Political Science Exam

Political Science 110

 Exam

1. Civil liberties are
   •  freedoms that are not specified in the Constitution or in statutory laws, but make up the Unwritten Constitution.
   • the rights to vote and participate in the political process in a democracy.
   • laws that provide and set limits on oneʹs freedoms.
   • citizensʹ rights to equal treatment under the law.
   • individual legal and constitutional protections against the government.
2. Americansʹ civil liberties are set down in
3. the Declaration of Independence.
4. the Bill of Rights.
5. Article I of the Constitution.
6. no written document or law.
7. the Preamble to the Constitution.

3. The ________ is the final interpreter of the content and scope of Americansʹ civil liberties.
4. president
5.    Congress
6. Supreme Court
7. American Civil Liberties Union
8. Constitution

4. Civil liberties consist of
5. legal and constitutional protections against the government.
6. the right to be treated equally under the law.
7. the cumulative decisions of the Supreme Court.
8. the right of citizens to sue government.
9. At the time of the ratification of the Constitution,
10. A) all states had bills of rights but there was no national Bill of Rights.
11. B) the national Bill of Rights also applied to the states.
12. C) there were no bills of rights in the United States.
13. D) both the national government and the states had bills of rights.
14. E) the national government had a Bill of Rights but, there were no state bills of rights.
15. The Bill of Rights was written and proposed by
16. A) the United States Supreme Court in 1796.
17. B) the First Congress of the United States in 1789.
18. C) the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
19. D) President George Washington in 1789.
20. E) President Thomas Jefferson in 1801.
21. The Bill of Rights was adopted primarily in response to
22. A)  the Spanish Inquisition.
23. B)  British abuses of the colonistsʹ civil liberties.
24. C)  the abuses committed by the United States Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
25. D)  the horrors of the French Revolution.
26. E)  Shaysʹ
27. In the case of ________, the Supreme Court ruled that the Bill of Rights restrained only the national government, not states and cities.
28. A) Miranda v. Arizona
29. B) Barron v. Baltimore
30. C) New York v. the United States
31. D) Engel v. Vitale
32. E) Gitlow v. New York
33. The great freedoms of speech, press, religion, and assembly are contained in the
34. A) First, Second, Third and Fourth Amendments.

B)  Fourth Amendment.

1. C) Second Amendment.
2. D) Third Amendment.
3. E) First Amendment.
4. Beginning with the case of ________ in 1925, the Supreme Court began to rule that the Bill of Rights applied directly to the states, as well as to the national government.
5. A) United States v. Bill of Rights
6. B) Miranda v. Arizona
7. C) Engel v. Vitale

8. D) Barron v. Baltimore
9. E) Gitlow v. New York
10. In deciding to incorporate parts of the Bill of Rights into state laws since 1925, the Supreme Court has relied on the due process clause of the
11. A) First Amendment.
12. B) Twenty-sixth Amendment.
13. C) Fourteenth Amendment.
14. D) Fifth Amendment.
15. E) Eighteenth Amendment.
16. The ________ includes the clause ʺCongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.ʺ
17. A) Fifth Amendment
18. B) First Amendment
19. C) Second Amendment
20. D) Religious Rights Amendment
21. E) Fourteenth Amendment
22. In Lemon v. Kurtzman, the Supreme Court established that aid to church-related schools must do all of the following EXCEPT
23. A) have a secular purpose.
24. B) inhibit religion.
25. C) not advance religion.
26. D) not create excessive government entanglement with religion.
27. E) treat all religions equally.
28. Policies that extend basic rights to groups historically subject to discrimination are known as
29. A) civil rights.
30. B) civil liberties.
31. C) human rights.
32. D) suffrage.
33. E) affirmative action.

15. The phrase ʺall men are created equalʺ comes from the
16. A) Bill of Rights.
17. B) Constitution.
18. C) famous pamphlet, Common Sense.
19. D) Declaration of Independence.

E)  Bible.

