Introduction to American Government Test Questions
Course Introduction
Introduction to American Government explores the fundamental principles, institutions, and processes that shape the political system of the United States. The course covers the origins and development of the Constitution, the roles and functions of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and the federal system of government. Students will examine the influence of political parties, interest groups, the media, and public opinion in American politics. Key concepts such as civil liberties, civil rights, policy making, and the electoral process are also discussed, enabling students to gain a comprehensive understanding of how American government operates at the national, state, and local levels.
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Struggle for Democracy 2012 Election Edition 11th Edition by Edward S. Greenberg
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Chapter 1: Democracy and American Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Most people around the world prefer to be governed by benevolent military regimes.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Philosopher John Locke thought that individual rights and liberties were so fundamental to the good society that their preservation was the central responsibility of any legitimate government and that their protection was the very reason people agreed to enter into a __________ to form government in the first place.
Answer: social contract
Q3) The form of political decision making in which policies are decided on the basis of what a majority of the people want is known as __________.
Answer: majority rule
Q4) If __________ are to be useful as a way to keep government leaders responsive and responsible, they must be conducted in a fashion that is free and fair.
Answer: elections
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Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Sample Questions
Q1) Under the Constitution, the president is elected by which of the following?
A) Congressional College
B) Election College
C) Electoral College
D) Presidential College
E) State College
Answer: C
Q2) Explain judicial review.
Answer: An ideal response will:
1. Recognize that the Constitution does not explicitly reference the power of judicial review.
2. Describe judicial review as the power of the judiciary to decide whether laws and other governmental actions were constitutional.
3. Explain that judicial review allows a court to strike down federal and state laws determined to be unconstitutional.
Q3) The __________ Amendment protects freedom of assembly.
Answer: First
Q4) Article II of the Constitution addresses the powers of the __________ branch. Answer: executive
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Chapter 3: Federalism: States and Nation
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Q1) Recent decisions of the Supreme Court have taken a __________ view of the scope of congressional power to regulate interstate commerce.
Answer: restrictive
Q2) Jefferson and Madison secretly authored the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, which declared that the states did not have to obey __________ national laws and left it to the states to decide what was unconstitutional.
A) unconstitutional
B) constitutional
C) progressive
D) misguided
E) untested
Answer: A
Q3) The National Labor Relations Act was upheld by the Supreme Court in its effort to act as a centralizing force in supporting the New Deal.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 5
Chapter 4: The Structural Foundations of American
Government and Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is a consequence of the suburbanization of America?
A) a decline in poverty and in increase in inequality
B) diminished power of the rural voice in state and national politics
C) fewer immigrants attracted to the United States
D) increased power of the rural voice in state and national politics
E) passage of a "national urban strategy" by the U.S. Congress
Q2) How does the Boeing 787 Dreamliner save fuel compared to older Boeing models?
A) It has a larger fuel tank.
B) It can be refilled mid-air.
C) It's made primarily of aluminum.
D) It's made primarily of titanium.
E) It's made primarily of strong, light pieces of carbon.
Q3) China currently has the largest economy in the world, as measured by GDP.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Refer to the "Can You Get Ahead in America?" box. What is the American Dream? How have recent generations differed in their views of the America Dream? Has it been more attainable for some than for others? Explain.
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Q5) Define populism, and give an example of populist rhetoric used by a recent politician.
Chapter 5: Public Opinion
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Sample Questions
Q1) What do polls with simple "yes-no" or "agree-disagree" answer options fail to measure? How can pollsters avoid problems associated with questions that ask only for simple "yes-no" or "agree-disagree" answers?
Q2) Serena is a white, middle-class mother of two, who works as a librarian in the public library system of a large city in the American West. She is 57 years old. She is generally inclined to support Democratic candidates whose policies provide an economic safety net for those hardest hit by recessions but will occasionally vote Republican or as an independent when government enforcement of order and traditional values are under siege. Which label best describes Serena's thinking?
A) Serena is a liberal.
B) Serena is a conservative.
C) Serena is an economic liberal and a lifestyle liberal.
D) Serena is an economic conservative and a lifestyle conservative.
E) Serena is an economic liberal and a social conservative.
Q3) Most Americans share certain __________ about the nature of human beings, society, and the political order.
Q4) In a real __________, there must be a close match between public opinion and government policies and actions, at least in the long run.
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Chapter 6: The News Media
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Sample Questions
Q1) Define "media framing." How does media framing of poverty affect American attitudes about its cause?
Q2) Which statement about U.S. foreign news coverage is the most accurate?
A) Press coverage of foreign news tends to be critical of U.S. foreign policy.
B) Press coverage of foreign news is largely limited to European venues.
C) Press coverage of foreign news tends to agree with U.S. foreign policy.
