American Political Institutions
Review Questions
Course Introduction
This course offers a comprehensive overview of the central institutions that shape American political life, including the presidency, Congress, the federal judiciary, and the bureaucracy. Students will examine how these institutions evolved, their constitutional foundations, and the interplay between them in the process of policy making. Topics include the dynamics of federalism, checks and balances, electoral systems, and the influence of interest groups and political parties. Through case studies and analysis of major events, the course fosters a deeper understanding of the structures and processes that define governance in the United States.
Recommended Textbook
The Challenge of Democracy American Government in Global Politics 13th Edition by Kenneth Janda
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
18 Chapters
1303 Verified Questions
1303 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/1043
Page 2
Chapter 1: Freedom, Order, or Equality
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20663
Sample Questions
Q1) Western Europe's experience with democratic socialism demonstrates that
A)government control of the economy is incompatible with freedom and participation.
B)socialism and freedom can be combined in theory but not in practice.
C)socialism can be practiced along with personal freedoms and democratic participation.
D)socialism can exist only where it is imposed by military force.
E)equality of opportunity cannot be realized.
Answer: C
Q2) Thomas Hobbes's ideal form of government was
A)a representative democracy.
B)democratic socialism.
C)the absence of any strong central authority.
D)a global council of world leaders.
E)a single ruler with unquestioned authority.
Answer: E
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 3
Chapter 2: Majoritarian or Pluralist Democracy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20664
Sample Questions
Q1) What rules govern the use of referenda at the federal level?
A)They can only be used to propose constitutional amendments.
B)They require a two-thirds vote of all Americans.
C)They must be approved by a two-thirds vote of Congress.
D)They can only be used for a declaration of war.
E)No provisions exist for the use of referenda at the federal level.
Answer: E
Q2) Identify and discuss some of the problems with participatory democracy,and ways to respond to those problems.
Answer: Answers will vary.
Q3) When citizens circulate petitions to gather signatures to put a policy question on the ballot,it is called a(n)
A)initiative.
B)referendum.
C)primary.
D)recall.
E)procedure.
Answer: A
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
4
Chapter 3: The Constitution
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20665
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is not one of the political principles relied on by the founders?
A)Federalism
B)Checks and balances
C)One person, one vote
D)Republicanism
E)Separation of powers
Answer: C
Q2) Which of the following is not a power granted to the president under the Constitution?
A)The power to make treaties
B)The power to appoint government officers, diplomats and judges
C)The power to declare war
D)The power to veto
E)The power to convene Congress
Answer: C
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 5
Chapter 4: Federalism
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
72 Verified Questions
72 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20666
Sample Questions
Q1) The "necessary and proper" clause of Article I,Section 8 of the Constitution is an example of a(n)"__________ clause."
A)confederal
B)states' rights
C)judicial
D)dual
E)elastic
Q2) Identify the key elements of cooperative federalism.
Q3) According to the text,political liberals fear stronger states' rights because it
A)resulted in higher taxes.
B)supported the principle of cooperative federalism.
C)allowed inequality and supported racism.
D)is unconstitutional.
E)focused too strongly on representing urban dwellers.
Q4) The lines that define congressional districts are usually drawn by
A)state legislatures.
B)state governors.
C)U.S. Senators.
D)a state's congressional delegation.
E)the House Judiciary Committee.
Page 6
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 5: Public Opinion and Political Socialization
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
71 Verified Questions
71 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20667
Sample Questions
Q1) The set of values and beliefs that a person holds about the purpose and scope of government is called
A)political ideology.
B)party identification.
C)liberalism or conservatism.
D)political socialization.
E)communalism.
Q2) When sampled,the public strongly favors the death penalty for certain crimes.The graph of such a distribution would be characterized as A)stable.
B)skewed.
C)expected.
D)extremist.
E)biased.
Q3) In the current American context,a liberal would tend to promote
A)economic equality ahead of freedom, and freedom ahead of social order.
