Midterm

Which of the following can be said about amendments to the U.S. Constitution?

They are difficult to ratify.

What is the legal status of Native-American nations within the United States?

They are regarded as sovereign foreign nations.

The inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution is a result of

a victory of the Anti-Federalists.

The United States has

a written constitution.

What are the three conditions necessary for political participation?

resources to participate, interest in the political process, and being asked to participate

The major vehicle for applying cooperative federalism was

grants-in-aid.

What is the term for an electorate's right to draft legislation?

initiative

An instance in which one segment of society manages to push through a law in one session, only to have another segment build enough support to overthrow the law in the next session, would best be defined as an example of

pluralism

Amendment 16 (1913): The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.

policies

Amendment 15 (1870): The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Liberties and Right

Unlike in many other democracies, elections in the United States are traditionally held on

Tuesday

What is a monarchy?

a government ruled by a king or queen

Who was responsible for governing the American colonies by the early 1700s?

both Great Britain and the colonies

An ABC News poll predicting the outcome of a race for a Texas state senate seat on election day is an example of a(n)

exit poll

Interest groups serve to

perform electoral functions such as endorsing candidates. provide the average citizen with a way of participating in politics. All these answers are correct. educate policy makers and the public about policy issues.

According to polls, the "most important problem" for Americans (since April 2008) is

the economy

Who benefits from a politically active populace?

the entire nation

Most people in the United States live under the jurisdiction of

three or more governments.

Which of the following acts is not protected by the First Amendment?

throwing a rotten tomato at a performer

What is the most commonly cited reason that citizens between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four fail to vote?

too busy

What is the single largest sector of the interest-group community?

trade associations

What pushed Great Britain into enacting new legislation that eventually incited the American colonies to rebel and declare independence?

the cost of war with France and Native Americans

In Plessy v. Ferguson, the U.S. Supreme Court claimed that separate but equal facilities did not disregard

the equal protection clause.

Which of the following is a civil right?

the right to equal protection under the law

The primary goal of the first wave of the women's rights movement was to secure

the right to vote for women

Which of the following groups is most likely to vote?

young African Americans

In informing suspects of their right against self-incrimination, the Miranda warning protects their

Fifth Amendment rights.

Which of the following statements about Native Americans' struggle for civil rights is LEAST accurate?

Since the founding of the American republic, Native Americans have formed formal political and social movements to protest their mistreatment.

Which organization(s) played an active role in the civil rights movements in the second half of the twentieth century?

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) National Organization for Women (NOW) All the answers are correct. American Indian Movement (AIM)

The right to privacy is explicitly guaranteed by

None of the answers is correct.

Unlike European immigrants, Asian immigrants were for many years denied the right to

become citizens

Congress cannot summarily declare an American citizen guilty of a crime because of the Constitution's ban on

bills of attainder.

In 2008, among all racial and gender groups, __________ had the highest turnout rate.

black females

Which of the following is NOT a direct form of political participation?

blogging on local politics

What types of opportunities do elections offer for citizen involvement?

candidate recruitment, volunteering activities, and GOTV activities

A term that expresses the notion that little is required of citizens beyond their cash is known as

checkbook democracy

What tactic did Martin Luther King, Jr., use to advocate for civil rights?

civil disobedience

Which document(s) convinced many colonists to rebel against Great Britain?

common sense

Advocates of which political ideology emphasize maintaining the status quo?

conservatism

Major characteristics of citizenship today include

dwindling citizen involvement in the life of their communities. being in a precarious state. voter turnout well below that of other advanced democracies. record-low levels of trust between citizens and elected national leaders

What influence do first-generation political activists identify as significant in motivating them to become involved in civic activity?

e-school, the media, friends, and public policies

Which of the following is not a value central to the political culture of the United States?

economic equality

Inducements to join an interest group, such as hotel or retail discounts, are considered

economic incentives.

The United Auto Workers is an example of a(n)

economic interest group.

Among generalizations of the voting public, the best predictor of whether a person will vote is

education level

When an interest group pays for a television advertisement that supports a political candidate, it is called

electioneering.

