Chapter 4-8 and 10 Flashcards
The individual freedoms in the Bill of Rights were extended by the Fourteenth Amendment to include protection from deprivation of due process rights by
A. actions of the president.
B. the actions of individuals.
C. actions of the federal government.
D. actions of state and local governments.
E. actions of the U.S. military.
D. actions of state and local governments.
The term civil liberties refers to specific individual rights that
A. apply in civil cases but not in criminal cases.
B. apply in civil cases but not in military ones.
C. are constitutionally protected from infringement by government.
D. are constitutionally protected from infringement by individuals.
E. are not covered by the First Amendment.
C. are constitutionally protected from infringement by government.
The individual right that is widely regarded as the most basic of individual rights is
A. the right to an attorney.
B. freedom of expression.
C. the right to a jury trial.
D. the right to an adequate education.
E. protection against illegal searches and seizures.
B. freedom of expression.
Justice Holmes’s “clear and present danger” test holds that government can
A. restrict speech that threatens national security.
B. restrict any speech of an inflammatory nature.
C. imprison political dissidents during time of war without following normal procedures.
D. engage in prior restraint of the press whenever national security is at issue.
E. restrict speech that is disrespectful to specific classes of citizens.
A. restrict speech that threatens national security.
Like all other rights, the right of free expression is
A. spelled out in precise terms in the Bill of Rights.
B. not absolute.
C. fully respected by public officials.
D. protected from action by federal officials but not state officials.
E. None of these answers is correct.
B. not absolute.
The conviction of members of the U.S. Communist Party in the early 1950s was initially upheld as a lawful restriction of the right
A. not to incriminate oneself.
B. of free speech.
C. to a jury trial.
D. to confront one’s accusers in a court of law.
E. to worship any religion of choice.
B. of free speech.
Justice Stone argued in 1938 that
A. citizens should have priority over non-citizens in the legal system.
B. First Amendment rights are the basis of most other rights.
C. the interests of the majority are more important than the rights of the individual.
D. the requirements of national security take precedence over freedom of expression.
E. the Bill of Rights should be fully applied to the states.
B. First Amendment rights are the basis of most other rights.
The Supreme Court’s position on prior restraint of the press is that
A. national security needs are of highest priority.
B. only classified government documents are subject to prior restraint.
C. prior restraint can never be exercised by government.
D. prior restraint should apply only in rare circumstances, and it is better to hold the press responsible for what it has printed than to restrict what it may print.
E. prior restraint should be used fairly frequently in a democracy.
D. prior restraint should apply only in rare circumstances, and it is better to hold the press responsible for what it has printed than to restrict what it may print.
Government can lawfully prevent a political rally from taking place
A. under no circumstances; people have an unconditional right to express their views.
B. when the rally would require unduly expensive police protection.
C. when the views of those holding the rally are unpopular.
D. when it can demonstrate that harmful acts will necessarily result from the rally.
E. None of these answers is correct.
D. when it can demonstrate that harmful acts will necessarily result from the rally.
The inclusion of certain provisions of the Bill of Rights in the Fourteenth Amendment, so that these rights are protected from infringements by the state governments, is called A. the preferred position doctrine. B. procedural change. C. selective incorporation. D. the absorption doctrine. E. prior restraint.
C. selective incorporation.
Spoken words that are known to be false and harmful to a person's reputation are an example of A. libel. B. slander. C. blasphemy. D. obscenity. E. symbolic speech.
B. slander.
Which of the following is correct with regard to obscenity and the law?
A. Obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment.
B. Obscenity is never unlawful.
C. Child pornography is protected by the First Amendment.
D. Obscenity has been easy for courts to define with precision.
E. Obscenity is protected under the Ninth Amendment.
A. Obscenity is not protected by the First Amendment.
The establishment clause prohibits government from
A. establishing exceptions to the Bill of Rights.
B. establishing exceptions to the Fourteenth Amendment.
C. favoring one religion over another or supporting religion over no religion.
D. interfering with freedom of assembly.
E. interfering with the right to bear arms.
C. favoring one religion over another or supporting religion over no religion.
The Supreme Court upheld the use of tax-supported vouchers to attend private or parochial school in A. Engel v. Vitale. B. Griswold v. Connecticut. C. Zelman v. Simmons-Harris. D. Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition. E. Miller v. California.
C. Zelman v. Simmons-Harris.
According to the Supreme Court, prayer in public schools violates A. the free exercise clause. B. the establishment clause. C. the exclusionary rule. D. procedural due process. E. the clear and present danger test.
B. the establishment clause.
In 2007 the Supreme Court reversed its stance on partial-birth abortion, largely due to the replacement of Sandra Day O'Connor with A. Samuel Alito. B. Anthony Kennedy. C. Ruth Bader Ginsburg. D. William Rehnquist. E. Antonin Scalia.
