Nobody seems to know exactly why old tests are known as "koofers" around here. But they are. They can be helpful in showing you the kind of questions Prof. Walcott asks on his tests. But please understand, these exact questions will NOT show up on your tests, although the same topics may well be covered. These koofers are from Spring 1999, when different books were used. Don't feel badly if you don't know the answers.
And remember, simply knowing all the answers to the koofers does not
guarantee
you a single point on the exam. Use them to diagnose your level
of
understanding or to practice. But don't get obsessed about
particular
questions. You'll never see them again anyway.
Political Science 1014
Fall, 2006 – Exam #1
Form A
Fill in the letter of
the correct answer on your answer sheet.
For each question there is only one correct answer.
a.
distribution of goods and services.
* b.
potential conflict.
c. ending
dictatorships.
d. achieving
domination ove
a. about
the same.
b. slightly
less.
c.
considerably less.
*d.
considerably greater.
a. the
exclusionary rule.
b.
protection of flag burning.
c. habeas
corpus for non-citizens.
*d. full
separation of church and state.
a. they
copied too much from the Articles of Confederation.
b. they
knew very little about government.
*c. they
feared tyranny.
d.
compromises always produce inefficiency.
8. An unfunded
mandate is
a. a law
passed by Congress but vetoed by the president.
*b. a
federal law which states must carry out using their own money.
c. a legal
requirement that carries no enforcement power.
d. a guy
who won’t even split the check.
9. The Electoral
College is part of the Constitution’s answer to which basic question
about
government?
a. How
powerful will the government be?
*b. Who
governs?
c. What
defines citizenship?
d. How do
we protect citizens from the government?
10. .
In Grutter
v. Bollinger the Supreme Court ruled that
*a. racial
diversity can be a compelling state interest.
b.
affirmative action violates the Constitution.
c. women
are not entitled to the same protection as minorities.
d. public
universities cannot have affirmative action policies.
11. Dividing power
between the states and the national government is called
a. dual
legitimacy.
b.
sovereignty.
c.
separation of powers.
*d.
federalism.
12. Which element of
the constitutional system most clearly embodies the principle of
representative
democracy?
a. the
presidency
b. the
courts
*c. the
House of Representatives
d. the
Electoral College.
13. The part of the Constitution that goes into
the most
detail in spelling out the powers of the national government is
*a. Article
I – the Congress.
b. Article
II – the Executive.
c. Article
III – the Courts.
d. Article
VI – National supremacy.
14. The
separate-but-equal doctrine was struck down by which court case?
a.
Plessy v
*b. Brown
v Board of Education
c.
Gitlow v.
d. Gibbons
v.
15. Generally, the
Antifederalists thought that the government created by the U.S.
Constitution
was
a. too weak
to be effective.
b. too
democratic.
*c. too
strong and centralized.
d. too
liberal.
16. According to
Prof. Walcott, the most basic purpose of any Constitution is to
a. give
power to some to rule over others.
*b. place
limits on the powers of government.
c.
determine which part of government is most powerful.
d. protect
the public from the power of demagogues.
17. In Marbury
v. Madison, the Supreme Court
ruled that
a. the
national government is supreme over the states.
b. the
right to free speech is not unlimited.
c. escaped
slaves must be returned to their owners.
*d. the
Court itself can declare laws unconstitutional.
18. In the immediate
aftermath of
*a. went up.
b. went
down a little.
c. dropped
sharply.
d. didn’t change
at all.
19. In discussing the
“culture wars,” your text separates Americans into two groups:
a. the
right and the left.
b.
Republicans and Democrats.
*c. the
orthodox and the progressive.
d. the
religious and the secular.
20. “Selective
incorporation”
means:
a. that
certain procedures must be followed in admitting new states to the
union.
b. that the
*c. that
federal rights have been applied to the states, but only one at a time.
d. that the
federal government can regulate businesses.
*a. equality
of opportunity.
b. equality
of economic status.
c. equality
of influence.
d. equality
of states.
22. The rights to free speech, freedom of
religion, freedom
of the press and freedom of assembly are found in
*a. the
First Amendment.
b. the
Fifth Amendment.
c. the 21st
Amendment.
d. Article
III of the Constitution.
