Principles of American Politics Solved
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Course Introduction
Principles of American Politics offers an in-depth exploration of the foundational ideas, institutions, and processes that shape the political system of the United States. The course examines the Constitution, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, and the roles of major political actors such as Congress, the Presidency, the judiciary, and political parties. Students will analyze how these principles have evolved over time and how they continue to influence contemporary political debates and policy decisions. Emphasis is placed on understanding key theories, the influence of historical context, and the ongoing challenges faced by American democracy.
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) The population of the United States is expected to
A) shrink as immigration slows.
B) shrink due to a low fertility rate.
C) continue to grow due to immigration.
D) continue to grow due to a high fertility rate.
E) Both A and B.
Answer: C
Q2) A comprehensive set of beliefs about the nature of people and the role of government is called
A) a political culture.
B) a dogma.
C) an ideology.
D) the political spectrum.
E) political science.
Answer: C
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Q1) Thomas Paine's pamphlet Common Sense advocated
A) the formation of a new government that would still be loyal to the king.
B) the establishment of a government that would limit further immigration.
C) an end of hostilities toward Britain.
D) the idea that the formation of the country's own government was a "natural right."
E) the repeal of all taxes, including those the colonists had imposed on themselves.
Answer: D
Q2) The Anti-Federalists
A) lived in urban areas.
B) attended the Constitutional Convention.
C) supported a strong central government.
D) opposed the new Constitution.
E) Options A and B are true.
Answer: D
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Chapter 3: Federalism
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Sample Questions
Q1) Since 2003, federal court rulings, including those by the Supreme Court, have _______________ but have not __________________.
A) generally loosened same-sex marriage restrictions; overruled same-sex marriage bans nationwide
B) banned same-sex marriages; banned same-sex civil unions
C) taken marriage powers away from the states; taken away powers over civil unions
D) given the power over marriage to the federal government; overturned same-sex marriage bans
E) Both B and C.
Answer: A
Q2) States have the power to ________________ but cannot _________________.
A) impose taxes on income and license marriages; make treaties or wage war with foreign nations
B) enter into treaties with foreign nations; wage war
C) regulate marriage and divorce; impose taxes on income
D) impose taxes on income; license marriages
E) Both B and C.
Answer: A
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Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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Sample Questions
Q1) Slander is
A) an attempt to do bodily harm.
B) the public uttering of a false statement that harms the good reputation of another.
C) printed material that cannot be proven true.
D) a law that prohibits the public from making negative statements about elected officials.
E) making false statements about another person in writing.
Q2) What are the Miranda rights? What exceptions have been allowed to these rights?
Q3) Which of the following are true of the decision in Roe v. Wade?
A) It extended the right to privacy to cover a woman's personal decision on abortion.
B) The decision has not been challenged or redefined by subsequent cases.
C) It limited abortions to the first trimester of pregnancy.
D) State legislatures have the right to decide if abortions will be performed.
E) It allows for abortions to be performed by licensed nurse practitioners.
Q4) Explain what symbolic speech is and give examples of Supreme Court decisions on this type of speech.
Q5) Explain how the Fourteenth Amendment and incorporation theory affected the Bill of Rights.
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Chapter 5: Civil Rights
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Q1) After the Civil War, civil rights legislation was passed by Congress
A) but much of it was very ineffective and parts were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
B) and it played a major role in creating equality for African Americans.
C) and was accepted by the American public.
D) that prevented African Americans from being extended equal public accommodations.
E) All of the above are true.
Q2) Though the civil rights movement focused primarily on the rights of ___________, it had the effect of ____________.
A) African Americans; benefiting nearly all minority groups
B) women; benefiting gay Americans as well
C) Latinos; benefiting African Americans
D) African Americans; strengthening the disenfranchisement of other racial minorities
E) women; strengthening the disenfranchisement of gay Americans
Q3) Define the concept of strict scrutiny and discuss how and why it is used, making sure to note cases where it has been used to both help and harm racial minorities.
Q4) Explain the arguments both for and against affirmative action.
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Page 7
Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the concept of a generational effect and provide examples of its impact on public opinion.
Q2) Public opinion supports
A) the general idea of paying more for education.
B) increasing the spending per student to more than the current $12,922 per year.
