POLS Exam 1: Multiple choice questions

Refer to page 95 of the Wasserman/Fulmer textbook, The Basics of American Politics, and choose the correct definition of Bicameral Legislature.

a) Separation of Government into 3 separate but equal branches

b)A legislature consisting of 2 legislative houses

c) A legislature consisting of only one legislative house

d) all of the above

b)A legislature consisting of 2 legislative houses

Refer to page 95 of the Wasserman/Fulmer textbook, The Basics of American Politics, and choose the most complete definition of United States Congress.

a) Division of government into 3 separate but equal branches

b) A legislature consisting of 2 legislative houses

c) The bicameral legislature of the United States Federal Government which consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives

d)All of the above

c) The bicameral legislature of the United States Federal Government which consists of a Senate and a House of Representatives

Look up Republic in "The Structure of Government" Lecture Notes found on Canvas and answer the following: A "Republic" consists of which of the following?

a) A form of government in which the administration is open to all citizens

b) A representative government where representatives are chose by the people

c) A form of government where people have the right of grievance against the government

d) All of the above

d) All of the above

Look up "Democracy" in "The Structure of Government" Lecture Notes found on Canvas and answer the following: A Democracy includes which of the following?

a) A form of government in which the sovereign power resides in the citizens directly or indirectly through a system of representations distinguished from a monarchy, aristocracy, or oligarchy

b) Democracy may be direct or indirect--direct or representative-so long as ultimate sovereign resides in the people

c) Popular Sovereign: A form of government in which the sovereign power resides in the citizens

d) All of the above

d) All of the above

Look up the 10th Amendment in the United States Constitution (found in the Appendix of the Wasserman text) and choose the answer that includes a direct quotation from the 10th Amendment.

a) "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."

b)"Division of government into three separate but equal branches so that no one branch may encroach upon the powers of the other branches"

c)A legislature consisting of two legislative houses"

d) All of the above

c)A legislature consisting of two legislative houses"

Look up "Federalism" in "The Structure of Government" Lecture Notes found on Canvas and answer: Which of the following is true of "Federalism in the United States?

a)The balance of power as between federal and state governments

b)The balance of power as between state and municipal governments

c)The balance of powers as between federal and municipal governments

d)All of the above

a)The balance of power as between federal and state governments

Look up "Sovereignty" and "Quasi-sovereignty" in "The Structure of Government" Lecture Notes found on Canvas and answer the following: External Sovereign Powers are possessed by which entities?

a) States such as California and New Mexico

b) Nation states

c) Citizens

d) All of the above

b) Nation states

"Sovereignty" and "Quasi-sovereignty" in "The Structure of Government" Lecture Notes found on Canvas and answer the following: Internal Sovereign Powers are possessed by which entities?

a) States such as California and New Mexico

b) Nation States

c) Citizens

d) All of the above

a) States such as California and New Mexico

Look up "Slide #15" in "The Structure of Government" Lecture Notes found on Canvas and answer the following: How are the powers created by the 10th Amendment referred to?

a)Quasi-sovereign Powers

b)Enumerated Powers

c) Reserved Powers or Residual States' Powers

d)All of the above

c) Reserved Powers or Residual States' Powers

Based upon the 10th Amendment in the United States Constitution, which entities possess all powers not delegated to the United Sates nor prohibited to the states?

a) The United States Federal Government

b) The states or the people, respectively

c) Local governments

d) all of the above

b) The states or the people, respectively

Look up "Separation of Powers" in "The Structure of Government" Lecture Notes found on Canvas and answer: What is Separation of Powers and what is its purpose?

a)Three separate branches were created in order to secure the independence of each

b)Through a system of checks and balances, the power of each branch is limited or checked by the powers of the other branches of government

c)Only the legislature may legislate or make law; the Executive Branch enforces law and is prohibited from interpreting law or legislating; the Judiciary interprets law

d) All of above

d) All of above

Look up "Separation of Powers" and "Federalism" in "The Structure of Government" Lecture Notes found on Canvas and choose which of the following are true?

a) Separation of Powers divides federal and state governments horizontally into three separate branches

b)Federalism is a vertical structure that balances the power between federal and state governments

c)Both Separation of Powers and Federalism provide a check on abuses of government power

d) All of the above

d) all of above

Look up "Bureaucracy" in Blacks Law Dictionary or http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com (Links to an external site.) and state which characteristic of bureaucrats poses a threat to democracy?

