AP Gov. Khan Academy

Which of the following programs would fall under the discretionary spending portion of the pie chart?

Defense spending Nice job! Defense spending falls under discretionary spending because the amount of money allocated for defense is awarded on a yearly basis.

Source: United States Election Project Based on the data presented in the graph, which of the following is the best conclusion one can make about the significance of presidential and midterm election turnout rates in this period?

With lower overall turnout in midterm elections, groups that are more likely to vote had more impact on their outcomes Demographic groups who are more likely to vote in midterm elections (older, white, and educated voters) give an advantage to Republican candidates.

Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Fifth Amendment?

A person is tried twice for the same crime The Fifth Amendment protects people from double jeopardy, meaning they cannot be tried for the same crime twice.

Source: Pew Research Center Which of the following is an accurate statement about the information shown in the chart?

Trump and Clinton voters consumed most of their campaign news from different sources The chart shows that Trump voters favored Fox News as their main source of news, while Clinton voters favored CNN.

Which of the following statements accurately describes a trend depicted in the graph?

Trust in government declined across all generations over the course of George H.W. Bush's administration Political efficacy, or trust in government and the belief citizens can understand and influence political affairs, fell across all generations between 1989 and 1993, despite a temporary spike at the time of the first Gulf War.

Which of the following scenarios would be considered a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?

A university establishes race-based quotas in their admission policy The Court has established in several cases that race-based quotas violate the equal protection clause because it disadvantages students of a particular race.

Based on the information in the graphic, which of the following claims would an opponent of the ruling in Roe v. Wade most likely make?

43% of Americans believe that abortion is morally wrong This accounts for both the 25% of respondents who think the Supreme Court should overturn Roe v. Wade and the 18% who do not want the Court to overturn the ruling but believe that abortion is morally wrong.

"[I]t has already been incontrovertibly shown that on the present occasion a bill of rights was totally unnecessary, and that it might be accompanied with some inconveniency and danger if there was any defect in the attempt to enumerate the privileges of the people. This system proposes a union of thirteen sovereign and independent states in order to give dignity and energy to the transaction of their common concerns. It would be idle, therefore to countenance the idea that any other powers were delegated to the general government than those specified in the Constitution itself." Justice Thomas McKean at the Pennsylvania State Convention to ratify the Constitution, edited by John Back McMaster and Frederick D. Stone, 1788 Which of the following best summarizes the author's argument?

A Bill of Rights would potentially give the federal government more power than is explicitly stated in the Constitution Justice McKean's point is that adding a Bill of Rights would give the federal government more power because it would delegate the federal government powers that are not included the Constitution.

Based on previous rulings, the Supreme Court is most likely to view a case concerning which of the following as a violation of the Sixth Amendment?

A Court refuses to provide a defendant a lawyer even though she cannot afford one The Sixth Amendment states that people have the right to legal counsel. After Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), state and local courts are required to provide legal counsel for the poor and indigent.

A signing statement is best defined as which of the following?

A released letter explaining how the president's administration plans to interpret the law Signing statements describe how a president interprets the law. Some critics of signing statements argue that it is the president's job to execute laws, not interpret them.

Which of the following is a consequence of holds applied to a bill in the Senate?

A senator can slow down the legislative process Holds can be placed on any bill or presidential appointment and are a political tactic meant to slow down the legislative process in the Senate.

Precedents are best defined as which of the following?

A legal decision that establishes a rule for similar cases going forward Any case that has been decided can be considered a precedent. The Court will often cite previous cases as precedents to support their reasoning in a current case.

Based on previous rulings, the Supreme Court is most likely to view a case concerning which of the following as a symbolic speech case?

A man who was arrested for waving a Nazi flag at a rally Forms of nonverbal speech, like flag waving, are considered "symbolic speech."

Affirmative action is best defined as which of the following?

A policy benefiting those who tend to suffer from discrimination or are members of a historically disadvantaged group The definition of affirmative action covers government programs and policies designed to benefit members of groups historically subject to discrimination.

The establishment clause is best defined as which of the following?

A provision of the First Amendment which prohibits the federal government from making an official American religion The free establishment clause states that "Congress shall pass no law respecting an establishment of religion. . . ." This means that the free establishment clause protects people from a state-sponsored religion.

Based on previous rulings, the Supreme Court is likely to view which of the following as a free exercise clause case?

A public school prevents Muslim students from wearing headscarves This scenario is an example of a case that the Supreme Court would likely view as a free exercise clause case, since the school is preventing a students from exercising their religion.

Which of the following scenarios is an example of how a state may constitutionally limit free speech at a protest demonstration?

Antoni starts yelling for other protestors to light buildings on fire and the police arrest him Enticing people to damage property and endanger people's lives is an example of when the state can restrict free speech.

Which of the following may the president do to limit the Supreme Court's power?

Appoint new justices to the Supreme Court The president can limit the Supreme Court's power by appointing justices who change the ideological leanings of the Court.

How do the different chamber sizes in the House of Representatives and the Senate influence the formality of debate in each chamber?

Because there are more members in the House of Representatives, there is a more formal process for debate With 435 members in the House of Representatives, the House Rules Committee sets strict guidelines on floor debate, including time limits for members to speak.

In 1974, Congress created a program that grants money to state and local governments to help revitalize low-income communities. State and local governments can decide how best to use their money and used it to rebuild streets, fund libraries, and fix drinking water systems.

Block grants This is an example of a grant given to support a broad range of programs.

Which of the following actions by a news organization would most likely be protected from prior restraint based on the precedent established by New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)?

Broadcasting a televised report that analyzes classified information about government surveillance of other countries New York Times Co. v. United States bolstered the freedom of the press by establishing a "heavy presumption against prior restraint," or government censorship before publication. This scenario would not be considered a valid justification for using prior restraint, provided the information was true and did not directly harm anyone.

"An unjust law is a code that a majority inflicts on a minority that is not binding on itself. This is difference made legal. On the other hand, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow, and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal." -Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail, 1963. Supporters of King's view that just laws treat the majority and minority the same could point to which of the following Supreme Court cases?

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954) Brown v. Board ruled that segregating public school students on the basis of race was inherently unequal.

Which of the following best explains how a president would use a bully pulpit to achieve policy goals?

By appealing directly to the public, the president hopes members of the public will influence their representatives to support those policy goals The bully pulpit allows the president to directly appeal to the public to try to gain their support on policy.

A president issues an executive order banning newspapers from printing articles critical of the US government. The Supreme Court declares the executive order unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment right to freedom of the press. This is an example of which of the following principles of US government?

Checks and balances The Supreme Court, as head of the judicial branch, can "check" the power of the president, as head of the executive branch.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two cases? New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) Schenck v. United States (1919) A Bolstered the freedom of the press Ruled that speech creating a "clear and present danger" is not protected B Ruled that political spending by corporations, associations, and labor unions is a form of protected speech Established a "heavy presumption against prior restraint" even in cases involving national security C Led to the development of the "one person, one vote" doctrine Guaranteed the right to an attorney for the poor or indigent D Ruled that public school students can engage in symbolic protest

Comparison A New York Times Co. v. United States bolstered the freedom of the press by establishing a "heavy presumption against prior restraint," or government censorship before publication. Schenck v. United States limited the scope of the First Amendment by declaring that speech creating a "clear and present danger" was not protected.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the powers of the judicial branch and the powers of the legislative branch? Judicial powers Legislative powers A Interpreting the Constitution Establishing inferior courts B Vetoing legislation Setting the budget C Appointing Supreme Court justices Confirming Supreme Court nominations D Ratifying treaties Negotiating treaties

Comparison A The judicial branch interprets the Constitution, but Article III gives the power of establishing courts lower than the Supreme Court to Congress.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Marbury v. Madison (1803) Baker v. Carr (1961) A Declared that Congress had implied powers to carry out their enumerated powers Established limits to Congress's power under the commerce clause B Led to more power for the Supreme Court to check the other branches Led to the "one-person, one-vote" judicial doctrine C Ruled that national laws were supreme to state laws Decided that federal courts could intervene and decide redistricting cases D Decided that the Supreme Court could declare laws unconstitutional Ended gerrymandering across the United States

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) Roe v. Wade (1973) A Incorporated a right to legal counsel in capital cases Incorporated a right to privacy to the states B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent Decided that the right to privacy extended to a woman's right to have an abortion C Ruled that state laws were supreme to national laws Limited the power of the state government to regulate abortion D Declared that the state had violated the Sixth Amendment Declared that the state had violated the Third Amendment

Comparison B In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the Court ruled that state and local courts had to provide legal counsel to the poor or indigent. Roe v. Wade (1973) extended the right of privacy to a woman's decision to have an abortion while recognizing compelling state interests in potential life and maternal health.

The Environmental Protection Agency issues a fine to a factory that is not complying with federal regulations on the maximum number of pollutants it can release into the atmosphere. This is an example of which of the federal bureaucracy's responsibilities?

Enforcement Issuing fines is one way that bureaucratic agencies enforce rules.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Roe v. Wade (1973) A Incorporated the right to vote to the states Incorporated the right to privacy to the states B Decided that segregation in schools violates the equal protection clause Decided that the right to privacy extends to a woman's right to have an abortion C Authorized states to create separate facilities based on race as long as they were equal Limited the power of state governments to regulate abortion D Declared that the state had violated the Fourteenth Amendment Declared that the state had violated the Sixth Amendment

Comparison B Roe v. Wade (1973) extended the right of privacy to a woman's decision to have an abortion while recognizing compelling state interests in potential life and maternal health. The Brown decision overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and reexamined the application of the equal protection clause.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) United States v. Lopez (1995) A Declared that Congress had implied powers to carry out their enumerated powers Declared that states did not have the power to tax the federal government B Led to an increase in power for the federal government Recognized the importance of state sovereignty and local control C Established limits to the Supreme Court's jurisdiction Established limits to Congress' power under the commerce clause D Ruled that the federal government did not have the power to create a national bank Ruled that national laws were supreme to state laws

Comparison B The decision McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) led to an increase in power for the federal government by ruling that it had implied powers to carry out powers listed in the Constitution. The decision in US v. Lopez (1995) recognized the importance of state sovereignty by placing limits on Congress's power under the commerce clause.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Roe v. Wade (1973) Brown v. Board of Education (1954) A Bolstered the power of the states Bolstered the power of the federal government B Ruled that symbolic speech is protected by the First Amendment Ruled that legislative redistricting must ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act C Ruled on the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment Ruled on the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment D Extended the right to privacy to a woman's decision to have an abortion Ruled that compelling Amish students to attend school beyond the eighth grade violates the free exercise clause

Comparison C Both Roe v. Wade and Brown v. Board of Education were Fourteenth Amendment cases, though Roe v. Wade relied on the due process clause, and Brown v. Board relied on the equal protection clause.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Marbury v. Madison (1803) Shaw v. Reno (1993) A Gave check and balance power to the Supreme Court Ruled that North Carolina violated the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment B Declared that states did not have the power to tax the federal government Prohibited oddly-shaped majority-minority districts C Decided that the Supreme Court can declare a law unconstitutional Decided that redistricting plans based on race must be held to a high standard of scrutiny D Led to an increase in power for the legislative branch Led to an increase in power for the national government

Comparison C Great job! In Marbury v. Madison (1803), the Court ruled that it had the constitutional power to overturn acts of Congress, state laws, or executive actions they found to be unconstitutional. In Shaw v. Reno (1993), the Court ruled that states can't make oddly-shaped majority-minority districts when trying to comply with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the president's formal and informal powers? Formal powers Informal powers A Setting the agenda for Congress Granting pardons B Declaring war Delivering the State of the Union address C Vetoing legislation Issuing executive orders D Acting as Commander in Chief Appointing Supreme Court justices

Comparison C The president has the expressed power to veto legislation. Issuing executive orders is an informal power of the president.

