US Government Test 2
Specifically identify the 6 dominant political parties in U.S. history.
Federalists, Jeffersonian Republicans, Jacksonian Democrats, Whigs, Democrats, Republicans
14. A procedure used by the Supreme Court in determining which cases it will hear is a. the rule of four. b. the gang of four. c. the sign of four. d. the rule of six. e. the sign of five.
a.
15. The power of the courts to determine the constitutionality of a law or action is called a. judicial review b. appellate review or fact c. precedent d. writ of judicial appeal e. habeas corpus
a.
17. The lowest layer of official party machinery is a. the local organization supported by district leaders, precinct or ward captains, and party workers. b. the state party chairperson and committees. c. the national campaign chairperson's volunteers. d. the White House interns. e. the National Convention Delegates.
a.
20. The clause in the Constitution that grants Congress the power to do whatever is necessary to execute its enumerated or expressed powers is called a. the elastic or necessary and proper clause. b. the supremacy clause. c. the concurrent clause. d. the reserved powers clause. e. due process clause.
a.
21. The term amicus curiae (friend of the court) brief refers to a. arguments by those interested in the outcome of a case but who are not parties to the case. b. a request that the Supreme Court order a lower court to send up the records of a case. c. a Supreme Court order barring further testimony during oral arguments. d. the belief that the Supreme Court should actively practice judicial review. e. None of the above is true.
a.
30. The controversy that led to the Civil War was a. the dispute over states' rights and national supremacy. b. interstate commerce. c. the application of the Bill of Rights to the states. d. taxation. e. the admission of Texas into the union.
a.
37. Categorical grants are a. federal grants to states or local governments for specific programs. b. emergency grants to states for unforeseen circumstances. c. a very recent form of national government support to school districts. d. unconstitutional because of separation of powers. e. None of the above is true.
a.
9. Which constitutional clause has been central in debates over gay and lesbian marriage? a. the full faith and credit clause b. the necessary and proper clause c. the privileges and immunities clause d. the interstate commerce clause e. the establishment clause
a.
24. The section of the Constitution in which Congress is given the authority to regulate trade among the states and with foreign countries is called the a. oversight clause. b. commerce clause. c. supremacy clause. d. necessary and proper clause. e. interstate compact clause.
b
11. Usually in U.S. politics, the national convention of a political party a. is held every two years. b. officially nominates the presidential and vice-presidential candidates and develops the party platform. c. selects all candidates for office running on the party label. d. gets rid of members who have failed to support the party. e. passes legislation that will prevent the development of third parties.
b.
16. Which is true? a. Straight-ticket voting is now nearly universal. b. The number of people identifying as independents has grown in recent years. c. Party identification has been increasing. d. The rise in Democratic identification may be because of the southern voter. e. Split-ticket voting is declining.
b.
19. In a federal political system, authority is a. always vested in a bicameral legislature. b. divided between the central government and regional or sub-divisional governments. c. bestowed upon the central government, with no power being granted to the regional governments. d. concentrated in a unicameral legislature within a strong central government.
b.
22. The necessary and proper clause of the Constitution was first used by the Supreme Court in what case to develop the concept of implied powers? a. Marbury v. Madison b. McCulloch v. Maryland c. Madison v. Jefferson d. Gibbons v. Ogden e. California v. Miller.
b.
29. Political parties differ from factions in that a. factions are large social movements. b. factions are groups within parties that follow a particular leader or share an ideological viewpoint. c. factions are a newer phenomenon than political parties. d. Options A and B are true.
b.
34. All of the following statements about the Jeffersonian Republican Party are true except a. it was initially led by Thomas Jefferson. b. it supported a strong, more active central government. c. it was supported by artisans and farmers. d. it supported states' rights. e. in office, its members acquired Louisiana and established a national bank.
b.
