Which term was coined to describe the low cost of distributing newspapers in the early
1800s?
A.cheap news
B.abundant return
C.fluid news
D.cost dissemination
E.the “penny press”
In the case of Barron v. Baltimore (1833)a private citizen attempted to apply the U.S.
Constitution’s Fifth Amendment as the basis for a state level civil suit. The practical
effect of this ruling against the private citizen
A.made the Bill of Rights virtually meaningless to the state governments.
B.turned public opinion sharply against the national government.
C.was a catalyst for commencement of the Civil War.
D.clearly established the subordination of state governments to the Bill of Rights.
E.established the right of states to control interstate commerce.
Which theory referred to the policy held by certain U.S. presidents, positing that the
Communist takeover of Vietnam or Korea during their respective wars would lead to
the fall of other Asian countries as well?
A.expansion theory
B.domino theory
C.Asian theory
D.anti-Communist theory
E.American sphere of influence theory
What are guaranteed government benefits that certain citizens depend upon for
subsistence?
A.tax cuts
B.income tax refunds
C.entitlements
D.food stamps
E.corporate welfare
What was the importance of the Twelfth Amendment, which was ratified in 1804?
A.It created a requirement that electors cast two votes: one for president and one for
vice president.
B.It created the right to vote for all Americans.
C.Women gained the right to vote.
D.It abolished the poll tax and literacy test that were used to deny suffrage to minority
groups.
E.It mandated that two political parties must always exist in order to give balance to the
electoral process.
What is the total sum of the outstanding debt obligations of the United States
government, such as treasury notes and treasury bills?
A.budget deficit
B.balance of trade
C.national debt
D.gross domestic product
E.monetary system
The procedure by which the state legislature offers proposed legislation for voter
approval is called a/an
A.initiative.
B.referendum.
C.contrapositive.
D.ratification.
E.submission.
Article I of the U.S. Constitution sets a minimum age of _____ for anyone serving in
the U.S. House of Representatives.
A.16
B.18
C.25
D.35
E.50
In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled for the rights of homosexuals in the case of
A.Gregg v. Georgia.
B.Lawrence v. Texas.
C.Furman v. Georgia.
D.Missouri v. Jenkins.
E.Alberto v. Sonia.
Voter turnout is
A.the number of potential voters in the United States.
B.the ratio of Republicans to Democrats who cast ballots in an election.
C.the illegal turning away of an otherwise legally registered voter.
D.the percentage of the general public who actually took the time to cast a ballot.
E.the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot.
Approximately how many bills are introduced in a modern congressional session?
A.2,500
B.5,000
C.10,000
D.50,000
E.100,000
The process by which citizens have the opportunity to veto a legislative bill is known as
a/an
A.caucus.
B.direct election.
C.initiative.
D.referendum.
E.recall.
Thomas Jefferson, the primary writer of the Declaration of Independence, was a strong
advocate of ____, and this belief is evident in the wording of the document.
A.natural law/rights
B.humanism
C.capitalism
D.socialism
E.Christianity
__________ has been referred to as the unofficial member of the Supreme Court.
A.The solicitor general
B.The U.S. attorney general
C.The surgeon general
D.The U.S. Department of Justice
E.The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee
The major division at the Constitutional Convention was essentially between
A.Democrats and Republicans.
B.Executive and Judicial powers.
C.Federalists and Anti-Federalists.
D.Hamilton and Jefferson.
E.free states and slave states.
What was the primary ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court in Dred Scott v. Sanford
(1857)?
A.It lowered the voting age for all citizens to 18 years old.
B.It ruled that a state could legally secede from the union.
C.It ruled that slaves were property and they had no rights and could never become
legal citizens of the United States.
D.It gave women the right to vote.
E.It took away the powers of the state government to regulate voting.
If the president vetoes a bill passed by Congress, then Congress may in turn check
presidential power by overriding the veto. What is the threshold that Congress needs to
be successful with the override?
