question

Which of the following is an example of checks and balances, as established by the Constitution?

answer

The requirement that presidential appointments to the Supreme Court be approved by the Senate.

question

The graph above supports which of the following statements?

answer

People with higher incomes are more likely to think of themselves as conservative than are those with lower incomes.

question

A primary election in which voters are required to identify a party preference before the election and are not allowed to split their ticket is called

answer

a closed primary.

question

When selecting a vice-presidential candidate, a presidential nominee is usually concerned primarily with choosing a running mate who

answer

adds balance and appeal to the national ticket.

question

The primary function of political action committees (PAC's) is to

answer

raise campaign funds to support favored candidates.

question

Which of the following conclusions about income distribution during the Reagan administration is supported by the table above?

answer

The share of income received by the highest fifth increased, whereas the share received by the lowest fifth increased.

question

Registered voters directly elect which of the following? I. The President and the Vice President II. Supreme Court justices III. Members of the Senate IV. Members of the House of Representatives

answer

III and IV

question

The role of a conference committee in Congress is to

answer

reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate.

question

Supreme Court justices were given tenure subject to good behavior by the framers of the Constitution in order to ensure that

answer

justices are free from direct political pressures.

question

The committee system is more important in the House than in the Senate because

answer

the house is so large that more work can be accomplished in committees than on the floor

question

The most important source of the Supreme Court's caseload is

answer

its appellate jurisdiction

question

A President attempting to influence Congress to pass a legislative program might employ all of the following strategies EXCEPT

answer

denying campaign reelection funds to legislators who oppose the President's policy stand.

question

Presidents have had the most success in changing the direction of decisions of the federal judiciary by

answer

using the appointment process to select judges with judicial philosophies similar to those of the President.

question

Which of the following did the most to expand civil rights in the 1950s?

answer

The Supreme Court decision declaring state-mandated school segregation to be unconstitutional.

question

Which of the following is true about the right of free speech, as currently interpreted by the Supreme Court?

answer

It protects the right to express opinions even without the actual use of words.

question

The importance of Shays' Rebellion to the development of the United States Constitution was that it

answer

indicated that a strong, constitutionally designed national government was needed to protect property and maintain order.

question

In a federal system of government, political power is primarily

answer

divided between the central government and regional governments.

question

Which of the following generalizations about group voting tendencies is true?

answer

African American Democrats tend to support the more liberal candidates within their party.

question

A corporate lobbyist would be LEAST likely to have an informal discussion about a pending policy matter with which of the following?

answer

A federal judge in whose court a case important to the corporation is being heard

question

Which of the following is a significant trend in the presidential nominating process over the past three decades?

answer

Increasing importance of presidential primaries rather than state convention

question

Congressional standing committees are best described as

answer

permanent subject-matter committees

question

All of the following powers are granted to the President by the Constitution EXCEPT

answer

forming new cabinet-level departments.

question

In which of the following did Congress move to regain powers previously lost to the executive branch?

answer

Budget and Impoundment Control Act

question

The data displayed in the table above best support which of the following statements?

answer

House seats are safer from election turnover than are Senate seats.

question

Which of the following actions can Congress take if the Supreme Court finds a federal law unconstitutional?

answer

Try to amend the Constitution.

question

Which of the following statements about Congress is true?

answer

The legislative process is frequently lengthy, decentralized, and characterized by compromise and bargaining.

question

Which of the following is articulated in the War Powers Resolution?

answer

Lobbyists and political action committees (PAC's) successfully induce most members of Congress to trade their votes for campaign contributions.

question

In the 1992 election, the membership of Congress was altered significantly by an increase in the number of

answer

minorities and women.

question

Discrimination in public accommodations was made illegal in the United States as a direct result of the

answer

Civil Rights Act of 1964

question

Most of the individual protections of the Bill of Rights now apply to the states because of the Supreme Court's interpretation of the Constitution's

answer

Fourteenth Amendment

question

In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court established which of the following principles?

answer

States cannot interfere with or tax the legitimate activities of the federal government.

question

Political socialization is the process by which

answer

political values are passed to the next generation.

question

Which of the following is the most important influence on the choice made by voters in presidential election?

answer

Partisan identification

question

The advantages of incumbency in congressional elections include which of the following? I. Incumbents receive more campaign contributions than do challengers. II. Incumbents are able to provide important services for individual voters. III. The government provides campaign funds for incumbents. IV. The President usually endorses incumbents for reelection. V. Most American voters believe Congress does a good job.

