Political scientist V.O. Key argued that voters behave about as rationally and
responsibly as we should expect. His rationale was
A.that political leaders are to blame because they don”t rationally discuss the issues or
provide a framework for voters to understand the issues.
B.that voters have limited collective intelligence.
C.that political issues are quite complex and are beyond the level of expertise of most
ordinary citizens.
D.that the electorate is not at all interested in the issues, but seeks the “path of least
resistance” by voting on appearance and demeanor.
E.that there is not an adequate level of media sources to effectively disseminate
information.
Often a major political party will witness a split in party membership and the
disgruntled members will form a new party. Which of the following is NOT one of the
four basic types of third parties?
A.economic protest parties
B.ideological parties
C.issue parties
D.unifying parties
E.factional parties
Which of the following theories proposes that viewers imitate what they see on
television?
A.cultivation theory
B.social learning theory
C.minimal effects theory
D.agenda setting theory
E.hypnotic theory
The Fifth Amendment also protects the accused from being tried twice for the same
crime. To do so would constitute what the Constitution refers to as
A.illegal subpoena.
B.judicial unrestraint.
C.judicial exclusion.
D.double jeopardy.
E.indictment.
In ways similar to the creation of the USA Patriot Act, Abraham Lincoln during the
Civil War and Franklin Roosevelt during World War II both authorized the detention of
American citizens without accusing or formally charging them of crimes. The basis of
this action is that
A.it takes too long for a judge to issue a warrant so the Patriot Act would allow decisive
action in the process.
B.neither Lincoln nor Roosevelt trusted the criminal justice system to properly handle
these individuals.
C.citizens can be the government’s worst enemies.
D.the interests and needs of national security outweigh the rights of the individual in a
time of war.
E.individual rights are not important.
Which interest group is well-known for utilizing litigation and the courts as its primary
means for reaching its goals?
A.American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
B.National Rifle Association (NRA)
C.Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)
D.National Education Association (NEA)
E.American Medical Association (AMA)
The underlying concept of the principle of separation of powers is
A.that all three branches of government are equally powerful.
B.that when legislative, judicial, and executive power are not exercised by the same
institution, power cannot be so easily abused.
C.that the people are responsible to elect the representatives in all three branches of
government, including the judicial branch.
D.that one branch has a veto power over the other branches.
E.that the people’s power to elect representatives is separate and different from that of
the branches of the government.
The most effective complaint raised by the Anti-Federalists against the proposed
Constitution in 1788 was
A.the inability of the states to tax the federal government.
B.its lack of state power to raise an army.
C.its lack of a bill of rights to protect individuals against abuses by the government.
D.the creation of the office of president.
E.the retention of too much power at the state level.
In the 1828 presidential election Andrew Jackson won easily against the candidates who
had defeated him in an 1824 Electoral College upset. Jackson won this election
decisively. Which of the following was NOT a result of this important election?
A.A new major party emerged almost overnight and immediately became a strong and
lasting force in politics.
B.Political parties quickly realized the need to organize within the states to build a
strong organizational base.
C.Political parties became larger and stronger.
D.Political parties began to hold national party conventions.
E.The dominant party influenced the enactment of legislation that solidified a one-party
system by making it difficult to oppose this dominant party.
The first female justice of the U.S. Supreme Court was appointed in what year?
A.1790
B.1865
C.1900
D.1981
E.2001
Representative democracy is often referred to with which of the following synonymous
terms?
A.Elective government
B.Capitalism
C.Federalism
D.Republic
E.Congress
The Fifth Amendment creates several rights in regard to the criminally accused. One
such right is the grand jury review. What is the purpose of this process?
A.The grand jury reviews probable cause and, if it finds such, will return a formal
indictment of the accused.
B.The grand jury decides the guilt or innocence of the accused.
C.The grand jury serves as an advisory board to the judge.
D.The grand jury serves in place of the prosecutor in states where the position does not
exist.
E.The grand jury monitors the trial of the accused and reports observed violations to the
Administrative Office of the Courts.
Under the Articles of Confederation in the new United States, what was a critical
problem with arrangement of states’ powers?
A.States were forced to recognize the autonomy of other states.
B.Individual states retained too much power which severely weakened the central
government.
C.States had no separate power apart from the federal government.
D.State governments did not have a bill of rights to protect their citizens.
E.State governments were required to depend on federal courts to settle their internal
disputes.
Article III of the U.S. Constitution also gives Congress authority to create “inferior
courts” as it determines a need. Which of the following is NOT an actual federal court?
A.military court
B.tax court
C.U.S. district court
D.bankruptcy court
E.court of impeachment
How does representative democracy differ from direct democracy?
A.In a direct democracy the citizens are taxed directly, whereas in representative
democracy taxes are less obvious.
B.In a direct democracy the individual citizens play an active and direct role in
government, whereas in representative democracy they elect officials to act on their
behalf.
C.Unlike direct democracy, representative democracy eliminates the power of the
citizens to have any say in government.