C) spending more on education across political parties.
D) the idea that U.S. public schools are doing a good job in educating our children.
E) All of the above are true.
Q3) Peer groups are most likely to influence political attitudes when
A) people are over the age of fifty.
B) it is not an election year.
C) people within peer groups do not have strong party identification.
D) they are actively involved in political activities.
E) their members are all of the same gender.
Q4) Discuss the ways in which public opinion influences policymakers and the limits to this means of the public controlling government actions.
Q5) Describe the significance and possible origins of the gender gap.
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Page 8
Chapter 7: Interest Groups
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Sample Questions
Q1) Public sector employees often have _____________, whereas private employees' ________________.
A) very few opportunities for promotion; promotions are very predictable
B) little job security; contracts often give them job security for three to five years
C) guaranteed pension income; pensions fluctuate with the stock market
D) low incomes; incomes fluctuate a great deal
E) Options A and B are true.
Q2) People who become members of interest groups for solidary incentives are joining
A) for a sense of belonging to the group.
B) to improve their economic opportunities.
C) for ethical beliefs or ideological reasons.
D) to obtain political, economic, or social change.
E) as free riders.
Q3) Lobbyists provide advisory assistance to legislators by
A) testifying before legislative committees.
B) assisting legislators with the drafting of bills.
C) providing technical expertise to legislators.
D) providing exotic vacations for legislators.
E) Options A, B, and C are true.
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Page 9
Chapter 8: Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the importance of independent voters and provide examples of their impact in recent elections.
Q2) The two-party system has dominated the American political landscape for all of the following reasons<B> except</B>
A) political socialization and practical considerations.
B) the winner-take-all electoral system.
C) state and federal laws favor the two major parties.
D) historical foundations of the system.
E) third parties are illegal in many jurisdictions.
Q3) Discuss the obstacles faced by third-party and independent candidates in the American two-party system as well as their successes in impacting American elections.
Q4) The election of 2000 demonstrated
A) the effectiveness of the electoral college in mirroring the popular vote.
B) that Democratic blue states and Republican red states were largely the same as a century earlier.
C) the close political divisions of the nation.
D) how far the country had swung toward a period of Republican dominance.
E) None of the above.
Q5) Explain the phenomenon of "wave elections" and provide examples.
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Chapter 9: Campaigns and Elections
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Q1) The use of the party-column ballot has been shown to ________________________.
A) increase the coattail effect.
B) decrease the coattail effect.
C) decrease straight-ticket voting.
D) increase voter turnout.
E) Both B and C.
Q2) Describe the evolution of campaign regulation in the United States. Include details about efforts by Congress to reform the ways in which campaigns are financed.
Q3) Explore the strategies devised by interest groups and parties to get around campaign finance reform legislation.
Q4) Voter fraud
A) is regularly suspected but seldom proved.
B) was more common in the 1800s when votes were openly purchased than today.
C) is the argument frequently cited by supporters of voter ID laws.
D) may be overstated by some.
E) All of the above are true.
Q5) Compare the features of two different types of primary elections and craft an argument in support of one of these.
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Q6) Which people are least likely to vote? How does this affect government policies?
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Chapter 10: The Media
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Q1) 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
Q2) Government control of media content
A) has evolved over time.
B) is limited by the First Amendment.
C) includes a limited ability to control indecent programming.
D) includes greater control over electronic media than print media.
E) All of the above are true.
Q3) What are the theories of media bias? Is there evidence to support the claims of media bias?
Q4) Describe the steps you can take to become a critical news consumer.
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Chapter 11: The Congress
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Sample Questions
Q1) Explain the different types of committees and their functions.
Q2) When a popular presidential candidate leads to gains for his party in House and Senate elections, this is called
A) an electoral sweep.
B) the coattail effect.
C) the dominant executive.
D) the executive effect.
E) None of the above.
Q3) The federal government operates on a fiscal year that runs from
A) January to December.
B) April to March.
C) October to September.
D) July to June.
E) September to August.
Q4) Explain the roles played by the members of the House and Senate leadership.
Q5) Explain the idea of a minority-majority district and discuss the effects of this practice and why it may or may not be constitutional.
Q6) Compare and contrast the trustee and instructed-delegate theories of representation.
Page 13
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Chapter 12: The President
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following best describes the people who have been elected president?
A) older and from western states
B) primarily Catholics and Jews
C) military commanders from the South
D) white, male Protestants
E) California natives
Q2) Analyze the president's functions as party chief and superpolitician.
Q3) The Office of Management and Budget
A) is a non-partisan department.
B) clearly affects the greater scope of the federal budget.
C) publishes the budgets prepared by Congress.
D) helps the president prepare the annual budget.
E) is currently in the Department of the Treasury.
Q4) Describe the difference between the president's role as chief diplomat and head of state. Provide examples to support your argument.
Q5) Discuss the issue of what it means to be a "natural-born citizen" and how this affects the politics of the presidency.
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Chapter 13: The Bureaucracy
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Q1) When the industry that is being regulated gains control over the agency that is supposed to regulate it, the process is called
A) cooption.
B) capture.
C) complacency.
D) collusion.
E) pork.
Q2) The monopolistic model of bureaucracy states that
A) bureaucracies have no competitors and are therefore inefficient.
B) decision making should be a rational process.
C) advancement should be based on merit.
D) bureaucracies seek expanded budgets and increased size.
E) bureaucracies should apply similar decisions to similar situations.
Q3) Which of the following is true of political appointees?
A) The president makes political appointments to most of the top jobs in the federal bureaucracy.
B) Ambassadors to foreign countries are political appointees.
C) Their powers are often exaggerated.
D) Most have little background for their positions and may be mere figureheads
E) All of the above are true.
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Chapter 14: The Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) A procedure used by the Supreme Court in determining which cases it will hear is
A) the rule of four.
B) the gang of four.
C) the sign of four.
D) the rule of six.
E) the sign of five.
Q2) Should federal judges serve for lifetime or be term-limited? Thoroughly explain your answer.
Q3) Discuss the role of interest groups in the U.S. court system and describe how they can affect politics through the courts.
Q4) If a case is affirmed, it
A) means all justices unanimously agree on an opinion.
B) is sent back to the court that heard the case.
C) means the decision is valid and must stand.
D) will result in a new trial for the defendant.
E) is accepted as a case that the Supreme Court will hear.
Q5) Explain the principle of stare decisis and discuss how it relates to the wide variety of courts in the United States.
Q6) Describe the sources of American law.
Page 16
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Chapter 15: Domestic and Economic Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) Americans' attitudes toward illegal immigrants and immigration, as reflected in opinion polling
A) are overwhelmingly favorable toward illegal immigrants.
B) are overwhelmingly unfavorable toward illegal immigrants.
C) are mixed and sometimes contradictory.
D) oppose states setting their own immigration policies.
E) oppose police being able to question anyone about their immigration status.
Q2) The population group with the highest incarceration rate is
A) non-Hispanic white men, ages 30-34.
B) non-Hispanic African American men, ages 30-34.
C) non-Hispanic Asian American men, ages 30-34.
D) Hispanic men, ages 25-29.
E) non-Hispanic African American women, ages 30-35.
Q3) Discuss the issue of incarceration rates in the United States and how they relate to the rates of crime in American society.
Q4) Explain the difference between progressive and regressive taxes. Would we be better served by simply employing a flat tax across the board?
Q5) Examine the federal budget deficit, why it occurred, and what measures should be taken to bring it down.
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Chapter 16: Foreign Policy
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Q1) Goals of the al Qaeda terrorist network have apparently included
A) getting U.S. forces out of countries in the Middle East.
B) ending U.S. support for Egypt.
C) independence for the Basque region of Spain.
D) getting Turkish forces out of Cyprus.
E) forcing the United States to withdraw troops from South Korea.
Q2) In 2002, President George W. Bush enunciated a new foreign policy doctrine, the "Bush Doctrine," which held, in part, that
A) the United States was prepared to wage preemptive war against perceived threats, with or without allies.
B) the United States would go to war with any country that attacked it.
C) Islamists would not be allowed to take power in any additional nations.
D) America would leave the United Nations if that body did not support its military initiatives.
E) the United States would no longer participate in the World Trade Organization or in the World Bank.
Q3) Describe the details of isolationist and internationalist foreign policies and argue which general policy is in the best interests of the United States today.
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