POLS 2305 1-5 EXAMS

How many respondents are included in a typical survey conducted by a professional polling firm like Gallup?

1.500

How many total entities make up the Executive Office of the President?

13

Republicans dominated national politics during what period?

1896 until the 1930s

An individual who served two terms as a representative and then three terms as a senator would have represented her state in Congress for how many years?

22

How many times have we amended the Constitution since its adoption?

27

How many votes are needed to effectively ensure a bill in the Senate will pass?

60

Which policy scenario below BEST Illustrates the concept of fragmentation?

A city adopts a more rigorous standard than state law requires.

Why is the year 1808 consequential in the history of slavery?

A federal law banning the slave trade went into effect.

Which of the following statements about the relationship between public opinion and policymaking is true?

About 80 percent of Americans believe politicians should integrate public opinion when making important decisions.

Which constitutional amendment resulted in part from unconventional forms of participation in the 1970s?

Amendment XXVI

Which of the statements below corresponds with the conclusions reached by the earliest research on public opinion?

Americans are not capable of forming coherent political opinions.

The president's power to veto legislative action comes from what part of the Constitution?

Article I

Which state has the greatest number of electors?

California

What religious affillation is the most common among Supreme Court justices?

Catholic

What individual is known for his efforts to organize agricultural laborers in the 1960s and 1970s?

Cesar Chavez

How do civil liberties differ from civil rights?

Civil libertles concern protections from the government. while clvil rights concern protections provided by the government.

Which Supreme Court justice's personal experiences as a racial minority influenced his views on a cross-burning case?

Clarence Thomas

Where does most bureaucratic power come from?

Congress

What role does credibility play in the public evaluation of media outlets?

Credibility is an essential criteria used by the public to judge media outlets.

Which of the following groups tend to be more conservative than the others?

Cuban Americans

In which case was the concept of judicial restraint applicable to both the majority and minority opinions?

D.C. v. Heller

What are the two major American political parties?

Democratic and Republican

What must be true if a poll is to be considered randomly selected?

Every member of the population must have an equal chance of being selected to participate.

Which president was the first to make use of a private polling firm?

Franklin Roosevelt

A person who enjoys the benefits of collective action without contributing to their attainment are known as what?

Free riders

How did President Reagan's vision of federalism differ from that of most other modern presidents?

He believed that a federal system should limit the scope of government in order to protect civil liberties

A candidate who has won using a plurality voting rule has accomplished which feat?

He or she has collected more votes than any other candidate.

Among which racial group was turnout lowest in the 2016 presidential election?

Hispanic Americans

The Supreme Court is detailed in which Article of the Constitution?

III

Ambassadors representing the interests of the United States use what two tools to obtain compliance with American policy goals from other countries?

Incentives and sanctions

What can a polling firm do to reduce a poll's margin of error?

Increase the sample size.

According to the text, which of the following may be considered a disadvantage of interest group politics?

Interest groups encourage conflict.

How did the black community respond to Rosa Parks's arrest?

It began a yearlong bus boycott.

According to the text. which of the following might be considered a weakness of a federal system?

It can lead to budget inefficiencies.

What action did the Fed take in responding to the Great Recession?

It developed a massive bailout package.

Which of the following characteristics is a feature of a straw poll?

It does not utilize scientific methods to obtain a sample.

According to the text which of the following statements about the Great Society is true?

It expanded the federal budget.

In what way did judicial review dramatically Increase the power of the Supreme Court over the other two branches of government?

It gave the Court the power to deem acts of the other two branches unconstitutional.

What was the main effect of the Missouri Compromise?

It granted freedom to any slave whose master established residence in a free state or territory.

According to the text, what is the hallmark of a critical election?

It involves many individuals changing their party affiliation.

Which of the following statements concerning judicial restraint is TRUE?

It is plausible that an ideologically liberal judge could also believe in judicial restraint.

How did McDonald v. Chicogo (2010) impact states efforts to restrict access to guns?

It stipulated that state governments and laws are also subject to the Second Amendment.

What is one reason the NAACP primarily targeted inequities in education at the graduate level?

It thought desegregation at this level would be more palatable to society.

What makes a public interest group different from a private one?

It typically serves a broad constituency.

Prior to the Civil war, what did the Constitution say about stavery?

It was legal in all states.

What was significant about George W. Bush's approval rating when he left office in January 2009?

It was the lowest in polling history.

Which of the following statements BEST Summarizes the relationship between the Supreme Court and public opinion?

Justices are aware of public opinion but are not required to follow it

Why were the Founders concerned about pure democracy?

Mob rule could take over if the people had too much direct power.

Why is policy change usually a very slow process?

Multiple stakeholders, each with different values, must all agree on the policy.

Which term BEST describes the relationship between the president and his or her party?

Mutually beneficial

Which of the following occurred as part of the adoption of new professional standards starting in the 1920s?

Newspaper editors were given autonomy from corporate ownership when it came to story selection.

What percentage of Republican House members Joined the majority of Democrats in supporting the health care reform bill proposed in 2010?

O percent

What procedural step follows the submission of amicus curiae briefs?

Oral arguments are made.

Which of the following statements concerning party identification is MOST accurate?

Party identification is generally stable but can be subject to change.

How does a federal system encourage participation?

People have many opportunities to weigh in on policy through elections at multiple levels of government.

What distinguishes a purpose-oriented agency from a clientele-oriented agency?

Purpose-oriented agencies tend to cater to the general population.

Which statement below concerning religion and party identification is MOST accurate?

Religiously unaffiliated individuals tend to support the Democratic Party.

Which of the following reasons could explain why trying to lead senators has been likened to herding cats?

Senators are relative equals.

What event led the Founders to realize that the Articles of Confederation were inadequate?

Shays Rebellion

In what way was Sarah Palin a strategic choice as John McCain's running mate in the 2008 presidential election?

She had a reputation as a political outsider.

The final vote on health care reform in 2010 showed a notable instance of which party members working across party lines?

Southern Democrats

What was one philosophical hallmark of the anti-Federalists in the years following the ratification of the Constitution?

State sovereignty was an important goal, even if the Articles of Confederation failed,

Which of the following best describes the Supreme Court's view of physician-assisted suicide?

States should be allowed to make their own decisions on the issue.

What happens if no presidential candidate gets a majority of the Electoral College votes?

The House of Representatives selects a president.

Generally speaking, how has the power of the national government relative to state governments changed over time?

The federal government has grown increasingly powerful at the expense of states.

Which of the following represents one of the effects of the spoils system?

The federal government increased in size.

Which of the following is a reason why the U.S. Constitution has far fewer amendments than many state constitutions do?

The process of amending the U.S. Constitution is more cumbersome than it is for many state constitutions.

If a 2016 presidential poll had a margin of error of 3 percent and indicated that 42 percent of voters intended to vote for Hillary Clinton while 39 percent of voters Intended to vote for Donald Trump. Which of the following statements would be true?

The race is too close to call.

Which of the following represents the policy implementation stage as it concerns the response to the 9/11 terror attacks?

The wheels are set in motion for the creation of the Department of HomelanSecurity.

Why did media outlets agree to withhold calling all races until after the polls had closed on the West Coast following the 1980 presidential election?

There were concerns that West Coast voters might stay home as a result of seeing early election returns from the East Coast

Which of the following things will almost certainly be true in 20 years?

There will still be only two major parties.

Which of the following is an ability that benefits news aggregators?

They can expand the audience for old and new media outlets.

Why did the Founders want to limit the people's power to select national leaders?

They didn't think people were capable of making good decisions.

What was Britain's initial response to the Boston Tea Party?

They established martial law in Massachusetts via the Coercive Acts

What do personalized news aggregators do?

They generate lists based on social media profiles.

How did the national political parties attempt to punish Michigan and Florida for moving up their primary elections against the wishes of the parties?

They threatened to not seat their delegates at the convention.

What is one reason third parties have more success in some other countries relative to the United States?

They use a proportional representation system.

What federal legislation has been instrumental in ensuring that women's education programs, including athletics. receive funding equal to that of men's programs?

Title IX

Which of the following countries does not have mandatory voting?

United States

What is the hallmark of republican government?

Voters elect individuals who make public policy decisions on their behalf.

According to the text, which of the following statements about interest groups is true?

You can enjoy the fruits of an interest group's labor without being a member.

What step would be necessary if you wished to conduct a poll with a margin of error of zero?

You would have to get every respondent in the population to participate.

Which of the following would result in unified government?

a Republican president. 53 Republicans in the Senate, and 221 Republicans in the House

The term "original jurisdiction" concerns what part of the legal process?

a court hearing a case for the first time

What would be an example of a private interest group?

a group advocating for doctors

Who actually makes up the Electoral College?

a group of state electors

Which of the following laws would'most likely be struck down by the Supreme Court on free speech grounds?

a law criminalizing petitions against a proposed piece of legislation

What is a think tank?

a nonprofit organization staffed by policy analysts

The power of a president to exonerate a person from the penalties associated with committing a crime (but not from the crime itself) is known as what?

a reprieve

Which of the following features was included in the Articles of Confederation?

a rule that every state had one vote in Congress

Which of the following forms of protest would have been considered radical" in the early 1960s?

