Introduction to American Government Test Preparation
Course Introduction
Introduction to American Government offers a comprehensive overview of the fundamental structures, functions, and processes of the United States government. This course explores the philosophical foundations of American democracy, the Constitution, federalism, and the roles of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Students will examine the impact of political parties, interest groups, and mass media, as well as the processes of policy making and civil rights and liberties. By analyzing significant events, landmark Supreme Court cases, and contemporary issues, students will gain an informed understanding of how American government operates and its influence on society.
Recommended Textbook
American Government and Politics Today Essentials 2015 2016 Edition 18th Edition by Barbara A.
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16 Chapters
1120 Verified Questions
1120 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: The Democratic Republic
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) By 2008, the major political parties no longer exhibited any significant ideological overlap, as conservatives came to dominate the Republican Party and liberals/progressives the Democratic Party. This move in the parties toward ideological purity has resulted in all of the following <B>except</B>
A) the dismantling of parties as insignificant.
B) political polarization.
C) an increased discipline in the two parties.
D) an increase in political rhetoric in media outlets.
E) a decline in trust between ideologies.
Answer: A
Q2) The right to vote for all citizens has
A) always been out of reach.
B) expanded over time.
C) been championed by the rich.
D) always included undocumented immigrants.
E) always included women.
Answer: B
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Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Virginia Plan
A) called for a bicameral legislature.
B) worked to the advantage of small states.
C) provided for the direct election of a president by the people.
D) settled all controversy.
E) Options B and C are true.
Answer: A
Q2) The Jamestown colonists set a political precedent by
A) allowing the governor to use a line-item veto.
B) instituting a direct democracy.
C) instituting a representative assembly.
D) creating a judicial system.
E) writing a constitutional document.
Answer: C
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Chapter 3: Federalism
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Sample Questions
Q1) All are true of concurrent powers <B>except</B> that they
A) are generally not listed specifically in the Constitution.
B) are expressly written in the Constitution.
C) include the power to borrow funds, pass laws, and levy taxes.
D) are generally limited to state borders.
E) include the power to establish courts and charter banks.
Answer: B
Q2) State laws that have legalized the medical or recreational uses of marijuana conflict with federal law and may be invalidated because of A) the necessary and proper clause.
B) the supremacy clause.
C) the commerce clause.
D) reserved powers.
E) Both A and C.
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the Miranda rights? What exceptions have been allowed to these rights?
Q2) The concept of the separation of church and state
A) was referred to by Thomas Jefferson as "the wall of separation."
B) covers conflicts about the legality of giving state and local government aid to religious organizations and schools.
C) refers to the establishment clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution.
D) forbids the government from establishing an official religion.
E) All of the above are true.
Q3) Explain the positions of those for and those against the Patriot Act.
Q4) As originally presented in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights
A) limited only the power of the national government, not that of the states.
B) protected citizens from all forms of government.
C) protected citizens from the national and state governments, but not from local governments.
D) limited only the power of state governments.
E) contained no language on religion.
Q5) Under which circumstances is the government able to interfere with freedom of speech?
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Chapter 5: Civil Rights
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Sample Questions
Q1) "Don't ask, don't tell," the policy of requiring gay men and lesbians in the U.S. military to hide their sexual orientation
A) is still the policy of the U.S. Department of Defense.
B) was first implemented during the Clinton administration.
C) required that enlistees be questioned about their sexual orientation.
D) did not end expulsion of gay and lesbian military personnel.
E) Options B and D are true.
Q2) The use of __________ was instrumental in bringing about the integration of lunch counters, buses, and trains.
A) sit-ins
B) roadblocks at night in rural areas
C) court injunctions that prohibited interstate travel in areas threatened by violence
D) the threat of armed force
E) public demonstrations featuring violence against whites
Q3) Explain the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education and the impact it had on education and the new problems it created.
Q4) Explain the arguments both for and against affirmative action.
Q5) Describe the barriers to voting faced by African Americans after the Civil War.
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Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization
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Sample Questions
Q1) The 2012 contraception insurance policy controversy can be described as a debate over whether
A) employers should cover contraception in insurance plans for employees.
B) religious organizations such as churches that oppose birth control should pay for such coverage.
