Midterm study guide
While political speech has been afforded broad protections by the Supreme Court, speech plus has not been afforded First Amendment protections.
False
Countries that have diverse ethnic, language, or regional groupings are more likely to have which type of government system?
Federal system
The Black Lives Matter protests started in
Ferguson, Missouri.
In 1790, Native Americans made up
an unknown percentage of the population because the United States government did not to count people whom they deemed to be non-American.
Though the United States is a ________ at the federal level, there are provisions for ________ democracy at the state and local levels.
representative democracy; direct
The Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) was significant because it
required that all states offer marriage licenses to two people of the same sex.
In the American version of federalism
state and local governments have far more policymaking responsibility than in most federal systems.
Which level of government writes the majority of criminal laws?
state governments
In Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Supreme Court
struck down state laws banning interracial marriage.
The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution are also called
the Bill of Rights.
Suppose that an inmate who is a practicing Muslim and has facial hair due to his religion is told that he must shave his beard to comply with the prison policies. Which part of the Constitution would this most likely violate?
free exercise clause
Block grants are designed to
give the states more control in how funds from the federal government can be spent.
Programs through which Congress provides money to state and local governments on the condition that the funds be employed for purposes defined by the federal government are called
grants-in-aid.
Federalism is best defined as a system of government
in which power is divided between a central government and regional governments.
Between 1900 and 2020, the percentage of Americans over 65
increased from 4 percent of the population to 16 percent of the population.
Which of the following terms describes the power of the courts to review actions of the legislative and executive branches and, if necessary, declare them invalid or unconstitutional?
judicial review
Which term describes an economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned and operated for profit with minimal or no government interference?
laissez-faire capitalism
During the ratification debates, the Antifederalists were those who
opposed the Constitution because they wanted a weaker central government.
The theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in the government, where the outcome of this competition is compromise and moderation, is also known as
pluralism
Which term refers to the right to participate in politics equally, based on the principle of "one person, one vote"?
political equality
Which of the following refers to information about the formal institutions of government, political actors, and political issues?
political knowledge
Which of the following is the best definition of an expressed power?
powers given to Congress as spelled out in Article I of the Constitution
The principle of ________ gives the federal government the power to override any state or local law in one particular area of policy.
preemption
The main function of the privileges and immunities clause of Article IV is that it
prevents states from discriminating against nonresidents.
Which of the following describes a system of government in which the populace selects representatives who play a significant role in governmental decision making?
representative democracy
Which of the following statements best describes the deportation policies of President Obama and President Trump?
Despite differences in their rhetoric, there were almost no practical differences in the deportation policies of President Obama and President Trump.
Native Americans had a less complicated history of citizenship since the United States has always recognized their citizenship, unlike other marginalized populations.
False
Police power only is exercised by federal law enforcement.
False
There are approximately ________ million people living in the United States without legal authorization, and the majority of these people are from ________.
12; Mexico and Central America
Although ________ of the American population was of African descent at the time of the Founding, only about ________ of this group was free from slavery.
20 percent; 1.5 percent
The American population grew from almost ________ million people in 1790 to more than ________ million people today.
4; 330
About ________ of the American adult population currently identifies with the Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish faiths.
70%
At the time of the founding of the Republic, approximately ________ of non-Native American inhabitants of the 13 states were of European ancestry.
80 percent
Which of the following comes closest to describing the political system favored by the American Founders?
A system of representative democracy in which the ability to vote for elected representatives would be limited to the middle and upper classes.
How do constitutional governments differ from totalitarian governments?
Constitutional governments possess effective, formal limitations on their powers, while totalitarian governments recognize no formal limits and eliminate institutions that challenge them.
In response to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush worked with Congress to create which agency?
Department of Homeland Security
Which of the following statements regarding social movement strategies focused on the executive branch is true?
Although presidents rarely have met with members of social movements or used their powers to implement executive policies on their behalf, protest actions have been successful in encouraging presidents to make statements and encouraging legislators to act.
Which of the following statements concerning justice is true?
Americans believe in justice, but what justice means and how it should be applied has been debated over time.
The inclusion of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution was most strongly supported by the
Antifederalists.
Under dual federalism, most fundamental powers were shared between the federal and state governments.
False
How do authoritarian governments differ from totalitarian governments?
Authoritarian governments, while recognizing no formal challenges to their authority, may still be restrained by other social institutions, while totalitarian governments recognize no formal limits and will seek to eliminate institutions that may challenge them.
Which of the following is an example of social justice?
Black Lives Matter protestors organize and march to raise awareness about issues in policing and law enforcement and seek policy changes.
The privileges and immunities clause of Article IV is also referred to as the ________ clause.
Comity
The ability to charter banks is an example of a ________ power.
Concurrent
Which of these would be an example of laissez-faire capitalism?
Congress reducing certain regulations required of pharmaceutical companies to receive approval of the Food and Drug Administration
Which of the following is an accurate statement about the consequences of declining trust in government?
Distrust makes people less willing to pay the taxes necessary for public activities.
Given that hate speech is constitutionally protected, which of the following best explains why Facebook was able to change its terms of service to prevent users from posting hateful commentary and claims?
