Civics
Pre-Test Questions
Course Introduction
Civics is the study of the rights and responsibilities of citizens within a society, focusing on the structure, functions, and processes of governments at the local, national, and global levels. This course explores the principles of democracy, the rule of law, and the role of civic participation in shaping public policy and maintaining social order. Students will engage with topics such as the Constitution, government institutions, political systems, citizenship, and current events, while developing critical thinking and active citizenship skills essential for informed participation in civic life.
Recommended Textbook
We the People 11th Essentials Edition by Benjamin Ginsberg
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
14 Chapters
1101 Verified Questions
1101 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/1008 Page 2
Chapter 1: Introduction: the Citizen and Government
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
73 Verified Questions
73 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19986
Sample Questions
Q1) The goal of politics is to
A) get as much power as possible in order to serve one's own interests.
B) construct a perfect constitutional order.
C) construct a political system that is conducive to economic growth.
D) have a say in a government's leadership, organization, and policies.
Answer: D
Q2) Citizenship refers to
A) the process of providing passive consent for government's activities.
B) the act of paying taxes to the government.
C) informed and active membership in a political community.
D) receiving benefits from government programs.
Answer: C
Q3) Individual political rights are a protection against A) pluralism.
B) the tyranny of the majority.
C) the tyranny of the minority.
D) socialism.
Answer: B
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 3
Chapter 2: The Founding and the Constitution
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
102 Verified Questions
102 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19987
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following was a ramification of the Three-Fifths Compromise?
A) It allowed for a political agreement between the North and the South.
B) It allowed for a political agreement between large states and small states.
C) It permanently outlawed the slave trade.
D) It temporarily outlawed slavery.
Answer: A
Q2) Why did the delegates at the Philadelphia Convention turn down the idea of including a list of citizens' rights in the Constitution?
A) They believed that such a list would limit economic development.
B) They believed that since the federal government was already limited to its expressed powers, further protection of citizens was not needed.
C) They believed that citizens should vote directly on which rights should be protected.
D) They believed that such a list would make government too weak to protect national security.
Answer: B
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
4
Chapter 3: Federalism
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
94 Verified Questions
94 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19988
Sample Questions
Q1) During the era of dual federalism, what was the primary goal of the federal government's domestic policies?
A) to promote competition between the states
B) to promote the development of commercial activity between and among the states
C) to protect citizens from the abuses of state governments
D) to keep the states from going to war with each other
Answer: B
Q2) "Marble cake federalism" is associated with the
A) increasing political power of local governments over the last two decades.
B) pattern of intergovernmental cooperation that has blurred the lines between the states and the national governments.
C) practice of federal officials bribing their state counterparts with various gifts in order to convince them to follow national standards.
D) confusion that emerged during the 1960s about which layer of government is actually responsible for regulating the national economy.
Answer: B
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 4: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
131 Verified Questions
131 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19989
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following forms of speech receives the greatest level of First Amendment protection?
A) slander
B) obscenity
C) libel
D) political speech that stops short of inciting violence
Q2) A woman's constitutional right to privacy was established in
A) Mapp v. Ohio (1961).
B) Gideon v. Wainwright (1963).
C) Griswold v. Connecticut (1965).
D) Roe v. Wade (1973).
Q3) What did the Supreme Court rule in Bowers v. Hardwick (1986)?
A) There is a constitutional right to privacy for consensual homosexual activity.
B) There is no constitutional right to privacy for consensual homosexual activity.
C) The Court extended civil rights protection to gays and lesbians as a class.
D) The Court legalized same-sex marriage.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 6
Chapter 5: Public Opinion
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
59 Verified Questions
59 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19990
Sample Questions
Q1) ________ is the most important core value of liberalism.
A) Liberty
B) Democracy
C) Equality
D) Justice
Q2) Which of the following statements about agencies of socialization is correct?
A) Family, membership in social groups, and education are not significant agents of socialization.
B) An individual's religion has a significant effect on his or her political views.
C) Attending college makes people less likely to participate in politics.
D) Voluntary social groups have an effect on their members' political views, while involuntary social groups have no effect.
Q3) Liberalism and conservatism are examples of
A) public opinions.
B) political attitudes.
C) political ideologies.
D) political preferences.
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
51 Verified Questions
51 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19991
Sample Questions
Q1) The BBC in Britain is owned by
A) the government but allowed to report whatever it wants.
B) a private corporation but not allowed to report anything without first receiving government approval.
C) the government and not allowed to report anything without first receiving government approval.
D) a private corporation and allowed to report whatever it wants.
Q2) Facebook has over ________ users worldwide.
A) 100 million
B) 500 million
C) 1 billion
D) 3 billion
Q3) The "metered model" used by many newspaper websites
A) allows access only to users who have yearly subscriptions.
B) requires that users click on at least one advertisement for each article they read.
C) allows a certain number of free visits before requiring users to pay.
D) charges users to pay for each and every article they read.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 8
Chapter 7: Political Parties, Participation, and Elections
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
101 Verified Questions
101 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19992
Sample Questions
Q1) The Populist Party appealed to which of the following groups?
A) western mining interests, small farmers, and urban workers
B) eastern bankers, southern planters, and wealthy merchants
C) northern bankers, landowners, and factory workers
D) eastern mining interests, southern merchants, and small farmers
Q2) Internal mobilization occurs when
A) conflicts within the government create divided factions that try to mobilize popular support.
B) party leaders try to rally support for their platforms once they are in the government.
C) citizens deemed to be undesirable outsiders are excluded from the party.
D) a group of politicians outside government organizes popular support to win governmental power.
Q3) What is the ultimate goal of a political party?