answer

I and II only

question

Which of the following statements about rules of procedure in the House and Senate is correct?

answer

The House operates more by formal rules, while the Senate operates more on informal understandings.

question

Which of the following procedures results in the removal of the President from office?

answer

The House votes for impeachment, and the Senate conducts a trial and reaches a guilty verdict.

question

Interest groups and political parties both promote United States democracy by

answer

linking citizens to the political process.

question

Which of the following statements accurately describes the selection of the caseload for the United States Supreme Court?

answer

The Supreme Court is free to choose the cases it hears with only a few limitations.

question

The boundaries of United States congressional districts are usually determined by

answer

the state legislatures

question

Public monies are used to help finance which of the following campaigns? I. Presidential II. Congressional III. Gubernational

answer

I only

question

Diversity of public policy throughout the United States is primarily a consequence of

answer

federalism

question

All of the following have contributed to an increase in presidential power in the post-1945 era EXCEPT

answer

legislation granting the President the power to impound funds appropriated by Congress

question

One of the formal tools used by Congress for oversight of the bureaucracy is

answer

authorization of spending

question

Decisions reached by the Supreme Court under the leadership of Chief Justice Earl Warren (1953-1969) did all of the following EXCEPT

answer

invalidate state abortion statutes.

question

The "Miranda warning" represents an attempt to protect criminal suspects against

answer

unfair police interrogation.

question

The reserved powers of the state governments can best be described as those powers

answer

not specifically granted to the national government or denied to the states.

question

Critical elections in the United States typically have occured

answer

when groups of voters have changed their traditional patterns of party loyalties

question

When 18 to 21 year olds received the right to vote in 1971, in the 1972 national elections they did which of the following?

answer

turned out at a lower rate than the rest of the electorate.

question

The largest amount of political coverage in newspapers during presidential campaigns is devoted to

answer

day-to-day campaign activities

question

A state has 11 electoral votes. In a presidential election, the Democratic candidate receives 48 percent of that state's popular vote, the Republican candidate receives 40 percent of the vote, and an independent candidate receives 12 percent of the vote. If the state is similar to most other states, how will the electoral votes most likely be allocated?

answer

The Democratic candidate will receive all 11 electoral votes.

question

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about political parties in the United States?

answer

The percentage of voters identifying themselves as either Democratic or Republican has been declining since the 1970s.

question

The congressional power that has been contested most frequently in the federal courts is the power to

answer

regulate interstate commerce.

question

Which of the following is an accurate statement about committees in Congress?

answer

Standing committees oversee the bureaucracy's implementation of legislation.

question

The request of recent Presidents for the line-item veto is a challenge to which of the following principles?

answer

separation of powers

question

Which of the following form an "iron triangle?"

answer

executive department, Congressional committee, interest group

question

An election involving more than two candidates in which the person who receives the most votes is the winner is called

answer

a plurality election.

question

Cabinet members often do not have a dominant influence on presidential decision-making because

answer

presidential goals often conflict with the institutional goals of individual cabinet-level agencies

question

A fundamental source of power for the federal bureaucracy lies in its

answer

ability to set specific guidelines after receiving a general mandate from Congress

question

The establishment clause in the First Amendment does which of the following?

answer

prohibits the setting up of a state church.

question

Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade are similar Supreme Court cases in that both cases are based on the

answer

right of privacy.

question

The debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists were primarily about which of the following issues?

answer

the scope of power of the central government

question

Which of the following statements about gerrymandering is true?

answer

It can be used by a political party to draw boundary lines to control as many districts as possible.

question

Which of the following constitutional principles most directly addresses the relationship between the national and state governments?

answer

Federalism

question

The term "pork barrel" refers to legislation specifically designed to

answer

provide funding for local projects that are intended to benefit constituents.

question

Which of the following is a member of the White House Staff?

answer

the national security adviser.

question

In 1987 the cooperation among the NAACP, the NOW, and the ACLU to defeat Robert Bork's nomination to the United States Supreme Court was an example of

answer

coalition building.

question

The Supreme Court's power of judicial review permits the Court to overrule all of the following EXCEPT

answer

the Bill of Rights

question

Which of the following statements about political parties and the United States Constitution is true?

