AP US GOV&Politics CHAPTER 1-4

Under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, several states are required to submit redistricting plans to the

Department of Justice

America's massive interstate highway system was initiated during the _____________ administration.

Eisenhower

The Constitution explicitly recognizes:

a. the national government b. state government

Laws created by Congress are called

statues

Social contract theory says that:

the people put rulers in place for specific legitimate purposes and should remove those rulers if they abuse their power.

The Declaration of Independence says that legitimate governments are created by:

the people who are ruled

Congressional redistricting occurs once every ________ years.

10

What kind of grant-in-aid allows the recipient of the grant the least discretion in determining how to spend the money?

Block grant

There is a concerted campaign across Europe to force the United States to terminate:

Capital punishment

Interstate "compacts" (commerce agreements between states) must be approved by:

Congress

__________________ is the subject of Article One of the Constitution because the framers expected it to be the most powerful branch of the government.

Congress

John Locke's social contract theory is the foundation of the:

Declaration of Independence

Elite theorists believe that (2):

Elites are able to keep certain items or issues off the national agenda and out of the nation's attention.

The idea that the most important government decisions are made by a small, stable, identifiable group of people with the same characteristics (wealth, political connections) is called:

Elitism

The Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) was intended to prohibit discrimination in:

Employment/ public services/ accommodations

When a university seeks to increase minority enrollment through affirmative action, the university is trying to achieve

Equality of outcome

"Social order" is usually defined as:

Established patterns of authority and traditional modes of behavior.

The Constitution enumerates( lists by number) all the powers given to the national government and the states.

False

Thomas Hobbes supported a strong central government because:

He believed that only a strong government could restrain people's selfish, animal instincts.

The framers of the Constitution decided that bills involving taxes and user fees should be proposed in the House of representatives because:

House members would be more sensitive to the economic conditions of the average citizens.

Which of the following statements regarding dual federalism is incorrect?

It allows people a direct vote in policy making.

How does the Constitution deal with slaver?

It does not mentioning slavery directly.

Which political philosopher inspired the phrase"life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" in the Declaration of Independence?

John Locke

Which of the following philosophers is usually associated with socialism?

Karl Marx

According to John Locke, the fundamental purpose of government is the protection of:

Life/ liberty/ property

In creating the new national government after the Revolutionary victory, the Americans were most concerned with:

Limiting the powers that the new government would be able to exert over individual citizens.

The following are created by state governments, either in their Constitutions or through legislation:

Local government

Using the state to redistribute income was originally a radical idea set forth by:

Marx

Which philosopher's ideas form the basis of Communism?

Marx

The economist who argued that "free enterprise" is a necessary condition for democracy is:

Milton Friedman

When comparing economic performance of democratic governments against economic performance of non-democratic governments, the evidence seems to show that democratic nations are:

More prosperous than non-democratic nations.

Globalization can be seen as a threat to:

National sovereignty

An example of a totalitarian government is the government of:

North Korea

What term do we use to describe governmental power in the hands of a few powerful elites?

Oligarchy

In general, libertarianism:

Opposes all government action except that which is absolutely necessary to protect life and property.

According to John Marshall's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), the "elastic clause" might be interpreted to mean that Congress can take a particular action not specified in the Constitution if that action is:

Plainly adapted to achieving a legitimate constitutional result.

Madison believed that the country would prevent a "tyranny of the majority" (mob rule) through the use of:

Pluralist representative government

Each citizen having one vote demonstrates:

Political equality

What term is best used to describe the concept of one vote per person?

Political equality

A consistent set of values and beliefs about the proper purpose and scope of government is a

Political ideology

Of the following major objectives of government, the most recent one is:

Promoting equality

"public goods" can best be described as benefits and services

Provided by government to benefit all citizens.

Services that benefit all citizens and are not likely to be produced by the voluntary acts of individuals are known as:

Public goods

Western Europe's experience with democratic socialism democratic socialism demonstrates that:

Socialism can work along with personal freedoms and democratic participation.

A person who favors government ownership of some basic industries and a strong government role in directing the economy is called a:

Socialist

The state of nature refers to:

Society without government

___________________ create the :proper and obligatory" interpretation of statutes and fundamental law.

Supreme Court decisons

A good contemporary example of a socialist government is found in:

Sweden

The decision in the Supreme Court case, Marbury v. Maryland, greatly increased the power of

The "national supremacy" clause

The Constitutional provision that makes cooperative federalism possible is:

The "supremacy" clause.

The Articles of Confederation were abandoned because (2):

The Articles government had no "executive" (president) who could lead the country through crisis events.

which of the following is not an essential premise of dual federalism?

The constitution is the creation of the people of the United States, no the states.

"home rule" is

The right of municipal governments to enact their own legislation in certain administrative areas.

