Unit 1
Which of the following scenarios would be considered an unconstitutional use of state power?
A state places a tax on furniture made overseas.
A member of the House of Representatives has introduced a bill to raise the minimum wage, but it has been in committee for 36 days and is unlikely to make it to the floor. Which of the following is the best course of action for the representative to take to get a vote on the bill?
Filing for a discharge petition
Based on previous rulings, the Supreme Court is most likely to view a case concerning which of the following as a right-to-privacy case?
A woman who is prevented from an abortion
Which of the following most likely accounts for the different results?
The questions contained a difference in wording.
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of iron triangles?
The long-term relationships between agencies, congressional committees, and interest groups in specific policy areas
Which of the following best explains the difference in the number of bureaucrats employed by the Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security?
The Department of Education primarily addresses state issues, whereas the Department of Homeland Security primarily addresses national issues
Which of the following statements describes a difficulty presidents face in the policy implementation process?
Because of civil service laws, it is not easy for the president to remove professional bureaucrats when they disagree with the president’s agenda.
Supporters of Hamilton’s view that a bill of rights could be dangerous to liberty could point to which of the following cases?
Schenck v. United States (1919)
Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author’s argument in this passage?
Undermining freedom will extinguish both freedom and equality
A nonprofit advocacy group seeks to block an expensive subsidy to what it believes is an environmentally destructive project. Which of the following accurately depicts the free-rider problem in this scenario?
The public can expect to reap the benefits of blocking the subsidy without making any contribution to the nonprofit group.
Which of the following statements best summarizes Hamilton’s argument?
Listing rights will lead some to assume that government may regulate those rights.
A new president has been elected and has a number of positions to fill within the federal bureaucracy. Which of the following is an example of filling a position based on political patronage?
Nominating a high-level campaign fund-raiser to serve as an ambassador to New Zealand
Based on previous court rulings, which of the following scenarios would most likely violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?
A public school system uses race-based segregation.
Which of the following ideological perspectives is most consistent with the passage?
Libertarian
Which of the following statements about social media usage for following political figures and news in the United States is generally supported by demographic trends?
The percentage of people following political figures on social media generally decreases as age increases.
Which of the following constitutional provisions limits the power of the national government in Hamilton’s argument?
Enumerated powers in Article I
Which of the following may the president do to limit the Supreme Court’s power?
Refuse to enforce a ruling by the Court
Which of the following actions by public school students would most likely be protected symbolic speech based on the precedent established by Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)?
Wearing t-shirts objecting to a school board decision
Which of the following governmental policies would the author most likely support?
Allowing individuals to purchase marijuana for recreational use
Which of the following is an established advantage that social media platforms provide to political candidates and figures, compared to traditional media like TV or print?
They are able to bypass traditional news outlets, allowing for unfiltered, direct communication with voters.
The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 authorized the government to deny income tax deductions for employer health plans that did not offer employees the option of keeping their health insurance after leaving the job. Which enumerated power allowed Congress to make the law?
Regulating commerce among the states
The president is most likely to use an executive order to make important policy when
a compromise cannot be reached with Congress
Which of the following is contained in the Fourteenth Amendment and was likely an inspiration for Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”?
The principle that all people should be equal under the law, as embodied in the equal protection clause
Which of the following most likely accounts for the different results?
The questions contained a difference in wording.
In the United States, how does voter turnout for midterm elections (held two years into a president's term) typically compare to voter turnout for presidential elections?
Turnout is significantly lower in midterm elections than in presidential elections.