U.S. Government and Politics Exam Bank
Course Introduction
U.S. Government and Politics introduces students to the foundational principles, structures, and processes of the American political system. The course examines the Constitution, federalism, and the roles of the three branches of government, while exploring civil rights, civil liberties, and the development of political beliefs and behaviors. Students will analyze the function of political parties, interest groups, and the media, as well as the policy-making process at the federal and state levels. Through critical examination of historical and contemporary issues, the course fosters an understanding of the dynamic relationship between citizens and their government, preparing students to engage thoughtfully in civic life.
Recommended Textbook
The Enduring Democracy 4th Edition by Kenneth Dautrich
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16 Chapters
1193 Verified Questions
1193 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: The More Things Changethe More They Stay the Same
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61 Verified Questions
61 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) How does representative democracy differ from direct democracy?
A) In a direct democracy the citizens are taxed directly, whereas in representative democracy taxes are less obvious.
B) In a direct democracy the individual citizens play an active and direct role in government, whereas in representative democracy they elect officials to act on their behalf.
C) Unlike direct democracy, representative democracy eliminates the power of the citizens to have any say in government.
D) The only difference between the two is the way in which representatives are elected.
E) Direct democracy is synonymous with a monarchy, whereas representative democracy allows more citizen involvement in government.
Answer: B
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Chapter 2: The Founding and the Constitution
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79 Verified Questions
79 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Hamilton argues that the judiciary is the weakest branch of the government in
A) Federalist No. 15
B) Federalist No. 46
C) Federalist No. 51
D) Federalist No. 70
E) Federalist No. 78
Answer: E
Q2) On behalf of the Continental Congress, the actual wording of the Declaration of Independence was written by ______.
A) Thomas Jefferson
B) John Adams
C) Benjamin Franklin
D) George Washington
E) King George III
Answer: A
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Federalism
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The ability of states to try social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country is viewed as a(n) _______.
A) disadvantage of federalism
B) example of accommodation of diversity
C) example of strengthening of liberty through division of powers
D) example of the operation of Brandeis's "laboratories of democracy"
E) All of these choices are correct.
Answer: D
Q2) In the U.S. Constitution, powers that are not delegated to Congress but are retained by the state governments are called ______________ powers.
A) enumerated
B) reserved
C) concurrent
D) federal
E) decentralized
Answer: B
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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80 Verified Questions
80 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Supreme Court has held state governments accountable to protections in the Bill of Rights, by a process referred to as ______________.
A) incorporation
B) limited liability
C) double indemnity
D) eminent domain
E) legitimation
Q2) In Miller v. California (1973), the Supreme Court created the modern set of criteria for determining what sexually explicitly materials may be legitimately subject to regulation. One of the criteria has become known as the ______ test.
A) SLAPS
B) Katz
C) Lemon
D) First Amendment
E) None of these choices is correct.
Q3) What was the significance of the Supreme Court's rulings in 2008 and 2010 regarding the Second Amendment? Do you agree with their interpretation? Why or why not?
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Chapter 5: Civil Rights, Equality and Social Movements
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76 Verified Questions
76 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following statements regarding the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is FALSE?
A) It was proposed by Congress in 1972.
B) The National Organization for Women (NOW) supported its passage.
C) The language of the amendment provided for equal rights under the law for women.
D) Three-fourths of the state legislatures ratified the amendment in 1982.
E) Before its passage in Congress, the ERA was considered in nearly every session of Congress for 50 years.
Q2) Which of the following is not true of strict scrutiny?
A) It was a legal standard set in Brown v. Board of Education.
B) It tends to invalidate almost all state laws that segregate racial groups.
C) It is held at the same level of scrutiny as gender discrimination cases in the Supreme Court.
D) It has been applied to decisions on segregated public swimming pools and interracial marriages.
E) It requires government to prove that the racial classification of the law or practice in question is "narrowly tailored" to meet a "compelling state interest."
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Chapter 6: Congress
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74 Verified Questions
74 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The leader of the U.S. House of Representatives is the _______________.