answer

The issue of political parties is not addressed in the Constitution

question

The free-exercise clause protects

answer

voluntary prayer by student groups before school

question

Which of the following United States Supreme Court cases established the principle of judicial review?

answer

Marbury v Madison

question

Which of the following is the most likely consequence of divided government?

answer

delays in confirmation of federal court nominess

question

In Plessy v Ferguson, the United States Supreme Court ruled that state-imposed racial segregation is constitutional, based on the

answer

"separate but equal" doctrine

question

Which of the following is a fundamental element of the United States Constitution?

answer

Division of government authority across political institutions

question

Which of the following best explains the principle of stare decisis?

answer

It encourages judges to follow precedent when deciding cases

question

Which of the following is NOT a way in which the federal government regulates campaigns?

answer

by prohibitions on negative advertising

question

Which of the following statements about the Senate is true?

answer

Individual senators can exercise substantial influence over the legislative process

question

The framers of the United States Constitution left decisions on voting eligibility to the

answer

individual states

question

In the process and structure of public policy-making, "iron triangles" refer to the

answer

networks of congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups that strongly influence the policy process

question

One reason for the persistence of a two-party system in the United States is

answer

the single-member district electoral system

question

Both Gitlow v. New York and New York Times v. Sullivan are United States Supreme Court cases that dealt with which of the following amendments to the United States constitution?

answer

First Amendment

question

Which of the following is true of PACs?

answer

They make campaign contributions to gain access to legislators

question

All of the following are ways that the legislative branch can check the powers of the executive branch EXCEPT:

answer

Congress may pass a law declaring a presidential action unconstitutional

question

Which of the following best describes the primary formal role of the attorney general?

answer

serving as the chief executive officer of the Department of Justice

question

Which of the following is an example of congressional oversight?

answer

Holding hearings for review of an executive agency's activities

question

How is a president chosen when none of the candidates receives a majority of the electoral college vote?

answer

The House chooses a new president by a majority vote of its state delegations.

question

The Americans with Disabilities Act, which provides protections for the disabled, is an example of

answer

a federal mandate

question

Which of the following best describes the difference between an open and closed primary?

answer

Only voters who register as members of a political party may vote in that party's closed primary, while independents and others may be eligible to vote in open primaries.

question

Which of the following best describes the concept of political efficacy?

answer

It is the belief that one can make a difference in politics by expressing an opinion and acting politically

question

Which of the following is an example of presidential use of inherent powers?

answer

Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase

question

Which of the following statements about writs of certiorari is accurate?

answer

The Supreme Court grants certiorari for less than 5% of the cases appealed to it

question

Cooperative federalism can best be described by which of the following statements?

answer

different levels of government are involved in common policy areas

question

When independent regulatory agencies make rules, enforce those rules, and adjudicate disputes arising under those rules, they risk violating the constitutional concept of

answer

separation of powers

question

Explanations for low voter turnout include all of the following EXCEPT

answer

laws protecting voting rights for minorities

question

Which of the following statements about motions for cloture is true?

answer

They are used by senators to end a filibuster and bring a bill to vote

question

Since 1972, voters in presidential elections have

answer

become more focused on individual candidates

question

The process of extending the protections of the Bill of Rights by means of the Fourteenth Amendment to apply to the actions of state government is known as

answer

incorporation

question

The main intent of "motor voter" laws is to

answer

increase voter registration

question

Which of the following describes a consequence of the growing concentration of ownership of the news media?

answer

there is increased similarity of network news coverage

question

The difference between an appellate court and a district court is that an appellate court

answer

reviews previous court decisions

question

The differences shown in the table demonstrate which of the following?

answer

the gender gap

question

The Supreme Court has ruled which of the following concerning the death penalty?

answer

the death penalty is not necessarily cruel and unusual punishment

question

Giving state governments greater discretion in deciding how to achieve the specific goals of welfare reform is an example of

answer

devolution

question

Which of the following is the best example of a categorical grant?

answer

money given to states for special education programs

question

Which of the following is true of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

answer

It has been a major instrument for increasing the number of African American and other minority voters

question

Since the early 1980s, the Republican Party platform has been increasingly influenced by

answer

evangelical Christians

question

The role Congress plays in ensuring that executive branch agencies are carrying out their legislated responsibilities is known as

answer

legislative oversight

question

The table above supports which of the following statements about partisanship and the 1984 presidential election?

