POLS 155 - American Political Institutions » Fall 2021 » Chapter 4

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Question #1
What was the majority opinion in Shelby County v. Holder?
A.   Coverage formulas are unconstitutional, but changes to state voting laws can still be reviewed by Congress.
B.   Voter ID laws are unconstitutional and should be subject to federal review or “preclearance.”
C.   Coverage formulas are constitutional, and changes to state voting laws should continue to be reviewed.
D.   Voter ID laws are constitutional and should no longer be subject to federal review or “preclearance.”
Question #2
At what point was the concept of equality enshrined in the U.S. Constitution?
A.   when the Bill of Rights was ratified
B.   when the 14th Amendment was ratified
C.   when the 19th Amendment was ratified
D.   when the Constitution was ratified
Question #3
The Equal Protection Clause prohibits which type of discrimination?
A.   qualified
B.   excessive
C.   unreasonable
D.   unfair
Question #4
Affirmative action represents an example of which of the following?
A.   wealth redistribution
B.   policies based on equality of opportunity
C.   policies based on equality of outcome
D.   governmental discrimination
Question #5
Which of the following represents an accurate description of what transpired in 1808?
A.   Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
B.   Every single state outlawed the slave trade on its own.
C.   Congress passed a law extending the slave trade for an additional 20 years.
D.   The enslaved population numbered over one million.
Question #6
What was the immediate effect of Abraham Lincoln’s election to the presidency?
A.   The Emancipation Proclamation was issued.
B.   The Missouri Compromise was enacted.
C.   Slavery was abolished.
D.   South Carolina seceded from the Union.
Question #7
Which of the following states had an enslaved population that was not freed by the Emancipation Proclamation?
A.   Ohio
B.   New York
C.   Maine
D.   Missouri
Question #8
What was the significance of the Missouri Compromise?
A.   It banned slavery in the Western states.
B.   It added two slave states to the Union.
C.   It granted freedom to any enslaved person whose owner established residence in a free territory.
D.   Its provisions allowed Dred Scott to obtain his freedom.
Question #9
Which amendment banned all forms of slavery and involuntary servitude?
A.   the 15th Amendment
B.   the 14th Amendment
C.   the 19th Amendment
D.   the 13th Amendment
Question #10
Which amendment guaranteed African Americans the right to vote?
A.   the 14th Amendment
B.   the 19th Amendment
C.   the 15th Amendment
D.   the 13th Amendment
Question #11
What was the aim of Radical Republicans during Reconstruction?
A.   to oppose the efforts of freedmen to run for office
B.   to form a coalition with White Democrats in Congress
C.   to stop the Northern occupation of Southern states
D.   to seek legislation that improved voting rights for freedmen
Question #12
What was the purpose of Jim Crow laws?
A.   to empower Radical Republicans
B.   to enfranchise African Americans in the South
C.   to segregate society by race
D.   to establish term limits for governors and state legislators
Question #13
The ruling in which of the following cases established the “separate but equal” doctrine?
A.   the Civil Rights Cases of 1883
B.   Brown v. Board of Education
C.   Dred Scott v. Sanford
D.   Plessy v. Ferguson
Question #14
The American Woman Suffrage Association differed from the National Woman Suffrage Association in which of the following ways?
A.   It was formed prior to the Civil War.
B.   It targeted amendments to state constitutions.
C.   It excluded African Americans from membership.
D.   Its members included both men and women.
Question #15
Who drafted the 19th Amendment to the Constitution?
A.   Elizabeth Cady Stanton
B.   Willa Cather
C.   Lucretia Mott
D.   Susan B. Anthony
Question #16
Compare the text of the Declaration of Sentiments to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which can be viewed here. Which of the following is an example of a difference between the two documents?
A.   The Declaration of Sentiments claims that rights are subjective depending on the individual, while the Declaration of Independence lists life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as inalienable rights.
B.   The Declaration of Sentiments claims that “all men and women are created equal,” while the Declaration of Independence merely states that “all men are created equal.”
C.   The Declaration of Sentiments suggests that individuals need to wait for an oppressive government to see the error of its ways and change on its own, while the Declaration of Independence asserts that it is the duty of the people to rid themselves of an oppressive government.
D.   The Declaration of Sentiments presents a list of grievances, while the Declaration of Independence only vaguely alludes to general dissatisfaction.
Question #17
Which of the following provides the BEST explanation for why Stanton patterned her document so closely after the Declaration of Independence?
