PLS 212 Midterm Exam Review

Bureaucracy4: The civil service is defined as A. federal employees who work for government through a competitive, not political, selection. B. a system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends. C. a system of public employment in which selection and promotion depend on demonstrated performance rather than political patronage. D. an agency that administers civil service laws, rules, and regulations. E. an independent agency that oversees and protects merit in the federal government personnel system.

A

Congress11: The conference committee is critical because A. it allows the House and Senate to work out a compromise on a particular piece of legislation. B. it is the first step in the bill process. C. it is where the filibuster occurs. D. it is a permanent collection of House and Senate members.

A

Congress13: A _______________________ is a procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial measure. A. filibuster B. cloture C. hold D. special committee E. turnabout

A

Congress16: For Congress to override a presidential veto, _______ of the House and ________ of the Senate must vote to do so. A. two-thirds; two-thirds B. one-half; two-thirds C. one-half; one-half D. two-thirds; three-quarters E. three-quarters; three-quarters

A

Congress1: Members of Congress generally pay close attention to their constituents because A. they care about being reelected. B. the popularity of the president depends on it. C. the media force them to do so. D. the Supreme Court has ruled that they may not vote against constituent preferences on important legislation. E. the people can vote to override legislation.

A

Congress5: The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent is known as A. gerrymandering. B. redistricting. C. reapportionment. D. reassignment. E. franking.

A

Congress8: Powers given explicitly to Congress in the Constitution are called A. enumerated powers. B. unlisted powers. C. elastic powers. D. expansive powers. E. implied powers.

A

Judiciary 1: The role of the circuit courts is to a. review the trial record of cases decided in district court. b. review the trial record of cases decided in state trial courts. c. review the trial record of cases decided in state appellate courts. d. review the record of cases decided in mediation.

A

Judiciary14: A brief submitted by a person or group that is not a direct party to the case is called a. amicus curiae. b. third-party brief. c. legal extension. d. case law.

A

Judiciary2: The THIRD-RANKING official in the Department of Justice who is responsible for representing the United States in cases before the U.S. Supreme Court is called a. the solicitor general. b. the public defender system. c. a court of appeals. d. a precedent. e. a writ of habeas corpus.

A

Judiciary3: What is known as the power of a court to refuse to enforce a law that in the opinion of the judges conflicts with the U.S. Constitution? a. Judicial review b. Oversight c. Adversarial power d. Judicial refusal e. Judicial restraint

A

Judiciary5: The three levels of the federal court system are a. district courts, circuit courts of appeal, and the Supreme Court. b. district courts, state supreme courts, the U.S. Supreme Court. c. 50 district courts, 95 circuit courts of appeal, 2 Supreme Courts. d. 95 district courts, 50 circuit courts of appeal, 2 Supreme Courts. e. county courts, state courts, federal courts including the Supreme Court.

A

Judiciary6: The Supreme Court has ______________ in cases involving ambassadors and diplomats. a. original jurisdiction b. no jurisdiction c. last jurisdiction d. tribunal jurisdiction e. None of the above

A

Presidency17: Which amendment bars a president from serving a third term? A. the Twenty-second B. the Twenty-third C. the Twenty-fourth D. the Nineteenth E. the Eighteenth

A

Presidency18: Written declarations commenting on a bill that is signed into law is known as A. a signing statement. B. an executive decree. C. an executive declaration. D. a public declaration. E. a pocket veto.

A

Presidency5: The president's authority over the day-to-day operation of the federal government points to his role as A. administrator in chief. B. chief diplomat. C. commander in chief. D. chief legislator. E. chief party leader.

A

Presidency9: In the history of the United States _____________ presidents have been removed from office by Congress. A. two B. six C. three D. zero E. five

A

Bureaucracy7 A landmark law creating a merit system of civil service was the congressional act named for its sponsor A. Garfield. B. Pendleton. C. Sedman. D. Hatch. E. Menendez.

B

Bureaucracy8: A precise statement of how a law is implemented is called A. implementation. B. a rule. C. the Federal Register. D. administrative discretion. E. oversight.

B

Bureaucracy9: The portion of the federal budget that is spent on programs, such as Social Security, that the president and Congress are unwilling to cut is A. central clearance. B. uncontrollable spending. C. entitlement program. D. police patrol oversight. E. fire alarm oversight.

B

Congress10: The presiding officer in the House of Representatives is called the A. majority leader. B. Speaker. C. president of the House. D. caucus chair. E. leader pro tempore.

