POLS1 Essentials Of Government

Initiatives blur the complexity of many issues and reduce them to sound bites upon which the voter is asked to make a yes/no decision.

According to a number of scholars, what is one of the major problems with the initiative process?

Historically, __________ and __________ are among the Democratic Party's MOST loyal constituent groups.

African Americans; Latinos

apportionment. * The process of allocating congressional seats among the 50 states is called apportionment. States with population growth gain additional seats; states with a population decline or with less population growth lose seats.

After the 2010 census, it was determined that Texas would gain four seats in the House of Representatives, that Oklahoma would lose one, and that Ohio would lose two. This scenario is an example of

false

All counties in the state of California have roughly the same population.

true

All of the state's most populous counties are now charter counties.

directly incite violence. * FEEDBACK: Expressive speech is protected until it moves from the symbolic realm to the realm of actual conduct-to direct incitement of damaging conduct with the use of so-called fighting words, which are not protected.

Fighting words fall outside constitutional protection because they

As a percentage, from which source did most Trump voters get their news?

Fox News

true

Hiram Johnson, a leader of the state's Progressive movement, was the first Progressive elected to the governor's office in California.

Many tend to be concerned with the structure of the government

How are the various successful constitutional amendments similar?

Correct - Federal grants-in-aid became a powerful tool to redirect state governments' policy. - The federal government took a more active role than before in providing economic security for Americans. Incorrect - Congress reacted to a weak economy by limiting the power of the federal government, turning over responsibilities to combat the Great Depression to the states. - President Roosevelt limited the power of the states based on the rationale that they were no longer politically stable.

How did the Great Depression influence the power of the federal government?

The supreme Court has recognized the right to privacy through several amendments in the Constitution

How has the government protected the right to privacy?

it has increased in recent years due to the imposition of term limits for all members of the state legislature

How has the power of lobbyists and executive branch bureaucrats to shape policy changed in recent years?

Power is divided between the national and state governments

How is power distributed in the U.S. federal system?

four members elected by each party's caucus in the state assembly and a chair appointed by the speaker

Identify the members of the Assembly Rules Committee.

Correct - Sacramento - the district they represent Incorrect - Los Angeles - Washington, D.C.

Identify where all members of the California state legislature have offices.

The 2014 case Sacramento Nonprofit Collective v. Holder is an example of which of the following?

how recent decisions by the 9th circuit court of appeals have rejected the claim that states have special protection from federal law when it comes to medical marijuana use

Did not trust the masses' ability to reason

Some Enlightenment thinkers were opposed to democracy because they:

- 5% - 8%

Statutes require a number of signatures equivalent to______ of voters in the last gubernatorial election in order to qualify for the ballot, whereas constitutional amendments require a number of signatures equivalent to _________ of voters in the last gubernatorial election to qualify.

Correct - The Assembly is more representative in terms of race and ethnicity of the state's population than the Senate is. African Americans are overrepresented in the Assembly relative to their population in the state. Incorrect - Whites are overrepresented relative to their population in the Assembly but not in the Senate. There are more Asian Americans than Latinos serving in the state legislature.

Study the figure of the racial and ethnic composition of California's legislature, and then determine which of the following statements are accurate.

"Judicial review" refers to the

power of the judiciary to examine the constitutionality of state and federal laws. ****FEEDBACK: The term "judicial review" refers to the power of the judiciary to examine and, if necessary, invalidate actions undertaken by federal and state legislative and executive branches if it finds them unconstitutional.

Rank the following elections by voter turnout levels, from highest participation rate to lowest.

presidential elections midterm state and local elections

In the ______ election, all of the candidates are from the same party. This is different than the _________ election, when all of the candidates are from different parties.

primary general

What effect did the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and SpeechNow v. Federal Election Commission rulings have on campaigns?

they led to the rapid increase in Super PACs which flooded money into federal elections

false

Fewer than 10 percent of Californians fall below the federal government's poverty line.

Refer to the animation in the previous question. Which of the following income groups is most likely to express their political opinions?

$75,000+

The wealthiest 1 percent of Californians pay about ______ of all income-tax revenue, and the wealthiest 10 percent pay about _______.

- 50% - 80%

Which tactics did local jurisdictions, including cities and counties, often employ to reduce integration in urban areas and increase segregation in suburbs?

- Built new highways or re-routed existing highways through black and/or integrated urban neighborhoods to eliminate "slums" - Demolished integrated public housing complexes in urban areas - Refused to build new housing for families displaced by new urban development - Rezoned lots for park or industrial purposes if black residents tried to build homes on vacant land

The ______ collects individual budget proposals from state agencies, while the______ works out any differences between Assembly and Senate budget bills.

- Department of Finance - Budget Conference Committee

According to The Color of Law, why have predominately Black neighborhoods been plagued by blight and decay?

- Local jurisdictions rezoned land around black neighborhoods to permit toxic and industrial purposes - Discriminatory housing practices forced black residents to live in smaller and overcrowded apartment units that were poorly maintained by landlords - Many jurisdictions demolished integrated public housing complexes in urban areas, forcing black residents to move to densely populated and segregated neighborhoods

In 1883, the ______ was passed to create the merit system for staffing the bureaucracy. It required bureaucratic personnel to be qualified based on ________

- Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act - competitive examinations

Which of the following are problems that have been identified with the California tax system?

- The sales tax focuses on goods instead of services. - The state collects less in property taxes than other wealthy states. - Ballot measures have imposed rigid spending demands. - The income tax relies too heavily on capital gains taxation.

In 2011, California faced a sizable budget _______. In the years since, California has had a regular budget ________

- deficit - surplus

In the 1960s, the federal government proposed _______ programs, but in the 1970s the government proposed _______ programs.

- desegregation - integration

After the Civil War, three amendments to the Constitution ___________ civil rights for African Americans. Once Reconstruction ended, however, _________ severely restricted the rights of African Americans, with _______ states taking the lead in segregating many public facilities.

- expanded - jim crow laws - southern

One of the first steps in the annual budget process is the creation of the _____ budget. This is an example of a(n)________ budget.

- governor's - unified

Pollsters increasingly are using online surveys, which are _______ costly and time-consuming than telephone surveys and have much larger samples of ________

- less - young people

Put these groups in the order in which they legally gained the right to vote from earliest to most recent.

- white men with property - black men - women - people aged 18-20

One way the news media affect the public is through _______, which is the power of the media to influence how events or issues are interpreted and understood. Another way the news media can shape politics is through ________, which occurs when an issue or other criteria becomes important in evaluating political candidates as a result of news coverage.

-framing -priming

Freedom of the press is found in the ______ Amendment.

1

Match each amendment to its specific goal.

13th --- abolished slavery 14th --- guaranteed equal protection of the laws 15th --- guaranteed voting rights for Black men

Which amendment provides the most substantial grounding for modern civil rights legislation?

14

Which amendment formally guaranteed all women in the United States the right to vote?

19

Watch the animation and study the Who Participates? infographic to answer the following three questions. Click hereLinks to an external site. to launch the Who Expresses Their Political Opinions? animation (click hereLinks to an external site. to view infographic after watching the animation).

<$20,000

Descriptive Representation - Bob, a conservative White male who previously served in the military, is primarily interested in supporting Tucker because he believes that Tucker can identify with his experiences. - Mia feels that government does not really work for her as an African American woman, so she intends to support Sarah Stewart because of their shared experience as women of color. Substantive Representation - Theresa, a constituent of Rep. Stewart, is very unhappy with her performance in office, citing her support of Medicare-for-All, and plans to vote against her. - Beth, a constituent of Rep. Stewart, is pleased with her representative's voting record, which is closely aligned to Beth's political views.

A congressional race features incumbent Sarah Stewart, a progressive African American female who previously worked as a nurse, and John Tucker, a conservative White male who previously was in the marine corps. Identify whether the examples describe descriptive representation or substantive representation.

trustee * A member of Congress can interpret the job as representative in two different ways: as a delegate, acting on the express preferences of the constituents, or as a trustee, more loosely tied to constituents and empowered to make the decisions she or he thinks best. When congressional members act as trustees, on the other hand, they may not pay sufficient attention to the wishes of their constituents.

