Poli 201 – Flashcard
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The major differences between the House and the Senate include all of the following except:
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Their power in the legislative process
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All of the following powers can be exercised only by the Senate except
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Declaring war
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The reallocation of congressional seats among the states every ten years, following the census, is known as:
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Reapportionment
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The number of representatives with voting privileges in the House of Representatives:
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Is currently set at 435 members
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The process of redrawing congressional districts to match population shifts in states with more than one representative is called
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Redistricting
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Redrawing congressional district boundaries to favor a particular group or party is known as
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Gerrymandering
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All of the following statements concerning Hispanic representation in Congress are true except:
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In recent years they have been voting more for the Republican Party.
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According to the textbook, what has happened to the coattail effect in recent years?
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It has decreased in importance due to declining party ties.
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It has been increasingly difficult for the parties to work together in Congress in recent years because of:
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Increasing party polarization and hyperpartisanship
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______ are important in Congress because they organize the chambers
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Parties
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The greatest importance of standing committees is that they:
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Increase congressional power by allowing detailed analysis and modification of legislation
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Which of the following is the extremely powerful congressional committee that determines when debate on a bill will take place?
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The House Rules Committee
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The public dislikes Congress for all of the following reasons except:
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There has been an increase in corruption among members of Congress in recent years
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Congress finds it difficult to make policy that solves national problems because
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Constituents reward them for taking care of their individual interests
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The founders created the congressional decision making process to be:
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slow and deliberative
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Citizens view Congress with
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Increasing support for Congress as a whole but with growing disapproval for individual representatives and senators
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In the conclusion of the "What's at Stake?" feature at the end of the chapter, the textbook points out that it is difficult for the Senate to change the rules allowing filibusters because
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Members of the majority know they could one day be in the minority and want to use it
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According to the textbook, President Bush's use of signing statements:
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Threatened the system of separation of powers
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According to the textbook, presidents have difficulty surviving two terms in office and maintaining their popularity because:
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Presidents have too little power to meet public expectations
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The _________ is dated from the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt
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rise of public expectations of the president
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Presidents are limited to two full terms in office by
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Constitutional amendment
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In most advanced industrial democracies the role of head of government
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Is performed by the prime minister
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Alexander Hamilton's principal argument about the presidency in Federalist No. 70 is that it:
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Should be vigorous, single-member, and unencumbered by a cabinet
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f there is a disagreement as to how whether the president is disabled and should turn his duties over to the vice president, the issue is resolved by:
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The Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution
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The official constitutional grounds for presidential impeachment are:
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Treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors
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Many observers have concluded that impeachment is not an effective check on presidents because:
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The process is too crippling for the government because Congress and the president would be consumed with the impeachment and trial
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The Iran-Contra controversy did not lead to the impeachment of President Reagan because:
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He claimed he knew nothing about Iran-Contra and no evidence was found to contradict him
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The president's cabinet is composed of the:
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Appointees heading each of the 15 major departments in the executive branch
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Presidents have been able to ignore the restrictions on their ability to go to war contained in the War Powers Act because
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Public opinion tends to rally around presidents when they deem military action necessary abroad and Congress has declined to challenge such presidents
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The president's authority over foreign and defense policy comes from all of the following except his power:
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to declare war
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In the United States, treaties are negotiated by the president and require
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Two-thirds approval from the Senate
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Pacts made by the president with another head of state that do not require Senate approval are called
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Executive agreements
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All of the following statements concerning the president's veto power are true except
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Presidents have had the power of the line item veto since 1995.
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Among the president's legislative powers are all of the following except
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The line-item veto
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All of the following statements concerning the president's judicial power are true except:
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Senior senators of the president's party have a great deal of power over all of his judicial appointments
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The responsibilities of the solicitor general include all of the following except:
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Serving as head of the Department of Justice
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Activist nineteenth-century presidents tended to claim that they were exercising
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Inherent powers of the executive implied in the Constitution
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Inherent powers are the
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Powers not explicitly stated in the Constitution
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President Obama initially tried a ___________ approach to get his healthcare bill passed.
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bipartisan
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The response of a certain president to what event led to Americans' belief that government should play a much more active role in helping solve problems beyond their control?
