Gov final
"In every free government, the people must give their assent to the laws by which they are governed. This is the true criterion between a free government and an arbitrary one. The former are ruled by the will of the whole, expressed in any manner they may agree upon; the latter by the will of one, or a few. If the people are to give their assent to the laws, by persons chosen and appointed by them, the manner of the choice and the number chosen, must be such, as to possess, be disposed, and consequently qualified to declare the sentiments of the people; for if they do not know, or are not disposed to speak the sentiments of the people, the people do not govern, but the sovereignty is in a few. Now, in a large extended country, it is impossible to have a representation, possessing the sentiments, and of integrity, to declare the minds of the people, without having it so numerous and unwieldy, as to be subject in great measure to the inconveniency of a democratic government...." Brutus 1 Which of the following excerpts from the passage best describes the author's reason for opposing an expansion of the scope of the federal government?
"... [I]t is impossible to have a representation, possessing the sentiments, and of integrity, to declare the minds of the people, without having it so numerous and unwieldy, as to be subject in great measure to the inconveniency of a democratic government."
The crucial phrase of the constitutional amendment that allows federal judges to rule upon criminal procedures in the states is
"nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law"
Of the following, the best example of a participatory democracy is?
A New England town meeting
At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates from larger states argued that each state's representation in the legislature should be proportional to its population. Smaller states argued that each state should have equal representation, regardless of population. The disagreement over representation threatened to derail the ratification of the United States Constitution. Which statement accurately describes the compromise that led to both sides reaching agreement?
A bicameral legislature with an upper house representing each state equally and a lower house with representation proportional to each state's population
Which of the following scenarios best represents an example of party-line voting?
A citizen casts votes for all Republicans based solely on the candidates' affiliation with the Republican Party.
Days of public congressional hearings 1977-2017-Which of the following is most likely an effect of the trend in the line graph?
A decrease in congressional oversight as a mechanism to control the bureaucracy
Which of the following represents a consequence of candidate-centered electoral campaigns?
A decrease in the role of political parties in campaign management
A federal grant designed for a very specific purpose defined by federal law is called
A project grant
Which of the following demographic groups has voted most consistently for the Democratic Party in national elections over the last three decades?
African Americans
A first term member of the House of Representatives from North Dakota who wished to maximize opportunities for constituent service would be most likely to seek placement on which of the following committees?
Agriculture
Today's federalist system in the United States, in which the power of the central government is in many ways stronger than ever before, would be most likely to please which of the Founders?
Alexander Hamilton
Three-fifths of the slaves were counted for purposes of
Allotting seats to the House of Representatives
Madison's confidence in the usefulness of the separation of powers rested on the assumption that
Ambitions would counteract each other
All of the following are true of political tolerance in America except
Americans will support liberties for all groups both in theory and in practice.
Ideological composition of the House of Representatives-Based on the data, which of the following is the most likely consequence for the legislative process in Congress?
An increase in gridlock and failure to compromise on legislation
Why do member of Congress, who represent the interests of localities to the federal government, pass laws that create so many problems for the mayors and governors of those localities?
Because members of congress often represent different constituencies from the same localities
César Chávez, "He Showed Us the Way," 1978 Which of the following is a similarity between the views expressed in the excerpt above and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail"?
Both César Chávez and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. argued for the continued use of nonviolence to further their causes.
A 2017 study in The American Economic Review found that watching Fox News during an election cycle increased a Democrat's chances of voting Republican by 28 percent. Conversely, by watching MSNBC Republicans were more inclined to vote Democrat by 8 percent. This scenario best illustrates which of the following about the media?
Cable news programming is oftentimes ideologically driven and effective in persuading citizens to adopt their point of view.
Which of the following scenarios best explains how the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment has influenced political behavior?
Civil Rights leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr., cited constitutional arguments as a basis for opposing segregation and inequality.
Federal civilian employee salaries-Which of the following explains an action Congress can take that would have the most influence on the data on the graphs?
Congress can pass legislation that changes the federal salary structure.
In 1998, Goodyear employee Lilly Ledbetter filed suit against her employer for pay discrimination based on her gender. Though Ledbetter was initially successful, Goodyear appealed the decision and the case went to the Supreme Court. In Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (2007), the Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires that sex discrimination complaints must be made within 180 days "after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred," which Ledbetter had failed to do (since she only learned about it decades later). Which of the following actions could be taken to reverse the impact of the decision?
Congress could enact legislation to amend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
The cost of congestion-Which of the following possible actions illustrates a way Congress interacts with the bureaucracy to address the problem shown in the infographic?
Congress could have members of the Department of Transportation testify before a committee to discuss the issue and potential solutions.
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates delegated discretionary authority?
Congress giving the Environmental Protection Agency the power to establish national pollution standards
Based on the passage above, which of the following constitutional provisions would the author most likely identify as a solution to the problem of the imperial presidency?
Congress insisting that it declare war prior to the use of international force
Which of the following statements accurately describes the majority opinion of the Supreme Court in United States v. Lopez (1995) ?
Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime
On February 9, 2016, President Barack Obama released his budget proposal for the 2017 fiscal year. Facing a Republican Congress, many declared the plan "dead on arrival." Among the cited issues was Obama's request for $582.7 billion in discretionary spending for defense, which many Republicans believed was not enough. Which of the following most accurately explains the interaction between the president and the Congress regarding the defense budget?
Congress passes a budget for the entire federal government, including defense, but it must consider the president's proposal because the president may veto the bill.
Which of the following is an example of Congress using its implied powers?
Congress passing occupational safety regulations for the private sector
C. Wright Mills suggested the most important policies are set by
Corporate leaders, top military officials, a handful of key political leaders (all of the above)
Which of the following three groups would most likely agree with one another?
Decentralists, states' rights advocates, anti-federalists
Executive orders 1945-2016- Which of the following statements is supported by the data in the above information graphic?
Democratic presidents have used executive orders more than Republican presidents since 1945.
The effort to pass on to the states many federal functions, that began with Nixon's New Federalism (and accelerated under Reagan and the 104th Congress), has been called
Devolution
Colonists fought to protected liberties which they believed were
Discoverable in nature & history, essential to human progress, based upon a "higher law", due to human enlightenment (all of the above)
Federalism in the US Constitution meant
Dividing power between state and national governments
Which of the following statements is incorrect?
Each state receives electoral votes equal to its total representation in the House.
The importance of the Great Compromise adopted by the constitutional convention was that it
Ensured support for a strong central government from small as well as large states
Which of the following is a reserved power under the US Constitution?
Establishment of public school systems
Which of the following accurately compares the formal and informal powers of the president?
FORMAL: acting as commander in chief of the military INFORMAL: signing executive agreements with foreign nations
Percentage of Americans without health insurance coverage-Which of the following characteristics best explains the data on the map?
Federalism creates differences between states on the implementation of health-care policy.
In which federalist paper does James Madison warn against the danger of factions-but then surmises that those dangers can be overcome in a large republic?
Federalist 10
Obama Santa NSA-In the above cartoon, Jim McKee refers to civil liberities provided by the
Fourth Amendment
The president privately discusses with his staff a decision to increase economic sanctions on Iran. Before a final decision is made, a draft of the proposal is leaked to a reporter. The president orders the reporter and her newspaper to suspend publication of the plan, citing issues of national and economic security. Which of the following best indicates how a court would rule in this case if the Supreme Court's ruling in New York Times Co.v. United States (1971) was used as a precedent?
Freedom of the press includes a heavy presumption against government censorship, and the documents can be published by the press.
Power is best defined as the capacity to
Get others to act in accordance with your wishes
Former President George W. Bush, Speech at the National Forum on Liberty, October 19, 2017-Which of the following statements describes the viewpoint about globalization expressed in the above quote?
Globalization provides the US with an opportunity to spread its economic and political values.
Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, 1776-Which of the following positions on the government's role in the marketplace is most influenced by the idea expressed in the passage?
Government intervention in the free market should be avoided.
As a compromise, the framers agreed on a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives elected by popular vote within states and the Senate selected by state legislatures. The direct election method conforms most to which of the following democratic ideals?
Government should be based on the consent of the governed.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate?
HOUSE: The Constitution's framers intended it to reflect the will of the people. SENATE: The Constitution's framers designed it to represent the interests of the states.
The use of direct primaries instead of the convention system in selecting presidential candidates results in which of the following? A weakening of party control over nominations A reduction in the costs of election campaigns An increase in the number of people involved in the choice of candidates An increase in voter turnout in midterm elections
I and III only
Which of the following is true of the President's veto power?
III. A presidential veto may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of both houses of Congress.
Which of the following explains how The Federalist 10 relates to the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) ?
In both, a limited approach to government regulation was argued for.
A member of Congress who advocates for a more Keynesian approach to solving a recession will likely support which of the following policies?
Increasing federal spending on infrastructure programs
All of the following contribute to the success of incumbent members of Congress in election campaigns EXCEPT:
Incumbents tend to understand national issues better than do their challengers.
Advocates of shifting the task of drawing United States House districts from state legislatures to independent commissions are likely to claim which of the following as an advantage of independent commissions?
Independent commissions significantly reduce the influence of partisan gerrymandering in the redistricting process.
The data in the above graph best illustrate which of the following common criticisms of the electoral college?
