The national party conventions meet every __________ years to nominate a presidential
candidate.
a. two
b. three
c. four
d. six
e. eight
The November 2012 elections brought __________ first-term members to House.
a. less than 30
b. 45
c. 75
d. 120
e. more than 150
Which is not a power of Congress specifically enumerated in Article I, section 8?
a. To lay and collect taxes, duties, impost, and excise
b. To borrow money
c. To fix the standards of weights and measures
d. To declare war
e. To grant titles of nobility
The culture war is about
a. which ethnic group governs.
b. what kind of country we ought to live in.
c. how much money should be spent on social programs.
d. the ethics of foreign policy.
e. which groups deserve to influence policy.
Three-fifths of the slaves were counted for purposes of
a. electing state legislatures.
b. apportioning delegates to presidential conventions.
c. allotting seats in the House of Representatives.
d. assigning delegates to state conventions.
e. allotting seats in the Senate.
The text suggests that calls for reform in voting were somewhat muted in the aftermath
of the 2004 national elections because
a. the states stop the discussion.
b. George W. Bush won.
c. the Democrats retained control of Congress.
d. the Supreme Court would not entertain litigation on the topic.
e. the popular vote for president was not close.
An individual involved in political groups because they enjoy meeting interesting
people and rubbing shoulders with the “powerful” are involved in politics because of
a. monetary rewards.
b. solidary incentives.
c. issues activism.
d. community reasons.
e. None of the above is true.
Which is an example of an unconstitutional search?
a. Police searching a person when he or she is being arrested.
b. Police searching the room of a house where a person is being arrested.
c. A government worker’s files being searched for information pertain to his or her job.
d. None of the above is true.
e. Options A, B, C, and D are true.
The term superdelegate refers to
a. elected officials and party leaders who are not required to pledge themselves in
advance to a presidential candidate.
b. delegates representing special-interest caucuses, such as those organized to represent
blacks or homosexuals.
c. delegates at large who are chosen by a vote of the national party leadership.
d. delegates chosen by primary elections and grassroots caucuses.
e. delegates who received more than 80 percent of the vote necessary to achieve their
status.
The complexity of the procedure for enacting a law gives the advantage to the bill’s
a. party supporters.
b. opponents.
c. congressional sponsors.
d. supporters in the executive branch.
e. supporters in the media.
In the culture war, the progressive side often includes
a. Catholics and people from the South.
b. Southern Baptists.
c. liberal Protestant denominations and people with no strong religious beliefs.
d. Republicans.
e. Prohibitionists.
The 1986 investigation by Congress into the actions of presidential aides who sought to
trade arms for U.S. hostages in Iran and then use some profits for arms sales to support
the anti-Marxist contras fighting in Nicaragua is an example of __________ politics.
a. majoritarian
b. interest group
c. entrepreneurial
d. client
e. neo-institutional
Which statement is incorrect?
a. Typically, a majority of Democrats vote for the Democratic candidate.
b. Typically, a majority of Republicans vote for the Republican candidate.
c. Typically, a majority of independents vote for the independent candidate.
d. Typically, a plurality of independents vote for either the Democratic or
Republicancandidate.
e. Typically, most independents vote for the two major parties.
This article of the U.S. Constitution details the structure and power of Congress.
a. Article I
b. Article II
c. Article III
d. Article IV
e. Article V
Lyndon Johnson enjoyed considerable success in Congress until
a. the Vietnam War sapped his strength.
b. he decided to run for reelection.
c. numerous scandals erupted in the tax department.
d. reporters were banned from White House gatherings.
e. his appointment of Abe Fortas to the Supreme Court.
A basic difference between a parliament such as Great Britain’s and the U.S. Congress
is
a. that the principal role of Congress is to debate national issues.
b. members of Parliament have more power and higher pay.
c. members of Congress are more likely to vote the party line.
d. Congress does not select a president.
e. members of Parliament have nicer offices.
