Tests Flashcards
(157 cards)
0
Q
In a constitutional monarchy, the
A
head of state is a hereditary position
And primarily ceremonial
1
Q
In some parliamentary systems, the head of state is a(n)
A
Monarch
2
Q
Which of the following series of words can apply to a dictatorship?
A
autocracy
oligarchy
authoritarian
totalitarian
3
Q
Which of the following terms have the same meaning and can be used interchangeably?
A
republic and democracy
4
Q
All of the following are principles of a democracy EXCEPT
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providing justice without mercy
5
Q
The European Union is to a confederal system as the United States is to a(n)
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federal system
6
Q
Successful governments attempt to establish policies that serve the
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Public good
7
Q
All of the following are central functions of a government EXCEPT
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Pursuing truth
8
Q
Most decisions made in a democracy are made by
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Majority rule
9
Q
Which of the following is a list of typical values held by the U.S. government?
A
caring for the elderly
providing good jobs
ensuring equality of opportunity
10
Q
What term is used for power divided among local, state, and national governments?
A
federal system
11
Q
What term is used for a system of government in which the ruler is primarily a ceremonial head of state?
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constitutional monarchy
12
Q
A citizen in San Diego must obey local ordinances, as well as state and federal laws. What kind of power sharing system is this
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A federal system
13
Q
According to philosopher John Locke, if a government does not secure its citizens natural rights, the people
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may throw out the government
14
Q
Term that means rule by few
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Oligarchy
15
Q
In a unitary system of government,
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all legal power is held by the national government
16
Q
What are two things that all laws have in common?
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they deal with public problems and are enforceable
17
Q
In a constitutional monarchy,
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the ruler holds mainly a ceremonial position
18
Q
The term sovereignty refers to
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the absolute authority a government has over its citizens
19
Q
Philosopher Thomas Hobbes argued that people created the state by
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entering into a social contract
20
Q
Why were the colonial governors advised by councils, which sometimes had as much power as the governors?
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this system reflected the ideals of limited government and representative government
21
Q
Efforts to strengthen Congress’s power often failed because
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amendments to the Articles required the approval of all states
22
Q
In terms of the presidency, the delegates to the Convention decided that
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state electors, chosen by popular vote, would elect the president
23
Q
The Articles did not give government the power to
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regulate trade between states
24
What were the decisions of the Convention delegates on the issue of trade?
Importation of slaves could not be banned before 1808, and exported goods could not be taxed.
25
Before 1215 which of the following actions would have seemed unusual for an English monarch?
providing a jury of peers for accused persons
26
Parliament originated as an advisory council or nobles and high religious officials. Into what kind of legislature did the council eventually evolve?
bicameral
27
The colonists adopted from the British
limited government and representative government
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The Northwest Ordinance was important because it
served as a model for admitting new states
29
Which of the following was not proposed under the Great Compromise?
Each state would have one vote in a unicameral legislature
30
One of the best reasons for the colonies to unite was
Defense
31
The ninth state to ratify the Constitution, which allowed its adoption, was
New Hampshire
32
Each of the following statements about Magna Carta is correct EXCEPT
it allowed judges to convict the accused without having trials
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The Great Compromise concerned
representation in the two houses of Congress
34
The Federalist Papers were written in support of
ratification of the Constitution
35
Shays's Rebellion
highlighted the need for a strong national government
36
The Declaration of Independence states that if government does not protect citizens' rights, citizens have the authority to
change or abolish the government
37
Congress is permitted to veto the judicial branch's decisions
False
38
The framers of the Constitution desired a national government that would do all of the following EXCEPT
Decrease taxes
39
Which one of the following bodies holds the power of the purse ?
