a. The judicial branch | ||
b. The executive branch | ||
c. The legal branch | ||
d. The legislative branch | ||
e. The bureaucratic branch |
a. Democracy | ||
b. Government | ||
c. Representative republicanism | ||
d. Bureaucracy | ||
e. Monarchy |
a. Separation of church and state | ||
b. Freedom of the press | ||
c. Trial by jury of one's peers | ||
d. The right to vote for all citizens | ||
e. The right to bear arms |
a. Popular sovereignty | ||
b. Direct election of senators | ||
c. Democratic republicanism | ||
d. Confederacy | ||
e. Socialism |
a. Federalism, a system of shared powers between the states and the federal government | ||
b. Confederalism, a system where power was shared by a loose alliance between the states | ||
c. Monarchism, a system where absolute power was given to the king | ||
d. Socialism, a system where all the power was in the hands of individuals | ||
e. None of the above |
a. Lead to a tyranny of the majority | ||
b. Promote the growth of political parties | ||
c. Control the effects of factions | ||
d. Allow the states to maintain their preeminence | ||
e. Lead to a tyranny of the minority |
a. Aristotle | ||
b. Montesquieu | ||
c. Locke | ||
d. Rousseau | ||
e. Hobbes |
a. The fundamental purpose of government is to establish universal suffrage. | ||
b. The fundamental purpose of government is to equalize economic opportunities for all citizens. | ||
c. The fundamental purpose of government is to provide for the defense of the nation. | ||
d. The fundamental purpose of government is to create a system of public goods and support the less fortunate. | ||
e. The fundamental purpose of government is to protect people's natural rights of life, liberty, and property. |
a. Establishing the Articles of Confederation | ||
b. Creating a bicameral legislature, where the number of seats in the lower house was determined by population, and the number of seats in the upper house was equal among all states | ||
c. Determining that the New Jersey plan was the best fit for the national government and provided all states equal number of representatives in Congress | ||
d. Continuing the practice of states' rights and limiting the amount of power given to the national legislature | ||
e. Determining that 3/5 of a state's slave population would be counted in determining representation |
a. Pluralist democracy | ||
b. Elitist democracy | ||
c. Majoritarian democracy | ||
d. Republican democracy | ||
e. Ancient democracy |
a. Dual federalism | ||
b. Cooperative federalism | ||
c. Competitive federalism | ||
d. Marble cake federalism | ||
e. "New" federalism |
a. To maintain order, including preserving life and protecting property | ||
b. To provide public goods and services | ||
c. To promote equality thought society | ||
d. To inflict violence on other nation states | ||
e. A, B, and C |
a. That the king should remain in power | ||
b. That the United States should be a monarchy | ||
c. That the states should have more power than the central government | ||
d. That the executive branch should hold more power than the legislative branch | ||
e. That states with a larger population should have more of a say in national politics |
a. Equality in the political decision-making process: one vote per person, all votes counted equally | ||
b. Equality of wealth and material possessions throughout society | ||
c. Equality of success in all ventures in life | ||
d. Equality of social status and class; social class mobility, regardless of the class you are born into | ||
e. Equality of all political branches to have an impact on society |
a. One's self-interest | ||
b. A set of beliefs that change from time to time about the scope and purpose of government | ||
c. A consistent set of values about the proper role and scope of government | ||
d. The ability to decide about the dilemma between freedom and order | ||
e. The political spectrum of beliefs that differ due to the constantly changing political world |
a. Anti-federalists insisted in a stronger central government. | ||
b. Anti-federalists feared that foreign governments would try to overpower the new nation. | ||
c. Anti-federalists feared that the states would maintain their dominance under the new government. | ||
d. Anti-federalists believed that a strong chief executive was necessary. | ||
e. Anti-federalists feared the power of a strong central government and wanted to see a bill of rights added to guarantee the protection of individual rights. |
a. The President's ability to veto a bill passed by Congress | ||
b. The creation of Congressional committees and subcommittees | ||
c. The federal government providing grants to states to help build new schools | ||
d. The ability of both states and the federal government to tax individuals | ||
e. The Supreme Court's ability to choose the cases it wants to hear |
a. Socialism | ||
b. Conservatism | ||
c. Totalitarianism | ||
d. Liberalism | ||
e. Monarchism |
a. The Constitution created a national government having three branches. | ||
b. The Constitution provided for the direct election of the president by the voters. | ||
c. The Constitution made the amendment process more difficult. | ||
d. The Constitution increased the powers of the states. | ||
e. The Constitution abolished the federal judiciary system. |
a. Soft-money contributions by political committees have been banned. | ||
b. Restrictions on independent spending by corporations in elections has been ruled unconstitutional. | ||
c. Advocacy groups can spend unlimited amounts of money in federal elections as long as they do not coordinate with the candidates. | ||
d. Political action committees can spend unlimited amounts of money in elections on advertising. | ||
e. Presidential candidates are prohibited from using taxpayer money to finance their campaigns. |
a. New media is making more information available and accessible. | ||
b. New media can aim at specialized audiences. | ||
c. New media has created "citizen journalists." | ||
d. New media, in the form of the "blogosphere," can hold public officials accountable by amplifying and spreading information. | ||
e. More people receive their political news from new media than any other type of mass media. |
a. Abolition | ||
b. Temperance | ||
c. Civil rights | ||
d. Women's rights | ||
e. Fair trade |
a. Young voters are less likely than older citizens to turn out in midterm elections. | ||
b. Turnout varies significantly across geographic locations. | ||
c. The higher a person's education level, the less likely they are to vote. | ||
d. There has been a steady increase in turnout since the 2000 presidential election. | ||
e. Voter turnout in presidential elections is generally higher than for lower-level contests. |
a. Rhetoric | ||
b. Ideology | ||
c. Culture | ||
d. Socialization | ||
e. Apathy |
a. Efficacy | ||
b. Legitimacy | ||
c. Indoctrination | ||
d. Exceptionalism | ||
e. Tolerance |
a. Sub-culturalism | ||
b. Political tolerance | ||
c. Ethnicity | ||
d. Multiculturalism | ||
e. Egalitarianism |
a. Too much attention is paid to early caucuses and primaries. | ||
b. Money is too big of a factor in the election process. | ||
c. There is not enough media coverage of the campaign. | ||
d. Primary voters are not representative of general election voters and therefore should not have as much of an impact in the nomination process. | ||
e. The presidential campaign season lasts way too long. |
a. Focus group | ||
b. Sample | ||
c. Population | ||
d. Representative population | ||
e. Public |
a. Recruiting candidates to run for public office. | ||
b. Bringing media attention to an issue. | ||
c. Endorsing candidates for public office. | ||
d. Testifying at congressional hearings. | ||
e. Providing expert information for elected officials and their staff. |
a. Informing citizens about political issues and proposing alternative government programs. | ||
b. Coordinating actions of government officials in various branches of government. | ||
c. Nominating candidates for election to public office. | ||
d. Deciding which presidential candidate wins the election through the Electoral College. | ||
e. Requiring people to pay dues if they want to join the party. |
a. The ability to set the national agenda | ||
b. The ability to reveal political scandals to the public | ||
c. The ability to shape public opinion and political attitudes of the public | ||
d. The ability to influence electoral outcomes | ||
e. The ability to serve as an agent of political socialization |
a. A recall petition | ||
b. A blanket primary | ||
c. An indirect primary | ||
d. A referendum | ||
e. A run-off primary |
a. The distribution of opinions and attitudes held by the public | ||
b. The political ideology of the mass public | ||
c. The strongly held political beliefs of individuals within government | ||
d. The perception that pollsters and politicians have about the general public | ||
e. All of the above |
a. The existence of political parties is mandatory as outlined in the Constitution. | ||
b. The existence of two parties has always been a part of the American political system. | ||
c. U.S. election rules support the creation and maintenance of a two-party system. | ||
d. Democrats and Republicans were the first major political parties in the United States. | ||
e. The two-party system was in place by 1800. |
a. Family | ||
b. Friends | ||
c. The mass media | ||
d. Schools | ||
e. All of the above |
a. Party loyalty has declined. | ||
b. Elections have become more candidate-centered rather than party-centered. | ||
c. National political parties have become more successful and effective in mobilizing voters. | ||
d. The influence of political parties has diminished. | ||
e. Party reforms have allowed more average voters to serve as delegates to the national party nominating conventions. |
a. Voting | ||
b. Making a campaign contribution | ||
c. Volunteering for a political candidate | ||
d. Signing a petition | ||
e. All of the above |
a. Egalitarianism | ||
b. Equality of opportunity | ||
c. Economic equality | ||
d. Individualism | ||
e. Rule of law |
a. The media has no measurable impact on public opinion. | ||
b. The media can greatly alter public opinion about an issue. | ||
c. The media often shapes political attitudes and voting behaviors. | ||
d. The media is most likely to influence public opinion among those with the lowest education levels. | ||
e. Media coverage impacts the issues that the public thinks are most important. |
a. The Supreme Court | ||
b. The Congress | ||
c. The president | ||
d. The Attorney General | ||
e. The Chief Justice |
a. Sign the bill into law. | ||
b. Veto it, sending it back to Congress with a veto message explaining reasons for rejecting it. | ||
c. Let it become law after ten working days by not doing anything. | ||
d. Not sign it after Congress adjourns, exercising the pocket veto. | ||
e. Send it directly to the Supreme Court for judicial review. |
a. Has more rules. | ||
b. Garners more media attention. | ||
c. Has less time for debate. | ||
d. Is less flexible. | ||
e. Is less prestigious. |
a. Pluralism | ||
b. Divided government | ||
c. Checks and balances | ||
d. Separation of powers | ||
e. Partisan politics |
a. Ways and Means Committee | ||
b. Policy Committee | ||
c. Appropriations Committee | ||
d. Rules Committee | ||
e. Speaker's Committee |
a. Amicus curiae | ||
b. Judicial review | ||
c. Stare decisis | ||
d. Tort reform | ||
e. Senatorial courtesy |
a. The president's approval rating remains constant throughout his entire tenure in office. | ||
b. The president's approval rating averages around 50% during his first two years in office, then tends to increase. | ||
c. The president's approval rating is highest during the first 100 days in office, the "honeymoon" period. | ||
d. The president's approval rating is lowest during times of war or national crisis. | ||
e. The president's approval rating is highest toward the end of his presidency. |
a. Support for an increase in bureaucratic power to help implement complex federal programs. | ||
b. Increasing budgets to help fund new bureaucratic programs | ||
c. Reorganizing and decreasing the size of the bureaucratic workforce | ||
d. Requesting the creation of new bureaucratic agencies and regulations | ||
e. Ending the power of independent regulatory agencies |
a. When there is a significant population shift. | ||
b. When the state legislature enacts the appropriate provisions. | ||
c. Every ten years. | ||
d. After each major presidential election. | ||
e. Every two years. |
a. Policies are made independently without any influence from Congress. | ||
b. Policies being made often contradict with the preferences of Congressional committees. | ||
c. Policies are often not made because of a hostile relationship between Congress and the bureaucracy. | ||
d. Policies are made through a cooperative relationship between an interest group, a bureaucratic agency and Congress. | ||
e. Policies are often implemented that solely reflect the wishes of the president. |
a. To draft appropriation legislation | ||
b. To review government operations, especially within the bureaucracy | ||
c. To hold impeachment hearings | ||
d. To write constitutional amendments | ||
e. To regulate the actions of constituents |
a. Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) | ||
b. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) | ||
c. Marbury v. Madison (1803) | ||
d. McCullough v. Maryland (1819) | ||
e. Fletcher v. Peck (1810) |
a. The 435 seats of the Senate are allocated based on a state's reported population every ten years when the U.S. conducts the census. | ||
b. Senators serve six-year terms. | ||
c. One-third of the Senate is up for re-election every two years. | ||
d. Representation in the Senate is equal for every state; each state has two senators. | ||
e. In the Senate, leadership is less centralized than in the House and floor proceedings tend to respect "minority rights" more than "majority rule," as in the House. |
a. Personal qualities, such as race, ethnicity, and gender, have become important factors when considering a nominee for the Supreme Court. | ||
b. Senatorial courtesy has dictated the fate of all potential nominees before they are officially considered. | ||
c. Supreme Court nominees are much more likely to be loyal partisan supporters of the president than they were in the past. | ||
d. Potential judges must have extensive litigation experience. | ||
e. The media have played much less of a role in the nomination process than in the past. |
a. I only | ||
b. II and III only | ||
c. I and IV only | ||
d. I, II, and III only | ||
e. I, II, III, and IV |
a. Media coverage of the court's activities is limited. | ||
b. Most of the court's decisions receive widespread media coverage. | ||
c. Coverage of the court is often oversimplified. | ||
d. A and C | ||
e. Cameras are allowed in the Supreme Court during public sessions. |
a. Commander and chief of the armed forces | ||
b. Head of state | ||
c. Making appointments of ambassadors | ||
d. Signing treaties with foreign countries | ||
e. All of the above |