Government policies pose dilemmas because they usually lead to:

The triumph of order over freedom

One weakness of the substantive model of democracy is that:

There is disagreement about the definition of "democratic".

In the US, the "majority" does not always get what it wants because the rights of the minority viewpoint are often protected by civil rights and civil liberties.

True

The Federalists said a Bill of Rights was not necessary to be included in the constitution because the powers of the new government would be limited and could not significantly infringe on people's individual civil liberties anyway.

True

The Supreme Court's ruling in South Dakota v. Dole in 1987 allows Congress to "encourage" states to comply with federal standards by using the threat of reduced funds.

True

John Locke's views on government are expressed in:

Two Treatises on Government

The United States opposed an international court because:

U.S. soldiers stationed abroad might be arrested and tried in a international court.

The idea that all responsible adults in a political community should be allowed to vote is known as:

Universal participation

The principle of "majority rule" conflicts most directly with:

Universal participation

An example of a government policy that promotes social equality without redistributing income is

Vermont's legalization of civil unions

Critics of dual federalism argue that if the national government is really a creation of the states, as those supporting dual federalism claim, it is:

a creation on only the original thirteen states.

The complexity of the American federal system encourages:

a high level of popular participation.

The majority of the body of the Declaration is:

a long list of complaints (human rights abuses) that the king of England has committed against the colonies which gives the Colonies the legitimate right to revolt.

The basic premise of federalism is that:

a national government and regional governments share power and authority over the same land and people.

The lines that define congressional districts are usually drawn by:

a state's congressional delegation

Shay's Rebellion indicated the urgent need for:

a stronger national government to preserve order and protect property.

Most democracies give law-making power to elected representatives and not directly to the people. Why?

a. Bringing large numbers of people together for discussion and votes is too difficult. b. Decisions might require specialized knowledge no available to the average citizen. c. Discussions and votes would take more time than most citizens had.

Liberals are more likely to favor generous government support for:

a. Education b. environmental protection c. public transportation d. a whole range of social programs

One of the weaknesses of the procedural model of democracy is that:

a. It does not give clear criteria to judge whether a government is democratic. b. decisions are made very slowly because of debates over minority rights. c. those procedures might still create undemocratic results.

Which of the following statements regarding cooperative federalism is correct?

a. It sees relations between levels of government in more fluid terms. b. It is perfectly willing to override state standards or national ones depending on the issues at stake. c. It is highly responsive to all manner of pressures from groups and policy entrepreneurs. d. It encourages diverse, simultaneous strategies of influence on government.

A libertarian is likely to believe:

a. Laws should not define the minimum drinking age. b. marijuana should not be criminalized. c. helping the needy should be a matter of individual choice. d. government should not own and/or control industry.

The unfunded Mandates Relief Act (1995) does not apply to legislation:

a. protecting constitutional rights b. protecting civil rights c. regarding anti-discrimination

The Federalist papers did all of the following EXCEPT:

argued for the necessity of a bill of rights

Countries that fail to adequately develop democratic procedures and norms often degenerate into

authoritarianism

A society that is ruled by one person is called a

autocracy

In a totalitarian regime, the government tries to control:

business, labor, education, religion

The principle that gives each branch of government some scrutiny and control over the other branches is

checks and balances

Under separation of powers, the national government keeps its different branches under control through:

checks and balances

The constitutional method for choosing the president is partly based on the fear that:

citizen voters could be swayed by emotional and unethical candidates ("demagogues")

The most basic standard of substantive democracy is that government must guarantee:

civil rights and liberties

Government policies aimed at redistributing wealth in the US:

continue to create strong political argument.

The power of "judicial review" permits

courts to nullify acts of Congress and the president that conflict with the Constitution.

A politician who appeals to the masses and tries to deceive them by manipulating their emotions and prejudices is a

demagogue

Which government is LEAST similar to autocracy?

democracy

Some political scientists believe that ___________ are the strongest forces convincing authoritarian leaders to democratize their countries.

desires to improve the national economy and raise the standard of living.

"separation of powers" exists when:

different branches of the government have different and specific powers and are politically independent of each other.

Federalism is able to unify diverse groups of people because it:

does not require citizens to be ruled by majorities from different regions and with different interests.

someone who believes that the "elastic" clause of the Constitution should be "narrowly" interpreted is most likely to endorse the concept of ____________federalism.

dual

Capitalism is best described as a:

economic system in which production and property are privately

Examples of "public goods" are

education, sanitation, and highways

The "necessary and proper" clause of Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution is known as the "_____________ clause."

elastic

A central question in the McCulloch case was whether or not Congress had the power to:

establish a national bank

The majoritarian model of democratic government:

expects citizens to have a high degree of political knowledge.

International organizations such as the League of Nations and the United Nations:

explicitly respect national sovereignty as a guiding principle.

Each state must recognize the legal acts of the other states. This is called:

extraordinary majority ratification

In the US, laws are mad with strong consideration for society and very little consideration for individual persons' worth or liberties.

false

The US has a _____________ type of government

federal

Government's "original dilemma" is how best to balance:

freedom and order

After the "underwear bomber" was thwarted from blowing up an airliner on Christmas Day, 2009, airports began using:

full-body scanners to see through clothing

Laws that are specifically outlined in the Constitution are called

fundamental law

Constitution of the massive interstate highway system:

gave the national government leverage to regulate many behaviors indirectly related to highway travel.

The "elastic clause"

gives Congress the right to make any law it decides is necessary to carry out its duties.

The Supreme Court's interpretation of the "commerce clause" has historically:

had no consistent effect on national and state power

In Communist political systems, property is:

held by the state in the name of the people.

What is the key to the success of a majoritarian democracy?

high levels of popular participation

A power not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, but necessary if another specific grant of power is to be carried out is called a _____________ power.

implied

The Constitution did not give Congress the authority to establish the Internal Revenue Service. Congress did so, however, to implement its power to "lay and collect taxes." This is an example of the use of an _____________________ power.

implied

The effect of national emergencies and judicial interpretations on federalism has been to

increase the power of the national government over states.

When the authors say that we live in a era of "globalization," they mean that citizens and nations are increasingly:

interdependent

The Articles of Confederation failed because:

it did not give the national government the authority to regulate trade and commerce between the states.

The broad, basic definition of "government" given by the text is:

legitimate use of force within specified geographic boundaries to control human behavior.

Compared with people in other Western countries, Americans are __________ to choose equality over freedom.

less likely

The "unalienable rights" listed in the Declaration of Independence are:

life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

A "confederation" is:

loose association of independent states.

Equality of opportunity requires a comparatively ________ level of government activity compared to equality of outcome.

low

The oldest objective of government is:

maintaining order

___________ theory says that our government operates through a strong centralized structure.

majoritarian

_______________ includes the fundamental idea that government responsiveness is a result of mass political participation?

majoritarian democracy

Article IV says that state governments:

must have a representative structure similar to the national system.

According to Thomas Hobbes, author of Leviathan, the proper objective of government is to ensure:

order

______________ says that most political activity in the US is influenced by organized special interest groups:

pluralism

Government's authority to maintain order is known as its _________ power.

police

What is the primary procedure for democratic government in the majoritarian model of governing?

popular elections

"Enumerated powers" are

powers clearly assigned by the Constitution.

The power of Congress to enact laws by which the national government assumes complete or partial responsibility for a state government function is known as:

preemption

Although the United States is a capitalist country, the government does intervene in business and economic activity, primarily through:

regulating private businesses

What form of democracy selects individuals to govern on the behalf of others?

representative democracy

the US has a ______________type of government

representative democracy

According to the text, American democracy is best described as pluralist. Why?

research shows that US politics is primarily influenced by interest groups.

The Tenth Amendment gives ______________ government additional unwritten powers.

state

Which type of government would protect citizens' rights by putting them "beyond the reach of majority rule"?

substantive

What do we call the idea that certain principles must be incorporated into the policies of a democratic government?

substantive theory of democracy

When state laws conflict with national laws, the situation is (usually) resolved by using the:

supremacy clause

A government pursuing laissez-faire policies would:

take a hands-off attitude toward the economy.

In September, 2008, the administration of George W. Bush created a controversy over whether or not it was proper for the government to:

take over failing banks and automobile companies.

The fact that Congress has two chambers, one in which states have equal representation (two senators for each state) and one in which state representation is based on population, is a result of:

the Connecticut Compromise

The shift away from dual federalism and toward cooperative federalism was a response to the problems associated with:

the Great Depression

Opponents of ratifying the new Constitution demanded the addition of a Bill of Rights because they feared that ______________ would abuse citizens" rights and liberties.

the national government

A proponent of states' fights would argue that:

the national government's powers should be interpreted "narrowly"

In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson's main premise was:

the people have the right to revolt if their government is denying them legitimate rights.

Under the Articles of Confederation, ___________ had the most ruling power:

the state governments

Dual federalism is the theory that says:

the states and the federal government exercise power separately in their own "spheres of influence".

"Republicanism" is a form of government in which:

the voters have the power and elect representatives to carry out their wishes.

The Articles of Confederation were abandoned because:

there was no central authority powerful or capable enough to protect individual states or the nation as whole from foreign invaders.

Many people believe that perfect freedom, order, and equality can never be achieved because:

these three values are inherently in conflict and cannot be provided simultaneously.

By the 1990s, a particular problem emerged regarding the number of ________________ mandates.

unfunded

Elite theorists believe that:

wealthy people dominate politics for their own good.

pluralist democracy in the US tends to favor:

well-organized special interest groups

Marx had the expectation that the "state" (government) would eventually:

wither away