Polls Test 1 Quiz Questions

Culminating in a historic victory in 1954, black activists in the early twentieth century generally pursued civil rights through pressure for presidential decree legal action bureaucratic action legislative action campaigning through mass media

legal action

With regard to affirmative action, the Supreme Court in recent years has asked the president to clarify the policy asked the state legislatures to clarify the policy moved to narrow its application asked Congress to clarify the policy moved to outlaw it

moved to narrow its application

Which of the following is most closely related to the concept of implied powers? necessary and proper clause supremacy clause Tenth Amendment the power to tax the commerce clause

necessary and proper clause

In order for the Constitution to go into effect, at least this number of states would need to ratify it: five nine seven eleven thirteen

nine

The conviction of members of the U.S. Communist Party in the early 1950s was initially upheld as a lawful restriction of the right not to incriminate oneself to confront one's accusers in a court of law of free speech to a jury trial to worship any religion of choice

of free speech

Under the New Jersey Plan, each state would have ____ vote(s) in Congress one two three four five

one

A blending of state and national authority is associated with ________ federalism, while a separation of national and state authority is associated with ________ federalism. cooperative; dual cooperative; pyramid dual; cooperative picket-fence; cooperative dual; fiscal

cooperative; dual

The individual right that is widely regarded as the most basic of individual rights in a democracy is protection against illegal searches and seizures the right to a jury trial freedom of expression the right to an attorney the right to an adequate education

freedom of expression

The first plan of government for the United States was a federalist system unitary form of government monarchy confederation theocracy

confederation

The "Three-Fifths Compromise" was a response to apportionment in the U.S. Senate the Electoral College the concerns of small states the demands of large states conflict over the institution of slavery

conflict over the institution of slavery

A public policy program on which national, state, and local policymakers collaborate is an example of cooperative federalism unitary federalism cosponsor federalism confederal federalism dual federalism

cooperative federalism

The focus of civil liberties is the ________ and the focus of civil rights is the ________ individual; group individual; individual group; individual group; group Tenth Amendment; Twenty-seventh Amendment

individual; group

Women in America obtained the right to vote in national elections in ________ 1865 1790 1974 1920 1890

1920

Devolution is the A) passing of authority from the national government to the state and local levels B) expansion of national authority that began in the 1960s C) contraction of state authority and the expansion of local government authority D) expansion of national authority that began in the 1930s E) None of these answers is correct

A

Dual federalism held that A) a precise separation of national and state authority was both possible and desirable B) national and state authority were indivisible C) the Senate and the House were equal in their federal authority D) None of these answers is correct E) the states were equal to the national government in all respects

A

In Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that interest groups should be heavily regulated in America A) government is most dangerous when a single group is powerful enough to gain full political control B) monarchies are preferable to democracies C) America was not diverse enough to prevent powerful interest groups from exercising too much political power D) interest groups are less troublesome than political parties

A

In theJohnsonflag-burning case, the Supreme Court ruled that A) flag burning, although offensive, cannot be prohibited B) flag burning can be prohibited by the national government but not by the states C) flag burning could be banned by Congress D) flag burning is an imminent danger to public safety E) flag burning is not symbolic speech

A

Justice Holmes's "clear and present danger" test holds that government can A) restrict speech that threatens national security B) restrict speech that is disrespectful to specific classes of citizens C) imprison political dissidents during time of war without following normal procedures D) engage in prior restraint of the press whenever national security is at issue E) restrict any speech of an inflammatory nature

A

Sovereignty refers to A) supreme and final governing authority B) None of these answers is correct C) a government headed by a king D) sub-national (state) governments E) a division of authority between the national government and the states

A

The writers of the Constitution justified different methods of selection and varying terms of office for the president, Senate, and House as a means of A) protection against rapid control by an impassioned majority B) maintaining experienced leadership C) preventing elite control of government D) increasing voter turnout E) increasing popular influence

A

Under the Virginia Plan A) large states would have more representatives in both chambers of Congress B) the new Constitution would be only marginally stronger than the Articles of Confederation C) slaves would count as four-fifths of a person when apportioning legislative representatives D) Congress could not regulate either interstate trade or international trade E) two of the northern states would have had no representatives at all in Congress

A

Which of the following is an example of checks and balances? A) All of these answers are correct B) judicial review C) the veto D) approval of treaties C) the impeachment process

A

During the Great Depression of the 1930s, the national government A) utilized laissez-faire capitalism in its policies B) provided vast sums to business firms to keep them out of bankruptcy C) asserted the power to regulate the nation's economy D) provided health care to Americans on a temporary basis as a means of alleviating economic hardships E) provided vast sums to the states so they could meet their citizens' welfare needs

C

The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas ruling (1954) held that racial segregation in schools violated the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment A) Civil Rights Act B) establishment clause of the First Amendment C) equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment D) due process clause of the Fifth Amendment

C

The term civil liberties refers to specific individual rights that are constitutionally protected from infringement by individuals A)apply in civil cases but not in military ones B)are not covered by the First Amendment C) are constitutionally protected from infringement by government D) apply in civil cases but not in criminal cases

C

Which of the following was an argument in favor of federalism at the time of the writing of the Constitution? Federalism will provide for a stronger national government than existed under the Articles of Confederation A) Federalism will force officials to be more responsive to the people B) Federalism will protect liberty C) All these answers are correct D) Federalism will be less likely to produce an all-dominant faction

C

The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act A) invalidated, through federal legislation, the marriages of same-sex couples that had become married in states that allow same-sex unions B) authorizes states to grant marital rights to a same-sex couple that has been granted these rights by another state C) invalided state laws that had mandated that marriage be defined only as a union between a man and a woman D) established a timeline by which all states must legally allow same-sex marriages E) authorizes states to deny marital rights to a same-sex couple that has been granted these rights by another state and denied federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples

E

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was aimed in large part at eliminating discrimination A) by private individuals in their social relations—bigoted statements and other acts of prejudice are unlawful under most circumstances B) against gays and lesbians C) by governments in their job practices and provision of services (e.g., schools, roads) D) by governments in their conduct of elections (e.g., registration, placement of polling booths) E) by private individuals in their employment practices and in their operation of public accommodations (e.g., hotels, restaurants)

E

According to the Anti-Federalists, too strong of a national government meant A) that slavery would be abolished immediately B) that a new constitutional convention would have to convene every few years C) that a monarchy was preferable to a republic D) that effective commerce between and among the states was an impossibility E) eventual encroachment upon the sovereignty of the states

E

According to the Supreme Court, what is the status of prayer in the public schools? A) Student-led prayers at public school football games are constitutional B) Formal prayer is not allowed, but moments of silence are constitutional C) Bible readings in public schools are constitutional D) Prayer is now allowed, but each school must allow students to leave the classroom when prayers are read aloud E) State-supported prayers are not allowed in public schools

E

If a state accepts a federal grant-in-aid, A) it must match the funds with twice that amount in state funds B) reimburse the federal government after a specified period C) None of these answers is correct D) reduce its income tax rates to adjust for the increased income E) comply with federal restrictions on its use

E

Viewed in historical terms, A) federalism has been a theoretical principle, in that constitutional provisions for federalism have had virtually no impact on the relationship between the nation and the states B) poor replacement for the confederal system which existed before the Constitution C) flawed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and the states has been a constant source of problems without many positive benefits D) fixed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and states is almost completely defined by provisions of the Constitution E) contentious and dynamic system that has adapted to the needs of the time

E

The European philosopher whose concept of natural rights had a great impact on American politics is Montesquieu Locke Aristotle Hobbes Burke

Locke

The famous speech featuring the words "I have a dream" in the civil rights movement was delivered by John F. Kennedy Jesse Jackson Martin Luther King Jr. Robert F. Kennedy Thurgood Marshall

Martin luther king jr.

________ is an illustration of cooperative federalism Medicaid All these answers are correct A driver's license The U.S. Postal Service A marriage license

Medicaid

"You have the right to remain silent....Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law....You have the right to an attorney." This is called the fairness doctrine preferred position doctrine clear and present danger test None of these answers is correct Miranda warning

Miranda warning

The first large and well-organized attempt to promote women's rights came in 1848 in Boston, Massachusetts Minneapolis, Minnesota Seneca Falls, New York San Francisco, California Madison, Wisconsin

Seneca falls, new York

In applying the reasonable basis test, courts tend to determine whether a law is working well and, if so, to allow it to remain in effect A) require government only to show that a particular law is reasonable B) prohibit any law that results in the unequal treatment of Americans C) assess whether a law had the support of a two-thirds majority of legislators at the time of passage D) interpret the equal protection clause in a strict manner

a

One reason that affirmative action is so controversial is that A) it is viewed as giving preferential treatment, which is unpopular, instead of simply ensuring equal treatment B) it is applied only to private businesses and schools, not to government programs and institutions C) most Americans admit that they oppose programs that ensure equal treatment for minorities D) since the 1980s the Supreme Court has imposed it on the American public despite congressional attempts to end it E) the Supreme Court has repeatedly declared it unconstitutional both in principle and in practice

a

The Supreme Court has reasoned that a right of privacy is provided by A) the implication of said right by the freedoms in the Bill of Rights B) the Civil Rights Act of 1964 C) the Ninth Amendment, which says that people's rights are not limited to those enumerated in the Constitution D) the Civil Rights Act of 1991 E) the Tenth Amendment, which reserves to the people and the states those powers not granted to the federal government

a

The individual freedoms in the Bill of Rights were extended by the Fourteenth Amendment to include protection from deprivation of due process rights by actions of the federal government actions of the U.S. military actions of the president actions of state and local governments the actions of individuals

actions of state and local governments

When the United States first came into being, married women were not permitted to serve on juries hold office All these answers are correct vote own and dispense property without the husband's consent

all these answers are correct

Which of the following was NOT provided for by the Articles of Confederation? unanimous approval by the states to amend the Articles a federal government subordinate to the states each state having one vote in Congress an independent federal executive a national Congress

an independen federal executive

Housing in America A) None of these answers is correct B) continues to evidence a high degree of racial segregation C) falls largely outside the scope of the law—people are free to rent or sell property to whomever they want D) is an unimportant civil rights issue, since housing patterns almost completely reflect the personal preferences of people and are not substantially influenced by past or present racial bias E) is an area where equality in practice is now nearly a reality; people of similar incomes, regardless of race or color, find it equally easy to qualify for home mortgages

b

Native Americans A) do not today have the full legal rights of other U.S. citizens B) were not given citizenship status as a group until the twentieth century C) are U.S. citizens unless they choose to live on a reservation D) have always been legal citizens of the United States E) have numbered roughly ten million in the United States since the 1700s

b

The exclusionary rule states that the laws of one state court cannot be applied in the courts of another state A) federal law cannot be applied in state courts B) evidence obtained illegally is inadmissible in court C) state law cannot be applied in federal courts D) after seven years, the statute of limitations applies, except in murder cases

b

Political conservatives who favor more political power devolved back to the states would likely prefer which of the following? None of these answers is correct Pell grants categorical grants block grants higher tax rates for the wealthy

block grants

Through the grants of power in the Constitution, the framers sought to enumerate the rights of individuals define the powers of state governments both empower government and limit it create a government in which sovereignty was invested in the national government only abolish slavery

both empower government and limit it

The Federalists gained enough votes to get the Constitution ratified when they promised this: the right of states to disobey any national law they didn't like A. a Supreme Court with the right of judicial review B. James Madison to be the first president C. a bill of rights to be quickly added to the Constitution D. a banning of the slave trade after 1808

c

The Supreme Court's decision in the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case A) None of these answers is correct B) established quota systems as a legitimate basis of affirmative action C) upheld the principle of affirmative action D) invalidated the principle of affirmative action E) ruled that Bakke could not be admitted to medical school

c

Which of the following is correct with regard to obscenity and the law? A) Obscenity is protected under the Ninth Amendment B) Obscenity is never unlawful C) Obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment D) Obscenity has been easy for courts to define with precision E) Child pornography is protected by the First Amendment

c

Which of the following is true of the appeal process? There are no guarantees of appeal at the federal or state level, but the appeal process has been effectively certified through common practice A) The Constitution guarantees at least one appeal after conviction, but many states continue to challenge this guarantee in court B) Both the federal and all state constitutions guarantee an appeal after conviction C) The Constitution does not guarantee an appeal after conviction, but the federal government and all states permit at least one appeal D) The guarantee of appeal in the states was established as part of selective incorporation as applied to the Fourteenth Amendment

c

The demand that women should receive equal pay relative to men for work that is similarly demanding, involves similar responsibilities, and requires similar levels of education and training is the basis of the concept of comparable worth equality of opportunity reverse discrimination affirmative action de jure discrimination

comparable worth

Which choice below describes the American change in governmental structure in 1787? confederal to unitary federal to unitary federal to confederal confederal to federal unitary to confederal

confederal to federal

Which of the following statements is true? A) State and local governments combined raise three times as much revenue from taxation as the federal government B) The federal government raises significantly more tax revenue than all state and local governments combined C) State and local governments combined raise six times as much revenue as the federal government D) The federal government raises roughly as much revenue from taxation as all state and local governments combined E) State and local governments combined raise twice as much revenue from taxation as the federal government

d

Judicial review is the power of the American courts to Correct! declare a law unconstitutional give advice and counsel to the president give advisory opinions to Congress suspend the writ of habeas corpus impeach the president

declare a law unconstitutional

The Supreme Court's position on prior restraint of the press is that A) prior restraint should be used fairly frequently in a democracy B) only classified government documents are subject to prior restraint C) prior restraint can never be exercised by government D) national security needs are of highest priority E) prior restraint should apply only in rare circumstances, and it is better to hold the press responsible for what it has printed than to restrict what it may print

e

The federal government's power to tax, regulate commerce among the states, and declare war are all examples of ________ powers implied concurrent enumerated reserved None of these answers is correct

enumerated

Which constitutional amendment protects the individual against self-incrimination? Ninth First Fourth Fifth Second

fifth

Roughly one in every ________ dollars spent by local and state governments in recent decades was raised not by them but by the government in Washington two fifty five ten one hundred

five

Which of the following is NOT an enumerated power? declaration of war regulation of commerce taxation public education establish a national currency

public education

The inclusion of certain provisions of the Bill of Rights in the Fourteenth Amendment, so that these rights are protected from infringements by the state governments, is called the absorption doctrine the preferred position doctrine prior restraint procedural change selective incorporation

selective incorporation

Marbury v. Madison is a landmark Supreme Court decision because it defined the scope of state powers under the Tenth Amendment affirmed the necessary and proper clause established national supremacy set the precedent for judicial review helped to end Thomas Jefferson's political career

set the precedent for judicial review

The term of office for a U.S. senator is ________ years, while that of a member of the U.S. House is ________ years. eight; four six; two four; four four; two six; four

six; two

The right to counsel is guaranteed by the ________ Amendment First Sixth Fifth Ninth Tenth

sixth

In America today, public education is primarily the responsibility of the national government state and local governments the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) the National Education Association (NEA) the U.S. Department of Education

state and local governments

The Fourteenth Amendment applies to discriminatory action by state governments only private parties only the president specifically Congress specifically both government and private parties

state governments only

The framers entrusted the selection of U.S. senators to state governors specially chosen electors direct vote of the people state legislatures federal magistrates

state legislatures

Any law that attempts a racial or ethnic classification is subject to the strict scrutiny test suspect classification test reasonable basis test precedent basis test intermediate scrutiny test

strict scrutiny test

According to the Supreme Court, state-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the free exercise clause the exclusionary rule procedural due process the clear and present danger test the establishment clause

the establishment clause

The document explaining the ideas of the Constitution and urging its ratification is The Federalist Papers The Anti-Federalist Papers the Declaration of Conscience the Declaration of Independence the Mayflower Compact

the federalist papers

The freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and petition are found in the Tenth Amendment the Sixth Amendment the First Amendment the Fourth Amendment the Fourteenth Amendment

the first amendment

Where is the Bill of Rights found in the Constitution? Article III amendments 17 through 26 Article I, Section 8 the first ten amendments Article II

the first ten amendments

The Tenth Amendment addressed the concerns of Anti-Federalists about popular representation in Congress the Electoral College the powers of state governments individual freedoms the meaning of the commerce clause

the powers of state governments

Presidential appointments and treaties must be approved by Congress the Supreme Court the secretary of state only the president the Senate

the senate

Since the height of the busing era, the trend in public schools has been to rely more and more on busing to retain the gains in racial integration achieved through the 1970s, but not to further them toward greater segregation to reinstate de jure racial segregation toward greater integration

toward greater segregation

To the framers, the great danger of democratic government was the risk of special-interest politics elite rule a weak presidency judicial imperialism tyranny of the majority

tyranny of the majority

The Fourth Amendment protects Americans from unreasonable searches unreasonable searches conducted only by federal officers searches conducted only by local officers any search conducted without a warrant all searches conducted by state officers

unreasonable searches

In 2000, ________ became the first state to legalize the civil union of same-sex couples Rhode Island New Hampshire Massachusetts Vermont Connecticut

vermont

Libel applies to defamation of an individual's reputation through the None of these answers is correct written word written, spoken, and symbolic word spoken word written and spoken word

written word