The Tenth Amendment reserves powers for the national government.
Congress can expand or contract bureaucratic discretion.
The phrasing of a question can have a significant effect on people’s responses.
Most 501(c) groups cannot endorse specific candidates.
In times of international crisis, President Barack Obama may take legally questionable
acts to restore order. These actions would be justifiable under the necessary and proper
clause.
A very powerful member of the House of Representatives can be voted out of office as
a result of state legislators purposefully changing his or her constituency.
Effective lobbyists are often former members Congress or congressional staffers.
Searches conducted with the consent of the person under arrest are considered
reasonable.
A state sells bottles of hard liquor with a $3.00 flat tax. This is an example of a
progressive tax.
Protest activities helped establish American democracy.
On average, Hispanics and African Americans have significantly lower incomes than do
Anglos in Texas.
Texas senators are typically elected for six-year terms.
Party leaders generally select delegates to conventions.
Members of Congress must be legal residents of the state they represent in order to
ensure that they are acquainted with the issues of that state. Many members, however,
have been able to contravene that requirement.
In 2010, three of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices were Protestant.
Texas has traditionally had an activist government that pursued a broad array of
ambitious policy goals.
Proportional representation primaries are more democratic than winner-take-all
primaries.
The legislature has created a bewildering array of statutory county courts, making
meaningful generalizations about these courts and their jurisdictions difficult.
Both the New Deal and the Great Society lessened government involvement in
Americans’ everyday lives.
If you are the Speaker of the House and your party was attempting to garner enough
votes to pass an agricultural reform bill, you would MOST likely look to the minority
whip for support.
The Texas sunset laws are used by the legislature as a way of guaranteeing that a given
agency will continue to be around indefinitely.
Civil rights cases supporting the claims of Native Americans surged in the 1960s.
Justice Roger B. Taney saw the Supreme Court as an arbiter of conflict between state
and national governments.
Many historians refer to Eleanor Roosevelt as the “First Lady President.”
A firm geographic base has been known to bolster support of third party candidates.
Most Texans who earn more than $24,000 per year pay a state income tax of 6.25% on
their personal income.
Judicial review is mentioned in Article IV of the Constitution.
Teaching respect for the nation and its symbols in school can help counter negative
attitudes about government.
The word citizen was not defined until the Fourteenth Amendment was ratified.
In 2007, the Supreme Court continued to support the use of voluntary school
desegregation plans based on race.
During a special session of the Texas legislature, the governor shares control of the
agenda with the lieutenant governor.
The necessary and proper clause can be found in Article I, section 8 of the Constitution.
The sheer amount of resources available to incumbents often scares off even quality
challengers.
For much of the 1980s, the media had a slightly conservative bent in light of
widespread public support of the policies of President Ronald Reagan.
Slavery was banned by the ________ Amendment.
A) Twelfth
B) Thirteenth
C) Fourteenth
D) Fifteenth
E) Sixteenth
During its 2010-2011 term, the Supreme Court decided about ________ cases.
A) 50
B) 70
C) 80
D) 100
E) 150
The Equal Rights Amendment
A) was the last amendment added to the Constitution.
B) failed to gain passage in both houses of Congress.
C) failed to win approval by the requisite number of states.
D) would allow for same-sex marriages.
E) would prohibit flag burning.
The Fifteenth Amendment guarantees right to vote regardless of
I. race.
II. sex.
III. color.
IV. previous condition of servitude.
A) I and III
B) I, II, and III
C) II, III, and IV
D) I, III, and IV
E) I, II, and IV
________ led one of the longest filibusters in U.S. history in an effort to block passage
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
A) Jesse Helms
B) Robert C. Byrd
C) Lyndon B. Johnson
D) Strom Thurmond
E) Richard B. Russell
The Roberts Court initially seemed to be increasingly conservative because of all of the
following decisions EXCEPT
A) upholding the first federal restriction on abortion procedures.
B) limiting employees’ ability to sue for employment discrimination.
C) allowing school officials to limit speech.
D) overturning the District of Columbia’s handgun ban.
E) legalizing medical marijuana.
The 1960s and 1970s were characterized by
A) the elimination of most trade and professional associations.
B) an increase in the power of organized labor.
C) the rise of public interest groups.
D) the dramatic growth of conservative groups.
E) a decrease in group formation.
Initially, most state and local governments were part-time. They became full-time
A) as the need for services grew.
B) as public service became a more important career option.
C) as states became less urban.
D) following a federal mandate.
E) as tax revenue grew.
Which of these laws allowed states to establish right-to-work laws?
A) The Taft-Hartley Act of 1947
B) The Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932
C) The Wagner Act of 1935
D) The National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933
E) The National Labor Relations Act of 1935
Historically, the big three economic interest groups were
A) business groups, Nader’s Raiders, and labor organizations.
B) the NAACP, business groups, and labor.
C) labor unions, business groups, and those representing farmers.
D) farmers, unions, and better business groups.
E) environmental groups, consumer groups, and corporations.
In the early 1900s, which of these issues became a part of the agenda of the Progressive
movement?
A) Representation
B) The tax system
C) Private sector employment
D) Economic growth
E) Home rule for municipalities
About ___ percent of Americans file their taxes online.
A) 30
B) 50
C) 66
D) 80
E) 95
The National Defense Act of 1916
A) created the Department of Defense.
B) authorized U.S. involvement in World War I.
C) mandated the use of the term National Guard.
D) created the Central Intelligence Agency.
E) created the National Security Agency.
Assume that you are a justice on the Texas Supreme Court and are in the process of
determining whether to hear an appeal. How many of your colleagues must you
convince to vote with you in order to agree to hear the appeal?
A) One (making a total of two votes needed to hear the case on appeal)
B) Two (making a total of three votes needed to hear the case on appeal)
C) Three (making a total of four votes needed to hear the case on appeal)
D) Four (making a total of five votes needed to hear the case on appeal)
E) Eight (making a unanimous vote of the court needed to hear the case on appeal)
In 2009, the Washington, D.C. City Council passed legislation recognizing same-sex
marriages from other states. This law, however, could not go into effect for sixty days
because
A) of the Congressional Review Act of 1996.
B) the District of Columbia has no representation in Congress.
C) of the Defense of Marriage Act.
D) Congress has total control over the laws of the District of Columbia.
E) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
President ____________ warned against the development of a military-industrial
complex.
A) George Washington
B) Abraham Lincoln
C) Woodrow Wilson
D) Dwight D. Eisenhower
E) Ronald Reagan
The Constitution did not empower the national government to
A) levy a national income tax.
B) make all laws necessary and proper to govern the new nation.
C) enforce its laws on the states.
D) abolish slavery.
E) conduct foreign relations.
What is the MOST likely reason that candidates use sound bites instead of long
explanations of their agendas and positions?
A) People have great interest in political campaigns.
B) It reduces the cost of advertisements.
C) People view long explanations as too academic.
D) The news media devote little time to campaign coverage.
E) They are more likely to appear on the Daily Show.
A controversial 2010 Arizona law gave local law enforcement officials the authorization
to
A) maim suspected terrorists.
B) subject defendants to enhanced interrogation tactics.
C) question anyone they believe to be an illegal immigrant.
D) shoot people attempting to cross the border into the United States.
E) use undercover operations to identify suspected illegal immigrants.
Which of the following was NOT a piece of environmental legislation passed in the
1970s?
A) Clean Water Act
B) Nature Conservation Act
C) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
D) Clean Air Act
E) Safe Drinking Water Act
In 1991, the Texas Legislature passed an ethics bill restricting lobbyists’ expenditures,
tightening reporting requirements, and establishing the
A) Texas Ethics Commission.
B) Legislative Budged Board.
C) Legislative Counsel.
D) Office of the Texas Secretary of State.
E) Texas Register.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 addressed the issue of
A) recognition of Indian tribes.
B) how new states might join the union.
C) slavery west and north of the Mississippi River.
D) representation in colonial legislatures.
E) how states would interact with Indian tribes.
Before Supreme Court justices could be elected,
A) the Constitution would have to be amended.
B) potential justices would have to be discouraged from engaging in partisan politics.
C) common law would have to be abandoned.
D) quotas would be needed to assure minority representation.
E) the size of the Court would have to be enlarged.
Which of the following was included in welfare reforms enacted in the 1990s by the
U.S. and Texas governments?
A) An extension of the amount of time a person could receive welfare
B) More generous welfare benefits
C) A requirement that welfare recipients receive job training
D) Increased federal control of welfare policies
E) All of the above
Federalism refers to how power is distributed
A) among local governments.
B) among state governments.
C) within the national government.
D) between state and local governments.
E) between national and state governments.
The largest split in party identification is among
A) men and women.
B) African Americans and whites.
C) Hispanics and African Americans.
D) the rich and the poor.
E) the North and the South.
Libertarianism emphasizes the
A) belief in using government intervention to promote equality and establish or
maintain an ordered liberty.
B) belief that government should not promote equality but regulate individual behavior
to ensure an ordered liberty.
C) role of government in promoting equality while leaving free the individual to make
moral or personal decisions.
D) autonomy of the individual and a minimal role for government.
E) dignity of government and the benefits of government-run social welfare programs.
The belief that the national government should not exceed its enumerated powers and
that all other powers should be reserved to the states or the people is known as
A) the full faith and credit doctrine.
B) the doctrine of implied powers.
C) confederalism.
D) dual federalism.
E) the unitary political system.
Candidates who qualify for public funding receive funds
A) as a reimbursement after the election in which they qualify.
B) during the next presidential election cycle, in time for the primary campaign season.
C) during the next presidential election cycle, after they have been declared their party’s
nominee.
D) for the next two election cycles.
E) for the next three election cycles.
What are the primary functions of the party organizations?
A) Providing services to constituents and to candidates
B) Party building and electoral activities
C) Candidate recruitment and drafting legislation
D) Endorsing candidates and establishing tax rates
E) Advising lawmakers and distributing pork
Nomination campaigns
A) involve candidates of the same political party.
B) end one week before Election Day.
C) last for a period of time established by law.
D) are usually a toss-up until the very end.
E) determine the final outcome of the election.
Who was the major author of the Declaration of Independence?
A) George Washington
B) James Madison
C) Thomas Jefferson
D) Benjamin Franklin
E) Alexander Hamilton
Article I, section 8 gives Congress the power to pass all laws necessary and proper to
carry out its powers. These powers are known as
A) enumerated powers.
B) reserve powers.
C) implied powers.
D) full faith and credit powers.
E) police powers.
Assume that you wish to become the county judge in the county of your residence. You
are not an attorney, nor do you have a law license. Can you serve as a county judge in
Texas?
A) Yes, but you must agree to attend law school while serving as county judge.
B) Yes, but you may not handle any judicial matters and may only act as the county’s
chief administrative officer and serve as the presiding officer of the commissioners
court.
C) Yes, but you must agree to formally consult with the county attorney before making
decisions in a constitutional county court.
D) Yes, but you must be well informed in the law of the State and complete at least
thirty hours in substantive, procedural, and evidentiary laws and in the administrative
duties of the office.
E) No, because the Texas Constitution requires the county judge have a have a law
degree and Texas law license.