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Chapter Quiz
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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 "What Makes a Country Great?", factors that contribute to happiness include all of the following except:
A)stable marriage.
B)unlimited wealth.
C)good health.
D)economic stability.
14
In comparing the United States to other nations, the author of "What Makes a Country Great?" notes that:
A)China's economy is larger than that of the United States.
B)Japan is likely to have greater economic expansion in the coming years than the United States.
C)the United States ranks first in global competitiveness.
D)the United States has lower unemployment than Germany.
15
As pointed out in "What Makes a Country Great?", a higher percentage of people of working age in Switzerland are employed than in the United States.
A)True
B)False
16
As reported in "What They Don't Know," various polls have shown that a majority of Americans:
A)believe that the economy did not grow in 2010.
B)do not consider the budget deficit a serious problem.
C)believe that almost half the federal budget goes to housing assistance for the poor.
D)believe that eliminating Medicare would equal the savings of cutting foreign aid.
17
As noted in "What They Don't Know," the single program on which the government spends the most money is:
A)Aid to Families with Dependent Children.
B)enforcement of the Clean Air Act.
C)Medicare.
D)Social Security.
18
As stated in "What They Don't Know," young people in the 1990s knew less about what was going on in the world than young people in the 1960s and 1970s.
A)True
B)False
19
According to "Legacy Nation," in a recent study by Pew Charitable Trusts, the United States ranked as:
A)the freest nation in the world.
B)one of the least-mobile societies in the first world.
C)the most-equal nation in the world in terms of income equality.
D)one of the top nations in the world in terms of intergenerational elasticity.
20
As claimed in "Legacy Nation," one of the most central ideas to the concept of American Exceptionalism is the belief that:
A)wealthy people have distinct advantages in America.
B)big government can solve most of the country's problems.
C)anyone can succeed with enough hard work and discipline.
D)a variety of economic classes make for a stronger country.
21
As noted in "Legacy Nation," most Americans resent those who have more money, even if realistic opportunities are available for everyone.
A)True
B)False
22
According to "Does Government Need to Grow?", when examining economies and governments in developed countries, some economists have recently documented a:
A)negative relationship between government size and economic growth.
B)need for a larger government to handle a growing economy.
C)decline in government spending as populations age.
D)decrease in government spending as economies grow.
23
As argued in "Does Government Need to Grow?", today's poor are defined by:
A)misfortune.
B)poor choices.
C)discrimination.
D)starvation.
24
As stated in "Does Government Need to Grow?", the elderly in America have more wealth than do children or working-age Americans.
A)True
B)False
25
As claimed in "The You're-on-Your-Own Society," the deepest division between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney during the election was with regard to:
A)natural-disaster relief.
B)the use of social media.
C)shared responsibility for problem-solving.
D)funding for disease research.
26
According to "The You're-on-Your-Own Society," Americans like to see social problems as the result of:
A)government neglect.
B)government interference.
C)bad luck.
D)individual weakness.
27
As stated in "The You're-on-Your-Own Society," people need society to protect them from their own bad judgment.
A)True
B)False
28
As presented in "Anatomy of the 1%," the slogan "We Are the 99%" refers to:
A)the poor.
B)the wealthy.
C)the middle class.
D)average workers of all wages.
29
As claimed in "Anatomy of the 1%," all of the following concepts are included in the inequality of the 1 percent versus the 99 percent except:
A)income.
B)power.
C)education.
D)wealth.
30
As noted in "Anatomy of the 1%," compared to the tycoons before the Great Depression, today's rich are more likely to derive their wealth from dividends and interest payments.
A)True
B)False
31
As presented in "Stuff White People Like," many conservatives argued after election day 2012 that President Obama won because he:
A)promised equality for all citizens.
B)appealed to middle-class white voters.
C)offered government benefits at no charge.
D)promised to increase public programs through increased taxation.
32
As claimed in "Stuff White People Like," Bill O'Reilly's "traditional America" refers to:
A)white men.
