American Political Behavior
Exam Bank
Course Introduction
American Political Behavior explores the processes, attitudes, and institutions that shape political actions and decisions in the United States. The course examines how individuals form political opinions, participate in elections, and engage in civic activities, drawing on perspectives from political science, psychology, and sociology. Key topics include voting behavior, party identification, public opinion, political socialization, the influence of media, and group dynamics. Through analysis of empirical data and current events, students gain insights into the underlying factors that drive political participation and shape the broader landscape of American democracy.
Recommended Textbook Politics in America 2014 Elections and Updates Edition 10th Edition by Thomas R. Dye
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18 Chapters
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1885 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Politics: Who Gets What,When and How 1
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Q1) Schools and universities can punish or expel students for violating policy.Why then would a school or university NOT be considered a "government"?
A)Teachers were not democratically elected to office.
B)Students do not have an opportunity to vote on school policy.
C)The school's authority encompasses only part of society.
D)Individuals do not have a legal right to voluntarily withdraw from the organization.
Answer: C
Q2) The American social contract is complicated by the agreement to limit the ability of government to __________.
A)interfere with core liberties
B)enforce contracts
C)raise an army
D)insure domestic tranquility
Answer: A
Q3) In a democracy,the majority is always right.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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3
Chapter 2: Political Culture: Ideas in Conflict
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Q1) In what way does socialism differ from communism?
A)Unlike communists,socialists are committed to democracy.
B)Unlike communists,socialists are not troubled by income inequality.
C)Unlike communists,socialists embrace revolution as a way to replace capitalism.
D)Unlike communists,socialists assume the state is supreme over individuals.
Answer: A
Q2) The divide between religion and politics has been static since 1787.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Which of the following is an example of equality of results?
A)making sure all those who retire have the same income
B)making sure disabled children are accommodated in public schools
C)providing assistance for those injured in war
D)providing federal grants for scholarships
Answer: A
Q4) Class conflict is not widespread in America because of a general belief in social
Answer: mobility
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Chapter 3: The Constitution: Limiting Governmental Power
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Q1) As described in Table 3.1,Constitutional Compromise,the Virginia Plan had a two-house legislature,whereas the __________ Plan had only one.
A)New Jersey
B)Massachusetts
C)North Carolina
D)Delaware
Answer: A
Q2) The New Jersey Plan proposed a powerful central government with three branches.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Why did the Constitutional Convention delegates disagree about voting rights?
Answer: An ideal response will:
1.Recall that most delegates believed that only property-owning men should vote.
2.Discuss the ways in which the Framers sought to calm those fears by balancing power.
3.Explain that the Constitution ended up without any property requirements for voting.
Q4) The __________ Amendment protects freedom of assembly.
Answer: First
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5
Chapter 4: Federalism: Dividing Governmental Power
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Q1) Which of the following is a power specifically denied the national government by the Constitution?
A)emit bills of credit
B)make treaties with foreign nations
C)imposing a tax on goods imported from any state
D)regulating interstate commerce
Q2) How does representational federalism differ from other forms of federalism?
A)It claims that most political power and responsibility lies with the states rather than with the federal government.
B)It asserts that federalism is defined by the role of the states in electing members of Congress,not by any constitutional division of powers.
C)It suggest that the national government should have the primary responsibility for determining both national and state goals.
D)It holds that state legislatures can determine whether a national law violates the Constitution.
Q3) In the United States,the __________ defines duties,obligations,and powers of both the national and state governments.
Q4) Explain two problems of competitive federalism.
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Chapter 5: Opinion and Participation: Thinking and Acting in Politics
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Q1) Why would Democrats be more likely to favor voter registration at welfare offices?
A)They care more about the democratic process than Republicans.
B)They know that lower-income Americans are more likely to identify as Democrats.
C)They want to ensure that all voters are American citizens.
D)They want to minimize the voter fraud that is rampant among welfare recipients.
Q2) Children who abandon the political party of their parents tend to become
A)conservatives
B)liberals
C)nonvoters
D)independents
Q3) Voter turnout is always higher in years with a(n)__________ election.
Q4) How do political scientists define political socialization?
A)learning to self-select oneself to participate in public opinion polls
B)acquiring status as an opinion leader
C)learning to adapt to new electoral technologies
D)learning political values,beliefs,and opinions
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Chapter 6: Mass Media: Setting the Political Agenda
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Q1) As of 2008,about what percent of Internet users went online for a political purpose?
A)one-fourth
B)one-third
C)half
D)three-quarters
Q2) The media actively contribute to socialization.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following listed reasons is one for the creation of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting created by Congress in 1967?
