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ENFORCED! THIS EXAM IS WORTH 200 POINTS.
Temple College
Government 2302
Spring, 1998
Final Exam
MULTIPLE CHOICE. INSTRUCTIONS: Answer each of the following multiple
choice questions by marking the letter on your answer sheet that corresponds to the
BEST response. 98 questions/2.04 pts. each/200 points total.
Items #1-25 constitute the “comprehensive portion of this exam [from 1st three sections
of course syllabus]. Items #26-98 test material from syllabus topics #10-14.
1. Which of the following defines "politics?"
a. "Who gets what, when, and how."
b. "the authoritative allocation of valued things"
c. "the competitive process engaged by a society to determine priorities and allocate
or distribute scarce resources"
d. All of the above are definitions of "politics."
2. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, one reason that
citizens obey laws is that government
a. has a monopoly on law-making.
b. has legitimate authority to make the laws.
c. only passes laws that are acceptable to the majority.
d. always protects the minority viewpoint.
3. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, decisions that are
authoritative are those
a. which can be backed up by legitimate power.
b. that are made with the approval of a majority of the public.
c. which can be repealed in a referendum.
d. that are made by a small percentage of society.
4. Which of the following is (are) among the characteristics of public policy as presented
and discussed in class?
1. Public policy consists of courses of action rather than mere decisions.
2. Public policy is purposive or goal-oriented action.
3. Public policy is based upon law and is authoritative - that is, it must be developed
by government.
4. Public policy is the result of political processes.
5. Because of separation of powers, in the United States, public policy decisions are
always made by legislatures.
a. 1 and 2 b. 1, 2, and 3 c. 1, 2, 3, and 4 d. all of these
5. Suppose a city council passed an ordinance in 1990 which prohibits individuals and
businesses from posting signs (i.e., garage sale signs, small business advertising)
on right-of-ways, intersections, street lights, telephone poles, city property, etc.
Because Code Enforcement (the city department responsible for enforcement of the
ordinance) does not have enough manpower, it has not issued a single citation for
violation of the ordinance in seven years. Consequently, these signs are pervasive
around the city. What important principle of public policy does this example
illustrate?
a. City governments have little authority to make public policy decisions.
b. Public policies consist of decisions AND action - the action of government
determines the content of public policy.
c. Public policies NEVER work.
d. Public policies are what government intends to do.
6. Assume we want to use the systems model to analyze the law-making process in the
United States Congress. Which of the following concepts would BEST characterize
that institution?
a. input structure b. conversion structure c. feedback d. environment
7. Which of the following systems model concepts describes authoritative decisions and
actions (generally thought of as benefits or deprivations)?
a. environments b. input structures c. outputs d. feedback
8. According to systems model terminology, which of the following would be an example
of a conversion structure?
a. the U.S. Supreme Court b. the National Rifle Association c. the news media
d. the Republican Party
9. Which stage of the policy-making process would exclusively involve governmental
actors because only government officials have legitimate decision-making authority?
a. agenda-setting b. formulation c. adoption d. evaluation
10. In the evaluation stage of the policy-making process, which of the following may
judge the performance of a policy?
a. a member of Congress b. a bureaucrat c. a university professor
d. all of these.
11. Which stage of the policy-making process involves “officially choosing from among
alternative policy strategies?”
a. agenda-setting b. adoption c. implementation d. designation
12. The board of a Texas school district votes on a proposal to include a course on
moral values in the high school curriculum. This is an example of which stage of the
policy-making process?
a. implementation. b. designation. c. adoption. d. formulation.
13. In class, we introduced a public policy classification scheme. Which of the following
questions must be answered in order to classify a policy under this scheme?
1. Who is the primary target group?
2. Why is government implementing the policy?
3. What are the goals of the policy?
4. What is the activity of government with respect to the primary target group [what
is government doing to or for the primary target group]?
5. Who are the secondary target groups?
a. 1, 3, and 5 b. 1, 2, and 4 c. 2 and 4 d. 1 and 4
14. A city council bans smoking in all public places in the city. Fines are levied against
violators. The primary target group in this policy scenario is
a. the city council. b. tobacco companies. c. non-smokers. d. none of these.
