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American Gov't Exam
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1. Who is the first president? | George Washington |
| 2. Sugar Act (1764)- | (a) increased the duties on sugar, (b) placed new import duties on textile, coffee, indigo wines, and other goods and (c) doubled the duties on foreign goods shipped from England to the colonies |
| 3. Stamp Act (1765)- | required payment of a tax on the purchase of all newspapers, pamphlets, almanacs, and commercial and legal documents in the colonies |
| 4. What do we call the upper and lower Congress? | Upper: Senate Lower: House of Representatives |
| 5. Bicameralism legislature- | a legislature composed of two separate chamber |
| 6. Article I of the Constitution deals with what branch of government? | Legislative power |
| 7. Article II of the Constitution deals with what branch of government? | Executive power |
| 8. Article III of the Constitution deals with what branch of government? | Judicial |
| 9. Article IV of the Constitution deals with what branch of government? | States’ powers and limits |
| 10. How many times has the U.S. constitution been amended? | 27 |
| 11. Who wrote the Declaration of Independence? | Thomas Jefferson |
| 12. Who is the father of the Constitution? | James Madison |
| 13. What year did we get Independence from Great Britain? | 1776 |
| 14. What proportion of Congress does it require to override a presidential veto? | Two-thirds vote by both houses |
| 15. The portion of the Congress do we need to amendment? | Two-thirds vote by both houses |
| 16. How many states are needed to ratify an amendment? | 38 |
| 17. In what city did the Constitutional Convention take place? | Philadelphia |
| 18. Reserved power- | power given to the state govt and not the federal govt by the constitution |
| 19. Enumerated power- | power given to congress by the constitution |
| 20. Implied power- | powers that are not supported by the constitution, but are still valid |
| 21. Concurrent power- | those powers shared by the federal and state governments under the Constitution |
| 22. Liberal ideology- | a political orientation that favors a more assertive file in the redistribution of economic resources, but emphasizes individual freedom on a range of social issues |
| 23. Conservative ideology- | a political orientation that generally favors government activism in defense of more traditional values on social issues, but that also favors government restraint in economic redistribution |
| 24. What is the 10th Amendment? | Powers not delegated to Congress or prohibited to states belong to states or people |
| 25. What is the 19th Amendment? | Right to vote for women |
| 26. What is the 21st Amendment? | Repeal of prohibition |
| 27. What is the 26th Amendment? | Right to vote for eighteen year olds |
| 28. What is the function of the three branches of government? | Legislative- enforce the laws Federal- make the laws Judicial-interpret the laws |
| 29. Globalization- | the growing economic interdependence of countries worldwide |
| 30. Government- | the collection of public institutions in a nation that establish and enforce the rules by which the members of that nation must live |
| 31. Social contract- | from the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an agreement people make with one another to form a government and abide by its rules and laws, and in return, the government promises to protect the people’s rights and welfare and promote their best interest |
| 32. Democracy- | form of government in which the people, either directly or through elected representatives, hold power and authority. The word democracy is derived from the Greek demos kratos, meaning “rule by the people” |
| 33. Politics- | the way in which the institutions of government are organized to make laws, rules, and policies, and how those institutions are influenced |
| 34. Social equality- | equality, and fair treatment of all groups within the various institutions in society, both public and private, that serve the public at large |
| 35. Political equality- | a condition in which members of different groups possess substantially the same rights to participate actively in the political system. |
| 36. Equal opportunity- | the right to equivalent opportunities for employment regardless of race or color or sex or national origin |
| 37. Equality of outcome- | as the application of different policies or processes to different social groups in order to transform inequalities of conditions at the beginning into equalities at the end. |
| 38. Public good- | most widely used to refer to a specific action whose purpose is to positively benefit all (or nearly all) members of a community or group. |
| 39. Libertarianism- | The view that government’s role should be minimal, rarely interfering in the personal lives of private citizens. |
| 40. Voting- | the political mechanism that ensures that the will of the majority will rule |
| 41. What is the function of the media? | Principle functions of the media include (1) providing objective coverage of events, (2) facilitating public debate, and (3) serving as government watchdog |
| 42. Political ideology- | a philosophical guide that people use to help translate their values and beliefs into political preferences |
| 43. Franchise- (or suffrage) | the right to vote |
| 44. Sovereignty- | the supreme political power of a government to regulate its affairs without outside interference |
| 45. In what year did women get the right to vote? | 1920 |
| 46. In what year did Native Americans get the right to vote? | 1924 |
| 47. Who is John Locke? | Proposed that people are born with certain natural right, which derive from natural law, the rules of conduct inherent in the relationship among human beings this more fundamental than any law that a governing authority might make |
| 48. Referendum- | a question that appears on the ballot that asks voters to approve or reject a policy action either recommended by the state legislature or already approved by the state legislature |
| 49. Recall- | a ballot measure allowing voters to remove duly elected officials from office prior to the end of their term |
| 50. Initiative- | a question that goes directly before the voters for approval or rejection without having first to be proposed by the state legislature |
| 51. Federalism- | the doctrine underlying a system of government in which power is divided between a central government and constituent political subunit |
| 52. Direct democracy- | a system of government in which all citizens participate in making policy, rules, and governing decisions |
| 53. Indirect democracy- | a democracy in which citizens choose the individuals who are then responsible for making and enforcing public policy; the people do not rile |
| 54. Political culture- | the values and beliefs about government, its purpose, and its operations and institutions that are widely held among citizens in a society; it defines the essence of how a society thinks politically and is transmitted from one generation to the next |
| 55. Political socialization- | the process by which an individual acquires values, beliefs, and opinions about politics |
| 56. Elitist theory- | the theoretical view held by many social scientists which holds that American politics is best understood through the generalization that nearly all political power is held by a relatively small and wealthy group of people sharing similar values and inter |
| 57. Pluralism- | the theory that public policy largely results from a variety of interest groups competing with one another to promote laws that benefit members of their respective groups |
| 58. Socialism- | economic system in which all or most of the means of production are owned by the community as a whole |
| 59. Capitalism- | economic system in which all or most of the means of production are privately owned under competitive conditions |
| 60. Civil Act Right of 1964- | the federal law that banned racial discrimination in all public accommodations, including those that were privately owned; prohibited discrimination by employers and created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to investigate complaints of discrimi |
| 61. What is the federal system of government? | Federal system of government is one that divides the powers of government between the national (federal) government and state and local governments. The Constitution of the United States established the federal system, also known as federalism. Under fede |
| 62. Confederation- | a system of government (or “league”) in which two or more independent states unite to achieve certain specified common aims |
| 63. Article of Confederation- | the document creating a “league of friendship” governing the thirteen states during and immediately after the war for independence; hampered by limited power they vest in the legislature to collect revenue or regulate commerce, the Article eventually prov |
| 64. Virginia Plan- | a proposal known also as the “largest states plan” that empowered three separate branches of government, including a legislature with membership proportional to population |
| 65. New Jersey Plan- | a proposal known also as the “small state plan” that would have retained the Articles of Confederation principle of a legislature where states enjoyed equal representation |
| 66. Connecticut Plan | Great Compromise- |
| 67. Three fifths Compromise- | a compromise proposal in which five slaves would be counted as the equivalent of three free people for purposes of taxes and representation |
| 68. During the Constitutional Convention, did the North or the South propose that slaves should be counted as a whole vote? | South |
| 69. Theocracy- | a form of government in which a particular religion or faith plays a dominant role in the government |
| 70. How many states did we have during the Constitutional Convention? | 13 |
| 71. How many states were required to accept Constitution? | 9 |
| 72. Republic- | (democracy) is a form of government in which the people, either directly or through elected representatives, hold power and authority |
| 73. Separation of power- | the principle that each branch of government enjoys separate and independent powers and areas of responsibility |
| 74. Literacy test- | the requirement that individuals prove that they can read and write before being allowed to vote |
| 75. Poll tax- | the requirement that individuals pay a fee before being allowed to vote |
| 76. What were the Federalist Papers all about? | A series of articles authorized by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, which argued in favor of ratifying the proposed Constitution of the United States; the Federalist Papers outlined the philosophy and motivation of the document |
| 77. What is main complaint from the Anti-Federalist about the Constitution? | That the Constitution lacked a bill of rights that explicitly protected citizens’ individual rights |
| 78. Bill of Rights- | the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which protect various rights of the people against the new federal government |
| 79. Necessary and Proper clause- | the clause in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution affords Congress the power to make laws that serve as a means to achieving its expressly delegated powers |
| 80. Interstate Commerce clause- | is an enumerated power listed in the United States Constitution; the clause states that the United States Congress shall have power "To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes". |
| 81. Supremacy clause- | the provision in Article VI, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution that provides the Constitution and federal laws override any conflicting provisions in state constitution or state law |
| 82. Full faith and Credit clause- | the clause in Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution that forces states to abide by the official acts and proceedings of all other states |
| 83. Which state was the first to ratify the Constitution? | Delaware |
| 84. Motor voter law- | the federal law that mandates that when an individual applies for or renews a state driver’s license, the state must also provide that individual with voter registration materials |
| 85. Cooperative federalism- | the doctrine of federalism that affords Congress nearly unlimited authority to exercise its powers through means that often coerce states into administering and |
| 86. Creative federalism- | was a form of federalism popular during the Johnson administration from 1963 to 1969. It emphasized that the federal government determined the needs of the states. During the time that Creative Federalism was popular, the federal government worked extensi |
