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.
cooperation with the Joint Chiefs of Staff
C.
unlimited power to create offices within the executive branch
D.
a federal bureaucracy
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.
organize to win elections and operate the government
C.
agree on all policy issues
D.
pay monthly dues to an ideological organization
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.
only in cases where it has been duly authorized by statue
C.
in all matters where the United States is a party
D.
to intervene any time in a federal case
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.
the House will spend much more time on a bill on the floor as opposed to the Senate
B.
a lesser number of formal rules are needed to govern activity in the House
C.
a greater number of formal rules are needed to govern activity in the House
D.
the Senate is able to decide on the proper action on a bill quicker than the House
Question #6
The job of a House Rules Committee is,,
A.
to set the rules for filibustering a bill
B.
to determine the path of a proposed legislation on the House floor
C.
to approve all appropriations bills
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.
believed in aristocracy
B.
wanted to make the Supreme Court more accountable to the people
C.
wanted to insulate them from the influence of public opinion
D.
comprised the first Supreme Court and they wanted to ensure their own job security
Question #8
A filibuster is,,
A.
an attempt to prevent passage of a bill by halting action through unlimited debate
B.
used in the House of Representatives to force a standing committee to release a bill
C.
a method used by the Speaker of the House to promote the Majority Party's legislation
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.
advise Congress about the constitutionality of proposed legislation
B.
only hear cases that will be appealed to the Supreme Court
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 political connections
B.
they emphasize their partisanship
C.
they maintain a low profile
D.
they emphasize their ideology
Question #11
A ,,
A.
a special committee in the House of Representatives to assist the Speaker with his party agenda
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 convened to resolve differences between a House passed bill and a Senate passed bill
Question #12
Holders of political office in the United States today are overwhelmingly,,
A.
white and male
B.
younger than candidates in the previous twenty years
C.
representatives of the general public
D.
knowledgeable about all areas of the government
Question #13
Who decides which case the Supreme Court will hear?,,
A.
the Vice President
B.
the Supreme Court
C.
the states
D.
an appeals Federal Court
Question #14
As Commander in Chief, the president is,,
A.
not responsible for military decisions
B.
only a symbolic leader of the military
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.
James Madison stipulated their role in Federalist # 10
B.
they help the judicial review board
C.
the litigate
D.
the have the power to veto judicial nominations
Question #16
The most important committees in Congress are ,,
A.
standing committees
B.
special House and Senate investigative committees
C.
joint resolution committees
D.
legislative-executive committees for foreign policy
Question #17
It is possible for a candidate to become president,,
A.
if he has not yet reached his 29th birthday
B.
if he is a naturalized citizen
C.
without obtaining a majority of the popular vote
D.
without receiving any electoral votes
Question #18
When is a Supreme Court justice most likely to retire?,,
A.
right before a presidential election
B.
when faced with the pressure of public opinion
C.
when the sitting president is ideologically similar to the justice
D.
when there is an ideological divide on the court
Question #19
In principle, the Republican party has been known as the party of ,,
A.
social welfare programs
B.
liberal political ideas
C.
the middle and upper classes
D.
economic depression
Question #20
Examples of interest groups include all of the following except,,
A.
The National Education Association (NEA)
B.
The National Organization for Women (NOW)
C.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
D.
The National Security Council (NSC)
Question #21
A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning is called,,
A.
A two party system
B.
A bifurcated party system
C.
A multi party system
D.
A Federal-state party system
Question #22
Oversight is the process by which Congress,,
A.
reviews the actions of subcomittees
B.
supervises the activities of the judicial and executive branches
C.
follows up on the laws it has enacted making sure they are properly implemented
D.
allows meaningful input of foreigners through hearings
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.
only representing the needs of his or her constituents
C.
supporting his or her political party one hundred percent
D.
supporting the president on all of his legislative programs
Question #24
The doctrine of ,,
A.
to stand on decided cases
B.
to reverse a decision by a lower court
C.
to refer a case to the next highest 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.
disagreements between a majority of Supreme Court judges and lower court judges
B.
civil liberties
C.
political questions
D.
conflicts between lower courts on the interpretation of federal law
Question #26
The principal function of any legislature is,,
A.
casework
B.
lawmaking
C.
constituent service
D.
to check the power of the executive branch
Question #27
The purpose of an ,,
A.
prohibit future action that would violate civil rights
B.
require testimony of witnesses who maybe hostile to the plaintiff or otherwise reluctant to appear in court
C.
prevent a party from acting until the court makes a final decision
D.
influence a court's decision
Question #28
In the 2000 presidential election, George Bush won because ,,
A.
he won the electoral vote, but only because Gore withdrew from the campaign
B.
Bush won the electoral vote, which is the vote that actually selects the winner
C.
Bush won the popular vote and the electoral college vote
D.
Al Gore won the electoral vote but lost the popular vote
Question #29
According to the Constitution, impeachment,,
A.
proceedings begin in the Senate and conclude in the House of Representatives
B.
proceedings begin in the House of Representatives and conclude in the Senate
C.
proceedings can only be applied to a president that has committed bribery
D.
proceedings can not be used against an incumbent president
Question #30
The concept of ,,
A.
a method used to defeat legislation in Congress
B.
actions taken by the House Rules Committee that must be approved by the Speaker
C.
a closed meeting held by the majority party when important legislation is pending
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.
been impeached
B.
both a and b
C.
been impeached and convicted
D.
served more than two terms of office
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.
appellate review of fact
B.
the writ of judicial appeal
C.
judicial review
D.
precedent
Question #33
How many justices currently serve on the Supreme Court,,
A.
8
B.
7
C.
10
D.
9
Question #34
As chief diplomat, the president,,
A.
must use his power to select leaders in high level positions within Congress to work for the president's legislative agenda
B.
is responsible for selecting all judges to federal courts
C.
makes treaties, recognizes foreign governments, and makes executive agreements
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 Nominating College of the Federal Government
C.
The Electoral College
D.
The Framers 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 opinions are always enforced immediately
C.
its decision seldom set precents
D.
it can play a policymaking role
Question #37
In principle, the Democrats have been known as the party of ,,
A.
the working class
B.
the economic elite
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.
the legislative branch
B.
a secret elite class that would be responsible for protecting society from anarchy
C.
a very powerful chief executive given that under the Articles of Confederation it was weak
D.
a council of state governors that would meet each year
Question #39
The Constitution indicates that the number of electors who will cast ballots for president and vice-president,,
A.
is to be determined by the president at the end of his term
B.
is equal to the number of representatives and senators a state has in Congress
C.
can not be changed without an amendment
D.
can not exceed 550
Question #40
Presidents have the power to change the direction of the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary by,,
A.
forcing Congress to consider impeachment of specific judges
B.
firing judges on the grounds of incompatibility
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.
submit a balanced budget to Congress
B.
oversee actions of state governments
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.
cooperatives
B.
open seat candidates
C.
incumbents
D.
challengers
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.
pro civil rights courts
B.
ideologically conservative courts
C.
activist courts
D.
ideologically liberal courts
Question #45
The State of the Union message typically given by the President every January,,
A.
is delivered by the president to the General Assembly of the United Nations at least once every four years
B.
gives a broad view of what the president wishes the legislature to accomplish during the coming year
C.
is the policy statement of Congress over which the president seldom has influence
D.
is an effective tool used by the president to limit other countries' foreign policy
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.
not valid in foreign policy matters unless approved by the Senate
C.
no longer used to conduct foreign policy in the modern world
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 reinforcing habeas corpus
B.
it's relying on precedent
C.
it's ignoring the principle of stare decisis
D.
it's interpreting original constitutionalism
Question #48
Naturalized citizens are constitutionally barred from running for the office of ,,
A.
United States Senator
B.
United States Representative
C.
United States President
D.
United States Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Question #49
Traditionally labor unions and environmental groups ,,
A.
support both Republicans and Democrats
B.
support Republicans
C.
do not endorse candidates
D.
support Democrats
E.
support the Green party
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 electoral vote, that being 270 votes
D.
a majority of the popular vote or 50.1 percent
Question #51
A line-item veto allows,,
A.
the Congress to override a bill submitted by the president
B.
the president to send troops overseas for more than 30 days without congressional approval
C.
the legislature to override executive orders
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 McCain-Feingold Act
B.
The USA Patriot 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.
a legislative veto
B.
an impoundment veto
C.
an overriding veto
D.
a pocket 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.
the refugee problem
B.
sharing the load problem
C.
free rider problem
D.
good of society problem
Question #55
How often are presidential vetoes overridden by Congress?,,
A.
very often
B.
very rarely
C.
about 1/4 of the time
D.
about 2/3 of the time
E.
about 1/2 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 frequently win political office
D.
they are safety valves for popular discontent
Question #57
Which of the following is true about money and congressional campaigns,,
A.
money from PAC's pays the entire cost of congressional campaigns
B.
incumbents generally spend more than challengers
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.
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.
high school graduates sue their school district because they were given a diploma even though they never learned to how to read or write
Question #59
Which of the following is true regarding presidential coattails?,,
A.
the president's party tends to lose seats in presidential elections years
B.
the president's party tends to lose seats in midterm elections years
C.
they have diminished in recent 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.
running campaigns
B.
selecting officeholders
C.
enforcing rules of discipline in Congress
D.
taking care of their party in the electorate
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.
Rules Committee
B.
Collaborative Commitee
C.
Joint Committee
D.
Debate Committee
Question #62
In the US, most of the mass media outlets are owned by ,,
A.
the FCC
B.
giant corporations
C.
small businesses
D.
TNT
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 frequently withdraw licenses from tv stations that do not serve the public interest
C.
as a form of public service, it requires all broadcast stations to publicly endorse political candidates
D.
it conducts periodic examinations of the goals and performances of tv stations
Question #64
Which of the following is a reason why Americans vote?,,
A.
social promotion
B.
the cost of voting outweighs the benefits
C.
civic duty
D.
statutes that require compulsory voting
Question #65
Members of Congress engage in casework because,,
A.
it gives them leverage with congressional leaders
B.
they must be informed about the intricacies of policy issues in order to get prime committee assignments and to make good legislation
C.
fewer public funds are available for congressional campaigns for those who shun casework
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.
union shop laws
B.
right to work laws
C.
maximum wage laws
D.
right to profiteer 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.
first past the post
B.
single member district
C.
winner takes all
D.
proportional representation
Question #68
When comparing House and Senate incumbents running for reelection, Senate incumbents,,
A.
are more likely to win than House incumbents
B.
typically run against more visible challengers than House incumbents
C.
typically win with larger margins than House incumbents
D.
often have more homogeneous constituencies than House incumbents
Question #69
Party machines were able to dominate politics in some urban areas during the early 1900's by,,
A.
appealing to the good nature of city dwellers
B.
being responsible parties
C.
giving power to average citizens rather than party leaders
D.
rewarding it's members with patronage
Question #70
Which of the following did Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan have in common?,,
A.
they were the only two presidents without a college degree
B.
they both engaged in hostilities in Iraq and Haiti
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.
revolving doors
B.
legislative oversight
C.
gate keeping
D.
mark-ups
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.
Canada
C.
Panama
D.
Kuwait
Question #73
The president claims authority to nominate Supreme Court justices from ,,
A.
issuing presidential decrees
B.
Article III of the Constitution
C.
Article II of the Constitution
D.
writing executive orders
Question #74
In the United States we have a ,,
A.
representative democracy
B.
republican form of government
C.
indirect 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.
while Congress is in recess
B.
after the President has been in office for at least 6 months
C.
during the honeymoon period
D.
at the end of the President's first term
Question #76
Common Cause is concerned primarily with ,,
A.
racial equality
B.
a strong defense
C.
tax breaks for small businesses
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.
conjoining opinions
B.
per curiam opinions
C.
dissenting opinions
D.
concurring opinions
Question #78
Which of the following best describes American Political Parties?,,
A.
disciplined
B.
highly structured
C.
decentralized
D.
single minded
Question #79
Since the 1960's the percentage of Americans who think that government is run by a ,,
A.
increased
B.
approximated zero
C.
decreased
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 efficacy
C.
political socialization
D.
self deprecation
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 republican manifesto
C.
the contract with America
D.
the statement of faith
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.
online voting
C.
early voting techniques
D.
the primary system
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 ensure a smooth transition from one administration to the next
C.
they are so instrumental to American government that their existence is guaranteed by Article IV of the Constitution
D.
the can foster corruption and national divisiveness
Question #84
Unlike political parties, most interest groups,,
A.
focus on articulating a specific issue
B.
nominate and run candidates for political office
C.
aggregate issues
D.
criticize party members
Question #85
The primary responsibilities of the national party convention are,,
A.
to raise hard money from individuals and soft money from businesses
B.
to appoint officers and set the dates for the upcoming state primaries
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.
IX
B.
IV
C.
V
D.
VII
Question #87
Congress most clearly lacks,,
A.
more Caucasians
B.
more female politicians
C.
more people with advanced degrees
D.
more Protestants
Question #88
Business associations can contribute money to a political candidate by setting up ,,
A.
a soft money account
B.
a Buckely v. Valeo exemption
C.
a political action committee
D.
an ad valorem association
Question #89
Which of the following is the most frequently cited difference between Democrats and Republicans? ,,
A.
Democrats are more concerned with cutting taxes while Republicans are more concerned with balancing the budget
B.
Democrats are more concerned with foreign policy while Republicans are more concerned with domestic and social policy
C.
Democrats favor government programs to help the lower and middle classes, while Republicans favor low levels of taxes and domestic spending
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.
Hispanics
B.
Asian Americans
C.
Caucasians
D.
African Americans
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 gone down in the last several years
C.
they have a more positive evaluation of the institution as a whole over their individual member
D.
the approval ratings for Congress have increased in the last several years
Question #92
Proponents of term limits argue that ,,
A.
challengers have a built in advantage because they are Washington outsiders
B.
members of Congress hardly have time to get their feet wet before they must relinquish their seats
C.
incumbents should spend more time campaigning
D.
Congress needs more turnover in its membership
Question #93
Which is true of presidential power in the United States?,,
A.
presidents must compete with others for power
B.
presidents can trust that members of their political party will be completely loyal to them
C.
the bureaucracy immediately carries out all instructions from the president
D.
presidential power is absolute
Question #94
The concerns of environmental groups are often in direct conflict with the concerns of?,,
A.
the government
B.
the Sierra Club
C.
energy groups
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 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 legislative
B.
the bureaucracy
C.
the executive
D.
the judiciary
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 are loyal to their constituents
D.
they provide alternative viewpoints on policies than those of the majority party
Question #100
The President of the United States has all of the following powers except,,
A.
send American troops into foreign conflicts
B.
issue executive orders
C.
Issue executive agreements
D.
issue presidential pardons
E.
declare war
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