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Semester One Final-60 pts
Part 1- Constitution 38 pts
1) Compared to the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution created a
a) Stronger national government.
b) Weaker national government.
c) Stronger executive.
d) a and b.
e) b and c.
2) After the American Revolution, economic issues moved to the top of the political agenda
because
a) Banks across the country faced a series of foreclosures.
b) A period of tremendous economic prosperity began.
c) Slavery was growing increasingly economically unstable.
d) State legislatures started a vigorous campaign of debt collection.
e) A postwar depression hurt small farmers and many others.
3) Two key of elements of the Madisonian model were to
a) Keep most of the government beyond the control of a popular majority and separate
the powers of different institutions.
b) Require a system of checks and balances and extend democracy.
c) Keep as much of the government as possible beyond the control of a popular majority
and extend the right to vote to everyone.
d) Combine the powers of different institutions and create a powerful presidency.
e) Promote state power while separating the powers of different national institutions.
4) Shay’s Rebellion is significant because it
a) led to the overthrow of British rule
b) scared the American elites, leading to the adoption of the Constitution
c) caused the American colonies to join together in the face of a threat from the French
d) led to the enactment of slavery in the South
e) narrowly avoided overthrowing the government of Vermont
5) Which of the following was NOT a problem with the Articles of Confederation
a) There was no strong federal army to prevent revolutions
b) The Articles were almost impossible to amend
c) Each state was taxing trade with other states
d) States were establishing ties with foreign powers
e) The articles did not adequately protect the freedom of the states
6) The issue of the representation of slaves was decided by the
a) Three- Fifths Compromise
b) Connecticut Compromise
c) Commerce and Slave- Trade Compromise
d) Bill of Rights
e) Articles of Confederation
7) The principle of American Government that establishes concurrent, state and national
governments is known as
a) Separation of powers
b) Limited government
c) Federalism
d) Check and balances
e) Judicial review
8) The Virginia Plan would have created a
a) Legislature dominated by the small states
b) Legislature dominated by the big states
c) Legislature controlled by the slave states
d) Legislature that balanced control between the large and small states
e) Constitutional monarchy
9) Which of the following statements about the relationship between Congress and the Supreme
Court is valid?
a) A decision can be overturned by a two-thirds vote of both houses
b) Nominations to the Supreme Court must be approved by Congress
c) A constitutional amendment is the only way Congress can overturn a Supreme Court
decision
d) Congress can expand the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court through legislation
e) Congress can remove a Supreme Court justice
10) A constitutional responsibility given to the vice president is
a) Representing the president at official functions
b) Serving as leader of the of president’s party in the Senate
c) Recommending appointments to the cabinet
d) Presiding over the Senate
e) Heading special executive committees created by the president
11) All the following were weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation EXCEPT
a) Congress did not have the power to control interstate and foreign trade
b) Congress had the power to make laws
c) It was difficult to amend the Articles of Confederation
d) There was no independent judiciary
e) Few limits were imposed on the executive branch
12) The arguments used by Antifederalist against ratification of the Constitution included which of
the following?
I.
The Constitution gave too much power to the federal government
II.
The Constitution did not protect individual liberties
III.
The Constitution protected the interest of small farmers against the country’s wealthy
elite
IV.
The Constitution took too many rights away form states
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
I only
I and II only
I, II , III only
I, II, and IV only
II and III only
13) The authority that Congress has under the Necessary and Proper Clause is called
a) Implied powers
b) Enumerated powers
c) Reserved powers
d) Elastic powers
e) Categorical powers
14) Limiting members of Congress to a specific number of terms can be imposed only by
a) A decision of the Supreme Court
b) Laws enacted in all 50 states
c) An executive order of the president
d) A constitutional amendment
e) Legislation passed by a two-third vote of both houses
15) All the following statements about the amendment process are true EXCEPT
a) Amendments are proposed by a vote of two-thirds of the state legislatures
b) Conventions in three-fourths of the states can ratify an amendment
c) A national convention can propose an amendment
d) Amendment are proposed through a two thirds vote of both houses of Congress
e) Ratification require approval of three-fourths of the state legislature
16) The Supremacy Clause in the Constitution states that
a) Congress is the most important branch of government
b) The constitution, federal laws, and treaties are the supreme law of the land
c) The federal government has more power than the states
d) The armed forces are under the control of civilian authority
e) The president has supreme power as commander-in-chief
17) Evidence that the framers of the Constitution may have distrusted the common people is
a) Senate approval of presidential appointments
b) The introduction of money bills in the House of Representatives
c) The method by which the president is elected
d) The age and citizenship requirements for the Senate
e) The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives
18) The Virginia and New Jersey plans both provided for
a) A bicameral legislature
b) Separation of powers
c) A strong executive
d) Equal representation of states
e) Slavery
19) The purpose of the system of checks and balances in the Constitution is to ensure that
a) The federal courts are independent
b) The president has the power to control Congress
c) The military is under civilian control
d) One branch does not dominate the others
e) Congress has a role in foreign policy
20) Which of the following civil liberty protections is included in the Constitution as ratified?
a) The prohibition of the cruel and unusual punishment
b) The protection of freedom of assembly
c) The limitation imposed on the slave trade
d) The power given the states over elections
e) No religious test for holding office
21) Which of the following statements best characterizes the attitudes of the framers of the
Constitution toward slavery?
