Foundations of American Government Test Preparation
Course Introduction
This course provides an in-depth exploration of the origins, development, and fundamental principles of the American government. Students will examine the historical context leading to the creation of the U.S. Constitution, the structure and functions of the federal system, and the roles of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Key topics include federalism, the Bill of Rights, separation of powers, checks and balances, and the evolution of civil liberties and civil rights. Through analysis of foundational documents and landmark Supreme Court cases, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how American government operates and adapts to societal changes.
Recommended Textbook
American Government 2014 Election 12th Edition by Karen OConnor
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18 Chapters
1611 Verified Questions
1611 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: American Government: Roots, context, and Culture
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50 Verified Questions
50 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Monarchy is a type of government that Aristotle considered rule by "tyranny."
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) The Framers agreed that the new nation had to be founded on notions of which of the following?
A) economic equality
B) aristocracy
C) racial equality
D) religious freedom
Answer: D
Q3) Fewer Americans consider themselves to be liberal than to be conservative.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) Although many people still view the United States as a __________ nation,a great number of religious groups-including Jews,Buddhists,Hindus,and Muslims-have established roots in the United States.
Answer: Christian
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Chapter 2: The Constitution
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90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Article I of the Constitution describes the powers of the president.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Explain Madison's defense of the Constitution in Federalist No.10.
Answer: An ideal response will:
1.Identify the central question of Federalist No.10-how to deal with the problem of factions.
2.Discuss Madison's definition of "factions" and their purported threat to society.
Q3) Article III of the Constitution permits Congress to establish lower national courts.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) Under the Articles of Confederation,the president levied all taxes.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 3: The Federal System
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91 Verified Questions
91 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Analyze the approach of the Rehnquist Court to questions of federalism.How did it differ from the Warren Court?
Answer: An ideal response will:
1.Explain that the Warren Court had consistently expanded the rights of the national government and recognize that the Rehnquist Court was responding to that trend.
2.Explain that the Rehnquist Court was initially not committed to states' rights,but took up this mantra in the late 1980s when membership on the Court changed.
Q2) The Supreme Court's Dred Scott v.Sandford (1857)decision narrowed the scope of the federal government's power by determining that __________.
A) state laws were supreme over conflicting national laws
B) states had inherent power to nullify federal laws
C) Congress could not regulate interstate commerce
D) Congress lacked the authority to ban slavery in the territories
Answer: D
Q3) Proponents of __________ federalism generally believe that the federal government should not overstep its enumerated powers.
Answer: dual
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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101 Verified Questions
101 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most developed countries use some form of the death penalty.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Slander is any false written statement that defames the character of a person.
A)True
B)False
Q3) How has the Supreme Court applied the exclusionary rule?
Q4) __________ rights include the right to remain silent.
Q5) Planned Parenthood v.Casey held that a state could limit abortions as long as the regulation did not pose an undue burden on pregnant women.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Which of the following is responsible for determining whether enough evidence exists to go to trial?
A) trial court
B) defense attorney
C) prosecutor
D) grand jury
Q7) Why is freedom of the press essential to democracy?
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Civil Rights
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101 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following arguments would most likely be made by an opponent of affirmative action policies?
A) Unaddressed past discrimination causes perpetual inequality.
B) Discrimination is a natural part of the human experience.
C) Affirmative action discriminates on the basis of race.
D) Diversity helps Americans better understand each other.
Q2) What was the "Don't Ask,Don't Tell" policy? What was the penalty for a soldier who violated this policy? What is the current status of the policy?
Q3) According to the Supreme Court's decisions in the Civil Rights Cases (1883),in which of the following areas could Congress prohibit discrimination against African Americans?
A) theaters
B) hotels
C) post offices
D) private homes
Q4) The passage of the Equal Rights Amendment has helped ensure women's equality in the workplace.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: Congress
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88 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Incumbents are most likely to lose their bid for reelection when they are impacted by which of the following events?
A) budget deficits
B) low presidential approval ratings
C) redistricting
D) logrolling
Q2) Congress has ceded to the president a major role in the legislative process.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Describe how the balance of power between Congress and the president has changed over time.
Q4) When a bill is introduced in Congress,several members may be listed as __________ in order to show their support for the proposed legislation.
Q5) The Constitution is vague about the __________ process,even though it remains Congress's ultimate oversight of the U.S.president.
