AP Gov Ch 1-3

Americans’ national identity rests largely upon

common ideas

The American ideal of equality

has helped minority groups to achieve their goals

The American political culture includes all of the following ideals except

economic equality

"Unalienable rights"

belong to individuals and cannot be denied by government

Cultural beliefs are said to be "mythic ideas," which means that they are

perverted images of reality, as in the case of totalitarianism

Conflict in the practice of America’s ideals occurs because these ideals

are general principles, not precise rules, conflict somewhat with one another, and are only one of the many sources of political action

Thomas Jefferson believed that his greatest accomplishment was

the creation of the University of Virginia

Which of the following is TRUE of the US?

The US spends less on social welfare per capita than other industrialized democracies, has more hungry, homeless, and poor people in relative and absolute terms, and it emphasizes individualism more than other industrialized democracies

The principle of self-government emphasizes majority rule whereas the principle of liberty emphasizes individual rights. These principles

are not fully consistent with each other

Political conflict is rooted in which two general conditions of society?

opposing values and scarcity of resources

The play of politics takes place according to rules that the participants agree to accept. In the American case, the rules of the game include all of the following, except

coercive power

In a Constitutional System

citizens have basic rights which government cannot deny

The US economic system is best described as a

"mixed" economic system blending aspects of capitalism and socialism

The statement "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal" can be found in the

Declaration of Independence

Which is true?

Americans are one people with a common vision and have often questioned their basic democratic principles

The process that determines how a society will be governed refers to

politics

The fact that Americans believe in self-sufficiency and material accumulation reflects their belief in

individualism

Compared to the US, college admission in the democracies of Europe is

significantly more restrictive

The treatment of Chinese immigrants by the American Congress from 1892 to 1965 shows that

neither equality has always been an American birthright nor has American realities been mirrored in its ideals

The American system of checks and balances actually

strengthens the power of the executive branch over the legislative branch

A major criticism of the theory of pluralism is that

only a small number of powerful groups are well organized and highly influential on policy makers

America’s pluralism stems from

its geographical, economic, and religious diversity

Politics is a process that includes

conflict, consensus and competition, and cooperation

A key feature of governmental authority is its

degree of coerciveness

A major difference between socialism and capitalism is that former

stresses governmental ownership of the means of production

The method of operation of the Federal Reserve Board would best support the theory of

elitism

The leading proponent of the theory of bureaucratic rule was

Max Weber

_________ is the ability of persons or institutions to control policy.

Power

The Greek words "demos" and "kratis" together mean

the people rule

The most important question involving a democracy is

What is the relationship of people to their government?

The concept of majoritarianism means that

the majority determines public policy

One fear about majority rule in a democracy is that it could lead to

tyranny through suppression of the minority

Which of the following is not a rule of American Politics?

democracy

The idea that government should be restricted in its lawful uses of power and hence in its ability to deprive people of their liberty is expressed by the term

limited government

Early Americans’ preference for limited government was strengthened by

Britain’s Glorious Revolution, Lockean philosophy, and the colonial experience

The American colonists based their right to revolt against Britain’s authority on the claim that

their rights as British subjects had been violated

Through the grants of power in the Constitution, the Framers sought to

both empower government and limit it

The principle of checks and balances is based on the notion that

power must be used to offset power

The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution

none of the above

Marbury v. Madison is a landmark Supreme Court decision because it

set the precedent for judicial review

The traditional objection to democratic government is the risk of

tyranny of the majority

The writers of the Constitution used the term ________ to describe the form of government in which power resides in the people but is exercised through representative institutions

republic

The Framers entrusted the selection of US Senators to

state legislatures

The first plan of government for the US was a

confederation

Progressive reforms included

primary elections, direct election of US senators, and the initiative and referendum

The Articles of Confederation provided for

a national Congress, each state having one vote, and unanimous approval by the states to amend the Articles.

The Constitution forbids Congress from

passing ex post facto laws

Congress’s greatest checks on executive actions lie with its

power to hold hearings

The Constitution was ratified by

state conventions

The document explaining the ideas of the Constitution and urging ratification is the

federalist papers

Presidents are

directly selected by the Electoral College

Which of the following is an example of checks and balances?

the veto, the impeachment process, approval of treaties

Judicial review is the power of the American courts to

declare a law unconstitutional

A constitutional democracy

provides for majority influence in elections, protect minority rights, and operates under the rule of law

The division of powers between the national and state governments by the Constitution is

federalism

The Great Compromise produced

a bicameral Congress

The framers of the Constitution preferred which of the following political arrangements?

a republic as opposed to a pure democracy

The principle of checks and balances in the US system of government

allows the majority’s will to work through representative institutions but places checks on the power of those institutions

Viewed in historical terms, federalism has been a

pragmatic principle, in that the relationship between the nation and the states has adapted to the needs of the time

Which of the following are arguments in favor of federalism?

Federalism will protect liberty, force officials to be responsive to the people, and provide for a strong national government

States may by the Constitution

provide for law and order

Sovereignty refers to

ultimate governing authority

The tenth amendment addressed the concerns of Antifederalists about

the powers of state governments

Which of the following is most closely related to the concept of implied powers?

"necessary and proper" clause

According to the Antifederalists, too strong of a national government meant

eventual encroachment upon the sovereignty of the states

McCulloch v. Maryland was decisive because it

affirmed that national law is supreme to conflicting state law

From 1789 to 1865, the most significant issue of federalism was

whether the states would accept the lawful authority of the national government

According to the Dred Scott Decision, slaves were

property, beings of an inferior order, and not full American citizens

Dual federalism held that a

precise separation of national and state authority was both possible and desirable

Fiscal federalism refers to the

expenditure of federal funds on programs run in part through state and local governments

Federal grants-in-aid used only for specific projects are called

categorical grants

The "elastic clause" is most logically related to which of the following?

implied powers

Devolution is

the passing of authority from the national government to the state and local levels

The federal government’s power to tax, regulate commerce among the states, and to declare was are all examples of ________ powers.

enumerated

The nullification doctrine is most closely associated with

John C. Calhoun

The "separate but equal" standard was created by

the Supreme Court

Political conservatives who favor more political power devolved back to the states prefer

block grants

Which choice below describes the American change in governmental structure in 1787?

confederacy to federal

The concurrent powers of government include

law enforcement

Which government in the American federal system has superior taxing and borrowing capacity?

the national government

Which of the following federal grants is the most restrictive for the recipient?

categorical grant

Which of the following is NOT and enumerated power?

public education

The Constitution allows states to

govern intrastate commerce