Exam 2

What is the minimum age for a House of Representatives member and a U.S senator, respectively? a. 25; 30 b. 21; 25 c. 18; 21 d. 30; 35

25; 30

Around what age does voter turnout peak in the United States? a. 25 b. 60 c. 45 d. 30

60

The only way to stop a filibuster is by invoking cloture, a motion to end debate that requires a supermajority. How many senators constitute a supermajority? a. 60 b. 25 c. 10 d. 75

60

Who was the first president to have impeachment charges brought against him? a. Andrew Johnson b. Richard Nixon c. Bill Clinton d. Grover Cleveland

Andrew Johnson

Most congressional powers are listed in which section of the Constitution? a. Article I, Section 2 b. Article II, Section 1 c. Article I, Section 8 d. Article III, Section 1

Article I, Section 8

Prior to the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, how were senators elected? a. By state citizens in elections b. By presidential nomination c. By selection from members of state legislatures d. By selection from the major political parties

By selection from members of state legislatures

Which state has the most electoral votes?

California (55)

In which case did the Supreme Court rule that blanket primaries were unconstitutional? a. Buckley v. Valeo b. California Democratic Party v. Jones c. Marbury v. Madison d. Griswold v. Connecticut

California Democratic Party v. Jones

Who controls the flow of staff and paperwork, focuses the president's attention on key issues, monitors the coherence of presidential policies across cabinet departments, serves as a referee for disagreements among senior staff members, and forms bridges between the president and Congress? a. Vice president b. Majority whip c. Chief of staff d. Speaker of the House

Chief of staff

What type of primary is restricted to voters affiliated with a particular party? a. Unopposed b. Closed c. Blanket d. Open

Closed

Nearly three-fourths of which group of people vote in elections? a. College-educated b. The 1 percent c. Latinos d. Grade-school educated

College-educated

In which type of voting system (like Australia's) are citizens required by law to vote? a. Proxy voting b. Compulsory voting c. Plurality voting d. Preferential voting

Compulsory voting

What determines the presidential order of succession? a. Popular vote b. Supreme Court c. Vote by current Congress d. Constitution

Constitution

Which president appointed the first chief of staff? a. Franklin Delano Roosevelt b. Lyndon B. Johnson c. Dwight D. Eisenhower d. John F. Kennedy

Dwight D. Eisenhower

In which model do citizens consider the costs and benefits of voting—i.e., when the benefits exceed the costs, they turn out to vote? a. Psychological b. Economic c. Genetic d. Institutional

Economic

What did the Framers who favored ratification of the Constitution call themselves? a. Antifederalists b. Federalists c. Republicans d. Democrats

Federalists

Which amendment extended voting rights to African American males? a. Twelfth b. Eleventh c. Nineteenth d. Fifteenth

Fifteenth

In the summer of 2017, Connecticut senator Christopher S. Murphy took control of the Senate floor for 15 hours in an attempt to force the majority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, to allow votes on Democrats' amendments to an annual bill that sought to tighten U.S. gun laws. In what tactic is Murphy engaging? a. Cloture b. Unanimous consent c. Filibuster d. Gerrymander

Filibuster

How many times in history has an individual NOT gained the popular vote and still become president?

Five

The president's tenure was limited to two terms following which president's election to a fourth term? a. Ronald Reagan b. Franklin Roosevelt c. Teddy Roosevelt d. Lyndon Johnson

Franklin Roosevelt

In 1991, a redistricting in North Carolina was designed to create a district with African Americans in the majority. Later, federal courts ruled that the state had to revise those district lines so that the congressional district was more compact. What is this politicization of drawing district boundaries called?

Gerrymandering

Which case blocked the Bush administration from denying habeas corpus privileges to an enemy combatant who was a U.S. citizen? a. McCulloch v. Maryland b. Michaels v. Guantanamo c. Hamdi v. Rumsfeld d. Marbury v. Madison

Hamdi v. Rumsfeld

Where do bills concerning raising revenue originate? a. Senate b. House of Representatives c. Executive Branch d. Supreme Court

House of Representatives

Which political body is subject to redistricting, or the redrawing of the boundaries of congressional districts in a state to make them approximately equal in population size? a. Congress b. Supreme Court c. Senate d. House of Representatives

House of Representatives

Party machines of the late nineteenth century were fueled by what group of individuals? a. Wealthy aristocrats b. Immigrants c. Republicans d. Rural voters

Immigrants

Individuals who currently hold the contested office but who run again are called what?

Incumbents

In which model of voting is the voting process shaped by the rules of the system, political party behavior, the ways candidates run their campaigns, and the context of the election? a. Genetic b. Institutional c. Psychological d. Economic

Institutional

Which statement describes spending on presidential elections from 2000 to 2016?

It has risen sharply

How does the average rate of voter turnout in the U.S. compare to that of other democracies? a. It is about the same. b. It is lower. c. It is slightly higher. d. It is much higher.

It is lower.

Franco believes that equality and citizen participation are important political values. He believes that the more people are allowed to vote, the better the government can respond to people's interests. Franco believes in which model of voting? a. Jeffersonian model b. Psychological model c. Hamiltonian model d. Economic model

Jeffersonian model

Who participated in the first televised presidential debate?

John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon

To assess their educational skills, potential voters in 1960s Alabama were required to answer questions like these: Whose duty is it to keep Congress informed of the state of the union? In which document or writing is the "Bill of Rights" found? How many states were required to approve the original Constitution in order for it to be in effect? In what type of assessment are these potential votes participating? a. Grandfather clauses b. Jim Crow laws c. Literacy tests d. White primaries

Literacy tests

Which Supreme Court case established judicial review whereby laws could be declared unconstitutional? a. Bush v. Gore b. Marbury v. Madison c. McCulloch v. Maryland d. Wickard v. Filburn

Marbury v. Madison

Which theory asserts that, in a two-party race, if voters select candidates on the basis of ideology and everyone participates equally, the party closer to the middle will win? a. Party organization b. Single-member plurality c. Median voter d. Winner-take-all

Median voter

Who was the first female Speaker of the House? a. Jan Brewer b. Hillary Clinton c. Jeanette Rankin d. Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi

Which two U.S. states can split their electoral votes, as opposed to winner-take-all?

Nebraska and Maine

Pursuant to the War Powers Act, how many days may the president send troops into military conflict without an official declaration of war or authorization from Congress? a. No more than 60 b. No more than 30 c. No more than 120 d. No more than 90

No more than 90

Fabio, a 44-year-old, was born in Italy but immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was only 4 years old. He has been living here most of his life and does have U.S. citizenship. Can he attain the office of U.S. president? a. No, he is not a natural-born citizen. b. No, he must be older than 45. c. Yes, he is older than 35. d. Yes, he has lived in the country for almost his entire life and is a U.S. citizen.

No, he is not a natural-born citizen.

What is the Federal Register? a. Official record of government regulations b. Political think tank c. Washington D.C. newspaper that reports on social events d. List of politicians that have served in office since the signing of the Constitution

Official record of government regulations

Janice is voting in a primary but does not announce an affiliation with either party. She is given ballots with each party's list of candidates; she chooses which ballot to use and is restricted to voting for only one party's nominees. In which type of primary is Janice participating? a. Closed b. Blanket c. Open d. Transparent

Open

In June 2018, the White House announced that the president exonerated the prison sentence of two Oregon cattle ranchers who started fires that damaged federal lands. What power is the president using? a. Expunge b. Pardon c. Excoriate d. Commute

Pardon

Which term refers to the general patterns of voters' party identification and their behavior on Election Day? a. Party in the electorate b. Party as an organization c. Party in government d. Party machinations

Party in the electorate

Which system awards government programs and benefits based on political loyalty to a party? a. Socialist b. Patronage c. Merit d. Nonpartisan

Patronage

Which piece of legislation was passed to reform the civil service by requiring that government jobs be filled based on qualifications rather than political connections? a. McCain/Feingold Act b. Stamp Act c. Emancipation Proclamation d. Pendleton Act

Pendleton Act

The November presidential election is coming up and the current president is running for re-election. Elise is a concerned citizen who believes that the current president is spending too much time working toward reelection and not enough time governing. This change in the president's focus demonstrates the concept of the

Permanent campaign

In what election do voters choose candidates who will run on the party label in a general election? a. Party b. Primary c. Caucus d. Ballot

Primary

Teddy Roosevelt ran for president under which third party label? a. Democrat b. Federalist c. Whig d. Progressive

Progressive

An electoral system that assigns party delegates according to vote share in a presidential primary election or that assigns seats in the legislature according to vote share in a general election is known what? a. A winner-take-all system b. Caucusing c. Proportional representation d. An open primary

Proportional representation

Leroy grew up in a household with parents who voted in every election, national and local. Now as an adult, Leroy votes similarly, and when people ask him about his loyalty to the process, he simply tells them, "It is my duty to vote." Which model of voting does Leroy exemplify? a. Genetic b. Institutional c. Psychological d. Economic

Psychological

When state legislatures redraw district lines to try to keep districts equal in terms of population, it is called

Redistricting

To which collective body does unanimous consent apply? a. House b. Senate c. House and the Senate d. Congress, president, and judiciary

Senate

Which amendment allowed for the direct election of U.S. senators? a. Seventeenth b. Twelfth c. Sixteenth d. Tenth

Seventeenth

Stephanie is running for a seat on the House of Representatives. She beats her opponents in the election but does not get 50 percent or more of the votes. In a single-member plurality system, what does this mean? a. She wins because only a plurality of votes is needed. b. She also needs to win the electoral college vote. c. She gets a percentage of the representation based on the percentage of votes she won. d. She does not win because she needs a majority of votes.