a sit-in at a white diner

What act represents one way in which the president checks the power of Congress?

a veto of legislation

Which of the following individuals is most likely to be politically conservative?

a white male Protestant

Which states were subject to the Emancipation Prodamation?

all states in active rebellion against the Union

According to James Barber's presidential personality model, the active-negative president is characterized by what?

ambition and power seeking

Prior restraint refers to what action taken by the government?

attempting to prevent the press from publishing a story

What title corresponds with the government's top lawyer?

attorney general

what is the lowest that Congress's approval rating has fallen in the past 15 years?

below 20 percent

How did the national government ensure cooperation with its policies during the era of coercive federalism?

by threatening to remove funding from programs

What is one way that a congressional candidate can qualify for a state ballot?

collect enough signatures

The Central Hudson Test is used as a standard to evaluate what form of speech?

commercial speech

the legislation was passed? Over what issue related to President Obama's health care reform was there considerable debate that required a compromise policy after

contraception

Which of the following campaign tactics that encourage participation is on the decline with the rise of new media?

door-to-door canvassing

The presidential "honeymoon period" occurs when?

during the first few months after inauguration Day

Which of the following did the anti-Federalists oppose?

e the consolidation of power in a central government

Lilly Ledbetter is associated with what contemporary public policy issue?

equal pay for men and women

How often are congressional districts reapportioned?

every 10 years

How often do federal elections occur in the United States?

every two years

According to the text, the federal government enjoys the most discretion over what type of policy?

foreign

For a case to get on the Supreme Court's docket, how many justices must decide that it should be revlewed?

four

What term is used to describe the pattern of more a more states holding their primaries and caucuses earlier in the year?

frontloading

Which of the following activities would most likely be ruled by a court to be in violation of the Lemon test?

funding private religious schools using tax dollars

Which of the following measures did the federal government use to become more involved in state and local matters?

grants-in-ald

What form of lobbying is concerned with mobilizing public opinion?

grassroots

Debates concerning the Second Amendment today are related to what political issue?

gun control

What term is used to describe the process by which individual members of Congress attempt to meet the expectations of constituents living in their own districts?

home style

Where did the Supreme Court meet in its early history?

in a variety of places

When does the vice president have a vote in Congress?

in the event of a tie in the Senate

In the last decade, what has been the most common party identification in the United States?

independent

Which of the following is an example of an implied power?

issuing an executive order

According to the text, which of the following may be considered a strength of a federal system?

it prevents tyranny through the decentralization of power and public administration.

Which of the following strategies have had success in thwarting gerrymandering?

legal challenges in the Supreme Court

Holding elections allows citizens to feel that the government has what?

legitimacy

Which of the following is most likely to impact a young person's political values?

listening to a parent talk about the election at the dinner table

Information is an example of what kind of benefit?

material

Which of the following is a task of the Fed?

maximizing employment

Political party power is centrally organized under which institution?

national party committees

Funding for a new federal government program must come from where?

nondefense discretionary funds

Campaigns tend to be oriented around what three types of strategies?

parties, issues, candidate

According to Richard Neustadt, presidential performance is largely a function of the president's power to do what?

persuade

What model of public policy dominates today?

pluralist

Early In the nation's history, which policy/issue was primarlly the responsibility of the state governments?

poverty

A voter who makes a ballot choice based on what candidates promise to do If elected is engaging in what kind of voting?

prospective

The Fifth Amendment includes which of the following under its protections?

protection against self-incrimination

What were "Jim Crow" laws?

public policies aimed at segregating society along racial lines

What did Ronald Reagan pledge to do with regard to the federal bureaucracy during his 1980 presidential campaign?

reduce/shrink it

The widespread use of caucuses and primaries today signals a shift in the presidential nomination process that sought to form to what group?

regular citizens

In which of the following categories is Congress most representative of the U.S. population at large?

religious affiliation

What two features of American politics tend to produce fragmentation?

separation of powers and federalism

According to the text, _______ articles of the Constitution can be organized into _____ major parts.

seven: three

If a president cannot muster the support necessary to ratify a treaty, what alternative mechanism may he or she use to enter into an international agreement?

sign an executive agreement

According to the text, nearly all Americans would be willing to engage in which of the following forms of participation?

signing a petition

One factor that helps explain the global decline in turnout in recent years is a loss of what?

social capital

What two terms summarize the broad objectives of the federal bureaucracy?

standardize and implement

According to the text, debate over which issue was the catalyst (main cause) of the Civil War? Choose the BEST answer.

state sovereignty

Which of the following courts will hear the most cases in a given year?

state trial courts

An example of fiscal policy would be a piece of legislation related to what?