Legislative branch
40
All constitutional amendments have been
proposed in Congress by vote
41
Many of Congress's powers are
implied by the Constitution
42
The supremacy clause contained in Article VI states that the
Constitution is the supreme law of the land
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Under the Constitution's system of checks and balances, each branch of government can restrict the powers of the
Other branches
44
James Madison argued that the large size of the United States
would help prevent control by faction
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Some critics charge that the Constitution's system of checks and balances
makes it difficult for citizens to know who is responsible for problems
46
Current number of constitutional amendments
27
47
Many of Congress's powers are
implied by the Constitution
48
The heads of the executive departments advise the president and together are known as the president's
cabinet
49
Political parties
are not mentioned in the Constitution
50
What is the term that means to reject a piece of legislation
Veto
51
Congress has used its constitutional power to control commerce among the states to
pass laws concerning working conditions
52
According to Madison, the Constitution
ensures that all interests have an equal chance to be represented
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Congress passed the twenty-second amendment in order to
limit presidents to two terms in office
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Amendment that gave women the right to vote
19th
55
According to the Supremacy Clause
the Constitution is the highest law in the land
56
States are permitted the right not to
ratify constitutional amendments
57
Several large universities were given federally owned land because of
the Morrill Act
58
According to the Full Faith and Credit Clause, which of the following documents must be recognized by every state?
states' official records
59
Federal mandates are
requirements that the federal government imposes on state and local governments
60
The Constitution denies the states the power to do all of the following EXCEPT
establish local governments
61
According to the Constitution, federal courts may rule on cases that concern all of the following EXCEPT
State divorce laws
62
What allows Congress to make any law that is necessary and proper to exercise its powers?
the Elastic Clause
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Agreements on issues such as pollution and flood control are examples of
interstate compacts
64
The United States contains
1 federal government, 50 state governments, and more than 80,000 local governments
65
The three types of power held by the federal government are
expressed, implied, and inherent
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One way in which the federal system serves the public good is by
allowing and encouraging states to act as laboratories of democracy
67
One responsibility the state governments have to the federal government is to
maintain National Guard units
68
Only the Senate has the power to
Approve treaties
69
All of the following statements describe senators EXCEPT
citizens of the state the senator represents can impeach him or her
70
The 1964 Supreme Court case Wesberry v. Sanders established
the one person, one vote principle
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Members of the House of Representatives serve
two-year terms
72
What type of powers result from the Elastic Clause?
implied powers
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senators are given more legal protection than House members
False
74
The House of Representatives contains
435 members
75
When your representative writes you a letter in response to your inquiry and does not put a stamp on the envelope, it is because he or she has the
franking privilege
76
The population of the United States is counted
every ten years
77
Representatives serve two-year terms and senators serve six-year terms
True
78
People who live in a district of state and elect candidates for office are called
constituents
79
When performing congressional duties, senators and representatives have a form of legal protection called
Immunity
80
People who act together to achieve shared political goals are called
Interest groups
81
Which of the following is a requirement for both representatives and senators?
must be legal resident of state he or she represents
82
Groups that donate money to candidates who favor their point of view are called
political action committees
83
The majority power in Congress uses referral power as a method of controlling
Legislation
84
Conference committees are
temporary committees that try to reach a compromise between Senate and House versions of a bill
85
A cloture puts an end to a filibuster because it sets a limit for
Discussion
86
Following markup, proposed legislation must have
full committee approval before it can move to the Senate or House
87
Which of the following people are permitted to suggest ideas for a bill?
interest groups, citizens, the president, and others
88
Which of the following committees makes the rules that determine conditions for debate and amendment of a House bill?
House Rules Committee
89
A bill that is privileged may
go to the floor at any time
90
3 types of House floor rules are
open, closed, and modified
91
After legislation is passed by both houses of Congress, the president can
sign it, veto it, keep it for 10 days without signing it, or pocket veto it
92
The most serious action taken against a member of Congress for misconduct is
Expulsion
93
The 6 main steps that a bill must go through before becoming a law are
referral to committee, hearings, markup, floor consideration, conference committee, presidential action
94
The award of funds for unnecessary projects and grants is called
pork barrel spending
95
Special interest groups gain influence over members of Congress by
contributing to their campaigns
96
Local concerns represented in Congress are checked and balanced by
the judicial and executive branches
97
Committee hearings are
open to the media and the public
98
One reason congressional term limits have been a subject of debate is that
there are none, and some citizens want them
99
The 2nd most influential member of the House is the
majority floor leader
100
The president's power to appoint Supreme Court justices is checked by
the Senate's power to reject Supreme Court nominations
101
If the president and the vice president were to die or otherwise leave office, who would become president?
