Chapter 4 and 5
The fact that lawyers must be licensed by the state of California is an example of A) reserved power. B) concurrent power. C) police power. D) expressed power. E) implied power.
a
The last time Congress exercised its constitutional power to declare war was in A) 1941. B) 1950. C) 1964. D) 2001. E) 2003.
a
The media can set the political agenda in the United States by A) identifying an issue as a problem that must be solved. B) endorsing a particular political candidate. C) accepting advertising only from businesses that are identified as being ideologically "correct." D) maintaining a strictly nonpartisan approach to news reporting. E) refusing to follow government regulations regarding the content of news broadcasts.
a
The number of cases filed in the Supreme Court has A) increased dramatically since 1940. B) decreased dramatically since 1940. C) remained the same since 1940. D) increased between 1940 and 1965 but decreased since 1965. E) decreased between 1940 and 1965 but increased since 1965.
a
The practice of lobbying is protected by A) the First Amendment. B) state and federal laws dating from the 1930s. C) internal rules of Congress. D) the personal relationships between lobbyists and politicians. E) a 1961 Supreme Court decision.
a
The separate but equal doctrine was introduced in what Supreme Court case? A) Plessy v. Ferguson B) the civil rights cases C) Brown v. Board of Education D) Roe v. Wade E) Marbury v. Madison
a
The term gender gap refers to A) differences in political opinions between men and women. B) differences in education and income levels for men and women. C) differing levels of political participation between the genders. D) differences in fundamental political values held by men and women. E) differences in the amount of attention elected officials give to men and women in their campaign speeches.
a
The use of taxing and spending powers to shape the economy is part of ______ policy. A) fiscal B) monetary C) regulatory D) distributive E) redistributive
a
The various attitudes that citizens possess toward political issues, events, and people are called A) public opinions. B) political values. C) public ideologies. D) political propaganda. E) cultural philosophies.
a
The written opinions of appellate courts have been described as halfway between ______ and ______. A) common law; statutory law B) stare decisis; administrative rule making C) civil law; constitutional law D) public law; private law E) common law; public law
a
Under the Articles of Confederation, the relationship between the states and the federal government can best be compared to A) the United Nations' relationship with member states. B) a state government's relationship with counties. C) a state government's relationship with cities. D) the Soviet Union's relationship with member republics. E) the United States' relationship with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
a
What major changes in Western government led to the establishment of constitutional government? A) legal limits on government and the right of more people to vote B) the right of revolution and the spread of socialism C) debt relief for the poor and the right of citizens to hold office D) the colonialism of the New World and the right of revolution E) the growth in ethnic and religious diversity
a
What was the Supreme Court's record in segregation cases in the years before Brown v. Board of Education? A) The Court overturned forms of segregation using the separate but equal rule on factual grounds. B) The Court had struck down forms of segregation through the commerce clause, not the Fourteenth Amendment. C) The Court consistently refused to strike down any form of segregation. D) The Court had already struck down separate but equal as a principle before Brown. E) The Court had refused to hear cases on segregation before Brown.
a
What was the original purpose of voter registration? A) to reduce corruption by making it more difficult to vote B) to simplify the voting process C) to make voters more dependent on the political parties D) to raise revenues for the government E) to reduce the number of women who voted in national elections.
a
What was the overall importance of the Supreme Court case McCulloch v. Maryland? A) The Court interpreted the delegated powers of Congress broadly, creating the potential for increased national powers. B) The Court gave a very restricted definition of Congress's delegated powers, in keeping with the era of dual federalism. C) The Court announced that dual federalism did not conform to the framers' design. D) The Supreme Court declared that all national banks were unconstitutional. E) The Court forced all states to open at least one branch of the national bank.
a
The Freedom of Information Act is designed to A) lead to quicker filing of habeas corpus petitions. B) make more national security documents available to the public. C) prevent inefficiency and waste in government management. D) expand the freedom of speech granted to government employees. E) allow the government to acquire any information about a person to aid in a government investigation.
b
The turning point in American politics toward a president-centered government came about during the administration of A) Andrew Jackson. B) Abraham Lincoln. C) Franklin Roosevelt. D) Richard Nixon. E) Ronald Reagan.
c
The typical margin of error in a sample survey of 1,500 respondents is A) 0.1 percent. B) 0.5 percent. C) 2.5 percent. D) 10 percent. E) 15 percent.
c
What happened when Harry Truman seized control of the nation's steel mills during the Korean War? A) His action was upheld by the Supreme Court as a constitutional exercise of war powers. B) Congress passed a bill shortly afterward that retroactively approved the steel mill seizures. C) The Supreme Court declared his actions without basis in law or the Constitution. D) The steel mills quickly capitulated to Truman's wartime demands, and the issue passed without further resolution. E) Congress immediately passed a bill that legally prohibited the president from seizing the mills, and Truman quickly rescinded his executive order.
c
What is the most important and beneficial resource that lobbyists provide government officials? A) legitimacy B) money C) information D) campaign workers E) legal assistance
c
Which of the following occurs when one party becomes dominant after replacing another party that has dominated national politics for a lengthy period of time? A) an electoral realignment B) a proportional representation C) a divided government D) external mobilization E) internal mobilization
a
A PAC can contribute ______ to any candidate for federal office, provided it contributes to at least five different federal candidates each year. A) $500 B) $5,000 C) $50,000 D) $500,000 E) $5,000,000
b
A ______ is a system of government in which states retain sovereign authority except for powers expressly delegated to a national government. A) republic B) confederation C) democracy D) bicameral state E) unitary state
b
A senator or representative running for re-election is called the A) constituent. B) incumbent. C) elector. D) trustee. E) delegate.
b
Approximately what percentage of senators and representatives in Congress are women? A) 5 percent B) 17 percent C) 30 percent D) 45 percent E) 55 percent
b
At its peak in ______, the federal bureaucracy had ______ employees, not including military personnel. A) 1936; 6 million B) 1968; 3 million C) 1982; 1 million D) 1996; 8 million E) 1994; 2 million
b
At what level of scrutiny do courts review cases involving gender discrimination? A) strict scrutiny B) intermediate scrutiny C) loose scrutiny D) stare decisis E) rational basis
b
Brutus and Federal Farmer are two pseudonyms used by the A) Federalists. B) Antifederalists. C) Publius. D) Monarchists. E) Constitutionalists.
b
What is the significance of dissenting opinions? A) They are made to appeal to a justice's constituency groups. B) They have as much weight of law as the majority's opinion does. C) Dissents are signs that the Court is in disagreement on an issue and could change its ruling. D) Dissents are meant to confuse lawyers and government officials as to the true meaning of a decided case. E) They are meant to appease the losing side in a case.
c
Which of the following is an independent agency? A) United States Postal Service B) Department of Agriculture C) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) D) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) E) Forest Service
d
Which of the following is not a specialized "legislative court" created by Congress? A) the Court of International Trade B) the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims C) the Court of Federal Claims D) the Court of Federal Territories E) the Court of Military Appeals
d
Which of the following is not part of a country's party system? A) the number of political parties in the country B) the balance of power between and within party coalitions C) the issues and policies around which party competition is organized D) the laws that govern how much money parties can raise and spend in election campaigns E) the parties' social and institutional bases within the country
d
Original jurisdiction refers to A) the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. B) the court with the authority to hear a case first. C) the highest court with the power to overrule other courts. D) Congress's power to determine what cases the federal courts will hear. E) the president's power to appoint federal judges.
b
Over the past decade, polls have revealed that Asian American voters are moving A) toward the Republican Party. B) toward the Democratic Party. C) away from all forms of partisan identity. D) toward the Green Party. E) toward newly formed political parties that focus entirely on Asian American political issues.
b
Responsibility for communicating the leader's wishes to members in Congress lies with the A) Speaker of the House and the Senate president pro tempore. B) whip system. C) party's national committee. D) party caucuses. E) the Ways and Means Committee.
b
Ronald Reagan's inability to dismantle the Department of Education reflects the power of A) the merit system. B) iron triangles. C) the Federal Register. D) devolution. E) separation of powers.
b
Successful amendments to the Constitution A) are usually responses to particular topical problems. B) are most commonly concerned with the structure or composition of the government. C) have often been used to restrict the rights of citizens. D) have typically had little effect on the actual workings of the government. E) have been those designed to promote economic equality.
b
Survey experiments have shown that A) roughly half of Americans had misgivings about a black president in 2007 and 2008. B) roughly one-third of Americans had misgivings about a black president in 2007 and 2008. C) roughly three-fourths of Americans had misgivings about a black president in 2007 and 2008. D) almost all Americans had misgivings about a black president in 2007 and 2008. E) almost no Americans had misgivings about a black president in 2007 and 2008.
b
The Eighth Amendment prohibits A) double jeopardy. B) cruel and unusual punishment. C) denial of a lawyer in felony trials. D) the violation of habeas corpus. E) unlawful searches and seizures.
b
The Fifteenth Amendment, passed in 1870, mandated that A) states were forbidden to impose poll taxes. B) no state could prevent the right to vote on account of race. C) no state could deny the right to vote on account of gender. D) no state could deny the right to vote on account of property requirements. E) literacy tests were forbidden in federal elections.
b
Which of the following is the essence of the rule of law? A) Every state needs to have a written constitution. B) Every state must have an established system of common law. C) Every state needs to make its laws public. D) Every state must judge government officials by the same laws as its citizens are judged. E) Every state must follow federal law.
d
According to the text, which of the following is not a necessary part of the knowledge a citizen must possess? A) the candidates running for office and their policy proposals B) the structures of government C) the political process D) democratic principles E) the economic interests of other citizens
e
Approximately what percentage of proposed bills die in committee? A) 40 percent B) 50 percent C) 60 percent D) 75 percent E) 95 percent
e
Campaign consultants do all of the following except A) conduct public opinion polls. B) organize direct mailings. C) develop the issues on which the candidate will focus. D) produce television commercials. E) print ballots for the election.
