PoliSci 201 Ch. 1, Poli Sci 201 Ch 2, PoliSci Ch 3, PoliSci Ch. 4, Poli Sci 201 Ch 5, PoliSci Ch 6, Poli Sci Ch 7, Poli Sci Ch 8, Poli Sci Ch 9, Poli Sci Ch 11, Chapter 10 American Gov Revel, American Gov PS 202 Ch. 13
New Federalism
Federal-state relationship proposed by Reagan administration during the 1980s; hallmark is returning administrative powers to the state governments.
The Supreme Court will hear a particular case if at least, how many, justices vote to do so?
Four
Presidents are elected for, what, terms?
Four-Year
Which of the following constitutional amendments contains the equal protection clause, which prohibits states from denying "any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws"?
Fourteenth
The process by which a news organizations defies a political issue and consequently affects opinion about the issue is called ______
Framing
Which president set the precedent that the president would have a strong policy-making role?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Who was the longest-serving U.S. President?
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Which of the following is the clause of the Constitution that requires states to honor contracts from another state?
Full faith and credit
Stamp Act Congress
A gathering of nine colonial representatives in 1765 in New York City where a detailed list of Crown violations was drafted; first official meeting of the colonies and the first official step toward creating a unified nation.
World War I
A global military conflict that took place from 1914-1918 across Europe and its overseas territories. The Unites States militarily intervenes from 1917-1918.
World War II
A global military conflict that took place from 1939-1945 in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific region. The United States was formally involved in the war from 1941-1945.
Republic
A government rooted in the consent of the governed; a representative or indirect democracy.
Grand Jury
A group of citizens charged with determining whether enough evidence exists for a case to go to trial. Guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment.
Why do many governors hold greater influence over their parties' organizations than do presidents or legislators?
Governors often have more patronage positions at their disposal.
How did southern states extended the franchise to poor whites without extending it to poor blacks?
Grandfather Clauses
Iroquois Confederacy
A political alliance of American Indian tribes established in the seventeenth century that featured aspects of the federal system of government adapted by the Framers.
John C. Calhoun
A politician and political theorist from South Carolina who supported slavery and states' rights in the pre-Civil War era and served as vice president from 1825 to 1832.
Progressive Federalism
A pragmatic approach to federalism that views relations between national and state governments as both coercive and cooperative.
Dillon's Rule
A premise articulated by Judge John F. Dillon in 1868 which states that local governments do not have any inherent sovereignty and instead must be authorized by state governments that can create or abolish them.
Precedent
A prior judicial decision that serves as a rule for settling subsequent cases of a similar nature.
Hold
A procedure by which a senator asks to be informed before a particular bill or nomination is brought to the floor. This request signals leadership that a member may have objections to the bill (or nomination) and should be consulted before further action is taken.
Reconciliation
A procedure that allows consideration of controversial issues affecting the budget by limiting debate to twenty hours, thereby ending threat of a filibuster.
Committee of the Whole
A procedure that allows the House of Representatives to deliberate with a lower quorum and to expedite consideration and amendment of a bill.
Which of the following is true about how the national government has changed over the course of our nation's history?
It has taken on more responsibilities.
Senatorial Courtesy
A process by which presidents generally allow senators from the state in which a judicial vacancy occurs to block a nomination by simply registering their objection.
Congressional Review
A process whereby Congress can nullify agency regulations within a 60 day window by passing a joint resolution of legislative disapproval. The president's approval of the resolution or a two-thirds majority vote in both houses to overrule a presidential veto is also required.
Which of the following is a hypothetical example of the amendment process as laid out in Article V of the Constitution?
A proposed amendment to balance federal budgets is accepted by two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress and then by legislatures in three-fourths of the states.
Virginia Plan
A proposed framework for the Constitution favoring large states. It called for a bicameral legislature, which would appoint executive and judicial officers.
Bill
A proposed law.
Administrative Adjudication
A quasi-judicial process in which a bureaucratic agency settles disputes between two parties similar to the way courts resolve disputes.
Rule Making
A quasi-legislative process resulting in regulations that have the characteristics of a legislative act.
Shay's Rebellion
A rebellion in which an army of 1,500 disgruntled and angry farmers led by Daniel Shays marched to Springfield, Massachusetts, and forcibly restrained the state court from foreclosing mortgages on their farm.
Black Lives Matter (BLM)
A recent social movement focused on direct protest and police brutality, mass incarceration, and related offenses against African Americans.
Occupy Wall Street
A recent social movement that promotes protests and political activism against income inequality and corporate greed.
Which of the following is true of the Senate?
It has the sole power to approve judges
What is the relationship between a democracy and a republic?
A republic is a type of democracy that relies on elected representatives.
Writ of Certiorari
A request for the Supreme Court to order up the records from a lower court to review the case.
The Federalist Papers
A series of eighty-five political essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
During the 1930s, the NAACP's most successful political strategy was, what?
A series of lawsuits that slowly led to public education integration.
Markup
A session in which committee members offer changes to a bill before it goes to the floor.
Great Depression
A severe global economic downturn marked by mass unemployment and poverty that began in the United States in 1929 and persisted to some degree until the end of the 1930s.
Rational Basis Standard of Review
A standard of review in which the Court determines whether any rational foundation for the discrimination exists. Legislation affecting individuals based on age, wealth, or mental capacity is generally given this level of review.
What did the Declaration of Independence do?
It set out the reasons for separation of the colonies from Great Britain.
Which of the following is true of talk radio
It trends to be dominated by conservatives
Which of the following is true of the Roberts Court?
It was initially reluctant to address high-profile federalism issues.
Patronage
Jobs, grants, or other special favors that are given as rewards to friends and political allies for their support.
Advocates of, what, believe that judges should use their power broadly in order to enhance justice rather than adhere too closely to the original intent of the Framers or legislators?
Judicial Activism
If a justice believes that the Department of Indian Affairs has engaged in decades of unjust treatment of American Indians' land claims and broadly interprets the laws and the Constitution so as to correct this injustice and restore land rights to American Indians, that justice is exercising, what?
Judicial Activism
In Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), the Supreme Court struck down state laws outlawing the use of contraceptives on the basis of privacy rights. The fact that the Court relied on a right to privacy that is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution makes this decision an example of, what?
Judicial Activism
Which of the following is the process of translating judicial decisions into public policies that affect more than the specific parties to the lawsuit?
Judicial Implementation
Substantive Due Process
Judicial interpretation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments' due process clauses. Protects citizens from arbitrary or unjust state or federal laws.
Which of the following statements about judicial review is accurate?
Judicial review is not specifically mentioned in the U.S. Constitution.
Ex Pose Facto Law
Law that makes an act punishable as a crime even if the action was legal at the time it was committed.
Ex post Facto Law
Law that makes an act punishable as a crime, even if the action was legal at the time it was committed.
Which of the following Supreme Court cases was a victory for advocates of gay and lesbian rights?
Lawrence v. Texas
Incumbency
Already holding an office
Nineteenth Amendment
Amendment to the Constitution passed in 1920 that guaranteed women the right to vote.
Sixteenth Amendment
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that authorized Congress to enact a national income tax.
Seventeenth Amendment
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that made senators directly elected by the people, removing their selection by state legislatures.
Which of the following is true about American families today as compared to the 1950s?
Americans are having fewer children.
Which of the following is a negative consequence of Americans' lack of faith in their political institutions?
Americans blame the government for society's woes.
Crispus Attucks
An African American and first American to die in what became known as the Boston Massacre in 1770.
American Dream
An American ideal of a happy, successful life, which one often assumes wealth, a house, and a better life for one's children.
Sandra Day O'Connor
An Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1981-2005 who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as the first woman to serve on the Court.
Elena Kagan
An Associate Justice of the Supreme court appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009 while she was serving as solicitor general in his administration.
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
An activist group founded in 1929 to combat discrimination against, and promote assimilation among, Americans of Hispanic origin.
Eleventh Amendment
An amendment adopted in 1789 protecting states from being sued in federal court by a citizen of a different state or country.
Strict Constructionist
An approach to constitutional interpretation that emphasizes interpreting the Constitution as it was originally written and intended by the Framers.
Mercantilism
An economic theory designed to increase a nation's wealth through the development of commercial industry and a favorable balance of trade.
Politico
An elected representative who acts as a trustee or as a delegate, depending on the issue.
Critical Election
An election that signals a party realignment through voter polarization around new issues and personalities.
Winner-Take-All System
An electoral system in which the party that receives at least one more vote than any other party wins the election.
Independent Regulatory Commission
An entity created by Congress outside a major executive department that regulates a specific interest or economic activity.
Lame Duck
An executive or legislature during the period just before the end of a term of office, when power and influence of the office are considered to be diminished.
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
An important rights organization in 1909 to oppose segregation, racism, and voting rights violations targeted against African Americans.
Incorporation Doctrine
An interpretation of the Constitution holding that the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment requires state and local governments to guarantee the rights stated in the Bill of Rights.
William Penn launched the so-called "holy experiment." It emphasized, what?
Attracting persecuted Europeans, including German Mennonites and Lutherans and French Huguenots
Jurisdiction
Authority vested in a particular court to hear and decide the issues in a particular case.
Jim Crow Laws
Laws enacted by southern states that required segregation in public schools, theaters, hotels, and other public accommodations.
Alien and Sedition Acts
Laws passed in 1798 that allowed the imprisonment and deportation of aliens considered dangerous and criminalized false statements against the government.
Which of the following is a correct description of Locke's social contract theory and the Declaration of Independence?
Both hold that governments exist based on the consent of the governed.
A party in a lawsuit files a(n), what, with the court that contains its legal arguments?
Brief
In which case did the Supreme Court demonstrate its policy-making power by overruling its own prior decision in Plessy v. Ferguson.
Brown v. Board of Education
The Supreme Court overturned the separate-but-equal doctrine as unconstitutional in, what?
Brown v. Board of Education
Which of the following is a document used to establish a local government?
Charter
What do party members do as a caucus?
Discuss party policy
Which presidential spouse was probably the most powerful?
Edith Bolling Galt Wilson
Which of the following is a way in which a press briefing differs from a press conference?
