POLS Exam #1

a) the efforts of a group to reach and implement agreements

"Collective action" refers to which of the following? a) the efforts of a group to reach and implement agreements b) action by an individual on behalf of the collective, usually without the collective's permission c) the decisions made by absolute dictators d) whether people participate in their government

a) laws adopted throughout the South to disenfranchise black citizens and to institutionalize segregation

"Jim Crow laws" were which of the following? a) laws adopted throughout the South to disenfranchise black citizens and to institutionalize segregation b) laws adopted to end the segregation that was instituted during Reconstruction c) laws that integrated public accommodation like water fountains and schools d) laws that created separate but equal facilities for different races

b) a standard bargaining strategy in which two sides swap support for dissimilar policies

A "logroll" refers to which of the following? a) a congressional override of a presidential veto b) a standard bargaining strategy in which two sides swap support for dissimilar policies c) members of the majority party in the House voting against the wishes of the congressional leadership d) the overturn of a federal law by a state supreme court

b) whenever individuals who ultimately would benefit from cooperating with each other also have a powerful and irresistible incentive to break the agreement and exploit the other side

A "prisoner's dilemma" arises in which of the following instances? a) when a convict pleads guilty to a crime he or she did not commit b) whenever individuals who ultimately would benefit from cooperating with each other also have a powerful and irresistible incentive to break the agreement and exploit the other side c) whenever there are conflicting provisions in a constitution d) when a civilian is the commander in chief of the military

b) gives special consideration to minorities in their selection for employment and education where employers or government agencies have practiced discrimination in the past

Affirmative action refers to a policy that does which of the following? a) promotes minorities whether they are qualified or not b) gives special consideration to minorities in their selection for employment and education where employers or government agencies have practiced discrimination in the past c) promotes minorities in areas of previous discrimination but has never used quotas d) relies exclusively on quotas to accomplish its goals

d) the presence of national standards insulates environmental protection from cutthroat competition among the states

Although state officials may frequently complain about the policies of the Environmental Protection Agency, which of the following is true? a) governors always agree with the Environmental Protection Agency b) these policies are little more than suggestions for voluntary constraints on pollution c) the employees of the Environmental Protection Agency actually are the worst polluters d) the presence of national standards insulates environmental protection from cutthroat competition among the states

b) they salvaged a major political concession in the Bill of Rights, which is their chief legacy to figure generations of Americans

Although the Antifederalists lost their battle against ratification of the Constitution which of the following is true? a) they ultimately prevailed when the Court struck it down b) they salvaged a major political concession in the Bill of Rights, which is their chief legacy to figure generations of Americans c) they were able to achieve their political goals by winning all of the early Senate elections d) they ultimately prevailed when they orchestrated the impeachment of John Marshall

b) civil liberties are the Constitution's protections "from" government power; civil rights are the Constitution's protections provided "by" government power

Although the two concepts are often used interchangeably, the difference between civil liberties and civil rights is which of the following? a) civil liberties are the rights afforded all Americans; civil rights are those special rights given to minorities b) civil liberties are the Constitution's protections "from" government power; civil rights are the Constitution's protections provided "by" government power c) civil liberties are those rights protected by the Constitution; civil rights are those rights only protected by the state constitutions d) civil liberties are those rights protected by the state constitutions; civil rights are those rights only protected by the Constitution

c) a two-tiered system comprising the national government and the state governments

American federalism is which of the following? a) a three-tiered system comprising the national government, the state governments, and the local governments b) a four-tiered system comprising the national government, the state governments, the local county governments, and the local municipal governments c) a two-tiered system comprising the national government and the state governments d) a unitary form of government

b) is essential for producing successful political outcomes

Bargaining and compromise: a) rarely leads to successful political outcomes b) is essential for producing successful political outcomes c) usually results in all parties being happy d) generates bad policies that make society worse

b) whether they have developed constitutions and governments that work

Because of the large size of populations and the complexity of the issues to be resolved, the degree of success populations in nations have in politics depends largely on which of the following? a) whether they are capable of winning military victories b) whether they have developed constitutions and governments that work c) whether they pay absolutely no attention to their nation's politics d) whether they fail to be interested in policy in a meaningful way

d) In part closed the Boston Harbor to all commerce, dissolved the Massachusetts Assembly, forced Americans to quarter or house British soldiers, and ordered Americans charged with protest crimes be sent to England for trial

Britain responded to the Boston Tea Party with the Restraining Acts and Coercive Acts. What did these acts do? a) retained the importation to any sort of tea into the colonies and coerced citizens into involuntary servitude b) effectively declared war on the colonies c) repealed the colonial tea tax code but required the public execution of the protestors in Boston d) In part closed the Boston Harbor to all commerce, dissolved the Massachusetts Assembly, forced Americans to quarter or house British soldiers, and ordered Americans charged with protest crimes be sent to England for trial

b) some of the provisions of the Bill of Rights are still not applied to the states

Currently, the most accurate statement about the application of the Bill of Rights to the states is which of the following? a) no provisions of the Bill of Rights are applied to the states b) some of the provisions of the Bill of Rights are still not applied to the states c) the Bill of Rights has been added by formal amendment to the constitution of each state d) all of the provisions of the Bill of Rights have been declared unconstitutional

b) mutually exclusive spheres of sovereignty

Dual federalism leaves the states and the national government to preside over which of the following? a) nonexclusive spheres of sovereignty b) mutually exclusive spheres of sovereignty c) identical spheres of sovereignty d) one sphere of sovereignty

b) state and national

Federalism presents opportunities for two kinds of majorities to pursue their interests in competition with each other. These majorities are which of the following? a) consociational and bicameral b) state and national c) local and regional d) state and regional

three-fifths

For the purposes of representation in the House of Representatives, slaves would be counted as ______________ a citizen.

b) sudden bursts of national policymaking in which the federal government assumed jurisdiction over public policy once reserved to the states

Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty are both examples of: a) election platform slogans that did not result in policy changes b) sudden bursts of national policymaking in which the federal government assumed jurisdiction over public policy once reserved to the states c) federal responses to foreign policy decisions by state executives d) Republican Party initiatives undertaken after Hoover left office

c) speech, press, and religion

From the 1920s through the 1940s, the Supreme Court incorporated into the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment the First Amendment freedoms, which include: a) the right to an attorney when arrested b) the right to avoid quartering soldiers c) speech, press, and religion d) the right to bear arms

c) politicians will find they can ill afford to ignore this constituency

Growing numbers and a concentrated residential pattern for Hispanics mean which of the following? a) hispanic politicians are not the largest subgroup in the House of Representatives b) more U.S. citizens speak Spanish than English c) politicians will find they can ill afford to ignore this constituency d) bilingual education for junior high school students is now required in most states

d) directed exclusively at restraining federal power

In 1833, in the case of Barron v. Baltimore, the Supreme Court reasoned that the whole thrust of the Bill of Rights was: a) directed exclusively at restraining state power b) directed at restraining federal and state power equally c) advisory in nature, directed at neither the federal government nor the states d) directed exclusively at restraining federal power

c) two or more distinct levels of government

In a federal system, the Constitution divides authority between which of the following? a) the parliament and the king b) an executive, a legislative, and a judicial branch c) two or more distinct levels of government d) a unitary government and a confederation

b) the elastic clause in the Constitution

In the case of McCulloch v. Maryland, Chief Justice John Marshall upheld the right of the national government to create a bank based on which of the following? a) the authority to create a bank was expressly enumerated as a governmental power in the Constitution b) the elastic clause in the Constitution c) his hostility to the Federalist view of government relations d) Maryland's previous waiver of its sovereign right to prohibit the bank's establishment

c) stable and resistant to change

Institutions tend to be: a) completely revamped with each change in power b) easy to reform and relatively easy to abolish c) stable and resistant to change d) subject to public referenda for purposes of approval

b) reveal the personal and political ideologies of the justices so judicial doctrine can change as justices come and go from the bench

Judicial decisions regarding civil liberties: a) are almost always unanimous since the language of the Bill of Rights is clear b) reveal the personal and political ideologies of the justices so judicial doctrine can change as justices come and go from the bench c) are remarkably consistent over time d) demonstrate that judges have the capability to ignore their personal and political ideologies and make the right decision

a) a set of rules prescribing a political process for reaching and enforcing collective agreements

Political institutions include which of the following? a) a set of rules prescribing a political process for reaching and enforcing collective agreements b) the places where the former Yugoslav government put dissidents c) training centers for party operatives and campaign workers d) the official buildings where government employees work

b) a comprehensive set of economic regulations and relief programs intended to fight the Great Depression

