Test 3 - Comprehensive Exam

Supporting the actions of the Democratic Party simply because one identifies oneself as a member of that party is an example of ________.

partisanship

When a person is asked a question about a political issue that person has little interest in and has not thought much about, the person's answer will likely reflect ________.

Latent preferences

What is Government? 

The means by which a society organizes itself and how it allocates authority to accomplish collective goals and provide benefits that society as a whole needs.

In which form of government does a small group of elite people hold political power?

Oligarchy

The elite theory of government maintains that ________.

wealthy, politically powerful people control government, and government has no interest in meeting the needs of ordinary people

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

It was agreed that 60 percent of a states enslaved population would be counted for purposes of both representation and taxation.

What argument did Alexander Hamilton use to convince people that it was not dangerous to place power in the hands of one man?

both B and C

What is the Bill of Rights?

first ten amendments to the Constitution that protect individual freedoms

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

3/4

Who drafted the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson

Article IV, Section 1 (referred to as the Full Faith & Credit Clause) requires states to

accept court decisions, public acts, and contracts of other states.

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court invoked which provisions of the constitution?

necessary and proper clause and supremacy clause

What is federalism in the context of modern democracies?

An institutional arrangement that creates two relatively autonomous levels of government, national and subnational

What is one benefit of Federalism? 

Promotes policy innovation and political participation and accommodates diversity of opinion.

_________ are federal laws and regulations that impose obligations on state and local governments without fully compensating them for the administrative costs they incur.

Unfunded mandates

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

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

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

Which of the following provisions is not part of the First Amendment?

the right to keep and bear arms

In which Supreme Court case did the court explicitly recognize the right to privacy? 

Griswold v. Connecticut

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

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

the United Farm Workers union

The 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery march was an important milestone in the civil rights movement because it ________.

vividly illustrated the continued resistance to Black civil rights in the Deep South

AIM was ________.

a radical group of Native American activists who occupied the settlement of Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Reservation

A group of African American students believes a college admissions test that is used by a public university discriminates against them. What legal standard would the courts use in deciding their case?

Strict scrutiny

The equal protection clause became part of the Constitution as a result of ________.

the fourteenth amendment

________focuses on equality and supports government intervention in society and the economy if it promotes equality.

Liberalism

What do we call an informal poll? 

Straw Poll

Which of the following is not an agent of political socialization?

US Senator

How are most attitudes formed?

in childhood, based on early childhood experiences

What is a number that states how far the poll results may be from the actual opinion of the total population of citizens.

Margin of error

A referendum is not purely direct democracy because the ________.

voters propose and approve something but the legislature also approves it

Why do Belgium, Turkey, and Australia have higher voter turnout rates than the United States?

compulsory voting laws

Which of the following makes it easy for a citizen to register to vote?

National Voter Registration Act

What unusual step did Oregon take to increase voter registration?

The state automatically registers all citizens over eighteen to vote.

What characterizes those most likely to vote in the next election?

over forty-five years old

The "Fairness Doctrine," which was once enforced by the FCC, required broadcasters to:

Provide time for both sides of controversial issues to be presented in a balanced manner.

The concept of "agenda-setting" refers to:

The media's ability to influence the public's perception of what issues are important.

How did the introduction of television change the media industry?

It allowed for visual storytelling and created a new, powerful way to influence public opinion.

Which of the following is NOT a traditional form of media?

Social Media Platforms

The term "media conglomerate" refers to:

A large corporation that owns multiple media outlets across different platforms.

What does the term "party-in-the-electorate" refer to in the context of the U.S. political party system?

The members of the voting public who consider themselves part of a political party or consistently prefer one party over the other.

What criticism did the American Political Science Association’s Committee on Political Parties (APSA) have of the U.S. party system in 1950?

Too similar

What does "divided government" refer to in the context of the U.S. political system?

When one or more houses of the legislature are controlled by the party in opposition to the executive.

 Which of the following documents reflects the positions of a political party on critical issues?

Party platform

What was one significant shift marked by the formation of the Democratic Party?

It built structures focusing on organizing and mobilizing voters for elections at all levels of government

How are collective goods different from private goods?

Collective goods offer broadly distributed benefits, while private goods offer particularized benefits.

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

Contributions to PACs are unlimited, but restrictions have been placed on how much money can be contributed to super PACs.

Someone who lobbies on behalf of their employer as part of their job is ________.

an in-house lobbyist

Which of the following is an aspect of iron triangles?

a symbiotic relationship among Congressional committees, executive agencies, and interest groups

Why might several competing corporations join together in an association?

all the above

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

four

A state case is more likely to be heard by the federal courts when ________.

involves a federal question

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

district and circuit courts

Both state and federal courts hear matters that involve ________.

both civil and criminal law

In Federalist No. 78, Alexander Hamilton characterized the judiciary as the ________ branch of government.

least dangerous

In standing by precedent, a judge relies on the principle of ________.

state decsis

Of all the court cases in the United States, the majority are handled ________.

at the state level

The justices of the Supreme Court are ________.

nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate

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

solicitor general

The Supreme Court consists of ________.

one chief justice and eight associate justices

A very challenging job for new presidents is to ______.

nominate and gain confirmation for their cabinet and hundreds of other officials

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

premier position to pressure through public appeal

The passage of the Tenure of Office Act of 1867 was just one instance in a long line of ________.

struggles for power between the president and the Congress

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

confirmed by the senate

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.

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.

______________ is the act of charging a government official with serious wrongdoing; the Constitution calls this wrongdoing high crimes and misdemeanors. The

Impeachment

How many President have faced impeachment proceedings? 

4

What was the power created through law in 1996 and overturned by the Supreme Court in 1998 that allowed the president to veto specific aspects of bills passed by Congress while signing into law what remained?

Line-item veto

What is the President's right to withhold information from Congress, the judiciary, or the public called? 

executive privilege

Saying a bill is being marked up is just another way to say it is being ________.

amended

Senate races tend to inspire ________.

broad discussion of policy issues

Stopping a filibuster requires that ________.

the chamber votes for cloture

The Great Compromise successfully resolved differences between ________.

large and small states

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

districts are often drawn to benefit partisan groups

Which of the following is an implied power of Congress?

the power to regulate the sale of tobacco in the states

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

according to the state’s population

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

legislate in the way they believed constituents wanted, regardless of the anticipated outcome

A select committee is different from a standing committee because ________.

a select committee is convened for a specific and temporary purpose, while a standing committee is permanent

__________ is the political process that results from dividing a legislature into two separate assemblies

bicamerlism

Public policy refers to:

The decisions and actions taken by the government to address societal problems.

Which of the following is an example of a regulatory policy?

Rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to limit air pollution.

What is the role of political institutions, such as Congress and the executive branch, in the creation of public policy?

They propose, debate, and pass laws that form the basis for public policies.

Which of the following is an example of a distributive policy?

A government grant to improve infrastructure in a rural area.

Which of the following best describes a characteristic of redistributive policies?

They aim to redistribute wealth from higher-income individuals to lower-income individuals.

Pell Grants, Head Start programs, Medicaid, SNAP and TANF are all  examples of which type of public policy?

Redistributve

Which of the following is considered a policy arena?

All of the above

In the context of policy arenas, the “iron triangle” refers to:

The relationship between interest groups, government agencies, and congressional committees.

Who are the primary policymakers in the United States?

Elected officials, including the president, members of Congress, and state and local leaders

The federal budget is:

A statement of expected revenue and planned spending by the federal government for the upcoming year.