Elected officials speak on a broader range of topics at a press conference
What was the practical effect of the 1964 Civil Rights Act?
Ending discrimination in public acommodations
Under the Hatch Act as amended, a federal employee may not, what?
Engage in political activity while on duty
What is the primary driving force behind the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)?
Ensuring Civil Rights for Hispanics
Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to "punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas." What sort of power is the authority to punish pirates?
Enumerated
The power of the national government specifically granted to Congress in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution are known as what kind of powers?
Enumerated
Party Caucus (or Conference)
A formal gathering of all party members.
Frederick Douglass
A former slave born in the early 1800s who became a leading abolitionist, writer, and suffragist.
New Jersey Plan
A framework for the Constitution proposed by a group of small states; it called for a one-house legislature with one vote or each state, a Congress with the ability to raise revenue, and a Supreme Court appointed for life.
Libel
False written statement that defames a person's character.
Which of the following is the system of government adopted under the Constitution?
Federal
Which federal agency regulates broadcast media?
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Which is an independent regulatory commission?
Federal Reserve Board
Which of the following is an example of cultural change altering the Constitution?
Federal courts interpreting the Constitution to prohibit many forms of discrimination
Constitutional (or Article III) Courts
Federal courts specifically created by the U.S. Constitution or by Congress pursuant to its authority in Article III.
Programmatic Requests
Federal funds designated for special projects within a state or congressional district. Also referred to as earmarks.
Which best describes government in the first 150 years of the history of the U.S.?
Federal government's responsibilities were small; states' government responsibilities were powerful.
G.I> (Government Issue) Bill
Federal legislations enacted in 1944 that provided college loans for returning veterans and reduced mortgage rates to enable them to buy homes.
Abraham Lincoln
Sixteenth president of the United States, the first elected Republican president, who served from 1861-1865. Lincoln, who led the Union during the Civil War, was assassinated in 1865 by a Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth.
Combating terrorism by limiting detainees' access to a trial by jury is a potential violation of which amendment?
Sixth
Which of the following best summarizes the Southern position in the debate that resulted in the Three-Fifths Compromise?
Slaves could not vote, but the South wanted them included in the population count.
Someone who favors government intervention to regulate sexual and social behavior, restrict abortion, and ban same-sex marriage is best described as a, what?
Social Conservative
Which convention was held in 1848 and adopted resolutions demanding the abolition of legal, economic, and social discrimination against women?
The Seneca Falls Convention
Which of the following is a third party built around an ideology?
The Socialist Party
Which of the following is a system in which the incoming president fires officeholders of the opposing party and replaces them with individuals of the president's party?
The Spoils System
To raise money to pay for the French and Indian War and the expenses of administering the colonies, what did Parliament enact?
The Sugar Act
Which political institution acts as the umpire of the federal system?
The Supreme Court
Which political institution can most easily bring about informal change to the Constitution?
The Supreme Court
Sedition Laws
Laws that make it illegal to speak or write any political criticism that threaten to diminish respect for the government, its laws, or public officials. State sedition laws were overturned as a result of the 1925 Gitlow Supreme Court decision.
Lucretia Mott
Leading nineteenth-century feminist, suffragist, and abolitionist who, along with Elizabeth Cady Stanton, organized the Seneca Falls Convention.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Leading nineteenth-century feminist, suffragist, and abolitionist who, along with Lucretia Mott, organized the Seneca Falls Convention. Stanton later founded the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) with Susan B. Anthony.
The Crown v. Zenger (1735)
Legal case in the colony of New York that is considered a precursor to free press provisions in the Constitution. The case did not set legal precedent, but did reflect a difference between British authorities and colonists with regard to press freedoms.
Pork
Legislation that allows representatives to bring money and jobs to their districts in the form of public works programs, military bases or other programs.
Equal Pay Act of 1963
Legislation that requires employers to pay men and women equal pay for equal work.
Judiciary Act of 1789
Legislative act that established the basic three-tiered structure of the federal court system.
Which modern minor party has a platform based on minimal government intervention in areas of both social and economic policy?
Libertarian
In creating a national government with a system of checks and balances, the Framers sought to, what?
Limit the ability of any branch of the national government to become too powerful
The Tenure of Office Act was an attempt by Congress to, what?
Limit the power of the president
Which compromise prohibited slavery north of 36 degrees latitude and fueled a new abolition movement?
Missouri
In which of the following ways have Americans' assessments of the media changed over time?
More Americans now believe that the press is often inaccurate
How many federal laws has the Supreme Court declared to be unconstitutional?
More than one hundred
Which of the following statements about those who have served as Supreme Court justices is true?
More women than African Americans have served as Supreme Court justices.
In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Marshall Court decided that the federal government could create a national bank based on the Constitution's, what, clause?
Necessary and proper
Which of the following was Franklin D. Roosevelt's program of relief recovery, and reform during the Great Depression?
New Deal
In which case did the Court find that actual malice must be proven to support a finding of libel against a public figure?
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
Which of the following policies are younger voters more likely to support than older voters?
New schools
Which is a presidential grant releasing an individual from the punishment or legal consequences of a crime before or after conviction, and restoring all rights and privileges or citizenship?
Pardon
Supremacy Clause
Portion of Article VI of the Constitution mandating that national law is supreme over (that is, supersedes) all other laws passed by the states or by any other subdivision of government.
Judicial Review
Power of the courts to review acts of other branches of government and the states.
Which of the following is true about the views much of the South holds about government in the United States?
Power should be returned to the states.
Reserved Powers
Powers reserved to the states by the Tenth Amendment that lie at the foundation of a state's right to legislate for the public health and welfare of the citizens.
Concurrent Powers
Powers shared by the national and state governments.
Inherent Powers
Powers that belong to the president because they can be inferred from the Constitution.
Which of the following was a target of the Progressive era reforms?
Prejudice against African Americans
Emancipation Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln issued this proclamation on January 1, 1863, in the third year of the Civil War. It freed all slaves in states that were in active rebellion against the United States.
Which is an example of the president's power as Commander in Chief?
Sending military troops abroad
Anne Hutchinson
Seventeenth century political leader and thinker who supported religious liberty.
Roger Williams
Seventeenth century religious and political leader who was expelled by Puritans in Massachusetts and then established the colony of Providence Plantations that later became Rhode Island.
Andrew Johnson
Seventeenth president of the United States, a Republican, who served from 1865 to 1869. Johnson had served as Abraham Lincoln's vice president and became president after Lincoln's assassination.
Which of these events provided a dramatic example of the weaknesses inherent in the Articles of Confederation?
Shays' Rebellion
The Supreme Court has decided that laws that discriminate on the basis of certain, what, are entitled to strict scrutiny to determine their constitutionality.
Suspect Classifications
Roe v. Wade (1973)
The Supreme Court found that a woman's right to an abortion was protected by the right to privacy that could be implied from specific guarantees found in the Bill of Rights applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.
Gibbons v. Ogden
The Supreme Court upheld broad congressional power to regulate interstate commerce. The Court's broad interpretation of the Constitution's commerce clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers.
McCulloch v. Maryland
The Supreme Court upheld the power of the national government and denied the right of a state to tax the federal bank, using the Constitution's supremacy clause. The Court's broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers.
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992)
The Supreme Court's decision in this abortion case replaced the strict scrutiny standard of Roe with the less stringent undue burden standard.
Which of the following indicates that the Supreme Court is willing to make public policy?
The Supreme Court's willingness to overturn its own decisions.
Which of the following is an example of an Anti-Federalist view?
The United States should have strong state governments and a weak national government.
New World
The Western hemisphere of Earth, also called the Americas, which was unknown to Europeans before 1492.
Administrative Discretion
The ability of bureaucrats to make choices concerning the best way to implement congressional or executive intentions.
Which is an example of Congress's checks and balances on the judiciary?
The ability to set the jurisdictions of the courts
Why are American families smaller today than they were at the founding?
The advent of birth control and a decline in the need to have children to work for the survival of the family
What sparked the Montgomery bus boycott?
The arrest of Rosa Parks
Articles of the Confederation
The compact between the thirteen original colonies that created a loose league of friendship, with the national government drawing its powers from the states.
Which of the following might be a cause of partisan polarization?
The complex realignment of parties along different issues dimensions
Which best describes the way that freedom and personal liberty has changed since the founding of the United States?
The concept of freedom is now a freedom to rather a freedom from.
Which of the following is necessary for effective judicial implementation of a Supreme Court decision?
The decision must be clear enough for the implementing population to understand it.
Which was not included in the Articles of Confederation?
The power of the national government to raise taxes.
Speaker of the House
The only officer of the House of Representatives specifically mentioned in the Constitution; the chamber's most powerful position; traditionally a member of the majority party.
What is the strongest influence on young citizens' party identification?
The partisanship of their parents
What is the weakest component of the party system, as indicated by the percentage of Americans who adopt a party label?
The party in the electorate
What is the source of the government's power under the Constitution?
The people
Which of the following is the source of power in the American system?
The people
Reconstruction
The period from 1865-1877 after the Civil War, in which the U.S. militarily occupied an dominated the elven former states of the Confederacy.
Warren Court
The period in Supreme Court history during which Earl Warren served as Chief Justice (1953-1969), noted for its many rulings expanding civil liberties and civil rights.
Burger Court
The period in Supreme Court history during which Warren Burger served as Chief Justice (1969-1986).
Civil Liberties
The personal guarantees and freedoms that the government cannot abridge by law, constitution, or judicial interpretation.
What does the Hatch Act regulate?
The political activity of government employees
Divided Government
The political condition in which different political parties control the presidency and at least one house of Congress.
Unified Government
The political condition in which the same political party controls the presidency and Congress.
Appellate Jurisdiction
The power vested in particular courts to review and/or revise the decision of a lower court.
Implied Powers
The powers of the national government derived from the enumerated powers and necessary and proper clause.
Implied Powers
The powers of the national government derived from the enumerated powers and the necessary and proper clause.
Enumerated Powers
The powers of the national government specifically granted to Congress in Article I, section 8 of the Constitution.
Which of the following serves as the fundamental building block and a source for the foot soldiers of the party organization?
The precinct committee
Partisan Polarization
The presence of increasingly conflicting and divided viewpoints between the Democratic and Republican Parties.
What determines the makeup of a president's formal cabinet?
The president
Which of the following is an example of how the legislative branch checks the executive branch?
The presidential impeachment
New Deal
The political program enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s that greatly expanded the role of the federal government in order to combat the effects of the Great Depression.
Confederate States of America
The political system created by the eleven states that seceded from the Union during the Civil War, which ceased to exist upon the Union victory.
Implementation
The process by which a law or policy is put into operation.
What is political socialization?
The process by which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values
What is senatorial courtesy?
The process by which presidents generally allow senators from the state where there is a vacancy to block potential judicial nominees
Apportionment
The process of allotting congressional seats to each state according to its proportion of the population, following the decennial census.
Redistricting
The process of redrawing congressional districts to reflect increases or decreases in seats allotted to the states, as well as population shifts within a state.
John F. Kennedy
The thirty-fifth president, a Democrat, who served from 1961 to 1963 and marked a generational shift in U.S. politics at the height of the Cold War. He was assassinated November 22, 1963.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
The thirty-fourth president, a Republican, who served from 1953 to 1961. Eisenhower commanded Allied Forces during World War II.
Richard M. Nixon
The thirty-seventh president, a Republican, who served from 1960 through 1974. Nixon advocated detente during the Cold War and resigned rather than face impeachment and likely removal from office due to the Watergate scandal.
Harry S Truman
The thirty-third president, a Democrat, who served from 1945 until 1953. Truman became president when Franklin D. Roosevelt died in office; he led the United States through the end of the World War II and the start of the Cold War.
Federal Bureaucracy
The thousands of federal government agencies and institutions that implement and administer federal laws and programs.
Which of the following is a possible consequence of the growing role of social media sites
They weaken the incentive for politicians to engage in deliberative democracy
Which amendment outlawed slavery?
Thirteenth
Calvin Coolidge
Thirtieth president of the United States, a Republican, who served from 1923 to 1929.
Herbert Hoover
Thirty-first president of the United States, a Republican, who served from 1929 to 1933 during the start of the Great Depression.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Thirty-second president, a Democrat, who served from 1933 to 1945. FDR's leadership took the United States through the Great Depression and World War II.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Thirty-sixth president of the United States, a Democrat, who served from 1964 to 1969. LBJ led the nation during the Civil Rights era and Vietnam War.
How can the president be removed form office?
Through the impeachment and removal process
Seniority
Time of continuous service on a committee.
Which amendment limits the president to two elected terms and a total of no more than ten years?
Twenty-Second
What do surveys of journalists reveal?
Twice as many journalists identify as liberal than as conservative
What type of government is it when the presidency and Congress are controlled by the same political party?
Unified
Which of the following is generally prohibited by the Fourth Amendment?
Unreasonable Searches
Which of the following groups was instrumental in advocating for the Americans with Disabilities Act?
War Veterans
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Wide-ranging legislation passed by Congress to outlaw segregation in public facilities and discrimination in employment, education, and voting; created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
George Washington
Widely considered the "Father of the Nation," he was the commander of the revolutionary armies; served as the presiding officer of the Constitutional Convention; and as the United States' first president from 1789 to 1797.
moderate
a person who takes a relatively centrist or middle-of-the-road view on most political issues
A broadcast station that sells a Democratic candidate air time for a political advertisement _________
cannot refuse to sell available time to a Republican rival
The ways in which news coverage affects public opinion and voting preferences are known as ______
media effects
liberal
one who favors greater government intern emotion, particularly in economic affairs and in the provision of social services
conservative
one who favors limited government intervention, particularly in economic affairs
Which of the following provides new information about subjects of public interest and plays a vital role in the political process?
the news media
political socialization
the process through which individuals acquire their political beliefs and values
Which of the following is the process of editing bills in committee?
Markup
Which was founded as a Catholic colony?
Maryland
In which state did Shays' Rebellion occur?
Massachusetts
Which of the following was the first major Supreme Court decision to define the relationship between national state governments?
McCulloch v. Maryland
Cloture
Mechanism requiring the vote of sixty senators to cut off debate.
Which of the following is a consequence of the growing role of online media?
Media are more available than ever before
First Continental Congress
Meeting held in Philadelphia from September 5 to October 26, 1774, in which fifty six delegates (from every colony except Georgia) adopted a resolution in opposition to the Coercive Acts.
Second Continental Congress
Meeting that convened in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775, at which it was decided that an army should be raised and George Washington of Virginia was named commander in chief.
Which of the following is true of Congress as compared to the American people?
Member.s of Congress are more religious
Which of the following groups is most likely to identify as Republican?
Men
What term denotes an economic theory designed to increase a nation's wealth through the development of commercial industry and a favorable balance of trade?
Mercantilism
Which of the following is a system of government employment based on the abilities and qualifications of the workers?
Merit
Which of the following activities do parties engage in to "get out the vote"?
Micro-targeting
What was the primary goal of patronage?
Reward political allies for their support
Which of the following may be a cause of partisan polarization?
Rise of partisan media and media coverage of partisan differences in the United States
Which U.S. Supreme Court decision was the first to find a woman's right to have an abortion is protected by the Constitution?
Roe v. Wade
Delegate
Role played by a representative who votes the way his or her constituents would want, regardless of personal opinions; may refer to an elected representative to Congress or a representative to the party convention.
Trustee
Role played by an elected representative who listens to constituents' opinions and then uses his or her best judgement to make a final decision.
A majority of members of the Supreme Court are, what?
Roman Catholics
Which quasi-legislative process results in the establishment of regulations that have the force of law?
Rule Making
Which of the following must be published in the Federal Register before going into effect?
Rules
Regulations
Rules governing the operations of all government programs that have the force of law.
Where is the Republican Party most likely to have support?
Rural areas
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)?
SNCC was more radical than the SCLC.
Amicus Curiae
"Friend of the court"; amici may file briefs of even appear to argue their interest orally before the court.
Which is closest to Congress's approval rating?
15
When were parties the most stable and party organizations strongest?
1860-1932
As of 2014, how many African Americans have served on the Supreme Court?
2
Approximately how many federal civilian workers are there?
3 million
About how many federal workers are appointed by the president?
3000
What percentage of members are millionaires?
50
When in session, about how many hours does the average member work a week?
70
What percentage of members of Congress generally win reelection?
95
Judicial Activism
A philosophy of judicial decision making that posits judges should use their power broadly to further justice.
Eighteenth Amendment
A 1913 amendment that created the nationwide prohibition on alcoholic beverages; it was repealed in 1933.
Espionage Act
A 1997 law that prohibited urging resistance to the draft or distributing anti-war leaflets; upheld by the Supreme Court in Schneck v. U.S.
Lawrence v. Texas (2003)
A 2003 Supreme Court ruling that anti-sodomy laws violated the constitutional right to privacy.
Martin Luther King Jr.
A Baptist minister, proponent of non-violence, and the most prominent leader of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
Federalist No. 78
A Federalist Papers essay authored by Alexander Hamilton that covers the role of the federal judiciary, including the power of judicial review.
Chisholm v Georgia (1793)
A Supreme Court case that allowed U.S. citizens to bring a lawsuit against states in which they did not reside; overturned by the Eleventh Amendment in 1789.
Gitlow v. New York (1925)
A Supreme Court case that extended the First Amendment's protections of freedom of speech and of the press to the state governments.
Dred Scott v. Sandford
A Supreme Court decision that ruled the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional and denied citizenship rights to enslaved African Americans. Dred Scott heightened tensions between the pro-slavery South and the abolitionist North in the run up to the Civil War.
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
A Supreme Court decision that ruled the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional and denied citizenship rights to enslaved African Americans. Dred Scott heightened tensions between the pro-slavery South and the abolitionist North in the run up to the Civil War.
United States v. Windsor (2013)
A Supreme Court ruling striking down the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which prohibited federal recognition of same-sex marriages.
Korematsu v. U.S. (1944)
A Supreme Court ruling that upheld authority of the U.S. government to require mass internment of people of Japanese ancestry in the U.S. during World War II.
What is a proposed law known as?
A bill
The Federalists argued that a bill of rights was not necessary for a variety of reasons. Which was not a reason that the Federalists gave?
A bill of rights would override the many civil liberties guaranteed in state constitutions.
Benjamin Franklin
A brilliant inventor and senior statesman at the Constitutional Convention who urged colonial unity as early as 1754, twenty-two years before the Declaration of Independence.
Party Identification
A citizen's attachment to a political party based on issues, ideology, past experience, or upbringing which tends to be a reliable indicator of likely voting choices.
Whiskey Rebellion
A civil insurrection in 1794 that was put down by military force by President George Washington, thereby confirming the power of the new national government.
According to Max Weber, a model bureaucracy should have, what?
A clear chain of command from the top to the bottom
What would be the most likely initiator of reactive Congressional oversight?
A complaint from a constituent
What document establishes the structure, functions, and limitations of a government?
A constitution
Checks and Balances
A constitutionally mandated structure that gives each of the three branches of government some degree of oversight and control over the actions of the others.
Which of the following best describes Pennsylvania settlers?
A diverse lot of persecuted Europeans
Brief
A document containing the legal written arguments in a case filled with a court by a party prior to a hearing or trial.
Constituion
A document establishing the structure, functions, and limitations of a government.
Charter
A document that, like a constitution, specifies the basic policies, procedures, and institutions of local government. Charters for local governments must be approved by state legislatures.
Monarchy
A form of government in which power is vested in hereditary kings and queens who govern the entire society.
Totalitarianism
A form of government in which power resides in leaders who rule by force in their own self-interest and without regard to rights and liberties.
Oligarchy
A form of government in which the right to participate depends on the possession of wealth, social status, military position, or achievement.
Strict Scrutiny
A heightened standard of review used by the Supreme Court to determine the constitutional validity of a challenged practice. Legislation affecting the fundamental freedoms of speech, assembly, religion, and the press, as well as suspect classification are automatically accorded this level of review.
Selective Incorporation
A judicial doctrine whereby most, but not all, protections found in the Bill of Rights are made applicable to the sates via the Fourteenth Amendment.
James Madison
A key Framer often called the "Father of the Constitution" for his role in conceptualizing the federal government. Co-authored The Federalist Papers; served as secretary of state; served as the fourth U.S. president from 1809 to 1817.
Alexander Hamilton
A key Framer who envisioned a powerful central government, co-authored The Federalist Papers, and served as the first secretary of the treasury.
Miranda v. Arizona
A landmark Supreme Court ruling holding that the Fifth Amendment requires individuals arrested for a crime to be advised of their right to remain silent and to have counsel present.
Block Grant
A large grant given to a state by the federal government with only general spending guidelines.
Bill of Attainder
A law declaring an act illegal without a judicial trial.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
A law enacted by Congress in 1990 designed to guarantee accommodation and access for people with a wide range of disabilities.
Bill of Attainder
A law of declaring an act illegal without a judicial trial.
Chinese Exclusion Act
A law passed by Congress in 1882 that prohibited all new immigration into the U.S. from China.
Rosa Parks
A leading civil rights activist of the twentieth century. Parks was most notably involved with the Montgomery Bus Boycott.
Thurgood Marshall
A leading civil rights lawyer and the first head of the NAACP's Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Marshall was the first African American appointed to the Supreme Court and served on the Court from 1967 until 1991.
Special District
A local government that is restricted to a particular function
Which of the following phrases best describes the Articles of the Confederation?
A loose league of friendship between independent states and the national government
John Jay
A member of the Founding generation who was the first Chief Justice of the United States. A diplomat and a co-author of The Federalist Papers.
John Jay
A member of the Founding generation who was the first Chief Justice of the United States. A diplomat and co-author of The Federalist Papers
National Woman's Party (NWP)
A militant suffrage organization founded in the early twentieth century. Members of the NWP were arrested, jailed, and even force-fed by authorities when they went on hunger strikes to secure voting rights for women.
LGBT Community
A minority group based on sexual orientation and gender identity that includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
Common Sense
A pamphlet written by Thomas Paine that challenged the authority of the British government to govern the colonies.
National Convention
A party meeting held in the presidential election year for the purposes of nominating a presidential and vice presidential ticket and adopting a platform.
Political Machine
A party organization that recruits voter loyalty with tangible incentives and is characterized by a high degree of control over member activity.
Progressive Era (1890-1920)
A period of widespread activism to reform political, economic, and social ills in the United States.
What is a writ of habeas corpus?
A petition requesting that a judge order authorities to prove that a prisoner is being held lawfully
Enlightenment
A philosophical movement in eighteenth-century Europe; its adherents advocated liberty and tolerance of individual differences, decried religious and political abuses, and rejected the notion of an absolute monarch.
Judicial Restraint
A philosophy of judicial decision making that posits courts should allow the decisions of other branches of government to stand, even when they offend a judge's own principles.
Intermediate Standard of Review
A standard of review in which the Court determines whether classifications serve an important governmental objective and are substantially related to serving that objective. Gender-related legislation automatically accorded this level of review.
Undue Burden Test
A standard set by the Supreme Court in the Casey case in 1992 that narrowed Roe v. Wade and allowed for greater regulation of abortion by the states.
National Party Platform
A statement of the general and specific philosophy and policy goals of a political party, usually promulgated at the national convention.
What did the New Jersey Plan argue for?
A stronger version of the Articles of Confederation
Abolitionist
A supporter, especially in the early nineteenth century, of an end to the institution of slavery.
Abolitionist
A supporter, especially in the early nineteenth century, of ending the institution of slavery.
Merit System
A system of employment based on qualifications, test scores, and ability rather than party loyalty.
Democracy
A system of government that gives power to the people, whether directly or through elected representatives.
September 11th
A terrorist plot carried out on September 11, 2001, that used hijacked civilian aircraft to attack the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon near Washington, D.C.
Bicameral Legislature
A two-house legislature.
Concurring Opinion
A type of judicial opinion issued by a minority of judges on a court who agree with the outcome of a case, but wishes to express different legal reasoning.
Dissenting opinion
A type of judicial opinion issued by a minority of judges on a court who disagree with the outcome of a case and wish to explain their legal reasoning.
Plurality Opinion
A type of judicial opinion, the reasoning of which is agreed to by fewer than a majority of judges on a court; although it resolves the particular case, the opinion does not establish a binding precedent.
Secession
A unilateral assertion of independence by a geographic region within a country. The eleven Southern states making up the Confederacy during the Civil War seceded from the United States.
By which method can an amendment to the Constitution be ratified?
A vote in specially called conventions in three-fourths of the states
Proportional Representation
A voting system that apportions legislative seats according to the percentage of the vote won by a particular political party.
Proportional representation
A voting system that apportions legislative seats according to the percentage of the vote won by a particular political party.
Separation of Powers
A way of dividing the power of government among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, each staffed separately, with equality and independence of each branch ensured by the Constitution.
How often does the Supreme Court strike down a Congressional law?
About three times a year
Congressional Budget Act of 1974
Act that established the congressional budgetary process by laying out a plan for congressional action on the annual budget resolution, appropriations, reconciliation, and any other revenue bills.
What is the ability of bureaucrats to make choices in regards to the best way to implement congressional or executive intentions?
Administrative discretion
Which of the following is an issue that would be evaluated using the strict scrutiny test?
Affirmative Action
African American rights eroded by the late 1870s because, what?
African American rights were no longer a Congressional priority
Members of which of the following groups are most likely to identify with the Democratic Party?
African Americans
Since World War II, the size of American families has declined considerably. The major factors to explain this decline are?
Aging American population and declining marriage rates
Three-Fifths Compromise
Agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention stipulating that three-fifths of the total slave population of each state was to be for purposes of determining population for representation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)
An organization modeled on the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund that works to protect the civil rights of American of Mexican and other Hispanic heritage.
Political Party
An organized group that may include office holders, candidates activists, and voters who pursue their common interests by gaining and exercising power through the electoral process.
Successful presidents tend to share
An understanding that the White House can be used to shape public opinion.
Who was the first U.S. president to be nominated at a large party convention rather than a small, undemocratic caucus?
Andrew Jackson
Who was the first president to represent more than just landed, propertied elite?
Andrew Jackson
Delegates to the national party conventions, what?
Are selected by party voters in primaries and caucuses
The legislative branch is described in, what, of the Constitution?
Article I
Which article of the Constitution vests judicial power in the U.S. Supreme Court?
Article III
What is the fastest growing racial or ethnic group in the United States?
Asian Americans
The 1887 Dawes Act promoted American Indian, what?
Assimilation
Rule of Four
At least four justices of the Supreme Court must vote to consider a case before it can be heard.
When is low presidential approval most common?
At the end of a president's term?
What does the doctrine of prior restraint prevent?
Banning speech or publication before the fact
Which case addressed the issue of whether the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment applied to actions of the states?
Barron v. Baltimore
How many district courts does each state have?
Between one and four
Which of the following is a term for a legislature with two houses?
Bicameral
If Congress were to pass a law declaring that Edward Snowden was guilty of two counts of illegal espionage and sentencing him to 20 years in jail, such a law would be overturned by the courts because, what, are prohibited by the Constitution?
Bills of Attainder
Which of the following were state laws denying legal rights to freed slaves?
Black Codes
Which do state governments tend to prefer?
Block grants
Harriet Tubman
Born a slave in Maryland in the early 1820s, Tubman escaped to freedom and became a conductor on the Underground Railroad. She led more than seventy people to freedom in the North, served in the Union during the Civil War, and championed women's suffrage.
Which of the following make up iron triangles?
Bureaucratic agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees
Government Corporations
Business established by Congress to perform functions that private businesses could provide.
How can the president check the authority of the executive branch?
By issuing executive orders telling the bureaucracy what to do
How can the judiciary check the authority of the executive branch?
By issuing injunctions telling the bureaucracy it must do something differently
How can Congress check the authority of the bureaucracy?
By refusing to fund programs
Thomas Hooker
Colonial-era politician who supported expanded voting rights.
Department of Homeland Security
Cabinet department created after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to coordinate domestic security efforts.
Which of the following is an important distinction between network and cable news stations?
Cable news has increased viewership, network has lost viewership
Gun laws are particularly strong in which of the following states?
California
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964)
Case in which the Supreme Court concluded that "actual malice" must be proven to support a finding of libel against a public figure.
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Case in which the Supreme Court first asserted the power of judicial review by finding that part of the congressional statute extending the Court's original jurisdiction was unconstitutional.
A federal grant that would give states money for a new housing project, but that would require the states to make at least 50 percent of the housing available to low-income families, would be considered a, what?
Categorical grant
Suspect Classifications
Category or class, such as race or fundamental freedom, that triggers the highest standard of scrutiny from the Supreme Court.
Which of the following is an informal process for amending the Constitution?
Changes in judicial interpretation of the Constitution
Which of the following has been a recent aid to gays and lesbians in their efforts to achieve equal rights?
Changes in public opinion
Roger B. Taney
Chief Justice of the United States who led the Supreme Court from 1835-1864. Taney supported slavery and states' rights in the pre-Civil War era.
Early colonial settlers mostly consider themselves to be, what?
Christian
Which of the following is a positive consequence of citizen journalism?
Citizen Journalism can act as a democratizing force by allowing more people to influence the accuracy of the information
Which is a potentially negative consequence of citizen journalism?
Citizen journalists are not held to the same standards as traditional journalists
Municipalities
City governments created in response to the emergence of relatively densely populated areas.
Which of the following are the personal guarantees and freedoms that governments may not infringe?
Civil liberties
Why did the civil rights movement change its focus during the latter half of the 1960s?
Civil rights issues were a legislative priority with the Johnson administration.
The death of President John F. Kennedy caused Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to, what?
Clarify presidential and vice presidential succession
Due Process Clause
Clause contained in the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments; over the years, it has been construed to guarantee a variety of rights to individuals.
Which of the following is a possible benefit of partisan polarization?
Clearer differences between the political parties
Standing Committee
Committee to which proposed bills are referred; continues form one Congress to the next.
Policy Coordinating Committees (PCCs)
Committees created at the sub-Cabinet level to facilitate interactions between agencies and departments to handle complex policy problems.
In 1772, at the suggestion of Samuel Adams, colonists created, what, to keep each other abreast of developments with the British?
