UNIT 4

Question 1

The Great Compromise successfully resolved differences between ________.

Answer 1

large and small states

Question 2

While each state has two senators, members of the House are apportioned ________.

Answer 2

according to the states population

Question 3

The process of redistricting can present problems for congressional representation because ________.

Answer 3

districts are often drawn to benefit partisan groups

Question 4

Which of the following is an implied power of Congress?

Answer 4

the power to regulate the sale of tobacco in the states

Question 5

Senate races tend to inspire ________.

Answer 5

broad discussion of policy issues

Question 6

The saying “All politics is local” roughly means ________.

Answer 6

the local constituents tend to care about things that affect them

Question 7

A congressperson who pursued a strict delegate model of representation would seek to ________.

Answer 7

legislate in the way that he or she thinks is best for the constituents

Question 8

The increasing value constituents have placed on descriptive representation in Congress has had the effect of ________.

Answer 8

increasing the number of minority members in Congress

Question 9

House leaders are more powerful than Senate leaders because of ________.

Answer 9

the majoritarian nature of the House—a majority can run it like a cartel

Question 10

A select committee is different from a standing committee because ________.

Answer 10

a select committee is convened for a specific and temporary purpose, while a standing committee is permanent

Question 11

Stopping a filibuster requires that ________.

Answer 11

the chamber votes for cloture

Question 12

Saying a bill is being marked up is just another way to say it is being ________.

Answer 12

amended

Question 13

The key means of advancing modern legislation is now ________.

Answer 13

the budget process

Question 14

Many at the Continental Congress were skeptical of allowing presidents to be directly elected by the legislature because ________.

Answer 14

they feared the opportunities created for corruption

Question 15

Which of the following is a way George Washington expanded the power of the presidency?

Answer 15

He appointed the heads of various federal departments as his own advisors.

Question 16

How did the election of 1824 change the way presidents were selected?

Answer 16

The selection of the candidate with fewer electoral votes triggered the rise of party control over nominations.

Question 17

Which of the following is an unintended consequence of the rise of the primary and caucus system?

Answer 17

Sometimes candidates unpopular with the party leadership reach the top.

Question 18

The people who make up the modern president’s cabinet are the heads of the major federal departments and ________.

Answer 18

must be confirmed by the Senate

Question 19

A very challenging job for new presidents is to ______.

Answer 19

nominate and gain confirmation for their cabinet and hundreds of other officials

Question 20

President Theodore Roosevelt’s concept of the bully pulpit was the office’s ________.

Answer 20

premier position to pressure through public appeal

Question 21

The passage of the Tenure of Office Act of 1867 was just one instance in a long line of ________.

Answer 21

struggles for power between the president and the Congress

Question 22

Which of the following is an example of an executive agreement?

Answer 22

The president signs legally binding nuclear arms terms with Iran without seeking congressional approval.

Question 23

The Supreme Court’s power of judicial review ________.

Answer 23

enables it to declare acts of the other branches unconstitutional

Question 24

The Supreme Court most typically functions as ________.

Answer 24

an appeals court

Question 25

In Federalist No. 78, Alexander Hamilton characterized the judiciary as the ________ branch of government.

Answer 25

least dangerous

Question 26

Of all the court cases in the United States, the majority are handled

Answer 26

at the state level

Question 27

Both state and federal courts hear matters that involve

Answer 27

civil law

Question 28

A state case is more likely to be heard by the federal courts when

Answer 28

the state courts are unable to come up with a decision

Question 29

Besides the Supreme Court, there are lower courts in the national system called

Answer 29

district and circuit courts

Question 30

In standing by precedent, a judge relies on the principle of

Answer 30

Stare decisis

Question 31

The justices of the Supreme Court are

Answer 31

nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate

Question 32

The Supreme Court consists of

Answer 32

one chief justice and eight associate justices

Question 33

A case will be placed on the Court’s docket when ________ justices agree to do so.

Answer 33

four

Question 34

One of the main ways interest groups participate in Supreme Court cases is by

Answer 34

filing amicus curiae briefs

Question 35

The lawyer who represents the federal government and argues cases before the Supreme Court is the

Answer 35

solicitor general

Question 36

When using judicial restraint, judges will usually

Answer 36

defer to the decisions of the elected branches of government

Question 37

When a Supreme Court ruling is made, justices may write a ________ to show they agree with the majority but for different reasons.

Answer 37

concurring opinion

Question 38

Which of the following is a check that the legislative branch has over the courts?

Answer 38

all of the above

Question 39

________ dictate the terms and conditions state governments would have to meet in order to qualify for financial assistance in a specific policy area.

Answer 39

Categorical grants

Question 40

The Tenth Amendment created a class of powers exclusive to state governments. These powers are referred to as ________.

Answer 40

reserved powers

Question 41

Dillon’s Rule gives local governments the freedom and flexibility to make decisions for themselves.

Answer 41

False

Question 42

Dillon’s Rule gives local governments the freedom and flexibility to make decisions for themselves.

Answer 42

traditionalistic

Question 43

Under a ________ political culture, citizens will tend to be more tolerant of corruption from their political leaders and less likely to see politics as a noble profession in which all citizens should engage.

Answer 43

individualistic

Question 44

________ was the first state to institute all mail-in voting and automatic voter registration

Answer 44

Oregon

Question 45

________ are a officeholders who represent the will of those who elected them and act in constituents’ expressed interest.

Answer 45

delegates

Question 46

In a ________ legislature, members tend to have low salaries, shorter sessions, and few staff members to assist them with their legislative functions.

Answer 46

citizen

Question 47

A(n) ________ veto allows the governor to cross out budget lines in the legislature-approved budget, while signing the remainder of the budget into law.

Answer 47

line-item

Question 48

Under consecutive term limits, legislators can serve one time for the number of years allotted and are not permitted to ever compete for the office again.

Answer 48

False

Question 49

The most common term limit across the states that have imposed them is ________ years.

Answer 49

eight

Question 50

When term limits have been overturned, the most common method was ________.

Answer 50

a decision by the state Supreme Court

Question 51

Term limits have produced a statistically significant increase in the number of women serving in state legislatures.

Answer 51

False

Question 52

Currently, ________ states have term limits in place.

Answer 52

fifteen

Question 53

Under the mayor-council system, the ________.

Answer 53

legislative and executive responsibilities are separated

Question 54

Which of the following is not one of the three forms of county government?

Answer 54

the mayor-council system

Question 55

the reason for bicameral balance of power connects back to

Answer 55

the compromise between large and small states

Question 56

the conference committee is critical because

Answer 56

it allows the House and Senate to work out a compromise on a particular piece of legislation.

Question 57

the only person who can break a tie in senate is

Answer 57

Vice President

Question 58

to overcome a presidential veto congress needs

Answer 58

two-thirds approval of the House and Senate

Question 59

which of the following is not an enumerated power of congress

Answer 59

levy taxes

Question 60

how many electoral votes are required to win the presidency?

Answer 60

270

Question 61

executive orders are unique because

Answer 61

they do not require congressional approval

Question 62

nixon’s ability to regulate with both china and russia would be an example of a?

Answer 62

chief diplomat

Question 63

which of the following presidents served during the decades following washington did not explicitly expand the powers of the presidency?

Answer 63

james madison

Question 64

it is possible to move a case from the state level to the federal level by

Answer 64

appealing the case to the highest court state appeals

Question 65

in standing by precedent, a judge relies on the principle of

Answer 65

stare decisis

Question 66

which of the following is NOT a check that legislative branch has over the courts?

Answer 66

house of representatives approval is needed for the appointment of justices and federal judges