PS 101: Exam 1

UIUC Intro to US Government & Politics

without the government to provide public goods, the free rider problem might be a barrier to collective action, making those public goods unavailable (T/F)

true

one of the ideals of the American government, though not always achieved in reality, is that everyone should have the same opportunity to succeed regardless of their class, race, gender, or ethnicity. This is most compatible with which core value?

equality

the constitution does not explicitly give the federal government the right to issue licenses to lawyers or teachers. Nor does the Constitution prohibit the states from issuing such licenses. Therefore we would consider the right to issue occupational licenses to be an example of:

a reserved power (10th amendment)

James Madison argued that a strong national government provided by the Constitution would solve which tension?

majority rule versus minority rights

members of the House who run for reelection usually win, with reelection rates usually above 85%. This is often referred to as what?

incumbency advantage

The overwhelming majority of congressional action occurs in which form of committees?

standing committees

Senators Bishop and Diaz have little in common in terms of policy or politics, but Senator Bishop agrees to vote for Senator Diaz’s bill if, in exchange, Senator Diaz supports Senator Bishop’s legislation. This is an example of a practice known as what?

logrolling

which of the following best summarizes the current legal standard for using race in drawing congressional district lines?

Race can be a factor but it cannot be a predominant one

why does executive privilege exist?

presidents and their staff need to be able to communicate freely without fear that their conversations will be made public

it is easier for Congress to overturn Supreme Court decisions when the cases deal with statutory interpretation than when they deal with constitutional interpretation (T/F)

true

in order for Congress to reverse the current president’s executive action, it would likely require the agreement of two-thirds of the members in both houses (T/F)

true (assume legislation → vetoed → 2/3 votes)

when a president makes a policy decision without the approval or consent of Congress, this is known as unilateral action (T/F)

true

which branch has the power of purse?

legislative (congress)

What is this an example of? Democrats and Republicans are unable to come to an agreement on a new bill, so instead Congress takes no action on the issue

gridlock

the arrangement of powers in a federalist system is dynamic and can lead to conflict between levels of government. what aspect of federalism is most commonly disputed in the US?

how power is divided

the court can rely on its enforcement powers to back up its decisions (T/F)

false (court has no enforcement power, relies on other branches)

if the supremacy clause of the Constitution specifies that federal laws are the “supreme law of the land,” why are there still so many ongoing debates about what the federal government can and cannot require governments to do?

the supremacy clause only applies to issue the constitution says are federal powers

in the conventional method of passing legislation, where does a bill go after it is introduced to the house?

the relevant committee in the house

Congress passes a new tax bill with only five days left in session. The president has no intention of signing it and lets its quietly die on his desk, without Congress having a chance to override the president’s decision. This is an example of what?

pocket veto

The War Powers Resolution of 1973 helped Congress regain equal footing with the president when it came to military affairs (T/F)

false (this was the intention but it has not actually helped)

Which statement about presidential influence over the courts is accurate?

most lower-court judges share the same party as the president who nominated them

the most important factor in nomination battles over federal judges is their

ideology

currently the court hears about what percentage of the cases submitted to them?

1

over time the legislative branch has been the branch that has played the most important role in interpreting the meaning of the constitution (T/F)

false

what is the most important legal influence on Supreme Court decisions?

precedent

fire alarm oversight is the method whereby members of Congress respond to complaints about the bureaucracy or problems of implementations only as they arise (T/F)

true

why does Congress seldom cut off an agency’s funds?

cutting programs means cutting off the good parts of the agency along with the bad parts

which two of the terms below are related to the idea of projects that benefit a specific congressional district or location?
- cloture
- earmark
- pork barrel
- trustee

pork barrel, earmark

if members of Congress are motivated by gaining reelection (the electoral connection), which of the following behaviors help them connect with votes?
a) voting on an obscure change in the tax code
b) helping a constituent qualify for federal benefits
c) appearing in a parade
d) making a speech that supports gun carry rights, an issue supported by constituents

b, c, and d

how did SCOTUS acquire the power of judicial review?

