Mid-Term Study Guide PDF

**[Mid-Term Study Guide]** **[Module 1]** 1. In what form of government do a small group of elite people hold political power? a. Totalitarian b. Direct Democracy c. Monarchy d. **Oligarchy** 2. What goods are available to all without direct payment? e. **Publi...

**[Mid-Term Study Guide]** **[Module 1]** 1. In what form of government do a small group of elite people hold political power? a. Totalitarian b. Direct Democracy c. Monarchy d. **Oligarchy** 2. What goods are available to all without direct payment? e. **Public Goods** f. Private Goods g. Toll Goods h. Common Goods 3. What goods are available to many people, and many people can make use of them but only if they pay the price? i. **Toll Goods** j. Non-excludable goods k. Rivalrous goods l. Common Goods 4. The elite theory of government maintains that: m. Special interest groups make government policy n. **Wealthy, politically powerful people control government, and government** **has no interest in meeting the needs of ordinary people** o. Poor people and people of color should not be allowed to vote p. Politicians who have held office for a long time are favored by voters 5. According to the pluralist theory of government.... q. Wealthy people decide what government policy will be, and politicians have no interest in pleasing anyone else r. **Government policy is formed as a result of the competition between groups** **with different goals and interests** s. Government does what the majority of voters want it to do t. Ordinary people acting on their own have a significant influence on government 6. Which of the following is a good example of a tradeoff? a. b. c. d. 7. Which of the following is not an example of political engagement? a. Attending political rallies b. **Watching a baseball game** c. Voting d. Signing petitions 8. Supporting the actions of the Democratic Party simply because one identifies oneself as a member of that party is an example of: u. Ideology v. Latent preference w. **Partisanship** x. Social capital 9. What kinds of people are most likely to become active in politics or community service? y. People with latent preferences z. People with less money a. **People with intense preferences** b. Less educated people 10. When a person is asked a question about a political issue that person has little interest in and has not thought much about, the person's answer will likely reflect: c. Ideology d. Partisanship e. **Latent preferences** f. Intense preferences **[Module 2]** 1. British colonists in North America in the late seventeenth century were greatly influenced by the political thought of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **John Locke** b. Thomas Jefferson c. King James II d. James Madison 2. The agreement that citizens will consent to be governed so long as government protects their natural rights is called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. A bill of rights b. **The social contract** c. The divine right of kings d. Due process 3. What important power did the national government lack under the Articles of Confederation? a. It could not coin money. b. **It could not impose taxes.** c. It could not declare war. d. It could not conduct foreign affairs. 4. True or False: The New Jersey Plan that called for a one-house national legislature; each state would receive up to 5 votes. e. True f. **False** 5. According to the Great Compromise, how would representation in Congress be apportioned? a. Congress would be a unicameral legislature with each state receiving equal representation. b. Each state would have equal representation in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. c. Representation in both the House of Representatives and the Senate would be based on a state's population. d. **Representation in the House of Representatives would be based on each state's** **population and every state would have two senators.** 6. How did the delegates to the Constitutional Convention resolve their disagreement regarding slavery? g. **It was agreed that 60 percent of a state's enslaved population would be counted** **for purposes of both representation and taxation.** h. It was agreed that Congress would abolish slavery in 1850. i. It was agreed that a state's enslaved population would be counted for purposes of representation but not for purposes of taxation. j. It was agreed that a state's enslaved population would be counted for purposes of taxation but not for purposes of representation. 7. Why were *The Federalist Papers* written? k. To oppose the admission of slaveholding states to the federal union. l. To encourage people to vote for George Washington as the nation's first president. m. To encourage states to oppose the Constitution. n. **To encourage New York to ratify the Constitution.** 8. What argument did Alexander Hamilton use to convince people that it was not dangerous to place power in the hands of one man? a. That man would have to pass a religious test before he could become president; thus, citizens could be sure that he was of good character. b. **One man could respond to crises more quickly than a group of men like** **Congress AND it was easier to control the actions of one man than the actions of** **a group.** c. It was easier to control the actions of one man than the actions of a group. d. One man could respond to crises more quickly than a group of men like Congress 9. What is the Bill of Rights? o. Twenty-seven amendments added to the Constitution over the years p. Document authored by Thomas Jefferson that details the rights of the citizens q. Powers given to Congress in Article I of the Constitution r. **First ten amendments to the Constitution that protect individual freedoms** 10. How many states must ratify an amendment before it becomes law? a. Two-thirds b. One-half c. **Three-fourths** d. All **[Module 3]** 1. Which statement about federal and unitary systems is most accurate? **  ** a. **In a federal system, the constitution allocates powers between states and federal government; in a unitary system, powers are lodged in the national government.** b. In a federal system, power is concentrated in the states; in a unitary system, it is concentrated in the national government. c. Today there are more countries with federal systems than with unitary systems. d. The United States and Japan have federal systems, while Great Britain and Canada have unitary systems. 2. In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Supreme Court invoked which provisions of the constitution? e. **Necessary and proper clause and supremacy clause** f. Tenth Amendment and spending clause   g. Commerce clause and supremacy clause h. Taxing power and necessary and proper clause 3. Which statement is most accurate about the sources of revenue for local and state governments?    i. **Between 30 and 40 percent of the revenue for local and state governments comes from grant money. ** j. Taxes generate well over one-half the total revenue of local and state governments. k. Property taxes generate the most tax revenue for both local and state governments. l. Local and state governments generate an equal amount of revenue from issuing licenses and certificates. 4. Which is not a merit of cooperative federalism? m. **Cooperative federalism respects the traditional jurisdictional boundaries between states and federal government.** n. Federal cooperation helps mitigate the problem of collective action among states.  o. Federal assistance encourages state and local governments to generate positive externalities. p. Federal assistance ensures some degree of uniformity of public services across states. 5. Which statement about new federalism is not true? q. **President Reagan was able to promote new federalism consistently throughout his administration.** r. New federalism was launched by President Nixon and continued by President Reagan. s. New federalism is based on the idea that decentralization of responsibility enhances administrative efficiency. t. United States v. Lopez is a Supreme Court ruling that advanced the logic of new federalism. 6. Which statement about unfunded mandates is *false?* u. **New federalism promotes the use of unfunded mandates.** v. The Unfunded Mandates Reform Act has prevented Congress from using unfunded mandates. w. The Clean Air Act is a type of federal partial preemptive regulation. x. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act establishes crosscutting requirements. 7. Which statement about federal grants in recent decades is most accurate? y. **The amount of federal grant money going to states has steadily increased since the 1960s.** z. The federal government allocates the most grant money to income security. a. The majority of federal grants are block grants. b. Block grants tend to gain more flexibility over time. 8. Which of the following is *not* a benefit of federalism? a. Federalism promotes political participation. b. **Federalism encourages economic equality across the country.** c. Federalism provides for multiple levels of government action. d. Federalism accommodates a diversity of opinion. 9. The dynamic known as \"race-to-the-bottom\" has no detrimental effects.  c. True d. **False** 10. Nullification asserts that if a state deems a federal law unconstitutional, it can nullify it within its borders. e. **True** f. False **[Module 4]** 1. A local station that broadcasts national network programming is called a(an) \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ station. a. **Affiliate** b. Digital c. Cable d. Network 2. Cable programming is often \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **National** b. Sports c. Local  d. Network 3. A conglomerate is a corporation that \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. Owns only televisions and newspapers b. Owns all television news stations in a state c. **Owns many businesses and media networks** d. Owns only radio stations 4. When acting as an agenda setter, the media \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. Brings in advertising revenue for the media corporation b. Reports on corruption in government  c. Covers presidential campaigns equally d. **Decides which issues deserve public attention** 5. Newspapers during the Revolutionary War period tended to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. e. **Unite the colonists and provide information about the British** f. Give fake news and sensationalize stories  g. Print party propaganda h. Attack colonial politicians 6. Muckraking occurs when newspapers \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. Investigate actions of celebrities b. **Investigate problems in government and business** c. Print more editorials and opinion pieces to sell papers d. Print sensational news on the front page to sell papers 7. Television news became a regular feature during \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ due to the public's demand for \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ to explain current events. i. **Great Depression; charts and tables** j. WWI; images and maps k. Vietnam War; charts and tables l. WWII; images and maps 8. Franklin D. Roosevelt's fireside chats helped the president enact his policies. m. **True** n. False 9. Which of the following is an example of episodic framing? o. A story detailing arguments against needle exchange programs. p. A story on how drug abuse policy has changed since 1984. q. **A story on drug abuse that interviews addicts and discusses reasons for addiction and government responses to help addicts.** r. A story on candidates' answers to a drug question in a debate. **[Module 5]** 1. Many at the Continental Congress were skeptical of allowing presidents to be directly elected by the legislature because \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **They feared the opportunities created for corruption** a. They were worried about giving the legislature too much power b. They knew the weaknesses of an electoral college c. They worried about subjecting the commander-in-chief to public scrutiny 2. The passage of the Tenure of Office Act of 1867 was just one instance in a long line of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **Struggles for power between the president and the Congress** b. Unconstitutional presidential power grabbing c. Impeachment trials d. Arguments over presidential policy 3. How did the election of 1824 change the way presidents were selected? a. **The selection of the candidate with fewer electoral votes triggered the rise of party control over nominations.** b. The election convinced many that the parties must adopt the king caucus as the primary method for selecting presidents.   c. Jackson's supporters decided to create a device for challenging the Electoral College. d. Following this election, presidents were directly elected. 4. A presidential candidate who earned the majority of the popular vote has never lost the Electoral College.  e. True f. **False** 5. Which of the following is a way George Washington expanded the power of the presidency? a. **He appointed the heads of various federal departments as his own advisors.** b. He refused to run again after serving two terms. c. He worked with the Senate to draft treaties with foreign countries. d. He submitted his neutrality proclamation to the Senate for approval. 6. Presidents who served in the decades directly after Washington expanded the powers of the presidency. g. **True** h. False 7. Which of the following is **not** an example of how presidents who served in the decades directly after Washington expanded the powers of the presidency? a. **James Madison repealed the Bill of Rights.** b. John Adams expanded the war powers by waging undeclared war. c. Thomas Jefferson negotiated the purchase of Louisiana from France. d. James Monroe took direct control of foreign policymaking when he issued the Monroe Doctrine. 8. A very challenging job for new presidents is to \_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **Nominate and gain confirmation for their cabinet and hundreds of other officials** b. Prepare their first executive budget. c. Prepare and deliver their first State of the Union address. d. Move into the White House. 9. The role of first ladies and their office has diminished in the last 100 years i. True j. **False** 10. Which of the following is an example of an executive agreement? k. **The president signs legally binding nuclear arms terms with Iran without seeking congressional approval.  ** l. The president issues recommendations to the Department of Justice on what the meaning of a new criminal statute is. m. The president changes a regulation on undocumented immigrant status without congressional approval. n. The president negotiates an agreement with China and submits it to the Senate for ratification. **[Module 6]** 1. Interest groups lobby the just the legislative branch of government. a. True b. **False** 2. Someone who lobbies on behalf of their employer as part of their job is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. c. **an in-house lobbyist** d. a volunteer lobbyist e. a contract lobbyist f. a legislative liaison 3. How are collective goods different from private goods? g. **Collective goods offer broadly distributed benefits, while private goods offer particularized benefits.** h. Collective goods and private goods both offer broadly distributed benefits. i. Collective goods and private goods both offer particularized benefits. j. Collective goods offer particularized benefits, while private goods are broadly distributed. 4. What type of incentives appeal to someone's concern about a cause? k. **Purposive incentives** l. Solidary incentives m. Material incentives n. Negative incentives 5. What is an astroturf movement? a. **A political movement that resembles a grassroots movement but is often supported or facilitated by wealthy interests and/or elites.** b. Groups of companies or institutions that organize around a common set of concerns, often within a given industry or trade. c. A political movement that often begins from the bottom up, inspired by average citizens concerned about a given issue. d. The act of lobbying indirectly by taking the organization's message to the public, often through the use of the media and/or by issue press releases, in hopes that the public will then put pressure on lawmakers. 6. What changes have occurred in the lobbying environment over the past three or four decades? o. There is more professional lobbying. p. Many interests lobby both the national government and the states. q.  A fragmentation of interests has taken place r. **All the above** 7. Interest groups and political action committees are required to disclose contributions.  s. **True** t. False 8. What is a difference between a PAC and a super PAC? u. **PACs can contribute directly to candidates, but super PACs cannot.** v. Conservative interests favor PACs over super PACs. w. Contributions to PACs are unlimited, but restrictions have been placed on how much money can be contributed to super PACs. x. Super PACS are much more likely to support incumbent candidates than are PACs 9. Why might several competing corporations join together in an association? y. Because they can all benefit from governmental policies z. Because they often have common issues that may affect an entire industry a. Because there is often strength in numbers b. **All the above** 10. What was the effect on spending in politics from the Supreme Court case *Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission*? c. **The Supreme Court has paved the way for increased spending in politics.** d. There was no discernable effect on spending in politics. e. Spending in politics has gone down since the case was decided. f. There are now more limitations on spending in politics. **[Module 7]** 1. The Bradley effect occurs when people \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **Say they will vote for a candidate but then vote against that candidate** b. Say they will vote for a candidate based on the candidate's name c. Say they will vote against a candidate because of the candidate's race d. Say they will vote in the next election but instead stay home 2. Once a person becomes an adult, agents of socialization no longer have an impact on that individual. e. True f. False 3. Which of the following is not an agent of political socialization? g. **A U.S. Senator** h. A family member i. A religious leader j. A teacher 4. How are most attitudes formed? k. **In childhood, based on early childhood experiences.** l. In adulthood, based on life choices. m. In college, based on classes and majors. n. After college, based on finances. 5. \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ political content is given by a media source that lets the reader or viewer know upfront there is a political bias or position. o. **Overt** p. Covert q. Explanatory r. Expository 6. A political and economic system in which government uses its authority to promote social and economic equality, providing everyone with basic services and equal opportunities and requiring citizens with more wealth to contribute more. s. **Socialism** t. Conservatism u. Fascism v. Communism 7. Which of the following is not part of a scientific poll design? w. **A leading question** x. A random sample y. A representative sample z. A low margin of error 8. Why are social policies controversial? a. **They require government to balance the rights and liberties of different groups.** b. They require people to accept the authority of the government. c. They require the government to increase spending. d. They require a decrease in regulation and laws 9. How do polls affect presidential elections? a. **Polls identify the top candidates and the media interview those candidates.** b. Polls tell voters the issues that candidates support. c. Polls help voters research information about each of the candidates. d. Polls explained which candidates should win the election. 10. Which factor affects Congressional approval ratings the most? e. **Domestic events** f. Presidential actions g. Foreign events h. Supreme Court actions **[Module 8]** 1. The Great Compromise successfully resolved differences between \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **Large and small states** b. Slaveholding and non-slaveholding states c. The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution d. The house and the Senate 2. While each state has two senators, members of the House are apportioned \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **According to the state\'s population** b. According to the state\'s geographic size c. Based on the state\'s economic size d. Based on each state\'s needs 3. The process of redistricting can present problems for congressional representation because \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **Districts are often drawn to benefit partisan groups** b. Districts must include urban and rural areas c. States can gain but never lose districts d. States have been known to create more districts than they have been apportioned 4. Which of the following is an implied power of Congress? a. **The power to regulate the sale of tobacco in the states.** b. The power to increase taxes on the wealthiest 1%. c. The power to put the president on trial for high crimes. d. The power to override a presidential veto. 5. Senate races tend to inspire \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **broad discussion of policy issues** b. narrow discussion of specific policy issues c. less money than House races d. less media coverage than House races 6. The saying "All politics is local" roughly means \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **the local constituents tend to care about things that affect them** b. the local candidate will always win c. local constituents want action on national issues d. the act of campaigning always occurs at the local level where constituents are 7. A congressperson who pursued a strict delegate model of representation would seek to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **legislate in the way that their constituents want, regardless of their personal beliefs** b. legislate site in a way that carefully consider the circumstances and issues so as to reach a solution that is best for everyone c. legislate in a way that is best for the nation regardless of the costs for the constituents d. legislate and the way that they think is best for their constituents 8. The start of a foreign war is one of the few things that triggers a positive re-evaluation of Congress. a. **True** b. False 9. House leaders are more powerful than Senate leaders because of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **the constitutional position of the House** b. the majoritarian nature of the house, a majority can run it like a cartel c. The larger size of the House d. The State of the Union Address being delivered in the House chamber 10. Saying a bill is being marked up is just another way to say it is being \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. a. **amended** b. vetoed c. neglected d. tabled