A) raising the most money
B) creating the party platform
C) winning elections
D) nominating candidates
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 9
Chapter 8: Interest Groups
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19993
Sample Questions
Q1) If a person enjoys the benefits of a group's collective efforts but does not contribute to those efforts, he or she is called a
A) citizen.
B) subject.
C) free rider.
D) lobbyist.
Q2) ________ occurs when interest groups take out advertisements and hold marches.
A) Mobilizing public opinion
B) Partisan politics
C) Lobbying
D) Litigating
Q3) ________ led the drive to kill the 2007 immigration reform bill supported by President Bush and a number of congressional Democrats.
A) Anonymous
B) Grassfire.org
C) MoveOn.org
D) EMILY'S List
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 10
Chapter 9: Congress
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19994
Sample Questions
Q1) The process of allocating congressional seats among the 50 states is called
A) redistricting.
B) gerrymandering.
C) redlining.
D) apportionment.
Q2) What is the organizational structure of Congress? What are some of the leadership positions in both houses, and what are their functions? What are some of the types of committees? Are there any important differences between the organizational structures of the House and Senate? If so, discuss them.
Q3) One reason some people support the establishment of term limits in the House and Senate is that it will
A) decrease the power and influence of interest groups.
B) decrease turnover in Congress and lead to more experienced legislators.
C) increase turnover and get new faces into Congress.
D) limit the power and influence of the judiciary.
Q4) Describe how Congress exercises its checks and balances over the executive branch. Which chamber of Congress has more authority over the executive branch? Provide examples. How might partisanship help to diminish the exercise of congressional power over the presidency? Explain.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 11
Chapter 10: The Presidency
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
62 Verified Questions
62 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19995
Sample Questions
Q1) If a state government makes a formal request that the president deploy federal troops, the president
A) is constitutionally required to send exactly as many federal troops as the state government has requested.
B) is constitutionally required to send some federal troops but can choose exactly how many will be sent.
C) can only refuse to send federal troops if a majority of Congress votes to reject the state government's request.
D) is not constitutionally obligated to deploy national troops.
Q2) Describe and discuss the different powers of the president. Specifically, define the differences between the president's expressed, implied, delegated, and inherent powers and provide an example of each. What are some of the checks placed upon these powers by the other branches of government?
Q3) The president's group of advisers and analysts is collectively called the A) Cabinet.
B) White House staff.
C) Executive Council of Advisers.
D) Department of State.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 11: Bureaucracy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
62 Verified Questions
62 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19996
Sample Questions
Q1) The different agencies of the executive branch can be grouped according to the different kinds of services they provide. Describe the three main categories of agencies. What kinds of services do they provide? Provide some examples of each.
Q2) The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 was significant because it
A) ended the "spoils system."
B) was the first major revamping of the federal civil service since its creation in 1883.
C) reinstated the "spoils system."
D) cut the federal workforce by 20 percent.
Q3) Before the Civil Service Act of 1883, how were government appointments handled?
A) Appointments were made on the basis of merit.
B) Appointments were made on the basis of seniority.
C) Appointments were made to political supporters as part of a spoils system.
D) Appointments were made by leaders of Congress.
Q4) Which of the following is an independent agency?
A) the U.S. Postal Service
B) the Department of Agriculture
C) the Environmental Protection Agency
D) the Forest Service
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 13
Chapter 12: The Federal Courts
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
64 Verified Questions
64 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19997
Sample Questions
Q1) Trial courts in the federal judicial system are called
A) grand juries.
B) district courts.
C) appellate courts.
D) civil courts.
Q2) The doctrine of ________ requires courts to follow authoritative prior decisions when ruling on a case.
A) stare decisis
B) habeas corpus
C) ex post facto
D) a priori
Q3) Which of the following best describes the role of the solicitor general?
A) The solicitor general is the chief legal counsel for the White House.
B) The solicitor general is the lawyer who represents the United States before the Supreme Court in cases where the federal government is a party.
C) The solicitor general is the chief lawyer for Congress who makes advisory opinions on the constitutionality of legislative proposals.
D) The solicitor general is the head of the Department of Justice.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 14
Chapter 13: Domestic Policy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
84 Verified Questions
84 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19998
Sample Questions
Q1) Monthly Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits
A) exceed the amount of the federal poverty line in every state.
B) exceed the amount of the federal poverty line in all but 10 states.
C) exceed the amount of the federal poverty line in only 20 states.
D) do not exceed the amount of the federal poverty line in any state.
Q2) In 2007 and 2008, the government faced a housing crisis caused by A) sharp rises in house prices.
B) foreclosures.
C) a scarcity of affordable housing.
D) shortages in the timber industry.
Q3) Part of the reason welfare programs became so unpopular was that A) many Americans came to believe that welfare recipients did not want to work.
B) the programs were completely taken over by the federal government rather than having input from state and local governments.
C) the programs were completely taken over by state and local governments rather than having input from the federal government.
D) federal judges frequently ruled them to be unconstitutional.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 15
Chapter 14: Foreign Policy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
68 Verified Questions
68 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/19999
Sample Questions
Q1) In the sphere of foreign policy, which of the following is a constitutional power possessed by Congress?
A) declaring war
B) regulating commerce with foreign nations
C) confirming foreign ambassadors
D) All of these are correct.
Q2) What is the chief task of the National Security Council?
A) to monitor foreign intelligence
B) to formulate and recommend military and diplomatic policy proposals to the United Nations
C) to coordinate the differences among the executive's key foreign policy makers
D) to protect the borders of the United States
Q3) Which of the following is an accurate description of the United Nations?
A) It is a very small and unwieldy institution.
B) Its armed forces are large and powerful.
C) It lacks enforcement power to implement its rules and resolutions.
D) The United States never contributes to the United Nations' peacekeeping efforts.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 16