case concerning which of the following as a violation of the Sixth Amendment?

A Court refuses to provide a defendant a lawyer even though she cannot afford one

"There are other good things of less moment. I will now add what I do not like [about the Constitution]. First the omission of a bill of rights providing clearly & without the aid of sophisms for freedom of religion, freedom of the press, protection against standing armies, restriction against monopolies, the eternal & unremitting force of the habeas corpus laws, and trials by jury in all matters of fact triable by the laws of the land & not by the law of Nations. . . . Let me add that a bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, & what no just government should refuse or rest on inference." -Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Madison, 20 December 1787 Which of the following statements best summarizes Jefferson's argument?

A bill of rights is necessary to protect civil liberties from infringement from the federal government

"In the Bill of Rights for this Commonwealth it is declared that the happiness of the people & the Preservation of civil government depend upon the piety religion & morality & that the people have a right to invest their Legislature with power to require that provision be made for the public worship of God & the support of protestant teachers & require the attendance of people upon such worship instructions.... We must insist that the Continental Constitution contain a Bill of Rights which by Express shall secure to us our privileges especially our religion." Daniel Adams, at a town meeting in Townshend, Massachusetts, 1787 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?

A bill of rights would protect civil liberties such as freedom of religion

In 1975, Congress passed the Hazardous Materials Transportation Act, which gave the Department of Transportation the power to regulate the transport of potentially hazardous materials, including radioactive materials. In response, the Department of Transportation set regulations on vehicles transporting hazardous materials, such as requiring additional labels on shipment trucks that warn other vehicles that there is hazardous material in the truck. The action taken by the Department of Transportation is an example of which of the following?

A guideline issued by the federal bureaucracy, which provide specific details about how a policy will be implemented

"In a pure democracy the people are the sovereign, and their will is declared by themselves; for this purpose they must all come together to deliberate, and decide. This kind of government cannot be exercised, therefore, over a country of any considerable extent; it must be confined to a single city, or at least limited to such bounds as that the people can conveniently assemble, be able to debate, understand the subject submitted to them, and declare their opinion concerning it." -Brutus No. 1 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?

A large centralized government is unable to protect individual interests and liberties

Based on previous rulings, which of the following scenarios would most likely violate the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment?

A man is charged with a crime for displaying an American flag with a taped peace symbol on it

Based on previous rulings, which of the following scenarios would most likely violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?

A state law criminalizes intermarriage between white and black citizens

"Universities cannot establish quotas for members of certain racial or ethnic groups or put them on separate admissions tracks. The Law School's admissions program . . . satisfies these requirements. Moreover, the program is flexible enough to ensure that each applicant is evaluated as an individual and not in a way that makes race or ethnicity the defining feature of the application. The Law School engages in a highly individualized, holistic review of each applicant's file, giving serious consideration to all the ways an applicant might contribute to a diverse educational environment." Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, writing for the Court in Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) Which of the following governmental policies would the author most likely support?

A state university admissions program that takes race into account as part of an individual's overall record

Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Fifth Amendment?

A suspect is not informed that anything he says while under arrest can be used in his trial against him

Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Fourth Amendment?

A suspect's property is searched before a warrant is issued

Which of the following scenarios would be considered a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?

A university establishes race-based quotas in their admission policy

Which of the following is one example of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

Amending the Articles required a unanimous vote of the states, which was nearly impossible

Based on the information in the pie charts, which of the following is the most likely implication of entitlement and discretionary spending as a portion of the federal budget?

As entitlement costs grow, discretionary spending opportunities will decrease

How do the different chamber sizes in the House of Representatives and the Senate influence the formality of debate in each chamber?

Because there are more members in the House of Representatives, there is a more formal process for debate

In 1974, Congress created a program that grants money to state and local governments to help revitalize low-income communities. State and local governments can decide how best to use their money and used it to rebuild streets, fund libraries, and fix drinking water systems. This is an example of which of the following types of federal aid?

Block grants

Which of the following actions by a news organization would most likely be protected from prior restraint based on the precedent established by New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)?

Broadcasting a televised report that analyzes classified information about government surveillance of other countries

In Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenberg County Schools (1971), the Supreme Court held that schools could assign students to schools outside of their district to achieve racial balances. Which of the following cases did the Court use as precedent in their decision?

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

"An unjust law is a code that a majority inflicts on a minority that is not binding on itself. This is difference made legal. On the other hand, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow, and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 1963. Supporters of King's view that just laws treat the majority and minority the same could point to which of the following Supreme Court cases?

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

Which of the following statements describes why the federal bureaucracy is given discretionary authority to implement public policy?

Bureaucrats are experts and are able to make the best choices on how to implement policy

Appointments to the president's cabinet are sometimes contentious for which of the following reasons?

Cabinet-level officials are responsible for implementing the laws created by Congress, while still advocating for the president's agenda

In 1972, the federal government established the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Recipients of aid must be women who are pregnant or breastfeeding or children under the age of 5 whose family income falls below 185% of the federal poverty line. This is an example of which of the following types of federal aid?

Categorical grants

Which of the following describes an exclusive power of the federal government?

Coining money

"The Constitution instructs all who act for the government that they may not 'deny to any person . . . the equal protection of the laws.' In implementing this equality instruction, as I see it, government decisionmakers may properly distinguish between policies of exclusion and inclusion. Actions designed to burden groups long denied full citizenship stature are not sensibly ranked with measures taken to hasten the day when entrenched discrimination and its after effects have been extirpated." Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, dissenting opinion in Gratz v. Bollinger (2003) Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Colleges and universities should be allowed to use race as a factor in admissions

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Roe v. Wade (1973)-McDonald v. Chicago (2010) A Used the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause to extend the right to privacy to a woman's decision to have an abortion-Incorporated the Second Amendment through the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent-Applied the right of an individual to "keep and bear arms" to the states C Decided that the right to privacy extended to a woman's right to have an abortion-Ruled that political spending by corporations is a form of protected speech D Limited the power of state governments to regulate abortion-Ruled that legislative redistricting must be conscious of race

Comparison A

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the Senate and House of Representatives? House of Representatives-Senate A Elected members are chosen by constituents of an entire state-Elected members are chosen by constituents in a local district based on population B Designed to represent the population-Designed to represent states equally C Confirms Supreme Court appointments-Ratifies treaties D Has flexible floor debate rules that protect the minority-Has rigid floor debate rules that favor the majority

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the enumerated and implied powers of Congress? Enumerated power-Implied power A Regulating the sale of commodities like alcohol-Outlawing the sale of some drugs like marijuana B Coining money-Maintaining a national bank C Drafting Americans into the military-Maintaining the armed forces D Declaring war-Passing a federal budget

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Gideon v. Wainwright(1963)-Roe v. Wade (1973) A Incorporated a right to legal counsel in capital cases-Incorporated a right to privacy to the states B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent-Decided that the right to privacy extended to a woman's right to have an abortion C Ruled that state laws were supreme to national laws-Limited the power of the state government to regulate abortion D Declared that the state had violated the Sixth Amendment-Declared that the state had violated the Third Amendment

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Gideon v. Wainwright-(1963)McDonald v. Chicago (2010) A Incorporated a right to legal counsel in capital cases-Incorporated a protection from cruel and unusual punishment to the states B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent-Decided that the state could not restrict people from owning a gun for self-defense C Ruled that state laws were supreme to national laws-Ruled that states could not infringe on an individual's right to own a gun D Declared that the state had violated the Sixth Amendment-Declared that the state had violated the Fifth Amendment

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)-United States v. Lopez (1995) A Declared that Congress had implied powers to carry out their enumerated powers-Declared that states did not have the power to tax the federal government B Led to an increase in power for the federal government-Recognized the importance of state sovereignty and local control C Established limits to the Supreme Court's jurisdiction-Established limits to Congress' power under the commerce clause D Ruled that the federal government did not have the power to create a national bank-Ruled that national laws were supreme to state laws

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the constitutional principles cited in Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)? Engel v. Vitale-Wisconsin v. Yoder A Speech creating a "clear and present danger" is not protected by the First Amendment-Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime B Symbolic speech is protected under the First Amendment-The US Constitution and federal laws are supreme over state laws C School sponsorship of religious activities violates the establishment clause-Compelling Amish students to attend school past the eighth grade violates the free exercise clause D The First Amendment safeguards the freedom of the press to publish classified materials-The right to privacy extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion

Comparison C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the exclusive and concurrent powers of the federal government? Exclusive powers of the federal government-Concurrent powers shared with the states A Establish local governments-Regulate interstate commerce B Conduct elections-Make laws C Regulate the postal system-Establish courts D Levy taxes-Declare war

Comparison C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Gideon v. Wainwright-(1963)McDonald v. Chicago (2010) A Incorporated a right to legal counsel in capital cases-Incorporated a right to privacy to the states B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent-Decided that using execution by firing squad was cruel and unusual punishment C Ruled that national laws are supreme to state laws-Ruled that state laws are supreme to national laws D Declared that the state had violated the Sixth Amendment-Declared that the state had violated the Second Amendment

Comparison D

Why did the Framers decide to include Article V of the Constitution, detailing an amendment process?

Concerns about protecting self-government

Which of the following scenarios would be considered congressional oversight?

Congress calls several high-level officials of the Department of Homeland Security to testify on cross-agency communication after September 11th

Which of the following statements explains how Congress can use its power of the purse to restrict presidential power?

Congress can deny requests for funds to executive agencies during the budget process

In which of the following scenarios is the president most likely to use an executive order to make important policy?

Congress cannot reach a compromise

Which of the following statements best summarizes the decision in United States v. Lopez (1995)?

Congress cannot use the commerce clause to regulate the possession of firearms in public schools

Which of the following statements best summarizes the decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?

Congress has implied powers not listed in the Constitution in order to implement its enumerated powers

In the 1960s, literacy tests were used in an attempt to limit African American participation in the voting process. Which of the following statements describes how Congress responded to this situation?

Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Which of the following scenarios would violate the Tenth Amendment?

Congress passing a law raising the minimum driving age to 21

Which of the following programs would fall under the discretionary spending portion of the pie chart?

Defense spending

Participatory democracy is best defined as which of the following?

Direct individual participation by citizens in political decisions that affect their daily lives

The government of Maryland is considering increasing its welfare benefits significantly. Which of the following describes a difficulty that the state government may face in the policy implementation process?

Due to the "privileges and immunities" clause of Article IV, poorer citizens of other states might move to Maryland in order to take advantage of the benefits

During the 1980s, members of the Republican Party advocated for devolution (transferring responsibilities for programs from the federal government to state and local governments). Which of the following describes a difficulty Congress might face in implementing devolution?

Due to the concurrent powers of state and national government, many programs are administered by both state and federal agencies

Which of the following most likely accounts for the differences in state spending on education shown in the map?

Education spending is determined by state governments, not the federal government

Which of the following scenarios would likely be considered an unconstitutional use of state power under the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?

Florida passes a law denying legal counsel to suspected terrorists

The Three-Fifths Compromise is best defined as which of the following?

For every five enslaved Africans, three would be counted for representation

In 1984, Gregory Lee Johnson burned an American flag in front of the Dallas City Hall in protest to Reagan administration policies. He was tried and convicted under a Texas law that prohibited people from desecrating a respected object. The case eventually went to the Supreme Court, which ruled in a 5-4 decision that Johnson had not violated the Constitution. Which of the following constitutional provisions does the case described in the scenario have in common with Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)?

Freedom of speech clause

In 1976, a Nebraska state trial judge issued a gag order, restricting the press from publishing or broadcasting information about the case. The Nebraska Press Association appealed the ruling and the case went to the Supreme Court. The Court ruled that the press reporting events surrounding the trial would not affect the defendant's right to a fair trial.

Freedom of the press

Which of the following is the best example of an issue network?

Government and private groups opposed to a proposal to run a pipeline through Native American land

Members of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure are concerned over increased accidents on national highways. Which of the following is an action the committee can take to address the problem?

Holding a hearing and subpoenaing high-level officials of the Department of Transportation

Members of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure are concerned over increased accidents on national highways. Which of the following is an action the committee can take to address the problem? Choose 1 answer:

Holding a hearing and subpoenaing high-level officials of the Department of Transportation

Which two were weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? I. The federal government could not levy taxes. II. The executive branch was more powerful than Congress. III. The federal government could not raise an army. IV. Each state had two votes in a bicameral Congress.

I and III

Which two were weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? I. The federal government could not levy taxes. II. The executive branch was more powerful than Congress. III. The federal government could not raise an army. IV. Each state had two votes in a bicameral Congress.

I. and III.

Based on the infographic and your knowledge of the Supreme Court, which of the following statements could be considered an accurate conclusion?

Ideological changes in the Supreme Court can lead to the Court rejecting existing precedents

Which of the following statements explains how the Supreme Court has attempted to balance the power of the government with protections for individual liberties?

In cases involving interpretations of the Second Amendment, the Court has shown a commitment to an individual's right to own a gun

Which of the following statements best describes the information in the infographic above?

In general, the Warren Court changed precedents to be more liberal and the Burger Court altered precedents to be more conservative

"In the Bill of Rights for this Commonwealth it is declared that the happiness of the people & the Preservation of civil government depend upon the piety religion & morality & that the people have a right to invest their Legislature with power to require that provision be made for the public worship of God & the support of protestant teachers & require the attendance of people upon such worship instructions. . . . We must insist that the Continental Constitution contain a Bill of Rights which by Express shall secure to us our privileges especially our religion." Daniel Adams, at a town meeting in Townshend, Massachusetts, 1787 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Individual liberties must be secured against governmental intrusions by specific language in foundational documents

The House Committee on Veterans Affairs, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) work together to achieve policies that benefit veterans. This is an example of which of the following?

Iron triangles

Which of the following describes a way that the federal government could influence state spending on education?

Issuing a mandate tying federal block grants to the amount of state spending per pupil

In 1961, the Supreme Court heard a case in which the police entered into a residence without a warrant looking for a suspect thought to be hiding in the house. While searching for the suspect, the police found illegal pornographic material. The police arrested the homeowner and she was convicted in state court of possessing pornography. The Court decided to throw out the conviction because the police did not produce a search warrant, violating the right of the accused to be protected against an unreasonable search and seizure. Which of the following statements best explains the impact of this decision?

It applied the Fourth Amendment to the states through the incorporation doctrine

In 1961, Clarence Earl Gideon stood trial in Florida, accused of robbing a pool hall. Gideon was poor and could not afford a lawyer. He requested that the court provide one for him, but Florida only provided lawyers for defendants accused of capital offenses. The Supreme Court decided to throw out the conviction because lawyers were necessary to ensure a fair trial. The Court ruled that states must provide counsel to defendants too poor to afford lawyers or they are violating the constitutional right to legal counsel. Which of the following statements best explains the impact of this decision?

It applied the Sixth Amendment to the states through the incorporation doctrine

Which of the following was a way in which Shays's Rebellion demonstrated the weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation?

It could not raise money to pay a militia to put down the rebellion

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Shaw v. Reno (1993) decision?

It created a strict standard of scrutiny when creating new legislative districts, ruling that race cannot be the predominant factor

Based on the information in the pie charts, which of the following best summarizes the effect of Title IX?

It created more opportunities for female athletes to participate in sports

Which of the following statements explains how social media has enhanced the power of the presidency?

It gives the president a direct line of communication to the national constituency to influence national policy

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) decision?

It limited the federal government's power to censor free speech or the publication of classified information

Which of the following statements best explains how the ruling in Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) changed the balance of power between governments and protection for individual liberties?

It limited the power of state governments by declaring a state law requiring Amish children to attend school until they were 16 as a violation of the First Amendment

Which of the following statements best explains how stare decisis influences Supreme Court justices?

It makes justices more likely to defer to previous Supreme Court decisions

Which of the following statements best explains why the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a significant political event?

It prohibited discrimination in public places, employment, and voting

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision?

It protected African-American rights to attend any public school and ruled that race-based school segregation unconstitutional

Which of the following statements best explains why the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a significant political event?

It removed structural barriers to minority voting

Which of the following statements best explains how the Court's ruling in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) changed the balance of power between law and order and the protection of individual liberties?

It restricted the power of the federal government to prevent the press from releasing classified information

Which of the following describes a reason why the Framers decided to include a Bill of Rights?

It was specifically designed to protect individual liberties and rights from a strong central government

"The defeat of Robert Bork's 1987 Supreme Court nomination was a watershed event that unleashed what Stephen Carter has called 'the confirmation mess.' There was no question that Bork was a highly qualified nominee. He was rejected not because of any lack of qualification, or any impropriety, but because of his stated judicial philosophy: how he would vote as a judge." -John Maltese, "Anatomy of a Confirmation Mess: Recent Trends in the Federal Judicial Selection Process," 2004 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Judicial nominations can be contentious because of the lasting influence the people in those positions have after a president's term

Which of the following statements best explains how judicial activism influences decisions made by individual justices when deciding cases heard by the Court?

Justices are influenced by the social effects the decision might have on the public

Pork barrel legislation is best defined as which of the following?

Laws that include federally-funded local projects that benefit a specific district

Senator Jon Snow has proposed a bill to increase funds to the military to fight the White Walkers threatening to invade the North. He hasn't received enough support to get the bill to pass, so he reaches out to Senator Daenerys Targaryen for her support. She agrees to support his bill as long as Senator Snow supports her legislation that allows public schools to teach High Valyrian as an elective language.

Logrolling

Senator Jon Snow has proposed a bill to increase funds to the military to fight the White Walkers threatening to invade the North. He hasn't received enough support to get the bill to pass, so he reaches out to Senator Daenerys Targaryen for her support. She agrees to support his bill as long as Senator Snow supports her legislation that allows public schools to teach High Valyrian as an elective language. This is an example of which of the following?

Logrolling

"The District Court's assessment that all this evidence proved racial predominance clears the bar of clear error review. The court emphasized that the districting plan's own architects had repeatedly described the influx of African-Americans into District 12 as a . . . compliance measure, not a side-effect of political gerrymandering. And those contemporaneous descriptions comported with the court's credibility determinations about the trial testimony—that Watt told the truth when he recounted Rucho's resolve to hit a majority-BVAP target; and conversely that Hofeller skirted the truth (especially as to Guilford County) when he claimed to have followed only race-blind criteria in drawing district lines. We cannot disrespect such credibility judgments." -Associate Justice Elena Kagan, opinion of the Court in Cooper v. Harris, 2017 Based on the text above, which of the following statements would the author agree with?

Majority-minority districts are unconstitutional when those districts are created based on racial differences

In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, stipulating that states must have a minimum drinking age of 21 in order to receive federal highway funding. This is an example of which of the following aspects of federal incentives?

Mandates

In Gonzalez v. Raich (2005), the Supreme Court ruled that the commerce clause gave Congress the authority to ban the use of marijuana, despite conflicting state law. In the Court's majority opinion, Associate Justice John Paul Stevens argued that local use of marijuana affected the supply and demand of the national marijuana market. Which prior Supreme Court case could be cited as a precedent for the majority decision in Gonzalez v. Raich (2005)?

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Which of the following Supreme Court cases established that federal laws have supremacy over state laws?

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

"The District's total ban on handgun possession in the home amounts to a prohibition on an entire class of "arms" that Americans overwhelmingly choose for the lawful purpose of self-defense." Associate Justice Scalia, majority opinion in D.C. vs Heller (2008), source: Justia In its D.C. vs Heller ruling, the Court struck down a handgun ban in Washington, D.C. In which Supreme Court ruling was the Second Amendment right to bear arms first incorporated to the states?

McDonald v. Chicago

Which of the following Supreme Court cases is most relevant to the topic of the cartoon?

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

Which of the following is a consequence of federalism in the United States?

National policymaking is held in check

In 1972, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, which regulates the amount of pollutants there can be in waters of the United States and the quality standards for surface waters. Which of the following constitutional provisions granted Congress the power to pass environmental protection laws like the Clean Water Act?

Necessary and proper clause in Article I

A Supreme Court precedent approving mandatory busing of students to ensure greater racial integration in public schools throughout the South could be viewed as interfering with state powers under the Constitution, and as creating law rather than interpreting it. Which of the following could Congress do to limit the Supreme Court's power in response?

Pass legislation changing the Court's jurisdiction

President Bellingham's administration wants to limit the development of chemical weapons in key nations in the Middle East, but Congress is unlikely to back a formal treaty. Which of the following is an action the president may take to accomplish their policy agenda?

Negotiate an executive agreement with the heads of the Middle Eastern governments

On the last day of its session, Congress passes a law that the president strongly opposes. Which of the following may the president do to limit the power of Congress?

Neither sign nor veto the bill, allowing it to die

Which of the following scenarios is an example of how a state can restrict protected speech under the First Amendment?

New York passes a law banning groups from staging protests in major highways during rush hour traffic

"That unity is conducive to energy will not be disputed. Decision, activity, secrecy, and despatch will generally characterize the proceedings of one man in a much more eminent degree than the proceedings of any greater number; and in proportion as the number is increased, these qualities will be diminished . . ." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70, "The Executive Department Further Considered," 1788 Which of the following statements best summarizes Hamilton's argument?

One person should run the executive branch because they will be able to act swiftly, decisively, and discreetly, which is necessary for the presidency

Which of the following actions by the federal government would most likely be considered an implied power based on the precedent established by McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?

Outlawing the recreational use of marijuana

An informal group advocating for a $15 minimum wage collects 590,000 signatures from registered voters in their state. In the next election, this initiative appears on the ballot for voters to decide whether it becomes a state constitutional amendment. This is an example of which of the following models of democracy?

Participatory democracy

In June 2017, voters in Puerto Rico voted on a referendum to make Puerto Rico the 51st state of the United States. This is an example of which of the following models of democracy?

Participatory democracy

"The influence of factious leaders may kindle a flame within their particular states, but will be unable to spread a general conflagration through the other states: a religious sect may degenerate into a political faction in a part of the confederacy; but the variety of sects dispersed over the entire face of it, must secure the national councils against any danger from that source: a rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any other improper or wicked project, will be less apt to pervade the whole body of the union." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10, 1787 Which of the following models of representative democracy is most consistent with the passage?

Pluralist democracy

After Congress proposes a bill to allow businesses to purchase land that was once a national park, several people form an environmental interest group. They reach out to several senators to get their support to block the bill.

Pluralist democracy

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government." -Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence Which of the following ideas does the author of the passage advocate?

Popular sovereignty

Congress member Chidi Anagonye has proposed an Agriculture Appropriations bill that would fund important agricultural food programs and food services. While the bill was in committee, Congress member Eleanor Shellstrop added an amendment to the bill that would send $250,000 to her district in Arizona for an Arizona Fried Shrimp Institute. She says she will only vote for the bill if it includes the funds for her district. This is an example of which of the following?

Pork barrel legislation

"Both Lincoln and Roosevelt undertook acts they knew to be beyond the Constitution. Both did so in times of transcendent crisis when the life of the nation seemed truly at stake. Both acted, knowingly or not, on Locke's doctrine of emergency prerogative, trusting that Congress would eventually approve their actions." -Arthur Schlesinger, The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?

Presidents have enhanced their constitutional powers beyond what is expressed in the Constitution in order to deal with major crises

Read the passage below and answer the following question. Chris Wallace: "Mr. Trump, you're pro-life. But I want to ask you specifically: Do you want the court, including the justices that you will name, to overturn Roe v. Wade, which includes -- in fact, states -- a woman's right to abortion?" Donald Trump: "Well, if that would happen, because I am pro-life, and I will be appointing pro-life judges, I would think that that will go back to the individual states. Trump: "Well, if we put another two or perhaps three justices on, that's really what's going to be -- that will happen. And that'll happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court. I will say this: It will go back to the states, and the states will then make a determination." -Presidential candidate Donald Trump, Final Presidential Debate, 2016 Which of the following statements best explains how a president's ideology can influence presidential nominations to the judiciary?

Presidents nominate Supreme Court justices who are likely to be sympathetic to their views, changing the ideological leanings of the Court

In the 1960s, the federal government passed the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, which compelled state and local governments to desegregate public schools and public places. This is an example of which of the following aspects of federalism in the United States?

Pressure at the national level can force state and local policy changes

The majority party in the Senate wants to vote on a bill that would change requirements for granting citizenship, but a member of the minority party has the floor and continues to debate the bill. Which of the following may a senator of the majority party do to stop debate on the bill?

Propose a cloture vote

"Because of our two-party system, voters often find themselves voting for the 'lesser of two evils,' rather than a candidate they really feel would do the best job. . . . "Since most states distribute their electoral votes on a winner-take-all basis, the smaller party has no chance to gain support without seeming to take this support from one of the major parties. Few people will support a party that never wins, especially when they are supporting that party at the possible expense of their least favorite candidate taking power." Which of the following governmental policies would the author of this passage most likely support?

Reforming or eliminating the Electoral College

Which of the following actions by a news organization would most likely be protected from prior restraint based on the precedent established by New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)?

Reporting on a protest calling for the end of military involvement in South Korea

A member of the Senate makes a statement to the press that she is unsure of how she is going to vote on a bill. After numerous calls from her constituents asking her to vote for the bill, she votes in support of the bill. This is an example of which of the following democratic ideals?

Republicanism

Several oil companies donate to a pro-fracking interest group after hearing that the federal government plans to pass a law banning fracking in the United States . The interest group then appeals to members of Congress in attempt to get them to vote against the bill. Which of the following democratic ideals does this scenario best exemplify?

Republicanism

Which of the following scenarios would be considered an unconstitutional use of state power?

Requiring Amish students to attend school until age 16 despite their religious beliefs

The data displayed in the table above best supports which of the following statements?

Respondents of all races were less likely to support programs giving special preferences to black candidates than programs aimed to help them more generally

"The character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done. The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic." Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Supporters of Justice Holmes's argument could point to which of the following cases?

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Which of the following Supreme Court cases is most relevant to the topic of the cartoon?

Schenck v. United States (1919)

Chris Wallace: "Mr. Trump, you're pro-life. But I want to ask you specifically: Do you want the court, including the justices that you will name, to overturn Roe v. Wade, which includes -- in fact, states -- a woman's right to abortion?" Donald Trump: "Well, if that would happen, because I am pro-life, and I will be appointing pro-life judges, I would think that that will go back to the individual states. Trump: "Well, if we put another two or perhaps three justices on, that's really what's going to be -- that will happen. And that'll happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court. I will say this: It will go back to the states, and the states will then make a determination." -Presidential candidate Donald Trump, Final Presidential Debate, 2016 Based on his statement in the passage, which of the following policy goals does Trump want to promote through ideological appointments to the Supreme Court?

Reversing the precedent that the right of privacy extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion

Read the passage below and answer the following question. Chris Wallace: "Mr. Trump, you're pro-life. But I want to ask you specifically: Do you want the court, including the justices that you will name, to overturn Roe v. Wade, which includes -- in fact, states -- a woman's right to abortion?" Donald Trump: "Well, if that would happen, because I am pro-life, and I will be appointing pro-life judges, I would think that that will go back to the individual states. Trump: "Well, if we put another two or perhaps three justices on, that's really what's going to be -- that will happen. And that'll happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court. I will say this: It will go back to the states, and the states will then make a determination." -Presidential candidate Donald Trump, Final Presidential Debate, 2016 Based on his statement in the passage, which of the following policy goals does Trump want to promote through ideological appointments to the Supreme Court?

Reversing the precedent that the right of privacy extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion

Which of the following describes a difficulty the judicial branch faces in the policy implementation process?

The Supreme Court must rely on the other branches of government to enforce its rulings

"Lifetime appointments and the new, highly ideological stakes provided senators ample incentives to use holds and silent filibusters to prevent a majority of their colleagues from acting on judicial nominations, both to block those with different ideologies and to keep slots vacant until the presidency moves into their party's hands. Along the way, judicial confirmations have become increasingly politicized, and delays in confirming appellate judges have led to increased vacancy rates that have produced longer case-processing times and growing caseloads per judge on federal dockets." -Mann, Thomas E. and Norman J. Ornstein, It's Even Worse than it Looks, 2012 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the authors most likely agree with?

Senate confirmation serves as a check on appointment powers

"In a single republic, all the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments. In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 51, 1788 Which of the following principles of US government is most consistent with the author's argument?

Separation of powers

"Thus every man, by agreeing with others to make one body politic under one government, puts himself under an obligation to everyone in that society to submit to the decisions of the majority, and to be bound by it. Otherwise—that is, if he were willing to submit himself only to the majority acts that he approved of—the original compact through which he and the others incorporated into society would be meaningless . . ." -John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, 1690 Which of the following democratic ideals is described in the passage?

Social contract

"Amid this much-changed communication landscape, the lingering question of whether the untapped wisdom of the public should be harnessed in governmental decisions suddenly commanded a fresh look, as social media increased the capability of governments worldwide to more fully involve ordinary citizens in policymaking." -M. Barris, A. Jain, and J. Katz, The Social Media President: Barack Obama and the Politics of Political Engagement, 2013 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the authors most likely agree with?

Social media has changed the president's relationship with the national constituency by involving more citizens in policymaking decisions

Which of the following best describes a trend in the line graph above?

State of the Union addresses have become longer over time

"Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that state's segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered. Can any law enacted under such circumstances be considered democratically structured?" -Excerpt from King, Martin Luther Jr., "Letter from the Birmingham Jail" in Why We Can't Wait, ed. Martin Luther King, Jr., 77-100, 1963. The "devious methods" mentioned in this passage refer to which of the following?

Structural barriers

Which of the following statements is reflected in the data in the table above?

Technology such as broadcast media gives the president an avenue to rapidly respond to a majority of American citizens about political issues

A suspected terrorist has chosen to remain silent after being arrested, yet the police continue to question him on potential locations of a bomb without informing him of his rights. This scenario is an example of which of the following?

The "public safety" exception

In recent years the Supreme Court has applied the decision across all states that individuals have the right to possess a firearm in the home for self-defense. Which of the following is a reason for this?

The Fourteenth Amendment applies the Second Amendment to the states

"[T]he attending physician, in consultation with his patient, is free to determine, without regulation by the state, that, in his medical judgment, the patient's pregnancy should be terminated. If that decision is reached, the judgment may be effectuated by an abortion free of interference by the State." Associate Justice Harry Blackmun, majority opinion in Roe v. Wade (1973) Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?

The Bill of Rights implies that there is a right to privacy that the government cannot infringe upon

Which of the following statements best explains how the Fourteenth Amendment has been interpreted to enhance federal power?

The Fourteenth Amendment gave Congress the right to regulate discrimination in states

Which of the following scenarios is an example of how the federal government can restrict protected speech under the First Amendment?

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) makes a rule requiring television networks to use an automated beep when a vulgar word is said on broadcast television

Which of the following amendments is most relevant to the topic of the cartoon?

The Fourth Amendment

Which of the following amendments protects citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures?

The Fourth Amendment

"The Second Amendment was adopted to protect the right of the people of each of the several States to maintain a well-regulated militia. It was a response to concerns raised during the ratification of the Constitution that the power of Congress to disarm the state militias and create a national standing army posed an intolerable threat to the sovereignty of the several States. Neither the text of the Amendment nor the arguments advanced by its proponents evidenced the slightest interest in limiting any legislature's authority to regulate private civilian uses of firearms. Specifically, there is no indication that the Framers of the Amendment intended to enshrine the common-law right of self-defense in the Constitution." Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, dissenting opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?

The Second Amendment does not protect a person's right to have a weapon for self-defense

Representative Siddiqui introduces a bill that would reform campaign finance in the House of Representatives. After the bill is assigned a number, which of the following describes the next step of the lawmaking process?

The Speaker of the House assigns the bill to a relevant committee

Which of the following best describes the message in the political cartoon?

The Supreme Court has been able to prevent state government infringement of basic liberties protected under the Bill of Rights by applying the Fourteenth Amendment

In 1952, four African American students in Topeka, Kansas were denied access to certain public schools because of laws segregating public education by race. Which of the following statements describes how the Supreme Court responded to this situation?

The Supreme Court ruled that the "separate but equal" doctrine violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

"There is no position which depends on clearer principles, than that every act of a delegated authority, contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 78, "The Judiciary Department," 1788 Which of the following statements best summarizes Hamilton's argument?

The Supreme Court should have the power of judicial review

After the terrorist attack on September 11th, the United States issued the USA PATRIOT Act, giving federal agencies the power to conduct surveillance and perform searches. Which of the following best describes the message in the political cartoon?

The USA PATRIOT Act has given the government too much power to perform searches, which should be unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment

Bureaucratic discretionary authority is best defined as which of the following?

The ability of executive departments and agencies to make choices about how to enforce public policy

Social contract is best defined as which of the following?

The agreement between people and the government defining the rights and duties of each

The National Recovery Act of 1933, enacted by Franklin Roosevelt's administration to combat the Great Depression, vastly expanded the power of the federal government to regulate wages and labor standards. This scenario is an example of which of the following aspects of federalism?

The changing balance of power between the states and federal government in response to societal needs

Selective incorporation is best defined as which of the following?

The constitutional doctrine that applies some, but not all, protections of the Bill of Rights to the states and to all levels of government

15 percent of Congress member Seaborn's constituents have reached out to him urging him to support a new bill expanding Medicaid coverage to people who make $20,000 a year. Even though he disagrees with this position on the bill, he does as his constituents wish. He tries to follow his constituents' wishes on every bill, regardless of how many calls he gets. Which model of representation do his actions embody?

The delegate model

Junior Congress member Ben Wyatt is deciding whether or not to support a bill that would guarantee free wifi for his district in Pawnee, Indiana. He thinks that free wifi would be a great improvement to his community, but waits for feedback from his constituents before he casts his vote. A majority of citizens in Pawnee support the bill, so Congress member Wyatt decides to vote in favor of it. Which model of representation do his actions embody?

The delegate model

In 1961, the Supreme Court heard a case in which the police entered into a residence without a warrant looking for a suspect thought to be hiding in the house. While searching for the suspect, the police found illegal pornographic material. The police arrested the homeowner and she was convicted in state court of possessing pornography. The Court decided to throw out the conviction because the police did not produce a search warrant, violating the right of the accused to be protected against an unreasonable search and seizure. Which of the following constitutional provisions does the case described in the scenario have in common with McDonald v. Chicago (2010)?

The due process clause

In 1988 and 1989, the Pennsylvania legislature amended its abortion control law. The changes included requiring a 24 hour waiting period for the procedure and that a married woman must notify her husband that she intends to have an abortion. In a 5-4 ruling, the Court upheld most of the Pennsylvania laws because they did not create a "substantial obstacle" to a woman seeking an abortion. This became known as the undue-burden test. Which of the following constitutional provisions does the case described in the scenario have in common with Roe v. Wade (1973)?

The due process clause

Which of the following statements accurately summarizes the decision in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)?

The government violated the First Amendment and could not stop the newspaper from publishing its article

"An unjust law is a code that a majority inflicts on a minority that is not binding on itself. This is difference made legal. On the other hand, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow, and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 1963. Which of the following constitutional provisions guarantees that "sameness [is] made legal" in King's argument?

The equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that race-based segregation in a public school system was unconstitutional. Which of the following constitutional provisions did the Supreme Court use to support their decision?

The equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

In 1961, students who attended public schools in Pennsylvania were required to read at least ten verses from the Bible. After students finished reading the readings, school officials required that all students recite the Lord's Prayer. In 1963, the Supreme Court heard the case and ruled that the readings and recitations violated a provision of the First Amendment. Which of the following constitutional clauses does this case have in common with Engel v. Vitale (1962)?

The establishment clause

In 1961, the Supreme Court heard a case in which the police entered into a residence without a warrant looking for a suspect thought to be hiding in the house. While searching for the suspect, the police found illegal pornographic material. The police arrested the homeowner and she was convicted of possessing pornography. The Court decided to throw out the conviction because the police did not have a search warrant. This case is an example of which of the following?

The exclusionary rule

"The mystique of inside information—"if you only knew what we know"—was a most effective way to defend the national-security monopoly and prevent democratic control of foreign policy . . . "The power to leak meant the power to tell the people what it served the government's purpose that they should know . . . "The power to withhold and the power to leak led on inexorably to the power to lie. The secrecy system instilled in the executive branch the idea that foreign policy was no one's business save its own, and the uncontrolled secrecy made it easy for lying to become routine." -Arthur Schlesinger, The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

The executive branch has too much power in implementing foreign policy

Which of the following was a strength of the Articles of Confederation that the Constitution retained?

The federal government could negotiate treaties with other countries

"When land-forces are raised by any state for the common defence, all officers of or under the rank of colonel, shall be appointed by the legislature of each state respectively, by whom such forces shall be raised, or in such manner as such state shall direct, and all vacancies shall be filled up by the State which first made the appointment." -Articles of Confederation, Article VII, 1777 Which of the following is a consequence of the policy described in the passage above?

The federal government did not have the power to create a centralized military during peace times

When the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1789, the amendments protected civil liberties infringement from which levels of government?

The federal government only

Which of the following government policies would be most likely to draw criticism for interfering with individual rights under the Second Amendment?

The federal government passes a law banning the sale of automatic weapons to anyone under the age of twenty-one

Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on a comparison of the trends in the line graphs?

The increased speed of communication has led to more rapid changes in public perception of the president

"Our Debts being unfunded and unprovided for, the Interest cannot be paid. Those therefore who trusted us in the Hour of Distress are defrauded. To expect that under such Circumstances others will confide in the Government would be Folly, and to expect that Foreigners will Trust a Government which has no Credit with its own Citizens must be madness . . . "The United States have call'd for eight Million of Dollars early in November last, of which the first quarterly Payment was to have been made on the first Day of April next. But I cannot find that a single State has laid the Taxes." -Robert Morris, letter to the president of Congress, 1782 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

The national government under the Articles lacks necessary tax enforcement power

In 2010, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which gave the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) more power to regulate and enforce securities laws. In response, the Securities and Exchange Commission created the Office of the Whistleblower, which is responsible for gathering information from people who know of a company committing securities fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission's ability to decide how much money is awarded to whistleblowers is an example of which of the following?

The power that individual bureaucrats and agencies have to make choices about how to implement existing laws

Which of the following scenarios is an example of the president using the bully pulpit approach to achieve policy goals?

The president appeals to the American public to contact their representatives and urge them to support increased military spending

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of "separation of powers" in the US Constitution?

The president commands the nation's armed forces, while Congress has the power to ratify treaties

Which of the following scenarios would be considered a constitutional use of executive power?

The president confers diplomatic recognition on the new nation of South Sudan

"In addition to educating the country, [President Barack Obama's] goal is to frame the political debate and set an agenda that the next Democratic presidential nominee can run on next year—an agenda that Obama hopes will put opposition Republicans at a big disadvantage. Obama has been getting lots of attention for bypassing the Republican-controlled Congress and using his unilateral powers, such as executive orders, to get his way. But his power to persuade is another vital weapon in the president's arsenal, since he can command media and public attention almost whenever he wants." -Kenneth T. Walsh, U.S. News & World Report, 2015 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?

The president's ability to command media attention gives him an advantage in shaping the national policy agenda

Which of the following aspects of the US Constitution best illustrates the concept of participatory democracy?

The process for choosing members of the House of Representatives

"National security and privacy are not mutually exclusive. They can both be accomplished through responsible intelligence gathering and careful respect for the freedoms of law-abiding Americans." A quote from Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma in response to the passage of the USA Freedom Act, 2015 Based on the text, which of the following statements would Senator Lankford most likely agree with?

The prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures are intended to ensure that citizen liberties are not superseded by the need for social order and security

In 1972, both houses of Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a Constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal rights for all citizens regardless of sex. However, the amendment failed, as three-quarters of the states did not ratify it before the deadline expired. This is an example of which of the following aspects of federalism in the United States?

The sharing of power between states and the federal government constrains national policymaking

"In the First Amendment, the Founding Fathers gave the free press the protection it must have to fulfill its essential role in our democracy. The press was to serve the governed, not the governors. The Government's power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the Government. The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of government and inform the people. Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government." -Justice Hugo Black Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

There should be a "heavy presumption against prior restraint" of freedom of speech

"Our Debts being unfunded and unprovided for, the Interest cannot be paid. Those therefore who trusted us in the Hour of Distress are defrauded. To expect that under such Circumstances others will confide in the Government would be Folly, and to expect that Foreigners will Trust a Government which has no Credit with its own Citizens must be madness . . . "The United States have call'd for eight Million of Dollars early in November last, of which the first quarterly Payment was to have been made on the first Day of April next. But I cannot find that a single State has laid the Taxes." -Robert Morris, letter to the president of Congress, 1782 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument? Choose 1 answer:

The taxation structure under the Articles poses a serious threat to the economic well-being of the United States

The Republican Party in the House of Representatives has recently proposed a new tax bill that would cut corporate taxes for the top 1% of Americans. Representative Ron Swanson, a libertarian, has decided to vote for the bill even though a recent poll of his district shows that 56% of his constituents do not support the new tax bill. Which model of representation do his actions embody?

The trustee model

Which of the following is an example of a social movement motivated by the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?

The women's rights movement

Which of the following is a consequence of the principle of separation of powers?

There are multiple access points for stakeholders and institutions to influence public policy

In United States v. Morrison (2000), the Supreme Court struck down the part of the Violence Against Women Act that made gender-motivated violence a federal crime, as it was not related to the commerce clause. Which prior Supreme Court case could be used as a precedent for the majority decision in United States v. Morrison (2000)?

