question

Which of the following is the best definition of a constituent?

answer

It is a person who lives in the district represented by a member of the legislature.

question

As of 2010, how many women serve in the U.S. Senate?

answer

17

question

The most common occupation among members of Congress before coming to Congress is

answer

lawyer

question

In 2006, ______ became the Speaker of the House.

answer

Nancy Pelosi

question

Which of the following statements concerning the representation of women and minorities in the U.S. Congress is true?

answer

Representation of women and minorities has increased over the past two decades, but is not comparable to their proportions in the general population.

question

In each House district there are approximately ______ people.

answer

600,000

question

Which of the following is not a service often provided by representatives to their constituents?

answer

Offering constituents legal advice regarding new administrative laws

question

Constituency service is so important that

answer

party leaders will not ask any member to vote in a way that conflicts with the interests or opinions of the member's district.

question

Three factors related to the American electoral system affect who is elected to office in this country, and what they do once they get there. Those factors are

answer

who decides to run for office, incumbency, and the drawing of district lines.

question

A senator or representative running for re-election is called the

answer

incumbent

question

recent years, approximately what percentage of House members seeking re-election won their race?

answer

ninety-five percent

question

Congress is a ______ legislature with ______ members.

answer

bicameral, 535

question

Which of the following best explains the small number of women in Congress?

answer

Incumbency is a very powerful resource, and most incumbents have been men.

question

Over the past several decades, the ______ and the ______ have benefited most from apportionment?

answer

South, West

question

he process of allocating congressional seats among the fifty states is called

answer

Apportionment

question

Which of the following statements concerning the process of reapportionment is correct?

answer

In order for one state to gain a seat, another must lose a seat

question

What unusual action did Texas take after the 2000 census?

answer

Texas redistricted twice, in 2001 and 2003.

question

One reason why redistricting is controversial is because

answer

computer technologies allow legislatures to know statistically what kinds of people live where and this can be used to give one party an advantage over the other.

question

What did the Supreme Court declare in Miller v. Johnson?

answer

The racial composition of a district cannot be the primary factor when redistricting

question

The powers and resources available to government officials that are used to favor supporters are called

answer

patronage

question

Pork-barrel legislation

answer

deals with specific projects and their location within a particular congressional district.

question

What are the most common private bills proposed in Congress?

answer

bills for permanent visas for foreign nationals

question

Congressional organization is influenced by all of the following except

answer

presidential directives

question

Who is the Speaker of the House?

answer

The elected leader of the majority party in the House is the speaker

question

In general, members of the House seek committee assignments that will

answer

allow them to influence decisions that are of special importance to voters in their districts

question

In the House of Representatives, the majority leader

answer

is subordinate to the Speaker of the House

question

Who has the most real power in the Senate?

answer

the majority and minority leaders

question

Which of the following is not a task for which congressional party leaders are responsible?

answer

the organization for the re-election strategies of the incumbents

question

The House Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over which of the following areas?

answer

taxes, trade, and entitlement programs

question

Who decides which committee assignments members of House of Representatives receive?

answer

each party's own committee on committees

question

The jurisdiction of standing committees

answer

is defined by the subject matter of legislation, which often parallels the major cabinet departments or agencies

question

The need to divide the labor of legislation is best exemplified in what formal structure of Congress?

answer

the establishment of standing committees

question

Under the original Constitution, senators

answer

were appointed by state legislatures

question

Congressional leaders form ______ committees when they want to take up an issue that falls between the jurisdiction of existing committees, to highlight an issue, or to investigate a particular problem.

answer

select

question

Conference committees are

answer

temporary, involve members from both houses of Congress, and are charged with reaching a compromise on legislation once it has been passed by both the House and the Senate.

question

Organizational reforms instituted by Congress in the 1970s attempted to

answer

fragment power by reducing the power of committee chairs

question

Which of the following is not a task of congressional staff members?

answer

debating and voting in subcommittee meetings

question

The Congressional Research Service and the Government Accountability Office are examples of

answer

staff agencies

question

Which of the following is the best definition of a congressional caucus?

answer

unofficial groups of representatives or senators sharing similar interests or opinions

question

Agencies in Congress designed to oversee administrative agencies and evaluate presidential proposals are called

answer

staff agencies

question

Approximately what percentage of proposed bills die in committee?

answer

95 percent

question

he determination of the time and structure of floor debate on a bill, in the House of Representatives, is up to the

answer

rules committee

question

How long is the term of office for a U.S. Senator?