D.The only difference between the two is the way in which representatives are elected.
E.Direct democracy is synonymous with a monarchy, whereas representative
democracy allows more citizen involvement in government.
In the two-chamber Congress, both chambers vote individually on bills, and often the
votes of the two chambers disagree. To reach consensus, the two chambers create which
type of committee?
A.conference committee
B.standing committee
C.joint committee
D.select committee
E.ad hoc committee
The sub-agency of the U.S. Department of Labor that sets policies for conduct of
negotiations between employers and employees is the
A.Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS).
B.Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
C.AFL-CIO.
D.Magistrate’s Court.
E.State Department.
Which clause prohibits an official national religion?
A.due process clause
B.establishment clause
C.free exercise clause
D.supremacy clause
E.exclusionary clause
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was created in 1934 for what
purpose?
A.to control and eliminate controversial ideas on public television
B.to produce a profit for the federal government by using television and other media
C.to advance the use of radio as a popular media outlet
D.to regulate the electronic media through licensing of broadcasters and creating rules
for broadcasters to follow
E.to launch and control communication satellites
The power to receive ambassadors, negotiate foreign treaties, and serve as
commander-in-chief during the course of a war is the exclusive authority of
A.the President of the United States.
B.Congress.
C.individual state governments that are affected by events.
D.the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
E.the Secretary of Defense.
What percentage of voting precincts nationwide still use paper ballots?
A.3 percent
B.8 percent
C.10 percent
D.22 percent
E.32 percent
Many state constitutions were rewritten between the American Revolution and the Civil
War. Which of the following is NOT one of the common changes made among the
states to their constitutions?
A.provisions for the popular election of state officials including judges
B.strengthened the powers of the governor
C.extended suffrage by removing property ownership as a qualification for voting
D.the appointment of legislative representatives by political parties
E.greater democratization of state institutions
Which of the following statements is accurate?
A.Hispanics vote more than African Americans; African Americans vote more than
whites.
B.Hispanics vote more than whites; whites vote more than African Americans.
C.African Americans vote more than Hispanics; Hispanics vote more than whites.
D.Whites vote more than Hispanics; Hispanics vote more than African Americans.
E.Whites vote more than African Americans; African Americans vote more than
Hispanics.
Realistic observation of the current American criminal justice system indicates that
which of the following groups is most likely to experience the due process model when
subject to the American criminal justice system?
A.racial minorities
B.juveniles
C.wealthy people
D.elderly people
E.poor Americans
In his Federalist No. 10 in 1787, James Madison elaborated on his fear of “factions”
within the American democracy. In modern society, which of the following groups
would Madison be most likely to identify as a faction?
A.business groups
B.religious groups
C.nonprofit organizations
D.political parties
E.federal government agencies
The fundamental law governing the structure and activities of state and local
government is called
A.traditionalistic culture.
B.moralistic culture.
C.individualistic culture.
D.the state constitution.
E.state administrative code.
What was an American foreign policy following World War II that restricted Soviet
power and resisted efforts to expand Communism?
A.containment
B.isolationism
C.manifest destiny
D.de-expansionism
E.strategic isolation
Traditionally the U.S. Supreme Court has been dominated by the appointment of white
males. This tradition was first broken with the appointment of an African American in
what year?
A.1865
B.1883
C.1920
D.1967
E.2005
The 50 states have several things in common. Which of the following is NOT one of the
common components shared by all state governments?
A.a state constitution
B.a judicial system
C.a democratically elected state legislature
D.a two-chamber legislative branch
E.an elected governor
Prior to creation of our current constitutional structure in the 1770s, the 13 colonial
governments
A.were recognized as independent, sovereign entities by other world powers.
B.mirrored those of England during the same period, including an elected House of
Commons.
C.had governors who were elected by the qualified voters.
D.were completely subordinate to a powerful central government.
E.did not exist.
In 1896 the Supreme Court again addressed segregation and racial discrimination in the
case of Plessy v. Ferguson. What precedent was established by the ruling in this case?
A.States must act with haste to correct discriminatory laws and practices.
B.Institutionalized and legalized racial segregation violates the Fourteenth
Amendment’s “equal protection” clause.
C.Only the state governments may address race relations.
D.The Fourteenth Amendment does not give powers to the federal government to
regulate local segregation issues.
E.The doctrine of ‘separate but equal” was established and segregation was
constitutional if this standard was met.
Which political ideology opposes American interventions in distant wars or
involvement in permanent military alliances?
A.isolationism
B.pacifism
C.expansionism
D.conservatism
E.containment
Of the following positions, which is the most likely to be covered by the civil service
system?
A.the White House chief of staff
B.the Secretary of Labor
C.a demographer at the Census Bureau
D.the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
E.a policy expert working in the White House
Which of the following is NOT a function of political parties in the United States?
A.Mobilizing support for issues and candidates
B.Providing a force for stability and moderation
C.Providing a cue for voter action
D.Interpreting laws and exercising judicial review
E.Formulating and promoting policy