Facebook is a private company, though its actions may one day be challenged in court.
A grant program in which a state government is required to spend the money received on high-speed rail alone is an example of a block grant.
False
At the time of the Founding of the United States, federal and state governments equally influenced the lives of ordinary Americans.
False
Dual federalism happens when a higher-level government overrides a lower-level government's ability to act in certain policy areas.
False
Which president introduced and presided over the New Deal?
Franklin Roosevelt
________ are the three core values in American politics.
Liberty, equality, and justice
Suppose the government wanted to develop a national high-speed rail network. The federal government supplies states with the money to do so but imposes very strict laws on how it will be spent. This type of funding is most likely to come from
a categorical grant.
What effect has the aging U.S. population had on policies?
The aging population can make funding key programs for seniors like Social Security more challenging.
What effect did Congress' 1965 decision to lift tight immigration restrictions have on immigration in the United States?
It led to a large influx of undocumented immigrants who are now eligible for all public benefits and services.
What impact did the creation of the federal Medicaid program have on federal grants-in-aid?
Medicaid has a significant effect; federal grants-in-aid more than doubled in the decade following its enactment and were five times higher by 2005.
Women were guaranteed the right to vote with the passage of the ________ Amendment in 1920.
Nineteenth
Which of the following statements about LGBTQ rights is true?
No Supreme Court ruling or national legislation explicitly protected gay and lesbian people from discrimination until 1996.
What is Medicaid?
a federal program providing grants to state governments to help pay for medical care for the poor, the disabled, and many nursing home residents
The 1787 convention to draft a new constitution was held in
Philadelphia.
_____ refer to power reserved to state governments to regulate the health, safety, and morals of their citizens.
Police powers
Which powers, derived from the Tenth Amendment, are neither delegated to the national government nor denied to the states?
Reserved
Who was the first president to promote New Federalism?
Richard Nixon
Direct democracy is best defined as
a system that allows citizens to vote directly for laws and policies.
What was the overall importance of McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?
The Court allowed Congress to use the necessary and proper clause to broadly interpret its delegated powers.
Which of the following statements best describes the 2005 Supreme Court's ruling on medicinal marijuana?
The federal government has the power to regulate use of medicinal marijuana under the commerce clause.
Which of the following statements best describes the effect of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 on voter registration in southern states?
The gap between the percentage of Whites registering to vote and the percentage of African Americans registering to vote declined significantly after passage of the Voting Rights Act.
Which of the following statements about the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution is correct?
There was no federal court system under the Articles of Confederation but there is a federal court system headed by the Supreme Court under the Constitution.
Which of the following statements about national defense under the Articles of Confederation is most accurate?
There was no national army, and the armed forces were composed entirely of state militias.
If the federal government requires states to implement an assault weapons ban to receive certain kinds of funding, this would be an example of regulated federalism.
True
In Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), the Supreme Court guaranteed same-sex couples the right to marry in all states and required all states to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions.
True
Just as the federal government can preempt certain state laws, state governments may preempt local laws.
True
Since 1937, the Supreme Court has expanded the power of the federal government by enhancing its interpretation of the commerce clause.
True
The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion through the establishment clause and the free exercise clause.
True
Under the full faith and credit clause, the actions of one state government are supposed to be honored by the other 49 states.
True
A _________ is a centralized government system in which lower levels of government have little power independent of the national government.
Unitary system
At the Constitutional Convention, the proposed plan to create a congress where representation was distributed according to population was called the ________ Plan.
Virginia
If a government led by a dictator was replaced with a government where a large number of citizens exercised influence over decision-making, this change would best be characterized as a shift from a(n)
autocracy to a democracy.
Which of the following policies would best promote the ideal of political equality?
automatic voter registration for all adults
In West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943), the Supreme Court ruled that
children cannot be required to salute the flag if it violates their religious faith.
Which of the following is an example of the process of direct democracy?
citizens in a state approving the use of medical marijuana through referendum
Which of the following parts of the U.S. Constitution has been most important in allowing the growth of national power?
commerce clause
Although the internet has increased Americans' access to information about government, which of the following presents the most significant existing challenge to increasing their political knowledge?
disinformation
Congressional law and Supreme Court decisions have ruled that undocumented immigrants are
entitled to both education and emergency health care in the United States.
The Lemontest involved what part of the Constitution?
the establishment clause
An autocracy exists when
the government is controlled by a single individual.
The "traditional system" of American federalism refers to a period when
the national government was quite small and carried out only a narrow and very specialized set of responsibilities.
What is the principal difference between an autocracy and an oligarchy?
the number of people in charge
The power of the federal government began to expand after 1933 in response to
the stock market crash of 1929, the Great Depression, and the run on banks of 1933.
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) established the right
to legal counsel in felony cases.
A government that is not constrained by legal limits and also seeks to eliminate any challenges to its authority is known as a(n) ________ government.
totalitarian
As a result of the Senate, Americans living in urban areas are
underrepresented within the national political system.
The American population
used to be heavily rural and is now heavily urban.