the Speaker of the House
102
The president can prevent the passage of laws by using the power of
The veto
103
Which of the following is not a required qualification for a U.S. President
college educated
104
The president can grant a reprieve, which
postpones the carrying out of a convicted person's sentence
105
Election at which candidates for each party are chosen is called
primary election
106
The purpose of the 22nd Amendment to the constitution is to
impose a 2 term limit on the presidency
107
U.S. citizens do not vote directly for
president and vice president
108
How can the president affect congressional actions?
by lobbying congresspersons, recommending legislation, and vetoing legislation
109
The War Powers Act orders that soldiers sent overseas by the president must be
brought back to the United States within 60 days unless Congress approves military action
110
If the president, the vice president, and the Speaker were to resign, who would become president?
the president pro tempore
111
Qualifications for U.S. president are
native-born citizen, U.S. resident at least 14 years, and at least 35 years old
112
A presidential pardon
frees a convicted criminal
113
All of the following government officials are appointed by the president EXCEPT
majority floor leaders
114
The nomination process for vice presidents and presidents has
Changed a great deal
115
The job, White House press secretary
provides briefings to the press and manages the press office
116
The Department of Transportation, Energy, and Interior are all
executive departments
117
Some people argue that having non elected government officials is undemocratic because
government rules should be made by the people's representatives
118
What sometimes takes years and produces thousands of pages of notes?
the rule-making procedures of government agencies
119
Some people believe that government corporations
do a better job than most government agencies
120
The people who run regulatory commissions are
members of the boards appointed by the president and approved by the Senate
121
Certain government activities, such as arresting criminals, should not be contracted out to private companies because they are
done in the name of the American people
122
Which of the following has the power to decide domestic policy and create laws?
Congress
123
Which of the following has been controversial throughout most of U.S history?
how government jobs are filled
124
Which of the following organizations is not a part of the Executive Office of the President?
Department of the Treasury
125
Before an agency can make a new rule, it must
allow for public comment
126
The president's annual budget proposal to Congress is prepared by the
Office of Management and Budget
127
Why are board members of regulatory commissions appointed for long terms?
to remain free of political pressure
128
A system in which people take competitive written exams to land federal jobs is called
the merit system
129
According to the Constitution, what are the 2 functions of the vice president?
to head the Senate and to be in line to succeed the president
130
The goals of economic stabilization are
low inflation and full employment
131
The total dollar value, or price, of all finished services and goods produced in a country in one year is the
gross domestic product
132
The economic doctrine supporting active government stabilization is frequently called
Keynesianism
133
Nontax sources of funds for the federal government include
fines, fees, and income earned by banks in the Federal Reserve System
134
Spending limits are set in reconciliation bills, which
both houses of Congress must pass
135
A large national debt
makes interest rates rise, which slows down the economy
136
If the government spends more than it receives from tax and nontax revenue, the budget is in
deficit
137
The U.S. national spending program is known as the
Federal budget
138
A large national debt slows economic growth because
it decreases funds available for investment and leads to higher interest rates
139
Another contributor to growing budget deficits is
rising interest payments on the national debt
140
Which of the following is a source of nontax revenue for the federal government?
patent fees
141
Which of the following is not a source of uncontrollable spending?
funding for the Department of Education
142
Supply side economists believe that
tax cuts stimulate economic growth
143
Glasnost and perestroika helped to end
the Cold War
144
According to idealists, U.S. foreign policy should support
Human rights
145
The framers created strict guidelines for the Defense Department because they
were afraid of a military state
146
When the United States provides aid to foreign nations, it frequently
promotes the public good of its businesses and citizens
147
The United States became involved in World War II because of
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor
148
The U.S. Department of State
has bureaus dealing with U.S. relations in specific regions of the globe and bureaus dealing with crosscutting foreign policy issues
149
Since World War II, the U.S. government's primary foreign policy principle has been
Realism
150
The United States joined in the Spanish-American War because
of the sinking of the Maine
151
Defense alliances
encourage collective security
152
Which of the following is an argument made by supporters of U.S. foreign-aid programs?
countries receiving aid may provide good markets for U.S. exports
153
An agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union to limit the production of some nuclear weapons was called the
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks agreement
154
Through the U.S.-Japan Mutual Security Treaty, the United States agreed to provide military protection to Japan in exchange for
the right to keep military forces in Japan
155
What organization was proposed by Woodrow Wilson after World War I to help prevent future aggression?
League of Nations
156
What event motivated the United States to drop its isolationist stance and become involved in World War II?
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor
