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1
According to "The Declaration of Independence, 1776," a just government derives its power from:
A)military might.
B)taxation.
C)the consent of the governed.
D)the recognition of other nations.
2
As noted in "The Declaration of Independence, 1776," all of the following are stated in the Declaration as grievances against the "present King of Great Britain" _except_ that he:
A)suspended the people's right to legislative representation.
B)swayed the system of justice in his favor.
C)interfered with free trade and immigration.
D)suspended recognized rights to property.
3
According to "The Declaration of Independence, 1776," the text of the Declaration uses the term "British brethren" to refer to all of the citizens of Great Britain.
A)True
B)False
4
As asserted in the commentary accompanying "The Constitution of the United States, 1787" the _most important_ provision in the Constitution is for the:
A)doctrine of judicial review.
B)separation of powers.
C)division of authority between the federal government and the states.
D)presidential veto.
5
According to "The Constitution of the United States, 1787," the individual elected as president of the Constitutional Convention was:
A)James Madison.
B)George Washington.
C)Alexander Hamilton.
D)Benjamin Franklin.
6
According to "The Constitution of the United States, 1787," the foremost feature of the organizational plan for the new government was the separation of powers.
A)True
B)False
7
In "The Size and Variety of the Union as a Check on Faction," James Madison asserts that the form of government most able to control the effects of faction is the:
A)pure democracy.
B)small republic.
C)large republic.
D)oligarchy.
8
What does James Madison cite in "The Size and Variety of the Union as a Check on Faction" as the most common and durable source of factions?
A)government instability
B)diversity in the faculties of man
C)unequal distribution of property
D)lack of political representation
9
As explained in "The Size and Variety of the Union as a Check on Faction," human nature dictates a republican form of government because such a government guards against the cabals of the few and the confusion of the multitude.
A)True
B)False
10
In "Checks and Balances," James Madison cites which of the following as essential to the preservation of liberty?
A)maintaining cultural, religious, and political diversity within a single society
B)the separate and distinct exercise of the different powers of government
C)dividing power between two distinct governments, with separate authority extended to each
D)protection by the government of all parties, the weak as well as the powerful
11
In "Checks and Balances," Madison claims that the "fountain of authority" under a republican system of government is the:
A)legislature.
B)Constitution.
C)people.
D)judiciary.
12
According to "Checks and Balances," the executive branch can counter the legislature, because it holds an absolute negative on it.
A)True
B)False
13
According to the author of "Can America Fail?", a simple empirical test to see whether people are giving back more than they take from their own society is to ask whether citizens:
A)are more likely to volunteer than be drafted into military service.
B)are willing to make sacrifices in time of war.
C)pay back the interest on such government loans as student loans and small business loans.
D)pay more in taxes than they receive in government services.
14
As given in "Can America Fail?", the Doha Round of world trade talks might be successfully concluded if there were a willingness to sacrifice on the part of currently subsidized U.S.:
A)cattle ranchers.
B)citrus growers.
C)wheat farmers.
D)cotton farmers.
15
In the opinion of the author of "Can America Fail?", American thinkers and policymakers are engaged in an incestuous, self–referential, and self–congratulatory discourse that keeps them from seeing how many of the world's problems have been created by American policy.
A)True
B)False
16
As put forth in "The Right Bite," Americans today have moved from skepticism about the federal government to:
A)outright cynicism.
B)guarded confidence.
C)extreme enthusiasm.
D)general indifference.
17
As profiled in "The Right Bite," one of the successes of the federal government in the last half–century has been the dramatic reduction of poverty among:
A)children.
B)the elderly.
C)immigrants.
D)inner–city residents.
18
As asserted in "The Right Bite," trust in the federal government dropped steadily from the mid–1960s until it rose during the prosperity of the Clinton years.
A)True
B)False
19
As stated in "Progressivism Goes Mainstream," evidence for the growth in progressivism in the United States can be found by the majority agreement with all of the following statements except that government:
A)regulations are necessary to keep businesses in check and protect workers and consumers.
B)has gone too far in mixing politics and religion.
C)has a responsibility to provide financial support for the poor, the sick, and the elderly.
D)investments in education, infrastructure, and science are necessary to ensure America's long–term economic growth.
20
As reported in "Progressivism Goes Mainstream," Barack Obama won 53 percent of the popular vote in 2008; the last candidate to register that level of support was:
A)George H. W. Bush.
B)Ronald Reagan.
C)John F. Kennedy.
D)Bill Clinton.
21
As put forth in "Progressivism Goes Mainstream," one group of voters that has remained progressive in their orientation is white working–class voters.
A)True
B)False
22
According to Peter Bernstein, as quoted in "The Hazard of Moral Hazard," as bad as the increased debt and subversion of the Federal Reserve Bank may be because of the bailouts, their impact on our economic well–being pales in comparison with what could happen if the:
A)Fed took a hands–off approach.
B)bailouts lessen our aversion to risk.
C)government did not do anything to bail us out.
D)government allowed inflation to run away without acting to stop it.
23
As revealed in "The Hazard of Moral Hazard," President Obama's favorite metaphor for the need to bail out endangered financial institutions is:
A)putting out a fire so it does not endanger nearby houses.
B)catching a falling elephant, so that the grass does not get crushed.
C)treating a big dog that has many unseen fleas living on it.
D)saving the head of a large family so that his or her dependents do not fail.
24
As listed in "The Hazard of Moral Hazard," among the companies that the government decided it had to save from financial ruin were AIG, General Motors, and Fannie Mae.
A)True
B)False
25
As pointed out in "Not So Popular Where It Counts," Obama's signature foreign–policy initiative in the early days of his presidency, one that gained disapproval in 20 of 24 countries surveyed, was:
A)signing the Kyoto Agreement.
B)the increase of troops in Afghanistan.
C)naming Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State.
D)pulling troops out of Afghanistan.
26
As noted in "Not So Popular Where It Counts," the only traditional U.S. ally in which the Obama presidency has prompted stagnating or declining support for the United States is:
A)Japan.
B)the United Kingdom.
C)Brazil.
D)Israel.
27
According to the author of "Not So Popular Where It Counts," the country of Pakistan could be seen as Obama's "impending migraine."
A)True
B)False
28
As claimed in "It Is Time," one of the major problems with the original U.S. Constitution, when viewed through the eyes of a citizen today, might be that the document does not:
A)reflect the true thinking of the time in which it was written.
B)provide for the basic rights that drive today's democratic form of government.
C)supply the language necessary to establish a desirable political order.
D)offer anything of value for those living in modern times.
29
As presented in "It Is Time," the current construction of Congress is unrepresentative of the U.S. population because:
A)every state has the same number of senators, regardless of population.
B)state representatives are appointed rather than elected by the people.
C)only one house of Congress needs to approve a bill for it to become law.
D)the president can veto any legislation passed by Congress.
30
As asserted in "It Is Time," it is impossible to correct the flaws in the original Constitution, and it must be abandoned entirely and started over again from scratch.
A)True
B)False
31
As defined in "Pursuit of Habeas," habeas corpus is the ancient right of:
A)a leader to arrest and imprison a possible criminal.
B)an accused person to challenge his or her arrest before a neutral judge.
C)the military to hold war criminals indefinitely without due process.
D)a leader to decide what happens to prisoners under his or her jurisdiction.
32
As presented in "Pursuit of Habeas," the Bush Administration has argued that habeas corpus does not apply to Guantanamo Bay (Gitmo) detainees because the detainees:
A)are not enemies of the United States.
B)have already been proven to have broken the law.
C)have admitted their involvement in terrorist activities.
D)are foreign combatants.
33
As claimed in "Pursuit of Habeas," U.S. military officials agree that the majority of detainees at Gitmo possess information that will eventually be useful to the United States.
A)True
B)False
34
As explained in "Is Judicial Review Obsolete?", an "originalist" interpretation of the U.S. Constitution involves interpreting the Constitution according to:
A)biblical principles.
B)conservative ideology.
C)the original authors' intent.
D)the changing times.
35
According to "Is Judicial Review Obsolete?", in interpreting the Constitution, the Supreme Court's recent voting patterns on gun control and campaign–finance reform reveal a pattern driven by:
A)originalism.
B)the concept of a "living Constitution."
C)political–party affiliation.
D)policy preferences.
36
As noted in "Is Judicial Review Obsolete?", the ambiguous wording of the Second Amendment leaves it wide open to judicial interpretation.
A)True
B)False
37
As described in "Two Takes," the Alliance Defense Fund's Pulpit Initiative is designed to protect:
A)Internal Revenue Service (IRS) policies regarding churches.
B)a pastor's First Amendment right to free speech.
C)church congregations from being forced to donate money to a political candidate.
D)a candidate's right to campaign in a church.
38
As presented in "Two Takes," a significant role of the church is to:
A)protect the congregation from the politics of the secular world.
