The end of the Cold War brought an end to direct tensions between the two
superpowers. In its place arose an initiative characterized by conflicts in Third World
countries, a war on terrorism, and threats of nuclear attack from rogue nations and
terrorists. In 1991, President George H.W. Bush coined what term to refer to this era?
A.”city on a hill”
B.”thousand points of light”
C.’soft diplomacy and hard reality”
D.”new world order”
E.”dawn of forced democracy”
In the age of cable television and the Internet access, many questionable news sources
have been created that primarily seek to dig up the dirt on a subject, such as the Drudge
Report. This type of media is referred to as
A.new age journalism.
B.fictionalized journalism.
C.sensationalism.
D.illegal reporting.
E.”cutting the fat.”
What has been the response of the presidents since the passage of the War Powers
Resolution in 1973?
A.They have willingly complied with the act.
B.Every president has either circumvented or ignored the act.
C.Most presidents have complied with the act but purposely wait until the end of the
60-day period before reporting to Congress.
D.The presidents who have had a cooperative Congress have complied with the act.
E.They have not had to deal with it because the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the
executive branch by invalidating the act.
The term “liberties” normally refers to
A.rights and privileges extended to veterans.
B.rights received from a higher authority, such as a government.
C.natural rights.
D.due process.
E.rights extended only during times of peace.
By the 1796 presidential election, just eight years after the signing of the Constitution,
two political parties had formed and were actively seeking candidates to represent them
in the elections. What were these first two political parties?
A.Democrats and Republicans
B.Democrats and Liberals
C.Republicans and Independents
D.Federalists and Democratic-Republicans
E.Communists and Socialists
In 1798, with Napoleon Bonaparte expanding French territory across Europe by force,
the fledgling nation of the United States enacted a series of four laws that were
designed to prevent overthrow or weakening of the nation. These laws were collectively
referred to as
A.the Bill of Rights.
B.the Alien and Sedition Acts.
C.the Illegal Alien Deportation Act.
D.the Democratic Manifesto.
E.the Stamp Act.
Discuss key historical events that have shaped the modern media. How have events
changed the media, to what extent has it remained the same?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Of the following revenue sources, which accounts for the largest percentage of the
federal government’s revenue?
A.excise taxes
B.corporate income taxes
C.individual income taxes
D.gasoline taxes
E.property taxes
The United States has been described as a system of governments. This arrangement is
referred to as federalism and is important in understanding American democracy. What
is the total number of governments (federal, state, local, etc.) currently operating
throughout the nation?
A.51
B.approximately 450
C.approximately 950
D.approximately 20,500
E.approximately 87,500
Often an individual will join and support a certain interest group to receive tangible
advantages from that membership. An example is a teacher who joins the National
Education Association with the expectation of salary increases. These advantages are
referred to as
A.expectations.
B.long-term benefits.
C.perks.
D.material benefits.
E.intangible rewards.
An orientation for translating values into specific opinions and a philosophical guide
that people use to help translate their values and beliefs into specific political
preferences is known as
A.social filtering.
B.conservatism.
C.partisanship.
D.political ideology.
E.political posturing.
Which of the following is NOT a method or purpose of the Federal Reserve?
A.to set the discount rate
B.to control the supply of money
C.to control inflation
D.to stimulate the economy
E.to control the profits of private banks
Political scientist V.O. Key was more specific in his definition of public opinion when
he described it as
A.the measure of guaranteed success.
B.collective opinions that are dangerous for a politician to follow.
C.inaccurate results of inaccurate ideology.
D.those opinions held by private persons which government finds it prudent to heed.
E.the general feeling of the American public that is actually irrelevant to a government
policy maker.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Merit Systems Protection Board
(MSPB) were created in 1978 to replace the old Civil Service Commission. Which of
the following is NOT a purpose of these two agencies?
A.actively investigating federal employees in order to identify and prosecute those who
participate in political activities
B.administering the system of federal hiring
C.protecting the rights of federal employees
D.conducting hearings and deciding cases in which there are charges of wrongdoing in
hiring and firing of employees
E.evaluating the effectiveness of federal hiring and retention practices
Which of Herbert Packer’s two models of the criminal justice system describes the
criminal justice system as a type of “assembly line justice” because it moves cases
quickly and efficiently through the system?
A.crime control model
B.due process model
C.innocence model
D.litigation model
E.production system model
In his first term several of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal reforms were struck
down by the U.S. Supreme Court as an overreach of federal powers. What was the
response of President Roosevelt to these Court rulings?
A.The Roosevelt administration’s New Deal reforms were implemented anyway and the
Supreme Court failed to enforce its ruling.