23. The “emergency
power” used at the outset of the Civil War is an example of
Constitutional
change through
a.
legislative elaboration.
b. custom
and usage.
*c.
presidential practice.
d. judicial
interpretation.
24. Members of the
U.S. Senate serve terms of
a. 2 years.
b. 4 years.
*c. 6 years.
d. 8 years.
25. In the case of Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of
Education, the Supreme Court
*a. ruled
that school districts must use techniques like busing if necessary to
achieve racial
integration.
b. ruled
that public facilities, like transportation and recreation, must be open
to persons of all
races.
c. ruled
that Southern states no longer had to submit their school integration
plans to the federal
government for
approval.
d. ruled
that the district system used to elect Board of Education members
was racially
discriminatory and had to be
changed.
26. The only element
of the Bill of Rights that has been held to be “absolute” by the courts
is
a. freedom
of speech.
b. freedom
of religion.
c. freedom
from cruel and unusual punishment.
*d. None of
these – no right is “absolute.”
a. the
legality of the death penalty.
b.
discrimination against homosexuals in public employment.
c. state
vs. federal power to protect the environment.
*d.
admitting women to VMI.
28.
When
racial discrimination is the deliberate result of the law, we call it
a.
de facto discrimination.
b.
affirmative action.
*c.
de jure discrimination.
d.
coincident discrimination
29. The
a.
incidences of flag burning.
*b.
terrorism on
c. the
needs of the war in
d. fear of
the Communist Party.
30. According to
a. a
geographic part of the country, such as a state.
b. a
minority whose rights must be protected.
*c. a
dangerous group that can be either a minority or a majority.
d. a
subversive minority that seeks to overthrow the government.
31. Many of the
constitutional amendments passed in the 20th century tended
to fall
into a pattern of
*a.
extending democratic participation rights to more people.
b. placing
limits on the power of the police.
c. applying
federal law to the states.
d.
weakening the separation of powers.
32. The “Meal Deal”
of 1790 described in Wasserman resulted in a compromise involving
a. amending
the Constitution.
*b. the
location of the national capital.
c.
d. the
importation of slaves.
33. The No Child Left
Behind program is discussed in Wasserman as an example of
*a.
cooperative federalism.
b. dual
federalism.
c.
devolution.
d.
minimalist government.
34.
The Grutter and Gratz cases
illustrate “judicial activism” in that
a. the
Court considered the cases without asking the plaintiffs for permission.
b. the
Court ruled that the Congress had no authority in this area.
*c. the
justices of the Court assumed the role of public policy makers.
d. the
justices refused to consider the facts, only constitutional principles.
35. Speech codes
a. are
considered unconstitutional by the courts.
*b.
potentially create a conflict of civil liberties vs. civil rights.
c. have not
been allowed since the 19th century.
d. do not
cover “symbolic” speech, such as bake sales.
36. In Federalist 51,
a.
federalism.
b.
political parties.
*c.
separation of powers.
d. the Bill
of Rights.
37. The process of
returning more of the responsibilities of governing from the national
level to
the state level is known as
a. dual
federalism.
*b.
devolution.
c.
preemption.
d. home
rule.
38. Madison and his
fellow Federalists believed that the worst kind of tyranny was
a.
dictatorship headed by one ruler.
*b. tyranny
by a majority of citizens.
c. tyranny
of the wealthy.
d. the
institution of slavery.
39. The primary
concern of the legislation known as Title IX is
a. minority
rights in employment.
b. the
rights of the handicapped.
c. the
rights of illegal aliens residing in the
*d. women’s
rights in education.
40. Compared to
people in other countries, Americans typically have a low degree of
a. interest
in religion.
*b. class
consciousness.
c. civic
competence.
d. sense of
civic duty.
Political Science 1014
Fall 2006
Test 2 -- Form A
a. one of the major parties is replaced by a new party.
*b. the parties can better address the key issues of the day.
c. one party dominates the presidency and Congress for decades.
d. voters become extremely apathetic.
2. A push poll is used to
a. accurately determine public opinion on an issue.
b. closely examine how a particular segment of the public thinks.
c. find out why people voted the way they did.