B)instruct church members on how to vote.
C)donate money to political candidates.
D)encourage the congregation to do good and not evil.
39
As claimed in "Two Takes," historically, pastors have been allowed to speak on any issue in the church without risking the church's tax–exempt status.
A)True
B)False
40
As put forth in "Misremembering Reagan," conservatives have clung to Reagan's memory more fiercely than ever because of Reagan's death, the reevaluation of his presidency by historians, and, above all, the:
A)recent release of Reagan's personal journals.
B)loss of the 2008 election.
C)surge of interest in Sarah Palin.
D)political failure of George W. Bush.
41
As revealed in "Misremembering Reagan," Reagan's rhetoric featured, more than his four immediate predecessors combined, mention of the:
A)Founders of America.
B)Civil War.
C)military.
D)space race.
42
In the opinion of the author of "Misremembering Reagan," conservatives who invoke Reagan are prone to two characteristic vices: hero–worship and nostalgia.
A)True
B)False
43
According to "Small Ball after All?", there is a distinct possibility that George W. Bush will go down in history as:
A)the worst president ever.
B)one of the best presidents ever.
C)a game–changing president.
D)a mediocre and minor president.
44
As explained in "Small Ball after All?", Bush's "third term" refers to:
A)an extension of the Bush presidency beyond the normal term limits.
B)his last two years in office, when he made major policy changes.
C)a continuation of his policies by the next president.
D)his second term in office, when he won both the electoral and popular votes.
45
As asserted in "Small Ball after All?", Al Qaeda and the Taliban were not a threat to the United States until Bush took office.
A)True
B)False
46
As stated in "The Founders' Great Mistake," the most often amended feature of the Constitution is:
A)voting rights.
B)provisions relating to religion.
C)the presidency.
D)congressional elections.
47
According to "The Founders' Great Mistake," the Constitutional Convention gave little attention to defining the powers of the presidency, in large part because the president of the convention was:
A)George Washington.
B)Benjamin Franklin.
C)James Madison.
D)Thomas Jefferson.
48
As asserted in "The Founders' Great Mistake," Hamilton's formulation of the theory of the "unitary executive" was merely the reflection of widely held opinions among those who framed the Constitution.
A)True
B)False
49
As defined in "Happy Together?", politics is the process of working through problems to build a consensus around mutually agreeable solutions—sometimes also known, the author writes, as:
A)deliberative democracy.
B)representative government.
C)the great compromise.
D)business as usual.
50
As mentioned in "Happy Together?", Woodrow Wilson had his New Freedom agenda, Franklin D. Roosevelt had the New Deal, and Lyndon B. Johnson had the:
A)New Equality.
B)Great Society.
C)Global Initiative.
D)Progressive Leap.
51
As noted in "Happy Together?", presidents from Harry S Truman to Ronald Reagan found that they could accomplish little when dealing with a divided Congress.
A)True
B)False
52
According to "Veto This!," with regard to the use of the veto, George W. Bush is only the second president in history to:
A)use the veto as a political tool.
B)go an entire term without using the veto at all.
C)utilize the veto in a "lame–duck" presidency.
D)disagree with congressional legislation.
53
As presented in "Veto This!," the first U.S. president to veto major legislation was:
A)George W. Bush.
B)John Quincy Adams.
C)Abraham Lincoln.
D)Andrew Jackson.
54
As claimed in "Veto This!," the Supreme Court has overturned far more legislation throughout history than the presidential veto has.
A)True
B)False
55
According to "A Political Odyssey," there was no greater threat to Obama's chances of winning the presidency than the:
A)selection of Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate.
B)televised debates.
C)team of Bill and Hillary Clinton.
D)controversy that erupted over the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
56
At the beginning of the article "A Political Odyssey," Obama compares the whole election to a:
A)circus.
B)action film.
C)novel.
D)marathon.
57
As recounted in "A Political Odyssey," David Axelrod was not sure that Obama would be a good candidate because he was too normal.
A)True
B)False
58
As put forth in "The Shuffle President," describing Obama as a "shuffle" president is a reference to the:
A)way a gambler shuffles the cards.
B)random playing of music tracks.
C)quick steps of a dancer.
D)sleight of hand performed by a magician.
59
In the opinion of the author of "The Shuffle President," after more than a half–century of discussion, it would be a monumental achievement for any president to:
A)reform Wall Street and the banking system.
B)bring democracy to the Middle East.
C)clean up the environment.
D)create a new healthcare framework.