taxation

Tension between the colonists and the British government grew mainly due to what issue?

taxes

How many amendments comprise the Bill of Rights?

ten

Which amendment in the Constitution is most closely tied to civil rights?

the 14th Amendment

Which constitutional amendment underpinned Justice Kennedy's opinion in Obergefell v. Hodges?

the 14th Amendment

The size of the federal government stabilized around what time period?

the 1950s

Which interest group faced a split within its ranks over President Obama's health care proposal?

the AARP

Andrew Jackson's party was the precursor to what modern political party?

the Democratic Party

According to his 1966 statement, President Johnson block for the future of the United States? considered the establishment of which federal agency to be "an essential building

the Department of Transportation

Which executive department is charged with maintaining order within the United States?

the Department of justice

What constitutional amendment was proposed but never ratified?

the Equal Rights Amendment

Which of the following is an example of a contemporary amendment that was proposed in Congress but failed to get the necessary number of states to ratify it?

the Equal Rights Amendment

Which of the following is an example of an independent regulatory commission?

the Federal Election Commission (FEC)

Which group of individuals advocated for the adoption of the Constitution?

the Federalists

Voters' uncertainty regarding John Kerry's true policy views about the war in Iraq during the 2004 presidential election contributed to what label?

the Flip-Flopper

What are the two main clauses in the Constitution that concern freedom of religion?

the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause

The fact that the state of Oregon must recognize a driver's license from the state of Wisconsin reflecwhat provision of the Constitution?

the Full Falth and Credit Clause

Which law below was passed in an effort to make the process of re-registering to vote easiert

the Motor Voter Act

What is one group that orbits the Republican "constellation?

the NRA

Franklin Roosevelt's collection of plans and programs to lift the American economy out of the Great Depression was known as what?

the New Deal

What period of American history is associated with an expanded role for the government regulation of manufacturing activity?

the Progressive Era

What organization spent the most money on lobbying between 1998 and 2018?

the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

What is one problem with the current media ecosystem according to former President Barack Obama?

the capacity to disseminate misinformation

the What does the term "gender gap" refer to?

the difference in party ldentification between men and women

According to the text, on what issue did the media prime the public in the months leading up to the 2008 presidential election?

the economy

Which branch of government is charged with enforcing laws?

the executive

A party's official positions on major policy issues are organized into what document?

the party platform

Who is the highest-ranking military commander in the U.S. armed forces?

the president

Which of the following is considered a principle of early learning?

the primacy principle

What three factors determine the likelihood of being persuaded by the media?

the source, the message, and the audience

If we think of politics as a game and the two major parties are like two sports teams facing off, what role do interest groups play?

the teams' fan bases

It can be said that interest groups have a bias favoring what group?

the upper class

"Reconstruction" describes what period of American history?

the years during which the Southern states were reintegrated into the Union

Which of the following do Americans typically hold in the highest regard?

their own member of Congress

Where does the Department of Homeland Security rank among executive departments in terms of overall size?

third

Which of the following represents one way the president can try to control the bureaucracy?

through appointment powers

How does the president exercise power over public policy within the federal bureaucracy?

through various means of oversight of the federal bureaucracy

According to the text, what are the three resources that will increase the likelihood that someone participates in politics?

time, money, and civic skills

What was Abraham Lincoln's goal concerning slavery when he was elected president?

to abolish slavery in all states

Which of the following was a principal goal of the Great Society Initiative?

to end racial injustice

What was the main purpose of the War Powers Resolution of 19737

to limit the power of presidents to engage the U.S. military without congressional approval

What was the general goal of President Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society?

to revitalize the New Deal

Which of the following would best be classified as a type of foreign policy?

trade policy

What are the three organizational features of the U.S. government's foreign policy?

trade, diplomacy, security

According to the text after victories in the realm of education, to what area of public life did the civil rights movement shift much of Its focus?

transportation

According to the text, in which of the following ways do partisan individuals differ from independent individuals?

turnout

How many more executive departments are there now than when George Washington was president?

twelve

Under the spoils system, according to the text, jobs were often given to individuals who could be described as what?

unqualified

A distributive policy is one that does what?

uses general tax dollars to fund state governments

Which of the following is an example of an expressed power?

vetoing legislation

What term is used to describe the phenomenon that occurs when Americans begin to lose interest in politics because there are so make elections to follow?

voter fatigue

Which list accurately ranks activities from highest rates of participation to lowest rates of participation among Americans?

voting in an election, giving money to a candidate, working for a campaign

According to Duverger, a two-party system will occur under what circumstances?

when plurality voting is applied to single-member districts

According to the text, what is the LEAST common form of political participation?

working for a political campaign