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.
Which of the following accurately describes the information presented in the pie chart?
(A) The legislative, judicial, and executive branches employ more bureaucrats than does the Department of Veterans Affairs.
(B) The number of federal employees working in Washington, D.C., outnumbers those working in the states.
(C) Congress has allocated more money to the Department of Homeland Security than to the Department of Defense.
(D) The United States Postal Service has the largest number of employees within the federal bureaucracy.
(D) The United States Postal Service has the largest number of employees within the federal bureaucracy.
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)
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.
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 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 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 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
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 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 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.
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 age.
(C) A state places a tax on furniture made overseas.
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
(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 is an accurate comparison of conservative and liberal views concerning social policy?
Conservative / Liberal
(A) The federal government should have a stronger role in shaping education / The federal government should provide more funding for public schools
(B) Licensed gun-owners should be permitted to openly carry firearms in public / The federal government should not conduct background checks for gun purchases
(C) Racial and gender considerations should be taken into account to promote diversity in workplace hiring decisions / Job promotion should be based on skills and experience, not race or gender
(D) Individuals should not rely on government aid for their economic well-being / The government should be responsible for helping to improve the economic position of low-income people
(D) Individuals should not rely on government aid for their economic well-being / The government should be responsible for helping to improve the economic position of low-income people
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
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
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 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 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
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.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of constitutional provisions?
Enhance Federal Power / Enhance State Power
(A) Necessary and proper clause / Fourteenth Amendment
(B) Commerce clause / Tenth Amendment
(C) Supremacy clause / Seventeenth Amendment
(D) Fifth Amendment / Article V
(B) Commerce clause / Tenth Amendment
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 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.
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
Presidential Candidate / Electoral Vote / Popular Vote
Republican Party / 271 (50.4%) / 50,456,002 (47.9%)
Democratic Party / 266 (49.4%) / 50,999,897 (48.4%)
Green Party / 0 (0%) / 2,882,955 (2.7%)
Reform Party / 0 (0%) / 448,895 (0.4%)
Based on the results shown in table, which candidate won the election?
(A) The Democratic Party candidate
(B) The Green Party candidate
(C) The Reform Party candidate
(D) The Republican Party candidate
(D) The Republican Party candidate