Comparative Government (U.S. Section)
Practice Exam
Course Introduction
This course examines the structure, functions, and processes of the United States government within a comparative framework. Students will explore the foundational principles of the U.S. political system, including federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances, while contrasting them with those of other countries. The course covers the roles of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; the impact of political parties and interest groups; and the processes of policymaking, elections, and civil liberties. Through comparative analysis, students gain insight into how the U.S. system operates, its strengths and challenges, and how it differs from other governments around the world.
Recommended Textbook
American Government and Politics Today The Essentials 17th Edition by Barbara A. Bardes
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Chapter 1: The Democratic Republic
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Q1) A procedure allowing the people to vote to dismiss an elected official from state office before his or her term has expired is called
A) a referendum.
B) direct democracy.
C) a recall.
D) an initiative.
E) popular sovereignty.
Answer: C
Q2) The type of government the United States has is
A) a direct democracy.
B) a representative democracy.
C) a confederation.
D) a constitutional monarchy.
E) an anarchy.
Answer: B
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Page 3
Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Great Compromise
A) was advanced by the delegates from Georgia.
B) proposed a bicameral legislature with equal representation in the Senate.
C) was presented too late to be considered.
D) was proposed by Texas.
E) proposed a unicameral legislature in which each state would have one vote.
Answer: B
Q2) The Jamestown colonists set a political precedent by
A) allowing the governor to use a line-item veto.
B) instituting a direct democracy.
C) instituting a representative assembly.
D) creating a judicial system.
E) writing a constitutional document.
Answer: C
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Chapter 3: Federalism
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Sample Questions
Q1) The Defense of Marriage Act
A) was passed by Congress in anticipation of states legalizing same-sex marriage.
B) allows states to ignore same-sex marriages performed in other states.
C) directs federal agencies not to recognize same-sex marriages, even if some states do.
D) was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
E) Options A, B, and C are true.
Answer: E
Q2) The police power is
A) the authority to legislate for the health, welfare, safety, and morals of the people.
B) reserved for the federal government to fight terrorism.
C) delegated to the states to make laws not prohibited by the national or state constitutions.
D) the power of local police to stop drivers suspected of being illegal immigrants.
E) Options A and C are true.
Answer: E
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Chapter 4: Civil Liberties
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Sample Questions
Q1) All of the following are true of the death penalty \(\bold{except}\)
A) the Supreme Court struck down all existing death penalties in 1972 but invited the states to pass new legislation that would apply the penalty more consistently.
B) the death penalty is supported by a majority of Americans, though support has recently fallen.
C) thirty-four states permit the punishment.
D) in 2002, the Court ruled that only juries, not judges, could impose the penalty.
E) in 2002, the Court ruled that persons under the age of nineteen cannot be put to death.
Q2) As originally presented in the Constitution, the Bill of Rights
A) limited only the power of the national government, not that of the states.
B) protected citizens from all forms of government.
C) protected citizens from the national and state governments, but not from local governments.
D) limited only the power of state governments.
E) contained no language on religion.
Q3) Under which circumstances is the government able to interfere with freedom of speech?
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Chapter 5: Civil Rights
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Q1) Describe the significance of the Dred Scott Case and the legal status of slaves in the United States prior to the Civil War.
Q2) De facto segregation
A) occurred in northern school districts.
B) occurred in northern residential neighborhoods.
C) confined African Americans to mixed neighborhoods determined by the courts.
D) confined African Americans to all-black districts.
E) Options A, B, and D are true.
Q3) African American leader Malcolm X
A) supported the group known as the Underground Railroad.
B) agreed with King's philosophy of nonviolence.
C) believed in "black power" and racial separation.
D) believed in the philosophy of "turn the other cheek."
E) was one of King's closest colleagues.
Q4) In an attempt to achieve integration,
A) students were sent to the school that was near to where they lived.
B) busing students across neighborhoods was ordered by the courts.
C) methods were determined by local committees of parents.
D) busing was peacefully accomplished in many big cities.
E) All the above are true.
Page 7
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Chapter 6: Public Opinion and Political Socialization
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Q1) In presidential elections, manual laborers, factory workers and union members are
A) more likely to vote for Republican candidates.