the Supreme Court struck down part of the Judiciary Act of 1789 as unconstitutional, thus establishing that it had the power to determine the constitutionality of laws (Marbury v. Madison)

executive privilege is…

the justification used by the president to conceal certain discussions, decisions, documents, etc. from Congress and the judiciary

which of the following is NOT a way that FDR helped shape the modern presidency?
a) he organized the removal of important Congressional checks on presidential power, enabling the president to take on a wider array of policy matters
b) he helped cement the role of the president as that of the party leader pursuing a broad party policy agenda through federal power
c) he set a standard of higher and more personal presidential interaction with the public through extensive media interactions and his well-known “fireside chats” over radio broadcast

a

the doctrine of stare decisis means what?

judgments made in case laws are used to guide the decisions made in future (role of precedent)

what is writ of certiorari in the context of the Supreme Court?

an order from SCOTUS to some lower court indicating that SCOTUS wishes to review the legal reasoning of the recipient court

writ certiorari is a legal order from…

a higher court, typically SCOTUS

what is it called when someone asks SCOTUS to review a case

petition for writ of certiorari

what is bureaucratic drift?

the phenomenon where government agencies or bureaucrats implement policies in a manner that deviates from the original intent or objectives established by lawmakers

Congress passes a new law that relaxes regulation of pesticides to better allow farmers to protect their crops. Which of the following is an example of bureaucratic drift?
a) bureaucrats make sweeping changes to permit a large number of powerful pesticides that negatively harm the environment
b) bureaucrats draft minimal regulatory changes that only permit new pesticides no better than what is already available, but that carry no harmful environmental effects
c) bureaucrats make moderate changes that allow a wider range of more effective pesticides that carry small but non-trivial negative environmental effects

b

define separation of powers

the division of government into three branches
(has the intent of ensuring no branch becomes too powerful)

define democracy

government by the people (typically representative democracy)

what are reserved powers

powers not specifically given to the national government by the Constitution or denied from the states, and are given to the states or the people (10th amendment, typically the states)

what is the purpose of checks and balances?

to prevent any branch from getting to strong

how does a system of checks and balances work?

each branch can limit the power of the other branches

define liberty

the freedom to act and think as one chooses (as long as it does not infringe on the rights of others)

what are enumerated powers?

specific powers granted by the Constitution

what is federalism?

government that’s split into national, state, and local level

what is the principle of equality?

everyone is equal (under the law, political equality, equal opportunity, etc)

what is judicial review

the power of the courts (SCOTUS in particular) to decide the constitutionality of legislative acts and executive decisions.

how was judicial review established?

Marbury v Madison, the court struck down the Judiciary Act of 1801

what was the Judiciary Act of 1801

Outgoing President Adams and Congress created a bunch of new courts and added judges to help their party before power was transferred

what are public goods?

non-excludable and non-rivalrous goods

what is non-excludability?

if the good is available to one actor, then other actors cannot be prevented from consuming it (everyone has equal access to it)

what is non-rivalry?

one actor’s consumption of a good does not diminish the quantity available for others

what is republicanism

political ideology centered on the idea of citizens electing representatives to govern on their behalf

define government

the institution through which a society makes and enforces its laws and public policies

what are collective action problems

situation where individuals have the incentive to free ride/not collaborate, but if no one collaborates everyone ends up in a worse position

what is popular sovereignty

the idea that the authority of the government comes from consent of the people

what is liberalism?

political ideology that emphasizes the protection of individual rights and the role of the government in protecting these rights

what is the free rider problem?

situation where individuals benefit from a collective resource without contributing

federalists vs antifederalists

federalists: supported Constitution and strong national government

antifederalists: opposed Constitution and favored strong state governments

what is conservatism

political ideology that emphasizes tradition, social stability, and gradual change.

what do conservatives often advocate for?

limited government in economics and a strong role in preserving traditional social values

what are culture wars

the conflict between conservative and liberal values

what is pluralism

theory that politics is a competition among various interest groups (no dominant party)

what is the 3/5ths compromise

compromise during the constitutional convention that counted enslaved individuals as 3/5ths of a person for representation and taxation

(controversial attempt to balance power between slaveholding and non-slaveholding states)

define ideology

comprehensive set of beliefs about the role of government, politics, and the goals society should aim for

what was New Jersey vs Virginia plan?

the two plans proposed at the Constitutional convention

what was the New Jersey plan

• unicameral legislature

• each state had equal representation

what was the virginia plan?

• bicameral legislature

• representation based on population

what was the Great Compromise?

the combination of the New Jersey/Virginia plan to form the Constitution

explain the idea that politics is conflictual

politics inherently involves disagreement. people have different interests and ideologies → inherent conflict

what are the core functions of government?

• maintain order/security

• solve collective action problems and provide public goods

• protect individual rights

what does the phrase ‘political processes matter’ mean?

they shape the government which in turn will impact people’s daily lives. It shapes who has power and how decisions are made

what are sources of political conflict?

diferences in…

• economic interests

• cultural values

• identity politics

• ideology

what are the constitution’s key features?

• separation of powers

• federalism

• checks and balances

what influence did the enlightenment have?

shaped ideas on…

• natural rights (like life, liberty, and property)

• idea of popular sovereignty, democracy, separation of powers

why did the articles of confederation fail?

• had no enforcement powers

• weak central government

• inability to manage economic and security challengesw

what is the intent of federallism?

• allows regional autonomy (better adapt to local needs and respond faster)

• prevents an overly strong central government

What is the purpose of a system of “checks and balances” and what specific such features were built into the Constitution?

the purpose is to prevent any branch from getting too strong

• president can veto’s Congress’ bill

• president selects judges with senate advice

• congress can override a veto

• judicial review

 Bianco and Cannon note that “politics is everywhere” – what do they mean by this?

that the effect of politics is literally everywhere

How does political ideology relate to the structure and evolution of government?

guides what policies are prioritized and the stances that members of government take

Why does the 10^th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States reserve “the powers not delegated to the United States…nor prohibited to it by the States” to the states?

to ensure a balance between state and federal authority (ensures federal authority is restricted to what it’s explicitly given)

What can we learn about federalism and policy implementation from the outcomes of COVID-19 vaccine implementation?

• federal government advice may not be the most effective way to get something done

• individual states have more flexibility and coordination

What does it mean for the states to function as “laboratories of democracy?”

individual states can test out methods and be an ‘experiment’

what is bicameralism

legislative structure split into two chambers (house and senate)

what is apportionment

process of distributing seats in the House based on population (typically every 10 years/decade)

what is a cloture

a senate procedure to end a filibuster or limit debate. requires a supermajority of 60 votes

what does pork barrel mean

the allocation of government funds to projects designed to please voters and win votes

what is gerrymandering

manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a political party or groupwhat

what is a standing committee

permanent committees that tend to do most of the work

what is the rules committee

• controlled by House majority

• sets the rule for debating bills on the floor

  • open (hasn’t been used in years)

  • closed

  • modified

what is log rolling

practice where legislators trade votes on each other’s bills

• often occurs with legislation focused on local benefits (like pork barrel spending)

what is gridlock

situation where the government is unable to pass significant legislation due to political stalemate (often caused by divided government or extreme partisanship)

what is the distributive theory

suggests that lawmakers create policies that distribute resources to their constituents/interest groups in exchange for support

what are the types of representatives

descriptive, substantive

what is descriptive representation

representatives have similar backgrounds to the people they representwhat

what is substantive representation

elected official represents the policy interests/concerns of constituents (regardless of descriptive representation)

who is the speaker of the house

presiding officer of the House, responsible for legislative agenda, overseeing proceedings, and representing the house to the pubicho

how is the speaker of the house chosen

elected by the majority party

what is the informational theory

committees in Congress exist to gather specialized information to help members make informed decision → improves policy quality