A member of Congress who does not pay sufficient attention to the wishes of the constituents, and instead makes decisions as he or she thinks best is known as which type of representative?

concurrent power *In some areas, the states share concurrent powers with the national government, whereby they retain and share some power to regulate commerce and affect the currency. Wherever there is a direct conflict of laws between the federal and state levels, however, the issue will most likely be resolved in favor of national supremacy.

A power that is held by both the states and the national government (e.g., the power of taxation) best fits which of the following concepts?

Advantage of a Strong National Government - Competition between different state and local governments to attract businesses to their communities can undermine other policy goals. - The national interest sometimes overrides the local needs of the states. Disadvantage of a Strong National Government - Federally administered programs are not always fully funded by the federal government. - State and local governments understand the needs of their citizens better than does the federal government.

A strong federal government, and its influence over policy, offers some advantages that devolution and greater state control over more policies might not. Identify the potential advantages and disadvantages of having a strong national government with a strong influence over policy.

Montana, Wyoming, Idaho

Although state gun laws must conform to the Second Amendment as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court, laws concerning gun sales and ownership vary widely from state to state. It is much more difficult to buy a gun in, say, New York or California than in Texas or Kentucky. shows the percentage of the adult population in each state that owned a gun in 2013. Based on the map, which group of states has the HIGHEST rate of gun ownership?

Commit ethnic cleansing against Native Americans

Bacon's primary motive for his 1676 rebellion was to:

interior regions are more Republican and coastal region are more democratic

Based on the graphic, what is the geographic pattern of partisanship within California?

Which of the following are reasons that California has a relatively high caseload when compared with other state court caseloads?

CORRECT - Victims' rights legislation has elevated some misdemeanors to felonies. - California has modified its laws to allow juveniles to be tried as adults in some criminal cases. INCORRECT - California's three strikes law was repealed in 1994. - The California Constitution requires that all felony convictions at the superior court level are automatically appealed to the state supreme court.

Study the graph on who voted in 2022, and then determine which of the following statements are accurate.

CORRECT - A larger percentage of Latinos are ineligible to vote than any other racial or ethnic group in the state. - Older adults were more likely to vote than younger adults. INCORRECT - Black people comprise less than 10 percent of the overall population but more than 10 percent of actual voters. - Women were slightly more likely to vote than men.

The Who Participates? infographic presents data on public approval of various executive branch agencies by partisanship as well as overall agency performance ratings. Study the following section of the infographic, and then answer the question.

CORRECT - Across all agencies, Republicans generally exhibit lower levels of support compared to Democrats. - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has the largest partisan gap in approval of all agencies listed. INCORRECT - The Postal Service and Veterans Affairs (VA) have an equal percentage of Republicans and Democrats approving of them. Republicans tend to exhibit significantly higher approval ratings of the Federal Bureau of Investigation than Democrats.

Which of the following statements are supported by this figure?

CORRECT - Biden did better among Republicans than Trump did among Democrats. - People who identify with a particular party give the vast majority of their votes to that party. INCORRECT - Democrats were the most likely group of the three to vote for third-party candidates. - Independents were roughly evenly split between the candidates.

How are campaigns different now compared to several decades ago?

CORRECT - Campaigns make use of big data to inform their campaign strategies. - Campaigns more often engage in micro-targeting. - Almost all campaigns make use of public-opinion polls of likely voters. INCORRECT - Campaigns rarely employ negative ads because they are generally ineffective.

Analyze the graph on the percentages of Americans who claim each ideology, and then answer the question.

CORRECT - More Americans today identify themselves as moderates than liberals. - More Americans today identify themselves as conservatives than liberals. INCORRECT - More Americans today identify themselves as liberals than conservatives.

Which of the following statements are true regarding political independents?

CORRECT - Most independent voters tend to support one party more than the other. - In 2021, between 15 and 20 percent of Americans were pure Independents who split their votes evenly between the two parties. INCORRECT - Roughly one-half of the electorate identifies as independent. - Pure independents are generally more informed, engaged, and interested in politics than partisans.

Which of the following statements about political action committees (PACs) are accurate?

CORRECT - PACs are allowed to make larger contributions than an individual can make to a campaign. - PACs are private groups that raise and distribute funds for use in election campaigns. INCORRECT - PACs are mostly unregulated and do not have contribution limits. - PACs are mostly set up by labor groups and neighborhood associations.

Which of the following statements are correct regarding the effect of party polarization on public opinion?

CORRECT - Party polarization decreases the impact of other information on public opinion. - Party endorsements have a larger impact on opinion formation than they used to. INCORRECT - The political parties are now sending inconsistent policy cues more than they used to. - People tend to ignore the parties more now than they used to because they are so extreme.

What effect did the Tea Party have on the Republican Party?

CORRECT - The Tea Party shifted the Republican Party to the right by producing more conservative candidates within the Republican Party who challenged incumbent Republicans in their primaries and won. - The Tea Party paved the way for Donald Trump to win the GOP nomination for the presidency. INCORRECT - The Tea Party shifted the Republican Party to a more moderate position, arguing that running moderate candidates was the most effective way to win elections. - The Tea Party's effect was short-lived and was mainly directed at preventing Democrats from passing the Affordable Care Act.

Which of the following are constitutional requirements for California's budget?

CORRECT - The budget passed by the legislature must be balanced. The governor must submit a unified budget to the legislature within the first 10 days of the calendar year. INCORRECT - Appropriations from the general fund must be passed in each house by a two-thirds majority vote of the membership. - The legislature must pass the budget by March 15 of each year.

Which of the following statements about the size and growth of the federal bureaucracy are accurate?

CORRECT - The federal civilian workforce has decreased over the last 60 years. - Several recent presidents have made a point of campaigning against the size of the federal workforce. INCORRECT - The federal workforce has nearly doubled because of programs like health care and education reform. - Although the federal workforce has stayed relatively the same in numbers, it has grown as a percentage of the population.

Which of the following statements about the delivery of news are true?

CORRECT - The majority of Americans report that they get their news at least sometimes from a news aggregator, like Google News. - Today, around 86 percent of Americans get their news digitally. - In 2020, for the first time ever, newspapers made more money from circulation than from ad revenue, as paywalls become the norm for reading digital newspapers. INOCRRECT - Digital news media has been in decline over the past 20 years due to declines in advertising revenue and challenges with increasing subscribers. - The digital delivery of news is not new and has been around for over 50 years.

How do 527s and 501(c)(4)s differ from more traditional campaign finance groups such as political action committees?

CORRECT - These groups cannot coordinate directly with campaigns. INCORRECT - These groups do not have to disclose where they get their money. - These groups have been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Suppose you are advising a Republican candidate on their strategy for an upcoming election. Which groups would you suggest targeting in your voter mobilization efforts?

CORRECT - White non-- Hispanic people Less educated people (high school diploma or less education) - Older people (age 65+) INCORRECT - High-income earners ($80,000+)

Over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, the media have written many stories about President Biden's efforts to contain the spread of COVID by issuing vaccine mandates of federal employees and contractors and some stories on the economic relief package passed. What two means of media influence was this an example of?

CORRECT - agenda setting - priming INCORRECT - framing - whistleblowing

Which functions do the media serve in a democracy?

CORRECT - provide a forum for politicians to debate policies - inform the public about current political issues - monitor the government and politicians for wrongdoing INCORRECT - rule on whether actions of the federal government are constitutional

Imagine that you were governor of the state of California. Which of the following things could you do through your use of the line-item veto?

CORRECT - reduce the amount allocated to state prison spending from 10 percent of the budget to 5 percent of the budget - eliminate a state government commission that had previously been created and funded by the state legislature INCORRECT - increase the amount allocated to the California State University system for the next year from $6.8 billion to $10.1 billion - lower the tax rate on incomes less than $8,000 from 1 percent to .25 percent

Which of the following behaviors are highly politically aware individuals more likely to do than less politically aware individuals in response to the issue of made-up news and information?