60
As suggested in "The Shuffle President," the author's premise is that every new presidency is a story, a dramatic narrative that should unfold in discrete chapters.
A)True
B)False
61
As claimed in "When Congress Stops Wars," the decisive factor in determining whether lawmakers will oppose or acquiesce in presidential calls for war is:
A)how strong a case for war the president is able to make.
B)whether or not members of Congress agree with going to war.
C)the partisan composition of Congress at the time.
D)how aggressive or intimidating that particular president is able to be.
62
As noted in "When Congress Stops Wars," the increase in Congressional oversight after the 2006 midterm elections was a result of the:
A)Democrats gaining control of Congress.
B)president acting without Congressional approval.
C)Republicans attempting to regain popularity with constituents.
D)administration making decisions in secrecy.
63
As stated in When Congress Stops Wars," overall, Congress has very little power when it comes to dictating the conduct of war.
A)True
B)False
64
Regarding the integrity of members of Congress, the author of "The Case for Congress" notes that:
A)the deterioration of congressional integrity mirrors that in society as a whole.
B)the ethical climate at the Capitol has not changed much in recent decades.
C)probity in Congress is the rule rather than the exception.
D)Americans have a largely accurate view of congressional behavior.
65
As reported in "The Case for Congress," criticisms of Congress that the author agrees with include that:
A)there are too many luxury perks provided to members of Congress.
B)the money chase has gotten out of hand.
C)Congress is totally dominated by special–interest groups.
D)obstructionism has caused Congress to slow its pace to the point of damaging the institution itself.
66
As stated in "The Case for Congress," public discussion of controversial issues increases the clout lobbyists have with legislators.
A)True
B)False
67
As reported in "The Case for Busting the Filibuster," the traditional filibuster was replaced in 1975 by what is known as the:
A)delaying filibuster.
B)procedural filibuster.
C)faux filibuster.
D)majority filibuster.
68
As put forth in "The Case for Busting the Filibuster," the members of the Senate use the threat of the filibuster to:
A)bring minority members into line.
B)keep the president from exercising the line–item veto.
C)influence members of the House of Representatives.
D)hit up constituents for money.
69
In the opinion of the author of "The Case for Busting the Filibuster," a "filibuster–proof" Senate will never exist until the Senate gets rid of the filibuster rule entirely.
A)True
B)False
70
As given in "A Bit of Advice, Madam Speaker," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should:
A)publicly challenge Republicans more often.
B)follow the instructions of the White House.
C)avoid the areas in which she tends to fail.
D)hold more news conferences.
71
The majority of members of today's Supreme Court, as explained in "Remote Control," were selected from:
A)corporate practice.
B)judgeships on appellate courts.
C)probate courts.
D)superior courts.
72
The only current Supreme Court justice with any experience as a trial judge, as reported in "Remote Control," is:
A)Clarence Thomas.
B)Stephen Breyer.
C)David Souter.
D)Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
73
When President Bill Clinton was forced to give a sworn deposition in the Paula Jones sexual harassment lawsuit, as noted in "Remote Control," none of the justices believed this would occupy a substantial amount of the President's time.
A)True
B)False
74
As presented in "Court Approval," the recent votes in the U.S. Supreme Court reflect a Court that is:
A)polarized.
B)left–leaning.
C)in general agreement.
D)out of touch with America.
75
According to "Court Approval," Chief Justice John Roberts came to the Supreme Court with a goal of:
A)overruling conservative judges.
B)setting precedents.
C)establishing bipartisan consensus.
D)becoming a spoiler.
76
As noted in "Court Approval," the number of unanimous Court decisions has fallen since Sandra Day O'Connor left the Court.
A)True
B)False
77
According to "Marking Time," when compared to the U.S. government, organizations like al–Qaeda are:
A)overly bureaucratic.
B)inherently nimbler.
C)structurally disorganized.
D)unable to make concrete plans and decisions.
78
As presented in "Marking Time," a hallmark of al–Qaeda attacks is that they:
A)are poorly planned and executed.
B)take an inordinate amount of time to carry out.
C)occur frequently on very small scales.
D)are technically and operationally sophisticated.
79
As claimed in "Marking Time," the disaster of September 11, 2001, can be attributed largely to simple delay and chronic slowness in the U.S. government.
A)True
B)False
80
As presented in "Worse than You Think," the current situation involving Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is largely due to:
A)Congress' failure to learn from the savings–and–loan (S&L) collapse.
B)irresponsible citizens who purchased homes that they could not afford.
C)the privatization of Fannie Mae in 1968.
D)strict Fannie and Freddie oversight regulations passed by Congress.
81
As claimed in "Worse than You Think," the S&L situation 20 years ago proved that:
A)federally insured banks will not fail.
B)Congress is unrealistically strict with its oversight of lending institutions.
C)adequate risk controls are essential for successful financial regulation.
D)affordable–housing programs benefit both taxpayers and lending institutions.
82
As described in "Worse than You Think," the "American Dream Commitment" was one of the few affordable housing programs that did not use taxpayer dollars.
A)True
B)False
83
As put forth in "Teaching a Hippo to Dance," the problem with public institutions is that the consequence of failure means that there is no reward for:
A)risk taking and innovation.
B)time–saving changes to routine.
C)breaking the chain of command.
D)accepting personal hazard.
84
In one anecdote given in "Teaching a Hippo to Dance," a colleague of the author who distinguished himself while working for Colin Powell recently left the Foreign Service after his promotion was denied by human resources, which gave as its reason that:
A)approval for the increased funding to pay him at that grade would not be possible until the next session of Congress.
B)he had not yet spent enough years in the service.
C)his paperwork had been lost and the process would have to start from the beginning.
D)there were already qualified people at that grade level.
85
As mentioned in "Teaching a Hippo to Dance," although social entrepreneurs have begun attracting attention to causes from domestic violence to water pollution, very few of them have been able to bring about changes in national policy or law.
A)True
B)False
86
As stated in "Obama's America," Obama was elected in 2008 by 53 percent of the vote to John McCain's 46 percent, the biggest presidential victory since the election of:
A)Teddy Roosevelt.
B)John F. Kennedy.
C)George H. W. Bush.
D)Bill Clinton.
87
As spelled out in "Obama's America," compared with the election in 2000, voter turnout in 2008:
A)stayed about the same.
B)dropped slightly, a 7 percent decrease.
C)grew slightly, a 3 percent increase.
D)grew significantly, a 25 percent increase.
88
As detailed in "Obama's America," the Republicans and Democrats allocate delegates to candidates in the same way—winner take all—based on the candidates' primary performance.
A)True
B)False
89
As explained in "The 'Enduring Majority'—Again," the author's main argument against liberals who believe the Democrats gained an enduring majority in 2008 is that liberal analysts are wrong to assume that:
A)subsequent elections will look like the previous one.
B)Obama's personal charisma was not a deciding factor in the election.
C)so–called "undecided" voters are not mainly conservative in their values.
D)the Republicans will accept a continuing falling off of their numbers.
90
As maintained in "The 'Enduring Majority'—Again," the term "de–arrangement" was invented to explain away:
A)Obama's election.
B)the election of a president from one party but a majority of Congress from the other.
C)the years of GOP dominance.
D)seeming inconsistencies in McCain's platform.
91
The author of "The 'Enduring Majority'—Again" notes that young voters who voted for Obama will probably continue to vote Democratic no matter what else changes in their lives.
A)True
B)False
92
As quoted in "Dr. Dean Regrets Nothing," Dean said that his two most significant accomplishments as chairman of the DNC were implementing his "50–state" strategy to make his party competitive in all parts of the country and:
A)successfully electing Obama.
B)modernizing the DNC.
C)gaining a majority in Congress.
D)advancing the healthcare agenda.
93
As mentioned in "Dr. Dean Regrets Nothing," before becoming chairman of the DNC, Howard Dean was governor of:
A)New York.
B)Texas.
C)Vermont.
D)California.
94
As profiled in "Dr. Dean Regrets Nothing," one of Dean's strengths as DNC chairman was fundraising, for which he set a record in 2008.
A)True
B)False
95
As considered in "Direction, Anyone?", the answer to the question of who speaks for the Republican Party now is:
A)Rush Limbaugh.
B)Michael Steele.
C)Sarah Palin.
D)no one.
96
According to "Direction, Anyone?", the good news is that the party does not really need a leader, but the bad news is that it lacks:
A)enough followers.
B)entrepreneurship.
C)a solid platform.
D)funds.
97
As noted in "Direction, Anyone?", Newt Gingrich overcame having neither the White House nor Congress for the Republican Party to become its leader in the early 1990s.
A)True
B)False
98
As reported in "America Observed," the central cause of the electoral problem in the United States is:
A)dysfunctional decentralization.
B)malfunctioning technology.
C)poor education.
D)deliberate fraud.
99
According to "America Observed," the most reliable technology for voting is:
A)punch card ballots.
