Foundations of American Democracy Practice Exam
Course Introduction
Foundations of American Democracy explores the historical, philosophical, and institutional origins of the United States political system. The course examines the key ideas and debates that shaped the development of American government, including the influence of Enlightenment thinkers, the framing of the Constitution, the federal system, and the creation of founding documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Students will analyze how these foundations have influenced American political culture, civil liberties, and the ongoing evolution of democracy in the United States. Through primary source readings and critical discussion, the course encourages a deeper understanding of the principles that continue to shape American democracy today.
Recommended Textbook
American Politics Today Essentials 5th Edition by William T. Bianco
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Understanding American Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Politics rarely involves overt conflict.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Why is abortion a wedge issue in American politics?
Answer: Abortion rights have been a controversial subject ever since Roe v.Wade was decided in 1973.Public opinion surveys reveal that Americans have a wide array of opinions on the subject.Without a national consensus, a high level of conflict persists regarding this issue.This is not surprising as the issue reflects intense differences of opinion that are deeply rooted in the politics of self-interest, ideology, and personal beliefs.
Q3) The separation of powers refers to
A)a division of authority within Congress, so that not all legislators do the same things.
B)the division of authority between the national and state governments.
C)providing each part of government with some power over the others.
D)dividing a government into different branches with distinct areas of authority.
Answer: D
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3
Chapter 2: The Constitution and the Founding
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Q1) Who wrote the Federalist Papers?
A)James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, and John Jay
B)John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton
C)Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and Thomas Jefferson
D)James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay
Answer: D
Q2) How challenging is it to amend the U.S.Constitution?
Answer: It is extremely difficult to amend the Constitution because of simple mathematics.The framers required supermajorities at both the federal and state levels for a constitutional amendment, as two-thirds of both chambers of Congress must pass an amendment proposal, and then three-fourths of the state legislatures must ratify the amendment for it to be added to the Constitution.The first ten amendments, the Bill of Rights, were added shortly after the Constitution was ratified (1791).Since then, there have only been an additional 17 amendments, and the Eighteenth Amendment (prohibition) was later repealed.In this time period, there have been over 10,000 amendment proposals.
Q3) James Madison was mostly concerned about tyranny of minority factions.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 3: Federalism
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Q1) Explain the facts of the McCulloch v.Maryland (1819) case and what impact that decision had on the institution of federalism in early America.In your opinion, did that decision go too far or not far enough? Explain your answer by discussing the relevance of McCulloch to contemporary issues such as legalization of marijuana and same-sex marriage.
Answer: The Federalists in Congress created a national bank in 1791 against the wishes of Thomas Jefferson.When Congress chartered the second national bank in 1816, a conflict arose in Maryland.The state legislature was controlled by the Democratic-Republicans, who passed a law that tried to tax the Baltimore branch of the national bank out of existence.The cashier at the Baltimore branch refused to pay the state tax; the justices of the Supreme Court had to determine whether Congress had the power to create a national bank, and if so, did the Maryland state legislature have the right to tax a federal entity? The justices ruled in favor of the national government on both counts.Congress had the power to create the national bank under the necessary and proper clause.In addition, Maryland had no legal authority to tax the bank due to the supremacy clause.Responses will vary to the latter question depending on values and views about the proper role of the national government and the states in American politics.
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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Q1) The Supreme Court's decision in Griswold v.Connecticut
A)established the right to privacy as existing in the Bill of Rights.
B)guaranteed a woman's right to an abortion.
C)meant the police had to read a person a list of her or his rights in advance of an arrest.
D)created a standard for determining when political speech could be regulated.
Q2) When it comes to the question of prior restraint on the press, the Supreme Court justices
A)have set a high bar for the government to meet if it wants to restrict the press.
B)favor the national government over the press, particularly in times of war and conflict.
C)follow Congress's lead in regulating the press.
D)defer to the Federal Communications Commission.
Q3) The clear and present danger test allows government to
A)regulate political speech when it is inconvenient.
B)prevent people from protesting some government actions, such as wars.
C)limit some political speech but only when it may cause significant harm to others.
D)jail dissidents and malcontents in some extreme circumstances.
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Page 6
Chapter 5: Civil Rights
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Q1) White women obtained the right to vote before African Americans did, because white women were able to pressure their husbands and fathers for the vote without fear of retribution.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Slavery________
A)was not part of the American economy prior to 1754.
B)was so widespread in the South that slaves made up 84 percent of the population in 1860.
C)was part of the American economy since the founding of Jamestown.
D)was almost nullified by the Missouri Compromise.
Q3) In ________, the Supreme Court justices determined that slaves were property and therefore had no legal rights.
A)Plessy v.Ferguson
B)Regents of the University of California v.Bakke
C)Dred Scott v.Sandford
D)Brown v.Board of Education
Q4) What is the poverty level by race and what is the median household income by race in the United States?
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Chapter 10: Congress
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Q1) Most of the work done in Congress occurs in standing committees.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The president pro tempore of the U.S.Senate is
A)the vice president.
B)the majority leader.
C)the minority leader.
D)usually held by the most senior member of the majority party.
Q3) The process of determining how many House districts each state gets is known as ________, while the process of determining how those districts look within the states is called ________.
A)redistricting; gerrymandering
B)gerrymandering; redistricting
C)apportionment; redistricting
D)gerrymandering; apportionment
Q4) The popular election of U.S.senators began in
A)1789
B)1845
C)1913
D)1944
Page 8
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Chapter 11: The Presidency
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Q1) As head of the executive branch, the president controls about
A)1,000 positions, with about 200 requiring Senate confirmation.
B)8,000 positions, with about 1,200 requiring Senate confirmation.
C)20,000 positions, with about 2,000 requiring Senate confirmation.
D)50,000 positions, with about 15,000 requiring Senate confirmation.
Q2) When can the vice president cast a vote in the Senate?
A)on cloture motions to stop filibusters
B)only when there is a tie vote on a piece of legislation
C)whenever the vice president feels like it
D)when directed by the president to do so
Q3) Although presidents can negotiate treaties, they require approval of ________ in order to take effect.
A)two-thirds of the Senate
B)two-thirds of the House
C)a majority of the House
D)a majority in both the House and Senate
Q4) The Constitution grants the president only limited powers.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Assess the role of the first spouse in presidential administrations.
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Chapter 12: The Bureaucracy
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Q1) What accounts for the overwhelming majority of federal spending?
A)education, interest on the debt, and foreign aid
B)defense, health care, and Social Security
C)diplomacy, unemployment, and infrastructure
D)crime prevention, agriculture, and environmental protection
Q2) What is state capacity?
Q3) Government rules that influence the behavior of individuals and groups are known as
A)platforms.
B)procurements.
C)regulations.
D)incentives.
Q4) Why is there a trade-off between expertise and control in bureaucratic politics?
Q5) Which one of the following describes a situation in which legislators pay close attention to a bureaucracy with consistent fact-finding trips, interviews, audits, and calls?
A)advance warning
B)fire alarm oversight
C)notice and comment
D)police patrol oversight
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Chapter 13: The Courts
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Q1) Cases that have generated a lot of activity from interest groups are more likely to be heard by the Supreme Court justices than are others.
A)True
B)False
Q2) ________ wrote that the Supreme Court would be "beyond comparison the weakest of the three departments of power."
A)John Marshall
B)James Madison
C)Alexander Hamilton
D)James Wilson
Q3) The term senatorial courtesy refers to
A)the Senate deferring to the president in making appointments to the Supreme Court.
B)the Senate focusing on merit criteria in the appointment process.
C)the president deferring to members of the president's party from each state in choosing nominees to district courts.
D)the president focusing on the political preferences of the Senate in selecting Supreme Court nominees.
Q4) What is the jurisdiction of a court?
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Chapter 14: Economic and Social Policy
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Q1) The specific interest rate that banks pay each other for emergency overnight loans is called
A)an emergency loan rate.
B)an overnight loan rate.
C)a federal reserve rate.
D)a federal funds rate.
Q2) The Federal-State Unemployment Compensation Program was established in 1965 as part of the creation of Medicare.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The specific interest rate that banks pay to the Federal Reserve Bank for short-term loans is called
A)a short-term rate.
B)a discount rate.
C)an emergency loan rate.
D)a federal reserve rate.
Q4) Why is Social Security considered to be the third rail of American politics?
Q5) None of the social policies passed under the New Deal remain today.
A)True
B)False
Page 12
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Chapter 15: Foreign Policy
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Q1) Trace the evolution of foreign policy in U.S.history.
Q2) An idealist would argue that the United States should remain in Afghanistan because leaving the nation could
A)lead to increases in the price of oil, harming the larger U.S.economy.
B)convey military weakness, emboldening the enemies of the United States.
C)lead to an anti-American government taking power, resulting in an increased risk of another terrorist attack against the United States.
D)lead to a full-fledged Afghani civil war that results in significant suffering for the Afghan people.
Q3) Outside of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, how many rotating nations serve on the council?
A)2
B)5
C)10
D)22
Q4) Using China as an example, what are some of the omnipresent challenges of globalization?
Q5) What does the concept of civilian control of the military mean?
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