C) institutions such as schools and hospitals must offer coverage for contraception.
D) Options A and C are true.
E) All of the above are true.
Q2) The generational effect refers to the
A) way in which political socialization produces opinions.
B) increased tension between the two major political parties.
C) tendency for persons to become more conservative as they grow older.
D) long-lasting impact of significant events of a particular time on the generation that came of age at that time.
E) way in which the family influences opinions.
Q3) Discuss the ways in which public opinion shifts toward left/liberal or right/conservative positions, as a reaction to government itself.
Q4) Explore the means by which political socialization occurs in the United States.
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Page 8
Chapter 7: Interest Groups
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Sample Questions
Q1) Groups recognize that the greatest concern of legislators is to
A) support the principles of their political party.
B) be reelected.
C) vote for the ideas of the constituents.
D) be totally informed on issues they will have to vote on.
E) please the congressional leadership.
Q2) All of the following are true of interest groups <B>except</B>
A) the structure of American government gives interest groups a number of areas in which to attempt to influence government policies.
B) interest groups attempt to influence government at all levels-local, state, and national.
C) interest groups only seek to influence government through campaign contributions.
D) the First Amendment encourages Americans to form and participate in interest groups.
E) membership in an interest group makes individual opinion appear more powerful.
Q3) Evaluate the roles of size, leadership, and cohesiveness in interest group power and argue which of these you believe to be the most important and why.
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Chapter 8: Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) One example of realignment was when
A) anti-slavery Republicans left to join the Democratic Party before the Civil War.
B) working-class voters abandoned the Republican Party in 1896 due to the Republicans' populist politics.
C) the New Deal Democratic Coalition brought African Americans and ardent segregationists into the same party in 1932.
D) cultural conservatives abandoned the Republicans in 1968, especially in the South.
E) evangelical Christians abandoned the Republican Party and voted for Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Q2) Third parties have influenced American politics by
A) refusing to allow their policies to be adopted by a major party.
B) sometimes determining whether the Republicans or Democrats win an election.
C) focusing their efforts on getting judges appointed to the bench rather than winning elections for the executive or legislative branches.
D) winning elections to state legislative bodies.
E) gaining control of several municipal governments.
Q3) Explore the role played by third parties in the United States.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: Campaigns and Elections
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Sample Questions
Q1) Explain how the electoral college works, the situations in which it has produced controversial results, and the criticisms leveled against it.
Q2) A striking feature of today's political campaigns is the
A) large number of people who are willing to volunteer their time.
B) positive theme that most candidates use exclusively through the election.
C) lack of money contributed to candidates for major political office.
D) importance of paid professionals rather than volunteers.
E) refusal of so many candidates to take advantage of the media.
Q3) Tracking polls are used
A) on a daily basis to determine last-minute changes in the mood of the electorate.
B) by the government to determine if a candidate is receiving illegal campaign contributions.
C) to encourage voter turnout.
D) primarily in countries that have a multi-party political structure.
E) by the media throughout the election year.
Q4) Detail the qualifications for someone to become president of the United States and discuss the implications these qualifications have on the candidates we choose.
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Page 11
Chapter 10: The Media
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Sample Questions
Q1) A campaign might prefer coverage by the news media to political advertising because news coverage is
A) free.
B) seen as neutral.
C) more effective in persuading voters.
D) easier to control.
E) None of the above
Q2) Explain the ways in which new media (Internet, blogs, podcasts) are used in campaigns.
Q3) Most __________ have tried carefully to separate opinion pieces from straight news.
A) political blogs
B) cable news stations
C) new media
D) traditional media like newspapers
E) Both C and D.
Q4) Evaluate the role of the media in setting the public agenda and argue whether you think it is good or bad for them to have this power.
Q5) Describe the steps you can take to become a critical news consumer.
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Chapter 11: The Congress
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Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are true of the people who work for Congress <B>except</B>
A) they include office clerks and assistants as well as professionals who deal with the media, draft legislation, and work with constituency requests.
B) they are larger in number for House members than for Senators.
C) the number has increased dramatically since 1960.
D) the professional staffs provide information for members of the House and Senate.
E) some of these people maintain local offices in the member's home state or district.
Q2) A filibuster is
A) an attempt to prevent the passage of a bill through the use of unlimited debate.