B.President Roosevelt devised a “court-packing plan” that would increase the number
of justices and allow him to appoint them.
C.The Roosevelt administration complied with the Court’s federal authority based on
the Supremacy Clause of Article VI.
D.The Roosevelt administration appealed the ruling to the international courts.
E.The Roosevelt administration took the cases into each of the state supreme courts.
What are tax policies that theoretically promote the interests of all economic classes
equally, such as taxes for roads, parks, and police?
A.earned income credits
B.gas taxes
C.distributive tax polices
D.redistributive tax policies
E.equitable distribution
Which of the following is the most influential interest group that lobbies for the needs
of the elderly?
A.Social Security Administration
B.the Catholic Church
C.Blue Cross and Blue Shield
D.American Association for Retired People (AARP)
E.Congress
Article III of the U.S. Constitution creates the U.S. Supreme Court. How many justices
does the Constitution require for the Supreme Court?
A.three
B.six
C.nine
D.12
E.the Constitution does not determine a number, but leaves this to the discretion of
Congress
The legislation passed in 1985 that called for deficit reduction is better known as the
A.Congressional Budget Act.
B.Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.
C.Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act.
D.Archer-Daniels-Midland Act.
E.Debt Ceiling Act.
Which of the following nations currently has a theocratic form of government?
A.United States
B.Israel
C.Japan
D.Iran
E.Mexico
According to the American Political Science Association, which of the following is
NOT a role of political parties?
A.Offering clear programs to voters.
B.Developing policy positions and opinions.
C.Encouraging voter registration.
D.Working toward achieving the programs and policies they recommend when they are
successful in elections.
E.Aggressively seeking to damage the opposite party’s credibility.
People from a population who are studied for the purpose of learning something about
the whole population are referred to as
A.a pseudo-poll.
B.intercept subjects.
C.self-selected listeners.
D.a sample.
E.a test case.
What is the stance of the Supreme Court in regard to the death penalty?
A.The death penalty is unconstitutional, though states may use it if their state courts
approve.
B.If one state has a death penalty statute, then all states must also have such a statute.
C.The death penalty is not considered unconstitutional unless it is used for a juvenile
under the age of eighteen or a mentally retarded person.
D.The Supreme Court has encouraged the use of the death penalty as punishment and
deterrence.
E.The Supreme Court has consistently ruled that nothing in the Constitution can be
used to address the issue of the death penalty.
James Monroe, president from 1817 to 1825, was the first to assume a strong foreign
policy. His famous “Monroe Doctrine” declared
A.that the United States would regard as an unfriendly act any attempt by a European
nation to intervene on the American continent.
B.that the United States had an inherent right to stop foreign navies on the high seas.
C.that the United States would be aggressive in invading foreign countries that resisted
its trade policies.
D.that the United States had a moral obligation to serve as a sort of global police force.
E.that democracy was the dominant form of government and should be heavily
impressed on weaker nations.
The U.S. Senate was created as a slower, more deliberative body in which legislation is
forced to proceed at a more thoughtful pace. What is a primary reason for this design?
A.to serve as an antagonist to the U.S. House of Representatives
B.to protect the integrity of the Congress and to protect the people from radical shifts
that result from swift changes in popular opinion
C.to protect legislation from a presidential veto
D.to make sure that the legislation is enforceable
E.the arrangement was not by design, but evolved over time
The majority of federal employees are protected from partisan political maneuvering
and are insulated from changes in the presidential administrations. This workforce is
referred to as
A.civil service.
B.regulated management.
C.labor corp.
D.employment security.
E.patronage.
From a politically strategic standpoint, how has television benefited political
candidates, as compared to radio?
A.It costs much less than radio advertising.
B.It is less expensive than radio, though radio reaches more potential voters.
C.It has allowed them to develop an “image” through carefully planned media
appearances and advertisements.
D.There is little difference in benefit between radio and television.
E.It has increased the voter turnout in elections.
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment in 1971 made what change with regard to voting?
A.Women were granted the right to vote.
B.Native Americans were granted full citizenship.
C.The voting age was lowered nationwide to 18 years old.
D.Former slaves were given the right to vote.
E.Poll taxes were made illegal nationwide.
The first formal and organized women’s rights movement in the United States came at
the Seneca Falls convention in
A.1776.
B.1810.
C.1848.
D.1920.
E.1960.
What did the Motor Voter law enact in 1993?
A.An individual renewing a driver’s license may also register to vote at the same time.
B.States must create drive-through polling locations.
C.Every citizen must have a polling location within a reasonable driving distance.
D.Registered voters must be allowed to vote on transportation-related budget issues.
E.Unrestricted voter registration is allowed in all states.