Which event helped shape the political climate for dual federalism?
A.Revolutionary War
B.Civil War
C.The Great Depression
D.World War I
E.Cold War
Through as late as the first half of the twentieth century, voter turnout for African
American citizens was about
A.1 percent.
B.10 percent.
C.40 percent.
D.60 percent.
E.90 percent.
The Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1870, granted what right?
A.the right of free speech for all citizens
B.the right of all women to vote
C.citizenship for Native Americans
D.the right of any citizen to vote regardless of race or previous condition of servitude
E.the right of any citizen to vote regardless of how much property is owned
A nationally traumatic event such as a major war or economic depression will often
signal a shift in public opinion, which will be evidenced by realigning elections. The
Great Depression was in full swing in 1932 when the Republicans finally lost their grip
on the presidency. Who was the successful Democratic candidate in the realigning
election of 1932?
A.Herbert Hoover
B.Calvin Coolidge
C.Franklin D. Roosevelt
D.Harry Truman
E.Dwight Eisenhower
What was the opinion of political parties held by many of the Founders who drafted the
U.S. Constitution?
A.The Founders held political parties in high regard and viewed them as proper and
necessary for organizing the new government.
B.Political parties were viewed with great suspicion but were accepted as legitimate and
necessary.
C.Political parties did not exist in the 1700s.
D.Political parties were distrusted and rejected as tools of the politically ambitious that
tended to promote corruption and bias.
E.The Founders had no opinion concerning political parties.
Many of the most effective lobbyists are
A.former members of Congress.
B.purveyors of false or misleading information.
C.current White House or Cabinet officers.
D.socially awkward.
E.uninformed about the issues for which they lobby.
Individuals in the U.S. have official status as citizens
A.in both the state in which they reside and in the nation as a whole.
B.in all 50 states and in the nation as a whole.
C.in the nation only, as the state do not confer citizenship status.
D.after the age of 18.
E.upon approval of the national government.
Which of the following would NOT be included in a list of demographic factors that
define an individual and his or her political values?
A.age
B.race
C.gender
D.political party in office
E.economic status
Which of the following is NOT considered to be a normal task of a member of the
modern Congress?
A.running for re-reelection
B.serving constituents
C.working on legislation
D.traveling internationally to develop and negotiate treaties
E.providing oversight of federal agencies
What modest changes did the Medicare Prescription and Modernization Act of 2003
implement?
A.provided free prescription coverage to the elderly
B.created a commission to regulate health insurance companies
C.set limits on spiraling prescription drug costs for the elderly
D.abolished private insurance coverage
E.required that insurance companies offer HMO coverage to all Americans
Which of the following was NOT a purpose of the earliest national party conventions?
A.selection of the party’s presidential candidate by the delegates
B.selection of the vice president candidate
C.forum for open debate between the two major national political parties
D.adoption and articulation of the party platform
E.coordination of the activities of parties across the states in anticipation of the pending
national elections
As a bill comes to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote it passes through
the Rules Committee. A bill that is presented to the floor with a closed rule means
A.that House members may vote only once on the bill.
B.that only members of the majority party may vote on the bill.
C.that House members are severely limited in their ability to amend the bill.
D.that House members may offer amendments to the bill.
E.that the president cannot veto the bill.
Which of the following is NOT an occupation of at least one individual prior to
becoming the President of the United States?
A.peanut farmer
B.Supreme Court justice
C.professional baseball team owner
D.hat salesman
E.lawyer
Becoming an early front-runner in a campaign for a party’s nomination guarantees
what?
A.The candidate will have the momentum to carry him/her through to the national
convention.
B.The candidate will win his/her party’s nomination.
C.The candidate will receive a nomination for vice president, at the very least.
D.A spot on the ballot in the general election will be awarded.
E.Nothing.
Which of the states listed below have a history of being dominated by a powerful
legislature?
A.Ohio and Utah
B.Texas and Kansas
C.New Hampshire and Maine
D.New York and Connecticut
E.Florida and Illinois
Which of the following factors are considered high stimulus, meaning that they help to
generate a higher level of voter participation in a particular election?
A.greater levels of media coverage
B.higher significance of the office
C.incentives given to voters to entice them to the polls
D.more attractive candidates
E.perceptions of a close race
Business groups, labor unions, trade associations, and other such groups are examples
of ___________ interest groups.
A.multi-issue
B.single-issue
C.public
D.economic
E.occupational
The Nineteenth Amendment establishes
A.social justice.
B.Social Security.
C.universal suffrage for all citizens at least 18 years old.
D.African-American suffrage.
E.women’s suffrage.
