PS Exam Two
In each House district there are approximately ________ people.
700,000
About ________ percent of all cases in the United States are heard in state courts.
99%
________ is designed to protect federal judges from political pressure by granting them life tenure.
Article III of the U.S. Constitution
________ occurs when the federal government passes authority to administer a program to state or local governments.
Devolution
Which of the following statements about the merit system is FALSE?
Every member and official of a government agency has been appointed as part of the merit system.
________ is when bureaucrats attempt to translate laws into specific rules and actions.
Implementation
Why is Marbury v. Madison an important case?
In this case, the justices authorized the Supreme Court to exercise judicial review over laws passed by Congress.
Which of the following is the best definition of a constituent?
It is a person who lives in the district represented by a member of the legislature.
Why is the president's State of the Union address important?
It is an opportunity for the president to set the legislative agenda by initiating proposals and directing public attention to the president's goals.
Which of the following statements about party unity is true?
Party unity has been on the rise in recent years.
What is te general tendency of a president's popularity?
Presidents usually start out popular and decline over the next four years.
After the president and vice president, which office is next in the line of succession?
Speaker of the House
Criminal litigation in the federal courts is handled by ________.
U.S. Attorneys
The ________ asserted that the president could send American troops into action abroad only in the event of a declaration of war or other statutory authorization by Congress, or if American troops were attacked or directly endangered.
War Powers Resolution of 1973
Which of the following statements about congressional oversight of the bureaucracy is most accurate?
While the number of oversight hearings has increased over time as the bureaucracy has expanded, the extent of oversight does depend somewhat on which party controls the White House.
________ occurs when a criminal case is resolved through a negotiated agreement before a full trial is completed.
a plea bargain
The Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1970 directly by ________.
an executive order
The written document in which attorneys explain why the court should rule in favor of their clients is called a(n) ________.
brief
When interest groups involved in litigation pursue a pattern-of-cases strategy, they are
bringing the same type of suit into multiple circuits, hoping that a contradiction in rulings will bring about a Supreme Court review.
How can a president's veto be overridden by Congress?
by a two-thirds vote in both chambers
When a private individual brings a suit against a company for breaking a contract, this is an example of ________ law.
civil
In order to get around the need for Senate approval of treaties, many contemporary presidents have made use of ________ in foreign affairs.
executive agreements
A senator or representative running for re-election is called the ________.
incumbent
Making permanent cuts in existing agencies is often difficult because
most agencies have a supportive constituency that will fight to reinstate any cuts that are made
According to separation of powers expert Louis Fisher, the powers of Congress have declined dramatically in which of the following areas?
national defense and the federal budget
The controversy over the Patriot Act reveals the complications of balancing ________ with the ________.
national security; civil liberties of individuals
The party that brings a complaint in court is called the ________, and the one against whom the complaint is brought is called the ________.
plaintiff; defendant
A ________ veto occurs when Congress adjourns during a ten-day period after presenting the president with a bill and he or she takes no action.
Congressional organization is influenced by all of the following EXCEPT ________.
presidential directives
A filibuster allows members of the Senate to
prevent a vote on a bill by speaking continuously on the floor.
When members of Congress delegate power to the executive branch, it
substantially enhances the importance of the presidency.
The House Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over ________.
taxes, trade, and entitlement programs
The "sophomore surge" refers to the
tendency for candidates to win a higher percentage of the vote when seeking future terms in office.
Which of the following is an agency created by Congress to assist it in overseeing the federal bureaucracy?
the Congressional Budget Office
What did the framers call the "least dangerous branch"?
the Supreme Court
If a man is arrested because his home was searched by police without a legal warrant, he could argue in court that he had been denied ________.
the due process of law
Congress's tendency in recent years to give executive agencies fewer clear guidelines for implementing laws is the result of
the greater scope and complexity of the tasks that American government has undertaken.\
Which of the following is the best description of an iron triangle?
the stable relationship between a bureaucratic agency, a clientele group, and a legislative committee
What did the framers mean to accomplish by indirect election of the president?
to make the president responsible to state and national legislatures
The most visible indication of oversight is the
use of public hearings before congressional committees and subcommittees.