Government and Public Policy Practice Questions
Course Introduction
This course explores the foundational concepts, structures, and processes involved in the formulation and implementation of public policy within various governmental contexts. Students will examine the roles of political institutions, public agencies, and stakeholders in shaping policy decisions, analyze the impact of social, economic, and cultural factors on policy outcomes, and evaluate policy effectiveness using real-world case studies. The course fosters critical thinking about the relationship between government action and public interest, preparing students to understand and engage with contemporary policy challenges.
Recommended Textbook
Politics in America 2014 Elections and Updates Edition 10th Edition by Thomas R. Dye
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18 Chapters
1885 Verified Questions
1885 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Politics: Who Gets What,When and How 1
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Governments raise armies in order to __________.
A)provide for the common defense
B)promote the general welfare
C)secure the blessings of liberty
D)establish justice
Answer: A
Q2) What is one of the principles that make up the definition of democracy?
A)decision making by tyranny of the majority
B)equal protection under the law for every individual
C)opportunity for chosen representatives to participate in public decisions
D)the promise of equal outcomes for all
Answer: B
Q3) In democracies,the masses are generally as well informed as the elites.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q4) Parks are generally public goods.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Page 3
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Chapter 2: Political Culture: Ideas in Conflict
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Provide two statistics that support the idea that the U.S.is a religious society.Give two examples of challenges to the presence of religion in public life and why they are being debated.
Answer: An ideal response will:
1.Provide two statistics such as 90 percent of Americans report believing in a God and 80 percent of Americans have a religious affiliation.
2.Provide examples of challenges to religion in public life such as challenges to remove "Under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance or to remove Christmas displays from public areas.
3.Explain that groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)support a separation of church and state,citing the First Amendment's "no establishment of religion" clause.Also explain that these challenges are typically resisted by religious groups.
Q2) American immigration policy is a responsibility of the __________.
A)individual county governments
B)United Nations
C)national government
D)international community
Answer: C
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Page 4
Chapter 3: The Constitution: Limiting Governmental Power
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Constitution did not permit taxes on exports,mainly to protect __________.
A)hunters and trappers
B)shopkeepers and manufacturers
C)southern planters
D)New England shipbuilders
Answer: C
Q2) The Constitution was ratified in 1776.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) 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-that is,how to deal with the problem of factions.
2.Discuss Madison's definition of "factions" and their threat to society.
3.Explain Madison's claim that only representative democracy could adequately protect individual liberty from majority rule.
4.Explain the ways in which a democracy differs from a republic according to Madison.
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5
Chapter 4: Federalism: Dividing Governmental Power
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The 1937 Supreme Court ruling in National Labor Relations Board v.Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp.had the effect of giving the national government effective control over
A)the national economy
B)education
C)federal grants
D)transportation
Q2) The New Deal best exemplifies which type of federalism?
A)dual
B)combined
C)competitive
D)cooperative
Q3) Which clause of the U.S.Constitution did the Supreme Court interpret in McCulloch v.Maryland?
A)Commerce
B)Necessary and proper
C)Due process
D)Equal protection
Q4) The power to regulate commerce within a state belongs to the __________ government(s).
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Chapter 5: Opinion and Participation: Thinking and Acting in
Politics
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Age group differences in politics and public opinion are sometimes referred to as the __________ gap.
Q2) What is the essential link between opinion and policy?
A)party affiliation
B)personal persistence
C)political knowledge
D)political participation
Q3) Why would potential candidates for elective office be advised to learn the demographics of their districts?
A)Demographic factors influence voter turnout.
B)Demographic factors influence "rational" voters.
C)Demographic factors ease the process of registering to vote.
D)Demographic factors ease the perceived costs of voting.
Q4) Opponents of electronic voting,fearing that every vote on a single machine may be lost to computer error or malfunction,urge the use of ballots that leave a so-called __________ trail.
Q5) Discuss the ways in which diffuse support for the American political system is built.
Page 7
Q6) Political __________ appears to be the essential link between opinion and policy.
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Chapter 6: Mass Media: Setting the Political Agenda
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Because media is the principal link between candidates and voters,the candidate's __________ is more important than her policy positions.
A)age
B)income
C)religion
D)image
Q2) How does political polarization of the media impact our political system?
Q3) Edmund Burke called the free news press and the people and institutions of the free press the "__________ estate" of the realm.
Q4) The politics of the news media are shaped by their economic interests,professional environment,and __________ leanings.
Q5) On network news,the average sound bite given to candidates to speak on their own behalf is about __________ long.
A)eight seconds
B)thirty seconds
C)one minute
D)two minutes
Q6) Public awareness of a candidate is often referred to as __________ recognition.
