question

T/F By 2006, all fifty states had established referendums.

answer

False

question

What percentage of eligible voters participated in the 2008 presidential election?

answer

62%

question

What issue led to the demise of the Whig Party?

answer

Slavery

question

Which of the following is the best description of a political party?

answer

an organization that tries to influence the government by getting its members elected to office

question

Which group was not a part of the New Deal coalition?

answer

business leaders

question

Compared with Western Europe, the United States has a(n) ______ turnout in elections.

answer

lower

question

The program of Reconstruction after the Civil War was led by the ______ Party.

answer

Republican

question

The first party system was characterized by conflict between the ______ and the ______.

answer

Federalists; Jeffersonian Republicans

question

From 1896 to 1932, the ______ Party was the nation's majority party.

answer

Republican

question

Who is the incumbent?

answer

the current officeholder, running for re-election

question

Which of the following was not a date of an electoral realignment?

answer

1994

question

What were the two major parties in the United States during the 1830s and 1840s?

answer

the Democrats and the Whigs

question

Which of the following occurs when one party becomes dominant after replacing another party that has dominated national politics for a lengthy period of time?

answer

an electoral realignment

question

The Populist Party appealed to which of the following groups?

answer

western mining interests, small farmers, and urban workers

question

T/F The electoral college cannot elect any candidate who has not also won the popular vote.

answer

False

question

Which of the following transpires when one party controls the presidency while another party controls one or both houses of Congress?

answer

a divided government

question

In order for a political party to select a candidate to run in the general election, it holds a

answer

primary election

question

The term turnout describes the number of people who

answer

actually vote

question

An individual's psychological attachment to one party or another is called a party

answer

identification

question

What is a referendum?

answer

the practice of voting directly for proposed laws

question

The United States began its tradition of the ______ during the eighteenth century.

answer

two-party system

question

Third parties in the United States typically represent

answer

social and economic interests that are disregarded by the two major parties for certain reasons.

question

______ are nonprofit independent groups that receive and distribute funds to influence the nomination, election, and defeat of a candidate.

answer

527 committees

question

Private groups that raise and distribute funds for election campaigns are called

answer

political action committees

question

One important cause of the United States' two-party system is

answer

single-member electoral districts

question

Why is it important for interest groups to offer selective benefits?

answer

It is necessary to limit the extent of the free-rider problem.

question

The best description of the ideal of pluralism is that

answer

interests should be free to compete with each other for governmental influence

question

What distinguishes lobbying from other strategies of influence?

answer

Lobbyists try to exert pressure directly on government officials themselves.

question

When membership in an organization allows for a reduction in the price of museum tickets, it is called a

answer

material benefit

question

When paid staff conduct most of the daily business of a group, that group is best described as a

answer

staff organization

question

Approximately how many members does AARP have?

answer

36,000,000

question

Over the last forty years, the number and scale of interest groups at the national level has

answer

dramatically increased

question

he Christian Coalition is best described as a(n) ______ group

answer

ideological

question

Which of the following groups has had the greatest success with a strategy of litigation?

answer

the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

question

The solidary benefits of interest groups include

answer

friendship and consciousness-raising

question

The free-rider problem occurs because

answer

the benefits of a group's actions are broadly available and cannot be denied to nonmembers.

question

Interest groups are concerned with the ______ of government, while political parties are concerned with the ______ of government.

answer

policies; personnel

question

The National League of Cities is a good example of

answer

a public-sector interest group.

question

By 2007, there were approximately ______ PACs in the United States.

answer

5,000

question

How can interest groups use litigation as a strategy of influence?

answer

filing amicus curiae briefs, financing lawsuits, and bringing a suit on behalf of the group

question

A ______ is the best example of an informational benefit provided by many interest groups.

answer

newsletter

question

The Teamsters and the AFL-CIO are examples of what kind of interest group?

answer

a labor group

question

Which of the following Supreme Court cases illustrates the use of litigation by an interest group?

answer

Webster v. Reproductive Health Services

question

When interest groups take out advertisements and hold marches, these are examples of

answer

mobilizing public opinion.

question

Which of the following is not a key organizational component of interest groups?

answer

newsletter and website

question

What is the most important and beneficial resource that lobbyists provide government officials?

answer

information

question

What is the primary function of a political action committee?

answer

to raise and distribute money to election campaigns

question

An iron triangle is made up of an alliance between

answer

a legislative committee, an interest group, and an executive agency

question

The increased number and importance of interest groups

answer

is a response to an increase in the size and activity of government

question

What is the primary variable for predicting the likelihood of joining an interest group?

answer

having a higher income and education

question

A bicameral legislature is one that has

answer

two chambers or houses

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

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

answer

six years

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

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 districts.

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

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

In the House of Representatives, the majority leader

answer

is subordinate to the Speaker of the House

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

The jurisdiction of standing committees

answer

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

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

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 committee

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

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

answer

logrolling

question

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

answer

grand jury

question

Term Limits are in place for

answer

The California Legislature

question

The California Legislature is

answer

Bicameral with both houses based on population

question

T/F The power to filibuster is not available in the California State Senate

answer

True

question

T/F Each California Assemblymember and State Senator represent about 250,000 people in their respective districts.

answer

False

question

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

answer

Kitchen Cabinet

question

T/F The framers were concerned that a directly elected president would become too powerful.

answer

True

question

Which office manages elections in the state?

answer

Secretary of State

question

What is required for Congress to override a presidential veto?

answer

two-thirds of both houses of Congress

question

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

answer

executive agreements

question

T/F The more than 200,000 state employees are to a large degree are independent of politics.

answer

True

question

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

answer

inherent powers

question

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

answer

the increasing scope and complexity of legislation

question

The president's delegated powers come from

answer

Congress

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 public attention to the executive's goals.

question

The president must share foreign policy powers with

answer

Congress

question

A signing statement is

answer

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

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

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

answer

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

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

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

answer

partisan

question

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

answer

a legislative initiative

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

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

answer

the Executive Office of the President

question

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

answer

White House staff

question

Two distinct powers the Governor has that the President does not are

answer

line item veto and budget preparation

question

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

answer

cabinet secretaries

question

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

answer

both houses of Congress

question

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

answer

Delegated

question

The term "invisible govenor" refers to

answer

The lack of media coverage

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

Prior cases whose principles are used by judges to decide current cases are called

answer

precedents

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

The doctrine of ______ requires courts to follow authoritative prior decisions when ruling on a case.

answer

stare decisis

question

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

answer

any case involving an ambassador

question

T/F The California State Supreme Court is required to hear all cases involving the death penalty

answer

True

question

How many justices currently serve on the Supreme Court?

answer

nine

question

Through the exercise of ______, the Supreme Court has held actions or laws of the executive and legislative branches unconstitutional.

answer

judicial review

question

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

answer

Congress

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

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

answer

10,000; 80

question

The jurisdiction of each federal court is derived from

answer

the Constitution and federal law

question

Senatorial courtesy describes the practice of

answer

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

question

In what type of law is the government always the plaintiff?

answer

criminal law

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

answer

appellate

question

Original jurisdiction refers to

answer

the court with the authority to hear a case first.

question

Trial courts in California's state court system are known as

answer

superior courts

question

In recent years, federal court appointments have

answer

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

question

Cases between two or more states are originally heard by

answer

The Supreme Court

question

Which of the following is NOT a means of removal for California state judges

answer

gubernatorial recall

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

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

If a private individual brought a suit against a corporation for breaking a contract, what kind of law would this involve?

answer

civil

question

A writ of habeas corpus declares that

answer

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

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