"All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are the rich and the wellborn, the other the mass of the people. . . . The people are turbulent and changing; they seldom judge or determine right. Give therefore to the first class a distinct, permanent share in the government. They will check the unsteadiness of the second, and as they cannot receive any advantage by a change, they therefore will ever maintain good government." -Alexander Hamilton, "Speech in the Constitutional Convention on a Plan of Government," 1787 Which of the following models of democracy is the author advocating?

Elite or Aristocracy Democracy

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) McDonald v. Chicago (2010) A Incorporated a right to legal counsel in capital cases Incorporated a right to privacy to the states B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent Decided that using execution by firing squad was cruel and unusual punishment C Ruled that national laws are supreme to state laws Ruled that state laws are supreme to national laws D Declared that the state had violated the Sixth Amendment Declared that the state had violated the Second Amendment

Comparison D Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) incorporated the Sixth Amendment right to legal counsel to the states. McDonald v. Chicago (2010) did the same for the Second Amendment right to own a gun.

Why did the Framers decide to include Article V of the Constitution, detailing an amendment process?

Concerns about protecting self-government The Framers wanted self-government in the form of a "living" system of government that they could change when necessary.

Use the excerpt to answer the question below. "Senators have increasingly used holds, their ability to block consideration of a nominee indefinitely, as a broader partisan weapon to keep presidents from filling key positions, including many qualified and usually noncontroversial nominees . . . . The confirmation rate of presidential circuit court appointments has plummeted from above 90 percent in the late 1970s and early 1980s to around 50 percent in recent years." Thomas E. Mann and Norman J. Ornstein, It's Even Worse than it Looks, 2012 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the authors most likely agree with?

Divided government has led to an increase in congressional refusal to confirm appointments of presidents of the opposite party Mann and Ornstein argue in the excerpt above that divided government has led to more conflict between the legislative and executive branches over executive appointments.

Source: Pew Research Center Which of the following statements best explains the significance of the generation group trends in the graph above?

Downward trends in trust of the federal government among all generations between 1965-1980 indicate a corresponding decrease in citizen efficacy and health of US civil society Political efficacy, as represented by high trust in government and the belief that citizens can understand and influence political affairs, is an important indicator of citizen attitudes toward government and its legitimacy.

Which of the following actions by a state government would most likely violate the precedent established by Shaw v. Reno (1993)?

Drawing new congressional district lines in a city that grouped people based on race

During the 1980s, members of the Republican Party advocated for devolution (transferring responsibilities for programs from the federal government to state and local governments). Which of the following describes a difficulty Congress might face in implementing devolution?

Due to the concurrent powers of state and national government, many programs are administered by both state and federal agencies Because many programs are administered by both state and federal agencies, it might be difficult to untangle federal responsibilities from state responsibilities.

The exclusionary rule can best be described as which of the following?

Evidence obtained without a search warrant is subject to being excluded from use at a trial to convict someone The exclusionary rule protects defendants from abuses of police power by requiring courts to disregard evidence that was found illegally.

"Even as they welcome the opportunities opened up by having an ally in the White House, some worry that the continued emphasis on executive actions is just another step in the dilution of legislative power. "'We need to go back to being the legislative branch,' said Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Florida Republican opposed to a potential executive order by Mr. Trump that would end a special program allowing younger illegal immigrants to remain in the United States. 'We didn't like this when Obama was doing it, so why should we accept it now?'" -Carl Hulse, "Trump Follows Obama's Lead in Flexing Executive Muscle," The New York Times, January 26, 2017 Based on the text, which of the following statements would Representative Ros-Lehtinen most likely agree with?

Executive orders can create conflict with Congress as they do not require congressional input or approval This quote shows how executive orders can create conflict with Congress as members of Congress can question whether the executive branch is taking on too much legislative power.

Information provided by the Pew Research Center in Same-Sex Marriage, State by State Which of the following constitutional principles best explains why there was variation among states on the legality of same-sex marriage?

Federalism Federalism allows states to develop their own policies on issues like marriage. This explains the variation in same-sex marriage policies among the states.

Which of the following accurately describes the information presented in the pie charts?

Female athletes represented a larger proportion of total high school athletes in 2011-2012 than in 1971-1972 As you can see from the graph, the percentage of female athletes went from 7% in 1971-72 to 41% in 2011-12.

Which of the following best defines civil liberties?

Freedoms that protect citizens, opinions, and property against government abuse of power Civil liberties are best described as constitutionally-established guarantees and freedoms that protect citizens from government interference. Examples of civil liberties protected in the Bill of Rights are freedom of speech, the right to trial by jury, and protection from unreasonable search and seizure.

Referring to the years 1920 to 1940 on the graph, which of the following was a catalyst for the upward trend in the presidential popular vote as a percent of the population in that period?

Giving women the right to vote The Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote in 1920, which dramatically increased the voting percentage.

Prior restraint is best defined as which of the following?

Government censorship that blocks free speech or publication The Supreme Court established a "heavy presumption against prior restraint" or government censorship blocking publication in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971).

Source: Pew Research Center Which of the following is a potential consequence of the trend in the chart?

Increased uncertainty among consumers over the credibility of news sources and information

Which of the following statements explains how social media has enhanced the power of the presidency?

It gives the president a direct line of communication to the national constituency to influence national policy Social media has given the president power to directly appeal to the American public, enhancing the presidential bully pulpit.

Which of the following impacts on political participation has resulted from the decrease in barriers to publishing on the internet?

It has allowed people with little or no political experience or connections to have significant influence on elections The internet has created a host of opportunities for homegrown media, allowing anyone to set up websites, blogs, and videos of campaign events and ads that can impact elections.

Which of the following explains how modern technology has changed the president's ability to respond to political issues?

It has made it easier for the president to rapidly respond to political issues by appealing directly to the public The president can use modern technology and social media to rapidly respond to political issues or major events, such as a mass shooting or protest.

Which of the following statements best describes judicial restraint?

Judges should limit the exercise of their own power to interpreting the Constitution according to its original intent When a judge practices judicial restraint they choose to defer decisions (and thus policymaking) to the elected branches of government, and stay focused on a narrower interpretation of the Bill of Rights.

Use the excerpt to answer the question below. "The defeat of Robert Bork's 1987 Supreme Court nomination was a watershed event that unleashed what Stephen Carter has called 'the confirmation mess.' There was no question that Bork was a highly qualified nominee. He was rejected not because of any lack of qualification, or any impropriety, but because of his stated judicial philosophy: how he would vote as a judge." -John Maltese, "Anatomy of a Confirmation Mess: Recent Trends in the Federal Judicial Selection Process," 2004 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Judicial nominations can be contentious because of the lasting influence the people in those positions have after a president's term Maltese argues that Bork was not confirmed because of his "judicial philosophy" and the impact that philosophy would have on the Court for years to come.

Pork barrel legislation is best defined as which of the following?

Laws that include federally-funded local projects that benefit a specific district Pork barrel legislation funds projects that benefit a specific district or set of citizens. They are usually added onto bills that are guaranteed to pass.

"There is no position which depends on clearer principles, than that every act of a delegated authority, contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 78, "The Judiciary Department," 1788 Supporters of Hamilton's view that acts contrary to the Constitution are invalid could point to which of the following cases?

Marbury v. Madison Marbury v. Madison established the principle of "judicial review," that it is the Supreme Court's duty to review the laws and reject ones that are inconsistent with the Constitution.

In Gonzalez v. Raich (2005), the Supreme Court ruled that the commerce clause gave Congress the authority to ban the use of marijuana, despite conflicting state law. In the Court's majority opinion, Associate Justice John Paul Stevens argued that local use of marijuana affected the supply and demand of the national marijuana market. Which prior Supreme Court case could be cited as a precedent for the majority decision in Gonzalez v. Raich (2005)?

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) The decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) ruled that federal law has supremacy over state laws, similar to Justice Stevens's argument that the federal government has the right to ban marijuana.

Which of the following Supreme Court cases established that federal laws have supremacy over state laws?

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) The decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) was that states do not have the power to tax an entity of the federal government because federal laws have supremacy over state laws.

"The District's total ban on handgun possession in the home amounts to a prohibition on an entire class of "arms" that Americans overwhelmingly choose for the lawful purpose of self-defense." Associate Justice Scalia, majority opinion in D.C. vs Heller (2008), source: Justia In its D.C. vs Heller ruling, the Court struck down a handgun ban in Washington, D.C. In which Supreme Court ruling was the Second Amendment right to bear arms first incorporated to the states?

McDonald v. Chicago This 2010 ruling followed D.C. v. Heller in striking down a Chicago handgun ban; D.C. v. Heller was not relevant to the question of incorporation because it concerned Second Amendment rights in a federal district, where all protections of the Bill of Rights apply.

Which of the following Supreme Court cases is most relevant to the topic of the cartoon?

McDonald v. Chicago (2010) Nice work! In McDonald v. Chicago (2010), the Court ruled that an individual's right to own a gun is extended to state and local governments.

Source: Pew Research Center Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on a comparison of the trends in the chart and your knowledge of political beliefs and behavior?