B)touch–screen–voting computers.
C)online voting.
D)paper ballots.
100
As noted in "America Observed," the majority of U.S. states welcome international observers at polling places.
A)True
B)False
101
As revealed in "Can Money Be a Force for Good?", in 2008, campaign–finance experts and newspapers warned of a "billion–dollar election"; ultimately, the election for the presidency and the Congress cost:
A)$719 million.
B)$1.3 billion.
C)$5.3 billion.
D)$12.8 billion.
102
As discussed in "Can Money Be a Force for Good?", Obama was criticized for agreeing and then refusing to accept money from:
A)PACs.
B)the public–financing option.
C)big business.
D)the Democratic National Committee.
103
As told in "Can Money Be a Force for Good?", more than twice as much money was raised for the presidential campaign of 2008 than had been raised for the campaign four years earlier.
A)True
B)False
104
Among the most urgent challenges posed by U.S. elections, as put forth in "Vote or Else," are voting fraud and:
A)a lack of engagement with the electoral process.
B)fewer volunteers to work at the polls.
C)voter intimidation.
D)transportation needs.
105
Eligible citizens are required to register and to appear at the polls on Election Day, as explained in "Vote or Else," in:
A)France.
B)Germany.
C)Mexico.
D)Australia.
106
A mandatory system of voting, as maintained in "Vote or Else," would force the government to take voter registration and issues of fraud seriously.
A)True
B)False
107
As presented in "The Presidential Nomination Process," it can be said about the American presidential nomination process that it:
A)does not significantly involve the American people.
B)has not changed much since its beginnings.
C)involves only two political parties and two individuals.
D)allows for many individuals to have an equal chance to be president.
108
According to "The Presidential Nomination Process," a component of the first era of the presidential nomination process was the:
A)Congressional caucus.
B)mixed system.
C)national nominating convention.
D)direct primary.
109
As noted in "The Presidential Nomination Process," the McGovern–Fraser Commission was charged with making delegate selection more democratic.
A)True
B)False
110
As asserted in "Still the Chosen One?", Washington's most powerful lobbying group is the:
A)American Medical Association.
B)National Rifle Association.
C)American Association of Retired Persons.
D)American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
111
As reported in "Still the Chosen One?", 328 House members and three–quarters of the Senate signed letters from AIPAC to Obama, which said that the proven best way forward is to:
A)act as a peace broker between Israel and Palestine.
B)work closely and privately together with Israel.
C)provide military support to Israel against both Hamas and Iran.
D)maintain neutrality in Middle East conflicts.
112
As profiled in "Still the Chosen One?", AIPAC has influence out of proportion with its actual size, as it consists of only a dozen staffers working out of a small office in Washington.
A)True
B)False
113
As revealed in "Don't Call Them Lobbyists," more and more lobbyists are deregistering and:
A)taking jobs with private industry.
B)setting up as arm's–length strategists.
C)working as White House staffers.
D)joining the national committee of one of the two major political parties.
114
As identified in "Don't Call Them Lobbyists," de rigueur tools of influence in today's Washington include:
A)cell phones and iPods.
B)vegan restaurants and hybrid cars.
C)Twitter, Facebook, and sophisticated Web sites.
D)very deep pockets.
115
As quoted in "Don't Call Them Lobbyists," one lobby–law specialist claims that registering as a lobbyist nowadays is like "walking around with a scarlet letter."
A)True
B)False
116
As profiled in "Born Fighting," MoveOn.org began when its creators:
A)established a campaign Web site for Barack Obama.
B)began an Internet protest site regarding the economic crisis.
C)posted an online petition opposing the drive to impeach Bill Clinton.
D)developed software for a popular screensaver.
117
According to "Born Fighting," MoveOn.org's political impact can be measured on the two levels of:
A)causes and candidates.
B)advertising and marketing.
C)activism and organizing.
D)message and mechanics.
118
As noted in "Born Fighting," MoveOn.org is based on the concept that fighting makes the organization stronger.
A)True
B)False
119
According to "Why They Lobby," besides money, many lobbyists in controversial industries choose their profession because they:
A)enjoy the challenge.
B)get the opportunity to exercise their ethical beliefs.
C)have not been successful in other industries.
D)want to provide a valuable service for future generations.
120
As presented in "Why They Lobby," all the lobbyists interviewed cited their belief in the:
A)ethical principles inherent in lobbying.
B)value of their industry to the larger society.
C)First Amendment right to petition the government.
D)necessity of the products that their industry produces.
