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American Government 3e

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American Government 3eReview Questions

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Table of contents
  1. Preface
  2. Students and the System
    1. 1 American Government and Civic Engagement
      1. Introduction
      2. 1.1 What is Government?
      3. 1.2 Who Governs? Elitism, Pluralism, and Tradeoffs
      4. 1.3 Engagement in a Democracy
      5. Key Terms
      6. Summary
      7. Review Questions
      8. Critical Thinking Questions
      9. Suggestions for Further Study
    2. 2 The Constitution and Its Origins
      1. Introduction
      2. 2.1 The Pre-Revolutionary Period and the Roots of the American Political Tradition
      3. 2.2 The Articles of Confederation
      4. 2.3 The Development of the Constitution
      5. 2.4 The Ratification of the Constitution
      6. 2.5 Constitutional Change
      7. Key Terms
      8. Summary
      9. Review Questions
      10. Critical Thinking Questions
      11. Suggestions for Further Study
    3. 3 American Federalism
      1. Introduction
      2. 3.1 The Division of Powers
      3. 3.2 The Evolution of American Federalism
      4. 3.3 Intergovernmental Relationships
      5. 3.4 Competitive Federalism Today
      6. 3.5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Federalism
      7. Key Terms
      8. Summary
      9. Review Questions
      10. Critical Thinking Questions
      11. Suggestions for Further Study
  3. Individual Agency and Action
    1. 4 Civil Liberties
      1. Introduction
      2. 4.1 What Are Civil Liberties?
      3. 4.2 Securing Basic Freedoms
      4. 4.3 The Rights of Suspects
      5. 4.4 Interpreting the Bill of Rights
      6. Key Terms
      7. Summary
      8. Review Questions
      9. Critical Thinking Questions
      10. Suggestions for Further Study
    2. 5 Civil Rights
      1. Introduction
      2. 5.1 What Are Civil Rights and How Do We Identify Them?
      3. 5.2 The African American Struggle for Equality
      4. 5.3 The Fight for Women’s Rights
      5. 5.4 Civil Rights for Indigenous Groups: Native Americans, Alaskans, and Hawaiians
      6. 5.5 Equal Protection for Other Groups
      7. Key Terms
      8. Summary
      9. Review Questions
      10. Critical Thinking Questions
      11. Suggestions for Further Study
    3. 6 The Politics of Public Opinion
      1. Introduction
      2. 6.1 The Nature of Public Opinion
      3. 6.2 How Is Public Opinion Measured?
      4. 6.3 What Does the Public Think?
      5. 6.4 The Effects of Public Opinion
      6. Key Terms
      7. Summary
      8. Review Questions
      9. Critical Thinking Questions
      10. Suggestions for Further Study
    4. 7 Voting and Elections
      1. Introduction
      2. 7.1 Voter Registration
      3. 7.2 Voter Turnout
      4. 7.3 Elections
      5. 7.4 Campaigns and Voting
      6. 7.5 Direct Democracy
      7. Key Terms
      8. Summary
      9. Review Questions
      10. Critical Thinking Questions
      11. Suggestions for Further Study
  4. Toward Collective Action: Mediating Institutions
    1. 8 The Media
      1. Introduction
      2. 8.1 What Is the Media?
      3. 8.2 The Evolution of the Media
      4. 8.3 Regulating the Media
      5. 8.4 The Impact of the Media
      6. Key Terms
      7. Summary
      8. Review Questions
      9. Critical Thinking Questions
      10. Suggestions for Further Study
    2. 9 Political Parties
      1. Introduction
      2. 9.1 What Are Parties and How Did They Form?
      3. 9.2 The Two-Party System
      4. 9.3 The Shape of Modern Political Parties
      5. 9.4 Divided Government and Partisan Polarization
      6. Key Terms
      7. Summary
      8. Review Questions
      9. Critical Thinking Questions
      10. Suggestions for Further Study