*d. influence voters’ decisions in a upcoming election.
3. The fact
that
most
a. the degree of extreme partisanship among the electorate.
*b. the fact
that the
c. the low
voter turnout typical of
d. the influence of the media over the electoral process.
4. A PAC is
a. a legislative district in a densely-populated area.
b. an agreement among media outlets.
*c. the fund-raising and spending arm of an interest group.
d. a campaign to determine who a party’s candidate will be.
5. The term “gender gap” refers to the fact that
a. a higher percentage of men than of women vote in elections.
*b. women are more likely to vote for Democrats than are men.
c. men tend to be better informed about politics than women.
d. most men will not vote for women candidates.
6. People who “favor government efforts to ensure that everyone has a job, to spend more money on medical and educational programs, and to increase taxation for well-to-do persons” would be described by Wilson & DiIulio as
a. conservatives.
*b. liberals.
c. socialists.
d. libertarians.
7. Our guest lecturer, Mr. Key, explained about
a. minority group voting participation.
*b. the Democratic party.
c. women’s rights interest groups.
d. campaign finance reform.
8. A primary motivation behind the creation of the Electoral College as a mechanism for selecting the president was
a. the need to check and balance Congress.
*b. distrust of ordinary voters.
c. a belief in direct democracy.
d. recognition that even electors need to go to college.
9. The now-unconstitutional practice of requiring voters to pay a poll tax in order to vote was intended to
a. insure that only highly-motivated people would vote.
b. raise revenue to pay for political campaigns.
*c. keep poor people, especially black people, from voting.
d. eliminate voter fraud.
10. One would expect the lowest voter turnout among people aged
a. 65 or older.
b. 45 to 64.
c. 25 to 44.
*d. 18 to 24.
11. When Congress banned “soft money,” the main effect was
a. to cause political campaigns to cost far less.
*b. to force interest groups to find another way to fund campaigns.
c. to make campaigns rely more on political parties.
d. to discourage many people from running for office.
12. According to your text, when people participate in party politics or in an interest group as a result of “solidary” incentives, they are looking for
a. patronage.
b. good public policy.
*c. social life.
d. publicity.
13. Which of the following is a “public interest” organization?
a. The National Association of Manufacturers.
b. The
United Autoworkers’
c. The American Medical Association.
*d. The League of Women Voters.
14. The probability that an incumbent member of the House of Representatives will win reelection if he or she runs for it is roughly
*a. 90%.
b. 75%.
c. 50%.
d. 33%.
15. Your text asks the questions, are national convention delegates representative of their party’s voters. In the case of Democrats, they find that
*a. delegates’ views are more liberal than voters’.
b. delegates’ views are more conservative than voters’.
c. delegates’ views are almost identical to voters’.
d. representativeness varies by year – there is no consistent relationship.
16. . “Structural” bias in the mass media results from
*a. the fact that media outlets are businesses.
b. the fact that most reporters are liberals.
c. the fact that most media owners are conservatives.
d. the fact that government regulates the media.
17. Gerrymandering is the practice of
a. contributing money to legislators who support your issues.
b. writing the party platform so as to unite the party.
*c. designing legislative districts to benefit a particular party or candidate.
d. pulling together coalitions comprised of different interest groups.
18. The “free rider” problem arises because
a. politicians don’t get enough scrutiny in the media.
b. it is unlikely that one vote will change an election outcome.
*c. it is not rational for individuals to contribute to public interest groups.
d. with the rise of the internet, much political content is literally given away.
19. An important part of the job of a “lobbyist” is
a. to produce political advertising, often of a negative kind.
b. to advise clients on how to get around various laws.
*c. to advise legislators what interest groups think about proposed laws.
d. to raise money for political parties and candidates.
20. Most delegates to national party conventions are now selected by
a. party leaders.
b. the caucus method.
c. congressional leadership.
*d. voters in primaries.
a. support for government-run health care.
b. opposition to social security reform.
*c. opposition to terrorism.
d. support for gay marriage.
22. If a candidate asks for votes on the basis of her successful record in public office, she is appealing to voters who are inclined to vote
*a. retrospectively.
b. ideologically.
c. self-interestedly.
d. prospectively.
23. The argument that interest groups, taken as a whole, are representative of the opinions and interests of the whole population is usually made by
*a. pluralists.
b. elitists.
c. liberals.
d. ideologues.
24. Some interest
groups pursue goals that, if attained, will principally benefit people
who are
not members of the groups. These groups
are called
a. institutional interest groups.
b. social movements.
c. membership interest groups.
*d. public interest groups.
25. Which of the following areas of society has the most, and most powerful, interest groups representing them?
*a. Business
b. Organized labor
c. Environmentalists
d. Minority groups
26. Which of the following expresses a political “value” in the sense Prof. Walcott used in discussing “values, attitudes, and beliefs”?
a. “President Bush can be trusted to make wise military decisions.”
b. “Taxes on the middle class should be lowered.”
*c. “Even a terrorist is entitled to a fair trial.”
d. “PAC money corrupts elected officials.”
a. almost 90%.
b. about 75%.
*c. a little under 50%.
d. roughly 33%.
28. When the media carry a story telling of allegations that a member of Congress has been taking illegal bribes from a lobbyist, the media are functioning as
a. gatekeepers.
*b. watchdogs.
c. scorekeepers.
d. agitators.
29. Compared to the general public, most members of the national media hold political views that are best described as
*a. more liberal.
b. more conservative.
c. identical.
d. No way to know – media people don’t reveal their political views.
30. The psychological process called selective attention suggests that
a. people are highly vulnerable to manipulation by the news media.
b. most people pay no attention at all to the media.
*c. people will remember or believe only what they agree with.
d. only television has an impact on people’s political preferences.
31. Since the 1970s, public opinion on the issue of abortion has been
*a. moderate and stable.
b. polarized toward the extremes, and changeable.
c. polarized and stable.
d. highly variable – sometimes moderate, sometimes polarized.
32. The reelection campaign of Rep. Dick Hayes, described in Wasserman, described a congressional district that was
a. extremely competitive between the parties.
b. safe for the incumbent Republican.
*c. safe for the incumbent Democrat.
d. likely to be won by the challenger.
33. According to Wasserman, while the Democrats have had the advantage in registering new voters, Republicans have had the advantage in
a. gerrymandering.
b. polling.
c. blogging.
*d. targeting.
34. The “Harry and Louise” advertisements criticized
a. President Bush’s Social Security intiative.
*b. President Clinton’s health care plan.
c. President Bush’s “No Child Left Behind” program.
d. President Clinton’s support for tax increases.
35. Which kind of “bias” is most evident in media coverage of the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal?
a. pro-establishment bias.
b. liberal bias.
*c. anti-establishment bias.
d. east coast elitist bias.
36. The single most reliable predictor of an individual’s voting choice is
a. the region in which the person lives.
*b. the person’s party identification.
c. the person’s views on abortion.
d. the person’s age.
37. The most
important early events for choosing the nominees for president are the
a.
*b.
c.
d.
38. For a public opinion poll to be valid, it should be based on a
*a. random sample.
b. stratified sample.
c. instrumental sample.
d. complete population.
39. The social base of the Democratic party has for decades been rooted in the lower socio-economic classes. This is a result of
a. the philosophy the party has followed since the days of the American
Revolution.
b. the exclusiveness of the Republican party, which has rejected many who
wish to join.
*c. the realignment of the early 1930s, when the New Deal appealed to those
hurting most in the depression.
d. the realignment of the 1950s, when the Republican party became the normal
majority party in
a. make the conduct of elections more efficient.
b. generate support for alternative fuels for cars.
c. drive people to the polls on election day.
*d. increase
voter turnout.
Political Science 1014
Fall, 2006 – Exam #3
Form A
Fill in the correct
answer on your answer sheet. For each
question there is only one correct answer.
1. The “standard model” of how judges should make decisions says that they ought to consider three sets of factors: the facts of a case, the applicable laws, and
a. their political obligations.
b. instructions from the president.
*c. any applicable precedents.
d. their judicial philosophy.
2. The view that judges should discern the general principles underlying laws or the Constitution and apply them to modern circumstances is called
a. judical review.
