Cards in this guide (247)
The Constitution was created in a context of
quarrels among the states and the growing perception of the
Which of the following events played a prominent role in highlighting the need for the Annapolis Convention
a form of government that involves popular control of government by the people through elected officials
The main reaction to the failure of the Articles of Confederation was to
make the national government stronger
The Federalists generally
supported increasing the authority of the national government
The Antifederalists
generally favored relatively strong state governments
People who share a common political interest are best known as
For James Madison, the problem associated with a tyranny of the majority was that
large factions might capture control of the government and ignore the rights of those in the minority
The agreement that led to the legislature having two houses is called the
Which part of government was considered the weakest because it did not have "power of the purse or sword"
The elastic clause refers to
the power of Congress to make laws necessary for executing its members' enumerated powers
The ability to remove someone because of corruption or abuse of power is called
Which of the following is a power the president can use to check the legislative branch
Judicial review is
the ability of the courts to declare acts of the legislature and
What does Madison believe is the best way to deal with factions
Create a large enough republic to ensure that majority factions will
The main problem with the Articles of Confederation was that they
Did not give the national government enough power
If one group took power and established an official state religion, James Madison would describe the situation as
an example of the tyranny of a faction imposing its will on the rest of the nation
The separation of powers refers to
dividing a government into different branches with distinct areas of authority
The division of power between the national government and the state and local governments is called
A system of checks and balances
gives each branch of the national government some power over the others
A free rider problem occurs when
everyone fails to work toward a common goal because they are each willing to let someone else do the work
Politics are defined as
the process that determines the decisions made by government
Which of the following is a reason that there is conflict in politics
There is no national consensus on some issues nor is there a compromise position on every issue that will attract widespread support.
Despite pressure to find political compromises, such compromises do not always occur because
the need to make trade-offs can mean no policy option satisfies a majority
The size of the federal government's most recent annual budget was
A form of government that divides sovereign power across at least two political units is called
The term states' rights refers to
the right of the states to determine their own laws without interference from the federal government
The power of local governments depends on charters granted to them by
Which system is most common among democracies in the world
What element of the Constitution affirms state sovereignty
The Federalists, led by George Washington, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton favored a(n) ________ national government, while the Democratic-Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, favored ________ power.
The concept of dual federalism envisions what relationship between the federal and state governments
Each has distinct areas of authority with very little overlap.
The Dred Scott case ruled that
slave owners had been deprived of property without due process of law
Following the Civil War, the Constitution was amended to ensure that states could not deny any citizen
due process or equal protection of the laws
The theory of dual federalism is most consistent with the concept of
Cooperative federalism emerged during
Which of the following is an example of fiscal federalism
The national government issues federal funds to state governments to encourage states to meet certain policy requirements.
In a unitary system of government, ultimate government authority is located
at the national or central level
In a federal political system, authority is
divided between the central government and regional or sub-divisional governments
One of the arguments against federalism is
that state and local interests can block progress and impede national plans
The doctrine of dual federalism represented
a doctrine that emphasizes a distinction between federal and state spheres of government authority
Public opinion is best defined as
what the public thinks about government and politics
Political socialization refers to
the process by which an individual's political opinions are shaped by other people and the surrounding culture
Many people's political opinions such as ideology and level of trust in others
start with what they learned from their parents
According to the text, parents and children
tend to share the same political ideology and partisanship
A Pew Research Center survey of 1,500 randomly selected people, with a sampling error of +/-3, showed that 52 percent of the respondents viewed the military effort in Afghanistan to be going well. Based on this result, what percentage of the population vi
anywhere from 49 to 55 percent
A ________ is a way to measure public opinion by interviewing ________ population
mass survey; a large sample of the
Internet polls are usually not reliable because
You see the following results of a poll taken of likely voters:Who do you intend to vote for in the 2012 presidential electionObama 43%Palin 41%Romney 16%Margin of error: +/- 4%Who is ahead according to this poll
The least important thing to look at when you see a new public opinion poll (among the answer choices) IS:
the newspaper publishing the poll
The most important principle in sampling is
the random selection of respondents
A political party is
an organization with the primary purpose of running candidates for political office and coordinating the actions of officials elected under the party banner