Q6) Describe the powers enumerated to Congress in Article I,section 8 of the Constitution.Discuss the implications of the necessary and proper clause for Congress.
Q7) What is the incumbency advantage,and what contributes to it?
Page 8
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Chapter 7: The Presidency
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87 Verified Questions
87 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the informal powers of the president.
Q2) What is executive privilege?
A) the ability of the president to refuse to spend money appropriated by Congress
B) the ability of the president to veto programmatic requests in a bill
C) the power of the president to declare war or initiate a police action
D) the implied power of the president to keep communications confidential
Q3) According to the Constitution,__________ should be reserved for "treason,bribery,and other high crimes and misdemeanors," not for political conflicts.
Q4) A president can influence policy by issuing a signing statement in which he or she claims that part of the just-signed law is unconstitutional and will not be implemented as Congress intends.
A)True
B)False
Q5) How has the role of the vice president changed over time?
Q6) The vice presidency has become more powerful in recent years.
A)True
B)False
Q7) Compare the White House staff and the Cabinet.
Page 9
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Chapter 8: The Executive Branch and the Federal Bureaucracy
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90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following contributed to the growth of federal bureaucracy during the twentieth century?
A) the Hatch Act
B) the elimination of the spoils system
C) World War II
D) the Pendleton Act
Q2) Why did the size of the federal bureaucracy increase substantially over the course of the nation's history?
Q3) What is administrative discretion? What are the two main processes through which agencies exercise administrative discretion?
Q4) What are independent regulatory commissions? In what sense are they independent of presidential and congressional control? Are they sufficiently independent?
Q5) The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)is an example of a government corporation.
A)True
B)False
Q6) How does Congress exercise control over the federal bureaucracy?
10
Q7) How has the structure of the presidential Cabinet changed since its origin?
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Chapter 9: The Judiciary
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Sample Questions
Q1) The selection of federal judges is a highly political process.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Only a(n)__________ court can review the decisions of a lower court.
A) trial
B) legislative
C) administrative
D) appellate
Q3) Judicial __________ encourages deference to the policy judgments of elected branches of government.
Q4) Rotating three-judge panels typically decide cases in the federal courts of appeals.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Litigants have an automatic right of appeal to the Supreme Court.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Describe the different types of federal constitutional courts.
Q7) Describe the strict constructionist judicial philosophy.Give an example of how it might be used.
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Chapter 10: Public Opinion and Political Socialization
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90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Of the following topics,which is more likely than the others to be subject to a screening procedure in a public opinion poll?
A) crime prevention
B) illegal drug use
C) the federal budget
D) health care
Q2) Which of the following accurately describes a difference in public opinion between men and women?
A) Men are more likely to think that labor unions are necessary to protect the rights of workers.
B) Men are more likely to favor military intervention.
C) Women are more likely to believe that school boards have a right to fire teachers who are homosexual.
D) Women are more likely to believe that we should tighten restrictions on people coming to the United States.
Q3) __________ is defined as what the public thinks about a particular issue or set of issues at any point in time.
Q4) How does the president attempt to mold public opinion?
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Political Parties
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85 Verified Questions
85 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Review the key phases of political party development in the United States,demonstrating knowledge of realignments between the eras.Describe how the Framers viewed political parties.
Q2) Why might a focus on the candidates be viewed as a weakening of the party system?
Q3) Evaluate the development of party polarization in the United States.Consider both polarization within political parties and in the electorate.Does polarization create apathy or activism? What evidence supports your position?
Q4) Identify the major activities or functions of political parties.
Q5) When questioned about their views of politics in Congress,a slight majority of Americans expressed a desire for __________,while about 30 percent wanted members of Congress to stick to their beliefs.
A) compromise
B) resolve
C) tax relief
D) party polarization
Q6) Studies of political socialization have shown that __________ is/are the single greatest influence(s)in establishing a person's political identity.
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Chapter 12: Elections and Voting
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105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) If a person wanted to predict your vote,the most powerful piece of information would be your __________.
Q2) A __________ primary is an election in which only a party's registered voters are eligible to participate.
Q3) How do elections aid democracy?
A) They advance special interest agendas.
B) They enhance the influence of the judiciary.
C) They confer legitimacy on government.
D) They limit popular sovereignty.
Q4) Boycotting and picketing are examples of __________.
A) illegal political participation
B) civil disobedience
C) radical political participation
D) unconventional political participation
Q5) A majority of the __________ selects the president of the United States.
A) popular vote
B) Electoral College
C) House of Representatives
D) Senate
Q6) What are the effects of a college education on a citizen's voting choices?
Page 14
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Chapter 13: The Campaign Process
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92 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) One of the primary dangers for the nomination campaign is that its candidate
A) can become overly cautious and not talk about issues
B) ignores the party's base
C) gets too much media attention
D) can become too ideologically extreme
Q2) What 1907 legislation prohibited corporations from making direct contributions to candidates for federal office?
A) Hatch Act
B) Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
C) Tillman Act
D) Federal Election Campaign Act
Q3) If your campaign has very limited funding,which of the following strategies for reaching voters is likely to be most attractive to you?
A) a professionally produced positive ad
B) a series of campaign stops throughout a state
C) hiring consultants to create and maintain an Internet site
D) robo-calls
Q4) What is the role of volunteers in a political campaign?
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Chapter 14: The News Media
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89 Verified Questions
89 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The type of information presented by a privately owned,for-profit press may be suspect because of the importance of what?
A) the bottom line
B) editorial preferences
C) the penny press
D) government regulations
Q2) When covering Congress,reporters typically focus on which of the following?
A) party leaders
B) consensus builders
C) lobbyists
D) staff members
Q3) If the president wants his or her staff to address the press about a certain issue,but wants to keep the conversation focused on that issue,he or she might call for a
A) press release
B) policy conference
C) press conference
D) press briefing
Q4) A reporter who covers a Ku Klux Klan rally as a civil rights issue is __________ the story.
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Interest Groups
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which type of organization would find it easiest to overcome the free rider problem?
A) an environmental organization working to pass climate change legislation
B) a labor union in a state where union membership is optional
C) a trade association representing a small number of firms
D) a national organization fighting for women's rights
Q2) How do interest groups lobby the courts?
A) through letter-writing campaigns addressed to particular judges
B) by meeting with judges to express their views on cases
C) by filing a lawsuit or direct sponsorship of those willing to file a lawsuit
D) by testifying before congressional committees
Q3) Which of the following is an example of a trade association?
A) the AFL-CIO
B) the National Association of Manufacturers
C) the American Association of Retired People (AARP)
D) the National Rifle Association
Q4) The freedom of association is guaranteed in the __________ Amendment to the Constitution.
Q5) According to the theory of __________,political power is distributed across a wide range of diverse and competing interest groups.
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Chapter 16: Domestic Policy
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84 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) More than 25 percent of the energy consumed in the United States today comes from renewable resources,a massive increase from two decades ago.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What political movement led to reforms in child labor laws in the United States?
A) Capitalism
B) Progressivism
C) Socialism
D) Creationism
Q3) How was education policy affected by the Cold War?
Q4) Of the following,which contributes the most to climate change?
A) hydroelectric power
B) coal and oil
C) natural gas
D) nuclear power
Q5) What three factors are necessary at the agenda-setting stage to open a policy window? Give an example.
Q6) Gasoline prices vary significantly in the United States and around the world.Why?
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Chapter 17: Economic Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is a concern about the viability of Social Security?
A) The rate of Social Security payroll taxes will continue to decrease.
B) The number of current retirees contributing to the fund will continue to decrease.
C) The working poor will not have access to Social Security after 2030.
D) There will be too few workers contributing to support the increasing number of retirees.
Q2) Unemployment insurance is what type of federal program?
A) non-means-tested
B) means-tested
C) monetary policy
D) fiscal policy
Q3) __________ is a reduction in market controls in favor of market-based competition.
Q4) The national debt is the yearly difference between government revenues and the deficit.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Keynesians in Congress would support increasing __________ as a means to address high levels of unemployment.
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Chapter 18: Foreign and Defense Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) How has the rise of China and India as economic powers with global influence affected U.S.economic policy? Explain the U.S.relationship with each country.
Q2) Free trade agreements are designed to prevent which of the following?
A) globalization
B) democratic enlargement
C) détente
D) protectionism
Q3) What is a main foreign or defense policy threat posed by Iran?
A) civil unrest
B) nuclear weapons
C) economic collapse
D) trade disagreements
Q4) U.S.foreign policy toward China is largely driven by concerns over human rights violations.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Terrorism is a technique used to effect political change by instilling __________ among the general public.
Q6) How is terrorism fundamentally different from traditional military action?
Page 20
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