B)populations of color.
C)women.
D)a diverse electorate.
33
As argued in "Stuff White People Like," statistics show that the lowest-wage earners in the United States get very little for free.
A)True
B)False
34
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.
35
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.
36
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
37
As reported in "Debating Citizens United," Justice John Paul Steven's dissenting opinion in the Citizens United case:
A)did not address any precedents.
B)rejected the idea that a corporation could be limited because it is powerful.
C)contended that no harm had been demonstrated as resulting from the video.
D)conceded that corporations have been held to be covered by the First Amendment.
38
As noted in "Debating Citizens United," the Taft-Hartley Act:
A)did not apply to labor unions.
B)was passed by a Republican Congress.
C)was seen as a response to lopsided elections.
D)was supported by President Harry Truman.
39
As discussed in "Debating Citizens United," the Citizens United case undoubtedly affected the results of the 2010 election.
A)True
B)False
40
As profiled in "Title IX 40 Years Later: Game Changer," a letter from student Charlotte Murphy to the superintendent of the Pittsburgh Public Schools resulted in:
A)the cancellation of girls' basketball for the season.
B)a new policy that forced the district to sponsor girls' basketball if it sponsored boy's basketball.
C)the elimination of boys' basketball from the district due to a lack of interest in girls' basketball.
D)a new policy that allowed for separate policies for girls' and boys' sports.
41
As described in "Title IX 40 Years Later: Game Changer," the original Title IX approved by Congress in 1972 focused on:
A)equality in athletics for girls.
B)equal voting rights for women.
C)discrimination against girls and women in education.
D)appropriate roles for women in the workplace.
42
As noted in "Title IX 40 Years Later: Game Changer," now that sports programs have been equalized for boys and girls in public schools, Title IX is no longer relevant.
A)True
B)False
43
As presented in "Daring to Defer," embracing "judicial modesty" means:
A)finding limits in everything.
B)supporting conservative values.
C)refusing to make controversial decisions.
D)overriding elected legislatures.
44
As claimed in "Daring to Defer," Chief Justice John Roberts is committed to the notion that courts should:
A)ignore the will of the people when deciding controversial cases.
B)not overturn the actions of democratically elected officials.
C)side with the party in office at the time.
D)attack the judgments of Congress whenever possible.
45
As noted in "Daring to Defer," the majority of Chief Justice Robert's decisions on the Court have delighted his conservative supporters.
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 reported in "Studying the Gipper," one thing that the Truman, Reagan, and Clinton Administrations were all remembered for was:
A)lack of scandal.
B)consistently high approval ratings.
C)ability to get things done despite having divided government.
D)shrinking government intrusion into life.
50
As noted in "Studying the Gipper," Ronald Reagan's mantra was:
A)government is the problem.
B)to have a friend, be one.
C)America is not the world's policeman.
D)government belongs to people.
51
As stated in "Studying the Gipper," Ronald Reagan inherited a vastly stronger economic climate than did Barack Obama.
A)True
B)False
52
As presented in "Obama, Explained," the central mystery of President Barack Obama's performance as a candidate and a president has centered on his:
A)race.
B)experience.
C)demeanor.
D)intelligence.
53
As insisted in "Obama, Explained," the public's judgment about "really good" and "mediocre" presidents is colored by how:
A)well the president met his campaign promises.
B)long the president served.
C)well the president handled significant challenges.
D)successful the president was at achieving major milestones.
54
As noted in "Obama, Explained," the test for presidents is how much they know when they first enter the office.
A)True
B)False
55
As presented in "Still Waiting for the Narrator in Chief," during a television interview, President Obama said that it was a president's job to:
A)explain policy and law.
B)tell a story of hope and unity.
C)govern without fanfare.
D)repeat catchy slogans.
56
As discussed in "Still Waiting for the Narrator in Chief," President Obama might have avoided excess oration during his first few months in the White House because he:
A)is not a good speaker.
B)does not know how to tell a compelling story.
C)was aware that the public was not interested in hearing him speak.
D)had been criticized during the campaign for being more of a speaker than a leader.
57
As noted in "Still Waiting for the Narrator in Chief," for a narrative to work, it must be repetitive.
A)True
B)False
58
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.
59
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.
60
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
61
As claimed in "Divided We Stand," the most significant factor in the nation's current political polarization, including that of Congress, is:
A)Fox News.
B)super PACs.
C)congressional redistricting.
D)population shifts.
62
As argued in "Divided We Stand," the current Congress is most similar to a:
A)parliament.
B)unified majority.
C)system of checks and balances.
D)cooperative governing body.
63
As noted in "Divided We Stand," until recent decades, most Southerners in Congress were Democrats.
A)True
B)False
64
Regarding the integrity of members of Congress, the author of
A)"The Case for Congress" notes that:
B)the deterioration of congressional integrity mirrors that in society as a whole.
C)the ethical climate at the Capitol has not changed much in recent decades.
D)probity in Congress is the rule rather than the exception.
E)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 explained in "How to Get Our Democracy Back," the opportunity to reform Congress missed in the first year of President Obama's term is attributed to the fact that:
A)a split Congress causes difficulty in passing important legislation.
B)President Obama is far too young and inexperienced.
C)his presidency is too liberal.
D)his presidency is too conventional.
68
As suggested in "How to Get Our Democracy Back," the movement inspired by candidate Obama was:
A)one that called for challenging the broken system in Washington and bringing about a fundamental change in the way government works.
B)criticized by many as being too conventional.
C)the most liberal movement since the 1930s.
D)one that called for reform in the U.S. Congress.
69
As discussed in "How to Get Our Democracy Back," the author predicts that when President Obama leaves office he will have boldly changed the way Washington and politics work.
A)True
B)False
70
According to "Master of the Senate," Mitch McConnell says that the most important attribute any leader can possess is:
A)patience.
B)realism.
C)opportunism.
D)focus.
71
In "Master of the Senate," Jim Imhofe of Oklahoma contends that Mitch McConnell:
A)is easier to work with than his predecessors.
B)has an impressive sense of humor.
C)is aggressive and gets things done.
D)is not as effective as Trent Lott.
72
As noted in "Master of the Senate," despite Mitch McConnell's efforts, the Obama health plan passed on a bipartisan basis.
A)True
B)False
73
According to "Lugar: A Statesman Is Left Behind," the primary reason for Indiana Sen. Richard G. Lugar's loss in the 2010 midterm elections was that:
A)the tea party movement backed another candidate.
B)Lugar's votes supporting President Obama's positions alienated voters.
C)Lugar did not modernize his campaign or his image.
D)Lugar did not have a home in Indiana.
74
As presented in "Lugar: A Statesman Is Left Behind," one thing that establishment Republican lawmakers need to do to adapt to the changing times is to:
A)champion bipartisanship.
B)utilize social media.
C)vote their conscience.
D)support the president.
75
As noted in "Lugar: A Statesman Is Left Behind," Sen. Lugar followed the advice of his advisors and staffers, which helped contribute to his loss.
A)True
B)False
76
As shown in "Court Under Roberts Is Most Conservative in Decades," an analysis of Supreme Court decisions since 1937 show the Roberts court to:
A)be a shift to the left of previous courts.
B)be more conservative than recent courts.
C)rule uniformly conservative, particularly on social issues.
D)rule uniformly liberal, particularly on business issues.
77
As described in "Court Under Roberts Is Most Conservative in Decades," one way that a chief justice can influence the ideological direction of the Court is to:
A)persuade other justices to join a majority opinion in the interest of unanimity on the court.
B)nominate like-minded candidates for the Supreme Court.
C)determine who writes the dissenting opinion.
D)determine who writes the opinion for the court when they are in the majority.
78
According to "Court Under Roberts Is Most Conservative in Decades," the Roberts court has expanded the use of the death penalty.