Committees of Correspondence
What pamphlet galvanized the American public against reconciliation with Great Britain?
Common Sense
Political Culture
Commonly shared attitudes, behaviors, and core values about how government should operate.
Hate Speech
Communication that belittles a person or group on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, or other characteristics.
Which of the following is a reason why there is not much media coverage of the Supreme Court as other branches of government?
Complex legal stories don't sell as well as stories dealing with Congress or the president
Which of the following is an opinion issued when a Supreme Court justice agrees with the outcome reached by the majority but not with the legal reasoning behind the decision?
Concurring opinion
What do congressional support agencies do?
Conduct research and compile information on legislative issues
The USA PATRIOT Act violates the Fourth Amendment by allowing the government to, what?
Conduct searches without a warrant
The Articles of Confederation created what type of government?
Confederation
Which of the following was the first system of government of the United States?
Confederation
Which of the following best characterizes the policy of the national government toward Indian tribes during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries?
Confinement of American Indians to reservations
Which of the following is a procedure by which joint resolutions of legislative disapproval can nullify agency regulations?
Congressional Review
Edmund Burke
Conservative British political philosopher of the eighteenth century who articulated the view that elected representative should act as "trustees" and use their own best judgement when voting.
Supreme Court cases involving capital punishment have tended to center around whether the death penalty, what?
Constitutes Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Prior Restraint
Constitutional doctrine that prevents the government from prohibiting speech or publication before the fact; generally held to be in violation of the First Amendment.
Article VI
Contains the supremacy clause, which asserts the basic primacy of the Constitution and national law over state laws and constitutions.
Interstate Compacts
Contracts between states that carry the force of law; generally now used as a tool to address multi-state policy concerns.
Which of the following is true about the national party conventions?
Conventions attempt to mobilize loyal supporters and engage more casual observers.
Capital Cases
Court cases in which a conviction may result in the application of the death penalty.
Trial Court
Court of original jurisdiction where cases begin.
Appellate Court
Court that generally reviews only findings of law made by lower courts.
What are legislative courts?
Courts created by Congress under its implied powers
Legislative Courts
Courts established by Congress for specialized purposes, such as the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
What are trial courts?
Courts of original jurisdiction
Samuel Adams
Cousin of President John Adams and an early leader against the British and loyalist oppressors; he played a key role in developing the Committees of Correspondence and was active in Massachusetts and colonial politics.
Which of the following news stories is most likely to reinforce perceptions of partisan polarization?
Coverage of a congressional debate on abortion
Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Created in 1914, this non-partisan government entity provides information, studies, and research in support of the work of Congress, and prepares summaries and tracks the progress of all bills.
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
Created in 1974, the CBO provides Congress with evaluations of the potential economic effects of proposed spending policies and also analyzes the president's budget and economic projections.
Which of the following is one of Congress's implied powers?
Creating a national bank
The state of Texas tried to address Sweatt's request for admission to law school by doing which of the following?
Creating a separate law school for African Americans
Which of the following is an example of a reserved power?
Creating public safety regulations
Minor parties benefit from, what?
Declining trust in the two major parties
Information from sources that reporters have pledged to keep completely unsourced is called ________
Deep background
Which of the following is a term for a member of Congress who always votes the way his or her constituents want?
Delegate
Superdelegate
Delegate to the Democratic Party's national convention that is reserved for a party official and whose vote at the convention is unpledged to a candidate
In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled which of the following provisions of the Military Commission Act as unconstitutional?
Detainees can challenge their extended incarceration in federal court.
Declaration of Independence
Document drafted largely by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 that proclaimed the right of the American colonies to separate from Great Britain.
Party Realignment
Dramatic shifts in partisan preferences that drastically alter the political landscape.
Which of the following is defined by separate and equally powerful state and national governments?
Dual federalism
The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments supplement the rights of defendants with a variety of procedural guarantees known as, what?
Due Process Rights
When is school prayer allowed?
During a meeting on property that is adjacent to a public school
The president's approval ratings are most likely to be high, when?
During the honeymoon period
Which of the following is true about Supreme Court oral arguments?
Each party to the dispute is generally given 30 minutes to present its case
In order to establish justice in the newly formed country, the Constitution authorizes Congress to, what?
Establish a court system authorized to dispense justice based on the rule of law.
Government Accountability Office (GAO)
Established in 1921, this independent regulatory agency audits the financial expenditures of the executive branch and federal agencies; until 2004, it was known as the General Accounting Office.
Article III
Establishes a Supreme Court and defines its jurisdiction.
Which of the following is an example of congressional oversight?
Examining presidential actions under Congress's authority in the War Powers Resolution
In his Court-packing plan, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed to, what?
Expand the number of Supreme Court justices by adding justices who would be friendly toward his policies
What has been the practical effect of Title IX?
Expanded academic and athletic opportunities for women students
What did those who favored the newly proposed, stronger national government choose to call themselves?
Federalists
Which amendment extended suffrage to African American men?
Fifteenth
Members of which of the following groups can come into your home without warrant?
Firefighters: To Fight a Fire
The Alien and Sedition Acts were a clear violation of which of the following?
First Amendment's ban on prior restraint.
Eleanor Roosevelt
First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. Roosevelt championed human rights throughout her life and served as the U.S.'s first delegate to the Untied Nations General Assembly and later chaired the UN's Commission on Human Rights.
Hillary Clinton
First female major party candidate for president of the United States
Hillary Clinton
First female major party candidate for president of the United States, a Democrat, who ran against President Donald J. Trump in 2016. Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013; New York senator from 2001 to 2009; former first lady.
What type of regulation would be subject to the rational basis standard?
Food prices
Why did the earliest European settlers come to Virginia?
For economic gain
Who was the first president to make a concerted effort to establish the primacy of the national government?
George Washington
The drawing of congressional districts to produce a particular electoral outcome without regard to the shape of the district is known as, what?
Gerrymandering
Which of the following would be most likely to pass the Lemon test?
Giving college students at a public university the option of taking a class about the Bible as literature
Which political institution or actor cannot play a formal role in the Amendment process?
Governers
Which agency is Congress's watchdog on executive branch spending?
Government Accountability Office
Why is there high turnover in some government agencies?
Government employees can often make more money outside of government.
Independent Executive Agencies
Governmental units that closely resemble a Cabinet department but have narrower areas of responsibility and perform services rather than regulatory functions.
The NAACP selected a, what, as its first test case for desegregating public schools?
Law school
Categorical Grants
Grants that appropriate federal funds to states for a specific purpose
The Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee (SNCC) grew out of the, what?
Greensboro sit ins
In response to D.C. v. Heller, the Washington D.C. City Council required which of the following?
Gun registration and prohibiting assault weapons and large capacity magazines.
Which is true of FDR's presidency and legacy?
He personalized the presidency.
Which of the following is an example of how the government promotes the general welfare?
Health Care
The position of the press secretary has existed since the administration of ________
Herbert Hoover
What did the Supreme Court rule in Hernandez v. Texas?
Hispanic Americans had a right to have Hispanic Americans on their jury?
What is the second most common ethnic or racial group in the United States?
Hispanics
Which of the following is true of the federal government's workforce?
Hispanics are underrepresented.
Judicial Implementation
How and whether judicial decisions are translated into actual public policies affecting more than the immediate parties to a lawsuit.
Which article of the Constitution establishes the presidency?
II
Pocket Veto
If congress adjourns during the tend ays the president has to consider a bill passed by both houses of Congress, the bill is considered vetoed without the president's signature.
Which is true of the President's cabinet?
It has lost status as a collective institution.
Stare Decisis
In court rulings, a reliance on past decisions or precedents to formulate decisions in new cases
Which of the following are major administrative units of the government that have responsibilities for broad areas of government operations?
Independent regulatory commissions
What is an interest group's most important contribution during the legislative process?
Information on legislation
Which of the following is the standard of review applied to cases of gender discrimination arising under the Constitution?
Intermediate Standard
What was the first independent regulatory commission?
Interstate Commerce Commission
Which of the following is not an advantage of incumbency?
Investigate reporting by local media
What was the main task of the Committee on Unfinished Portions?
Ironing out disagreements concerning the office of chief executive
Which of the following includes bureaucrats, lobbyists, Congressional staffers, lawyers, consultants, and academics?
Issue networks
What happens if a president refuses to sign a bill?
It becomes law if Congress is still in session after 10 days; otherwise it does not become law
Why were many Americans uncomfortable with the term "democracy" when the Constitution being written?
It conjured up images of mob rule.
Which of the following is true of the USA PATRIOT act?
It enhances the ability of the federal government to conduct warrantless searches.
Which of the following best characterizes the Pendleton Act?
It established a merit-based civil service system.
To what extent has presidential power changed in response to crises?
It has grown.
Exclusionary Rule
Judicially created rule that prohibits police from using illegally seized evidence at trial.
The, what, Act of 1789 established the basic three-tiered structure of the federal court system?
Judiciary
In 2014, who was the only sitting Supreme Court justice who did not have prior judicial experience?
Kagan
Which of these cases allowed the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II?
Korematsu v. U.S.
Dolores Huerta
Labor organizer who, with Cesar Chavez, founded the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) in the 1960s.
Cesar Chavez
Labor organizer who, with Dolores Huerta, founded the United Farms Workers Union (UFW) in the 1960s.
Which is a way to measure bias in the media?
Language and tone reporters use to describe politicians
Which is a term for congressional vote trading that frequently takes place on bills that earmark money to be spent in home districts?
Logrolling
Sons and Daughters of Liberty
Loosely organized groups of patriotic American colonists who were early revolutionaries.
Which president was responsible for the Great Society Program?
Lyndon B. Johnson
Cabinet Departments
Major administration units with responsibility for a broad area of government operations. Departmental status usually indicates a permanent national interest in a particular governmental function, such as a defense, commerce or agriculture.
Which is the term for the party in each chamber with the most members?
Majority party
Article IV
Mandates that states honor the laws and judicial proceedings of other states. Article IV also includes the mechanisms for admitting new states to the union.
Why do many Americans fail to credit the government for things it does well?
Many Americans lack faith in U.S. political institutions.
