question

Pork-barrel spending refers to?

answer

wasteful federal dollars spent on local projects

question

the separation of powers refers to?

answer

dividing a government into different branches with distinct areas of authority

question

A system of checks and balances:

answer

gives each branch of the national government some power over the others

question

A free rider problem occurs when:

answer

everyone fails to work toward a common goal because they are each willing to let someone else do the work

question

politics is defined as:

answer

the process that determines the decisions made by government

question

A cohesive set of ideas and beliefs used for organizing the political world is an:

answer

ideology

question

which of the following explains earmarks such as the "bridge to nowhere"?

answer

legislators support such projects to gain support for projects of their own.

question

what are the two goals for American government explicitly outlined in the Constitution?

answer

a national defense against foreign interests and enforcement of laws within the nation.

question

which of the following is considered a responsibility of the government?

answer

protecting individual civil liberties.

question

which of the following is an example of a public good?

answer

a city or town park.

question

People who do not pay attention to government:

answer

have less influence over what government does

question

identity politics refers to the impact of ---- on political interests.

answer

gender, ethnicity, or race

question

A functioning democracy requires citizens to:

answer

hold elected politicians accountable for the decisions they make

question

Someone who favors lower taxes, less government regulation of the market, and limited government power is best described as a:

answer

conservative

question

Liberals tend to support which of the following views?

answer

there should be greater government regulation of economic markets.

question

The 2000 election and the subsequent discussion about the winner arose from which constitutional provision?

answer

presidents are not elected by popular vote, but instead the electoral college.

question

which of the following best describes the constitution?

answer

it provides citizens with certain rights and liberties.

question

the constitution was created in a context of:

answer

quarrels among the states and the growing perception of the collapse of the rule of law under the Articles of Confederation.

question

A ______ form of government involves popular control of government by the people through elected officials.

answer

a republican democracy.

question

the articles of Confederation failed because:

answer

it placed too many limits on governmental power

question

what three principles stated in the Declaration of Independence were generally agreed on by the Constitution's framers?

answer

equality under the law, self-rule, and natural rights

question

In a republican democracy, legitimacy is based on the idea that:

answer

elected leaders exercise power by consent of the governed.

question

A faction is a group of _____ that seek to control government power to_____.

answer

minority or majority interests; pursue their own interests

question

People who share a common political interest are best known as:

answer

a faction

question

According to your text, which of the following ideas received the LEAST attention from the framers of the Constitution?

answer

political equality for all citizens.

question

During campaigns, candidates win by trying to educate voters on the issues.

answer

false

question

the main reason for the expense of American political campaigns is the increased use of television advertising.

answer

true

question

a district with no sitting legislator who runs for reelection is called.

answer

an open seat

question

the actions officeholders take throughout the election cycle to build support for their reelection is called:

answer

the permanent campaign

question

An important activity of any campaign is ____, which most directly involves_______.

answer

mobilizing supporters; the ground game.

question

a candidate's ground game is:

answer

the campaign's effort to get out the vote on Election Day.

question

In an effort to raise doubts about their opponents as much as they draw attention to their own records, candidates almost all use _____ as a key part of their campaign strategy.

answer

opposition research.

question

A tracker is:

answer

a campaign staff member who follows an opponent in order to record his or her slip-ups and embarrassments.

question

candidates who are behind in election polls often use _____as a way to gain momentum and make the race competitive.

answer

attack ads or negative ads.

question

the main way that American candidates reach the electorate is through

answer

campaign ads.

question

The term federal government refers to any state government.

answer

false

question

because the constitution provides a clear list of national powers, debates over how power is divided between the national state governments have been intense.

answer

true

question

because battles over federalism depend upon interpretation of the constitution, the supreme court plays an important role in deciding how much power state and national governments have at any point in time.

answer

true

question

when the national government gives the state money to change state laws, it is:

answer

exercising the power of the purse

question

A form of government that divides power between two political units is called

answer

a federal system

question

In a federalist system, who or what is responsible for the conduct of foreign policy and defense?

answer

the national government

question

concurrent powers are those that:

answer

are shared by state and national governments

question

which part of the constitution resolves conflicts between national and state laws?

answer

the supremacy clause

question

what is the effect of the necessary and proper clause?

answer

it grants the national government those powers that are required for carrying out their responsibilities.

question

when congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996, It was trying to:

answer

limit interpretation of the full faith and credit clause.

question

Despite seeking a stronger national government, the farmers of the constitution still believed in the need to limit the national government through the separation of powers.

answer

true

question

our separation of powers system works by distributing some powers to individual branches, having the branches share others.

answer

true

question

the federalists generally:

answer

supported increasing the authority of the national government.

question

The antifederalists

answer

generally favored relatively strong state governments.

question

which of the following was NOT a source of significant conflict at the constitutional convention of 1787?

answer

wether to throw out or amend the declaration of independence of 1776.

question

the agreement that lead to the legislature having two houses (House of Representatives and Senate) is called the:

answer

great compromise

question

the three fifths compromise referred to:

answer

counting slaves as three fifths of a person when determine state population and there fore representation in the House of Representatives.

