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The discount rate is the interest rate at which the Federal Reserve Board lends money to member banks. Only Texas and Oklahoma have two supreme courts. Answer: TRUE The gender gap in party identification has nearly closed. Answer: FALSE[/cpmembership] The […]

The justices’ behavioral characteristics are unlikely to influence how they evaluate the facts and legal issues in a debate. Municipal revenues are tied to the health of the state’s economy. Answer: TRUE If you are a lobbyist wanting to influence […]

Under the Constitution, senators are elected to ________-year terms. A) two B) four C) six D) eight E) ten Texas joined the United States as the twenty-eighth state and the U.S. Congress accepted the new constitution for the State of […]

Liberals A) believe individuals should look to churches and other social services organizations instead of the government for assistance. B) are comfortable with the social status quo. C) generally favor government intervention to promote equality. D) seek to end costly […]

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal decreased government intervention in many economic policy areas, such as labor and industry. President Bill Clinton proposed, and Congress approved a balanced budget. Answer: TRUE The U.S. solicitor general’s petitions to the Supreme Court […]

The Department of Homeland Security is the newest Cabinet department. Following the French and Indian War, the British government and the colonists agreed that westward expansion and settlement should be curtailed. Answer: FALSE The notion of southern states opposing a […]

All of the following were differences between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists EXCEPT A) the Federalists were generally landed and rich, while the Anti-Federalists were small farmers. B) the Federalists were generally elitist, while the Anti-Federalists were common men. C) the […]

You have received a traffic ticket from a Dallas police officer. You decide to contest it and must appear in the court which exercises original jurisdiction over limited criminal violations of Dallas city ordinances. What court is that? A) Justice […]

Which of the following weakened the power of the governor by implementing a plural executive? A) A constitutional amendment in 1850 B) The state’s 1861 Confederate Constitution C) The 1886 Constitution of Texas D) The 1869 Constitution of Texas E) […]

Americans’ views on the news media have become A) more favorable in the past few decades. B) more ambivalent. C) more neutral, especially with regard to television news. D) increasingly unfavorable in recent years. E) polarized in the last ten […]

Two new media developments that have affected campaigns, particularly within the past four years, are I. MySpace. II. the Huffington Post. III. Twitter IV. Facebook A) I and II B) II and III C) I and III D) II and […]

When President George W. Bush appointed __________ and ___________ to the Court, most people expected major changes. A) John G. Roberts Jr./John Paul Stevens B) John G. Roberts Jr./Robert Bork C) John G. Roberts Jr./Samuel A. Alito Jr. D) Samuel […]

Most economic regulation was undertaken by the national government during our nation’s first century. The youngest member of Congress is a female Democrat. Answer: FALSE Dillon’s Rule says that local government has power only at the will of state governments. […]

Counties in Texas have broad powers beyond what may be stipulated in the Constitution and statutes. The key functions of American government are found in both the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution. Answer: FALSE The […]

The Constitution stipulated that slaves should be counted as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes. Texas enacted the 1869 Constitution in response to additional requirements placed on the state for readmission to the union by congressional Reconstruction, including a […]

The group that casts the ballots that actually elect a president is A) the electorate. B) superdelegates. C) the Electoral College. D) state legislators. E) the Senate. Former slaves were granted citizenship as well as the privileges and immunities thereof, […]

Which of the following is MOST likely the primary reason that President Ronald Reagan sought to undo legislative actions that protected the environment? A) He did not believe the federal government should play a role in protecting the environment. B) […]

When presidents fill judicial vacancies in district courts, they generally defer to the senators from the state where the vacancy occurs. Texas public schools were first administered by county commissioners before the advent of the school district system. Answer: TRUE […]

Some of the nation’s poorest counties are in Texas. None of the three traditional news networks are independently owned. For example, ABC is owned by Disney. Answer: TRUE Public opinion polling began in the 1800s. Answer: FALSE In the state […]

The federal judiciary was given form and substance by A) Article IV. B) the Judiciary Act of 1789. C) the Alien and Sedition Acts. D) the Supreme Court. E) the president. The number of judges of the various U.S. Court […]

Researchers find that the more amicus curiae briefs filed in support of a cause, the more likely that party will win. You have been labeled a “cockroach” by the chair of your constitutional revision convention. You are likely opposed to […]

Many citizen journalists work without pay and for pleasure. Majorities of Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu individuals have established roots in the United States. Answer: FALSE Anne Hutchinson would have believed that a woman should be fully subservient to her […]

Today, nearly one-fourth of the people in the United States are immigrants. President Barack Obama appears to support the concept of charter schools. Answer: TRUE Since 1876, there have been 181 seats in the legislature31 seats in the Senate and […]

.Texas is no longer subject to the preclearance requirements of the Voting Rights Act. Short-order cooks and servers working at your local restaurant can thank President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress for agreeing that there should be a national minimum […]

The president of the Senate is the A) President pro tempore. B) Speaker. C) Majority Leader. D) Minority Leader. E) Lieutenant Governor. Removal of the president from office requires A) a two-thirds vote in the House. B) a simple majority […]

According to the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution, which of the following is NOT an example of a function of American government? A) Promoting the general welfare B) Securing the blessings of liberty C) Ensuring the pursuit of happiness D) […]

Gerrymandering is less likely to occur when A) only one district is involved. B) there is racial heterogeneity. C) political parties are strong. D) courts control the process. E) district boundaries are established for ten-year periods. Texas is one of […]

Allowing states to decide how to deal with an oil spill follows the principle of progressive federalism. According to Thomas Hobbes, the state of nature is peaceful coexistence. Answer: FALSE The ultimate goal in a political campaign is winning. Answer: […]

Which of the following contributed most to the increase in state spending from the 1970s through the 1990s? A) Population growth B) Establishing the Texas Lottery C) Increased court fees D) Heavy reliance on the sales tax E) All of […]

Several provisions of the War Powers Act have been ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court because they interfere with the president’s commander in chief powers. The Supreme Court is consistently swayed by public opinion. Answer: TRUE Public interest groups […]

According to the authors of the textbook, under what circumstances will Texas adopt an income tax? A) When the proportion of retired Texans increases by at least 30 percent B) When the business community decides that an income tax is […]

In 1964, a full decade after Brown v. Board of Education, ________ percent of African American children in the South attended integrated schools. A) fewer than 1 B) 10 C) 25 D) approximately 50 E) more than 90 If a […]

The United States entered World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in A) 1922. B) 1938. C) 1935. D) 1941. E) 1949. Political culture A) directly affects the rate of population growth in the state. B) affects […]

The president of the 1974 Constitutional Convention referred to members of the convention who opposed any revision of the existing constitution as A) revisionists. B) cockroaches. C) nay-sayers. D) anarchists. E) obstructionists. All of the following are theories that have […]

After handing down Brown v. Board of Education, the federal courts did not play a role in enforcing the Supreme Court’s ruling. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was the first successful nonviolent protest for civil rights in the 1950s. Answer: TRUE […]

General elections in Texas are held A) every six months on the first day of January and the first day of July. B) every year on the first Monday in October. C) every two years in even numbered years on […]

Europe would have to double their percentage of the world’s total defense expenditure to exceed that of the United States. Historically, people have always known which candidate would receive the party’s formal nomination before the conventions even occurred. Answer: FALSE […]

Separation of powers mandates that the judiciary is the least dangerous branch. Congressional Reconstruction required the former states of the Confederacy to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment in order to be readmitted to the union. Answer: TRUE The U.S. courts of […]

The Internet A) has been around since the mid-1950s, when fears of Communism caused the government to network defense computers. B) was not in widespread use until the late 1960s. C) is, despite its prevalence, in a minority of homes […]

Setting the time, place, and manner of elections is a concurrent power. The Texas legislature created the Children’s Health Investment Program in 1999 to offer tax breaks to poor Texans to help them buy private health insurance for their children. […]

Assume you are a high school teacher and run into your Texas state representative by the concession stand at a high school football game. You introduce yourself, buy the legislator a Diet Coke, and urge the legislator to vote for […]