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The Great Depression
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The Supreme Court has ruled that the president has:
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More inherent powers in foreign policy than in domestic policy
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To pass his legislative agenda a president must __________ members of Congress to get them to support his proposals.
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persuade
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The cycle effect refers to the tendency for presidents to
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Experience predictable shifts in their popularity over the course of their presidency
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The president's public approval rating tends to be affected by all of the following except
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The popularity of the first lady
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The term "legislative liaison" refers to:
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Executive personnel who seek congressional support for the president's agenda
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Divided government occurs when
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One party controls the presidency while the other party controls at least one house of Congress
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The chief of staff:
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Oversees operations of all White House staff and controls access to the president
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All of the following are duties of the President of the United States except
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Head justice of the Supreme Court
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President Bush's widespread use of signing statements reflected his view that:
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All executive power is held by the president and cannot be delegated to any other branch
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Obama has continued to use signing statements in the following manner
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Much less that George W. Bush and only on a limited basis to protect his constitutional prerogatives
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Presidents have a hard time maintaining support while in office because
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A gap exists between what presidents promise and what the power of the office allows them to do
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Presidents must play the role as _____ in order to solve problems, but that requires them to behave in ways that conflict with their role as __________.
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head of government; head of state.
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According to the text, an effective head of government is expected to do all of the following except:
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Act as a symbol for all Americans
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Among the considerations of the founders in creating the executive were all of the following except:
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Reducing the power of the national government
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Compared to the modern president, the president envisioned by the framers was
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Much less powerful
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According to the textbook, the framers adopted the Electoral College as a way to
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Insulate the president from the masses
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A major assumption that the founders had concerning the Electoral College was that electors would:
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Be leading citizens who could be trusted to exercise good judgment
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The presidential impeachment process is intended to remove sitting presidents for
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Treason, bribery, and high crimes and misdemeanors
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How have scandals such as Iran-contra and Whitewater affected the power and resources of the presidency overall?
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They have weakened it.
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The president's power to act as chief executive of the federal government comes from all of the following constitutional provisions except the provision:
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Stating he is commander in chief of the armed forces
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Which of the following statements is true about the modern use of treaties and executive agreements?
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Most completed international negotiations (over 90 percent) end in executive agreements rather than treaties
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The significance of the president's inherent powers is that they
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Have been used to expand the powers of the presidency beyond what is explicitly stated in the Constitution
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According to the textbook, Congress:
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Is rarely able to override a presidential veto
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Most of the strength of the modern presidency is based on the
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Inherent powers of the president
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Which of the following is not a feature of the modern presidency today?
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The United Nations has the official power to veto a president's legislative veto
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The weakness in the presidential strategy of "going public" is that:
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Presidents struggle to maintain a high enough approval rating to make the strategy work.
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All of the following statements concerning the cycle effect are true except
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It only affects presidents whose party does not control Congress
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The cycle effect on presidential popularity is caused by the:
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Fact that almost every decision a president makes will be unpopular with some people, and the number of people angry with him grows over time as he makes more decisions
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Which of the following strategies do presidents not use to influence Congress?
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Ignoring the "ratings game" and paying no heed to polls
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The major reason presidents are not as successful in a divided government is:
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Republicans and Democrats stand for different approaches and solutions to the nation's problems
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According to the text, the president takes into account all of the following when selecting his cabinet except:
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Personal loyalty to the president
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The Executive Office of the President was formed to
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Provide expert advice, serve the interests of the president, and supply information
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The White House staff and the president's cabinet often conflict because
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The staff serve the president's interests, while cabinet members seek support for their policy initiatives
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One effect of the Twelfth Amendment on the selection of the president and vice president has been:
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To encourage ticket balancing
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The role of the vice president
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Is, with the exception of presiding over the Senate, determined by the president
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What is the most likely explanation for the lack of a female president thus far?
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Not many women hold the positions that often generate presidential candidates, such as vice president, senator, or state governor.
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James David Barber classified presidents:
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Based on their energy level and their orientation toward life
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According to James David Barber's typology of presidential personalities, which type of president is likely to perform best in office?
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Active-positive presidents
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The different public assessments of President George W. Bush's and President Bill Clinton's characters show us that:
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Presidents have different styles and project different images to the public
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The importance of a president's relationship with voters was well illustrated by the support:
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Clinton relied on during his impeachment trial
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The president's popularity and approval with the public is more important to his day-to-day success in the modern age because:
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Technology allows the media, Congress, and the president to constantly monitor public opinion
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The second most important factor that consistently influences presidential approval is the:
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State of the economy
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In the era of the modern presidency, the majority of Americans:
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Often look to their presidents and government to solve social and economic issues and to inspire the public due to higher expectatio
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The text authors classify Obama as a(n) _______ type of president.
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active-positive
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According to the text, the main constitutional powers of the presidency include executive authority to administer government and:
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Legislative and judicial powers to check the other two branches
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According to Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, the primary function of law is to
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provide security, order, and predictability in life.
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Which of the following statements concerning the functions of the law is incorrect?
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The weakness of the law is that we can easily break a rule that we do not know exists
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The role of the judge in the common law tradition differs from the role of the judge in the civil law tradition in that
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judges in the common law tradition do not rely on precedent as much as judges in the civil law tradition.
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In an adversarial system, the winning side is likely to be
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the one with the most skilled attorney.
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Laws whose actual content defines what we can and cannot legally do are ____ laws.
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substantive
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According to many scholars, Americans sue each other a great deal for all of the following reasons EXCEPT
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we are committed to individual freedom
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A violation of civil law is called.
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tort
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Laws that regulates relations between individuals are called
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civil laws
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Criminal law deals with harm to __________, whereas civil law involves harm to __________.
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society; individuals
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The only limitation on what statutes may do in the American system is found in
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the constitution
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Laws or regulations established by bureaucratic agencies on behalf of Congress are known as _____ laws or regulations.
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administrative
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The powers of the Supreme Court listed in the Constitution
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are not clearly spelled out.
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The power of the courts to determine the constitutionality of laws is called judicial
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review
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The Supreme Court has tended to use its power of judicial review
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sparingly
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The idea of an independent judiciary as created by the founders was
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unique at the time of our country's founding.
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The system of district courts, appeals courts, and the Supreme Court set up by the founders
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was not first established as as a fully developed system.
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Marshall justified the claim that the Court has the power of judicial review on the grounds that
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it is within the province of the courts to say what the law is
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All of the following statements concerning the U.S. court system are true EXCEPT
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. Juries in appeals courts typically consist of six citizens
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Which of the following statements is true about the dual court system
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Most cases are heard in the state courts.
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Opponents of judicial elections believe that elections sacrifice judicial
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independence.
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The Constitution says.
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nothing about the qualifications of federal judges.
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The two main approaches to interpreting the Constitution are
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judicial interpretivism and strict constructionism.
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Which of the following statements concerning presidential appointment of judges is NOT true?
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Presidents have always worked to shape the ideological leanings of the Supreme Court.
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Strict constructionists argue that there is no such thing as
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constitutionally protected right to privacy
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The Rule of Four is significant to the balance of power among Supreme Court justices because it
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gives some power to the minority on the Court
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Amicus curiae briefs are significant because
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they may influence whether the Supreme Court decides to hear a case.
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Judicial activism has become an important political issue because.
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conservatives have argued that judges are acting as legislators on issues such as same-sex marriage
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One reason dissenting opinions are significant to U.S. common law is
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they may have a lasting impact if the Court later changes its mind
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Based on the discussion in the textbook, we can conclude that getting a case before the U.S. Supreme Court is
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very difficult
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The opinion of the Supreme Court in a case is
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the most important element of the Court's decision.
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Which of the following is not one of the checks and balances that Congress can use in relation to the executive branch?
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The power to approve treaties
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The job of confirming presidential appointments belongs to the
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Senate
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Congress is
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More likely to engage in vigorous oversight when the presidency and Congress are controlled by the same party
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According to the textbook, ______ gerrymandering is highly controversial
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racial
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Partisan gerrymandering is the process in a particular state legislature whereby the majority party
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Draws districts to maximize the number of House seats their party can win
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When deciding whether to run for a seat in Congress, strategic politicians will ask all of the following questions except:
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Will this seat lead to the presidency?
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One of the major advantages that incumbents have in raising campaign money is that they
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Have more access to PAC money than do challengers
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Congress makes use of __________ to increase its independence from the executive branch of government.
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the Government Accountability Office
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When different versions of the same bill pass in the House and the Senate
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A conference committee is formed to bridge the gap between the bills
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All of the following contribute to congressional independence and power in the legislative process except:
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The division of power between the House and the Senate??????????
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28. Policy entrepreneurship is defined as the:
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Practice among legislators of becoming expert leaders in specific policy areas
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The influence of interest groups on roll call voting decisions by members of Congress is
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Much less than is usually thought
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According to the text, the congressional process is slow and involves a great deal of bickering and arguing because
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Democracy is a messy process that involves bargaining and compromise
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If Americans want Congress to quit creating pork barrel projects, (also known as ear-marks), they would have to
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Reward their representatives more for engaging in national lawmaking and less for acts of representation
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The textbook suggests that weak congressional oversight was a factor in the
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Increasing budget deficit
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During the constitutional process of removing a president from office
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The House impeaches and the Senate removes the president from office
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The Senate shares with the president the power to
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Approve members of the Supreme Court
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Congress can influence the judiciary through all of the following except
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Reducing the salaries of judges
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The Supreme Court has ruled that House districts:
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Must adhere to the "one-citizen-one-vote" standard
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Many of the efforts by states to create majority-minority districts
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Have greatly increased the number of minority members of the Senat
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It is generally most difficult to win the nomination of your party, but easiest to win the general election, when:
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An incumbent of your party is running for reelection
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42. In general, what has the greatest effect on the midterm losses suffered by the president's party?
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The economy and the president's standing with the world public
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Strategic politicians are:
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Politically experienced nonincumbents who rationally and carefully weigh key considerations before they decide to run for Congress
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In an inquisitorial system
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the attorneys play relatively minor roles.
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the legal system of the United States is
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largely a common law tradition with elements of the civil law tradition.
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Senatorial courtesy refers to the
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tradition of granting senators considerable power over federal judicial appointments in their home states.
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The first Hispanic Justice of the Supreme Court was appointed by President
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obama
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A writ of certiorari is
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an order by the Supreme Court to a lower court to rehear a case.
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Which of the following is NOT an influence on Supreme Court decision-making?
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The justices' view of the Constitution and how literally it should be taken
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According to the text, which of the following is NOT a criterion used by presidents in choosing Supreme Court nominees?
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Endorsements received by national news media
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The Supreme Court is deeply involved in politics in each of the following ways EXCEPT
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by contributing to the campaigns of congressional allies.
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Decisions of the U.S. Circuit Courts are made by
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otating panels of three judges.
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The U.S. Courts of Appeals are arranged
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in twelve circuits covering the District of Columbia and geographical groupings of states.
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The characteristics that help determine which court has jurisdiction over a case include all of the following EXCEPT
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the expressed wishes of the president.
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All of the following statements concerning appeals of lower court decisions are true EXCEPT
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Most cases in the federal courts are appealed.
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Which of the following statements concerning jurisdiction is false?
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About half the cases in the United States are heard by federal courts.
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All of the following statements concerning the power of judicial review are true EXCEPT
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The Supreme Court has used the power very infrequently against acts of Congress.
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According to some political observers, the different reaction of many blacks versus most whites to the verdict in O.J. Simpson's murder trial reflects
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the fact that blacks' experience with the legal system leads them not to trust it.
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All of the following statements concerning the presence of African Americans and women in Congress are true except:
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Women have achieved greater success in winning national legislative elections in the United States than in most other nations.
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All of the following statements concerning political parties in Congress are true except:
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Parties punish members who do not vote with the party position on important issues.
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Which of the following statements concerning power in Congress is not true?
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Committee chairs have become weaker in the past thirty years
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The major source of power for the Senate majority leader is:
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Influence over the scheduling of legislation for floor consideration
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All of the following statements concerning congressional committee chairs are true except:
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The seniority system gives the chairmanship to the member of the majority party with the longest service on the committee.
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Most of the hard work of considering legislative alternatives and drafting legislation occurs:
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Within congressional standing committees
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The primary responsibility for gathering information, taking testimony, and revising legislation in Congress falls to:
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Standing committees
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It is important for a member of Congress to
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Serve on committees that deal with constituent issues
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A representative who sought power within the House would likely want a seat on
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The Rules Committee
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