UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS FINAL EXAM
Section I
60 questions
Directions: Each of the questions or incomplete statements below is followed by five
suggested answers or completions. Select the best one and fill in the corresponding oval on
your answer sheet.
1. When a child’s parents both identify strongly with the same political party, the child will
most likely
(A) identify with the opposing party
(B) identify with the parents’ party
(C) have a low sense of political efficacy
(D) become an independent rather than a party identifier
(E) become alienated from the political system
2. The Connecticut (Great) Compromise provided for
(A) all revenue bills to originate in the Senate
(B) all judicial appointments to be nominated by the president
(C) the elimination of the importation of slaves
(D) an electoral college and rules for the removal of the president
(E) a bicameral legislature with one house based upon state population and another on
equal state representation
3. The term “party machine” usually refers to a
(A) large national party organization that is hierarchically structured
(B) local party organization that relies heavily on the voluntary labor of all its members
(C) local party organization that is tightly disciplined and well staffed and relies on
patronage to create party loyalty
(D) party organization in which political favors are distributed by national leaders in
repayment for large contributions
(E) party organization in which major platform decisions are made behind closed doors
rather than at national conventions
4. Which of the following demographic groups has voted most consistently for the
Democratic Party in national elections over the last three decades?
(A) African Americans
(B) Hispanics
(C) Protestants
(D) Wealthy White males
(E) Southern White males
5. Which of the following factors best accounts for the rise of interest groups and the decline
of political parties in recent years?
(A) National parties have become too closely identified with controversial issues
(B) Court decisions have restricted the political parties’ abilities to recruit new members
(C ) It is less expensive to join an interest group than to join a political party
(D) Interest groups have been more successful in avoiding negative press coverage than
have political parties
(E) Interest groups are better able to articulate specific policy positions than are political
parties
6. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold) did which of the
following?
(A) It created interest groups known as 527s.
(B) It made it illegal for unions to donate to presidential campaigns.
(C) It banned soft money donations to national parties.
(D) It banned candidates from running negative advertisements.
(E) It banned third-parties from federal funding.
7. Citizens who believe that their votes will have no effect on the outcome of an election
have a
(A) high level of trust in elected officials
(B) high level of political participation
(C) high level of political interest
(D) low level of political efficacy
(E) low level of political cynicism
8. Which of the following did the Supreme Court establish in Marbury v. Madison ?
(A) The Supreme Court can declare federal legislation invalid if the legislation violates
the Constitution.
(B) Each state has the right to set up and run its own court system.
(C) All the powers that are not explicitly given by the Constitution to Congress belong to the
states.
(D) Any president who commits treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors
can be impeached.
(E) The Constitution can only be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members of the
House of Representatives.
9. Which of the following can be concluded from the figures in the table above?
(a) Catholic and Hispanic voters gave Reagan a lower level of support in 1984 than in 1980.
(b) Jewish voters were the only group that did not register gains for Reagan between 1980
and 1984.
(c) In terms of support for Reagan, the gap between men and women grew between 1980
and 1984.
(d) In terms of support for Reagan, the gap between Black voters and White voters grew
between 1980 and 1984.
(e) In terms of support for Reagan, the gap between younger voters and older voters grew
between 1980 and 1984.
10. Political socialization is the process by which
(a) the use of private property is regulated by the government
(b) governments communicate with each other
(c) public attitudes toward government are measured and reported
(d) political values are passed to the next generation
(e) children are trained for successful occupations
11. The process known as front-loading refers to
(A) presidential candidates raising funds far in advance of the first presidential primary
(B) a presidential candidate seeking endorsements before officially declaring
candidacy
(C) the tendency of states to choose an early date on the primary calendar
(D) political action committees (PACs) contributing money to candidates at least one year
before the first presidential primary or caucus
(E) the winner-take-all principle of the electoral college
12. Enumerated powers of the federal government include all of the following EXCEPT the
power to
(A) coin money
(B) declare war
(C) regulate interstate commerce
(D) regulate intrastate commerce
(E) tax
13. All of the following issues were decided at the Constitutional Convention EXCEPT
(A) representation in the legislature
(B) voting qualifications of the electorate
(C) method of electing the President
(D) congressional power to override a presidential veto
(E) qualifications for members of the House and Senate
14. Which of the following is a type of primary election that requires registration as a party
affiliate to vote?
