United States Constitutional Government Exam Review
Course Introduction
This course explores the foundational principles, structures, and functions of the United States government as established by the Constitution. Students will examine the historical context of the Constitution's creation, the organization and powers of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and the system of federalism. Key constitutional concepts such as the separation of powers, checks and balances, the Bill of Rights, and amendments will be analyzed. The course also addresses significant Supreme Court decisions, landmark constitutional debates, and the ongoing evolution of constitutional interpretation in American political life.
Recommended Textbook Essentials of American Government Roots and Reform 2011 10th Edition by Karen
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21 Chapters
2954 Verified Questions
2954 Flashcards
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Page 2
J. OConnor
Chapter 1: The Political Landscape
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125 Verified Questions
125 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to the text,which of the following is an ideology that political scientists generally do not measure?
A)Moderate
B)Liberal
C)Fiscal conservative
D)Social conservative
E)Libertarian
Answer: E
Q2) According to ____,life without government would be "solitary,poor,nasty,brutish,and short."
A)John Locke
B)St. Thomas Aquinas
C)Jean-Jacques Rousseau
D)Thomas Hobbes
E)Aristotle
Answer: D
Q3) Political scientists note that ideologies perform four key functions.After discussing each function,decide and explain which most affects your own ideology.
Answer: NOT ANSWER
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Constitution
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141 Verified Questions
141 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Following a Supreme Court decision in the 1970s,citizens under twenty-one were eligible to vote in national elections in some states.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q2) The division of authority among the three branches of government is called
A)federalism.
B)pluralism.
C)separation of powers.
D)compromise.
E)gridlock.
Answer: C
Q3) The Committees of Correspondence were established to communicate ideas among the colonies.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Federalism
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Sample Questions
Q1) President Lyndon B.Johnson's Great Society Program
A)mirrored FDR's New Deal.
B)granted funding to mainly conservative mayors and conservative state legislatures.
C)made direct grants to state governments.
D)was designed to help the middle class.
E)allocated money for urban renewal, education, and poverty programs.
Answer: E
Q2) Arizona's immigration law is less stringent than the national government's policy. A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) The Framers of the U.S.Constitution divided powers between the national and state governments to create a federal system.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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132 Verified Questions
132 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Discuss the meanings of the free speech and press guarantees in the Constitution.Cite cases and discuss the changes over time in the interpretation of these First Amendment freedoms.
Q2) In Chaplinsky v.New Hampshire,the Supreme Court ruled that ________ was/were not protected by the First Amendment.
A)obscenity
B)libel
C)fighting words
D)slander
E)child pornography
Q3) The Supreme Court decided D.C.v.Heller by a small margin.
A)True
B)False
Q4) At times,the Supreme Court allows the use of hallucinogenic drugs in religious observances.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Compare and contrast civil rights and civil liberties.
Q6) What is the incorporation doctrine?
Q7) How did Miranda v.Arizona change criminal defendants' rights?
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Chapter 5: Civil Rights
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139 Verified Questions
139 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What did the Civil Rights Act of 1964 do? How did it secure greater social and political rights for African Americans?
Q2) Slavery was a major cause of the Civil War.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The Texas state legislature created the Texas State University for Negroes as a consequence of a lawsuit by the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
A)True
B)False
Q4) What are the three different standards of constitutional review?How has the U.S.Supreme Court articulated these tests? In what types of cases are they applied?
Q5) Under the "Don't Ask,Don't Tell" policy, A)police are prohibited from asking a suspect's race.
B)American Indian children are not allowed to ask about their tribal customs.
C)thousands of soldiers have been discharged from military service.
D)homosexuals are not allowed to join the military.
E)religious tests for political office have been eliminated.
Q6) What are some of the major successes of the American disability rights movement?
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Chapter 6: Congress
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147 Verified Questions
147 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following nations does NOT have a bicameral legislature?
A)Canada
B)United States
C)United Kingdom
D)New Zealand
E)Australia
Q2) Committee chairs in the House of Representatives are no longer selected by seniority.
