American Government

1. During the Constitutional Convention, the Connecticut Compromise called for:
____a. a single-house legislature in which each state would be represented equally.
____b. the laws of the national government to be treated as superior to state laws.
___ c. a bicameral legislature with representation in one of the chambers based on state populations.
____d. three-fifths of the slave population to be counted for determining direct taxation.

2. Decisions regarding whether the U.S. should maintain membership in international organization such as the United Nations is an exercise of a/an ____ power of the Us. federal government.
____a. dormant
___ b. inherent
____c. express
____d. implied

3. Which one of the following activities would most likely enhance the cohesiveness of a public interest group?
____a. Increasing the number of members who join via the Internet
____b. Creating new paid positions on the organization's national governance board.
___ c. Increasing the number of members who regularly attend regional meetings.
____d. Allowing each state chapter and action goals.

4. Projections that the Social Security trust fund will soon be depleted enhances ____ with respect to how older Americans view health care issues.
____a. latency
___ b. salience
____c. intensity
____d. pragmatism

5. Which one of the following statements is TRUE with respect to the terms that the President and members of Congress serve and the timing of their terms?
____a. The U.S. Constitution, as originally ratified, limits presidents to serving two terms.
___ b. Elections for House members are staggered so that only one-third of them are up for election at a time.
____c. There is no limit on the number of terms a U.S. Senator can serve.
____d. All senators are up for election every six years.

6. Which one of the following statements best describes why television plays a significant factor in the political socialization process?
____a. Network shows present political news in greater detail than newspapers.
____b. Television journalism does not engage in sensationalism.
___ c. It is available to nearly everyone regardless of age, race, or socio-economic class.
____d. Most people rely on the opinions of television commentators more than the opinions of their family members.

7. Delivering an annual State of the Union Address is one way that the President fulfills his Constitutional obligation to:
____a. issue executive orders through his implied powers.
___ b. report to Congress from time to time.
____c. pass a balanced budget for each fiscal year.
____d. protect the executive privilege.

8. The U.S. Postal Service is an example of a/an ____ of the federal bureaucracy.
____a. independent agency
____b. "for profit" department
____c. independent regulatory commission
___ d. government corporation

9. Which one of the following statements best describes the U.S. Supreme Court's jurisdiction?
____a. The Supreme Court must hear all cases that are appealed from Federal Court of Appeals decision.
___ b. The Supreme Court's jurisdiction is entirely discretionary and it only hears the cases that justices select.
____c. The Supreme Court must hear some controversies, but it primarily only hears the cases that justices select.
____d. The Supreme Court must hear any case that involves a Constitutional right set forth in the Bill of Rights.

10. Which one of the following search warrants issued to the police would most likely be upheld as constitutional under the Fourth amendment?
____a. A search warrant issued based on an officer's reasonable suspicion that allows the officer to search a particular house, but only for illegal drugs.
____b. A search warrant issued based on an officer's probable cause that allows the officer to search a particular house, but only for illegal drugs.
____c. A search warrant issued based on an officer's reasonable suspicion that allows the officer to search a particular house for anything illegal.
___ d. A search warrant issued based on an officer's probable cause that allows the officer to search a particular house for anything illegal.