answer

six years

question

"Closed rule" and "open rule" refer to congressional provisions regarding

answer

floor debate on a bill

question

Cloture is

answer

the process by which three-fifths of the senate can end a filibuster

question

A filibuster allows members of the Senate to

answer

prevent a vote on a bill by speaking continuously on the floor

question

When the House and the Senate coordinate two versions of the same bill, they will often use a ______ to obtain a single unified bill.

answer

conference

question

How can a president's veto be overridden by Congress?

answer

by two-thirds vote in both houses

question

Congress adjourns during a ten-day period after presenting the president with a bill, and the president takes no action. This is known as a

answer

pocket veto

question

Which of the following is not an important influence on the legislative agenda of Congress?

answer

the federal courts

question

"Astroturf lobbying" refers to the practice whereby

answer

a special interest group simulating a grass-roots movement works with well-organized campaigns and petitions

question

In addition to pressuring members of Congress to vote a certain way on a bill, interest groups also have substantial influence in

answer

setting the legislative agenda

question

Which is the best description of the K Street Project?

answer

It was an attempt to place former Republican staffers in key lobbying positions to help ensure a large flow of corporate donations to the Republican Party.

question

Which of the following best describes a way in which the House differs from the Senate?

answer

the House is more centralized and organized than the Senate

question

Why does the House have greater party unity than the Senate?

answer

House leaders have more organizational control over the actions of representatives than Senate leaders

question

A vote on which 50 percent or more of the members of one party take one position while at least 50 percent of the members of the other party take the opposing position is called

answer

a party-unity vote

question

Which statement about a party unity vote is true?

answer

In 2005, party unity voting was close to an all-time high

question

Which of the following best describes the organizational changes made in Congress during the 1990s?

answer

Attempts were made to concentrate more power into the hands of party leaders

question

Which of the following is not a resource congressional party leaders have at their disposal to secure the unity and cooperation of their members?

answer

constituency service

question

When two members of Congress who share no common interests agree to support each other's bills, the practice is called

answer

logrolling

question

Oversight can best be described as

answer

the efforts of congress to supervise the manner in which its laws are implemented by the executive branch

question

The Senate's constitutional power of advice and consent extends to which of the following?

answer

The president's power to make treaties with other nations

question

A(n) ______ has the same status as a treaty, but does not require Senate approval.

answer

executive agreement

question

The role the House of Representatives plays in impeachments can best be compared with that of a

answer

grand jury

question

The idea of ______ identifies the best representative as the one who shares a similar racial, ethnic, religious, or occupational background with those he or she represents.

answer

sociological representation

question

The two presidents to be impeached by the House of Representatives were Bill Clinton and

answer

Andrew Johnson

question

Members of Congress can represent the people in two ways: as a ______, a member of Congress acts on the express preferences of his or her constituency; as a ______, a member is more loosely tied to constituents and makes the decisions he or she thinks are best.

answer

delegate; trustee

question

What are the greatest dangers with a trustee model of representation?

answer

Members of Congress may become inattentive to the wishes and opinions of their constituents

question

One problem with the delegate model of representation is

answer

That few people are well informed about all political issues

question

Responsibility for communication among party members in Congress lies with the

answer

whip system

question

The frequency with which they must seek re-election makes members of the House

answer

more responsive to the needs of local interest groups in the districts they represent

question

Which idea of representation says that a legislator should be viewed as someone whom voters hire to represent their interests?

answer

agency representation

question

Which of the following is not included in the classification scheme of bills considered by the Texas legislature?

answer

private

question

The 80h Legislature of Texas (2007) passed _________ bills and sent them on to the governor for his signature.

answer

1,481

question

Every bill introduced in the Texas legislature is assigned to a ____________ committee.

answer

standing

question

The vast majority of bills are _____________, which means that they are set aside and never brought forward for consideration. (Texas)

answer

pidgeonholed

question

Debate on the House floor is ____________

answer

limited

question

Debate on the Senate floor is ______________

answer

Unrestricted, thereby allowing for filibuster

question

The purpose of the ________________ committee is to reach a compromise on different versions of the same legislation coming from the House and Senate.

answer

conference

question

The governor may take any of the following actions, except:

answer

override a veto

question

If the governor fails to sign a bill within ten days of receiving it, _____________

answer

the bill becomes a law

question

The comptroller must certify the state's projected _____________ before the House and Senate may approve the budget.

answer

total revenues for two years

question

Which of the following is not a constitutional requirement for holding a seat in the Texas House of Representatives?

answer

a natural-born U.S. citizen

question

The ____________________ and _______________ are considered to be two of the most powerful politicians in the state of Texas.

