Q&A Hero

Q: What has to happen in Congress before the president can be impeached? a. The House can impeach the president by a simple majority; the Senate does not have a vote. b. The Senate can impeach the president by a simple majority; the House does not have a vote. c. The House can impeach the president by a simple majority; the Senate needs a two-thirds majority. d. The Senate can impeach the president with a two-thirds majority; the House does not have a vote. e. The House and Senate must both have a two-thirds majority.

Q: The __________ Mandates Reform Act of 1995 prevented Congress from passing costly federal programs without a debate about how to fund them. a. Cost b. Commercial c. Funded d. Saving e. Unfunded

Q: During a rapidly developing national security crisis, who is the U.S. president most likely to turn to for advice? a. the House Committee on Foreign Affairs b. the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations c. the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs d. the United Nations Security Council e. the National Security Council

Q: In recent years, political action committee (PAC) contributions have become increasingly important in federal elections. In light of the influence of PAC money on elections and policy making, is this trend a sign of a healthy democracy, or is it a troubling development?

Q: The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over cases in which the United States is a party.

Q: Whom did the Framers expect to be the first president of the United States? a. Benjamin Franklin b. George Washington c. John Adams d. Patrick Henry e. Thomas Jefferson

Q: Discuss the evolution of the Supreme Court's case law regarding homosexuality.

Q: In Gibbons v. Ogden, the Supreme Court held that Congress has the power to regulate __________ activity. a. commercial b. educational c. holiday d. interstate e. local

Q: Which of the following is most consistent with the foreign policy of isolationism? a. a country's refusal to intervene in an armed conflict between two other countries b. a country's willingness to use diplomatic sanctions to pressure another country to address human rights violations c. the George W. Bush administration's policy of actively rooting out terrorism before a threat has fully developed d. the United States' involvement in World War II e. multilateral trade agreements

Q: Review the key phases of political party development in the United States, demonstrating knowledge of realignments, where appropriate, and addressing how the Framers envisioned electoral participation in government.

Q: Strict constructionists believe that the Constitution should be interpreted in light of modern values.

Q: Congress can remove a president through __________. a. veto b. executive privilege c. executive order d. impeachment e. filibuster

Q: __________ is the right of state to declare a federal law void. a. Amendment b. Nullification c. Referendum d. Reformation e. Veto

Q: Free trade agreements are designed to prevent which of the following? a. globalization b. democratic enlargement c. dtente d. protectionism e. isolationism

Q: You are the leader of a student organization working to pass federal legislation that would increase financial aid to college students. What specific strategies could you employ to overcome the free rider/collective action problem in order to build your organization and increase your political clout?

Q: Justice Elana Kagan did not have any judicial experience prior to her appointment to the Supreme Court.

Q: Which presidential power is balanced by required approval of the Senate with a two-thirds vote? a. extending diplomatic recognition to foreign governments b. terminating relations with other nations c. negotiating treaties with other nations d. negotiating executive agreements with foreign heads of state e. resolving funding for budget agenda

Q: What was the first major Supreme Court decision to define the relationship between the federal and state governments? a. Barron v.Baltimore b. Dred Scott v.Sandford c. Gibbons v.Ogden d. McCulloch v.Maryland e. U.S. v.Lopez

Q: What is the most common critique of the military-industrial complex? a. Ordinary citizens are generally uninformed about foreign and defense policy. b. Defense industry interest groups have too much influence over U.S. foreign and defense policy. c. The military decision-making process is too slow and complex. d. Congress should have less influence over foreign and defense policy, whereas the president should have more influence. e. Defense contracts are usually awarded to the lowest bidder and not on the basis of expertise or experience, resulting in poor-quality products.

Q: The national party convention serves several purposes. Examine its functions, assessing the importance of its functions in terms of voter participation, promotion of public policy, or related factors.

Q: The selection of federal judges is a highly political process.

Q: Which first lady acted as a surrogate for her partially paralyzed husband? a. Abigail Adams b. Edith Bolling Galt Wilson c. Eleanor Roosevelt d. Martha Washington e. Nancy Davis Reagan

Q: Explain the difference between libel and slander.

Q: In the 1980s and 1990s, the Republican party led the __________ revolution, which demanded that the national government return administrative authority to state governments. a. contract b. devolution c. evolution d. silent e. white

Q: Which of the following has as its primary responsibility conducting surveillance about the inner workings of countries across the world? a. the Department of Defense b. the secretary of state c. the Central Intelligence Agency d. the World Trade Organization e. the Marshall Plan

Q: Assess the utility of the party platform in drawing party support and to what extent politicians are held accountable to it.

Q: A dissenting opinion is written by a justice who agrees with the decision of the majority, but disagrees with the rationale.

Q: What does the Twenty-Second Amendment do? a. requires that presidents are natural born citizens b. requires that presidents serve only two terms c. requires the president to be a resident of the United States for two years d. requires the president to be at least thirty-five years old e. requires the president to have a college degree

Q: Dillon's Rule states that all local government, as described in Figure 3.3 How Many Governments Exist in the United States?, must be authorized by which of the following? a. the federal government b. both the federal and state government c. the state government d. the people e. the state militia

Q: Which of the following is comprised of a broad array of the president's foreign policy advisors and is housed within the White House? a. the Department of State b. the Department of Homeland Security c. the Warsaw Pact d. the National Security Council e. the Central Intelligence Agency

Q: Which political era in U.S. history saw the longest period of Republican domination? What were the major issues in the origin and demise of Republican Party domination during this period?

Q: Litigants have an automatic right of appeal to the Supreme Court.

Q: Historically, vice-presidential candidates are chosen to __________. a. help set the president's agenda b. mentor the president c. politically balance the ticket d. succeed the president in the next election e. take over as president in an emergency

Q: Which clause in the Constitution ensures that judicial decrees and contracts made in one state will be binding and enforceable in another? a. Commerce b. Dormant Commerce c. Due Process d. Equal Protection e. Full Faith and Credit

Q: Congress can exercise influence over foreign policy through its power to __________. a. command the armed forces b. appoint the secretary of defense c. ratify treaties d. recognize the sovereignty of foreign countries e. receive diplomats

Q: Why do small groups have an organizational advantage over large groups in terms of their ability to enroll potential members?

Q: The district courts are appellate courts.

Q: What is executive privilege? a. the ability to refuse to spend money appropriated by Congress b. the ability to veto programmatic requests in a bill c. the power to declare war or initiate a police action d. the right to direct the policy of federal agencies e. the right to keep communications confidential to the presidency

Q: Why did the Supreme Court briefly end capital punishment in 1972?

Q: __________ powers are shared by the federal and state governments. a. Concurrent b. Constitutional c. Federal d. Libertarian e. Unified

Q: Which of the following countries have posed challenges to the United States in recent years because of their economic growth and global influence? a. India and France b. Russia and Germany c. Germany and Brazil d. China and India e. Brazil and Spain

Q: Why has the government attempted to regulate lobbyist activity? Discuss some recent reform efforts and identify some of the gaps that remain in disclosure of lobbying activity.

Q: The Judiciary Act of 1789 established the federal circuit courts and district courts.

Q: Which of these became an official presidential qualification in 1951? a. natural born citizen b. at least 35 years old c. resident of the United States for two years d. a maximum of two terms e. a college degree

Q: The __________ Amendment says that says that those powers not given to the federal government and not prohibited to the states by the Constitution are reserved for the states and the people. a. First b. Eighth c. Tenth d. Eleventh e. Fourteenth

Q: Which of the following countries would have been most opposed to the policy of containment? a. United Kingdom b. France c. Soviet Union d. United States e. Canada

Q: Describe the elements of a political realignment, when a dominant party coalition replaces another. Illustrate using one particular period from U.S. history.

Q: Article III specifies the powers of the Supreme Court.

Q: In which institutional resource are leaders both appointed by the president and approved by the Senate? a. Executive Office of the President b. White House staff c. the Cabinet d. Council of Economic Advisors e. Federal Reserve

Q: Article VI of the U.S. Constitution establishes that federal law is __________ in conflicts between federal and state law. a. irrelevant b. persuasive authority c. secondary d. supreme e. insignificant

Q: Which of the following was a fundamental part of the George W. Bush administration's case for the 2003 war in Iraq? a. Iraq was responsible for the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001. b. Iraq, along with North Korea and Iran, was a threat to American security interests. c. The Persian Gulf War begun by President George H. W. Bush had never really ended and needed to be brought to a close. d. Saddam Hussein had issued threats against the United States. e. Saddam Hussein had permitted Osama bin Laden to use Iraq for training terrorists.

Q: How disciplined are politicians in adhering to their party's platform and their own campaign promises? What explains this?

