GOVT 2305: Federal Government - Final Exam Review

Redistricting is __________.

Select one:

a. the allocation of seats in the House to each state after each census

b. the redrawing of district boundaries within each state to ensure equal district populations

c. normally a bipartisan exercise

d. a court order to hold new elections because of voting irregularities

e. the alteration of a legislative formula that apportions spending among the states

b. the redrawing of district boundaries within each state to ensure equal district populations

A __________ committee is established for a limited time period and for a special purpose.

Select one:

a. joint

b. standing

c. conference

d. oversight

e. select

e. select

The necessary and proper clause __________.

Select one:

a. is located in the Constitution in the text of the Tenth Amendment

b. has increased the powers of the state governments at the expense of Congress' powers

c. has expanded the role of the national government relative to that of the states

d. was eliminated as a consequence of the Twenty-seventh Amendment

e. has served to limit the expansion of national authority

c. has expanded the role of the national government relative to that of the states

The most important foreign policy power is the power to __________.

Select one:

a. summon and regulate state militias

b. raise an army

c. borrow money from other countries

d. punish piracy on the high seas

e. declare war

e. declare war

In the House of Representatives, the discharge petition is used to __________.

Select one:

a. force a bill out of committee so that the entire House can vote on it

b. prevent the president from using the pocket veto

c. delay action on a bill that has the support of the majority

d. adjourn for the remainder of the session

e. force the Speaker to take action on a bill

a. force a bill out of committee so that the entire House can vote on it

The principal and most obvious function of any legislature is __________.

Select one:

a. lawmaking

b. oversight

c. checking the power of the judicial branch

d. carrying out the law

e. advice and consent

a. lawmaking

An attempt in the Senate to prevent the passage of a bill through the use of unlimited debate is a(n) __________.

Select one:

a. unanimous consent agreement

b. logrolling

c. cloture

d. filibuster

e. continuing resolution

d. filibuster

The most important of the domestic powers of Congress are the right to collect taxes, __________.

Select one:

a. to establish rules for naturalizing citizens, and to borrow money

b. to establish post offices, and to regulate copyrights and patents

c. to spend, and to regulate commerce

d. to establish the federal court system, and to coin money

e. to coin money, and to borrow money

c. to spend, and to regulate commerce

Gerrymandering is __________.

Select one:

a. unconstitutional following an 1812 ruling by the Supreme Court

b. legislation passed in southern states to limit African-American participation in elections

c. a process that attempts to limit debate on a bill in the Senate

d. the drawing of legislative district boundaries for the purpose of gaining partisan advantage

e. an attempt to prevent the passage of a bill through the use of unlimited debate

d. the drawing of legislative district boundaries for the purpose of gaining partisan advantage

An important function of the House majority leader is to __________.

Select one:

a. walk the bill through the Senate, providing the bill has passed the House

b. report all progress of legislation to the President

c. preside over meetings of the House

d. act as spokesperson for the majority party in the House

e. provide opposition to the Speaker

d. act as spokesperson for the majority party in the House

Prior to the __________ Amendment, senators were selected by their state legislatures.

Select one:

a. Twenty-first

b. Twelfth

c. Eighteenth

d. Seventeenth

e. Sixteenth

d. Seventeenth

"Money bills" __________.

Select one:

a. must receive a two-thirds vote in both houses

b. must originate in conference committee

c. must originate in the House

d. must start in the Senate

e. are introduced by the president

c. must originate in the House

__________ must consent to the ratification of a treaty.

Select one:

a. The Senate

b. Both houses of Congress

c. The Department of State

d. The president

e. The House of Representatives

a. The Senate

The enumerated powers of the U.S. Congress as they apply to the United States are found in __________ of the Constitution.

Select one:

a. Article I Section 10

b. Article I Section 8

c. Article I Section 2

d. Article I Section 9

e. Article I Section 1

b. Article I Section 8

One major difference between the House and Senate is the total number of members, ensuring that __________.

Select one:

a. the Senate is able to decide on the proper action on a bill quicker than the House

b. House members must sit on more committees than senators

c. the House will spend much more time on a bill on the floor than will the Senate

d. a greater number of formal rules are needed to govern activity in the House

e. that a constitutional amendment has been proposed to increase the size of the House and to reduce the numbers in the Senate

d. a greater number of formal rules are needed to govern activity in the House

The House of Representatives has a more formal, complex, and centralized leadership structure compared to the Senate because __________.