(A) Blanket
(B) Closed
(C) General
(D) Open
(E) Plebiscite
15. In The Federalist papers, James Madison argues that political liberty is best protected by
(A) a written constitution
(B) a small republic with a parliamentary system
(C) a small democracy with a unitary government
(D) well-regulated militias controlled by state governments
(E) the fragmentation of political power in a large republic
HYPOTHETICAL GOVERNMENT
President Republican
Senate 49 Republicans 51 Democrats
House 220 Republicans 215 Democrats
16. The government depicted above is best described by which of the following terms?
(A) Nonpartisan government
(B) Unicameral government
(C) Unitary government
(D) Divided government
(E) Dealigned government
17. One example of constitutional checks and balances is
(A) the president declares war, but Congress appropriates military funds
(B) the president nominates cabinet members, and the House holds
confirmation hearings
(C) the House can impeach federal judges and the president, and the Senate holds
the impeachment trial
(D) Congress can override United States Supreme Court decisions on the constitutionality
of laws
(E) presidential vetoes of laws can be overridden by a simple majority vote in both the
House and the Senate
18. An election in which there is a significant shift in the bases of electoral support from one
political party to another is called a
(A) deviating election
(B) maintaining election
(C) dealigning election
(D) primary election
(E) realigning election
19. Which of the following describes the result in a winner-take-all, single-member-district
plurality system?
(A) The candidate who receives the most votes in the election wins.
(B) The candidate must receive at least 51% of the votes to win.
(C) The top two vote-getters compete in a run-off election.
(D) A political party must receive 51% of the votes to win all of the seats in the district.
(E) The party that receives the most votes in the election wins the seat and selects the party
member who will fill the seat.
20. All of the following United States Supreme Court decisions strengthened the power of
the federal government EXCEPT
(A) Gibbons v. Ogden
(B) Marbury v. Madison
(C) US vs. Lopez
(D) McCullough v. Maryland
(E) Brown v. Board of Education
21. A major difference between political parties and interest groups is that
(A) interest groups typically shift their positions on issues over time, while political parties
tend to keep the same position on issues over time
(B) interest groups usually recruit candidates for office, while political parties usually limit
themselves to making campaign contributions to candidates
(C) political parties seek to gain control of government, while interest groups seek to
influence public policy
(D) political parties tend to have narrow coalitions of support, and interest groups tend to
have broad coalitions of support
(E) political parties usually focus on one issue, while interest groups focus mainly on many
issues
22. Since 1960, which of the following is the most significant factor in determining which
candidate receives the party’s nomination for president?
(A) The economic condition facing three country
(B) The belief that programs favored by the candidate would benefit the country
(C) The ability of the candidate to win the majority of the delegates at the convention
(D) The support of the candidate by party leaders
(E) The polls indicating that the candidate has name recognition
23. Which of the following most accurately describes media coverage of elections?
(A) Coverage of presidential primaries gives relatively equal power to states regardless of
when they hold their primaries.
(B) Coverage tends to focus on issues rather than on which candidate is ahead in public
opinion polls.
(C) Reporters who use secret sources in their campaign coverage are shielded by federal
law from having to reveal those sources.
(D) Radio and television stations must provide on their news broadcasts equal time for and
equal coverage of major party candidates.
(E) Network news coverage is usually dominated by reporters who offer relatively short
sound bites from the candidates.
24. Which of the following forms of financial aid from the national government gives the
states the broadest discretion in the spending of money?
(A) Categorical grants-in-aid
(B) Foreign aid
(C) Unfunded mandates
(D) Block grants
(E) Military funding
25. When none of the presidential candidates receives a majority of the votes in the
electoral college, the winner is chosen by the
(A) Federal Elections Commission
(B) Supreme Court
(C) House of Representatives only
(D) Senate only
(E) majority of the House and Senate combined
26. The term “split-ticket voting” is most accurately described as
(A) turning in a spoiled or mutilated ballot as a form of protest
(B) using separate ballots for candidates at the state and national levels
(C) voting Republican in one election cycle and Democratic in the next
(D) voting for candidates of different parties on the same ballot
(E) voting for one party in the primary election and for another party in the general election
27. When contributing to congressional campaigns, political action committees (PACs) are
most likely to contribute to
(A) incumbents of both major parties
(B) third-party challengers
(C) Republican challengers
(D) state party organizations
(E) national party organizations
28. Shays’ Rebellion strengthened the movement to
A) produce a new national constitution
B) increase duties on imported goods
C) suspend all property taxes
D) rejoin the British Empire
E) have universal suffrage
29. Under the Articles of Confederation, which of the following were true?
I. Congress could not tax the states directly.
II. The executive branch of government exercised more power than Congress.
III. Congress was a unicameral body.
IV. States were represented in Congress proportionally according to population.
(A) I and II
(B) I and III
(C) I and IV
(D) II and III
(E) II and IV
(Questions 30 and 31 are based on the following quote:)
"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces
a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off
such government..."
