California State Polytechnic University » Political Science » Pol Sci 2010 - Introduction to Government » Fall 2022

Pol Sci 2010 - Introduction to Government » Fall 2022 » California Politics Exam Chapters 11-13

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Question #1

President Obama made two appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court. They were

A. Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg

B. Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan

C. Elena Kagan and John Roberts

D. Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Elena Kagan

Question #2

In a(n) ____, party members vote for the best candidate that will represent them in the general election.

A. selection election

B. winnow

C. primary

D. caucus

Question #3

The Supreme Court is typically asked to review as many as ____ cases a year.

A. 5,000

B. 10,000

C. 500

D. 1,000

Question #4

Under term limits, executive officers in California may only be elected to two four-year terms.

A. False

B. True

Question #5

The Federal Election Commission resulted in all of the following except

A. required candidates to disclose where they were spending their money

B. required candidates to disclose where their money was coming from

C. required presidential candidates to form Super PACs

D. provided for public financing of presidential campaigns

F. limited individual contributions to campaigns

Question #6

More than half of the cases in the state's judicial system result from traffic violations.

A. False

B. True

Question #7

The California court system is organized into distinct layers:

A. trial courts, courts of appeal, and the state supreme court

B. trial, superior, administrative, judicial, and supreme courts

C. criminal courts, civil courts, and administrative courts

D. the state supreme court, the Department of Justice, and the Judicial Council

Question #8

All of the following is true about super PACs except

A. super PACs cannot give money directly to a candidate or a candidate's party

B. super PACs are not bound by regulations regarding the amount of money they can take in and spend

C. super PAC founders are typically co-chairs of a candidate's election/reelection campaign

D. super PACs can spend independently of a campaign or party

Question #9

A(n) _____ power is a power explicitly (clearly) stated in the Constitution.

A. enumerated

B. implied

C. explained

D. cordial

E. inherent

Question #10

All of the following is true about the Speaker of the House except

A. the Constitution does not require the Speaker to be a member of the House

B. he or she, since 1947, is the second in line to succeed the president in an emergency

C. he or she is the partisan leader of the majority party in the House

D. the Constitution requires that the Senate approve by a simple majority the Speaker of the House

Question #11

The ____ has more standing committees (core committees).

A. Senate

B. House

C. Both have the same number of standing committees

Question #12

The division of legislators into two separate assemblies is called

A. unicameralism

B. multicameralism

C. dual cameralism

D. bicameralism

Question #13

The National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) was founded in

A. 1967

B. 1969

C. 1971

D. 1919

Question #14

There are ____ district courts in the fifty states and U.S. territories.

A. 89

B. 102

C. 94

D. 61

Question #15

Citizens in California may propose laws via the initiative process:

A. at the local, county and state levels

B. at the local level only

C. at the state level, but the legislature must review their proposals first and may reject them

D. only at the state level

Question #16

___ advocated literacy and education as First Lady.

A. Nancy Reagan

B. Michelle Obama

C. Laura Bush

D. Hillary Clinton

Question #17

Duties of the president include all of the following except

A. vetoing legislation

B. making appointments to fill military and diplomatic posts

C. nominating federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, as well as other federal officials

D. suspending habeas corpus when a federal crime has been committed

Question #18

Presidents have been able to expand and elaborate upon their constitutional powers because of

A. the inherent power given to the president in Article VI

B. the vague wording in Article I's "necessary and proper" clause

C. the vague wording in Article II, which says that the "executive power shall be vested" in the president

D. the implied power given to the president by congressional acts over time which have granted more powers to the executive branch

Question #19

The ______ is the lawyer who represents the federal government before the Supreme Court.

A. solicitor general

B. attorney general

C. primary lawer

D. federal chief justice

Question #20

Unlike the U.S. President, California’s governor has the power of the line-item veto.

A. True

B. False

Question #21

Alexander Hamilton's proposal for the executive of the nation included all of the following except

A. the executive would be chosen by electors

B. executive power needed to be checked and balanced by co-equal branches of government

C. executive power be entrusted to a single individual

D. the executive would serve for life

E. the executive would exercise broad powers

Question #22

This number of justices must vote to accept a case.

A. 4

B. 6

C. 9

D. 5

E. 3

Question #23

How many votes are needed to pass a CA initiative or approve a recall?

A. 3/5 supermajority

B. simple majority (50%+1)

C. plurality (most votes)

D. 2/3 supermajority

Question #24

Incumbent advantage includes all of the following except

A. the way the party system privileges incumbents

B. ability to manipulate state senators of their party to campaign locally on the incumbents' behalf

C. ability to engage in constituent casework

D. donors are more likely to give to a proven winner

Question #25

Citizens may propose laws for California cities, towns, or counties.

A. False

B. True

Question #26

In the case of Riley v. California, it was ruled that

A. an individual does not have the right to a handgun in his or her home

B. police may not search a cell phone without a warrant

C. police can search digital devices like cell phones without a warrant

D. an individual has the right to a handgun in his or her home

Question #27

The California Assembly contains _________ members, whereas the California Senate contains _________ members.

A. fifty; one hundred

B. forty; eighty

C. eighty; forty

D. fifty; fifty

Question #28

The ___ is the lead or highest-ranking judge on the Court.

A. supreme leader

B. lead justice

C. primary justice

D. chief justice

Question #29

The powers and limitations of Congress are outlined in _____ of the Constitution.

A. Article III

B. Article II

C. Article I

D. Article IV

Question #30

Historically, vice presidents were often sent on minor missions or used as mouthpieces for the administration. This changed starting with the _____ administration, as presidents have made a far more conscious effort to make their vice presidents part of the governing team.

A. Bill Clinton

B. Jimmy Carter

C. Lyndon Johnson

D. Richard Nixon

Question #31

The term limits law restricts California legislators to serving a total of 12 years in one house alone or both houses combined, which means that a person can serve all 12 years in the Assembly, all 12 in the Senate, or some combination in both houses.

A. True

B. False

Question #32

The U.S. legal system has its roots in

A. the Hammurabi Code

B. post-Napoleonic France

C. the Han Dynasty

D. medieval England

Question #33

The first African American to be appointed to the Supreme Court was

A. Earl Warren

B. Ketanji Brown Jackson

C. Thurgood Marshall

D. Clarence Thomas

Question #34

The _____ is a spike in presidential popularity during international crises.

A. Colbert Bump

B. support your executive effect

C. crisis bump

D. rally around the flag effect

Question #35

To end a filibuster, the Senate has to invoke ____, which requires a _____ majority.

A. cloture; simple (50+1%)

B. staunching; two-thirds

C. cloture; three-fifths

D. staunching; simple (50+1%)

Question #36

Whose job is it to "provide fair and equal access to justice for all Californians"?

A. the local sheriff's

B. the Attorney General's

C. the governor's

D. the court system's

Question #37

How many justices sit on the state supreme court?

A. five

B. nine

C. seven

D. thirteen

Question #38

All of the following are manifestations (demonstrations) of the "necessary and proper clause" except

A. laws that establish a minimum wage

B. laws that regulate banks

C. laws that allow for the construction and maintenance of interstate highways

D. laws that allow for intrastate commerce

Question #39

California has a _________ executive, in which power is _________.

A. plural; split among several Constitutional officers

B. unitary; concentrated in the governor alone

C. singular; split between the governor and the department heads he appoints

D. none of these

Question #40

The U.S. court system operates on the principle of ____, which means that today's decisions are based largely on rulings from the past, and tomorrow's rulings rely on what is decided today.

A. excelsior

B. stare decisis

C. vini vidi vici

D. caveat emptor

E. e pluribus unum

Question #41

Supporters of the Electoral College defend the system in a variety of ways except

A. it guards against the chaos inherent in a multiparty environment by encouraging the current two-party system

B. it requires candidates to pay attention to all regions of the country when running for president, rather than just the most populous regions

C. it is a manifestation of federalism

D. it negates the one-person, one-vote basis of U.S. elections

Question #42

Of the House and the Senate, this body's members must maintain a broader appeal.

A. House

B. Senate

Question #43

The governor resembles the U.S. President in that they appoint every other state executive (such as attorney general and secretary of state), as well as department heads to help carry laws into effect.

A. True

B. False

Question #44

Under ____ jurisdiction, a court hears a case on appeal from a lower court and may change the lower court's decision.

A. manifest

B. appellate

C. reneged

D. original

Question #45

_____ refers to an elected leader's looking out for his or her constituents while carrying out the duties of office.

A. Trustation

B. Delegation

C. Representation

D. Monotheism

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