16. The concept that everyone should have the same chance is called equality of
17. A) distribution.
18. B) fate.
19. C) rewards.
20. D) results.
21. E) opportunity.
22. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
23. A)  The American Revolution was fought principally in the name of
24. B)  The delegates to the Constitutional Convention did not resolve the tension between slavery and the principles of the Declaration of Independence.
25. C)  Womenʹs rights were hotly debated at the Constitutional Convention.
26. D)  Most colonists were eager to defend slavery.
27. E)  all of the above
28. The Fourteenth Amendment was one of three passed
29. A) during the 1960s.
30. B) directly following the Civil War.
31. C) during George Washingtonʹs administration.
32. D) during the Depression of the 1930s.
33. E) right after the Revolutionary War.
34. The first and only place in which the idea of equality appears in the Constitution is in the
35. A) Fourteenth Amendment.
36. B) Ninth Amendment.
37. C) Preamble.
38. D) First Amendment.
39. E) Declaration of Independence.
40. The courts have recently ruled that, under the Fourteenth Amendment, racial and ethnic classifications by states in regard to any matter
41. A)  are reasonable.
42. B)  are unconstitutional.
43. C)  are inherently suspect.
44. D)  are not the proper business of the federal courts to consider, but are up to the states individually.
45. E)  are arbitrary, but usually reasonable.
46. Today the equal protection clause is interpreted broadly enough to do all of the following EXCEPT
47. A) reapportion state legislatures.
48. B) prohibit job discrimination.
49. C) permit sexual harassment.
50. D) forbid racial segregation in the public schools.
51. E) none of the above
52. In the case of ________, the Supreme Court ruled that a black man, slave or free, was ʺchattelʺ and had no rights under a white manʹs government; it also ruled that Congress had no power to ban slavery in the western territories.
53. A) Plessy v. Ferguson
54. B) Craig v. Boren
55. C) Dred Scott v. Sandford

56. D) Brown v. Board of Education
57. E) Amos v. Colorado
58. The ________ Amendment outlawed slavery in the United States.
59. A) Thirteenth
60. B) Nineteenth
61. C) Tenth
62. D) First
63. E) Equal Rights
64. The Thirteenth Amendment was passed
65. A) in 1920.
66. B) in 1850.
67. C) in the 1960s.
68. D) as one of the original Bill of Rights.
69. E) at the end of the Civil War.
70. Jim Crow laws were those which
71. A)  were enacted by Southern whites in the late nineteenth century to segregate African Americans from whites.
72. B)  the North enforced in the South in the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, granting rights to former slaves.
73. C)  sought to end segregation and bring the races into closer contact with one another.
74. D)  justified slavery and set codes for slavesʹ
75. E)  established slavery and contract law regulating the slave trade.

26. The science of population changes is
27. A) polling.
28. B) anthropology.
29. C) popuology.
30. D) demography.
31. E) the census.
32. The most valuable method for understanding demographic changes in America is the
33. A) Statistical Abstract of the United States.
34. B) public opinion poll.
35. C) census.
36. D) turnout in presidential elections.
37.         E) Internal Revenue Service statistical tax abstracts.

28.________ is the distribution of the populationʹs beliefs about politics and policy issues.

1. A) Random sampling

B) Direct mail

1. C) Political socialization
2. D) Public opinion

E) Political ideology

29. By constitutional requirement, the government conducts the United States Census every
30. A) two years.
31. B) year.
32. C) five years.
33. D) presidential election year.
34. E) ten years.
35. Which of the following states has increased its representation in the House from just seven in 1900 to 53 today?
36. A) Florida
37. B) Texas
38. C) New York
39. D) California
40. E) Georgia
41. The process through which an individual acquires his or her particular political orientations, including his or her knowledge, feelings, and evaluations regarding his or her political world, is known as
42. A) political orientation.
43. B) demography.

C)  political socialization.

1. D) political ideology.
2. E) political indoctrination.
3. As one becomes more socialized with age, oneʹs political orientations
4. A) become less important.
5. B) change as oneʹs position in the aging order changes their life conditions.
6. C) grow firmer.
7. D) lack commitment.
8. E) fluctuate more.
9. One of the effects of growing older on political learning and political behavior is that
10. A) political participation increases with age.
11. B) people become more liberal with age.
12. C) interest in politics decreases with age.
13. D) the strength of oneʹs party attachment declines with age.

E) political ignorance increases with age.

34. The key to the accuracy of public opinion polls is
35. A) political ideology.
36. B) polygraphs.
37. C) sampling error.
38. D) the larger the size of the sample, the better.
39. E) random sampling.
40. Public opinion polls are only estimates because
41. A) samples of fewer then one million people are too small.
42. B) all surveys have a sampling error.
43. C) pollsters sometimes have to make educated guesses about the results.
44. D) random digit dialing has replaced person-to-person interviewing.
45. E) samples are not representative.
46. High-tech politics refers to
47. A)  a politics in which the behavior of citizens and policymakers is shaped by technology.
48. B)  a proposal for direct democracy through the use of telephone voting.
49. C)  a futuristic society in which politics is controlled by computers, freeing people for more honorable pursuits.
50. D)  the use of cable television to broadcast the workings of the government.
51. E)  the ability of government to observe the behavior of citizens through electronic means.

37. A media event is
38. A)  a news event deemed of such importance to break into regular programming on television and radio.
39. B)  a gathering of people working in the media industry, often an awards ceremony.
40. C)  some newsworthy occurrence covered by reporters of the various media.
41. D)  staged primarily for the purpose of being covered by the press.
42. E)  a setup by the media to ambush or embarrass a prominent person.
43. The first president to manipulate media politics with many press conferences and fireside chats successfully was
44. A) Ronald Reagan.
45. B) Franklin Roosevelt.
46. C) Lyndon Johnson.
47. D) Abraham Lincoln.
48. E) John F. Kennedy.
49. In what was a very different era, the press chose not to point out to readers or to photograph the fact that President ________ was confined to a wheelchair.
50. A) Warren Harding
51. B) Harry Truman
52. C) Dwight Eisenhower
53. D) Lyndon Johnson
54. E) Franklin Roosevelt
55. The use of detective-like reporting methods to unearth scandals is known as
56. A) yellow journalism.
57. B) trial balloons.
58. C) scientific journalism.
59. D) investigative journalism.
60. E) print journalism.
61. Today’s news people work in an environment of ________ toward government.
62. A) friendship
63. B) cynicism
64. C) hostility
65. D) trust
66. E) acceptance
67. At the turn of the century, newspaper magnates Joseph and William Randolph Hearst ushered in the era of
68. A) yellow journalism.
69. B) nickel tabloids.
70. C) newspaper chains.
71. D) penny press.

E)  political advertising.

43. The Associated Press is an example of a
44. A) high-technology medium.
45. B) newspaper chain.
46. C) massive media conglomerate.
47. D) wire service.

E)  trade association acting as an interest group for newspapers.

44. The nationʹs most influential newspaper and its unofficial ʺnewspaper of recordʺ is
45. A) Congressional Quarterly.
46. B) USA Today.

47. C) The New York Times.
48. D) the Wall Street Journal.
49. E) the Washington Post.
50. The principal source of news and information for most Americans today is
51. A) newspapers.
52. B) radio talk shows.
53. C) magazines.
54. D) print media.
55. E) the broadcast media.
56. The first televised ________ occurred during the 1960 presidential campaign.
57. A) election returns

B) presidential debate

1. C) national political convention
2. D) political commercial
3. E) presidential press conference
4. Narrowcasting refers to
5. A) media programming focused entirely on media events.
6. B) the technical ability to block access to broadcast signals.
7. C) media programming aimed at a particular (narrow) audience.
8. D) media programming delivered in brief program segments.
9. E) political advertising being developed for homogeneous audiences.
10. A Political party is
11. A)  less interested in winning elections than in particular public policy.
12. B)  a group of people who agree on everything and organize annually to win elections.
13. C)  a narrow interest group seeking advantage through elections.
14. D)  a t eam of men and women with similar beliefs seeking legitimate control of the government by through elections.
15. E)  an organization devoted to implementing policy in the public interest.
16. The largest segment of an American political party is described as
17. A) the party-out-of-power.
18. B) the party-in-the-electorate.
19. C) the party-in-government.
20. D) the party volunteers.
21. E) the party organization.
22. The key spokespersons for political parties come from which of its major components?
23. A) the party-in-the-electorate
24. B) the party as an organization
25. C) the party-out-of-power
26. D) the leaders-of-the-party-organization
27. E) the party-in-government
28. The people who keep the party running between elections and make its rules are members of which ʺheadʺ of the party?
29. A) party-in-the-electorate
30. B) permanent party
31. C) party as an organization
32. D) party-in-government
33. E) party-in-the-states