She wins because only a plurality of votes is needed.

U.S. senators serve a staggered term of how many years?

Six

What are the terms of office in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, respectively? a. Eight; four b. Two; four c. Four; six d. Six; two

Six; two

Which issue ignited the formation of the Republican Party? a. Immigration b. Education c. Slavery d. Unemployment

Slavery

Which Supreme Court case outlawed the practice of the white primary? a. California Democratic Party v. Jones b. Griswold v. Connecticut c. Marbury v. Madison d. Smith v. Allwright

Smith v. Allwright

Ironically, which state elected Joseph Rainey, the first African American member of the House of Representatives? a. South Carolina b. North Carolina c. West Virginia d. Virginia

South Carolina

Which is the top leadership position in the House of Representatives? a. President pro tempore b. Majority whip c. Committee chairman d. Speaker of the House

Speaker of the House

Which type of congressional committee is permanent and reports to the full chamber? a. Select b. Joint c. Special d. Standing

Standing

What groups can raise and give an unlimited amount of money to political candidates?

Super PACs

Which members of a party will definitely be invited to a national convention because they are instrumental in turning out party voters in the general election? a. Superdelegates b. Delegates c. Justices d. Lobbyists

Superdelegates

Which women's suffrage advocate was arrested after her attempt to vote in 1872? a. Elizabeth Cady Stanton b. Susan B. Anthony c. Victoria Claflin Woodhull d. Eleanor Roosevelt

Susan B. Anthony

Several Midwest states—Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan—are not considered strictly pro-Republican (like Tennessee) or pro-Democrat (like Massachusetts). What are these states, which are usually of vital interest to presidential candidates, called?

Swing

What authority given to Congress has been the most instrumental in expanding its power relative to the other branches of government? a. War powers b. Regulation of commerce c. Taxation and appropriation d. Appointments and treaties

Taxation and appropriation

Which statement accurately describes the aim of the Constitution and the states in regard to elections? a. The Constitution includes guidelines for all state and national elections, and it requires the national government to establish eligibility requirements for the states. b. The Constitution divides the responsibility for holding elections equally between the federal government and the states c. The Constitution is specific about the dominant role of the federal government in holding elections, and the states play a limited role. d. The Constitution is silent on the rules about voting in elections, leaving such choices to states.

The Constitution is silent on the rules about voting in elections, leaving such choices to states.

Which statement describes the relationship between income and voting? a. The lower one's income, the more likely one is to vote. b. Those with a high income and those with a low income are equally likely to vote. c. Those who represent the annual median family income in the U.S. are most likely to vote. d. The higher one's income, the more likely one is to vote.

The higher one's income, the more likely one is to vote.

During which event does the party name their presidential and vice presidential candidates and lay out the party's plan for government?

The national convention

What authority or role does the president have regarding the judicial system? a. The nomination and removal of federal judges, including Supreme Court justices b. No authority or role c. The appointment all federal judges, including supreme court justices d. The nomination of judges in the federal judicial system, including supreme court justices

The nomination of judges in the federal judicial system, including supreme court justices

The number of electoral votes a state receives corresponds to what?

The number of senators and members of the House of Representatives for the state

In the earliest presidential elections, how did electors vote for president and vice president?

They cast ballots for their top two choices; the winner became president, and the second-place finisher became vice president.

Why do candidates who are elected from third parties like Ross Perot and Ralph Nader have little influence in legislatures? a. They have no party organization to join in the legislature. b. They are not allowed to speak in legislative sessions. c. They cannot participate in legislative votes. d. They cannot be elected to the Senate.

They have no party organization to join in the legislature.

Why did the Framers establish Congress as a bicameral institution? a. To increase the power of Congress relative to the other branches b. To increase efficiency and the speed by which Congress could operate c. To limit members of Congress to only two terms d. To allow each chamber to check each other's power

To allow each chamber to check each other's power

Which amendment set the eligibility requirements for vice president? a. Tenth b. Second c. Fifth d. Twelfth

Twelfth

Which amendment set the voting age at 18? a. Nineteenth b. First c. Twenty-Sixth d. Second

Twenty-Sixth

How many terms do members of the House of Representatives serve?