15. The U.S. Department of Commerce requires that shrimpers operating in U.S. waters
install “turtle-excluder devices” [TEDs] on their nets to reduce the number of sea
turtles that are inadvertently killed in shrimp harvests. The Coast Guard randomly
inspects shrimping boats and may impose fines on or impound the vessels of
shrimpers who are not in compliance. This is an example of which type or class of
public policy?
a. resource allocative
b. resource extractive
c. regulatory
d. internal organization and management
16. In class, we proposed two criticisms concerning the apparent lack of efficiency and
effectiveness of government in the United States. Which of the following are the
proper pair of criticisms?
a. incompetent or corrupt politicians AND uninformed voters
b. uninformed voters AND the amount of money in election campaigns
c. incompetent or corrupt politicians AND the design of the political system
d. none of these
17. The framers of the U.S. Constitution attempted to prevent tyranny by
a. requiring that Congress defer to the other branches of government.
b. not giving Congress many powers.
c. making tyranny unconstitutional.
d. decentralizing political power through institutional mechanisms such as separation
of powers.
18. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the American system?
a. The legislature may remove the executive on grounds of policy disagreement.
b. The executive and members of the legislature are separately elected.
c. Members of the legislature are constitutionally-prohibited from serving in the
executive’s cabinet.
d. Divided party government is highly probable [i.e., legislature controlled by one
party and the executive controlled by another].
19. An important implication of our overview treatment of the American system is that
the structure of a political system emphasizes some values and not others. Which
values are BEST served by the decentralized nature of the American system?
a. efficient and effective government
b. effective, but prudent government
c. circumscribed (limited), deliberate (slow) government
d. crippled, impotent government
20. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, the founders of the
American republic believed that the bulk of the power that would be exercised by the
national government should be in the hands of
a. a very powerful chief executive.
b. the legislature.
c. a secret class of elites that was responsible for protecting the society from
anarchy.
d. a council of state governors that would meet once a year.
21. The authors of the Constitution were strongly influenced by their fear of
a. too much power in the hands of the legislature.
b. tyrannical kings and powerful, unchecked rulers.
c. judicial review as practiced in England.
d. uncontrolled power of state governments.
22. As drafted by the Philadelphia convention in 1787, the Constitution divided powers
among three branches of government because
a. the founding fathers wanted to ensure plenty of important positions for
themselves.
b. separation of powers would serve to limit the power of the government and
therefore protect individual rights.
c. the founding fathers lacked the practical experience to recognize the
awkwardness of the system they had created.
d. this is the most efficient way to organize government.
23. The constitutional principle of checks and balances allows the
a. president to veto congressional acts.
b. president to veto judicial decisions.
c. president to pass laws during a time of crisis.
d. Congress the power to select justices of the Supreme Court.
24. Constitutionally dividing governmental powers between the states and the national
government is referred to as
a. dual legitimacy.
b. egalitarianism.
c. federalism.
d. separation of powers.
25. Which of the following statements BEST characterizes the principle of separation
of powers under the U.S. Constitution?
a. Legislative, executive, and judicial powers are separated exercised by three
independent branches of government.
b. The three levels of government in the American system (national, state, and local)
all have separate and unrelated areas of autonomous power.
c. Democrats should either control the Congress or the presidency while the
Republicans control the other -- but neither should control both at the same time.
d. Each state has sovereignty to control the activities within its own borders.
26. The Texas Legislature is
a. unicameral. b. uniform.
c. bicameral.
d. the largest among the 50 states.
27. Which of the following was identified in class discussions as an impediment to the
Texas Legislature’s ability to function as a representative, responsive, and
democratic institution?
1. limited sessional time 2. bicameralism 3. low salaries for legislators
4. “no-party” legislature 5. concentration of leadership authority
a. none of these b. all of these c. 1, 2, 3, and 4 d. 1, 2, 4, and 5
28. The Texas Legislature meets in REGULAR session
a. on a full-time basis. b. annually for 140 days.
d. only when called to Austin by the governor.
c. biennially for 140 days.
29. The Texas Lieutenant Governor is
a. only a symbolic figure.
b. the presiding officer of the House of Representatives.
c. a powerful figure in the Senate.
d. all of these.
30. In the Texas Legislature, the permanent committees that initially consider most bills
are known as
a. ad hoc committees. b. conference committees. c. standing committees.
d. committees of the whole.
31. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, the turnover rate in the
Texas Legislature is
a. low. b. moderate. c. high. d. about the same as the U.S. Congress.
32. In the Texas House of Representatives, committee chairs are chosen by
a. majority party caucus. b. the governor. c. the Speaker of the House.
d. a majority vote of all members.
33. Texas senators are elected for terms of
a. 8 years. b. 6 years. c. 4 years. d. 2 years.
34. Special sessions of the Texas Legislature can only be called by
a. the governor. b. the Lieutenant Governor. c. the Speaker of the House.
d. all three of the above agreeing.
