Political Science 101
Pre-Test Questions
Course Introduction
Political Science 101 offers students an introduction to the fundamental concepts, theories, and institutions that define the study of politics. The course explores the structure and function of governments, the behavior of political actors, the role of public opinion, and the impact of political ideologies both domestically and internationally. Through the examination of key issues such as democracy, power, policy-making, and political participation, students develop critical thinking skills and gain a comprehensive understanding of how political systems shape societies and influence world events.
Recommended Textbook Government in America 2014 Elections and Updates 16th Edition by by George C. Edwards III
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Introducing Government in America
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Q1) Hyperpluralism maintains that who holds office in Washington is of marginal consequence; the corporate giants always have the power.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q2) The U.S. preference for __________ economic policies helps to explain why we have a smaller and more limited government than do most other advanced industrialized countries.
A) laissez-faire
B) populist
C) pluralist
D) egalitarian
Answer: A
Q3) It is a physical impossibility for government to be "by the people" in a nation of over 300 million people.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Q1) __________ was/were most likely to support a strong state government and a weak national government.
A) James Madison
B) John Jay
C) The Federalists
D) The Anti-Federalists
Answer: D
Q2) Which of the following were most likely to oppose the proposed Constitution?
A) lawyers
B) merchants
C) small farmers
D) large landowners
Answer: C
Q3) How is eligibility for voting determined under the Constitution?
A) Congress determines eligibility.
B) States determine eligibility.
C) Counties determine eligibility.
D) The Constitution establishes universal suffrage.
Answer: B
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Federalism
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Q1) In what ways was Brown v. Board of Education a dispute between states' rights and national power?
Answer: 1. Explain the holding of Brown v. Board of Education.
2. Analyze the tension between state and federal control over education.
3. Evaluate the role of federalism in the racial tensions of the 1950s.
Q2) Many local school districts complain that the No Child Left Behind Act does not provide enough funding to implement the law. If this is the case,the law is a(n)__________.
A) block grant
B) unfunded mandate
C) categorical grant
D) programmatic request
Answer: B
Q3) __________ helped establish the preeminence of the federal government over the states.
A) The Revolutionary War
B) The Civil War
C) World War II
D) The Vietnam War
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Civil Liberties and Public Policy
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Q1) After Gideon v. Wainwright,the Sixth Amendment has been interpreted to guarantee a right to counsel to criminal defendants regardless of the accused's ability to pay.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which amendment has been interpreted by the Supreme Court as prohibiting coerced confessions and entrapment?
A) First
B) Second
C) Fifth
D) Eighth
Q3) In 2008,in Boumediene v. Bush,the Supreme Court ruled that detainees have a right to which of the following?
A) a bill of attainder
B) the assistance of counsel
C) equal protection
D) habeas corpus
Q4) An early effort to define __________ focused on whether the material had any serious literary,artistic,political,or scientific value.
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Page 6
Chapter 5: Civil Rights and Public Policy
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Q1) __________ programs are designed to help remedy continued inequality by giving special attention to members of previously discriminated-against groups.
Q2) If you thought you were getting an inferior public education because of your ethnicity,which part of the Constitution would you rely on most heavily to justify your case?
A) the Equal Rights Amendment
B) the Thirteenth Amendment
C) the Fourteenth Amendment
D) the Nineteenth Amendment
Q3) Because of the Supreme Court's decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke,an affirmative action program that uses racial __________ would likely be deemed unconstitutional.
Q4) Reconstruction was the era of racial healing that followed the civil rights movement. A)True
B)False
Q5) Make an argument for interpreting the Fourteenth Amendment as supporting same-sex marriage.
Q6) Jim Crow laws required __________ of African Americans and whites.
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Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Action
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Q1) In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,some commentators speculated on the reasons why the government was so slow in coming to the aid of victims,notably African Americans who lived in the poverty-stricken lower Ninth Ward. What may have been their reason for doing so?
Q2) The __________ process occurs once a decade,after each census,when the 435 seats in the House of Representatives are reallocated to reflect each state's proportion of the population.
Q3) Dorrinda and Denise are 12-year-old identical twins. Their parents do not pay much attention to politics. They rarely vote and have never been to a political rally. Given what you know about political socialization,what sort of political life do you envision for the twins?
Q4) What is the significance of family in the process of political socialization?
Q5) What did John F. Kennedy mean when he said that America is "not merely a nation but a nation of nations"? Does Kennedy's conception of America still hold true?
Q6) Sampling error depends on the __________ of the sample.
Q7) What is the gender gap in public opinion? Why does it exist?
Q8) What are Election Day exit polls,and why have they been criticized?
