Introduction to Political Science Practice
Questions
Course Introduction
Introduction to Political Science provides students with a comprehensive overview of the foundational concepts, theories, and methodologies that define the study of politics. This course examines the structures and functions of political systems, the behavior of individuals and groups within those systems, and the key institutions such as legislatures, executives, and judiciaries. Students will explore various political ideologies, analyze the roles of governments, and consider the impact of political decisions on society. Through engaging readings, discussions, and case studies, the course aims to develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of the complex forces that shape political life at both national and international levels.
Recommended Textbook
Struggle for Democracy 11th Edition by Benjamin I. Page
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Chapter 1: Democracy and American Politics
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Sample Questions
Q1) Why is participation in the political process an important condition of popular sovereignty?
A) Participation conveys the will of the people.
B) Participation prevents leaders from being responsible to the public.
C) Participation helps to ensure that the public is well-informed about policy issues.
D) Participation protects the public from overly responsive political leaders.
E) Participation overcomes political apathy and political efficacy.
Answer: A
Q2) Some political commentators argue that the participatory aspects of direct democracy are not worth preserving as an ideal.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) The form of political decision making in which policies are decided on the basis of what a majority of the people want is known as __________.
Answer: majority rule
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Chapter 2: The Constitution
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Q1) Which of the following was the key inspiration for the American Revolution?
A) to get control of native inhabitants
B) to increase trade with Great Britain
C) to preserve an existing way of life
D) to promote expansion to the west
E) to protect fledgling state's rights
Answer: C
Q2) The New Jersey Plan proposed a powerful central government with three branches.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Q3) Which of the following specifies the procedure for amending the Constitution?
A) Article I
B) Article III
C) Article V
D) Article VI
E) Article IX
Answer: C
Q4) Article II of the Constitution addresses the powers of the __________ branch.
Answer: executive
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Chapter 3: Federalism: States and Nation
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Q1) __________ powers are shared by the federal and state governments.
A) Concurrent
B) Constitutional
C) Federal
D) Libertarian
E) Unified
Answer: A
Q2) __________ grants typically allocate federal dollars but clearly specify the category of activity for which the money has to be spent.
A) Block
B) Categorical
C) Commerce
D) Federal
E) Unified
Answer: B
Q3) __________ gives Congress the authority to exercise its enumerated powers.
Answer: Article I, Section 8
Q4) The case of __________ laid the groundwork for a central bank in the United States.
Answer: McCulloch v. Maryland
Page 5
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Chapter 4: The Structural Foundations of American
Government and Politics
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Q1) Nativists are primarily concerned with ensuring that Native American Indians have equal rights.
A)True
B)False
Q2) According to the authors of the textbook, the Great Recession and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have weakened the attractiveness of the American economic model in the eyes of the world.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following is a consequence of the suburbanization of America?
A) a decline in poverty and in increase in inequality
B) diminished power of the rural voice in state and national politics
C) fewer immigrants attracted to the United States
D) increased power of the rural voice in state and national politics
E) passage of a "national urban strategy" by the U.S. Congress
Q4) Boeing has challenged the dominant economic trend by relying entirely on local materials, craftsmanship, and creative talent in building the 787 Dreamliner.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 5: Public Opinion
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Q1) What problem has been created for survey researchers as more Americans have cut their reliance on landlines, now using only cell phones?
A) It is now more difficult to draw a sample that is random.
B) It is now more difficult to build intensity measures into responses.
C) It is now more difficult to place repeated callbacks.
D) It is now more difficult to cluster interviews geographically.
E) It is now more difficult to process response data.
Q2) For the most part, polling on the Internet falls prey to the problem of __________ sampling.
Q3) What was the principal concern of James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and other Founders of our national government with respect to public opinion?
A) that public opinion would undermine the supremacy of the legislature
B) that public opinion would be susceptible to radical and frequent shifts
C) that public opinion would too closely mirror public policies
D) that public opinion would be immoveable in times of crisis
E) that public opinion would lead the people to prefer policies inconsistent with presidential power
Q4) How do pollsters assess the general mood of the country?
Q5) Perhaps surprisingly, there is no __________ gap on the issue of abortion.
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Chapter 6: The News Media
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Q1) Based on what you know of media story preferences, which headline would be considered the least newsworthy?
A) Dog Calls 9-1-1
B) Fire Fighter Rescues Child from Car Wreck
C) George Clooney Arrested with Father
D) Pro-Union Rally Turns Violent
E) Unemployment Rates Remain Steady
Q2) According to the concluding discussion of the chapter, the news media have probably helped advance the cause of democracy in the United States and helped transform the American republic into the American democratic republic.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Studies show that media coverage __________.
A) has little influence on citizens' policy preferences
B) varies little in credibility over time
C) influences what people think about
D) has a conservative bias
E) has a liberal bias
Q4) Framing provides a context for ___________ stories.
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Chapter 7: Interest Groups and Business Organizations
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Q1) What types of organizations engage in grassroots/outside lobbying, and why do they do so? Why is grassroots lobbying effective?
Q2) Which of the following, if true, would indicate that grassroots/outside lobbying is an ineffective political tactic?
A) Policy makers primarily work to satisfy the demands of their wealthiest campaign contributors. As a result, they rarely respond to broader public opinion.
B) In congressional elections, incumbent candidates win at a much higher rate than challengers.
C) The number of interest groups with lobbyists in Washington, D.C., has increased over the past several decades.
D) The mass media tend to cover only the most dramatic and unusual news stories.
E) Most members of Congress have rejected campaign contributions from (political action committees) PACs.
Q3) As shown in Table 7.1, what two kinds of interest are at work in American politics? What do these two systems have in common? How do they differ?
Q4) Define and describe the three main elements of "the inside game" of interest group activity.
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Chapter 8: Social Movements
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Q1) What movement did leaders begin to support in the 1950s and 1960s largely due to their concerns for U.S. credibility abroad and its loyalties in the struggle against the Soviet Union?
A) women's rights movement
B) gay rights movement
C) Christian conservative movement
D) labor movement
E) civil rights movement
Q2) The women's and gay and lesbian movements were important in the rise of the Christian conservative movement, whose people were worried that traditional family values were under assault.
A)True
B)False
Q3) What was the "spark" that set off the Occupy Wall Street movement?
A) the election of Barack Obama
B) the Great Recession
C) the rising Christian conservative movement
D) the rising Tea Party movement
E) the rising civil rights movement
Q4) Define political efficacy and explain why it is important to social movements.
Page 10
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Chapter 9: Political Parties
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following combine both social and economic dimensions and hold that the federal government should play a very small role in economic regulation and social justice?
A) moderates
B) independents
C) conservatives
D) leaners
E) liberals
Q2) In what year was the United States on the edge of default due to the election of a large number of conservative party members who had promised to slash federal spending, regardless of consequences, resulting in bitter acrimony between the president and congressional leaders?
A) 2010
B) 2001
C) 2011
D) 1999
E) 2005
Q3) Attitudinal barriers, such as fear of wasting a vote or electoral preference for policy moderation, have thwarted the rise of __________.
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Chapter 10: Voting, Campaigns, and Elections
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Sample Questions
Q1) In 2000, Al Gore won 48.4% of the national popular vote, George W. Bush won 47.9% of the vote, and Ralph Nader won 2.74% of the vote. Hypothetically, what would have happened if the United States selected its president using the national popular vote with a run-off system?
A) Al Gore would have become president.
B) Al Gore and Ralph Nader would have formed a governing coalition to control the presidency.
C) The election results would be thrown out because no candidate received a majority and new elections would be held until one of the three candidates received a majority.
D) There would be an additional election between Gore and Bush to determine who would be president.
E) Congress would decide who would be the president using the run-off procedures outlined in the Constitution.
Q2) The National Voter Registration Act of 1996 required states to allow people to sign up to vote in a variety of places.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Why is a complex ballot problematic for voters?
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Chapter 11: Congress
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which statement about incumbency is most accurate?
A) Incumbents have a huge advantage in reelection.
B) Incumbents have a small advantage in reelection.
C) Incumbents have no advantage in reelection.
D) Incumbents only leave office when pressured by party leadership.
E) Incumbents only leave office when they choose.
Q2) What is the name of the provision in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, giving Congress implied powers not otherwise enumerated?
A) eminent domain
B) necessary and proper clause
C) pocket veto
D) reapportionment clause
E) referral provision
Q3) How might a bill become law if it has been pocket vetoed?
A) Congress may override the pocket veto with a three-fourths vote in each chamber.
B) Congress may override the pocket veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber.
C) The bill can never become law.
D) The bill must be reintroduced in the next session of Congress.
E) The president may sign the bill at his or her discretion.
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Chapter 12: The Presidency
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Q1) A divided government is when the president and the majority in one or both chambers of Congress belong to different parties.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following leadership abilities is critical to presidential success?
A) the ability to enter into executive agreements
B) the ability to write legislation
C) the ability to persuade members of Congress and the American public
D) the ability to negotiate treaties
E) the ability to declare war
Q3) Since the early months of 2011, Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad has sought to suppress domestic dissent through the extensive use of deadly force. If President Obama sought to involve the United States in the crisis, what formal and informal powers could he use to enlist congressional and public support?
