Different methods of achieving civil rights have been advocated over the years. Booker
T. Washington was one of the most prominent African American leaders in the decades
immediately following the emancipation of slaves. Washington opposed confrontation
with the white power structure and urged African Americans to accept existing
conditions. This philosophy is referred to as
A.pacification.
B.remission.
C.accommodation.
D.racialization.
E.Jim Crow.
A presidential action that removes the punishment, as well as the finding of guilt, from
a person convicted of a federal crime is called
A.a reprieve.
B.a commutation.
C.a full pardon.
D.presidential prerogative.
E.certiorari.
Including the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution has been given how many
amendments?
A.none
B.one
C.ten
D.twenty-seven
E.fifty-three
One of the largest shifts in professional presence for women has been in the role of
lawyers and judges. From 1970 to 1990 these numbers increased from
A.0 to 5 percent.
B.5 percent to 22 percent.
C.5 percent to 70 percent.
D.30 percent to 50 percent.
E.30 percent to 70 percent.
Which of the following statements about CNN and Fox News is most accurate?
A.Fox News is more liberal than CNN.
B.Fox News has a more pronounced ideological tilt than does CNN.
C.CNN has a more pronounced ideological tilt than does Fox News.
D.The ideological tilt of Fox News and CNN are approximately equal.
E.Fox News has a strong conservative tilt and CNN has a strong liberal tilt.
Which of the following has the single most influence on the political views of a typical
high school student?
A.the President
B.Facebook
C.cable news
D.National Public Radio
E.friends
Consistent increases in the prices of goods and services is referred to as
A.fiscal policy.
B.price fixing.
C.inflation.
D.cost modification.
E.scaling.
Though they have created some controversies, many interest groups have a political
arm which acts as an extension of their organization, referred to as a
A.political action committee (PAC).
B.political party.
C.corporate benefit.
D.socialist advocacy.
E.committee of influence.
Which of the following best illustrates a president as chief law enforcement officer?
A.Obama’s reception for the Super Bowl Champions
B.Nixon’s trip to China in 1972
C.Eisenhower’s use of troops to integrate public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas
D.Clinton’s effort to reform the welfare system
E.George W. Bush’s order to use military force in Afghanistan
The Twenty-Second Amendment, ratified in 1951, limits presidents to how many
terms?
A.no limit
B.one term
C.no limit as long as there is a four-year break between terms
D.two consecutive terms
E.two terms
Presidents have different talents and characteristics. President Clinton was very
confident in press conferences, while other presidents have preferred different methods.
Which of the following is NOT one of the mediums that President George W. Bush has
often used and preferred when addressing Americans?
A.live television press conferences
B.weekly scheduled radio addresses
C.staged events
D.one-on-one interviews with preferred reporters
E.taped, televised speeches
What propelled the United States into World War I?
A.British trade and taxation policies toward the United States.
B.The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
C.The invasion and subsequent occupation of France.
D.Widespread violations of human rights in Europe.
E.Germany’s policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
Who determines public policies in an indirect democracy?
A.the people
B.the courts
C.the bureaucracy
D.religious leaders
E.representatives
Since 1968 the American political scene has witnessed a slow but steady shift in
political party affiliation, especially in the South. What is occurring?
A.The historically solid Democratic stronghold in the South has reverted to a strong
Republican territory.
B.A strong third party has emerged.
C.Strom Thurmond’s States’ Rights party has been instrumental in cementing the
Democratic stronghold in the South.
D.Northern Republicans are migrating to the South but the native population in the
southern states remains committed to the Democratic Party.
E.The Democratic Party in the South has lost much support but that loss has been seen
mostly across racial lines.
All states have a minimum of three electoral votes. The state with the most electoral
votes in the Electoral College is
A.Texas.
B.New York.
C.Florida.
D.Vermont.
E.California.
What is meant when a certain group of citizens is “given the franchise”?
A.The citizens are granted suffrage, or the right to vote.
B.The citizens are granted legal alien status with all the rights attached.
C.Certain low-income citizens are assisted by the federal government in establishing
small businesses.
D.The citizens are granted more rights than other groups.
E.Certain groups of citizens are targeted for criminal prosecution.
A social system in which the state assumes a considerable degree of responsibility for
citizens in matters of health care, employment, education, and retirement income is
called
A.a due process system.
B.a police state.
C.socialism.
D.capitalism.
E.a welfare state.
What is the length of a term for a U.S. Senator?
A.two years
B.four years
C.six years
D.10 years
E.lifetime appointment
In one state, the civil court settles a dispute concerning assets in the estate of a deceased
person. The one who loses the case in civil court cannot go into another state and have
that state’s civil court revisit the case. This is an example of
A.the power of Congress to intervene and settle disputes between states.
B.the difference between the criminal and civil court systems.
C.the inability of the federal government to properly intervene in civil disagreements
between states.
D.the practical application of the full faith and credit clause of the U.S. Constitution.
E.a breakdown in the civil court system in this nation.
Identify an issue that would primarily be the responsibility of a State government.
A.income taxes
B.regulating interstate commerce
C.public health
D.social security
E.border security
Which of the following would NOT be included in a list of economic interest groups?
A.animal rights groups
B.labor unions
C.business and industry associations
D.professional employee associations
E.merchants’ associations
A well-known public interest groups that champions good government is called the
A.National Association of Farmers.
B.National Association of Workers.
C.National Organization of Women.
D.American Civil Liberties Union.
E.Common Cause.
The process of gerrymandering refers to
A.illegally tampering with votes.
B.increasing the size of a congressional district.
C.the concept of “one man, one vote.”
D.the drawing of congressional district boundaries to favor a particular political party or
group.
E.reducing the size of the House of Representatives.
Since the 1990s the average turnout in a presidential election is _____ of registered
voters.
A.less than 10 percent
B.about 30 percent
C.approximately 50 percent
D.about 80 percent
E.close to 100 percent
Considering voter turnout by registered voters in presidential elections over the past 50
years, what would be a good general marker for the level of turnout?
A.About 10 percent of registered voters exercise their right to vote.
B.About a quarter of voters participate.
C.Historically we can expect about half of the registered voters to participate in an
election.
D.Since it is a presidential election, more than three-quarters of the registered voters
will participate.
E.There is no way to determine voter turnout.
The U.S. Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in all cases EXCEPT
A.cases affecting diplomats.
B.cases affecting federal agents.
C.cases where a citizen seeks a writ of mandamus.
D.those where one of the parties is a state.
E.those where two of the parties are states.
In regard to low voter turnout in elections, which of the following results is of most
concern?
A.It is too difficult for most voters to make choices among candidates.
B.Low turnout tends to favor Democratic candidates.
C.It may be a symptom of a weakening democracy.
D.The expense of the election is not worth the amount of turnout.
E.Poll workers and campaign staff feel that they have wasted their time.
The Supreme Court uses a significant power to declare acts of the other two branches of
government, and of state governments, as unconstitutional and thus invalid. This power
is referred to as
A.appellate review.
B.judicial veto.
C.judicial review.
D.veto override.
E.ratification.
Sitting presidents can sometimes lose their reelection bids. How many times has this
occurred in the past 100 years?
A.none
B.one
C.five
D.11
E.21
Which of the following is a unit of the federal bureaucracy that is set up to run like a
private company even though it serves an important public purpose?
A.government corporation
B.independent agency
C.regulatory agency
D.profit-sharing agency
E.state agency
The program instituted by Franklin D. Roosevelt to overcome the Great Depression was
the
A.War on Poverty.
B.Federal Relief Policy.
C.New Deal.
D.Fair Deal.
E.Great Society.
The first president to rely on public opinion polls and to use radio as a form of mass
communication with the public was
A.Abraham Lincoln.
B.Theodore Roosevelt.
C.Franklin Roosevelt.
D.John Kennedy.
E.Ronald Reagan.
Which of the following accurately describes an indirect democracy?
A.Representatives of the people are chosen by ballot.
B.Economic elites make decisions for the country as a whole.
C.Social elites make decisions for the country as a whole.
D.The people initiate legislation.
E.The judicial system creates legislation.
The AFL-CIO, one of the largest labor unions in America and a major interest group,
was instrumental in pushing for creation of a new Cabinet-level agency to advocate for
its interests. This agency is the
A.Department of State.
B.Attorney General’s Office.
C.Department of Homeland Security.
D.Department of Labor.
E.Department of Commerce.
Even if the police do not have a warrant, they are generally allowed to search
A.a suspect’s bedroom.
B.the trunk of your car.
C.your car’s locked glove box.
D.areas in a suspect’s control at the time of arrest.
E.All of the above are permissible.