30. The quote is from
A) The Declaration of Independence
(B) The Constitution
(C) Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan
(D) Federalist 51
(E) John Locke’s Second Treatise on Government
31. The quote reflects most accurately which principle of government?
A) The self-interest of humans
(B) federalism
(C) the social contract
(D) separation of powers
(E) states rights
32. The chart above supports which of the following conclusions?
(a) A majority of the men polled identified with the Republican party.
(b) More men than women voted for Ronald Reagan in 1984.
(c) The younger a man was, the more likely he was to identify himself as a Democrat.
(d) The Geraldine Ferraro vice-presidential candidacy caused many formerly Republican
women to identify with the Democrats.
(e) The gender gap among those who identified with the Republican party was narrowest
for those between 25 and 34 years of age.
33. All of the following were characteristic of the American government under the Articles
of Confederation EXCEPT:
(a) The central government consisted of a Congress in which each state was represented
equally
(b) No judiciary branch existed at the national level .
(c) The central government could not levy taxes
(d) The central government could not regulate commerce between states.
(e) The Articles could be amended by a vote of 10 of the 13 states .
Questions 34-35 refer to the following clause from the Constitution.
The Congress shall have the power….to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper
for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by the
Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.
34. Interpretations of this clause have been central to attempts to define the nature of which
of the following aspects of the United States political system?
(A) Republicanism
(B) Pluralism
(C ) Due Process of Law
(D) Federalism
(E) Judicial Review
35. The practical effect of this clause has been to
(A) Make the legislature the most powerful branch of the national government
(B) allow the national government to extend its powers beyond those enumerated in the
Constitution
(C) allow the state governments to nullify federal laws within their borders
(D) give the president uncontested powers in the area of foreign policy
(E) ensure that any powers not delegated by the Constitution to the united States
government are reserved to the states and the people
36. All of the following were concerns about the Articles of Confederation that led to the
calling of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 except
(a) dissatisfaction over safeguards of individual rights and liberties
(b) fear for the stability of the central government
(c) desire to promote trade among the states
(d) the need to give the central government the power to levy taxes
(e) dissatisfaction with the central government’s ability to provide for national defense
37. Political parties serve which of the following functions in the United States?
I. Informing the public about political issues
II. Mobilizing voters and getting them to the polls
III. Helping to inform incumbents in office about narrow and specific topics
IV. Establishing the rules governing financial contributions to political candidates
(a) II only
(b) I and II only
(c) III and IV only
(d) I, II, and III only
(e) I, III, and IV only
38. The primary election system of selecting presidential candidates has had which of the
following effects?
(a) It has increased the importance of state party organizations.
(b) It has loosened the hold of party leaders over the nomination process.
(c) It has reduced the role of citizens in the candidate selection process.
(d) It has lowered the cost of running for office.
(e) It has led to a decline in the importance of party voter-registration drives.
Question 39-40 refer to the graph below:
39. Which of the following statements about the federal government between 1948 and
1978 is supported by the chart?
(a) Federal government spending increased primarily to keep pace with increasing
employment.
(b) Short-term decreases in the number of federal regulations led to decreases in spending
and employment.
(c) The bulk of the increase in federal spending resulted from wage increases.
(d) A relatively stable number of employees administered larger federal budgets and
enforced more regulations.
(e) The high cost of regulation prevented the federal government from hiring more
workers.
40. Which of the following public policy problems is most likely to result from the situation
shown in the chart?
(a) Government employees may become responsible for larger bodies of regulation than
they can effectively monitor.
(b) Regulations may apply to an increasingly small portion of industry as the economy
grows.
(c) Governmental hiring patterns may draw too many educated workers from the private
sector.
(d) The influence of special-interest groups may increase as the number of federal
employees grows.
(e) Increases in the number of federal employees may necessitate the construction of new
and expensive federal facilities.
41. Which of the following is argued by James Madison in The Federalist #10?
(a) A system of republican representation helps to limit the excesses of factionalism.
(b) Small republics are better able to ensure individual liberty than are large republics.
(c) The presence of a few large factions helps to protect the rights of minorities.
(d) Participatory democracy is the surest way to prevent tyranny.
(e) The elimination of the causes of factionalism is the best protection against tyranny.
Base your answer to question 42 on the quotation below and on your knowledge of social
studies.