121
As noted in "Why They Lobby," all of the lobbyists profiled use and enjoy the products that their industry produces.
A)True
B)False
122
As stated in "The Revolution Will Not Be Published," the most salient fact to explain why newspapers are in such trouble is that:
A)the integrity of journalism has been tainted by too many scandals.
B)they take too long to read for content in the age of Twitter and texting.
C)printing presses are terrifically expensive to set up and run.
D)subscribers do not understand why they should pay for a newspaper to get the same information that they perceive as being free on the Internet.
123
According to "The Revolution Will Not Be Published," in the last couple of decades, pragmatists in newspaper offices who saw what was happening in the world of technology were treated as:
A)saviors.
B)if they were barking mad.
C)comedians.
D)eccentric geeks.
124
As pointed out in "The Revolution Will Not Be Published," one scenario that the newspaper publishers never considered in the early 1990s was that the ability to share content would not shrink, it would grow.
A)True
B)False
125
According to "Build the Wall," what matters most in regard to newspaper publishing is:
A)advertising.
B)content.
C)experience.
D)speed.
126
The author of "Build the Wall," makes an analogy with another medium that used to be free and then moved to a paying basis; that medium is:
A)books.
B)movies.
C)television.
D)theater.
127
As postulated in "Build the Wall," one mistake newspapers have made was to send all their profits to Wall Street instead of reinvesting and improving the product.
A)True
B)False
128
As summarized in "A See–Through Society," in the end, transparency regarding our government leaders breeds:
A)trust.
B)duplicity.
C)creativity.
D)complexity.
129
As mentioned in "A See–Through Society," the U.S. House of Representatives' website, www.house.gov, was crashed in September 2008 by enormous public interest in the:
A)impending surge in Iraq.
B)presidential election.
C)financial bailout legislation.
D)Obama's new dog, Bo.
130
As recounted in "A See–Through Society," the Twitter Vote Report allowed citizens to report on their voting experience during the 2008 election, providing a real–time picture of wait times and complications that the news media picked up on and reported.
A)True
B)False
131
To assess trends in the overall level of taxes and compare taxation across countries, as explained in "The Tax–Cut Con," most economists look at the ratio of taxes to:
A)gross domestic product.
B)purchasing power parity.
C)per capita income.
D)individual public sector benefits.
132
One of the only states to attempt a restructuring of the tax system to provide funds for needed public services, as reported in "The Tax–Cut Con," is:
A)Vermont.
B)Michigan.
C)Florida.
D)Alabama.
133
Although nobody enjoys paying taxes, as pointed out in "The Tax–Cut Con," most members of the public care deeply about the things their taxes pay for.
A)True
B)False
134
According to "The Realities of Immigration," the modern immigration era commenced:
A)with the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts.
B)with the passage of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
C)during the Great Depression.
D)at the conclusion of World War I.
135
As reported in "The Realities of Immigration," in comparing illegal immigrants without a high school education to their native–born peers, the author finds that:
A)the immigrants are employed at lower percentages.
B)native–borns have more incentive to work.
C)immigrants workers are more likely to lack initiative.
D)wages of native–borns have been adversely affected by the presence of immigrants.
136
As observed in "The Realities of Immigration," the Immigration and Control Act of 1986 was a monumental failure.
A)True
B)False
137
According to "The Health of Nations," America's annual per–person health expenditures are:
A)second only to Canada's among developed nations.
B)less than other top–notch healthcare systems in the world.
C)twice as high as those countries with the best healthcare systems in the world.
D)reasonable for the quality and quantity of care Americans receive.
138
As presented in "The Health of Nations," the downside of Canada's single–payer healthcare system is that:
A)there is an indefinite wait time for elective surgery.
B)prescription drugs are unreasonably expensive.
C)administrative costs are impossible to control.
D)there are no alternatives available for those who do not like the system.
139
As noted in "The Health of Nations," although France's government provides basic healthcare for all citizens, most also have a supplemental policy.
A)True
B)False
140
According to "The Real Infrastructure Crisis," the most serious current problem with the U.S. transportation system is that:
A)the condition of bridges and interstate highways is rapidly deteriorating.
B)lack of roads and an increase in road and air traffic is creating chronic congestion.
C)airplanes and airports are in serious disrepair.
D)spending on the nation's transportation infrastructure is decreasing.
141
As claimed in "The Real Infrastructure Crisis," the true U.S. infrastructure crisis is whether or not:
A)American taxpayers are willing to pay for upkeep and improvements for the future.