answer

Speaker of the House; Lieutenant governor

question

Which of the following is not a constitutional requirement for holding a seat in the Texas Senate?

answer

a natural-born U.S. citizen

question

There are _________members of the Texas Senate and ________ members of the Texas House.

answer

31; 150

question

Texas legislators receive a salary of $__________ per year.

answer

7,200

question

The regular legislative session in Texas is limited to ________ days in ______________ years.

answer

140; odd-numbered

question

The ___________ may convene a special session if the legislature fails to complete important work during the regular session.

answer

governor

question

The special session is limited to a maximum of ________ days and may only deal with topics specified by the _____________

answer

30, governor

question

Revenue bills must originate in the Texas _____________

answer

House

question

The 80th Legislature considered almost __________ bills during the 2007 legislative session. (Texas)

answer

6,200

question

The office of the presidency was established by ______ of the Constitution.

answer

Article II

question

In undertaking the campaign against the Taliban in 2001, George W. Bush

answer

sought and received congressional authorization for the bombing, but not a declaration of war

question

The power to declare war is given to whom under the Constitution?

answer

Both houses of congress

question

The president must share foreign policy powers with

answer

Congress

question

The ______ asserted that the president could send American troops into action abroad only in the event of a declaration of war or other statutory authorization by Congress, or if American troops were attacked or directly endangered.

answer

War Powers resolution of 1973

question

The goal of the War Powers Resolution was to

answer

limit the power of the president to commit American troops to military action without authorization from Congress

question

When North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950,

answer

Truman sent American troops to Korea without asking for a declaration of war

question

When Dwight Eisenhower sent federal troops into Little Rock High School in 1957, it demonstrated that

answer

The president may make unilateral use of the emergency powers to protect states against domestic disorder

question

Which of the following statements about how different presidents have used the power of amnesty or pardon is false?

answer

George Washington declared amnesty to all Americans who fought for the British during the War for Independence

question

Why was George Washington's reception of Edmond Genet as ambassador of France during the French Revolution so significant?

answer

It reflected the authority of the President to officially recognize specific regimes as the sovereign power of a nation when there is doubt as to who rules

question

Through the act of delegating powers, the national structure of government in the 1930s went from ______ to ______.

answer

legislatively centered, president centered

question

Which of the following attributes did the framers intend for the office of the president to possess?

answer

energy

question

In order to get around the need for Senate approval of treaties, many contemporary presidents have made use of ______ in foreign affairs.

answer

executive agreements

question

Executive agreements differ from formal treaties in that they

answer

do not have to be approved by the Senate

question

Which statement concerning secret agreements between the president and foreign nations is incorrect?

answer

Presidents have always fully complied with Congress's reporting requirements

question

The president has the power to appoint which of the following positions?

answer

cabinet secretaries

question

Why is the president's State of the Union address important?

answer

It is an opportunity for the President to set the legislative agenda by initiating proposals and directing the public's attention to the executive's goals

question

What is required for Congress to override a presidential veto?

answer

two-thirds of both houses of congress

question

Richard Nixon claimed ______ when he refused to turn over secret White House tapes to congressional investigators.

answer

executive priviledge

question

In United States v. Nixon, the Supreme Court

answer

required Nixon to turn over the secret tapes to congress

question

The State of the Union address is

answer

mandated by the Constitution

question

The president's power to set the debate concerning public policy in Congress is called

answer

a legislative initiative

question

What did the framers mean to accomplish by indirect election of the president?

answer

to make the president responsible to state and national legislatures

question

An executive order is

answer

a rule or regulation initiated unilaterally by the president, with the status of a law

question

Which of the following has caused an increase in the president's delegated powers?

answer

the increasing scope and complexity of legislation

question

Federal executive agencies do each of the following in implementing legislation except

answer

seek advisory opinions from the federal courts as to the constitutionality of the rules

question

Which executive agency has the least discretion, as a result of very detailed Congressional legislation?

answer

Internal Revenue Service

question

The president's delegated powers come from

answer

Congress

question

The Environmental Protection Agency was created in 1970 by

answer

an Executive Order

question

The ______ is the informal designation for the heads of the major federal government departments.

answer

cabinet

question

The groups of advisers and analysts to the president are collectively called the

answer

White House Staff

question

An informal group of advisers to the president is often called the

answer

Kitchen Cabinet

question

The formal group of presidential foreign policy advisers, established in 1947, is called the

answer

National Security Council

question

The rise of national conventions to nominate the president led to the empowerment of what group?

answer

State Party Leaders

question

The National Security Council is composed of all of the following except the

answer

Speaker of the House

question

As a means of managing the gigantic executive branch, presidents have increasingly come to rely upon the

answer

White House Staff

question

Which statement about the Cabinet is incorrect?

answer

The cabinet does not meet as a group, except during the State of the Union address

question

The Office of Management and Budget and the Council of Economic Advisers are both parts of

answer

The Executive Office of the President

question

What is the primary constitutional task of the vice president, besides succeeding the president in case of death, resignation, or incapacitation?

answer

to cast tie-breaking votes in the Senate

question

The main political value of the vice president is to

answer

bring the president votes in the election from a group or region that would not otherwise be a likely source of support

question

After the president and vice president, which office is next in the line of succession?

answer

Speaker of the House

question

Which first lady was the first to seek and win public office on her own?

answer

Hillary Clinton

question

The first lady is an important resource for the president in his capacity as

answer

head of state

question

______ is the claim the electorate has given the winner of a presidential election a special authority to carry out her or his plans.

answer

A mandate

question

In the early 1800s, the system of nominating presidential candidates that left the candidates beholden to their party's leaders in Congress was called

answer

King Caucus

question

A significant initiative set forth by Lyndon Johnson was

answer

The Great Society

question

According to the text, what are the three most common ways for a president to expand his base of power?

answer

party support, popular mobilization, and administrative control

question

When are the president's partisan ties most important?

answer

in dealing with Congress on legislative matters

question

The technique of popular mobilization dates back to the presidency of

answer

Theodore Roosevelt

question

Why was it considered shocking when, after the Civil War, Andrew Johnson made a series of speeches seeking public support for his Reconstruction policies?

answer

During the nineteenth century, it was seen as undignified for a president to campaign on his own behalf.

question

A president who claims to possess a mandate from the American electorate could arguably

answer

that voters have approved the agenda he campaigned on, and that congress ought to approve it

question

Which of the following tactics did Franklin Roosevelt not use to forge a link between the executive office and the public?

answer

Running extensive national television advertising campaigns

question

Which statement concerning the White House Communication Office is incorrect?

answer

It allows the president to avoid giving information to the public

question

What is the general tendency of a president's popularity?

answer

Presidents usually start out popular and decline over the next four years

question

The Executive Office of the President (EOP) was established

answer

Under Franklin Roosevelt in 1939

question

The turning point in American politics toward a president-centered government came about during the administration of

answer

Franklin Roosevelt

question

When the White House directs administrative agencies to promulgate specific rules and regulations, this is called

answer

regulatory review

question

What happened when Harry Truman seized control of the nation's steel mills during the Korean War?

answer

The Supreme Court declared his actions without basis in the law or constitution

question

Which of the following actions was not the result of an executive order?

answer

The entrance in the United Nations

question

Which of the following statements about signing statements is false?

answer

Ever since Thomas Jefferson's presidency, all presidential signing statements have been recorded and added to the official legislative record.

question

A signing statement is

answer

an announcement the president makes about his interpretation of a congressional enactment he is signing into law

question

According to political scientist Terry Moe, why does Congress suffer from a collective-action problem in the face of presidential power?

answer

Individual members of congress are more concerned with the substantive impact of presidential action on their constituents, rather than the general implications of presidential powers

question

The decline of voting and political participation by Americans has which of the following effects?

answer

It enhances the power of the president while weakening congress

question

According to separation of powers expert Louis Fisher, the powers of Congress have declined dramatically in which of the following areas?

answer

national defense and the federal budget

question

The last time Congress exercised its constitutional power to declare war was in

answer

1941

question

The Constitution's framers believed that Congress's greatest prerogative would be its

answer

power of the purse

question

______ powers are the most common form of constitutional powers possessed by the president.

answer

delegated

question

Which president began the era of greater presidential control over the budgeting process?

answer

Franklin Roosevelt

question

Which of the following derives its greatest source of influence from the support of civil society?

answer

Congress

question

When the president infers powers from the "rights, duties, and obligations" of the presidency, these are called

answer

inherent powers

question

The president's position as head of state is defined in the Constitution by all of the following powers except

answer

partisan

question

The _______________ was established in 1975 and regulates utility rates in Texas.

answer

Public Utilities Commission

question

Which of the following is not a constitutional qualification to become governor of Texas?

answer

trained in the law

question

Historically, in Texas, governors have tended to be all of the following, except:

answer

Republican

question

The plural executive serves as a major limitation on gubernatorial power, in that it provides for _____________ of six of the top seven state officials.

answer

statewide election

question

Since 1972, the governor has been elected to serve a __________ term.

answer

four-year

question

The first Republican governor after Reconstruction was _______________

answer

William Clements

question

The first female governor of Texas was _____________

answer

Miriam Ferguson

question

The executive powers of the governor include all of the following, except:

answer

veto power - that's legislative

question

The legislative powers of the governor include all of the following, except:

answer

military power - that's executive

question

The governor of Texas may be impeached for which of the following offenses?

answer

The Texas Constitution does not specify grounds for removal

question

The ________________ is responsible for managing state-owned land and mineral leases granted to oil and gas companies.

answer

land commissioner

question

The ______________ is responsible for verifying the accuracy of motor fuel pumps and scales used by grocery stores and markets.

answer

Commissioner of agriculture

question

Which of the following veto powers does the governor of Texas lack?

answer

special session veto

question

Texas elects each of its state court justices. However, when a vacancy occurs due to death, resignation or retirement of the incumbent, or the creation of a new court, the ______________ is responsible for appointing an individual to fill the vacancy until the next election.

answer

governor

question

The Texas Constitution provides for the _______________ to become governor if the office becomes vacant through impeachment and conviction, death, resignation, or the governor's absence from the state.

answer

lieutenant governor

question

The _________________ is appointed by the governor to serve a four-year term.

answer

secretary of state

question

In 2002, the Republican and Democratic candidates for the governors office spent a combined total of approximately $____________ million.

answer

88

question

All of the following contribute to the weakness of the governor's office in Texas, except:

answer

absence of the line-item veto

question

In addition to use of an official mansion and limousine, the governor is paid _________ per year.

answer

115,345

question

Gubernatorial elections are held in off-years (election years in which we do not select a president) because state leaders wanted to ______________________

answer

minimize the effect of presidential elections on the governor's race

question

Which of the following is a way in which an executive agency engages in lawmaking?

answer

by interpreting the details of a vaguely worded law

question

Bureaucracy, literally translated, means

answer

rule by desks

question

Which of the following agencies was abolished following the creation of the Department of Homeland Security?

answer

the Immigration and Naturalization service

question

Which of the following is not an independent regulatory agency?

answer

the Food and Drug Administration

question

Which statement about regulatory agencies is correct?

answer

No new regulatory programs have been established since the 1970's

question

How are ambassadors chosen?

answer

They are selected by the President, often as patronage for large campaign donations

question

Which president was most concerned with managing and reorganizing the executive bureaucracy?

answer

Jimmy Carter

question

Which president's approach to the managerial presidency featured a deep belief in the importance of scientific expertise in government service?

answer

Barack Obama

question

The ______ is the center of military policy and management.

answer

Joint Chiefs of Staff

question

Which of the following is the best description of an iron triangle?

answer

the stable relationship between a bureaucratic agency, a clientele group, and a legislative committee

question

What is an independent agency?

answer

an agency that is not part of any cabinet department

question

______ policy concerns banks, credit, and currency.

answer

monetary

question

Individual members of Congress can discover questions of public responsibility when engaged in

answer

constituent case work

question

The USA PATRIOT Act

answer

allows the attorney general to detain any foreigner suspected of posing a threat to internal security

question

The response to the Department of Homeland Security's color-coded terror-level warning system reveals

answer

that bureaucratic agencies, like politicians, must pay attention to public opinion.

question

Which of the following is not a clientele agency?

answer

the internal revenue service

question

What has been the greatest difficulty in establishing the new Department of Homeland Security?

answer

adjusting to the many different bureaucratic cultures now part of a single operation

question

What has been the greatest difficulty in establishing the new Department of Homeland Security?

answer

interior

question

Which of the following is the most constitutionally essential way to make the bureaucracy responsible?

answer

congressional oversight

question

Which of the following is a type of deregulation?

answer

reducing the number of regulatory agencies in the federal bureaucracy

question

Ronald Reagan's inability to dismantle the Department of Education reflects the power of

answer

iron triangles

question

______ is the primary mission of the State Department.

answer

diplomacy

question

What is the origin of most federal bureaus?

answer

congress passes a law creating and funding most federal bureaus

question

Before the Civil Service Act of 1883, how were government appointments handled?

answer

appointments were made to political supporters as part of a spoils system

question

Which of the following is not a key strategy used to promote bureaucratic reform?

answer

regulation

question

Since the 1950s, compared with the entire workforce, the number of federal employees has

answer

gradually declined

question

Which of the following is not a task of the Treasury Department?

