Civics Trivia Questions — page 5

Which of the following does the Supreme Court NOT have the power to override?

• APresidential executive orders
• BLaws passed by Congress
• CConstitutional amendments
• DLaws passed by state legislatures

Failed felony prosecutions at the state level are sometimes retried at the federal level

• Aunder the "double jeopardy" provision of the Constitution
• Bon appeal by state prosecutors
• Cbecause new evidence has voided the state-level verdict
• Das civil liberties violations

Given the structure of the electoral college system, presidential candidates tend to

• Acampaign extensively in states that heavily favor one party over the other
• Bavoid battleground states and focus their campaigns on "safe" states
• Ccampaign more heavily in states with large populations
• Dspend more television advertising money in the Plains States

All of the following are ways in which lobbyists attempt to persuade legislators EXCEPT

• Adistributing propaganda to media
• Bendorsing candidates for office
• Csocializing with government officials
• Dacquiring corporate campaign donations for candidates

Which of the following is an example of an implied power of the Congress?

• Adeclarations of war
• Bregulation of interstate commerce
• Coversight of executive branch agencies
• Dborrowing money on the credit of the United States

The president executes a "pocket veto" by doing which of the following?

• APublicly expressing rejection of a bill
• BRecalling ambassadors from a peace negotiation
• CIssuing an executive order invalidating a recently passed bill
• DFailing to sign a bill after Congress has adjourned

Considered as a single group, the Small Business Administration, the Small Business committees in the House and Senate, and small business advocacy groups are an example of

• Aa regulatory agency
• Bdual federalism
• Ca conference committee
• Dan iron triangle

The legal principle that instructs judges to follow established precedent when deciding cases is commonly referred to as

• Acertiorari
• Bex post facto
• Cde jure
• Dstare decisis

Within American politics, the power to accord official recognition to other countries belongs to

• Athe chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
• Bthe Secretary of State.
• Cthe Senate.
• Dthe president.

All of the following are core values of American political culture EXCEPT

• Adue process
• Bdemocracy
• Cincome equality
• Dindividual liberty

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed to reinforce the

• Asystem of checks and balances
• Bstates' power to challenge federal regulation
• Cpresidential veto
• DFourteenth Amendment

The difference between a pardon and a reprieve is

• Aa pardon grants a release from legal punishment while a reprieve postpones it
• Ba reprieve grants a release from legal punishment, while a pardon postpones it
• Conly state governors can issue pardons
• Da pardon lasts 10 years, while a reprieve lasts one year

The Supreme Court's decision in Miranda v. Arizona was based mainly on the

• AEighth Amendment restriction against cruel and unusual punishment
• Bincorporation of the Fifth Amendment through the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
• Cabolition of slavery by the Thirteenth Amendment
• DConstitutional prohibition of ex post facto laws

The right of American citizens to petition the government for a redress of grievances is protected under the

• AEighth Amendment
• BThird Amendment
• CFirst Amendment
• DSecond Amendment

The relative stability of American public policy is achieved largely through

• Athe constitutional fragmentation of power
• Bjudicial activism
• Caffirmative action programs
• Dcooperation between the two major political parties

What policies did Alexander Hamilton pursue to build the American economy?

• AEstablishment of a national currency and higher government spending
• BLimits on immigration and imported technology to encourage higher wages
• CFree trade with all European countries on an equal basis and a smaller government role in the economy
• DTariffs to protect American manufacturing, establishment of a national bank, and the repayment of all debts.

Which of the following is NOT a way in which the powers of the executive branch are balanced by the legislative branch?

• AThe Senate may use the filibuster to block an executive order.
• BThe Senate can decline to ratify a treaty.
• CThe Senate can decline to approve a president's nominee for the Supreme Court.
• DCongress may impeach and convict a president for "high crime and misdemeanors."

Which of the following best illustrates a use of the elastic clause?

• AA congressional committee prevents the full chamber from voting on legislation by delaying its report.
• BA member of the House of Representatives introduces a bill to increase federal income tax rates.
• CCongress passes legislation establishing a national speed limit.
• DThe Supreme Court allows a lower court ruling to stand by refusing to hear an appeal.

Voters who rely exclusively on television network news coverage of national elections are most likely to be aware of

• Acandidates' positions on domestic issues
• Bcandidates' positions on international issues
• Cthe relative strength of each candidate's support, as indicated by public opinion polls
• Dwhich special interest groups have endorsed which candidates

Which of the following is the most accurate statement about writs of certiorari?

• AFewer than 5% of petitions for writs of certiorari are granted by the Supreme Court.
• BOnly the solicitor general may petition for a writ of certiorari.
• CThe lower court's ruling is overturned if the Supreme Court denies a writ of certiorari.
• DThe Supreme Court grants writs of certiorari only when there is a "circuit split."

Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none'. Identify the speaker.

• AAbraham Lincoln
• BJames Madison
• CWoodrow Wilson
• DThomas Jefferson

Two related cases that focused on the right to privacy for all American citizens were

• AGriswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade.
• BThornhill v. Alabama and Cox v. New Hampshire
• CNear v. Minnesota and New York Times v. Sullivan
• DTexas v. Johnson and Morse v. Frederick

Which of the following principles is realized when the federal government provides most of the funding to a project in which multiple levels of government work together?

• AGrant-based funding
• BConfederation
• CDual federalism
• DFiscal federalism

The government often finds it difficult to make substantive changes to entitlement programs for which of the following reasons?

• AMost such programs primarily benefit the wealthy, a powerful political bloc.
• BThese programs are extremely popular among their numerous beneficiaries.
• CMost such programs were established by constitutional amendment.
• DSuch programs are vital to national defense.

House members are more concerned about their committee assignments than are senators because

• Athe rules make it extremely difficult for representatives to influence legislation on the House floor
• BHouse members may serve on only one committee at a time
• Cbills in the Senate must pass through all committees before reaching the floor
• DSenate committees have relatively little power to alter legislation

Which of the following processes best exemplifies the federal structure of the United States government?

• AImposing export taxes
• BGranting titles of nobility
• CSpending treasury money without the passage of an appropriations bill
• DAmending the United States Constitution

All of the following are consequences of low voter turnout in the United States EXCEPT

• Aa lack of true democracy
• Ba perception of the government as illegitimate
• Can imposition of a fine on non-voters
• Da lack of minority representation

The spoils system of awarding civil service jobs was replaced by the merit system as a result of the

• ATruman Doctrine
• BFair Labor Standards Act of 1961
• CNational Industrial Recovery Act
• DPendleton Act of 1883

Which is not a nonstate actor that poses a threat to the United States?

• AOrganized crime
• BTerrorists
• CChina
• DDrug traffickers

According to The Federalist Papers, federalism has which of the following effects on political factions?

• AIt allows factions to dominate on the national level while limiting their influence on state governments.
• BIt eliminates any opportunity for factions to form.
• CIt provides a structured environment in which factions may flourish.
• DIt limits the dangers of factionalism by diluting political power.

Which of the following is LEAST likely to explain low voter turnout for an election?

• ALow levels of political efficacy among registered voters
• BThe frequency with which state and local elections occur
• CThe preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act
• DRegulations that require voters to show identification

What was meant by the term 'American multiplication table'?

• AIncrease in US international influence
• BIncrease in US military capability
• CIncrease in the US population
• DIncrease in US finances

Political efficacy refers to the idea that

• Apolitical parties can provide a check to the political influence wielded by corporations
• Bpoliticians have a duty to inform their constituents about the democratic process
• Cindividuals believe that they can influence the government through participation in the democratic process
• Dthe system of checks and balances ensures that the government is both efficient and productive

During the early years of his administration, Reagan's foreign and defense policies emphasized

• Aanticommunism.
• Bdétente.
• Cinternational free trade.
• Dnuclear disarmament.

A writ of certiorari from the Supreme Court indicates that the Court

• Ahas rendered a decision on a case
• Bhas decided not to hear an appeal
• Cwill review a lower court decision
• Dwill recess until the end of the calendar year

Bureaucratic politics suggests we should be worried about which of the following with regard to nuclear weapons?

• ABureaucratic politics provides no information about nuclear proliferation and use
• BHaving the capability to deter the most powerful rival
• CHaving the capability to deter smaller states
• DHow nuclear attacks are identified and responded to; who controls the weapons

An inherent power of the president is the power to

• Aveto a bill passed by the U.S. Congress
• Bnegotiate a treaty with another country
• Cappoint a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court
• Ddeclare a state of emergency following a natural disaster

Which of the following is an accurate statement about the federal court system?

• AThe creation of new federal courts requires a constitutional amendment.
• BCongress has the power to create new federal courts.
• CThe Supreme Court has the sole power to create new federal courts.
• DThe creation of new federal courts requires the unanimous consent of all 50 states.

Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government had the power to

• Aenforce its laws
• Bcollect taxes
• Cestablish a federal judiciary
• Dnegotiate treaties

The boundary lines of congressional districts must be redrawn every 10 years to

• Aguarantee the turnover of the majority of congressional seats
• Bdetermine which party's leader will be named Speaker of the House
• Creflect population shifts indicated by the national census
• Dmake sure each state's congressional delegation exactly mirrors its residents' party affiliations

Which of the following is NOT part of the "iron triangles" that influence public policy-making?

• ABureaucratic agencies
• BHouse committees
• CThe courts
• DSenate committees

Congress has attempted to protect independent regulatory agencies from political influence by requiring that each agency

• Areapply for funding at the end of each fiscal year
• Bplan policy cooperatively with the appropriate congressional committees
• Cbe led by a group of commissioners representing both major political parties
• Dsubmit all planned policy changes to the president for approval

In the majority of cases, federal programs are implemented by

• Astate and local governments, by means of federal funding
• Bthe federal courts, by means of criminal prosecutions
• CCongress, through the local offices of its elected representatives
• Dprivate businesses working as subcontractors to the government

In what sense might exceptionalism link isolationist and internationalist strategies?

• ABoth can be viewed as different means of achieving the same liberal ends
• BIt doesn't - the two are fundamentally opposed
• CBoth encourage world government
• DBoth focus on the decline of the American power

The term "iron triangle" refers to the interrelationship of the

• Apresident, Congress, and the Supreme Court
• Belectorate, Congress, and political action committees
• Cfederal bureaucracy, congressional committees, and lobbyists
• Dlocal, state, and federal governments

Which of the following actions can the president take without congressional approval?

• ANegotiate and ratify treaties
• BAppoint Supreme Court justices
• CDeclare war
• DGrant reprieves and pardons

The line-item veto was found unconstitutional because

• Ait gave legislative powers to the president
• Bit gave legislative powers to the bureaucracy
• Cit gave executive powers to the legislature
• Dit delegated too many powers to the states

Congress's power to determine national policy

• Ais severely limited by the "elastic clause" of the Constitution
• Busually increases as a president's popularity decreases, and vice versa
• Cincreases during times of war
• Dhas declined steadily since the ratification of the Constitution

Which of the following people would most likely be accused of influence peddling?

• AA congressperson who retires to take a position teaching political science at a university
• BAn official who leaves the State Department to work as a paid consultant to foreign governments
• CA former president who advises a current president on a particular foreign policy issue
• DA voter who researches the positions of all candidates in a race before choosing whom to support

Each of the two main political parties of the United States is organized

• Aas a single party with a presence at the national level only
• Binto a federal structure in which state and local parties have no power
• Cas a relatively independent organization that exists at all levels of government
• Din a top-down fashion, so that instructions are dispersed from the national level to the state and local levels