CORRECT - report or flag a story they think is made up - change the way they use social media - check facts of a news story themselves INCORRECT - reduce the amount of news they get overall

Under state law, when are you required to reregister to vote?

CORRECT - when you change addresses INCORRECT - whenever you reach an age ending in 0 (i.e., 20, 30, 40) - before every presidential election - every year

Which of the following agencies were created by Congress to give members information independent of that provided by the executive branch?

CORRECT -Congressional Budget Office - Government Accountability Office INCORRECT -Office of Management and Budget - Federal Reserve Congressional Research Service

Which of these accurately describes the bureaucracy and what it does?

CORRECT -implements laws passed by Congress and the president - interprets laws - employs experts INCORRCT - ensures the president's agenda is enacted

Study the graph of presidential voting patterns in California, and then determine which of the following statements are accurate. Please make sure to note that the number in parentheses is the percent of all California voters who are Latino, whereas the height of the line is indicating the percent of that Latino vote that went to Democrats.

CORRECT - Latinos have been significantly more likely to vote for Democratic presidential candidates than have voters in the state overall in every election since 1980. - The percentage of voters in California who are Latino has increased in every presidential election between 1980 and 2020. - A majority of Latinos have voted for the Democratic Party's candidate in every presidential election since 1980. INCORRECT - The overall share of votes going to Democratic Party candidates in the state has increased in every presidential election since 1984.

Which of the following are consequences of the current increase in media monopolies?

CORRECT - Individuals expressing less popular viewpoints may find it difficult to get media exposure. - A smaller number of companies control the media's agenda-setting power. INCORRECT - There are too many diverse viewpoints for viewers and readers to choose from.

Study the chart on gubernatorial appointments to the judiciary in California since 1975, and then determine which of the following statements are accurate.

CORRECT - Jerry Brown appointed a larger percentage of African American, Latino, and Asian American judges and justices between 2011 and 2018 than he did between 1975 and 1982. INCORRECT - During each administration since 1975, African Americans have received a larger percentage of appointments to the judiciary than in the preceding administration. - No governor has ever allocated more than 10 percent of his appointments to the judiciary to Asian Americans. - Republican governors have always appointed fewer female judges and justices during their administrations than Democratic governors have.

Which of the following statements about California's use of vote by mail are accurate?

CORRECT - More than 50 percent of all of the votes cast in the state in 2020 were mail-in ballots. INCORRECT - California law currently requires that a person wishing to vote by mail make a separate ballot request three months before each election they would like to vote in. - California is the only state that currently allows voting by mail without an approved excuse. - Before 1978, there was no vote-by-mail option available to citizens of the state.

Study the chart on justices and judges in California, and then determine which of the following statements are accurate.

CORRECT - The majority of judges and justices in the state of California identify as heterosexual. - More than half of the members of the supreme court are male. INCORRECT - The percentage of White justices on the supreme court is higher than the percentage of White judges serving in the trial courts.

Which of the following statements about reversals are correct and which is incorrect?

CORRECT - The reversal rate from 2007-2020 for each court was above 50 percent, with the First Circuit having the lowest reversal rate at 52 percent. INCORRECT - The circuit courts have similar caseloads to balance the work and ensure fair outcomes. - Most of the cases heard by the circuit courts go on to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. - Circuit courts that are skewed heavily toward one party or the other (in terms of the appointing president) tend to have higher reversal rates than those more evenly balanced.

What is true regarding socialization, the attitudes about political issues, and underlying political values?

CORRECT - Underlying values tend to shape specific attitudes. - Underlying values are formed through political socialization. INCORRECT - Specific attitudes tend to shape underlying values. - Specific issues are formed through political socialization.

Sandy, who has little interest in politics, is completing a survey questionnaire about the Republican tax cuts. Which factors would likely influence her opinion on the policy?

CORRECT - partisanship - a good friend's Facebook post supporting the tax cut INCORRECT - economic self-interest - Congressional Budget Office's analysis

Proposition 13 (1978) did which of the following things?

CORRECT - prohibited the passage of new property taxes - increased the size of the majorities required for voters to raise taxes - limited how much property taxes could increase each year INCORRECT - established three new income tax brackets for people who make more than $305,100 per year

Which of the following elements do pollsters have to consider before conducting a poll that will forecast the election?

CORRECT - wording of survey questions - a large sample - ability to randomly select respondents INCORRECT - ensuring that respondents make socially desirable answers

Which of the following are the three fundamental problems of democracy that political parties solve?

CORRECT -mobilizing voters - accomplishing legislative goals - regulating the number of people seeking office INCORRECT -keeping money from influencing political outcomes - ensuring the government respects civil liberties

select their own form of government.

California has passed home rule laws that allow county and city governments to

the U.S. Constitution.

California's 1849 (first) Constitution borrowed heavily from

Match the U.S. Supreme Court case to the effect it had on campaign spending.

Citizen United v FEC (2010) government could not restrict independent expenditures by corporations or unions McCutcheon et al. v.FEC (2014) removed limits on how many PACs or candidates an individual can give to Buckley v. Valeo (1974) introduced idea that campaign contributions count as speech

federal only: - legislature has role in appointing judges - Senate has filibuster California only: - executive has line-item veto - term limits on legislators both: - bicameral

Classify each feature as describing the California government, the federal government, or both.

Judges selected by the governor to serve on the supreme court and the court of appeals in California must be approved by the

Commission on Judicial Appointments.

In 1997 the Supreme Court ruled that the __________ was an unconstitutional infringement of the right to freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Communications Decency Act ****FEEDBACK: The Telecommunications Act of 1996 included the Communications Decency Act, which made it illegal to make "indecent" sexual material on the internet accessible to those under age 18. The Supreme Court ruled in 1997 that the Communications Decency Act was an unconstitutional infringement of the right to freedom of speech.

necessary and proper * Also known as the elastic clause, this part of the Constitution signified that the expressed powers were meant to be a source of strength to the national government, not a limitation on it. It provides Congress with the authority to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its expressed powers.

Congress' ability to pass laws needed to carry out its expressed powers is known as the __________ clause.

Pork barrel - A congressman inserts language into a bill that builds a bridge with federal money. - Several representatives earmark money in an economic stimulus bill for projects in their district. casework - A district staffer helps an elderly constituent apply for Social Security.

Congressmembers engage in a variety of activities aimed at serving their constituents. Identify whether each is an example of pork barrel politics or casework.

a type of federalism existing since the New Deal era, in which grants-in-aid have been used strategically to encourage states and localities to pursue nationally defined goals. * Cooperative federalism is different from dual federalism because the lines indicating which level of government has power are blurred. The political scientist Morton Grodzins characterized this as a move from "layer cake federalism" to "marble cake federalism."

Cooperative federalism is best defined as

The first "party system" in the United Stated consisted of

Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans.

Why have fees and tuition for higher education in California continued to rise?

Data provided to the legislature made it look as if students had paid relatively low fees and tuition until recently.

Identify which circuit courts have a majority of Democratic-appointed judges, and which circuit courts have a majority of Republican-appointed judges.

Democratic majority - DC circuit - 1st circuit republican majority - 8th circuit - 5th circuit

Different political parties rely on different groups for support. Match each group with the political party that has most often relied on its support.

Democrats - organized labor - non-white racial and ethnic groups Republicans - religious and social conservatives - business owners

Match each group to the party it tends to support in elections.

Democrats women african americans republicans white women white non-hispanics

- Dillon's Rule - home-rule

Despite what _____________ might indicate, California has passed numerous codes and ____________ laws to empower local governments and give them some autonomy.

Watch the animation and study the Who Participates? infographic to answer the following two questions. Click hereLinks to an external site. to launch the Civic Engagement in the Digital Age animation and click hereLinks to an external site. to view infographic. Based on the information presented in this activity, which of the following statements is accurate?

Differences in age and sex are better indicators of whether a person sends political messages than income level.

Match each example of political participation to whether it represents digital or traditional participation.

