Chapter 1Intro to American Politics

1) Legitimacy refers to the circumstances under which a nation was formed. 2) In crafting the Constitution, the Framers intentionally designed a government that encourages conflict and competition. 3) Current levels of voter turnout are historically unprecedented. 4) Voting is the only way in which a citizen can participate in the political process. 5) There are thousands of different governments in the United States. 6) Popular Sovereignty refers to: the power of the government being derived from the will of the people. 7) Components of American political culture include: (Strong, centralized govt is NOT a component of American political culture) a. Equality of economic opportunity b. Diversity c. Liberty 8) Which of the following is NOT cited as a sign of the decline of democracy in America? a. b. c. d. Negative campaigns & partisan attacks The influence of money on politics Low voter turnout The terrorist attacks of 9/11

9) Which of the following years had the lowest level of voter turnout as measured by the percentage of eligible voters participating in the election? a. c. 1928 2004 b. d. 1964 1968

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The American political system is rooted in the philosophies of which man? Jean Jacque Rousseau and John Locke are both correct The United States practices which kind of government? Representative Democracy Which of the following is NOT a member of the "Nuclear Club"? a. Russia b. France c. UK d. Brazil How many times has the Constitution been amended to extend voting rights? 6 Which of the following is NOT a political sub-culture described by Daniel Elazar? a. Individualistic sub-culture b. Political activist sub-culture c. Traditionalistic sub-culture d. Moralistic sub-culture Which of the following countries had the highest percentage of citizens who said they liked American ideas about democracy in a 2002 survey? a. UK b. India c. Canada d. Kenya How many times has the winner of the popular vote in a Presidential Election NOT taken office?5 Select the 3 Presidents the textbook cites as having restricted civil liberties in a time of crisis. Lincoln, FDR and G.W. Bush The Red State/Blue State divide can best be explained as a result of: A voting trend that has been overemphasized by the media A republican form of government is the same as: An indirect democracy. Which of the following is NOT one of John Locke's natural rights? a. The pursuit of happiness b. Liberty c. Life d. Property

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Chapter 2The Founding & the Constitution

1) Impeachment means to remove from office. 2) Thomas Jefferson was a major contributor to the writing of the Constitution. 3) James Madison initially saw no need for a bill of rights. 4) A major criticism of the Articles of Confederation was that the executive branch was too much like a king. 5) The Electoral College, not the people, elect our president. 6) Which of the following was NOT a power granted to the National Government under the Articles of Confederation? a. b. c. d. The power to operate as a postal service The power to make treaties The power to tax commerce The power to coin money

7) Which of the following was NOT a provision of the Virginia Plan? a. A bicameral legislature b. A federal courts system c. A president elected by a national election d. Large states holding more power than smaller states. 8) The Three-Fifths Compromise established: Slaves would count as 3/5ths a person for representation & taxation purposes. 9) Checks & Balances refers to: Separation of powers 10)Who was known as the Father of the Constitution? James Madison 11)Which of the following is NOT a check the President holds over Congress? a. The power to control the budget b. The power to make appointments when Congress is in recess c. The power to veto bills d. The power to adjourn Congress in times of Congress 12)The Federalist Papers were authored by: Hamilton, Jay, & Madison

13)The Anti-Federalist Papers argued all of the following except: a. b. c. d. The President would be too powerful Congress would have trouble raising taxes No bill of rights in the Constitution The Constitution betrayed the ideals of the Revolution

14)Federalism refers to: A system of shared powers between the national & state governments 15)Madison argued that factions: Were a vital check on tyranny 16)Of the 13 colonies, how many were required to vote for the new constitution before it came into effect? 9

17)Which of the following rights is recognized in the Bill of Rights? a. b. c. d. The elimination of the poll tax The right for women to vote The right to impeach a president The right to not incriminate oneself.

18) Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall was known for: Believing in a loose construction of the Constitution. 19)Who was the first naturally born US President? Martin Van Buren

20)How can an amendment be proposed? Both Congress may propose an amendment by a 2/3rds vote of both Houses, & the President may propose an amendment.

Chapter 3Federalism

1) A federal system of government is one in which power is divided between a central authority & constituent political subunits. 2) The Constitution clearly mandates that Congress has the power to provide for the health, safety, & welfare of citizens. 3) Each state legislature & state judiciary must not only abide by the terms of the federal Constitution; it must also abide by the interpretation of those terms as laid out by the U.S. Supreme Court. 4) Today, the American system of federalism continues to impose significant financial burdens on states. 5) Congress passed civil right laws in 1964 under the premise that racial discrimination in restaurants & hotels burdened interstate commerce. 6) What does sovereignty mean? The political power of government to regulate its affairs without interference. 7) What is a confederation? A league of 2 or more independent states that unite to achieve certain specified common aims. 8) The powers delegated to Congress under Article 1 of the Constitution are called enumerated powers. 9) The supremacy clause gives special weight to the federal Constitution by ensuring that it cannot be interpreted differently from state to state. 10)The full faith & credit clause established that individual states must respect the civil laws of all other states. 11)Put the following eras in chronological order: 1. State-Centered Federalism 2. National Supremacy Period 3. Dual Federalism 4. Cooperative Federalism 5. New Federalism 12) The Civil War was at its core struggle about the relationship between the states & the federal government. NOT slavery or regional hated.

