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 provides 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

limit the use of the legislative veto

question

Which of the following statements can be supported from information in the table above?

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 levers.

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

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The franking privilege refers to the

answer

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

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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 casts

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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

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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?

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 are 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 majority of 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 rules 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?

answer

I, III, and IV only

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

Political action committees (PAC's) representing which of the following groups have increased in number most substantially since the mid-1970's?

answer

Business

question

Since the 1970's, 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 women 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

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