Pols 2305
True or false: Party loyalty is stronger in the Senate than in the House.
False
If your employer fails to pay you the wages you have earned, what kind of case would you have against him or her?
A civil case.
What is the minimum number of votes a state can have in the Electoral College?
3.
You have been arrested because an officer caught you giving alcohol to a minor.A prosecutor from the District Attorney's office is bringing charges against you. What kind of case do you have?
A criminal case
You have been arrested because an officer caught you giving alcohol to a minor. A prosecutor from the District Attorney's office is bringing charges against you. What kind of case do you have?
A criminal case.
Where do the major media companies get most of their money from?
Advertisers
Some claim that lowering taxes on corporations would not lead them to hire more people and/or increase pay levels. What evidence might they use to support that claim?
After-tax corporate profits as a percentage of GDP are currently at their highest levels in history, but wages as a percentage of GDP are at their lowest levels
In what way (or ways) does the Supreme Court protect the rights of individuals when it considers a case?
All of the above
Which of the following best describes the Supreme Court's role with respect to social change?
All of the above.
Which of the following is a way the Congress can limit the power of the President?
All of the above.
Which of the following is an important function of Congressional committees?
All of the above.
"Nullification" is the idea that states can declare that a Federal law violates the Constitution and, on that basis, refuse to enforce it. Which of the following statements is (or are) true about nullification: D
All of these answers are correct.
Which of the following is a reason for the federal government becoming larger and more powerful since the founding of the country?
As private companies grew -- first growing to operate in multiple states, and now in multiple countries -- it turned out that only the federal government was was strong enough to regulate their activities to protect the public.
True or false: With respect to the relationship between Congress and the President, over the past 60 years, America has had more years of unified government than divided government.
False
Who represents Cameron County in the US House of Representatives (Texas Dist. 34)?
Filemon Vela
In what way does the Electoral College affect presidential elections?
Because the distribution of electoral college votes gives a bonus to small states at the expense of large states, voters in small states have a greater influence on the outcome of the election than they would have if the election was just based on the popular vote.
When trying to determine what the public's opinion on a subject such as their preferences in an upcoming election or on the President's performance, the people who conduct public opinion polls:
Call random people on the phone, hoping that if they talk with enough people they will get a representative sample of Americans, and, thereby, an accurate reflection of what people think.
What are "iron triangles"?
Close relationships between committee members, the federal agencies they oversee, and industry lobbyists, that tend to produce policies that benefit special interests at the expense of the public interest.
Which of the following is a consequence of greater partisanship in Congress?
Compromise becomes more difficult and both parties become more concerned with gaining and holding power than with solving problems and addressing the needs of the people.
Which of the following is an advantage of the committee system in Congress, in the sense that it helps to ensure that the government functions in the best interests of the people?
Congress members who are on a particular committee for a long time are able to gain expertise in that particular area (although political considerations may sometimes get in the way of this)
According to the principle of precedent, when a court considers a case, it must:
Consider how other courts have ruled on similar cases, to make sure their decision is consistent with them.
True or false: The Supreme Court can overturn, or invalidate, federal legislation, but it cannot affect legislation passed by a state legislature.
F
What is the difference between federal spending for social programs and direct federal spending? C
Direct federal spending goes directly to individuals or companies (such as federal employees or contractors), while social spending is provided to the states, who implement programs
The largest number of federal court cases are heard by:
District courts
True or false: The Supreme Court must take every case brought before it.
F
True or false: One of the ways Walmart contributes to strong local economies is by giving their employees good wages and benefits
FFF
There are 538 votes in the Electoral College. Where does that number come from?
Each state has as many votes as they have members in the two houses of Congress, plus Washington D.C. gets three votes.
Which of the following is a reason why economic conservatives and social conservatives might disagree with one another?
Economic conservatives want the government to be as small as possible, while social conservatives want a strong government to enforce a particular moral perspective.
When speaking about equality, conservatives usually mean:
Equality of opportunity
Which of the following pertains to White House secrecy?
Executive privilege
The people whom the president nominates to the Supreme Court are
Expected to share the president's political views
The War Powers Resolution of 1973
Has had little impact on presidents' use of force
The War Powers Resolution of 1973 :
Has had little impact on presidents' use of force
With respect to national security, the president has substantial power over how the nation's military forces are used, but the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. Historically, presidents:
Have engaged American forces in armed conflict without congressional approval
Mr. Jones has been convicted by a jury of a crime in District Court, but he insists that he is innocent. What can he do?
He can appeal his conviction, but he needs to identify some error in procedure by the trial court--for example, if his rights were violated in some way by a ruling made by the trial court, the jury was biased against him, or his attorney was incompetent.
The Obama Administration's Race to the Top program, in which states were invited to participate in a competition for funds in which they presented their plans for improving educational performance, is an example of which form of federalism?
Hybrid federalism.
How does a state get to be a "safe state" in a presidential election?
In state-wide elections, either Republicans or Democrats usually win by a wide margin
Which of the following helps to explain why Congress--especially the House of Representatives--has become more partisan in recent year
Increasing concentration of power by the Speaker of the House, especially in deciding who will get the important job of committee chair, has increased the importance of party loyalty.
The six children of Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, have more wealth between them than the total wealth held by 50 million of their fellow Americans. They became wealthy by:
Inheriting ownership stakes in Walmart after their father passed away
What does the filibuster do?
It enables the minority party in the Senate to prevent legislation they don't want to pass from getting a vote. This can effectively prevent Congress from passing that legislation.
How has inequality changed over the past 50 years?
It has increased significantly.
The U.S. has a federal system of government. What does this mean? B
It is a collection, or federation, of semi-independent states, each of which has their own government.
How does the level of poverty in the U.S. compare to that of other advanced countries?
It is significantly higher
What does it mean that the 14th Amendment "incorporates" the Bill of Rights into the states? C
It means that the states have to respect the civil rights granted under the Bill of Rights to everyone in their states.
Which of the following was used by the Founders to justify the Electoral College?
It would make it difficult for an unqualified person who was nonetheless very popular from getting elected president
The current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is:
John Roberts
With respect to civil rights, which of the following statements is true?
Liberals tend to believe that racism is still a problem, and that government remedies are necessary to address the history of racial discrimination in this country
The growth in White House staff:
Means that, more and more, presidents are shielded from political reality outside the White House, surrounded by people with a kind of "bunker menta
If you are unhappy with the tremendous political power exerted by big banks (like Wells Fargo or Citibank), what can you do?
Move your money and financial services business into a member-owned credit union or a local community ban
Match up the names to their position (note: all must be correct in order to get credit).
Paul Ryan (R-OH)Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) House Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)a a.Senate Majority Leader
Two particular groups (16-34 year-old white males and older, white suburban couples) are the main target audiences for the media. Which of the following is a consequence of this?
Producers of show need to be careful not to challenge the way they see the world, meaning, for example, that stereotypes about racial and ethnic minorities will tend to be reinforced rather than challenged
The Constitution requires that all legislation of which type must originate in the House of Representatives:
Revenue bills
Which of the following is the most powerful and visible congressional leadership position?
Speaker of the House
Presidents often rely for advice on White House staff members rather than members of the Cabinet. Which of the following might help explain this?
Staff members answer only to the president and, thanks to executive privilege, their discussions can be kept secret.
True or false: Issues of inequality have to do not with the size of the pie (how big it is altogether), but the way it gets divided (the relative sizes of the pieces).
T
True or false: Economic conservatives believe that government should not interfere in the activities of private businesses.
TRUE
True or false: Traditionally, most of the work of crafting legislation has been done in committees.
TRUE
Power has become increasingly concentrated in the leadership, especially in the House of Representatives. What is one of the consequences of this?
The House has become more partisan.
When a bill is being debated in the Senate, what needs to happen so that the bill can be voted on?
The Senate must approve a vote for cloture, which requires a 3/5 majortiy (60 senators) to end debate and allow a vote.
What is the "Hastert Rule"?
The Speaker of the House will not bring a vote to the floor for a vote unless it can pass on a purely partisan vote (i.e., only with Republican or Democratic votes)
America is #1!! Which of the following is true?
The US has the highest rates of poverty, and the highest rates of children in poverty, of all economically advanced countries.