35. Realignment a. is only tied to specific elections. b. takes place when a substantial group of voters switches party allegiance. c. takes place when one dominant party replaces another one. d. took place on schedule in 2004. e. has been predicted as inevitable in the foreseeable future.
b.
41. If a case is remanded, it a. is sent to the supreme court of the state in question. b. is sent back to the court that originally heard the case. c. can only be of a civil nature—criminal cases cannot be remanded. d. must be decided within the calendar year. e. is not subject to any further action by the courts.
b.
45. Jurisdiction refers to a. rules and principles announced in court decisions. b. the authority of a court to hear and decide a particular class of cases. c. the constitutionality of a law. d. statutory law. e. the common law.
b.
A voter or a candidate who does not identify with a political party is called a. a naysayer. b. an independent. c. a liberal. d. a conservative. e. a libertarian.
b.
18. Most American law is based on a. French philosophy regarding the rights of man. b. the Bible. c. the English common law tradition. d. Roman law. e. the writings of Thomas Jefferson.
c.
25. In the case of Gibbons v. Ogden a. the national government lost the power to regulate intrastate commerce. b. state governments won the right to control navigation in interstate waters. c. the power to regulate interstate commerce was determined to be an exclusive national power of the federal government. d. the ruling provided the national government with decreasing power over economic affairs throughout the land. e. the Supreme Court found that commerce was defined as the exchange of goods and not navigation or transport of people.
c.
27. Federal mandates are a. rules for operation in the Supreme Court. b. requirements attached to state laws to dispense state grants. c. requirements in federal legislation that force states to comply with federal rules. d. always accompanied by ample federal funding to cover costs of the mandate. e. are unconstitutional.
c.
28. A writ of certiorari by the Supreme Court orders a. both parties in a case to reach agreement without further litigation. b. state courts to abide by the decisions of the Supreme Court. c. a lower court to send up the record of a case for review. d. Congress to rewrite unconstitutional legislation.
c.
32. The presidential election of 1912 was unique because a. the Democratic Party temporarily split in two. b. the "Bull Moose" ticket candidate won the election. c. the Republican Party was temporarily split and that allowed Democrat Woodrow Wilson to be elected. d. the Socialist candidate almost won.
c.
40. Functions of political parties in the United States include all of the following except a. operating the government. b. acting as an organized opposition to the party in power. c. signing up large numbers of dues-paying committed members. d. recruiting candidates for public office. e. presenting alternative policies to the electorate.
c.
8. The full faith and credit clause of the Constitution a. requires the national government to accept a state's outstanding debt at the time of ratification. b. requires the national government to accept the outstanding federal debt accumulated under the Articles of Confederation. c. requires states to normally honor each other's public acts and legal decisions. d. requires states, but not the federal government, to run a balanced budget. e. requires the federal government, but not states, to run a balanced budget.
c.
10. Those seeking to restrain the powers of the national government look to what part of the Constitution? a. the commerce clause b. the states' rights clause c. the First Amendment d. the Tenth Amendment e. the due process clause
d.
12. A federal grant that funds a general functional area with fewer restrictions on the states is a a. matching grant. b. program grant. c. federal mandate. d. block grant. e. waiver.
d.
13. A dissenting opinion can be important because a. it represents the position of the chief justice of the Supreme Court. b. it is the statement of the defendant's attorney to the Court. c. in criminal law it must be carried out by local police. d. it often forms the basis of the arguments used later to reverse the previous decision and establish a new precedent. e. it means that the case cannot be used as a precedent.
d.
2. All are true of federal grants except that they a. increased significantly during the twentieth century. b. have been used for education, pollution, and highway construction. c. have quadrupled in the amount of dollars given by the national government. d. are given by the states for national projects. e. have given the national government a much greater role in state government.
d.
23. Powers held jointly by the national and state governments are called a. cooperative powers. b. statutory powers. c. reserved powers. d. concurrent powers. e. inherent powers.
d.