Media coverage and commentary on political events influence political beliefs and behavior The difference in media consumption patterns between Trump voters and Clinton voters suggests that media habits strongly correlate with political beliefs and behavior.

In 2015, the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees people of the same sex the right to marry in the same manner as opposite-sex couples. Following this ruling, the National Organization for Marriage appealed to members of Congress encouraging them to pass an amendment to the Constitution defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

Multiple access points for stakeholders to influence policymaking The members of an interest group worked to influence policy in Congress after a Supreme Court decision they did not like. This is made possible through checks and balances and separation of powers.

Which of the following is a consequence of federalism in the United States?

National policymaking is held in check Diffusing political power between states and the federal government helps to reign in government and keeps each level from becoming too powerful.

President Bellingham's administration wants to limit the development of chemical weapons in key nations in the Middle East, but Congress is unlikely to back a formal treaty. Which of the following is an action the president may take to accomplish their policy agenda?

Negotiate an executive agreement with the heads of the Middle Eastern governments The president has the informal power to negotiate executive agreements with the heads of other governments. Executive agreements do not require Senate ratification.

Use the passage below to answer the following question. "That unity is conducive to energy will not be disputed. Decision, activity, secrecy, and despatch will generally characterize the proceedings of one man in a much more eminent degree than the proceedings of any greater number; and in proportion as the number is increased, these qualities will be diminished . . ." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70, "The Executive Department Further Considered," 1788 Which of the following statements best summarizes Hamilton's argument?

One person should run the executive branch because they will be able to act swiftly, decisively, and discreetly, which is necessary for the presidency In this excerpt, Alexander Hamilton argues for a one-person executive branch because the president is responsible for responding to crises and carrying out laws. He argues that the president needs to be able to do this quickly and decisively.

In June 2017, voters in Puerto Rico voted on a referendum to make Puerto Rico the 51st state of the United States. This is an example of which of the following models of democracy?

Participatory democracy Because Puerto Ricans directly voted on whether they wanted Puerto Rico to become a state, this is an example of participatory democracy, or the broad participation of voters in political issues that affect their daily lives.

Percent (%) Voting for Strong Democrat Weak Democrat Independent Weak Republican Strong Republican Obama (Democrat) 949494 848484 585858 212121 444 McCain (GOP) 666 161616 424242 797979 969696 Which of the following best summarizes the data presented in the table for the 2008 presidential election?

Party identification is a strong predictor of how a person voted in an election In the 2008 election, voters seemed to vote based along partisan lines. You could use the information in this table and make a sound prediction as to how someone voted in the 2008 election based on their party identification.

A right to privacy is best defined as which of the following?

People are protected from the government infringing in their personal life Established in several rulings by the Supreme Court, a right to privacy is best defined as the right to a private personal life free from government infringement.

Based on the information in the graphic, which of the following strategies would a group seeking to preserve the ruling in Roe v. Wade likely pursue?

Petitioning the Supreme Court to preserve the ruling in Roe v. Wade, arguing that the majority of Americans do not think the Court should overturn the decision This is an action that a group could take to influence the Supreme Court that uses accurate information from the graphic.

Read the passage and answer the following question. "As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed . . . The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Political liberty is best protected by the fragmentation of political power in a large republic Madison argues that the Constitution protects political liberty because it includes separation of powers.

Which of the following best explains why the two election turnout trends differ?

Presidential elections are better publicized with a national audience than midterm elections US voters know more about presidential candidates from media coverage before and during elections than they do about congressional candidates.

"Anti-Third Term Principle," by Clifford K. Berryman, 1912. The cartoon depicts Theodore Roosevelt, left, and George Washington, right. Source: National Archives Which of the following best describes the message in the political cartoon?

Presidential power should be restrained by term-of-office limits Although the two-term limit was not officially added to the Constitution until 1951, most presidents followed the example set by Washington and only served two terms as president.

Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on a comparison of the trends in the line graph and your knowledge of presidential communication strategies?

Presidents have increased the length of their State of the Union messages to make the most of the opportunity to influence the electorate directly Because presidents have a unique ability to use their "bully pulpit" to influence the national policy agenda, presidents make the most of this opportunity to speak directly to the electorate.

Gabriel Sarwan only votes for political candidates whose platforms directly benefit the profitability of his small business. This voting behavior can best be characterized by which of the following models?

Rational choice voting This model is based on what is perceived to be in the citizen's individual interest. (Choice B, Incorrect)

Which of the following actions can the states take to limit the Supreme Court's power?

Refuse to implement and enforce a ruling by the Court The states can refuse to enforce a ruling by the Court if they disagree with it. An example of this is the backlash to the decision in Brown v. Board of Education, I (1954), when several states refused to integrate their public schools.

Which of the following may the Senate do to limit the president's power?

Reject presidential nominees The Senate is responsible for confirming over 600 presidential nominees; Senate confirmation is an important check on presidential appointment powers.

Read the passage below and answer the following question. Chris Wallace: "Mr. Trump, you're pro-life. But I want to ask you specifically: Do you want the court, including the justices that you will name, to overturn Roe v. Wade, which includes -- in fact, states -- a woman's right to abortion?" Donald Trump: "Well, if that would happen, because I am pro-life, and I will be appointing pro-life judges, I would think that that will go back to the individual states. Trump: "Well, if we put another two or perhaps three justices on, that's really what's going to be -- that will happen. And that'll happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court. I will say this: It will go back to the states, and the states will then make a determination." -Presidential candidate Donald Trump, Final Presidential Debate, 2016 Based on his statement in the passage, which of the following policy goals does Trump want to promote through ideological appointments to the Supreme Court?

Reversing the precedent that the right of privacy extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion In the excerpt above, Donald Trump says that he is looking to appoint justices who will reverse the precedent set in Roe v. Wade.

W.A Rogers, "Now for a round-up," 1918. Cartoon depicting Uncle Sam rounding up men labeled "Spy" and "Traitor," while a flag reading "Sedition Law Passed" flies over the US Capitol. Source: Library of Congress Which of the following Supreme Court cases is most relevant to the topic of the cartoon?

Schenck v. United States (1919) The flag reading "Sedition Law Passed" refers to a law that made it illegal for a person to speak about the war effort in a negative light. The Court decided in Schenck v. United States (1919) that speech that creates a "clear and present" danger is not protected under the First Amendment.

"In a single republic, all the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments. In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 51, 1788 Which of the following principles of US government is most consistent with the author's argument?

Separation of powers Madison writes that government powers being "subdivided among distinct and separate departments" will keep government in check.

Source: Business Insider The data displayed in the infographic best supports which of the following statements?

Since 1983, American news sources have become concentrated in the hands of a few companies The infographic notes that as of 2011, six companies now control the amount of media that 50 companies controlled in 1983.

"Amid this much-changed communication landscape, the lingering question of whether the untapped wisdom of the public should be harnessed in governmental decisions suddenly commanded a fresh look, as social media increased the capability of governments worldwide to more fully involve ordinary citizens in policymaking." -M. Barris, A. Jain, and J. Katz, The Social Media President: Barack Obama and the Politics of Political Engagement, 2013 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the authors most likely agree with?

Social media has changed the president's relationship with the national constituency by involving more citizens in policymaking decisions The authors argue social media brought about a change in the relationship between the president and the national constituency by connecting ordinary citizens to policymakers.

Before the Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution granted women the right to vote nationwide, 13 states allowed women the right to vote in their state elections. This is an example of which of the following aspects of federalism in the United States?

State and local governments can become proving grounds for new ideas Many policy innovations originate in state and local governments.

Which of the following best describes a trend in the line graph above?

State of the Union addresses have become longer over time Over the time period shown in the graph, the average length of State of the Union addresses has increased over time.

Source: ABC/Washington Post poll, September 20, 2001 Which of the following statements is reflected in the data in the table above?

Technology such as broadcast media gives the president an avenue to rapidly respond to a majority of American citizens about political issues The poll shows that a majority of Americans watched or listened to President Bush's speech on terrorism nine days after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001.

"The Constitution instructs all who act for the government that they may not 'deny to any person . . . the equal protection of the laws.' In implementing this equality instruction, as I see it, government decisionmakers may properly distinguish between policies of exclusion and inclusion. Actions designed to burden groups long denied full citizenship stature are not sensibly ranked with measures taken to hasten the day when entrenched discrimination and its after effects have been extirpated." Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, dissenting opinion in Gratz v. Bollinger (2003) Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?

The Constitution only forbids racial classifications when they are designed to harm minorities, not help them Associate Justice Ginsburg is arguing that the government can "distinguish between policies of exclusion and inclusion." This means that the government should not uphold policies that negatively affect people of color, but should create policies that help minority groups gain equality over time.

Use the excerpt to answer the question below. "Lifetime appointments and the new, highly ideological stakes provided senators ample incentives to use holds and silent filibusters to prevent a majority of their colleagues from acting on judicial nominations, both to block those with different ideologies and to keep slots vacant until the presidency moves into their party's hands. Along the way, judicial confirmations have become increasingly politicized, and delays in confirming appellate judges have led to increased vacancy rates that have produced longer case-processing times and growing caseloads per judge on federal dockets." -Mann, Thomas E. and Norman J. Ornstein, It's Even Worse than it Looks, 2012

The Senate is more likely to place holds on life-tenured judicial appointments because of the lasting influence of those appointments Mann and Ornstein argue that because judicial appointments are for life, the Senate is more likely to "use holds and silent filibusters" to block appointments. The authors also state that judicial confirmations have become increasingly ideological and polarized in the Senate, leading to delays in the judicial process.

Which of the following best describes the message in the political cartoon?

The Supreme Court has been able to prevent state government infringement of basic liberties protected under the Bill of Rights by applying the Fourteenth Amendment The cartoon shows how some provisions of the Bill of Rights are selectively incorporated to the states via the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

"There is no position which depends on clearer principles, than that every act of a delegated authority, contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 78, "The Judiciary Department," 1788 Which of the following statements best summarizes Hamilton's argument?

The Supreme Court should have the power of judicial review Hamilton suggests that laws that violate the Constitution should be void, which the Court determines through the power of judicial review.

"So if a law be in opposition to the constitution; if both the law and the constitution apply to a particular case, so that the court must either decide that case conformably to the law, disregarding the constitution; or conformably to the constitution, disregarding the law; the court must determine which of these conflicting rules governs the case. This is of the very essence of judicial duty. If, then, the courts are to regard the constitution, and the constitution is superior to any ordinary act of the legislature, the constitution, and not such ordinary act, must govern the case to which they both apply." -John Marshall, decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803)

The Supreme Court should judge whether a law is constitutional Marshall argues that it is the duty of the judicial branch to determine whether a law conflicts with the Constitution, which is superior to ordinary law.