United States v. Lopez (1995)

In which of the following scenarios is the president most likely to use the veto to limit the power of Congress?

When the opposing party holds a majority in Congress

Which of the following may Congress do to limit the power of the executive?

impeach the president

Based on previous rulings, the Supreme Court is most likely to view a case concerning which of the following as an establishment clause case?

A courthouse prominently displays the Ten Commandments

Which of the following scenarios would be an example of a violation of one of the civil liberties protected by the Bill of Rights?

A federal court refuses to provide a lawyer for a defendant who cannot afford one

"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed . . . The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10 Which of the following statements best summarizes Madison's arguments?

A large republic can control the negative aspects of factions

Which of the following best explains how the president can limit the Court's power by appointing a new Supreme Court justice?

By choosing justices who change the ideological leanings of the court

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the expressed powers of the president and the powers of Congress? Presidential powers-Congressional powers A Appointing ambassadors-Interpreting the Constitution B Negotiating treaties-Ratifying treaties C Issuing signing statements-Levying taxes D Pardoning impeached officials-Impeaching officials

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the structure and function of the House of Representatives and the Senate? House of Representatives-Senate A Members can delay the policymaking process through the use of a filibuster-Members can delay the policymaking process through the use of holds B Responsible for proposing all tax bills-Responsible for ratifying all treaties C Constituents of an entire state choose elected members-Constituents in a local district choose elected members D Responsible for initiating all articles of impeachment-Responsible for scheduling bills for the floor of the House

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the expressed powers of the president and the powers of Congress? Presidential powers-Congressional powers A Issuing executive orders-Reviewing lower-court decisions B Confirming presidential appointments-Creating federal laws C Nominating ambassadors-Declaring war D Ratifying treaties-Negotiating treaties

Comparison C

Based on the ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), what is the difference between enumerated powers and implied powers?

Enumerated powers are powers that the Constitution explicitly grants to the federal government, whereas implied powers are not explicitly written but are necessary for carrying out enumerated powers

In 1976, a Nebraska state trial judge issued a gag order, restricting the press from publishing or broadcasting information about the case. The Nebraska Press Association appealed the ruling and the case went to the Supreme Court. The Court ruled that the press reporting events surrounding the trial would not affect the defendant's right to a fair trial. Which of the following constitutional protections or clauses does this case have in common with New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)?

Freedom of the press

"Anti-Third Term Principle," by Clifford K. Berryman, 1912. The cartoon depicts Theodore Roosevelt, left, and George Washington, right. Source: National Archives Which of the following best describes the message in the political cartoon?

Presidential power should be restrained by term-of-office limits

Ohio has 16 representatives in the House of Representatives, but only two representatives in the Senate. Which of the following statements best explains the reason for this difference in representation?

The House represents states according to the size of their population, while the Senate represents the states equally

In 2013, Edward Snowden released classified information showing that the National Security Agency (NSA) was conducting a massive surveillance program by collecting data from major cell phone providers. Which of the following amendments provides the basis for an accusation of unconsitutional action by the NSA?

The Fourth Amendment

"Everyone believes that the FBI should have the tools it needs to catch dangerous criminals. But too often over the past decade, intelligence and law enforcement agencies choose approaches that sweep up information from millions of innocent Americans instead of targeting terrorists and criminals. These approaches don't make us safer. "The changes to Rule 41 allow the FBI to hack millions of victims of cybercrime. These victims of hacks are regular people, not criminals." -Cecilia Kang, "Ron Wyden Discusses Encryption, Data Privacy and Security," New York Times, October 9, 2016 Which of the following constitutional provisions limits the power of the federal government to collect digital metadata as described by Senator Wyden?

The Fourth Amendment in the Bill of Rights

Congress passed the Clean Air Act, which gave the federal government the power to monitor and limit emissions of harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. In 2003, however, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the Clean Air Act does not give it the authority to regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The EPA's decision to regulate some emissions but not others is an example of which of the following?

The discretionary authority that individual bureaucrats and agencies have to make choices about how to implement existing laws

Which of the following aspects of the US Constitution best illustrates the concept of elite democracy?

The original wording of the Constitution regarding the selection of US senators

"Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that state's segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered. Can any law enacted under such circumstances be considered democratically structured?" -Excerpt from King, Martin Luther Jr., "Letter from the Birmingham Jail" in Why We Can't Wait, ed. Martin Luther King, Jr., 77-100, 1963. Which of the following statements best explains Martin Luther King's argument regarding democratic participation in the above excerpt?

A law affecting African Americans is unjust if they had no part in creating it as a result of being denied the right to vote

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of civil liberties and civil rights? Civil liberties-Civil rights A Right to a fair court trial-Freedom from racial discrimination B Freedom of religion-Freedom of assembly C Freedom from gender discrimination-Freedom from unreasonable search and seizure D Right to vote-Right to privacy

Comparison A

Elena Alvarez, a political scientist, decides to use this infographic to argue that the United States practices a particular model of democracy. Which of the following models would Elena most likely argue for, based on the infographic?

Elite democracy

Which of the following accurately describes the information presented in the pie charts?

Female athletes represented a larger proportion of total high school athletes in 2011-2012 than in 1971-1972

Which of the following statements describes a consideration presidents face when deciding whether or not to issue a veto?

If the opposing party has a supermajority in Congress, they can vote to override the veto

Which of the following may Congress do to limit the power of the executive?

Impeach the president

"There is no position which depends on clearer principles, than that every act of a delegated authority, contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 78, "The Judiciary Department," 1788 Supporters of Hamilton's view that acts contrary to the Constitution are invalid could point to which of the following cases?

Marbury v. Madison

"In a pure democracy the people are the sovereign, and their will is declared by themselves; for this purpose they must all come together to deliberate, and decide. This kind of government cannot be exercised, therefore, over a country of any considerable extent; it must be confined to a single city, or at least limited to such bounds as that the people can conveniently assemble, be able to debate, understand the subject submitted to them, and declare their opinion concerning it." -Brutus No. 1, 1787 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Participatory democracy does not work in large countries

Which of the following actions may Congress take to advance civil rights?

Pass a law requiring that all schools receiving federal funding comply with desegregation efforts

Appointments to the White House staff are often uncontested for which of the following reasons?

These appointments do not require Senate confirmation

"Both Lincoln and Roosevelt undertook acts they knew to be beyond the Constitution. Both did so in times of transcendent crisis when the life of the nation seemed truly at stake. Both acted, knowingly or not, on Locke's doctrine of emergency prerogative, trusting that Congress would eventually approve their actions." -Arthur Schlesinger, The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Presidential power has increased in the face of growing federal challenges

In 1895, the Supreme Court heard a case about the Income Tax Act of 1894. The Court held that the act was unconstitutional and the federal government did not have the power to tax personal income. Which of the following is an action Congress could have taken to check the Supreme Court's power?

Proposing a constitutional amendment

Which of the following best defines civil rights?

Rights that guarantee individuals freedom from discrimination at both the state and federal levels of government

"Given the increasing difference in size between the largest and smallest states, combined with other changes in the American political context[,] any effects of Senate apportionment are greater today than in the past. By reference to the one person, one vote standard, the Senate is the most malapportioned legislature in the world . . . Currently Wyoming, with fewer than half a million residents, enjoys the same level of representation as California, with more than 30 million." -Frances E. Lee and Bruce I. Oppenheimer, Sizing Up the Senate: The Unequal Consequences of Equal Representation, 1999 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?

The Great Compromise failed to anticipate growing population differences in small and large states, leaving matters unresolved

In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Court held that the District of Columbia could not ban the registration of handguns or require weapons to be nonfunctional in the home. Which of the following amendments was the focus of the Court's ruling?

The Second Amendment

In Supreme Court cases that consider the balance of power between the government's protection of the public and ensuring the rights of individuals as related to the Second Amendment, how has the Court usually ruled?

The Supreme Court has usually made decisions that uphold the right of an individual to own a gun

"An unjust law is a code inflicted upon a minority which that minority had no part in enacting or creating because it did not have the unhampered right to vote. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up the segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout the state of Alabama all types of conniving methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties without a single Negro registered to vote, despite the fact that the Negroes constitute a majority of the population. Can any law set up in such a state be considered democratically structured?" Dr. Martin Luther King, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," 1963 Which of the following governmental policies would the author most likely support as a solution to the problems described in this passage?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

A member of the House of Representatives proposes a Constitutional amendment that would force the president and Congress to balance the budget every year. Which of the following accurately describes the amendment process?

The bill must pass both the House and the Senate with a two-thirds majority

In 1988 and 1989, the Pennsylvania legislature amended its abortion control law. The changes included requiring a 24 hour waiting period for the procedure and that a married woman must notify her husband that she intends to have an abortion. In a 5-4 ruling, the Court upheld most of the Pennsylvania laws because they did not create a "substantial obstacle" to a woman seeking an abortion. This became known as the undue-burden test. Which of the following statements best summarizes the relationship between the case described in the scenario and Roe v. Wade (1973)?

The decision in the case above upheld Roe v. Wade (1973), but created a new standard to determine if the state was interfering with a woman's right to choose

Based on previous court rulings, which of the following scenarios would most likely violate the freedom of the press clause of the First Amendment?

The government prevents a radio talk show host from reporting on leaked information about surveillance of American allies

Which of the following best describes the message in the political cartoon?

The patronage system leads to corruption

"In ... [certain] cases, immunities that are valid as against the federal government by force of the specific pledges of particular amendments have been found to be implicit in the concept of ordered liberty, and thus, through the Fourteenth Amendment, become valid as against the states." Associate Justice Cardozo, majority opinion in Palko v. Connecticut (1937). Source: Justia Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

The question of whether or not a right applies to the states as well as the federal government can be answered by considering if the right is "implicit in the concept of ordered liberty"

Based on previous rulings, which of the following scenarios would most likely violate the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment?

A public school district bans students from wearing t-shirts supporting presidential candidates before an election

Which of the following scenarios represents a violation of one of the civil liberties protected by the Bill of Rights?

A state compels Amish students to attend school past the eighth grade

"In a pure democracy the people are the sovereign, and their will is declared by themselves; for this purpose they must all come together to deliberate, and decide. This kind of government cannot be exercised, therefore, over a country of any considerable extent; it must be confined to a single city, or at least limited to such bounds as that the people can conveniently assemble, be able to debate, understand the subject submitted to them, and declare their opinion concerning it." -Brutus No. 1 Which of the following political parties would have agreed with the ideological perspectives in the passage when it was written?

Anti-Federalists

"Size explains much about why the two chambers differ. Because it is larger, the 435-member House . . . is a more structured body than the 100-member Senate. Indeed, the restraints imposed on representatives by rules and precedents are more severe than those affecting senators . . . The Senate is more involved than the House in cultivating national constituencies, forming questions for national debate, and gaining general public support for policy proposals." -Walter J. Oleszek, Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in the passage?

Different chamber sizes and constituencies influence the formality of debate in each chamber

Which of the following statements best explains how the Court's ruling in Engel v. Vitale (1962) changed the balance between governmental power and individual liberty?

It limited the power of state governments by striking down a school policy that required the reading of a prayer at the start of the school day

Based on the information in the graphic, which of the following strategies would a group seeking to preserve the ruling in Roe v. Wade likely pursue?

Petitioning the Supreme Court to preserve the ruling in Roe v. Wade, arguing that the majority of Americans do not think the Court should overturn the decision

"The president may be convinced that a piece of legislation is unwise. But his judgment as to its un-wisdom is not a legal reason for his declining to execute it. (It may be a reason to veto it, and one of the objections to signing statements is that they are vetoes not subject to override.) And the president may have a definite view as to what the legislation means, and that view might include conclusions as to its constitutionality, but his is not the view that counts. He may be the commander in chief, but he is not the interpreter in chief." -Stanley Fish, "Who's Afraid of Presidential Signing Statements?" Source: New York Times Which of the following statements best summarizes Fish's argument?

Signing statements go beyond the president's expressed constitutional powers

"As the quotations earlier in this opinion demonstrate, the inherent right of self-defense has been central to the Second Amendment right. The handgun ban [by the District of Columbia] amounts to a prohibition of an entire class of 'arms' that is overwhelmingly chosen by American society for that lawful purpose. The prohibition extends, moreover, to the home, where the need for defense of self, family, and property is most acute. Under any of the standards of scrutiny that we have applied to enumerated constitutional rights. . . banning from the home 'the most preferred firearm in the nation to 'keep' and use for protection of one's home and family, . . .would fail constitutional muster.'" -Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, majority opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?

The Second Amendment protects a person's right to own a gun from government infringement

"Anti-Third Term Principle," by Clifford K. Berryman, 1912. The cartoon depicts Theodore Roosevelt, left, and George Washington, right. Source: National Archives Which of the following Constitutional Amendments is most relevant to the topic of the cartoon?

The Twenty-second Amendment

"In revising the federal system we ought to inquire 1. into the properties, which such a government ought to possess, 2. the defects of the confederation, 3. the danger of our situation & 4. the remedy. "The Character of such a government ought to secure 1. against foreign invasion, 2. against dissensions between members of the Union, or seditions in particular States, 3. to procure to the several States various blessings, of which an isolated situation was incapable, 4. to be able to defend itself against encroachment, & 5. to be paramount to the state constitutions." -Edmund Randolph, as recorded in James Madison's journal, 1787 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

The United States would benefit from a stronger central government

"In so extensive a republic, the great officers of government would soon become above the control of the people, and abuse their power to the purpose of aggrandizing themselves, and oppressing them. The trust committed to the executive offices, in a country of the extent of the United States, must be various and of magnitude." -Brutus No. 1 Which constitutional provision would the author most likely support?

The addition of a Bill of Rights

"In ... [certain] cases, immunities that are valid as against the federal government by force of the specific pledges of particular amendments have been found to be implicit in the concept of ordered liberty, and thus, through the Fourteenth Amendment, become valid as against the states." Associate Justice Cardozo, majority opinion in Palko v. Connecticut (1937). Source: Justia Justice Cardozo argues here that certain rights protected at the federal level also apply at the state level through the Fourteenth Amendment. Which clause is used to support Cardozo's argument?

The due process clause

Congress member Amy Santiago votes her conscience on bills that her constituents care little about, but she votes according to the wishes of her constituents on bills they care about a lot. Which model of representation do her actions embody?

The politico model

Which of the following is the most immediate consequence of impeaching a president?

The president is tried in the Senate

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of limited government?

The president vetoing a bill from Congress

"It is clear that the ancient and humane limitation upon the State's ability to execute its sentences has as firm a hold upon the jurisprudence of today as it had centuries ago in England. The various reasons put forth in support of the common-law restriction [on executing the insane] have no less logical, moral, and practical force than they did when first voiced. For today, no less than before, we may seriously question the retributive value of executing a person who has no comprehension of why he has been singled out and stripped of his fundamental right to life." -Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall, majority opinion in Ford v. Wainwright (1986) Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?

There are limits on who can be given a death penalty sentence

Congress passes a law reducing the amount of violence that children can be exposed to on television. Which of the following actions can the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) take to implement this measure?

Write guidelines about how much violence can be depicted during times children are likely to be watching TV

Which of the following statements explains how an executive order can cause conflict between the president and Congress?

An executive order enhances the power of the president because it create laws without congressional approval

Which of the following statements explains how the structural differences between the House and Senate affect the policymaking process?

Because members of the House have shorter term lengths, they are more likely to be influenced by demands from their constituents

"And the closer the 2006 midterm elections got, the more nervous congressional Republicans could be expected to get. Republican leaders in the House of Representatives sought to have the Senate move first, not wanting to have their members go out on a limb with a series of potentially costly party-line roll call votes that would have no policy payoff if Republicans in the Senate decided not to move a bill because they did not have the votes needed to pass it." Martin A. Levin, et. al, Building Coalitions, Making Policy: The Politics of the Clinton, Bush & Obama Presidencies, 2012 How might term-length differences have contributed to the lack of support from House Republicans?

Because members of the House have two-year terms, they are unlikely to support a piece of legislation that may upset their constituents

"As this Court's cases have made clear, however, the compelling interest that justifies consideration of race in college admissions is not an interest in enrolling a certain number of minority students. Rather, a university may institute a race-conscious admissions program as a means of obtaining 'the educational benefits that flow from student body diversity'. . . . "Increasing minority enrollment may be instrumental to these educational benefits, but it is not, as petitioner seems to suggest, a goal that can or should be reduced to pure numbers. " Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, opinion of the court in Fisher v. University of Texas (2013) Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Colleges and universities should be allowed to use race as a factor in admissions

"The Constitution abhors classifications based on race, not only because those classifications can harm favored races or are based on illegitimate motives, but also because every time the government places citizens on racial registers and makes race relevant to the provision of burdens or benefits, it demeans us all. . . . Undoubtedly there are other ways to 'better' the education of law students aside from ensuring that the student body contains a 'critical mass' of underrepresented minority students. Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, dissenting opinion in Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Colleges and universities should be forbidden from taking race into consideration

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the enumerated and implied powers of Congress? Enumerated power-Implied power A Establishing post offices -Banning the mailing of dry ice B Maintaining a national bank-Coining money C Regulating immigration-Creating a path to citizenship for immigrants D Maintaining the armed forces-Declaring war

Comparison A

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the enumerated and implied powers of Congress? Enumerated power-Implied power A Establishing post offices-Banning the mailing of dry ice B Maintaining a national bank-Coining money C Regulating immigration-Creating a path to citizenship for immigrants D Maintaining the armed forces-Declaring war

Comparison A

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the president's formal and informal powers? Formal powers-Informal powers A Nominating federal judges-Issuing executive orders B Negotiating executive agreements-Granting pardons C Making treaties-Vetoing legislation D Creating a budget-Issuing signing statements

Comparison A

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two cases? New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)-Schenck v. United States (1919) A Bolstered the freedom of the press-Ruled that speech creating a "clear and present danger" is not protected B Ruled that political spending by corporations, associations, and labor unions is a form of protected speech-Established a "heavy presumption against prior restraint" even in cases involving national security C Led to the development of the "one person, one vote" doctrine-Guaranteed the right to an attorney for the poor or indigent D Ruled that public school students can engage in symbolic protest-Applied the Second Amendment to the states

Comparison A

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Comparison: Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)-McDonald v. Chicago (2010) A Incorporated a right to legal counsel-Incorporated the right to bear arms for self-defense B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent-Decided that states had the right to ban handguns for public safety C Ruled that national laws were supreme to state laws-Enhanced the power of the state government to regulate background checks for weapons D Declared that the state had violated the Fifth Amendment-Declared that the state had violated the Second Amendment

Comparison A

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)-McDonald v. Chicago (2010) A Incorporated a right to legal counsel-Incorporated the right to bear arms for self-defense B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent-Decided that states had the right to ban handguns for public safety C Ruled that national laws were supreme to state laws-Enhanced the power of the state government to regulate background checks for weapons D Declared that the state had violated the Fifth Amendment-Declared that the state had violated the Second Amendment

Comparison A

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)-United States v. Lopez (1995) A Ruled that national laws were supreme to state laws-Ruled that the Gun-Free School Zones Act was unconstitutional B Led to an increase in power for state governments-Led to an increase in power for the federal government C Declared that states did not have the power to tax the federal government-Declared that Congress had implied powers to carry out their enumerated powers D Established the power of judicial review-Established limits to states' rights under the Tenth Amendment

Comparison A

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the expressed powers of the president and the powers of Congress? Presidential powers-Congressional powers A Nominating ambassadors-Issuing signing statements B Presenting the State of the Union-Impeaching officials C Issuing executive orders-Levying taxes D Enforcing laws-Interpreting the Constitution

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the structure and function of the House of Representatives and the Senate? House of Representatives- Senate A Members can delay the policymaking process through the use of a filibuster-Members can delay the policymaking process through the use of holds B Responsible for proposing all tax bills-Responsible for ratifying all treaties C Constituents of an entire state choose elected members-Constituents in a local district choose elected members D Responsible for initiating all articles of impeachment-Responsible for scheduling bills for the floor of the House

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Baker v. Carr (1961) Shaw v. Reno (1993) A Ruled that Tennessee violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment Ruled that North Carolina violated the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment B Led to the "one-person, one-vote" judicial doctrine Prohibited oddly-shaped majority-minority districts C Decided that the Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional Decided that federal courts can intervene and decide redistricting cases D Extended the Fourteenth Amendment to apply to the states Led to an increase in power for the national government

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Baker v. Carr (1961)-Shaw v. Reno (1993) A Ruled that Tennessee violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment-Ruled that North Carolina violated the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment B Led to the "one-person, one-vote" judicial doctrine-Prohibited oddly-shaped majority-minority districts C Decided that the Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional-Decided that federal courts can intervene and decide redistricting cases D Extended the Fourteenth Amendment to apply to the states-Led to an increase in power for the national government

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Brown v. Board of Education (1954)-Roe v. Wade (1973) A Incorporated the right to vote to the states-Incorporated the right to privacy to the states B Decided that segregation in schools violates the equal protection clause-Decided that the right to privacy extends to a woman's right to have an abortion C Authorized states to create separate facilities based on race as long as they were equal-Limited the power of state governments to regulate abortion D Declared that the state had violated the Fourteenth Amendment-Declared that the state had violated the Sixth Amendment

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Brown v. Board of Education (1954)-Shaw v. Reno (1993) A Ruled that Kansas violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment-Ruled that North Carolina violated the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment B Prohibited race-based segregation in schools-Prohibited oddly-shaped majority-minority districts C Decided that states had the exclusive right to regulate schools-Decided that federal courts can intervene and decide redistricting cases D Led to the "one-person, one-vote" judicial doctrine-Led to an increase in power for the national government

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)-McDonald v. Chicago (2010) A Incorporated a right to legal counsel in capital cases-Incorporated a protection from cruel and unusual punishment to the states B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent-Decided that the state could not restrict people from owning a gun for self-defense C Ruled that state laws were supreme to national laws-Ruled that states could not infringe on an individual's right to own a gun D Declared that the state had violated the Sixth Amendment-Declared that the state had violated the Fifth Amendment

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)-Roe v. Wade (1973) A Incorporated a right to legal counsel in capital cases-Incorporated a right to privacy to the states B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent-Decided that the right to privacy extended to a woman's right to have an abortion C Ruled that state laws were supreme to national laws-Limited the power of the state government to regulate abortion D Declared that the state had violated the Sixth Amendment-Declared that the state had violated the Third Amendment

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the president's formal and informal powers? Formal powers-Informal powers A Setting the agenda for Congress-Granting pardons B Declaring war-Delivering the State of the Union address C Vetoing legislation-Issuing executive orders D Acting as Commander in Chief-Appointing Supreme Court justices

Comparison C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two cases? New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)-Schenck v. United States (1919) A Declared an action by the president unconstitutional-Declared an act of Congress unconstitutional B Led to an increase in power for the national government-Protected an individual's right to freedom of speech C Established a "heavy presumption against prior restraint" even in cases involving national security-Ruled that speech creating a "clear and present danger" is not constitutionally protected D Protected freedom of the press against infringements by state and local governments-Protected freedom of speech against infringement by state and local governments

Comparison C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Baker v. Carr (1961)-Shaw v. Reno (1993) A Declared that Tennessee violated the First Amendment-Declared that North Carolina violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment B Led to the "one-person, one-vote" judicial doctrine-Ended gerrymandering across the United States C Decided that federal courts could intervene and decide redistricting cases-Decided that redistricting plans based on race must be held to a strict standard of scrutiny D Led to an increase in power for the national government-Led to an increase in power for state governments on matters of redistricting

Comparison C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Schenck v. United States (1919)-Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) A Ruled that the federal government had violated the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment-Ruled that the state had violated the freedom of speech clause of the First Amendment B Applied the First Amendment to the states-Decided that the Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional C Declared that the federal government can restrict certain types of speech if the words create a "clear and present danger"-Declared that wearing a black armband to protest the Vietnam War was a form of symbolic speech D Led to an increase in power for the national government to restrict freedom of speech-Led to an increase in state power to restrict freedom of speech

Comparison C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the views of the authors of Federalist No. 10 and Brutus No. 1? Federalist No. 10 Brutus No. 1 A A large republic will prevent factions from developing -Only a small republic can truly serve citizens' needs B Factions will inevitably develop, no matter the system of government-A strong central government will prevent abuses of power by local governments C A large republic will control factions by pitting them against each other-A large republic endangers personal liberties D A decentralized government will preserve liberty better than a strong federal government-The federal government is too far removed from citizens to understand their needs

Comparison C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the views of the authors of Federalist No. 10 and Brutus No. 1? Federalist No. 10-Brutus No. 1 A A large republic will prevent factions from developing -Only a small republic can truly serve citizens' needs B Factions will inevitably develop, no matter the system of government-A strong central government will prevent abuses of power by local governments C A large republic will control factions by pitting them against each other-A large republic endangers personal liberties D A decentralized government will preserve liberty better than a strong federal government-The federal government is too far removed from citizens to understand their needs

Comparison C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution? Articles of Confederation (1777) Constitution of the United States (1787) A Maintained national sovereignty over the states-Made states sovereign over the national government B Created a unicameral legislature with the power to levy taxes-Created a bicameral legislature with the power to regulate interstate commerce C Made the executive branch Commander-in-chief of the armed forces-Gave Congress the power to declare war D Created a weak central government with few independent powers-Created a strong national government with many powers

Comparison D

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution? Articles of Confederation (1777)-Constitution of the United States (1787) A Maintained national sovereignty over the states-Made states sovereign over the national government B Created a unicameral legislature with the power to levy taxes-Created a bicameral legislature with the power to regulate interstate commerce C Made the executive branch Commander-in-chief of the armed forces-Gave Congress the power to declare war D Created a weak central government with few independent powers-Created a strong national government with many powers

Comparison D

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)-McDonald v. Chicago (2010) A Incorporated a right to legal counsel in capital cases-Incorporated a right to privacy to the states B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent-Decided that using execution by firing squad was cruel and unusual punishment C Ruled that national laws are supreme to state laws-Ruled that state laws are supreme to national laws D Declared that the state had violated the Sixth Amendment-Declared that the state had violated the Second Amendment

Comparison D

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Schenck v. United States (1919)-Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) A Political spending is a form of protected speech-The right of privacy extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion B Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime-School sponsorship of religious activities violates the establishment clause C The US government cannot block the publication of secret government documents-Compelling Amish students to attend school past the eighth grade violates the free exercise clause D Speech creating a "clear and present danger" is not protected by the First Amendment-Public school students have the right to wear black armbands to protest the Vietnam War

Comparison D

The Environmental Protection Agency issues a fine to a factory that is not complying with federal regulations on the maximum number of pollutants it can release into the atmosphere. This is an example of which of the federal bureaucracy's responsibilities?

Enforcement

"Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between Man & his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, & not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State." Thomas Jefferson, letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, 1802 Supporters of Jefferson's view that the legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion" could point to which of the following cases?

Engel v. Vitale

Which of the following statements best explains how rule differences in the House of Representatives and the Senate can affect the policymaking process?

Even though the House may pass a bill, the Senate can kill the bill with a filibuster

"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed . . . The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10 Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?

Factions, while inevitable, can be controlled

Read the passage below and answer the following question. Chris Wallace: "Mr. Trump, you're pro-life. But I want to ask you specifically: Do you want the court, including the justices that you will name, to overturn Roe v. Wade, which includes -- in fact, states -- a woman's right to abortion?" Donald Trump: "Well, if that would happen, because I am pro-life, and I will be appointing pro-life judges, I would think that that will go back to the individual states. Trump: "Well, if we put another two or perhaps three justices on, that's really what's going to be -- that will happen. And that'll happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court. I will say this: It will go back to the states, and the states will then make a determination." -Presidential candidate Donald Trump, Final Presidential Debate, 2016 Which of the following statements is most consistent with President Trump's argument in this passage?

He will nominate Supreme Court justices who share his policy preferences in order to achieve his policy goals

In 1890, Louisiana enacted a law that required separate railway cars for black people and for white people. Homer Plessy took a seat in a "whites only" train. He refused to move to the car reserved for black people and was arrested. The case went to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Louisiana law. Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) decision?

It restricted African-American access to the same public facilities as the majority white population

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Engel v. Vitale (1962) decision?

It upheld the separation of church and state and clarified the limitations of state governments under the establishment clause

"That unity is conducive to energy will not be disputed. Decision, activity, secrecy, and despatch will generally characterize the proceedings of one man in a much more eminent degree than the proceedings of any greater number; and in proportion as the number is increased, these qualities will be diminished . . ." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70, "The Executive Department Further Considered," 1788 Which of the following scenarios would be considered an example of how unity is conducive to energy in the executive branch, as defined by the author of the passage?

John F. Kennedy's secret negotiations ending the Cuban Missile Crisis

Stare decisis is best defined as which of the following?

Judges rely on past decisions and their precedents when making decisions in new cases

Which of the following statements best describes judicial restraint?

Judges should limit the exercise of their own power to interpreting the Constitution according to its original intent

In United States v. Nixon (1974), the Supreme Court ruled that President Nixon was not exempt from a court order that required him to release White House tapes. It upheld the right of the Court to "say what the law is," as Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote in the Court's majority opinion. Which prior Supreme Court case could be cited as a precedent for the majority decision in United States v. Nixon (1974)?

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

"The District's total ban on handgun possession in the home amounts to a prohibition on an entire class of "arms" that Americans overwhelmingly choose for the lawful purpose of self-defense." Associate Justice Scalia, majority opinion in D.C. vs Heller (2008), source: Justia In its D.C. vs Heller ruling, the Court struck down a handgun ban in Washington, D.C. In which Supreme Court ruling was the Second Amendment right to bear arms first incorporated to the states?"An unjust law is a code inflicted upon a minority which that minority had no part in enacting or creating because it did not have the unhampered right to vote. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up the segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout the state of Alabama all types of conniving methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties without a single Negro registered to vote, despite the fact that the Negroes constitute a majority of the population. Can any law set up in such a state be considered democratically structured?" Dr. Martin Luther King, "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," 1963 Which of the following governmental policies would the author most likely support as a solution to the problems described in this passage?

McDonald v. Chicago

"As the quotations earlier in this opinion demonstrate, the inherent right of self-defense has been central to the Second Amendment right. The handgun ban [by the District of Columbia] amounts to a prohibition of an entire class of 'arms' that is overwhelmingly chosen by American society for that lawful purpose. The prohibition extends, moreover, to the home, where the need for defense of self, family, and property is most acute. Under any of the standards of scrutiny that we have applied to enumerated constitutional rights. . . banning from the home 'the most preferred firearm in the nation to 'keep' and use for protection of one's home and family, . . .would fail constitutional muster.'" -Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, majority opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) Supporters of Scalia's view that handgun bans violate Second Amendment rights could cite which of the following Supreme Court cases to support their argument?

