question

Which federal budget items have controllable costs?

answer

spending on highways

question

What must Congress do with the budget by October 1 of each year to avoid having to pass an emergency spending bill?

answer

get the budget approved by the President

question

How do government corporations differ from other agencies?

answer

They were set up by Congress to carry out business activities.

question

The Office of Management and Budget is responsible for all of the following EXCEPT

answer

preparing the annual Economic Report to Congress

question

The Office of Policy Development

answer

advises the President on matters relating to domestic affairs.

question

What is the name for the total amount of all goods and services produced in the country each year?

answer

the gross domestic product

question

Which is true of the eleven agencies that are independent regulatory commissions?

answer

They help regulate activities important to the economy.

question

How many Cabinet departments are there?

answer

15

question

One way government corporations differ from private corporations is that

answer

their officers are public employees.

question

Which is the process by which the heads of the Cabinet departments get their jobs?

answer

The President makes the appointments; the Senate confirms them.

question

Who may reject a President's Cabinet choice?

answer

the Senate

question

Refer to the graph. Which year shows the highest level of federal spending as a percentage of GDP?

answer

1944

question

Which is a reason why the federal government borrows money?

answer

to pay the costs of war

question

Which are the two main sources of advice for the President?

answer

the Cabinet and Executive Office of the President

question

Which of the following is an example of monetary policy?

answer

The Fed lowers the discount rate.

question

In choosing Cabinet members, recent Presidents have generally tried to

answer

give gender, racial, and regional balance to the Cabinet.

question

Which of the following acts of Congress would be unconstitutional?

answer

a tax on automobiles made in Michigan and exported to Canada

question

The Office of Management and Budget helps to decide which of the following?

answer

how much money each federal agency can spend

question

Congress might reduce federal spending on entitlement programs by

answer

redefining eligibility standards

question

What would happen if the Federal Reserve increased the discount rate?

answer

Loans would cost more, so fewer people would borrow money.

question

MATCHING UN division that keeps the peace; UN agency that fights poverty; economic and military assistance to other countries; regional alliance to promote peace and provide a common defense

answer

UN division that keeps the peace - Security Council, UN agency that fights poverty - World Bank Group, economic and military assistance to other countries - foreign aid, regional alliance to promote peace and provide a common defense - North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

question

Which describes the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) since the end of the Cold War?

answer

expanded to Eastern Europe

question

Which best describes the foreign policy method begun by the Nixon administration after the Vietnam War?

answer

détente

question

Nonintervention by European governments in the affairs of the Western Hemisphere was a cornerstone of the

answer

Monroe Doctrine.

question

MATCHING spying; pertaining to a group's ideas or beliefs; to stir up, provoke; to hide from view; use of violence to intimidate a government or society; to lead a military force, to take the lead

answer

spying - espionage, pertaining to a group's ideas or beliefs - ideological, to stir up, provoke - foment, to hide from view - shroud, use of violence to intimidate a government or society - terrorism, to lead a military force, to take the lead - spearhead

question

Which war ended America's policy of isolationism?

answer

World War II

question

Which is one of the six main divisions of the United Nations (UN)?

answer

International Court of Justice

question

Many Americans have concerns about the activities of the DNI because these activities are

answer

largely conducted in secret.

question

Which courts were created to reduce the number of cases the Supreme Court had to hear?

answer

the appeals courts

question

Which is true about the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces?

answer

It is a civilian tribunal

question

Which is one of the three actions the Supreme Court may take when it reviews a case?

answer

send the case back to the lower court

question

Federal appeals court judges hear appeals cases from district courts. What would happen if the appeals court decided that a trial by a district court was fair?

answer

The district court's decision would stand.

question

What does the Constitution say about how a federal judge can be removed from office?

answer

The judge must be removed by the impeachment process

question

What is required for a case to come before the Supreme Court?

answer

a constitutional question

question

How is the federal district court for the District of Columbia different from the other federal district courts?

answer

It hears local cases as well as constitutional cases.

question

Which courts greatly reduce the number of cases the Supreme Court has to hear?

answer

the appeals courts

question

Which of the following are the government's prosecutors?

answer

U.S. Attorneys

question

A President who wants to see court rulings changed to reflect his or her values would most likely

answer

appoint a proponent of judicial activism.

question

The U.S. court system is called a dual court system because it has

answer

both state and federal courts.

question

Which of the following shows the correct sequence of steps in a case before the Supreme Court?

answer

Writ issued; brief filed; oral arguments presented; opinions issued.

question

Which courts have been set up by Congress for Guam and the Northern Marianas?

answer

territorial courts

question

Which of the following court officers may respond to terrorist attacks and other emergency situations?

answer

U.S. marshals

question

Which court hears cases from the Internal Revenue Service?

answer

the U.S. Tax Court

question

One of the basic purposes of the guarantees of free expression is to encourage

answer

discussion of public affairs.

question

Why has the Supreme Court often upheld laws that require advance notice and permits for demonstrations in public places?

