Test 3 Study Guide

Which of the following is least likely to be a downside of using political appointments to enhance presidential control? a. Sometimes appointed officials turn out to be poor managers. b. Sometimes appointed officials can pursue their own agendas. c. Sometimes appointed officials become advocates for the agency rather than the president's agenda d. Sometimes appointed officials provide new energy and responsiveness to an agency

c

Under the original Constitution, senators a. served four-year terms. b. were appointed by state legislatures c. were selected by the federal judiciary d. could serve only two terms

b

What is a government corporation? a. Each department in the executive branch that is run by an individual with the title of Chief Executive Officer b. It is an agency that performs and charges for services usually provided by the private sector. c. It is a private company, publicly traded, whose sole investor is the federal government. d. It is a government agency whose sole function is to make a profit.

b

What was notable about the 2018 midterm elections? a. Turnout increased slightly compared to turnout in the 2012 midterms. b. Turnout was up significantly and was more akin to turnout in presidential elections. c. Turnout reached an all-time high, surpassing turnout seen in most presidential elections. d. Turnout collapsed, reaching a 50-year low of only 36 percent.

b

Which of the following best describes federal contractors? a. the number of federal contractors is far less than the number of federal employees. b. The number of federal contractors exceeds the number of federal employees. c. Federal contractors always get their work as the result of a competitive bidding process. d. Using federal contractors always leads to reduced costs.

b

There are _____ federal government departments and each is led by a _____ who is a member of the president's cabinet. a. 2; secretary b. 5; senator c. 15; secretary d. 50; senator

c

What caused protests against racial injustice in 2020? a. Donald Trump's reelection ad president b. the COVID-19 pandemic c. killing of multiple African Americans by police or while in police custody d. federal government inaction on the U.S.-Mexico border

c

What impact did the civil rights movement have on rates of voter participation by Black Americans? a. Voter participation rates were not impacted by the civil rights movement b. Voter participation rates stayed about the same c. Voter participation rates went up d. Voter participation rates went down

c

What is the main point of a political protest? a. To violently attack or overthrow governmental authority b. To raise money for a cause c. To bring attention to an issue and confront a government or other official organization d. To show thanks and appreciation for government officials or policies

c

What is the most important factor in predicting whether an individual votes? a. sexual orientation b. race c. education level d. religious affiliation

c

When Congress placed the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)--the agency in charge of airport security--in the Department of Homeland Security rather than the Department of Transportation, Congress a. attempted to decrease the importance of airport security b. attempted to make the Department of Homeland Security less efficient than the Department of Transportation c. signaled that domestic security concerns were to be a more central aspect of TSA's mission than facilitating transportation d. signaled that the Department of Transportation is a useless executive department

c

When President Obama prohibited federal agencies and contractors from discriminating against transgender employees, he made use of which of the following tools to do so? a. an exercise of executive privilege b. a signing statement c. an executive order d. an executive agreement

c

When was the Twenty-Sixth Amendment ratified? a. during the Korean War b. right after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik c. during the Vietnam War d. during the Iranian hostage crisis

c

Which of the following characteristics is Congress least likely to give to an agency in order to increase its independence from politics? a. board structure b. staggered terms c. location in an executive department d. limitations on the number of agency leaders who can be from the same political party

c

The House Rules Committee is important because it a. is placed in charge of selecting the Speaker of the House b. decides the order in which bills come up for a vote on the House floor and determines the specific rules that govern the length of debate and opportunity c. reviews all applications regarding the formation of select committees d. determines the jurisdictions of every congressional standing committee

`b

An emergency declaration relating to foreign threats allows the president to a. embargo trade, seize foreign assets, and prohibit transactions with whatever foreign nations are involved b. hold elections for an entirely new Congress regardless of whether congressional elections are scheduled. c. issue a formal declaration of war without congressional approval. d. add amendments to the Constitution without congressional or state government approval

a

Because updating legislation can take many years, a. congressional delegation to the bureaucracy can be an attractive option. b. government corporations govern the legislative process. c. Congress is unconcerned with agency policymaking. d. Congress fails to make political or policy statements with its choices over agency design.

