Unit 1
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
What is (B) slow and deliberate in the law-making process?
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
What is (B) Refuse to enforce a ruling by the Court?
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
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.
What is (D) The questions contained a difference in wording?
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
What is (B) Educating the public about upcoming elections?
Which of the following is an example of checks and balances?
A. Congress declares war
B. The president vetoes a bill
C. States conduct elections
D. The Constitution is amended
What is B. The president vetoes a bill?
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
What is (D) Filing for a discharge petition?
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.
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.
What is (A) The poll reported a sampling error?
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.
What is (D) Candidates’ ability to appeal to voters can outweigh the importance of experience and policy positions?
Which of the following scenarios would be considered an unconstitutional use of state power?
(A) A state passes a law that increases the pay of state legislators.
(B) A state enacts a law prohibiting smoking in all public places.
(C) A state places a tax on furniture made overseas.
(D) A state raises the drinking age to 25 years of ag
What is (C) A state places a tax on furniture made overseas?
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
What is (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 court rulings, which of the following scenarios would most likely violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?
(A) A police officer inspects the contents of a computer hard drive without a warrant.
(B) A mayor refuses to allow an unpopular group to hold a political rally.
(C) A public school system uses race-based segregation.
(D) The federal government passes a law prohibiting assault rifles.
(C) A public school system uses race-based segregation.
48. 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
What is Implementing affirmative action programs?
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
What is (C) The long-term relationships between agencies, congressional committees, and interest groups in specific policy areas?
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
What is (A) Regulating commerce among the states ?
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 Affairs
What is (A) Holding a hearing and subpoenaing high-level officials in the Department of Veterans Affairs to testify?
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)?
(A) Leading prayers over the school’s public address system
(B) Publishing an editorial in the school newspaper
(C) Protesting a school board decision by disrupting a school assembly
(D) Wearing t-shirts objecting to a school board decision
(D) Wearing t-shirts objecting to a school board decision
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
What is (B) A budget with significant increases in spending for unemployment benefits and public works projects?
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.
What is (A) The public can expect to reap the benefits of blocking the subsidy without making any contribution to the nonprofit group?
In Federalist 10, Madison argues that a large republic is the best defense against factions. Which constitutional structure MOST directly reflects this argument?
A. The creation of a bicameral legislature to slow the lawmaking process
B. The division of power between the national and state governments
C. The establishment of judicial review through Marbury v. Madison
D. The listing of explicit rights in the Bill of Rights to protect individuals
What is B. The division of power between the national and state governments?
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
What is (B) Nominating a high-level campaign fund-raiser to serve as an ambassador to New Zealand?
Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the Fourth Amendment?
(A) A suspect is interrogated without being informed of the right to an attorney.
(B) A person is tried twice for the same crime.
(C) A suspect’s cell phone is analyzed by police before a warrant is issued.
(D) A person is prosecuted for a federal crime without a jury.
What is (C) A suspect’s cell phone is analyzed by police before a warrant is issued?
A political scientist finds that older voters strongly support maintaining Social Security even if it requires higher payroll taxes, while younger voters prefer entitlement reform to reduce long-term deficits. This conflict BEST reflects which concept?
A. Political culture
B. Generational effects
C. Lifecycle effects
D. Rational-choice voting
What is B. Generational effects?
A state passes a strict voter ID law requiring a specific type of government-issued identification. Minority voters and low-income voters are statistically less likely to possess the required ID. Which Supreme Court precedent is MOST relevant for a legal challenge?
A. Baker v. Carr
B. Shaw v. Reno
C. Marbury v. Madison
D. McDonald v. Chicago
What is B. Shaw v. Reno?