A. Samuel Alito.
The exclusionary rule states that
A. federal law cannot be applied in state courts.
B. the laws of one state court cannot be applied in the courts of another state.
C. after seven years, the statute of limitations applies, except in murder cases.
D. evidence obtained illegally is inadmissible in court.
E. state law cannot be applied in federal courts.
D. evidence obtained illegally is inadmissible in court.
In Mapp v. Ohio, the selective incorporation process was extended to include A. criminal proceedings in the states. B. civil cases. C. pleas of insanity. D. children (minors) accused of crime. E. indigent litigants.
A. criminal proceedings in the states.
In the case of McNabb v. United States, Justice Felix Frankfurter defined the “history of liberty” primarily in terms of whether
A. governments had observed procedural guarantees.
B. those convicted are actually guilty.
C. those convicted have the opportunity for appeal.
D. those convicted are treated humanely while imprisoned.
E. everyone is treated fairly in every case.
A. governments had observed procedural guarantees.
Which of the following is true of the appeal process?
A. The Constitution guarantees at least one appeal after conviction, but many states continue to challenge this guarantee in court.
B. Both the federal and all state constitutions guarantee an appeal after conviction.
C. The Constitution does not guarantee an appeal after conviction, but the federal government and all states permit at least one appeal.
D. There are no guarantees of appeal at the federal or state level, but the appeal process has been effectively certified through common practice.
E. The guarantee of appeal in the states was established as part of selective incorporation as applied to the Fourteenth Amendment.
C. The Constitution does not guarantee an appeal after conviction, but the federal government and all states permit at least one appeal.
The Supreme Court has reasoned that a right of privacy is provided by
A. the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
B. the Ninth Amendment, which says that people’s rights are not limited to those enumerated in the Constitution.
C. the Tenth Amendment, which reserves to the people and the states those powers not granted to the federal government.
D. the implication of said right by the freedoms in the Bill of Rights.
E. the Civil Rights Act of 1991.
D. the implication of said right by the freedoms in the Bill of Rights.
The right to privacy was instrumental in which decision? A. Roe v. Wade B. Mapp v. Ohio C. Schenck v. United States D. Miranda v. Arizona E. New York Times Co. v. United States
A. Roe v. Wade
In Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), the justices
A. ruled that states are free to adopt abortion laws of their choosing.
B. reaffirmed the essential aspects of Roe v. Wade.
C. invoked the Ninth Amendment for the first time in an abortion decision.
D. invalidated the right to an abortion in the early months of pregnancy.
E. None of these answers is correct.
B. reaffirmed the essential aspects of Roe v. Wade.
In Bowers v. Hardwick (1986), the Supreme Court justices determined that
A. the right of privacy includes abortion in the early months of pregnancy.
B. search warrants are not needed in murder investigations.
C. freedom of speech and freedom of assembly sometimes conflict.
D. state militia members have the right to peacefully assemble.
E. the right to privacy does not include homosexual acts.
E. the right to privacy does not include homosexual acts.
What is the greatest restriction on appeals in the United States?
A. the refusal by state appeals court judges to grant even a first appeal
B. a federal law that bars in most instances a second federal appeal by a state prison inmate
C. the lack of any formal right of appeal in the federal process
D. a federal law that bars a first federal appeal to persons convicted of homicides
E. the very low income of some convicted persons, which reduces their ability to appeal
B. a federal law that bars in most instances a second federal appeal by a state prison inmate
The inevitable discovery exception
A. holds that the exclusionary rule can be waived in cases where failure to convict can lead to further public harm.
B. holds that otherwise excludable evidence can be admitted in trial if police believed they were following the proper procedures.
C. allows the use of evidence that would have been discovered regardless by other means or through other forms of evidence.
D. has effectively invalidated the exclusionary rule.
E. holds that a convicted person may not appeal the conviction when his or her own actions would have ultimately led to further unlawful acts.
C. allows the use of evidence that would have been discovered regardless by other means or through other forms of evidence.
The Fourth Amendment protects Americans from
A. any search conducted without a warrant.
B. unreasonable searches.
C. unreasonable searches conducted only by federal officers.
D. all searches conducted by state officers.
E. searches conducted only by local officers.
B. unreasonable searches.
Voluntary school prayer in the public schools was ruled unconstitutional in A. Escobedo v. Illinois (1964). B. Engel v. Vitale (1962). C. Buckley v. Valeo (1976). D. Gitlow v. New York (1925). E. Roth v. United States (1957).
B. Engel v. Vitale (1962).
Which of the following, relative to the others, is typically more protective of individual rights? A. the U.S. Congress B. the general public C. public opinion D. the presidency E. the judiciary
E. the judiciary
The freedoms of speech, press, assembly, and petition are found in A. the First Amendment. B. the Fourth Amendment. C. the Sixth Amendment. D. the Tenth Amendment. E. the Fourteenth Amendment.
A. the First Amendment.
Which of the following is true about the Sedition Act of 1798?
A. The Act prohibited malicious newspaper stories about the president.
B. The Supreme Court ruled the Act unconstitutional.
C. The Senate voted it down, while the House passed it.
D. Thomas Jefferson strongly supported it.
E. The state governments refused to enforce it.
A. The Act prohibited malicious newspaper stories about the president.
In Schenck v. United States (1919), the Supreme Court ruled that
A. the Espionage Act was unconstitutional.
B. speech could be restricted when the nation’s security is at stake.
C. speech unrelated to national security can never be restricted.
D. speech by unpopular groups can be restricted more than speech by popular groups.
E. all forms of political dissent are constitutional.
B. speech could be restricted when the nation’s security is at stake.
In the Johnson flag-burning case, the Supreme Court ruled that
A. flag burning is an imminent danger to public safety.
B. flag burning is not symbolic speech.
C. flag burning, although offensive, cannot be prohibited.
D. flag burning can be prohibited by the national government but not by the states.
E. flag burning could be banned by Congress.
C. flag burning, although offensive, cannot be prohibited.
The Miranda warning was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2000 in A. Palko v. Connecticut. B. Stenberg v. Carhart. C. Reno v. ACLU. D. Ferguson v. Charleston. E. Dickerson v. United States.
E. Dickerson v. United States.
According to the Supreme Court, prior restraint on the press is only acceptable if
A. lower federal courts approve the action.
B. the government can clearly justify the restriction.
C. the press itself willingly accepts that restraint.
D. the press is careless in its claims.
E. the press is malicious in its intent.
B. the government can clearly justify the restriction.
"You have the right to remain silent....Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law....You have the right to an attorney". This is called the A. preferred position doctrine. B. clear and present danger test. C. Miranda warning. D. fairness doctrine. E. None of these answers is correct.
C. Miranda warning.
According to the Supreme Court, which is true regarding freedom of assembly?
A. Individuals have the right to command immediate access to a public auditorium.
B. Individuals have the right to hold a public rally in the middle of a busy intersection at a time of their choosing.
C. Public officials can regulate the time, place, and conditions of public assembly, provided the regulations are reasonable.
D. Public officials can prohibit assembly by unpopular groups.
E. Freedom of assembly is an absolute right, because it is in the First Amendment.
C. Public officials can regulate the time, place, and conditions of public assembly, provided the regulations are reasonable.
Which of the following is the only country that comes close to the United States in terms of the percentage of its citizens who are behind bars? A. Singapore B. Japan C. Great Britain D. Romania E. Russia
E. Russia
According to the Supreme Court, what is the status of prayer in the public schools?
A. Formal prayer is not allowed, but moments of silence are constitutional.
B. State-supported prayers are not allowed in public schools.
C. Prayer is now allowed, but each school must allow students to leave the classroom when prayers are read aloud.
D. Bible readings in public schools are constitutional.
E. Student-led prayers at public school football games are constitutional.
B. State-supported prayers are not allowed in public schools.
What Illinois policy did the Supreme Court invalidate with its decision in Witherspoon v. Illinois (1968)?
A. allowing the prosecution an unlimited number of challenges in capital cases
B. preventing convicted persons in capital cases from filing an appeal
C. preventing the prosecution from challenging jury selections in felony cases
D. the failure to provide low income defendants with court-appointed lawyers
E. encouragement of low income defendants to act as their own attorney
A. allowing the prosecution an unlimited number of challenges in capital cases
Which constitutional amendment protects the individual against self-incrimination? A. First B. Second C. Fourth D. Fifth E. Ninth
D. Fifth
Gideon v. Wainwright required the states to
A. temporarily abolish the death penalty.
B. expand the exclusionary rule to both felony and misdemeanor cases.
C. furnish attorneys for poor defendants in felony cases.
D. grant speedy trials to defendants after 90 days of delay.
E. provide more funding for education.
C. furnish attorneys for poor defendants in felony cases.
Since the 1980s, the Supreme Court has addressed the exclusionary rule by
A. expanding its application to virtually all criminal cases both at the state and federal levels.
B. determining that the rule was unconstitutional, in that it weakened the effectiveness of the police in maintaining an orderly society.
C. expanding its application to federal cases only.
D. expanding its application to state cases only.
E. None of these answers is correct.
E. None of these answers is correct.
The right to counsel is guaranteed by the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Amendment. A. First B. Fifth C. Sixth D. Ninth E. Tenth
C. Sixth
The Lemon test is designed to
A. test a state’s practice of guaranteeing procedural due process rights.
B. ensure the secular nature of a government action.
C. prevent a prosecution or defense from creating a biased jury.
D. test state adherence to rights protected by proxy in the Fourteenth Amendment.
E. ensure that a defendant has been given access to counsel from the time of arrest through a trial.
B. ensure the secular nature of a government action.
Which of the following amendments contains a due process clause? A. First B. Tenth C. Third D. Fourteenth E. Twenty-first
D. Fourteenth
The Supreme Court
A. has ruled that even forms of symbolic speech considered to be dangerous to the public are protected.
B. ruled during the Vietnam war that the burning of draft registration cards was a protected form of symbolic speech.
C. has reduced its protections of symbolic speech dramatically, and recently has ruled against flag burning as a form of protected symbolic speech.
D. has protected symbolic speech much more substantially than it has protected verbal speech.
E. has generally protected symbolic speech, though less substantially than it has protected verbal speech.
E. has generally protected symbolic speech, though less substantially than it has protected verbal speech.
How did the Supreme Court’s position on the rights of the accused in state courts change in the 1960s?
A. The Supreme Court began to allow states greater freedom to interpret the rights of the accused.
B. The Supreme Court began to dramatically reduce federal power to force the states to make special accommodations for the rights of accused minorities.
C. The Supreme Court began to protect the rights of the accused from action by the states.
D. The Supreme Court position did not change noticeably.
E. The Supreme Court ceased to enforce the practice of selective incorporation.
C. The Supreme Court began to protect the rights of the accused from action by the states.
Libel applies to defamation of an individual's reputation through the A. written word. B. spoken word. C. written and spoken word. D. written, spoken, and symbolic word. E. None of these answers is correct.
A. written word.
In the Constitution, procedural due process is protected by the A. Fourth Amendment. B. Fifth Amendment. C. Sixth Amendment. D. Eighth Amendment. E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
If a person yells "fire" in a crowded theater when there is no fire, and people are hurt in the ensuing panic, that individual abused his/her freedom of speech according to the doctrine of A. malice. B. clear and present danger. C. unlawful assembly. D. privacy. E. prior restraint.
B. clear and present danger.
When can police legally begin their interrogation of a suspect?
A. immediately upon arrest
B. after the suspect has been warned that his or her words can be used as evidence
C. only after the suspect has met with an attorney
D. after the suspect has been arrested and is in the custody of the police
E. after the suspect has been formally charged with a specific crime
B. after the suspect has been warned that his or her words can be used as evidence
Gideon v. Wainwright is to the Sixth Amendment as Mapp v. Ohio is to the A. First Amendment. B. Fourth Amendment. C. Fifth Amendment. D. Eighth Amendment. E. Tenth Amendment.
B. Fourth Amendment.
Roughly a third of all U.S. executions in the past quarter-century have taken place in A. Vermont. B. South Carolina. C. Texas. D. Alabama. E. California.
C. Texas.
In a 2004 case involving the issue of whether a U.S. citizen accused of terrorist acts is entitled to constitutional protections, the Supreme Court held that such citizens
A. are protected only if they live in the United States.
B. are protected only if they have not been previously convicted of a crime.
C. are protected only if law enforcement officials decide they deserve such protections.
D. must be handled by military courts.
E. do have the right to a judicial hearing.
E. do have the right to a judicial hearing.
The USA Patriot Act
A. grants the government new powers of surveillance.
B. relaxed restrictions on the sharing of intelligence surveillance information with criminal investigators.
C. gives intelligence agencies the authority to share crime-related information with law enforcement agencies.
D. was enacted in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
The focus of civil liberties is the ________ and the focus of civil rights is the ________.
A. individual; individual
B. group; group
C. individual; group
D. group; individual
E. Tenth Amendment; Twenty-seventh Amendment
C. individual; group
Disadvantaged Americans have generally gained their rights
A. through the enlightened policies of advantaged Americans.
B. through judicial action only.
C. through struggle against entrenched interests.
D. mainly through action by the states rather than the federal government.
E. by waiting patiently for public opinion to back their cause.
C. through struggle against entrenched interests.
Culminating in a historic victory in 1954, black activists in the early twentieth century generally pursued civil rights through A. legal action. B. legislative action. C. pressure for presidential decree. D. bureaucratic action. E. campaigning through mass media.
A. legal action.
The Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas ruling (1954) held that racial segregation in schools violated the
A. due process clause of the Fifth Amendment.
B. due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
C. equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
D. Civil Rights Act.
E. establishment clause of the First Amendment.
C. equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
The modern civil rights movement had a peak moment with the March on Washington in \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A. 1954 B. 1960 C. 1963 D. 1968 E. 1973
C. 1963
In the case of United States v. Virginia (1996), the Supreme Court ruled that
A. strict racial quotas were a valid means of ensuring racial diversity on college campuses.
B. private colleges could refuse to admit prospective students on the basis of sexual orientation.
C. male-only admissions policies at state-supported military academies were unconstitutional.
D. because female instructors created an undue distraction at all-male universities, the schools in question could discriminate against women in their hiring practices.
E. colleges affiliated with a particular religion could not take the religious persuasion of job candidates into consideration during the hiring process.
C. male-only admissions policies at state-supported military academies were unconstitutional.
Which statement about women’s rights is correct?
A. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was ratified by the necessary 38 states in 1982.
B. The women’s rights movement began in the era of World War I and within a few years achieved voting rights for women.
C. Women have made clear gains in the areas of appointive and elective offices.
D. Women tend to cast their votes for Republican candidates.
E. All these answers are correct.
C. Women have made clear gains in the areas of appointive and elective offices.
The movement for women's rights was initially aligned with A. the abolition movement. B. the Progressive movement. C. the labor movement. D. the modern civil rights movement. E. the modern environmental movement.
A. the abolition movement.
All of the following statements about Latino Americans are true EXCEPT that
A. they are the fastest-growing minority in the United States.
B. they have made major political gains in terms of electing local officials, particularly in the southwestern states.
C. Hispanics are healthier and have a longer life expectancy than would be expected from their education and income levels.
D. their average annual income is relatively close to the national average.
E. they are one of the nation’s oldest ethnic groups.
D. their average annual income is relatively close to the national average.
The average pay for full-time female employees is about \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ percent of that for full-time male employees. A. 93 B. 50 C. 65 D. 80 E. 70
D. 80
Native Americans
A. today number more than 2 million.
B. have a far higher infant mortality rate than the national average.
C. have in recent years filed suit to reclaim their ancestral lands.
D. are less than half as likely to finish college as other Americans.
E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
All of the following statements about Asian American rights are true EXCEPT that
A. they have not attained a proportionate share of top business positions.
B. Asian Americans are an upwardly mobile group but are underrepresented in top positions in society due to past and present discrimination.
C. Asian Americans have the highest percentage of two-parent families of any racial group.
D. Asian Americans have made notable educational advancements.
E. Asian Americans have the second highest median family income of any group.
E. Asian Americans have the second highest median family income of any group.
Any law that attempts a racial or ethnic classification is subject to the A. reasonable basis test. B. strict scrutiny test. C. intermediate scrutiny test. D. precedent basis test. E. suspect classification test.
B. strict scrutiny test.
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was aimed in large part at eliminating discrimination
A. by governments in their conduct of elections (e.g., registration, placement of polling booths).
B. by private individuals in their social relations—bigoted statements and other acts of prejudice are unlawful under most circumstances.
C. by governments in their job practices and provision of services (e.g., schools, roads).
D. by private individuals in their employment practices and in their operation of public accommodations (e.g., hotels, restaurants).
E. against gays and lesbians.
D. by private individuals in their employment practices and in their operation of public accommodations (e.g., hotels, restaurants).
De jure discrimination and de facto discrimination are two ways in which some Americans are treated as less equal than others. Examples of public policies designed to address each of these forms of discrimination are
A. the Brown decision (de jure), and affirmative action (de facto).
B. affirmative action (de jure), and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (de facto).
C. the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (de jure), and the Brown decision (de facto).
D. the Supreme Court’s busing decisions (de jure), and affirmative action decisions (de facto).
E. None of these answers is correct.
A. the Brown decision (de jure), and affirmative action (de facto).
In applying the reasonable basis test, courts tend to
A. require government only to show that a particular law is reasonable.
B. assess whether a law had the support of a two-thirds majority of legislators at the time of passage.
C. determine whether a law is working well and, if so, to allow it to remain in effect.
D. prohibit any law that results in the unequal treatment of Americans.
E. interpret the equal protection clause in a strict manner.
A. require government only to show that a particular law is reasonable.
Housing in America
A. falls largely outside the scope of the law—people are free to rent or sell property to whomever they want.
B. is an area where equality in practice is now nearly a reality; people of similar incomes, regardless of race or color, find it equally easy to qualify for home mortgages.
C. is an unimportant civil rights issue, since housing patterns almost completely reflect the personal preferences of people and are not substantially influenced by past or present racial bias.
D. continues to evidence a high degree of racial segregation.
E. None of these answers is correct.
D. continues to evidence a high degree of racial segregation.
One example of a policy that aimed chiefly to overcome de facto discrimination is
A. the Equal Rights Amendment.
B. the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
C. busing to achieve racial integration in the schools.
D. the Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas ruling.
E. the Fourteenth Amendment.
C. busing to achieve racial integration in the schools.
The policy of affirmative action arose when
A. it became apparent that disadvantaged Americans would not attain equal employment opportunities through lawsuits that benefited single individuals only.
B. the Supreme Court declared in Bakke that the Fourteenth Amendment requires government and large firms to hire more women and minorities.
C. the Supreme Court ruled that de facto discrimination is unlawful.
D. private firms decided on their own that a more diverse workforce was actually a more productive and effective workforce.
E. the Supreme Court rendered its Adarand v. Pena decision in 1995.
A. it became apparent that disadvantaged Americans would not attain equal employment opportunities through lawsuits that benefited single individuals only.
The Supreme Court’s decision in the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case
A. invalidated the principle of affirmative action.
B. ruled that Bakke could not be admitted to medical school.
C. established quota systems as a legitimate basis of affirmative action.
D. upheld the principle of affirmative action.
E. None of these answers is correct.
D. upheld the principle of affirmative action.
One reason that affirmative action is so controversial is that
A. since the 1980s the Supreme Court has imposed it on the American public despite congressional attempts to end it.
B. most Americans admit that they oppose programs that ensure equal treatment for minorities.
C. it is applied only to private businesses and schools, not to government programs and institutions.
D. the Supreme Court has repeatedly declared it unconstitutional both in principle and in practice.
E. it is viewed as giving preferential treatment, which is unpopular, instead of simply ensuring equal treatment.
E. it is viewed as giving preferential treatment, which is unpopular, instead of simply ensuring equal treatment
The Supreme Court halted the general use of quotas in the granting of federal contracts in the 1995 case of A. Adarand v. Pena. B. Fullilove v. Klutznick. C. Craig v. Boren. D. Rostker v. Goldberg. E. United States v. Virginia.
A. Adarand v. Pena.
With regard to affirmative action, the Supreme Court in recent years has
A. moved to outlaw it.
B. moved to narrow its application.
C. asked Congress to clarify the policy.
D. asked the president to clarify the policy.
E. asked the state legislatures to clarify the policy.
B. moved to narrow its application.
The Supreme Court’s ruling in the Swann case on busing differed from the Brown decision in that Swann
A. addressed the problem of de facto discrimination.
B. applied to many northern communities in addition to communities in the South.
C. sanctioned the use of busing in desegregation.
D. dealt specifically with the issue of busing.
E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
Since the height of the busing era, the trend in public schools has been
A. toward greater integration.
B. toward greater segregation.
C. to rely more and more on busing.
D. to reinstate de jure racial segregation.
E. to retain the gains in racial integration achieved through the 1970s, but not to further them.
B. toward greater segregation.
Native Americans
A. have always been legal citizens of the United States.
B. were not given citizenship status en masse until the twentieth century.
C. do not today have the full legal rights of other U.S. citizens.
D. are U.S. citizens unless they choose to live on a reservation.
E. have numbered roughly ten million in the United States since the 1700s.
B. were not given citizenship status en masse until the twentieth century.
The demand that women should receive equal pay relative to men for work that is similarly demanding, involves similar responsibilities, and requires similar levels of education and training is the basis of the concept of A. equality of opportunity. B. affirmative action. C. comparable worth. D. de jure discrimination. E. reverse discrimination.
C. comparable worth.
Which region of the world has the highest proportion of women serving in its national legislatures? A. Scandinavia B. Latin America C. North America D. East Asia E. Central Europe
A. Scandinavia
According to Gunnar Myrdal, what is America's curse? A. greed B. racial discrimination C. obesity D. street violence E. religious intolerance
B. racial discrimination
Women in America obtained the right to vote in national elections in \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A. 1790 B. 1865 C. 1890 D. 1920 E. 1974
D. 1920
Asian Americans account for about \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ percent of professionals and technicians in the United States. A. 1 B. 5 C. 10 D. 15 E. 25
B. 5
In 2007 the Supreme Court ruled that the pursuit of racial integration in public schools through busing
A. was a practice that should be left to state governments to adopt or reject.
B. should be enacted and monitored by the federal government to ensure full compliance.
C. was as necessary to ensure racial justice as was the ending of de facto segregation in 1954.
D. was a permanent solution to an intractable problem.
E. deprived white students of their Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection.
E. deprived white students of their Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection.
In 2000, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ became the first state to legalize the civil union of same-sex couples. A. Vermont B. Massachusetts C. New Hampshire D. Rhode Island E. Connecticut
A. Vermont
How many states ratified the Equal Rights Amendment? A. none of them B. only a few C. about half D. nearly three-fourths E. all but three of them
D. nearly three-fourths
Which of the following would be considered the worst setback by affirmative action proponents?
A. Adarand v. Pena
B. Craig v. Boren
C. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
D. Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenberg Board of Education
E. None of these answers is correct.
A. Adarand v. Pena
What event occurred in 1877 in the South that brought about rapid legal discrimination against blacks?
A. a backlash against the civil rights movement
B. the religious revival movement
C. the removal of federal troops
D. several state legislature elections that brought racist leadership into power
E. a severe depression that reduced the economic power of the black population
C. the removal of federal troops
Which of the following statements is true?
A. About one in three single-parent families that are headed by women live below the poverty line.
B. The 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act represented a setback for women by reducing the amount of guaranteed benefits that new mothers receive.
C. Recent Supreme Court decisions have made it harder for employees to sue an organization that retaliates against them for filing a sexual harassment complaint.