Page 8
Q9) What is random-digit dialing,and why are most polls conducted this way?
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Chapter 7: The Mass Media and the Political Agenda
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Q1) Investigative journalism may contribute to __________.
A) public cynicism and negativity about politics
B) corporate ownership of the media
C) an increase in long-term media consumption rates
D) a legal environment that favors plaintiffs over defendants
Q2) Television,radio,and the Internet are __________ media; newspapers and magazines are __________ media.
A) electronic; print
B) public; private
C) private; public
D) liberal; conservative
Q3) The use of in-depth reporting to unearth scandals,scams,and schemes,at times putting reporters in adversarial relationships with political leaders,is referred to as __________ journalism.
A) beat
B) gatekeeping
C) investigative
D) law-and-order
Q4) What is selective exposure? Do you think it is a problem or a strength in today's media? Explain your answer.
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Chapter 8: Political Parties
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Q1) One of the consequences of two-party government is __________.
A) greater fluidity of representation
B) the increased likelihood of coalition government
C) the increased likelihood of proportional representation
D) the moderation of political conflict
Q2) Explain the significance of critical elections to party realignment. Provide an example of a critical election.
Q3) Which political era saw the longest period of Republican domination? Explain the origin and demise of party domination during this period.
Q4) Party realignments are initiated by __________.
A) caucuses
B) censures
C) critical elections
D) unsuccessful election bids
Q5) Party dealignment is associated with __________.
A) an increase in labor unions
B) increasingly politicized evangelical congregations
C) an increase in divided government
D) a rising number of Democrats
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Chapter 9: Campaigns and Voting Behavior
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Q1) Thomas Patterson's observation that "today's presidential campaign is essentially a mass media campaign" suggests that __________.
A) voters have very little understanding of the campaign apart from what they see and hear in the media
B) the media exercise considerable influence over a vast number of citizens' votes
C) campaigns are for the masses and are mediated by political elites
D) the media control electoral outcomes
Q2) A majority of eligible Americans vote in most congressional elections.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Describe how the caucus and presidential primary differ from one another in selecting delegates to the national party conventions. Assess which method is better.
Q4) A poor economy is likely to help the electoral chances of the incumbent.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Most people pay relatively little attention to campaigns.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 10: Interest Groups
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Q1) Elitists generally argue that __________.
A) all legitimate groups are able to affect public policy by one means or another
B) corporations hold tremendous power
C) the American political terrain is characterized by a dispersion of power
D) the government is run for the benefit of all the people
Q2) Which of the following statements about campaign contributions made by corporate PACs to candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives is true?
A) In each race, corporate PACs direct their donations to support whichever candidate most closely shares their ideological values.
B) Corporate PACs give most of their contributions to Democrats.
C) A majority of corporate PAC contributions go to the candidates of whichever party controls the House.
D) Corporate PACs give most of their money to those running for open seats.
Q3) What is a public interest lobby?
A) a group that conducts research and analysis on public policy issues
B) a group that expresses its political views publicly
C) a group that works to gain benefits for society as a whole
D) a group that represents workers within a particular industry
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Chapter 11: Congress
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Q1) In the House of Representatives,a bill goes to the Rules Committee __________.
A) after it goes to a conference committee
B) after it is approved by its full committee
C) after it is debated in the full House
D) before it is amended or rewritten in its full committee
Q2) Most states have a bicameral legislature.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Of the following groups,which is most underrepresented in Congress?
A) African Americans
B) Asian Americans
C) Hispanics
D) women
Q4) What strategies do politicians use in credit claiming? Which are most effective,and why?
Q5) Contrast the responsibilities and power structures of the House and the Senate.
Q6) The central legislative dilemma for Congress is combining the faithful representation of constituents with making effective public policy. Explore what both supporters and critics contend in their assessments of Congress as it attempts to be both a representative and an objective policymaking institution.
Page 13
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Chapter 12: The Presidency
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Q1) Compare the White House staff and the cabinet.
Q2) Which describes something that Barack Obama did that caused his critics to charge that he has become too powerful?
A) He established the Department of Homeland Security.
B) He proposed reforming Social Security and immigration policy.
C) He used drones to kill terrorist suspects, some of whom were American citizens.
D) He used his veto power more than any other president.
Q3) Which of the following is a collection of executive branch officials who assist the president,but who also fulfill duties required by law and are therefore limited in the extent of their loyalty to the president?
A) the White House staff
B) the Executive Office of the President
C) the chiefs of staff
D) the Court of Executive Assistants
Q4) The president may grant pardons for federal offenses (except impeachment).
A)True
B)False
Q5) Describe the role of the First Lady.
