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.
a federal bureaucracy
C.
unlimited power to create offices within the executive branch
D.
cooperation with the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Question #2
A political party is a group of individuals who,,
A.
organize to win elections and operate the government
B.
agree on all policy issues
C.
pay monthly dues to an ideological organization
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 matters where the United States is a party
B.
only in cases where it has been duly authorized by statue
C.
in all cases affecting ambassadors, public ministers and consuls, and in cases in which a state is a party
D.
to intervene any time in a federal case
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 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 approve all appropriations bills
B.
to reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill
C.
to set the rules for filibustering a bill
D.
to determine the path of a proposed legislation on the House floor
Question #7
U.S. Supreme Court justices are appointed for life because the framers of the Constitution,,
A.
wanted to insulate them from the influence of public opinion
B.
comprised the first Supreme Court and they wanted to ensure their own job security
C.
believed in aristocracy
D.
wanted to make the Supreme Court more accountable to the people
Question #8
A filibuster is,,
A.
used in the House of Representatives to force a standing committee to release a bill
B.
a method used by the Speaker of the House to promote the Majority Party's legislation
C.
an attempt to persuade others to vote for a particular bill in return for a favor at a later date
D.
an attempt to prevent passage of a bill by halting action through unlimited debate
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 political connections
B.
they emphasize their partisanship
C.
they emphasize their ideology
D.
they maintain a low profile
Question #11
A ,,
A.
a special committee convened to resolve differences between the President and Congress
B.
a special committee in the House of Representatives to assist the Speaker with his party agenda
C.
a special committee convened to resolve differences between a House passed bill and a Senate passed bill
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.
representatives of the general public
C.
white and male
D.
knowledgeable about all areas of the government
Question #13
Who decides which case the Supreme Court will hear?,,
A.
an appeals Federal Court
B.
the Supreme 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.
James Madison stipulated their role in Federalist # 10
B.
the have the power to veto judicial nominations
C.
they help the judicial review board
D.
the litigate
Question #16
The most important committees in Congress are ,,
A.
special House and Senate investigative committees
B.
legislative-executive committees for foreign policy
C.
joint resolution committees
D.
standing committees
Question #17
It is possible for a candidate to become president,,
A.
if he has not yet reached his 29th birthday
B.
without obtaining a majority of the popular vote
C.
without receiving any electoral votes
D.
if he is a naturalized citizen
Question #18
When is a Supreme Court justice most likely to retire?,,
A.
when there is an ideological divide on the court
B.
when the sitting president is ideologically similar to the justice
C.
right before a presidential election
D.
when faced with the pressure of public opinion
Question #19
In principle, the Republican party has been known as the party of ,,
A.
social welfare programs
B.
the middle and upper classes
C.
economic depression
D.
liberal political ideas
Question #20
Examples of interest groups include all of the following except,,
A.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
B.
The National Organization for Women (NOW)
C.
The National Education Association (NEA)
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 multi party system
C.
A Federal-state party system
D.
A bifurcated party system
Question #22
Oversight is the process by which Congress,,
A.
reviews the actions of subcomittees
B.
follows up on the laws it has enacted making sure they are properly implemented
C.
supervises the activities of the judicial and executive branches
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.
supporting his or her political party one hundred percent
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.
that the other court does not have jurisdiction in a case
B.
to reverse a decision by a lower court
C.
to stand on decided cases
D.
to refer a case to the next highest court
Question #25
The Supreme Court is least likely to hear a case involving ,,
A.
civil liberties
B.
disagreements between a majority of Supreme Court judges and lower court judges
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.
to check the power of the executive branch
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.
Bush won the popular vote and the electoral college vote
C.
Bush won the electoral vote, which is the vote that actually selects the winner
D.
he won the electoral vote, but only because Gore withdrew from the campaign
Question #29
According to the Constitution, impeachment,,
A.
proceedings can only be applied to a president that has committed bribery
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 not be used against an incumbent president
Question #30
The concept of ,,
A.
a process that attempt to limit debate on a bill in the Senate floor
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 method used to defeat legislation in Congress
Question #31
In the history of the United States, no president has ever ,,
A.
served more than two terms of office
B.
been impeached and convicted
C.
both a and b
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.
the writ of judicial appeal
D.
precedent
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.
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 all actions within the Executive Branch
C.
is responsible for selecting all judges to federal courts
D.
makes treaties, recognizes foreign governments, and makes executive agreements
Question #35
The group that officially elects the President and Vice-President of the United States is ,,
A.