A.a simple majority of either chamber
B.a simple majority of both chambers
C.a two-thirds majority in both chambers
D.a two-thirds majority in only one chamber
E.a three-fourths majority in both chambers
The American Civil Liberties Union opposed the USA Patriot Act even before Congress
enacted the legislation following the September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center
and the Pentagon. What was the basis of the ACLU’s objections?
A.The ACLU felt that though the attacks were shocking, there was no precedent for
such broad action, and such intrusion on individuals’ rights without formal criminal
charges was a gross violation of individual liberties.
B.The ACLU was sympathetic toward the terrorists.
C.The ACLU felt that legislation such as this should be enacted at the state level rather
than the federal level.
D.The ACLU felt that Congress should have followed Abraham Lincoln’s model, so
rather than authorizing wiretaps without warrants it should have authorized the closing
of newspapers and the suspension of habeas corpus.
E.The ACLU felt that such legislative action undermined the military’s authority to
control citizens.
The first televised presidential debate that generated a high level of scrutiny and interest
was held in
A.1860 between Lincoln and Douglas.
B.1912 between Wilson and Taft.
C.1932 between Roosevelt and Hoover.
D.1960 between Kennedy and Nixon.
E.1992 between Clinton and Bush.
Senator Henry Clay was often referred to as the “Great Compromiser.” Clay was
instrumental in passage of the Compromise of 1850, enacting which of the following?
A.abolition of slavery throughout the union
B.the right of southern states to secede from the union
C.the right of northern states to individually decide the issue of slavery
D.the admission of California as a free state while also creating the territories of Utah
and New Mexico and giving them the right to decide the issue of slavery for themselves
E.the creation of a bicameral legislature
The state legislature of California, the largest state in terms of population size, has
_____ members in its state legislature. The state of New Hampshire, with a much
smaller population, has _____ members in its state legislature.
A.404; 92
B.484; 110
C.120; 424
D.222; 376
E.368; 112
Which of the following is NOT considered to be an effect of education level on voter
participation?
A.Education enhances a person’s appreciation for democracy and sense of civic duty.
B.Education improves his/her ability to understand problems in society.
C.Education sharpens a person’s mind.
D.Education often decreases voter participation because the person is exposed to
realities of political culture.
E.Education equips the voter to deal with complex information.
Which of the following concepts is most closely aligned with contemporary
conservative ideology?
A.prefers sharply increased government assistance in health care
B.advocates government owned and operated health care.
C.maintains traditional values on social issues but prefers government restraint in
economic redistribution
D.promotes an increase in free education to all college students
E.promotes an increase in Medicaid and Medicare benefits
Which of the following is NOT one of the major functions of a state party organization
in an election of state officeholders?
A.fundraising
B.providing campaign support
C.enacting legislation to limit opposition
D.organizing get-out-the-vote efforts
E.recruiting candidates
What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
A.A three-fifths majority would be necessary to amend the constitution.
B.A three-fifths majority would be necessary to appoint members of the Supreme
Court.
C.Three states would be ‘slave states,” five states would be “free states,” and the
remaining states would be able to decide their own fate after 1820.
D.Each slave would count as three-fifths of one person for purposes of representation in
the House.
E.An agreement reached by three-fifths of the states to revoke the Articles of
Confederation and install the Constitution.
A shifting of party coalitions in the electorate that remain in place for several election
cycles is called
A.a realignment.
B.a misalignment.
C.a transition.
D.an electoral shift.
E.a temporary mandate.
State governments rely heavily on
A.tobacco tax
B.sales taxes
C.property taxes
D.corporate tax
E.luxury tax
What controversial 2002 federal initiative by President George W. Bush required
mandatory testing of students to meet basic competencies?
A.the New Deal
B.the Great Society
C.the No Child Left Behind Act
D.the Federal Education Act
E.the creation of the U.S. Department of Education
Federal agencies that are responsible for implementing rules and regulations with
respect to individual or corporate conduct related to some aspect of the economy are
called
A.independent agencies.
B.congressional agencies.
C.executive branch sub-divisions.
D.regulatory agencies.
E.interstate agencies.
Apportionment and redistricting typically occur every
A.two years.
B.four years.
C.six years.
D.eight years.
E.10 years.