Cal Poly POLS 111 Final

With regard to political campaigns, political parties in California

Select one:

a. are the most important contributors of money and support.

b. do not participate at all, until a candidate has been elected.

c. use their large financial contributions to influence candidates positions.

d. are relatively unimportant sources of money or assistance.

are relatively unimportant sources of money or assistance.

The state is supposed to have a

Select one:

a. deficit

b. balanced budget

c. surplus

d. None of the above

balanced budget

The single largest expenditure for cities today is

Select one:

a. public safety

b. public health (trash and sewers)

c. transportation

d. construction

public safety

The only local government in CA that is both a city and a county is

Select one:

a. Los Angeles

b. San Francisco

c. Marin

d. San Luis Obispo

San Francisco

The Silicon Valley was once home to

Select one:

a. The New York Yankees

b. The entertainment industry

c. Half of the nation's computer engineers

d. Bill Gates

Half of the nation's computer engineers

Appeals courts

Select one:

a. try the cases that they hear from the beginning.

b. consider only whether the lower court discovered all of the relevant evidence.

c. consider only whether the lower court made any legal mistakes.

d. only hear additional evidence not presented at the original trial.

consider only whether the lower court made any legal mistakes

The members of the California State Assembly are elected from

Select one:

a. districts with roughly equal populations.

b. districts with very unequal populations.

c. districts that each cover an equal area of land.

d. districts that are roughly evenly balanced between Republicans and Democrats

districts with roughly equal populations

The committees that guide the budget proposal through the legislative process are

Select one:

a. the Appropriations Committees

b. the Budget Committees

c. the Appropriations and Budget Committees

d. None of the above

the Appropriations and Budget Committees

Which two political groups drafted the Constitution of 1879?

Select one:

a. Grange Movement and Republican Party

b. Workingmen's Party and Democratic Party

c. Workingmen's Party and Grange Movement

d. Republican Party and Democratic Party

Workingmen's Party and Grange Movement

In California, donations to campaigns

Select one:

a. are anonymous.

b. are tax-deductible.

c. must be publicly disclosed.

d. are prohibited.

must be publicly disclosed.

The governor's powers and duties include all of the following EXCEPT

Select one:

a. signing bills passed by the legislature.

b. nullifying unconstitutional laws.

c. shaping the state budget.

d. appointing senior officials and judges.

nullifying unconstitutional laws.

California's congressional delegation:

Select one:

a. tends to work together closely to pursue the interests of the entire state.

b. tends to work individually for the local interests of each representative, and not for the collective interests of the state.

c. displays no consistent pattern of cooperation of lack of cooperation.

tends to work individually for the local interests of each representative, and not for the collective interests of the state.

Which primary system does California use today?

Select one:

a. closed primaries

b. each party holds a primary that is open only to its own members and independents

c. top-two primaries

d. California does not use primary elections any more

top-two primaries

Federalism is

Select one:

a. a system in which both the states and the central government have some political power.

b. a system in which the states control the central government.

c. a system in which the states are controlled by the central government.

d. a system in which the states have power over each other.

a system in which both the states and the central government have some political power

The Dustbowl

Select one:

a. led to an increase in interstate immigration to California

b. led to an increase in interstate emigration out of California

c. Did not affect California in any way

d. Is a soccer game

led to an increase in interstate immigration to California

Interest groups

Select one:

a. are banned by law in California.

b. are regulated by law in California.

c. play a very small role in California politics.

d. rarely engage in political activity.

are regulated by law in California

A conference committee is convened

Select one:

a. to review each bill before final passage

b. if the two houses pass different forms of the same bill and reconciliation needs to occur

c. in the State Assembly when there is disagreement over a bill

d. in the State Senate when there is disagreement over a bill

if the two houses pass different forms of the same bill and reconciliation needs to occur

The courts have been referred to as a "shadow government" because

Select one:

a. they engage in illicit back alley dealings

b. they increasingly shape public policy

c. no one quite knows how the court system works

d. all of the above

they increasingly shape public policy

Most civil servants in California

Select one:

a. are appointed by the governor.

b. work for the University of California and California State systems.

c. are hired through competitive examinations.

d. are elected.

are hired through competitive examinations

Interest groups take political action by

Select one:

a. running candidates for office.

b. promoting the interests of their members.

c. threatening to move their members to other states.

d. engaging in street protests.

promoting the interests of their members

In the legislature, an absolute majority is

Select one:

a. a majority of all the members present.

b. when all the members agree (unanimity).

c. a majority of all the members of the legislature.

d. when 2/3 of those present agree.

a majority of all the members of the legislature

California gets into the most conflicts with other states about

Select one:

a. pollution

b. water

c. endangered species

d. terrorism funding

water

Which public institution is permitted to award professional degrees (law and medical degrees, for example)?

Select one:

a. University of California

b. California State University

c. One of California's community colleges

d. All of the above

University of California

People who run for office in California

Select one:

a. are demographically very similar to people who don't run for office.

b. are demographically quite different from people who don't run for office.

c. reflect the demographic makeup of California well.

d. none of the above

are demographically quite different from people who don't run for office

What do conference committees do in the legislature?

Select one:

a. They make arrangements for meetings between the legislature and the governor.

b. They coordinate the agendas of the assembly and senate.

c. They consider especially important or sensitive legislation.

d. They ensure that all laws are passed in identical language by both the assembly and the senate.

They ensure that all laws are passed in identical language by both the assembly and the senate

Which group is growing the fastest in CA?

Select one:

a. Republicans

b. Democrats

c. Decline to State

d. Libertarian

Decline to State

Demographic groups' main goal is to

Select one:

a. Get pay increases for their members

b. Fight discrimination

c. Contribute funding to political campaigns

d. All of the above

Fight discrimination

Public interest groups are those that

Select one:

a. have the largest memberships

b. pursue policies that most people agree with.

c. seek to increase political participation by citizens.

d. promote policies that are intended to benefit everyone.

promote policies that are intended to benefit everyone

Legislative staffers who work in a legislator's district office tend to focus on

Select one:

a. the problems of constituents.

b. running personal errands for legislators.

c. pending legislation.

d. doing research for the governor

the problems of constituents

What s the difference between general law and charter counties?

Select one:

a. General law counties have only a handful of basic laws, while charter counties have a larger number of very specific laws.

b. Charter counties exercise a form of regional government over general law counties.

c. Charter counties get more money from the state than do general law counties.

d. Charter counties have decided to adopt a different form of local government than that used by general law counties.

Charter counties have decided to adopt a different form of local government than that used by general law counties

California's constitution

Select one:

a. is very short compared to the federal constitution.

b. has never been amended.

c. is exactly the same length as the federal constitution.

d. is much longer than the federal constitution

is much longer than the federal constitution

This office is usually considered the second-most powerful of the executive branch:

Select one:

a. the attorney general

b. the liutenant governor

c. the secretary of state

d. the insurance commissioner

the attorney general

California's population increased rapidly when

Select one:

a. gold was discovered

b. the Spanish missions were constructed.

c. California became a U.S. territory.

d. Chinese workers arrived.

gold was discovered

In small claims courts

Select one:

a. damage claims can only be $10,000 or less

b. individuals represent themselves without attorneys

c. None of the above.

d. All of the above

All of the above

What two political groups opposed the power of the railroad in the late 19th century?

Select one:

a. Grange movement and Republican Party

b. Workingmen's Party and Democratic Party

c. Republican Party and Democratic Party

d. Workingmen's Party and Grange movement

Workingmen's Party and Grange movement

Cities can grow by a process called

Select one:

a. capitation

b. chartering

c. incorporation

d. annexation

annexation

Preprimary endorsements

Select one:

a. have always been illegal in California.

b. were banned and have never come back.

c. were banned but are now permitted.

d. have always been legal in California.

were banned but are now permitted

In terms of population, where does California rank among the states?

Select one:

a. first

b. second

c. third

d. fourth

first

What is the mandatory limit on spending for a single campaign?

Select one:

a. $10,000,000

b. $1,000,000

c. $500,000

d. none of the above

none of the above

All California citizens who are over 18 may vote except

Select one:

a. legal immigrants

b. the homeless

c. prisoners and patients in mental institutions

d. all of the above

prisoners and patients in mental institutions

Which of the following is NOT a form of local (or sub-state) government?

Select one:

a. school districts

b. redevelopment agencies

c. special districts

d. boards of equalization

boards of equalization

The Progressives

Select one:

a. strengthened political parties

b. weakened political parties

c. did not affect the strength of political parties

d. sought to abolish political parties

weakened political parties

The union interest in California is

Select one:

a. Strong

b. Large

c. Controversial

d. All of the above

All of the above

On the question of per-pupil spending on education, where does California rank in comparison to the other states?

Select one:

a. We spend the most!

b. in the upper half

c. We spend the least!

d. in the lower half

in the lower half

In presidential elections, California tends to vote:

Select one:

a. Republican

b. Democratic

c. There is no consistent voting pattern.

d. For independent candidates.

Democratic

The annual budget is supposed to take effect on

Select one:

a. January 1st

b. June 15th

c. February 1st

d. July 1st

July 1st

Proposition 209

Select one:

a. outlawed bilingual education.

b. outlawed affirmative action.

c. outlawed the property tax.

d. restricted government benefits for illegal immigrants

outlawed affirmative action

The Rules Committee in the state senate

Select one:

a. Has to approve bills before they become laws

b. Controls all other committee assignments and the flow of legislation

c. Is a special committee designed to review questions of constitutionality

d. Was abolished by Prop. 132

Controls all other committee assignments and the flow of legislation

California's three strikes law

Select one:

a. refers to term limits on legislators.

b. refers to a mandatory sentencing law for repeat offenders.

c. refers to the rules for disciplining judges.

d. refers to an informal rule about relations between the judicial and executive branches.

refers to a mandatory sentencing law for repeat offenders.

Judges in courts of appeal and in state supreme court attain office by

Select one:

a. A 2\3 majority vote in the State Assembly

b. A 3\4 majority vote in the State Senate

c. Gubernatorial appointment

d. A majority vote in a public election

Gubernatorial appointment

The growth fostered by the railroad did all of the following EXCEPT

Select one:

a. Brought thousands of Chinese immigrants to California

b. Turned into a political machine

c. Created a new middle class

d. Lessened racial tensions

Brought thousands of Chinese immigrants to California, turned into a political machine, and created a new middle class.

Native American Populations

Select one:

a. prospered with the assistance of the Spanish during colonization.

b. were decimated because of Spanish colonization.

c. remained relatively unchanged throughout the period of colonization.

d. decreased dramatically due to inter-tribal fighting.

were decimated because of Spanish colonization

What position did Earl Warren hold after serving as governor?

Select one:

a. Chief Justice of the US

b. President of the US

c. Secretary of State

d. Secretary of Defense

Chief Justice of the US

According to archaeologists, where did California's Native American population originally come from?

Select one:

a. California--the population evolved here originally

b. Europe--they were the descendents of earlier waves of European exploration and colonization

c. Africa -- they originally lived on the East Coast, and slowly moved West

d. Asia--they migrated over an ancient ice or land bridge

Asia--they migrated over an ancient ice or land bridge

The Dustbowl

Select one:

a. led to an increase in interstate immigration to California

b. led to an increase in interstate emigration out of California

c. Did not affect California in any way

d. Is a soccer game

led to an increase in interstate immigration to California

The Progressives came out of a reaction from the:

Select one:

a. Working class

b. Middle class

c. Upper class

d. Immigrants

Middle Class

In what year did Mexico declare independence from Spain?

Select one:

a. 1776

b. 1801

c. 1822

d. 1848

1822

About how many Native Americans were living in California when colonization began?

Select one:

a. 30,000

b. 300,000

c. 3,000,000

d. 3,000

300,000

Which two political groups drafted the Constitution of 1879?

Select one:

a. Grange Movement and Republican Party

b. Workingmen's Party and Democratic Party

c. Workingmen's Party and Grange Movement

d. Republican Party and Democratic Party

Workingmen's Party and Grange Movement

The first California constitution was written in what year?

Select one:

a. 1789

b. 1850

c. 1849

d. 1876

1849

In the late 1800s, California's land was

Select one:

a. divided into small homesteads.

b. mainly not owned.

c. divided into large tracts by Spanish and Mexican land grants.

d. mainly under the control of the 49ers.

divided into large tracts by Spanish and Mexican land grants.

Progressives believed in everything listed below EXCEPT

Select one:

a. Direct democracy

b. Weakening political parties as tools of bosses and machines

c. Banning land ownership by immigrants

d. Strengthening railroad corporations

Strengthening railroad corporations

California became part of the United States when

Select one:

a. Spain gave it to the U.S. as a gift.

b. Thomas Jefferson completed the Louisiana Purchase.

c. Mexico ceded it as part of the resolution of the Mexican-American War.

d. Canada decided that it could not effectively govern the region.

Mexico ceded it as part of the resolution of the Mexican-American War.

Cross filing is

Select one:

a. when a political candidate gets the nominations of more than one political party.

b. when a voter votes for candidates from different parties on the same ballot.

c. when a ballot lists all of the candidates from all of the different political parties.

d. a method of vote fraud

when a political candidate gets the nominations of more than one political party.

What percentage of California's population today is made up of Native Americans?

Select one:

a. roughly 25%

b. roughly 15%

c. roughly 5%

d. roughly 1%

roughly 1%

California became a state in

Select one:

a. 1846

b. 1848

c. 1850

d. 1895

1850

In the late 19th Century, 15,000 Chinese laborers were imported in California to work in which industry?

Select one:

a. railroads

b. mining

c. agriculture

d. shipping

railroads

Leland Stanford pursued the interests of the Southern Pacific Railroad from what political office?

Select one:

a. governor

b. mayor of Los Angeles

c. insurance commissioner

d. inspector of railroads

governor

What sector was the most important part of California's economy during the 16th-19th centuries?

Select one:

a. mining

b. railroads

c. shipping

d. agriculture

agriculture

Novelist Frank Norris referred to the railroad as a

Select one:

a. snake

b. beast

c. octopus

d. centipede

octopus

Proposition 13 was an initiative that

Select one:

a. Raised funds for public schools

b. Cut taxes

c. Dealt with immigration

d. Created term limits

Cut taxes

The Silicon Valley was once home to

Select one:

a. The New York Yankees

b. The entertainment industry

c. Half of the nation's computer engineers

d. Bill Gates

Half of the nation's computer engineers

Between 1940 and 1946, 500,000 jobs were created in

Select one:

a. The agriculture industries

b. The telephone industries

c. The defense industries

d. The entertainment industries

The defense industries

What corporation dominated California politics in the late 19th century?

Select one:

a. Southern Pacific Railroad

b. California Goldmining Corporation

c. Agricultural Association of California

d. Progressive Insurance Company

Southern Pacific Railroad

California's cities and farmlands' water

Select one:

a. Is mostly local

b. Is mostly imported from inside the state

c. Is mostly imported from outside the state

d. Is not polluted or at risk of being polluted

Is mostly imported from inside the state

Which group automatically gains state central committee membership?

Select one:

a. Party candidates

b. Officeholders

c. County chairpersons

d. All of the above

All of the above

Preprimary endorsements

Select one:

a. have always been illegal in California.

b. were banned and have never come back.

c. were banned but are now permitted.

d. have always been legal in California.

were banned but are now permitted.

California's constitution

Select one:

a. is very short compared to the federal constitution.

b. has never been amended.

c. is exactly the same length as the federal constitution.

d. is much longer than the federal constitution

is much longer than the federal constitution

Which of the following changes, introduced by Progressive reformers, weakened the power of political parties in California?

Select one:

a. Direct democracy

b. Deletion of the party column ballot

c. Nonpartisan local elections

d. All of the above

All of the above

The recall

Select one:

a. has been used often to recall statewide officials.

b. has only been used a handful of times to recall local officials.

c. has never been used

d. is used to recall local officials more often than to recall statewide officials.

is used to recall local officials more often than to recall statewide officials

Which group is growing the fastest in CA?

Select one:

a. Republicans

b. Democrats

c. Decline to State

d. Libertarians

Decline to State

A recall in California requires

Select one:

a. corruption or malfeasance by the officeholder

b. a certain number or percentage of signatures

c. the approval of the state legislature

d. the approval of the governor in office

a certain number or percentage of signatures

A nonpartisan election is

Select one:

a. one in which only one party runs candidates.

b. one in which the candidates do not reveal their party affiliations.

c. one in which all of the races are won by a single party.

d. one in which voters select a party's candidates.

one in which the candidates do not reveal their party affiliations.

The state chair of each party's central committee

Select one:

a. is a contested and powerful position

b. appoints party nominees

c. is a contested but traditionally powerless position

d. breaks ties within the legislature

is a contested but traditionally powerless position

Direct democracy is when

Select one:

a. elected representatives make decisions on behalf of voters.

b. political decisions are made based on opinion polls.

c. the people make or nullify laws, and/or remove officials from office.

d. people vote in person, rather than by absentee ballot.

the people make or nullify laws, and/or remove officials from office.

Which party has the largest membership in California?

Select one:

a. Republican

b. Democratic

c. Decline to State

d. Green

Democratic

Primary elections are

Select one:

a. when voters select a party's candidates.

b. the same as the general election, where people are elected to various offices.

c. the most important race in any given election.

d. when legislators pick who will replace them in office.

when voters select a party's candidates.

Party activists

Select one:

a. make up about twenty-five percent of the electorate

b. are always politically extreme

c. are always politically moderate

d. make up about five percent of the electorate

make up about five percent of the electorate

Preprimary endorsements are

Select one:

a. when a party endorses a candidate in a primary election.

b. when voters write letters of support to candidates.

c. when candidates publicly sign statements of their beliefs.

d. when a candidate seeks the nomination of both major parties

when a party endorses a candidate in a primary election.

The distribution of registered voters in California by political party

Select one:

a. is dominated by Republicans

b. is dominated by Democrats

c. was dominated by Democrats but is today dominated by Republicans.

d. is dominated by independents

is dominated by Democrats

The independent or Decline to State political affiliation

Select one:

a. is a group of non-voters

b. advocates California secession from the Union

c. has greatly increased in the past two decades

d. has its own party organization

has greatly increased in the past two decades

The party column ballot

Select one:

a. was replaced by cross-filing

b. was introduced by the Democratic party

c. allowed separate balloting for each political office

d. made it difficult to vote for candidates from more than one party

made it difficult to vote for candidates from more than one party

In a "top-two" primary system:

Select one:

a. the top Republican and Democratic candidates are selected to run against each other in the general election

b. the top two candidates from different parties are selected to run against each other in the general election

c. the top two candidates regardless of party are selected to run against each other in the general election

d. the general election can be skipped if the top candidate gets more than 50% of the primary votes.

the top two candidates regardless of party are selected to run against each other in the general election

San Francisco and Los Angeles

Select one:

a. tend to vote the same way.

b. are both inconsistent in which party they support.

c. tend to vote in opposition directions.

d. rarely vote

tend to vote the same way

The Progressives

Select one:

a. strengthened political parties

b. weakened political parties

c. did not affect the strength of political parties

d. sought to abolish political parties

weakened political parties

The recall is when

Select one:

a. a law that was passed previously is cancelled.

b. a law that was repealed in the past is brought back.

c. an elected official is removed from office by voters

d. a former official is returned to office by voters

an elected official is removed from office by voters

In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court

Select one:

a. overturned the state ban on preprimary endorsements

b. ruled the recall of former Governor Gray Davis constitutional

c. overturned Proposition 13

d. none of the above

overturned the state ban on preprimary endorsements

The initiative is

Select one:

a. when a member of the legislature proposes a bill.

b. when the governor proposes a bill.

c. when citizens put a proposed law on the ballot.

d. when the courts strike down a law as unconstitutional

when citizens put a proposed law on the ballot.

Demographics show that Republican voters

Select one:

a. include a large portion of the Asian-American community, with the exception of the Chinese

b. have a higher turnout rate than Democratic voters

c. are not affluent

d. are concentrated on the coast

have a higher turnout rate than Democratic voters

In a closed primary system

Select one:

a. only party officials may vote to select the party's candidates.

b. the vote for a party's candidates is conducted by secret ballot.

c. only members of a party may vote to select that party's candidates.

d. the vote for a party's candidates is kept secret until the general election

only members of a party may vote to select that party's candidates.