It was hard for Republicans and Democrats to resolve the debate over the debt ceiling in 2011 because:
a. Congress did not approve a bipartisan committee's recommendations to resolve the issue
b. President Barack Obama and Speaker John Boehner dislike one
a. Congress did not approve a bipartisan committee's recommendations to resolve the issue
The U.S. Constitution states that the national government must "insure domestic Tranquility." How does the U.S. government perform that function?
a. It does so through law-enforcement agencies that include the FBI, the National Guard, and the Department o
a. It does so through law-enforcement agencies that include the FBI, the National Guard, and the Department of Homeland Security.
Although James Madison believed in the necessity of ________, he feared a government that would ________.
a. a weak national government; not stand up against the states
b. constitutional monarchy; be dominated by faction
c. a strong government; not repres
b. constitutional monarchy; be dominated by faction
The separation of powers refers to:
a. a division of authority within Congress, so that not all legislators do the same things
b. dividing a government into different branches with distinct areas of authority
c. the government's dual responsibility of pro
b. dividing a government into different branches with distinct areas of authority
The division of power between the national government and the state and local governments is called:
a. pluralism
b. constitutionalism
c. republicanism
d. federalism
d. federalism
A free rider problem occurs when:
a. everyone fails to work towards a common goal because they all want someone else to do the work
b. the market provides a good by making it free of charge
c. a faction tries to capture control of government
d. the govern
a. everyone fails to work towards a common goal because they all want someone else to do the work
Which of the following is an example of a public good?
a.
the interstate highway system
b.
a tourist attraction such as Disney World
c.
volunteering time to a political campaign
d.
food produced by local farmers
a. the interstate highway system
We define politics as:
a.
bickering and conflicts over government policies
b.
the process that determines the public decisions made by government
c.
the behavior of public officials acting in self-interest
d.
anything that happens involving a political ca
b.
the process that determines the public decisions made by government
The federal government is considered by many to be large because:
a.
members of Congress spend too much money on their campaigns
b.
state and local governments have been weakened recently by the courts
c.
Democrats have controlled Congress for most of the
d.
its activities touch on the everyday lives of Americans in many different ways
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to favor:
a.
higher taxes and less spending on social policies
b.
lower taxes and less spending on social policies
c.
regulation of business to promote worker safety
d.
regulation of business to promote product s
b.
lower taxes and less spending on social policies
Which of the following is an important issue to values voters?
a.
continuing the war in Afghanistan to fight terrorism
b.
the growing gap between the rich and the poor
c.
the teaching of evolution in public schools absent the perspective of creationism or
c.
the teaching of evolution in public schools absent the perspective of creationism or intelligent design
A libertarian is likely to favor:
a.
government regulations to protect the environment
b.
laws restricting or abolishing abortion
c.
the legalization of marijuana
d.
greater regulation of business to protect workers
the legalization of marijuana
Liberals tend to support which of the following views?
a. Government involvement in social welfare should be limited.
b. An amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibiting same-sex marriage.
c. There should be greater government regulation of economic mark
a.
Government involvement in social welfare should be limited.
Political scientist Morris Fiorina's research is significant because it shows that:
a. Tea Party activists were the primary reason that Republicans were successful in the 2010 elections
b. U.S. presidential elections are determined largely on cultural iss
d. Americans in both red and blue states have fairly centrist views
Which of the following statements best represents John Locke's view of the role of government?
a. The only function of government should be to defending a community in times of war
b. Government is an enemy of the people and should be avoided
c. People ca
c. People can give up freedom and form a government, thereby submitting themselves to majority rule
Which of the following is the main argument behind the Tea Party movement?
a.
Presidents have been granted too much power by the Constitution.
b.
The Federal Reserve should have expanded powers to regulate the economy.
c.
Taxes should only be used to fund
d.
The expansion of the federal government has grown beyond what the Founding Fathers intended.
Which of the following was a key part of the government formed under the Articles of Confederation?
a.
the electoral college
b.
direct election of members of Congress by the people
c.
a strong national government
d.
shared powers between the national and
d.
shared powers between the national and state governments
A(n) ________ is a form of government that involves popular control of government by the people through elected officials.
a.
aristocracy
b.
oligarchy
c.
republican democracy
d.
monarchy
republican democracy
Which influential thinker's writings led many of the Constitution's framers to reject monarchy as a method of self-rule?
a.
Thomas Paine
b.
Edmund Burke
c.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
d.
Thomas Hobbes
a.
Thomas Paine
The authors of the Federalist Papers included:
a.
Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and Thomas Jefferson
b.
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay
c.
James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and John Jay
d.
Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and Thomas J
b. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay
To deal with the problem of factions, James Madison proposed:
a.
eliminating factions through limits on state governments
b.
controlling them through a separation of powers
c.
controlling them by prohibiting citizens from taking certain actions
d.
reducin
b.
controlling them through a separation of powers
The separation of powers in U.S. government refers to:
a.
the division of governing authority between the House of Representatives and the Senate
b.
the division of governing authority between states and the national government
c.
the protections for citi
d.
the division of governing authority among the presidency, the Congress, and the Supreme Court
The most significant economic differences among the framers of the Constitution were:
a.
grounded in regional differences, with the South favoring free trade and the North preferring tariffs on foreign goods to protect domestic industries
b.
based on whet
a.
grounded in regional differences, with the South favoring free trade and the North preferring tariffs on foreign goods to protect domestic industries
For James Madison, the problem associated with a tyranny of the majority was that:
a.
large groups of voters might grab power by circumventing elections
b.
large factions might capture control of the government and ignore the rights of those in the minori
b.
large factions might capture control of the government and ignore the rights of those in the minority
How did the framers design the Constitution to protect minority rights?
a.
through the creation of political parties
b.
allowing majority tyranny to occur to protect the rights of the many
c.
the double protection of separation of powers and checks and ba
c.
the double protection of separation of powers and checks and balances to prevent tyranny by the majority
The agreement that led to the legislature having two houses is called the:
a.
Missouri Compromise
b.
Virginia Plan
c.
Three-fifths Compromise
d.
Great Compromise
d.
Great Compromise
Why did the framers settle on a single, as opposed to a three-person, executive?
a.
They realized that one person would act more decisively, yet still be constrained by checks and balances.
b.
The president would not play a significant role in the legisla
a.
They realized that one person would act more decisively, yet still be constrained by checks and balances.
A form of government in which the leader is chosen by the legislature is called:
a.
a presidential system
b.
a legislative system
c.
a separation of powers system
d.
a parliamentary system
d.
a parliamentary system
Which of the following concepts applies most directly to the balance of power between state and national governments?
a.
parliamentary system
b.
supremacy clause
c.
checks and balances
d.
bicameralism
b.
supremacy clause
Slave states wanted slaves counted for the purposes of ________, but did not want slaves counted when it came to the issue of ________.
a.
tariffs; representation
b.
determining taxes; tariffs
c.
representation; determining taxes
d.
tariffs; determining t
c.
representation; determining taxes
The Three-fifths Compromise referred to:
a.
counting slaves as three-fifths of a person when determining state population
b.
counting large states as equal to small states in the Senate, but not the House
c.
allowing three slave states into the Union for
a.
counting slaves as three-fifths of a person when determining state population
How many states were needed to ratify the Constitution?
a.
seven out of thirteen
b.
eleven out of thirteen
c.
thirteen out of thirteen
d.
nine out of thirteen
d.
nine out of thirteen
Which article of the Constitution describes the procedures for ratification?
a.
Article II
b.
Article VII
c.
Article VI
d.
Article I
b.
Article VII
The elastic clause refers to:
a.
the power of Congress to make laws necessary for executing its members' enumerated powers
b.
the broad delegation of executive power given to the president
c.
the president's power as commander in chief
d.
the ability of C
a.
the power of Congress to make laws necessary for executing its members' enumerated powers
Which part of government was considered the weakest because it did not have "power of the purse or sword"?
a.
local governments
b.
executive branch
c.
legislative branch
d.
judicial branch
d.
judicial branch
While the ________ can make decisions about how to use armed forces, only the ________ can make decisions about funding such actions.
a.
House of Representatives; Senate
b.
Congress; House of Representatives
c.
president; Congress
d.
president; House of R
c.
president; Congress
The ability to remove someone because of corruption or abuse of power is called:
a.
the power to pardon
b.
impeachment
c.
the power to veto
d.
the power of the purse
b.
impeachment
Which of the following is a power the president can use to check the legislative branch?
a.
veto
b.
power of the sword
c.
impeachment
d.
judicial review
a.
veto
Why is the power of the purse an important check for Congress to have over the other two branches?
a.
By cutting out wasteful spending by the executive branch, Congress can reallocate funds for more important priorities such as national security.
b.
Congr
d.
By freezing judges' salaries or cutting funding for federal agencies, Congress can then give the money directly to the states.
According to James Madison, why is a large republic superior to a small republic?
a. Because in a large republic, there should be a larger number of qualified and trustworthy candidates to run for office
b. Because in a large republic, there should be mor
d. Both A and B
When the national government gives the states money to entice them to change state laws to match national goals or policies established by Congress, it is:
a.
acting through its implied powers in the U.S. Constitution
b.
engaged in an exchange deemed unco
d.
an example of coercive federalism
In a system of federalism, state governments and the federal government:
a.
are organized so that both have separate and shared powers
b.
are organized so that the federal government must approve all state laws throughout the nation
c.
are organized so th
a.
are organized so that both have separate and shared powers
Which of the following terms describes power exercised by federal, state, and local governments who share responsibilities for particular policy areas, such as transportation?
a.
cooperative powers
b.
implied powers
c.
concurrent powers
d.
reserved powers
c.
concurrent powers
A confederal system of government has a ________ central government. This is different from a unitary system, in which the central government is ________.
a.
weak; strong
b.
nonexistent; moderately strong
c.
strong; autocratic
d.
strong; weak
a.
weak; strong
One advantage of decentralized power in a federal system is that it:
a.
provides the legislative branch with more power than the executive branch
b.
makes legislation easier to pass
c.
is a natural check on the power of the federal government
d.
is less s
c.
is a natural check on the power of the federal government
The ________ clause is vague, but gives the national government a very broad grant of power to carry out its responsibilities.
a.
affirmation
b.
supremacy
c.
necessary and proper
d.
enumerated powers
c.
necessary and proper
When California passed a law in 1992 that limited the cash welfare benefit to new residents to the same level of benefits they had been receiving in the state from which they moved, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the law:
a.
violated the supremacy clau
d.
violated the privileges and immunities clause
The Federalists, led by George Washington, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton, favored a(n) ________ national government, while the Democratic-Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, favored ________ power.
a.
democratic; federal
b.
elitis
d.
strong; state
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) is an important Supreme Court ruling because
a.
it signified the end of the debate surrounding the nullification doctrine
b.
it strengthened state government power by declaring that Maryland could tax a federal bank under the
d.
it limited state government power by declaring that Maryland could not tax a federal bank
The principal impact of McCulloch v. Maryland was:a.
its ruling that the national government's power to print money did not imply that it could open a bank for regulating the economy
b.
its decision to allow states to nullify federal laws that conflicted
c.
its expansive interpretation of implied powers and the supremacy clause in favor of the national government
The concept of dual federalism envisions what relationship between the federal and state governments?
a.
This complicated, vague concept can take on a "dual" meaning that is adaptable to changing times and circumstances.
b.
Each has distinct areas of auth
b.
Each has distinct areas of authority with very little overlap.
The Dred Scott case ruled that:
a.
slave owners had been deprived of property without due process of law
b.
the Bill of Rights did not apply to the states
c.
federal law was supreme over state law
d.
the Missouri Compromise was constitutional and had to b
a.
slave owners had been deprived of property without due process of law
________ commerce refers to economic activity between states that ________ be regulated by the federal government.
a.
Interstate; cannot
b.
Coercive; can
c.
Fiscal; cannot
d.
Interstate; can
d.
Interstate; can
Which of the following explains why cooperative federalism emerged in the United States?
a.
public support and demand for cooperative federalism during the "rights revolution"
b.
the leadership and policies of President Richard Nixon
c.
Supreme Court deci
c.
Supreme Court decisions that broadly interpreted the commerce clause
Why did the Supreme Court rule in the late nineteenth century that the Fourteenth Amendment did not immediately guarantee all citizens protection under national law?
a.
Because the Court ruled that states had no responsibility to follow national law.
b.
B
d.
Because the Court ruled that equal protection under the law only applied to national government actions.
The picket fence metaphor is an apt description of current American federalism because:
a.
the state and federal governments have clear boundaries, much like two fences on separate properties
b.
it takes money to make policy, just like it does to build a
d.
policy makers mainly interact with others in the same policy area, regardless of whether they are federal or state employees
The term fiscal federalism refers to:
a.
grants of money from national to state governments
b.
grants of money from state to national governments
c.
taxes by the states on national institutions
d.
situations in which the federal government spends more mon
a.
grants of money from national to state governments
After the 1980s, the Republican view on federal grants was to:
a.
use block grants to give local politicians more control over how money was spent
b.
use categorical grants to prevent local government corruption
c.
avoid issuing all grants to maintain sta
a.
use block grants to give local politicians more control over how money was spent
Which political party prefers giving the states flexibility in spending federal money?
a.
Both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party equally
b.
Democratic Party
c.
Neither the Republican Party nor the Democratic Party
d.
Republican Party
d.
Republican Party
Which of the following programs provided states with significant flexibility in spending federal welfare dollars?
a.
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
b.
Unfunded Mandate Reform Act
c.
Great Society programs
d.
Social Security Act
a.
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
Unfunded mandates:
a.
were recently declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court
b.
are regulations that require state action but provide no money
c.
devolve power from the federal government back to the states
d.
are a nullification of state law
b.
are regulations that require state action but provide no money
Americans are more likely to:
a.
trust their local and state governments over the federal government
b.
expect the states to enact legislation supporting progressive causes
c.
fear executive power when a Republican is president
d.
trust the federal govern
a.
trust their local and state governments over the federal government
Since the 1990s, the Supreme Court's principal role has been to:
a.
expand application of the Fourteenth Amendment to the states
b.
limit the power of the president and the executive branch
c.
continue expanding federal power
d.
protect state power
d.
protect state power
The decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) was particularly important because it required Congress
a.
justify how laws they pass are a legitimate exercise of commerce clause powers
b.
end "coercive" techniques that force states to comply with federal m
a.
justify how laws they pass are a legitimate exercise of commerce clause powers
Which of the following statements best describes Riker's view of federalism in the United States?
a.
It allowed white Americans to repress African Americans in southern states
b.
It allowed minority parties to flourish within state governments
c.
It preve
a.
It allowed white Americans to repress African Americans in southern states
Civil liberties are:
a.
absolute guarantees of political freedom
b.
required government actions intended to promote equality
c.
responsibilities for citizens outlined in the Constitution
d.
restrictions on government action that are intended to protect po
d.
restrictions on government action that are intended to protect political freedoms
The fact that the Supreme Court must balance interests and draw lines when making civil liberties decisions demonstrates that:
a.
it is the most powerful branch of government
b.
the Court must always protect the rights of majorities
c.
protections against
c.
protections against government action are not absolute
Civil liberties are guaranteed by which part of the Constitution?
a.
Bill of Rights
b.
Eleventh Amendment
c.
Article I
d.
Tenth Amendment
a.
Bill of Rights
Who opposed ratification of the Constitution until after the inclusion of a bill of rights?
a.
James Madison
b.
Antifederalists
c.
Democratic-Republicans
d.
Federalists
b.
Antifederalists
Which of the following applied the Bill of Rights only to the actions of the national government?
a.
Barron v. Baltimore
b.
Gitlow v. New York
c.
Fourteenth Amendment
d.
Fifth Amendment
a.
Barron v. Baltimore
Which civil liberties are NOT protected in the First Amendment?
a.
speech
b.
assembly
c.
privacy
d.
press
c.
privacy
Which of the following forbids states from denying "life, liberty, or property" without following rules based on the Bill of Rights?
a.
necessary and proper clause
b.
clear and present danger doctrine
c.
privileges and immunities clause
d.
due process cla
d.
due process clause
Selective incorporation of the Bill of Rights occurred slowly due to the fact that:
a.
the Supreme Court determined civil liberties issues on a case-by-case basis
b.
the Supreme Court considered civil liberties issues to be too political
c.
the Supreme Co
a.
the Supreme Court determined civil liberties issues on a case-by-case basis
The Alien and Sedition Acts passed in 1798 challenged which part of the Bill of Rights?
a.
freedom of religion
b.
right to a jury trial
c.
freedom from unreasonable search
d.
freedom of speech
d.
freedom of speech
________ , or the use of words to express your feelings or views about the government, is the most protected form of expression.
a.
Symbolic speech
b.
Political speech
c.
Commercial speech
d.
Hate speech
b.
Political speech
The clear and present danger test allows government to:
a.
jail dissidents and malcontents in some extreme circumstances
b.
prevent people from protesting some government actions, such as wars
c.
limit some political speech but only when it may cause sign
c.
limit some political speech but only when it may cause significant harm to others
Which of the following is an example of protected symbolic speech?
a.
burning the American flag during a protest at the White House
b.
destroying a draft card at an antiwar rally
c.
sending a letter to government officials
d.
a newspaper editorial protest
a.
burning the American flag during a protest at the White House
Which group has taken the lead in restricting speech that offends sexual, racial, and ethnic minorities?
a.
colleges and universities
b.
the Supreme Court
c.
city councils
d.
state courts
a.
colleges and universities
A gag order:
a.
allows a criminal court to place a gag on defendants to prevent them from disrupting a trial
b.
is a prohibition against making false statements that damage someone's reputation
c.
is a government prohibition on what the media can and cann
c.
is a government prohibition on what the media can and cannot publish
Some forms of speech, such as fighting words, obscenity, or libel, receive:
a.
no form of punishment
b.
more protection than political speech
c.
no attention from the federal government
d.
less protection than political speech
d.
less protection than political speech
Current legal standards on libel and slander distinguish between comments made about average, ordinary people and those made about:
a.
the government
b.
family
c.
public figures
d.
coworkers
c.
public figures
The Supreme Court has ruled that the government can make laws about commercial speech when:
a.
the public finds the speech offensive
b.
that speech is misleading
c.
the Court feels like it
d.
the speech is not educational
b.
that speech is misleading
Statements that damage someone's reputation are called:
a.
obscenity
b.
fighting words
c.
libel or slander
d.
hate speech
c.
libel or slander
The Miller test is a set of rules for determining whether:
a.
the government can prevent the press from publishing something
b.
Congress can regulate speech about the U.S. government
c.
or not a public figure has been slandered
d.
something is obscene
d.
something is obscene
The Bill of Rights' guarantee of religious freedom is located in the:
a.
due process clause
b.
free exercise and establishment clauses
c.
supremacy clause
d.
Tenth Amendment
b.
free exercise and establishment clauses
Which of the following actions can government take WITHOUT violating the free exercise clause?
a.
prevent animal sacrifice as part of a religious ceremony
b.
ban or tax door-to-door religious canvassing or proselytizing
c.
force people to work on Friday n
d.
make a religious group obey child labor laws
Until 2008, which part of the Bill of Rights did NOT apply to the states?
a.
Fourteenth Amendment
b.
Second Amendment
c.
Fourth Amendment
d.
Fifth Amendment
b.
Second Amendment
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence followed:
a.
the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963
b.
the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981
c.
the Supreme Court's decision in 2008 to strike down the District of Columbia'
b.
the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan in 1981
Due process rights are guaranteed by the Constitution through:
a.
the Fourteenth Amendment
b.
the First Amendment
c.
the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments
d.
the Bill of Rights
a.
the Fourteenth Amendment
The Fourth Amendment:
a.
protects against unreasonable searches by the police
b.
provides the right to bear arms
c.
prohibits cruel and unusual punishment
d.
provides the right to legal counsel and a jury trial in front of peers
a.
protects against unreasonable searches by the police
Double jeopardy does not prevent criminal defendants who were innocent in state court:
a.
from facing a jury trial when new evidence comes to light
b.
from suing the state for wrongful prosecution
c.
from being tried for the same crime in a federal court
c.
from being tried for the same crime in a federal court
The right to counsel was provided in the ________ Amendment. After the decision in ________, this was extended to require that counsel be provided for you if you could not afford one.
a.
Sixth; Gideon v. Wainwright
b.
Sixth; Gitlow v. New York
c.
Fourth;
a.
Sixth; Gideon v. Wainwright
The Supreme Court has struck down state death penalty laws in all of the following areas EXCEPT:
a.
executing juveniles under the age of eighteen
b.
executing prisoners who are mildly retarded
c.
the execution of women
d.
the execution of insane prisoners
c.
the execution of women
Privacy rights are most central to which of the following controversial issues?
a.
legalization of drugs
b.
abortion
c.
the death penalty
d.
gun control
b.
abortion
The Supreme Court's decision in Griswold v. Connecticut:
a.
meant the police had to read you a list of your rights before arresting you
b.
outlawed the death penalty
c.
created a standard for determining when political speech could be regulated
d.
establi
d.
established the right to privacy as existing in the Bill of Rights