a. The bureaucracy has been reformed relatively little throughout history. | ||
b. A general trend in recent reforms has been to create a smaller bureaucracy. | ||
c. The Clinton administration attempted to reform the bureaucracy in the 1990s by implementing the National Performance Review. | ||
d. When reforming the bureaucracy, the government has found it is much easier to add new bureaucratic programs than end them. | ||
e. Many recent bureaucratic reforms have included privatization of formerly public duties and the deregulation of industry. |
a. The Constitution | ||
b. Divine right | ||
c. Precedents set from past presidents | ||
d. Presidential access to the media | ||
e. Public support |
a. To make federal judicial appointments | ||
b. To collect taxes | ||
c. To declare war | ||
d. To regulate interstate commerce | ||
e. To create inferior courts |
a. Being at least 35 years old | ||
b. Being a member of a political party | ||
c. Obtaining a majority of the electoral votes in the Electoral College | ||
d. Being a natural born citizen | ||
e. Having resided in the United States for at least 14 years |
a. The Speaker of the House | ||
b. House Minority Leader | ||
c. The House Majority Whip | ||
d. The Chairman of the Committee of the Whole | ||
e. The House Pro Temp |
a. Revenue bills must originate in the Senate. | ||
b. Oversight committees resolve differences between legislation passed in the House and Senate. | ||
c. Filibusters in the Senate are used to stop bills from coming to a floor vote. | ||
d. Each chamber has the same exact standing committees that mark-up legislation. | ||
e. All of the above |
a. Members of the cabinet are the secretaries of fifteen executive departments. | ||
b. The cabinet is a creation of modern presidents. | ||
c. The existence of a cabinet is mandated in Article II of the Constitution. | ||
d. The Vice President is the leader of the Cabinet. | ||
e. None of the above |
a. The House allows unlimited debate on legislation, whereas the Senate has strict time limitations. | ||
b. The Senate permits more amendments to bills than does the House. | ||
c. In the House, the minority party can filibuster a bill and permit it from floor consideration-a procedural option that is not allowed in the Senate. | ||
d. Senate committees always have an equal number of members from both parties, regardless of minority or majority status. | ||
e. There are no major procedural differences between the two chambers. |
a. Prior restraint | ||
b. Eminent domain | ||
c. Double jeopardy | ||
d. Selective incorporation | ||
e. Habeas corpus |
a. African Americans | ||
b. Hispanic Americans | ||
c. Jewish Americans | ||
d. Women | ||
e. Homosexuals |
a. The exclusionary clause | ||
b. The free-exercise clause | ||
c. The freedom of religion clause | ||
d. The establishment clause | ||
e. The supremacy clause |
a. Prohibits slavery. | ||
b. Protects citizens from the abuses of state governments. | ||
c. Ensures a citizen's right to privacy. | ||
d. Ensures citizens equal protection under the law. | ||
e. Guarantees the right to trial by jury. |
a. Established the doctrine of "separate but equal." | ||
b. Determined that de jure segregation was legal. | ||
c. Determined that the doctrine of "separate but equal" was unconstitutional. | ||
d. Ended the practice of de facto segregation. | ||
e. Was supported by the majority of the South. |
a. Pre-emptive censorship. | ||
b. National security protective status. | ||
c. Prior restraint. | ||
d. Writ of certiorari. | ||
e. Due process. |
a. Determine if the government has violated the "clear and present danger" doctrine | ||
b. Decide whether or not there is the presence of "symbolic speech" | ||
c. Determine if the Congress has created a law that is unconstitutional | ||
d. Decide whether or not the government has unfairly searched without a warrant | ||
e. Determine if government actions relating to religion are unconstitutional |
a. The first ten amendments to the Constitution | ||
b. All of the civil liberties and civil rights found in the Constitution | ||
c. The first national Constitution in the United States | ||
d. The First Amendment | ||
e. Legislation passed by Congress to ensure freedoms |
a. To give opportunity to previously oppressed minority groups and women to overcome the effects of past discrimination | ||
b. To overcome the effects of ongoing discrimination within society | ||
c. To ensure not only equal opportunity but also equal outcome for all | ||
d. To punish white society for ills of the past | ||
e. All of the above |
a. Freedom of expression | ||
b. Freedom to bear arms | ||
c. The right to peacefully assemble and petition the government | ||
d. Freedom of religion | ||
e. Freedom of assembly |
a. Clear and present danger | ||
b. Necessary and proper clause | ||
c. Incorporation principle | ||
d. Checks and balances | ||
e. Strict scrutiny principle |
a. De facto segregation has been made illegal, where as de jure has not. | ||
b. De facto segregation is voluntary, and de jure is government enforced. | ||
