In presidential elections the winner is often a strong enough candidate that his success
has positive results for his party all the way to the various state and local races. This
phenomenon is called the
A.coattail effect.
B.trickle-down theory.
C.subordinate submission phenomenon.
D.force of election theory.
E.presidential impact.
The First Amendment right to free speech or free expression is a revered and
fundamental right in the American political system. Which of the following is NOT one
of the often-cited justifications for protecting free speech?
A.Most other societies allow free speech, so to disallow it in the United States would
create undue tensions among citizens.
B.Free speech creates a “marketplace of ideas.”
C.Self-governance is dependent upon free speech.
D.Free speech can lead to self-fulfillment.
E.Free speech is a ‘safety valve” that balances the need for order with reform.
By 1840, the formerly strong Democratic-Republican Party had been fatally damaged
by the creation of Andrew Jackson’s successful Democratic Party. Members of the
remaining splinter group, realizing that they could not win the election, united with
smaller factions to create a new and stronger opposition party. This new party was
referred to as
A.Republicans.
B.Populists.
C.Anti-Slavery.
D.Temperance.
E.Whigs.
John Locke, Baron de Montesquieu, and other political theorists of the 1700s argued
that the need for an executive power was fundamental and obvious. Which of the
following is NOT one of the primary reasons that Locke and Montesquieu used to
justify their arguments?
A.Legislatures meet infrequently and are ill-equipped to execute their own laws.
B.If legislatures enforced their own laws they may be tempted to shape the laws to their
own particular advantage.
C.Legislatures are inherently corrupt and incapable of ethical behavior.
D.A clear separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches is
necessary so that legislatures do not exert too much influence over the executive area.
E.Legislatures need perpetual execution in order to carry out the intent of their laws.
The process by which an individual acquires values, beliefs, and opinions about politics
is called
A.indoctrination.
B.political branding.
C.partisan molding.
D.political socialization.
E.political demeanor.
Which of the following is NOT an example of a political preference?
A.fewer gun control restrictions
B.increase in the minimum wage
C.support for abortion rights
D.increase in taxation to provide social programs
E.sense of patriotism
How can the number of electoral votes in a state be changed?
A.Electoral votes are assigned by the U.S. Constitution and cannot be changed.
B.Each state legislature has the power to change its allotment of electoral votes.
C.The census is taken every 10 years and significant population shifts between states
will lead to reapportionment of the 538 total electoral votes between states.
D.To add electoral votes, the U.S. Constitution must be amended.
E.The electoral votes proportionally represent the popular vote from each state so will
change as it changes.
Which of the following is an independent regulatory commission?
A.The Department of Labor
B.The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
C.The Tennessee Valley Authority
D.The Securities and Exchange Commission
E.The United States Post Office
Which of the following would NOT be included in a list of positives (pros) concerning
the existence and activities of interest groups?
A.Interest groups weaken the power of the federal government and therefore ensure that
it does not grow too strong.
B.Interest groups provide all groups in society with an opportunity to win support for
their ideas and positions.
C.Interest groups should be encouraged because they allow humans to seek out others
who have ideas similar to themselves.
D.Interest groups provide for the right of association, which is a basic right protected by
the U.S. Constitution.
E.Interest groups work within a balanced system that gives all groups a fair opportunity
to compete.
Most U.S. presidents have held one or more high-level elected offices. The two most
commonly held offices are tied, with 19 presidents each having held these positions. In
addition to the U.S. House of Representatives, which other elected office was held by
19 presidents?
A.U.S. senator
B.Supreme Court justice
C.Supreme Allied Commander
D.governor
E.secretary of state
Which of the following is NOT one of the positive benefits of television and Internet
news reporting?
A.to help set the political agenda
B.to allow citizens to witness destruction, such as the aftermath of a hurricane
C.to observe an actual battlefield
D.to help keep government accountable to the people
E.to promote special interests that strongly affect American life
Britain has historically differed from other European countries such as France and
Germany because of its reliance upon
A.common law.
