PSC Midterm Chapter 1-10

The state of Missouri is looking to provide funding for its healthcare programs but is concerned about where the revenue should come from. What should the state do to provide healthcare for its residents while keeping its own funding contributions low?

Accept the intergovernmental transfer of federal funds to help pay for Medicaid.

People who identify as Democrats are more likely to have which of the following characteristics?

Be college-educated professionals.

Which source of money for state and local governments is typically issued in bonds?

Debt

If a citizen wanted to vote in a state that implemented a voter identification law, they should use which type of identification to register?

Drivers license

Conrad works for the local elections board. If he wanted to provide a means for allowing people to vote in person, the most widely available system he should choose is _____.

Electronic system

A fiscal year is considered the same as a calendar year.

False

Ballot regulations are designed to favor minor party and independent candidates over majority party candidates.

False

Cause lobbyists are known to use insider game tactics to pressure public officials.

False

Given the prevalence of polling data, social media, and face to face interaction with constituents at events like town hall meetings, it is relatively easy for politicians to grasp public opinion concerning their performance in office and the most important issues for voters.

False

In liberal home rule states, municipal charters take precedence over state constitutions and state law.

False

In the United States, getting on the ballot as a minor party or independent is no different than getting on the ballot as a major party candidate.

False

In the United States, political parties play a large role in the lives of Americans

False

In the United States, we live under a system of single constitutionalism.

False

Large companies are prevented by federal law from having lobbyists on their payroll.

False

Local governments are primarily funded by income taxes.

False

People that reside in traditionalistic states are more likely to turn out to vote than those in moralistic states.

False

Poll taxes disproportionately impacted property owners and illiterate whites.

False

Regressive tax systems are more common in states that rely on personal income taxes more than sales taxes.

False

Soft money refers to the unlimited funds that are donated to parties by their own candidates.

False

Super PACs have made it harder for party factions to organize and spread their messages.

False

The compact theory of federalism argues that if the federal government is the sovereign governing authority in the land, then it is the responsibility of the Supreme Court to determine who has the final say in how the Constitution is interpreted.

False

Third party and independent candidates have better chances at winning elections at the presidential level.

False

Voter fraud is widespread across the United States, according to research.

False

National and state governments operating independently and autonomously with regard to their power and authority is a signature feature of a ______ system of government.

Federal

Which group argued for a stronger national government?

Federalist

Programs that are run cooperatively and are paid for by both the state and federal government, such as Medicaid, are examples of ______.

Fiscal federalism

Which amendment addressed African American rights?

Fourteenth Amendment

Which amendment to the Constitution prohibits any state from depriving individuals of the rights and privileges of citizenship and requires states to provide due process and equal protect guarantees to all citizens?

Fourteenth Amendment

Today, political parties are characterized as ______.

Fundraisers

If a local government wanted to draft or amend their own charter in order to regulate local matters without interference from the state, which of these constitutional provisions should they seek to put in place?

Home rule

The Wickard v. Filburn (1942) Supreme Court ruling is an example of how Congress used the ______ clause to broadly interpret Congress's powers.

Interstate commerce

The plenary power is vested in which body of state government?

Legislature

Which types of elections are more likely to be nonpartisan?

Local

The vote for women nationwide was granted by the ______ Amendment.

Nineteenth Amendment

If a state official wanted to gauge public opinion, they would have a greater chance at getting quality feedback if they used which of these methods?

Online surveys

The imposition of civil service requirements for many government jobs was a result of which type of politics?

Party machine politics.

When the legislature sends a constitutional amendment to the electorate for approval, it is referred to as ______.

Ratification

Which of these was abolished by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002?

Soft money

Political parties in the United States are typically regulated at which level of government?

State

In 2012, the state of Washington became the first state to legalize marijuana. Not long after, other states started to follow suit. This example illustrates which advantage of federalism?

federalism allows for experimentation at the state level

Sam and Taylor got married in Illinois and are moving to Tennessee for work. What clause of the U.S. Constitution should they argue ensures that their marriage is valid in all states and not just Illinois?

full faith and credit clause

One of the consequences of federalism is that it can ______, which is exemplified in the way that Obamacare was unevenly implemented as a national policy.

generate inequality in both services and policies

Sonya is a judge who sees her role on the court as one of evaluating the actions of the legislative and executive branches of government and invalidating them if they are unconstitutional. Which term describes this power of the court?

judicial review

In the context of elections, plurality refers to the ______.

majority of voters

Which of the following statements pertaining to the budgeting process is true?

most states are required to balance their budgets

Parties are granted access to a ballot based on their ______.

performance in previous elections

Which of these best explains why Texas' constitution has endured from 1876 to the present, despite limiting the governor's power over the executive branch and allowing the legislature to meet infrequently?

political culture

Which of these best illustrates the reason why states have made voter registration easier for citizens?

registration was used to prevent people from voting multiple times

Which of these officials is responsible for carrying out the elections in most states?

secretary of state

If an individual were to fish for salmon or other game fish in the state of Washington, they should first pay what kind of tax?

severance tax

Which of these would be categorized under miscellaneous revenue for states?

severance taxes

In a dispute between state and county governments, the status of authority comes up. Which of the following best describes a county government's authority?

subordinate arm of the state

Given that the provision is not included in the U.S. Constitution, perhaps the most drastic difference between state constitutions is found in ______.

their embrace of direct democracy

If city officials wanted to increase voter turnout in their jurisdictions, which of the following actions would most likely help them accomplish this goal?

they could offer voters cash prizes in the form of a lottery system

In the United Kingdom, power is concentrated in the nation's Parliament. This is an example of which type of system?

unitary

You oversee an election where no candidates win the majority of the vote in the general election but there are two clear front-runners. What action should take place next?

They both would face off in a runoff primary election.

Representatives of factories that make parts for automobiles built in the United States have decided that they want to work together to push for laws that are more favorable towards their industry economic goals. What sort of interest group should they form?

Trade association

A state's political culture can explain the differences in a state's tax capacity and tax effort.

True

Federal systems are considered the middle ground between unitary systems and confederacies

True

People were more involved in politics back in the 1800s than they are today.

True

Republican lawmakers are more likely to advocate for voting restrictions than Democrat lawmakers.

True

State constitutions can also be changed when the state government simply ignores sections of the constituation and stops enforcing these provisions.

True

State constitutions make widely differing decisions about where power should reside.

True

The Constitution does not explicitly prohibit single groups from gaining the upper hand in all three branches of government.

True

The first ten amendments to the Constitution are collectively known as the Bill of Rights.

True

The fiscal health of a government determines its bond rating.

True

Melissa is a legislator concerned with working on entitlement programs in order to help her constituents. What kinds of programs should she research if she wants to achieve this goal?

Welfare

Which term is used to describe bills that allow the transfer of money to the executive branch?

appropriations

People seeking policy changes that are not being considered or undertaken by the legislature should employ which process?

ballot initiatives or popular referendums

In terms of state finances, the state of California has illustrated the growing use of _______.

ballot initiatives to shape and restrain tax systems

The term "picket-fence" federalism was sometimes used to describe which type of federalism?

centralized federalism

The ______ has the final say in interpreting the Constitution.

Supreme Court

If a researcher wanted to determine the proportion of a community's income that it chooses to pay out in taxes, they would use which measurement?

Tax effort

Which term is used to describe the proportion of money a community pays in taxes?

Tax effort

Which of the following is an example of a crossover sanction?

The drinking age