Can I get a Hot Tub for the Winsletons of Quarterblack!?
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Created in 2011 by:
- Central Organizer:
Stephen Popiel
- Unit I – VI Multiple Choice coordinator:
Brandon Tepner
- Multiple Choice Key coordinator:
Eric Emory
- Short Answer Questions coordinator:
Pierce Barnett
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Section I
Time – 55 minutes
60 Questions
Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by five suggested answers or completions. Select the one that is best in each case and then place the letter of your choice in corresponding box on the answer sheet.
1. Individuals have power when they are able to
a.get elected to office.
b.be present at behind-the-scenes political meetings.
c.serve their fellow human beings.
d.get others to do what they want.
e.vote without being influenced by outside forces.
2. What is the term used to describe a person’s ability to use power without question?
a.respect
b.using the force
c.legitimacy
d.corruption
e.tenure
3. The principal goal of the American Revolution was
a.equality.
b.financial betterment.
c.political efficacy.
d.fraternity.
e.liberty.
4. The theory of natural law provided the basis for the colonists' justification of
a.the separation of powers.
b.an independent judiciary.
c.federalism.
d.noninterference with slavery.
e.the liberties they sought.
5."Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" were
a.rights commonly listed in colonial charters.
b.Jefferson's variation on commonly listed rights.
c.explicitly named in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution.
d.enumerated in the Bill of Rights.
e.incorporated in the First Amendment.
6. In the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson's list of complaints against George III and his ministers spoke of
a.social conditions in the colonies.
b.economic conditions in the colonies.
c.specific violations of political liberties.
d.the lack of equality among the colonists.
e.All of these.
7. If the United States were still operating under the Articles of Confederation, which of the following issues would have to be handled by the states?
a.arms reduction negotiations
b.interstate commerce
c.postal regulation
d.protecting the environment against acid rain
e.all of these
8. The concept of separate, sovereign national and state governments is known as?
a.nationalism.
b.democracy.
c.confederation.
d.federalism.
e.unicameralism.
9. In the United States, programs such as the interstate highway system and services to the unemployed are most accurately considered
a.state functions that operate without any involvement on the part of the federal government.
b. federal functions, although state governments pay some of the costs.
c.state functions which are designated under the Tenth Amendment.
d.federal functions that operate without any involvement on the part of state governments.
e.state functions, although the federal government seeks to regulate them.
10. Which of the following statements about the U.S democratic republic is correct?
a.It has never been tried elsewhere.
b.It thrived in the United States despite the existence of a feudal aristocracy.
c.It thrived in the United States despite the large number of legal restraints.
d.It emphasizes social equality over personal liberty.
e.It has been tried without great success by many other countries.
11. The fact that democracy flourished in the United States can best be explained by
a.the U.S. Constitution.
b.the physical advantages of the country.
c.opportunities to acquire land and make a living.
d.all of these.
e.none of these.
12. A political ______deals with what a government should do, while a political ______deals with how the government should operate.
a.constitution, administration
b.administration, constitution
c.culture, ideology
d.ideology, culture
e.culture, administration
13. Presidents, even with great majorities of their own party in Congress, experience difficulty in exercising legislative leadership because
a.the president must compete against interest groups for influence.
b.the president is unable to control Congress, unlike a prime minister.
c.the president's use of the veto is ineffective with Congress.
d.members of Congress attract greater publicity when challenging the president.
e.members of Congress are able to thwart presidential aspirations through the technicalities of committees and floor rules.
14. 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.
15. One of the fears expressed by the Founders about aspects of the Presidency was the fear of a president's
a.claiming certain inherent powers by virtue of his position.
b.using the militia to overpower state governments.
c.using his position to shape public opinion.
d.powers to appoint select Supreme Court justices without congressional approval.
e.powers to pardon.
16. The House of Representatives has ______to decide the winner of a presidential election.
a.never had
b.rarely had
c.frequently had
d.never been given the power
e.never recognized its own power
17. The definition of bureaucracy includes all of the following notions except
a.a large organization.
b.authority divided among several managers.
c.complexity of structure.
d.appointed officials
e.issue networks
18. In the first Congress, it was decided that appointed federal officials would be removable by
a.either the president or the Congress.
b.the president and Congress acting together.
c.the president alone.
d.Congress alone.
e.None of these.
19. Patronage in the early republic provided the president with all of the following advantages except
a.keeping subordinates supportive of his policies.
b.influencing recalcitrant members of Congress.
c.helping to build up party organization.
d.holding special-interest lobbyists at bay.
e.provide rewards.
20. The federal government did not begin to regulate the economy in any large way until
a.passage of the Fourteenth Amendment.
b.the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC).
c.the laissez-faire doctrine was held by a majority of the Senate.
d.the commerce clause was amended.
e.the Department of Labor was created.
21. Periodically, the size of the bureaucracy has grown substantially. These times of growth have generally occurred during
a.depressions.
b.wars.
c.periods of prosperity.
d.recessions.
e.election years.
22. Today's bureaucracy is largely a product of which two events?
a.the Korean War and the war in Vietnam
b.the depression of the 1930s and the war in Vietnam
c.World War I and World War II
d.the Depression of the 1930s and World War II
e.World War I and the Korean War
23. All of the following are examples of majoritarian politics in foreign policy except
a.a nuclear test ban treaty.
b.a quota system on Japanese steel imports.
c.military alliances in Western Europe.
d.a strategic arms limitation treaty (SALT) agreement.
e.A, B, and C.
24. All of the following policies reflect interest group politics in foreign policy except
a.government policy toward Cyprus.
b.tariffs and quotas on Japanese steel imports.
c.alliances with Western Europe.
d.the ABM defense system.
e.A and D.
25. One reason that politicians did not stop allowing a deficit was that
a.they did not agree with voters.
b.they did not care.
c.the Bill of Rights made deficit spending mandatory.
d.the Constitution made deficit spending mandatory.
e.they were split between those who thought the deficit could be eliminated by cutting spending and those who thought it could be eliminated by raising taxes.
26. The health of the American economy creates
a.majoritarian politics.
b.interest group politics.
c.client politics.
d.entrepreneurial politics.
e.egalitarian politics
27. The Framers would have considered a clause in the U.S. Constitution prohibiting censorship of the press
a.undesirable.
b.unreasonable.
c.unnecessary.
d.unenforceable
e.all of these.
28. A basic difference between the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution proper is that the former
a.covers what government cannot do.
b.authorizes government to censor newspapers.
c.protects free speech.
d.applies principally to states.
e.applies principally to state government.
29. The Bill of Rights was added to the U.S. Constitution at the insistence of the
a.Founders.
b.state ratifying conventions.
c.First Continental Congress.
d.Federalist Party.
e.Alexander Hamilton.
30. Which of the following statements about the U.S. political party system is true?
a.It has remained largely stable, with the Democratic and Republican parties dominating since the founding of the country.
b.It has experienced broad changes, with parties rising and declining over the years.
c.It all but ceased to exist by the 1980s.
d.It has grown steadily stronger as the power of the presidency has grown stronger.
e.It has rarely been strong and has never truly mobilized voters.
31. The Founders saw political parties as
a.an important aspect of democracy.
b.effective only in raising money for campaigns.
c.appropriate for a direct democracy but not for a republic.
d.a means communicating public opinion to the president.
e.factions motivated by ambition and self-interest.
32. The congressional caucus system of selecting a presidential candidate was replaced by
a.state caucus nominations.
b.direct popular nominations.
c.the party convention.
d.the open primary.
e.the blanket primary.
33. Which of the following statements best summarizes the value of presidential coattails to congressional candidates of the same party
a.It has never been a significant factor.
b.It remains a significant factor today.
c.It is increasingly significant for the Republicans.
d.It is becoming more significant today.
e.It is becoming much less significant today.
34. The Constitution calls for reapportionment
a.every five years.
b.every ten years
c.every twenty years
d.every fifty years.
e.every one hundred years.
35. The increase in voter support that a member of the House receives in his / her first bid for reelection is referred to as the
a.no-brainer march.
b.post-office bounce.
c.two time round-up.
d.second wind surprise.
e.sophomore surge.
36. The preamble to the U.S. Constitution lists all of the following goalsof government except:
a. union.
b. justice.
c. liberty.
d. democracy.
e.tranquility.
37. A gender gap is most likely to occur in an election in which themajor issue is
awar
b. women’s rights
c. gun control
d. political ethics
e. school prayer
38. In U.S. presidential elections, voter turnout is typically
a. less than 25 percent.
b. less than 30 percent.
c. less than 60 percent.
d. more than 80 percent.
e. nearly 100 percent.
39. The most obvious negative consequence of strict voter registrationprocedures, such as those that exist throughout the United States, isa(n):
a. reduction in the number of candidates seeking office.
b.reduction in voting generally.
c.increase in single-issue voting.
d.increase in the power of political parties.
e. increase in split ticket voting.
40. Which of the following was required by the U.S. Constitution?
a. free adult male suffrage
b. popularly elected presidential electors
c. nonpartisan election commissions
d. popularly elected Senators
e.funding to medical research
41. One effect of the geographic split in parties that occurred as aconsequence of the Civil War was
a. the end of the Democrat-Republican party of Thomas Jefferson.
b. the emergence of strong party factions such as the mugwumps.
c. the rise to power of Democratic progressives and others whosupported free trade.
d. the establishment of national conventions to nominatepresidential candidates.
e. an equal distribution of party power among the states.
42. Scholars have identified ____ critical or realigning periods inAmerican politics.
a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5
e. 6
43. This person manages the day-to-day work of the party.
a. precinct captain
b. national chairman
c. national selectman
d. national alderman
e. organizational deputy
44. One reason interest groups are so common in the United States is that
a. political parties are relatively strong.
b. important decisions are made in only a few places.
c. the country has a great many divergent interests.
d. political authority resides in a handful of officials.
e. A and D.
45. An example of an interest group formed as a result of governmentpolicy itself is that of
a. labor unions.
b. the Chamber of Commerce.
c. antislavery organizations.
d. public-interest lobbies.
e. none of these.