Roosevelt's New Deal was which of the following? a) a restructuring of the distribution of authority between the Senate and the House of Representatives b) a comprehensive set of economic regulations and relief programs intended to fight the Great Depression c) a restructuring of the Constitution similar to the Philadelphia Convention d) the institutional reformation that allowed him to be elected President more than twice

a) decentralization of authority leads to greater government innovation and policies that better suit the preferences of the residents of each state

Supporters of states' rights argue that: a) decentralization of authority leads to greater government innovation and policies that better suit the preferences of the residents of each state b) greater centralization is essential because it is hard to govern a nation like the United States, and problems often extend across state borders c) the federal government should have the ability to veto policies that have negative effects on neighboring states d) the only solution for fixing the problems in the United States is returning to a confederation

a) gave Congress the authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several states

The "commerce clause" of the Constitution: a) gave Congress the authority to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the several states b) gave the President sole authority to draft commercial tax legislation c) prohibited Congress from interfering in interstate commerce d) provided for a national tariff not the sale of any goods

b) provides Congress with the authority to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers enumerated by the Constitution

The "necessary and proper clause" of the Constitution: a) is a historical artifact dictating the minimally proper dress code for the House of Representatives b) provides Congress with the authority to make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution the powers enumerated by the Constitution c) provides the judicial branch with jurisdiction over any matter the Supreme Court deems to be "necessary and proper" d) provides the executive with the power to override any act of Congress so long as the President certifies that such an override is "necessary and proper"

d) ballots be available in Spanish where at least 5 percent of the population is Hispanic

The 1970 extension of the Voting Rights Act required which of the following with regard to ballots? a) ballots be available in Mandarin Chinese where at least 5 percent of the population is Chinese b) ballots be optically scanned to ensure a proper count c) ballots be printed in English only, the official language of the United States d) ballots be available in Spanish where at least 5 percent of the population is Hispanic

d) forbid the federal government from regulating slavery in the territories

The Dred Scott decision: a) recognized the ability of the federal government to regulate slavery b) required the northern states to secede c) imposed abolition on the southern states d) forbid the federal government from regulating slavery in the territories

c) pluralism

The Madisonian view of democracy often is referred to as which of the following? a) elitism b) factionalism c) pluralism d) conditional party government

c) when using a thermal imaging device to conduct a blanket sweep of neighborhoods to search for basement marijuana fields

The Supreme Court has interpreted the Fourth Amendment to allow for police searches and seizures of evidence without a warrant under all of the following circumstances, except for which of the following? a) when searching to ensure evidence is not lost b) when the search occurs in "hot pursuit" of a suspect in the act of committing a crime c) when using a thermal imaging device to conduct a blanket sweep of neighborhoods to search for basement marijuana fields d) when searching with the consent of the suspect

c) it struck down the separate but equal doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson

The Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka is most notable for which of the following reasons? a) it sparked the immediate desegregation of public facilities across the South b) it was completely ignored by the executive and legislative branches c) it struck down the separate but equal doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson d) it marked the Supreme Court's first acceptance of the Tenth Amendment

d) reassure diverse interests that they would be better off under the new system

The U.S. Constitution was intended to do which of the following? a) permanently advantage some economic interests over others b) rarely impact the actual decisions made by government c) resolve a contested election that occurred under the Articles of Confederation d) reassure diverse interests that they would be better off under the new system

a) implicit zones of protected privacy rights on which the existence of explicit rights depend

The constitutional right to privacy is to be found in the Constitution's Penumbras, which are best defined as: a) implicit zones of protected privacy rights on which the existence of explicit rights depend b) those rights that are explicitly set forth in the Bill of Rights c) those rights incorporated into the Constitution from the state constitutions d) those explicit rights contained in the Fourteenth Amendment

a) authority is the right to make a particular decision and power is the actual influence the institution has over that action

The difference between authority and power is which of the following? a) authority is the right to make a particular decision and power is the actual influence the institution has over that action b) authority is seized and power is given c) there is no difference; they are perfectly interchangeable d) power describes the formal parameters of influence while authority describes the informal parameters of influence

c) de facto segregation is not mandated by law; de sure segregation is mandated by law

The difference between de facto segregation and de jure segregation is which of the following? a) de facto segregation comes about as a result of racial differences; de jure segregation comes about as a result of cultural differences b) de facto segregation and de jure segregation are basically the same thing: both are segregations imposed by law c) de facto segregation is not mandated by law; de jure segregation is mandated by law d) de facto segregation is mandated by law; de jure segregation is not mandated by law

b) ensure that defendants in criminal cases have the right to counsel through all stages of the legal process

