Gov Exams Review
Excerpt from the Declaration of Independence Which phrase from the Declaration of Independence most clearly reflects the idea that the people are the source of government?
''. . . deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed . . ."
During most of the past 40 years, the trends in party identification in the United States have been
A decline of both parties and a rise in independence.
Based on this graph, how have Americans' views on Congress changed since 1990?
Americans' approval of Congress has changed over time and mostly declined since 2000.
Which of the following sections of the United States Constitution most concerns Madison according to the passage?
Article I, Section 2—"The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature."
Based on the graph, how has the racial and ethnic composition of voters changed since 1988?
Based on the graph, how has the racial and ethnic composition of voters changed since 1988?
Based on the graph, which of the following has likely had the most significant effect on recent elections?
Based on the graph, which of the following has likely had the most significant effect on recent elections?
The legislative process at the national level reflects the intent of the framers of the Constitution to create a legislature that would
Be cautious and deliberate
Based on this graph, what did tracking polls indicate about the 2016 election?
Clinton's campaign was mostly stronger than Trump's in the year before the election.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of constitutional provisions?
Commerce Clause/Tenth Amendment
This graph reflects the way different groups of people responded to the statement, "The government should guarantee every citizen enough food to eat and a place to sleep." Which groups most agreed with the statement?
Democrats
Since 1968, American politics has been characterized by
Divided government
Which of the following statements accurately reflects the impact of changing voter patterns?
Elected officials will be responsible for meeting a more diverse set of demands.
Which of the following statements reflects a critique of gerrymandering?
Gerrymandering dilutes the strength of the minority vote in many districts.
The map above illustrates what advantage of federalism?
Giving states the power to set their own minimum wage laws allows states to match their laws with local economic conditions.
James Madison, Federalist No. 10, 1787 Which of the following best describes Madison's attitude toward political parties?
He thought they were divisive and worked against the common good
Excerpt from the Declaration of Independence Which fundamental political idea is expressed in the passage above?
If the government denies its people certain basic rights, that government can be overthrown.
Which of the following is true of the Electoral College system?
It encourages candidates to concentrate their campaigns in competitive, populous states
Two key elements of the Madisonian model were to
Keep most of the government beyond the control of a popular majority and separate the powers of different institutions
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases?
Led to an increase in power for the national government/Established limits to Congress's power under the Commerce Clause
Based on the graph, what is the relationship between the number of lobbyists and their spending?
Lobbyist spending is relatively static though the number of lobbyists has decreased.
The state that has a disproportionate power because it holds the first Presidential primary each election year is
New Hampshire
Which of the following comparisons best illustrate the constitutional answer or response to a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
No control of interstate trade/The Commerce Clause
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, Pub. L. No. 110-81, 121 Stat. 735 (2007) Why might political action committees (PACs) be affected by this act?
PACs solicit campaign contributions and distribute them to political candidates.
Which of the following statements best reflects James Madison's beliefs about political representation as expressed in the passage?
People are best represented by a few politicians chosen to voice their issues.
Why might this demographic information be important to political leaders?
Political leaders support issues which their constituents approve
Seesaw Political Cartoon about Pollsters. Which of the following opinions is the cartoonist most likely trying to express?
Polls show trends, but they also reflect the most temporary changes.
Based on the graphs, which of the following voter profiles most strongly suggests that an individual will identify with the Republican party
Protestant, male, annual income over $75,000
Which of the following committees of the House of Representatives sets the conditions for debate and amendment of most legislation?
Rules
Communications between congressional representatives and constituents occurs mainly through
Staff members of congressional committees
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Which of the following statements about SuperPACs accurately reflects concerns about their importance?
SuperPACs with unlimited resources can overpower citizens' voices.
Which statement is true about the Articles of Confederation?
The Articles of Confederation did not work well in governing the new nation and a new form of government was needed.
The philosophical foundation of the Constitution's major principles are laid out in
The Federalist Papers
National policies override state policies when there is a conflict and the Constitution gives the national government power in that policy area. This is a statement of
The Supremacy Clause
Considering all elections at all levels of government, which of the following best describes electoral behavior in the United States?
The majority of the electorate does not vote in most elections.
Which of the following is a result of media trends in the last 50 years?
The need for brevity has led to complex policy discussion being boiled down into sound bites.
Why do third parties in the United States form?
Third parties often address issues that are ignored by the dominant parties.
Honest Leadership and Open Government Act, Pub. L. No. 110-81, 121 Stat. 735 (2007) Why might the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act fail to decrease the power of money in politics?
Though it placed restrictions on one source of funds, others are free to spend as they wish.
Compared with Federalists, Antifederalists tended to favor a
Weak, decentralized government as a protection of liberty.
A committee chair in the House of Representatives is always
a member of the majority party
All of the following are consequences of the federal system in the United States EXCEPT
a strict division of power among levels of government
In general, liberal ideology supports
a strong, central government that sets policies to promote equality.
Which of the following statements is a way in which the federal government regulates campaigns?
all of the above
The separation of powers and the checks and balances established by the Constitution
allow almost all groups some place in the political system where their demands for public policy can be heard
Referenda and initiatives
allow citizen majorities to usurp the legislative prerogatives of elected representatives
Which of the following is a result of declining party identification?
an increase in Congressional gridlock
Elections for the House of Representatives provide
approximately equal representation for every voter.
Which of the following is an important difference between Federalist 10 and Brutus I?
asserts that a large republic will blunt the potential violence brought by competing factions/asserts that smaller state governments will better contain the potential violence of competing factions
Giving state governments greater discretion in deciding how to achieve the specific goals of welfare reform is an example of
devolution
What are the two types of powers given to the national government under the United States Constitution?
enumerated; implied
The 2nd Continental Congress's choice of a confederation as the first post-war American government shows the Founders'
fear of strong, centralized government
The terms "fiscal federalism" and "cooperative federalism" refer to situations in which
federal, state, and local governments work together to complete a project, with the federal government providing much of the project funding
The congressional system of standing committees is significant because it
fosters the development of expertise by members.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 588 U.S. 310 (2010) On which constitutional principle did the Supreme Court base its ruling in Citizens United?
freedom of speech
The fact that a driver's license from one state is valid in other states is an example of
full faith and credit
In contrast to revenue sharing, categorical grants-in-aid provide state and local governments with
funds to administer programs clearly specified by the federal government
Which of the following processes likely resulted in the creation of the spotlighted district?
gerrymandering
Political parties are important because they
give voters cues about what an unknown candidate is likely to believe
As originally ratified, the United States Constitution included provisions designed to
increase the economic powers of the central government
The main intent of "motor voter: laws is to
increase voter registration
Which of the following most accurately describes the trend in the graph?
increasing partisanship and decreasing productivity
The importance of Shays' Rebellion to the development of the United States Constitution was that it
indicated that a strong, constitutionally designed national government was needed to protect property and maintain order.
After a bill has passed the Senate, what is the typical route of that bill in the House of Representatives?
introduction, committee referral, subcommittee, full committee report, rules committee, full House vote, conference committee, send to president
As ___________________________, political parties serve the role of translating inputs from the public into outputs from policymakers.
linkage institutions
From clean-air legislation to welfare reforms, the states constitute a ______________________ to develop and test public policies and share the results with other states and the national government.
national laboratory
In The Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that factions in a republic are
natural, but controllable by institutions
The fact that candidates must tailor their appeals to the particular interests of each state tends to result in
numerous campaign promises adding up to new government programs.
Which of the following best describes the role of Congress in the above political cartoon?
oversight hearing of the federal bureaucracy
The most common criterion that people use when voting for a presidential candidate is the candidate's
party identification
The process through which an individual acquires his or her particular political orientation, including his or her knowledge, feelings, and evaluations regarding his or her political world, is know as
politcal socialization
A _____________________ is a coherent set of values and beliefs about public policy.
political ideology
The ___________ is the mighty list of federal projects, grants, and contracts available to cities, businesses, colleges, and institutions which members of Congress seek to influence to promote the interests of their constituency.
pork barrel
Which of the following is NOT a function that all governments perform?
promote equality
The framers of the Constitution all believed that one of the primary functions of government is
protecting individual property rights
Interest groups are most effective in affecting policy because they
provide lawmakers expertise in policy areas
Based on the graphs, which factor is the clearest indicator of a person's party alignment?
race
A constitutional amendment has been proposed by both houses of Congress, its adoption requires
ratification by three-fourths of the states
In the pluralist model of policymaking, policy
reflects the competition among interested groups
The watchdog orientation of the press can be characterized as
reformist
Which of the following actions by the federal government best illustrates the concept of unfunded mandates?
requiring states and municipalities to provide certain services for their citizens without providing resources to pay for their services
The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to
reserve powers to the states
Federalism in the United States means that when Washington wants to send money to one state or congressional district it must
send money to many states and districts
One reason that the abolishment of the electoral college meets resistance is that
some groups believe that the current electoral system is more favorable to them than a direct national election would be.
Man asking for federal benefits and not federal authority. Which of the following best is the most accurate interpretation of the political cartoon?
state governments prefer federal funding but do not want federal oversight over how the money is spent.
The boundary lines of congressional districts are drawn by
state legislatures
The title of the cartoon "Rough Sailing Ahead?" best exemplifies
the Articles of Confederation had many weaknesses
The following excerpt from the majority decision in McCulloch v Maryland pertains to which clause in the Constitution?
the Necessary and Proper Clause
The purposes of the Constitution are laid out in
the Preamble
Which Congressional check on the Executive Branch requires a 2/3 vote of the Senate?
the approval of a Presidentially-negotiated treaty
Which of the following was the most important effect of replacing the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution of 1787?
the creation of a strong national government
The Declaration of Independence's emphasis on mankind's natural freedom, inherent equality, and government's obligation to protect the peoples' rights shows the founders believed in
the social contract theory
Which of the following best characterizes the influence of the news media on public opinion in the United States?
they affect which issues the public thinks are important.
Concurrent powers have which of the following effects on the United States political system?
they make it possible for the states and the national government to simultaneously exercise influence in the same areas of public policy.
What is the general purpose of elections?
to confer legitimacy on government
The Founders embrace of the Electoral College reveals that they
wanted a check on the people who they felt were susceptible to dangerous majoritarian impulses
The resolution of the 3/5 Compromise and the Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise at the Constitutional Convention both
were settled to the relative advantage of the economically-stronger South
Which of the following has the most influences on the outcome of a congressional election?
A candidate's incumbency status.
Which of the following is generally true of the gerrymandering of congressional districts?
It creates districts that favor one political party over another.