35. Special sessions of the Texas Legislature run for
a. 90 days. b. 60 days. c. 30 days. d. 10 days.
36. The Speaker is to the Texas House of Representatives as the ___________ is to
the Texas Senate.
a. majority leader b. vice-president c. attorney general d. none of these
37. The presiding officers of the Texas Legislature have the power to
a. appoint committee members. b. appoint most committee chairs.
c. determine the rules of procedure. d. all of the above.
38. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, the Texas Legislature has
traditionally been organized on the basis of
a. strong political parties. b. local king pins. c. ideology. d. none of these.
39. Bills are assigned to House standing committees by the
a. Lieutenant Governor.
b. the respective committee chairs.
c. Speaker of the House.
d. governor.
40. Which of the following functions are carried out by political parties in the Texas
Legislature?
a. organize the committee system b. provide important voting cues
c. selection of the legislative leadership d. none of these
41. Which of the following is a limitation imposed on the Texas Legislature by the state’s
constitution?
a. the requirement to have party caucuses
b. concentration of leadership authority
c. separation of powers and the principle of non-delegation of authority
d. all of these are limitations imposed by the state’s constitution
42. The members of the House Calendars Committee are chosen
a. on the basis of seniority. b. by a vote of the full House.
c. by the Speaker of the House. d. by the chairs of the standing committees.
43. What is the function of the House Calendars Committee?
a. sets the date for the Legislature’s adjournment
b. assigns individual House members to committees
c. determines priorities among bills introduced into the House
d. none of these
44. What is the best explanation for the Legislature’s general inability to override a
governor’s veto?
a. Most vetoes occur after the Legislature has adjourned.
b. A veto override requires a 3/4 majority in both chambers.
c. Most legislators are afraid of the governor.
d. The governor casts very few vetoes.
45. The instrument used by the Speaker of the House to control the flow of legislation
from committees to the House floor is the
a. Speaker’s team. b. governor office. c. House calendar.
d. judiciary committee.
46. The first bill placed on the Senate calendar each session is
a. the budget. b. the governor’s choice. c. called a blocking or “stopper” bill.
d. all of the above.
47. The answer to the previous question implies an instrument used by the Lieutenant
Governor to control legislation in the Senate by requiring that
a. the budget be balanced before any other bill is considered.
b. the governor be willing to sign the most politically volatile bill before any other bill
is considered.
c. a 2/3 majority of senators agree to take up a bill “out-of-order.”
d. none of these.
48. The current Speaker of the Texas House is planning to run for re-election to that
office in the next legislative session in two years. How would he prepare for that
race now?
a. raise a lot of campaign money
b. gather signed pledges of support from other House members
c. lobby the governor for that appointment
d. make a speaking tour of the state to become better known to the general public
49. The chief budget officer of the State of Texas is the
a. Comptroller of Public Accounts. b. Treasurer. c. governor.
d. OMB director.
50. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, the governor’s budget
proposals are usually not as influential as those of the
a. Comptroller of Public Accounts. b. Legislative Budget Board. c. Treasurer.
d. Attorney General.
51. The constitutional powers of the Texas governor reflect the thinking of the
a. Enlightenment.
b. model of presidential executive power under the U.S. Constitution.
c. constitutional reform movement of the 1970s.
d. post-Reconstruction era.
52. The 1876 Texas Constitution established a state executive branch with
a. strong executive powers.
b. a centralized executive.
c. a strong administrative structure.
d. decentralized powers.
53. Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC) is an example of
a. a means-tested cash transfer program. b. an in-kind transfer program.
c. a pension system. d. welfare universalism.
54. A program in which the federal government gives money to state or local
governments to implement a specific program is called
a. revenue sharing. b. block grants. c. public assistance. d. a categorical grant.
55. A welfare program that provides benefits to everyone in a particular category is an
example of
a. an in-kind benefit. b. a cash transfer program. c. welfare universalism.
d. welfare selectivism.
56. Which of the following serves as an example of the kind of program indicated by the
answer to question #52?
1. Social Security 2. AFDC 3. Food Stamps 4. Veterans’ benefits
5. Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
a. 1, 3, and 4
b. 2, 3, and 5
c. 2 and 5
d. 1 and 4
57. In which of the following programs do the STATES determine eligibility standards,
needs standards, and levels of benefits?
a. Social Security b. AFDC c. Medicare d. none of these
58. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, in-kind subsidies
a. have proven to be ineffective in the U.S.
b. are goods and services such as food stamps, housing vouchers, and health care.
c. prevent the poor from escaping poverty.
d. both a and c.
59. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, income transfers
a. have proven to be ineffective in the U.S.
b. are methods of transferring income from the relatively well-to-do to the relatively
poor.
c. prevent the poor from escaping poverty.
d. none of these.
60. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, Social Security was
originally intended to
a. aid farmers and help establish nutritional eating habits.
b. furnish assistance for families with only one parent.
c. assist the aged poor, the blind, and the disabled.
d. be a monthly payment (pension) to retired persons.
61. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, the official poverty
level is based on pre-tax income, including cash, but does not include
a. lottery winnings. b. real property. c. gifts from charities.
d. in-kind subsidies (i.e., food stamps, housing vouchers, etc.)
62. Currently, adjustments to the poverty income threshold are based on
a. recommendations from the Council of Economic Advisors.
b. price changes in the food budget.
c. the consumer price index.
d. recommendations from the president.
63. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, the welfare reform bill
of 1996
a. limits most welfare recipients to only two years of assistance.
b. allows states to deny benefits to unmarried teenage mothers.
c. prohibits individuals who have a misdemeanor conviction from receiving benefits.
d. both a and b.
64. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, a major problem with
workfare proposals is
a. the cost of daycare for single mothers.
b. the number of restrictions for the type of jobs that can be considered legitimate.
c. a constitutional requirement of equal protection.
d. both a and b.
65. Which of the following describes a late-19th century social philosophy that
discouraged poverty relief on the grounds that such relief promotes an “artificial
selection” or “survival of the least fit” [argued that people are poor because they are
morally, spiritually, physically, or otherwise personally inadequate - it is their own
fault]?
a. social evolution. b. Calvinistic work ethic. c. social Darwinism.
d. progressivism.
66. Which event convinced many Americans that material condition was less a result of
personal attributes and more a result of environmental circumstances beyond the
control of the individual?
a. the Industrial Revolution b. the Great Depression c. the American Revolution
d. the Panic of 1893
67. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, the United States
economy has sustained enough economic growth to
a. eliminate domestic poverty.
b. adequately feed the population of the entire world.
c. provide every person in the United States with a luxury automobile.
d. both b and c.
68. Critics of the current welfare system argue that
a. welfare programs discourage recipients from finding employment.
b. only ethnic minorities benefit.
c. welfare programs, particularly AFDC, encourage the break up of welfare families.
d. both a and c.
69. Which of the following is TRUE of AFDC recipients?
a. A majority of AFDC families are African-American.
b. Most AFDC families are off the program within three years.
c. The average AFDC family has five children.
d. All of these are TRUE.
70. In the United States, poverty relief programs such as AFDC, Food Stamps, and
Medicaid
1. are implemented by the states.
2. reflect an approach known as welfare selectivism.
3. reflect an approach known as welfare universalism.
4. are means-tested programs.
5. have loose eligibility requirements.
a. 1, 2, and 4 b. 1, 3, and 5 c. 3 and 5 d. 1 and 3
71. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, the work disincentive
associated with AFDC stems from the fact that
a. the more recipients earn, the fewer benefits they receive.
b. educational benefits are now offered on an “ability-to-benefit” basis.
c. job training does not fit the current job market.
d. the paperwork involved in applying for benefits is too great.
72. According to the authors of your AMERICAN GOVERNMENT text, current poverty relief
programs do not address the problem of
a. a lack of adequate housing. b. a lack of adequate food.
c. unequal employment opportunities. d. job training.
73. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, the most expensive
program administered by the Texas Department of Health is
a. Medicare. b. Veterans’ benefits. c. inoculations. d. Medicaid.
74. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, the average monthly
AFDC payment per person in Texas is approximately $_____ per month.
a. 142 b. 96 c. 60 d. 34
75. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text [Figure 13.4], as of 1995,
approximately _____% of Texans live below the poverty level.
a. 32 b. 19 c. 12 d. 6
76. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, Texas ranks _____
(highest to lowest) among fifty states in per capita spending for public welfare.
a. 4th b. 23rd c. 38th d. 47th
77. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, the percentage of Texas
residents without health care coverage is
a. lower than the percentage of residents without health care coverage in most other
states.
b. approximately equal to the average percentage of residents without health care
coverage in all 50 states.
c. such that Texas leads the nation with those without health insurance.
d. none of the above.
78. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, federal funding accounts
for about what percentage of health and human services spending in Texas?
a. 91% b. 88% c. 63% d. 39%
79. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, new federal regulations
limit the lifetime benefits from AFDC to how many years?
a. 5 b. 10 c. 15 d. 20
80. Keynesian economics is typically associated with
a. supply-side economics.
b. the use of fiscal policies to alter national economic variables.
c. the theories of Adam Smith.
d. extensive government planning of national economic goals.
81. In the United States, monetary policy includes regulating the
a. amount of money in circulation.
b. tax rates.
c. amount of government expenditures. d. both b and c.
82. Fiscal policy includes regulating the
a. amount of money in circulation.
b. tax rates.
c. amount of government expenditures. d. both b and c.
83. Using a regressive tax allows
a. all taxpayers to pay proportional tax rates.
b. people with higher incomes to pay higher effective tax rates.
c. people with higher incomes to pay lower effective tax rates.
d. for a loss of marginal purchasing power.
84. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, business taxes have the
effect of being regressive because of
a. tax shifting. b. tax evasion. c. use of the state corporate income tax
d. all of the above
85. The Texas state general sales tax rate is
a. 5.75%. b. 6.25%. c. 7.755%. d. 8.25%.
86. In comparison to other states, the general sales tax in Texas is
a. much lower than average. b. slightly lower than the average.
c. about average. d. higher than average.
87. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, gasoline taxes are
a. based on the ability to pay. b. a type of income tax.
c. a benefits received tax. d. all of the above.
88. A progressive tax is one in which the tax is
a. based on the ability to pay. b. used widely in Texas.
c. only used by municipal governments. d. unfair to the poor.
89. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, the state sales tax in
Texas is
a. progressive. b. regressive. c. proportional. d. revenue neutral.
90. According to the authors of your TEXAS GOVERNMENT text, the Texas lottery
accounts for about what percent of state revenues?
a. 12.6% b. 8.2% c. 6.7% d. 4.2%
91. According to the author of the article “Who Pays for Local Sports Stadiums? The
Politics of Local Taxes,” the degree to which the economic burden of a city’s taxes
falls on non-residents is known as
a. tax liability. b. tax shifting. c. tax exportation. d. none of the above.
92. According to the author of the article “Who Pays for Local Sports Stadiums? The
Politics of Local Taxes,” which of the following municipal taxes is [are] candidates for
exportation?
1. hotel/motel room occupancy taxes 2. sales taxes 3. residential property taxes
4. commercial and industrial property taxes 5. traffic fines
a. 1, 2, 4, and 5 b. 1, 3, 4 and 5 c. 1, 2, 3, and 4 d. 2, 3, 4, and 5
93. Which of the following terms describes the legal responsibility for remitting tax
revenues to government?
a. statutory incidence b. economic incidence c. tax capitalization
d. excess burden
94. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
a. The economic incidence of most taxes in the United States are paid by
businesses.
b. The economic incidence of a tax imposed on a business will always be paid by
the business’ customers in the form of higher prices for the goods/services they
buy.
c. In the United States, the statutory incidence of taxes rarely falls on businesses.
d. None of the above statements are true.
95. In which of the following scenarios are consumers MOST likely to bear the biggest
share of the economic incidence of an excise tax?
a. when the statutory incidence of the tax is imposed on consumers
b. when demand for the good on which the tax is imposed is relatively price elastic
c. when demand for the good on which the tax is imposed is relatively price inelastic
d. when the sellers of the good have enough political power to get legislators to write
the tax law so that consumers will have to bear the economic burden of the tax
96. In which of the following scenarios are sellers MOST likely to bear the biggest share
of the economic incidence of an excise tax?
a. when the statutory incidence of the tax is imposed on sellers
b. when demand for the good on which the tax is imposed is relatively price elastic
c. when demand for the good on which the tax is imposed is relatively price inelastic
d. when the consumers of the good have enough political power to get legislators to
write the tax law so that sellers will have to bear the economic burden of the tax
97. Suppose government decides to impose an excise tax on each of the following items
as indicated. Some of the economic burden of the taxes will likely be borne by both
sellers and consumers in each case, but consumers are MORE likely to bear the
greater share of the economic burden of the tax on
a. $1 tax per lb. of mangoes [juicy, aromatic tropical fruit with a firm skin]
b. $.50 tax per pack of chewing gum [5 sticks]
c. $5 tax per dose of insulin [essential medication for diabetics]
d. $1 tax per “hand-held wand” car wash [3 minute cycle]
98. Which of the following terms describes the phenomenon that takes place when the
economic burden of a tax is borne by some entity other than the one that bears the
statutory incidence?
a. legal liability b. tax shifting c. tax evasion d. tax slighting