A)True
B)False
79
As reported in "Big Chief," Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts' vote on the Affordable Care Act (ACA):
A)reinforced his political position as a conservative justice.
B)reflected his desire to protect the institutional interests of the Court.
C)signaled his political switch from conservative to liberal ideology.
D)indicated that he had bowed under pressure from liberal justices.
80
According to "Big Chief," Chief Justice Roberts' primary goal in the Supreme Court is to:
A)restore the Court's bipartisan legitimacy.
B)champion a conservative agenda.
C)champion a liberal agenda.
D)rewrite vast swathes of U.S. law.
81
As noted in "Big Chief," Chief Justice Roberts is deeply concerned about the Supreme Court's image with the public.
A)True
B)False
82
As presented in "Tipping the Scales," Chief Justice John Roberts has become unpopular with his conservative supporters due to his:
A)switching political parties from Republican to Democrat.
B)rejection of Mitt Romney as a presidential candidate.
C)vote to uphold the Affordable Care Act.
D)attempts to alter the U.S. Constitution.
83
According to "Tipping the Scales," a New York Times analysis of Supreme Courts in recent history has found the Roberts Court to be the most:
A)conservative.
B)ineffective.
C)bipartisan.
D)centrist.
84
As claimed in "Tipping the Scales," Chief Justice Roberts has been a key player in the Supreme Court's move to the right.
A)True
B)False
85
As presented in "How the Sausage is Made," the reason that the Supreme Court takes to long to issue a decision is because the justices:
A)prefer to delay decisions that might be unpopular with the public.
B)generally disagree on every decision put before them.
C)have to write their opinions, which takes a lot of time.
D)are overly concerned about the bottom line.
86
As discussed in "How the Sausage is Made," in high-profile cases, dissents are often written:
A)for posterity.
B)with little concern for how they sound.
C)with positive sentiments toward the majority decision.
D)before any other drafts are circulated.
87
As claimed in "How the Sausage is Made," when a justice writes his or her argument, that justice is primarily concerned with informing the public about his or her stance.
A)True
B)False
88
As reported in "Justices Venture into Court of Public Opinion," Jonathan Turley of George Washington University contends that:
A)there are significant enforcement provisions to prevent conflicts of interest on the Supreme Court.
B)justices should be encouraged to write books.
C)justices are left to judge their own acts of misconduct.
D)the cloistered life of the Supreme Court justice is an anachronism.
89
As identified in "Justices Venture into Court of Public Opinion," the senior associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court is:
A)Anthony Kennedy.
B)Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
C)Clarence Thomas.
D)Antonin Scalia.
90
As pointed out in "Justices Venture into Court of Public Opinion," no Supreme Court justice has ever run for president.
A)True
B)False
91
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.
92
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.
93
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
94
As noted in "Legislation Is Just the Start," the Volker Rule:
A)places new restrictions on public accounting firms.
B)strengthens regulation of financial holding companies.
C)places new limits on the amount of money banks invest in hedge funds and private equity funds.
D)discourages excessive risk-taking.
95
As described in "Legislation Is Just the Start," the entity that benefits most from Congress' financial reform legislation is the:
A)executive branch.
B)Congress itself.
C)judicial branch.
D)lobbying industry.
96
As mentioned in "Legislation Is Just the Start," the new financial-reform law creates a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection as a standalone agency.
A)True
B)False
97
According to "The Party's Problem," the reason that Mitt Romney lost the 2012 presidential election is because he:
A)was a weak candidate.
B)ran a bad campaign.
C)continually shifted policy positions.
D)represented a weak political party.
98
As presented in "The Party's Problem," the one issue that would benefit the American public on which the Romney campaign consistently promised to take action was:
A)more affordable health care.
B)energy exploration.
C)stronger economic growth.
D)higher wages.
99
As noted in "The Party's Problem," tea party extremists have fared better in recent elections than less conservative Republican candidates.
A)True
B)False
100
As claimed in "The Culture War and the Jobs Crisis," for the first time in history, a majority of the Democratic Party's seats in the House of Representatives will be held by:
A)white men.
B)conservative Democrats.
C)women and minorities.
D)liberal Democrats.
101
As noted in "The Culture War and the Jobs Crisis," a major change in American politics in recent years has been:
A)ideological political orientations forming on both the left and right.
B)ideological splits within a political party.
C)voters taking more-centrist positions.
D)voters rejecting their party's political ideology.
102
As stated in "The Culture War and the Jobs Crisis," although the United States appears to be moving steadily leftward, a majority of voters polled on Election Day still reject same-sex marriage and legal abortions.
A)True
B)False
103
As noted in "Polarized Pols versus Moderate Voters?", a recent book by Morris Fiorina contends that:
A)the American public has become far more extreme in its political ideology over the past generation.
B)self-described conservative voters are far more conservative than their conservative representatives in Congress.
C)the public is no less moderate than in the past, but elected officials are more polarized.
D)liberal voters have become more extreme in general, shifting overall public opinion to the left.
104
As maintained in "Polarized Pols versus Moderate Voters?", when it comes to divisive issues:
A)the political class encourages polarization among the voting public.
B)voters are more ambivalent than members of the political class.
C)members of the political class are more ambivalent than the voting public.
D)the American public is clearly polarized between conservative and liberal ideology.
105
As cited in "Polarized Pols versus Moderate Voters?", although there is talk about a culture war in the United States, both Republicans and Democrats have become more accepting of homosexuality.
A)True
B)False
106
As reported in "The Radical Right Returns," the syndrome of paranoid rhetoric is most likely to be elicited by:
A)religious decline.
B)economic prosperity.
C)large-scale shifts in the perceived balance of power within the United States.
D)catastrophe or fear of catastrophe.
107
In "The Radical Right Returns," comparing them to other ideological groups, the Gallup Poll says that the very conservative are more likely to be:
A)male.
B)in their forties.
C)college graduates.
D)from the Midwest.
108
As stated in "The Radical Right Returns," the theme of the 1964 book None Dare Call It Treason, which sold millions of copies, was that the entire U.S. government had sold out to the Communists.
A)True
B)False
109
As noted in "America Observed," most of America's electoral problems would be solved by:
A)enforcing the Help America Vote Act.
B)requiring presentation of identification to vote.
C)allowing provisional ballots.
D)repairing the dysfunctional decentralization of voting methods.
110
As maintained in "America Observed," the responsibility for the administration of U.S. elections falls to:
A)the incumbent government.
B)a non-partisan election commission.
C)the Federal Election Commission.
D)an oversight group comprised of officials from each national party.
111
As identified in "America Observed," America registers 95 percent of its eligible voters while Canada only registers about 55 percent.
A)True
B)False
112
As presented in "Six Myths About Campaign Money," the vast majority of Americans believe that Congress is controlled by:
A)the Democratic party.
B)groups that help fund political campaigns.
C)the Republican party.
D)the will of the people.
113
As cited in "Six Myths About Campaign Money," an Office of Congressional Ethics investigation recently probed:
A)half a dozen political action committee officials who collected donations from Wall Street donors shortly after the House vote on financial services legislation.
B)several lawmakers who collected contributions from Wall Street donors shortly after a House vote on financial-services legislation.
C)six lawmakers who accepted illegal funds.
D)several U.S. Senators who collected funds from corporations in excess of the amount allowed by Senate rules.
114
As disclosed in "Six Myths About Campaign Money," there is little to no evidence that political action committee money affects roll-call votes.
A)True
B)False
115
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.
116
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.
117
As noted in "The Presidential Nomination Process," the McGovern-Fraser Commission was charged with making delegate selection more democratic.
A)True
B)False
118
As presented in "The Evidence-Based Revolution," the 2008 presidential campaign was considered a watershed for:
A)old-school values.
B)data-driven politics.
