FedGov

Which administration justified its actions by arguing that the executive, and not the legislature, was at the core of American power?

George W. Bush

The major reason presidents are not as successful in a divided government is because _____

each party takes a different approach to solving the nation's problems

Democrats in states with a higher proportion of immigrants who are not yet citizens pushed for allowing such inhabitants to be included in U.S. Census numbers. This is because including these inhabitants on the census would likely ______

ensure higher Democratic representation in the federal government

Which is a factor that contributes to the president's popularity?

external events

In the United States, treaties are negotiated by the president and require two-thirds approval from the judiciary.

false

Pacts made by the president with another head of state that do not require Senate approval are called executive agreements.

false

Which is an example of a distributive policy?

farm subsidies

The chief of staff ______

oversees operations of all White House staff and controls access to the president

The president may free those who have been accused or convicted of crimes based on the executive's ______

pardon power

A state legislature that wishes to draw new district lines in a way that benefits a particular political party will likely engage in which practice?

partisan gerrymandering

Government agencies have their largest role in ______

policy implementation

A congressperson who votes for a law that provides subsidies to the farmers in his or her district is participating in ______

policy representation

The ability of a president to appoint federal judges and justices to the Supreme Court, appoint the solicitor general, and pardon those who have been accused or convicted of crimes can be classified as ______

presidential checks on the judiciary

Laws that serve to define how laws are used, applied, and enforced are known as ______ laws.

procedural

Laws that define what individuals can and cannot do are known as ______ laws.

substantive

What is the role of the American Bar Association (ABA) in terms of judicial appointments?

the ABA evaluates the legal qualifications of potential nominees.

Support for preemptive attacks and an emphasis on maintaining military supremacy are components of _____

the Bush Doctrine

Congress makes use of ______ to increase its checks on the executive branch of government.

the Government Accountability Office

A representative who sought power within the House would likely want a seat on ______

the House Rules Committee

Which is part of the president's legislative responsibilities?

the State of the Union Address

Suppose a case is heard at the court of appeals level in a circuit court by a panel of three judges, and then en banc, and the en banc panel denies the appeal. What is the final level of court to which the petitioner may appeal?

the Supreme Court

Which is an example of an intergovernmental organization?

the United Nations

Abilene is running as a Democrat for the House of Representatives against a Republican incumbent during a presidential election year. The Democratic candidate for president is widely well-liked and performed very well in all the primaries. What is Abilene likely to experience?

the coattail effect

Fiscal policy refers to _____

the government's use of taxing and spending powers to regulate the economy

What is one distinction that can be made between the House of Representatives and the Senate?

the length of terms

In general, what has the greatest effect on the midterm losses suffered by the president's party?

the president's approval rating among Americans

A presidential speechwriter who then took a job as a syndicated columnist and later returned as a domestic policy adviser to a member of Congress would illustrate _____

the revolving door

A judicial interpretivist would likely agree that _____

there is an implied basis for the right to privacy in the Constitution

Amicus curiae briefs are significant because ______

they may influence whether the Supreme Court decides to hear a case

Redistributive policies are difficult to put in place because _____

they take resources from the affluent and politically active

What is the function of the solicitor general?

to argue cases before the Supreme Court

What is the role of a judge in an adversarial legal system?

to be a neutral arbiter

What is the primary purpose of the conference committee?

to bring together two versions of the same bill into one so that it can be voted on

What is the primary function of Article III, Section 1?

to describe how the courts should be set up

What is the function of the Federal Communications Commission?

to ensure that radio and TV represent a variety of viewpoints

What is the primary function of regulatory policies?

to exercise control over a certain group or individuals

What is the essential goal of political narratives?

to legitimize or delegitimize claims to political power

What was the primary purpose of the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program?

to make sure poor families could support their children

What is the function of a media aggregator?

to pick and choose from the reporting of others

What is the president's role in making public policy?

to put an issue on the public agenda or include it in the budget proposal

What is the function of a journalist who is acting as a disseminator?

to report on and get out the facts

What is the main function of the solicitor general?

to represent the United States in cases

A violation of civil law is called a tort.

true

Congress is rarely able to override a presidential veto.

true

In their role as commander in chief, presidents act as the civilian head of the military.

true

The Senate checks the executive branch through the approval of appointments to the Supreme Court.

true

The solicitor general argues cases for the executive branch before the U.S. Supreme Court.

true

Which corporation has the highest value of media companies under its ownership?

Verizon

The process of advice and consent would be used during the ______

confirmation hearing of a federal judicial appointment

Which power can be exercised only by the Senate?

confirming presidential appointments to the Supreme Court

The Cold War policy of the United States seeking to prevent the spread of communism can be classified as ______.

containment

The term fake news is often used to _____

control the narrative

If someone robs a bank, they have violated which type of law?

criminal law

Which statement regarding the formation of public policy is accurate?