Which of the following was required by the U.S. Constitution?
a. Adult free male suffrage
b. Popularly elected presidential electors
c. Nonpartisan election commissions
d. Popularly elected senators
e. Popularly elected House members
Congress responded to the feminist movement by passing laws that
a. prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender in employment and among students
in any school receiving federal funds.
b. gave women equal access to the entering of all private organizations.
c. outlawed all-male schools.
d. provided free day care and maternal care to all working mothers.
e. prohibited gender discrimination except when there was a compelling justification.
Pennsylvania’s government was considered “radically democratic” because it featured
no
a. constitution.
b. written laws.
c. elected officials.
d. legislature.
e. governor.
Horse-race journalism concerns the critics because they feel such coverage
a. cannot adequately predict who will win or lose a race.
b. ignores the importance of issues.
c. places too much emphasis on personalities and public personas.
d. relies almost entirely on second- and third- hand reporting.
e. rarely has an impact on the flow of campaign contributions.
Rule 22 was adopted by the Senate to provide a method to cut off debate during a
filibuster because senators were
a. trying to protect the power of individual senators.
b. fearful of tying a president’s hands during a wartime crisis.
c. trying to protect their state interest.
d. trying to strengthen the power of the courts.
e. None of the above is true.
Economic issues are most likely to be placed on the public agenda by
a. political elites.
b. public opinion.
c. economic analysts.
d. regulatory commissions.
e. economic theorists.
The principle that the Supreme Court used in overturning Fulton’s monopoly on a New
York steamboat operation was that
a. a monopoly is a restraint on trade.
b. patents cannot be issued on recent technology.
c. state law cannot prevail over federal law.
d. interstate commerce cannot be regulated.
e. the indirect effects of commerce are beyond the scope of government regulation.
The experience with 527 organizations in the 2004 elections suggests that campaign
finance laws
a. are an effective way to minimize interest group participation.
b. are an effective way to reduce campaign spending.
c. facilitate coordination of efforts between candidates and groups.
d. are not likely to take money out of politics.
e. have restricted speech considerably.
If only the economic health of the nation mattered, then __________ politics would
dominate.
a. majoritarian
b. interest group
c. client
d. entrepreneurial
e. organizational
The term sequester refers to
a. those budget items, such as Social Security, that are largely uncontrollable.
b. the process of protecting certain items from budgetary review.
c. freezing budget items at previous levels.
d. a limit set on the percentage of uncontrollable expenses that the budget can contain.
e. automatic, across-the-board percentage cuts in the budget.
The president usually takes the leading role on foreign policy issues that are matters of
__________ politics.
a. majoritarian
b. interest group
c. entrepreneurial
d. client
e. neo-institutional
Since 1952, most major polls have
a. picked the winner of the presidential election.
b. sampled fewer people each year.
c. sampled more people each year.
d. been administered by mail.
e. been flawed.
Article I, section 8 of the U.S. Constitution confers on Congress all of the following
powers except
a. the power to veto bills.
b. the power to collect taxes.
c. the power to declare war.
d. the power to establish courts.
e. the power to regulate commerce.
In the Virginia Military Institute case, the Supreme Court required __________ for
single-sex schools.
a. a notable basis
b. a compelling reason
c. a compelling justification
d. a rational basis
e. an exceedingly persuasive justification
Marbury v. Madison helped clarified and enlarged the powers of the early Supreme
Court.
As its first Secretary, Thomas Jefferson ensured that the Treasury Department would be
a powerful part of the young federal government.
The Motor Voter Law allows citizens in 25 states to register to vote when they obtain
their driver’slicense.
The fragmentation and individualization of our political system have made it less
susceptible to the sway of ideas.
In its 2013 State of Black America report, the National Urban League credited civil
rights legislation for helping the black community make progress in education and
standard of living, but the same report also listed a number of challenges still facing the
community. Discuss these areas of progress and the continuing challenges.