Civics
Exam Answer Key
Course Introduction
Civics is the study of the rights and responsibilities of citizens within a society, focusing on the foundations, functions, and operations of government at the local, state, and national levels. This course explores key concepts such as democracy, citizenship, governance, the rule of law, and public policy, enabling students to understand how government institutions work and how individuals can actively participate in civic life. Through the examination of current events, constitutional principles, and community involvement, students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed decisions and contribute effectively to their communities and the larger society.
Recommended Textbook
American Government and Politics Today The Essentials 17th Edition by Barbara A. Bardes
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15 Chapters
1059 Verified Questions
1059 Flashcards
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Chapter 1: The Democratic Republic
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70 Verified Questions
70 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) The total collapse of government
A) is a common event.
B) is a cyclical event.
C) is an uncommon event.
D) is accompanies every revolution.
E) None of the above is true.
Answer: C
Q2) Theorists describe pluralism as
A) the struggle between the poor and wealthy classes.
B) the struggle among groups to gain benefits for their members.
C) a theory of how democracy should not function.
D) a way to settle disputes by armed conflict.
E) a way for one group to dominate the political process.
Answer: B
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Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Founders designed the system of electors to select the president because
A) they hoped the people would lobby the electors.
B) they hoped the people would delegate the selection to a group of notable citizens.
C) they believed in direct democracy.
D) they wanted a system for selecting presidents identical to Britain.
E) All of the above are true.
Answer: B
Q2) When the Constitution was approved in 1787, it included
A) a federal system.
B) separation of powers.
C) popular sovereignty, or control by the people.
D) a representative government.
E) All of the above are true.
Answer: E
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Chapter 3: Federalism
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Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are true \(\bold{except}\)
A) in unitary systems, the power is held by the central government.
B) in confederal systems, the power is held by the subdivisional units or states.
C) in federal systems, the power is held jointly by the national government and the subdivisional units or states.
D) in federal systems the power is held by the national government.
E) Options A, B, and C are true.
Answer: D
Q2) After the Civil War, the Supreme Court
A) limited the police power to the national government.
B) declared a ban on child labor as unconstitutional.
C) allowed Congress great latitude in regulating commerce.
D) supported a strong central government and reduced state power.
E) tended to oppose dual federalism and supported single federalism.
Answer: B
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Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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Sample Questions
Q1) With regard to physician-assisted suicide, the Supreme Court has said that
A) the liberty interest protected by the Constitution does not include a right to commit suicide.
B) states must prosecute those who assist in suicides.
C) states must provide counseling to those who wish to commit suicide.
D) if an individual wishes to commit suicide, a physician must be present with family members.
E) The federal government is the final authority regarding laws on physician-assisted suicide.
Q2) The free exercise clause, protecting freedom of religious practice is found in the A) Fifth Amendment.
B) First Amendment.
C) establishment clause.
D) Second Amendment.
E) religious amendment.
Q3) Explain the positions of those for and those against the Patriot Act.
Q4) Explain what symbolic speech is and give examples of Supreme Court decisions on this type of speech.
Q5) Identify and explain the civil rights of criminal suspects.
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Chapter 5: Civil Rights
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Fifteenth Amendment
A) outlawed slavery.
B) provided equal protection under the law.
C) gave eighteen-year-olds the right to vote.
D) states that the right to vote shall not be abridged on account of race.
E) gave women the right to vote.
Q2) De facto segregation means
A) segregation because of residential racial patterns and concentration of populations, not because of laws.
B) segregation based on different native languages.
C) racial segregation based on law.
D) segregation of southern European immigrants.
E) segregation to a minor degree.
Q3) Today there are __________ Native Americans living in the United States.
A) 30 million
B) 13 million
C) 800 thousand
D) 3.2 million
E) 300 million
Q4) Explain the Americans with Disabilities Act and what impact it has had.
Page 7
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Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization
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Sample Questions
Q1) American political culture
A) can be described as a set of attitudes and ideas about the nation and government.
B) consists of symbols such as the American flag, the Liberty Bell, and the Statue of Liberty.
C) provides support for the political system.
D) All of the above are true.
E) None of the above is true.
Q2) Private opinion becomes public opinion when
A) that opinion, regardless of its subject matter, is publicly expressed.
B) it concerns public issues and is publicly expressed.
C) an individual is polled by a major polling organization.
D) it is not divided.
E) it is articulated to at least ten other people.
Q3) Having a college education
A) no longer means that an individual is likely to vote for a particular party.
B) is associated with a greater tendency to vote Democratic.
C) is associated with a greater tendency to vote Republican.
D) is associated with opposition to cultural liberalism.
E) is associated with a greater tendency to abstain from voting.
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Page 8
Chapter 7: Interest Groups
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are the differences between a social movement and an interest group? How are they related?
Q2) A lobbyist is
A) any association of individuals.
B) inevitably affiliated with one of the two major political parties.
C) an individual or organization who attempts to influence legislation and the administrative decisions of government.
D) a member of Congress who challenges the majority position.
E) a member of the congressional leadership who is in a position to shape the legislative agenda in a way that benefits powerful interest groups.
Q3) All of the following are true about labor unions \(\bold{except}\)
A) the number of members in labor unions has been declining.
B) American labor unions continue to support candidates for Congress.
C) labor unions provide volunteers for campaigns and campaign contributions.
D) a large turnout of union members will increase the final vote totals for Republicans.
E) there has been a growth in the unionization of public employees.
Q4) Describe the categories of economic interest groups and provide examples of each.
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Chapter 8: Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the importance of independent voters and provide examples of their impact in recent elections.
Q2) During the late 1960s,
A) economically liberal, socially conservative voters left the Republican Party.
B) the Democrats gained strength in the South.
C) the Republican ascendance came to an end..
D) Republicans gained a majority in Congress.
E) urban riots and anti-Vietnam War protests pushed many voters towards conservatism.
Q3) Analyze the role of cultural politics in recent elections.
Q4) In primary elections
A) candidates appeal to a wide range of opinion to get votes.
B) candidates tend make moderate stands on issues.
C) partisan campaigning leads to less overall spending on campaigns.
D) candidates try to appeal to the more extreme members of their party.
E) All of the above are true.
Q5) Contrast the two major parties in the United States today.
Q6) Why do we only have two major parties? Explain the circumstances that have perpetuated the two-party system.
Q7) Explain the phenomenon of "wave" elections and provide examples.
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Chapter 9: Campaigns, Elections, and the Media
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Sample Questions
Q1) Studies of bias in the media have reached
A) different conclusions: some found a liberal bias, while others found a conservative bias.
B) a clear conclusion: there is a liberal bias in the media.
C) a clear conclusion: there is a conservative bias in the media.
D) a clear conclusion: there is no bias in the media.
E) different conclusions: there is an ideological bias but there is no racial bias.
Q2) Becoming a critical news viewer requires that you
A) compare and contrast news from one source.
B) compare and contrast news from many different sources.
C) analyze the news from your ideological vantage-point.
D) analyze the news for foreign influences.
E) compare and contrast the news only from American outlets.
Q3) The right to vote
A) has been expanded since the writing of the Constitution.
B) has not been extended to those without property.
C) has been given to aliens as long as they are registered to vote.
D) can never be taken away.
E) is taken away if one doesn't vote in five elections.
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Page 11
Chapter 10: The Congress
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Sample Questions
Q1) One of the most powerful agencies in Washington, the __________ assists in the preparation of the federal budget and monitors federal agencies throughout the year.
A) Council of Economic Advisers
B) Office of Management and Budget
C) Department of Budget and Commerce
D) House Ways and Means Committee
E) Senate Budget Committee
Q2) The job of a conference committee is to
A) originate appropriations bills.
B) reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill.
C) set the rules of debate for a bill.
D) determine the committee path of a bill.
E) override a presidential veto.
Q3) Explain the functions and rules regarding filibuster, cloture, and reconciliation.
Q4) Explain how a bill becomes a law.
Q5) Explain the difference between reapportionment and redistricting.
Q6) Explain the different types of committees and their functions.
Q7) Describe the enumerated or expressed power of Congress.
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Chapter 11: The President
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Sample Questions
Q1) The members of the cabinet
A) are friends of the president that he invites to conferences on specific issues.
B) are expressly identified in the Constitution.
C) are all department secretaries who oversee administrative functions for the president.
D) may include the vice president and other advisors if the president chooses to include them.
E) are limited to one presidential term and then leave government service.
Q2) An executive order
A) must be published in the Federal Register.
B) is not valid unless both chambers of Congress approve it.
C) must be approved by a majority of the cabinet.
D) can only be issued when Congress is not in session.
E) cannot be overturned by Congress.
Q3) Contrast the importance of the cabinet and the Executive Office of the President.
Q4) Describe the difference between the president's role as chief diplomat and head of state. Provide examples to support your argument.
Q5) Analyze the president's functions as party chief and superpolitician.
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Chapter 12: The Bureaucracy
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Sample Questions
Q1) The number of federal government employees has
A) increased significantly in the last several decades.
B) remained relatively stable for the last several decades.
C) decreased substantially in the last ten years.
D) grown to exceed the number of local government employees.
E) grown to exceed the number of state government employees.
Q2) One of the important differences between public bureaucracies and private corporations is that government bureaucracies
A) are not organized to make a profit, whereas private corporations are.
B) have a single set of leaders, whereas private corporations do not.
C) are much larger than private corporations.
D) are not intended to serve the citizenry as private corporations are.
E) present an opportunity for career advancement, whereas private corporations do not.
Q3) Describe three of the four following organizations of the executive branch: cabinet departments, independent executive agencies, independent regulatory agencies, or government corporations.
Q4) Describe the manner(s) in which Congress attempts to control the bureaucracy.
Q5) Describe the difference between Sunshine laws and Sunset provisions.
Q6) Describe the pros and cons of India's biometric ID system.
Page 14
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Chapter 13: The Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the process of appointing judges to the federal courts. Explain how the process is fraught with partisan bickering.
Q2) The Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act that created an alien removal court, was passed
A) in 1996 as a response to the bombing of a federal building in Oklahoma City.
B) in 2001 as a response to the 911 attacks in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.
C) in 2010 as a solution to dealing with prisoners at the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
D) in 2000 as a response to the attack of the naval ship, the USS Cole.
E) in 1993 as a response to the first attack on the World Trade Center in New York.
Q3) The three tiers of the federal court system are
A) appellate court, Supreme Court, state Supreme Court.
B) the state municipal courts, district courts, Supreme Court.
C) federal district courts, intermediate courts of appeal, Supreme Court.
D) municipal courts, intermediate courts of appeal, Supreme Court.
E) city courts, state courts, Supreme Court.
Q4) Describe the changes to the federal court system in an effort to fight terrorism
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Page 15
Chapter 14: Domestic and Economic Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are true of global warming \(\bold{except}\)
A) in the 1990s, scientists working on climate change began to conclude that the average world temperatures would rise significantly in the twenty-first century.
B) in an effort to stop global warming, the government allowed filling or dredging of wetlands without a permit.
C) global warming has become a major political issue between conservatives and liberals.
D) former Vice-President Al Gore won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on environmental issues.
E) a major share of the American electorate does not believe that global warming is happening, or if it is happening, that it is caused by human activities.
Q2) The highest rate of taxation that one pays on the last dollar they make is called the A) progressive tax rate.
B) regressive tax rate.
C) marginal tax rate.
D) tax liability rate.
E) temporary tax rate.
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Chapter 15: Foreign Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) Moral idealism is a philosophy that
A) sees nations as normally willing to cooperate and agree on moral standards for conduct.
B) mandates noninterference with the internal policies of sovereign nations.
C) supports steps to establish a single world government.
D) sees each nation as acting in its own interest regardless of moral considerations.
E) contends that spreading Christianity ought to be a major goal of U.S. foreign policy.
Q2) Presidents have been largely successful in getting treaties
A) approved by the World Court.
B) through both the House and the Senate.
C) approved by the Supreme Court.
D) through the Senate.
E) approved by the State Department.
Q3) Describe the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians and the efforts to bring peace to this troubled part of the world.
Q4) Describe U.S. efforts to handle international issues with diplomacy rather than armed force. In your examples, were these efforts largely successful or failures?
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