Federal govt Final
E.E. Schattschneider observed in 1942 that____?
"Democracy is unthinkable save in terms of the parties"
Our legislative branch consists of two chambers: US House of Representatives and the US Senate. The arrangement is referred to as?
The system of checks and balances
"White flight" to the suburbs is an example of ____?
De facto discrimination
The result of the Annapolis Convention in September 1786 was?
A call to all 13 states to attend a convention in Philidelphia in the following may.
A confederation can be described as a system in which?
A league of independence states unite to schieve certain goals
The core principle of the Virginia Plans were?
A seperation of powers model of government with a strong bicameral legislature.
"Marble Cake Federalism" is?
A system in which state and federal authority is interwined in an inseparable mixture
What was the significance of Shay's Rebellion in Massachusetts in early 1787?
A weak and unresponsive federal government carried with it the danger of violence and disorder.
What is a political party?
An organization that seeks to win election for purpose of influencing the outputs of government
When the U.S. Supreme Court interprets and makes a ruling concerning a question involving the U.S. Constitution,____________?
Any state legislature or state court must also abide by thee interpretation of the U.S. constitution by the Supreme Court
How is the number of US Senators from each state determined?
Arrival 1 requires that there be two senators from each state
In which of the following cases did the Supreme Court confirm that the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government?
Barron v. Baltimore
What was the significant ruling of the Supreme Court in McCulloch v. Maryland im 1819?
Based on the mecessary and proper clause of the U.S. Constitution, Congress has broad powers and was justified in using those powers when excercising the national governments expressly delegated powers
In the 1857 Supreme Court landmark ruling in Dred Scott v Sandford, Chief Justice Roger Tancey wrote that _________?
Blacks were "so far inferior that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect".
Under the Articles of Confederation, the office of a chief executive as president of the United States?
Did not exist.
How does the term civil liberties differ from the term civil rights?
Civil liberties protect against government limiting our rights, whereas civil rights protect equal treatment under the law.
When the US Senate entered into endless debate as a procedural Tactic to block a vote on the senate floor, other senators may call for an_____________vote, which immediately ends debate and forces a vote on the issue
Cloture
In the two chamber congress, both chambers vote individually on bills, and often the votes of the two chambers disagree. To reach consensus, the two chambers create which type of committee
Conference committee
History has shown that ethnis and racial diversity in our nation has?
Enahnced the quality of our culture and helped guarentee the fairness of the government.
The U.S. Constitution allows some powers while denying others. Such explicity stated powers are referred to as?
Enumerated powers
Retrospective voting posits that?
Evaluation of an incumbents past performance in office provides important cues for voters in deciding whether to vote for that candidate
The passage if the National Minimum Drinking Age Amendment is a(n)?
Example of a coercive burden on states that rely on federal funding
A political system in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political subunits, is referred to as?
Federal system
Which statement best describes the Three-Fifths Compromise?
Five slaves would count as the equivalent of three "free persons" for purpose of taxes and representation.
Those individuals and/or business that do not join or contribute to an interest group, but that enjoy the benefits gained by interest groups, are referred to as ______?
Free riders
Historically, what has been the effect on civil liberties in the US during times of war?
Free speech liberties have been reduced during times of war
What is democracy?
Government in which the people, either directly or through elected representatives, hold power and authority.
Based on the new standard for free speech created by the Courts in Bradenburg v Ohio (1969)
Government must show that the speech is directed at inciting a lawless action, that there is an imminent threat that the speech will result in an illegal act, and that the speech is likely to result in producing a lawless action
Committees in congress?
Hold hearings and conduct investigations, offer modifications and addition to bills, and review the operations of federal agencies
The US Constitution allows for removal of the president by the process of
Impeachment
Americans often hear the metaphor of a "wall of separation between church and state" when referring to the First Amendment's right to freedom of religion. This metaphor is most attributed to which of the following?
In 1802 by President Thomas Jefferson, based in part on his fear of a national and official church
What are ways of motivating people to vote?
Individuals interest in politics, sense of civic duty, social group pressure, perception that an individuals vote can have an impact on an election
An organization of people with shared goals that tries to influence public policy through a variety of activities is called a(n) ______?
Interest groups
Since the 1970s, the supreme court has applied which standard to sex discrimination cases?
Intermediate scrutiny
What does the US Constitution say about political parties?
It makes no mention of parties
One of the most important reason for the strenght and endurance of the U.S. Constitution is?
Its declaration that the power of government is supreme.
The most effective complaint raised by the Anti-Federalists against the proposed Constitution in 1788 was?
Its lack if a bill of rights to protect individuals against abuses by the goverment
Which term applied to the variety of laws enacted by state and local governments across the South in the late 1800s and early 1900s that require and enforced racial segregation?
Jim Crow laws
Cranking privilege allows incumbent members of congress to___?
Mail material to constituents without paying for postage.
The US Supreme Court's requirement that an individual who is arrested must be read a statement that explains the person's right to remain silent and the right to an attorney is called?
Miranda warning
Which of the following is an example of using organized protest, by a refusal to use certain goods, to advance civil rights?
Montgomery bus boycott
With the original constitution completed om September 17, 1787, how many states were needed to ratify the new governmental structure in order for it to become operative?
Nine
The phase of the presidential election process in which the political party select candidates to run against other party candidates is called the??
Nomination phase
Which term refers to a document? Or official statement, that outlines the political party's position on important policy issues?
Party platform
As a means of financing political campaigns, interest groups have formed _____?
Political action committees (PACs)
The struggle for civil rights in the US has been for purposes of achieving which of the following concepts of equality?
Political, social, economic
According to Harold Lasswell, the process of determining "who gets what, when and how", is referred to as?
Politics
In his first term several of President Franklin Roosevelts New Deal reform were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court as an overreach of federal powers. What was the response of President Roosevelt to these court rulings?
President Roosevelt devised a "court-packing plan" that would increase the number of justices and allows him to appoint them
After FDR, which president excelled as a "great communicator" by speaking directly to the American people?
Reagan
An election that results in a clear shifting of voter preferences from one party to another, or that clearly solidifies a party's unity, is referred to as a??
Realigning, or critical, election
What accurately describes and indirect democracy?
Regular elections allow voters to choose representatives
The Great Compromise ( Connecticut Compromise) of the constitutional convention of 1787 created a teo chamber legislature with?
Representation in one chamber determined by population of the state and in the other chamber by equal representation.
In the U.S. Constitution, powers that ate not delegated to Congress but ate retained by the state governments are called?
Reserved
Concerning slavery, the new U.S. constitution?
Said nothing about either preserving or outlawing slavery.
Griswold v Connecticut held ______?
That several provisions of the Bill of Rights in conjunction with the fourteenth amendment create a "zone of privacy"
In the decades immediately following the close of world war 2 and extending into the 1980s, the most dominant theme faced by United State presidents in the foreign policy arena was
The Cold War with its expansion of communism
In the twentieth century, the Supreme Court became increasingly more willing to protect individuals against intrusive state actions. What instrument gave the Supreme Court this authority?
The Fourteenth Amendment, which guaranteed due process of law by the states
According to James Madison, which institution would have "an immediate dependence on, and an intimate sympathy with, "the people"
The House only
A governemt is viewed as legitimate when?
The affected people recognizes the government and allowed it to excercise control over them.
In the presidential election process, what is meant by the so called unit rule?
The candidate who receives the most popular vote in a state will receive all the electoral votes from that state.
Devolution is a term that is ised to describe a system of federalism in which?
The central government voluntarily transfers powers to state and local governments
In presidential election the winner is often a strong enough candidate that his success has positive results for his party all the way to the various state and local races. This phenomena is called?
The coattail effect
The process of gerrymandering refers to?
The drawing of congressional district boundaries to favor a particular political party or group
The speaker of the House is selected by?
The elected members of the house
Which of the following best explains the increase in the number of interest groups during the twentieth century?
The expansion of government
Since 1986 the American political scene had witnessed a slow but steady shift in political party affiliation, especially in the south. What is occurring?
The historically solid Democratic stronghold in the south has reverted to a strong Republican territory
What effect have televised presidential debates had on election outcomes?
The impact of the debate is unclear
As a result of the Federalist Party becoming virtually extinct after election of 1820??
The lack of competition caused fragmenting within the democratic-republican party
Which ways do parties organize the legislative process?
The majority party will have greater control over the institution, and therefore, more influence over public policy.
The number of electoral votes from each state is determined by?
The number of seats each star has in congress
What is a lessom to be learned from the 2012 presidential election?
The power of incumbency
How did the US Supreme Court eventually aid the advancement of civil rights for african americans in the 1950s and the 1960s?
The supreme court utilized a standard of strict scrutiny, which may invalidate a state or federal statute if that statute is found by the court to be contradictory to the US constitution.
In 1990, the US Supreme Court ruling Employment Division v Smith established what important precedent concerning freedom of religion?
The ruling required state government only to establish a "legitimate state interest" in restricting religious freedoms.
What is meant by the term battleground state?
The state is not reliably Democrat or Republican; either party has a chance of winning in the presidential election
In his Federalist No. 10 in 1787, James Madison expressed what opinion?
They were necessary toward achieving good governance.
What is not true of the framers of the U.S. Constitution?
They were only concerned with problems immediately facing the new nation.
On behalf of the continental congress, the actual wording of the Declaration of Independence was written by?
Thomas Jefferson
Throughout history which of the following has been true regarding American frderalism?
Through several eras the pendulum has tended to swing between preferences for state versus federal powers and prerogatives
What was the purpose the congress originally called for the philidelphia Convention?
To draft amendments to the Articles of Confederation.
What was the practical purpose for publication of The Federalist essays in 1788?
To explain and defend the new Constitution and to urge its ratification
What is the primary purpose of the national party conventions that are held in the summer prior to the presidential election?
To showcase the party's presidential candidate and garner momentum for the upcoming election
In 1896 the Supreme Court addressed segregation and racial discrimination in the case of plessey V Ferguson. What Precedent was established by the ruling in this case?
Under the doctrine of "separate but equal" segregation was constitutional.
The underlying concept of the principle of the separation of powers is that?
When legislatice, judicial, and executive power are not excercised by the same institution, power cannot be so easily abused.
Both chambers of congress, and both majority and minority parties in the chambers, choose a member who has the responsibility to keep track of how party members are planning to vote on upcoming legislation and to work with the party members to keep the party in unison. This party leadership position is called???
Whip
Public supports for interest groups is varied. James Madison argued that interest groups ______?
are good for society because they give citizens alternative methods of influencing government
Who makes the determination that a particular action or law is in violation of the free exercise clause of the First Amendment?
the US Supreme Court
Segregation in reality, as it is sometimes called, is referred to as ____?
de facto segregation
Groups that exist to promote favorable economic conditions and economic opportunities for their members, are referred to as _________ groups.
economic interests
Unlike political parties, interest groups ______?
focus narrowly on special issues or sets of issues, appeal to those whose special interests are advocated by the group and do not try to appeal to as many individuals as possible.
Lawrence v Texas (2003) was one of the biggest court victories for ______?
homosexuals
Interest groups preform which of the following functions?
interest groups do all of the these functions
These sets of actors interact to produce policy: congressional committees, executive agencies of government, and private interest groups. this grouping of actors and interests is referred to as the ______?
iron triangle
The "compelling state interest" test is a standard that ____?
is the determined by the court, requires government to show a program would be a significant undermined by providing religious exemptions, and was replaced in 1990 by the Smith case
Which of the following types of interest groups promote the interests of American worker?
labor unions
Which term is used to describe how interest groups go about influencing government officials?
lobbying
Which theory says that public policy largely results from a variety of interests groups competing with one another to promote laws that benefit members of their respective groups?
pluralism
noneconomic interest groups that exist to promote the broad, collective good of citizens and consumers are called _____?
public interest groups
The Supreme Court has held state government accountable to protections in the Bill of Rights, by a process referred to as _____?
selective incorporation
What are some advantages of federal system government that supports of federalism cite?
the ability to accommodate the needs of a diverse citizenry, to strengthen liberty by dividing poets among various levels of government, to encourage experimentation (states as laboratories of democracy), and to respond to change
The underlying goal of protesters who use civil disobedience as a tactic is to ________?
use passive resistance to disobey what they believe to be an unjust law and to bring attention to a cause