a

Before the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883, government appointments were made a. on the basis of merit b. on the basis of seniority c. to political supporters as part of a spoils system d. by leaders of Congress

a

If a legislative body were composed of 15 percent Latinos and 70 percent males in a state whose residents are 35 percent Latino and 50 percent male, the legislative body could be said to lack _____ representation. a. substantive b. descriptive c. delegate d. trustee

a

One of the main resources and distinguishing characteristics of the federal bureaucracy is a. expertise. b. fewer career civil servants. c. lack of specialized training. d. transition teams.

a

Privatization is a way to a. downsize government in that the workers provide goods and services are no longer counted as government bureaucracy b. recruit and retain talented employees in the career civil service c. reduce procedures that regulate government contracts d. eliminate the need for government officials to manage and oversee the private companies that carry out government work

a

The main political value of the vice president is to a. bring the president votes in the election that he or she might otherwise not win b. draw negative attention away from the president during times of crisis c. give the president an institutional link to Congress d. promote bipartisanship with members of the opposing political party through negotiations

a

The mission of the National Performance Review was to a. reorganize the federal bureaucracy to make it more efficient, more accountable, and less wasteful b. limit communications across agencies and make government purchasing procedures more complex c. increase the size of the federal workforce to reflect the bureaucracy's expanded policy d. improve congressional capacity and stop Congress from delegating to the bureaucracy

a

The power to receive ambassadors is an example of a. an expressed power b. a delegated power c. executive privilege d. an executive order

a

The president may have goals associated with both management and control in performing his constitutional duty a. to see that the laws are faithfully executed b. as ceremonial head of state c. not to receive "Emolument" from the United States d. to leave office upon conviction of treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors

a

To get around the need for Senate approval of treaties, many contemporary presidents have made use of _____ in foreign affairs. a. executive agreements b. international protocols c. executive immunity d. diplomacy

a

What is one reason that political parties and politicians view Latinos as a critically important group? a. The Latino population in the United States is large and rapidly growing. b. Latinos register to vote at higher levels than Whites and African Americans. c. Latinos contribute more money to political parties and campaigns than Whites and African Americans combined. d. Although the number of Latinos in America is declining, most live in battleground states like California, Texas, Florida.

a

When Dwight Eisenhower sent federal troops into Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957, it demonstrated that the a. president may make unilateral use of the emergency powers to protect states against democratic disorder. b. president requires the federal court's approval before using troops in domestic disturbances. c. use of the president's emergency powers against domestic disorder necessitates a request by the governor of the state in question d. president needs congressional authorization to use troops in both domestic and international situations.

a

When helping a constituent apply for Social Security benefits, Representative RoKhanna's (D-Calif.) staff is engaging in a. casework b. descriptive representation. c. lobbying. d. pork barreling.

a

When the president grants a pardon to someone convicted of a federal crime, this is an example of using one of their _____ powers. a. expressed b. delegated c. inherent d. implied

a

Which of the following best describes the effects of the 1965 Voting Rights Act? a. It empowered the federal government to reform election laws that prevented participation, especially by Black Americans, in politics. b. It required that all citizens show a government-issues identification before voting. c. It granted 18-year-olds the right to vote in federal elections. d. It established the direct election of U.S. senators.

a

Which of the following groups typically has the highest level of political participation? a. senior citizens (65 and older) b. Asian Americans c. young people (18-24) d. people who did not graduate high school

a

Which of the following statements about primary elections is most accurate? a. The United States is one of the few nations in the world to hold primary elections b. About half of the countries in the world hold primary elections. c. Approximately three-quarters of the countries in the world hold primary elections. d. Every country in the world holds primary elections

a

While the Constitution does not specify that presidents have the power to remove those they appointed to office from their positions, a. presidents have long claimed that the power is implied by those expressed powers they have in the Constitution. b. the Courts ruled that the president can remove such officials is the Senate also votes for removal c. after much legal argumentation, Congress delegated that power to the president in the wake of the Civil War. d. presidents have pushed for a constitutional amendment to allow them to remove such officials.

a

Who among the following potential voters is the most likely to vote? a. an 18-year-old who recently moved to a college dorm b. a 25-year-old who moves every 2 years c. a 28-year old unregistered voter who rarely moves d. a 29-year-old registered voter who rarely moves

a

Who decides which committee assignments members of the House of Representatives receive? a. the Speaker of the House b. each party's House leadership c. the president for members of his or her own party, and either the House majority or minority leader for opposition members d. each party's whip

a

_____ powers are specifically established by the language of the Constitution. a. Expressed b. Delegated c. Implied d. Inherent

a

A senator or representative running for re-election is called the a. constituent b. incumbent c. trustee d. delegate

b

A subcommittee is helpful for members of Congress because a. they do not need to hold hearings b. the y specialize in the committee's work c. they do not launch investigations d. their jurisdictions are well-defined

b

During the early periods of American history, suffrage was generally restricted to: a. Whites over the age of 18 b. White males over the age of 21 c. Females over the age of 25 d. All citizens over the age of 30

b

Executive agreements are part of a president's _____ powers. a. judicial b. diplomatic c. legislative d. military

b

Fixed terms of office, especially long ones like the 14-year terms for the members of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, tend to a. enhance presidential control b. diminish presidential control c. enhance judicial control d. diminish judicial control

b

One difference between a veto and a pocket veto is that a. the courts can rule a pocket veto unconstitutional but cannot make the same ruling about a regular veto b. Congress can override a regular veto but cannot override a pocket veto c. the president can only use a pocket veto once per year d. pocket vetoes are carried out by governors, whereas the president has a regular veto

b

One of the major tools of bureaucratic control presidents possess is the a. ability to hold hearings b. appointment power over political appointees atop the career civil service c. ability to issue proclamations d. State of the Union speech

b

The Hispanic vote was once referred to as "the sleeping giant" because a. Latinos vote at higher rates than African Americans b. Latinos vote at low rates relative to the group's size in the population c. Latinos vote at high rates in the "giant" states of California and Texas d. The vast majority of Latinos report an affiliation with the Republican party in surveys, but do not participate at equal rates as White Americans

b

The Senior Executive Service provides an opportunity for a. underperforming career civil servants to keep their jobs b. career civil servants to pursue managerial positions in the bureaucracy c. career civil servants to work in the private sector while remaining on the government's payroll d. politicians to eliminate the idea of "public management" as a profession

b

The office of the presidency was established by Article _____ of the Constitution. a. I b. II c. III d. V

b

The president's delegated powers come from a. the Constitution b. Congress c. the president's party d. the Supreme Court

b

The president's group of advisers and analysts is collectively called the a. Cabinet b. White House staff c. Executive Council of Advisers d. Department of State

b

The president's power to "grant Reprieves and Pardons" is an examples of a(n) _____ power. a. implied b. expressed c. inherent d. delegated

b

The three components of presidents' "administrative strategy" have been enhancing the power of the _____, increasing White House control over the federal _____, and explaining the role of _____, and other instruments of direct presidential governance. a. Government Accountability Office; bureaucracy; earmarks b. Executive Office of the President; bureaucracy; executive orders c. Executive Office of the President; judiciary; executive orders d. Government Accountability Office; judiciary; earmarks

b

Which of the following statements best describes the representation of women and people of color in the U.S. Congress? a. Representation of women and people of color has decreased one-third since the 1970s. b. Representation of women and people of color has increased during the past two decades but its not comparable to their proportions in the general population. c. Women are underrepresented in Congress, people of color are overrepresented in Congress relative to their population. d. Since the mid-1990s, the number of women and people of color in Congress roughly reflects their proportions in the general population.