B) more likely to vote for Democratic candidates.
C) likely to split their vote between the two major parties.
D) more likely to vote for socialist candidates.
E) more likely to vote for communist libertarian candidates.
Q2) The Internet
A) serves as a gateway to online political activity.
B) serves as a gateway to offline political activity.
C) leads to a decrease in online political activity.
D) leads to a decrease in offline political activity.
E) Options A and B are true.
Q3) Spending on public schools
A) has risen several times to an average of $12,500 per students.
B) is favored by a majority of those surveyed.
C) has a been a point of contention between Republicans and Democrats.
D) has dipped recently due to budget issues.
E) All of the above are true.
Q4) Explore the means by which political socialization occurs in the United States.
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Chapter 7: Interest Groups
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Sample Questions
Q1) Describe the role played by interest groups in shaping public policy.
Q2) Describe legislative efforts to regulate the activities of lobbyists.
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) Which of the following statements is \(\bold{incorrect}\)?
A) The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers are known as "umbrella groups."
B) The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers combine with other types of interest groups, such as public interest groups and professional organizations, in order to achieve their objectives.
C) The U.S. Chamber of Commerce represents more than three million businesses.
D) The National Association of Manufacturers can mobilize articulate lobbyists to promote the concerns of members.
E) The AARP promotes the interests of American agricultural rural producers.
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Page 9
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) If we chose candidates through a "top two" bipartisan primary election
A) candidates would have to appeal to a wider range of public opinion.
B) it would increase voter participation.
C) the major political parties might lose some of their influence.
D) it would be the end of the open primary system.
E) All of the above are true.
Q3) Explore the role played by third parties in the United States.
Q4) Functions of political parties in the United States include all of the following \(\bold{except}\)
A) operating the government.
B) acting as an organized opposition to the party in power.
C) signing up large numbers of dues-paying committed members.
D) recruiting candidates for public office.
E) presenting alternative policies to the electorate.
Q5) Explain the differences between the party-in-the-electorate, the party organization, and the party-in-government.
Q6) Describe the history of political parties in the United States.
Q7) Describe the different functions of political parties in our system.
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Chapter 9: Campaigns, Elections, and the Media
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Q1) The number of members each state will have in the electoral college
A) cannot exceed fifty members.
B) cannot be changed without a Constitutional amendment.
C) changes every four years.
D) is determined by adding the number of representatives and the number of senators a state has in Congress.
E) is the same so as to ensure that each state plays an equal role in selecting the president of the United States.
Q2) Describe the steps you can take to become a critical news consumer.
Q3) The 1974 Federal Election Campaign Act
A) created the Federal Election Commission.
B) placed limits on the sums that individuals and committees can contribute to candidates.
C) created an effective way to enforce campaign rules.
D) Options A and B are true.
E) All of the above are true.
Q4) Which people are least likely to vote? How does this affect government policies?
Q5) Explain how the electoral college works, the situations in which it has produced controversial results, and the criticisms leveled against it.
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Chapter 10: The Congress
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Q1) A representative who is performing the role of an instructed delegate is A) primarily representing the wishes of his or her constituents.
B) supporting the president on all of his legislative programs.
C) representing the broad interests of the entire society.
D) supporting his or her political party.
E) representing other members of Congress.
Q2) If the race for congressional seats were more competitive
A) candidates would likely become more extreme in their positions.
B) the gerrymandering of district lines would be increased.
C) extreme partisanship would be reduced because winning candidates would need to find a broader appeal to voters outside their party.
D) higher turnover would increase the number of experienced members in the U.S. House of Representatives.
E) incumbents would be able to spend less on campaign ads.
Q3) Compare the House of Representatives and the Senate by discussing four ways in which they are different.
Q4) Explain the roles played by the members of the House and Senate leadership.
Q5) Explain the functions and rules regarding filibuster, cloture, and reconciliation.
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Chapter 11: The President
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Q1) Thoroughly describe four roles of the president. In your opinion, which two are the most important and why do you think this?