D) Press coverage of foreign news is more extensive than domestic news coverage.
E) Press coverage of foreign news tends to take a colonialist perspective.
Q3) What does the failure to cover the Downing Street memo say about the U.S. press??
A) The U.S. press is superior to foreign news outlets.
B) The U.S. press does not trust the British.
C) The U.S. press favors domestic stories and sources over foreign ones.
D) The U.S. press has to bury stories that could harm a sitting president.
E) The U. S. press tends to miss big stories related to military operations.
Q4) Does the media aid or hinder democracy? Give a brief synopsis of the Framers' opinion, the opinion of your book's authors, and then state your own opinion. Do you agree with the book's authors? Why or why not?
Q5) Explain what makes a story "newsworthy."
Q6) Framing provides a context for ___________ stories.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Business Organizations
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the main objective of most labor unions?
A) to protect consumers from unsafe products
B) to protect the interests of businesses within an industry
C) to protect jobs and secure favorable wages and benefits for their members
D) to ensure equality of all people under the law
E) to support free trade policies
Q2) One function of __________ is to provide legislators with information about an interest group's position on a specific bill or issue.
Q3) Define and describe the four main elements of "the outside game" of interest group activity.
Q4) The practice in which former government officials become lobbyists for interests with whom they formerly dealt in their official capacity is called __________.
A) earmarking
B) the iron triangle
C) networking the issues
D) lobbying
E) the revolving door
Q5) Explain how the revolving door works and what kind of effect it has on politics in Washington.
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Chapter 8: Social Movements
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Sample Questions
Q1) Women and African Americans were able to __________, which ultimately led to women gaining the right to vote and African Americans securing the full rights of citizenship.
Q2) What is the first factor that must occur for a social movement to develop?
A) Resources become available for mobilization.
B) A supportive environment develops among the public and societal leaders.
C) Real or perceived distress occurs.
D) A catalyzing event occurs to set the movement in motion.
E) A sense of efficacy develops among participants.
Q3) In the 2012 general election, Tea Party members supported Mitt Romney mostly because of his favorable stance toward which of the following?
A) corporations
B) bigger government
C) less border control
D) pro-choice legislation
E) support for illegal immigrants' rights
Q4) Social movements are different from __________, which last longer and are more organized, but social movements often lead to their formation.
Q5) Define political efficacy and explain why it is important to social movements.
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Chapter 9: Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) How are most party candidates nominated today?
A) in district, state, and national conventions
B) through manipulations by party officials
C) in primaries or grassroots caucuses
D) in grassroots caucuses and national conventions
E) in national primaries and conventions
Q2) Although Democrats and Republicans often appoint party activists and financial contributors to agencies in the executive branch in return for their support, they do so only when the appointees are qualified for the positions.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A __________ is an organization that tries to win control of government by electing people to office who carry its label.
Q4) Franklin D. Roosevelt's __________ ushered in a forty-year period of Democratic Party dominance.
Q5) When did the "parties at war" era begin, and what changes have occurred in this era? Do you think the changes have reflected the attitudes and views of the American public?
Q6) The __________ coalition began to slowly disintegrate in the 1968 election.
Page 11
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Chapter 10: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
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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) What are 527 and 501 groups, and what is the most significant difference between them?
Q3) Based on the cartograms in the Mapping American Politics feature, and assuming that the states remain in the same categories of "safety" for each party, explain how you as a campaign manager would allocate advertising money in the states of Ohio, New York, and Texas for a future presidential election. How would you schedule campaign visits to these states?
Q4) Referenda are measures placed on ballots by __________.
Q5) What are the potential problems associated with the retrospective voting model?
Q6) Democrats' popularly elected primary and caucus delegates are supplemented by __________, usually party luminaries and elected officials.
Q7) How has women and minority suffrage evolved over time?
Page 12
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Chapter 11: Congress
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Sample Questions
Q1) The House of Representatives decided that, beginning in 1910, its upper limit would be __________ members.
A) 100
B) 350
C) 435
D) 450
E) 535
Q2) Though the Constitution allows states to create their own legislative boundaries, gerrymandering in favor of any partisan or racial group is expressly forbidden by law.
A)True
B)False
Q3) How might a bill become law if it has been pocket vetoed?
A) Congress may override the pocket veto with a three-fourths vote in each chamber.
B) Congress may override the pocket veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.
C) The bill can never become law.
D) The bill must be reintroduced in the next session of Congress.
E) The president may sign the bill at his or her discretion.
Q4) Cloture is the only way to end a(n) __________.
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Chapter 12: The Presidency
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the role of executive agreements in foreign policy? When are they used?
Q2) Which presidential power is balanced by required approval of the Senate?
A) extending diplomatic recognition to foreign governments
B) terminating relations with other nations
C) negotiating treaties with other nations
D) negotiating executive agreements with foreign heads of state
E) exercising veto power
Q3) Which president was impeached by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives in the last thirty years?
A) Ronald Reagan
B) George H. W. Bush
C) Bill Clinton
D) George W. Bush
E) Barack Obama
Q4) The Founders created a system of __________ to prevent tyranny?
A) limited power
B) equal power
C) separation of powers
D) diminishing power
E) unlimited power
Page 14
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Chapter 13: The Executive Branch
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Sample Questions
Q1) In a rare move, the senate rejected President George H.W. Bush's nomination of __________ for a defense post.
Q2) Discuss the role of bureaucratic agencies in adjudication, or quasi-judicial processes.
Q3) How are independent regulatory commissions similar to independent executive agencies?
A) Both are headed by a single administrator.
B) Both are part of the president's Cabinet.
C) Both operate outside of executive department control.
D) Both are allowed to charge for their services.
E) Both perform activities that private investors cannot.
Q4) On what basis are people hired to be part of the Senior Executive Service?
A) their loyalty to the president
B) their party affiliation
C) their length of service in government
D) their experience in international diplomacy
E) their leadership and management skills
Q5) Under __________, jobs in the federal bureaucracy are awarded on the basis of skills and expertise.
Page 15
Q6) Explain privatization and its different uses by the U.S. government.
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Chapter 14: The Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which type of case represents over 75 percent of all cases heard in the 94 federal district courts?
A) civil
B) original
C) trial
D) appellate
E) criminal
Q2) The __________ Act of 1789 established the basic three-tiered structure of the federal court system.
A) Federal Courts
B) Appellate
C) Confirmation
D) Interpretation
E) Judiciary
Q3) How does public opinion influence the Supreme Court?
Q4) Congress has not reorganized the federal courts since the Judiciary Act of 1789.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Gideon v. Wainwright established the right of all criminal defendants to have a(n) __________ at trial.
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Civil Liberties: the Struggle for Freedom
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Q1) Which clause ensures that a citizen who resides in California will be protected by the laws of Idaho while he or she is in Idaho?
A) privileges and immunities
B) free exercise
C) equal protection
D) supremacy
E) due process
Q2) Profanity, obscenity, and threats are examples of which of the following?
A) hate speech
B) prior restraints
C) fighting words
D) free speech
E) free exercise
Q3) An article accusing Barack Obama of being a drug addict is an example of __________.
Q4) Freedom of the press protects reporters from revealing their sources when they have been issued a subpoena by a court.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 16: Civil Rights: the Struggle for Political Equality
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Why were they necessary, given that the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were enacted decades beforehand?
Q2) Which of the following situations would most likely be a violation of Title IX?
A) an election jurisdiction that does not provide bilingual ballots when there is a large bilingual community
B) a legal prohibition on hiring women for positions that are known to be hazardous to women's reproductive health
C) a college that spends significantly more on sports programs for men than for women
D) job applications that are not made accessible to the blind
E) an employer who systematically pays women less than men for doing comparable work
Q3) The Supreme Court has prohibited school districts from using race when determining which students will attend which schools.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Compare and contrast the due process clause and the equal protection clause in the Constitution.
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18
Chapter 17: Domestic Policies
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Q1) Because of the Great Recession, Congress is more likely to deregulate commercial and investment banks.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The money supply __________ when the Federal Reserve Board increases interest rates.
Q3) Which of these statements best describes the influence of interest rate adjustments by the Federal Reserve?
A) They always lead to lower rates of marginal taxes.
B) They can lead to higher unemployment in years of budget deficits.
C) They can spur economic growth by increasing the cost of money for business.
D) They can spur economic growth by increasing the available money supply.
E) They increase corporate profits by making money more available.
Q4) In general, a recession does which of these?
A) generates a response by state governments
B) generates a response by the federal government
C) lasts at least a year
D) leads to higher inflation
E) reduces the unemployment level
Q5) Temporary Assistance to Needy Families replaced the federal program
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Chapter 18: Foreign Policy and National Defense
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Q1) Which of the following is the most heavily involved in gathering and analyzing information about foreign governments?
A) the Secret Service
B) the Department of the Treasury
C) the National Security Agency
D) the Transportation Safety Administration
E) the Department of State
Q2) If the president wishes to address a foreign policy crisis without using the military, the president may instead opt for the use of __________ as orchestrated by the Department of State.
Q3) Which of the following has as its primary responsibility conducting surveillance about the inner workings of countries across the world?
A) the Department of Defense
B) the secretary of state
C) the Central Intelligence Agency
D) the World Trade Organization
E) the Marshall Plan
Q4) How have changes to the world economy affected the United States' approach to foreign policy with China?
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