The increase in political action committees (PACs) might actually reduce the
probability that members of Congress can be bought easily because
a. there are so many restrictions on PACs.
b. PACs have such a poor reputation among legislators.
c. PACs are not allowed to communicate directly with members of Congress.
d. members of Congress do not have the time to consider more than one or two points
ofview.
e. money is available on every side of almost every conceivable issue.
The Supreme Court’s current definition of obscenity denies free-speech protection to
materials or activities that
a. depict sexuality in a way that is degrading to its subjects.
b. promote violence against women or children.
c. lack serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
d. present a clear and present danger to community standards of decency.
e. do not appeal to the prurient interest.
Most conspicuous among the orthodox are
a. conservative persons from the Midwest.
b. Catholics.
c. fundamentalist Protestants.
d. labor leaders.
e. members of the Hollywood elite.
A trend in recent cabinet appointments has been to
a. include those with independent followings.
b. appoint both Democrats and Republicans.
c. include those without political followings.
d. appoint party leaders and workers.
e. appoint former judges and lawyers.
The Espionage and Sedition Acts (1917″1918) made it a crime to
a. make false statements that would interfere with the American military.
b. send through the mail material “advocating treason.”
c. write any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language against the United States.
d. curtail war production.
e. All of the above are true.
Keeping both the tax burden and tax evasion low would be an example of __________
politics.
a. client
b. entrepreneurial
c. interest group
d. majoritarian
e. reciprocal
What trait has been shown to influence one’s political opinions?
a. Age
b. Gender
c. Religion
d. Race
e. All of the above have been shown to influence one’s political opinions.
Disputed congressional elections are decided by
a. the Supreme Court.
b. the state supreme courts.
c. Congress.
d. the state legislatures.
e. state governors.
Which of the following is an example of a legislator following a political cue?
a. The legislator responding to public appeals
b. The legislator responding to a material incentive
c. The legislator responding to an organization due to the promise of campaign
donations
d. A liberal legislator looking to see whether the AFL-CIO, the American for
Democratic Action, and other liberal organizations favor a consumer proposal
e. A liberal legislator asking for campaign donations
When assessing the efficiency of the government, it is always important to remember
that Americans are especially energetic about
a. asserting their rights.
b. voting.
c. lobbying their U.S. senators.
d. complaining to the media.
e. tracking the success of this or that program.
A bill can be introduced in Congress by
a. any member of the majority party.
b. any member of Congress.
c. any member of Congress or the president.
d. members of the relevant committees only.
e. committee chairpersons only.
Through a process called __________, the pollster makes a list of all the geographical
units in the country and groups them by size of their population.
a. stratified or multistage sampling
b. bifurcated sampling
c. snowball sampling
d. convenience sampling
e. split sampling
An example of the relative weakness of U.S. presidents in foreign affairs, as compared
with leaders of other nations, was
a. Reagan’s indecisiveness during the Grenada crisis
b. Bush’s inability to recruit congressional support for Operation Desert Storm
c. Wilson’s inability to lead the United States into the League of Nations
d. Kennedy’s unwillingness to commit troops in Vietnam
e. Johnson’s unwillingness to commit troops in Vietnam
Which program is popularly called Social Security?
a. Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI)
b. Medicare
c. Unemployment Insurance
d. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
e. Supplemental Security Insurance
The texts suggests that the decline of political machines was in part related to
a. the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the commerce clause.
b. the general decline in vote turnout.
c. the increasing education and sophistication of voters.
d. economic depression in major metropolitan areas.
e. trends in immigration.
Supporters of equality of opportunity tend to
a. hold views that favor affirmative action policies.
b. vote independent in elections.
c. live in the New England states.
d. have orthodox beliefs on many issues.
e. have progressive beliefs on many issues.
All of the following were true of the government under the Articles of
Confederationexcept
a. larger states had more votes in the national legislature.
b. there was no national judicial branch.
c. the national government could not levy taxes.
d. the national government could not regulate commerce.
e. amendment required the support of all thirteen states.
The last time a candidate won a majority of the electoral college without winning the
popular votewas
a. 2000.
b. 1888.
c. 1876.
d. 1865.
e. 1801.
An important outcome of Marshall’s ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) was to
a. place limits on the constitutional powers granted to Congress by refusing
McCulloch’sappeal.
b. give greater power to the states in taxing agents of the federal government,
includingbanks.
c. protect newspaper editors who publish stories critical of the federal government.
d. restrict the power of the Court in cases involving conflicts between states and the
federalgovernment.
e. confirm the supremacy of the federal government in the exercise of the constitutional
powers granted to Congress.
Congress plays a leading role in foreign policy issues that are matters of __________
politics.
a. majoritarian
b. interest group
c. entrepreneurial
d. client
e. neo-institutional
The popularly elected president is
a. an American invention, and our nation is one of a few democracies that have elected
presidents.
b. common in European democracies.
c. a key feature of a parliamentarian system.
d. a powerful figure in the Japanese government.
e. the same as a prime minister.
By the end of the nineteenth century, the Senate was known as the _________ Club.
a. Recalcitrant
b. BMOC
c. Hunt
d. Millionaires’
e. Vice President’s
The Supreme Court first found a “right to privacy” in the __________ case.
a. Griswold
b. Roe
c. Webster
d. Casey
e. Gonzales
Which individual described the business of the president as “usually not much above
routine” and mostly “mere administration”?
a. Ronald Reagan
b. Woodrow Wilson
c. Dwight Eisenhower
d. Jimmy Carter
e. Gerald Ford
The U.S. Constitution was ratified by
a. the Congress elected under the Articles of Confederation.
b. state legislatures.
c. special state conventions elected by the people.
d. unanimous acclaim by all thirteen states.
e. popular vote in state elections.
The most recent independent candidate for president who was able to get on the ballot
in every statewas
a. Ross Perot.
b. Henry Wallace.
c. George Wallace.
d. John Anderson.
e. Ralph Nader.
Today, it takes __________ of the Senate to cut off debate.
a. 50 members
b. 51 members
c. 60 members
d. 75 members
e. 99 members
Which best describes individual privacy protections in newspaperarticles.
a. Newspapers can print libelous stories due to the freedom of the press.
b. Newspapers can print an individual’s name and picture without consent if they are
part of a news story of some conceivable public interest.
c. Newspapers can print false statements about people.
d. Newspapers can print information without it being part of a story of some
conceivable public interest.
e. All of the above are true.
The big losers with respect to the Tax Reform Act of 1986 were __________.
a. businesses
b. individuals
c. farmers
d. the poor
e. Both C and D are true.
When there is an economic downturn, this economic theory argues that the proper thing
for government to do is increase demand through pumping more money into the
economy by spending more than it takes in in taxes and by creating public-works
programs.
a. Keynesian economics
b. Monetarist economics
c. Economic planning
d. Supply-side economics
e. Credit-based economics
Search warrants are not to be issued unless the standard of __________ has been met.
a. probable cause
b. reasonable suspicion
c. articulable suspicion
d. reasonable doubt
e. preponderance of evidence
The Supreme Court will grant cert and hear a case if __________ justices agree to do
so.
a. two
b. three
c. four
d. five
e. six
Which is an example of a conservative public-interest law firm?
a. Rotary Club
b. American Civil Liberties Union
c. NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund
d. Atlantic Legal Foundation
e. Kiwanis
A major difference between presidential campaigns and congressional campaigns is that
a. fewer people vote in presidential elections.
b. presidential incumbents can better serve their constituents.
c. presidential incumbents can more easily avoid responsibility.
d. presidential races are generally more competitive.
e. congressional incumbents are more likely to be defeated.