Civics Exam Review Flashcards
Which type of governmental system did the United States have in its earliest days?
Confederal
Which system of government is an indirect form of democracy, placing political decision making at least one step away from the people?
Republic
The people are the ultimate source of authority in which governmental system?
Republic
The form of government in which one person controls most of the governing decisions is a(n)
Autocracy
The vast majority of the world’s nations have which system of government?
Unitary
The supreme power of a state to act within its territory and have absolute authority over its internal and external affairs is called
Sovereignty
Rulers who are seen as right and proper by key segments of their nation’s population have
Legitimacy
Who said that life without government was like a war pitting each individual against the other?
Thomas Hobbes
The Chinese concept of “Mandate of Heaven” is an example of rule by
Divine right
Which philosopher believed that the formation of societies and government corrupted the human condition and introduced inequality?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
What two ideals of democracy did Alexis de Tocqueville think must be kept in balance in order to prevent democratic despotism?
Liberty and equality
Americans believe strongly that a balance should be struck between majority rule and
Protecting minority rights
The Framers relied on the writings of which Enlightenment philosopher as they decided how best to protect economic freedom and rights to property?
Adam Smith
Parliament imposed a series of taxes on the colonies beginning in 1764 in order to
Help pay Britain’s debts resulting from the French and Indian War
Civic virtue is the idea that people should do which of the following?
Place the common good over private interests
What document is Patrick Henry talking about?
Constitution
How did the Northwest Ordinance differ from the Constitution on the issue of slavery?
The Northwest Ordinance banned slavery in the territory, while the Constitution temporarily protected the slave trade
The New Jersey Plan was designed to stay closer to which document?
Articles of Confederation
Why was the Great Compromise acceptable to the smaller states?
States would be represented equally in the Senate
According to the Constitution, a State’s electors would be equal to what?
Number of its representatives in both houses of Congress
In which state was the Federalist cause strongest?
New Jersey
How did the Framers bypass Congress and state legislatures in the process of ratifying the new Constitution?
They called for voters in each state to elect representatives to a state ratifying convention
Which phrase in the 1st Amendment specifically relates to an individual’s right to ask the government to correct an injustice?
Redress of grievances
Why did the Civil War amendments have little effect in South until 1965?
Southern states passed Jim Crow laws
Which of the following is an example of legislative action?
Congress passes a law to create a new government agency
The phrase “We the People” relates to which of the following principles of the Constitution?
Popular sovereignty
Which of the following is one characteristic of a republican form of government?
People elect others to represent them
When the president vetoes a law passed by Congress, the president is applying the principle of
Checks and balances
What power does the judicial branch of government hold?
Interpreting laws
Which of the following is one criticism of the Constitution?
Winners of the popular vote may not win the presidency
Which of the following is a legislative power that is part of the system of checks and balances?
Declaring war
What did the Framers want to achieve by establishing the principle of federalism in the Constitution?
Distribution of state and national powers
The duties of governing are divided among 3 branches under the principle of
Separation of powers
Which of the following is the best description of federalism?
Different levels of government share authority over the same land and people
The federal government is denied the power to do which of the following?
Take away freedom of speech
The main responsibility for resolving conflicts between the states and the federal government lies with which of the following?
U.S. Supreme Court
How was the relationship between the federal and state governments generally understood during the period of dual federalism?
Federal and state government were each sovereign in their own sphere
The term cooperative federalism refers to
Joint federal and state efforts to resolve problems during and after the New Deal
Which of the following is the main source of income for the federal government today?
Income tax
Supporters of devolution would argue that environmental protection is
Best handled at the state and local level
Which of the following best expresses the federal government’s chief reason for providing grants-in-aid?
Aiding and influencing states
How many senators are there from each state?
2
The states and congress share power over which militia?
National Guard
Which amendment was ratified in 1913 to make direct popular elections of senators part of the constitution?
17th
What vote count is required in the Senate for a treaty to become law?
Two-thirds
What are the 3 main types of rules assigned by the Rules of Committee?
Open, closed, and modified
What does the conference committee issue when it reaches an agreement on a bill?
Conference report
What can congress try to do if its members disagree with the president’s veto of a bill?
Override it
When a president dies in office, the vice president
Becomes president and serves out the term
Which of the following is sometimes considered to be an informal qualification for president?
Service in the military
What happens if a president becomes disabled?
The vice president takes over presidential duties temporarily
Which of the following best describes a natural-born American citizen?
Was an American at birth
In pardoning former President Nixon, President Ford exercised which type of presidential power?
Clemency
Which did early vice presidents often complained about?
Too little to do
Which of the following would most likely to have responsibility for responding to a major terrorist incident?
National Security Council
Under the spoils system, which of the following would be most likely to get a post office job?
A major contributor to the president’s campaign
What proportion of federal jobs are currently protected by civil service regulations?
90%
Which of the following choices provides the best justification for using written examinations as part of the process for choosing federal employees?
Help ensure that people meet job qualifications
Which of the following is a purpose of the Freedom of Information Act of 1966?
Restraining the powers of executive agencies
The regulations set by an independent regulatory commission
Have the force of law
Unlike the Budget Committees, the Appropriations Committees
Draw up detailed laws for revenue and spending
Which term refers to the sole right of a court to hear a case?
Exclusive jurisdiction
Who provides security at federal courthouses?
U.S. marshals
The written arguments of each side to an appeal are called
Briefs
If members of the military violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice, they are subject to prosecution in a
Court-martial
What significant power did Hamilton foresee for the federal courts?
Judicial review
In which case did the Supreme Court declare that congress lacked the power to outlaw slavery in the territories?
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Who served as chief justice when the Supreme Court reached the height of its liberal era?
Earl Warren
Which Supreme Court ruling held that schools could not prevent students from protesting the Vietnam War?
Tinker v. Ohio
Which of the following is most likely to be a result of political socialization?
Joan becomes a Democrat like her father
Which of the following is a type of group that promotes the interests of a group businesses?
Trade association
Which of the following was a goal of Congress’s 2007 legislation aimed at checking the influence of powerful interest groups?
Limiting some activities of lobbyists
What is the origin of the today’s 2 major U.S. political parties?
A party split
What party system is the most common party system?
Multiparty
In the 2000 presidential election, Ralph Nader ran as the candidate of the Green Party. Which of the following best describes the role he took?
3rd party candidate
In the 2000 presidential election, which party was hurt more by Ralph Nader’s candidacy?
Democratic Party
In our 2 party system, each major party tries to
Appeal to as broad a base as possible
In local election that uses nomination by petition, a candidate would be required to
Collect the signatures of a certain number of qualified voters
The main task of a national nominating convention is to
Choose a party’s candidate for president
What is a symbolic speech?
Communication of ideas through symbols and actions
Which of the following was one reason that the 2nd Amendment was included in the Bill of Rights?
To protect the right of states to form militias
What is a probable cause?
Reasonable grounds for a search
A search warrant gives police
Legal authority to search private property
What is the source of due process protection from the actions of state officials
14th Amendment
What event would most likely lead to a criminal law court case?
Arrest
In the mid-1800s the U.S. government began a policy of
Relocating Native Americans onto reservastions
Which of the following might a court apply in deciding whether a law treating women differently from men was constitutional?
Intermediate scrutiny
Which of the following is an example of a suspect classification?
Treating African Americans differently from Hispanic Americans
Which of the following is an example of de facto segregation?
Whites and African Americans go to separate schools because they live in different parts of town
Which of the following situations is a direct result of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990?
Ramps and elevators make public buildings accessible to people in wheelchairs
In the years around 1900, where did most immigrants to the United States come from?
Southern and eastern Europe
Which of the following is a violation of federal campaign laws?
Accepting campaign contributions from corporations
What may be the most basic means of political participation in a republic?
Voting
According to the graph, approximately what percent of eligible voters aged 18-24 voted in 2004?
45%
Which of the following campaign jobs is most likely to be handled by a volunteer?
Putting up yard signs
The Voting Act limits the power of states to
Reduce the voting strength of minorities
In a presidential elections, a swing state is a state
Where either candidate has a chance to win
What is one result of reapportionment?
Seats in the House are reassigned
In a parliamentary system, a prime minister must resign immediately if he or she loses the support of the majority party in parliament
True
Competition is a central feature of free enterprise
True
The 1st Amendment protects specific individual freedoms and restricts the government’s powers to interfere
True
A federal grant to help a state build a specific dam would be a categorical grant
True
Members of congress represent the people living in a particular geographic area
True
The civil service is composed of the civilians who carry out the work of the federal government
True
Originally, the constitution gave the federal government the power to collect only 1 kind of taxes– excise taxes
True
A federal district court judge’s main job is to preside over trials
True
The Supreme Court’s liberal era reached its peak during the chief justiceship of Earl Warren
True
Joining a march or demonstration is a responsible way for citizens to try to influence public policy
True
A commodity group might represent tomato farmers but not farm laborers
True
In a multiparty system, if one party leaves a coalition, new elections may be needed
True
The same 2 political parties have dominated American politics for more than 150yrs
True
Miranda warnings are a list of certain constitutional rights possessed by those accused of crimes
True
Due process requires that government act fairly and reasonably in accordance with established laws
True
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited discrimination based not only race but also on sex
True
Voting qualifications vary from state to state
True
The federal government sets a yearly limit on the amount of money that an individual can contribute to a national political action committee, or PAC
True
Which of the following best illustrates an act of civil disobedience?
Sitting at a segregated lunch counter and refusing to move until served
The civil service is composer of the civilians who carry out the work of the federal government
True
