Senator John McCain held a clear lead in the 2008 Republican primaries, even early on.
Courts of original jurisdiction primarily determine matters of law.
The Texas state legislature created the Texas State University for Negroes as a
consequence of a lawsuit by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Modern-day conservatives would likely oppose the Works Progress Administration.
President Abraham Lincoln used the inherent powers of the presidency to defend his
circumvention of the Constitution during the Civil War.
A slate of eight amendments carrying the essential reform measures considered by the
failed 1974 Texas Constitutional Convention was submitted to Texas voters in 1975.
Several of the amendments were adopted.
Some states have made it illegal to throw plastic bottles or aluminum cans in trash bins.
A state’s decision to force citizens to quarter soldiers would be unconstitutional under
the incorporation doctrine.
Texas governors have vast authority in terms of checking the state judiciary.
In December 1606, three ships set sail from Blackwall, England, to America in search
of religious freedom.
The conditions in the Jamestown settlement allowed the colonists to thrive with little
difficulty.
Individual representatives in the Texas legislature did not have offices or staff members
until the 1960s.
Texas has a cabinet system where major agency directors are responsible to the
governor.
Dubbed the “Chief Persuader of Texas” by one scholar, the Texas governor must
overcome constitutionally weak executive powers by the force of his or her personality
in building alliances and coalitions, as well as using public relations techniques to
attempt to lead the state government.
College students are less likely to vote than older people probably because they are
attending college outside their precinct.
Presidential elections occur the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
The suffrage movement aimed to grant women the right to vote.
Congress may not reduce the salaries of federal judges to penalize them for decisions
that Congress does not like.
George W. Bush became president after losing the popular vote by half a million votes.
Change to Win is a coalition of women’s groups seeking the election of more women to
public office.
If you as a citizen wanted to introduce a bill to legalize marijuana, you would place a
referendum on the ballot.
The Office of Management and Budget’s mission is to defend presidential agencies’
missions.
Texas senators have six-year terms of office and members of the Texas House have
two-year terms.
Lobbyists confine their activities to the legislature.
The Texas Supreme Court has upheld the right of parents to educate their children at
home as long as a home school met “basic education goals.”
The Texas secretary of state is elected by popular vote.
Perhaps in an attempt to appeal to African American voters, President George W. Bush
appointed a record number of African American federal judges.
There are many points of access when lobbying the executive branch.
Someone who is pro-choice would most likely vote for a Democrat.
Medicare and Medicaid are both products of the legislation of the 1960s.
When Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab was arrested for attempting to blow up a plane, it
was the first time the government had heard about his extremism.
A signing statement is a constitutional provision that allows the president to have the
last word on legislation he or she signs into law.
African Americans are growing at the quickest rate of all ethnic or racial groups.
A party’s gubernatorial nominee has influence over selection of the state party
chairperson.
The scandals surrounding lobbyist Jack Abramoff drove Congress to reconsider
lobbying regulations.
The New Jersey Plan argued for the rights and privileges of states with large
populations.
In, Louisiana if a candidate wins by at least 50 percent in the primary election, they also
win the general election.
The National American Woman Suffrage Association based its claim for woman
suffrage largely on the fact that mothers should be enfranchised.
All Texas state agencies are run by full-time, paid commissions.
Before ____________________ a person in a small town would have had a better
chance of living close to a commercial airport.
A) the Great Society
B) social regulation
C) the New Deal
D) deregulation
E) communism
The Motor Voter Act allows citizens to register to vote
I. at drivers’ license agencies.
II. at the mall.
III. by mail.
IV. at public assistance agencies.
A) I and III
B) III and IV
C) I, III, and IV
D) II, III, and IV
E) I, II, III, and IV
The Constitution sets the length of a presidential term is set at ________ years.
A) two
B) four
C) six
D) eight
E) ten
The Department of Education was established during the administration of President
A) Franklin D. Roosevelt.
B) John F. Kennedy.
C) Jimmy Carter.
D) Ronald Reagan.
E) George H.W. Bush.
One hallmark of the Progressive era was
A) the creation of a large number of single-issue political parties.
B) an explosion in the number of new interest groups.
C) an end of settlement houses.
D) the significant influence of women’s groups.
E) its general support of big business.
The first president to send a legislative package to Congress was
A) George Washington.
B) Abraham Lincoln.
C) Woodrow Wilson.
D) Franklin D. Roosevelt.
E) Harry S Truman.
The most party-oriented means of choosing delegates to the national convention is
A) the instant run-off.
B) proportional representation.
C) the direct primary.
D) the caucus.
E) the winner-take-all primary.
According to the text, the citizens of which of the following countries view global
warming as a less important problem than in the U.S?
A) France
B) Spain
C) China
D) Italy
E) Russia
All of the following are the result of the increased number of clerks that each justice
now has EXCEPT
A) longer opinions.
B) more footnotes.
C) shorter terms.
D) more cases decided annually.
E) fewer opinions.
The ‘shot heard round the world” was fired at
A) Saratoga, New York.
B) Camden, New Jersey.
C) Concord, Massachusetts.
D) Yorktown, Virginia.
E) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
President Jimmy Carter actively pursued policies favoring
A) human rights.
B) free trade.
C) friendly relations with North Korea.
D) creating a missile defense shield.
E) weak defense.
Why do people who are separated or divorced tend to vote more often for Democrats
than Republicans?
A) The Republican Party strictly abides by its “family values” principles.
B) Those people are often faced with economic hardship, and thus they appear to be
more liberal.
C) Democrats have more liberalized stances on divorce.
D) Those who get a divorce are generally less educated, and thus it is a coincidence.
E) Divorced or separated people do not vote any more for Democrats than do married
people.
Approximately ________ percent of eligible voters rarely or never vote.
A) 15
B) 20
C) 25
D) 30
E) 35
Which of the following roles belongs to the Texas governor?
A) To interpret the Texas Constitution
B) To redraw district lines
C) To appoint members of the cabinet
D) To serve as chief budget officer
E) To declare mistrials
The Supreme Court, until 1900, repeatedly
A) supported the Civil War Amendments.
B) altered the interpretation of the Civil War Amendments.
C) expanded the interpretation of the Civil War Amendments.
D) nullified the intent of the Civil War Amendments.
E) ruled that each amendment was unconstitutional.
Which of the following is NOT an example of a substantive committee from the 2009
session of the Texas legislature?
A) Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services
B) Public Safety
C) Education
D) Technology, Economic Development, and Workforce
E) House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming
Since independence from Mexico in 1836, which ethnic group has dominated Texas
politics and government, providing all of Texas’s governors, almost all of its statewide
officials, and the overwhelming majority of its legislators?
A) Hispanics
B) African Americans
C) Asian Americans
D) Native Americans
E) Anglos
The proceedings of the U.S. Supreme Court are
A) not open to the public.
B) open to journalists and television cameras.
C) not televised because the justices refuse to allow cameras in the Court.
D) televised on C-SPAN only.
E) regularly televised on both network and cable channels.
The principles of separation of powers and checks and balances originated with
A) Machiavelli.
B) Rousseau.
C) Montesquieu.
D) Voltaire.
E) Locke.
In 1789, there were ________ justices sitting on the Supreme Court.
A) five
B) six
C) seven
D) nine
E) eleven
The Supreme Court ruled that individuals who are arrested must be informed of their
constitutional rights in
A) Mapp v. Ohio.
B) Smith v.Massachusetts.
C) Weeks v. U.S.
D) McCleskey v. Zant.
E) Miranda v. Arizona.
In 2008, about ____ percent of Hispanic voters cast their ballots for Barack Obama.
A) 30
B) 40
C) 50
D) 60
E) 70
In 2009, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams announced on the air that the
conflict in Afghanistan, though not a declared war, was going to be referred to as such
during the NBC broadcasts. This is a prime example of
A) narrowcasting.
B) framing.
C) media effects.
D) liberalism.
E) investigative journalism.
The Great Compromise resulted in
A) a two-house legislature.
B) legalization of slavery.
C) an Electoral College based on representation.
D) a weakened executive branch.
E) a single-house legislature.
An election system in which all positions on the council or governing body are filled by
city-wide elections is known as a/an
A) at-large-by district election.
B) at-large-by place election.
C) at-large by zone election.
D) city-wide election.
E) single-member district election.
PACs give primarily to
A) incumbents.
B) challengers.
C) presidential candidates.
D) Republicans.
E) Democrats.
The relationship between the economies of Texas and Mexico are evident
A) in the declining poverty rate of Hispanics.
B) in the maquiladora program.
C) in the holidays celebrated by children and families in Texas.
D) from the increase in the personal income tax.
E) All of the above
More recently, the South
A) has been a reliable source of Republican votes.
B) has significantly higher voter turnout than does the Northeast.
C) is a solidly Democratic region of the country.
D) has had less influence during presidential elections.
E) votes with greater consistency and predictability than any other region.
The Business Roundtable was founded in part because people were dissatisfied with the
actions of the National Association of Manufacturers. This is an example of
A) pluralist theory.
B) disturbance theory.
C) interest theory.
D) revolutionary theory.
E) transactions theory.
The U.S. often avoided participation in foreign affairs through a foreign policy of
A) isolationism.
B) preemption.
C) multilateralism.
D) globalism.
E) protectionism.