American Politics
Practice Exam
Course Introduction
American Politics explores the structure, processes, and functions of the United States government and the key actors that shape the nations political landscape. The course examines the Constitution, federalism, the branches of government, the electoral process, political parties, interest groups, and public opinion. In addition, it considers contemporary issues, policy debates, and the roles of media and civil society. By analyzing fundamental principles and current developments, students gain a deeper understanding of how American democracy operates and the challenges it faces in a changing world.
Recommended Textbook
American Government and Politics Today Essentials 2015 2016 Edition 18th Edition by Barbara A.
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Page 2
Chapter 1: The Democratic Republic
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Sample Questions
Q1) The following statement would be compatible with __________ ideology: "The government should have no role in providing health care for the country. People should provide their own health care."
A) liberal
B) conservative
C) communist
D) socialist
E) extreme liberal
Answer: B
Q2) By 2008, the major political parties no longer exhibited any significant ideological overlap, as conservatives came to dominate the Republican Party and liberals/progressives the Democratic Party. This move in the parties toward ideological purity has resulted in all of the following <B>except</B>
A) the dismantling of parties as insignificant.
B) political polarization.
C) an increased discipline in the two parties.
D) an increase in political rhetoric in media outlets.
E) a decline in trust between ideologies.
Answer: A
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Q1) The factions among delegates at the Constitutional Convention
A) wanted a strong central government.
B) were concerned about claims to western lands.
C) had republican leanings.
D) had nationalist leanings.
E) All of the above are true.
Answer: E
Q2) Prior to ratification, support for the Constitution was probably
A) widespread across both rich and poor classes.
B) widespread among the rich, but unpopular among the poor.
C) widespread among the poor, but unpopular among the rich.
D) unpopular across both rich and poor classes.
E) something only considered by a very small group of politically elite.
Answer: A
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Chapter 3: Federalism
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Q1) While most __________ would be pleased that the Supreme Court upheld the individual insurance mandate of the Affordable Care Act, most __________ would be encouraged that the Court made Medicaid expansion optional for the states.
A) conservatives; libertarians
B) conservatives; liberals
C) socialists; liberals
D) libertarians; states' rights advocates
E) liberals; conservatives
Answer: E
Q2) Which government system is used most in the world today?
A) unitary system
B) confederate system
C) federal system
D) bicameral system
E) None of the above is true.
Answer: A
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Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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Sample Questions
Q1) In 1965, in Griswold v. Connecticut, a case involving the legality of contraceptives, the Supreme Court
A) held that the law violated the right to privacy.
B) found that laws against contraceptives were legal.
C) guaranteed all women access to abortion.
D) ruled that the Court cannot establish a right unless it is specifically mentioned in the Constitution.
E) Options B and D are true.
Q2) 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.
Q3) Explain what symbolic speech is and give examples of Supreme Court decisions on this type of speech.
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Page 6
Chapter 5: Civil Rights
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Q1) The American Indian population experienced a _________, largely due to
A) twentieth-century boom; a sudden decline in group poverty
B) twentieth-century boom; government programs designed to restore it to prominence
C) catastrophic collapse; diseases brought over from Europe
D) catastrophic collapse; war between the various Indian nations
E) None of the above.
Q2) Since 1999, the number of states allowing same-sex marriages has _________, through actions by _________.
A) increased; a combination of state and federal courts, state legislatures, and citizen votes
B) increased; state legislatures alone
C) increased; federal courts alone
D) decreased; a combination of state and federal courts
E) decreased; a combination of state legislatures and federal courts
Q3) Using the concepts of de jure and de facto discrimination, compare the experiences of two of the following racial minority groups: African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and American Indians.
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Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization
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Q1) Public opinion affects the political process
A) because it is a source of power for elected officials who take positions supported by the people.
B) despite the fact that most candidates dismiss public opinion as an effective means of identifying issues of concern.
C) because it allows the media to control the government.
D) because it is more important than elections in bringing about change in the government.
E) despite the fact that public opinion polls hardly ever reflect public opinion accurately.
Q2) Peer groups are most likely to influence political attitudes when
A) people are over the age of fifty.
B) it is not an election year.
C) people within peer groups do not have strong party identification.
D) they are actively involved in political activities.
E) their members are all of the same gender.
Q3) Describe the ways in which social media on the Internet can be employed by candidates and political groups.
Q4) Explore the means by which political socialization occurs in the United States.
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Page 8
Chapter 7: Interest Groups
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Q1) People who become members of interest groups for material incentives are joining A) for a sense of belonging to the group.
B) to improve their economic opportunities or gain economic benefits.
C) for ethical beliefs or ideological reasons.
D) to institute change for political, economic, or social impact on the whole society.
E) because they have been pressured to do so.
Q2) 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.
Q3) The primary distinction between an interest group and a political party is that only
A) interest groups seek to affect policy.
B) parties have unaffiliated supporters.
C) parties run candidates for office.
D) parties try to influence elections.
E) Both C and D.
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Chapter 8: Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) From the late 1960s onward, many southern Democrats in Congress
A) were conservatives who commonly voted with Republicans.
B) managed to keep the South balanced between liberal and conservative ideologies.
C) were replaced by Republicans as the retired.
D) led the modern period of progressivism.
E) Both A and C.
Q2) Which of the following is true about third parties?
A) The Green Party favors globalization.
B) The Libertarian Party favors governmental intervention into overseas conflicts.
C) The Progressive Party was an advocate of federal regulation to protect consumers.
D) The Socialist Party favors small business interests and is growing in size.
E) The Populist Party was initiated by businessman Ross Perot in an effort to combat federal budget deficits.
Q3) Explore the role played by third parties in the United States.
Q4) George Washington argued that parties were harmful to the United States. Assess his argument, taking a stance either with or against his point of view and providing evidence for your position.
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Chapter 9: Campaigns and Elections
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Q1) At the national convention
A) upon arrival most delegates are undecided as to whom they would like to see as the party's candidate.
B) the delegates from those states that had early primaries and caucuses are seated closest to the front of the convention center.
C) the presidential candidate is chosen by the party delegates.
D) elites within the political parties are entrusted with making the determination of an appropriate candidate based upon electability.
E) it usually take three ballots for the party to choose the presidential candidate.
Q2) Describe the evolution of campaign regulation in the United States. Include details about efforts by Congress to reform the ways in which campaigns are financed.
Q3) Almost all of the support for creating voter ID laws has come from
A) Republicans.
B) Democrats.
C) libertarians.
D) socialists.
E) None of the above.
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Chapter 10: The Media
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Q1) Becoming a critical news viewer requires that you
A) compare and contrast news from one source.
B) compare and contrast news from many different sources.
C) analyze the news from your ideological vantage point.
D) analyze the news for foreign influences.
E) compare and contrast the news only from American outlets.
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) Negative advertising can backfire because
A) it may boost the chances of a third candidate.
B) the public may think poorly of a candidate who engages in negative advertising.
C) the public do not pay attention to negative ads.
D) Both A and B.
E) None of the above.
Q4) Describe the steps you can take to become a critical news consumer.
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Chapter 11: The Congress
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Sample Questions
Q1) A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose is a
A) joint committee.
B) conference committee.
C) standing committee.
D) select committee.
E) rules committee.
Q2) The committee in the House that proposes time limitations on debate for bills is called the
A) Debate Committee.
B) Rules Committee.
C) House Ways and Means Committee.
D) Debate and Censure Committee.
E) Issues Committee.
Q3) Congressional caucuses are formed around
A) ideological points of view such as the Tea Party and the Progressive Caucus.
B) special agricultural interest such as potatoes and corn growers.
C) racial or ethnic interests.
D) Options A and B are true.
E) All of the above are true.
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Chapter 12: The President
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Q1) Detail the reasons and ways in which a vice president may assume the presidency, without actually winning election to that office.
Q2) As commander in chief, the president is
A) only a symbolic leader of the military.
B) the ultimate decision maker in military matters.
C) allowed to make military decisions, but only with the approval of the joint chiefs of staff.
D) not responsible for military decisions.
E) obligated to sit on the Board of Regents for the military, naval, and air force academies.
Q3) As chief executive, the president is constitutionally bound to
A) enforce laws, treaties, and court orders.
B) submit a balanced budget to Congress.
C) inform Congress prior to any military action.
D) oversee actions of state governments.
E) honor pronouncements of previous presidents.
Q4) Explain the concept of executive privilege and how it has been used by the presidents.
Q5) Analyze the president's functions as party chief and superpolitician.
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Chapter 13: The Bureaucracy
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Q1) 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.
Q2) The Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are all examples of
A) cabinet departments.
B) independent regulatory agencies.
C) government corporations
D) independent executive agencies.
E) corporations subject to regulation.
Q3) Describe the evolution of the civil service with particular emphasis on legislation that implemented reforms in government employment policies.
Q4) Describe the difference between Sunshine laws and Sunset provisions.
Q5) Describe the different models of bureaucracy.
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Chapter 14: The Courts
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Q1) The chief justice of the Supreme Court has all of the following powers/responsibilities <b>except</b>
A) chairing the Judicial Conference of the United States.
B) serving as the executive of the judiciary bureaucracy.
C) appointing the head of the Administrative Office of U.S. courts.
D) enforcing the Court's decisions through the Federal Judiciary Enforcement Bureau.
E) All of the above are true.
Q2) The number of cases that the Supreme Court reviews each term has A) increased dramatically since the early 1950s.
B) hovered around 150 cases since the mid-1980s.
C) remained constant since the Civil War.
D) dropped significantly since the 1980s.
E) increased 50 percent after George W. Bush became president.
Q3) Is it legitimate that the U.S. Supreme Court possesses the power of judicial review? Why, or why not?
Q4) Discuss the role of interest groups in the U.S. court system and describe how they can affect politics through the courts.
Q5) Explain how the U.S. Supreme Court decides cases and explains its decisions.
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Chapter 15: Domestic and Economic Policy
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Q1) In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that Arizona could not
A) make it a felony for illegal immigrants to work.
B) arrest people without warrants just because they might be deportable under federal law.
C) investigate the immigration status of people they stop for routine traffic violations.
D) Options A and B are true.
E) Options A, B, and C are true.
Q2) _____________ is an example of a progressive tax, while ____________ is an example of a regressive tax.
A) The Medicare tax; the state sales tax
B) The Social Security tax; the state sales tax
C) The state sales tax; the Social Security tax
D) The Federal income tax; the Medicare tax
E) None of the above.
Q3) Discuss the idea of energy independence and how or why the United States has moved in that direction in recent years.
Q4) Detail the efforts made during the Obama administration to address environmental problems and the controversy surrounding such efforts.
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Page 17
Chapter 16: Foreign Policy
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Q1) President Woodrow Wilson's proposal for _______________ was in line with _______________.
A) the League of Nations; moral idealism
B) the League of Nations; political realism
C) the NATO alliance; moral idealism
D) the NATO alliance; political realism
E) Both A and D.
Q2) Political realism is a philosophy that
A) sees nations as normally willing to cooperate and agree on moral standards for conduct.
B) mandates non-interference with the internal policies of sovereign nations.
C) supports steps to establish a single world government.
D) sees each nation as acting in its own interest regardless of moral considerations.
E) contends that spreading Christianity ought to be a major goal of U.S. foreign policy.
Q3) Describe the details of isolationist and internationalist foreign policies and argue which general policy is in the best interests of the United States today.
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