Contemporary American Politics
Chapter Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Contemporary American Politics explores the major issues, institutions, and actors shaping the U.S. political landscape today. The course examines the dynamics of political parties, elections, media influence, policymaking, and activism, while considering the impact of polarization, social movements, and demographic shifts on governance and public opinion. Students will analyze key debates and case studies from recent years, gaining an informed perspective on challenges such as voting rights, campaign finance, the role of the judiciary, and the ever-evolving relationship between the federal government and the states.
Recommended Textbook
American Government Stories of a Nation 1st Edition Scott F. Abernathy
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Page 2
Chapter 1: American Political Stories
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Q1) In the Declaration of Independence, those rights that are described as "self-evident" are also referred to as
A)inalienable rights.
B)privileges of opportunity.
C)equality of opportunity.
D)the Bill of Rights.
Answer: D
Q2) Thomas Paine was the founder of the Sons of Liberty.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Which form of government admits no limitations on its power and allows no competing centers of political power?
A)authoritarian
B)totalitarian
C)democratic
D)republican
Answer: B
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Chapter 2: The Constitution of the United States
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Q1) The suppression of the rights of a people by those holding power is called ______.
Answer: Tyranny
Q2) Amending the Constitution is a ______-stage process.
A)one
B)two
C)three
D)four
Answer: B
Q3) The term "federalist" was chosen by Constitutional supporters because it generally meant more of a balance between the power of states and the national government.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) Whose research and studies into the death of republics was instrumental in the drafting of the United States Constitution?
Answer: James Madison
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Chapter 3: Federalism
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Q1) By encouraging states to carry out national policy objectives, categorical grants act as a ______, and by threatening states with the withholding of funds if they fail to carry out government policy, categorical grants act as a ______
A)carrot | stick
B)motivator | reinforcer
C)punishment | reward
D)disincentive | incentive
Answer: A
Q2) Dual federalism
A)evenly divided the people's sovereignty between the nation and the states
B)focused the people's sovereignty entirely on the states
C)placed the sovereignty of the people primarily on the national government
D)was designed to placate the demands of the federalists and antifederalists alike
Answer: A
Q3) The Necessary and Proper Clause of the Constitution is often referred to as the ______ Clause.
Answer: Elastic
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Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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Q1) Which of the following is a document that allows the punishment of an individual, including the death sentence, without a trial?
A)writ of habeas corpus
B)ex post facto law
C)petition of certiorari
D)bill of attainder
Q2) Discuss the issues and controversies which arose from the Eric Snowden case and discuss its implications on both civil liberties and national security.
Q3) The foundation for extending protections in the Bill of Rights to state laws and actions are found in
A)the First Amendment's Free Exercise Clause.
B)Article IV of the Constitution's Full Faith and Credit Clause.
C)the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause.
D)Article VI of the Constitution's Supremacy Clause.
Q4) Students in public schools enjoy a less robust interpretation of personal security because of the desire to ensure a safe and secure place of learning.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 5: Securing Civil Rights
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Q1) In the 1950s, Judith Heumann was refused attendance at her local elementary school for
A)protesting for civil rights.
B)exercising her civil liberties.
C)causing a potential fire hazard.
D)causing a disruption to the school.
Q2) For the first 10 years following the Brown v.Board decision, which branch of government had the greatest role in the fight for desegregation?
A)the legislative branch
B)the executive branch
C)the judicial branch
D)Congress
Q3) According to data presented in the textbook, more than 50% of public schools in the South were desegregated within a year of the Brown v.Board decision.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe and analyze the problem of "intersectionality" with regard to the rise of multiracial identification in recent census surveys.
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Chapter 6: Political Participation
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Q1) Which of the following ethnic groups is least likely to vote?
A)Anglo Americans
B)African Americans
C)mixed-race Americans
D)Latina and Latino Americans
Q2) Around what percentage of states require a photo identification in order to vote?
A)5
B)10
C)15
D)20
Q3) Landen Gambill circulated a petition to multiple state legislatures arguing against allowing campus carry policies.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe the key strategies and methods used by Amanda Collins, Landen Gambill, and Emma Sulkowicz in order to get their political agendas recognized and converted into law or policy and analyze the effectiveness of their political actions.
