POLS 1 Final Exam Review

\________ are areas of personal freedom with which governments are constrained from interfering.

Civil liberties

\________________ is the phenomenon that occurs when two different parties control the executive and legislative branches.

Divided government

"Marble cake federalism" is associated with:

Intergovernmental cooperation blurring the lines between different layers of government

A \___________ primary is a primary election which differs from others in that only registered members of a certain party may vote to select that party's candidates.

Closed

A filibuster allows members of the Senate to:

Prevent a vote on a bill by speaking continuously on the floor

A judge with an originalist philosophy on interpreting the U.S. Constitution would issue rulings based on what?

A consideration of how the document's readers and authors interpreted different parts of the Constitution when they were first ratified

According to a 2011 survey from the Pew Research Center, \_________________ has stalled despite the fact that more women believe that a high-paying career or profession is "very important."

Gender equality

According to the "home rule" principle, California charter cities cannot pass ordinances that override state laws.

False

According to the authors of the text, democracy functions best when:

Citizens are informed

An executive order is:

A rule or regulation issued unilaterally by the president that has the status of a law

Analysts have often described the bureaucratic policymaking process, which involves private and public interests, by using the metaphor of an \__________________.

Iron triangle

As a constitution, the Articles of Confederation were concerned primarily with:

Limiting the powers of the central government.

As the Constitution was being written, some Founding Fathers declared that the Bill of Rights was unnecessary to protect civil liberties: True or false?

True

Before the Civil Service Act of 1883, how were government appointments handled?

Appointments were made to political supporters as part of a spoils system

Bills introduced in the California State Legislature must pass \_________ before being sent to the governor.

Both houses

By what four ways can the U.S. legislative branch check the U.S. executive branch?

1. By impeaching and removing a president;

2. restricting funding to executive branch programs;

3. passing legislation to circumvent presidential decisions; 4. and by overriding a presidential veto with a two-thirds majority

California's state government gets most of its revenue from:

Personal income tax

California has had what type of government system (a blend of direct democracy and republicanism) since 1911?

Hybrid

California introduced which reforms after the 18th-century backlash against the Southern Pacific Railroad's corrupt control over state government?

Voter initiative, voter referendum, recall of elected officials

California law requires that the the legislature:

Pass a budget by June 15

California's east-west political divide is distinctive for what reasons?

The coast leans Democratic and has a better economy, while the east struggles economically and leans Republican

Certain presidential powers that aren't expressly mentioned or implied in either the Constitution or Congressional law are called \__________ powers.

Inherent powers

Choose the best definition for dark money (from Big Sky, Big Money).

Campaign contributions to political groups and political candidates from anonymous donors

Compared with the Articles of Confederation, federalism under the Constitution has led to:

Greater centralization of power

Congress is a \________ legislature with \________ members.

Bicameral; 535

Congressional leaders form \________ committees when they want to take up an issue that falls between the jurisdiction of existing committees, to highlight an issue, or to investigate a particular problem.

Select

Direct democracy is best defined as:

A system that allows citizens to vote directly for laws and policies

During the era of dual federalism, what was the primary goal of the federal government's domestic policies?

To assist the development of commercial activity between and among the states

During the Philadelphia Convention, the New Jersey Plan was supported by \________ states.

Less populous

During the Progressive era, what railroad company was known for bribing California officials?

Southern Pacific

During the ratification debates at the Constitutional Convention, who were the Antifederalists?

Those who opposed the new Constitution because they wanted a weaker central government

Gerrymandering refers to the:

Manipulation of electoral districts to serve the interests of a particular group

Governments can reclaim property from citizens through the policy of:

Eminent domain

Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) and Roe v. Wade (1973) have been extremely important in the development of:

A constitutional right to privacy

Historically, political realignments occur:

When new issues combine with economic or political crises to mobilize new voters and persuade large numbers of voters to reexamine their traditional partisan loyalties

How did the 1973 War Powers Resolution affect American defense policy?

The act limited the president's use of troops in military action without Congressional approval

How many counties are there in the state of California?

58

How many judges serve on the California Supreme Court?

7

How many justices currently serve on the Supreme Court?

9

How many members serve in the California Assembly?

80

How many superior courts are located in California?

58

How was political power in Congress divided under the Articles of Confederation?

Each state had an equal vote

If the president does not sign legislation within the last 10 days of a congressional term, the bill is canceled by virtue of a what?

Pocket veto

In a federal system, governmental responsibilities are

Shared by both state and federal authorities

In California, the state constitution requires the state budget to be passed by what number of legislators?

a simple majority (50 percent plus 1) in both the Assembly and Senate

In California, the powers of the Speaker of the Assembly are:

More extensive than those of the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives

In California, voters can propose a constitutional amendment through the:

Initiative process

In California, what is the general purpose of local governments, such as cities and counties?

Fight fires, clean streets, and protect the health, safety, welfare, and overall quality of life of all who live within their jurisdiction

In California, why is it a challenge for Medi-Cal beneficiaries to get access to doctors?

Many medical practices limit the number of Medi-Cal patients

In each House district there are approximately \________ people.

700,000

In order to get around the need for Senate approval of treaties, many contemporary presidents have made use of \________ in foreign affairs.

