Q&A Hero

Q: Which of the following statements about executive agreements is true? a. They are unconstitutional. b. They are only used when the World Court rejected a treaty. c. They accounted for almost 95 percent of the understandings reached between the United States and other nations. d. The House and the Senate overwhelmingly ratifies them. e. They are obsolete.

Q: Starting with ______, all presidents have interpreted their authority as "Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States" dynamically and broadly. a. John F. Kennedy b. Franklin D. Roosevelt c. George Washington d. Abraham Lincoln e. Theodore Roosevelt

Q: In regard to control over the foreign policy process, Edwin S. Corwin once observed that the U.S. Constitution created between the president and Congress a(n)a. "unchecked union."b. "patriotic display of cooperation."c. "symbiotic partnership."d. "opportunity for compromise."e. "invitation to struggle."

Q: President Obama was among a number of world leaders calling for a. a lifting of sanctions against Iran. b. the dissolution of the European Union. c. trade sanctions against China. d. an attack on Taiwan. e. a German change of course in EU monetary policy.

Q: The fighting between Israel and the Hamas-run Gaza Strip resulted in all of the following EXCEPT a. almost two thousand casulaties suffered by Palesinians. b. light Israeli casulaties. c. the expulsion of Hamas from Gaza by Israel. d. condemnation of Israel by many nations worldwide. e. continued support of Israel by the United States.

Q: In January 2006, ____ won a majority of the seats in the Palestinian legislature, an alarming development since it has called for the destruction of Israel.a. the militant group Hamasb. the Kurdish People's Liberation Frontc. the militant group Hezbollahd. the Palestine Liberation Organizatione. the extremist group Free Jerusalem Now

Q: Which of the following best describes the internationally recognized solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute? a. The Palestinians should be resettled in Israel with full compensation. b. Israel yields the West Bank and Gaza Strip to the Palestinians in return for security guarantees and Palestinian abandonment of any right of return to Israel proper. c. Israelis and Palestinians should both be part of a single state in which both enjoy equal rights. d. Israel should cease to exist, because its creation happened illegally. e. Israel should yield up all territory not granted to it by the UN in 1948, including all of Jerusalem.

Q: China's position is that sooner or later, Taiwan a. must rejoin the rest of China. b. will be granted permanent independence. c. must join with Hong Kong as a single independent territory. d. will be returned to the United Kingdom. e. will be divided into several smaller territories and distributed among the region's major powers.

Q: All of the following are true of relations between China and the United Sates EXCEPTa. since 1972, American policy has been to gradually engage the Chinese in diplomatic and economic relationships in the hope of turning China in a more pro-Western direction.b. there are large and growing trade ties between the United States and China.c. instead of goods and services, China has imported U.S. securities.d. China exports substantially more goods and services to the United States than it imports.e. China was denied normal trade relations (NTR) status by the United States, which has hurt their relationship.

Q: In 2009, ______ tested a long-range missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. a. Iran b. Pakistan c. Afghanistan d. North Korea e. South Africa

Q: More than ______ nuclear warheads are known to be stockpiled worldwide. a. 80 b. 900 c. 6,000 d. 22,000 e. 500,000

Q: The ideological, political, and economic confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union following World War II was calleda. the Iron Curtain.b. the Red Scare.c. the Orange Revolution.d. East-meets-West.e. the Cold War.

Q: In 1980, China was granted _____ for tariffs and trade policy on a year-to-year basis. a. normal trade relations status b. most-favored nation status c. favorite nation status d. superior trade relations status

Q: The "surge" in January 2007 a. was probably perpetrated by Iraqi Kurds. b. greatly increased the number of casualties among coalition troops. c. killed Saddam Hussein. d. was a major turning point in the insurgency in Iraq. e. ended the war in Iraq.

Q: Which of the following groups comprise a majority of the population of Iraq?a. Sunni Arabsb. Kurdsc. Shiite Arabsd. Turkomane. Baath

Q: ______ controlled the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein. a. Kurds b. Sunnis c. Shiites d. Sunnis and Shiites e. al Qaeda

Q: A month after invading Iraq in 2003, U.S. and British forces a. still had not had any effect on Saddam Hussein's regime. b. had ended Saddam Hussein's decadesold dictatorship. c. were finally able to convince the UN Security Council that military force was necessary in Iraq. d. were able to withdraw. e. formally recognized that the war had been a mistake.

Q: According to critics of the Bush Doctrine,a. it does not go far enough in protecting U.S. interests.b. it does not protect U.S. interests.c. it is a contradiction of democratic values.d. it violates the idea of political realism.e. it signals U.S. weakness.

