The influence of family is greatest on high school students.
The incorporation doctrine is a principle used to limit the powers of the national
government.
The Tea Party movement had its origins in the Sons of Liberty.
The Roberts Court is much more informal than the Rehnquist Court.
President Jimmy Carter had a more progressive energy policy agenda than did President
Ronald Reagan.
One of the goals of the modern-day Tea Party movement ” to limit government
interaction in citizen’s lives ” is comparable to the goals of the Progressive movement in
the early twentieth century.
The economy of contemporary Texas is land-based and colonial in structure.
Alexander Hamilton argued that the president’s power to convene Congress was
necessary because of his war powers.
Texas cities receive approximately one-fourth of their annual operating budget from
state appropriations.
The president is given more attention than any other official in the national government.
Political knowledge is unrelated to political participation.
If you were applying to work on a political campaign as a full-time staff member, you
would be likely to deal mostly directly with the candidate him/herself.
Governors generally grant parole to convicted criminals at the end of their sentence.
Many counties in the state of Maryland have recently imposed hiring freezes in local
government, but another option they have to improve economic conditions would be to
begin the process of deficit spending.
The courts are immune from pressure by interest groups.
John Zogby uses a scientifically robust methodology for his online polling.
The Declaration of Independence was heavily influenced by John Locke.
The Department of War was among the original departments under the Articles of
Confederation.
States cannot implement a flat income tax because it is illegal.
Texas enacted a major package of criminal justice reforms in 1993, including an
overhaul of the penal code and the construction of a new system of state-run jails to
house nonviolent offenders.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 indicated that a territory can petition to become a
state only if it has at least 100,000 residents.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed a social contract would provide absolute equality.
The Republican Party takes great strides to ensure that a large percentage of minorities
are selected as delegates to their conventions, and their efforts have ultimately been
successful.
If you are a candidate and your campaign strategy is similar to that of Rep. Betsy
Markey (D-CO), you are most likely to spend most of your money on saturating the
airwaves with ad spots.
Well-funded, electorally secure incumbent members of Congress often distribute large
portions of their war chests to more vulnerable candidates.
All of the provisions of the Bill of Rights have been applied to the states.
The 2008 Republican and Democratic presidential primaries were similarly drawn-out
processes.
After BCRA regulations took effect, soft money was banned completely in the United
States.
Congress can have a powerful impact on foreign policy through its appropriations
power.
The 1787 Northwest Ordinance set aside land for public schools to be established.
In the 1990s in response to complaints from the business community, the Texas
legislature decentralized state environmental programs by splitting responsibilities
among five newly established agencies.
In the early years of the country, the president was much more powerful than Congress.
If goods imported from China rose dramatically in price, U.S. workers would likely
have more job opportunities.
The Framers paid very little attention to the writing of Article III compared to other
Articles.
By 2018, projections indicate that Americans will spend, on average, more than
$13,000 per person, per year on health care.
In the 1980s, several justices on the Texas Supreme Court received scrutiny and
criticism over allegations that they favored attorneys and their clients appearing before
them who had made large contributions to their political campaigns. In general, who
were the parties involved in this controversy?
A) The justices were Democrats and the litigants were trial lawyers representing
plaintiffs.
B) The justices were Republicans and the litigants were defense lawyers representing
big business.
C) The justices were members of the Green Party and the litigants were environment
groups.
D) The justices were Socialists and the litigants were advocates of welfare recipients.
E) The justices were Dixiecrats and the litigants were advocates of segregation.
All Cabinet departments are headed by a secretary except for the Department of
A) Defense.
B) State.
C) Commerce.
D) Veterans Affairs.
E) Justice.
Which of the following did NOT contribute to the 1980 U.S. district court decision in
Ruiz v. Estelle that the Texas prison system was unconstitutional?
A) Overcrowded conditions
B) Poor staffing levels
C) Inadequate medical and psychiatric care
D) The use of other inmates to help maintain order
E) The low salaries and poor benefits of prison guards
A recent study conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that
A) The O”Reilly Factor has little redeeming news value.
B) Saturday Night Live and The Daily Show provide most Americans with their source
of political news.
C) national satire shows such as The Colbert Report have only entertainment value.
D) those who watch The Daily Show regularly know more about current events than
non-viewers.
E) those who watch The O”Reilly Factor also tend to watch The Colbert Report.
A charter that can be amended by citizens with the approval of the state legislature is
known as a
A) citizens’ charter.
B) general charter.
C) optional charter.
D) special charter.
E) home rule charter.
In the late 1990s, the U.S. Supreme Court made several rulings dealing with sovereign
immunity, ruling that
A) the federal government’s actions are always supreme.
B) Congress could not negotiate treaties with Indian tribes.
C) Congress could enforce national laws requiring background checks on gun
purchasers.
D) there were certain policy areas Congress could not regulate.
E) the concept was incompatible with the Eleventh Amendment.
Which of the following people would MOST likely vote for a Democrat?
I. Someone who did not finish high school
II. Someone with a doctoral degree
III. Someone who makes over $500,000 per year
IV. Someone who has only a bachelor’s degree
A) I only
B) I and II
C) II and III
D) I, II, and III
E) I, III, and IV
Which of the following policy areas appeared to be given the most priority in allocating
funds for the Recovery Act?
A) Education
B) Low-income aid
C) Healthcare
D) Energy
E) Tax cuts
Which government agency is responsible for regulating the safety of toys and other
products that may be deemed safety hazards?
A) Occupational Health and Safety Administration
B) Consumer Product Safety Commission
C) Federal Trade Commission
D) Department of Commerce
E) Department of Health and Human Services
The _________________ allowed the federal government to impose an income tax on
American citizens.
