Introduction to Political Science Test Questions
Course Introduction
Introduction to Political Science offers students a comprehensive overview of the fundamental concepts, theories, and institutions that define the discipline of political science. The course explores the principles of governance, the structures of political systems, and the roles of individuals and groups within the political process. Students will analyze key topics such as democracy, authoritarianism, political ideologies, policy-making, and international relations. Through lectures, discussions, and case studies, the course encourages critical thinking and provides foundational knowledge for further study in politics, government, and related fields.
Recommended Textbook
The Irony of Democracy An Uncommon Introduction to American Politics 17th Edition by Louis Schubert
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Page 2
Chapter 1: The Irony of Democracy
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Sample Questions
Q1) "Circulation of elites" is characterized by which of the following?
A) The slow and continuous assimilation of new elites into the system
B) The promotion of change in the ruling group.
C) Reaching out by elites to similar elite groups in society.
D) A complete shift in the group forming the ruling elite within the government.
Answer: A
Q2) Based on polling data, roughly what percent of Americans believe that their opinion is irrelevant to the elites or the government?
A) 40 %
B) 43%
C) 46%
D) 49%
Answer: D
Q3) Which of the following is not a threat to democracy?
A) Elite misdeeds
B) Elite repression of the masses
C) Mass activism
D) Mass political participation
Answer: D
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Elite Consensus of the Founding Fathers: Us
Political
Principles
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Q1) The federal government could NOT tax _____________.
A) states
B) foreign goods
C) imports
D) individuals
Answer: C
Q2) As originally mandated by the Constitution, which of the following parts of the federal government is elected directly by the people?
A) The members of the Senate
B) The justices of the Supreme Court
C) The members of the House of Representatives
D) The President
Answer: C
Q3) Republican government is based on the delegation of powers by the people to a small number who
A) work for the best interest of the masses.
B) are smarter than the masses
C) have all the money and power.
D) have advanced degrees and training
Answer: A
Page 4
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Chapter 3: Elites in America
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Q1) ________________ may have been the last Founding Father to publicly acknowledge elitist views.
A) Thomas Jefferson
B) James Madison
C) Alexander Hamilton
D) John Adams
Answer: C
Q2) Bank of America is the largest financial Corporation in America. The largest non-financial corporation in America is _________________.
Answer: Wal-Mart
Q3) Elite Theory states that economic elites are distinctly powerful in shaping government policy.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q4) There has only been one breakdown of elite consensus in American history; it resulted in the ___________________.
Answer: Civil War
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Masses in the United States
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Q1) As globalization makes the value of and the pay for unskilled labor decline, this results in __________________ in the gap in earnings differentials and income inequality.
Q2) Since the 1960s, there has been a __________________ in mass trust of the government.
Q3) Despite overall economic growth, wages have remained stagnant despite being at _______ in 2014.
A) $7.50
B) $9.13
C) $8.40
D) $8.76
Q4) ________________ was passed after September 11, 2001, to prevent future terrorist attacks but violated most Americans' civil liberties.
Q5) The continued increase in global trade has led to a(n) ____________ in aggregate income in the United States.
Q6) Mass polling done by different organizations, such as Gallup, are _____________ due to the wording of questions and a lack of political knowledge.
Q7) Since the 1970s, income inequality has ______________in America.
Page 6
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Chapter 5: The Media: Elite-Mass Communication
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Q1) Polls taken during campaigns provide information on A) the effectiveness of the campaign's theme.
B) name recognition, favorable images, and voter concerns.
C) the determination of the candidate's progress.
D) all of the above.
Q2) The media have largely replaced political parties as the principal link between candidates and voters.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Spoken communication that wrongly damages an individual is known in law as
Q4) For those using the internet for news, what internet site is the most used?
A) Yahoo
B) msn
C) Google
D) msnbc
Q5) Candidates, even in the primaries, are decided by the media and media elites.
A)True
B)False
Q6) In general, how have the media and the media elites changed political campaigns?
Page 7
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Chapter 6: Elections, Parties, and Democracy
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Q1) President Obama broke election records by ___________________.
A) outspending his opponent - spending almost double the opposing candidate.
B) raising the most money in small campaign contributions.
C) losing the New Hampshire primary but winning the election.
D) receiving the most electoral votes of any candidate.
Q2) In democratic nations, the first function of elections is to A) tie the masses to the system.
B) provide legitimacy for elected officials.
C) protect individuals and groups from official abuse.
D) illustrate a symbolic show of input from the masses.
Q3) The American party system provides the masses with an effective means to direct public policy.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Compared with presidential elections, participation in primary elections is about A) 10% to 15 %.
B) 20% to 30%.
C) the same as the presidential election. D) 50% to 60%.
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Chapter 7: Elites and Organized Interests
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Q1) __________________ are conservative billionaires who spent roughly $86 million in 2012 elections.
Q2) What are the differences between the AARP and the NRA? How are these differences important to their effectiveness?
Q3) Membership in unions is atypical in that most members are middle-class.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Interest groups are influential due to their ability to mobilize financial resources.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Lobbyists and PACs are responsible for funding roughly 50% of all Congressional campaigns in the House of Representatives.
A)True
B)False
Q6) The largest interest group currently in existence in the United States is ____________________.
Q7) Oligarchs within interest groups are disproportionately from the
Page 9
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Chapter 8: Congress: the Legislative Elite
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Q1) Which of the following is seen as a benefit for enacting term limits?
A) More professional legislators
B) More competitive open-seat elections
C) Less influence by special interests
D) Lower election costs
Q2) The ability and desire to sell oneself as a candidate, raise money, and organize others to work on one's campaign is called ____________________.
Q3) Personal financial information must be made public by members of Congress.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Which of the following is not one of the three most powerful committees of the House of Representatives?
A) Rules
B) Ways and Means
C) Foreign Affairs
D) Appropriations
Q5) The Rule Committee can "kill" a bill by shelving it indefinitely.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 9: The Presidency
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Q1) Which of the following conflicts was not a formally declared war?
A) The Vietnam War
B) The Korean War
C) The Gulf War
D) All of the above
Q2) All presidents since the 1980s have been frequent users of signing statements.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Roughly 50% of the bills considered by Congress originate in the executive branch.
A)True
B)False
Q4) In 1973, congress passed the War Powers Act to
A) restrict the ability of federal government to mandate a military draft.
B) restrict the abilities of the President to obtain funding for any conflict.
C) to restrict the war making powers of the President.
D) force the President to use economic sanctions.
Q5) How has the "war on terrorism" strengthened the power of the president? Use both the Bush and Obama administrations to explain your answer.
Q6) President Clinton was impeached based on the crime of
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Chapter 10: Courts: Elites in Black Robes
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Q1) ___________________ was the Supreme Court Chief Justice ruling in the Brown v. Board of Education case, which integrated schools.
A) Earl Warren
B) Thurgood Marshall
C) Antonin Scalia
D) Henry Billings
Q2) Each of the states maintains its own court system.
A)True
B)False
Q3) President Reagan appointed ______________, the first woman on the Supreme Court.
A) Sandra Day O'Connor
B) Ruth Bader Ginsburg
C) Sonia Sotomayor
D) Elena Kagan
Q4) The only type of court established in the constitution is the federal district court.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Most criminal cases now avoid trial through a procedure known as
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Chapter 11: The Bureaucratic Elite
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Q1) Describe how the president could use his power to change the bureaucracy. Why is that rarely done by presidents? What could be done currently to make government more efficient?
Q2) Iron triangle members compete with each other for control of policy.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The federal government finances itself primarily from
A) individual income tax and social security payroll taxes.
B) corporate taxes and social security payroll taxes.
C) estate taxes and import tariffs.
D) borrowing from foreign banks.
Q4) Only Congress has the power to reorganize the bureaucracy.
A)True
B)False
Q5) For four years under President Clinton, the government ran a surplus.
A)True
B)False
Q6) Explain the role that bureaucracies play in making regulations. Does this help or hurt businesses and the economy? What can be done about detrimental regulations?
Page 13
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Chapter 12: Federalism: State and Community Elites
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Q1) The powers given explicitly to the federal government under the Constitution are known as the ____________________ powers.
Q2) ______________________________ ensures that all states are subject to the federal government and the Constitution as stated in Article 6.
Q3) Unlike older community elites, new elites tend to be A) independent entrepreneurs.
B) citizens with an interest in community growth.
C) financially involved in the local economy.
D) elected officials.
Q4) The mixtures of power, funding, and responsibility that are needed to enact something like Welfare Reform Act can be called_________________ federalism.
Q5) Analyze the changes in federalism by recent presidents - be specific in your answers for each president.
Q6) The principal instrument of national power in states and communities is A) social programs.
B) the federal grant-in-aid.
C) the presence of military bases within the state.
D) funded mandates.
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Chapter 13: Civil Rights: Diversifying the Elite
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Q1) The constitutional question posed by affirmative action programs is whether they discriminate against whites in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The idea of allowing for preferential or compensatory treatment to overcome the results of past discrimination is called ____________________.
Q3) In 2003, the Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas ____________________ all laws banning homosexual intercourse.
Q4) The earnings gap between men and women is not considered to be direct discrimination because
A) women in the same job with similar skills and experience as men are generally paid the same.
B) it is a result of a division in the labor market.
C) historically, there has been lower pay for "women's" jobs.
D) All of the above are true.
Q5) The search for equality of opportunity has been replaced, in many ways, with the search for equality of ____________________.
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Chapter 14: The United States As Global Elite
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Q1) In the military actions that forced out Muammar Gaddafi in Libya,
A) the United States made a coalition with Great Britain to launch naval attacks.
B) the Middle East took military action before NATO intervened.
C) the United States commanded the effort, and then passed command to NATO.
D) the United Nations supported the military intervention for humanitarian purposes.
Q2) How does the globalization of the economy affect the U.S. and vice-versa?
Q3) The United States withdrew from ________________ in 2004 in order to set up a missile defense system in Europe due to the Iranian threat.
Q4) Which international organization has the United States as its largest shareholder and works to promote economic development?
A) GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade)
B) WTO (World Trade Organization)
C) IMF (International Monetary Fund)
D) World Bank
Q5) Wiretaps, business records, and terrorist monitoring provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act were ____________________ by President Barack Obama in 2009.
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