Most court cases are decided on precedent because
a. it is important to set a uniform common set of rules for the country.
b. judges would rather play it safe and reuse old decisions.
c. it is easier for recording-keeping purposes.
d. the established body of judge-made law covers all cases that might come up.
e. Options B and C are true.
Theorists describe pluralism as
a. the struggle between the poor and wealthy classes.
b. the struggle among groups to gain benefits for their members.
c. a theory of how democracy should not function.
d. a way to settle disputes by armed conflict.
e. a way for one group to dominate the political process.
Through recent decisions on immigration and voting rights, the Supreme Court has
a. sent a consistently pro-states’ rights message.
b. sent a consistently anti-states’ rights message.
c. avoided addressing states’ rights and powers altogether.
d. sent a mixed message on states’ rights.
e. encouraged the nullification of national laws.
Policy implementation is
a. concerned with how policies are carried out by bureaucrats, the courts, police, and
individual citizens.
b. the process of making the media aware of the issue.
c. the discussion of proposals between governmental officials and the public.
d. concerned with a specific strategy for the proposal.
e. when studies are conducted to see what happens after a policy is implemented.
The federal government operates on a fiscal year that runs from
a. January to December.
b. April to March.
c. October to September.
d. July to June.
e. September to August.
Which of the following statements is true about government corporations?
a. Profits from government corporations are distributed as dividends.
b. Government corporations must pay taxes on profits.
c. Government corporations do not employee many people.
d. You can invest in both a private corporation and a government corporation.
e. Government corporations do not usually have any stockholders.
Which of the following is true of the Iraq War?
a. The U.S.-led invasion was largely supported by the Kurdish population
b. By 2006, two-thirds of Americans wanted to end the war.
c. The 2007 troop surge helped the Iraqi government gain control over its territory.
d. An insurgency was led by Sunni Iraqis.
e. All of the above.
All of the following are true of national ID cards except
a. the American public has never accepted the concept of a national ID card.
b. many other countries in the world require citizens to obtain a national ID card.
c. the lack of ID is a burden on the world’s poorest people.
d. national ID cards are not privacy concerns because they cannot collect data.
e. a national ID card might be a convenient way to avoid having to carry different types
of identification such as a driver’s license and a Social Security card.
Which of the following is true?
a. The United States experienced a great crime wave during the 1920s and early 1930s
due to prohibition.
b. Crime rates grew steadily in the twentieth century.
c. According to historians, industrialization and urbanization contributed to the rise of
crime.
d. The Western part of the United States had less crime in the nineteenth century due to
the fact that all citizens carried guns.
e. During the Civil War, there was little crime as everyone focused on the war effort.
The government agencies that are involved in gathering information about the
capabilities and intentions of foreign governments are collectively known as
a. the Washington community.
b. the armed services consortium.
c. the intelligence community.
d. the National Security Council.
e. regulatory agencies.
While economic indicators such as employment struggle to recover from the Great
Recession, ____________________ have shown significant movement in a positive
direction.
a. other economic indicators such as the gap between rich and poor
b. political indicators such as Congressional efficiency
c. religious indicators such as church attendance
d. social indicators such as sexual crimes and teen pregnancies
e. Both B and D.
Public opinion can serve as a check on the judiciary because
a. people have the ability to vote federal judges out of office if they do not approve of
the rulings of the courts.
b. the public may pressure elected officials not to enforce an unpopular ruling.
c. the Supreme Court typically polls the public as a basis for their decisions.
d. the president will veto a Supreme Court decision if it is politically unpopular.
e. Congress will override a decision of the Supreme Court with a majority vote in
bothhouses.
The U.S. Supreme Court can review a state supreme court decision
a. if there are damages in excess of $50,000.
b. only if a federal question is involved.
c. if the solicitor general asks them to do so.
d. in all cases.
e. in cases in which the state is a party.
General agreement among the citizenry on an issue is
a. a consensus.
b. a divisive opinion.
c. a reconciliation.
d. a poll agreement.
e. no longer a public opinion.
A procedure used by the Supreme Court in determining which cases it will hear is
a. the rule of four.
b. the gang of four.
c. the sign of four.
d. the rule of six.
e. the sign of five.
Government control of media content
a. has evolved over time.
b. is limited by the First Amendment.
c. includes a limited ability to control indecent programming.
d. includes greater control over electronic media than print media.
e. All of the above are true.
The Federalist Papers, which offered arguments in favor of ratifying the Constitution,
was authored by
a. Thomas Jefferson and Charles Pinckney.
b. John Adams and George Washington.
c. Benjamin Franklin and William Paterson.
d. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.
e. None of the above.
In a unitary system of government, ultimate government authority is located at
a. the state or provincial level.
b. the local or municipal level.
c. the regional level.
d. the national or central level.
e. Options A and B are true.
Inherent powers derive from the fact that the United States is
a. a democratic republic.
b. a confederation formed by state governments.
c. a sovereign power among nations.
d. a federal system.
e. explicitly entitled by the Constitution to annex new territory.
An iron triangle includes all of the following except
a. public opinion.
b. bureaucratic agencies.
c. interest groups.
d. congressional legislators.
e. Both A and C.
The concept of the separation of church and state
a. was referred to by Thomas Jefferson as “the wall of separation.”
b. covers conflicts about the legality of giving state and local government aid to
religious organizations and schools.
c. refers to the establishment clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution.
d. forbids the government from establishing an official religion.
e. All of the above are true.
Debates during presidential primary elections
a. seem to have a major effect on election outcomes.
b. saw much higher than normal interest during the 2011″2012 campaign.
c. have traditionally attracted little interest.
d. Both A and B.
e. Both B and C.
In the election of 1800, Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied in the electoral college
because
a. the Constitution failed to specify that some electoral votes were for the presidency
and others for the vice presidency.
b. the country was very evenly split between the two.
c. the electors had contrived to create a unity government.
d. the electors were uncertain about whom to choose as president.
e. None of the above.
A plurality opinion is one in which
a. all of the justices agree with the decision and reasoning behind it.
b. a justice agrees with the majority but wants to highlight or emphasize particular
principles.
c. the court reaches a decision with a combination of minority decisions.
d. a justice writes an opinion disagreeing with the decision of the court.
e. None of the above.
The seniority system provides that
a. members are awarded additional committee assignments in line with their seniority.
b. the committee member of the majority party with the longest continuous service
normally becomes the committee chairperson.
c. members become party whips in order of seniority.
d. members of the House can be appointed to the Senate to fill vacancies.
e. the Speaker of the House is the member of the majority party with the longest
continuousservice.
Treaties are subject to _________ before becoming legally binding.
a. judicial review in the Supreme Court
b. ratification by a majority of the states
c. ratification by a majority of both houses of Congress
d. ratification by a two-thirds majority of the Senate
e. Both B and C.
In 2013, it was revealed that the NSA was collecting
a. information on every call made in the United States.
b. metadata, which included the number of the caller, time of call, and number called.
c. recordings of the content of all domestic phone conversations.
d. Both A and B.
e. A, B, and C above.
The most common way for the Supreme Court to take care of cases appealed to it is to
a. decide on the case but not give an opinion.
b. refuse to hear a case.
c. grant a mistrial.
d. hear the case.
e. return it to the state court.
Executive orders
a. issued by the president have the force of law.
b. are used to enforce legislative statutes.
c. represent the president’s legislative power.
d. have been used to establish rules for the executive administrative agencies.
e. All of the above are true.
Which of the following is true?
a. The religious faith of most all presidents have been of the Protestant tradition.
b. Five presidents have been Roman Catholics.
c. No presidents have been Roman Catholics.
d. One president has been an avowed atheist.
e. Options A and C are true.
Which of the following presents major problems for polling?
a. the very high non-response rate to telephone polls
b. the pervasive use of cell phones, which are more difficult to include in polling
c. surveys with self-selecting respondents, which are reported as scientific polls
d. the use of the Internet to conduct polls
e. All of the above.
The requirements to register to vote include all of the following except
a. choosing a political party.
b. being age eighteen or older.
c. being a citizen.
d. having residency where you register.
e. All of the above are true.
Allowing government to have roving wiretaps
a. has led to the widespread monitoring of speech.
b. appears to be inconsistent with the Fourth Amendment.
c. has led to the political parties using the power of government to spy on one another.
d. allows government to monitor a person’s communications as he or she moves from
one communication device to another.
e. Both B and D.
Describe the evolution of the president’s wartime powers, providing examples from
various military activities through American history.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
How has the advent of online fundraising changed the process of raising campaign
funds? Which candidates have used the technique with great success?
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Detail the efforts made during the Obama administration to address environmental
problems and the controversy surrounding such efforts.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Describe U.S. efforts to handle international issues with diplomacy rather than armed
force. In your examples, were these efforts largely successful or failures?
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Discuss the ways in which public opinion shifts toward left/liberal or right/conservative
positions, as a reaction to government itself.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Discuss the importance of the Bill of Rights in terms of its role in the constitutional
ratification process.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Describe the difference between the president’s role as chief diplomat and head of state.
Provide examples to support your argument.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Explain the concept of concurrent powers and provide examples.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Explore the means by which political socialization occurs in the United States.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Explore the role played by third parties in the United States.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Describe the religious freedom protections afforded in the First Amendment of the Bill
of Rights.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Describe the requirements and the process for becoming president. Include an
explanation of the changes to that process after the passage of the Twelfth Amendment
in 1824.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Describe the ways in which social media on the Internet can be employed by candidates
and politicalgroups.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Explain how a bill becomes a law.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.
Compare and contrast the theories of judicial activism and judicial restraint and theories
of strict construction and broad construction.
Answer:Students’ answers may vary.