Gov Final

_________________________ was an English philosopher who influenced American beliefs about  the relationship between government and natural rights, which were believed to be God-given rights to life, liberty, and property.

 

Thomas Jefferson

 

John Locke

 

George Washington

 

King James II

John Locke

A 2018 Harvard poll found that young Americans are more or less likely to be put off by partisan politics?

 

More

 

Less

 

More

Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of generating wealth is controlled by ________________.

 

individuals

 

foreign governments

 

government

 

all of the above

individuals

In a ___________________ people participate directly in making government decisions.

 

monarchy

 

representative democracy

 

direct democracy

 

oligarchy

 

direct democracy

The U.S. Congress is considered a unicameral legislature.

 

True

 

False

False

According to the Constitution, a simple majority of the states must ratify an amendment before it becomes law.

 

True

 

False

False

Pluralism claims political power rests in the hands of few people who make decisions in their own best interest.

 

True

 

False

False

According to the Constitution, what majority of states is necessary to ratify an amendment?

 

simple majority

 

2/3rds

 

3/4ths

 

must be unanimous

3/4ths

Politics is the process which decides how resources will be allocated.

 

True

 

False

True

The US Constitution is a document written in 1776 in which the American colonists proclaimed their independence from Great Britain and listed their grievances against the British King.

 

True

 

False

False

Which of the following is considered a weakness of the political system created by the Articles of Confederation?

 

The national government could not impose taxes

 

The national government could not raise an army

 

The national government could not regulate foreign trade

 

All of the above

All of the Above

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote a series of essays, beginning in 1787, arguing for a strong federal government and support of the Constitution.  Today these papers as known as:

 

The Constitutionalists

 

The Bill of Rights

 

The Federalist Papers

 

The Articles of Confederation

 

The Federalist Papers

The specific language in the Constitution provides the federal government with reserved powers.

 

True

 

False

 

False

Enumerated powers are not specifically detailed in the U.S. Constitution.

 

True

 

False

False

A federation is a form of government in which power is divided between state governments and a national government.

 

True

 

False

True

John Locke believes that we have natural/inalienable rights to life, liberty and property.

 

True

 

False

True

In a direct democracy people participate directly in making government decisions.

 

True

 

False

True

Public goods are goods that are provided by the government.

 

True

 

False

True

Theoretically the United States combines a democratic political system with a capitalist economic system.

 

True

 

False

 

True

Based on the 2020 election, younger voters are more likely to vote for a Democrat or Republican?

 

Democrat

 

Republican

Democrat

The Bill of Rights are powers given to Congress in Article I of the Constitution.

 

True

 

False

False

The 5th Amendment contains your right not to be prosecuted for the same crime (double-jeopardy) and the right not to incriminate yourself.

 

True

 

False

 

True

_______________ is a political system of total control by the ruling party or political leader over the economy, the military, society, and culture and often the private lives of citizens

 

fascism

 

communism

 

modern liberalism

 

modern conservatism

Fascism

__________________________________ is a process of expanding the Bill of Rights to actions of the state governments.

 

Federalism

 

Selective Incorporation

 

Constitutionalism

 

Individualism

 

Selective Incorporation

Which amendment protects you from having to testify against yourself?

 

2nd

 

4th

 

5th

 

8th

 

5th

The establishment clause is found in the 5th Amendment.

 

True

 

False

 

False

Which of the following rights is NOT protected by the Sixth Amendment?

 

the right to trial by an impartial jury

 

the right to cross-examine witnesses in a trial

 

the right to remain silent

 

the right to a speedy trial

the right to remain silent

Modern conservatism is a political ideology focused on equality and supporting government intervention in society and the economy if it promotes equality.

 

True

 

False

False

Which amendment is central to understanding the debate concerning the right to bear arms?

 

1st

 

2nd

 

4th

 

8th

2nd

The so-called "grandfather" provisions in several Southern states allowed more black people to vote.

 

True

 

False

False

__________________________  is a political ideology supporting the authority of the monarchy and the church in the belief that government provides the rule of law

 

Communism

 

Fascism

 

Classical Liberalism

 

Traditional/Classical Conservatism

Traditional/Classical Conservatism

The 2nd amendment is central to understanding the debate concerning the right to bear arms.

 

True

 

False

True

The right to be protected from cruel or unusual punishment is found in the 

 

1st

 

2nd

 

4th

 

8th

 

8th

When presidents uses the media to gain the public's support for their agenda, they are using what we call

 

the party position.

 

the bully pulpit.

 

final shove.

 

his veto authority.

the bully pulpit.

The right to be protected from illegal search and seizure is found in the 4th Amendment.

 

True

 

False

True

The "Lemon test" established by the Supreme Court is used to determine if a law or other government action is constitutional and includes which of the following:

 

The action or law must not lead to excessive government entanglement with religion;

 

The action or law must not lead to excessive government entanglement with religion;

 

The action or law must have some secular purpose

 

All of the above

All of the above

Which of the following should not be a part of a scientific poll design?

 

a leading question

 

a random sample

 

a representative sample

 

a low margin of error

a leading question

In Brown v. Board of Ed., the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was constitutional.

 

True

 

False

False

____________________ is the use of programs and policies designed to assist groups that have historically been subject to discrimination.

 

Black Code laws

 

National Registration Act

 

Affirmative Action

 

none of the above

Affirmative Action

Civil liberties are limitations on the power of government and are designed to ensure personal freedoms; while civil rights are guarantees of equal treatment by government authorities

 

True

 

False

True

Presidential approval ratings tend to increase over a president’s term of office.

 

True

 

False

False

Third parties bring important issues to the attention of the major parties. They also often serve as spoilers in the elections they enter.

 

True

 

False

True

_________________________________  is the term used when legislative districts are manipulated in an attempt to favor a particular candidate.

 

Muckraking

 

Winner take all

 

Recall

 

Gerrymandering

Gerrymandering

_________________________ are officially known as Independent Expenditure-Only Committees; organizations that can fundraise and spend as they please to support or attack a candidate but not contribute directly to a candidate or strategize with a candidate’s campaign

 

Super PACs

 

PACs

 

Caucus

 

none of the above

Super PACs

Top-two primary is a primary election in which the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, become the nominees for the general election.

 

True

 

False

True

________________________ is a political movement that often begins from the bottom up, inspired by average citizens concerned about a given issue

 

Lobbyist

 

Political Action Committee

 

Grassroots

 

Gerrymandering

Grassroots

The winner-take-all system is a system in which all of the electoral votes for a state are given to the candidate who wins the majority of the popular votes in that state.

 

True

 

False

True

The Green Party is an example of a third party.

 

True

 

False

 

True

Media coverage of a race tends to accurately portray all races equally.

 

True

 

False

False

There is more professional lobbying today than there was 30 years ago.

 

True

 

False

True

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

 

True

 

False

False

In California, voters can vote to recall a state government official but not federal government officials.

 

True

 

False

True

When acting as an agenda setter, the media ________ .

 

decides which issues deserve public attention

 

covers presidential campaigns equally

 

reports on corruption in government

 

brings in advertising revenue for the media corporation

decides which issues deserve public attention

News coverage focusing on exposing corrupt business and government practices is known as _____________________."

 

biased reporting

 

yellow journalism

 

muckraking

 

fairness doctrine

muckraking

The ________________________________________   is a constitutionally created group of individuals, chosen by the states, with the responsibility of formally selecting the next U.S. president

 

Districts

 

Electoral College

 

Senate

 

House of Representatives

Electoral College

First-past-the-post is a system in which the winner of an election is the candidate who wins a clear majority of all of the votes cast.

 

True

 

False

False

Revolving door laws require a cooling-off period before government officials can register to lobby after leaving office.

 

True

 

False

 

True

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

 

PACs can contribute directly to candidates, but super PACs cannot.

 

Liberal interests favor PACs over super PACs.

 

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

 

All of the above

PACs can contribute directly to candidates, but super PACs cannot.

The Freedom of Information Act establishes that all information requested by citizens be provided by public agencies.

 

True

 

False

 

False

Hard Money is not restricted by federal law and allows for unlimited amounts of money to be spent on any political issue. 

 

True

 

False

False

The two major political parties prefer closed primaries to open primaries

 

True

 

False

 

True

The party platform is the collection of a party’s positions on issues it considers politically important.

 

True

 

False

True

First-past-the-post is a system in which the winner of an election is the candidate who wins a clear majority of all of the votes cast.

 

True

 

False

False

The Federal Communications Commission oversees the programming of television, radio and cable but not satellite.

 

True

 

False

False

After a census often times redistricting (the redrawing of electoral maps) takes place to account for changes in population.

 

True

 

False

True

Which of the following forms of direct democracy does California allow?

 

Recall

 

Referendum

 

Initiative/Proposition

 

All of the above

All of the above

The winner-take-all system is a system in which all of the electoral votes for a state are given to the candidate who wins the majority of the popular votes in that state.

 

True

 

False

True

California uses a top-two primary sending the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, into the general election.

 

True

 

False

True

Hard Money is not restricted by federal law and allows for unlimited amounts of money to be spent on any political issue. 

 

True

 

False

False

Top-two primary is a primary election in which the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of party, become the nominees for the general election.

 

True

 

False

True

Agenda setting is the media’s ability to choose which issues or topics get attention.

 

True

 

False

 

True

___________________   a system in which the winner of an election is the candidate who wins the greatest number of votes cast, also known as plurality voting.

 

First past the post

 

Electoral college

 

Clear majority

 

Winner take all

First past the post

The Democratic Party had strong support in the South until the party backed the Civil Rights Act, the Voters Registration Act and supported a woman's right to choice.

 

True

 

False

True

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

 

tabled

 

neglected

 

vetoed

 

changed

changed

Who is elected as the leader of the House of Representatives?

 

the Speaker of the House

 

the majority whip

 

the Vice President

 

the President pro tem

 

the Speaker of the House

California created a lifetime term limit of 12 years, permitting a legislator to serve these 12 years in either the California State Senate or State Assembly.

 

True

 

False

True

Which of the following is not a normal step for a bill to become a law.

 

The House passes the bill

 

The Senate passes the bill

 

The President signs the bill

 

The courts find the bill constitutional

The courts find the bill constitutional

One problem with a bicameral legislature is that it is very difficult to push through large-scale reforms.

 

True

 

False

 

True

In the absence of the Vice President, who is the presiding officer of the Senate?

 

Speaker of the House

 

President pro tempore

 

Majority Leader

President pro tempore

__________________________________ is the division of the courts into two separate systems, one federal and one state.

 

Appellate court regions

 

Dual courts system

 

Judicial activism

 

Judicial Review

Dual courts system

What happens if the popular vote for the President is different than the electoral college vote for the President?

 

The current President gets to decide the winner

 

Congress gets to decide the winner

 

The Electoral College always decides the winner

 

There has to be another election

The Electoral College always decides the winner

WWII created an economic boom in California.

 

True

 

False

 

True

Which of the following have presidents used to increase their power while in office?

 

executive agreements

 

executive orders

 

presidential war powers

 

all of the above

all of the above

The saying “all politics is local” roughly means a local candidate will always win.

 

True

 

False

False

How many years is a U.S. Senator elected to serve for before seeking re-election?

 

2

 

4

 

6

 

8

6

___________ is a rule or order issued by the president without the cooperation of Congress..

 

Executive agreement

 

Executive privilege

 

Executive order

 

Legislation

Executive order

Both the federal and California state governments have a bicameral legislature.

 

True

 

False

True

_______________________ is a system of government in which power is shared between the local/state governments and the national/federal government.

 

Confederalism

 

Federalism

 

Unitary

Federalism

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

 

state and federal courts

 

district and appeallate courts

 

state and local courts

 

civil and common courts

district and appeallate courts

In California, local governments have a great deal of autonomy from the state government.

 

True

 

False

False

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

 

a select committee includes member of both chambers, while a standing committee includes only members of the House

 

a select committee is used for bill reconciliation, while a standing committee is used for prosecutions

 

a select committee must stay in session, while a standing committee goes to recess

 

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

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

Unfunded mandates are federal laws and regulations that impose obligations on state and local governments without fully compensating them for the costs of implementation.

 

True

 

False

True

California is the most populated state in the US and as such has the largest number of Electoral College votes.

 

True

 

False

True

A progressive tax tends to increase the effective tax rate as the wealth or income of the tax payer increases.

 

True

 

False

True

Isolationism is a foreign policy approach which keeps a country less engaged internationally.

 

True

 

False

True

In international policy, realists and idealists agree that it is possible for countries to run the world together and favor open diplomacy.

 

True

 

False

False

In terms of foreign policy, which of the following do neoconservatives believe are acceptable?

 

Aggressive use or threat of hard power

 

Acting unilaterally

 

Premptive strikes

 

All of the above

All of the above

The U.S. policy of containment from the 1950s to 1980 was related to keeping ________.

 

terrorism from spreading

 

communism from spreading

 

oil prices from rising

 

keeping the US out of the international arena

 

communism from spreading

Protectionism is a policy in which a country allows the unfettered flow of goods and services between itself and other countries.

 

True

 

False

False

A whistleblower is a person who publicizes misdeeds committed within a bureaucracy or other organization.

 

True

 

False

True