American Politics
Final Exam Questions
Course Introduction
American Politics is a comprehensive introduction to the foundational structures, processes, and key debates within the political system of the United States. The course examines the Constitution, federalism, the three branches of government, political parties, interest groups, and electoral processes, exploring how these elements shape policy outcomes and the everyday lives of Americans. Students will analyze the historical development of American political institutions, the impact of public opinion and the media, and contemporary challenges facing democracy in the United States. Through critical engagement with course materials and current events, students will gain a nuanced understanding of the functioning and evolution of American governance.
Recommended Textbook
American Government and Politics Today Essentials 2015 2016 Edition 18th Edition by Barbara A.
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
16 Chapters
1120 Verified Questions
1120 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/1144 Page 2
Chapter 1: The Democratic Republic
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22428
Sample Questions
Q1) The following statement would be compatible with __________ ideology: "The government should act to create jobs during an economic crisis."
A) liberal
B) conservative
C) anarchist
D) libertarian
E) extreme conservative
Answer: A
Q2) The concept of political socialization refers to
A) the process by which beliefs and values are transmitted to new immigrants and to our children.
B) political movements in support of Socialism.
C) the process by which religious values are transmitted only through the media.
D) the gradual development of social programs within our national government.
E) the government taking over the economic sector of the country.
Answer: A
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 3
Chapter 2: The Constitution
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22429
Sample Questions
Q1) The power of the Supreme Court to declare actions of the other branches of government to be unconstitutional is known as
A) judicial review.
B) judicial activism.
C) legislative ratification.
D) the supremacy doctrine.
E) the Madisonian model.
Answer: A
Q2) While nine of the British colonies had ____________, by 1790 only two remained and our presidential elections during this decade featured major candidates who were not, by modern definitions, _____________.
A) churches established by law; Christian
B) free market economies; capitalists
C) organized militias; veterans
D) major political parties; party members
E) None of the above.
Answer: A
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 4
Chapter 3: Federalism
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22430
Sample Questions
Q1) National authority has traditionally been preferred by A) liberals.
B) conservatives.
C) libertarians.
D) those who are culturally conservative but economically liberal.
E) the southern states.
Answer: A
Q2) Despite the South's desire for ______________, the Civil War actually brought about ______________.
A) increased states' rights; a stronger national government
B) the expansion of slavery; a competitive, free labor force
C) a strong national government; regionalism in politics
D) free trade; significant export taxes
E) None of the above.
Answer: A
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 5
Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22431
Sample Questions
Q1) The establishment clause in the First Amendment
A) has been applied to questions of the legality of state and local government aid to religious organizations and schools.
B) means that neither the federal government nor state governments can set up a church.
C) is different than the free exercise clause.
D) has been used to decide the actions of government allowing or prohibiting school prayer.
E) All of the above are true.
Q2) Prior restraint is
A) used by Congress to hold secret committee meetings.
B) a method used by the government to get terrorists to talk.
C) another term for censorship, when expression is involved.
D) restraining an activity, such as expression, before that activity has actually occurred.
E) Options C and D are true.
Q3) Discuss the recent Supreme Court rulings that are based on the Second Amendment and describe the positions of the pro-gun lobby to further expand gun rights.
Q4) Explain the positions of those for and those against the Patriot Act.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 6
Chapter 5: Civil Rights
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22432
Sample Questions
Q1) The tests commonly administered as a precondition for voting were called
A) poll tests.
B) constitutional exams.
C) literacy tests.
D) primary tests.
E) registration tests.
Q2) Which of the following are among the limitations imposed by the Supreme Court on affirmative action?
A) Race cannot be used as the sole criterion.
B) Race cannot be used as a tie-breaker.
C) A prohibition against the use of preferences or quotas for unqualified persons.
D) The awarding by universities of points for racial minority status.
E) All of the above.
Q3) African American leader Malcolm X
A) supported the group known as the Underground Railroad.
B) agreed with King's philosophy of non-violence.
C) believed in "black power" and racial separation.
D) believed in the philosophy of "turn the other cheek."
E) was one of King's closest colleagues.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 7
Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22433
Sample Questions
Q1) Usually, the Gallup or Roper polls interview
A) people three to four times to ensure accuracy.
B) about 1,500 people in a nationwide sample.
C) over 100,000 people in each random sample for presidential elections.
D) people who have been selected based on their intelligence.
E) using quota samples.