Executive agreements

In the aftermath of this California ballot measure, both Latino voter registration and the Democratic Party's power in the legislature ended up increasing.

Proposition 187

In the long run, California's \_______________ primary system could theoretically increase competition and encourage more moderate candidates to run.

Blanket

In what year did California voters pass the initiative, referendum, and recall?

1911

Interest groups make political contributions to candidates for public office through organizations that are called:

Political action committees.

Judges selected by the governor to serve on the California Supreme Court and the California Courts of Appeal must be approved by:

The state's Commission on Judicial Appointments

Making sure that legislation is implemented by the bureaucracy in the manner intended by the legislature is called:

Oversight

Members of the U.S. Senate stop a filibuster by invoking what procedural step, which requires 60 members (3/5 of entire body) vote to stop debate?

Cloture

One Supreme Court justice from the \_______________ side usually writes a dissenting opinion after the Court decides a case.

Minority

Legislative oversight can best be described as the \____________.

Efforts of Congress to supervise the manner in which its laws are implemented by the executive branch.

Procedures outlining how to amend the Constitution are found in Article \________.

Article V

Proposition 98 guaranteed that the public schools in California would:

Receive at least 40 percent of the general fund each fiscal year

Proposition 187 ended up having what two effects on California politics?

Increased both Latino voter registration and the Democratic Party's power in the legislature

Raising taxes in California requires:

Two-thirds vote in both the Assembly and the Senate

Segregation between different American racial groups was formally approved by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 1896 case of:

Plessy v. Ferguson

Since California elections are winner-take-all elections, it has the impact of:

Excluding third parties from holding seats in the state legislature

Starting in 1868 with the ratification of the \_________, civil rights became part of the U.S. Constitution.

Fourteenth Amendment

California State Senate districts are roughly \________ as large as assembly districts.

Twice

Survey data demonstrates that the level of Americans' political knowledge is:

Low and spotty

Term limits had at least one positive effect on the California State Legislature. Term limits have resulted in \_________.

More women being elected to the legislature

The \______________ of 1939 was important because the law prohibited most political advocacy by federal employees to eliminate corruption.

Hatch Act

The \_________________ Clause in the U.S. Constitution is a bit of a blank check, and has also been called the "elastic" clause because Congress likes to stretch this clause sometimes to enhance its own power.

Necessary and Proper

The \___________________ gives reporters and citizens the ability to request documents from federal agencies for national security or other reasons unless that information is deemed "sensitive."

The U.S. Freedom of Information Act

The \______________________ of the 1965 Voting Rights Act forced some states and local governments with a history of voter discrimination to seek federal approval before changing their voting laws.

Preclearance requirement

The American president has five roles. They are:

Head of state, chief executive, commander-in-chief, chief diplomat, and chief legislator

The area of authority possessed by a court, in terms of either subject area or geography, is called its \________.

Jurisdiction

The Articles of Confederation banned the printing of what item, a rule that later did not exist under the Constitution?

Paper money

The average cost of a California Senate seat (the average amount spent by election candidates) is roughly what?

$1 million

The belief that citizens can influence what government does is called \________.

Political efficacy

The benefit of creating a \______________________ is that it can accept unlimited contributions from individuals and corporations.

Super PAC

The Bill of Rights is another name for:

The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution

The Bill of Rights was written because:

The Anti-Federalists demanded it as the price of ratification of the U.S. Constitution

The Brown Act of 1953 requires California's public officials to do what?

Hold open meetings and transparency in the conduct of public business

The California demographic group with the largest percentage of the state's likely voters is:

White Californians

The California governor can use the line-item veto:

For state appropriation measures

The California governor's most significant powers are:

Preparing the state budget and using the line-item veto

The central banking system of the United States is known as the:

Federal Reserve

The Civil Service Act of 1883, also known as the \________________, mandated that appointees to public office be qualified for the job to which they are appointed.

The Pendleton Act

The concept known as \____________, established in the Fourteenth Amendment, is the idea that states are held to the same standards for civil liberties under the Constitution as the federal government.

Selective Incorporation

The concept of \____________ is the process by which the U.S. Supreme Court can overturn a federal, state, or local law that's unconstitutional.

Judicial review

The concept that any interpretation of the U.S. Constitution must come from precise textual meaning is known as:

Strict constructionism

The constitutional basis for the nationalization of the Bill of Rights is the \________.

Fourteenth Amendment (1868)

The court case of \___________________ struck down restrictions on independent expenditures by corporations and individuals. (from Big Sky, Big Money)

Citizens United v. FEC

The Democratic \______________ became increasingly \____________ starting with the presidential election of 1968, because Southern voters resented new civil rights laws championed by Democratic administrations.

"Solid South"; Republican

The doctrine of \________ requires courts to follow precedent from prior decisions when ruling on a case.

Stare decisis

The expressed powers of Congress are listed in \________ of the U.S. Constitution.

Article I, Section 8

The federal court case of \_______________ was important because the plaintiffs successfully argued that racial segregation in California's schools was unconstitutional.

Mendez v. Westminster

The federal court case of Mendez v. Westminster was important because:

The plaintiffs successfully argued that racial segregation in California's schools was unconstitutional