Digital - includes signing an online petition - becoming more popular over time traditional - has existed since the founding of the country - includes voting

A push poll is more likely to include which of the following questions?

Do you think it was appropriate for President Obama to lie about how Benghazi happened? ****FEEDBACK: Push polling involves questions that are biased in their wording and are designed to provoke a response that the interviewer is seeking. The question about President Obama's handling of the attack in Benghazi is a push poll question because it leads the respondent to accept lies as part of the president's intentions.

Federalist. * The Constitution that was adopted in 1789 created the framework for a powerful national government that has only grown more powerful in defending the nation's interests, promoting its commerce, and maintaining national unity, which was a general triumph for the Federalist vision of the country.

During America's Founding, if you believed in a unified, centralized government powerful enough to defend its interests, you were mostly likely a(n)

Southern Pacific

During the Progressive era, what railroad company was known for bribing California officials?

1789-1937

During which period of time has the United States had a system of dual federalism?

Voting rates vary substantially by race and ethnicity, education, employment status, and age. This chart examines how voting rates have changed over time based on these variables. Based on this chart, which group in the 2016 election had the biggest gap between those that are least likely to vote and those that are most likely to vote?

Education: eight grades or less versus college graduate

false

Every state in the country makes use of the initiative process to pass laws.

Much like the federal government, the state of California is allowed to pass a budget in which expenditures going out are greater than revenues coming in.

False

The trend in congressional oversight has been toward more "police patrol" oversight, and less "fire alarm" oversight.

False

The __________ is a system of 12 Federal Reserve banks that facilitates exchanges of cash, checks, and credit; regulates member banks; and uses monetary policies to fight inflation and deflation.

Federal Reserve System ****FEEDBACK: A key monetary agency is the Federal Reserve System (called simply the Fed), which is headed by the Federal Reserve Board. The fed has authority over the interest rates and lending activities of the nation's most important banks.

Indicate whether the following activities are a responsibility of the Treasury Department ("Treasury") or the Federal Reserve ("Fed").

Federal Reserves - administering monetary policy - regulating bank lending activities Treasury - printing currency - collects taxes through the Internal Revenue Service

government shutdowns are a consequence of the necessary function of the theory of separation of powers and checks and balances that the Founders purposely put into the Constitution. * Americans can become impatient with aspects of the constitutional system such as the separation of powers, which often seems to be a recipe for inaction and gridlock. The framers, however, believed that a good constitution not only created a government with the capacity to act forcefully but also promoted compromise and deliberation, sometimes delaying action until tempers cooled and a variety of viewpoints could be heard.

Federal government shutdowns often occur when the House and Senate cannot agree on the national budget. Although many citizens view this as incompetence, the Founders would likely argue that

speech plus * "Speech plus" refers to speech combined with physical activity such as picketing, distributing leaflets, and other forms of peaceful demonstration or assembly. Protection of this form of speech under the First Amendment is conditional and can be regulated in some cases.

If you were engaging in a public event, involving speakers, protests, and passing out leaflets, you would most likely be involved in which of the following categories?

0

If your representative has served five terms in the state Assembly, how many terms would he or she be eligible to serve in the state Senate under the rules enacted by Proposition 28?

Arrest would be UNCONSTITUTIONAL - The year is 1886, and you were arrested by the federal government. - The year is 1986, and you were arrested by the federal government. - The year is 1986, and you were arrested by the state government. Arrest would be CONSTITUTIONAL - The year is 1886, and you were arrested by the state government.

Imagine that you have been arrested for a speech criticizing the government. In which years and at which levels of government would this be an unconstitutional violation of your civil liberties?

civil service.

In 1913, the system that was put in place in California to select public employees was called

false

In 2019-20, there were nine standing or permanent committees in the California state Assembly and five in the California state Senate.

more extensive than those of the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In California, the powers of the Speaker of the Assembly are

initiative, referendum, and recall.

In California, the voters have the power of direct action through

decreasing.

In general, over the last few decades, voter turnout in California local government elections has been

The Republicans have become much more conservative.

In recent decades, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have become increasingly polarized as Democrats have become more liberal and Republicans more conservative. One way of measuring polarization is to estimate the ideology of members of Congress based on their roll-call votes and then graph the ideologies of each party's members. Check out this infographicLinks to an external site. and then answer the following question:How did the parties change from the 100th Congress to the 115th Congress?

whip * Each party elects a whip to line up party members on important votes and to relay voting information to the leaders.

In the leadership of both parties in Congress, certain members are responsible for legislative strategy, building support and coalitions for key issues, and informal vote counting. What is this role called?

- speaker - president pro temopre

In the state of California, the leader of the Assembly is called the _______________, and the leader of the Senate is called the ____________.

Committees or subcommittees of the Senate or the House conduct hearings and investigations. * Oversight is carried out by committees or subcommittees of the Senate or the House, which conduct hearings and investigations to analyze and evaluate bureaucratic agencies and the effectiveness of their programs.

In which of the following ways does Congress exercise the power of oversight?

McDonald v. Chicago (2010). * In the 2010 case of McDonald v. Chicago, the Supreme Court applied the Second Amendment to the states, making this decision the first new incorporation decision by the Court in 40 years. The case concerned a Chicago ordinance that made it extremely difficult to own a gun within city limits, and the Court's ruling had the effect of overturning the law

Incorporation was used for the first time in over 40 years in which of the following cases that concerned the Second Amendment?

Since 1968 the Consumer Confidence Index has been a fairly reliable predictor of incumbents' political fortunes. Based on this infographic, which statement best summarizes the relationship between consumer confidence and presidential elections?

Incumbent party candidates tend to do better in elections when confidence is high.

The Constitution specifies the number of Supreme Court justices as which of the following?

It does not specify the number *****FEEDBACK: The Constitution does not specify the number of justices who should sit on the Supreme Court; Congress has the authority to change the Court's size.

One of Rothstein's proposed remedies for reversing segregation in The Color of Law included a "fair share act." What would this policy do?

It would require states to ensure suburban and urban communities had a representative share of black, low-income, and moderate-income residents

Which U.S. Supreme Court case reinstated Reconstruction-era legislation that banned housing discrimination and gave Congress the power to eliminate all "badges and incidents of slavery"?

Jones v. Alfred H. Mayer Co.

right to privacy * By extending the umbrella of privacy, the sweeping ruling of Roe v. Wade dramatically changed abortion practices in America. Protection for abortion still stands but has been restricted somewhat by the courts in recent decades.

Many abortion cases, including Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, and Ayotte v. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, for instance, can be argued as which constitutional issue?

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about individual formation of public opinion?

Many individuals are politically informed but lack memory of some of the facts used to form their opinions. **** FEEDBACK: Research has challenged the misconception that voters are uninformed. Political scientists have found that, in fact, many voters tend to be informed but have not retained some of the facts used to form that opinion.

Judicial review was established in the case of

Marbury v. Madison. ****The Supreme Court's decision in Marbury v. Madison established the power of judicial review, and the Court's legal power to review acts of Congress has not been seriously questioned since 1803.

Fourth Amendment: protects against unreasonable searches and seizures Fifth Amendment: protects citizens from being tried twice for the same alleged crime (double jeopardy) Sixth Amendment: protects citizens by giving the right to receive counsel for defense of a crime Eighth Amendment: protects citizens from being tortured or excessively threatened

Match each amendment with its purpose.

fighting words: speech that directly incites damaging conduct speech plus: speech accompanied by actins such as protesting prior restraint: government efforts to block the publication of material

Match each concept to its definition.

Senate - more deliberative body House - gives leadership more control over process - more likely to encourage specialization - more organized body

Match each congressional chamber to its correct feature(s).

Declaration of Independence - emphasized importance of unalienable rights - sought to develop a unified national identity Articles of Confederation - limited the powers of the national government - allowed states to retain sovereignty

Match each feature to either the Articles of Confederation or the Declaration of Independence.

HOUSE - designed to be directly responsible to the people -write revenue bills SENATE - chosen for six-year terms - ratify treaties - approve presidential appointments BOTH -approval required to enact laws

Match each task or characteristic to whether it is reserved for the Senate, the House of Representatives, or both chambers.