Q: A court that hears and weighs evidence in order to reach the first decision in a civil or criminal case is a court of __________ jurisdiction. a. appellate b. constitutional c. trial d. original e. mandatory

Q: Which institutional resource is closest to the president? a. Executive Office of the President b. White House staff c. the Cabinet d. the vice president e. Joint Chiefs of Staff

Q: Under the system created by the Framers, the national and state governments share power and derive all authority from __________. a. the Bill of Rights b. the Constitution c. the people d. the President e. the Declaration of Independence

Q: Which of the following best describes the United States' policy as a superpower since the end of World War II? a. The United States has refused to enter security alliances with countries around the globe, as that policy might offend other countries and reduce trade with them. b. The United States has focused on policies of democratic enlargement to promote expansion of democracies and free markets throughout the world. c. The United States began decreasing its military budget once the Cold War ended, so it could focus on other matters such as promoting democracy around the world. d. The United States has focused primarily on stomping out communism wherever it exists. e. The United States has focused primarily on economic enlargement to promote increase in trade with all countries throughout the world, regardless of their form of government.

Q: Briefly describe three major activities of political parties.

Q: Which of the following limits judicial power? a. judicial review b. judicial activism c. stare decisis/precedent d. constitutional courts e. senatorial courtesy

Q: Which one of the powers listed below is a constitutional power that the president shares with the Senate? a. making treaties b. commissioning officers c. granting pardons d. receiving foreign ambassadors e. replacing Cabinet heads

Q: How has the Supreme Court applied the exclusionary rule?

Q: The United States was the __________ nation to adopt a federal system of government. a. first b. second c. third d. tenth e. last

Q: What is the main foreign or defense policy threat posed by Iran? a. civil unrest b. nuclear capabilities c. economic collapse d. trade disagreements e. conventional arms

Q: Discuss the relationship between lobbyists and members of Congress in terms of what each offers the other.

Q: Who heads the entire federal judiciary? a. the president b. the attorney general c. the solicitor general d. the Supreme Court clerk of courts e. the chief justice of the Supreme Court

Q: Using the War Powers Resolution of 1973 as a case study, examine the rise or decline of congressional oversight over the executive branch. Does this resolution stand as the rule or the exception to the trend? Make an argument as to whether or not Congress has usurped too much authority or not enough. Would you make any changes to congressional oversight as it exists today?

Q: What are the two types of powers given to the national government under the United States Constitution? a. enumerated; implied b. enumerated; suggested c. implied; explicit d. suggested; explicit e. suggested; implied

Q: What is the primary responsibility of the secretary of defense? a. foreign policy b. intelligence c. diplomacy d. homeland security e. military policy

Q: Discuss the role of political action committees (PACs) in terms of their influence on elections and the extent to which they shape government policy.

Q: The conference of the U.S. Supreme Court is __________. a. open to the justices and the public b. limited to the justices themselves c. open to the justices and other court staff d. open to the justices and the president e. open to the justices and all members of Congress

Q: In a perfectly apportioned system, no citizen's vote weighs more than another's. The U.S. Senate is one of the most malapportioned representative bodies in the developed and democratized world. What accounts for this? Does this jeopardize American democracy or facilitate it? Why?

Q: In a __________ system, local and regional governments derive authority from the national government. a. unitary b. bi-cameral c. confederate d. constitutional e. federal

Q: What is the primary responsibility of the secretary of state? a. national defense policy b. homeland security c. intelligence d. diplomacy e. military policy

Q: Discuss the advantages of contributing to a political action committee (PAC) over making an individual contribution to a political candidate.

Q: If a judge believes that she should only strike down laws that clearly violate the Constitution, she likely believes in which of the following? a. judicial activism b. judicial conservatism c. judicial originalism d. judicial restraint e. judicial construction

Q: In your opinion, what is the best way for congressional members to represent the interests of their constituents? What factors do you think should influence members of Congress most strongly when they make decisions?

Q: Prior to the ratification of the Constitution, the United States was governed by the Articles of __________. a. Confederation b. Declaration c. Federalism d. Independence e. Unity

Q: Which of the following accurately describes the war in Iraq? a. The U.S. administration's decision to become involved was noncontroversial. b. The war lasted longer than the Bush administration expected. c. Saddam Hussein launched the war through an attack on Iran. d. The United States went to war as retribution for its involvement in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. e. The war received near universal praise from U.S. allies.

Q: Identify the major functions of political parties.

Q: All federal judicial nominations are first referred to which of the following for a hearing? a. House Judiciary Committee b. Senate Nominations Committee c. Supreme Court d. Senate Judiciary Committee e. attorney general

Q: You are a freshman member of the House of Representatives and want to represent your district to the best of your ability. You know that being on the right committee is crucial. What committee(s) would you most like to be on, and why? When and how might you become chair? What advantages will being on a committee offer you and your constituents? With what obstacles will you have to contend? Be sure to consider how your particular district affects your choices.