American Political Institutions
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Course Introduction
This course offers a comprehensive examination of the foundational structures and processes of the American political system. Students will explore the development, functions, and interactions of major institutions including Congress, the Presidency, the Supreme Court, and the federal bureaucracy. The course analyzes how these bodies shape public policy, influence individual rights, and reflect democratic principles. Emphasis is placed on the constitutional framework, checks and balances, political behavior, and the ongoing challenges facing American governance. Through historical and contemporary perspectives, students gain critical insights into the complexities and dynamics of American political institutions.
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GOVT 8 8th Edition by Edward I. Sidlow
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Page 2
Chapter 1: America in the Twenty-First Century
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Q1) Which of the following is true of the Magna Carta?
A) It served as the first draft of America's written Constitution.
B) It established the principle of representative government.
C) It gave unrestricted power to monarchs.
D) It served private interests of the king rather than public interests.
E) It established the principle of limited government.
Answer: E
Q2) In the context of the English monarchy,the _____ prohibited the taking of a free man's life,liberty,or property except through due process of law.
A) Mayflower Compact
B) Declaration of Independence
C) Magna Carta
D) Articles of Confederation
E) Bill of rights
Answer: C
Q3) To the right of liberalism on the traditional ideological spectrum lies socialism.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Q1) Which of the following is true of Shays' Rebellion?
A) It was an indication to American political leaders that the national government was too discriminating.
B) It was the first of a series of disruptions which indicated the need for a strong central government.
C) It was a protest against the imposition of a tax on all sugar imported into the American colonies.
D) It was a catalyst for the Boston Tea Party in rebellion of the Stamp Act.
E) It was an indication of the dependence of American colonists on the British Crown.
Answer: B
Q2) The _____ is a constitutional form of government that emphasizes "effective government" rather than "limited government."
A) parliamentary system
B) constitutional monarchy
C) totalitarian dictatorship
D) presidential system
E) plutocratic system
Answer: A
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4
Chapter 3: Federalism
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Q1) Which of the following is true of dual federalism?
A) It holds that the states have no sovereign powers over matters.
B) It assumes that the national government is superior to the state government.
C) It assumes that each level of government has separate and distinct functions and responsibilities.
D) It emphasizes overlapping functions of the state and national governments.
E) It involves sovereign national governments and dependent state governments.
Answer: C
Q2) The government of Aurelia has been exercising the power to conduct elections for almost a century now.The new government in power,however,decides to hand over the rights to conduct elections to the state governments in the country in order to ensure better representation and participation.Which of the following types of federalism does Aurelia exemplify?
A) The new federalism
B) Cooperative federalism
C) Competitive federalism
D) Horizontal federalism
E) Picket-fence federalism
Answer: A
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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Q1) _____ is the prosecution of a person twice for the same criminal offense that is prohibited by the Fifth Amendment in all but a few circumstances.
A) Double taxation
B) Detention
C) Probation
D) Self-incrimination
E) Double jeopardy
Q2) State leaders who supported state religions might have favored the establishment clause to:
A) ensure that the national government did not interfere with the state governments' right to establish a religion.
B) separate the religious establishments and the government bodies.
C) ensure that the national government could firmly direct and influence the public expression of religious ideas.
D) prohibit the government from supporting religion in general.
E) allow the religious leaders to conduct the oath taking ceremony of public officials.
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Chapter 5: Civil Rights
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Q1) Which of the following statements is true of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act?
A) It declared that Native American hunting techniques are unique and should be promoted.
B) It granted Native American women the right to vote.
C) It granted the federal government the authority to imprison Native Americans.
D) It allowed American Indians to have gambling operations on their reservations.
E) It stated that property would not be taken from Native Americans without their consent.
Q2) Which of the following statements is true of affirmative action?
A) It involves offering special admission considerations to members of minority groups.
B) It is the deliberate and public act of refusing to obey laws thought to be unjust.
C) It is based on discrimination against people who have no minority status.
D) It is a standard under which a law or action must be necessary to promote a compelling state interest.
E) It was first developed under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Q3) Explain the concept of reverse discrimination.
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Chapter 6: Interest Groups
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Q1) Which of the following is a reason why interest groups get bad press?
A) They allow only wealthy and influential people to join their groups.
B) They do not receive enough funding to make a difference.
C) They cater more to the interests of the state than to their own interests.
D) They are almost always unsuccessful in campaigning for their causes.
E) They have an enthusiasm gap between supporters and opponents of any given subsidy.
Q2) Discuss the difference between interest groups and political parties.
Q3) Describe 527 and 501(C)4 organizations.
Q4) _____ is an indirect technique used by interest groups to influence government policy.
A) Lobbying
B) Providing election support
C) Forming political action committees
D) Mobilizing constituents
E) Participating in elections
Q5) Discuss the difference between public-sector unions and private-sector unions.
Q6) Discuss lobbying as a direct method of influencing government policy.
Q7) Discuss the major provisions of the Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act of 1946 and the reasons why it failed to regulate lobbying to a great degree.
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Chapter 7: Political Parties
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Q1) Briefly explain the tasks involved in running campaigns.
Q2) Between elections,candidates depend on active party members to:
A) organize fund-raisers.
B) answer phones.
C) conduct door-to-door canvasses.
D) participate in Web campaigns.
E) organize speeches and appearances.
Q3) In the context of the American political parties,the party in government helps to organize the government's agenda by:
A) coaxing and convincing its own party members in office to vote for its policies.
B) gaining the financial support of lobbyists.
C) supporting nonpartisan elections.
D) electing the delegates to the national party committee.
E) influencing the national party chairperson to take decisions in its favor.
Q4) In practice,all major American political parties are closely knit,organized structures where the chairperson of the party dictates how the organization would be run.
A)True
B)False
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Public Opinion and Voting
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Q1) In the 2006 elections,the new electronic voting systems reported problems such as:
A) flipped votes from the selected candidate to the opposing candidate.
B) duplicating votes.
C) complicated user interface.
D) generation of misleading information.
E) providing inadequate data about a candidate.
Q2) The Twenty-fourth Amendment outlawed _____ in national elections.
A) white primaries
B) literacy tests
C) poll taxes
D) discrimination based on race
E) grandfather clauses
Q3) Explain how "yes" and "no" questions and inadequate information during opinion polls can lead to problems.Give examples for each.
Q4) The results of opinion polls are most often cast in terms of percentages. A)True
B)False
Q5) Discuss the development of telephone polls and Internet polls.
Q6) Explain how ideology serves to be an indicator of voting behavior.
Page 10
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Chapter 9: Campaigns and Elections
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Q1) Describe the structures and functions of a contemporary political campaign organization.
Q2) A representative in Congress resigns from his office due to ill health,leaving his seat in Congress vacant.In order to fill the vacancy,a(n)_____ must be held.
A) interim election
B) emergency election
C) bicameral election
D) special election
E) landslide election
Q3) Explain the functions of the electoral college in American presidential elections.
Q4) The _____ evaluates the claims of national party convention delegates to be the legitimate representatives of their states.
A) electoral college
B) Portfolio Committee
C) 527 committee
D) election board
E) Credentials Committee
Q5) Explain the concept of front-loading.
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Chapter 10: Politics and the Media
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Q1) Which of the following is true of negative advertisements?
A) They always bring about a higher voter turnout in elections.
B) They cannot inform voters about important issues like positive advertisements.
C) They are more likely than positive advertisements to grab viewers' attention.
D) They are believed to be a force for bad as they dull public debate.
E) They are less likely than positive advertisements to get free media coverage.
Q2) Which of the following is true of news coverage?
A) It is easy for the candidates to take advantage of the media's interest in campaigns.
B) Coverage by the news media is very expensive.
C) Political consultants plan political events to accommodate the press.
D) The media do not devote much of their coverage to polls.
E) Hardly any aspect of a campaign focuses on potential news coverage.
Q3) One characteristic of campaign advertising that was more noticeable in 2012 than ever before was its uneven distribution.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe the functions of a Web manager during the Internet Campaign.
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Page 12
Chapter 11: The Congress
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Q1) The _____ serves as the presiding officer of the Senate in the absence of the vice president.
A) resident commissioner
B) minority leader
C) president pro tempore
D) Speaker of the House
E) majority leader
Q2) Identify a true statement about the Speaker of the House.
A) The Speaker cannot ignore a member who wishes to speak.
B) The Speaker can interpret the outcome of most of the votes taken.
C) The Speaker can choose to vote on all the bills.
D) The Speaker is the leader of the minority party.
E) The Speaker can choose to vote while presiding over the House.
Q3) Which of the following is a downside of incumbency advantages?
A) Limited access to media
B) Suppression of voter turnout
C) Withdrawal of lawmaking power
D) Lack of professional staffs
E) Less recognition
Q4) In the context of the budgeting process,explain authorization and appropriation.
Page 13
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Chapter 12: The Presidency
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Q1) The National Security Council (NSC)is the president's link to his or her key foreign and military advisers.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In the context of American political history,which of the following statements is true of the religion of presidential candidates?
A) For most of American history, all presidential candidates were Greek Orthodox Christians.
B) Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis was a member of the Latter-Day Saints, commonly called the Mormons.
C) In 1928, Democrat Al Smith became the first Protestant to run for president on a major-party ticket.
D) In 1960, Democrat John F. Kennedy was elected as the first Catholic president.
E) In 2012, two of the top three finishers in the Republican primaries were Protestant.
Q3) Discuss the responsibilities of the staff of the White House Office.
Q4) Discuss the U.S.president's veto power.
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Page 14
Chapter 13: The Bureaucracy
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Q1) Government corporations are like private corporations in that:
A) they charge for their services.
B) their owners must raise more capital in case of a loss.
C) they facilitate buying of stock.
D) they are dissolved in case of a loss.
E) their shareholders are held accountable when they fail to make a profit.
Q2) Policy and Supporting Positions is a document that:
A) publishes the list of federal positions that are filled by appointments by the president after each presidential election.
B) lists the names of lobbyists who target the executive branch.
C) identifies the key pieces of legislation that authorize the federal government to act through its agencies.
D) summarizes the parts of the government bureaucracy and explains what each agency does.
E) lists the standard operating procedures to be followed by the federal government in specific circumstances.
Q3) Discuss the formation of the federal civil service.
Q4) Describe an independent regulatory agency.List the major independent regulatory agencies.
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Chapter 14: The Judiciary
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Q1) Which of the following is a difference between a civil lawsuit and a criminal lawsuit?
A) Unlike civil lawsuits, criminal lawsuits are initiated by public officials.
B) Unlike civil lawsuits, criminal lawsuits are initiated by private parties.
C) Unlike criminal lawsuits, civil lawsuits result in penalties.
D) Unlike criminal lawsuits, civil lawsuits involve wrongs committed against the public as a whole.
E) Unlike criminal lawsuits, civil lawsuits result in imprisonment.
Q2) After the justices of the Supreme Court have considered all the information provided by the appellate attorneys,they:
A) inform the president of their decision.
B) submit a joint report to their law clerks who then issue their official decision.
C) determine the rulings of the case in a committee meeting that is televised by the major networks.
D) discuss the case in conference, which is strictly private.
E) announce their decision to the Congress leaders.
Q3) In the context of approaches to legal interpretation,differentiate between strict construction,original intent,and modernism.
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Domestic Policy
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Q1) Monetary policy is under the control of:
A) the Bureau of the Fiscal Services.
B) the Committee on Ways and Means.
C) the Federal Reserve System.
D) the Internal Revenue Service.
E) the Department of the Treasury.
Q2) Identify a true statement about the tax system in the United States.
A) The Tax Reform Act of 1986 was intended to lower taxes and simplify the tax code-and it did just that for most taxpayers.
B) A few years after the Tax Reform Act of 1986 was passed, large federal deficits forced Congress to cut spending.
C) Those affected by the Tax Reform Act of 1986 lobbied Congress to legislate special exceptions so that the full impact of the rate increase would be felt by the wealthiest Americans.
D) Tax cuts occurred under the administrations of both George H. W. Bush (1989-1993) and Bill Clinton (1993-2001).
E) The tax rate for the highest income bracket decreased from 39.6 percent in 1986 to 28 percent in 1993.
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Chapter 16: Foreign Policy
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Q1) Which of the following is true of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)?
A) It was committed to fight against terrorism.
B) It was committed to armed struggle against Syria.
C) It represented the people of Israel.
D) It functioned primarily as a political party for some years.
E) It believed in the concept on nonviolence.
Q2) For many years after Israel was founded in 1948,_____.
A) the neighboring Arab states did not accept its legitimacy as a nation
B) the Taliban was in control of the Holy Land
C) it lived in peace with its neighbors in the Middle East
D) Saddam Hussein ruled the country as a dictator
E) the only peace treaty that it was able to negotiate was one with Syria
Q3) The League of Nations is an international body intended to:
A) advocate the policy of political realism between nations.
B) free nations under Soviet domination.
C) fight the Axis nations of Germany.
D) form boundaries between democratic nations and communist nations.
E) resolve peacefully any future conflicts between nations after World War I.
Q4) Discuss the key issues that characterize the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians.
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