C)old-fashioned campaigning.
D)the separation of academia and politics.
119
As claimed in "The Evidence-Based Revolution," evidence-based practices began in the:
A)business world.
B)sports world.
C)political arena.
D)personal sphere.
120
As noted in "The Evidence-Based Revolution," modern political campaigns reject experimental practices for tried-and-true campaign methods.
A)True
B)False
121
As reported in "Big Oil's Man in Washington," Jack Gerard believes he can protect his industry by reminding people:
A)of the connections between Mideast oil and terrorism.
B)how much oil it takes to keep America moving.
C)how many people his members and affiliates employ.
D)about his friendships with legislators.
122
As noted in "Big Oil's Man in Washington," the Oil Pollution act requiring oil companies to develop disaster-mitigation plans:
A)was enacted in response to the BP oil disaster in the Gulf.
B)was signed by President George H. W. Bush.
C)was killed by Senate Democrats.
D)should reduce dependency on imports.
123
As discussed in "Big Oil's Man in Washington," Jack Gerard has more access to industry CEOs than in-house lobbyists of those executives' own companies.
A)True
B)False
124
According to "Who Gave Us Obamacare?", to avoid the mistakes that were thought to have doomed the Clinton healthcare-reform measures, when pushing his own healthcare reforms, President Obama was determined to:
A)ignore the healthcare industry altogether.
B)meet healthcare industry hostility with equal measures of government hostility.
C)welcome the health-industry lobbyists as part of the team.
D)work publicly with the healthcare industry to provide transparency to the public.
125
As noted in "Who Gave Us Obamacare?", the one idea in healthcare reform to which all healthcare groups were opposed was:
A)a "public option."
B)reductions in subsidies.
C)drug-price controls.
D)lower insurance rates for healthcare providers.
126
As stated in "Who Gave Us Obamacare?", the American Medical Association (AMA) was the least naive and most strategic group with regard to its negotiations on healthcare reform.
A)True
B)False
127
As summarized in "A See-Through Society," in the end, transparency regarding our government leaders breeds:
A)trust.
B)duplicity.
C)creativity.
D)complexity.
128
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.
129
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
130
As profiled in "Governing in the Age of Fox News," in recent years the news media has become:
A)dominated by independent, non-partisan forces.
B)dominated by partisan media.
C)increasingly right-leaning.
D)increasingly left-leaning.
131
When it came to the news media, as described in "Governing in the Age of Fox News," the Founding Fathers believed:
A)the news should be controlled by the state.
B)popular newspapers were a political threat.
C)news media should be taxed.
D)the circulation of news and political debate could preserve their fragile republic.
132
As noted in "Governing in the Age of Fox News," by 1835 the United States probably had the highest per-capita newspaper circulation in the world.
A)True
B)False
133
As reported in "Campaign Coverage in the Time of Twitter," in order to stay ahead of the competition in today's media landscape, a journalist is on deadline:
A)twice a day.
B)once a day.
C)once an hour.
D)every few days.
134
According to "Campaign Coverage in the Time of Twitter," the downside of today's fast-paced online journalism is that:
A)there is no way to meet the instant demands of an Internet audience.
B)news can lose the perspective and context needed for audiences to understand it.
C)few legitimate newspapers and magazines are moving coverage to the Web.
D)there are not enough people available to report the news online.
135
As stated in "Campaign Coverage in the Time of Twitter," while Web sites are good at aggregating news stories, none provides original reporting.
A)True
B)False
136
As claimed in "Contemporary American Democracy in Operation: The Electoral Process in 2012," the three-branch structure of the American national government established by the U.S. Constitution provides for a:
A)separation of powers.
B)divided government.
C)system of separated institutions sharing power.
D)staggering of power among various institutions.
137
As defined in "Contemporary American Democracy in Operation: The Electoral Process in 2012," a unified government (UniGovt) in the United States is considered one in which:
A)the president wins both the majority vote and the Electoral College vote.
