1st semester final exam
Name _________________________
Section One: multiple choice questions (70 points)
1) When a child’s parents both identify strongly with the same political party, the child will most likely
a. identify with the opposing party.
b. identify with the parents’ party.
c. have a low sense of political efficacy.
d. become an independent rather than a party identifier.
e. become alienated from the political system.
2) The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, concerned
a. the powers of the president.
b. representation in Congress.
c. the continuation of the slave trade.
d. the organization of the federal courts.
e. the right to vote.
3) The term “party machine” usually refers to a
a. large national party organization that is hierarchically structured.
b. local party organization that relies heavily on the voluntary labor of all its members.
c. local party organization that is tightly disciplined and well staffed and relies on patronage to create party loyalty.
d. party organization in which political favors are distributed by national leaders in repayment for large contributions.
e. party organization in which major platform decisions are made behind closed doors rather than at national conventions.
4) Which of the following demographic groups has voted most consistently for the Democratic Party in national elections over the last three decades?
a. African Americans
b. Hispanics
c. Protestants
d. Wealthy White males
e. Southern White males
5) In Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, the Supreme Court decided that
a. Richard Nixon’s diary entries about Watergate were not protected by executive privilege.
b. Congress had overstepped its authority by banning guns near schools.
c. part of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional for using outdated data.
d. a high school principal may exercise prior restraint.
e. the Pentagon Papers could be published.
6) The primary function of political action committees (PACs) is to
a. serve as fund-raising organizations for challengers.
b. provide members of Congress with unbiased information regarding proposed legislation.
c. consult with the President regarding domestic policy.
d. encourage broader participation in politics among the electorate.
e. raise campaign funds to support favored candidates.
7) Which of the following did the Supreme Court establish in Marbury v. Madison ?
a. The Supreme Court can declare federal legislation invalid if the legislation violates the Constitution.
b. Each state has the right to set up and run its own court system.
c. All the powers that are not explicitly given by the Constitution to Congress belong to the states.
d. Any president who commits treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors can be impeached.
e. The Constitution can only be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members of the House of Representatives.
8) Which of the following can be concluded from the figures in the table above?
a. Catholic and Hispanic voters gave Reagan a lower level of support in 1984 than in 1980.
b. Jewish voters were the only group that did not register gains for Reagan between 1980 and 1984.
c. In terms of support for Reagan, the gap between men and women grew between 1980 and 1984.
d. In terms of support for Reagan, the gap between Black voters and White voters grew between 1980-1984.
e. In terms of support for Reagan, the gap between younger voters and older voters grew between 1980-1984.
9) Political socialization is the process by which
a. the use of private property is regulated by the government.
b. governments communicate with each other.
c. public attitudes toward government are measured and reported.
d. political values are passed to the next generation.
e. children are trained for successful occupations.
10) The process known as front-loading refers to
a. presidential candidates raising funds far in advance of the first presidential primary.
b. a presidential candidate seeking endorsements before officially declaring candidacy.
c. the tendency of states to choose an early date on the primary calendar.
d. political action committees (PACs) contributing money to candidates at least one year before the first presidential primary or caucus.
e. the winner-take-all principle of the electoral college.
11) Enumerated powers of the federal government include all of the following EXCEPT the power to
a. coin money.
b. declare war.
c. regulate interstate commerce.
d. regulate intrastate commerce.
e. tax.
12) All of the following issues were decided at the Constitutional Convention EXCEPT
a. representation in the legislature.
b. voting qualifications of the electorate.
c. method of electing the President.
d. congressional power to override a presidential veto.
e. qualifications for members of the House and Senate.
13) Which of the following is a type of primary election that requires registration as a party affiliate to vote?
a. Blanket
b. Closed
c. General
d. Open
e. Plebiscite
HYPOTHETICAL GOVERNMENT
President : Republican
Senate: 49 Republicans, 51 Democrats House: 220 Republicans, 215 Democrats
14) The government depicted above is best described by which of the following terms?
a. Nonpartisan government
b. Unicameral government
c. Unitary government
d. Divided government
e. Dealigned government
15) One example of constitutional checks and balances is
a. the president declares war, but Congress appropriates military funds.
b. the president nominates cabinet members, and the House holds confirmation hearings.
c. the House can impeach the president, and the Senate holds the impeachment trial.
d. Congress can override United States Supreme Court decisions on the constitutionality of laws.
e. presidential vetoes of laws can be overridden by a simple majority vote in both the House and the Senate.
16) An election in which there is a significant shift in the bases of electoral support from one political party to another is called a
a. deviating election.
b. maintaining election.
c. dealigning election.
d. primary election.
e. realigning election.
17) Which of the following describes the result in a winner-take-all plurality system?
a. The candidate who receives the most votes in the election wins.
b. The candidate must receive at least 51% of the votes to win.
c. The top two vote-getters compete in a run-off election.
d. A political party must receive 51% of the votes to win all of the seats in the district.
e. The party that receives the most votes in the election wins the seat and decides who will fill the seat.
18) All of the following United States Supreme Court decisions strengthened the power of the federal government EXCEPT
a. Gibbons v. Ogden
b. Marbury v. Madison
c. US v. Lopez
d. McCullough v. Maryland
e. Brown v. Board of Education
19) A major difference between political parties and interest groups is that
a. interest groups typically shift their positions on issues over time, while political parties tend to keep the same position on issues over time.
b. interest groups usually recruit candidates for office, while political parties usually limit themselves to making campaign contributions to candidates.
c. political parties seek to gain control of government, while interest groups seek to influence public policy.
d. political parties tend to have narrow coalitions of support, and interest groups tend to have broad coalitions of support.
e. political parties usually focus on one issue, while interest groups focus mainly on many issues.
20) The term “split-ticket voting” is most accurately described as
a. turning in a spoiled or mutilated ballot as a form of protest.
b. using separate ballots for candidates at the state and national levels.
c. voting Republican in one election cycle and Democratic in the next.
d. voting for candidates of different parties on the same ballot.
e. voting for one party in the primary election and for another party in the general election.
21) Which of the following most accurately describes media coverage of elections?
a. Coverage of presidential primaries gives relatively equal power to states regardless of when they hold their primaries.
b. Coverage tends to focus on issues rather than on which candidate is ahead in public opinion polls.
c. Reporters who use secret sources in their campaign coverage are shielded by federal law from having to reveal those sources.
d. Radio and television stations must provide on their news broadcasts equal time for and equal coverage of major party candidates.
e. Network news coverage is usually dominated by reporters who offer relatively short sound bites from the candidates.
22) Which of the following forms of financial aid from the national government gives the states the broadest discretion in the spending of money?
a. Categorical grants
b. Foreign aid
c. Unfunded mandates
d. Block grants
e. Military funding
23) When none of the presidential candidates receives a majority of the votes in the electoral college, the winner is chosen by the
a. Federal Elections Commission.
b. Supreme Court.
c. House of Representatives.
d. Senate.
e. Congress.
24) Shays’ Rebellion strengthened the movement to
a. produce a new national constitution.
b. increase duties on imported goods.
c. suspend all property taxes.
d. rejoin the British Empire.
e. have universal suffrage.
25) Under the Articles of Confederation, which of the following were true?
I. Congress could not tax the states directly.
II. The executive branch of government exercised more power than Congress.
III. Congress was a unicameral body.
IV. States were represented in Congress proportionally according to population.
a. I and II
b. I and III
c. I and IV
d. II and III
e. II and IV
26) Political parties serve which of the following functions in the United States?
I. Informing the public about political issues
II. Mobilizing voters and getting them to the polls
III. Helping to inform incumbents in office about narrow and specific topics
IV. Establishing the rules governing financial contributions to political candidates
a. II only
b. I and II only
c. III and IV only
d. I, II, and III only
e. I, III, and IV only
27) In Citizens United v. FEC, the Supreme Court decided that
a. political spending by corporations and unions is protected speech.
b. the birth control mandate in the Affordable Care Act violates the 1st amendment rights of corporations.
c. part of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional for using outdated data.
d. the Defense of Marriage Act violated the equal protection clause.
e. a candidate may spend unlimited personal wealth on their own campaign.
28) The constitutional issue at stake in Bush v. Gore can be found in the
a. 1st amendment.
b. 2nd amendment.
c. 10th amendment.
d. 13th amendment.
e. 14th amendment.
Question 29 is based on the following quote: "But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government..."
29) The quote reflects most accurately which principle of government?
a. The self-interest of humans
b. Federalism
c. The social contract
d. Separation of powers
e. States rights
Questions 30-31 refer to the following clause from the Constitution: “Congress shall have the power… to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by the Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.”
30) Interpretations of this clause have been central to attempts to define the nature of which of the following aspects of the United States political system?
a. Republicanism
b. Pluralism
c. Due Process of Law
d. Federalism
e. Judicial Review
31) The practical effect of this clause has been to
a. make the legislature the most powerful branch of the national government.
b. allow the national government to extend its powers beyond those enumerated in the Constitution.
c. allow the state governments to nullify federal laws within their borders.
d. give the president uncontested powers in the area of foreign policy.
e. ensure that any powers not delegated by the Constitution to the United States government are reserved to the states and the people.
32) The use of direct primaries instead of the convention system in selecting presidential candidates results in
which of the following?
I. A weakening of party control over nominations
II. A reduction in the costs of election campaigns
III. An increase in the number of people involved in the choice of candidates
IV. An increase in voter turnout in midterm elections
a. I and III only
b. II and IV only
c. III and IV only
d. I, II, and IV only
e. I and II only
Questions 33-34 refer to the graph below:
33) Which of the following statements about the federal government from 1948-1978 is supported by the chart?
a. Federal government spending increased primarily to keep pace with increasing employment.
b. Short-term decreases in the number of federal regulations led to decreases in spending and employment.
c. The bulk of the increase in federal spending resulted from wage increases.
d. A relatively stable number of employees administered larger federal budgets and enforced more regulations.
e. The high cost of regulation prevented the federal government from hiring more workers.
34) Which of the following public policy problems is most likely to result from the situation shown in the chart?
a. Government employees may become responsible for larger bodies of regulation than they can effectively monitor.
b. Regulations may apply to an increasingly small portion of industry as the economy grows.
c. Governmental hiring patterns may draw too many educated workers from the private sector.
d. The influence of special-interest groups may increase as the number of federal employees grows.
e. Increases in the number of federal employees may necessitate the construction of new federal facilities.
35) Which of the following is argued by James Madison in The Federalist #10?
a. A system of republican representation helps to limit the excesses of factionalism.
b. Small republics are better able to ensure individual liberty than are large republics.
c. The presence of a few large factions helps to protect the rights of minorities.
d. Participatory democracy is the surest way to prevent tyranny.
e. The elimination of the causes of factionalism is the best protection against tyranny.
36) The primary reason for the current existence of the only two major parties in the United States is
a. the Constitution puts severe restrictions on other parties.
b. third parties are usually far to the right or left, and Americans are moderates.
c. a winner-take-all electoral system makes it difficult for new parties to emerge and survive.
d. voters naturally think of themselves as either liberals or conservatives.
e. presidential electors can vote for only two candidates.
Base your answer to question 37 on the following quotation and on your knowledge of history:
(Sec. 4.) Every person presenting himself for registration shall be able to read and write any section of the Constitution in the English language and before he shall be entitled to vote he shall have paid on or before the first day of March of the year in which he proposes to vote his poll tax as prescribed by law for the previous year. —Public Laws of North Carolina, 1899, chapter 218
37) The principal purpose of this law was to
a. assure equality of voting rights for all people.
b. encourage literacy for former slaves.
c. encourage suffrage for women.
d. promote the racial integration of Southern society.
e. prevent African Americans from using their suffrage rights.
38) All of the following are commonly used by interest groups to influence the political process EXCEPT
a. lobbying.
b. contributing money to candidates.
c. nominating candidates.
d. filing lawsuits.
e. appealing to public opinion.
39) Congress gave itself the power to impose a personal income tax directly on the citizens with the
a. 13th amendment.
b. 14th amendment.
c. 15th amendment.
d. 16th amendment.
e. 17th amendment.
40) The framers of the Constitution all believed that one of the primary functions of government is
a. educating citizens.
b. protecting individual property rights.
c. protecting new immigrants from persecution.
d. expanding the borders of the nation.
e. ensuring that anyone accused of a crime has the right to legal representation.
41) With the 26th amendment, Congress
a. enacted prohibition.
b. granted suffrage to women.
c. prevented citizens from suing states.
d. repealed prohibition.
e. lowered the voting age.
42) Which of the following is the definition of public opinion?
a. The expression of attitudes about government and policies.
b. People connecting their public opinion and beliefs with government policies.
c. The process by which a person acquires a set of political attitudes and forms opinions about social issues.
d. People’s belief in how responsive government is to their needs.
e. The expression of attitudes as portrayed by the government.
43) The validity of a poll is best determined by
a. a large gap between the time the poll is taken and the time the results are released.
b. partisan groups taking and recording the results of a poll.
c. complex questions to be answered by the people being polled.
d. a sampling error of those polled under 4%.
e. a large number of self-selected surveys (usually done through TV).
44) What did the Motor-Voter Registration Act of 1993 accomplish?
a. A citizen could not vote without a driver’s license.
b. Voter and car license registration became the same document.
c. Voter registration can occur at the same time one applies for a driver’s license.
d. Citizens had to live in the same location for 30 days before registering.
e. More Democrats won national elections in the following four presidential elections.
45) Which of the following accurately characterizes the main difference between elite theories and pluralist theories of politics in the United States?
a. Elite theories concentrate on the role of interest groups; pluralist theories emphasize the role of individuals.
b. Elite theories argue that a single minority dominates politics in all policy areas; pluralist theories argue that many majorities compete for power in different policy areas.
c. Elite theories argue that social status is the major source of political power; pluralist theories argue that wealth is the major source.
d. Elite theories emphasize the multiple access points that interest groups have to public officials; pluralist theories stress limits in the number and effectiveness of such access points.
e. Elite theories view government as efficient; pluralist theories view it as slow and wasteful
46) A unitary system of government is one in which
a. an executive, legislative and judicial branch share equal power.
b. political officials are elected by the public in a popular election.
c. legislative committees and federal agencies work together to make and implement public policy.
d. more than one level of government oversees a body of people.
e. all power resides in the central government.
47) Constitutional amendments are usually ratified by
a. a two-thirds vote in each house of Congress.
b. a national convention.
c. legislatures of three-fourths of the states.
d. state conventions called by two-thirds vote in Congress.
e. popular vote of three-fourths of the states.
48) The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution
a. after the ratification process was complete.
b. during the ratification process under pressure from the Anti-Federalists.
c. during the Articles of Confederation- the one victory by the Anti-Federalists.
d. piece by piece, with the last amendment coming in 1868.
e. with the ratification of the 10th amendment in 1787.
49) In determining Congressional representation and taxation, the Constitution
a. did not count slaves.
b. counted slaves the same as free persons.
c. counted slaves as one-half of a person.
d. was silent on the issue of how slaves would be counted, instead leaving the issue to each state to decide.
e. counted slaves as three-fifths of a person.
50) The government designed at the Constitutional Convention allowed the voters to directly elect
a. only the House of Representatives
b. both the House and Senate
c, only the Senate
d. the President and all members of Congress
e. only the President.
51) All of the following are examples of the system of checks and balances EXCEPT
a. the president’s power to veto.
b. the Senate’s confirmation of presidential appointments.
c. the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review.
d. Congress’s authority to impeach the president.
e. the president’s control over spending.
52) In a federal system of government, political power is primarily
a. vested in local governments.
b. vested in the regional governments.
c. vested in the central government.
d. divided between the central government and regional governments.
e. divided between regional governments and local governments.
53) Which of the following is true of the Voting Right Acts of 1965?
a) It was unnecessary because the Fifteenth Amendment effectively guaranteed African Americans the right to vote.
b) It has never been applied to any group except southern African Americans.
c) It has been a major instrument for increasing the number of African American and other minority voters.
d) It was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in US v. Lopez.
e) It requires that minority officeholders be elected.
54) Which of the following best describes gerrymandering?
a. The party in power wins four or five surrounding districts by very small margins.
b. The Supreme Court requires that state legislatures must adopt the doctrine of one person, one vote.
c. The party in control of the state legislature draws district boundaries in such a way as to favor its own candidates in subsequent elections.
d. By polling voters, party officials are able to determine how citizens will vote.
e. The public decides which issues are most important and tells the elected officials how to vote on specific bills.
55) Of the following groups of eligible voters, which is least likely to vote?
a. The young with low education levels
b. The middle-aged with low education levels
c. Middle-aged and older women
d. Blue-collar workers
e. Middle-class African American citizens
56) One way Congress can respond to a Supreme Court ruling that declares a law unconstitutional is to
a. appoint new justices.
b. draft a referendum that the voters would approve.
c. pass new legislation that addresses the issues raised by the court.
d. pass a law limiting the terms of the justices.
e. re-argue the case in a state court.
57) Which of the following is an accurate statement about the leadership of the two major political parties?
a. The national party organization controls all facets of party activity throughout the country.
b. Party leadership is dispersed among numerous officials at the national, state, and local levels.
c. The highest elected official in each national party directs that party’s activities and operations all the way down to the state and local levels.
d. All major decisions concerning party activities are made during each party’s presidential nomination conventions.
e. Prominent former officeholders, such as ex-presidents, lead their respective political parties.
58) The media play a major role in establishing the public agenda by
a. deciding how prominently to cover issue-related news stories.
b. refusing to publicize the opinions of any pundit deemed “too political.”
c. reviewing the accuracy of candidates’ campaign advertisements.
d. reporting political news from foreign nations.
e. making available the complete text of presidential addresses and press releases.
59) The Americans with Disabilities Act, which provides protections for the disabled, is an example of
a. state supremacy.
b. horizontal federalism.
c. affirmative action.
d. dual federalism.
e. a federal mandate.
60) Which of the following groups voted most heavily Republican during the first decade of the 21st century?
a. Jews
b. Evangelical Christians
c. African-Americans
d. Asian-Americans
e. Labor union members
61) Which of the following is NOT a way in which the federal government regulates campaigns?
a. By requirements for disclosure of campaign donations.
b. By establishment of federal agencies to regulate campaign finance activities.
c. By limits on the distribution of soft money.
d. By limits on individual donations to campaigns.
e. By prohibition of negative advertising.
Opinions on Affirmative Action for Women
Men Women
Age-Group Favor Oppose Favor Oppose
18-29 55% 22% 73% 9%
30-44 48% 35% 63% 24%
45-64 59% 31% 75% 9%
65 and older 40% 39% 71% 16%
62) The differences shown in the table above demonstrate which of the following?
a. Political efficacy.
b. Women's greater political participation.
c. Men's greater political participation.
d. Age discrimination.
e. The gender gap.
63) Compared to marble cake federalism, Reagan’s new federalism aimed to
a. increase the size of the federal government.
b. reduce the number of block grants given to the states.
c. downsize the federal government and turn more authority over to the states.
d. increase the amount of federal taxes to reduce the deficit.
e. reduce the size of the Defense Department and give the savings back to the states.
64) The commerce clause of the Constitution has been viewed as a way for
a. Congress to exercise greater authority over state matters.
b. the president to exercise greater authority to commit troops abroad.
c. the states to exercise their reserved powers.
d. the Senate to increase its authority to advise and consent the president’s appointments.
e. Congress to exercise greater authority over the Supreme Court.
65) The federal government’s dominance over state governments in the American political system is due to all of the following EXCEPT
a. the supremacy clause of the Constitution.
b. the Tenth Amendment.
c. state government’s dependence on grants from the federal government.
d. the federal government’s power to control interstate commerce.
e. the Supreme Court’s ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland.
66) In New York Times v. US, the Supreme Court decided that
a. Richard Nixon’s diary entries about Watergate were not protected by executive privilege.
b. Congress had overstepped its authority by banning guns near schools.
c. part of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional for using outdated data.
d. a high school principal may exercise prior restraint.
e. the Pentagon Papers could be published.
67) The constitutional justification for education being a reserved power of the states can be found in the
a. 4th amendment.
b. 5th amendment.
c. 6th amendment.
d. 8th amendment.
e. 10th amendment.
68) One of the constitutional issues at stake in McCullough v. Maryland was
a. the supremacy clause.
b. the 1st amendment.
c. judicial review.
d. popular sovereignty.
e. separation of powers.
69) The debates between Federalist and Anti-Federalists were primarily about which of the following issues?
a. The right of the people to rebel
b. The existence of slavery
c. The scope of power of the central government
d. The need to establish a standard currency
e. The representation of large and small states
70) In Buckley v. Valeo, the Supreme Court decided that
a. political spending by corporations and unions is protected speech.
b. the birth control mandate in the Affordable Care Act violates the 1st amendment rights of corporations.
c. part of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional for using outdated data.
d. the Defense of Marriage Act violated the equal protection clause of the 5th amendment.
e. a candidate may spend unlimited personal wealth on their own campaign.
Section Two: Free Response Questions
71) A significant feature of the electoral college is that most states have a winner-take-all system.
a. Describe the winner-take-all feature of the electoral college.
b. Explain one way in which the winner-take-all feature of the electoral college affects how presidential candidates from the two major political parties run their campaigns.
c. Explain one way in which the winner-take-all feature of the electoral college hinders third-party candidates.
d. Explain two reasons why the electoral college has not been abolished.
72) Minor parties have been a common feature of United States politics.
a. Describe the point of view expressed about minor parties in the political cartoon above.
b. Identify and explain how two rules of the United States electoral system act as obstacles to minor party candidates winning elections.
c. Minor parties make important contributions to the United States political system in spite of the institutional obstacles to their candidates’ success. Describe two of these contributions.
73) National interest groups often target national level policy making institutions to achieve their policy objectives. Select one of the following national interest groups:
a. American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)
b. National Education Association (NEA)
c. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
d. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
For the group you selected do each of the following:
a. Identify one major national level policy making institution that this group targets.
b. Describe one resource or characteristic of the group you have chosen and explain how it influences the choice of the target you have identified in (a).
c. Describe another resource or characteristic of the group you have chosen and explain how it influences the choice of the target you have identified in (a).