A)to provide educational content about the government
B)to make additional money for the government through advertising
C)to provide an outlet for liberal views
D)to provide noncommercial high quality programs
Q4) During election campaigns,the media require candidates to stage media events.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Public awareness of a candidate is often referred to as __________ recognition.
Q6) How does political polarization of the media impact our political system?
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Chapter 7: Political Parties: Organizing Politics
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Q1) All of the following are associated with the Democratic Party except __________.
A)the New Deal
B)the Reagan Coalition
C)the Great Society
D)the Fair Deal
Q2) Which of the following statements correctly describes today's political landscape in the United States?
A)The Democratic Party depends almost entirely on minority voters to hold onto power.
B)Never before has the opportunity for third-party success been as strong as today.
C)Political divisions along partisan and racial lines have finally shown signs of weakening.
D)The Republican Party is increasingly regionalized and dependent on southern white voters.
Q3) When can a party change its platform?
A)after a federal census
B)at the start of each fiscal year
C)during the national party convention
D)every two years
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9
Chapter 8: Campaigns and Elections: Deciding Who
Governs
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Q1) A campaign manager would be more alarmed by a gaffe her candidate made in a televised appearance than in an attack ad from an opponent because __________.
A)the news media are always looking for mistakes to analyze
B)voters do not like attack ads
C)candidates who make gaffes never get elected
D)voters tend to pay more attention to news coverage than to paid advertisements
Q2) Party affiliation is more important in presidential elections than in congressional elections.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The FEC limits contributions to a candidate's campaign per election to __________ in direct individual contributions (in 2014).
Q4) Which president signed the Voting Rights Act?
A)Dwight Eisenhower
B)John Kennedy
C)Lyndon Johnson
D)Richard Nixon
Q5) In the Clinton-Dole debates of 1996,viewers judged that __________ won both debates.
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Chapter 9: Interest Groups: Getting Their Share and More
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Q1) What is an iron triangle?
A)a joining together of interest groups or individuals to achieve common goals
B)a mutually supportive relationship among interest groups,government agencies,and legislative committees
C)an activity directed at government officials with the hope of influencing their decision
D)a nonprofit tax-free policy planning organization that concentrates on policy development
Q2) A(n)__________ refers to an organization that seeks to influence public policy.
A)corporation
B)interest group
C)institute
D)congressional district
Q3) In a lobbying network,which of the following would be considered an "inside" strategy?
A)advertising
B)contacts
C)demonstrations
D)membership mobilization
Q4) Are interest groups beneficial or harmful to the functioning of democracy?
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Chapter 10: Congress: Politics on Capitol Hill
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Q1) Which is an example of logrolling in Congress?
A)awarding a government contract to a campaign supporter
B)introducing and sponsoring a bill
C)sponsoring a bill in exchange for federal monies
D)supporting a bill in exchange for support of one's own bill
Q2) As demonstrated in Figure 10.3,packing and cracking both draw district lines to the favor of the majority party,and thus,are two types of __________.
A)gerrymandering
B)lawmaking
C)oversight
D)reapportionment
Q3) What is the purpose of a discharge petition?
A)to force a vote on a House bill within an opposing committee
B)to force a vote on a Senate bill within an opposing committee
C)to force a vote on a Senate or House bill within an opposing committee
D)to force the end of a filibuster in the House
Q4) __________ is a vote to end debate which requires a three-fifths vote of the entire membership of the Senate.
Q5) Cloture is the only way to end a(n)__________.
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Chapter 11: The President: White House Politics
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Q1) One of many ways the president can influence Congress is by __________.
A)public approval
B)executive privilege
C)impeachment
D)negotiating treaties
Q2) Which of these became an official presidential qualification in 1951?
A)natural born citizen
B)at least 35 years old
C)resident of the United States for two years
D)a maximum of two terms
Q3) President Franklin Roosevelt developed the use of executive agreements in foreign policy matters.
A)True
B)False
Q4) How would you characterize President Obama's presidency? Has he been a successful or a disappointing president? Justify your answer with details from the text.Summarize your opinion and rationale.
Q5) As a result of the __________ scandal,Richard Nixon resigned to avoid impeachment and a Senate trial.
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Chapter 12: The Bureaucracy: Bureaucratic Politics
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Q1) __________ refers to the authority of administrators in the federal bureaucracy to make choices concerning the best way to implement policies and spend money.
A)Adjudication
B)Discretion
C)Division of labor
D)Independence
Q2) __________ budgeting demands justification for the entire budget request of an agency,not just its requested increase in funding.
A)Continuing
B)Discretionary
C)Incremental
D)Zero-based
Q3) Cabinet secretaries are appointed by __________ and confirmed by __________.
A)the president; the Senate
B)the president; the House of Representatives
C)the president; the Supreme Court
D)the Senate; the president
Q4) Should federal bureaucrats be granted discretion in the implementation of public policies?
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Chapter 13: Courts Judicial Politics
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Q1) During their presidencies,Ronald Reagan and George H.W.Bush were able to fill what percent of the federal district and appellate court judgeships?
A)10
B)20
C)70
D)50
Q2) Marbury v.Madison significantly expanded the power of the federal judiciary.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which Article of the Constitution created the federal judiciary?
A)Article III
B)Article II
C)Article VI
D)Article I
Q4) Who is generally considered to be the swing vote on the Roberts Court?
A)John Roberts
B)Elena Kagan
C)Ruth Bader Ginsburg
D)Anthony Kennedy
Q5) Explain the significance of Marbury v.Madison.
Page 15
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Chapter 14: Politics and Personal Liberty
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Q1) In Roth v.U.S.,the U.S.Supreme Court held that material must be utterly without social importance in order to be considered __________.
A)illegal
B)obscene
C)hate speech
D)fighting words
Q2) Which of the following is essential to having an informed electorate in a thriving democracy?
A)free expression
B)shield laws
C)freedom of the press
D)commercial speech
Q3) In 2004,the Supreme Court ruled that military detainees have a right to which of the following?
A)due process
B)the assistance of counsel
C)equal protection
D)habeas corpus
Q4) Picketing is an example of the right to __________.
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Chapter 15: Politics and Civil Rights
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Q1) American Indian tribes __________.
A)have a political status like a state
B)are considered members of quasi-sovereign entities
C)are governed by all state and federal laws and regulations
D)do not have the ability to make any public policies that are inconsistent with state law
Q2) Which of the following is true under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
A)Workplaces and government buildings do not need to be accessible to those who use a wheelchair.
B)Workplaces are not required to provide assistive telecommunications devices.
C)The ADA does not include provisions for those with mental disabilities.
D)Workplaces and government buildings must be made accessible to those who use a wheelchair.
Q3) Since the 1950s,the Supreme Court has gradually eliminated virtually all de facto segregation and discrimination in the United States.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The __________ was enacted in 1990 and is designed to protect the civil rights of disabled Americans.
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Chapter 16: Politics and the Economy
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Q1) If the Federal Reserve wanted to slow the rate of economic growth,it would most likely __________.
A)encourage the president to lower taxes
B)increase interest rates
C)encourage the president to raise taxes
D)increase the money supply
Q2) The most dramatic change in federal tax laws occurred during the years when __________ was president.
A)George H.W.Bush
B)George W.Bush
C)Gerald Ford
D)Ronald Reagan
Q3) Which of the following is a possible solution to the long-term problem of solvency in the Social Security program?
A)Eliminate the prescription drug program for seniors.
B)Increase the states' financial contribution.
C)Increase the minimum retirement age.
D)Lower the minimum retirement age.
Q4) The money supply __________ when the Federal Reserve Board increases interest rates.
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Chapter 17: Politics and Social Welfare
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Q1) Out of the 13 advanced democracies examined in the text,where does the United States rank in terms of life expectancy? Use the figures included in the "Compared to What?" feature box to answer this question.
A)1st
B)2nd
C)9th
D)12th
Q2) Which of the following provides evidence for why universal health care has not been adopted in the United States?
A)Liberals want insurance provided by private companies only.
B)Conservatives oppose what they consider socialized medicine.
C)Nearly all Americans currently have health insurance.
D)Many Americans currently lack health insurance.
Q3) Advances in medicine have led to increases in health care costs.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Medicare is designed to help the __________ population.
Q5) Senior citizens are likely to be concerned about potential cuts to the medical program known as ___________.
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Chapter 18: Politics and National Security
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Q1) Terrorism is a nonpolitical act that is designed to recruit people to the terrorists' religion through striking fear in people who do not believe the same things.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The employment of NATO troops in Bosnia in 1995 was unusual,as traditionally NATO forces were never deployed outside Western Europe.
A)True
B)False
Q3) How has U.S.foreign policy in Iran and North Korea been similar for much of the past decade?
A)It has been largely focused on economic development.
B)It has been largely driven by the September 11,2001,terrorist attacks.
C)It has been largely determined by the wealth of natural resources the countries possess.
D)It has been driven by the threat the countries pose to the United States.
Q4) U.S.involvement in Vietnam was largely driven by the philosophy of containment.
A)True
B)False
Q5) __________ has the constitutional power to declare war.
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