Presidents can have the most influence over the court system through:
The appointment of judges (subject to Senate confirmation)
From 1980 to 2006, the ratio between the average annual income of the top 0.01% and of the bottom 90% increased from 180:1 to 976:1. What helps to explain this increase
The difference between CEO pay and the average employee's salary in large companies increased substantially.
How do the Senate rules give substantial power to the minority party, such that they can block legislation they don't want passed?
The fact that a 3/5 majority of the Senate (60 votes out of 100) is required to approve a cloture motion to end debate and allow a vote.
Presidents have taken a strong interest in federal district court nominations because
The fact that there are more judges at this level means they have more opportunities to appoint district court judges, so they can have the biggest impact on the ideological direction of the federal courts at this level
Which of the following is a fundamental principle of the American justice system, which reflects both popular and elite democratic ideals.
The idea that everyone is equal before th
Which of the following is NOT a factor that limits a president's control over the bureaucracy?
The inability of presidents to properly screen their appointees
Which of the following is an example of an enumerated power or responsibility?
The power to print money.
Which of the following is true with respect to the president's ability to affect the economy?
The president has limited power on his own. To be effective, he needs to get cooperation from corporate leaders, Congress and other political institutions.
Which of the following is a position that social conservatives would agree with?
The state should ban certain activities they think are immoral, such as gay marriage and abortion.
Why are the states sometimes called "laboratories of democracy"? D
The states can take different approaches to similar problems. In a sense, the states can experiment with different ways of solving problems, and learn from each other about what works best.
How did Dual Federalism collapse in the Great Depression?
The states proved themselves incapable of addressing the problems of economic failure. Only the federal government had the ability and resources necessary to address the problems of widespread unemployment and lack of social support
On a number of occasions, I have noted that the responses to surveys of the class on various topics are contradictory -- for example, where students say the president is too powerful in answer to one question, but not powerful enough in answer to another question. What does this demonstrate?
The way a question is worded can make a big difference in how people respond to it.
Which of the following is a way that corporations can have an effect on politics:
They can create advertising campaigns to influence the public on issues they care about (for example, oil and gas exploration), and donate money to support candidates for office.
How can lobbyists for special interests (such as major industries or large corporations) affect the legislative process?
They draft legislation, which they give to friendly legislators, who then introduce them and provide the lobbyists with opportunities to sell their proposals.
Which of the following helps to explain the level of political influence held by people in poverty?
They have no money to donate to political campaigns and they are less likely to vote than other demographic groups, so they have little political influence.
President Trump often makes comments about "fake news." Why might he do this?
To denigrate media reports that make him look bad
Which of the following statements is true?
When Walmart comes into a community, average wages and the overall standard of living go down
Which of the following does NOT reflect the elite character of the Presidency?
When he travels around the country holding public events to gain support for his proposals
Which of the following is a reason for executive privilege?
When the President gets advice from people about what to do, those people need to feel that they can speak freely, even if what they have to say might be unpopular, without fear that people will find out. Also, Presidents need to be able to discuss political strategy without their opponents finding out what it is.
Presidential candidates make lots of promises--for example, Donald Trump promises to "build a wall" along the border with Mexico, and Hilary Clinton promises to make college free for people of modest incomes. What factors affect their ability to actually fulfill those promises?
Whether they can get support from Congress, which must pass legislation to enable them to do it.
Most Americans agree on which of the following:
all of the above
Which of the following is a way that wealthy individuals have an advantage when it comes to participating in politics?
all of the above
For popular democrats, public opinion is a fundamental element of the political system. This requires that people:
be well-educated and have access to information
How can lobbyists for special interests (such as major industries or large corporations) affect the legislative process?
hey draft legislation, which they give to friendly legislators, who then introduce them and provide the lobbyists with opportunities to sell their proposals.
How does poll aggregation improve the accuracy of public opinion surveys?
it effectively increases the number of people surveyed and reduces the chances that the results have been skewed by bias in the questions or survey methodology.
In comparison to other economically advanced countries, the distribution of wealth and income in the U.S. is:
more unequal
Someone nominated by the President to be a federal court judge . . .
must be confirmed by the Senate. The cloture rule only applies to Supreme Court justices, which means that they must achieve a supermajority of 60 votes in order to get confirmed.