*b. judicial activism.
c. judicial restraint.
d. judicial conservatism.
3. The term “senatorial courtesy” refers to
*a. presidents consulting senators before appointing judges.
b. the tradition of unlimited debate in the Senate.
c. rules governing how senators conduct committee hearings.
d. how the courts defer to the preferences of senators.
4. A bicameral legislature has
a. two parties.
*b. two houses.
c. two committees.
d. two humps.
5. In lecture it was pointed out that the House and Senate are quite different from one another. An example of the difference is:
a. The Senate doesn’t use committees; the House does.
b. The House has a formal leadership structure; the Senate doesn’t.
*c. Senators have the right to filibuster; House members don’t.
d. House members often are national media figures; Senators rarely are.
6. The principle of stare decisis is important because
a. it allows the House to run in an orderly fashion.
*b. it makes the law stable and predictable.
c. it requires bureaucrats to respect the intent of Congress.
d. it protects whistleblowers from retribution.
7. When we say that
the
*a. different parties in control of the legislative and executive branches.
b. the separation of powers and checks and balances among the branches.
c. the federal system, with its division of power between nation and states.
d. times when public opinion is closely divided on the major issues of the day.
8. The “Civil Rights Restoration Act” was an example of
a. the president’s use of his unilateral power.
b. the powerful effect of “going public.”
c. how the courts sometimes make law.
*d. the working of the checks-and-balances system.
9. A “clientele” department would be found in
*a. the “outer” cabinet.
b. the “inner” cabinet.
c. the Executive Office of the President.
d. the Congress.
10. The president’s “emergency power” was first claimed by
a. President Andrew Jackson.
*b. President Abraham Lincoln.
c. President Woodrow Wilson.
d. President Franklin Roosevelt.
11. The process of judicial selection has become harsher and more partisan since the Senate’s rejection of President Reagan’s Supreme Court nominee
*a. Robert Bork.
b. Clarence Thomas.
c. Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
d. Rush Limbaugh.
12. The main reason that “pork barrel” projects continue to be passed is that
a. they benefit national political party organizations.
b. members of Congress don’t care about the voters.
c. the media don’t pay enough attention to them.
*d. they help members of Congress get reelected.
13. According to lecture, the next cabinet department to gain “inner” cabinet status will be the Department of
a. Environmental Protection.
*b. Homeland Security.
c. Veterans’ Affairs
d. Education.
14. The term “rule making” describes
*a. the process OCR went through when interpreting Title IX.
b. what congressional conference committees do.
c. the statements judges issue when they have decided a case.
d. one of the president’s unilateral powers.
15. An order from the House Rules Committee that limits debate and forbids amendment of a bill is called a
*a. closed rule.
b. sequential referral.
c. quorum call.
d. cloture petition.
16. When the president acts as “head of state” (or “chief of state”), his role most closely resembles that of
a. a judge.
b. a campaign manager.
c. a legislator.
*d. a monarch.
17. President Bush has used his signing statements mainly to
a. signal his intentions to other governments.
b. create photo opportunities for the media.
*c. influence the interpretation of legislation.
d. criticize his political adversaries.
18. Members of Congress use riders to
a. stall or defeat legislation.
*b. get their pet projects passed.
c. communicate with their constituents.
d. raise their own salaries.
19. . A believer in “judicial restraint” would
a. expect Congress to make sure the judiciary did not go too far.
b. trust the president to place necessary limits on the judges.
*c. expect judges to be reluctant to overrule the other branches.
d. prefer that judges be subject to elections.
20. A parliamentary system is one in which
a. there is no chief executive.
*b. the chief executive is picked by the legislature.
c. the chief executive gets the job through heredity.
d. there
are no political parties.
21. The tenure of a federal judge is
a. two years, renewable indefinitely.
b. six years, with a maximum of three terms.
c. ten years, with a maximum of three terms.
*d. life.
22. The federal courts that actually conduct trials (with juries, witnesses, evidence, etc.) are (is) the
*a. district courts.
b. courts of appeals.
c. Supreme Court
d. All of the above.