B)both houses of Congress are controlled by the same party.
C)the president and Congress agree on the president's platform.
D)one party controls all three elected entities in the national government.
138
As reported in "Contemporary American Democracy in Operation: The Electoral Process in 2012," one of the biggest problems with the U.S. three-branch government system is that it might prevent the government from getting things done.
A)True
B)False
139
As presented in "Future Shock," the big story of the 2012 presidential election was:
A)the rise of the Republican Party.
B)social and demographic changes in the electorate.
C)Obama's increasing popularity with white voters.
D)America's negative attitudes toward gays and lesbians.
140
As claimed in "Future Shock," in 2008, Barack Obama became the first nominee to win the White House while losing the:
A)popular vote.
B)Electoral College vote.
C)minority vote.
D)white vote.
141
As stated in "Future Shock," despite the rapidly diversifying voter landscape, the Republican Party has remained almost completely dependent on the white vote for its support.
A)True
B)False
142
As presented in "The GOP Has Problems with White Voters, Too," Republicans are blaming their loss in the recent presidential election on their poor performance with:
A)Northern white voters.
B)Southern white voters.
C)African Americans voters.
D)Latino voters.
143
As claimed in "The GOP Has Problems with White Voters, Too," Romney's strong national performance with white voters obscures the fact that:
A)stark regional differences exist with regard to Romney's white votes.
B)many voters of color also voted for Romney.
C)Obama also received white votes.
D)Obama did better than his predecessors in "coal country" counties.
144
As mentioned in "The GOP Has Problems with White Voters, Too," Obama did not do well with voters in white-dominated, affluent suburbs.
A)True
B)False
145
According to "A Stalemate, Not a Mandate," the American voters' decision to maintain the government as it was prior to the 2012 election should be considered:
A)a mandate for Barack Obama.
B)a success for the Republican Party.
C)one of the most important decisions in American history.
D)one of the worst decisions in American history.
146
As presented in "A Stalemate, Not a Mandate," Obama made history in 2012 by becoming the first incumbent to:
A)win a second term while losing votes at the same time.
B)defeat a Republican in traditionally "red" states.
C)win a second term by a landslide.
D)receive more votes that his immediate Republican and Democratic predecessors.
147
As claimed in "A Stalemate, Not a Mandate," the future politics of America will focus on scaling back big government rather than dealing with big government's added demands.
A)True
B)False
148
As presented in "Secret of the Obama Victory? Rerun Watchers, for One Thing," one of the biggest stories of the 2012 presidential election campaign was President Obama's team's use of:
A)technology.
B)campaign donations.
C)personal wealth.
D)television news shows.
149
According to "Secret of the Obama Victory? Rerun Watchers, for One Thing," the Obama team created an advertising plan on TV Land to specifically target:
A)Democrats.
B)Republicans.
C)undecided voters.
D)non-voters.
150
As claimed in "Secret of the Obama Victory? Rerun Watchers, for One Thing," the Obama team's advertising strategies were based on the information utilized by general commercial advertisers.
A)True
B)False
151
As portrayed in "America the Undertaxed," the biggest difference between the United States and other members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) when it comes to taxation is in revenue from a:
A)corporate income tax.
B)social insurance tax.
C)consumption tax.
D)personal income tax.
152
As claimed in "America the Undertaxed," the steadiness of European tax revenues through the global financial crisis was due primarily to:
A)value-added tax (VAT) revenue.
B)increases in personal income tax revenue.
C)borrowing from the United States.
D)corporate tax breaks and credits.
153
As noted in "America the Undertaxed," the main source of federal income in the United States is individual income tax.
A)True
B)False
154
As presented in "Generational Warfare," Social Security and Medicare:
A)represent a safety net for younger workers who will eventually get older and need these programs.
B)are funded by younger workers who will never see any benefit from their contributions.
C)provide benefits only to those seniors who can demonstrate a financial need.
D)allow young workers to designate payments from their checks to their parents and grandparents.
155
As argued in "Generational Warfare," when compared to past generations, today's seniors are:
A)in better physical and financial shape.
B)more likely to be in poverty.
C)less likely to purchase homes, cars, and other amenities.
D)less of a financial drain on their children.
156
As noted in "Generational Warfare," Social Security's trust funds are more of an accounting fiction than actual assets against which the government has borrowed.
A)True
B)False
157
As noted in "What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us," information that is known about the jobs created by the Obama stimulus includes:
A)who got the jobs.
B)how long the jobs lasted.
C)how many jobs were created or retained.
D)how much the jobs paid.
158
As reported in "What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us," the country's main source of foreclosure information is:
A)the Home Affordable Mortgage Program.
B)Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
C)the Department of Commerce.
D)a company called Realty Trac.
159
According to "What We Don't Know Can Hurt Us," banks make the majority of their fee revenue from automatic overdraft penalties.
A)True
B)False
160
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.
161
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.
162
As observed in "The Realities of Immigration," the Immigration and Control Act of 1986 was a monumental failure.
A)True
B)False
163
As presented in "How to Save Our Kids From Poverty in Old Age," the most expensive government policies designed to help individuals acquire or build assets include all of the following except:
A)the property-tax deduction.
B)Social Security taxes.
C)preferential rates on capital gains and dividends.
D)the mortgage-interest deduction.
164
As explained in "How to Save Our Kids From Poverty in Old Age," the concept of "adverse selection" with regard to annuities refers to the fact that people who buy annuities:
A)tend to be in good health and expect to outlive their savings.
B)tend to be in poor health and expect their annuities to support them when they can no longer work.
C)are generally poor and expect to live a lavish lifestyle from annuity payouts without having to work.
D)receive far more income than they ever expected, which lowers benefits for everyone else.
165
As claimed in "How to Save Our Kids From Poverty in Old Age," the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan is a very successful model for the proposed American Stakeholder Account.
A)True
B)False
166
According to "The Tyranny of Metaphor," America's love affair with universalism began during the presidential administration of:
A)James Monroe.
B)Theodore Roosevelt.
C)Woodrow Wilson.
D)Harry Truman.
167
Conclusions about the war in Iraq reached in "The Tyranny of Metaphor" include that:
A)the robust democracy George Bush hoped for has come to Baghdad.
B)our efforts in Iraq have led to a pro-American climate there.
C)appeasement would eventually have ousted Saddam Hussein.
D)Americans have limited patience with nation building.
168
As reported in "The Tyranny of Metaphor," Winston Churchill contended to the end of his life that there is no place in diplomacy for appeasement.
A)True
B)False
169
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.
170
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.
171
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
172
According to "Back to Normalcy," factors that contributed to making the United States the most powerful nation in the world included:
A)a laissez-faire approach to business regulation.
B)geographic distance from any other great power.
C)consistently leading the world in technology development.
D)the Civil War.
173
As reported in "Back to Normalcy," the sturdiest support of the U.S. position of superpower in the current world climate is:
A)the ability to influence other states through soft power.
B)economic power.
C)foreign-currency heft.
D)military power.
174
As pointed out in "Back to Normalcy," soft power on the world stage rises and falls very slowly.
A)True
B)False
175
A nuclear-armed Iran, as maintained in "Why Iran Should Get the Bomb," would likely have the ultimate result of:
A)stabilizing the region.
B)restoring peace between Iran and Iraq.
C)lead to greater diplomatic sophistication from Iran.
D)ruining the Iranian economy.
176
According to "Why Iran Should Get the Bomb," an example of a country that maintains a vast civilian nuclear infrastructure and could likely build a bomb quickly if it had the desire to is:
A)Italy.
B)Germany.
C)Brazil.
D)Japan.
177
Israel, as reported in "Why Iran Should Get the Bomb," has stated that it views a significant Iranian nuclear enrichment capability alone as an unacceptable threat.
A)True
B)False







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