A) Second Amendment
B) Fair Tax Act
C) Sixteenth Amendment
D) Smoot-Hawley Tariff
E) Articles of Confederation
The debate over civil rights often centers on
A) the question of equality of opportunity versus equality of results.
B) who civil rights laws should protect.
C) whether race or sex discrimination still exists.
D) who has the most money.
E) whether the majority or minority is affected.
Most federal employees are paid according to what is called the
A) merit plan.
B) nepotism doctrine.
C) general schedule.
D) bureaucratic hierarchy.
E) schedule C system.
As western states entered the union, they generally adopted constitutions that
A) envisioned extremely strong governments.
B) had little to say about the institutions of government.
C) envisioned weak governments.
D) were greatly concerned about slavery and national interference.
E) resulted in control by political machines.
Committee chairs in the House are
A) always the most senior majority party member of the committee.
B) selected in caucuses by majority party vote.
C) selected by leaders in the majority party.
D) voted on by committee members from both the minority and majority parties.
E) usually in their first term of office.
All of the following are accurate descriptions of the U.S. Supreme Court in its early
years EXCEPT:
I. Many lawyers longed for the prestige of an appointment to the Court.
II. James Madison in The Federalist Papers considered it the “least dangerous branch.”
III. Congress failed to provide the Court with its own building.
IV. After sitting in New York City, the justices found themselves hearing cases
in the basement of the U.S. Senate.
A) IV only
B) I and II
C) II and III
D) III and IV
E) II, III, and IV
The member of the Justice Department who handles all Supreme Court appeals for the
U.S. government is the
A) attorney general.
B) solicitor general.
C) special master.
D) secretary of justice.
E) deputy attorney general.
Cases in the intermediate courts of appeals are usually heard by how many justices?
A) One
B) Two
C) Three
D) Nine
E) Thirteen
Citizens in ____ states can register to vote on Election Day.
A) seven
B) eight
C) nine
D) ten
E) eleven
In 2003, twelve health and human service agencies were reorganized by the Texas
legislature into four new agencies headed by an executive commissioner of health and
human services appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. Which of the
following is NOT one of these four new departments?
A) Department of Family and Protective Services
B) Department of Assistive and Rehab Services
C) Department of Aging and Disability Services
D) Department of State Health Insurance Services
E) Department of State Health Services
The Secure Fence Act called for the creation of
A) a more secure barrier between the U.S. and Canada.
B) a wall around the southern coast of Florida to keep Cuban refugees out.
C) fences to keep Japanese-Americans in internment camps during World War II.
D) a double-reinforced wall along the section of the U.S.-Mexican border where illegal
drug trafficking and immigration are most common.
E) a virtual, electronic system to block immigrants entering the southwest United
States.
Suppose Senator Smith asks Senator Ushkowitz to support the bill she is introducing to
Congress, promising that if he supports it, she will vote in favor of the bill that he
helped write. This is an example of
A) bribery.
B) pork barreling.
C) reciprocal voting.
D) you-scratch-my-back theory.
E) logrolling.
Why do Cuban Americans tend to vote for Republican candidates?
A) Republicans better cater to Hispanic interests than do Democrats.
B) Cuban Americans often have strong anti-communist leanings.
C) The Republican Party supports lifting the Cuban embargo.
D) Cuban President Ral Castro supports the Republican Party.
E) The Republican Party is more socially liberal.
Which of the following are arguments against economic stimulus payments?
I. Deficit spending has serious future ramifications.
II. Stimulus payments send a powerful message to consumers, businesses, and
investors.
III. Government cannot control how stimulus payments are used.
IV. The government has a responsibility to prevent economic downturns.
A) I and II
B) I and III
C) II and IV
D) III and IV
E) I, III and IV
If a legislature is in a state that has a history of electoral discrimination against minority
groups, what would that state be required to do before proceeding with redistricting
plans?
A) Preclear its redistricting plans with the U.S. Supreme Court under the terms of the
U.S. Voting Rights Act.
B) Preclear its redistricting plans with its own legislative redistricting board under
guidelines established by the U.S. Supreme Court.
C) Submit its preliminary redistricting plans to the U.S. Nonpartisan Redistricting
Commission.
D) Submit its redistricting plans to its state supreme court.
E) Submit its redistricting plans to the National Conference of State Legislatures to
determine that no gerrymander is involved in the redistricting plans.
The first major affirmative action heard and decided on its merits by the U.S. Supreme
Court was
A) Defunis v. Odegaard.
B) Regents of the University of California v. Bakke.
C) Tennessee v. Lane.
D) Brown v. Board of Education.
E) Grutter v. Bollinger.
The 1869 Texas Constitution
A) dramatically weakened state government, with decentralization of executive
government and narrower legislative authority.
B) strengthened state government with a strong, centralized executive and annual
legislative sessions.
C) increased the power of the legislature over the governor and eliminated any state
control of programs such as public education.
D) created a more partisan political atmosphere by organizing the legislature along
party lines and requiring all judicial positions to be elected in partisan elections.
E) created a state of chaos in state government by failing to provide for a mechanism
for filling the governor’s office when a vacancy occurs.
The Anti-Federalists feared
A) a confederacy.
B) amendments.
C) strong central government.
D) checks and balances.
E) separation of powers.
The most important economic issue for Hispanics is trade with Latin America.
A public school sanctioned by a specific contractual agreement with the state that
allows the program to operate outside the usual rules and regulations of the state and the
Texas Education Agency is known as a/an
A) voucher school.
B) charter school.
C) special district school.
D) independent school district.
E) magnet school.
In 19th century rural Texas, which of these was the predominant point of contact with
the government for most people?
A) municipalities
B) counties
C) precincts
D) wards
E) town unions