Government and Society Exam Bank
Course Introduction
This course examines the dynamic relationship between government institutions and society, exploring how public policies, political systems, and civic engagement shape social life. Students will analyze the roles of government in addressing societal issues, the impact of political decision-making on communities, and the ways citizens interact with and influence policy processes. Through case studies and comparative perspectives, the course highlights the reciprocal nature of power, governance, and social change in diverse contexts.
Recommended Textbook
American Government Institutions and Policies 16th Edition by James Q. Wilson
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2
Chapter 1: The Study of American Government the Study of
American Government
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Greek city-state,or polis,did NOT extend the right to vote to A) slaves.
B) women.
C) minors.
D) those without property.
E) All of these are correct.
Answer: E
Q2) Explain the significance of log-rolling on the legislative process. Answer: A legislator supports a proposal favored by another in return for support of his or her own proposal.Trading votes in this way attracts the support of members of Congress to form majority coalitions.
Q3) Some political issues are imagined.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) In the Greek city-state,only property holders were allowed to be citizens.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 2: The Constitution the Constitution
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Sample Questions
Q1) One of the basic liberties sought by the colonists through independence from Great Britain was
A) freedom from taxation without representation.
B) the right to bear arms and to defend life and property.
C) freedom to assemble in public and to engage in public debate.
D) the right to own and trade slaves.
E) the right to travel.
Answer: A
Q2) In 1776,one important reason that colonists regarded independence as a desirable alternative was that they
A) no longer had confidence that the British government would protect their liberties.
B) could no longer afford the price of British exports.
C) had come to reject the philosophy of John Locke.
D) had come to reject British ideas of individual rights.
E) were struggling economically.
Answer: A
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Chapter 3: Federalism Federalism
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Q1) More than two centuries after its ratification,the Constitution is no longer the supreme law of the land.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) In 1798,Congress passed laws to punish newspaper editors who published stories critical of the federal government. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson opposed the laws,arguing that the states had the right to declare null and void federal laws that violated the Constitution.The Supreme Court eventually concluded that this argument was
A) wrong.
B) correct.
C) impossible to settle.
D) up to each individual state to settle.
Answer: A
Q3) The American experience suggests that many of the Antifederalists' primary concerns were warranted.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 4: American Political Culture American Political Culture
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Sample Questions
Q1) Discuss Max Weber's "Protestant ethic" and its influence on American political culture.
Q2) Swedes are less likely than Americans to challenge governmental decisions.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Since de Tocqueville's visit to the United States over 175 years ago,Americans' love for democracy has
A) remained strong.
B) risen dramatically.
C) lessened significantly.
D) lessened slightly.
E) been replaced by a thirst for authoritarianism.
Q4) Compared with Americans,Japanese are MORE likely to
A) stress social harmony and group cohesion in their social relations.
B) emphasize the virtues of individualism and competition in social relations.
C) emphasize the virtue of treating others fairly but impersonally, with due regard for their rights.
D) rely on individual decision making rather than decisions made by groups.
E) believe in a divine being.
Q5) Discuss the four sources of American political culture mentioned in the text.
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Chapter 5: Civil Liberties Civil Liberties
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Q1) In passing the Sedition Act of 1798,the Federalists were fearful that Thomas Jefferson and his party would
A) support the French Revolution.
B) support better relations with England.
C) restrict freedoms of speech and the press.
D) jail French sympathizers.
E) ban all trade.
Q2) In the __________ decision,the Supreme Court ruled that the establishment clause forbids prayer,even a nondenominational one,in public schools.
A) Everson v. Board of Education
B) Engel v. Vitale
C) Lemon v. Kurtzman
D) Zelman v. Simmons-Harris
E) Lee v. Weisman
Q3) In the 1980s,Puerto Rican nationalists were charged with sedition.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Discuss how the Supreme Court interpreted the freedom of speech provision of the Bill of Rights in Schenck v.United States.
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Chapter 6: Civil Rights Civil Rights
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Q1) One white-black gap in education and standards of living that has NOT closed much in the last half-century is the __________ rate.
A) high school completion
B) poverty
C) unemployment
D) homeowner
E) All of these are correct.
Q2) One reason the NAACP's strategy of using the courts to further black civil rights worked was that it
A) avoided focusing on the clearest abuses.
B) presented broad economic demands to whites.
C) avoided direct confrontation with a conservative Supreme Court.
D) did not require a broad legislative alliance.
E) avoided the complications that often surround appellate processes.
Q3) The outcome of the 1964 election helped the civil rights forces.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Laws cannot treat people differently.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 7: Public Opinion Public Opinion
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Sample Questions
Q1) Over the past half century,polarization among elected Democrats and Republicans has
A) risen dramatically.
B) fallen dramatically.
C) remained constant.
D) fluctuated with changes in leadership.
E) fluctuated randomly.
Q2) Very rich people are less likely than everyone else to support A) the social safety net.
B) government-sponsored health insurance.
C) business regulation.
D) redistribution of wealth via taxes.
E) All of these are correct.
Q3) The text suggests that it is becoming increasingly difficult to conduct reliable polling with traditional land line methods.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Explain why activists are much more likely to exhibit clear ideological consistency than average members of the public.
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Chapter 8: Political Participation Political Participation
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Sample Questions
Q1) During the nineteenth century,voting ballots were printed by
A) neutral foreign parties.
B) Congress.
C) the courts.
D) state legislatures.
E) political parties.
Q2) The text suggests there has been little decrease,and some increase,in the percentage of Americans who
A) campaign.
B) contact government officials.
C) volunteer.
D) work on community issues.
E) All of these are correct.
Q3) Several states permitted women to vote prior to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Identify and describe the six different classifications of U.S.voters.
Q5) Define political participation.Discuss the major forms of political participation in a democracy.
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Chapter 9: Political Parties Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) Jefferson formed the first political party when he organized opposition against the policies of Hamilton.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The 2016 election resulted in
A) a unified Republican government.
B) a unified Democratic government.
C) a Republican president and a Democratic Congress.
D) a Democratic president and a Republican Congress.
E) a Republican president and a split Congress.
Q3) The U.S.federal system ensures that the nation's parties are __________ than their European counterparts.
A) more ideological
B) less ideological
C) more aggressive
D) more centralized
E) more decentralized
Q4) Describe the relationship between national and state or local parties,especially with regards to fundraising,money,and personnel.
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Chapter 10: Elections and Campaigns Elections and Campaigns
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Q1) Media's influence on voters is greatest when
A) people have the least knowledge about an issue.
B) people are very well informed about an issue.
C) people understand enough about an issue to know that it's important, but not enough to form a cohesive perspective.
D) voters are already extensively familiar with the candidates.
E) None of these are correct.
Q2) If you run for a seat in the House against the incumbent,the odds are very much against you.
A)True
B)False
Q3) After Democrats won the Presidency and large majorities in Congress in 1964,they
A) instituted federal aid to education.
B) created Medicare and Medicaid.
C) passed a great deal of environmental and consumer protection laws.
D) revised immigration laws.
E) All of these are correct.
Q4) Discuss the benefits of incumbency for Congressional elections.
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Q5) Discuss fundraising in modern presidential campaigns and compare it to the past.
Chapter 11: Interest Groups Interest Groups
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Sample Questions
Q1) During the 1830s and 1840s,the number of religious associations
A) increased sharply.
B) declined slightly.
C) rejected American style government.
D) supported American style government.
E) advocated for the Whig party.
Q2) The League of Women Voters is an example of a feminist organization whose membership incentives are primarily
A) material.
B) purposive.
C) concurrent.
D) ideological.
E) solidary.
Q3) Compare interest group membership in America to that of other democracies.
Q4) The number and size of interest groups is positively correlated to the size of government.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What four factors account for the increase in interest groups in recent years?
Page 13
Q6) Describe three types of feminist organizations.
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Chapter 12: The Media the Media
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Q1) A policy leaked to the press to see how it plays out with the public is known as
A) a revolving door.
B) fake news.
C) a sound bite.
D) a trial balloon.
E) None of these are correct.
Q2) During the 2016 presidential election,some news outlets reported that Hillary Clinton had sold weapons to ISIS and that Donald Trump had been endorsed by the Pope.These stories are examples of
A) scorekeeping.
B) framing.
C) priming.
D) fake news.
E) agenda-setting.
Q3) The text suggests that the abandonment of the fairness doctrine gave rise to controversial talk-radio hosts.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Discuss how the degree of competition in the media has changed.
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Chapter 13: Congress Congress
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Q1) Simple resolutions are used to make internal rules in either house.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The right to filibuster is governed by Senate Rule 22.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Where is the real work of Congress done?
A) On the House floor
B) On the Senate floor
C) In the caucuses
D) In floor sessions in both houses
E) In the committees in both houses
Q4) Unlike in the House,the scheduling of legislation in the Senate is
A) controlled by the Rules Committee.
B) initiated by means of a discharge petition.
C) governed by closed rather than open rules.
D) determined by the majority and minority leaders.
E) determined ad hoc.
Q5) Summarize the constitutional qualifications for members of the House and Senate.
Page 15
Q6) What is a filibuster? What are the rules regarding its use?
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Chapter 14: The Presidency the Presidency
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Sample Questions
Q1) Abraham Lincoln __________ without prior congressional approval.
A) raised an army
B) spent money
C) blockaded Southern ports
D) suspended the right of habeas corpus
E) All of these are correct.
Q2) Identify three ways in which presidents have organized personal staff and comment on the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Q3) The Constitution requires that the president be at least __________ years old.
A) 30
B) 35
C) 40
D) 45
E) None of these are correct.
Q4) A president's popularity has no effect on how much of his program is passed by Congress.
A)True
B)False
Q5) The text asks: "Does gridlock matter?" Summarize the discussion on this topic.
Page 16
Q6) Explain the constitutional roles of the vice president.
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Chapter 15: The Bureaucracy the Bureaucracy
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Q1) What were the findings of the National Performance Review and its suggestions for reform?
Q2) A person appointed to a government position after passing an examination is probably joining the
A) excepted service.
B) competitive service.
C) patronage system.
D) Department of State.
E) Department of Justice.
Q3) When an agency such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)makes an important decision,it is quite likely to be taken to court.This is an example of what is meant by
A) government bureaucracy.
B) impedimentary government.
C) red tape.
D) adversary culture.
E) reciprocal administration.
Q4) Define the five bureaucratic pathologies described in the text.
Q5) Define bureaucracy and give examples of types of bureaucracies.
Q6) Explain why federal agencies originally emphasized a service role.
Page 17
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Chapter 16: The Judiciary the Judiciary
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Q1) The litigation involving four police officers accused of beating Rodney King illustrates the fact that
A) some defendants are tried in both state and federal courts.
B) some cases can be tried only in state courts.
C) civil rights cases can be tried only in federal courts.
D) one level of government can block the prosecutions of another.
E) cases cannot be appealed across the state and federal judiciary.
Q2) Hamilton led a small faction of Framers who spoke out against the Supreme Court,arguing that it would be dangerous.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The legal concept of precedent-that,all else being equal,a court case today should be settled in accordance with prior decisions on similar cases-is expressed by the term A) per curiam.
B) amicus curiae.
C) writ of mandamus.
D) stare decisis.
E) writ of certiorari.
Q4) Explain how Alexander Hamilton described the Supreme Court in Federalist No.78.
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Chapter 17: Domestic Policy Domestic Policy
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Q1) The text suggests that laws protecting endangered species are examples of __________ politics.
A) majoritarian
B) client
C) interest-group
D) entrepreneurial
E) minoritarian
Q2) The type of politics best illustrated by auto-emission-control regulations is
A) entrepreneurial politics.
B) majoritarian politics.
C) interest group politics.
D) client politics.
E) reciprocal politics.
Q3) Explain how public opinion changed and AFDC lost its legitimacy.
Q4) Which of the following involves a cash subsidy to poor working families?
A) Medicaid
B) Supplemental Security Income
C) Medicare
D) Earned Income Tax Credit
E) Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance
Page 19
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Chapter 18: Economic Policy Economic Policy
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Q1) A progressive tax is one that requires those who are better off to pay more as a percentage of their income.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The number of separate parts of government that take part in economic policy is
A) fewer than five.
B) fewer than ten.
C) approximately thirty.
D) almost fifty.
E) dozens, possibly hundreds.
Q3) The executive agency in charge of economic forecasting and preparing the president's annual economic report to Congress is the
A) Council of Economic Advisers.
B) Treasury Department.
C) Office of Management and Budget.
D) Federal Reserve Board (Fed).
E) National Security Agency.
Q4) Discuss how economics affects the way people vote and how this affects elected officials.
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Chapter
19: Foreign and Military Policy Foreign and Military Policy
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Q1) The president may negotiate treaties,but the Senate must ratify these by a majority vote.
A)True
B)False
Q2) After the collapse of the Soviet Union,liberals argued that
A) we should increase spending on social programs.
B) there should be cuts in weapons procurements.
C) we should decrease the number of military personnel.
D) there should be sharp cuts in defense spending overall.
E) All of these are correct.
Q3) George Kennan espoused which of the following worldviews?
A) Human rights
B) Disengagement
C) Isolationism
D) Containment
E) All of these are correct.
Q4) The nation grew isolationist in the aftermath of World War I.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Summarize the major provisions of the War Powers Act.
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Chapter 20: American Democracy, Then and Now
American Democracy, Then and Now
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Q1) What are four consequences of the enlarged scope of governmental action?
Q2) The text suggests that,as government gets bigger,its members spend less time __________ and more time __________.
A) debating; managing
B) campaigning; advertising
C) managing; assessing
D) credit claiming; debating
E) governing; contemplating
Q3) The transition from the Old System to the New System occurred between
A) 1920 and 1950.
B) 1930 and 1970.
C) 1940 and 1960
D) 1950 and 1980
E) 1960 and 1990
Q4) As government gets bigger,its members must spend more time debating new ideas at length.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Compare the presidency in the New System with that of the Old System.
Q6) Describe some of the primary features of the Old System of American politics. Page 22
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