Midterm: Introduction to Government
Give the dollar amount of the projected budget deficit or surplus for fiscal year 2020. Be sure to indicate whether the amount is a deficit or surplus
$1.1 trillion deficit
Identify the estimated GDP of the United States in fiscal year 2020 and give the dollar amount.
$22.4 trillion
Give the amount of the gross federal debt projected for fiscal year 2020. This figure represents the total national debt held by the federal government.
$24.1 trillion
Give the amount of total receipts (income) projected to be received by the federal government in fiscal year 2020
$3.6 trillion
Give the total dollar amount of outlays (expenditures) budgeted for fiscal year 2020
$4.7 trillion
Give the amount of the total (net) interest expense that is budgeted to be paid on the national debt in fiscal year 2020
$479 billion
The "Reserved Powers" clause refers to the
10th Amendment
The state of Florida currently has _______ U.S. Senators
2
Members of the House of Representatives serve _______ terms of office.
2-year
A U.S. senator who was elected in 2014 will be up for re-election in
2020
A U.S. senator elected in 2018 will be up for re-election in
2024
The total number of votes that are cast in the Electoral College is __________.
538
Explain what the term fiscal year means, why it is used, and how it differs from a calendar year in terms of financial recordkeeping.
A fiscal year is a 12-month period over which businesses and organizations budget their spending and report their financial status. A fiscal year does not always coincide with the calendar year. It can be any 12-month period. Not using the actual calendar year allows many organizations to do their financial planning and reporting at a time that is most convenient for them based on the seasonality of their business or organizational activity.
A member of Congress who introduces a bill is called
A sponser
The function of a subcommittee can be best described as
An area of further specialization within the committee structure
Match each of the articles of the Constitution identified below to the corresponding functions of government they define. You must get all three selections correct in order to earn any points for the question.
Article I B. Establishes the legislative branch Article II C. Establishes the executive branch Article III A. Establishes the judicial branch
As a check against the substantial power of the president to kill a bill by vetoing it, the constitution gives Congress the ability to override a presidential veto and have a bill become law over the objection of the president by
Congress voting in favor of it by a two-thirds majority
Who tends to be suspicious of government power, believing more government action and more government programs generally lead to increased waste and inefficiency?
Conservatives
Who tends to believe in keeping taxes low, even on rich corporations and wealthy citizens, believing low taxes are needed in order to encourage private sector investment and to spur economic growth?
Conservatives
A person who lives in an area represented by an elected member of government is called that member's
Constituent
Which of the tactics listed below are used by interest groups to influence government?
Contacting government officials directly to present their views Inspiring letter-writing campaigns Making financial contributions to election campaigns
identify the top four sources of federal government receipts (revenue) in 2020 and their associated dollar amounts. Select the correct top four sources and their associated amounts from the list below. You can make four selections. It does not matter in which order you make the selections. You must get all four selections correct in order to get any points for this question.
Corporation income taxes = $255 billion Social Security payroll taxes = $949 billion Medicare payroll taxes = $289 billion Individual income taxes = $1.8 trillion
All of the following are examples of matters of public concern that might be addressed by public policy EXCEPT
Deciding the price that buyers should pay for iPhones
identify the four federal agencies or programs that will receive the most "discretionary" funds in the fiscal year 2020 federal budget. Identify each agency or program along with the dollar amount that is budgeted for 2020
Defense = $718.3 billion Veterans Affairs = $93.1 billion Education = $62.0 billion Health & Human Services = $89.6 billion
The chairperson of every committee in the current House of Representatives is a
Democrat
In U.S. politics, liberals are usually associated with the _________ party, while conservatives are usually associated with the _________ party.
Democratic; Republican
Each seat in the House of Representatives represents a single ________ within a state.
District
A government that is an oligarchy can also accurately be described as a representative democracy.
False
Article I of the constitution creates the executive branch headed by the president.
