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The Office of Management and Budget is charged with
a. helping Congress write the budget.
b. helping the president prepare the annual budget.
c. revising the budget passed by Congress.
d. reducing the scope of the federal budget.
e. replacing the House Appropriations Committee.
Which of the following statements is true regarding foreign policy?
a. The United States used to be guided by a mix of political realism and moral idealism,
but is now guided solely by political realism.
b. The United States used to be guided solely by moral idealism, but is now guided
mostly by political realism.
c. The United States used to be guided solely by political realism, but is now guided
mostly by moral idealism.
d. The United States has always been guided solely by political realism.
e. The United States has always been guided by a mix of moral idealism and political
realism.
In 2009, ______ tested a long-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead.
a. Iran
b. Pakistan
c. Afghanistan
d. North Korea
e. South Africa
Which of the following statements best describes the George W. Bush Administration's
stand on enemy combatants?
a. Enemy combatants could be held indefinitely.
b. Enemy combatants are treated like prisoners of war.
c. Enemy combatants are not supposed to be detained by military tribunals.
d. Enemy combatants could request warrants without having to justify the request.
e. Enemy combatants were reclassified as enemy aliens.
A statute enacted by Congress that authorizes the creation of an administrative agency
is
a. an appropriations authorization.
b. enabling legislation.
c. an executive order.
d. statutory authorization.
e. the Civil Service Act of 1978.
Felons and ex-felons, and new immigrants who are not yet citizens, are included in the
a. voting-age population.
b. vote-eligible population.
c. local election turnout numbers.
d. state election turnout numbers.
e. demographics usually targeted by minor parties.
Domestic policy is best defined as
a. policies that affect major economic variables.
b. all policies that affect housing.
c. all the laws, government planning, and government action that concern internal issues
of national importance.
d. matters relating to law enforcement.
e. the activities of the government concerning relations with foreign countries.
All of the following statements concerning a federal system of government are true
EXCEPT
a. they always have a bicameral legislature.
b. they are divided between a central government and regional, or subdivisional,
governments.
c. some powers are bestowed upon the central government, and others are granted to the
regional governments.
d. power is not concentrated in a unicameral legislature within a strong central
government.
e. power is exercised by the national government only insofar as these powers are
granted by the states.
On December 20, 1860, ______ formally repealed its ratification of the Constitution
and withdrew from the Union.
a. Alabama
b. South Carolina
c. Louisiana
d. Georgia
e. Virginia
The separation of government powers into three branches (executive, legislative, and
judicial) is sometimes called the
a. Compromise model.
b. American model.
c. Washingtonian model.
d. Madisonian model.
e. Jeffersonian model.
In 2009, the Obama administration abolished
a. the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
b. the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act.
c. the alien "removal courts."
d. the category of enemy combatant.
e. the Guantnamo prison, and released the prisoners.
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 banned
a. soft money contributions to national parties.
b. campaign ads by special interest groups.
c. independent expenditures by special interests.
d. the practice of lobbying.
e. interference in presidential elections by the Federal Election Commission.
Moral idealism is a philosophy that
a. views nations as normally willing to cooperate and agree on moral standards for
conduct.
b. mandates noninterference with the internal policies of sovereign nations.
c. supports steps to establish a single world government.
d. views each nation as acting in its own interest regardless of moral considerations.
e. contends that spreading Christianity ought to be a major goal of U.S. foreign policy.
An institution can best be defined as
a. a religious organization.
b. an ongoing organization that performs certain functions for society.
c. any organized group.
d. a democratic government.
e. part of an interest group.
Negative political ads can backfire when
a. there are only two candidates in the race.
b. there are three or more candidates in the race.
c. they mention atomic attacks.
d. they decrease the profitability of television station owners.
e. they are run by Democratic candidates.
All of the following statements about the new health-care legislation are true EXCEPT
a. excluding people with preexisting conditions from insurance plans is banned.
b. Medicaid coverage is guaranteed for individuals making up to $250,000 a year.
c. health insurance companies pay a new tax.
d. employers that do not offer health insurance coverage are taxed.
e. state health-insurance exchanges will be created where individuals and small
businesses can buy insurance.
The average term of service for political appointees is
a. less than one year.
b. less than two years.
c. more than two years but less than a president's full term in office.
d. four years.
e. more than ten years.
The president, in the role of head of state, is responsible for
a. determining which countries the United States will have diplomatic relations.
b. acting as the ceremonial head of the government.
c. conducting the foreign policy of the country.
d. leading the legislative process by submitting legislation.
e. administering the laws.
Which of the following statements best defines executive privilege?
a. The President can withhold some information from Congress or the courts.
b. Members of the executive branch are free from prosecution.
c. The President employs the pocket veto at will.
d. The president makes political appointments.
e. It stipulates that requests from the President has the force of law.
Heads of regulatory agencies and members of agency boards or commissions are
a. hired through a merit-based open hiring system.
b. appointed by the House of Representatives.
c. appointed by the Senate.
d. appointed by the president.
e. legally required to be all from the same political party.
Which of the following statements regarding the economy is true?
a. Rising prices are referred to as deflation.
b. An extremely severe recession is called a depression.
c. The United States has not experienced a recession since 1933.
d. In effect, today's dollar is the same as a 1910 dollar.
e. The inflation rate is an indicator of average interest rates.
The U.S. Constitution is shorter than any state constitution EXCEPT that of
a. Maryland.
b. Vermont.
c. South Carolina.
d. Georgia.
e. New York.
When people generally agree on an issue, the agreement itself is called
a. a consensus.
b. an opinion.
c. unanimity.
d. reliability.
e. validity.
Which of the following aspects of the President's role as chief executive is false?
a. The president fills cabinet and subcabinet positions.
b. The president may, to a limited extent, fire certain government employees.
c. The president is owed political allegiance by all 2.7 million federal employees.
d. The president must "take care that the laws be faithfully executed."
e. The federal bureaucracy assists the President in carrying out various tasks.
The process by which states carry on political relations with each other is called
a. interventionism.
b. diplomacy.
c. economic policy.
d. The Geneva Convention.
e. development efforts.
Which of the following was an apparent goal of al-Qaeda?
a. Getting the United States to withdraw its troops from countries in the Middle East
b. Overthrowing Egypt
c. Independence for Basque Spain
d. Removing Greek forces out of Cyprus
e. Forcing the United States to withdraw troops from Nigeria
In the 1990s, scientists working on climate change began to conclude that gases
released by human activity, principally CO2, are producing
a. a "greenhouse effect."
b. acid rain.
c. "El Nio."
d. a "heat index effect."
e. methane poisoning.
Which of the following statements concerning the Civil Rights Act of 1866 is FALSE?
a. It implemented the extension of citizenship to anyone born in the United States.
b. It gave African Americans full equality before the law.
c. It authorized the President to enforce the law with the national armed forces.
d. It was quickly vetoed by President Andrew Johnson.
e. It was passed to attempt to enforce the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth
Amendments.
In Griswold v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court held that
a. prohibiting contraceptives violated a right to personal privacy.
b. laws banning contraceptives are legal.
c. abortion was illegal.
d. parts of the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Sixteenth Amendments contributed to a
constitutional right to privacy.
e. abortion became more likely to be illegal as a pregancy advanced to term.
______ policy transfers income from certain individuals or groups to others.
a. Regulatory
b. Redistributive
c. Promotional
d. Foreign
e. Bipartisan
The group that officially elects the president of the United States is called
a. the Presidential Election Commission.
b. the Congressional Election Forum.
c. the Association of State Legislatures.
d. the Electoral College.
e. the Electorate at Large.
In his leadership of the civil rights movement, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., advocated
a. nonviolent civil disobedience.
b. divide and conquer.
c. "equality for all, through strong force when necessary."
d. economic equality through the undermining of capitalism.
e. equality "by any means necessary."
Which of the following best describes an open primary?
a. Voters are allowed to vote for any candidate of their own political party.
b. Voters can vote in either party primary without disclosing their party affiliation.
c. Candidates have to compete in a single election of the top two vote-getters.
d. The vote takes place on only one day.
e. Voters can vote in a party caucus.
The answers given by respondents to poll questions are influenced by all of the
following EXCEPT
a. the order in which questions are asked.
b. wanting to please the interviewer.
c. a yes/no format that restricts the respondents' choices.
d. the size of the sample.
e. the possible answers from which the respondents are allowed to choose.
How was the promise of equality enshrined in the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth
Amendments consistently denied to African Americans for over a century? Include
examples in your answer.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Explain the difference between loose and tight monetary policy, and describe when they
would be appropriate policy options.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Explain the activities of political parties at the national, state, and local levels.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Describe the importance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s advocacy of nonviolent civil
disobedience to protest racial injustice.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
How has the Fourteenth Amendment and the idea of selective incorporation affected the
Bill of Rights? Provide examples.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
In what ways has the United States made humanitarian efforts in different parts of the
world?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Explore the strategies devised by interest groups and parties to get around campaign
finance reform legislation.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
What basic rights do all Americans accused of a crime have? Are they uniformly
enforced across racial, ethnic, or gender lines? Why or why not?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
How do demographic influences shape voting behavior? Use specific examples in your
answer.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Contrast the various economic interest groups that exist in the nation. Does one group
(or groups) stand a better chance of success than others to succeed in influencing public
policy? Why or why not?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Analyze the provisions of full faith and credit, privileges and immunities, and
extradition in the U. S. Constitution. What do they have in common? How are they
different?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
In what ways have women been discriminated against in the workplace? What court
rulings or legislation have tried to address this discrimination?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
How have labels such as "liberal" changed over time? How do American values affect
the use of different ideological labels?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Compare and contrast the theories of judicial activism and judicial restraint, and
theories of strict construction and broad construction.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Examine the federal budget deficit, why it occurred, and what measures should be taken
to bring it down.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Describe each stage of the policymaking process. Are there any reforms that could be
implemented to make it more responsive to the American people? If so, what are they?
If not, why not?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Describe the structure of the federal court system by describing the three levels of
courts and what happens at each level.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
The Electoral College is central to the American presidential electoral system. Explain
how it works, when it has engendered controversial results, the criticisms it has
endured, and why it has largely survived since 1804.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Describe the process, per the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, in the event of a President
being unable to discharge the duties of his office.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Given the current composition of the Supreme Court, in which ideological direction is it
currently leaning? What evidence, based on recent decisions it has made, supports your
answer?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
