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.
Political parties are only implicitly mentioned in the Constitution.
The only congressional officer mentioned in the Constitution is the Speaker of the
House.
The Texas governor sometimes uses the news media in an attempt to influence public
opinion.
Mayors are always the head of city governments.
The presidential chief of staff is fourth in line to become president in the event that
Barack Obama is unable to fulfill his duties in office.
If an anti-Palestine rally is reported as a pro-Israel rally by the media, this is an example
of framing that could affect public opinion on the issue.
In a confederate system, the state governments draw their power from the people.
All Texas courts are constitutionally created.
Most of the states with American Indian populations affected by treaties are west of the
Mississippi River.
The New York Sun was one of America’s first penny presses.
If a police officer sees a bag of marijuana on the dashboard of a car, he or she still needs
a warrant to search the car.
Senators John McCain and Evan Bayh sponsored strict financial regulations for
political campaigns in 2002 known as the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.
If you are the plaintiff in a civil trial conducted in a district court in Texas, you will win
your case if ten of the twelve jurors vote in your favor.
Push polls are generally phrased to try to influence, rather than gauge, public opinion.
If Americans are bitterly disappointed by President Barack Obama’s performance, they
may organize a recall election to remove him from office.
The Texas Municipal League is a lobbying association representing most cities and
counties in Texas.
The District of Columbia has as many Electoral College electors as Wyoming.
Franklin D. Roosevelt is generally regarded as the best president.
A higher percentage of Texans lack health insurance than in any other state.
The perspectives emphasized on MSNBC are growing more liberal.
Voting behavior and partisan self-identification are almost always consistent with one
another.
The inalienable rights described by Thomas Jefferson are most directly based on the
ideas of Thomas Hobbes.
In light of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it is illegal for an employer to not hire a person
because she is of Hungarian descent.
The graying of the federal workforce is not anticipated to be a problem in the near
future.
The United States’ decision to invade Iraq is an example of soft power.
President Jimmy Carter embraced Milton Friedman’s theories on education.
Texas runs one of the highest quality public health programs for the poor in the country.
President William McKinley decried muckraking journalists, whom he considered to be
focusing on the carnal underbelly of politics.
Few states have term limits for legislators because people see term limits on legislators
as a way to strengthen the other institutions of government.
One reason the administration of Governor E.J. Davis was controversial was because he
opposed universal public education.
Governments began to get involved with environmental policy just after the Industrial
Revolution.
Prior to the 1980s, the Republican Party had control of Texas government only during
Reconstruction.
The difference between great and mediocre presidents frequently centers on leadership
style.
News media predate American democracy.
If the Texas legislature passes a law that directly conflicts with a national law, the state’s
policy will reign supreme.
Initially, most of the efforts of the National Organization for Women were directed at
A) gaining equality for women.
B) equal pay for women.
C) ending television and print ads that promoted sexual stereotypes.
D) working with the NAACP to end discrimination for women and racial minorities.
E) helping women to win election to state and federal office.
Presidential candidate debates came into wide use beginning in
A) 1860.
B) 1900.
C) 1960.
D) 1980.
E) 1972.
The system of government in which power is divided between the state and national
governments is called
A) federalism.
B) unitarism.
C) pluralism.
D) confederation.
E) constitutionalism.
The party in the electorate is most accurately defined by which of the following?
A) Frequent voters who register as members of a particular political party
B) Independents who are not registered with any party but still vote in elections
C) The staff of a particular party involved in electoral campaigns
D) Members of a particular political party who currently hold public office
E) Those who identify with a political party and consider themselves members
According to the textbook, which of the following are non-governmental influences on
public opinion?
I. News media
II. Business owners
III. Traditional elites
IV. Issue-specific organizations
A) I only
B) II only
C) I, II, and III
D) I, III, and IV
E) I, II, III, and IV
The news media are
A) completely objective.
B) all left of center.
C) mostly on television.
D) representative of a broad spectrum of opinions.
E) all right of center.
Voting based on what a candidate says they will do if elected is called
A) retrospective judgment.
B) issue voting.
C) prospective judgment.
D) candidate evaluation.
E) introspective judgment.
President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society Program
A) mirrored FDR’s New Deal.
B) granted funding to mainly conservative mayors and conservative state legislatures.
C) made direct grants to state governments.
D) was designed to help the middle class.
E) integrated local governments into the federal system.
In a home-rule city, the power to govern is granted to the
A) state.
B) city.
C) county.
D) special district.
E) Board of Governors.
The authority for congressional oversight stems from the
I. Constitution.
II. War Powers Act.
III. Congressional Review Act.
IV. earmark process.
A) I, III, and IV
B) II, III, and IV
C) I, II, and IV
D) I, II, and III
E) I, II, III, and IV
Due process rights are largely found in
A) the Preamble to the Constitution.
B) Article I of the Constitution.
C) the Declaration of Independence.
D) the Bill of Rights.
E) the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.
Since the Texas Constitution generally prohibits the state from going into debt, how is
the state able to borrow money through general obligation bonds?
A) Such bonds do not technically create indebtedness since the state uses taxes to repay
them.
B) Such bonds are established through amending the Texas Constitution.
C) Such bonds are repaid within the biennial budget period.
D) Technically, such bonds are for borrowing goods and servicesnot money.
E) Such bonds are permissible because their amounts are negligible.
One of the MOST important aspects of presidential debates is
A) legitimate debate over specific issues.
B) candidates’ styles of dress, especially if one is a woman.
C) drawing parallels between previous debates.
D) any gaffes or factually incorrect statements, as they may have an effect on outcomes.
E) the family members who attend the debates.
If you are a member of the Sierra Club, you are a member of a
A) business group or trade association.
B) racial and ethnic group.
C) public-interest group.
D) professional association.
E) labor group.
Which of the following is the MOST likely reason for the formation of the Reform
Party in 1992?
A) The overall trust in the Republican Party was at an all-time low.
B) It pointed out the flaws of the Democratic Party.
C) It sought to get Ross Perot elected president.
D) Tax reform was a large issue in 1992, and the Reform Party had an appealing tax
agenda.
E) The party sought to replace the Republican Party.
Today, the difference between political parties and interest groups is
A) nonexistent.
B) interest groups are more broadly focused than political parties.
C) interest groups cannot participate in electoral politics.
D) interest groups pursue issue outcomes while parties exist to win elections.
E) interest groups are composed of less-motivated individuals than members of political
parties.
When did the first attempt to revise the 1876 Constitution comprehensively occur?
A) 1877
B) 1917
C) 1919
D) 1949
E) 1974
Suppose you receive an email asking you to contact your representatives and ask them
to vote “yes” on a particular upcoming bill which affects the group that sent you the
email. This communication would be an example of
A) direct lobbying.
B) indirect lobbying.
C) log-rolling.
D) electioneering.
E) grass-tops lobbying.
Over the course of the __________ administration, political parties gradually formed.
A) John Adams
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) George Washington
D) James Madison
E) Andrew Jackson
A phenomenon that tends to reinforce close relationships between private interests and
public regulators is
A) the revolving door.
B) senatorial courtesy.
C) sunset review.
D) logrolling.
E) the plural executive.
Which of the following is NOT an effective element in the governor’s success in office?
A) Ability to persuade
B) Possession of strong personal skills
C) Previous political experience and electoral linkages
D) Exercise of the extensive executive powers constitutionally vested in governor’s
office
E) Projection of an image of strength and success through public and media relations
One of the reasons that congressional incumbents have an electoral advantage is
A) they are more intelligent than challengers.
B) their reelection bids are federally funded.
C) fundraising is often easier for challengers.
D) the media pays more attention to challengers.
E) constituency service.
For the Democrats, Super Tuesday in 2008
A) solidified Senator Barack Obama’s lead.
B) gave former Senator John Edwards an unexpected edge.
C) made it appear as though Senator Hillary Clinton would capture the nomination.
D) was the end of Senator Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
E) ended in a draw.
Social Security was created in the
A) 1790s.
B) 1860s.
C) 1930s.
D) 1960s.
E) 1970s.
Larger states, such as Virginia and Pennsylvania, advocated for
A) powerful state governments.
B) a powerful national government.
C) a judiciary elected directly by the people.
D) a one-house legislature composed of representatives elected by state legislatures.
E) strengthening, but not rewriting, the Articles of Confederation.
Under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy,
A) police are prohibited from asking a suspect’s race.
B) American Indian children are not allowed to ask about their tribal customs.
C) over 31,000 soldiers have been discharged from military service.
D) homosexuals are not allowed to join the military.
E) religious tests for political office have been eliminated.
MoveOn.org, the Humane Society, the Children’s Defense Fund, and other such groups
are examples of ________ interest groups.
A) citizen
B) professional
C) public
D) economic
E) governmental
The Supreme Court decision that overturned Plessy v. Ferguson in 1954 was
A) Sweatt v. Painter.
B) Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada.
C) McLaurin v. Oklahoma.
D) Brown v. Board of Education.
E) Brown v. Board of Education II.
The first governor to break tradition and serve more than three terms in office was
A) James Pinckney Henderson.
B) Sam Houston.
C) Dolph Briscoe.
D) Frankin Roosevelt.
E) Rick Perry.
Which of the following is the MOST likely reason Senator Hillary Clinton lost her early
lead in the 2008 presidential campaign?
I. She was the focus of numerous attacks from both Democratic and Republican
candidates.
II. Senator Barack Obama’s 2004 Democratic National Convention speech gave him
star power.
III. She had strong affiliations with the Washington, D.C., establishment as a senator
and former first lady.
IV. She was particularly inept at grassroots support, where Senator Barack Obama
shined.
A) II only
B) II and III
C) I, II, and III
D) II, III, and IV
E) I, II, III, and IV
American political culture embodies many key concepts including
I. absolute personal liberty.
II. political equality.
III. majority rule.
IV. individualism.
A) I
B) I and II
C) II and III
D) I, II, and III
E) II, III, and IV
Black Codes permitted local law enforcement officials to
I. arrest unemployed blacks.
II. fine blacks for vagrancy.
III. hire out some blacks so they could pay their fines for vagrancy.
IV. allow black men to vote.
A) I only
B) I and II
C) II and IV
D) I, II, and III
E) II, III, and IV
All of the following are features of TANF EXCEPT
A) single mothers with children over five must work within two years of receiving
benefits.
B) single, pregnant women must work through the ninth month of pregnancy.
C) unmarried mothers under the age of 18 must live with an adult and attend school.
D) mothers must provide information on the fathers of their children to get benefits.
E) a five-year lifetime limit for aid from block grants.
Which president signed legislation that deregulated commercial airlines, railroads,
motor carriers, and financial institutions?
A) Richard M. Nixon
B) Gerald R. Ford
C) Jimmy Carter
D) Ronald Reagan
E) Bill Clinton
In total, how many judges serve on the two Texas supreme courts?
A) 2
B) 5
C) 6
D) 9
E) 18