A)True
B)False
Q3) There are no African American senators in the 112 Congress.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The Great Compromise resulted in
A)a two-house legislature.
B)legalization of slavery.
C)an Electoral College based on representation.
D)a weakened executive branch.
E)a single-house legislature.
Q5) What are the four kinds of congressional committees?Give examples of each.
Page 8
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Chapter 7: The Presidency
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Sample Questions
Q1) Under the Articles of Confederation,the executive branch was quite weak.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What circumstances have resulted in expansion of presidential powers? How does the expansion of presidential powers affect the system of checks and balances envisioned by the Framers?
Q3) President Barack Obama does not need congressional approval to send troops into combat for a week to keep a terrorist group from overthrowing the Somali government.
A)True
B)False
Q4) The constitutional qualifications for a president include that the president must be
A)an American citizen and a resident for at least fourteen years.
B)over twenty-five years old and a citizen for at least fifteen years.
C)over thirty years old and a citizen.
D)over thirty-five years old, a natural-born citizen, and a resident for fourteen years.
E)over forty-five years old, a naturalized citizen, and a resident for fifteen years.
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Chapter 8: The Executive Branch and Federal Bureaucracy
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125 Verified Questions
125 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) In 1993,the Congress passed a law liberalizing the Hatch Act's prohibitions on federal employees participating in campaigns.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The law enacted in 1939 to prohibit federal employees from becoming directly involved in political campaigns was called the
A)Campaign Reform Act.
B)Federal Employees Political Activities Act.
C)Pendleton Act.
D)Taft-Hartley Act.
E)Hatch Act.
Q3) Many members of the Constitutional Convention
A)wanted to prevent the president from having a council of advisers like the British king.
B)voted to make explicit mention of the Cabinet in the Constitution.
C)wanted members from the Senate to rotate into the Cabinet.
D)concluded that the president should have the authority to require written opinions from executive department officers.
E)believed the Cabinet should be able to veto a presidential decision.
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Chapter 9: The Judiciary
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139 Verified Questions
139 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Should judges be elected?Be sure to explain the advantages and disadvantages of your opinion.
Q2) President Jimmy Carter appointed three Supreme Court justices.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The Framers paid very little attention to the writing of Article III compared to other Articles.
A)True
B)False
Q4) There are ________ federal district courts.
A)forty-seven
B)fifty-six
C)eighty-seven
D)ninety-four
E)104
Q5) How has the number of cases both filed in and decided by the Supreme Court changed over time?
Q6) How did John Marshall and Marbury v.Madison (1803)alter the role and authority of the Supreme Court?
Q7) What requirements must a case meet to be heard by a federal district court?
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Chapter 10: Public Opinion and the News Media
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209 Verified Questions
209 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Compare and contrast print and electronic media.
Q2) Literary Digest used ________ polls to predict the popular vote in presidential elections.
A)exit
B)straw
C)tracking
D)deliberative
E)representative
Q3) A form of journalism popular in the late nineteenth century that featured pictures,comics,color,and sensationalized,oversimplified news coverage was called A)muckraking.
B)"populist" journalism.
C)penny journalism.
D)blue dog journalism.
E)yellow journalism.
Q4) Explore media bias.What types of biases do the media have,and how do they affect media coverage of people,events,and campaigns?Is this a bad thing?
Why or why not?
Q5) What methods might you might use to increase the accuracy of a poll?
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Chapter 11: Political Parties and Interest Groups
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217 Verified Questions
217 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The catalyst for formation of the modern Tea Party movement was the
A)Cash for Clunkers program.
B)high cost of the Iraq war.
C)so-called "bailout bill."
D)health care reform bill.
E)high tax on beverages with sugar including tea.
Q2) What role does social capital play in a pluralist society?
Q3) Generally,the platforms of prominent third parties are folded into the platforms of the parties with which they share similar ideologies.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Labor unions are the largest and most powerful interest groups in America. A)True B)False
Q5) How do interest groups lobby the courts?Why is lobbying this branch different than lobbying the executive and legislative branches?How is it easier? More difficult?