Source: Michael Sauers, Flickr Creative Commons After the terrorist attack on September 11th, the United States issued the USA PATRIOT Act, giving federal agencies the power to conduct surveillance and perform searches. Which of the following best describes the message in the political cartoon?

The USA PATRIOT Act has given the government too much power to perform searches, which should be unconstitutional under the Fourth Amendment The cartoon is showing three librarians in a police lineup for refusing to turn over files from the public library to federal agents. The artist is arguing that the USA PATRIOT Act is giving federal agencies too much power to search and seize information. The Fourth Amendment is meant to protect from unreasonable search and seizure.

"Energy in the Executive is a leading character in the definition of good government. It is essential to the protection of the community against foreign attacks; it is not less essential to the steady administration of the laws; to the protection of property against those irregular and high-handed combinations which sometimes interrupt the ordinary course of justice; to the security of liberty against the enterprises and assaults of ambition, of faction, and of anarchy . . ." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70, "The Executive Department Further Considered," 1788 "Energy," as used by Hamilton in Federalist No. 70, is best defined as which of the following?

The capacity to act quickly and decisively Hamilton believes that having a single president will make responding to crises easier and carrying out laws faster.

In 1961, Clarence Earl Gideon stood trial in Florida, accused of robbing a pool hall. Gideon was poor and could not afford a lawyer. He requested that the court provide one for him, but Florida only provided lawyers for defendants accused of capital offenses. The Supreme Court decided to throw out the conviction because lawyers were necessary to ensure a fair trial. The Court ruled that states must provide counsel to defendants too poor to afford lawyers or they are violating the constitutional right to legal counsel. Which of the following constitutional provisions does the case described in the scenario have in common with McDonald v. Chicago (2010)?

The due process clause The case in the scenario above is Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) in which the Court incorporated the Sixth Amendment and applied it to the states. In both Gideon and McDonald, the Court uses the due process clause to apply amendments to state and local governments. Both cases are examples of the incorporation doctrine.

In 1961, the Supreme Court heard a case in which the police entered into a residence without a warrant looking for a suspect thought to be hiding in the house. While searching for the suspect, the police found illegal pornographic material. The police arrested the homeowner and she was convicted in state court of possessing pornography. The Court decided to throw out the conviction because the police did not produce a search warrant, violating the right of the accused to be protected against an unreasonable search and seizure. Which of the following constitutional provisions does the case described in the scenario have in common with McDonald v. Chicago (2010)?

The due process clause The case in the scenario above is Mapp v. Ohio (1961) in which the Court incorporated the Fourth Amendment and applied it to the states. In both Mapp and McDonald, the Court uses the due process clause of the 14th Amendment to apply the first ten amendments to state and local governments.. Both cases are examples of the incorporation doctrine.

In 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that race-based segregation in a public school system was unconstitutional. Which of the following constitutional provisions did the Supreme Court use to support their decision?

The equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment The equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment stipulates that no state shall "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." The Court ruled in Brown v. Board (1954) that the "separate but equal" doctrine was inherently unequal as it created a sense of inferiority in African American children.

In 1961, the Supreme Court heard a case in which the police entered into a residence without a warrant looking for a suspect thought to be hiding in the house. While searching for the suspect, the police found illegal pornographic material. The police arrested the homeowner and she was convicted of possessing pornography. The Court decided to throw out the conviction because the police did not have a search warrant. This case is an example of which of the following?

The exclusionary rule The exclusionary rule states that any evidence found before a warrant is issued cannot be used to convict someone.

Based on the information in the graph, which of the following statements is true about congressional elections over this period?

The majority of incumbents in both houses won their races in every election This phenomenon is called the incumbency advantage and happens because incumbents have advantages in media exposure, fundraising, and staff.

Which constitutional change in the early twentieth century led to an increase in democratic participation in the United States?

The method by which US senators are elected was changed The Seventeenth Amendment was ratified in 1913, providing for the direct election of senators.

Examine the cartoon and answer the question below. Political cartoon depicting Andrew Jackson, who championed granting offices to party supporters, riding a pig. The caption reads "To the victors belong the spoils." Political cartoon depicting Andrew Jackson, who championed granting offices to party supporters, riding a pig. Which of the following best describes the message in the political cartoon?

The patronage system leads to corruption Jackson rides a pig, which symbolizes greed. The cartoonist suggests that the patronage system granting "spoils" to the "victors" leads to corruption.

"US Popular Vote for President as Percentage of Total Population." Source: Wikimedia Commons Even with the Civil Rights Movement and legislation supporting the Fifteenth Amendment, it was widely reported that, throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s, many southern states continued practices that prevented African Americans from voting.

The percentage of voters in presidential elections during these years initially declined and then increased slightly The percentage of voters in presidential elections in the mid 1960s declined and then increased only slightly in the late 1960s and early 1970s, supporting the claim of continued disenfranchisement of black voters.

Which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on a comparison of the trends in the chart above and your knowledge of presidential appointments?

The potential for conflict with the Senate depends upon the type of executive branch appointment In the chart above, you can see that some presidential appointments are more likely to be confirmed (like cabinet appointments) than others (judicial appointments).

In 2010, Congress passed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which gave the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) more power to regulate and enforce securities laws. In response, the Securities and Exchange Commission created the Office of the Whistleblower, which is responsible for gathering information from people who know of a company committing securities fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission's ability to decide how much money is awarded to whistleblowers is an example of which of the following?

The power that individual bureaucrats and agencies have to make choices about how to implement existing laws This is an example of bureaucratic discretionary authority, because the SEC is given the power to decide how best to implement a part of the law.

Which of the following scenarios is an example of the president using the bully pulpit approach to achieve policy goals?

The president appeals to the American public to contact their representatives and urge them to support increased military spending The bully pulpit refers to the president appealing directly to the public to support policy goals.

Use the passage below to answer the following question. "The mystique of inside information—"if you only knew what we know"—was a most effective way to defend the national-security monopoly and prevent democratic control of foreign policy . . . The power to leak meant the power to tell the people what it served the government's purpose that they should know . . . The power to withhold and the power to leak led on inexorably to the power to lie. The secrecy system instilled in the executive branch the idea that foreign policy was no one's business save its own, and the uncontrolled secrecy made it easy for lying to become routine." -Arthur Schlesinger, The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Which of the following scenarios provides the best justification for an expansive interpretation of presidential power?

The rapid response necessary after a threat of nuclear war The pace of modern warfare requires a very quick response, which is easier for a single executive to accomplish.

Which of the following is an example of a social movement motivated by the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?

The women's rights movement The women's rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s borrowed the strategies of the African American Civil Rights Movement to demand equal protection under the law.

Which of the following statements best explains how this 1894 political cartoon of reporters rushing their stories to print applies to news reporting today?

There is no such thing as completely objective journalism Just as in the past, news sites and bloggers must choose what to filter out, how to frame it, and which sources to rely on when telling the story, especially when considering the diversity and demands of consumers.

Which of the following statements is the most likely motivation for a president to issue an executive order?

To achieve policy goals when a compromise cannot be reached with Congress Executive orders are laws created without the consent or input of Congress. This can cause conflict with Congress, as these laws have major implications for their policy goals, and because executive orders increase the president's power.

Which of the following statements would the cartoon's author most agree with even in the context of today's news coverage?

To ensure accountability by government and news outlets, citizens must learn to distinguish objective and truthful news from biased and false reporting Educating citizens to recognize false and biased reporting is preferable to restricting freedom of the press and what citizens are allowed to read.

In United States v. Morrison (2000), the Supreme Court struck down the part of the Violence Against Women Act that made gender-motivated violence a federal crime, as it was not related to the commerce clause. Which prior Supreme Court case could be used as a precedent for the majority decision in United States v. Morrison (2000)?

United States v. Lopez (1995) The decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) was that the Gun Free Schools Act was unconstitutional because the possession of firearms in a school zone was not an issue of interstate commerce; therefore, the federal government did not have the power to pass the Gun Free Schools Act.

Which of the following scenarios represents a violation of one of the civil liberties protected by the Bill of Rights?

A state compels Amish students to attend school past the eighth grade In Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972), the Court ruled that by mandating that Amish students to attend school past the eighth grade, the state had violated these families' individual interests in their free exercise of religion, which is protected under the First Amendment.

Read the passage and answer the question below. "We advocate abolishing the term "citizen journalist." These people can call themselves "citizen news gatherers," but it is no more appropriate to call them citizen journalists than it would be to sit before a citizen judge or be operated on by a citizen brain surgeon. Because of declining revenues, newspapers, magazines and TV stations actually think they can get these "volunteers" to replace the professionals . . . that they can abandon their print editions, and have bloggers post without covering stories as they happen. Yes, there are a million news blogs, but only one New York Times. But to continue its reputation, the Times must uphold traditional editorial principles. So must we all." -Editorial, The Digital Journalist, 2009 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Although bloggers can cover stories as they happen, they do not have the training to provide good quality news coverage The author suggests that citizen journalists do not have the expertise necessary to produce quality journalism.

Which of the following statements describes a way for the executive branch to limit the Supreme Court's power?

By appointing new Supreme Court justices The president can limit the Supreme Court's power by appointing justices who change the ideological leanings of the Court.

Which of the following best explains how the president can limit the Court's power by appointing a new Supreme Court justice?

By choosing justices who change the ideological leanings of the court When a vacancy opens up, the president may choose someone who will change the ideology of the Court and have an impact on decisions. For example, in the 1970s and 1980s Presidents Nixon and Reagan appointed "strict constructionist" nominees (those who believe strongly in judicial restraint), to counterbalance the justices currently on the Court whom they considered judicial activists.

Which of the following best explains the danger that "attack journalism" poses to political participation?

By treating government officials and candidates as targets to be stalked in pursuit of scandal, attack journalists create the impression that all politicians are ineffective and untrustworthy There is credible research (e.g., Thomas Patterson's Bad News, Period by Cambridge University Press, 1996) that supports the conclusion that when people continually watch candidates being torn down by the press and each other, it reduces public interest in campaigns.

Which of the following statements best explains the impact the necessary and proper clause has had on congressional power?

CORRECT (SELECTED) It has broadened the power of Congress to enact legislation addressing a wide range of economic, environmental, and social issues Under the necessary and proper clause, Congress may enact legislation that addresses a wide range of economic, environmental, and social issues related to interstate commerce. The clause states that Congress can make laws that are "necessary and proper" to carry out their enumerated powers (those listed in the Constitution).

In 1972, the federal government established the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Recipients of aid must be women who are pregnant or breastfeeding or children under the age of 5 whose family income falls below 185% of the federal poverty line. This is an example of which of the following types of federal aid?

Categorical grants This is an example of a grant for a specific purpose with detailed requirements.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of conservative and liberal views concerning social policy? Liberal Conservative A The federal government should conduct background checks for gun purchases The federal government should not restrict an individual's access to a gun B The federal government should regulate and restrict access to abortion procedures The federal government should respect a person's right to privacy and not restrict access to abortion procedures C The federal government should allow same-sex marriage The federal government should not make policy decisions on marriage D The federal government should allow voluntary prayer in schools for all students The federal government should allow more state experimentation with school vouchers and charter schools

Comparison A Conservative ideologies tend to favor limited government intervention on a person's right to access a gun, whereas liberal ideologies tend to support more government involvement to protect public safety.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the exclusive and concurrent powers of the federal government? Exclusive powers of the federal government Concurrent powers shared with the states A Make laws Conduct elections B Regulate commerce Establish local governments C Charter banks and corporations Regulate the postal system D Declare war Levy taxes Choose 1 answer: Choose 1 answer:

Comparison D Only the US federal government can declare war, but both the federal government and state governments can levy taxes.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Schenck v. United States (1919) Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) A Political spending is a form of protected speech The right of privacy extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion B Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime School sponsorship of religious activities violates the establishment clause C The US government cannot block the publication of secret government documents Compelling Amish students to attend school past the eighth grade violates the free exercise clause D Speech creating a "clear and present danger" is not protected by the First Amendment Public school students have the right to wear black armbands to protest the Vietnam War

Comparison D Schenck v. United States upheld limits to the First Amendment, while Tinker v. Des Moines affirmed that the First Amendment protects symbolic speech.

Examine the map and answer the question below. Map comparing public education spending per pupil in the United States. The highest spending is in the northeastern states, Alaska, and Wyoming. The lowest spending is in Idaho, Utah, and Arizona.Source: US Census Bureau Which of the following most likely accounts for the differences in state spending on education shown in the map?

Education spending is determined by state governments, not the federal government States set their own education budgets.

The Three-Fifths Compromise is best defined as which of the following?

For every five enslaved Africans, three would be counted for representation The Three-Fifths Compromise settled the debate at the Constitutional Convention over how enslaved Africans would be counted for means of representation.

Chris Wallace: "Mr. Trump, you're pro-life. But I want to ask you specifically: Do you want the court, including the justices that you will name, to overturn Roe v. Wade, which includes -- in fact, states -- a woman's right to abortion?" Donald Trump: "Well, if that would happen, because I am pro-life, and I will be appointing pro-life judges, I would think that that will go back to the individual states. Trump: "Well, if we put another two or perhaps three justices on, that's really what's going to be -- that will happen. And that'll happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court. I will say this: It will go back to the states, and the states will then make a determination." -Presidential candidate Donald Trump, Final Presidential Debate, 2016 Which of the following statements is most consistent with President Trump's argument in this passage?

He will nominate Supreme Court justices who share his policy preferences in order to achieve his policy goals In the passage above, then-presidential candidate Trump states that he will appoint pro-life justices so that the issue of abortion "will go back to the states."

Based on the infographic and your knowledge of the Supreme Court, which of the following statements could be considered an accurate conclusion?

Ideological changes in the Supreme Court can lead to the Court rejecting existing precedents Existing precedents were altered in both the Warren Court and the Burger Court. Most of the Warren Court's justices were appointed by Democratic presidents, hence their mostly liberal changes to precedent. Many Burger Court justices were appointed by Republican presidents, hence the increase in conservative changes to precedent compared to the Warren Court

Which of the following media developments from 1958 to 2017 has most likely contributed to the trend in public trust of the federal government?

Increased use of investigative and attack journalism to discredit politicians Attack journalism in customized news outlets reflects what partisan viewers already want to believe and are increasingly playing favorites with politicians while tearing down others; some political researchers are showing long-term negative effects of this "bad news" type of reporting on public trust of the federal government.

Former senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole joined the Atlanta law firm Alston & Bird in 1996 after serving in Congress for 35 years, chairing the Republican National Committee, and being elected to Senate majority leader in 1984. Which characteristic from this example best applies to being an effective lobbyist?

Integrity in public service Lobbyists are an important information source for government officials in creating public policy, and their effectiveness depends on their credibility.

Examine the map and answer the question below. Map comparing public education spending per pupil in the United States. The highest spending is in the northeastern states, Alaska, and Wyoming. The lowest spending is in Idaho, Utah, and Arizona.Source: US Census Bureau Which of the following describes a way that the federal government could influence state spending on education?

Issuing a mandate tying federal block grants to the amount of state spending per pupil Although the federal government cannot directly pass a law regulating education within the states, it can make states' eligibility to receive federal funds contingent on meeting certain requirements

The "public safety" exception to the Miranda rule can best be defined as which of the following?

It allows the police to perform unwarned interrogation to stand as direct evidence in court if the information will help protect the public Under the Miranda rule, law enforcement officers are required to inform a person of their Fifth and Sixth Amendment rights before any interrogation. The "public safety" exception says that officers can interrogate a suspect without informing them of their rights if they have information that's a threat to the public.

Which of the following statements best explains how the ruling in Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) changed the balance of power between governments and protection for individual liberties?

It limited the power of state governments by declaring a state law requiring Amish children to attend school until they were 16 as a violation of the First Amendment The Court ruled in Wisconsin v. Yoder that Amish students did not have to attend public school past the eighth grade because it violated their rights to exercise their religious practices. This shows a limitation on state power to pass laws that infringe on a person's right to exercise their religion.

In 1961, the Supreme Court heard a case in which the police entered into a residence without a warrant looking for a suspect thought to be hiding in the house. While searching for the suspect, the police found illegal pornographic material. The police arrested the homeowner and she was convicted in state court of possessing pornography. The Court decided to throw out the conviction because the police did not produce a search warrant, violating the right of the accused to be protected against an unreasonable search and seizure. Which of the following statements best explains the impact of this decision?

It applied the Fourth Amendment to the states through the incorporation doctrine The case in the scenario above is Mapp v. Ohio (1961). The Court ruled that state courts cannot use evidence obtained illegally to convict someone of a crime. Protection from unreasonable search and seizure falls under the Fourth Amendment.

Which of the following statements best explains why the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a significant political event?

It prohibited discrimination in public places, employment, and voting The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited segregation of public facilities, as well as discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin.

Which of the following statements best explains how judicial activism influences decisions made by individual justices when deciding cases heard by the Court?

Justices are influenced by the social effects the decision might have on the public Judicial activism is the idea that the Supreme Court should take an active role in interpreting the Constitution to protect rights of those who are not in the majority of an opinion.

On a political survey, Patrick Yang reveals that he rarely votes, because he does not believe the federal government listens to or responds to his needs, nor does he think the average citizen has much influence over political affairs. A political scientist would characterize these attitudes as representing which of the following?

Low political efficacy Political efficacy refers to how much effect citizens think they have on the government and how responsive they believe government is.

In 1972, Congress passed the Clean Water Act, which regulates the amount of pollutants there can be in waters of the United States and the quality standards for surface waters. Which of the following constitutional provisions granted Congress the power to pass environmental protection laws like the Clean Water Act?

Necessary and proper clause in Article I Congress has the power to regulate the "channels" of interstate commerce (like rivers). Under the necessary and proper clause, Congress may enact legislation that addresses a wide range of economic, environmental, and social issues related to interstate commerce.

Use the passage below to answer the following question. "Both Lincoln and Roosevelt undertook acts they knew to be beyond the Constitution. Both did so in times of transcendent crisis when the life of the nation seemed truly at stake. Both acted, knowingly or not, on Locke's doctrine of emergency prerogative, trusting that Congress would eventually approve their actions." -Arthur Schlesinger, The Imperial Presidency, 1973

Presidents have enhanced their constitutional powers beyond what is expressed in the Constitution in order to deal with major crises In this excerpt, the author argues that Lincoln (during the Civil War) and Roosevelt (during the Great Depression and World War II) "undertook acts they knew to be beyond the Constitution" in order to deal with crises.

Which of the following accurately describes a trend of public trust in the federal government from 1958 to 2017?

Public trust has generally declined, rising briefly during periods of economic growth and the 9/11 crisis Based on the moving average from multiple polls the decline is clearly evident in the graph.

Read the passage below and answer the following question. Chris Wallace: "Mr. Trump, you're pro-life. But I want to ask you specifically: Do you want the court, including the justices that you will name, to overturn Roe v. Wade, which includes -- in fact, states -- a woman's right to abortion?" Donald Trump: "Well, if that would happen, because I am pro-life, and I will be appointing pro-life judges, I would think that that will go back to the individual states. Trump: "Well, if we put another two or perhaps three justices on, that's really what's going to be -- that will happen. And that'll happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court. I will say this: It will go back to the states, and the states will then make a determination." -Presidential candidate Donald Trump, Final Presidential Debate, 2016 Which of the following statements best explains how a president's ideology can influence presidential nominations to the judiciary?

Presidents nominate Supreme Court justices who are likely to be sympathetic to their views, changing the ideological leanings of the Court Presidents are more likely to nominate judges who share their policy preferences with the hope that the judge's decisions will reflect those preferences.

Which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the chart?

Race influences which candidate voters support in an election As you can see in the graph, minority voters were more likely to vote for Barack Obama than Mitt Romney.

Which of the following scenarios would be considered an unconstitutional use of state power?

Requiring Amish students to attend school until age 16 despite their religious beliefs This was the ruling in Wisconsin v. Yoder, in which the Supreme Court held that a Wisconsin law requiring students to attend school until age 16 was in conflict with Amish religious beliefs, and therefore, in conflict with the First Amendment right to religious freedom.

Selina voted for Senator Bruce Wayne (D-NY) in 2008 and was unhappy with his performance in office because he didn't fix the economy. So in the 2014 midterm elections, Selina decides to vote for Barbara Kean, a Republican candidate. Which model of voting behavior does this best represent?

Retrospective voting Retrospective voting describes voting based on the recent record in office of a candidate or others in their party. In the example above, Selina decides to vote for a candidate of the other party based on Bruce Wayne's previous record.

In the 1960s, Connecticut had a law prohibiting counselors from providing advice to married couples on how to prevent pregnancy. Police officers arrested the Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut after she disobeyed this law. In 1965, the Supreme Court heard the case and ruled that protections in the Bill of Rights imply that people have a right to privacy. Which of the following cases is also an example of a right-to-privacy case?

Roe v. Wade (1973) Roe v. Wade (1973) extended the right of privacy to a woman's decision to have an abortion while recognizing compelling state interests in potential life and maternal health.

A suspected terrorist has chosen to remain silent after being arrested, yet the police continue to question him on potential locations of a bomb without informing him of his rights. This scenario is an example of which of the following?

The "public safety" exception The "public safety" exception to the Miranda rule allows police to perform unwarned interrogation and have the findings stand as direct evidence in court, provided the information relates to public safety.

Use the text below to answer the following question. "Since polls conducted for the press must be simplified for comprehension by the general public, poll takers typically measure opinions crudely and analyze the data superficially. For example, measurement often involves yes/no, approve/disapprove, or agree/disagree dichotomies rather than finely calibrated scales that would more precisely reflect shades of opinion." -Charles Atkins, James Gaudino, "Polling and the Democratic Consensus," Annals of the American Academy of Politics and Social Sciences Vol. 472, 1984, p. 128. In reference to the above excerpt, which of the following events most clearly supports the criticism of how public opinion polls are typically used during political campaign news coverage?

The 2016 presidential election Based on pre-election and exit polls, almost all major news sources predicted Clinton would win the election; post-election analyses revealed that many failed to consider nonresponse bias or proper weighting of education in polls taken in battleground states that eventually made a difference in the electoral vote count.

Which of the following best describes the message of the GIF above?

The Supreme Court's recent interpretations of the Second Amendment reflect a commitment to individual liberty Great job! In this GIF, the justice is depicted as crossing out the phrase "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state," but keeps "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." This shows how in recent cases, the Supreme Court has focused on the second half of the Second Amendment that prioritizes a person's individual right to own a gun.

Selective incorporation is best defined as which of the following?

The constitutional doctrine that applies some, but not all, protections of the Bill of Rights to the states and to all levels of government This is an accurate definition of selective incorporation: a right is incorporated to the states and other levels of government if it is judged to be "fundamental."

In the 1960s, Connecticut had a law prohibiting counselors from providing advice to married couples on how to prevent pregnancy. The Executive Director of the Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut disobeyed this law and was arrested. In 1965, the Supreme Court heard the case and ruled that protections in the Bill of Rights implies that people have a right to privacy. Which of the following constitutional provisions does the case described in the scenario have in common with Roe v. Wade (1973)?

The due process clause The due process clause prohibits governments from depriving a person's life, liberty, or property without due process of law. In both the case above and Roe v. Wade (1973), the Court is interpreting the extent to which the state can interfere with a person's right to privacy. Right to privacy is an individual liberty implied in the Bill of Rights.

Which of the following government policies would be most likely to draw criticism for interfering with individual rights under the Second Amendment?

The federal government passes a law banning the sale of automatic weapons to anyone under the age of twenty-one The Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms. Some people argue that passing gun control legislation that limit the sale of a certain type of weapon is an example of the federal government interfering with individual rights.

"The complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential in a limited Constitution. By a limited Constitution, I understand one which contains certain specified exceptions to the legislative authority . . . Limitations of this kind can be preserved in practice no other way than through the medium of courts of justice, whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor of the Constitution void. Without this, all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 78, "The Judiciary Department," 1788 Which of the following statements best summarizes Hamilton's argument?

The judicial branch is responsible for interpreting the Constitution and judging whether the laws passed by Congress are constitutional Hamilton is arguing that the judicial branch should have the power to declare acts of Congress "void" to preserve the limited Constitution.

"National security and privacy are not mutually exclusive. They can both be accomplished through responsible intelligence gathering and careful respect for the freedoms of law-abiding Americans." A quote from Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma in response to the passage of the USA Freedom Act, 2015 Based on the text, which of the following statements would Senator Lankford most likely agree with?

The prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures are intended to ensure that citizen liberties are not superseded by the need for social order and security Senator Lankford is arguing that the government cannot infringe on people's Fourth Amendment rights for the sake of national security.

In which of the following scenarios is the president most likely to use the veto to limit the power of Congress?

When the opposing party holds a majority in Congress Overriding a presidential veto requires a two-thirds or super majority of Congress, so if the president vetoes legislation it is unlikely that the opposing party will garner enough votes to override the veto.

"As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed . . . The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10 Which of the following statements best summarizes Madison's arguments?

A large republic can control the negative aspects of factions

Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Twenty-fourth Amendment?

A state institutes a fee to vote in a presidential election The Twenty-fourth Amendment bans states from using poll taxes as a requirement for voting because they create a structural barrier to political participation.

Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Fifth Amendment?

A suspect is not informed that anything he says while under arrest can be used in his trial against him The Fifth Amendment protects people from incriminating themselves. Under the Miranda rule, suspects must be informed of their Fifth Amendment rights after they are arrested.

Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Fourth Amendment?

A suspect's property is searched before a warrant is issued This scenario is an example of a violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects people from unreasonable search and seizure, requiring a judge's issuing a warrant based on oath and description of materials related to a possible crime.

Which of the following scenarios is an example of how the media can act as a linkage institution?

A television network airs the results of public opinion poll projecting the winner of the 2016 presidential election This is a major way in which the media conveys the views of the people to the government! By publishing the poll, the media is telling the government who the public supports and indicating which policy stances might be important to voters.

Which of the following statements explains how an executive order can cause conflict between the president and Congress?

An executive order enhances the power of the president because it create laws without congressional approval Executive orders are laws created and signed by the president that do not require input or consent from Congress. This can cause tension between the executive branch and the legislative branch, because laws created via executive order can conflict with Congress's agenda and policy goals.

Which of the following is a consequence of consumer-driven media outlets?

An increase in sensational stories and attack journalism rather than factual reporting Because media outlets want to win viewers and clicks, many have turned toward sensational stories to garner attention.

". . . without debate, without criticism, no administration and no country can succeed—and no republic can survive . . . that is why our press was protected by the First Amendment--the only business in America specifically protected by the Constitution . . . " President John F. Kennedy, The President and the Press: Address before the American Newspaper Publishers Association, April 27, 1961 Source: jfklibrary.org Based on the excerpt above, which of the following statements would Kennedy have most likely agreed with in terms of both the ideals of, and challenges for, the US republic?

An independent media must provide accurate information and commentary that uphold democratic principles and civil society

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Comparison Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) McDonald v. Chicago (2010) A Incorporated a right to legal counsel Incorporated the right to bear arms for self-defense B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent Decided that states had the right to ban handguns for public safety C Ruled that national laws were supreme to state laws Enhanced the power of the state government to regulate background checks for weapons D Declared that the state had violated the Fifth Amendment Declared that the state had violated the Second Amendment

Comparison A Selective incorporation is the process in which civil liberties granted in the Bill of Rights are applied to the states. Gideon incorporated the Sixth Amendment. McDonald incorporated the Second Amendment.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Roe v. Wade (1973) McDonald v. Chicago (2010) A Incorporated the right of privacy through the due process clause Incorporated the Second Amendment through the due process clause B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent Bolstered the freedom of the press by establishing a heavy presumption against prior restraint C Decided that the right to privacy extended to a woman's right to have an abortion Ruled that political spending by corporations is a form of protected speech D Limited the power of state governments to regulate abortion Ruled that legislative redistricting must be conscious of race

Comparison A The decisions in both Roe v. Wade and McDonald v. Chicago relied on the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the president's formal and informal powers? Formal powers Informal powers A Nominating federal judges Issuing executive orders B Negotiating executive agreements Granting pardons C Making treaties Vetoing legislation D Creating a budget Issuing signing statements

Comparison A Nominating federal judges is a formal power of the president. Issuing executive orders is an informal power because it is not expressed in Article II of the Constitution.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the Senate and House of Representatives? House of Representatives Senate A Elected members are chosen by constituents of an entire state Elected members are chosen by constituents in a local district based on population B Designed to represent the population Designed to represent states equally C Confirms Supreme Court appointments Ratifies treaties D Has flexible floor debate rules that protect the minority

Comparison B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the expressed powers of the president and the powers of Congress? Presidential powers Congressional powers A Appointing ambassadors Interpreting the Constitution B Negotiating treaties Ratifying treaties C Issuing signing statements Levying taxes D Pardoning impeached officials Impeaching officials

Comparison B The president and the executive branch negotiate treaties, but all treaties must be ratified by two-thirds of the Senate.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) McDonald v. Chicago (2010) A Incorporated a right to legal counsel in capital cases Incorporated a protection from cruel and unusual punishment to the states B Decided that the state had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent Decided that the state could not restrict people from owning a gun for self-defense C Ruled that state laws were supreme to national laws Ruled that states could not infringe on an individual's right to own a gun D Declared that the state had violated the Sixth Amendment Declared that the state had violated the Fifth Amendment

Comparison B You're right! Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) decided that states had to provide legal counsel for the poor or indigent. However, in McDonald v. Chicago (2010), the Court ruled that the state could not infringe on a person's right to own a gun for self-defense.

Which pairing below correctly matches both a constitutional protection of voting rights and a past or current structural barrier to voting? Constitutional protection of voting rights Structural barrier to voting A The right to vote will not be denied or abridged on account of sex Rational choice B Literacy tests cannot be used as a voter qualification Felony disenfranchisement C The right of citizens who are 18 years or older to vote cannot be denied Poll taxes D The right to vote cannot be denied based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude Party-line voting

Comparison C The Twenty-sixth Amendment lowered the voting age to eighteen, and poll taxes were legal barriers that prevented African Americans from voting in southern states.

Which of the following statements explains how Congress can use its power of the purse to restrict presidential power?

Congress can deny requests for funds to executive agencies during the budget process This is the definition of the power of the purse, when Congress uses its power over the budget to oversee federal agencies and their policy implementation.

Which of the following statements best summarizes the decision in United States v. Lopez (1995)?

Congress cannot use the commerce clause to regulate the possession of firearms in public schools The decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) was that the Gun-Free Schools Act was unconstitutional because the possession of firearms in a school zone was not an issue of interstate commerce; therefore, the federal government did not have the power to pass the Gun-Free Schools Act.

The necessary and proper clause is best defined as which of the following?

Congress has the power to carry out its enumerated powers The necessary and proper clause gives Congress constitutional authority to exercise "necessary and proper" powers to carry out its enumerated, or designated, powers.

In the 1960s and 1970s, women began protesting gender discrimination in colleges and universities, such as unequal scholarship allocation to men's sports and women's sports. Which of the following statements describes how Congress responded to this situation?

Congress passed Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 Title IX forbids gender discrimination in education programs (like most universities and colleges) who receive federal funds.

In the 1960s, literacy tests were used in an attempt to limit African American participation in the voting process. Which of the following statements describes how Congress responded to this situation?

Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 The Voting Rights Act of 1965 forbade the use of formal and informal structural barriers to African American suffrage, like literacy tests.

Use the infographic below to answer the following question. Which of the following ideological perspectives is most consistent with the Republican Party's platform?

Conservative Conservatives are people who believe in limiting the role of the federal government and advocate for free enterprise. In the infographic above, the Republican Party is advocating for lowering the corporate tax rate. They also oppose gun control legislation, protecting the individual right to own a gun without government interference.

Use the text below to answer the following question. "If you start from the understanding that important party decisions are made before the voters weigh in, the question 'who's winning?'—or, alternately, 'who is the party choosing, and which people are making that choice?'—becomes one of the best ways to give ordinary citizens who want to become more active political participants the information they need. (If you're not a party member, meanwhile, knowing the process by which the party made its choice—rather than just the outcome it arrived at—can still help inform your own political participation.)" -Greg Marx, "In Defense of (the Right Kind of) Horse Race Journalism," Columbia Journalism Review, September 6, 2011. Regarding the above excerpt, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

Horse race journalism is a more effective tool for informing voters and attracting their participation when applied to primary elections instead of general elections The author disagrees with those who use the term horse race journalism as a universal criticism of press coverage of political elections--he argues that it can inform citizens about the process by which our political leaders are selected as party nominees.

In 1961, Clarence Earl Gideon stood trial in Florida, accused of robbing a pool hall. Gideon was poor and could not afford a lawyer. He requested that the court provide one for him, but Florida only provided lawyers for defendants accused of capital offenses. The Supreme Court decided to throw out the conviction because lawyers were necessary to ensure a fair trial. The Court ruled that states must provide counsel to defendants too poor to afford lawyers or they are violating the constitutional right to legal counsel. Which of the following statements best explains the impact of this decision?

It applied the Sixth Amendment to the states through the incorporation doctrine The case in the scenario above is Gideon v. Wainwright (1963). The Court ruled that the state must provide legal counsel in all felony cases even when a defendant cannot afford one. The Sixth Amendment protects an individual's right to legal counsel.

Which of the following statements best explains how the 17th Amendment increased democratic participation in the United States?

It changed the election process for US senators The Seventeenth Amendment changed the method by which US senators are elected, from being chosen by state legislatures to being directly elected by citizens of the state.

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Roe v. Wade (1973) decision?

It incorporated a woman's right to privacy when having an abortion to state and local governments Roe v. Wade (1973) extended the right of privacy to a woman's decision to have an abortion and ruled that states cannot regulate a woman's right to have an abortion during the first trimester of her pregnancy.

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the McDonald v. Chicago (2010) decision?

It incorporated an individual's right to bear arms for self-defense and made it apply to state and local governments In McDonald v. Chicago (2010), the Court ruled the Second Amendment's right to keep and bear arms for self-defense in one's home is applicable to the states through the 14th Amendment.

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) decision?

It incorporated the right to legal counsel, as protected under the Sixth Amendment, to state and local governments In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the Court ruled that state and local courts had to provide legal counsel to the poor and indigent. One provision of the Sixth Amendment is the right to legal counsel.

In 1890, Louisiana enacted a law that required separate railway cars for black people and for white people. Homer Plessy took a seat in a "whites only" train. He refused to move to the car reserved for black people and was arrested. The case went to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Louisiana law. Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) decision?

It restricted African-American access to the same public facilities as the majority white population The decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) created the "separate but equal" doctrine. Immediately following the decision, states began segregating public facilities.

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Engel v. Vitale (1962) decision?

It upheld the separation of church and state and clarified the limitations of state governments under the establishment clause In the Engel v. Vitale (1962) decision, the Supreme Court prioritized the civil liberties of individuals over the power of state governments. The Court ruled that school sponsorship of religious activities violates the establishment clause.

"That unity is conducive to energy will not be disputed. Decision, activity, secrecy, and despatch will generally characterize the proceedings of one man in a much more eminent degree than the proceedings of any greater number; and in proportion as the number is increased, these qualities will be diminished . . ." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70, "The Executive Department Further Considered," 1788 Which of the following scenarios would be considered an example of how unity is conducive to energy in the executive branch, as defined by the author of the passage?

John F. Kennedy's secret negotiations ending the Cuban Missile Crisis Hamilton argues that a single president would be better at handling a foreign policy crisis than a larger body like Congress.

Stare decisis is best defined as which of the following? Choose 1 answer:

Judges rely on past decisions and their precedents when making decisions in new cases Stare decisis is a Latin phrase meaning "let the decision stand." Most appellate courts settle cases based on the principle of stare decisis.

"That inflexible and uniform adherence to the rights of the Constitution, and of individuals, which we perceive to be indispensable in the courts of justice, can certainly not be expected from judges who hold their offices by a temporary commission. Periodical appointments, however regulated, or by whomsoever made, would, in some way or other, be fatal to their necessary independence." -Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 78, "The Judiciary Department," 1788

Life terms, pending good behavior, for Supreme Court justices Hamilton writes that temporary terms for justices would compromise their independence.

In 1984, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984, stipulating that states must have a minimum drinking age of 21 in order to receive federal highway funding. This is an example of which of the following aspects of federal incentives?

Mandates The minimum drinking age mandate was an unfunded requirement from the federal government that states had to meet in order to receive other aid.

Which of the following statements is reflected in the data in the chart?

More than half of US adults report that they often see inaccurate political news online According to the chart, 51% of US adults report that they often see inaccurate political news online.

Reasons Voters Support Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump Clinton voters (%) Trump voters (%) Negative assessment of opponent 282828 282828 Qualifications/Experience 313131 161616 Issues/Policies 111111 232323 Personal qualities 131313 151515 Partisanship 121212 666 Want change <1<1is less than, 1 999 Other 222 222 No opinion 333 222 Based on the results shown in the table, which of the following reasons was the most cited reason that both Clinton and Trump voters chose their respective candidate?

Negative assessment of opponent 282828% of Clinton voters and Trump voters pointed to negative feelings about their candidate's political opponent as the reason they supported their candidate.

On the last day of its session, Congress passes a law that the president strongly opposes. Which of the following may the president do to limit the power of Congress?

Neither sign nor veto the bill, allowing it to die The president may use a "pocket veto," killing a bill by neither signing nor vetoing it if Congress adjourns within ten days of passing the bill.

Which of the following scenarios is an example of how a state can restrict protected speech under the First Amendment?

New York passes a law banning groups from staging protests in major highways during rush hour traffic The Supreme Court has ruled that the government can place reasonable restrictions on the time, place, and manner of protected speech.

Which linkage institution is primarily responsible for keeping the electorate informed about political issues, policymaking, and leadership transitions in government?

News media The main linkage function of the media and free press is to connect citizens with the government through the sharing of information and opinions about political leadership and policy making.

"The District Court's assessment that all this evidence proved racial predominance clears the bar of clear error review. The court emphasized that the districting plan's own architects had repeatedly described the influx of African-Americans into District 12 as a . . . compliance measure, not a side-effect of political gerrymandering. And those contemporaneous descriptions comported with the court's credibility determinations about the trial testimony—that Watt told the truth when he recounted Rucho's resolve to hit a majority-BVAP target; and conversely that Hofeller skirted the truth (especially as to Guilford County) when he claimed to have followed only race-blind criteria in drawing district lines. We cannot disrespect such credibility judgments." -Associate Justice Elena Kagan, opinion of the Court in Cooper v. Harris, 2017 Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument?

North Carolina created a district predominantly based on racial lines, which is unconstitutional In the excerpt above, Justice Kagan argues that the district court ruled correctly when they struck down the district lines because state divided District 1 by race, which is unconstitutional.

In 1993, the Supreme Court struck down the formation of North Carolina's 12th congressional district (shown in pink) in Shaw v. Reno (1993). Which of the following best explains why the court ruled against North Carolina?

North Carolina formed an oddly-shaped district that was a majority-minority district The Supreme Court has upheld the rights of the majority in cases that limit and prohibit majority-minority districting. Shaw v. Reno (1993) was one of those cases in which the Court ruled against North Carolina's legislative map.

In 1895, the Supreme Court heard a case about the Income Tax Act of 1894. The Court held that the act was unconstitutional and the federal government did not have the power to tax personal income. Which of the following is an action Congress could have taken to check the Supreme Court's power?

Proposing a constitutional amendment Two-thirds of Congress can propose an amendment to restrict the Supreme Court. For example, after the case in the scenario, Congress proposed the Sixteenth Amendment, which gave the federal government the power to collect income taxes.

Tom Haverford has never voted in an election before, but is excited about Leslie Knope's campaign promises and decides to support her in the 2020 presidential election in hopes that she will be able to achieve those policy goals. Which model of voting behavior does this best represent?

Prospective voting Prospective voting describes voting based on how a citizen thinks a candidate will act and perform if elected to office. In the example above, Tom is motivated to vote for Leslie because of what she could do in office, not based on past performance.

Priyanka Kumble votes for political candidates based solely on their platforms and the policies they and their party plan to implement once elected. Which model of voting behavior does this best represent?

Prospective voting This model characterizes voting based on predictions of how a candidate will perform in the future.

Rumana Modi votes for political candidates whose rhetoric and policy initiatives while serving in office align with what she wants to be done in the future. Which model of voting behavior does this best represent?

Prospective voting This model characterizes voting based on predictions of how a candidate will perform in the future.

"[T]he attending physician, in consultation with his patient, is free to determine, without regulation by the state, that, in his medical judgment, the patient's pregnancy should be terminated. If that decision is reached, the judgment may be effectuated by an abortion free of interference by the State." Associate Justice Harry Blackmun, majority opinion in Roe v. Wade (1973) Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?

The Bill of Rights implies that there is a right to privacy that the government cannot infringe upon

"There are other good things of less moment. I will now add what I do not like [about the Constitution]. First the omission of a bill of rights providing clearly & without the aid of sophisms for freedom of religion, freedom of the press, protection against standing armies, restriction against monopolies, the eternal & unremitting force of the habeas corpus laws, and trials by jury in all matters of fact triable by the laws of the land & not by the law of Nations. . . . Let me add that a bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, & what no just government should refuse or rest on inference." -Thomas Jefferson, letter to James Madison, 20 December 1787 https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-10-02-0210 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

The Bill of Rights places necessary restrictions on the federal government's power Jefferson states that "I do not like ... the omission of a bill of rights," which every person should be "entitled to" as protection from the government.

"The Constitution abhors classifications based on race, not only because those classifications can harm favored races or are based on illegitimate motives, but also because every time the government places citizens on racial registers and makes race relevant to the provision of burdens or benefits, it demeans us all. . . . Undoubtedly there are other ways to 'better' the education of law students aside from ensuring that the student body contains a 'critical mass' of underrepresented minority students." Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, dissenting opinion in Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?

The Constitution is colorblind and any racial classifications, even when used to help minorities, are harmful to society Associate Justice Thomas is arguing that the Constitution forbids all racial classifications, even when they are used to help minorities. He argues that racial classifications favors some races over others.

"As this Court's cases have made clear, however, the compelling interest that justifies consideration of race in college admissions is not an interest in enrolling a certain number of minority students. Rather, a university may institute a race-conscious admissions program as a means of obtaining 'the educational benefits that flow from student body diversity'. . . . "Increasing minority enrollment may be instrumental to these educational benefits, but it is not, as petitioner seems to suggest, a goal that can or should be reduced to pure numbers." Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy, opinion of the court in Fisher v. University of Texas (2013) Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage?

The Constitution only forbids racial classifications when they are designed to harm minorities, not help them In the excerpt above, Associate Justice Kennedy is saying that race is used as a factor at only one stage of the entire admissions process. In Fisher, the Court ruled in favor of the University of Texas, maintaining that admissions programs can use race as a factor in admissions to meet an educational goal of having a diverse student body.

Read the passage and answer the following question. "In revising the federal system we ought to inquire 1. into the properties, which such a government ought to possess, 2. the defects of the confederation, 3. the danger of our situation & 4. the remedy. "The Character of such a government ought to secure 1. against foreign invasion, 2. against dissensions between members of the Union, or seditions in particular States, 3. to procure to the several States various blessings, of which an isolated situation was incapable, 4. to be able to defend itself against encroachment, & 5. to be paramount to the state constitutions." -Edmund Randolph, as recorded in James Madison's journal, 1787 Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

The United States would benefit from a stronger central government

"In addition to educating the country, [President Barack Obama's] goal is to frame the political debate and set an agenda that the next Democratic presidential nominee can run on next year—an agenda that Obama hopes will put opposition Republicans at a big disadvantage. Obama has been getting lots of attention for bypassing the Republican-controlled Congress and using his unilateral powers, such as executive orders, to get his way. But his power to persuade is another vital weapon in the president's arsenal, since he can command media and public attention almost whenever he wants." -Kenneth T. Walsh, U.S. News & World Report, 2015 The strategy described in the passage above is an example of which of the following?

The bully pulpit The passage describes how President Obama used his media attention to persuade the electorate.

Reasons Voters Support Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump Clinton voters (%) Trump voters (%) Negative assessment of opponent 282828 282828 Qualifications/Experience 313131 161616 Issues/Policies 111111 232323 Personal qualities 131313 151515 Partisanship 121212 666 Want change <1<1is less than, 1 999 Other 222 222 No opinion 333 222 Which of the following generalizations is best supported by data in the table?

The characteristics of the candidates can dictate who voters support in an election Candidate characteristics can influence who voters support, or in the case of the 2016 election, who voters don't support.

Reasons Voters Support Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump Clinton voters (%) Trump voters (%) Negative assessment of opponent 282828 282828 Qualifications/Experience 313131 161616 Issues/Policies 111111 232323 Personal qualities 131313 151515 Partisanship 121212 666 Want change <1<1is less than, 1 999 Other 222 222 No opinion 333 222 Which of the following generalizations is best supported by data in the table?

The characteristics of the candidates can dictate who voters support in an election Candidate characteristics can influence who voters support, or in the case of the 2016 election, who voters don't support.

In 1988 and 1989, the Pennsylvania legislature amended its abortion control law. The changes included requiring a 24 hour waiting period for the procedure and that a married woman must notify her husband that she intends to have an abortion. In a 5-4 ruling, the Court upheld most of the Pennsylvania laws because they did not create a "substantial obstacle" to a woman seeking an abortion. This became known as the undue-burden test. Which of the following statements best summarizes the relationship between the case described in the scenario and Roe v. Wade (1973)?

The decision in the case above upheld Roe v. Wade (1973), but created a new standard to determine if the state was interfering with a woman's right to choose The Court decided to uphold the decision in Roe v. Wade (1973) by not declaring abortions illegal again. They also created the undue-burden test that determined whether the state's regulations on abortions created a barrier to a woman's right to choose.

15 percent of Congress member Seaborn's constituents have reached out to him urging him to support a new bill expanding Medicaid coverage to people who make $20,000 a year. Even though he disagrees with this position on the bill, he does as his constituents wish. He tries to follow his constituents' wishes on every bill, regardless of how many calls he gets. Which model of representation do his actions embody?

The delegate model This is an example of a member of Congress acting as a delegate because Congress member Seaborn is disregarding his personal views on the matter, instead voting as his constituents want him to. A member of Congress who acts like a delegate always follows their constituents' voting preferences.

"In ... [certain] cases, immunities that are valid as against the federal government by force of the specific pledges of particular amendments have been found to be implicit in the concept of ordered liberty, and thus, through the Fourteenth Amendment, become valid as against the states." Associate Justice Cardozo, majority opinion in Palko v. Connecticut (1937). Source: Justia Justice Cardozo argues here that certain rights protected at the federal level also apply at the state level through the Fourteenth Amendment. Which clause is used to support Cardozo's argument?

The due process clause The due process clause is most commonly cited by justices when selectively incorporating rights to the states: "[N]or shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."

In 1988 and 1989, the Pennsylvania legislature amended its abortion control law. The changes included requiring a 24 hour waiting period for the procedure and that a married woman must notify her husband that she intends to have an abortion. In a 5-4 ruling, the Court upheld most of the Pennsylvania laws because they did not create a "substantial obstacle" to a woman seeking an abortion. This became known as the undue-burden test. Which of the following constitutional provisions does the case described in the scenario have in common with Roe v. Wade (1973)?

The due process clause The due process clause of the 14th Amendment prohibits governments from depriving a person's life, liberty, or property without due process of law. In both the case above and Roe v. Wade (1973), the Court is interpreting the extent to which the state can interfere with a person's right to privacy. Right to privacy is an individual liberty implied in the Bill of Rights.

In 1890, Louisiana enacted a law that required separate railway cars for black people and for white people. Homer Plessy took a seat in a "whites only" train. He refused to move to the car reserved for black people and was arrested. In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court ruled in a 7-1 vote to uphold the Louisiana law. Which of the following constitutional clauses does this case have in common with Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?

The equal protection clause The equal protection clause prohibits governments from denying any person within their jurisdiction equal protection under the law. In both Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Court interpreted whether segregation violated the equal protection clause.

Use the passage below to answer the following question. "The mystique of inside information—"if you only knew what we know"—was a most effective way to defend the national-security monopoly and prevent democratic control of foreign policy . . . "The power to leak meant the power to tell the people what it served the government's purpose that they should know . . . "The power to withhold and the power to leak led on inexorably to the power to lie. The secrecy system instilled in the executive branch the idea that foreign policy was no one's business save its own, and the uncontrolled secrecy made it easy for lying to become routine." -Arthur Schlesinger, The Imperial Presidency, 1973

The executive branch has too much power in implementing foreign policy Schlesinger argues that the executive branch withholds information crucial to national security and foreign policy, which has resulted in corruption.

"When land-forces are raised by any state for the common defence, all officers of or under the rank of colonel, shall be appointed by the legislature of each state respectively, by whom such forces shall be raised, or in such manner as such state shall direct, and all vacancies shall be filled up by the State which first made the appointment." -Articles of Confederation, Article VII, 1777 Which of the following is a consequence of the policy described in the passage above?

The federal government did not have the power to create a centralized military during peace times This part of the Articles of Confederation only gives state legislatures the power to raise an army for the "common defence" of all states. This was a major weakness of the Articles of Confederation that the Framers aimed to fix in the Constitution.

Which of the following statements accurately summarizes the decision in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)?

The government violated the First Amendment and could not stop the newspaper from publishing its article In New York Times Co. v. United States (1971), the Supreme Court bolstered the freedom of the press, establishing a "heavy presumption against prior restraint" even in cases involving national security.

"In ... [certain] cases, immunities that are valid as against the federal government by force of the specific pledges of particular amendments have been found to be implicit in the concept of ordered liberty, and thus, through the Fourteenth Amendment, become valid as against the states." Associate Justice Cardozo, majority opinion in Palko v. Connecticut (1937). Source: Justia Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

The question of whether or not a right applies to the states as well as the federal government can be answered by considering if the right is "implicit in the concept of ordered liberty" This is what Justice Cardozo is arguing in this excerpt; rights that the Court judges to be "fundamental" are selectively incorporated to all levels of government.

Source: Business Insider Which of the following is a potential consequence of the change illustrated in the infographic?

The range of viewpoints expressed in news coverage has diminished With just six companies controlling almost all American media, it's less likely that diverse viewpoints will emerge today than when 50 companies controlled the same percentage.

Which of the following civil liberties is protected under the Second Amendment?

The right to own guns The Second Amendment gives citizens the right to bear arms, which means to own guns and other weapons.

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of civil rights?

The rights of individuals against discrimination based on their race, sex, or other demographic characteristics Civil rights protect individuals against arbitrary discrimination.

In 1972, both houses of Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a Constitutional amendment guaranteeing equal rights for all citizens regardless of sex. However, the amendment failed, as three-quarters of the states did not ratify it before the deadline expired. This is an example of which of the following aspects of federalism in the United States?

The sharing of power between states and the federal government constrains national policymaking Although the federal government passed the ERA, insufficient state support for the amendment led to its failure.