52.The political ʺparty-in-the-electorateʺ is defined as people who

1. A)  vote for the candidates from one party.
2. B)  register as members of a party.
3. C)  work for a partyʹs candidates.
4. D)  identify with a party.
5. E)   walk door-to-door to meet the voters and personally campaign for their partyʹs candidates.
6. Almost all definitions of political parties have which of the following in common?
7. A) Parties have formal organizations.
8. B) Parties have a mass following.
9. C) Parties try to win elections.
10. D) Parties are run by elites.
11. E) Parties have limited policy agendas.
12. Which is a linkage institution?
13. A) Supreme Court
14. B) Executive Office of the President
15. C) Congress
16. D) all of the above
17. E) none of the above
18. A partyʹs endorsement to officially run for office as the candidate of that party is called
19. A) a ballot.
20. B) a ticket.
21. C) a nomination.
22. D) a confirmation.
23. E) an appointment.
24. Political parties perform all of the following tasks EXCEPT
25. A) pick policymakers and run campaigns.
26. B) enforce rigid adherence to their policy positions.
27. C) advocate public policies.
28. D) coordinate policymaking.
29. E) give cues to voters
30. American political parties tend to take middle-of-the-road stands on major issues
31. A)  only because the partyʹs candidates are so afraid of alienating those on different sides of
32. B)  while the public tends to have stronger opinions
33. C)  in spite of evidence that more extreme positions generate more excitement and likelihood for electoral victory.
34. D)  because most of the American electorate are centrist.
35. E)  because most of the American electorate do not have political opinions.
36. Ticket-splitting is best understood as
37. A) voting with one party for one office and another for other offices.
38. B) voting for Democratic candidates for president and Republican candidates for Congress.
39. C) a tactic used to commit voter fraud, which enables a voter to cast multiple ballots.
40. D) staying with the same party in an election, voting down the partyʹs line for every race.

E) voting for Republican candidates for president and Democratic candidates for Congress.

59. The upsurge of partisan independence among Americans since 1952
60. A) has come mostly at the expense of the Republicans.

B) has not harmed either party.

1. C) has come mostly at the expense of the Democrats.
2. D) has occurred mostly among minor party identifiers.
3. E) has harmed both parties equally.

60. Which of the following is not a foreign policy type?

1. trade police
2. intelligence policy
3. war-making
4. bureaucratic oversight

61. The goals of U.S. foreign policy include ________.
62. keeping the country safe
63. securing access to foreign markets
64. protecting human rights
65. all the above

62. Legitimacy in terms of American elections means
63. A)  the public is satisfied with the qualifications and the policy positions of the candidates.
64. B)  the public is nearly unanimously happy with the results.
65. C)  the election is nearly unanimously accepted as a fair and free method to select political leaders.
66. D)  the public is generally not satisfied with the candidates, the results, or the methods by which elections are held.
67. E)  the best candidate is selected.
68. Elections in the United States perform which of the following functions?
69. A) make or ratify legislation
70. B) select party nominees
71. C) select officeholders from among party nominees
72. D) both B and C
73. E) all of the above
74. Which of the following functions do elections LEAST serve?
75. A) selecting public officials
76. B) making and coordinating public policy
77. C) providing regular access to political power
78. D) providing legitimacy to the political system
79. E) connecting citizens to government officials
80. Californiaʹs famous Proposition 13, in which voters frustrated by a lack of action by their legislature forced an issue on the ballot and voted to limit the rise in property taxes, was an example of
81. A) a direct primary.
82. B) an indirect primary.
83. C) an initiative.
84. D) a referendum.
85. E) a voter override.
86. Of the following, which is the most direct form of democracy?
87. A) initiative
88. B) referendum
89. C) direct primary
90. D) presidential election
91. E) recall
92. Of the following, which is the most direct form of democracy?
93. A) initiative
94. B) referendum
95. C) direct primary
96. D) presidential election
97. E) recall
98. An election whereby voters are given the chance to approve or disapprove some legislative act or constitutional amendment is called
99. A) a referendum.
100. B) an initiative petition.
101. C) a direct primary.
102. D) a direct election.

E)  a ratification election.

69. Which of the following is NOT true about elections in American society?
70. A) They socialize and institutionalize political activity.
71. B) They provide regular access to political power.
72. C) They are accepted as legitimate, fair, and free methods to select political leaders.
73. D) The vast majority of eligible citizens cast ballots, even for local races.
74. E) none of the above
75. Because Bushʹs lead over Gore in the initial count was less than one-tenth of one percent, Florida law mandated
76. A) that the Florida state legislature vote to declare Bush the winner.
77. B) the outcome of the election be determined by the Florida Supreme Court.
78. C) the Secretary of State to certify the results.
79. D) an automatic recount.
80. E) a thirty-day extension for absentee ballots.

71. Suffrage means
72. A) the right to vote.

B)  turning out to vote.

1. C) voting for the winner.
2. D) voting for the loser.

E)  the struggle for equal rights for women.

72. The right to vote has been extended,
73. A) voter turnout has increased proportionately.
74. B) proportionately fewer of those eligible have chosen to vote.
75. C) the number of candidates running for office has increased.
76. D) voter turnout has actually remained about the same.
77. E) the scope of American government has shrunk.
78. The nearly two centuries of American electoral history has been characterized by
79. A) consistently close elections.

B) increasing voter turnouts.

1. C) expansion of the right to vote.
2. D) a proliferation of presidential candidates.
3. E) all of the above
4. Those largely indifferent to the results of an election, but who decide to vote anyway to show support for democratic government are called ________ voters.
5. A) guilt-driven
6. B) civic-duty
7. C) regime-maintenance
8. D) patriotic disaffected
9. E) disaffected
10. The term interest group can be generally defined as
11. A)  an organization that seeks a collective good, the achievement of which will not 
specifically or materially benefit the membership or activists of the organization.
12. B)  a group that has a narrow interest, dislikes compromise, and single-mindedly pursues its goal.
13. C)  all people who share some common interest regardless of whether they join an organization promoting that interest.
14. D)  an organization of people with similar policy goals entering the political process to try to achieve those aims.
15. E)  an organization of people who share a common interest who run candidates in elections sympathetic to that interest.
16. Which of the following is NOT typical of American interest groups?
17. A)  They frequently look to the bureaucracy or the judicial process to achieve their policy goals.
18. B)  They run their own slate of candidates for office in many parts of the country.
19. C)  Most have a handful of key policies to push, and are policy experts in those areas.
20. D)  Unlike political parties, they are not faced with the constraint of trying

appeal to everyone.

1. E)  They mostly represent diffuse, non-economic interests.
2. One of the main differences between American political parties and interest groups is that
3. A) interest groups are concerned with more issues.
4. B) interest groups concentrate on only one policy arena.
5. C) political parties run candidates for office.
6. D) interest groups limit their membership.
7. E) political parties are policy specialists.

78.According to ________ theorists, interest groups compete and counterbalance one another in the political marketplace.

1. A) elitist
2. B) hyperelitist
3. C) pluralist
4. D) hyperpluralist
5. E) free market

79.The idea that just a few groups have all the power is associated with

1. A) elite theory.
2.          B) pluralist theory.
3. C) hyperpluralist theory.
4. D) democratic theory.

E) syndicalism.

80. The ________ theorists argue that the power of the few is fortified by an extensive system of interlocking directorates, and that wealthy corporations prevail when it comes to major decisions by government.
81. A) pluralist
82. B) hyperpluralist
83. C) elitist
84. D) hyperelitist
85. E) pyramid
86. A(n) ________ group is composed of all people who might be group members because they share some common interest.
87. A) potential
88. B) interest
89. C) actual
90. D) single-issue
91. E) latent
92. An advantage of single-issue groups is their
93. A) financial resources.
94. B) pool of potential members.
95. C) pool of actual members.
96. D) intensity.
97. E) diversity
98. Single-issue group politics has been especially emotional over the issue of
99. A) consumerism.
100.    B) equality.
101. C) abortion.
102. D) foreign policy.
103. E) affirmative action.
104. Technological improvements in communication have caused interest groups to
105. A) consolidate.