B) an attempt to persuade others to vote for a particular bill in return for a favor at a later date.
C) used in the House to force a standing committee to release a bill.
D) a method used by the Speaker of the House to promote the majority party's legislation.
E) a technique that is unique to the House.
Q3) Explain the different types of committees and their functions.
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Page 13
Chapter 12: The President
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Sample Questions
Q1) As chief executive, the president is constitutionally bound to
A) enforce laws, treaties, and court orders.
B) submit a balanced budget to Congress.
C) inform Congress prior to any military action.
D) oversee actions of state governments.
E) honor pronouncements of previous presidents.
Q2) The following two presidents are the only ones in American history to have actually been impeached:
A) Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton
B) Richard Nixon and Franklin Roosevelt
C) Andrew Johnson and William McKinley
D) Thomas Jefferson and Martin Van Buren
E) Andrew Johnson and Jimmy Carter
Q3) Staff members in the Executive Office of the President who oversee a particular policy area are commonly referred to as
A) emperors.
B) czars.
C) dictators.
D) autocrats.
E) aristocrats.
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Chapter 13: The Bureaucracy
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Sample Questions
Q1) Any one of the fifteen major parts of the executive branch would be a(n)
A) independent regulatory agency.
B) independent executive agency.
C) cabinet department.
D) government corporation.
E) None of the above.
Q2) According to the Weberian model of bureaucracy, bureaucrats
A) are specialists who resolve problems.
B) are lured by the need to gain power.
C) are inefficient because of a lack of competition.
D) try to maximize the size of their budgets.
E) None of the above.
Q3) Which part of the federal government employs most of the government's staff?
A) judiciary
B) legislative branch
C) federal courts
D) executive branch
E) Internal Revenue Service
Q4) Define the idea of an independent regulatory agency and discuss what these agencies do and why.
Page 15
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Chapter 14: The Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) Almost all cases involving civil liberties or racial or gender discrimination are brought to trial by
A) a single individual plaintiff.
B) interest groups.
C) the federal government.
D) state governments.
E) None of the above.
Q2) A doctrine holding that the courts defer to the decisions of elected officials is called
A) judicial activism.
B) judicial restraint.
C) strict construction.
D) broad construction.
E) conservative activism.
Q3) If a Federal Circuit Court declares a law unconstitutional, the ruling applies A) only to that specific case.
B) only within that court's jurisdiction.
C) only at the federal level.
D) only at the state level.
E) to all applications of the law in the entire country.
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Domestic and Economic Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are concerns about healthcare in the United States <b>except</b>
A) in 2010, more than 49 million Americans did not have health insurance.
B) in 2011, employer-provided health insurance cost $5,429 for single coverage and $15,073 for family coverage.
C) younger workers find it harder to get coverage because they are employed in entry-level jobs without benefits.
D) the cost of healthcare has been growing at a rapid pace, especially for those over age sixty-five.
E) new medical technology and services have made healthcare less expensive.
Q2) Keynesian economics advocates
A) government control of markets.
B) manipulation of monetary policy.
C) the use of government spending and taxing to help stabilize the economy.
D) acceptance of the theories of Adam Smith.
E) laissez-faire economics.
Q3) Detail the efforts made during the Obama administration to address environmental problems and the controversy surrounding such efforts.
Q4) Explain the impact of Keynesian economics on fiscal policy in the United States.
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Page 17
Chapter 16: Foreign Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the Bush Doctrine and criticisms of it, and craft an argument for or against this piece of U.S. foreign policy.
Q2) During the 1800s, the United States generally
A) stayed out of European conflicts and politics but pursued an expansionist policy in the western hemisphere.
B) pursued an expansionist and activist policy in both European conflicts and matters in this hemisphere.
C) pursued an expansionist policy in European conflicts but stayed out of matters in this hemisphere.
D) stayed out of both European conflicts and matters in this hemisphere.
E) has been characterized as Pax Americana.
Q3) The U.S. led invasion of Iraq in 2003
A) was a consequence of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
B) was an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden.
C) was done with the full backing of the NATO alliance.
D) included Great Britain, Germany, and France as coalition partners.
E) was done after failing to get UN Security Council approval for the military action.
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Page 18