answer

partisanship was a good predictor of the way a person voted

question

The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in

answer

the United States House of Representatives

question

Nominations to the Supreme Court must be approved by a

answer

simple majority vote in the Senate only

question

Which of the following is true of most federal judges appointed by the President?

answer

they serve for life on good behavior unless impeached and convicted by Congress

question

Which of the following describes a fundamental difference between political parties and interest groups?

answer

political parties represent broad arrays of issues, whereas interest groups are more likely to focus on narrow sets of issues

question

Compared to the general population, delegates to presidential nomination conventions are

answer

more ideological

question

Unlike the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution does which of the following?

answer

emphasizes both national sovereignty and federalism

question

Federal budget entitlements refer to spending

answer

to provide individual benefits established by legislation

question

Brown v Board of Education of Topeka (1954) was a significant Supreme Court ruling because it

answer

held the "separate but equal" concept to be a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment

question

Which of the following is the leading predictor of how an individual will vote in a congressional election?

answer

partisanship

question

Which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the table above?

answer

Latinos of Cuban descent are more supportive of the Republican Party than are Latinos of Mexican or Puerto Rican descent

question

Which of the following is true about the pocket veto?

answer

It occurs when the President takes no action on a bill for ten days during which Congress is adjourned

question

Of the following, which is the most powerful figure in Congress?

answer

the Speaker of the House

question

Interest groups engage in all of the following activities EXCEPT

answer

using the franking privilege

question

Considering all elections at all levels of government, which of the following best describes electoral behavior in the United States?

answer

the majority of the electorate does not vote in most elections

question

In which of the following scenarios would a presidential veto most likely be upheld?

answer

Two-thirds of the representatives and senators are members of the same party as the president

question

Which of the following statements about voting patterns is best supported by the table?

answer

women were more likely than men to vote democratic

question

The data in the table provide clear evidence that

answer

the vote in the Midwest predicted the outcome rather consistently

question

The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to

answer

reserve powers to the states

question

Which of the following statements can be supported form information in the table above? I. Federal grants to state and local governments have increased substantially in total dollar amount since 1950. II. In 1994 the federal government devoted a larger percentage of outlays to grants than in 1980. III. Between 1980-1990, grants decreased as a percentage of federal outlays. IV. In 1994 states were more dependent on federal grants for revenue than in 1990, 1970, or 1960.

answer

I, III, and IV only

question

When a lower court decision is appealed to the Supreme Court, which of the following is most likely to occur?

answer

The Supreme Court will not hear the appeal.

question

Which of the following is true of amicus curiae briefs?

answer

They are used by interest groups to lobby courts.

question

The terms "fiscal federalism" and "cooperative federalism" refer to situations in which

answer

federal, state, and local governments work together to complete a project, with the federal government providing much of the project funding

question

Which of the following is a result of the electoral college system?

answer

candidates focus on the states with the largest populations

question

Which of the following committees of the house of Representatives sets the conditions for debate and amendment of most legislation?

answer

rules

question

of the following, which has been used most to expand the power of the national government?

answer

the commerce clause of the Constitution

question

Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the two major political parties in the United States?

answer

separate and largely independent party organizations exist at national, state, and local levels.

question

Following the Civil War, the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was designed to overturn the

answer

Dred Scott decision

question

Which of the following best illustrates the point being made in the cartoon above?

answer

Presidents can have an influence on public policy far beyond their terms of office.

question

The table best supports which of the following statements about party identification and voting behavior?

answer

people with strong democratic party identification tend to vote for the democratic party

question

The table best supports which of the following statements about the two elections for which data are provided?

answer

pure independents were less likely to vote for the democratic presidential candidate in 1988 than for democratic house candidates in 1990.

question

In recent presidential administrations, the principal staff for the President has been made up of members of the

answer

White House Office

question

The procedure for formally amending the United States Constitution best illustrates which of the following?

answer

the federal structure of the United States government

question

Which of the following best explains why delegates to both the Republican and Democratic Conventions in 1996 were much more likely to have college and postgraduate degrees than was the rest of the voting population?

answer

political activism increases with education levels

question

Congressional district boundaries are usually redrawn every ten years by the

answer

state legislatures

question

The franking privilege refers to the

answer

right of members of Congress to send mail to their constituents at the government's expense

question

Which of the following took place after presidential candidates Truman in 1948, Nixon in 1968, and Clinton in 1992 won only pluralities of the popular vote?

