Gov sem 1
Which of the following is the most important influence on the choice made by voters in presidential elections?
Partisan identification
Which of the following prominent promoters of the American Revolution refused to attend the Constitutional Convention because he "smelt a rat"?
Patrick Henry
Which of the following is an important consequence of "divided government"?
Since the legislature is dominated by one party and the presidency by another, the resulting "gridlock" means that government business is significantly slowed down.
Which statement best describes American political culture?
The American political culture is comprised of beliefs—such as individual rights, majority rule, and limited government—that are shared by
All of the following are important trends in campaign financing EXCEPT:
The Campaign-Finance rules set in place during the mid-1970s have significantly lowered the cost of running for national office.
All of the following are frequent criticisms of the states' rights interpretation of the Constitution EXCEPT:
The states' right philosophy was created to promote unity in government; therefore, it discourages government responsiveness to diversity
What process does the Twenty-fifth Amendment set in motion if the presidency is vacated?
The vice-president becomes the president, and then selects an individual as his/her vice- president, subject to the approval of both houses of Congress
Which of the following is an accurate description of the relationship between the state and federal court systems?
They have interrelated responsibility
Which statement below best describes an open primary?
Voters can choose which party's primary election ballot they want to use to vote
The theorist who believed that the bureaucracy was the real power in government was
Wright Mills
Which of the following is the BEST description of the political atmosphere in which the Constitutional Convention met in 1787?
The Convention met in complete secrecy in order to prevent disruptions and the rallying of opposition
A state has 11 electoral votes. In a presidential election, the Democratic candidate receives 48 percent of that state's popular vote, the Republican candidate receives 40 percent of the vote, and an independent candidate receives 12 percent of the vote. If the state is similar to other states, how will the electoral votes most likely be allocated?
The Democratic candidate will receive all 11 electoral votes.
Which of the following statements accurately reflects a voting trend in the South over the past half century?
The Democratic party has lost a significant amount of support in the South, especially from Christian fundamentalists.
Which of the following outcomes are NOT possible in the Electoral College system?
The Electoral College could choose a president who did not have the most electoral votes.
The work that presented a carefully laid out defense of the proposed Constitution was:
The Federalist
The results of the Census are used by which arm of government to reapportion seats in the U.S. House of Representatives?
The House itself
. Which of the following statements about rules of procedure in the House and Senate is correct?
The House operates more by formal rules, while the Senate operates more on informal understandings.
All of the following represent differences between the House and the Senate EXCEPT:
The House ratifies all treaties, the Senate does not
Which of the following procedures results in the removal of the President from office?
The House votes for impeachment, and the Senate conducts a trial and reaches a guilty verdict.
What new interpretation of the Constitution did the Supreme Court use in District of Columbia v. Heller?
The Second Amendment contains a constitutional right to gun ownership irrespective of service in a state militia.
Which of the following federal courts have/has original jurisdiction?
The Supreme Court and U.S. District Courts
Which of the following did the most to expand civil rights in the 1950's?
The Supreme Court decision declaring state-mandated school segregation to be unconstitutional
Which of the following statements accurately describes the selection of the caseload for the United States Supreme Court?
The Supreme Court is free to choose the cases it hears with only a few limitations.
A primary election in which voters are required to identify a party preference before the election and are not allowed to split their ticket is called
a closed primary
The purpose of a discharge petition is to pressure:
a committee to send a bill to the full House or Senate
Which of the following best describes the attitude of most of the founders toward the development of political parties?
The founders believed that political parties are divisive, and they hoped that they would not form in the new nation
Which of the following statements accurately depicts the usual relationship between the president and the cabinet?
The full cabinet rarely meets since not all issues involve all cabinet departments.
Which one of the following is a provision contained in the Constitution?
The justices of the Supreme Court serve life terms.
Which of the following statements about Congress is true?
The legislative process is frequently lengthy, decentralized, and characterized by compromise and bargaining.
