Following the Reconstruction era many southern states legislated restrictions on voter
eligibility that were designed to have a negative effect on voting powers for African
Americans. Which of the following was NOT one these restrictions?
A.documentation of ownership of property
B.grandfather clauses requiring non-slave status of ancestors
C.literacy tests
D.poll taxes
E.proof of honorable service in the Union military forces
Locke and Hobbes proposed
A.rule by a strong central government.
B.an economic system based on servitude.
C.a social contract theory of government.
D.socialism as the ideal system of government.
E.the elimination of all taxation.
What was a military alliance of Eastern European nations that lay within the Soviet
Union’s sphere of influence?
A.Warsaw Pact
B.North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
C.Alliance of Communism
D.Strategic Air Command (SAC)
E.Alliance of the Red Star
The federal legislation that outlawed the use of literacy tests as intimidating tactics that
keep minority citizens from accessing the polling places was the
A.Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857).
B.Voting Rights Act of 1965.
C.Civil Rights Act of 1964.
D.Brown v. Board of Education (1954).
E.Equal Rights Amendment of 1971.
The presidency of Woodrow Wilson is crowned by successful intervention of the United
States into World War I in 1917. Though Wilson saw several successes, his greatest
downfall was
A.his failure to gain Senate approval to join the League of Nations, which he was
instrumental in creating.
B.the loss of the Philippines to Japan.
C.the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Empire of Japan.
D.his failure to enact comprehensive civil rights legislation.
E.his inability to desegregate the military.
Which rights are based on human society and exist even in the absence of formal
government?
A.natural rights
B.citizenship rights
C.civil liberties
D.civil rights
E.legal jurisdiction
Which of the following represented the first televised presidential debate?
A.1932Hoover/Roosevelt
B.1948Truman/Dewey
C.1960Kennedy/Nixon
D.1968Humphrey/Nixon
E.1980Reagan/Mondale
When relying on a prior judicial decision in a case that is similar in nature, the ruling is
based on
A.stare decisis.
B.per curium.
C.writ of certiorari.
D.precedent.
E.the rule of four.
Public Law 62-5, passed by Congress in 1911, capped the total number of seats in the
U.S. House of Representatives at
A.50.
B.65.
C.185.
D.435.
E.1,435.
The Literary Digest fiasco during the 1936 presidential election effectively put this
publication out of business and developed a fundamental lesson for future researchers.
What event created this fiasco?
A.After the election of 1936, supporters of successful candidate Franklin Roosevelt
boycotted the publication and effectively closed the business.
B.The publication confidently released its supposed poll that showed Franklin
Roosevelt losing the election by a wide margin, which did not happen.
C.The publication revealed that its polling results had actually been a planned joke.
D.The Supreme Court ruled against the publication’s First Amendment rights and shut it
down for releasing inaccurate polling information.
E.The publication was found to be a subversive tool for infiltrators set on undermining
American elections.
The period between the national party conventions in the summer of the presidential
election year and the actual election in November is referred to as
A.the nomination campaign.
B.the general election campaign.
C.the pre-nomination campaign.
D.the presidential debates.
E.the electoral wrap-up.
Which of the following is NOT considered a possible reason for the decline in our
political system?
A.the disproportionate influence of money and wealth on politics
B.politics that seem to have become more negative and conflictual
C.suppression of civil liberties in an effort of protect national security
D.disputed election results that have led to heated media battles
E.the rights of certain racial and ethnic groups to vote being slowly taken away
The presidential proclamation in 1823 that there be no attempt to colonize North and
South America by European powers and that such actions would be cause for military
action was called
A.the War Powers Resolution.
B.the Monroe Doctrine.
C.the Truman Doctrine.
D.the Treaty of Versailles.
E.manifest destiny.
Warrantless searches are
A.always unconstitutional.
B.sometimes unconstitutional.
C.never unconstitutional.
D.permitted by the Second Amendment.
E.permitted by the Third Amendment.
The most frequently utilized method of voting, at 37 percent, is
A.the paper ballot.
B.the optical scan card.
C.the punch card.
D.the manual lever voting machine.
E.online voting.
In the twenty-first century the foreign relations role of the president is a given, but this
was not so in the earlier years of our nation’s existence. Which president is considered
the first to envision his role as that of a world leader and to proactively extend his reach
into the foreign policy arena?
A.Andrew Jackson in 1828
B.Abraham Lincoln in 1860
C.Theodore Roosevelt in 1901
D.Harry Truman in 1945
E.Ronald Reagan in 1980
The Tennessee Valley Authority was established to
A.promote economic development in Tennessee.
B.provide electricity to a part of the country that had not been served by private
utilities.
C.ensure the continued provision of rail transportation.
D.help the South recover from reconstruction.
E.provide jobs to displaced Appalachian coal miners.
John Kennedy was clearly the favorite over Richard Nixon in the presidential debate
that was broadcast in black and white. His look was sharp, tanned, and relaxed, and his
suit contrasted with the background. When radio listeners were surveyed about the
debate, what was the result?