The full faith and credit clause found in Article IV requires that A) Americans remain faithful to one God and tithe to their church. B) no state may coin its own currency. C) states generally honor the laws and rulings […]

Opponents of the Citizens United decision cite what they call violations of the Fifth Amendment. In interpreting the Fourth Amendment, the Supreme Court has ruled that police always need a warrant to conduct a search. Answer: FALSE It is illegal […]

Political party affiliation is influenced by I. parents. II. marriage. III. marital status IV. politicians’ personalities. A) I only B) II and III D) II and IV C) I, II, and IV E) I, II, III, and IV National health […]

The Tenth Amendment reserves powers for the national government. Congress can expand or contract bureaucratic discretion. Answer: TRUE The phrasing of a question can have a significant effect on people’s responses. Answer: TRUE Most 501(c) groups cannot endorse specific candidates. […]

The Supreme Court rarely invalidates federal statutes. President George W. Bush appointed a higher proportion of Hispanic judges to the federal courts than any other president. Answer: TRUE The mission was an important institution of Spanish colonization. Answer: TRUE The […]

Senator John McCain held a clear lead in the 2008 Republican primaries, even early on. Courts of original jurisdiction primarily determine matters of law. Answer: FALSE The Texas state legislature created the Texas State University for Negroes as a consequence […]

Texas requires redistricting every two years. Generally speaking, women are more likely to support stricter emissions standards than are men. Answer: TRUE Over half of Americans believe that the recent health care reforms will improve the state of health care […]

The influence of family is greatest on high school students. The incorporation doctrine is a principle used to limit the powers of the national government. Answer: FALSE The Tea Party movement had its origins in the Sons of Liberty. Answer: […]

During its history as an independent republic and during its early statehood, what was the economic heart of Texas? A) Cotton B) Cattle C) Oil D) Manufacturing E) Land speculation U.S. defense spending was highest during _____________. A) the War […]

A form of city government no longer in use in Texas, in which elected members served on the governing body and also served as head administrators of city programs, is called A) weak mayor-council. B) city commission. C) strong mayor-council. […]

The necessary and proper clause is the root of Congress’s implied powers. The Supreme Court evaded questions of gerrymandering, deeming them too political, until recently. Answer: TRUE Socialization and life-skills are critical components of the No Child Left Behind Act. […]

The Texas Constitution of 1876 and subsequent actions by the Texas legislature give the governor almost absolute power in clemency. Vice presidential vacancies are filled by presidential nomination with confirmation of three-fifths of the House. Answer: FALSE The Supreme Court […]

Commerce was the most common initial reason for settlement in North America. What function is served by the U.S. Voting Rights Act? A) Promoting efficient national voting procedures B) Establishing a uniform national voting system C) Enforcing the federal oversight […]

The Republic of Texas had a weak president when it joined the Union. If the governor’s office is vacant and the lieutenant governor becomes the governor, what happens to the lieutenant governor’s position? A)It remains vacant. B)The new governor also […]

In 1914, Congress, at the request of the Wilson administration, created the ________ to protect small businesses and the public from unfair business practices and competition. A) Interstate Commerce Commission B) Department of Economic Affairs C) Department of Commerce D) […]

Attempting to influence policy by getting individuals to contact their representatives directly is known as A) blitzkrieg lobbying. B) triangulating. C) protest lobbying. D) grassroots lobbying. E) logrolling. The first legislature of the State of Texas convened A) immediately after […]

The majority of employees in the federal civil service are male. Barack Obama holds the record for most money raised in a single day. Answer: FALSE The adoption of the 1876 Texas Constitution was shaped by demands placed on Texas […]

Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense to argue for American independence from Great Britain. Tuition for all public universities is established by the legislature and is equal across universities, while the fees universities charge can fluctuate wildly. Answer: FALSE[/cpmembership] Native Americans […]

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is the Native American equivalent of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The Texas Local Government Code details the creation and operation of general law cities in Texas. Answer: TRUE The national government has had a fairly […]