American Government
Which of the following are key players in the modern campaign?
(All of these answers are correct.) a. pollsters b. media producers c. fundraising specialists d. campaign consultants
Under federal law, PA~can contribute no more than ________ per candidate for federal office for a primary election and general election combined.
$10,000
In the Constitution, procedural due process is protected by the
4-6th, 14th
MoveOn and Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are both examples of
527 groups.
Nearly ________ percent of all PAC contributions go to the incumbents.
90%
The average incomes of minimum-wage workers in the United States and Europe reflect a greater influence of which of the following in the United States, when compared to Europe?
Corporate power
20. 49% of Tax revenue goes to the Federal government. (True/False)
False
which of the following is NOT true of cultural or political beliefs in America?
America individualistic has not proven to be an absolute barrier to govt assistance programs
Which one of the following is NOT true of cultural or political beliefs in America?
America's origins as a wilderness society led to the belief that government is responsible for providing material assistance to its citizens.
29.Regarding the educational background of bureaucrats, high ranking civil servants in continental Europe, compared to American bureaucrats, tend to have a college major specializing in a.natural sciences and engineering. b.law. c.social sciences and the humanities. d.business management. e.journalism.
B.
C
Gideon v. Wainwright required the states to a. temporarily abolish the death penalty. b. expand the exclusionary rule to both felony and misdemeanor cases. c. furnish attorneys for poor defendants in felony cases. d. grant speedy trials to defendants after 90 days of delay. e. provide more funding for education.
A handwritten note by a penniless convict brought about the Gideon v. Wainwright Supreme Court case, in which the Court ruled that
Gideon's Sixth Amendment right to counsel had been violated
D
Government can lawfully prevent a political rally from taking place a. under no circumstances; people have an unconditional right to express their views. b. when the rally would require unduly expensive police protection. c. when the views of those holding the rally are unpopular. d. when it can demonstrate that harmful acts will necessarily result from the rally. e. None of these answers is correct.
Political parties in the United States originated partly as a political feud between
Hamilton and Jefferson
Why did President Lyndon Johnson choose not to pursue comprehensive government-based health insurance?
He was convinced that it could not be achieved politically.
Why did Representative Tom DeLay lose his post as House majority leader?
He was implicated in a scandal involving campaign donations from lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
A
If a state accepts a federal grant-in-aid, it must a. comply with federal restrictions on its use. b. reimburse the federal government after a specified period. c. match the funds with twice that amount in state funds. d. reduce its income tax rates to adjust for the increased income. e. None of these answers is correct.
"Mark up" of a bill means that
None of these answers is correct.
Party dealignment is
None of these answers is correct.
Since the 1980s, the Supreme Court has addressed the exclusionary rule by
None of these answers is correct.
Which of the following statements is true?
Objective journalism is based on communication of facts and fairness.
Which of the following is correct with regard to obscenity and the law?
Obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment.
E
Progressive reforms included a. primary elections. b. direct election of U.S. senators. c. the initiative and referendum. d. recall elections. e. All these answers are correct.
Voter identification cards find the most support among
Republicans
In terms of party identification, about two-thirds of adults call themselves
Republicans and Democrats
which of the following is true of the Georgia law that required citizens without a gov't issued photo id, such as a drivers license or passport, to obtain a voter identification card, which would cost the 20 dollars and expire in 5 years?
a federal judge invalidated georgia's 20 dollar fee requirement, but the photo id was required
B
Spoken words that are known to be false and harmful to a person's reputation are an example of a. libel. b. slander. c. blasphemy. d. obscenity. e. symbolic speech.
In America today, public education is primarily the responsibility of
State and local governments
The Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) ultimately led to the creation of
Super PACs.
The main battleground for votes is
Television.
What is the greatest restriction on appeals in the United States?
a federal law that bars in most instances a second federal appeal by a state prison inmate
as distinct from alienation, apathy is
a general lack of interest in politics
As distinct from alienation, apathy is
a general lack of interest in politics.
The Bill of Rights added to the Constitution, among other things
a guarantee of freedom of speech
Which of the following is enhanced by a democratic form of government?
a leader's authority
Historically, the American press has shifted from
a political to a journalistic orientation
A member of Congress who wants to act on what the majority of his or her constituency thinks on a particular issue would be advised to respond to which of the following indicators?
a poll based on a random sample of constituents
B
The European philosopher whose concept of natural rights had a great impact on American politics is a. Montesquieu. b. Locke. c. Hobbes. d. Aristotle. e. Burke.
A
The origin of the concept of separation of powers is most associated with a. Montesquieu. b. Aristotle. c. Hobbes. d. Locke. e. Jefferson.
One of the reasons the reporting of national news is relatively uniform among news sources is that
a small number of news organizations and news services generate most of the news.
Regular voters tend to be characterized by
a strong sense of civic duty.
All of the following are characteristic of a party realignment EXCEPT
a very close electoral result.
E
Which of the following was NOT provided for by the Articles of Confederation? a. a national Congress b. each state having one vote in Congress c. unanimous approval by the states to amend the Articles d. a federal government subordinate to the states e. an independent federal executive
Which statement about women's rights is correct?
Women have made substantial gains in the areas of appointive and elective offices.
Political parties serve to
a. link the public with its elected leaders. b. enable people with different backgrounds and opinions to act together. c. offer the public a choice between policies and leaders. d. narrow voters' electoral options.
Congress oversees the bureaucracy by using
all of these: sunset provisions, the Government Accounting Office, and oversight hearings.
the framers of the constitution created a federal system of government because
all these answers are correct
the motor voter law
all these answers are correct
voting
all these answers are correct
which of following is an example of checks and balances?
all these answers are correct
which of the following is true about public opinion polling?
all these answers are correct
Of the states that refused to expand Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act
all were under the control of Republicans.
What Illinois policy did the Supreme Court invalidate with its decision in Witherspoon v. Illinois (1968)?
allowing the prosecution an unlimited number of challenges in capital cases
The Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
allows corporations and labor unions to spend unlimited funds on campaigns.
Gender is used in which categorical test?
almost suspect category
party identification refers to
an emotional attachment to a political party
Party identification refers to
an emotional attachment to a political party.
a consistent pattern of opinion on particular issues that stems from a coherent set of political beliefs is called
an ideology
A consistent pattern of opinion on particular issues that stems from a coherent set of political beliefs is called
an ideology.
The Three-Fifths Compromise dealt directly with the issue of
apportionment of taxes and seats in the U.S. House of Representatives
American party organizations
are still important, but their role in campaigns is secondary to that of candidates.
Among the following, the news media are usually guided by events that
are timely
Political protests
are today usually planned events.
the elastic clause is found in
art 1 sec 8
During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the national government
asserted the power to regulate the nation's economy.
2. ________ initially proposed that Congress charter a national bank. a. Thomas Jefferson b. Alexander Hamilton c. James Madison d. John Marshall e. Aaron Burr
b. Alexander Hamilton
18) Gender is used in which categorical test? a. Suspect Category b. Almost suspect category c. Not suspect category d. All answers are correct e. No answer is correct
b. Almost suspect category
6. The presidency was created by Article ________ of the U.S. Constitution. a. I b. II c. III d. IV e. VII
b. II
16. All of the following embraced the "national view" of federalism EXCEPT a. John Marshall. b. Roger B. Taney. c. Franklin D. Roosevelt. d. Lyndon B. Johnson. e. Alexander Hamilton.
b. Roger B. Taney.
12) The Bill of Rights a. reduced the restrictiveness of constitutionalism. b. enhanced the powers of the executive. c. further checked the power of the majority. d. enhanced the majoritarian nature of government. e. restricted the power of corporate influence in the government.
c. further checked the power of the majority.
a conservative is opposed to gov't intervention
in the economic but not the social sphere
A conservative is opposed to government intervention
in the economic but not the social sphere.
in the 21st century voting rates in the U.S. have
increased in presidential elections, while continuing to remain lowest in local ones
The focus of civil liberties is the ________ and the focus of civil rights is the ________.
individuals; group
Most lobbyists receive support from elected officials in direct exchange for
information
The media perform the signaling role by
informing the public of breaking events and new developments.
The reason the news product is designed to fascinate as well as to inform is because
news organizations are fundamentally businesses and must obtain revenue to survive.
which of the following is correct with regard to obscenity and the law?
not protected by the 1st amendment
Selective perception is primarily a result of
partisanship.
marbury v. madison is a landmark supreme court decision because it
set the precedent for judicial review
In Schenck v. United States (1919), the Supreme Court ruled that
speech could be restricted when the nation's security is at stake.
Under the original Constitution, U.S. senators were elected by
state legistlatures
________ does not have a competitive multiparty system.
the U.S.
According to the Supreme Court, prayer in public schools violates
the establishment clause.
Candidates' first priority in a close election is to
win over swing voters.
14. Over the past forty years, the burden of federal taxation has a. shifted from big business to small business. b. shifted from individuals to corporations. c. shifted from corporations to individuals. d. evened out between individuals and corporations. e. None of these answers is correct.
c. shifted from corporations to individuals.
1. The first American political parties emerged from the conflict between a. slave states and free states. b. the older eastern states and the newer western states. c. small farmers and states' rights advocates, and those favoring commercial and wealthy interests. d. business and labor. e. Protestants and Catholics.
c. small farmers and states' rights advocates, and those favoring commercial and wealthy interests.
12. Bureaucrats are ________ and elected officials are ________. a. generalists; specialists b. generalists; generalists c. specialists; generalists d. specialists; specialists e. popular; unpopular
c. specialists; generalists
Many white working-class citizens failed to vote in the 1968 and 1972 elections because they felt alienated by the centrality of which political issue?
civil rights
If a person yells "fire" in a crowded theater when there is no fire, and people are hurt in the ensuing panic, that individual abused his freedom of speech according to the doctrine of
clear and present danger
which test did the supreme ct justices devise for free speech in Schenck v. U.S. 1919
clear and present danger test
The air we breathe is an example of a
collective good.
the first plan of gov't for the U.S. was a
confederation
Congressional staffers spend most of their time on Select one: a. constituency service and legislative matters. b. legislative matters. c. constituency service and public relations. Correct
constituency service and public relations.
Viewed in historical terms, federalism has been a
contentious and dynamic system that has adapted to the needs of the time.
viewed in historical terms, federalism has been a
contentious and dynamic system that has adapted to these needs of the time
In Mapp v. Ohio, the selective incorporation process was extended to include
criminal proceedings in the states.
20. About what percentage of the annual federal budget is accounted for by the interest paid on the national debt? a. 50% b. 5% c. 25% d. 15% e. 2%
d. 15%
Congress made Native Americans official citizens of the United States in ________. a. 1789 b. 1889 c. 1865 d. 1924 e. 1963
d. 1924
the supreme ct case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld '06 was regarding
enforcing the geneva convention over military commisions
title 8 of the civil rights act of 1968 is also called the
fair housing act
18,19, and 21 yr. old americans were granted the right to vote in 1973
false
The United States has the world's most elite system of college education.
false
The elastic clause is related to which of the following concepts?
implied powers
The staggered terms of office for the House, Senate, and president were devised by the writers of the Constitution in order to provide the majority position of the voting public more opportunities to influence the government.
false
all forms of discrimination on the basis of gender are unconstitutional
false
americans embrace freedom of expression as a concrete virtue
false
de facto discrimination is discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, ethnicity and the like that result from a law
false
In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the Supreme Court
found corporations and unions could not be banned from spending money on campaigns.
The Bill of Rights
further checked the power of the majority.
In terms of news consumption, since the 1980s young adults
have been less informed than older ones.
News media coverage of Congress and the president is
heavily tilted toward presidential coverage.
which constitutional amendment protects the individual against self-incrimination
5th
The average pay for full-time female employees is about ________ percent of that for full-time male employees.
80
About ________ percent of people who regularly listen to National Public Radio do not donate money to their local station.
90
14. (p. 47) The origin of the concept of separation of powers is most associated with A. Montesquieu. B. Aristotle. C. Hobbes. D. Locke. E. Jefferson.
A
18. (p. 54) To the framers, the great danger of democratic government was the risk of A. tyranny of the majority. B. elite rule. C. special-interest politics. D. a weak presidency. E. judicial imperialism.
A
23. (p. 56) The term of office for a U.S. senator is ________ years, while that of a member of the U.S. House is ________ years. A. six; two B. four; two C. six; four D. four; four E. eight; four
A
25. (p. 47) In Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that A. government is most dangerous when a single group is powerful enough to gain full political control. B. monarchies are preferable to democracies. C. America was not diverse enough to prevent powerful interest groups from exercising too much political power. D. interest groups should be heavily regulated in America. E. interest groups are less troublesome than political parties.
A
26. (p. 58) Andrew Jackson persuaded the states to choose their presidential electors A. on the basis of the popular vote. B. by a vote of the state legislature. C. by a vote of Congress. D. by a presidential convention. E. on the basis of one state, one elector.
A
29. (p. 59) In his criticism of the Constitution, the economist Charles Beard argued that A. the Constitution's elaborate systems of power and representation were designed to protect the interests of the rich. B. the Constitution failed to protect the economic interests of the poorer states. C. the Constitution's commerce clause was inadequate to meet the nation's economic needs. D. the Constitution did not provide for sufficient protection of property. E. the Constitution gave too much power to the illiterate.
A
31. (p. 33) The inalienable rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence are A. life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. B. liberty, equality, and fraternity. C. life, liberty, and property. D. life and property only. E. equality and liberty only.
A
36. (p. 38) Under the original Constitution, Congress could not ban the slave trade until ________. A. 1808 B. 1828 C. 1848 D. 1865 E. 1887
A
44. (p. 48) Judicial review is the power of the American courts to A. declare a law unconstitutional. B. suspend the writ of habeas corpus. C. impeach the president. D. give advisory opinions to Congress. E. give advice and counsel to the president.
A
48. (p. 53) Who was serving as chief justice of the Supreme Court when it decided the case of Marbury v. Madison? A. John Marshall B. Thomas Jefferson C. John Adams D. James Madison E. Edmund Burke
A
50. (p. 38) The "Three-Fifths Compromise" was a response to A. conflict over the institution of slavery. B. the concerns of small states. C. apportionment in the U.S. Senate. D. the Electoral College. E. the demands of large states.
A
55. (p. 55) The framers of the Constitution preferred which of the following political arrangements? A. a republic as opposed to a pure democracy B. a monarchy as opposed to a constitutional system C. a pure democracy over a republic D. a pure democracy over a represntative democracy E. socialism over capitalism
A
Define a PAC. What limitations do PACs face when raising funds? What limitations do they face when contributing funds? Who are the primary recipients of PAC contributions, and why?
A PAC is the political action committee of an interest group that tries to gain influence by contributing money to the campaigns of political candidates. The true extent of PAC power to influence policy makers is hotly debated; PACs are influential, but their money does not literally buy votes in Congress. However, money does buy access, and members of Congress listen to groups that financially support their campaigns. PAC contributions account for roughly a third of total contributions to congressional campaigns. Their role is less significant in presidential campaigns, which are larger in scale and depend on a wider range of funding sources. PACs face limitations on their efforts to raise funds. They can raise money for election campaigns by soliciting voluntary contributions from group members. A group cannot give organizational funds (such as corporate profits or union dues) to candidates. Limitations also exist on the levels of contribution. A PAC can contribute no more than $10,000 to a candidate for federal office—$5,000 in the primary and $5,000 in the general election. The primary recipients of PAC contributions are incumbents. Congressional incumbents are highly likely to win and thus to remain in a position to make public policy. For this reason, the great bulk of PAC contributions are given to incumbents seeking reelection.
Which of the following is true of the Georgia law that required citizens without a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport, to obtain a voter identification card, which would cost them twenty dollars and expire after five years?
A federal judge invalidated Georgia's twenty-dollar fee requirement, but the photo ID requirement stood.
Discuss the major characteristics of the political socialization process through which Americans acquire their political opinions.
A first characteristic of political socialization is that most people's political outlook is formed uncritically during childhood. A second characteristic of political socialization is that its effect is cumulative; political orientations usually grow firmer with age. Political socialization takes place through a number of agents of socialization, both primary and secondary. Primary agents include the family, school, and church, with family being the most powerful of all agents of socialization. Secondary agents have a less intimate relationship with the individual, and include peers, the media, and leaders.
2. Policy implementation refers to the bureaucratic function of a. carrying out decisions made by Congress, the president, and the courts. b. regulating the distribution of funds to individuals and corporations. c. delegating legislative authority to smaller operating units of the bureaucracy. d. both regulating the distribution of funds to individuals and corporations, and delegating legislative authority to smaller operating units of the bureaucracy. e. None of these answers is correct.
A.
21.The special interests that benefit directly from a bureaucratic agency's programs are called a.clientele groups. b.pressure groups. c.entitlement groups. d.programmatic groups. e.recipient groups
A.
24.It can be said of regulatory commissions that a.the broad discretion these commissions have over regulatory policy means that a change in their leadership can have a significant impact. b.the commissioners pursue independent and impartial policies, regardless of political pressure from Democrats or Republicans in Congress. c.unlike presidential appointees in other areas, regulatory heads choose which civil servants will work in their agencies, and thus have the full loyalty of career bureaucrats. d.unlike presidential appointees in other areas, the president can hire and fire the heads of regulatory commissions whenever she/he chooses. e.All these answers are correct.
A.
26.Legally, the bureaucracy derives the general authority for its programs from a.acts of Congress. b.federalism. c.regulatory rulings. d. court rulings e. the will of the people
A.
3. The administrative concept of neutral competence holds that the bureaucracy should a. be staffed by people chosen on the basis of ability and do its work fairly on behalf of all citizens. b. stay out of conflicts between Congress and the president. c. be structured on the basis of the principles of specialization, hierarchy, and formal rules. d. not allow in-fighting between agencies. e. be staffed by partisan presidents.
A.
3.Whenever Congress has a perceived need for ongoing control of an economic activity, it has tended to create a a.regulatory agency. b.cabinet department. c.presidential commission. d.government corporation. e.blue ribbon panel.
A.
34.The National Performance Review that was completed in 1993 was headed by a.the President. b.the Vice President. c.the Office of Management and Budget. d.the Department of Commerce. e.private consulting firms.
A.
35.The chief way that administrative agencies exercise power over policy is through a.rulemaking or deciding how a law will operate in practice. b.judicial interpretation, or mandating the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of a new statute. c.hiring and firing government personnel in the name of efficiency and effectiveness. d.testifying before Congress on the merits or demerits of a proposed regulation or law. e.None of these answers is correct.
A.
46._____ is/are most likely to understand trade issues in the United States. a.The president b.Members of the Senate c.Career bureaucrats in the Department of Commerce and the Federal Trade Commission d.Members of the House e.Federal mediators
A.
5. When an individual believes that he or she was improperly disadvantaged by a bureaucrat's decision and contests the decision, the dispute is usually handled by a. an administrative law judge. b. a congressional oversight committee. c. a federal appeals court. d. a departmental or agency adjudication office. e. the Supreme Court.
A.
6.Federal regulatory agencies have responsibility primarily in the area of a.economic policy. b.social welfare policy. c.foreign and defense policy. d.law enforcement policy. e.environmental policy.
A.
7.Regulatory agencies have a.executive, legislative, and judicial functions. b.legislative, adjudicative, and multilateral functions. c.adjudicative and legislative functions. d.multilateral, law enforcement, and executive functions. e.All these answers are correct.
A.
8.Most federal employees are hired on the basis of a.merit criteria. b.patronage. c.previous job experience in the private sector. d.the personal preferences of immediate supervisors. e.a lottery system.
A.
39. (p. 420) Congress authorized an official impeachment investigation of A. Andrew Johnson. B. John Quincy Adams. C. Theodore Roosevelt. D. Warren Harding. E. Calvin Coolidge.
A. Andrew Johnson.
3) The United States has certain rules in place to keep politics within peaceful bounds. These rules include all of the following EXCEPT a. autocracy. b. democracy. c. constitutionalism. d. free markets. e. None of these answers is correct.
A. Autocracy
16. (p. 405) Which of the following presidents failed to win an electoral majority, but still won the presidency by decision of the House of Representatives? A. John Quincy Adams B. Rutherford B. Hayes C. Benjamin Harrison D. George W. Bush E. All these answers are correct.
A. John Quincy Adams
41. (p. 426) ________ was known as the "Great Communicator". A. Ronald Reagan B. George H. W. Bush C. Jimmy Carter D. Lyndon Johnson E. George W. Bush
A. Ronald Reagan
43. (p. 394) What did the Supreme Court rule about executive agreements in 1937? A. They are legally binding in the same way that treaties are. B. They can only be issued in matters of national security. C. They will only be binding if reviewed and approved by both houses of Congress. D. They can only be made with the approval of a president's entire cabinet. E. They were ruled unconstitutional and are no longer used by the executive.
A. They are legally binding in the same way that treaties are.
26. (p. 457) Legally, the bureaucracy derives general authority for its programs from A. acts of Congress. B. federalism. C. regulatory rulings. D. court rulings. E. the will of the people.
A. acts of Congress.
7. (p. 437) Regulatory agencies have A. administrative, legislative, and judicial functions. B. legislative and executive functions, but no judicial functions. C. adjudicative and law enforcement functions. D. multilateral, law enforcement, and executive functions. E. All these answers are correct.
A. administrative, legislative, and judicial functions.
24. (p. 458) When an individual believes that he or she was improperly disadvantaged by a bureaucrat's decision and contests the decision, the dispute is usually handled by A. an administrative law judge. B. a congressional oversight committee. C. a federal appeals court. D. a departmental or agency adjudication office. E. the Supreme Court.
A. an administrative law judge.
15. (p. 346-347) The modern Congress is different from the nineteenth century Congress in that most members A. are now professional politicians who want to stay in Congress. B. are now amateur politicians who want only to spend a short time in Congress. C. are now minorities or women. D. now have previously been governors of their home states. E. return to their respective state legislatures after their congressional service is over.
A. are now professional politicians who want to stay in Congress.
15. (p. 440) The administrative concept of neutral competence holds that the bureaucracy should A. be staffed by people chosen on the basis of ability and do its work fairly on behalf of all citizens. B. stay out of conflicts between Congress and the president. C. be structured on the basis of the principles of specialization, hierarchy, and formal rules. D. not allow in-fighting between agencies. E. be staffed by partisan presidents.
A. be staffed by people chosen on the basis of ability and do its work fairly on behalf of all citizens.
50. (p. 454) Why does the head of the Social Security Administration (SSA) have less policy influence than the head of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)? A. because the SSA operates under fixed rules than cannot be altered based on circumstances B. because the SSA budget is much smaller than the FTC budget C. because the SSA is an independent agency and the FTC is a presidential commission D. because the SSA has fewer clientele groups than the FTC E. because the SSA affects a smaller portion of the population than FTC policies
A. because the SSA operates under fixed rules than cannot be altered based on circumstances
34. (p. 363, 369) Most of the work on legislation in Congress is done A. by committees and their respective subcommittees. B. on the floor of the House and Senate. C. by conference committees. D. by the president. E. by bureaucratic agencies.
A. by committees and their respective subcommittees.
10. (p. 444) Policy implementation refers to the bureaucratic function of A. carrying out decisions made by Congress, the president, and the courts. B. regulating the distribution of funds to individuals and corporations. C. delegating legislative authority to smaller operating units of the bureaucracy. D. both regulating the distribution of funds to individuals and corporations, and delegating legislative authority to smaller operating units of the bureaucracy. E. None of these answers is correct.
A. carrying out decisions made by Congress, the president, and the courts.
13. (p. 349) Campaign spending tends to be a much greater challenge for A. challengers and nonincumbents than for incumbents. B. Republican candidates. C. Democratic candidates. D. candidates in urban areas than for candidates in rural areas. E. men than for women.
A. challengers and nonincumbents than for incumbents.
21. (p. 449-450) The special interests that benefit directly from a bureaucratic agency's programs are called A. clientele groups. B. pressure groups. C. entitlement groups. D. programmatic groups. E. recipient groups.
A. clientele groups.
28. (p. 374) Most members of Congress are A. concerned with national issues, but even more concerned with local ones. B. controlled by special interest groups. C. interested only in the work of the subcommittee on which they serve. D. opposed to the seniority system. E. more interested in oversight than in making laws.
A. concerned with national issues, but even more concerned with local ones.
9. (p. 365) When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, the differences are resolved by a A. conference committee. B. standing committee. C. select committee. D. rules committee. E. joint committee.
A. conference committee.
14. (p. 434) In the late 1800s, rapid economic growth placed new demands on the federal government and led it to A. create new federal departments built around economic interests. B. establish the executive management system. C. reorganize the cabinet in order to make it the center of economic policy making. D. both create new federal departments built around economic interests, and establish the executive management system. E. None of these answers is correct.
A. create new federal departments built around economic interests.
46. (p. 416) A president is likely to propose the most new programs A. during his or her first year in office. B. after reelection to a second term. C. immediately after Congress enacts a major presidential initiative. D. when international conditions are stable. E. during his or her last year in office.
A. during his or her first year in office.
6. (p. 437) Federal regulatory agencies have responsibility primarily in the area of A. economic policy. B. social welfare policy. C. foreign and defense policy. D. law enforcement policy. E. environmental policy.
A. economic policy.
45. (p. 400) What aspect of presidential election did Andrew Jackson try but fail to achieve? A. elimination of the Electoral College B. elimination of candidate selection by primary C. elimination of the unit rule D. the equalization of Electoral College votes, eliminating population as a factor E. an increase in the number of presidential candidates per party
A. elimination of the Electoral College
40. (p. 426) In the modern era, the equivalent practice of using the presidency as a bully pulpit (Theodore Roosevelt) could best be summed up in the phrase, "________". A. going public B. spin control C. air wars D. lobbying the bureaucracy E. manipulating the media
A. going public
47. (p. 405) States that apply the unit rule A. grant all their electoral votes as a unit to the candidate who wins the state's popular vote. B. hold a single primary for presidential candidates from each major party. C. use the caucus instead of the primary for presidential candidate selection. D. do not use the Electoral College system. E. are not considered to be states in which there is a competitive race between candidates.
A. grant all their electoral votes as a unit to the candidate who wins the state's popular vote.
35. (p. 426-427) A president's policy initiatives are significantly more successful when the president A. has the strong support of the American people. B. is a former member of Congress. C. is on good terms with other world leaders. D. is in office when the economy goes bad, which creates a demand for stronger leadership. E. None of these answers is correct.
A. has the strong support of the American people.
32. (p. 372) Which of the following is one of the three major functions of Congress's policymaking role? A. lawmaking B. check the president C. appease special interests D. inform the people E. check the Supreme Court
A. lawmaking
33. (p. 368) Bills are formally introduced in Congress by A. members of Congress only. B. executive agencies. C. interest groups. D. the Supreme Court. E. All these answers are correct.
A. members of Congress only.
1. (p. 370) If the Rules Committee applies the "closed rule" to a bill, A. no amendments will be permitted. B. the bill will not be allowed a vote. C. the bill will require a 2/3 majority for passage. D. no further floor debate is allowed. E. no filibusters will be allowed to prevent a vote.
A. no amendments will be permitted.
25. (p. 375) Congress typically takes presidential proposals A. only as a starting point. B. only if the dominant party is the same as the president's party. C. and most often fast-tracks them into law. D. and tables them until they expire. E. None of these answers is correct.
A. only as a starting point.
3. (p. 348) Legislation whose tangible benefits are targeted solely at a particular legislator's constituency is A. pork-barrel legislation. B. logrolling. C. gerrymandering. D. private legislation. E. public interest legislation.
A. pork-barrel legislation.
3. (p. 437) Whenever Congress has a perceived need for ongoing control of an economic activity, it has tended to create a A. regulatory agency. B. cabinet department. C. presidential commission. D. government corporation. E. blue ribbon panel.
A. regulatory agency.
36. (p. 445) The chief way that administrative agencies exercise power over policy is through A. rulemaking, or deciding how a law will operate in practice. B. judicial interpretation, or mandating the constitutionality or unconstitutionality of a new statute. C. hiring and firing government personnel in the name of efficiency and effectiveness. D. testifying before Congress on the merits or demerits of a proposed regulation or law. E. None of these answers is correct.
A. rulemaking, or deciding how a law will operate in practice.
49. (p. 442) At the start of the annual budget cycle, the OMB assigns each agency a budget limit based on A. the president's directives. B. its own projections of what is affordable. C. the Justice Department's instructions. D. Congressional guidelines. E. the guidelines of the Commerce Department.
A. the president's directives.
31. (p. 383) What is the biggest reason that Congress does not vigorously pursue its oversight function? A. the sheer magnitude of the task B. its inadequacy as a means to control the bureaucracy C. its inadequacy as a means to control the power of the president D. its inadequacy as a way to generate publicity for members of Congress E. its inadequacy as a means to control the judiciary
A. the sheer magnitude of the task
20. (p. 363) Most of the legislative work of Congress is performed by A. the standing committees and their subcommittees with jurisdiction over particular policy areas. B. the joint committees chosen to coordinate actions between the two chambers of Congress. C. the select committees chosen to study special problems on a temporary basis. D. the steering committees that decide how the party stands on particular bills. E. party leaders in both chambers.
A. the standing committees and their subcommittees with jurisdiction over particular policy areas
The limits of interest groups' influence might be gauged by the Democratic backlash against the ________, which tried to block the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993.
AFL-CIO
Which of the following statements is true?
About one in four single-parent families that are headed by women live below the poverty line.
Three-fourths of Ivy League students surveyed could not identify ________ as the author of the phrase, "a government of the people, by the people, and for the people."
Abraham Lincoln
C
According to ________, a large republic is less likely to have an all-powerful faction. a. Patrick Henry b. George Mason c. James Madison d. John C. Calhoun e. John Marshall Harlan
A
According to the Anti-Federalists, too strong of a national government meant a. eventual encroachment upon the sovereignty of the states. b. that a new constitutional convention would have to convene every few years. c. that a monarchy was preferable to a republic. d. that effective commerce between and among the states was an impossibility. e. that slavery would be abolished immediately.
B
According to the Supreme Court, prayer in public schools violates a. the free exercise clause. b. the establishment clause. c.the exclusionary rule. d. procedural due process. e. the clear and present danger test.
Which of the following would be considered the worst setback by affirmative action proponents?
Adarand v. Pena
12.As distinct from the patronage and executive leadership system, the merit system for managing the bureaucracy a.allows the president to appoint top officials of executive agencies thus making the bureaucracy more responsive to election outcomes. b.provides for presidential leadership of the bureaucracy, thus giving it greater coordination and direction. c.provides for a neutral administration in the sense that civil servants are not partisan appointees, thus ensuring evenhanded work. d.provides that all programs will be evaluated regularly to determine whether they merit continued funding. e.All these answers are correct.
C.
16.Bureaucrats tend to follow a.the wishes of the president. b.the wishes of Congress. c.their own agency's point of view. d.the expectations of the general public. e.the wishes of federal judges.
C.
2.Compared to the president and Congress, the bureaucracy a.is held in higher esteem by the public. b.is authorized by a constitutional amendment rather than by the original Constitution. c.has a more immediate impact on the daily lives of Americans. d.has changed very little during the nation's history. e.is more easily controlled by the voters.
C.
20.Bureaucrats are _____ and elected officials are _____. a.generalists; specialists b.generalists; generalists c.specialists; generalists d.specialists; specialists e.popular; unpopular
C.
25.Congress generally a.tries to monitor the bureaucracy closely. b.allows the bureaucracy to define broad policy goals. c.sets broad policy and then allows the bureaucracy discretion in implementing it. d.trusts the president to manage the bureaucracy, thereby relieving itself of the need to oversee the bureaucracy's activities. e.holds continuous hearings to ensure bureaucratic accountability.
C.
38. Street-level bureaucracy refers to the discretion used by lower level officials in the a.initiation of policy. b.development of policy. c.carrying out of programs. d.evaluation of programs e. responding to whistleblowers
C.
45.The nation's first six presidents a.all believed in the civil service system. b.all believed in the patronage system. c.all believed that distinguished men should be entrusted with the management of the national government. d.all believed in whistle-blowing. e.all believed in a representative bureaucracy.
C.
47.The _____ created the Civil Service Commission. a.Morrill Act b.Hatch Act c.Pendleton Act d.Taft-Hartley Act e.National Performance Review
C.
6. The Senior Executive Service (SES) a. is composed of civil employees that can be fired more easily than normal career civil servants. b. was designed to combat abuse of the patronage system. c. is composed of civil employees that can be assigned by the president to any position within the bureaucracy. d. has been more successful in practice than its proponents anticipated. e. assigns most of its senior executives to work within a different agency than the one in which they originally worked.
C.
17. (p. 400) After which party convention did the Democrats force major changes in the presidential nominating process? A. 1948 B. 1960 C. 1968 D. 1984 E. 1992
C. 1968
42. (p. 420) How many presidents have been impeached in U.S. history? A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3 E. 4
C. 2
11. (p. 355) One must be ________ years of age to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, and ________ years of age to serve in the U.S. Senate. A. 18; 21 B. 21; 25 C. 25; 30 D. 35; 45 E. 40; 50
C. 25; 30
4) Where is the phrase "Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public" be found? a. Article V, Section 1 b. Article VI, Section 5 c. Article IV, Section 1 d. Article III, Section 2 e. Article VI, Section 1
C. Article IV, Section 1
47. (p. 449) ________ is/are most likely to understand trade issues in the United States. A. The president B. Members of the Senate C. Career bureaucrats in the Department of Commerce and the Federal Trade Commission D. Members of the House E. Federal mediators
C. Career bureaucrats in the Department of Commerce and the Federal Trade Commission
39. (p. 443) What happens to the president's budget if it is approved by a vote of the House and Senate? A. It is reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget. B. It has reached its final approval and is implemented. C. It is sent to the president to sign or veto. D. It is given to the president for any further executive changes to be added. E. It is referred to the House and Senate appropriations committees for implementation.
C. It is sent to the president to sign or veto.
19. (p. 408) Which one of the following did NOT serve as a state governor prior to being president? A. Ronald Reagan B. Bill Clinton C. John Kennedy D. George W. Bush E. Jimmy Carter
C. John Kennedy
49. (p. 405) The only two states that are exceptions to the unit rule are A. Michigan and Montana. B. New Hampshire and Vermont. C. Maine and Nebraska. D. Georgia and Louisiana. E. Rhode Island and Oregon.
C. Maine and Nebraska.
42. (p. 358) Which of the following statements is true? A. Political parties are unimportant in the organization of the U.S. Congress. B. Party-line voting rarely occurs in Congress. C. Party-line voting has increased in recent years. D. Partisanship makes virtually no difference in the votes cast in Congress. E. None of these answers is correct.
C. Party-line voting has increased in recent years.
48. (p. 440) The ________ established a merit system for certain federal positions. A. Morrill Act B. Hatch Act C. Pendleton Act D. Taft-Hartley Act E. National Performance Review
C. Pendleton Act
17. (p. 367) Which one of the following statements about the seniority principle is most accurate? A. The seniority principle is based on the length of time the member has spent in Congress. B. Because of seniority, committee chairs exercise absolute power over their committees. C. Seniority is no longer absolute in the selection of committee chairs, but it is usually followed. D. Seniority is no longer used at all in the choice of committee chairs. E. Seniority is used in the Democratic Party, but not the Republican Party.
C. Seniority is no longer absolute in the selection of committee chairs, but it is usually followed.
12. (p. 360) The second-most powerful federal official (after the president) is often said to be the A. chair of the House Appropriations Committee. B. president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate. C. Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. D. chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. E. Senate majority leader.
C. Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
4. (p. 354) Compared to House incumbents, Senate incumbents are more likely to face the problem of A. raising enough money to run a strong campaign. B. an electorate that is inclined to judge their fitness for reelection in the context of pork-barrel legislation and other favors for the local community. C. a strong challenger. D. name recognition. E. All these answers are correct.
C. a strong challenger.
44. (p. 451) Studies have found that the U.S. federal bureaucracy A. becomes far less effective as it grows over time. B. is much less accountable than the bureaucracies of European democracies. C. compares favorably in performance to government bureaucracies elsewhere. D. is one of the least representative of minorities compared to others worldwide. E. falls far short of the effectiveness of most foreign bureaucracies.
C. compares favorably in performance to government bureaucracies elsewhere.
2. (p. 348) Congressional staffers spend most of their time on A. constituency service and legislative matters. B. legislative matters. C. constituency service and public relations. D. legislative matters and constituency service. E. public relations.
C. constituency service and public relations
26. (p. 358) In the 1970s, roll-call votes A. generally demonstrated the power of incumbents. B. generally demonstrated an increase in party loyalty. C. generally did not pit most Republicans against most Democrats. D. were less common than voice votes. E. were generally not used to record each member's vote.
C. generally did not pit most Republicans against most Democrats.
38. (p. 420) During 2006, the year before Democrats took back control of Congress, George W. Bush A. broke most of his campaign promises. B. enjoyed Republican majorities in both houses of Congress. C. had a congressional success rate of more than 80 percent. D. had a 37 percent success rate with Congress. E. None of these answers is correct.
C. had a congressional success rate of more than 80 percent.
2. (p. 435) Compared to the president and Congress, the bureaucracy A. is held in higher esteem by the public. B. is authorized by a constitutional amendment rather than by the original Constitution. C. has a more direct impact on the daily lives of Americans. D. has changed very little during the nation's history. E. is more easily controlled by the voters.
C. has a more direct impact on the daily lives of Americans.
6. (p. 400) The primary election as a means of choosing presidential nominees A. was introduced during the Jacksonian era. B. is used in Europe as well as in the United States. C. has been used more extensively in recent decades, such that the candidate who dominates the primaries can usually expect to receive the nomination. D. is designed to strengthen the political parties. E. was introduced during the Cleveland era.
C. has been used more extensively in recent decades, such that the candidate who dominates the primaries can usually expect to receive the nomination.
25. (p. 458) The Senior Executive Service (SES) A. is composed of civil employees that can be fired more easily than normal career civil servants. B. was designed to combat abuse of the patronage system. C. is composed of civil employees that can be assigned by the president to any position within the bureaucracy. D. has been more successful in practice than its proponents anticipated. E. assigns most of its senior executives to work within a different agency than the one in which they originally worked.
C. is composed of civil employees that can be assigned by the president to any position within the bureaucracy.
7. (p. 362) In contrast with the Speaker of the House, the Senate majority leader A. plays a key role in formulating the majority party's legislative positions. B. seeks to develop influential relationships with his/her colleagues. C. is not the presiding officer of his/her chamber. D. holds a position that is defined in the Constitution. E. None of these answers is correct.
C. is not the presiding officer of his/her chamber.
44. (p. 379) The trading of votes between members of Congress so that each gets the legislation he or she wants is called A. gerrymandering. B. pandering. C. logrolling. D. pork-barreling. E. cloturing.
C. logrolling.
21. (p. 407-408) Which of the following is a formal constitutional requirement for becoming president? A. must be at least 40 years of age B. must be a resident in the United States for at least 10 years C. must be a natural-born citizen D. must be a white male E. must be a Protestant
C. must be a natural-born citizen
28. (p. 390) The presidency is an A. extraordinarily strong office with sufficient powers to enable the president to control national policy under virtually all circumstances. B. inherently weak office, in that presidents have almost no capacity to influence the major directions of national policy. C. office in which power is conditional, depending on whether the political support that gives force to presidential leadership exists or can be developed. D. office where power depends almost entirely on its occupant; strong leaders are always successful presidents, and weak ones never succeed. E. office where power is fairly constant, regardless of the occupant or the circumstances.
C. office in which power is conditional, depending on whether the political support that gives force to presidential leadership exists or can be developed.
12. (p. 440) As distinct from the patronage system, the merit system for managing the bureaucracy A. allows the president to appoint top officials of executive agencies, thus making the bureaucracy more responsive to election outcomes. B. provides for presidential leadership of the bureaucracy, thus giving it greater coordination and direction. C. provides for a neutral administration in the sense that civil servants are not partisan appointees, thus ensuring evenhanded work. D. provides that all programs will be evaluated regularly to determine whether they merit continued funding. E. All these answers are correct.
C. provides for a neutral administration in the sense that civil servants are not partisan appointees, thus ensuring evenhanded work.
21. (p. 378) Which nation does NOT have a one-house dominant legislature? A. Canada B. Germany C. the United States D. Great Britain E. None of these answers is correct, as all these nations have one-house dominant legislatures.
C. the United States
16. (p. 447) Bureaucrats tend to follow A. the wishes of the president. B. the wishes of Congress. C. their own agency's point of view. D. the expectations of the general public. E. the wishes of federal judges.
C. their own agency's point of view.
What is a candidate-centered campaign, and how does it differ from a party-centered one? Identify some advantages and disadvantages of candidate-centered campaigns.
Candidates effectively control the candidate-centered campaign, while a party-centered campaign is dominated by parties. In the former, voters tend to select individuals; in the latter, voters tend to make their choices based on party traditions and party platforms. One advantage of candidate-centered campaigns is that they bring flexibility and new blood to electoral politics. This means the political system can more quickly adapt to new realities. Also, candidate-centered campaigns encourage national officeholders to be more responsive to local interests, because personal support among local constituents is the key to re-election. A disadvantage is that such campaigns are heavily influenced by the contributions of special interests. Another disadvantage is that officeholders' accountability to the public is reduced because an incumbent can always blame other officeholders for policy problems. Party-centered campaigns are characterized by collective accountability.
In an oligarchy,
Control rests with a small group, such as military officers or a few wealthy families.
Harvard's Robert Putnam argues in his book Bowling Alone that
America has been undergoing a long-term decline in its social capital.
If Americans vote less than Europeans, why are they more likely to work in a political campaign than are citizens in Europe?
America's federal structure provides more campaign opportunities.
Friedrich Engels believed that communism would not take root in the United States because
American workers lacked sufficient class consciousness.
Friedrich Engles believed that communism would not take root in the U.S. because
American workers lacked sufficiently class consciousness
Why are people of higher income and education levels more likely to be politically active?
Americans of lower income and education levels tend to vote less than those at the top. People of higher income and education are more likely to possess the financial resources, communication skills, and time to engage in potentially rewarding political activities, such as voting. Also, the U.S. political system does not have structures (for example, a labor party or universal registration) that would encourage lower-income and less educated citizens to participate. In addition, it has been shown that most candidates for office and elected politicians make their appeals to middle and upper-income voters to a much greater degree than to lower-income voters.
C
As described in the text, "political thinking" a. is the reflection of an individual's ideological position when applied to political issues. b. results from an individual allowing personal bias to inform all thoughts about political issues, instead of doing objective learning or research to form an opinion. c. involves the careful gathering and sifting of information in the process of forming a knowledgeable view about a political issue. d. is the result of an individual's attempts to seek out news media that reinforce a pre-existing political bias. e. is a strategy taken by those seeking election to public office in which their publicly stated positions are designed to maximize their attractiveness to the widest voting bloc.
Marbury v. Madison was an ingenious decision because it
Asserted the power of the judiciary without creating the possibility of its rejection by either the executive or the legislative branch.
19. (p. 55) The writers of the Constitution used the term ________ to describe a form of government that consists of carefully designed institutions that are responsive to the majority but not captive to it. A. democracy B. republic C. federalism D. majoritarianism E. separation of power
B
21. (p. 56) The framers entrusted the selection of U.S. senators to A. specially chosen electors. B. state legislatures. C. direct vote of the people. D. state governors. E. federal magistrates.
B
24. (p. 56) The writers of the Constitution justified different methods of selection and varying terms of office for the president, Senate, and House as a means of A. increasing popular influence. B. protection against rapid control by an impassioned majority. C. preventing elite control of government. D. maintaining experienced leadership. E. increasing voter turnout.
B
33. (p. 46) The Constitution forbids Congress from A. proposing constitutional amendments. B. passing ex post facto laws. C. declaring war. D. proposing the repeal of constitutional amendments. E. creating a national university.
B
43. (p. 30) ________ was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence. A. John Locke B. Thomas Jefferson C. James Madison D. George Washington E. Alexander Hamilton
B
1. Which of the following statements does NOT correctly describe the typical independent agency? a. It has a more narrow area of responsibility than that of cabinet departments. b. Its head is appointed by an independent commission. c. It is divided into a number of smaller operating units. d. It exists independently of cabinet departments. e. Its head is appointed by the president.
B.
13.When it was developed during the Jackson administration, the patronage system was designed to a.provide jobs to merit appointees. b.make the administration of government more responsive to ordinary citizens. c.increase congressional control of the bureaucracy. d.increase judicial control of the bureaucracy. e.provide jobs to lawyers.
B.
17.The chief goal of the executive leadership system is a.the shifting of power from Congress to the president. b.improved coordination among the bureaucracy's programs and agencies. c.the establishment of partisanship as the basis for the administration of policy. d.a better system for training top bureaucrats. e.the shifting of power from Congress to the federal courts.
B.
19.About 60 percent of top positions in the federal bureaucracy are held by a.women. b.white males. c.African Americans. d.Latino Americans. e.Asian Americans.
B.
22.The assassination of President _____ did much to end the spoils system of distributing government jobs. a.Abraham Lincoln b.James Garfield c.William McKinley d.John F. Kennedy e.Chester Arthur
B.
23. In terms of holding the bureaucracy accountable, the most important unit within the Executive Office of the President is the a.Office of Policy Development. b.Office of Management and Budget. c.Council of Economic Advisors. d.White House Office. e.Office of the Vice President.
B.
30.The courts have tended to support administrators as long as their agencies a.choose rules that save money. b.can apply a reasonable interpretation of a statute. c.follow what the president demands of them. d.have adequate funding. e.don't come into conflict with state governments
B.
33.The number of employees in the federal bureaucracy is about a.10 million. b.2.5 million. c.5 million. d.700,000. e.1 million.
B.
36.The importance of clientele groups was especially clear in 1995 when House Speaker Newt Gingrich threatened to zero out funding for the a.Social Security system. b.Corporation for Public Broadcasting. c.Department of Agriculture. d.drug education program administered by Health and Human Services. e.U.S. Postal Service.
B.
37.The Postal Service and AMTRAK are examples of a.cabinet departments. b.government corporations. c.independent agencies. d.regulatory agencies. e.presidential commissions.
B.
39.The modern civil service system is based on a.informal standards of personal merit. b.codified classifications and prerequisite experience or competitive testing. c.rewards for partisan activity. d.executive selection from a field of qualified applicants. e.a lottery system.
B.
4. Which of the following is true of federal employees and labor unions? a. Federal employees are prohibited from forming labor unions. b. Federal employees can form labor unions, but their unions by law have limited authority. c. There are no restrictions on the creation and powers of labor unions by federal employees. d. Among federal employees, only members of federal corporations can legally form labor unions. e. Federal employees can form labor unions but are not allowed to participate in collective bargaining.
B.
4.Which of the following statements does not correctly describe the typical independent agency? a.It has a more narrow area of responsibility than that of cabinet departments. b.Its head is appointed by an independent commission. c.It is divided into a number of smaller operating units. d.It exists independently of cabinet departments. e.Its head is appointed by the president.
B.
7. Regarding the educational background of bureaucrats, high-ranking civil servants in continental Europe, compared to American bureaucrats, tend to have a college major specializing in a. natural sciences and engineering. b. law. c. social sciences and the humanities. d. business management. e. journalism.
B.
8. Which of the following was the most recent broad initiative aimed at making the bureaucracy more responsive? a. the Brownlow Commission b. the National Performance Review c. the Hoover Commission d. the Volcker Commission e. None of these answers is correct.
B.
9. The importance of clientele groups was especially clear in 1995 when House Speaker Newt Gingrich threatened to "zero out" funding for the a. Social Security System. b. Corporation for Public Broadcasting. c. Department of Agriculture. d. drug education program administered by Health and Human Services. e. U.S. Postal Service.
B.
9.Federal civil service employees cannot legally a.be fired from their jobs. b.go on strike. c.belong to a union. d.be restricted in their election activities. e.contribute to political campaigns.
B.
34. (p. 435) The number of employees in the federal bureaucracy is about ________. A. 10 million B. 2.5 million C. 5 million D. 700,000 E. 1 million
B. 2.5 million
37. (p. 373) There are currently ________ voting members of the U.S. House of Representatives and ________ voting members of the U.S. Senate. A. 535; 100 B. 435; 100 C. 150; 31 D. 300; 100 E. 600; 300
B. 435; 100
2. (p. 393) Congress has formally declared war ________ times in U.S. history. A. 2 B. 5 C. 55 D. 200 E. 6,500
B. 5
4. (p. 398) The president's role in foreign policy increased largely because A. Congress proved so inept in foreign affairs that the American people demanded a change. B. America became more of a world power. C. of the need to coordinate national economic policy and foreign policy, a task to which the presidency was well suited. D. of the desire of U.S. business to expand into Latin America and Asia, which required executive action at the highest level. E. of attitudes held by the American public.
B. America became more of a world power.
40. (p. 372) The dominant policymaking political institution during most of the nineteenth century was A. the president and the executive branch. B. Congress. C. the Supreme Court. D. the bureaucracy. E. the mass media.
B. Congress.
37. (p. 450) The importance of clientele groups was especially clear in 1995 when House Speaker Newt Gingrich threatened to "zero out" funding for the A. Social Security System. B. Corporation for Public Broadcasting. C. Department of Agriculture. D. drug education program administered by Health and Human Services. E. U.S. Postal Service.
B. Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
29. (p. 436) The cabinet department with the largest number of full-time civilian employees is the Department of A. State. B. Defense. C. Labor. D. Health and Human Services. E. Education.
B. Defense.
18. (p. 440) Which of the following is true of federal employees and labor unions? A. Federal employees are prohibited from forming labor unions. B. Federal employees can form labor unions, but their unions by law have limited authority. C. There are no restrictions on the creation and powers of labor unions by federal employees. D. Among federal employees, only members of federal corporations can legally form labor unions. E. Federal employees can form labor unions but are not allowed to participate in collective bargaining.
B. Federal employees can form labor unions, but their unions by law have limited authority.
13. (p. 393) The presidency was created by Article ________ of the U.S. Constitution. A. I B. II C. III D. IV E. VII
B. II
38. (p. 439) Amtrak is an example of a(n) A. cabinet department. B. government corporation. C. independent agency. D. regulatory agency. E. presidential commission.
B. government corporation.
36. (p. 374) News media coverage of Congress and the president is A. about equal in amount. B. heavily tilted toward presidential coverage. C. largely focused on Congress and its members. D. typically focused on areas where there is consensus between the two institutions. E. typically focused on areas where the House as opposed to the Senate is the leading chamber.
B. heavily tilted toward presidential coverage.
41. (p. 432) Bureaucracy is best characterized in terms of A. inefficiency, inflexibility, and red tape. B. hierarchy, specialization, and rules. C. honesty, efficiency, and patronage. D. corruption, incompetence, and spoils. E. waste, red tape, and lack of rules.
B. hierarchy, specialization, and rules.
3. (p. 396) The Whig theory holds that the presidency A. is a shared office where the president and the cabinet are equally powerful. B. is a limited office whose occupant is confined to the exercise of expressly granted constitutional powers. C. is the office most representative of the people. D. should provide strong leadership in the area of foreign policy but not in domestic policy. E. is subordinate to the Supreme Court.
B. is a limited office whose occupant is confined to the exercise of expressly granted constitutional powers.
30. (p. 448) Regarding the educational background of bureaucrats, high-ranking civil servants in continental Europe, compared to American bureaucrats, tend to have a college major specializing in A. natural sciences and engineering. B. law. C. social sciences and the humanities. D. business management. E. journalism.
B. law.
49. (p. 357) What percentage of state legislators are women? A. less than 5 percent B. more than 20 percent C. about 50 percent D. about 60 percent E. more than 40 percent
B. more than 20 percent
23. (p. 405) Whereas today candidates rely on the media, previously they based their campaigns on the A. work of grass-roots organizers. B. party organizations. C. mass mailing of campaign literature. D. staging of personal appearances. E. efforts of friendly civilian and corporate group efforts.
B. party organizations.
10. (p. 364) Committee staffs within Congress A. concentrate on constituency relations. B. perform an almost entirely legislative function. C. concentrate on public relations. D. split their time between legislative functions and public relations. E. are devoted to logistical functions and committee public relations.
B. perform an almost entirely legislative function.
18. (p. 386) Because of the inherent tension in Congress between the need for strong leadership at the top and the individual congressional member's need to act according to local concerns, A. Congress is unable to take effective action to counter the growth in the power of the president. B. power in the Congress is widely dispersed. C. power in the Congress is highly centralized in the Speaker and Senate president pro tempore. D. members of Congress prefer to address international issues because the tension between local and national issues is less substantial in this situation. E. Congress has been unable to take effective action to counter the growth in the power of the Supreme Court.
B. power in the Congress is widely dispersed.
39. (p. 372) For a bill to pass in either chamber of Congress, it must A. receive the support of a third of its members. B. receive the support of a simple majority of its members. C. receive the support of two-thirds of its members. D. be passed within two weeks of its passage by the other chamber. E. be passed within a month of its passage by the other chamber.
B. receive the support of a simple majority of its members.
19. (p. 363) Senators are generally less likely to take directions from their leaders than House members because A. senators are prohibited by their state legislatures from taking orders from others. B. senators think of themselves as being equals and are only willing to be led by persuasion. C. senators are more highly paid than House members and are thus immune from financial threats. D. House rules mandate that all party members on major bills must vote according to the directions of their leaders. E. All these answers are correct.
B. senators think of themselves as being equals and are only willing to be led by persuasion.
35. (p. 452) Which of the following was the most recent broad initiative aimed at making the bureaucracy more responsive? A. the Brownlow Commission B. the National Performance Review C. the Hoover Commission D. the Volcker Commission E. None of these answers is correct.
B. the National Performance Review
35. (p. 370) The scheduling of bills in the Senate is left up to A. the Senate Scheduling Committee. B. the Senate majority leader. C. each of the Senate committees. D. the Senate historian. E. the Senate parliamentarian.
B. the Senate majority leader.
14. (p. 405) According to the U.S. Constitution, if no one candidate receives a majority vote of the Electoral College, who chooses the president? A. the U.S. Senate B. the U.S. House of Representatives C. both the Senate and House in joint session D. the Supreme Court E. the people, in a runoff election
B. the U.S. House of Representatives
30. (p. 416) The honeymoon period occurs during A. a president's second term only. B. the first part of a president's term. C. the period of a president's term immediately following a successful foreign policy initiative. D. the period of a president's term immediately following a successful domestic policy initiative. E. the State of the Union address.
B. the first part of a president's term.
24. (p. 373) Congress's inability to consistently provide leadership on broad national issues is due to A. the lack of talented leadership in Congress. B. the fragmented nature of Congress. C. constitutional restrictions on Congress's lawmaking powers. D. the constant threat of a presidential veto. E. opposition from the mass media.
B. the fragmented nature of Congress.
27. (p. 374) In initiating broad legislative proposals, the president enjoys all the following advantages over Congress EXCEPT A. the president being more likely to take a national perspective on policy issues. B. the president being granted more authority by the Constitution in the area of lawmaking. C. the president's actions receiving more attention from the national media. D. the president having the authority to make policy decisions even when there are conflicting views within the executive branch, while congressional leaders cannot impose their views on other members who disagree with them. E. a lack of fragmentation.
B. the president being granted more authority by the Constitution in the area of lawmaking.
What was the primary cause for an increase in the public's support for a military invasion of Iraq during the six-month period leading to the start of the war?
Bush administration efforts to press the case for war
Roughly two-thirds of all lobbyists in the nation's capital represent
Business firms.
2. (p. 33) The European philosopher whose concept of natural rights had a great impact on American politics is A. Montesquieu. B. Locke. C. Hobbes. D. Aristotle. E. Burke.
D
37. (p. 42) The Federalist Papers were written by A. Washington, Adams, and Jefferson. B. Franklin, Washington, and Lee. C. Jefferson, Locke, and Montesquieu. D. Madison, Hamilton, and Jay. E. Marshall, Jefferson, and Adams.
D
39. (p. 42) The document explaining the ideas of the Constitution and urging its ratification is A. the Mayflower Compact. B. the Declaration of Independence. C. The Anti-Federalist Papers. D. The Federalist Papers. E. the Declaration of Conscience.
D
4. (p. 33) The words of the Declaration of Independence reflected A. Aristotle's conception of democracy. B. Montesquieu's view of constitutionalism. C. Hobbes's idea of the state of nature. D. Locke's philosophy of inalienable rights. E. Madison's view of factions.
D
8. (p. 46) The Constitution prevents the government from suspending the writ of habeas corpus, meaning that the government cannot A. prosecute persons for acts that were legal at the time they were committed. B. establish a state religion based on Christian beliefs. C. enact laws that would legalize the practice of indentured servitude. D. jail a person without a court hearing to determine the legality of his or her imprisonment. E. silence freedom of the press.
D
11.The functions of the bureaucratic agencies include all of the following except a.regulation of industries, such as meat and poultry. b.development of public policy. c.delivery of services as provided by laws. d.confirmation of those nominated by the president to head the agencies. e. implementation of public policy
D.
14.In the late 1800s, rapid economic growth placed new demands on the Federal government and led it to a.create new federal departments built around economic interests. b.establish the executive management system. c.reorganize the cabinet in order to make it the center of economic policy making. d.both create new federal departments built around economic interests, and establish the executive management system. e.None of these answers is correct.
D.
40.Bureaucracy is best characterized in terms of a.inefficiency, inflexibility, and red tape. b.hierarchy, specialization, and rules. c.honesty, efficiency, and patronage. d.corruption, incompetence, and spoils. e.waste, red tape, and lack of rules.
D.
41.In promoting their agency's goals, bureaucrats rely on a.their expert knowledge. b.the backing of the president and Congress. c.the support of interests that benefit from the agency's programs. d.their expert knowledge, the backing of the president and Congress, and the support of interests that benefit from the agency's programs. e.None of these answers is correct.
D.
42.The National Performance Review was directed at a.reducing red tape. b.cutting government back to basic services. c.empowering administrators. d.reducing red tape, cutting government back to basic services, and empowering administrators. e.None of these answers is correct.
D.
44.Congress oversees the bureaucracy by using a.sunset laws. b.the Government Accounting Office. c.the Congressional Budget Office. d.all of these: sunset laws, the Government Accounting Office, and the Congressional Budget Office. e.None of these answers is correct.
D.
48.At the start of the annual budget cycle, the OMB assigns each agency a budget limit based on a.the president's instructions. b.its own projections of what is affordable. c.the Justice Department's instructions. d.Congressional guidelines. e.the guidelines of the Commerce Department.
D.
37. (p. 405) The U.S. House of Representatives last decided the outcome of a presidential election in ________. A. 1928 B. 1892 C. 1856 D. 1824 E. 1800
D. 1824
36. (p. 393) What did Alexander Hamilton argue about war in Federalist No. 69? A. Congress is the only body with enough deliberative powers to be able to justly declare war. B. War under any circumstances is unjust, even in self-defense. C. A president should be allowed to declare war, because only the executive can react quickly enough. D. A surprise attack on the United States is the only justification for war by presidential action. E. Building a strong military for engagement in foreign wars would be a key ingredient to establishing executive authority.
D. A surprise attack on the United States is the only justification for war by presidential action.
15. (p. 400) Under which president did the Electoral College selection process change to a popular vote? A. George Washington B. Thomas Jefferson C. James Madison D. Andrew Jackson E. Martin Van Buren
D. Andrew Jackson
33. (p. 421) The forced removal of a president from office through impeachment and conviction requires action by the A. House of Representatives only. B. Senate only. C. House and Senate in a joint session. D. House and Senate in separate proceedings. E. Supreme Court in a judicial proceeding.
D. House and Senate in separate proceedings.
A
In Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that a. government is most dangerous when a single group is powerful enough to gain full political control. b. monarchies are preferable to democracies. c. America was not diverse enough to prevent powerful interest groups from exercising too much political power. d. interest groups should be heavily regulated in America. e. interest groups are less troublesome than political parties.
B
In Lochner v. New York (1905), the Supreme Court ruled that a. the doctrine of separate but equal was constitutional. b. state regulation of labor practices violated firms' property rights. c. the Fourth Amendment did not apply to interstate commerce. d. factory practices could only be regulated by the states. e. factory practices could only be regulated by the federal government.
B
In Schenck v. United States (1919), the Supreme Court ruled that a. the Espionage Act was unconstitutional. b. speech could be restricted when the nation's security is at stake. c. speech unrelated to national security can never be restricted. d. speech by unpopular groups can be restricted more than speech by popular groups. e. all forms of political dissent are constitutional.
B
In a constitutional system, A.there are no restrictions on the lawful uses of power, as long as this power is obtained by majority rule. B. there are lawful restrictions on a government's power. C. the economy is based on the free enterprise system. D. officials govern according to the traditions established by their predecessors. E. all citizens have absolute free speech rights.
24. (p. 418) Which of the following is true of the president's veto power? A. Presidents are limited in their use of the veto on legislation directly affecting national security or economic policy. B. The threat of a veto has never proven to be enough to make Congress bend to the president's demands. C. Congress can usually muster the two-thirds majority in each chamber required to override a presidential veto. D. The veto is as much a sign of presidential weakness as of strength, because it arises when Congress refuses to accept the president's ideas. E. President Bush used the veto less and less during the course of his presidency so as not to cause his popularity to fall.
D. The veto is as much a sign of presidential weakness as of strength, because it arises when Congress refuses to accept the president's ideas.
17. (p. 440) The federal bureaucracy today is A. extremely wasteful and unresponsive to the public it serves. B. an ineffective institution in comparison with bureaucracies of democracies with unitary systems. C. more responsive to the public at large than to the particular interests that depend on its various programs. D. a mix of the patronage and merit systems. E. mostly dominated by patronage politics.
D. a mix of the patronage and merit systems.
What was the impact of the Industrial Revolution upon the concept of dual federalism?
It created dominant business interests that raised questions about the suitability of dual federalism as a governing concept.
What was the significance of Shays's Rebellion?
It demonstrated that Congress was weak and unable to respond to crises in an effective manner.
25. (p. 396-398) Which of the following is a reason that the nation did not routinely need a strong president during most of the nineteenth century? A. the small policymaking role of the federal government B. the sectional nature of the nation's major issues C. the U.S. government's small role in world affairs D. all of these factors: the small policymaking role of the federal government; the sectional nature of the nation's major issues; and the U.S. government's small role in world affairs E. None of these answers is correct.
D. all of these factors: the small policymaking role of the federal government; the sectional nature of the nation's major issues; and the U.S. government's small role in world affairs
46. (p. 456) Congress oversees the bureaucracy by using A. sunset provisions. B. the Government Accounting Office. C. enabling provisions. D. all of these: sunset provisions, the Government Accounting Office, and enabling provisions. E. None of these answers is correct.
D. all of these: sunset provisions, the Government Accounting Office, and enabling provisions.
42. (p. 434) In promoting their agency's goals, bureaucrats rely on A. their expert knowledge. B. the backing of the president and Congress. C. the support of clientele groups. D. all of these: their expert knowledge; the backing of the president and Congress; and the support of clientele groups. E. None of these answers is correct.
D. all of these: their expert knowledge; the backing of the president and Congress; and the support of clientele groups.
32. (p. 452) The National Performance Review addressed which of the following issues about the bureaucracy? A. responsiveness B. accountability C. efficiency D. all these issues: responsiveness, accountability, and efficiency E. None of these answers is correct.
D. all these issues: responsiveness, accountability, and efficiency
23. (p. 372) A pocket veto differs from a regular presidential veto in that the pocket veto A. applies only to a section of the legislation in question. B. applies only to expenditure legislation. C. occurs when the president decides to veto a bill he had previously signed. D. can take effect only when the Congress is not in session. E. occurs when the president goes before Congress to announce a veto.
D. can take effect only when the Congress is not in session.
5. (p. 382) In Beyond Ideology, political scientist Frances Lee shows that A. the number of bills passed each year by Congress has dropped dramatically from year to year because of partisan gridlock. B. lawmakers generally avoid partisan negotiations or attacks when dealing with low-stakes issues in order to get more business done. C. the congressional agenda is less and less shaped by partisan consideration rather than reelection priorities. D. even on low-stake issues, lawmakers exploit negotiation and floor debate to attack opponents and promote their party's image. E. the congressional agenda is increasingly shaped by policy priorities rather than partisan consideration.
D. even on low-stake issues, lawmakers exploit negotiation and floor debate to attack opponents and promote their party's image.
1. (p. 395) The president's constitutional roles, such as chief executive and commander in chief, A. are based on very precise constitutional grants of power. B. are rooted in tradition only; they have no basis in the language of the Constitution. C. are not subject to check by Congress. D. have expanded in practice to be more powerful than the writers of the Constitution intended. E. are absolute powers under the Constitution.
D. have expanded in practice to be more powerful than the writers of the Constitution intended.
1. (p. 432) Which of the following is a principle of bureaucratic organization? A. hierarchical authority B. job specialization C. formalized rules D. hierarchical authority, job specialization, and formalized rules E. None of these answers is correct.
D. hierarchical authority, job specialization, and formalized rules
32. (p. 421) The War Powers Act was enacted in order to A. guide the military in its use of force in field situations where it is impractical to seek direction from the president. B. allow the president more leeway in committing U.S. troops to combat. C. define the relationship between the United States and its allies. D. limit the president's war-making power. E. weaken Congress in foreign policy matters.
D. limit the president's war-making power.
How has the Internet affected the watchdog capacity of the media?
It has expanded the watchdog capacity of the media.
In what way was the government of Pennsylvania an exception among the state governments formed after the Revolutionary War?
It lacked any separation of powers, and had an all-powerful legislature.
13. (p. 51-52) The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution A. by the framers during the Philadelphia convention. B. in stages, from 1789 to 1798. C. in response to the freeing of the slaves during the Civil War. D. in response to the ideals of Jacksonian democracy. E. None of these answers is correct.
E
30. (p. 33-34) Which of the following was NOT provided for by the Articles of Confederation? A. a national Congress B. each state having one vote in Congress C. unanimous approval by the states to amend the Articles D. a federal government subordinate to the states E. an independent federal executive
E
41. (p. 48-49) Which of the following is an example of checks and balances? A. the veto B. the impeachment process C. approval of treaties D. judicial review E. All these answers are correct.
E
45. (p. 58) Which of the following developments in the national political system did NOT provide for more popular control? A. primary elections B. direct election of U.S. senators C. recall elections D. initiative and referendum E. judicial review
E
5. (p. 31) Early Americans' preference for limited government was strengthened by A. their exposure to life under the British Parliament and some of the "rights of Englishmen". B. Lockean philosophy. C. Britain's treatment of the colonies after the French and Indian War. D. taxation without representation. E. All these answers are correct.
E
1.Which of the following is a principle of bureaucratic organization? a.hierarchical authority b.job specialization c.formalized rules d.both hierarchical authority and formalized rules e.All these answers are correct.
E.
10. What "dual-use" policy is the U.S. Forest Service tasked with? a. preserving forests for recreation, and protecting endangered species b. preserving forests in response to environmental concerns, and coordinating with the National Park Service for creating park lands c. serving both the interests of lumber sellers and mining interests d. opening up forests both for logging and in response to energy concerns e. preserving forests for environmental reasons, and opening them up for logging
E.
27._____ was created in 2002. a.The Department of Transportation b.The Department of Energy c.The Department of Education d.The Department of Veterans Affairs e.The Department of Homeland Security
E.
31.Standing questions about the bureaucracy include the issues of a.responsiveness. b.accountability. c.efficiency. d.effectiveness. e.All these answers are correct.
E.
32.The Department of _____ was founded in 1889. a.Health and Human Services b.State c.Labor d. Homeland Security e. Agriculture
E.
43.Which of the following programs now run by the federal bureaucracy can be reassigned to the states and localities? a.national defense b.Social Security c.Medicare d.all of these: national defense, Social Security, and Medicare e.None of these answers is correct.
E.
49.Osborne and Gaebler say that administrative judgments should be made a.at the lowest bureaucratic level feasible. b.only in the Justice Department. c.at the presidential level. d.with the approval of the Office of Management and Budget. e.None of these answers is correct.
E.
5.The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are a.all agencies within cabinet departments. b.all independent agencies. c.all regulatory agencies. d.two cabinet departments and a regulatory agency. e.respectively, an agency within a cabinet department, an independent agency, and a regulatory agency.
E.
10. (p. 410) The Executive Office of the President (EOP) was created in ________. A. 1789 B. 1804 C. 1865 D. 1888 E. 1939
E. 1939
46. (p. 370) Committees kill more than ________ percent of the bills submitted in Congress. A. 10 B. 25 C. 40 D. 66 E. 90
E. 90
47. (p. 350) Nearly ________ percent of all PAC contributions go to the incumbents. A. 10 B. 30 C. 50 D. 70 E. 90
E. 90
33. (p. 434) The Department of ________ was founded in 1889. A. Health and Human Services B. State C. Labor D. Homeland Security E. Agriculture
E. Agriculture
12. (p. 393) Which of the following did the framers want from a president? A. national leadership B. administration of the laws C. statesmanship in foreign affairs D. command of the military E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
16. (p. 351-355) Incumbents may have some problems in reelection campaigns if A. disruptive issues such as general public discontent with Congress become prominent. B. the incumbent is tainted with charges of personal misconduct or corruption. C. the election is a midterm election, and the incumbent is of the same party as the president. D. through redistricting, the incumbent is placed in a disadvantageous district. E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
18. The "motor voter" law A. was passed in 1993. B. made it easier for citizens to register to vote. C. linked voter registration to the vehicle registration process. D.was passed in 1993 and linked voter registration to the vehicle registration process. E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
20. (p. 410) Which of the following is part of the Executive Office of the President? A. Office of Management and Budget B. National Economic Council C. National Security Council D. Office of Legislative Affairs E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
6. (p. 362) Compared with the Senate majority leader, the Speaker of the House has more power because A. the House places more limits on debate. B. the House is the larger chamber in terms of membership. C. the House has less of a tradition as a chamber of equals. D. the Speaker is that chamber's presiding officer. E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
8. (p. 362) A standing committee in the House or Senate A. is a permanent committee. B. has jurisdiction over a particular policy area. C. has authority to draft, amend, and recommend legislation. D. is usually organized according to the seniority principle. E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
44. (p. 396) How did Theodore Roosevelt change the conception of the presidency? A. He altered the stewardship theory to reduce the power of the presidency while remaining an activist president. B. He sought to act only within the confines of expressly-granted constitutional authority. C. He rejected the idea of the "strong presidency". D. He cast aside the stewardship theory in favor of the Whig theory. E. He cast aside the Whig theory in favor of the stewardship theory.
E. He cast aside the Whig theory in favor of the stewardship theory.
28. (p. 437) The Department of ________ was created in 2002. A. Transportation B. Energy C. Education D. Veterans Affairs E. Homeland Security
E. Homeland Security
27. (p. 456) How has the Government Accountability Office's role changed? A. It has acquired wide judicial and adjudication powers to deal with inter-agency disputes. B. It has changed from a presidential-executive support agency to largely a congressional support agency. C. It has been given broader powers over time to actually grant additional funds or take away funds directly from agencies. D. It has had its broad powers limited from general oversight down to keeping track of agency spending. E. It has moved from a limited role of keeping track of agency spending to also monitoring whether the agency is implementing policies in the way Congress intended.
E. It has moved from a limited role of keeping track of agency spending to also monitoring whether the agency is implementing policies in the way Congress intended.
45. (p. 370) "Mark up" of a bill means that A. a president has crossed out sections of the bill that he or she finds personally objectionable. B. a bill has been approved after floor debate has finished. C. witnesses at committee hearings suggest modifications of the bill. D. the House Speaker and Senate majority leader have written a bill in a way that they favor. E. None of these answers is correct.
E. None of these answers is correct.
26. (p. 404) Which of the following happened in the presidential election of 2000? A. George W. Bush won the popular vote. B. Ralph Nader won Florida by 537 votes. C. Al Gore won a slim majority of votes in the Electoral College. D. Al Gore received 550,000 more votes nationally than Ralph Nader. E. Ralph Nader received 3 percent of the popular vote
E. Ralph Nader received 3 percent of the popular vote
9. (p. 390, 413-415) President Obama's failure in his early months in office to enact policies to combat global warming, despite his determination to do so, is reflective primarily of A. the two-presidency problem. B. fear of impeachment. C. blocking by Congress. D. lack of sufficient executive authority. E. poor circumstance related to the economy.
E. poor circumstance related to the economy.
45. (p. 445) What "multiple-use" policy is the U.S. Forest Service tasked with? A. preserving forests for recreation, and protecting endangered species B. preserving forests in response to environmental concerns, and coordinating with the National Park Service for creating park lands C. serving both the interests of lumber sellers and mining interests D. opening up forests both for logging and in response to energy concerns E. preserving forests for environmental reasons, and opening them up for logging
E. preserving forests for environmental reasons, and opening them up for logging
5. (p. 437) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are A. all agencies within cabinet departments. B. all independent agencies. C. respectively, an independent agency, an agency within a cabinet department, and a regulatory agency. D. two cabinet departments and a regulatory agency. E. respectively, an agency within a cabinet department, an independent agency, and a regulatory agency.
E. respectively, an agency within a cabinet department, an independent agency, and a regulatory agency.
11. (p. 411) The presidential advisory unit that, as a whole, has declined significantly as an advisory resource for the president in the twentieth century is the A. Council of Economic Advisers. B. Office of Management and Budget. C. White House Office. D. National Security Council. E. the Cabinet (as a whole).
E. the Cabinet (as a whole).
E
Early Americans' preference for limited government was strengthened by a. their exposure to life under the British Parliament and some of the "rights of Englishmen." b. Lockean philosophy. c. Britain's treatment of the colonies after the French and Indian War. d. taxation without representation. e. All these answers are correct.
B
Gideon v. Wainwright is to the Sixth Amendment as Mapp v. Ohio is to the a. First Amendment. b. Fourth Amendment. c. Fifth Amendment. d. Eighth Amendment. e. Tenth Amendment.
Scholarly research has shown that, overall, the traditional media
Have no substantial bias.
Which of the following statements about the patronage system is true?
It was a means of rewarding party workers for their loyalty.
According to ________, a large republic is less likely to have an all-powerful faction.
James Madison
________ wrote that "Liberty is to faction what air is to fire."
James Madison
B
Marbury v. Madison is a landmark Supreme Court decision because it a. established national supremacy; turned a case that involved the issue of states' rights into one that asserted national power. b. set the precedent for judicial review; asserted the power of the judiciary without creating the possibility of its rejection by either the executive or the legislative branch. c. defined the scope of state powers under the Tenth Amendment. d. affirmed the necessary and proper clause. e. helped to end Thomas Jefferson's political career; gave more power to the presidency, at the expense of Congress.
The famous speech featuring the words "I have a dream" in the civil rights movement was delivered by
Martin Luther King, Jr.
In 2004, by order of the state's Supreme Court, ________ instituted same-sex marriage.
Massachusetts
The vicious character to which current political ads are prone may be gauged by a 2002 ad that associated disabled war veteran ________ with Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden.
Max Cleland
C
McCulloch v. Maryland a. ruled in favor of state-centered federalism. b. asserted that the necessary and proper clause was a restriction on the power of the national government. c. affirmed that national law is supreme to conflicting state law. d. established the Supreme Court's power to judge constitutional issues. e. allowed for a narrow reading of the Constitution.
During the 2012 presidential election, this accounted for the greatest percentage of expenditures of the two campaigns:
Media.
________ is an illustration of cooperative federalism.
Medicaid Correct
In which of the following policy areas does the U.S. spend more than European nations?
Military policy
________ elections tend to draw the largest percentage of voters in the U.S.
Presidential
A
Research suggests which of the following is primarily to blame for the increase in faulty perceptions of news items among the public? a. changes in the forms of communication b. a failure of government officials to communicate truthfully c. a growing disinterest in seeking out news items d. the growing public gap in access to more advanced forms of media transmission, such as the Internet e. the increasing political polarization of elected politicians
Pluralists such as ________ argue that it is the preference of the special interest that largely determines what government does.
Robert Dahl
all of the following embraced the national view of federalism except
Roger B. Taney
Which region of the world has the highest proportion of women serving in its national legislatures?
Scandinavia
The federal district courts
Select one: a. are the chief trial courts of the federal system. b. are the only federal courts where the two sides present their case to a jury for a verdict. c. are the courts that, in practice, make the final decision in most federal cases. d. exist in each state. e. All of these answers are correct. Correct
Presidents are
Selected by votes of the Electoral College.
What is meant by selective incorporation? Discuss the history of this process and its importance to the protection of individual rights.
Selective incorporation refers to the absorption of certain provisions of the Bill of Rights, including freedom of speech and press, into the Fourteenth Amendment. These rights are thereby protected from infringement by the states. After the Civil War, the Fourteenth Amendment was debated in Congress. There was no indication its framers intended it to protect First Amendment rights, such as freedom of speech and press, from state action. Seventy years later, the Supreme Court invoked the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause in a free speech case, which was followed by a series of cases that established the process of selective incorporation. In doing so, the Court declared certain rights to be a fundamental part of democratic society and, therefore, to be protected from state intervention. At first, the Court included only free expression rights in its interpretation. In the 1960s, selective incorporation was used also to protect fair trial rights.
The first women's rights convention in the United States was held in 1848 in
Seneca Falls, New York.
Which one of the following statements about the seniority principle is most accurate?
Seniority is no longer absolute in the selection of committee chairs, but it is usually followed.
________ has the highest child poverty rate among the Western democracies.
The United States
Sovereignty refers to
Supreme and final governing authority.
How has the Supreme Court interpreted the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment in recent years? Explain.
The Supreme Court has typically let Congress and the state legislatures determine the appropriate penalties for crime. It has upheld some challenged state punishments in high profile cases, and some states continue to have extremely high incarceration and execution rates. With regard to the death penalty, however, the Court has placed some limits on states' ability to execute prisoners, particularly mentally retarded and juvenile ones.
D
The Supreme Court's position on prior restraint of the press is that a. national security needs are of highest priority. b. only classified government documents are subject to prior restraint. c. prior restraint can never be exercised by government. d. prior restraint should apply only in rare circumstances, and it is better to hold the press responsible for what it has printed than to restrict what it may print. e. prior restraint should be used fairly frequently in a democracy.
D
The Tenth Amendment addressed the concerns of Anti-Federalists about a. individual freedoms. b. the meaning of the commerce clause. c. popular representation in Congress. d. the powers of state governments. e. the Electoral College.
Citizens in which of the following countries are most likely to volunteer time and money to promote community causes?
The U.S.
How has the U.S. Supreme Court contributed to devolution in recent years? Explain.
The U.S. Supreme Court has contributed to devolution by restricting congressional power somewhat. More conservative justices appointed by Presidents Reagan and Bush in particular believe that Congress in some instances has encroached on the reserved powers of the state and local governments. For example, in United States v. Lopez (1995), the justices struck down a federal law that prohibited the possession of guns within a thousand feet of a school. In Kimel v. Board of Regents (2000), the justices ruled that Congress did not have the authority to require state governments to comply with the federal law that bars discrimination against older workers, and held that the states have the power to decide for themselves the age-related policies that will apply to their employees. In 2002, the Court extended this ban to include people with disabilities in Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama v. Garrett.
Describe the differences between a federal system of government and a unitary system.
The United States has a federal system of government, in which sovereign authority is divided between a national government and state/regional governments. In other words, federalism is a system where sovereignty, or ultimate governing authority, is divided between national and regional governing levels. In a unitary system, sovereignty is vested solely in the national government, and all subunits of that government have authority only to the degree that the national government grants it, which can also withdraw any such grant
How do the motivations of the press differ and often lead to a greater coverage of crime stories than the political process or world events?
The concern of the press is with the dramatic; it attempts to find and develop good stories. The press is not accountable to the public, but it does rely on revenue generated through advertising, and thus must attempt to maximize readership or viewership. The focus on crime stories increased in the early 1990s in an attempt to bolster sagging audiences.
What steps did the government have to take to regulate broadcast media, and why were those steps necessary?
The development of the broadcast media brought initial chaos primarily because nearby stations often used the same or adjacent radio frequencies, interfering with each other's broadcasts. Congress passed the Communications Act, which regulated broadcasting and created the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to oversee the process. Broadcasters had to be licensed, and because the number of frequencies is limited, licensing required political impartiality. The Communications Act also contained an "equal time" provision, which prohibits broadcasters from selling or giving airtime to a political candidate without offering to sell or give an equal amount of airtime to other candidates for the same office.
What is the equal protection clause? What three tests are associated with discrimination in law?
The equal protection clause is part of the Fourteenth Amendment, which reads in part that no state shall "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." This clause has been used by the courts to protect minorities from discrimination. The tests associated with legal discrimination are the reasonable-basis test and the strict-scrutiny test. The first test stipulates that some inequalities (such as unequal tax rates for people of different income levels) are acceptable as long as they are related to legitimate government interests. The second test is premised on the belief that racial and ethnic-based classifications are unconstitutional almost by definition. There is a third form of judgment—an "intermediate" category, which has been used with regard to sex classifications, and is less rigid than the strict-scrutiny test but more rigid than the reasonable-basis test. For example, the exclusion of women from the military draft has been judged by the courts to be constitutional, whereas most other forms of gender discrimination in law have been judged unconstitutional.
Discuss the differences between the First Amendment's establishment and free exercise clauses.
The establishment clause has been interpreted by the courts as meaning that the government may not favor one religion over another or support religion over no religion at all. Thus, a wall of separation must be maintained between church and state. The free exercise clause means that Americans are free to hold any religious beliefs they want, although they are not always free to act on their beliefs. The Supreme Court has allowed government interference when the exercise of religious belief conflicts with otherwise valid law.
C
The establishment clause prohibits government from a. establishing exceptions to the Bill of Rights. b. establishing exceptions to the Fourteenth Amendment. c. favoring one religion over another or supporting religion over no religion. d. interfering with freedom of assembly. e. interfering with the right to bear arms.
D
The exclusionary rule states that a. federal law cannot be applied in state courts. b. the laws of one state court cannot be applied in the courts of another state. c. after seven years, the statute of limitations applies, except in murder cases. d. evidence obtained illegally is inadmissible in court. e. state law cannot be applied in federal courts.
Where is the Bill of Rights found in the Constitution?
The first ten amendments
B
The framers entrusted the selection of U.S. senators to a. specially chosen electors. b. state legislatures. c. direct vote of the people. d. state governors. e. federal magistrates.
D
The framers' most significant modification of the traditional doctrine of the separation of powers was to a. include federalism. b. include a two-chamber legislature. c. define legislative power precisely, while defining executive and judicial power only in general terms. d. ensure that the powers of the separate branches overlap, so that each could better act as a check on the others. e. grant the power of judicial review to the judiciary.
A
The freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and petition are found in a. the First Amendment. b. the Fourth Amendment. c. the Sixth Amendment. d. the Tenth Amendment. e. the Fourteenth Amendment.
Which of the following describes socialism as practiced today in Sweden?
The government does not attempt to manage the overall economy, but owns a number of major industries and provides for people's basic economic needs.
D
The idea that government should be restricted in its lawful uses of power and hence in its ability to deprive people of their liberty is expressed by the term a. federalism. b. self-government. c. judicial review. d. limited government. e. natural rights.
C
The inclusion of certain provisions of the Bill of Rights in the Fourteenth Amendment, so that these rights are protected from infringements by the state governments, is called a. the preferred position doctrine. b. procedural change. c. selective incorporation. d. the absorption doctrine. e. prior restraint.
D
The individual freedoms in the Bill of Rights were extended by the Fourteenth Amendment to include protection from deprivation of due process rights by a. actions of the president. b. the actions of individuals. c. actions of the federal government. d. actions of state and local governments. e. actions of the U.S. military.
B
The individual right that is widely regarded as the most basic of individual rights is a. the right to an attorney. b. freedom of expression. c. the right to a jury trial. d. the right to an adequate education. e. protection against illegal searches and seizures.
Precedent, while not an absolute constraint on the courts, is needed to a. preserve the courts as a counter majoritarian institution. b. maintain legal consistency over time, so confusion and uncertainty about the law can be avoided. c. check the president in the area of public law. d. balance the policy making authority of Congress. e. check the president in the area of foreign policy.
b. maintain legal consistency over time, so confusion and uncertainty about the law can be avoided.
10. Because of the inherent tension in Congress between the need for strong leadership at the top and the individual congressional member's need to act according to local concerns, a. Congress is unable to take effective action to counter the growth in the power of the president. b. power in the Congress is widely fragmented. c. power in the Congress is highly centralized in the Speaker and Senate president pro tempore. d. members of Congress prefer to address international issues because the tension between local and national issues is less substantial in this situation. e. Congress has been unable to take effective action to counter the growth in the power of the Supreme Court.
b. power in the Congress is widely fragmented.
12) Effective inside lobbying is based upon a. countering the aims of other groups. b. providing useful and persuasive information to key officials. c. mobilizing the group's members. d. bribing or threatening officials. e. using the media to exert pressure.
b. providing useful and persuasive information to key officials.
9) "Agency capture" occurs when a. a regulatory agency funnels money back into the lobbying organizations that are seeking policy changes. b. regulatory agencies side with the industries they are supposed to regulate rather than with the public. c. the executive branch takes back control of a regulatory agency by passing regulation to prevent undue influence by lobbying organizations. d. a regulatory agency must be dismantled because it has become corrupted. e. an election results in the replacement of an agency's leadership through appointive positions under a new president.
b. regulatory agencies side with the industries they are supposed to regulate rather than with the public.
15. In initiating broad legislative proposals, the president enjoys all the following advantages over Congress EXCEPT a. the president being more likely to take a national perspective on policy issues. b. the president being granted more authority by the Constitution in the area of lawmaking. c. the president's actions receiving more attention from the national media. d. the president having the authority to make policy decisions even when there are conflicting views within the executive branch, while congressional leaders cannot impose their views on other members who disagree with them. e. a lack of fragmentation.
b. the president being granted more authority by the Constitution in the area of lawmaking.
16. Which of the following describes what political scientist Hugh Heclo calls "the illusion of presidential government"? a. the inability of the president to influence the legislative priorities of Congress, even though the party in power pays lip-service to the president's agenda b. the presidential image-building through public relations that contributes to the idea that the president is in charge of the national government c. the belief by the public that Congress should follow the presidential agenda, regardless of whether or not the majority part is the same party of the president d. the image-building that the president's foreign policy strength lends to the rest of his agenda
b. the presidential image-building through public relations that contributes to the idea that the president is in charge of the national government
Explain the differences between enumerated, implied, and reserved powers.
The powers of the national government are listed (enumerated) in Article I of the Constitution. They are designed primarily to allow the national government to declare war, regulate interstate commerce, issue currency, and establish an army and navy. Implied powers allow the national government a degree of flexibility to enable it to respond to changing circumstances; the necessary and proper clause, also called the elastic clause, gives Congress the power to make all laws that are necessary and proper to the execution of its enumerated powers. All powers not specifically granted to the national government and not specifically denied the states are reserved for the states by the Tenth Amendment, which was meant to guard the states against encroachment by the national government.
What is a major limit on majoritarianism suggested by the authors?
The public as a whole takes an interest in only a few of the hundreds of policy decisions that U.S. officials make each year.
A
What is a major limit on majoritarianism suggested by the text? a. The public as a whole takes an interest in only a few of the hundreds of policy decisions that U.S. officials make each year. b. The public lacks access to the information required to take informed political action on most issues dealt with by the government each year. c. The actions of special interest groups are ultimately more influential than the voting power of the public. d. The rapid turnover of government officials and members of the legislature prevents the majority public from making a sustained effort for any single issue. e. The most power tends to reside with a wealthy minority of the voting public, preventing the majority public from setting the issue agenda.
A.
What is major barrier to political thinking? A. unwillingness of citizens to make the effort. B. lack of access to governmental institutions. C. elite control of political power resources. D. failure of politicians and government institutions to communicate policy details to the public. E. lack of access to news media sources outside sensationalist television or internet content.
A
Which of the following is correct with regard to obscenity and the law? a. Obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. b. Obscenity is never unlawful. c. Child pornography is protected by the First Amendment. d. Obscenity has been easy for courts to define with precision. e. Obscenity is protected under the Ninth Amendment.
A
Which of the following is most closely related to the concept of implied powers? a. necessary and proper clause b. supremacy clause c. Tenth Amendment d. the commerce clause e. the power to tax
A
Which of the following is true about the Sedition Act of 1798? a. The Act prohibited malicious newspaper stories about the president. b. The Supreme Court ruled the Act unconstitutional. c. The Senate voted it down, while the House passed it. d. Thomas Jefferson strongly supported it. e. The state governments refused to enforce it.
E
Which of the following was an argument in favor of federalism at the time of the writing of the Constitution? a. Federalism will protect liberty. b. Federalism will force officials to be more responsive to the people. c. Federalism will provide for a stronger national government than existed under the Articles of Confederation. d. Federalism will be less likely to produce an all-dominant faction. e. All these answers are correct.
A
Which one of the following is NOT true of cultural or political beliefs in America. A. America's origins as a wilderness society led to the belief that government is responsible for providing material assistance to its citizens. B. Americans place a greater emphasis than Europeans on personal advancement through education. C. Never has an American majority expressed a willingness to entrust health insurance fully to the government. D. America has a strong individualistic culture/ E. America's individualistic culture has not proven to be an absolute barrier to government assistance.
The term iron triangle refers to
a small and informal but relatively stable set of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists who are concerned with promoting a particular interest.
a. contentious and dynamic system that has adapted to the needs of the time. b. theoretical principle, in that constitutional provisions for federalism have had virtually no impact on the relationship between the nation and the states. c. flawed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and the states has been a constant source of problems without many positive benefits. d. fixed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and states is almost completely defined by provisions of the Constitution. e. poor replacement for the confederal system which existed before the Constitution.
a. contentious and dynamic system that has adapted to the needs of the time.
5. Regulatory agencies have a. executive, legislative, and judicial functions. b. legislative and executive functions, but no judicial functions. c. adjudicative and law enforcement functions. d. multilateral, law enforcement, and executive functions. e. All these answers are correct.
a. executive, legislative, and judicial functions.
10. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in legal disputes involving a. foreign diplomats. b. the president. c. the Congress. d. private parties. e. free speech and equal protection issues.
a. foreign diplomats.
19. In the modern era, the equivalent practice of using the presidency as a bully pulpit (Theodore Roosevelt) could best be summed up in the phrase, "________." a. going public b. spin control c. air wars d. lobbying the bureaucracy e. manipulating the media
a. going public
5. In John Maynard Keynes's demand-side economic theory, an economic recession can be shortened through a. government spending programs. b. the natural workings of the free-market system. c. a lowering of tariffs in the global economy. d. a determination on the part of government not to spend any more than it receives in taxes. e. tax cuts for the wealthy.
a. government spending programs.
2. When the Fed was created in 1913, a. it had no role in the management of the nation's economy. b. it was restricted to providing emergency loans to financial institutions. c. it adhered to a strictly supply-side policy focus. d. its primary economic management tool was to reduce inflation by restricting the money supply. e. it was far more likely to increase the money supply by lowering interest rates than to restrict it by raising them.
a. it had no role in the management of the nation's economy.
18. Which of the following is one of the three major functions of Congress's policymaking role? a. lawmaking b. check the president c. appease special interests d. inform the people e. check the Supreme Court
a. lawmaking
6. Most federal employees are hired on the basis of a. merit criteria. b. patronage. c. previous job experience in the private sector. d. the personal preferences of immediate supervisors. e. a lottery system.
a. merit criteria.
15. Compared with U.S. citizens of higher income, those of lower income are a. much less likely to vote in elections. b. about equally likely to vote in elections. c. much more likely to vote in elections. d. much less likely to vote in elections—a pattern that is also true in European democracies. e. None of these answers is correct.
a. much less likely to vote in elections.
17. The reason the news product is designed to fascinate as well as to inform is because a. news organizations are fundamentally businesses and must obtain revenue to survive. b. of the high level of illiteracy. c. the print media wish to emulate the broadcast media. d. of the need to compete with Hollywood productions. e. All these answers are correct.
a. news organizations are fundamentally businesses and must obtain revenue to survive.
1. If the Rules Committee applies the "closed rule" to a bill, a. no amendments will be permitted. b. the bill will not be allowed a vote. c. the bill will require a 2/3 majority for passage. d. no further floor debate is allowed. e. no filibusters will be allowed to prevent a vote.
a. no amendments will be permitted.
4. Roughly how much of campaign spending is devoted to producing and airing televised political advertisements? a. one-half b. three-quarters c. one-quarter d. one-third e. one-tenth
a. one-half
14. Congress typically takes presidential proposals a. only as a starting point. b. only if the dominant party is the same as the president's party. c. and most often fast-tracks them into law. d. and tables them until they expire. e. None of these answers is correct.
a. only as a starting point.
Which of the following are key players in the modern campaign?
a. pollsters b. media producers c. fundraising specialists d. campaign consultants
10. A major point of debate surrounding the Federal Reserve's role in economic policy is a. the Fed's political accountability. b. whether the president should be able to veto the Fed's decisions. c. the issue of competence. d. whether Congress should be able to reject the Fed's decisions. e. None of these answers is correct.
a. the Fed's political accountability.
Native Americans
a. today number more than 2 million. b. have a far higher infant mortality rate than the national average. c. have in recent years filed suit to reclaim their ancestral lands. d. are less than half as likely to finish college as other Americans.
The "motor voter" law
a. was passed in 1993. b. made it easier for citizens to register to vote. c. linked voter registration to the vehicle registration process. d. linked voter registration to the public assistance application process. e. All of these answers are correct. CORRECT
Which of the following groups is LEAST likely to identify with the Democratic Party?
White Southerners
________ once said, "You furnish the pictures and I'll furnish the war."
William Randolph Hearst
___ once said that he spent nearly all his adult life in gov't and yet had never seen a gov't
Woodrow Wilson
_______ once said that he spent nearly all his adult life in government and yet had never seen a government.
Woodrow Wilson
The Supreme Court upheld the use of tax-supported vouchers to attend private or parochial school in
Zelman v. Simmons-Harris.
C.
__________ is the ability of persons, groups, or institutions to influence political developments. A. Apathy. B. Politics. C. Power. D. Liberty. E. Political culture.
The individual freedoms in the Bill of Rights were extended by the Fourteenth Amendment to include protection from deprivation of due process rights by
actions of state and local governments.
At which of the following times did the American media step back from their watchdog role?
after the September 11th terrorist attacks
The inevitable discovery exception
allows the use of evidence that would have been discovered regardless by other means or through other forms of evidence.
which of the following was not provided for by the articles of confederation?
an independent federal executive
The term "civil liberties" refers to specific individual rights that
are constitutionally protected from infringement by government
In his definition of public opinion, the author claims that the opinions of private individuals become public opinion when they
are openly expressed
1. Which test did the Supreme Court justices devise for free speech in Schenck v. United States (1919)? a. Undue burden test b. Clear and present danger test c. Imminent lawless action test d. Free liberty test e. None of these answers is correct
b. Clear and present danger test
12. Which of the following was a provision of the War Powers Act? a. It prohibits the president from sending troops into combat. b. It requires hostilities to end within sixty days unless Congress extends the period. c. It requires Congress to consult with the president whenever feasible before passing measures that will restrict president-ordered military action. d. It requires the president to inform Congress within one month of the reason for the military action. e. It removes from Congress the power to restrict the timing or size of president-initiated military actions.
b. It requires hostilities to end within sixty days unless Congress extends the period.
14. What party has made big gains in recent decades among white fundamentalist Christians, based on its positions on topics like abortion and school prayer? a. Democratic b. Republican c. Green d. Socialist e. Reform
b. Republican
10. Which Amendment was NOT used in the Griswold v. Connecticut decision? a. First Amendment b. Second Amendment c. Third Amendment d. Fourth Amendment e. All Amendments were used.
b. Second Amendment
19) In Federalist No. 10, James Madison warned against the dangers of a. Factions b. States' rights c. Judicial review d. An all-powerful president e. Ex post facto laws
b. States' rights
3) The most fully organized interests are those that have which of the following as their primary purpose? a. agriculture b. economic activity c. civil liberties d. labor reform e. reform of government
b. economic activity
15. The Lemon test is designed to a. test a state's practice of guaranteeing procedural due process rights. b. ensure the secular nature of a government action. c. prevent a prosecution or defense from creating a biased jury. d. test state adherence to rights protected by proxy in the Fourteenth Amendment. e. ensure that a defendant has been given access to counsel from the time of arrest through a trial.
b. ensure the secular nature of a government action.
20. What is the strategy employed in the Senate to prevent a bill from coming to a vote? a. mark up b. filibuster c. cloture d. pocket veto e. conference committee
b. filibuster
5. In Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), the Supreme Court a. found private citizens should not have limits on the amount of money they can spend on campaigns. b. found corporations and unions could not be banned from spending money on campaigns. c. found private citizens had the same free speech rights as corporations. d. found corporate and union donations to campaigns was not covered as a form of free speech. e. invalidated the government's use of an elections commission to regulate campaign donations.
b. found corporations and unions could not be banned from spending money on campaigns.
A main difference between iron triangles and issue networks is that
issue networks are generally less stable than iron triangles, in that the members of an issue network may change as the issue develops.
The policy of affirmative action arose when
it became apparent that disadvantaged Americans would not attain equal employment opportunities through lawsuits that benefited single individuals only.
Pluralism contends that, on most issues
it is the preference of the special interest that largely determines what government does.
One reason that affirmative action is so controversial is that
it is viewed as giving preferential treatment, which is unpopular, instead of simply ensuring equal treatment.
which of the following is true of the internet organization Moveon.org
it was instrumental in helping Obama defeat Hilary Clinton in their race for the 2008 democratic presidential nomination
The Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFD~program was unpopular in part because of
its public perception of welfare dependency and irresponsibility.
The Constitution prevents the government from suspending the writ of habeas corpus, meaning that the government cannot
jail a person without a court hearing to determine the legality of his or her imprisonment
13) A main difference between iron triangles and issue networks is that a. an iron triangle includes members of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, while issue networks bypass the judicial branch. b. issue networks involve a stable group of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists, while iron triangles exclude lobbyists in an attempt to reach impartial decisions. c. issue networks are generally less stable than iron triangles, in that the members of an issue network may change as the issue develops. d. issue networks, being less formal, rely on outside lobbying only, while iron triangles use inside lobbying only. e. All these answers are correct.
c. issue networks are generally less stable than iron triangles, in that the members of an issue network may change as the issue develops.
7. Candidate-centered politics encourages all of the following EXCEPT a. greater responsiveness to local interests. b. greater flexibility in electoral politics. c. long-term consistency in policymaking. d. introduction of new blood to politics. e. an increase in the power of special interest groups.
c. long-term consistency in policymaking.
8. When it comes to protest activities, a majority of Americans are a. actively involved in protests at one time or another in their lives. b. willing to contribute through financial support but not through active participation. c. not highly supportive of such activities, despite America's tradition of free expression. d. actively involved only later in their lives, when they feel more secure that a protest is justified. e. supportive of violent activities if the cause warrants such an approach.
c. not highly supportive of such activities, despite America's tradition of free expression.
19. When the nation was founded, who was eligible to vote? a. everyone—there was universal suffrage b. all males and females who were at least 21 years of age c. only white males who owned property d. only citizens who had lived in the nation for at least ten years e. All native-born citizens could vote.
c. only white males who owned property
6. Supply-side economics, as implemented by President George W. Bush's administration, involved a. the supply component of the supply-demand equation. b. stressing the importance of tax cuts for businesses. c. stressing the importance of tax cuts for the wealthy. d. an increase in the size of the national debt. e. All these answers are correct.
c. stressing the importance of tax cuts for the wealthy.
7. The second most powerful federal official (after the president) is often said to be a. the chair of the House Appropriations Committee. b. the president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate. c. the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. d. the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. e. the Senate majority leader.
c. the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
11. Which nation does NOT have a one-house dominant legislature? a. Canada b. Germany c. the United States d. Great Britain e. None of these answers is correct, as all these nations have one-house dominant legislatures.
c. the United States
4. Fiscal policy is a mechanism the government employs to influence the economy. Fiscal policy is based on a. the idea that a balanced budget is the key to a healthy economy. b. the money supply. c. the government's taxing and spending decisions. d. the importance of maintaining a 12-month (fiscal year) economic cycle. e. the projections of the Federal Reserve Board.
c. the government's taxing and spending decisions.
6. About 95 percent of all political activists in the United States work at a. the national level. b. the state level. c. the local level. d. the national and state levels. e. Republican and Democratic party headquarters.
c. the local level.
6. What development brought about a dramatic reduction in television's capacity to generate an interest in news? a. an increase in newspaper circulation b. the loss of objective journalistic standards c. the rapid spread of cable d. the rise of Internet news consumption e. a drop in education levels in the United States
c. the rapid spread of cable
10. Bureaucrats tend to follow a. the wishes of the president. b. the wishes of Congress. c. their own agency's point of view. d. the expectations of the general public. e. the wishes of federal judges.
c. their own agency's point of view.
Research suggests which of the following is primarily to blame for the increase in faulty perceptions of news items among the public?
changes in the forms of communication
All of the following ideological types are prevalent in the United States EXCEPT
communists
Housing in America
continues to evidence a high degree of racial segregation.
In an oligarchy
control rests with a small group, such as military officers or a few wealthy families.
In comparison with today's newspapers, early American newspapers
could not have survived without political party support.
14) What cases were legal victories for gay and lesbians in America? a. Romer v. Evans b. Lawrence v. Texas c. Loving v. Virginia d. A and B are correct e. A, B, and C are correct
d. A and B are correct
7. ________ ended the practice of party caucuses in Congress and in state legislatures nominating presidential candidates. a. George Washington b. Thomas Jefferson c. James Madison d. Andrew Jackson e. Martin Van Buren
d. Andrew Jackson
12. Of the countries listed, which country has the highest estimated voter turnout in major national elections in recent decades? a. Denmark b. Germany c. the United States d. Belgium e. France
d. Belgium
20) Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act if 1968 is also called the a. Equality for Women Act b. Equal Access for All Act c. Affirmative Action Act d. Fair Housing Act e. None of the above are correct
d. Fair Housing Act
16. The ________ established minimum wages and constraints on the use of child labor. a. Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 b. Banking Act of 1934 c. Airlines Deregulation Act of 1977 d. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 e. Homestead Act of 1862
d. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938
18. Which constitutional amendment protects the individual against self-incrimination? a. First b. Second c. Fourth d. Fifth e. Ninth
d. Fifth
3) Which country has the highest percentage of national legislative seats held by women? a. United Kingdom b. Japan c. Canada d. Germany e. Japan
d. Germany
Why did President Obama sign the 2014 farm bill?
d. He recognized he had no chance of getting a better farm bill.
15. The forced removal of a president from office through impeachment and conviction requires action by the a. House of Representatives only. b. Senate only. c. House and Senate in a joint session. d. House and Senate in separate proceedings. e. Supreme Court in a judicial proceeding.
d. House and Senate in separate proceedings.
7) Which of the following statements is true? a. During the early 1900s, Chinese and Japanese laborers were brought into the western states to work in mines and to build railroads. b. In 1923, President Calvin Coolidge asked Congress for a relaxation of the ban on Chinese immigration. c. Discrimination against Asians did not ease substantially until 1950. d. In the 1800s, Chinese and Japanese laborers were brought into the western states; in 1930 Congress halted all immigration from Japan; discrimination against Asians did not ease substantially until 1965. e. Immigration from Asia to the United States was higher in the early twentieth century than it was in the latter nineteenth.
d. In the 1800s, Chinese and Japanese laborers were brought into the western states; in 1930 Congress halted all immigration from Japan; discrimination against Asians did not ease substantially until 1965.
14. Which of the following states has a voter identification card law? a. Maine b. New Hampshire c. Minnesota d. Indiana e. Wisconsin
d. Indiana
12. All are state powers only EXCEPT for a. Chartering of local governments b. Public safety c. Voting d. Law enforcement e. All are state powers
d. Law enforcement
The United States and NATO intervened with air strikes to help overthrow a long-time dictator in this country:
d. Lebanon.
8) The concept of the "state of nature" was first expressed by which of the following political thinkers? a. Aristole b. Eric Voegelin c. Plato d. Thomas Hobbes e. None of the above
d. Thomas Hobbes
19) Article _______ is where the "Supremacy Clause" is found. a. III b. IV c. V d. VI e. VII
d. VI
20. The individual freedoms in the Bill of Rights were extended by the Fourteenth Amendment to include protection from deprivation of due process rights by a. actions of the president. b. the actions of individuals. c. actions of the federal government. d. actions of state and local governments. e. actions of the U.S. military.
d. actions of state and local governments.
One reason the Soviet Union eventually collapsed was
d. all of these: heavy defense expenditures; isolation from Western technology and markets; and its inefficient centralized command economy. Correct
19. Which of the following government agencies regulates business competition? a. Federal Trade Commission b. Interstate Commerce Commission c. Antitrust Division of the Justice Department d. all of these: the Federal Trade Commission; the Interstate Commerce Commission; and the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department e. None of these answers is correct.
d. all of these: the Federal Trade Commission; the Interstate Commerce Commission; and the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department
20. In promoting their agency's goals, bureaucrats rely on a. their specialized knowledge. b. the backing of the president and Congress. c. the support of clientele groups. d. all of these: their expert knowledge; the backing of the president and Congress; and the support of clientele groups. e. None of these answers is correct.
d. all of these: their expert knowledge; the backing of the president and Congress; and the support of clientele groups.
16. What is the most common method in the states for the selection of judges? a. appointment by the state supreme courts b. promotion from within the legal establishment c. appointment by the governor d. election to office e. appointment by state legislatures
d. election to office
7. The enumerated powers in Article I of the Constitution were intended to a. limit the powers of the state governments. b. ensure that neither small nor large states would be at a disadvantage. c. ensure that neither northern nor southern states would be at a disadvantage. d. establish a government strong enough to forge a union that was secure in its defense and stable in its economy. e. limit the power of the presidency.
d. establish a government strong enough to forge a union that was secure in its defense and stable in its economy.
18. The Constitution allows states to a. raise an army in peacetime. b. print money. c. make commercial agreements with other states without the consent of Congress. d. govern intrastate commerce. e. govern interstate commerce.
d. govern intrastate commerce.
9. The constitutional provision that federal judges and justices hold office "during good behavior" has a. meant, in effect, that they will serve until they die or choose to retire. b. provided them the opportunity to carry out their duties without immediate fear of reprisal by the president or Congress. c. enabled presidents to influence judicial policy through their appointments long after leaving the White House. d. had all these effects: Federal judges and justices serve, effectively, until they die or choose to retire; they are provided the opportunity to carry out their duties without immediate fear of reprisal by the president or Congress; and presidents are able to influence judicial policy through their appointments long after leaving the White House. e. None of these answers is correct.
d. had all these effects: Federal judges and justices serve, effectively, until they die or choose to retire; they are provided the opportunity to carry out their duties without immediate fear of reprisal by the president or Congress; and presidents are able to influence judicial policy through their appointments long after leaving the White House.
1. The president's constitutional roles, such as chief executive and commander in chief, a. are based on very precise constitutional grants of power. b. are rooted in tradition only; they have no basis in the language of the Constitution. c. are not subject to check by Congress. d. have expanded in practice to be more powerful than the writers of the Constitution intended. e. are absolute powers under the Constitution.
d. have expanded in practice to be more powerful than the writers of the Constitution intended.
he frequency of elections in the United States reduces voter turnout by a. discouraging local politicians from playing an active role in presidential elections. b. creating more complex registration requirements. c. focusing too much attention on state and local elections. d. increasing the personal effort needed to participate in all elections. e. increasing the amount of taxes paid at the polls.
d. increasing the personal effort needed to participate in all elections.
17. In the United States, the primary responsibility for registration of the individual voter rests with the a. state and local governments. b. local courts. c. employer. d. individual. e. federal government.
d. individual.
20. The judiciary's status as an independent branch of national government depends on judicial review, which grants the judiciary the authority to a. make political decisions; judges can overturn any congressional or presidential decision they personally dislike. b. decide which laws apply to a particular case. c. ignore public opinion when making decisions. d. invalidate the actions of other institutions when judges believe they have acted unconstitutionally. e. strike down certain sections of the Constitution.
d. invalidate the actions of other institutions when judges believe they have acted unconstitutionally.
14. The War Powers Act was enacted in order to a. guide the military in its use of force in field situations where it is impractical to seek direction from the president. b. allow the president more leeway in committing U.S. troops to combat. c. define the relationship between the United States and its allies. d. limit the president's war-making power. e. weaken Congress in foreign policy matters.
d. limit the president's war-making power.
3. Government benefits for business include all of the following EXCEPT a. low-interest loans and government-guaranteed loans. b. corporate tax breaks. c. a national transportation system. d. minimum-wage laws. e. a national education system.
d. minimum-wage laws.
5. The "federal court myth" overlooks the fact that a. most cases arise under state law, not federal law. b. nearly all cases that originate in state courts are never reviewed by federal courts. c. federal courts must normally accept the facts of a case as determined by a state court when reviewing its decision. d. most cases arise under state law, not federal law; nearly all cases that originate in state courts are never reviewed by federal courts; and federal courts must normally accept the facts of a case as determined by a state court when reviewing its decision. e. None of these answers is correct.
d. most cases arise under state law, not federal law; nearly all cases that originate in state courts are never reviewed by federal courts; and federal courts must normally accept the facts of a case as determined by a state court when reviewing its decision.
11. National party organizations can dictate the day-to-day decisions of a. local party organizations only. b. state party organizations only. c. local and state party organizations. d. neither local nor state party organizations. e. party leaders in Congress.
d. neither local nor state party organizations.
19. If a minor party gains a large following, it is almost certain that a. the major parties will join together to attack the minor party. b. Congress will enact legislation to make it difficult for the minor party to get on the ballot. c. party in-fighting will tear it apart. d. one or both major parties will absorb its issue, and the minor party will lose support. e. the media will attack the minor party.
d. one or both major parties will absorb its issue, and the minor party will lose support.
14) The principle of checks and balances is based on the notion that a. leaders are the trustees of the people. b. a weak government is always preferable to a strong government. c. all legislative and executive action should be controlled through judicial power. d. power must be used to offset power. e. legislators and executives cannot be trusted, but judges are trustworthy.
d. power must be used to offset power.
1. A judicial decision that establishes a rule for settling subsequent cases of a similar nature is a a. writ of certiorari. b. landmark decision. c. writ of mandamus. d. precedent. e. writ of error.
d. precedent.
17) Which of the following is roughly the amount that was spent on lobbying in the United States in 2009? a. $250 billion b. $10 billion c. $350 million d. $35 billion e. $3.5 billion
e. $3.5 billion
19. The Department of ________ was founded in 1889. a. Health and Human Services b. State c. Labor d. Homeland Security e. Agriculture
e. Agriculture
1) A basic reason for the existence of so many interest groups in the United States is a. the American tradition of free association. b. the extent of diverse interests in American society. c. America's federal system of government. d. the separation of powers in American government. e. All these answers are correct.
e. All these answers are correct.
1. The framers of the Constitution created a federal system of government because a. the states already existed. b. they felt that it would protect liberty c. they felt that it would provide the foundation for an effective national government d. the confederal system in existence was ineffective. e. All these answers are correct.
e. All these answers are correct.
11. Which of the following is true regarding the Kyoto agreement and greenhouse gas emissions? a. The United States is the largest single producer of greenhouse emissions in the world, on a per-capita basis. b. President George W. Bush rejected the agreement. c. It was a multinational effort to reduce carbon emissions. d. The burden of addressing the global warming problem will fall unevenly on nations. e. All these answers are correct.
e. All these answers are correct.
3. The federal district courts a. are the chief trial courts of the federal system. b. are the only federal courts where the two sides present their case to a jury for a verdict. c. are the courts that, in practice, make the final decision in most federal cases. d. exist in each state. e. All these answers are correct.
e. All these answers are correct.
4. A standing committee in the House or Senate a. is a permanent committee. b. has jurisdiction over a particular policy area. c. has authority to draft, amend, and recommend legislation. d. is usually organized according to the seniority principle. e. All these answers are correct.
e. All these answers are correct.
5. Which of the following did the framers want from a president? a. national leadership b. administration of the laws c. statesmanship in foreign affairs d. command of the military e. All these answers are correct.
e. All these answers are correct.
8. Which of the following presidents failed to win a popular vote majority, but still won the presidency? a. John Quincy Adams b. Rutherford B. Hayes c. Benjamin Harrison d. George W. Bush e. All these answers are correct.
e. All these answers are correct.
a. allows elected officials to claim that their policies reflect the will of the people. b. provides citizens with a regular way to express themselves. c. is the most widespread form of political participation. d. is both a means by which government controls the people and a means by which the people control government. e. All these answers are correct.
e. All these answers are correct.
2. In ________, the Supreme Court justices required the states to furnish attorneys for poor defendants in all felony cases. a. Mapp v. Ohio (1961) b. Miranda v. Arizona (1966) c. Benton v. Maryland (1969) d. Duncan v. Louisiana (1968) e. Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
e. Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
17. Political parties in the United States originated partly as a political feud between a. Marshall and Adams. b. Adams and Jackson. c. Lincoln and Douglas. d. Cleveland and Bryan. e. Hamilton and Jefferson.
e. Hamilton and Jefferson.
16. The Department of ________ was created in 2002. a. Transportation b. Energy c. Education d. Veterans Affairs e. Homeland Security
e. Homeland Security
15. How has the Government Accountability Office's role changed? a. It has acquired wide judicial and adjudication powers to deal with inter-agency disputes. b. It has changed from a presidential-executive support agency to largely a congressional support agency. c. It has been given broader powers over time to actually grant additional funds or take away funds directly from agencies. d. It has had its broad powers limited from general oversight down to keeping track of agency spending. e. It has moved from a limited role of keeping track of agency spending to also monitoring whether the agency is implementing policies in the way Congress intended.
e. It has moved from a limited role of keeping track of agency spending to also monitoring whether the agency is implementing policies in the way Congress intended.
7. Which of the following is true of the Internet organization MoveOn.org? a. It has demonstrated that online advocacy can dramatically increase voter turnout in local and state elections. b. It is technically a registered lobbying organization. c. It has a network of more than five million "online activists," which makes it a more powerful voting bloc than some entire states. d. It was highly successful in its effort to shape the 2010 health care reform bill. e. It was instrumental in helping Barack Obama defeat Hillary Clinton in their race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
e. It was instrumental in helping Barack Obama defeat Hillary Clinton in their race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
12) ________________________ wrote The Federalist Papers a. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson b. Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison c. John Jay and Thomas Jefferson d. Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton an James Madison e. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay
e. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay
2) _______________ rights are natural, like the right to life liberty and property. a. Superficial b. Meaningful c. Indomitable d. Unconquerable e. No answer is correct.
e. No answer is correct.
10. The Supremacy Clause in the U.S. Constitution is found in a. Article III, Section 2 b. Article IV, Section 2 c. Article VII, Section 3 d. Article VI, Section 4 e. None of the Above
e. None of the Above
The enumerated powers in Article I of the Constitution were intended to
establish a government strong enough to forge a union that was secure in its defense and stable in its economy
In Beyond Ideology, political scientist Frances Lee shows that
even on low-stake issues, lawmakers exploit negotiation and floor debate to attack opponents and promote their party's image.
The exclusionary rule states that
evidence obtained illegally is inadmissible in court.
In most democracies of the world,
executive and legislative powers are combined in a single body.
In twentieth-century American history, the most important minor parties were ________ parties.
factional
In Federalist No. 10, James Madison warned against the dangers of
factions
49% of tax revenue goes to federal gov't
false
A democratic system both provides opportunity for personal development and bears responsibility for the personal development of its citizens.
false
Ct. interpretation of the constitution has specified instances in which congressional limitation of speech is lawful
false
In a parliamentary democracy, policy is made by direct referendum from the people, since there is no legislature.
false
John Locke maintained that a government, if originally put into place by legitimate means, could never be revoked legitimately.
false
Pluralism is the principle that Americans should be free to act and think as they choose.
false
Since presidential electors have been chosen on the basis of popular vote, there has not been a president elected who lost the popular vote and won the electoral vote.
false
The United States has one of the most costly and elaborate sets of programs for the poor and disadvantaged of any of the industrialized democracies.
false
block grants do not allow state and local officials to exercise discretion in the national gov't over the use of federal funds within broad categories such as education or health
false
states required to use grand juries per the fifth amendment
false
the authority of the state gov't is specified by the constitution enumerated and implied powers. authority not granted in this way is left to national gov't as reserved powers
false
the reasonable basis test applies to all laws except those that prescribe differential treatment on the basis of suspect classification
false
the warning "you have the right to remain silent" derives from the case miranda v. missouri
false
The establishment clause prohibits government from
favoring one religion over another or supporting religion over no religion.
Andrew Jackson's contribution to the development of political parties was the
formation of a new type of grassroots party organization.
Of the 2009-2010 health care reform legislation, a Gallup poll found that nearly a third of the public mistakenly believed that the legislation package included
government committees that would decide which elderly patients would receive life-saving treatment and which would not.
The logical counter-force that was potentially strong enough to control the business trusts of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was
government.
5. The term "framing" is used to describe a. the media's ability to influence what is on people's minds. b. the process of selecting certain aspects of reality and making them the most salient part of the communication, thereby conveying a particular interpretation of a situation. c. the media's obligation to convey a uniform and standard interpretation of a situation. d. the nature of media reporting when objectivity has weakened and the system has tilted in favor of yellow journalism. e. the primary right of the media that is protected by the First Amendment.
b. the process of selecting certain aspects of reality and making them the most salient part of the communication, thereby conveying a particular interpretation of a situation.
Political conservatives who favor more political power devolved back to the states would likely prefer which of the following?
block grants
Through the grants of power in the Constitution, the framers sought to
both define the powers of the national government and limit them
The influence of interest groups through the courts occurs through
both initiating lawsuits and lobbying for certain judges to be appointed to the bench.
The most numerous economic groups are
business groups.
The period of dual federalism (1865-1937) was marked by
business supremacy in the area of commerce.
One example of a policy that aimed chiefly to overcome de facto discrimination is
busing to achieve racial integration in the schools.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was aimed in large part at eliminating discrimination
by private individuals in their employment practices and in their operation of public accommodations (e.g., hotels, restaurants).
3. The election of ________ represented a party realignment. a. 1840 b. 1872 c. 1932 d. 1960 e. 1976
c. 1932
20. In 1912, a candidate for which minor party managed to earn more votes than one of his major party opponents? a. Socialist b. Prohibition c. Bull Moose d. Reform e. Populist
c. Bull Moose
12. __________ was the only Republican elected president from 1932-1964. a. Richard Nixon b. Barry Goldwater c. Dwight Eisenhower d. Herbert Hoover e. Calvin Coolidge
c. Dwight Eisenhower
Which of the following Supreme Court justices was appointed by President Dwight Eisenhower? a. Sandra Day O'Connor b. John Stevens c. Earl Warren d. Louis Brandeis e. David Souter
c. Earl Warren
16. The Supreme Court case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld (2006) was regarding a. Proving legal counsel to defendants b. The US violating the Fifth Amendment's Due Process clause. c. Enforcing the Geneva Convention over military commissions d. Overthrowing the government by use of violence. e. None of the above.
c. Enforcing the Geneva Convention over military commissions
Which president called for a "new world order"?
c. George H. W. Bush Correct
15. ________ warned Americans of the "baneful effects" of factions (political parties) in his 1797 farewell address. a. James Madison b. Thomas Jefferson c. George Washington d. Andrew Jackson e. Abraham Lincoln
c. George Washington
9. Which one of the following did NOT serve as a state governor prior to being president? a. Ronald Reagan b. Bill Clinton c. John Kennedy d. George W. Bush e. Jimmy Carter
c. John Kennedy
18. What was a major change brought about by the National Labor Relations Act of 1935? a. It established the national minimum wage. b. It broke up business monopolies in order to give workers more choice in employer. c. Workers were given the right to bargain collectively. d. It eliminated the ability of companies to bargain directly with unions. e. It reduced the ability of workers to go on strike indefinitely.
c. Workers were given the right to bargain collectively.
17. During 2006, the year before Democrats took back control of Congress, George W. Bush a. broke most of his campaign promises. b. enjoyed Republican majorities in both houses of Congress. c. had an 81 percent success rate with Congress. d. had a 37 percent success rate with Congress. e. None of these answers is correct.
c. had an 81 percent success rate with Congress.
11. Protest activity is a reversal to the pattern of voting in that it a. has broad public support. b. is supportive of existing policies. c. is more likely to involve younger citizens rather than older ones. d. is rooted in prejudice. e. usually takes place in the evenings.
c. is more likely to involve younger citizens rather than older ones.
PACs tend to contribute the most money to
incumbents.
which of the following states have a voter identification card law?
indiana
In the United States, the primary responsibility for registration of the individual voter rests with the
individual
in the U.S. the primary responsibility for registration of the individual voter rests with the
individual
The reality that officials in the United States spend comparatively less money on government programs for the poor than other fully industrialized democracies reflects the American ideal of
individualism.
The traditional media have "softened" their news by
infusing it with more stories about celebrities, crime, and the like.
Which reform occurred during the Progressive Era?
initiative, referendum, recall election, primary election
CNN and MSNBC have responded to Fox's ratings success by
installing talk-show hosts with partisan or hard-edged appeals.
Which of the following terms MOST accurately describes the international economy today?
interdependence
In key decisions early in the New Deal era, the Supreme Court
invalidated key pieces of FDR's New Deal legislation.
The technological change that brought about the decline of the partisan press was the
invention of the high-speed rotary press.
As described by the authors, "political thinking"
involves the careful gathering and sifting of information in the process of forming a knowledgeable view about a political issue.
An amicus brief
is a written document in which a group explains to a court its position on a legal dispute the court is handling
An amicus brief
is a written document in which a group explains to a court its position on a legal dispute the court is handling.
a government authority
is evidenced when government officials use their right to exercise power
protest activity is a reversal to the pattern of voting in that it
is more likely to involve younger citizens rather than older ones
Protest activity is a reversal to the pattern of voting in that it
is more likely to involve younger citizens rather than older ones.
In contrast with the Speaker of the House, the Senate majority leader
is not the presiding officer of his/her chamber.
Legislation whose tangible benefits are targeted solely at a particular legislator's constituency is
pork-barrel legislation. Correct
Which of the following steps in the federal budgetary process occurs EARLIEST?
president consults with OMB on agency instructions
Scholars have done the LEAST study into the political influence of which primary socializing agent on American citizens?
religion
The most powerful religious force in contemporary American society is the
religious right
Objective journalism is based on the idea that the reporter's job is to
report the facts and cover alternative sides of a partisan debate.
the writers of the constitution used the term ___ to describe a form of government that consists of carefully designed instititutions that are responsive to the majority but not captive to it
republic
In applying the reasonable basis test, courts tend to
require government only to show that a particular law is reasonable.
James Madison's solution to the problem of factions (special interests) has, in the modern policy process, actually contributed to the problem by
resulting in a fragmentation of authority among policymakers, thereby providing groups more opportunities to get their way.
Which of the following was the core of Nixon's approach to "new federalism"?
revenue sharing, where the federal government gave money to the states to use as they saw fit
what cases were legal victories for gay and lesbians in America?
romer v. evans and lawerence v. texas -both answers are correct
In a 2009 Pew Research Center survey, what percent of Americans expressed "complete agreement" when asked whether government has a responsibility "to take care of people who can't take care of themselves"?
roughly one quarter
Through its Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court
ruled that Congress could not outlaw slavery anywhere in the United States.
The accuracy of a poll is usually expressed in terms of
sampling error
Spoken words that are known to be false and harmful to a person's reputation are an example of
slander
The first American political parties emerged from the conflict between
small farmers and states' rights advocates, and those favoring commercial and wealthy interests
A sustained action by citizens disenchanted with government to express their opposition and work to bring about the change they seek is a
social movement
A pluralist could be expected to argue that
society is best seen as a collection of separate interests.
What was the public response to the economic stimulus bill that Obama and the democratic Congress enacted in early 2009?
some 70 percent of the public believed the bill was essential, though there was worry as a secondary concern about the scale of the spreading
Dramatic change in party identification is uncommon and is almost always a consequence of
major upheaval.
Which of the following has democracy come to mean in practice?
majority rule through the free and open election of representatives
In the case of United States v. Virginia (1996), the Supreme Court ruled that
male-only admissions policies at state-supported military academies were unconstitutional.
Most candidates for office in the United States aim their appeals at
middle income voters
In which of the following policy areas does the U.S. spend more than European nations?
military
Education and income affects voter turnout
more in the United States than in Europe.
According to survey data,
most Americans believe that welfare recipients could get along without assistance if they tried.
Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann's "spiral of silence" theory contends that
most individuals are reluctant to speak out against dominant opinion.
With regard to affirmative action, the Supreme Court in recent years has
moved to narrow its application.
The Communications Act
mposed on broadcasters an "equal time" restriction that prevented preference for some political candidates over others.
compared with U.S. citizens of higher income, those of lower income are
much less likely to vote in election
Compared with U.S. citizens of higher income, those of lower income are
much less likely to vote in elections.
The Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) ruling held that super PAC spending
must be coordinated with election campaigns.
How many states ratified the Equal Rights Amendment?
nearly 3/4ths
the supremacy clause in the U.S. constitution is found in
none of the above
when it comes to protest activities, a majority of americans are
not highly supportive of such activities, despite American's tradition of free expression
The conviction of members of the U.S. Communist Party in the early 1950s was initially upheld as a lawful restriction of the right
of free speech.
Which of the following could NOT be considered one of the aspects of the American system of government or political culture?
oligarchy
which of the following is true of the relationship between public opinion and shifts in major gov't policies?
on high profile issues particularly, public opinion tends to affect policy to a greater degree than policymakers agendas affect public opinion
PAC contributions account for about ___ percent of total contributions to congressional campaigns.
one fourth or 25%
Roughly how many American workers currently belong to unions?
one in eight
If a minor party gains a large following, it is almost certain that
one or both major parties will absorb its issue, and the minor party will lose support.
More than ________ of Americans have a college degree—the world's highest rate?
one quarter
When the nation was founded, who was eligible to vote?
only white males who owned property
when the nation was founded who was eligible to vote?
only white males who owned property
More than 90 percent of the funding for U.S. public schools comes from
state and local governments.
Regarding state party organizations, the day-to-day operation is usually the responsibility of the
state chairperson.
In Lochner v. New York (1905), the Supreme Court ruled that
state regulation of labor practices violated firms' property rights.
Which of the following is an indication of strong party loyalty?
straight ticket voting
Any law that attempts a racial or ethnic classification is subject to the
strict scrutiny test
According to E. E. Schattschneider, the interest-group system has a
strong upper-class bias.
Sovereignty refers to
supreme and final governing authority.
In recent decades, lobbyists in Washington, D.C. have increasingly
targeted the executive branch in their efforts to influence policy decisions.
Europeans have a greater acceptance than Americans of
tax and social policies that redistribute wealth.
which of the following is a concurrent power?
taxation
________ has executed more convicted criminals in the past quarter century than any other state.
texas
What did Newt Gingrich declare about federalism in 1994?
that the 1960s-style federalism was dead
Which citizens' group did a Fortune magazine survey rank as the nation's most powerful lobbying group?
the AARP
De jure discrimination and de facto discrimination are two ways in which some Americans are treated as less equal than others. Examples of public policies designed to address each of these forms of discrimination are
the Brown decision (de jure), and affirmative action (de facto).
In the American political context, John Locke's conception of inalienable rights and the legitimacy of the social contract found its most explicit statement in
the Declaration of Independence.
"You have the right to remain silent....Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law....You have the right to an attorney." This is called
the Miranda warning.
Which region of the nation receives the highest percentage of its revenues from the federal government?
the South
The "separate but equal" standard was created by
the Supreme Court.
The citizens of ________ are most actively involved in interest groups and community causes.
the U.S.
The citizens of ________ are most likely to participate as campaign volunteers during an election.
the U.S.
________ provides no free television time to political parties and allows candidates to purchase air time.
the U.S.
Which of the following characteristics does the Internet have that traditional media lack?
the ability to allow readers to interact with news reporting
The movement for women's rights was initially aligned with
the abolition movement.
which of the following is a real-world example of an action that the supreme ct decided was a protected form of symbolic speech?
the burning of the American Flag in public
which of the following defines political culture?
the characteristic and deep-seated beliefs of a particular people about gov't and politics
Which of the following defines "political culture"?
the characteristic and deep-seated beliefs of a particular people about government and politics
The Democratic Party's long-time regional stronghold, "the Solid South," stemmed from a realignment during which historical period?
the immediate post Civil War era
The Supreme Court has reasoned that a right of privacy is provided by
the implication of said right by the freedoms in the Bill of Rights..
Why have issue networks become more prevalent than iron triangles?
the increasing complexity of policy problems
Why have issue networks become more prevalent?
the increasing complexity of policy problems
A flaw in pluralism theory is the fact that
the interest group system is unrepresentative because some interests are far better organized and more powerful than others.
Which of the following, relative to the others, is typically more protective of individual rights?
the judiciary
Society in Northern Island is held up by the authors as a demonstration of what difference with U.S. society?
the lack of crosscutting between groups
About 95 percent of all political activists in the United States work at
the local level.
the writers of the constitution devised the electoral college as the method of choosing presidents because
the method would shield executive power from direct linkage to popular majorities
Which of the following does NPR serve as an example of?
the one true success story of public broadcasting
A purposive incentive is defined as
the opportunity to contribute to a worthy goal or purpose.
What is the "Rose Garden strategy"?
the presidential strategy of controlling communications by making nearly all pronouncements from the same location
The news media's common-carrier role is based on the idea that
the press should provide a channel through which political leaders can communicate their views to the public.
The term "framing" is used to describe
the process of selecting certain aspects of reality and making them the most salient part of the communication, thereby conveying a particular interpretation of a situation.
What development brought about a dramatic reduction in television's capacity to generate an interest in news?
the rapid spread of cable
The "long tail" is a phenomenon related to
the rate of Internet news readership.
What event occurred in 1877 in the South that brought about rapid legal discrimination against blacks?
the removal of federal troops
. In Bowers v. Hardwick (1986), the Supreme Court justices determined that
the right to privacy did not extend to consensual sexual relations among adults of the same sex.
To accurately poll the citizens of the United States as opposed to the citizens of a single state,
the sample requirements will be nearly the same.
The federal government's licensing of broadcasting is based primarily on
the scarcity of broadcasting frequencies.
The key factors in determining the accuracy of an opinion poll are
the size of the sample and whether the sample was selected from the population by a random method.
The writers of the Constitution established a federal system of government in part because
the states already existed as established entities and had to be preserved.
"The Bradley Effect" describes
the tendency of black candidates to receive fewer votes than the polls predicted.
Which of the following encourages the two major parties to build broad coalitions?
the two-party system and the need to gain a plurality
What did Reagan promote as part of his version of "new federalism"?
the use of block grants over categorical grants
women are less likely than men to favor
the use of force to settle international disputes
Women are less likely than men to favor
the use of force to settle international disputes.
What issue has done the most to bring young Americans to the voting booth in the twenty-first century?
the war in Iraq
All of the following statements about Latino Americans are true EXCEPT that
their average annual income is relatively close to the national average.
Citizens' interest groups are distinguished from economic interest groups by the fact that
their members receive no direct economic benefit from attainment of the group's goals.
in the constitutional system
there are lawful resistrictions on a gov' power
Political scientist Theodore Lowi has questioned pluralist theory by suggesting that
there is no concept of the public interest in a system that gives special interests the ability to determine the policies affecting them.
each of the following statements could be considered true of either economic or social liberals, except that
they believe that gov't should be used to promote traditional values
Each of the following statements could be considered true of either economic or social liberals, EXCEPT that
they believe that government should be used to promote traditional values.
Which of the following groups of people is most adversely affected by the country's registration system?
those with less income and education
Disadvantaged Americans have generally gained their rights
through struggle against entrenched interests
Which of the following forms of government admits to no limits on its power?
totalitarianism
Since the height of the busing era, the trend in public schools has been
towards greater segregation
A major characteristic of the American political system is its powerful emphasis on individual rights.
true
Compared with European democracies, Americans show a much smaller commitment to social welfare programs
true
Federal justices are allowed to hold office for life, unless they commit a crime.
true
The case of Marbury v. Madison established the power of the Supreme Court to decide the constitutionality of an act of
true
the good faith exception was derived from decision in U.S. v.Leon 1984
true
the supreme ct. has tended to be more protective of and sensitive to civil liberties than have elected officials or popular majorities
true
the supreme ct.ruling of roe v.wade abortion case derived from an earlier ruling upholding the right of privacy
true
the voting rights act of 1965 does not allow election districts to be created for the purpose of giving control to a minority group
true
unlike in many other democracies, elections in the U.S. are traditionally held on
tuesdays
to the framers, the great danger of democratic gov't was the risk
tyranny for the majority
According to James Madison, the source of most factions is the
unequal distribution of property.
The Fourth Amendment protects Americans from
unreasonable searches.
What is the major barrier to political thinking?
unwillingness of citizens to make the effort
The Supreme Court's decision in the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case
upheld the principle of affirmative action.
In order to overcome the free-rider problem, non-economic groups have
used Internet resources and computer-assisted mailing lists to target potential donors.
In comparison with citizens in Western European democracies, Americans are less likely to
vote in national elections.
When the United States first came into being, married women were not permitted to
vote, hold office, serve in juries, own and dispense property without the husband's consent.
In the United States,
voter registration requirements have usually been set by the states.
The TANF aspect of the Welfare Reform Ac
was a block grant that, among other aspects, restricted federal assistance to five years.
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
was conducted by African Americans seeking equality of rights.
The Constitution was ratified by
The states.
1) The U.S. Constitution was an attempt to strike a balance between representative government and limited government. True/False
True
10. The adoption of voter identification cards by several states will likely cause a decline in voter turnout. True/False
True
12) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 does not allows election districts to be created for the purpose of giving control to a minority group. (True/False)
True
12. The "good faith" exception was derived from decision in United States v. Leon (1984) (True/False)
True
14. Federalism is the name given to a system of allocating power between the nation and the states. (True/False)
True
15) Gratz v. Bollinger ended admissions based on race at the University of Michigan. True/False.
True
16) Over time, the American national political system has become more responsive to popular majorities. True/False
True
17) Federal justices are allowed to hold office for life, unless they commit a crime. True/False
True
19. Government intervention is removed in a laissez-faire capitalist economic system. (True/False)
True
2) The French philosopher Michel Foucault called politics "war by other means". (True or False)
True
5. Court's interpretation of the Constitution has specified instances in which congressional limitation of speech is lawful. (True/False)
True
7. The clear-and-present-danger test was developed by the Supreme Court in response to the Sedition Act of 1798. (True/False)
True
8. The Supreme Court has tended to be more protective of and sensitive to civil liberties than have elected officials or popular majorities. (True/False.)
True
9. The Supreme Court ruling in the Roe v. Wade abortion case derived from an earlier ruling upholding the right of privacy. (True/False)
True
the clear and preset danger test was developed by supreme ct in response to the Sedition Act of 1798
True
Unlike in many other democracies, elections in the United States are traditionally held on
Tuesdays
One of the reasons why voter turnout is lower in the United States than in Western European countries is that
U.S. registration laws place a greater burden on the individual.
On average, how much money must a U.S. senator raise every week of his or her six-year term in order to acquire enough money to launch a competitive bid for reelection?
$20,000
Which of the following is roughly the amount that was spent on lobbying in the United States in 2009?
$3.5 billion
_____prohibits the purchase of televised advertising time by candidates.
Great Britain
Which of the following is NOT an example of an ideological party?
Greenback Party
In the case of McNabb v. United States, Justice Felix Frankfurter defined the "history of liberty" primarily in terms of whether
governments had observed procedural guarantees.
The USA Patriot Act
grants the government new powers of surveillance, relaxed restrictions on the sharing of intelligence surveillance information with criminal investigators, gives intelligence agencies the authority to share crime-related information with law enforcement agencies, was enacted in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
In the 1960s, presidential candidates
had longer sound bites, on average, in broadcast television newscasts.
The Supreme Court
has generally protected symbolic speech, though less substantially than it has protected verbal speech.
Most successful Internet blogs
have a liberal bias.
On both radio and television, most successful partisan talk shows
have been hosted by conservatives
Libertarians are opposed to governmental intervention
in both the economic and social spheres.
According to the Constitution, the federal courts can issue a decision only
in response to actual legal cases.
During his visit to this country in the 1830s, Alexis de Tocqueville described the United States as "a nation of ________."
joiners
Which legal doctrine holds that in nearly every instance, policy issues should be decided by elected lawmakers and not by appointed judges?
judicial restraint
Marbury v. Madison (1803) became the foundation for
judicial review by the federal courts.
the chief obstacle to Americans participation in community activities is the
lack of personal motivation to get involved
The chief obstacle to Americans' participation in community activities is the
lack of personal motivation to get involved.
all are state powers only except for
law enforcement
The Supreme Court concept of suspect classifications suggests that
laws that classify people differently on the basis of their race or ethnicity are presumed to have discrimination as their purpose.
Culminating in a historic victory in 1954, black activists in the early twentieth century generally pursued civil rights through
leagal action
Civic duty and apathy are attitudes that are usually acquired from
one's parents
Roughly how much of campaign spending is devoted to producing and airing televised political advertisements?
one-half
which of the following statements about americans and ideology and political thinking is true?
only a minority of americans can be classified as true idelogues
The history of democratic government is virtually synonymous with the history of
political parties
7) What was the Supreme Court case that created the idea of judicial review? a. Lawrence v. Texas b. Chisholm v. Georgia c. Gideon v. Wainwright d. Roe v. Wade e. No correct answer
e. No correct answer
B
Dual federalism held that a. the states were equal to the national government in all respects. b. a precise separation of national and state authority was both possible and desirable. c. national and state authority were indivisible. d. the Senate and the House were equal in their federal authority. e. None of these answers is correct.
________ was the only Republican elected president from 1932-1964.
Dwight Eisenhower
Which of the following statements is true of age discrimination in the United States?
Mandatory retirement ages for most jobs have been eliminated by law.
Which of the following statements about Americans and ideology and political thinking is true?
Only a minority of Americans can be classified as true ideologues.
How many lawyers does the United States have in comparison to Britain, Germany, and Italy?
The U.S. has twice as many lawyers on a per capita basis
6) Those who supported a strong national government were called the __________ . a. Republicans b. Democrats c. Anti-Federalist d. Tories e. No correct answer
e. No correct answer
6) The U.S. Constitution states that there should be _ number of Supreme Court Justices? a. 3 b. 5 c. 7 d. 9 e. None of the above
e. None of the above
In American society, political conflict occurs primarily over scarcity of resources and access to a guaranteed minimum standard of living.
false
The freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and petition are found in
first amendment
In the Johnson flag-burning case, the Supreme Court ruled that
flag burning, although offensive, cannot be prohibited.
James Madison argued
for regulation of interests through a governing system of checks and balances.
ames Madison argued
for regulation of interests through a governing system of checks and balances.
The concept of constitutionalism allows for some restrictions to be put on the exercise of majority rule.
true
There is no provision in the U.S. Constitution for any form of direct popular participation in public policymaking, such as a national referendum.
true
Thomas Jefferson's "Revolution of 1800" was based on rejection of the elite-centered politics of President John Adams.
true
federalism is the name given to a system of allocating power between the nation and the states
true
gov't intervention is removed in a laissez- faire capitalist economic system
true
the adoption of voter identification cards by several states will likely cause a decline in voter turnout
true
which of the following would NOT be considered a secondary socializing agent?
church
The Supreme Court halted the general use of quotas in the granting of federal contracts in the 1995 case of
Adarand v. Pena.
which case overturned the supreme ct ruling in Bower v. Hardwick
None of the above cases are correct
The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
None of these answers are correct.
3. The Executive Office of the President (EOP) was created in ________. a. 1789 b. 1804 c. 1865 d. 1888 e. 1939
e. 1939
Which of the following is NOT true of government under the Articles of Confederation?
Congress was overshadowed by the president.
in ____, the supreme ct justices required the states to furnish attorneys for poor defendants in all felony cases
Gideon v. Wainwright 1963
When can police legally begin their interrogation of a suspect?
after the suspect has been warned that his or her words can be used as evidence
17. The highest rate of inflation (13 percent) since World War II occurred in ________. a. 1955 b. 1963 c. 1979 d. 1991 e. 2002
c. 1979
Members of the ________ generate more mail to Congress than any other group.
AARP
14. States are required to use grand juries per the Fifth Amendment (True/False)
False
The issue of slavery gave birth to the ________ party as a major political party.
Republican
The poll tax was used to
disenfranchise African Americans in the South
Today, the majority of African Americans in the nation
live in neighborhoods where whites are in the minority.
The Great Compromise dealt with the issue of
the extent of the powers of the Supreme Court.
The right to counsel is guaranteed by the ________ Amendment.
6th
the _____ amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment
8th
_______ opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
Patrick Henry
Which decision is indicative of how the Supreme Court interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment and state discretion in civil rights matters in the decades after the Civil War?
Plessy v. Ferguson
The direct election of U.S. senators came about due to
Political pressure from the Progressives.
A totalitarian government
admits to no limits on its power
Which of the following chronologies is correct?
Boston Tea Party (1773) First Continental Congress (1774) Beginning of the American Revolution (1775)
In 1912, a candidate for which minor party managed to earn more votes than one of his major party opponents?
Bull Moose
The central issue in the Bakke case was
affirmative action.
McCulloch v. Maryland
affirmed that national law is supreme to conflicting state law.
The news provides a refracted version of reality because it
emphasizes dramatic and compelling news stories.
The Lemon test is designed to
ensure the secular nature of a government action.
the lemon test is designed to
ensure the secular nature of the government action
The federal government's power to tax, regulate commerce among the states, and declare war are all examples of ________ powers.
enumerated
The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas ruling (1954) held that racial segregation in schools violated the
equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
What was politically significant about Geraldine Ferraro in 1984?
She became the first woman to run on the national ticket of a major political party.
The principle of checks and balances is based on the notion that
power must be used to offset power.
The Watergate scandal illustrates the
power of the media to serve as watchdog to safeguard against abuses of power.
The two primary sources of political conflict are
scarce resources and competing values
The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act
authorizes states to deny marital rights to a same-sex couple that has been granted these rights by another state.
Economic groups have an advantage over non-economic groups because
they have greater access to financial resources.
Americans practice democracy by using the representative model rather than by direct rule.
true
Gratz v. Bollinger ended admissions based on race at the University of Michigan in undergrad programs
true
Over time, the American national political system has become more responsive to popular majorities.
true
The U.S. Constitution was an attempt to strike a balance between representative government and limited government.
true
There are more than ________ political action committees (PACs) in the United States.
4,000
Abraham Lincoln was first elected in 1860 with ________ percent of the popular vote.
40
what is the percentage of hispanic families with women leading the household that are living in poverty
40.5%
There are currently ________ voting members of the U.S. House of Representatives and ________ voting members of the U.S. Senate.
435; 100
Asian Americans account for about ________ percent of professionals and technicians in the United States.
5
which country has the highest percentage of national legislative seats held by women
Germany
Which newspaper was the first to reduce the price of a daily copy to a penny?
New York Sun
________ persuaded the states to choose their presidential electors on the basis of the popular vote
Andrew Jackson
17. Americans embrace freedom of expression as a concrete virtue (True/False)
False
_______ is an illustration of cooperative federalism.
Medicaid
Medicare
c. is paid for through a payroll tax.
Women gained the right to vote
early in the 20th century
Most European parties on the political left tend to appeal mainly to
working class voters
Sociologist C. Wright Mills was a proponent of the theory of
Elitism.
All of the following use top-two primaries EXCEPT
Oregon.
congress made native americans official citizens of the U.S. in
1924
________ wrote The Federalist Papers.
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay
Prospective voting is characterized by
choices based on what candidates promise to do if elected.
Which of the following would NOT be considered a secondary socializing agent?
church
Under federal law, PACs can contribute no more than ________ per candidate in a primary election.
$5,000
________ lost the 1964 presidential election in a landslide because his views were seen as too extreme.
Barry Goldwater
If a state accepts a federal grant-in-aid, it must
Comply with federal restrictions on its use.
_______ is associated with the Era of Good Feeling.
James Monroe
The right to privacy was instrumental in which decision?
Roe v. Wade
Which of the following groups in the U.S. shows a higher level of support for collective bargaining?
factory workers
National party organizations can dictate the day-to-day decisions of
neither local nor state party organizations.
According to the Anti-Federalists, too strong of a national government meant
eventual encroachment upon the sovereignty of the states.
Women in America obtained the right to vote in national elections in ________.
1920
Today, women currently hold about ________ of the seats in Congress.
1 in 6
11. Which of the following is true of federal employees and labor unions? a. Federal employees are prohibited from forming labor unions. b. Federal employees can form labor unions, but their unions by law have limited authority. c. There are no restrictions on the creation and powers of labor unions by federal employees. d. Among federal employees, only members of federal corporations can legally form labor unions. e. Federal employees can form labor unions but are not allowed to participate in collective bargaining.
11. Which of the following is true of federal employees and labor unions? a. Federal employees are prohibited from forming labor unions. b. Federal employees can form labor unions, but their unions by law have limited authority. c. There are no restrictions on the creation and powers of labor unions by federal employees. d. Among federal employees, only members of federal corporations can legally form labor unions. e. Federal employees can form labor unions but are not allowed to participate in collective bargaining.
Which of the following amendments contains a due process clause?
14th
About __ percent of voters are true independents in that party loyalty plays little or no part in their voting decisions.
15%
The election of _____ was a realigning election.
1932
The election of ________ represented a party realignment.
1932
The only presidential election in which the Gallup poll erred badly was
1948 Truman-Dewey.
the only presidential election in whihc the gallup poll erred badly was
1948- Truman vs. Dewey
A peak moment in the modern civil rights movement occurred with the March on Washington in ________.
1963
Ticket splitting was most prominent during which decade?
1970s
A
53. Which choice below describes the American change in governmental structure in 1787? a. confederal to federal b. confederal to unitary c. federal to unitary d. unitary to confederal e. federal to confederal
Since the 1960s, the level of turnout in presidential elections has averaged ________ percent.
55
Which constitutional amendment protects the individual against self-incrimination?
5th
9. (p. 32) Which of the following chronologies is correct? A. Boston Tea Party (1773); First Continental Congress (1774); and beginning of the American Revolution (1775) B. Shays' Rebellion (1773); Annapolis Convention (1774); and Declaration of Independence (1776) C. Stamp Act (1775); Declaration of Independence (1776); and Philadelphia Convention (1788) D. Common Sense (1769); Declaration of Independence (1776); and The Federalist Papers (1783) E. Declaration of Independence (1776); Articles of Confederation (1787); Constitution (1791); and Federalist No. 10 (1795)
A
The Federalists gained enough votes to get the Constitution ratified when they promised this:
A bill of rights to be quickly added to the Constitution.
C
A blending of state and national authority is associated with ________ federalism, while a separation of national and state authority is associated with ________ federalism. a. dual; fiscal b. dual; cooperative c. cooperative; dual d. picket-fence; cooperative e. cooperative; pyramid
A.
A government's authority A. is evidenced when a government officials use their right to exercise power. B. Is by definition not coercive. C. Does not include the power to arrest and imprison. D.ensures that lawlessness prevails most of the time. E. is based on pluralism.
The United States' economy operates primarily as a
A mixed economy, with free market capitalism and government regulation.
Explain the term partisan press. Why was it superseded by the objective press?
A partisan press is one that concentrates on advancing a particular ideological or partisan viewpoint. The American media, with few exceptions, no longer follows this pattern, although some European newspapers still do so. At one time, the American press was quite partisan. This situation changed with technological innovations such as the telegraph and rotary printing press, which changed the economics of American newspapers. Partly as a reaction against the excesses of yellow journalism, newspapers turned to the objective model of reporting, which concentrates on objective reporting of facts and reports on differing sides of controversial issues. They accomplished this in part by a direct company policy focus on objective reporting and a new focus on the professional ethics of objective journalism by journalism schools
Identify the factors that account for the relative uniformity in news reporting among major American news institutions.
A reason for the relative uniformity of news reporting is objective journalism, in which the emphasis on facts and salient events provides journalists with a basis for agreement. Put differently, because almost all journalists view the world and their job in roughly the same way, they tend to report the same things. Another reason for the lack of diversity in reporting is that a small number of news organizations generate most of the news. For example, the Associated Press (AP) wire service is the major source of national and international news for most newspapers. National networks tend to report the same stories and to agree on what are the most important aspects of those stories, and network correspondents cover the same beats and rely on many of the same sources, which leads them to report more or less the same things.
In a survey of college students, the Intercollegiate Studies Association found that the best predictor of a student's later participation in the nation's civic and political life is
A solid understanding of public affairs.
8. (p. 439) Most federal employees are hired on the basis of A. merit criteria. B. patronage. C. previous job experience in the private sector. D. the personal preferences of immediate supervisors. E. a lottery system.
A. merit criteria.
7. (p. 401) Candidate strategy in the early presidential nominating contests (such as New Hampshire's primary) is designed chiefly to gain A. momentum. B. the support of the party's organizational leaders. C. the support of the party's congressional leaders. D. the endorsement of the mass media. E. the support of partisan rivals.
A. momentum.
What is affirmative action? What is the Supreme Court's general position on affirmative action?
Affirmative action is a deliberate effort to counteract de facto discrimination and provide full and equal opportunity in areas such as education and employment for traditionally disadvantaged groups. This policy attempts to require providers of opportunities to show that their policies are not discriminatory. The Supreme Court has limited the application of affirmative action. In general, the Supreme Court has allowed practices seeking to redress instances of discrimination unless those practices infringe on the rights of individuals or unless they involve the strict use of quotas.
McCulloch v. Maryland
Affirmed that national law is supreme to conflicting state law.
Which of the following groups is most closely aligned with the Democratic Party, voting about 85 percent Democratic in presidential elections?
African Americans
Partisan talk radio got its start
After the abolition of the Fairness Doctrine.
Which of the following is true of age differences in news consumption?
Age differences in news consumption shrink for Internet-based news but do not disappear.
____initially propsed that congress charter a national bank
Alexander Hamilton
To what was political scientist Robert Lane referring when using the term "market justice"?
Americans prefer that society's material benefits be allocated through the economic marketplace rather than through government policies.
Describe three systemic reasons why Americans vote at a lower rate than Western Europeans.
Americans vote at a lower rate than Europeans for several reasons. Although both American and European governments require their citizens to register to vote, European governments are responsible for locating and placing individuals on registration rolls. In the United States it is up to the individual to register. This personal responsibility discourages registration and hence lowers American voter turnout. The frequency of American elections reduces voter turnout by increasing the effort required to participate in all of them, and American elections are held during a workday instead of a holiday or weekend, making it even more difficult to get to the polls. Another reason for low voter turnout is the restrictive voter registration requirements that some states have in place. America also lacks the strong socialist or labor parties, politically-oriented trade unions, and class-based political ideologies that encourage the lower-income classes to vote in Europe.
All of the following statements about Asian American rights are true EXCEPT that
Asian Americans have the second highest median family income of any group.
Compare iron triangles and issue networks.
An iron triangle is a small and informal but relatively stable set of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists who are concerned with the development of policies beneficial to a particular interest. All sides of an iron triangle benefit from the relationship, which is why such relationships tend to be iron-clad or likely to endure. An issue network is an informal relationship among officials and lobbyists who are linked by common expertise and concern with a given policy area, such as energy, communication, the environment, or trade, and who come together temporarily around an issue problem. Issue networks are different from iron triangles because the former are temporary and ad hoc (a response to a particular issue) and are based on shared expertise, while the latter are more enduring and are based on common interest. Although they are less stable, issue networks have become a more prevalent manner in which to wield political influence.
15. (p. 53) Marbury v. Madison is a landmark Supreme Court decision because it A. established national supremacy. B. set the precedent for judicial review. C. defined the scope of state powers under the Tenth Amendment. D. affirmed the necessary and proper clause. E. helped to end Thomas Jefferson's political career.
B
29. (p. 390) A president's accomplishments have largely depended on A. the margin of victory in the presidential campaign. B. whether circumstances favor strong presidential leadership. C. the president's ability to come up with good ideas. D. the president's skill at balancing the demands of competing groups. E. mid-term elections.
B. whether circumstances favor strong presidential leadership.
19. (p. 460) About three in every five managerial and professional positions in the federal bureaucracy are held by A. women. B. white males. C. African Americans. D. Latino Americans. E. Asian Americans.
B. white males.
28.The cabinet department with the largest number of full-time civilian employees is the Department of a.State. b.Defense. c.Labor. d.Health and Human Services. e.Education.
B:
In the 2008 presidential election, ________ used the Internet most successfully to attract followers and raise donations.
Barack Obama
Which of the following is true of discrimination against the disabled in the United States?
Before 1975, four million children with disabilities were getting either no education or an inappropriate one.
Which country has the highest estimated voter turnout in major national elections in recent decades?
Belgium
14. (p. 346) In the nation's first century, A. service in Congress was even more of a lifetime career than it is now. B. members of Congress would move from House to Senate and back with little concern for the relative power and prestige of the chambers. C. service in Congress was not seen as a lifetime career for most of its members. D. service in Congress was restricted by the imposition of term limits in many states. E. service in Congress was greatly preferred to service in state government.
C. service in Congress was not seen as a lifetime career for most of its members.
20. (p. 449) Bureaucrats are ________ and elected officials are ________. A. generalists; specialists B. generalists; generalists C. specialists; generalists D. specialists; specialists E. popular; unpopular
C. specialists; generalists
48. (p. 405) If the U.S. House of Representatives chooses to impeach a president, who conducts the trial? A. the U.S. Supreme Court B. the U.S. House of Representatives C. the U.S. Senate D. the Federal Bureau of Investigation E. the Department of Justice
C. the U.S. Senate
All the following countries have a unitary or modified unitary form of government EXCEPT
Canda
The Democratic Party's long-time regional stronghold, "the Solid South," stemmed from a realignment during which historical period?
Civil War era
The first plan of government for the United States was a
Confederation.
Which of the following is true of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act of 1995?
Congress exempted federal mandates dealing with civil liberties and civil rights from elimination.
Which of the following could be considered a belief of sociologist C. Wright Mills?
Corporate elites have more control over economic policy than do the elected politicians
1. (p. 30) The idea that government should be restricted in its lawful uses of power and hence in its ability to deprive people of their liberty is expressed by the term A. federalism. B. self-government. C. judicial review. D. limited government. E. natural rights.
D
10. (p. 47) The principle of checks and balances is based on the notion that A. leaders are the trustees of the people. B. a weak government is always preferable to a strong government. C. all legislative and executive action should be controlled through judicial power. D. power must be used to offset power. E. legislators and executives cannot be trusted, but judges are trustworthy.
D
11. (p. 48) The framers' most significant modification of the traditional doctrine of the separation of powers was to A. include federalism. B. include a two-chamber legislature. C. define legislative power precisely, while defining executive and judicial power only in general terms. D. ensure that the powers of the separate branches overlap, so that each could better act as a check on the others. E. grant the power of judicial review to the judiciary.
D
8. (p. 403) The selection of the vice presidential nominee at the national convention is based on the A. results of the primaries and caucuses; the candidate who places second in these contests is nominated as the running mate of the candidate who finishes first. B. convention delegates' judgment as to the candidate who would make the best vice president. C. results of public opinion polls taken just before the convention begins. D. presidential nominee's choice of a running mate. E. None of these answers is correct.
D. presidential nominee's choice of a running mate.
11. (p. 452) What were the "reinventing teams"? A. teams appointed by Congress to propose budget cuts to the federal bureaucracy B. groups of executive officials that were under the influence of "agency capture" C. Congressional committees designed to find ways to reduce the size of the national bureaucracy D. teams that were formed under the National Performance Review to analyze and make recommendations about bureaucratic effectiveness E. teams appointed by Congress to decide which branches of the federal bureaucracy could be eliminated
D. teams that were formed under the National Performance Review to analyze and make recommendations about bureaucratic effectiveness
43. (p. 434) Which of the following agencies or departments is likely to have strong allies from a group of particular states in Congress? A. the Department of Defense B. the Central Intelligence Agency C. the Environmental Protection Agency D. the Department of Agriculture E. the Federal Trade Commission
D. the Department of Agriculture
A
Devolution is the a. passing of authority from the national government to the state and local levels. b. expansion of national authority that began in the 1930s. c. contraction of state authority and the expansion of local government authority. d. expansion of national authority that began in the 1960s. e. None of these answers is correct.
The Miranda warning was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2000 in
Dickerson v. United States.
Literacy tests were used to
Disenfranchise African Americans in the South.
30. (p. 382) The oversight responsibility of Congress is A. relatively easy to carry out. B. becoming less and less important to the nation. C. more interesting to most legislators than policy making responsibilities. D. the most time consuming task for most legislators. E. None of these answers is correct.
E. None of these answers is correct.
What did political scientist Larry Bartels demonstrate in his book Unequal Democracy?
Elected officials are substantially more responsive to the concerns of their more affluent constituents than to those of their poorer constituents.
Voluntary school prayer in the public schools was ruled unconstitutional in
Engel v. Vitale (1962).
Which important aspect of European thought had a big impact on the formation of the political culture of America?
Enlightenment
The framers' most significant modification of the traditional doctrine of the separation of powers was to
Ensure that the powers of the separate branches overlap, so that each could better act as a check on the others.
What is equality of result? What relation does it have to de facto and de jure discrimination?
Equality of result is the aim of policies intended to reduce or eliminate discriminatory effects so that members of traditionally disadvantaged groups may obtain the same benefits of society as members of traditionally advantaged groups. De facto discrimination is discrimination that is a consequence of social, economic, and cultural biases and conditions. De jure discrimination is discrimination based on law. Equality of result is intended to combat the effects of de facto discrimination. Busing and affirmative action are examples of policies designed to achieve equality of result. Many Americans, however, believe that the government should only address de jure discrimination.
A ruling by the Food and Drug Administration that a drug is dangerous to use and therefore cannot be marketed is an example of regulation for the purpose of
Equity
Justice Stone argued in 1938 that
First Amendment rights are the basis of most other rights.
In a test of "civic literacy" conducted in 2007, the average college senior scored a grade of ________.
F
11) Hispanic Americans are becoming an increasingly smaller and less politically influential population group in the U.S. (True/False)
False
13. The warning "you have the right to remain silent" derives from the case Miranda v. Missouri (1966) (True/False)
False
15. The authority of the state government is specified by the Constitution's enumerated and implied powers. Authority not granted in this way is left to the national government as reserved powers. (True/False)
False
16. Eighteen, nineteen, and twenty year-old Americans were granted the right to vote in 1973 True/False
False
17. Block grants do not allow state and local officials to exercise discretion in the national government over the use of federal funds within broad categories such as education or health. (True/False)
False
19) De facto discrimination is discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, ethnicity and the like that result from a law. True/False.
False
6. Prior restraint refers to the Fourth Amendment's prohibition on unreasonable search and seizure by law enforcement officials. (True/False)
False
7) Roughly one in six American workers currently belong to unions. True or False
False
7) The youngest a person can be to serve in the House of Representative is 21 (True or False)
False
8) The reasonable-basis test applies to all laws except those that prescribe differential treatment on the basis of suspect classifications. (True/False)
False
9) All forms of discrimination on the basis of gender are unconstitutional. (True/False)
False
Americans prefer wealth to be allocated by government direction and control rather than through the marketplace
False
Hispanic Americans are becoming an increasing smaller and less poltically influential population group in the U.S.
False
Prior restraint refers to the 4th amendment prohibition on unreasonable search and seizure by law enforcement officials
False
Explain what is meant by fiscal federalism and describe how it has strengthened the authority of the federal government.
Fiscal federalism refers to the expenditure of federal funds on programs run in part through state and local governments. Fiscal federalism has strengthened federal authority by enabling Washington to use federal funds to influence state and local priorities and place restrictions on how state and local governments conduct programs funded with this money. The federal government provides some or all of the money through grants-in-aid (cash payments) to states and localities, which then administer the programs. Categorical grants, a form of grants-in-aid, allow the federal government a lot of influence because they can only be used for specific activities determined by the federal government. With block grants, the federal government specifies the general area in which the funds must be used, but state and local officials select the specific projects.
Roughly one in every ________ dollars spent by local and state governments in recent decades was raised not by them but by the government in Washington.
Five
Which of the following states is a competitive, meaning that it could potentially vote either Democratic or Republican?
Florida
Which of the following is a check on legislative power in the U.S. system?
For legislation to be passed, a majority in each chamber of Congress is required.
From 1945 until the late 1960s, there was the highest degree of bipartisanship in the area of
Foreign affairs.
Which of the following statements is true?
George W. Bush attempted to privatize aspects of social security, only to back down in the face of determined resistance.
The Gazette of the United States was founded to promote the policies of President
George Washington
________ presided over the Philadelphia convention of 1787.
George Washington
________ warned Americans of the "baneful effects" of factions (political parties) in his 1797 farewell address.
George Washington
How do European parties differ from American parties?
In Europe, where there are no primary elections, parties are stronger and have much tighter control over nominations, campaigns, candidate funding, and elections. American parties, due to federalism and a tradition of individualism, remain loose associations of local, state, and national organizations. European parties tend to divide along class lines, while America's two-party system requires each party to accommodate a wide range of interests in order to gain the voting plurality necessary to win elections. The European proportional representation system also results in the viability of smaller parties than can get representation in legislatures even with a small proportion of the vote.
Which of the following is true of the Internet organization MoveOn.org?
It was instrumental in helping Barack Obama defeat Hillary Clinton in their race for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination
B
In America today, public education is primarily the responsibility of a. the national government. b. state and local governments. c. the National Education Association (NEA). d. the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). e. the U.S. Department of Education.
Discuss the racial problems addressed by the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas decision and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. What provisions of the Constitution provided the basis for each of these policy decisions?
In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954), the Supreme Court justices overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling. Chief Justice Warren stated that segregated schools were inherently unequal, and thus violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Chief Justice Warren stated that the maintenance of separate school systems generates feelings of social inferiority on the part of minority students. Because the Fourteenth Amendment applies only to acts of government, private firms are not affected by it. In the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Congress used its commerce power to entitle all persons equal access to establishments serving the general public, and to forbid discrimination in hiring, promotion, and payment of employees in medium and large firms. Congress's commerce power was utilized to restrict discrimination in public places and employment.
Populist ________ won electoral votes in six states in the presidential election of 1892.
James B. Weaver
A
In Mapp v. Ohio, the selective incorporation process was extended to include a. criminal proceedings in the states. b. civil cases. c. pleas of insanity. d. children (minors) accused of crime. e. indigent litigants.
58. Compare outside lobbying and inside lobbying.
Inside lobbying is based on close contacts with legislative, executive, and judicial officials and relies upon the use of information and personal persuasion as means of gaining support for the goals of the interest group. Outside lobbying aims to bring public pressure to bear on officials and rests upon grassroots activity (e.g., a letter-writing campaign) and electoral support in the form of group endorsements, votes, and financial contributions.
Discuss interest-group liberalism and indicate how Madison's constitutional solution for controlling groups has itself become part of the problem in American politics.
Interest-group liberalism holds that there is no concept of society's collective interest in a policy system that enables special interests to determine for themselves which policy benefits they receive. Regardless of how many interests are served by the system, the public interest is not served, because each policy decision is the result not of majority rule but of minority or special-interest rule. Madison's constitutional solution to the problem of special interests was to offset the power of a faction by pitting it against other factions; in practice, this solution required the fragmentation of political power—checks and balances. Today, Madison's arrangement results in the delegation of authority in particular policy areas to small sets of officials, a condition that provides a perfect context for group influence.
In key decisions early in the New Deal era, the Supreme Court
Invalidated key pieces of FDR's New Deal legislation.
A government's authority
Is evidenced when government officials use their right to exercise power.
Which of the following individuals would agree that each state should be allowed to determine for itself the extent to which national authority restricts its actions?
John C. Calhoun
The doctrine of nullification is most closely associated with
John C. Calhoun.
Which of the following presidents failed to win an electoral majority, but still won the presidency by decision of the House of Representatives?
John Quincy Adams
E.
John Stuart Mill believed that any form of government should be judged on its ability to. A. offer the individual a "plethora of policy options" in the democratic process. B. transfer power peacefully from one set of governing officials to the next. C. provide social services for its citizenry. D. maintain peace and order in the territory over which it has control. E. promote the individual as " a progressive being."
A
Justice Holmes's "clear and present danger" test holds that government can a. restrict speech that threatens national security. b. restrict any speech of an inflammatory nature. c. imprison political dissidents during time of war without following normal procedures. d. engage in prior restraint of the press whenever national security is at issue. e. restrict speech that is disrespectful to specific classes of citizens.
Enormous concentrations of wealth and power exist in the U.S. private sector, primarily in the hands of
Large corporations.
B
Like all other rights, the right of free expression is a. spelled out in precise terms in the Bill of Rights. b. not absolute. c. fully respected by public officials. d. protected from action by federal officials but not state officials. e. None of these answers is correct.
The words of the Declaration of Independence reflected
Locke's philosophy of inalienable rights
Which of the following is an accurate representation of the public's opinion about leaders and their accountability?
Most citizens have a low opinion of Congress as a whole, but say they have confidence in their local representative in Congress.
Which of the following organizations is NOT an example of a single-issue group?
MoveOn.org
Which of the following is a national power only?
National defense
Which of the following statements has been shown by scholarly research to be true?
Network journalists tend to be negative.
Over the many decades of public debate and conflict over the American health care system, what has been the one constant?
Never has a majority expressed a willingness to entrust health insurance fully to government
Of the following states, which tends to have larger numbers of Caribbean Hispanics?
New Jersey
Which of the following is true of the relationship between public opinion and shifts in major government policies?
On high-profile issues particularly, public opinion tends to affect policy to a greater degree than policymakers' agendas affect public opinion.
Give three reasons why some Americans vote regularly while others do not.
One reason some Americans vote more regularly than others is that they have a more developed sense of civic duty than others. Civic duty is a belief that citizens have certain responsibilities, one of which is voting. Citizens who tend not to vote have a weak sense of civic duty. Another factor is age. Because younger people are less likely to have the political interest that can come with home ownership, permanent employment, and a family, they are less likely to vote than older people. Finally, voting is closely related to socioeconomic status. The higher a person's socioeconomic status, the more likely he or she will vote. This relationship is particularly strong in the United States because there is no socialist or labor party to appeal to people of low socioeconomic status
C
Pluralism contends that, on most issues, a. corporate elites have more control over economic policy than do "the politicians in the visible government." b. the will of the majority of the voting public determines government policy. c. it is the preference of the special interest that largely determines what government does. d. true authority lies with the elected politicians, and not with the public that put them in office. e. the diverse nature of the citizenry enhances the democratic process in policymaking.
All of the following embraced the "national view" of federalism EXCEPT
Roger B. Taney.
Define what is meant by a political ideology. Why is ideology important to consider when discussing the political thinking of the American people?
Political ideology is a consistent pattern of opinion on particular issues that stems from a basic underlying belief or beliefs. Most Americans do not meet the test of consistency in their political preference on particular issues, so it has been concluded that no more than a fourth of Americans can be considered to have a true ideology. However, most Americans can be said to have ideological leanings, such as social or economic liberal or conservative, libertarian, or populist. Ideology can be a useful way of looking at how Americans think about government and in describing changes in public attitudes.
What are the two distinguishing characteristics of political socialization?
Political socialization is cumulative, and is most heavily developed during childhood.
_____ is the ability of persons, groups, or instituitions to influence political developments
Power
B
President John Adams publicly indicated that a. the federal government would not use force against common people that were simply seeking their inalienable rights. b. the Constitution was designed for a governing elite. c. dissent against the federal government would be welcomed as part of the birthing pangs of a republic. d. he disagreed with the concept of a republic and preferred more direct democratic rule. e. he felt he was the president of the "common folk."
What is especially unique about the "Era of Good Feeling?"
President Monroe ran unopposed in 1820.
The first woman ever to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court was appointed by
President Regan
________ advocated a "new federalism."
President Richard Nixon
________ advocated a "new federalism."
President Ronald Reagan
Explain the concept of prior restraint of the press. Include one example of how the Supreme Court has ruled on this issue
Prior restraint is government prohibition of speech or publication before the fact. The Supreme Court has ruled it unconstitutional, except in extreme circumstances of national security or public safety, as an illegal restraint on free expression. The burden of proof in such instances is on the government: it must clearly show that a grave danger would result from the publication. The doctrine of prior restraint was detailed in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971).
Explain the concept of procedural due process and list several of the procedural rights protected by the Constitution. Do these rights apply to all levels of government? Explain.
Procedural due process refers to procedures or methods that government must follow before a person can legally be deprived of life, liberty, or property. The U.S. Constitution offers procedural safeguards designed to protect a person from wrongful arrest, conviction, and punishment. These procedures include prohibitions on unreasonable search and seizure, self-incrimination, double jeopardy, and excessive bail or fine, and include guarantees of legal counsel, jury trial, speedy trial, and the confrontation of witnesses. These rights apply to the federal government through the Bill of Rights and have been extended to cover state action by selective incorporation through the Fourteenth Amendment.
According to the Supreme Court, which is true regarding freedom of assembly?
Public officials can regulate the time, place, and conditions of public assembly, provided the regulations are reasonable
Discuss the general relationship between public opinion and the policy actions of government.
Public opinion has a powerful though inexact influence on government. Although public opinion rarely determines exactly what government will do, public opinion serves to constrain the policy choices of officials. Some policy actions are beyond the range of possibility because the public will not accept change in existing policy or will not support policy that clearly conflicts with basic values. Many policy issues are sufficiently complex to limit public understanding of their intricacies, and thus elected officials may not be able to rely on wider public opinion. In addition, officials must anticipate the public response to policy, since people may react negatively to policies that fail or are followed by unfavorable developments. Evidence indicates officials are reasonably attentive to public opinion, particularly on highly visible issues of public policy.
Edmund Burke's idea of representatives as trustees was based on the claim that
Representatives should follow their own judgment of the public interest.
What party has made big gains in recent decades among white fundamentalist Christians, based on its positions on topics like abortion and school prayer?
Republican
Which of the following states was steadfastly opposed to the new Union and refused to ratify the Constitution until eleven other states had done so and had begun to form the new government?
Rhode Island
In 1992, ________ won 19 percent of the popular vote in the presidential election.
Ross Perot
C
Roughly two-thirds of all lobbyists in the nation's capital represent a. activist organizations. b. labor unions. c. business firms. d. foreign-based political action groups. e. nonprofit organizations
Through its Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court
Ruled that Congress could not outlaw slavery anywhere in the United States.
Defining the conditions and scheduling a bill for floor debate in the House of Representatives is the responsibility of the
Rules Committee.
Which of the following is the only country that comes close to the United States in terms of the percentage of its citizens who are behind bars?
Russia
After Andrew Jackson's time, which three candidates won the presidency after losing the popular vote?
Rutherford B. Hayes (1876), Benjamin Harrison (1888), and George W. Bush (2000)
In 2007 the Supreme Court reversed its stance on partial-birth abortion, largely due to the replacement of Sandra Day O'Connor with
Samuel Alito.
The Fed chair
Serves a 4 year term
Marbury v. Madison is a landmark Supreme Court decision because it
Set the precedent for judicial review.
The term of office for a U.S. senator is ________ years, while that of a member of the U.S. House is ________ years.
Six; two
Economist Mancur Olson refers to what aspect of interest groups as "the size factor"?
Small groups are ordinarily more united on policy issues and often have more resources, enabling them to win out more often than large groups.
What was the public response to the economic stimulus bill that Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress enacted in early 2009?
Some 70 percent of the public believed the bill was essential, though there was worry, as a secondary concern, about the scale of the spending.
Historically speaking, states with the most restrictive voting registration laws are concentrated in which region?
South
C
Sovereignty refers to a. a government headed by a king. b. a division of authority between the national government and the states. c. supreme and final governing authority. d. sub-national (state) governments. e. None of these answers is correct.
Yellow journalism contributed to public support for the
Spanish-American War
Starting in the 1990s, the Supreme Court has rolled back some of the power of the national government, basing its decisions primarily on interpretations of these two amendments:
Tenth and Eleventh.
The writers of the Constitution devised the Electoral College as the method of choosing presidents because
That method would shield executive power from direct linkage to popular majorities.
B
The "separate but equal" standard was created by a. Congress. b. the Supreme Court. c. the state supreme court of Virginia. d. President Ulysses S. Grant. e. Justice John Marshall Harlan.
Describe the provisions and impact of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968.
The 1964 Civil Rights Act entitles all persons to equal access to restaurants, bars, theatres, hotels, gasoline stations, and similar establishments serving the general public. It also bars discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the hiring, promotion, and wages of employees of medium-size and large firms. However, this legislation did not immediately result in equality of opportunity of hiring practices. The Act did not require employers to prove that their employment practices were not discriminatory, and many continued to give preferential treatment to white males. The concentration of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 was equality in housing. To prevent discrimination in housing, this act prevented building owners from refusing to sell or rent housing because of a person's race, religion, ethnicity, or sex. An exception is allowed for owners of small multifamily dwellings who reside on the premises.
Which of the following is true about the Sedition Act of 1798?
The Act prohibited malicious newspaper stories about the president.
How informed is American public opinion? Explain.
The American public has a generally low level of knowledge about politics and public affairs. Even citizens with college educations routinely flunk current affairs tests administered by pollsters. Yet the public's lack of information about specific issues is not as significant a factor as some might perceive. Citizens do not necessarily need to be well informed about a particular issue to have a reasonable opinion about it. The fact that the citizen is unaware of the government's economic policy options would not render his or her opinion irrelevant.
E
The Miranda warning was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2000 in a. Palko v. Connecticut. b. Stenberg v. Carhart. c. Reno v. ACLU. d. Ferguson v. Charleston. e. Dickerson v. United States.
How did the Supreme Court's position on the rights of the accused in state courts change in the 1960s?
The Supreme Court began to protect the rights of the accused from action by the states.
D
The Supreme Court has reasoned that a right of privacy is provided by a. the Civil Rights Act of 1964. b. the Ninth Amendment, which says that people's rights are not limited to those enumerated in the Constitution. c. the Tenth Amendment, which reserves to the people and the states those powers not granted to the federal government. d. the implication of said right by the freedoms in the Bill of Rights. e. the Civil Rights Act of 1991.
A
The United States has certain rules in place to keep politics withing peaceful bounds. These rules include all of the following except. A. Autocracy. B.Democracy. C. Constitutionalism. D. Free markets. E. None of these answers is correct.
According to the Declaration of Independence, governments get their "just powers" from
The consent of the governed.
C
The elastic clause is related to which of the following concepts? a. enumerated powers b. reserved powers c. implied powers d. concurrent powers e. All these answers are correct.
The yellow journalism of the late nineteenth century was characterized by
The emphasis on sensationalism as a way of selling newspapers.
D
The enumerated powers in Article I of the Constitution were intended to a. limit the powers of the state governments. b. ensure that neither small nor large states would be at a disadvantage. c. ensure that neither northern nor southern states would be at a disadvantage. d. establish a government strong enough to forge a union that was secure in its defense and stable in its economy. e. limit the power of the presidency.
How have changes in modern communication affected political thinking in the United States?
The extreme bias and popularity of new forms of media such as cable news networks and Internet blogs have led to a rise in faulty perceptions and thus a decrease in political thinking.
Which of the following statements is true?
The federal government raises roughly as much revenue from taxation as all state and local governments combined.
B
The federal government's power to tax, regulate commerce among the states, and declare war are all examples of ________ powers. a. reserved b. enumerated c. implied d. concurrent e. None of these answers is correct.
A
The first plan of government for the United States was a a. confederation. b. federalist system. c. unitary form of government. d. monarchy. e. theocracy.
What point is the author trying to make when he makes note of the fact that the White House Press Office was once run by a single individual?
The level to which political leaders spin their messages has increased dramatically
Explain the four roles of the modern media
The modern media effectively perform four significant roles: those of signaler, common-carrier, watchdog, and partisan advocate. The signaling role requires the press to bring relevant events and problems into public view. In its common-carrier role, the press serves as a channel through which political leaders can address the public. The watchdog role requires the press to scrutinize official behavior and uncover evidence of deception, carelessness, or corruption. Finally, the press functions as a partisan advocate. Although the traditional media perform this function to a degree, the newer media (the talk shows and blogs) specialize in it.
Which of the following statements would NOT be accepted by supporters of the pluralist view of interest groups?
The opinion of the majority should always prevail in a policy dispute over the opinion of a more intense and directly affected minority.
Devolution is
the passing of authority from the national government to the state and local levels.
Which of the following statements provides the most accurate description of democracy as practiced in the United States?
The people govern through elected representatives
Which of the following is one of the two major advantages of journalists in covering the political game and strategic aspects of news instead of the policy frame?
The political game is a constant source of fresh material.
Which of the following is a correct statement about commerce power in the U.S.?
The power to regulate commerce is an enumerated power of Congress. The Constitution does not delineate the dividing line between interstate commerce and intrastate commerce. The Supreme Court has ruled that manufacturing is part of intrastate commerce and thus subject to state regulation only. Congress invoked the commerce power in passing a federal law that prohibited the possession of guns within one thousand feet of a school.
D
The principle of checks and balances is based on the notion that a. leaders are the trustees of the people. b. a weak government is always preferable to a strong government. c. all legislative and executive action should be controlled through judicial power. d. power must be used to offset power. e. legislators and executives cannot be trusted, but judges are trustworthy.
A.
The process by which a society settles its conflicts and allocates the resulting benefits and cots is called. A. Politics. B. Government. C. Elitism. D. Socialism. E. Communism.
A
The right to privacy was instrumental in which decision? a. Roe v. Wade b. Mapp v. Ohio c. Schenck v. United States d. Miranda v. Arizona e. New York Times Co. v. United States
The writers of the Constitution established a federal system of government in part because
The states already existed as established entities and had to be preserved.
C
The term civil liberties refers to specific individual rights that a. apply in civil cases but not in criminal cases. b. apply in civil cases but not in military ones. c. are constitutionally protected from infringement by government. d. are constitutionally protected from infringement by individuals. e. are not covered by the First Amendment.
A
The term of office for a U.S. senator is ________ years, while that of a member of the U.S. House is ________ years. a. six; two b. four; two c. six; four d. four; four e. eight; four
From President Abraham Lincoln's perspective, the decision to wage a civil war against the southern states is best summarized in what fashion?
The union was older than the states.
B
The writers of the Constitution devised the Electoral College as the method of choosing presidents because a. direct election was impractical due to the poor systems of communication and transportation that existed in the late 1700s. b. that method would shield executive power from direct linkage to popular majorities. c. that method guaranteed a majority winner. d. that method would give weight to the preferences of ordinary people. e. the framers had a great deal of faith in the wisdom of the masses.
A
The writers of the Constitution established a federal system of government in part because a. the states already existed as established entities and had to be preserved. b. a federal government alone would never be able to command the identity or loyalty of its citizenry. c. Locke and Montesquieu had concluded it was superior to other systems of government. d. the British political system was based on the federal principle. e. the states would be valuable sources of revenue for a federal government.
____is the primary author of the declaration of independence
Thomas jefferson
A
To the framers, the great danger of democratic government was the risk of a. tyranny of the majority. b. elite rule. c. special-interest politics. d. a weak presidency. e. judicial imperialism.
1) America is a democratic system, a constitutional system and a free market system all at the same time. (True or False)
True
The dominant labor interest group is
United Auto Workers
A
Viewed in historical terms, federalism has been a a. contentious and dynamic system that has adapted to the needs of the time. b. theoretical principle, in that constitutional provisions for federalism have had virtually no impact on the relationship between the nation and the states. c. flawed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and the states has been a constant source of problems without many positive benefits. d. fixed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and states is almost completely defined by provisions of the Constitution. e. poor replacement for the confederal system which existed before the Constitution.
B
Voluntary school prayer in the public schools was ruled unconstitutional in a. Escobedo v. Illinois (1964). b. Engel v. Vitale (1962). c. Buckley v. Valeo (1976). d. Gitlow v. New York (1925). e. Roth v. United States (1957).
French philosopher Michel Foucault referred to politics as "________."
War by other means
The Annapolis convention
Was attended by less than half the thirteen states.
A
Which of the following chronologies is correct? a. Boston Tea Party (1773); First Continental Congress (1774); and beginning of the American Revolution (1775) b. Shays' Rebellion (1773); Annapolis Convention (1774); and Declaration of Independence (1776) c. Stamp Act (1775); Declaration of Independence (1776); and Philadelphia Convention (1788) d. Common Sense (1769); Declaration of Independence (1776); and The Federalist Papers (1783) e. Declaration of Independence (1776); Articles of Confederation (1787); Constitution (1791); and Federalist No. 10 (1795)
A
Which of the following is NOT an enumerated power? a. public education b. regulation of commerce c. declaration of war d. taxation e. establish a national currency
Which of the following events/phenomena do some analysts consider to have cost Al Gore the presidential election in 2000?
a poor televised debate performance
Dual federalism held that
a precise separation of national and state authority was both possible and desirable
In contrast with Medicare, the Medicaid program is
a public assistance program.
An interest group that focuses on policy benefits for senior citizens would be an example of
a single issue group
12. The number and types of lower federal courts is established by a. Congress. b. the president. c. the Constitution. d. the Supreme Court. e. the Justice Department.
a. Congress.
The Supreme Court's ruling in the Swann case on busing differed from the Brown decision in that Swann
a. addressed the problem of de facto discrimination. b. applied to many northern communities in addition to communities in the South. c. sanctioned the use of busing in desegregation. d. dealt specifically with the issue of busing.
18) A totalitarian government a. admits to no limits on its power. b. may control the media and direct the economy, but maintains public support by allowing such social rights as freedom of religion. c. controls through one-party rule, though it may allow some semblance of party opposition. d. controls through multi-party rule, in which it controls the electoral process to ensure its own party always achieves a majority. e. is often overthrown by opposition political parties or popular movements because it lacks legitimacy.
a. admits to no limits on its power.
6. According to the doctrine of judicial restraint, the judiciary should a. defer to precedent and to decisions made by legislature. b. deny most appeals for retrials. c. deny individual rights when they conflict with the majority's desires. d. decline to make any decision that requires judges to give added meaning to the words of the Constitution. e. conform to the will of the people as measured by public opinion polls.
a. defer to precedent and to decisions made by legislature.
9. During the era of objective journalism, the commitment of newspapers to two-sided news reporting a. did not extend to their editorializing. b. was enshrined in the editorial section. c. was uniform throughout the sections of a newspaper. d. deteriorated democracy in the United States. e. All these answers are correct.
a. did not extend to their editorializing.
1. The news provides a refracted version of reality because it a. emphasizes dramatic and compelling news stories. b. is biased in favor of a Republican viewpoint. c. is biased in favor of a Democratic viewpoint. d. is biased in favor of a liberal perspective. e. is biased in favor of a conservative perspective.
a. emphasizes dramatic and compelling news stories.
During the twentieth century, American parties lost their complete control over
a. nominations. b. financing. c. platforms. d. the staffing of government jobs.
14. One special contribution of Internet-based news is that it a. provides the ordinary citizen with an opportunity to be part of the news system. b. provides much faster reporting. c. offers more unbiased reporting. d. prevents rampant editorializing. e. is more accessible by a larger audience than television or radio news reporting.
a. provides the ordinary citizen with an opportunity to be part of the news system.
6. Which of the following is NOT an enumerated power? a. public education b. regulation of commerce c. declaration of war d. taxation e. establish a national currency
a. public education
Sources of polling error can include
a. question order. b. unrepresentative samples. c. respondents' lack of knowledge or interest in the issue. d. poorly worded questions.
3. Whenever Congress has a perceived need for ongoing control of an economic activity, it has tended to create a a. regulatory agency. b. cabinet department. c. presidential commission. d. government corporation. e. blue ribbon panel.
a. regulatory agency.
3. Objective journalism is based on the idea that the reporter's job is to a. report the facts and cover alternative sides of a partisan debate. b. report what political leaders want them to report. c. discover what other reporters are saying and provide a uniform interpretation of events. d. scrutinize the partisan debate, and inform the news audience about which party has the better argument. e. All these answers are correct.
a. report the facts and cover alternative sides of a partisan debate.
6. All of the following tend to decrease voter turnout EXCEPT a. sharp policy differences between major parties. b. alienation. c. frequent elections. d. difficult registration requirements. e. lack of interest in politics.
a. sharp policy differences between major parties.
14) In recent decades, lobbyists in Washington, D.C. have increasingly a. targeted the executive branch in their efforts to influence policy decisions. b. relied on coercive tactics, such as threats of withdrawing election support. c. worked to defeat incumbent members of Congress in order to replace them with members who would be more supportive. d. relied exclusively on inside lobbying as the means of gaining their policy goals. e. ignored the judicial branch as a means of influencing policy decisions.
a. targeted the executive branch in their efforts to influence policy decisions.
18) The support of ________ was critical to passage of a controversial prescription drug program for the elderly in 2003. a. the AARP b. Greenpeace c. the ACLU d. the NAACP e. the ABA
a. the AARP
A basic reason for the existence of so many interest groups in the United States is
a. the American tradition of free association. b. the extent of diverse interests in American society. c. America's federal system of government. d. the separation of powers in American government.
2) According to James Madison, the source of most factions is the a. unequal distribution of property. b. American political tradition of association. c. system of separation of powers in the U.S. d. spirit of individualism. e. concept of majority rule.
a. unequal distribution of property.
15) What is the major barrier to political thinking? a. unwillingness of citizens to make the effort b. lack of access to governmental institutions c. elite control of political power resources d. the failure of politicians and government institutions to communicate policy details to the public e. the lack of access to news media sources outside of sensationalist television or Internet content
a. unwillingness of citizens to make the effort
The "motor voter" law
a. was passed in 1993. b. made it easier for citizens to register to vote. c. linked voter registration to the vehicle registration process. d. was passed in 1993 and linked voter registration to the vehicle registration process.
In contrast with European news media, American news media are more likely to
act primarily as neutral transmitters of information.
the individual freedoms in the bill of rights were extended by the 14th amendment to include protection from deprivation of due process rights by
actions of state and local gov't
The term stare decisis refers to
adherence to precedent.
An informal grouping of officials, lobbyists, and policy specialists who come together temporarily around a policy problem is
an issue network
2. Congress has formally declared war ________ times in U.S. history. a. 2 b. 5 c. 55 d. 200 e. 6,500
b. 5
17. The cabinet department with the largest number of full-time civilian employees is the Department of a. State. b. Defense. c. Labor. d. Health and Human Services. e. Education.
b. Defense.
12. Which president's use of government policy as economic stimulus ushered in the modern era of U.S. government fiscal policy? a. Thomas Jefferson b. Franklin Roosevelt c. Lyndon Johnson d. Woodrow Wilson e. William Clinton
b. Franklin Roosevelt
8. How has the Internet affected the watchdog capacity of the media? a. It has diluted the watchdog capacity with an overflow of opinions. b. It has expanded the watchdog capacity of the media. c. It has tainted the watchdog role with a partisan bent. d. It has almost completely usurped the watchdog role from the traditional media outlets. e. It has had little to no effect because it lacks the objective standards of traditional media outlets.
b. It has expanded the watchdog capacity of the media
2. Unlike in many other democracies, elections in the United States are traditionally held on a. Mondays. b. Tuesdays. c. Fridays. d. Saturdays. e. Sundays.
b. Tuesdays.
17. By and large, partisanship is a. irrelevant to the work of Congress. b. a huge source of both cohesion and division within Congress. c. relevant only in the context of local representation. d. important in lawmaking and representation but not in oversight. e. more important in foreign policy than in domestic policy.
b. a huge source of both cohesion and division within Congress.
Most cases heard by the Supreme Court reach it under a. its original jurisdiction. b. a writ of certiorari. c. a per curiam decision. d. a writ of error. e. a writ of mandamus.
b. a writ of certiorari.
3. Voter registration in the United States a. was introduced as a means of keeping white males without property from voting. b. began as a way of preventing voters from casting more than one ballot on election day. c. is the responsibility of the government, which adds legally qualified individuals automatically to the registration rolls. d. applies to voting in general elections but not in primary elections. e. has vastly increased voter turnout.
b. began as a way of preventing voters from casting more than one ballot on election day.
9. James Carville, Dick Morris, and Roger Ailes are all examples of a. minor party candidates who earned more than five percent of the vote. b. campaign strategists who have earned legendary reputations. c. congressional incumbents whose reelection bids were derailed by smear campaigns. d. national chairpersons of one of the two major parties. e. lobbyists jailed for their illegal soft money contributions.
b. campaign strategists who have earned legendary reputations.
18. The courts have tended to support administrators as long as their agencies a. choose rules that save money. b. can apply a reasonable interpretation of a statute. c. follow what the president demands of them. d. have adequate funding. e. don't come into conflict with state governments.
b. can apply a reasonable interpretation of a statute.
12. Through a vote for cloture, the Senate a. confirms presidential appointees. b. can end a filibuster. c. overrides a presidential pocket veto. d. accepts the House version of a bill. e. closes its legislative session for the year.
b. can end a filibuster.
13. In the twenty-first century, voting rates in the United States have a. shown little difference from those of the late twentieth century. b. increased in presidential elections, while continuing to remain lowest in local ones. c. demonstrated that the apathy of young citizens has worsened considerably since the early 1990s. d. increased in all elections. e. declined in all elections.
b. increased in presidential elections, while continuing to remain lowest in local ones.
12. The traditional media have "softened" their news by a. infusing it with more partisan talk shows. b. infusing it with more stories about celebrities, crime, and the like. c. infusing it with more coverage of international affairs. d. focusing on editorials instead of nonpartisan facts. e. None of these answers is correct.
b. infusing it with more stories about celebrities, crime, and the like.
2. A concurring opinion a. explains the chief justice's position on a case. b. is a separate view written by a justice who votes with the majority but disagrees with its reasoning. c. is delivered when the Court interprets a constitutional issue. d. is delivered when at least two justices, but less than a majority, hold the same opinion in a case. e. explains why the Court accepted the case in the first place.
b. is a separate view written by a justice who votes with the majority but disagrees with its reasoning.
The phrase that BEST describes the shift in America's world position from the pre- to the post-World War II eras is
b. isolationism to internationalism.
5. The chief obstacle to Americans' participation in community activities is the a. lack of opportunity, because there are few groups active at this level. b. lack of personal motivation to get involved. c. low potential for success, since key decisions are made at the national level. d. low potential for success, since key decisions are made at the state level. e. All these answers are correct.
b. lack of personal motivation to get involved.
4. The U.S. courts of appeals a. hear new evidence in appealed cases. b. review trial court decisions. c. are the highest courts to use juries. d. decide for the Supreme Court the cases it will review. e. None of these answers is correct.
b. review trial court decisions.
18. Agenda-setting is an action that falls under which of the major roles played by the press? a. common-carrier b. signaling c. watchdog d. partisan advocate e. news interpreter
b. signaling
3) The framers entrusted the selection of U.S. senators to a. specially chosen electors. b. state legislatures. c. direct vote of the people. d. state governors. e. federal magistrates.
b. state legislatures.
10. During what decade did the American news audience change from a growing to a shrinking one? a. the 1960s b. the 1980s c. the 1990s d. the 1970s e. The audience has not yet begun to shrink.
b. the 1980s
2. The yellow journalism of the late nineteenth century was characterized by a. the use of the telegraph. b. the emphasis on sensationalism as a way of selling newspapers. c. prejudice against Asian people and countries. d. an unwillingness to take editorial positions because of a fear of losing circulation. e. the desire to present the news in an objective manner.
b. the emphasis on sensationalism as a way of selling newspapers.
13. Congress's inability to consistently provide leadership on broad national issues is due to a. the lack of talented leadership in Congress. b. the fragmented nature of Congress. c. constitutional restrictions on Congress's lawmaking powers. d. the constant threat of a presidential veto. e. opposition from the mass media.
b. the fragmented nature of Congress.
6) The situation in which individuals are tempted not to contribute to a cause because they will get the benefits even if they do not participate is called a. the size factor. b. the free-rider problem. c. the special-interest paradox. d. the disincentive factor. e. the zero-sum game
b. the free-rider problem.
4. The federal government's licensing of broadcasting is based primarily on a. the fact that broadcasting is a national medium. b. the scarcity of broadcasting frequencies. c. the fact that broadcasting was invented after the First Amendment was adopted. d. the desire of national officials to control the content of broadcast news and entertainment. e. a desire to censor reporters so that they will stop criticizing governmental officials.
b. the scarcity of broadcasting frequencies.
4) Citizens' interest groups are distinguished from economic interest groups by the fact that a. their leaders are elected by secret ballot of the group's members. b. their members receive no direct economic benefit from attainment of the group's goals. c. they do not lobby government officials directly, but rely instead on public service announcements to get their views across to society. d. they always pursue goals in which there is a high level of agreement among society members. e. All these answers are correct.
b. their members receive no direct economic benefit from attainment of the group's goals.
16) In a constitutional system, a. there are no restrictions on the lawful uses of power, as long as this power is obtained by majority rule. b. there are lawful restrictions on a government's power. c. the economy is based on the free enterprise system. d. officials govern according to the traditions established by their predecessors. e. all citizens have absolute free speech rights.
b. there are lawful restrictions on a government's power.
The Senate was initially designed to
be less responsive to popular pressure.
Voter registration in the United States
began as a way of preventing voters from casting more than one ballot on election day.
voter registration in the U.S.
began in a way of preventing voters from casting more than one ballot on election day
of the countries listed, which country has the highest estimated voter turnout in major national elections in recent decades
belgium
The largest number of PACs are those associated with
business
16) What is the chance of a white (non-Hispanic) male going to prison? a. 1 in 4 b. 1 in 15 c. 1 in 23 d. 1 in 57 e. 1 in 60
c. 1 in 23
6. One must be ________ years of age to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, and ________ years of age to serve in the U.S. Senate. a. 18; 21 b. 21; 25 c. 25; 30 d. 35; 45 e. 40; 50
c. 25; 30
10) Which of the first 10 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution (Bill of Rights) has never been argued before the U.S. Supreme Court? a. 1st Amendment b. 2nd Amendment c. 3rd Amendment d. 4th Amendment e. 5th Amendment
c. 3rd Amendment
5) The power of Congress "to establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States" is found in which Article and Section? a. Article I, Section 2 b. Article II, Section 5 c. Article I, Section 8 d. Article I, Section 9 e. Article II, Section 4
c. Article I, Section 8
11) Where in the U.S. Constitution does it state that no Bill of Attainder or ex post facto laws can be passed by Congress? a. Article II, Section 2 b. Article III, Section 4 c. Article I, Section 9 d. Article II, Section 9 e. Article I, Section 8
c. Article I, Section 9
8. Which of the following is an accurate representation of the public's opinion about leaders and their accountability? a. Most citizens have a high opinion of Congress as a whole, but say they have little confidence in their local representative in Congress. b. Most citizens have a high opinion of both Congress as a whole and their local representative in Congress. c. Most citizens have a low opinion of Congress as a whole, but say they have confidence in their local representative in Congress. d. Most citizens have a low opinion of Congress as a whole and also of their local representative in Congress. e. Most citizens do not feel that their local representatives in Congress should be held accountable for the votes they have to make in order to stay in line with their party's platform.
c. Most citizens have a low opinion of Congress as a whole, but say they have confidence in their local representative in Congress.
11. Which of the following is a formal constitutional requirement for becoming president? a. One must be at least 40 years of age. b. One must be a resident in the United States for at least 10 years. c. One must be a natural-born citizen. d. One must be a white male. e. One must be a Protestant.
c. One must be a natural-born citizen
13) ________ is the ability of persons, groups, or institutions to influence political developments. a. Apathy b. Politics c. Power d. Liberty e. Political culture
c. Power`
2. In 1992, ________ won 19 percent of the popular vote in the presidential election. a. Bill Clinton b. George H. W. Bush c. Ross Perot d. Pat Buchanan e. Ralph Nader
c. Ross Perot
15. Which of the following Supreme Court justices was appointed during the Clinton administration? a. Sandra Day O'Connor b. Clarence Thomas c. Ruth Bader Ginsburg d. Robert Bork e. John Paul Stevens
c. Ruth Bader Ginsburg
3. What was the constitutional basis for the Supreme Court's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)? a. Under the doctrine of implied powers, Congress had the power to create a national bank because it was assigned the powers to tax, borrow money, and regulate interstate commerce under the Constitution. b. National law was supreme over conflicting state law. c. Under the doctrine of implied powers, Congress had the power to create a national bank because it was assigned the powers to tax, borrow money, and regulate interstate commerce under the Constitution, and national law was supreme over conflicting state law. d. Sovereign states can tax the national government e. Congress lacked the authority to charter a national bank.
c. Under the doctrine of implied powers, Congress had the power to create a national bank because it was assigned the powers to tax, borrow money, and regulate interstate commerce under the Constitution, and national law was supreme over conflicting state law.
4. As distinct from alienation, apathy is a. associated with a low rate of voter turnout. b. a feeling of powerlessness. c. a general lack of interest in politics. d. a sign that the political system is working properly. e. widespread among affluent Americans.
c. a general lack of interest in politics.
16) The term iron triangle refers to a. a tightly-knit set of lobbying groups. b. the relationship between the Congress, the military, and defense contractors. c. a small and informal but relatively stable set of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists who are concerned with promoting a particular interest. d. the strategy of lobbying all three branches of government simultaneously. e. a corrupt relationship among the president, Congress, and the Supreme Court.
c. a small and informal but relatively stable set of bureaucrats, legislators, and lobbyists who are concerned with promoting a particular interest.
7. One of the reasons the reporting of national news is relatively uniform among news sources is that a. the government dictates much of what is reported. b. there are only a few important events each day that merit news coverage. c. a small number of news organizations and news services generate most of the news. d. reporters are not given much freedom by their editors. e. journalists have a tendency to be fairly lazy.
c. a small number of news organizations and news services generate most of the news.
2. Compared to House incumbents, Senate incumbents are more likely to face the problem of a. raising enough money to run a strong campaign. b. an electorate that is inclined to judge their fitness for reelection in the context of pork-barrel legislation and other favors for the local community. c. a strong challenger. d. name recognition. e. All these answers are correct.
c. a strong challenger.
With regard to public opinion, the Supreme Court a. ignores it in order to make decisions that are based on enduring values rather than the public's passing whims. b. remains uninformed about it because justices stay on the bench for life and never face the public scrutiny of an election. c. attempts to stay close enough to public opinion so as to avoid outright defiance of its decisions. d. attempts to follow it very closely in order to create public enthusiasm for its rulings. e. None of these answers is correct
c. attempts to stay close enough to public opinion so as to avoid outright defiance of its decisions.
19) The largest number of PACs are those associated with a. single-issue groups, such as environmental groups and right-to-life groups. b. labor. c. business. d. agriculture. e. education.
c. business.
11. The lowest level of the federal court system is the a. circuit court of appeal. b. highest level of the state courts. c. district court. d. justice of the peace. e. supreme judicial tribunal.
c. district court.
2. Compared to the president and Congress, the bureaucracy a. is held in higher esteem by the public. b. is authorized by a constitutional amendment rather than by the original Constitution. c. has a more direct impact on the daily lives of Americans. d. has changed very little during the nation's history. e. is more easily controlled by the voters.
c. has a more direct impact on the daily lives of Americans.
13. If the economic problem is low productivity and high unemployment, the fiscal policy action on the demand side would be to a. increase taxes. b. cut business taxes. c. increase spending. d. decrease spending. e. None of these answers is correct.
c. increase spending.
14) As described by the authors, "political thinking" a. is the reflection of an individual's ideological position when applied to political issues. b. results from an individual allowing personal bias to inform all thoughts about political issues, instead of doing objective learning or research to form an opinion. c. involves the careful gathering and sifting of information in the process of forming a knowledgeable view about a political issue. d. is the result of an individual's attempts to seek out news media that reinforces a pre-existing political bias. e. is a strategy taken by those seeking election to public office in which their publicly stated positions are designed to maximize their attractiveness to the widest voting bloc.
c. involves the careful gathering and sifting of information in the process of forming a knowledgeable view about a political issue.
13. The Senior Executive Service (SES) a. is composed of civil employees that can be fired more easily than normal career civil servants. b. was designed to combat abuse of the patronage system. c. is composed of civil employees that can be assigned by the president to any position within the bureaucracy. d. has been more successful in practice than its proponents anticipated. e. assigns most of its senior executives to work within a different agency than the one in which they originally worked.
c. is composed of civil employees that can be assigned by the president to any position within the bureaucracy.
20) During his visit to this country in the 1830s, Alexis de Tocqueville described the United States as "a nation of ________." a. freeloaders b. loners c. joiners d. fighters e. stalwarts
c. joiners
19. The Watergate scandal illustrates the a. futility of media attempts to forecast political events. b. inadequacy of the media as a common-carrier to the public. c. power of the media to serve as watchdog to safeguard against abuses of power. d. ability of the press to serve as the public's representative in political disputes. e. abuse of power by journalists in the United States.
c. power of the media to serve as watchdog to safeguard against abuses of power.
8. As distinct from the patronage system, the merit system for managing the bureaucracy a. allows the president to appoint top officials of executive agencies, thus making the bureaucracy more responsive to election outcomes. b. provides for presidential leadership of the bureaucracy, thus giving it greater coordination and direction. c. provides for a neutral administration in the sense that civil servants are not partisan appointees, thus ensuring evenhanded work. d. provides that all programs will be evaluated regularly to determine whether they merit continued funding. e. All these answers are correct.
c. provides for a neutral administration in the sense that civil servants are not partisan appointees, thus ensuring evenhanded work.
8. In the nation's first century, a. service in Congress was even more of a lifetime career than it is now. b. members of Congress would move from House to Senate and back with little concern for the relative power and prestige of the chambers. c. service in Congress was not seen as a lifetime career for most of its members. d. service in Congress was restricted by the imposition of term limits in many states. e. service in Congress was greatly preferred to service in state government.
c. service in Congress was not seen as a lifetime career for most of its members.
9. Which of the following is a concurrent power? a. national defense b. interstate commerce c. taxation d. education e. police protection
c. taxation
10) Which citizens' group did a Fortune magazine survey rank as the nation's most powerful lobbying group? a. the NAACP b. the AFL-CIO c. the AARP d. MADD e. Common Cause
c. the AARP
8. The "No Child Left Behind" Act a. increased state authority over education policy but provided greater federal funds for education. b. dramatically increased state authority over education policy. c. was part of the end, and reversal of, the devolution movement. d. was the last significant piece of legislation that contributed to devolution of authority to the states. e. was the centerpiece to President Bush's version of "new federalism."
c. was part of the end, and reversal of, the devolution movement.
11) In acknowledging the dilemma inherent in group activity, James Madison a. argued that the free-rider problem would hurt some groups more than others. b. claimed that government could listen to all groups, but should only enact policies that promote the interests of majority groups. c. worried that government would be overly dominated by groups, but recognized that a free society is obliged to permit the advocacy of self-interest. d. argued that government must restrict the activities of groups, so that political parties could act as the major instrument of democracy. e. All these answers are correct.
c. worried that government would be overly dominated by groups, but recognized that a free society is obliged to permit the advocacy of self-interest.
James Carville, Dick Morris, and Roger Ailes are all examples of
campaign strategists who have earned legendary reputations.
A pocket veto differs from a regular presidential veto in that the pocket veto
can take effect only when the Congress is not in session.
Some groups pursue collective goods. A collective good is one that
cannot be selectively granted or denied to individuals; it must be shared.
Federal grants-in-aid used only for a designated activity are called
categorical grants.
Most states conduct ________ primaries.
closed
all of the following idealogical types are prevalent in the U.S. except
communists
The demand that women should receive equal pay relative to men for work that is similarly demanding, involves similar responsibilities, and requires similar levels of education and training is the basis of the concept of
comparable worth.
If a state accepts a federal grant-in-aid, it must
comply with federal restrictions on its use.
Which choice below describes the American change in governmental structure in 1787?
confederal to federal
Shay's rebellion
convinced many political leaders that the national gov't was too weak
A public policy program on which national, state, and local policymakers collaborate is an example of
cooperative federalism.
A blending of state and national authority is associated with ________ federalism, while a separation of national and state authority is associated with ________ federalism.
cooperative; dual
2) Women gained the right to vote in national elections with the ______ Amendment a. 10th b. 13th c. 16th d. 19th e. None are correct answers.
d. 19th
13) What is the percentage of Hispanic families with women leading the household that are living in poverty? a. 21.5% b. 25.7% c. 35.5% d. 40.5% e. 57.7%
d. 40.5%
3. The ___________ Amendment prohibits "cruel and unusual punishment." a. Second b. Third c. Seventh d. Eighth e. Twelfth
d. Eighth
10) What type of discrimination is not covered within Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968? a. Refusal to sell or rent a dwelling to a person based on race. b. Refusal to sell or rent a dwelling to a person based on religion. c. Advertising the sale or rental of a dwelling dedication preference to people with disabilities. d. Refusal to sell or rent a dwelling to a person based on sexual orientation or gender identity. e. Coercing, threatening, intimidation or interfering with a person's enjoyment or exercise of housing rights based on race, sex or religion.
d. Refusal to sell or rent a dwelling to a person based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Which of the following is a real-world example of an action that the Supreme Court decided was a protected form of symbolic speech? a. The burning of a draft registration card b. Blocking the entrance of an abortion clinic. c. A newspaper publication of the "Pentagon papers". d. The burning of the American flag in public e. The advocating of the overthrow of the government in a peaceful assembly.
d. The burning of the American flag in public
1. Which of the following statements best describes the relationship today between government and the economy in the United States? a. The economy is largely self-regulating. b. The government subsidizes economic interests but otherwise leaves them to operate as they please. c. The government is the driving force in the U.S. economy; business has a secondary role. d. The government has an important role in regulating and maintaining the U.S. economy. e. The government owns most of the means of production in the United States.
d. The government has an important role in regulating and maintaining the U.S. economy.
9) Which of the following statements provides the most accurate description of democracy as practiced in the United States? a. The people directly govern themselves. b. Elitist institutions are absent from the American government. c. The power of the people to make and enforce laws is checked by nothing except the will of the people. d. The people govern through elected representatives. e. The will of the majority always prevails.
d. The people govern through elected representatives.
11. In the 1960s, presidential candidates a. received more negative coverage than they do today. b. were largely ignored by the media. c. were hounded by the media incessantly. d. had longer sound bites, on average, in broadcast television newscasts. e. None of these answers is correct.
d. had longer sound bites, on average, in broadcast television newscasts.
20. The news media's common-carrier role is based on the idea that a. the news will be available to all citizens. b. various news organizations should interpret the news in nearly the same way. c. the press should not charge for public service announcements. d. the press should provide a channel through which political leaders can communicate their views to the public. e. the press should be patriotic in the reporting of the news.
d. the press should provide a channel through which political leaders can communicate their views to the public.
8) Economic groups have an advantage over non-economic groups because a. they nearly always have larger memberships. b. they are organized primarily for political purposes. c. they have better leadership. d. they have greater access to financial resources. e. their members are committed to their causes.
d. they have greater access to financial resources.
Equality of result policies are primarily directed at ________ discriminatory effects.
de facto
Theodore Lowi's theory of interest-group liberalism
deals with the tendency of officials to support the policy demands of the interest group or groups that have a special stake in a policy.
Organizationally, U.S. party organizations are
decentralized and fragmented.
1. Which of the following is a principle of bureaucratic organization? a. hierarchical authority b. job specialization c. formalized rules d. both hierarchical authority and formalized rules e. All these answers are correct.
e. All these answers are correct.
Economist Mancur Olson concluded that groups
exercise too much power in the American system.
In 2007 the Supreme Court ruled that the pursuit of racial integration in public schools through busing
deprived white students of their Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection.
Outside lobbying does NOT include
developing and maintaining close contacts with policymakers.
During the era of objective journalism, the commitment of newspapers to two-sided news reporting
did not extend to their editorializing
In a 2004 case involving the issue of whether a U.S. citizen accused of terrorist acts is entitled to constitutional protections, the Supreme Court held that such citizens
do have the right to a judicial hearing.
13. Which year did the highest amount of grants go to state and local governments? a. 1976 b. 1978 c. 1980 d. 1984 e. 1994
e. 1994
10. Which of the following are key players in the modern campaign? a. pollsters b. media producers c. fundraising specialists d. campaign consultants e. All these answers are correct.
e. All these answers are correct.
10. Which of the following is part of the Executive Office of the President? a. Office of Management and Budget b. National Economic Council c. National Security Council d. Office of the Vice President e. All these answers are correct.
e. All these answers are correct.
3. Compared with the Senate majority leader, the Speaker of the House has more power because a. the House places more limits on debate. b. the House is the larger chamber in terms of membership. c. the House has less of a tradition as a chamber of equals. d. the Speaker is that chamber's presiding officer. e. All these answers are correct.
e. All these answers are correct.
11. Which case overturned the Supreme Court ruling in Bower V. Hardwick? a. Griswold v. Connecticut b. Boy Scouts of America & Monmouth Council v. Dale c. Gitlow v. New York d. Roe v. Wade e. None of the above cases are correct.
e. None of the above cases are correct.
17) Which president appointed Sandra Day O'Connor as the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court? a. Richard Nixon b. Jimmy Carter c. John F. Kennedy d. Bill Clinton e. None of the above.
e. None of the above.
15) The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution a. by the framers during the Philadelphia convention. b. in stages, from 1789 to 1798. c. in response to the freeing of the slaves during the Civil War. d. in response to the ideals of Jacksonian democracy. e. None of these answers is correct.
e. None of these answers is correct.
16. Party dealignment is a. essentially the same as party realignment. b. a process that has discouraged the formation of third parties. c. a process that has strengthened the major parties. d. a process that refers to American political parties in the early 1800s. e. None of these answers is correct.
e. None of these answers is correct.
6) In 2004, which state instituted same-sex marriage? a. Vermont b. Rhode Island c. New York d. California e. None of these answers is correct.
e. None of these answers is correct.
8. Compared to Supreme Court nominations, those for the lower federal courts a. are, although much greater in number, irrelevant to a president's policy agenda. b. are not subject to partisan consideration. c. have a much greater probability of being rejected by the Senate. d. are not subject to senatorial courtesy. e. None of these answers is correct.
e. None of these answers is correct.
4) The strict scrutiny test applies to a. Race b. Ethnicity. c. Gender. d. Age and gender. e. Race and ethnicity.
e. Race and ethnicity.
9) What framework of the U.S. government came from French political thinker Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu devise? a. Judicial review b. President as Commander in Chief c. Congress controlling the nation's commerce d. Overlapping of political power e. Separation of political power
e. Separation of political power
5) Which state had the highest percentage of African Americans in 1790 ? a. New York b. Georgia c. Virginia d. North Carolina e. South Carolina
e. South Carolina
7. Members of the Federal Reserve Board a. serve for variable terms and are exposed to high levels of political pressure. b. have no power to refuse congressional requests for information. c. are appointed by the president and can be removed by the Senate. d. are appointed by Congress and can be removed by Congress. e. are appointed by the president and are not subject to removal.
e. are appointed by the president and are not subject to removal.
15) The influence of interest groups through the courts occurs through a. initiating lawsuits. b. lobbying for certain judges to be appointed to the bench. c. outside lobbying only. d. PACs. e. both initiating lawsuits and lobbying for certain judges to be appointed to the bench.
e. both initiating lawsuits and lobbying for certain judges to be appointed to the bench.
13. Which of the following groups is NOT typically a part of the Democratic coalition? a. city dwellers b. Hispanics c. union members d. Jews e. fundamentalist Christians
e. fundamentalist Christians
16. CNN and MSNBC have responded to Fox's ratings success by a. reducing the number of talk shows in their line-up. b. increasing the number of talk shows hosted by liberals. c. attempting to lure audiences by focusing on their unbiased news reporting. d. installing talk-show hosts with nonpartisan appeal. e. installing talk-show hosts with partisan or hard-edged appeals.
e. installing talk-show hosts with partisan or hard-edged appeals.
9. The Federal Reserve controls the money supply through all of the following actions EXCEPT a. raising the cash reserve that member banks are required to deposit with the Federal Reserve. b. raising the interest rate that member banks are charged when they borrow from the Federal Reserve. c. lowering the cash reserve that member banks are required to deposit with the Federal Reserve. d. lowering the interest rate that member banks are charged when they borrow from the Federal Reserve. e. lowering the tax rate on individuals.
e. lowering the tax rate on individuals.
20) Which of the following has democracy come to mean in practice? a. pluralistic government through the combination of popularly elected representatives and the influence of interest groups b. oligarchic government through a legislature chosen through popular election c. elitist control through interest group politics d. pluralism through the election of representatives and the influence of corporate interests e. majority rule through the free and open election of representatives
e. majority rule through the free and open election of representatives
4. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are a. all agencies within cabinet departments. b. all independent agencies. c. respectively, an independent agency, an agency within a cabinet department, and a regulatory agency. d. two cabinet departments and a regulatory agency. e. respectively, an agency within a cabinet department, an independent agency, and a regulatory agency
e. respectively, an agency within a cabinet department, an independent agency, and a regulatory agency.
8. The Progressive Era of government regulation focused on a. strengthening consumer protection by preventing credit agencies from gouging individuals with high levels of debt. b. bolstering worker safety by increasing the power of unions and forcing better safety practices on businesses. c. increasing environmental protection and strengthening the EPA. d. regulating troubled economic sectors, such as banking. e. stopping the unfair business practices of the new monopolies, such as the railroads.
e. stopping the unfair business practices of the new monopolies, such as the railroads.
4. The presidential advisory unit that, as a whole, has declined significantly as an advisory resource for the president in the twentieth century is the a. Council of Economic Advisers. b. Office of Management and Budget. c. White House Office. d. National Security Council. e. the Cabinet (as a whole).
e. the Cabinet (as a whole).
5) Why have issue networks become more prevalent than iron triangles? a. the increasing power of corporate lobbying b. the increasing diversity of interest groups c. the increasing influence of PACs d. the instability of candidates' positions e. the increasing complexity of policy problems
e. the increasing complexity of policy problems
The individual right that is widely regarded as the most basic of individual rights is
freedom of expression.
Which of the following groups is NOT typically a part of the Democratic coalition?
fundamentalist Christians
Gideon v. Wainwright required the states to
furnish attorneys for poor defendants in felony cases.
In the 1970s, roll-call votes
generally did not pit most Republicans against most Democrats.
Native Americans were not
given citizenship status en masse until the twentieth century.
in federalists paper #10, james madison argued that
gov't is most dangerous when a single group is powerful enough to gain full political control
the constitution allows states to
govern intrastate commerce
The Constitution allows states to
govern intrastate commerce.
The Fourteenth Amendment applies to discriminatory action by
government only
which of the following statements is true?
in the 1800's, chinese and japanese laborers were brought into the western states; in 1930 congress halted all immigration from Japan; discrimination against Asians did not ease substantially until 1965
In the twenty-first century, voting rates in the United States have
increased in presidential elections, while continuing to remain lowest in local ones.
the frequency of elections in the U.S. reduces voter turnout by
increasing the personal effort needed to participate in all elections
The frequency of elections in the United States reduces voter turnout by
increasing the personal effort needed to participate in all elections.
The term "public opinion" is frequently used in reference to all of American society. This perspective is
less accurate than the idea that Americans form many publics, which differ greatly in such things as the level of attention they pay to politics.
Which of the following ideological types favor government activism in the economic realm?
liberals and populists
which of the following ideological types favor gov't activism in the economic realm?
liberals and populists
The idea that government should be restricted in its lawful uses of power and hence in its ability to deprive people of their liberty is expressed by the term
limited government
In the dynamics of an iron triangle, what benefit do interest groups provide to friendly bureaucratic agencies?
lobbying support for agency programs
Which of the following is most closely related to the concept of implied powers?
necessary and proper clause
National authority has greatly expanded in the twentieth century in large part because
local, state, and federal governments have become increasingly interdependen
The trading of votes between members of Congress so that each gets the legislation he or she wants is called
logrolling.
Candidate-centered politics encourages all of the following EXCEPT
long-term consistency in policymaking.
dramatic change in party identification is uncommon and is almost always a consequence of
major upheaval
What term do pollsters use to define a purported opinion offered by a respondent who, in truth, has no view on a specific issue?
non-opinion
which president appointed Sandra Day O'Connor as the 1st woman on the U.S. supreme ct ?
none of the above *Ronald Reagan
The bill if rights was added to the constititution
none of the answers are correct
in '04 which state instituted same sex marriage?
none of these answers are correct
The process of political socialization in the United States is
normally cumulative; political beliefs attained earlier in life tend to be retained to a substantial degree.
Like all other rights, the right of free expression is
not absolute.
When it comes to protest activities, a majority of Americans are
not highly supportive of such activities, despite America's tradition of free expression.
Under communism, the government
owns most or all major industries and also takes responsibility for overall management of the economy.
The appointment of federal judges is influenced MOST substantially by
partisanship.
the constitution forbids Congress from
passing ex post facto laws
Which of the following is NOT a primary socializing agent?
peers
As described in the text, the issue of agricultural price-supports suggests that the exercise of government power conforms to which of the following models?
pluralism
The theory that society's interests are most effectively represented through group action is
pluralist theory
the process by which individuals acquire their political opinions is called
political socialization
what are the 2 distinguishing characteristics of political socialization
political socialization is cumulative and is most heavily developed during childhood
The process by which individuals acquire their political opinions is called
political socialization.
A person who favors government intervention in both social and economic affairs is a(n)
populist
The principle of checks and balances is based on the notion that
power must be used to offset power
In practice, the most significant restraint imposed by Congress on the president is its
power to make the laws and appropriate money, for these determine the programs the executive can implement
Grassroots lobbying is based on the assumption that officials will respond to
pressure from constituents.
Another name for an interest group is
pressure group
The Supreme Court's position on prior restraint of the press is that
prior restraint should apply only in rare circumstances, and it is better to hold the press responsible for what it has printed than to restrict what it may print.
The FCC's equal time requirement
prohibits broadcasters from selling or giving time to political candidates and denying it to their opponents.
The Superfund program is designed to
provide funds for cleaning up badly polluted sites.
State central committees
provide only general policy guidance for the state organizations.
In terms of party identification, about 2/3 of adults call themselves
republicans or democrats
One special contribution of Internet-based news is that it
provides the ordinary citizen with an opportunity to be part of the news system
Effective inside lobbying is based upon
providing useful and persuasive information to key officials.
Which of the following is NOT an enumerated power?
public education
which of the following is NOT an enumerated power?
public education
the strict scrutiny test applies to
race and ethnicity
According to Gunnar Myrdal, what is America's curse?
racial discrimination
In Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), the justices
reaffirmed the essential aspects of Roe v. Wade.
what type of discrimination is not covered within title 8 of the civil rights act of 1968
refusal to sell or rent to a dwelliing person based on sexual orientation or gender identity
"Agency capture" occurs when
regulatory agencies side with the industries they are supposed to regulate rather than with the public.
Justice Holmes's "clear and present danger" test holds that government can
restrict speech that threatens national security.
James Madison's solution to the problem of factions (special interests) has, in the modern policy process, actually contributed to the problem by
resulting in a fragmentation of authority among policymakers, thereby providing groups more opportunities to get their way
________ is based on judgment about the past performance of an elected official or political party
retrospective voting
The function that the national party organizations perform in relation to congressional candidates can best be described as a
service relationship—helping candidates conduct their personal campaigns.
The function that the national party organizations perform in relation to congressional candidates can best be described as a
service role—helping candidates conduct their personal campaigns.
In general, public opinion
sets limits on government action.
all of the following tend to decrease voter turnout EXCEPT
sharp policy differences between major parties
All of the following tend to decrease voter turnout EXCEPT
sharp policy differences between major parties.
Government support for agriculture in the form of price supports and income subsidies is designed PRIMARILY to
stabilize farm income, which would otherwise fluctuate greatly due to market and weather conditions.
In America today, public education is primarily the responsibility of
state and local governments.
During what decade did the American news audience change from a growing to a shrinking one?
the 1980s
The support of ________ was critical to passage of a controversial prescription drug program for the elderly in 2003.
the AARP
The air we breathe is an example of a
the collective good
The Tenth Amendment addressed the concerns of Anti-Federalists about
the powers of state governments.
Which institution receives the most news coverage from the national press?
the presidency
At the start of the annual budget cycle, the OMB assigns each agency a budget limit based on
the president's directives.
Democrats and Republicans have endured as the two major U.S. parties primarily due to
their ability to adapt to changing circumstances
which of the following is true of letter writers and demonstrators?
their opinions tend to be atypical of the population as whole
Government can lawfully prevent a political rally from taking place
when it can demonstrate that harmful acts will necessarily result from the rally
From 1789 to 1865, the most significant issue of federalism was
whether the states would accept the lawful authority of the national government.
The adoption of voter identification cards by several states
will likely cause a decline in voter turnout.
Proportional representation systems encourage the formation of smaller parties by enabling parties to
win legislative seats even though they do not receive a majority of votes in elections.
In acknowledging the dilemma inherent in group activity, James Madison
worried that government would be overly dominated by groups, but recognized that a free society is obliged to permit the advocacy of self-interest.
Libel applies to defamation of an individual's reputation through the
written word.
what is the chance of a white (non-hispanic) male going to prison?
1 in 23
under the original constitution, congress could not ban the slave trade until
1808
The U.S. House of Representatives last decided the outcome of a presidential election in ________.
1824
Native Americans were made "official" citizens of the United States in ________.
1924
Eighteen, nineteen, and twenty year-old Americans were granted the right to vote in ________.
1971
which year did the highest amount of grants go to state and local gov'ts?
1994
woman gained the right to vote in national election with the ____ amendment
19th
Under the U.S. Constitution, members of the U.S. House of Representatives have a ________ term, members of the U.S. Senate have a(n) ________ term, and the president has a ________ term.
2 year; 6 year; 4 year
At the worst depths of the Great Depression, approximately __ percent of workers were unemployed.
25
How many Electoral College votes are needed to secure victory for a presidential candidate?
270
which amendment was NOT used in Griswold v. Connecticut decision?
2nd
A properly drawn sample of one thousand individuals has a sampling error of roughly plus or minus ________ percent.
3
Gideon v. Wainwright is to the Sixth Amendment as Mapp v. Ohio is to the
4th
Roughly one in every ________ dollars spent by local and state governments in recent decades was raised not by them but by the government in Washington.
5
What is meant by a party realignment?
A party realignment occurs when many significant social groups alter their voting behavior and switch their allegiance from one political party to another. Party realignments have four basic elements: The existing political order is disrupted; voters shift their support in favor of one party; a major change in public policy occurs as a result of the stronger party; and there is an enduring change in the party coalitions, which works to the lasting advantage of that party.
What are primary elections and what impact have they had on party organizations?
A primary election is a method of nominating party candidates in which the party nominee is chosen by voters rather than by party leaders. Primary elections weaken party organization by depriving the party of control over the candidates who will run under its banner.
B
A public policy program on which national, state, and local policymakers collaborate is an example of a. dual federalism. b. cooperative federalism. c. unitary federalism. d. confederal federalism. e. cosponsor federalism.
A
A totalitarian government a. admits to no limits on its power. b. may control the media and direct the economy, but maintains public support by allowing such social rights as freedom of religion. c. controls through one-party rule, though it may allow some semblance of party opposition. d. controls through multi-party rule, in which it controls the electoral process to ensure its own party always achieves a majority. e. is often overthrown by opposition political parties or popular movements because it lacks legitimacy.
10.Policy implementation refers to the bureaucratic function of a.executing the authoritative decisions of Congress, the president, and the courts. b.regulating the distribution of funds to individuals and corporations. c.delegating legislative authority to smaller operating units of the bureaucracy. d.both regulating the distribution of funds to individuals and corporations, and delegating legislative authority to smaller operating units of the bureaucracy. e.None of these answers is correct
A.
11. Why does the head of the Social Security Administration (SSA) have less policy influence than the head of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)? a. because the SSA operates under fixed rules than cannot be altered based on circumstances b. because the SSA budget is much smaller than the FTC budget c. because the SSA is an independent agency and the FTC is a presidential commission d. because the SSA has fewer clientele groups than the FTC e. because the SSA affects a smaller portion of the population than FTC policies
A.
15.The administrative concept of neutral competence holds that the bureaucracy should a.be staffed by people chosen on the basis of ability and do its work fairly on behalf of all citizens. b.stay out of conflicts between Congress and the president. c.be structured on the basis of the principles of specialization, hierarchy, and formal rules. d.not allow in-fighting between agencies. e.be staffed by partisan presidents.
A.
18.The federal bureaucracy today is a.extremely wasteful and unresponsive to the public it serves b.an ineffective institution in comparison with bureaucracies of democracies with unitary systems. c.more responsive to the public at large than to the particular interests that depend on its various programs. d.a mix of the patronage, merit, and executive leadership systems. e.mostly dominated by patronage politics.
A.
Which of the following is true? (sex)
All are true; the Supreme Court ruled states could not adopt discriminatory policies toward gays and lesbians (1996), Boy Scouts can ban gays (2000), and states cannot ban homosexual relations among consenting adults (2003).
Which of the following is an example of checks and balances?
All of these answers are correct.
The Anti-Federalists opposed ratification of the Constitution because they felt that
All these answers are correct, except the answer suggesting they felt the national government would be too weak and ineffective.
Which of the following is true of majoritarianism in the United States?
All these statements are true, except for the statement that the public is interested and well-informed on all policy issues.
Identify the defining characteristics of an interest group. How do interest groups differ from political parties?
An interest group is any organization that actively seeks to influence public policy. They are a linkage mechanism, serving to connect citizens with government. Although political parties are also linkage mechanisms, they serve a much broader range of issues in order to appeal to more constituents. Interest groups concentrate on trying to change specific policies, while political parties have winning elections as their primary goal. Interest groups also handle some issues, particularly controversial ones, that political parties neglect or deliberately avoid.
Why have the Democratic and Republican parties been so durable as to maintain existence since the Civil War? Explain.
Analysts believe that the durability of the Democratic and Republican parties is due to their remarkable ability to adapt during times of crisis. These two major parties have survived many periods of social, economic, and political unrest not by maintaining a consistent ideology, but by adapting to the changing needs of the maintaining and realigning elections (for example, the elections of the Great Depression of the 1930s produced fundamentally new Democratic and Republican parties). Instead of being destroyed by these elections, the parties emerged with new bases of support, new policies, and even new philosophies. Democrats and Republicans remained the dominant parties in America. After the Great Depression, the Democrats became the country's majority party and emphasized a new social and economic role for national government. The party survived—indeed succeeded—only by responding to the crisis and adapting its policies to address the current needs of the people. Such capacity for adaptation has ensured the Democrats' and Republicans' longevity and dominance in America's two-party system.
22. (p. 460) Which of the following is true of the federal government's demographic representativeness? A. Because the federal government has reduced efforts to specifically promote women and minorities, the proportion of white males that hold top administration positions has increased in recent years. B. If all employees are taken into account, the federal bureaucracy comes reasonably close to being representative of the nation's population. C. Women and minorities are better represented in Congress and the judiciary than they are among the top ranks of administrators. D. The concept of a demographically representative civil service was first endorsed by President Reagan in 1984. E. There has been much more improvement in the representation of minorities in the civil service than in the representation of women.
B. If all employees are taken into account, the federal bureaucracy comes reasonably close to being representative of the nation's population.
40. (p. 442) Upon reaching Congress, what first happens to the president's budget proposal? A. It is subjected to floor debate. B. It goes to the House and Senate budget committees. C. It is reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget. D. It is marked up by the full Senate before moving to the House. E. It is referred to the House and Senate appropriations committees.
B. It goes to the House and Senate budget committees.
27. (p. 422) Which of the following was a provision of the War Powers Act? A. It prohibits the president from sending troops into combat. B. It requires hostilities to end within sixty days unless Congress extends the period. C. It requires Congress to consult with the president whenever feasible before passing measures that will restrict president-ordered military action. D. It requires the president to inform Congress within one month of the reason for the military action. E. It removes from Congress the power to restrict the timing or size of president-initiated military actions.
B. It requires hostilities to end within sixty days unless Congress extends the period.
4. (p. 437) Which of the following statements does NOT correctly describe the typical independent agency? A. It has a more narrow area of responsibility than that of cabinet departments. B. Its head is appointed by an independent commission. C. It is divided into a number of smaller operating units. D. It exists independently of cabinet departments. E. Its head is appointed by the president.
B. Its head is appointed by an independent commission.
22. (p. 403) Which of the following is NOT true of the 2004 presidential election? A. Howard Dean did not accept federal matching funds in the primaries. B. John Kerry accepted federal matching funds in the primaries. C. George W. Bush did not accept federal matching funds in the primaries. D. None of the three candidates (Dean, Kerry, and Bush) accepted federal matching funds in the primaries. E. None of these answers is correct.
B. John Kerry accepted federal matching funds in the primaries.
18. (p. 406) Which of the following states gives one Electoral College vote to the winner of each congressional district and two Electoral College votes to the statewide winner? A. Texas B. Maine C. New York D. New Hampshire E. Iowa
B. Maine
23. (p. 455) In terms of holding the bureaucracy accountable, the most important unit within the Executive Office of the President is the A. Office of Policy Development. B. Office of Management and Budget. C. Council of Economic Advisors. D. White House Office. E. Office of the Vice President.
B. Office of Management and Budget.
41. (p. 370) Defining the conditions and scheduling a bill for floor debate in the House of Representatives is the responsibility of the A. Ways and Means Committee. B. Rules Committee. C. Budget Committee. D. Appropriations Committee. E. Judiciary Committee.
B. Rules Committee.
5. (p. 410) Which of the following is true of the vice presidency? A. Presidents in the nineteenth century paid more attention to their vice presidents and granted them more authority. B. The Constitution assigns no executive authority to the vice president. C. Jimmy Carter reduced the power of the vice presidency by removing the vice president's office from the White House. D. The constitutional powers of the vice presidency have been increased by Congress twice during U.S. history. E. Daniel Webster and Henry Clay accepted nominations to the vice presidency as stepping stones to the presidency.