b

Which statement about trends in popularity levels among presidential administrations is accurate? a. Virtually all presidents leave office more popular than when they entered b. Virtually all presidents leave office less popular than when they entered c. Virtually all presidents have about the same level of popularity when they take office as when they leave office d. There is no consistent trend; the differences between administrations does not reveal any particular pattern.

b

Who has the most real power in the Senate? a. the president of the Senate b. the majority and minority leaders c. the Senate president pro tempore d. the chair of the Rules Committee

b

Why do incumbents generally have a significant advantage over their challengers? a. Incumbents never face difficult votes that they must explain to their constituents, making easy for them to campaign on their record of service in Congress. b. Incumbents have name recognition, a record of service they can advertise to voters, and usually are better at raising campaign donations. c. Incumbents get nearly all of their bills passed, making them appear highly effective to their constituents. d. Incumbents are always immune from partisanship and economic downturns because most voters have considerable trust in Congress and see government as highly effective.

b

A _____ committee remains in existence from one session of Congress to the next, and has the power to write legislation that covers a particular subject, in most cases paralleling a major department or agency of the executive branch. a. conference b. joint c. standing d. select

c

A poll tax is a. voluntary b. a constitutional fee charged to all non-voters c. a now-unconstitutional fee charged to vote, used to restrict voting rights d. a fee that municipalities must pay to hold elections

c

As a safeguard against political interference, merit-system employees a. are awarded jobs based on campaign contributions b. are forbidden from working in the Federal Labor Relations Authority c. have legal protection against being fired without show of cause d. cannot reach top management ranks through the Senior Executive Service

c

In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon claimed _____ when he refused to turn over secret White House tapes to congressional investigators. a. presidential immunity b. expressed powers c. executive privilege d. the Fifth Amendment

c

Presidents often use Cabinet secretary nominations to a. create distance between themselves and the bureaucracy b. make political statements or to send messages about their style of management c. enhance congressional control of the executive departments d. respond to the Supreme Court's decisions involving the Freedom of Information Act

c

Suppose you were hired to work on the campaign of a 2022 congressional candidate. Your job was to reach out to the group of people most likely to vote. Which group should you target first? a. 18-29 year-olds b. men c. women d. low-income voters

c

The _____ is the informal designation for the heads of the major federal government departments a. White House staff b. Presidential Advisory Committee c. Cabinet d. Executive Office of the President

c

The delegate model of representation requires that a. representatives follow their conscious in voting regardless of how strong their constituents' opinion are on an issue. b. voters are allowed to vote directly on all government policies without having to channel their preferences through and elected representative. c. representatives remain in constant touch with constituents and that constituents follow each policy issue very closely. d. interest groups are prohibited from lobbying elected representatives.

c

The idea that all executive power inheres in the president except as explicitly limited by the Constitution is called the _____ executive theory. a. unlimited b. totalitarian c. unitary d. dual

c

The number of seats in the House of Representatives has been fixed at _____ since _____. a. 100; 1790 b. 100; 1929 c. 435; 1929 d. 435; 1959

c

The number of vetoes issued by a president each year a. has been relatively constant throughout American history. b. has never exceeded two c. is typically higher when Congress is controlled by the opposite party of the president. d. is typically lower when Congress is controlled by the opposite party of the president.

c

The powers of the president that are most clearly spelled out in the Constitution are _____ powers. On the other hand, _____ powers are not listed in the Constitution at all, and in fact derive the legitimacy from Congress, who have given those particular powers to the president over time a. implied; delegated b. inherent; expressed c. expressed; delegated d. implied; inherent

c

The states in which regions gained seats during the most recent apportionment? a. Northeast and Midwest b. Northeast and South c. South and Midwest d. South and West

c

Which of the following is least likely to be a reason congress would delegate policymaking authority to the bureaucracy? a. Bureaucracies employ people who have much more specialized expertise in specific policy areas than do members of Congress. b. Updating legislation can take years, and so bureaucratic flexibility can ensure laws are administered in ways that take new conditions into account. c. Agencies can make policy decisions that are different than what Congress wants. d. Congress may prefer to avoid making politically difficult policy decisions.

