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?
(A) The Department of Homeland Security was created before the Department of Education.
(B) The Department of Education receives its funding from Congress, while the Department of Homeland Security works directly for the president.
(C) The Department of Education primarily addresses state issues, whereas the Department of Homeland Security primarily addresses national issues.
(D) The Department of Homeland Security hires more employees at the state level than the Department of Education
(C) The Department of Education primarily addresses state issues, whereas the
Department of Homeland Security primarily addresses national issues.
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?
(A) Choosing a secretary of state to appease members from the opposition party
(B) Nominating a high-level campaign fund-raiser to serve as an ambassador to New Zealand
(C) Reappointing the secretary of defense even though he or she was appointed by the previous president, who is a member of the opposite party
(D) Asking the chair of a prestigious university’s economics department to serve as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers
(B) Nominating a high-level campaign fund-raiser to serve as an ambassador to
New Zealand
Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?
(A) The United States Constitution explicitly prohibits the government from restricting the press.
(B) The amendment process would create confusion about the meaning of the
United States Constitution.
(C) The Bill of Rights could potentially be used to limit civil liberties.
(D) The media ought to be held accountable for publishing untrue information about public figures.
(C) The Bill of Rights could potentially be used to limit civil liberties.
A society that puts equality—in the sense of equality of outcome—ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom. The use of force to achieve equality will destroy freedom, and the force, introduced for good purposes, will end up in the hands of people who use it to promote their own interests. On the other hand, a society that puts freedom first will, as a happy by-product, end up with both greater freedom and greater equality. . . . A free society releases the energies and abilities of people to pursue their own objectives. It prevents some people from arbitrarily suppressing others. It does not prevent people from achieving positions of privilege, but so long as freedom is maintained, it prevents those positions of privilege from becoming institutionalized. Which of the following ideological perspectives is most consistent with the passage?
(A) Liberal
(B) Progressive
(C) Libertarian
(D) Socialist
(C) Libertarian
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?
(A) The public can expect to reap the benefits of blocking the subsidy without making any contribution to the nonprofit group.
(B) The public will recognize that the cost of the project greatly outweighs the benefit, so they can expect their legislators to vote against the subsidy.
(C) The advocacy group will be able to carry out activities at an unusually low cost because of discounts and tax breaks afforded to nonprofit organizations.
(D) A company can purchase support from certain members of the public who will persuade their legislators to vote in favor of the subsidy
(A) The public can expect to reap the benefits of blocking the subsidy without making any contribution to the nonprofit group.
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
(A) less powerful than the executive
(B) slow and deliberate in the law-making process
(C) able to involve as many citizens as possible in the law making process
(D) able to ensure that all citizens are equally represented
(B) slow and deliberate in the law-making process
Which of the following statements describes a difficulty presidents face in the policy implementation process?
(A) Members of the bureaucracy often lack the expertise to carry out the president’s preferred policies.
(B) Members of the president’s Cabinet can be removed at any time by Congress.
(C) Because of civil service laws, it is not easy for the president to remove professional bureaucrats when they disagree with the president’s agenda.
(D) Congress generally gives specific details about how the laws they pass will be
executed by members of the professional bureaucracy.
(C) Because of civil service laws, it is not easy for the president to remove professional bureaucrats when they disagree with the president’s agenda.
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) A university whose admissions standards prevent women from attending the
institution
(B) A person who is licensed to carry a handgun and brings one to a political rally
(C) A high school student who leaves class at a specified time during each school day for daily prayer
(D) A woman who is prevented from an abortion
(D) A woman who is prevented from an abortion
In a public opinion poll of a representative sample of a population, 1,200 people were asked to agree, disagree, or express neutrality toward the following statements.
Statement A: The government should spend more money on welfare.
Result: 35·percent of the respondents agreed.
Statement B: The government should spend more money on helping the poor.
Result: 60·percent of respondents agreed.
39. Which of the following most likely accounts for the different results?
(A) The questions were not open-ended.
(B) There were no welfare recipients in the sample.
(C) The sample size was not large enough to be reliable.
(D) The questions contained a difference in wording.
(D) The questions contained a difference in wording.
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of iron triangles?
(A) The tendency of interest groups to hire former legislators, lobbyists, and judges
(B) The inability of third-party candidates to garner public attention through media coverage
(C) The long-term relationships between agencies, congressional committees, and
interest groups in specific policy areas
(D) The practice of congressional leaders diverting PAC funds meant for certain
popular candidates to those in more competitive races
(C) The long-term relationships between agencies, congressional committees, and
interest groups in specific policy areas
Based off of Federalist 84, where Alexander Hamilton argues the Bill of Rights and its ability to explicitly state individual rights, Which of the following constitutional provisions limits the power of the national government in Hamilton’s argument?
(A) Enumerated powers in Article I
(B) Faithful execution of the laws in Article II
(C) Judicial review in Article III
(D) Supremacy Clause in Article V
(A) Enumerated powers in Article I
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?
(A) Presenting a cloture motion
(B) Placing a hold on the bill
(C) Introducing a concurrent resolution
(D) Filing for a discharge petition
(D) Filing for a discharge petition
Based of of Federalist 84, Supporters of Hamilton’s view that a bill of rights could be dangerous to liberty could point to which of the following cases?
(A) Schenck v. United States (1919)
(B) Engel v. Vitale (1962)
(C) New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)
(D) Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)
(A) Schenck v. United States (1919)
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?
(A) The poll reported a sampling error.
(B) The poll was conducted online and open to anyone who wished to participate.
(C) The poll was administered to several thousand people who were stopped while
shopping in malls across the country.
(D) Before the question was asked, respondents were told that a flat tax system is fairer than a progressive tax and will lead to economic growth
(A) The poll reported a sampling error.
Which of the following Supreme Court cases is most relevant to the statement:
"Contributions from special interests have undermined fair and competitive
political campaigns."
(A) Baker v. Carr (1962)
(B) Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010)
(C) New York times Co. v. United States (1971)
(D) Shaw v. Reno (1993)
(B) Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010)
Based of Alexander Hamilton's Federalist Paper #84, about the Bill of Rights and explicitly listing rights, Which of the following statements best summarizes Hamilton’s argument?
(A) Even though civil liberties are protected by a bill of rights, there are some reasonable exceptions.
(B) Listing rights will lead some to assume that government may regulate those rights.
(C) Freedom of the press is essential for a functioning democracy.
(D) A bill of rights is necessary to protect civil liberties such as freedom of the press
(B) Listing rights will lead some to assume that government may regulate those rights.
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?
(A) Holding a hearing and subpoenaing high-level officials in the Department of
Veterans Affairs to testify
(B) Impounding funding for veterans hospitals until problems are resolved
(C) Placing a referendum on the ballot in each state to increase health-care funding for veterans
(D) Appointing a new secretary of the Department of Veterans Affair
(A) Holding a hearing and subpoenaing high-level officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs to testify
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?
(A) The Supreme Court redefined what constitutes an unreasonable intrusion under the Fourth Amendment.
(B) The Supreme Court changed its interpretation of what constitutes cruel and
unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.
(C) The Fifth Amendment’s due process clause motivated state legislatures to limit the death penalty.
(D) The right to an attorney guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment led to limited
application of the death penalty
(B) The Supreme Court changed its interpretation of what constitutes cruel and
unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.
Which of the following measures would a president adhering to Keynesian economic principles most likely employ during an economic recession?
(A) An executive order to increase the amount of money in circulation in the economy
(B) A budget with significant increases in spending for unemployment benefits and public works projects
(C) Legislation to cut individual and corporate income tax rates and decrease
regulation of the economy
(D) A national budget with dramatic cuts in federal spending on entitlement programs like Social Security
(B) A budget with significant increases in spending for unemployment benefits and public works projects
Which of the following important functions of democracy would most likely be more difficult without political parties?
(A) Eliminating corruption in the bureaucracy
(B) Educating the public about upcoming elections
(C) Ensuring that only eligible voters can vote
(D) Reducing gridlock in Congress
(B) Educating the public about upcoming elections
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?
(A) Regulating commerce among the states
(B) Declaring laws unconstitutional
(C) Borrowing money on the credit of the United States
(D) Issuing copyrights and patents
(A) Regulating commerce among the states
26. Which of the following may the president do to limit the Supreme Court’s power?
(A) Fire and replace justices
(B) Refuse to enforce a ruling by the Court
(C) Adopt new constitutional amendments
(D) Veto parts of the Court’s decisions
(B) Refuse to enforce a ruling by the Court
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”?
(A) The guarantee that citizens have the right to a speedy and public trial regardless of gender, race, or age
(B) The principle that all people should be equal under the law, as embodied in the equal protection clause
(C) The guarantee that all people, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual
orientation, have the right to free speech
(D) The due process clause, which implies the right to vote, shall not be denied on the basis of race
(B) The principle that all people should be equal under the law, as embodied in the equal protection clause
Which of the following policies is most likely to cause tension between the competing values of individualism and equality of opportunity?
(A) Expanding the national defense system
(B) Reducing environmental regulations
(C) Decreasing funding for space exploration
(D) Implementing affirmative action programs
(D) Implementing affirmative action programs
Which of the following is a consequence of candidate-centered campaigns?
(A) The electoral success of third-party candidates sharply increases.
(B) Parties tighten their control over candidate fund-raising to ensure compliance with regulations.
(C) Candidates have less accountability for their positions because the importance of the party platform increases.
(D) Candidates’ ability to appeal to voters can outweigh the importance of experience and policy positions.
(D) Candidates’ ability to appeal to voters can outweigh the importance of experience and policy positions.