Which of the following is not a standing committee of the United States Congress?
a. Agriculture b. Appropriations c. Veterans' Affairs d. Investigations
... [Show More] e. Budget
The correct answer is D. There is no committee for investigations, although Congress may create committees to conduct investigations if the need arises. All of the other answer choices are standing (permanent) committees of both the House and Senate.
Federal district court judges are
a. nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. b. nominated by the Chief Justice and confirmed by the Senate. c. elected by standing judges of the same circuit. d. nominated by a senator and confirmed by the entire Senate. e. elected by the citizens of the district in which they will serve.
The correct answer is A. Judges of the Federal Court system—Supreme Court justices, court of appeals judges, and district court judges—are nominated by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate. This process is outlined in the Constitution and neither the public nor the judiciary itself can be formally involved in the process.
The state officer typically responsible for overseeing federal elections at the state level is the
a. Secretary of State. b. Attorney General. c. State Auditor. d. Governor. e. State Treasurer.
The correct answer is A. The Secretary of State is appointed by the Governor to supervise the election process. For example, in the controversial 2000 presidential election, it was Florida's Secretary of State Katherine Harris (appointed by Governor Jeb Bush) who was responsible for making sure that Florida's election was free, fair, and impartial.
Most Americans believe that
a. the needs of the individual should be subordinate to those of the community. b. everyone should enjoy equal opportunities for personal and material success. c. the government should provide free healthcare for all citizens. d. the government rather than industry should be responsible for national economic development. e. Congress rather than the President should determine foreign policy.
The correct answer is B. The Declaration of Independence states that all men should have the rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Today, most Americans take these words to mean that every American should enjoy equal opportunities for personal and material success.
All of the following are principles upon which the United States Constitution was founded EXCEPT:
a. Every state is equal and the national government cannot give special rights to an individual state. b. There should be three branches of government to make, execute, and interpret the nation's laws. c. All men are equal before the law regardless of social standing. d. The best government is a government by laws not by men. e. All citizens should have the right to keep and bear arms.
The correct answer is E. The right to bear arms is the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights; it was not a founding principle of the U.S. Constitution. All of the other answers deal with general principles of American governmental philosophy and structure rather than particular rights.
The Department of Commerce promotes
a. domestic aggregate demand and supply. b. international trade and economic growth. c. fair prices and stable markets for producers and consumers. d. improved technology through research, development, and demonstration. e. better working conditions and improved relations between labor and management.
The correct answer is B. The Department of Commerce is primarily concerned with ensuring the competitiveness of the U.S. economy. The Department provides businesses with information, administers programs to protect U.S. firms from unfair international competition, and provides standards of measure for U.S. industry.
Which of the following Supreme Court cases refuted the doctrine of "separate but equal"?
a. Baker v. Carr b. McCulloch v. Maryland c. Garcia v. San Antonio d. Brown v. Board of Education e. Miranda v. Arizona
The correct answer is D. The 1954 case of Brown v. Board of Education overturned the 1896 ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson, which had approved the standard of "separate but equal." In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decided that separate schooling could never be equal and ordered that all schools be desegregated.
All of the following are typical stances of American liberals EXCEPT
a. support for abortion rights. b. concern for the rights of the accused. c. resistance to state involvement with religious institutions. d. support for international organization such as the United Nations. e. opposition to the expansion of governmental activity and regulation.
The correct answer is E. Liberals tend to see a larger role for the government than do traditional conservatives, particularly in the regulation of business and industry. All of the other answer choices form core beliefs of the American political left.
Which of the following Amendments to the United States Constitution were repealed?
I. The 18th Amendment (Prohibition)
II. The 4th Amendment (Search and Seizure)
III. The 19th Amendment (The Right to Vote)
a. I only b. II only c. I and II only d. II and III only e. I, II, and III
The correct answer is A. The 18th Amendment—prohibiting the production, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages—was repealed with the 21st Amendment to the Constitution. It was the only Amendment to the Constitution to be repealed.
Which Executive department was created first?
a. Commerce b. Defense c. Labor d. Transportation e. State
The correct answer is E. The Department of State was created in 1789. The Departments of Commerce, Labor, and Transportation were all created in the twentieth century. In 1947, the Department of Defense was made by combining the Departments of War, Navy, and Air Force.
Which of the following is NOT considered a civil liberty?
a. Freedom of speech b. The right of equal protection c. The right of due process d. Freedom of religion e. The right to work
The correct answer is E. There is no "right to work" included in the Constitution; it is not a civil liberty.
Which of the following is NOT considered a civil liberty?
a. Freedom of speech b. The right of equal protection c. The right of due process d. Freedom of religion e. The right to work
The correct answer is E. There is no "right to work" included in the Constitution; it is not a civil liberty.
Which of the following does NOT actively lobby Congress?
a. Labor unions b. Political parties c. Corporations d. Foreign governments e. Senior citizens
The correct answer is B. Political parties do not lobby Congress. Most interest group lobbies are created specifically to petition Congress to change or maintain specific government policies or laws.
The strongest factor contributing to an individual's political socialization tends to be
a. family. b. peers. c. media. d. school. e. religion.
The correct answer is A. The family environment is the dominant factor in the political socialization of an individual. Children tend to adopt the same political perspectives as their parents as well as the same party affiliation.
Which of the following explain why the founders of the Constitution decided upon a bicameral rather than a unicameral legislature?
I. It balanced the interests of low- and high-population states by giving smaller states a voice in the Senate that their low populations would not grant them in the House of Representatives.
II. Either legislature could block legislation approved by the other, thereby strengthening the American system of checks and balances.
III. The House of Representatives was granted responsibility for domestic affairs while the Senate specialized in America's relations with the rest of the world.
a. I only b. I and II only c. II and III only d. III only e. I, II, and III
The correct answer is B. At the Constitutional Convention, delegates from the heavily populated states wanted proportional representation while delegates from the less populated states feared that their voices would not be heard. The Constitution created a House of Representatives based on proportional representation and a Senate in which each state had equal representation. The bicameral system also strengthened the system of checks and balances because passage of legislation required cooperation between the two legislatures. Although Senate ratification of treaties and the House initiation of tax legislation seem to imply international and domestic focuses respectively, these considerations were not part of the Constitution.
Which of the following is NOT an example of congressional oversight?
a. Committee inquiries and hearings b. Senate advice and consent for presidential nominations c. House of Representatives impeachment proceedings and Senate trials d. Override of a presidential veto e. Formal consultations with and reports from the President
The correct answer is D. Overriding a presidential veto is a power of Congress but not a power of oversight. Congressional oversight allows the legislature to keeps tabs on Executive performance, prevent waste and fraud, safeguard civil rights, and collect information crucial to the law-making process.
One of the objects of "Jim Crow" laws was to
a. disenfranchise Americans of color. b. limit soft-money contributions. c. empower southern blacks. d. protect the economies of southern states. e. desegregate southern schools.
The correct answer is A. Jim Crow laws were designed to prevent people of color in the south from threatening the traditional political and economic dominance of southern whites. These laws enforced segregation in practically every aspect of daily life including the workplace, education, and public facilities. [Show Less]