Federal Government Exam Questions
Course Introduction
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the structure, principles, and functions of the federal government in the United States. Students will examine the Constitution as the foundation of federal authority, the roles and interactions of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and the processes of federal policy-making and implementation. Topics include the protection of individual rights, federalism, the influence of political parties and interest groups, and the evolving relationship between the national government and the states. Through analysis of contemporary issues and landmark Supreme Court decisions, students will gain critical insights into the operation and challenges of federal governance in the U.S.
Recommended Textbook
American Government Power and Purpose 13th Edition by Theodore J. Lowi
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14 Chapters
1596 Verified Questions
1596 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: Introduction: Making Sense of Government and Politics
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63 Verified Questions
63 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/36322
Sample Questions
Q1) The struggle over who gets what,when,and how is known as:
A)government
B)politics
C)authoritarianism
D)lobbying
E)redistribution
Answer: B
Q2) The following question is an example of a(n)________ question in political science: "Why do a majority of Latinos support the Democratic Party in presidential elections?"
A)empirical
B)analytical
C)normative
D)fundamental
E)policy
Answer: B
Q3) The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin was an example of a totalitarian regime.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Page 3
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Chapter 2: The Founding and the Constitution
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101 Verified Questions
101 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The question of counting slaves for purposes of representation was ultimately resolved by counting:
A)slaves just as nonslaves for purposes of representation
B)every five slaves as three people for purposes of representation
C)every four slaves as three people for purposes of representation
D)every two slaves as one person for purposes of representation
E)every slave as one person for allocation of block grants but prohibiting voting by slaves
Answer: B
Q2) The framers intended an active and powerful government,so they included language to signify that the enumerated powers were meant to be a source of strength to the national government,not a limitation on it.This "elastic clause" is most commonly known as the:
A)national supremacy clause
B)separation of powers clause
C)necessary and proper clause
D)privileges and immunities clause
E)federal caveat
Answer: C
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4
Chapter 3: Federalism and the Separation of Powers
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120 Verified Questions
120 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Federalism means that the national government is the only significant decision-making body in the United States.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) There were no Supreme Court reviews of congressional acts in the fifty-plus years between Marbury v.Madison (1803)and Dred Scott (1857).
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Explain the trade-offs that exist between concentrating power in the hands of the federal government and dispersing power across the 50 states.
Answer: Answer will vary.
Q4) How has the national government used grants-in-aid financing to exercise influence over state and local governments?
Answer: Answer will vary.
Q5) What do you see as the advantages and disadvantages of federalism?
Answer: Answer will vary.
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Chapter 4: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
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164 Verified Questions
164 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which two clauses in the First Amendment deal with freedom of religion?
A)the establishment clause and the prohibition clause
B)the freedom of consciences clause and the establishment clause
C)the freedom of consciences clause and the prohibition clause
D)the free exercise clause and the establishment clause
E)the religious test clause and the wall of separation clause
Q2) De facto segregation refers to segregation that takes place because of formal laws.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Explain due process and the constitutional rights protected under due process.
Q4) What is the higher standard of judicial scrutiny afforded to cases involving democratic political processes called?
A)strict scrutiny
B)critical threshold
C)intense benchmarking
D)the preponderance of the evidence
E)heightened scrutiny
Q5) Since passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act,how has the civil rights struggle been expanded to include other groups?
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Chapter 5: Congress: the First Branch
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116 Verified Questions
116 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) When a senator voted against a gun-control bill that he agreed with but that his constituency did not support,he exemplified a ________ style of representation.
A)trustee
B)delegate
C)plebiscitary
D)runaway agent
E)platonic
Q2) What is the minimum age required to serve as a member of the House of Representatives?
A)21
B)25
C)30
D)35
E)40
Q3) Congressional leaders gain favor with members by raising funds for their own leadership political action committees and redistributing the funds to other legislators.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: The Presidency
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125 Verified Questions
125 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The U.S.Constitution gives the president several explicit powers independent of Congress.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Presidents typically gain more political support the longer they are in office.
A)True
B)False
Q3) If a president does not sign a bill within five days,it automatically becomes law.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Congressional delegations of power are not the only political resources available to the president.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Congress intentionally sends some bills to the president knowing that they are certain to be vetoed.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Is the American president too powerful? Why or why not?
Page 8
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Chapter 7: The Executive Branch
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116 Verified Questions
116 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) By implementing the laws and policies passed by elected officials,bureaucrats can be seen as:
A)principals of Congress and the presidency
B)principals of the American people
C)simple "cogs in the machine" with little influence on policy
D)enablers of frequent sweeping change in public policy
E)agents of Congress and the presidency
Q2) In August 1996,virtually all of the means-tested public assistance programs were abolished as a national program and were devolved to the states.
A)True
B)False
Q3) In the process of administrative adjudication,executive agencies act essentially like a(n):
A)legislature
B)court
C)police agency
D)interest group
E)therapist
Q4) Should bureaucracy be reduced? If so,how?
