Midterm Exam

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

B  has no role in the presidential elections

C  requires all party members to pay dues

D  organizes an annual party convention

A  more than half the votes

B  the fewest votes

C  a two-thirds majority

D  the most votes, with less than half the votes

A  at their precinct, on Election Day

B  in their state capitol, in December

C  at their state capitol, on Election Day

D  in Washington D.C., in December

A  McCain–Feingold Act

B  Citizens United v Federal Election Commission

C  Buckley v. Valeo

D  McConnell v. Federal Election Commission

A  a lack of an education

B  a higher income

C  a college education

D  social status

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

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

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

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

A  the “full faith and credit” clause

B  the “extradition” clause

C  the supremacy clause

D  the “privileges and immunities” clause

A  concurrent powers

B  implied powers

C  inherent powers

D  enumerated powers

A  ex-post facto law

B  full faith and credit

C  implied powers

D  concurrent powers

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

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

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

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

A  Article VI

B  Article V

C  Article X

D  Article IV

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

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

C  can serve unlimited terms of office

D  no longer has the power to negotiate treaties

A  directly by popular vote.

B  directly by Congress.

C  directly by the state legislatures.

D  indirectly by an electoral college.

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

B  banning the media

C  from eliminating other branches of government

D  passing bills of attainder and ex-post facto laws

A  It gives the power to impeach to the Senate

B  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.

C  granting titles of nobility

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

A  Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton

B  John Jay, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson

C  Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay

D  James Madison, John Jay, Thomas Paine

A  no provisions for state governments

B  no judicial court system

C  a unicameral system with no checks and balances

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

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

B  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

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

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  England

B  China

C  France

D  Spain

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

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

C  is also known as the Articles of Confederation

D  provided for a central government to govern a new country

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

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

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

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

A  1776, 1849

B  1787, 1879

C  1865, 1900

D  1812, 1859

A  the State of Rhode Island

B  Publius

C  the anti-Federalists

D  the Federalists

A  can only be applied to gubernatorial and presidential races

B  can only be applied to Congressional races

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

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

A  present electoral choices

B  be a watchdog over the government

C  provide free election ads for candidates running for office

D  provide information about public policy

A  the fewest votes

B  the most votes without going over 50%

C  more than half the votes

D  a two-thirds majority

A  to make a new law or amend the state constitution

B  to impeach the Governor

C  to kick out an incompetent public official

D  to impeach judges

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

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

C  allows for the repeal of laws

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

A  is very conservative in nature

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

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

D  rule by an oligarchy

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

B  a conversation that identifies the compelling issues of the day

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

D  involves playing video games

A  53 electoral votes

B  55 electoral votes

C  54 electoral votes

D  56 electoral votes

A  Life, liberty, and property

B  the pursuit of property and a free-market economy

C  Life, liberty, and free medical care

D  Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

A  Robert Dahl

B  John Locke

C  Harold Lasswell

D  C. Wright MIlls

A  to create its own laws in many areas

B  to secede from the nation upon legislative action

C  to abolish the Bill of Rights as required for security

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

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

B  what people and groups want from the political system

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

D  a course of action that is shaped by government officials

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

B  the expression of attitudes about government and politics

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

D  an opinion about music, movies, or fashions

A  the expression of attitudes about government and politics

B  a “power elite” governs

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

D  an opinion about music, movies, or fashions

A  a coherent set of values that often leads to totalitarianism

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

C  a system of opinions espoused by a political party

D  a set of prejudices and fears about the world

A  an attempt to influence the government solely through the courts

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

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

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

A  those who will actually be interviewed in a political poll

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

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 government by electing candidates to public office

A  a “power elite” governs

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

C  the media rules

D  different decisions made by different sets of leaders

A  the pursuit and exercise of demands

B  the ability to influence and control others

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

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

A  an aristocracy

B  an indirect or representative democracy

C  a direct democracy

D  a unitary democracy

A  rule by religion

B  rule by the few

C  rule by one

D  rule by the people

A  in person at a mall

B  by telephone

C  in person at their home

D  be email

A  newspapers but not magazines

B  newspapers, magazines, internet, television and radio

C  television and newspapers only

D  Fox and CNN, but not the New York Times

A  bans all air time for candidates

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

C  that television stations present contrasting points of view.

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

A  proportional representation

B  the single-member district (SMD)

C  welcomes the involvement of minor parties

D  the multi-member district (MMD)

A  belonging to interest groups

B  participating in political parties

C  voting in free elections to choose those who govern

D  committing a crime

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

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

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

D  can never really exist