13)The era known as Cooperative Federalism is most similar to the National Supremacy era. 14)Devolution is the voluntary transfer of power by the central government to state or local governments. 15)Disadvantages of Federalism: Undue reliance on courts to define the rules of federalism Lack of accountability Fiscal disparities among the states. NOT accommodation of diversity 16)McCulloch vs. Maryland (1819) was a court case centered on the creation of a National Bank. 17) All of the following are state government powers except: a. b. c. d. Regulate state militias Regulate commerce with Indian nations Regulate intrastate commerce Conduct elections & qualify voters

18) All of the following are concurrent powers, except: a. b. c. d. Establish courts Charter & regulate banks Ratify amendments Establish highways

19)The case of Martin vs. Hunters Lessee (1819) established that state governments & state courts must abide by the U.S. Supreme Courts interpretation of the federal constitution. 20) Block grants are grants from the federal government to the states which may be used at the discretion of the states to pursue more generalized aims.

Chapter 4Civil Liberties & Rights

1) The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. 2) Civil liberties are subject to informal interpretation from the courts, & formal interpretation by those charged with their enforcement. 3) Libel suits are very difficult to prosecute. 4) The U.S. Supreme Court has rules that police must read the Miranda rights to anyone who is detained. 5) Civil liberties & civil rights are the same thing. 6) Of all the founders, Thomas Jefferson, was the major force behind writing the Bill of Rights.

7) All of the following amendments are applicable to state governments through the incorporation of the doctrine (the 3rd amendment is NOT): I. II. III. The 1st Amendment The 2nd Amendment The 4th Amendment

8) The free exercise clause bans government laws that prohibit the free exercise of religion.

9) The ruling in the case of Wisconsin vs. Yoder (1972) ruled that members of the Amish religion were not required to send their children to school after the 8th grade.

10)The court case Reynolds vs. United State (1878) established that there is a difference between religious practices & religious beliefs.

11)All of the following are clauses of the Lemon test (the statute must originate from a state government, not the national government is NOT): I. II. III. The statute must have a secular purpose. The statutes principal or primary effect must be one that neither advances nor prohibits religion. The statute must not foster an excessive government entanglement with religion.

12)The following are part of the imminent danger test for free speech clauses (Is the speech directed by someone under the influence of a foreign power? is NOT): I. Is the speech likely to produce imminent lawless action? II. Is the speech directed to inciting or producing imminent lawless action? 13) Libel is the crime of printing or disseminating false statements that harm someone. 14) Prior restraint effects: I. II. III. Public speakers Newspapers Books

15) The SLAPS test deals with obscenity suits. 16) United States vs. OBrien (1968) established 3 criteria for determining whether the regulation of symbolic speech may be justified. 17) The Brady Law established a 5-day waiting period for people purchasing a hand-gun. 18) The Katz test deals with probable cause. 19)The BLANK Amendment established a persons right to die (not 2nd, 5th, or 8th). 20) The 4th Amendment comes into play in cases involving surveillance.

Chapter 5Civil Liberties & Rights

1) Social equality generally refers to a condition in which members of different groups possess substantially the same rights to participate actively in the political system. 2) Booker T. Washington & W.E.B. DuBois were 2 early proponents of agitation. 3) The case of Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896) led to the separate but equal doctrine. 4) The Supreme Court overturned the internment policy in 1944, releasing over 100,000 Japanese Americans from internment camps. 5) The 20th Amendment is known as the Equal Rights Amendment. 6) Examples of social equality include (receiving equal opportunities to vote is NOT an example of social equality): I. II. III. Receiving equal opportunities to attend a college Receiving equal service in a store Receiving equal seating opportunities on a bus

7) Methods that groups have utilized to seek civil rights include (libel is not a method groups have used to seek civil rights): I. II. III. Litigation Civil disobedience Boycotts

8) Abolitionists generally believed that emancipated slaves deserved economic equality but NOT political equality. 9) The 13th Amendment banned slavers from all states & U.S. territories. 10) The 14th Amendment granted equal protection of the laws to all citizens.

11) The 15th Amendment gave African Americans the right to vote. 12) Methods used by Southern states to disenfranchise African Americans included (the father clause was NOT a method used by southern states to disenfranchise African Americans): I. II. The literacy test The poll tax

13) Components of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 included (the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did NOT make interference with a citizens civil rights a federal crime): I. II. III. It banned racial discrimination in all public accommodations. It denied public funds to schools that continued to discriminate on the basis of race. It created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

14) The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote. 15) Title IX prohibited the exclusion of women from an educational program or activity receiving financial assistance from the federal government. 16) In the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887, the U.S. government divided tribal lands still in existence among individual Indians who renounced their tribal holdings. 17) The National Origins Act of 1924 effectively banned immigrants from Asia. 18)Lawrence vs. Texas (2003) was a victory for homosexuals. 19) Homosexual activists generally seek to gain political equality. 20) The Brown vs. Board of Education decision of 1954 overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson.