Midterm Exam

Question 1

legitimacy

Answer 1

the quality of being accepted as an authority, often applied to those in power

Question 2

sovereignty

Answer 2

the right to exercise supreme authority over a geographic region, a group of people, or oneself

Question 3

authority

Answer 3

the legal right or power to give orders and enforce rules

Question 4

power/purpose of government

Answer 4

to protect order, people, and, public goods

Question 5

political games- walkout

Answer 5

they walk out of the game and refuse to return until the opposition agrees to give them something they want

Question 6

political games- horse trading

Answer 6

hard bargaining in politics

Question 7

political games- power struggle

Answer 7

politicians try to win by outfoxing or overpowering their opponents

Question 8

political games- civil disobedience

Answer 8

a form of protest in which people disobey a law they consider unjust

Question 9

democracy

Answer 9

the principle that the people are the ultimate source of the authority and legitimacy of a government

Question 10

the Bill of Rights and amendments purpose

Answer 10

to protect the rights of the people that weren’t listed in the Constitution

Question 11

due process

Answer 11

the principle that no person can be deprived of life, liberty, or property without fair procedures and safeguards

Question 12

power and authority in our system of government come from what or whom?

Answer 12

the people

Question 13

purpose of the preamble

Answer 13

defines the broad purposes of the republican govenrment created by the Constitution

Question 14

purpose for the 3 branches of government

Answer 14

to ensure checks and balances

Question 15

examples of constitutional checks and balances

Answer 15

the president (executive branch) can negotiate treaties, but Congress (legislative branch) must approve them

Question 16

the purpose of the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution

Answer 16

to clear confusion of what happens if federal, state, or local laws conflict, the federal law will reign supreme

Question 17

How are the Census and House of Representatives related?

Answer 17

the number of people in a state determines how many representatives that state gets in the House

Question 18

How can Congress override a presidential veto?

Answer 18

If the bill gets a 2/3 majority in both houses

Question 19

How many Supreme Court Justices are there?

Answer 19

9

Question 20

Examples of civil liberty in the Bill of Rights

Answer 20

freedom to speech and the rest of the “freedoms”

Question 21

examples of expression protected by the 1st Amendment

Answer 21

flag burning, symbolic speech

Question 22

5 freedoms/protections in the 1st Amendment

Answer 22

speech, religion, press, assembly, petition

Question 23

What does the 5th Amendment protect?

Answer 23

your rights when accused of a crime
- self-incrimination, double jeopardy

Question 24

what does the 6th Amendment protect?

Answer 24

your right to a fair trial
-quick, public, impartial jury

Question 25

What does the 7th Amendment protect?

Answer 25

the rights on trial in civil (noncriminal) court

Question 26

What does the 8th Amendment protect?

Answer 26

no excessive bail or punishment

Question 27

What amendment discusses double jeopardy?

Answer 27

5th

Question 28

What amendment discusses eminent domain?

Answer 28

5th

Question 29

What amendment discusses self-incrimination?

Answer 29

5th

Question 30

What case discusses judicial review?

Answer 30

Marbury v. Madison

Question 31

Characteristics of a federal system of government

Answer 31

division of powers, protection against tyranny of the majority, promotes unity without imposing uniformity, and encourages political participation. There is also lack of consistency of laws between states and tension between federal and state laws

Question 32

Which part of the U.S. Constitution defines U.S. citizenship?

Answer 32

14th Amendment

Question 33

what is the purpose of the 14th Amendment?

Answer 33

to reverse the Dred Scott decision (a slave born in America who wasn’t considered a citizen) and to clarify who was a citizen

Question 34

Naturalization

Answer 34

a legal process through which a person not granted citizenship by birth can become a citizen of that country

Question 35

rights of citizenship

Answer 35

the right to vote and run for public office, except president and vice president

Question 36

purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Answer 36

banned discrimination in most areas of American life on the basis of race, sex, religion, or national origin

Question 37

responsibilities of citizenship

Answer 37

obey laws, pay taxes, cooperate with public officials. Civic responsibilities: be informed and participate in public affairs, volunteer

Question 38

what is the primary goal of political parties?

Answer 38

to get their candidates elected for office

Question 39

the most common form of individual involvement with a political party

Answer 39

voter registration

Question 40

how lobbyists help government officials to function

Answer 40

they provide information that helps officials create policies that serve the public interest

Question 41

what are political action committees (PAC’s)

Answer 41

an organization that raises and distributes funds to candidates running for office

Question 42

who are the main sponsors of PACs

Answer 42

employees are members of the group that formed the PAC

Question 43

steps in the policy making process

Answer 43

issue identification, agenda setting, policy formulation, adoption, implementation, evaluation