Unitary system - Lower levels primarily implement central government decisions. - A central government makes the most important decisions Federal system - This system tends to occur in states with diverse ethnic or language groupings. - A central government shares power with lower levels of government.

Match each type of governmental system to its correct description

Virginia Plan - representation based on population - bicameral legislature New Jersey Plan - unicameral legislature - equal representation for each state

Match the appropriate Constitutional Convention plan with its features.

The Who Participates? infographic presents data on public approval of various executive branch agencies by partisanship as well as overall agency performance ratings. Study the infographic, and then answer the question. Which agency has the highest (excellent/good) performance rating?

NASA

Study the Who are Americans? infographic (click hereLinks to an external site. to view infographic) to answer the following three questions. Which of the following news sources were Clinton voters much more likely than Trump voters to get their news?

NPR

The _____________________ rule, created by the Public Works Administration as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, was meant to expand public housing but ended up imposing segregation on previously integrated neighborhoods across the United States.

Neighborhood composition

- state governments - national government

One benefit of the federal structure is that by allowing the ____________ to do most of the governing, the Constitution saved the __________ from many policy decisions that might have proved too divisive for a large and young country.

Bacon's militia was racially integrated

One notable characteristic of the 1676 Bacon's Rebellion in Virginia was the fact that:

This program, proposed under the 1968 Fair Housing Act during the Nixon Administration but never fully implemented, would've required local communities receiving financial assistance from the federal government to begin integrating all-white neighborhoods.

Open Communities

false

Over time, the Supreme Court has been more restrictive in its protection of the right to privacy.

Party identification has changed over time, with the number of Democrats, Republicans, and independents gaining or losing supporters at different periods. Study this chartLinks to an external site. on party identification and answer this question: looking at the trend from 2017 and 2018, how did party identification in the electorate change?

People left the Republican Party and started identifying as independents.

- presidential elections, - competitive candidate mayoral elections, - uncontested one-candidate mayoral elections

Place the average levels of voter turnout in California for different kinds of elections in order from those with the highest turnout to those with the lowest.

- California is granted statehood - California replaces its original state constitution with a new one - the progressives dominate California politics - numerous amendments are added to the California constitution causing it to exceed 100,000 words at one point in time

Place these eras or moments in time in order from earliest to most recent.

- Delegates gather at the constitutional convention - The Federalist papers are published - The Constitution is ratified by the states - The Bill of Rights is adopted

Place these events surrounding the creation of the U.S. system of government in chronological order.

__________ are organizations that seek influence over government by nominating candidates and electing its members to office whereas __________ do not control the operation of government and its personnel but rather try to influence government policies, often through lobbying elected officials.

Political parties; interest groups

__________ elections are held to select a party's candidate for the __________ elections.

Primary; general *****FEEDBACK: Election season begins with primary elections, which are held to select each party's candidates for the general election. Primary elections are used in races for office at the national, state, and often local levels. The winners of primary elections face one another as their parties' nominees in the general election.

Established a legacy of learning and intellectualism

Protestant Christianity was an important influence on early American colonists because it:

The practice of designating predominately Black neighborhoods as "undesirable" for federal home loans was known as:

Redlining

Real estate provisions known as ____________________ prevented the sale of single-family homes to Black Americans until these provisions were outlawed in 1968.

Restrictive covenants.

Who created the "southern strategy" to push white southerners to start voting Republican?

Richard Nixon

the Supreme Court's decision in Hollingsworth v. Perry

Same-sex marriage became legal in the state of California after which event?

Which of the following counties in California is considered to be the most conservative?

San Diego

trustee

Senator Gonzalez has to decide how to vote on an upcoming bill. The senator considers that their constituents would probably oppose the bill, even though the senator believes it would be a good idea. If Senator Gonzalez votes in favor of the bill, then we would say they are acting like a __________.

Proposition 11:took redistricting of the state legislature away from the legislature and put it in the hands of the newly created Citizens' Redistricting Commission Proposition 25: reduced the requirement for passing a budget from two-thirds to a simple majority in the legislature proposition 28: reduced the term limits in the legislature from 14 to 12 years

Since 2008, a series of initiatives have been passed that appear to have strengthened the legislative process and reduced gridlock. Match each of these propositions with its main feature.

false

Since the beginning of California's "top-two" primary system in 2010, the vast majority of legislative races in California feature candidates from the same party.

Correct - Non-Latino Whites compose a larger percentage of the population in Northern California counties than in Southern California counties. - Most counties in the state have populations where fewer than 45 percent of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher. Incorrect - All of the counties with a median income of over $70,000 are in the San Francisco Bay area. - Counties where non-Latino Whites comprise the largest percentage of the population tend to have the highest levels of income.

Study the map showing the demographics of California's counties, and then determine which following statements are accurate

Correct - win the support of at least a majority of voters in an election - submit an application describing the special district to your county's local agency formation commission (LAFCo) Incorrect - receive approval for your application from your LAFCo, your city's mayor, and your board of supervisors - undergo a fiscal impact examination from the state Department of Finance

Suppose the city you live in had too many mosquitoes, but the city government refused to devote public funds to resolve the problem. If you wanted to create a special district focused on mosquito abatement, which of the following would you be required to do?

more women being elected to the legislature.

Term limits had at least one positive effect on the California State Legislature. Term limits have resulted in

African Americans, Chinese Americans, and Native Americans.

The 1849 Constitution denied the right to vote to

required open meetings and transparency in the conduct of public business

The Brown Act of 1953 did which of the following?

true

The Constitution provides a basis for a right to privacy.

- search and seizures - inadmissible

The Fourth Amendment protects citizens from unreasonable __________ by making illegally obtained evidence __________ in court.

local level, state level, national level

The Progressives in California began at one level of government, then moved to another, and finally to a third. Put these levels of government in order from the one first targeted for reform by Progressives to the last.

false

The Supreme Court has no role in constitutional revision

Lawrence v. Texas * In the case of Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the Court overturned a previous decision with a dramatic pronouncement that gays are "entitled to respect for their private lives."

The Supreme Court ruled in __________ that the right to privacy did extend to the private lives of gay and lesbian Americans.

the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people. * The Tenth Amendment states that the powers that the Constitution does not delegate to the national government or prohibit to the states are "reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

The Tenth Amendment states that

- two-thirds - three-fourths

The U.S. Constitution is far more difficult to amend than California's constitution, requiring a ________ majority vote in the House and Senate followed by ratification by _________ of the states.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) * The first, and most important, example of a Supreme Court ruling on the commerce clause in favor of the national government was McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), in which the Court ruled that Congress had the power to charter a national bank.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the right of the national government to create a national bank and reaffirmed the notion of national supremacy in which landmark case?

- Senate - federal judges - a simple majority

The ________________alone has the right to approve or deny the president's appointments of ______________. Approval for these nominees requires __________.

The development of standardized reporting and writing practices that emphasized objectivity was important in political news coverage because of which of the following?

The best way to turn a profit was to appeal to a broad audience and avoid alienating readers by imposing particular stances. ****FEEDBACK: The development of standardized reporting and writing practices that emphasized objectivity in political news coverage was due in large part to a shift in the structure of media organizations. The owners of large newspaper companies, concentrated in urban areas, determined that the best way to make a profit was to appeal to as broad an audience as possible, which meant not alienating potential readers who held liberal or conservative political views.

Which of the following best describes what happens during an electoral realignment?

The coalitions of voters that support the parties change significantly.

it provided for a system of representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state, the proportion of each state's revenue contribution to the national government, or both. * The first plan proposed for the foundation of the new Constitution called for representation in the national legislature based on the population of each state. Because the states varied enormously in size and wealth, the Virginia Plan was thought to be heavily biased in favor of the large states.

The core component of the Virginia Plan was that

Correct - The federal government occasionally overrides state and local laws that are inconsistent with federal policies. - The federal government uses grants-in-aid to reward states that enact policy in a manner consistent with congressional goals. - The federal government sets national standards to which the states must adhere. Incorrect - The federal government removes governors from office if they fail to enforce federal priorities.