Q2) In polling, the difference between the sample's results and those that would have been obtained had the entire population been interviewed is
A) a failure of randomness.
B) a sampling error.
C) unlikely to happen at all.
D) likely to be very large.
E) a statistical miscalculation.
Q3) All of the following are true of public opinion <B>except</B> that it
A) plays a small role in U.S. political system.
B) can be expressed by letters written to newspapers.
C) is shared in online forums.
D) can be powerful.
E) can be shaped by political leaders.
Q4) Explore the means by which political socialization occurs in the United States.
Page 8
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 7: Interest Groups
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22434
Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the categories of economic interest groups and provide examples of each.
Q2) To generate public pressure, interest groups may
A) use advertisements in national magazines and newspapers.
B) generate mail to elected officials.
C) organize rallies.
D) work with like-minded organizations.
E) All of the above are true.
Q3) The Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007
A) requires lobbyists to report their activities annually.
B) requires Congress to post lobbying information on the Internet.
C) significantly changed the culture in Washington, DC.
D) requires that all pork spending proposals be reported to the president.
E) limits spending by lobbyists to $100,000 per quarter.
Q4) Discuss two different categories of economic interest groups and contrast these groups with public interest groups.
Q5) What are the differences between a social movement and an interest group? How are they related?
Q6) Describe legislative efforts to regulate the activities of lobbyists.
Q7) What would be the unintended consequences if lobbying was abolished?
Page 9
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 8: Political Parties
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22435
Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are true <B>except</B>
A) the Republican Party was founded by uniting northern Whigs, anti-slavery Democrats, and members of the Free Soil Party.
B) southerners resented Republicans' role in defeating the South in the Civil War.
C) the Republicans after the Civil War supported business interests and evangelical Protestant cultural values.
D) the Republicans turned to supporting states' rights after the Civil War.
E) the Republicans opposed the prohibition of alcoholic beverages after the Civil War.
Q2) Progressivism was
A) a response to the growing power of corporations.
B) embraced by Teddy Roosevelt.
C) a belief that honest, impartial government could regulate the economy.
D) Options A and B are true.
E) All of the above are true.
Q3) Discuss the obstacles faced by third-party and independent candidates in the American two-party system as well as their successes in impacting American elections.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 10
Chapter 9: Campaigns and Elections
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22436
Sample Questions
Q1) Political Action Committees
A) are not covered by federal election laws.
B) are committees created under federal or state law for the purpose of collecting political donations.
C) coordinate all expenditures directly with the candidate.
D) collect funds from the candidate and transfer them to the political party.
E) are limited in how much they spend.
Q2) In presidential elections
A) voters elect the president directly.
B) the number of electors equals each state's number of senators (two) plus its number of representatives.
C) electors have always voted for the candidate who won their state's vote.
D) Options A, B, and C are true.
E) None of the above is true.
Q3) The organizations that came to be known as "527s"
A) have become eclipsed in importance since the rise of super PACs.
B) were set up by political parties for anonymous donors' contributions.
C) run ads that are coordinated with the candidate's campaign ads.
D) are more powerful than super PACs.
E) Options B and C are true.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 11
Chapter 10: The Media
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22437
Sample Questions
Q1) The issue of media bias may be declining importance due to all of the following <B>except</B>
A) the rise of the Internet.
B) the ability of consumers to find both mainstream and alternative sources.
C) a decline in consumer trust in sources that are clearly conservative or liberal.
D) the ability of consumers to find both conservative and liberal sources.
E) All of the above are true.
Q2) Online fundraising
A) saw pioneering efforts in the Ron Paul campaign.
B) lead to very high fundraising totals for the Obama campaign.
C) allows thousands of activists to act as fundraisers.
D) Both A and B.
E) All of the above.
Q3) Advertisers are important in media because
A) media depend on them for revenue, to make a profit.
B) they can pressure media outlets in which they advertise.
C) they allow media more flexibility and freedom to report how they choose.
D) Both A and B.
E) All of the above.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 12
Chapter 11: The Congress
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22438
Sample Questions
Q1) A filibuster is
A) an attempt to prevent the passage of a bill through the use of unlimited debate.
B) an attempt to persuade others to vote for a particular bill in return for a favor at a later date.
C) used in the House to force a standing committee to release a bill.
D) a method used by the Speaker of the House to promote the majority party's legislation.
E) a technique that is unique to the House.
Q2) The most important committees in Congress are _________ committees, permanent bodies that possess an expertise resulting from their jurisdiction over certain policy areas.
A) standing
B) select
C) joint
D) conference
E) legislative
Q3) Explain how a bill becomes a law.
Q4) Explain the different types of committees and their functions.
Q5) Describe the enumerated or expressed power of Congress.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 13
Chapter 12: The President
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22439
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements about presidential elections is true?
A) One can become president without winning the popular vote.
B) The Twelfth Amendment requires that the president and the vice president be chosen separately.
C) Twenty-one presidents have served only one term in office.
D) The electoral college has twice failed to give any candidate a majority and the election was decided in the House of Representatives.
E) All of the above are true.
Q2) The ____________ Amendment to the Constitution requires the president and vice president to be chosen separately by the electoral college.
A) Ninth
B) Tenth
C) Twelfth
D) Twenty-Fourth
E) Twenty-Fifth
Q3) Discuss the issue of what it means to be a "natural-born citizen" and how this affects the politics of the presidency.
Q4) Analyze the president's functions as party chief and superpolitician.
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/22440
Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are true of national ID cards <b>except</b>
A) the American public has never accepted the concept of a national ID card.
B) many other countries in the world require citizens to obtain a national ID card.
C) the lack of ID is a burden on the world's poorest people.
D) national ID cards are not privacy concerns because they cannot collect data.
E) a national ID card might be a convenient way to avoid having to carry different types of identification such as a driver's license and a Social Security card.
Q2) All of the following statements about the civil service are true <b>except</b>
A) civil service positions are filled based on networking and political connections.
B) civil service jobs are filled based on political party affiliation.
C) reform of the civil service first began under President Jimmy Carter in 1978.
D) since 1993, civil service employees are allowed to participate in voter registration drives.
E) today, civil service employees may make donations to political campaigns.
Q3) Explain both sides of the issue of the privatization of government. Provide examples of ways privatization might make government more efficient and some of the unintended consequences of privatization.
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
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22441
Sample Questions
Q1) If a Federal Circuit Court declares a law unconstitutional, the ruling applies
A) only to that specific case.
B) only within that court's jurisdiction.
C) only at the federal level.
D) only at the state level.
E) to all applications of the law in the entire country.
Q2) Explain how the U.S. Supreme Court decides cases and explains its decisions.
Q3) Almost all cases involving civil liberties or racial or gender discrimination are brought to trial by
A) a single individual plaintiff.
B) interest groups.
C) the federal government.
D) state governments.
E) None of the above.
Q4) Describe the process of appointing judges to the federal courts. Explain how the process is fraught with partisan bickering.
Q5) Compare and contrast the theories of judicial activism and judicial restraint and theories of strict construction and broad construction.
Q6) Describe the sources of American law.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 16
Chapter 15: Domestic and Economic Policy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22442
Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are true of global warming <b>except</b>
A) in the 1990s, scientists working on climate change began to conclude that the average world temperatures would rise significantly in the twenty-first century.
B) in an effort to stop global warming, the government allowed filling or dredging of wetlands without a permit.
C) global warming has become a major political issue between conservatives and liberals.
D) former Vice President Al Gore won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on environmental issues.
E) a major share of the American electorate does not believe that global warming is happening, or if it is happening, that it is caused by human activities.
Q2) Policy implementation is
A) concerned with how policies are carried out by bureaucrats, the courts, police, and individual citizens.
B) the process of making the media aware of the issue.
C) the discussion of proposals between governmental officials and the public.
D) concerned with a specific strategy for the proposal.
E) when studies are conducted to see what happens after a policy is implemented.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 17
Chapter 16: Foreign Policy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22443
Sample Questions
Q1) Presidents have been largely successful in getting treaties
A) approved by the World Court.
B) through both the House and the Senate.
C) approved by the Supreme Court.
D) through the Senate.
E) approved by the State Department.
Q2) Critics of the Bush Doctrine
A) believed that a pre-emptive attack was better than what President Bush had proposed as part of his new doctrine.
B) cited the damage it would do to the domestic economy.
C) pointed out that pre-emptive wars against other nations have traditionally been waged by dictator and rogue states, not democratic nations.
D) claimed that launching pre-emptive war would allow the United States to pursue world peace by eliminating terrorism.
E) believed that by endorsing such a policy, the United States could argue against decisions of other nations to do the same when they felt threatened.
Q3) Explain the role that China has come to play in the world. How should the United States interact with China?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 18