Archives: Quiz

Attempting to influence policy by getting individuals to contact their representatives directly is known as A) blitzkrieg lobbying. B) triangulating. C) protest lobbying. D) grassroots lobbying. E) logrolling. The first legislature of the State of Texas convened A) immediately after […]

Today, nearly one-fourth of the people in the United States are immigrants. President Barack Obama appears to support the concept of charter schools. Answer: TRUE Since 1876, there have been 181 seats in the legislature31 seats in the Senate and […]

Some of the nation’s poorest counties are in Texas. None of the three traditional news networks are independently owned. For example, ABC is owned by Disney. Answer: TRUE Public opinion polling began in the 1800s. Answer: FALSE In the state […]

The Supreme Court rarely invalidates federal statutes. President George W. Bush appointed a higher proportion of Hispanic judges to the federal courts than any other president. Answer: TRUE The mission was an important institution of Spanish colonization. Answer: TRUE The […]

Separation of powers mandates that the judiciary is the least dangerous branch. Congressional Reconstruction required the former states of the Confederacy to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment in order to be readmitted to the union. Answer: TRUE The U.S. courts of […]

After handing down Brown v. Board of Education, the federal courts did not play a role in enforcing the Supreme Court’s ruling. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was the first successful nonviolent protest for civil rights in the 1950s. Answer: TRUE […]

The justices’ behavioral characteristics are unlikely to influence how they evaluate the facts and legal issues in a debate. Municipal revenues are tied to the health of the state’s economy. Answer: TRUE If you are a lobbyist wanting to influence […]

When presidents fill judicial vacancies in district courts, they generally defer to the senators from the state where the vacancy occurs. Texas public schools were first administered by county commissioners before the advent of the school district system. Answer: TRUE […]

Thomas Paine wrote Common Sense to argue for American independence from Great Britain. Tuition for all public universities is established by the legislature and is equal across universities, while the fees universities charge can fluctuate wildly. Answer: FALSE[/cpmembership] Native Americans […]

Allowing states to decide how to deal with an oil spill follows the principle of progressive federalism. According to Thomas Hobbes, the state of nature is peaceful coexistence. Answer: FALSE The ultimate goal in a political campaign is winning. Answer: […]

The majority of employees in the federal civil service are male. Barack Obama holds the record for most money raised in a single day. Answer: FALSE The adoption of the 1876 Texas Constitution was shaped by demands placed on Texas […]

Setting the time, place, and manner of elections is a concurrent power. The Texas legislature created the Children’s Health Investment Program in 1999 to offer tax breaks to poor Texans to help them buy private health insurance for their children. […]

.Texas is no longer subject to the preclearance requirements of the Voting Rights Act. Short-order cooks and servers working at your local restaurant can thank President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress for agreeing that there should be a national minimum […]

The Constitution stipulated that slaves should be counted as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes. Texas enacted the 1869 Constitution in response to additional requirements placed on the state for readmission to the union by congressional Reconstruction, including a […]

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal decreased government intervention in many economic policy areas, such as labor and industry. President Bill Clinton proposed, and Congress approved a balanced budget. Answer: TRUE The U.S. solicitor general’s petitions to the Supreme Court […]

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee is the Native American equivalent of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The Texas Local Government Code details the creation and operation of general law cities in Texas. Answer: TRUE The national government has had a fairly […]

Senator John McCain held a clear lead in the 2008 Republican primaries, even early on. Courts of original jurisdiction primarily determine matters of law. Answer: FALSE The Texas state legislature created the Texas State University for Negroes as a consequence […]

The Texas Constitution of 1876 and subsequent actions by the Texas legislature give the governor almost absolute power in clemency. Vice presidential vacancies are filled by presidential nomination with confirmation of three-fifths of the House. Answer: FALSE The Supreme Court […]

Opponents of the Citizens United decision cite what they call violations of the Fifth Amendment. In interpreting the Fourth Amendment, the Supreme Court has ruled that police always need a warrant to conduct a search. Answer: FALSE It is illegal […]

Europe would have to double their percentage of the world’s total defense expenditure to exceed that of the United States. Historically, people have always known which candidate would receive the party’s formal nomination before the conventions even occurred. Answer: FALSE […]

Several provisions of the War Powers Act have been ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court because they interfere with the president’s commander in chief powers. The Supreme Court is consistently swayed by public opinion. Answer: TRUE Public interest groups […]

Texas requires redistricting every two years. Generally speaking, women are more likely to support stricter emissions standards than are men. Answer: TRUE Over half of Americans believe that the recent health care reforms will improve the state of health care […]

Most economic regulation was undertaken by the national government during our nation’s first century. The youngest member of Congress is a female Democrat. Answer: FALSE Dillon’s Rule says that local government has power only at the will of state governments. […]

The necessary and proper clause is the root of Congress’s implied powers. The Supreme Court evaded questions of gerrymandering, deeming them too political, until recently. Answer: TRUE Socialization and life-skills are critical components of the No Child Left Behind Act. […]

The influence of family is greatest on high school students. The incorporation doctrine is a principle used to limit the powers of the national government. Answer: FALSE The Tea Party movement had its origins in the Sons of Liberty. Answer: […]

The Tenth Amendment reserves powers for the national government. Congress can expand or contract bureaucratic discretion. Answer: TRUE The phrasing of a question can have a significant effect on people’s responses. Answer: TRUE Most 501(c) groups cannot endorse specific candidates. […]

Many citizen journalists work without pay and for pleasure. Majorities of Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and Hindu individuals have established roots in the United States. Answer: FALSE Anne Hutchinson would have believed that a woman should be fully subservient to her […]

Assume you are a high school teacher and run into your Texas state representative by the concession stand at a high school football game. You introduce yourself, buy the legislator a Diet Coke, and urge the legislator to vote for […]

Researchers find that the more amicus curiae briefs filed in support of a cause, the more likely that party will win. You have been labeled a “cockroach” by the chair of your constitutional revision convention. You are likely opposed to […]

The Department of Homeland Security is the newest Cabinet department. Following the French and Indian War, the British government and the colonists agreed that westward expansion and settlement should be curtailed. Answer: FALSE The notion of southern states opposing a […]

The discount rate is the interest rate at which the Federal Reserve Board lends money to member banks. Only Texas and Oklahoma have two supreme courts. Answer: TRUE The gender gap in party identification has nearly closed. Answer: FALSE[/cpmembership] The […]

Counties in Texas have broad powers beyond what may be stipulated in the Constitution and statutes. The key functions of American government are found in both the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution. Answer: FALSE The […]

The Republic of Texas had a weak president when it joined the Union. If the governor’s office is vacant and the lieutenant governor becomes the governor, what happens to the lieutenant governor’s position? A)It remains vacant. B)The new governor also […]

Senior citizens are likely to be concerned about potential cuts to the medical program known as ___________. Describe the media’s traditional watchdog role, and examine a story as it develops on an online news site. How does the coverage fit […]

How did Reagan’s New Federalism benefit the states? Why has the government attempted to regulate lobbyist activity? Discuss some recent reform efforts and identify some of the gaps that remain in disclosure of lobbying activity. Answer: An ideal response will: […]

Why are there regional and sectional differences within American political culture? Explain how these differences arose. Describe the status of American Indian governments within the context of the U.S. political system. How does this status affect the ability of American […]

The __________ specifies that any power not specifically delegated to the national government is reserved to the states or the people. In 1964, Congress passed the __________ to help keep the promise of the Fourteenth Amendment. Answer: Civil Rights Act […]

In a __________, the national government derives its powers from the states. Explain what George Gallop meant when he said that public opinion polls ‘speed up the process of democracy.” Answer: An ideal response will: 1> Establish the link between […]

Is America’s brand of democracy easily exported? Why or why not? What are the two main ideologies competing in the United States? How does ideology affect the choices voters make? Answer: An ideal response will: 1> Explain that ideology is […]

If the president wishes to address a foreign policy crisis without using the military, the president may instead opt for the use of __________ as orchestrated by the Department of State. Describe the major ways in which the presidency has […]

Scholarship suggests that about __________ of the promises in the victorious party’s presidential platform are completely or mostly implemented. a. less than one-fourth b. one-fourth c. one-third d. one-half e. two-thirds Which of the following is true with respect to […]

Which of the following clauses requires states to return criminals to states where they have been convicted or are to stand trial? a. extradition b. commerce c. due process d. full faith and credit e. privileges and immunities Which presents […]

If you were running a general election campaign, at what point in the campaign would you want to recruit extra volunteers for canvassing? a. during the nomination period b. just before your state’s primary c. during the summer before the […]

The person closest to the candidate who makes the essential day-to-day decisions is the __________. a. campaign manager b. finance chair c. communications director d. press secretary e. chief campaign consultant Based on what you know about election history, what […]

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between Congress and the Judiciary? a. Congress has the ability to review the constitutionality of Supreme Court decisions. b. Congress must be increasingly mindful of the Supreme Court’s reaction when it […]

What is the major purpose of an independent regulatory commission? a. to generate profit b. to increase productivity c. to oversee the executive branch d. to perform services e. to regulate commerce Which program is one of the first entitlement […]

A rise in party unity is indicative of __________. a. cooperation across party lines b. cooperation between Congress and the executive branch c. decreasing party polarization d. high bipartisanship levels e. low bipartisanship levels The Sixth Amendment sets out basic […]

Front-loading benefits __________. a. challengers b. front runners c. incumbents d. third parties e. special interests Web polls that allow anyone to weigh in on a topic are similar to which of the following type(s) of polls? a. exit polls […]

The __________ proposed proportional representation in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. a. Ohio Plan b. Virginia Plan c. New Jersey Plan d. Massachusetts Plan e. Pennsylvania Plan What is the primary responsibility of the secretary of state? […]

In the first major civil rights case addressed by the U.S. Supreme Court, Dred Scott v. Sandford, which of the following best describes the issues at stake? a. the constitutionality of the Missouri Compromise and whether slaves were U.S. citizens […]