-
What does the elite theory of politics posit?
a strata of wealthy people
-
What are the characteristic belifs associated with American political culture?
liberty, equality of opportunity, individulalism, and political equality
-
According to the pluralist theorists, what describe the American political system
The public interest is normally served in the U.S. through a process of bargaining and compromise; Organized interest groups fairly shape the public agenda by broadly representing the interest of Americans
-
Democratic theory inclues:
"one person, one vote"
-
What are core values of the U.S. political culture?
legal equality, political equality freedom of religion, and freedom of speech
-
What are the basic fuctons common to all national governments?
public servies, national defense, preserving order, and socializing young citizens
-
Which characteristic of American politics is concerned with the rights of the minority?
the Bill of righs tuarantee of civil liberties
-
Under America's first consitution, the Articles of Confederation:
the state government had more power than the national government
-
Who was the "principle architect" of the Constitution?
James Madison
-
The Three-Fifths Compromise at the Constitutional Convention:
provided a formula by which slaves would be counted for apportioning the House of Representatives
-
A bill of attainer stops:
any law passed by a legislature that punishes an individual without a trial
-
The idea of limiting the rold of government to protecting "life, liberty, and property" is generally attributed to:
John Locke
-
Checks and balances:
Congress overrides a president's veto; the Supreme Court declares a law unconstitutional
-
A law goes into effect declaring that a business practice thathas been legal in the past will be illegal in the future, and the law is made retroactive. Why is this law unconstitutional?
Ex post facto law
-
Which plan proposed at the Constitutional Convention called for a bicameral legislature with one chamber having membersfrom states calculated propotionally based upon population and the other having two members per state?
Great Compromise
-
Which form of fiscal federalism allows the states the broadest financial discretion?
block grants
-
The Constitution grants Congress the power to establish post offices and post roads. This is an example of:
Enumerated powers
-
In a confederation:
power is held at the regional level, with the central government exercising only such influence as the regional governments give it
-
In the organization of goverment, the principle of federalism is illustrated best by the:
representation system for electing senators
-
The fiscal relationship between the national and state governments invovles complex relationships. Which is not likely to be favored by state governments?
unfunded mandates
-
The system of federalism that allowed states to do most of the fundamental governing from 1789 to 1937 was:
dual federalism
-
The case of McCulloch v Maryland ruled that:
The implied powers in Article I of the Constitution allowed Congress to create a nationally chartered bank; Neither states nor the federal government could tax one another
-
"Dual Federalism" refers to the fact that:
the Constitution provides two layers of government in the nation- the national and the state
-
The power of the national government to regulate interstae commerce was expanded in the landmark case of:
Gibbons v. Ogden
-
The notion that when state and federal laws conflict, the national laws will prevail is:
the Supremacy clause
-
What best describes the Bible's view on government?
Christians should pray for their leaders
-
Which theory best describes how the US government was extablished?
Social contract theory
-
The Antifederalists are best described as:
States' righters
-
A state or nation must have which characteristics in order to be recognized as such?
Clearly defined borders, sovereignty, and population
-
The effect of Shay's Rebellion on attendance by delegates at the planned Constitutional Convention of 1787 was to
encourage attendance by delegates fearing the collapse of state governments
-
Seperation of power and federalism were two key principles in the framing of the US Constitution and they are related in that each
involves a system of checks and balances in which power is dispersed
-
Madison's confidence in the usefulness of separation of powers as expressed in Federalist 51 rested on the assumption that:
ambition would counteract each other
-
Which is a power shared by the federal government and state governments?
tax personal income, establish courts and charter banks
-
Enumerated powers are those given to:
the national government
-
After reviewing Charles A. Beard's economic interpretation of the US Constitution, political theorists have found
very little support for it
-
If you are legally married in one state, you will also be considered legally married by the other 49 states because of:
the Full Faith and Credit clause
-
How many justices are there on the Supreme Court?
nine
-
"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" were
Jefferson's variation of commonly listed rights
-
The form of democracy that best describes the form used by the US is
republic
-
The Framers of the Constitution were influenced by:
John Loce's Second Treatise on Government, the Protestant Reformation, The Magna Carta, and the Mayflower Compact
-
When a child's parents both identify strongly with the same political party, the child will most likely:
identify with the parents' party
-
The term "party machine" usually refers to:
a local party organization that is tightly disciplined and well staffed and relies on patronage to create party loyalty
-
Which demographic groups has voted most consistently for the Democratic Party in national elections over the last three decades?
African Americans
-
The theory that all interests are and should be free to compete for influence in government, resulting in healhy democratic compromise and balance, is called:
pluralism
-
The Bipartisan Campain Reform Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold) did:
banned soft money donations to national parties
-
Citizens who believe that their votes will have no effect on the outcome of an election have a:
low level of political efficacy
-
Which is a type of primary election that requires registration as a party affiliate to vote?
closed
-
An election in which there is a significant shift in the bases of electoral support from one political party to another is called a:
realigning election
-
A major difference between political parties and interest groups is that:
political parties seek to gain control of government, while interest groups seek to influence public policy
-
The free rider problem occurs when
people benefit from an interest group's efforts without making any contribution
-
Which describes the result in a winner-take-all, single-member-district plurality system?
The candidate who receives the most votes in the election wins
-
The term "split-ticket voting" is most accurately described as:
voting for candidates of different parties on the same ballot
-
When none of the presidential candidates receives a majority of the votes in the Electoral College, the winner is chosen by the
House of Representatives
-
When contributing to congressional campaigns, political action committees are most likely to contribute to:
incumbents of both major parties
-
A referendum can best be described as a vote to
determine whether citizens support an action by their state legislature
-
Which most accurately describes media coverage of elections?
Network new coverage is usually dominated by reporters who offer relatively shrot sound bites from the candidates
-
It is often said that Americans are a nation of
joiners
-
Presidential races differ from congrssional races in that the former generally
are more competitive
-
The reason Americans participate in civic associations more frequently than do citizens of other countries is:
their sense of political efficacy and civic duty
-
Which interest group is known to be the largest in membership size?
American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
-
What methods do interest groups employ to influence policymaking?
Class action lawsuits allow interest groups to sue in the name of a larger section of the public; interest groups make almost all their PAC contributions to incumbents rather than challengers; and lobbyists use their policy expertise to make themselves indispensable to politicians
-
Turnout is the highest in what type of elections?
general election for the president
-
Voters in presidential primaries are likely to be:
well educated
-
What has decreased voter turnout over the years?
expansion of those who are eligible to vote
-
What requires citizens to have the opportunity to register to vote?
the Motor Voter Act
-
What is true about the Electoral College System?
It is possible to win the electoral vote but lose the popular vote; a majority of electors is required to win; candidates have historically focused campaigns on large states; and many candidates today focuse their campaigns on swing states
-
The main loophole to the McCain-Feingold legislation is:
527s
-
A primary is
either open or closed
-
What best describes the relationship between the media and trust in government?
as the availability of news has increased, trust in government has decreased
-
What best describes the impact of the internet on politics?
citizens have more access to information
-
What can be accurately stated about sound bites?
presidential candidates use them to state a theme of their campaign; they are 15 sec or shorter; they are the way many citizens learn about their candidates; and they are used by advertisers as well as political leaders
-
What would older Americans be more likely to support than young Americans?
protection of Social Security
-
What is true of an open primary?
they allow cross over voting
-
Obstacles to third parties success include:
winner-take-all rule; lack of funding from interest groups; inability to participate in the debate; and lack of ballot access
-
A two-party system differs from a multiparty system in that it
encourages moderation in policymaking and discourages change
-
What has led to ticket splitting in recent elections?
partisan dealignment
-
What is the most common form of political participation in the US?
voting in a presidential election
-
Which type of poll is most likely to be used by the media to predict the outcome of an election?
an exit poll
-
Liberals are likely to support:
freedom of choice in abortions; government regulation; increased taxes on the rich; and social welfare program
-
The "gender gap" refers to the idea that women:
are more likely to vote for Democrats than are men
-
What is argued by James Madison in The Federalist paper number 10?
A system of republican representation helps to limit the excesses of factionalism
-
The process knwon as front-loading refers to
the tendency of states to choose and early date on the primary calender
-
Superdelegates are
used by Democrats to ensure a voice for pary officials and for particular constituencies
-
What contributes to the success of incumbent members of Congress in election campaigns?
incumbents raise more campain funds; tend to understand national issues better; are usually better known; and often sit on committees.
-
The voting patterns of members of Congress correlate most strongly with
their political party affiliation
-
A member of the House of Representatives who wishes to be influential in the House itself would most likely seek a place on which of the following committess?
Rules
-
What is generally true of the gerrymandering of congressional districts?
it creates districts that favor one political party over another
-
What is most likely to determine a candidate's chance of getting elected to Congress?
their incumbency status
-
What would be an attractive committee for a member of Congress from Montana looking to serve his or her constituency?
agriculture
-
A senator can effectively prevent the Senate from voting by
filibustering
-
Which of the following ends debate in the Senate?
cloture
-
Most of the time, members of Congress vote with
their party
-
_____ decides whether a president should be impeached
the House
-
What is correct about revenue bills?
they must originate in the House
-
Where is the real work of Congress don?
in the committees in both houses
-
Under the original US Constitution, members of the Senate were selected by
state legislatures
-
Article I, Section 8 of the US Constitution confers on Congress all of the following powers:
collect taxes, declare war, establish courts, and regulate commerce
-
In vetoing a bill, what does the president do?
rejects only a part of the bill; prevents any further action on the bill; sends the bill back to conference committee; and decides the bill's constitutionality
-
What is true of a presidential veto of a piece of legislation?
it is rarely overridden by Congress
-
Congress can override a presidential veto of legislation
with a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress
-
What presidential appointment require Senate confirmation?
Secretary of State
-
A president is most likely to gain public support for a public policy proposal by
appealing to the public directly via the broadcast media
-
What is true about the president as commander-in-chief?
the president decides if and when to use weapons of mass destruction in times of war
-
What are the powers of the president?
conducting displomatic relations, negotiating treaties, and appointing cabinet officers
-
Who is in the line of presidential succession?
Secretary of State, Secretary of the Interior, Attorney General and Speaker of the House
-
Invocation of the War Powers Act of 1973 would be most important in determining
the nature of the commitment of the US Marines to a peace-keeping role in South Korea
-
The Framers solved the problem of how to elect the president by
creating the Electoral College
-
Regarding terms of office, the pattern among most early presidents was to
serve two terms and then leave office
-
When voters choose as members of Congress people of the same party as an incoming president, they probably do so for what reason?
as a result of the unpopularity of the outgoing president
-
A bill is passed to the president for action while Congress is still in session. After ten days he has still not approved it. What happens to the bill?
It becomes a law
-
The constitutional duty of the vice president is to
preside over the Senate
-
What is true about the relationship between regulatory agencies and the industries they regulate?
agency employees are often recruited from the regulated industry; agencies of ten rely on support from regulated industries in making budget requests before Congress; an agency's relationship with a regulated industry may change when a new president takes office; and agency employees often are employed by the regulated industry once they leave the agency
-
The Pendleton Civil Service Act is significant because
it created the federal civil service and prescribed that the hiring of civil servants be based on merit
-
Bureaucracies are often criticized as being undemocratic because
they are not directly accountable to the people
-
An important tool Congress uses to influence the bureaucracy is
requiring agency heads to routinely appear before congressional committees
-
Implementation of public policy is most successful when
the goals of the policy and the authority of the implementers are clear
-
Examples of independent regulatory agencies:
The Interstate Commerce Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, The Federal Reserve Board, and the Securities and Exchange Commission
-
What results from an iron triangle relationship?
a cooperative relationship among a special interest group, a bureaucraticagency, and Congress
-
In recent years, presidential policy with respect to the federal bureaucracy has been to
favor a downsizing and reorganizing of the work force
-
The Pentagon paid $91 for screws that 3 cents at a hardware store. This is an example of which problem inherent in bureaucracies?
waste
-
One complication surrounding the federal bureaucracy is the fact that the Constitution
does not mention departments or bureaus
|
|
