question

Which goal stated in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution does the government fulfill when it builds roads and schools?

answer

"promote the general Welfare"

question

In the United States, what check does the President have on the power of the legislative branch?

answer

The President can reject a proposed law.

question

Which role does the government play in a free enterprise system?

answer

It passes economic laws and regulations.

question

Which is an example of a citizen's responsibility?

answer

voting in elections

question

Which is one reason that some people don't like the seniority rule?

answer

It discourages new ideas.

question

What is the main job of Congress?

answer

to pass laws

question

The chair position of the Joint Committee on Taxation rotates between the chairs of what two committees?

answer

the Senate Finance and the House Ways and Means

question

What type of committee includes members from both houses of Congress?

answer

a joint committee

question

Who decides which bills are important enough to send to the House for all members to consider?

answer

a standing committee

question

What are bills?

answer

Bills are proposed laws. Congress considers thousands of bills and resolutions. The process of making laws is complicated. The President must approve all proposed laws.

question

What did Congress authorize in 1996, which was later declared unconstitutional, in order to let the President reject specific parts of a bill?

answer

the line-item veto

question

What is a filibuster?

answer

an effort to talk long enough to prevent a vote on a bill

question

In which role does the President serve as the head of the military?

answer

commander in chief

question

In the United States, which is the President's role as the chief of state?

answer

The President both symbolizes and rules government.

question

According to the Constitution, which procedure is followed if the office of the Vice President becomes vacant?

answer

The President nominates a new Vice President.

question

What does it mean that the Vice President is "only a heartbeat away" from the presidency?

answer

The Vice President is first in the order of succession.

question

In the Framers' plan, the candidate with the second highest number of electoral votes would become _____.

answer

Vice President

question

Which method of selecting a President did many of the Framers initially favor?

answer

Congress chooses the President.

question

In the recent past, primaries were used both to select delegates and to _____.

answer

allow party members to express their nominee preferences

question

The number of delegates from each state is determined by _____.

answer

the state's electoral vote

question

Which candidate's performance in the first televised debate helped his campaign?

answer

John F. Kennedy

question

Which political element was introduced in the 1960 presidential campaign?

answer

televised debates

question

Sometimes people worry that the President will make decisions _____.

answer

in secret or illegally

question

According to Article II, what is the President's main duty?

answer

to carry out laws that have been passed

question

The term executive privilege originated with _____.

answer

President Eisenhower

question

The ordinance power refers to the power of the President to _____.

answer

issue executive orders

question

The President recalling an American ambassador often is the first step _____.

answer

to a war

question

A person who helps manage relations between countries is known as _____.

answer

a diplomat

question

Which action can Congress take to check the power of a presidential veto of a bill?

answer

override the President's veto

question

How can the President check the actions of the legislative branch?

answer

veto a bill passed by Congress

question

FBI, IRS, FCC, and CIA are all abbreviations for _____.

answer

federal agencies

question

Authority in a bureaucracy is structured in _____ way.

answer

a hierarchical

question

The Office of Management and Budget helps determine _____.

answer

how much money to give federal agencies

question

The President's closest advisors within the Executive Office of the President work in _____.

answer

the White House Office

question

Which is true about the Cabinet?

answer

Most members come from the President's political party.

question

Which was not one of the original executive departments?

answer

the Department of Agriculture

question

Why was the passage of the Pendleton Act historically significant?

answer

It made the quality of someone's work the basis for hiring.

question

A _____ is a document that allows a traveler to stay in a country for a specific period of time.

answer

visa

question

Which international organization helps the United States conduct its foreign policy?

answer

the United Nations

question

Which marked the end of the U.S. policy of avoiding involvement in the affairs of other countries?

answer

World War II

question

Which U.S. government department is responsible for carrying out foreign affairs and diplomacy?

answer

the State Department

question

Which is responsible for securing U.S. borders and ports?

answer

the Department of Homeland Security

question

_____ uses violence or force to achieve political goals.

answer

Terrorism

question

What is the main purpose of the National Security Council?

answer

to advise the President about the safety of the country

question

What was the cause of the first Gulf War in 1991?

answer

Iraq had invaded the country of Kuwait.

question

Which President ended American involvement in the Vietnam War?

answer

Richard Nixon

question

The Cold War was a prolonged period of military competition and tension between the United States and which nation?

answer

the Soviet Union

question

Beginning in 1899, the Open Door policy increased trade between the United States and which nation?

answer

China

question

Why did George Washington encourage a policy of isolationism for the United States?

answer

He wanted the nation to concentrate on domestic affairs.

question

What has sometimes occurred as a result of disagreements between the United States and the United Nations (UN)?

answer

The United States has withheld funds from the UN.

question

Which division of the United Nations has the main responsibility for keeping international peace?

answer

the Security Council

question

The United States, Australia, and New Zealand signed the ANZUS Pact in 1951 to provide security for which part of the world?

answer

South Pacific

question

The _____ is responsible for handling U.S. foreign aid programs.

answer

U.S. Agency for International Development

question

President Franklin Roosevelt started the Lend-Lease program to help which nation?

answer

Great Britain

question

Constitutional courts and special courts are the two types of _____.

answer

federal courts

question

What court is concerned with appeals of decisions in patent, copyright, and international trade cases?

answer

the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

question

A kidnapping case is an example of a _____.

answer

criminal case

question

What is a concurring opinion?

answer

the statement written that adds information or facts to the majority opinion

question

Which is required for the Supreme Court to reach a decision?

answer

a majority vote of the nine justices

question

The Supreme Court's decision in the case Marbury v. Madison is important because _____.

answer

it allowed the Supreme Court to overrule an unconstitutional law

question

The Supreme Court declares an executive order unconstitutional. This is an example of _____.

answer

judicial review

question

The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to limit the power of _____.

answer

the national government

question

Which is an example of the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of assembly?

answer

A group gathers to pursue a common purpose.

question

Three years after its original ruling, the Supreme Court reversed its opinion about which law?

answer

a law requiring students to salute the flag

question

Which kind of speech does the government limit on radio and television broadcasts?

answer

obscene language

question

When someone knowingly says untrue and harmful remarks about another person in public, the speaker may be guilty of _____.

answer

slander

question

American citizens' right to free speech is guaranteed by _____.

answer

the 1st Amendment

question

What did the Supreme Court's decision in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, 2000, rule about the right of association?

answer

States cannot force associations to accept members.

question

How do the rights of assembly and petition apply to private property?

answer

People cannot trespass, even to express political views.

question

The government may prohibit an assembly for any of the following reasons:

answer

when it occurs where it takes place how it is conducted

question

The government can stop a public protest of its policies if _____.

answer

the demonstrators endanger public safety

question

In the case of Rochin v. California, the Supreme Court ruled that the _____.

answer

14th Amendment was violated

question

Which constitutional amendment introduced the right of due process?

answer

the 5th Amendment

question

How did the Revolutionary War influence the inclusion of the 2nd Amendment in the Constitution?

answer

The British had tried to take weapons away from colonists.

question

Until the Civil War, the protection of civil rights had been left mostly to _____.

answer

individual states

question

What does the Miranda rule say?

answer

Police must explain a suspect's rights before questioning.

question

To ensure a fair and impartial jury in a federal case, the jury members must _____.

answer

come from the state or district where the crime took place

question

If it determines that there is enough evidence to go to trial, a grand jury makes _____.

answer

an indictment

question

Which is considered an act of treason against the United States?

answer

giving aid to the enemies of the United States

question

Which is a judge most likely to do when concerned that a defendant will commit another serious crime if released on bail?

answer

have the defendant held without the option of bail

question

What happens when an accused person pays bail to the court?

answer

The defendant is temporarily released from prison.

question

In the late 1800s, the government banned immigration through _____.

answer

the Chinese Exclusion Act

question

People who flee from other countries seeking protection from war or persecution are called _____.

answer

refugees

question

Which is true about the population of the United States over time?

answer

The white population has always been the largest group.

question

A heterogeneous society is made up of _____.

answer

different kinds of diverse people

question

According to the Supreme Court, how should men and women be treated?

answer

Some laws that discriminate between men and women are constitutional.

question

In the 1950s, how did some southern states respond to the Supreme Court's order to end segregation in the public schools?

answer

Some southern states passed more laws to block integration.

question

Title IX was largely responsible for the growth of _____.

answer

women's sports at the high school and college levels

question

The federal government did not pass civil rights laws until the late 1950s because from the 1870s until the 1950s, _____.

answer

few people in the federal government were concerned with the rights of minorities

question

The _____ have the power to decide whether or not an action of the government violates the Constitution.

answer

courts

question

Which principle expresses the idea that government is bound by the rule of law?

answer

limited government

question

Which statement explains the principle of federalism?

answer

The powers of government are divided between the federal government and the states.

question

In 1804, the 12th Amendment changed the way the United States _____.

answer

elects the President and Vice President

question

How can a President send troops into combat without congressional approval?

answer

as commander in chief of the armed forces

question

Which power is held only by state governments?

answer

establishing public schools

question

What is the main purpose of a political party?

answer

to control government by getting its candidates elected

question

In the United States, minor political parties are also called _____.

answer

third parties

question

A _____ is an election that is part of the process for choosing presidential candidates.

answer

presidential primary

question

What potential problems with online voting do critics fear?

answer

digital disasters and violations of security

question

Absentee voting is the process by which _____.

answer

people can vote without going to polling places

question

The Presidential Election Campaign Fund was created in 1971 to provide _____.

answer

public funds for presidential campaigns

question

How is campaign funding regulated in state elections?

answer

by the states

question

What is the main source of campaign funds?

answer

private donations

question

What limits the impact of public opinion on public policy?

answer

the interests of the minority

question

The sophisticated and rigorous nature of _____ makes them the best way to collect information by asking people questions.

answer

scientific polls

question

Which is the main concern of an interest group as compared to a political party?

answer

to shape public policy

question

Which is the largest agricultural interest group?

answer

American Farm Bureau Federation

question

Interest groups help elect politicians by contributing funds to which organizations?

answer

political action committees

question

Which interest group is thought to run the most effective grass-roots lobbying campaigns?

answer

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)

question

People who contact public officials to express the wishes of an interest group are called _____.

answer

lobbyists

question

In which chamber does each state have the same number of votes, no matter how large or small its population?

answer

the Senate

question

The number of House members for each state is determined by that state's _____.

answer

population

question

How long is one term for a member of the House of Representatives?

answer

two years

question

When can a bill be sent to the President for approval?

answer

after both the House and Senate pass the bill

question

To avoid punishment for serious crimes, House members will sometimes _____.

answer

resign from office

question

Drawing voting district boundaries within a state to favor one party or group over another is called _____.

answer

gerrymandering

question

What is determined by the census that is taken every ten years?

answer

the number of House seats per state

question

Aside from a salary, what is a benefit that members of Congress enjoy as a part of their compensation as elected federal officials?

answer

low insurance costs

question

When members of Congress vote with their political party, they are acting as _____.

answer

partisans

question

A suggested new law is called a _____.

answer

bill

question

A tax on _____ is an indirect tax.

answer

gasoline

question

A copyright is good for what length of time?

answer

the life of the artist plus 70 years

question

Which judicial power does the Constitution give to Congress?

answer

defining federal crimes and punishments

question

A person can protect the right to manufacture and sell an invention that he or she has made with _____.

answer

a patent

question

Why did Congress pass the War Powers Resolution after the Vietnam War?

answer

to limit the President's war-making powers

question

One example of Congress using implied powers in education is the rise in _____.

answer

women's athletic programs

question

A congressional power that is implied by the expressed power to regulate commerce is the power to _____.

answer

ban discrimination in the workplace

question

Congressional powers not expressly stated in the Constitution but suggested by the enumerated powers that are written there are called _____. a. delegated powers

answer

implied powers

question

How did President Richard Nixon avoid being impeached?

answer

He resigned from the presidency.

Flashcards and Answers – Government Review Test 1

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