answer

setting interest rates

question

The Freedom of Information Act is designed to

answer

make more national security documents available to the public

question

Which statement is the definition of privatization?

answer

a way to reduce government costs by relocating government programs to private groups or corporations

question

What was the government trying to accomplish when it called for the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act to create an additional database that would record contractors who have legal or contract violations?

answer

provide government oversight for an increasingly expanding force of independent contractors

question

Which of the following is not a way in which Congress can exercise oversight?

answer

having members of congress work part-time for a particular agency that is struggling to meet the demands Congress has placed on it

question

When the federal government passes authority to administer a program down to state or local governments, it is called

answer

devolution

question

The first regulatory agencies established by Congress were

answer

independent agencies

question

One drawback of devolution is that

answer

the standards associated with particular programs become increasingly variable between states

question

Which of the following is not a department responsible for promoting the public welfare?

answer

Department of State

question

The most significant example of devolution in recent decades has been in the area of

answer

welfare policy

question

According to the text, what would be the most likely outcome if the federal government were to cease all economic regulation?

answer

the marketplace would fall into chaos

question

Which of the following was forced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission to recall several car models after identifying problems with their gas pedal accelerators?

answer

Toyota

question

The National Park Service is

answer

part of the Department of the Interior

question

Which of the following is a government corporation?

answer

the U.S. Postal Service

question

A bureau charged with putting restrictions and obligations on individuals or corporations in the private sector is called a ______ agency.

answer

regulatory

question

The use of taxing and spending powers to shape the economy is part of ______ policy.

answer

fiscal

question

The most visible indication of oversight is the

answer

use of public hearings before congressional committees and subcommittees

question

What was the chief bureaucratic flaw identified by the 9/11 Commission?

answer

There was a lack of communication between the domestic and foreign security agencies

question

What is a government corporation?

answer

It is an agency that performs and charges for services usually provided by the private sector

question

Devolution describes a process by which

answer

the federal government is downsized by delegating the implementation of programs to state and local governments

question

Which of the following statements about administrative rule making is false?

answer

both houses of congress must formally approve all federal rules

question

The attempt of bureaucracies to translate laws into routine procedures and practices is called

answer

implementation

question

What was the mission of the National Performance Review?

answer

to reorganize the federal bureaucracy to make it more efficient, accountable, and less wasteful

question

The greatest number of federal government professionals working abroad are under the authority of the Department of

answer

Defense

question

Which of the following is not a major role of bureaucracy?

answer

passing laws

question

Which of the following is not a type of federal agency?

answer

state and local oversight

question

Which of the following is not part of the Justice Department?

answer

the Internal Revenue Service

question

Which of the following was a way in which President Obama attempted to uphold his campaign promise to reduce government secrecy?

answer

Issuing an executive order designed to promote rapid declassification of secret documents

question

The concept of oversight refers to the effort made by

answer

congress to make executive agencies accountable for their actions

question

Congress was attempting to strike a balance between the need for secrecy in national security and the right of individuals to know what their government is doing when it passed the ______ Act.

answer

Freedom of Information

question

Which of the following is not a federal department entrusted with providing national security?

answer

police

question

Which of the following statements about the merit system is not true?

answer

Every member and official of a government agency has been appointed as a part of the merit system

question

Which of the following interest groups is generally considered the most powerful group today?

answer

AARP

question

Which of the following is not an independent agency?

answer

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

question

The largest subunits of the federal executive branch are called

answer

departments

question

At its peak in ______, the federal bureaucracy had ______ employees, not including military personnel.

answer

1968, 3 million

question

The first regulatory agency was the ______, created by Congress in ______.

answer

Interstate Commerce Commission, 1888

question

Which of the following is an agency created by Congress to assist it in overseeing the federal bureaucracy?

answer

General Accounting Office

question

The head of a department is called the

answer

secretary

question

By the 1980s, the average length of time it took to develop and implement an administrative rule was

answer

thirty-five to forty months

question

Who stated, in his 1996 State of the Union address, that "the era of big government is over"?

answer

Bill Clinton

question

What is the principal job of the Department of Homeland Security?

answer

to coordinate the communication and activities of federal agencies that are involved in domestic security

question

The controversy over the Patriot Act reveals the complications of balancing

answer

national security with the civil liberties of individuals

question

Who has authority to set interest rates and lending activities for the nation's banks?

answer

the Federal Reserve System

question

Which of the following statements about the Federal Reserve System (the Fed) is correct?

answer

Congress created the fed in 1913

question

The Civil Service Act of 1883 attempted to pattern government hiring after practices found in

answer

business

question

When a bureaucracy applies rules and precedents to specific cases, it is called

answer

administrative adjudication

question

Which of the following is a good example of a revenue agency?

answer

the U.S. Customs service

question

Activist judges believe that the courts should

answer

go beyond the words of a constitution or statute to consider the broader societal implications of its decisions.

question

When interest groups involved in litigation pursue a pattern of cases, they are

answer

bringing the same type of suit into multiple circuits, hoping that a contradiction in rulings will bring about a Supreme Court review.

question

President Obama's first appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court was

answer

sotomayor

question

Which of the following was not a case involving the Supreme Court overturning a state law?

answer

marbury v madison

question

he written opinions of appellate courts have been described as halfway between ______ and ______.

answer

common law and statutory law

question

When all of the justices on the Supreme Court are hearing a case, they are said to be sitting

answer

en banc

question

Each year, the Supreme Court receives about ______ appeals and hears about ______ of them in full court.

answer

9,500, 70

question

The written document in which attorneys explain why the court should rule in favor of their client is called a(n)

answer

brief

question

Approximately how many judges currently sit on the federal district courts?

answer

700

question

What was known as the court-packing plan?

answer

the attempt by Franklin Roosevelt to add sympathetic justices to the Supreme Court in order to get New Deal laws upheld as constitutional

question

Each of the following has been a method by which the federal courts have expanded their power except

answer

narrowing the discretionary authority of the president over foreign affairs and diplomacy.

question

Which of the following best describes the role of the solicitor general?

answer

the lawyer who represents the United States before the Supreme Court in cases where the federal government is a party

question

What is the significance of dissenting opinions?

answer

Dissents are signs that the Court is in disagreement on an issue and could change its ruling.

question

Prisoners who are challenging their conviction are most likely to file a writ of

answer

habeas corpus

question

What is the main function of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

answer

The chief justice presides over the Court's public sessions and private conferences.

question

When the Supreme Court declared that the legislative veto was unconstitutional, in Immigration and Naturalization Services v. Chada, what was the response?

answer

Congress and presidents have continued the practice; they just call it something different.

question

The right of due process is best described as the right of

answer

every person not to be treated arbitrarily by a government official or agency.

question

When justices agree with the ruling of a court majority but not all of its reasoning, they may often write a(n)

answer

concurrence

question

Cases between two or more states are originally heard by

answer

the Supreme Court

question

If someone is an advocate of judicial restraint, he or she believes

answer

in looking only at the words of the constitution in determining its meaning

question

What is the most frequent and best-known action of Supreme Court justices in their role as circuit justices?

answer

reviewing requests for stays of execution

question

The case Baker v. Carr concerns

answer

apportionment of legislative seats

question

What is the Uniform Commercial Code?

answer

a set of codes states may voluntarily adopt in order to reduce interstate differences in judicial opinions

question

Approximately what percentage of all court cases in the United States are heard in federal courts?

answer

1

question

Which of the following statements concerning legislative courts is false?

answer

Legislative court judges cannot have their salary reduced by Congress.

question

Why has partisan conflict surrounded federal judicial appointments in recent years?

answer

The federal courts play an important role in shaping American law and politics.

question

All of the following are part of the official jurisdiction of the federal courts except

answer

cases involving citizens from the same state.

question

The size of the U.S. Supreme Court is set by

answer

congress

question

Which of the following is not a specialized "legislative court" created by Congress?

answer

the court of federal territories

question

A writ of habeas corpus declares that

answer

the government must show a legal cause for holding someone in detention.

question

The power of the Supreme Court to review state actions and legislation comes from

answer

marbury v madison

question

When the Supreme Court refuses to review a lower-court decision, announcing this decision through a brief unsigned opinion, it is called ______ opinion

answer

a per curiam

question

If an individual is arrested because their home was searched by police without a legal warrant, they could argue in court that they had been denied

answer

the due process of law

question

A "certiorari pool" describes the

answer

practice by which Supreme Court law clerks work together to evaluate each petition.

question

Under normal rules of oral argument, each lawyer has ______ to present his or her case before the Supreme Court.

answer

30min

question

Trial courts in the federal judicial system are called

answer

district courts

question

In most circumstances, a supreme court is best described as a(n) ______ court.

answer

appellate

question

Which of the following is the essence of the rule of law?

answer

Every state must judge government officials by the same laws as its citizens are judged.

question

Senatorial courtesy describes the practice of

answer

senators from a president's party approving of a judicial nominee from their home state.

question

Andrew Jackson reputedly said, "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it." What did he mean by this statement?

answer

The Supreme Court is unable to enforce its decisions without the aid of the executive branch.

question

A person, agency, or interest group not directly a party to a case but with an interest in its outcome may file a(n) ______ brief.

answer

amicus curiae

question

In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court was required to rule on the issue of ______, due to the fact that the pregnancy had already come to term.

answer

mootness

question

Original jurisdiction refers to

answer

the court with the authority to hear a case first.

question

Which of the following statements about the U.S. Courts of Appeals is incorrect?

answer

The appeals courts are able to hear all cases involving federal law, but not constitutional law.

question

The requirement of standing means that parties in a case must

answer

have a concrete injury or interest at stake

question

Which of the following is part of the Miranda rule?

answer

arrested people have the right to remain silent

question

Aside from the justices themselves, who or what has the greatest power in shaping the flow of cases to the Supreme Court?

answer

the solicitor general

question

In recent years, federal court appointments have

answer

been characterized by intense partisan and ideological efforts to support or defeat the candidate.

question

Which of the following was not part of the Supreme Court's ruling in Hamdi v. Rumsfeld?

answer

Persons the president designates as enemy combatants do not have to be granted an opportunity to rebut those charges.

question

In which type of case does the Supreme Court have original jurisdiction?

answer

any case involving an ambassador

question

Most cases reach the Supreme Court through the

answer

writ of certiorari

question

What was the Supreme Court's ruling in 1948 regarding restrictive covenants?

answer

individuals had the right to discriminate in private contracts but courts could not enforce these contracts

question

The jurisdiction of each federal court is derived from

answer

the constitution and federal law

question

Each Supreme Court justice is assigned ______ clerk(s).

answer

four

question

______ is an example of a justice who advocated judicial restraint.

answer

felix frankfurter

question

Why was the Supreme Court's decision in Ricci v. DeStefano important?

answer

It held that, in order to seek damages, employees must show that employment tests for promotion are clearly defective, rather than that they produce unequal outcomes based on race or gender.

question

When a case is resolved through a negotiated agreement before a full trial is completed, it is called

answer

a plea bargain

question

Why did many Republicans oppose President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court?

answer

she supported affirmative action

question

In what year was Marbury v. Madison decided?

answer

1803

question

What was the basis of Justice John Marshall's assertion that the federal courts have the power of judicial review?

answer

It is the duty of the courts to say what the law is, therefore it is necessary for the courts to interpret and expound upon the law.

question

What did the framers call the "least dangerous branch"?

answer

the supreme court

question

Which of the following is not a traditional limitation on the power of the federal courts?

answer

the ability of congress to reduce federal judges' salaries

question

The increase of administrative agencies since the New Deal has resulted in

answer

a delegation of power by congress to administrative agencies

question

_______________ involves the violation of the concepts of right and wrong as defined by statute and is usually punishable by a specified amount of time in jail.

answer

criminal law

question

________________ involves disputes between individuals and/or businesses over relationships, obligations, or responsibility, with the remedy usually being monetary compensation.

answer

civil law

question

The state courts that handle trials involving criminal or civil matters are the ______________

answer

district courts

question

_____________ percent of criminal defendants agree to plead guilty rather than go to trial.

answer

ninety-seven

question

The ____________________ courts have jurisdiction to hear class C misdemeanors and minor civil matters (e.g., small claims).

answer

justice of the peace courts

question

The highest court in Texas for civil matters is the ______________

answer

Texas Supreme Court

question

In Harris County and in other large urban counties, the state trial courts are given specialized jurisdiction over all of the following, except ___________________.

answer

maritime law

question

In district courts, the state is represented in criminal cases by the _______________

answer

district attorney

question

Attorneys that represent plaintiffs in civil cases are generally paid _____________

answer

on a contingency-fee basis

question

Statutory probate courts are given jurisdiction to hear cases arising out of disputes concerning ________________

answer

wills and estate law

question

apital cases are appealed directly to the ___________________

answer

Texas court of criminal appeals

question

__________________ were created by the Texas legislature to have jurisdiction over violations of city ordinances and class C misdemeanors.

answer

municipal courts

question

exas judges, with the exception of municipal judges, are ________________

answer

elected in partisan elections

question

The county court has the power to hear all of the following types of cases, except ______________________.

answer

felony cases

question

A ________________ consists of twelve persons who serve for two to six months and who determine whether the state has enough evidence to support the issuance of an indictment.

answer

grand jury

question

The highest court in Texas for criminal matters is the ______________

answer

Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

question

The president's expressed powers include all of the following except

answer

Partisan

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