The Electoral College
B.
The states legislatures
C.
The Nominating College of the Federal Government
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.
it can play a policymaking role
C.
its decision seldom set precents
D.
its opinions are always enforced immediately
Question #37
In principle, the Democrats have been known as the party of ,,
A.
conservative political ideas
B.
the working class
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 council of state governors that would meet each year
B.
a secret elite class that would be responsible for protecting society from anarchy
C.
the legislative branch
D.
a very powerful chief executive given that under the Articles of Confederation it was weak
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.
can not exceed 550
C.
is equal to the number of representatives and senators a state has in Congress
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.
forcing Congress to consider impeachment of specific judges
B.
declaring martial law, which restricts judicial decision making
C.
appointing new judges when there are vacancies, who in principle has philosophies consistent with the president
D.
firing judges on the grounds of incompatibility
Question #41
As chief executive, the president is constitutionally bound to ,,
A.
inform Congress prior to any military action
B.
enforce laws, treaties, and court orders
C.
oversee actions of state governments
D.
submit a balanced budget to Congress
Question #42
Most PAC (Political Action Committees) contributions go to ,,
A.
open seat candidates
B.
incumbents
C.
cooperatives
D.
challengers
Question #43
Casework is ,,
A.
oversight
B.
constituent service
C.
logrolling
D.
lawmaking
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 an effective tool used by the president to limit other countries' foreign policy
B.
is delivered by the president to the General Assembly of the United Nations at least once every four years
C.
is the policy statement of Congress over which the president seldom has influence
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.
not valid in foreign policy matters unless approved by the Senate
D.
no longer used to conduct foreign policy in the modern world
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 reinforcing habeas corpus
C.
it's interpreting original constitutionalism
D.
it's ignoring the principle of stare decisis
Question #48
Naturalized citizens are constitutionally barred from running for the office of ,,
A.
United States President
B.
United States Senator
C.
United States Representative
D.
United States Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Question #49
Traditionally labor unions and environmental groups ,,
A.
support Democrats
B.
do not endorse candidates
C.
support Republicans
D.
support the Green party
E.
support both Republicans and Democrats
Question #50
In order to be elected president one must receive,,
A.
a majority of the electoral vote, that being 270 votes
B.
a plurality of the popular vote, that is, whichever candidate gets the most votes
C.
a plurality of the delegates at the national convention
D.
a majority of the popular vote or 50.1 percent
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 president to veto only parts of a bill
D.
the Congress to override a bill submitted by the president
E.
the president to take advantage of the bully pulpit
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 Lee Atwater Campaign Finance Reform Act
B.
The McCain-Feingold Act
C.
The Graham-Rudman-Hollins Fair Election Act
D.
The USA Patriot 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 impoundment veto
B.
an overriding veto
C.
a pocket veto
D.
a legislative 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.
good of society problem
B.
sharing the load problem
C.
free rider problem
D.
the refugee problem
Question #55
How often are presidential vetoes overridden by Congress?,,
A.
very rarely
B.
about 1/2 the time
C.
about 2/3 of the time
D.
about 1/4 of the time
E.
very often
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.
prolific spending by incumbents typically guarantees them success
C.
incumbents generally spend more than challengers
D.
spending is unimportant for open seats
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.
members of Congress suing interest groups for corrupting the political system
C.
a court issuing a temporary restraining order against an interest group
D.
a group of people in a similar situation combining their common grievances into a single lawsuit
Question #59
Which of the following is true regarding presidential coattails?,,
A.
the president's party tends to lose seats in midterm elections years
B.
they have diminished in recent years
C.
the president's popularity tends to remain the same during wartime
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.
running campaigns
B.
taking care of their party in the electorate
C.
selecting officeholders
D.
enforcing rules of discipline in Congress
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.
Collaborative Commitee
B.
Debate Committee
C.
Rules Committee
D.
Joint Committee
Question #62
In the US, most of the mass media outlets are owned by ,,
A.
giant corporations
B.
the FCC
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.
as a form of public service, it requires all broadcast stations to publicly endorse political candidates
C.
it conducts periodic examinations of the goals and performances of tv stations
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.
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.
fewer public funds are available for congressional campaigns for those who shun casework
B.
it gives them leverage with congressional leaders
C.
it enhances their reelection prospects by allowing them to claim credit for helping constituents
D.
they must be informed about the intricacies of policy issues in order to get prime committee assignments and to make good legislation
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.
right to work laws
D.
union shop 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.
first past the post
C.
single member district
D.
proportional representation
Question #68
When comparing House and Senate incumbents running for reelection, Senate incumbents,,
A.
often have more homogeneous constituencies than House incumbents
B.
typically win with larger margins than House incumbents
C.
typically run against more visible challengers than House incumbents
D.
are more likely to win than House incumbents
Question #69
Party machines were able to dominate politics in some urban areas during the early 1900's by,,
A.
rewarding it's members with patronage
B.
appealing to the good nature of city dwellers
C.
giving power to average citizens rather than party leaders
D.
being responsible parties
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 both skilled at using the bully pulpit
C.
they both were able to pass significant legislation reshaping health care policy
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.
legislative oversight
B.
gate keeping
C.
revolving doors
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.
Kuwait
B.
Panama
C.
Vietnam
D.
Canada
Question #73
The president claims authority to nominate Supreme Court justices from ,,
A.
issuing presidential decrees
B.
writing executive orders
C.
Article II of the Constitution
D.
Article III of the Constitution
Question #74
In the United States we have a ,,
A.
indirect democracy
B.
representative 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.
after the President has been in office for at least 6 months
B.
during the honeymoon period
C.
at the end of the President's first term
D.
while Congress is in recess
Question #76
Common Cause is concerned primarily with ,,
A.
tax breaks for small businesses
B.
racial equality
C.
open and fair government
D.
a strong defense
Question #77
Supreme Court opinions written by justices opposed to all or part of the majority's decision are known as ,,
A.
per curiam opinions
B.
concurring opinions
C.
conjoining opinions
D.
dissenting opinions
Question #78
Which of the following best describes American Political Parties?,,
A.
decentralized
B.
disciplined
C.
single minded
D.
highly structured
Question #79
Since the 1960's the percentage of Americans who think that government is run by a ,,
A.
decreased
B.
stayed about the same
C.
increased
D.
approximated zero
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 statement of faith
B.
the republican manifesto
C.
the contract with America
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.
online voting
B.
early voting techniques
C.
local elections
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.
the can foster corruption and national divisiveness
C.
they ensure a smooth transition from one administration to the next
D.
they are so instrumental to American government that their existence is guaranteed by Article IV of the Constitution
Question #84
Unlike political parties, most interest groups,,
A.
nominate and run candidates for political office
B.
criticize party members
C.
focus on articulating a specific issue
D.
aggregate issues
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 nominate the party's presidential ticket and write the party's platform
C.
to discipline wayward party members and reward loyal partisan
D.
to raise hard money from individuals and soft money from businesses
Question #86
The right to privacy is inferred from the following amendments in the Constitution except the ,,
A.
IX
B.
VII
C.
IV
D.
V
Question #87
Congress most clearly lacks,,
A.
more Protestants
B.
more people with advanced degrees
C.
more female politicians
D.
more Caucasians
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 favor government programs to help the lower and middle classes, while Republicans favor low levels of taxes and domestic spending
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.
African Americans
C.
Hispanics
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.
they have a more positive evaluation of the institution as a whole over their individual member
D.
The approval ratings for Congress have gone down in the last several years
Question #92
Proponents of term limits argue that ,,
A.
Congress needs more turnover in its membership
B.
challengers have a built in advantage because they are Washington outsiders
C.
incumbents should spend more time campaigning
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.
the bureaucracy immediately carries out all instructions from the president
B.
presidential power is absolute
C.
presidents must compete with others for power
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 Sierra Club
B.
energy groups
C.
the government
D.
the Democratic party
Question #95
The media most often uses investigative journalism to ,,
A.
gain the trust of politicians
B.
explore the details of proposed public policies
C.
spy on foreign governments
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 state legislatures thought they could gain a partisan advantage
C.
because a great deal of attention is paid to early primary contestants
D.
because backloading has become too expensive, especially during economic downturns
Question #97
Among the branches of the federal government, the one that consistently inspires the most confidence is ,,
A.
the bureaucracy
B.
the executive
C.
the legislative
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 Secretary of State
B.
The White House Press Secretary
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.
declare war
B.
issue presidential pardons
C.
Issue executive agreements
D.
send American troops into foreign conflicts
E.
issue executive orders
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