Deck 7: Power and Politics

Question 1

Today, federal grants-in-aid are the principle source of federal power over foreign nations.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

Anti-Federalists did not favor ratifying the Constitution and argued for states' rights.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

National supremacy means that when state and federal laws conflict in an area in which both have jurisdiction, the decision must go before the Supreme Court.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

One source of presidential power is being viewed favorably by the American people.

Question 5

The powers of Congress that are not explicitly listed in the Constitution are called supplied powers.

Question 6

The nine appointed Supreme Court Justices possess the power to void the acts of popularly elected presidents.

Question 7

National supremacy means that when state and federal laws conflict where both have jurisdiction, state laws are superior.

Question 8

A constitution establishes government authority.

Question 9

A social contract is the written agreement by which people consent to be governed and voluntarily give up some of their liberties so that the remainder of their liberties can be protected.

Question 10

Congress is more influential in foreign and military affairs than in domestic affairs.

Question 11

Typically, between 75 and 85 percent of eligible people will vote in presidential elections.

Question 12

A referendum is a device by which the electorate must approve citizen initiatives or decisions of the legislature before these become law or part of the state constitution.

Question 13

The number of electoral votes in each state is subject to change after each ten-year census.

Question 14

A fundamental ideal of constitutionalism is "a government of men and not of laws."

Question 15

Global power derives primarily from the president's role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the United States.

Question 16

Judicial review is the power of the courts to strike down laws that they believe conflict with the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.

Question 17

Education appears to be the least important determinant of voter turnout.

Question 18

Presidents are blamed for economic downturns only if government policies were the cause of market conditions.

Question 19

A republican government is the same thing as the Republican political party.

Question 20

Political science is defined in this text to include the study of government and how individuals influence government action in the United States.

Question 21

Many early democrats believed in political equality, that is, equal opportunity to influence public policy. Political equality is expressed in the concept of

A) one person, one vote.
B) voting along party lines.
C) voting in national elections.
D) one person's vote won't matter.

Question 22

The dominant philosophy of the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren (1953-1969) was that judges should interpret the meaning of the Constitution to fit the

A) needs of previous societies.
B) needs of future societies.
C) judges' interpretation of the needs of society.
D) needs of contemporary society.

Question 23

To place individual freedoms beyond the reach of government and beyond the reach of majorities, a constitution must truly limit and control the

A) number of laws that are passed.
B) number of votes each person has.
C) exercise of authority by government.
D) exercise of freedom by citizens.

Question 24

In 1803, Marbury v. Madison first established the U.S. Supreme Court's power of judicial review over congressional laws. Since that time, the federal courts have struck down more than eighty congressional laws and uncounted state laws because they believed

A) the laws were not good for democracy.
B) they were in conflict with federal powers.
C) they conflicted with the Constitution.
D) they were too restrictive.

Question 25

Which of the following is the doctrine that argues that because the justices are not popularly elected, the Supreme Court should defer to the decisions of Congress and the president unless their actions are in clear conflict with the plain meaning of the Constitution?

A) Judicial restraint
B) Judicial activism
C) Judicial review
D) Stare decisis

Question 26

The writers of the Constitution deliberately insulated the courts against popular majorities. To ensure their independence, Supreme Court judges were

A) to be elected by popular vote.
B) not to be elected, but appointed for four years.
C) not to be elected, but appointed for life terms.
D) to be elected for life.

Question 27

A requirement issued by the national government with which state and local governments must comply is called

A) the supremacy doctrine.
B) federal grant in aid.
C) a block grant.
D) federal mandate.

Question 28

The original text of the Constitution that emerged from the Philadelphia Convention in 1787 did not include the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was added later and is a listing of

A) individual restrictions and government freedoms.
B) individual freedoms and restrictions on government power.
C) group and agency rules for incorporation.
D) rules for policy development.

Question 29

Those who argued against ratification of the U.S. Constitution, were wary of a strong national government, and favored states rights were called

A) federalists.
B) anti-federalists.
C) democrats.
D) constitutionalists.

Question 30

The separation of powers in the national government-separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches-was intended by the nation's founders as an additional safeguard to liberty. In practical terms, this has meant that the power to create, administer, and judge the laws has rested with the

A) citizens of the nation.
B) legislative and judicial branches, jointly.
C) legislative, executive, and judicial branches, respectively.
D) party in power at the time.

Question 31

Congressional powers coming from the Supreme Court's interpretation of the "necessary and proper clause" are called

A) implied powers.
B) statutory powers.
C) inherent powers.
D) enumerated powers.

Question 32

The U.S. House of Representatives consists of 435 members, each of whom represents a congressional district. The number of house seats allocated to each state

A) changes with each new census.
B) is allocated based on the state's population.
C) never changes.
D) is decided by the president of the Senate.

Question 33

The belief that government power should be limited is called

A) constitutionalism.
B) natural rights.
C) eminent domain.
D) implied powers.

Question 34

One of the best predictors of success in a congressional election is incumbency, or whether the person running for office already holds that office. On average, about __________ percent of the House of Representatives running for re-election win, and about __________ percent of their Senate counterparts do.

A) 75; 95
B) 94; 88
C) 60; 60
D) 50; 50

Question 35

The Constitution divides power between the nation and the states, creating a federalist system. It recognizes that both the national government and the state governments have

A) joint authority over the states.
B) independent legal authority over their own citizens.
C) dependent legal authority over foreign citizens.
D) no authority over free citizens.