The leaders and workers of a party at the national, state, and local levels are known as
A period in which the names of the major political parties, their supporters, and the issues dividing them remain relatively stable is known as
Rewarding party supporters with benefits, like government jobs, is known as
Which important political event led to the New Deal Coalition
Which of the following terms describes a situation in which the issues that divide the political parties change in a way that cuts across existing political coalitions
Which of the following is principally in charge of setting policy for the political parties
national party committees
A 527 organization
seeks to influence elections through voter mobilization efforts and issue ads that do not directly endorse or oppose a candidate
The loyalty that people have to one party is called
Which of the following best described the process by which parties select their nominees for president
citizens vote for delegates in primaries and caucuses and delegates then select the candidate at a national nominating convention
When one party controls both the legislature and the presidency, we have
The party in government is comprised of
those politicians who have been elected into office under a party label
Single member district plurality voting most often leads to
These are all facets or functions of political parties EXCEPT
What kind of primary only allows voters registered for a party to participate in it
Every so often a third-party candidate like Ralph Nader in 2000 or George Wallace in 1968 can affect a close election by playing the spoiler role which means that they
attract enough votes from a major-party candidate that they lose the election
Political parties put all of their campaign promises and things they would do if elected in their
When people ask Ralph what party he supports he says "Democrat". When people ask Sally what party she supports she says "Republican". These are examples of a person's
The most popular major nationwide talk radio shows tend to be
more politically conservative
Social and protest movements in recent years (such as Occupy Wall Street) have increasingly relied on ______ to get information out
social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter
The Internet has had a major effect on political information in that it has
made it easier for people to get information that previously was difficult to obtain
By lowering the costs of publication, the Internet has spawned the growth of
Which of the following characteristics reduces the effectiveness of the Internet in creating informed citizens
unreliability of many Internet sources
Which term describes a situation in which one company owns most of the media in a single community
The New York Times runs an article today about the danger of texting while driving. A few days later, because of the news coverage around the issue, Congress begins to hold hearings on this topic. This is an example of
The ability of the media to affect people's opinions through the way a story is presented is called
John Stewart criticizes shows like "Crossfire" for
feeding into the strategies of politicians
Viacom, which owns CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and a bunch of other media outlets, is an example of
A company that owns a large number of media sources across several types of outlets is known as a
Someone running against an incumbent in an election is called
An election in which any registered voter can participate in selecting a party nominee is called
Which of the following restrictions on voter eligibility is true for all Americans
must be eighteen years old or older
More people are choosing to vote prior to the day of the general election. This is known as what
Any voting system in which the candidate with the most votes wins is called
Undervotes occur when
a voter casts an unmarked ballot
Traditionally, the first primary in the nation is in
Traditionally, the first caucus in the nation is in
Swing states are important to a presidential candidate's general election strategy because
they can potentially be won by either major-party candidate
An election where there is no sitting legislator running for reelection is called
The actions officeholders take throughout the election cycle to build support for their reelection is called
A candidate's ground game is another name for
the campaign's effort to get out the vote on Election Day
Which of the following groups is responsible for regulating the financing of campaigns
Federal Election Commission
Campaign funds that are subject to clear limits on how much can be raised are called
Typically, members of which of the following groups do not turn out in large numbers to vote
people without a high school education or less
A straight-ticket voter is someone who
selects candidates from only one party
The main prediction of R = P(B) - C
Your vote really can make a difference (this is the wrong answer)
The "D" term in R = P(B) - C + D refers to
The benefits you can only get by voting/your civic duty
A candidate's victory is an example of
We call information about a candidate that is readily available and easy to interpret
The paradox of voting refers to
the question of why people vote when their individual vote stands little chance of making a difference
An interest group is best defined as an organization
that tries to influence public policy for a group of people with common interests
When an interest group contacts a public official and tries to influence public policy, it is engaged in
Which of the following would be a type of economic group
When an interest group's leadership is concentrated in its headquarters, it has a(n) _________ organizational structure
Groups whose members are businesses or other organizations rather than individuals are
Selective incentives are important because
they help groups overcome the collective action problem
The term revolving door refers to
movement of personnel between the government and interest groups
A group that lobbies for a collection of companies in the same industry is called
A(n) ________ focuses on tactics used in Washington, while a(n) ________ focuses on working outside of Washington to accomplish policy goals.