Select one:

a. the Senate has six years to pass the same laws that the House must address in only two years

b. the members in the House tend to be younger and more inexperienced, requiring more detailed procedures for the legislative process

c. the House of Representatives has a diverse membership that is similar to the multiparty systems found in a parliament

d. the Senate was originally supposed to be composed of more elite members of society who would have not required procedural rules to maintain order

e. the membership of the Senate is less than one-fourth the size of the House of Representatives

e. the membership of the Senate is less than one-fourth the size of the House of Representatives

After being reported by a committee, but before being sent to the House floor, bills are given to the __________ Committee, which defines the conditions under which the bills are to be considered by the House.

Select one:

a. Ways and Means

b. Select

c. Rules

d. Appropriations

e. Joint

c. Rules

A lawmaker who uses different pragmatic views of representation is using a(n) __________ style of representation.

Select one:

a. trustee

b. sociological

c. instructed-delegate

d. ideologue

e. politico

e. politico

The most important committees in Congress are __________ committees, permanent bodies that possess an expertise due to their jurisdiction over certain policy areas.

Select one:

a. joint

b. standing

c. legislative

d. conference

e. select

b. standing

The job of a conference committee is to __________.

Select one:

a. set the rules of debate for a bill

b. reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill

c. override a presidential veto

d. originate appropriations bills

e. determine the committee path of a bill

b. reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill

Cloture entails __________.

Select one:

a. adjournment of Congress

b. methods used to defeat legislation in Congress

c. attempts to limit debate on a bill in the Senate

d. closed meetings held by parties to elect their leadership or resolve important issues

e. actions of the House Rules Committee that must be approved by the Speaker

c. attempts to limit debate on a bill in the Senate

Members of the Senate are elected every __________ years.

Select one:

a. six

b. two

c. ten

d. four

e. eight

a. six

Carlos is a registered Democrat and heads to the poll during the ____________ to determine which Democratic candidate for Senate will compete in the general election.

Select one:

a. recall election

b. caucus

c. electoral vote

d. blanket primary

e. direct primary

b. caucus

The president of the Senate is __________.

Select one:

a. always a member of the majority party in the Senate

b. the senator with the most seniority, regardless of party

c. the vice president of the United States

d. the fourth person in line to succeed the president

e. the leader of the majority party in the Senate

c. the vice president of the United States

After a bill has been introduced and referred to a committee, the committee __________.

Select one:

a. is required to pass the bill on to the entire house

b. is not allowed to make changes in the bill's wording

c. may hold hearings to explore the merits of the bill

d. is required to refer the bill to a subcommittee

e. is required to consult with the president's official legislative liaison

c. may hold hearings to explore the merits of the bill

__________ error occurs when some portion of the population is not include in the polling sample.

Select one:

a. Exclusion

b. Margin of

c. Prejudicial

d. Coverage

e. Sampling

d. Coverage

__________ is the value assigned to a person due to occupation or income.

Select one:

a. Socioeconomic status

b. Lifestyle status

c. Affluential level

d. Financial level

e. Monetary status

a. Socioeconomic status

"Would you be more likely or less likely to vote for Congressman Jones, who voted to raise your taxes 22 times?" Which type of poll includes this kind of question?

Select one:

a. hidden agenda poll

b. push poll

c. pull poll

d. tainted questionnaire poll

e. mudslinger poll

c. pull poll

Historically low levels of trust in government occurred __________

Select one:

a. immediately after 9/11

b. during the presidency of Bill Clinton

c. during the Vietnam War and Watergate

d. immediately before 9/11

e. during the presidency of Ronald Reagan

c. during the Vietnam War and Watergate

A challenge to new democracies being established in countries which were once headed by oppressive regimes is that __________.

Select one:

a. democratization reinforces too many normal routines

b. younger people universally prefer older forms of government

c. the control of the educational system, the media, and religion was, for so long, in the hands of the oppressors

d. the building of new civil societies is actually more brutal than the oppression of past regimes

e. older people universally prefer older forms of government

c. the control of the educational system, the media, and religion was, for so long, in the hands of the oppressors

A random sample means that __________.