e
Which event was most influential in the rise of a more active national government? A) the War of 1812 B) the Civil War C) World War I D) the Great Depression
d
A proposed piece of legislation is called a A) bill. B) referendum. C) proposal. D) cloture. E) filibuster.
a
A state government's authority to regulate the safety, health, and morals of its citizens is called ______ power. A) police B) reserved C) concurrent D) supremacy E) implied
a
According to the text, what are the three most common ways for a president to expand his base of power? A) party support, popular mobilization, and administrative control B) congressional mandate, judicial appointments, and constitutional amendments C) referendums, initiatives, and litigation D) fund-raising, advertising, and logrolling E) gerrymandering, appropriations, and oversight of state governments
a
According to the text, what is the goal of politics? A) to have a say in a government's leadership, organization, and policies B) to get as much power as possible in order to serve one's own interests C) to construct a perfect constitutional order D) to construct a political system that is conducive to economic growth E) to construct a political system that provides as many people as possible with the chance to participate
a
Congress's tendency in recent years to give executive agencies fewer clear guidelines for implementing laws is the result of A) the greater scope and complexity of the tasks that American government has undertaken. B) the reduced scope and complexity of the tasks that American government has undertaken. C) frequent requests made by state governments to transfer more power to the executive branch. D) numerous initiatives passed by voters that require less legislative specificity. E) a series of Supreme Court decisions that ruled executive mandates were unconstitutional.
a
Debates over the wisdom of President Bush's decision to monitor domestic phone traffic in search of communications among terrorist groups without a court warrant illustrate A) the difficulties in reconciling the ideal of liberty with the need for security. B) the difficulties in balancing popular sovereignty and minority rights. C) the impact of pluralist politics on American government. D) the negative consequences of direct democracy. E) the importance of political knowledge to popular sovereignty.
a
During the 1980s, under the leadership of Ronald Reagan, which two groups did the Republican Party add to their coalition? A) religious conservatives and working-class whites B) African Americans and upper-class intellectuals C) Latinos and the business community D) Jews and unionized workers E) gays and lesbians and southern farmers
a
During the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, how many federal agencies or programs were terminated? A) 0 B) 10 C) 26 D) 137 E) 52
a
Government can best be defined as the A) institutions and procedures by which a territory and its people are ruled. B) set of political principles and values that guide political life. C) legalized theft of others' property. D) invisible hand that turns private interests into public goods. E) shared set of values, beliefs, and attitudes that people have about politics.
a
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) and Roe v. Wade (1973) have been extremely important in the development of A) a constitutional right to privacy. B) American due process. C) New Federalism. D) a test that can be used to determine what is protected speech. E) the rights of individuals accused of a crime.
a
If the government were controlled by a small group of wealthy landowners and corporate leaders, this would be best described as a(n) A) oligarchy. B) autocracy. C) authoritarian regime. D) totalitarian state. E) monarchy.
a
In 2008, volunteering for a political campaign was A) a less common activity than contributing money. B) a more common activity than contributing money. C) a more common activity than voting. D) a more common activity than contacting an elected official. E) a more common activity than attending a rally.
a
In addition to pressuring members of Congress to vote a certain way on a bill, interest groups also have substantial influence in A) setting the legislative agenda. B) getting senators to filibuster debates on bills that they oppose. C) determining whether a member of Congress will run for re-election. D) deciding committee assignments for members of Congress. E) determining whether a bill will receive an open rule or a closed rule.
a
In contemporary American politics, solid support for the Republican Party comes from the A) South and Mountain West. B) South, Northeast, and Midwest. C) Northeast, Midwest, and West. D) Northeast, Midwest, and Southwest. E) Northeast and South.
a
In the 1976 decision Buckley v. Valeo, the Supreme Court articulated the principle that A) spending by or on behalf of a candidate for office is protected speech. B) libel is protected by the First Amendment, as long as the person libeled is a public figure. C) burning draft cards is a protected symbolic act, but only if it is done in public. D) the Espionage Act of 1917 was unconstitutional. E) government can regulate speech if the speech contains an incitement to imminent lawless action.
a
In the House of Representatives, the majority leader A) is subordinate to the Speaker of the House. B) is the same office as the Speaker of the House. C) is superior in formal powers to the Speaker of the House. D) has the same powers as the Speaker of the House but is a different office. E) There is no majority leader in the House of Representatives.
a
Most newspaper reporters identify themselves as A) liberal. B) conservative. C) anarchist. D) nonpolitical. E) socialist.
a
One reason why redistricting is controversial is that A) computer technologies allow legislatures to know statistically what kinds of people live where and this can be used to give one party an advantage over the other. B) it is unclear whether state legislatures or the federal government has the authority to redraw districts. C) incumbents never lose when districts are redrawn. D) it is unclear whether districts have to be drawn in such a way that each district includes roughly the same number of people. E) interest groups and PACs exert a great deal of influence over the specific shape of each district.
a
Oversight can best be described as A) the efforts of Congress to supervise the manner in which its laws are implemented by the executive branch. B) the organizational control exercised by party whips over members of Congress. C) the authority of committee chairs over the hearings and investigations conducted by the subcommittees. D) the informal power of the president to set the legislative agenda for Congress. E) the approval that the Senate must give to all presidential appointments to the federal judiciary.
a
Political scientists call voters' choices that focus on future behavior ______, while those based on past performances are called ______. A) prospective voting; retrospective voting B) retrospective voting; prospective voting C) partisan voting; issue voting D) issue voting; partisan voting E) issue voting; prospective voting
a
The doctrine of ______ requires courts to follow authoritative prior decisions when ruling on a case. A) stare decisis B) habeas corpus C) lex talions D) ex post facto E) a priori
a
Pork-barrel legislation A) deals with specific projects and their location within a particular congressional district. B) deals with specific agricultural subsidies. C) funds efforts to increase the levels of America's meat exports. D) grants a special privilege to a person named in the bill. E) orders state governments to implement a program without providing funding for doing so.
a
Shays's Rebellion was an attempt to A) prevent the state of Massachusetts from foreclosing on the lands of debt-ridden farmers. B) invade New England by Loyalists from Canada. C) overthrow the federal government under the Articles of Confederation. D) bring a Georgian slave revolt to Virginia. E) force the British government to rescind the Tea Act.
a
Smaller and weaker parties are most likely to have electoral success under which system of elections? A) the proportional representation system B) the majority system C) the plurality system D) the unitary system E) the referendum system
a
Ten years after Brown v. Board of Education, ______ percent of black children in the Deep South attended school with white children. A) 1 B) 20 C) 33 D) 50 E) 67
a
The "Era of Good Feelings" was A) the period of one-party politics from the collapse of the Federalist Party until the 1830s. B) the period immediately following the end of the Civil War. C) the period of rapid economic growth in the early twentieth century. D) the period immediately following the end of World War II. E) the period of two-party cooperation between 1896 and 1932.
a
The Bill of Rights is the A) first ten amendments to the Constitution. B) first constitution the Founders wrote. C) charter of freedom established by the English lords against the king. D) Fourteenth Amendment. E) first governing document of Plymouth Colony.
a
The Civil Service Act of 1883 attempted to pattern government hiring after practices found in A) business. B) the Catholic Church. C) Congress. D) local government. E) the military.
a
The Communications Decency Act was struck down by the Supreme Court because it violated the A) First Amendment's right to freedom of speech. B) FCC's equal time rule. C) FCC's right of rebuttal. D) FCC's fairness doctrine. E) Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause.
a
The Fair Housing Act of 1968 A) had little effect on housing segregation because its enforcement mechanisms were very weak. B) had little effect on housing segregation because it was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1969. C) had little effect on housing segregation because most housing segregation had been eliminated by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. D) dramatically increased housing segregation. E) dramatically reduced housing segregation.
a
The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth amendments are largely about A) protections for those accused of committing a crime. B) the right to privacy and travel. C) the demands that citizens be treated equally. D) the limits of Congress regarding economic regulation. E) the process of amending the Constitution.
a
The National League of Cities is a good example of a A) public-sector interest group. B) professional association. C) political party. D) political action committee. E) public interest group.
a
The National Origins quota system A) allowed a large quota of new immigrants from northern European countries but only a small quota of new immigrants from eastern and southern European countries. B) allowed only a small quota of new immigrants from northern European countries but a large quota of immigrants from eastern and southern European countries. C) allowed the same quota of new immigrants from every country around the world. D) abolished the quota system for immigrants from certain countries. E) outlawed all immigration from European countries.
a
The Supreme Court's 2010 ruling in McDonald v. Chicago was significant because A) it applied the Second Amendment to state governments for the first time. B) it rejected the idea that the Second Amendment applies to state governments. C) it concluded that the Second Amendment applies only to state governments and not to the federal government. D) it banned assault rifles in the United States. E) it upheld the state of Illinois's restrictions on gun ownership by former felons.
a
The Supreme Court's decisions in Van Orden v. Perry and McCreary v. ACLU illustrate that A) the issue of government-sponsored displays of religious symbols has not yet been definitively settled. B) there are different opinions about whether the establishment clause should apply to state governments as well as to the federal government. C) the free exercise clause has still not been incorporated through the Fourteenth Amendment. D) the Lemon test does not apply to cases involving school prayer. E) the government will never be allowed to display any kind of religious symbols anywhere on government property.
a
The Terri Schiavo case was an example of A) the controversy surrounding the so-called right to die. B) the limits of the Fourth Amendment. C) selective incorporation of the Bill of Rights. D) the Supreme Court's difficulty in defining "cruel and unusual punishment." E) the difference between the establishment clause and the free exercise clause.
a
The Three-fifths Compromise A) determined that three out of every five slaves would be counted for purposes of representation and taxation. B) determined the ratio between free states and slave states. C) created a bicameral legislature. D) declared that the states would pay three-fifths of the Revolutionary War debt and the federal government would pay the rest. E) determined that all American citizens would pay three-fifths of their income to the federal government in taxes every year.
a
The ______ asserted that the president could send American troops into action abroad only in the event of a declaration of war or other statutory authorization by Congress, or if American troops were attacked or directly endangered. A) War Powers Resolution of 1973 B) National Security Act of 1947 C) Neutrality Act of 1937 D) Boland Amendment of 1982 E) Arms Control Export Act of 1976
a
The belief that you can influence how your government acts is called A) political efficacy. B) saliency. C) popular sovereignty. D) autocracy. E) oligarchy.
a
The constitutional idea of states' rights was strongest during which historical period? A) the years immediately preceding the Civil War B) Reconstruction C) the 1910s D) the Great Depression E) the 1960s
a
What were the Alien and Sedition Acts? A) laws passed in the 1790s that made it a crime to say or publish anything that would defame the government of the United States B) laws that made it a crime for foreign immigrants to belong to the Communist Party or other anti-American organizations C) a law passed by Congress denying civil liberties to all citizens D) laws passed during the Civil War denying Confederate sympathizers the right to free speech E) a law passed by Congress in 1921 that restricted immigration to the United States
a
When Dwight Eisenhower sent federal troops into Little Rock High School in 1957, it demonstrated that A) the president may make unilateral use of the emergency powers to protect states against domestic disorder. B) the president requires the federal court's approval before using troops in domestic disturbances. C) the use of the president's emergency powers against domestic disorder necessitates a request by the governor of the affected state. D) the president needs congressional authorization to use troops in both domestic and international situations. E) the president can only use troops in domestic situations when the health and safety of children under the age of 18 is threatened.
a
When New York Times reporter Judith Miller was jailed in 2005, it illustrated that A) the press has no constitutional right to withhold information in court. B) prior restraint can still be allowed in cases of national security. C) journalists are held to a higher standard of libel than average citizens. D) parodies are not protected speech. E) journalists can be punished for reporting inaccurate information on political stories.
a
When the White House directs administrative agencies to promulgate specific rules and regulations, this is called A) regulatory review. B) administrative oversight. C) delegation. D) an executive agreement. E) a mandate.
a
Which clause of the Constitution has been critical in allowing the growth of national power? A) the commerce clause B) the full faith and credit clause C) the comity clause D) the Tenth Amendment E) the establishment clause
a
Which clauses of the Constitution involve the relationships among various states? A) the full faith and credit clause and the privileges and immunities clause B) the full faith and credit clause and the federalism clause C) the privileges and immunities clause and the federalism clause D) the establishment clause and the full faith and credit clause E) the establishment clause and the privileges and immunities clause.
a
Which constitutional clause has been central in debates over gay and lesbian marriage? A) the full faith and credit clause B) the necessary and proper clause C) the privileges and immunities clause D) the interstate commerce clause E) the establishment clause
a
Which idea of representation says that a legislator should be viewed as someone whom voters hire to represent their interests? A) agency representation B) sociological representation C) mirroring representation D) trustee representation E) contract representation
a
Which media source is most critical in setting news agendas? A) newspapers B) television C) radio D) the Internet E) magazines
a
Which of the following Supreme Court cases limited federal power? A) United States v. Lopez and Printz v. United States B) Gibbons v. Ogden and McCulloch v. Maryland C) Gibbons v. Ogden and Brown v. Board of Education D) McCulloch v. Maryland and Brown v. Board of Education E) Gibbons v. Ogden and Roe v. Wade
a
Which of the following best characterizes the Clinton White House's attempts to influence public opinion? A) The Clinton White House used techniques similar to those used in election campaigns to bolster popular enthusiasm for White House initiatives. B) The Clinton White House made no attempts to influence public support for White House initiatives. C) Clinton refused to employ any political consultants or pollsters in his administration. D) The Clinton White House almost never communicated with representatives from the departments of the executive branch about how to coordinate the president's public relations efforts. E) Despite the advice of some of his supporters, Clinton refused to establish a political "war room" to plan his administration's public relations efforts.
a
Which of the following best summarizes the Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education? A) Racially segregated schools can never be equal. B) States that segregate must spend more money to make African American schools equal. C) States that segregate must spend less money on all-white schools in order to make them equal with African American schools. D) The federal judiciary, but not Congress, has the power to enforce civil rights. E) School segregation is unfair but does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment.
a
Which of the following economic policies was the national government allowed to implement during the nineteenth century? A) establishing a series of national banks B) regulating the health and safety of the workplace C) regulating the use of child labor D) preventing the production of impure goods E) prohibiting fraud
a
Which of the following is an agency created by Congress to assist it in overseeing the federal bureaucracy? A) General Accounting Office B) Office of White House Affairs C) Congressional Office on Legislative Affairs D) Office of Management and the Budget E) Congressional Oversight Office
a
Which of the following is the best example of a unitary system of government? A) The federal government sets education policies for all schools. B) The federal government establishes general guidelines for schools but leaves most specific policy decisions up to local school boards. C) The federal government makes funding for schools dependent on test scores but allows local school boards the freedom to determine how to best prepare students for the tests. D) The federal government provides parents with vouchers for private schools, and local governments have no role to play in education policy. E) The federal government provides no funding for schools and leaves education policy entirely up to local school boards.
a
Which of the following is true about political participation? A) African Americans and Latinos are less likely to participate in politics than whites. B) African Americans and Latinos participate in politics at the same levels as whites. C) African Americans hardly participate in politics at all, while Latinos participate at extraordinarily high levels. D) Latinos barely participate in politics, while African Americans participate at extraordinarily high levels. E) Whites hardly participate in politics at all, while African Americans and Latinos participate at extraordinarily high levels.
a
Which of the following statements about presidential pardons is false? A) George Washington declared amnesty to all Americans who fought for the British during the War for Independence. B) Andrew Johnson declared amnesty to all Confederate soldiers. C) Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for crimes he may have committed. D) Jimmy Carter declared amnesty for all draft evaders during the Vietnam War. E) The presidential power to grant pardons involves power over all individuals who may be a threat to the security of the United States.
a
Which of the following statements about voter identification laws is most accurate? A) Voter identification laws in the states disproportionately affect minority citizens and the less affluent. B) Every state requires all voters to show ID before voting at the polls. C) The Supreme Court has ruled that voter identification laws cannot go into effect until after the 2012 election. D) In every state with a voter identification law, a person must have a government-issued photo ID in order to cast a ballot. E) Every voter identification law was passed prior to 1956.
a
Which of the following statements about youth participation in the 2008 presidential election is true? A) Youth turnout rose in 2008, and most young people voted for Barack Obama. B) Youth turnout rose in 2008, and most young people voted for John McCain. C) Youth turnout declined in 2008, but most young people voted for Barack Obama. D) Youth turnout declined in 2008, but most young people voted for John McCain. E) Youth turnout was the same in 2008 as it was in 2004, 2000, and 1996.
a
Which of the following statements concerning the process of reapportionment is correct? A) In order for one state to gain a seat, another state must lose a seat. B) States that grow in size may gain extra seats, but the Constitution forbids reducing the number of representatives for any state. C) States that fall below a minimum number of inhabitants are represented in the House by a nonvoting delegate. D) States that grow in size may gain extra seats, but the Constitution forbids any state from having more than 35 representatives. E) States that grow in population can refuse to accept further seats and instead give them to another state.
a
Which of the following was designed by the framers to be an office directly elected by the people? A) member of the House of Representatives B) senator C) president D) federal court judge E) vice president
a
Which organizations are committed to developing and marketing conservative ideas and policies? A) the Heritage Foundation, the Hoover Institute, and the American Enterprise Institute B) the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and Common Cause C) the National Organization for Women, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the American Association for Retired People D) the Chamber of Commerce, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the Teamsters E) the Brookings Institution, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Public Affairs Council
a
Which president's approach to the managerial presidency featured a deep belief in the importance of scientific expertise in government service? A) Barack Obama B) George W. Bush C) George H. W. Bush D) Ronald Reagan E) Bill Clinton
a
Which statement about the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is false? A) The FCC was established in 1965 under President Lyndon Johnson. B) The FCC licenses radio and television stations. C) The FCC bans explicit sexual and excretory references on airwaves during certain hours of the day. D) The FCC does not regulate newspapers. E) The Telecommunications Act of 1996 loosened many FCC restrictions on media ownership.
a
Who were the writers of the Federalist Papers? A) James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton B) John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson C) George Washington, Samuel Adams, and William Paterson D) Charles Beard, Daniel Shays, and Paul Revere E) James Madison, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson
a
"Astroturf lobbying" refers to the practice whereby A) members of Congress are influenced by being given free tickets to sporting events or other gifts. B) a special interest group simulating a grassroots movement works with well-organized campaigns and petitions. C) members of Congress are influenced by large campaign donations. D) lobbyists begin to specialize, with narrow areas of professional expertise. E) a special interest group pretends to represent the public interest.
b
A "certiorari pool" describes the A) computerized lottery system by which the Supreme Court selects its cases each year. B) practice by which Supreme Court law clerks work together to evaluate each petition. C) method used to appoint the chief justice. D) nickname for the water fountain in the courtyard of the Supreme Court building. E) pool of applicants seeking appointment to the federal judiciary.
b
Cases such as Brandenburg v. Ohio, Loving v. Virginia, and Griswold v. Connecticutillustrate that A) the Supreme Court will rarely strike down laws passed directly by voters through the initiative process. B) the Supreme Court has the authority to overturn state statutes that contravene rights and privileges guaranteed under the Constitution. C) the Supreme Court does not have the authority to overturn state statutes. D) the Supreme Court does not have the authority to strike down sections of state constitutions. E) the Supreme Court will only overturn state laws when the president and Congress agree with the Court's decision.
b
Cheap, tabloid-style papers produced in the nineteenth century were collectively referred to as A) social media. B) the penny press. C) citizen journalism. D) news aggregators. E) niche journalism.
b
Competition between political parties ______ voter turnout. A) depresses B) promotes C) subverts D) corrupts E) has no effect on
b
Desegregating schools in northern states proved to be difficult because A) very few minorities lived in the North. B) segregation in the North was generally de facto, the product of both segregated housing and acts of private discrimination that were hard to prove. C) discrimination in the South was so visible and pervasive that little attention had been given to other parts of the country. D) there was less hostility toward segregation in the North. E) there was less tax revenue to fund integration efforts in the North than in the South.
b
Devolution describes a process through which A) Congress gives up some of its power to the executive branch. B) the federal government is downsized by delegating the implementation of programs to state and local governments. C) state and local governments are downsized by delegating the implementation of programs to the federal government. D) the United States delegates some of its power to the UN. E) the federal government is downsized by completely cutting wasteful programs.
b
During the nineteenth century, newspapers were controlled by A) Wall Street. B) political parties. C) churches and other religious groups. D) state governments. E) the federal government.
b
During the nineteenth century, party machines depended heavily on ______ in order to reward loyal party supporters. A) 527 committees B) patronage C) soft money D) caucuses E) hard money
b
Each of the following was an Antifederalist except A) Patrick Henry. B) John Jay. C) George Mason. D) Richard Henry Lee. E) Elbridge Gerry.
b
Having some share or say in the composition of a government's leadership, how it is organized, or what its policies are going to be is called A) government. B) power. C) autocracy. D) federalism. E) constitutionalism.
b
How did the colonists' victory in the Revolutionary War change the balance of political power in the new states? A) Royal land, office, and patent holders became the controlling force in many state legislatures, and pre-Revolutionary radicals were significantly weakened. B) Royal land, office, and patent holders were significantly weakened, and pre-Revolutionary radicals became the controlling forces in many state legislatures. C) Royal land, office, and patent holders became the controlling force in many state legislatures, and Native Americans were placed in positions of power in the federal government. D) Royal land, office, and patent holders became the controlling force in many state legislatures, and women were placed in positions of power in the federal government. E) Royal land, office, and patent holders were significantly weakened, and Native Americans were placed in positions of power in the federal government.
b
How did the traditional system of dual federalism establish a "commercial republic"? A) The federal government passed laws forbidding any regulation of capitalism. B) The function of the federal government was to promote and assist commerce. C) Dual federalism established property-holding requirements for federal officeholders. D) The federal government was originally designed to regulate and control the marketplace. E) The federal government sold many natural resources from publicly owned lands.
b
How many justices currently serve on the Supreme Court? A) seven B) nine C) ten D) eleven E) fifteen
b
If a citizen votes for a candidate because he or she approves of the candidate's past record, it is called A) prospective voting. B) retrospective voting. C) poll testing. D) ticket splitting. E) recall voting.
b
If the winner of an election is whoever receives the most votes, regardless of the percentage of votes received, the candidates are running under a ______ system. A) majority B) plurality C) proportionality D) unitary E) primary
b
In 1964, the Republican Party presidential nominee, ______, espoused a number of ideas, such as less taxation and less government regulation of the economy, that became major themes for the modern Republican Party. A) Richard Nixon B) Barry Goldwater C) Ronald Reagan D) Franklin Delano Roosevelt E) Dwight Eisenhower
b
In what type of law is the government always the plaintiff? A) public law B) criminal law C) civil law D) common law E) tort law
b
Men in the United States are ______ the ______ Party. A) overwhelmingly committed to; Republican B) somewhat more likely to support; Republican C) overwhelmingly committed to; Democratic D) somewhat more likely to support; Democratic E) overwhelmingly committed to; Green
b
Most cases reach the Supreme Court through the A) writ of appeal. B) writ of certiorari. C) writ of habeas corpus. D) writ of amicus curiae. E) state courts.
b
Most local newspapers get their national news from A) local reporters. B) wire services. C) the Internet. D) government reports, press briefings, and announcements. E) interviews with politicians.
b
Opposition to legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ______ while support for legalized abortion is a position most likely supported by ______. A) liberals; conservatives B) conservatives; liberals C) libertarians; conservatives D) liberals; libertarians E) libertarians; liberals
b
The power to declare war is given to ______ under the Constitution. A) the president B) the Senate C) both houses of Congress D) the Senate, with the approval of the president E) the Department of Defense
c
The Reconstruction era in the South came to an end because A) African Americans had been granted full social, political, and economic equality in the South. B) Northern Republicans agreed to remove federal troops from the South and give up on their support for civil liberties if Southern Democrats allowed Rutherford B. Hayes to become president. C) the Supreme Court ruled that federal troops could not be stationed in Southern states under the Constitution. D) A referendum on the federal government's military presence was held in 1876 and a majority of Americans voted to end the Reconstruction policies. E) In 1876, state legislatures from around the South passed laws forcing the federal government to remove all troops immediately.
b
The United States began its tradition of the ______ during the early eighteenth century. A) single-party mandate B) two-party system C) multiparty system D) proportional representation E) 527 committees
b
The effort by political candidates and their staff to win backing and support by voters in the quest for political office is known as a(n) A) incumbency. B) campaign. C) caucus. D) platform. E) national convention.
b
The fact that the media referred to the Obama administration's health care initiative as "reform" instead of as "health care rationing" is an example of the media's power of A) agenda setting. B) framing. C) sound bites. D) news enclaves. E) adversarial journalism.
b
The first lady is an important resource for the president in his capacity as A) head of government. B) head of state. C) commander in chief. D) legislative initiator. E) chief diplomat.
b
The idea of ______ identifies the best representative as the one who shares a similar racial, ethnic, religious, or occupational background with those he or she represents. A) agency representation B) sociological representation C) mirroring representation D) trustee representation E) delegate representation
b
The increase of administrative agencies since the New Deal has resulted in a(n) A) increased instance of Congress writing administrative rules. B) delegation of power by Congress to administrative agencies. C) strict nondelegation doctrine pronounced by the Supreme Court. D) increase in states making administrative law. E) increase in federal laws being challenged in the courts.
b
The issue of representation, which threatened to wreck the entire Constitutional Convention, was resolved by the Great Compromise, also called the A) New Jersey Plan. B) Connecticut Compromise. C) Pennsylvania Compromise. D) Delaware Deal. E) Virginia Plan.
b
The legality of interracial marriages prior to 1967 is an example of A) how states have always been forced to recognize marriages performed in other states. B) states' power to ignore the full faith and credit clause if it is against their strong public policy interests. C) the fact that only the federal government has the power to recognize marriages. D) the strict limits of the necessary and proper clause. E) the power of the privileges and immunities clause.
b
The most important selection bias in news is A) the ideology of the journalists. B) the audience appeal of a story. C) the newsworthiness of a story. D) the economic interests of the media's owners. E) the approval of government regulators.
b
The office of the presidency was established by ______ of the Constitution. A) Article I B) Article II C) Article III D) Article IV E) Article V
b
The power of the Christian Coalition in the 1990s was due to A) its ability to donate large sums of money to candidates. B) its success in mobilizing a large grassroots base. C) the number of its members who were elected to political office. D) its close alignment with the Democratic Party. E) the number of its members who were appointed to the federal judiciary.
b
The role the House of Representatives plays in impeachments can best be compared with that of a A) judge. B) grand jury. C) prosecuting attorney. D) defense attorney. E) defense witness.
b
The specific powers granted to the national government in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution are called the A) implied powers. B) expressed powers. C) sovereign powers. D) executive powers. E) absolute powers.
b
The term marble cake federalism is meant to refer to what development? A) budgeting being conducted with a "dessert first" mentality B) intergovernmental cooperation blurring the lines between different layers of government C) the federal government bribing the states with various gifts in order to convince them to follow national standards D) federalism becoming hard and tasteless E) the confusion that emerged during the 1960s about which layer of government is actually responsible for regulating the national economy
b
The term public opinion is used to describe A) the president's collected speeches and writings during his term in office. B) the analysis of events broadcasted by reporters during the evening news. C) beliefs and attitudes toward different issues, events, and people. D) the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions. E) political debates that take place between citizens in public settings.
b
Three factors related to the American electoral system affect who is elected to office in this country and what they do once they get there. Those factors are A) party affiliation, family connections, and the substance of issues raised during a campaign. B) who decides to run for office, incumbency, and the drawing of district lines. C) incumbency, franking, and party affiliation. D) military service, professional connections, and religious beliefs. E) race, religious beliefs, and the region of the country the district falls within.
b
Throughout American history, the concept of liberty has been linked to the A) idea of privacy. B) idea of limited government. C) idea of unlimited government. D) idea of economic equality. E) Articles of Confederation.
b
What are the greatest dangers associated with a trustee model of representation? A) Members of the Congress may not bring back enough pork-barrel projects to their districts. B) Representatives may become inattentive to the wishes and opinions of their constituents. C) Members of Congress may give inadequate deference to the executive branch in the area of national security. D) The representatives who adopt this model are too influenced by special interest groups. E) Members of Congress may become too polarized, and bipartisanship will decrease significantly.
b
What are the most common private bills proposed in Congress? A) bills giving individuals or corporations tax relief B) bills for permanent visas or citizenship for foreign nationals C) bills for defense contracts in a representative's district D) bills that declare certain foreign nationals enemies of the United States E) There are no private bills in Congress; all bills must be public.
b
What did the Supreme Court declare in Miller v. Johnson? A) Districts could not be drawn to favor the incumbent candidate. B) The racial composition of a district could not be the predominant factor when redistricting. C) Incumbents could not begin fund-raising more than nine months before the general election. D) It was not unconstitutional for states to use an unelected, nonpartisan committee to redistrict. E) The use of computer technologies to draw districts that will favor one party over another is unconstitutional.
b
What did the Supreme Court rule in Bowers v. Hardwick? A) There was a constitutional right to privacy for consensual homosexual activity. B) There was no constitutional right to privacy for consensual homosexual activity. C) The Court extended civil rights protection of gays and lesbians as a class. D) The Court legalized gay marriages. E) The Court ruled that employment discrimination against gays and lesbians was a violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
b
What did the framers call the "least dangerous branch"? A) the Senate B) the Supreme Court C) the system of state courts D) the president E) the bureaucracy
b
What distinguishes lobbying from other strategies of influence? A) Lobbying is the least expensive and the most democratic strategy of influencing government. B) Lobbyists try to exert pressure directly on government officials themselves. C) Lobbyists attempt to influence government directly by running for elected office. D) Lobbying is the only form of influence that has explicit First Amendment protection from regulation. E) Lobbying involves advertising in order to create a positive image of an organization.
b
What is the primary variable for predicting the likelihood of joining an interest group? A) having an interest shared by others B) having a higher income and education C) already being a member of a political party D) having connections with government officials E) the region of the country in which an individual lives
b
What unusual action did Texas take after the 2000 census? A) The Texas legislature refused to change the congressional districts from what they were during the 1990s. B) Texas redistricted twice, in 2001 and 2003. C) The Texas legislature established a nonpartisan redistricting board to draw new districts. D) The Texas legislature permitted the Department of Justice to draw the new district boundaries, in conformity with the Voting Rights Act of 1965. E) The Texas legislature allowed citizens to vote directly on how each of the new districts should be drawn.
b
When a group is called a membership association, it means that A) the group accepts anyone as a member. B) members play an important role in the daily activities of the group. C) members vote directly for the leaders. D) membership is a mandatory requirement for receiving any of the group's benefits. E) every decision the group makes must be voted on and approved by every member.
b
When the House and the Senate coordinate two versions of the same bill, they will often use a ______ to obtain a single unified bill. A) joint committee B) conference committee C) reconciliation committee D) standing committee E) select committee
b
When the media focus on a candidate's relative standing in the polls instead of substantive issues, they are demonstrating ______ coverage. A) bandwagon B) horse race C) momentum D) lame duck E) dog show
b
Which event helped lead to a change in the way that the electoral college chose the president and vice president? A) the riots caused by the Alien and Sedition Act in the 1790s B) the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr in 1803 C) the failure of Andrew Jackson to win the White House in 1824 D) the failure of the electoral college to produce a majority for any candidate in 1824 E) the secession of southern states in 1860
b
Which of the following best describes the role of the solicitor general? A) the chief legal counsel for the White House B) the lawyer who represents the United States before the Supreme Court in cases where the federal government is a party C) the chief lawyer for Congress who makes advisory opinions on the constitutionality of legislative proposals D) the head of the Department of Justice E) the chief legal counsel to the U.S. military
b
Which of the following is a government corporation? A) the National Park Service B) the U.S. Postal Service C) the Department of Defense D) the Federal Bureau of Investigation E) the Department of Agriculture
b
Which of the following statements about congressional oversight of the bureaucracy is most accurate? A) The number of oversight hearings has decreased over time as the bureaucracy has expanded. B) While the number of oversight hearings has increased over time as the bureaucracy has expanded, the extent of oversight does depend somewhat on which party controls the White House. C) The number of oversight hearings has remained constant over time despite the fact that bureaucracy has expanded. D) While the number of oversight hearings has increased over time as the bureaucracy has expanded, the extent of oversight does not depend on which party controls the White House. E) Oversight has been eliminated as a result of a 2005 Supreme Court decision.
b
Which of the following statements about the U.S. Courts of Appeals is incorrect? A) The appeals courts were created by Congress, not by the Constitution. B) The appeals courts are able to hear all cases involving federal law, but not constitutional law. C) About 20 percent of federal cases are heard by the appeals courts. D) There are more than ten appeals courts in the United States. E) Except for cases selected for review by the Supreme Court, decisions made by an appeals court are final.
b
Which of the following statements about the marketplace of ideas is true? A) The English created the marketplace of ideas in the seventeenth century. B) Private groups and the news media play important roles in shaping opinions in the marketplace of ideas. C) Exposure to the marketplace of ideas rarely leads people to change their minds about political issues. D) Only individuals, not groups or organizations, are allowed to promote ideas in the marketplace of ideas. E) Government officials are legally prohibited from promoting ideas in the marketplace of ideas.
b
Which of the following statements best describes how recent administrations have approached the issue of bureaucratic reform? A) Republican administrations have aimed to make the existing bureaucracy work more effectively while Democratic administrations have sought to reduce bureaucracy by contracting out government work to private companies. B) Democratic administrations have aimed to make the existing bureaucracy work more effectively while Republican administrations have sought to reduce bureaucracy by contracting out government work to private companies. C) Both Democratic and Republican administrations have rejected the idea of reducing bureaucracy and have aimed to make existing bureaucracy work more effectively. D) Both Democratic and Republican administrations have given up on trying to make the existing bureaucracy function more effectively and, instead, sought to reduce bureaucracy by contracting out government work to private companies. E) Both Democrats and Republicans have avoided any attempts to reform government bureaucracy.
b
Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between lobbyists and Congress in recent years? A) The relationship between Congress and lobbyists has become distant and strained. B) The relationship between lobbyists and Congress has become so close that many have argued that lobbyists have become like staff members to the Republican leadership. C) Lobbyists are more heavily relied on for information but are less important as sources of campaign contributions. D) Since the breakdown of iron triangles, most successful lobbyists have moved on to state legislatures. E) Lobbyists have abandoned Congress and focused their lobbying efforts on the executive and judicial branches.
b
Which of the following statements is most accurate? A) The War Powers Act has been fully observed by every president who has deployed the military overseas since Gerald Ford. B) Recent presidents have refrained from asking Congress to declare war and have, instead, frequently deployed the military without congressional authorization. C) Recent presidents have asked Congress to declare war many times and have never deployed the military without congressional authorization. D) Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in order to give the president more control over the military. E) As a result of the War Powers Resolution, Congress now has more control over the military than the president does.
b
Which of the following transpires when one party controls the presidency while another party controls one or both houses of Congress? A) an electoral realignment B) a divided government C) a seditious government D) internal mobilization E) external mobilization
b
Which of the following was not an important part of the movement to expand civil rights for African Americans? A) NAACP B) DAR C) SNCC D) SCLC E) black churches
b
Which of the following would not be an example of speech plus? A) burning the American flag B) assassinating a political leader C) picketing a factory D) holding a sit-in at a public park E) distributing leaflets advocating political reform
b
Which of the following would not constitute an example of patronage? A) a senator from Virginia adding a project for a $3.5 million horse trail in Virginia to a highway bill B) a senator from New York voting in favor of a law to eliminate earmarks C) a member of the House helping a senior citizen who lives in their district overcome problems with their Social Security benefit eligibility D) a member of the House securing an appointment to one of the military academies for the child of a constituent E) a member of the House sponsoring a bill to obtain legal status for an undocumented couple whose son had died as a marine in Iraq
b
Which president was most concerned with managing and reorganizing the executive bureaucracy? A) Richard Nixon B) Jimmy Carter C) Ronald Reagan D) Bill Clinton E) Woodrow Wilson
b
Which statement is the definition of privatization? A) a way to shrink the federal budget by selling government services or property in the private sector B) a way to reduce government costs by relocating government programs to private groups or corporations C) a way to reduce big government by doing without some of the programs it once provided D) a way to increase the government's role by purchasing private companies E) a way to reduce government costs by lowering the amount of benefits paid out to private citizens
b
Which system develops when the winner of an electoral race obtains more votes than any other candidate? A) the majority system B) the plurality system C) proportional representation D) the winner-take-all system E) the spoils system
b
Who decides which committee assignments members of the House of Representatives receive? A) the Speaker of the House B) each party's own "steering and policy" committee C) the president selects for members of his own party, and either the House majority or minority leader selects for opposition members D) each party's National Committee E) each party's whip
b
Why was it considered shocking when, after the Civil War, Andrew Johnson made a series of speeches seeking public support for his Reconstruction policies? A) Johnson traveled with his own press secretary, the first time a president had used public relations officials. B) During the nineteenth century, it was seen as undignified for a president to campaign on his own behalf. C) Johnson did not speak to the general public, but instead spoke only to handpicked audiences where he knew he would be favorably received. D) Johnson's speeches were delivered only in the former Confederate states and ignored the North, where he most needed support. E) Johnson's speeches were the first to encourage women and African Americans to become active in politics.
b
______ are nonprofit independent groups that receive and distribute funds to influence the nomination, election, and defeat of a candidate. A) Political action committees B) 527 Committees C) Political caucuses D) Political parties E) Party machines
b
______ was an important Washington lobbyist who was indicted in 2005 on charges of violating federal lobbying laws. A) Valerie Plame B) Jack Abramoff C) Paul Wolfowitz D) Michael Bloomberg E) Karl Rove
b
______ was one of the founders of the NAACP. A) Woodrow Wilson B) W. E. B. Du Bois C) Thurgood Marshall D) Malcolm X E) Harriet Tubman
b
The right of due process is best described as the right of A) everyone to appeal his trial. B) every citizen to vote. C) every person not to be treated arbitrarily by a government official or agency. D) every person to be a lawyer. E) every person to sue when he or she feels harmed in some way.
c
The takings clause states that government may not take private property A) for public use. B) without prior notification. C) without just compensation. D) without giving it back in due time. E) for any reason.
c
A party's ______ contains its philosophy, principles, and policy positions. A) caucus B) convention C) platform D) machine E) primary
c
According to the text, democracy functions best when A) all citizens are members of a political party. B) a majority of citizens vote in every election. C) citizens are informed. D) all candidates for office are highly educated. E) all candidates for office are wealthy.
c
Alexander Hamilton argued that the chief executive office should possess A) popularity. B) judgment. C) energy. D) gravitas. E) integrity.
c
An individual's psychological attachment to one party or another is called a party A) ideology. B) opinion. C) identification. D) tradition. E) value system.
c
Approximately what percent of Americans are completely offline? A) 0 B) 10 C) 20 D) 33 E) 50
c
As a third-party candidate, Ross Perot captured approximately ______ percent of the popular vote in the 1992 presidential election. A) 5 B) 10 C) 20 D) 30 E) 40
c
Before the Civil Service Act of 1883, how were government appointments handled? A) Appointments were made on the basis of merit. B) Appointments were made on the basis of seniority. C) Appointments were made to political supporters as part of a spoils system. D) The Civil Service Act of 1883 created the first federal bureaucracy. E) The president or his staff appointed all civil servants.
c
Chartering a bank is a ______ power, because both federal and state governments have the authority to do it. A) necessary B) police C) concurrent D) reserve E) sovereign
c
Congress was attempting to strike a balance between the need for secrecy in national security and the right of individuals to know what their government is doing when it passed the ______ Act. A) Sedition B) Morill C) Freedom of Information D) Secrecy in Government E) USA PATRIOT
c
Direct democracy is best defined as A) a state of continual revolution. B) the system that allows people to vote by telephone or over the Internet. C) a system that allows citizens to vote directly for laws and policies. D) the competition between interest groups for governmental power. E) a system that allows citizens to elect representatives who play a significant role in governmental decision making
c
Each of the following has been a method by which the federal courts have expanded their power except A) liberalizing the concept of standing. B) broadening the scope of relief from individuals to entire groups. C) narrowing the discretionary authority of the president over foreign affairs and diplomacy. D) holding onto jurisdiction over a case until the court's decision has been carried out. E) taking a more active role in hearing cases that would generally be considered legislative matters.
c
Each year, the Supreme Court receives about ______ appeals and hears about ______ of them in full court. A) 1,000; 500 B) 200; 10 C) 9,500; 80 D) 12,000; 300 E) 5,000; 100
c
Executive agreements differ from formal treaties in that they A) have been ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court. B) must be approved by the U.S. Supreme Court but not by Congress. C) do not have to be approved by the Senate. D) do not have to be approved by the House. E) are generally formulated at meetings of the United Nations.
c
Executive privilege refers to A) the fact that the Senate never votes against presidential appointments to the executive branch. B) the increasing power of the executive branch in determining fiscal policy. C) the claim that confidential communications between a president and close advisers should not be revealed without the consent of the president. D) the right of presidents to eliminate government agencies without the approval of Congress. E) the authority of members of the executive branch to formulate specific rules when implementing vague legislation.
c
Federal officials seeking to give state government more authority are most likely to support A) unfunded mandates. B) preemption. C) block grants. D) categorical grants. E) project grants.
c
If George W. Bush won the plurality of votes in Texas during the 2000 election, and Texas had thirty representatives in the House of Representatives, how many electoral votes from Texas did Bush win? A) 0 B) 30 C) 32 D) 44 E) 50
c
If a television station sold commercial time to a Republican candidate for governor, but refused to sell time to the Democratic candidate for governor, this station would be violating the A) Telecommunications Act of 1996. B) fairness doctrine. C) equal time rule. D) right of rebuttal. E) Communications Decency Act.
c
In United States v. Nixon, the Supreme Court A) impeached Nixon. B) allowed Nixon to withhold secret tapes from Congress. C) required Nixon to turn over secret tapes to Congress. D) reinstated the independent prosecutor fired by Nixon. E) ruled that Nixon must resign from office in order to avoid criminal charges.
c
In a liberal ideology, which of the core American values is most important? A) liberty B) democracy C) equality D) justice E) patriotism
c
In the national debate over ratification of the new Constitution, the Federalists A) supported a return to the Articles of Confederation. B) opposed the Constitution and preferred decentralized government. C) supported the Constitution and preferred a strong national government. D) supported a return to British rule. E) refused to support the Constitution unless a Bill of Rights was added.
c
The technique of popular mobilization dates back to the presidency of A) Thomas Jefferson. B) Ulysses Grant. C) Theodore Roosevelt. D) Franklin Roosevelt. E) Andrew Johnson.
c
Issues such as the environment, health care, retirement benefits, and taxation are on the political agenda in the United States because A) these are the only issues that are important to all Americans. B) these are the only problems that have yet to be solved by the free market. C) contemporary political parties mainly compete for the support of middle-class Americans and these issues are important to the middle class. D) the Constitution limits the federal government's powers to legislating on these issues. E) these are the only issues where Democrats and Republicans consistently agree with each other.
c
It is important for Americans to have political knowledge so that they A) will be able to determine who is or is not un-American. B) will not suffer from "political efficacy." C) will be better able to assess their own interests when making political choices. D) will be better able to judge the legitimacy of other nations. E) will feel a stronger sense of patriotism.
c
Low voter turnout and political apathy endanger A) equality. B) economic liberty. C) democracy. D) constitutionalism. E) laissez-faire capitalism.
c
Of the nearly 200 governments in the world, what is the estimate of the number of actual constitutional democracies? A) 20 B) 75 C) 87 D) 110 E) 150
c
On average, more women vote for ______ candidates, and more men vote for ______ candidates. A) Republican; Republican B) Republican; Democratic C) Democratic; Republican D) Democratic; Democratic E) Independent; Independent
c
Party activists are ______ to contribute time, energy, and effort to party affairs and ______ to hold more extreme views than the party's rank-and-file voters. A) less likely; less likely B) less likely; more likely C) more likely; more likely D) more likely; less likely E) equally likely; equally likely
c
Political culture refers to the A) way that artists, musicians, filmmakers, and cultural critics use their message to influence political decision making. B) factors that influence the way informal social organizations make decisions. C) shared values, beliefs, and attitudes that serve to hold a nation and its people together. D) system of organizing politically, which is defined in the Articles of Confederation. E) formal rules that govern the interaction between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
c
State ballot access laws, such as registration fees and petition requirements, have the effect of A) increasing the number of people who are willing to vote for third-party candidates. B) reducing the number of people who are willing to vote for third-party candidates. C) reducing the number of third-party and independent candidates who can run for office. D) increasing the number of third-party and independent candidates who can run for office. E) decreasing the importance of soft money in election campaigns.
c
The 1787 convention to draft a new constitution was held in A) Boston. B) New York City. C) Philadelphia. D) Washington, D.C. E) Charlottesville, Virginia.
c
The Bill of Rights was ratified by the states in A) 1776. B) 1787. C) 1791. D) 1802. E) 1812.
c
The Constitution was amended to allow women to vote during all public elections in A) 1870. B) 1885. C) 1920. D) 1948. E) 1965.
c
The Constitution's Preamble, beginning with the words "We the People," is an illustration of what principle? A) majority rule B) political equality C) popular sovereignty D) minority rights E) political rights
c
The Pentagon Papers were released as a result of A) Nixon's repudiation of the Johnson administration's strategy in Vietnam. B) investigations led by Washington Post reporters in 1972. C) a leak by a minor Defense Department staffer. D) an accident in which some of the papers were left on a Washington, D.C., subway. E) a Freedom of Information Act request by the American Civil Liberties Union.
c
The ability of the president to veto a bill passed by Congress is a good example of what principle of limited government? A) separation of powers B) federalism C) checks and balances D) civil liberties E) majority rule, minority rights
c
The belief that government is a wasteful and dangerous institution and should be limited to as few activities as possible is an example of a political A) culture. B) value. C) ideology. D) truism. E) interest.
c
The decentralization of news refers to A) the expansion in the number of people who subscribe to traditional newspapers. B) the growing number of news organizations that maintain bureaus in Washington, D.C. C) the decline of national media reporting and the revitalization of local news coverage. D) the fact that it is now easier to find coverage of international affairs in the United States than it is to find coverage of domestic affairs. E) the tendency for reporters to ignore the actions of the president and focus instead on low-ranking government bureaucrats.
c
The expansion of the Executive Office of the President, the development of regulatory review, and the use of executive orders have been important because they A) are deeply unpopular with the public and have led to the declining trust in American government. B) make it very difficult for challengers to defeat incumbent presidents in elections. C) have given presidents substantial capacity to achieve significant policy results despite congressional opposition to their legislative agendas. D) have dramatically limited the power of the president and made it easier for Congress to dominate the American political system. E) have rendered the judiciary essentially irrelevant in the American political system.
c
The first modern free speech case in which the Supreme Court interpreted the full scope of the First Amendment was A) in the 1790s, soon after the Bill of Rights was ratified. B) during the Civil War. C) in the years right after World War I. D) during the Great Depression. E) during the Cold War.
c
The first organized interest groups arose in response to the A) debates about the ratification of the Constitution. B) Civil War. C) economic interventions of the federal government during the 1890s. D) New Deal policies during the 1930s. E) New Politics movement of the 1960s.
c
The majority of PACs represent A) single-issue advocacy groups. B) trial lawyers. C) business and professional groups. D) the Republicans and Democrats. E) environmental groups and religious organizations.
c
What was the main reason that Alexander Hamilton did not want a bill of rights? A) He wanted the government to have as much power as possible. B) He believed that too many individual liberties destroyed the trust between citizen and government. C) He believed it was unnecessary for a government that possessed only specifically delegated powers. D) He believed a bill of rights would make the Constitution too long and cumbersome. E) He believed a bill of rights would lead to too many frivolous lawsuits.
c
When American voters support only one party's candidates, they are said to be voting a A) dual ticket. B) single ticket. C) straight ticket. D) split ticket. E) unity ticket.
c
When two members of Congress who share no common interests agree to support each other's bills, the practice is called A) filibustering. B) delegating. C) logrolling. D) bargaining. E) pork barreling.
c
Which of the following best explains the small number of women in Congress? A) More men than women vote, and men tend not to vote for women candidates. B) Women do not have organizations or PACs supporting their candidacy. C) Incumbency is a very powerful resource, and most incumbents have been men. D) Women do not make very effective representatives. E) Women do not want to run for Congress.
c
Which of the following best indicated the downfall of the New Deal coalition? A) John Kennedy's election in 1960 B) Lyndon Johnson's election in 1964 C) Richard Nixon's election in 1968 D) Jimmy Carter's election in 1976 E) Bill Clinton's election in 1992
c
Which of the following is not a federal department entrusted with providing national security? A) Defense B) State C) Police D) Justice E) Homeland Security
c
Which of the following is not part of the Justice Department? A) the Civil Rights division B) the Antitrust division C) the Internal Revenue Service D) Criminal division E) Tax division
c
Which of the following rights is not found in the original, unamended Constitution? A) guarantee of habeas corpus B) prohibition of ex post facto laws C) prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment D) guarantee of trial by jury in the state where the crime was committed E) prohibition of bills of attainder
c
Which of the following statements about political opinions is not true? A) Race, income, and education cause important differences in opinion. B) The poor are generally more supportive of economic and social programs than the wealthy. C) The poor are generally less supportive of economic and social programs than the wealthy. D) Whites and blacks have differing views on racism. E) Women are more opposed to military intervention than men.
c
Which of the following statements about the House and the Senate is false? A) The Senate has the power to ratify treaties while the House does not. B) The Senate has the power to approve presidential appointments while the House does not. C) The House has the power to overturn a president's veto while the Senate does not. D) The House has the power to originate revenue bills while the Senate does not. E) Members of the House have two-year terms while Senators have six-year terms.
c
Which of the following statements best describes the composition of the federal judiciary? A) There are an equal number of men and women and far fewer Hispanics than African Americans. B) There are far fewer women than men and far fewer African Americans than Hispanics. C) There are far fewer women than men and far fewer Hispanics than African Americans. D) There are far fewer men than women and far fewer Hispanics than African Americans. E) There are far fewer men than women and far fewer African Americans than Hispanics.
c
Which of the following statements concerning third parties is false? A) Third parties are often short-lived. B) Successful third parties often have their programs adopted by one of the two major parties. C) The earliest third parties in the United States arose as a result of the Great Depression. D) Third parties almost always lose at the national level. E) Under federal election law, any minor party receiving more than 5 percent of the national presidential vote is entitled to federal funds.
c
Which of the following statements is true? A) Federal law since 2002 requires that all states use the same type of voting equipment. B) The Supreme Court has mandated that all voting machines provide a paper ballot. C) Voting equipment varies from county to county throughout the United States. D) Since 2000, all voting equipment has been required to use a butterfly ballot. E) The Supreme Court has ruled that elections using electronic voting machines are unconstitutional.
c
Which of the following tasks does a party's national committee not perform? A) raising funds B) resolving disputes between factions of the party C) selecting presidential and vice-presidential candidates D) enhancing the media image of the party E) heading the political party during the period between conventions
c
Who defended the British soldiers involved in the Boston Massacre? A) Thomas Jefferson B) Samuel Adams C) John Adams D) John Hancock E) George Washington
c
Who is the Speaker of the House? A) The vice president is also the Speaker of the House. B) The representative with the longest tenure in the House is the Speaker of the House. C) The elected leader of the majority party in the House is the Speaker. D) An employee of Congress who formally brings the House into session each day is the Speaker. E) The president selects the Speaker of the House from the majority party in the House.
c
Who wrote the Supreme Court opinions in both McCulloch v. Maryland and Gibbons v. Ogden? A) Alexander Hamilton B) James Madison C) John Marshall D) Roger Taney E) Andrew Jackson
c
Why did the Progressives support women's suffrage in the early twentieth century? A) The Progressives were a group dominated by women. B) The Progressives wanted to make the United States as democratic as possible. C) The Progressives believed women would support their reform movement. D) The Progressives needed to develop a voting bloc to check and limit upper-class northerners. E) The Progressives needed to develop a voting bloc to check and limit lower-class southerners.
c
Which constitutional principle of the United States has been most frequently imitated by other nations? A) bicameralism B) federalism C) lifetime tenure for judges D) written constitutions E) the electoral college
d
Why did the Supreme Court rule that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act was unconstitutional? A) The Court argued that the Constitution forbids the establishment of official or unofficial religions. B) The Court argued that peyote smoking is illegal, even if it is for religious reasons. C) The Court argued that Congress had violated the separation of powers principle. D) The president did not formally sign the act. E) The Court argued that the act unnecessarily limited an individual's right to believe and practice whatever religion he or she chooses.
c
Why did the delegates at the Philadelphia Convention turn down the idea of including a list of citizens' rights in the Constitution? A) They believed that protecting citizens' rights was not an important responsibility for government. B) They believed that such a list would limit economic development. C) They believed that since the federal government was already limited to its expressed powers, further protection of citizens was not needed. D) They believed that citizens should vote directly on which rights should be protected. E) They believed that such a list would make government too weak to protect national security.
c
Why was the Supreme Court's decision in Ricci v. DeStefano important? A) It overturned a prior decision by Elena Kagan, who, a few months later, joined the Supreme Court. B) It held that employment tests for promotion could not discriminate based on gender or race. C) It held that, in order to seek damages, employees must show that employment tests for promotion are clearly defective, rather than that they produce unequal outcomes based on race or gender. D) It held that, in order to seek damages, employees must show that employment tests for promotion clearly create unequal outcomes based on race or gender. E) It held that employment tests for promotion were allowed to discriminate based on gender or race if the employer could show that the position would be better performed by a person with a particular race or gender.
c
What constitutional clause affirms that national laws and treaties, made under the authority of the Constitution, are the supreme law of the land? A) the full faith and credit clause B) the necessary and proper clause C) the republican government clause D) the supremacy clause E) the establishment clause
d
"Due process of law" in the United States is generally defined by the A) First, Second, Third, and Fourth amendments. B) First, Second, Ninth, and Tenth amendments. C) Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth amendments. D) Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth amendments. E) Seventh, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth amendments.
d
A party activist is an individual who A) attends every social function that a political party stages. B) writes favorable news reports for the national media. C) commits acts of civil disobedience when asked to by a political party. D) not only votes, but also contributes time, energy, effort, and financial resources to party affairs. E) formally declares their membership with a political party when registering to vote.
d
A significant initiative set forth by Lyndon Johnson was A) the New Deal. B) the war on terrorism. C) Prohibition. D) the Great Society. E) the Great Leap Forward.
d
According to the text, daily Internet users who participate in society and politics through online activities are called A) 2.0 participators. B) online activists. C) Internet junkies. D) digital citizens. E) Web entrepreneurs.
d
All of the following are part of the official jurisdiction of the federal courts except A) treaties with other nations. B) federal statutes. C) cases involving the U.S. Constitution. D) cases involving citizens from the same state. E) any case in which the U.S. government is party.
d
As a constitution, the Articles of Confederation were concerned primarily with A) creating a national government that had significant power and authority. B) creating a federal form of government. C) creating a form of government in which the states were largely subservient to the national government. D) limiting the powers of the central government. E) creating a strong and unified national armed forces.
d
If a radio station aired a personal attack against you but refused to give you the opportunity to respond to that attack on its station, this station would be violating the A) Telecommunications Act of 1996. B) fairness doctrine. C) equal time rule. D) right of rebuttal. E) Communications Decency Act.
d
In 1936, pollsters at the Literary Digest were guilty of ______ when they mistakenly predicted a presidential victory for Alf Landon over Franklin Roosevelt by polling people whose names came from the telephone book and automobile registration records. A) probability sampling B) illusion of salience C) random dialing D) selection bias E) push polling
d
In order to signify that the enumerated powers were meant to be a source of strength to the national government and not a limitation on it, the Founders A) added the Bill of Rights to the Constitution. B) included provisions for direct democracy in the Constitution. C) included the full faith and credit clause in the Constitution. D) included the elastic clause in the Constitution. E) made it difficult to amend the Constitution.
d
In what year was freedom of speech extended to protect against the acts of state governments? A) 1833 B) 1865 C) 1868 D) 1925 E) 1964
d
Organized interest groups enhance American democracy by A) fielding large numbers of electable candidates. B) financing large numbers of election campaigns. C) empowering less potent segments of society. D) representing the interests of large numbers of people and encouraging political participation. E) placing initiatives on the ballot.
d
Over the past several decades, the ______ and the ______ have benefited most from apportionment. A) Northeast; Midwest B) Northeast; South C) Northeast; West D) South; West E) South; Midwest
d
The Constitution was amended in ______ to give eighteen-year-olds the right to vote. A) 1900 B) 1920 C) 1942 D) 1971 E) 1994
d
The State of the Union address is A) required by a law passed by Congress in 1802 and renewed ever since. B) requested by the president, and comity demands that his request is always accepted. C) based on tradition but was discontinued during the Great Depression and World War II. D) mandated by the Constitution. E) requested by the media and nearly always agreed to by the president and Congress.
d
The area of authority possessed by a court, in terms of either subject area or geography, is called its A) appellate scope. B) judicial review. C) precedents. D) jurisdiction. E) mandate.
d
The controversy over suspicionless drug tests at school and in the workplace pits the government's war on drugs against the right A) against self-incrimination. B) against profiling. C) to take drugs. D) to privacy from unwarranted searches. E) to a jury trial.
d
The power of the Supreme Court to review state actions and legislation comes from A) the judicial review clause of Article III. B) the supremacy clause of Article VI. C) the Tenth Amendment. D) Marbury v. Madison. E) Congress.
d
Which constitutional amendment has been used to restrict the scope of authority by the federal government over the states? A) First B) Fifth C) Eighth D) Tenth E) Fourteenth
d
Which of the following statements about annual federal outlays is most accurate? A) Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has remained at essentially the same level every year since 1960. B) Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has decreased significantly every year since 1960. C) Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has increased significantly every year since 1960. D) Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has experienced significant ups and downs over time. E) Federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product has only increased once since 1960.
d
Which of the following statements about campaign spending in House elections is true? A) The amount of money spent by challengers and incumbents has decreased at the same rate since 1980. B) The amount of money spent by incumbents has decreased since 1980 and has decreased at a much faster rate than the amount spent by challengers. C) The amount of money spent by incumbents has increased since 1980 but has grown at a much slower rate than the amount spent by challengers. D) The amount of money spent by incumbents has increased since 1980 and has grown at a much faster rate than the amount spent by challengers. E) The amount of money spent by incumbents has increased since 1980 and has grown at the same rate as the amount spent by challengers.
d
Which of the following statements best describes the Supreme Court? A) The Court has no discretion whatsoever to decide which cases it will hear because its jurisdiction is defined entirely by the Constitution. B) The Court has limited discretion to decide which cases it will hear and it is forced to hear many cases that address only narrow, technical issues of federal law. C) The Court has limited discretion to decide which cases it will hear, and it is forced to hear only those cases that raise the most important issues of federal law. D) The Court has broad latitude to decide which cases it will hear and generally hears only those cases it deems to raise the most important issues. E) The Court has broad latitude to decide which cases it will hear and generally avoids those cases that it deems to raise the most important issues.
d
Which of the following statements best describes the impact of the Voting Rights Act on voter registration in southern states? A) A smaller percentage of blacks registered to vote in Southern states after passage of the Voting Rights Act. B) A much larger percentage of whites registered to vote in Southern states after passage of the Voting Rights Act. C) The percentage of blacks registering to vote did not change at all after passage of the Voting Rights Act. D) The gap between the percentage of whites registering to vote and the percentage of blacks registering to vote declined significantly after passage of the Voting Rights Act. E) The gap between the percentage of whites registering to vote and the percentage of blacks registering to vote increased significantly after passage of the Voting Rights Act.
d
Which statement about government under the Articles of Confederation is false? A) The armed forces of the United States consisted of state militias. B) The central government could not prevent states from economically discriminating against one another. C) There was no president under the Articles of Confederation. D) Members of Congress had significant independence from their states. E) Each state, regardless of size, had only one vote in Congress.
d
Which statement about the membership of Congress is not true? A) Senators and members of the House are much less likely to be Hispanic than the population on the whole. B) Senators and members of the House are more likely than the population on the whole to be Jewish. C) Senators and members of the House are much more likely than the population on the whole to hold a professional or law degree. D) Senators and members of the House are less likely than the population on the whole to be Protestants. E) Senators and members of the House are, on average, much older than the population.
d
Who was not appointed to help draft the Declaration of Independence? A) Thomas Jefferson B) Benjamin Franklin C) John Adams D) George Washington E) Robert Livingston
d
______ is an example of a justice who advocated judicial restraint. A) Harry Blackmun B) Earl Warren C) John Marshall D) Felix Frankfurter E) Ruth Bader Ginsburg
d
How did the Founders attempt to reassure citizens that their views would be represented in the new government created by the Constitution? A) By allowing citizens to vote directly on all laws enacted by the federal government. B) By making the Constitution very easy to amend. C) By requiring the direct election of senators, members of the House, and the president. D) By giving the federal judiciary the power of judicial review. E) By defining the new government's most important powers, such as collecting taxes, borrowing money, and regulating commerce, as belonging to Congress.
e
If a person does not know anything about a proposed piece of legislation but supports it because Barack Obama endorsed it, we would say the person A) fell prey to the illusion of saliency. B) was an example of the bandwagon effect. C) committed a sampling error. D) was an example of the bellwether effect. E) reached his or her decision through the use of an informational shortcut.
e
If an individual is arrested because his home was searched by police without a legal warrant, he could argue in court that he had been denied A) a writ of habeas corpus. B) his Miranda rights. C) a writ of certiorari. D) judicial review. E) the due process of law.
e
Social capital refers to A) campaign contributions made by community organizations. B) community networks that motivate political participation. C) the fees associated with membership in a club or social group. D) the fund that interest groups raise during election campaigns. E) an individual's belief in his or her ability to competently engage in personal interactions with other people.
e
The "virtual fourth branch of government" refers to A) political parties. B) state governments. C) the bureaucracy. D) interest groups. E) government contracting.
e
The American experience with civil rights suggests which of the following things about political change in the United States? A) Political change can only be achieved when citizens bypass the courts and the legislatures entirely. B) Political change is easiest to achieve when the courts and the legislatures frequently overturn each other's actions. C) The courts are far more powerful than the legislature and, therefore, can advance political change on their own. D) The legislatures are far more powerful than the courts and, therefore, can advance political change on their own. E) Legislatures need constitutional authority to act from the courts, and the courts need legislative assistance to implement court orders and focus political support.
e
The Supreme Court's decision in R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul suggests that A) high school students have the same freedom of speech rights as adults. B) political speech receives more protection under the Constitution than commercial speech. C) commercial speech receives more protection under the Constitution than political speech. D) virtually all hate speech is not protected by the Constitution. E) virtually all hate speech is constitutionally protected.
e
The bourgeoisie sought to change which of the following institutions into instruments of political participation? A) monarchies B) universities C) independent judiciaries D) newspapers E) parliaments
e
The decline of voting and political participation by Americans has which of the following effects? A) It increases the powers of both the Congress and the president. B) It weakens the power of both the president and Congress. C) It enhances the power of the president while weakening Congress. D) It increases the powers of Congress while weakening the president. E) It increases the powers of state governments and weakens the federal government.
e
The framers of the Constitution attempted to create a government that could do all of the following except A) promote commerce. B) protect private property from radical state legislatures. C) limit excessive democracy. D) restrict the power of the central government. E) lead to the eventual inclusion of nonwhites in political life.
e
The politics of the IRS are interesting because A) it is the one government agency that does not have to obey court orders. B) the IRS is the most popular agency in all of government, and this popularity leads almost all Americans to comply with the agency's rules. C) Congress, the president, and the Treasury Department have little to no influence over the taxation decisions made by the IRS. D) influence over tax decisions regarding exemptions is spread broadly throughout the fifty states and is not concentrated in any one area or among any one group. E) contrary to popular perceptions, key tax decisions regarding exemptions are made by Congress, the president, and the Treasury Department rather than by the IRS itself.
e
Which area was not covered by the Civil Rights Act of 1964? A) employment B) public accommodations C) school desegregation D) voting E) military service
e
Which of the following is not a job regularly performed by lobbyists? A) testifying before congressional committees B) holding interviews with reporters C) helping raise funds for political campaigns D) placing ads in newspapers E) nominating a candidate to run for political office
e
Which of the following is not a way in which Congress can exercise oversight? A) individual constituency case work B) committee hearings and investigations C) budgeting process D) government agencies such as the GAO and the CBO E) having members of Congress work part-time for a particular agency that is struggling to meet the demands Congress has placed on it
e
Which of the following is not accomplished at a party's national convention? A) nomination of the presidential candidate B) nomination of the vice-presidential candidate C) determination of the party's rules and bylaws D) development and ratification of the party's platform E) nomination of Senate and House candidates
e
Which of the following is not true? A) Knowledge of and interest in politics increases one's sense of political efficacy. B) Knowledgeable citizens are better able to recognize their political interests and act consistently on behalf of them. C) People with higher education, income, and occupational status are more likely to be both familiar with and active in politics. D) People who are members of social or political organizations are more likely to be both familiar with and active in politics. E) Political elites cannot influence people's ideas and beliefs.
e
Which of the following statements about adversarial journalism is false? A) It has been accused of leading to increased political cynicism among American citizens. B) It became an established practice during the Vietnam War. C) It has permitted the media to gain more autonomy from the political figures they publicize. D) It has enhanced the media's reputation as the "watchdog" of American politics. E) Adversarial journalism disappeared in the 1970s and 1980s.
e
Which of the following statements about leaks is false? A) Leaks sometimes come from lower-level officials who hope to publicize what they view as their bosses' improper activities. B) Most leaks originate with senior government officials, prominent politicians, and political activists. C) Thousands of leaks each year are incorporated into news stories. D) A federal statute makes it illegal to disclose the identities of covert intelligence operatives. E) Leaks never occurred before the George W. Bush administration.
e
Which of the following statements about lobbyists and members of Congress isincorrect? A) Many members of Congress list lobbyists as treasurers of their re-election campaigns. B) Interest groups will often hire lobbyists whom they know to be key fund-raisers for the politicians they hope to influence. C) Many of Washington's top lobbyists have close ties to important members of Congress or were themselves important political figures. D) Lobbyists have substantial influence in setting the legislative agenda. E) Members of Congress are forbidden from ever working for an interest group once they leave office.
e
Which of the following statements about the role of political parties in the 2009 debate over health care reform is false? A) Most Republicans preferred policy approaches that required less government regulation of the market and less public spending. B) Only one Republican in the House voted in favor of health reform. C) The bill received majority support from Democrats in both the House and the Senate. D) Republican Party opposition led Democratic leaders in the Senate to use the reconciliation process to pass the bill. E) There was strong bipartisan support for the bill after compromises were struck between the House and the Senate.
e
Which of the following tactics did Franklin Roosevelt not use to forge a link between the executive office and the public? A) going on speaking trips around the nation B) delivering radio-broadcast fireside chats C) holding biweekly press conferences with reporters D) designating the first White House press secretary E) running extensive national television advertising campaigns
e
Which of the following was not a date of an electoral realignment? A) 1800 B) 1828 C) 1896 D) 1932 E) 1994
e
Which statement about the Reconstruction era is false? A) African Americans held many state-level political offices. B) Two black senators were elected from Mississippi. C) The Constitution was amended three times. D) Many areas of the southern states were occupied by federal troops. E) African American voters supported the Democratic Party.
e
Which statement about the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is false? A) The act loosened federal restrictions on media ownership. B) The act attempted to regulate the content of material transmitted over the Internet. C) The act allowed broadcasters, telephone companies, and cable companies to compete with one another for telecommunications services. D) Following passage of the act, several mergers between telephone and cable companies produced a greater concentration of media ownership. E) The act required broadcasters who air programs on controversial issues to provide time for opposing views.
e
Why did the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) rely primarily on the courts to press for black political rights in its early years? A) Only the courts had the legal authority to grant African Americans political rights, so the litigation strategy was most consistent with the organization's goals. B) The organization was composed of five members and, due to the fact that they were all lawyers, the strategy of litigation seemed to be the most logical choice. C) The organization was legally prohibited from contacting elected officials at the state and local level and, therefore, had no other alternative than a strategy of litigation. D) Many judges were African American and, therefore, more sympathetic to the claims of the organization than legislators. E) The northern black vote was too small to bring about policy change at the legislative level, so the organization chose a strategy of litigation.
e