Political Science 101- Introduction to American Politics » Spring 2021 » Chapter 5 Post Test

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Question #1
Which of the following accurately describes how the issue of slavery influenced the development of civil rights?
A.   The Court’s decision in Dred Scott v. Sanford expanded rights for African Americans.
B.   Opposition to slavery influenced the abolitionist movement.
C.   Slavery was vital to the economy of the South.
D.   Southerners broke into post offices to destroy antislavery literature.
Question #2
The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution guarantees
A.   no person may be held in involuntary servitude, that is to say, slavery.
B.   African American men the right to vote.
C.   due process of law to all citizens of the United States.
D.   equal pay for all races.
Question #3
During the late nineteenth century, the equal protection clause was
A.   severely limited in scope by the Supreme Court.
B.   ruled unconstitutional.
C.   more strongly defended by individual states than by the federal government.
D.   not implemented because of a lack of tax revenue.
Question #4
Restrictive covenants were
A.   contract clauses added by the seller of a home that required the buyer to agree never to sell the home to any non-Caucasian.
B.   agreements between state and local governments to provide higher levels of funding for all White schools than for all Black schools.
C.   state-level bans on interracial marriage.
D.   policies enacted by the U.S. military during World War II that segregated soldiers on the basis of race.
Question #5
When racial segregation in schools is the result of hundreds of thousands of housing choices made by individuals and families rather than the result of law, it is referred to as
A.   de jure.
B.   organic.
C.   libertarian.
D.   de facto.
Question #6
Strict scrutiny refers to
A.   a test used by the Supreme Court that places the burden of proof partially on the government and partially on the challengers to show that the law in question is unconstitutional.
B.   the apportionment of voters in districts in such a way as to give unfair advantage to one racial or ethnic group or political party.
C.   a set of regulations determining which schools receive grants-in-aid from the federal government.
D.   a test used by the Supreme Court that places the burden of proof on the government rather than on the challengers to show that the law in question is constitutional.
Question #7
If a bank offers loans at rates well above market averages to African American and Latino home buyers, and does so with complex provisions that borrowers may not fully understand, the bank could be sued for
A.   sequestering.
B.   de facto segregation.
C.   predatory lending.
D.   redlining.
Question #8
The Black Lives Matter movement has many goals, but it was first started in Ferguson, Missouri, in order to
A.   discourage police departments to adopt new rules regarding police behavior.
B.   end discriminatory treatment of African Americans by the police.
C.   launch a large campaign against segregationists across the United States.
D.   end school segregation in the Southern states.
Question #9
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
A.   authorized the Justice Department to implement federal court orders to desegregate schools without having to wait for individual parents to bring complaints.
B.   created an independent circuit of federal courts devoted entirely to school desegregation litigation.
C.   eliminated the Department of Justice and replaced it with the Department of Civil Rights.
D.   prohibited the Justice Department from implementing federal court orders to desegregate schools unless at least three individual parents filed formal complaints.
Question #10
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment to the Constitution
A.   granted women the right to vote.
B.   lowered the voting age from 21 to 18.
C.   abolished the poll tax.
D.   prevented state governments from denying “any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”
Question #11
In Shelby County v. Holder (2013), the Supreme Court
A.   struck down the 1965 Voting Rights Act’s formula for determining whether a jurisdiction needed federal preclearance before making any changes to its voting laws or practices.
B.   upheld the 1965 Voting Rights Act’s formula for determining whether a jurisdiction needed federal preclearance before making any changes to its voting laws or practices.
C.   struck down all state laws that required voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot.
D.   struck down an Arizona law requiring that individuals produce proof of U.S. citizenship in order to register to vote.
Question #12
Why did the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) rely primarily on the courts to press for Black political rights in its early years?
A.   The NAACP was composed of five members and, due to the fact that they were all lawyers, the strategy of litigation seemed to be the most logical choice.
B.   The NAACP was legally prohibited from contacting elected officials at the state and local levels and therefore had no other alternative than a strategy of litigation.
C.   Many judges were African American and therefore more sympathetic than legislators to the claims of the NAACP.
D.   The northern African American vote was too small to bring about policy change at the legislative level, so the NAACP chose a strategy of litigation.
Question #13
The Supreme Court first began to weaken support for legal racial discrimination in the
A.   1910s.
B.   1960s.
C.   1930s.
D.   1890s.
Question #14
Which of the following best summarizes the Supreme Court’s ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?
A.   States that segregate must spend less money on all-White schools in order to make them equal with African American schools.
B.   School segregation is unethical but does not violate the Fourteenth Amendment.
C.   States that segregate must spend more money to make African American schools equal.
D.   Racially segregated schools can never be equal.
Question #15
It was during the tenure of Chief Justice ________ that the Supreme Court established gender discrimination as a highly visible area of civil rights law.
A.   Burger
B.   Taft
C.   Warren
D.   Rehnquist
Question #16
The Equal Rights Amendment failed to pass because it
A.   won approval in the Senate but not in the House.
B.   won approval in the House but not in the Senate.
C.   was not ratified by the necessary 38 states.
D.   was vetoed by President Ronald Reagan.
Question #17
Which of the following are names of Latino civil rights organizations?
A.   NCAA, MLB, and NFL
B.   NRDC, NAACP, and ACLU
C.   G.I. Forum, LULAC, and MALDEF
D.   NOW, NARAL, and Emily’s List
Question #18
Which of the following provisions of Arizona’s 2010 immigration law was upheld by the Supreme Court?
A.   that immigrants carry identity papers
B.   that undocumented immigrants cannot apply for jobs that receive federal subsidies
C.   that local police check the immigration status of a detained individual
D.   that police can stop persons they suspect of being undocumented immigrants
Question #19
Before 1924, Native Americans
A.   had the same legal status as any other citizen of the United States.
B.   were considered to be unauthorized immigrants, unless they lived on reservations.
C.   were considered to be foreigners because their tribes were regarded as separate nations.
D.   were federal citizens but not citizens of the states in which they lived.
Question #20
Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
A.   was a valuable tool for the women’s movement in the 1960s and 1970s because it prohibited gender discrimination.
B.   significantly hurt the women’s movement in the 1960s and 1970s because it only outlawed discrimination on the basis of race.
C.   significantly hurt the women’s movement in the 1960s and 1970s because it required the government to treat men and women differently in many areas of public policy.
D.   was a valuable tool for the women’s movement in the 1960s and 1970s because it added the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution.
Question #21
Mendez v. Westminster (1947) was significant because
A.   the decision to uphold policies that created separate schools for Mexican Americans in California was eventually overturned by Brown v. Board of Education.
B.   it overturned state laws on who can become an American citizen.
C.   the decision to overturn school segregation of Mexican American students in California served as a precursor to Brown v. Board of Education.
D.   it was the first court case in American history to rule on the issue of segregation.
Question #22
Strict scrutiny places the burden of proof on the government to show that a law’s classification scheme
A.   is “broadly construed” to achieve a “constitutionally defined imperative.”
B.   does not discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, gender, or national origin.
C.   eliminates all “negative externalities” in its attempt to achieve a “constitutionally defined imperative.”
D.   serves a “compelling interest,” is “narrowly tailored to achieve that goal,” and that the government has used the “least restrictive means” for achieving its compelling interest.
Question #23
As a result of a Supreme Court decision in 1995, affirmative action policies are now subject to ________ scrutiny.
A.   intermediate
B.   full
C.   strict
D.   low
Question #24
The Civil Rights Act of 1964’s ban on racial discrimination in privately owned businesses was justified on the basis of which constitutional provision?
A.   the Fourteenth Amendment
B.   the Thirteenth Amendment
C.   the Tenth Amendment
D.   the commerce clause
Question #25
Women’s rights advocates called the Statue of Liberty “the greatest hypocrisy of the nineteenth century” because
A.   it was supposed to represent “liberty,” yet women could not vote in the United States.
B.   the statue wore clothes that were inappropriate for women during the time.
C.   it was in New York—a state that had prohibited women from owning property throughout its history.
D.   “liberty” had historically been represented as a male figure, not a female figure.
Question #26
How did the Dred Scott v. Sanford decision help to precipitate the Civil War?
A.   It declared that slavery unconstitutional.
B.   It reinforced the institution of slavery and denied the rights of citizenship to all Black Americans, either free or enslaved.
C.   It established the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments, which the Confederacy had rejected.
D.   It weakened the institution of slavery by granting the rights of citizenship to all Black Americans, either free or enslaved.
Question #27
What was the Seneca Falls Convention?
A.   an important gathering that initiated the abolitionist movement
B.   a meeting in upstate New York during the mid-nineteenth century regarding women’s rights
C.   the convention that wrote and debated the Fourteenth Amendment
D.   the convention where leaders of the Confederacy and the Union negotiated the end of the Civil War
Question #28
The Civil Rights Act of 1875 attempted to
A.   protect women against disenfranchisement in the voting booth.
B.   expand the protections of the Fourteenth Amendment to recent Asian immigrants.
C.   protect formerly enslaved people from discrimination in public accommodations such as hotels and theaters.
D.   protect African Americans against disenfranchisement in the voting booth.
Question #29
The ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
A.   established the “separate but equal” rule.
B.   declared that segregation by race was unconstitutional.
C.   ruled that the equal protection clause applied only to the federal government and not to state governments
D.   upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1875.
Question #30
After World War II, which government institution took the lead in addressing reports of discrimination against Black soldiers?
A.   the Supreme Court
B.   the President
C.   the State Department
D.   Congress
Question #31
In terms of combating racism, the NAACP had the most success with
A.   civil disobedience.
B.   radio and television advertising.
C.   lawsuits.
D.   mass marches and protests.
Question #32
Imagine a neighborhood in a suburb that is known for its strong school system. Houses in the area are very expensive, and substantially above the ability for someone making the average annual salary for the surrounding communities. Ninety-five percent of homes in the neighborhood are currently owned by White individuals. This is an example of
A.   de jure segregation.
B.   de facto segregation.
C.   in loco parentis segregation.
D.   separate but equal segregation.
Question #33
The Montgomery bus boycott began after ________ refused to give up her seat for a White man.
A.   Orbal Faubus
B.   Lucretia Mott
C.   Elizabeth Cady Stanton
D.   Rosa Parks
Question #34
Suppose several states enact voter ID laws in the run up to an election. How might this policy change affect minority and non-White voter turnout?
A.   Minority turnout would be the same as non-minority turnout.
B.   Minority turnout would likely not be affected one way or another
C.   Minority turnout would likely be higher after voter ID laws than before.
D.   Minority turnout would likely be lower after voter ID laws than before.
Question #35
How did the Court’s decision in Loving v. Virginia influence the Court’s later support for same-sex marriage?
A.   Loving v. Virginia extended the right to privacy to sexual minorities.
B.   In Loving v. Virginia, the Court established that marriage was a basic civil right.
C.   In 1967, the Court ruled that interracial marriage was not necessary for people’s existence and survival.
D.   In 1967, the Court ruled that same-sex marriage was unconstitutional in some states.
Question #36
The Black Lives Matter protests started in
A.   Chicago, Illinois.
B.   Baltimore, Maryland.
C.   Ferguson, Missouri.
D.   New York City, New York.
Question #37
  
A.   the movement of White southerners opposing the Reconstruction policies of the federal government during the 1870s.
B.   the NAACP’s efforts to use the federal judiciary to challenge segregation in southern states during the 1930s.
C.   the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott of the 1950s.
D.   attempts by White southerners during the 1950s to block the federal government’s school desegregation efforts.
Question #38
During a presidential primary election debate Senator Kamala Harris noted that, as a child, she was bused to a school in a different neighborhood than her own. The goal of school busing was to
A.   challenge the Justice Department efforts to segregate schools.
B.   expand federal aid to segregated schools across the South.
C.   segregate Black and White children in separate schools.
D.   desegregate schools that were racially segregated.
Question #39
One step taken toward achieving desegregation of public schools was
A.   busing children from poor urban school districts to wealthier suburban ones.
B.   providing White parents with tax credits if they enrolled their children in all-Black schools.
C.   attracting more Black students to White schools by hiring only African American teachers.
D.   opening numerous private schools and academies.
Question #40
What occurs when electoral districts are drawn so that one group or party is unfairly advantaged?
A.   redlining
B.   reapportionment
C.   gerrymandering
D.   logrolling
Question #41
The Seneca Falls Convention was significant because it
A.   marked the starting point of the modern women’s movement.
B.   marked the starting point of the abolitionist movement.
C.   marked the end of the modern women’s movement.
D.   led to the passage of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments.
Question #42
The Reconstruction era came to an end because
A.   northern Republicans agreed to end federal occupation of the South if southern Democrats allowed Rutherford B. Hayes to become president.
B.   the Supreme Court ruled that federal troops could not be stationed in southern states.
C.   in 1876, state legislatures in the South passed laws forcing the federal government to remove all troops immediately.
D.   African Americans had been granted full social, political, and economic equality in the South.
Question #43
President Harry S. Truman was moved to bring the problem of racial discrimination to the nation’s attention by
A.   revelations of Nazi racial atrocities during World War II.
B.   the 1963 March on Washington.
C.   the southern states’ strategy of “massive resistance” to federal attempts at desegregation.
D.   the Supreme Court’s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson.
Question #44
In Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), the Supreme Court determined that
A.   enslaved people were not citizens of the United States.
B.   the Missouri Compromise was constitutional in all aspects.
C.   African Americans had a right to “equal protection” under the U.S. Constitution.
D.   Dred Scott was a free citizen.
Question #45
Which of the following is true of Brown v. Board of Education (1954)?
A.   The Court upheld the “separate but equal” doctrine.
B.   The Court allowed school systems to desegregate on a case-by-case basis.
C.   The Court outlawed de facto segregation.
D.   The Court outlawed de jure segregation.
Question #46
What level of scrutiny do federal judges generally apply to cases involving gender discrimination?
A.   stare decisis
B.   intermediate scrutiny
C.   strict scrutiny
D.   loose scrutiny
Question #47
Which of the following contains the sentence, “equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex”?
A.   the Fourteenth Amendment
B.   the Equal Rights Amendment
C.   the Declaration of Independence
D.   the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
Question #48
In 2011, the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights issued a “Dear Colleague” letter to the more than 7,000 colleges and universities receiving federal funding that told colleges to
A.   end all affirmative action programs.
B.   shift the burden of proof away from the accuser and toward the accused in cases of sexual assault and harassment on campus.
C.   shift the burden of proof away from the accused and toward the accuser in cases of sexual assault and harassment on campus.
D.   institute affirmative action policies that take race, gender, and sexual orientation into account during the admissions process.
Question #49
________ was the leader of the United Farm Workers union in the 1960s.
A.   César Chávez
B.   Gonzalo Mendez
C.   Martin Luther King, Jr.,
D.   Guadalupe Hidalgo
Question #50
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is a policy that
A.   requires universities to make admissions decisions about the applications of undocumented students after all other applications have been evaluated.
B.   makes the deportation of undocumented children a top priority for federal immigration officials.
C.   instructs immigration officials to take no action to deport law-abiding individuals who entered the United States illegally as children.
D.   provides citizenship to any undocumented immigrant who came to the United States as a young child if he or she graduates from high school.
Question #51
In 1870, Congress passed a law forbidding ________ immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens.
A.   Russian
B.   Italian
C.   Mexican
D.   Chinese
Question #52
The rights of disabled individuals to access public businesses is guaranteed by the
A.   amended Civil Rights Act of 1991.
B.   Civil Rights Act of 1964.
C.   Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
D.   federal courts, not laws passed by Congress.
Question #53
In Lawrence v. Texas (2003), the Supreme Court
A.   denied that homosexuals were a protected class under the Fourteenth Amendment.
B.   ruled that gays and lesbians should be allowed to marry.
C.   Extended the right to privacy to sexual minorities.
D.   upheld a state law banning private homosexual activity.
Question #54
Franklin v. Gwinnett County Public Schools (1992) is important because it
A.   asserted that violations of Title IX of the 1972 Education Act could be remedied with monetary damages.
B.   permitted public schools to experiment with gender segregation.
C.   narrowed the free speech rights that students enjoyed at school.
D.   ruled that busing was unconstitutional.
Question #55
Which of the following has been most important in encouraging groups and individuals to convert their grievances into questions of rights and of the deprivation of those rights?
A.   the Equal Rights Amendment
B.   the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
C.   Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act
D.   Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act
Question #56
The phrase “levels of scrutiny” refers to the
A.   three-tiered system Congress uses in determining which groups will receive funding from the federal government.
B.   three-tiered system federal courts use in determining the government’s burden of proof during challenges to state-imposed systems of classification.
C.   four-step system the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission uses to investigate workplace discrimination complaints.
D.   four-step system the Department of Justice uses to investigate claims of voter intimidation and disenfranchisement.
Question #57
The Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) was significant because it
A.   asserted that there was a constitutional right to privacy for consensual homosexual activity.
B.   upheld the constitutionality of state-level bans on same-sex marriage.
C.   guaranteed same-sex couples the right to marry in all states.
D.   asserted that there was no constitutional right to privacy for consensual homosexual activity.
Question #58
Which group was not permitted to immigrate to the United States from the late nineteenth century until the 1940s?
A.   Mexicans
B.   Japanese
C.   Russians
D.   Chinese
Question #59
Under the “rational basis test,”
A.   courts determine whether to uphold government policies based on a “rational” interpretation of the Constitution.
B.   courts use a points-based formula for calculating whether the plaintiff or the government bears the burden of proof.
C.   government classification schemes are enacted only when a cost-benefit analysis proves that they will help more people than they will hurt.
D.   the burden of proof is on the plaintiff to show that there is no rational basis, whatsoever, for the government’s rules.
Question #60
Which of the following are the Civil War amendments?
A.   the First, Second, and Third amendments
B.   the Twentieth, Twenty-First, and Twenty-Second amendments
C.   the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments
D.   the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh amendments

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