Select one:

a. the poll is unscientific

b. every person in the target population has an equal chance of being selected

c. every person in the target population is selected

d. pollsters let the target population decide who is selected

e. the selection process is not planned

b. every person in the target population has an equal chance of being selected

A(n) _____ is an enduring effect of the events of a particular time on the political opinions of those who came of political age at that time.

Select one:

a. socioeconomic effect

b. issue effect

c. generational effect

d. lifestyle effect

e. benchmark effect

c. generational effect

Agenda setting is determining __________.

Select one:

a. by what process people acquire political beliefs and attitudes

b. which proportion of the public expresses the same view on an issue

c. the aggregate opinion of the adult population

d. which public policy questions will be debated or considered

e. the aggregate opinion of the political elites

d. which public policy questions will be debated or considered

American women are more likely than American men to support __________.

Select one:

a. legislation restricting the rights of homosexuals

b. capital punishment

c. interventions abroad

d. social welfare programs

e. restrictions on access to abortions

d. social welfare programs

An opinion leader is __________.

Select one:

a. a pollster

b. a public relations expert

c. someone who always sways public opinion

d. someone able to influence others' opinions

e. someone able to influence other's opinions through position or expertise, rather than personality

d. someone able to influence others' opinions

Because there is no single "public," but rather many different publics, surveying public opinion actually means __________.

Select one:

a. describing attitudes typically shared by some portion of the adult population

b. polling only influential individuals

c. persuading people to support the policies of the administration in power

d. identifying the issue where opinions aggregate

e. focusing on one identifiable opinion among competing opinions

a. describing attitudes typically shared by some portion of the adult population

Determining which public policy questions will be debated or considered is known as __________.

Select one:

a. political socialization

b. opinion leadership

c. public opinion

d. agenda setting

e. consensus building

d. agenda setting

Gallup or Roper pollsters generally interview __________.

Select one:

a. respondents who have been prescreened for intelligence

b. respondents acquired using quota sampling

c. respondents three or four times to ensure accuracy

d. over 100,000 respondents in each random sample for presidential elections

e. approximately 1,500 respondents in a nationwide sample

e. approximately 1,500 respondents in a nationwide sample

General agreement among the citizenry on an issue constitutes __________.

Select one:

a. public aggregation

b. a divisive opinion

c. a consensus

d. a reconciliation

e. majority rule

c. a consensus

Generational effect refers to the __________.

Select one:

a. increased tension between major political parties

b. way in which the family members of different ages influence political opinions

c. tendency for people to adopt conservative political opinions as they age

d. way in which political socialization produces opinions

e. long-lasting impact of significant events on the political opinions of the generation that came of age at that time

e. long-lasting impact of significant events on the political opinions of the generation that came of age at that time

In opinion polling, the difference between the sample result and what the true result would be if the entire population had been interviewed is termed __________.

Select one:

a. tracking poll

b. the Truman error

c. sampling error

d. opinion bias

e. inaccurate sampling

c. sampling error

Modern polling was developed in the __________.

Select one:

a. 1960s at the Census Bureau

b. 1970s by Zogby and Nielsen

c. 1940s at Harvard University

d. 1890s by George Orwell and Theodore Roosevelt

e. 1930s by George Gallup and Elmo Roper

e. 1930s by George Gallup and Elmo Roper

Peer groups are more likely to influence political opinions when __________.

Select one:

a. it is not an election year

b. peers do not strongly identify with any political party

c. peers are over the age of 50

d. peers are all of the same gender

e. peers are actively involved in political activities

e. peers are actively involved in political activities

The degree to which individuals express trust in government is known as __________.

Select one:

a. institutional subscription

b. political commitment

c. universal suffrage

d. political trust

e. partisan identification

d. political trust

The following is an example of a(n) __________ opinion: To reduce the threat of terrorism, would you be willing or not willing to allow government agencies to monitor the telephone calls and e-mail of ordinary Americans on a regular basis? (Willing: 41%, Not willing: 52%, Don't know/No answer: 7%)

Select one:

a. consensus

b. divisive

c. unified

d. dubious

e. favorable

b. divisive

The life cycle effect is the __________.

Select one:

a. principle that gender affects political party identification

b. difference between a sample result and the probable result of interviewing an entire population about their political beliefs and attitudes

c. phenomenon of certain attitudes occurring at certain chronological ages

d. value assigned to a person because of occupation or income

e. process by which people acquire political beliefs and attitudes

c. phenomenon of certain attitudes occurring at certain chronological ages

The most important principle in sampling, or poll taking, is __________.

Select one:

a. randomness

b. the sample size

c. prior experience

d. integrity of the pollster

e. population concentration

a. randomness

The process by which people acquire political beliefs and attitudes is known as __________.

Select one:

a. peer grouping

b. opinion leadership

c. agenda setting

d. political socialization

e. consensus building

d. political socialization

Which of the following statements is true of political socialization?

Select one:

a. Sources of information about politics have been steadily decreasing in the United States for decades.

b. Parents disaffected from the political system are more likely to provide political information to their children than parents who are not similarly disaffected.

c. The family has become the only meaningful source of political socialization in the United States.

d. Scholars believe that greater access to political information may explain why young Americans are more liberal than their parents on many social issues.

e. Although more sources of political information have become readily available in recent decades to most Americans, these sources are not as readily available to most young people.

d. Scholars believe that greater access to political information may explain why young Americans are more liberal than their parents on many social issues.

Which statement about the media and public opinion is correct?

Select one:

a. The Daily Show, although popular, did not change viewers' opinions about political issues.

b. A video posted on YouTube resulted in President Obama authorizing the deployment of 1,000 U.S. marines to capture Joseph Kony.

c. Google launched a software app in 2010 that allows candidates to remove embarrassing videos, audio clips, and Twitter feeds from the Internet.

d. Reports show that, among 18- to 29-year-olds, news programs with a comedy twist are replacing traditional news sources.

e. Stephen Colbert raised over $2 million dollars, largely from viewers of his show, for his Super PAC.

d. Reports show that, among 18- to 29-year-olds, news programs with a comedy twist are replacing traditional news sources.

Which of the following statements best describes that which was agreed upon by the delegates at the Constitutional Convention?

Select one:

a. The delegates created a chief executive who had enough powers granted in the Constitution to balance those of Congress.

b. The delegates created a chief executive who had enough powers granted in the Constitution to be a superior institution to the Courts.

c. The delegates created a chief executive who had enough powers granted in the Constitution to be an inferior institution to Congress.

d. The delegates created a chief executive who had enough powers granted in the Constitution to be a superior institution to Congress.

e. The delegates created a chief executive who had enough powers granted in the Constitution to be an inferior institution to the Courts.

a. The delegates created a chief executive who had enough powers granted in the Constitution to balance those of Congress.

The last war to be fought under a Congressional declaration of war was __________.

Select one:

a. World War II

b. Grenada

c. Gulf War I

d. the Korean War

e. the Vietnam War

a. World War II

The president, in his capacity as head of state, is responsible for __________.

Select one:

a. administering the laws

b. leading the legislative process by submitting legislation

c. conducting the foreign policy of the country

d. engaging in activities that are largely symbolic or ceremonial in nature

e. determining the countries in which the United States will have diplomatic relations

d. engaging in activities that are largely symbolic or ceremonial in nature

As Commander in Chief, the president is __________.

Select one:

a. not responsible for military decisions

b. obligated to sit on the Board of Regents for the military, the naval and the air force academies

c. only a symbolic leader of the military

d. the ultimate decision maker in military matters

e. allowed to make military decisions, but only with the approval of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

d. the ultimate decision maker in military matters

When the veto power is used, the president __________.

Select one:

a. must return the bill to Congress with a veto message

b. cannot use another veto for ten working days

c. must have the approval of the Senate majority leader and the Speaker of the House

d. cannot be overridden by Congress

e. must submit legislation that would accomplish the same goal but through a different means

a. must return the bill to Congress with a veto message

Before a treaty can become legally binding, the treaty must be __________.

Select one:

a. approved by a two-thirds vote in the Senate

b. ratified by the Supreme Court

c. approved by three-fourths of the state governments

d. submitted to the United Nations for approval

e. approved by a majority vote in both houses of Congress

a. approved by a two-thirds vote in the Senate

The State of the Union message is __________.

Select one:

a. required by the Constitution and gives a broad view of what the president wishes the legislature to accomplish during the session

b. an effective tool used by the president to limit other countries' foreign policy endeavors in this hemisphere

c. a policy statement of Congress over which the president seldom has influence

d. limited to reviewing the events of the last year

e. delivered by the president to the General Assembly of the United Nations at least once every four years

a. required by the Constitution and gives a broad view of what the president wishes the legislature to accomplish during the session

The office that works most closely with the president is the __________.

Select one:

a. Council of Economic Advisers

b. White House Office

c. Executive Office of the President

d. Domestic Policy Council

e. Cabinet

b. White House Office

Which constitutional amendment specifies the separate election of the president and vice president by the Electoral College?

Select one:

a. The Twenty-sixth Amendment

b. The Twelfth Amendment

c. The Tenth Amendment

d. The Twenty-fourth Amendment

e. The Twenty-fifth Amendment

b. The Twelfth Amendment

The Chief of Staff __________.

Select one:

a. is the President's personal secretary

b. is the senior officer of the combined military

c. serves at the pleasure of the president's Cabinet

d. directs the White House Office and advises the president

e. is the director of the Executive Office of the President

d. directs the White House Office and advises the president

Going on official state visits to other countries, decorating war heroes, and dedicating parks are all examples of the president's role as __________.

Select one:

a. Commander in Chief

b. head of state

c. chief legislator

d. chief executive

e. chief diplomat

b. head of state

The requirement that the President of the United States report to Congress within forty-eight hours of sending troops into hostilities and then obtains the approval of Congress within sixty days is established by __________.

Select one:

a. the Nixon Protocol

b. the National Security Act

c. the Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Curtiss-Wright Export Corp

d. the War Powers Resolution

e. Article II of the Constitution

d. the War Powers Resolution

As _________, the president dominates American foreign policy, a role that has been supported many times by the Supreme Court.

Select one:

a. chief legislator

b. commander in chief

c. head of state

d. chief executive

e. chief diplomat

e. chief diplomat

A pocket veto __________.

Select one:

a. was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1936

b. means that the legislation cannot be reintroduced in the next Congress

c. can be overturned if Congress conducts a roll-call vote within ten days of the bill being sent back from the White House

d. can be used by a president only once during his term in office, although he can use it twice if he serves two terms

e. can only be used when Congress adjourns for the session within ten days of the bill being submitted to the President

e. can only be used when Congress adjourns for the session within ten days of the bill being submitted to the President

The Cabinet is __________,

Select one:

a. an advisory group selected by the president to aid in making decisions

b. explicitly established in Article II of the Constitution

c. an informal group of presidential advisers

d. the president's clerical staff

e. a vital center of decision making for modern presidents

a. an advisory group selected by the president to aid in making decisions

As chief diplomat, the president __________.

Select one:

a. selects leaders of his or her party in Congress

b. ratifies treaties with the advice and consent of the Cabinet

c. is responsible for all actions within the executive branch

d. is responsible for selecting judges to federal courts

e. negotiates treaties, recognizes foreign governments, and makes executive agreements

e. negotiates treaties, recognizes foreign governments, and makes executive agreements

A key difference between a treaty and an executive agreement is that __________.

Select one:

a. executive agreements can only be made with other nations

b. treaties are much more common (about 13,000) compared to executive agreements (around 1,300)

c. executive agreements expire at the end of a president's term in office

d. a treaty has to be approved by Congress

e. a treaty can only be made is one country, while an executive agreement can include multiple countries

c. executive agreements expire at the end of a president's term in office

The requirements for becoming president are outlined in Article __________ of the Constitution.

Select one:

a. II

b. IV

c. V

d. III

e. I

a. II

Presidents tend to have __________.

Select one:

a. high legislative success rates throughout their administrations as they pursue their role as Chief Legislator

b. low legislative success rates at the beginning of their administrations with a steep increase in the middle and then a decline at the end

c. low legislative success rates throughout their administrations as Congress checks and balances them

d. no consistent pattern in their legislative success rates

e. high legislative success rates at the beginning of their administrations with a steep decline at the end

e. high legislative success rates at the beginning of their administrations with a steep decline at the end

The "Washington community" refers to __________.

Select one:

a. individuals regularly involved with politics in Washington, D.C

b. citizens of the District of Columbia

c. members of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches in Washington, D.C

d. journalists covering national politics in Washington, D.C

e. viewers and listeners of political talk shows

a. individuals regularly involved with politics in Washington, D.C

It is difficult to predict which case or type of case the Supreme Court might review because __________.