26. In the appeals court, a. witnesses and testimony are presented to the jury. b. grand juries decide if there is enough evidence to have a trial. c. attorneys from both sides try to work out an agreement. d. judges review lower court case records to determine if there is evidence of an error. e. All of the above are true.
d.
3. States may not a. license marriages. b. pass laws regulating contracts. c. make laws on divorce. d. make treaties with foreign nations. e. impose taxes on income.
d.
33. The doctrine of stare decisis a. means to reverse the decision of a lower court. b. says that the court does not have jurisdiction in a case. c. allows the court to refer a case to the next highest court. d. is the policy of following precedent established by past decisions to decide cases. e. means strict interpretation.
d.
38. During primary elections a. voters chose the candidates who will represent each party in the November general election. b. candidates compete to be the advocate of the party's philosophy. c. competition between candidates results in severe polarization. d. All of the above are true.
d.
4. In a unitary system of government, ultimate government authority is located a. at the state or provincial level. b. at the local or municipal level. c. at the regional level. d. at the national or central level. e. Options A and B are true.
d.
42. Which of the following is true? a. The Great Depression shattered the working-class belief in Democratic economic competence. b. The Great Depression solidified the Republican Party as the dominant and most trusted party in American government and politics. c. Roosevelt's relief programs were generally not available to African Americans, resulting in African Americans' antagonism toward the Democratic Party that lasted for decades. d. The Great Depression shattered the working-class belief in Republican economic competence. e. Republicans held the presidency from the early 1930s until the late 1960s.
d.
44. According to the Constitution, the Supreme Court can exercise original jurisdiction a. in matters where the United States is a party. b. in cases where jurisdiction has been granted by statute. c. to intervene in a federal case. d. in cases affecting foreign diplomats and in cases in which the state is a party. e. over cases appealed from state supreme courts.
d.
7. Which constitutional clause affirms that national laws and treaties, made under the authority of the Constitution, are the supreme laws and treaties of the land? a.. the full faith and credit clause b. the necessary and proper clause c. the republican government clause d. the supremacy clause e. the establishment clause
d.
31. The Civil War amendments a. abolished slavery. b. sought to guarantee equal rights under state laws. c. gave the right to vote to African Americans. d. defined who was a citizen of the United States. e. All the above are true.
e.
36.. Which if the following is true? a. Political parties organize voter registration drives. b. Political parties recruit volunteers to work at the polls on Election Day. c. Political parties raise money for campaign materials. d. Political parties work to raise awareness for their candidates and increase voter turnout. e. All of the above are true.
e.
43. Sources of American law include all of the following except a. the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions. b. case law. c. statutes passed by legislatures. d. administrative regulations. e. the charter of the United Nations.
e.
46. Which of the following is true? a. Most lawsuits are heard in state rather than federal courts. b. Most lawsuits are heard in federal rather than state courts. c. All cases heard in state court may be appealed to federal courts. d. Cases heard in state court may be appealed to federal court if they case involves a federal question. e. Options A and D are true.
e.
5. The two-party system has dominated the American political landscape for all of the following reasons except a. political socialization and practical considerations. b. the winner-take-all electoral system. c. state and federal laws favor the two major parties. d. historical foundations of the system. e. third parties are illegal in many jurisdictions.
e.
6. Third parties a. are minor parties. b. can act as critics of the major parties. c. can be spoilers in an election. d. often start because of an idea or person. e. All the above are true.
e.
48. True or False? The standard for guilt in a civil law case is beyond a reasonable doubt, in a criminal law suit The standard for guilt is a preponderance of evidence.
false
47. True or False? In a multi-party political system the seats in a governing body are determined in proportion to the share of votes a party won in an election.
true
49. True or False? In a confederal system ultimate political power is retained by the states.
true
50. True or False? The inherent tensions in federalism rest within the Bill of Rights in the 10th Amendment.
true
51. True or False? Practice of issuing federal grants dates back to the government in power operating under the Articles of Confederation.
true