B.civil law.
C.legislative law.
D.administrative law.
E.executive precedent.
What is a part of the Executive Office of the President that creates an annual budget
proposal based on the president’s program?
A.U.S. Treasury
B.Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
C.Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
D.General Accounting Office (GAO)
E.White House Chief of Staff
How many African Americans currently serve in the United States Senate?
A.0
B.1
C.5
D.9
E.20
What did the Sedition Act of 1798 prohibit?
A.the publication of materials that brought the U.S. government into disrepute
B.the power of the federal government to control interstate commerce
C.the raising of militia by the state governments
D.the implementation of the draft
E.overseas travel by American citizens
At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, the Federalists
A.strongly objected to ratification and enactment of the new constitution.
B.were opposed to a strong central government.
C.were in favor of a strong central government and for ratification of the new
constitution.
D.favored states’ rights and were opposed to any form of national government.
E.favored a central government only if the states were given veto powers over the
central government.
Where state law conflicts with national law, national law prevails due to
A.Article II.
B.Article III.
C.Article IV.
D.Article V.
E.Article VI.
Though Congress may delegate power to the bureaucratic agencies, Congress does not
normally give open-ended power, and it does not relinquish all power. The process of
retaining ultimate authority is called
A.auditing.
B.congressional prerogative.
C.congressional oversight.
D.partial delegation.
E.retention.
Which two U.S. Presidents have been formally impeached?
A.Nixon and Harding
B.Clinton and Johnson
C.Jackson and Adams
D.Roosevelt and Taft
E.Coolidge and Hoover
The standard of evidence in a criminal trial is the finding of guilt “beyond a reasonable
doubt.” What is the standard in a civil case?
A.the same, that is, “beyond a reasonable doubt”
B.”preponderance of the evidence”
C.”clear and convincing evidence”
D.”probable cause”
E.”reasonable suspicion”
What caused the era of dual federalism to end?
A.The Civil War
B.Industrialization
C.Urbanization
D.Mercantilism
E.The Great Depression
Often Congress becomes aggressive against certain crimes, such as possession of guns,
the “war on drugs,” or enacting mandatory minimum sentences. When this occurs, what
role does the U.S. Supreme Court play in the process?
A.The Supreme Court has no authority to intervene in legislation enacted by a
legitimately elected Congress.
B.The Supreme Court serves in an advisory role to Congress.
C.The Supreme Court may send the issue before the voters if it disagrees with the law.
D.The Supreme Court may invalidate the law by ruling that the law violates the U.S.
Constitution or assumes powers that are not given to Congress.
E.The Supreme Court is a figurehead agency that normally rubber-stamps all
congressional actions.
What is the means by which the government controls the supply and price of money in
the economy?
A.distributive policies
B.redistributive policies
C.monetary policy
D.tax policy
E.mandated revenue
The single greatest influence on young citizens’ initial party identification is their
A.parents.
B.age.
C.race.
D.gender.
E.income.
Most states require that a voter declare a party affiliation ahead of time and, at the time
of voting, he/she can only vote in that party’s election. This process is called
A.open primary.
B.closed primary.
C.the caucus.
D.forced selection.
E.restricted access.
A very important aspect of the American constitutional arrangement, which distributes
powers between two levels of government (state and federal), is called
A.sovereignty.
B.enumeration.
C.ratification.
D.compromise.
E.federalism.
Children who grow up in a home in which parents regard politics as important generally
tend to
A.reject any reference to politics in adult life.
B.return to their parents for guidance about voting or taking a stand.
C.become rigid and unyielding in their political beliefs.
D.also regard politics as important throughout their lives.
E.seek mates with dominant political views.
The Second Amendment concerns American citizens’ “right to bear arms” yet this
amendment has long been a source of heated debate, confusion, and litigation. What has
been the stance of the Supreme Court on Second Amendment issues in the past few
decades?
A.The Supreme Court has refused to rule on Second Amendment matters on the
grounds that it is perceived as a state issue instead of a federal issue.
