According to the text, the first president to raise cultivation of the media to an art form
was
a. Theodore Roosevelt.
b. Woodrow Wilson.
c. Herbert Hoover.
d. Franklin Roosevelt.
e. William McKinley.
The author of the Declaration of Independence was
a. Thomas Jefferson.
b. Thomas Paine.
c. George Washington.
d. Alexander Hamilton.
e. James Madison.
When Congress first created a peacetime income tax (in 1895),
a. it distributed the money evenly among the states.
b. the president vetoed the legislation.
c. several states threatened to secede from the Union.
d. the deficit disappeared instantly.
e. the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional.
The fiscal year goes from
a. June 3 to November 15.
b. March 16 to September 29.
c. October 1 to September 30.
d. January 1 to November 30.
e. January 15 to November 15.
“Stare decisis” is usually translated as
a. let the decision stand.
b. standing against the decision.
c. friend of the court.
d. no probable jurisdiction.
e. stern defense.
In a parliamentary system, when members of the government’s party vote against the
parliament, the leadership must
a. form an alliance with the opposition.
b. appeal to the people to influence their representatives.
c. dissolve the parliament and form a new government.
d. resign and name someone from the opposing party to lead the government.
e. resign and join the opposing party.
The culture of the State Department tends to reward
a. skill in political negotiations.
b. being an expert on international economics.
c. embassy security.
d. a background in local economics.
e. political supporters.
In 2009, groups spent roughly __________ on lobbying.
a. $1.5 billion
b. $2 billion
c. $800 million
d. $3.5 billion
e. $500 million
In general, what position has the Supreme Court taken on the government’s right to
compel reporters to divulge information concerning the commission of a crime?
a. It has ruled against it.
b. It has upheld it.
c. It has avoided ruling on it.
d. It has yet to rule on it.
e. It has ruled in a contradictory manner.
In McCulloch v. Maryland
a. the Constitution’s “necessary and proper” clause permits Congress to take actions
when it is essential to a power that Congress has.
b. the Constitution’s commerce clause gives the national government exclusive power to
regulate interstate commerce.
c. Congress may not act to subject nonconsenting states to lawsuits in state courts.
d. the states may not regulate interstate commerce.
e. the national government’s authority to require state officials to administer or enforce
a federal regulation is limited.
Putnam worried that Americans might be losing social capital because
a. they are increasingly likely to complain about government.
b. they are less likely to participate in major elections.
c. they have high levels of external political efficacy.
d. they are less and less likely to join voluntary associations.
e. they are a nation of “joiners.”
One basic difference between a constitutional court and a legislative court is that
a. constitutional court judges handle cases that need not be decided by the Supreme
Court.
b. constitutional court judges cannot be fired.
c. legislative court judges handle cases that need not be decided by the Supreme Court.
d. legislative court judges cannot be fired.
e. legislative court judges are not confirmed by the Senate.
The Supreme Court upheld Senator Mike Gravel’s reading of the Pentagon Paperssome
then-secret government documents about the Vietnam Warinto the Congressional
Record because
a. the speech did not present a clear and present danger to the United States.
b. the speech did not incite an imminent lawless action.
c. Senators have unlimited freedom of speech.
d. it was “privileged speech” and beyond challenge.
e. None of the above is true.
This body adjudicates disputes between labor and management over the interpretation
of labor laws.
a. The National Labor Relations Board
b. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
c. The Union-Management Board
d. The Civil Service Commission
e. The Interstate Commerce Commission
When Clarence Brandenburg vacated the street at a Ku Klux Klan cross-burning rally
as ordered but threatened to reoccupy it later, the Supreme Court overturned his
conviction by arguing that government can only restrict speech when it
a. presents a clear and present danger.
b. incites an “imminent” lawless action.
c. is against the ruling political party.
d. is against the president.
e. is against law enforcement officers.
According to a 2011 study by the Government Accountability Office, the federal
government and the states provide duplication of services in
a. economic development.
b. food regulation.
c. counterterrorism.
d. Options A, B, C, and D are true.
e. None of the above is true.
The Republican activist William Kristol used __________ to guide members of
Congress in opposition to Clinton’s health care plan.
a. automated phone calls
b. postal surveys
c. Washington-based billboards
d. e-mail talking points
e. computer-operated fax machines
The Supreme Court’s primary weapon in the government’s system of checks and
balances is known as
a. judicial activism.
b. judicial interpretivism.
c. judicial review.
d. judicial standing.
e. judicial bypass.
Judges have ordered Massachusetts to change the way it hires firefighters, even though
the state does not receive aid from the federal government for fire fighting. Such an
order is referred to as a
a. condition of aid.
b. quid pro quo order.
c. mandate.
d. pro bono requirement.
e. per curiam order.
The Supreme Court demanded that the evidence obtained in Mapp v. Ohio be excluded
because thepolice
a. had not obtained a search warrant.
b. questioned Mapp in an impolite manner.
c. used unnecessary force.
d. refused to let Mapp contact her lawyer.
e. spied on Mapp with binoculars.
In 2008, then-presidential candidate Barack Obama stated at a private fundraiser that
voters in economic distress “cling to guns or religion,” and a freelance writer for
_________ published theremarks.
a. the Washington Post
b. the New York Times
c. Daily Kos
d. The Huffington Post
e. CNN
The notion that individuals should work hard, save their money, and avoid dependence
on the state is sometimes referred to as the
a. Protestant (work) ethic.
b. blue-collar ethic.
c. doctrine of social Darwinism.
d. evolutionary principle.
e. labor theory of value.
Compared with European countries such as Great Britain, France, and Germany, class
voting in the United States has
a. also risen sharply.
b. remained relatively steady.
c. also declined sharply.
d. always been more common.
e. increased slightly.
The Articles of Confederation created a
a. strong central government.
b. strong military.
c. unitary system.
d. league of friendship.
e. federal system.
In passing the Sedition Act of 1798, the Federalist were fearful that Thomas Jefferson
and his partywould
a. support the French Revolution.
b. support better relations with England.
c. restrict freedoms of speech and the press.
d. jail French sympathizers.
e. ban all trade.
Numerous rights have been applied to the states via the __________ clause of the
Fourteenth Amendment.
a. takings
b. due process
c. equal protection
d. establishment
e. fairness
An “iron triangle” is a strong coalition comprised of
a. an issue network, a policy committee, and an international group.
b. an agency, a congressional committee, and an interest group.
c. the president, a congressional committee, and an interest group.
d. the secretary of defense, the president, and the secretary of state.
e. an issue network, a congressional committee, and an agency.
When an agency such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) makes an
important decision, it is quite likely to be taken to court. This is an example of what is
meant by
a. government bureaucracy.
b. impedimentary government.
c. red tape.
d. adversary culture.
e. reciprocal administration.
During most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, appointments to the civil service
were based primarily on
a. merit.
b. education.
c. patronage.
d. wealth.
e. experience in government.
Which of the following statements best describes popular support for the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, including its call for environmental impact
statements?
a. It remains strong.
b. It was strong initially but has weakened considerably.
c. It was weak initially but has grown stronger.
d. It was weak initially and has grown weaker.
e. It was weak initially and has remained so.
The origins of the movement to give women the right to vote date back to
a. the 1890s.
b. the 1860s.
c. the 1840s.
d. the 1790s.
e. the 1770s.
In 2010, Barack Obama became the first president since __________ to be reelected
despite an unemployment rate on election day that was higher than the unemployment
rate on the day of his firstinaugural.
a. Herbert Hoover
b. Harry Truman
c. Jimmy Carter
d. Ronald Reagan
e. Franklin Roosevelt
The Tax Reform Act of 1986 called for lower tax rates but smaller and fewer
deductions.
Younger voters often worry more about inflation than unemployment.
As of 2006, federal aid accounted for approximately 30 percent of state general
revenue.
The text suggests America’s struggles against terrorists are “not a recent development.”
What are some examples that are discussed to make this point?
The nation grew isolationist in the aftermath of World War I.
Alexis de Tocqueville thought that the democratic qualities of the United States would
handicap its ability to conduct foreign affairs.
Identify, and briefly describe, the basic premises of the five viewpoints of political
power discussed by the text.
Valence issues have increased in importance in recent years.
Since the 1970s, the federal government’s white-collar workforce has become more
diverse inoccupations.
Discuss two reasons why the principle of precedent is so important.
The administrations of Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt are associated with
realignments in American politics.
Identify the government institutions whose influence on agenda setting has become
especially important. Explain.
At the time of the American Revolution, there were established churches in the
colonies.
In Lawrence v. Texas, gay couples married in states where same-sex marriage is legal
must receive the same federal health, tax, and other benefits that heterosexual married
couples receive.
Increasingly, matters once thought to be private are becoming objects of governmental
action.