American Government final exam pratcice

President Theodore Roosevelt's concept of the bully pulpit was the office's ________.

premier position to pressure through public appeal

The Third Amendment can be thought of as ________.

forming part of a broader conception of privacy in the home that is also protected by the Second and Fourth Amendments

Stopping a filibuster requires that ________.

the chamber votes for cloture

The Supreme Court's power of judicial review ________.

enables it to declare acts of the other branches unconstitutional

Both state and federal courts hear matters that involve ________.

both civil and criminal law

Which statement about immigration federalism is false?

The Arizona v. United States decision struck down all Arizona's most restrictive provisions on illegal immigration.

Which Amendment disallows the use of gender as a voting requirement?

the 19th

The US Supreme Court's decision in Plessy v. Ferguson

allowed states to segregate

Which statement about unfunded mandates is false?

New federalism does not promote the use of unfunded mandates.

Although the main purpose of the 14th Amendment's citizenship clause was aimed at making former slaves citizens of the US, it also extended citizenship to Native Americans.

False

How did the delegates to the Constitutional Convention resolve their disagreement regarding slavery?

It was agreed that 60 percent of a state's slave population would be counted for purposes of both representation and taxation.

According to the pluralist theory of government, ________.

government policy is formed as a result of the competition between groups with different goals and interests

Besides the Supreme Court, there are lower courts in the national system called ________

district and circuit courts

A congressperson who pursued a strict delegate model of representation would seek to ________.

legislate in the way he or she believed constituents wanted, regardless of the anticipated outcome

What is the Bill of Rights?

first ten amendments to the Constitution that protect individual freedoms

When a U.S. court considers a law that discriminates based on race, what level of scrutiny does the court apply?

strict scrutiny

Which part of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans discrimination based on a person's religion?

Title VII

The lawyer who represents the federal government and argues cases before the Supreme Court is the ________.

solicitor general

What is a difference between a PAC and a super PAC?

Conservative interests favor PACs over super PACs.

All affirmative action programs have been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

False

The Fourteenth Amendment was critically important for civil liberties because it ________.

helped start the process of selective incorporation of the Bill of Rights

A case will be placed on the Court's docket when ________ justices agree to do so.

four

British colonists in North America in the late seventeenth century were greatly influenced by the political thought of ________.

John Locke

Mexican American farm workers in California organized ________ to demand higher pay from their employers.

the United Farm Workers union

Which of the following is a check that the legislative branch has over the courts?

• Option A) Senate approval is needed for the appointment of justices and federal judges.

• Option B) Congress may rewrite a law the courts have declared unconstitutional.

• Option C) Congress may withhold funding needed to implement court decisions.

• Option D) all of the above

The double jeopardy rule in the Bill of Rights forbids which of the following?

• Option A) prosecuting someone in a state court for a criminal act he or she had been acquitted of in federal court

• Option B) prosecuting someone in federal court for a criminal act he or she had been acquitted of in a state court

• Option C) suing someone for damages for an act the person was found not guilty of

• Option D) none of these options

An example of a right explicitly protected by the Constitution as drafted at the Constitutional Convention is the ________.

right to a writ of habeas corpus

Which statement is most accurate about the sources of revenue for local and state governments?

Between 30 and 40 percent of the revenue for local and state governments comes from grant money.

Which statement about federal grants in recent decades is most accurate?

The amount of federal grant money going to states has steadily increased since the 1960s.

The justices of the Supreme Court are ________.

nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate

A police department bars all smokers from being hired due to the fact that smokers cause health care costs to increase and workers who smoke more frequently absent themselves from work due to smoking-related illnesses. A U.S. court would apply what level of scrutiny if a smoker sued because the policy discriminates against smokers?

the rational basis test

In deciding gender discrimination claims, the courts of the United States apply what level of scrutiny?

Intermediate scrutiny

Which statement about federal and unitary systems is most accurate?

In a federal system, the constitution allocates powers between states and federal government; in a unitary system, powers are lodged in the national government.

The increasing value constituents have placed on descriptive representation in Congress has had the effect of ________.

increasing the number of minority members in Congress

A major difference between most European countries and the United States today is ________.

laws in Europe more strictly regulate how government officials can use tracking technology

Which of the following is a way George Washington expanded the power of the presidency?

He appointed the heads of various federal departments as his own advisors.

While each state has two senators, members of the House are apportioned ________.

according to the state's population

Which of the following is not a benefit of federalism?

Federalism encourages economic equality across the country.

The Fourth Amendment's requirement for a warrant ________.

does not apply when there is a serious risk that evidence will be destroyed before a warrant can be issued

Someone who lobbies on behalf of a company that he or she works for as part of his or her job is ________.

an in-house lobbyist

The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution because ________.

key states refused to ratify the Constitution unless it was added

The Supreme Court consists of ________.

one chief justice and eight associate justices

The process of redistricting can present problems for congressional representation because ________.

districts are often drawn to benefit partisan groups

The key means of advancing modern legislation is now ________.

the budget process

What important power did the national government lack under the Articles of Confederation?

It could not impose taxes.

Which of the following is an example of an executive agreement?

The president signs legally binding nuclear arms terms with Iran without seeking congressional approval.

Same Sex Marriage was illegal in all the United States until the Supreme Court issued its decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.

False

How many states must ratify an amendment before it becomes law?

Three-fourths

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, employers must provide any accommodations necessary to allow an employee who needs them to perform their job.

False

The people who make up the modern president's cabinet are the heads of the major federal departments and ________.

must be confirmed by the Senate