D. There are generally fewer single-parent families headed by women below the poverty line than two-parent families below the poverty line.
E. The “feminization of poverty” describes the phenomenon of greater government protection for women below the poverty line than men.
A. About one in three single-parent families that are headed by women live below the poverty line.
The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act
A. authorizes states to grant marital rights to a same-sex couple that has been granted these rights by another state.
B. authorizes states to deny marital rights to a same-sex couple that has been granted these rights by another state.
C. invalidated, through federal legislation, the marriages of same-sex couples that had become married in states that allow same-sex unions.
D. established a timeline by which all states must legally allow same-sex marriages.
E. invalided state laws that had mandated that marriage be defined only as a union between a man and a woman.
B. authorizes states to deny marital rights to a same-sex couple that has been granted these rights by another state.
Which of the following statements is true of age discrimination in the United States?
A. The courts have not given government and employers much leeway in establishing age-based policies.
B. Forced retirement for reasons of age is not permissible even if justified by the nature of a particular job or the performance of a particular employee.
C. Age discrimination is among the forms of discrimination prohibited by the U.S. Constitution.
D. Mandatory retirement ages for most jobs have been eliminated by law.
E. Hiring bias on the basis of age is still allowed by all private companies, but has been most abolished in government and public agencies.
D. Mandatory retirement ages for most jobs have been eliminated by law.
Equality of result policies are primarily directed at \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ discriminatory effects. A. de jure B. de facto C. religious D. gender E. due process
B. de facto
The central issue in the Bakke case was A. school desegregation. B. sexual harassment. C. affirmative action. D. Native Americans' civil rights. E. comparable worth.
C. affirmative action.
Which of the following is true?
A. Public schools are becoming more segregated nationally.
B. Many urban public school districts have ended the use of busing for desegregation purposes.
C. White flight to suburban schools has made it more difficult to desegregate urban schools.
D. The Supreme Court, after ordering cutbacks in busing, said that communities were free to use alternatives, such as increased spending on schools in poor neighborhoods.
E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
Today, women currently hold about \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ of the seats in Congress. A. 1 in 4 B. 1 in 6 C. 1 in 5 D. 1 in 10 E. 1 in 15
B. 1 in 6
The Fourteenth Amendment applies to discriminatory action by A. government only. B. private parties only. C. both government and private parties. D. the president specifically. E. Congress specifically.
A. government only.
Of the following states, which tends to have larger numbers of Caribbean Hispanics? A. California B. Texas C. New Jersey D. New Mexico E. Arizona
C. New Jersey
Native Americans were made "official" citizens of the United States in \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. A. 1789 B. 1856 C. 1924 D. 1972 E. 1998
C. 1924
Which of the following is true of discrimination against the disabled in the United States?
A. The Americans with Disabilities Act grants protections to the disabled only in the employment sphere.
B. Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1975.
C. Before 1975, four million children with disabilities were getting either no education or an inappropriate one.
D. Through the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, Congress required that schools receiving federal funding provide all children, however severe their disability, with a free and appropriate education.
E. Discrimination against the disabled is among the forms of discrimination prohibited by the Constitution, but has also been strengthened through statutes
E. Discrimination against the disabled is among the forms of discrimination prohibited by the Constitution, but has also been strengthened through statutes
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom
A. brought about greater rights to the disabled.
B. came in response to the passage of the Civil Rights Act.
C. was conducted by women seeking fairer treatment in the workplace.
D. was conducted by women seeking the right to vote.
E. was conducted by African Americans seeking equality of rights.
E. was conducted by African Americans seeking equality of rights.
What was politically significant about Geraldine Ferraro in 1984?
A. She became the first woman to be elected governor of a state.
B. She became the first woman to run on the national ticket of a major political party.
C. She became the first woman to serve as attorney general of the United States.
D. She was the first woman to hold the top position in the U.S. House of Representatives.
E. She was the first person to hold the top position in the U.S. Senate.
B. She became the first woman to run on the national ticket of a major political party.
In 2004, by order of the state's Supreme Court, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ instituted same-sex marriage. A. California B. Texas C. Vermont D. Massachusetts E. Alabama
D. Massachusetts
The first woman ever to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court was appointed by A. President Truman. B. President Eisenhower. C. President Kennedy. D. President Reagan. E. President Carter.
D. President Reagan.
The first large and well-organized attempt to promote women's rights came in 1848 in A. Boston, Massachusetts. B. San Francisco, California. C. Minneapolis, Minnesota. D. Seneca Falls, New York. E. Madison, Wisconsin.
D. Seneca Falls, New York.
The famous speech featuring the words "I have a dream" in the civil rights movement was delivered by A. Jesse Jackson. B. Martin Luther King Jr. C. Thurgood Marshall. D. John F. Kennedy. E. Robert F. Kennedy.
