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