Q2) Which of the following statements about presidential elections is true?
A) One can become president without winning the popular vote.
B) The Twelfth Amendment requires that the president and the vice president be chosen separately.
C) Twenty-one presidents have served only one term in office.
D) The electoral college has twice failed to give any candidate a majority and the election was decided in the House of Representatives.
E) All of the above are true.
Q3) Who was the youngest person to be elected president of the United States?
A) Jimmy Carter
B) John F. Kennedy
C) Harry Truman
D) William Clinton
E) Barack Obama
Q4) Describe the evolution of the president's wartime powers, providing examples from various military activities through American history
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Page 13
Chapter 12: The Bureaucracy
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Q1) The Weberian model of bureaucracy
A) says that with a complex society the formation of bureaucracies is inevitable.
B) says that most bureaucracies are hierarchical organizations.
C) shows that power flows from the top downward.
D) says that bureaucrats are specialists who attempt to resolve problems through logical reasoning and data analysis.
E) All of the above are true.
Q2) 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.
Q3) The Hatch Act, adopted by Congress in 1939, was created to
A) encourage federal employees to run for state but not federal government.
B) prohibit federal employees from switching political parties.
C) prohibit federal employees from active involvement in political campaigns.
D) increase federal employee participation in running voter registration drives.
E) establish a patronage system during the Great Depression.
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Page 14
Chapter 13: The Courts
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Sample Questions
Q1) The United States has a dual court system, meaning there are
A) civil courts and criminal courts.
B) misdemeanor and felony courts.
C) state and federal courts.
D) state and local courts.
E) district courts and territorial courts.
Q2) Which of the following is true?
A) Most lawsuits are heard in state rather than federal courts.
B) Most lawsuits are heard in federal rather than state courts.
C) All cases heard in state court may be appealed to federal courts.
D) Cases heard in state court may be appealed to federal court if they case involves a federal question.
E) Options A and D are true.
Q3) Explain how the United States Supreme Court decides cases and explains its decisions.
Q4) How do recent Supreme Court decisions show how the Court has moved rightward?
Q5) Is Sharia Law really an issue in the American Court System? Describe states' responses to this issue and provide an example were sharia law is in use.
Q6) Describe the changes to the federal court system in an effort to fight terrorism
Page 15
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Chapter 14: Domestic and Economic Policy
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Q1) Which of the following statements regarding illegal immigrants is true?
A) The majority of illegal immigrants coming to the United States are from Cuba.
B) Most illegal immigrants, once in the United States, stay for the rest of their lives.
C) Many illegal immigrants send money back to relatives in their homeland.
D) Few immigrants throughout American history have returned to their homelands.
E) The laws against hiring illegal immigrants have always been strictly enforced.
Q2) Despite the lack of federal government action, in 2011
A) CO2 emissions in the United States were down due to newer fuel-efficient cars.
B) CO2 emissions in the United States were down due to new power plants coming on line that used natural gas instead of coal.
C) CO2 emissions in the United States were down due to tougher emissions laws passed by states.
D) CO2 emissions in the United States were down due to a colder winter.
E) Options A and B are true.
Q3) Explain the rising cost of entitlement programs and what should be done in the future.
Q4) Explain the impact of Keynesian economics on fiscal policy in the United States.
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Chapter 15: Foreign Policy
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is true about reinstating a military draft?
A) The draft would have no affect on long and repeat deployments for National Guard troops.
B) Children of wealthy people would be able to buy deferments from the draft.
C) A draft requires draftees to serve in the military. No civilian assignments would be allowed as substitution for the service requirement.
D) A draft would decrease the cost of the military because draftees would be paid less than military recruits are paid today.
E) A draft would provide too many troops and those with no deployments would spend too much time waiting at bases.
Q2) By foreign policy, we mean
A) a nation's external goals and the techniques and strategies to achieve them.
B) the formal agreements that are approved by the World Court.
C) interactions with other countries that are not related to economics.
D) the treaties that are ratified by the Senate.
E) the manner in which the armed forces are deployed.
Q3) Explain the intervention of the United States in Afghanistan and the problems encountered there by the U.S. Forces.
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