Government Exam

A member of Congress votes in favor of a bill as a result of receiving many letters of support for the bill from constituents. Which form of democratic representation best describes this decision?

A. Trustee

B. Delegate

C. Elite

D. Pluralist

B. Delegate

To what is the explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote to please their colleagues referred?

A. Representational

B. Conventional

C. Organizational

D. Attitudinal

C. Organizational

Where is most of the work of Congresses done?

A. The House Floor

B. The Senate Floor

C. Committees

D. Caucuses

C. Committees

Arizona enacted an immigration law in 2010, claiming the legislation complimented existing federal law. The Obama administration disagreed, claiming the state law conflicted with national law. Which clause of the Constitution is the Supreme Court most likely to use to strike down a section of the state law?

A. Commerce Clause

B. Necessary and Proper Clause

C. Full Faith and Credit Clause

D. Supremacy Clause

D. Supremacy Clause

To what is the explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumes members vote to please their constituents referred?

A. Representational

B. Conventional

C. Organizational

D. Attitudinal

A. Representational

Because of her support for maintaining the filibuster in the Senate in the Democratic Party seek to run another candidate against Kyrsten Sinema in the next election. What term refers to this?

A. “Log Rolled”

B. “Regulated”

C. “Primaried”

D. “Quantified”

C. “Primaried”

In order to invoke cloture on a Senate debate, how many Republicans would have to join all of the Democrats?

A. 67

B. 60

C. 17

D. 10

D. 10

According to the United States Constitution, all revenue bills must-

A. Be passed by a Conference Committee

B. Originate in the House of Representatives

C. Be passed by 2/3’s of the Senate

D. Be reviewed by the Supreme Court

B. Originate in the House of Representatives

Which of the following important functions of democracy would most likely be more difficult without political parties?

A. Eliminating corruption in the bureaucracy

B. Educating the public about upcoming elections

C. Ensuring that only eligible voters can vote

D. Reducing gridlock in Congress

D. Reducing gridlock in Congress

Which of the following rulings is most likely to cite the Supreme Court’s decision in TInker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969) as a legal precedent in support of the decision?

A. A ruling in favor of students to print their opinions in a school newspaper

B. A ruling against a public school’s practice of having prayer at school assemblies

C. A ruling supporting the creation of gun-free zones in public schools

D. A rule enforcing mandatory vaccinations for all children before attending school

A. A ruling in favor of students to print their opinions in a school newspaper

Which of the following is an example of Congress using its implied powers?

A. Congress passing occupational safety regulations for the private sector

B. Congress ratifying a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico

C. Congress changing the tax code so that individuals making more than $350,000 annually have to pay higher taxes

D. Congress requesting that the Supreme Court review the constitutionality of a state gun-control law

A. Congress passing occupational safety regulations for the private sector

A person claiming that the House can pass legislation with a simple majority, but the Senate is unlikely to pass legislation unless it has the support of a 60-vote supermajority is most likely to cire which of the following institutional differences as the cause of this trend?

A. The House has fewer legislative committees than the Senate does

B. Members of the House often represent a much narrower constituency than senators

C. Party leadership in the House is highly formalized, while leadership in the Senate is much more informal

D. The House has strict limits on debate, while the Senate allows unlimited debate

D. The House has strict limits on debate, while the Senate allows unlimited debate.

Which of the following illustrates an economic policy most likely supported by an ideologically liberal individual?

A. The Federal Reserve increasing interest rates

B. Congress increasing minimum wage

C. A bill that would decrease funding for the food stamp program

D. A state lowering income taxes to attract business

B. Congress increasing minimum wage

The legislative process at the national level of government reflects the intent of the framers of the Constitution to create a legislature that would be:

A. Less powerful than the executive

B. Slow and deliberate in the law-making process

C. Able to involve as many citizens as possible in the law-making process

D. Able to ensure that all citizens are equally represented

B. Slow and deliberate in the law-making process

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the checks held by the executive and judicial branches?

A. Impeaching and Removing Federal judges; Declaring an entire Law Unconstitutional

B. Creating lower federal courts; Reviewing Laws prior to enactment

C. Appointing federal judges; Declaring a Law unconstitutional

D. Establishing the number of Supreme Court Justices; Removing the Speaker of the House

C. Appointing federal judges; Declaring a Law unconstitutional

Which of the following is an accurate comparison between the coalitions that make-up the Republican and Democratic Parties?

A. Large Business; Small Business

B. Hispanics; Conservatives

C. African-Americans; Southern Whites

D. Farming Interests; Environmentalists

D. Farming Interests; Environmentalists

Which of the following is an accurate comparison between the structure of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate

A. 350 members; 100 Members

B. Headed by the Speaker; Headed by the Speaker

C. “The People’s House”; “The States House”

D. 4-year terms; “Continuous Body”

C. “The People’s House”; “The States House”

Which of the following is an accurate comparison between the powers of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate?

A. Power to Declare War; Veto Power

B. Impeachment Power; Acts as Jury in Impeachment Trial

C. Veto Power; Power to Introduce Amendments

D. Treaty Power; Treaty Power

B. Impeachment Power; Acts as Jury in Impeachment Trial

Which of the following is an accurate comparison between the rules for debate in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate?

A. Debate limited by rules committee; unlimited debate

B. Debate limited by speaker; debate limited by majority leader

C. Closed rule; Closed rule or open rule

D. Representatives limited to five-minute speeches; cloture needed to stop filibuster

A. Debate limited by rules committee; unlimited debate

What is the next step in the process shown above?

A. Introduced in the Senate

B. Debated by the full Senate

C. Referred to a Conference Committee

D. Referred to a Joint Committee

A. Introduced in the Senate

What is the furthest point that most bills reach?

A. Referred to Committee

B. Reported out of committee

C. Scheduled for consideration

D. Debated by full House

D. Debated by full House

The map shows the outline of a congressional district. Which of the following statements best explains the motivation behind the way in which it is drawn?

A. It has been drawn by a political party to group together moderate voters

B. It has been drawn cooperatively by both political parties to ensure a fair election

C. It has been drawn to group together diverse voters to foster highly competitive elections

D. It has likely been drawn to pack together voters who are registered with the same party

D. It has likely been drawn to pack together voters who are registered with the same party

Which of the following is a consequence of the way the district is drawn on the map?

A. It will likely lead to less competitive general election, which could lead to increased partisanship

B. It will likely lead to a highly contentious and competitive election

C. It will lead to a seat that will be occupied by a member of a third party

D. It will lead to very high turnout in the election

B. It will likely lead to a highly contentious and competitive election

Pennsylvania is about evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. How was it that the Republicans could win 13 out of 18 Congressional districts in 2013?

A. The Republican governor gerrymandered the districts in favor of the Republicans

B. Republicans controlled the legislature and could gerrymander the districts

C. The Census Bureau put Democratic voters into huge districts in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh while Republicans dominated 13 rural districts

D. Pennsylvania voters voted for Republicans in opposition to Obamacare

C. The Census Bureau put Democratic voters into huge districts in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh while Republicans dominated 13 rural districts

According to the chart, what is the largest non-White ethnic/racial group in Congress?

A. Hispanic

B. African-American

C. Native American

D. Asian American

B. African-American

Which group has seen the largest percentage increase in representation since 2001?

A. Hispanic

B. African-American

C. Native American

D. Asian American

D. Asian American

Which organization in Congress represents the political views of African-Americans?

A. NAACP

B. Urban League

C. Congressional Black Caucus

D. Permanent Select Committee on Ethnic Diversity

C. Congressional Black Caucus

Which of the following statements best describes the author’s argument in this passage?

A. The government is responsible for providing social services to all citizens

B. There should be more emphasis on individual actions rather than government aid

C. Expanding the power of the states would undermine the federal government

D. Federalism and popular sovereignty are compatible values

B. There should be more emphasis on individual actions rather than government aid

Which of the following ideological perspectives best aligns with the passage?

A. Libertarian

B. Liberal

C. Progressive

D. Conservative

D. Conservative

Which of the following actions would the author most likely support?

A. Restricting states from setting their own minimum wages higher than the federal level

B. Requiring all people voting in federal elections to have passports to use as photo ID

C. Establishing minimum federal tax requirements for all citizens

D. Allowing states to determine their own curriculum for public high schools

D. Allowing states to determine their own curriculum for public high schools

Which principle of the Constitution was shown in this statement?

A. Checks and Balances

B. Federalism

C. Popular Sovereignty

D. Separation of Powers

B. Federalism

The nature of the amendment process has probably kept the amendments added to the Constitution

A. Relatively simple in nature

B. Legally complex in nature

C. Relatively few in number

D. Extremely controversial

C. Relatively few in number

Which of the following best explains Cato’s argument?

A. The vast territory of the US is too much to maintain

B. The animus between the slave states and free states will destroy the country

C. There is too much power in the presidency

D. The different groups of people that make up the US will lead to its demise

D. The different groups of people that make up the US will lead to its demise

Cato is writing a direct counterargument to which document?

A. Federalist #10

B. Federalist #51

C. Brutus #1

D. Articles of Confederation

B. Federalist #51

With which of the following would Cato most agree?

A. Brutus

B. Publius

C. John Locke

D. Thomas Jefferson

A. Brutus

Which Constitutional Clause was Congress’s most effective tool to desegregate the South in the 1960’s?

A. Necessary and Proper Clause

B. Equal Protection Clause

C. Establishment Clause

D. Commerce Clause

D. Commerce Clause

A person with which constitutional philosophy would most disagree with the holding in Heart of Atlanta Motel v. US (1964)?

A. Originalism

B. Relativism

C. Liberal Constructionism

D. Strict Constructionism

D. Strict Constructionism

Which of the following Supreme Court decisions curbed Congress’s use of the commerce clause in making legislation?

A. Lopez v US

B. McCulloch v Maryland

C. Schenck v US

D. Brandenburg v Ohio

A. Lopez v US