Introduction to Political Science Test Preparation
Course Introduction
Introduction to Political Science offers students a foundational understanding of the structures, processes, and concepts that define the study of politics. The course surveys major theories, ideologies, and governmental systems, examining both historical and contemporary contexts. Students will explore the roles of institutions, political actors, and the policy-making process at local, national, and international levels. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of power, authority, citizenship, and the dynamics of political change, providing the analytical tools needed to understand political developments and participate effectively as informed citizens.
Recommended Textbook
The Struggle for Democracy 9th Edition by Edward S. Greenberg
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4836 Verified Questions
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Democracy and American Politics
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210 Verified Questions
210 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What was designed to protect liberties against unwelcome intrusions of the majority?
A) the constitutional system
B) direct democracy
C) majoritarian representative democracy
D) the presidency
E) the Supreme Court
Answer: A
Q2) The term "political linkage" refers to
A) political actors, institutions, and processes that transmit the wants and demands of the people and groups to government officials.
B) formal policy makers.
C) external factors, such as the U.S. economy.
D) the allocation of values among population subgroups.
E) U.S. foreign relations.
Answer: A
Q3) Violations of freedom come only from majority tyranny.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Sample Questions
Q1) By separated powers and checks and balances, the authors of your text mean
A) that signing statements are explicitly constitutional.
B) that the framers divided government between national and state governments.
C) that the framers divided executive, legislative, and judicial powers and placed them into separate branches of the national government.
D) that presidents are more powerful than Congress.
E) that the courts have the power to review legislative statutes.
Answer: C
Q2) According to Table 2.1, the Preamble of the Constitution
A) establishes the legislative branch.
B) establishes the executive branch.
C) states the purpose of the Constitution.
D) establishes judicial review.
E) outlines concerns about federalism.
Answer: C
Q3) In terms of representation, the New Jersey Plan favored large states.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Federalism States and Nations
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Sample Questions
Q1) Statistical sampling is a constitutionally-feasible way to count the census.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) Why might a shift of power from the federal level to the states and localities mean a decline in the quality of American democracy?
A) Voter turnout in state and local elections is considerably lower than in national elections.
B) Local government is less organized and so is more confusing to most citizens.
C) The media coverage of local events is much greater so that citizens are more informed of these local issues.
D) The census has not been accurate for years, so the programs don't reflect the actual local communities.
E) Local government is never as effective as national government.
Answer: A
Q3) 93) A _______________206)A _________ is an attempt by states to declare national laws or actions null and void.
Answer: nullification
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5
Chapter 4: Structural Foundations of the American Government
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Sample Questions
Q1) It is quite clear from Figure 4.6 that
A) income inequality has declined since 1970.
B) there are fewer poor, but fewer rich, too, since 1970.
C) the percentage of Americans in the second highest fifth category has increased between 1970 and 2006.
D) the rich have gotten richer since 1970.
E) the middle class has expanded since 1970.
Q2) According to the authors, ________ equality in America is affected by material inequality.
Q3) Nativist sentiments in the population
A) made the transition to American life easy for immigrants.
B) led most Americans to oppose capitalism in the 1800s.
C) were largely responsible for the abolition of slavery.
D) have led to many anti-immigrant policies throughout American history.
E) are no longer a reaction to immigration concerns
Q4) Who are America's poor?
Q5) America's economy is predominately capitalist.
A)True
B)False
Page 6
Q6) Americans are among the richest people in the world on a ________ basis.
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Page 7
Chapter 5: Public Opinion
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Sample Questions
Q1) An example of citizens' policy preferences is
A) their feelings about whether government pays any attention to ordinary people.
B) their general sense of confidence in whether government institutions are efficient and effective.
C) what citizens want government to do.
D) their feelings about whether government is capable of handling international crises.
E) their sense of duty to vote.
Q2) Figure 5.1 shows that
A) Republicans tend to lose support as education level increases.
B) Democrats tend to gain support as education level increases.
C) those with a post-graduate degree are most likely to be independent.
D) Republicans tend to gain support as education level increases.
E) those with less than a high school education are equally weighted between the Democratic and Republican parties.
Q3) If you had the power to do so, which aspect of public opinion polling would you change, how would you change it, and why? Which aspect would you keep the same, and why?
Q4) ________ represent the fastest-growing ethnic group in America.
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Page 8
Chapter 6: News Media
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Sample Questions
Q1) Modern newspapers were made possible by
A) technological innovations and democratization.
B) subsidies from the federal government.
C) the development of schools of journalism.
D) high levels of literacy.
E) none of the above
Q2) Study after study has shown that the views of reporters distort news coverage in a more liberal direction.
A)True
B)False
Q3) That which is on the news is typically considered unimportant to the public.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Government regulation of the media is wide and varied. Briefly describe the history of regulation of media. To what extent and the media regulated? What forms of media have greater flexibility in reporting than others? What trends, if any, have you seen in the regulation of media over time.
Q5) Write an essay in which you discuss objectivity and the media.
Q6) The media's interpretation of stories is called ________ .
Q7) How have blogs influenced politics?
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Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Business Corporations
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Sample Questions
Q1) A union
A) collects money and makes contributions to candidates in federal elections.
B) tries to gain advantages or protections for its own members, predominantly economic groups.
C) is another broad and generic name for an interest group.
D) is a type of group that might be involved in public interest activities.
E) tries to get government to act in ways that will serve interests that are broader and more encompassing than the direct economic or occupational interests of their own members.
Q2) The factions that James Madison spoke of would now be called
A) Congressional committees.
B) bureaucrats.
C) citizens' forums.
D) interest groups.
E) pluralists.
Q3) List and describe three ways that have been used to cure the mischief of factions. Which of these has been the most effective? Is it even possible to curtail the amount of money that permeates the American political system?
Q4) Interest groups are sometimes called ________ groups or lobbies.
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Chapter 8: Social Movements
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements describes a social movement that is NOT likely to be successful?
A) The movement stimulates the formation of a powerful countermovement.
B) The movement seeks to influence the political fortunes of elected leaders.
C) The movement becomes the focus of extensive media attention.
D) The movement's goals are closely linked to existing American values.
E) The movement is able to significantly disrupt everyday life.
Q2) Which of the following statements does NOT correctly show a positive relationship between social movements and democracy?
A) Social movements can stimulate the degree of popular involvement that is essential to a democracy.
B) Social movements have provided a vehicle through which the more affluent and educated groups in society have extended their social and political goals.
C) The collective action aspects of social movements can help increase political equality.
D) Some of the social reforms of which many Americans are most proud were the result of social movements started by minorities.
E) none of the above
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Chapter 9: Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Party System of 1896 resulted in
A) thirty-six years of Republican dominance.
B) the War on Poverty.
C) the emergence of the "New Deal."
D) three decades of Democratic dominance.
E) a brief period of a viable three-party system.
Q2) Suppose you are national party chair of one of the major political parties in the United States. What would you do to ensure that American political parties are as democratic as they can be? Is this even possible for the national committee chair to do? Why or why not?
Q3) Political scientists believe that political parties are essential for democracy.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Are there ideological differences between the parties? Are they becoming more ideological?
Q5) Minor parties have played a less important role in the United States than in virtually any other democratic nation.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Most of George W. Bush's presidency occurred under ________ government.
Page 12
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Chapter 10: Participation Voting, and Elections
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why do most observers think that money creates problems in U.S. presidential elections?
A) Money comes from private sources that may influence government policy.
B) Too much money is spent to elect a candidate.
C) Money comes from the government through federal election campaign funds, which increases the deficit.
D) Money that comes from the government shouldn't be used to support any individual running for office, as it lends a sense of unearned legitimacy to the candidate.
E) The amount of money spent on elections should be spent on other, more deserving causes.
Q2) Elections are fundamental to democratic politics. Explain.
Q3) Political action committees (PACs) can give more money directly to a candidate than can an individual.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In the United States, citizens are required to vote.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What role do primaries and caucuses play in the nomination of the president?
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Chapter 11: Congress
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Sample Questions
Q1) The leadership in Congress often schedules important votes between Tuesday and Thursday because
A) this prevents voting on holidays.
B) this allows congress members to reserve Mondays and Fridays for studying bills.
C) members often travel back home on Friday and don't get back in time for business on Monday.
D) Mondays and Fridays are when important committee meetings are held.
E) all of the above
Q2) The only reason for congressional committees is to debate and develop legislation.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Reapportionment is required by
A) the US Constitution.
B) the state governments.
C) state governors.
D) the US president.
E) Congress.
Q4) What is gerrymandering? Who does it?
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Page 14
Chapter 12: The President
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Sample Questions
Q1) The last time Congress declared war was during
A) World War I.
B) World War II.
C) the Korean War.
D) the Vietnam War.
E) the Persian Gulf War.
Q2) The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 increased presidential authority over the federal budget.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following was a movement towards a more democratic presidency in the early years of the United States?
A) States allowed ordinary citizens to elect members of the Electoral College.
B) The two-party system developed.
C) Presidential candidates began to win clear victories in the Electoral College.
D) States eliminated property and religious qualifications for voting.
E) all of the above are correct
Q4) Identify and discuss the roles that the president performs.
Q5) Presidential succession and disability is discussed in the ________ Amendment.
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Chapter 13: The Executive Branch
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Sample Questions
Q1) The federal judiciary can initiate cases against bureaucracies that have broken the law.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The Constitution neither specifies the number and kinds of departments to be established nor describes other bureaucratic agencies.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following could be described as operating very similarly to a private company?
A)government corporations
B) federal agencies
C) independent executive agencies
D) independent regulatory commissions
E) policy bureaus
Q4) A ________ is a bureaucrat who reports abuses of power, corruption, financial management, or other official malfeasance.
Q5) What is patronage? Do we still have it?
Q6) The organizational units in the executive branch were created by ________.
Page 16
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Chapter 14: The Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) For which of the following does senatorial courtesy apply?
A) U.S. District Courts
B) U.S. Courts of Appeal
C) U.S. Supreme Court
D) all of the above
E) it no longer applies to court appointments
Q2) Judicial review was not exercised until 54 years after Marbury v. Madison and has been used to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional about 150 times.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Throughout American history, Supreme Court justices have
A) tended to be white, male Protestants.
B) been overrepresented by Catholics and Jews.
C) been fairly representative of the population as a whole.
D) tended to serve two or three years.
E) tended to serve in other branches of government, first.
Q4) The Supreme Court is both a court of original jurisdiction and an appellate court.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 15: Freedom: the Struggle for Civil Liberties
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Sample Questions
Q1) Five of the ten amendments that make up the Bill of Rights concern protections for individuals suspected, accused, or convicted of a crime.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940), the Court
A) developed the exclusionary rule to prevent police and prosecutors from using evidence seized in illegal searches.
B) specified three conditions that every law must meet to avoid "establishing" religion.
C) called for integration of the public schools with all deliberate speed.
D) upheld the expulsion of school children who refused to salute the flag because it violated their faith.
E) rejected home schooling as a viable education option.
Q3) In terms of the nationalization of the Bill of Rights, instead of total incorporation, the Court has pursued ________ incorporation.
Q4) In what ways have civil liberties as guaranteed in the Bill of Rights made the United States more democratic? In what ways are these liberties still limited in expanding democracy?
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Chapter 16: Civil Rights: the Struggle for Political Equality
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Supreme Court decision that allowed women the right to an abortion was
A) Jackson v. Bundy.
B) Webster v. Reproductive Health Services.
C) Roe v. Wade.
D) Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
E) Griswold v. Connecticut
Q2) De facto discrimination is unequal treatment based on government laws and regulations.
A)True
B)False
Q3) After Dowell v. Oklahoma City (1991), the federal courts began lifting court-ordered desegregation plans.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What do the Constitution and the Bill of Rights say about equality?
A) All Americans are equally entitled to due process in the courts.
B) The Constitution doesn't refer to any equality of protections.
C) All laws must be equally applied to all citizens.
D) Equality for all except African Americans is guaranteed.
E) All men are created equal.
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Chapter 17: The Budget and Economic Policies
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the future of regulation?
Q2) What is the economic theory of regulation?
Q3) Decisions of the Federal Reserve Board play an important role in setting the nation's
A) fiscal policy.
B) monetary policy.
C) supply-side policy.
D) social welfare policy.
E) demand-side policy.
Q4) When government leaders adjust fiscal and monetary policies, they are focusing on A) macroeconomic policy.
B) the national debt.
C) microeconomic policy.
D) supply-side economics.
E) foreign trade deficits.
Q5) Fiscal policy is that which affects the performance of the economy as a whole. A)True
B)False
Q6) ________ policy focuses on the economy as a whole.
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Chapter 18: Social Safety Nets
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Sample Questions
Q1) The money taken out of paychecks for "FICA" goes directly to what federal program?
A) TANF
B) Medicare
C) Social Security
D) Unemployment insurance
E) Food stamps
Q2) At what level of the analytical framework would you find the Republican-controlled Congress delivery on its promise (in the Republican Contract with America) to pass a bill radically transforming welfare?
A) The governmental level
B) The governmental action level
C) The systems level
D) The political linkage level
E) The structural level
Q3) Among other things, TANF shifted the administration of welfare programs to the states.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe the battle between various groups over Social Security in early 2005
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Chapter 19: Foreign Policy and National Defense
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Sample Questions
Q1) Foreign policy, especially concerning wars or crises, has traditionally been different from domestic policy. How?
Q2) What is the theory of "preemption" in foreign policy?
A) The United States reserves the right to "strike first" to prevent a punishing attack.
B) The United States reserves the right to use deadly violence against civilians to further a political goal.
C) The United States reserves the right to invade without any other supporters but only when the United Nations supports the action.
D) The United States must continue to have the largest military power in the world to preempt any other nation's interests.
E) The successful attempt of the United States to surpass Russia as the world's only superpower.
Q3) The ________, established in 1947, advises the National Security Council and coordinates US intelligence agencies.
Q4) The U.S. intelligence community is very small and limited in scope.
A)True
B)False
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