Individuals in small-population states have a greater impact on the electoral college than individuals in large-population states.
Which of the following is an argument in favor of iron triangles?
Interest groups are policy specialists, and they can provide needed information to members of Congress and bureaucratic agencies.
Which of the following statements about the current cloture rule is correct?
It requires three-fifths of the entire Senate membership to pass.
Political ideology by religious group-Which of the following statements about the data in the above bar chart is true?
Jews remain one of the most liberal religious groups.
Which of the following was not a reason driving Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich's efforts in the mid-1990s?
Lack of confidence in state and local governments' capacity
The Antifederalists voiced several concerns with a strong national government, including the fear that Congress would tax heavily. In general, over time, their fears have
Largely been realized
All of the following were true of the government under the articles of confederation except
Larger states had more votes in the national legislature
In May of 2015, a federal appeals court ruled that the National Security Agency's collection of Americans' phone records was in violation of the USA PATRIOT Act. Which of the following core values are involved in the national debate regarding the surveillance program referred to in this scenario?
Liberty versus stability and order.
On July 9, 2018, after the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, President Trump, a Republican, nominated Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Many Democrats in the Senate feared that the appointment of Kavanaugh would swing the Court in a more ideologically conservative direction and attempted to block his nomination. After a heated Senate confirmation hearing, Kavanaugh was eventually confirmed by a 50-48 vote in the Senate. The scenario best highlights which of the following statements about court appointees?
Life tenure for appointed justices alongside the power of judicial review increases the stakes in the confirmation process for nominees to the Supreme Court.
Based on the data in the above chart, which of the following strategies would best help third-party candidates like Jill Stein and Gary Johnson increase their chances of winning elected office?
Lobbying state legislatures to shift from a winner-take-all system to a proportional voting system
Which of the following is an accurate comparison between the relative functions and electoral success of the two major political parties (Democratic and Republican) and third parties?
Major Parties:The rules of the electoral college favor the major-party candidates in presidential elections. Third Parties: inner-take-all voting districts hinder the electoral success of third-party candidates.
Federal judges have ordered Massachusetts to change the way it hires and promotes firefighters, even though the state does not receive aid from the federal government for firefighting. Such an order is referred to as a
Mandate
Which of the following cases expanded the powers of Congress by defining the necessary and proper clause more broadly?
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
Which of the following scenarios best explains the inclusion of Title IX as part of the Education Amendments of 1972 ?
Members of Congress added the amendment to the bill in response to social movements seeking to address inequality in education for women.
Shortly after the 2008 election, President Obama appointed outspoken and controversial House member Rahm Emanuel to lead his White House as chief of staff. The selection drew criticism from Republican leaders, including House minority leader John Boehner, who remarked that the selection "is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center." Which of the following explains how Congress could legitimately respond to the appointment?
Members of Congress could issue statements opposing the appointment but have no formal power to block it.
Which of the following statements about the gender gap is the most accurate?
Men have "deserted" Democratic candidates in favor of Republican ones.
The San Francisco Police Department issued the above card to its officers as a consequence of what SCOTUS decision?
Miranda v. Arizona
Relationship between ideology and views of the federal reserve-Which of the following descriptions is the information on the above line graph too limited to support?
Most who identify as very conservative believe that the Federal Reserve should be abolished.
The McCulloch v. Maryland decision established
National government supremacy over the states
"In every free government, the people must give their assent to the laws by which they are governed. This is the true criterion between a free government and an arbitrary one. The former are ruled by the will of the whole, expressed in any manner they may agree upon; the latter by the will of one, or a few. If the people are to give their assent to the laws, by persons chosen and appointed by them, the manner of the choice and the number chosen, must be such, as to possess, be disposed, and consequently qualified to declare the sentiments of the people; for if they do not know, or are not disposed to speak the sentiments of the people, the people do not govern, but the sovereignty is in a few. Now, in a large extended country, it is impossible to have a representation, possessing the sentiments, and of integrity, to declare the minds of the people, without having it so numerous and unwieldy, as to be subject in great measure to the inconveniency of a democratic government...." Brutus 1 Which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely agree with?
Nations with extended territory cannot fairly represent their citizens in a republican form of government.
The Declaration of Independence cites specific reasons for separating from British rule, including the British imposing taxes and maintaining a standing army without consent. Which of the following principles or ideas would these grievances be most related to?
Natural rights such as life, liberty, and property
Critics of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 have argued that Congress did not have the constitutional authority to pass civil rights legislation. However, the Supreme Court decided that, based on Congress's authority to regulate interstate commerce, Congress may pass civil rights legislation.
Necessary and Proper Clause of Article I of the Constitution
Which of the following is true based on the above information graphic?
Over 75% of the population is eligible to vote, but only about half the electorate actually voted in the 2016 presidential election.
In which of the following ways do political parties primarily rely on to finance their election activities?
Parties solicit funds from private donors who oftentimes contribute large sums of money.
Which of the following most accurately describes the progressive view in the culture war?
Personal freedom is more important than tradition, and the rules for morality vary with circumstances.
Those who emphasize the role in politics of shifting coalitions of groups are referred to as
Pluralists
Which of the following scenarios reflects the most direct effect of the practice described in the passage on the electoral process?
Political parties will rely increasingly on social media advertising to reach different coalitions of voters.
Forty more years-Which of the following best illustrates the point being made in the cartoon above?
Presidents can have an influence on public policy far beyond their terms of office.
For the founders, federalism was a device to
Protect liberty
Based on the seniority system as it is currently used in the House of Representatives, which of the following persons on a committee will most likely serve as its chair during the 117th Congress—i.e. the Congress that was sworn in January 3, 2021?
Representative Green, Democrat, age 67, in Congress for 18 years, and a member of the committee for 16 years
Views on the size of government and government services, by gender, income, & party-Which of the following is consistent with the information provided in the bar graph above (from the Pew Research Center, 2019)?
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to believe that there should be fewer regulations on businesses to promote economic growth and increase wages.
Which of the following statements can best be supported by the survey data displayed in the above bar graphs?
Republicans with a low level of political efficacy are the most likely group to say that government needs major reforms.
A polling firm tried to predict the results of an election by sampling 1,000 adults within a state for two days prior to the election, using landline telephones of likely voters. After the election, the firm found that their poll results were not close to the actual election results. Which of the following recommendations would be the best for the firm to follow in the future?
Sample people who have cell phones, in addition to those with landlines.
Bethel School District v. Fraser (1986) is a Supreme Court case involving a public high school student who gave a speech at a voluntary assembly nominating his friend for the ASB. The assembly was held during the school day, and about 600 students attended. During the speech Matthew Fraser referred to the candidate using double entendres that involved sexually risqué metaphors.
School authorities have the right to censor speeches that contain sexually lewd messages.
In an early test of the power of the articles of confederation, the continental congress failed to deal with an uprising in western Massachusetts known as
Shay's rebellion
College male athletes vs. college female athletes-The bar chart best supports which of the following conclusions?
Since the passage of Title IX of the Higher Education Act of 1972, the number of female athletes participating in college sports has increased every year.
In 1980, a small group of parents personally affected by drunk driving formed the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Over the past four decades, they have grown in number and have lobbied on state and local levels promoting legislation such as stricter limits on blood alcohol levels for drivers. MADD is an example of which of the following?
Single-issue group with the goal of impacting policy making
"In Two Words, Yes and No" -Which of the following is the most accurate interpretation of the political cartoon?
State governments prefer federal funding but do not want federal oversight over how the money is spent.
Which of the following best explains why eligibility criteria vary by state as shown on the above information graphic?
States can create criteria for voting rights so long as they do not violate the United States Constitution.
There is an ongoing debate over the role of money in elections. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002 banned soft money and restricted advertisements in the weeks before an election. Parts of this act were challenged and struck down in the Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010). Which of the following was a consequence of that ruling?
Super PACs may spend unlimited funds on advertisements that are not coordinated with the campaign because they are protected by the freedom of speech.
The city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, along with several local businesses, sponsored a holiday display, which included a manger scene portraying the birth of Jesus, along with a Santa Claus, reindeer, a clown, an elephant, a teddy bear, and holiday lights. A group of citizens brought a lawsuit claiming that the town violated the Constitution by supporting such a display. In Lynch v. Donnelly (1984), the Supreme Court ruled that Pawtucket's display did not violate the Constitution in a 5-4 decision.-Which of the following best explains why the Court ruled differently in Lynch v. Donnelly than it did in Engel v. Vitale (1962)?
Taken as a whole, the holiday display did not advance or endorse a particular religion.
The Framers did not include an explicit statement of state powers but added it later in the
Tenth Amendment
The triumph of the centralist (or nationalist) approach, as opposed to the decentralist approach, to government in the US, is evident in all of the following except
The 10th amendment
A state has 11 electoral votes. In a presidential election, the Democratic candidate receives 48 percent of that state's popular vote, the Republican candidate receives 40 percent of the vote, and an independent candidate receives 12 percent of the vote. If the state is similar to most other states, how will the electoral votes most likely be allocated?
The Democratic candidate will receive all 11 electoral votes.
The cost of congestion- Which of the following explains how the federal bureaucracy can address the problem shown in the infographic?
The Department of Transportation can write stronger regulations on freight volume.
