Introduction to American Government Solved Exam Questions
Course Introduction
Introduction to American Government provides an overview of the foundations, structures, and processes of the United States government. Students will explore the Constitution, federalism, and the roles of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The course examines the influence of political parties, interest groups, and the media, as well as issues related to civil rights and civil liberties. Through historical context and contemporary examples, students will gain an understanding of how American democracy functions and the ongoing challenges in governance and policymaking.
Recommended Textbook
Struggle for Democracy 11th Edition by Benjamin I. Page
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
18 Chapters
1865 Verified Questions
1865 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/1367
Page 2
Chapter 1: Democracy and American Politics
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
46 Verified Questions
46 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27253
Sample Questions
Q1) To the ancient Greeks, democracy meant rule by the common people exercised directly in open assemblies.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) Taken together, political equality and equal treatment are sometimes called
Answer: civil rights
Q3) Why do some political thinkers believe that democracy is superior to other forms of government?
A) because it encourages dreams that can never be achieved
B) because it is incapable of promoting progress on important decisions
C) because it protects human rights
D) because it is found only in the United States
E) because it subverts the views of the masses
Answer: C
Q4) A monarchy includes rule by the one.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 3
Chapter 2: The Constitution
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
107 Verified Questions
107 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27254
Sample Questions
Q1) How many constitutions has the United States had in its history?
A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four
E) five
Answer: B
Q2) Explain James Madison's claim that "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition."
Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Indicate that Madison was discussing the need for separation of powers.
2. Describe the three distinct branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial.
3. Explain why each branch is separately staffed.
4. Discuss the constitutional equality and independence of each branch.
Q3) Congress passed the __________ in 1777.
Answer: Articles of Confederation
Q4) The Twenty-First Amendment was the only amendment to be ratified through special __________ conventions.
Answer: ratifying
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 4
Chapter 3: Federalism: States and Nation
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
107 Verified Questions
107 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27255
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is a power specifically denied the states by the Constitution?
A) conducting elections
B) establishing local governments
C) maintaining a militia
D) providing for public health, safety, and morals
E) regulating interstate commerce
Answer: E
Q2) Explain the difference between the powers that the U.S. Constitution provides to the national and state governments. Be sure to give specific examples.
Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Explain that the powers of the national government are limited to those enumerated in the Constitution and those necessary to effectuate enumerated powers.
2. Explain that every power not specifically given to the national government is reserved to the states.
3. Identify some primary powers of the national government: to wage war, negotiate with foreign governments, regulate interstate commerce, coin money, etc.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 4: The Structural Foundations of American
Government and Politics
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
105 Verified Questions
105 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27256
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following regions has the lowest gross domestic product?
A) Africa
B) China and Japan
C) North America
D) Northern Europe
E) Western Europe
Q2) Discuss the political impact of immigrants in the United States. Why do elected officials care where they settle? What effect did immigrant communities have on the 2012 election?
Q3) How is the global economy most likely to affect typical American workers?
A) fewer fringe benefits
B) higher wages
C) increased unionization
D) increased use of domestic raw materials
E) more high-paying jobs available
Q4) The process of urbanization in America was caused mainly by the rise of service industries.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What are Americans' concerns about outsourcing? Are they justified?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 6
Chapter 5: Public Opinion
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
109 Verified Questions
109 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27257
Sample Questions
Q1) Although conservatives and liberals both generally argue otherwise, government policy and public opinion seem to be independent of each other.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Why is it problematic to use the Internet to conduct public opinion polls?
Q3) The family, popular culture, and schools all serve as important agents of
Q4) Of the following, which would political scientists consider least likely to be an agent of political socialization?
A) a college education
B) popular culture
C) school
D) family
E) intelligence
Q5) The best evidence that those in power are responsive to the voice of the people is that what the people want and what government does are congruent.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 7
Chapter 6: The News Media
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
108 Verified Questions
108 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27258
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is a conclusion scholars have come to about how the digital age has changed news operations?
A) There has been a large-scale expansion in the size and quality of the core of political news.
B) Very little has been done by way of original, in-depth stories.
C) An exponential growth in commentary on news is the same thing as the expansion in the quality of the news.
D) The number of ways in which the news is distributed has decreased.
E) Social media have influenced the increase in quality of the core of political news.
Q2) A recent USA Today headline reading, "Fixing Mel Gibson's 2008 Maserati Could Get Costly," is an example of __________.
A) spin
B) infotainment
C) investigative reporting
D) objective journalism
E) agenda setting
Q3) Most large media outlets are owned by __________.
Q4) Explain what makes a story "newsworthy."
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 8
Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Business Organizations
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
109 Verified Questions
109 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27259
Sample Questions
Q1) According to the idea of pluralism, political power is distributed across a wide range of diverse and competing interest groups.
