Term
| Which of the following is the foremost goal of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)? |
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Definition
| To make public school systems accountable for the progress of all students |
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Term
| A political system that divides power between a central government with authority over the whole nation and a series of state governments is known as which of the following? |
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Definition
| Federal system of government |
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Term
| Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution declares that Congress has the authority to coin money. Coining money is an example of which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the following is true about Congress? |
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Definition
| The Constitution vests legislative power in Congress, Congress has the power of the purse, the Constitution delegates certain powers to Congress in Article I, Section 8. |
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Term
| Which of the following statements is accurate about the powers of Congress? |
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Definition
| Congress can exercise only those powers delegated to it by the U.S. Constitution or implied through the application of the Necessary and Proper Clause. |
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Term
| In Article I, Section 8, the Constitution grants Congress authority to “regulate commerce among the several states.” Congress passes legislation establishing regulations for interstate trucking, including safety standards for trucks and drivers. Which of the following constitutional provisions or principles gives Congress the authority to set standards for trucks and truck drivers? |
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Definition
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Term
| The Elastic Clause is another name for which of the following constitutional provisions? |
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Definition
| Necessary and Proper Clause |
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Term
| The Constitution delegates which of the following powers to the president? |
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Definition
| The power to command the armed forces |
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Term
| Suppose Congress passes a law which conflicts with the state constitution of Georgia. Which takes precedence—the U.S. law or the Georgia Constitution? |
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Definition
| The U.S. law, because of the National Supremacy Clause |
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Term
| A person wanted for a crime in New York flees to Florida where he is arrested. The procedure for returning the accused person to New York to face criminal charges is known as which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| The Tenth Amendment is the constitutional basis for which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| Both state governments and the national government have the constitutional authority to tax and spend. Therefore, the power to tax and spend is an example of which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the following statements would be most likely to come from an advocate of a strong national government as opposed to a supporter of states’ rights? |
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Definition
| National control makes for better public policies. |
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Term
| Would states’ rights advocates favor or oppose the NCLB? |
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Definition
| They would oppose the law because it increased federal involvement in education policy, which is traditionally an area of state responsibility. |
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Term
| Which of the following was part of the Supreme Court’s ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland? |
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Definition
| Denied States the right to interfere with the constitutional operations of the national government. |
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Term
| A federal grant program that provides funds to state and local governments for a fairly narrow, specific purpose is known as which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| A federal grant program that provides money for a program in a broad, general policy area, such as childcare or job training, is known as which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| A grant program that requires state and local governments to compete for available federal money is known as which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| A grant program that awards funding on the basis of a formula established by Congress is known as which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| NCLB requires that states meet certain goals in order to continue receiving federal funds. This requirement is an example of which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| The fundamental law by which a state or nation is organized and governed, and to which ordinary legislation must conform, is the definition of which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the following can be defined as a political system in which the citizens vote directly on matters of public concern? |
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Definition
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Term
| Suppose that the majority of the people of a particular political district adhere to the same religion. The majority uses its control of government to adopt policies that limit public office to members of that religion, and they seriously disadvantage people who do not share their belief. The framers of the Constitution would use which of the following terms or phrases to describe that situation? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the following can be defined as a political system in which citizens elect representatives to make policy decisions on their behalf? |
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Definition
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Term
| Congress passes a law that criminalizes past actions that were taken before the law was passed. This law would be an example of which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| The Constitution guarantees accused persons the right to a speedy, public trial by an impartial jury, the right to confront witnesses, and the right to legal counsel. These provisions embody which of the following constitutional principles? |
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Definition
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Term
| 6The constitutional principle that government does not have unrestricted authority over individuals is the definition for which of the following terms? |
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Definition
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Term
| The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are known as which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| Do the provisions of the Bill of Rights apply to state governments? |
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Definition
| Yes, for the most part. The Supreme Court has ruled that most of the provisions of the Bill of Rights apply to the states. |
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Term
| The selective incorporation of the Bill of Rights to the states is based on which of the following constitutional provisions? |
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Definition
| The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment |
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Term
| The political thought of Baron de Montesquieu is associated most closely with which of the following constitutional principles? |
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Definition
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Term
| According to James Madison, what constitutional principle was designed to prevent the concentration of power in the hands of one government official or set of officials? |
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Definition
| Separation of powers with checks and balances |
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Term
| The president nominates Person A to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the Senate rejects the nomination. This scenario is an example of which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| The state of California has tougher automobile emissions standards than the national government. This situation reflects which of the following constitutional principles? |
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Definition
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Term
| Why did the framers of the Constitution create a bicameral legislative branch? |
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Definition
| They wanted to prevent the legislative branch from becoming too powerful. |
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Term
| Which of the following is a means through which the Constitution changes? |
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Definition
| Practice and experience, Constitutional amendment, Judicial interpretation. |
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Term
| Which of the following is NOT a step in the process of amending the Constitution? The House votes to propose the amendment by a two-thirds vote; The Senate votes to propose the amendment by a two-thirds vote; The president signs the proposed amendment; Three-fourths of the states ratify the proposed amendment. |
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Definition
| The president signs the proposed amendment. |
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Term
| What was the significance of Marbury v. Madison? |
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Definition
| It was the first case in which the U.S. Supreme Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional. |
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Term
| How does the U.S. Constitution affect the policymaking process? |
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Definition
| Change often comes slowly because the Constitution fragments political power, Public policies often reflect compromise among various interests and groups, Drastic policy changes are unlikely to occur. |
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Term
| What happens if the House and Senate pass different versions of a bill to address a particular policy issue but cannot agree on compromise legislation? |
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Definition
| The measure fails because nothing passes Congress unless both the House and Senate pass it in identical form. |
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Term
| Which of the following statements better describes the House than it does the Senate? |
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Definition
| It makes decisions strictly by majority vote. |
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Term
| Which of the following statements better describes the Senate than the House? |
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Definition
| A minority of members has the power to bring legislative business to a halt in the chamber. |
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Term
| The office of Congresswoman Martinez helps a district resident resolve a problem with the Social Security Administration. The action was an example of which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the following statements about congressional turnover is not true? A. Most members of Congress are reelected. B. The reelection rate for House members is higher than it is for senators. C. Congress experiences significant turnover because term limits restrict members of the House and Senate to no more than 12 consecutive years in office. D. Voters typically express a higher level of approval for their representative in Congress than they do for the institution as a whole. |
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Definition
| Congress experiences significant turnover because term limits restrict members of the House and Senate. |
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Term
| In practice, which of the following officials is the most important leader in the U.S. Senate? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the following officials is the most important leader in the U.S. House? |
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Definition
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Term
| How is the Senate majority leader selected? |
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Definition
| By vote of the members of the majority party in the Senate |
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Term
| What was the party affiliation of the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee in 2008? |
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Definition
| The chair would be a Democrat because Democrats won a majority in the House in the 2006 election. |
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Term
| In the current Congress (elected in 2008), which of the following individuals is a Republican? |
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Definition
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Term
| Why do major legislative measures often take the form of omnibus bills, which are complex, highly detailed legislative proposals covering one or more subjects or programs? |
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Definition
| Congressional leaders assemble omnibus bills in order to attract as much support as possible. |
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Term
| Which of the following individuals has the authority to introduce a bill in the U.S. Senate? |
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Definition
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Term
| The detailed work of Congress takes place at which point in the legislative process? |
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Definition
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Term
| Legislative markup occurs at which stage of the legislative process? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the purpose of a discharge petition? |
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Definition
| It is a procedure used to force a committee to report a bill to the floor of the House. |
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Term
| What is the purpose of a closed rule? |
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Definition
| It prohibits consideration of amendments to a bill on the floor of the House. |
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Term
| 13An amendment designed to make a measure so unattractive that it will lack enough support to pass is known as which of the following? |
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Definition
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Term
| The Senate is considering a controversial measure. How many votes will the measure’s supporters need to ensure passage in the chamber? |
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Definition
| It takes 60 votes to invoke cloture and overcome a filibuster. |
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Term
| A conference committee agrees on a conference report. It passes the House, but it fails to pass the Senate. What is the status of the bill? |
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Definition
| The measure is dead unless Senate reconsiders it and passes it. |
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Term
| Congress passes a bill that the president generally favors with the exception of one provision. What are the president’s options? |
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Definition
| The president can sign or veto the bill in its entirety. |
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