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the process of bureaucratic rule making?
The Department of Veterans Affairs rewrites its regulations regarding compensation and pensions into plain language that is easier for beneficiaries to understand.
Which of the following describes how the Federal Reserve System influences the economy?
The Fed increases the reserve rate in an attempt to raise the amount of money banks keep in deposits.
Cabinet departments differ from independent regulatory agencies in which of the following ways?
The President can dismiss cabinet officers, but not commissioners of independent regulatory agencies.
Giant pig, tiny elephants and donkeys-The above cartoon expresses which of the following viewpoints?
The Republican and Democratic Parties cannot agree on the nature of the budget deficit.
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the separation of powers is integral to the Constitution not to preserve the prerogatives of each branch of government but to divide governmental powers among the branches so as to keep power diffused—and thereby limited and protective of personal freedom. . . . Thus, even if one branch of government consented to ceding an essential power to another branch, such a giveaway would be unconstitutional. . . . Can the president legally use military force to attack a foreign land without a serious threat or legal obligation or a declaration of war from Congress? In a word: No. Here is the back story. . . . . . . [A] bipartisan group of senators offered legislation supported by the president that . . . would permit a president to strike whomever and wherever he pleases. The president would be restrained only by a vote of Congress—after hostilities have commenced. Such a statute would give the president far more powers than he has now, would directly violate Congress' war-making powers by ceding them away to the president, would defy the Supreme Court on the unconstitutionality of giving away core governmental functions, would commit the U.S. to foreign wars without congressional and thus popular support, and would invite dangerous mischief by any president wanting to attack any enemy—real or imagined, old or new—for foreign or domestic political purposes, whether American interests are at stake or not. Andrew Napolitano, "At War with the Separation of Powers," The Washington Times, 2018. Which of the following political processes would best solve the problem regarding the system of checks and balances, as articulated by the author in the passage?
The Supreme Court refuses to take a case on legislation that permits the president to launch military strikes without congressional approval.
Number of African American southern state legislators, 1960-1992-Which of the following is most likely responsible for the increase in the number of southern African American state legislators between 1960 and 1992 as shown in the graph?
The Voting Rights Act of 1965
Two interest groups are competing for influence in Congress. One group represents banking institutions, while the other advocates for consumer protections. A critic of the influence of interest groups would make which of the following claims?
The banking interest group likely has greater financial resources and access to policy makers than the consumer protection group.
In the 1950s Southern states attempted to prevent integration of their public schools. In return, the National Guard was sent to force states to implement federal regulations. This scenario illustrates which of the following about the relationship between the state and national governments?
The debate over the role of the central government and state powers is ongoing.
Block grants were designed to remedy a common criticism of categorical grants, namely,
The difficulty of adapting categorical grants to local needs
Governor Ronald Reagan, speech given at Chico State College, 1967-Which of the following statements best describes the viewpoint about American political culture expressed in the quote?
The educational system should support core American values.
An important Senate race takes place in the state of Georgia. Rather than focus on the issue positions taken by the candidates, a 24-hour cable news station instead focuses primarily on poll results and campaign strategies using a "big board" to show the counties where each candidate has the most support. Which of the following is an effect of this type of new coverage?
The electorate will be less able to accurately compare the policy platforms of candidates running in the election.
In the case Wickard v. Filburn (1942), Roscoe Filburn was penalized for producing 12 acres of wheat above his allotment under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. The law, justified under Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce, limited the amount of wheat an individual could grow. This regulation would keep prices from dropping and prevent farmers from going bankrupt. Filburn claimed that the excess wheat was for his own use (and not for sale), so he challenged that no interstate commerce was involved. The Supreme Court ruled that the commerce clause allowed the government to regulate Filburn's personal wheat production, even though it was only indirectly related to interstate commerce, reasoning that by growing extra wheat he was preventing someone else from selling him theirs—thus altering the balance of interstate commerce. Which of the following was a likely result of the decision in Wickard v. Filburn that contributed to the Court's later decision in United States v. Lopez (1995)?
The expansive interpretation of the commerce clause by the Supreme Court which greatly extended the power of Congress drew criticism that eventually led to a narrower interpretation.
The Bill of Rights to the Constitution was initially intended to limit the power of
The federal government
In the early part of the twenty-first century, public opinion polls showed that a majority of Americans believed it should be illegal to burn the American flag. As a result, many members of Congress introduced amendments to make it illegal to burn or desecrate the American flag. However, these efforts have been unsuccessful. Which of the following statements best explains why these efforts have been unsuccessful?
The framers made the amendment process difficult in order to protect individual rights.
Governor Ronald Reagan, speech given at Chico State College, 1967-A critic of the viewpoint expressed in the quote might make which of the following arguments in rebuttal?