The federal government often works to limit state-to-state variation in how policies are enacted. How does the federal government encourage policy standardization between states?

As the bars in this figureLinks to an external site. indicate, when measured in dollars, federal government spending has gone up over time, from $423 billion in 1950 to over $3 trillion in 2018. (The amounts here are measured in constant 2009 dollars, which means the numbers have been adjusted for inflation.) The red line shows federal spending as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP), which is a measure of the U.S. economy as a whole. Which of the following statements does the data in the chart best support?

The federal government spends about the same today (as a percentage of GDP) as it did 40 years ago.

corporations and corrupt politicians.

The goal of the Progressive movement was to reduce the power of

establishment clause. * The establishment clause maintains the idea that government should pass no law that establishes religion or provides preference or support for a specific religion. There are several different ways the clause can be interpreted, including as establishing a strict separation between church and state.

The idea of the separation of church and state is most closely associated with the

direct democracy.

The initiative, referendum, and the recall comprise a series of Progressive reforms generally known as

John Locke * In philosophical terms, the Declaration of Independence was remarkable for its assertion of unalienable rights, including the assertion that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness could not be abridged by governments. This philosophical view was heavily influenced by the works of the philosopher John Locke, one of England's foremost liberal theorists of the seventeenth century.

The inspiration behind the focus of the Declaration of Independence's on "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" was most inspired by which political philosopher?

Refer to the animation and infographic in Question 8. Which avenue of political expression is consistently the most used by all income groups?

attending a town or city council meeting

In the 1960s, federal grants were on the rise as the federal government assumed a large role in funding programs in the states. Then, in the 1980s, President Reagan returned responsibility of some programs to the states.

The level of federal aid has varied over the past several decades as program costs and politics have affected the role the national government plays in funding state and local services. The data in this figure. show changes in the level of federal aid over time. Federal aid as a percentage of state and local expenditures is the most volatile of all the aid depicted. Which of the following explanation is correct as to why this has happened?

checks and balances. * Separation of powers is nothing but mere words on parchment without a method to maintain that separation. The method became known by the popular label "checks and balances."

The method of securing, enacting, or maintaining the Constitution's principle of separation of powers is known as

Virginia had more slaves than Massachusetts.

The representation in the first session of Congress is depicted in this figure. The population data that were used are based on the first federal census (1790) and are only approximate with respect to populations in 1787, the year the federal Constitution was drafted. View the infographic and then answer the following question. According to the 1790 Census, Virginia had nearly twice as many residents as Massachusetts. Yet Virginia only had two more representatives in Congress than Massachusetts. What does this tell us about the impact of the Three-Fifths Compromise?

false

The state must build approximately 14,000 houses each year to meet the demand created by its growing population.

Which of the following is the best example of stare decisis?

The supreme court overturns a state law that restricts handgun ownership stating that it conflicts with district of columbia v. heller

funds an individual receives from selling stocks or other assets

The term "capital gains" refers to

Common law

The type of legal system founded on social tradition and prior court cases is called:

Why do many news sources today tend to be more partisan than they used to be?

There are so many news sources that not many can aim for a broad-based national audience. ****FEEDBACK: There are so many news sources that few can aim for a broad-based national audience. Instead, each targets a partisan or ideological niche and aims to develop a strong relationship with consumers in that audience segment by catering to their biases and predispositions

Properly order the steps a case typically goes through in the federal court system.

US district courts us courts of appeals us supreme court

false

Under current state law, initiatives can appear on primary, general, and special-election ballots.

term limits, low media coverage, and the line-item veto

What factors make the California State Legislature weaker in comparison to Congress?

tools and actions that place power and control over government in the hands of the voters

What is direct democracy?

States and the federal government share responsibility concerning most powers. * Dual federalism was the type of federalism that prevailed from the Founding until 1937, after which the federal government gained more prominence in regard its powers.

What is the defining characteristic of dual federalism?

conducting judicial review * The power of judicial review, which is not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution, gives the Supreme Court the power to render the final decision when there is a conflict of interpretations of the Constitution or federal law among the courts, Congress, the executive branch, or the states.

What power does the Supreme Court possess that is not expressly given to it by the Constitution?

weaken corporate influence, eliminate political corruption, and democratize the political process

What three goals did the Progressives pursue?

tyranny of the majority * The Antifederalists feared the tyranny of a central government with too much power, but the Federalists believed that the danger that was particularly associated with republican governments was not aristocracy, but rather majority tyranny.

What type of tyranny did the Federalists fear the most?

Correct - limits on the power of government - how much representation the people should have in government - how to prevent tyranny incorrect - how to amend the Constitution

What were some of the major points of disagreement during ratification of the Constitution?

correct - Committees in the Assembly and Senate cannot act on a bill until it has been in print for 30 days. - If the governor vetoes a bill, a two-thirds vote in each house is required to override the veto. incorrect - Any member of the legislature and any statewide elected official can introduce a bill to the Assembly or Senate. - All bills require a supermajority in both houses to pass (54 in the Assembly and 27 in the Senate).

Which of the following statements about the legislative process in California are accurate?

conference * Frequently, bills that begin with similar provisions in both chambers emerge with little resemblance to each other. Alternatively, a bill may be passed by one chamber but undergo substantial revision in the other chamber. In such cases, a conference committee composed of the senior members of the committees or subcommittees that initiated the bill may be required to iron out differences between the two.

When different bills on the same subject pass both houses of Congress, delegations from both meet to create a joint bill on the subject during a __________ committee.

oversight

When the state Assembly holds hearings to investigate construction flaws in the new Bay Bridge or to evaluate the progress of the high-speed rail project, what is it engaging in?

Magna Carta

Which English governing document had the most influence on the U.S. Bill of Rights?

Fourth Amendment * The Constitution's Fourth Amendment, for example, declares that the police may not search a private home without a warrant from a judge. Does this prohibition on searches apply to computers, cell phones, and GPS devices? Writing in 1789, the framers would have been mystified by these modern technologies, and it falls to the courts to apply constitutional principles to new problems.

Which amendment may be of issue if a case developed where the FBI wanted to search a citizen's computer, cell phone, or GPS devices?

2

Which amendment specifies the right to bear arms?

Griswold v. Connecticut

Which case formally established the right to privacy?

Massachusetts Body of Liberties

Which colonial governing document had the most direct influence on the U.S. Bill of Rights?

Iroquois/Haudenosaunee Confederacy

Which group of American indigenous people created a governing system that was considered a model for the new American republic?

- "Interference of some temperate and respectable body of citizens...(will) suspend the blow meditated by the people against themselves." - "It may well happen that the public voice, pronounced by the representatives of the people, will be more consonant to the public good than if pronounced by the people themselves." - "Such an institution may be sometimes necessary as a defense to the people against their own temporary errors and delusions." all are correct

Which of James Madison's following statements explain his support for the establishment of representative democracy in the United States?

Correct - constituency concerns - interest-group coalitions Incorrect - Supreme Court review - leadership PAC proposals

Which of the following are external sources of influence on congressional policy making?

correct - the power to assign and remove representatives from all Assembly committees - the power to assign parking spaces and offices for members of the legislature - the power to appoint who will serve as the majority floor leader incorrect - the power to redraw Assembly district lines after reapportionment

Which of the following are powers of the speaker of the Assembly?

Correct - Third parties rarely finish among the top two candidates in the primary election and thus have no access to the general election ballot. Incorrect - Voters are allowed to vote in the November election only if they voted in the June primary election. - It is possible that the candidate with the fewest votes in the November general election will be elected to serve in the state legislature because votes from the June primary are included in the overall vote total that determines the election's outcome. - Parties frequently replace the candidate who won the June primary with a new candidate for the November general election.

Which of the following are problems or downsides to California's top-two primary system?

term limits on the state legislature

Which of the following is NOT a Progressive reform?

The median family income in California is thousands of dollars higher than for the nation as a whole

Which of the following is true about income in California?