| 87. Devolution- | the transfer of power and responsibilities for certain regulatory programs from the federal government back to the states |
| 88. Public opinion- | the summation of individual opinions on any particular issue or topic |
| 89. Unfunded mandate- | a directive from the federal government to the states requiring that they perform certain functions, with no accompanying funds to support those functions |
| 90. Scientific sample- | a randomly selected subgroup drawn from a population using probability theory |
| 91. Scientific poll- | a poll in which the sample of people interviewed are representative of a group |
| 92. Unscientific poll- | a poll in which the sample of people interviewed is not representative of any group beyond those who register their opinion |
| 93. Why do we call the media the fourth branch of government? | Because the media serves a number of important functions in the political system, these functions include: providing objective coverage of events, facilitating public debate, and serving as government watchdog |
| 94. Where do most Americans get their news from? | Television |
| 95. Values and beliefs- | the broad principle underlying the American political culture that citizens support and adhere to |
| 96. What is the newest and fastest form of media? | Internet (blogging) |
| 97. What does the FCC stand for? | Federal Communications Commission; created in 1934 |
| 98. What is the function of the FCC? | Congress created the FCC to regulate the electronic media (primarily radio and eventually television) through the licensing of broadcasters and creating rules for broadcasters to follow; the FCC does not have authority to regulate the print media, such as |
| 99. What is the Corporation of Public Broadcasting? | The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 created the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB) |
| 100. What is the function of Corporation of Public Broadcasting? | CPB is responsible for distributing federal funds to support public, noncommercial radio and television stations |
| 101. Political orientation- | the translation of values and beliefs into a systematic way of assessing the political environment |
| 102. Partisanship- | a committed member of a party |
| 103. Who is the first president to use the radio to address the American people? | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| 104. What year was the first presidential television debate? | 1960 |
| 105. Who was involved in the first presidential television debate? | Nixon and Kennedy |
| 106. Why is the media known as the “gatekeeper”? | America media remain as important a political institution, Americans’ use of the media, the demand for information, the appetite of journalists to keep tabs on government performance, and political leaders’ reliance on the media to communicate with citize |
| 107. How is the media involved in “horse race” journalism? | Critics of election coverage charge that there is too much focus on pre-election polls and competitiveness of the “horse race”, which crowds out the more substantive coverage of the issues and the candidates’ position on them |
| 108. Majoritarianism- | the principle that the choice that is supported by the most voters is the choice that prevails |
| 109. A study conducted by the University of Connecticut stated that the percent of people who cannot name their leaders in Congress are? | 60% |
| 110. What is the number of newspapers currently in circulation? | 1,500 (largest National Enquirer) |
| 111. Social capital- | the “social connectedness” of a community, or the extent to which individuals are socially integrated into their community |
| 112. What does it mean that the media is “market driven” journalism? | For the media, increasing profit requires attracting larger audiences and more readers, and as many media companies have found, providing higher quality news programming on politically important topics does not always guarantee increased audience ratings |
| 113. Digital divide- | the term indicating the large differences in usage of the Internet between younger and older people, lower-and middle |
| 114. How long is the process of political socialization? | Life long process beginning in early childhood and continuing throughout an individual’s life |
| 115. Primacy tendency- | the theory that impressions acquired while an individual is younger are likely to be more influential and long-lasting |
| 116. What are the agents of political socialization? | Family, friends, peer groups, schools, the media, and religion |
| 117. Do people who get their news from television are more or less informed than everyone else? | Less |
| 118. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)- | the Supreme Court case that established that Congress enjoys broad and extensive authority to make all laws that are “necessary and proper” to carry out its constitutionally delegated power |
| 119. Social learning theory- | the theory that argues that viewers imitate what they view on television through observational learning |
| 120. Straw poll- | an unscientific poll that gathers the opinions of people who are conveniently available in a gathering place |
| 121. Pseudo-polls- | phone calls from political campaigns or PACs that present themselves as pollster for the purpose of planting messages with voters rather than measuring public opinion |
| 122. Sampling error- | the amount of error in a poll that results from interviewing a sample of people rather than the whole population under study; he larger sample, the less sampling error |
| 123. Random sampling- | A random sample of a small set of people from a broader population used for public opinion polls |
| 124. Academic freedom- | the freedom of teachers and students to express their ideas in school without religious or political or institutional restrictions |
| 125. Intensity (of public opinion)- | the degree of strength of commitment the public feels about the opinion it holds (strongly agree, mildly agree, mildly disagree, and strongly disagree) |
| 126. Continuity (in public opinion)- | a tendency for political preferences to remain generally stable over time |
| 127. Direction (of public opinion)- | a tendency toward a particular preference, usually (through not always) characterized as either positive or negative |
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