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
They were all slave owners and were determined to preserve slavery
They supported the expansion of slavery beyond the original 13 states
They wanted to limit slavery, but political considerations made that impossible
They believed that if slavery was not mentioned, ratification would be harder
They preferred the gradual emancipation of all slaves
22) The Constitution prohibits the states from doing all the following EXCEPT
a) Granting titles of nobility
b) Giving sanctuary to runaway slaves
c) Determining qualifications for voting
d) Imposing tariffs on goods from foreign countries
e) Coining money
23) Which of the following statements about judicial review is NOT true?
a) Judicial review gives the Supreme Court the power to declare an action by the president
unconstitutional
b) The Supreme Court’s decision in Marbury v. Madison was based on judicial review
c) Judicial review is significantly mentioned in the Constitution under the powers of the
Supreme Court
d) Judicial review can significantly impact the meaning of the Constitution
e) The power of the Supreme Court to declare a law unconstitutional was recognized in
The Federalist Papers
24) Federalism originally meant that
a) The national government would protect minimal rights in states
b) State governments would have relatively equal sets of rights
c) The national and state governments would protect the similar rights
d) Layers of government could have unique forms of rights
e) States would join the union only if they adopted the Constitution
25) All of the following are evidence of the original dominance of Congress EXCEPT
a) Presidential veto powers
b) The length and detail of Article 1
c) Checks on presidential appointments
d) Presidential “recess appointment” powers
e) All are examples of Congressional dominance
26) Which power was NOT included in the Constitution?
a) The vice president’s position in two federal branches
b) Congress’s power to declare the punishment for treason
c) Congress’s power to filibuster bills to death
d) Congress’s power to suspend writs of habeas corpus
e) Congress’s ability to tax products sold from states
27) A major point of power disputes between presidents and Congress centers on
a) Presidents assuming powers given to Congress in Article 1
b) Presidents acting without actual Constitutional authority
c) Congress’s unwillingness to allow presidents to be a real “commander-in chief”
d) Congress’s giving presidents power to control rules of the military
e) Congress’s refusal to protect the states in time of crisis
28) Congress has all of the following powers EXCEPT
a) The right to set salaries for its members
b) The right to remove members of Congress
c) The right to create a huge national debt
d) The power to serve temporarily as members of the Electoral College
e) The right not to pay the military
29) Governments in which all power resides in the central government are called
a) Federal governments
b) Confederate governments
c) Unitary governments
d) Pluralist governments
e) National governments
30) How common is a federal governmental structure around the world?
a) Fewer than 1 in 10 nations have them
b) Only about one-third of nations have them
c) Roughly half of nations have them
d) More than three-quarters of nations have them
e) All nations have some form federalism
Part II- Congress 30 pts
1. Conference committees
a. Register bills to be introduced on the floor and schedule debate
b. Handle proposed legislation that deals with more than one are of policy
c. Work out compromises between House and Senate versions of bills
d. Combine members of both the House and Senate to consider overlapping policy areas
e. Educate the public about the activities of Congress
2. Incumbents have all of the following advantages over their challengers EXCEPT
a. Incumbents spend more money than d challengers
b. Incumbents can brag about federal spending projects in their districts
c. Incumbents can increase visibility among their constituents by using the franking privilege
d. Incumbents provide casework for their constituents
e. Challengers have a clean political record, and incumbents do not
3. In which of the following ways does Congress conduct legislative oversight
I.
Appointing conference committees to investigate the actions of the bureaucracy
II.
Determining the federal budget
III.
Holding hearings to question agency officials
IV.
Inspecting government offices
a. I and III only
b. II and III only
c. III and IV only
d. I, II, and III only
e. I, III, and IV only
4. Which of the following statements accurately describe legislative committees?
I.
Committees are in session only when preparing bills to be introduced onto the floor
II.
Junior members of Congress have few opportunities to sit on committees
III.
The Speaker of the House has a great deal of influence in appointing committees chairs
IV.
Conference committees are composed of senators whose task is to amend bills that are
in danger of being killed in Congress
a.
III only
b.
I and III only
c.
II and III only
d.
I, II, and IV only
e.