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Chapter 7: Public Opinion
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Q1) Random-digit dialing carries which of the following possible errors?
A)sampling error
B)interviewer error
C)wording error
D)tabulation error
Q2) The effects of national events and crises on opinions and attitudes work on a highly individual level.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following is considered a negative campaign tactic rather than a truly reflective poll?
A)straw poll
B)random digit dialing
C)self-selected listener opinion poll
D)push poll
Q4) In November 2014, a grand jury announced Officer Wilson would ______.
A)face disciplinary charges
B)be indicted for aggravated murder
C)not be indicted for the shooting
D)resign his position as a police officer
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Chapter 8: The Media
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Q1) Early newspapers were nicknamed the
A)partisan press.
B)yellow press.
C)penny press.
D)people's press.
Q2) Through its ability to select which stories are covered, the media may exert an ______ role by highlighting which issues are worthy of coverage and, as a consequence, worthy of the public's attention.
Q3) What effect did deregulation have on the diversity of the nation's major news outlets?
A)expansion of news outlets
B)expansion of broadcast stations
C)increasing consolidation
D)increasing diversity
Q4) By covering a candidate or issue in such a way as to shape individuals' interpretations of news or events by highlighting certain details or contexts, the media serves to ______ the public.
Q5) Explain and analyze the phenomenon of the "digital divide" as discussed in your textbook.
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Chapter 9: Political Parties
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Q1) To be fair, parties try to encourage prospective candidates within their own ranks who aren't seen as having a good chance of winning.
A)True
B)False
Q2) From an organizational perspective, parties tend to be
A)centralized.
B)decentralized.
C)democratized.
D)radicalized.
Q3) Donald Trump made frequent use of what social media application while campaigning?
A)Facebook
B)Twitter
C)Instagram
D)Tumblr
Q4) The first party system was between the ______ and the ______.
A)Federalist Party / Democratic Republicans
B)Whigs / Tories
C)Republican Party / Democratic Party
D)Depression-Era Democrats / Business-Oriented Republicans
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Chapter 10: Campaigns and Elections Multiple Choice
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Q1) The bureaucratic entity that is charged with overseeing and implementing national campaign finance laws is the
A)Federal Election Commission.
B)Presidential Election Committee.
C)United States Election Congress.
D)National Voting Regulatory Agency.
Q2) Reflecting on an incumbent's past performance in an election is called ______ voting.
A)retrospective
B)prospective
C)inclusive
D)representative
Q3) In the 1976 case of Buckley v.Valeo, the United States Supreme Court
A)prohibited outside political contributions to national political campaigns.
B)upheld self-funded campaigning for presidential and congressional elections.
C)maintained the constitutionality of restrictions on individual campaign contributions.
D)declared political action committee contributions as unconstitutional.
Q4) A form of voting that reflects on an incumbent's past performance in an election is called ______.
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Chapter 11: Interest Groups and Social Movements
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Q1) The intentional breaking of a law for the purpose of calling attention to an injustice is best described as
A)civil disobedience.
B)social injustice.
C)protest.
D)direct lobbying.
Q2) Occupy Wall Street would be a good example of an astroturf lobbying effort.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Interest groups vary on the basis of their ______.
A)name recognition, intensity of their base, and desire to achieve
B)membership, collective goals, and desire to achieve them
C)wealth, political clout, and access to governmental officials
D)size, political influence, and ability to persuade members of Congress
Q4) Advocates for American financial firms and members of Occupy Wall Street both had to contend with the challenge of collective action.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 12: Congress
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Q1) A written law established by a legislative body is defined as a ______.
Q2) A traditional norm in which presidents consult with senators from the states when considering potential nominees to the lower levels of the federal judiciary is defined as ______.
Q3) In 2010, the reconciliation process was used to assist in the passage of which of the following important laws?
A)the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
B)the Children's Health Act
C)the African Growth and Opportunity Act
D)the Anti-Terrorism Act
Q4) Political scientists, congressional observers, and some members of Congress have become increasingly concerned about trends in ______.
A)constituent backlash
B)partisan polarization
C)representative demographics
D)legislative gridlock
Q5) Only a vote of 3/5 of senators, called cloture, can end a filibuster.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 13: The American Presidency
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Q1) When a president and another nation enter into an agreement without the same durability as a treaty but requiring no approval from the Senate, the document is described as an executive ______.
A)confidentiality
B)agreement
C)privilege
D)order
Q2) In his written statement before a federal courtroom in Baltimore, Maryland, Roger Taney demanded the body, alive and in person, of
A)John Wilkes Booth.
B)John Merryman.
C)John Brown.
D)John Jay.
Q3) Do the actions and contributions of individual presidents matter? What are the constraints on a president's ability to reshape or change the office they hold?
Q4) How does a president use advisors and bureaucratic offices to assist him/her in the performance of his/her duties? What would the president's job be like without such assistance?
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Chapter 14: The Federal Bureaucracy
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Questions
Q1) In his inaugural address in 1829, President Jackson railed against
A)a highly unqualified bureaucratic system.
B)the exertion of bureaucratic power over the people.
C)an inability to exercise external control over the bureaucracy.
D)"ownership" of important administrative positions.
Q2) As a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, one area of the federal bureaucracy that continued to grow was defense.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The Weberian bureaucracy is characterized by which of the following organizational traits?
A)clear division of labor
B)hierarchal organization
C)impersonal relationships
D)all of these
Q4) Following the election of Ronald Reagan, the federal bureaucracy began to A)expand in size.
B)maintain its 1980s levels.
C)decline (retrench)in size and scope.
D)become independent of public services.
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Chapter 15: The Federal Judiciary
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Q1) Many antifederalists feared
A)a system whereby elites would be exempt from justice and the poor would be unfairly punished.
B)a weak judiciary would be unable to defend the rights of the common citizen and the states.
C)the lack of specificity in Article III of the Constitution might lead to an all-powerful court system.
D)the subjugation of individual and states' rights by an increasingly powerful judiciary.
Q2) Actions determined to harm the community itself, such as committing an act of violence against another person, are considered the jurisdiction of A)civil law.
B)Constitutional law.
C)criminal law.
D)appellate law.
Q3) Explain the impact and influence of the Marbury v.Madison case as it relates to the modern judiciary.
Q4) When a justice follows precedent, he or she is said to be employing the doctrine of ______.
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Chapter 16: The Politics of Promoting the General Welfare
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Q1) The Supreme Court has upheld the use of publicly funded voucher programs in religious-affiliated schools.
A)True
B)False
Q2) One important aspect that differentiated Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama's plans for health-care reform was the
A)requirement to obtain coverage.
B)prospective cost of coverage.
C)amount of federal contribution toward coverage.
D)qualifications for coverage eligibility.
Q3) Policies promoting school choice reforms are aimed at bringing competitive marketplace pressures to bear on public schools.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Social Security is an example of a
A)federal grant in aid.
B)social insurance program.
C)social welfare program.
D)means-based program.
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Chapter 17: Economic Policy
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Q1) In May 2010, President Obama signed a new plan into law that would
A)provide direct loans to college students.
B)increase federal subsidies to private student loans.
C)make private student loans illegal.
D)replace student loans with expanded grant programs.
Q2) The spokespeople for Occupy Wall Street stated that higher education was a
A)federal imperative.
B)state responsibility.
C)governmental duty.
D)human right.
Q3) Economic tools that are designed to regulate the amount of money in the economy (in circulation and in deposits)are collectively known as ______.
Q4) Which of the following issues does the American electorate pay closest attention to?
A)American foreign policy decisions
B)American fiscal policy decisions
C)domestic policy choices and decisions
D)individual economic circumstances
Q5) By the end of 2015, the ______ continued to grow to nearly $19 trillion.
Q6) If the federal government takes in more money than it spends, it runs a ______.
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Chapter 18: Foreign Policy
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Q1) A criticism of NAFTA has been its impact on
A)American jobs.
B)immigration patterns.
C)open borders.
D)economic policy.
Q2) The Berlin Wall had stood in some form since the end of World War II in the late 1940s.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The first Secretary of State was
A)Benjamin Franklin.
B)Alexander Hamilton.
C)Thomas Jefferson.
D)John Adams.
Q4) The advancement of a nation's interests by exporting its values and culture abroad is known as
A)absolute power.
B)economic power.
C)soft power.
D)hard power.
Page 20
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