US gov exam review

Which of the following statements BEST shows the impact of the Internet and other electronic information on the political process?

D. A candidate alters his stance on an issue based on the number of likes on his Facebook page.

Which of the following statements BEST reflects how the media have changed political campaigns?

A. Candidates are tied to their party organization to a lesser degree.

It is possible to protect American industries from foreign corporations by

A. Imposing tarrifs

Which of the following general statements about interest groups is true?

A. Interest groups try to influence the passage of new laws.

What is the MOST LIKELY reason that indirect taxes on items such as cigarettes and gasoline are paid by consumers rather than the manufacturers

A. Manufacturers do not want to impact profits by bearing the cost of the tax, so they pass the cost on to consumers.

Which of the following is an example of a "loaded question" that a pollster should avoid?

A. Should a new High School be built to replace the old, obsolete school?

One major reason a candidate might turn down the FEC Subsidy is because candidates receive subsidies

A. cannot spend unlimited amounts of money on their campaigns

Who has the ultimate authority to approve trade alliances between the US and other countries?

A. congress

Which action might be taken by the government if an effort to slow economic growth?

A. increase taxes

The president has some impact how much federal government spends each year because he or she

A. proposes a budget that congress enacts through appropriations

What does the term mandate refer in American politics?

A. the instructions or commands that voters give elected officials.

Which of the following illustrates the fact that the media's influence on public political attitudes is limited?

B. A republican regularly visits the websites of Republican candidates but never those of Democratic candidates.

How was social media affected politics in the United States?

B. It has increased the public's political involvement.

A pattern of political contributions for a candidate that indicated a large amount of popular support would include

B. Numerous small donations from individual citizens

Which of the following factors of production is more important in capitalist societies than in economic systems?

B. a person or business who will combine land, labor, and capital resources to produce goods

Why is the Securities and Exchange Commission critical to the nations economy?

B. because it ensures that Americas stock markets are free of corruption.

Which of the following is an example of direct lobbying?

B. drafting legislation for a member of Congress

China has risen in importance as a US trading partner because it

B. is a source of cheap goods and services

Which of the following statements might be made by a citizen of a country with a command economy?

B. our workers have little to no income to create new products

The levying of Fed Taxes destroyed the phosphorus match industry within the US by

B. reducing the demand for phosphorus matches

The media influences politics MOST by

B. selecting certain issues to highlight.

Which generalization is supported by the economic histories of the USA, China, and the former Soviet Union?

C. No country has successfully embraces a "pure" form of an economoic system

How do the American people benefit MOST from public interest groups?

C. Public interest groups support causes that benefit many people, including those not in the group.

Which of the following statements is an example of indirect lobbying?

C. The Los Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club encourages its members to email government leaders regarding water conservation issues in their state.

How are political parties and interest groups similar?

C. They both represent people who join together to affect public policy.

Which factor would MOST LIKELY influence an individuals opinion about whether or not to end social security?

C. because social security is of most concern to older adults, age would influence voters' opinions.

During a period of inflation

C. consumers dollars do not buy as much as they once did

Which method would be used by pollsters who wish to conduct a scientific survey about the most likely candidate to win the presidency?

C. interviewing randomly chosen people in randomly chosen area codes

How does controlling the federal funds rate enable the federal reserve to regulate the economy?

C. it expands and contracts the money supply as needed

The constitution grants the power to tax to

C. legislative branch of the Fed Government

The president of the Us can play a role in letting international trade policies by

C. negotiating trade agreements with economic allies

Super PACs can make the most impact on the campaigns of their preferred candidates by

C. paying for advertising that focuses on a target issue

The US tries to promote economic stability around the world by

C. providing econmic aid

A proponent of Reaganomics would most likely believe that

C. tax cuts stimulate spending and the economy

What is the difference between hard money and soft money?

D. Hard money may be given directly to a candidate; soft money cannot

How have campaign finance laws changed over time?

D. Limits have been placed on how money can be spent by corporations and labor unions.

__________ provide money for future governmental expenses rather than for the immediate operation of government

D. Social insurance taxes

Why is it difficult to determine what opinions are held by "the public"?

D. The public is actually made up of many publics

The federal government can levy a tax for which of the following purposes

D. discouraging people from engaging in unhealthy behaviors

How have patents helped foster competition in the USA?

D. patents protect innovations so competitors must come up with new innovations to remain competitive

What would MOST likely occur more often in a free enterprise economic system than in an economic system with centralized decision making?

D. rapid technological advances

Which of the following federal budget items are considered controllable?

D. spending on highways

What limit does the constitution place on the amount of money the federal government may borrow each year?

D. the constitution gives congress the power to authorize borrowing as it sees fit

What is the discount rate?

D. the interest rate banks pay when they borrow money from a federal reserve bank

Which of the following examples is the best reason the federal government would use its borrowing power?

D. to finance unanticipated military initiatives

Why is the process of nominating candidates considered to be the most important function political parties play in american government?

No other group in our society has been able to identify and get candidates elected in office as successfully as do politcal parties.

Which statement about today's national conventions is TRUE?

The public is rarely surprised by announcement made at the conventions

Which statement is TRUE concerning the two major parties?

The two major parties of look very much alike

Which factor BEST accounts for the increased use of preference primaries?

The winner-take-all format being steadily replaced by the proportional representation rule

Why is nomination by petition most widely found at the local level government?

fewer signatures are needed on a petition in a smaller constituency

In his Farewell Address in 1796, George Washington warned the young United States against "the baneful effects of the spirit of party." He was concerned that political parties would

divide the nation

Political parties are sometimes reffered to as "power brokers" because they

help unify people by encouraging compromise among various interests and groups

What impact does the nominating process have on the right to vote?

it gives voters limited choices in the general election

Which of the following is one impact minor parties have had on American politics?

minor parties raise new and controversial issues to the public's attention

The states that receive the most attention during presidentail campaigns are those with

no clear party loyalties

The direct primary is the principle nominating method in the United States today because it gives the nominating function to

party members

Nomination is the critical first step in the process of filling public offices because it is the naming of those

seeking office

What is significant about the general response to the national popular vote plan

the ideas is supported across party lines as well as by non partisan entities.

Which scenario is possible under the current electoral college system?

the speaker of the house acts as president

The convention nominating system worked better in theory than in practice because it resulted in the selection of delegates

who represented the party bosses