Two

What percentage of votes is necessary for Congress (both chambers) to override a presidential veto? a. Two-thirds b. Three-fourths c. One-fourth d. Half

Two-thirds

Which case indicated that the president's power of executive privilege is not absolute? a. United States v. Nixon b. McCulloch v. Maryland c. Wickard v. Filburn d. Bush v. Gore

United States v. Nixon

Who can break a tie vote in the Senate? a. Vice president b. President c. Senate majority leader d. Speaker of the House

Vice president

Why has Oregon recently had such a high rate of voting (i.e., 70 percent in 2008 and 68 percent in 2016)? a. Early voting b. Internet ballots c. Extended voting hours d. Voting by mail

Voting by mail

The voting-age population measure has been in error because it has not considered increases in the number of immigrants and convicted felons who are ineligible to vote. What new measure corrects for these trends? a. Available voter b. Adjusted voter c. Legal voter d. Voting-eligible population

Voting-eligible population

Which scandal led to the resignation of Richard Nixon? a. Watergate b. Iran-Contra c. Whitewater d. Cold War

Watergate

Controversial and divisive topics like gun control, abortion, and race that are often used in campaigns to break up an opponent's coalitions are referred to as

Wedge Issues

In the 1960s, members of underrepresented groups like women and black Americans objected to the Democratic Party's use of the unit rule to nominate presidents—which stated that whoever won the majority of primary or state nominating convention votes won the entire state's delegates. What's another name for the this rule? a. Winner-take-all b. Proportional representation c. Superdelegate d. Blanket primary

Winner-take-all

In recent sessions, how do the House and Senate compare demographically to the U.S. population? a. Women make up about the same percentage in the House and Senate as their percentage of the total population, but ethnic minorities are underrepresented. b. Women and ethnic minorities make up smaller percentages in the House and Senate than their percentages in the overall U.S. population. c. Ethnic minorities make up about the same percentages in the House and Senate as their percentages in the U.S. population, but women are underrepresented. d. Women and ethnic minorities make up similar percentages in the House and Senate as their percentages in the U.S. population.

Women and ethnic minorities make up smaller percentages in the House and Senate than their percentages in the overall U.S. population.

In which case did the Supreme Court rule that the president could not seize domestic property when the U.S. was at war abroad? a. Wickard v. Filburn b. American Title Company v. Davis c. Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. v. Sawyer d. Mapp v. Ohio

Youngstown Sheet and Tube Co. v. Sawyer

What does a candidate need to win the presidency?

a majority of electoral votes

In July 2017, President Trump nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. This judicial nomination required the approval by two-thirds of the Senate in a Congressional power known as a. advice and consent. b. judicial review. c. impeachment. d. pocket veto.

advice and consent.

The National Voter Registration Act requires states to a. register all eligible voters, though the states can define "eligible." b. allow absentee ballots so voters can vote by mail. c. allow voters to register when they apply for or renew their driver's licenses. d. remove ineligible voters from their rolls.

allow absentee ballots so voters can vote by mail.

The president directs all war efforts and military conflict under the title a. chief of staff. b. chief diplomat. c. chief of state. d. commander in chief

commander in chief

A trend in which older voters who die are replaced in the electorate by less reliable young voters is known as a. the voting-eligible population. b. generational replacement. c. graveyard voting. d. the grandfather clause.

generational replacement.

Redrawing district boundaries so most voters in a district favor one party is called a. gerrymandering. b. electioneering. c. franking. d. redistricting.

gerrymandering.

Congress may remove judges and executive officials from office via a. advice and consent. b. impeachment. c. gerrymandering. d. pocket veto.

impeachment.

Because a president in his second term cannot seek reelection, he is commonly referred to as a(n) a. lame duck. b. bully pulpit. c. privileged executive. d. omnibus

lame duck.

In the case of the U.S., the party in government is made up of the a. number of Democrats and Republicans in Congress. b. Democratic primary election, in which only Democrats may participate. c. state or national political parties (e.g. Republican National Committee). d. number of registered Democratic and Republican voters.

number of Democrats and Republicans in Congress.

The internal structure that guides how a party operates at the federal, state, and local levels is called the party a. in government. b. organization. c. platform. d. in the electorate.

organization.

President Trump signed more executive orders than any other recent president in his first 100 days in office. Some notable ones were to reverse the Affordable Care Act and ban admission to the U.S. for a range of immigrants and refugees. These instructions do not require congressional approval. This exemplifies the power of the president to issue a. executive privileges. b. entitlement programs. c. presidential directives. d. vetoes.

presidential directives.

When a president signs a bill into law, he can issue written remarks that reflect his interpretation of the law that are not required or authorized by the Constitution. These remarks are called a. pocket vetoes. b. signing statements. c. executive privileges. d. executive orders.

signing statements.

The period before the primaries during which candidates attempt to capture party support and media coverage is called

the invisible primary

Noncontroversial issues that are not likely to differ between candidates—such as "keeping America safe" and "providing good education for children"—are called

valence issues