Untitled Flashcards Set

1. What did Marbury v. Madison (1803) establish?
A) The filibuster rule
B) The appointment process
C) Original jurisdiction
D) Judicial review

2. What is a "warchest" in political campaigns?
A) A legal defense fund
B) A list of key legislative victories
C) A stockpile of campaign funds
D) A file of opposition research
Answer: C

3. Which institution controls U.S. monetary policy?
A) The Department of Treasury
B) Congress
C) The IRS
D) The Federal Reserve

4. Which program provides health insurance to people over 65?
A) SNAP
B) TANF
C) Medicare
D) Medicaid
Answer: C

5. What is discretionary spending?
A) Spending required by law, like Social Security
B) Spending approved annually by Congress
C) Spending based on interest payments
D) Spending that is unconstitutional
Answer: B

6. What does reapportionment refer to?
A) Assigning senators to committees
B) Redrawing district lines within a state
C) Adjusting the number of Senate seats per state
D) Dividing House seats among states based on population

7. Which of the following is NOT part of the incumbency advantage?
A) Name recognition
B) Scare-off effect
C) Executive orders
D) Casework
Answer: C

8. Why do Americans often reelect their own members of Congress despite disapproving of the institution?
A) They dislike Congress sessions being too short
B) Incumbents receive more media coverage
C) They receive personal benefits and casework
D) They are unaware of who represents them
Answer: C

9. What is the purpose of the “bully pulpit”?
A) To issue executive orders
B) To appoint cabinet members
C) To shape public opinion and agenda
D) To propose constitutional amendments
Answer: C

10. Which court case established “one person, one vote”?
A) Shelby County v. Holder
B) Reynolds v. Sims
C) United States v. Lopez
D) Marbury v. Madison
Answer: B

11. How does the Supreme Court decide to hear a case?
A) Majority vote of Congress
B) Approval from the President
C) Writ of certiorari with agreement of four justices
D) Request by the Chief Justice
Answer: C

12. What is the definition of judicial review?
A) Power to pass new legislation
B) Power to declare laws unconstitutional
C) Power to conduct hearings
D) Power to interpret treaties
Answer: B

13. What’s a key difference between the House and Senate legislative processes?
A) The House can filibuster
B) The Senate uses filibusters to delay legislation
C) The House has lifetime terms
D) The Senate has a Rules Committee
Answer: B

14. Where do most bills die in the legislative process?
A) During conference committee
B) On the House floor
C) In standing committees
D) In the President's desk
Answer: C

15. What is a characteristic of the merit-based system in bureaucracy?
A) Party loyalty
B) Appointment by governors
C) Exams and qualifications
D) Inherited positions
Answer: C

16. Which agency is a regulatory commission?
A) NASA
B) Department of Education
C) FCC
D) Social Security Administration
Answer: C

17. What’s a key responsibility of the president as Chief Executive?
A) Writing laws
B) Managing the bureaucracy
C) Appointing Supreme Court justices
D) Declaring war
Answer: B

18. Which is an example of mandatory spending?
A) Military
B) Infrastructure
C) Social Security
D) Education
Answer: C

19. What is the purpose of the Federal Reserve adjusting interest rates?
A) To increase taxes
B) To control inflation
C) To pass laws
D) To regulate trade agreements
Answer: B

20. What policy area does the Affordable Care Act fall under?
A) Monetary policy
B) Social policy
C) Regulatory policy
D) Fiscal policy
Answer: B

21. What’s the minimum number of Representatives each state has?
A) 2
B) 3
C) 1
D) 5
Answer: C

22. What is redistricting?
A) Reapportioning House seats between states
B) Drawing new legislative district lines within states
C) Removing senators from office
D) Appointing House members
Answer: B

23. What role does Congress play in checking the bureaucracy?
A) Executive orders
B) Court appointments
C) Budget control
D) Certiorari
Answer: C

24. What is Medicare?
A) Health insurance for low-income individuals
B) Health insurance for seniors 65+
C) Unemployment assistance
D) State-run health insurance
Answer: B

25. Who confirms Supreme Court nominees?
A) The House of Representatives
B) The Department of Justice
C) The President
D) The Senate
Answer: D

26. Which policy focuses on government taxing and spending?
A) Social policy
B) Fiscal policy
C) Regulatory policy
D) Monetary policy
Answer: B

27. What’s the purpose of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB)?
A) Enforce judicial rulings
B) Coordinate military strategies
C) Help the president create the federal budget
D) Confirm presidential appointments
Answer: C

28. Which economic theory argues that tax cuts will lead to more production and growth?
A) Keynesian
B) Monetarism
C) Supply-side economics
D) Demand-side theory
Answer: C

29. Which era introduced Social Security?
A) Civil War
B) Cold War
C) Great Society
D) New Deal
Answer: D

30. What are executive orders?
A) Laws passed by Congress
B) International treaties
C) Presidential directives with the force of law
D) Judicial decisions
Answer: C

31. What is the main role of the Cabinet departments?
A) Pass new laws
B) Run independent campaigns
C) Implement federal policy in specific areas
D) Interpret the Constitution
Answer: C

32. What is a standing committee?
A) A temporary committee
B) A presidential task force
C) A permanent congressional committee
D) A judicial panel
Answer: C

33. What is the Voting Rights Act of 1965 known for?
A) Creating new political parties
B) Protecting voting rights of minorities
C) Reducing campaign spending
D) Outlawing gerrymandering
Answer: B

34. What is meant by “casework” in Congress?
A) Legal investigations
B) Campaign management
C) Helping constituents with government services
D) Arguing cases in court
Answer: C

35. What is the term length for U.S. Representatives?
A) 6 years
B) 4 years
C) 2 years
D) Lifetime
Answer: C

36. What does “original jurisdiction” mean?
A) Appellate ruling
B) Rewriting law
C) First court to hear a case
D) Legislative veto
Answer: C

37. What’s a major role of the Federal Reserve?
A) Enforcing federal law
B) Conducting foreign policy
C) Controlling the money supply
D) Drafting the Constitution
Answer: C

38. What program was introduced by LBJ’s Great Society?
A) Social Security
B) Medicare
C) Food Stamps
D) Unemployment insurance
Answer: B

39. What does the term “agenda-setting” refer to in the presidency?
A) Approving budgets
B) Influencing the public and Congress on priorities
C) Rewriting legislation
D) Negotiating treaties
Answer: B

40. Which branch is responsible for declaring war?
A) Executive
B) Judicial
C) Legislative
D) Bureaucratic
Answer: C

41. What is SNAP?
A) Education aid
B) Veterans’ program
C) Food assistance for low-income individuals
D) Health insurance
Answer: C

42. What does the term “filibuster” mean in the Senate?
A) Ending debate
B) Speaking indefinitely to block a vote
C) Breaking tie votes
D) Passing unanimous consent
Answer: B

43. Which group helps the president enforce laws?
A) Federal Courts
B) Bureaucracy
C) Senate
D) Governors
Answer: B

44. What is a “government corporation”?
A) Private business with tax breaks
B) Federal agency that runs like a business
C) State-run university
D) Lobbyist firm
Answer: B

45. What’s the name for federal programs where eligibility is based on need?
A) Entitlements
B) Social insurance
C) Discretionary grants
D) Means-tested programs
Answer: D

46. What does the Equal Protection Clause ensure?
A) States can raise taxes
B) Citizens receive equal legal treatment
C) Presidential emergency powers
D) Executive privilege
Answer: B

47. What is the total number of U.S. Senators?
A) 50
B) 100
C) 435
D) 150
Answer: B

48. Who controls foreign policy decisions?
A) Congress only
B) Supreme Court
C) President with Congress
D) State governments
Answer: C

49. Which group confirms judicial appointments?
A) House
B) OMB
C) Supreme Court
D) Senate
Answer: D

50. What is a “lifetime appointment” in the federal system?
A) Cabinet members
B) Presidents
C) Senators
D) Federal judges
Answer: D