False
If a candidate in an election receives a plurality of the popular vote, it means they received over 50% of the total votes cast.
False
Interest groups are similar to political parties in that they work to get their members elected to government offices.
False
Lobbyists are among the most powerful members of a political party.
False
One of the most important functions of a constitution is to guarantee economic equality to all of its citizens.
False
President Barack Obama after leaving office is now considered the incumbent president.
False
President Trump is currently considered a "lame duck" president.
False
Republicans are also known as Progressives.
False
Standing committees in Congress are temporary, set up only for special purposes.
False
The U.S. form of government established by the Constitution is a pure democracy just like the democracy begun in Ancient Greece.
False
The first stage of the required two-stage process to amend the constitution is for the proposed change to be ratified by three-quarters of the states.
False
The main purpose of private sector activity is for the benefit of the public good.
False
The most powerful person in the U.S. Senate is the Speaker.
False
Identify the three basic principles of the Constitution.
Federalism Separation of powers A system of checks and balances
Explain what GDP stands for and how it is a measure of a nation's economic activity. Briefly describe how the GDP of a country is determined. Don't give me the mathematical formula. I'm just looking for a summary explanation.
GDP stands for Gross Domestic Product and refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced in a country in a given period. It is used to measure the size of nation's economy and when compared with the GDP of other nations can be used as a measure of a country's standard of living.
The length of time a bill can be debated on the floor is limited in the ________, but unlimited in the _________.
House, Senate
Related to question #7 about government receipts, identify which source of federal revenue represents the largest portion of federal budget receipts in fiscal year 2020 and calculate the percentage that it represents of the overall total amount of receipts. Choose the correct answer from the answer choices below
Individual income taxes, 50%
A political party's general values and policy objectives are communicated through
Its party platform
The current Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives is
Kevin McCarthy
Who tends to support a more secular role for government, believing individual religious values should not determine government policy?
Liberals
The most powerful leadership position in the U.S. Senate is the __________, and that position is currently held by ___________.
Majority Leader; Mitch McConnell
The process of changing or revising a bill in congressional committees is called
Mark up
Congress's enumerated powers consist of all of the following EXCEPT
Pardon those convicted of federal crimes
The U.S. Vice President is given a unique role in Congress by the Constitution, because the holder of that office also serves as the official
Presiding Officer of the U.S. Senate
Political parties organize ___________ elections to determine who will represent their party in the general election.
Primary
Businesses operating in the free market economy seeking to earn profits, and anyone who works for those businesses, are part of the
Private Sector
An intentional course of action followed by government in dealing with some problem or matter of public concern refers to which of the following?
Public Policy
In the second stage of the process to amend the constitution, the 50 states vote on whether to __________ the proposed change.
Ratify
If there is a 50-50 tie vote in the Senate on a bill in the current Congress, which party is ultimately going to prevail?
Rebuplican
Match each of the types of elections below to its appropriate description.
Referendum C. Legislative body submits a proposed law to voters for approval Recall A. Voters determine whether incumbent can remain in office Initiative B. Citizens propose that a law be passed and submit it to voters for approval
Republic
Representative democracy
identify both of Florida's U.S. Senators and their parties from the list below.
Republican Rick Scott Republican Marco Rubio
Which of the following statements is correct?
Rule of law means all individuals and institutions of a society are subject to the laws of the country regardless of their power or status
Identify the largest "mandatory" federal expenditure budgeted for fiscal year 2020 and its budgeted dollar amount.
Social Security, $1.1 trillion
The most powerful position in the U.S. House of Representatives is the _______, and that position is currently held by _________.
Speaker, Nancy Pelosi
The "Enumerated Powers" of Article I of the constitution
Specify the lawmaking power of the congress
Match each of the committee types below to its associated function.