In what case did the U.S. Supreme Court hold that it had the power to review the constitutionality of acts of Congress?
Marbury v. Madison
Which is a women's rights group founded in the 1960s that encouraged passage of an equal rights amendment to the Constitution and advocated for a broader judicial interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment to include gender equality?
NOW
In constitutional interpretation, the phrase "original intent" refers to an approach that interprets the Constitution, how?
Narrowly, based on what the words meant to the Framers
Which of the following is an example of an independent executive agency?
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Which tool is the most visible instrument that parties can use to formulate and communicate public policy?
National party platform
Susan B. Anthony
Nineteenth-century feminist, suffragist, and founder of the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) with Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Anthony later formed the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), which along with the National Woman's Party (NWP) helped to ensure ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.
Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States had, what?
No Executive Branch
How are federal judges selected?
Nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate
Which of the following is a state's claimed right to declare a federal law void?
Nullification
The agency that works exclusively for the president and helps prepare the president's budget proposals, forecasts economic conditions, and analyzes proposed bills is the, what?
Office of Management and Budget
Presidents use signing statements, when?
Often as an implementation guide
Which group is overrepresented in the federal worker pool?
Older workers
Which form of government is best defined as a few people ruling in their own interest over constituents?
Oligarchy
Fourteenth Amendment
One of the three major amendments ratified after the Civil War; guarantees equal protection and due process fo the law to all U.S. citizens.
Fourteenth Amendment
One of three major Amendments enacted after the Civil War, extending "equal protection of the law" to all citizens.
Thirteenth Amendment
One of three major amendments ratified after the Civil War; specifically bans slavery in the United States.
Fifteenth Amendment
One of three major amendments ratified after the Civil War; specifically enfranchised newly freed male slaves.
Affirmative action is designed to improve equality of, what?
Opportunity
National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA)
Organization created by joining the National and American Woman Suffrage Associations.
Which of the following is true of the House of Representatives?
Revenue bills must originate in the House.
Privileges and Immunities Clause
Part of Article IV of the Constitution guaranteeing that the citizens of each state are afforded the same rights as citizens of all other states.
Extradition Clause
Part of Article IV of the Constitution that requires states to extradite, or return, criminals to states where they have been convicted or are to stand trial.
First Amendment
Part of the Bill of Rights that imposed a number of restrictions on the federal government with respect to civil liberties, including freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition.
Fifth Amendment
Part of the Bill of Rights that imposes a number of restrictions on the federal government with respect to the rights of persons suspected of committing a crime. It provides for indictment by a grand jury and protection against self-incrimination, and prevents the national government from denying a person life, liberty, or property without the due process of law. It also prevents the national government from taking property without just compensation.
Ninth Amendment
Part of the Bill of Rights that makes it clear that enumerating rights in the Constitution or Bill of Rights does not mean that others do not exist.
Fourth Amendment
Part of the Bill of Rights that protects people form unreasonable searches and seizures of their persons, houses, papers, and effects without a warrant from a judge among other guarantees.
Sixth Amendment
Part of the Bill of Rights that sets out the basic requirements of procedural due process for federal courts to follow in criminal trials. These include speedy and public trials, impartial juries, trials in the state where the crime was committed, notice of the charges, the right to confront and obtain favorable witness, and the right to counsel.
Eighth Amendment
Part of the Bill of Rights that states: "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted."
Double Jeopardy Clause
Part of the Fifth Amendment that protects individuals from being tried twice for the same offense in the same jurisdiction.
Which of the following contributed to the rise of political machines during the Golden Age?
Parties organized community events and provided things like housing and jobs.
The increasingly conflicting and divided viewpoints of the Democratic and Republican Parties is called, what?
Partisan Polarization
What is the most powerful predictor of voting in Congress today?
Partisanship
Whip
Party leader who keeps close contact with all members of his or her party, takes vote counts on key legislation, prepares summaries of bills, and acts as a communications link within a party.
War Powers Resolution
Passed by Congress in 1973, the president is limited in the deployment of troops overseas to a sixty-day period in peacetime unless Congress explicitly gives its approval for a longer period.
Civil Rights Act of 1875
Passed by Congress to enforce the Fourteenth Amendment's guarantees of equal protection to African Americans. Granted equal access to public accommodations among other provisions.
The prior restraint doctrine was reaffirmed in a case involving which of the following?
Pentagon Papers
According to Richard Neustadt, effective presidential leadership requires the power to, what?
Persuade
Writ of Habeas Corpus
Petition requesting that a judge order authorities to prove that a prisoner is being held lawfully and that allows the prisoner to be freed if the government's case does not persuade the judge. Habeas corpus rights imply that prisoners have a right to know what charges are being made against them.
Discharge Petition
Petition that gives a majority of the House of Representatives the authority to bring an issue to the floor in the face of committee inaction.
Which of the following is an example of how the government ensures domestic tranquility?
Police Departments
Affirmative Action
Policies designed to give special attention or compensatory treatment to members of a previously disadvantaged group.
Which of the following is a central component of the Golden Age of political parties?
Political Machines
Which of the following is a term for members of Congress who vote the way their constituents want on those issues most important to their constituents, but who vote as they see fit on issues of less importance to the folks at home?
Politico
Which is often defined as the study of who gets what, when, and how?
Politics
Candidate-Centered Politics
Politics that focus on the candidates, their particular issues, and character rather than party affiliation.
Which of these factors contributes to citizens feeling far removed from the national government and their elected representatives?
Population growth
Thomas Jefferson
Principle drafter of the Declaration of Independence; second vice president of the United States;
Thomas Jefferson
Principle drafter of the Declaration of Independence; second vice president of the United States; third president of the Unites States from 1801 to 1809. Co-founder of the Democratic-Republican Party created to oppose Federalists.
Out-of-state residents have equal access to police protection as do in-state residents under the, what, clause?
Privileges and immunities
What type of federalism views the relationship between federal and state governments as one that is both coercive and cooperative?
Progressive federalism
According to the textbook, which of the following is a key function of government as set forth by the Framers in the Constitution?
Promoting the general welfare
What do appellate courts do?
Review the findings of lower courts
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
Proposed amendment to the Constitution that states "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex."
Due Process Rights
Protections drawn from the Fourth Amendment and the Bill of Rights. Due process may be procedural, ensuring fair treatment, or substantive, protecting fundamental rights.
Title IX
Provision of the Education Amendments of 1972 that bars educational institutions that receive federal funds from discriminating against female students.
William Penn
Quaker leader and supporter of religious tolerance who founded Pennsylvania.
A fundamental and enduring shift in the party's base of supporters is called a, what?
Realignment
Which of the following is one of the most important activities for the parties?
Recruiting candidates for local, state, and national office
Which of the following is the process of drawing congressional district lines?
Redistricting
Pendleton Act
Reform measure that established the principle of federal employment on the basis of open, competitive exams and created the Civil Service Commission.
Great Society
Reform program begun in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson that was a broad attempt to combat poverty and discrimination through urban renewal, education reform, and unemployment relief.
What does an independent regulatory commission do?
Regulate specific aspects of the economy
How can the president most effectively deal with an agency head who goes against administration wishes?
Remove them
Which of the following best describes the U.S. political system as envisioned by the Framers?
Republic
Which best describes fundraising for political candidates?
Republican candidates have historically been able to raise more money than Democratic candidates; however in recent presidential elections, the Democrats have exceeded Republican fundraising efforts.
In Schneck v. U.S., the clear and present danger test suggested that the government can, what?
Restrict the right to free assembly
One of the goals of President Ronald Reagan's New Federalism was to, what?
Return power to the states
Which amendment was passed to ensure that Congress could not disarm state militias?
Second
Full Faith and Credit Claus
Section of Article IV of the Constitution that ensures judicial decrees and contracts made in one state will be binding and enforceable in any other state.
Full Faith and Credit Clause
Section of Article IV of the Constitution that ensures judicial decrees and contracts made in one state will be binding and enforceable in any other state.
Equal Protection Clause
Section of the Fourteenth Amendment that guarantees that all citizens receive "equal protection of the laws."
Many of the ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence were based on, what?
Social contract theory
Who is the leader of the House of Representatives?
Speaker
In the United States, which form of government is the most numerous?
Special district
Conference Committee
Special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate.
Article V
Specifies how amendments can be added to the Constitution
Which of the following is most likely to fall afoul of the direct incitement test?
Speech that is likely to cause imminent lawless action
Which of the following is the type of committee to which bills are initially referred?
Standing
Joint Committee
Standing committee that includes members from both houses of Congress set up to conduct investigations or special studies
If a court reviews similar past cases as the basis for its decisions in new cases, it is relying on the principle of, what?
Stare decisis
Who usually draws congressional district lines?
State Legislatures
What did the Supreme Court rule in Griswold v. Connecticut?
State laws prohibiting the sale of contraceptives were unconstitutional.
Miranda Rights
Statements required of police that inform a suspect of his or her constitutional rights protected by the Fifth Amendment, including the right to an attorney provided by a court if the suspect cannot afford one.
The doctrine of selective incorporation means that, what?
States must protect most of the liberties listed in the Bill of Rights
What is the significance of swing states?
States that are closely contested between parties and can be won by either a Republican or Democrat, as they are not consistently beholden to one political ideology
A law that creates an alternative public school that is restricted to African American students would likely be subject to which standard of review?
Strict Scrutiny
The strictest test the Court employs in determining constitutionality of an act is, what?
Strict Scrutiny
What judicial philosophy emphasizes interpreting the Constitution as the Framers originally intended it?
Strict constructionism
If a litigant in Los Angeles, California, appeals a court ruling and then loses in a federal appeals court, what is the next option that litigant has?
Submit a petition to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.
How are interest groups most likely to try to influence Supreme Court decisions?
Submitting amicus curiae briefs
Which of the following is a way to end a filibuster?
Supermajority vote of the Senate
Which of the following policy positions will most Democratic candidates need to adopt in order to be successful?
Support for a woman's right to choose whether to have an abortion
Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt (2016)
Supreme Court abortion ruling that struck down state law provisions in Texas as presenting an undue burden on women seeking abortions. This decision invalidated numerous state and local laws that imposed similar limitations on clinics.
DeJonge v. Oregon (1937)
Supreme Court case that applied the First Amendment's protections of freedom of assembly to the states.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Supreme Court case that challenged a Louisiana statute requiring that railroads provide separate accomodations fro blacks and whites; the Court found that separate-but-equal accommodations did not violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Miller v. California (1973)
Supreme Court case that created the "Miller test" to determine when sexually-explicit expression was obscene and therefore beyond the protection of the First Amendment.
Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)
Supreme Court ruling that held that same-sex couples had a fundamental right to marry under the Constitution.
Barron v. Baltimore
Supreme Court ruling that, before the Civil War, limited the applicability of the Bill of Rights to the federal government and not to the states.
Symbolic Speech
Symbols, signs, and other methods of expression generally considered to be protected by the First Amendment.
Unitary System
System of government in which the local and regional governments derive all authority from a strong national government.
Federal System
System of government in which the national government and state governments share power and derive all authority from the people.
Poll Taxes
Taxes levied in many southern states and localities that had to be paid before an eligible voter could cast a ballot.
Which is an example of a concurrent power?
Taxing
Select (or Special) Committee
Temporary committee appointed for a specific purpose.
Which of the following is an example of a government corporation?
Tennessee Valley Authority
Direct Incitement Test
Test articulated by the Supreme Court in Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) holding that the First Amendment protects advocacy of illegal action unless imminent lawless action is intended and likely to occur.
Clear and Present Danger Test
Test articulated by the Supreme Court in Schenck v. U.S. (1919) to draw the line between protected and unprotected speech; the Court looks to see "whether the words used" could "create a clear and present danger that they will bring about substantive evils" that Congress seeks "to prevent."
Hatch Act
The 1939 act to prohibit civil servants from taking activist roles in partisan campaigns. This act prohibited federal employees from making political contributions, working for a particular party, or campaigning for a particular candidate.
Which of the following is the ideal of a happy and successful life?
The American Dream
French and Indian War
The American phase of what was called the Seven Years War, fought form 1754 to 1763 between Britain and France with Indian allies.
Which document entitles people in the United States to a trial by jury?
The Bill of Rights
Which of the following statements about civil liberties and the Constitution is accurate?
The Bill of Rights is not an exhaustive list of citizens' liberties.
Which of the following was a minor party built around a charismatic leader and former President?
The Bull Moose Party
Which of the following is the term for the small advisory group that helps presidents make decisions?
The Cabinet
Which of the following best describes the Rehnquist Court's decisions on federalism?
The Court largely favored state power.
Which of the following is the clearest example of infotainment?
The Daily Show
How do the Democratic and Republican Parties differ in their selection of delegates to the national conventions?
The Democratic Party requires a proportional system; the Republican Party allows for a hybrid of proportional and winner-take-all systems.
Which constitutional provision suggests that the Framers did not have complete trust in the ability of ordinary citizens to select their leaders?
The Electoral College
Which of the following includes a general staff that helps the president oversee the executive branch?
The Executive Office of the President
Montesquieu
The French baron and political theorist who first articulated the concept of separation of powers with checks and balances.
What classification system is used to determine the salary of government employees?
The General Schedule
If you were living in a country with a unitary system of government, which government(s) would be strongest?
The National Government
Who typically holds the upper hand in modern institutional power, especially during times of national crisis?
The President
What program aims to train new government workers?
The Presidential Management Fellows Program
How did the Puritans' settlement in Massachusetts differ from those of the previous colonists?
The Puritans viewed their settlement as an example of righteousness dictated by religious principles.
Which body has the power to approve treaties negotiated by the president?
The Senate
Which of the following plays a large role in the judicial confirmation process?
The Senate Judiciary Committee
Which of the following is primarily a free exercise issue?
The availability of Muslim worship services in prison
Counties
The basic administrative units of local government.
Nullification
The belief in the right of a state to declare void a federal law.
Social Contract Theory
The belief that governments exist based on the consent of the governed.
Dual Federalism
The belief that having separate and equality powerful levels of government is the best arrangement, often referred to as layer-cake federalism.
New York Times Co. v. U.S. (1971)
The case in which the Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. government could not block the publication of secret Department of Defense documents illegally furnished to the Times by anti-war activists. Also called the Pentagon Papers case.
Which of the following increases the odds that a case will be selected by the Supreme Court?
The case involves a conflict between the courts of appeals.
Separate-but-equal Doctine
The central tenet of the Plessy v. Ferguson decision that claimed that separate accommodations for blacks and whites did not violate the Constitution. This doctrine was used by southern states to pass widespread discriminatory legislation at the end of the nineteenth century.
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act passed by Congress in 1993 has been used by Christian corporations for which of the following reasons?
The challenge the Affordable Care Act's provision requiring employer-sponsored health plans to include coverage of contraceptive.
Critical Period
The chaotic period from 1781 to 1789 after the American Revolution during which the former colonies were governed under the Articles of Confederation.
Federalism
The distribution of constitutional authority between state governments and the national government, with different powers and functions exercised by both.
South Carolina's decision in the 1830s that a federal tariff would not apply in its state exemplifies, what?
The doctrine of nullification
Gerrymandering
The drawing of congressional districts to produce a particular electoral outcome without regard to the shape of the district.
Suffrage Movement
The drive for voting rights for women that took place in the United States in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries until ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in 1920.
What was the impetus for the 1840s women's rights movement?
The exclusion of women in some aspects of the abolition movement.
Why did party organizations flourish under Jacksonian Democracy?
The expansion of the electorate as property requirements were abolished.
One of the effects of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Amendments was, what?
The expansion of the power of the federal government
In 1934, Congress passed the national Firearms Act in response to, what?
The explosion of organized crime that stemmed from Prohibition
Which of the following has the ultimate authority to review administrative actions?
The federal judiciary
Warren E. Burger
The fifteenth Chief Justice of the United States who served from 1969 to 1986 and who led the Court in an increasingly conservative direction.
Great Compromise
The final decision of the Constitutional Convention to create a two-house legislature, with the lower house elected by the people and powers divided between the two houses; also made national law supreme.
Great Compromise
The final decision of the Constitutional Convention to create a two-house legislature, with the lower house elected by the people and powers divided between the two houses; also made national supreme law.
Necessary and Proper Clause
The final paragraph of Article I, section 8, of the Constitution, which gives Congress the authority to pass all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out the enumerated powers specified in the Constitution; also called the elastic clause.
Tenth Amendment
The final part of the Bill of Rights that defines the basic principle of American federalism in starting that the powers not delegated to the national government are reserved to the states or to the people.
Tenth Amendment
The final part of the Bill of Rights that defines the basic principle of American federalism in stating that the powers not delegated to the national government are reserved to the states or the people
Spoils System
The firing of public-office holders of a defeated political party to replace them with loyalists of the newly elected party.
Barack Obama
The first African American president of the United States, a Democrat, who served as forty-fourth president form 2009 to 2017. Senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008; member of the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004.
Barack Obama
The first African American president of the United States, a Democrat, who served as forty-fourth president from 2009 to 2017. Senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008; member of the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004.
Establisment Clause
The first clause of the First Amendment; it directs the national government not to sanction an official religion.
Seneca Falls Convention
The first major feminist meeting, held in New York State in 1848, which produced the historic "Declaration of Sentiments" calling for equal rights for women.
Lexington and Concord
The first sites of armed conflict between revolutionaries and British soldiers, remembered for the "shot heard 'round the world" in 1775.
Bill of Rights
The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which largely guarantee specific rights and liberties.
How did the Framers design the Constitution so that it could adapt over time?
The language in the Constitution was left intentionally vague so that it could remain flexible.
Government
The formal vehicle through which policies are made and affairs of state are conducted.
Veto
The formal, constitutional authority of the president to reject bills passed by both houses of Congress, thus preventing them from becoming law without further congressional action.
Donald J. Trump
The forty-fifth president, a Republican, elected in 2016; first president elected without prior political or military experience; an experienced businessman.
Donald J. Trump
The forty-fifth president, a Republican, elected in 2016; first president elected without prior political or military experience; and experienced businessman.
Earl Warren
The fourteenth Chief Justice of the United States who served from 1953 to 1969 and led the Court through an important liberal phase; previously a Republican governor and vice presidential nominee.
Solicitor General
The fourth-ranking member of the Department of Justice; responsible for handling nearly all appeals on behalf of the U.S. government to the Supreme Court.
Which of the following is included in the First Amendment?
The free exercise clause
The fact that an adoption that takes place in Nevada is also recognized in Florida is an example of, what?
The full faith and credit clause
Civil Rights
The government-protected rights of individuals against arbitrary or discriminatory treatment by governments or individuals.
Secular Realignment
The gradual rearrangement of party coalitions, based more on demographic shifts than on shocks to the political system.
Majority Leader
The head of the party controlling the most seats in the House of Representative or the Senate; is second in authority to the Speaker of the House and in the Senate is regarded as its most powerful member.
Minority Leader
The head of the party with the second highest number of elected representative in the House of Representative or the Senate.
House Committee on Rules
The influential "Rules Committee" determines the scheduling and conditions, such as length of debate and type of allowable amendments, for all bills in the House of Representatives (but not in the Senate, where debate is less required).
Thomas Paine
The influential writer of Common Sense, a pamphlet that advocated for independence from Great Britain.
Cooperative Federalism
The intertwined relationship between national, state, and local governments that began with the New Deal; often referred to as marble-cake federalism.
An executive order is used to give direction to, what?
The judiciary
National Organization for Women (NOW)
The leading activist group of the women's rights movement, especially in the 1960s and 1970s.
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF)
The legal arm of the NAACP that successfully litigated the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education and a host of other key civil rights cases.
Standards of Review
The levels of deference that Court gives governments to craft policies that make distinctions on the basis of personal characteristics. These standards stem from the Court's need to ensure that laws do not undermine the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause.
John Marshall
The longest-serving Supreme Court chief justice, Marshall served from 1801 to 1835. Marshall's decision in Marbury v. Madison (1803) established the principle of judicial review in the United States.
John Marshall
The longest-serving Supreme Court chief justice, Marshall served from 1801 to 1835. Marshall's decision in Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review in the United States.
Issue Networks
The loose and informal relationships that exist among a large number of actors who work in broad policy areas.
Constitutional Convention
The meeting in Philadelphia in 1787 that was first intended to revise the Articles of Confederation but produced an entirely new document, the U.S. Constitution.
Civil Service System
The merit system by which many federal bureaucrats are selected.
Civil War
The military conflict from 1861 to 1865 in the United States between the Northern forces of the Union and the Southern forces of the Confederacy. Over 600,000 Americans lost their lives during this war.
What best describes the difference between dual federalism and Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal government?
The national government had more power under the New deal than under dual federalism.
Why do historians refer to the period from 1781 to 1789 as the critical period?
The newly independent national government was struggling to survive.
President Pro Tempore
The official chair of the Senate; usually the most senior member of the majority party.
Federal Register
The official journal of the U.S. government, including all federal rules and public notices so that citizens and organizations can follow proposed changes and comply with rule changes.
Iron Triangles
The relatively ironclad relationships and patterns of interaction that occur among agencies, interest groups, and congressional committees or subcommittees.
Original Jurisdiciton
The right of courts to hear a case first, usually in a trial. These courts determine the facts of the case.
Right to Privacy
The right to be left alone; a judicially created principle encompassing a variety of individual actions protected by the penumbras cast by several constitutional amendments, including the First, Third, Fourth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments.
Which of the following statements is most accurate to describe the right to privacy from a constitutional perspective?
The right to privacy is implied in a number of Articles in the United States Constitution.
Which statement best describes the constitutional provision guaranteeing the right to privacy?
The right to privacy is not specifically enumerated in the Constitution.
Free Exercise Clause
The second clause of the First Amendment; it prohibits the U.S. government from interfering with a citizen's right to practice his or her religion.
Mayflower
The ship carrying Pilgrim settlers from England whose arrival in Massachusetts in 1620 is considered a founding moment for the nation.
Who is often referred to as the Court's "ninth and a half" member?
The solicitor general
Which of the following is the party governing body that supervises local party organizations?
The state central committee or the state executive committee
According to Dillon's Rule, your local municipal government must be authorized by which of the following?
The state government
During Barack Obama's first term, he subscribed to a system in which policy matters are decided at the federal level when a consensus on federal standards can be reached, but are otherwise deferred to, what?
The states
Politics
The study of who gets what, when, and how--or how policy decisions are made.
Electoral College
The system established by the Constitution through which the president is chosen by electors from each state, which has as many electoral votes as it has members of Congress.
If a bill is a vetoes by the president, what?
The veto can be overridden by a two-thirds vote in each house
Who is the presiding officer of the Senate?
The vice president of the United States
The rise of candidate-centered politics resulted from, what?
The weakening of the party system
Which of the following is a way to measure the power of the courts in policy making?
The willingness of the courts to interject themselves into political questions
Which of the following is a structural barrier to minor-party success in the United States?
The winner-take-all electoral system
Whose cues would members of Congress be wise to follow when casting votes on "wedge issues"?
Their constituents'
Which suggests that there are corporate interests influencing the media?
There has been increased media consolidation
Which of the following is true about party identification?
There is an increasing trend of people identifying as Democrats.
Why is it that the states establish criminal laws?
These powers are reserved to the states.
What is the job of the U.S. attorneys?
They are the chief federal law enforcement officer for their judicial district.
How did southern governments respond to Brown v. Board of Education?
They attempted to avoid and delay implementing the decision
Why are a national party conventions important?
They function as the ultimate governing body for the parties.
Which of the following accurately describes the indigenous peoples who lived in the United States prior to the arrival of the first colonists?
They had varied political systems
How have changes in the composition of the family affected American Government?
They have changed the kinds of demands people place on their government.
According to Max Weber, which of the following is true of model bureaucracies?
They have clear lines of authority.
Why are high approval ratings important for the president?
They increase the president's power and likelihood of legislative success.
Which describes the views of the Anti-Federalists regarding a bill of rights?
They stressed the importance of a bill of rights because they did not trust the national government to protect civil liberties.
Fundamental Freedoms
Those rights defined by the Court as essential to order, liberty, and justice and therefore entitled to the highest standard of review.
Federalists
Those who favored a stronger national government and supported the proposed U.S. Constitution; later became the first U.S. political party.
Anti-Federalists
Those who favored strong state governments and a weak national government; opposed ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
Lemon Test
Three-part test created by the Supreme Court for examining the constitutionality of religious establishment issues.
How have most recent cases arrived at the Supreme Court?
Through petitions for writs of certiorari
How might parties in Congress dole out patronage?
Through pork barrel projects
Why did FDR choose John Nance Garner, a conservative Texan, to be his vice presidential running mate?
To balance the presidential ticket
What was the purpose of the Judiciary Act of 1789?
To establish the basic structure of the federal court system
Why were interagency councils created?
To facilitate policy making in complex issue areas involving multiple agencies
Why do agencies resort to administrative adjudication?
To force policy compliance with laws or regulations the agency is charged with implementing
Why did the Framers include life tenure for federal judges?
To insulate judges from political pressures
What was the purpose of the First Continental Congress?
To iron out the differences between the colonists and the king
Why is there a need for government corporations?
To provide services that the free market is unlikely to provide
Why were The Federalist Papers written?
To spell out the benefits of the Constitution and the reasons for its structure
Which of the following was an original department of the U.S. government?
Treasury
Which of the following is a potential violation of the First Amendment that occurred during the war on terrorism?
Treating Muslim detainees in ways that violated their religious practices
Confederation
Type of government in which the national government derives its powers from the states; a league of independent states.
Slander
Untrue spoken statements that defame the character of a person.
Article I
Vests all legislative powers in the Congress and establishes a bicameral legislature, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives; it also sets out the qualifications for holding office in each house, the terms of office, the methods of selection of representatives and senators, and the system of apportionment among the states to determine membership in the House of Representatives.
Article II
Vests the executive power, that is, the authority to execute the laws of the nation, in a president of the United States; section 1 sets the president's term of office at four years and explains the Electoral College and states the qualifications for office and describes a mechanism to replace the president in case of death, disability, or removal from office.
Which role has been referred to as "the most insignificant office that was the invention of man"?
Vice President
Logrolling
Vote trading; to support a colleague's bill in return for a promise of future support.
Grandfather Clause
Voter qualification provision in many souther states that allowed only those citizens whose grandfathers had voted before Reconstruction to vote unless they passed a wealth or literacy test.
When are presidents most likely to have success at getting a policy passed by Congress?
When advocating for a policy that is central to the president's announced agenda
How does the Supreme Court influence public opinion?
When the Supreme Court makes its initial decision on a controversial issue, public opinion moves in the direction of the Court's ruling.
Which of the following circumstances should be considered one of the greatest minor-party successes?
When the major parties adopt some of the issues raised by the minor party
Susan B. Anthony was primarily concerned with, what?
Women's suffrage
Fighting Words
Words that "by their very utterance inflict or tend to incite an immediate breach of peace." Fighting words are not subject to the protections of the First Amendment.
Interagency Councils
Working groups created to facilitate coordination of policy making and implementation across a host of government agencies.
The Anti-Federalists felt that the proposed national government, what?
Would be too powerful
Which of the following is journalistic bias?
a focus on a good story with spice and drama
margin of error
a measure of the accuracy of a public opinion poll within statistical parameters
random sampling
a method of poll selection that gives each person in a group the same chance of being selected
sample
a subset of the whole population selected to be questioned for the purposes of prediction or gauging opinion
stratified sampling
a variation of random sampling; the population is divided into subgroups and weighted based on demographic characteristics of the national population
When significant media attention to an issue increases the salience of that issue with average citizens, it is called ___________
agenda setting
When government engages in ________, it places limits on the substance of the mass media
content regulation
tracking polls
continuous surveys that enable a campaign or news organization to chart a candidates daily or weekly rise or fall in support
The _____ rule requires that the broadcast stations sell air time equally to all candidates in a political campaign if they choose to sell any
equal time
sampling error
errors resulting from the size or the quality of a survey sample
A defining feature of muckraking journalism was that it _________
exposed misconduct by government, business, and individual politicians
American National Election Studies (ANES)
founded in 1952 by researches at the University of Michigan and Stanford University, this organization collects data on the political attitudes and behavior among voters, such as party affiliation, voting practices, and opinions on parties and candidates
if the media portrayed a story about immigrants as a threat to jobs, and public tolerance for immigration decreased, it would be an example of _________
framing
Which of the following is the definition of prior restraint?
government-placed limits on speech or publication before it actually occurs
Which of the following has increased in recent decades?
infotainment
public opinion polls
interviews or surveys with samples of citizens that are used to estimate the feelings and beliefs of the entire population
Media consolidation may result in less coverage of ________
issues of concern to the poor
Which of the following was a primary feature of yellow journalism?
it provided sensationalized news coverage
The array of organizations through which information is collected and disseminated to the general public is known as the ________
mass media
Currently, what is the approximate percentage of Americans citing the Internet as their main source of news?
more than 50 Percent
Telemundo is an example of __________
narrowcasting
As with the coverage of the president, media coverage of Congress is disproportionally _________
negative
social conservative
one who believes that the government should support and further traditional moral teachings
George Gallup
one of the earliest developers of scientific methods for public opinion polling and a proponent for a string role for the voice of the public in politics and government
statist
one who believes in extensive government control of personal and economic liberties
libertarian
one who believes in limited government interference in personal and economic liberties
exit polls
polls conducted as voters leave selected polling places on Election Day
push polls
polls taken for the purpose of providing information on an opponent that would lead respondents to vote against that candidate
A relatively restricted live engagement with the press is called _______
press briefing
An event in which an elected official appears in person to talk at length with the press on an unrestricted range of topics is called a ________
press conference
A documented offering an official comment or position on an issue or event is called a _________
press release
What is the primary driver of the news media?
profit
Why was the Second Amendment added to the Constitution?
to ensure that Congress could not disarm state militias
political ideology
the coherent set of values and beliefs about the purpose and scope of government held by groups and individuals
population
the entire group of people whose attitudes a researcher wishes to measure
straw poll
unscientific survey used to gauge public opinion on a variety of issues and policies
public opinion
what the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time