Which of the following is the most potent weapon a president may use to gain support in Congress for his programs?
a direct persuasive appeal to the public, using mass media
Most litigation considered in the federal court system begins in
a district court
An example of the "revolving door" is
a government official leaving his or her position for a job with a business or an interest group
American national parties can best be described as:
a loose aggregation of local and state parties
A filibuster occurs when
a majority the Senate supports a bill, but the majority is not large enough to produce the 60 votes needed to end debate
Which of the following is part of the process that leads to the hiring of most officials in the national government?
a merit-based written examination administered by the Office of Personnel Management
An election involving more than two candidates in which the person who receives the most votes is the winner is called
a plurality election
The courts have ruled all of the following to be invasions of the right to privacy EXCEPT:
a public school teacher/administrator searching a student's locker provided there is reasonable suspicion of possession of an illegal substance/object
What is an open seat in a congressional election?
a seat for which there is no incumbent running
The president may exercise authority over the executive branch agencies in all of the following ways EXCEPT:
appointing federal court justices to investigate alleged wrongdoing of an agency
major criticism of independent regulatory agencies is that
commissioners often come from the very industries they are supposed to regulate.
The concept of "limited government," which was an important principle incorporated into the Constitution, was
borrowed from England, where as early as the thirteenth century, demands were made that the king should consult with others before making major decisions.
The famous Gibbons v. Ogden case established the precedent of
broad interpretation of interstate commerce
Which of the following is an example of fiscal federalism?
building new mass transit systems in urban areas
In which way are interest groups most likely to influence decisions of the Supreme Court?
by filing amicus curiae briefs supporting one side of a case that the Court is considering
Which of the following is the LEAST likely to be a chief advisor to the president on economic policy?
chairman of the Senate Finance Committee
In the Brown v. Board of Education decision, the court did not limit its decision to Linda Brown's right to attend an unsegregated school, but extended it to cover all "others similarly situated." This type case is known as a(n):
class action suit
The type of interest group that is least likely to give money to Democratic candidates is
corporations
The number of representatives from New York, Ohio, and Michigan has been reduced because of
greater proportionate gains in population by other states
The "criss-crossing interest problem" is particularly characteristic of
groups with large mass membership constituencies
The importance of Shays' Rebellion to the development of the United States Constitution was that it
indicated that a strong, constitutionally designed national government was needed to protect property and maintain order
All of the following have contributed to an increase in presidential power in the post-1945 era EXCEPT
legislation granting the President the power to impound funds appropriated by Congress
Since the presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, the press conference has been used
less and less frequently
The third party that wants to turn almost all government services over to the private sector is
libertarian
Which of the following basic American values set forth in the Declaration of Independence are MOST OFTEN in conflict?
liberty vs. equality
The most significant power of the Rules Committee of the House of Representatives are
limitation of debate time on a bill and determination of amendments allowed
Interest groups and political parties both promote United States democracy by
linking citizens to the political process
All of the following were weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation EXCEPT
national court system ruled on the constitutionality of laws
The relationship between Congress and the president was designed by the framers to be
naturally antagonistic, since both branches serve different constituencies
Who is primarily responsible for the bureaucracy?
no single source of responsibility
. According to the Court's ruling in Gregg v. Georgia, the death penalty is:
not cruel and unusual punishment, and may be allowed
The reserved powers of the state governments can best be described as those powers
not specifically granted to the national government or denied to the states
The term "the imperial presidency" refers to the
power of the presidency during the early 1970s, which was the high point of a gradual increase of power since the 1930s
Cabinet members seldom have a dominant influence on presidential decision- making because
presidential goals often conflict with the institutional goals of individual cabinet- level agencies
The voter registration process is controlled
primarily by state and local governments, although the federal government has regulated it
Persons may be restrained from assembling in
private corporation buildings
In the late 1880s and early 1900s the Supreme Court most often interpreted the 14th amendment to:
protect private property and corporations from unreasonable state action
Lobbyists are most useful to members of Congress in providing the service of:
providing specialized information
he theorist referred to in #51 believed that government should
put almost no restrictions on the economy
The Supreme Court has heard a case concerning North Carolina's 12th District and the issue of
racial gerrymandering
The primary purpose of the modem political party convention is to:
ratify decisions already made by voters in primary elections and local caucuses
Which one of the following is an action that does NOT involve participation in the political process?
reading about politics in the newspaper
The role of a conference committee in Congress is to
reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate
The congressional power that has been contested most frequently in the federal courts is the power to
regulate interstate commerce
According to the Supreme Court's interpretation of the establishment clause, public schools may allow:
religious clubs to meet on school grounds
The equal protection clause has been Interpreted to do all of the following EXCEPT:
require draft boards to draft men and women for front line military duty
Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade are similar Supreme Court cases in that both cases are based on the
right of privacy
The Hatch Act, controlling the political activities of federal employees, permits bureaucrats to participate in all of the following activities EXCEPT:
run for office in a partisan campaign
Which of the following actions of the president has no basis in the Constitution?
serving as leader of his political party
Most studies show that the largest percentage of Americans would categorize their political ideology as
slightly conservative
Which of the following is typically the largest part of a Congressional campaign budget?
television and radio advertising
A federal system of government differs from a confederation in that in a federal system:
the central government shares governing powers with constituent states
The "wall of separation" theory refers to
the principle that religious beliefs and practices should be prohibited in public schools
Which of the statements below best describes reapportionment
the reallocation of seats in the House of Representatives to the states based on a new census
The final, and usually most important, event of the party conventions held before a presidential election is
the speech by the presidential nominee
he boundaries of United States congressional districts are usually determined by
the state legislatures
Which of the following is an example of the use of a power exclusive to the U.S. Senate?
the trial of President Andrew Johnson after his impeachment
For Madison, in the Federalist #10, "the most common and durable source of factions has been..."
the unequal distribution of property
Today if a president becomes ill and cannot fulfill his duties, who determines whether the vice president becomes acting president?
the vice president and the cabinet, but if the president disagrees, Congress decides the issue
Party unity in each house of Congress is maintained by
the whip system.
The main reason why the popular vote and the electoral vote for president may be very different is
the winner-take-all system most states use in selecting electors
Thepresident can influence legislation under consideration by Congress by all of the following actions EXCEPT
threatening to issue an executive order that would prohibit enforcement of the legislation if it is passed
21. The main function of the president's cabinet is
to provide advice to the president
All of the following are powers granted to Congress in the Constitution EXCEPT:
to recognize foreign governments
Critical elections in the United States typically have occurred
when groups of voters have changed their traditional patterns of party loyalties
Which of the following is NOT a factor the president generally takes into account in nominating a person for Supreme Court justice?
whether the person has held elective office
"To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof" Which famous policymaker in early American history is most closely associated with the effort to stretch the meaning of the clause?
Alexander Hamilton
. All of the following were sources for the U.S. Constitution EXCEPT
Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America
All of the following are rights guaranteed to non- citizens (aliens) EXCEPT:
Aliens may vote and run for office.
All of the following are characteristic of the U.S. government bureaucracy EXCEPT:
All U.S. government agencies are part of the fifteen cabinet departments.
. In which of the following did Congress move to regain powers previously lost to the executive branch?
Budget and Impoundment Control Act
The dates for national elections for the president/vice president and for members of Congress are set by
Congress
Which one of the following does NOT describe a reason why Congress generally fails to perform the function of national leader as the Constitutional Convention intended?
Congress has little actual power.
All of the following are Congressional checks on the judiciary EXCEPT:
Congress may limit the terms of office of federal judges and justices
What role does Congress play in amending the Constitution?
Congress submits amendments to the states for their approval
The War Powers Resolution (1973) was an effort by
Congress to check the power of the president
Assume that an opinion poll conducted in a 1998 congressional race found that on election eve, 54% of the voters supported Congressman Smith and 44% supported Challenger Jones. Also assume that the poll had a +/- 3% margin of error. What would the pollster be able to safely predict?
Congressman Smith would defeat Challenger Jones
The dispute over representation in the national legislature was eventually settled by a proposal from the state of
Connecticut
Registered voters directly elect which of the following? I. The President and Vice President II. Supreme Court justices III. Members of the Senate IV. Members of the House of Representatives
D. III and IV only
Ambassadors to other countries are part of which department in the executive branch?
Department of State
Which of the following is an example of checks and balances, as established by the Constitution?
The requirement that presidential appointments to the Supreme Court be approved by the Senate
Most of the individual protections of the Bill of Rights now apply to the states because of the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Constitution's
Fourteenth Amendment
Which of the following statements most clearly reflects liberal political opinion?
Funding for programs to help the poor should be increased.
hich one of the following statements does NOT help explain why incumbents in the House of Representatives usually get reelected?
Incumbents almost always reflect the views of their constituents better than challengers.
Which of the following Supreme Court decisions overruled a previous decision of the court?
Brown v. Topeka
The Pendleton Act established
(B) the civil service system for federal jobs.
The Supreme Court has interpreted which of the following to extend to a right to privacy? I. Bill of Rights II. TenthAmendment III. Fourteenth Amendment
) I and III only
. Congress's purpose in passing the line-item veto was to
) enable the president to veto specific spending items in appropriations bills only
Which of the following is articulated in the War Powers Resolution?
. The President must bring troops home from hostilities within 60 to 90 days unless Congress extends the time.
Which of the following is the most accurate statement about political parties in the United States?
. The percentage of voters identifying them-selves as either Democrats or Republicans has been declining since the 1970's.
About what percentage of the American population may be considered to be complete political activists, participating in all forms of political behavior?
1
The 26th amendment passed in 1971 allowed which group of people to vote?
18-21 year olds
. A corporate lobbyist would be LEAST likely to have an informal discussion about a pending policy matter with which of the following?
A federal judge in whose court a case important to the corporation is being heard
All of the following statements are accurate descriptions of PACs EXCEPT:
A substantial number of PACs contribute to both Democrats and Republicans running for the same seat.
The theorist that believed that economies operate best under the "invisible hand" of competition was
Adam Smith
. Which of the following generalizations about group voting tendencies is true?
African American Democrats tend to support the more liberal candidates within their party.
Which of the following groups is most likely to vote for the Democratic candidates for president?
African Americans
Which of the following is a government corporation?
Amtrak
Which of the following is MOST likely to appear on a historian's list of "great" presidents?
Andrew Jackson
Until the Constitution was ratified, the document that established and defined the government of the United States was the
Articles of Confederation
Which of the following court cases is paired INCORRECTLY with a right that it addresses?
Brandenburg v. Ohio; immunity from double jeopardy
The prohibition of "separate but equal" schools was established with:
Brown v. Topeka
The 1833 Supreme Court decision holding that the Bill of Rights restrained only the national government, and not the states and cities, was:
Barron v. Baltimore
. "There's not a dime's worth of difference between the parties." - George Wallace Despite Wallace's famous statement in 1968, which two modern presidential candidates represent the BEST evidence of the ideological difference between Democrats and Republicans?
Barry Goldwater and George McGovern
Which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the table above?
Between 1960 and 2010, defense spending decreased from over half of total federal spending to less than one-fifth
Forty-three percent of respondents say that they approve of George W. Bush's performance as president, and the sampling error is 3%. We can predict accurately that
Between 40% and 46% of the voters approve of Bush's performance
Which of the following statements best summarizes the data shown in the line graph above?
Both federal civil and criminal cases have increased dramatically since 1970, with the
All of the following are accurate descriptions of the cabinet EXCEPT:
Cabinet government as practiced in the U.S. is similar to cabinet government in parliamentary systems.
Which of the following has the biggest impact on short-term voting behavior?
Candidates and issues
Which is a reason the power of the two major parties is in decline in the United States?
Candidates now raise most of their campaign funds themselves and do not heavily rely on funds from their party
All of the following positions within the Department of Defense must be filled by civilians EXCEPT:
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Discrimination in public accommodations was made illegal in the United States as a direct result of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Federal Government has the exclusive power to regulate all of the following EXCEPT:
Levy taxes, set traffic standards, and punish lawbreakers
All of the following characterize political tolerance in America EXCEPT:
Liberals are more tolerant than are conservatives
All of the following may be called "linkage institutions" EXCEPT:
Courts of Appeals
Which group is least likely to vote for Democrats?
Cuban Americans
A fundamental source of power for the federal bureaucracy lies in its
E. ability to set specific guidelines after receiving a general mandate from Congress
Which of the following affects the political socialization of American voters as they age?
Economic issues
All of the following are characteristics of congressional elections EXCEPT:
Elections in the House of Representatives are more competitive than are presidential elections
Which of the following form an "iron triangle"?
Executive department, Congressional committee, interest group
The main agency for making monetary policy intended to be formally beyond the control of the president and Congress is the
Federal Reserve System
Which of the following is NOT a step in the process of passing the annual federal budget?
Federal agencies submit their budget requests directly to Congress.
All of the following statements reflect strengths of a federalist structure of government EXCEPT:
Federalism is more efficient than either the unitary or confederal forms of government
Which of the following presidents previously served as vice-president?
George Bush
In which landmark Supreme Court decision was the right to an attorney extended to require the government to provide lawyers for indigent defendants in state courts?
Gideon v. Wainwright
The data displayed in the table above best support which of the following statements?
House seats are safer from election turnover than are Senate seats.
The advantages of incumbency in congressional elections include which of the following? I. Incumbents receive more campaign contributions than do challengers. II. Incumbents are able to provide important services for individual voters. III. The government provides campaign funds for incumbents. IV. The President usually endorses incumbents for reelection. V. Most American voters believe Congress does a good job.
I and II only
Which powers of the presidency are specifically mentioned in the Constitution? I. commander of the armed services II. pardons for individuals accused of offenses against the U.S. III. with the advice and consent of the Senate, making of treaties and appointments IV. initiation of legislation
I, II and III only
Which of the following are included in the Miranda rights? I. Suspects must be told that they have a constitutional right to remain silent and may stop answering questions at any time. II. Suspects must be warned that what they say can be used against them in a court of law. III. Suspects must be told that they have a right to have a lawyer present during question.
I, II, and III
Which of the following forms of discrimination against prospective voters have been declared illegal by the federal government? I. the white primary II. the poll tax in state and local elections III. literacy tests
I, II, and III
Which of the following represent significant differences between the powers and/or procedures of the House and the Senate? I. The Senate allows a filibuster, the House does not II. The Senate may add nongermane amendments to a bill; the House may restrict adding nongermane amendments III. The House has a committee of the Whole; the Senate does not.
I, II, and III
Under the Constitution which of the following government officials can be impeached? I. the president and vice president II. SupremeCourtjustices III. judges of inferior federal courts IV. heads of regulatory agencies V. cabinet secretaries
I, II, and III only
Which of the following actions can Congress take if it is unhappy with the actions of a federal agency? I. Hold congressional hearings to investigate the actions of the agency II. Restrict or eliminate the agency's funding III. Pass a new law restricting the operations of the agency IV. Issue an executive order requiring the agency to take certain actions
I, II, and III only
Which of the following statements correctly describe(s) the data shown in the line graph? I. During the time period shown, the electoral vote of the winning candidate has fluctuated markedly above and below the popular vote the candidate obtained. II. Winning candidates have sometimes gotten less than half of the popular vote and still obtained a majority of the electoral vote. III. In three elections since 1968, the winning candidate has gotten more than 90 percent of the electoral vote.
II and III only
Which of the following statements are (is) supported by the data in the table above? I. The size of the federal government in terms of number of federal employees continues to grow. II. The size of the federal government in terms of number of employees declined between 1970 and 2008. III. The number of federal government employees has declined each year since 1990. IV. Federalgovernmentworkersin2008comprised less than half the share of the U.S. labor force that they did in 1970. (A) I only
II and IV only
Which of the following give(s) a reason why the power of the federal government has grown relative to state governments? I. the devolution of power II. the conditional funding the federal government can provide to state governments III. the growth of interstate commerce IV. the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution
II, III, and IV only
Which of the following voter qualifications is (are) required of all voters in the U.S.? I. ability to read and write II. property ownership III. legal residence in a voting district IV. basic knowledge of U.S. government
III only
Which one of the following statements is best supported by the data in the table above?
In 2009, nearly half of all federal grants to state and local governments were in the category of health.
Which of the following is a significant trend in the presidential nominating process over the past three decades?
Increasing importance of presidential primaries rather than state conventio
Which of the following interest groups bases its philosophy on the protection of 2nd amendment rights?
National Rifle Association
European political parties for farmers, labor, or environment concerns most often take the form in the U.S. of:
Interest groups
Which of the following is a clause of the Constitution that gives the federal government broad powers in many policy areas?
Interstate Commerce Clause
All of the following topics are directly addressed in Article III of the Constitution EXCEPT:
Judicial Review
What is the major cause for nonvoting?
Lack of interest
Statistics reflect all of the following patterns of voter behavior EXCEPT
Latino men are more likely to vote than African Americans
All of the following are explanations for why individuals with lower socio-economic status do not vote EXCEPT
Lower status individuals are less likely to be able to pass the literacy test than are wealthier, better educated voters
All of the following are examples of the interdependence of government and the economy EXCEPT
Medicare.
All of the following are characteristic of the backgrounds of federal district and appeals court judges EXCEPT:
Most come from important positions in Congress or the bureaucrac
The Supreme Court uses which of the following standards in judging sex discrimination cases?
Reasonableness
Which of the following court decisions were based on the right to privacy?
Roe v. Wade
Which of the following is an independent federal regulatory agency?
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Which rationale did the Supreme Court use to explain their decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954?
Segregated education has a detrimental effect upon black children by generating in them a feeling of inferiority
The request of recent Presidents for the line-item veto is a challenge to which of the following principles?
Separation of powers
The provisions for presidential succession in the twenty-fifth amendment have been used twice:
Spiro Agnew's resignation as part of a plea bargain, and the forced resignation of Nixon
Which of the following is an accurate statement about committees in Congress?
Standing committees oversee the bureaucracy's implementation of legislation.
1. In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court established which of the following principles?
States cannot interfere with or tax the legitimate activities of the federal government.
Which of the following statements accurately describes controls on voting requirements and elections in the U.S.?
States have gradually but steadily lost many of the controls over elections and voting.
A newly elected Democratic senator would MOST LIKELY be concerned about the decisions of the
Steering Committee
Today most public opinion polls are done by:
Telephone with samples selected through random digit dialing
After a bill is introduced in the House of Representatives, what is the next step in the legislative process?
The bill is referred to a committee.
Which of the following statements is NOT supported by the data in the table above?
The percentage of federal jobs held by women increased between 1982 and 2002.
All of the following are demographic characteristics of North Carolina's 12th District EXCEPT:
The population of the district is over one million
Which one of the following statements best describes the prevailing view of the power of the president today?
The president can take whatever action he feels appropriate to advance his policy goals as long as he doesn't break the law or violate the Constitution.
According to the term limits imposed by the Constitution
The president cannot be elected to the office of the president more than twice
A member of which of the following demographic groups would be least likely to support a Democratic candidate for president?
Upper income
Which of the following excerpts from the Constitution is most directly related to the Supreme Court decision McCulloch v. Maryland?
To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers.
Which of the following actions can Congress take if the Supreme Court finds a federal law unconstitutional?
Try to amend the Constitution.
When 18 to 21 year olds received the right to vote in 1971, in the 1972 national elections they did which of the following?
Turned out at a lower rate than the rest of the electorate.
All of the following are reasons why voter turnout in the U.S. is lower than in other democracies EXCEPT:
United States citizens have a lower sense of political efficacy than do citizens of other democracies
Research on nonvoting indicates all of the following EXCEPT:
Voting frequency is strongly related to gender
Which of the following is NOT a common problem in conducting an accurate political opinion poll?
When people talk to pollsters, they tend to underestimate the amount of their political participation.
The president's "State of the Union" message is:
a Constitutional requirement
Which of the following electoral processes is most important in selecting a party's presidential nominee?
a series of presidential primaries held in various states
Under the 22nd Amendment, which of the following would be ineligible to run for president?
a sitting president running for a third full term
The grand finale of the modern party convention is always the:
acceptance speech by the presidential nominee
In U. S. history, third parties often have been effective vehicles for change when they:
addressed issues and suggested remedies that were being ignored by the major parties
A common characteristic of most third parties in American history is that they
advance ideas that are out of the mainstream
Preferential hiring practices, intended to give opportunities to minorities who have suffered previous job discriminations, are known collectively as
affirmative action
Television coverage is:
allowed in both houses
Which problem of an American president would almost certainly NOT be a problem for the British prime minister?
an impasse with the legislature concerning a policy
What is grassroots lobbying?
an interest group encouraging and organizing its members to contact their representatives in Congress in support of the interest group's policy goals
One of the formal tools used by Congress for oversight of the bureaucracy is
authorization of spending
The primary qualification needed to gain a top- level position in a presidential administration is to
be a political supporter of the president.
In the case of U.S. v. Leon, the Burger Court ruled that the exclusionary rule
could be excepted if information was seized
Which issue was addressed by the Court's decision in Reno v. ACLU in 1997?
cyber-liberties
9. The largest amount of political coverage in newspapers during presidential campaigns is devoted to
day-to-day campaign activities
Gideon v. Wainwright guaranteed the right of individuals to
defense counsel in a criminal case
12. A President attempting to influence Congress to pass a legislative program might employ all of the following strategies EXCEPT
denying campaign reelection funds to legislators who oppose the President's policy stand
In a federal system of government, political power is primarily
divided between the central government and regional governments
Which one of the following statements does NOT correctly describe administrative law?
dministrative law does not have the full force of law that statutory law has
The doctrine which allows state and federal authorities to prosecute the same person for the same conduct is known as
dual sovereignty
Since 1965, minority group members have been deprived of political representation proportionate to their numbers in the general population primarily because of the wide use of
election rules requiring a clear majority to win
All of the following types of votes are used in both the House and the Senate EXCEPT:
electronic
Cloture is a technique used in the Senate to:
end a filibuster
Which of the following lobbying techniques is LEAST commonly used by interest groups?
entering into coalitions with other organizations
Which of the following types of powers are specifically granted to the national government by the Constitution?
expressed
The most important influence in an individual's political socialization is his or her:
family
In U.S. history, impeachment trials have most frequently been held for
federal judges
Diversity of public policy throughout the United States is primarily a consequence of
federalism
All of the following powers are granted to the President by the Constitution EXCEPT
forming new cabinet-level departments
The power to make and approve treaties is vested in
the president, with a 2/3 ratification by the senate
Federal judges and justices can be removed from office only by
impeachment`
A representative is most likely to spend the largest part of a typical work day:
in committee meetings
In a congressional race, the news media are LEAST likely to focus on
in-depth reporting on the issues on which the candidates disagree
Decisions reached by the Supreme Court under the leadership of Chief Justice Earl Warren (1953- 1969) did all of the following EXCEPT
invalidate state abortion statutes
De jure segregation
is prohibited by judicial interpretation
In Miller v. California, obscenity is defines as a work that
is sexually explicit and lacks serious political, artistic, or scientific value diversity.
Which of the following statements is NOT true of the Supreme Court's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?
it held that state governments could pass a law negating a federal law within their boundaries if. they believed the federal law was unconstitutional.
According to the 25th Amendment, when the office of vice president is vacated,
it is filled by the president's appointment, with both houses of Congress approving the nomination
The most important source of the Supreme Court's caseload is
its appellate jurisdiction
"But the ultimate question must be, what do the words of the text mean in our time? For the genius of the Constitution rests not in any static meaning it might have in a world that is dead and gone, but in the adaptability of its great principles to cope with current problems and current needs." Justice William Brennan The above passage reflects the philosophy of
judicial activism
An act of the legislature repugnant to the Constitution is void . . . it is emphatically the province of the judicial department to say what the law is." John Marshall, 1803 The above quote from the majority opinion of Marbury v. Madison establishes which important power of the court?
judicial review
The chief weapon that the federal courts have within the government's system of checks and balances is the power of:
judicial review
Supreme Court justices were given tenure subject to good behavior by the framers of the Constitution in order to ensure that
justices are free from direct political pressures
The phrase "political machines" describes
local party organizations that controlled government and politics during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
The practice of one member of Congress supporting another member's pet project in return for support for his or her own project is known as
logrolling
The most important leadership position in the Senate is the
majority leader
The primary purpose of the Motor-Voter Bill of 1993 was to
make voter registration easier, thus encouraging people to vote
Recent vice presidents have assumed all of the following government roles EXCEPT:
making routine policy decisions for the president
Civil servants in the U.S. answer to
many institutions, including agency heads, the president, and Congress
A bill debated under "closed rules"
may be considered with strict time limits and no amendments allowed from the floor
To influence the Judicial Branch of the U.S. government, an interest group can do all of the following EXCEPT
meet privately with a federal judge regarding a case
In the 1992 election, the membership of Congress was altered significantly by an increase in the number of
minorities and women
"Soft money" in an election campaign is
money raised by state and local party organizations for activities related to building the party but not to electing a particular
All of the following statistics accurately reflect characteristics of federal civilian employees EXCEPT:
more than 50% have a college education.
n comparison to candidates to the House of Representatives, senatorial candidates usually spend
much more
The nation's policy agenda is set by
the president.
How many U.S. presidents have served more than two terms?
one
Which of the following is NOT a check on the power of the president that the Constitution gives Congress?
ongress can reject the president's selections of people to fill key positions in the Executive Office of the Presid
The most important influence in determining a person's political party identification is the person's
parents
To the victor goes the spoils." The phrase above best describes a system of hiring people for government jobs based on
patronage
Which one of the following groups is MOST likely to participate in an election?
people with college degrees
Congressional standing committees are best described as
permanent subject-matter committees
The overwhelming majority of the bills introduced in both houses of Congress are
pigeonholed (killed) in committee
The concept that the American political process is dominated by the struggle of multiple interest groups each trying to advance its own political goals can best be described as
pluralism
"Now I should like to know that Judge Holmes was in entire sympathy with our views, that is with your views and mine. I should hold myself guilty of an irreparable wrong to the nation if I should appoint any man who was not absolutely sane and sound on the great national policies for which we stand in public life." - Theodore Roosevelt to Senator Henry Cabot Lodge The above passage indicates that an important criterion in Theodore Roosevelt's selection of a nominee for the Supreme Court was:
political ideology
The process through which an individual acquires his/her particular political views, knowledge, and evaluations is called
political socialization
32. Political socialization is the process by which
political values are passed to the next generation
The doctrine of nullification expressed by Madison, Calhoun, and Jefferson supports:
states rights
The "Elastic Clause" of the Constitution
states that the national government's powers include implied powers not specifically listed in the constitution
The policy of judicial restraint may also be referred to as:
strict constructionism
"To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof" The above clause from Article One of the Constitution is the basis for establishing which important principle of American government?
supremacy of the national government
People accused of "Flag Desecration" have been protected somewhat under which right
symbolic speech
Which of the following was established in the election of 1960 as an important tradition for presidential campaigns?
televised presidential debates
In the Constitution, the concept of equal protection of the law is referred to in
the 14th amendment
All of the following executive branch employees may be removed from office at any time, according to the president's wishes, EXCEPT:
the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board
All of the following serve at the pleasure of the president and can be dismissed at any time EXCEPT
the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board
The Supreme Court's power of judicial review was established by
the Court's decision in Marbury v. Madison
The Supreme Court's decision in Texas v. Johnson, which overturned a state law against flag-burning, was based on
the First Amendment right of freedom of speech
The committee system is more important in the House than in the Senate because
the House is so large that more work can be accomplished in committees than on the floor
.The length of time a bill will be debated in the House of Representatives is determined by
the Rules Committee
All of the following are hurdles a bill must pass in BOTH houses before it becomes a law EXCEPT:
the Rules Committee
"The Rule of Four" refers to the practice of
the Supreme Court accepting a case if four of the justices so desire
Which of the following is a federal legislative court?
the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces
Which of the following Supreme Courts of the past was most clearly liberal and activist in their decisions?
the Warren Court during the 1950s and 60s
The chief accomplishment of the Anti-Federalists in the debate over the Constitution was the
the addition of the Bill of Rights to the constitution
Which of the following is a value of American political culture?
the belief in limited government
One of William Paterson's major objectives in proposing the New Jersey Plan at the Constitutional Convention was to prevent
the big states from controlling the central government
ince the 1950s, the major business of Congress has centered on
the budget process.
Of the following types of government regulation, the most intrusive type is
the government setting goals for industry to meet
The most common criticism of the exit poll is that
the information is used to predict a winner in the presidential race may be incomplete or inaccurate
4. Which of the following is a key concept of federalism?
the line between national and state powers if often unclear and flexible
In both houses of Congress, a committee chairman is traditionally:
the majority member of the committee with the longest continuous service on the committee
While the practice of separate schools for black and white students was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education (1954), segregation in restaurants, stores, hotels, and other public accommodations remained legal until
the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
What is eminent domain?
the power of government to take private property for public use
The House of Representatives and the Senate are most similar to each other in
the power standing committees have in the legislative process
Which of the following is a concurrent power in the American system of federalism?
the power to levy taxes
The chief justice of the Supreme Court is appointed by:
the president, with Senate confirmation, and the choice may be either an associate justice or someone outside the court
46. What is the purpose of congressional earmarks?
to require the government to spend money on a specific project
An important difference between political parties and interest groups is that interest groups usually do NOT:
try to place their members in public office
. The "Miranda warning" represents an attempt to protect criminal suspects against
unfair police interrogation
In Webster v. Reproductive Health Services, Missouri's law prohibiting the use of state money to fund abortions was
upheld by the Supreme Court, but the basic right to an abortion was not overturned
In U. S. v. Nixon, the tradition of executive privilege was
upheld, but restricted during criminal investigation
Presidents have had the most success in changing the direction of decisions of the federal judiciary by
using the appointment process to select judges with judicial philosophies similar to those of the President
Most incumbents in Congress win reelection for all of the following reasons EXCEPT
voters feel more comfortable with the kind of continuity in policy that incumbents
According to the classic Verba and Nie study on American political participation, in which of the following kinds of political activities are Americans most likely to participate?
voting in presidential elections
All of the following are powers of the Speaker of the House of Representatives EXCEPT:
voting only when there is a tie vote
The core function of political parties is to
win elections
