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The de facto power in the Senate belongs to
a. President of the Senate.
b. President pro tempore of the Senate.
c. Senator designate selected by the president.
d. Senate majority and minority leaders and their respective whips.
e. the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
A special provision in legislation to set aside funds for projects that have not passed an
impartial evaluation by agencies in the executive branch is called a(n)
a. unfunded mandate.
b. backdoor clause.
c. amendment.
d. rider.
e. earmark.
In 2000, the Supreme Court addressed the abortion issue directly when it reviewed a
Nebraska law banning
a. first trimester abortions.
b. "partial-birth" abortions.
c. abortions in cases of incest or rape.
d. abortions for women under the age of eighteen.
e. the "morning-after" pill.
According to the Constitution, if a state or local law conflicts with a national law,
a. the law must be put to a popular vote.
b. the law is null and void.
c. the local law prevails.
d. the national law supercedes the state or local law.
e. the state law will prevail.
Which of the following statements about Arizona's 2010 immigration law is false?
a. Other states made tougher immigration laws soon afterward.
b. Opponents of the law claimed the act would lead to harassment of Latinos.
c. It required police to stop and question anyone suspected of being in the country
illegally.
d. It criminalized the failure to carry immigration documents.
e. The decision that the Supreme Court made about it left the door open for future
challenges to the law based on equal protection principles.
Capitalism is
a. a political theory developed by Karl Marx.
b. an economic system marked by the private ownership of wealth-creating assets, free
markets, and freedom of contract.
c. incompatible with property rights, including personal possessions and
wealth-creating assets.
d. named for the centralization of economic power in the capitol.
e. unpopular in the United States.
The foremost power holder in the House of Representatives is the
a. President of the House.
b. majority leader.
c. president pro tempore.
d. Speaker of the House.
e. chief whip.
Alexis de Tocqueville, a commentator on American society in the 1800s, noted that
Americans rely on courts
a. to resolve most political questions.
b. to a much lesser degree than Europeans.
c. only if there is no other alternative.
d. to resolve economic questions, but not political ones.
e. to provide a form of entertainment.
The number of members each state will have in the Electoral College
a. cannot exceed fifty members.
b. cannot be changed without a constitutional amendment.
c. changes every four years.
d. equals that state's number of senators plus its number of representatives.
e. is the same so as to ensure that each state plays an equal role in selecting the
president of the United States.
An attempt to maintain white supremacy included
a. lynching.
b. the Civil Rights Act of 1866.
c. the Civil Rights Act of 1875.
d. the Civil Rights Cases of 1883.
e. the Enforcement Act of 1870.
A _________ is a voluntary agreement among individuals to secure their rights and
welfare by creating a government and abiding by its rules.
a. confederation
b. social contract
c. unitary govenrment
d. constitution
e. carte
Private opinion becomes public opinion when
a. that opinion, regardless of its subject matter, is publicly expressed.
b. it is publicly expressed and concerns public issues.
c. an individual is polled by a major polling organization.
d. it is not divided.
e. it is articulated to at least ten other people.
Advertising statements are known as
a. unprotected speech.
b. commercial speech.
c. symbolic speech.
d. profit-seeking speech.
e. public speech.
"Soft money" in political campaigns is best described as
a. campaign contributions made by foreigners.
b. matching grants made by the federal government.
c. small campaign donations.
d. campaign contributions to political parties that escaped limits of federal or state
election law.
e. money obtained from illegal sources.
The whips assist the party leaders by
a. voting to support the party platform at the national convention.
b. attempting to convince the general public that congresspersons should vote the party
line.
c. passing information down from the leadership to party members and ensuring that
members cast their votes on important issues.
d. gathering research information.
e. pressuring them to take positions popular among the party rank-and-file.
From which of the following sources do American policymakers get a great deal of
their information?
a. Academia
b. Local leaders
c. Family
d. Close associates
e. The media
Before 1868, The Bill of Rights
a. applied to people's rights relative to the Federal Government, but not to people's
rights relative to the states wherein they resided.
b. applied to people's rights relative to the Federal Government as well as the states.
c. applied to people's rights relative to the states.
d. limited the power of state governments.
e. included two amendments that were proposed but never ratified.
About 13 percent of all U.S. oil imports come from
a. Venezuela and Iran.
b. Argentina.
c. Canada and Mexico.
d. Russia.
e. Brazil.
Laws requiring that existing programs be reviewed regularly for their effectiveness and
be terminated unless specifically extended are called
a. trial legislation.
b. interim legislation.
c. sunshine legislation.
d. termination legislation.
e. sunset legislation.
The organization established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to assist the president
in carrying out major duties is called
a. the kitchen cabinet.
b. the cabinet.
c. the Executive Office of the President.
d. the Council of Presidential Advisors.
e. the system of checks on executive power.
People in large cities tend to be
a. evenly split between Republican and Democratic voters.
b. conservative and Republican.
c. liberal but vote Republican.
d. conservative but vote Democratic.
e. liberal and Democratic.