Correct - California recently had its overall population shrink year-over-year for the first time in decades. - In the 2010s, more people moved from California to other states than moved from other states to California. - The average home price in California is significantly higher than elsewhere in the nation. Incorrect - California has fewer concerns from climate challenges than other states.

Which of the following statements about California are correct?

Correct - Nearly all small- and medium-sized California cities use a council-manager plan. - Under a council-manager form of government, voters elect a city council to engage in all legislating. Incorrect - Under a council-manager form of government, cities do not have mayors. - Under a council-manager form of government, voters elect a city manager to run the administration.

Which of the following statements about council-manager forms of government are accurate?

Correct - Most immigrants in California come from either Latin America or Asia. - A higher percentage of Californians were born in a different country than the national average. incorrect - The number of immigrants living in California has remained relatively stable since 1970. - The majority of immigrants living in California come from Mexico.

Which of the following statements about immigration in California are accurate?

Correct - The incomes of low earners in California have declined substantially over the last four decades. - Local, state, and federal safety net programs have significantly reduced income inequality in the state of California. Incorrect - The incomes of top earners in California have remained relatively flat over the last four decades. - On average, incomes of people living in the Bay Area are about the same as those of people living in the Central Valley.

Which of the following statements about income inequality in the state of California are accurate

Correct - A number of city governments in California have adopted instant runoff voting this century. - Voters are allowed to rank all of the candidates for an office by order of preference. Incorrect - The two candidates who receive the most votes in the November election compete against each other in a December runoff election. - There are at least three rounds of vote counting in which the candidate receiving the fewest votes is dropped from the list and his or her ballots are transferred to the remaining candidates.

Which of the following statements about instant runoff voting are accurate?

correct - Latinos are the most underrepresented ethnic group in the California legislature. - The California legislature is significantly more male than the state as a whole incorrect - A majority of California legislators are under 40. - LGBTQIA+ individuals are underrepresented in the California legislature.

Which of the following statements are correct, based on the figure?

Correct - Population in inland regions is predicted to grow more than on the coasts. - The percentage of the population identifying as White is forecast to decline. Incorrect - Northern California is expected to grow at a higher rate than Southern California. - The overall growth rate of the population in California is forecast to be 10 percent.

Which of the following statements are supported by the graphic?

Correct - There was significantly slower housing growth in the fastest-growing counties. - Not all large California counties had faster population growth than housing growth. Incorrect - Most populous counties saw at least a 10 percent increase in housing units. - The state as a whole saw a higher percentage increase in housing than in population.

Which of the following statements can we conclude based on the figure?

Fewer laws based on race existed before the rebellion

Which of the following statements is true about Bacon's Rebellion?

Correct - Democrats' and Republicans' views on federal authority and states' rights often depend on which party controls government. - The Supreme Court often must intervene to resolve balance-of-power issues between the states and the federal government. Incorrect - Fearing preemption, state and local governments tend to adopt a "wait and see" attitude before the federal government acts. - The federal government is now free to impose "all-or-nothing" conditions on the states.

Which of the following statements on the balance between state and federal power today are accurate?

Correct - The Supreme Court ruled in favor of marital privacy in contraceptive use. - The Supreme Court ruled that LGBTQ persons have a right to privacy. Incorrect - The Supreme Court expanded the right to privacy with regard to abortions in the recent Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling.

Which of the following statements regarding the Supreme Court's decisions pertaining to the right to privacy are true?

Rhode Island

Which of the following states benefited the most from the Great Compromise?

due process of law * The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth amendments, taken together, are the essence of the due process of law, even though these precise words for this fundamental concept do not appear until the end of the Fifth Amendment.

Which of the following, collectively established under the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth amendments, protects every individual against arbitrary action by national or state governments?

the power to approve treaties

Which power is granted to the Senate but not to the House?

Congressional committees may investigate a program and choose to change or eliminate it

Which statement about Congress's oversight capacity is accurate?

CORRECT - Many of the delegates were concerned with the protection of property. - The convention was primarily organized by merchants and large planters. INCORRECT - The delegates were only interested in personal financial gain. - The delegates were not interested in fundamentally changing the structure of government.

Which statements accurately describe the Constitutional Convention of 1787?

- roll-call - rise - partisan polarization

While ______________ votes in the 1970s and 1980s generally did not pit the Democrats and Republicans against each other, since the 1990s, there has been a _____________ in party unity votes in Congress. This trend, especially after 2000, reflects greater ____________ as the ideological divide between the parties grows.

Based on the information presented in this activity, which comparison between different demographic groups is accurate?

Younger Americans are more likely than older Americans to send political messages via social media.

Which one of the following persons is MOST likely to vote?

a 40-year-old doctor ****FEEDBACK: Education level is the single most important factor in predicting whether an individual will vote. Income is also an important factor. Of the choices, a doctor will likely have both the highest education level and income, and thus will be most likely to vote.

Match each Supreme Court document to its definition.

amicus curiae brief interest-group-written brief that advises the Court on how to rule on a caseamicus curiae brief Brief attorney-written document arguing why the Court should agree with their client opinion document laying out the legal belief of the Supreme Court justices about the case in question dissenting opinions document laying out the legal belief of a minority of the Supreme Court justices about the case in question

Match each court with its type of jurisdiction.

appellate jurisdiction - courts of appeal - california supreme court general jurisdiction - superior courts

The doctrine of stare decisis would be used to

apply the ruling from a precedent to a current case. ****FEEDBACK: Precedents established in previous cases can guide courts' decisions in new cases. An attorney that seeks to apply a precedent to a current case does so under the doctrine of stare decisis, a Latin phrase meaning "let the decision stand."

Direct democracy enables voters to directly translate their preferences into government policy. Match each form of direct democracy to its correct characteristic(s).

ballot initiative - allows citizens to place proposed law directly on ballot referendum - state legislature refers laws to voters for popular vote - required for changes to state constitutions - present in 50 states

Allowing citizens to vote directly on issues such as legalization of marijuana or changing the minimum wage are examples of_________. These have a tendency to ________ turnout.

ballot initiative increase

In the context of understanding public opinion, which of the following is the best definition of values?

basic principles that shape a persons opinions about issues and events

The data presented in this figureLinks to an external site. depict the growing caseload of the U.S. Supreme Court. The total number of cases filed in the Court has increased a great deal over the last 75 years. The number of cases filed in 2015 was considerably lower than in previous years. How many fewer cases were filed in 2015 relative to the highest point?

between 3,000 to 4,000 fewer cases

Click the racial or ethnic category that most strongly favors the Democrats in their voter registration decisions.

black

Identify whether each of these describes civil liberties or civil rights.

civil liberties - protection from government infringement upon an individual's right to burn the American flag in protest - limitations on what government can do civil rights - students' rights to attend desegregated schools - guarantees of equal opportunity and protection for all citizens

Match the ideology with the party.

conservative republican liberal democrat

What category of budget expenditure has seen increases over the last twenty years?

corrections and rehabilitation

Segregation by practice rather than required by law is referred to as

de facto.

Since 1998, California voter registration among the two major parties has

decreased

Recent research and opinion polls suggest that women tend to offer greater support to candidates from the ________ Party. Surveys suggest that women voters tend to support war _______ than male voters, and _______stronger action from the government on social programs.

democratic less favor

Justices who disagree with the majority decision of the Court may choose to publicize the character of their disagreement in the form of a __________ opinion.

dissenting ****FEEDBACK: Justices who disagree with the majority decision of the Court may choose to publicize the character of their disagreement in the form of a dissenting opinion. The dissenting opinion is generally assigned by the senior justice among the dissenters.

Congress expects the federal bureaucracy to

engage in rule making and implementation of the laws it passes. ****Congress is responsible for making the laws, but in most cases legislation only sets the broad parameters for government action. Congress needs the bureaucracy to engage in rule making and implementation of the laws it passes.

When using a simple random sample,

every individual in a population has an equal probability of being selected as a respondent. ****FEEDBACK: The most representative sample is what statisticians call a simple random sample (or probability sample), in which every individual in the population has an equal probability of being selected as a respondent.

