Midterm Exam

A  organizes an annual party convention

B  has no role in the presidential elections

C  is run by the party chair and conducts party business during the four years between national conventions

D  requires all party members to pay dues

A  a two-thirds majority

B  the fewest votes

C  the most votes, with less than half the votes

D  more than half the votes

A  in Washington D.C., in December

B  at their precinct, on Election Day

C  at their state capitol, on Election Day

D  in their state capitol, in December

A  Buckley v. Valeo

B  McCain–Feingold Act

C  McConnell v. Federal Election Commission

D  Citizens United v Federal Election Commission

A  a higher income

B  a lack of an education

C  social status

D  a college education

A  based upon the number of representatives the state has in the House of Representatives.

B  based upon the number of representatives the state has in Congress.

C  based upon the voter turnout in that state in the previous election.

D  by the Supreme Court.

A  To become president of the United States a candidate must receive a majority of the electoral votes cast

B  To become president of the United States a candidate must receive a plurality of the electoral votes cast

C  The United States Constitution requires that the electoral votes be allocated equally to all states

D  Electoral votes are allocated to states based upon the number of representatives they have in the state legislatures

A  the “privileges and immunities” clause

B  the “extradition” clause

C  the supremacy clause

D  the “full faith and credit” clause

A  enumerated powers

B  inherent powers

C  implied powers

D  concurrent powers

A  ex-post facto law

B  implied powers

C  concurrent powers

D  full faith and credit

A  by a majority vote in both houses of Congress and the president’s signature

B  by a majority vote in both houses of Congress and a ruling by the Supreme Court

C  by a majority vote in both houses of Congress and by the United Nations

D  by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress, followed by passage by three-fourths of the state legislatures

A  Article X

B  Article V

C  Article IV

D  Article VI

A  has the power to appoint judges, ambassadors, and other high officials with Senate approval.

B  no longer has the power to negotiate treaties

C  can also serve as a state governor at the same time

D  can serve unlimited terms of office

A  indirectly by an electoral college.

B  directly by Congress.

C  directly by popular vote.

D  directly by the state legislatures.

A  passing bills of attainder but not ex-post facto laws

B  banning the media

C  passing bills of attainder and ex-post facto laws

D  from eliminating other branches of government

A  It grants the right of the president to veto legislation passed by Congress and the right of Congress to override this veto with a two-thirds vote in both houses.

B  granting titles of nobility

C  the power to remove the president to the House of Representatives

D  It gives the power to impeach to the Senate

A  Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton

B  John Jay, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson

C  James Madison, John Jay, Thomas Paine

D  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay

A  a unicameral system with no checks and balances

B  no provisions for state governments

C  no judicial court system

D  a federal system that included three branches of government based upon the principle of separation of powers and checks and balances

A  a House of Representatives apportioned by the number of free inhabitants plus a Senate consisting of two members elected by the people

B  a Senate apportioned by the number of free inhabitants and a judiciary consisting of two members from each state selected by the state legislators

C  a House of Representatives apportioned by the number of free inhabitants plus 3/5 of slaves and a Senate consisting of two members from each state selected by the state legislators

D  a bicameral legislature in which both houses would be apportioned according to the number of free inhabitants plus 3/5 of the slaves

A  France

B  China

C  Spain

D  England

A  provided for a central government to govern a new country

B  granted Congress the power to coin money, enter into treaties, and regulate commerce

C  provided a justification for the colonies’ action of severing their ties with England

D  is also known as the Articles of Confederation

A  the idea that republican virtues are best nurtured in small states

B  the idea that true republicanism can only occur in large states.

C  the principle that government power shall be divided and that those divisions should balance or check one another to prevent tyranny.

D  distinct spheres of responsibility for the three branches of the national government

A  1776, 1849

B  1812, 1859

C  1865, 1900

D  1787, 1879

A  the State of Rhode Island

B  the anti-Federalists

C  Publius

D  the Federalists

A  requires candidates to obtain a plurality of the votes before taking office

B  can only be applied to Congressional races

C  can only be applied to gubernatorial and presidential races

D  requires candidates to obtain a majority of the votes before taking office

A  provide information about public policy

B  present electoral choices

C  provide free election ads for candidates running for office

D  be a watchdog over the government

A  the most votes without going over 50%

B  more than half the votes

C  the fewest votes

D  a two-thirds majority

A  to kick out an incompetent public official

B  to make a new law or amend the state constitution

C  to impeach judges

D  to impeach the Governor

A  allows for the repeal of laws

B  permits only those registered in a party to vote on that party’s candidates

C  permits all voters to select from a “blanket” list of candidates

D  permits voters to switch parties and vote for another party’s candidates

A  is very conservative in nature

B  rule by an oligarchy

C  the idea that only the power elite can influence governmental decisions

D  the idea that every person carries equal weight in our society when decisions are made

A  the idea that only the power elite can influence governmental decisions

B  politics is a similar to a sporting event that involves players and teams in the hopes of winning the competition

C  a conversation that identifies the compelling issues of the day

D  involves playing video games

A  53 electoral votes

B  54 electoral votes

C  56 electoral votes

D  55 electoral votes

A  Life, liberty, and free medical care

B  the pursuit of property and a free-market economy

C  Life, liberty, and property

D  Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

A  C. Wright MIlls

B  John Locke

C  Robert Dahl

D  Harold Lasswell

A  to abolish the Bill of Rights as required for security

B  to create its own laws in many areas

C  to create laws which conflict with the U.S. Constitution

D  to secede from the nation upon legislative action

A  a course of action that is shaped by government officials

B  the response of the rest of society to the decisions made by authorities in a political system

C  what people and groups want from the political system

D  the attitudes and actions of people that sustain and buttress the political system

A  an opinion about music, movies, or fashions

B  the process by which a person acquires a set of political attitudes and forms opinions about social issues

C  the expression of attitudes about government and politics

D  the process in which people acquire political views, beliefs and opinions

A  the expression of attitudes about government and politics

B  an opinion about music, movies, or fashions

C  a “power elite” governs

D  the process by which a person acquires a set of political attitudes and forms opinions about social issues

A  a set of prejudices and fears about the world

B  a coherent set of beliefs about the purpose and scope of government

C  a coherent set of values that often leads to totalitarianism

D  a system of opinions espoused by a political party

A  a group who seeks to influence government by electing candidates to public office.

B  the process by which a person acquires a set of political attitudes and forms opinions about social issues.

C  communication with legislators or other government officials to try to influence their decisions.

D  an attempt to influence the government solely through the courts

A  a group who seeks to influence government by electing candidates to public office

B  those who will actually be interviewed in a political poll

C  the process in which a person acquires a set of political attitudes and forms opinions about social issues

D  a group who seeks to influence the government to respond to the shared attitudes of its members

A  different decisions made by different sets of leaders

B  the media rules

C  a “power elite” governs

D  People govern through political leaders who are nominated as candidates of political parties and are elected by the people

A  the response of the rest of society to the decisions made by authorities

B  the ability to influence and control others

C  the pursuit and exercise of demands

D  the making of binding rules for society that determine the distribution of resources

A  a direct democracy

B  an indirect or representative democracy

C  a unitary democracy

D  an aristocracy

A  rule by religion

B  rule by one

C  rule by the people

D  rule by the few

A  in person at their home

B  in person at a mall

C  be email

D  by telephone

A  television and newspapers only

B  Fox and CNN, but not the New York Times

C  newspapers, magazines, internet, television and radio

D  newspapers but not magazines

A  allows news programs and stations to grant air time to their preferred candidate and deny the opposition candidate

B  requires that news programs & stations provide opposing candidates equal air time.

C  bans all air time for candidates

D  that television stations present contrasting points of view.

A  the single-member district (SMD)

B  welcomes the involvement of minor parties

C  proportional representation

D  the multi-member district (MMD)

A  participating in political parties

B  committing a crime

C  belonging to interest groups

D  voting in free elections to choose those who govern

A  the formal vehicle through which the people’s concerns are ignored

B  can never really exist

C  the formal vehicle through which policies are made and affairs of state are conducted

D  a member of a political community to whom rights and obligations are attached