Q: The Bush Doctrine supports the strategy of a. preemptive war. b. U.S. isolationism. c. moral idealism. d. withdrawal from the United Nations. e. Islamic containment.

Q: Which President introduced the concept of "preemptive war." a. Ronald Reagan b. George Bush c. George W. Bush d. Lyndon B. Johnson e. Bill Clinton

Q: Which of the following was an apparent goal of al-Qaeda?a. Getting the United States to withdraw its troops from countries in the Middle Eastb. Overthrowing Egyptc. Independence for Basque Spaind. Removing Greek forces out of Cypruse. Forcing the United States to withdraw troops from Nigeria

Q: In the past, terrorism was a strategy typically employed by radicals who a. wanted to change the status of a particular nation or province. b. were religiously motivated. c. were uneducated. d. did not have clear-cut aims. e. were part of the al Qaeda network.

Q: Which of the following statements is true regarding foreign policy? a. The United States used to be guided by a mix of political realism and moral idealism, but is now guided solely by political realism. b. The United States used to be guided solely by moral idealism, but is now guided mostly by political realism. c. The United States used to be guided solely by political realism, but is now guided mostly by moral idealism. d. The United States has always been guided solely by political realism. e. The United States has always been guided by a mix of moral idealism and political realism.

Q: Which of the following statements best describes political realism?a. This philosophy views nations as normally willing to cooperate and agree on moral standards for conduct.b. This philosophy is a neo-isolationist one.c. This philosophy wants to create a single world government.d. This philosophy views each nation as acting in its own interest regardless of moral considerations.e. This philosophy advocates the spread of Islam.

Q: Moral idealism is a philosophy that a. views nations as normally willing to cooperate and agree on moral standards for conduct. b. mandates noninterference with the internal policies of sovereign nations. c. supports steps to establish a single world government. d. views each nation as acting in its own interest regardless of moral considerations. e. contends that spreading Christianity ought to be a major goal of U.S. foreign policy.

Q: The set of policies that direct the nature and activities of the U.S. armed forces is called a. intelligence policy. b. defense policy. c. military-industrial policy. d. foreign assistance policy. e. diplomacy.

Q: Which of the following statements best describes the role of the National Security Council?a. It is an advisory body to the president on foreign policy matters.b. It works for the State Department.c. It serves as a Congressional standing committee.d. It is a military advisory body.e. It is a private research council that provides analysis of world events to businesses and individuals.

Q: As one aspect of overall foreign policy, ______ concerns itself with the defense of the United States against actual or potential future enemies. a. diplomacy b. preemptive policy c. anticipatory policy d. national security policy e. domestic policy

Q: The practice of sending of experts in areas such as agriculture, engineering, or business to aid other nations is called a. an in-kind subsidy. b. a tariff. c. technical assistance. d. exports. e. military aid.

Q: U. S. foreign policy may be carried out through all of the following techniques EXCEPTa. diplomatic relations.b. foreign aid.c. technical assistance.d. military invasions.e. by municipal taxation.

Q: The process by which states carry on political relations with each other is called a. interventionism. b. diplomacy. c. economic policy. d. The Geneva Convention. e. development efforts.

Q: The best definition of foreign policy is a. a nation's external goals as well as the techniques and strategies used to achieve them. b. the formal agreements that are approved by the World Court. c. interactions with other countries that are not related to economics. d. the collection of treaties that are ratified by the Senate. e. the manner in which the armed forces are deployed.

Q: Which of the following statements concerning attitudes toward global warming is true?a. A majority of Republicans believe that global warming does not exist.b. A majority of Democrats believe that global warming is a myth.c. Disblief of global warming among Democrats rose by 11 percentage points between 2001 and 2002.d. Disblief of about global warming among Republicans fell by 11 percentage points between 2001 and 2002.e. Republican opinion about global warming has not changed in recent years.

Q: ______ scientists who perform research on the world's climate believe that global warming will be significant. a. Virtually, none of the b. A minority of c. About half of all d. A slight majority of e. Almost all

Q: In the 1990s, scientists working on climate change began to conclude that gases released by human activity, principally CO2, are producing a. a "greenhouse effect." b. acid rain. c. "El Nio." d. a "heat index effect." e. methane poisoning.

Q: What has resulted from the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster?a. The Environmental Protection Agency announced it would no longer inspect oil facilities.b. Senate Democrats championed legislation promoting the expansion of new drilling sites.c. House Republicans introduced legislation promoting a variety of new green-energy initiatives.d. A temporary moratorium on new offshore drilling was instituted.e. Foreign oil imports were banned.