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Chapter 7: Political Parties: Organizing Politics
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) This is a nominating process in which party members or leaders meet to nominate candidates or select delegates to conventions.
A)runoff primary
B)closed primary
C)open primary
D)caucus
Q2) Which component of party organization refers to the formal structure that sets rules for party operations and provides services for various party units and candidates?
A)party-in-the-constitution
B)party-in-the-electorate
C)party-in-the-government
D)party as organization
Q3) Ticket __________ divide their votes between candidates of different parties for different offices in the same general election.
Q4) In some countries,legislative bodies are elected by __________ representation,whereby all voters cast a single ballot for their party of choice and legislative seats are apportioned to the parties based on the percentage of votes their party gained compared to the total votes cast.
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Chapter 8: Campaigns and Elections: Deciding Who
Governs
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Successful presidential candidates use the same strategy in the general election as they used in the primary elections.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Politics is increasingly characterized by __________.
A)professionalism
B)institutionalism
C)apprenticeship
D)legalism
Q3) For members of Congress,small donors typically make up less than _________ percent of their campaign funds.
A)10
B)20
C)30
D)40
Q4) campaign contributors are overwhelmingly __________.
A)Hispanic women
B)African American women
C)Asian men
D)white men
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Chapter 9: Interest Groups: Getting Their Share and More
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The first women's organizations in the United States were formed __________.
A)just after the Revolutionary War
B)in the pre-Civil War years
C)at the end of the 19th century
D)during the Great Depression years
Q2) To which of the following might political action committees (PACs)invest their contributions in order to maximize their political influence?
A)members of the minority party in Congress
B)campaigns of challengers
C)campaigns of incumbents
D)candidates for state and local offices only
Q3) According to the idea of pluralism,what role do interest groups play in shaping government policy? Does the theory assume that one set of interests dominates over others in this process?
Q4) Research has shown that business/economic interest groups outnumber all other types of organizations in terms of their lobbying presence in Washington,D.C.Why do some scholars view this as problematic for the functioning of our political system? Could it be argued that this is not a problem at all?
Q5) Are interest groups beneficial or harmful to the functioning of democracy?
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Chapter 10: Congress: Politics on Capitol Hill
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104 Verified Questions
104 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The only way to force a floor vote on a bill opposed by a committee is to get a majority of House members to sign a __________.
A)cloture rider
B)discharge petition
C)killer amendment
D)markup revision
Q2) Cloture is the only way to end a(n)__________.
Q3) The __________ decides how a bill will be debated on the floor following subcommittee review and markup.
A)Senate Judiciary Committee
B)House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
C)Senate Standing Committee
D)House Rules Committee
Q4) A rise in party unity is indicative of __________.
A)cooperation across party lines
B)cooperation between Congress and the executive branch
C)decreasing party polarization
D)low bipartisanship levels
Q5) A lesser punishment in the Congress than expulsion is official __________.
Page 12
Q6) After the Speaker,the next most powerful person in the House is the __________.
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Chapter 11: The President: White House Politics
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104 Verified Questions
104 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/7218
Sample Questions
Q1) Refer to the "What Do You Think?" box on page 414.Which is an example of a highly subjective key?
A)The incumbent hasn't experienced a major scandal.
B)The incumbent party's candidate has charisma.
C)The incumbent administration did not have any major failure in foreign affairs.
D)There is not a significant third-party challenge.
Q2) Which institutional resource is closest to the president?
A)Executive Office of the President
B)White House staff
C)the Cabinet
D)the vice president
Q3) In the role of __________,presidents have argued that they have inherent power to respond to emergencies and protect the safety of Americans and the security of the United States.
A)chief executive officer
B)president pro tem
C)commander in chief
D)chief of staff
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Chapter 12: The Bureaucracy: Bureaucratic Politics
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104 Verified Questions
104 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/7219
Sample Questions
Q1) Under what circumstance are bureaucrats most likely to exercise discretion?
A)when an agency is creating environmental regulations
B)when an agency is under congressional investigation
C)when an agency is implementing a law that contains ambiguity
D)when an agency is elevated to the status of a Cabinet department
Q2) After a president nominates an individual to be a Cabinet secretary,that appointment must be confirmed by __________.
A)the Supreme Court
B)Congress
C)the Chief of Staff
D)the Senate
Q3) Which of the following factors contributes to budget maximization?
A)the president's desire to increase the size of the federal bureaucracy
B)public demands to increase the size of government
C)the overall secrecy of the budgeting process
D)bureaucrats' belief in the value of their programs and tasks
Q4) The fiscal year that the federal government uses in budgeting coincides with the calendar year.
A)True
B)False
Page 14
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Chapter 13: Courts Judicial Politics
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Judiciary Act of 1789 established the federal circuit courts and district courts.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following is an opinion written by a justice in the majority that outlines additional considerations he or she thinks are important?
A)concurring
B)en banc
C)majority
D)per curiam
Q3) Which Article of the Constitution created the federal judiciary?
A)Article III
B)Article II
C)Article VI
D)Article I
Q4) Compare and contrast judicial self-restraint and judicial activism by analyzing how a proponent of each would have decided Brown v.Board of Education.
Q5) Explain the significance of Marbury v.Madison.
Q6) What do presidents look for in selecting a Supreme Court justice?
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Chapter 14: Politics and Personal Liberty
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Supreme Court has ruled that states can limit abortions if the regulations do not pose which of the following?
A)a bar to equal protection
B)a due process violation
C)a prior restraint
D)an undue burden
Q2) How has the Supreme Court incorporated the Bill of Rights into the Fourteenth Amendment?
Q3) The Constitution protects against search of an individual's person,home,or vehicle without __________.
A)due process
B)permission
C)a warrant
D)compensation
Q4) The Supreme Court has interpreted the Second Amendment to protect an individual's right to own a(n)__________.
Q5) In order for a public official to prove that a communication is libelous,they must prove that the statement(s)made about them were "made with actual malice" or with __________ of the truth.
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Chapter 15: Politics and Civil Rights
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) At present,a law that classified people according to __________ would be given strict scrutiny by the Supreme Court to determine its constitutionality.
A)race
B)age
C)disability
D)gender
Q2) If you thought you were getting an inferior public education because of your ethnicity,which part of the Constitution would you rely on most heavily to justify your case?
A)the First Amendment
B)the Thirteenth Amendment
C)the Fourteenth Amendment
D)the Nineteenth Amendment
Q3) The Equal Rights Amendment __________.
A)fundamentally restructured the American family
B)guaranteed African Americans full citizenship rights
C)was never ratified
D)successfully eliminated all gender differences in the law
Q4) Jim Crow laws required __________ of African Americans and whites.
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Chapter 16: Politics and the Economy
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105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
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Sample
Questions
Q1) If the Federal Reserve wanted to slow the rate of economic growth,it would most likely __________.
A)encourage the president to lower taxes
B)increase interest rates
C)encourage the president to raise taxes
D)increase the money supply
Q2) What is the source of funding for Social Security?
A)sales taxes
B)payroll taxes
C)progressive taxes
D)property taxes
Q3) Which of the following strategies does monetary policy dictate in inflationary periods?
A)Congress should balance the federal budget.
B)Congress should increase spending.
C)Congress should raise taxes on citizens.
D)The Federal Reserve should raise interest rates.
Q4) __________ taxation requires high-income groups to pay a larger percentage of their incomes in taxes than low-income groups.
Q5) The __________ is the federal government's largest source of revenue.
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Chapter 17: Politics and Social Welfare
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103 Verified Questions
103 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/7224
Sample Questions
Q1) People __________ has put a strain on the Social Security system.
A)tending to be underweight
B)working later in life
C)tending to be obese
D)living longer
Q2) How do health care costs as a percentage of GDP relate to life expectancy and the infant death rate in the United States? How are these numbers similar to or different from Japan,another advanced democracy? What accounts for these similarities or differences?
Q3) What are those social welfare programs for which no contributions are required and only those defined as low-income are eligible? These programs include food stamps,Medicaid,and Family Assistance.
A)public assistance
B)non-means-tested
C)arbitrary
D)social insurance
Q4) Public assistance includes those social welfare programs for which no __________ are required,and only those defined as low-income are eligible.
Q5) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families replaced the federal program
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Chapter 18: Politics and National Security
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105 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) How has U.S.foreign policy in Iran and North Korea been similar for much of the past decade?
A)It has been largely focused on economic development.
B)It has been largely driven by the September 11,2001,terrorist attacks.
C)It has been largely determined by the wealth of natural resources the countries possess.
D)It has been driven by the threat the countries pose to the United States.
Q2) The Cuban Missile Crisis was the closest the world came during the Cold War to which of the following?
A)destruction of the U.S.Navy
B)nuclear holocaust
C)stopping nuclear proliferation
D)world peace
Q3) What was a Cold War strategy to prevent the spread of communism?
A)containment
B)multilateralism
C)deterrence
D)regional security
Q4) The notion behind the League of Nations was collective security,while the notion behind NATO was __________.
Page 20
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