Libel is
a. the amount of insurance one must have on a motor vehicle.
b. defamation in writing.
c. printed material that cannot be proved true.
d. untrue rumors spread by word-of-mouth.
e. another word for slander.
The power of the courts to determine whether a law or action is constitutional is called
a. judicial review.
b. appellate review of fact.
c. precedent.
d. the writ of judicial appeal.
e. habeas corpus.
The Supreme Court’s rulings can
a. never be overturned.
b. be enforced by the Court itself.
c. be overturned by constitutional amendment at the state level, but not at the federal
level.
d. be overturned by constitutional amendments at both the federal and state levels.
e. be overturned by constitutional amendment and the federal level, but not at the state
level.
Which of the following is NOT a sound argument for a federalist system of
government?
a. The large area or population of some nations makes it impractical to locate all
political authority in one place.
b. Federalism brings government closer to the people.
c. Federalism offers a “training ground” for national leaders.
d. States are testing grounds for new government initiatives.
e. Federalism allows powerful state and local interests to block progress and impede
national plans.
In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), the U.S. Supreme Court
a. declared that minorities have no rights to equal treatment.
b. ruled that segregation of races in the public schools is unconstitutional.
c. prohibited the national government from taking action against local school boards.
d. allowed that segregation for educational purposes is constitutional.
e. declared that African Americans could be denied the right to a college education.
Since 1952, government employment has
a. grown mostly at the state and local levels.
b. grown at the state level but decreased at the local level.
c. grown at the local level but decreased at the state level.
d. decreased at every level.
e. decreased at the state and local levels but increased at the federal level.
Which of the following statements best explain the use of Presidential popularity as it
affects the legislative process?
a. It is irrelevant to Congress or bureaucrats.
b. It is rarely measured by pollsters.
c. It is of little concern to second-term presidents.
d. It is required before a president may claim executive privilege.
e. It is an extra resource to use to persuade Congress to pass legislation.
Which of the following statements about “527” groups is true?
a. They have not impacted campaigns.
b. They were named after the number of members legally required to form the group.
c. They run issue ads to energize voters.
d. They must pay taxes which fund elections.
e. They are no longer active.
U.S. district courts are considered
a. intermediate appellate courts.
b. courts of last resort.
c. state courts.
d. trial courts of the federal system.
e. courts of limited jurisdiction.
The transfer of powers from a national or central government to a state or local
government is called
a. reduction of burden.
b. identity politics.
c. devolution.
d. evolution.
e. dissemination.
Ultimately, the Civil War resulted in
a. the end of the idea that social problems should be dealt with by the national
government.
b. the expansion of the agricultural sector of the U.S. economy.
c. a shift from a federal to a confederal system of government.
d. an increase in states’ rights.
e. an increase in the political power of national government.
Sources of American law include all of the following EXCEPT
a. the U.S. Constitution and state constitutions.
b. case law.
c. statutes passed by legislatures.
d. administrative law.
e. the charter of the United Nations.
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.
The concept of checks and balances allows
a. each branch of the government to be able to check the actions of the others.
b. the president to veto judicial decisions.
c. the president to pass laws during a time of crisis.
d. Congress to select justices of the Supreme Court.
e. the Treasury to print paper currency.
After American independence was recognized by Great Britain, General George
Washington
a. declared himself king.
b. failed to mollify the grumblings of his officers.
c. disbanded the Continental Army.
d. spent seven more years ejecting the British from the Old Northwest by force.
e. retired completely from public life, never to return.
For a public official to obtain damages under libel laws, he or she must
a. show that the article is about their private life.
b. sue in federal court under the Public Official Libel Act.
c. prove their chances for reelection were completely lost because of the article.
d. prove the statement was made with actual malice.
e. present the same type of evidence that a private person would be required to offer.
In Osborne v. Ohio, the Supreme Court ruled that states can outlaw the possession of
child pornography in the home
a. because owning the material perpetuates commercial demand for it and for the
exploitation of children involved.
b. to protect children who may be living in the home.
c. because it universally violates community standards.
d. because it encourages deviant and exploitive behavior.
e. because it employs graphics, as opposed to mere text.
An executive order must be
a. published in the Federal Register.
b. approved by Congress.
c. approved by a majority of the cabinet.
d. issued only when Congress is not in session.
e. avoided in matters concerning foreign policy.
The tests commonly administered as a precondition for voting were called
a. poll tests.
b. constitutional exams.
c. literacy tests.
d. primary tests.
e. registration tests.
The unalienable rights stipulated in the Declaration of Independence included the right
a. of free speech and a free press.
b. to freely associate and assemble.
c. to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
d. to life, liberty, and property.
e. to freedom of religion.
Constitutionally, the President must be
a. a citizen for at least twenty-one years.
b. a citizen for at least thirty-five years.
c. a naturalized immigrant to the United States.
d. at least twenty-one years old.
e. at least thirty-five years old.
The national convention of a national political party
a. is held every nine years.
b. officially nominates the presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
c. works behind closed doors.
d. purges its membership regularly.
e. promotes the development of third parties.
Many basic guarantees of liberty are found in
a. the protection of personal property rights.
b. the broadly defined rights of criminals, including protection from self-incrimination.
c. the Bill of Rights.
d. the rights of minorities.
e. national security.
The Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage was founded by
a. Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
b. Betty Friedan.
c. Gloria Steinem.
d. Hillary Clinton.
e. Alice Paul.
Under what circumstances may states enter into agreements with one another?
a. The agreements may not increase the power of the contracting states relative to other
states or to the federal government.
b. All states in that region must approve of the agreement.
c. Three-fourths of both states’ legislators must approve the agreement.
d. A majority of the people in each state must approve of the agreement.
e. The combined population of the two agreeing states must be smaller than the
population of the largest U.S. state.
Currently, which of the following regions are more supportive of the Republicans than
the Democrats?
a. The West Coast and the Northeast
b. The South and the Northeast
c. The South, the Great Plains, and several of the Rocky Mountain states
d. The Midwest and the West Coast
e. The West Coast, the Great Plains, and several of the Rocky Mountain states
Which of the following best describes judicial activism?
a. The Supreme Court should review as many cases as they can.
b. The federal judiciary should actively check the activities of governmental bodies
when they exceed their authority.
c. The Supreme Court exercises judicial review.
d. The courts should not play politics.
e. that the members of the Supreme Court should “go public” as much as possible.
The process in which more and more states move their primaries into the first months of
the year is known as
a. impact-minimization.
b. holding a “top-two” primary.
c. holding blanket primaries.
d. front-running.
e. front-loading.
Examples of enumerated powers belonging exclusively to the national government
include
a. declaring war and coining money.
b. taxation and establishment of courts.
c. regulating commerce and crime within states.
d. regulating public schools and divorces.
e. taxing exports and holding elections.
Defamation of character is defined as
a. committing obscene acts using another person’s name.
b. publishing false statements about a person in a newspaper, book, or magazine.
c. hate speech.
d. making false statements about famous people.
e. wrongfully hurting a person’s good reputation.
Because so many people are in the United States and it’s impracticable to poll everyone,
people interested professionally in looking at public opinion describe the ______ of
opinions about a particular question.
a. number
b. reliability
c. validity
d. distribution
e. standard deviation
The practice of sending of experts in areas such as agriculture, engineering, or business
to aid other nations is called
a. an in-kind subsidy.
b. a tariff.
c. technical assistance.
d. exports.
e. military aid.
Which of the following is NOT a function of Congress?
a. Determining if laws are constitutional
b. Educating the public through hearings and debates
c. Carrying out and executing the laws it has passed
d. Representing constituents
e. Resolving conflicts between different groups
Which of the following is true about signing statements?
a. They are written declarations that a president may make when signing a bill into law
regarding the law’s enforcement.
b. They can only be used to make rhetorical statements.
c. They cannot be used to praise or denounce political parties.
d. They were used frequently in the nineteenth century, but are rarely used today.
e. They were used by President Reagan to make more sweeping claims on behalf of
presidential power than any other president.