Democracy in America
Final Test Solutions
Course Introduction
This course explores the development, principles, and challenges of democracy in the United States from the nation's founding to the present day. Through a critical examination of key texts, historical moments, institutions, and social movements, students will analyze how democratic ideals have evolved and been contested over time. Topics include the framing of the Constitution, expansion of suffrage, civil rights movements, the role of political parties, media influence, contemporary debates about representation, and the health of American democracy in the modern era. The course encourages students to think critically about the successes and shortcomings of democracy in America and to consider its future prospects.
Recommended Textbook Struggle for Democracy 2012 Election Edition 11th Edition by Edward S. Greenberg
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Chapter 1: Democracy and American Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Essential political liberties including the freedoms of speech, of conscience and religion, of the press, and of assembly and association are embodied in the __________ Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Answer: First
Q2) Most people around the world prefer to be governed by benevolent military regimes.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) How does majority tyranny threaten political liberty? What is a recent example?
Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Discuss how the majority has the potential to tyrannize the rights of the minority. This was a concern of James Madison and other Founders.
2. Provide a recent example, such as Americans being hostile towards Muslims after 9/11or the disapproval of immigrants by Americans who believe these individuals are taking away jobs.
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Sample Questions
Q1) The U.S. Constitution was adopted in response to the weaknesses of the Articles of
A) America
B) Confederation
C) Democracy
D) Revolution
E) Unity
Answer: B
Q2) Describe Article III of the Constitution.
Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Identify Article III as the part of the Constitution that describes the powers of the judicial branch.
2. Explain that Article III establishes a Supreme Court and defines the jurisdiction of that court.
3. Explain that Article III permits, but does not require, Congress to create additional lower federal courts and proscribe their jurisdiction.
Q3) Congress passed the __________ in 1777.
Answer: Articles of Confederation
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Chapter 3: Federalism: States and Nation
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Sample Questions
Q1) On which of the following clauses did President Obama and Democratic leaders base the Affordable Care Act?
A) commerce
B) due process
C) equal protection
D) full faith and credit
E) privileges and immunities
Answer: A
Q2) The Constitution gives states the power to issue state coinage in addition to the coinage issued by the federal government.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Describe the primary strengths of a federal system.
Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Explain that a federal system controls tyranny by decentralizing power.
2. Explain that a federal system allows for local solutions to national problems.
Q4) __________ gives Congress the authority to exercise its enumerated powers.
Answer: Article I, Section 8
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Chapter 4: The Structural Foundations of American
Government and Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why did Boeing use a different model for designing and manufacturing the 787 Dreamliner than it used for the 747?
A) because lawmakers in Washington, D.C., urged Boeing to provide a firm economic foundation for American workers in Washington state
B) because NAFTA regulations prevented using the same model for the 787 that was used for the 747
C) because the 787 Dreamliner would be made entirely of aluminum, necessitating an entirely new fabrication procedure
D) because the 747 was the worst commercial aviation failure since the Spruce Goose and Boeing had to try something different in order to be profitable
E) because the structural foundations of American society had become much more global since the 747 was built
Q2) In terms of future economic success, it is much better to be a software engineer than a bricklayer.
A)True
B)False
Q3) What are Americans' concerns about outsourcing? Are they justified?
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Page 6
Chapter 5: Public Opinion
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Sample Questions
Q1) Of the following, which is something about which people are likely to hold and express political attitudes?
A) property
B) newspaper print runs
C) political parties
D) expensive gifts
E) correspondence
Q2) When conducting surveys, why is the wording of questions a concern?
A) How a question is worded can unintentionally, but not intentionally, skew results.
B) How a question is worded can intentionally, but not unintentionally, skew results.
C) How a question is worded can affect how it is answered.
D) How a question is worded can generate a low degree of consensus.
E) How a question is worded can increase participation rates.
Q3) Why is it problematic to use the Internet to conduct public opinion polls?
Q4) Many schools hold mock elections in an attempt to socialize schoolchildren to value
Q5) How is public opinion in the South different from public opinion in the rest of the country?
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Chapter 6: The News Media
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is evidence of modern conservative bias in the media?
A) The media tends to be the most critical of liberal presidents and policies.
B) Most media outlets are owned by large, pro-establishment corporations.
C) Journalists' personal views and voting preferences are largely conservative.
D) The majority of network media pundits express conservative values.
E) Commercial slots tend to express economically conservative messages.
Q2) The mainstream media has a tendency toward nationalism, approval of the American economic system, negativity and scandal, and infotainment. Analyze and explain one of these themes. How do they affect the news? Be sure to give examples.
Q3) What is one impact of the tendency to give foreign events episodic coverage by the media?
A) Genocides and other atrocities are discovered earlier and covered extensively.
B) It helps members of Congress gain foreign policy consent by the public.
C) The public as a whole has grown more isolationist regarding foreign policy.
D) The public finds it difficult to form opinions about U.S. foreign policy.
E) The public has developed an insatiable appetite for foreign policy news.
Q4) Despite the dramatic growth of __________, research suggests that __________ remain(s) at the center of American news operations.
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Page 8
Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Business Organizations
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is an assumption of pluralism?
A) Only wealthy interests have influence over government decisions.
B) Government decisions reflect the preferences of elites.
C) Interest groups are integral to government decisions.
D) Policy makers care more about public opinion than interest groups' preferences.
E) Political parties matter more than interest groups in shaping government policies.
Q2) 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?
Q3) The idea of pluralism assumes that government policy reflects the balance of competing interest groups. What are the strengths and weaknesses of pluralism?
Q4) One way that interest groups can influence court cases they are interested in is by filing a(n) __________.
Q5) An interest group seeking to influence the rule-making process would most likely lobby the __________ branch of the federal government.
Q6) Discuss the role of interest groups in elections.
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Social Movements
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Sample Questions
Q1) In which area has the Supreme Court been the most active in expanding civil rights for blacks?
A) voting
B) housing
C) employment
D) education
E) slavery
Q2) The Dred Scott v. Sandford decision held that blacks were not citizens and had no constitutional protections, but was later overturned by which constitutional amendment?
A) Fourth
B) Thirteenth
C) Fourteenth
D) Fifteenth
E) Twelfth
Q3) 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.
Q4) Brown v. Board of Education (1954) is a specific example of a decision aimed toward the __________ of public transportation.
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Chapter 9: Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) When political parties mobilize voters, bring issues to the public attention, educate the public on issues of interest to the party, and compete with each other by expanding the scope of conflict, what else do they accomplish?
A) They stimulate political interest among citizens, and thus contribute to democracy by increasing democratic participation by the American public.
B) They demonstrate that politicians will say and do anything to get elected and that campaign promises do not indicate what they will do once elected.
C) They show the American public what true patriotism is through their candidates' willingness to do what they believe is in the best interests of the entire nation.
D) They gain political power under the guise of educating Americans on public policy issues, thus contributing to the appearance of democratic governance.
E) They carry out constitutional directives about the way the leaders of the country should behave and what they should accomplish.
Q2) Define political realignment and describe it using one particular period to illustrate your response.
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Chapter 10: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following accurately describes 501 and 527 groups?
A) They are types of hard money expenditures.
B) They were prohibited by the McCain-Feingold Act.
C) They are ways for groups to influence elections without being subject to contribution limits.
D) They are only found in caucus states.
E) They were prohibited by the Supreme Court in Citizens United v. Federal Communications Commission.
Q2) In 2010, the gap between the number of black and white voters was __________ compared with other presidential election cycles.
Q3) Voter __________ is measured by the number of people who vote in an election, divided by the number of people who were eligible to vote.
A) enthusiasm
B) malaise
C) turnout
D) access
E) registration
Q4) Referenda are measures placed on ballots by __________.
Q5) How has women and minority suffrage evolved over time?
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Chapter 11: Congress
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the House of Representatives, a bill travels which of the following paths?
A) bill is introduced; referred for floor action; referred to committee; referred to subcommittee for markup; referred for committee action; sent to the Rules Committee; debated on the floor
B) bill is introduced; referred to committee; referred to subcommittee for markup; referred for committee action; sent to the Rules Committee; referred for floor action
C) bill is introduced; referred to committee; referred to subcommittee for markup; referred for committee action; referred for floor action
D) bill is introduced; referred to committee; referred to subcommittee for markup; referred for committee action; sent to the Rules Committee; referred for floor action; sent to the President
E) bill is introduced; referred to the Rules Committee; referred to subcommittee for markup; referred for committee action; sent to the Rules Committee; referred for floor action
Q2) Explain the role of the Speaker of the House. List the responsibilities the position includes, and discuss the kinds of power or influence these responsibilities grant the Speaker.
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Page 13
Chapter 12: The Presidency
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Q1) A __________ is a formal international agreement between two or more countries; in the United States, requires the "advice and consent" of the Senate.
Q2) Which of the following leadership abilities is critical to presidential success?
A) the ability to enter into executive agreements
B) the ability to write legislation
C) the ability to persuade members of Congress and the American public
D) the ability to negotiate treaties
E) the ability to declare war
Q3) 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
Q4) The ability to persuade has always been central to a successful president.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What factors contribute to president's public approval? Historically, what is the trend? What can impact approval ratings?
Q6) Compare the White House staff and the Cabinet.
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Chapter 13: The Executive Branch
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Sample Questions
Q1) Whistle-blowers alert the public to cases of official agency misconduct.
A)True
B)False
Q2) How did President George H.W. Bush's policy on executive departments issuing new rules compare to President Obama's policy?
A) President Bush wanted to revoke the ability to issue new rules, whereas President Obama supported it.
B) President Obama mandated a 10 percent increase in the amount of new rules issued, whereas President Bush mandated a 5 percent increase.
C) President Bush mandated a 25 percent increase in new rules issued, whereas President Obama wanted a 10 percent reduction in new rules issued.
D) President Bush did not favor issuing new rules, whereas President Obama encouraged an active government role.
E) President Obama wanted to revoke the ability to issue new rules, whereas President Bush supported it.
Q3) What factors might contribute to inefficiencies within the federal bureaucracy?
Q4) Discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of privatization.
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Chapter 14: The Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe governmental influences on the Supreme Court. Why must the Court take other governmental bodies into account with regard to their decisions?
Q2) Which of the following nominates U.S. federal judges?
A) president
B) vice president
C) chief justice
D) Senate
E) Supreme Court
Q3) The Supreme Court is both a court of original jurisdiction and an appellate court.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
Q5) As political linkage factors, how do people in interest groups and social movements directly influence the Court?
Q6) Article III specifies the powers of the Supreme Court.
A)True
B)False
Q7) What do presidents look for in selecting a Supreme Court justice?
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Civil Liberties: the Struggle for Freedom
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Q1) In Dred Scott v. Sandford, the Supreme Court essentially invalidated which of the following?
A) Ohio Compromise
B) Missouri Compromise
C) Illinois Compromise
D) Louisiana Compromise
E) Montana Compromise
Q2) Article I of the Constitution prohibits which of the following, which make an act punishable as a crime even if the act was legal when it was committed?
A) writs of habeas corpus
B) bills of attainder
C) ex post facto laws
D) procedural guarantees
E) prior restraints
Q3) How did Miranda v. Arizona change the way law enforcement treated criminal defendants?
Q4) Why is freedom of the press essential to democracy?
Q5) The __________ Court, named after the Chief Justice presiding over the U.S. Supreme Court at the time, supported laws that deterred police misconduct.
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Chapter 16: Civil Rights: the Struggle for Political Equality
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the South after Reconstruction, what did the Democratic Party use to prevent African Americans from having a meaningful impact on the outcome of elections?
A) Jim Crow laws
B) whites-only primaries
C) majority-minority districts
D) de facto segregation/discrimination
E) affirmative action
Q2) 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?
Q3) Compare and contrast the due process clause and the equal protection clause in the Constitution.
Q4) According to the Supreme Court decisions in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke and the two University of Michigan cases noted in the chapter, what sorts of affirmative action programs for admission to public universities are permissible, and what sorts are not?
Q5) The __________ was enacted in 1990 and is designed to protect the civil rights of disabled Americans.
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Chapter 17: Domestic Policies
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Q1) Which of the following is a point in favor of federal involvement in social policy?
A) The states have a long-standing tradition of extending rights to citizens.
B) The states are often viewed as laboratories of democracy.
C) The federal government can help to reduce inequality.
D) Federal legislation often increases inequality.
E) Federal power is usually transferred to the states.
Q2) Which is true of presidents dealing with economic crises?
A) Both Democratic and Republican presidents have taken actions to stimulate the economy.
B) Democratic presidents have taken actions to stimulate the economy, but Republican presidents have not.
C) Republican presidents have taken actions to stimulate the economy, but Democratic presidents have not.
D) Neither Democratic nor Republican presidents have taken actions to stimulate the economy.
E) No presidents have had to deal with economic crises.
Q3) ___________ programs are welfare programs like Temporary Assistance to Needy Families that provide assistance to those who lack financial resources.
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Chapter 18: Foreign Policy and National Defense
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Q1) What is the main foreign or defense policy threat posed by Iran?
A) civil unrest
B) nuclear capabilities
C) economic collapse
D) trade disagreements
E) conventional arms
Q2) What roles do the Department of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff play in advising the president on military policy? Describe how these advisors provide the president with different perspectives.
Q3) Which of the following has as its primary responsibility conducting surveillance about the inner workings of countries across the world?
A) the Department of Defense
B) the secretary of state
C) the Central Intelligence Agency
D) the World Trade Organization
E) the Marshall Plan
Q4) Some nations hold that solid policing and intelligence operations offer better protection from __________ than do military actions, which are unlikely to prevent, for example, attacks in cyber space.
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