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.
cooperation with the Joint Chiefs of Staff
D.
the power to act in all cases of national importance
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.
pay monthly dues to an ideological organization
D.
agree on all policy issues
Question #3
According to the Constitution, the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction,,
A.
in all matters where the United States is a party
B.
in all cases affecting ambassadors, public ministers and consuls, and in cases in which a state is a party
C.
only in cases where it has been duly authorized by statue
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 political party that he or she was a member of when elected to Congress
C.
supporting the president in all of his legislative programs
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.
the Senate is able to decide on the proper action on a bill quicker than 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 set the rules for filibustering a bill
B.
to reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill
C.
to determine the path of a proposed legislation on the House floor
D.
to approve all appropriations bills
Question #7
U.S. Supreme Court justices are appointed for life because the framers of the Constitution,,
A.
wanted to make the Supreme Court more accountable to the people
B.
believed in aristocracy
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 persuade others to vote for a particular bill in return for a favor at a later date
B.
used in the House of Representatives to force a standing committee to release a bill
C.
an attempt to prevent passage of a bill by halting action through unlimited debate
D.
a method used by the Speaker of the House to promote the Majority Party's legislation
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 convened to resolve differences between a House passed bill and a Senate passed bill
C.
called into session when a president has vetoed an appropriations bill with a pocket veto
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.
younger than candidates in the previous twenty years
B.
knowledgeable about all areas of the government
C.
white and male
D.
representatives of the general public
Question #13
Who decides which case the Supreme Court will hear?,,
A.
the Vice President
B.
the Supreme Court
C.
an appeals Federal Court
D.
the states
Question #14
As Commander in Chief, the president is,,
A.
not responsible for military decisions
B.
only allowed to make military decisions after the approval by Congress
C.
only a symbolic leader of the military
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 have the power to veto judicial nominations
B.
they help the judicial review board
C.
the litigate
D.
James Madison stipulated their role in Federalist # 10
Question #16
The most important committees in Congress are ,,
A.
legislative-executive committees for foreign policy
B.
standing committees
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.
without receiving any electoral votes
C.
without obtaining a majority of the popular vote
D.
if he has not yet reached his 29th birthday
Question #18
When is a Supreme Court justice most likely to retire?,,
A.
right before a presidential election
B.
when there is an ideological divide on the court
C.
when faced with the pressure of public opinion
D.
when the sitting president is ideologically similar to the justice
Question #19
In principle, the Republican party has been known as the party of ,,
A.
liberal political ideas
B.
economic depression
C.
social welfare programs
D.
the middle and upper classes
Question #20
Examples of interest groups include all of the following except,,
A.
The National Organization for Women (NOW)
B.
The National Security Council (NSC)
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 bifurcated party system
B.
A multi party system
C.
A Federal-state party system
D.
A two party system
Question #22
Oversight is the process by which Congress,,
A.
allows meaningful input of foreigners through hearings
B.
supervises the activities of the judicial and executive branches
C.
reviews the actions of subcomittees
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.
supporting his or her political party one hundred percent
B.
supporting the president on all of his legislative programs
C.
acting on conscience or representing the broad interests of the entire society and country as a whole
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.
disagreements between a majority of Supreme Court judges and lower court judges
C.
conflicts between lower courts on the interpretation of federal law
D.
civil liberties
Question #26
The principal function of any legislature is,,
A.
to check the power of the executive branch
B.
lawmaking
C.
constituent service
D.
casework
Question #27
The purpose of an ,,
A.
prevent a party from acting until the court makes a final decision
B.
influence a court's decision
C.
prohibit future action that would violate civil rights
D.
require testimony of witnesses who maybe hostile to the plaintiff or otherwise reluctant to appear in court
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 popular vote and the electoral college vote
D.
Bush won the electoral vote, which is the vote that actually selects the winner
Question #29
According to the Constitution, impeachment,,
A.
proceedings begin in the Senate and conclude in the House of Representatives
B.
proceedings can only be applied to a president that has committed bribery
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 method used to defeat legislation in Congress
D.
a closed meeting held by the majority party when important legislation is pending
Question #31
In the history of the United States, no president has ever ,,
A.
been impeached and convicted
B.
both a and b
C.
served more than two terms of office
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.
precedent
B.
judicial review
C.
the writ of judicial appeal
D.
appellate review of fact
Question #33
How many justices currently serve on the Supreme Court,,
A.
7
B.
9
C.
10
D.
8
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.
must use his power to select leaders in high level positions within Congress to work for the president's legislative agenda
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 Electoral College
B.
The Framers College
C.
The Nominating College of the Federal Government
D.
The states legislatures
Question #36
Which of the following is true about the Supreme Court of the United States,,
A.
its opinions are always enforced immediately
B.
it never overrules laws enacted by elected officials
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.
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.
the legislative branch
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.
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.
declaring martial law, which restricts judicial decision making
B.
forcing Congress to consider impeachment of specific judges
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.
enforce laws, treaties, and court orders
B.
oversee actions of state governments
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.
open seat candidates
B.
incumbents
C.
cooperatives
D.
challengers
Question #43
Casework is ,,
A.
constituent service
B.
oversight
C.
logrolling
D.
lawmaking
Question #44
The Rhenquist and Robert Courts were/are known as ,,
A.
ideologically conservative courts
B.
pro civil rights courts
C.
ideologically liberal courts
D.
activist 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 the policy statement of Congress over which the president seldom has influence
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.
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 Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
C.
United States Representative
D.
United States President
Question #49
Traditionally labor unions and environmental groups ,,
A.
support the Green party
B.
do not endorse candidates
C.
support both Republicans and Democrats
D.
support Democrats
E.
support Republicans
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 majority of the popular vote or 50.1 percent
D.
a plurality of the delegates at the national convention
Question #51
A line-item veto allows,,
A.
the president to send troops overseas for more than 30 days without congressional approval
B.
the president to veto only parts of a bill
C.
the Congress to override a bill submitted by the president
D.
the legislature to override executive orders
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 Graham-Rudman-Hollins Fair Election Act
C.
The USA Patriot Act
D.
The McCain-Feingold 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.
an impoundment 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.
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.
about 2/3 of the time
B.
very often
C.
very rarely
D.
about 1/2 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 ensure continuity by keeping new groups from participating
B.
they are safety valves for popular discontent
C.
they frequently win political office
D.
they seldom place social reform measures on the political agenda
Question #57
Which of the following is true about money and congressional campaigns,,
A.
spending is unimportant for open seats
B.
money from PAC's pays the entire cost of congressional campaigns
C.
prolific spending by incumbents typically guarantees them success
D.
incumbents generally spend more than challengers
Question #58
A class action suit is when,,
A.
a court issuing a temporary restraining order against an interest group
B.
members of Congress suing interest groups for corrupting the political system
C.
a group of people in a similar situation combining their common grievances into a single lawsuit
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.
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.
running campaigns
B.
selecting officeholders
C.
taking care of their party in the electorate
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.
Joint Committee
B.
Collaborative Commitee
C.
Debate 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.
it frequently withdraw licenses from tv stations that do not serve the public interest
B.
there are no restrictions on the number of stations owned or controlled by one company
C.
it conducts periodic examinations of the goals and performances of tv stations
D.
as a form of public service, it requires all broadcast stations to publicly endorse political candidates
Question #64
Which of the following is a reason why Americans vote?,,
A.
the cost of voting outweighs the benefits
B.
social promotion
C.
statutes that require compulsory voting
D.
civic duty
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.
they must be informed about the intricacies of policy issues in order to get prime committee assignments and to make good legislation
C.
it gives them leverage with congressional leaders
D.
fewer public funds are available for congressional campaigns for those who shun casework
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.
first past the post
C.
winner takes all
D.
proportional representation
Question #68
When comparing House and Senate incumbents running for reelection, Senate incumbents,,
A.
typically win with larger margins than House incumbents
B.
are more likely to win than House incumbents
C.
typically run against more visible challengers 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.
rewarding it's members with patronage
D.
giving power to average citizens rather than party leaders
Question #70
Which of the following did Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan have in common?,,
A.
they were both skilled at using the bully pulpit
B.
they both engaged in hostilities in Iraq and Haiti
C.
they were the only two presidents without a college degree
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.
gate keeping
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.
Panama
B.
Vietnam
C.
Kuwait
D.
Canada
Question #73
The president claims authority to nominate Supreme Court justices from ,,
A.
writing executive orders
B.
Article II of the Constitution
C.
issuing presidential decrees
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.
while Congress is in recess
B.
during the honeymoon period
C.
at the end of the President's first term
D.
after the President has been in office for at least 6 months
Question #76
Common Cause is concerned primarily with ,,
A.
open and fair government
B.
a strong defense
C.
racial equality
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.
concurring opinions
D.
per curiam opinions
Question #78
Which of the following best describes American Political Parties?,,
A.
highly structured
B.
decentralized
C.
disciplined
D.
single minded
Question #79
Since the 1960's the percentage of Americans who think that government is run by a ,,
A.
approximated zero
B.
stayed about the same
C.
decreased
D.
increased
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.
self deprecation
C.
political efficacy
D.
political socialization
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.
the primary system
B.
early voting techniques
C.
local elections
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.
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.
criticize party members
B.
nominate and run candidates for political office
C.
focus on articulating a specific issue
D.
aggregate issues
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 discipline wayward party members and reward loyal partisan
C.
to raise hard money from individuals and soft money from businesses
D.
to appoint officers and set the dates for the upcoming state primaries
Question #86
The right to privacy is inferred from the following amendments in the Constitution except the ,,
A.
IX
B.
IV
C.
VII
D.
V
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 Buckely v. Valeo exemption
B.
a political action committee
C.
an ad valorem association
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 foreign policy while Republicans are more concerned with domestic and social policy
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.
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.
they have a more positive evaluation of the institution as a whole over their individual member
C.
the approval ratings for Congress have increased in the last several years
D.
The approval ratings for Congress have gone down in the last several years
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.
challengers have a built in advantage because they are Washington outsiders
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 can trust that members of their political party will be completely loyal to them
B.
presidential power is absolute
C.
presidents must compete with others for power
D.
the bureaucracy immediately carries out all instructions from the president
Question #94
The concerns of environmental groups are often in direct conflict with the concerns of?,,
A.
the Democratic party
B.
the government
C.
the Sierra Club
D.
energy groups
Question #95
The media most often uses investigative journalism to ,,
A.
spy on foreign governments
B.
unearth scandals
C.
gain the trust of politicians
D.
explore the details of proposed public policies
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 backloading has become too expensive, especially during economic downturns
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 legislative
B.
the judiciary
C.
the executive
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 Secretary of State
B.
The Speaker of the House
C.
The White House Press Secretary
D.
none of the above
Question #99
When a political party plays the role of ,,
A.
they are loyal to their constituents
B.
they provide alternative viewpoints on policies than those of the majority party
C.
they agree with every policy of the ruling party
D.
they are loyal to the president as long as he promises not to veto legislation
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.
declare war
D.
issue presidential pardons
E.
Issue executive agreements
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