U.S. Government and Politics Test Bank
Course Introduction
U.S. Government and Politics offers a comprehensive introduction to the foundational principles, structures, and processes of the American political system. The course explores the Constitution, federalism, and the roles of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, as well as the significance of civil rights and civil liberties within the U.S. context. Students examine the influence of political parties, interest groups, the media, and public opinion on government actions and policies, and analyze major political institutions and actors. Case studies and current events are used to connect theoretical frameworks with real-world political developments, fostering an understanding of how citizens and leaders shape, and are shaped by, the American political landscape.
Recommended Textbook
American Politics Today Essentials 5th Edition by William T. Bianco
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11 Chapters
952 Verified Questions
952 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Understanding American Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the dominant beliefs of liberals, conservatives, and libertarians in the United States today?
Answer: Liberals generally favor the promotion of social equality and support more government intervention in social programs, more market regulation, and government policies that promote tolerance.Conservatives generally espouse individual freedom, typically favor less government intervention in social programs and the domestic economy, and typically favor traditional social practices.Libertarians prefer very limited government.They believe government should exist to keep citizens safe along with a few narrowly defined responsibilities.Thus, libertarians are generally conservative on social, economic, and regulatory matters but generally liberal on issues involving personal liberty and privacy.
Q2) A free rider problem occurs when
A)a public good is provided by government.
B)everyone fails to work toward a common goal.
C)the market provides a good by making it free of charge.
D)government officials offer bailouts to failing corporations that come at the expense of taxpayers.
Answer: B
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Chapter 2: The Constitution and the Founding
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Sample Questions
Q1) ________ was the only state to boycott the Constitutional Convention.
A)North Carolina
B)South Carolina
C)Rhode Island
D)Maine
Answer: C
Q2) What kind of government exists when the interests of the people are represented through their elected leaders?
A)monarchy
B)tyranny
C)republic
D)oligarchy
Answer: C
Q3) The ability to remove someone because of corruption or abuse of power is called
A)the power of the purse.
B)impeachment.
C)the power to pardon.
D)the power to veto.
Answer: B
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Federalism
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which one of the following is an advantage of giving states flexibility in making policy instead of federal officials imposing policy?
A)State-elected officials are more civil and reasonable toward one another than are members of the U.S.Congress.
B)It allows states to compete for business, meaning they will have stronger regulation.
C)It allows for policy experimentation, providing new ideas about how to solve problems.
D)State officials tend to care more about the average person.
Answer: C
Q2) The Supreme Court justices' endorsement of laissez-faire capitalism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was significant because
A)it gave Congress added powers to regulate private affairs.
B)it prevented Congress from regulating any economic activity that occurred within a state.
C)it gave additional freedom to Congress to act under the commerce clause.
D)it strengthened the full faith and credit clause of the Constitution.
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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Sample Questions
Q1) The process of selective incorporation was used widely by the Supreme Court justices in both the 1930s and 1960s.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments contain which sets of rights?
A)civil
B)equal protection
C)criminal
D)due process
Q3) The right to counsel is provided in the ________ Amendment.After the decision in ________, this was extended to require that counsel be provided for people who cannot afford an attorney.
A)Sixth; Gitlow v.New York
B)Sixth; Gideon v.Wainwright
C)Fourth; Gideon v.Wainwright
D)Fifth; Gideon v.Wainwright
Q4) Prior restraint has taken on new significance in the War on Terror.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Why was Gitlow v.New York (1925) such an important case?
Page 6
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Chapter 5: Civil Rights
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Sample Questions
Q1) ________ gained the right to vote in 1924, just after women.
A)African Americans
B)Native Americans
C)Japanese Americans
D)Latinos
Q2) The landmark decision by the Supreme Court regarding affirmative action is
A)Brown v.Board of Education.
B)Dred Scott v.Sandford.
C)Plessy v.Ferguson.
D)Regents of the University of California v.Bakke.
Q3) In 2015, the Supreme Court justices
A)ruled that same-sex marriage was not a topic for federal courts to settle.
B)ruled that same-sex marriage was a topic for state legislatures to settle.
C)ruled that same-sex marriage should be available in all 50 states.
D)ruled that same-sex marriage was a topic for state judges to settle.
Q4) Legal segregation of the races was justified by
A)the "separate but equal" doctrine.
B)the equality of opportunity doctrine.
C)Jim Crow laws.
D)the doctrine of selective incorporation.