B.Generally the Supreme Court has refused to restrict the right to bear arms, with only
few exceptions, such as in the use of assault rifle bans.
C.The Supreme Court has consistently chipped away at private ownership and use of
guns.
D.The Supreme Court has historically avoided the subject of private gun ownership, but
recently appointed justices have signaled a dramatic shift toward strict gun control.
E.The Supreme Court believes that retreat on the Second Amendment will set a
dangerous precedent that will create a ‘slippery slope” on which retreat on First
Amendment issues will be imminent.
Ideally, in providing context and commentary on political events, the competing news
outlets play a vital role in the democratic process by
A.facilitating and advocating public debate of the issues, thus increasing voter
awareness.
B.calming public furor over certain events.
C.advocating for the government’s favor.
D.fulfilling the government’s needs.
E.choosing and advocating for one particular side of an argument.
In the United States there are separate court systems for the federal government and the
state governments. Both systems are large and complex. What percentage of the nation’s
litigation is processed in the state courts?
A.5 percent.
B.20 percent.
C.48 percent.
D.60 percent.
E.95 percent.
Which of the following First Amendment rights has received the least protection by the
Supreme Court?
A.words
B.beliefs
C.thoughts
D.actions
E.speech
Why was the Equal Rights Amendment not enacted in the 1970s?
A.There was very little support for the rights of women at the time.
B.Congress refused to act on the proposed amendment.
C.Though Congress approved the amendment, only thirty-five of the necessary
thirty-eight state legislatures ratified the proposal within the required time limitation.
D.Congress approved the amendment and the state legislatures ratified, but the
president would not sign the amendment into law.
E.It was ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Compare and contrast the theories of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. Be sure to
discuss how each theorist has affected the American system of government.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
The First Amendment contains both the establishment clause and the free exercise
clause. Discuss how the Supreme Court has interpreted these clauses and how these
decisions have affected the “wall of separation” between church and state.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Discuss voter turnout and some of the factors that can cause it to increase or decrease.
What are some of the methods currently used to increase voter turnout?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Compare and contrast tax-favored investment plans. Which one do you favor? Why?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Discuss the experiences of women in their historic journey toward civil rights in the
United States. Especially note the right to vote, the Equal Rights Amendment, gender
discrimination issues, and the removal of gender barriers over the past three decades in
business, military, and political arenas.
Answer:Answers may vary.
Describe the precedents in the following three Supreme Court cases and discuss how
these cases illustrate a timeline in the evolution of civil rights of African Americans:
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Answer:Answers may vary.
Describe the differences between the ideologies of isolationism, expansionism,
pacifism, and internationalism. To which of these does the United States currently tend
to gravitate?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
The process of bringing a bill to the point of enacting it as legislation is a multi-step and
often complicated process. Describe how a bill becomes a law. Be sure to discuss the
steps taken, the political and partisan activity, the authority of committees, and the
compromise involved in the process.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Discuss voter turnout. Who votes and why? How does voter turnout compare with other
democracies?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
What were the primary differences between the first two major parties, which were the
Federalists and Anti-Federalists? What forces led to the dissolution of these parties?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Describe a typical day in the life of a Congressional Representative.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
What guarantees does the First Amendment provide to interest groups?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Compare the American system of federalism to other governmental structures such as a
unitary government or a confederation. What are some of the strengths of federalism
when compared with other government structures?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Americans, especially legal scholars, view the U.S. Constitution in different ways.
Discuss the differences between the theories of strict constructionism versus the living
constitution.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
The authors of your textbook present arguments for and against the decline of American
Democracy. Discuss the most compelling arguments on each side of the debate. What is
your position on this debate?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Discuss the status of the United States as a welfare state. How has it evolved? What has
it accomplished? Where has it failed?
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Discuss the evolution of executive powers since World War II.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Public opinion exists at three basic levels. List and describe these levels.
Answer:
Answers may vary.
Discuss some of the considerations taken and prerogatives involved when the president
appoints justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Answer:
Answers may vary.