Though it is federal agency and not a court, the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission may take what action against a company that violates an employee’s
rights?
A.The EEOC has authority to adjudicate a case against a company and impose a
punishment and fine.
B.The EEOC has full judicial powers to imprison offenders.
C.The EEOC and other federal agencies have no powers to enforce administrative rules
and must rely solely on the federal courts.
D.State courts have authority over federal agencies that operate within their
jurisdictions.
E.The EEOC has does not have original jurisdiction in a case but serves as an appellate
level review for lower federal courts.
The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798, as well as the creation of the first National Bank
to assume all state debts, represented bold steps toward a stronger central government.
Thomas Jefferson became president in 1800 at the height of this movement. What was
Jefferson’s stance and impact?
A.Jefferson was a very strong federalist and assumed even more powers to the central
government at the expense of the state powers.
B.Jefferson helped create a new political party, the Democratic-Republicans, which
formally opposed the growth in authority of national government. Jefferson’s
presidency reaffirmed his belief in state powers and prerogatives.
C.Very little is known of Jefferson or his presidency.
D.Jefferson had no impact on the federalist movement. Though he tried, he was a very
ineffective president.
E.Jefferson strongly supported the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 and sought to embed
them in our political culture.
Which of the following is a true statement in regard to voter turnout in presidential
elections?
A.In the age of instant information and multiple media outlets, voter turnout and
interest has significantly increased.
B.Voter turnout has remained about the same over the past several decades.
C.Many voters are denied the right to vote.
D.Voter turnout has tended to decline overall in the past several decades.
E.Voter turnout records are no longer maintained due to privacy concerns.
What ratio of Americans currently do not have any type of health insurance at all?
A.nine in ten
B.about half
C.three in ten
D.one in seven
E.less than one in one hundred
In the debates during the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the Virginia Plan called for
a two-chamber legislature. In allocating the number of representatives for each of the
chambers, the Virginia delegation recommended
A.that the president should determine the number of representatives.
B.that the same number of representatives from each state serve lifetime appointments.
C.that the number of representatives in each chamber should be based on the population
of the state.
D.that the courts should determine the number of representatives.
E.that each state should receive one vote regardless of delegation size.
A less common, but still utilized approach for selecting the party’s candidate is for
voters to show up at the polling place and request either a Republican or Democrat
ballot, regardless of how they are registered with the Board of Elections. This approach
is called
A.open primary.
B.closed primary.
C.the caucus.
D.open referendum.
E.cross-party poll.
Article I of the U.S. Constitution grants that Congress has the power to make laws that
are “necessary and proper” to carry out its duties. What is the meaning of this
statement?
A.Congress has implied powers that are not expressly stated in the Constitution and,
though not expressly stated, Congress has an expectation to enact legislation to carry
out its duties.
B.Congress is required to enact most laws.
C.The Constitution contains all of the rights and powers necessary for Congress to
perform its duties.
D.Congress ultimately has the power to override any state laws that it deems
unnecessary or improper.
E.Congress is expected to keep its lawmaking function to a minimum.
Who makes the determination that a particular action or law is in violation of the free
exercise clause of the First Amendment?
A.the president
B.Congress
C.state legislatures
D.the U.S. Supreme Court
E.the voters
The U.S. Supreme Court in 1873 consolidated several pending cases into one ruling
which is known legally as The Slaughterhouse Cases. This ruling had great bearing on
the Fourteenth Amendment. What was the impact of the case and its precedent?
A.The case strengthened the Fourteenth Amendment’s protections and advanced the
cause of civil rights for African Americans.
B.The justices ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment was unconstitutional.
C.The justices ruled that Congress had overstepped its authority in its initial passage of
the Fourteenth Amendment and in the freeing of slaves in southern states.
D.The ruling declared that civil rights were under the protection of the state
governments, not the U.S. Constitution, so many states did not recognize the Fourteenth
Amendment and were not willing to advance civil rights in their individual states.
E.The case gave the Congress all powers to decide the level and reach of civil rights in
the United States.
When the government acts like any other private citizen in a case, such as a lawsuit
against a person for damage caused to the government, this type of law is referred to as
A.criminal law.
B.public law.
C.private law.
D.constitutional law.
E.administrative law.
A major factor in President John Adams’s failure to be reelected in 1800 was
A.his failure to secure a balanced budget.
B.his support for abolition of slavery.
C.his use of the Alien and Sedition Acts against his political opponents in the United
States.
D.his use of the Sedition Act to subversively aid the French.
E.his ruling that the Bill of Rights was unconstitutional.
Each bureaucratic unit or agency has a written procedure for carrying out its programs
or services. These procedures are referred to as
A.red tape.