c

Which of the following statements about the presidential veto is most accurate? a. Presidents have used the veto only twice in American history b. Use of the veto has remained constant across presidential administrations, and vetoes are frequently overridden. c. Use of the veto varies considerably across presidential administrations, and vetoes are seldom overridden. d. Use of the veto has remained constant across presidential administrations, and vetoes are often overridden.

c

Which of the following statements best characterizes the relationship between education, income, and voting? a. Americans with higher levels of income and education tend to vote less often as Americans with lower levels of income and education. b. Americans with higher levels of income and education vote equally often as Americans with lower levels of income and education. c. Americans with higher levels of income and education tend to vote more often as Americans with lower levels of income and education. d. Americans with higher levels of income vote more often than those with lower levels, but those with higher levels of education vote less often.

c

Which statement about White Americans' participation in the 2020 presidential election is accurate? a. White Americans made up slightly less than half of the people who voted. b. Most White Americans supported Democratic candidates c. Most White Americans supported Republican candidates d. White Americans with a college degree were more likely to vote for Republican candidates

c

Which three factors related to the American electoral system affect who is elected to office in this country and what they do once they get there? a. party affiliation, family connections, and the substance of issues raised during a campaign b. who decides to run for office, incumbency, and the drawing of district lines c. incumbency, franking, and family d. military service, professional connections, and religious beliefs

c

Why does the president give the State of the Union address? a. The address is required by a law passed by Congress in 1982. b. Because the State of the Union is only given once every four years, it traditionally serves as the start of the reelection campaign. c. It is the only opportunity for the president to introduce legislation to Congress d. The State of the Union address is mandated by the Constitution.

c

_____ is responsible for making the laws, but _____ is responsible for putting laws into effect. a. The Bureaucracy; Congress b. The President; Congress c. Congress; the bureaucracy d. The Supreme Court; Congress

c

A U.S. senator has a _____-year tern, while a U.S. representative has a _____ year term. a. two;six b.four;six c.six;four d.six;two

d

A major risk of the delegate model of representation is that a. no new laws will be passed because all representatives must agree before a bill can be enacted. b. elected officials will spend too much time attempting to raise money for their next campaign because they must seek re-election so frequently c. elected officials will completely ignore their constituents' preferences because they are following their own beliefs about which policies are best d. the voices of only a few active and informed constituents will be heard because most people do not pay close attention to every issue.

d

How do the different constituencies represented by U.S. representatives and senators shape how these members perform their duties? a. Representatives generally only focus on pork barrel efforts due to their narrow constituency, while senators never engage in pork barrel politics because it may alienate constituents who do not receive the benefits. b. Since representatives serve small constituencies, they do not rely on special interest groups; senators are much more reliant on campaign donations and therefore less in tune with the voters of their state. c. Representatives serve a small constituency and therefore must focus on constituent service and casework, while senators serve a broad, statewide constituency and therefore do not engage in casework or constituent service d. Due to a small, more uniform constituency and frequent elections, representatives are often more attuned to narrower, local interests, while senators, with their statewide, diverse consistency, are a bit more insulated and must balance competing influences.

d

In 2016, constituents notified Congress of a sudden 500 perfect price hike in EpiPens (which are used to treat severe allergic reactions). In response, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee launched an inquiry and held hearings on the issue. The committee's response was an example of _____ oversight. a. "health and well-being" b. "privatization" c. "police patrol" d. "fire alarm"

d

Of the following, which is the most important factor in bureaucracies' ability to implement laws effectively? a. adjudication b. environmental impact statements c. presidential action d. administrative capacity

d

Presidential elections are held in the United States on the first Tuesday of November _____ year(s). a. every b. every other c. every three d. every four

d

Primary elections were introduced by a. the Federalists in the late eighteenth century b. the Democrats in the 1830s c. the Republicans in the 1870s d. Progressive reformers at the start of the 1900s

d

Race became a major factor in drawing congressional district lines as a result of a. Title IX of the 1964 Civil Rights Act b. Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act c. the Supreme Court's decision in Shelby County v. Holder d. the 1982 amendments to the Voting Rights Act of 1965

d

Suppose more and more states wish to increase their political influence by holding their nominating process earlier and earlier. This causes the process for nominating the president to become a. gerrymandering b. proportionally represented c. a closed primary d. front-loaded

d

The growth of the Latino population in the United States is significant because a. states with large Latino populations would lose seats in Congress b. this would not change the apportionment that happens every 10 years c. Latino voters would be less likely to be represented in Congress d. states with sizeable Latino populations could gain seats in Congress

d

The process of allocating congressional seats among the 50 states is called a. redistricting b. gerrymandering c. redlining d. apportionment

d

The term "pork barrel" refers to a. any piece of legislation that changes the number of agricultural subsidies provided to farmers by the federal government. b. the collective set of laws that regulate America's meat exports. c. bills that grant a special privilege to a person named in the bill. d. appropriations made by legislative bodies that are often not needed but are created so that local representatives can win re-election in their home districts

d

What is the gender gap? a. The difference in support for Republicans and Democrats among men and women b. The differences in political beliefs between White and non-White women c. The differences in political beliefs between younger women and older women d. The differences in the number of women who hold elective office in America versus women in other developed democracies

d

What is the most common and important political act for most Americans? a. peaceful protest b. writing a letter to the editor c. contributing to political campaigns d. voting

d

What is the role of the Office of Management and Budget? a. It can veto legislation passed by Congress that negatively impacts the federal budget b. It grants approval to the president when they seek administrative rule changes and tax increases c. it passes the federal budget d. it assists with overseeing regulatory proposals and preparing the national budget.

d

When President Truman seized the nation's steel mills during the Korean War, he based his actions on his interpretation of the president's _____ powers. a. negotiated b. expressed c. delegated d. inherent

d

When Senator Robert Byrd steered federal money to build highways, dams, and government facilities to his state of West Virginia, he was doing which of the following? a. gerrymandering b. apportioning c. redistricting d. pork barreling

d

Which amendment to the Constitution lowered the voting age from 21 to 18? a. Fifteenth Amendment b. Nineteenth Amendment c. Twenty-Second Amendment d. Twenty-Six Amendment

d

Which of the following best describes the Executive Office of the President (EOP)? a. Individuals who work in the EOP are very often political appointees. b. The EOP includes the vast majority of federal employees and authority c. The EOP runs itself and raises its own funds. d. Individuals who work in the EOP often serve fixed terms

d

Which of the following constitutional provisions provides the least legal basis for a federal bureaucracy? a. the presidential power to nominate, with the "Advice and Consent of the Senate" the officers of the United Stats b. the ability of the president to "require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective Offices" c. the presidential power to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed" d. the ability of the president to "receive Ambassadors" from other countries

d

Which of the following terms is the best definition of a violent attack on government? a. protest b. lobbying c. anarchy d. insurrection

d

Who confirms members of the Cabinet, and to whom are they accountable? a. Members of the Cabinet must be approved by the House to win confirmation, but after this they are not directly accountable to Congress b. Members of the Cabinet must be approved by the House, but after they are accountable to the Senate alone c. Members of the Cabinet must be approved by the Senate, and once approved remain accountable to Congress at large d. Members of the Cabinet must be approved by the Senate to win confirmation, but after this they are not directly accountable to Congress

d

_____ bureaucrats regularly interact with the public. a. Oversight b. Elected c. "Police patrol" d. "Street-level"

d

_____ is the largest employer in the country and the largest producer of goods and services in the world. a. Amazon b. Walmart c. Apple d. The U.S. federal government

d

_____ is when federal agencies develop policies or procedures that implement laws and look like statues. a. Oversight b. Privatization c. Enforcement d. Rulemaking

d