A.They also gave the debate to Kennedy.
B.They could not contrast the visual presence of the two candidates and they felt that
Nixon gave better answers.
C.They reported that they could not make a determination about the winner without
having seen the candidates.
D.They preferred their medium to television.
E.They reported no difference between the two candidates or mediums.
Congress passed the Federal Reserve Act in 1913 to
A.regulate the national banking system and provide flexibility to the money supply.
B.encourage the production of domestic and offshore oil reserves.
C.wean the United States off the gold standard.
D.ensure that the federal budget was balanced.
E.create a six-month supply of currency backed by gold bullion and stored at Fort
Knox.
Which of the following is grassroots lobbying?
A.Interest group activity aimed at getting citizens to contact their representatives
B.Lobbying efforts aimed at those who can influence public officials, such as the major
contributors to their campaigns.
C.Lobbying efforts aimed at increasing agricultural subsidies
D.Attempting to influence public policies by providing expensive gifts or junkets to
members of Congress
E.Lobbying efforts aimed at maintaining the status quo
The duties and authorities of counties across the nation differ from state to state;
however, all counties have some minimal common duties and services. Which of the
following would NOT be included in a list of responsibilities of all counties?
A.creation of curriculum and standardized testing for primary education levels
B.maintenance of records from polling places
C.land deeds and transfers
D.maintenance of birth and death certificates
E.assistance to the state government in administering elections
Both chambers of Congress, and both majority and minority parties in the chambers,
choose a member who has the responsibility to keep track of how party members are
planning to vote on upcoming legislation and to work with party members to keep the
party in unison. This party leadership position is called the
A.sergeant at arms.
B.committee chair.
C.whip.
D.president pro tempore.
E.clerk.
The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides
A.freedom of speech.
B.citizenship rights to all natural born residents.
C.that any powers not expressly given to Congress are reserved to the states.
D.that the national government is supreme.
E.for the powers of judicial review.
If a third-party candidate has no expectation of winning an election, what would be a
positive reason for him/her to run for the presidential office?
A.to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the two major parties
B.to create doubts in the minds of citizens concerning the trustworthiness of
government
C.to keep the successful major party from winning with a majority of the votes
D.to advocate for and raise awareness of a particular ideology or cause, and to garner
support for the issue among voters
E.to advocate for overthrow of the two-party system in the United States
In the late 1800s, a group of reporters appeared who often used questionable
journalistic tactics to gain information, leading to credible accusations of fake
interviews. This type of reporting became known as
A.cutting edge reporting.
B.muckraking.
C.yellow journalism.
D.in-depth journalism.
E.media agitation.
Which term refers to equality and fair treatment within the various institutions, both
public and private, that serve the public at large?
A.political equality
B.social equality
C.economic equality
D.liberty
E.social stratification
According to social contract theory,
A.only socialism can ensure equity and prosperity.
B.authority to govern must be derived by the consent of the governed.
C.governments are necessary only when there is societal conflict.
D.people are born free and equal.
E.all people have certain alienable rights.
As commander-in-chief, the role of the president in the twentieth century has evolved
dramatically. Describe how presidents of the twentieth century have used this
constitutional role to project their power in a global arena.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
The vast majority of civil cases never make it to trial. Which of the following is NOT a
reason that a case may fail to proceed to trial?
A.The judge dismisses the case.
B.The judge determines in pre-trial activities that insufficient evidence exists.
C.The two parties settle the case out of court.
D.One or both of the parties decide not to participate.
E.The court rules that it does not have jurisdiction in the case.
What was the “era of the partisan press”?
A.a period prior to the Civil War when the press was overly partial to the federal
government and acted as its mouthpiece
B.a period prior to the Civil War when most newspapers were owned by, or at least
supported, one of the major political parties, and this bias was evident in their news
C.a period prior to the Civil War when the Democratic Party controlled all news sources
D.a period prior to and during World War II when the federal government issued a
blackout order for all news reports about the war
E.a period of government censorship during the Civil War when all news outlets were
controlled by the federal government
Literary Digest used ________ polls to predict the popular vote in presidential
elections.
A.exit
B.straw
C.tracking
D.deliberative
E.representative
Which of the following factors has the lowest impact on political socialization?
A.family
B.school
C.peer groups
D.mass media
E.candidates
Theodore Roosevelt was a proactive and forceful president. Building on the Monroe
Doctrine from 80 years earlier, he developed the “Roosevelt Corollary,” which
A.created an isolationist stance whereby American military forces were not allowed to
leave the borders of the United States.
B.created an alliance of all English-speaking nations.
C.formed an alliance of nations against the developing Empire of Japan.
D.declared that the United States would serve as a police power to maintain stability in
the Western Hemisphere by opposing European interference in Latin America.
E.launched a pre-emptive attack on Cuba and began the Spanish-American War.
What is an economic system in which all or most of the means of production are owned
by the community as a whole?
A.socialism
B.capitalism
C.communism
D.individualism
E.libertarianism