B.regulations.
C.statutes.
D.writs.
E.implementation cycles.
Which of the following is NOT a factor that could tend to make the reported
unemployment rate unreliable?
A.unemployed citizens who are not seeking employment
B.determining the rate of temporary seasonal employment
C.voluntary job changes
D.routine shifts in economic conditions that help some businesses but hurt others
E.increased layoffs at the largest employer
Professor Charles Lindblom in the 1950s described the domestic policy-making process
as the ‘science of muddling through.” What was meant by this statement?
A.Officials must often resort to incremental and haphazard breakthroughs when
creating policies.
B.Creating confusion can be intentional, and some make it as complicated as possible.
C.Muddling implies confusion, but often what appears to be muddling are intentional
tactics designed to stall progress.
D.Legislators rarely do anything intentionally.
E.Muddling implies that something is actually pretty simple, thus creating public policy
is not as difficult as some claim.
Americans witnessed much discussion and debate since the 2000 presidential election
ended with George Bush assuming the office having failed to win the popular vote.
Give an example of another presidential election in which a candidate was declared the
winner having not won the popular vote.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
The U.S. Constitution creates a dual system of government whereby powers are
distributed between a federal government and the state governments. This arrangement
has seen its share of challenges and changes. Discuss the major eras in American
history as they relate to federalism, and describe which level of government appeared to
be dominant at each time.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
A hotly debated political topic in recent decades has involved judicial restraint versus
judicial activism. Describe these two judicial ideologies. What are the differences
between them? How does each ideology impact the social and political environment?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
What is the purpose of the Federal Reserve System? Give an example of a monetary
decision or policy made by the Federal Reserve. Who would benefit positively and who
negatively from such a decision?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
The federal government has many techniques and methods for monitoring the health of
the American economy. Name at least three of these indicators. What are the strengths
and weaknesses of each indicator?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
What are the rules regarding campaign finance for presidential elections? Do they
work? Why or why not? How should they be changed?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
One of President Lyndon Johnson’s largest initiatives during his 1960s administration
was his Great Society program. Many supporters praise this era, while many critics
point to the era as the birth of what they see as a welfare state. Describe at least three of
the social initiatives that were created and implemented during the Johnson
administration that are still in effect today.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
What discretion does the U.S. Supreme Court have in choosing the cases in which it
will issue a ruling? Describe the process in which justices reach their decisions.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Discuss the definition and purpose of a political action committee (PAC). By what
limitations, if any, is a PAC legally bound?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
The United States has a long history of tensions between the authority of the state
governments to apply civil rights and the role of the federal government in these issues.
Using the example of African Americans in the post-Civil War and Reconstruction eras,
discuss the tensions over the application of the U.S. Constitution to the actions of the
states. Especially note the role of the U.S. Supreme Court in this struggle.
Answer:Answers may vary.
Describe the Constitutional process for impeachment and removal of the president and
include a discussion about the impeachment of President Clinton in 1998. Did the
constitutional process work in this particular case? Why would the writers of the
Constitution make this process so difficult?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Discuss how the following events have affected the nature of the American
bureaucracy: the Civil War, Civil Service reform, the New Deal, World War II, and the
9/11 terrorist attacks. Give specific examples.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
The U.S. Constitution was created through much compromise. Discuss some of the
important compromises that developed during the Constitutional Convention in
Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. How did these compromises impact our structure
of government and its daily functions?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
The presidency of Thomas Jefferson was significant regarding federalism. Discuss the
Jefferson administration’s approach to the debate over states’ rights as well as his
friction with the Federalists of his day.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
The term “bureaucracy” normally creates negative images of bloated and ineffective
government. However, the bureaucracy is a necessary part of government and has
sometimes been referred to as the fourth branch of government. Describe some of the
ways that the bureaucracy serves a useful and important role.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Several types of laws have influenced the creation of the American judicial system.
Discuss the differences among the following: criminal law, constitutional law,
administrative law, and common law.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Describe the various efforts to reduce the deficit. How successful have they been? What
policies would you propose to achieve great success?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Though the media has had a positive role in American society, it is very often criticized.
Describe some of the criticisms of the privately owned media in a democracy such as
the United States.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Compare and contrast the rhetoric of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist movements.
Who made up the body of each group? What did they think about the proposed
Constitution? What were some of the primary arguments on each side?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
In a 1932 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Justice Louis Brandeis addressed the role of state
governments in relation to the federal government. Justice Brandeis referred to states as
“laboratories of democracy.” What is meant by his description? Give an example.
Answer:
Answers may vary.