Political Science 101 Exam Practice Tests
Course Introduction
Political Science 101 introduces students to the foundational concepts, theories, and structures that define the study of politics and government. Exploring topics such as political ideologies, the organization of governments, the role of citizens, policy-making processes, and the influence of global affairs, this course provides a comprehensive overview of how political systems operate at both national and international levels. Through critical analysis of contemporary issues and theoretical frameworks, students develop a deeper understanding of the dynamics of power, governance, political participation, and civic responsibility.
Recommended Textbook
American Government Institutions and Policies 14th Edition by James Q. Wilson
Available Study Resources on Quizplus
20 Chapters
1795 Verified Questions
1795 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/1159
Page 2
Chapter 1: The Study of American Government
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22898
Sample Questions
Q1) A policy in which almost everybody benefits and almost everybody pays
A) interest group politics.
B) majoritarian politics.
C) client politics.
D) entrepreneurial politics.
E) logrolling politics.
Answer: B
Q2) The Greek city-state, or polis, extended the right to vote to everyone except A) slaves.
B) women.
C) minors.
D) those without property.
E) All of the above are True.
Answer: E
Q3) Marx argued that governments were basically dominated by business owners.
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
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22899
Sample Questions
Q1) The Federalist Papers were written in order to mobilize support for the Constitution.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) The text suggests that the Antifederalists might have been more accurately called the
A) nationalists.
B) states' rights advocates.
C) monarchists.
D) loyalists.
E) anarchists.
Answer: B
Q3) George Washington believed the country could survive only with a strong national government.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 4
Chapter 3: Federalism
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22900
Sample Questions
Q1) According to a 2011 study by the Government Accountability Office, the federal government and the states provide duplication of services in
A) economic development.
B) food regulation.
C) counterterrorism.
D) Options A, B, C, and D are True.
E) None of the above is True.
Answer: D
Q2) Compare and contrast the following two kinds of federal controls on state governments: conditions of aid and mandates. Be sure to list examples of each.
Answer: -Conditions of aid are requirements placed on state governments when they accepted federal dollars. Examples are: Environmental impact studies, "prevailing wage" requirements, citizen participation, and nondiscriminatory in hiring.
-Mandates are terms set by the federal government that states must meet whether or not they accepted federal dollars. Examples are: school-desegregation, Massachusetts hiring of firefighters, police brutality in Philadelphia, and planning in Chicago. Most federal mandates occur in civil rights and environmental issues.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 5
Chapter 4: American Political Culture
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
88 Verified Questions
88 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22901
Sample Questions
Q1) The text argues that the U.S. Constitution had to reconcile
A) the work ethic with the existence of a leisure class.
B) a religious establishment with the quest for religious freedom.
C) personal liberty with the need for social control.
D) European traditions with westward expansion.
E) the work ethic with the religious establishment.
Q2) Identify and discuss the importance of the five elements of American political culture.
Q3) During the 1730s and 1740s, the political life of the American colonies were transformed by
A) an economic depression.
B) war with France.
C) a religious revivalist movement, called the First Great Awakening.
D) a fight over trade between the north and south.
E) a call for political independence.
Q4) Britons tend to have a higher sense of civic duty, compared to Americans.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Discuss Max Weber's "Protestant ethic" and its influence on American political culture.
Page 6
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 5: Civil Liberties
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
89 Verified Questions
89 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22902
Sample Questions
Q1) In the 1980s, Puerto Rican nationalists were changed with sedition.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Originally, the Bill of Rights applied only to the federal government.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The right of free expression, although not absolute, enjoys a higher status than the other rights granted by the U.S. Constitution. This is known as the doctrine of
A) prior restraint.
B) existential priority.
C) neutrality and clarity.
D) least means.
E) preferred position.
Q4) In the Brandenburg case, the Supreme Court ruled that any speech that does not "incite an immediate lawless action" is protected.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Summarize the facts of the case and the Supreme Court's ruling in Miranda v. Arizona.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 7
Chapter 6: Civil Rights
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22903
Sample Questions
Q1) In the immediate aftermath of Brown v. Board of Education, southern resistance to school integration quickly collapsed.
A)True
B)False
Q2) In the Dred Scott Case (Scott v. Sanford), the Supreme Court ruled
A) that the separate-but-equal facilities were constitutional.
B) that busing to mandate integration was constitutional
C) that Congress had no authority to ban slavery in a territory and that a slave was considered a piece of property.
D) that states could not ban interracial marriage.
E) None of the above is True.
Q3) Summarize the Court's decision in Swann and discuss how this ruling has guided subsequent integration cases.
Q4) The NAACP was formed by a group consisting of both whites and blacks.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Identify, define, and explain the three standards that the Supreme Court uses in discrimination cases.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 8
Chapter 7: Public Opinion
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22904
Sample Questions
Q1) We have recently learned that our genetic background explains much of our political ideology.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following statements about the opinions of political elites is correct?
A) They may shape economic policies, but they do not define economic problems.
B) They may shape foreign affairs policies, but they do not define foreign affairs problems.
C) They both define the problems and shape the policies on social issues such as crime and drugs.
D) They tend to reflect the views of a single, unified elite.
E) They tend to reflect the views of middle America.
Q3) When an individual's views are consistently conservative or liberal, we say that person is ideologically
A) tuned.
B) constrained.
C) aligned.
D) placed.
E) sealed.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Page 9
Chapter 8: Political Participation
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22905
Sample Questions
Q1) In 1971, ratification of the __________ to the U.S. Constitution extended voter eligibility to all persons age 18 or older.
A) Twenty-Third Amendment
B) Twenty-Fourth Amendment
C) Twenty-Five Amendment
D) Twenty-Sixth Amendment
E) Twenty-Seventh Amendment
Q2) Several states permitted women to vote prior to the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Identify and describe the six different kinds of U.S. citizens characterized in the classic study by Verba and Nie.
Q4) The 2008 presidential election featured a record level of voter turnout among young persons (below thirty years of age).
A)True
B)False
Q5) Identify some of the ways that African-Americans were discouraged from participating in elections.
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
89 Verified Questions
89 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22906
Sample Questions
Q1) The first organized political party in American history was
A) made up of the followers of Jefferson.
B) organized by Alexander Hamilton.
C) organized by the Federalists.
D) ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
E) formed under the Articles of Confederation.
Q2) Voter turnout in primaries is only slightly lower than turnout in the general election. A)True
B)False
Q3) Which statement is incorrect?
A) Typically, a majority of Democrats vote for the Democratic candidate.
B) Typically, a majority of Republicans vote for the Republican candidate.
C) Typically, a majority of independents vote for the independent candidate.
D) Typically, a plurality of independents vote for either the Democratic or Republican candidate.
E) Typically, most independents vote for the two major parties.
Q4) What are the four types of minor parties identified by the authors?
Q5) Discuss how political parties first formed in this nation.
Q6) Explain the ways that American parties differ from their European counterparts.
Page 11
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 10: Elections and Campaigns
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
89 Verified Questions
89 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22907
Sample Questions
Q1) The Constitution's doctrine of "privileged speech" has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to mean
A) that members of Congress cannot be sued or prosecuted for anything that they say or write in connection with their legislative duties.
B) that members of Congress do not have privileged status protecting their legislative speech.
C) that members of Congress can issue press releases that are libelous.
D) that members of Congress can issue press releases with information from classified documents.
E) that members of Congress can be sued or prosecuted for what they have read into the Congressional Record.
Q2) A position issue is an issue that does not divide voters.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A higher percentage of Democrats than Republicans vote in elections.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Define gerrymandering and malapportionment in Congressional districts.
Q5) Identify and explain four types of primary elections.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 12
Chapter 11: Interest Groups
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22908
Sample Questions
Q1) Lobbyists are restrained from misrepresenting facts or misleading legislators by
A) the 1984 Truth-in-Lobbying Law.
B) the open nature of the lobbying process.
C) governmental regulatory agencies such as the FTA.
D) the fear of losing legislators' trust and confidence.
E) supervision of the federal courts.
Q2) The reason Americans participate in civic associations more frequently than do citizens of other countries is
A) their greater dissatisfaction with the government.
B) their more intense attachment to parties.
C) their European heritage.
D) the fact that they are less sensitive to the free-rider problem.
E) their sense of political efficacy and civic duty.
Q3) Unions composed of government workers are becoming the most important part of the union movement.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Define a public interest law firm. Discuss how these firms act to influence government.
Q5) Discuss interest groups in America, Great Britain, and Germany.
Page 13
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 12: The Media
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22909
Sample Questions
Q1) Most Americans rely on _________ as their source for news.
A) the Internet
B) radio
C) television
D) Facebook
E) Twitter
Q2) America has a long tradition of media that are
A) objective.
B) centralized.
C) government-friendly.
D) primarily concerned with governmental policy.
E) privately owned.
Q3) The Carter-Reagan debate in 1980 was sponsored by the League of Women Voters (LWV) because
A) the LWV had an exclusive license for that purpose.
B) the LWV threatened to sue the networks.
C) both candidates wanted an impartial forum.
D) the fairness doctrine did not apply.
E) that arrangement allowed circumvention of the equal access rule.
Q4) What ideology and party do most journalists identify with?
Page 14
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 13: Congress
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22910
Sample Questions
Q1) Studies suggest the incumbency advantage is worth __________ percentage points today.
A) two
B) three to four
C) five
D) six to eight
E) thirty
Q2) A bill can be introduced in Congress by
A) any member of the majority party.
B) any member of Congress.
C) any member of Congress or the president.
D) members of the relevant committees only.
E) committee chairpersons only.
Q3) A marginal district is one in which
A) voters frequently change party affiliation.
B) the constituency is made up largely of minority groups.
C) voters are not clear as to which candidate is the incumbent.
D) gerrymandering has produced a loose affiliation of interest groups.
E) the winner in an election gets less than 55 percent of the vote.
Q4) Identify and define the four types of congressional committees.
Page 15
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 14: The Presidency
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22911
Sample Questions
Q1) The popularly elected president is
A) an American invention, and our nation is one of a few democracies that have elected presidents.
B) common in European democracies.
C) a key feature of a parliamentarian system.
D) a powerful figure in the Japanese government.
E) the same as a prime minister.
Q2) The District of Columbia receives three electoral votes even though it has no representatives in Congress.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Alexander Hamilton stood at the Constitutional Convention and gave a five-hour speech calling for
A) a plural executive.
B) an elected president.
C) an official declaration that George Washington would be the first president.
D) his own appointment as chief executive.
E) an elective monarchy.
Q4) Discuss some of the differences between the president and prime ministers.
Q5) Describe the electoral college and explain what it does and how it does it.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 16
Chapter 15: The Bureaucracy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22912
Sample Questions
Q1) In Great Britain, civil servants are directed explicitly by the ministers in charge of their departments. In the United States, civil servants often must obey both the heads of their agencies and
A) the independent agencies.
B) White House staff.
C) professional groups.
D) lobbies.
E) Congress.
Q2) Under the Privacy Act of 1974, __________ must be kept confidential.
A) telephone conversations
B) government documents
C) court decrees
D) judicial orders
E) Social Security and tax records
Q3) It is very easy to fire a bureaucrat.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Compare the United States bureaucracy to the United Kingdom bureaucracy.
Q5) What are some of the effects of constraints on bureaucratic agencies?
Q6) What are some examples of bureaucratic pathologies discussed in the text?
Page 17
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 16: The Judiciary
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22913
Sample Questions
Q1) A diversity case is one involving
A) the jurisdiction of more than one appellate court.
B) the jurisdiction of more than one district court.
C) citizens of different states.
D) a writ of certiorari.
E) a writ of mandamus.
Q2) The Founders expected the Court to have a large role in making public policy.
A)True
B)False
Q3) A brief is a written statement by an attorney that summarizes a case and the laws and rulings that support it.
A)True
B)False
Q4) There are 94 __________ in the federal judiciary.
A) constitutional courts
B) district courts
C) courts of appeal
D) legislative courts
E) supreme courts
Q5) Carefully explain the background and the Court's ruling in Marbury v. Madison.
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 18
Chapter 17: Domestic Policy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22914
Sample Questions
Q1) By 2010, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid together accounted for _________ of the federal budget.
A) 5 percent
B) 10 percent
C) 20 percent
D) 30 percent
E) 40 percent
Q2) Medicare Part D is a voluntary prescription drug program for qualifying senior citizens.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Under the Clean Air Act of 1970, states were required to
A) end all air pollution by 1985.
B) install smokestack scrubbers on all power plants.
C) pay the costs of eliminating smog.
D) restrict the public's use of cars.
E) eliminate air pollution in the nation's largest cities by 1990.
Q4) Medicaid provides health coverage for people receiving TANF or SSI payments. A)True
B)False
Page 19
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 18: Economic Policy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22915
Sample Questions
Q1) Lower income earners tend to vote Democratic.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The political compromise reached on taxation in the first half of the twentieth century included
A) high marginal tax rates and numerous loopholes.
B) low marginal tax rates and numerous loopholes.
C) high marginal tax rates and few loopholes.
D) low marginal tax rates and few loopholes.
E) None of the above is True.
Q3) In theory, the Fed is
A) the only national entity responsible for economic policy.
B) central planning body for the economy.
C) independent of both the president and Congress.
D) the main fiscal policy body in the federal government.
E) None of the above is True.
Q4) When a recession and an older population occur together, our national debt tends to increase significantly.
A)True
B)False
Page 20
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 19: Foreign and Military Policy
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22916
Sample Questions
Q1) The United States did not institute a peacetime draft until __________.
A) 1865
B) 1890
C) 1910
D) 1940
E) 1980
Q2) As public opinion data show, Americans believe that
A) we should have a small military.
B) we spend too much on defense.
C) we should have a military only during a time of war.
D) we should have no military.
E) we spend the right amount or even too little on defense.
Q3) Which president ordered a U.S. invasion of Panama to depose the dictator Manuel Noriega?
A) John F. Kennedy
B) Ronald Reagan
C) George H. W. Bush
D) Bill Clinton
E) George W. Bush
Q4) Identify and discuss the four worldviews discussed in this chapter.
Page 21
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above.
Chapter 20: American Democracy, Then and Now
Available Study Resources on Quizplus for this Chatper
90 Verified Questions
90 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/22917
Sample Questions
Q1) Under the Old System, a dominant theme in the debates concerning the legitimacy of the scope of the federal government's power was the
A) difficulty of quantifying efficiency.
B) importance of checks and balances.
C) need for congressional dominance.
D) limits of federalism.
E) importance of states' rights.
Q2) Which of the following would have probably been least affected by the choice of a parliamentary system by the Founders?
A) Centralization of authority
B) Foreign policy
C) Executive power
D) Taxation
E) Social welfare policies
Q3) Under the Old System of American politics, leaders in the House and Senate had considerable power.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What are four consequences of the enlarged scope of governmental action?
To view all questions and flashcards with answers, click on the resource link above. Page 22