Civic Engagement and Democracy
Final Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Civic Engagement and Democracy explores the roles and responsibilities of individuals and groups in democratic societies, examining how participation, activism, and advocacy contribute to healthy political systems. The course covers the history and theories of democracy, the institutions that shape civic life, and the mechanisms through which citizens can engage in processes such as voting, community organizing, and policy development. Students analyze contemporary challenges to democratic participation, the impact of digital media, and the influence of social movements, ultimately developing a deeper understanding of how to promote inclusive, effective civic involvement at local, national, and global levels.
Recommended Textbook
Struggle for Democracy 11th Edition by Benjamin I. Page
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Democracy and American Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why do some political thinkers believe that democracy is superior to other forms of government?
A) because it encourages dreams that can never be achieved
B) because it is incapable of promoting progress on important decisions
C) because it protects human rights
D) because it is found only in the United States
E) because it subverts the views of the masses
Answer: C
Q2) What is the central idea of democracy?
A) Minorities have the full power of decision making over all matters that affect them.
B) Rule by the majority must prevail, even if majority tyranny is the result.
C) Ordinary people want to rule themselves and are capable of doing so.
D) Policy is determined by tyranny of the majority.
E) Majority rule violates minority rights.
Answer: C
Q3) The form of political decision making in which policies are decided on the basis of what a majority of the people want is known as __________.
Answer: majority rule
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Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Q1) Which of the following best explains why slavery was allowed when the Constitution was written?
A) Many feared that slavery would splinter the convention and doom the Union.
B) No slaves or free blacks were selected to serve as delegates to the convention.
C) The delegates did not believe people of African descent were their equals.
D) There was little public outcry at this time against the institution of slavery.
E) The wealthy elites at the convention could not see beyond their own self-interest.
Answer: A
Q2) Which of the following was the key inspiration for the American Revolution?
A) to get control of native inhabitants
B) to increase trade with Great Britain
C) to preserve an existing way of life
D) to promote expansion to the west
E) to protect fledgling state's rights
Answer: C
Q3) At least __________ states had to ratify the Constitution for it to become law.
Answer: nine
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4
Chapter 3: Federalism: States and Nation
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Q1) In a __________, the central government has all the power and can change its constituent units or tell them what to do.
A) confederation
B) polity
C) federal system
D) totalitarian
E) unitary system
Answer: E
Q2) Which of the following constitutional clauses was used by the Supreme Court to apply civil liberties as protection for citizens at the state level?
A) due process
B) commerce
C) full faith and credit
D) equal protection
E) privileges and immunities
Answer: A
Q3) The __________ Clause guarantees that the citizens of each state are afforded the same rights as citizens of other states.
Answer: Privileges and Immunities
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Page 5
Chapter 4: The Structural Foundations of American
Government and Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is sourcing?
A) government regulations relating to trade with Japan
B) reducing the fringe benefits offered to American workers
C) subcontracting jobs to foreign companies
D) subcontracting jobs to other American companies
E) using new technology to redesign a product
Q2) The __________ have poked fun at the United States, calling the intense competitiveness of Americans the Anglo-Saxon disease.
Q3) With the fall of the Soviet Union, and Soviet-style communism in Eastern Europe, the United States could lay claim to the title of the world's only __________.
Q4) The "Can You Get Ahead in America?" feature shows that in recent decades __________ about their economic prospects.
A) Millennials and seniors were most optimistic
B) Millennials and seniors were most pessimistic
C) no one became more optimistic
D) only 40- to 60-year-olds grew more pessimistic
E) only Millennials grew more optimistic
Q5) What are Americans' concerns about outsourcing? Are they justified?
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Q6) Can the United States still be considered the only superpower? Why or why not?
Chapter 5: Public Opinion
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Sample Questions
Q1) James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Walter Lippmann, and Sir Robert Peel were alike in this opinion. What was it?
A) They all expressed grave doubts about the wisdom of democracy.
B) They all expressed grave doubts about the wisdom of the public.
C) They all expressed grave doubts about the wisdom of democratically elected leaders.
D) They all expressed supreme confidence in the wisdom of the public.
E) They all expressed supreme confidence in the wisdom of democratically elected leaders.
Q2) The best evidence that those in power are responsive to the voice of the people is that what the people want and what government does are congruent.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Public opinion refers to certain core beliefs that most American share about the nature of human beings, society, and the political order.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What distinguishes economic conservatives from economic liberals?
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7
Chapter 6: The News Media
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Sample Questions
Q1) Examine how political newsmaking depends on where reporters are, what sources they talk to, and what sorts of video is available. Compare the roles of the limited geography of political news, dependence on official sources, and the relationship between visuals and newsworthiness in the kind of the news that the media present.
Q2) How must U.S. citizens get information and politics and policies?
A) conversations with co-workers
B) political party mailing lists
C) higher education initiatives
D) the different news media
E) from special interests
Q3) Three roles of the news media in a(n) __________ is to make clear what electoral choices the public has, what political parties stand for, and who the candidates are.
Q4) The Downing Street memo was considered highly newsworthy because it involved government corruption.
A)True
B)False
Q5) A substantial fraction of younger news consumers report that they rely on _________ for their news.
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Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Business Organizations
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Sample Questions
Q1) There is wide agreement that the number of interest groups in the United States has grown steadily since the late 1960s. Why is this so? Do you believe the number of interest groups will continue to grow over the next few decades? Why or why not?
Q2) Which of the following statements, if true, would undermine the idea of pluralism?
A) Members of Congress have become increasingly dependent on political action committee (PAC) contributions to fund their campaigns.
B) Political action committees (PACs) are not always successful in securing favorable government policies.
C) Membership in labor unions has decreased over the past several decades.
D) Individuals with shared grievances do not always come together to form interest groups.
E) The number of interest groups with lobbyists in Washington, D.C., has increased over the past several decades.
Q3) According to the idea of pluralism, what role do interest groups play in shaping government policy? Does pluralism assume that one set of interests dominates over others in this process?
Q4) Why is the outside strategy of "organizing the district" particularly effective?
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Chapter 8: Social Movements
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the "Using the Framework" feature, at the __________ stage an issue will become salient on partisan agendas.
Q2) Explain what the nonviolent civil rights movement was and give three reasons why it was ultimately successful.
Q3) The Great Depression ultimately led to the creation of new majorities, in the form of labor unions.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Explain how social movements affect democracy and explain how the women's movement and the civil rights movement have affected democracy.
Q5) Political leaders joined the civil rights movement because they hoped to maintain support in the international community in the U.S. struggle against the Soviet Union.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Economic shortcomings, such as rising deficits, as well as taxes and regulations, are examples of the __________ factor that gave rise to the Tea Party movement.
Q7) Define political efficacy and explain why it is important to social movements.
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Chapter 9: Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) A self-identified independent who voted for Barack Obama in the last two elections and who consistently votes for Democratic candidates in local and state elections can safely be described as a __________.
Q2) Which of the following would be most likely to tolerate a government shutdown to achieve their goals?
A) Tea Party Republicans
B) Democratic centrists
C) Republican social conservatives
D) Republican economic conservatives
E) Democratic liberals
Q3) Which of the following combine both social and economic dimensions and hold that the federal government should play a very small role in economic regulation and social justice?
A) moderates
B) independents
C) conservatives
D) leaners
E) liberals
Q4) Describe how the New Deal coalition realigned American politics.
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Chapter 10: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
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Sample Questions
Q1) The votes of minorities and the poor are three times more likely to __________.
A) be for a Republican candidate
B) be for a young person
C) not be counted
D) be for a wealthy candidate
E) be for a Green candidate
Q2) Each state could decide who was eligible to vote until the passage of which amendments?
A) Tenth and Twelfth
B) Eleventh and Thirteenth
C) Thirteenth and Fourteenth
D) Fourteenth and Fifteenth
E) Sixteenth and Nineteenth
Q3) Initiatives are measures placed on the ballot by __________.
Q4) The United States fills about 500,000 offices through elections.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Why is age an important predictor of whether someone will vote?
Q6) How did women get the right to vote? Why has voter turnout for women increased in the last few decades?
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Congress
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Framers made Congress a bicameral body because they were concerned that too strong a legislative branch would lead to tyranny.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The path by which a bill becomes a law faces so many obstacles that few bills survive; only about __________ percent of all bills that are introduced are enacted.
A) 6
B) 10
C) 12
D) 20
E) 30
Q3) Congressional whips serve what main function?
A) act as official spokespersons for their chambers
B) help the Speaker schedule proposed legislation for debate
C) meet with members of the executive cabinet
D) persuade party members to toe the party line
E) serve as personal assistants to the majority and minority leaders
Q4) __________ is the counterpart to the majority leader in the House opposition party.
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Chapter 12: The Presidency
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Sample Questions
Q1) What role does a president play when celebrating a national holiday?
A) chief of state/head of state
B) chief diplomat
C) chief legislator
D) chief of staff
E) chief executive
Q2) What best describes what the Framers had in mind when naming the president commander in chief?
A) The president should have the power to declare war.
B) The president should have the primary role in a defensive war.
