All of the following are principles of democratic governments EXCEPT
a. universal suffrage.
b. majority rule and protection of minority rights.
c. free, competitive elections.
d. limited government.
e. limited right to vote.
Which of the following is NOT a function of U.S. political parties?
a. Taking the responsibility of operating the government
b. Acting as the organized opposition to the party in power
c. Signing up large numbers of committed, dues-paying members
d. Recruiting political candidates
e. Presenting alternative policies
Those personal freedoms, including freedom of religion and of speech, that are
protected for all individuals in a society are called
a. civil liberties.
b. human rights.
c. God-given rights.
d. American ideals.
e. libertarian principles.
For a public official to obtain damages under libel laws, he or she must
a. show that the article is about their private life.
b. sue in federal court under the Public Official Libel Act.
c. prove their chances for reelection were completely lost because of the article.
d. prove the statement was made with actual malice.
e. present the same type of evidence that a private person would be required to offer.
A Supreme Court justice who disagrees with the majority opinion may
a. ask the Court to hear the case again.
b. send the case back to a lower court.
c. may ask that the case be put aside to be reviewed at a later time.
d. write a dissenting opinion.
e. file an amicus curiae brief.
Today, ______ of Americans use television news as their primary source of information.
a. less than 10 percent
b. 25 percent
c. 55 percent
d. 78 percent
e. 69 percent
Popular sovereignty means
a. that the sovereign is popular.
b. that the sovereign is supported by the people.
c. that ultimate political authority is based on the will of the people.
d. only one sovereign can serve at a time.
e. the sovereign can serve only two terms.
Totalitarianism as a concept means
a. that every aspect of political, social, and economic life is controlled by the
government.
b. the condition of having no government and no laws.
c. that ultimate political authority is vested in the people.
d. a limited republic where people elect officials to make decisions for them for a
specific period of time.
e. a unified government.
According to the Twentyfifth Amendment, if a president’s ability to discharge his
normal functions is in question and he 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 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.
Which of the following statements about immigration rates in the United States is true?
a. Immigration rates are at their lowest since the 1950s.
b. Immigration rates are falling dramatically.
c. Immigration rates are stable since they peaked in the 1980s.
d. Immigration rates are among the highest since their peak in the early twentieth
century.
e. Immigration rates are lower than ever before.
Which of the following is true about the cabinet departments?
a. All were described and mandated by the Constitution.
b. All are privatized bureaucracies.
c. All are directly accountable to the president.
d. All consist of agencies that set up rules for Congress in passing laws.
e. The official cabinet departments cannot ever number more than ten, according to the
Constitution.
The Constitution that was to be ratified established the following fundamental
principles EXCEPT
a. popular sovereignty, or control by the people.
b. a republican government in which the people choose representatives to make
decisions for them.
c. limited government with written laws.
d. a federal system that allows for states’ rights, because the states feared too much
centralized control.
e. presidential infallibility.
Before the advent of ______, a strong party organization at the local, state, or national
level could furnish most of the services candidates needed.
a. Democratic dominance
b. widespread political scandal
c. political apathy
d. television campaigning
e. print media campaigning
In 1903, the Supreme Court ruled that the government could not deport someone
without
a. giving them ninety days notice.
b. a special type of hearing with less strict due process standards than those set forth in
the Constitution.
c. a hearing that meets constitutional due process standards.
d. informing their family.
e. ensuring they will be safe in their home country.
Provisions of the Fifteenth Amendment
a. outlaw slavery.
b. provide equal protection under the law.
c. make it illegal to deny housing to citizens of any race.
d. state that the right to vote shall not be abridged on account of race.
e. say that the right to vote shall not be abridged on account of gender.
Government can be defined as
a. an institution within which decisions are made that resolve conflicts.
b. a figurehead institution with little actual authority.
c. any club that sets up a platform.
d. the same in most countries.
e. a concept with a universally accepted interpretation.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was
a. passed in the House but died in the Senate.
b. vetoed by President Obama, but the veto was overridden by Congress.
c. signed into law by President Reagan.
d. signed into law by President Bush.
e. signed into law by President Obama.
The supremacy doctrine asserts the priority of
a. large states over small states.
b. non-slave states over slave states.
c. national law over state laws.
d. natural law over man-made laws.
e. the legislative body over the chief executive.
According to the Constitution, if a state or local law conflicts with a national law,
a. the law must be put to a popular vote.
b. the law is null and void.
c. the local law prevails.
d. the national law supercedes the state or local law.
e. the state law will prevail.
Of all the petroleum the United States consumes, how much is imported?
a. One-half
b. Three-fourths
c. Three-fifths
d. Nine-tenths
e. One-fifth
Which of the following statements about the people who work for Congress is false?
a. They include office clerks, assistants, and professionals who deal with media
relations and draft legislation.
b. There are a larger number of staffers for House members than for senators.
c. The total number of staff members has increased dramatically since 1960.
d. About half of the people employed in the Capitol Hill bureaucracy are personal and
committee staff members.
e. Some staffers maintain local offices in the member’s home state or district.
Conservatives generally place a high value on the principle of
a. poverty reduction.
b. government intervention.
c. social innovation.
d. order.
e. equality.
Keynesian economics advocates
a. government control of markets.
b. elimination of all national debt.
c. the use of government spending and taxing to help stabilize the economy.
d. acceptance of the theories of Adam Smith.
e. laissez-faire economics.
States may NOT
a. license marriages.
b. pass laws regulating contracts.
c. regulate divorce.
d. negotiate treaties with foreign nations.
e. impose taxes on income.
The difference between the percentage of women who vote for a particular candidate
and the percentage of men who vote for the candidate is called
a. the feminization of politics.
b. political socialization.
c. the ideology spectrum.
d. an opinion poll.
e. the gender gap.
Liberty can be defined as
a. freedom of individuals to do whatever they want.
b. freedom of individuals to own and control property.
c. the greatest freedom of the individual consistent with the freedom of other
individuals.
d. incompatible with government.
e. a uniquely American value.
The principle of randomness in sampling means that
a. every person should have a known chance, and especially an equal chance, of being
sampled.
b. there is no preplanning in the selection process.
c. every person in the target population who is encountered is selected.
d. researchers decide how many persons of certain types they need in the survey.
e. the poll is unscientific.
The part of the policymaking process that involves choosing a specific policy from
among the proposals that have been discussed is known as policy _____.
a. formulation
b. implementation
c. adoption
d. choices
e. consultation
The Reconstruction statutes, or civil rights acts, ultimately
a. did little to secure equality for African Americans.
b. created lasting equality for African Americans.
c. made it more difficult for African Americans to achieve equality.
d. resulted in more political involvement for African Americans.
e. nullified the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments.
One of the original purposes of government is
a. maintaining security.
b. ensuring liberty or freedom.
c. promoting equality among citizens.
d. promoting economic development.
e. promoting development of cultural capital.
Under the 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. FEC,
a. corporations and unions are allowed to make direct contributions of $100,000 or less
to candidates.
b. corporations and unions are allowed to make direct contributions of any amount to
candidates.
c. corporations and unions are banned from spending money on issue ads.
d. corporations and unions are limited to spending $100,000 per issue ad.
e. corporations and unions are allowed to spend whatever they wish on issue ads.
By far, the greatest number of radio and television hours are dedicated to
a. identifying public problems.
b. reporting the news.
c. entertaining the public.
d. providing a political forum.
e. educating the public.
Significant deregulation was initiated during the presidency of
a. John F. Kennedy.
b. Richard Nixon.
c. Jimmy Carter.
d. George H.W. Bush.
e. Barack Obama.