Q6) How do interest groups lobby the judicial branch?
Q7) What is a political party?
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Chapter 12: Campaigns, elections, and Voting
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197 Verified Questions
197 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) According to the text,people offer several reasons why they do not vote,but
A)they may just be making excuses.
B)they may be too ashamed to give the real reason.
C)the vast majority of Americans do vote.
D)almost all registered voters actually cast a ballot.
E)most people simply forget to do so.
Q2) Discuss the incumbency advantage in congressional elections.Why is the reelection rate so high for members of Congress?
Q3) Some people believe that giving political parties more power could increase voter turnout.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Nonprofit,tax-exempt groups that can expressly advocate for candidates and are not required to disclose the names of contributors are called
A)political action committees.
B)527 committees.
C)501(c)groups.
D)national party committees.
E)member PACs.
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Chapter 13: Social and Economic Policy
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125 Verified Questions
125 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The supplemental nutrition program was originally intended to increase the variety of international foods Americans were eating.
A)True
B)False
Q2) What is the advantage of a reduced discount rate?
Q3) Medicaid was designed to provide health care
A)for the aged and ill.
B)for the poor.
C)for the working class.
D)for children.
E)for everyone.
Q4) The Federal Reserve has recently begun take a big-picture financial system approach to regulation as opposed to focusing on individual banks.
A)True
B)False
Q5) In 2009,the United States ranked lower than Singapore on the Economic Freedom of the World Index.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 14: Foreign and Defense Policy
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121 Verified Questions
121 Flashcards
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Sample
Questions
Q1) What was the focus of President Obama's 2009 Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech?
A)Economic equality
B)Environmental policy
C)"Just" war
D)Race relations
E)Isolationism
Q2) Which of the following is a "push" factor that influences an individual's decision to cross an international border?
A)Presence of an existing ethnic community
B)Political instability
C)Desire to change careers
D)Political freedom
E)Marrying someone of a different nationality
Q3) What is the War Powers Act?How does it affect foreign policymaking?
Q4) Why might Americans believe immigration is a problem?In what ways is immigration good for the country?
Q5) President Barack Obama's foreign policy embodies elements of isolationism. A)True
B)False
Page 16
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Chapter 15: The Context for Texas Politics and Government
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Sample Questions
Q1) If you are a Texas Anglo you are likely to have a higher per capita income than a Texas African American or a Texas Hispanic.
A)True
B)False
Q2) To what extent should Texas provide bilingual education?
Q3) Based on current trends,which ethnic group is expected to be Texas's majority population in thirty-five years?
A)Anglos
B)African Americans
C)Hispanics
D)Asian Americans
E)Native Americans
Q4) The most important economic issue for Hispanics is trade with Latin America. A)True
B)False
Q5) What ideologies are evident in the supporters of the Tea Party movement? How well do they reflect aspects of the Texan Creed?
Q6) The economy of contemporary Texas is land-based and colonial in structure. A)True
B)False
Page 17
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Chapter 16: The Texas Constitution
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Sample Questions
Q1) A so-called "right-to-work" provision states that
A)membership or non-membership in a union cannot be a condition of employment.
B)non-union members cannot benefit from the union's collective bargaining actions.
C)only union members can pay union dues.
D)employers can prevent employees from organizing union membership.
E)employment cannot be denied an individual because of race, color, or national origin.
Q2) The 1845 Texas Constitution established what trait of Texas government that still exists today?
A)A unicameral legislature
B)A legislature that meets biennially
C)A 2-year term for governor
D)Three justices on the Supreme Court
E)Term limits for the governor (no more than four years out of every six)
Q3) Governor Dolph Briscoe announced his support of constitutional revision during the 1974 Texas Constitution Convention.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe the Texas Constitution during the Confederacy.
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Page 18
Chapter 17: Local Government and Politics in Texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) In Texas,cities with populations of 5,000 or less are governed by state law rather than by a locally adopted city charter.Such cities are known as
A)home rule cities.