Before the states agreed to adopt the U.S. Constitution, compromises had to be reached between

enforce the law

The U.S. president has the power to

enforce the law

What two institutions have historically had the greatest impact on an individual's political values and practices?

family and school

The United States today is an example of a(n)

federal system

Which social agents tend to reinforce political values individuals already hold?

friends

Asking interest group members to write to their representatives in Congress about an issue is an example of

grassroots lobbying.

People living in different parts of the United States

have different legal rights and responsibilities.

What attribute is most closely associated with high levels of interest group participation?

higher education

Political socialization impacts all of the following except

how well a person gets along with others.

Democratic values and patriotism are learned primarily

in school

In The Federalist No. 10, James Madison famously argued that

interest group influence must be diluted by countering their ambitions with the ambitions of others.

An interest group is more likely to be successful if it

is large

Based on Article IV of the U.S. Constitution, a same-sex marriage contract issued by one state

is legally binding in all other states.

If police officers gather evidence illegally,

it cannot be used in any court or in any state.

Which of the following groups lacks legal protection of equal access to employment, housing, and public accommodation?

lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered citizens

Advocates of which political ideology support government intervention to ensure that individuals enjoy equal opportunities?

liberalism

Amendment 19 (1920): The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

liberties and rights

Amendment 26 (1971): The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.

liberties and rights

What type of government(s) carries out U.S. government policies?

local, state, and federal governments

Frequent elections can result in

lower voter turnout

Which of the following tactics would be best suited to an inside strategy?

meeting with a congressional staffer

Studies indicate that children whose parents participate in civic life are ________ to do so themselves.

more likely

The authors of the Declaration of Independence viewed life, liberty, and property as

natural rights.

Which amendment states that any rights not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution are reserved for the people?

ninth

What is the most common reason given for not voting?

not enough time

The Court applies the Miller test to determine if speech is

obscene.

Amendment 17 (1913): The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote.

operation

Amendment 22 (1951): No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.

operation

Amendment 27 (1992): No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.

operation

How did the political attitudes of young people change following 9/11?

Young people's trust in and support for the government increased.

Which of the following individuals is most likely to hold conservative beliefs?

a Protestant who goes to church twice a week

What type of government is a democracy?

a constitutional form of government

Medicaid is an example of

a grant from the federal government to states.

What form of government did the founders establish in the United States?

a representative democracy

Which of the following individuals is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act?

a shopper in a wheelchair

Amendment 18 (1919, overturned 1933): The manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited.

policies

The political knowledge an individual possesses concerning political issues, political figures, and the workings of the political system is known as

political information.

A skillful lobbyist would abide by all the following guidelines EXCEPT

seek out and win over ideological opponents.

One of the functions served by interest groups in American politics is

serving as a check on the actions of policymakers.

Which political ideology advocates economic equality?

socialism

Who can ratify amendments to the Constitution?

state legislatures

After studies suggested that the sedative used in lethal injections can leave individuals conscious and in agony but paralyzed while they are dying, the Supreme Court ruled in 2008 that

states were under no obligation to provide pain-free executions.

The most commonly used interest-group tactic is

testifying at hearings.

Which of the following events was followed by a general increase in the public's trust of government?

the 9/11 terror attack

The first constitution of the United States was called

the Articles of Confederation.

Which of the following may be in violation of the full-faith-and-credit clause of Article IV of the Constitution?

the Defense of Marriage Act

Which of the following stipulations within the U.S. Constitution originally created an indirect democracy?

the Electoral College All the answers are correct. the Connecticut Compromise the Three-Fifths Compromise

At what gathering did representatives of the colonies meet to create a list of their rights to send to the king?

the First Continental Congress

Which amendment defines citizens as "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" and guarantees the same privileges and immunities for all citizens?

the Fourteenth Amendment

Which of the following would be considered an interest group?

the National Rifle Association

At what gathering did the representatives of the colonies write and sign the Declaration of Independence?

the Second Continental Congress

Who or what has the power to determine whether an action taken by any government official or governing body violates the Constitution?

the Supreme Court

The ultimate responsibility for interpreting which civil liberties are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution falls to

the Supreme Court.

Which of the following is not an act that incited the colonists to rebel?

the Tobacco Act

Civil liberties are protections given to people, opinions, and property as mandated by

the U.S. and state constitutions.

Aristotle, Thomas Jefferson, and John Stuart Mill all agreed that

the citizenry must remain politically active.

What radical principle lay behind the Declaration of Independence's premise that the people have a right to abolish a government?

the consent of the governed

In the case of Gibbons v. Ogden (1824), the Supreme Court decided that

the federal government's authority to regulate international and interstate commerce bestowed on it some power to regulate intrastate commerce.

Which amendment laid the groundwork for applying the Bill of Rights to the actions of state governments?

the fourteenth

Which of the following prevented African Americans from exercising their right to vote?

the grandfather clause

Which of the following socialization agents best explains the dominance of the Democratic Party in the South in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century?

the impact of events

At the time of the American Revolution, state constitutions placed the majority of power in

the legislative branch.

Which of the following plays an ever-increasing role in the political socialization of individuals?

the media

In today's political climate, women are more likely than men to

vote

Women are more likely than men to

vote for a democrat

A contributing factor in lower voter turnout in the United States may be the number of opportunities to vote, a phenomenon known as

voter fatigue

The condition in which voters simply grow tired of all candidates by the time Election Day arrives and may thus be less likely to vote is known as

voter fatigue

Freedom of speech can be silenced

when it is highly likely that immediate harm will result from the speech.

The U.S. Constitution endows Congress

with specific powers that are listed in the document and powers that it needs to carry out its duties.

Interest groups advocate for specific issues by

working with members of Congress on legislation. All these answers are correct. initiating or supporting litigation. lobbying bureaucrats.

Which of the following groups is most likely to participate in political protests?

young Latinos

Which of the following statements about PACs is LEAST accurate?

A political organization can evade the limits on PAC contributions simply by creating several new PACs, each of which can individually contribute up to the official limit.

Which of the following is a standard method of random sampling?

using random-digit dialing for phone polling

All of the following are considered social networks EXCEPT

study groups

Which amendment defines citizens as "all persons born or naturalized in the United States" and guarantees the same privileges and immunities for all citizens?

14th

All the following amendments EXCEPT the ________ had a significant impact on the power connection between the state and national governments.

15th

Native Americans were granted the rights of United States citizens in

1924.

The gender gap has been a significant factor in every American presidential election since

1980

By 2050, what percentage of the American population will be over the age of sixty-five?

20

Approximately what percentage of the American public currently lives in suburbs?

55

The percentage of Americans who belong to a voluntary group or organization is ________ percent.

80 percent

More than any other group, ________ prefer Democratic candidates.

African Americans

Discrimination against citizens of Latin American descent was similar to the discrimination faced by

African Americans following Reconstruction.

What obligations do state governments have to each other?

All the answers are correct. They must guarantee citizens living or visiting from other states the same privileges and immunities they provide their own citizens. They must recognize the legality of all public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of other states. They must send individuals back to states that accuse the individuals of having committed a crime.

Families influence whether individuals

All the answers are correct. are politically engaged. have a particular philosophical outlook. have specific viewpoints about political candidates.

Which of the following became governor as the result of a special recall election?

Arnold Schwarzenegger of California

Which article of the Constitution defines the amendment process?

Article V

What was the first successful challenge to the separate but equal doctrine established by the Supreme Court?

Brown v. Board of Education

________ are a new kind of opinion research that involves inviting all interviewees to gather for several days to discuss the issue in question, and providing carefully balanced briefing materials.

Deliberative polls

In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court dramatically changed the meaning of the Second Amendment with its decision in which of the following cases?

District of Columbia v. Heller

Which of the following presidents suspended the writ of habeas corpus, the right protecting an individual in custody from being held without trial?

George W. Bush

What was the outcome of the Dred Scott v. Sanford decision?

It denied African-American slaves the rights of citizens.

Amendment 13 (1865): Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

Liberties and Rights

Which of the following statements about John Locke's political philosophy is LEAST accurate?

Locke believed that the primary role of government was to ensure an equal distribution of property.

The case that established the Supreme Court's power to interpret the U.S. Constitution was

Marbury v. Madison.

In recent years, a number of key trends have emerged regarding participation, including which of the following?

Men contact political leaders more often than women, but women now vote at higher levels than men. Men contribute significantly more money to political leaders than women. Women now vote at higher levels than men. All these answers are correct. Men contact political leaders more often than women.

The principle of separation of powers, particularly with regard to an independent judiciary, is primarily associated with the writings of which political philosopher?

Montesquieu

Over the past twenty years, what shift has taken place in the U.S. population?

More people are living in the West and the South.

Which event best showcased the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation?

Shays' Rebellion

What is the most likely reason a candidate for the office of Texas governor would receive half a percent fewer votes than an exit poll predicts?

The exit poll had a one-percent margin of error.

In our current system of government, which of the following is true?

The federal government has supremacy over state governments.

Why did the leaders of the young American nation draft and adopt a second constitution?

The first constitution did not create a strong central government.

Which of the following statements about political participation in the United States over the past fifty years is LEAST accurate?

The generation of Americans that is just coming of voting age is less optimistic about their own future and the future of the nation.

Why did the first presidential poll fail to make an accurate prediction?

The polling organization did not use a random sample.

Which of the following is true regarding the power relationship between the federal government and the states?

The power of the federal government over state governments has increased over time.

Who drafted the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

The "Bonus Army" that marched on Washington to demand benefits from the federal government consisted primarily of veterans of

WWI

Since the 1960s, most new interest groups have been

advocacy groups.

When was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?

after some states refused to ratify the Constitution

The U.S. Bill of Rights limits which branch(es) of government?

all three branches of government

Which of the following has had the greatest impact on the relationship between the federal and state governments?

amendments to the U.S. Constitution

What demographic change places an increased burden on the Social Security and Medicare healthcare systems?

an aging population

In the 1790s, despite a lack of specific constitutional authority to do so, Congress chartered a national bank, arguing that the institution was necessary to regulate the value of currency, a power that the Constitution did grant to Congress. The chartering of a national bank was therefore an example of

an implied power

A person who attends church regularly is more likely to be

conservative

The Supreme Court temporarily suspended the use of the death penalty in 1972 because its implementation

constituted cruel and unusual punishment.

The practice of making a political or social statement with one's buying power is known as

consumer activism

"Marble cake" federalism is also known as

cooperative federalism.

People who criticize interest groups often argue that interest groups

corrupt or appear to corrupt the government.

Between 1789 and 1932, when the federal government enacted laws that states claimed infringed on their powers,

courts typically found in favor of the states.

Whites, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans hold ________ political views.

different

The policy of affirmative action requires organizations to

diversify their workforces.

What are two democratic principles central to the Constitution?

popular sovereignty and natural rights

What types of powers does the U.S. Constitution grant to state governments?

powers listed in the document as well as all powers that are not delegated to the federal government

Campaign contributions by interest groups often

provide access to the policymaker by the group's lobbyists.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is an example of a(n)

public interest group.

According to most interest group leaders, which type of incentive draws in the most members?

purposive

Persons who join an interest group because they have an earnest desire to change the world for the better are responding to

purposive incentives.

Civil rights prevent discrimination on the basis of

race. religion. All the answers are correct. gender.

Which of the following conditions is LEAST essential in compelling a citizen to participate in politics?

receiving immediate and tangible gains from one's participation

According to the U.S. Constitution, state governments do not have the authority to

regulate interstate commerce.

Which of the following is not necessarily a function of government in a democracy?

regulate the economy

Which of the following would be most likely to influence an individual's political views?

the president of the U.S.

Which of the following procedure(s) establish checks and balances within the federal government? the presidential veto

the presidential veto All the answers are correct. judicial review advice and consent

In the case of Korematsu v. United States, the Supreme Court decided that

the summary internment of Japanese Americans was a constitutional measure.

In 2008, the Obama campaign demonstrated that large amounts of money could be raised through

the use of the Internet.

A basic reason for the existence of so many interest groups in the United States is

the wide diversity of interests that exist in American society.

Amendments to the U.S. Constitution can only be ratified if approved by

three-fourths of state legislatures or three-fourths of special state conventions.

Initially, colonial governors appointed by the British monarch enforced laws dealing with

trade

President Franklin D. Roosevelt infringed on states' rights by instituting policies that involved

transferring money to state governments through grants.

Which of the following elements is not central to the government created by the U.S. Constitution?

unicameral legislature