I, III and V only
5. A senator can often prevent the Senate from voting on the bill being debated on the Senate
floor by
a. Conducting oversight
b. Filibustering
c. Introducing another bill
d. Holding hearings
e. Logrolling
6. Which of the following legislative powers is implied by the elastic clause?
a. Coining money
b. Establishing Post Offices
c. Regulating foreign trade
d. Creating an air force
7. On a bill with high visibility, members of Congress are most likely to vote
a. Along party lines
b. According to their personal ideology
c. In a presidential coalition
d. In keeping with the needs of their constituency
e. According to the pressures of lobbyists
8. After a House committee reviews a bill and writes its report, the bill typically goes to the
a. Senate
b. House appropriate subcommittee
c. President
d. House floor for debate
e. House Rules Committee
9. Which of the following is a difference between the House and Senate
a. Power is more decentralized in the Senate
b. The filibuster is more common in the House than in the Senate
c. The Senate allows twice as much time for debate on a bill than does the House
d. Members of the House have large constituencies
e. The legislative process starts in the House; the Senate can only debate bills once the House
has passed them
10. Which of the following statements about Congressional parties is accurate?
a. The majority party controls all of the seats on a majority of the committees
b. Both political parties become more extreme and more homogenous
c. Both political parties moderated. Taking policy positions closer to the median voter
d. The House operates on a nonpartisan basis while the Senate is heavily partisan
e. Political parties are much weaker and disjointed than they were 30 years ago
11) Which of the following did the framers of the Constitution conceive of as the center of policymaking
in America?
A) the President
B) the people
C) Congress
D) the courts
E) the Supreme Court
12) ______ privileges refers to the free use of the mails enjoyed by Congress.
A) franking
B) conmail
C) junket
D) procurement
E) e-mail
1 3) How many senators are elected from each state?
A) one
B) two
C) four
D) it depends on a state's population
E) the same number as it has electors in the electoral college
14) Which of the following is true about the minimum age requirements for members of Congress set
forth in the Constitution?
A) one must be at least 25 years of age to serve in the House of Representatives
B) one must be at least 30 years of age to serve in the Senate.
C) one must be as least 35 years of age to serve in either the House or the Senate.
D) there are no age requirements for members of Congress.
E) Both A and B
15) The members of the Senate closely reflect the nation in terms of
A) race.
B) gender.
C) economic status.
D) prior occupation.
E) None of the above
16) In order to be Senator, you must be what age?
A) 25
B) 35
C) 30
D) 21.
E) 18
17) The most common prior occupation for members of Congress is
A) business.
B) law.
C) education.
D) public service.
E) state legislator.
18) After the 2014 midterm elections, what will Congress’s political dynamic look like?
A) Senate controlled by Democrats
B) Senate controlled by Republicans and House controlled by Democrats
C) Both houses controlled by Democrats
D) Both houses controlled by Republicans
E) none of the above
19) Millionaire Senator Edward Kennedy sponsoring a bill to help the poor and disadvantaged would be
an example of
A) descriptive representation.
B) substantive representation.
C) elite representation.
D) constituent representation.
E) franking privileges.
20) Incumbents are those
A) already holding office
B) running for office for the first time.
C) who have been defeated in an election.
D) retired members of Congress.
E) running for an office.
21) The single most important advantage to someone trying to get elected to Congress is
A) being an incumbent.
B) having more money to spend on campaigning.
C) being charismatic and photogenic.
D) having a clean record.
E) winning the endorsement of the top leaders of their party.
22) Which of the following is NOT true about incumbents?
A) They usually win elections.
B) They usually have more money than their challengers.
C) They usually have higher name recognition and visibility than their opponents.
D) They usually face very tough challengers, especially in races for the house.
23) Compared to members of the House, Senators are
A) more likely to have personal contact with their constituents.
B) represent the entire state, not just a region.
C) represent a region of the state.
D) have time restrictions on their floor debate.
24) Who is the leader of the Senate, but does not have real power besides voting in case of a tie.
A) McConnell
B) Biden C) Boehner
D) Read E) None of the Above
25) How can Congress override a Presidential Veto?
A) Ignore it
B) One house has to override the veto with a 2/3rds vote
C) Both houses have to override the veto with a 2/3rds vote
D) Call special caucus with President.
E) None of the above.
26) Bicameralism means that a legislative body is one
A) With two houses, providing checks and balances on policymaking
B) In which each state has two senators, providing equal representation of the states
C) In which incumbents have a better chance of being re-elected, provided continuity in
policymaking
D) They must share power with a president, providing more efficient policymaking
E) In which there are only two political parties
27) The best way constituents can influence Congressional voting on legislation is to
A)
B)
C)
D)
E)
sign petitions.
write letters or send telegrams.
fax or call in their opinions.
elect a representative or senator who agrees with their views.
demonstrate on the steps of the capitol.
28) To be sent to the President, a bill must be passed by
A) The House
B) The Senate
C) Either the House or the Senate
D) Both the House and the Senate
E) A majority vote of Congress, regardless of which house the votes come from
29) According to the Constitution, revenue bills must originate in the
A) Internal Revenue Service
B) Federal Reserve System
C) House
D) Senate
E) Treasury Department
30) Nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court must be confirmed by
A) The Senate
B) The House
C) Either the House or the Senate
D) Both the House and the Senate
E) The President