Which of the following statements concerning the Pendleton Act is incorrect?
a. It was passed during a Republican administration.
b. It was, in part, a response to public outrage over abuses of the spoils system.
c. It was, in part, a response to the assassination of President Garfield.
d. It was passed to avoid mass firings of Republicans.
e. It enhanced the power of patronage in federal appointments.
Young persons are more likely to rely on _________ as their source for news.
a. the Internet
b. radio
c. television
d. Facebook
e. Twitter
__________ issues have increased in importance in campaigns over the last
half-century.
a. Valence
b. Primary
c. Secondary
d. Position
e. Residual
Which of the following are mandated by the U.S. Constitution?
a. The Supreme Court only
b. The Supreme Court and appellate courts
c. The Supreme Court and appellate and district courts
d. Both constitutional and legislative courts
e. Legislative courts
The American version of representative democracy is based on two major principles:
__________and __________.
a. separation of powers; federalism
b. unicameralism; federalism
c. judicial review; federalism
d. party government; federalism
e. None of the above is true.
Fee shifting is the practice of
a. dividing attorneys’ fees among all participants in a class-action suit.
b. reducing fees if the votes of appellate court judges are divided.
c. getting the government to pay the fees of all parties.
d. having attorneys adjust their fees according to their experience and the damages
awarded.
e. getting the loser to pay court costs.
A meeting of party followers at which convention delegates are picked is known as a
a. preconvention.
b. primary.
c. nominating primary.
d. party commission.
e. caucus.
Most of the money for congressional candidates comes from
a. PACs.
b. major corporations.
c. small businesses.
d. multinational corporations.
e. individuals.
A 2008 study found get-out-the-vote drives have demonstrated statistically significant
results when they involved
a. door-to-door canvassing and phone calls; although even most prospective voters
touched by these tactics did not turn out.
b. leaflets and election day festivals.
c. direct mail and phone calls.
d. phone calls and social media.
e. None of the above is true.
The distrust of political authority so evident in American political culture has its basis
in
a. English literature.
b. middle-class values.
c. imperialism.
d. religious beliefs.
e. private property.
Since the 1980s, broadcasting licenses are automatically renewed unless
a. the station has been found guilty of broadcasting obscenity.
b. some community group formally objects.
c. the station has been found to criticize the government unfairly.
d. the station’s ownership has changed.
e. the station’s ownership has not changed for a considerable period of time.
Disengagement is also known as the “__________ view.”
a. pacifist
b. imperialist
c. Munich
d. isolation
e. Vietnam
Which of the following has a federal form of government?
a. Russia
b. Nigeria
c. Malayasia
d. Mexico
e. All of the above is true.
In the New System, the critical questions surrounding new proposals have focused on
a. legitimacy.
b. transparency.
c. duplication.
d. effectiveness.
e. justiciability.
The type of politics best illustrated by auto-emission-control regulations is
a. entrepreneurial politics.
b. majoritarian politics.
c. interest group politics.
d. client politics.
e. reciprocal politics.
In recent years, interest groups frequently use a grassroots lobbying strategy referred to
as the
a. insider.
b. wholesale.
c. collective.
d. outsider.
e. end run.
What does the U.S. Constitution have to say about the size of the Supreme Court?
a. It specifically sets the number of justices at six, later amended to nine.
b. It specifically sets the number of justices at nine.
c. It suggests but does not mandate a Court of nine justices.
d. It does not indicate how large the Court should be.
e. It specifically places the matter in the hands of the House of Representatives.
In McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), the Supreme Court ruled that
a. states could form banks and tax them.
b. the national government could charter banks and the states could not tax those banks.
c. the national government’s power was dependent on the states.
d. Congress erred when it created a national banking system.
e. states could not charter banks.
Women are more likely than men to favor all of the following except
a. universal health care.
b. environmental protection regulations.
c. more military spending.
d. anti-poverty programs.
e. activist government.
United States v. Nixon held that there is
a. no executive privilege.
b. absolute presidential immunity from judicial process.
c. no unqualified presidential privilege of immunity from judicial process.
d. real but limited presidential immunity from judicial process.
e. no presidential immunity for matters that are civil in nature.
The Populist Party is an example of a(n)
a. ideological party.
b. one-issue party.
c. economic-protest party.
d. factional party.
e. consensual party.
This important agency in the Executive Office of the President studies the organization
and operations of the executive branch, devises plans for reorganizing various
departments and agencies, develops ways of getting better information about
government programs, and reviews proposals that cabinet departments want included in
the president’s legislative program.
a. Council of Economic Advisers (CEA)
b. Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
c. Office of Technology Assessment (OTA)
d. Government Accountability Office (GAO)
e. Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (OUSTR)
One advantage that incumbents always have over challengers is
a. their larger share of federal campaign monies.
b. the political advantage of riding the president’s coattails.
c. their use of free mailings, or franks.
d. their freedom from FEC regulations.
e. their freedom from libelous laws.
President ________ was notable for saying, “Read my lips. No new taxes.”
a. Bill Clinton
b. Gerald Ford
c. Ronald Reagan
d. George H. W. Bush
e. John F. Kennedy
The First Amendment addressed the issue of
a. double jeopardy.
b. trial by jury.
c. cruel and unusual punishment.
d. unreasonable searches and seizure.
e. freedom of speech.
Elections based on a plurality system discourage new parties from forming because
a. a plurality system discourages patronage and reduces voter interest in joining a party.
b. a plurality system requires parties to form alliances with other parties to win
elections.
c. under this winner-take-all system, no incentive is given for finishing second (or
lower).
d. a plurality system requires each party to be as narrowly based as possible, leaving
little room for new parties.
e. a plurality system gives an advantage to savvy political unknowns who can grab the
mediaspotlight.
The Constitution’s doctrine of “privileged speech” has been interpreted by the Supreme
Court to mean
a. that members of Congress cannot be sued or prosecuted for anything that they say or
write in connection with their legislative duties.
b. that members of Congress do not have privileged status protecting their legislative
speech.
c. that members of Congress can issue press releases that are libelous.
d. that members of Congress can issue press releases with information from
classifieddocuments.
e. that members of Congress can be sued or prosecuted for what they have read into the
Congressional Record.
Where is the real work of Congress done?
a. On the House floor
b. On the Senate floor
c. In the caucuses
d. In floor sessions in both houses
e. In the committees in both houses
The __________ to the U.S. Constitution ensures that women have the right to vote.
a. Seventeenth Amendment
b. Eighteenth Amendment
c. Nineteenth Amendment
d. Twentieth Amendment
e. Twenty-First Amendment
Between 1996 and 2001, agriculture subsidies
a. decreased.
b. increased.
c. were targeted toward wheat.
d. led to an economic downturn.
e. stabilized the prices farmers earn.
Contributing to the success of loophole politics prior to passage of the 1986 tax bill was
the
a. strong support of policy entrepreneurs such as Ralph Nader.
b. existence of low marginal rates to offset revenues lost through deductions.
c. decentralized structure of Congress.
d. existence of tariff revenues to offset revenues lost through deductions.
e. strong support of the conservative coalition and Ralph Nader.
A bill is passed to the president for action while Congress is still in session. After ten
days he or she has still not approved it. What happens to the bill?
a. It is returned to Congress.
b. It is vetoed.
c. It becomes law.
d. Nothing; the president has thirty days to act on a bill.
e. Nothing; the president has ninety days to act on a bill.
An initiative allows voters to place legislative measures directly on the ballot by getting
enough signatures.
Pluralists see power as being widely distributed throughout society.
What are three aspects of our constitutional system and political traditions that give
bureaucracy a distinctive feature?
Early in American history, almost everything that was printed was an expression of
opinion.
Explain the Framer’s view of democracy and the role of the “will of the people” in a
government with “representative democracy.”
Identify and define the types of consultants hired to work on political campaigns.
What factors influence a person’s political opinions (political socialization)?
Describe the membership, tenure, and structure of the Fed.
Interest groups can legally supply money to public officials who are running for office.
Members of the House of Representatives began to enjoy relatively secure seats during
the 1930s.
Chief Justice John Marshall was a strong advocate of state’s rights and the supremacy of
state law (over federal law).
Under the Articles of Confederation, each state had one vote in a national legislative
body with only one house.
Representative democracy requires that most public officials be elected.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, the Supreme Court begun to declare many
federal and scores of state laws unconstitutional.
In the 1980s, Puerto Rican nationalists were changed with sedition.
Discuss the terms of local governance covered in the textbook.
Explain what the “rally “round the flag” effect involves and cite some recent examples
and exceptions.
Identify the different types of opinions that Supreme Court justices write and explain
what each involves.
In the 2000 presidential election, George Bush was the only candidate who extolled the
virtues of religion and advocated the right of religious organizations that deliver social
services to receive government funding.
Define bureaucracy and give examples of types of bureaucracies.