A)True
B)False
Q2) There is wide agreement that the number of interest groups in the United States has grown steadily since the late 1960s. Why is this so? Do you believe the number of interest groups will continue to grow over the next few decades? Why or why not?
Q3) In Federalist No. 10, Madison expressed concerns about what he called "factions." What are some examples of modern-day factions, and is it true that these factions pursue their self-interest at the expense of the broader public interest, as Madison assumed?
Q4) Discuss the relationship between lobbyists and the executive branch in terms of what each offers the other.
Q5) If James Madison were alive today, he would most likely view the rapid growth of interest groups over the past several decades as a positive development.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 9
Chapter 8: Social Movements
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
102 Verified Questions
102 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27260
Sample Questions
Q1) The Great Depression ultimately led to the creation of new majorities, in the form of labor unions.
A)True
B)False
Q2) According to the box, "How Are People Involved in Politics," in which political activity did the most Americans report participation?
A) giving money to a social/political organizations
B) joining protest rallies or marches
C) attending meetings on political or social issues
D) signing paper petitions
E) distributing social/political group information
Q3) Secularization refers to the spread of what type of values and outlooks?
A) terroristic
B) nonreligious
C) antiwar
D) populist
E) abolitionist
Q4) Black registration and voting turnout increased dramatically in the South during the late 1960s and 1970s after the passage of the __________.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 10
Chapter 9: Political Parties
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
106 Verified Questions
106 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27261
Sample Questions
Q1) What is party ideology? What trends are we seeing in political parties on the ideological level? How are specific ideologies affecting party politics in the United States? Are third parties destined to have more impact on the political system in the future?
Q2) In the political system used in most Western democracies, governing power is often shared among two or more parties in a coalition government.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following is one of the contributing factors to the increase in partisanship at all levels of government since the 1980s?
A) the increase of moderates within the political parties
B) tension over the debt ceiling bill introduced into Congress
C) the increase in the number of competitive districts in House races
D) the explosion of advocacy groups that demand unity on issues
E) the gridlock created by extreme views and unwillingness to compromise
Q4) An active partisan is a person who claims to be independent but consistently favors one party over another.
A)True
B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 11
Chapter 10: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
108 Verified Questions
108 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27262
Sample Questions
Q1) Voters seem to have been punishing what president in the 2008 election by voting against candidates from his party?
A) Bill Clinton
B) George H. W. Bush
C) Barack Obama
D) George W. Bush
E) Jimmy Carter
Q2) Since 1912, roughly __________ to __________ percent of Americans have voted in presidential elections.
A) 10; 15
B) 30; 45
C) 50; 65
D) 60; 75
E) 85; 90
Q3) Why is age an important predictor of whether someone will vote?
Q4) Describe the current process for selecting presidential candidates. Is the process still relevant and worthwhile?
Q5) New Hampshire holds its primary in the month of __________.
Q6) Referenda are measures placed on ballots by __________.
Page 12
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 11: Congress
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
108 Verified Questions
108 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27263
Sample Questions
Q1) Bicameralism conformed to the framers' belief that the legislative branch-the center of policymaking for government-ought to be a place where the public's business is deliberated __________.
A) aggressively and unyieldingly
B) carefully and slowly
C) impassively and impartially D) quickly and conscientiously E) quickly and efficiently
Q2) Women and racial minorities are __________ in Congress. A) proportionately represented B) significantly overrepresented C) significantly underrepresented D) slightly overrepresented E) slightly underrepresented
Q3) In the Senate, a member introduces a bill to the body after being recognized by the presiding officer. In the House, a member introduces a bill by putting it into the
Q4) The opposite of packing a district is __________, in which a homogenous voting block is split apart.
Q5) Describe majority-minority districts and explain their purpose(s).
Page 13
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 12: The Presidency
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
106 Verified Questions
106 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27264
Sample Questions
Q1) Vetoes are rarely overridden.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The __________ is the president's top advisor and supervises other staff members and organizes much of what the president does.
Q3) Describe the informal powers of the president.
Q4) What is one of the reasons that power and responsibility of the presidency has grown since the early presidency?
A) The United States became a world power.
B) The United States became a simple free market economy.
C) The President's role increased, so the role of government could decrease.
D) The more contemporary presidents had to exercise their powers as commander in chief while earlier presidents did not.
E) The budget for government agencies has decreased leaving more responsibility to the president.
Q5) What did the Framers envision as the role of the president? How has the role changed since the Constitution was written? How have these change affected the president's relationship with the American people? Have they made the president more effective?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 14
Chapter 13: The Executive Branch
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
106 Verified Questions
106 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27265
Sample Questions
Q1) How do departments differ from independent agencies?
A) Department heads are appointed by the president; agency heads are not.
B) Agency heads are part of the president's cabinet; department heads are not.
C) Department heads are part of the president's cabinet; agency heads are not.
D) Departments cover a wider range of functions than agencies.