question

which of the following powers are NOT exclusive to the legislative branch?

answer

the ability to spend troops in to armed conflict

question

which part of government was considered the weakest because it did not have "Power of the purse or sword"?

answer

judicial branch

question

which of the following is an exclusive power of the legislative branch?

answer

the power to declare war

question

which branch of government has the longest and most specific list of powers?

answer

legislative

question

the separation of powers works through a system of checks and balances in which:

answer

all three branches share some powers but not others

question

the concept of shared powers means that:

answer

no branch has exclusive control in some realms of government action

question

the ability to remove someone because of corruption or abuse of power is called:

answer

impeachment

question

The electoral college accords each state a number of electoral votes, which are equal to the state's representation in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

answer

true

question

citizens do NOT vote directly for presidential candidates.

answer

true

question

the votes cast by citizens during elections are called:

answer

the popular vote

question

which of the following is NOT an impact that elections have on American politics?

answer

they make people more knowledgeable about the American political system through campaign

question

which of the following restrictions on voter eligibility is true for all Americans?

answer

must be 18 years or older

question

An election in which nay registered voter can participate in selecting a party nominee is called an:

answer

open primary

question

Any voting system in which the candidate with the most votes wins is called:

answer

plurality voting

question

which of the following examples illustrates the importance of ballot design in elections?

answer

the "butterfly" ballot

question

Frontloading is:

answer

the increasingly early scheduling of primaries and caucuses

question

what happens if no candidate receives a majority of the electoral college votes?

answer

the house of representatives decides who winds, with each state getting one vote, and voting continues until someone gets a majority of the votes.

question

the theory of dual federalism is most consistent with the concept of

answer

layer cake federalism

question

the commerce clause gives

answer

congress the power to regulate economic exchange and interstate commerce between the states.

question

the term fiscal federalism refers to:

answer

grants of money from national to state governments

question

which of the following terms describes a situation in which the national government provides funds to state governments with no strings attached on how that money is spent?

answer

a block grant

question

unfunded mandates:

answer

are federal regulations that require state action but provide no money

question

which of the following describes coercive federalism?

answer

the national government uses regulations, mandates and money to achieve a broad national purpose.

question

the degrees of cooperation between the federal and state governments relies most on:

answer

financial support form the national government

question

which of the following are given in the text as reasons to support a strong role in federalism?

answer

states are laboratories of democracy.

question

which of the following are given in the text as reasons to support a limited state role in federalism?

answer

too much state power can create a "race to the bottom"

question

which of the following is an argument in favor of state supremacy?

answer

it is a check on tyranny because people can "vote with their feet"

question

civil liberties are guaranteed by which part of the constitution?

answer

Bill of Rights

question

civil liberties are:

answer

restrictions on government action that are intended to protect political freedoms.

question

when the supreme court makes decisions on civil liberties cases, they frequently weigh protecting an individual's freedom against the public good. In doing os they are:

answer

balancing interests

question

______, or the use of words to express your feeling or views about the government, is the most protected form of expression.

answer

political speech

question

which of the following forbids states from denying "life, liberty, or property" without following rules based on the BIll of Rights?

answer

due process clause

question

which of the following is an example of protected symbolic speech?

answer

burning the American flag during a protest at the White house

question

spending money in campaigns is:

answer

a form of symbolic speech that leads to traditional political speech

question

the bIll of Rights still did not provide individuals with the same protection from the state governments that they enjoyed form the national government. This is because the supreme court:

answer

Continued embracing the standard of dual citizenship despite the language of the 14th amendment

question

the clear and present danger test allow government to:

answer

limit some political speech but only when it may cause significant harm to others.

question

when the supreme court ruled in 1969 that KKK leader clarence Brandenburg's threatening speech was protected under the 1st Amendment, they justified it by:

answer

arguing that he did not actually spur people to engage in lawless action

question

the idea of prior restraint applies to the probable cause requirements police must meet prior to searching someone's home

answer

false

question

Americans' religious freedoms are based on two different clauses in the 1st amendment: the free exercise class and the establishment clause.

answer

true

question

a gag order:

answer

is a government prohibition on what the media can and cannot publish

question

current legal standards on libel and slander distinguish between comments made about average ordinary people and those made about:

answer

public figures

question

statements (either written or spoken) that damage someone's reputation are called:

answer

libel or slander

question

which part of the 1st Amendment prevents government form regulating most religious practices?

answer

free exercise clause.

question

some forms of speech, such as fighting words, obscenity, or libel receive:

answer

less protection that political speech

question

debates about nativity scenes in government building focus on interpretation of

answer

wether or not allowing the scene constitutes public support for religon

question

the brady campaign to prevent gun violence followed:

answer

the assassination attempt on PResident Ronal Reagan in 1981

question

the bill of Rights' guarantee of religious freedom is based in the :

answer

free exercise and establishment clauses

GovandPOl – Flashcard

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards