Phyllis, featuring Boyz 2 Men
Created in 2011 by:
· Central Organizer: Ravi Barua
· Multiple Choice coordinator: Keenan Roarty
· Multiple Choice researcher: Phyllis Spencer
· Short Answer Questions coordinator: John Micklos
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
SECTION I
Time – 45 minutes
Directions: You have 45 minutes to answer all 60 of the following questions. Please choose the best response to each question and fill it in your answer sheet. Any work written in this test booklet will not be counted toward your grade.
1. Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government could
a. run the Post Office.
b. levy taxes.
c. regulate commerce.
d. establish a national judicial system.
e. None of these.
2. If the United States were operating today under the Articles of Confederation, issues such as the effect of acid rain on the environment would be handled by
a. Congress.
b. the executive branch.
c. the Supreme Court.
d. popular vote.
e. the individual states.
3. The U.S. Constitution failed to outlaw slavery because
a. few at that time recognized slavery as a moral evil.
b. the opponents of slavery lacked the courage of their convictions.
c. Southern support was essential to the adoption of the document.
d. the Framers had no such mandate from those who had selected them.
e. Jefferson owned slaves.
4. An individual who thinks that government does too much, not too little, would be likely to support a
a. constitutional amendment that requires a balanced budget each year.
b. broadening of the authority of federal courts.
c. repeal of the president's current line-item veto power.
d. more democratic system that calls for frequent elections and greater attention to the special-interest claims of citizens.
e. All of above.
5. For the Founders, federalism was a device to
a. protect liberty.
b. provide efficient local administration.
c. encourage citizen participation.
d. guarantee equality.
e. protect against foreign invasion.
6. The Supreme Court case that established national supremacy was
a. U.S. v. Wilson.
b. Marbury v. Madison.
c. United States v. Virginia.
d. Brown v. Maryland.
e. McCulloch v. Maryland.
7. Federal grants over which local officials have wide discretion are called
a. categorical grants.
b. land grants.
c. matching grants.
d. revenue-sharing funds.
e. categorical choice programs.
8. One important piece of evidence that Americans have believed themselves bound by common values and common hopes has been
a. that free elections could indeed be conducted.
b. their hostile attitudes toward free speech.
c. their use of the word Americanism.
d. the importance of the frontier in American history.
e. their tendency toward idealism
9. Polls suggest Americans have less trust in government than they once did, but it is important to keep in mind that
a. trust tends to increase when the economy is struggling.
b. we actually have very little data on the topic.
c. polls can rarely accurately measure such attitudes and opinions.
d. levels of trust were never very high to begin with.
e. confidence in political institutions remains higher than in most places abroad.
10. Which of the following statements concerning recent trends in tolerance is most accurate?
a. Female candidates are less tolerated than they once were.
b. Americans are increasingly less tolerant than they were in the 1950s.
c. The level of tolerance in America has not changed in the last twenty or thirty years.
d. Americans appear to be more tolerant than they were twenty or thirty years ago.
e. Americans are less tolerant of Communists than they once were
11. When people feel that they have a say in what the government does, that public officials pay attention to them, and they feel that they understand politics, then they are said to have a sense of political
a. trust.
b. tolerance.
c. efficacy.
d. legitimacy.
e. reciprocity.
12. Which of the following statements regarding the Australian ballot is incorrect?
a. It is printed by the government.
b. It appeared first in the states.
c. It appeared in the late 1800’s.
d. It is cast in secret.
e. It eliminated vote fraud.
13. Which factor does NOT help to explain why such a high percentage of congressional incumbents get re-elected?
a. Low voter turnout
b. Services to Constituents
c. The ability to duck for the “mess in Washington”
d. High voter turnout.
e. All of the above
14. In which type of primary must you declare in advance that you are a registered member of the political party in whose primary you wish to vote?
a. Open Primary
b. Closed Primary
c. Blanket Primary
d. Non Partisan primary
e. None of the Above
15. An issue in which a candidate fully supports the public’s view on a matter about which nearly everybody is in agreement is called a/an ______issue.
a. Position
b. Extremist
c. Non Commital
d. Valance
e. Panda
16. Which of the following statements is true about party identification and voting?
a. Democrats are more firmly wedded to their party than are Republicans.
b. Democrats do a better job of winning the vote of self described independants.
c. A higher percentage of Republicans than Democrats vote.
d. A higher percentage of Democrats than Republicans vote.
e. All of the above are false
17. American political parties have become weaker as
a. labels in the minds of voters.
b. a set of political leaders who try to organize and control government.
c. organizations that recruit candidates.
d. all of the above.
e. none of the above
18. Which type of minor party probably has the greatest influence on U.S. public policy?
a. Factional
b. Ideological
c. Economic protest
d. Backlash
e. One issue
19. At the opposite extreme from the political machine is
a. the sponsored party.
b. a personal following.
c. the ideological party.
d. the party bundle.
e. the solidary group
20. Solidary-type incentives are most likely to motivate people who join
a. a farm bureau.
b. Public Citizen.
c. the parent teacher associations (PTAs).
d. the Mafia.
e. American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
21. The Americans who are most likely to join interest groups are
a. religious people.
b. people in small communities.
c. people from the lower socioeconomic classes and members of minority groups.
d. people in economic distress.
e. people with better-than-average incomes.
22. The term revolving door is used in the text to mean
a. entry-level jobs requiring little experience.
b. agencies frequently reflect the view of interest groups which lobby them directly.
c. administrations in which senior cabinet members serve very short terms.
d. lobbyists waiting inside the door to speak to officials.
e. a departing government official joining a firm with which he or she had been doing business.
23. Which of the following statements about the Freedom of Information Act is true?
a. It helps protect U.S. security.
b. It virtually guarantees that some secrets will get out.
c. It places tighter restrictions on media in the United States than in other countries.
d. It was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 1987.
e. It violates several other congressional statutes and codes.
24. The New York Times publishes an article accusing a Texas senator of using his power to extract contributions from oil industry executives. In this role the Times is acting as
a. gatekeeper.
b. scorekeeper.
c. watchdog.
d. sounding board.
e. adjudicator.
25. Compared to the average citizen, members of the national media are
a. far more conservative.
b. somewhat more conservative.
c. somewhat more liberal.
d. far more liberal.
e. more moderate.
26. The display of an odious symbol, such as a swastika or a burning cross, has been deemed by the Supreme Court to be
a. punishable as a hate crime.
b. punishable as incitement.
c. an unconstitutional act.
d. protected by the Constitution.
e. not a case for Supreme Court review.
27. Libel is defined as
a. stating something untrue about another person.
b. writing something false about someone without their knowledge.
c. an oral statement defaming another person.
d. a written statement defaming another person.
e. maliciously intending to defame a public official.
28. The phrase “wall of separation” between church and state comes from
a. the pen of Thomas Jefferson.
b. the Bill of Rights.
c. the debates in the First Congress that drafted the Bill of Rights.
d. the Fourteenth Amendment.
e. George Washington’s farewell address.
29. Which of the following statements about Brown v. Board of Education is true?
a. It was handed down by a divided Court.
b. It was ultimately rather narrow in its implications.
c. It explicitly banned de facto segregation.
d. It was almost unnoticed when it was
decided.
e. It was the logical extension of a long line of
related cases.
30. The Court has concluded the right of “privacy” can be inferred from _____ cast off by various provisions of the Bill of Rights.
a. colors
b. rays of light
c. firewalls
d. penumbras
e. waves
31. The Court has concluded the right of “privacy” can be inferred from _____ cast off by various provisions of the Bill of Rights.
a. colors
b. rays of light
c. firewalls
d. penumbras
e. waves
32. Contemporary critics of Congress disagree with the Framers’ vision of Congress in that the critics
a. believe that Congress should normally proceed slowly in its deliberations.
b. believe that Congress should rarely act without guidance from the executive branch.
c. view Congress as designed to check and balance strong leaders in the executive branch.
d. wish to end policy gridlock by making Congress capable of speedily adopting sweeping changes in national policies.
e. wish to make changes to prevent the American political system from resembling a parliamentary system
33. In the twentieth century, the trend in congressional decision-making has been toward
a. centralization.
b. increasing the power of the Speaker.
c. increasing the power of party leaders.
d. increasing the power of the president.
e. decentralization.
34. Which amendment changed the manner in which U.S. Senators are selected?
a. Tenth.
b. Fourteenth.
c. Fifteenth.
d. Seventeenth.
e. Twenty-first.
35. A new Congress convenes every ____ years.
a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 6
e. 10
36. The increasingly ideological nature of the House means today’s members are more likely to
a. consult with campaign managers before voting.
b. be influenced by PAC contributions when they vote.
c. serve on low-profile committees.
d. investigate and denounce each other.
e. sponsor legislation written by interest groups
37. In the House, the most important position is the
a. majority leader.
b. manager.
c. Speaker.
d. president pro tempore.
e. floor leader.
38. In recent years, the filibuster has occurred more frequently because
a. the Senate has increased in size.
b. Republicans have gained seats in the Senate.
c. Democrats have gained seats in the Senate.
d. participants are guaranteed media exposure.
e. it is easier to stage one
39. If the Framers had decided to have the president chosen by the Congress, we could reasonably expect Congress to dominate the president
a. and to control the military.
b. and to pick the cabinet.
c. or the president to ignore Congress.
d. or the president to corrupt the legislature.
e. or the president to capitulate to the judiciary.
40. Presidents have been limited to two terms by the
a. Fourteenth Amendment.
b. Sixteenth Amendment.
c. Nineteenth Amendment.
d. Twenty-first Amendment.
e. Twenty second Amendment.
41. When we say that a powerful presidency has been institutionalized, we mean that its power is no longer dependent on
a. Congress.
b. personality.
c. legitimacy.
d. the U.S. Constitution.
e. Executive Orders.
42. Presidents need to rely on their powers of persuasion because of their
a. limited staffs and sketchy constitutional powers.
b. opponents within the party.
c. lack of ensured legislative majorities and opponents within the party.
d. sketchy constitutional powers and lack of ensured legislative majorities.
e. limited staffs.
43. About what proportion of presidential vetoes has Congress been able to override?
a. less than 4 percent
b. between 10 and 20 percent
c. between 30 and 40 percent
d. more than 65 percent
e. more than 80 percent
44. President Reagan's approach to his program was to
a. have a policy on almost everything.
b. rely heavily on his predecessor's program.
c. concentrate on only a few issues at a time.
d. rely on his cabinet.
e. rely on congressional leaders.
45. Which of the following would not be a good rule of thumb for a newly elected president?
a. move to implement programs quickly
b. avoid dealing with interest groups
c. avoid getting involved in too many details
d. rely on capable aides, not on the cabinet
e. A and D.
46. Most employees of the federal government are:
a. on federal contracts.
b. federal civil servants.
c. postal workers.
d. uniformed military.
e. in lower level managerial positions.
47. The merit system began with the
a. Sixteenth Amendment.
b. Seventeenth Amendment.
c. civil rights cases of 1873.
d. New Deal of the 1930s.
e. Pendleton Act of 1883.
48. The legislative veto is a stratagem to increase the power of
a. Congress.
b. the White House.
c. the states.
d. the courts.
e. the bureaucracy.
49. Which of the following statements about McCulloch v. Maryland is correct?
a. It established judicial review.
b. It ruled a national bank unconstitutional.