Unit 1
D) Intrastate trade is conducted by Congress
a. White, non-Hispanic
b. African American, Christian
c. Hispanic, Catholic
d. White, Jewish
a. White, non-Hispanic
Which of the following statements about political parties and the United States Constitution is true?
a. The Constitution specifies that political party leaders must be native-born United States citizens
b. According to the Constitution, only two major political parties may exist at any time
c. The Constitution requires political parties to be restricted by both federal and state law
d. The issue of political parties is not addressed in the Constitution
d. The issue of political parties is not addressed in the Constitution
In Citizens United v Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court
a. ruled that the unequal campaign expenditures of candidates for government officials were a violation of the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment
b. stated that independent only expenditure groups could be limited in their use of money in elections to prevent corruption
c. ruled that political spending by corporations, associations, and labor unions is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment
d. stated the Federal Election Commission had no power to enforce compliance with their requirements
c. ruled that political spending by corporations, associations, and labor unions is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment
The Declaration of Independence was most clearly influenced by the political philosophy of
a. Thomas Hobbes
b. Niccolo Machiavelli
c. Jonathan Edwards
d. John Locke
d. John Locke
The concept of devolution fits which principle of the constitution the best?
D) Federalism
a. that ensures a high margin of error
b. gives each person an equal chance of being in the sample
c. has no preselection criteria
d. just happens, with no control by any outside force
b. gives each person an equal chance of being in the sample
President Obama would have referenced this political concept as a rationale for passing the Affordable Health Care Act because he campaigned for affordable health care for all prior to winning his election.
a. chains
b. political efficacy
c. mandate theory of elections
d.selective exposure
c. mandate theory of elections
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold) was designed to curtail which of the following?
A) Individual contributions to candidates
B) Soft money
C) Hard money
D) Public disclosure rules
E) Lobbying
B) Soft Money
Which of the following most accurately describes The Federalist Paper?
a. the Federalist party platform during the presidency of John Adams, the first Federalist president
b. a popular anti-British booklet of the pre-Revolutionary era
c. a collection of essays arguing the merits of the Constitution
d. a series of congressional acts defining the relationship between the federal and state governments
c. a collection of essays arguing the merits of the Constitution
C) ¾ vote of state legislatures
All of the following would be considered problems with polls EXCEPT
d. Random Sampling
Which of the following is considered a democratic characteristic of the nomination process for the president?
a. Winner Take All System in the Electoral College
b. Role of the superdelegates and unpledged delegates in the nomination process
c. Large amount of focus on the states who have early calendar dates for their primary/caucuses
d. Citizens are allowed to contribute money to candidates of their choice
d. Citizens are allowed to contribute money to candidates of their choice
Which of the following is a correct statement about political action committees (PAC's)?
C) The amount of money that PAC's can contribute directly to an individual candidate is limited by law.
Which of the following features of the United States Constitution would most concern the author of Brutus 1?
A) The Bill of Rights, which protects individual liberties and states’ rights
B) The reservation of any power not given to the federal government to the states
C) The two-year term for members of the House of Representatives
D) The supremacy clause, which gives the federal government supremacy over states
D) The supremacy clause, which gives the federal government supremacy over states
45. The power of the people – popular majority rule – was limited by the U.S. Constitution in several ways, including
a. granting law-making powers to the judicial branch of government
b. concentrating political power in a single, supreme legislature
c. making amending the U.S. constitution relatively difficult
d. creating a senate confirmation committee for elected members of the house
c. making amending the U.S. constitution relatively difficult
a. coin money
b. impose taxes
c. establish courts
d. propose amendments
a) Coin Money
Which of the following does not correctly describe the role of political consultants in the United States?
a. They can take the burden off candidates by absorbing as much of the stress of the campaign as possible.
b. Specialists who can provide a technological edge are depended on to win elections.
c. They are only experts on elections and do not get involved in legislative and issue work.
d. They can save a candidate from making mistakes, spot opportunities quickly, and take advantage of changing circumstances.
c. They are only experts on elections and do not get involved in legislative and issue work.
There is an ongoing debate over the role of money in elections. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002 banned soft money and restricted advertisements in the weeks before an election. Parts of this act were challenged and struck down in the Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010). Which of the following was a consequence of that ruling?
A) The Federal Election Commission cannot place any restrictions on political advertisements because they are protected by the freedom of speech.
B) Super PACs may spend unlimited funds on advertisements that are not coordinated with the campaign because they are protected by the freedom of speech.
C)Advertisements produced in coordination between campaigns and super PACs cannot be restricted because they are protected by the freedom of speech.
D) The Federal Election Commission can place restrictions on all advertisements because they are not protected by the freedom of speech.
B) Super PACs may spend unlimited funds on advertisements that are not coordinated with the campaign because they are protected by the freedom of speech.
Which of the following explains how The Federalist 10 relates to the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)?
A) Both regarded factions as destructive to liberty.
B) In both, a limited approach to government regulation was argued for.
C) In The Federalist 10, the author opted for stricter regulation of factions, whereas in Citizens United, petitioners argued that regulation was a violation of liberties.
D) The Federalist 10 supports free speech, whereas the Citizens United decision opposes free speech.
B) In both, a limited approach to government regulation was argued for.
B) In the cases, the Supreme Court limited Congress’ scope of power included in the commerce clause
a. Federal Reserve Board; Government Accountability Office
b. Congress & President; Federal Reserve System
c. Banking Industry ; Federal Government
d. Federal Reserve System ; Congress & President
d. Federal Reserve System; Congress & President
Which of the following statements is NOT a correct statement about political parties or interest groups?
a. Interest groups represent a variety of interests and have long-standing relationships with government agencies/offices through the iron triangle.
b. A likely technique an interest group would use to influence Congress is lobbying by drafting legislation.
c. Political parties have continued to have a very active role in nominating candidates of their choice.
d. Political parties are organized in a decentralized and fragmented ways.
c. Political parties have continued to have a very active role in nominating candidates of their choice.
Which is a correct comparison of PACs and Super PACs?
A) PAC- No Limits on Donations; Super PACs- Limited Donations
B) PAC- Democrat Party Use only; S-PAC- Republican Party Uses only
C) PAC- FED Regulated; Super PACs- Can only make issue ads
D) PAC- Considered to be a campaign contribution; Super PAC- Considered to be an independent expenditure
D) PAC- Considered to be a campaign contribution; Super PAC- Considered to be an independent expenditure
In The Federalist Papers, James Madison argues that political liberty is best protected by
A)a written constitution
B)a small republic with a parliamentary system
C) a small democracy with a unitary government
D) well-regulated militias controlled by state governments
E) the fragmentation of political power in a large republic
E) the fragmentation of political power in a large republic