a)An administrative policy-making group

b)Government employees within state and federal Executive Branches

c)A body of non-elective government officials

d)All of the above

c) A body of non-elective government officials

Look up "Oligarchy" in Blacks Law Dictionary or http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com (Links to an external site.) and identify which type of oligarchic power you believe asserts the most control over government in the United States?

a)Power vested in the hands of the military

b) Corporate Oligarchy: Power vested in large corporations

c)Power vested in the hands of a few families

d)All of the above

b) Corporate Oligarchy: Power vested in large corporations

What is the controlling political unit in a Confederation?

a)The Central Government

b)The Confederation Congress

c)The Individual Member States

d)All of the above

c)The Individual Member States

Under the Articles of Confederation what types of rights or powers were granted to the Central Government and given up by the individual states?

a)To Determine War or Peace

b)True Sovereign Powers or External Sovereign Powers

c)To enter into treaties and alliances; to send and receive ambassadors; the power of international diplomacy

d)All of the above

d) of the above

What legislative body was created by the Articles of Confederation?

a)Confederation Congress

b)United States Congress

c)The Senate and House of Representatives

d)All of the above

a)Confederation Congress

What did the legislative body consist of under the Confederation?

a)An unitary or unicameral legislative body that consisted of 2-7 unelected, appointed representatives from each member state

b)A bicameral legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives

c)A legislature directly elected by the people

d)All of the above

a)An unitary or unicameral legislative body that consisted of 2-7 unelected, appointed representatives from each member state

How many branches of government were created by the Articles of Confederation?

a)One Branch -Legislature - Congress

b)Two Branches - Legislature and Executive

c)Three Branches - Legislature, Executive and Judicial

d)All of the above

a)One Branch -Legislature - Congress

What provisions for a judiciary existed under the Articles of Confederation?

a)No Independent Judiciary

b)Congress served as Court of Appeals on disputes between the states

c)No judicial Branch of Government

d)All of the above

d) All of the above

Use the United States Constitution to answer the following questions:

What are the names of the two legislative bodies that make up Congress under the U.S. Constitution?

a)Senate and Assembly

b)Confederation Congress and Continental Congress

c)Senate and House of Representatives

d)All of the above

c) Senate and House of Respresentatives

Which branch of Government has the power to make law or to legislate?

a)Legislative branch

b)Executive branch

c)Judicial branch

d)All of the above

a) Legislative branch

Which branch of government has the power to tax its citizens?

a)Legislative branch

b)Executive branch

c)Judicial branch

d)All of the above

a) Legislative branch

The senate is made up of what number of Senators from each state?

a) one

b) two

c)three

d) all of the above

b) above

What office holds the Executive Power according to the language of the U.S. Constitution?

a)The White House

b)The President

c)The Executive Branch

d)All of the above

b) The president

Where are the provisions for protecting individual rights and civil liberties found under the U.S. Constitution?

a)Article One

b)Article Two

c)Article Three

d)The Amendments

d) The amendments

Which of the following are true of the Electoral College?

a)Characteristic of a Republican form of government

b)Deny the people of the power to directly elect their President

c)Indirect election of the President

d)All of the above

d) All of above

How are the number of Congressional representatives in House of Representatives from each state determined?

a)By the President

b)By the courts

c) By population of the state

d)All of the above

c) By population of the state

What is the highest court in the United States?

a)U.S. District Courts

b)U.S. Court of Appeals

c) U.S. Supreme Court

d)All of the above

c) U.S. Supreme Court

How are Judges on the Supreme Court selected?

a)Nominated by the President

b) Appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate

c)Confirmed by the Senate

d) Appointed by the President and confirmed by Congress

b) Appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate

Senators and Members of the House of Representatives are elected by direct representation (one person one vote) of the people.

a)True

b)False

a) True

The President and Vice President of the United States are elected by direct representation (one person one vote) of the people.

a) True

b) False

b) False

Which branch of government is responsible for interpreting laws?

a)Legislative branch

b)Executive branch

c) Judicial branch

d)All of the above

c) Judicial branch

Which branch of government is responsible for enforcing laws?

a)Legislative branch

b) Executive branch

c)Judicial branch

d)All of the above

b) Executive branch

What label did James Madison give to "interest groups" in the Federalist Paper: No. 10?

a)Friends of liberty

b) Factions

c)Government by the masses

d)All of the above

b) Factions

What is the principle task of modern legislation according to James Madison?

a)To remove its causes and control its effects

b)To give to every citizen the same opinions, the same passions and the same interests

c) The regulation of varying and interfering interests and the involvement of parties and factions in the necessary and ordinary operations of government

d)All of the above

c) The regulation of varying and interfering interests and the involvement of parties and factions in the necessary and ordinary operations of government

According to James Madison, what is the most common and durable source of differences within society?

a)Differences based upon degrees of wealth

b)The various and unequal distribution of property

c)Distinctions based upon those who hold and those who are without property

d) All of the above

d) All of the above

Answer questions 4-7 based upon chapter one of the David Lawrence text:

How are interest groups in California determined?

a)Geographical location within the state: environmental resources: water, desert, fishing, timber, agriculture, climate

b)Social and cultural factors: race, ethnicity, gender & sexual orientation

c)Citizen age, wealth, political involvement, service sector, interest groups

d) All of the above

d) All of the above

What is Pluralism?

a)Interest groups compete for power and advantage

b)Interest groups, policy makers, institutions, political parties, voters, businesses, monied interests all compete for thinly scattered power and advantage)

c)Interest groups based upon ethnicity, race or culture compete for power and advantage

d)All of the above

a)Interest groups compete for power and advantage

What is Hyper Pluralism?

a)Interest groups compete for power and advantage

b) Interest groups, policy makers, institutions, political parties, voters, businesses, monied interests all compete for thinly scattered power and advantage)

c)Interest groups based upon ethnicity, race or culture compete for power and advantage

d)All of the above

b) Interest groups, policy makers, institutions, political parties, voters, businesses, monied interests all compete for thinly scattered power and advantage)

What is Multicultural Pluralism?

a)interest groups compete for power and advantage

b)interest groups, policy makers, institutions, political parties, voters, businesses, monied interests all compete for thinly scattered power and advantage)

c) Interest groups based upon ethnicity, race or culture compete for power and advantage

d)All of the above

c) Interest groups based upon ethnicity, race or culture compete for power and advantage

Answer questions 8-11 based upon information found in Chapter nine of the Gary Wasserman text:

What is pluralism's connection to the game of American politics according to Mr. Wasserman?

a)No one segment of society controls politics

b)Pluralism: Power is divided unequally among diverse groups of interests

c)Labor unions, businesses, non-profit organizations, religions, ethnic groups all compete for power and advantage

d) All of the above

d) All of the above

There are four key concepts that make up the pluralists argument. What is the first concept?

a) Fragmentation of power: No one group dominates the political arena - power is divided

b)Elite Theory

c)Democratic Theory

d)All of the above

a) Fragmentation of power: No one group dominates the political arena - power is divided

There are four key concepts that make up the pluralists argument. What is the second concept?

a)The Ruling Class

b)Individualism

c)Bargaining: interest groups must bargain with each other; the government is the referee, and in some instances, government is a competing interest

d)All of the above

c)Bargaining: interest groups must bargain with each other; the government is the referee, and in some instances, government is a competing interest

There are four key concepts that make up the pluralists argument. What is the third concept?

a)Bicameral legislature b)Compromise: Because power is divided unequally, all groups must make concessions

c)Separation of Powers doctrine

d)All of the above

b)Compromise: Because power is divided unequally, all groups must make concessions

There are four key concepts that make up the pluralists argument. What is the fourth concept?

a)Consensus: Compromise results in consensus in which all groups must co-exist and submit to government and the rule of law

b)Representative Democracy

c)Direct Democracy

d)All of the above

a)Consensus: Compromise results in consensus in which all groups must co-exist and submit to government and the rule of law

What school of thought is considered to be in opposition to the concept of pluralism?

a)Democratic Theory

b)Hyperpluralism

c) Elite Theory

d)All of the above

c) Elite Theory

According to Elite Theory, how does the Power Elite control government?

a)By occupying decision making positions within government, the military, the financial sector, and exclusive educational institution

b)By managing the country's economy

c)By dominating the tools of exclusivity: private schools, influential social organizations, money

d)All of the above

d) All of the above