    3. 10 Interest Groups and Lobbying
      1. Introduction
      2. 10.1 Interest Groups Defined
      3. 10.2 Collective Action and Interest Group Formation
      4. 10.3 Interest Groups as Political Participation
      5. 10.4 Pathways of Interest Group Influence
      6. 10.5 Free Speech and the Regulation of Interest Groups
      7. Key Terms
      8. Summary
      9. Review Questions
      10. Critical Thinking Questions
      11. Suggestions for Further Study
  5. Delivering Collective Action: Formal Institutions
    1. 11 Congress
      1. Introduction
      2. 11.1 The Institutional Design of Congress
      3. 11.2 Congressional Elections
      4. 11.3 Congressional Representation
      5. 11.4 House and Senate Organizations
      6. 11.5 The Legislative Process
      7. Key Terms
      8. Summary
      9. Review Questions
      10. Critical Thinking Questions
      11. Suggestions for Further Study
    2. 12 The Presidency
      1. Introduction
      2. 12.1 The Design and Evolution of the Presidency
      3. 12.2 The Presidential Election Process
      4. 12.3 Organizing to Govern
      5. 12.4 The Public Presidency
      6. 12.5 Presidential Governance: Direct Presidential Action
      7. Key Terms
      8. Summary
      9. Review Questions
      10. Critical Thinking Questions
      11. Suggestions for Further Study
    3. 13 The Courts
      1. Introduction
      2. 13.1 Guardians of the Constitution and Individual Rights
      3. 13.2 The Dual Court System
      4. 13.3 The Federal Court System
      5. 13.4 The Supreme Court
      6. 13.5 Judicial Decision-Making and Implementation by the Supreme Court
      7. Key Terms
      8. Summary
      9. Review Questions
      10. Critical Thinking Questions
      11. Suggestions for Further Study
    4. 14 State and Local Government
      1. Introduction
      2. 14.1 State Power and Delegation
      3. 14.2 State Political Culture
      4. 14.3 Governors and State Legislatures
      5. 14.4 State Legislative Term Limits
      6. 14.5 County and City Government
      7. Key Terms
      8. Summary
      9. Review Questions
      10. Critical Thinking Questions
      11. Suggestions for Further Study
  6. The Outputs of Government
    1. 15 The Bureaucracy
      1. Introduction
      2. 15.1 Bureaucracy and the Evolution of Public Administration
      3. 15.2 Toward a Merit-Based Civil Service
      4. 15.3 Understanding Bureaucracies and their Types
      5. 15.4 Controlling the Bureaucracy
      6. Key Terms
      7. Summary
      8. Review Questions
      9. Critical Thinking Questions
      10. Suggestions for Further Study
    2. 16 Domestic Policy
      1. Introduction
      2. 16.1 What Is Public Policy?
      3. 16.2 Categorizing Public Policy
      4. 16.3 Policy Arenas
      5. 16.4 Policymakers
      6. 16.5 Budgeting and Tax Policy
      7. Key Terms
      8. Summary
      9. Review Questions
      10. Critical Thinking Questions
      11. Suggestions for Further Study
    3. 17 Foreign Policy
      1. Introduction
      2. 17.1 Defining Foreign Policy
      3. 17.2 Foreign Policy Instruments
      4. 17.3 Institutional Relations in Foreign Policy
      5. 17.4 Approaches to Foreign Policy
      6. Key Terms
      7. Summary
      8. Review Questions
      9. Critical Thinking Questions
      10. Suggestions for Further Study
  7. A | Declaration of Independence
  8. B | The Constitution of the United States
  9. C | Federalist Papers #10 and #51
  10. D | Electoral College Map
  11. E | Selected Supreme Court Cases
  12. Answer Key
    1. Chapter 1
    2. Chapter 2
    3. Chapter 3
    4. Chapter 4
    5. Chapter 5
    6. Chapter 6
    7. Chapter 7
    8. Chapter 8
    9. Chapter 9
    10. Chapter 10
    11. Chapter 11
    12. Chapter 12
    13. Chapter 13
    14. Chapter 14
    15. Chapter 15
    16. Chapter 16
    17. Chapter 17
  13. References
  14. Index
1.

The Great Compromise successfully resolved differences between ________.

  1. large and small states
  2. slaveholding and non-slaveholding states
  3. the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution
  4. the House and the Senate
2.

While each state has two senators, members of the House are apportioned ________.

  1. according to the state’s geographic size
  2. based on the state’s economic size
  3. according to the state’s population
  4. based on each state’s need
3.

The process of redistricting can present problems for congressional representation because ________.

  1. districts must include urban and rural areas
  2. states can gain but never lose districts
  3. districts are often drawn to benefit partisan groups
  4. states have been known to create more districts than they have been apportioned
4.

Which of the following is an implied power of Congress?

  1. the power to regulate the sale of tobacco in the states
  2. the power to increase taxes on the wealthiest one percent
  3. the power to put the president on trial for high crimes
  4. the power to override a presidential veto
5.

Briefly explain the benefits and drawbacks of a bicameral system.

6.

What are some examples of the enumerated powers granted to Congress in the Constitution?

7.

Why does a strong presidency necessarily sap power from Congress?

8.

Senate races tend to inspire ________.

  1. broad discussion of policy issues
  2. narrow discussion of specific policy issues
  3. less money than House races
  4. less media coverage than House races
9.

The saying “All politics is local” roughly means ________.

  1. the local candidate will always win
  2. the local constituents want action on national issues
  3. the local constituents tend to care about things that affect them
  4. the act of campaigning always occurs at the local level where constituents are
10.

What does Campbell’s surge-and-decline theory suggest about the outcome of midterm elections?

11.

Explain the factors that make it difficult to oust incumbents.

12.

A congressperson who pursued a strict delegate model of representation would seek to ________.

  1. legislate in the way they believed constituents wanted, regardless of the anticipated outcome
  2. legislate in a way that carefully considered the circumstances and issue so as to reach a solution that is best for everyone
  3. legislate in a way that is best for the nation regardless of the costs for the constituents
  4. legislate in the way that they think is best for the constituents
13.

The increasing value constituents have placed on descriptive representation in Congress has had the effect of ________.

  1. increasing the sensitivity representatives have to their constituents demands
  2. decreasing the rate at which incumbents are elected
  3. increasing the number of minority members in Congress
  4. decreasing the number of majority minority districts
14.

How has the growing interpretation of earmarks and other budget allocations as corruption influenced the way congresspersons work?

15.

What does polling data suggest about the events that trigger exceptionally high congressional approval ratings?

16.

House leaders are more powerful than Senate leaders because of ________.

  1. the majoritarian nature of the House—a majority can run it like a cartel
  2. the larger size of the House
  3. the constitutional position of the House
  4. the State of the Union address being delivered in the House chamber
17.

A select committee is different from a standing committee because ________.

  1. a select committee includes member of both chambers, while a standing committee includes only members of the House
  2. a select committee is used for bill reconciliation, while a standing committee is used for prosecutions
  3. a select committee must stay in session, while a standing committee goes to recess
  4. a select committee is convened for a specific and temporary purpose, while a standing committee is permanent
18.

Explain how the committees demonstrate a division of labor in Congress based on specialization.

19.

Stopping a filibuster requires that ________.

  1. a majority of senators agree on the bill
  2. the speaker steps away from the podium
  3. the chamber votes for cloture
  4. the Speaker or majority leader intervenes
20.

Saying a bill is being marked up is just another way to say it is being ________.

  1. tabled
  2. neglected
  3. vetoed
  4. amended
21.

The key means of advancing modern legislation is now ________.

  1. committees
  2. the actions of the leadership
  3. the budget process
  4. the filibuster
22.

Briefly explain the difference between the classic model of legislating and the modern process.

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