Standing Committee D. A committee to which bills are referred Joint Committee C. A committee comprised of Senate and House members Conference Committee B. A committee to reconcile differences between House and Senate bills Select Committee A. A committee set up for a one-time project or task
Bipartisanship means
That Republicans and Democrats are working together cooperatively
The new U.S. Constitution in 1787 created a nation with a federal system of government. Under the previous Articles of Confederation, the United States had been a confederation-style government, which means:
The national government was inferior in power to the states
The lower chamber of the U.S. Congress is also called
The peoples chamber
The 4th Amendment to the constitution deals with
The right of Americans to be protected against unreasonable searches of their private property or person
A public sector employee is anyone who works for the government.
True
A third party is any political party that is not the Republican party or Democratic party.
True
Business organizations that seek to make a profit are part of the private sector of the economy.
True
Each representative in the U.S. House of Representatives represents approximately the same number of people.
True
Ending a filibuster in the U.S. Senate really just means ending the debate of bill so a vote can take place.
True
If the United States was a unitary state instead of a federal state, there would be no division of power between the national government and the 50 state governments.
True
The Articles of Confederation, which established the form of U.S. government that existed before the current constitution was written in 1787, created a confederate state that made the national (federal) government supreme over the state governments.
True
The current federal minimum wage law that requires employers to pay most workers at least $7.25 per hour is an example of government intervention in the economy.
True
After the process of congressional apportionment every 10 years when states do their redistricting, each of the districts created within the states represents
a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives
The House of Representatives has [a] members, or seats, and the Senate has [b] members.
a: 435 b: 100
The number of votes required to successfully pass a motion to invoke cloture and cut off unlimited debate (ending a filibuster) in the Senate is [a]
a: 60
The term "socialism" refers to
an economy that is controlled and operated by the government for the benefit and "equality" of all of society
A lobbyist is someone who represents
an interest group
The number of representatives assigned to each of the 50 states in the House of Representatives is determined by a process called
apportionment
In a free market economic system, prices for goods and services are generally determined by
business competition and supply and demand factors
Another way to describe a free market economic system is
capitalism
in the Constitution's system of checks and balances, the judiciary can check the power of Congress by its authority to
declare a law passed as unconstitutional
A politician who makes statements, or uses rhetoric, that is intended to appeal to people's fears and emotions instead of their reason in order to gain their political support is called a
demagogue
There are 535 members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
false
A system of government in which power is divided between the national government and state governments, like in the current United States, is known as
federalism
A vote on a bill in the Senate can be prevented by a tactic known as a
filibuster
Purposely creating legislative or congressional districts so that one party has an electoral advantage over another is called
gerrymandering
A Senate filibuster
is the act of engaging in unlimited debate on a bill
A constitution is a document that establishes the structure, functions, and ________ of government.
limitations
The term "capital," as it relates to capitalism, refers to
money and other assets used to make financial investments for profit
Federal grant programs are programs that
provide federal financial assistance for specific purposes
Democracy
rules by the many
The purpose of primary elections is to
select candidates who will represent their party in the general election
People who belong to the same political party
share a similar ideology about the proper role of government
Democratic countries that blend socialist and free market economic policies to achieve greater economic security for all of their citizens are called
social democracies
If a committee of Congress conducts an investigation, it has the legal authority to force someone to appear before the committee and testify under sworn oath as a witness using its ________________, and if the person refuses they can be held in Contempt of Congress and potentially jailed.
subpoena power
A bipartisan bill is one that is
supported by members of both parties
The Constitution and the laws of the national government of the United States have ultimate authority over the states and their actions because of the _______ clause.