Question 36

Governmental power is distinguished from the power of other institutions, groups, and individuals by its

A) necessity and immediacy.
B) threat of force and enforcement powers.
C) legitimate use of force and coverage of the whole society.
D) influence and rewards.

Question 37

The president and executive departments must go to Congress for needed legislation and appropriations. How can Congressional committees exercise power in domestic affairs?

A) By giving or withholding audience to the president
B) By giving or withholding their vote in the next presidential election
C) By giving or withholding the appropriations and the legislation that the executive agencies want
D) None of these

Question 38

Some of the nation's most important policy decisions have been made by courts rather than by executive or legislative bodies. Among those decisions are

A) eliminating racial segregation in public life.
B) ensuring the separation of church and state.
C) guaranteeing voters equal voice in government.
D) all of these.

Question 39

The American people hold the president responsible for maintaining a healthy economy, or

A) fixing a damage one.
B) providing extra benefits to the poor during times of recession.
C) cutting taxes when the economy is not healthy.
D) none of these.

Question 40

Although we often view the Civil War as a war about slavery, the war was also the nation's greatest crisis in federalism. A key question decided by the war was whether a state has the right to

A) determine its economic future.
B) ignore federal mandates.
C) decide its own moral stance on any issue.
D) oppose federal action by force of arms.

Question 41

Describe two examples of judicial activism.

Question 42

Summarize the ideas of democratic thinking.

Question 43

How does a constitution establish government authority?

Question 44

__________ is the term for the various efforts to return some government responsibilities from the national government to the states and their local governments.

Question 45

Voter turnout during American presidential elections is about __________ of the eligible people.

A) 35 percent
B) 75 percent
C) 90 percent
D) 55 percent

Question 46

Explain the limits on presidential power.

Question 47

Historically, race is a major determinant of nonvoting. The greatest racial disparity in voter turnout is between

A) black and white voters.
B) Hispanics and non-Hispanic voters.
C) black and Hispanic voters.
D) Asian and Hispanic voters.

Question 48

Popular participation in the political system is the very definition of democracy. Individuals in a democracy may

A) run for public office.
B) participate in marches and demonstrations.
C) vote in elections.
D) do all of these.

Question 49

One third of the population is politically apathetic: They

A) do not watch the news or read the papers.
B) do not vote, and are largely unaware of and indifferent to the political life of the nation.
C) only vote in national elections.
D) will not discuss politics or religion.

Question 50

High-income people are more likely to vote than are low-income people. Which of the following explains why the poor do NOT vote?

A) They feel alienated from the political process.
B) They lack a sense of political efficacy.
C) They feel they have no control over their own lives, let alone over public affairs.
D) All of these

Question 51

Political parties in the United States organize voters for effective political expression at the polls. The political parties screen candidates to ensure that the candidates' views

A) exactly reflect party ideology.
B) loosely reflect party ideology.
C) reflect what the voters want to hear.
D) reflect the opposite of the opposing party.

Question 52

The War Powers Act of 1973 specifies that if the president sends U.S. troops into combat, this must be reported to Congress within 48 hours. The act states that Congress can withdraw troops at any time by

A) passing a resolution in both houses.
B) impeaching the president.
C) calling for a popular referendum on the issue.
D) getting the vice president's approval.

Question 53

Democracy means __________ in the decisions that affect one's life.

Question 54

Describe the roles that the American people expect the president to perform?

Question 55

Each of the major decision-making bodies of American government possesses important __________ over the decisions of others.

Question 56

Within the context of the American political experience, the Democratic and Republican Parties can be clearly differentiated. Which of the following is not a way to discern the differences between the parties?

A) Examining the differences in the coalitions of voters
B) Examining the differences in the policy views of the leaders
C) Examining the differences in the voting records of the representatives and senators of each party
D) Reading the op-ed columns in major newspapers

Question 57

A constitution cannot be changed by the ordinary acts of government bodies; change can come only through a process of _________.

Question 58

Which of the following is not a reason that young people are less likely to vote?

A) They are less likely to own property.
B) They have more demands on their time.
C) They feel less connection to local and national politics.
D) They can't afford the poll tax.

Question 59

Explain how Congress came to have powers not explicitly listed in the Constitution.

Question 60

The idea that people consent to be governed and in doing so agree to give up some of their liberties so that the remainder of their liberties can be protected is called a __________.

Question 61

Discuss the similarities and differences in the role that technology played in the 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns.

Question 62

Compare and contrast the popular expectations of presidential leadership with the formal constitutional powers granted to the president.

Question 63

Compare and contrast the Democratic and Republican parties, including the coalitions of voters and the policy views of the leaders. Describe the functions that the political parties perform for society.

Question 64

Discuss the process of judicial review. Explain why this process is recognized as undemocratic. What is the reasoning behind judicial appointments for life?

Question 65

Develop a timeline in essay form to show how the federal government has exercised power through the use of money during the nation’s history.

Question 66

Explain how it is possible for a presidential candidate to win more popular votes nationwide and yet lose the election by failing to win a majority of the electoral votes.

Question 67

Describe the ways that the democratic ideals of liberty and equality were manifested in the way that governmental power is structured by the American Constitution.

Question 68

In an essay, present real world examples of how discrimination based on race, ethnicity, disability, and sexual orientation might diminish an individual’s power. Be sure to give one example for each category of minority.