23. . Bureaucrats are expected to treat citizens “impersonally” because
a. they are paid poorly, and can’t be expected to try hard.
b. due to high turnover, most bureaucrats are inexperienced.
c. since they can’t be fired, bureaucrats don’t have to be polite.
*d. they are trying to avoid favoritism and discrimination.
24. When presidents try to influence Congress by appealing to the public (“going public”), how successful are they?
a. Almost always successful.
b. Successful in foreign but not domestic policy.
c. Successful in domestic but not foreign policy.
*d. Rarely successful.
25. Corruption and incompetence under the “spoils system” led eventually to
a. the creation of Congress’s investigative power.
b. the resignation of President Grant.
c. the institution of the president’s cabinet.
*d. the start of the civil service system.
26. Representatives who always tries to vote the way their constituencies would like them to are called
*a. delegates.
b. servants.
c. trustees.
d. followers.
27. Which of the following presidents is an example of “the president as Samson?”
a. Lyndon Johnson
*b. Gerald Ford
c. Ronald Reagan
d. Harry Truman
a. increase.
*b. decline.
c. stay about the same.
d. None of these – there is no predictable pattern.
29. The president’s line item veto
a. is one of the key unilateral powers of the presidency.
b. is seldom used and thus not very important.
c. is easier to override than other vetos.
*d. does not exist.
30. A legislator or president still in office after being defeated in an election is called a
*a. lame duck.
b. gone goose.
c. swan song.
d. yellow-bellied sapsucker.
31. When committees of Congress do “oversight,” they are
*a. watching the bureaucracy to be sure it follows Congress’s intent.
b. deliberately refusing to look at certain embarrassing problems.
c. working to make sure that their bills pass the full House or Senate.
d. measuring public opinion prior to deciding how to vote on a bill.
32. Rep. Nancy Pelosi
of
a. President Pro-Tem.
b. Majority Leader.
*c. Speaker.
d. Majority Whip.
33. The last president to be impeached was
*a. Bill Clinton.
b. Richard Nixon.
c. Andrew Johnson.
d. No president has ever been impeached.
34. An appropriation is a bill in Congress that gives
a. permission to begin or continue a program or agency.
*b. a grant of money to finance a program or agency.
c. a committee the right to investigate a program or agency.
d. congressional approval to a presidential nomination or treaty.
a. wire tapping embassies of Communist countries.
*b. bureaucratic rules and procedures.
c. a bill that is ready to go to the president.
d. a signal that the Supreme Court will decide a case.
36. The account of retirement reform in Wasserman demonstrates the importance of
*a. an issue network.
b. the vice-president’s role in the Senate.
c. “going public” by the president.
d. an iron triangle.
37. Right after 9/11, the first reaction of Congress was to
a. divide sharply along party lines in debating what to do.
b. declare a recess and turn the government over to the executive.
*c. unite behind the President in bipartisan fashion.
d. demonstrate confusion, uncertainty, and paralysis.
38. The Challenger case in Wasserman illustrates “groupthink” on the part of
a. the team that investigated the disaster after it happened.
b. the president and his advisors in approving the mission.
c. the crew
of the Challenger.
*d. mission managers ignoring safety warnings.
39. President Nixon’s rationale for refusing to turn over the Watergate tapes was based on
a. the power of the commander-in-chief.
*b. his claim of executive privilege.
c. his position as head of state.
d. support by a majority in Congress.
40. The chair of a House committee is always
a. the oldest member of the committee.
b. the one who has been on the committee longest.
c. a close ally of the Speaker.
*d. a member of the majority party.
Political Science 1014
Fall, 2006 – Final Exam
Form A
Fill in the letter of
the correct answer on your answer sheet.
For each question there is only one correct answer.
1. Compared to people in other countries, Americans typically have a low degree of
a. interest in religion.
*b. class consciousness.
c. civic competence.
d. sense of civic duty.
2. Land grant
universities are an example of what kind of economic policy?
a. regulatory
*b. promotional
c. stabilization
d. welfare
3. When a partisan realignment occurs,
a. one of the major parties is replaced by a new party.
*b. the parties can better address the key issues of the day.
c. one party dominates the presidency and Congress for decades.
d. voters become extremely apathetic.
4. The term “senatorial courtesy” refers to
*a. presidents consulting senators before appointing judges.
b. the tradition of unlimited debate in the Senate.
c. rules governing how senators conduct committee hearings.
d. how the courts defer to the preferences of senators.
5. When one small group benefits and almost everybody pays for a policy, this is called
a. interest group politics.
b. majoritarian politics.
c. entrepreneurial politics.
*d. client politics.
6. In 2005, the federal government spent more than it took in from taxes. This difference between spending and revenue is called
a. the national debt.
b. the gross domestic product.
*c. the annual deficit.
d. the fiscal shortfall.
*a. Keyenesianism
b. monetarism
c. socialism
d. conservatism
8. The part of the Constitution that goes into the most detail in spelling out the powers of the national government is
*a. Article I – the Congress.
b. Article II – the Executive.
c. Article III – the Courts.
d. Article VI – National supremacy.
9. Which of the following is a “public interest” organization?
a. The National Association of Manufacturers.
b. The
United Autoworkers’
c. The American Medical Association.
*d. The National Organization for Women.
10. The “Civil Rights Restoration Act” was an example of
a. the president’s use of his unilateral power.
b. the powerful effect of “going public.”
c. how the courts sometimes make law.
*d. the working of the checks-and-balances system.
11. Madison and his fellow Federalists believed that the worst kind of tyranny was
a. dictatorship headed by one ruler.
*b. tyranny by a majority of citizens.
c. tyranny of the wealthy.
d. the institution of slavery.
12. Your text asks the question, are national convention delegates representative of their party’s voters. In the case of Democrats, they find that
*a. delegates’ views are more liberal than voters’.
b. delegates’ views are more conservative than voters’.
c. delegates’ views are almost identical to voters’.
d. representativeness varies by year – there is no consistent relationship.
13. The president’s line item veto
a. is one of the key unilateral powers of the presidency.
b. is seldom used and thus not very important.
c. is easier to override than other vetos.
*d. does not exist.
14. Supply-side economic theory holds that the way to stimulate the economy is to
*a. lower taxes.
b. raise the minimum wage.
c. increase worker productivity.
d. create tariff barriers.
15. Medicare is
a. a noncontributory (“assistance”) program.
b. a program run mainly by the states.
*c. a contributory (“insurance”) program
d. a program created in the ‘60s that no longer exists.
16. In 2005, President Bush undertook an important reform in the social welfare area, but failed to get a bill passed by Congress. The President wanted to
a. eliminate the food stamps program.
b. create a national health insurance program.
c. prohibit religious organizations from offering social services.
*d. partially privatize social security.
17. The belief that
the
a. unilateralism.
b. isolationism.
*c. containment.
d. engagement.
18. Primary responsibility for policy implementation belongs to
a. the legislative branch.
*b. the executive branch.
c. the judicial branch.
d. All of these, equally.
19. Failure of the international “balance of power” system led to
*a. World War I.
b. World War II.
c. the Korean conflict.
d. the Vietnam war.
20. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives serve terms of
*a. 2 years.
b. 4 years.
c. 6 years.
d. 8 years.
a. to cause political campaigns to cost far less.
*b. to force interest groups to find another way to fund campaigns.
c. to make campaigns rely more on political parties.
d. to discourage many people from running for office.
22. The term “rule making” describes
*a. the process OCR went through when interpreting Title IX.
b. what congressional conference committees do.
c. the statements judges issue when they have decided a case.
d. one of the president’s unilateral powers.
23. Which president
signed the law ending 61 years of aid to the poor (welfare) as an entitlement?
a. Ronald Reagan
b. George W. Bush
*c. Bill Clinton
d. Gerald Ford
24. On the issue of global warming, the most visible entrepreneur right now is
a. President Bush.
b. Ralph Nader.
*c. Al Gore.
d. Rachel Carson.
25. According to your text, the issue of air pollution from cars involves
*a. majoritarian politics.
b. interest group politics.
c. client politics.
d. entrepreneurial politics.
26. In Federalist 51,
a. federalism.
b. political parties.
*c. separation of powers.
d. the Bill of Rights.
27. The reelection campaign of Rep. Dick Hayes, described in Wasserman, described a congressional district that was
a. extremely competitive between the parties.
b. safe for the incumbent Republican.
*c. safe for the incumbent Democrat.
d. likely to be won by the challenger.
28. The chair of a House committee is always
a. the oldest member of the committee.
b. the one who has been on the committee longest.
c. a close ally of the Speaker.
*d. a member of the majority party.
a. technologically advanced.
*b. comprehensive.
c. decentralized.
d. humane.
30. The phrase “Great Society” refers to policies undertaken during the presidency of
a. John Kennedy.
*b. Lyndon Johnson.
c. Richard Nixon.
d. Ronald Reagan.
31. The idea that public policy changes tend to deviate only a little bit from the status quo is called
a. conservatism.
b. liberalism.
c. rationalism.
*d. incrementalism.
32. According to
a. a geographic part of the country, such as a state.
b. a minority whose rights must be protected.
*c. a dangerous group that can be either a minority or a majority.
d. a subversive minority that seeks to overthrow the government.
33. If you wanted to
predict whether somebody was likely to vote, the most useful thing to
know
about the person would be:
a. what part of the
country the person lives in.
b. whether the person
is married or not.
*c. how much education the
person has.
d. whether the person
is male or female.
34. Strictly
speaking, the phrase “In God We Trust” on our money might be considered
a
violation of
*a. the First Amendment.
b. the Fifth
Amendment.
c. Article
d. the “necessary
and proper” clause.
35. . Members of Congress use riders to
a. stall or defeat legislation.
*b. get their pet projects passed.
c. communicate with their constituents.
d. raise their own salaries.
36. Compared with the 1950s, government’s involvement in the everyday lives of Americans today is
a. about the same.
b. slightly less.
c. considerably less.
*d. considerably greater
37. Since the 1970s, public opinion on the issue of abortion has been
*a. moderate and stable.
b. polarized toward the extremes, and changeable.
c. polarized and stable.
d. highly variable – sometimes moderate, sometimes polarized.
38. When presidents try to influence Congress by appealing to the public (“going public”), how successful are they?
a. Almost always successful.
b. Successful in foreign but not domestic policy.
c. Successful in domestic but not foreign policy.
*d. Rarely successful
39. The Federal
Reserve Board is responsible for
a. public assistance
programs.
b. fiscal policy.
c. social insurance
programs.
*d. monetary policy.
40. The Medicare
program provides health care to
*a. old people.
b. children.
c. poor people.
d. every American.
41. The term
“laissez-faire” best describes
a. the
b. social welfare
during the New Deal.
c. the environment since
the 1970s.
*d. the economy in the 19th
century.
42. Policy implementation is the primary responsibility of
a. Congress.
b. the courts.
c. the president.
*d. the bureaucracy.
a. be forgotten.
*b. persist.
c. change radically.
d. fail.
44. Under what Wilson and DiIulio call the “New System” of government, interest groups
*a. are more numerous.
b. rely more on “insider” lobbying.
c. are dominated by two or three major interests.
d. have become less important.
45. The War Powers Act
a. gives the president greater freedom to initiate wars.
b. amends the Constitution to make the president Commander-in-Chief.
*c. attempted, without much success, to allow Congress to restrain the president.
d. failed to pass because of the threat of terrorism.
46. The Earned Income Tax Credit mainly benefits
*a. working parents who are poor.
b. the richest 1% of the population.
c. large corporations.
d. political candidates.
47. Which of the following is an entitlement policy?
a. FDA testing of drugs before they are released.
b. child labor laws.
*c. Social Security.
d. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
48. “Selective incorporation” means:
a. that certain procedures must be followed in admitting new states to the union.
b. that the
*c. that federal rights have been applied to the states, but only one at a time.
d. that the federal government can regulate businesses.
49. Most delegates to national party conventions are now selected by
a. party leaders.
b. the caucus method.
c. congressional leadership.
*d. voters in primaries.
50. During a
president’s term in office, his popularity tends to
a. increase.
*b. decline.
c. stay about the same.
d. None of these – there is no predictable pattern