Gov Midterm

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates from larger states argued that each state's representation in the legislature should be proportional to its population. Smaller states argued that each state should have equal representation, regardless of population. The disagreement over representation threatened to derail the ratification of the United States Constitution. Which statement accurately describes the compromise that led to both sides reaching agreement?

A bicameral legislature with an upper house representing each state equally and a lower house with representation proportional to each state's population

Which of the following scenarios, related to the First Amendment, best illustrates the "right . . . to petition the Government . . .?"

A citizen calls a member of Congress to persuade her to vote yes on a bill.

Which of the following is an accurate summary of James Madison's argument in The Federalist 10?

A large republic presents more opportunities for groups to participate, compete, and limit each other.

The House and the Senate have some different constitutional responsibilities. Which of the following pairs correctly matches House and Senate responsibilities?

A.

In 1973, the United States Supreme Court handed down the controversial Roe v. Wade decision striking down state laws banning abortion. In response, many pro-life groups have organized to have the decision overturned. Which of the following represents an action that these groups are most likely to take to achieve their goal?

Become more actively involved in presidential campaigns so that presidential candidates will pledge to appoint justices who favor overturning Roe v. Wade.

Which of the following accurately compares Schenck v. U.S. and New York Times Co. v. U.S.?

C.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the House of Representatives and the Senate?

C.

A federal agency has been accused of not enforcing laws it is charged with enforcing. Which is the most likely action the relevant House committee will first take?

Call for an oversight hearing to understand the problem

Which of the following statements about congressional reapportionment & redistricting is true?

Districts must be drawn so that, within a state, every person's vote is roughly equal to every other person's vote.

Which of the following cases arose from a state law that mandates public schools to begin the school day with the reading of a nondenominational prayer by a school official?

Engel v. Vitale(1962)

The police searched a suspect's smartphone without getting a warrant and found photo evidence of criminal activity. After a thorough investigation, the suspect was charged and the evidence obtained from the smartphone was used in the trial. Which of the following amendments contains the Bill of Rights protections that were most likely violated in this scenario?

Fourth Amendment

Which of the following is used as evidence to support the author's argument?

Historical records show that the Second Amendment was supposed to protect the right of individuals to own a gun, and not just for the purpose of supporting militias.

Under the Articles of Confederation, which of the following were true? I. Congress could not tax the states directly. II. The executive branch of government exercised more power than Congress. III. Congress was a unicameral body. IV. States were represented in Congress proportionally according to population.

I and III only

During a television interview on July 1, 2018, Senator Lindsey Graham stated that "one of the concepts that really means a lot in America is stare decisis. That means you don't overturn precedent unless there's a good reason." About which ongoing debate was Senator Graham sharing his position?

Judicial activism versus judicial restraint.

Which of the following violations was a cause for the American rebellion against Britain?

Mandating taxes on citizens without their consent.

Which of the following cases was most likely to derive the basis of its decision from the argument presented in The Federalist No. 78 that states: "that, accordingly, whenever a particular statute [contradicts] the Constitution, it will be the duty of the judicial tribunals to adhere to the latter and disregard the former?"

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

The Declaration of Independence cites specific reasons for separating from British rule, including the British imposing taxes and maintaining a standing army without consent. Which of the following principles or ideas would these grievances be most related to?

Natural rights such as life, liberty, and property.

A new president has been elected and has a number of positions to fill within the federal bureaucracy. Which of the following is an example of filling a position based on political patronage?

Nominating a high-level campaign fund-raiser to serve as an ambassador to New Zealand

Which of the following statements reflects a pluralist theory of American politics?

Public policies emerge from compromises reached among competing groups.

Which of the following is a potential cause of the trend illustrated in the bar graph with the presidents after Truman?

Recent presidents may be trying to control the information people receive so they have limited press conferences

In the case Randall v. Sorrell (2006), Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer argued that following judicial precedent "avoids the instability and unfairness that accompany disruption of settled legal expectations. For this reason, the rule of law demands that adhering to our prior case law be the norm. Departure from precedent is exceptional and requires special justification." Justice Breyer is referring to which of the following legal principles?

Stare decisis

Which of the following is the most accurate interpretation of the political cartoon?

State governments prefer federal funding but do not want federal oversight over how the money is spent.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 was a law passed by Congress prohibiting discrimination based on sex. Which of the following describes how the policy is being implemented?

The bureaucracy will create rules for enforcement and will have the discretion to implement those rules.

Which of the following statements about the use of executive agreements by presidents is supported by the data in the pie charts?

The percentage of international agreements that were executive agreements has increased since 1839.

Which of the following Supreme Court decisions allows public school students to wear T-shirts protesting a school board decision that eliminates funding for high school arts programs?

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)

The Gun-Free School Zones Act made it illegal for individuals knowingly to carry a gun in a school zone. The Supreme Court determined this act to be an unconstitutional stretch of the commerce clause in

United States v. Lopez (1995)

In The Federalist 70, Alexander Hamilton states that "energy in the executive is a leading character in the definition of good government." In this statement, Hamilton is arguing in favor of the need for

a single executive who can respond quickly to crises

On February 13, 2016, following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a statement that the Supreme Court vacancy should be left to the next president of the United States, who would be elected that November. Nonetheless, President Obama nominated circuit judge Merrick Garland to fill the vacancy. The Senate judiciary committee never held a hearing nor was a vote scheduled on the nomination. The scenario demonstrates that

because federal judges are lifetime appointments, Senate confirmation can oftentimes be challenging

The term "bicameralism" refers to the

establishment of two legislative chambers that have different structures and rules

Constitutional checks and balances, especially applied to the president, are designed to

minimize the threat of tyranny from any one branch of government