Solutions to public problems often generate new problems.

What impact does reapportionment have on a congressional election?

Some states may gain or lose representation in Congress.

Which position is the most important position in Congress?

Speaker of the House

What must be done if Americans want Congress to quit creating pork barrel projects (also known as earmarks)?

Americans must reward their representatives more for engaging in national law-making.

Economic policy addresses the problem of economic security for the benefit of the wealthiest members of society.

False

What is the main difference between isolationism and interventionism?

Isolationism prioritizes domestic matters over international matters, while interventionism emphasizes the importance of international involvement.

What impact did the Supreme Court's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland have on the Constitution?

It expanded the power of the legislature by rendering the Tenth Amendment almost meaningless.

What is the significance of the "Rule of Four"?

It gives some power to the minority on the Supreme Court.

Which is a characteristic of the American legal system?

It is concerned primarily with a fair trial.

Which is a factor that has contributed to the dwindling pool of journalists?

It is increasingly easy to make money off their work without paying them for it.

What is the importance of a dissenting opinion?

It may provide justification when the Court is preparing to overrule itself.

Prior to the health care reform that was passed in 2010, the government's role in health care was limited to ______

Medicare and Medicaid

Which statement best characterizes the relationship between the president and his bureaucracy under the spoils system?

Members of the bureaucracy were loyal to the president.

Which is a key characteristic of neutral competence?

People are promoted on the basis of merit.

Why might the White House staff and the president's cabinet conflict with one another?

The White House staff serves the president's interests, while cabinet members seek support for their policy initiatives.

Which of the following is a feature of the inquisitorial system?

The primary goal in an inquisitorial system is to find the truth.

Which of the following is a feature of the standing committees in Congress?

They are permanent and exist from one session of Congress to the next.

What are two key characteristics of social welfare policies?

They are redistributive and means-tested.

What is the primary function of gatekeepers when it comes to media?

They decide the details about what news gets covered.

Why did Democrats oppose President Trump's proposal to add a citizenship question to the 2020 U.S. Census?

They feared that such a question might intimidate immigrants and reduce their representation.

Commercial bias in the media is a result of the growing concentration of corporate ownership of the media.

True

In a parliamentary system like Great Britain's, the role of head of government is performed by the prime minister.

True

A writ of certiorari is ______

a petition by the losing side in a lower court for the Supreme Court to hear an appeal

The process of making a law begins when ______

a policy idea gets on the legislative agenda

The concept that individuals tend to utilize the judicial process to resolve disputes is a feature of ______

adjudication

An example of ______ is when a journalist or producer decides what is important enough to become news and end up on the political agenda

agenda setting

What is an independent agency?

an organization within the executive branch that executes the law and that is separate from the departments

The Executive Office of the President was formed to ______.

assist and advise the president

In recent years, the filibuster has ______

become a tactic regularly used by the minority party to block proposals of the majority party

Which three components are required to form the iron triangle?

bureaucracy, Congress, and interest groups

How do curated news aggregators harm the journalism industry?

by making money from links to articles without actually writing them

Veterans, farmers, teachers, and other groups who feel that they have particular concerns that the government needs to address are known as ______

clientele groups

A career civil servant is _____

generally loyal to an agency

The role of the judge in the common law tradition differs from the role of the judge in the civil law tradition in that judges in the common law tradition ______.

have much more discretion to interpret the law

Presidents must play their role as ______ in order to solve problems, but that requires them to behave in ways that conflict with their role as ______.

head of government; head of state

One check that both chambers of Congress have on the executive branch is the power to ______.

impeach the president

What is one feature of Congress following the 2018 midterm elections?

increased demographic diversity

Someone who violates a civil law will pay damages to the ______

injured

A reporter like Ronan Farrow, who digs for information into a certain claim, is what type of journalist?

investigator

In Federalist Paper #84, Alexander Hamilton argued that a bill of rights could prove to be dangerous, as it inherently places limits on natural rights. This argument would most likely be useful for justifying which judicial ideology?

judicial interpretivism

The controversial Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade can be classified as a decision made primarily by _____

judicial interpretivists

Which is a factor that contributes to the different views of the criminal justice system between black and white Americans?

racial profiling

Most social welfare policies can be categorized as _____

redistributive policies

If U.S. Census data indicates a significant shift in population, so much so that the number of representatives allocated to a state changes, that state must engage in ______

redistricting

Monetary policy is a ______ policy.

regulatory

Trevon is a member of a permanent congressional body that is responsible for transportation legislation. Trevon is likely a member of the ______

standing committee

Policies that involve defense spending, the maintenance and use of military bases, and weapons procurement can be classified as which type of policies?

structural defense policies