B)freedom ahead of economic equality, and social order ahead of freedom.
C)freedom ahead of both economic equality and social order.
D)both economic equality and social order ahead of freedom.
E)business and government policy ahead of social order.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 7
Chapter 6: The Media
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
73 Verified Questions
73 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20668
Sample Questions
Q1) Most politicians and many scholars believe that the media's greatest influence on politics is its ability to
A)report the news.
B)socialize children.
C)set the political agenda.
D)ruin political careers.
E)investigate.
Q2) Newspapers did not move toward independent ownership and large circulation until
A)the 1780s.
B)the 1830s.
C)the 1870s.
D)about 1900.
E)the 1930s
Q3) A recent example of popular music conveying a political message is "Born This Way," by Lady Gaga,which focuses on
A)same-sex marriage.
B)obesity.
C)bullying.
D)racial prejudice.
E)subjugation of women.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 8
Chapter 7: Participation and Voting
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
73 Verified Questions
73 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20669
Sample Questions
Q1) Summarize the expansion of voting rights by describing federal government actions that granted the franchise to those who had been denied suffrage.
Q2) Congress and the states moved quickly to pass the Twenty-sixth Amendment,which lowered the voting age to eighteen,because they
A)recognized the justice of the student antiwar and civil rights movements.
B)knew that student voter turnout would be low.
C)expected the new voters to change the political balance of power drastically. D)hoped to channel student energy away from demonstrations and toward more conventional forms of participation.
E)realized the unfairness of the discrepancy between the military draft age and the voting age.
Q3) Which of the following was the first known act of unconventional participation in America?
A)The Revolutionary War
B)The Declaration of Independence
C)The civil rights marches of the 1960s
D)Shays's Rebellion
E)The Boston Tea Party
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
9
Chapter 8: Political Parties
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
71 Verified Questions
71 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20670
Sample Questions
Q1) Black Americans shifted significantly to the Democratic Party in the 1960s largely in response to
A)Republican support for the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
B)Democrats' opposition to the "Great Society."
C)Democratic Party support for civil rights legislation.
D)growing realization that the 1930s New Deal was not such a great deal.
E)a backlash against urban violence that erupted in cities across the nation.
Q2) In the 2000 election,the candidacy of Ralph Nader
A)had no significant impact.
B)resulted in a loss of support for the Democratic candidate, Al Gore.
C)resulted in a loss of support for the Republican candidate, George W. Bush.
D)resulted in an equal loss of support for Gore and Bush.
E)has not been determined in its impact.
Q3) Explain what a party machine is and how such machines generally lost power over time.
Q4) Explain how the party reforms of the Republicans and Democrats have differed since the 1970s.
Q5) Discuss the functions served by political parties in today's political system.
Q6) Describe the principles of responsible party government and how well they are being achieved in American politics today.
Page 10
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 9: Nominations, Elections, and Campaigns
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
71 Verified Questions
71 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20671
Sample Questions
Q1) According to the text,________ played a significant role in Mitt Romney's ability to virtually erase Obama's lead in polls before the November election.
A)superior performance in placement of political advertising
B)negative repercussions from publicity around Obama's excessive campaign spending
C)structural advantages giving Romney more electoral college votes in "sure thing" states
D)far-better-than-expected support in battleground states
E)the presidential debates
Q2) Explain the difference between a party-centered campaign and a candidate-centered campaign,and why the United States has moved from the former to the latter.
Q3) One result of ____________ was the direct primary,in which candidate must campaign not only for election,but also for the nomination of their party.
A)the Civil War
B)the post World War II desire for greater personal power
C)the Progressive movement in the 1920s
D)adoption of the Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation
E)Andrew Jackson's popularization of political activity
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
11
Chapter 10: Interest Groups
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
71 Verified Questions
71 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20672
Sample Questions
Q1) Discuss the tactics used by interest groups as part of information campaigns.
Q2) Explain how the free-rider problem makes it difficult to get people to join and contribute to interest groups.
Q3) Organizing public relations campaigns and sponsoring research are examples of
A)coalition building.
B)information campaigns.
C)grassroots lobbying.
D)direct lobbying.
E)marketing strategies.
Q4) An important idea of pluralist theory is that
A)most interest groups work for the good of the majority.
B)the institutions of government will ignore interest groups regardless of their orientation.
C)interest groups will ultimately fade from the political scene.
D)new interest groups naturally form when the need arises.
E)people join groups for benefits, regardless of current circumstances.
Q5) Describe how Cesar Chavez changed tactics in his attempt to improve working conditions for farm laborers by forming the United Farm Workers Union,and why Catholic clergy supported Chavez.
Q6) Explain the difference between direct lobbying and grassroots lobbying.
Page 12
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 11: Congress
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
71 Verified Questions
71 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20673
Sample Questions
Q1) Efforts to draw boundaries to promote the election of minorities
A)have been equally effective for blacks as for Hispanics.
B)have been more effective for Hispanics than for blacks.
C)have been more effective for blacks than for Hispanics.
D)were more effective for blacks in the 1980s, but more effective for Hispanics in the 1990s.
E)have been equally ineffective for blacks as for Hispanics.
Q2) A congressional representative is following the delegate philosophy when he or she A)takes instructions from party leaders on how to vote.
B)votes in accordance with the perceived wishes of the citizens back home.
C)votes according to his or her conscience, even if doing so means going against the wishes of the majority back home.
D)consults the president before an important vote.
E)relies primarily on personal experience, philosophy, and ideology in deciding how to vote.
Q3) Explain how growing partisanship in Congress represents a trend toward greater majoritarianism.
Q4) Discuss how their four major influences affect Congressional decision-making.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 13
Chapter 12: The Presidency
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
71 Verified Questions
71 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20674
Sample
Questions
Q1) President Ronald Reagan used the term freedom rhetorically to refer to A)fair court procedures.
B)economic and social equality.
C)halting Communism in Southeast Asia.
D)ensuring a minimal level of government involvement in day-to-day life.
E)equality.
Q2) Through 2013,Barack Obama
A)never used the veto.
B)vetoed two bills.
C)issued a total of thirty one vetoes.
D)issued a total of 114 vetoes.
E)issued five pocket vetoes only.
Q3) Powers inferred from statements written in the Constitution are called __________ powers.
A)inherent
B)enumerated
C)implicit
D)delegated
E)assumed
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 14
Chapter 13: The Bureaucracy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20675
Sample Questions
Q1) Government corporations are best described as
A)businesses that have gone bankrupt and have been taken over by the government.
B)agencies that privately see to the personal needs of high-level bureaucrats.
C)business enterprises that the government has seized because of failure to pay taxes.
D)government agencies that provide services that could be provided by the private sector.
E)government partnerships with private industry.
Q2) The civil service system was created to
A)ensure equal partisanship in filling government jobs.
B)allow greater congressional control of the bureaucracy.
C)increase presidential control over the bureaucracy.
D)reduce the amount of politics in awarding government jobs.
E)discourage incompetent job applicants from seeking government employment.
Q3) Organizations can be chiefly defined by their
A)clearly defined leader.
B)fixed division of labor.
C)organizational culture.
D)rules of governance.
E)All of these choices are true.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 15
Chapter 14: The Courts
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
71 Verified Questions
71 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20676
Sample Questions
Q1) Alexander Hamilton argued that the judicial branch was the __________ branch of national government.
A)most legitimate
B)most reliable
C)weakest
D)wisest
E)least flexible
Q2) In the years immediately after ratification of the constitution,the Supreme Court
A)was seen as a fully co-equal branch of government.
B)accepted so many cases that they couldn't handle them, and quickly created the certiorari petition to cut down on their workload.
C)was not a particularly powerful branch of government.
D)met and heard cases year round, unlike today.
E)was immediately, as the highest and most influential court, able to recruit the best legal minds in the nation.
Q3) Discuss judicial activism and judicial restraint,and explain what role political ideology plays,if any,in whether an opinion is considered to be representative of either.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 16
Chapter 15: Order and Civil Liberties
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20677
Sample Questions
Q1) A reporter obtained information from a confidential source pertaining to an ongoing criminal grand jury investigation.The free press standard that the reporter must adhere to in this situation requires that the reporter
A)go to jail for contempt rather than reveal the information.
B)divulge the information from the source but not give the name of the source.
C)give whatever testimony the reporter is capable of giving.
D)divulge information only if the name of the confidential source is revealed first.
E)decline to appear before the grand jury.
Q2) In 2010,The Supreme Court in McDonald v.Chicago,ruled in a 5-4 decision that an individual's right to bear arms
A)can be prohibited by state or local government.
B)only is permitted if the individual is part of a state militia.
C)cannot be prohibited by state or local government.
D)only is permitted if the individual submits to a state background check.
E)permits the individual to possess submachine guns and assault rifles.
Q3) What are the Miranda warnings?
Q4) Discuss the dispute and outcome of two Supreme Court decisions governing constitutional guarantees for criminal defendants.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 17
Chapter 16: Equality and Civil Rights
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
71 Verified Questions
71 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20678
Sample Questions
Q1) Affirmative action is the
A)commitment by the federal government to require state governments to eliminate all forms of discrimination within their boundaries.
B)commitment first introduced in the California legislature to ensure equal employment opportunities for African Americans.
C)commitment by a business, employer, school, or other public or private institution to expand opportunities for women, African and Hispanic Americans, and members of other minority groups.
D)decision by a court in Hawaii to affirm the right of gays and lesbians to marry.
E)specific allowance of a certain number of positions to applicants.
Q2) The Civil Rights Act of 1964 bans
A)only governmental acts of discrimination.
B)only discrimination by educational institutions.
C)private and governmental acts of discrimination.
D)only discrimination against women and African Americans.
E)only private discrimination.
Q3) Outline the recent up-and-down history of the legality of gay marriage in the state of California.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 18
Chapter 17: Economic Policy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
72 Verified Questions
72 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20679
Sample Questions
Q1) If a policy rationale and the political will were present,___________ could eliminate expensive federal entitlement programs.
A)the President
B)executive agencies
C)the Congress
D)the Supreme Court
E)a simple majority of state legislatures
Q2) The __________ supervises the development of the president's budget.
A)Council of Economic Advisers
B)comptroller general
C)Federal Reserve Board
D)Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
E)Budget Control Board
Q3) Discuss some of the reasons that America's system of taxation does not do more to promote economic equality.
Q4) Explain the basic premises of supply-side economics.
Q5) Compare and contrast the flat tax and the progressive tax,and describe which tax was more closely related to President Reagan's policies.
Q6) What are the three ways the Fed controls the money supply?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 19
Chapter 18: Policymaking and Domestic Policy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/20680
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following was not a part of President Obama's Affordable Care Act?
A)People aged 19 to 25 become eligible to stay on their parents' insurance plan.
B)By 2014 insurance providers can no longer deny people coverage because of preexisting conditions.
C)All individuals are required to have health insurance by 2014 or pay a fine.
D)The first prescription drug benefit was added to Medicare.
E)Eligibility for Medicaid is expanded.
Q2) The United States is the only major industrialized nation without
A)a universal health-care system.
B)social insurance programs.
C)entitlement programs.
D)public assistance for needy children.
E)unemployment benefits for single mothers.
Q3) Government programs designed to provide the basic living conditions necessary for all citizens are called
A)charitable programs.
B)social welfare programs.
C)discretionary spending.
D)disability programs.
E)subsistence aid programs
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 20