The freedom to disagree over core values strengthens the social structure of the nation.
Views on the size of government and government services, by gender, income, & party-Which of the following statements is supported by data in the graph?
The higher the income, the more likely that the person will support smaller government.
What happens if a vote by the Supreme Court ends in a tie?
The lower court's decision is left standing.
Corporate income tax rates by state in 2018/electoral college results 2016-Using both the above maps, which of the following best explains how states with the highest corporate tax rates voted in the 2016 election?
The maps show that states with the highest corporate tax rates were more likely to vote for the Democrat, Hillary Clinton, in the 2016 election.
Presidential vetoes by control of congress-Which of the following is a trend based on the data in the above information graphic?
The more chambers of Congress that the president's party controls the less likely s/he is to veto a bill.
All of the following are examples of a linkage institution influencing the policy process EXCEPT
The president delivering the State of the Union speech
Which of the following situations best reflects the author's concern about the "imperial presidecny"?
The president issuing an increasing number of executive agreements.
Under the system of checks and balances
The president may pardon federal offenders
Which of the following is the best predictor of the Department of Education's annual budget?
The size of the previous year's budget
Which of the following best describes César Chávez's view on the use of violence versus nonviolence, in the above excerpt?
The use of nonviolent actions allows more people to be involved in the movement and effect change.
Critics of the winner-take-all aspect of the electoral college are most likely to make which of the following arguments?
The winner-take-all system of the electoral college encourages presidential candidates to focus their time and effort disproportionately on battleground states with larger populations.
Number of African American southern state legislators, 1960-1992-Which of the following statements presents the most important limitation of the data in the graph?
There is no information about the total number of state legislators.
Which of the following is true of amicus curiae briefs?
They are used by interest groups to lobby courts
Federal civilian employee salaries-Which of the following best describes how a president can influence the data in the graphs?
Through the role of chief executive officer of the executive branch, the president can determine salary grades of federal employees.
A political science professor is researching the effects that the Fifteenth and Twenty-Sixth Amendments have had on the American political system. Which of the following is the most likely reason the professor is researching these amendments?
To study the expansion of voting rights
"Any candidate using Facebook can put a campaign message promising one thing in front of one group of voters while simultaneously running an ad with a completely opposite message in front of a different group of voters. The ads themselves are not posted anywhere for the general public to see (this is what's known as 'dark advertising'), and chances are, no one will ever be the wiser. That undermines the very idea of a 'marketplace of ideas,' says Ann Ravel, a former member of the Federal Election Commission who has long advocated stricter regulations on digital campaigning. 'The way to have a robust democracy is for people to hear all these ideas and make decisions and discuss," Ravel said. 'With microtargeting, that is not happening.'"-Which of the following political processes or behaviors is most directly affected by the development described in the passage?
Voter mobilization
The first important function that the new Republican-controlled 104th Congress (in 1995, after the 1994 election) sought to shift back the states from federal control was
Welfare
Relationship between ideology and views of the federal reserve-The data in the above line graph would be least useful to a researcher interested in finding out which of the following?
Whether or not there was a decrease in support for the Federal Reserve after the 2008 financial crisis.
Which of the following criticisms of political campaigns is the author of the above political cartoon most likely to agree with?
Which of the following criticisms of political campaigns is the author of the above political cartoon most likely to agree with?
Suppose the president's wife got him to change his position on abortion. Would this be an example of political power, according to your text's definition?
Yes, because she's gotten the president to act according to her intentions
Olive Wendell Holmes, late Supreme Court Justice, once wrote, "I do not think the United States would come to an end if we lost our power to declare an act of Congress void. I do think the union would be imperiled if we could not make that declaration as to the laws of the several states."
a decision allowing states to decide whether federal courts could review state actions
Of the following choices, who would be most likely to oppose abortion?
a moderate Latino high-school dropout earning $25,000 annually
The highest state court in South Carolina has ruled that the federal Endangered Species Act is illegal because it runs counter to the constitution of South Carolina. The case will likely be brought to the US Supreme Court by means of
a writ of certiorari
A major argument in favor of reducing the separation of powers called for in the U.S. Constitution is that it would
allow prompt, decisive leadership in times of crisis
Debate of a bill in the House of Representatives under a "closed rule" means that
amendments to the bill cannot be offered
The Americans with Disabilities Act, which provides protections for the disabled, is an example of
an unfunded federal mandate
In selecting members of the White House staff, Presidents primarily seek people who
are personally loyal to the President
One of the formal tools used by Congress for oversight of the bureaucracy is
authorization of spending
In order for a law to constitutionally discriminate between men and women, it must
be substantially related to some legitimate legislative goal, be reasonable and not arbitrary, treat similar persons similarly Selected, must rest on some ground of difference between males and females (all of the above)
Though still important, why are iron triangles less common than they once were?
because most agencies today are now subject to control by many congressional subcommittees
Why is speaking of a single political culture within a nation dangerous?
because most nations do not have a homogeneous population
The Framers assumed that, under the electoral-college system, most presidential elections would be decided by the House of Representatives. Why did this not turn out to be the case?
because political parties ended up playing a major role in producing nationwide support for a slate of national candidates
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service will spend money appropriated by Congress to maintain wildlife refuges. This action is an example of
bureaucratic implementation of law
One explanation for why congressional seats have become less marginal is that
changing demographics have made an increasing number of districts more Democratic or Republican
In their struggle for equal treatment, women, unlike black Americans, had to deal with a legal tradition that
claimed to be protecting them
One of the ways in which the culture war differs from other political disputes is that
compromise is almost impossible
For states to qualify for certain federal highway funds, they must allow drivers to make a legal right-hand turn after stopping at a red light. This requirement by the federal government is known as a
condition of aid
The purpose of the exclusionary rule, according to the Supreme Court, is to
control the behavior of police
The agenda-setting function of the media refers to the power to
decide which issues are important enough to bring to public attention
After extensive polling, a member of the House of Representatives learns that her constituents favor universal background checks for all gun purchases. Based on this information, the representative votes in favor of background checks in a criminal justice bill, although she personally opposes the provision. In doing so, she is acting as a
delegate
Congress has the constitutional power to control the judicial branch by
determining the size of the Supreme Court
Suppose that a postal clerk asks a customer if her package contains anything flammable, and the customer replies that she is mailing a bottle of nail polish to her elderly aunt, who lives across town. The postal clerk decides to let the customer mail the package. The employee's decision is an example of
discretionary authority
All of the following were concerns about the Articles of Confederation that led to the calling of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 EXCEPT
dissatisfaction over safeguards of individual rights and liberties
When the Supreme Court justices read law review articles that comment on their opinions in recent decisions, they are acknowledging
elite opinion
The city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, along with several local businesses, sponsored a holiday display, which included a manger scene portraying the birth of Jesus, along with a Santa Claus, reindeer, a clown, an elephant, a teddy bear, and holiday lights. A group of citizens brought a lawsuit claiming that the town violated the Constitution by supporting such a display. In Lynch v. Donnelly (1984), the Supreme Court ruled that Pawtucket's display did not violate the Constitution in a 5-4 decision.-Which of the follwoing provisions in the First Amendment was the basis for the lawsuit described?
establishment clause
The most important source of political values in the United States is probably
family
Views on the size of government and government services, by gender, income, & party-Policy that decribes the impact of the federal budget on the economy (through taxing, spending, and borrowing) is referred to as which of the following?
fiscal policy
The "rule of four" refers to
four justices need to agree to hear a case before a writ of certiorari is granted
In polling, a random sample is one that
gives each person an equal chance of being in the sample
When the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill, where is the language of the bill resolved?
in a conference committee
The text suggests that one reason religious involvement increases political participation is because
it leads to social connectedness and increases awareness of larger issues
Amicus curiae briefs amount to a form of
judicial lobbying
When a political opinion exists as a potential, but has not been crystallized and converted into an identifiable belief, it is said to be
latent
Explanations for low voter turnout include all of the following EXCEPT
laws protecting voting rights for minorities
Over the past fifty years, during midterm elections, how likely is the President's party to increase the number of seats in Congress that it holds?
less likely to increase than decrease
If you would like to see the use of marijuana made a matter of private conscience throughout the country, if you applaud the legality of same-sex marriages, if you believe all peace-loving immigrants should be welcomed to the US, and if you would also like to have the government reduce its spending in all areas, you would best be classified as a
libertarian
Article I, Section 9 of the United States Constitution lists several powers that are denied to the federal government, such as granting titles of nobility and passing ex post facto laws. This best demonstrates which of the following ideals of democracy?
limited government
The practice in Congress whereby Representative A promises to vote for Representative B's legislation, provided that Representative B will support Representative A's legislation, is referred to as
logrolling
A city councilwoman faces an important vote on how much, if any, money to spend on a new school. She relies on a poll of her constituents to make a decision. This is in keeping with a form of politics known as
majoritarian politics
Personality plays a more important role in explaining the presidency than it does in explaining Congress because a president is
more likely to be judged by his character in addition to his accomplishments
In recent years, the political beliefs of members of Congress have become
more polarized than voters'
In the process and structure of public policymaking, "iron triangles" refer to the
networks of congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups that strongly influence the policy process
An election involving more than two candidates in which the person who receives the most votes is the winner is called
plurality election
Senator Pettifogger gets an item inserted into the federal budget which allocates $6,000,000 for building a ski lift at a resort in his home state. This is known as
pork-barrel legislation
The rule of propinquity states that
power tends to be wielded by the people who are in the room when the decisions are being made
The right of free expression, although not absolute, enjoys a higher status than other rights granted by the US Constitution. This is known as the doctrine of
preferred position
A person votes for Democratic candidates based on the belief that the policies of the Democratic Party will be personally beneficial. This type of voting matches which of the following voting behavior models?
prospective voting
When the Court rules that the Amish cannot be forced to send their children to school beyond the 8th grade, it
protects freedom of religion at the risk of establishing it
Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, 1776-One reason why public policy often differs from public opinion is that
public opinion polling is not always accurate
Presidents Carter and Reagan used different organizational structures within their White House Offices. Mr. Carter did not have a chief of staff for over half of his presidency; Mr. Reagan had a few very powerful chiefs of staff. The more recent of the two presidents favored which model of organization?
pyramidal
Which of the following statements best describes SCOTUS's position on affirmative action?
quotas are viewed with strict scrutiny, but preferences are acceptable for purposes of achieving diversity
The primary function of political action committees (PAC's) is to
raise campaign funds to support favored candidates
Senator Pettifogger has refused to return his blue slip. In doing so, he is relying on senatorial courtesy and is
rejecting the president's nominee for a district judgeship
Wisconsin v. Yoder
schools cannot compel attendance at school past the 8th grade if doing so would interfere with the religious upbringing of parents' children in violation of the free exercise clause
Tinker v. Des Moines
schools cannot prohibit free speech absent any evidence that the rule to do so was necessary to avoid substantial interference with school discipline
Which of the following is generally regarded as a key feature of the "Reagan Revolution"?
sharp increases in defense spending
When a person is selected by the President to head an agency and to shift its policies in the direction of the president's, the appointee generally finds that
subordinates wield considerable power
One reason the NAACP's strategy of using the courts to further black civil rights worked was
that it did not require a broad legislative alliance
Congress and the President both complain that they are too weak to control political events. Another way of looking at this issue is to note that
the federal government as a whole has become more constrained
Rulings by the Supreme Court in Marbury v Madison and McCulloch v Maryland established all of the following principles except
the federal government has the power to regulate commerce among the states—i.e. interstate commerce
The difference between political ideology and political culture is that
the former deals with what government should do, the latter with how government should operate
One advantage that incumbent members of Congress have over challengers in election campaigns is the use of
the franking privilege
A concurring opinion by a judge means that
the judge agrees with the majority's conclusion but rejects their reasoning
In order to appease both Federalists and Anti-Federalists, it was agreed at the Constitutional Convention that a group of delegates would be charged with selecting the president. This would ensure that
the most capable individuals would decide which candidate would be president
Which of the following clauses serves as the constitutional basis for the federal Real ID Act of 2005, a law that established uniform standards for state-issued identification cards and provided regulation of a state function?
the necessary and proper clause
The process known as front-loading refers to
the tendency of states to choose an early date on the primary calendar
McCulloch v. Maryland
this decision established that Congress can, per the elastic clause, take actions not specifically delegated by the Constitution in order to carry out its enumerated powers
Marbury v. Madison
this decision established the precedent of judicial review, making the courts truly coequal with the legislative and executive branches
Shaw v. Reno
this decision held that redistricting based on race must be held to a strict scrutiny standard per the Equal Protection Clause yet it must also be conscious of race per the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Baker v. Carr
this decision held that redistricting of state legislative districts is not a political question, and is therefore justiciable by the federal courts
Roe v. Wade
this decision held that the Fourteenth Amendment's due process clause includes a fundamental "right to privacy," but the Casey decision held that states may limit access to abortions provided they don't impose an "undue burden" on women
United States v. Lopez
this decision limited Congress's latitude in passing legislation via the interstate commerce clause if the activity doesn't have a substantial impact on interstate commerce, such as possessing a handgun in a school zone
Gideon v. Wainwright
this decision represents a selective incorporation of the Sixth Amendment via the due process clause: states must provide an attorney to poor defendants in felony trials
Brown v. Board of Education
this unanimous decision held that race-based school segregation violates the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
An advantage that bureaucrats in federal government have over the President in the policymaking process is that bureaucrats
usually have a continuity of service in the executive branch that the President lacks
Compared to Federalists, Antifederalists tended to favor a
weak decentralized government as a protection of liberty
The culture war is about
what kind of country we ought to live in
An example of a good-faith exception to the exclusionary rule would be if the police conduct a search
without a warrant but with concern for public safety
