Online American Government
In interpreting the free exercise clause, the Court balances between which two goals? a. free speech and religious freedom b. public safety and freedom of assembly c. religious freedom and freedom of assembly d. religious freedom and public safety
d
Which state was the most populated in the country in 1787? Answers: a. Massachusetts b. Pennsylvania c. Virginia d. New York
c
Gibbons v. Ogden in 1824 was important because it a. gave the national government significant new authority to regulate interstate commerce. b. established the principle of no fees on exports. c. declared that interstate commerce was to be regulated by state governments. d. established the principle of judicial review.
a
Judicial review is a ____________ check on ____________ power. a. Supreme Court; congressional b. Supreme Court; presidential c. congressional; Supreme Court d. presidential; Supreme Court
a
Some forms of speech, such as fighting words and slander, do not warrant the same level of protection as political speech. Why not? a. They do not contribute to public debate or express ideas that have important social value. b. They may cause violence or other social unrest. c. They undermine public faith in the government. d. They are offensive to political and social minorities.
a
The "establishment clause" in the First Amendment prohibits the federal government from a. creating an official religion for the country. b. creating an official news organization for the country. c. limiting religious expression. d. limiting what the people are allowed to criticize the government for.
a
The Supreme Court uses the __________ test to determine whether a practice violates the First Amendment's establishment clause. a. lemon b. Baker c. Candle d. Miller
a
Generally, Americans tend to be moderate on __________ issues. a. domestic policy b. few c. foreign policy d. most
b
Implied powers of the Necessary and Proper Clause allow a. state governments to nullify laws made by the national government. b. Congress to interpret its enumerated powers broadly. c. for judicial review. d. the national government to reserve powers to state governments.
b
In 1787, ______ was considered a "large" state and ______ was considered a "small" state. a. Maryland; South Carolina b. Pennsylvania; New Jersey c. Connecticut; North Carolina d. Georgia; Massachusetts
b
In layer cake federalism, how would you describe the interaction between the levels of government? a. The national and state governments collaborate on fiscal issues. b. There is almost no interaction between levels of government. c. The state and local governments interact frequently but the national government functions independently. d. The national and state governments interact frequently but the local governments function independently.
b
In the 2006 case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, the Supreme Court ruled that a. The president could not move prisoners to federal prisons in the United States. b. Guantánamo Bay detainees were entitled to basic legal rights. c. All military commission hearings in Guantánamo Bay should be suspended. d. Congress did not have the authority to close Guantánamo Bay.
b
In the U.S. Constitution, where are civil liberties most directly addressed? a. the necessary and proper clause of Article I b. the Bill of Rights and the due process protection of the Fourteenth Amendment c. the Preamble d. the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
b
In this example, what was the relationship between Congress and state and local government concerning passage of the Clean Water Act? a. Congress selected key state and local government officials to draft environmental policy. b. Between the requirements and the incentives, Congress has pushed states and localities toward greater levels of energy efficiency and decreased use. c. Local government requested help from the state and federal governments to enact and implement clean water legislation to ensure funding. d. State governments pushed Congress to enact legislation that would ensure common standards across state and local governments.
b
The elastic clause a. gives the president of the United States flexible war-making powers. b. gives Congress the ability to pass laws related to its expressed powers. c. gives the Supreme Court its own ability to adjudicate political issues. d. grants the president of the United States codependent legislative authority.
b
The legalization of marijuana in a number of states in 2012 should be seen as a victory for the __________ Party. a. Pro-Life b. Libertarian c. Democratic d. Republican
b
The two broad freedoms of expression and religion are guaranteed in the a. Preamble to the Constitution. b. First Amendment. c. Fifth Amendment. d. Declaration of Independence.
b
Under the First Amendment, the Supreme Court has ruled that school-sponsored prayer is ______ and that school vouchers for religious schools are ________________. a. permitted; permitted b. not permitted; permitted c. permitted; not permitted; d. not permitted; not permitted
b
What group was concerned about the Constitution's provisions for the strength of the president and the lack of specific guarantees of civil liberties? a. Unionists b. Antifederalists c. Federalists d. Tories
b
What is an example of concurrent powers? a. the responsibility of both the national and state governments to declare war b. the responsibility of both the national and state governments to charter banks and corporations c. the responsibility of both the national and state governments to print money d. the responsibility of both the national and state governments to ratify amendments to the U.S. Constitution
b
What was the name of the agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention that determined that every slave would be counted as a fraction of a person for the purposes of taxation and representation in the House of Representatives? a. Connecticut Compromise b. Three-Fifths Compromise c. Virginia Compromise d. Great Compromise
b
Which form of speech is the Court most likely to protect? a. slander b. hate speech c. obscenity d. commercial speech
b
Which of the following options is a form of expression that is offensive or abusive, particularly in terms of race, gender, or sexual orientation, and is currently protected under the Constitution? a. performative speech b. hate speech c. symbolic speech d. fighting words
b
Which state was the least populated in the country in 1787? Selected Answer: a. Rhode Island b. Delaware c. New Hampshire d. Vermont
b
Heated debates over issues such as the national debt or abortion are a. evidence that the political system is broken. b. a normal, healthy part of politics. c. proof that the political process matters. d. the result of allowing interest groups influence in politics.
b. a normal, healthy part of politics.
Which of the following best exemplifies the concept of federal preemption? a. new highway construction funded by both federal and state governments b. federal regulations that do not include funding for state implementation c. welfare reform that prevents states from giving benefits to some residents d. federal criminalization of marijuana even when states or cities allow medicinal use
b???
According to Madison, what does people's self-interest lead to? a. public good b. altruism c. factions d. powerful government
c
Based on the data represented in the line graph and your answers to the questions above, which trend is true? a. Nation-centered federalism has almost always been favored. b. Grants have become the largest area of government spending. c. State-centered federalism has been increasingly more popular. d. There is almost always perfect balance between the national and state and local government.
c
How would you describe picket fence federalism? a. a model of federalism in which specific programs and policies (depicted as vertical pickets in a picket fence) involve only the national government dictating policy to the state and local government (the lower horizontal boards) b. a model of federalism in which specific programs and policies (depicted as vertical pickets in a picket fence) involve one or two levels of government with limited interaction c. a model of federalism in which specific programs and policies (depicted as vertical pickets in a picket fence) involve all levels of government—national, state, and local (depicted by the horizontal board in a picket fence) d. a model of federalism in which specific programs and policies (depicted as vertical pickets in a picket fence) are implemented only by the local government
c
In marble cake federalism, how would you describe the interaction between the levels of government? a. The national and state governments interact frequently but the local governments function independently. b. There is a lot of interaction between the levels of government, with the national government playing a small role. c. There is a lot of interaction between the levels of government, with the national government playing a large role. d. The state and local governments interact frequently but the national government functions independently.
c
Looking across all years represented, which of the below has been the most volatile, meaning it changes rapidly? a. Local spending b. Grants c. Federal spending d. State spending
c
Looking across all years represented, which of the below has increased the most over time? a. Grants b. Federal spending c. State/local spending d. Local spending
c
The Commerce Clause of Article I, Section 8, of the U.S. Constitution allows Congress broad regulatory power over a. intrastate commerce. b. intertribal trade between Native Americans. c. interstate commerce. d. international commerce.
c
The first form of government adopted by the United States was a. Byzantine. b. federal. c. confederal. d. unitary.
c
The power to declare war is an example of which type of power? a. concurrent b. reserved c. enumerated d. implied
c
The right to nominate judges is within the powers of a. the Supreme Court. b. the president and the state legislatures. c. the president. d. Congress.
c
What are the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution known as? a. Social Contract b. Bill of Attainder c. Bill of Rights d. Rights of Man
c
What is the purpose of the Tenth Amendment? a. to establish the electoral college b. to give each state constitution the same protections as the federal constitution c. to limit the powers of the central government by establishing reserved powers for states and individuals d. to grant the citizens of each state access to the federal court system
c
What is the term for basic political freedoms that protect citizens from governmental abuses of power? a. civil suits b. civil actions c. civil liberties d. civil rights
c
What is the tool used by Congress to remove a president for abuse of power? a. legislation b. litigation c. impeachment d. appointment of an inspector general
c
When survey organizations conduct public opinion polls, about how many people do they need in their sample? a. 200-300 b. 500-600 c. 1000-2000 d. 3,000-4,000
c
Which amendments comprise the Civil War Amendments? a. Nineteenth, Twentieth, and Twenty-First b. Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth c. Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth d. First, Second, and Third
c
Which of the following is an example of checks and balances in action? a. the president issuing an executive order b. the supreme court issuing a writ of certiorari c. the president vetoing congressional legislation d. Congress passing legislation
c
Which of the following is suggested by the data presented in the chart? a. Violent offenders are rational when it comes to planning. b. The death penalty definitely lowers the murder rate in the United States. c. Violent offenders are irrational by definition. d. The existence of the death penalty results in a quadrupling of the murder rate in a given state.
c
Which of the following is true about deterrence, based on the data presented in this chart? a. The murder rate is lower in states that have the death penalty. b. The murder rate is higher in states that do not have the death penalty. c. The murder rate for states that have the death penalty and have conducted at least one execution is higher than in states that do not have the death penalty. d. It is clear from the data that tough criminal justice laws such as the death penalty lower crime in a significant manner.
c
Why was the state of Connecticut well situated to offer a political compromise regarding the creation of Congress during the Philadelphia Convention? a. It was one of the least populated states. b. It was one of the most populated states. c. It was the median populated state in the country at the time. d. Oliver Ellsworth was the president of the Philadelphia Convention.
c
The frequency of political coverage in the media is evidence that a. politics is local. b. politics is conflictual. c. politics is everywhere. d. the political process matters.
c. politics is everywhere.
President Obama was unable to relocate Guantánamo Bay prisoners because a. the military court overturned President Obama's order to relocate the detainees. b. the Supreme Court ruled that it would be unconstitutional. c. the Bush administration's rules on detainee protocol could not be undone by President Obama. d. Congress refused to authorize the transfer.
d
Provided the regulation is content neutral, what types of regulation of an assembly do courts allow government to take? a. audience, means, and site b. mode, media, and location c. theme, message, and venue d. time, place, and manner
d
Starting at about 1950 and following the lines to the present, which of the below remain has varied the least over time? Federal spending State spending Local spending Grants
d
The death penalty is not currently legal in Mississippi. Texas. Georgia. Wisconsin.
d
The death penalty was implemented in 2010 in the following states except a. Virginia. b. Florida. c. Oklahoma. d. Oregon.
d
The vast majority of countries in the world today have which system of government? a. republican b. confederal c. federal d. unitary
d
What did Aristotle call a "government ruled by the many"? a. democracy b. aristocracy c. monarchy d. polity
d
Which of the following was among the Antifederalists' criticisms of the new Constitution? a. It abolished slavery. b. It limited the power of the federal judiciary. c. It gave too much power to state governments. d. It lacked protections for individual liberties.
d
is one of Congress's checks on presidential power. a. The ability to veto legislation b. Judicial review c. The ability to set judicial salaries d. Impeachment power
d. Impeachment power
"The political process matters" means that a. the political parties don't listen to real Americans. b. if the American people felt differently about a policy, it would change. c. political news coverage is almost unavoidable. d. the rules about how political conflicts are resolved shapes the outcome.
d. the rules about how political conflicts are resolved shapes the outcome.