supremacy
In a presidential election, if no candidate wins a majority of the electoral votes in the Electoral College, then the election is decide by
the House of Representatives
In the current House of Representatives, the minority party is
the Republican Party
States have the authority to pass certain laws without interference from the federal government because of the powers given to them by
the Tenth Amendment and its reserve powers clause
Federal grant programs allow the national government to influence the actions of states in areas of authority reserved to the states, such as education, through
the allocation of federal funds
The most powerful person on a congressional committee is
the chairperson
The constituency of U.S. senators is
the entire population of a state
The stipulation in the First Amendment that prohibits the government from recognizing an official religion is known as
the establishment clause
The enumerated powers of Article I, section 8 describe the constitutional powers given to
the legislative branch
The 2nd Amendment deals with
the right of Americans to arm themselves
If two different versions of a bill get passed in the House and Senate, then the bills must go ___________ to work out the differences and establish a uniform version of the bill before it can go to the president for consideration.
to a conference committee
While the United States and few other countries have federal systems of government, most countries in the world have ________ systems.
unitary
The U.S. Senate is also known as the
upper house
In the Constitution's system of checks and balances, the president can check the power of Congress by
vetoing a law passed by Congress
Spending items in bills that are "earmarked" for special projects in the states or districts of certain members of Congress are referred to as "pork," which is disliked by many because these types of spending items are considered to be
wasteful government spending
if a state awards all of its electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins a plurality of the popular vote in that state, this method of electoral vote allocation is called
winner-take-all
The powers (authority) specifically given to Congress in Article I of the constitution are called the
Enumerated powers
in the process of how a bill becomes a law, the procedures followed by the House and Senate chambers are very similar, but one of the major differences is that when a bill moves out of committee to the floor to be considered by the entire chamber, in the House of Representatives the bill must first go to the
Rules committee
The winner of the presidential election is the candidate who receives at least _________ of the total electoral votes cast by the states in the Electoral College.
270
Florida has ________ votes in the Electoral College for president.
29
Congress is considered a bicameral body because it contains ______ chambers known as _________.
2; the House of Representatives and the Senate
Identify the three countries with the second, third, and fourth highest GDPs after the United States along with the correct amounts of their GDPs.
2nd is China at $14.2 trillion; 3rd is Japan at $5.2 trillion; 4th is Germany at $4.1 trillion
Calculate the percentage of the total budget outlay represented by the combined outlays of Social Security and Medicare for fiscal year 2020
38%
The part of the 14th Amendment that was used as the basis of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to legalize same-sex marriages nationwide was its guarantee of
equal protection of the laws
The main goal of an interest group is to
influence public policy
Which statement below best illustrates the principle of separation of powers?
one branch of government makes the laws, another branch implements and enforces the laws
During every 2-year congressional election cycle, _________ of U.S. senators are up for election.
one-third
In 48 of the 50 states, the presidential candidate who receives a _________ of the popular vote from the citizens of that state on the day of the general election is awarded _________ of that state's electoral votes in the Electoral College.
plurality; all
Which of the following is NOT a basic freedom stipulated in the First Amendment?
property
Amending the constitution is a two-stage process. The first stage is _______, and the second stage is ________.
proposal, ratification
The state of Florida currently has ____ seats in the U.S. House of Representatives representing each of the congressional districts in the state.
27
Designate the correct order of the steps below in the process of how a bill becomes a law, assigning #1 to the step that occurs FIRST in the process and #8 to the step that occurs LAST. All of the steps must be arranged in the exact order in which they occur.
1. The idea for a bill is proposed 2. The bill is introduced in a house of Congress 3. The bill is referred to a committee and subcommittee where hearings are held, the bill is marked up, and voted on 4. The bill is debated on the floor of the chamber 5. The full chamber votes on the bill 6. The bill is sent to the Conference Committee to work out differences with similar bill passed in other chamber 7. The bill is sent to the president to be signed or vetoed 8. The bill becomes law against the president's wishes through the congressional override procedure
Determine whether you generally agree or disagree with the following statement: A command economy can be described as the opposite of a free market economy.
Agree
Indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statement: In reality, pure free market economic systems don't exist anywhere because all governments intervene in the marketplace by regulating business activity to some extent.
Agree
Who tends to favor greater government action and supports more government programs, believing they are necessary in order to ensure equal economic and social opportunities are available to all citizens.
