State and Local Government Final Test Solutions
Course Introduction
This course provides an in-depth examination of the structures, functions, and processes of state and local governments within the United States. Students will explore the relationship between state governments and the federal system, the roles of governors, legislatures, and courts, as well as the administration and financing of local governments such as counties, cities, and special districts. Topics include policy-making, intergovernmental relations, political participation at the state and local levels, and the impact of diverse communities on governance. The course emphasizes both theoretical perspectives and practical implications, preparing students to understand and engage with state and local political systems.
Recommended Textbook
The Enduring Democracy 3rd Edition by David A. Yalof
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16 Chapters
1193 Verified Questions
1193 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: The More Things Changethe More They Stay the Same
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69 Verified Questions
69 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/21517
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following election battles did NOT precede a general U. S. presidential election?
A) Romney-Gingrich-Santorum-Paul
B) Goldwater-Rockefeller-Romney
C) Adams-Jefferson
D) Options A, B, and C are true.
E) None of the above is true.
Answer: C
Q2) Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an eighteenth-century French philosopher, posited
A) that American democracy would end in failure.
B) that in fact a social contract exists.
C) that capitalism was a failed policy.
D) that France would become a world superpower.
E) that democracy was antithetical to freedom.
Answer: B
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Chapter 2: The Founding and the Constitution
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78 Verified Questions
78 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The New Jersey Plan provided for
A) a bicameral legislature with one house elected by the people and a second house selected by the first.
B) a unicameral legislature with the members selected by each state legislature.
C) a unicameral legislature elected by the people.
D) a bicameral legislature elected by the people.
E) a bicameral legislature with one house elected by the people and the second house chosen by state legislatures.
Answer: C
Q2) Prior to creation of our current constitutional structure in the 1770s, the 13 colonial governments
A) were recognized as independent, sovereign entities by other world powers.
B) mirrored those of England during the same period, including an elected House of Commons.
C) had governors who were elected by the qualified voters.
D) were completely subordinate to a powerful central government.
E) did not exist.
Answer: B
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Chapter 3: Federalism
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is a system of government in which sovereignty rests in the central government alone, and states cannot exert direct authority over citizens without approval of the central government?
A) Federal system
B) Confederation
C) Unitary system
D) Parochial system
E) Secular system
Answer: C
Q2) One major result of President John Adams's tenure was the appointment of John Marshall as Chief Justice of the United States. Marshall shared Adams's ideologies and believed in a __________ doctrine of federalism.
A) national supremacy
B) state supremacy
C) Supreme Court supremacy
D) military
E) states' rights
Answer: A
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Ninth and Tenth Amendments
A) guarantee specific rights.
B) protect individuals from limitations on the right to bear arms.
C) describe prohibit excessive bail.
D) convey divisions of power between state and federal governments.
E) prohibit quartering of troops among the civilian population.
Q2) Criminal laws that are retroactively applied to those who engaged in activities when they were not yet illegal are called
A) backdoor laws.
B) fascist laws.
C) civil subpoenas.
D) bill of attainder.
E) ex post facto laws.
Q3) "Positive rights"
A) cannot be denied by a government.
B) exist even in the absence of government.
C) are "inalienable."
D) are granted by and subject to government authority.
E) are based on the natural laws of human society.
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Page 6
Chapter 5: Civil Rights, Equality and Social Movements
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76 Verified Questions
76 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The case of Cooper v. Aaron
A) invalidated the exclusion of black students from law school absent some other provision from their legal training.
B) rejected an attempt to create a separate law school for blacks by roping off a section of the state capitol and assigning three law teachers to them.
C) invalidated an attempt to create an alternative law school for blacks because any such alternative would be inherently different in the reputation of its faculty.
D) rejected as "unequal" an attempt to provide graduate education to a black student by making him sit in a classroom surrounded by a railing marked "reserved for colored."
E) ruled that no scheme of racial discrimination can stand if "there is state participation through any arrangement, management, funds, or property."
Q2) Compare and contrast the efficacy of the Gay Rights and Disability Rights movements. How successful have each of these groups been?
Q3) Discuss the direct impact of the 1964 Civil Rights Act on the rights of African Americans.
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Chapter 6: Congress
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73 Verified Questions
73 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Identify and describe the roles of the leaders within each chamber of Congress. How do these leaders obtain their positions? How are leadership positions of the House and Senate similar? How are they different?
Q2) The direct assistance that a member provides to a constituent is
A) confirmation of appointees.
B) ratification of treaties.
C) impeachment.
D) oversight.
E) casework.
Q3) The first Congress in North America was
A) the House of Burgesses.
B) the Albany Congress.
C) the Charleston Congress.
D) the First Continental Congress.
E) the Second Continental Congress.
Q4) As an elected member of Congress prepares to vote on a proposed bill, he/she is influenced by a number of factors. List at least five modern factors and describe how they may affect the legislation process.
Q5) What is a filibuster? Why is it used? How does it work, and how does it end?
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Chapter 7: The Presidency
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72 Verified Questions
72 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/21523
Sample Questions
Q1) A "signing statement" is
A) an expression of the intent of the president to ignore a law.
B) a means of the president to undermine a law short of a veto.
C) can include a statement that the executive branch will construe an act in a manner consistent with the president's own views on a president's constitutional authority.
D) Options A, B, and C are true.
E) None of the above is true.
Q2) Historically the office of vice president has not been a statistically good position from which to launch a bid for the office of president. What are some reasons for the low number of vice presidents who have later been elected president? In contrast, which previously held political offices are most commonly represented among all the individuals who have served as president?
Q3) Describe how the following positions and groups have historically served the president and helped him to perform his duties: First Lady, White House Chief of Staff, White House Press Secretary, Director of Communications, and Cabinet.
Q4) What are the differences between an executive order and a law?
Q5) Describe the implied powers and responsibilities of the President.
Q6) Discuss the evolution of executive powers since World War II.
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Chapter 8: The Federal Bureaucracy
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The federal government's bureaucracy is ultimately the responsibility of
A) the President of the United States.
B) the Congressional Business Office.
C) the Oversight Committee of the Supreme Court.
D) the White House chief of staff.
E) the bureaucracy itself.
Q2) What impact did President Roosevelt's New Deal policies have on the federal bureaucracy during the Great Depression and into the 1940s? How did the policies of the Roosevelt administration compare to those of the Reagan administration in the 1980s and the emergence of devolution?
Q3) What is the purpose of a federal regulatory agency? Give three examples of regulatory agencies and briefly describe the primary role of each agency.
Q4) The Civil Service Reform Act
A) prohibits the dismissal of an employee for political purposes.
B) was a response to the Spoils System.
C) administers the system of federal hiring.
D) was modified by the Shakman decision.
E) established a system for hiring some federal workers based on job qualifications.
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Page 10
Chapter 9: The Judiciary
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72 Verified Questions
72 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Federal courts do NOT hear cases involving
A) land use and zoning.
B) money laundering.
C) carjacking.
D) bankruptcy.
E) Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Q2) Congress can alter the Supreme Court's __________ but not its __________.
A) standing, judicial review
B) judicial review, indictments
C) appellate jurisdiction, original jurisdiction
D) grand jury, justices
E) original jurisdiction, appellate jurisdiction
Q3) The vast majority of civil cases never make it to trial. Which of the following is NOT a reason that a case may fail to proceed to trial?
A) The judge dismisses the case.
B) The judge determines in pre-trial activities that insufficient evidence exists.
C) The two parties settle the case out of court.
D) One or both of the parties decide not to participate.
E) The court rules that it does not have jurisdiction in the case.
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Page 11
Chapter 10: Public Opinion
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73 Verified Questions
73 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Fully explain the four basic values and beliefs that are widely accepted in American political culture: liberty, equality, individualism, and the rule of law.
Q2) Studies have shown that heavy users of the news media, compared to lighter users, are
A) far more critical of democracy.
B) more inclined to support overthrow of the government.
C) more politically informed.
D) less likely to hold long-term jobs.
E) more apt to run for political office.
Q3) The wording of polling questions can mean everything. Which of the following is a key recommendation in constructing good poll questions?
A) Avoid double negatives.
B) The questions should be leading so the interviewee can easily come to an answer.
C) Honesty must always be expected.
D) Double-barreled questions are a good way to get as many answers from one question as possible.
E) Questions can be as simple or as complicated as necessary.
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Page 12
Chapter 11: Interest Groups
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72 Verified Questions
72 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Noneconomic interest groups that exist to promote the broad, collective good of citizens and consumers are called
A) collective bargaining groups.
B) professional associations.
C) public interest groups.
D) ideological groups.
E) issue groups.
Q2) Discuss the free rider problem. Explain how it operates and explain the pros and cons of operating as a free rider.
Q3) In regard to interest groups, what is the "iron triangle" of policymaking? What constitutes the three groups and what is the role of each group?
Q4) How do interest groups differ from political parties? How are they similar? Give some examples.
Q5) Discuss the definition and purpose of a political action committee (PAC). By what limitations, if any, is a PAC legally bound?
Q6) What guarantees does the First Amendment provide to interest groups?
Q7) How has the Internet changed how interest groups function?
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Chapter 12: The Media and American Politics
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76 Verified Questions
76 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/21528
Sample Questions
Q1) Corporate owners of the four major television news outlets include all of the following except
A) General Electric (GE).
B) CBS.
C) Disney.
D) News Corporation.
E) PBS.
Q2) From a politically strategic standpoint, how has television benefited political candidates, as compared to radio?
A) It costs much less than radio advertising.
B) It is less expensive than radio, though radio reaches more potential voters.
C) It has allowed them to develop an "image" through carefully planned media appearances and advertisements.
D) There is little difference in benefit between radio and television.
E) It has increased the voter turnout in elections.
Q3) Compare and contrast the different types of mass media, both print (newspapers, magazines, and books) and electronic media (television, radio, the Internet, and movies). How does each type operate to reach its audience? What are the differences, if any, in the audiences of each type?
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Political Parties and Voting
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86 Verified Questions
86 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Majoritarianism is
A) the principle that the choice supported by the most voters is the choice that prevails.
B) the idea that all citizens in a nation have the right to vote.
C) the percentage of voters that can be expected with reasonable certainty to cast a ballot for each of the two major political parties.
D) the idea that all voters will ultimately make the same decision for the good of the country.
E) the principle that refuses to hear the vote of minorities.
Q2) The franchise is
A) the idea that all citizens in a nation have the right to vote.
B) another term for suffrage or the right to vote.
C) typically a high draft choice.
D) a requirement that individuals pay a fee before being allowed to vote.
E) a decline in voter attachment to parties and in clarity of party coalitions.
Q3) What were the primary differences between the first two major parties; i.e., the Federalists and Anti-Federalists? What forces led to the dissolution of these parties?
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Page 15
Chapter 14: Campaigns and Elections
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82 Verified Questions
82 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In 1824 Andrew Jackson was the first presidential candidate in American history to win the popular vote but not win a majority of the electoral college. What happened as a result of these election results?
A) The election was scratched and a new election held with Jackson losing in the second election.
B) As Jackson did not win a majority of the electoral college, the House of Representatives made the choice.
C) The Republican Party was created from the turmoil and began to win elections.
D) A political stalemate formed that prohibited the formation of other parties.
E) The turmoil was so great that the election was not held and the existing president served for three more years.
Q2) The unit rule, in which the candidate who receives the most votes among the popular votes cast for President receives all of the electoral votes for that state, is used by all states except
A) Maine and Nebraska.
B) Rhode Island and Hawaii.
C) Texas and California.
D) Kansas and Arkansas.
E) Louisiana and Michigan.
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Page 16
Chapter 15: American Domestic Policy
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74 Verified Questions
74 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/21531
Sample Questions
Q1) An economic slowdown characterized by higher unemployment, reduced productivity, or some other negative economic indicators is
A) inflation.
B) recession.
C) stigmatization.
D) economic morbidity.
E) stagnation.
Q2) What is a public interference into the economy that seeks to settle disputes that arise between competing private companies and is designed to break market dominance by one or more companies?
A) Public policy
B) Antitrust legislation
C) Capitalist projection
D) Monopoly advocacy
E) Economic interdiction
Q3) Discuss the pros and cons of modern education policy. How does No Child Left Behind address critical issues in education? What are its shortcomings?
Q4) Describe the impact of entitlements on the budgetary process.
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Chapter 16: American Foreign Policy
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75 Verified Questions
75 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/21532
Sample Questions
Q1) __________ served as secretary of state under George W. Bush's first term in office; he had served a decade earlier as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (the highest military position in the United States) under President George H.W. Bush. In the position of Joint Chiefs of Staff, he/she advocated military action only as a last resort when faced with overwhelming force.
A) Madeline Albright
B) Colin Powell
C) Condoleezza Rice
D) George Schultz
E) Hugh Robinson
Q2) Which political ideology opposes American interventions in distant wars or involvement in permanent military alliances?
A) Isolationism
B) Pacifism
C) Expansionism
D) Conservatism
E) Containment
Q3) Describe the policy and philosophy behind the Monroe Doctrine, and explain how it fundamentally opposed the concept of isolationism.
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Page 18