Quiz Questions

Question 1

An agreement at the Constitutional Convention stipulated that slaves would be counted as _____ for purposes of determining population for representation in the House of Representatives

Answer 1

3/5 a person

Question 2

Who was the primary author of the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 2

Thomas Jefferson

Question 3

Which states plan called for a constitution that had a one house legislature with equal representation of all states?

Answer 3

New Jersey

Question 4

Which of the following was true about the Articles of Confederation?
I. One vote for each state regardless of size
II. Unanimous vote was necessary to change Articles
III. Each state retained its independence and sovereignty

Answer 4

I, II, III

Question 5

The first official meeting of the colonies and the first step towards a unified nation was

Answer 5

The Stamp Act Congress

Question 6

A form of newspaper publishing during the early Twentieth century concerned with reforming government and business conduct is called

Answer 6

muckraking

Question 7

Television was introduced into most homes in the

Answer 7

1950s

Question 8

Among the publishers who promoted yellow journalism was

Answer 8

William Randolph Hearst.

Question 9

A form of journalism popular in the late nineteenth century that featured pictures, comics, color, and sensationalized, oversimplified news coverage was called

Answer 9

yellow journalism

Question 10

Local television stations that carry the programming of a national network are called

Answer 10

affiliates

Question 11

Think tanks influence

Answer 11

party positions

Question 12

Every four years the parties nominate a presidential candidate through a

Answer 12

convention

Question 13

Party discipline is enforced through

Answer 13

stripping seniority rights

Question 14

The key national party official is the

Answer 14

chairperson of the national committee

Question 15

Jimmy McMillon ran for Governor of New York and Mayor of New York City from which 3rd party?

Answer 15

The rent is too damn high party

Question 16

An officially recognized, federally mandated fundraising committee for an interest group is called a(n)

Answer 16

political action committee

Question 17

The goal of campaign finance laws is to

Answer 17

limit influence over public officials

Question 18

The Supreme Court ruled that there could be no limits placed on candidates’ expenditures of their own funds, since such spending is considered free speech in

Answer 18

Buckley vs. Valeo

Question 19

One of the dangers of the nomination campaign is

Answer 19

candidates can become too extreme

Question 20

Any two-house legislature is also referred to as

Answer 20

bicameral

Question 21

The structure of the legislative branch of government is described by _______ of the Constitution

Answer 21

Article I

Question 22

The Senate has the sole power to

Answer 22

Advise & consent on major presidential appointments

Question 23

The House of Representatives has the sole power to

Answer 23

initiate revenue bills

Question 24

State legislatures lost their control over the selection of senators through the ______ Amendment in 1913, which provides for the direct election of senators.

Answer 24

17th

Question 25

Committees are controlled by the

Answer 25

majority party

Question 26

The only officer of the House of Representatives specifically mentioned in the Constitution is the

Answer 26

Speaker of the House

Question 27

The congressional leaders who do vote counts and line up members on partisan issues are called

Answer 27

Whips

Question 28

Committees to which proposed bills are referred are called ______ committees.

Answer 28

standing

Question 29

A committee that is established on a temporary basis is called a(n)______ committee

Answer 29

select

Question 30

The most powerful first lady in history was

Answer 30

Edith Wilson

Question 31

In 1947, the ________ was established to advise the president on military affairs and foreign policy.

Answer 31

National Security Council

Question 32

The Cabinet system was established by

Answer 32

Tradition

Question 33

The general trend, in the 20th century, has been toward a more powerful president. This is due to

Answer 33

series of crisis beginning with the Great Depression

Question 34

Membership of the Cabinet is determined by the

Answer 34

President

Question 35

White House staff employees

Answer 35

derive their power from personal relationships with the president and have no legal authority

Question 36

Recent presidents prefer avoiding press conferences in favor of speaking directly to the people because

Answer 36

Congress follows the will of the people

Question 37

The president's responsibilities in the budget process stem from

Answer 37

FDR's response to the Great Depression

Question 38

The key to amassing greater power and authority for a president lies in

Answer 38

the ability to persuade

Question 39

The first president to claim a leadership role for the executive branch in law-making was

Answer 39

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Question 40

The Civil Service Reform Act of 1883 was designed to reduce patronage and was also known as the

Answer 40

Pendelton Act

Question 41

The ratification of the ________ Amendment in 1913 gave Congress the authority to implement a federal income tax, and thus allowed government to grow even more

Answer 41

16th

Question 42

In 1789, the bureaucracy consisted of?

Answer 42

three departments: State, War, and Treasury

Question 43

The nature of the federal bureaucracy was permanently changed by

Answer 43

The Civil War

Question 44

The firing of public office-holders of a defeated political party, and their replacement with loyalists of the victorious political party, is called the

Answer 44

spoil system

Question 45

The Environmental Protection Agency is a(n)

Answer 45

independent executive agency.

Question 46

An example of a government corporation would be

Answer 46

the Tennessee Valley Authority

Question 47

Nearly 1/3rd of all federal employees work for the

Answer 47

Postal Service

Question 48

The process by which the Supreme Court has chosen to apply the specific guarantees in the Bill of Rights to the states is called

Answer 48

selective incorporation.

Question 49

In Schenck v. U.S. (1919), the Supreme Court ruled that Congress could ban certain types of speech in times of war if they constituted a

Answer 49

clear and present danger to society.

Question 50

In 1969, the Supreme Court fashioned a new test for deciding what types of speech could be regulated by the government. The new test made it more difficult to limit speech due to the requirement of imminent harm. The new test was called

Answer 50

direct incitement.

Question 51

The Supreme Court has defined obscenity

Answer 51

differently over time.

Question 52

In ________, the Supreme Court found that segregation of rail transportation was constitutional because separate but equal accommodations did not violate the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Answer 52

Plessy v Ferguson

Question 53

In 1857, the US Supreme Court ruled that slaves were

Answer 53

Not US citizens

Question 54

The passage of the Constitutional amendment that has generated more litigation than any other is

Answer 54

the 14th Amendment

Question 55

The Anti-Slavery Society refused to

Answer 55

accept women's demands for equality

Question 56

Women were finally given the right to vote with the ________ Amendment

Answer 56

19th