Q&A Hero

Q: Explain how Gideon v.Wainwright changed how the courts interpreted the Sixth Amendment.

Q: The __________ party favored a strong national government. a. Anti-Federalist b. Federalist c. Libertarian d. Progressive e. Republican

Q: The United States engaged in which of the following military conflicts in order to prevent the spread of communism? a. World War I b. World War II c. the Vietnam War d. the Persian Gulf War e. the global war on terrorism

Q: Describe how the New Deal coalition realigned/transformed American political parties.

Q: Which of the following can modify a decision of the Supreme Court? a. executive order b. federal statute c. lower court decision d. constitutional amendment e. writ of certiorari

Q: Discuss the importance of the necessary and proper, or elastic, clause to the functioning of Congress. Evaluate the differences between enumerated and implied legislative powers. Note any important judicial decisions affecting these powers. How does this affect the federalist nature of American democracy? Has this clause been taken too far, or not far enough?

Q: How did the Stamp Act help set the country on a path to independence?

Q: Who has the ultimate authority and control over U.S. foreign and military policy? a. Congress b. the president c. the State Department d. the National Security Council e. the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Q: Why is the national party/nomination convention important for democracy in the United States?

Q: According to the doctrine of __________, a court should not overturn precedent unless it is absolutely necessary. a. original intent b. judicial review c. stare decisis d. prior restraint e. judicial privilege

Q: Address the purpose and main features of the congressional budgetary process as created by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Support your answer by using Table 6.5, What is the timeline for the congressional budgetary process?

Q: Identify two amendments to the United States Constitution that are not part of the Bill of Rights and explain the impact of each on government and society.

Q: Why was the North Atlantic Treaty Organization formed? a. to provide peacetime collective security for the United States and Western Europe b. to promote free trade between the United States and Western Europe c. to help rebuild war-torn Europe after World War II d. to enhance democratic government in newly industrializing countries e. to minimize nuclear proliferation

Q: Distinguish between public interest groups and economic groups and provide examples of each.

Q: When the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear a case appealed to it from a circuit court, it is exercising its __________ jurisdiction. a. original b. constitutional c. mandatory d. appellate e. legislative

Q: Evaluate the evolution of the system of legislative oversight. How has the balance of power shifted between Congress and the executive branch?

Q: Explain Madison's defense of the Constitution in Federalist No. 10.

Q: What was the foreign policy of containment designed to prevent? a. nuclear proliferation b. the spread of communism c. terrorism d. epidemics and pandemics e. the Cold War

Q: Discuss the role of interest groups in elections.

Q: According to Table 9.2, How Does a President Affect the Federal Judiciary?, which of the following presidents had the greatest influence on the composition of the federal judiciary? a. Carter b. Reagan c. Bush d. Clinton e. G.W. Bush

Q: Analyze the major factors that influence how members of Congress make decisions. Why do Congress members vote in conformity with their constituents' prevailing opinions about two-thirds of the time? Compare and contrast models of representation in your response.

Q: Why is freedom of the press essential to democracy?

Q: Discuss which political group had the most impact on the formation of the Constitution and why.

Q: According to the "How Big Is the World's Stockpile of Nuclear Weapons?" feature box, which of the following countries has the most nuclear weapons after the United States? a. Israel b. China c. Russia d. North Korea e. Iran

Q: A tactic known as __________ allows political parties to identify potential voters based on personal information and past voting behavior.

Q: As of 2012, how many African Americans have served on the U.S. Supreme Court? a. three b. five c. one d. zero e. two

Q: Political rhetoric in campaigns often includes a challenger attempting to disparage the incumbent by labeling him or her a "Washington insider." Does being an incumbent make a politician more or less effective or corrupt? Be sure to weigh the pros and cons of incumbency on politicians and society.

Q: Explain the basic structure of the U.S. Constitution.

Q: What event marked the end of the Cold War? a. dtente b. the collapse of the Soviet Union c. the signing of the SALT II Treaty d. the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan e. the resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Q: The best way of assessing voting behavior over time continues to be by determining __________ rather than concern for one person or policy.

Q: In a process known as __________, presidents generally allow senators from the state in which a judicial vacancy occurs to block the nomination. a. advice and consent b. presidential deference c. judicial review d. senatorial courtesy e. Senate confirmation

Q: Discuss concerns of the Framers in designing Congress through the Constitution. How is the legislature empowered? How is it constrained?

Q: Describe the Equal Rights Amendment.

Q: Who instituted the Marshall Plan and who benefited directly from it? a. The Soviet Union instituted the Marshall Plan to benefit Eastern Europe. b. Germany instituted the Marshall Plan to benefit the United States. c. Italy instituted the Marshall Plan to benefit Western Europe. d. Eastern Europe instituted the Marshall Plan to benefit Western Europe. e. The United States instituted the Marshall Plan to benefit Eastern Europe.

Q: Given that members of Congress often lack technical expertise in particular policy areas, they depend on lobbyists to supply them with __________.

Q: In court rulings, reliance on past decisions to formulate decisions in new cases is known as which of the following? a. per curiam b. stare decisis c. coram nobis d. amicus curiae e. common law

Q: Political parties have a significant impact on the functioning of Congress. How does being in the majority benefit a party? How has party voting changed over the last several decades? Is this change a good thing? Why or why not?