answer

because demonstrations often involve some degree of conflict

question

Which is true about the right of association?

answer

It is not an absolute right.

question

". . . if [the machine of government] . . . requires you to be the agent [cause] of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine." —Henry David Thoreau Under what conditions does Thoreau think people should disobey the law?

answer

when the law forces them to treat fellow citizens unfairly

question

Government can make rules about the time, place, and manner of assembly so long as the rules

answer

are content neutral.

question

The government cannot stop the publication of most newspaper articles because doing so would be an example of which of the following?

answer

prior restraint

question

MATCHING gives reporters some protections against having to disclose their sources; .....

answer

gives reporters some protections against having to disclose their sources - shield law, acts of government that seek to make constitutional guarantees a reality - civil rights, false and malicious use of printed words - libel, protections against government - civil liberties, first 10 amendments to the Constitution - Bill of Rights

question

The concept of __________ prevents government from curbing ideas before they are expressed.

answer

prior restraint

question

Which part of the Constitution requires states to honor the 1st Amendment?

answer

the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment

question

Which can the government legally prohibit when setting rules for time, place, and manner of assembly?

answer

a protest near a courthouse to influence a trial

question

The government may not prohibit an assembly for which of the following reasons?

answer

what might be said

question

Which is the term for those people from other countries who have been admitted legally to the United States?

answer

legal aliens

question

In 1968, the Supreme Court upheld a law prohibiting racial discrimination in real estate transactions. Which constitutional amendment did the Court cite as a basis for its decision?

answer

13th Amendment

question

What do the police need in order to get a warrant to search a home?

answer

probable cause that the suspect committed a crime

question

Which is not allowed under the 13th Amendment?

answer

forcing people to work to fulfill a contract

question

How did the Supreme Court weaken civil rights laws after the civil war?

answer

by allowing discrimination by private individuals

question

The cases heard by the Supreme Court claiming cruel and unusual punishment usually relate to which type of punishment?

answer

punishment by death

question

Over time, the population of the United States has become

answer

more diverse.

question

Which is a major problem caused by undocumented aliens in the United States?

answer

They are a financial burden on many states.

question

Which of the following situations would violate the 6th Amendment?

answer

A defendant is given a secret trial with no witnesses.

question

On average, for every $1.00 earned by working men, working women earn about

answer

$0.80.

question

Which helps the Supreme Court to ensure that the 4th Amendment protects citizens?

answer

exclusionary rule

question

If a defendant believes that an impartial jury cannot be drawn, he or she is likely to request

answer

a change of venue.

question

Which would violate a suspect's protections against self-incrimination?

answer

A suspect is questioned by police continuously for 36 hours.

question

Which best describes a bench trial?

answer

A judge with no jury hears the case.

question

In Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 1925, the Supreme Court found that a compulsory school-attendance law unreasonably interfered with parents' rights to direct the education of their children. This case illustrates

answer

both elements of due process.

question

Which of the following situations would violate the 6th Amendment?

answer

Some of the jurors were robbed by the defendant.

question

Which is treason as it is defined in the Constitution?

answer

giving aid to the nation's enemies in wartime

question

Which of the following are banned from entering the United States?

answer

suspected terrorists

question

Which of the following has been found by the Supreme Court to constitute "cruel and unusual punishment?"

answer

drawing and quartering

question

The 4th Amendment addresses which important individual right?

answer

the right to the security of the home and person

question

In Katz v. United States, 1967, the Supreme Court ruled that evidence gained by wiretapping could not be used against Katz because

answer

Katz's right to privacy had been violated.

question

Which could cause a naturalized citizen to lose his or her citizenship?

answer

telling a lie to become a naturalized citizen

question

The legal process by which a person can voluntarily give up his or her citizenship is

answer

expatriation

question

Which was true of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882?

answer

It severely restricted Asian immigration for about 80 years.

question

Before the Civil Rights Era, a white man might order a black man to leave a railway car ____________ .

answer

because the passenger is African American

question

What made it difficult for former European colonies in Africa and Asia to develop democratic governments?

answer

There was mistrust among the many different ethnic groups.

question

MATCHING opposition party ministers in British Parliament; ....

answer

opposition party ministers in British Parliament - shadow cabinet, chooses the British Prime Minister and cabinet - House of Commons, a temporary union of political parties - coalition, the final court of appeals in the British judicial system - House of Lords, Mexican legislature - General Congress

question

Which of the following was the name for the common people in ancient Rome?

answer

plebeians

question

Which of the following factors is essential for a democratic government to work?

answer

civilian control of the military

question

In the 1980s, Mikhail Gorbachev began a reform program in the Soviet Union. He could be called which of the following?

answer

a soft-liner

question

What was Boris Yeltsin's role in the Soviet Union's democratization?

answer

He was the leader of the dominant Soviet republic of Russia.

question

The Ecclesia of Athens differed from the Senate of Rome in that

answer

members of the Ecclesia were not elected.

question

Since Russia has been led by Vladimir Putin, many observers have

answer

feared that Russia has once again become a dictatorship.

question

Which of the following caused the Soviet Union to come to an end?

answer

Member states left the Soviet Union.

question

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's principle of perestroika called for

answer

wide-ranging restructuring of political and economic life.

question

The _________________ were mostly rich, upper-class, landowning aristocrats.

answer

patricians

question

How did popular sovereignty come to Great Britain?

answer

gradually over the course of centuries

question

Which is a major reason that European powers established colonies all over the world?

answer

They wanted resources such as gold and silver.

question

Which Enlightenment thinker criticized monarchs who became rich while their subjects became poor?

answer

Adam Smith

question

In the United Kingdom,

answer

the central government holds all power except that which it permits the regional governments.

question

Which of the following was a result of the Black Plague in Europe?

answer

a weaker feudal system

question

All countries engage in trade, because the factors of production

answer

are unequally distributed around the world.

question

Which communist policy forced farmers to give up their land?

answer

collectivization

question

Communist economies are characterized by

answer

state ownership of the means of production.

question

What is a major difference between capitalism and socialism?

answer

In socialism, the government controls some, if not all, industries.

question

In many communist countries, peasant farmers were forced to give up their land because of the policy of

answer

collectivization

question

Which countries joined the United States in a trade agreement called NAFTA?

answer

Canada and Mexico

question

Companies like the Ford Motor Company and Microsoft that are owned by shareholders are called

answer

corporations.

question

Which is an important part of the government's role in a mixed economy?

answer

The government passes and enforces laws and regulations.

question

Karl Marx first published his basic economic and social ideas in

answer

The Communist Manifesto.

question

The free enterprise system is based on which four factors?

answer

private ownership, individual initiative, profit, competition

question

Which factor of production includes all natural resources?

answer

land

question

In a mixed economy, the government will generally not

answer

take a laissez-faire approach.

question

Which describes a mixed economy?

answer

Government participates with private enterprise.

question

Typical policies of socialist economies include

answer

nationalization, broadening of public services, high taxation, and a command economy.

question

In a free enterprise system, under which of the following conditions are prices most likely to fall?

answer

when demand decreases and supply stays the same

question

What are the four defining elements of a free enterprise system?

answer

private ownership, individual initiative, profit, competition

question

What was the outcome of the Great Leap Forward?

answer

It was followed by a severe famine in China.

question

If a business's earnings are less than its costs, the business has

answer

a loss.

question

How does a tariff protect domestic industries from foreign competition?

answer

by making domestic products more attractive than foreign products

question

Why was China's Great Leap Forward plan of 1958 a failure?

answer

Workers received the same rewards no matter how much they produced.

question

What is the structure of most county governments?

answer

a county board and several elected officials

question

Which is one of the four principles of sound taxation according to Adam Smith?

answer

Taxes should be collected at a time when taxpayers are best able to pay.

question

Most amendments to state constitutions are

answer

proposed by the legislature and ratified by voters.

question

Why are governors often called chief executives?

answer

because they share executive power with other elected officials

question

Which of the following is not a typical county responsibility?

answer

serve as the government for a Native American nation

question

What do cities provide to the people who live within them?

answer

public services

question

What is the name for laws passed by legislative bodies?

answer

statutory law

question

Which is the most common type of city government?

answer

mayor-council

question

In the 1800s and early 1900s, why did much of the rural population move to urban areas?

answer

new and better transportation

question

Which accurately describes the nature of tribal government?

answer

sovereign nation

question

In most states, the governor can eliminate one or more parts of a bill without rejecting the entire measure. This is called

answer

an item veto.

question

Why are some States moving away from the use of trial juries?

answer

because they are costly and time-consuming

question

In a typical State budget process, what happens after the governor's budget agency takes input from State agencies and consolidates its financial plan?

answer

The governor presents the budget plan to the legislature for its consideration.

question

Most of the first state constitutions were based on

answer

colonial charters.

question

Most of the first State constitutions were approved by

answer

state legislatures.

question

Which describes how most state legislatures are organized?

answer

The legislature has a senate and a house of representatives.

question

Which legislative process allows voters to propose a new law and gather signatures in support of it?

answer

initiative

question

How does the Missouri Plan improve the judicial selection process in States that use it?

answer

It offers a compromise in which the governor appoints judges, but voters get to decide if appointees can stay in office.

question

Which state government official keeps the records and publishes the laws passed by the state legislature?

answer

secretary of state

question

What is the process by which a state establishes a city as a legal body?

answer

incorporation

question

Which of the following is NOT a municipal service that city governments typically provide?

answer

military protection

question

What is the primary role of committees in state legislatures?

answer

Committees discuss bills before the bills are passed to the full legislature for consideration.

question

Cities often regulate the use of property within city limits. What is this called?

answer

zoning

question

Today, every state's constitution

answer

is built on the principles of limited government and popular sovereignty.

question

Which was a result of the population shift from cities to suburbs after World War II?

answer

Businesses moved out of the cities.

Government (DONT TOUCH) – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards