In principle, the Republican party has been known as the party of 

1. liberal political ideas
2. social welfare programs
3. economic depression
4. the middle and upper classes

Examples of interest groups include all of the following except

1. The National Education Association (NEA)
2. The National Organization for Women (NOW)
3. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
4. The National Security Council (NSC)

A political system in which only two parties have a reasonable chance of winning is called

1. A Federal-state party system
2. A multi party system
3. A two party system
4. A bifurcated party system

Oversight is the process by which Congress

1. reviews the actions of subcomittees
2. follows up on the laws it has enacted making sure they are properly implemented
3. allows meaningful input of foreigners through hearings
4. supervises the activities of the judicial and executive branches

A representative who is performing the role of a “trustee” is 

1. only representing the needs of his or her constituents
2. supporting his or her political party one hundred percent
3. supporting the president on all of his legislative programs
4. acting on conscience or representing the broad interests of the entire society and country as a whole

The doctrine of “stare decisis” means 

1. that the other court does not have jurisdiction in a case
2. to refer a case to the next highest court
3. to stand on decided cases
4. to reverse a decision by a lower court

The Supreme Court is least likely to hear a case involving 

1. civil liberties
2. political questions

C  conflicts between lower courts on the interpretation of federal law

1. disagreements between a majority of Supreme Court judges and lower court judges

The principal function of any legislature is

1. to check the power of the executive branch
2. constituent service
3. lawmaking
4. casework

The purpose of an “amicus curiae” brief is to 

1. require testimony of witnesses who maybe hostile to the plaintiff or otherwise reluctant to appear in court
2. prevent a party from acting until the court makes a final decision
3. prohibit future action that would violate civil rights
4. influence a court’s decision

In the 2000 presidential election, George Bush won because 

1. Al Gore won the electoral vote but lost the popular vote
2. Bush won the electoral vote, which is the vote that actually selects the winner
3. Bush won the popular vote and the electoral college vote
4. he won the electoral vote, but only because Gore withdrew from the campaign

According to the Constitution, impeachment

1. proceedings begin in the Senate and conclude in the House of Representatives
2. proceedings can not be used against an incumbent president
3. proceedings begin in the House of Representatives and conclude in the Senate
4. proceedings can only be applied to a president that has committed bribery

The concept of “cloture” refers to 

1. actions taken by the House Rules Committee that must be approved by the Speaker
2. a method used to defeat legislation in Congress
3. a closed meeting held by the majority party when important legislation is pending
4. a process that attempt to limit debate on a bill in the Senate floor

In the history of the United States, no president has ever 

1. been impeached
2. been impeached and convicted
3. served more than two terms of office
4. both a and b

The power of the courts to rule on the constitutionality of a law or action by the other branches of government is called

1. precedent
2. the writ of judicial appeal
3. judicial review
4. appellate review of fact

How many justices currently serve on the Supreme Court

1. 8
2. 9
3. 7
4. 10

As chief diplomat, the president

1. must use his power to select leaders in high level positions within Congress to work for the president’s legislative agenda
2. makes treaties, recognizes foreign governments, and makes executive agreements
3. is responsible for selecting all judges to federal courts
4. is responsible for all actions within the Executive Branch

The group that officially elects the President and Vice-President of the United States is 

1. The Electoral College
2. The Nominating College of the Federal Government
3. The states legislatures
4. The Framers College

Which of the following is true about the Supreme Court of the United States

1. it never overrules laws enacted by elected officials
2. its opinions are always enforced immediately
3. it can play a policymaking role
4. its decision seldom set precents

In principle, the Democrats have been known as the party of 

1. the economic elite
2. the great depression
3. conservative political ideas
4. the working class

The founders of the American Republic believed that most of the power that would be exercised by a national government should be in the hands of

1. a secret elite class that would be responsible for protecting society from anarchy
2. a very powerful chief executive given that under the Articles of Confederation it was weak
3. the legislative branch
4. a council of state governors that would meet each year

The Constitution indicates that the number of electors who will cast ballots for president and vice-president

1. can not be changed without an amendment
2. is equal to the number of representatives and senators a state has in Congress
3. is to be determined by the president at the end of his term
4. can not exceed 550

Presidents have the power to change the direction of the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary by

1. forcing Congress to consider impeachment of specific judges
2. firing judges on the grounds of incompatibility
3. declaring martial law, which restricts judicial decision making
4. appointing new judges when there are vacancies, who in principle has philosophies consistent with the president

As chief executive, the president is constitutionally bound to 

1. inform Congress prior to any military action
2. enforce laws, treaties, and court orders
3. oversee actions of state governments
4. submit a balanced budget to Congress

Most PAC (Political Action Committees) contributions go to 

1. challengers
2. cooperatives
3. open seat candidates
4. incumbents

Casework is 

1. lawmaking
2. logrolling
3. constituent service
4. oversight

The Rhenquist and Robert Courts were/are known as 

1. activist courts
2. ideologically liberal courts
3. ideologically conservative courts
4. pro civil rights courts

The State of the Union message typically given by the President every January

1. is an effective tool used by the president to limit other countries’ foreign policy
2. is the policy statement of Congress over which the president seldom has influence
3. gives a broad view of what the president wishes the legislature to accomplish during the coming year
4. is delivered by the president to the General Assembly of the United Nations at least once every four years

Executive agreements are 

1. not legal in the United States
2. not valid in foreign policy matters unless approved by the Senate
3. agreements between the President of the United States and heads of governments of foreign countries that do not have to be approved by the Senate
4. no longer used to conduct foreign policy in the modern world

When the Supreme Court decides a case in the same way that a similar case was decided in the past 

1. it’s relying on precedent
2. it’s reinforcing habeas corpus
3. it’s interpreting original constitutionalism
4. it’s ignoring the principle of stare decisis

Naturalized citizens are constitutionally barred from running for the office of 

1. United States Representative
2. United States Senator
3. United States Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
4. United States President

Traditionally labor unions and environmental groups 

1. support the Green party
2. support both Republicans and Democrats
3. support Democrats
4. support Republicans
5. do not endorse candidates

In order to be elected president one must receive

50. a majority of the popular vote or 50.1 percent
51. a plurality of the popular vote, that is, whichever candidate gets the most votes
52. a majority of the electoral vote, that being 270 votes
53. a plurality of the delegates at the national convention

A line-item veto allows

1. the legislature to override executive orders
2. the president to send troops overseas for more than 30 days without congressional approval
3. the president to take advantage of the bully pulpit
4. the president to veto only parts of a bill
5. the Congress to override a bill submitted by the president

The law that was passed in the early 2000’s banning soft money contributions, increasing contribution limits, and prohibiting some issue adds is known as 

1. The McCain-Feingold Act
2. The Lee Atwater Campaign Finance Reform Act
3. The USA Patriot Act
4. The Graham-Rudman-Hollins Fair Election Act

Suppose Congress passes a bill and then adjourns. After 10 days the president has not signed or vetoed the bill, but the bill does not become law. This is known as

1. a legislative veto
2. an overriding veto
3. an impoundment veto
4. a pocket veto

Some people do not join groups because they can benefit from the group’s activities without actually officially joining. This is known as

1. good of society problem
2. the refugee problem
3. free rider problem
4. sharing the load problem

How often are presidential vetoes overridden by Congress?

1. about 1/2 the time
2. very often
3. about 1/4 of the time
4. very rarely
5. about 2/3 of the time

Which of the following is true about third parties in the US?

1. they ensure continuity by keeping new groups from participating
2. they frequently win political office
3. they seldom place social reform measures on the political agenda
4. they are safety valves for popular discontent

Which of the following is true about money and congressional campaigns

1. incumbents generally spend more than challengers
2. money from PAC’s pays the entire cost of congressional campaigns
3. prolific spending by incumbents typically guarantees them success
4. spending is unimportant for open seats

A class action suit is when

1. high school graduates sue their school district because they were given a diploma even though they never learned to how to read or write
2. a court issuing a temporary restraining order against an interest group
3. members of Congress suing interest groups for corrupting the political system
4. a group of people in a similar situation combining their common grievances into a single lawsuit

Which of the following is true regarding presidential coattails?

1. the president’s popularity tends to remain the same during wartime
2. the president’s party tends to lose seats in midterm elections years
3. the president’s party tends to lose seats in presidential elections years
4. they have diminished in recent years

Which of the following allows political parties to act as linkage mechanisms?

1. running campaigns
2. enforcing rules of discipline in Congress
3. taking care of their party in the electorate
4. selecting officeholders

Which House committee schedules the bill on the calendar, allots time for debate, and is highly responsive to the wishes of the House Leadership?

1. Debate Committee
2. Rules Committee
3. Joint Committee
4. Collaborative Commitee

In the US, most of the mass media outlets are owned by 

1. the FCC
2. small businesses
3. TNT
4. giant corporations

Which of the following is true of the Federal Communications Commission’s regulations of the broadcast media?

1. it conducts periodic examinations of the goals and performances of tv stations
2. it frequently withdraw licenses from tv stations that do not serve the public interest
3. there are no restrictions on the number of stations owned or controlled by one company
4. as a form of public service, it requires all broadcast stations to publicly endorse political candidates

Which of the following is a reason why Americans vote?

1. statutes that require compulsory voting
2. civic duty
3. social promotion
4. the cost of voting outweighs the benefits

Members of Congress engage in casework because

1. fewer public funds are available for congressional campaigns for those who shun casework
2. it enhances their reelection prospects by allowing them to claim credit for helping constituents
3. it gives them leverage with congressional leaders
4. they must be informed about the intricacies of policy issues in order to get prime committee assignments and to make good legislation

Laws forbidding mandatory union membership as a condition for employment are known as 

1. right to work laws
2. maximum wage laws
3. union shop laws
4. right to profiteer laws

A system for organizing the legislature in which seats are allocated according to each party’s percentage of the nationwide vote is known as

1. first past the post
2. winner takes all
3. single member district
4. proportional representation

When comparing House and Senate incumbents running for reelection, Senate incumbents

1. typically run against more visible challengers than House incumbents
2. are more likely to win than House incumbents
3. typically win with larger margins than House incumbents
4. often have more homogeneous constituencies than House incumbents

Party machines were able to dominate politics in some urban areas during the early 1900’s by

1. giving power to average citizens rather than party leaders
2. being responsible parties
3. appealing to the good nature of city dwellers
4. rewarding it’s members with patronage

Which of the following did Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan have in common?

1. they both engaged in hostilities in Iraq and Haiti
2. they were the only two presidents without a college degree
3. they were both skilled at using the bully pulpit
4. they both were able to pass significant legislation reshaping health care policy

Congressional monitoring of the bureaucracy and its administration of policy is known as

1. revolving doors
2. mark-ups
3. gate keeping
4. legislative oversight

In the last 50 years US presidents have sent American troops into military action without a congressional declaration of war in all of the following countries except

1. Vietnam
2. Panama
3. Canada
4. Kuwait

The president claims authority to nominate Supreme Court justices from 

1. writing executive orders
2. Article II of the Constitution
3. issuing presidential decrees
4. Article III of the Constitution

In the United States we have a 

1. representative democracy
2. indirect democracy
3. republican form of government
4. all of the above

Presidents often try to improve the chances of legislative success by encouraging Congress to act on the president’s legislative priorities

1. during the honeymoon period
2. after the President has been in office for at least 6 months
3. at the end of the President’s first term
4. while Congress is in recess

Common Cause is concerned primarily with 

1. tax breaks for small businesses
2. racial equality
3. a strong defense
4. open and fair government

Supreme Court opinions written by justices opposed to all or part of the majority’s decision are known as 

1. concurring opinions
2. conjoining opinions
3. per curiam opinions
4. dissenting opinions

Which of the following best describes American Political Parties?

1. single minded
2. decentralized
3. disciplined
4. highly structured

Since the 1960’s the percentage of Americans who think that government is run by a “few big interests” has 

1. approximated zero
2. decreased
3. increased
4. stayed about the same

The belief that one’s political participation really matters and can actually make a difference, is known as 

1. self deprecation
2. the killer instinct
3. political efficacy
4. political socialization

The Republican attempt in 1994 to offer voters a positive program for reshaping American public policy and reforming how Congress worked was known as

1. the doctrine of shared ideology
2. the statement of faith
3. the republican manifesto
4. the contract with America

In efforts to give more power to voters in choosing candidates, the progressive movement in the early 1900’s proposed 

1. local elections
2. the primary system
3. early voting techniques
4. online voting

Which of the following statements best summarizes some of the Founding Father’s beliefs about political parties?

1. they ensure a smooth transition from one administration to the next
2. they help make policies user friendly for ordinary voters
3. the can foster corruption and national divisiveness
4. they are so instrumental to American government that their existence is guaranteed by Article IV of the Constitution

Unlike political parties, most interest groups

1. nominate and run candidates for political office
2. aggregate issues
3. focus on articulating a specific issue
4. criticize party members

The primary responsibilities of the national party convention are

1. to discipline wayward party members and reward loyal partisan
2. to raise hard money from individuals and soft money from businesses
3. to appoint officers and set the dates for the upcoming state primaries
4. to nominate the party’s presidential ticket and write the party’s platform

The right to privacy is inferred from the following amendments in the Constitution except the 

1. IX
2. VII
3. IV
4. V

Congress most clearly lacks

1. more female politicians
2. more Protestants
3. more people with advanced degrees
4. more Caucasians

Business associations can contribute money to a political candidate by setting up 

1. a Buckely v. Valeo exemption
2. a political action committee
3. a soft money account
4. an ad valorem association

Which of the following is the most frequently cited difference between Democrats and Republicans? 

1. Democrats are more concerned with foreign policy while Republicans are more concerned with domestic and social policy
2. Democrats favor government programs to help the lower and middle classes, while Republicans favor low levels of taxes and domestic spending
3. Democrats are more concerned with cutting taxes while Republicans are more concerned with balancing the budget
4. Democrats favor government imposed morality while Republicans believe government should stay out of moral issues

Among these groups, which is least likely to have the lowest voter turnout?

1. Hispanics
2. Asian Americans
3. Caucasians
4. African Americans

Which of the following best describes constituents feeling about Congress

1. they have a more positive evaluation of the institution as a whole over their individual member
2. the have a more positive evaluation of their individual member over the institution as a whole
3. the approval ratings for Congress have increased in the last several years
4. The approval ratings for Congress have gone down in the last several years

Proponents of term limits argue that 

1. incumbents should spend more time campaigning
2. challengers have a built in advantage because they are Washington outsiders
3. Congress needs more turnover in its membership
4. members of Congress hardly have time to get their feet wet before they must relinquish their seats

Which is true of presidential power in the United States?

1. presidential power is absolute
2. presidents can trust that members of their political party will be completely loyal to them
3. presidents must compete with others for power
4. the bureaucracy immediately carries out all instructions from the president

The concerns of environmental groups are often in direct conflict with the concerns of?

1. the Democratic party
2. the Sierra Club
3. energy groups
4. the government

The media most often uses investigative journalism to 

1. unearth scandals
2. spy on foreign governments
3. gain the trust of politicians
4. explore the details of proposed public policies

Why have states engaged in frontloading?

1. because state legislatures thought they could gain a partisan advantage
2. because backloading has become too expensive, especially during economic downturns
3. because a great deal of attention is paid to early primary contestants
4. because citizens should have the right to participate in primary elections even if they are registered as Independents

Among the branches of the federal government, the one that consistently inspires the most confidence is 

1. the bureaucracy
2. the executive
3. the judiciary
4. the legislative

Which political office holder is the only one that can be considered as the spokesperson for the American people?

1. The White House Press Secretary
2. The Speaker of the House
3. The Secretary of State
4. none of the above

When a political party plays the role of “loyal opposition” that means

1. they agree with every policy of the ruling party
2. they are loyal to their constituents
3. they provide alternative viewpoints on policies than those of the majority party
4. they are loyal to the president as long as he promises not to veto legislation

The President of the United States has all of the following powers except

1. issue executive orders
2. send American troops into foreign conflicts
3. issue presidential pardons
4. Issue executive agreements
5. declare war