Unit 1
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 adresses national issues.
. Members of the United States House of Representatives Committee on Veterans Affairs are concerned about the quality of services at hospitals run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Which of the following is an action the committee can take to address the problem?
Holding a hearing and subpoenaing high-level officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs to testify
Selective incorporation uses the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to:
Apply the Bill of Rights to the states
Which of the following measures would a president adhering to Keynesian economic principles most likely employ during an economic recession?
A budget with significant increases in spending for unemployment benefits and public works projects
Political efficacy refers to:
A belief that one’s vote matters
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
Senator Smith votes her conscience on bills that her constituents care little about, but she votes according to the wishes of the majority of her constituents on other bills. Which model of representation do her actions embody?
The politico model
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 factor has the greatest long-term influence on an individual’s political socialization?
Family
Which factor most likely decreases voter turnout?
Strict voter ID laws
The legislative process at the national level of government reflects the intent of the framers of the Constitution to create a legislature that would be
slow and deliberate in the law-making process
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
The application of the death penalty has been limited in recent decades and cannot be applied to minors and people who are found to be mentally incompetent. Which of the following is a reason for this?
The Supreme Court changed its interpretation of what constitutes cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.
Which of the following is needed for an accurate scientific poll?
Random sampling
Which of the following important functions of democracy would most likely be more difficult without political parties?
Educating the public about upcoming elections
Which situation BEST illustrates a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
States had too much autonomy; no uniform currency.
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.
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
A recent poll indicates that 60 percent of all people in the United States support a flat tax system. Which of the following supports the credibility of the poll result?
The poll reported a sampling error.
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
Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution mainly because it:
Failed to protect individual liberties
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
Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Fourth Amendment?
A suspect’s cell phone is analyzed by police before a warrant is issued.
Which of the following most likely accounts for the different results?
The questions contained a difference in wording.
. 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.