Q: With regard to the issue of oil and energy, a. President Obama has not been active in supporting new policies. b. the world's largest oil exporters are all friends of the United States. c. President Obama opposes using nuclear power. d. in recent years, the practice of fracking stands to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. e. the government mandated a requirement that cars and trucks to have a maximum rate of 100 miles per gallon by 2016.

Q: About 13 percent of all U.S. oil imports come from a. Venezuela and Iran. b. Argentina. c. Canada and Mexico. d. Russia. e. Brazil.

Q: Of all the petroleum the United States consumes, how much is imported?a. One-halfb. Three-fourthsc. Three-fifthsd. Nine-tenthse. One-fifth

Q: Which of the following statements about Arizona's 2010 immigration law is false?a. Other states made tougher immigration laws soon afterward.b. Opponents of the law claimed the act would lead to harassment of Latinos.c. It required police to stop and question anyone suspected of being in the country illegally.d. It criminalized the failure to carry immigration documents.e. The decision that the Supreme Court made about it left the door open for future challenges to the law based on equal protection principles.

Q: During his campaign, Barack Obama supported reforms that woulda. automatically grant citizenship to all illegal immigrants currently in the United States.b. give illegal immigrants a path toward citizenship.c. eliminate crackdowns on employers who hire illegal immigrants.d. automatically send all illegal immigrants currently in the United States back to their home countries.e. close the U.S."Mexico border.

Q: Critics of immigration fear that immigrants to the United States maya. take jobs away from American workers.b. offset the low birthrate and aging population.c. expand the workforce and help support, through their taxes, government programs such as Medicare.d. become Americanized.e. pay into the Social Security program.

Q: The number of unauthorized immigrants in the United States is estimated to be arounda. 50,000.b. 3 million.c. 90 million.d. 11 million.e. 150 million.

Q: Since 1977, four out of five immigrants to the United States come froma. Latin America or Europe.b. Asia or Africa.c. Latin America or Asia.d. Europe or Asia.e. Africa or Latin America.

Q: Those who were born on foreign soil now constitute about ______ of the U.S. population.a. 1.5 percentb. 6 percentc. 13 percentd. 23 percente. 46 percent

Q: Which of the following statements about immigration rates in the United States is true? a. Immigration rates are at their lowest since the 1950s. b. Immigration rates are falling dramatically. c. Immigration rates are stable since they peaked in the 1980s. d. Immigration rates are among the highest since their peak in the early twentieth century. e. Immigration rates are lower than ever before.

Q: Which of the following statements is true of policy evaluation? a. After a policy has been implemented, it is often challenged in the Supreme Court. b. Policy evaluation is just an academic exercise and has no real-world consequences. c. Groups inside and outside government conduct studies to determine how the program actually works after a policy has been in place for a period of time. d. By 2013, the health-care reforms had been thoroughly evaluated. e. After a period of evaluation, the president implements and executes the law.

Q: Policy implementation isa. concerned with how policies are carried out by bureaucrats, the courts, police, and individual citizens.b. the process of making the media aware of an issue.c. the discussion of proposals between governmental officials and the public.d. concerned with a specific strategy for a proposal.e. a study conducted to see what happens after a policy is first established.

Q: All of the following statements about the new health-care legislation are true EXCEPT a. excluding people with preexisting conditions from insurance plans is banned. b. Medicaid coverage is guaranteed for individuals making up to $250,000 a year. c. health insurance companies pay a new tax. d. employers that do not offer health insurance coverage are taxed. e. state health-insurance exchanges will be created where individuals and small businesses can buy insurance.

Q: In health-care reform, the requirement that all citizens obtain health-care insurance coverage from some source, public or private, is called a(n) a. mixed system. b. dual mandate. c. federal monopoly. d. single-payer system. e. individual mandate.

Q: The part of the policymaking process that involves choosing a specific policy from among the proposals that have been discussed is known as policy _____.a. formulationb. implementationc. adoptiond. choicese. consultation

Q: During his first two years in office, President ______ attempted to steer a national health-insurance proposal through Congress, but his plan failed. a. Jimmy Carter b. Franklin D. Roosevelt c. Ronald Reagan d. Barack Obama e. Bill Clinton

Q: Policy formulation is a. the process of making the government aware that an issue requires action. b. the discussion of proposals between governmental officials and the public. c. choosing a specific policy proposal from among the alternatives that have been discussed. d. concerned with the implementation of policy by bureaucrats, the courts, police, and individual citizens. e. the process of examining how a policy has worked in practice.

Q: Throughout the twentieth century, most economically advanced nations adopted ______ systems.a. self-pay health-careb. Medicaidc. Medicared. employer-sponsored health insurancee. universal health insurance

Q: The Medicaid program is funded a. in equal shares by every state. b. by a tax on private insurance companies. c. by a combination of state and federal taxpayers. d. exclusively by the federal government. e. exclusively by state governments.

Q: Which of the following statements about the Medicare system is false? a. It pays for hospital and physician bills for U.S. residents aged 65 years or over. b. It pays part of elderly people's prescription drug benefits. c. Some health-care providers have become reluctant to accept Medicare patients, because the Federal Government has cut back on reimbursement rates. d. Reimbursement rates and caps are set according to international standards. e. It is funded by taxes on wages and salaries.

Q: The Medicare program isa. the government health care program set up primarily for the poor.b. the most costly domestic spending program.c. the government health care program set up primarily for children.d. the second largest domestic spending program.e. part of New Deal legislation introduced by Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s.

Q: As of 2010, about 50 percent of total health-care spending was paid for by a. the government. b. private insurance. c. individuals. d. charity. e. the Health Care for Americans endowment.

Q: Measured by percentage of GDP devoted to health care, the United States spends a. less than it did in 1965. b. about as much as Japan. c. about as much as Britain. d. almost twice as much as Britain or Japan. e. more than all other countries combined.

Q: Which of the following statements best defines agenda building?a. Making Congress aware that a problem requires congressional actionb. When government officials and the people discuss a proposalc. When a specific proposal is discussedd. When policymaking is implemented by bureaucrats, the courts, police, and individual citizense. When action is taken by Presidential officials when Congress passes a law

Q: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was a. passed in the House but died in the Senate. b. vetoed by President Obama, but the veto was overridden by Congress. c. signed into law by President Reagan. d. signed into law by President Bush. e. signed into law by President Obama.

Q: Which of the following is NOT a step in the policymaking process? a. Policy implementation b. Judicial review c. Policy formulation d. Agenda building e. Policy evaluation

Q: From which of the following sources do American policymakers get a great deal of their information?a. Academiab. Local leadersc. Familyd. Close associatese. The media

Q: ______ policy seeks to foster or discourage various economic or social activities, typically through subsidies or tax breaks. a. Regulatory b. Redistributive c. Promotional d. Foreign e. Bipartisan

Q: ______ policy transfers income from certain individuals or groups to others. a. Regulatory b. Redistributive c. Promotional d. Foreign e. Bipartisan

Q: Regulatory policya. seeks to define what is and is not legal.b. seeks to make income more evenly distributed across socioeconomic classes.c. tries to promote the best interests of various groups over others.d. attempts to maintain the status quo between different countries.e. is created by cooperation between Democrats and Republicans.

Q: Domestic policy is best defined as a. policies that affect major economic variables. b. all policies that affect housing. c. all the laws, government planning, and government action that concern internal issues of national importance. d. matters relating to law enforcement. e. the activities of the government concerning relations with foreign countries.

Q: How best to protect our environment and what the speed limit should be on interstate highways are both a. foreign policy questions. b. domestic policy questions. c. insoluble questions. d. local questions. e. questions for the courts.

Q: Explain the difference between progressive and regressive taxes. Would we be better served by simply employing a flat tax across the board? Why or why not?

Q: Explain the difference between loose and tight monetary policy, and describe when they would be appropriate policy options.

Q: Could the Obama Administration be said to have carried out true Keynesian economic policy? Why or why not?

Q: Examine the idea of the government guaranteeing every adult a job. What problems may there be? What other kinds of policies can help combat unemployment?

Q: Examine the federal budget deficit, why it occurred, and what measures should be taken to bring it down.

Q: Describe recent efforts aimed at reducing American dependence on foreign oil.

Q: What advantages and disadvantages exist for a nation that has a large immigrant population?

Q: Examine the health-care reform legislation that was passed by Congress in 2010. Explain the political process that led to its passage.

Q: Describe health care's role in the American economy, including recent trends in coverage and costs.

Q: Describe each stage of the policymaking process. Are there any reforms that could be implemented to make it more responsive to the American people? If so, what are they? If not, why not?

Q: The Social Security payroll tax can best be described as a a. state tax. b. victimless tax. c. excise tax. d. regressive tax. e. progressive tax.

Q: Which of the following happens with a progressive tax system? a. All taxpayers pay taxes at the same percentage rate. b. People with higher incomes pay taxes at a higher rate. c. People with higher incomes pay taxes at a lower rate. d. The tax burden consists mostly of property and sales taxes. e. The tax rates increase by a set percentage every year.