B

Congress12: A ___________ committee is a permanent congressional committee typically focusing on a policy area. A. substantive B. standing C. conference D. representative E. joint

B

Congress2: There are _____________ members in the House of Representatives. A. 100 B. 435 C. 270 D. 50 E. 535

B

Congress6: The process of redrawing legislative district lines following the census is called A. franking. B. redistricting. C. reapportionment. D. gerrymandering. E. reassignment.

B

Presidency 4: The president's constitutional authority to control most executive functions is based in the A. theory of executive supremacy. B. vesting clause of the Constitution. C. decision of the Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison. D. executive privilege. E. Articles of Confederation.

B

Presidency11: If the president does NOT sign a bill within ten days of receiving it and Congress is still in session, the bill A. returns to Congress for another vote by both chambers. B. becomes law. C. must be reintroduced. D. dies through a pocket veto. E. goes to the Supreme Court for action.

B

Presidency16: A(n) ____________ is a president's claim of broad public support. A. affirmation B. mandate C. directive D. approval E. understanding

B

Presidency6: Which of the following is NOT a constitutional power of the president? A. The power to appoint federal judges B. The power to declare war C. The power to veto legislation D. The power to inform and convene Congress E. The power to pardon individuals convicted of federal crimes

B

Bureaucracy10: The official record of what the federal bureaucracy does is known as A. implementation. B. the Rules of Bureaucracy. C. the Federal Register. D. administrative discretion. E. the oversight log.

C

Bureaucracy1: A government agency or commission with regulatory power whose independence is protected is called a(n) A. independent agency. B. department. C. independent regulatory commission. D. government corporation. E. independent department.

C

Bureaucracy5: The merit system is defined as A. federal employees who work for government through a competitive, not political selection. B. a system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends. C. a system of public employment in which selection and promotion depend on demonstrated performance rather than political patronage. D. an agency that administers civil service laws, rules, and regulations. E. an independent agency that oversees and protects merit in the federal government personnel system.

C

Congress14: A congressional committee with members from both the House of Representatives and the Senate is known as a(n) A. special or select committee. B. standing committee. C. joint committee. D. oversight committee. E. leadership committee.

C

Congress17: A congressional caucus convenes regularly to discuss common interests and consists of which of the following? A. House members B. Senate members C. both House and Senate members D. only House leadership

C

Congress4: The assigning by Congress of congressional seats after each census is called A. gerrymandering. B. redistricting. C. reapportionment. D. reassignment. E. safe seats.

C

Judiciary10: A philosophy proposing that judges should strike down the actions of the elected branches only if they clearly violate the literal meaning of the Constitution is known as a. judicial activism. b. a priori resistance. c. judicial restraint. d. striking activism. e. violable activism.

C

Judiciary12: Judicial activism proposes that the Supreme Court should a. disregard judicial precedent. b. protect people from governmental interference in their private lives. c. interpret the law to achieve social justice. d. All of the above, except A e. All of the above, except B

C

Judiciary13: The term docket refers to a. an opinion that agrees with the majority in a Supreme Court ruling but differs on the reasoning. b. an opinion disagreeing with the majority in a Supreme Court ruling. c. the list of potential cases that reach the Supreme Court. d. the presidential custom of submitting the names of prospective appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are to work. e. an explanation of a decision of the Supreme Court or any other appellate court.

C

Judiciary9: The concept of judicial federalism means a. that the US has one main court system. b. that the courts should be judicious in making relevant decisions. c. that there is both a federal and a state court system in the United States. d. that state courts are stronger than federal courts.

C

Presidency10: Which of the following functions is NOT given to the president in the Constitution? A. The ability to veto legislation B. Delivery of the State of the Union address C. The ability to exercise line-item veto power D. The ability to recommend measures for consideration E. The ability to nominate judges

C

Presidency12: The framers compromised between direct election of the president by the people and selection of the president by Congress when they created A. a bicameral legislature. B. Article I of the Constitution. C. the electoral college. D. opportunities for members of Congress to run for president. E. Article III of the Constitution.

C

Presidency15: Who argued that given the lack of significant constitutional authority, the real power of the president in the legislature was the power to persuade? A. Richard Nixon B. Woodrow Wilson C. Richard Neustadt D. Nancy Pelosi E. William Rehnquist

C

Presidency2: The _____________ Amendment, ratified in 1804, allowed electors to cast separate votes for the president and vice president. A. Third B. Sixth C. Twelfth D. Nineteenth E. Twenty-Third

C

Bureaucracy11: Oversight in which the executive and legislative branches of the federal government watch the bureaucracy through a routine pattern of reading key REPORTS and monitoring budgets is A. central clearance. B. uncontrollable spending. C. entitlement program. D. police patrol oversight. E. fire alarm oversight.

D

Bureaucracy2: A ________ is usually the largest organization in government, and is also the highest rank in the federal hierarchy. A. division B. bureau C. cabinet D. department E. commission

D

Bureaucracy3: An example of a government corporation is the A. Securities and Exchange Commission. B. U.S. Mint. C. Government Printing Office. D. U.S. Postal Service. E. Department of Education.

D

Bureaucracy6: For the first 100 years of U.S. history members of the federal civil service were selected in part because of their political loyalty to the president's party. This was known as A. the federal rewards system. B. federal capitalism. C. the compensation system. D. the spoils system or patronage. E. national clienteleism.

D

Judiciary4: A decision made by a HIGHER COURT, such as a circuit court of appeals or the Supreme Court, that is binding on all other federal courts is called a. the solicitor general. b. the public defender system. c. a court of appeals. d. a precedent. e. a writ of habeas corpus.

D

Presidency1: Which of the following is a formal qualification to serve as president? A. At least 45 years of age B. Live in the same state for at least 10 years prior to election C. Member of a major political party D. Natural-born citizen E. Reside in the United States at least 25 years prior to election

D

Presidency7: A presidential appointment made without Senate confirmation when the Senate is on a formal break is known as a(n) A. end-around appointment. B. executive appointment. C. subversive appointment. D. recess appointment. E. illegal appointment.

D

Presidency8: The constitutional requirement that presidents faithfully execute laws comes from the ___________ clause. A. elastic B. vesting C. enforcement D. take care E. administrative

D

Bureaucracy12: Oversight in which the two branches executive and legislative branches of the federal government wait for citizens, interest groups, or the press to find a MAJOR PROBLEM is A. central clearance. B. uncontrollable spending. C. entitlement program. D. police patrol oversight. E. fire alarm oversight.

E

Bureaucracy13: Which of the following is a way that the president can monitor the federal bureaucracy? A. Putting loyal appointees in top jobs at key agencies B. Calling cabinet meetings to learn about what is happening in various agencies C. Directing White House aides to oversee agencies D. Utilizing the Office of Management and Budget E. All of the above

E

Congress15: The legislative practice that assigns the chair of a committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee is known as the A. majority empowerment act. B. anti-age discrimination practice. C. authority of wisdom. D. incumbent protection plan. E. seniority rule.

E

Congress3: There are _____________ members in the Senate. A. 50 B. 270 C. 435 D. 535 E. 100

E

Congress7: Which of the following is an advantage held by incumbents in getting reelected? A. They can send free mail to their districts most of the time. B. They have high name recognition. C. They are able to help their constituents through earmark spending. D. They typically have more money than challengers. E. All of the above

E

Congress9: Which of the following is NOT an enumerated power of Congress? A. The power to tax and borrow money B. The power to regulate interstate commerce C. The power to create federal courts below the Supreme Court D. The power to declare war E. The power to rule state laws are unconstitutional

E

Judiciary11: The presidential custom of submitting the names of prospective appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are to work is referred to as a(n) a. concurring statement. b. amicus curiae c. dissenting opinion. d. docket. e. senatorial courtesy.

E

Judiciary7: A court order requiring EXPLANATION to a judge why a prisoner is being held in custody is referred to as a. a solicitor. b. a defender. c. an appeal. d. a precedent. e. a writ of habeas corpus.

E

Judiciary8: Key people or organizations in the selection of judges include a. the president. b. interest groups. c. party leaders in Congress. d. the Justice Department. e. All of the above

E

Presidency13: Formal orders issued by the president to direct action by the federal bureaucracy are known as executive A. privilege. B. agreements. C. directives. D. mandates. E. orders.

E

Presidency14: Modern presidents have used ____________________ to enhance their own power A. Supreme Court rulings B. direct appeals to Congress C. the constitutional amendment process D. direct appeals to the public E. All of the above

E

Presidency3: The presidency is established in Article ____ of the Constitution. A. 1 B. 4 C. 5 D. 3 E. 2

E