E) Agencies are typically larger than and include several departments.
Q2) Whistle-blowers alert the public to cases of official agency misconduct.
A)True
B)False
Q3) One purpose of the Administrative Procedure Act is to __________.
A) ensure opportunities for public participation in the rule-making process
B) give federal agencies greater discretion in the rule-making process
C) streamline bureaucratic activities in the rule-making process
D) give the president greater control over the rule-making process
E) discourage agencies from drafting new regulations
Q4) The president and Congress share oversight of the federal bureaucracy.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What are independent regulatory commissions, and why are they removed from presidential and congressional control?
Page 15
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 14: The Courts
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
107 Verified Questions
107 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27266
Sample Questions
Q1) What do presidents look for in selecting a Supreme Court justice?
Q2) How many justices currently serve on the Supreme Court?
A) five
B) six
C) twelve
D) nine
E) eight
Q3) The United States has a dual system of justice.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe the "dual system" of justice in the United States.
Q5) Litigants have an automatic right of appeal to the Supreme Court.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Describe the difference between original and appellate jurisdiction.
Q7) Describe the different types of federal courts.
Q8) __________ juries decide whether there is sufficient evidence to bring an indictment against accused persons.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 16
Q9) Of all the federal courts, only the __________ is established by the Constitution.
Chapter 15: Civil Liberties: the Struggle for Freedom
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
108 Verified Questions
108 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27267
Sample Questions
Q1) What is the name for a government decree that a person is guilty of a crime that carries the death penalty, rendered without benefit of a trial?
A) ex post facto
B) habeas corpus
C) due process
D) bill of attainder
E) double jeopardy
Q2) Why are the establishment and free exercise clauses necessary to maintain the separation of church and state?
Q3) Which of the following considerably narrowed the exclusionary rule?
A) harmless error rule
B) closed container rule
C) inevitable discovery rule
D) confidential informant rule
E) illegal substance rule
Q4) The USA Patriot Act provides the government with methods for circumventing restrictions on __________.
Q5) The Taney Court generally favored use of private property for __________ rather than simple enjoyment.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 17
Chapter 16: Civil Rights: the Struggle for Political Equality
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
109 Verified Questions
109 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27268
Sample Questions
Q1) What is the status of affirmative action in college admissions after the Supreme Court decisions in the two Michigan cases, one involving the University of Michigan undergraduate program and one the law school?
A) Affirmative action policies are generally permissible, but they cannot involve race-based quotas or numerical point systems.
B) Affirmative action policies are assumed to be unconstitutional unless the university can demonstrate the need to promote racial tolerance.
C) Affirmative action policies are assumed to be constitutional unless an applicant can demonstrate that race affected the admissions decision.
D) Affirmative action policies must ensure that all racial and ethnic groups are represented in accordance with the population of the nation as a whole.
E) All forms of affirmative action are unconstitutional because they unfairly favor some people over others based on the color of their skin.
Q2) The __________ is the government agency that hears complaints filed by those who believe they have been sexually harassed at work.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
18
Chapter 17: Domestic Policies
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
108 Verified Questions
108 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27269
Sample Questions
Q1) If all citizens who are 65 years and older are eligible for Medicare, but only some citizens are eligible for Medicaid because they lack certain resources, which of the following is also true?
A) Both Medicare and Medicaid are principally retirement programs.
B) Both Medicare and Medicaid are means-tested programs.
C) Medicare is an entitlement program, but Medicaid is a means-tested program.
D) Medicare is a means-tested program, but Medicaid is an entitlement program.
E) Medicare and Medicaid have been replaced by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
Q2) What has been the U.S. government's recent trend regarding budget deficits and the national debt, and what factors are driving this trend?
Q3) The money supply __________ when the Federal Reserve Board increases interest rates.
Q4) Why are some people concerned about the long-term sustainability of Social Security?
Q5) One reason for the increase in health care costs is the aging population in America. A)True B)False
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 19
Chapter 18: Foreign Policy and National Defense
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
106 Verified Questions
106 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/27270
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following agencies is mostly focused on foreign aid?
A) the Central Intelligence Agency
B) the National Security Agency
C) the Defense Intelligence Agency
D) the Agency for International Development
E) the Agency for Foreign Aid and Assistance
Q2) In 2009, why was China concerned about the health care law that was then being crafted in the United States? Why was the Obama administration quick to try to alleviate China's concerns?
Q3) The use of tactics and weapons such as roadside bombs, rocket-propelled grenades, sniper rifles, and AK-47 assault rifles in Iraq and Afghanistan is an example of __________ warfare.
A) conventional B) symmetrical C) lopsided
D) modern E) asymmetric
Q4) U.S. foreign policy toward North Korea is largely driven by its __________ ambition.
Q5) How is terrorism fundamentally different from traditional military action?
Page 20
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.