B)the government will recognize the seriousness of the infrastructure problem.
C)the American economy can survive the massive costs brought on by congestion.
D)America has the technology to properly repair its infrastructure.
142
As defined in "The Real Infrastructure Crisis," the label of "structurally deficient," which has been given to 12 percent of American bridges, refers to a serious condition of disrepair that holds the potential for catastrophe.
A)True
B)False
143
As presented in "Speculators, Politicians, and Financial Disasters," throughout U.S. history, major economic disasters have occurred as a result of:
A)poor government regulation and oversight.
B)a lack of speculation.
C)a drop in gold prices.
D)government intervention in private enterprise.
144
According to "Speculators, Politicians, and Financial Disasters," the "economic oxymoron" created by government policy in response to the savings–and–loan (S&L) situation in the 1980s was:
A)long–term, low–interest mortgages.
B)a cap on already low interest rates.
C)high–yield, no–risk securities.
D)one agency for many problems.
145
As noted in "Speculators, Politicians, and Financial Disasters," the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the GI Bill were instrumental in increasing the size of America's middle class.
A)True
B)False
146
As described in "A Flimsy Trust," the author believes that Social Security is a bailout lurking beneath the surface that may soon emerge like:
A)a Jack in the box.
B)the iceberg that hit the Titanic.
C)a plant growing in the springtime.
D)the great white shark in Jaws.
147
As mentioned in "A Flimsy Trust," the Social Security system is required by law to show:
A)transparent accounting of all taxes paid in and benefits paid out.
B)75 years of "solvency."
C)a positive balance in the "trust fund."
D)surplus funds to cover the next 20 years.
148
The author of "A Flimsy Trust" makes that point that he and his wife will receive more in Social Security benefits than they and their employers have paid into the system during their careers.
A)True
B)False
149
As claimed in "How Globalization Went Bad," with globalization, the goal of the United States is to:
A)unite diverse nations around the world.
B)coordinate the entire globalized world.
C)share responsibility for the world market with other powerful nations.
D)end unilateral globalization strategies.
150
As defined in "How Globalization Went Bad," the concept of "distributed government" refers to:
A)U.S. global power.
B)several great powers in the global system.
C)equal power among all nations.
D)the law of diminishing returns.
151
As asserted in "How Globalization Went Bad," monopolies are rarely problematic as long as those in power are alert to problems and consequences.
A)True
B)False
152
In discussing the threats posed by potential failed states, the authors of "Are Failed States a Threat to America?" contend that:
A)all failed governments pose a security threat to nations everywhere.
B)the dangers that can arise from failed states are the product of state failure itself.
C)all failed states are equally dangerous.
D)the overwhelmingly majority of failed states pose no security threat to the United States.
153
As noted in "Are Failed States a Threat to America?" an ambitious program of nation–building would:
A)reduce the level of threat from failed states.
B)erode internationally recognized sovereignty.
C)strengthen U.S. borders.
D)bolster the image of the United States abroad.
154
As stated in "Are Failed States a Threat to America?" the failure of government in Afghanistan with its dangerous results justifies making failed states a top security.
A)True
B)False
155
As assessed in "Worth Fighting—Or Not," historians say that the war from which the fewest benefits have been gained by the United States is the:
A)Vietnam War.
B)Mexican War.
C)Iraq War.
D)World War I.
156
As estimated in "Worth Fighting—Or Not," the American Revolution was supported by:
A)about 10 percent of the colonists.
B)about a third of the colonists.
C)nearly 75 percent of the colonists.
D)virtually all of the colonists, with only about 5 percent remaining loyal to the crown.
157
As revealed in "Worth Fighting—Or Not," Texas Governor Rick Perry, a Republican, raised the possibility that his state might want to secede from the United States.
A)True
B)False
158
As postulated in "The Abandonment of Democracy," perhaps the clearest shift in U.S. policy on democracy promotion since Obama became president is toward:
A)Egypt.
B)Nepal.
C)Sudan.
D)Iran.
159
According to the author of "The Abandonment of Democracy," Obama might have put his own spin on the issue of democracy promotion, just as was done in 1981 by new president:
A)Gerald Ford.
B)Jimmy Carter.
C)Ronald Reagan.
D)Bill Clinton.
160
As suggested in "The Abandonment of Democracy," Obama's motives for not promoting democracy in his speeches about foreign relations seem to be that his administration wanted to distance itself from the tone and perceived baggage of the Bush Administration.
A)True
B)False





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