Q4) The Framers placed most national policy-making powers in Congress. A)True B)False
Q5) What is the role of executive agreements in foreign policy? When are they used?
Q6) Compare the White House staff and the Cabinet.
Page 14
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Chapter 13: The Executive Branch
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Q1) The largest organizational unit in the federal bureaucracy is a(n) __________.
A) agency
B) bureau
C) commission
D) corporation
E) department
Q2) One function of __________ is to provide public services that the private sector is unwilling or unable to do.
Q3) Distinguish between independent agencies and independent regulatory commissions. Be sure to provide examples of each.
Q4) __________ often holds oversight hearings to investigate the policies and performance of agencies and departments in the federal bureaucracy.
Q5) In recent years, privatization and outsourcing has __________.
A) increased at the federal level
B) decreased at the federal level
C) decreased at the state level
D) received greater public support
E) received less public support
Q6) The most recently-created Cabinet department is the __________.
Page 15
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Chapter 14: The Courts
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Q1) The Supreme Court's annual term begins on the first Thursday in April.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Which of the following cases should originate in the state courts?
A) disputes involving the First Amendment
B) disputes involving ambassadors
C) disputes involving shipping and commerce on the high seas
D) disputes between citizens in the same state
E) disputes between states
Q3) Describe the "dual system" of justice in the United States.
Q4) Courts provide a statement of the legal reasoning behind their decisions in written
A) briefs
B) arguments
C) opinions
D) laws
E) pamphlets
Q5) Only the Supreme Court can review the decisions of state courts.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 15: Civil Liberties: the Struggle for Freedom
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Q1) The Supreme Court has used selective incorporation to __________ the rights of states.
A) protect
B) limit
C) expand
D) define
E) enforce
Q2) Which of the following created the right to privacy?
A) the Bill of Rights
B) the Constitution
C) the executive branch
D) the legislature
E) the judiciary
Q3) The constitutional convention was convened, in part, because citizens were concerned about threats to their property rights.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Discuss how the Supreme Court analyzes obscenity under the First Amendment.
Q5) An article accusing Barack Obama of being a drug addict is an example of
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Chapter 16: Civil Rights: the Struggle for Political Equality
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Q1) What two important acts did the federal government pass in the 1960s to force the South to abolish Jim Crow laws and abide by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the Constitution? Do you think it is possible that further intervention by the federal government will be needed in the future to enforce the civil rights of African Americans? Why or why not?
Q2) What did the Supreme Court do in 2001 that caused advocates for the rights of the disabled to become concerned about the ADA and other civil rights legislation? What steps did the Supreme Court and Congress take shortly thereafter to ensure that the ADA would still be effective?
Q3) Why did southern states enact poll taxes?
A) to raise revenue for the government
B) to ensure that only people who really want to vote would do so
C) to get around the Fifteenth Amendment
D) to enfranchise former slaves
E) because literacy is necessary for democracy to function
Q4) How did the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in 1993 come about? What is the current status of the policy? What was the point of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) passed by Congress in 1996? What is the current status of that act?
Q5) The focus of the __________ was to establish women's right to vote.
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Chapter 17: Domestic Policies
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Q1) The economic theory of regulation holds that most regulation results from pressure by public interest groups to protect citizens.
A)True
B)False
Q2) ___________ are the positive and negative effects of economic activities on third parties.
Q3) According to the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, which of the following contributed the most to the 2008 U.S. financial collapse?
A) the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks
B) the election of Barack Obama
C) deregulation of the financial industry
D) the price of oil
E) the balance-of-trade deficit
Q4) President Lyndon Johnson avoided addressing problems of poverty.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Keynesians in Congress would support increasing ___________ as a means to address high levels of unemployment.
Q6) Why do adjustments to interest rates by the Federal Reserve Board matter?
Page 19
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Chapter 18: Foreign Policy and National Defense
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Q1) Which of the following was a fundamental part of the George W. Bush administration's case for the 2003 war in Iraq?
A) Iraq attacked Israel in 2002 with SCUD missiles and was threatening to do so again.
B) Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
C) Saddam Hussein had provided considerable funding to Osama bin Laden.
D) Saddam Hussein had provided al-Qaeda with military intelligence and training.
E) Saddam Hussein had permitted Osama bin Laden to use Iraq for training terrorists.
Q2) Barack Obama's approach to U.S. foreign policy is best described as unilateralist. A)True B)False
Q3) What has the United States gained from the rise of China that makes China and the United States partners and allies? In what ways is the growth of China a challenge, or even a threat, to the United States?
Q4) Outline a possible diplomatic solution to a foreign policy crisis involving North Korea's nuclear program. How difficult would it be for the United States and North Korea to reach such a solution?
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