Select one:

a. cases are assigned by the Department of Justice

b. the Attorney General determines which cases will be heard

c. Congress selects the cases that will be decided

d. the justices never explain their reasons for hearing certain cases and not others

e. cases are selected randomly using a lottery system

d. the justices never explain their reasons for hearing certain cases and not others

Jurisdiction refers to __________.

Select one:

a. rules and principles announced in court decisions

b. the authority of a court to hear and decide a particular class of cases

c. the constitutionality of a law

d. statutory law

e. common law

b. the authority of a court to hear and decide a particular class of cases

Judicial review __________.

Select one:

a. is clearly outlined in Article III of the Constitution

b. does not provide judges and justices enough influence over national policy

c. does not provide the courts the power to protect our constitutional rights and liberties

d. is necessary to check Congress's lawmaking authority

e. undermines the major policy-making tools of the federal courts

d. is necessary to check Congress's lawmaking authority

As the number of courts and cases increased, portions of the most important decisions of each year were compiled in __________.

Select one:

a. case law

b. common law

c. dockets

d. legal volumes

e. year books

e. year books

Which of the statements about Marbury v. Madison is true?

Select one:

a. The court case centered on the formation of political parties and their protection under the First Amendment.

b. William Marbury was an Anti-Federalist that was awarded a judicial appointment by President Thomas Jefferson.

c. Chief Justice John Marshall issued a decision that found Marbury's rights had been denied.

d. The court found that Marbury had sought a solution from the Supreme Court but that was not within the court's constitutional power.

e. The case of Marbury v. Madison involves a minor issue when compared with intense cases of today like Roe v. Wade.

d. The court found that Marbury had sought a solution from the Supreme Court but that was not within the court's constitutional power.

The Supreme Court can review a state supreme court decision __________.

Select one:

a. if a federal question is involved

b. if there are damages in excess of $50,000

c. if the solicitor general asks them to do so

d. in all cases

e. in cases in which the state is a party a. if a federal question is involved

Based on President Obama's two appointments to the U. S. Supreme Court, the High Court's ideology __________.

Select one:

a. has become more liberal

b. has become more conservative

c. has remained the same

d. has become more libertarian

e. is unable to be determined

c. has remained the same

If Congress disagrees with a decision of the Supreme Court concerning the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, it can __________.

Select one:

a. ignore the decision

b. propose an amendment to the Constitution that would negate the Court's ruling

c. request that the president veto the decision

d. pass a new law that would negates the Court's ruling

e. do nothing because the court has the final say

b. propose an amendment to the Constitution that would negate the Court's ruling

Which of the following statements about term limits for justices is true?

Select one:

a. Tragically, William H. Rehnquist was able to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for less than a year when he was struck by cancer.

b. There is some reluctance to impose term limits on members of the U.S. Supreme Court since no other democratic nation in the world utilizes such term limits.

c. Most commentators accept the reality that imposing term limits on Supreme Court judges would result in the loss of independence for these judges.

d. One of the main problems associated with term limits for Supreme Court judges is the fear that these individuals would time their departure from the Court for political purposes.

e. From 1789 to 1970, the average Supreme Court justice served only 15 years and left the Court at age 68. Since 1970, however, the average tenure is more than 25 years and retirement age is closer to 80.

e. From 1789 to 1970, the average Supreme Court justice served only 15 years and left the Court at age 68. Since 1970, however, the average tenure is more than 25 years and retirement age is closer to 80.

Presidents have the power to change the direction of the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary by __________.

Select one:

a. appointing new judges who in principle have philosophies consistent with the president

b. firing judges and justices on the grounds of incompatibility

c. forcing Congress to consider impeachment of specific judges

d. declaring martial law, which restricts judicial decision making

e. limiting the jurisdiction of the federal courts with an executive order

a. appointing new judges who in principle have philosophies consistent with the president

If a case is remanded by the Supreme Court, it __________.

Select one:

a. is sent to the supreme court of the state in question

b. is sent back to the court that heard the case

c. can only be of a civil nature-criminal cases cannot be remanded

d. must be decided within the calendar year

e. is not subject to any further action by the courts

b. is sent back to the court that heard the case

Which member of the Supreme Court was quoted as saying, "the Constitution is not a living organism, it is a legal document", which should be interpreted "as it was originally written and intended"?

Select one:

a. Ruth Bader Ginsburg

b. Sandra Day O'Connor

c. William Rehnquist

d. John Roberts

e. Antonin Scalia

e. Antonin Scalia

Over the course of American history, Supreme Court justices have tended to be __________.

Select one:

a. Democrats

b. Republicans

c. Protestant, white males

d. former members of Congress

e. former state governors

c. Protestant, white males

An issue that the court believes should be decided by the executive or legislative branch is called __________.

Select one:

a. extrajudicial concern

b. judiciable controversy

c. jurisdictional issue

d. political question

e. precedent-setting issue

d. political question

The federal court derives its power from __________ and is organized according to __________.

Select one:

a. Article III of the Constitution, congressional legislation

b. the Supreme Court, Article III of the Constitution

c. stare decisis, Article IV of the Constitution

d. the Fifth Amendment, congressional legislation

e. executive order, precedent

a. Article III of the Constitution

congressional legislation

Most petitions for writs of certiorari to the Supreme Court are __________.

Select one:

a. granted

b. denied

c. moot

d. made by Congress

e. ordered by state district courts

b. denied

Which of the following refers to judicial activism?

Select one:

a. Judicial activism rests on the conviction that the federal judiciary should take an active role by using its powers to check the activities of Congress, state legislatures, and administrative agencies when those governmental bodies exceed their authority.

b. Judicial activism rests on the assumption that the courts should defer to the decisions made by the legislative and executive branches.

c. Judicial activism rests on the assumption that the courts look to the letter of the law.

d. Judicial activism rests on the assumption that the courts determine the context and purpose of the law.

e. Judicial activism refers to the courts approaching the Constitution as if it were a contract between the government and the governed.

a. Judicial activism rests on the conviction that the federal judiciary should take an active role by using its powers to check the activities of Congress, state legislatures, and administrative agencies when those governmental bodies exceed their authority.

The most likely occupational position of a Supreme Court nominee before nomination is __________.

Select one:

a. federal judgeship

b. state judgeship

c. U.S. Attorney General

d. U.S. Solicitor General

e. U.S. Senator

a. federal judgeship

When a defendant attempts to physically assaults a bailiff during the court proceedings, the judge may find the defendant in __________ contempt.

Select one:

a. abusive

b. civil

c. criminal

d. physical

e. violent

c. criminal

The judicial philosophy that looks to the context and purpose of a law when making an interpretation is known as __________ construction.

Select one:

a. broad

b. conservative

c. contextual

d. judicial

e. strict

e. strict

Which statement about judicial appointment is true?

Select one:

a. When selecting a judicial nominee the president evaluates competence and political philosophy.

b. A judicial nominee is required to testify before the Senate in a confirmation hearing.

c. Nominations were under the complete control of the president until the Reagan administration.

d. The federal district courts have become a stepping stone to the Supreme Court, so presidents have taken more interest in these appointments.

e. The president can choose to confirm or reject a nominee following the Senate hearings.

Feedback

The correct answer is: When selecting a judicial nominee the president evaluates competence and political philosophy.

a. When selecting a judicial nominee the president evaluates competence and political philosophy.

__________ is a controversy that is real and substantial, as opposed to hypothetical or academic.

Select one:

a. A federal question

b. Case law

c. Diversity of citizenship

d. Justiciable controversy

e. Stare decisis

d. Justiciable controversy

The rules and principles announced in court decisions are called __________.

Select one:

a. administrative regulations

b. case law

c. judicial traditions

d. jurisdiction

e. statutes

b. case law

The most important political force within the United States judiciary is the __________.

Select one:

a. Attorney General

b. Chief Justice

c. Department of Justice

d. people

e. Supreme Court

e. Supreme Court

The current chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court is __________.

Select one:

a. Samuel Alito

b. Elena Kagan

c. Anthony Kennedy

d. William Rehnquist

e. John Roberts

e. John Roberts

The Constitution states that the minimum age requirement for the presidency is 30 years.

Select one:

a. True

b. False

b. False

The youngest person to be elected president was John F Kennedy.

Select one:

a. True

b. False

a. True

If the Electoral college fails t9o give any presidential candidate a majority, the election of the president is determined by the House.

Select one:

a. True

b. False

a. True

The president, in his capacity as head of state, is responsible for administering the laws.

Select one:

a. True

b. False

b. False

As chief executive, the president is constitutionally bound to enforce laws, treaties, and court orders.

Select one:

a. True

b. False

a. True