(Sec. 4.) Every person presenting himself for registration shall be able to read and write any
section of the Constitution in the English language and before he shall be entitled to vote he
shall have paid on or before the first day of March of the year in which he proposes to vote his
poll tax as prescribed by law for the previous year.
—Public Laws of North Carolina, 1899, chapter 218
42. The principal purpose of this law was to
(A) assure equality of voting rights for all people
(B) encourage literacy for former slaves
(C) prevent African Americans from using their suffrage rights
(D ) promote the racial integration of Southern society
43. Which of the following best explains why some states support “frontloading”?
(A)
States that hold the first primaries and caucuses benefit from media
coverage and more candidate appearances.
(B)
States that hold primaries and caucuses just before the National
Convention can influence the party’s platform.
(C)
States that cast the first electoral votes can influence other states to follow
their lead.
(D)
The earlier the national convention is held, the more the host state has
influence in determining presidential candidates.
(E)
Early primaries cost the state more money than early caucuses.
44. Which of the following statements about political action committees (PACS’) is
generally true?
(A) They give most of their money to Democrats.
(B) They give most of their money to incumbents.
(C) They give most of their money to challengers in elections.
(D) They promote education rather than candidates.
(E) They tend not to contribute money to either party
45. The use of direct primaries instead of the convention system in selecting presidential candidates
results in which of the following?
I.
A weakening of party control over nominations
II.
A reduction in the costs of election campaigns
III.
An increase in the number of people involved in the choice of candidates
IV.
An increase in voter turnout in midterm elections
(A) I and III only
(B) II and IV only
(C) III and IV only
(D) I, II, and IV only
46. The primary reason for the current existence of the only two major parties in the United States is
(A) The Constitution puts severe restrictions on other parties
(B) third parties are usually far to the right or left, and Americans are moderates
(C) a winner-take-all electoral system makes it difficult for new parties to emerge and survive
(D) voters naturally think of themselves as either liberals or conservatives
(E) presidential electors can vote for only two candidates
47. All of the following are commonly used by interest groups to influence the political process EXCEPT:
(A) lobbying
(B) contributing money to candidates
(C) nominating candidates
(D) filing lawsuits
(E) appealing to public opinion
48. In contrast to revenue sharing, categorical grants in aid provide state and local government with:
(A) substantial discretion in deciding how to use the grants to solve their problems
(B) aid that reflects tax base and population
(C) the power to impose regressive taxes
(D) funds sufficient to support a high level of local service
(E) funds to administer programs clearly specified by the federal government
49. The framers of the Constitution all believed that one of the primary functions of government is:
(A) educating citizens
(B) protecting individual property rights
(C) protecting new immigrants from persecution
(D) expanding the borders of the nation
(E) ensuring that anyone accused of a crime has the right to legal representation
50. All of the following are consequences of the current federal system in the United States EXCEPT:
(A) inequality in governmental services across state lines
(B) opportunities for experimentation in government programs
(C) multiple points of access for interest groups
(D) decentralization of political conflict
(E) a strict division of power among levels of government
51. The primary reason for the current existence of only two major political parties in the United States
is that:
(A) the Constitution puts severe restrictions on other parties
(B) third parties are usually far to the right or left, and Americans are moderate
(C) a winner-take-all electoral system makes it difficult for new parties to emerge and survive
(D) voters naturally think of themselves as either liberals or conservatives
(E) presidential electors can only vote for two candidates
52. “But it is not possible to give each department an equal power of self-defence. In a republican
government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates. The remedy for this
inconveniency is to divide the legislature ... and the executive should fortified.”
In this passage from Federalist # 51, Madison is making an argument for
a. the legislative veto and executive orders
b. bicameralism and the veto
c. separation of powers and Constitutional war-making powers to the President
d. shorter congressional terms and longer presidential terms
e. an alliance between the executive and the judiciary by the President’s ability to
appoint federal judges.
53. Which of the following is the definition of public opinion?
(A) The expression of attitudes about government and policies
(B) People connecting their public opinion and beliefs with
government policies
(C) The process by which a person acquires a set of political attitudes
and forms opinions about social issues
(D) People’s belief in how responsive government is to their needs
(E) The expression of attitudes as portrayed by the government
54. The validity of a poll is best determined by
(A) A large gap between the time the poll is taken and the time the
results are released
(B) Partisan groups taking and recording the results of a poll
(C) Complex questions to be answered by the people being polled
(D) A sampling error of those polled under 4%.
(E) A large number of self-selected surveys (usually done through TV)
55. What did the Motor-Voter Registration Act of 1993 accomplish?
(A) A citizen could not vote without a driver’s license.
(B) Voter and car license registration became the same document.
(C) Voter registration can occur at the same time one applies for a driver’s
license.
(D) Citizens had to live in the same location for 30 days before registering.
(E) More Democrats won national elections in the following four presidential
elections.
56. Which of the following are reasons why eligible voters do not vote in elections?
I. Frequency of elections
II. Weakened parties in the US
III. Numerous Third Parties
IV. Registration requirements
A.I only
B. I + II
C. I + IV
D. I + II + IV
E. III only
57. The most common form of political activity undertaken by United States citizens is
a. lobbying to influence decisions by public officials
b. campaigning for candidates for office
c. contributing money to a political party
d. voting in local elections
e. voting in presidential elections
58. Which of the following would result from the direct election of presidential candidates?
(A). A national primary would be established.
(B). Party-nominating conventions would be abolished
(C). Each vote would count equally in determining which candidate won the election
(D). The Electoral College would become more influential in the electoral process
(E). Third-party candidates would have less chance of winning the election.
59. Which of the following accurately characterizes the main difference between elite theories
and pluralist theories of politics in the United States?
a. Elite theories concentrate on the role of interest groups; pluralist theories
emphasize the role of individuals
b. Elite theories argue that a single minority dominates politics in all policy areas;
pluralist theories argue that many majorities compete for power in different policy
areas
c. Elite theories argue that social status is the major source of political power;
pluralist theories argue that wealth is the major source
d. Elite theories emphasize the multiple access points that interest groups have to
public officials; pluralist theories stress limits in the number and effectiveness of
such access points.
e. Elite theories view government as efficient; pluralist theories view it as slow and
wasteful
60. Caucuses, primaries, and other changes to the way campaigns are now run have served
to
a. strengthen the party
b. increase voter turnout
c. weaken the power of party leaders
d. make the parties more centrist
e. keep interest groups out of the political process
Part 2: Free Response: 15 points
Directions: Choose ONE of the following Free Response Questions and answer ALL
parts of it, illustrating your answer with substantive and specific examples where
appropriate.
61. The framers of the Constitution created a political system based on limited government.
The original Constitution and the Bill of Rights were intended to restrict the powers of the
national government. Later constitutional developments also limited the powers of state
governments.
(a) Explain why the Founders were interested in limiting the powers of the national
government in 1787.
(b) Explain how each of the following limits the powers of the national government.
• Federalism
• Checks and balances
 Bill of Rights
(c) Explain how each of the following limits the power of state governments.
• Fiscal Federalism
• Judicial Review
62. Nominees for the presidency of the two major parties are chosen by delegates at
national conventions. How these delegates are chosen varies across states and between the
political parties.
(a) Define each of the following methods used by states to choose delegates to party
conventions.
• Open primary
• Caucus
(b) Republican Party rules permit winner-take-all primaries. Describe one consequence of
this rule for the Republican nomination process.
(c ) The Democratic Party rules emphasize proportionality in their selection process.
Describe one consequence of this rule for the Democratic nomination process.
(d) Explain why a candidate’s strategy to win the nomination is often different from the
strategy developed to win the general election.
Explain how each of the political factors listed below makes it difficult for the
federal government to enact public policy. Provide one example for each
explanation.
c. Divided government
d. Weak party discipline
e. Growth in the number of interest groups and political action committees
(PAC’s)
62. Individuals participate in American politics by voting or forming groups in order to
promote their interests. The Constitution contains several provisions that protect the rights
of individuals who try and promote their interests in representative democracy.
(a) Identify and explain two provisions in the Bill of Rights that
protect individuals who try and influence politics.
(b) Interest groups engage in a variety of activities to affect
public policy. Explain how each of the following is used by
interest groups to exert influence over policy.
 Grassroots mobilization
 Lobbying government institutions
 Litigation
(c) Identity and explain two constitutional amendments that
affected citizens right to vote.
In The Federalist paper number 10, James Madison expressed concern over the possibility
that both majority and minority factions would have too much power over government,
and he presented ways of minimizing that danger. The United States Constitution
established a democratic government but also contained several provisions that limited
majority rule. Throughout the next two centuries, the role of majority rule in the United
States government and politics continued to change.
(a) Identify the part of the national government that was originally most closely tied to
citizens
and explain how it was tied to citizens.
(b) Explain two ways the United States Constitution limited majority rule.
(c) Choose two of the following twentieth-century developments and explain how each
moved
the United States from a less democratic system to a more democratic system.
• Primary elections
• The Seventeenth Amendment
• Expansion of suffrage