The effect of the Supreme Court decision in Gideon v. Wainwright has been to: a) prevent those accused of a crime from being forced to give a confession b) ensure that defendants in criminal cases have the right to counsel through all stages of the legal process c) limit the admission of evidence at trial that was illegally collected d) prevent the use of the death penalty because it is cruel and unusual punishment

b) a highly decentralized governmental system in which the national government derives limited authority from the states rather than directly from the citizens

The first American Constitution created a confederation, which can best be described as which of the following? a) a highly centralized governmental system in which the national government derives broad authority directly from the citizens rather than from the states b) a highly decentralized governmental system in which the national government derives limited authority from the states rather than directly from the citizens c) a parliamentary system heavily reliant on party discipline d) a presidential system featuring a very strong executive with broad police powers

c) the decision of an individual to withhold his or her contribution from collective group action

The free-rider problem describes: a) the costless consumption of public good by a large number of individuals resulting in its destruction b) the tendency of individuals to defect from group activity in favor of their own interests c) the decision of an individual to withhold his or her contribution from collective group action d) the challenges associated with balancing transaction and conformity costs

a) the absence of a Bill of Rights that would protect individuals

The most successful objection the Antifederalists raised against the proposed Constitution was: a) the absence of a Bill of Rights that would protect individuals b) the lack of term limits on members of the legislative and executive branches c) the necessary and proper clause gave Congress too much leeway to extend its authority d) the strong provisions for judicial review would turn the Supreme Court into the most powerful branch of the government

d) creating a powerful precedent that allowed further expansion of the national government at the expense of the states

The net effect of the Supreme Court decisions in McCulloch v. Maryland and Gibbons v. Ogden was: a) reversing its ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland b) protection the policy responsibilities of the states via the Tenth Amendment c) restructuring the meaning of the Seventeenth Amendment d) creating a powerful precedent that allowed further expansion of the national government at the expense of the states

d) tragedies of the commons

The problems of pollution and conserving natural resources are examples of: a) free riding b) agency loss c) shirking d) tragedies of the commons

b) a partisan effort by the Republican Party

The purpose of Reconstruction can best be characterized as which of the following? a) a massive and successful social and economic reconstruction of the South b) a partisan effort by the Republican Party c) at its roots, a philanthropic endeavor d) a land reform program designed to provide economic independence for former slaves

c) that national laws take precedence over state laws when both properly discharge their government's respective responsibilities

The supremacy clause contained in Article IV of the Constitution declared which of the following? a) that state laws take precedence over national laws when both properly discharge their government's respective responsibilities b) that the Supreme Court is the final and supreme arbiter of the meaning of the Constitution c) that national laws take precedence over state laws when both properly discharge their government's respective responsibilities d) that the President is the supreme commander of the military and cannot be overruled by Congress or the courts

a) unfunded mandates

The use by the national government of cross-cutting requirements, crossover sanctions, direct orders, and partial preemption are all examples of which of the following? a) unfunded mandates b) grants-in-aid c) home rule d) categorical imperatives

b) the fundamental right to self-governance

Thomas Jefferson articulated the real rationale for throwing off British rule in the Declaration of Independence as: a) allowing slavery to continue in the colonies b) the fundamental right to self-governance c) embracing the divine right of kings d) mandating that all government officials should always be elected for fixed terms

Bill of Rights

What are the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution called?

b) incorporation

What is the name of the process that uses the Fourteenth Amendment to make the Bill of Rights binding on the actions of state governments and not just the federal government? a) enumeration b) incorporation c) socialization d) polarization

c) for both civil rights and civil liberties, constitutional amendments and the judiciary played vital roles in expansion

What similarities exist between the development of civil rights and civil liberties? a) for both civil rights and civil liberties, executive action by the President was decisive b) the expansion of civil liberties and civil rights was possible once the ability of opponents to use the filibuster in the Senate was broken c) for both civil rights and civil liberties, constitutional amendments and the judiciary played vital roles in expansion d) there really are no similarities because they deal with completely different issues

a) home rule

What was the name of the practice where Britain ceded control to the colonists to manage their own domestic affairs including taxation? a) home rule b) a parliamentary system c) command authority d) republicanism

a) the structure of government made it hard to change policy and politicians would not engage in costly behavior without an expected return

What were the two major obstacles African Americans faced in securing their rights? a) the structure of government made it hard to change policy and politicians would not engage in costly behavior without an expected return b) the constitutional guarantee of slavery and the unwillingness of politicians to take tough action c) the unwillingness of the British government to use its emancipation powers in the states and the constitutional guarantee of slavery d) the inability to raise the taxes necessary to compensate slaveowners and the fact that politicians would not engage in costly behavior without an expected return

c) fifteenth

Which amendment provided that the right to vote should not be denied on account of race? a) thirteenth b) fourteenth c) fifteenth d) sixteenth

c) coordination

Which barrier to collective action is generally considered the easiest to overcome? a) prisoner's dilemma b) free riding c) coordination d) agency loss

judicial branch

Which branch of the federal government is designed to play a key role protecting civil liberties in the United States?

a) commerce

Which clause has the federal government utilized to expand its jurisdiction over policymaking as the scope of economic transactions has increased? a) commerce b) supremacy c) advice and consent d) necessary and proper

b) the national arena may be the only place in which it can hope to prevail

Which of the following is a compelling strategic reason for a group to prefer national policy to state policy? a) the costs of the policy are always better hidden from the public at the national level b) the national arena may be the only place in which it can hope to prevail c) the costs of the policy are always more obvious to the public at the national level d) Congress makes laws very quickly

c) a neighborhood watch group deciding how to patrol the streets

Which of the following is an example of collective action? a) a king imposing a tax on his subjects b) a person choosing to purchase a new cell phone c) a neighborhood watch group deciding how to patrol the streets d) a member of Congress writing a letter to a constituent

c) each level of government must have identical powers to foster the greatest possible competition

Which of the following is not one of the general conditions of a federal system? a) each unit of government is in position to exert leverage over the others b) the same people and territory are included in both levels of government c) each level of government must have identical powers to foster the greatest possible competition d) the Constitution protects units at each level of government from encroachment by the other units

d) it ended abortion's varying legality across the states

Which of the following is true about the Supreme Court's 1973 opinion in Roe v. Wade? a) it was the first case to recognize a constitutional right to privacy b) it was the first time the Court had ruled on any issue regarding reproductive rights c) it legalized abortion despite the fact that all fifty states at the time had laws prohibiting abortions d) it ended abortion's varying legality across the states

d) it prohibits Congress from passing any legislation "respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

Which of the following is true about the religious freedom provision of the First Amendment? a) it established official churches in the early colonies b) it has been limited by the Fourteenth Amendment c) it applied restrictions on the states and the national government as soon as it was ratified d) it prohibits Congress from passing any legislation "respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

d) the Supreme Court has provided a high level of protection to speech that is expressly political, but there are limits to even this kind of speech

Which of the following statements about Supreme Court rulings on freedom of speech is most accurate? a) the Supreme Court provides equal protection for all kinds of speech b) the Supreme Court has narrowly interpreted the First Amendment so few kinds of speech are protected c) the Supreme Court has imposed strict limits on political speech to promote greater civility in politics d) the Supreme Court has provided a high level of protection to speech that is expressly political, but there are limits to even this kind of speech

c) the parties compromised so the balance in the Senate between free and slave states would be maintained

Which of the following was the rationale behind the Missouri Compromise of 1820, which matched Missouri's entry into the Union as a slave state with Maine's entry into the Union as a free state? a) the parties compromised so the balance in the executive's cabinet between free and slave states would be maintained b) the parties compromised so the balance in the House of Representatives between free and slave states would be maintained c) the parties compromised so the balance in the Senate between free and slave states would be maintained d) the parties compromised so the balance on the Supreme Court between free and slave states would be maintained

a) groups losing at the national level seek smaller victories in states where they enjoy majority support

While supporters of policies often try to move decision making to the national level, recent developments surrounding abortion rights and gun rights illustrate that: a) groups losing at the national level seek smaller victories in states where they enjoy majority support b) only the Supreme Court can determine the scope of public policies c) supporters of these rights have tried to move the fights to the national level so there would be consistent rights for all Americans d) these are issues that require a coordinated response so the country must have a one-size-fits-all policy

the U.S. Supreme Court

Who is the ultimate arbiter of controversies involving American federalism?

a) shared federalism

______________________ occurs when national and state governments jointly supply services to the citizenry. a) shared federalism b) consociationalism c) unitary government d) nullification

politics

the process through which individuals and groups reach agreement on a course of common action even as they continue to disagree on the goals of the action

transaction costs

the time, effort, and resources required to make collective decisions

government

those institutions created by a constitution and the legally prescribed process for making and enforcing collective agreements