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) Establishing justice
E) Insuring domestic tranquility
If a vacancy occurs during the term of office of the lieutenant governor, how is a new
lieutenant governor selected?
A) A special state-wide election is called to fill the remaining term of the former
lieutenant governor
B) The Senate elects one of its members to the position of lieutenant governor to serve
the balance of the vacant term
C) The governor appoints a new lieutenant governor, with the approval of a vote of the
full legislature
D) The president pro tempore of the Texas Senate takes over the vacated position for
the remainder of the term of office
E) The Legislative Redistricting Board appoints a new lieutenant governor, with the
approval of a vote of the full legislature
The role of the Texas courts of appeal is to look for
A) errors made in the application of the law by a lower court.
B) new evidence.
C) evidence of mental illness.
D) ways to make sure that a criminal defendant has every possible chance to receive
DNA testing.
E) fair and impartial jurors to participate in the appellate court’s proceedings.
The First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of association
A) was the subject of limited debate in Congress.
B) was favored by James Madison.
C) has been the subject of many U.S. Supreme Court decisions.
D) allows Americans to assemble anywhere they wish.
E) is exclusive of the other First Amendment rights, such as the right to free speech.
The biggest share of state expenditures goes to
A) education.
B) law enforcement and prisons.
C) highways.
D) health and human services.
E) business and economic development.
Which of the following were characteristic of the Great Society Program?
I. Establishing Social Security
II. Combating poverty
III. Pitting governors against poor, African American citizens
IV. Increasing the powers of the federal government
A. I and III
B. I, II, and IV
C. I, II, and III
D. II, III, and IV
E. I, II, III, and IV
The intentional course of action followed by government in dealing with problems or
matters of concern is called
A) policy formulation.
B) social welfare policy.
C) policy administration.
D) public administration.
E) public policy.
The second most powerful court in the U.S. is the
A) U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
B) U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
C) U.S. Court of Appeals for the Military.
D) U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
E) U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Bills can be forced out of committee
A) by a discharge petition signed by a majority of House members.
B) by a vote of cloture.
C) by removing a hold.
D) by the committee chair.
E) by amending a majority of the original bill’s provisions.
In Texas, a state party’s ability to perform its party-building duties is based on which of
the following sources?
A) Fund-raising
B) Electoral mobilization programs
C) Public opinion polling
D) Issue leadership
E) All of the above
Which of the following were elements of dtente?
I. Negotiations to use rewards and punishments against the Soviet Union rather than
military power
II. Establishing arms control standards
III. Agreeing upon rules to govern economic competition in the developing world
IV. Improved relations with China
A) I and IV
B) I and III
C) I, II, and IV
D) I, II and III
E) I, II, III and IV
Political parties have a(n) _____ in every county in Texas.
A) state executive committee member
B) county chairperson and a county executive committee
C) annual temporary party organization
D) annual state senatorial district convention
E) vice chairperson on the state executive committee
Public school systems in Texas are run by
A) counties.
B) municipalities.
C) the U.S. Department of Education.
D) special districts.
E) councils of government.
Why is the comptroller of public accounts considered a powerful state official and
significant legislative player?
A) The legislature is constitutionally required to pass a balanced biennial budget each
regular session and must use the comptroller’s estimate of state revenue to make that
budget.
B) The legislature relies on state agency performance reviews for appropriating funds
for state agencies which depend on those allocations for their biennial operations.
C) The comptroller’s office subsumed the duties of the state treasurer’s office after that
office was abolished, and thus, is responsible for issuing warrants for state
expenditures.
D) The comptroller is often a former state legislator and the office is traditionally a
stepping stone to higher office in Texas government.
E) As the state’s primary accounting officer, the comptroller audits the expenditures of
all state departments and agencies.
Many interest groups become directly involved in elections through
I. candidate recruitment.
II. rating candidates and officeholders.
III. getting out the vote.
IV. endorsements.
A) I and II
B) II and III
C) II and IV
D) I, II, and III
E) I, II, III, and IV
Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency standards
A) required that all cars receive 18 MPG or higher by 1978.
B) set the stage for the introduction of electric cars.
C) allowed car companies to sell gas-guzzling cars as long as they also sold energy
efficient vehicles.
D) mandated the production of catalytic converters and lead-free gasoline.
E) were established by the newly-created Department of Energy.
A primary in which only a party’s registered voters are eligible to participate is
A) open.
B) blanket.
C) closed.
D) a caucus.
E) partisan.
The idea of counteracting an anticipated campaign attack by your opponent before the
attack is even launched is most accurately called
A) preemptive advertising.
B) inoculation advertising.
C) first-strike advertising.
D) red zone advertising.
E) creative advertising.
Lobbying the executive branch has become more important because
A) the president can declare laws unconstitutional.
B) legislation is often written by executive branch staffers.
C) the scope of the federal government has shrunk since the New Deal.
D) the executive and legislative branches are always controlled by different parties.
E) there are so many access points.
Citizens who identify with the Tea Party movement
A) have held protests on strategic dates.
B) are all Republicans.
C) agree with most of President Barack Obama’s policies.
D) seek more federal involvement in issues such as the oil spill.
E) believe that marches are ineffective.
Independent voters
A) sometimes have stronger partisan leanings than “not very strong” party identifiers.
B) are generally on the fence about their presidential candidate preferences.
C) are decreasing in number over the past ten years.
D) vote most frequently for independent candidates.
E) are always disinterested in politics.
On average, an American living in Arkansas would have less of a likelihood of being
unemployed than an American living in Nebraska.
Democratic House members come largely from states in the
A) Northeast and South.
B) South and Southwest.
C) Northeast and West.
D) West and Midwest.
E) Northeast and Southwest.
The U.S. Supreme Court was influenced by __________in Brown v. Board of
Education.
A) the separate but equal doctrine.
B) a study of children’s reactions to black and white dolls.
C) amicus curiae briefs from several southern states.
D) Black Monday.
E) the success of northern states’ desegregation efforts.
Why did the World Anti-Slavery Society MOST likely refuse to accept women’s
demands for equality?
A) They felt like women had not worked hard enough for equality.
B) No women had sought to join forces with the organization.
C) Women were seen largely as racist.
D) Members of the organization feared that fighting for both African Americans’ and
women’s rights would be too ambitious of a goal to attain.
E) Women already had more rights than African Americans, such as the right to vote.
In August 1963, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., led a huge march in ________
that culminated in his “I Have a Dream” speech.
A) Birmingham, Alabama
B) Washington, D.C.
C) Montgomery, Alabama
D) Atlanta, Georgia
E) Charleston, South Carolina
The Fifth Amendment of the Constitution deals largely with rights of
A) gun ownership.
B) criminal defendants.
C) quartering of soldiers.
D) immigrants.
E) free speech.
Political knowledge and political participation
A) are directly related to each other.
B) have little to do with one another.
C) are at all-time highs.
D) have no sex-based differences.
E) are highest among young Americans.
What was first discovered in Texas in 1901 near Beaumont?
A) Oil
B) Evidence of Native American settlements
C) Gold
D) The Rosetta Stone
E) An original signed copy of the Declaration of Independence
One of the longest and most contentious presidential races in American history was that
which occurred between
A) George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
B) Bill Clinton and Bob Dole.
C) George W. Bush and Al Gore.
D) George W. Bush and John Kerry.
E) John McCain and Barack Obama.
Among the key provisions of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act are all
of the following EXCEPT
A) a ban on gifts.
B) a ban on honoraria to members of Congress and their staffs.
C) longer time limits on moving from the government to the private lobbying sector.
D) a ban on tickets to sporting events.
E) more stringent disclosure requirements.
The right to privacy stems from the idea that some areas of life are off-limits to
governmental regulation. This right is inferred from
I. the First Amendment.
II. the Fourth Amendment.
III. the Fifth Amendment.
IV. the Ninth Amendment.
A) III only
B) II and III
C) I, III, and IV
D) I, II, and IV
E) I, II, III, and IV