A) speaker of the House
B) majority leader of the House
C) majority whip
D) sergeant at arms
E) vice president of the United States
Q2) U. S. Senators ___________________.
A) initially were appointed by George Washington
B) must have served in government before election to the senate
C) must have served in the military
D) initially were appointed by George Washington, must have served in government before election to the senate, and must have served in the military
E) None of these choices is correct.
Q3) Members of the U.S. House of Representatives serve _______________.
A) terms of two years
B) terms of four years
C) terms of six years
D) lifetime appointments
E) staggered terms
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Page 8
Chapter 7: The Presidency
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79 Verified Questions
79 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Article II of the U.S. Constitution lists four express powers of the president. Which of the following is not one of the express powers?
A) commander-in-chief of the armed forces
B) power to grant reprieves or pardons
C) power to make treaties
D) power to declare war
E) power to appoint federal judges and justices
Q2) The president's responsibility to see "that the laws be faithfully executed" includes the power to __________.
A) change the wording of laws to his own particular advantage
B) determine which laws to implement
C) determine which laws are considered by Congress
D) implement and enforce measures passed by Congress
E) carry out capital punishment
Q3) Describe the implied powers and responsibilities of the president; provide specific examples. Explain their constitutional grounding and the Supreme Court's view of the powers.
Q4) Discuss the evolution of executive powers since World War II.
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9
Chapter 8: The Federal Bureaucracy
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74 Verified Questions
74 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is meant by "delegated congressional power"?
A) Congress delegates limited powers of lawmaking to the president.
B) Congress chooses how it wishes to enforce particular laws and states decide whether to support these decisions.
C) Congress surrenders its lawmaking powers to the state legislatures.
D) Through vague legislation, Congress effectively transfers the power to make laws to agencies.
E) The Supreme Court takes the authority to make laws from Congress and delegates it instead to the agencies.
Q2) Which department currently runs the school lunch, school breakfast, and food stamp programs?
A) Department of the Interior
B) Department of Agriculture
C) Department of Treasury
D) Department of Health and Human Services
E) Department of State
Q3) How do Congress, the president, and the judicial branch make bureaucracies accountable?
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10
Chapter 9: The Judiciary
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Sample Questions
Q1) In some cases, such as that of O. J. Simpson in the 1990s, the defendant may be acquitted of a murder charge but may also be required in a separate court action to pay a large fine for "wrongful death." Under what type of law is the wrongful death suit generated?
A) criminal law
B) civil law
C) constitutional law
D) common law
E) appeal
Q2) Explain the difference between civil law and common law. Describe the categories of civil law in the United States, including the role of criminal law, constitutional law, administrative law, public law, and private law.
Q3) In order to appeal a case beyond the state supreme court directly to the U.S. Supreme Court, a losing party must ____________.
A) gain approval of its respective state senators
B) have approval of the federal court
C) start over in the state judicial system
D) demonstrate there is a federal question at issue
E) show that the U.S. Supreme Court has addressed similar cases in the past
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Page 11
Chapter 10: Public Opinion
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74 Verified Questions
74 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Often there are many factors and institutions that have a particularly relevant impact on one's socialization to politics. These factors and institutions are known as
A) agents of political socialization
B) factors of character development
C) collective culturalization
D) building blocks
E) cultural foundations
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) Provide an understanding of American political knowledge. Describe how studies have analyzed the issue and what conclusions have been drawn. How do you believe these results affect the study of public opinion poll data?
Q4) Public opinion exists at three basic levels. List and describe these levels.
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Chapter 11: Interest Groups
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76 Verified Questions
76 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, the concept of labor unions as interest groups continued to grow. What was the relationship between these groups and the goals of the business owners?
A) Their differing goals, that of worker conditions versus maximizing profits, came into frequent and stark contrast.
B) The two groups were commendable in their ability to work through differences.
C) Congress intervened to enforce a peace.
D) The differences usually led to violent confrontations between workers and the police, who were sympathetic to the business owners.
E) The two groups ultimately had the same goal, which was the profitability of the company.
Q2) In which of the following ways can interest groups be involved in electoral politics?
A) provide campaign contributions through PACs
B) endorse a candidate
C) perform "get out the vote" calls
D) provide expertise to candidates
E) All of these choices are correct.
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Chapter 12: The Media and American Politics
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77 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Criticism of private media companies sensationalizing the news can be explained by
A) private media companies not having access to government officials
B) the profit motive of private ownership
C) lack of funding to travel internationally and cover worldwide news stories
D) lack of interest in politics
E) lack of legitimacy
Q2) Though the media has had a positive role in American society, it is very often criticized. Describe some of the criticisms of the privately owned media in a democracy such as the United States.
Q3) The Telecommunications Act of 1996
A) gave the FCC the power to regulate indecent material
B) required broadcasters to provide public affairs programming under the "fairness doctrine"
C) extended the power of the FCC to include regulation of print media
D) promoted the equal time rule
E) deregulated cable television providers and eliminated monopolies by local phone companies
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Page 14
Chapter 13: Political Parties and Voting
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Sample Questions
Q1) A system in which citizens choose the individuals who are then responsible for making and enforcing public policy, is referred to as a ___________________.
A) direct democracy
B) parliamentary system
C) divided government
D) representative democracy
E) limited monarchy
Q2) Which of the following ran for president as a third party candidate, under the "Bull Moose" Party, and secured 27 percent of the vote in 1912?
A) Ralph Nader
B) Henry Wallace
C) Millard Fillmore
D) Eugene V. Debs
E) Theodore Roosevelt
Q3) What were the founders' views of political parties? How did their views change once government began to operate? What is the impact of their views today?
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Page 15
Chapter 14: Campaigns and Elections
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72 Verified Questions
72 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Several amendments to the constitution (the Twelfth, Twenty-Second and Twenty-Third) have altered the presidential selection process. Compare and contrast the operation and impact of each amendment.
Q2) Which amendment limits presidents to two 4-year terms in office?
A) Twelfth Amendment
B) Fifteenth Amendment
C) Twenty-Second Amendment
D) Twenty-Fifth Amendment
E) There is no constitutional limitation
Q3) Why did the framers of the U.S. Constitution not anticipate the first phase of the presidential elections?
A) In that period, two elections were illegal.
B) They did not anticipate that a two-party system would emerge.
C) There was not enough population to warrant an election.
D) The population was so low that it was possible to create a ballot with all names listed.
E) It was very likely an oversight on their part.
Q4) How have campaign finance laws evolved? Citing specific examples, describe the ways in which current laws influence campaign finance.
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Page 16
Chapter 15: American Domestic Policy
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78 Verified Questions
78 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The amount of money a government agency will actually spend during a fiscal year is called ________________.
A) budget deficit
B) mandatory spending
C) discretionary spending
D) outlays
E) budget surplus
Q2) Regulation of the money supply and interest rates by a central bank, such as the U.S. Federal Reserve Board, in order to control inflation and stabilize currency is called
A) fiscal policy
B) monetary policy
C) mandatory spending
D) laissez faire
E) redistributive tax policy
Q3) Describe the initial purpose of the Social Security system. Explain how the system works. What are some of the biggest concerns with the Social Security system? What do you believe are some alternatives for retirees?
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Chapter 16: American Foreign Policy
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In the 1970s, a period of somewhat eased tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union led to several strategic arms treaties. This period of eased tension was referred to as ______________________.
A) demilitarization
B) perestroika
C) détente
D) delimited nuclear treaty
E) manifest destiny
Q2) The presidential proclamation in 1823 that there would be no attempt to colonize North and South America by European powers and that such action would be cause for military action was called ___________________.
A) the War Powers Resolution
B) the Monroe Doctrine
C) the Truman Doctrine
D) the Treaty of Versailles
E) manifest destiny
Q3) Describe the theory of "preemption," and how it was used to craft American foreign policy in the early twenty-first century. What is the fundamental paradox of the doctrine of preemption?
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