Political Science 1 - Government of the United States and California » Summer 2019 » Final Exam

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Question #1
In recent years, Republicans who have failed to toe the party line
A.   have faced serious challenges in the Republican primary.
B.   have switched to the Democratic Party.
C.   have dominated leadership positions in Congress.
D.   have defeated many RINOs
E.   have most often been the most extremely conservative members of the party.
Question #2
A voter or a candidate who does not identify with a political party is called
A.   a conservative.
B.   a naysayer.
C.   a liberal.
D.   an independent.
E.   a libertarian.
Question #3
It is estimated that about ____________ of voters who identify as "independent" still lean toward either the Republican or the Democratic Party.
A.   25 percent
B.   10 percent
C.   90 percent
D.   50 percent
E.   75 percent
Question #4
A political party is a group of individuals who
A.   individuals in a political party agree on all major policy issues.
B.   interest groups select candidates to run for office and political parties do not.
C.   political parties do not want to operate the government and interest groups do.
D.   individuals must pay dues to a political party but not to an interest group.
E.   political parties want to operate the government and interest groups do not.
Question #5
The primary goal of an American political party is
A.   signing up large numbers of deeply committed members.
B.   collecting member dues.
C.   peaceably influencing the American public.
D.   trying to find the other party doing “bad” things.
E.   getting the party’s candidates elected to office by winning elections.
Question #6
After the Great Depression, the __________ became the party of the working class.
A.   Libertarian Party
B.   Republican Party
C.   Federalist Party
D.   Democratic Party
E.   Green Party
Question #7
The party-in-the-electorate is made up of
A.   the members of the general public who identify with a political party.
B.   the individuals who choose the members of the electoral college.
C.   the members of the electoral college.
D.   the formal structure and leadership of a political party.
E.   all of the elected and appointed officials who identify with a party.
Question #8
Divided government
A.   is a strong indication of the emergence of a new third party.
B.   is another name for federalism.
C.   exists when the presidency and Congress are controlled by different parties.
D.   reflects a situation when a person votes for candidates of two parties for different offices.
E.   increases the control of the winning party in an election.
Question #9
The two-party system
A.   was favored by George Washington.
B.   emerged as a consequence of the form of government created by the Constitution.
C.   is a requirement in the Constitution.
D.   emerged as a consequence of the form of government created by the Constitution and was favored by George Washington.
E.   emerged in the twentieth century.
Question #10
A two-party system
A.   tends to exist mostly in European democracies.
B.   is one in which there are only two legal parties and tends to exist mostly in European democracies.
C.   is one in which control of government is divided between two political parties.
D.   is one in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning.
E.   is one in which there are only two legal parties.
Question #11
George Washington viewed political parties as a
A.   necessity for the functioning of democracy.
B.   vestige of politics under Great Britain and thus a thing of the past.
C.   threat to national unity and popular government.
D.   tradition from colonial times that would always exist.
E.   legitimate means for interest groups to attempt to gain control of the government.
Question #12
Which of the following is true?
A.   The Great Depression solidified the Republican Party as the dominant and most trusted party in American government and politics.
B.   The Great Depression shattered the working-class belief in Republican economic competence.
C.   The Great Depression shattered the working-class belief in Democratic economic competence.
D.   Republicans held the presidency from the early 1930s until the late 1960s.
E.   Roosevelt’s relief programs were generally not available to African Americans, resulting in African Americans’ antagonism toward the Democratic Party that lasted for decades.
Question #13
Which is (are) true of the New Deal period?
A.   Democrats made major interventions in the economy to combat the Great Depression.
B.   Roosevelt’s coalition of whites and blacks was large enough to establish the Democrats as the majority party.
C.   The Great Depression shattered working-class voters’ confidence in the Republican Party.
D.   President Roosevelt’s programs were open to whites and African Americans.
E.   All of these choices are true.
Question #14
Today, a voter who is an evangelical Christian living in a rural area is most likely to support
A.   Socialist candidates.
B.   Libertarian candidates
C.   Democratic candidates.
D.   Federalist candidates.
E.   Republican candidates.
Question #15
The 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizen’s United v. FEC
A.   increased the political power of corporations.
B.   was supported by Republicans on the basis of free speech.
C.   ruled that corporations, unions, and non-profit organizations may spend freely to support or oppose candidates as long as those expenditures are not coordinated with the candidate campaigns.
