Final

Question 1

During the period of time during which the US was governed by the Articles of Confederation, elites came to fear tyranny by the:

Answer 1

People

Question 2

Ideas of political change and challenges to British ideology were largely a result of American acceptance of the political ideas of:

Answer 2

John Locke

Question 3

Political and military struggle was prevalent on the North American continent:

Answer 3

from the time the Europeans from various nations began arriving

Question 4

The way the founders treated slavery in the Constitution indicated that:

Answer 4

Slavery was such a divisive issue they did not dare to mention it directly in the Constitution

Question 5

Early colonists came to America:

Answer 5

for a wide range of economic and political as well as for religious and philosophical reasons.

Question 6

The Tea Party movement is important to examine in light of the politics of the American founding because:

Answer 6

It highlights the tension between government authority and individual rights of citizens.

Question 7

The founders adopted a federal political system:

Answer 7

as a compromise between those who wanted a strong central government and those who to retain strong state governments.

Question 8

The author’s of your text suggest that Thomas Jefferson might have changed John Locke’s argument for government to protect property to protection of “the pursuit of happiness” because:

Answer 8

was trying to gain the support of those who had little property to protect

Question 9

The Declaration of Independence was first and foremost:

Answer 9

Political document

Question 10

The Federalists believed that the human tendencies toward ambition and corruption should be dealt with by:

Answer 10

creating institutions that made use of those characteristics to produce good outcomes and protect against bad outcomes.

Question 11

Shay’s Rebellion demonstrated the:

Answer 11

Frustration of debtors and the failure of the Articles of Confederation

Question 12

Congress has been reluctant to use block grants to achieve policy goals because

Answer 12

They allow states to pursue their own goals rather than the federal government’s goals.

Question 13

The “necessary and proper clause:”

Answer 13

Is used by Congress to justify the exercise of powers not mentioned in Article 1, Section 8, of the Constitution

Question 14

Cooperative federalism is a theory that:

Answer 14

Defines state and national powers as interdependent, requiring the cooperation of each other to get things done.

Question 15

In McCulloch v. Maryland the Supreme Court held that:

Answer 15

The federal government had the implied power to create a national bank.

Question 16

McCulloch v. Maryland increased the power of the federal government by:

Answer 16

interpreting the “necessary and proper” clause of the Constitution very broadly

Question 17

The theory that defines the state and national governments as essentially separate from each other and carrying out independent functions is :

Answer 17

Dual federalism

Question 18

Federalism in the US

Answer 18

was a compromise for how power should be distributed between the national and state government

Question 19

The federal government has been able to use categorical grants to coerce states into doing what it wants most of the time because:

Answer 19

states have become financially dependent on this aid

Question 20

Although the states have the authority to set the minimum drinking age, the US has a national legal alcohol consumption age of 21 because:

Answer 20

the federal government threatened to withhold highway funds from any state that didn’t have a drinking age of 21

Question 21

The New Deal increased the power of the federal government in regard to:

Answer 21

business and the economy

Question 22

The Supreme Court has interpreted the _____ clause of the Constitution so broadly that there are very few restrictions on what Congress can do:

Answer 22

necessary and proper

Question 23

According to the textbook, free speech is valuable for al of the following reasons Except:

Answer 23

it is good for economic development

Question 24

An action that criminalizes an act after it occurs is a

Answer 24

Unconstitutional ex post facto law

Question 25

Individual actions can come into conflict with the collective good of society:

Answer 25

because individual actions often have important consequences and costs for society

Question 26

The establishment clause guarantees:

Answer 26

that government will not create and support an official state church

Question 27

The right of an accused to be brought before a judge and informed of the charges and evidence against him or her is known as:

Answer 27

Habeas corpus

Question 28

It is difficult for the Supreme Court to determine the exact meaning of obscenity because:

Answer 28

the whole area is so subjective that wide disagreement exists

Question 29

The exclusionary rule is the Supreme Court rule that states that:

Answer 29

illegally seized evidence cannot be used to obtain a conviction

Question 30

According to John Locke and the Declaration of Independence, our rights are:

Answer 30

Natural (God given)

Question 31

The Supreme Court most recently ruled that the Second Amendment individual right to bear arms:

Answer 31

applies to the states as well as to the national government

Question 32

The Supreme Court has ruled that:

Answer 32

public figures have less protection from the press than other members of the public

Question 33

All of the following statements concerning incorporation of the Bill of Rights are true EXCEPT:

Answer 33

The Supreme Court began the process of incorporation of the Bill of Rights on the late 1960's

Question 34

The difference between civil rights liberties is:

Answer 34

that civil rights involve government action to secure rights of citizenship, whereas civil liberties involve individual freedoms that limit the power of government

Question 35

The job confirming presidential appointments belongs to the :

Answer 35

senate

Question 36

The process of redrawing congressional districts to match population shifts in states with more than one representative is called:

Answer 36

redistricting

Question 37

Most bills introduced in Congress:

Answer 37

die by inaction at the committee stage

Question 38

When different versions of the same bill pass in the House and the Senate:

Answer 38

a conference committee is formed to bridge the gap between the bills

Question 39

The number of representative with voting privileges in the House of Representatives:

Answer 39

is currently set at 435 members

Question 40

the founders created the congressional decision-making process to be:

Answer 40

slow and deliberative

Question 41

It is generally most difficult to win the nomination of your party, but easiest to win the general election, when:

Answer 41

the seat is open

Question 42

Congress can influence the judiciary through all of the following EXCEPT:

Answer 42

reducing the salaries of judges

Question 43

Which of the following is NOT one of the checks and balances that can use in relation to the executive branch?

Answer 43

The power to declare executive orders unconstitutional

Question 44

Redrawing congressional district boundaries to favor a particular group or party is known as:

Answer 44

gerrymandering

Question 45

All of the following powers can be exercised only be the Senate EXCEPT:

Answer 45

declaring war

Question 46

during the constitutional process of removing a president from office:

Answer 46

the house impeaches and the senate removes the president from office

Question 47

The presidential impeachment process is intended to remove sitting presidents for:

Answer 47

treason, bribery, and high crimes and misdemeanors

Question 48

the significance of the president's inherent powers is that they:

Answer 48

have been used to expand the powers of the presidency beyond what is explicitly stated in the Constitution

Question 49

All of the following statements concerning the president's veto power are true EXCEPT:

Answer 49

Presidents have had the power of the line item veto since 1995

Question 50

To pass their legislative agendas, presidents must _____ members of Congress to get Congress to support their proposals

Answer 50

persuade

Question 51

The president's public approval rating tends to be affected by all of the following except:

Answer 51

the popularity of the First Lady

Question 52

The role of the vice president:

Answer 52

is, with the exception of presiding over the Senate, determined by the president

Question 53

Divided government occurs when:

Answer 53

one party controls the presidency while the other party controls at least one house of Congress

Question 54

In the US, treaties are negotiated by the president and require:

Answer 54

two-thirds approval from the Senate

Question 55

Presidents' authority over foreign and defense policy comes from all of the following EXCEPT:

Answer 55

to declare war

Question 56

Presidents have been able to ignore the restrictions on their ability to go to war contained in the War Powers Act because:

Answer 56

public opinions tends to rally around presidents when they deem military action necessary abroad, and Congress has declined to challenge such presidents

Question 57

Presidents are limited to two full terms in office by:

Answer 57

constitutional amendment

Question 58

the president's cabinet is composed of the:

Answer 58

appointees heading each of the 15 major departments in the executive branch

Question 59

bureaucracy is characterized by all of the following EXCEPT:

Answer 59

flexible goals

Question 60

the bureaucracy engages in the lawmaking process:

Answer 60

because Congress often passes very general laws that require clarification before they can be enforced.

Question 61

Which of the following is NOT a type of organization within the federal bureaucracy?

Answer 61

citizen advisory councils

Question 62

The practice in which successful party candidates reward supporters with jobs or favors is known as:

Answer 62

Patronage

Question 63

a close relationship developed between the oil industry and the agency charged with regulating drilling. This relationship is an example:

Answer 63

agency capture

Question 64

____ refers to bureaucrats' authority to use their own judgement in interpreting and carrying out the laws of Congress

Answer 64

Bureaucratic discretion

Question 65

A clear chain of command with all employees knowing who their supervisors are as well as whom they are responsible for is an example of

Answer 65

hierarchy

Question 66

the ultimate purpose of depoliticizing government bureaucracies is to create:

Answer 66

neutral competence

Question 67

the fundamental difference between most private bureaucracies and public bureaucracies pointed out in the text is that:

Answer 67

most private bureaucracies have the explicit goal of making money, so accountability is straightforward

Question 68

according to the textbook, bureaucracies are often the only meeting ground for citizens and politics because they:

Answer 68

are often the only contact citizens have with government

Question 69

The civil service replaced ______ as a method of choosing government workers

Answer 69

spoils system

Question 70

Groups of citizens whose interests are affected by an agency and who work to influence its politics are called:

Answer 70

clientele groups

Question 71

According to Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, the primary function of law is to

Answer 71

provide security, order, and predictability in life.

Question 72

One reason dissenting are significant to U.S. common law is:

Answer 72

they may have a lasting impact if the court later changes its mind.

Question 73

criminal law deals with harm to ____ whereas civil law involves harm to _____.

Answer 73

society individuals

Question 74

The only limitation on what statutes may do in the American system is found in :

Answer 74

the constitution

Question 75

a writ of certiorari is:

Answer 75

a petition by the losing side in a lower court for the Supreme Court to hear an appeal.

Question 76

which of the following is NOT an influence on Supreme Court decision making?

Answer 76

Direct lobbying by interest group representatives

Question 77

the power of the courts to determine the constitutionality of laws is called judicial:

Answer 77

review

Question 78

which of the following statements concerning jurisdiction is false?

Answer 78

about half the cases in the US are heard by federal courts.

Question 79

Senatorial courtesy refers to the:

Answer 79

tradition of granting senators considerable power over federal judicial appointments in their home states

Question 80

A U.S Dept. of Ag law on how much coloring or other additives can be in food is an example of ____ law or regulation.

Answer 80

administrative