Q: What are the historical roots of the right to bear arms?

Q: Describe the Virginia Plan.

Q: After the Paris Peace Agreement, when U.S. forces withdrew from the Vietnam War, South Vietnam was __________. a. independent and isolated b. fully democratic c. reunified with the North d. a new American territory e. permanently separated from the North

Q: One definitive period of electoral __________, where power is transferred from one party to another, started with the rise of the New Deal coalition.

Q: How many courts of appeals are in the federal system? a. two b. six c. thirteen d. eleven e. five

Q: Explain the purpose, process, and potential problems associated with redistricting. Describe attempts by states and the federal government to solve redistricting problems. Were these solutions effective?

Q: Explain James Madison's claim that "Ambition must be made to counteract ambition."

Q: Which of the following countries is a member of NATO? a. Russia b. China c. Japan d. Syria e. the United States

Q: The __________, which includes the voters who identify themselves as Democrats or Republicans and who tend to vote for the candidates of their party, has been in decline for four decades.

Q: According to Figure 9.1, How Is the American Judicial System Structured?, which of the following has no original jurisdiction? a. Supreme Court b. U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California c. U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio d. U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit e. U.S. Court of Federal Claims

Q: Congress has three broad mandates: make laws, control the budget, and oversee the executive branch. List the main features of the oversight function. How does oversight tie into Congress's other mandates?

Q: Describe the views of the Anti-Federalists.

Q: Which of the following countries is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council? a. Germany b. India c. Spain d. Italy e. the United States

Q: Studies of political socialization have shown that __________ is/are the single greatest influence(s) in establishing a person's political identity.

Q: The U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is an example of which type of court? a. constitutional b. Article III c. legislative d. Article I e. original

Q: Outline the main steps a bill takes to become a law, noting the differences between the House and Senate. Why it is so much easier for a bill to be killed than passed?

Q: How does the Lemon test examine the constitutionality of religious establishment issues?

Q: Why are checks and balances important to the U.S. Constitution?

Q: What role did Afghanistan play in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks? a. Most of the terrorists were from Afghanistan. b. Osama bin Laden trained some of the terrorists in Afghanistan. c. The al-Qaeda"led government of Afghanistan funded Osama bin Laden. d. The 9/11 terrorists hijacked airplanes originating from Afghanistan. e. The government of Afghanistan actively plotted the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Q: An interest group holding a demonstration outside the White House is an example of __________.

Q: To which of the following does Article III give the power to create inferior federal courts? a. Congress b. the president c. the Supreme Court d. the states e. the people

Q: What circumstances led to the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and what did it create?

Q: Describe the ways in which the Constitution addresses the role of religion.

Q: One highly visible element of U.S. foreign policy in recent years has been the pursuit of __________ and empowerment. a. indigenous rights b. gay rights c. women's rights d. Iraqi troops' rights e. civil rights

Q: Common Cause, an organization that pushes for openness and fairness in government, is an example of a(n) __________ group.

Q: According to Marbury v.Madison, which clause implies the power of judicial review? a. necessary and proper b. judicial c. precedential d. originalism e. supremacy

Q: In 2010, Homeland Security provided Wyoming with over twice the funding per capita to combat terrorism than more populous and vulnerable states like New York. Despite the seeming misappropriation of Patriot Act funding, attempts to correct the distribution formula have floundered, as representatives from smaller states blocked amendments. Analyze this issue by considering the trustee model versus the delegate model of representation.

Q: Describe the differences between the First and Second Continental Congress.

Q: Which international organization was created after World War II at the urging of the United States? a. the League of Nations b. the United Nations c. the Warsaw Pact d. the World Trade Organization e. the Marshall Plan

Q: In the post-World War II era, a weakening of the party system gave rise to __________.

Q: Who presides over trials for presidential impeachment? a. vice president b. Speaker of the House c. chief justice of the Supreme Court d. president of the Senate e. House majority leader

Q: What is the function of the House Committee on Rules? Why is it so important? Be sure to give examples of the rules the committee may use.

Q: Explain what selective incorporation is consistent with larger themes in federalism.

Q: Compare and contrast the legislatures established by the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation.

Q: Who heads the U.S. intelligence community? a. the director of the Central Intelligence Agency b. the director of National Intelligence c. the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff d. the vice president e. the National Security Agency

Q: Franklin D. Roosevelt's __________ ushered in a forty-year period of Democratic Party dominance.

Q: Which of the following is within the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court? a. federal criminal matters b. tax disputes c. military tribunals d. controversies between the states e. property disputes

Q: What special oversight function does the Senate have with respect to presidential appointments? How does this affect the president?

Q: Explain the informal methods of amending the Constitution and why such methods are useful given the structure of the Constitution itself.

Q: Who serves on the Joint Chiefs of Staff? a. the Cabinet secretaries b. the leaders of the armed forces c. the president's foreign policy advisors d. the White House military intelligence corps e. the secretary of defense, the secretary of Homeland Security, and the director of the Central Intelligence Agency

Q: The __________ is the site for the writing of the party platform every four years.

Q: What are the two types of jurisdiction courts can have? a. original and appellate b. trial and appeals c. constitutional and statutory d. active and restrained e. legislative and constitutional

Q: Explain the roles of committee chairs in the House and Senate. Pay particular attention to their selection, responsibilities, and privileges.