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Chapter 8: The Federal Courts
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120 Verified Questions
120 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which constitutional article gives the Supreme Court appellate jurisdiction in all federal cases?
A)Article I
B)Article II
C)Article III
D)Article IV
E)Article V
Q2) What is the difference between judicial activism and judicial restraint? Which one is better? What role does ideology play in judicial decision making?
Q3) An individual accused of a traffic violation,such as speeding,would be accused of violating a ________ law.
A)civil
B)criminal
C)private
D)natural
E)public
Q4) In the United States,the courts resolve both civil and criminal disputes.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 9: Public Opinion and the Media
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113 Verified Questions
113 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/36330
Sample Questions
Q1) In a democracy,to whom are the media accountable for the use of their formidable power?
Q2) In recent years,much of the content of the news,especially local news,has shifted away from politics and public affairs toward:
A)soft news
B)public policy
C)business news
D)international relations
E)attacks on competing media
Q3) Similar to blacks,Latinos are politically homogeneous.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Which term best describes a set of assumptions about the way the world and society work that help us organize our beliefs,information,and new situations?
A)science
B)ideology
C)absolutism
D)party identification
E)preferences
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Chapter 10: Elections
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96 Verified Questions
96 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Ticket splitting has led to more:
A)ballot fraud
B)plurality voting
C)divided government
D)strengthened political parties
E)voter turnout
Q2) States that allow same-day voter registration have:
A)higher turnout than states that do not
B)lower turnout than states that do not
C)lower levels of election fraud than states that do not
D)fewer poll workers than states that do not
E)larger populations than states that do not
Q3) The critical years during which voter turnout dramatically declined across the United States coincided with two changes in the institutions of elections.One of these changes involved:
A)the introduction of the two-party system
B)the Great Depression
C)the rise of negative campaigning on television
D)radio broadcasts at national party conventions
E)the creation of formal registration systems and lists
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Chapter 11: Political Parties
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110 Verified Questions
110 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Women are somewhat more likely to be Republicans than men.
A)True
B)False
Q2) During the 1964 presidential election,arguments in favor of substantially reduced levels of taxation and spending,less government regulation of the economy,and elimination of many federal social programs were advanced by:
A)Milton Friedman,author of a book titled Free to Choose
B)Richard M.Nixon,author of a book titled Hope and Peace
C)John F.Kennedy,author of a book titled Profiles in Courage
D)Barry Goldwater,author of a book titled The Conscience of a Conservative
E)Ronald Reagan,author of a book titled The Right Course for America
Q3) The Republican brand name includes reducing government spending and lowering taxes.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe the evolution of the two-party system.Identify the six major party systems that have existed in the United States over time.Is the American party system entering into a new era?
Q5) What specific functions do political parties perform?
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Chapter 12: Groups and Interests
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108 Verified Questions
108 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/36333
Sample Questions
Q1) The forces behind the "sexual revolution" avoided using the courts as a significant strategy to advance their goals after the 1970s.
A)True
B)False
Q2) An example of an outsider strategy used by the Sierra Club is:
A)commenting on new environmental rules
B)bringing a lawsuit under the Endangered Species Act
C)supporting candidates who promote environmental protection
D)lobbying members of Congress to support legislation to protect the environment
E)meeting with leaders of the Environmental Protection Agency
Q3) A companion brief to an existing court case is called:
A)in camera
B)lex scripta
C)amicus curiae
D)non compos mentis
E)writ of mandamus
Q4) In American society,empirical research shows that groups form roughly in proportion to people's interests.
A)True
B)False
Page 14
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Chapter 13: Introduction to Public Policy
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135 Verified Questions
135 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which term describes a good that may be enjoyed by anyone once it is provided and may not be denied to anyone once it is provided?
A)collective action good
B)public good
C)externality
D)solid good
E)public liability
Q2) A program financed from general revenues that provide uniform minimum monthly income to people who demonstrate financial need and are age 65 or older,blind,or disabled is:
A)Medicaid
B)Medicare
C)Social Security
D)Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
E)TANF
Q3) Many market standards are developed by private-sector trade associations.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What goals should social and economic policies promote and why?
Q5) Describe the government's role in creating the foundation for a market economy.
Page 15
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Chapter 14: Foreign Policy
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109 Verified Questions
109 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Although it has numerous political parties,the UN General Assembly is basically dominated by three major political coalitions.
A)True
B)False
Q2) How did the Cold War change the conduct of American foreign policy?
Q3) What are the values in American foreign policy? Has the United States lived up to these values?
Q4) Treaties between two countries are referred to as:
A)bipolar
B)bilateral
C)bipartite
D)bicameral
E)dual state
Q5) The United States supports several international efforts to protect the environment.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Is there a substitute for war?
Q7) Does the Bush doctrine of preemptive war make the world a safer place?
Q8) Describe the structure and purpose of the United Nations.
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