B) sharply increase in number.

1. C) sharply decline in number.
2. D) move out of Washington, D.C.

E) form broad coalitions to expand their clout.

85. ________ is a communication by someone other than a citizen acting on his or her own behalf, directed to a government decision maker, particularly in the legislative and executive branch, with the hope of influencing his or her decision.
86. A) Electioneering
87. B) An amicus curiae brief
88. C) Lobbying
89. D) Litigation

E) Campaigning

86.Three basic strategies employed by interest groups are all of the following EXCEPT

1. A) lobbying.

B)  implementation.

1. C) electioneering.
2. D) litigation.

E) going public.

87. Which of the following is NOT a way in which a lobbyist can help a member of Congress?
88. A) obtaining group support for the politicianʹs reelection

B) introducing legislation in Congress

1. C) providing valuable information on specialized policy areas
2. D) helping with political strategy
3. E) assisting with the cost of traveling between their home district and Washington, D.C.
4. According to the text, one of the most common function of lobbyists is to
5. A) provide information and ideas to members of Congress.

B) recruit former officeholders to help with public relations.

1. C) convert members of Congress to the point of view the lobbyists represent.
2. D) actually introduce new legislation.
3. E) raise funds for preferred political candidates.

89. The text identifies two types of lobbyists,
90. A) full-time employees and consultants.
91.  B) policy experts and legal specialists.
92. C) attorneys and non-attorneys.
93. D) those based in Washington, D.C., and those based elsewhere.
94. E) ʺold schoolʺ and ʺmodern styleʺ
95. Many interest groups involve themselves in ________ to help get those they consider to be the right people into office or to keep them there.
96. A) lobbying
97. B) electioneering
98. C) litigation
99. D) policymaking
100. E) recruitment
101. Political action committee (PAC) money goes overwhelmingly to
102.       A) Independents.

B)  challengers.

1. C) incumbents.
2. D) Democrats.

E)  Republicans.

92. Political Action Committees are primarily a means used by interest groups for
93. A) lobbying.
94. B) electioneering.
95. C) litigation.
96. D) policymaking.
97. E) political action.
98. Interest groups seeking to exert influence on the electoral process can honestly and openly funnel money into the campaign coffers of their supporters through

A) lobbying.

1. B) electioneering.
2. C) Political Action Committees.
3.      D) sub -governments.

E) electronic banking.

94. Right-to-work laws are most strongly supported by
95. A) unemployed citizens.
96. B) business groups.
97. C) union officials.
98. D) the feminist and civil rights movements.
99. E) illegal immigrants.

95. Business PACs
96. A) have so far been associated only with multinational corporations.
97. B) are the most visible of Washington lobbies.
98. C) have increased more dramatically than any other category of PACs.
99. D) have not been as effective as labor and consumer PACs.
100. E) contribute more to Democrats than Republicans
101. Organizations seeking a collective good that may not benefit them directly are called
102. A) commodity associations.

B) protest groups.

1. C) public interest lobbies.
2. D) single-issue groups.
3. E) altruistic lobbies.
4. The ________ is the oldest and largest of the African-American groups which have fought for equality at the polls, in housing, on the job, in education, and in all other facets of American life.
5. A) Urban League
6. B) Congress of Racial Equality
7. C) National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
8. D) Rainbow Coalition
9. E) National African-American Organization
10. Common Cause is an example of
11. A) a public interest lobby.
12. B) a sub-government.
13. C) interest group liberalism.
14. D) a single-issue group.
15. E) a for-profit lobby.
16. What changes have occurred in the lobbying environment over the past three or four decades?
    1. There is more professional lobbying.
    2. Many interests lobby both the national government and the states.
    3. A fragmentation of interests has taken place.
    4. all the above

100. Revolving door laws are designed to do which of the following?
101. prevent lawmakers from utilizing their legislative relationships by becoming lobbyists immediately after leaving office
102. help lawmakers find work after they leave office
103. restrict lobbyists from running for public office
104. all the above