46. Compared with the early years of the republic, the power andautonomy of newspaper editors and reporters in the USA today is
a. greater.
b. about the same.
c. less.
d. supreme.
e. insignificant.
47. Which of the following statements about newspapers during the earlyyears of the republic is true?
a. They were less expensive than today.
b. They were nonpartisan.
c. They were supported by paid advertising.
d. They were read mostly by a small elite.
e. They were fair and balanced in reporting.
48. Small groups such as unions, occupations, and businesses can oftenuse client politics to their advantage, yet small racial and ethnicgroups typically cannot. This is because these groups
a. are protected by courts.
b. are represented through majoritarian politics.
c. have demands that place a large burden on the majority population.
d.have too little power.
e. lack clear, effective and visible leadership.
49. Plessy v. Ferguson had the effect of
a.declaring that segregated public facilities, if equal, did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment.
b. prohibiting all-white juries in state court trials.
c. applying the Bill of rights to the states as well as to the national gov.
d. ruling that racially separate schools were inherently unequal and therefore unconstitutional.
e. banning interracial marriages in the Northeastern United States.
50. With regard to racial segregation, Supreme Court decisions on therecently passed Fourteenth Amendment made the amendment
a. an extremely broad guarantee of equal rights.
b. nearly meaningless.
c. more significant regarding education than regarding employment.
d. more significant regarding employment than regarding education.
e. more significant regarding discrimination in private businesses
51. Under the original U.S. Constitution, members of the Senate, unlike members of the House, were selected by
a. direct elections.
b. the president.
c. state legislatures.
d. primary runoffs.
e. regional coalitions.
52. The most important change that has occurred in the composition ofthe House in this century has been the
a. increase in the number of blacks.
b. increase in the rate of member turnover.
c. decrease in the number of women and other minorities.
d. decrease in the rate of member turnover.
e. increase in the number of freshmen.
53. The explanation for congressional voting behavior that assumesmembers vote on the basis of their beliefs is referred to as
a. representational.
b. conventional.
c. organizational.
d. attitudinal.
e. relational.
54. In the Senate, the greatest power is in the hands of the
a. Speaker.
b. president pro tempore.
c. minority whip.
d. majority leader.
e. chairperson of the Judiciary Committee.
55. Votes in Congress that evoked party splits during the 1990s weremost likely to be reflected of
a. parties interested in winning elections.
b. parties attempting to dispense patronage.
c. sharp ideological differences between parties.
d. party efforts to keep power.
e. parties funded by PAC money.
56. The maximum number of committees that can be chaired by one senator is
a. one.
b.two.
c. three.
d. five.
e. there is no limit on the number.
57. What is the major issue confronting the Supreme Court inAmerica today?
a. the relationship between government and the economy
b. nationbuilding
c. personal liberty, social equality, and the potential conflict between the two
d. establishing the supremacy of federal government
e. the constitutionality of the federal income tax
58. Court-packing refers to the practice of
a. taking away the Supreme Court's appellate jurisdiction.
b. appointing only justices who agree with the president's politicalphilosophy.
c. appointing only justices who agree with Congress's politicalphilosophy.
d. appointing only justices who can be categorized as strictconstructionists.
e. ignoring decisions in which a majority of justices cannot agree on a single opinion.
59. Democratic judges appear to reach more liberal decisions than Republican ones on cases involving
a. discrimination and criminal prosecution.
b. freedom of the press and discrimination.
c. business regulations and freedom of the press.
d. criminal prosecution and business regulation.
e. “speech plus” cases and war powers.
60. The President has just received a bill, he doesn't like the bill and therefore will not pass it. Instead, he lets the bill sit on his desk until it expires. This is an example of
a. a legislative veto.
b. a line-item veto.
c. a controlled veto.
d. a pocket veto.
e. a death grip veto.
END OF SECTION I
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Section II
Time – 1 hour and 40 minutes
Directions: You have 100 minutes to answer all four of the following questions. Unless the directions indicate otherwise, respond to all parts of all four questions. It is suggested that you take a few minutes to plan and outline each answer. Spend approximately one-fourth of your time (25 minutes) on each question. In your response, use substantive examples where appropriate. Make certain to number each of your answers as the question is numbered below.
1. Conflicts between Congress and the President over war powers have their origin in the United States Constitution. In 1973 Congress passed the War Powers Resolution in an attempt to clarify the balance of powers between the two branches of government. (5 points)
A. Describe the primary constitutional conflict between Congress and the President over the decision to go to war.
B. Describe two provision of the War Powers Resolution that were designed to limit the President's power over war making.
C. The War Power Resolution has received mixed reviews, but Congress has other powers over war making. Other than the constitutional power that you described in the first bullet, identify and explain two other formal powers Congress has over war making.
2. The framers of the United States Constitution created a federal system. (5 points)
A. Define federalism.
B. Select two of the following and explain how each has been used to increase the power of the federal government relative to the states.
●Categorical grants
●Federal mandates
●Selective incorporation
C. Select two of the following and explain how each has been used to increase the power of the states relative to the federal government.
●Welfare Reform Act of 1996
●Block grants
●Tenth Amendment
3. Presidential approval ratings fluctuate over the course of each presidential administration. (4 points)