c. De jure segregation has been ruled illegal based on several Supreme Court decisions. | ||
d. De facto segregation has a political impact, where as de jure primarily impacts society economically. | ||
e. De facto segregation is government enforced, and de jure is voluntary. |
a. Texas v. Johnson (1989) | ||
b. Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) | ||
c. Schenck v. United States (1919) | ||
d. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) | ||
e. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) |
a. Roe v. Wade (1973) | ||
b. Loving v. Virginia (1967) | ||
c. Miranda v. Arizona (1966) | ||
d. Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Dept. of Health (1989) | ||
e. Tinker v. Des Moines (1990) |
a. Affirmation Action was no longer considered Constitutional. | ||
b. Affirmative Action was considered "reverse discrimination" and therefore unconstitutional. | ||
c. State institutions could no longer use Affirmative Action to equalize opportunity. | ||
d. Using race as a criteria for admission was illegal. | ||
e. Reverse discrimination based on racial quotas violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964. |
a. 1991 Disabled Americans Act | ||
b. 1996 Defense of Marriage Act | ||
c. Title IX | ||
d. Voting Rights Act of 1965 | ||
e. 1967 Age Discrimination in Employment Act |
a. Decide whether to authorize a federal program | ||
b. Decide whether to fund federal programs | ||
c. Hold hearings on the appropriateness of members' actions on the House floor | ||
d. Decide whether to accept the president's budget proposal | ||
e. All of the above |
a. Capitalism | ||
b. Socialism | ||
c. Mutualism | ||
d. Distributism | ||
e. Georgism |
a. Secretary of the Treasury | ||
b. Office of Personnel Management | ||
c. Office of Management and Budget | ||
d. Independent Regulatory Commission | ||
e. National Economic Council |
a. Non-ratified treaty | ||
b. Executive agreement | ||
c. Foreign policy agreement | ||
d. Presidential approval | ||
e. Alliance |
a. George W. Bush | ||
b. William J. Clinton | ||
c. Franklin D. Roosevelt | ||
d. Ronald Reagan | ||
e. Lyndon B. Johnson |
a. Domino theory | ||
b. Containment | ||
c. The Cold War | ||
d. Non-proliferation | ||
e. Operation Sputnik |
a. Social welfare policy | ||
b. Economic policy | ||
c. Defense policy | ||
d. Education policy | ||
e. Entitlement spending policy |
a. The defense budget | ||
b. Executive programs | ||
c. Entitlement programs | ||
d. Federal student loan program | ||
e. Congressional earmarks |
a. Medicare | ||
b. Medicaid | ||
c. Social Security | ||
d. Temporary Unemployment Insurance | ||
e. State Children's Health Insurance Program |
a. Laissez-faire doctrine | ||
b. Keynesian theory | ||
c. Monetarism | ||
d. Supply-side economics | ||
e. Fiscal conservatism |
a. Federal Trade Commission | ||
b. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency | ||
c. Securities Exchange Commission | ||
d. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation | ||
e. Federal Reserve Board |
a. Congress declaring war on Iraq | ||
b. George W. Bush's Global War on Terror and "preemptive" doctrine | ||
c. Using NATO peacekeeping troops to help mend anti-American sentiments | ||
d. Oil-for-Food Programs | ||
e. United States participation in NAFTA |
a. TANF | ||
b. Food stamps | ||
c. Medicare Part B | ||
d. Social Security | ||
e. SCHIP |
a. Policy enactment | ||
b. Agenda setting | ||
c. Policy implementation | ||
d. Policy evaluation | ||
e. Policy revision |
a. Congress | ||
b. Interest groups and non-profit organizations | ||
c. The bureaucracy | ||
d. The president | ||
e. All of the above |
a. It can be traced back to colonial times. | ||
b. It is mostly rooted in a Biblical obligation for helping the less fortunate. | ||
c. It can be traced back to the Great Depression and the New Deal. | ||
d. It can be traced back to the 1970s Great Society. | ||
e. It is smaller today than it has ever been in the past. |
a. Federal food stamp programs | ||
b. Federal highway system | ||
c. Safety regulations for the automobile industry | ||
d. Income tax deductions for charitable contributions | ||
e. All of the above |
a. Non-ratified treaty | ||
b. Executive agreement | ||
c. Foreign policy agreement | ||
d. Presidential approval | ||
e. Alliance | ||
f. The Secretary of State | ||
g. The Secretary of Defense | ||
h. The President | ||
i. The National Security Advisor | ||
j. The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation |
a. Medicare | ||
b. Medicaid | ||
c. Social Security | ||
d. Old-Age Survivors Disability Insurance | ||
e. None of the above |
a. It has been used a number of times to limit the power of the president. | ||
b. It gave Congress the power to declare war. | ||
c. It was an attempt of Congress to limit the power of the president to sustain undeclared wars. | ||
d. It established the Joint Chiefs of Staff. | ||
e. It provided Congress with the ability to control the amount of American military presence in United Nation peacekeeping missions. |