answer

the winning candidate took office after receiving less than 50% of the popular votes cast

question

Which of the following is generally true of the gerrymandering of congressional districts?

answer

it creates districts that favor one political party over another

question

Which of the following is one of the central concerns of the First Amendment?

answer

the right of citizens to petition the government for redress of grievances

question

The "wall of separation" doctrine refers to the

answer

division of church and state

question

Lobbyists try to influence legislators mainly through

answer

providing legislators with information on technical issues

question

The table above supports which of the following conclusions? I. A plurality of the people has consistently supported the Democrats. II. Support for the two major parties increased slightly between 1952 and 1994 III. The largest percentage increase in political identification between 1952 and 1994 occurred among independents.

answer

III only

question

States and localities have the most discretion in establishing policy when federal funding is derived from

answer

block grants

question

Which of the following best explains the trend depicted in the chart above?

answer

the voting rights act of 1965

question

Which of the following statements about trends in presidential approval ratings is supported by information presented in the graph above?

answer

a president's popularity tends to fall during his term in office

question

In Miranda v Arizona, the United States Supreme Court declared that

answer

police must inform criminal suspects of their constitutional rights before questioning suspects after arrest

question

Which of the following is NOT a presidential role authorized by the Constitution?

answer

to lead the political party of the President

question

Which of the following statements about voting behavior in the United States is correct?

answer

college graduates are more likely to vote than those who have at most a high school diploma

question

An electoral system based on single-member districts is usually characterized by

answer

domination of the legislature by two political parties

question

Which of the following is true under the system of checks and balances?

answer

the senate must ratify treaties negotiated by the president before they become law

question

A major reason why the Supreme Court justices have had political experience prior to appointment to the Court is that

answer

Presidents seek to place individuals on the Court whose policy views are similar to their own

question

The Supreme Court ruled the legislative veto unconstitutional on the grounds that such vetoes

answer

violated the principle of separation of powers

question

The President can do which of the following without seeking the consent of either the House or the Senate?

answer

deploy troops

question

Which of the following is true about the line-item veto?

answer

it is used by many state governors

question

In The Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that factions in a republic are

answer

natural but controllable by institutions

question

Which of the following actions by the federal government best illustrates the concept of unfunded mandates?

answer

requiring states and municipalities to provide certain services for their citizens without providing resources to pay for those services

question

The term "horse-race journalism" refers to the tendency of the media to

answer

cover campaigns by emphasizing the relative standings of the candidates in the polls rather than the issues they discuss

question

Which of the following is a provision of federal election laws?

answer

in areas with significant populations of linguistic minorities, voting materials must be made available in the preferred languages of the population

question

The largest portion of "uncontrollable spending" in the federal budget is designated for which of the following?

answer

entitlement spending

question

The Supreme Court established the incorporation doctrine when the Court

answer

interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment as extending most of the requirements of the Bill of Rights to the states as well as the federal government

question

Of the following, the most important role in the political socialization of children is played by

answer

the family

question

The 1973 Roe v Wade decision that upheld a woman's right to secure an abortion was based on the right to

answer

privacy implied in the Bill of Rights

question

Which of the following was the most important effect of replacing the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution of 1787?

answer

the creation of a strong national government

question

The doctrine of original intent holds that

answer

the meaning of the Constitution depends on the intention of the framers

question

A major difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that

answer

there is unlimited debate in the Senate but not in the House

question

Senate confirmation is required for which of the following presidential appointments? I. secretary of state II. white house chief of staff III. director of the FBI IV. attorney general

answer

I, III, and IV

question

All of the following serve as checks on the power of the federal courts EXCEPT

answer

the voters can oust federal judges in national elections

question

To which of the following congressional committees would a proposal to reform the national income-tax system initially be sent?

answer

house ways and means committee

question

PACs representing which of the following groups have increased in number most substantially since the mid-1970s?

answer

business

question

Since the 1970s, Presidents have made use of executive orders at an increasing rate because executive orders

answer

do not need to be passed by Congress

question

Which of the following is NOT a core value of United States political culture?

answer

economic equality

question

The concept of "critical elections" is most closely associated with

answer

party realignment

question

Which of the following statements is supported by the chart above?

answer

President Reagan nominated the smallest percentage of woman to the judiciary

question

Federal benefits that must be funded by Congress and must be paid to all citizens who meet eligibility criteria are called

answer

individual entitlements

Government AP Final – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards