Introduction to American Government Practice Questions
Course Introduction
Introduction to American Government provides a comprehensive overview of the fundamental principles, institutions, and processes that shape the political system of the United States. Students will explore the origins and development of the Constitution, the roles of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, federalism, political parties, elections, civil liberties, and civil rights. Emphasis is placed on understanding how government decisions are made and the impact of public policy on diverse communities. Through critical analysis and discussion, students will gain the tools necessary to become informed participants in the American political process.
Recommended Textbook MindTapR in Action American Government 1st Edition by Cengage
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Page 2
Chapter 1: The Constitution
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Q1) What did the framers of the Constitution hope to avoid by establishing three separate but overlapping branches of government?
A) Tyranny
B) Redundancy
C) Inefficiency
D) Ineffectiveness
Answer: A
Q2) In Federalist No. 10, James Madison speaks to the Constitution's ability to weaken the "mischiefs of faction." What issue was he addressing?
A) Less possibility of one faction gaining a majority
B) The threat from small states in gaining a majority
C) The idea that the executive could gain control similar to that of a monarchy
D) The concept that elected officials can be impeached
Answer: A
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Chapter 2: Federalism
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Q1) Which type of power is described in the Constitution of the United States?
A) Reserved
B) Conditional
C) Parallel
D) Supreme Answer: A
Q2) In Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court ruled that
A) same-sex marriages qualify as contracts that must be recognized by all states under the Constitution.
B) states have the right to make their own laws regarding same-sex marriage.
C) same-sex marriage is not a constitutional issue.
D) states do not have to provide all the same benefits to all married couples.
Answer: A
Q3) What issue was impacted in the case United States v. Lopez?
A) Gun control legislation
B) Segregation in schools
C) Federal health care
D) Immigration law
Answer: A
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Civil Liberties
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Q1) In United States v. O'Brien, the protestor who burned his draft card was not covered by the First Amendment because the action
A) incited others to act in a manner that would cause a public safety issue.
B) was slanderous to the draft board.
C) destroyed an official record, which represented a compelling governmental interest.
D) destroyed an official record, which created a national security risk.
Answer: C
Q2) Supreme Court rulings have supported a free press because citizens are dependent on the press for reporting that
A) mirrors legislative decisions.
B) keeps the government accountable.
C) supports the government.
D) helps maintain domestic security.
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Civil Rights
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Q1) Which of the following events is <b><u>not</b></u> an example of unconventional participation?
A) Class action lawsuits
B) The march from Selma to Montgomery
C) The Montgomery Boycott
D) Protests against the Vietnam War
Q2) What term is defined as using racial influence over police discretion by targeting individuals for investigation or law enforcement based primarily on their race?
A) Affirmative action
B) Racial profiling
C) Racial alienation
D) Racial disparities
Q3) Which of the following was enacted by Congress to preserve civil rights?
A) The Trade Act
B) No Child Left Behind
C) The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act
D) The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
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Chapter 5: Congress
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Q1) Which of the following is <b><u>not</u></b> a basic type of committee?
A) Standing
B) Revenue
C) Joint
D) Select
Q2) What occurs when a particular group of voters, such as a racial group, is distributed among several districts in order to limit its influence?
A) Cracking
B) Packing
C) Gerrymandering
D) Collating
Q3) Which of the following roles does the president of the Senate also serve?
A) The member of the Senate of the majority party who has served the longest
B) The minority leader
C) The vice president of the United States
D) The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
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Chapter 6: Presidency and Foreign Policy
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Q1) The day of the presidential election is always the
A) first Tuesday of November.
B) Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
C) second Tuesday in November.
D) first Monday in November.
Q2) After September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush shifted the focus of American foreign policy to protecting the United States
A) by rebuilding the allied forces.
B) by returning to isolationism.
C) from domestic security leaks.
D) from terrorists and declaring a "war on terrorism."
Q3) George Washington supported a position of ________ for the new nation in its relations with other countries.
A) occupation
B) isolationism
C) pacifism
D) engagement
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Chapter 7: Bureaucracy
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Q1) What is privatization?
A) A process that stresses accountability to fiscal responsibility
B) A process that cuts back the number of regulations used, thereby cutting the number of bureaucrats
C) A process that decentralizes government services from the federal government to local governments
D) A process of transferring government assets or services to the private sector
Q2) Which of the following was<b> <u>not</u></b> a federal agency created under the New Deal?
A) The Federal Housing Authority
B) The Interstate Commerce Commission
C) The Social Security Administration
D) The Tennessee Valley Authority
Q3) The United States Post Office is an example of
A) an independent regulatory agency.
B) a cabinet department.
C) an independent executive agency.
D) a government corporation.
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Chapter 8: Judiciary
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Q1) Which court case applied the Fourteenth Amendment's due process and equal protection clauses to require states to issue licenses for same-sex marriage?
A) Plessy v. Ferguson
B) United States v. Windsor
C) Obergefell v. Hodges
D) Roe v. Wade
Q2) Which of the following is <b><u>not</b></u> true about judicial nominees?
A) They must have a law degree.
B) They do not have to have previous judicial experience.
C) They can be active in legal matters or not.
D) They often hold policy positions in common with the president who nominated them.
Q3) What type of court has the authority to hear the facts of the case for the first time?
A) Circuit courts
B) Appellate courts
C) Courts of original jurisdiction
D) State supreme courts
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Chapter 9: Public Opinion
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Q1) In the 2012 presidential election, which factor or factors appear to have most influenced voting choices?
A) Wealth
B) Race and ethnicity
C) Age and education level
D) Education level
Q2) What was the reason the Literary Digest incorrectly forecast the winner of the 1936 presidential election?
A) Quota sampling
B) A biased sample
C) Random sampling
D) Exit polling
Q3) What do political campaigns use to determine how to approach various demographic groups or to uncover information that may <b><u>not</b></u> be well suited to a traditional phone opinion poll?
A) Focus groups
B) Archival content analysis
C) Exit polling
D) Survey research
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Page 11
Chapter 10: Interest Groups
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Q1) Issue areas that lend themselves to coalition-building between parties and interest groups are those areas that are
A) policy-centered.
B) centered on partisan politics.
C) covered by the First Amendment.
D) narrow and factional.
Q2) What decades have been identified as the "advocacy explosion"?
A) 1950s and 1960s
B) 1960s and 1970s
C) 1970s and 1980s
D) 1980s and 1990s
Q3) Interest groups file amicus briefs with the Supreme Court to A) support the efforts of a particular side of the case.
B) generate additional members.
C) publicly dispute the case under consideration.
D) provide additional evidence in case of a retrial.
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Chapter 11: Media
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Q1) The finding in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan gives the press the freedom
A) from being censored by the U.S. government for printing information that may pose a threat to national security.
B) from being censored prior to printing an article.
C) to report facts without being sued, but does not give newspapers the right to print false statements with malicious intent.
D) to report unsubstantiated information, if done without malice.
Q2) The first American newspaper was founded in Boston in
A) 1690.
B) 1740.
C) 1790.
D) 1840.
Q3) Which recent example of investigative reporting is a prime example of reporters serving as watchdogs?
A) The 9/11 attacks
B) The Watergate scandal
C) Edward Snowden and the NSA
D) The impeachment of President Clinton
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Chapter 12: Political Parties
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Q1) Which survey question would most likely be asked for the purpose of measuring party identification?
A) Do you think of yourself as a Democrat, a Republican, an independent, or what?
B) Are you a loyal campaign worker, and do you enjoy working on campaigns for Democrats and Republicans?
C) Do you frequently vote in elections, and if so, do you think about the political party and vote for Democrats?
D) Are you often willing to discuss your political affiliation with others, and would you discuss affiliation with the Republican Party?
Q2) Which of the following indicates percentages of Americans who, in a 2013 survey, preferred elected officials who compromise?
A) 60% of Democrats and 40% of Republicans
B) 50% of Democrats and 50% of Republicans
C) 30% of Republicans and 70% of Democrats
D) 80% of Republicans and 20% of Democrats
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14
Chapter 13: Participation
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Q1) Which statement regarding the percentage of today's high school students who are civically involved is accurate?
A) The percentage has declined.
B) The percentage has increased.
C) The percentage has remained the same.
D) The percentage has been impossible to assess.
Q2) Which is an example of conventional political participation?
A) The Occupy movement
B) Petitioning
C) The Boston Tea Party
D) Boycotts
Q3) During the 1830s, what did Alexis de Tocqueville see as the key to the unprecedented ability to make democracy work in the United States?
A) Generational discussions
B) Political values
C) Civic association
D) Religiosity
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Chapter 14: Campaigns and Elections
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Q1) When strategists use algorithms, voting patterns, and consumer data to find particular voters likely to vote for a party, the strategists' actions can best be identified as
A) polling.
B) microtargeting.
C) identifying with a party.
D) exercising media platforms.
Q2) House seats are apportioned to the states based on A) income of the state.
B) physical size of the state.
C) ethnic diversity of the state.
D) population of the state.
Q3) Which of the following is commonly referred to as a swing state?
A) Florida
B) Illinois
C) Louisiana
D) Arizona
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Domestic Policy
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Q1) How do western European countries compare to the United States in terms of social welfare?
A) Parental leave is more limited in western European countries.
B) In western European countries, pensions for older adults and unemployment benefits are more generous.
C) Taxes are lower in western European countries in their efforts to support services.
D) In western European countries, centralized administration of programs providing services is less common.
Q2) The 2011 law passed by Congress stating that $4 trillion in debt must be eliminated from the federal budget resulted in
A) a 2013 full government shutdown.
B) a new and more efficient budget process being enacted.
C) the elimination of partisan disagreement over budget resolutions.
D) a smooth budget process for the next five fiscal years.
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