What is the most effective way to boost voter mobilization?

face to face interaction with canvasser

California's constitution currently prohibits political parties from endorsing judges who run in nonpartisan elections.

false

Most states in the country currently use a blanket primary system.

false

Democrats ______ vote by mail for all Americans, and Republicans ________it. No-excuse absentee ballots tend to _______ voter turnout.

favor oppose increase

The power of the media to decide how the American people interpret political events and results is called

framing ****FEEDBACK: The language and context in which the media presents the news, known as framing, can determine how the American people interpret political events. When communicating through the media, for example, politicians choose language that presents their ideas in the most favorable light possible.

Men and women disagreeing on broad political, social, and economic value is an example of the

gender gap. **** FEEDBACK: The tendency of men's and women's opinions to differ is known as the gender gap, such as the fact that women are more likely to vote for Democratic candidates.

Match each crime with the appropriate classification under California state law.

infraction - fishing without a license - failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign - possession of a half-ounce of marijuana felony - robbing a house

The strong relationship that the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Senate Committee on Veteran's Affairs, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars is an example of which of the following?

iron triangle ****FEEDBACK: An iron triangle is a pattern of stable relationships among an agency in the executive branch, a congressional committee or subcommittee, and one or more organized groups of agency clientele.

What is the basis of the Supreme Court's power of judicial review?

judicial review was established in the marbury v. madison decisions

Match each political value to its definition.

liberty - Government interference in individuals' lives should be kept to a minimum. equality of opportunity - All individuals should be allowed to seek personal and material success. justice - Every citizen should be treated fairly or given what they are due.

Online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter

likely increase the role of peers in shaping public opinion. ****FEEDBACK: Online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter likely increase the role of peers in shaping public opinion, as was demonstrated in the prominent display of support for same-sex marriage displayed by many users in June 2013.

If legislators miss the June 15 deadline mandated by Proposition 25 to pass a budget, they

lose their salaries on every day the budget is late.

Match the type of campaign with the campaign characteristics that describe it.

mass media campaign - statewide campaign - money- intensive grassroots campaign - organizationally driven - local campaign

What are some of the reasons that campaigns in California are expensive?

media, political consultants, and weak political parties

The media have been ______ aggressive in investigating the government in recent years than it used to be.

more

Which statement about nonpartisan elections in the state of California is accurate?

most local elections in the state are nonpartisan

Order these from the circuit court hearing the most cases to the fewest cases in 2020.

ninth circuit fifth circuit foruth circuit DC circuit

In California, when someone registers to vote and chooses to not register with either of the major political parties or with a recognized third party, they are registered as what kind of voter?

no party preference

Which group was the primary election system introduced to weaken?

party leaders

The civil rights movement's success was the result of both formal actions by various branches of the federal government (political and legal action) and the actions of various groups in society putting pressure on government officials to strengthen civil rights protections for African Americans (social movement action).

political and legal action - Civil Rights Act of 1964 - Brown v. Board of Education (1954) - Voting Rights Act of 1965 - President Eisenhower sending 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce the integration of Central High School social movement action - Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee formed to organize protests, sit-ins, freedom rides - Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" - Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycotts (1955)

Privatization is

provision of a formerly public service by a private company, with payment for the service by the government. ****Most of what is called privatization is the provision of government goods and services by private contractors under direct government supervision. Privatization simply means that a formerly public activity is picked up under contract by a private company or companies.

The process of gerrymandering in the United States has directly

reduced the number of competitive electoral races. ****FEEDBACK: Gerrymandering is the process by which congressional districts are drawn to favor one political party over another, causing some election outcomes to be highly lopsided in favor of one candidate over another. Gerrymandering in the United States has resulted in less competition in electoral races.

Parties in government emphasize different issues. Match each issue to the party most likely to support it.

republicans - tax relief for corporations and upper-income voters - maintaining high levels of military spending democrats - expanding social services spending - increased regulation of business

Which statement best describes retention elections for appellate court judges in California?

retention elections are held at set intervals, and voters are simply asked whether the judge remain on the appellate bench

What is one core aspect of the solicitor general's job?

reviewing federal agency cases before they are appealed to the court

The publicly funded agencies most affected by the restrictions of Proposition 13 are

school districts.

Women and minorities in the U.S. Congress are

significantly underrepresented compared with their percentage of the U.S. population. ****FEEDBACK: Women hold roughly 18 percent of seats in the U.S. Congress, which is far lower than their percentage of the total population. Minorities are also significantly underrepresented.

Families, social networks, education, religion beliefs, and the political environment can all be agents of

socialization. ****FEEDBACK: Political socialization is the process of learning the underlying beliefs and values of a political system. The agents of socialization that foster differences in political opinions include the family and social networks, education, membership in social groups, religion, party affiliation, self-interest, and political environment.

Rank each court based on the number of cases it hears, from the court that hears the most cases to the court that hears the fewest.

state trial courts federal district courts state courts of appeals federal courts of appeals state supreme courts US supreme court

Based on the infographic, where did most Americans get their news in the Trump/Clinton election?

televised media

If you attend a school in a low-income area and that school cannot provide access to digital media to its students, it is likely suffering from what is known as

the digital divide. **** FEEDBACK: Individuals without the access or skills to use the internet may be increasingly uninformed and excluded from the world of politics online. Access to the internet is lower among poorer and nonwhite Americans, creating significant inequalities termed the "digital divide."

If someone registers to vote while at the DMV renewing their license, they are able to do this because of

the federal motor voter law

In 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that

the government cannot restrict independent expenditures by corporations or unions to support political campaigns. *****FEEDBACK: In 2010 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that the government could not restrict independent expenditures by corporations or unions to political campaigns. The Court said restrictions on independent expenditures violated the First Amendment. With this decision, the United States entered a new era of campaign finance, in which corporations and unions can spend unlimited sums.

What would happen if a California trial court judge ran for re-election but no one chose to run against him or her?

the incumbent judge would be automatically re-elected without an election

Chief Justice John Roberts seemed to have which concern in mind when he cast the deciding vote in favor of the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act in 2012?

the need to demonstrate that the Court was not a purely partisan body *****FEEDBACK: Chief Justice John Roberts seemed to have institutional concerns in mind when he surprised fellow conservatives by casting the deciding vote in favor of the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act in 2012. Roberts was concerned about criticism of the Court as overly conservative and was determined to show that the Court stood above mere political ideology.

The "strict constructionists" on the Supreme Court are generally committed to

the principle of judicial restraint. *****FEEDBACK: Advocates of judicial restraint are sometimes called "strict constructionists," because they look strictly to the words of the Constitution in interpreting its meaning.

A possible reason why Donald Trump performed better at the ballot box than in public opinion polls in the 2016 election may be

the social desirability effect. ****FEEDBACK: Because Trump is a polarizing and controversial figure, some people may be reluctant to tell an interviewer they support Trump or his policies (the social desirability effect); online surveys may allow respondents to reveal their true preferences without facing social pressure to conform.

If Standard & Poor's chose to lower California's credit rating from AAA to AA, then

the state would likely raise interest rates on the bond it sells to raise money

Gay and lesbian couples in California were allowed to be legally married only after which event occurred?

the utied states supreme court ruled in hollingsworth v perry

What role do the California courts play in redistricting?

they are often called upon to judge the legality of newly drawn maps

What congressional action did the Supreme Court use as their foundation for opposing sexual harassment?

title VII of the civil rights acts of 1964

What is the function of California's appellate courts?

to review trial or superior court records for error

One of the most common reasons that people do not turn out to vote in elections is that they are not registered.

true

The Democratic and Republican parties have grown more polarized over time.

true

Match the frequency of the election cycle to the corresponding election type.

two years congressional four years midterm elections presidential

In states that do not require registration or that allow registration on the day of the election,

younger and less affluent voters turn out in larger percentages. ****FEEDBACK: As might be expected, states that do not require registration or that allow registration on the day of the election not only have higher voter turnout than the national average but also see younger and less affluent voters turn out in larger percentages.