B. Martin Luther King Jr.
When the United States first came into being, married women were not permitted to
A. vote.
B. hold office.
C. serve on juries.
D. own and dispense property without the husband’s consent.
E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
Which one of the following occurred after the Brown decision? A. Civil Rights Act of 1964 B. Voting Rights Act of 1965 C. 1957 Little Rock riots D. "I have a dream" speech E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
The Supreme Court concept of suspect classifications suggests that
A. it is impossible to impose quotas fairly because they require classifications of merit based on race.
B. it is inherently suspect to classify one school district or public facility reserved for a particular race as inferior or superior to another.
C. laws that classify people differently on the basis of their race or ethnicity are presumed to have discrimination as their purpose.
D. any form of classification of people based on race or gender is not a sufficient basis for which to overturn an established federal law.
E. any law designed to specifically affect members of different genders in different ways is inherently discriminatory.
C. laws that classify people differently on the basis of their race or ethnicity are presumed to have discrimination as their purpose.
Which of the following is true?
A. In 1996, Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage as “a legal union of one man and one woman as husband and wife”.
B. The Supreme Court justices ruled in 2003 that states cannot ban homosexual relations among consenting adults.
C. The Supreme Court justices ruled in 1996 that states could not adopt discriminatory policies toward gays and lesbians.
D. All are true: The Supreme Court ruled states could not adopt discriminatory policies toward gays and lesbians (1996), Congress passed DOMA (1996), and states cannot ban homosexual relations among consenting adults (2003).
E. None of these answers is correct.
D. All are true: The Supreme Court ruled states could not adopt discriminatory policies toward gays and lesbians (1996), Congress passed DOMA (1996), and states cannot ban homosexual relations among consenting adults (2003).
According to polls, men and women tend to disagree on certain issues. Of the following issues, about which are men and women closest in agreement?
A. abortion rights
B. affirmative action
C. poverty assistance
D. education assistance
E. use of military force
A. abortion rights
Scholars have done the LEAST study into the political influence of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ on American citizens. A. religion B. families C. schools D. media E. peers
A. religion
A member of Congress who wants to act on what the majority of his or her constituency thinks on a particular issue would be advised to respond to which of the following indicators?
A. letters from constituents
B. the editorial positions of newspapers in the constituency
C. public demonstrations by constituents
D. a poll based on a random sample of constituents
E. the number of yard signs on major streets
D. a poll based on a random sample of constituents
The accuracy of a poll is usually expressed in terms of A. population density. B. census parameter. C. population error. D. sampling error. E. interview error.
D. sampling error.
The term public opinion is frequently used in reference to all of American society. This perspective is
A. accurate, since Americans are one people and indivisible.
B. less accurate than a view of public opinion based on the majority, since the political system operates on the principle of majority rule.
C. less accurate than the idea that Americans form many publics, which differ greatly in such things as the level of attention they pay to politics.
D. less accurate than a view of public opinion based on what the news media are saying about the public.
E. accurate, because there is little diversity in American public opinion.
C. less accurate than the idea that Americans form many publics, which differ greatly in such things as the level of attention they pay to politics.
In his definition of public opinion, the author claims that the opinions of private individuals become public opinion when they
A. first enter people’s heads.
B. are openly expressed.
C. become part of the conflict between the Republican and Democratic parties.
D. are measured in opinion polls.
E. become part of the conflict between populists and libertarians.
B. are openly expressed.
The key factors in determining the accuracy of an opinion poll are the
A. population size and the sample size.
B. sample size and the timeline over which the sample was taken.
C. size of the sample and whether the sample was selected from the population by a random method.
D. sample size and whether the sample has the same percentage of men and women as the population.
E. anonymous nature of the sampling process and sample size.
C. size of the sample and whether the sample was selected from the population by a random method.
Sources of polling error can include A. question order. B. unrepresentative samples. C. respondents' lack of knowledge or interest in the issue. D. question wording. E. All these answers are correct.
E. All these answers are correct.
The process of political socialization in the United States is
A. normally cumulative; political beliefs attained earlier in life tend to be retained to a substantial degree.
B. highly structured; children are subjected to an intense system of government-mandated political indoctrination.
C. highly effective; Americans are the best informed citizens in the world.
D. extremely narrow; most Americans get nearly all their opinions from a single source.
E. uniform; there are almost no differences in the opinions of various groups, such as northerners and southerners.
A. normally cumulative; political beliefs attained earlier in life tend to be retained to a substantial degree.
Dramatic change in party identification is uncommon and is almost always a consequence of
A. a change in the policy position o
f the president.
B. major upheaval.
C. popular satisfaction with a government initiative.
D. a change in the law.
E. a Supreme Court ruling.
B. major upheaval.
The process by which individuals acquire their political opinions is called A. popular culture. B. social communication. C. socio-economic change. D. political socialization. E. political assimilation
D. political socialization.