B. The Constitution assigns no executive authority to the vice president.
48. (p. 365) A bill has been approved in the House and Senate, albeit in slightly different versions. The bill now goes to A. the president for his or her veto or signature. B. a conference committee. C. the standing committees in the House and Senate where the bill originated. D. the House Rules Committee. E. the Senate Rules Committee.
B. a conference committee.
29. (p. 385) By and large, partisanship is A. irrelevant to the work of Congress. B. a huge source of both cohesion and division within Congress. C. relevant only in the context of local representation. D. important in lawmaking and representation but not in oversight. E. more important in foreign policy than in domestic policy.
B. a huge source of both cohesion and division within Congress.
31. (p. 457) The courts have tended to support administrators as long as their agencies A. choose rules that save money. B. can apply a reasonable interpretation of a statute. C. follow what the president demands of them. D. have adequate funding. E. don't come into conflict with state governments.
B. can apply a reasonable interpretation of a statute.
22. (p. 370) Through a vote for cloture, the Senate A. confirms presidential appointees. B. can end a filibuster. C. overrides a presidential pocket veto. D. accepts the House version of a bill. E. closes its legislative session for the year.
B. can end a filibuster.
38. (p. 370) What is the strategy employed in the Senate to prevent a bill from coming to a vote? A. mark up B. filibuster C. cloture D. pocket veto E. conference committee
B. filibuster
31. (p. 416) Political scientist Aaron Wildavsky's "two presidencies" thesis holds that a president is likely to be most successful with Congress on policy initiatives involving A. social welfare policy. B. foreign policy. C. tax policy. D. economic policy. E. environmental policy.
B. foreign policy.
9. (p. 440) Federal civil service employees cannot legally A. be fired from their jobs. B. go on strike. C. belong to a union. D. be restricted in their election activities. E. contribute to political campaigns.
B. go on strike.
34. (p. 427) Which of the following describes what political scientist Hugh Heclo calls "the illusion of presidential government"? A. the inability of the president to influence the legislative priorities of Congress, even though the party in power pays lip-service to the president's agenda B. the presidential image-building through public relations that contributes to the idea that the president is in charge of the national government C. the belief by the public that Congress should follow the presidential agenda, regardless of whether or not the majority part is the same party of the president D. the image-building that the president's foreign policy strength lends to the rest of his agenda E. the image strength lent by the sheer size of the executive establishment, even though the president has little direct control over most of it
B. the presidential image-building through public relations that contributes to the idea that the president is in charge of the national government
43. (p. 368) Since the founding of the United States, the debate over the representation function of Congress has centered on whether A. key decisions should be made by a small number of representatives in committee or by the whole membership in floor debate. B. the primary concern of a representative should be the interests of the nation or of his or her constituency. C. congressional or presidential authority should dominate on broad issues. D. the House or the Senate is more responsive to the public. E. the House or the Senate should take the lead on foreign policy issues.
B. the primary concern of a representative should be the interests of the nation or of his or her constituency.
13. (p. 439) When it was developed during the Jackson administration, the patronage system was designed to A. provide jobs to merit appointees. B. tie the administration more closely to the people it served. C. increase congressional control of the bureaucracy. D. increase judicial control of the bureaucracy. E. provide jobs to lawyers.
B. tie the administration more closely to the people it served.
12. (p. 50-51) In practice, the most significant restraint imposed by Congress on the president is its A. ability to override presidential vetoes. B. power of impeachment. C. power to make the laws and appropriate money, for these determine the programs the executive can implement. D. power to approve presidential appointees. E. power to investigate presidential activities.
C
16. (p. 53) Marbury v. Madison was an ingenious decision because it A. turned a case that involved the issue of states' rights into one that asserted national power. B. redefined the constitutional relationship between the president and Congress. C. asserted the power of the judiciary without creating the possibility of its rejection by either the executive or the legislative branch. D. turned a case that involved the issue of states' rights into one that asserted judicial power over the institutions of society. E. gave more power to the presidency, at the expense of Congress.
C
38. (p. 39-40) The Constitution was ratified by A. the people. B. local referendums. C. the states. D. the Supreme Court. E. the Continental Congress.
C
40. (p. 42) Presidents are A. directly selected by the people. B. selected by votes of the state legislatures. C. selected by votes of the Electoral College. D. subject to recall elections. E. subject to confidence votes by Congress
C
42. (p. 46) Where is the Bill of Rights found in the Constitution? A. Article I, Section 8 B. Article II C. the first ten amendments D. amendments 17 through 26 E. Article III
C
47. (p. 36) Shays' Rebellion A. was a successful revolt. B. convinced many political leaders that the national government was too powerful. C. convinced many political leaders that the national government was too weak. D. reinforced public support for the Articles of Confederation. E. occurred after the Philadelphia convention of 1787.
C
49. (p. 53) How did Congress retaliate to the Supreme Court's reprimand, in Marbury v. Madison, that it had passed legislation that exceeded its constitutional authority? A. It passed legislation to reduce the power of judicial review. B. It forced the Court to accept the power to issue writs of mandamus. C. Congress had no way to retaliate. D. It voted to impeach the Chief Justice. E. It completely disregarded the Court's ruling.
C
52. (p. 37) The Great Compromise produced A. checks and balances. B. the abolition of slavery. C. a bicameral Congress. D. separation of powers. E. federalism.
C
53. (p. 49) Presidential appointments and treaties must be approved by A. Congress. B. only the president. C. the Senate. D. the Supreme Court. E. the secretary of state.
C
56. (p. 33) According to John Locke, inalienable rights in a social contract A. belong to the government only. B. belong to individuals but can be denied by government. C. belong to individuals and cannot be denied by government. D. cannot be guaranteed by any governmental body. E. are no longer as important to the individual as in a state of nature.
C
7. (p. 45-46) Through the grants of power in the Constitution, the framers sought to A. define the powers of state governments. B. create a government in which sovereignty was invested in the national government only. C. both empower government and limit it. D. enumerate the rights of individuals. E. abolish slavery.
C
Define citizens'(or noneconomic) interest groups and identify the types of noneconomic interest groups and the constituencies they serve.
Citizens (or noneconomic) groups are organized around purposive incentives, which are opportunities to support a cause in which a person believes. Nearly every conceivable issue or problem has its citizens' group, and so the constituencies served by citizens' groups are incredibly diverse. Some citizens' groups, like the NAACP or the National Organization for Women, work to advance the interests of a particular social grouping. Other citizens' groups are dedicated to the promotion of a political ideology, like the American Conservative Union (ACU) or MoveOn. Most citizens' groups have an issue-specific policy agenda and are called single-interest groups. Single interest groups are organized to influence policy in just one area; examples are the Sierra Club, the National Rifle Association, and the various right-to-life and pro-choice abortion-related groups. However, citizens' groups are very difficult to classify because they differ so widely in focus and goals and can have overlapping traits. A single-issue group might be highly ideological or highly pragmatic.
What is the importance of the distinction between private goods (individual goods) and collective goods (public goods) in assessing why some interests are more highly organized than others? What type of group particularly benefits from this situation?
Economic groups offer members private (or individual) incentives that benefit them directly, which is a powerful reason to join the group. An example of a private good is a benefit that a labor union member obtains through the union. Citizens' groups offer collective goods (public goods), which are goods that all people share, such as a clean environment. The fact that such goods are available to nonmembers as well as members is a disincentive for many to participate. This situation, called the free-rider problem, can plague citizens' groups. Economic groups are less affected by the free-rider problem. Economic groups also have ready access to financial resources in the form of profits or dues, while citizens' groups typically have more trouble obtaining financial resources—though recent advances in computer-aided direct mail and Internet-based fundraising have improved the financing capabilities of many citizens' groups
Define economic groups. Identify four main types of economic interest groups and the constituencies they serve
Economic groups promote the economic interests of their members. The four types of economic groups are business, labor, farm, and professional groups. Business groups, which make up more than one-half of all lobbying groups in Washington, D.C., concentrate their activities on policies that are concerned with business, such as tax, tariff, and regulatory decisions. Business interests are also represented by associations such as the National Association of Manufacturers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Labor groups seek to promote policies that benefit workers in general and union members in particular. They have been politically active for a long time, and the AFL-CIO is the largest labor group. Farm groups represent various segments of the farm community; for example, the Farm Bureau promotes agribusiness and large farms, while the Farmers Union promotes the interests of smaller family farms. Professional groups, such as the American Medical Association, represent various professions and attempt to influence policy on their behalf.
Which of the following were arguments in favor of federalism at the time of the writing of the Constitution?
Federalism will protect liberty., Federalism will force officials to be more responsive to the people., Federalism will provide for a stronger national government than existed under the Articles of Confederation. Federalism will be less likely to produce an all-dominant faction..
A
Federalist No. 10 discusses the tendency to controling faction and "Liberty is to faction what air is to fire." Madison gives two methods of removing the causes of faction: a. destroy liberty; give all citizens the same opionons, passions, interests b. create a democracy; elect a prime minister c. establish a public school system; establish a healthcare system d. create endorse faction; appoint a faction leader e. none of these
Explain why the single-member district system of elections tends to promote a two-party system.
In a single-member district system, each constituency selects only one representative for an office on the basis of which candidate receives a plurality of the vote. This system promotes a two-party system in America. It discourages minor parties because it is, essentially, a winner-take-all contest. For example, if a minor party receives 20 percent of the vote in each congressional district, it would win no seats in Congress. Despite the fact that one in five voters voted for the minor party, the winning candidate in each district would be the major-party candidate with the larger proportion of the remaining 80 percent of the vote. In contrast, a system of proportional representation is not a winner-take-all contest. In European democracies, for example, seats in the legislature are allocated according to a party's share of the popular vote. This system encourages minor parties; if a minor party wins 20 percent of the vote by way of illustration, it receives 20 percent of the legislative seats. America's single-member district system disadvantages minor parties and, therefore, promotes a two-party system.
C
In an oligarchy, a. the state is run by corporate interests and companies instead of individuals. b. control rests with a small group of popularly elected individuals. c. control rests with a single individual, such as a dictator. d. control rests with a small group, such as military officers or a few wealthy families. e. the state controls all aspects of individuals' lives, including family relations and the practice of religion.
C
In practice, the most significant restraint imposed by Congress on the president is its a. ability to override presidential vetoes. b. power of impeachment. c. power to make the laws and appropriate money, for these determine the programs the executive can implement. d. power to approve presidential appointees. e. power to investigate presidential activities.
E
In the first section of Federalist Papers, several dangers are outlined if the United States continued under the Articles of Confederation EXCEPT: a. state of disunion b. from the arms and arts of foreign nations c. enumeration of the dangers d. war between the states e. failing to establish a coat of arms
Which of the following states has a voter identification card law?
Indiana
In the United States, the primary responsibility for registration of the individual voter rests with the
Individual.
As described in the text, "political thinking"
Involves the careful gathering and sifting of information in the process of forming a knowledgeable view about a political issue.
B
The Fourth Amendment protects Americans from a. any search conducted without a warrant. b. unreasonable searches. c. unreasonable searches conducted only by federal officers. d. all searches conducted by state officers. e. searches conducted only by local officers.
B
The Greek words demos and kratis together mean A. majority rule is sacred. B. the people rule. C. government is good. D. politics is immoral E. the king is good.
C
The Bill of Rights a. reduced the restrictiveness of constitutionalism. b.enhanced the powers of the executive. c.further checked the power of the majority. d.enhanced the majoritarian nature of government. e. restricted the power of corporate influence in the government.
A
The Bill of Rights added to the Constitution, among other things, a. a guarantee of freedom of speech. b. a division of governmental authority into three branches. c. checks and balances among the three branches of government. d. restrictions against the power of corporations to influence the election process. e. term limits for elected officials to reduce their power.
E
The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution a. by the framers during the Philadelphia convention. b. in stages, from 1789 to 1798. c. in response to the freeing of the slaves during the Civil War. d. in response to the ideals of Jacksonian democracy. e. None of these answers is correct.
D
The Constitution allows states to a. raise an army in peacetime. b. print money. c. make commercial agreements with other states without the consent of Congress. d. govern intrastate commerce. e. govern interstate commerce.
Which of the following is true of the appeal process?
The Constitution does not guarantee an appeal after conviction, but the federal government and all states permit at least one appeal.
B
The Constitution forbids Congress from a. proposing constitutional amendments. b. passing ex post facto laws. c. declaring war. d. proposing the repeal of constitutional amendments. e. creating a national university.
D
The Constitution prevents the government from suspending the writ of habeas corpus, meaning that the government cannot a. prosecute persons for acts that were legal at the time they were committed. b. establish a state religion based on Christian beliefs. c. enact laws that would legalize the practice of indentured servitude. d. jail a person without a court hearing to determine the legality of his or her imprisonment. e. silence freedom of the press.
In deciding two 2014 cases involving the legality of searching a suspect's cell phone, the Supreme Court ruled that
The cell phone cannot be searched, unless police believe that doing so could prevent a serious imminent crime, such as a terrorist attack.
The enumerated powers in Art. 1 of the constitution were intended to
establish a gov't strong enough to forge a union that was secure in its defense and stable in its economy
Explain how party coalitions in the U.S. reflect the nature of party competition. Does coalition formation tend to moderate or radicalize parties? Explain.
The overriding goal of a major American political party is to gain control of government by getting its candidates elected to office, which means that political compromise is essential. The major parties must appeal to different groups that may disagree on some issues; a reasonable amount of compromise is therefore necessary. The parties must also appeal to many of the same groups. The result is, in most circumstances though not all, a moderate form of political conflict in which the parties' coalitions overlap substantially in terms of the groups that comprise them.
Identify and discuss the frames of reference that Americans rely upon when forming their political opinions.
The text outlines three of the major frames of reference through which Americans form their political opinions. Party identification is the first, referring to a person's ingrained sense of loyalty to a political party. It often remains stable through adulthood, but can be influenced or changed by the issues or candidates of the moment. Political ideology is another major frame of reference, and refers to an individual's coherent set of political beliefs (if they have them). In the United States, this can be broadly broken down into groups such as economic or social liberals or conservatives, libertarians, or populists. A third broad frame of reference is group thinking, in which individuals see politics through the lens of a group affinity. There are many different kinds of groups, including those defined by religion, economic class, region, race and ethnicity, gender, and age.
D
The words of the Declaration of Independence reflected a. Aristotle's conception of democracy. b. Montesquieu's view of constitutionalism. c. Hobbes's idea of the state of nature. d. Locke's philosophy of inalienable rights. e. Madison's view of factions.
B
The writers of the Constitution justified different methods of selection and varying terms of office for the president, Senate, and House as a means of a. increasing popular influence. b. protection against rapid control by an impassioned majority. c. preventing elite control of government. d. maintaining experienced leadership. e. increasing voter turnout.
B
The writers of the Constitution used the term ________ to describe a form of government that consists of carefully designed institutions that are responsive to the majority but not captive to it. a. democracy b. republic c. federalism d. majoritarianism e. separation of power
Which of the following is true of letter writers and demonstrators?
Their opinions tend to be atypical of the population as whole.
How does the number of lawyers in the United States compare to those in Britain, Italy, or Germany, on a per capita basis?
There are twice as many lawyers in the United States
Which of the following is true of employment in lobbying firms by members of Congress?
They are prohibited by law from lobbying Congress for a set period of time after leaving office.
Should elections be held on weekends or perhaps as national holidays—why or why not?
This is an open-ended question. Conducting elections on weekends or as national holidays would make turnout easier, but would apathetic citizens change their behavior and vote, or would they ignore elections as usual? Also, making elections national holidays would have consequences for the national economy.
E
Through its Dred Scott decision, the Supreme Court a. ruled that "free land" made "free men." b. upheld free blacks' rights of citizenship. c. upheld the principles of the Missouri Compromise. d. soothed sectarian tensions. e. ruled that Congress could not outlaw slavery anywhere in the United States.
C
Through the grants of power in the Constitution, the framers sought to a. define the powers of state governments. b. create a government in which sovereignty was invested in the national government only. c. both empower government and limit it. d. enumerate the rights of individuals. e. abolish slavery.
Define unconventional activism and its aims, and provide historical examples; describe Americans' attitudes toward unconventional activism.
Unconventional activism is another name for social movements and protest politics. Social movements are usually channeled through conventional forms of participation, such as political lobbying, but citizens sometimes take to the streets in protest against government policies. Protest politics can threaten established authority, and occasionally provoke a violent response from government, as the Kent State shootings illustrate. Through demonstrations, picket lines, and marches, protesters dramatize their opposition to official policies. The abolitionist, labor, women's suffrage, and civil rights movements all used unconventional activism to varying degrees. In general, most Americans are not highly supportive of protest politics. Protest politics have undergone changes in recent years, and are now much more likely to be planned events involving detailed coordination to bring higher attention to a particular cause.
Which of the following is a difference between communism and socialism, as described by the text?
Under communism, the government assumes total management of the economy, whereas under socialism, the government does not try to manage the overall economy.
Beginning with the Articles of Confederation and continuing through the modern period, explain how the commerce power of the national government has related to the issue of national authority
Under the Articles, the national government had no effective control over commerce, which contributed to the economic problems that resulted in the writing of the Constitution. The Constitution gave the national government the power to regulate interstate commerce, thereby facilitating the development of the United States as a national entity. The Industrial Revolution created an unprecedented degree of national interdependence. Until the 1930s, however, the Supreme Court sharply limited national economic regulatory policies by ruling that commerce among the states included transportation but excluded areas related to production (such as the use of child labor). During the New Deal, however, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress's commerce power was as "broad as the needs of the nation," opening the constitutional path to a national economy regulated by policies made in Washington, D.C.
What was the constitutional basis for the Supreme Ct decision of McCulloch v. Maryland 1819
Under the doctrine of implied powers congress had the power to create a national bank because it was assigned the powers to tax borrow money and regulate interstate commerce under the condition and national law was supreme over conflicting state law
D
What new policy was established by the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Gideon v. Wainwright ruling? a. the right to trial by jury b. the need to charge an arrested suspect with a specific crime within 24 hours of arrest c. the requirement that police read a suspect his rights before or during arrest d. government provision of free legal counsel to the accused if they are too poor to hire a lawyer e. the practice of allowing a suspect out on bail until the time of the trial
C
What type of government suppresses individuality, forcing people to think and act in prescribed ways or risk punishment? a. communistic b. socialistic c. authoritarian d. egalitarian e. republican
From 1789 to 1865, the most significant issue of federalism was
Whether the states would accept the lawful authority of the national government.
E
Which Federalist Paper specifically discusses why the new Constitution omits a "Bill of Rights?" a. 29 b. 15 c. 4 d.24 e.84
C
Which decision is indicative of how the Supreme Court interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment and state discretion in civil rights matters in the decades after the Civil War? a. Brown v. Board of Education b. the Dred Scott decision c. Plessy v. Ferguson d. McCulloch v. Maryland e. Gibbons v. Ogden
D
Which of the following characterizes journalist Walter Lippmann's views on democracy? a. He felt that well-funded private interest groups and lobbyists had taken the true majoritarian power of democracy away from the voting public. b. He felt that modern democratic government had become an unhealthy, pluralistic enterprise. c. He believed that among forms of government, only democracy could provide a citizen with the ability to be a "progressive being." d. He worried that most citizens are too uninformed to play the role democracy assigns them. e. None of these answers is correct.
E
Which of the following has democracy come to mean in practice? a. pluralistic government through the combination of popularly elected representatives and the influence of interest groups b. oligarchic government through a legislature chosen through popular election c. elitist control through interest group politics d. pluralism through the election of representatives and the influence of corporate interests e. majority rule through the free and open election of representatives
B
Which of the following is a difference between communism and socialism, as described by the text? a. Under socialism, the government owns some firms, but under communism, the government does not own any major assets. b. Under communism, the government assumes total management of the economy, whereas under socialism, the government does not try to manage the overall economy. c. Under socialism, the economy operates mainly through private transactions, but under communism, the government owns a number of major industries and tries to provide for people's basic economic needs. d. Under communism, the government manages the economy completely but does not attempt to provide for people's basic needs; under socialism, the government does not manage the economy completely, but does attempt to provide for people's basic needs. e. Under socialism, the government owns more industries than a communist government, but provides less direct benefit for individuals' welfare.
8) What Constitutional Amendment changed the U.S. Constitution to always direct elections of senators by the people? a. 17th Amendment b. 19th Amendment c. 21st Amendment d. 23rd Amendment e. No correct answer
a. 17th Amendment
20) Under the U.S. Constitution, members of the U.S. House of Representatives have a ________ term, members of the U.S. Senate have a(n) ________ term, and the president has a ________ term. a. 2 years; 6 years, 4 years b. 2 years; 4 years; 6 years c. 4 years; 4 years; 4 years d. 2 years; 8 years; 4 years e. None of these answers is correct
a. 2 years; 6 years, 4 years
20. Which of the following is true of the Georgia law that required citizens without a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver's license or passport, to obtain a voter identification card, which would cost them twenty dollars and expire after five years? a. A federal judge invalidated Georgia's twenty-dollar fee requirement, but the photo ID requirement stood. b. The law currently stands as it was initially created. c. A federal judge struck down the entire law; a person may vote in Georgia without a government-issued photo ID. d. A federal court struck down the law, but Georgia appealed it and the Supreme Court upheld the law as created. e. The photo ID requirement has resulted in a substantial reduction in voter turnout in Georgia.
a. A federal judge invalidated Georgia's twenty-dollar fee requirement, but the photo ID requirement stood.
18. Congress authorized an official impeachment investigation of a. Andrew Johnson. b. John Quincy Adams. c. Theodore Roosevelt. d. Warren Harding. e. Calvin Coolidge.
a. Andrew Johnson.
11. The "Elastic Clause" is found in a. Article 1, Section 8 b. Article 1, Section 10 c. Article 2, Section 9 d. Article 3, Section 9 e. Article 4, Section 10
a. Article 1, Section 8
Which one of the following occurred after the Brown decision?
a. Civil Rights Act of 1964 b. Voting Rights Act of 1965 c. 1957 Little Rock riots d. "I have a dream" speech
13) Which of the following is a check on legislative power in the U.S. system? a. Congress can overturn a presidential veto with a 2/3 vote by both houses b. Congress can overturn a presidential veto with a ¾ vote by both houses. c. The president can appoint the Speaker of the House and the president of the Senate. d. For legislation to be passed, a majority in each chamber of Congress is required. e. Congress must appropriate funds that are to be used by the executive.
a. Congress can overturn a presidential veto with a 2/3 vote by both houses
11) ___________ is defined as power gained through elections to be exercised in accordance with law and with due respect for individual rights? a. Constitutional b. Democratic c. Republic d. All answers correct e. No correct answer
a. Constitutional
1) One area in which African Americans have made substantial progress since the 1960s is a. Elective office. b. in representation in the penal system. c. in treatment by the judicial system. d. in representation in the penal and judicial systems. e. None of these answers is correct.
a. Elective office.
4) The idea for the US Senate was created from the _________ Plan a. New Jersey b. Virginia c. Georgia d. Maine e. South Carolina
a. New Jersey
15. Which of the following statements is true? a. Objective journalism is based on communication of facts and fairness. b. Yellow journalism attempts to describe what is taking place or has occurred. c. The New York Post is the bulletin board of major newspapers. d. Objective journalism is based on communication of facts and fairness, while yellow journalism attempts to describe what is taking place or has occurred. e. None of these answers is correct.
a. Objective journalism is based on communication of facts and fairness.
19. Which of the following is correct with regard to obscenity and the law? a. Obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment. b. Obscenity is never unlawful. c. Child pornography is protected by the First Amendment. d. Obscenity has been easy for courts to define with precision. e. Obscenity is protected under the Ninth Amendment.
a. Obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment.
Which of the following is true about public opinion polling?
a. Polls are the most relied-upon method of measuring public opinion. b. Polls can be erroneous at times. c. Most large news organizations have their own in-house polls. d. The Gallup pollsters have correctly predicted the winner of presidential elections most of the time since 1936.
Which of the following is true?
a. Public schools are becoming more segregated nationally. b. Many urban public school districts have ended the use of busing for desegregation purposes. c. White flight to suburban schools has made it more difficult to desegregate urban schools. d. The Supreme Court, after ordering cutbacks in busing, said that communities were free to use alternatives, such as increased spending on schools in poor neighborhoods.
16. Most members of Congress are a. concerned with national issues, but even more concerned with local ones. b. controlled by special interest groups. c. interested only in the work of the subcommittee on which they serve. d. opposed to the seniority system. e. more interested in oversight than in making laws.
a. concerned with national issues, but even more concerned with local ones.
5. When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, the differences are resolved by a a. conference committee. b. standing committee. c. select committee. d. rules committee. e. joint committee.
a. conference committee.
5. What was the public response to the economic stimulus bill that Barack Obama and the Democratic Congress enacted in early 2009? a. Some 70 percent of the public believed the bill was essential, though there was worry, as a secondary concern, about the scale of the spending. b. The public's primary concern was about the scale of the spending, but the public still supported the need for a stimulus bill by a margin of two to one. c. The public was evenly split on the need for a stimulus bill, reflecting deep political divisions on the nature of the federal role in regulating the economy. d. Most Americans did not believe the stimulus bill was "critically important" or "important" to the nation's recovery from the economic crisis. e. Nearly two-thirds of the public opposed the passage of any form of economic stimulus bill, even though the vast majority worried about how the U.S. would recover from the economic crisis.
a. Some 70 percent of the public believed the bill was essential, though there was worry, as a secondary concern, about the scale of the spending.
13. Yellow journalism contributed to public support for the a. Spanish-American War. b. Civil War. c. War of 1812. d. Mexican War of 1848. e. American Revolution.
a. Spanish-American War.
In late 2014, President Obama ordered bombing raids against a radical Sunni group that had seized large parts of territory in
a. Syria and Iraq.
17) How many lawyers does the United States have in comparison to Britain, Germany, and Italy? a. The U.S. has twice as many lawyers on a per capita basis. b. The U.S. has roughly the same amount of lawyers on a per capita basis. c. The U.S. has roughly twice as many lawyers, in terms of total numbers. d. The U.S. has roughly five times as many lawyers on a per capita basis. e. The U.S. has roughly half as many lawyers on a per capita basis.
a. The U.S. has twice as many lawyers on a per capita basis.
15. Which of the following is correct about environmental policy? a. The national parks are subject to a dual use policy of preservation, recreation, and exploitation of the rich natural resources. b. The Environmental Protection Agency was elevated to cabinet status in 1998 by President Clinton and the Republican Congress. c. Environmental regulation has done little to improve air and water quality. d. Policymakers always give more consideration to environmental protection than to economic development when the two conflict. e. None of these answers is correct.
a. The national parks are subject to a dual use policy of preservation, recreation, and exploitation of the rich natural resources.
20. What did the Supreme Court rule about executive agreements in 1937? a. They are legally binding in the same way that treaties are. b. They can only be issued in matters of national security. c. They will only be binding if reviewed and approved by both houses of Congress. d. They can only be made with the approval of a president's entire cabinet. e. They were ruled unconstitutional and are no longer used by the executive.
a. They are legally binding in the same way that treaties are.
14. Legally, the bureaucracy derives general authority for its programs from a. acts of Congress. b. federalism. c. regulatory rulings. d. court rulings. e. the will of the people.
a. acts of Congress.
Voting
a. allows elected officials to claim that their policies reflect the will of the people. b. provides citizens with a regular way to express themselves. c. is the most widespread form of political participation. d. is both a means by which government controls the people and a means by which the people control government.
When an individual believes that he or she was improperly disadvantaged by a bureaucrat's decision and contests the decision, the dispute is usually handled by
a. an administrative law judge.
19. An amicus curiae ("friend of the court") brief provides a court with the view held by a. an interest that is not a direct party to the case. b. the Justice Department. c. the House and Senate judiciary committees. d. the American Bar Association. e. the solicitor general.
a. an interest that is not a direct party to the case.
9. The modern Congress is different from the nineteenth century Congress in that most members a. are now professional politicians who want to stay in Congress. b. are now amateur politicians who want only to spend a short time in Congress. c. are now minorities or women. d. now have previously been governors of their home states. e. return to their respective state legislatures after their congressional service is over.
a. are now professional politicians who want to stay in Congress.
9. The administrative concept of neutral competence holds that the bureaucracy should a. be staffed by people chosen on the basis of ability and do its work fairly on behalf of all citizens. b. stay out of conflicts between Congress and the president. c. be structured on the basis of the principles of specialization, hierarchy, and formal rules. d. not allow in-fighting between agencies. e. be staffed by partisan presidents.
a. be staffed by people chosen on the basis of ability and do its work fairly on behalf of all citizens.
7. In Bush v. Gore (2000), the Supreme Court a. blocked a manual recount of the Florida presidential vote. b. declined to get involved in the electoral process. c. cast a unanimous vote. d. deferred to the Florida Supreme Court in the election dispute between the two major party candidates. e. decided that there was no federal question in the dispute.
a. blocked a manual recount of the Florida presidential vote.
19. Most of the work on legislation in Congress is done a. by committees and their respective subcommittees. b. on the floor of the House and Senate. c. by conference committees. d. by the president. e. by bureaucratic agencies.
a. by committees and their respective subcommittees.
7. Policy implementation refers to the bureaucratic function of a. carrying out decisions made by Congress, the president, and the courts. b. regulating the distribution of funds to individuals and corporations. c. delegating legislative authority to smaller operating units of the bureaucracy. d. both regulating the distribution of funds to individuals and corporations, and delegating legislative authority to smaller operating units of the bureaucracy. e. None of these answers is correct.
a. carrying out decisions made by Congress, the president, and the courts.
10) How have changes in modern communication affected political thinking in the United States? a. Increases in access to new forms of media have increased public awareness of news issues and increased political thinking across a wider segment of the population. b. They have provided a more in-depth and varied analysis of public policy issues, which increases political thinking among those that self-inform. c. They have resulted in better fact-checking and more transparent news gathering, which results in more objective reporting and an increase in political thinking. d. They have resulted in a drop in political thinking among some, and a rise among others, based on increased access to new forms of media only among the wealthier economic groups. e. The extreme bias and popularity of new forms of media such as cable news networks and Internet blogs have led to a rise in faulty perceptions and thus a decrease in political thinking.
e. The extreme bias and popularity of new forms of media such as cable news networks and Internet blogs have led to a rise in faulty perceptions and thus a decrease in political thinking.
a. Congress had insufficient funds to build a navy or hire an army b. Each of the thirteen states had one vote in Congress, and the agreement of nine states was required to pass legislation. c. Amendments could be added only by unanimous approval of the states. d. Congress was overshadowed by the president. e. The states did not have the power to raise their own taxes.
e. The states did not have the power to raise their own taxes.
18. Which of the following encourages the two major parties to build broad coalitions? a. the need to raise campaign funds b. the need to have policy "wiggle-room" once elected into power c. the desire to avoid their policy preferences becoming hijacked by extreme elements d. fear of demonization by the press e. the two-party system and the need to gain a plurality.
e. the two-party system and the need to gain a plurality.
How long do federal judges serve?
e. until they retire, die, or are removed through the impeachment and conviction process
The most fully organized interests are those that have which of the following as their primary purpose?
economic activity
Journalist Walter Lippmann suggested that
effective government cannot be run by politicians that base their public opinions on poll results.
one area in which African Americans have made substantial progress since the '60s is
elective offices
The merit plan applies to ________ in the ________ court system.
selection of judges; state
The inclusion of certain provisions of the Bill of Rights in the Fourteenth Amendment, so that these rights are protected from infringements by the state governments, is called
selective incorporation.
The idea that ordinary people have a right and a duty to participate in public affairs is the essential component of the ideal of
self-government
In her book Young v. Old, political scientist Susan MacManus notes that
senior citizens tend to oppose increases in public school funding.
On-the-scene coverage of a natural disaster is an example of the press's role of
signaler
Agenda-setting is an action that falls under which of the major roles played by the press?
signaling
Which of the following represents the greatest blow to the organizational strength of U.S. parties?
the direct primary
The yellow journalism of the late nineteenth century was characterized by
the emphasis on sensationalism as a way of selling newspapers.
To what aspect of America were William Watts and Lloyd Free referring when they labeled it "the country of individualism par excellence"?
the emphasis that Americans place on economic self-reliance and free markets
The major reason for the persistence of the American two-party system is
the existence of single-member election districts.
Fiscal federalism refers to
the expenditure of federal funds on programs run in part through state and local governments.
Which of the following is a major limit on majoritarianism in the United States?
the fact that most of the public pays attention to only a small number of issues
the document explaining the ideas of the constitution and urging the ratification is
the federalist papers
13. The honeymoon period occurs during
the first part of a president's term.
The situation in which individuals are tempted not to contribute to a cause because they will get the benefits even if they do not participate is called
the free rider program
According to the Supreme Court, prior restraint on the press is only acceptable if
the government can clearly justify the restriction.
the "no child left behind" act
was part of the end and reversal of the devolution movement
The No Child Left Behind Act
was part of the end, and reversal of, the devolution movement.
In his book, Losing Ground, Charles Murray argues that
welfare programs create a foundation for a permanent underclass of unproductive people
The Great Depression brought about a transfer of loyalties by many to the Democratic Party as led by Roosevelt, especially among
young voters