C) The president should have the primary role in an offensive war.
D) Congress should have the primary role in a defensive war.
E) Congress should be the sole actor in the conduct of war.
Q3) Describe the concept of the unitary executive. Discuss whether or not this concept is practical.
Q4) The Intelligence Advisory Board provides information and assessments to the president's director of national intelligence and to the president directly.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 13: The Executive Branch
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Sample Questions
Q1) Discuss the evolution of the federal bureaucracy from the spoils system through the creation of the civil service system.
Q2) __________ refers to the authority of administrators in the federal bureaucracy to make choices concerning the best way to implement policies.
A) Adjudication
B) Discretion
C) Division of labor
D) Independence
E) Rule making
Q3) Political appointees in the federal bureaucracy __________.
A) may remain in office until a new party majority in Congress
B) may remain in office until a new president is elected
C) often remain in office despite political changes
D) serve fixed terms of office lasting two years
E) serve fixed terms of office lasting four years
Q4) What are the benefits and drawbacks of the rule-making requirements specified in the Administrative Procedure Act?
Q5) Under __________, jobs in the federal bureaucracy are awarded on the basis of skills and expertise.
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Chapter 14: The Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) A court that hears and weighs evidence in order to reach the first decision in a civil or criminal case is a court of __________ jurisdiction.
A) appellate
B) constitutional
C) trial
D) original
E) mandatory
Q2) To which of the following does Article III give the power to create inferior federal courts?
A) Congress
B) the president
C) the Supreme Court
D) the states
E) the people
Q3) Describe the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
Q4) Explain the "rule of four" and its relationship to review in the Supreme Court.
Q5) Describe the difference between original and appellate jurisdiction.
Q6) Explain the significance of Marbury v. Madison.
Q7) The circuit courts hear appeals from the __________ courts.
Q8) What do presidents look for in selecting a Supreme Court justice?
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Chapter 15: Civil Liberties: the Struggle for Freedom
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to Justice Blackmun, a woman had which type of right to an abortion in her first trimester?
A) an absolute right
B) no right
C) a qualified right
D) a partial right
E) an arguable right
Q2) Writs of habeas corpus are laws declaring an act illegal without a judicial trial.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Miranda rights include the right to which of the following?
A) a phone call
B) due process
C) a jury trial
D) be free from search and seizure
E) counsel
Q4) The USA Patriot Act provides the government with methods for circumventing restrictions on __________.
Q5) __________ include profanity, obscenity, and threats.
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Chapter 16: Civil Rights: the Struggle for Political Equality
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has ruled that it is contrary to law to create a work environment that is __________, and the courts have used this standard in deciding sexual harassment cases.
Q2) Experiences of racial profiling by the police have been reported by a fairly large percentage of African American men, but very rarely by Latino or Asian men.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Describe the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Why were they necessary, given that the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were enacted decades beforehand?
Q4) The Supreme Court has prohibited school districts from using race when determining which students will attend which schools.
A)True
B)False
Q5) How did the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in 1993 come about? What is the current status of the policy? What was the point of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) passed by Congress in 1996? What is the current status of that act?
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Chapter 17: Domestic Policies
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is necessary information to determine eligibility for a means-tested program?
A) the number of years a person has worked before retirement
B) the number of years a person has been on Social Security
C) the number of years a person has been in the military
D) the income level of the person in question
E) the retirement age of the person in question
Q2) Federal taxes, such as Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, and excise taxes on alcohol and cigarettes, are __________.
Q3) Because of the Great Recession, Congress is more likely to deregulate commercial and investment banks.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Social Security is a/an __________ program because it provides benefits to all qualifying individuals.
Q5) Discuss the differences in philosophy, key actors, and tools of fiscal and monetary policy. Should the federal government give preference to one to the other? Why or why not?
Q6) A ___________ program distributes benefits on the basis of demonstrated need. To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 19
Chapter 18: Foreign Policy and National Defense
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Sample Questions
Q1) The use of tactics and weapons such as roadside bombs, rocket-propelled grenades, sniper rifles, and AK-47 assault rifles in Iraq and Afghanistan is an example of __________ warfare.
A) conventional
B) symmetrical
C) lopsided
D) modern
E) asymmetric
Q2) How is terrorism different from traditional military force?
A) Terrorism usually involves military targets.
B) Terrorism is typically designed to instill fear in the general public.
C) Terrorism is typically better financed.
D) Only governments engage in terrorism.
E) Only nongovernmental political actors engage in terrorism.
Q3) What is the primary responsibility of the secretary of defense?
A) foreign policy
B) intelligence
C) diplomacy
D) homeland security
E) military policy
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