Question
1 Quiz Latest 2017
Question 1
Which is NOT a form of justice described in the text?
A.retributive
B.blind
C.restorative
D.distributive
Question 2
Which statement about the balance of power between the federal and state governments is most accurate?
A.The federal government is always losing power.
B.The balance of power is the same as when the Constitution was first ratified.
C.The United States now has a national system and not a federal system.
D.It is dynamic with power sometimes leaning toward the states and sometimes towards the federal government.
Question 3
Which of the following statements about federalism is true?
A.It's the most common form of government in the world.
B.It's the form of government used in the United States.
C.It's identical to a unitary system.
D.It has a weaker central government than a confederal system.
Question 4
Which is a power/responsibility exercised solely by the federal government?
A.taxation
B.education
C.war
D.safety
Question 5
What does "separation of powers" mean?
A.This concept has to do with spreading power among three branches of government so no one branch would have unitary power.
B.Based on the 10th Amendment, the federal government has one set of powers, and anything not specified for it in the Constitution reverts to the states.
C.This is what is causing the partisanship in Congress - having two chambers (i.e., House and Senate) with different powers.
D.This concept has to do with the national military Services relative to the states' National Guards.
Question 6
What was the name of the USA's first form of government?
A.The US Constitution
B.The Declaration of Independence
C.The Emancipation Proclamation
D.The Articles of Confederation
Question 7
Liberty, equality, order, and justice are examples of what?
A.political values
B.religious values
C.economic values
D.production values
Question 8
Which form of federalism consists of the federal and state governments working together on issues?
A.cooperative
B.dual
C.layer-cake
D.nationalism
Question 9
Clean air, clean water, safe streets, and national security are often cited as examples of what?
A.Utopia
B.public goods
C.conflicting national priorities
D.primarily private responsibilities
Question 10
Which concept is specifically written in the Bill of Rights?
A.separation of church and state
B. protection from offensive language
C.the right to healthcare
D.the right of the people to keep and bear arms
2 Quiz Latest 2017
Question 1
Which statement about the US party system is most accurate?
A.Presidents must be from either the Democratic Party or the Republican Party.
B.The Constitution never mentions political parties.
C.Parties are not concerned with winning elections.
D.Voters must declare membership in a political party to vote.
Question 2
Which statement about voter turnout rates is true?
A.Whites are least likely to vote.
B.Men are twice as likely to vote as women.
C.Voter turnout roughly the same for each election.
D.The young have lower voting rates than the elderly.
Question 3
What do the 15th, 19th, and 26th amendments have in common?
A.The expanded voting rights in the United States.
B.They all were repealed in the third Constitutional Convention.
C.They limited the rights of immigrants to vote.
D.They had nothing to do with voting.
Question 4
How often does the US have federal elections?
A.every year if mandated by state conventions.
B.every two years.
C.whenever a vote of no-confidence succeeds.
D.every four years.
Question 5
Which statement is NOT true about party identification?
A.People always vote for the party with which they identify.
B.Party identification can change for voters.
C.The Democratic Party generally has an edge in party ID over the Republican Party.
D.Many voters calling themselves independent vote consistently for either the Republicans or Democrats.
Question 6
Who monitors election campaign finances and spending?
A.Federal Reserve
B.Supreme Court
C.Federal Elections Commission
D.National Campaign Bureau
Question 7
What's a name for any American political party other than the two major parties?
A.third party
B.majority party
C.insignificant party
D.wasted-vote party
Question 8
Which is considered an ideology?
A.party identification
B.voter suppression
C.democracy
D.liberalism
Question 9
What is NOT a purpose of a professional politician's campaign?
A.It's to accurately portray candidates so voters can make the best choice.
B.It's to develop and control the image of a candidate.
C.It's to portray the opposing candidate in a bad light.
D.It's to win an election.
Question 10
Which characteristic is NOT true of America's political culture today?
A.greater racial and ethnic diversity
B.increasing focus on traditional Christian values
C.decreasing trust in government
D.greater acceptance of differences in people
3 Quiz Latest 2017
Question 1
What is main purpose of taxes?
A.promote fairness
B.modify citizen behavior
C.provide funds to run the government
D.subsidize jobs
Question 2
Article I of the Constitution cites the minimum age for a House representative and for a senator. What are they?
A.25 for representatives and 30 for senators
B.35 years for both
C.25 years for both
D.35 for representatives and 25 for senators
Question 3
What is conference committee?
A.a meeting to reconcile the differences between varying versions of similar legislation approved in both chambers
B.a meeting between the president and Majority Leader of the Senate
C.the committee that sets the conference schedule for all chamber committees
D.a meeting between the president and Speaker of the House to negotiate
Question 4
Omnibus bills are the most common bills passed in Congress today. The key to them is "reconciliation." What is this?
A.a procedure where a Senate bill is not allowed to be filibustered
B.a procedure where a bill in committee is reconciled to accommodate the minority position
C.a procedure where the differences between bills passed by both chambers of Congress are worked out (reconciled)
D.a procedure where a bill must receive floor votes in both chambers of Congress
Question 5
What is cloture?
A.a vote in the Senate to end a filibuster requiring 60 votes
B.a vote in the Senate to end a filibuster requiring 51 votes
C.a vote in the House to end a filibuster
D.a French word meaning "guillotine"
Question 6
What is the technical term for when Congress passes a budget that spends more money than the government is projected to collect in taxes?
A.normal budget
B.irresponsible
C.national debt
D.budget deficit
Question 7
What is the filibuster?
A. a procedure that takes advantage of the Senate's open debate rules to defeat or delay a bill .
B. a procedure in the House to pass a proposed bill
C. a procedure in the House to defeat or delay a bill
D. a procedure in conference committees to pass a bill
Question 8
Congress is considered to be the branch that is "closest to the people" because:
A.Congress is the branch with two chambers.
B.More of the population lives on the East Coast than anywhere else and is closest to Washington,
C.The public votes directly for members of Congress and thus this branch provides the clearest voice of the people.
D.In poll after poll, the Congress rates unfavorably with the public.
Question 9
What is the term that describes the structure of the Congress as planned by the Founders?
A.unicameral
B.bicameral
C.bilingual
D.binicorn
Question 10
If members of one chamber of Congress cannot pass a bill by a majority vote, then:
A.The bill dies.
B.The bill can be re-introduced in the other chamber for another go.
C.The bill can be re-introduced in a future year for another go.
D.All of the above.
4 Quiz Latest 2017
Question 1
Which is an unofficial power of the president?
A.Pardon convicted criminals.
B.Gain popular support by making public speeches.
C.appointment of Supreme Court justices
D.Commander in Chief
Question 2
Which of the following is not a duty of the US president?
A.Appoint justices to the Supreme Court.
B.Determine the constitutionality of laws.
C.Enforce and execute federal laws.
D.Propose a budget to Congress.
Question 3
In general, what is the best way to describe the changing powers of the presidency?
A.Presidents have roughly equal power today as in early America.
B.Presidents have been losing power to Congress.
C.Presidents delegated powers to the Supreme Court.
D.Presidents wield more power than today than in the past.
Question 4
Which action is least likely to be taken by an "imperial" president?
A.Defer to Congress on policy disagreements.
B.Unilaterally modify drug policy through executive order.
C.Order troops without congressional authorization.
D.Selectively enforce policies based on personal politics.
Question 5
Which of the following is the most accurate description of how a president is chosen?
A.A national popular election chooses the president by direct vote.
B.State legislatures choose electors for the Electoral College, and then the Electoral College chooses the president.
C.States and Washington DC hold popular elections to choose electors for the Electoral College, and then the Electoral College chooses the president.
D.State governors choose electors for the Electoral College, and then the Electoral College chooses the president.
Question 6
What is impeachment of a president?
A.When the Supreme Court removes a president from office.
B.When the Senate accuses the president of a crime.
C.When the House accuses a president of a crime in an attempt to remove the president from office.
D.When the Senate removes a president from office.
Question 7
Which NOT true of the Electoral College system?
A.States have equal say in choosing the president.
B.Larger states have greater influence in choosing a president.
C.The clout of smaller states is boosted compared to a direct election system.
D.A president can receive majority of electoral votes while receiving fewer actual citizen votes than an opponent.
Question 8
Who was the last president to receive a and actual formal declaration of war from Congress?
A.Ronald Reagan
B.George W. Bush
C.Lyndon Johnson
D.Franklin Roosevelt
Question 9
Which is the best description of a president's role in the US military?
A.Commander in Chief
B.Five-star general equivalent
C.Civilian advisor to Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
D.None of the above.
Question 10
Each of the following is under the control of the president ultimately except which one?
A.Council on Foreign Relations
B.Department of Defense
C.National Security Agency
D.The Department of State
5 Quiz Latest 2017
Question 1
What is the Supreme Court test for whether or not a law violate the Establishment Clause?
A.The Lemon Test
B.The Wall of Separation Test
C.The Religious Freedom Test
D.The Westboro Test
Question 2
The majority of legal disputes in the United States are resolved in:
A.Separate state courts in each of the 50 states
B.United States District Courts
C.Magistrates Courts
D.Trial courts by jury trial
Question 3
If a party appeals from a decision of the United States District Court, the next step will be at:
A.The party has a choice among any of the above.
B.The Supreme Court
C.The Circuit Court of Appeals
D.The highest state court in that district.
Question 4
The United States court system is best considered to be:
A.populist
B.parliamentary
C.adversarial
D.presidential
Question 5
What is the difference between civil liberties and civil rights?
A.There is no difference.
B.Liberties are more closely related to freedoms, and rights are more closely related to equal treatment.
C.Civil rights replaced civil liberties during the Civil Rights Movement.
D.Liberties are more closely related to equal treatment, and rights are more closely related to freedoms.
Question 6
What does "equality" mean in the judicial system?
A.People are treated identically as American citizens.
B.People should have equal resources and opportunities.
C.Groups of people who have been disadvantaged historically should receive preferences and benefits to reach equality.
D.It depends on the issue, the circumstances, and the makeup of the court involved.
Question 7
Which term best describes "stare decisis"?
A.precedent
B.activism
C.overturn
D.reinterpret
Question 8
Thousands of petitions for review are presented to the Supreme Court each year, and the Court typically accepts:
A.around 100
B.over 1,500
C.approximately half of the cases
D.approximately one third of the cases
Question 9
What was the result of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)?
A.It integrated the public school system.
B.It provided for a right to privacy.
C.It supported racial segregation as constitutional.
D.It ended the use of sexual orientation standards for the military.
Question 10
An opinion by a federal judge that states agreement with the outcome of a case, but expresses different reasons than those expressed by the majority is a:
A.dissenting opinion
B.reasonable opinion
C.majority opinion
D.concurring opinion
6 Quiz Latest 2017
Question 1
Why is the bureaucracy sometimes referred to as the "fourth branch" of the federal government?
A.Its rule-making powers carry the force of law greatly affecting American public policy.
B.Unelected government officials don't need to worry about public opinion polls.
C.The 28th Amendment added it as the fourth branch of government.
D.President George W. Bush once mistakenly referred to the "four branches of government."
Question 2
Which is NOT a recommendation to make the bureaucracy more responsive?
A.limiting appointments to 6-12 years
B.rotating professionals between agencies and from outside
C.making department heads elected positions.
D.making it easier to fire a bureaucrat
Question 3
Looking at the FDA and drug companies as an example, what's a criticism by some of agencies with regulatory powers?
A.They serve no practical purposes at all.
B.They can get too close to the industries that they are supposed to be regulating.
C.They are too isolated from industries that they regulate.
D.All of the above
Question 4
Which is a characteristic of a bureaucracy?
A.hierarchy
B.rules
C.division of labor
D.all of the above
Question 5
What was the purpose of the Hatch Act?
A.To increase political party influence on bureaucrats.
B.To reduce political party influence on bureaucrats.
C.To provide a "safety hatch" for president to replace department heads.
D.The Hatch Act was not related to the federal bureaucracy.
Question 6
The Attorney General heads which Cabinet Department?
A.Department of Defense
B.Department of Homeland Security
C.Department of Justice
D.The Attorney General is not part of the Cabinet.
Question 7
Which is NOT a result of a larger federal bureaucracy?
A.increased "red tape"
B.efficient and nimble government processes
C.higher levels of government expenses
D.fewer laws passed by Congress
Question 8
What is a "clientele agency"?
A.an agency that works directly for the Supreme Court
B.an agency that no longer serves a purpose, but is kept out of tradition
C.an agency that is created to serve the needs or represent the interests of all Americans
D.an agency that is created to serve the needs or represent the interests of a specific group
Question 9
Which branch of government can affect the operation of the federal bureaucracy?
A.The judicial branch can affect it through court decisions.
B.The legislative branch can affect it through passing new laws.
C.The executive branch can affect it through executive orders and appointments from the president.
D.All three branches can affect the bureaucracy.
Question 10
The USPS and Amtrak are examples of what?
A.independent agencies
B.regulatory commisions
C.government corporations
D.executive bureaus