Final Government

After the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, some Muslim Americans became targets of popular hostility. This is an example of majority tyranny A. True B. false

A

Which of the following refers to basic freedoms essential to the formation and expression of majority opinion and its translation into public policies? a. tyranny of the majority b. majority rules c. political equality d. popular sovereignty e. political liberty

E

The suppression of the rights and liberties of a minority by the majority is which of the following? a. majority tyranny b. liberal democracy c. representative democracy d. self-government e. social contract

A

Which of the following constitutional clauses was used by the Supreme Court to apply civil liberties as protection for citizens at the state level? a. due process b. commerce c. full faith and credit d. right to bear arms e. privileges and immunities

A

Which of the following is a method of ratification for a constitutional amendment? a. by three-fourths of the state legislatures b. by three-fourths of the state governors c. by three-fourths of voting-age citizens d. by half of the state legislatures e. by half of the state governors

A

Why is participation in the political process an important condition of popular sovereignty? a. Participation conveys the will of the people. b. Participation prevents leaders from being responsible to the public. c. Participation helps to ensure that the public is well-informed about policy issues. d. Participation protects the public from overly responsive political leaders. e. Participation overcomes political apathy and political efficacy.

A

Which of the following is true according to the principle of popular sovereignty? a. Power should be exercised by educated elites. b. The ultimate source of authority rests with the people. c. A democratic system is based on the concept of material equality. d. Majority rule is unacceptable because it leads to tyranny. e. Minority rule trumps majority power in close elections.

B

What is the central idea of democracy? a. Minorities have the full power of decision making over all matters that affect them. b. Rule by the majority must prevail, even if majority tyranny is the result. c. Ordinary people want to rule themselves and are capable of doing so. d. Policy is determined by tyranny of the majority. e. Majority rule violates minority rights.

C

At the Constitutional Convention, the delegates agreed that slaves would be counted as __________ of a person for determining population for representation in the House of Representatives. a. four-fifths b. one-fourth c. one-third d. three-fifths e. two-thirds

D

Enumerated powers are a. derived from implied powers. b. the powers of the states. c. the powers granted Congress by the Supreme Court. d. the powers of Congress listed in the U.S. Constitution.

D

Which of the following is an enumerated power of the national government? a. criminal law b. contract law c. marriage and divorce d. borrow money on the credit of the US e. social welfare activities

D

Why is it important for democratic citizens to have high-quality information? a. High-quality information ensures that public opinion will coalesce around public policy solutions that are agreeable to most Americans. b. High-quality information is a prerequisite for voting in most states. c. Political leaders respond only to informed public opinion, and the public cannot be informed without high-quality information. d. High-quality information enables the formation of political opinions that are consistent with one's values and interests. e. The media relies on high-quality information to keep politicians honest.

D

A __________ grant is a large grant to a state by the federal government with only general spending guidelines. a. block b. business c. commerce d. credit e. federal

a

A special form of representation, personal aid to a constituent or group of constituents, is known as a. caseworking. b. bringing home the bacon. c. pork. d. earmarks.

a

According to the compromise reached by the framers of the constitution, which of the following bodies was empowered to establish federal district courts? a. Congress b. the Supreme Court c. the president d. the Department of Justice

a

All of the following are presidential expressed powers codified in Article II of the Constitution EXCEPT a. the power to propose bills to congress. b. the power to serve as commander in chief. c. the power to pardon crimes. d. the power to convene the Congress.

a

Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution contains which powers of Congress? a. enumerated b. executive c. explicit d. military e. restrictive

a

Federal district courts are courts of a. original jurisdiction, meaning that they do not hear appeals from other courts. b. appeal, which means they hear appeals from other courts. c. appeal, which means they do not have juries. d. original jurisdiction, which means they are not trial courts.

a

Judicial review is the power of a. the Supreme Court to declare local, state, and federal laws unconstitutional. b. the president to veto Supreme Court decisions. c. Congress to veto Supreme Court decisions. d. the Supreme Court to amend legislation that contradicts previous law.

a

The "trustee" theory of representation calls on representatives to a. use their own best judgment of the issues. b. reflect the views of their constituents. c. represent the views of their political party. d. concentrate on the needs of organized interest groups.

a

The Constitutional presiding officer of the Senate is the a. vice-president. b. majority leader. c. president pro tempore. d. Speaker.

a

The boundaries of congressional districts are redrawn, or reapportioned, by a. State governments every ten years. b. State governments every two years. c. Congress every two years. d. Congress every ten years.

a

The conference of the U.S. Supreme Court is limited to the justices themselves. What a norm of the Supreme Court applies? a. Secrecy b. Precedent c. Seniority d. Dignity

a

To hear a case, how many of the nine Supreme Court justices must want to hear it? a. four b. five c. six d. seven

a

What are the two types of powers given to the national government/state governments under the U.S. Constitution? a. enumerated; reserved b. enumerated; suggested c. implied; explicit d. suggested; explicit e. suggested; implied

a

Which of the following is a core element of American political culture? a. a strong sense of individualism b. belief in government interventionism c. distrust of free enterprise d. hostility toward religion e. support for socialism

a

Which of the following is a method of ratification for a constitutional amendment after the proposal is passed in Congress? a. by three-fourths of the state legislatures b. by three-fourths of the state governors c. by three-fourths of voting-age citizens d. by half of the state legislatures e. by half of the state governors

a

Which of the following is the best definition of federalism? a. A constitutional arrangement by which power is distributed between a central government and state governments. b. A constitutional arrangement by which sovereign states create a limited central government. c. A constitutional arrangement concentrating power in a central government. d. A loose association of states constitutionally created by a strong central government. e. A loose association of states with mutually recognized compacts but no central government.

a

Which of the following two Supreme Court appointees were nominated by President Obama? a. Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor b. Sonia Sotomayor and Samuel Alito c. John Roberts and Samuel Alito d. John Roberts and Elena Kagan

a

Which of these groups is/are most likely to vote for Republicans? a. whites, men, and people with some college education b. women and young people c. ethnic minorities and women d. people with no college education

a

Why have congressional committees? a. They help congress people develop expertise and specialization in policy areas. b. They allow policymaking to take place largely in isolation from public attention. c. The Senate and House have grown too large in terms of size. d. They may give congresspeople an opportunity to visit with executive branch workers.

a

3. Within the instructed delegate model, elected representatives act a. according to their conscience at all times. b. in line with constituents, even if those views contradict representatives' personal views. c. in line with constituents, unless constituents' views contradict representatives' personal views. d. mostly according to their conscience, occasionally in line with constituents.

b

According to the original Constitution, presidents were to be chosen a. by the House of Representatives. b. by electors who were appointed by state legislators. c. directly by the people. d. by the majority party in Congress.

b

All of the powers of the federal government are expressly enumerated in the Constitution. A. True B. false

b

American political culture is generally supportive to social welfare policies A. True B. false

b

Article I of the Constitution describes the powers of the president. A. True B. false

b

Committees that include members of both chambers of Congress are known as a. subcommittees. b. joint committees. c. select committees. d. standing committees.

b

How many constitutions has the United States had in its history? a. one b. two c. three d. four e. five

b

If Senators are generally more inclined than House members to adopt the "trustee" role, it is probably due to the a. fact that they are elected statewide b. fact that they have six-year terms c. size of their constituency d. fact that they are older

b

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Republican party led the __________ "revolution," which demanded that the national government return administrative authority to state governments. a. contract b. devolution c. evolution d. silent e. white

b

The Constitution specifically provides for both the election and the removal of which of the following? a. chief justice b. president c. secretary of defense d. secretary of state e. Speaker of the House

b

The Framers of the Constitution wanted the legislative branch to be a. combined with the executive, similar to the British system. b. the center of policymaking for the federal government. c. unlimited in power over the federal government. d. subordinate to the executive branch.

b

The United States has always had a federal system of government. A. True B. false

b

What is the principle that each branch of the federal government has the means to thwart or influence actions by other branches of government? a. balances and powers b. checks and balances c. checks and freedoms d. freedom and power e. weights and measures

b

What was the greatest fear of the Anti-Federalists during the Constitutional Convention and subsequent debate? a. that a weak national government would undermine the survival of the United States b. that a strong national government would infringe on the essential liberties of the people c. that a powerful judiciary would restrict freedom of religion d. that powerful state governments would never assent to the new Constitution e. that a weak judiciary would be unable to enforce the new Constitution

b

Which of the following statements best characterizes the nature of the conflict between presidents and Congress a. The conflict is a by-product of the weakening of American political parties. b. The conflict is integral to the design of the Constitution, deliberately intended by the authors of the constitution. c. The conflict is a by-product of the recent polarization of the American party system. d. The conflict intensifies when Republicans control the presidency and Democrats control Congress.

b

Which of the following was the most contentious issue during the drafting of the Constitution? a. economic stability b. representation in Congress c. state's taxing power d. national government's military power e. taxation without representation

b

Among the institutions mentioned in the Constitution, the Founders set up __________ to be the least responsive to public opinion. a. the electoral college b. Congress c. the courts d. the president

c

Appropriations of funds by congressional legislators for projects in their districts are known as a. preferred bills. b. block grants. c. pork barrel projects. d. categorical block grants.

c

Courts provide a statement of the legal reasoning behind their decisions in written __________. a. briefs b. arguments c. opinions d. laws

c

Judicial review raises questions about democracy because a. judges are directly accountable to the people. b. presidents have used it often and recklessly. c. it gives unelected members of a government body power over elected members of other government bodies. d. it merely takes a majority of Congress to override constitutional decisions of the Supreme Court.

c

Nullification was particularly prominent during which era in American history? a. the colonial era b. the Revolutionary War c. pre-Civil War d. Reconstruction e. the Great Depression

c

Public opinion least influences members of Congress a. when issues are about public morality. b. when issues are about foreign affairs. c. on issues of low visibility and low public concern. d. on issues of high visibility and public concern.

c

Senators face reelection every __________ years, which means that every two years, __________ of the Senators face reelection. a. four; one-half b. six; one-half c. six; one-third d. four; one-third

c

The Constitution specifies that federal judges serve a. during the tenure of the President who appointed them. b. different terms, as established by Congress. c. "during good behavior," which usually means for life. d. for 10 years and then must run for election.

c

The Supreme Court a. is only an appellate court. b. is only a court of original jurisdiction. c. is both a court of original jurisdiction and an appellate court. d. acts as neither a court of original jurisdiction nor an appellate court.

c

The best single predictor of how a congress member will vote is a. the region of the U.S. they are from. b. the state they are from. c. their party affiliation. d. their occupation.

c

The commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces is the a. Chair of the Joint Chiefs. b. Head of the NSA c. President. d. Secretary of Defense.

c

The doctrine of stare decisis means a. a defendant must be brought before a judge or magistrate and must be informed of the charges against him/her. b. a court may issue an order that compels a person to complete a legal act. c. judges tend to follow precedent as the basis for legal reasoning. d. lower courts must send a complete record of the case to an appellate court.

c

The most important organization in the Executive Office of the President for the domestic issues is a. the Federal Bureau of Investigation. b. the Internal Revenue Service. c. the Office of Management and Budget. d. NASA

c

Thomas Jefferson's decision to initiate the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 was an early example of the exercising of ________ presidential powers. a. expressed b. statutory c. inherent d. emergency

c

Under the Articles of Confederation, the most important decisions were made by __________. a. Congress b. local governments c. state legislatures d. the federal government e. the judiciary

c

Under the Constitution, the president is elected by which of the following? a. Congressional College b. Election College c. Electoral College d. Presidential College e. State College

c

What majority is needed for Congress to check presidential power by overriding a presidential veto? a. majority b. three-fifths c. two-thirds d. three-quarters

c

What title is given to the role of the president as symbol of national authority and unity? a. Chief Executive b. Protean President c. Chief of State d. CEO

c

When congressional districts are drawn in strange configurations to benefit one party over another, it is called a. Cloture. b. Filibustering. c. Gerrymandering. d. Reapportionment.

c

Which of the following can be found in Article I. sec.8? a. Electoral College b. procedure for presidential impeachment c. necessary and proper clause d. supremacy clause e. penalty for treason

c

Which of the following generally favored a strong national government and supported the proposed U.S. Constitution? a. Anti-Federalists b. Constitutionalists c. Federalists d. Tories e. Whigs

c

Which of the following groups does the president see every day and is considered most loyal to the president? a. the Cabinet b. congressional leaders c. the White House staff d. leaders of the executive branch bureaucracy

c

Which of the following is a reason for the separation of powers? a. to ensure the power of the executive b. to promote justice c. to prevent tyranny by any one branch d. to create gridlock in government e. to improve international relations

c

Which of these groups is/are most likely to vote for Democrats? a. whites and men b. women and seniors c. ethnic minorities and women d. people with a college degree

c

Which type of federalism is characterized by a system of separate but equally powerful state and national governments? a. combined b. cooperative c. dual d. progressive e. pure

c

According to the Constitution, what are the qualifications to be a federal judge? An appointee must a. be a practicing lawyer. b. have at least six years of judicial experience. c. have a law degree. d. none of the above

d

An organization of ideologically similar people that nominates and elects its members to office is known as a? a. political action committee. b. political party platform. c. political interest group. d. political party.

d

Generally, political parties have ________ concerns. a. single issue b. very narrow issue c. somewhat narrow issue d. broad issue

d

In the American court system, amicus curiae refers to a. the right of criminal suspects to a fair trial. b. the code of ethics governing lawyers and judges. c. elaborate legal codes that guide federal court decisions. d. "friends of the court" briefs submitted by interest groups.

d

Prior to the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment, how were senators selected? a. by direct election b. by the president c. by state governors d. by state legislators e. by the Supreme Court

d

The __________ explicitly allows Congress to legislate beyond its enumerated powers. a. sovereignty clause b. separation of powers c. First Amendment d. elastic clause

d

The committee that irons out the differences between House and Senate versions of a bill is the a. Ways and Means Committee. b. Rules Committee. c. Committee of the Whole. d. Conference Committee.

d

The franking privilege allows members of Congress to a. testify in Congress with immunity from arrest or imprisonment. b. help constituents solve red-tape problems with the federal bureaucracy. c. travel to their districts free of charge. d. mail literature related to government to constituents free of charge.

d

The presidency has evolved over time. One reason is a. that twentieth century presidents diminished the powers of the office. b. the Supreme Court diminished the president's powers to make war. c. that the economy no longer requires a firm hand to guide it. d. the original Constitution was flexible enough to encompass great social change.

d

The reciprocal practice of trading votes, or ________, is widely used in Congress. a. earmarking b. markup c. cloture d. log-rolling

d

Which branch of government was specifically created to closely represent the people's views? a. Senate b. President c. Supreme Court d. House of Representatives

d

Which is the most recently created cabinet department? a. Finance b. Energy c. Veterans Affairs d. Homeland Security

d

Which of the following is an example of a categorical grant? a. Funds provided by Congress to the states for education generally. b. Funds provided by Congress to the states for substance abuse prevention. c. Funds provided by Congress to the states for transportation infrastructure. d. Funds provided by Congress to the states to enhance science instruction in a low-income area. e. Funds provided by Congress to the states to promote the physical health of citizens.

d

Which of the following was not a problem under the Articles of Confederation? a. The state government was too strong compared to the national government. b. Lack of central leadership. c. Congress cannot impose taxes. d. Supreme court had too much power e. Amendments to the Articles were too difficult to ratify.

d

Which of these factors makes it more likely that incumbent will prevail in congressional elections? a. stronger name recognition b the privilege of franking, or sending mail free of charge c. larger campaign contributions d. All these answers are correct.

d

Which of these features is a characteristic of political parties? a. They run candidates under a party label. b. They seek to govern. c. They have broad concerns. d. All these answers are correct.

d

Which two groups share power in the selection of federal court judges? a. the House of Representatives and the Senate b. the House of Representatives and the president c. the Senate and the Supreme Court d. the Senate and the president

d

Who presents the government's arguments to the Supreme Court when the federal government is a party to the case? a. Comptroller General b. Surgeon General c. Chief Justice d. Solicitor General

d

Who, or what, determines how many judges sit on the Supreme Court? a. The number is specified in Article III of the Constitution. b. The number is based on population in the U.S. c. The president decides. d. Congress decides.

d

________ is the process by which Congress "checks" the executive branch to ensure that laws are being administered in keeping with legislators' intentions. a. Engagement b. Regulation c. Supervision d. Oversight

d

Consistent with their belief in individualism, Americans tend to support __________. a. an equal fate b. less competitive society c. economic equality d. equal rewards e. equality of opportunity

e

The Articles of Confederation required __________ consent from the states for amending or ratifying constitution. a. majority b. three-fifths c. three-fourths d. two-thirds e. unanimous

e

Which clause in the Constitution ensures that judicial decrees and contracts made in one state will be binding and enforceable in another? a. Commerce b. Dormant Commerce c. Due Process d. Equal Protection e. Full Faith and Credit

e

Which clause provides that the Constitution shall be the supreme law of the land? a. due process b. full faith and credit c. legal d. primacy e. supremacy

e

Which of the following plans proposed proportional representation in both the House of Representatives and the Senate? a. Massachusetts b. New Jersey c. Ohio d. Pennsylvania e. Virginia

e

Which region of the United States has the fastest rate of population growth? a. the Midwest b. the Northeast c. the South d. the West e. C and D

e