B)general law cities.
C)councils of government.
D)chartered cities.
E)special district governments.
Q2) A 1912 constitutional amendment in Texas allowed some municipalities to adopt "home rule" status,which made it possible
A)for some cities to decide their own structure and powers under certain limitations.
B)to avoid boundary disputes due to redistricting.
C)for two or more cities to consolidate public service provisions.
D)for special districts to be consolidated.
E)for counties to be abolished in Texas.
Q3) In your opinion,which form of city government is preferable: weak mayor-council,strong mayor-council,or council-manager?Why?
Q4) Describe the four forms of city governments.
Q5) What are bonds and why are they important for municipal financing?
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Chapter 18: The Texas Legislature
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Sample Questions
Q1) Individual representatives in the Texas legislature did not have offices or staff members until the 1960s.
A)True
B)False
Q2) The first legislature of the State of Texas convened
A)immediately after Texas declared independence from Mexico.
B)immediately after Texas joined the United States.
C)at the start of the Civil War.
D)during Reconstruction.
E)following the adoption of the Texas Constitution of 1876.
Q3) Which of the following is most significantly underrepresented in the Texas legislature?
A)Lawyers
B)Urbanites
C)Rural residents
D)Women
E)Millionaires
Q4) What do you think is the most important influence on how legislators make decisions about how to vote on policy issues?
Q5) Compare the first,second,and third readings of a bill.
Page 20
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Chapter 19: The Governor and Bureaucracy in Texas
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are some of the restrictions on the Texas governor's power? How do the Texas governor's powers compare with other state governors?
Q2) One of a governor's strongest legislative tools is the ability to nullify legislative action by
A)using the veto power.
B)calling a special session.
C)exercising control over the agenda in a special session.
D)issuing an executive order overriding a bill.
E)declaring a bill unconstitutional.
Q3) The statute that contains Texas's rule-making process is known as the A)Texas Constitution.
B)Administrative Procedures Act.
C)Texas Digest.
D)Texas Order Act.
E)Texas Government Code.
Q4) It is not uncommon for state regulatory agencies,to become "captured."
A)True
B)False
Q5) How do Texas governors use the media to influence public opinion?
Q6) How did the Civil War and Reconstruction affect the Texas governorship?
Page 21
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Chapter 20: The Texas Judiciary
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Sample Questions
Q1) Select an element of the judicial election system and advocate for it to be continued,modified,or abolished.
Q2) Almost every constitution in Texas history provided for
A)the popular election of some judges.
B)a non-adversarial system of justice based on French canon law.
C)the appointment of judges at all levels by the governor.
D)the appointment of judges at all levels by the legislature.
E)lifetime appointments for most judges.
Q3) Assume you have been convicted of felony auto theft in state district court in Houston.You have appealed to the 1st District Court of Appeals in Houston and lost in that court also.You now plan to appeal to one of Texas' highest appellate courts.Where are you going to file your appeal?
A)Texas Supreme Court
B)Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
C)Either the Texas Supreme Court or Court of Criminal Appeals, whichever has room on its docket
D)You can appeal your case no further since you lost in the intermediate appellate court level
E)The nearest federal district court
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Page 22
Chapter 21: Political Parties, interest Groups, elections, and Campaigns in Texas
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124 Verified Questions
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Sample Questions
Q1) General elections are generally held to determine which candidate will hold office. A)True
B)False
Q2) Political parties have a(n)_____ in every county in Texas.
A)state executive committee member
B)county chairperson and a county executive committee
C)annual temporary party organization
D)annual state senatorial district convention
E)vice chairperson on the state executive committee
Q3) The textbook classifies interest groups into five categories.Compare and contrast two of the types of interest groups.
Q4) Texas "front loaded" its primary in 2008.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Explain how party politics impacts the legislative branch.
Q6) How does money affect political campaigns in Texas? In your opinion,what reforms should be undertaken?
Q8) Compare Democratic party unity with Republican party unity. Page 23
Q7) Under what circumstances can convicted felons vote in Texas?
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