Political Science 1 - Government of the United States and California » 2019 » Final Examination
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Question #1
To assist him with his various tasks as chief executive, the president has,,
A.
the power to act in all cases of national importance
B.
unlimited power to create offices within the executive branch
C.
a federal bureaucracy
D.
cooperation with the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Question #2
A political party is a group of individuals who,,
A.
have been elected to office without having obtained a position of power
B.
agree on all policy issues
C.
pay monthly dues to an ideological organization
D.
organize to win elections and operate the government
Question #3
According to the Constitution, the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction,,
A.
to intervene any time in a federal case
B.
in all matters where the United States is a party
C.
in all cases affecting ambassadors, public ministers and consuls, and in cases in which a state is a party
D.
only in cases where it has been duly authorized by statue
Question #4
A representative who is performing the role of an ,,
A.
supporting the president in all of his legislative programs
B.
supporting the political party that he or she was a member of when elected to Congress
C.
primarily representing the needs of his or her constituents
D.
representing the broad interests of an entire society
Question #5
One major difference between the House and the Senate is the total number of members. This has meant that,,
A.
a lesser number of formal rules are needed to govern activity in the House
B.
the Senate is able to decide on the proper action on a bill quicker than the House
C.
a greater number of formal rules are needed to govern activity in the House
D.
the House will spend much more time on a bill on the floor as opposed to the Senate
Question #6
The job of a House Rules Committee is,,
A.
to approve all appropriations bills
B.
to set the rules for filibustering a bill
C.
to determine the path of a proposed legislation on the House floor
D.
to reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill
Question #7
U.S. Supreme Court justices are appointed for life because the framers of the Constitution,,
A.
comprised the first Supreme Court and they wanted to ensure their own job security
B.
believed in aristocracy
C.
wanted to insulate them from the influence of public opinion
D.
wanted to make the Supreme Court more accountable to the people
Question #8
A filibuster is,,
A.
an attempt to prevent passage of a bill by halting action through unlimited debate
B.
a method used by the Speaker of the House to promote the Majority Party's legislation
C.
used in the House of Representatives to force a standing committee to release a bill
D.
an attempt to persuade others to vote for a particular bill in return for a favor at a later date
Question #9
Courts with original jurisdiction,,
A.
only hear cases that will be appealed to the Supreme Court
B.
are not part of our Judiciary
C.
advise Congress about the constitutionality of proposed legislation
D.
none of the above
Question #10
Which of the following regarding nominees for the Supreme Court is generally true?,,
A.
they emphasize their partisanship
B.
they emphasize their ideology
C.
they emphasize their political connections
D.
they maintain a low profile
Question #11
A ,,
A.
a special committee in the House of Representatives to assist the Speaker with his party agenda
B.
a special committee convened to resolve differences between a House passed bill and a Senate passed bill
C.
a special committee convened to resolve differences between the President and Congress
D.
called into session when a president has vetoed an appropriations bill with a pocket veto
Question #12
Holders of political office in the United States today are overwhelmingly,,
A.
younger than candidates in the previous twenty years
B.
knowledgeable about all areas of the government
C.
representatives of the general public
D.
white and male
Question #13
Who decides which case the Supreme Court will hear?,,
A.
the Supreme Court
B.
an appeals Federal Court
C.
the states
D.
the Vice President
Question #14
As Commander in Chief, the president is,,
A.
only a symbolic leader of the military
B.
not responsible for military decisions
C.
only allowed to make military decisions after the approval by Congress
D.
the ultimate decision maker in military affairs
Question #15
Interest Groups play an important role in our judicial system because among other things,,
A.
the litigate
B.
they help the judicial review board
C.
James Madison stipulated their role in Federalist # 10
D.
the have the power to veto judicial nominations
Question #16
The most important committees in Congress are ,,
A.
joint resolution committees
B.
standing committees
C.
legislative-executive committees for foreign policy
D.
special House and Senate investigative committees
Question #17
It is possible for a candidate to become president,,
A.
without receiving any electoral votes
B.
without obtaining a majority of the popular vote
C.
if he is a naturalized citizen
D.
if he has not yet reached his 29th birthday
Question #18
When is a Supreme Court justice most likely to retire?,,
A.
when faced with the pressure of public opinion
B.
when the sitting president is ideologically similar to the justice
C.
when there is an ideological divide on the court
D.
right before a presidential election
Question #19
In principle, the Republican party has been known as the party of ,,
A.
liberal political ideas
B.
social welfare programs
C.
the middle and upper classes
D.
economic depression
Question #20
Examples of interest groups include all of the following except,,
A.
The National Organization for Women (NOW)
B.
The National Education Association (NEA)
C.
The National Security Council (NSC)
D.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Question #21
A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning is called,,
A.
A bifurcated party system
B.
A two party system
C.
A Federal-state party system
D.
A multi party system
Question #22
Oversight is the process by which Congress,,
A.
allows meaningful input of foreigners through hearings
B.
follows up on the laws it has enacted making sure they are properly implemented
C.
reviews the actions of subcomittees
D.
supervises the activities of the judicial and executive branches
Question #23
A representative who is performing the role of a ,,
A.
supporting his or her political party one hundred percent
B.
acting on conscience or representing the broad interests of the entire society and country as a whole
C.
supporting the president on all of his legislative programs
D.
only representing the needs of his or her constituents
Question #24
The doctrine of ,,
A.
to stand on decided cases
B.
to refer a case to the next highest court
C.
to reverse a decision by a lower court
D.
that the other court does not have jurisdiction in a case
Question #25
The Supreme Court is least likely to hear a case involving ,,
A.
political questions
B.
conflicts between lower courts on the interpretation of federal law
C.
disagreements between a majority of Supreme Court judges and lower court judges
D.
civil liberties
Question #26
The principal function of any legislature is,,
A.
lawmaking
B.
casework
C.
constituent service
D.
to check the power of the executive branch
Question #27
The purpose of an ,,
A.
influence a court's decision
B.
require testimony of witnesses who maybe hostile to the plaintiff or otherwise reluctant to appear in court
C.
prohibit future action that would violate civil rights
D.
prevent a party from acting until the court makes a final decision
Question #28
In the 2000 presidential election, George Bush won because ,,
A.
Bush won the electoral vote, which is the vote that actually selects the winner
B.
Al Gore won the electoral vote but lost the popular vote
C.
he won the electoral vote, but only because Gore withdrew from the campaign
D.
Bush won the popular vote and the electoral college vote
Question #29
According to the Constitution, impeachment,,
A.
proceedings can not be used against an incumbent president
B.
proceedings begin in the Senate and conclude in the House of Representatives
C.
proceedings begin in the House of Representatives and conclude in the Senate
D.
proceedings can only be applied to a president that has committed bribery
Question #30
The concept of ,,
A.
a process that attempt to limit debate on a bill in the Senate floor
B.
a method used to defeat legislation in Congress
C.
a closed meeting held by the majority party when important legislation is pending
D.
actions taken by the House Rules Committee that must be approved by the Speaker
Question #31
In the history of the United States, no president has ever ,,
A.
both a and b
B.
served more than two terms of office
C.
been impeached and convicted
D.
been impeached
Question #32
The power of the courts to rule on the constitutionality of a law or action by the other branches of government is called,,
A.
judicial review
B.
appellate review of fact
C.
precedent
D.
the writ of judicial appeal
Question #33
How many justices currently serve on the Supreme Court,,
A.
9
B.
7
C.
8
D.
10
Question #34
As chief diplomat, the president,,
A.
makes treaties, recognizes foreign governments, and makes executive agreements
B.
is responsible for selecting all judges to federal courts
C.
is responsible for all actions within the Executive Branch
D.
must use his power to select leaders in high level positions within Congress to work for the president's legislative agenda
Question #35
The group that officially elects the President and Vice-President of the United States is ,,
A.
The Electoral College
B.
The Nominating College of the Federal Government
C.
The Framers College
D.
The states legislatures
Question #36
Which of the following is true about the Supreme Court of the United States,,
A.
it can play a policymaking role
B.
its decision seldom set precents
C.
it never overrules laws enacted by elected officials
D.
its opinions are always enforced immediately
Question #37
In principle, the Democrats have been known as the party of ,,
A.
the working class
B.
conservative political ideas
C.
the economic elite
D.
the great depression
Question #38
The founders of the American Republic believed that most of the power that would be exercised by a national government should be in the hands of,,
A.
a secret elite class that would be responsible for protecting society from anarchy
B.
a council of state governors that would meet each year
C.
a very powerful chief executive given that under the Articles of Confederation it was weak
D.
the legislative branch
Question #39
The Constitution indicates that the number of electors who will cast ballots for president and vice-president,,
A.
can not be changed without an amendment
B.
is equal to the number of representatives and senators a state has in Congress
C.
can not exceed 550
D.
is to be determined by the president at the end of his term
Question #40
Presidents have the power to change the direction of the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary by,,
A.
firing judges on the grounds of incompatibility
B.
forcing Congress to consider impeachment of specific judges
C.
declaring martial law, which restricts judicial decision making
D.
appointing new judges when there are vacancies, who in principle has philosophies consistent with the president
Question #41
As chief executive, the president is constitutionally bound to ,,
A.
oversee actions of state governments
B.
submit a balanced budget to Congress
C.
inform Congress prior to any military action
D.
enforce laws, treaties, and court orders
Question #42
Most PAC (Political Action Committees) contributions go to ,,
A.
challengers
B.
open seat candidates
C.
incumbents
D.
cooperatives
Question #43
Casework is ,,
A.
oversight
B.
constituent service
C.
lawmaking
D.
logrolling
Question #44
The Rhenquist and Robert Courts were/are known as ,,
A.
activist courts
B.
ideologically liberal courts
C.
pro civil rights courts
D.
ideologically conservative courts
Question #45
The State of the Union message typically given by the President every January,,
A.
is the policy statement of Congress over which the president seldom has influence
B.
is an effective tool used by the president to limit other countries' foreign policy
C.
is delivered by the president to the General Assembly of the United Nations at least once every four years
D.
gives a broad view of what the president wishes the legislature to accomplish during the coming year
Question #46
Executive agreements are ,,
A.
not legal in the United States
B.
agreements between the President of the United States and heads of governments of foreign countries that do not have to be approved by the Senate
C.
no longer used to conduct foreign policy in the modern world
D.
not valid in foreign policy matters unless approved by the Senate
Question #47
When the Supreme Court decides a case in the same way that a similar case was decided in the past ,,
A.
it's reinforcing habeas corpus
B.
it's interpreting original constitutionalism
C.
it's ignoring the principle of stare decisis
D.
it's relying on precedent
Question #48
Naturalized citizens are constitutionally barred from running for the office of ,,
A.
United States President
B.
United States Representative
C.
United States Senator
D.
United States Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Question #49
Traditionally labor unions and environmental groups ,,
A.
support Republicans
B.
do not endorse candidates
C.
support the Green party
D.
support both Republicans and Democrats
E.
support Democrats
Question #50
In order to be elected president one must receive,,
A.
a majority of the popular vote or 50.1 percent
B.
a plurality of the popular vote, that is, whichever candidate gets the most votes
C.
a majority of the electoral vote, that being 270 votes
D.
a plurality of the delegates at the national convention
Question #51
A line-item veto allows,,
A.
the president to veto only parts of a bill
B.
the president to send troops overseas for more than 30 days without congressional approval
C.
the Congress to override a bill submitted by the president
D.
the president to take advantage of the bully pulpit
E.
the legislature to override executive orders
Question #52
The law that was passed in the early 2000's banning soft money contributions, increasing contribution limits, and prohibiting some issue adds is known as ,,
A.
The McCain-Feingold Act
B.
The USA Patriot Act
C.
The Graham-Rudman-Hollins Fair Election Act
D.
The Lee Atwater Campaign Finance Reform Act
Question #53
Suppose Congress passes a bill and then adjourns. After 10 days the president has not signed or vetoed the bill, but the bill does not become law. This is known as,,
A.
a legislative veto
B.
a pocket veto
C.
an overriding veto
D.
an impoundment veto
Question #54
Some people do not join groups because they can benefit from the group's activities without actually officially joining. This is known as,,
A.
sharing the load problem
B.
free rider problem
C.
good of society problem
D.
the refugee problem
Question #55
How often are presidential vetoes overridden by Congress?,,
A.
about 1/4 of the time
B.
very rarely
C.
about 2/3 of the time
D.
very often
E.
about 1/2 the time
Question #56
Which of the following is true about third parties in the US?,,
A.
they are safety valves for popular discontent
B.
they seldom place social reform measures on the political agenda
C.
they ensure continuity by keeping new groups from participating
D.
they frequently win political office
Question #57
Which of the following is true about money and congressional campaigns,,
A.
incumbents generally spend more than challengers
B.
spending is unimportant for open seats
C.
money from PAC's pays the entire cost of congressional campaigns
D.
prolific spending by incumbents typically guarantees them success
Question #58
A class action suit is when,,
A.
high school graduates sue their school district because they were given a diploma even though they never learned to how to read or write
B.
a group of people in a similar situation combining their common grievances into a single lawsuit
C.
members of Congress suing interest groups for corrupting the political system
D.
a court issuing a temporary restraining order against an interest group
Question #59
Which of the following is true regarding presidential coattails?,,
A.
the president's popularity tends to remain the same during wartime
B.
the president's party tends to lose seats in midterm elections years
C.
they have diminished in recent years
D.
the president's party tends to lose seats in presidential elections years
Question #60
Which of the following allows political parties to act as linkage mechanisms?,,
A.
taking care of their party in the electorate
B.
running campaigns
C.
enforcing rules of discipline in Congress
D.
selecting officeholders
Question #61
Which House committee schedules the bill on the calendar, allots time for debate, and is highly responsive to the wishes of the House Leadership?,,
A.
Joint Committee
B.
Collaborative Commitee
C.
Rules Committee
D.
Debate Committee
Question #62
In the US, most of the mass media outlets are owned by ,,
A.
small businesses
B.
TNT
C.
giant corporations
D.
the FCC
Question #63
Which of the following is true of the Federal Communications Commission's regulations of the broadcast media?,,
A.
there are no restrictions on the number of stations owned or controlled by one company
B.
it conducts periodic examinations of the goals and performances of tv stations
C.
as a form of public service, it requires all broadcast stations to publicly endorse political candidates
D.
it frequently withdraw licenses from tv stations that do not serve the public interest
Question #64
Which of the following is a reason why Americans vote?,,
A.
civic duty
B.
the cost of voting outweighs the benefits
C.
statutes that require compulsory voting
D.
social promotion
Question #65
Members of Congress engage in casework because,,
A.
they must be informed about the intricacies of policy issues in order to get prime committee assignments and to make good legislation
B.
fewer public funds are available for congressional campaigns for those who shun casework
C.
it gives them leverage with congressional leaders
D.
it enhances their reelection prospects by allowing them to claim credit for helping constituents
Question #66
Laws forbidding mandatory union membership as a condition for employment are known as ,,
A.
maximum wage laws
B.
right to profiteer laws
C.
union shop laws
D.
right to work laws
Question #67
A system for organizing the legislature in which seats are allocated according to each party's percentage of the nationwide vote is known as,,
A.
single member district
B.
proportional representation
C.
winner takes all
D.
first past the post
Question #68
When comparing House and Senate incumbents running for reelection, Senate incumbents,,
A.
typically run against more visible challengers than House incumbents
B.
are more likely to win than House incumbents
C.
often have more homogeneous constituencies than House incumbents
D.
typically win with larger margins than House incumbents
Question #69
Party machines were able to dominate politics in some urban areas during the early 1900's by,,
A.
being responsible parties
B.
rewarding it's members with patronage
C.
giving power to average citizens rather than party leaders
D.
appealing to the good nature of city dwellers
Question #70
Which of the following did Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan have in common?,,
A.
they both engaged in hostilities in Iraq and Haiti
B.
they were the only two presidents without a college degree
C.
they were both skilled at using the bully pulpit
D.
they both were able to pass significant legislation reshaping health care policy
Question #71
Congressional monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy is known as,,
A.
gate keeping
B.
revolving doors
C.
mark-ups
D.
legislative oversight
Question #72
In the last 50 years US presidents have sent American troops into military action without a congressional declaration of war in all of the following countries except,,
A.
Vietnam
B.
Kuwait
C.
Canada
D.
Panama
Question #73
The president claims authority to nominate Supreme Court justices from ,,
A.
Article III of the Constitution
B.
issuing presidential decrees
C.
writing executive orders
D.
Article II of the Constitution
Question #74
In the United States we have a ,,
A.
representative democracy
B.
indirect democracy
C.
republican form of government
D.
all of the above
Question #75
Presidents often try to improve the chances of legislative success by encouraging Congress to act on the president's legislative priorities,,
A.
at the end of the President's first term
B.
during the honeymoon period
C.
while Congress is in recess
D.
after the President has been in office for at least 6 months
Question #76
Common Cause is concerned primarily with ,,
A.
a strong defense
B.
racial equality
C.
open and fair government
D.
tax breaks for small businesses
Question #77
Supreme Court opinions written by justices opposed to all or part of the majority's decision are known as ,,
A.
conjoining opinions
B.
dissenting opinions
C.
per curiam opinions
D.
concurring opinions
Question #78
Which of the following best describes American Political Parties?,,
A.
decentralized
B.
highly structured
C.
single minded
D.
disciplined
Question #79
Since the 1960's the percentage of Americans who think that government is run by a ,,
A.
decreased
B.
approximated zero
C.
increased
D.
stayed about the same
Question #80
The belief that one's political participation really matters and can actually make a difference, is known as ,,
A.
the killer instinct
B.
political socialization
C.
self deprecation
D.
political efficacy
Question #81
The Republican attempt in 1994 to offer voters a positive program for reshaping American public policy and reforming how Congress worked was known as,,
A.
the doctrine of shared ideology
B.
the statement of faith
C.
the contract with America
D.
the republican manifesto
Question #82
In efforts to give more power to voters in choosing candidates, the progressive movement in the early 1900's proposed ,,
A.
local elections
B.
the primary system
C.
early voting techniques
D.
online voting
Question #83
Which of the following statements best summarizes some of the Founding Father's beliefs about political parties?,,
A.
they help make policies user friendly for ordinary voters
B.
they are so instrumental to American government that their existence is guaranteed by Article IV of the Constitution
C.
they ensure a smooth transition from one administration to the next
D.
the can foster corruption and national divisiveness
Question #84
Unlike political parties, most interest groups,,
A.
focus on articulating a specific issue
B.
aggregate issues
C.
nominate and run candidates for political office
D.
criticize party members
Question #85
The primary responsibilities of the national party convention are,,
A.
to nominate the party's presidential ticket and write the party's platform
B.
to raise hard money from individuals and soft money from businesses
C.
to appoint officers and set the dates for the upcoming state primaries
D.
to discipline wayward party members and reward loyal partisan
Question #86
The right to privacy is inferred from the following amendments in the Constitution except the ,,
A.
V
B.
VII
C.
IX
D.
IV
Question #87
Congress most clearly lacks,,
A.
more people with advanced degrees
B.
more Caucasians
C.
more Protestants
D.
more female politicians
Question #88
Business associations can contribute money to a political candidate by setting up ,,
A.
a political action committee
B.
a soft money account
C.
an ad valorem association
D.
a Buckely v. Valeo exemption
Question #89
Which of the following is the most frequently cited difference between Democrats and Republicans? ,,
A.
Democrats are more concerned with foreign policy while Republicans are more concerned with domestic and social policy
B.
Democrats favor government programs to help the lower and middle classes, while Republicans favor low levels of taxes and domestic spending
C.
Democrats favor government imposed morality while Republicans believe government should stay out of moral issues
D.
Democrats are more concerned with cutting taxes while Republicans are more concerned with balancing the budget
Question #90
Among these groups, which is least likely to have the lowest voter turnout?,,
A.
Caucasians
B.
Asian Americans
C.
African Americans
D.
Hispanics
Question #91
Which of the following best describes constituents feeling about Congress,,
A.
the have a more positive evaluation of their individual member over the institution as a whole
B.
the approval ratings for Congress have increased in the last several years
C.
The approval ratings for Congress have gone down in the last several years
D.
they have a more positive evaluation of the institution as a whole over their individual member
Question #92
Proponents of term limits argue that ,,
A.
incumbents should spend more time campaigning
B.
Congress needs more turnover in its membership
C.
challengers have a built in advantage because they are Washington outsiders
D.
members of Congress hardly have time to get their feet wet before they must relinquish their seats
Question #93
Which is true of presidential power in the United States?,,
A.
presidents must compete with others for power
B.
the bureaucracy immediately carries out all instructions from the president
C.
presidential power is absolute
D.
presidents can trust that members of their political party will be completely loyal to them
Question #94
The concerns of environmental groups are often in direct conflict with the concerns of?,,
A.
the Democratic party
B.
the government
C.
energy groups
D.
the Sierra Club
Question #95
The media most often uses investigative journalism to ,,
A.
spy on foreign governments
B.
gain the trust of politicians
C.
explore the details of proposed public policies
D.
unearth scandals
Question #96
Why have states engaged in frontloading?,,
A.
because backloading has become too expensive, especially during economic downturns
B.
because a great deal of attention is paid to early primary contestants
C.
because citizens should have the right to participate in primary elections even if they are registered as Independents
D.
because state legislatures thought they could gain a partisan advantage
Question #97
Among the branches of the federal government, the one that consistently inspires the most confidence is ,,
A.
the executive
B.
the legislative
C.
the judiciary
D.
the bureaucracy
Question #98
Which political office holder is the only one that can be considered as the spokesperson for the American people?,,
A.
The White House Press Secretary
B.
The Secretary of State
C.
The Speaker of the House
D.
none of the above
Question #99
When a political party plays the role of ,,
A.
they are loyal to the president as long as he promises not to veto legislation
B.
they agree with every policy of the ruling party
C.
they provide alternative viewpoints on policies than those of the majority party
D.
they are loyal to their constituents
Question #100
The President of the United States has all of the following powers except,,
A.
Issue executive agreements
B.
issue executive orders
C.
issue presidential pardons
D.
send American troops into foreign conflicts
E.
declare war
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