Political Science I Exam Practice Tests
Course Introduction
Political Science I offers an introduction to the fundamental concepts, theories, and institutions that underpin political systems around the world. The course explores the development and operation of political structures, the roles of citizens and leaders, the impact of ideologies, and the processes behind decision-making and governance. Students will examine the frameworks of democracy, authoritarianism, and other political regimes, analyze key issues such as civil rights, political participation, and public policy, and gain a foundational understanding of comparative politics and international relations. This course provides the essential groundwork for further study in political science and helps students become informed participants in political discourse.
Recommended Textbook
American Government and Politics Today Essentials 2015 2016 Edition 18th Edition by Barbara A.
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Chapter 1: The Democratic Republic
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Sample Questions
Q1) Liberty is
A) freedom to do whatever you want.
B) available only in the United States.
C) the greatest freedom of the individual consistent with the freedom of other individuals.
D) incompatible with government authority.
E) a uniquely American value.
Answer: C
Q2) A government in which the ruler fully controls government itself but largely stays out of religious and business institutions is
A) a democratic republic.
B) a direct democracy.
C) a representative democracy.
D) totalitarian.
E) authoritarian.
Answer: E
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Sample Questions
Q1) The First Continental Congress
A) declared independence from Britain.
B) was held in Boston, Massachusetts.
C) urged colonists to purchase British goods to win favor with the king.
D) encouraged the colonists to petition King George III to express their grievances.
E) produced a document that the colonists found to be coercive.
Answer: D
Q2) The framers of the Constitution set
A) no time limit for the ratification process.
B) a limit of twelve months for the ratification of an amendment.
C) a limit of twenty-four months for the ratification of an amendment.
D) a seven-year limit for the ratification of an amendment.
E) a provision for extensions for ratification.
Answer: A
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Chapter 3: Federalism
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Sample Questions
Q1) While most __________ would be pleased that the Supreme Court upheld the individual insurance mandate of the Affordable Care Act, most __________ would be encouraged that the Court made Medicaid expansion optional for the states.
A) conservatives; libertarians
B) conservatives; liberals
C) socialists; liberals
D) libertarians; states' rights advocates
E) liberals; conservatives
Answer: E
Q2) In response to the Great Recession of 2000s, we initially saw _________________, followed by _________________.
A) a boost in federal funding to the states; states cutting spending and government employment
B) a boost in federal funding to the states; job growth in states' governments
C) major cuts to federal spending; increased taxes to reduce the deficit
D) major cuts to federal spending; growth in private business employment
E) significant job losses; major cuts in federal spending
Answer: A
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Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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Q1) Chief Justice Burger's test of obscenity, as articulated in Miller v. California, included that
A) the average person finds that it violates contemporary community standards.
B) the work as a whole appeals to a prurient, excessive interest in sex.
C) the work shows patently offensive sexual conduct.
D) the work lacks serious redeeming merit.
E) All of the above.
Q2) The 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act
A) was found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
B) prohibits protestors from blocking entrances to abortion clinics.
C) prohibits protestors from speaking to patients entering abortion clinics.
D) cannot be used to establish "buffer zones" around clinics.
E) Options A and B are true.
Q3) A defendant's pre-trial rights include all of the following<B> except</B>
A) to be informed of the charges.
B) the right to legal counsel.
C) the right to remain silent.
D) the right to an impartial jury.
E) prompt arraignment.
Q4) Explain the positions of those for and those against the Patriot Act.
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Civil Rights
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Q1) The Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 was passed in response to A) a ruling by the Hawaii Supreme Court that might have allowed same-sex couples to marry.
B) the passage of Vermont's civil union law.
C) the legalization of same-sex marriages in Massachusetts.
D) the Supreme Court's striking down of anti-sodomy laws in Lawrence v. Texas.
E) the establishment of civil unions in Minnesota.
Q2) In order to pass strict scrutiny, a law must do all of the following <B>except</B>
A) be justified by a compelling government interest.
B) be narrowly tailored to meet a government interest.
C) be rationally related to a government interest.
D) be the least restrictive means to accomplish the goal.
E) None of the above.
Q3) The Twenty-Sixth Amendment to the Constitution
A) effectively established the national voting age at eighteen years.
B) allowed states to set a voting age between eighteen and twenty-one years.
C) expanded due process protections to the states.
