Spring 2019-POS2041-American Federal Government-01479 Midterm Study Questions

If the president dies while in office, the vice president automatically becomes the new president.

True

Poor Americans are often hindered by an inadequate education.

True

The American Revolution began in 1775.

True

The Constitution prohibits states from signing treaties with foreign countries.

True

The American president acts as a leader for

the democratic world.

President George W. Bush's deployment of U.S. troops to Iraq in 2003 is an instance where

the president took military action and had a statement of congressional support.

All U.S. presidents must be

thirty-five years old and a fourteen-year resident of the United States.

Turning over control of the Panama Canal to Panama was accomplished through a(n)

treaty.

Which of the following presidents suspended the writ of habeas corpus and imposed martial law?

Abraham Lincoln

The Constitution states that a president must have lived in this country at least fourteen years and must be at least fifty years old.

False

The U.S. Supreme Court generally issues a few hundred written opinions per year.

False

The Watergate scandal erupted over Richard Nixon's acceptance of illegal campaign contributions.

False

The federal government prohibits issuing writs of habeas corpus.

False

The most famous presidential pardon concerns former slave owners after the Civil War.

False

The term centralized federalism is often used to describe the relationship between the states and national government that developed during the 1930s.

False

The theory of state sovereignty was the impetus behind the writing of the U.S. Constitution.

False

ewer than 5 percent of Americans live below the poverty line.

False

The Watergate scandal erupted over Richard Nixon's acceptance of illegal campaign contributions.

Falswe

Which of the following is a central element of cooperative federalism?

Federal grants-in-aid

The Constitution stipulates that which of the following is the supreme law of the land?

Federal laws

What is the main argument of Federalist 51?

Separation of powers and checks and balances are necessary.

What was the primary purpose of the First Continental Congress?

To coordinate a joint response to the actions of the British

What was the single most important decision made at the Philadelphia Convention?

To nullify the Articles of Confederation and write a new constitution

What is the difference between an executive agreement and a treaty?

Treaties require the advice and consent of the Senate; executive agreements do not.

A dissenting opinion may be written by any justice who voted with the minority.

True

According to the Magna Charta, the king was bound by the law and had to respect the rights of his subjects.

True

Administrative law consists of the regulations that have been issued by administrative agencies.

True

Almost all state governors have the authority to use a line item veto.

True

An executive agreement is ? between the president and other foreign leaders

True

Concurrent powers are those that can be exercised by both the states and the federal government.

True

Congress used its spending authority to coerce the states to increase the drinking age to twenty-one.

True

Federal aid has increased since the Reagan administration

True

In a unitary government, the central government has ultimate legal authority over its citizens.

True

John Locke believed that the people have the right to replace the government if it fails to protect the people's natural rights.

True

John Marshall was the chief justice of the United States when the Court decided Marbury v. Madison in 1803.

True

Most modern presidents can be considered to be strong presidents.

True

Ordinary people can exercise political power through voting or interest group membership.

True

Precedent is based on previous judicial decisions.

True

Presidents are more likely to enter into executive agreements than treaties.

True

Presidents shun partisanship and political ideology when selecting federal court judges, focusing on qualifications and knowledge of the law instead.

True

The Supreme Court has always refused to get involved in issues arising under the so-called guarantee clause.

True

The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction if there is a dispute between two or more states.

True

The U.S. Supreme Court primarily has appellate jurisdiction.

True

The War Powers Resolution requires the president to consult with Congress before American troops are introduced into hostile situations.

True

The due process and equal protection clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment place limits on the states.

True

The full faith and credit clause generally requires the states to honor the final civil rulings of other states.

True

The guarantee clause refers to the Constitution's "guarantee" of a republican form of government for the states.

True

The judicial branch exercises control over the president through judicial review of presidential action.

True

The main purpose of checks and balances is to limit the power of government by making each branch dependent on the other.

True

The public has come to expect a high level of service from the national government and holds the president responsible when expectations are not met.

True

The thirteen U.S. courts of appeals lack original jurisdiction.

True

If the president does not act on a bill within ten days of being passed and if Congress has adjourned, the bill

dies under a pocket veto.

By agreeing to exchange ambassadors with another nation, the president grants that country

diplomatic recognition.

A written opinion of a justice who voted with the minority is called a(n)

dissenting opinion.

The USA PATRIOT Act of 2001

enhances presidential power in surveillance, immigration, and money laundering.

in cases of domestic violents in states the federal government has the right to intervene

even if their is no state help requested

In cases of domestic violence, such as a riot within a state, the national government has the right to intervene

even if there is no request for help from any state authority.

Daniel Shays was a(n)

farmer and Revolutionary War veteran.

The Employment Act of 1946 enhanced the president's responsibility

for managing the economy.

In a confederation, powers of the central government are

granted to it by the state or provincial governments.

Federal aid to the states

has increased since the Reagan administration.

In a unitary government, the central government

has ultimate legal authority over citizens.

in a utility government, the central

has ultimate legal power over it's citizen

Following the theory of new federalism, President Reagan

increased block grants.

Federal aid to states

increased since the Reagan administration

A concurring opinion

is written by a justice who concurs with the majority opinion but disagrees with the reasons advanced by the majority.

Advocates of __________ are more likely to declare actions of the other branches as unconstitutional and are more inclined to have the courts set policy for the nation.

judicial activism

The power of courts to declare legislative and executive actions unconstitutional is called

judicial review.

Presidents almost always select federal judges who are

members of the president's political party.

The filibuster, which permits a minority of U.S. senators to indefinitely postpone or delay a vote in the Senate, is an example of

minority rights

In his famous "fireside chats" during the Great Depression of the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt was using his skills as

national opinion leader.

Although the Constitution gives Congress the expressed power to raise an army and a navy, it does not say how that is to be done. How Congress does this is based on its use of the

necessary and proper clause.

The 1787 convention delegates decided that the proposed Constitution would be ratified when approved by

nine of the states.

The Supreme Court refuses to get involved in issues involving the guarantee clause because they believe that such questions are

political, not judicial questions.

The Magna Charta and the English Bill of Rights both

promoted equality and expanded rights.

Locke believed that government's primary role was to

protect the life, liberty, and property of those it governs.

Stare decisis renders law

stable and predictable.

The vast majority of criminal cases are handled by

state courts.

John Locke wrote that civil society was created by an agreement among citizens in which they accepted existing law and penalties as binding. This agreement was called

the social contract.

Most cases reach the Supreme Court primarily by means of a(n)

writ of certiorari.

A court order that protects people from arbitrary imprisonment by requiring officials of the government to bring them before a court and state the reasons for detaining them is called a(n)

writ of habeas corpus.

A court order to a public official to perform an act that is legally required is called a(n)

writ of mandamus.

Standing is the right of a court to hear a particular type of case.

False

Jefferson's concept of equality did NOT apply to

black slaves or women.

Barack Obama has appointed two justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.

True

Fewer than 5 percent of Americans live below the poverty line.

False

Which one of the following correctly states the difference between a block grant and a grant-in-aid?

A grant-in-aid can be spent only for specific purposes; block grants can be used for broad, general purposes.

In the past decade, approximately what percentage of expenditures by state and local governments has come from federal grants?

30 percent

Which presidential statement is required under the Employment Act of 1946?

Annual economic report

Jefferson believed that economic equality is necessary for the existence of a democratic society.

False

Majority rule always prevents tyranny.

False

Presently, African Americans are the largest ethnic minority group.

False

Which one of the following is the primary reason for the growth of the grant system?

Dissatisfaction with state and local government actions

What two primary factors led to the calling of the constitutional convention?

Economic distress and the inability of the existing government to address the problems

According to German sociologist Max Weber, legitimacy in politics can be derived through the use of force.

False

Ballot initiatives are used by the federal government and by all fifty state governments.

False

Congressional approval is required before the president can sign an executive agreement.

False

During times of domestic violence, the federal government can intervene only at the invitation of state officials.

False

If the president does not act on a bill sent to him or her within ten days and if Congress is still in session, the bill dies.

False

In which of the following areas is the aging American population most likely to pose challenges for the United States?

Paying for health care expenses

Which of the following places the greatest limitations on the power of state governments?

The equal protection clause

What was the largest source of federal tax revenue in 2011?

Individual income taxes

Which of the following is the most common occupation of Supreme Court designees at the time of appointment?

Inferior federal court judge

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is an example of the use of

Interstate compacts.

Shays's Rebellion came about because

Massachusetts was taxing its citizens too heavily.

Which of the following is NOT a duty of the president in his or her role as party leader?

Meeting with foreign heads of state

Which one of the following is true with respect to presidential conduct of foreign policy?

Modern presidents increasingly have become involved in conducting foreign policy by negotiating with the heads of foreign governments.

Which one of the following is an inherent part of any federal system?

Neither the central government nor state governments exercise total power.

Which presidential role is not mentioned or described in the Constitution?

Party leader

Which of the following best illustrates new federalism?

The 1996 welfare reform legislation

Which one of the following best explains why the Articles of Confederation purposely created a weak national government?

The Articles were based on a theory of state sovereignty.

Which one of the following is true of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Lopez?

The Court's decision limited the implied powers of the national government to regulate firearms.

The Connecticut Compromise prevented the collapse of the Constitutional Convention by resolving which fundamental conflict between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans?

The disagreement among members about representation in the national legislature

Which one of the following statements regarding block grants is TRUE?

They have become a decreasing part of federal aid.

Which amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery?

Thirteenth

Elections for members of the House of Representatives are held every

Two years

In legal disputes between two or more states, original jurisdiction for hearing cases rests with the

U.S. Supreme Court.

Alexis de Tocqueville was

a French aristocrat who visited America in the 1830s.

The president has the power to negotiate treaties with foreign nations, but such agreements on behalf of the United States must be approved by

a two-thirds vote of the U.S. Senate.

Under the federal system of government used in the United States,

central government has exclusive powers in the area of national security.

In 2002, when President George W. Bush dismissed both his secretary of the treasury and director of the National Economic Council, the president acted in the role of

chief administrator.

President Richard Nixon's opening of diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China in 1972 is an example of the role of

chief diplomat.

The president's power to send and receive ambassadors illustrates his role as

chief diplomat.

A president greeting a group of students on the White House lawn or meeting the head of a foreign nation is acting in the role of

chief of state.

In 1951, President Truman fired General Douglas MacArthur as his commanding general because of MacArthur's public criticism of the president's military policy in Korea. This demonstrates

civilian control of the military.

The powers under the U.S. Constitution that can be exercised by both state and national governments are known as

concurrent powers.

A probate court or surrogate's court is a

court that deals with wills and estates.

Representative democracy differs from direct democracy in that in the former, citizens transfer their __________ power to people whom they elect to represent them.

decision-making

The inclusion of a bill of rights in the U.S. Constitution was the direct result of the

demands of the Antifederalists.