D.   was opposed by Democrats because it gave corporations some political rights given to individual citizens.
E.   All of these choices are true.
Question #16
Political Action Committees
A.   coordinate all expenditures directly with the candidate.
B.   are committees created under federal or state law for the purpose of collecting political donations.
C.   collect funds from the candidate and transfer them to the political party.
D.   are limited in how much they spend
E.   are not covered by federal election laws.
Question #17
Over time, most voters
A.   support the cultural positions of their party, regardless of how they feel about its economic positions.
B.   choose a party for cultural reasons.
C.   support the economic positions of their party, regardless of how they feel about its cultural positions.
D.   choose a party for economic reasons.
E.   support both the cultural and economic positions of their party.
Question #18
The first televised presidential debate was between
A.   Johnson and Goldwater in 1964.
B.   Nixon and Humphrey in 1968.
C.   Kennedy and Nixon in 1960.
D.   Nixon and McGovern in 1972.
E.   Eisenhower and Stevenson in 1956.
Question #19
All of the following are true of presidential debates EXCEPT
A.   challengers generally have more to gain by debating than do incumbent Presidents.
B.   debates put challengers and incumbents on equal footing.
C.   participation in presidential debates is required of candidates by law.
D.   debates can undermine the presidential image of an incumbent.
E.   televised debates are believed to have given John Kennedy the edge over Richard Nixon in the close election of 1960.
Question #20
The candidacy of Donald Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries was that of
A.   an insurgent candidate who won over the establishment.
B.   an establishment candidate who won due to his advantage in the "invisible primary."
C.   an insurgent candidate who never faded in the polls.
D.   an establishment candidate who led from the beginning.
E.   an establishment candidate who overcame insurgent candidates.
Question #21
John frequently supports Democratic candidates for national office but usually votes for Republicans in state and local elections.  John is best described as a/n     
A.   splinter voter.
B.   dealigned voter.
C.   split-ticket voter
D.   swing voter.
E.   independent.
Question #22
When citizens vote for president on election day
A.   they are voting for a slate of electors pledged to support a particular candidate.
B.   they become members of the electoral college.
C.   they are also voting for all other candidates from the same party.
D.   their votes are weighted by their levels of education.
E.   their votes are weighted by the number of times they have previously voted.
Question #23
Abolishing the electoral college
A.   can be done on a state by state basis.
B.   is impossible.
C.   could be done by an act of Congress.
D.   would require a Constitutional Amendment.
E.   would require a switch to a parliamentary system of government.
Question #24
In a __________, political parties choose their candidates to run in the ___________.
A.   partisan election; primary election
B.   primary election; secondary election
C.   partisan election; general election
D.   primary election; general election
E.   general election; primary election
Question #25
In presidential elections
A.   voters elect the president directly.
B.   None of these choices is true.
C.   All of these choices are true.
D.   electors have always voted for the candidate who won their state’s vote.
E.   the number of electors equals each state’s number of senators (two) plus its number of representatives.
Question #26
Voter ID laws are often enacted with the stated goal of _______________, but actually have the effect of _______________.
A.   preventing vote fraud; suppressing turnout among minorities and the poor
B.   increasing turnout; suppressing turnout among members of the armed forces serving abroad
C.   preventing vote fraud; making ID fraud more common
D.   increasing turnout; suppressing turnout among minorities and the poor
E.   preventing vote fraud; suppressing turnout among members of the armed forces serving abroad
Question #27
Voter turnout is commonly higher in __________ than in __________.
A.   primary elections; general elections
B.   local elections; Congressional elections
C.   local elections; presidential elections
D.   presidential elections; midterm elections
E.   state elections; presidential elections
Question #28
Reported voter turnout _________ as age __________.
A.   stabilizes; decreases
B.   decreases; increases
C.   stabilizes; increases
D.   increases; decreases
E.   increases; increases
Question #29
All of the following restrictions on voting have been loosened over time EXCEPT
A.   racial restrictions.
B.   citizenship restrictions.
C.   age restrictions.
D.   sex/gender restrictions.
E.   property ownership restrictions.
Question #30
A brief, memorable comment that can easily fit into news broadcasts is known as
A.   a media frame.
B.   a sound frame.
C.   a quick quote.
D.   a sound bite.
E.   a media bite.
Question #31
Since the "Daisy Girl" political advertisement in 1964, we have seen _________________ because _________________.
A.   a decline in negative advertising; it only harms the campaign that "goes negative"
B.   a decline in negative advertising; it is perceived as having little or no effect
C.   a decline in both positive and negative political advertising; they are perceived as ineffective
D.   an increase in negative advertising; it is perceived as effective
E.   a decline in both positive and negative political advertising; they are too costly
Question #32
Negative advertising can backfire because
A.   the public do not pay attention to negative ads.
B.   it may boost the chances of a third candidate, and the public may think poorly of a candidate who engages in negative advertising.
C.   it may boost the chances of a third candidate.
D.   None of these choices is true.
E.   the public may think poorly of a candidate who engages in negative advertising.
Question #33
Talk radio is almost completely dominated by
A.   moderates.
B.   socialists.
C.   liberals.
D.   conservatives.
E.   libertarians.
Question #34
Breaking up large banks and tuition-free college education were major themes in the 2016 presidential candidacy of
A.   Ted Cruz.
B.   Scott Walker.
C.   Donald Trump.
D.   Hillary Clinton.
E.   Bernie Sanders.
Question #35
The division of Congress into two separate assemblies is known as
A.   bicameralism.
B.   unicameralism.
C.   multicameralism.
D.   the separation of powers.
E.   cameralism.
Question #36
The people whom a legislator represents and spends considerable time and effort serving are called
A.   constituents.
B.   delegates.
C.   members.
D.   trustees.
E.   representatives.
Question #37
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 electoral college.
B.   the chief executive.
C.   the judiciary.
D.   the legislature.
E.   the bureaucracy.
Question #38
Lawmaking is the major function of 
A.   Congress.
B.   the Senate, but not the House.
C.   the House, but not the Senate.
D.   the President.
E.   the bureaucracy.
Question #39
A representative who votes in accordance with the wishes of his or her constituency is acting as a(n) __________, while one who pursues the best national interest, regardless of public opinion in his or her constituency, is acting as a(n) __________.
A.   instructed delegate; trustee
B.   trustee; ombudsperson
C.   ombudsperson; trustee
D.   trustee; instructed delegate
E.   instructed delegate; ombudsperson
Question #40
The drawing of legislative district boundaries in order to give one side an advantage is known as
A.   the coattail effect.
B.   reapportionment.
C.   gerrymandering.
D.   incumbency advantage.
E.   redistricting.
Question #41
In midterm congressional elections
A.   the president’s political party will be unaffected unless the president campaigns for congressional candidates.
B.   incumbents are more likely to lose.
C.   voter turnout falls sharply.
D.   voter turnout increases sharply.
E.   the president’s political party will usually gain seats in Congress.
Question #42
Most incumbent members of Congress
A.   are defeated in primary elections.
B.   are defeated in general elections.
C.   successfully run for reelection.
D.   are term limited and cannot run for reelection.
E.   choose not to run for reelection.
Question #43
Seats in the House of Representatives are up for election every __________, while Senate seats are up for election every __________. 
A.   two years; six years
B.   two years, three years
C.   two years; four years
D.   six years; two years
E.   six years; four years
Question #44
As originally presented in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights
A.   contained no language on religion.
B.   protected citizens from all forms of government.
C.   limited only the power of the national government, not that of the states.
D.   protected citizens from the national and state governments, but not from local governments.
E.   limited only the power of state governments.
Question #45
The basis of freedom of religion is found in which two principles in the Bill of Rights?
A.   the establishment clause and the free exercise clause
B.   the establishment clause and the general welfare clause
C.   the supremacy clause and the free exercise clause
D.   the general welfare clause and the supremacy clause
E.   the free exercise clause and the general welfare clause
Question #46
In Engel v. Vitale, the Supreme Court held that
A.   it violates the establishment clause for government to support school vouchers.
B.   it is constitutional for government to sponsor school prayer if it is voluntary.
C.   it violates the establishment clause for government to compose official prayers.
D.   it violates the free exercise clause for government to support school vouchers.
E.   it violates the free exercise clause for government to compose official prayers.
Question #47
All of the following are true of flag burning EXCEPT
A.   it is considered symbolic speech.
B.   it is protected by the First Amendment’s freedom of expression (speech).
C.   Congress passed legislation against flag burning that was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
D.   a constitutional amendment has been passed outlawing flag burning.
E.   it was outlawed in some states in the 1980s.
Question #48
A 1976 case involving Karen Ann Quinlan was one of the first publicized cases involving
A.   defamation by libel.
B.   the legality of abortion.
C.   symbolic speech.
D.   commercial speech.
E.   the right to die.
Question #49
 In Gideon v. Wainwright, the Supreme Court ruled that
A.   there can be no cruel and unusual punishment.
B.   search warrants are always needed to gather evidence.
C.   a lawyer does not have to be supplied in a state case.
D.   if one cannot afford an attorney, the government must provide one.
E.   lawyers only need to be appointed in death penalty cases.
Question #50
The exclusionary rule is a policy that
A.   is limited to the federal courts.
B.   prohibits the arresting officer from serving as a character witness at a hearing or trial.
C.   forbids the admission of illegally seized evidence at trial.
D.   prohibits the detention of a suspect for more than forty-eight hours without the suspect being charged.
E.   None of these choices is true.
Question #51
Cruel and unusual punishment is prohibited by
A.   the separation of powers.
B.   the Fifth Amendment.
C.   the Tenth Amendment.
D.   the Eighth Amendment.
E.   judicial review.
Question #52
The term civil rights refers to
A.   the rights of all Americans provided for in the Fourteenth Amendment and what the government must do to ensure freedom from discrimination.
B.   what the government must do to ensure freedom from discrimination.
C.   civil liberties such as freedom of religion, speech, or assembly.
D.   Gun ownership
E.   limitations on what the government may not do to interfere with individual liberties.
Question #53
The provision that states that all persons born in the United States are citizens can be found in the  
A.   the Declaration of Independence.
B.   the Thirteenth Amendment.
C.   the Nineteenth Amendment.
D.   the Fourteenth Amendment.
E.   the Fifteenth Amendment.
Question #54
The Fifteenth Amendment
A.   gave eighteen-year-olds the right to vote.
B.   gave women the right to vote.
C.   stated that the right to vote shall not be abridged on account of race.
D.   outlawed slavery.
E.   provided equal protection under the law.
Question #55
The Civil Rights Acts passed by Congress between 1865 and 1875
A.   made it illegal to use law or custom to deprive anyone of rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution.
B.   were designed to enforce the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments.
C.   implemented the extension of citizenship to anyone born in the United States.
D.   All of these choices are true.
E.   declared that everyone is entitled to full and equal enjoyment of public accommodations.
Question #56
In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the U.S. Supreme Court    
A.   tried to stop the development of legal racial segregation known as Jim Crow laws.
B.   agreed that separation of races is not a violation of the Constitution.
C.   stated that schools may not practice any type of racial segregation.
D.   ruled that African Americans are not persons for the purposes of the Constitution.
E.   ruled that the practice of slavery must cease before the end of the century.
Question #57
The white primary in southern states allowed
A.   whites to exclude African Americans from voting in Democratic primaries.
B.   voters to select ballots for each party based on different skin colors.
C.   African Americans the opportunity to vote for the first time.
D.   all races to participate in elections on an equal basis.
E.   whites to exclude African Americans from voting in the general elections.
Question #58
The tests commonly administered as a precondition for voting were called
A.   primary tests.
B.   constitutional exams.
C.   poll tests.
D.   registration tests.
E.   literacy tests.
Question #59
In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), the U.S. Supreme Court held that
A.   ethnic minorities have no right to equal treatment
B.   the national government has no power over local school boards
C.   public school segregation of races violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment
D.   separation of races for educational purposes is constitutional
E.   African Americans cannot be refused college admission
Question #60
A civil rights advocate who believed in civil disobedience might be attracted to the movement around __________, while someone promoting black power would be more at home in the movement of __________. 
A.   Dr. King; Rosa Parks
B.   Dr. King; Malcolm X
C.   Rosa Parks; Dr. King
D.   Harriet Tubman; Malcolm X
E.   Malcolm X; Dr. King
Question #61
Which form of judicial review comes into play when laws are based on a suspect classification?
A.   moderate scrutiny
B.   exacting scrutiny
C.   intermediate scrutiny
D.   strict scrutiny
E.   rational basis review
Question #62
The policy in admissions or hiring that gives special consideration to traditionally disadvantaged groups to overcome the present effects of past discrimination is known as
A.   affirmative action.
B.   the Lincoln dilemma.
C.   civil rights.
D.   civil liberties.
E.   legislative mandate.
Question #63
 In the Bakke case, the Supreme Court ruled that
A.   all affirmative action programs were unconstitutional.
B.   affirmative action programs were allowable in law schools, but not to be utilized in medical schools.
C.   race cannot be considered as a factor at all in making admissions decisions.
D.   quota systems are constitutional.
E.   race cannot be the sole factor in admissions decisions.
Question #64
A century ago, most immigrants came to the United States from __________, while today most come from ___________. 
A.   China; Mexico and Central America
B.   Asia; Latin America
C.   Western Europe; former Soviet states
D.   Latin America; Eastern Europe
E.   Europe; Latin American and Asia
Question #65
The Nineteenth Amendment
A.   set the minimum voting age to eighteen.
B.   ended racial segregation in the United States.
C.   abolished slavery.
D.   expanded the right to vote to women.
E.   did away with racial restrictions on voting.
Question #66
Nationwide recognition of same-sex marriage was the result of  
A.   a 2015 executive order.
B.   a 2016 Congressional law.
C.   a 2015 Supreme Court decision.
D.   an international treaty on human rights.
E.   a 2010 Constitutional Amendment.
Question #67
Expressive clothing, gestures, and movements fall into the category of ________________, which is generally  ________________.
A.   contentless speech; not protected by the courts
B.   contentless speech; protected by the courts
C.   symbolic speech; protected by the courts
D.   symbolic speech; not protected by the courts
E.   symbolic speech; seen as a misapplication of the principles of free speech
Question #68
Upon arrest, police notify the arrested person that s/he has a right to remain silent and a right to legal counsel.  These are known as
A.   Griswold rights.
B.   Miranda rights.
C.   First Amendment rights.
D.   Lemon rights.
E.   Eighth Amendment rights.
Question #69
In 1965, in Griswold v. Connecticut, a case involving the legality of contraceptives, the Supreme Court
A.   ruled that the Court cannot establish a right unless it is specifically mentioned in the Constitution.
B.   held that the law violated the right to privacy.
C.   found that laws against contraceptives were legal and ruled that the Court cannot establish a right unless it is specifically mentioned in the Constitution.
D.   found that laws against contraceptives were legal.
E.   guaranteed all women access to abortion.

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