Campaigns for high offices today tend to
a. focus on winning independents, rather than turning out the party base.
b. focus on party base turnout, rather than independents.
c. be party centered.
d. be candidate centered.
e. be policy centered.
Which of the following are represented in Congress by non-voting delegates?
a. the District of Columbia
b. Puerto Rico
c. Guam
d. Both B and C.
e. All of the above.
The colonies in the New World provided for opportunities to
a. promote trade.
b. explore religious freedom.
c. practice limited self-government.
d. implement the social contract.
e. All of the above are true.
In the United States
a. the judiciary is not part of the political arena.
b. judges interpret the law becoming actors in the political arena.
c. judges work outside of the political system to resolve disputes.
d. judges are not policymakers when they interpret the law.
e. Options A and C are true.
All of the following are true of the 1964 and 1968 Civil Rights Acts except
a. the right to equality of opportunity in employment was included.
b. discrimination in public accommodations was banned.
c. state governments to control school integration were allowed.
d. discrimination in housing was banned.
e. penalties for those attempting to interfere with civil rights workers were provided.
Social movements
a. are spawned most often by political parties or those in society with formal
representation.
b. may be the authentic voice of the weak or oppressed in society.
c. are generally organized by a single powerful interest group.
d. generally last for five to ten years.
e. All of the above are true.
Executive agreements are
a. not valid in foreign policy matters unless approved by the Senate.
b. agreements between the president and a head of foreign government that do not have
to be approved by the Senate.
c. an unconstitutional expansion of the power of the president.
d. binding upon future presidents.
e. used to achieve trivial matters, since the most significant issues must be addressed by
theSenate.
Which of the following best describes the people who have been elected president?
a. older and from western states
b. primarily Catholics and Jews
c. military commanders from the South
d. white, male Protestants
e. California natives
In general, the Democrats have been known as the party of
a. well-educated, professional individuals.
b. economic depression.
c. the economic elite.
d. conservative political ideas.
e. states’ rights.
The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act that created an alien removal court
was passed
a. in 1996 as a response to the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City.
b. in 2001 as a response to the 911 attacks in New York, Washington, DC,
andPennsylvania.
c. in 2010 as a solution to dealing with prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention
center.
d. in 2000 as a response to the attack of the naval ship, the USS Cole.
e. in 1993 as a response to the first attack on the World Trade Center in New York.
Which of the following is true?
a. The Great Depression shattered the working-class belief in Democratic
economiccompetence.
b. The Great Depression solidified the Republican Party as the dominant and most
trusted party in American government and politics.
c. Roosevelt’s relief programs were generally not available to African Americans,
resulting in African Americans’ antagonism toward the Democratic Party that lasted for
decades.
d. The Great Depression shattered the working-class belief in Republican
economiccompetence.
e. Republicans held the presidency from the early 1930s until the late 1960s.
To accurately represent the target population, a small sample should be
a. randomly selected.
b. representative of the whole group.
c. representative in terms of demographic traits (age, region, religion, race, and the
like).
d. representative in terms of opinions.
e. All of the above are true.
In response to the Great Recession of 2000s, we initially saw _________________,
followed by _________________.
a. a boost in federal funding to the states; states cutting spending and government
employment
b. a boost in federal funding to the states; job growth in states’ governments
c. major cuts to federal spending; increased taxes to reduce the deficit
d. major cuts to federal spending; growth in private business employment
e. significant job losses; major cuts in federal spending
Push polls
a. have been determined to be illegal in twenty-three states.
b. are always conducted face to face rather than by telephone.
c. are so controversial that very few candidates have chosen to use them.
d. were used widely in the 1960s and 1970s, but when they became associated with the
dirty politics of those eras, they were disregarded by most candidates.
e. are now used throughout all levels of U.S. politicslocal, state, and federal.
The process by which people acquire political beliefs and attitudes is called
a. opinion leadership.
b. political socialization.
c. agenda setting.
d. peer grouping.
e. consensus building.
Congressional caucuses are formed around
a. ideological points of view such as the Tea Party and the Progressive Caucus.
b. special agricultural interest such as potatoes and corn growers.
c. racial or ethnic interests.
d. Options A and B are true.
e. All of the above are true.
In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that Arizona could not
a. make it a felony for illegal immigrants to work.
b. arrest people without warrants just because they might be deportable under federal
law.
c. investigate the immigration status of people they stop for routine traffic violations.
d. Options A and B are true.
e. Options A, B, and C are true.
Reported voter turnout _________ as education __________.
a. increases; decreases
b. randomly swings; increases
c. stabilizes; increases
d. decreases; decreases
e. stabilizes; decreases
The three principle ethnic groups in Iraq are
a. Sunni Arabs, Shiite Arabs, and Christian Arabs.
b. Sunni Arabs, Shiite Arabs, and Kurds.
c. Sunni Arabs, Shiite Persians, and Kurds.
d. Sunni Arabs, Christian Arabs, and Kurds.
e. Shiite Arabs, Shiite Persians, and Kurds.
The Supreme Court has been slow in extending free speech to __________, but very
quick in applying such protections to ____________.
a. the Internet; television
b. motion pictures; the Internet
c. newspapers; television
d. the Internet; newspapers
e. television; motion pictures
According to the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, if a president’s ability to discharge his or
her normal functions is in question and he or she is unable to communicate
a. the Supreme Court is empowered to select a physician to certify whether or not the
president is able to perform the functions of his or her office.
b. the Speaker of the House becomes acting president until the matter is resolved.
c. a majority of the cabinet, including the vice president, can declare the president
incapable.
d. the president must be permanently removed from office.
e. the vice president has the exclusive power to determine the president’s capability.
Sources of American law include all of the following except
a. the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions.
b. case law.
c. statutes passed by legislatures.
d. administrative regulations.
e. the charter of the United Nations.
With regard to physician-assisted suicide, the Supreme Court has said that
a. the liberty interest protected by the Constitution does not include a right to
commitsuicide.
b. states must prosecute those who assist in suicides.
c. states must provide counseling to those who wish to commit suicide.
d. if an individual wishes to commit suicide, a physician must be present with
familymembers.
e. the federal government is the final authority regarding laws on physician-assisted
suicide.
In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court considered two different admissions policies adopted
at the University of Michigan Law School and
a. for the first time, ruled that an affirmative action was unconstitutional.
b. ruled that “diversity” could not be a compelling government interest.
c. approved affirmative action plans that took race into consideration as part of a
complete examination of the applicant’s background.
d. approved a plan that automatically awarded points toward admission to
minorityapplicants.
e. ruled that the time had come for all affirmative action programs to end, since
government could do nothing more to alleviate the effects of past discrimination.
Presidents have frequently invoked _____________ to avoid disclosing to Congress
about the activities of the executive branch.
a. executive secrecy
b. the Nixon rule
c. executive privilege
d. strict scrutiny
e. None of the above.
In the 2012 elections, Latinos
a. largely supported Democratic candidates, due to President Obama’s plan to grant
amnesty to all illegal immigrants.
b. largely supported Republican candidates, due to President Obama’s record number of
deportations.
c. largely supported Democratic candidates, due to Republicans taking a hard line
against immigration.
d. turned out in record low numbers, due to disappointment with the Democratic
administration’s immigration policies.
e. Both A and C.
Someone who joins an interest group because he or she believes in the ideals of the
group and wants a sense of belonging and community with others who share their
beliefs is acting for
a. solidary incentives, but not purposive incentives.
b. material incentives, but not solidary incentives.
c. both material and solidary incentives, but not purposive incentives.
d. both purposive and material incentives, but not solidary incentives.
e. both purposive and solidary incentives, but not material incentives.
A concern with school vouchers is that they may be used at religious schools and,
therefore, violate the
a. establishment clause.
b. supremacy clause.
c. free exercise clause.
d. Fifth Amendment.
e. exclusionary rule.
A public-policy interest that is not recognized or represented by a group is a
a. free rider.
b. common interest.
c. public benefit.
d. rational incentive.
e. latent interest.
The question of whether the fairness doctrine ought to be reestablished has been
a. raised by liberals after the Democratic sweep of 2008.
b. raised by conservatives as a way to make the media more balanced.
c. pushed by the Democratic leaders in Congress.
d. pushed by Republican leaders in Congress.
e. popular among both liberals and conservatives.
Individuals or interest group members who participate in parties with the goal of seeing
certain policies or groups favored is
a. a party official.
b. a party supporter.
c. a policy demander.
d. a legislation coordinator.
e. None of the above.
Congress’s power to levy an income tax
a. only came about in 1913.
b. was built into the Constitution in 1787.
c. was granted by the Sixteenth Amendment.
d. was granted by the Twentieth Amendment.
e. Both A and C.
As an institution, a government is unique in that
a. it has a life separate from the lives of the individuals who are part of it at any given
moment in time.
b. it has the ultimate authority for making decisions and establishing political values.
c. it performs certain functions for society.
d. it is an ongoing organization, rather than an intermittent organization.
e. All of the above are true.