A.   She believed that men would be more willing to listen to her sentiments if she borrowed her structure and phrasing from the writing of a man.
B.   She wanted to imply that the United States might never have escaped from colonial rule were it not for the contributions of women.
C.   She wanted to emphasize the parallel between the American colonists and contemporary women as oppressed groups standing up for “self-evident” and “inalienable” rights.
D.   She considered the Declaration of Independence to be the greatest contribution to women’s rights before the Seneca Falls Convention, and she wanted to pay homage to the Founding Fathers.
Question #18
Which of the following BEST describes how the crowds of onlookers reacted to the suffrage parade?
A.   They verbally abused the marchers and sometimes impeded their movement.
B.   They largely ignored the parade, because they were more focused on President Wilson’s impending inauguration.
C.   They boisterously cheered on the parade and seemed to enjoy the spectacle of it, but they failed to take the sentiments of women’s suffrage to heart.
D.   They were threatened and intimidated by the aggressive attitude of the marchers.
Question #19
According to the essay, why was this parade so important for the movement at this particular time?
A.   It marked the first time Alice Paul had ever publicly campaigned for women’s rights.
B.   It proved to be a catalyst in winning widespread support and sympathy from the general public.
C.   It was the first time suffragists had ever gathered publicly in Washington, DC.
D.   It infused new life into the women’s suffrage movement and renewed public interest in their cause.
Question #20
Why did the parade organizers schedule their demonstration to coincide with the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson?
A.   They expected a positive reception from the crowds that gathered in Washington at this time because Woodrow Wilson’s supporters tended to support women’s suffrage as well.
B.   They intended to distract press attention from Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration in order to punish him for his lack of support for their movement.
C.   They hoped to maximize the amount of press coverage of the event, since reporters and photographers would already be there for the inauguration.
D.   They wanted to pick a time when the Washington police would be so preoccupied with providing security for the inauguration that they wouldn’t attempt to stop the suffragists’ march.
Question #21
Which of the following protest tactics do you see Alice Paul and the suffragists use in the video?
A.   rioting
B.   boycotting
C.   picketing
D.   signing petitions
Question #22
The video opens with a depiction of the National Woman’s Party headquarters as a dark and strange place. Which of the following provides the BEST explanation for why the filmmakers chose to represent it in this light?
A.   to show how the suffrage movement had a hard time raising money and attracting supporters
B.   to portray the suffragists as bizarre extremists and the National Woman’s Party as a creepy cult
C.   to emphasize how little historians know about what really went on during the gatherings at the headquarters
D.   to illustrate how the idea of women leaving the home and convening for political reasons was viewed as unnatural to many people at the time
Question #23
When Alice Paul leads the suffragists (often called “silent sentinels”) picketing in front of the White House, how does the video portray President Woodrow Wilson’s response?
A.   He engages in conversation with them and appears to back their movement wholeheartedly.
B.   He makes light of their movement and seems to ridicule them.
C.   He is seen watching them, but he does not appear to act immediately.
D.   He seems to be completely oblivious to their activities.
Question #24
Why did the suffragists who picketed the White House call themselves “silent sentinels”?
A.   They wanted to demonstrate how women could handle an important task, such as standing guard in front of the White House, just as well as any man could.
B.   They positioned themselves in such a way during their picketing that President Wilson would not be able to enter the White House without passing by them.
C.   They wanted to dissociate themselves from the stereotype of women as chatty and gossipy.
D.   They always refused to speak publicly about suffrage, handing out pamphlets instead.
Question #25
What event prompted the “silent sentinels” to picket in front of the White House?
A.   the president’s disappointingly noncommittal response to their delegation
B.   the death of renowned suffragist Inez Milholland Boissevain
C.   the surprise donation of $1,000 from Miss Mary Burnham to further their cause
D.   the passage of the 15th Amendment, which allowed men of all races and colors to vote
Question #26
Which of the following BEST summarizes Wilson’s response to the suffragists’ plea for presidential support for the passage of the Susan B. Anthony amendment?
A.   He promised to fight for the passage of the 19th Amendment under the condition that the suffragists stop making a public spectacle out of themselves.
B.   He expressed anger that the suffragists would have the audacity to ambush him when he thought they were just assembling for a memorial.
C.   He claimed he personally believed in their cause, but as party leader, he was obligated first and foremost to follow the orders of his party.