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Chapter 13: The Budget: the Politics of Taxing and Spending
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Q1) In which of the following years were prescription drug benefits added to Medicare?
A) 1965
B) 1974
C) 2003
D) 2012
Q2) Which of the following best supports Allan Meltzer and Scott Richard's argument that government grows in a democracy because of the equality of suffrage?
A) Working- and middle-class voters will support more generous Social Security and Medicare benefits.
B) Economically disadvantaged voters will support increased defense spending.
C) Wealthy voters will support progressive taxation.
D) Veterans will support reducing the influence of the military-industrial complex.
Q3) Which of these presidents had low budget deficits during his presidency?
A) Ronald Reagan
B) Barack Obama
C) Bill Clinton
D) George H. W. Bush
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Page 15
Chapter 14: The Federal Bureaucracy
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Q1) Congress and the president share which of the following powers over agencies and departments in the federal bureaucracy?
A) the power to influence budgets
B) the power to issue executive orders
C) the power to sign executive agreements
D) the power to hold oversight hearings
Q2) How did the Pendleton Act reform the system of hiring and firing federal employees?
A) It required hiring and firing decisions to be based on partisan loyalty rather than merit.
B) It required hiring and firing decisions to be based on merit rather than partisan loyalty.
C) It continued to allow hiring on the basis of merit, but made firing federal employees easier.
D) It continued to allow hiring on the basis of partisan loyalty, but made firing federal employees more difficult.
Q3) Discuss the evolution of the federal bureaucracy from the spoils system to a civil service system.
Q4) The __________ led to the creation of a merit-based civil service system.
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Chapter 15: The Federal Courts
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Q1) Which of the following is the authority vested in a particular court to hear a case first?
A) original jurisdiction
B) judicial review
C) jurisprudence
D) confirmation
Q2) The Court of Military Appeals is an example of which type of court?
A) constitutional
B) district
C) legislative
D) circuit
Q3) The Constitution sets the terms of district court judges at 10 years and court of appeals judges at 20 years.
A)True
B)False
Q4) If North Dakota sues South Dakota,the case will be heard by the __________.
Q5) Before the justices enter the courtroom to hear the lawyers for each side present their arguments,they have received elaborately prepared written __________ from each party involved.
Q6) Explain the role of stare decisis in Brown v. Board of Education.
Page 17
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Chapter 16: Economic and Social Welfare Policymaking
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Q1) __________ are cash or in-kind benefits such as food stamps and low-interest college loans that are given by the government directly to individuals.
A) Tax credits
B) Tax deductions
C) Tax expenditures
D) Transfer payments
Q2) Which of the following do Republicans tend to support?
A) demand-side economics
B) government spending to stimulate the economy
C) supply-side economics
D) Keynesian economics
Q3) Monetarists favor using __________ to manage the growth of the money supply in the United States.
Q4) When it comes to fighting unemployment and fighting inflation,Democrats are more likely to stress the importance of fighting inflation.
A)True
B)False
Q5) How does American social welfare policy compare to that of European democracies?
Q6) Tax cuts are a key tool of the __________ economic approach.
Page 18
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Chapter 17: Policymaking for Health Care, the Environment, and Energy
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Sample Questions
Q1) Who typically qualifies for Medicare?
A) full-time workers
B) those 65 or older
C) the unemployed
D) the poor
Q2) In the United States,the private insurance industry pays most health care costs.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Who was the first president to propose a national health insurance program to be run by the government?
A) Franklin Roosevelt
B) Bill Clinton
C) Harry Truman
D) Barack Obama
Q4) An environmental impact statement is required under the provisions of the __________ Act when a government policy is potentially disruptive to the environment.
Q5) Explain the strengths and weaknesses of the Medicaid program.
Q7) Why did Barack Obama want to pass a health care reform bill? Page 19
Q6) How are the policy areas of health care,the environment,and energy similar?
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Page 20
Chapter 18: National Security Policymaking
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Q1) How was the Cold War fundamentally different from the war in Afghanistan?
Q2) The president traditionally has more influence over foreign policy than does Congress.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Why did the United States join the North American Free Trade Agreement?
A) to lower trade barriers
B) to relocate manufacturing jobs to Mexico to take advantage of cheaper labor
C) to slow down the pace of globalization
D) to make it harder for Japanese cars to compete in the American marketplace
Q4) Which of the following is an example of foreign aid?
A) the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
B) the International Monetary Fund
C) the North American Free Trade Agreement
D) the Marshall Plan
Q5) What is a tariff? Why has the world economy moved from high tariffs and protectionism to lower tariffs and nontariff barriers?
Q6) What is the United Nations? Describe some of the challenges in international relations that this organization faces.
Page 21
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