Page 7
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Chapter 10: Congress
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Sample Questions
Q1) Since incumbency rates are so high, members of Congress who hold a "safe" seat do not worry about the electoral connection to voters.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which aspect of the committee system does NOT support members' reelection prospects?
A)The division of labor allows for policy specialization.
B)Party leaders can raise money to funnel to other legislators.
C)Legislators can more easily claim credit for particular policy areas.
D)Members can become experts in an area and use that in gaining funding for their district.
Q3) The proliferation of subcommittees in Congress occurred in the A)1890s.
B)1930s.
C)1970s.
D)2000s.
Q4) Identify, define, and discuss three models of representation for members of Congress.
Q5) What is seniority and why is it so important in Congress?
Q6) What are pork barrel projects and why are they important?
Page 8
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Chapter 11: The Presidency
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Sample Questions
Q1) The most influential Executive Office of the President staff occupy offices in the West Wing of the White House.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Executive agreements
A)are just like treaties.
B)are binding on future presidents.
C)are not binding on future presidents.
D)require the approval of Congress.
Q3) What is an executive order?
A)a temporary appointment that does not require Senate approval
B)an agreement with a foreign nation that does not require congressional approval
C)a statement telling Congress what it must do on a particular bill
D)a proclamation made by the president that changes government policy without congressional approval
Q4) Executive privilege is an absolute power under the Constitution.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What is an executive order? Is this power limited? Explain.
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Chapter 12: The Bureaucracy
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Sample Questions
Q1) All federal employees are members of the civil service.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which one of the following describes a situation in which legislators pay close attention to a bureaucracy with consistent fact-finding trips, interviews, audits, and calls?
A)advance warning
B)fire alarm oversight
C)notice and comment
D)police patrol oversight
Q3) Which one of the following describes a situation in which legislators monitor a bureaucratic organization only after someone complains or a problem of implementation has been brought to their attention?
A)advance warning
B)fire alarm oversight
C)police patrol oversight
D)bureaucratic drift
Q4) The problem of control has existed since America began as a republic in 1789.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 13: The Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why is standing an important criterion for the Supreme Court?
A)It can only be used if the mootness criterion is also used.
B)It allows the Supreme Court to duck hearing politically sensitive cases by ruling that the plaintiff does not have standing.
C)It helps interest groups know whether or not they can submit an amicus curiae brief.
D)It supports the Rule of Four in helping Supreme Court justices decide which cases to hear.
Q2) Who is responsible for enforcing most court decisions?
A)the court itself
B)the president
C)the secretary of state
D)the solicitor general
Q3) What is a court's appellate jurisdiction?
A)the types of cases that originate in that court
B)the power to review the constitutionality of cases
C)cases in which the court must make rulings on the facts of a case
D)the authority of a court to review decisions from lower courts and change or uphold them
Q4) How can appeals arrive to the Supreme Court? Explain.
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Chapter 14: Economic and Social Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Sherman Antitrust Act led to the dissolution of the ________ monopoly?
A)coal
B)oil
C)railroad
D)telegraph
Q2) Why is Social Security considered to be the third rail of American politics?
Q3) What can be concluded from reading this passage?
A)The controversy over grazing rights and environmental policy in the Western United States has been resolved.
B)Ranchers tend to forge alliances with the activist environmental groups in the United States.
C)Free market environmentalism may be a way to forge a working compromise between those espousing grazing rights versus those who advocate for environmental protection.
D)It is likely that federal officials will give back millions of acres to the states to sell to their citizens.
Q4) Why are payroll taxes considered to be regressive?
Q5) In intricate detail, compare and contrast Keynesian economics with supply-side economics.
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Chapter 15: Foreign Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the purpose of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)?
Q2) National Security Council officials are responsible for A)coordinating intelligence gathering.
B)delivering humanitarian aid to people in areas of conflict.
C)serving as the principal foreign policy committee in the legislative branch.
D)developing foreign policy options and presenting them to the president.
Q3) Nuclear bombs, nerve gas, and anthrax are all examples of A)fissile materials.
B)weapons of mass destruction.
C)globalized agents.
D)nongovernmental tools.
Q4) High tariffs raise the prices of ________, making ________ more attractive to the consumer.
A)imported goods; domestic products
B)exported goods; foreign products
C)imported goods; foreign products
D)exported goods; domestic products
Q5) Is military force all-powerful? Why or why not?
Q6) What was the dominant idea utilized by U.S.officials in the conflict in Vietnam?
Q7) Trace the evolution of foreign policy in U.S.history.
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