inside strategy; outside strategy
Grassroots lobbying is best defined as
using group members to contact legislators
Astroturf lobbying occurs when
a group organizes a contacting effort directed at policy makers, but it looks spontaneous
A group that can raise money for the purpose of contributing to candidates or spending on campaigns is known as a(n)
political action committee
Things like national defense, clean air and the interstate highway system are examples of
Free riders are ___ of public goods
individuals who enjoy the benefits without paying the costs
Supporting an interest groups because you enjoy the social aspects of helping out are called
Which of the following is an example of direct lobbying
Speaking with an elected legislator
The National Independent Automobile Dealers Association is made up of fifty state-level organizations. This is an example of a(n)
The term bicameralism refers to
the governmental structure, which includes two different houses in the legislature
Why did the Founders believe that, as set forth in the Constitution, the Senate would be more responsive to national interests than the House
Senators were indirectly elected by state legislatures and served longer terms
Passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913
allowed for the popular election of senators
The term substantive representation refers to ________, while the term descriptive representation refers to ________.
members serving constituent interests; shared traits between members and constituents
Voting based on the trustee model can harm a Congress member's political career because
it can go against the views of constituents back home
When legislators help constituents with problems they have with government agencies and programs, legislators are engaged in
Which of the following is an example of the phenomenon of credit claiming
a legislator explaining his or her role in securing funds for a local highway
Legislators who make public statements demonstrating how they share priorities with the groups in their district are engaged in
The process of determining the boundaries of House districts every ten years is known as
The process of drawing legislative districts for political advantage is known as
Legislators spreading benefits as widely as possible is called ________; trading their support on a bill for someone's support on a different bill is an example of ________.
universalism; reciprocity
Which of the following is NOT an informal norm that influences the structure of Congress
Which of the following is an important power that party leaders in the House and Senate can use to influence the legislative process
the ability to set the legislative agenda
Since the 1970s, party unity in the legislature has
A ________ committee is created to deal with a specific policy topic, while a ________ committee is created to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of the same bill.
Which of the following lists is correctly ordered
member introduces a bill; one chamber takes floor action; conference committee version is approved
A filibuster is
a senator's attempt to kill a bill by continuing to speak in order to prevent a vote
A vote of ________ will limit the amount of time spent debating a bill in the Senate
A vote of cloture requires approval by how many senators
When a bill comes to the floor of the House under ________, it cannot be amended
When members of Congress wait until there is a crisis before taking action in addressing problems in the bureaucracy, they are engaged in
Which president's attempt to participate in the League of Nations illustrated the limits of presidential power
The president's statutory authority is based on
laws that give the president responsibilities
As _________ , the president has authority over the executive branch; as _________, the president acts as the symbolic and political representative of the nation
head of government; head of state
Which one of a president's appointments does not need Senate approval
An executive order is
a presidential statement that changes government policy
Although presidents can negotiate treaties, they require approval of ________ in order for them to take effect.
Which of the following describes a situation in which a president negotiates a deal directly between the executive branch and a foreign government
Under which of the following conditions has it been shown that vetoes are more likely
when there is divided government
When a president claims that the president's discussions, decisions, and documents can be shielded from other branches of government, the president is
claiming executive privilege
Presidential approval refers to
the percentage of the public that thinks a president is doing a good job
Which of the following describes a situation in which a president uses the media attention given to the president's office to build support for policy proposals
Which of the following organizations is a part of the Executive Office of the President
Office of Management and Budget
When can the vice president cast a vote in the Senate
only when there is a tie vote on a piece of legislation
The term unilateral action refers to
a president changing policy without consulting Congress
When presidents offer interpretations of new laws before those laws are implemented, they typically do so
How can Congress undo a president's unilateral action
Congress can pass new legislation
Any government employee who is selected by an elected official is known as
Civil servants are employees of the federal government who
are hired on the basis of their qualifications
Which of the following is NOT a task of federal bureaucrats
Which of the following is NOT part of the public process for citizens to respond to proposed regulations
asking a federal judge to stop the proposed regulation before it goes into effect
A street-level bureaucrat is someone who
directly provides services to Americans
Any unnecessarily complex set of procedures in the bureaucracy is called
The store of knowledge, personnel, and institutions for implementing policy is called
Any situation in which one person delegates responsibility to another is an example of
When was the spoils system first used on a large scale to reward campaign supporters
not long after the nation's Founding
The group of government programs put in place by Franklin Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression was known as the
Which of the following was a significant expansion of government action into a new policy area during the Great Society
government involvement in guaranteeing civil rights
The Office of Management and Budget is primarily responsible for
helping the president monitor federal budget expenditures and proposals
A reduction in force (RIF) decreases the size of the federal workforce by
eliminating entire departments and agencies
When members of Congress gather information about the bureaucracy by holding hearings and questioning bureaucrats, they are engaged in
Which of the following describes a situation in which legislators pay close attention to a bureaucracy with consistent fact-finding trips, interviews, audits, and calls
Which of the following describes a situation in which legislators monitor a bureaucratic organization only after someone complains or a problem of implementation has been brought to their attention
One of the important differences between public bureaucracies like the DMV and private corporations such as McDonalds is that government bureaucracies
are not organized to make a profit, while private corporations are
The most important details about the Supreme Court—its size and organization—were established in
the Judiciary Act of 1789
What was the principal effect of Marbury v. Madison (1803) on the Supreme Court
It gave the Court the ability to rule on whether laws violate the Constitution
Which of the following describes a writ of mandamus
an order issued by a higher court to a lower court, government official, or government agency to perform acts required by law
When the Supreme Court interprets a law passed by Congress, it is engaged in
The individual or group that initiates judicial action in a trial court is the
The individual or group that is sued or charged with a crime is the
Common law is a system by which a court
makes legal decisions on the basis of earlier decisions by other courts
The term precedent refers to
a previously decided case that other courts use as a guide
The intermediate federal courts that hear appeals from district courts are known as
Which of the following correctly orders courts from lowest to highest
district courts, appeals courts, Supreme Court
The term senatorial courtesy refers to
the president deferring to members of the president's party from each state in choosing nominees to district courts
Over the past few decades, the process of nominating judges to the federal bench has
The group of cases submitted to the Supreme Court for its consideration is called its
While the number of cases submitted to the Supreme Court has ________, the number of opinions the Court issues has ________
The person responsible for litigating on behalf of the federal government is the
A brief submitted by an interested group or person who shares relevant information about a case to help the Court reach a decision is known as a
An opinion written by a Supreme Court justice who agrees with a case but does not agree with its legal logic is called a
An opinion written by a Supreme Court Justice who disagrees with the outcome of a case is called a
The strategic model of Supreme Court decision making emphasizes
how the justices account for the views of other justices when deciding how to act
When the Supreme Court refuses to take actions that are outside of the judicial domain, they are avoiding what are known as
Civil liberties are
restrictions on government action that are intended to protect political freedoms
Who opposed ratification of the Constitution until after the inclusion of a bill of rights
Civil liberties are guaranteed by which part of the Constitution
Which of the following forbids states from denying "life, liberty, or property" without following rules based on the Bill of Rights
