Which type of federalism is characterized by a system of separate but equally powerful
state and national governments?
a. combined
b. cooperative
c. dual
d. progressive
e. pure
Over the past century, partisan polarization has __________ along with __________.
a. decreased; gender equality
b. decreased; income equality
c. increased; gender inequality
d. increased; income inequality
e. remained constant; income inequality
Which of the following led President Abraham Lincoln to describe the author as “the
little woman who started the big war” because of the effect the book had on changing
public opinion?
a. Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique
b. Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s The Seneca Falls Convention
c. Lucretia Mott’s The World Anti-Slavery Society
d. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin
e. Susan B. Anthony’s The Story of American Women’s Suffrage
Which of the following strategies for expanding civil rights would the Reverend Martin
Luther King Jr. have been most likely to support?
a. sabotaging the electricity supply to the homes of segregationist leaders
b. intimidating elderly whites to discourage them from supporting Jim Crow laws
c. boycotting stores that enforced segregationist policies
d. boycotting elections to underscore the problem of African American
disenfranchisement
e. vandalizing government buildings that housed segregationist politicians
According to the doctrine of __________, a court should not overturn precedent unless
it is absolutely necessary.
a. original intent
b. judicial review
c. stare decisis
d. prior restraint
e. judicial privilege
Which of the following is most consistent with the concept of diplomacy?
a. counterintelligence
b. military threats
c. military action
d. negotiation
e. confrontation
Selective incorporation makes the protections from the Bill of Rights applicable to the
states through which of the following amendments?
a. Fourth
b. Fifth
c. Sixth
d. Tenth
e. Fourteenth
Which statement best describes the Supreme Court’s decision in Barron v.Baltimore?
a. It limited the Bill of Rights to the actions of Congress alone.
b. It allowed for the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment to apply to the actions
of states.
c. It allowed states the ability to regulate any product that crosses state lines.
d. It allowed Congress to regulate activity that has a minimal impact on interstate
commerce.
e. It bound both the national and state governments to the enumerated rights contained
in the Bill of Rights.
Which of the following statements regarding the role of the federal government in the
economy is correct?
a. Economic regulation of industry is the sole responsibility of the secretary of the
treasury.
b. Most Americans would prefer an economy completely free of any federal
regulations.
c. Since the Great Recession, the scope of federal activity in the economy has
contracted.
d. The U.S. Constitution restricts direct regulation of the economy to state governments.
e. Presidential election outcomes are heavily influenced by the health of the economy.
Which Supreme Court case upheld the National Firearms Act, which imposed taxes on
some kinds of weapons?
a. U.S. v.Miller
b. Gideon v.Wainwright
c. Miranda v.Arizona
d. Mapp v.Ohio
e. Griswold v.Connecticut
Which of the following countries is a member of NATO?
a. Russia
b. China
c. Japan
d. Syria
e. the United States
A __________ is one tactic to signal the leadership that a Senate member may have
objections to a bill.
a. cloture
b. hold
c. markup
d. pocket veto
e. referral
How is terrorism different from traditional military force?
a. Terrorism usually involves military targets.
b. Terrorism is typically designed to instill fear in the general public.
c. Terrorism is typically better financed.
d. Only governments engage in terrorism.
e. Only nongovernmental political actors engage in terrorism.
The Military Commission Act of 2006 allows the government to jail detainees without
an opportunity to file which of the following?
a. an appeal
b. a writ of habeas corpus
c. a bill of attainder
d. a motion for summary judgment
e. a jury demand
Which of the following is an enumerated power of the national government?
a. criminal law
b. contract law
c. marriage and divorce
d. control over money supply
e. social welfare activities
The incumbency advantage includes which of the following?
a. redistricting
b. scandals
c. greater visibility
d. presidential coattails
e. countervailing force of mid-term elections
Which of these presidents is arguably the first modern president?
a. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
b. Herbert Hoover
c. Ronald Reagan
d. Theodore Roosevelt
e. Woodrow Wilson
Why is monetary policy often the preferred way to address an economic crisis?
a. because even though it is hard to implement, it has fewer long-term consequences
than deficit spending.
b. because it is both easy to implement and has fewer long-term consequences than
deficit spending
c. because it is both easy to implement and has fewer long-term consequences than
regulatory policies
d. because monetary policy can lower taxes, which increases consumer spending and
quickly stimulates the economy
e. because monetary policy can quickly put more money directly into the hands of the
wealthy who then save it
The Constitution protects against search of an individual’s person, home, or vehicle
without __________.
a. due process
b. permission
c. a warrant
d. compensation
e. a good reason
One highly visible element of U.S. foreign policy in recent years has been the pursuit of
__________ and empowerment.
a. indigenous rights
b. gay rights
c. women’s rights
d. Iraqi troops’ rights
e. civil rights
While the national congressional campaign committees work to garner more seats for
their respective parties, the Democratic National Committee and the Republican
National Committee focus on __________.
a. aiding presidential campaigns and conducting general party-building activities
b. aiding presidential campaigns and writing a focused party platform.
c. conducting general party-building activities and writing a focused party platform.
d. conducting oversight of state parties and deliberating over nomination of a
presidential nominee.
e. conducting oversight of state parties and other general party-building activities
Until 2002, the primary federal regulation of campaign finance occurred according to
the __________.
a. Campaign Contributions Law
b. Bipartisan Campaign Financing Act
c. Campaigns and Elections Act
d. Federal Campaign Limits Law
e. Federal Election Campaign Act
Although the speech in question was suppressed, the Court in Gitlow v.New York held
that not all forms of __________ can be limited.
a. hate speech
b. symbolic speech
c. political speech
d. fighting words
e. obscenity
In which courts are the vast majority of all cases tried?
a. federal
b. supreme
c. constitutional
d. appellate
e. state
Why are some safety net programs referred to as entitlements?
a. because benefits are distributed automatically to citizens who qualify, based on a set
of guidelines
b. because they are benefits available only to the working poor in the United States
c. because they are benefits funded through the Title 9 section of the 1965 Civil Rights
Act
d. because they are benefits that are distributed on a case-by-case basis to select citizens
in extreme need
e. because they are benefits that one earns by working, and thus the person is entitled to
them
Dillon’s Rule states that all local government, as described in Figure 3.3 How Many
Governments Exist in the United States?, must be authorized by which of the
following?
a. the federal government
b. both the federal and state government
c. the state government
d. the people
e. the state militia
Which of the following is a true statement about liberals?
a. They believe individuals should look to churches and other social services
organizations instead of the government for assistance.
b. They are comfortable with the social status quo.
c. They generally favor government intervention to promote equality.
d. They seek to end costly welfare programs.
e. They are more likely to vote Republican than Democratic.
Which of the following is a possible solution to the long-term problem of solvency in
the Social Security program?
a. Eliminate the prescription drug program for seniors.
b. Increase the states’ financial contribution.
c. Increase the minimum retirement age.
d. Lower the minimum retirement age.
e. Lower the payroll tax contribution.
Which international organization was created after World War II at the urging of the
United States?
a. the League of Nations
b. the United Nations
c. the Warsaw Pact
d. the World Trade Organization
e. the Marshall Plan
What was the subject of the Great Compromise?
a. the legality of slavery
b. the form of the legislative branch
c. the number of states in the Union
d. the number of Supreme Court justices
e. the form of the executive branch
Party identification is __________.
a. most determined by one’s parents and is declining in its utility to predict voter
behavior
b. most determined by geography and is declining in its utility to predict voter behavior
c. most determined by one’s parents and is increasing in its utility to predict voter
behavior
d. most determined by geography and is increasing in its utility to predict voter
behavior
e. most determined by one’s parents and has maintained constant utility in predicting
voter behavior
Proponents of the “devolution revolution” argue that __________.
a. the authority of the military should be expanded
b. the authority of state governments should be expanded
c. the authority of the federal government should be expanded
d. the authority of the president should be expanded
e. the authority of Congress should be expanded
How disciplined are politicians in adhering to their party’s platform and their own
campaign promises? What explains this?
Though individual senators are perceived as more powerful than their House
counterparts, the chairperson of the Senate, or __________, is decidedly less powerful
than the Speaker of the House.
Distinguish between public interest groups and economic groups and provide examples
of each.
Nothing an official says may be printed if the interview is __________.
Describe the role of stare decisis in Brown v.Board of Education.
Why is freedom of the press essential to democracy?
How did Miranda v.Arizona change the way law enforcement treated criminal
defendants?
Describe the role of the president as commander in chief. Include what limitations the
president has in this role.
Presidential __________ refers to the increased probability that congressional
candidates will get elected in the same election as the presidential nominee of their
party is elected.
A __________ is a relatively restricted session between a press secretary or aide and the
press.
What are advantages and disadvantages of the winner-take-all primary? Which party
allows winner-take-all primaries?
The process by which a news organization defines a political issue and affects public
opinion of the issue is called __________.
Why do small groups have an organizational advantage over large groups in terms of
their ability to enroll potential members?
Describe Article III of the Constitution.
What role does the federal government play in public health? What tools does it use?
__________ are tax-exempt organizations created to influence the nomination, election,
or appointment of political candidates, which are not subject to FEC disclosure rules.
Address the purpose and main features of the congressional budgetary process as
created by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Support your answer by using Table
6.5, What is the timeline for the congressional budgetary process?
To what extent has recent U.S. foreign policy been isolationist? Illustrate your answer
with two recent foreign policy examples.