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

"The Second Amendment was adopted to protect the right of the people of each of the several States to maintain a well-regulated militia. It was a response to concerns raised during the ratification of the Constitution that the power of Congress to disarm the state militias and create a national standing army posed an intolerable threat to the sovereignty of the several States. Neither the text of the Amendment nor the arguments advanced by its proponents evidenced the slightest interest in limiting any legislature's authority to regulate private civilian uses of firearms. Specifically, there is no indication that the Framers of the Amendment intended to enshrine the common-law right of self-defense in the Constitution." Associate Justice John Paul Stevens, dissenting opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) People who disagree with Stevens's view on the rights protected under the Second Amendment could cite which of the following Supreme Court cases to support their argument?

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

In the 1960s, Connecticut had a law prohibiting counselors from providing advice to married couples on how to prevent pregnancy. Police officers arrested the Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut after she disobeyed this law. In 1965, the Supreme Court heard the case and ruled that protections in the Bill of Rights imply that people have a right to privacy. Which of the following cases is also an example of a right-to-privacy case?

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Which of the following is a consequence of the allocation of power between the national government and state governments?

Stakeholders and institutions have multiple access points to influence public policy

"There are other good things of less moment. I will now add what I do not like [about the Constitution]. First the omission of a bill of rights providing clearly & without the aid of sophisms for freedom of religion, freedom of the press, protection against standing armies, restriction against monopolies, the eternal & unremitting force of the habeas corpus laws, and trials by jury in all matters of fact triable by the laws of the land & not by the law of Nations. . . . Let me add that a bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, & what no just government should refuse or rest on inference." -Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Madison, 20 December 1787 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

The Bill of Rights places necessary restrictions on the federal government's power

"Race-based action necessary to further a compelling governmental interest does not violate the Equal Protection Clause so long as it is narrowly tailored to further that interest. Context matters when reviewing such action. Not every decision influenced by race is equally objectionable, and strict scrutiny is designed to provide a framework for carefully examining the importance and the sincerity of the government's reasons for using race in a particular context." -Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, writing for the Court in Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?

The Constitution does not always forbid decisions based on race

"The distinction between a government with limited and unlimited powers is abolished, if those limits do not confine the persons on whom they are imposed, and if acts prohibited and acts allowed, are of equal obligation. It is a proposition too plain to be contested, that the constitution controls any legislative act repugnant to it; or, that the legislature may alter the constitution by an ordinary act. Between these alternatives there is no middle ground. The constitution is either a superior, paramount law, unchangeable by ordinary means, or it is on a level with ordinary legislative acts, and, like other acts, is alterable when the legislature shall please to alter it." ->John Marshall, decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803) Which of the following statements is most consistent with Marshall's argument in this passage?

The Constitution is above ordinary laws

"The Constitution abhors classifications based on race, not only because those classifications can harm favored races or are based on illegitimate motives, but also because every time the government places citizens on racial registers and makes race relevant to the provision of burdens or benefits, it demeans us all. . . . Undoubtedly there are other ways to 'better' the education of law students aside from ensuring that the student body contains a 'critical mass' of underrepresented minority students." Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, dissenting opinion in Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?

The Constitution is colorblind and any racial classifications, even when used to help minorities, are harmful to society

In Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States (1964), the Supreme Court ruled that the federal government has the right to regulate public accommodation under the commerce clause. After this decision, the federal government, under the authority of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, forced public places to desegregate. This scenario is an example of which of the following?

The Supreme Court issuing a ruling that protects minority rights

Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered judicial restraint?

The Supreme Court refuses to hear a case because the justices believe the issue should be solved by the legislative branch

"As this Court's cases have made clear, however, the compelling interest that justifies consideration of race in college admissions is not an interest in enrolling a certain number of minority students. Rather, a university may institute a race-conscious admissions program as a means of obtaining 'the educational benefits that flow from student body diversity'. . . . "Increasing minority enrollment may be instrumental to these educational benefits, but it is not, as petitioner seems to suggest, a goal that can or should be reduced to pure numbers." Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, opinion of the court in Fisher v. University of Texas (2013) Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?

The Constitution only forbids racial classifications when they are designed to harm minorities, not help them

"The Constitution instructs all who act for the government that they may not 'deny to any person . . . the equal protection of the laws.' In implementing this equality instruction, as I see it, government decisionmakers may properly distinguish between policies of exclusion and inclusion. Actions designed to burden groups long denied full citizenship stature are not sensibly ranked with measures taken to hasten the day when entrenched discrimination and its after effects have been extirpated." Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, dissenting opinion in Gratz v. Bollinger (2003) Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?

The Constitution only forbids racial classifications when they are designed to harm minorities, not help them

"Lifetime appointments and the new, highly ideological stakes provided senators ample incentives to use holds and silent filibusters to prevent a majority of their colleagues from acting on judicial nominations, both to block those with different ideologies and to keep slots vacant until the presidency moves into their party's hands. Along the way, judicial confirmations have become increasingly politicized, and delays in confirming appellate judges have led to increased vacancy rates that have produced longer case-processing times and growing caseloads per judge on federal dockets." -Mann, Thomas E. and Norman J. Ornstein, It's Even Worse than it Looks, 2012 Which of the following statements best summarizes the authors' argument?

The Senate is more likely to place holds on life-tenured judicial appointments because of the lasting influence of those appointments

Which of the following best describes the message of the GIF above?

The Supreme Court's recent interpretations of the Second Amendment reflect a commitment to individual liberty

"The mystique of inside information—"if you only knew what we know"—was a most effective way to defend the national-security monopoly and prevent democratic control of foreign policy . . . The power to leak meant the power to tell the people what it served the government's purpose that they should know . . . The power to withhold and the power to leak led on inexorably to the power to lie. The secrecy system instilled in the executive branch the idea that foreign policy was no one's business save its own, and the uncontrolled secrecy made it easy for lying to become routine." -Arthur Schlesinger, The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Which of the following governmental policies would the author most likely support?

The War Powers Resolution of 1973, which aimed to give Congress more say in whether US troops were deployed abroad

"In revising the federal system we ought to inquire 1. into the properties, which such a government ought to possess, 2. the defects of the confederation, 3. the danger of our situation & 4. the remedy. The Character of such a government ought to secure 1. against foreign invasion, 2. against dissensions between members of the Union, or seditions in particular States, 3. to procure to the several States various blessings, of which an isolated situation was incapable, 4. to be able to defend itself against encroachment, & 5. to be paramount to the state constitutions." -Edmund Randolph, as recorded in James Madison's journal, 1787 Which of the following was a consequence of the ideas described in the passage?

The development of a new national Constitution

In 1961, Clarence Earl Gideon stood trial in Florida, accused of robbing a pool hall. Gideon was poor and could not afford a lawyer. He requested that the court provide one for him, but Florida only provided lawyers for defendants accused of capital offenses. The Supreme Court decided to throw out the conviction because lawyers were necessary to ensure a fair trial. The Court ruled that states must provide counsel to defendants too poor to afford lawyers or they are violating the constitutional right to legal counsel. Which of the following constitutional provisions does the case described in the scenario have in common with McDonald v. Chicago (2010)?

The due process clause

In the 1960s, Connecticut had a law prohibiting counselors from providing advice to married couples on how to prevent pregnancy. The Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut disobeyed this law and was arrested. In 1965, the Supreme Court heard the case and ruled that protections in the Bill of Rights implies that people have a right to privacy. Which of the following constitutional provisions does the case described in the scenario have in common with Roe v. Wade (1973)?

The due process clause

In 1890, Louisiana enacted a law that required separate railway cars for black people and for white people. Homer Plessy took a seat in a "whites only" train. He refused to move to the car reserved for black people and was arrested. In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court ruled in a 7-1 vote to uphold the Louisiana law. Which of the following constitutional clauses does this case have in common with Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?

The equal protection clause

"The insurgents who were assembled at Worcester in Massachusetts have disbanded. The people at Boston seem to be glad at this event and say it was the effect of fear. But the fact is that the insurgents effected their object . . . "The commotions of Massachusetts have wrought prodigious changes in the minds of men in that State [with regard to] the Powers of Government. Everybody says they must be strengthened and that unless this shall be effected there is no Security for liberty or Property. Such is the State of things in the east, that much trouble is to be apprehended in the course of the ensuing year." -Henry Knox, letter to his former commander George Washington, 1786 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

The lack of centralized military power under the Articles of Confederation poses a serious threat to the stability of the United States

Challenges of the Articles of Confederation Problem "Our Debts being unfunded and unprovided for, the Interest cannot be paid. Those therefore who trusted us in the Hour of Distress are defrauded. To expect that under such Circumstances others will confide in the Government would be Folly, and to expect that Foreigners will Trust a Government which has no Credit with its own Citizens must be madness . . . "The United States have call'd for eight Million of Dollars early in November last, of which the first quarterly Payment was to have been made on the first Day of April next. But I cannot find that a single State has laid the Taxes." -Robert Morris, letter to the president of Congress, 1782 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

The national government under the Articles lacks necessary tax enforcement power

"Everyone believes that the FBI should have the tools it needs to catch dangerous criminals. But too often over the past decade, intelligence and law enforcement agencies choose approaches that sweep up information from millions of innocent Americans instead of targeting terrorists and criminals. These approaches don't make us safer. "The changes to Rule 41 allow the FBI to hack millions of victims of cybercrime. These victims of hacks are regular people, not criminals." -Cecilia Kang, "Ron Wyden Discusses Encryption, Data Privacy and Security," New York Times, October 9, 2016 Based on the text, which of the following statements would Senator Wyden most likely agree with?

The need for public safety should not exceed an individual's protection from unreasonable search and seizure

"The mystique of inside information—"if you only knew what we know"—was a most effective way to defend the national-security monopoly and prevent democratic control of foreign policy . . . The power to leak meant the power to tell the people what it served the government's purpose that they should know . . . The power to withhold and the power to leak led on inexorably to the power to lie. The secrecy system instilled in the executive branch the idea that foreign policy was no one's business save its own, and the uncontrolled secrecy made it easy for lying to become routine." -Arthur Schlesinger, The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Which of the following scenarios provides the best justification for an expansive interpretation of presidential power?

The rapid response necessary after a threat of nuclear war

"In the Bill of Rights for this Commonwealth it is declared that the happiness of the people & the Preservation of civil government depend upon the piety religion & morality & that the people have a right to invest their Legislature with power to require that provision be made for the public worship of God & the support of protestant teachers & require the attendance of people upon such worship instructions.... We must insist that the Continental Constitution contain a Bill of Rights which by Express shall secure to us our privileges especially our religion." Daniel Adams, at a town meeting in Townshend, Massachusetts, 1787 Supporters of Adams's view that a bill of rights is necessary to protect individual liberties could point to which of the following cases?

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)