When the Supreme Court says that specific parts of the Bill of Rights apply to the actions of state government, they are engaging the doctrine of
Which civil liberty is NOT protected in the First Amendment
________, or the use of words to express your feelings or views about the government, is the most protected form of expression
Which part of the First Amendment prevents government from regulating most religious practices
Which of the following is a legal test for determining when the government is in violation of the establishment clause
Which of the following protections refers to prohibitions against being tried twice for the same crime
The Supreme Court's decision in Griswold v. Connecticut
established the right to privacy as existing in the Bill of Rights
While ________ involve limits on government action, ________ involve protection from discrimination by either government or individuals
civil liberties; civil rights
The central focus of the civil rights movement in American history has been on which of the following groups
Which Supreme Court case ruled that slaves were property and therefore had no legal rights
What was the doctrine that justified segregation in the facilities used by African Americans and whites in the South
The trail of tears involved
the removal of Native Americans from their land to reservations in Oklahoma
Which of the following groups was the last to receive a constitutional guarantee of their voting rights
The term de facto segregation refers to
discrimination based in actual conditions experienced by people
The intermediate scrutiny test holds that
discrimination is allowed when an important government objective is served
The term affirmative action refers to
offering racial minorities chances to catch up to other groups through legal means
Which of the following agencies is housed in the executive branch and advises the president on economic policy making
National Economic Council
The agency that works with the president to compose the nation's annual budget, which is housed in the executive branch, used to be known as the Bureau of the Budget. What is its current name
Office of Management and Budget
Decisions made by the Federal Reserve System are:
not politically influenced because the agency is independent
No Child Left Behind is an example of education policy:
becoming more controlled by the federal government
An increase in consumer goods prices over time is called:
Which of the following describes a situation in which government spending exceeds its revenue
The ________ is the total accumulation of money borrowed by the government.
What type of tax is regressive (i.e., burdens poorer individuals more so than wealthier individuals)
The specific interest rate that banks pay to the Federal Reserve Bank for short-term loans is called a(n):
Which of the following terms describes a situation in which a single corporation lacks competition and controls the market for a certain product
Government assistance—usually financial assistance—to individuals in need is called:
The Great Society was a social plan developed by President:
Which of the following is NOT an example of a welfare, or income support, program
Which social policy program is the successor to Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
School vouchers are:
direct government aid to families to assist with private school education costs
Agenda setting is
the process of deciding on a specific proposal
The part of the policymaking process that involves choosing a specific policy from among the proposals that have been discussed is known as
Policy implementation is
concerned with the carrying out of policies by bureaucrats, the courts, police, and individual citizens.
What foreign policy philosophy contends that the United States' best interests are served by avoiding formal agreements and activity with other nations
What foreign policy philosophy contends that the United States' self-interest is not (or should not be) its only motivating factor in its international decision-making process but that larger moralistic goals such as democratic principles are also to be (
Although the League of Nations was unsuccessful, it was a model for:
Following World War II, some American politicians and scholars argued that the United States would need to be more involved in world affairs because the United States had a moral obligation to preserve world peace. This argument is an example of:
The notion that the United States should use military, diplomatic, and economic means to stop the spread of communism is called:
What alliance, organized by the United States, was formed in 1949 to provide military security to all of its members
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Under President Richard Nixon, the United States and the Soviet Union opened relations with each other. This process was called:
The principal department in the executive branch is responsible for diplomacy and foreign policy is:
Which of the following best describes the responsibilities of the Department of Homeland Security
to coordinate intelligence gathering, secure U.S. borders, and prevent terrorist attacks
The National Security Agency:
is a foreign policy agency that gathers intelligence and advises the president
The federal courts can influence foreign policy by:
ruling that certain laws or presidential actions are unconstitutional
________ assists countries in managing budget deficits and currency values.
The International Monetary Fund
High tariffs raise the prices of ________, making ________ more attractive to the consumer.
imported goods; domestic products
When the United States places the lowest possible tariff on imported goods from a particular country, it bestows on that country:
most-favored-nation status
Economic sanctions are often used for the purpose of:
pressuring a country's leaders to change their behavior
When one nation believes that another is using tariffs unfairly, the matter is adjudicated by:
the Word Trade Organization