D) abolished slavery.
E) Both C and D.
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Page 7
Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization
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Sample Questions
Q1) The transfer of political values
A) is more likely to occur from children to parents.
B) is more likely to occur from parents to children.
C) is just as likely to occur from children to parents as it is to occur from parents to children.
D) is exceptionally rare in families.
E) never occurs from children to parents.
Q2) Describe the ways in which social media on the Internet can be employed by candidates and political groups.
Q3) In the 2012 elections, the group of voters most strongly opposed to President Barack Obama was
A) those who identify as culturally southern.
B) the white working class.
C) the wealthy.
D) those who identify as socially liberal.
E) Both A and B.
Q4) Explain how demographic influences shape voting behavior.
Q5) Explore the means by which political socialization occurs in the United States.
Q6) Describe the concept of a generational effect and provide examples of its impact on public opinion.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Interest Groups
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Q1) In cases where the goal of an interest group can be described as having concentrated benefits and dispersed costs, there tends to be a(n) ___________ between supporters and opponents.
A) long, drawn-out political battle
B) period of political gridlock
C) enthusiasm gap
D) willingness to compromise
E) None of the above.
Q2) Groups recognize that the greatest concern of legislators is to
A) support the principles of their political party.
B) be reelected.
C) vote for the ideas of the constituents.
D) be totally informed on issues they will have to vote on.
E) please the congressional leadership.
Q3) All of the following statements about demonstrations are true <B>except</B>
A) if peaceable, they are protected by the First Amendment.
B) they were used to great effect by the civil rights movement.
C) they were used by the movement against the Vietnam War.
D) they are organized refusals to buy the products of a particular company.
E) if violent, they can backfire and alienate the public.
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Chapter 8: Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are true of the election of 2012 <B>except</B>
A) Hispanic voters reached a new high as a percentage of the electorate at 10 percent.
B) President Obama was reelected by a very narrow margin of 1 percent.
C) Republicans lost seats in Congress.
D) Republicans retained control of the U.S. House.
E) President Obama won over 70 percent of Hispanic voters.
Q2) Functions of political parties in the United States include all of the following<B> except</B>
A) operating the government.
B) acting as an organized opposition to the party in power.
C) signing up large numbers of dues-paying committed members.
D) recruiting candidates for public office.
E) presenting alternative policies to the electorate.
Q3) In general, the Democrats have been known as the party of A) well-educated, professional individuals.
B) economic depression.
C) the economic elite.
D) conservative political ideas.
E) states' rights.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: Campaigns and Elections
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Q1) Tracking polls are used
A) on a daily basis to determine last-minute changes in the mood of the electorate.
B) by the government to determine if a candidate is receiving illegal campaign contributions.
C) to encourage voter turnout.
D) primarily in countries that have a multi-party political structure.
E) by the media throughout the election year.
Q2) Holders of political office in the United States today are usually
A) representative of the general public.
B) evenly divided between men and women.
C) white and male.
D) younger than the candidates elected in the 1800s.
E) Roman Catholics.
Q3) Almost all of the support for creating voter ID laws has come from
A) Republicans.
B) Democrats.
C) libertarians.
D) socialists.
E) None of the above.
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Page 11
Chapter 10: The Media
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the theories of media bias? Is there evidence to support the claims of media bias?
Q2) Since the "daisy girl" political advertisement in 1964, we have seen _________________ because _________________.
A) a decline in negative advertising; it is perceived as having little or no effect
B) a decline in negative advertising; it only harms the campaign that "goes negative"
C) an increase in negative advertising; it is perceived as effective
D) a decline in both positive and negative political advertising; they are perceived as ineffective
E) a decline in both positive and negative political advertising; they are too costly
Q3) Evaluate the role of the media in setting the public agenda and argue whether you think it is good or bad for them to have this power.
Q4) Discuss the media's role in political socialization, with a focus on how and why different generations might have been socialized differently.
Q5) Describe the steps you can take to become a critical news consumer.
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Page 12
Chapter 11: The Congress
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Q1) A sizable majority of ____________ who run for reelection are ____________.
A) House members; defeated in party primaries
B) Senators; defeated in general elections
C) incumbents; defeated in party primaries
D) incumbents; successful
E) None of the above.
Q2) The annual process in which all federal programs are required to review their programs and submit requests for funding is
A) the executive budgetary process.
B) the fiscal year.
C) the spring review.
D) the fall review.
E) earmarking.
Q3) Explain the functions and rules regarding filibuster, cloture, and reconciliation.
Q4) Explain the debt ceiling and discuss the ways in which it has become a political tool.
Q5) Compare and contrast the trustee and instructed-delegate theories of representation.
Q6) Explain how a bill becomes a law.
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Chapter 12: The President
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Sample Questions
Q1) Analyze the circumstances in which impeachment has been used throughout U.S. history.
Q2) The Twenty-Fifth Amendment
A) was first used when President Ford appointed Nelson Rockefeller as vice president.
B) has never been used.
C) was a result of the long illness of President Carter.
D) is only used when the Constitution explicitly says that it is applicable.
E) was used by President Nixon when he appointed Ford as vice president.
Q3) Presidential popularity
A) is irrelevant to bureaucrats.
B) has stayed within a small range since Gallup began measuring it.
C) is of little concern to second-term presidents.
D) is required before a president may claim executive privilege.
E) is an important resource for presidents to use to persuade Congress to pass legislation.
Q4) Describe the requirements and the process for becoming president. Include an explanation of the changes to that process after the passage of the Twelfth Amendment in 1824.
Q5) Analyze the president's functions as party chief and superpolitician.
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Chapter 13: The Bureaucracy
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Sample Questions
Q1) The percentage of the total U.S. workforce that is employed by local, state, and federal governments is
A) 10 percent.
B) 25 percent.
C) 16 percent.
D) 50 percent.
E) 6 percent.
Q2) Any one of the fifteen major parts of the executive branch would be a(n)
A) independent regulatory agency.
B) independent executive agency.
C) cabinet department.
D) government corporation.
E) None of the above.
Q3) The Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission are all examples of
A) cabinet departments.
B) independent regulatory agencies.
C) government corporations
D) independent executive agencies.
E) corporations subject to regulation.
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Chapter 14: The Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are true about presidential appointments to the Supreme Court <b>except</b>
A) presidents usually appoint people who belong to the president's political party.
B) presidents see their appointments as a way to institutionalize their political views long after they have left office.
C) Republican presidents have usually appointed liberal justices.
D) President Bush appointed two justices to the Court.
E) President Clinton appointed many judges to the district and appeals courts.
Q2) The number of justices on the Supreme Court
A) is set by the Constitution.
B) is set by the president.
C) used to be six, but is currently nine.
D) used to be fifteen, but is currently nine.
E) Both A and C.
Q3) Is it legitimate that the U.S. Supreme Court possesses the power of judicial review? Why, or why not?
Q4) Explain the principle of stare decisis and discuss how it relates to the wide variety of courts in the United States.
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Page 16
Chapter 15: Domestic and Economic Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) Discuss the issue of incarceration rates in the United States and how they relate to the rates of crime in American society.
Q2) The process of injecting water, sand, and chemicals under high pressure into rocks to release oil and natural gas is known as
A) hydraulic fracturing.
B) fracking.
C) pressurized energy release.
D) Both A and B.
E) All of the above.
Q3) During President Obama's first term, _______________ were deported.
A) almost no illegal immigrants
B) only illegal immigrants from Latin America
C) only adult illegal immigrants
D) a number of illegal immigrants roughly consistent with prior administrations
E) a record high number of illegal immigrants
Q4) Explain the impact of Keynesian economics on fiscal policy in the United States.
Q5) Describe the measures in recent healthcare reform legislation that was passed by Congress, which takes effect in 2014.
Q6) Explain the stages of the policymaking process.
Page 17
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Chapter 16: Foreign Policy
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Q1) Explain the role that China has come to play in the world. How should the United States interact with China?
Q2) Will the relationship between the United States and Russia be substantially different from the relationship that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War? Why or why not?
Q3) The United States was the only major country to emerge from World War II with
A) an addition to its territory.
B) operational nuclear weapons.
C) the same leader of government that it had when it started World War II.
D) a weakened economy.
E) an intention to expand its role in the world.
Q4) The U.S. led invasion of Iraq in 2003
A) was a consequence of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
B) was an attempt to capture Osama bin Laden.
C) was done with the full backing of the NATO alliance.
D) included Great Britain, Germany, and France as coalition partners.
E) was done after failing to get UN Security Council approval for the military action.
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