Democrats
Who tends to favor more regulation of businesses, for example, raising the federal minimum wage rate in order to raise the living standard of low-wage workers?
Democrats
Who tends to favor more restrictions on gun ownership, believing easy access to guns puts citizens in greater danger?
Democrats
The official name for "pork" that gets added to legislative bills is
Earmarks
Governing legitimacy is best earned when most of the citizens of a country don't trust the policies and actions of their government.
False
If a candidate receives a plurality of the vote, then it means they received at least 50% of the total vote
False
In a government that is a true republic, governing decisions and public policy are made directly by the people.
False
A key characteristic of authoritarian-style governments is a strong press and news media that is free to question and/or criticize the actions of the government without fear of punishment.
False
A prime characteristic of authoritarian-style governments is that their citizens are able to openly criticize their government when they disagree with its actions or policies without fear of the government taking action against them.
False
ALL bills are considered FIRST in the House of Representatives before moving to the Senate for consideration.
False
Because every state has two senators, the U.S. Congress is called a bicameral body.
False
Because the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights guarantees Americans the right of free speech, the government has not placed any limitations on what Americans are allowed to say or express
False
Congress has the constitutional authority to pass laws, but no laws are legally valid until citizens get a chance to vote on them and approve of the laws passed by Congress.
False
In the process of how a bill becomes a law, a bill is voted on by ALL of the members of the chamber before it is debated.
False
Interest groups and political parties have the same goal, which is to win elections and make public policy.
False
Liberals generally believe that if the government over-regulates businesses it will hurt business profitability and lead to a weaker overall economy and reduce employment opportunities, while conservatives generally believe that more regulation of businesses is necessary in order to restrain the power of business and to improve conditions for workers, consumers, and the environment.
False
Like each member of the U.S. House of Representatives, each member of the U.S. Senate represents approximately the same number of people
False
Not many Americans identify themselves as political independents; nearly all strongly identify as either a Republican or a Democrat
False
One of the reserved powers given to the states by the constitution is the authority to establish which religions can be legally practiced in each of the states.
False
Palm Beach State College, since it is operated by state government, funded by citizens' tax dollars, and open to all members of society, is an example of a private sector institution.
False
Someone who works as a server in a local area restaurant works in the public sector of the economy.
False
Standing committees exist in the House of Representatives but not in the Senate.
False
The "Supremacy Clause" of Article VI in the constitution specifies that laws passed by state governments are supreme over federal laws.
False
The 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gives states "reserve" powers, allows states to ignore federal laws if they want to.
False
The House of Representatives and the Senate represent two different branches of the U.S. government.
False
The most recent midterm election year was in 2018, and the next midterm election year will be in 2020.
False
The process of apportionment is used to determine the number of senators that each state is entitled to in Congress.
False
The process of becoming a legal U.S. citizen, which is called naturalization, is determined separately by each of the 50 states.
False
The right to bear arms is a right given to citizens by the First Amendment to constitution.
False
When considering bills and other matters, congressional committees never allow members of the public to attend any committee meetings.
False
When someone puts investment capital at risk in the private sector to start a business, their main purpose is not to make a profit, but instead to create jobs for others.
False
When voting in the general election, if you are registered as a Republican, you cannot cast your vote for a Democratic candidate.
False
if you live in a closed primary state and you are registered as an independent with no party affiliation, then you can choose to vote in either the Republican or Democratic primary election, but not both.
False
in the current Senate, all committees and subcommittees are dominated by Democrats.
False
Identify the 2020 fiscal year period of the federal government from the answer choices given below.
It begins on October 1, 2019 and ends on September 30, 2020
In the House of Representatives, if 197 out of 199 Republicans vote in favor of a bill, and 22 out of 235 Democrats vote in favor of it, will the bill pass or fail?
Pass
the vehicle through which interest groups raise and spend money to influence the political process and elections is
Political Actions Committees
When legislative bills are being negotiated in Congress, if additional money is included in a bill to pay for a specific project in an individual legislator's district or state in order to get their vote in favor of a bill, this is what is often described as _______________________
Pork barrel politics, wasteful spending
Mach each of the identified powers below with their appropriate classification within the federal system
Power to declare and conduct war C. National power Power to make and enforce laws B. Concurrent power Power to set times, places, and manner of elections A. State power
Another term used to describe a country when discussing global politics is a
State
In the current House of Representatives, if every Republican votes in favor of passing a bill, but every Democrat votes against it, then that bill will fail.
True
In general, public sector organizations do not seek to make a profit on the services they provide, even though they may charge a fee to cover their operating expenses.
True
In politics the term "state" refers mainly to the governing body of a country or national territory, but it can also refer to a regional or local political territory, for example, the "State of California."
True
Codes and statutes are other names for laws.
True
Congress and the legislative branch of the federal government are the same thing.
True
Indicate whether you believe the following statement is generally true or false: Strong supporters of the free market argue that too much government intervention and regulation reduces business competition and profitability, raises prices for consumers, and leads to less job creation, while strong supporters of government intervention and regulation argue that greater government action is necessary in order to increase public safety, protect consumers from dishonest business practices, improve the environment, and to establish greater fairness for workers.
True
Under the U.S. constitution, the three branches are considered co-equal branches of government.
True
Whichever party has a majority in each of the houses of Congress, that party will control EVERY committee in that chamber
True
While capitalism has its critics because of the "greed" factor, many believe the profit motive, as capitalism's driving force, produces many positive results for society, including high levels of personal achievement, efficiency, innovation, quality, as well as the opportunity for individuals to achieve great wealth and success.
True
it takes winning only a majority of the total 538 votes cast in the Electoral College for a candidate to win the presidential election.
True
In the House of Representatives, states are apportioned a number of seats based on a formula that ranks the 50 states according to the size of their populations. The actual population of each state is determined by
a census conducted every 10 years
The type of government called a republic is
a form of democracy in which citizens elect representatives to govern on their behalf
The number of presidential Electors assigned to each state in the Electoral College is equal to
its total number of senators and representatives serving in Congress
The political party that has the most members in a chamber of Congress is called the _______ party.
majority
The reason that marijuana laws, abortion laws, and marriage laws, among others, can vary from state-to-state is because the reserve powers of the 10th Amendment allow states to
make their own laws regulating the public health, safety, and morals of their citizens if those laws don't conflict with federal authority
The process of changing, amending, or adding items to a bill in committee is called
markup
The formal vehicle through which public policy is made and the affairs of state are conducted is
the government
After each U.S. Census is taken to determine the number of people who live in each state, then states must perform a process called _________ to establish a number of fixed areas of representation containing approximately equal population sizes based on their apportioned number in the House of Representatives.
redistricting
Monarchy
rule by one
Oligarchy
rule by the few
"Battleground States" in presidential elections are
states where the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates both have a chance of winning the popular vote in that state
Congress's implied powers, which are not specifically enumerated in Article I of the constitution, are derived from
the "necessary and proper" clause of Article I section 8
Someone who is born in the United States is granted automatic U.S. citizenship regardless of their parents' citizenship status because of
the 14th Amendment of the constitution
When votes are cast in the Electoral College for president they are cast by Electors who cast their votes according to
the result of the popular vote in their state
The individual rights guaranteed by the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments include all of the following EXCEPT:
the right to bear arms
If the president vetoes a bill passed by Congress, then Congress can override the veto with a _______ vote in _______ and the bill will become law against the president's wishes.
two-thirds majority; both houses of Congress
The most common way to amend the Constitution requires a ______ majority vote in both houses of Congress and a vote of support by ______ of the states.
two-thirds; three-quarters
A "demagogue" is a politician who
wins the support of voters by appealing to their emotions and fears and by making unrealistic promises