Which of the following BEST defines the spoils system?
a. Using civil service exams to hire qualified individuals
b. The brainchild of President Abraham Lincoln
c. Making the impounding of federal spending illegal
d. The awarding of government jobs to political supporters and friends
e. Cutting entire agencies that are considered "spoiled" by corruption
The Pendleton Act established
a. federal civil service protections to the states.
b. the judicial appointment system.
c. the maximum number of government employees selected by the spoils system.
d. the principle of employment on the basis of open, competitive examinations.
e. a merit system during the Civil War.
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
Regarding direct democracy, James Madison and other politicians of his time
a. believed it would lead to a more educated population.
b. believed it was the safest and most stable system of government.
c. feared it would lead to a tyranny of the minority.
d. championed it as the only acceptable form of government.
e. feared it would deteriorate into mob rule.
Which of the following best describes indirect techniques employed by an interest
group?
a. Testifying before a Congressional committee
b. Lobbying for legislation that the members of a group might not approve of
c. Using the general public or individual constituents to influence government officials
d. Approaching officials personally to try to influence them
e. Suggesting nominations for federal appointments
The concept of separation of powers was included in the Constitution to prevent
a. disputes between the federal and state governments.
b. the imposition of export taxes.
c. a major dispute over power between the House and the Senate.
d. disputes over power between Congress and the president.
e. the imposition of tyrannyeither by the majority or by a minority.
Usually, the Gallup and Roper polls interview
a. 3 percent of the U.S. population.
b. about 1,500 individuals.
c. over 100,000 individuals in each random sample for presidential elections.
d. people who have been selected based on their intelligence.
e. using quota samples.
Which of the following statements about appointments to federal appeals courts is true?
a. Appeals court judges are far more numerous than federal district court appointments.
b. Appeals court judges are usually selected because of their important position in state
governments.
c. Appeals court judges are usually Senators.
d. Appeals court appointments are often "stepping-stones" to the Supreme Court.
e. Appeals court judges are less influential than federal district judges.
________ have traditionally favored the allocation of power to the states.
a. Liberals
b. Conservatives
c. Libertarians
d. Civil rights activists
e. Political independents
Liberals typically endorse all of the following EXCEPT
a. civil rights.
b. improving the welfare of individuals.
c. a limited role for the government in helping individuals.
d. government regulation of the economy.
e. greater tolerance for social change.
Categorical grants are
a. federal grants to states or local governments for specific programs or projects.
b. emergency grants to states for unforeseen circumstances.
c. a very recent form of national government support to school districts.
d. unconstitutional because of separation of powers.
e. federal grants to states or local governments for general operating expenses.
Some observers argue that an excessive concern with voting fraud makes it harder for
a. Republicans to get voted into office.
b. tracking polls to accurately predict election results.
c. people to take election results seriously.
d. women to vote.
e. minorities and poor people to vote.
Harold Lasswell defined politics as
a. a necessary evil.
b. the way conflict in society is perpetuated.
c. who gets what, when, and how.
d. promoting equality among citizens.
e. a system for guiding individuals' decision-making.
Do you believe that pluralism theory or elite theory is the more accurate description of
American politics? Why?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Explain in detail how the "right to privacy" evolved into the issue of abortion and
indicate the legal problems that have developed since the Roe v. Wade decision by the
Court in 1973.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Compare and contrast the struggle for women's rights with the struggle for civil rights.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
What three models exist for organizing relations between a central government and
local or subnational governments? Compare and contrast each model in terms of their
advantages and disadvantages.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Explain the importance of political parties to the U.S. political system in terms of the
functions they perform.
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 different kinds of primaries. How does the type of primary, and the timing
of primaries, impact election results?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Given Supreme Court rulings that declared parts of the USA Patriot Act
unconstitutional, has the issue of government intrusion into the private lives of
Americans been resolved? Why or why not?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Explain the process by which the United States Supreme Court decides to hear cases.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Could the Obama Administration be said to have carried out true Keynesian economic
policy? Why or why not?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Explain why liberals have traditionally endorsed national authority.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Explain how economic interest groups, public-interest groups, and single-issue interest
groups differ from each other.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Under which circumstances is the government able to interfere with freedom of speech?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Describe the concepts of separation of powers and checks and balances, and explain
why the Founding Fathers included these concepts in the framework of the
Constitution.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Explain the difference between progressive and regressive taxes. Would we be better
served by simply employing a flat tax across the board? Why or why not?
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
Why do we only have two major parties? Explain the factors that have perpetuated the
two-party system in the United States.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
From 1801"1835, the Supreme Court was headed by Chief Justice John Marshall, a
Federalist who advocated a strong central government. Using cases heard by the
Supreme Court during that period, show how John Marshall's political beliefs affected
the relationship between states and the federal government.
Answer:Students' answers may vary.