D.   He politely thanked them for sharing their thoughts, but ended with a patronizing reminder to leave the business of government to men.
Question #27
Why was Alice Paul going on a hunger strike?
A.   to make a statement about how women were being starved of their political rights in the United States
B.   to pressure the prison officials into setting her free
C.   to demonstrate the types of irrational behavior that women who couldn’t vote were psychologically compelled to engage in
D.   to protest the fact that her fellow imprisoned suffragists were being fed substandard food
Question #28
What did the headquarters of the Woman’s Party say about Alice Paul’s hunger strike?
A.   They believed that she would hold out for a long time, possibly longer than people expected.
B.   They believed that her hunger strike would be the final catalyst for the passage of the 19th Amendment.
C.   They believed that she would surely drive herself to starvation and death.
D.   They believed that she would cave quickly.
Question #29
Which of the following conclusions about Alice Paul can be drawn from the newspaper article about her hunger strike? Choose the BEST answer.
A.   Even as she was fighting for women’s suffrage in her public life, Alice Paul was battling an eating disorder in her private life.
B.   Alice Paul was not afraid to go to extreme lengths in her dedication to her cause and her fellow suffragists.
C.   Political gains in the women’s suffrage movement were achieved in spite of, rather than because of, Alice Paul’s extreme behavior.
D.   The press frequently portrayed Alice Paul as weak and capricious in order to undermine her efforts.
Question #30
What was the societal impact of Plessy v. Ferguson?
A.   It challenged states’ discriminatory voting laws.
B.   It influenced the desegregation of public facilities and schools.
C.   It dismantled existing racial inequality within American society.
D.   It allowed racial inequality to persist in American society.
Question #31
The NAACP primarily targeted inequities in which educational institutions?
A.   undergraduate colleges
B.   elementary schools
C.   high schools
D.   graduate and professional programs
Question #32
The “Doll Study” was used as evidence in which of the following cases?
A.   Plessy v. Ferguson
B.   Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
C.   Sweatt v. Painter
D.   Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada
Question #33
In which of the following cases did the Supreme Court rule that schools must desegregate “with all deliberate speed”?
A.   Plessy v. Ferguson
B.   Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
C.   Brown v. Board II
D.   Sweatt v. Painter
Question #34
Who were “The Little Rock Nine”?
A.   the members of a White lynch mob convicted of killing Black students in Arkansas
B.   the Arkansas Court of Appeals judges who ruled on school desegregation
C.   the group of African American students attempting to attend Central High School
D.   the nine justices serving on the Supreme Court in the 1950s
Question #35
Which U.S. Supreme Court case initially established the constitutionality of the “separate but equal” doctrine?
A.   Sweatt v. Painter
B.   Plessy v. Ferguson
C.   Dred Scott v. Sandford
D.   Cumming v. Richmond County Board of Education
Question #36
The Brown v. Board case focused on racial segregation practiced against African Americans in which of the following places?
A.   government offices
B.   restaurants
C.   public schools
D.   interstate transportation
Question #37
  
A.   She was denied admission to the school, allowing the case challenging the “separate but equal” doctrine to proceed.
B.   She was denied admission to the school, leading the Supreme Court to uphold the “separate but equal” doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson.
C.   She was accepted to the school and became the first African American child to integrate a public school.
D.   She was accepted to the school but her sister wasn’t, so the Brown family decided to sue the school so the girls could attend it together.
Question #38
What was the significance of having a class action suit dealing with segregation in public schools?
A.   A class action suit would absolve the states of any legal responsibility for failing to implement federal policy.
B.   A class action suit meant that the issue at hand dealt with education.
C.   The Supreme Court had established a precedent that it would only hear class action suits in cases involving segregation.
D.   The Supreme Court was compelled to hear and decide on multiple cases at once.
Question #39
How did the doll test demonstrate that separate was NOT equal?
A.   Because the majority of the children played with the Black baby dolls and demonstrated anger toward the White baby dolls, the study showed that segregation greatly increased tension between the races.
B.   Because the dolls given to the Black children in the study were of lesser quality than the dolls given to the White children, the study showed that segregation contributes to discrepancies in school resources between the races.
C.   Because the White children played with the White baby dolls and the Black children played with the Black baby dolls, the study showed that segregation keeps races separated even during playtime.
D.   Because the majority of the children played with the White baby dolls and demonstrated anger toward the Black baby dolls, the study showed that segregation had the psychological effect of causing children to see Black people as inferior to White people.
Question #40
Why was it vital for the Court to issue a unanimous decision regarding desegregation in the case of Brown v. Board?
A.   to force Kansas into rapid desegregation measures
B.   to spur Congress into modifying the language of the 14th Amendment
C.   to facilitate implementation of the ruling by sending a strong message of complete agreement
D.   to avoid any legal loopholes pertaining to the desegregation of public schools
Question #41
What enabled the Court to finally reach consensus on the issue of segregation and the case of Brown v. Board?
A.   the reelection of Dwight D. Eisenhower as president
B.   the appointment of Earl Warren as chief justice
C.   the speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr.
D.   the massive protests against segregation
Question #42
Which clause of the Constitution ultimately rendered the “separate but equal” doctrine unconstitutional?
A.   the Full Faith and Credit Clause
B.   the Equal Protection Clause
C.   the Due Process Clause
D.   the Supremacy Clause
Question #43
The Court met again one year after the initial ruling, in the case of Brown v. Board II, to check the progress of desegregation in schools. When they met, what did they find had happened?
A.   Very little had been done to implement the initial decision, and public schools were still segregated.
B.   All schools in the United States had been desegregated through a generally smooth process.
C.   Most Black schools had been shut down, leaving mainly White children in public schools.
D.   Only schools in the South had been desegregated, while segregation remained in many school districts in the North.
Question #44
According to the video, what was unprecedented about the Supreme Court issuing this second decision in the Brown case?
A.   The Court was taking an active role in overseeing the implementation of a previous decision.
B.   The Court reached a unanimous decision twice in the same case.
C.   The Court was criticizing the executive branch for failing to implement its previous decision.
D.   The Court was responding to changes in public opinion on a controversial issue.
Question #45
Why is Alejandro Cruz-Guzman suing the state of Minnesota?
A.   He thinks the state’s standardized tests are biased toward high-income children.
B.   He believes the use of private school vouchers is unconstitutional.
C.   He believes the state has condoned segregated school zones.
D.   He thinks that schools are violating his children’s right to free speech.
Question #46
  
A.   The Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” school districts were constitutional.
B.   The right to an education is more explicitly defined in state constitutions than it is in the U.S. Constitution.
C.   Unequal school funding is unconstitutional and states are not upholding the 1973 Supreme Court decision.
D.   The nationwide teachers’ movement has already had some success taking this route.
Question #47
What is the main question courts have been considering in the cases mentioned in the article?
A.   whether state standardized tests are in violation of literacy standards set in the Every Student Succeeds Act
B.   whether states are complying with federal court decisions on school zones
C.   whether unequal funding is leading to inadequate education for low-income students
D.   whether continued segregation in school zones is a violation of state constitutions
Question #48
What did the 2016 study mentioned in the article reveal about student success?
A.   that there was a negative correlation between integrated school zones and higher test scores
B.   that there was no significant correlation between per-pupil spending, retention rates, and lifetime earning potential
C.   that an across-the-board increase in spending is correlated with teacher performance and better test scores
D.   that per-pupil spending is correlated with increased retention rates and lifetime earning potential
Question #49
According to Hanushek, is increasing education spending the best way to improve student achievement scores?
A.   Yes, because across the board, increases in funding have been shown to positively influence student test scores.
B.   No, because smaller class sizes have been determined to be more effective for increasing test scores.
C.   No, because significant improvements have not been seen despite continual increases in education spending.
D.   Yes, because increased funding for teacher salaries has been shown to increase student test scores.
Question #50
What remedy to school inequality proved successful in the past?
A.   instituting a school voucher system
B.   busing students across school zones
C.   establishing charter schools
D.   increased school funding
Question #51
Why are advocates for charter schools nervous about the Minnesota lawsuit?
A.   because the lawsuit argues that traditional public schools should receive more funding than charter schools
B.   because the lawsuit argues that charter schools discriminate against non-White and low-income students
C.   because the lawsuit argues that the state has made a mistake by excluding charter schools from desegregation efforts
D.   because the lawsuit argues that all charter schools should be closed and their students moved to traditional public schools
Question #52
How did the Minnesota Supreme Court rule in the case brought forth by Cruz-Guzman?
A.   It halted any further attempts by the state to rezone school districts.
B.   It denied the hearing and sent the case back to the lower court.
C.   It ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, allowing the case to move to trial.
D.   It ruled against Cruz-Guzman and in favor of the state.
Question #53
What was the immediate effect of Rosa Parks’s arrest?
A.   desegregation of Montgomery public transportation
B.   a yearlong bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama
C.   the beginning of the Freedom Rides
D.   the arrest of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Question #54
Which of the following organizations used radical protest tactics such as sit-ins and Freedom Rides?
A.   the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
B.   the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)
C.   the Committee for Racial Harmony and Cooperation (CRHC)
D.   the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
Question #55
To whom did Martin Luther King, Jr. direct his “Letter from Birmingham Jail”?
A.   Rosa Parks
B.   White clergymen
C.   civil rights protestors
D.   members of SNCC
Question #56
Which of the following drew national attention to the issue of racial inequality?
A.   segregated seating on Montgomery city buses
B.   television coverage of police brutality
C.   NWP protests outside the White House
D.   the founding of SNCC and CORE
Question #57
What was one of the purposes of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?
A.   to grant women the right to vote
B.   to ban discrimination based on race
C.   to protect voting rights for African Americans
D.   to abolish slavery
Question #58
Which states did the federal government threaten to withhold money from?
A.   states that supported the opposition party to the president
B.   states that refused to comply with the Civil Rights Act of 1964
C.   states with a history of racial segregation
D.   states that opposed the Fair Housing Act of 1968
Question #59
Which of the following became referred to as “Bloody Sunday”?
A.   the police attack on civil rights protestors in Birmingham
B.   the bombing of a Black church in Birmingham
C.   the police attack on participants in a march from Selma to Montgomery
D.   the assassination of President Kennedy
Question #60
Which group did President Kennedy task with the investigation of the treatment of women in American society?
A.   the National Organization for Women
B.   the League of Women Voters
C.   Congress
D.   the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women
Question #61
Protective legislation promotes which of the following?
A.   supporting companies that treat men and women equally in the workplace
B.   policies that addressed women’s biological differences from men
C.   court cases that treat men and women equally under the law
D.   eradicating discrimination against African Americans
Question #62
In what year was the Equal Rights Amendment added to the Constitution?
A.   none of these options
B.   1966
C.   1994
D.   1972
Question #63
What was the purpose of Title IX?
A.   to grant tax credits to single mothers and widows
B.   to grant additional rights and benefits to women in traditionally male-dominated jobs
C.   to ensure equality of funding between women’s and men’s educational programs
D.   to ensure equal pay for men and women doing the same job
Question #64
Korematsu v. United States introduced which standard of review?
A.   judicial scrutiny
B.   “compelling state interest test”
C.   “separate but equal”
D.   equal protection
Question #65
What must the government prove to satisfy the intermediate standard of review?
A.   that the government action is reasonably related to a legitimate government interest
B.   that the policy involves a fundamental freedom or a suspect classification
C.   that the means used are intended to advance an important government interest
D.   that the government action serves a compelling state interest
Question #66
In which of the following standards of review are the interests of the individual given the most weight?
A.   “compelling state interest test”
B.   intermediate scrutiny
C.   rational basis test
D.   strict scrutiny
Question #67
Which of the following standards of review is used to evaluate government action in relation to the Equal Protection Clause?
A.   strict scrutiny
B.   the “separate but equal” doctrine
C.   the detainment of individuals with foreign enemy ancestry
D.   the scales of justice
Question #68
Which of the following tactics has frequently been employed by Latino civil rights groups?
A.   rallies
B.   occupations
C.   sit-ins
D.   boycotts
Question #69
“The Longest Walk” is an example of which type of tactic?
A.   mass mobilization
B.   sit-ins
C.   occupations
D.   boycotts
Question #70
What was one major achievement of the disability rights movement?
A.   the passage of the Wheelchair Accessibility Resolution in 1960
B.   the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990
C.   the popularization of the term “people with disabilities” in the 1970s
D.   the closure of state-run psychiatric hospitals in the 1980s
Question #71
In his majority opinion for the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, which constitutional amendment did Justice Kennedy rely on to justify the Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same-sex marriage?
A.   the 19th Amendment
B.   the First Amendment
C.   the 14th Amendment
D.   the Ninth Amendment
Question #72
Which of the following accurately illustrates the different types of segregation?
A.   “White flight” is a modern example of de jure segregation.
B.   Jim Crow laws were a clear example of de facto segregation.
C.   Racially segregated schools were a form of de jure segregation.
D.   School busing policies are a form of de facto segregation.

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