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Tauber 4e American Government Test Bank Docx 4th Edition

CHAPTER 1 AMERICAN GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS IN A RACIALLY DIVIDED WORLD

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Learn about the nature and functions of government.
Learn about the various types of democracy.
Examine the theoretical foundations of the American political system: classical liberalism, classical republicanism, and inegalitarianism (tradition of exclusion).
Understand that the structural decisions made by the Founders were deliberative and purposeful.
Examine how the tradition of exclusion was a key element of the founding of the nation.
Explore the essential question: How does a system based on the idea of equality institutionalize unequal treatment?

Chapter Outline

The Nature of Government
The Functions of Government
The Types of Government
1. Democracy: “A System of Government in which the People Exercise Political Power”
2. Characteristics of Constitutional Democracies
Principles of Constitutional Democracies
1. The Rule of Law
2. Natural Law
3. Natural Rights
Foundations of American Government
1. Classical Liberalism
2. Classical Republicanism
3. Tradition of Exclusion (Inegalitarianism)

- Our Voices: Lemuel Haynes—Republicanism and Slavery

- 1. White Women
  2. Blacks

- Evaluating Equality: Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings

- 1. American Indians

Exclusion and the Founding

- Measuring Equality: Who Was Eligible to Be Included in “We The People”?

Conclusion

Discussion Questions

Examine the social construction of race. Why do we say that race is a social and political construct, rather than a biological one? Incorporate the idea of the “one-drop rule.”
The Founding Fathers were adamant that their new system of government should ensure equality. However, only about 21 percent of the population was made up of White males over the age of 16, and less than 6 percent were White males over the age of 21 who owned property (and as such could fully participate in the new system). As such, in practice there was a great deal of inequality. How did the Founders justify these contradictions?
If privileged groups feel that the equalization of opportunity is done in a way that is discriminatory against them, what methods can be implemented to help equalize opportunity without groups feeling that something is being taken from them?
Examine the areas of disagreement and agreement among the three foundations of American government (classical liberalism, classical republicanism, and inegalitarianism). Of these three theoretical foundations, is any one of them more prevalent in American political thought? Explain answers.
Given the various definitions for the types of government, what type of government do we find in the United States? Does your answer differ when you consider America in practice as compared to in theory? Why/why not?

Video Resources

Framework for Democracy, Program 7: The Struggle for Equality (2002), INTELECOM Intelligent Telecommunications

Jefferson’s Blood (2000), PBS

Race: The Power of an Illusion: The Story We Tell—Episode 2 (2003), PBS

Website Resources

The Constitution of the Iroquois League, http://www.indigenouspeople.net/iroqcon.htm/

The Leviathan, http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/texts/hobbes/leviathan-contents.html/

Two Treatises of Government, http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/locke/

An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, http://econlib.org/library/Smith/smWN.html/

The Federalist Papers, http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fedpapers.html/

Notes on the State of Virginia, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part3/3h490t.html/

Women and the Law, http://www.library.hbs.edu/hc/wes/collections/women_law/

The Antifederalists and Their Important Role During the Ratification Fight, https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-anti-federalists-and-their-important-role-during-the-ratification-fight

“How the Iroquois Great Law of Peace Shaped the U.S. Constitution”, http://www.pbs.org/native-america/blogs/native-voices/how-the-iroquois-great-law-of-peace-shaped-us-democracy/

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: factual

Page number: 2–3

1. The official resolutions adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in 2008 and 2009 concerning the historical relationship between the government and African Americans included all of the following EXCEPT

a. A formal apology for slavery.

b. A resolution to provide reparations for descendants of slaves.

c. An acknowledgment of harmful government action against African Americans via Jim Crow laws.

d. An acknowledgment that past government actions have influenced the current position of African Americans.

Question type: factual

Page number: 3

2. The U.S. Congress provided an apology and reparations to which of the following groups?

a. Native Hawaiians for the seizure of their land.

b. Jewish Americans in European concentration camps during World War II.

c. African American descendants of slaves.

d. Japanese Americans interned during World War II.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 4

3. The main, overarching mechanism for controlling people’s behavior and managing their conflicts is

a. Religion.

b. Physical combat.

c. Government.

d. Nature.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 4

4. ____________ is defined as a social institution that controls the behavior of people.

a. Government.

b. Politics.

c. Society.

d. The Supreme Court.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 4

5. In order to control the behavior of the people living in its jurisdiction, a government manages conflict, establishes order, and:

a. Creates chaos.

b. Devises rules and regulations.

c. Changes policies frequently.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 5

6. Government provides security for its citizens by protecting them from unfair business practices, protecting them from discrimination, and:

a. Maintaining armed forces.

b. Antagonizing enemy nations.

c. Creating an inviting environment for extralegal organizations.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 5

7. What is the purpose of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972?

a. To prohibit racial discrimination in federal hiring practices.

b. To prohibit racial discrimination in federally assisted education programs.

c. To prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs that receive federal assistance.

d. To prohibit housing discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or religion.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 5

8. When a government provides for the public good, it

a. Creates policies that benefit society as a whole, rather than specific individuals.

b. Creates policies that benefit individuals, rather than society as a whole.

c. Makes decisions that reflect a narrow set of social interests.

d. Ensures that discrimination only applies to a few specific groups.

Question type: applied

Page number: 5

9. To provide for the public good, governments must

a. Occasionally encroach on individual liberty.

b. Regularly encroach on the national security of society.

c. Place the needs of groups with the most resources over those of groups with few resources.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 5

10. An example of government action that provides for the public good is

a. The Civil Rights Act of 1964.

b. The maintenance of a standing military.

c. The Clean Air Act of 1963.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 6

11. The process of _______ can allow government to fulfill its function of managing and resolving conflict.

a. Governing.

b. Politics.

c. Social interaction.

d. Elimination.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 6

12. The process of politics includes bargaining, discussion and:

a. Diversity.

b. Systems.

c. Society.

d. Competition.

Question type: applied

Page number: 5-6

13. Why does the government’s attempt to provide for the public good lead to the necessity to manage and resolve conflict?

a. Various groups have different ideas concerning what is best for society as a whole.

b. Society does not appreciate utility maximization.

c. An increase in the public good always leads to international relations turmoil.

d. Government agencies like to argue.

Question type: applied

Page number: 6

14. Which of the following is not an example of a service that government in the United States makes available for citizens?

a. Interstate highway system.

b. Education.

c. Tax form preparation.

d. Postal service.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 6

15. The Affordable Care Act of 2010, which provides health care for many of the uninsured, most closely reflects which function of government?

a. Provision of security.

b. Management and resolution of conflict.

c. Provision of services.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 6

16. A system of government in which the people exercise political power is called:

a. A monarchy.

b. A dictatorship.

c. A theocracy.

d. A democracy.

Question type: factual

Page number: 6

17. When people make the political decisions instead of electing representatives to do so, they are engaging in:

a. Direct democracy.

b. Representative democracy.

c. Anarchy.

d. Autocracy.

Question type: applied

Page number: 6-7

18. Which of the following is an example of direct democracy?

a. Referendums.

b. Congressional elections.

c. Initiatives.

d. Both a and c.

Question type: factual

Page number: 7

19. When people elect individuals to represent their political interests, they are participating in:

a. A constitutional democracy.

b. A direct democracy.

c. An indirect or representative democracy.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 7

20. The authority for government is based on a set of formal written rules and governing principles in:

a. A constitutional democracy.

b. A direct democracy.

c. An indirect or representative democracy.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 7

21. All constitutional democracies share which of the following characteristics?

a. Direct elections, peaceful transitions of power, censored press, protected personal and civil rights.

b. Free and regular elections, difficult transitions of power, free press, limited personal and civil rights.

c. Free and regular elections, peaceful transitions of power, free press, protected personal and civil rights.

d. Irregular elections, difficult transitions of power, censored press, protected personal and civil rights.

Question type: factual

Page number: 7

22. The U.S. government is an example of which type(s) of democracy?

a. Direct democracy.

b. Representative democracy.

c. Constitutional democracy.

d. Both b and c.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 7

23. The principles of constitutional democracies include all of the following, EXCEPT

a. Rule of law.

b. Common law.

c. Natural rights.

d. Natural law.

Question type: factual

Page number: 8

24. The idea that laws should take precedence over arbitrary governance demonstrate the concept of the

a. Rule of law.

b. Rule of rights.

c. Error in judgment.

d. State of nature.

Question type: applied

Page number: 8

25. All of the following demonstrate the importance of the rule of law in the American political system, EXCEPT

a. Government cannot detain people without delineating charges and allowing legal counsel.

b. The government has allowed for a separate system of laws that creates differing standards of treatment based on race, gender, and sexual orientation.

c. All citizens, as well as government officials, must obey the law; everyone is equal before the law.

d. Government action must be based on authority granted by the Constitution or legislative bodies.

Question type: applied

Page number: 8

26. Which of the following demonstrate that the concept of the rule of law has not been applied equally throughout U.S. history?

a. Some individuals receive different criminal sentences for the same crime solely based on their race.

b. Government has sometimes taken property without adhering to a prescribed legal process.

c. Neither of the above.

d. Both of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 8

27. Law that comes from nature and is superior to written law passed by legislatures is known as:

a. Civil law.

b. Natural law.

c. Important law.

d. Unnatural law.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 8-9

28. Which of the following statements does not reflect the theory of natural law?

a. Statutory law is always supreme.

b. A just system comes from nature rather than from rules of society.

c. Our ability to reason leads us to perform our duties and restrains us from doing wrong.

d. Human beings have the ability to reason.

Question type: factual

Page number: 9

29. Which of the following are considered to be natural rights?

a. Those rights that exist only for plants and animals.

b. Those rights that are clearly delineated in a constitution.

c. Those rights that are based on social, economic, and political status and patent of nobility.

d. Those rights to which every person is entitled and that are independent of government.

Question type: factual

Page number: 9

30. Which of the following is not one of the political traditions of the American system of government?

a. Classical republicanism

b. Classical egalitarianism.

c. Inegalitarianism.

d. Classical liberalism.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 9

31. The body of Western European political philosophy concerned with individual freedom and the role of government in protecting that freedom is known as

a. Classical republicanism.

b. Classical egalitarianism.

c. Inegalitarianism.

d. Classical liberalism.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 9

32. The body of political philosophy concerned with the idea that rule by the people should be indirect through representatives is known as

a. Classical republicanism.

b. Classical egalitarianism.

c. Inegalitarianism.

d. Classical liberalism.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 9

33. The sociopolitical philosophical tradition supporting the exclusion of large segments of the American population from participation in the political system is known as

a. Classical republicanism.

b. Classical egalitarianism.

c. Inegalitarianism.

d. Classical liberalism.

Question type: applied

Page number: 10

34. The social contract, the system under which people give up a degree of independence to obtain peace and safety that can be provided through government, is most closely associated with

a. Classical republicanism.

b. Classical egalitarianism.

c. Inegalitarianism.

d. Classical liberalism.

Question type: factual

Page number: 10-11

35. All classical liberal theories share the following characteristics:

a. Pessimism about individual behavior, group favored over the individual, free-market economy, religious dogma over scientific reason.

b. Optimism about individual behavior, individual favored over the group, free-market economy, reason before religious faith.

c. Optimism about individual behavior, individual favored over the group, heavily regulated economy, religious dogma over scientific reason.

d. Pessimism about individual behavior, group favored over the individual, heavily regulated economy, reason before religious faith.

Question type: factual

Page number: 11

36. The Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and _________ are all early American documents or works that were heavily influenced by classical liberalism.

a. The Antifederalist Papers.

b. The Albany Plan.

c. The Federalist Papers.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 10-11

37. Classical liberal theory is essential for which of the following political values?

a. Religious tolerance, restrictions on police behavior, personal property ownership.

b. Separation of church and state, communal property, free press.

c. Religious tolerance, restrictions on police behavior, regulated press.

d. Separation of church and state, personal property ownership, regulated press.

Question type: applied

Page number: 12

38. Do contemporary liberals fully adhere to classical liberal theories?

a. No, contemporary liberals value individual liberty over the public good.

b. Yes, contemporary liberals support using the government to solve social problems.

c. No, contemporary liberals support government action to protect citizens’ rights and solve social problems.

d. Yes, contemporary liberals believe the government has a role to play in individual lives.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 12

39. The concept of civic virtue, which is the subordination of individualism and self-interest to societal interests, is most closely associated with which theoretical tradition?

a. Classical republicanism.

b. Classical egalitarianism.

c. Inegalitarianism.

d. Classical liberalism.

Question type: factual

Page number: 13

40. Which characteristics do all classical republican theories share?

a. Virtuous citizenry, personal property, authority from the people, the people should not have power, separate government branches, protection of rights.

b. Virtuous citizenry, communal property, direct democracy, separate government branches, protection of rights.

c. Selfish citizenry, communal property, direct democracy, separate government branches, citizens’ rights are trumped by government.

d. Selfish citizenry, personal property, authority from the people, the people should not have power, separate branches of government, citizens’ rights are trumped by government.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 13

41. With its origins in ancient Rome, classical republicanism posits all the following EXCEPT

a. Government should be divided into various branches.

b. Direct democracy cannot work.

c. All citizens, regardless of property ownership, should have the right to vote.

d. Individuals should elect political representatives.

Question type: applied

Page number: 12

42. Do contemporary conservatives fully adhere to classical republican theories?

a. Yes, contemporary conservatives value individual liberty over the public good.

b. Yes, contemporary conservatives support using the government to solve social problems.

c. No, contemporary conservatives believe in a limited role for government for solving social problems.

d. No, contemporary conservatives believe the government has a role to play in individual lives.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 13

43. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of classical republicanism?

a. Concern with property.

b. Distribution of power across branches of government.

c. Protection of individual rights.

d. Direct democracy.

Question type: applied

Page number: 15

44. Which of the following describes the intentions and ideals of the Founders?

a. Liberty, equality, and freedom for all.

b. Liberty and freedom were fundamental, natural rights for all individuals.

c. Freedom and equality should not be universally applied to the populace.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 15

45. Which of the following quotes supports the idea that the Founders incorporated the value of inegalitarianism into the American political system?

a. “All men are created equal.”

b. “Give me liberty or give me death.”

c. “We the People of the United States. . . ”

d. “Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes.”

Question type: factual

Page number: 16

46. Which of the following are found within both classical liberalism and classical republicanism, but not within the tradition of exclusion?

a. Religious freedom.

b. Market economy.

c. Rule of law.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 15-20

47. Which group was not excluded from the Founders’ political system because of the value of inegalitarianism?

a. White women.

b. White male property owners over 21.

c. American Indians.

d. Blacks.

Question type: applied

Page number: 16

48. Which of the following doctrines aided in the justification of the exclusion of women from the political system?

a. Racial inequality.

b. Protestantism.

c. Civilization.

d. Coverture.

Question type: factual

Page number: 16

49. What is the doctrine of coverture?

a. The belief in one deity above all others.

b. The transference of a woman’s civic identity and property to her husband on their marriage.

c. The belief that some races are superior to others in terms of capacity and intelligence.

d. The transference of American Indians’ property to the U.S. government if they chose to become U.S. citizens.

Question type: factual

Page number: 16

50. Which Enlightenment philosopher argued that women’s role is to be subservient and that they are not members of the political world?

a. Locke.

b. Jefferson.

c. Rousseau.

d. Montesquieu.

Question type: applied

Page number: 15-16

51. Which of the following was not a part of the philosophy concerning women at the time of the founding?

a. Women should be weak and passive.

b. If women could vote, it would be undemocratic because their husbands would have two votes.

c. Women belonged in the private sphere.

d. Women belonged in the public sphere.

Question type: factual

Page number: 17-18

52. What aspects contributed to the justification of the enslavement of Africans?

a. Skin color.

b. Religion.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 18

53. Where did the first Africans arrive in the American colonies in 1619?

a. St. Augustine.

b. Jamestown.

c. Plymouth Rock.

d. New York City.

Question type: factual

Page number: 18

54. Which colony incorporated slavery into its law in 1641?

a. Massachusetts.

b. Maryland.

c. Virginia.

d. Connecticut.

Question type: factual

Page number: 18

55. An increase in the supply of African slaves, difficulty with Indian servitude, and ________ are all factors that contributed to the broad-scale institution of slavery in Virginia by 1661.

a. Adherence to Christian values.

b. Lack of sufficient White indentured servitude.

c. An increase of the female colonial population.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 18

56. Rogers Smith argues that the Founders’ fascination with ___________ contributed to beliefs in racial differences and contributed to negative attitudes toward Blacks.

a. The science of the Enlightenment.

b. The tenets of Protestantism.

c. The story of Ham.

d. English common law.

Question type: factual

Page number: 18

57. Which of the Founders posited the belief that Blacks were innately inferior to Whites and called on science to demonstrate this inferiority?

a. Franklin.

b. Adams.

c. Jefferson.

d. Madison.

Question type: factual

Page number: 18–19

58. Which of the following is not attributed to Thomas Jefferson?

a. An indictment of King George for the Black slave trade.

b. The argument that Blacks should be citizens.

c. A push for the abolition of slavery in Virginia.

d. A desire to find scientific evidence of racial inferiority.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 18

59. Race is

a. A social and political construct.

b. A biological reality.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 18

60. The construction of a group of people of various phenotypes, skin colors, and physical characteristics for political and social purposes is known as the:

a. Social construction of ethnicity.

b. Social construction of gender.

c. Social construction of race.

d. Social construction of religion.

Question type: factual

Page number: 18–20

61. American Indians and Blacks were viewed in similar ways by colonists in that these groups

a. Had darker skin.

b. Were not Christian.

c. Were considered children.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 20

62. In terms of the theoretical foundations of the American political system, which of the following most closely relates to the justification to seize American Indian lands?

a. Classical republicanism.

b. Classical egalitarianism.

c. Inegalitarianism.

d. Classical liberalism.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 21

63. Which of the following is not an assumption of the tradition of exclusion?

a. Protestant Christianity was superior to all other forms of religion.

b. The masses were more important than the elites.

c. White northern Europeans were biologically and culturally superior to southern, darker-skinned Europeans and any other civilizations and races.

d. Men were naturally suited to rule over women.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 21

64. Property ownership was a significant factor in the tradition of exclusion at the founding of the American political system, as evidenced by

a. The extension of voting rights only to propertied men.

b. The lack of voting rights for children based on their intellectual capacity.

c. The extension of voting rights to American Indians, as long as they lived on “Indian land.”

d. The lack of citizenship for African Americans and American Indians.

Question type: factual

Page number: 21

65. The __________ state constitution was the only one that granted women the right to vote at the founding of the new nation.

a. Rhode Island.

b. Georgia.

c. Massachusetts.

d. New Jersey.

Question type: factual

Page number: 21

66. Although White women were considered citizens of the United States, they were not full citizens in that they experienced widespread

a. Political exclusion.

b. Economic exclusion.

c. Social exclusion.

d. Religious exclusion.

Question type: factual

Page number: 21

67. Which of the following acts of Congress demonstrated that the Founders did not intend for the Constitution to apply to Blacks and American Indians?

a. Copyright Act of 1790.

b. Patent Act of 1790.

c. Crimes Act of 1790.

d. Naturalization Act of 1790.

Question type: factual

Page number: 21

68. The U.S. Congress’ Naturalization Act of 1790 pronounced that

a. Only free White persons were eligible for citizenship.

b. Only free persons born in the United States were eligible for citizenship.

c. All persons born in the United States were eligible for citizenship.

d. Only free White males were eligible for citizenship.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 22-23

69. What was the justification for excluding African Americans and American Indians from becoming citizens of the United States?

a. They were not suitable members for the political system because they were not free.

b. It was presumed they could not understand the European way of life or the political system.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 22

70. Based on the 1790 U.S. Census, the National Archives estimates that only 20.7 percent of the U.S. population were White males 16 years and older. What percentage of the U.S. population does the National Archive estimate was eligible for participation in the political system by way of being White male property owners?

a. 18 percent.

b. 14 percent.

c. 6 percent.

d. 2 percent.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 21–22

71. Which of the following was not seen as a justification for the perpetuation of the enslavement of African Americans around the time of the founding?

a. Slaves were considered property and, thus, as deserving of rights and liberty as a mule or wagon.

b. If they were not kept as slaves, Blacks would immediately become more prosperous than Whites.

c. A White master’s right to property was valued above a slave’s right to liberty.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 17

72. Lemuel Haynes argued that slavery directly violated classical republican theory. Which of the following arguments would not fit into this argument?

a. People cannot be classified as property.

b. Denying liberty to slaves undermines the intrinsic virtue of the citizenry.

c. Because liberty is a natural right, slavery is unlawful.

d. Given that slaves are individuals, their rights should be protected under the law.

Question type: factual

Page number: 10-13

73. Which of the following was not a classical republicanism theorist?

a. Harrington.

b. Montesquieu.

c. Sydney.

d. Locke.

Question type: factual

Page number: 17

74. Lemuel Haynes was known as

a. An influential White political philosopher who argued against slavery.

b. An influential African American political philosopher who argued against slavery.

c. An influential African American Protestant minister who argued against slavery.

d. An influential American Indian female Protestant minister who argued against slavery.

Question type: factual

Page number: 23

75. The Continental Congress committee that examined the issue of American Indian inclusiveness ultimately determined that this group should be seen as

a. Potential citizens.

b. Possible allies.

c. A good source for slave labor.

d. Likely foes.

Question type: factual

Page number: 23

76. Concurrent Resolution 331, which was passed by the U.S. Congress in 1988, recognized the influence of the ____________ on the _____________ and the ____________.

a. Iroquois Constitution; Articles of Confederation; U.S. Constitution.

b. Iroquois Confederacy; Articles of Confederation; Bill of Rights.

c. Algonquin Confederacy; Articles of Confederation; Bill of Rights.

d. Iroquois Constitution; U.S. Constitution; Bill of Rights.

Question type: factual

Page number: 23

77. Which of these tribes was not a member of the original five tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy?

a. Seneca.

b. Navajo.

c. Oneida.

d. Mohawk.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 24

78. The Great Law of Peace, the Iroquois Confederacy’s constitution, included which of the following democratic principles or characteristics?

a. Proportional representation of each tribe on the governing council.

b. (Female) leaders of the tribes appointed the chiefs.

c. (Female) leaders of the tribes had the authority to remove chiefs for misconduct, illness, and other causes of ineffectiveness.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 24

79. Which of the following are currently in practice within the American political system?

a. Classical liberalism.

b. Classical republicanism.

c. Inegalitarianism.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 14

80. A republican form of government is defined as

a. A government whose powers are exercised by elected representatives who are directly or indirectly accountable to the people governed.

b. A government whose powers are derived from a monarchy, who chooses representatives for the governing body.

c. A government whose powers are exercised by appointed representatives who are not accountable to the people through elections.

d. A government whose powers are derived and exercised through the process of direct democracy.

Question type: applied

Page number: 9-20

81. Which of the following is least likely to be understood and recognized as a theoretical foundation of American government?

a. Classical liberalism.

b. Classical republicanism.

c. Inegalitarianism.

d. All of the above have always been viewed as equally important to the founding of the nation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 2

82. The 150^th anniversary of the U.S. abolition of slavery occurred in:

a. 1976.

b. 2002.

c. 2015.

d. We have not yet reached 150 years since abolition.

Question type: factual

Page number: 2

83. Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery?

a. Ninth.

b. Thirteenth.

c. Eighteenth.

d. Twenty-second.

Question type: factual

Page number: 2

84. As of 2016, how many states have formally apologized for slavery?

a. 0.

b. 4.

c. 9.

d. 14.

Question type: factual

Page number: 2

85. The Delaware state resolution acknowledging its actions in participating in enslaving people related to which groups?

a. Native Americans and Africans.

b. Native Americans and Irish.

c. Africans and Italians.

d. Africans and Irish.

Question type: factual

Page number: 2

86. The Delaware state resolution acknowledging its actions in participating in enslaving people also acknowledged its crimes against humanity by way of __________.

a. Black Codes.

b. Dan Tucker laws.

c. Brown Codes.

d. Jim Crow laws.

Question type: factual

Page number: 4

87. The United States seized the islands of Hawaii in:

a. 1847.

b. 1893.

c. 1912.

d. 1954.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 18

88. Varying state classifications for who was Black (one-eighth, one-sixteenth, etc.) provide a clear example of the:

a. Social construction of race.

b. Social construction of gender.

c. Biological reality of race.

d. Biological reality of gender.

Question type: factual

Page number: 21

89. The Naturalization Act of 1790 ensured that:

a. people not born in the country could never become citizens.

b. only free white people could become citizens.

c. all people living in the U.S. for seven years could become citizens.

d. women could never become citizens.

Question type: factual

Page number: 23

90. Which of these tribes was an original member of the five tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy?

a. Lakota.

b. Navajo.

c. Oneida.

d. Cherokee.

Question type: applied

Page number: 8

91. Which of the following is not an example of direct democracy?

a. Referendums.

b. Congressional elections.

c. Initiatives.

d. Recalls.

Short-Answer Questions

1. Why did the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate issue formal apologies in 2008 and 2009, respectively?

Apology for the government’s part in the perpetuation of African American enslavement, as well as the Jim Crow laws.
Acknowledgment of the fact that slavery and Jim Crow continue to influence the social, economic, and political position of African Americans in the United States today.

2. What are reparations? Were they a part of the formal apology of the U.S. Congress for African American slavery and Jim Crow in 2008–2009?

Reparations refers to the concept of providing monetary payments to members of aggrieved groups based on past wrongful actions against them or their ancestors (particularly in terms of government complicity in said actions).
The formal apology from Congress explicitly stated that the apology could not be used as a justification for the awarding of reparations.

3. Name three groups that have received formal apologies from the federal government for their mistreatment (and state what the apologies were for).

African Americans (for slavery and Jim Crow).
Native Hawaiians (for U.S. military action aiding the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy and the seizure of the Hawaiian Islands).
Japanese Americans (for their internment during World War II).

4. When unequal opportunity is written into law, there are some who benefit and some who do not. Specify the group that benefitted the most from social, political, and economic inequalities in the United States at the founding? Briefly explain this using the theoretical foundations of the system.

White, property-owning males over the age of 21 (full points only if all 4 of these identity points are demarcated – race, class, sex, and age).
Whites and males were seen as superior under the tradition of exclusion.
Property was highly valued under liberalism and republicanism, and property ownership was a prerequisite for political participation under classical republicanism.

5. When government works to correct inequalities it created, why might those who have already gained privileged positions inaccurately feel they are being discriminated against?

They might perceive a lessening of opportunities as those opportunities become more evenly distributed among all groups. They might not have seen that they were unfairly receiving greater opportunities than others.

6. Define government. Why does government have the authority to make decisions for you?

Government is a social institution that controls the behavior of people.
Government has sovereignty and authority over all who reside within its borders; therefore, it has the ability to limit the actions of individuals to protect the interest of the government and others.

7. Identify the four functions of government.

Provide security.
Serve the public good.
Manage and resolve conflict.
Offer services.

8. To provide security, governments generally maintain armed forces. What are three other ways that governments attempt to provide security for their citizens?

Protect their constitutional rights.
Protect them from discrimination.
Protect them from unfair business practices.
Governments do all of this through the development and execution of laws.

9. What is a public good? Given what we know about the behavior of people, why is it necessary for government to provide public goods?

A government policy or action that benefits society as a whole rather than a specific individual.
Individuals often seek out and work for their own self-interests. As such, it is often government that is left to address the issues and problems faced by society as a whole.
Government must reflect broad, instead of narrow, societal interests.

10. McClain and Tauber claim that the Clean Air Act of 1963 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 provide examples of how government serves the public good. Explain briefly how each of these laws provided for the public good.

Clean Air Act: Helps to protect the environment and provide a safe place for everyone to live and work.
Civil Rights Act: The constitutional rights of people were being denied based on race. This law made discrimination against these groups in public accommodations illegal.

11. Why does government need to manage and resolve conflict?

Individuals and groups have competing self-interests.
These people all lobby the government for policies that are suitable to them; however, often these demands conflict with one another.
Government must arbitrate the compromise process to develop reasonably palatable laws.

12. Identify three services provided by the U.S. government. What is the purpose of providing these services?

Postal services, Social Security, education, transportation, hospitals, anything else within reason.
The government cannot completely rely on the private sector to provide these services in a way that ensures something close to the optimal outcome.

13. Define democracy. How does democracy derive its authority?

Democracy is a system of government in which the people exercise political power.
Democracy derives its authority from the people living within a particular political or governing unit.

14. Define direct and indirect/representative democracy? Which of these is the main form of democracy in the United States?

Direct: People make political decisions on their own behalf and thus are directly involved in all policy and voting processes.
Indirect: People choose individuals to represent their interests and create policy as well as vote on their behalf.
U.S.: Indirect democracy

15. What is a constitution? What is the source of authority in a constitutional democracy? What are two necessary aspects of this form of democracy?

Constitution: A set of formal written principles and rules that govern a country.
The constitution provides the authority for a constitutional democracy.
(1) All government action must be in line with the constitution; (2) government officials who make and enforce the laws are also subject to them.

16. What are four of the characteristics that are shared by constitutional democracies?

Free elections with political opposition.
Free media that is independent of the government.
Regular elections and peaceful power transitions.
Protection of personal and civil rights.

17. Name and define or describe the three principles of constitutional democracies.

Rule of law: The idea that law should take precedence over arbitrary governance.
Natural law: Law that comes from nature and is superior to written law developed by governments. This law is the correct thing to do, and statutory law does not trump natural law.
Natural rights: Those rights to which everyone is entitled; not dependent on government (e.g., life, liberty, property).

18. State and define the three theoretical foundations of the U.S. political system.

Classical liberalism: Political philosophy concerned with the freedom of the individual and the role of government in protecting that freedom.
Classical republicanism: Rule by the people should be indirect by way of representatives.
Inegalitarianism (tradition of exclusion): The tradition of excluding large segments of the American population from participation in the political system (despite the language of equality, liberty, and freedom).

19. Define “social contract” and briefly explain the logic behind creating social contracts?

Social contract: Individuals agree to create a government and give up some degree of independence for the safety and peace a government provides.
People enter into a social contract because humans, by nature, are aggressive and selfish. People are willing to have their own negative behavior constrained if this also means the constraint of the negative behavior of others against them.

20. Identify the five characteristics of classical liberal theories. Provide any necessary explanations for the meaning of these characteristics.

Liberalism is optimistic.
Liberalism favors the individual over the group.
Liberalism supports free-market economics.
Liberalism places reason before faith.

21. Identify the differences between classical liberalism and liberalism as it is understood today.

Classical liberalism values the individual self-determination over the community; individual freedom is of the utmost importance.
Current U.S. liberalism includes the idea that government should play a part in ensuring the public good, even above individual self-interests.

22. What is the theory of civic virtue? How does this concept influence classical republicanism?

Civic virtue: The subordination of individualism and individual self-interests to the interests of society.
This concept drives much of classical republicanism in that this philosophy demands that those who govern and are governed adhere to this concept of civic virtue. People must participate in the political system with the public good in mind.

23. Identify the five characteristics of classical republican theories. Provide any necessary explanations for the meaning of these characteristics.

Republicanism believes in a virtuous citizenry.
Republicanism is concerned with property.
Republicanism sees the people as the ultimate authority, but believes they must be kept at a distance.
Republicanism advocates a distribution of power across branches of government.
Republicanism believes that the rights of individuals must be protected.

24. Explain why Lemuel Haynes could claim that republicanism and slavery are at odds with one another.

Although property rights are essential, given that liberty is a natural right, holding a person in bondage is unlawful.
Denying liberty to slaves undermines the intrinsic virtue of the citizenry.

25. Identify the differences between classical republicanism and conservatism as it is understood today.

Classical republicanism is concerned with the concept of civic virtue and the public good. It values the public good over individual self-interest, thus encouraging government action to ensure the public good.
Current conservatism relies on the concept of a very limited role for the government. Under conservatism is the belief that government intervention hinders the free market.

26. What is the tradition of exclusion (inegalitarianism)? Why did the Founders not see this as inconsistent with the concept that “all men are created equal”?

Inegalitarianism: The theoretical tradition under which it was right and proper to exclude large segments of the American population from the rights and protections that were guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
The Founders did not view those who they excluded as a part of what they defined as “men”; those who were excluded were less than men and, as such, were not created equal. These groups were viewed as wards and property.

27. Identify three groups that were excluded in the context of the theoretical foundation of inegalitarianism at the time of the founding. Briefly describe the forms of unequal treatment they experienced.

African Americans: Were property, not citizens; could not participate in the political system.
American Indians: Could not be citizens; property was taken from them and they could not participate in the political system.
White women: Were citizens but could not own property or participate in the political system.

28. How did the issue of property ownership figure into classical liberalism, classical republicanism, and inegalitarianism at the founding?

Classical liberalism: Property was a major part of self-interest and self-determination. Property rights must be protected at all costs.
Classical republicanism: Property ownership demonstrated a clear personal stake in the system. As such, property ownership was a prerequisite for access to and participation in the system.
Inegalitarianism: Rights to own property were denied to almost all non-Whites and many women; the majority of Blacks were classified as property.

29. How did the Iroquois Confederacy influence colonial America and the U.S. political system?

The Iroquois Confederacy provided a direct example of a successful democratic system.
Benjamin Franklin used the example of the Iroquois Confederacy as the basis for the Albany Plan of 1754.
The Iroquois Constitution directly influenced the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

30. What was the basis for excluding white women from political, social, and economic opportunity and participation at the founding? Identify specific examples of how they experienced exclusion. What was the justification for this denial of the full rights of citizenship?

The tradition of English common law, in the form of coverture, was a European holdover in the new system. Women continued to be seen as lesser beings than men.
Women largely could not own property or vote.
Justification: women were not seen as lesser beings as compared to men.

Essay Questions

1. What are the arguments that have been made for and against formal apologies and reparations? Why would apologies and reparations be necessary under a system that is based on equality, liberty, and freedom?

Briefly define formal apologies and reparations.
Highlight the argument that politicians do not want to make apologies for policies they did not specifically enact.
Highlight the argument that politicians would much rather issue apologies instead of reparations to provide for the monetary value of labor that was not compensated.
Demonstrate an understanding that the codification of language concerning equality did not lead to the implementation of equality in the sense that we understand it today.
Should at least mention the tradition of exclusion.

2. How did a government that was founded on theories of equality, liberty, and freedom engage in and institutionalize inequitable and unjust policies? Have these inequitable and unjust policies been fully eradicated? Even if everyone is now equal under the law (de jure), does this mean that they are treated as equal in society (de facto)?

Describe the basic tenets of classical liberalism, classical republicanism, and inegalitarianism.
Demonstrate an understanding of the fact that the Founders largely did not see a contradiction between liberal and republican ideals and excluding segments of the population from the social, economic, and political systems (more specifically, the language of “all men are created equal” did not apply to women, Blacks, and American Indians because none of them could be properly classified as “men”).
Although women, Blacks, and American Indians are now equal under the law in terms of citizenship and political participation, we continue to single out groups for exclusion (e.g., opposition to gay marriage or localities blocking the building of mosques).
De jure equality has not led to de facto equality.

3. Explain the nature of government. What is it and why is it necessary?

Define government as a social institution that controls peoples’ behavior.
Describe in detail the ways in which people might want to seek independence and selfish gain.
Analyze the degree to which people are willing to give up some degree of independence of action to ensure that others must give up those same actions.
Refer to the idea that people want security, public good, and services government can provide.
Can refer to Hobbes and Locke in terms of the state of nature and the social contract.

4. Government engages in various essential functions for its citizens. What are these functions? How are they carried out? Why do we find that governments perform these functions in differing ways and to various degrees?

Discuss (1) provision of security; (2) service of the public good; (3) management and resolution of conflict; and (4) provision of services.
Provide examples of each of these functions.
Analyze the degree to which these functions overlap.
Note that governments engage in these functions based on their structure, philosophical underpinnings, and source of authority (e.g., democracy vs. autocracy).

5. The 1968 Fair Housing Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 have been described as means by which the U.S. government has provided security for its citizens. Describe an argument for why this is the case. Do you believe these pieces of legislation provide greater security? Why or why not?

Demonstrate a deep understanding of the concept of provision of security by way of protection from discrimination.
Explain discrimination and the negative effects of discrimination on groups.
Detail that the 1968 Fair Housing Act was aimed at protecting racial minorities from discrimination in the housing market.
Detail that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibited gender discrimination in federally assisted education programs (consequently affecting access to education and ability to participate in sports).
Examine the benefits of both of these legislative items.

6. The second function of government is to provide for the public good. What does this mean? What theoretical foundation of the U.S. government does this most closely relate to and how?

Define public good and provide examples of how the government engages in this activity.
Analyze the importance of civic virtue and the public good in connection with classical republicanism.
Discuss the role of government under classical republican theories, thus providing the justification for providing for the public good.

7. Democracy is a system of government that is now relatively widespread; however, not all democratic governments are the same. What is democracy? What is direct democracy? Indirect or representative democracy? Which form do we have in the United States and why?

Define and conceptually differentiate democracy, direct democracy, and representative democracy.
Analyze the influence of classical liberal and classical republican theories of democracy on the American political system.
Demonstrate an understanding of the American system as largely reflecting a representative democracy, with a degree of direct democracy included as well.

8. Constitutional democracies are democratic systems of government in which authority for government stems from the constitution. What is a constitution? What are several of the characteristics shared by constitutional democracies? Why is a constitution important for a government?

Constitution: A set of formal written rules and principles governing a country.
Characteristics: Free elections with free political opposition; free press that operates independently of the government; regular elections and peaceful power transitions; protection of personal and civil rights.
Demonstrate an understanding that the officials who make and enforce the laws are also subject to those same laws.
Suggest that a constitution is important because it provides statutory law that is the basis for the political system. It guarantees specific rights and can be difficult to alter.

9. While many nations with different cultures, histories, and populations operate under a democratic system that is run under a constitution, they do share some important similarities. What are the three main principles shared by constitutional democracies? Describe them and indicate how these principles work together.

Rule of law: Laws should take precedence over arbitrary governance.
Natural law: Law that comes from nature is superior to statutory law. People are capable of reason, and as such they can determine what is right and wrong and act accordingly.
Natural rights: Rights to which everyone is entitled and that exist apart from, and are independent of, government.
Analyze the connections among the three principles. Should show an understanding that natural rights such as life, liberty, and property take precedence over any statutory law (this was the argument for the founding of a new nation). Further, it is necessary to thoughtfully enact laws that will govern a nation, rather than merely have a ruler who can develop rules arbitrarily.

10. Despite having a constitutional democracy, America has a history of applying different systems of law for different groups (particularly based on race). Give examples of how different systems of law have been applied to groups in the United States. How does this history diminish the concept of the rule of law in the context of the concept of natural rights?

Include examples of laws that resulted in different outcomes for groups (e.g., Three-Fifths Compromise codified the idea that as human property, Blacks were counted as less than a person for the purposes of the allocation of state representatives; Blacks and American Indians could not gain citizenship; laws prohibited women, American Indians, and Blacks from voting, owning property).
Analyze the ways in which natural rights should trump the rule of law, yet in the case of excluded groups, rule of law outweighed their natural rights to provide greater privilege for White male property owners.

11. Classical liberalism and classical republicanism are widely understood as the main theoretical foundations of the U.S. government. Less well understood and less widely acknowledged is the theoretical foundation of inegalitarianism. Define each of these theories. Highlight the ways in which the theories overlap and diverge. Have all three of these theories been equally influential in the American system of government?

Demonstrate an understanding of the four characteristics of classical liberalism and the five characteristics of classical republicanism.
Highlight the theory behind the tradition of exclusion and include the main groups that were excluded (i.e., includes the ideas of superiority of men over women, Whites over non-Whites, and Protestantism over all other religions; also include references to women, Blacks, and American Indians).
Analyze the connections between and among the three theories on key issues such as form of democracy, economy, property, rule of law, and religious freedom (in accordance with Table 1.1).
Provide a reasonable explanation for evaluation of the influence of the theories on the American political system.

12. Classical liberalism is largely concerned with the freedom of the individual, whereas classical republicanism is largely concerned with the welfare of the community over the individual. Explain and examine the main points of these theories. Make an argument concerning how these theories are related to the tradition of exclusion and which of the two theories is most in line with this tradition.

List the four characteristics of classical liberalism and the five characteristics of classical republicanism.
Demonstrate an understanding of how each of these theories relates to the tradition of exclusion in terms of key issues outlined in Table 1.1 (e.g., religious freedom vs. the superiority of White Protestants, free-market economics vs. the exclusion of White women and non-Whites from the economy).
Examine the ways in which classical liberalism and classical republicanism could support versus reject inegalitarianism (e.g., liberalism and republicanism would support slavery in terms of valuing property; liberalism would reject religious exclusion based on the idea of placing reason before faith; republicanism would reject racial and gender exclusion by way of the argument that this exclusion undermines civic virtue and a virtuous citizenry [can mention Lemuel Haynes]).
Provide a reasonable argument as to whether classical liberalism or classical republicanism is more in line with the tradition of exclusion.

13. Civic virtue is defined as the subordination of individualism and individual self-interests to the interests of society. Many classical republican theorists and Founders believed in the idea of a virtuous citizenry and the concept of natural law. Given these philosophical realities, how was it possible for these individuals to reconcile the concepts of civic virtue (led by a virtuous citizenry) and the importance of natural law with the tradition of exclusion? Be sure to define and discuss each of these concepts in your answer.

Define and explain the concepts of virtuous citizenry and natural law.
Demonstrate how civic virtue, virtuous citizenry, and natural law are conceptually connected.
Explain the tradition of exclusion and its influence on the way the Founders approached the concepts of civic virtue and natural law.

14. Given that the Declaration of Independence espoused that “all men are created equal,” how is it that significant proportions of the population at the founding were prohibited from political, economic, and social participation and inclusion? Examine in detail the justifications for racial exclusion at the founding. Which groups were excluded from the system? How were they excluded and why? Be sure to also indicate whether there was any variation in this exclusion in the context of various non-white groups.

Define the tradition of exclusion.
Focus on the concept that White northern Europeans were superior, both biologically and culturally, to southern, darker-skinned Europeans and all other races and civilizations.
Mention the concept of Protestant Christian superiority in the context of non-White populations in America.
Focus on African Americans in terms of race and religion and provide an examination of this group being viewed as human property.
Focus on American Indians in terms of race and religion and provide an examination of this group as uncivilized and foreign nations.
Demonstrate an understanding of the exclusion of these two groups from citizenship, as well as political, economic, and social access (and rights).

15. Inegalitarianism, or the tradition of exclusion, is a concept that existed long before the founding of the United States. Explain in detail the underlying premises of inegalitarianism during the nascent stages of the nation. Which groups were subjugated under this system and how? Give examples of the continuing influence of inegalitarianism in U.S. politics today.

Define theories of male superiority, White superiority, and religious/Protestant superiority.
Examine the ways in which women, American Indians, and Blacks were excluded from political, economic, and social aspects of the new nation.
Demonstrate an understanding that inegalitarianism still exists within the U.S. political system.
Provide at least two examples of exclusion in politics today (e.g., bans on gay marriage [connect to religious superiority], local bans on the building of mosques [connect to religious and racial superiority], any other reasonable and well-argued examples).

16. The existence of the Iroquois Confederacy demonstrates that democratic theories, ideals, and principles were not solely held and created by Europeans. Outline the setup of the Iroquois Confederacy and provide at least two examples of democratic principles that were upheld by this governing body. How did the Iroquois Confederacy influence the development of the American political system?

Note that the confederacy was originally made up of five (and later six) separate nations that created a broad governing council.
In terms of democratic principles, a strong answer should highlight the following:
- The Iroquois Confederacy was governed by a constitution (the Great Law of Peace).
- Chiefs were appointed by female leaders who could remove the chiefs from office for misconduct, illness, and inefficiency.
- The governing council consisted of 50 representatives divided proportionally among the tribes (based on the size of the tribes).
Reference the fact that the Iroquois Confederacy influenced the Albany Plan of 1754 and the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

17. Three of the concepts at the base of the theoretical foundations of the United States are life, liberty, and property. Nevertheless, there are circumstances under which these concepts were at odds with one another. Examine competing ideological theories concerning property and liberty, in the context of the main justifications used by the Founders for the continuation of slavery.

Argue that property and the ability to make financial decisions concerning that property were of the utmost importance under classical liberalism and classical republicanism.
Argue that these considerations of property combined with the tradition of exclusion to outweigh Blacks’ claims to the natural right of liberty and even life.

18. Evaluate this claim: “The Founders did not intend the Constitution to apply to Blacks and Indians.” What evidence do we have to support this claim? Can it be refuted?

Discuss the fact that these groups were not seen as “men” but rather property (Blacks) and children (American Indians).
Mention that property ownership among Black and American Indian males did not provide them with political access as it did for White males.
Incorporate the Naturalization Act of 1790, which stated that only a “free White person” could naturalize and become a U.S. citizen (thus precluding Black and Indian citizenship).
Mention that some could refute this claim by saying that a few of the Founders did not fully agree with these ideas; nevertheless, the compromises they reached led to a system that fully intended to exclude American Indians and African Americans.

19. Examine how race influenced the American political system. How was race used to define who could and could not be a citizen? Does race continue to be a factor in the political system?

Examine the theory behind racial exclusion in terms of inegalitarianism.
Explore the idea of Blacks as inferior beings and property and American Indians as children or inferior beings and foreign aliens.
Highlight the influence of the Naturalization Act of 1790.
Demonstrate an understanding that racial discrimination is no longer directly codified in the main laws of the U.S. system; however, racial discrimination continues to appear in the politics of the country (can give historical or current examples such as the Japanese American internment or differing criminal sentences based on race).

20. Evaluate this claim: One cannot truly study and understand the American political system without studying and understanding the effects of race on the development of that system.

Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental theoretical foundations of the American political system (classical liberalism, classical republicanism, inegalitarianism).
Reference the fact that a large proportion of the population of the United States was prevented from access to and participation in the political system and that much of this exclusion was based on race.
Examine the ways in which race was codified and institutionalized in the early system and how race became a defining factor in the political system (provides examples such as the Three-Fifths Compromise, the Naturalization Act of 1790, Dred Scott v. Sandford, Fugitive Slave Laws, Indian Removal Acts, antimiscegenation laws, and the “one-drop rule”).

21. To what degree do apologies for various atrocities matter? In the past few decades, various states, as well as Congress, have apologized for slavery. How does this connect to the tradition of exclusion in the nation and does it suggest that it no longer exists?

Briefly highlight the details of the state and national resolutions apologizing for slavery and Jim Crow.
Note that these resolutions are acknowledgements of the tradition of exclusion.
Argue that these acknowledgements do not remove inegalitarianism.
Indicate whether these apologies are more than merely symbolic.

22. Why is the example of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings important for understanding the complex nature of the theoretical foundations of the nation?

Outline the theoretical foundations.
Briefly state the details of connection between Jefferson and Hemings.
Highlight the contradictions between the individual liberty espoused in classical liberalism and the inegalitarianism that is rampant in the enslavement of others (as seen in the Jefferson/Hemings example).

CHAPTER 2 THE CONSTITUTION: RIGHTS AND RACE INTERTWINED

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Review the history of the formation of the Articles of Confederation and the U.S. Constitution.
Develop an understanding of the failings of the Articles of Confederation, as well as the means by which the U.S. Constitution addressed those failings.
Review the structure of the U.S. Constitution and the government it created.
Understand the reasoning behind the conflicts that led to compromises within the U.S. Constitution.

Outline

I. A Revolution for Independence

a. The Road to Revolution

b. Declaring Independence

II. First Attempt at National Government: The Articles of Confederation

a. A Limited National Government

b. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

- Our Voices: Prince Hall (1748–1807)

III. Second Attempt at National Government: The Constitution

a. The Convention Delegates

b. Forming a New Government

- Measuring Equality: Whom Did the Framers Represent?

c. The Great Compromise

d. Debate over Ratification

- Evaluating Equality: The Effect of the Three-Fifths Compromise on the Political Power of the South

e. The Bill of Rights

IV. National Government under the Constitution

a. National Supremacy

b. The Legislative Branch

c. The Executive Branch

d. The Judicial Branch

e. Liberalized Amendment Rules

V. Planning for Potential Pitfalls

a. Separating Powers

b. Varying Terms of Office

c. Selecting National Government Officials

d. Qualifying for National Office

e. Instituting Checks and Balances

Discussion Questions

Why did the colonists feel justified in protesting against and fighting against the British crown?
Why did the drafters of the Articles of Confederation choose to construct the government with so little central power? Should they have foreseen an issue with a particularly weak central government?
We often say hindsight is 20/20. What, if any, problems do you find in the construction of the Constitution? Would it have been feasible to create a government without incorporating the tradition of exclusion?
How does race factor into the development of the U.S. Constitution?
Are there any core values (such as liberty, equality, property ownership) that were more highly valued than others under the system of government formed by the Constitution? Of life, liberty, and property, which was most highly valued by the Founders based on the U.S. Constitution? Provide evidence for your claims.
Consider the degree to which and the contexts in which freedom of speech protects hate speech. Examine this topic in the context of the chapter’s opening vignette regarding Roseanne Barr’s racist tweets and the cancellation of her television show.

Video Resources

America: The Story of Us: “Revolution” (2010), History Channel

Blacks and the Constitution, Detroit Black Journal

Constitutional Conversations: Women During the American Revolution, James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation

Liberty: The American Revolution: Are We to Be a Nation?, PBS series

Website Resources

The Declaration of Independence, http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html/

The Articles of Confederation, http://loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/articles.html

The U.S. Constitution, http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html/

The Federalist Papers, http://loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/federalist.html#American

The Anti-Federalist Papers, http://www.constitution.org/afp.htm/

Africans in America: Revolution (1750-1805), https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/index.html

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 29

1. Which central issues fueled the American Revolution?

a. Colonial autonomy and monarchical rule.

b. Monarchical autonomy and autocratic freedom.

c. British freedom and colonial rule.

d. Colonial government and autocratic freedom.

Question type: factual

Page number: 29

2. In 1764, Parliament passed the _________, which constituted a significant tariff on the import of foreign goods and raw materials, thus introducing additional financial strain on some colonists.

a. Declaratory Act.

b. Quartering Act.

c. Sugar Act.

d. Stamp Act.

Question type: factual

Page number: 29

3. Which Parliamentary act was the first to impose a direct tax on the colonists?

a. Declaratory Act.

b. Quartering Act.

c. Sugar Act.

d. Stamp Act.

Question type: factual

Page number: 29

4. In addition to boycotting goods made in Britain and arguing that Parliament could not levy taxes, the Stamp Act Congress of 1765:

a. Denounced taxation without representation.

b. Demanded revolution.

c. Refused to engage in commerce between colonies.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 30

5. After repealing the Stamp Act in 1766, Parliament passed the Declaratory Act, which

a. Stated that Parliament had supremacy over the colonies.

b. Stated that the King had supremacy over the colonies.

c. Stated that the Church of England had supremacy over the colonies.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 30

6. To protest the Tea Act in 1773, colonists disguised as ____________ boarded ships in Boston Harbor and threw tea chests overboard.

a. Runaway slaves.

b. American Indians.

c. British royals.

d. Women.

Question type: factual

Page number: 30

7. Parliament responded to the protest of the Boston Tea Party by revoking the Massachusetts colonial charter, closing Boston Harbor, and:

a. Renaming the colony.

b. Legalizing the housing of British troops in unoccupied buildings.

c. Forcing all Massachusetts land owners to relinquish title to their land.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 31

8. In what year did the First Continental Congress meet in Philadelphia?

a. 1758.

b. 1769.

c. 1774.

d. 1776.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 31

9. What justification did the First Continental Congress provide for declaring the illegitimacy of the Coercive Acts?

a. The colonies only owed allegiance to Parliament, not to the King.

b. The colonies owed allegiance to the King and to Parliament.

c. The colonies only owed allegiance to the King, not to Parliament.

d. The colonies owed allegiance to no one.

Question type: factual

Page number: 31

10. Which of the following is true?

a. The American Revolution began before the Declaration of Independence.

b. The American Revolution began in Massachusetts.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 31–32

11. The colonists believed they were being treated unfairly by Britain because of

a. Taxation without representation.

b. Removal of power from the colonial governments.

c. Lack of colonial governing power.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 34

12. The new government’s language of equality and inclusion extended to:

a. Women.

b. American Indians.

c. African slaves.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 34

13. Given that those who were not men, were not White, and did not own property were not intended to enjoy full inclusion in the new government system, which of the following founding values was the least genuinely put into practice?

a. Freedom.

b. Equality.

c. Opportunity.

d. Independence.

Question type: factual

Page number: 34-35

14. At the time of the founding of the new nation, Britain had what form of government?

a. Direct democracy.

b. Unitary form of government.

c. State-based form of government.

d. Central form of government.

Question type: factual

Page number: 34-35

15. A __________ is defined as a system in which states and other governmental units are completely controlled by and under the authority of a central government

a. Direct democracy.

b. Unitary form of government.

c. State-based form of government.

d. Central form of government.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 35

16. What is a confederation?

a. A system in which states and other governmental units are completely controlled by and under the authority of a central government.

b. A system in which states and other governmental units organize a weak central government while maintaining ultimate power for themselves.

c. A system in which there is only a central government.

d. A system in which states and other governmental units relinquish all political power, and no economic power, to the central government.

Question type: factual

Page number: 35

17. Which of the following is not retained by the states in a confederation?

a. Power.

b. Independence.

c. Loyalty.

d. Sovereignty.

Question type: factual

Page number: 35

18. After the Declaration of Independence, who chaired the committee to create a plan for the structure of the new government?

a. James Madison.

b. Patrick Henry.

c. George Washington.

d. John Dickinson.

Question type: factual

Page number: 35

19. The first U.S. government was based on

a. The U.S. Constitution.

b. The Articles of Confederation.

c. The Second Continental Congress.

d. The Bill of Rights.

Question type: factual

Page number: 35

20. The last state to adopt the Articles of Confederation was

a. Maryland.

b. Virginia.

c. South Carolina.

d. Massachusetts.

Question type: applied

Page number: 35

21. The creation of a weak central government under the Articles of Confederation was a logical step for the new nation given that

a. The colonists knew nothing of political philosophy.

b. The colonists did not think government was useful.

c. The colonists had rebelled against overbearing religious dogma.

d. The colonists had rebelled against the absolutism of the British government.

Question type: factual

Page number: 35

22. The Articles of Confederation established a _____________, in which the legislative body consisted of only one house.

a. Government with three branches.

b. Government run solely through Congress.

c. Bicameral form of government.

d. Unicameral form of government.

Question type: factual

Page number: 35–36

23. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress did not have which of the following?

a. Power to declare war

b. Power to enact taxes.

c. Power to coin money.

d. Power to make treaties.

Question type: factual

Page number: 36

24. Which of the following helped to expose the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

a. Bacon’s Rebellion.

b. Revere’s Rebellion.

c. Shays’ Rebellion.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 36

25. When did Congress call a convention to revise the Articles of Confederation?

a. April 1786.

b. February 1787.

c. December 1787.

d. June 1788.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 36

26. The Articles of Confederation failed because of

a. A lack of will among the states to maintain alliances.

b. The inability of the government to make decisions.

c. The inability of the government to declare war and make peace.

d. The inability of the government to exert any real power in the running of the nation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 36

27. How many Framers of the Constitution were there?

a. 13.

b. 27.

c. 44.

d. 55.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 36

28. In constructing a new Constitution, the Framers attempted to balance

a. The authority of the central government and the authority of the states.

b. The authority of monarch and the authority of the legislature.

c. The authority of the rich and the authority of the poor.

d. The authority of government and the authority of religion.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 38

29. The delegates of the Constitutional Convention created a new governmental system with state powers, national government powers, and

a. Parliamentary powers.

b. Individual powers.

c. Concurrent powers for the states and national government.

d. Concurrent powers for religious and governmental authorities.

Question type: factual

Page number: 39

30. The Framers of the Constitution represented the majority population of the new nation on what dimension?

a. Wealth.

b. Race.

c. Education.

d. Social position.

Question type: factual

Page number: 38

31. Which of the following was not one of the procedural decisions that were quickly made at the Constitutional Convention?

a. Encouraging input from members outside of the Convention.

b. Holding secret sessions.

c. George Washington was chosen to preside over the sessions.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 40

32. A bicameral legislature consists of:

a. No chambers

b. 1 chamber

c. 2 chambers

d. 3 chambers

Question type: factual

Page number: 40

33. Which of the following plans proposed a system of government with a strong central government with three branches and a legislature with proportional representation?

a. Virginia Plan.

b. Rhode Island Plan.

c. New Jersey Plan.

d. Massachusetts Plan.

Question type: factual

Page number: 41

34. Which of the following plans proposed a system of government that maintained a confederation with a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state?

a. Virginia Plan.

b. Rhode Island Plan.

c. New Jersey Plan.

d. Massachusetts Plan.

Question type: factual

Page number: 41

35. Who put forth the plan known as the Connecticut (or Great) Compromise?

a. James Madison.

b. John Dickinson.

c. Thomas Jefferson.

d. Roger Sherman.

Question type: factual

Page number: 41

36. Roger Sherman was responsible for coming up with which of the following?

a. Articles of Confederation

b. U.S. Constitution

c. Great Compromise

d. The Bill of Rights

Question type: factual

Page number: 41

37. The Great Compromise included provisions for a bicameral legislature, equal representation in the Senate, and:

a. Two heads of the executive branch.

b. A powerful judiciary.

c. Equal representation in the House.

d. Proportional representation in the House.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 41

38. The key factor that led to success during the Constitutional Convention was

a. The insistence on choosing one state’s established plans.

b. The ability to compromise.

c. The deep, theoretical agreement among the Founders.

d. The ability to consult with members of state legislators who were not at the Convention.

Question type: applied

Page number: 42

39. If slaveholding states considered slaves property, not people, why did they want slaves counted as free persons within the Census?

a. They wanted to count blacks in slaveholding states in the same way blacks were counted in nonslaveholding states for the sake of equality.

b. These states were confused about the outcome of counting slaves as full persons.

c. This would provide these states with greater representation in the House of Representatives.

d. They did not want to appear unfair in how they developed the Constitution.

Question type: factual

Page number: 42

40. Who did not want slaves to be counted in the Census?

a. Delegates from nonslaveholding states.

b. Delegates from small states.

c. Delegates from large states.

d. Delegates from slaveholding states.

Question type: factual

Page number: 42

41. Which compromise resolved the issue of how to count slaves for representational purposes?

a. Two-Thirds Compromise.

b. Three-Fifths Compromise.

c. New Jersey Compromise.

d. Virginia Compromise.

Question type: factual

Page number: 42

42. Which of the following was a direct effect of the Three-Fifths Compromise?

a. Slaveholding states had significantly more representation in the House than they would have if slaves were not counted.

b. Small states had significantly more representation in the House than they would have if slaves were not counted.

c. All non-White individuals in the United States were counted as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 43

43. Which group was in favor of the ratification of the Constitution?

a. Constitutionalists.

b. Anti-Constitutionalists.

c. Federalists.

d. Anti-Federalists.

Question type: factual

Page number: 43

44. For the Constitution to become the new national government after the Continental Congress passed it, __________ of the states had to ratify it.

a. All.

b. One-half.

c. Two-thirds.

d. Three-fourths.

Question type: factual

Page number: 43

45. Which of the following was not an Anti-Federalist?

a. James Madison.

b. Patrick Henry.

c. Sam Adams.

d. George Mason.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 43

46. Why were the Anti-Federalists opposed to the Constitution?

a. It lacked a bill of rights.

b. They feared a consolidated government.

c. They opposed unlimited taxing power.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 43

47. Which was the first state to ratify the Constitution?

a. Virginia.

b. Massachusetts.

c. Delaware.

d. Rhode Island.

Question type: factual

Page number: 43

48. When did the new government officially take office?

a. June 1787.

b. January 1789.

c. April 1792.

d. April 1793.

Question type: factual

Page number: 45

49. Of the 12 amendments the first Congress sent to the states based on the state-ratifying conventions, how many were ratified?

a. 5.

b. 7.

c. 10.

d. 12.

Question type: factual

Page number: 45

50. The first 10 amendments of the Constitution are known as the

a. Law of the land.

b. Bill of Rights.

c. The Articles of Confederation.

d. The Anti-Federalist Papers.

Question type: factual

Page number: 45

51. Which group particularly pushed for the Bill of Rights?

a. Anti-Federalists.

b. Federalists.

c. Liberals.

d. Republicans.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 46

52. Which of the following areas fundamentally separate the Articles of Confederation from the Constitution?

a. National supremacy.

b. Executive branch.

c. Judicial branch.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 47

53. What is the main point of the supremacy clause?

a. It establishes that the Constitution and the laws of the United States are the law of the land and supreme to all laws passed by the state and local governments.

b. It establishes that the Articles of Confederation and the laws of the United States are the law of the land and supreme to all laws passed by the state and local governments.

c. It establishes that the laws of the state and local governments are the law of the land and supreme to all laws passed by the national governments.

d. It establishes that the national, state, and local governments have equal amounts of power.

Question type: factual

Page number: 47

54. The Constitution grants _____ enumerated powers to the legislative branch?

a. 7.

b. 17.

c. 27.

d. 37.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 47

55. What are enumerated powers?

a. Powers of the federal government that are inferred from the powers expressly stated in the Constitution.

b. Powers of the federal government specifically stated in the Constitution.

c. Powers of the state governments that are inferred from the powers expressly stated in the Constitution.

d. Powers of the state governments specifically stated in the Constitution.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 48

56. What are implied powers?

a. Powers of the federal government that are inferred from the powers expressly stated in the Constitution.

b. Powers of the federal government specifically stated in the Constitution.

c. Powers of the state governments that are inferred from the powers expressly stated in the Constitution.

d. Powers of the state governments specifically stated in the Constitution.

Question type: applied

Page number: 48

57. The ability of Congress to exercise implied powers comes from which part of the Constitution?

a. Article III, Section 4

b. Article I, Section 8

c. Article II, Section 2

d. Article IV, Section 1

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 48

58. Which of the following is not one of the enumerated powers for the regulation of commerce enjoyed by the legislative branch?

a. Regulation of interstate and foreign commerce.

b. Power to establish bankruptcy laws.

c. Power to raise and support armies.

d. Power to coin money.

Question type: applied

Page number: 47

59. The existence of the U.S. Army is an example of Congress’s

a. Enumerated powers.

b. Implied powers.

c. Stated powers.

d. Legislative powers.

Question type: applied

Page number: 48

60. The existence of the Internal Revenue Service is an example of Congress’s

a. Enumerated powers.

b. Implied powers.

c. Stated powers.

d. Legislative powers.

Question type: applied

Page number: 48

61. What was the Framers’ solution to the Articles of Confederation problem of enforcing Congress’s laws and decisions?

a. Creation of the legislative branch.

b. Creation of the executive branch.

c. Creation of the judicial branch.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 48

62. Which clause gives Congress the authority to make essential and appropriate laws to carry out its enumerated responsibilities?

a. Necessary and proper clause.

b. Supremacy clause.

c. Due process clause.

d. Equal protection clause.

Question type: factual

Page number: 48

63. The necessary and proper clause is also known as the

a. Elastic clause.

b. Subtle clause.

c. Supremacy clause.

d. Adaptability clause.

Question type: factual

Page number: 48

64. Which Supreme Court ruling resulted in a broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause?

a. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819).

b. Barron v. Baltimore (1833).

c. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).

d. Hurtado v. California (1884).

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 48

65. Why did the Framers believe the U.S. Constitution needed an executive branch?

a. They thought it would be useful to have an authority figure that was more like a monarch.

b. They realized it was important for the necessary and proper clause.

c. They recognized that there was no means by which to execute the laws made by the federal government under the Articles of Confederation.

d. They wanted to try a new governmental approach.

Question type: factual

Page number: 49

66. The decision to have a president was a compromise between which two plans?

a. Massachusetts and Connecticut.

b. Virginia and New Jersey.

c. South Carolina and Massachusetts.

d. Virginia and Maryland.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 49

67. Why did the Framers need to include a judicial branch in the U.S. Constitution?

a. State courts could not understand federal laws.

b. State courts were not being informed of new federal laws.

c. Courts were enforcing laws equally across all states.

d. Courts were enforcing laws to differing degrees and in different ways across the states.

Question type: factual

Page number: 49

68. Which of the following is not accurate?

a. The U.S. Supreme Court has final authority over all lower courts.

b. The U.S. Supreme Court is the only part of the federal judiciary.

c. Congress may create lower-level national courts.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 49

69. To amend the Constitution, how many of the states must ratify the proposed amendment?

a. All.

b. One-half.

c. Two-thirds.

d. Three-fourths.

Question type: factual

Page number: 49

70. Under the Constitution, the amendment ratification process

a. Is difficult and allows a small minority of states to veto any changes.

b. Allows one state to veto any changes.

c. Is easy in that it does not take a majority of states to veto any changes.

d. Allows two states to veto any changes.

Question type: factual

Page number: 49

71. Since the Bill of Rights was ratified, Congress has amended the Constitution ______ times?

a. 13.

b. 17.

c. 23.

d. 27.

Question type: factual

Page number: 49

72. Which amendment provided a mechanism for presidential elections?

a. Twelfth.

b. Thirteenth.

c. Fourteenth.

d. Fifteenth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 49

73. Which amendment abolished slavery?

a. Twelfth.

b. Thirteenth.

c. Fourteenth.

d. Fifteenth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 49

74. Which amendment granted voting rights to women?

a. Fifteenth.

b. Seventeenth.

c. Nineteenth.

d. Twenty-sixth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 49

75. Which amendment lowered the voting age to 18?

a. Fifteenth.

b. Seventeenth.

c. Nineteenth.

d. Twenty-sixth.

Question type: applied

Page number: 49

76. Many of the amendments have worked to break down the direct political effects of which theoretical tradition?

a. Classical liberalism.

b. Classical republicanism.

c. Inegalitarianism.

d. Democracy.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 51

77. Which of the following was an attempt by the Framers to ensure a balance of power within the various levels of government?

a. Separation of powers.

b. Varying office terms.

c. Electoral College.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 51

78. The manner in which the Constitution divides power among the three branches of government—the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary—refers to

a. The Eighth Amendment.

b. Separation of powers.

c. The Electoral College.

d. The Sixteenth Amendment.

Question type: factual

Page number: 49

79. How many proposals for amendments to the Constitution have there been since the founding?

a. Around 100.

b. Around 1,000.

c. Around 10,000.

d. Around 100,000.

Question type: factual

Page number: 51-52

80. There are _______ electors in the Electoral College.

a. 435.

b. 438.

c. 535.

d. 538.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 51

81. The number of electors in the Electoral College corresponds to:

a. Total number of seats in the House of Representatives

b. Total number of seats in the Senate

c. Total number of seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate

d. Total number of seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate plus 3 for D.C.

Question type: factual

Page number: 52

82. Who is the most recent president to win the presidency by way of winning the Electoral College, but losing the popular vote?

a. Rutherford B. Hayes.

b. Benjamin Harrison.

c. George W. Bush.

d. Donald J. Trump.

Question type: factual

Page number: 52

83. Who most recently won the popular vote but lost the bid for the presidency due to having less than a majority of the Electoral College votes?

a. Al Gore

b. George Bush

c. Hillary Clinton

d. Donald Trump

Question type: factual

Page number: 52

84. Individuals may run to become a U.S. Representative at the age of ________.

a. 21.

b. 25.

c. 30.

d. 35.

Question type: factual

Page number: 52

85. Which of the following is not a necessary qualification for becoming president?

a. Natural-born citizenship.

b. 35 years of age or older.

c. At least 14 years of residency in the United States.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 52

86. According to the U.S. Constitution, how old must a person be in order to be a Justice on the Supreme Court?

a. 35

b. 40

c. 45

d. There is no age requirement.

Question type: factual

Page number: 52

87. According to the U.S. Constitution, how long must a person be have been a U.S. citizen in order to serve as a Justice on the Supreme Court?

a. There is no citizenship requirement.

b. 7 years

c. 9 years

d. 13 years

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 53

88. In terms of checks and balances, which branch of government cannot check the power of another?

a. The judiciary cannot check the legislature.

b. The legislature cannot check the executive.

c. The executive cannot check the judiciary.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 51-52

89. How did the constitutional Framers arrange the new institutions to insulate the president from the pressures of the democratic influence of the masses?

a. By creating direct election through the Electoral College.

b. By creating indirect election through the Electoral College.

c. By giving the president the power to declare war.

d. By giving the president the power to oversee executive departments and agencies.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 51

90. Which of the following was an attempt by the Framers to prevent anyone from gaining unlimited power by way of holding office indefinitely?

a. Separation of powers.

b. Varying office terms.

c. Electoral College.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 52

91. Which two states distribute Electoral College votes proportionally, rather than “winner take all”?

a. California and Texas

b. New York and Rhode Island

c. Nebraska and Maine

d. Virginia and Colorado

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 52

92. Supreme Court Justices are nominated by the ________ and confirmed by the _______.

a. the President; the Senate

b. the Chief Justice; the President

c. the House of Representatives; the Senate

d. the Senate; the Chief Justice

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 52

93. Which of following provide a check on the power of the Supreme Court?

a. the President

b. the Congress

c. A and B

d. None of the above

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 51

94. Which of the following was an attempt by the Framers to prevent any one branch of government from gaining too much power?

a. Separation of powers.

b. Varying office terms.

c. Electoral College.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 51

95. Which of the following was an attempt by the Framers to prevent the election of a President that was elected by charismatically winning the popular vote on a platform that worked against values or institutions set forth in the Constitution?

a. Separation of powers.

b. Varying office terms.

c. Electoral College.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 53

96. What is the process necessary for a Supreme Court decision to be overridden by Congress?

a. Congress can vacate the Supreme Court and have the President nominate new Justices.

b. Congress can pass new legislation or propose constitutional amendments.

c. Congress does not have to override a Supreme Court decision; it can just ignore it.

d. Congress cannot override a Supreme Court decision.

Question type: factual

Page number: 31

97. Where did the First Continental Congress meet?

a. Philadelphia.

b. Washington, D.C.

c. Boston

d. Richmond.

Question type: factual

Page number: 36

98. In order to make alterations to the Articles of Confederation, __________ of the states had to ratify the changes.

a. All.

b. One-half.

c. Two-thirds.

d. Three-fourths.

Question type: factual

Page number: 45

99. When was the Bill of Rights ratified?

a. 1776.

b. 1785.

c. 1791.

d. 1804.

Short-Answer Questions

1. Name five of the events that led up to the American Revolution.

Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Quartering Act, Declaratory Act, Townshend Revenue Acts, Boston Massacre, Tea Act, Coercive (Intolerable) Acts, Prohibitory Act.

2. Which piece of British legislation imposed the first direct tax on the colonists? What did this legislation tax? How did the colonists react to this?

Stamp Act of 1765: Imposed a tax on everything printed or written on paper, including newspapers, pamphlets, ship documents, playing cards, etc.
There were city riots and some colonists formed the Stamp Act Congress.

3. Who was the first person to die in the American Revolution? During what event was he killed? Despite John Adams’s defeat of the British soldiers in this event, on what grounds did he defend their actions?

Crispus Attucks, a runaway slave from Massachusetts, was the first person to die in the Boston Massacre.
John Adams defended the British soldiers based on Attucks’s race, saying that he was a terrifying-looking Mulatto.

4. Which act of Partliament led to the Boston Tea Party? Why did the colonists choose this action?

The Tea Act of 1773
The Boston Tea Party was in response to the Tea Act, which was a means for bailing out the East India Company. It gave the East India Company exclusive rights for selling tea in the colonies.
Upset by the significant restrictions on commerce, some colonists disguised themselves as American Indians and destroyed hundreds of chests of tea by throwing them off of ships in the Boston harbor.

5. What was the main argument concerning authority over the colonies that came out of the First Continental Congress? How did King George III react to the First Continental Congress?

Argument: Parliament had no authority over the colonies because the colonies owed allegiance only to the King.
King George III considered the colonies in rebellion.

6. The American Revolution officially began with which battles? When did this occur in relation to the meeting of the Second Continental Congress?

Battles of Lexington and Concord.
This started prior to the Second Continental Congress.

7. When did the Second Continental Congress meet? Who did they name as the chief of the Continental Forces?

May 1775.
George Washington was named as the chief of the Continental Forces and was charged with raising an army to engage in combat with the British.

8. Name three of the individuals assigned to the committee to draft the Declaration of Independence. Who is widely recognized as the main author of the Declaration of Independence?

Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman.
Thomas Jefferson was the main author of the document.

9. What were the two main components of the Declaration of Independence? What clause of the original draft did both northerners and southerners object to (which was eventually omitted)?

(1) A list of King George III’s abuses of power over the colonies; (2) liberal and republican justifications for independence.

10. Inequitable treatment is understood as a main reason for the colonies’ path to independence. Provide three issues that demonstrate the treatment colonists objected to.

Colonies were taxed, to pay for British debt, without representation in Parliament.
Removal of power from the colonial governments.
Lack of colonial rights to govern themselves.

11. Despite the colonists’ objections to inequitable treatment, which groups did the Framers of the new government intend to exclude from equal treatment?

White women, free Blacks, enslaved Blacks, and American Indians.
No political participation for White males who did not own property.

12. What is a confederation? Why was it important to the founders to create this type of system?

Confederation: A system in which states or other types of government units organize a weak central government with limited scope and powers while reserving ultimate power for themselves.
A confederation was essential to the founders because they wanted their individual colonies (states) to retain power, sovereignty, and independence. If they did not like what the central government chose, they would be able to largely ignore any mandates.

13. When did the Second Continental Congress adopt the Articles of Confederation? When was it ratified and why did it take so long?

Adopted: November 17, 1777.
Ratified: 1781.
Maryland was the last state to ratify the Articles. Under this system, all states had to agree to the ratification for it to be ratified.

14. Outline the main organization for the Articles of Confederation.

Unicameral form of government.
Weak central government with limited powers.
Congress could enact legislation but could not enforce it.
Each state had one vote in Congress.
All states had to agree to ratify any changes.

15. What is a unicameral form of government? Does it explain the main failing of the Articles of Confederation? If so, how? If not, what was the main problem of the government?

Unicameral form of government: A government system that consists of only one legislative body.
Unicameral form of government was not the major failing; instead, the Articles of Confederation failed because of the lack of power of the central government.

16. Identify the major rebellion that exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? Explain how this showed that they nation needed institutional change in order to survive.

Shay’s Rebellion
Congress under the Articles of Confederation did not have enough power. It authorized the raising of troops to support Massachusetts in putting down Shay’s rebellion, but did not have the power to raise the revenue that was necessary to support the troops, thus rendering the authority to raise troops basically irrelevant.

17. When and where did the Framers of the Constitution meet to address the problems of the Articles of Confederation? What main solution did they decide on?

Philadelphia, summer of 1787.
Solution: Form a new government with concurrent powers, instead of a unitary form of government or a confederation.

18. Define concurrent powers? Provide an example of a concurrent power in the U.S. system. How did concurrent powers influence the development of the nation under the Constitution?

Concurrent powers: Powers shared by the national government and state governments.
Examples: powers to tax and borrow money.
The Framers developed a system in which both the national and the state governments would retain a high level of power and sovereignty.

19. What was the Great Compromise?

Also known as the Connecticut Compromise.
Brought together the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan.
Bicameral legislature: Called for membership in the House of Representatives to be based on population, with states having equal representation in the Senate.

20. What was the Three-Fifths Compromise? Why was it necessary?

The compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention over how state populations were to be counted; each slave was to be counted as three-fifths of a person for representational purposes.
Given that membership in the House of Representatives was to be based on population, slaveowning states wanted to increase their representation by having slaves counted as full persons. Nonslavingowning states did not want slaves to be counted for representation purposes. This was the compromise to which the states agreed.

21. What proportion of the states needed to agree to ratification for the Constitution to become the document to govern the new nation? What were the groups called that supported and opposed the ratification of the Constitution?

Three-fourths of the states had to agree to ratification.
Supporters: Federalists; opposition: Anti-Federalists.

22. What were some of the arguments of the Anti-Federalists? Why were they concerned about the Constitution?

Preference for a weaker central government and unicameral national legislature.
Desired a bill of rights to protect civil liberties.
Anti-Federalists were worried the strong central government would lead to anarchy, absolutism, and oppression of individuals.

23. What is the supremacy clause?

Stipulates that the Constitution and national laws are “supreme.” As such, when state laws are in conflict with national laws, the latter always take precedence.

24. Identify the three branches of government under the Constitution. What is the purpose/function of each of these branches? Which branch of government existed under the Articles of Confederation?

Constitution: Legislative: create/enact laws; Executive: execute/enforce laws; Judicial: enforce/interpret laws.
Articles: only legislative branch.

25. What is the purpose of the Electoral College? Which theoretical foundation does it most closely adhere to?

The Electoral College is a collection of individuals nominated by political parties to support the party’s candidate in the official presidential election. The Electoral College’s purpose is to elect the president based on the votes of the people.
Theoretical foundation: classical republicanism.

26. Provide five examples of checks and balances within the federal government.

Congress: Can impeach president, override presidential veto, reject presidential appointments, refuse to pass laws or fund presidential requests, change the size of the judiciary, propose constitutional amendments if laws are ruled unconstitutional, impeach and remove federal judges.
President: Can veto acts of Congress, interprets Congress’s laws, nominates all federal judges, refuse to enforce a court’s decisions.
Judiciary: Declare executive actions unconstitutional, preside over impeachment of president, declare laws unconstitutional.

27. Define “separation of powers” and “checks and balances”. Why are these concepts important in the U.S. political system?

Separation of powers: the manner in which the Constitution divides power among the three branches of government.
Checks and balances: a system whereby each branch of the government holds some of the powers of each of the other branches, and can use that power to reign in the actions of each of the other branches.
Importance: No one branch can become too powerful in comparison to the others.
Each of the branches influences the other branches within their realm of power, thus limiting the power of each of the branches.

28. How and why did the founders make it easier to amend the Constitution, as compared to the Articles of Confederation?

The Articles of Confederation had an amendment procedure that required all states to agree to any changes, thus creating veto power for each state. This made setting any necessary change in place practically impossible.
The Constitution only requires ¾ of the states to agree to a proposed amendment, thus allowing for any necessary or important alterations without making the process too easy and subject to instability.

29. Describe how at least one tenet of classical republicanism is connected to the Electoral College?

Tenet: “The people” provide legitimacy for the government; however, keep “the people” away from the levels of power
The Electoral College does not allow for election by popular vote. Instead, it sets an additional barrier in place by way of another system that removes the final decision concerning who will be the President from the hands of the electorate.

Essay Questions

1. In 1764, the Sugar Act required the colonies to pay a heavy tariff on various raw materials and manufactured products imported from foreign countries. In 1765, the Stamp Act imposed the first direct tax on the colonists themselves. Given that the American colonies were under British rule, why did the colonists find these acts problematic to the point of protest? Discuss the degree to which the colonists were reasonable in their fierce opposition to the legislation of the British.

Highlight concepts of autonomy, taxation without representation, liberty, and equality.
Reference issues of loyalty under a monarchy as evidence that protest was not fully reasonable.
The aforementioned issues should be tied directly to the Sugar and Stamp Acts.

2. Compare and contrast arguments for and against the legitimacy of revolutionary actions of the colonists.

For: Highlight concepts of autonomy, taxation without representation, liberty, and equality.
Against: Issues of loyalty under a monarchy.
Reference the inconsistency of the desire for equality in the governmental system (only for those similar to the colonists with power) and the denial of equality to all who were not property-owning White males.

3. In the original draft of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson (despite owning slaves) indicted King George III for engaging in and perpetuating slavery, particularly in terms of “violating the most sacred rights of life and liberty.” Discuss the purpose of including this indictment of the British slave trade. Also discuss why this section was omitted from the final document.

Demonstrate that the quote further shows the degree to which the King violates natural rights.
Describe the differing reasons why the southern and northern colonies supported the continuation of the slave trade, thus making the mention of slavery as wrong both disingenuous and dangerous to their interests.

4. Discuss the ways in which the Framers of the Constitution were committed to the concept of equality as well as inequality.

Describe how the Framers opposed what they saw as unequal treatment from Britain.
Discuss issues of equality of power in the Constitution (separation of power, checks and balances).
Explain the tradition of exclusion and how this appears in the Constitution (lack of citizenship and voting rights, etc.).

5. People often seek descriptive representation among their political officeholders, given the idea that people from similar backgrounds better understand the needs and policy preferences of the groups they belong to. Were the Framers of the Constitution representative of the population of the United States? To what degree? Provide specific evidence and indicate why there was not more representation.

State that the Framers were not at all representative of the population.
Reference the fact that only elites (white property-owning men over the age of 21) could participate in politics.
Examine issues of race, gender, class, education, landownership, and so on.
See Tables 2.a and 2.b.

6. Discuss the reasons the first new government in America was a confederation, rather than a unitary form of government. Provide examples to highlight your argument.

Define unitary form of government and confederation.
Explain the distrust of a unitary form of government based on the absolutism of the British government.
Reference examples of despotism in British rule (particularly legislation).
Discuss the fact that states had different ways of conducting daily business in terms of social, economic, and political issues; therefore, they wanted to ensure the states would have a great deal of power and sovereignty.

7. Under the Articles of Confederation, what was the purpose of allowing for a government that could enact laws but not enforce them?

Discuss the idea that the colonists did not trust a unitary form of government.
Examine the concept that the central government would agree to create a law, but each state would then still have the power to determine whether it wanted that law to stand within the state.

8. Why did the officials in government under the Articles of Confederation fear for the stability of the system in the face of more rebellion after the victory of the Revolutionary War? Describe how Shay’s Rebellion affected the stability of the government, and how it played a role in the formation of the new government.

Indicate that the central government under the Articles of Confederation was particularly and purposefully weak. This lead to vulnerability to further rebellion because it was too weak to support its own laws.
Provide basic details of Shays’s Rebellion and its purpose.
Connect these issues to the formation of a new government with a stronger central government.

9. What caused the Articles of Confederation to fail as our first form of government as an independent nation? What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? Were there any strengths? How did the Framers construct the Constitution so that it could address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

Reference Shays’ Rebellion and how it highlighted the weakness of the Articles of Confederation.
Indicate why the Framers of the Articles of Confederation created a weak central government.
Highlight the structural problems of the Articles of Confederation.
Specify the major failing as a central government that was too weak and ineffectual.
Describe the differences in terms of the strength of the central government, the number and purpose of government branches, the use of separation of powers, and checks and balances.

10. Your textbook notes, “the Framers were threatening their own privileged status by deciding to replace the government in which many of them served and to shift power away from the states they represented.” Discuss this quote and the ways in which developing a new government was and was not a risky endeavor for these individuals.

Examine the meaning and accuracy of the quote.
Suggest the Framers had less at stake in terms of remaining in political decision-making positions than politicians currently do.
Demonstrate understanding that, although the Framers were replacing a system that had benefitted them, they were also the ones writing the new system. As such, they could still construct it in a way that would be beneficial for their interests.

11. Explain the importance of the main procedural decisions that were made at the beginning of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Be sure to demonstrate how they influenced the outcome of the convention.

(1) George Washington presided over the sessions: The sessions needed some degree of order and George Washington was well respected as a commander of the American Revolution and as an owner of a significant amount of land.
(2) Hold secret sessions: Demonstrate the understanding that the states would have been able to attempt to have greater influence over the convention if the sessions were not held in secret. Connect to the issue of the compromises made to create the document (e.g., Great Compromise and Three-Fifths Compromise).
(3) Draft a new Constitution: Demonstrate the understanding that the states intended for the Articles to be revised, rather than a new government to be formed. The quick decision to develop a new governing document meant a whole new form of government would be put in place.
Answer should connect each of these to the idea of the how the new document was formed.

12. Name and describe the two plans that were originally set forward to deal with the issue of representation in Congress. Describe the Connecticut Plan (Great Compromise) and explain how this was a response to the aforementioned plans. How do these relate to our current form of government? Include a brief reference to the Seventeenth Amendment’s population election of Senators.

Provide the details of the Virginia plan and the New Jersey plan.
Concerning the Great Compromise, demonstrate that this was a compromise between the issues of proportional and direct representation brought forward in the first two plans.
Demonstrate that the Great Compromise is the basis for our current system; however, one main difference is the way we elect our Senators (17^th Amendment).

13. How and why did the issue of slavery factor into the question of how to set up the House of Representatives? Describe the resolution of this problem and explain why the Northern and Southern states had differing views for this issue, in the context of proportional representation.

Indicate that, once it was apparent that the House of Representatives would be based on proportional representation, it was necessary to determine whether “human property” (i.e. slaves) would be counted for representation purposes.
Demonstrate understanding of why the slaveholding states wanted slaves counted as full persons and the nonslaveholding states did not want them counted at all.
Demonstrate knowledge of how the Three-Fifths Compromise came about as the solution.

14. Examine the Three-Fifths Compromise. Why was this compromise viewed as necessary for the creation of the new government? What does this provision tell us about the role of slaves under the newly formed government (you must reference the issues of life, liberty, and property)? How did this compromise increase the power of slave-owning states, beyond having more representation in Congress?

Explain the basic elements of the debate over slavery and representation in the House of Representatives.
Indicate who benefitted most from the options regarding counting slaves for representation purposes.
Suggest slaves were not to be seen as people with rights to their own lives and their own liberty and that they had no rights to property. Instead, they were to have the role of property, and their humanity was to be used as a political tool.
Point to how the Three-Fifths Compromise also gave slave-owning states more electors in the Electoral College, thus influencing the results of presidential elections.

15. Describe the debate between the Federalists and the Antifederalists.

Demonstrate that the Federalists believed the Constitution ensured that the states would retain a great deal of their power because the states and national government would share powers. Federalists showed strong recognition of the problem of a weak central government.
Highlight the Antifederalists’ concerns over a stronger central government in terms of how this would affect state power and individual freedoms.
Include the fact that the Constitution was ratified with a promise to the Anti-Federalists that a Bill of Rights would be immediately drafted for ratification to protect civil liberties.

16. Explain the importance of the supremacy clause and how it influences the amount of power each level of government holds. Given the purpose of the clause, why do we not consider the U.S. Constitution to structure a unitary form of government?

Define supremacy clause.
Demonstrate understanding of the precedence of the national government over all other governments.
Provide a strong argument for the idea that the U.S. Constitution creates a concurrent powers structure, rather than a unitary form of government.
Demonstrate the understanding that the national government is only supreme over those areas over which it has Constitutional permission to rule.

17. Explain the connection between enumerated and implied powers. What effect do these powers have on the outcomes of the struggle between national and state government power?

Define enumerated and implied powers.
Explain that implied powers are based on enumerated powers.
Demonstrate that these powers held by Congress gave it a great deal of power, but also limited that power to that which was granted or needed to accomplish that which was granted.
Can mention the influence of the Tenth Amendment in ensuring the national government would not gain all powers, but instead provide space for states to exercise influence.

18. Discuss three of the amendments that have been created to increase constitutional protections and equality for three different groups.

Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments: Post–Civil War amendments; abolished slavery, provided citizenship, and granted voting rights to Black males.
Nineteenth Amendment: Provided voting rights for women.
Twenty-sixth Amendment: Lowered voting age to 18.
Discuss the existence of the theoretical foundation of inegalitarianism (tradition of exclusion).
Describe how each group gained a greater degree of rights and equality under the law.

CHAPTER 3 FEDERALISM: BALANCING POWER, BALANCING RIGHTS

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Understand the nature of federalism and its various types.
Learn about the structure of state and local governments compared to the national government.
Develop a knowledge of the historical progression of federalism in the United States.
Examine the ways in which the Supreme Court has determined the status and balance of power among the different levels of government.

Outline

I. Federalism and State and Local Governments

a. State Legislatures

b. Governors

- Measuring Equality: Black and Latino Representation in State Legislatures

c. State Courts

d. Local Governments

II. Federalism and the Constitution

a. The Constitution and National Government Power

b. Constitutional Amendments and National Power

c. The Constitution and State Power

III. The Evolution of American Federalism

a. Federalism in the Early Republic and Industrialization

i. McCulloch v. Maryland

ii. Gibbons v. Ogden

iii. Civil Rights Issues

- Our Voices: John Marshall and the Status of Indian Tribes

b. Dual Federalism and the Ascendency of State Autonomy

i. Monopolies

ii. Child Labor

iii. Grants-in-Aid

iv. Civil Rights Issues

c. Cooperative Federalism and the Growth of the National Government

i. Incorporation

ii. Economic Regulation

iii. Civil Rights Policies

- Evaluating Equality: Shelby County (AL) v. Holder and Section 4 of Voting Rights Act

d. The Era of Devolution

i. The Role of Presidents and Congress

ii. The Role of the Supreme Court

Discussion Questions

1. What is federalism? Why is it such an important aspect of the American political system?

2. How has American federalism evolved over time?

3. In what ways are the national, state, and local governments similar? How do they differ?

4. In what ways can we see the importance of the influence of governors on the American system of federalism? Consider the case on voting law changes in Florida in 2013 and 2014.

5. What is devolution? How is each of the branches of government involved?

6. What explains that Supreme Court’s gutting of Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act in the Shelby Co. (AL) v Holder (2013) case?

7. What is the current status of federalism in America? How have the past several executive administrations approached the balance of power between the national government and the states?

Video Resources

America; Huey Long, PBS

Federalism in the 21st Century, C-SPAN

Federalism: US vs. The States, Annenberg Media (http://www.learner.org/)

“The Fugitive Slave Act and the ‘Struggle for America’s Soul’”, Fresh Air with Terry Gross: NPR

Website Resources

“Federalism in 1868 and 2012” – National Constitution Center, https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/federalism-in-1868-and-2012

Federalism: US vs. The States – Annenberg Learner, http://www.learner.org/courses/democracyinamerica/dia_3/index.html/

National Governors’ Association, http://www.nga.org/

National Conference of State Legislatures, http://www.ncsl.org/

U.S. Conference of Mayors, http://www.usmayors.org/

The U.S. Constitution, http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html/

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: factual

Page number: 56

1. The main cause of long election lines and extreme voting wait times in Maricopa County, AZ in 2016 was:

a. too many names on the ballot.

b. more voting sites as compared to the last election.

c. many fewer voting sites as compared to the last election.

d. more Republicans voting in the Democratic primary.

Question type: factual

Page number: 56

2. Two of the main issues at play in the reduction of polling places in 2016 in Maricopa County, AZ were:

a. race and ethnicity.

b. gender and region.

c. sexuality and religion.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 57

3. Federalism is:

a. The balance of power between the national government and the state and local governments.

b. The balance of power among the three branches of government.

c. The balance of power between the state governments and the local governments.

d. The balance of power between the President and the Bureaucracy.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 57

4. Which concept concerning complete political authority and power is central to federalism?

a. Freedom.

b. Equality.

c. Sovereignty.

d. Justice.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 57

5. The degree to which state and local governments have sovereignty over their regions compared to the degree to which the national government has sovereignty over the entire nation refers to

a. Nationalism.

b. Absolutism.

c. Monarchy.

d. Federalism.

Question type: applied

Page number: 57

6. Which of the following demonstrate the struggle over the balance of power among the three levels of government (national, state, and local)?

a. Voting procedures.

b. Firearm laws.

c. Education laws.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 58

7. The vast majority of states have __________ legislatures.

a. Unicameral.

b. Bicameral.

c. Tricameral.

d. Independent.

Question type: factual

Page number: 58

8. Which state has a unicameral legislature?

a. Nebraska.

b. Kansas.

c. Ohio.

d. Nevada.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 61

9. Given the power of state legislatures to create laws for the states, which issue is of particular importance for a state’s residents?

a. Justice.

b. Freedom.

c. Representation.

d. Access to resources.

Question type: factual

Page number: 61

10. Every _____ years, states with more than one U.S. House representative must draw new district lines.

a. 5

b. 10

c. 15

d. 20

Question type: factual

Page number: 61

11. Which Supreme Court case ruled that state legislative districts must be roughly equal in population?

a. Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

b. Gray v. Sanders (1963).

c. Reynolds v. Sims (1964).

d. Griffin v. Maryland (1964).

Question type: factual

Page number: 61

12. How do most states redraw their legislative districts lines?

a. The court system redraws the districts.

b. The state’s U.S. House representatives redraw the districts.

c. An independent committee redraws the districts.

d. The political party controlling the state legislature, the governorship, or both redraws the districts.

Question type: factual

Page number: 61

13. What was the effect of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

a. The curtailing of the disenfranchisement of racial and ethnic minorities.

b. The empowerment of the national government to supervise voting in states and localities with a history of discrimination.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 61

14. What is the connection between the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and federalism?

a. The national government gained greater power over the state and local governments.

b. The state and local government gained greater power over the national government.

c. The national government lost power over the state and local governments.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 61

15. Which of the following Voting Rights Acts prevented states from drawing legislative districts that were discriminatory against racial and ethnic minorities?

a. 1965.

b. 1982.

c. 1994.

d. 2007.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 61

16. Majority–minority districts are legislative districts in which _______ of the residents are members of a specific racial or ethnic minority group.

a. None.

b. More than one quarter.

c. More than half.

d. More than three quarters.

Question type: factual

Page number: 61

17. What led to the legalization of majority–minority districts?

a. A Supreme Court ruling against the Voting Rights Act of 1964.

b. A Supreme Court ruling against the amended Voting Rights Act of 1982.

c. A Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Voting Rights Act of 1964.

d. A Supreme Court ruling in favor of the amended Voting Rights Act of 1982.

Question type: factual

Page number: 61

18. The institution of _________ led directly to a significant and sustained increase in the number of minority legislators?

a. the Fourteenth Amendment.

b. the Fifteenth Amendment.

c. Majority–minority districts.

d. Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Question type: factual

Page number: 62

19. What power do most governors possess that the U.S. president does not?

a. Line-item veto.

b. Power to execute the legislature’s laws.

c. Power to write legislation.

d. Veto power.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 62

20. Governors can influence policy making by:

a. Creating legislation.

b. Appointing leaders of state agencies.

c. Ruling on the constitutionality of specific laws.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 64

21. What is currently one of the main reasons that there are so few racial and ethnic minorities who have served as governors?

a. Lack of voting rights for racial and ethnic minorities.

b. Lack of qualified candidates.

c. Racially polarized voting.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 64-65

22. Which state had the first Hispanic female governor?

a. Nevada.

b. California.

c. Arizona.

d. New Mexico.

Question type: factual

Page number: 65

23. Where do most criminal prosecutions and lawsuits take place?

a. Municipal courts.

b. State trial courts.

c. State supreme courts.

d. U.S. Supreme Court.

Question type: factual

Page number: 65-66

24. Which of the following is accurate concerning the workings of state courts compared to federal courts?

a. The methods of selecting judges, as well as their terms, are always the same.

b. Federal judges are always selected directly from the state system.

c. The methods of selecting judges, as well as their terms, differ.

d. State judges must consult federal judges before issuing their rulings.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 66

25. Which of the following are arguments against elected judiciaries?

a. Judicial elections now resemble partisan legislative and executive branch elections.

b. Elected judges will issue judgments based on public opinion rather than the law.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 66-67

26. In what way does the state judicial system hold policy-making power?

a. It can overturn laws that violate the state’s constitution.

b. It sets parameters for the progression of civil suits.

c. It establishes rules for criminal procedures.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 67

27. Which of the following is a principle of local governance in which municipal governments lack independent authority and only draw their power from state governments?

a. A bill of attainder.

b. Dillon’s rule.

c. Home rule.

d. Dual federalism.

Question type: factual

Page number: 67

28. Which of the following is a principle of local governance in which local governments can govern themselves independently of the states?

a. A bill of attainder.

b. Dillon’s rule.

c. Home rule.

d. Dual federalism.

Question type: factual

Page number: 67

29. Which of the following is true of the city of Washington, DC?

a. It does not belong to a state and is controlled by the U.S. Congress and the U.S. president.

b. It does not belong to a state but has full representation rights in the U.S. Congress.

c. It sits inside several states and is represented by each of them.

d. Its representation in the U.S. Congress does not matter because the city is only composed of government buildings and agencies.

Question type: factual

Page number: 69

30. Cities with large minority populations have been much more likely to have minority mayors since the ______.

a. 1950s.

b. 1960s.

c. 1970s.

d. 1980s.

Question type: factual

Page number: 69

31. Which part of the Constitution is mainly responsible for enumerating the powers of the national government?

a. Article I, Section 2.

b. Article I, Section 8.

c. Article II, Section 1.

d. Article III, Section 3.

Question type: factual

Page number: 69

32. Which of the following is a constitutional provision that gives the national government the authority to regulate commerce among the states, foreign nations, and Indian tribes?

a. Due process clause.

b. Equal protection clause.

c. Full faith and credit clause.

d. Commerce clause.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 69

33. The commerce clause

a. Expands the power of the national government.

b. Restricts the power of the national government.

c. Equalizes the power of the national government with the power of state governments.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 70

34. Which of the following is a constitutional provision that gives the national government the authority to enact law implied by the enumerated powers?

a. Due process clause.

b. Necessary and proper (elastic) clause.

c. Full faith and credit clause.

d. Commerce clause.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 71

35. The necessary and proper clause (or the elastic clause) provides the national government with justification for its

a. Veto powers.

b. Policy-making powers.

c. Enumerated powers.

d. Implied powers.

Question type: factual

Page number: 71

36. Which clause stipulates that the Constitution and national laws are the supreme law of the land, thus resulting in national law superseding state law?

a. Due process clause.

b. Necessary and proper (elastic) clause.

c. Supremacy clause.

d. Extradition clause.

Question type: applied

Page number: 71

37. Which of the following clauses is at work in the prohibition of discriminatory state laws based on national laws prohibiting racial discrimination?

a. Supremacy clause.

b. Privileges and immunities clause.

c. Interstate compact clause.

d. Full faith and credit clause.

Question type: applied

Page number: 71

38. Which clause concerns how states are required to relate to and interact with one another?

a. Full faith and credit clause.

b. Privileges and immunities clause.

c. Extradition clause.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 71

39. Which of the following currently presents a problem in terms of the application of the full faith and credit clause?

a. Out-of-state driver’s license recognition.

b. Gay marriage recognition.

c. Interracial marriage recognition.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 71

40. Which clause became obsolete with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment?

a. Fugitive slave clause.

b. Interstate compact clause.

c. Commerce clause.

d. Necessary and proper clause.

Question type: factual

Page number: 71

41. Article I, Section 10, of the Constitution lists powers that are specifically denied to states, such as

a. Allowing residents of other states to relocate into their state.

b. Establishing their own judicial systems.

c. Making treaties with other nations.

d. Creating their own laws.

Question type: factual

Page number: 72

42. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and _________ Amendments dealt with the issue of discrimination against African Americans.

a. Fifth.

b. Tenth.

c. Fifteenth.

d. Twentieth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 72

43. The Nineteenth, Twenty-fourth, and _______ Amendments expanded national authority over states in terms of voter eligibility.

a. Eighteenth.

b. Twenty-first.

c. Twenty-third Amendment.

d. Twenty-sixth Amendment.

Question type: factual

Page number: 72

44. Which of the following do not expand the authority of the national government?

a. Tenth Amendment.

b. Fourteenth Amendment.

c. Nineteenth Amendment.

d. Twenty-sixth Amendment.

Question type: factual

Page number: 72-73

45. Which of the following is an amendment to the Constitution that guarantees to the states any powers that are not directly forbidden to them and that are not directly given to the national government?

a. Ninth Amendment.

b. Tenth Amendment.

c. Eleventh Amendment.

d. Twelfth Amendment.

Question type: factual

Page number: 75

46. The “national bank” of the United States was supported by

a. Necessary and proper clause.

b. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819).

c. Neither of the above.

d. Both of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 73-74

47. Which Supreme Court ruling expanded the power of the national government in terms of commerce that involved multiple states?

a. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819).

b. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824).

c. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).

d. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

Question type: factual

Page number: 75

48. In which cases did the Supreme Court expanded state control over civil rights?

a. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819).

b. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824).

c. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).

d. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

Question type: applied

Page number: 75

49. The outcomes of the Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) and the Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) Supreme Court cases reflect which American theoretical tradition?

a. Classical liberalism.

b. Classical republicanism.

c. Inegalitarianism.

d. Libertarianism.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 75

50. The type of federalism in which state governments and the national government rule only in their own spheres is known as

a. Dual federalism.

b. Separate federalism.

c. Normal federalism.

d. Cooperative federalism.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 75

51. Under dual federalism

a. The state governments may extend their reach beyond the powers granted in the Constitution.

b. The state governments lose all powers granted in the Constitution.

c. The national government may extend its reach beyond the powers granted in the Constitution.

d. The national government is limited to a strict interpretation of the powers granted in the Constitution.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 75-76

52. Dual federalism is most closely connected to the idea of

a. Individuals’ rights.

b. National rights.

c. States’ rights.

d. Local rights.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 76

53. The idea that workers and consumers suffer without competition is most closely tied to the concept of

a. Federalism.

b. Monopolies.

c. Dual federalism.

d. Civil rights.

Question type: applied

Page number: 76

54. Failed attempts by the national government to ameliorate economic problems of monopolies and child labor in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries were a result of

a. Dual federalism.

b. Separate federalism.

c. Normal federalism.

d. Cooperative federalism.

Question type: factual

Page number: 76

55. Which of the following is specific to Congress’s first major attack on monopolies?

a. Naturalization Act of 1790.

b. Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862.

c. Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.

d. Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 76

56. On what grounds does the government claim that it has the power to break up monopolies?

a. Due process clause.

b. Equal protection clause.

c. Commerce clause.

d. Supremacy clause.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 76

57. After the Keating–Owen Child Labor Act of 1916, how did the Supreme Court argue that the federal government could not regulate child labor?

a. Child labor occurs at the manufacturing level, rather than the commerce level, thus leaving the issue to the states.

b. Child labor is a family financial issue, thus leaving the issue to individual rights.

c. Child labor is a family financial issue, thus leaving the issue to the states.

d. Child labor relates to commerce, rather than manufacturing, thus leaving the issue to individual rights.

Question type: factual

Page number: 78

58. Which of the following is an early example of a grant-in-aid?

a. Naturalization Act of 1790.

b. Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862.

c. Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.

d. Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 78

59. What are grants-in-aid?

a. State government expenditures that provide money or property to the national government to gain political favor.

b. National government expenditures that provide money or property to the states to accomplish a policy goal.

c. National government expenditures that provide money or property to businesses to accomplish a policy goal.

d. Local government expenditures that provide money or property to the states to accomplish a policy goal.

Question type: factual

Page number: 78

60. Which of the following is an example of a grant-in-aid that was geared specifically to aid a racial minority group?

a. Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862.

b. Second Morrill Land Grant Act of 1890.

c. Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890.

d. Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 78-79

61. Despite the expanded national authority to regulate civil rights policy based on the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, the U.S. Supreme Court’s late nineteenth-century interpretation of these amendments

a. Allowed states to engage in unequal treatment and deny rights based on race.

b. Allowed states to engage in unequal treatment and deny rights based on sexual orientation.

c. Allowed states to engage in unequal treatment and deny rights based on religion.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 79

62. Which Supreme Court case established the legal principle of separate but equal?

a. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).

b. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

c. Wickard v. Filburn (1942).

d. Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 79

63. What is the principle of separate but equal?

a. A legal principle that allowed states to segregate the races in public facilities, as long as the state provided each race with basic access to the public facility in question.

b. A legal principle that allowed states to segregate the genders in public facilities, as long as the state provided each gender with basic access to the public facility in question.

c. A legal principle that allowed the national government to segregate the races in public facilities, as long as it provided each race with basic access to the public facility in question.

d. A legal principle that allowed the national government to segregate the genders in public facilities, as long as it provided each gender with basic access to the public facility in question.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 79

64. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, how did the Supreme Court justify the separate but equal doctrine?

a. Due process clause.

b. Equal protection clause.

c. Commerce clause.

d. Supremacy clause.

Question type: factual

Page number: 79

65. When did the period of dual federalism end?

a. 1910s.

b. 1930s.

c. 1950s.

d. 1970s.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 79

66. The type of federalism in which the national government expands its power and blurs the lines between national and state authority is known as

a. Dual federalism.

b. Separate federalism.

c. Normal federalism.

d. Cooperative federalism.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 80

67. Which of the following concepts refers to the application of the Bill of Rights to state and local governments?

a. Home rule.

b. Incorporation.

c. Grants-in-aid.

d. Regulation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 80-82

68. Which of the following constitutes an area in which the national government’s authority has increased relative to the states since the 1930s?

a. Economic regulation.

b. Civil rights policies.

c. Incorporation.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 80

69. The New Deal was a demonstration of

a. The state governments’ increasing power over economic regulation.

b. The state governments’ decreasing power over economic regulation.

c. The national government’s increasing power over economic regulation.

d. The national government’s decreasing power over economic regulation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 82

70. Categorical grants are

a. Grants-in-aid that contain numerous, detailed provisions on how the states and local governments use the money.

b. Directives the national government issues to state and local governments without compensating them for complying.

c. Grants-in-aid from the national government that are general, contain minimal regulations, and give states and local governments considerable discretion on how the money should be used

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 82

71. Unfunded mandates are

a. Grants-in-aid that contain numerous, detailed provisions on how the states and local governments use the money.

b. Directives the national government issues to state and local governments without compensating them for complying.

c. Grants-in-aid from the national government that are general, contain minimal regulations, and give states and local governments considerable discretion on how the money should be used.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 87

72. Block grants are

a. Grants-in-aid that contain numerous, detailed provisions on how the states and local governments use the money.

b. Directives the national government issues to state and local governments without compensating them for complying.

c. Grants-in-aid from the national government that are general, contain minimal regulations, and give states and local governments considerable discretion on how the money should be used.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 83

73. Which of the following addressed racial discrimination committed by private businesses by making this discrimination illegal?

a. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

b. Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

c. Civil Rights Act of 1964.

d. Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Question type: factual

Page number: 83

74. What was the Supreme Court’s basis for upholding the constitutionality of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

a. Racial discrimination substantially affects interstate commerce.

b. Racial discrimination substantially affects due process.

c. Racial discrimination substantially affects equal protection.

d. Racial discrimination substantially affects national sovereignty.

Question type: factual

Page number: 84

75. How did the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 restrict tribal authority?

a. It did not allow tribes to expand individual rights to Indians living on tribal land.

b. It removed tribal governments from authority over tribal land.

c. It expanded the individual rights of Indians living on tribal land.

d. It allowed the national government to remove tribal land from tribal governance.

Question type: applied

Page number: 84

76. Which of the following relate to gender and cooperative federalism?

a. Reed v. Reed (1971).

b. Roe v. Wade (1973).

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 84

77. A partial return of power to state and local governments from the national government is called:

a. Revolution.

b. Devolution.

c. Evolution.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 84

78. The idea that “the era of big government is over” related to which concept?

a. Dual federalism.

b. Cooperative federalism.

c. Devolution.

d. Revolution.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 89

79. The concept that permits the national government to overturn state and local laws that conflict with national policies is called

a. Home rule.

b. Incorporation.

c. Sovereignty.

d. Preemption.

Question type: factual

Page number: 62

80. In 2014, Republican Florida Governor Rick Scott rescinded the Florida Secretary of State’s order to purge voter rolls of suspected noncitizens and disenfranchised felons because of county officials’ recognition that

a. The directive would inadvertently and inaccurately remove too many eligible minority voters.

b. The directive would be too controversial in terms of political in-fighting.

c. The directive would not benefit the governor’s political party.

d. The directive was unconstitutional.

Question type: applied

Page number: 62

81. The 2013 and 2014 controversy over the attempt to decrease the time available for early voting and purge suspected ineligible voters from the voting rolls elucidates

a. The power of the national government in the system of federalism.

b. The power of the state government in the system of federalism.

c. The balance of power of the national and state governments in the system of federalism.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 85

82. In 2013, the Supreme Court ruled in Shelby County, AL v. Holder that the formula used in _________ of the Voting Rights Act was unconstitutional.

a. Section 2.

b. Section 3.

c. Section 4.

d. Section 5.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 85

83. The Shelby County, AL v Holder (2013) ruling effectively indefinitely impairs the Voting Rights Act because

a. The president can no longer make voting rights decisions.

b. Congress is not allowed to rework the voting rights laws.

c. The president is forced to examine the laws of all states and districts, rather than just a select few.

d. Congress is unlikely to revise Sections 4 and 5 in the near future.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 56-57

84. The U.S. Department of Justice can investigate Maricopa County, AZ’s changes to voting procedures that greatly reduced the number of polling sites in 2016 because:

a. the Tenth Amendment gives it the power to do so.

b. the federal government always has jurisdiction over state laws.

c. state governments get their legitimacy from the national government.

d. the Voting Rights Act still allows the Justice Department to investigate state and local actions that limit racial and ethnic minority voting rights.

Question type: factual

Page number: 57

85. Which constitutional amendment gave Congress the authority to pass the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

a. Fourth

b. Eighth

c. Fifteenth

d. Twenty-third

Question type: factual

Page number: 58

86. The balance of power between the federal and state governments can significantly affect the rights of:

a. suburbanites.

b. taxpayers.

c. racial and ethnic minorities.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 58

87. The state legislature of which of the following states did not formally meet in 2018?

a. New York

b. Montana

c. California

d. Michigan

Question type: factual

Page number: 62

88. When Florida attempted to purge ineligible voters from the voting roles, local election officials successfully challenged this plan, stating that this would inadvertently:

a. give minority voters an electoral advantage.

b. give female voters an electoral advantage.

c. remove eligible minority voters.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 65

89. The state judiciary is the:

a. First branch of state government.

b. Second branch of state government.

c. Third branch of state government.

d. Fourth branch of state government.

Question type: factual

Page number: 62

90. Though voting wait times in Florida decreased from 2016 to 2012, which groups had comparatively longer wait times for voting?

a. Blacks and Latinos.

b. Rural and Suburban.

c. Whites and American Indians.

d. No groups had longer wait times.

Question type: factual

Page number: 66

91. Which of the following is accurate?

a. All state judges are elected.

b. All state judges run for office in non-partisan elections.

c. All state judges are appointed by state legislatures.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 66

92. A system by which state judges are elected to their positions by popular vote may:

a. increase the likelihood that judges will rule in line with public opinion rather than the law.

b. increase the likelihood that judges will not rule on important cases.

c. decrease the likelihood that judges will agree to hear cases.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 67

93. Washington, D.C. voted to decriminalize personal possession of marijuana in 2014, and this became law in 2015. Congress legitimately threatened to undermine this policy because:

a. Washington, D.C. is not a state, thus has a different relationship with the national government under the system of federalism.

b. Washington, D.C. exists under the authority of the U.S. Congress.

c. All of the above.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 68

94. Which two states do not have county governments?

a. Florida and New York.

b. Connecticut and Rhode Island.

c. Texas and Montana.

d. California and Illinois.

Question type: factual

Page number: 85-86

95. Which Supreme Court case decision essentially eliminated the requirement of preclearance, in which states and localities with a history of discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities in voting must have electoral law changes approved by the U.S. Justice Department prior to enactment?

a. McCulloch v. Maryland.

b. Dred Scott v. Sandford.

c. Shelby County (AL) v. Holder.

d. Obergefell v. Hodges.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 88

96. The most recent and most widespread policy challenge concerning federalism relates to:

a. heroin legalization.

b. marijuana legalization.

c. animal rights.

d. child abuse.

Question type: applied

Page number: 88

97. The approach to federalism from the Obama administration and the Trump administration demonstrate:

a. beliefs about balance of power between the states and the national government are solely party-driven.

b. beliefs about balance of power between the states and the national government are both party-driven and policy-driven.

c. beliefs about balance of power between the states and the national government are solely policy-driven.

d. beliefs about balance of power between the states and the national government are neither connected to party or presidential policy positioning.

Short-Answer Questions

1. What is federalism? Why is this an important concept in the American political system?

Federalism: The balance of power between the national government on one side and the state and local governments on the other side.
Federalism demonstrates that the American political system is set up with concurrent powers instead of a unitary form of government.

2. Define sovereignty. What is the connection between the concepts of federalism and sovereignty?

Sovereignty: Complete political power and authority.
Federalism is about the degree to which each level of government has sovereignty over itself and/or other levels of government.

3. What is the difference between a unicameral legislature and a bicameral legislature? How many states have unicameral legislatures?

Unicameral: Legislature with one house; bicameral: legislature with two houses.
One state (Nebraska) with a unicameral legislature.

4. Which level of government determines how districts are drawn? How often are district lines redrawn? What are new district lines based on?

States determine districts.
Lines are redrawn every 10 years with new Census data.

5. Define gerrymandering. How does gerrymandering influence electoral outcomes?

Gerrymandering: When a specific group, generally a political party, uses redistricting to maximize its chances of winning seats in a legislative body.
Influence: It produces a lack of balance of power; a group in power is more likely to retain that power through restructuring the system rather than through public opinion as evidenced through electoral politics.

6. What is the connection between the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and gerrymandering?

After the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (which significantly curtailed disenfranchisement of racial and ethnic minorities through enforcement mechanisms), states implemented racial gerrymandering to dilute the political influence of these groups.

7. How did Congress attempt to prevent states from gerrymandering to decrease the influence of racial minorities in elections after the Voting Rights Act of 1965? What was the result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning of this congressional act?

To prevent states from racial gerrymandering, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1982.
The U.S. Supreme Court rules that this prohibited districts that would enhance minorities’ ability to elect minority legislators.
The result of the overturning of the Voting Rights Act of 1982 was the legalization of majority–minority districts.

8. What is the line-item veto and how is it used? Which executive officeholders have this power?

Line-item veto: Executive’s power to reject specific expenditures and taxes, allowing the remainder of a bill to stand.
Many governors have this authority.
The president does not have this authority at this time.

9. In which type of courts are most cases first tried? How does this influence racial and ethnic minorities in the justice system?

Most cases occur in the states’ trial courts.
Racial and ethnic minorities may be treated differently in the judicial system based on state laws and trends.

10. Do all states select judges in the same way? If so, describe how this is done. If not, provide examples of differing ways judges are chosen.

No, states have differing means for selecting judges.
Methods: (1) State legislatures; (2) governor; (3) nonpartisan or partisan elections; (4) nonpartisan commission.

11. Does the method of selecting judges matter in terms of legal policy and rulings? Why or why not?

Some argue that elected judges act more like politicians and alter their decisions based on public opinion, particularly close to elections.
Others argue that all judges are equally likely to remain fair in their judgments.

12. Is it possible for state courts to engage in a form of policymaking? If so, how?

Yes
(1) Overturn laws violating state constitutions; (2) establish rules for criminal procedures; (3) set parameters for civil suits.

13. What is Dillon’s rule? How does this affect local governments?

Dillon’s rule: a principle of local governance in which municipal governments lack independent authority; they can only draw power from their state governments.
This demonstrates that local governments generally lack sovereignty and significant authority.

14. What is home rule? How is it connected to Dillon’s rule? Which is currently largely the norm?

Home rule: A principle of local governance in which local governments can govern themselves independently of the state governments.
It is in opposition to Dillon’s rule.
Home rule is more the norm compared to Dillon’s rule.

15. What are county commissions? What are municipalities? What is the difference between county commissions and city councils?

County commission: County governments that make policies that only apply to their particular county.
Municipality: An incorporated district—city or town—that exists within a county.
County commissions and city councils are forms of local government. The difference is the governmental unit (county vs. city).

16. Define the commerce clause and the necessary and proper clause. What type of powers are these and what are they reserved for?

Commerce clause: A constitutional provision that gives the national government the authority to regulate commerce among the states, foreign nations, and Indian tribes; it has been used to expand the power of the national government.
Necessary and proper clause: A constitutional provision giving Congress the authority to make whatever laws are necessary and proper to carry out its enumerated responsibilities.
These are enumerated powers for the U.S. Congress. They strengthen the power of the national government.

17. What is the supremacy clause? How does this relate to the issue of federalism in the United States?

Supremacy clause: A constitutional clause stipulating that the Constitution and national laws are supreme, meaning that when state laws conflict with national laws, national laws take precedence.
The supremacy clause provides strength for the national government and ensures that no other level of government can overrule the national government in terms of the laws that it makes.

18. Identify two constitutional clauses that establish rules directing how states must relate to each other. What is the purpose of each of these clauses?

Extradition clause: Stipulates that if a person is charged with a crime in one state and flees to another, the second state must transport the accused criminal back to the first state.
Full faith and credit clause: Requires states to recognize official documents and records from other states.
Privileges and immunities: Prevents states from discriminating against citizens of other states.
(Prior to end of slavery) Fugitive slave clause: Stipulated that if slaves escaped from a slave state to a free state, then they were not considered free, and they must be returned to the owners in the slave state.

19. What powers does the Constitution deny to the states?

Interstate compact clause: States must get the approval of Congress to enter into official agreements with each other.
Bill of attainder: States cannot pass laws that punish specific people if they have not first been convicted in court.
Ex post facto laws: States cannot impose retroactive criminal sanctions.

20. After the Civil War, which three Constitutional amendments shifted the balance of power in favor of the national government in terms of civil rights policy? How did they increase the power of the national government? Name and identify the purposes of the amendments.

Thirteenth Amendment: Banned slavery throughout the United States.
Fourteenth Amendment: Prevented the denial of full citizenship of residents based on race; guaranteed citizens due process and equal treatment.
Fifteenth Amendment: Guaranteed voting rights without regard to race or ethnicity.
National government power increased because previously the states were in charge of civil rights policy.

21. What does the Tenth Amendment provide for? How does this fit into the concept of federalism in the United States?

Tenth Amendment: Guarantees states powers not given to the national government and not forbidden to the states.
This amendment helps to ensure that there are separate sets of power for the different levels of government and, more specifically, ensures that certain powers are retained by the states.

22. How does the Eleventh Amendment protect state authority? How does the Electoral College provide more political influence for states?

Eleventh Amendment: Prevents citizens of one state (or foreigners) from suing another state in federal court without the state’s permission.
This ensures that the states retain control over decisions concerning judicial proceedings relating to their citizens.
The Electoral College elevates the importance of states in the presidential election.

23. What did the McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Supreme Court decision concern? How did the necessary and proper clause influence the Court’s decision?

Concerned the legitimacy of a national bank.
Despite significant opposition, the Court determined that the national government had the power to establish a bank based on the necessary and proper clause, given the enumerated powers of taxing, spending, borrowing money, and regulating the economy.

24. Which clause did the Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) ruling expand? What did this mean for the state of federalism in the nation?

Commerce clause was expanded.
This meant that even when commerce occurred within one state’s borders, the national government could exert authority over it if that commerce eventually crossed state borders.
On the whole, this was an expansion of national power over state power.

25. Explain the connection between the Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) case and national versus state power concerning civil rights.

Explain the outcome and ruling of the Dred Scott case.
The ruling expanded state control over civil rights. As such, there was little the national government could do to exert authority in this area, short of amending the Constitution (see Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments).

26. What is dual federalism? How does it relate to the concept of states’ rights?

Dual federalism: State governments and the national government rule only over their own spheres.
Given that the national and state governments have clearly defined boundaries under dual federalism, states can directly point to realms of authority that they find should not be encroached on.

27. Why did the national government originally have difficulty with instituting laws against monopolies and child labor? How did this change?

Dual federalism: The Supreme Court ruled that the national government did not have the power to regulate these economic issues.
Eventually, the Supreme Court recognized the national government’s power for economic regulation in these areas.

28. What legal principle was established with the Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) decision? How is this principle defined? What part of the Fourteenth Amendment was ironically used to justify the decision?

Legal principle: Separate but equal, allowed states to segregate the races in public facilities, as long as the state provided each race with basic access to the public facility in question.
The decision was justified using the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

29. What is cooperative federalism? How does it relate to the idea of “big government”?

Cooperative federalism: The national government expands its power and blurs the lines between national and state authority.
Big government suggests that the national government is involved in and exerting authority over a wide range of issues. This is largely made possible under cooperative federalism.

30. What is devolution? During what period have we seen devolution? How do block grants demonstrate some degree of devolution?

Devolution: View of federalism that advocates partially returning power to state and local governments.
Period: 1970s to present.
Block grants are grants-in-aid given to state and local governments by the national government to use largely based on their discretion, which means that the former governments have a great deal of authority and power in these cases; they have much less power and authority with categorical grants and unfunded mandates.

31. What is preclearance? Which law was it instated under? Which Supreme Court case essentially undermined preclearance and requires congressional action to allow it to operate?

Preclearance: the requirement that states and localities with a history of discrimination against racial and ethnic minorities in voting must have electoral law changes approved by the U.S. Justice Department prior to enactment.
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Shelby County (AL) v. Holder (2013)

32. How did Arizona essentially decrease voting access for racial and ethnic minorities? Despite this decrease, how did voters address voter suppression efforts and election problems?

In 2016, Maricopa County, AZ significantly decreased the number of polling centers (which is a county with larger proportions of Latino voters).
They county was able to change its voting procedures due to the removal of the necessity to have the alterations pre-cleared through the through the U.S. Justice Department.
In 2016, the first Latino (Adrian Fontes - D) was elected to a county-wide position in Maricopa County, AZ. This position, Maricopa County Recorder, is in charge of the county’s elections.

33. What is the connection between the Fifteenth amendment and the Voting Rights Act of 1965?

The Fifteenth amendment requires that voting rights not be abridged on the basis of race.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 sets in place the means of protecting voting rights from state laws that could be discriminatory on the basis of race.

Essay Questions

1. The concepts of federalism and sovereignty are tightly intertwined. Explain the connection between these concepts. Be sure to connect your discussion to the structure of government in the United States.

Examine the definitions of federalism and sovereignty, with special attention to how sovereignty of each level of government influences the type of federalism.
Highlight the concept of concurrent powers in the U.S. government and the balance of powers between the national and state governments.

2. Provide an argument for why individuals should be more concerned with state and local politics than national politics. Be sure to connect your discussion to the issue of federalism.

Reference the idea that state and local government are in charge of policies that affect the daily lives of their residents.
Define federalism.
Demonstrate that federalism allows states and local governments to have power despite the existence of a national government.

3. To what extent are state legislatures similar and different? Be sure to address this issue in terms of structure and expectations of legislators. What do these similarities and differences mean for state residents?

Highlight similarities in structure, particularly in terms of bicameral versus unicameral (with the understanding that there is only one that is unicameral).
Highlight differences in how often the legislatures meet.
Evaluate the degree to which legislatures can be effective in representing the needs and interests of their constituents if they do not meet regularly.

4. Examine the concept of gerrymandering in the context of the creation of majority-minority districts. Why are majority–minority districts important for racial and ethnic minorities? Does the creation of a majority-minority district automatically indicate gerrymandering? Who determines the composition of these districts? Include a discussion of how majority–minority districts were legalized.

Include a discussion of the Voting Rights Act of 1965; state racial gerrymandering and the Voting Rights Act of 1982’s attempt to combat this gerrymandering; the Supreme Court’s overturn of the Voting Rights Act of 1982 in that it decreased the likelihood that minorities could elect minority representatives, thus paving the way for majority–minority districts.
Creating majority-minority districts can lead to greater representation for minority groups; however, it can lead to less representation if the districts are gerrymandered to pack very high percentages into these districts.
Demonstrate understanding that states draw these district lines, so they may choose to draw them in a way that increases or decreases minority electoral representation.
Importance for racial minorities: Majority–minority districts increase descriptive and often substantive representation for racial and ethnic minorities.

5. Consider the extension of the power of the line-item veto to various state governors and the lack of this power for the president. What does this mean for the concept of executive authority at these different levels of government?

Define the line-item veto and its extension of policy-making power to the executive.
Many governors have line-item veto power but the president does not at this time.
Examine the idea that state executives have greater authority within their level of government than the president enjoys.

6. What explains the relative lack of racial and ethnic minority governors? What does this mean for racial minority interest representation at the state level?

Reference the concept of racially polarized voting and how Whites’ reluctance to vote for non-Whites factors into the lack of these governors.
Highlight that lack of minority representation among governors can possibly negatively influence the ways in which laws concerning these groups are executed within the states.

7. Historically, what has been the nature of the relationship between racial and ethnic minorities and state and local law enforcement agencies and officers? How has this been addressed since the 1960s?

Reference the poor, discriminatory, and detrimental relationship between law enforcement in states and localities and racial and ethnic minorities.
Highlight the efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice since the 1960s to monitor and intervene in state and local violations against these populations, thus demonstrating an increase in the power of the national government in civil rights and civil liberties matters.

8. Discuss the issues of home rule and statehood in Washington, DC. Who controls Washington, DC?

Define home rule, statehood, and the current status of Washington, DC (note that DC is controlled by the U.S. Congress and president).
Examine the progression toward greater home rule in the context of racial minority politics.
Evaluate the possibilities for greater autonomy for Washington, DC.

9. Municipal governments often have a great deal of authority in the areas of law enforcement, neighborhood maintenance, and economic development. Why are these areas of particular importance for racial minorities? What is the effect of greater racial and ethnic minority representation in municipal government?

Define municipal government and its general level of authority.
Examine the effects of law enforcement, neighborhood, and economic development on individuals’ lives in general.
Examine the history of the negative effects of these areas on racial and ethnic minorities.
Demonstrate that greater racial and ethnic minority representation in municipal government has led to greater representation of interests of these groups.

10. Compare and contrast three constitutional clauses that give the national government significant authority. Be sure to define each clause and demonstrate its effects on federalism.

Include and define commerce clause, necessary and proper clause, and supremacy clause.
Include direct comparisons between and among the clauses, with particular attention given to how the national government’s power is strengthened.
Highlight the ways in which the clauses give the federal government power over the state and local governments.

11. People often use the claim that “Blacks have not been enslaved since the end of the Civil War and that the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments provided equality for them in society” to justify the belief that this group is solely responsible for not having better economic, social, and political outcomes. Evaluate the validity of this claim in the context of battles over federalism.

Note that these are amendments to the U.S. Constitution and the Supreme Court ruled that the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments did not apply to the states.
Explain that under dual federalism, the national government could not enforce the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, therefore allowing states to violate and disenfranchise people on the basis of their race.
Conclude that this claim is only accurate in terms of the national government and that it was not until the national government gained more power over the states by the middle of the twentieth century that Blacks began to see greater equality within the law.

12. The extradition clause, the full faith and credit clause, and the privileges and immunities clause all establish national rules concerning how states must relate to each other. What is the effect of these clauses on the nature of federalism in the United States? Be sure to define and examine each of the clauses.

Define extradition, full faith and credit, and privileges and immunities clauses.
Explain that these clauses automatically give the national government power over the state governments because the former has the ability to compel the states to obey its authority. Answer should tie this argument directly to the clauses.

13. Despite the Supreme Court previously expanding national government power in the McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) and Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) cases, in the case of civil rights and race—particularly Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)—the Court validated the power of the states. Discuss why there was significant variation in the degree to which the Court sided with the national government versus state government.

Briefly describe the outcomes and precedents set by the cases.
Include arguments concerning the time periods; composition of the Courts; timing of the decision relative to political upheaval (i.e., Civil War); and the issue of slavery, race, and economics.
Evaluate the degree to which racial attitudes influence the balance of federalism.

14. Consider Justice John Marshall’s rulings in the Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) and the Worcester v. Georgia (1832) cases. What might account for the differentiation in the rulings?

Provide details concerning these cases.
Compare and contrast the arguments and outcomes of the cases.
Evaluate the differences in the Marshall court’s approach to these cases.
Examine the influences of racial attitudes and beliefs and the race of the plaintiffs on the cases.

15. Consider the ways in which government funding has evolved under different forms of federalism. Be sure to evaluate the differences among categorical grants, unfunded mandates, and block grants. Which forms of federalism is most likely to engage in each of these forms of policy funding? Why? Be sure to define the different forms of federalism and examine the degrees of power held by various levels of government.

Connect government funding with the idea of the balance of power between the national government and the state governments.
Define each of the concepts.
Connect categorical grants and unfunded mandates with cooperative federalism; connect block grants with devolution.

16. Examine the ways in which federalism comes into play in the case of Shelby County (AL) v. Holder. Be sure to discuss the potential for federalism to protect racial and ethnic minority voting rights.

Shelby County (AL) v. Holder relates to federalism in that the state of Alabama did not believe that it should have to go to the federal government to have its electoral laws approved. This is specific to a balance of power between state and national government.
Traditionally, the federal government has been able to protect voting rights for racial and ethnic minorities by overriding state laws. In this case, the federal government chose not to do so and to give states the ability to engage in electorally-based discrimination.

17. Examine the ways in which marijuana legalization efforts at the state level create problems relating to the concept of federalism. How have the Obama and Trump administrations approached this issue? Which level of government should have the final decision in these cases?

The national government has declared marijuana illegal. Therefore, states that legalize marijuana are allowing people to engage in activity that the national government deems illegal. Balance of power between states and the national government.
Obama admin: allow states to operate and regulate legalized marijuana sales.
Trump admin: reversal of some Obama-era policies.
Provide well-reasoned argument for which level of government should have more power in this policy area.

CHAPTER 4 CIVIL LIBERTIES: FREEDOM AND GOVERNMENT AUTHORITY IN TENSION

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Learn about civil liberties and the Bill of Rights.
Understand the difference between civil liberties and civil rights.
Determine the degree to which states and localities are subject to the protections of the Bill of Rights.
Develop a strong sense of the purpose of each of the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
Understand the ways in which civil liberties have not been equally extended to specific groups, such as racial and ethnic minorities.

Outline

I. The Bill of Rights

a. Origins of the Bill of Rights

b. Incorporation of the Bill of Rights

II. Freedom of Expression

a. Political Dissent

b. Pornography and Offensive Speech

c. Freedom of the Press

III. Freedom of Religion

a. Establishment of Religion

b. Free Exercise of Religion

- Our Voices: The Right to Practice Nontraditional Religions (Employment Division v. Smith)

IV. Criminal Justice

a. Investigation

b. Trial

- Evaluating Equality: Recognizing Values in Political Cartoons on Racial Profiling in Fighting Terrorism and Debating Profiling

c. Punishment

- Measuring Equality: Discrimination, Death Row Population, and Executions in States with the Death Penalty

V. Privacy

a. Personal Autonomy

b. Reproductive Freedom

VI. Conclusion

Discussion Questions

What should happen when different civil liberties conflict? Can you think of examples where guaranteed civil liberties come into conflict?
To what degree is political dissent protected? Is it wise or necessary to protect this sort of freedom of speech?
In what ways is the freedom of religion not adequately protected for all groups?
Why are there so many amendments concerning the criminal justice system? Despite these protections, why do we find so many racial and ethnic disparities within the criminal justice system?
To what degree should we protect a right to privacy? When is it reasonable to violate someone’s right to privacy?
Why did the Supreme Court choose not to incorporate all the civil liberties from the Bill of Rights immediately after the ratification of the 14^th amendment, rather than selectively?

Video Resources

Deadline, BigMouth Production

The Devil’s Playground, Columbia Pictures

Lake of Fire, ThinkFilm

The People vs. Larry Flynt, Columbia Pictures

Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech, HBO

Website Resources

American Civil Liberties Union, http://www.aclu.org/

American Center for Law and Justice, http://www.aclj.org/

NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Death Row, USA, http://www.naacpldf.org/death-row-usa/

MALDEF, http://www.maldef.org

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 97

1. Constitutional freedoms on which the government may not encroach are called are

a. Civil liberties.

b. Civil rights.

c. Civil laws.

d. Civil pursuits.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 97

2. Protections against unequal treatment that the government guarantees all groups are

a. Civil liberties.

b. Civil rights.

c. Civil laws.

d. Civil pursuits.

Question type: applied

Page number: 97

3. When James Fields purposefully drove his car into counter protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, killing Heather Heyer and injuring 19 others, his civil liberty to the right to a fair trial by jury was protected by which amendment?

a. 2nd.

b. 4th.

c. 6th.

d. 8th.

Question type: factual

Page number: 99

4. The Bill of Rights was

a. A part of the original Constitution.

b. Not a part of the original Constitution

c. Adopted after the Civil War.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 99

5. Many political leaders believed it was necessary to have a Bill of Rights because

a. They feared the centralized national government would tyrannically encroach on civil liberties.

b. They feared the centralized national government would tyrannically encroach on civil rights.

c. They feared the national government would not have enough power to protect its people.

d. They feared slave uprisings would threaten national security.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 99

6. Why did some Framers oppose a Bill of Rights?

a. By listing individual rights, government would only adhere to those that were listed.

b. The separation of powers and checks and balances would sufficiently protect individual liberties and prevent government tyranny.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 99

7. Which of the following threatened the ratification of the Constitution?

a. The lack of a bill of rights.

b. The lack of a supremacy clause.

c. The presence of a bill of rights.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 99

8. Who agreed to propose a bill of rights as constitutional amendments after the ratification of the Constitution?

a. Thomas Jefferson.

b. James Madison.

c. Benjamin Franklin.

d. John Hancock.

Question type: factual

Page number: 99

9. Which of the following is accurate?

a. The Bill of Rights only applies to state and local governments.

b. The Bill of Rights only applies to the national government.

c. The Bill of Rights applies to all levels of government.

d. The Bill of Rights only applies to the national government in special cases.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 99

10. What idea does the concept of incorporation refer to?

a. Whether the Bill of Rights should apply to the states in addition to the national government.

b. Whether the Bill of Rights should apply to the national government in addition to the states.

c. Whether there should be a bill of rights in the Constitution.

d. Whether the Bill of Rights is binding for public officials.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 100

11. Which clause within the Bill of Rights requires the government to provide compensation when it takes private property for public use?

a. Establishment clause.

b. Free exercise clause.

c. Eminent domain clause.

d. Due process clause.

Question type: factual

Page number: 100

12. Which amendment concerns the issue of eminent domain?

a. Second.

b. Third.

c. Fourth.

d. Fifth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 100

13. Which amendment ensures that states cannot deny any resident life, liberty, or property without following normal criminal and judicial procedures?

a. Thirteenth.

b. Fourteenth.

c. Fifteenth.

d. Sixteenth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 100

14. Which of the following is a part of the Fourteenth Amendment?

a. Establishment clause.

b. Free exercise clause.

c. Eminent domain clause.

d. Due process clause.

Question type: factual

Page number: 100

15. Which of the following is accurate?

a. The Fourteenth Amendment incorporates the entire Bill of Rights.

b. The Supreme Court ruled against the concept of the Fourteenth Amendment incorporating the entire Bill of Rights.

c. The Fourteenth Amendment is a part of the Bill of Rights.

d. The Fourteenth Amendment nullifies the Bill of Rights.

Question type: factual

Page number: 100

16. What is the process by which the Supreme Court has gradually incorporated specific liberties deemed absolutely necessary in a free society?

a. Incorporation.

b. Selective incorporation.

c. Full incorporation.

d. Critical incorporation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 100

17. Which Supreme Court case established the selective incorporation principle?

a. Palko v. Connecticut (1937).

b. Griswold v. Connecticut (1965).

c. Roe v. Wade (1973).

d. Employment Division v. Smith (1990).

Question type: factual

Page number: 101

18. The first amendment concerns the civil liberty of freedom of expression?

a. Freedom of expression.

b. Freedom of protection.

c. Freedom of thought.

d. Freedom of property.

Question type: factual

Page number: 101

19. Which of the following is not an issue related to freedom of expression?

a. Political dissent.

b. Pornography.

c. Offensive speech.

d. Gun ownership.

Question type: factual

Page number: 101

20. Is political dissent protected under the nation’s current understanding of freedom of expression?

a. No, it is dangerous to American values.

b. No, it always presents a clear and present danger to the government.

c. Yes, as long as it does not directly encourage lawless actions.

d. Yes, it is protected in all cases.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 101

21. What does the clear and present danger test allow the government to do?

a. Criminalize any expression that poses a definite and immediate threat to peace or national security.

b. Criminalize any gun ownership that will bring about substantial dangers or evils.

c. Withhold a trial for a citizen who is seen as potentially dangerous.

d. Force a confession out of a suspect.

Question type: applied

Page number: 103

22. If a citizen of the United States engaged in hate speech against Latinos and suggested that they should all be physically harmed, would this speech be protected by the First Amendment?

a. No, hate speech is not protected.

b. No, speech containing violent ideas is not protected.

c. Yes, hate speech is allowed if it does not directly encourage violence.

d. Yes, all speech is allowed.

Question type: factual

Page number: 103

23. The First Amendment protects flag desecration, non-obscene sexually explicit material, and

a. Incitement of violence.

b. Assault.

c. Hate speech.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 102

24. Which of the following is not protected by freedom of speech?

a. Hate speech.

b. Fighting words.

c. Political dissent.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 104

25. What is the term concerning government regulation preventing the publication of printed material?

a. Eminent domain.

b. Incorporation.

c. Prior restraint.

d. Libel.

Question type: factual

Page number: 104

26. Can the government prevent the publication of material that is critical of its policies?

a. Yes, because this sort of publication is dangerous to the government.

b. Yes, because this sort of publication demonstrates a clear and present danger to the country.

c. No, because this sort of publication is protected by freedom of the press.

d. No, because this sort of publication is accurate.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 104

27. Libel is

a. A term concerning compensation for property taken by the government.

b. A term concerning the requirement of all states to protect all of the civil liberties covered by the Bill of Rights.

c. A term concerning government regulation preventing the publication of printed material.

d. A term concerning the publication of written material that damages an individual’s reputation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 104

28. Public figures can only win a libel suit against a publication if

a. They can demonstrate that the claims are false.

b. They take the lawsuit to appeals court.

c. They can demonstrate that the claims are false and deliberately intended to inflict harm.

d. They can demonstrate the claims were means to inflict harm.

Question type: factual

Page number: 105

29. Which of the following is accurate?

a. All media outlets are equally protected by the freedom of the press.

b. Different types of media outlets are subject to differing levels of protection under freedom of the press.

c. Freedom of the press is specific only to written publications.

d. Freedom of the press does not exist in the digital age.

Question type: applied

Page number: 105

30. Governmental attempts to censor pornography on the Internet have been limited by the Supreme Court on the grounds of

a. Freedom of speech.

b. Freedom of the press.

c. Eminent domain.

d. Prior restraint.

Question type: factual

Page number: 105

31. Granting broadcasting licenses to radio and television stations so they may transmit their signals is the main purpose of the

a. Federal Election Commission (FEC).

b. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

c. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 101

32. Which of the following is not covered under the First Amendment?

a. Freedom of the press.

b. Freedom of religion.

c. Freedom from multiple trials for the same crime.

d. Freedom of assembly.

Question type: factual

Page number: 106

33. Which of the following is accurate?

a. The First Amendment established a formal religion for the new nation.

b. The First Amendment forbade the establishment of a formal religion for the new nation.

c. The First Amendment established a formal religion for the new nation but forbade religious persecution.

d. The First Amendment forbade the practice of religion in the new nation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 106

34. The establishment clause prohibits

a. The practice of religion.

b. State sponsorship of religion.

c. Government entanglement in religion.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 107

35. The free exercise clause allows for

a. The practice of religion.

b. State sponsorship of religion.

c. Governmental entanglement in religion.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 106

36. What prevents the government from interfering with or advancing any religion or religious activity?

a. Establishment clause.

b. Free exercise clause.

c. Due process clause.

d. Separation of church and state.

Question type: applied

Page number: 106

37. Is organized prayer in schools constitutional?

a. Yes, because the government cannot prevent the exercise of religious activity.

b. Yes, because of the separation of church and state.

c. No, because this violates the establishment clause.

d. No, because this violates the free exercise clause.

Question type: applied

Page number: 106

38. Is it constitutional to use school vouchers for parochial schools?

a. No, because the government can prevent the exercise of religious activity.

b. No, because of the separation of church and state.

c. Yes, because this does not violate the establishment clause.

d. Yes, because this does not violate the free exercise clause.

Question type: applied

Page number: 107

39. Can the government create a law that adversely affects religious worship?

a. Yes, the government has the ability to create any law based on the supremacy clause.

b. Yes, the government can do so if it demonstrates that it was not attempting to adversely affect a religious group.

c. Yes, only if the government can show a compelling justification.

d. No, because this violates the separation of church and state.

Question type: factual

Page number: 107

40. Religious institutions can lose their tax-exempt status from the government if they

a. Only choose to worship on Sundays.

b. Engage in racial discrimination.

c. Try to influence the social beliefs for their members.

d. Engage in discrimination against homosexuals.

Question type: factual

Page number: 108

41. When the Supreme Court ruled against an Arkansas prison’s ban on beards for Muslim inmates in 2015, the court affirmed the civil liberty of

a. Freedom of speech.

b. Freedom of religion.

c. Right to privacy.

d. Freedom of the press.

Question type: factual

Page number: 109

42. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2015 against “meta” searches of records of telephone calls, as this was a violation of:

a. 2^nd amendment rights.

b. 3^rd amendment rights.

c. 4^th amendment rights.

d. 5^th amendment rights.

Question type: factual

Page number: 103, 108

43. Which of the following are not directly related to civil liberties protected by the Constitution?

a. Criminal justice.

b. Religious freedom.

c. Gun ownership.

d. Discriminatory behavior.

Question type: factual

Page number: 108

44. Which amendment does not directly relate to criminal justice?

a. Third.

b. Fourth.

c. Fifth.

d. Sixth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 108

45. Which policy area has resulted in less civil liberties protection for racial and ethnic minorities?

a. The war on drugs.

b. The war on terrorism.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

46. The First Amendment protects

a. Free exercise of religion and freedom to peacefully assemble.

b. The right to bear arms.

c. Citizens from the quartering of soldiers in their homes during times of peace.

d. Citizens against search and seizure without probable cause.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

47. The Second Amendment protects

a. Free exercise of religion and freedom to peacefully assemble.

b. The right to bear arms.

c. Citizens from the quartering of soldiers in their homes during times of peace.

d. Citizens against search and seizure without probable cause.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

48. The Third Amendment protects

a. Free exercise of religion and freedom to peacefully assemble.

b. The right to bear arms.

c. Citizens from the quartering of soldiers in their homes during times of peace.

d. Citizens against search and seizure without probable cause.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

49. The Fourth Amendment protects

a. Free exercise of religion and freedom to peacefully assemble.

b. The right to bear arms.

c. Citizens from the quartering of soldiers in their homes during times of peace.

d. Citizens against search and seizure without probable cause.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

50. The ______ Amendment protects freedom of speech and freedom of the press.

a. First.

b. Second.

c. Third.

d. Fourth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

51. The ______ Amendment guarantees no second trial for the same offense.

a. Fifth.

b. Sixth.

c. Seventh.

d. Eighth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

52. The ______ Amendment protects a defendant’s right to a speedy, public trial.

a. Fifth.

b. Sixth.

c. Seventh.

d. Eighth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

53. The ______ Amendment protects the right to a trial by jury and the right to be informed of all charges.

a. Fifth.

b. Sixth.

c. Seventh.

d. Eighth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

54. The ______ Amendment protects a defendant’s right to have a trial by jury in civil suits.

a. Fifth.

b. Sixth.

c. Seventh.

d. Eighth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

55. The ______ Amendment protects against cruel and unusual punishment for a crime.

a. Fifth.

b. Sixth.

c. Seventh.

d. Eighth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

56. The _______ Amendment protects against trial for major crimes without a grand jury indictment.

a. Fifth.

b. Sixth.

c. Seventh.

d. Eighth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

57. The ______ Amendment protects the right to counsel for criminal defendants.

a. Fifth.

b. Sixth.

c. Seventh.

d. Eighth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

58. The ______ Amendment protects against excessive bail or fines.

a. Fifth.

b. Sixth.

c. Seventh.

d. Eighth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

59. The ______ Amendment protects against the denial of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.

a. Fifth.

b. Sixth.

c. Seventh.

d. Eighth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

60. The ______ Amendment grants to the states any powers that are not reserved for the federal government or prohibited to the states.

a. Seventh.

b. Eighth.

c. Ninth.

d. Tenth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

61. The ______ Amendment guarantees that the people retain rights that are not written in the Constitution.

a. Seventh.

b. Eighth.

c. Ninth.

d. Tenth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 98

62. What right has been incorporated by the Ninth Amendment?

a. Right to speedy trial.

b. Right to privacy.

c. Right to bear arms.

d. Right to assemble peacefully.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 108-109

63. To examine and investigate a home or business, law enforcement must have a legal document called a(n)

a. Search warrant.

b. Eminent domain.

c. Investigation warrant.

d. Civil warrant.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 109

64. Probable cause is required for a judge or magistrate to

a. Write a law.

b. Submit an executive order.

c. Issue a search warrant.

d. Present law-based guidelines to a jury.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 109

65. The ______ rule mandates that any evidence gathered in violation of the Fourth Amendment may not be used in court against a defendant unless it was gathered in good faith.

a. Exclusionary.

b. Due process.

c. Equal protection.

d. Investigation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 109

66. Is it legal for the government to engage in telephone and electronic wiretapping without a warrant?

a. No, this violates the Third Amendment.

b. No, this violates the Fourth Amendment.

c. Yes, wiretapping is interpreted as being covered by search and seizure protections.

d. Yes, a ruling requiring a warrant was overturned on appeal.

Question type: applied

Page number: 109, 111

67. Why is racial profiling, when law enforcement chooses to stop and search vehicles and individuals, problematic?

a. It represents an arbitrary, unequal application of the Second Amendment.

b. It represents an arbitrary, unequal application of the Fourth Amendment.

c. It represents an arbitrary, unequal application of the Sixth Amendment.

d. It represents an arbitrary, unequal application of the Eighth Amendment.

Question type: applied

Page number: 110

68. Which of the following does not represent an unequal application of the Fourth Amendment?

a. Increased security scrutiny for Middle Easterners in airports.

b. Higher proportions of Blacks stopped to have their vehicles searched.

c. The seizure of property of Japanese Americans during World War II.

d. American Indians not being allowed to use peyote in religious ceremonies although Catholics are allowed to use sacramental wine.

Question type: applied

Page number: 111-112

69. If a defendant were to say “I plead the Fifth,” it is understood that he or she

a. Is lawfully choosing not to provide evidence that might be used against him or her.

b. Is unlawfully choosing not to provide evidence that might be used against him or her.

c. Is refusing to provide any testimony in court.

d. Is choosing to have a trial by jury.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 109, 111

70. A law enforcement technique that singles out suspects on the basis of their race or ethnicity is called

a. Probable cause.

b. Search and seizure.

c. Racial profiling.

d. Miranda rights.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 112

71. Which of the following are included in the Miranda rights?

a. Right to remain silent

b. Right to know anything that is said can be used in court.

c. Right to an attorney.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 112

72. When was the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel for those unable to afford it incorporated as a requirement for state judicial systems?

a. 1890s.

b. 1920s.

c. 1960s.

d. 1980s.

Question type: factual

Page number: 112, 114

73. Despite the requirement to provide counsel for poor defendants, what is the basis for inequities in legal representation?

a. Public defenders are not always appointed for those who cannot afford counsel.

b. Public defenders have insufficient time and resources.

c. Public defenders must also aid the prosecution.

d. Public defenders do not have to be fully trained law professionals.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 114

74. The right of each side in a legal case to discard a set number of potential jurors without providing a reason is referred to as

a. No-cause challenges.

b. Miranda challenges.

c. Jury challenges.

d. Peremptory challenges.

Question type: factual

Page number: 115

75. Which of the following is not true of the Eighth Amendment?

a. Courts cannot order excessive bail and fines.

b. Prisons cannot inflict cruel and negligent treatment.

c. Drug offenses cannot carry longer sentences than murder offenses.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 115–121

76. Which of the following is accurate?

a. States with low populations of Blacks have the highest Black incarceration rates.

b. African American and Latino incarceration rates are higher than White incarceration rates.

c. African American defendants have been more likely to receive the death penalty than White defendants.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 118

77. The right to privacy

a. Is not directly mentioned in the Constitution.

b. Is understood as a fundamental right in the American political system.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 121

78. What is personal autonomy?

a. The ability of the court to automatically make decisions concerning one’s personal life.

b. The ability of individuals to control significant life decisions without government interference.

c. The ability of a person to pass his or her life savings along to a close relative.

d. The ability of the government to infringe on personal decision making.

Question type: factual

Page number: 121

79. Are laws banning consensual sexual activity between adults constitutional?

a. Yes, it is in the moral public interest to ban this activity.

b. Yes, the Supreme Court ruled that these types of bans are constitutional.

c. No, the Supreme Court overturned the ruling that said these bans are constitutional.

d. No, these laws violate the Seventh Amendment.

Question type: factual

Page number: 121

80. Which of the following is not related to the right to privacy?

a. Griswold v. Hardwick (1965).

b. Roe v. Wade (1973).

c. Lawrence v. Texas (2003).

d. Fisher v. University of Texas (2013).

Question type: factual

Page number: 116

81. Which of the following is accurate concerning the death penalty in the United States?

a. The Eighth Amendment has not been interrupted to prevent it.

b. More than three-fifths of the states utilize the death penalty.

c. The states are responsible for determining their capital punishment policies.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 97

82. When James Fields purposefully drove his car into counter protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, killing Heather Heyer and injuring 19 others, his civil liberty to not have to endure cruel and unusual punishment should he be found guilty of murder and attempted murder is protected by which amendment?

a. 2nd.

b. 4th.

c. 6th.

d. 8th.

Question type: factual

Page number: 99

83. Constitutional framers, such as Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, opposed a bill of rights because they believed:

a. the separation and powers and the checks and balances would be enough to protect the rights of the people.

b. there was no need to protect the rights of the people.

c. the Constitution should never be amended.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 99

84. How many amendments are in the Bill of Rights?

a. 5.

b. 10.

c. 15.

d. 20.

Question type: factual

Page number: 99

85. When was the Bill of Rights ratified?

a. 1776.

b. 1783.

c. 1787.

d. 1791.

Question type: factual

Page number: 99

86. Which of the following are most closely tied to civil liberties?

a. The Articles of Confederation.

b. The Constitution.

c. The Bill of Rights.

d. The Voting Rights Act.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 103-104

87. The 2015 Supreme Court ruling that upheld a Texas statute that allowed it to prevent the placement of the Confederate flag on state-issued license plates relates to the ways in which there can be exceptions granted for ____ amendment rights to freedom of speech.

a. 1^st.

b. 2^nd.

c. 3^rd.

d. 4^th.

Question type: factual

Page number: 105

88. Orange is the New Black, a Netflix Original Series, is able to bypass FCC regulations placed on ___________ , which allows it to depict sexually explicit material.

a. print media.

b. broadcast media.

c. internet media.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

89. Page number: 106

______________ favor(s) school vouchers significantly more than _____________.

a. Blacks and Latinos; the average population.

b. Whites; the average population.

c. Whites; Blacks and Latinos.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 108

90. If the U.S. government banned Muslim women from wearing a hijab (or veil), this would be considered a violation of which civil liberty?

a. Freedom from excessive bail.

b. Freedom from illegal search and seizure.

c. Free exercise of religion.

d. Freedom from quartering of soldiers.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 108

91. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against an Arkansas prison banned on Muslim men growing beards, in that this ban encroached on:

a. free exercise of religion.

b. freedom of assembly.

c. freedom of the press.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 117

92. Disproportionate criminal sentencing according to race and ethnicity are apparent given that __________________ have higher incarceration rates as compared to other groups.

a. Women.

b. African Americans and Latinos.

c. Asian Americans.

d. Whites.

Question type: factual

Page number: 121

93. The right to personal autonomy and the right to die relate to which civil liberty?

a. Freedom of speech.

b. Freedom of the press.

c. Restrictions on double jeopardy.

d. Right to privacy.

Short-Answer Questions

1. Define civil liberties and civil rights. Indicate how these concepts are different from one another.

Civil liberties: Constitutional freedoms enjoyed by Americans, on which the government may not encroach.
Civil rights: Protections against unequal treatment; these protections are supposed to be guaranteed for all groups.
Civil liberties stop government action against the people, while civil rights require action from the government for the protection of the rights of people.

2. Which part of the Constitution focuses most directly on guaranteeing civil liberties? Name four civil liberties outlined in the aforementioned portion of the Constitution.

The Bill of Rights focuses on guaranteeing civil liberties.
Freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom of peaceful assembly, right to bear arms, right to speedy public trial, protection from unlawful search and seizure, among many others (see Table 4.1).

3. What is incorporation? Why is this an important concept for civil liberties in the United States?

Incorporation: The application of the Bill of Rights to state and local governments.
Importance: Ensures that state and local governments (rather than only the national government) may not encroach on individuals’ basic freedoms and rights.

4. Name 10 liberties in the Bill of Rights that have been incorporated and that are still unincorporated.

See Table 4.1 for a full list of those incorporated.
Unincorporated: Third Amendment (protection from quartering of soldiers); part of Fifth Amendment (protection against trial for major crimes without a grand jury indictment); Seventh Amendment (right to trial by jury in civil suits); part of Eighth Amendment (protection against excessive bail or fines); Tenth Amendment (not relevant to incorporation).

5. List the civil liberties protected by the First Amendment. How many of these are incorporated.

First Amendment liberties: No government establishment of religion, free expression of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to peaceful assembly, freedom to petition the government for redress.
All are incorporated.
Most credit should be awarded if at least four liberties are listed.

6. What is the purpose of the Second Amendment? How does it relate to the concept of civil liberties?

Second Amendment: Protects the right to bear arms for the purpose of a well-regulated militia.
Civil liberties: Relates to the idea that the government should not encroach on individuals’ freedoms, including potential political dissent.

7. What is the Third Amendment? To what degree does it remain relevant to daily American life?

Third Amendment: Protects against the quartering of soldiers in private homes during times of peace.
There is no current precedent of the government attempting to require citizens to house the military.
An excellent response will reference the fact that this amendment has not had cause to be incorporated.

8. What is political dissent? Which amendment is most relevant to this concept? Does the constitution protect political dissent?

Political dissent: Advocating fundamental changes in our form of government; can include calling for overthrow of the government and joining groups promoting subversive ideas.
First Amendment is most relevant to political dissent as freedom of expression.
The constitution protects political dissent unless that dissent directly encourages lawless actions.

9. What is the clear and present danger test? How has it been used by the government? What is its current interpretation?

Clear and present danger test: “A guideline that requires the government to demonstrate that banned expression poses a definite and immediate threat to peace or national security.”
It has been used to limit political dissent.
Especially used from 1920s through 1950s to limit advocacy for communism and socialism.
It is currently interpreted to have limited reach; political dissent viewed as threatening can only be banned if it directly encourages lawless actions.

10. To what degree is pornography protected as a form of expression under the First Amendment? How has this changed over time?

Obscene material: Not protected; Non-obscene material: Protected.
There is some room for interpretation of whether material is obscene.
An excellent answer will include a reference to the Miller standard: Material is protected under the First Amendment if, as a whole, it is not excessively sexual or if it contains political, scientific, artistic, or literary value.
Prior to the 1950s, both the federal and the state governments heavily regulated pornography. Now, literature and cinema cannot be banned on these grounds, but localities still have a great deal of power in determining what can and cannot be disseminated.

11. Define fighting words. How do they relate to the concept of free speech? Does the First Amendment protect fighting words? Why or why not?

Fighting words: Derisive, insulting, or offensive words that inflict damage on other people and are therefore not protected by the First Amendment.
Fighting words are not considered speech and, as such, are not protected by the First Amendment.

12. What is hate speech? Does this differ from fighting words? Is hate speech covered by the protection of the First Amendment?

Hate speech: A form of expression that is hostile toward a particular race, ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation.
Hate speech is a subtype of fighting words; unlike fighting words, hate speech is protected as a form of speech in that it is the expression of a particular viewpoint of a group or groups.

13. Name four types of media that are protected under freedom of the press.

Newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, blogs, broadcast radio and television, cable/satellite radio and television, Internet.

14. What is prior restraint? In what circumstances can the government override prior restraint?

Prior restraint: A government attempt to prevent or impede the publication or distribution of printed material.
Prior restraint is sometimes permissible in cases of national security; this is still quite rare.

15. What is libel? What mechanism is said to encourage media outlets from engaging in libel? What must a public figure demonstrate if he or she is suing for libel?

Libel: The publication of written material that damages a person’s reputation.
Mechanism: Media outlets can be sued by individuals who are libeled for monetary damages (provides incentive for truthfulness through potential financial burden).
Public figure: (1) information is untrue; (2) publication was malicious, false, and damaging, intending to inflict harm.

16. What is the justification for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)? Why is it allowed to limit freedom of expression?

FCC: There are relatively few outlets for expression in television and radio (finite number of transmission frequencies); thus, the FCC grants licenses for broadcast and can regulate the content of broadcasts.
The FCC is allowed to limit freedom of expression by prohibiting indecent material because of television and radio’s accessibility to children.

17. Which amendment contains protections for the freedom of religion? What are the two main ways in which this amendment ensures freedom of religion?

First Amendment.
(1) Establishment clause: Prohibits state sponsorship of religion and includes the concept of separation of church and state; (2) Free exercise clause: Prevents laws that directly prohibit the practice of religion.

18. Discuss the differences between the establishment clause and the free exercise clause.

Establishment clause: Prohibits state sponsorship of religion.
Free exercise clause: Prevents laws that directly prohibit the practice of religion.
Should examine the two clauses comparatively and demonstrate that one stops government action, whereas the other removes restrictions on individual action.

19. Which amendments are specific to the criminal justice process? What are the three overarching areas these amendments cover?

Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments.
Investigation (Fourth and Fifth), trial (Fifth and Sixth), and punishment (Eighth).

20. Why is it necessary for law enforcement to have a search warrant to enter a private area to search for and seize evidence of criminal activity?

Connect answer to Fourth Amendment.
This helps to protect the liberty and property of individuals from arbitrary investigation and seizure.

21. What is the connection between a search warrant, probable cause, and the exclusionary rule?

Probable cause is necessary for a search warrant.
The exclusionary rule is applied when there is no search warrant and probable cause. Evidence gathered without them may not be used in court.
Each of these should be defined within the answer.

22. How does racial profiling constitute a violation of civil liberties?

Racial profiling: A law enforcement technique that singles out suspects on the basis of their race or ethnicity.
This is a violation of civil liberties because it constitutes an arbitrary application of the Bill of Rights, removing liberties and freedom only from particular groups.

23. Which amendment has been interpreted in such a way as to make confessions inadmissible at trial if a defendant’s requests for an attorney were denied? Why is this scenario understood as an interpretation of the amendment rather than a direct aspect of the amendment?

Fifth Amendment.
This amendment guarantees that a defendant does not have to provide evidence against him- or herself. This concept has been expanded to police interrogations, but police interrogations were not originally a part of the amendment.
Consider partial credit for answer that claims the Sixth Amendment (given the amendment’s “right to counsel”).

24. What are Miranda rights? Why are law enforcement officials required to inform suspects of those rights?

Supreme Court’s requirement that law enforcement must inform criminal suspects of their right to remain silent, their right to an attorney, their access to an attorney prior to interrogation, and the knowledge that anything they say can be used against them in court.
This is now required as a means of ensuring that those who are unaware of their rights and liberties are allowed to retain them.

25. What liberties are guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment? Have these liberties been incorporated?

Right to speedy public trial, trial by jury, be informed of charges, confront accusers and compel witnesses to testify, counsel for criminal defendants.
All have been incorporated.

26. What groups have been particularly targeted by peremptory challenges? What has been the result in terms of jury composition?

Racial and ethnic minorities have been targeted.
This can have effects on the degree to which a jury is fair and impartial, particularly in matters connected to the race of the defendant.
Additionally, this lessens the degree to which a jury is composed of a defendant’s “peers.”

27. What liberties are guaranteed by the Eighth Amendment? What is the relationship between criminal sentencing and Eighth Amendment protections?

Liberties: Protection from excessive bail and fines, protection from cruel and unusual punishment.
The Eighth Amendment prevents cruel and unusual sentencing; however, it does not apply to the magnitude of sentencing and whether the sentence is balanced in relation to the crime committed.

28. Which regions in the United States have the highest proportion of African Americans and Latinos on death row compared to each group’s proportion of the population? Which regions have the lowest proportion of these groups on death row compared to their proportion of the population? What does this demonstrate?

High death row/low population (Blacks): North and West; High death row/low population (Latinos): North.
Lowest death row/high population (Blacks): South; High death row/high population (Latinos): West.
This demonstrates that there is racial and ethnic bias in the judicial system, and civil liberties are being unequally applied for these groups. If there was no bias, the proportions should be equal across the regions.

29. Which racial, ethnic, and religious groups tend to be most supportive of abortion rights, and which are most opposed?

On the whole, minorities are less supportive than Whites.
Blacks are slightly more supportive of abortion rights than Whites and Latinos; however, Black Protestants are less supportive than White mainline Protestants.
Latino Catholics are less supportive than White Catholics.

30. What is the civil liberty connection between personal autonomy and reproductive freedom? Are these issues directly or indirectly protected by the Constitution? How?

Connection: Right to privacy.
The right to privacy is indirectly protected by the Ninth Amendment.

31. What is racial profiling? How does this connect to and violate civil liberties?

Racial profiling: a law enforcement technique that singles out suspects on the basis of race or ethnicity.
This often leads to illegal search and seizure, and at times leads to the use of unwarranted lethal force.

32. How does employment discrimination relating to Muslim women wearing a veil (hijab) connect to civil liberties?

Identify free exercise of religion as a civil liberty.
Demonstrate that this is a violation of civil rights, as compared to civil liberties, in that those engaging in the discrimination are businesses, rather than the government.

33. How does the issues of abortion relate to civil liberties?

Define civil liberties.
Relate to the right to privacy.

34. How do race/ethnicity and civil liberties intersect?

Racial profiling; illegal search and seizure
Police shootings
Racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to have their civil liberties violated than other groups, and there are rarely any repercussions for these violations.

Essay Questions

1. The concepts of civil liberties and civil rights are often confused with one another. Examine the difference between civil liberties and civil rights. Focus particularly on how these concepts relate to governmental control, and provide an example of when civil rights and civil liberties may come into conflict with one another.

Define civil liberties and civil rights.
Demonstrate that civil liberties restrain government action and civil rights require government action.
Highlight major differences and similarities between the concepts.
Provide an example of civil rights and civil liberties coming into conflict (e.g. a county clerk refusing to grant a marriage license to an LGBTQ couple).

2. Compare and contrast the arguments both for and against a Bill of Rights. Which groups put forth these arguments? What was the outcome of this debate?

Federalists: Less supportive of Bill of Rights because they felt it unnecessary (they were less worried about government overreach). Additionally, they worried that enumerating rights would limit citizens’ rights to those that were listed.
Anti-Federalists: Insisted on Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties and rights. Very concerned about the power of a strong central government.
Answer should describe the debate and note that it was somewhat resolved by the promise to draft and propose a Bill of Rights as an amendment to the new Constitution.

3. Explain the concepts of incorporation and selective incorporation. Which of these is the current working concept concerning the Bill of Rights? What does the lack of incorporation mean for the stability of those liberties that do not have a precedent of state and local coverage?

Define and differentiate incorporation and selective incorporation.
Bill of Rights is selectively incorporated.
Provide a strong argument concerning whether the lack of incorporation at the state and local level makes the liberties in question less stable; should include differentiation among levels of government.

4. The Palko v. Connecticut (1937) ruling contains the first mention of the selective incorporation principle. What is this principle? According to the ruling in this case, which liberties should be incorporated? Is it reasonable to differentiate liberties by level of importance? Why or why not?

Define selective incorporation.
Explain that the ruling claims only those liberties essential for a free society are incorporated by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Examine the question of whether some liberties are more important and valuable than others.
Mention an unincorporated liberty in this discussion.

5. Your textbook notes that freedom of expression has been restrained by the government “out of concern for safety, civility, and morality.” Examine the ways in which freedom of expression can threaten these three issues. Provide examples of how the government has curtailed freedom of expression in the interest of these issues.

Separately connect the protections of the First Amendment to safety, civility, and morality.
Provide and explain examples of decreased freedom of expression in the face of these three issues.

6. Based on the founding ideals and principles of our political system, why is it important to protect political dissent? Provide one example of how political dissent has been outlawed in the United States. To what degree does this continue to be the case?

Include an argument for protecting political dissent in the context of the First Amendment and freedom of expression. Can also connect to the dissent of the Framers of the Constitution.
Draw on an example of political dissent and government backlash in the early to mid-1900s.
Demonstrate a recognition of the fact that political dissent is currently protected to a greater degree than it was during the example provided within the response.

7. The early twentieth century is fraught with examples of the tightening and restriction of First Amendment liberties. Provide two examples of these types of restrictions. When do we begin to see a lessening of these restrictions? Provide examples.

Provide examples of fewer protections for political dissent, pornography, and so on, in the early twentieth century.
Should point to an increase in protections of First Amendment liberties beginning in the 1960s.
May include examples such as flag desecration, increased allowance of political dissent, or relaxation of definition of obscenity.
May also suggest that although some restrictions on freedom of expression have been loosened, others have been tightened (e.g., American Indians and religious ceremonies).

8. Although fighting words are not protected by the First Amendment, they are protected when they come in the form of hate speech. What is the reasoning behind this? When hate speech turns to hate crimes, are these actions then also protected by the First Amendment? Why or why not?

The law would be discriminating against individuals and groups that hold a specific viewpoint if fighting words in the form of hate speech were outlawed. The holding of these viewpoints is protected by the First Amendment.
This does not mean that minority groups are without redress. The Supreme Court has upheld state laws that allow increased criminal penalties for hate crimes.
This answer should demonstrate an understanding of the difference between fighting words and hate speech, the purpose of allowing hate speech, and the consequences of turning that speech into action.

9. What is the purpose of protecting the freedom of the press? How does this relate to the concept of civil liberties? Should protections for civil liberties extend to media groups and organizations, rather than just to individuals? Provide an argument for why freedom of the press is protected in the context of individual liberties.

Provide justification for freedom of the press by way of the idea that there should be a freedom of expression of ideas and information. In this way, people have the ability to form more informed ideas and opinions, as well as see their opinions and beliefs more widely disseminated rather than banned.
Include an examination of whether freedom of the press is necessary in the context of the idea that civil liberties should only be extended to individuals.

10. What is the connection between libel and the printed media? Why is libel seen as such a problematic issue? Given that it is so problematic, why must public figures pass such a high bar to successfully sue against libel?

Define libel and demonstrate that it is specific to claims placed in writing.
Provide an argument for the damaging nature of libel and highlight the lack of any positive influences.
Consider the argument that extreme crackdowns on any material containing libel, despite intent, would hinder the freedom of the press.

11. There are much stronger protections in place for freedom of printed media than for freedom of broadcast media. What is the reasoning behind this? Name and evaluate the purpose of the part of federal government that regulates broadcast media. Compare and contrast arguments for and against fewer protections for freedom of the press for broadcast media compared to print media.

Explain the difference in access to dissemination of printed media and broadcast media.
Also explain the nature of broadcast media and its availability to all groups.
Name the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and explain why it is in charge of granting licenses and prohibiting the airing of indecent material (in the context of children).
Evaluate the varying degrees of protection of the freedom of the press for print versus broadcast media.

12. Various early American settlers sought to escape religious persecution. This helps to explain why the Founders were interested in ensuring freedom of religion. What is the connection between classical liberal thought concerning religion and the establishment clause? What is the connection between classical liberal thought and the free exercise clause?

Define the establishment clause and the free exercise clause.
Highlight the classical liberal distaste for religious dogma in the context of the decision to prohibit state sponsorship of religion.
Highlight the classical liberal focus on individual rights in the context of the freedom to practice the religion of one’s choice.

13. In the case of Employment Division (Oregon) v. Smith (1990), which related to the firing of employees for the use of a hallucinogenic substance during a religious ceremony, the Supreme Court ruled that neutral, secular laws must be upheld even if they hinder the practice of religion; however, in 2006, the Supreme Court overturned a ban on a hallucinogenic tea because the ban violated American Indians’ free exercise of religion in tribal religious ceremonies. What do these two cases demonstrate concerning the protections of the First Amendment and ethnocentric views? What do the cases suggest concerning the extension of the free exercise clause for nonmainstream religions in the United States?

Define free exercise clause, freedom of religion in the First Amendment, and ethnocentric views.
Evaluate the ways in which the Employment Division ruling depends heavily on ethnocentric views.
Compare the use of ethnocentric views in Employment Division with the reversal of its use in 2006.
Examine the ways in which specific groups have not enjoyed the full extension of civil liberties via the free exercise clause.

14. Explain the importance of the landmark Supreme Court case Employment Division (Oregon) v. Smith (1990). How did the case change the Supreme Court’s evaluation of religion-neutral laws that impede the practice of religion? What are the consequences of this ruling for racial and ethnic minorities?

Provide details of the case and the ruling.
Demonstrate an understanding that the Court moved toward valuing religion-neutral laws over individual rights.
Evaluate the ways in which the Employment Division ruling depends heavily on ethnocentric views.
Examine the ways in which specific groups have not enjoyed the full extension of civil liberties via the free exercise clause.

15. How have the war on drugs and the war on terrorism resulted in fewer civil liberties protections for racial and ethnic minorities?

Briefly explain the war on drugs and the war on terrorism.
Demonstrate that the war on drugs has particularly targeted Blacks and Latinos, whereas the war on terrorism has particularly targeted Middle Easterners.
Provide an examination of the ways in which civil liberties protected by the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments have been violated for these groups.
May mention racial profiling.

16. What is the purpose of the exclusionary rule? How does this support the purposes of the Fourth Amendment? Examine the pros and cons of the use of the exclusionary rule in the context of civil liberties.

Define and explain the exclusionary rule (incorporates search warrants and probable cause).
Evaluate the degree to which the exclusionary rule helps to protect Fourth Amendment search and seizure rights by invalidating evidence that is obtained by violating those rights.
Provide an examination of the positive and negative aspects of invalidating evidence of a crime.

17. Discuss the arguments for and against racial profiling. Be sure to include arguments relating to constitutional liberties, equality, and effective law enforcement.

Define and evaluate racial profiling.
May refer to the wars on drugs and terrorism and how they have particularly targeted Blacks, Latinos, and Middle Easterners.
Provide an examination of the ways in which civil liberties protected by the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Amendments have been violated for these groups.
Demonstrate an understanding that laws and liberties are not equally extended to racial and ethnic minorities.
Provide the argument and counterargument concerning the usefulness of profiling for effective law enforcement.

18. To what extent is the right to a fair trial extended to racial and ethnic minorities? Which amendment provides for this civil liberty of the right to a fair trial and why has it not always been equally provided for all people within the nation? Within your answer, be sure to include a discussion of the effects of peremptory challenges and counsel provided by the government.

Consider the idea that racial attitudes of jury members might decrease the fairness of a trial against racial and ethnic minorities, as both defendants and claimants.
Examine the idea that peremptory challenges overwhelmingly against racial and ethnic minorities can have effects on the degree to which a jury is fair and impartial, particularly in matters connected to the race of the defendant.
Additionally, peremptory challenges might lessen the degree to which a jury is composed of a defendant’s “peers.”
Evaluate the problems relating to socioeconomic status and heavy caseloads of public defenders.

19. What accounts for differences in criminal sentencing for racial and ethnic minorities? Do these disparities exist with regard to the death penalty? What do these disparities mean in the context of protections of civil liberties? Do sentencing disparities pose a breach of Eighth Amendment rights?

Consider the effects of racial attitudes on a judicial system that is supposed to be fair and impartial.
Demonstrate that racial attitudes have influenced sentencing and the likelihood of death penalty seeking and sentencing.
Demonstrate an understanding that laws and liberties are not equally extended to racial and ethnic minorities.
Highlight the idea that the Eighth Amendment does not cover variations in sentencing.

20. Discuss the Ninth Amendment and the right to privacy. Include in your discussion the topics of government intrusion in individuals’ decisions concerning the right to die and the right to reproductive freedom.

Examine the purposes of the Ninth Amendment.
Consider the implied right to privacy within the American political system.
Demonstrate that the Ninth Amendment was used to incorporate the right to privacy.
Evaluate arguments for and against the right to die and the right to reproductive freedom, with a focus on these issues as right to privacy issues.

21. Why are the police killings of unarmed individuals problematic in terms of the issue of civil liberties?

Define and evaluate the concept of civil liberties.
Explain that if a person is suspected of a crime but they are killed by police (who are government officials), they are unable to have their right to a fair and speedy trial because the government has already executed them. This also violates cruel and unusual punishment.
Responses can include additional civil liberties from the Bill of Rights.

22. How does racial profiling relate to the civil liberty of a right to privacy.

Define and evaluate the concept of civil liberties.
Define and evaluate the concept of right to privacy, specifically in the context that it is not directly stated as a civil liberty in the Bill of Rights.
Define racial profiling and examine the ways in which it allows for people not suspected of specific wrongdoing to be targeted.

CHAPTER 5 CIVIL RIGHTS: INEQUALITY AND EQUALITY

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Understand the concepts of civil rights, inequality, and segregation.
Examine the history of the denial of civil rights in the United States.
Determine the variable ways in which civil rights have been withheld from different groups.
Develop an understanding of why the protection of civil rights is essential for the American political system.

Outline

I. Civil Rights Terms and Concepts

a. Group Designation

b. Forms of Inequality

c. Segregation

II. Race, Ethnicity, and Civil Rights

a. Blacks

i. Enslavement of Blacks

ii. The Civil War and Reconstruction

- Our Voices: South Carolina’s Black Codes

iii. The Era of Segregation and Discrimination

iv. The Civil Rights Era

v. Busing

- Measuring Equality: Voter Registration and the Voting Rights Act of 1965

vi. Affirmative Action

vii. Recent Changes in Voting Laws

b. Latinos

i. Mexican Americans

ii. Puerto Ricans

iii. Cuban Americans

iv. Immigration

- Evaluating Equality: Terminology and Support for Illegal Immigration Reform

c. Asian Americans

d. American Indians

III. Nonracial and Ethnic Struggles for Civil Rights

a. Women

b. Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, and the Transgendered

c. Elderly and Disabled

IV. Conclusion

Discussion Questions

What are civil rights and how do they differ from civil liberties?
How do the various civil rights movements among disadvantaged groups compare to one another? Expand on the similarities and differences of their approaches and their goals.
What is the current status of the Equal Rights Amendment and what are the arguments for and against it?
Why is it essential for a democratic government to ensure the civil rights of all people residing within a nation?
What is the Supreme Court’s current disposition toward cases involving the civil rights of traditionally marginalized groups? What evidence can you bring to bear on this subject?
What is likely to occur in terms of the enforcement of civil rights within the Justice Department under a Trump administration?

Video Resources

Before Stonewall, First Run Features

Chicano! A History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement, Galan Productions

Eyes on the Prize, PBS Films

The Fight in the Fields: Cesar Chavez and the Farmworkers’ Struggle, Paradigm Productions

Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, Florentine Films

13^th, Kandoo Films

Freedom Summer, American Experience, PBS Films

Website Resources

American Indian Movement, http://www.aimovement.org/

Anti-Defamation League, http://www.adl.org

Human Rights Campaign, http://www.hrc.org/

Japanese American Citizens League, http://www.jacl.org/

League of United Latin American Citizens, http://www.lulac.org/

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, http://www.naacp.org/home/index.htm/

National Organization for Women, http://www.now.org/

Southern Poverty Law Center, http://www.splcenter.org/

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, http://www.justice.gov/crt

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 129

1. Civil rights are

a. protections from improper government action and overreach.

b. protections against unequal treatment that the government guarantees to all groups.

c. protections from anarchy and chaos.

d. protections against violations of law.

Question type: factual

Page number: 129

2. Which of the following is NOT a significant dimension along which civil rights have been denied?

a. Race.

b. Gender.

c. Sexual orientation.

d. Veganism.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 130

3. The classification of a set of people based on defined criteria is known as

a. Race.

b. Ethnicity.

c. Gender

d. Group designation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 130

4. The classification of people based on physical characteristics, especially skin color is known as

a. Race.

b. Ethnicity.

c. Gender

d. Group designation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 130

5. The classification of people based on national origin or culture is known as

a. Race.

b. Ethnicity.

c. Gender

d. Group designation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 132

6. The classification of people based on societal expectations concerning sex is known as

a. Race.

b. Ethnicity.

c. Gender

d. Group designation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 130

7. Which of the following is an example of the social construction of race?

a. Varying state laws designating who was Black based on ancestry.

b. Longer criminal sentences for Black perpetrators.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 130

8. Classifications based on ethnicity have been a considerable basis for __________ in the American political system.

a. Equality.

b. Economic development.

c. Unequal treatment.

d. Equal treatment.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 132

9. The extent to which one group enjoys more political, social, or economic benefits than another group is known as

a. Inequality.

b. Equality.

c. Ethnicity.

d. Privilege.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 132

10. A form of inequality in which laws or official actions deny specific groups social, political, or economic benefits that are available to other groups is known as

a. Inequality of life chances.

b. Inequality of opportunity.

c. Inequality of outcome.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 132

11. A form of inequality in which social and demographic forces, not official laws or policies, cause one group to enjoy more political, social, or economic benefits than another group is known as

a. Inequality of life chances.

b. Inequality of opportunity.

c. Inequality of outcome.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 132-133

12. Which of the following is not a direct result of government or policy discrimination?

a. De jure racial segregation in schools.

b. Bans on homosexual marriage.

c. On average, women earn lower wages than men for the same job.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 132

13. The concept concerning a dominant group physically separating itself from a subordinate group is known as

a. Inequality.

b. Group designation.

c. Discrimination.

d. Segregation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 133

14. The physical separation of groups that results from laws or official government actions is known as

a. Inequality of opportunity.

b. Inequality of outcome.

c. De facto segregation.

d. De jure segregation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 133

15. The physical separation of groups that is not legally sanctioned or imposed by the government but instead stems from individual preferences and economic forces is known as

a. Inequality of opportunity.

b. Inequality of outcome.

c. De facto segregation.

d. De jure segregation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 133

16. Two distinct school systems for White and Black students act as an example of

a. Inequality of opportunity.

b. Inequality of outcome.

c. De facto segregation.

d. De jure segregation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 133

17. High levels of racial segregation within a county-based school system that has high levels of residential racial segregation acts as an example of

a. Inequality of opportunity.

b. Inequality of outcome.

c. De facto segregation.

d. De jure segregation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 132

18. The lack of voting rights for women prior to the Nineteenth Amendment acts as an example of

a. Inequality of opportunity.

b. Inequality of outcome.

c. De facto segregation.

d. De jure segregation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 132

19. The difficulty of many high-performing racial minority students in getting accepted to a prestigious university because of the lack of rigor of their high school acts as an example of

a. Inequality of opportunity.

b. Inequality of outcome.

c. De facto segregation.

d. De jure segregation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 133

20. Although civil rights issues and violations affect many different groups, the plurality of civil rights abuses over the history of the United States concern

a. Gender.

b. Religion.

c. Race and ethnicity.

d. Sexual orientation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 134

21. What was one of the first ways that Blacks were denied civil rights in America?

a. Enslavement.

b. Segregation.

c. Disenfranchisement.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 135

22. Soon after the founding of the nation, the lack of civil rights for Blacks was a(n) _________ of the Constitution and the founding principles.

a. Affirmation.

b. Violation.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 135

23. Once slavery was abolished in northern states, Blacks in these states

a. Enjoyed full civil rights.

b. Still had no other civil rights.

c. Obtained limited civil rights varying by state.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 135

24. Nineteenth-century political activists who sought to end slavery were known as

a. Southern Democrats.

b. Forty-Niners.

c. Abolitionists.

d. Social justice advocates.

Question type: factual

Page number: 135

25. In Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842), the Supreme Court ruled that

a. State laws protecting runaway slaves were superseded by federal laws and slaveholders’ property rights.

b. State courts must decide whether runaway slaves must be returned to slaveholders.

c. State laws protecting runaway slaves superseded federal laws and slaveholders’ property rights.

d. Federal courts must decide whether runaway slaves must be returned to slaveholders.

Question type: factual

Page number: 135

26. Which of the following is a controversial Supreme Court decision that ruled that Congress lacked the power to regulate slavery and Blacks had no civil rights?

a. Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

b. Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842).

c. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 136

27. An executive order issue by President Lincoln during the Civil War that freed the slaves in the Confederacy is known as the

a. Black codes.

b. Equal protection clause.

c. Thirteenth Amendment.

d. Emancipation Proclamation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 136

28. A specific provision that prevents states from passing laws that treat people differently on account of race or ethnicity is known as the

a. Black codes.

b. Equal protection clause.

c. Fifteenth Amendment.

d. Emancipation Proclamation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 136

29. Laws passed in Southern states during the immediate aftermath of the Civil War that singled out African Americans for mistreatment and discrimination were known as the

a. Black codes.

b. Black rules.

c. Black laws.

d. Black institutions.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 136

30. The ________ amendment to the Constitution prohibits slavery throughout the United States.

a. Thirteenth.

b. Fourteenth

c. Fifteenth.

d. Sixteenth.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 136

31. The ________ amendment to the Constitution prevents states from denying on the basis of race full citizenship to their residents.

a. Thirteenth.

b. Fourteenth

c. Fifteenth.

d. Sixteenth.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 136

32. The _________ amendment to the Constitution prevents states from racial discrimination in voting.

a. Thirteenth.

b. Fourteenth

c. Fifteenth.

d. Sixteenth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 136

33. When did the Reconstruction period end?

a. 1868.

b. 1872.

c. 1877.

d. 1889.

Question type: factual

Page number: 136

34. When was the Thirteenth Amendment ratified?

a. 1863.

b. 1864.

c. 1865.

d. 1866.

Question type: factual

Page number: 136

35. When was the Fourteenth Amendment ratified?

a. 1867.

b. 1868.

c. 1869.

d. 1870.

Question type: factual

Page number: 136

36. When was the Fifteenth Amendment ratified?

a. 1867.

b. 1868.

c. 1869.

d. 1870.

Question type: factual

Page number: 136

37. The period during which former Confederate states were brought back into the Union, often characterized by a military presence in the South and civil rights progress for Blacks, is known as

a. The antebellum period.

b. Reconstruction.

c. Deconstruction.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 136

38. Which amendment does the equal protection clause belong to?

a. Twelfth.

b. Thirteenth.

c. Fourteenth.

d. Fifteenth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 136-137

39. What allowed for the enforcement of the Civil Rights Acts of 1870, 1871, and 1875?

a. The strong military presence in the South during Reconstruction.

b. The Black codes.

c. Jim Crow laws.

d. Congressional approval.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 138

40. The southern practice of racially segregating all public facilities, such as transportation, schools, libraries, hotels, hospitals, theaters, parks, and cemeteries, was based on

a. Racial discrimination.

b. Jim Crow laws.

c. The Black codes.

d. Racial integration.

Question type: factual

Page number: 138

41. The policy of Reconstruction after the Civil War ended under President _______, essentially removing federal government protections for newly freed African American populations.

a. A. Johnson.

b. R. Hayes.

c. U. Grant.

d. J. Garfield.

Question type: factual

Page number: 138

42. Which controversial Supreme Court decision ruled that, under the Fourteenth Amendment, states were allowed to segregate by race?

a. Marbury v. Madison (1803).

b. Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842).

c. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).

d. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 138

43. A legal doctrine that allowed segregation of the races in public facilities as long as each race received the facility in question was known as the

a. Full equality principle.

b. Separate and equal principle.

c. Equality of segregation principle.

d. Separate but equal principle.

Question type: applied

Page number: 138

44. Segregated water fountains and restrooms would be legal under the

a. Jim Crow laws.

b. Separate but equal principle.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 138

45. A government group denying a group the right to vote is known as

a. Enfranchisement.

b. Disenfranchisement.

c. Reenfranchisement.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 138

46. A literacy test is a

a. form of disenfranchisement in which potential voters must demonstrate the ability to read as a condition for registering to vote.

b. fee charged as a condition of registering to vote, which disenfranchises the impoverished, especially African Americans.

c. policy designed to disenfranchise Blacks by exempting Whites who had been able to vote at the end of the Civil War, but not Blacks, from literacy tests.

d. measure to increase voting rights for racial and ethnic minority groups.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 139

47. A poll tax is a

a. form of disenfranchisement in which potential voters must demonstrate the ability to read as a condition for registering to vote.

b. fee charged as a condition of registering to vote, which disenfranchises the impoverished, especially African Americans.

c. policy designed to disenfranchise Blacks by exempting Whites who had been able to vote at the end of the Civil War, but not Blacks, from literacy tests.

d. measure to increase voting rights for racial and ethnic minority groups.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 139

48. A grandfather clause is a

a. form of disenfranchisement in which potential voters must demonstrate the ability to read as a condition for registering to vote.

b. fee charged as a condition of registering to vote, which disenfranchises the impoverished, especially African Americans.

c. policy designed to disenfranchise Blacks by exempting Whites who had been able to vote at the end of the Civil War, but not Blacks, from various voting restrictions.

d. measure to increase voting rights for racial and ethnic minority groups.

Question type: factual

Page number: 139

49. What was a key turning point in the civil rights movement in terms of the improvement of prospects for Blacks?

a. The populist movement.

b. World War I.

c. The Great Depression.

d. World War II.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 139

50. Civil rights activists formed interest groups, such as the NAACP, to lobby the national government to end

a. Terrorist violence.

b. De jure segregation.

c. Inequality of opportunity.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 140

51. The landmark Supreme Court case that prohibited government-sponsored segregation as a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment equal protection clause was

a. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

b. Guinn and Beal v. United States (1915).

c. Missouri ex el Gaines v. Canada (1938).

d. Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

Question type: factual

Page number: 140

52. The case that proved most significant that was litigated by the NAACP Legal and Education Defense Fund was

a. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

b. Guinn and Beal v. United States (1915).

c. Missouri ex el Gaines v. Canada (1938).

d. Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

Question type: factual

Page number: 140

53. Which president did not deploy armed forces to provide safety for African American students attempting to enter schools to desegregate them?

a. Truman.

b. Eisenhower.

c. Kennedy.

d. All of them deployed troops for this purpose.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 141

54. Which of the following is a form of protest against segregated restaurants in which Black patrons refused to move from Whites-only sections?

a. Walk-outs.

b. Hunger strikes.

c. Sit-ins.

d. Violent strikes.

Question type: factual

Page number: 141

55. In 1960, the first nationally publicized sit-in occurred in

a. Montgomery, Alabama.

b. San Francisco, California.

c. Akron, Ohio.

d. Greensboro, North Carolina.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 141

56. Which of the following was not a form of protest used in the civil rights movement?

a. Sit-ins.

b. Riots.

c. Boycotts.

d. Demonstrations.

Question type: factual

Page number: 141

57. A federal law significantly curtailing disenfranchisement of racial and ethnic minorities by banning literacy tests and requiring federal supervision of jurisdictions with a history of voting discrimination is the

a. Civil Rights Act of 1866.

b. Civil Rights Act of 1964.

c. Voting Rights Act of 1965.

d. Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Question type: factual

Page number: 141

58. A federal law that prevented private businesses from discriminating in service and personnel policies is the

a. Civil Rights Act of 1866.

b. Civil Rights Act of 1964.

c. Voting Rights Act of 1965.

d. Fair Housing Act of 1968.

Question type: factual

Page number: 142

59. When did the Supreme Court uphold busing of students to achieve integration to end de facto segregation as constitutional?

a. 1954.

b. 1962.

c. 1971.

d. 1993.

Question type: factual

Page number: 143-144

60. When did the Supreme Court rule that assigning students to schools based on the race of the student is unconstitutional?

a. 1987.

b. 1997.

c. 2007.

d. It is still constitutional.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 144

61. Corrective policies that attempt to help racial and ethnic minorities (as well as women) achieve equality in education and the workforce by providing them with advantages in college admissions, hiring, promotion, and the awarding of contracts is known as

a. Corrective action.

b. Positive action.

c. Affirmative action.

d. Positive change.

Question type: factual

Page number: 144-145

62. Which of the following cases was specific to the issue of racial quotas in higher education?

a. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978).

b. Grutter v. Bollinger (2003).

c. Fisher v. University of Texas (2012).

d. All concern racial quotas.

Question type: factual

Page number: 146

63. Which group is disproportionately harmed by state voter ID laws?

a. Elderly.

b. Urban.

c. Poor.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 147

64. Which of the following terms refers to people of Spanish or Portuguese colonial ancestry?

a. Hispanic.

b. Latino.

c. Both Hispanic and Latino.

d. Neither term.

Question type: factual

Page number: 147-148

65. Mexicans who became American citizens by virtue of their land being signed over to the United States in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) were subjected to

a. The same kinds of violent intimidation faced by Blacks in the South.

b. The same kinds of segregation faced by Blacks in the South.

c. The same kinds of discrimination faced by Blacks in the South.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 148

66. When did the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) form?

a. 1909.

b. 1919.

c. 1929.

d. 1939.

Question type: factual

Page number: 148

67. Mexican American civil rights activists organized protests and boycotts addressing social and economic problems specific to Latinos during the

a. 1940s and 1950s.

b. 1950s and 1960s.

c. 1960s and 1970s.

d. This was not the approach taken by Mexican American activists.

Question type: factual

Page number: 148

68. When did Congress expand the Voting Rights Act to cover “language minorities”?

a. 1965.

b. 1975.

c. 1985.

d. 1995.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 151

69. The 2018 bipartisan Graham-Durbin compromise bill that would allow Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients to remain in the country and have a path toward citizenship was

a. Opposed by President Obama.

b. Opposed by President Trump.

c. Favored by President Trump.

d. There was no bipartisan policy proposal concerning DACA recipients.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 151

70. The change in immigration policy under the Trump administration that results in the separation of undocumented immigrants, as well as asylum seekers, from their children (with the children placed in separate detention facilities) is referred to by the administration as the ________ policy.

a. “No Vacancy”.

b. “Zero tolerance”.

c. “America First”.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 152-154

71. Which of the following worked to discriminate against Asians?

a. Naturalization Act of 1790.

b. Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

c. 1913 California Alien Land Act.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 154

72. Executive Order 9066, which ordered the internment of Japanese Americans and allowed for the seizure of their property, was issued by President ___________.

a. A. Lincoln.

b. W. Wilson

c. F. D. Roosevelt.

d. J. F. Kennedy.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 154

73. Which Supreme Court case upheld internment as constitutional?

a. Ozawa v. United States (1922).

b. United States v. Thind (1923).

c. Lum v. Rice (1927).

d. Korematsu v. United States (1944).

Question type: factual

Page number: 154

74. When was the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) founded?

a. 1920.

b. 1930.

c. 1940.

d. 1950.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 155

75. Portions of land set aside for American Indians removed from their ancestral lands by the federal government are known as

a. Retreats.

b. Reservations.

c. Shared lands.

d. Trusts.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 155

76. Forced assimilation, genocide, and ___________ are all examples of government-based discrimination against American Indians.

a. Provision of reparations.

b. Forcible removal from lands.

c. Deportation.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 155

77. When was the American Indian movement (AIM) formed?

a. 1948.

b. 1958.

c. 1968.

d. 1978.

Question type: factual

Page number: 155

78. American Indians did not gain full American citizenship until ______.

a. 1841.

b. 1898.

c. 1924.

d. 1973.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 157

79. A government policy toward American Indians that allows each tribe to regulate its own people and operate according to its own customs is known as

a. Sovereignty.

b. Self-reliance.

c. Independence.

d. Dominion.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 157

80. Large-scale efforts of organizations and activists during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to secure the right to vote for women were known as

a. Suffrage movement.

b. Second-wave feminism.

c. National Organization for Women.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 157

81. The _________ amendment to the Constitution prohibits gender discrimination in voting.

a. Eighth.

b. Fourteenth.

c. Nineteenth.

d. Twenty-Second.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 158

82. A proposed, but unratified, constitutional amendment that would have prevented gender discrimination to the same extent that the Fourteenth Amendment prevents racial and ethnic discrimination, is called the

a. Equal Pay for Equal Work Amendment.

b. Equality for All Amendment.

c. Equal Rights Amendment.

d. Gender Equality Amendment.

Question type: applied

Page number: 158

83. Which of the following demonstrates inequality of outcome suffered by women on account of their gender?

a. Being required to demonstrate citizenship if stopped by law enforcement.

b. Being paid less than men for the same job.

c. Being relegated to housework and childrearing duties.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 159

84. Unwelcome sexual comments or treatment in the workplace or an educational institution is known as

a. Inappropriate advances.

b. Inappropriate treatment.

c. Sexual harassment.

d. Status quo.

Question type: factual

Page number: 156

85. When did gays and lesbians begin organizing marches to protest unfair treatment?

a. 1950s.

b. 1960s.

c. 1970s.

d. 1980s.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 160-161

86. Government policies that provide official legal recognition of same-sex couples without sanctioning marriage are known as

a. Civil unions.

b. Civil ceremonies.

c. Marriage equivalents.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 162

87. When was the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed?

a. 1930.

b. 1950.

c. 1970.

d. 1990.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 164

88. Laws that enhance criminal penalties for crimes committed out of prejudice toward certain groups are called

a. Sexual assault crime legislation.

b. Violent crime legislation.

c. Hate crime legislation.

d. Race crime legislation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 146

89. In the 2012 Fisher v. Texas case, which of the following most directly reflects the Supreme Court’s ruling?

a. The court overturned most previous affirmative action rulings.

b. The court outlawed all use of affirmative action policies in college admissions.

c. The court did not issue a substantive decision on affirmative action.

d. The court chose not to hear the case.

Question type: factual

Page number: 162

90. In which state was there a controversial law in 2016, which has now been repealed, that required people to use the bathroom that corresponds with the sex listed on their birth certificate, as a means of targeting the transgender and gender fluid communities?

a. California.

b. Oregon.

c. New York.

d. North Carolina.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 129

91. Civil rights progress does not develop until:

a. government discovers civil rights problems.

b. people engaging in discrimination choose to stop.

c. There is no civil rights progress.

d. those who experience discrimination build active organizations and gain positive governmental response.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 130

92. Racial classification is difficult because:

a. scientists keep changing their minds about what races are.

b. race is socially constructed and definitions of race have changed over time for sociopolitical purposes.

c. some races start to act more like other races, thus making it hard to differentiate among them.

d. plastic surgery and skin lightening has made it harder to determine which race people belong to.

Question type: factual

Page number: 133

93. Which of the following leads to de facto segregation of races and ethnicities in education?

a. Economic forces.

b. Personal preferences.

c. Both economic forces and personal preferences.

d. Governments mandating segregation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 133

94. What is the current status of de jure segregation of races and ethnicities in education?

a. Governments are still allowed to segregate on the basis of race.

b. Governments are discriminate on the basis of race in special criminal cases.

c. Governments should not discriminate on the basis of race, but still create segregation laws directly citing race.

d. Governments are not allowed to segregate schools on the basis of race.

Question type: factual

Page number: 144

95. According to a 2016 Government Accountability Office study, schools that are predominately Black or Latino have:

a. higher levels of poverty.

b. fewer math, science, and college preparation classes.

c. All the above.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 146

96. The Supreme Court upheld the consideration of race as one of many factors in college admissions as recently as:

a. 1948.

b. 1999.

c. 2004.

d. 2016.

Question type: factual

Page number: 146

97. In 2016, how did the Supreme Court rule in the Fisher v. University of Texas case, which questioned the use of race in college admissions?

a. Race can never be used.

b. Race can only be used if it is within a quota system.

c. Race can be one of many factors that are used.

d. Race must be the primary factor that is considered in admissions.

Question type: factual

Page number: 146

98. Why have so many Voter ID laws been challenged in the court system?

a. People who challenge these laws like voter fraud.

b. It has been demonstrated that these laws discriminate against people on the basis of race and class.

c. People like to overload the court system with frivolous cases.

d. It has been demonstrated that these laws have no negative effect on eligible voters.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 146

99. How does early voting stimulate minority voting?

a. It makes the process more accessible for people without flexible work schedules.

b. It provides organizations with more mobilization opportunities.

c. All of the above.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 146

100. A federal appellate court ruled in 2017 that this state directly intended to discriminate against minority voters when it enacted its Voter ID law?

a. North Carolina.

b. South Carolina.

c. North Dakota.

d. South Dakota.

Question type: factual

Page number: 147

101. Latinos have constituted the largest minority group in the United States since:

a. 1954.

b. 1987.

c. 2003.

d. 2016.

Question type: factual

Page number: 161

107. Which in case did the Supreme Court rule in 2015 that bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional?

a. Dred Scott v. Sandford.

b. Brown v. Board.

c. Bowers v. Hardwick.

d. Obergefell v. Hodges.

Short-Answer Questions

1. What are civil rights? List three groups that have been systematically denied civil rights in the United States.

Civil rights: The protections against unequal treatment that the government guarantees to all groups.
Groups: African Americans, American Indians, Latinos, Asian Americans, women, as well as others.

2. What is group designation? Define two group designations that relate to the issue of civil rights.

Group designation: The classification of a set of people based on defined criteria; this is a fluid concept.
Define race, ethnicity, gender.

3. Define race and ethnicity. Can one race include different ethnicities? Can one ethnicity include different races? Provide examples.

Race: A socially constructed classification of people based on their physical characteristics, especially skin color.
Ethnicity: A socially constructed classification of people based on national origin or culture.
Races can have different ethnicities and vice versa.
Ethnicity: Latino 🡪 White, Black, Asian, American Indian, etc.
Race: White 🡪 Irish American, British American, Italian American, etc.

4. What is the difference between inequality of opportunity and inequality of outcome?

Opportunity: Deals with laws or official actions that deny specific groups social, political, or economic benefits available to other groups.
Outcome: Deals with social and demographic forces, not official laws or policies, that cause one group to enjoy more political, economic, or social benefits than others.

5. Define segregation and indicate how and why it is recognized as a violation of civil rights.

Segregation: Physical separation of a dominant group from a subordinate group in various social, political, and economic settings.
This was one of several major factors in the denial of civil rights to racial and ethnic minority groups throughout the United States.
Responses can connect this with the inequities specific to segregation in education.

6. Define de jure segregation and de facto segregation. Which of these is currently legal and why?

De jure: Segregation based on laws and official government actions.
De facto: Segregation that is not legally sanctioned or imposed by the government.
Some forms of de facto segregation are legal because the government is not involved in bringing them about, and the government is not legally bound to ensure equality of outcome.

7. Who were abolitionists and what were their objectives?

Nineteenth-century political activists who sought to end slavery.

8. What were the main rulings in the Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) case?

Blacks had no civil rights.
Congress lacked power to regulate slavery.

9. What was the Emancipation Proclamation? Who did it cover?

An executive order issued by President Lincoln during the Civil War that freed the slaves in the Confederacy; it did not cover states in the Union.

10. Identify the purpose of the Thirteenth Amendment. What is the main stipulation in this amendment that has been exploited?

This amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
It allows people convicted of crimes to be forced to work without compensation.

11. What did the Fourteenth Amendment do? What is the equal protection clause?

It establishes national citizenship by birth, as well as equal protection and due process for everyone.
Equal protection: Provision of the Fourteenth Amendment that prevents states from passing laws that treat people differently on account of race or ethnicity.

12. What did the Fifteenth Amendment do?

It established that Black men have voting rights.

13. What were the Black codes? When were they in place and what effect did they have on Blacks?

Laws set in place by former Confederate states between the ratification of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments heavily restricting the conduct and civil rights and freedoms of Blacks in the South.
They severely restricted the social, economic, and political rights and opportunities of Blacks.

14. How did the Civil Rights Act and 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 influence civil rights in the United States?

Civil Rights Act: Prevented private businesses from discriminating in service and personnel policies.
Voting Rights Act: Curtailed racial and ethnic disenfranchisement, which had run rampant despite the Fifteenth Amendment; it banned literacy tests and required federal supervision of jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination.

15. Identify the purpose of the Nineteenth Amendment. Who was left out of this amendment’s protections?

It granted the right to vote to women in 1920.
Many women of color were not able to vote, despite the language of the amendment.

16. Consider the use of protest in various civil rights movements. Have protests helped or harmed the progression of the interests of these movements?

Protests have advanced civil rights issues because they were one of the few ways disenfranchised and excluded groups could express their views.

17. How did forced removal and forced assimilation qualify as government discrimination against American Indians?

Forced removal: Government seizure of American Indian lands and relocation to reservations.
Forced assimilation: Government forcing American Indians off reservations and into White society, stripping tribal governments of their authority.

18. List four goals of the women’s rights movement.

(Can include others) Suffrage, equal pay, equal treatment in the workforce, access to education, freedom from sexual harassment.

19. How does support for immigration policy vary depending on whether the question wording emphasizes “amnesty” or “gaining legal citizenship?”

People are more likely to be supportive with the question wording “gaining legal citizenship” because it places less of a negative view on immigrants than the wording of “amnesty.”

20. List three goals of the LGBT movement.

Protection under the law for sexual orientation, allowance of civil unions or marriage (and the government protections that come with them), and freedom from social, economic, and political discrimination.

21. Identify the current status of affirmative action in the college admissions process (be sure to identify at least two significant affirmative action Supreme Court cases).

Higher education institutions may not use racial quotas in admissions.
These institutions may use race as one of many considerations of an applicant’s bid for admission.
Examples: Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978); Grutter v. Bollinger (2003); etc.

22. Why did the National Basketball Association move events out of North Carolina starting in 2016, and why did various businesses and states choose to stop doing business with the state?

North Carolina enacted a law that was highly discriminatory towards transgender people (which, among other things, included the provision that they must use the bathroom that corresponds with the sex on their birth certificate).

23. Why did the Obama administration issue a statement to state and local officials indicating that transgender students in public schools have the right to use the bathroom that reflects their gender identity?

To ensure that the civil rights of people that are transgender are protected.
To decrease discrimination aimed at the LGBTQ community.

24. How does President Trump’s attempt to rescind the protections of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) represent a civil rights issue?

People are being discriminated against in very harsh ways based on a lack of proper documentation. This singling out is especially in place due to high levels of anti-Latino affect.
There is a great deal of exploitation of undocumented workers that occurs. Additionally, this rescission would remove protections from people who have been raised as citizens of the United States.
This relates to protecting the rights of families that would be affected by deportation.

25. What are Voter ID laws? How do they present potential civil rights problems?

Define Voter ID laws.
Explain how they are more likely to disqualify otherwise eligible racial and ethnic minorities, due to their inability to obtain necessary documentation and/or identification.
This can hinder racial and ethnic minority voter turnout, which at times has been precisely the reasoning for the law enactment.

Essay Questions

1. What is the most pressing, current Civil Rights issue in the United States?

Define civil rights.
Explain and examine the particular issue chosen (such as women’s rights). This answer should be logical and well-reasoned

2. In what ways does the issue of immigration in the United States relate to civil rights?

Examine the issue of immigration in the United States.
Highlight the highly racialized tenor of the debates over immigration.
Connect immigration discussion to the Fourteenth Amendment and equal protection under the law.

3. Evaluate the claim that “civil rights progress is initiated when the victims of the discrimination form organizations that actively seek equality through social change, and governments respond by gradually protecting those victims from unfair treatment.” Examine examples that support and reject this claim.

Discuss the merits of the claim.
Provide support, such as the success of the NAACP and the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision.
Examine counterarguments, such as the Civil War and the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments.

4. Race is a social, rather than a biological, construct. This is especially illustrated through an examination of the U.S. Censes racial categories. Consider the racial categories in the U.S. Census over time. How does the progression of the inclusion and alteration of categories demonstrate the social construction of race in the United States? Provide a detailed discussion with examples.

Acknowledge that the racial categories have continued to change over time.
Describe the changes that have occurred in terms of the categories.
Argue that the changing categories demonstrate that race is socially constructed.

5. Evaluate the concepts of race and ethnicity. How are they similar and different? What is meant when they are referred to as social constructs?

Define race and ethnicity.
Examine their similarities and differences, as well as the ways they overlap.
Explain the concept of the social construction of race and ethnicity, and provide an example (e.g., the differences in definitions of Black race that varied by state, or the different Census race categories).

6. Discuss the concepts of inequality of opportunity and inequality of outcome. Provide examples of each and discuss how they relate to the issue of civil rights.

Define both concepts and explain that government involvement in the creation of inequality is what differentiates them.
Includes examples of each, such as:
- Opportunity: De jure segregation and the separate but equal principle.
- Outcome: Racial differences in education and socioeconomic status, as well as unequal pay for women.

7. Examine the issue of segregation. Define the two forms of segregation and discuss the degree to which each currently exists. Connect your discussion to the concepts of inequality of opportunity and inequality of outcome.

Define segregation, as well as de jure and de facto segregation.
Examine the ways in which the latter two concepts continue to exist in the United States.
Demonstrates the connection between de jure segregation and inequality of opportunity, as well as the connection between de facto segregation and inequality of outcome.

8. Discuss the effects of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the Missouri Compromise of 1820, and the Kansas and Nebraska Act of 1854. Be sure to identify the purpose of these acts and how they contributed to the issue of slavery and political power.

Briefly provide the key elements of these three acts, with attention to the ways in which they limited the expansion of slavery.
Discuss the degree to which these acts decreased the expansion of the power of slaveholding states.

9. Affirmative action continues to be a polarizing issue in the United States. Identify the purpose of affirmative action efforts and discuss the reasons behind support for and opposition to programs that were designed to help oppressed and subjugated groups. Be sure to include the issues of affirmative action and race-based school assignment in your discussion.

Provide the argument for and against programs that aid racial and ethnic minorities (relating to the continuing negative effects of past and present discrimination).
Define and examine the issues of affirmative action and race-based school assignment and the degree to which these programs have been upheld and partially overturned.

10. Discuss the purposes and effects of the Black Codes and provide examples of the codes.

Note the laws placed heavy restrictions on African Americans after the Thirteenth Amendment freed them.
Highlights that the major effects of the codes were to remove freedoms and civil rights from Blacks.
Examples: Masters could “inflict moderate chastisement”; restricted the time period during which Blacks could be out; forbade interracial marriage; forbade Blacks from practicing a trade and conducting a business.

11. How do the recent, 2016 protests among Standing Rock Sioux American Indians (who opposed an oil pipeline being placed under a lake/river that is adjacent to their reservation) relate to Civil Rights? Consider the violent methods used against them during their opposition.

Define civil rights.
Identify the lack of protection for this group and how the pipeline was moved close to the reservation because people in a nearby city (largely White) did not want it to contaminate their water supply.
Examine the similarities of the actions and images of this incident and those from the Civil Rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s (the violence of the law enforcement forces).

CHAPTER 6 CONGRESS: REPRESENTATION AND LAWMAKING

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Learn about which groups are represented within Congress.
Understand the structure of Congress.
Determine the factors that influence congressional decision making.
Learn about how congressional structures and dealings have affected racial and ethnic minorities in terms of interest representation and access to the political system.

Outline

I The Nature of Congressional Representation

a. The Unrepresented

- Our Voices: Nonvoting Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and Representation for Washington, DC

b. Districts

c. Members of Congress

II. Congressional Organization and Leadership

a. Leadership in the House

b. Leadership in the Senate

c. Committees

d. Informal Organizations

III. The Lawmaking Process

a. Activity on the House Floor

- Evaluating Equality: Should the Race or Ethnicity of a Representative Matter?

b. Action on the Senate Floor

c. Reconciling Differences between House and Senate Bills

d. Nonlawmaking Functions of Congress

IV. Influences on Congressional Decision Making

a. Constituents

b. Party Leaders

- Measuring Equality: The Influence of Race and Political Party on Congressional Voting

c. Colleagues

d. Interest Groups

e. Staff

V. Conclusion

Discussion Questions

Explain the differences in the procedures of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In terms of political party power, which house favors the majority party and which house provides a bit more power to the minority party? How does this relate to the goals of the Founders for the legislature?
What are the nonlawmaking functions of Congress? How often are they used and what effects do they have on the political system?
To what degree are congressional caucuses based on race and ethnicity effective and influential? How might they be seen as counterproductive? Which argument has more merit?
To what degree will increasing descriptive representation of women of color influence political outcomes in Congress?
Why does matter that the first two American Indian women and the first two Muslim-American women were elected to the House of Representatives in 2018? Why have these intersectional groups never had representation in Congress?

Video Resources

Adam Clayton Powell (independent film)

Chisholm: Unbought and Unbossed, REALside

The Congress, Florentine Films

Run Granny Run, HBO Films

Website Resources

Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, http://capac-chu.house.gov/

Congressional Black Caucus, http://cbc.fudge.house.gov/

Congressional Hispanic Caucus, http://chc-hinojosa.house.gov/

U.S. House of Representatives, http://www.house.gov/

U.S. Senate, http://www.senate.gov/

U.S. Congress, http://www.congress.gov/

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: factual

Page number: 168

1. Most Black legislators represent ________ districts.

a. majority White

b. majority Black

c. majority Latino

d. majority Asian American

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 169

2. A person who is chosen to make laws on behalf of a defined group of people is called a

a. Constituency.

b. Party.

c. Representative.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 169

3. A __________ is composed of the people who select a representative to act on their behalf.

a. Constituency.

b. Party.

c. Legislature.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 169

4. How are constituencies determined?

a. By religious sect.

b. By racial composition.

c. By geographic region.

d. By interest groups.

Question type: factual

Page number: 169-171

5. What is the state of representation in the United States?

a. All people living under American control have representation in Congress.

b. Only a few people living under American control have representation in Congress.

c. The issue of which individuals under American control have representation in Congress is not of consequence.

d. A significant portion of people living under American control does not have representation in Congress.

Question type: factual

Page number: 169-171

6. Which of the following is not denied representation in Congress?

a. American Samoa.

b. Washington, DC.

c. Guam.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 172

7. What is the process of allotting states a specific number of representatives based on decennial census figures?

a. Apportionment.

b. Reapportionment.

c. Preapportionment.

d. Malapportionment.

Question type: factual

Page number: 172-173

8. The House of Representatives represents

a. People living in urban or suburban areas.

b. People living in parts of states.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 173

9. When was the number of members of Congress permanently capped at 435?

a. 1790.

b. 1874.

c. 1930.

d. 1910.

Question type: factual

Page number: 174

10. The total number of voting members of the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives is ________.

a. 110.

b. 289.

c. 435.

d. 535.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 173

11. Redistricting is a

a. Process by which a state is divided into geographical regions, with each region electing a member of the House of Representatives

b. Practice in which a group, usually a political party, uses the redrawing of district lines to maximize its chances of winning elections.

c. Practice of electing representatives to political positions.

d. Process for redistributing the total number of seats in a legislature based on shifting populations.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 173

12. Gerrymandering is a

a. Process by which a state is divided into geographical regions, with each region electing a member of the House of Representatives

b. Practice in which a group, usually a political party, uses the redrawing of district lines to maximize its chances of winning elections.

c. Practice of electing representatives to political positions.

d. Process for redistributing the total number of seats in a legislature based on shifting populations.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 174

13. ____________ are legislative districts that contain a population made up of more than 50 percent of a racial or ethnic minority groups.

a. Parliamentary districts.

b. Majority–minority districts.

c. Proportional districts.

d. Minority–majority districts.

Question type: factual

Page number: 174

14. The number and proportion of Black and Latino House members have increased significantly since

a. 1988.

b. 1990.

c. 1992.

d. 1994.

Question type: factual

Page number: 174-176

15. Which of the following groups has been historically underrepresented in Congress?

a. Blacks.

b. Latinos.

c. Asian Americans.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 176

16. Descriptive representation refers to

a. The extent to which representatives advocate policies that benefit their constituents.

b. The extent to which the characteristics of a representative correspond with the general characteristics of his or her own constituency.

c. The extent to which constituents trust and accept their representative and the legislative institution as a whole.

d. The extent to which constituents are able to chose representatives to hold public office.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 176

17. Substantive representation refers to

a. The extent to which representatives advocate policies that benefit their constituents.

b. The extent to which the characteristics of a representative correspond with the general characteristics of his or her own constituency.

c. The extent to which constituents trust and accept their representative and the legislative institution as a whole.

d. The extent to which constituents are able to chose representatives to hold public office.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 176

18. Symbolic representation refers to

a. The extent to which representatives advocate policies that benefit their constituents.

b. The extent to which the characteristics of a representative correspond with the general characteristics of his or her own constituency.

c. The extent to which constituents trust and accept their representative and the legislative institution as a whole.

d. The extent to which constituents are able to chose representatives to hold public office.

Question type: applied

Page number: 176

19. What is the relationship between descriptive and substantive representation?

a. You can have descriptive without substantive.

b. You can have substantive without descriptive.

c. You can have both descriptive and substantive simultaneously.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 176

20. When a voter votes for a candidate solely based on whether the candidate “looks like” him or her, the voter is opting specifically for

a. Direct representation.

b. Descriptive representation.

c. Symbolic representation.

d. Substantive representation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 176

21. When a voter votes for a candidate based on the fact that his or her policy positions line up with the interests of the voter, he or she is opting specifically for

a. Direct representation.

b. Descriptive representation.

c. Symbolic representation.

d. Substantive representation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 175

22. Which of the following groups has the most members in the House of Representatives?

a. African Americans.

b. Latinos.

c. Asian American.

d. American Indians.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 177

23. Why is it more difficult for racial and ethnic minorities to win Senate elections?

a. Racialized voting on behalf of Whites.

b. Senators represent entire states.

c. Few states have large minority populations.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 179

24. Mass organizations that seek to elect candidates to public office and influence policy making are known as

a. Political institutions.

b. Political parties.

c. Interest groups.

d. Social movements.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 179

25. The political party in the House or the Senate that has more than half of the seats and therefore controls the leadership, rules, and outcome of legislation is known as the

a. Political party.

b. Majority party.

c. Minority party.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 179

26. The political party in the House or the Senate that has fewer than half of the seats and therefore does not control the leadership, rules, or outcome of legislation is known as the

a. Political party.

b. Majority party.

c. Minority party.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 179

27. The leader of the majority party who possesses the most powerful position in the House of Representatives is known as the

a. House majority leader.

b. Speaker of the House.

c. House minority leader.

d. Majority whip.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 180

28. The second most powerful leader in the House of Representatives, who assists the Speaker in passing the majority party’s legislative priorities, is known as the

a. House majority leader.

b. Speaker of the House.

c. House minority leader.

d. Majority whip.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 180

29. A legislative leader who assists the party by counting votes and persuading members to vote according to the party leaders’ wishes is known as the

a. House majority leader.

b. Speaker of the House.

c. House minority leader.

d. Whip.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 180

30. The leader of the minority party in the House of Representatives, who articulates the legislative priorities of the minority party and opposes the majority party’s priorities but exerts minimal control over the outcome of legislation, is known as the

a. House majority leader.

b. Speaker of the House.

c. House minority leader.

d. Majority whip.

Question type: factual

Page number: 185

31. How many African American Republicans served in the 115^th Congress?

a. 0.

b. 1.

c. 2.

d. 3.

Question type: factual

Page number: 179

32. How often are members of the U.S. House of Representatives elected?

a. Every year.

b. Every two years.

c. Every four years.

d. Every six years.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 179

33. What is one major dimension along which Congress organizes itself?

a. Gender.

b. Political party.

c. Race.

d. Religion.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 181

34. The person who has the most powerful position in the Senate, who articulates the majority party’s legislative priorities, and works to pass them, is known as the

a. Senate majority leader.

b. Senate majority whip.

c. Senate minority leader.

d. Senate minority whip.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 181

35. The leader of the minority party of the Senate, who articulates the legislative priorities of the minority party and opposes the majority party’s priorities but exerts minimal control over the outcome of legislation, is known as the

a. Senate majority leader.

b. Senate majority whip.

c. Senate minority leader.

d. Senate minority whip.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 181

36. A majority party leader in the Senate who counts votes, persuades members to vote according to the leadership’s wishes, and assists the majority leader in passing the majority party’s legislation is known as the

a. Senate majority leader.

b. Senate majority whip.

c. Senate minority leader.

d. Senate minority whip.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 181

37. Congressional committees increase the efficiency of the legislature through

a. Division of labor.

b. Specialization of labor.

c. A and B.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 182

38. Can committees amend bills?

a. No.

b. Yes, in markup sessions.

c. Only when the main sponsor is on the committee.

d. Sometimes.

Question type: factual

Page number: 182

39. Who determines the committee a bill is assigned to when it is introduced in the House of Representatives?

a. House majority leader.

b. Speaker of the House.

c. House minority leader.

d. Majority whip.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 182

40. Which of the following is accurate?

a. The Speaker of the House recommends passage or rejection of bills.

b. The committees recommend passage or rejection of bills.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 182-183

41. How many standing committees are in the House?

a. 15.

b. 17.

c. 19.

d. 21.

Question type: factual

Page number: 183

42. How many standing committees are in the Senate?

a. 15.

b. 17.

c. 19.

d. 21.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 184

43. Committee and subcommittee chairs have the authority to call meetings, preside over markup sessions, and

a. Directly impeach Supreme Court Justices.

b. Unilaterally pass spending bills.

c. Decide which witnesses testify at hearings.

d. Choose replacements for U.S. Senators.

Question type: factual

Page number: 184

44. What was a highly successful tactic used by conservative White Southern committee chairs in the 1950s to prevent the passage of civil rights legislation?

a. Refusing to schedule a bill for committee action.

b. Completely changing the bill in the markup session.

c. Working to get the committee to vote to reject the bill.

d. Refusing to take the bill into the committee when the Speaker assigns it.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 184

45. In terms of committees, what is seniority?

a. Long-term membership in a political party.

b. Long-term membership.

c. Long-term service on a committee.

d. Long-term support or opposition for a policy before a committee.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 184

46. What is the main requirement for becoming a committee chair?

a. Minority party affiliation.

b. Seniority.

c. Race.

d. Gender.

Question type: factual

Page number: 173

47. When did states begin to create majority-minority districts?

a. 1930s.

b. 1950s.

c. 1980s.

d. 2010s.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 185

48. Informal organizations within Congress are called

a. Subparties.

b. Mini-orgs.

c. Caucuses.

d. Meetings.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 185

49. What is the focus of congressional caucuses?

a. Cultural concerns.

b. Economic issues.

c. Geographic issues.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 185

50. An informal organization consisting of African Americans elected to the United States Congress is known as the

a. Congressional African American Caucus.

b. Congressional Black Caucus.

c. Congressional Colored Peoples Caucus.

d. Congressional Negro Caucus.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 185

51. Congressional caucuses are

a. Bipartisan but not bicameral.

b. Bicameral but not bipartisan.

c. Bipartisan and bicameral.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 186

52. In terms of the lawmaking process, the House and the Senate

a. Have similar processes.

b. Have different processes and different amounts of political party power.

c. Have different processes but similar amounts of political party power.

d. Have completely unrelated processes.

Question type: factual

Page number: 186-187

53. Why is the House Rules Committee such an important committee?

a. It decides how a bill will be considered by the full House.

b. It decides whether a bill will be considered by the full House.

c. It decides which committee a bill will go to.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 187

54. The published record of the official proceedings of Congress is known as the: a. Congressional Register.

b. Congressional Record.

c. Congressional Marker.

d. Congressional Staff.

Question type: factual

Page number: 186-187

55. Which of the following is accurate?

a. The House minority party dominates the content of legislation and the speed with which it passes.

b. Neither House party dominates the content of legislation and the speed with which it passes.

c. The House majority party dominates the content of legislation and the speed with which it passes.

d. The most senior members of the House dominate the content of legislation and the speed with which it passes.

Question type: factual

Page number: 187

56. The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

a. Lacks the power to schedule bills on the Senate floor.

b. Decides whether the full Senate will consider a bill.

c. Decides which committee a bill will go to.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 187

57. A filibuster is a

a. Parliamentary technique in the Senate that allows senators to delay or block votes by talking endlessly

b. Procedure in the Senate to stop a filibuster that requires three-fifths of the senators (60) agreeing to end debate.

c. Process through which a member of the executive or judicial branch is removed from office..

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 187

58. A cloture vote refers to a

a. Parliamentary technique in the Senate that allows senators to delay or block votes by talking endlessly

b. Procedure in the Senate to stop a filibuster that requires three-fifths of the senators (60) agreeing to end debate.

c. Process through which a member of the executive or judicial branch is removed from office..

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 187

59. The tool of ________ has been used to prevent the passage of civil rights legislation.

a. the filibuster.

b. the cloture vote.

c. impeachment.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 188

60. A committee composed of members of the House and the Senate that reconciles different versions of the same bill is known as a

a. Discussion committee.

b. Subcommittee.

c. Conference committee.

d. Bicameral committee.

Question type: factual

Page number: 188-189

61. Which of the following is a nonlegislative function of the Congress?

a. Impeachment.

b. Confirming presidential appointments.

c. Executive and judicial oversight.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 189

62. The process by which the House of Representatives charges a president, vice president, or federal judge with a high crime or misdemeanor and then the Senate decides whether to remove that official from office with a two-thirds vote is known as

a. Filibuster.

b. Cloture.

c. Impeachment.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 190

63. How many presidents have been impeached?

a. Zero

b. One.

c. Two.

d. Three.

Question type: factual

Page number: 190

64. How many presidents have been removed from office?

a. Zero.

b. One.

c. Two.

d. Three.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 189

65. How is congressional oversight generally handled?

a. By majority party members.

b. By committees and subcommittees.

c. By caucuses.

d. By the Speaker of the House and the Senate majority leader.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 190

66. A period in which both houses of Congress are controlled by the same party as the president is known as

a. Ineffective government.

b. Effective government.

c. Unified government.

d. Divided government.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 190

67. A period in which the president is of one political party and the majority of one or both houses of Congress are of the other party is known as

a. Ineffective government.

b. Effective government.

c. Unified government.

d. Divided government.

Question type: applied

Page number: 190

68. The makeup of Congress in 2017 when President Trump first took office was an example of

a. Ineffective government.

b. Effective government.

c. Unified government.

d. Divided government.

Question type: applied

Page number: 190

69. The makeup of the 116th Congress in 2019 as after the 2018 midterm elections was an example of

a. Ineffective government.

b. Effective government.

c. Unified government.

d. Divided government.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 191

70. Which of the following influences congressional decision making?

a. Colleagues.

b. Constituents.

c. Party leaders.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 191

71. According to Mayhew, members of Congress are primarily concerned with

a. Constituent interests.

b. Reelection.

c. Position perks.

d. Election money.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 191

72. Favors and other forms of assistance that members of Congress provide to their constituents are known as

a. Gifts.

b. Favoritism.

c. Casework.

d. Home work.

Question type: applied

Page number: 191

73. Members of Congress use __________ for attaining their reelection goals.

a. Gifts.

b. Favoritism.

c. Casework.

d. Home work.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 192

74. The ability of members of Congress to send noncampaign material to their constituents free of charge is known as

a. Franking privilege.

b. Candidate privilege.

c. Electoral privilege.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 192

75. What kind of material are members of Congress not allowed to send under the franking privilege?

a. Newsletters.

b. Campaign material.

c. Surveys.

d. Pamphlets.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 193

76. The practice by members of Congress of trading votes or other favors to enhance members’ mutual interests is known as

a. Logrolling.

b. Pork barrel spending.

c. Franking.

d. Credit claiming.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 193

77. Federal money spent on projects that benefit only a specific member’s district or state is known as

a. Logrolling.

b. Pork barrel spending.

c. Franking.

d. Credit claiming.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 193

78. Which of the following is not associated with the influence of colleagues on congressional decision making?

a. Logrolling.

b. Pork barrel spending.

c. Casework.

d. All are associated with the influence of colleagues.

Question type: factual

Page number: 196

79. How do interest groups attempt to influence congressional decision making?

a. Lobby members of Congress.

b. Mobilize constituents to contact members of Congress concerning public policy.

c. Provide information to members of Congress.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 196

80. Which of the following is an example of how congressional staff influence decision making?

a. Providing casework for members of Congress.

b. Using franking privilege.

c. Writing the legislation members of Congress introduce.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 185

81. The Congressional Black Caucus has recently worked to

a. Change racially discriminatory criminal justice policies.

b. End the presidential veto.

c. End the Senate filibuster.

d. Change district rules apportionment.

Question type: factual

Page number: 186

82. How many Republican Latinos in the House and the Senate joined the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) during the 116^th Congress?

a. 0.

b. 1.

c. 2.

d. 3.

Question type: factual

Page number: 184

83. How many racial or ethnic minorities served as Senate committee chairs in the 116^th Congress?

a. 0.

b. 1.

c. 2.

d. 3.

Question type: factual

Page number: 167

84. Which of the following represent an “exception to the rule” that all African American representatives of liberal Democrats?

a. Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton of Washington D.C.

b. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of NY.

c. Rep. Will Hurd of TX.

d. Rep. Alma Adams of NC.

Question type: factual

Page number: 174

85. The number of Black and Latino Representatives serving in the U.S. House of Representatives has been ____________ since the 1970s.

a. increasing

b. decreasing

c. remaining the same

d. extremely high

Question type: factual

Page number: 174

86. Racial minorities are _______________ within the U.S. Congress as compared to their proportion of the general U.S. population?

a. overrepresented

b. underrepresented

c. equally represented

d. nonexistent

Question type: factual

Page number: 175

87. How many African American Senators were in the 116^th Congress?

a. 0.

b. 1.

c. 2.

d. 3.

Question type: factual

Page number: 177

88. How many racial and ethnic minorities served in the 116^th U.S. Senate?

a. 0.

b. 3.

c. 6.

d. 9.

Question type: factual

Page number: 177

89. How many Latino Senators were in the 116^th Congress?

a. 0.

b. 2

c. 4.

d. 6.

Question type: factual

Page number: 177

90. How many Asian American Senators were in the 116^th Congress?

a. 0.

b. 1.

c. 2.

d. 3.

Question type: factual

Page number: 177

91. How many American Indian Senators were in the 116^th Congress?

a. 0.

b. 1.

c. 2.

d. 3.

Short-Answer Questions

1. How does the institution of Congress provide an example of representative democracy in the U.S.?

The people of the U.S. elect representatives to act on their behalf in order to create and vote on policy.

2. What is a representative? What is a constituency? How are they related?

Representative: A person chosen to make policy decisions on behalf of a defined group of people.
Constituency: The people who choose a representative to act on their behalf.
A constituency votes to choose its representative in a representative democracy.

3. List four areas that include people who are not represented in the American government.

Washington, DC; Puerto Rico; Guam; American Samoa; American Virgin Islands; Mariana Islands.

4. Why is the lack of a voting member of Congress problematic for those living in Washington, DC?

They are paying taxes and have no real representation in Congress.

5. Define reapportionment and indicate how frequently it occurs in the United States.

Reapportionment: The process of assigning states a number of representatives to the House of Representatives after each decennial census.
Every 10 years.

6. What are redistricting and gerrymandering? How are they related?

Redistricting: The process by which a state is divided into geographical regions, with each region electing a member of the House of Representatives.
Gerrymandering: The practice in which a group, usually a political party, uses redistricting to maximize its chances of winning elections.
Gerrymandering occurs in the midst of the redistricting process.

7. Describe the restrictions on how state legislatures can draw districts.

Must be contiguous.
Must be equal in population.
Must not be divided geographically into two separate parts.

8. When do majority–minority districts become problematic for substantive representation for these populations?

When the surrounding districts are drained of racial and ethnic minorities because so many others have been stuffed into an overpacked majority–minority district.

9. Compare the roles of the Speaker of the House, the House majority leader, and the whip.

Speaker: Most powerful party member in the House.
Leader: Second most powerful party member in the House; helps the Speaker to accomplish the party agenda.
Whip: Counts votes of members and works to get all members on the “right” side of a vote.

10. What are majority–minority districts and how do they influence racial and ethnic minority group representation?

Legislative districts that contain a population made up of more than 50 percent of a racial or ethnic minority group.
The creation of majority–minority districts has led to a significant increase in descriptive and substantive representation of racial and ethnic minorities and their interests.

11. Define descriptive, symbolic, and substantive representation.

Answer should provide definitions that clearly differentiate among these concepts.

12. What are the key leadership positions in the U.S. House and Senate? To what degree have they included women and minorities?

Speaker of the House, House majority leader, House majority whip, Senate majority leader, Senate majority whip.
There has been little gender and race diversity in the congressional key leadership positions.
Recent diversity: Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House; James Clyburn as House majority whip.

13. How do political parties factor into the organization of Congress?

Party politics is key in congressional politics (this is a major division).
Power is allocated in terms of the majority versus minority party, consequently influencing who chairs committees, whether legislation comes out of committee, who make the rules, and so on.

14. What is the purpose of Congressional committees? To what degree is it reasonable to allow these committees to have so much power over the fate of legislation?

Purpose of committees: To provide a specialized division of labor.
Reasonable: Individuals on these committees become “experts” in a particular field, so they are the best to examine the issues that come before them.
Unreasonable: In terms of the idea of representative democracy, everyone in the Congress should have a say as to the structure and fate of legislation.

15. Define congressional caucuses. Remark on the purpose of these caucuses and provide an example of one.

Caucuses: Informal organizations within Congress.
They form to focus on common interests, issues, and causes, such as geographic and economic issues, as well as cultural concerns.
Answer should include an example of a caucus, such as the Congressional Black Causus.

16. Define the filibuster and the cloture vote. Which congressional house are they found in? In terms of party politics, what result do these tools create?

Filibuster: A parliamentary technique in the Senate that allows senators to delay or block votes by talking endlessly.
Cloture vote: A Senate procedure to stop a filibuster with three-fifths of the senators (60) agreeing to end debate.
The filibuster (and the high hurdle set by the cloture vote) gives the minority party a great deal of political power that is not found in the House.

17. Indicate the purpose of a conference committee and explain its significance.

Conference committee: A committee composed of members of the House and the Senate that reconciles difference versions of the same bill.
This committee ensures the finalization of the policy in question; it also brings together the two separate chambers to make one piece of legislation.

18. What is congressional oversight?

It is one of the main nonlegislative functions of the Congress.
Party politics does come into play.
Purpose: To investigate problems in the executive branch or bureaucratic agencies, to combat waste, fraud, and abuse.

19. How are casework and franking privileges linked?

Answer should define both concepts.
They are both tactics used by members of Congress to aid in increasing their reelection prospects.

20. How are logrolling and pork barrel spending linked?

Answer includes definition of each concept.
They both relate to how colleagues can influence the congressional policy-making process.

21. How did the filibuster affect civil rights policy concerning the issue of voting rights and representation for Washington, D.C.?

Sen. Mitch McConnell filibustered a bill to give D.C. a voting representative in the House.
The measure, that had a majority of support in both chambers, failed because there were not enough Senate votes to end the filibuster.
Currently, D.C. (with a very large Black population) only has one non-voting representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, and has no representation in the Senate.

22. What is descriptive representation and why does it matter?

Descriptive representation: The extent to which the characteristics of a representative correspond with the general characteristics of his or her constituency.
Descriptive representation is important because it can increase the likelihood of substantive representation (especially given the increased likelihood of understanding through shared experiences); it also can increase political efficacy of the groups represented.

23. What is substantive representation and why does it matter?

Substantive representation: the extent to which representatives advocate policies that benefit their constituents.
This matters because it ensures that a constituency’s interests are being represented, which is not frequently the case for racial and ethnic minorities (especially when they are not in majority-minority districts).

24. Which legislative chamber has a “Rules Committee”? Why? Why does the other chamber not have this committee?

Note that the House of Representatives has a Rules Committee.
Identify the purpose of this committee and how it helps to ensure efficiency in a large body.
Note that the Senate is smaller and needs fewer rules in place to ensure that it is operating.

Essay Questions

1. Discuss the reasons for and against congressional and legislative voting rights for Washington, DC.

Examine the history of this debate and explains the special status of Washington, DC, as a government district that is run by the government.
Highlight that residents of Washington, DC, pay taxes but do not receive voting representation in Congress.

2. Discuss the issue of gerrymandering. What are the purposes of this practice? Be sure to include majority–minority districts in your response.

Define gerrymandering.
Explain that this practice occurs to advantage one group over another, generally political parties.
Explain how majority–minority districts came about and the issue of whether they constitute gerrymandering (as well as whether racial gerrymandering is constitutional).

3. Discuss the similarities and differences between the House and Senate. Describe the power of the majority and minority parties in each house.

Describe the structure of each house and the political party power enjoyed by each.
Highlight that the majority party is able to influence the speed and content of lawmaking in the U.S. House of Representatives without considering the minority party’s views.
Acknowledge that the minority party in the Senate can force the majority party to compromise; includes examination of the use of the filibuster to move legislation more slowly.

4. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of majority–minority districts. How do they influence greater representation and minority interests?

Define majority–minority districts and the process by which they were made constitutional.
Describe the increase in racial and ethnic minority representation in Congress since 1992.
Highlight that racial and ethnic minority representatives are more likely to introduce legislation relating to minority interests.

5. Discuss the topic of representation in Congress. Be sure to incorporate descriptive, symbolic, and substantive representation (and whether they are related or collected) in your response.

Define descriptive, symbolic, and substantive representation.
Explain the connection between descriptive and substantive representation and that they are not mutually exclusive concepts.
Discusses the degree to which each form of representation is found in Congress.

6. Discuss the role and power of committees in Congress.

After bills are assigned to committees, these committees have an immense amount of power in terms of determining whether bills will be discussed, whether they will be altered, and how long they must stay in committee.
Discuss the purposes of committees.
Demonstrate the ways in which committees hold power over the agenda-setting and policy formulation processes.

7. Discuss the three nonlawmaking functions of Congress in relation to the concept of checks and balances.

Define checks and balances.
Explore the functions of confirming presidential nominations, impeachment, and oversight.
Demonstrate how these functions provide a great deal of checks and balance power to Congress.

8. Discuss the effects of unified government versus divided government on congressional power and efficacy.

Define both terms.
Acknowledge how the executive branch can decrease the power and efficacy of congressional power when the government is divided (and vice versa).
Acknowledge the importance of political party power in Congress.

9. Examine the factors that influence congressional decision making. Include the importance of each in your response and how each one influences racial and ethnic minority politics.

Explain the ways in which congressional decision making is influenced by constituents, party leaders, colleagues, interest groups, and staff.
Argue the importance of each factor and support these arguments with evidence.
Demonstrate where racial and ethnic minority politics fits into each factor and how some of these factors are less likely to incorporate these groups.

10. Discuss the Mayhew argument that members of Congress are most concerned with reelection. Be sure to include the concepts of casework and franking privilege.

Highlight the aforementioned argument.
Incorporate the ideas of advertising and credit claiming.
Examine the ways in which a member of Congress can persuade the constituency to support him or her.
- Highlight casework and its effects.
- Highlight franking privileges and how they work to benefit the member of Congress.

11. Examine the context under which the presence of nine racial and ethnic minority senators in the 116^th Congress was historic, as well as how and why it mattered.

Indicate the history of a lack of racial/ethnic minorities in the Senate.
Define descriptive representation and connect it to substantive representation.
Consider how this can affect civil rights protections for both racial/ethnic minorities and women.

12. Examine why people argue that a lack of racial/ethnic minorities as congressional committees chairs in the 116^th Congress matters. Incorporate the concepts of descriptive and substantive representation.

Identify the importance of party control and seniority in the committee assignment system.
Evaluate how diversity of viewpoints and experiences can positively influence decision-making.

CHAPTER 7 THE PRESIDENCY: CONVENTIAL WISDOM REDEFINED

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Review the powers specific to the presidency.
Examine the process for selecting the president and the presence of diversity in this process.
Learn about the organization of the executive branch.
Learn about the tools the president uses to work with Congress and achieve his or her policy goals.

Outline

I. Becoming President

- Diversity

II. The Presidential Selection Process

a. The Nomination Battle

b. The General Election

- Our Voices: Barack Obama’s First Inaugural Address, January 20, 2009

c. Financing Presidential Campaigns

- Measuring Equality: Scatterplots of Obama and Trump Vote and Minority Populations

III. Presidential Power

a. Administrative Powers of the President

b. Foreign Powers of the President

c. Domestic Powers of the President

IV. Executive Branch Organization

a. The Vice President

b. The President’s Spouse

c. The Cabinet

d. The Executive Office of the President

e. The White House Staff

f. Presidents and Congress

g. Negotiating with Congress

- Evaluating Equality: Racial and Ethnic Representation in the Executive Branch

h. Presidents and the Public

i. Congressional Investigations of the Executive Branch

V. Conclusion

Discussion Questions

What is the role of the executive branch in the American government? Why does the president get so much attention if he or she is unable to directly create legislation?
To what degree can presidential powers influence civil rights? Provide examples.
Provide an argument and counterargument for the importance of diversity in the executive branch.
What are the limitations of the power of the presidency?
Why is the first lady considered a part of the executive branch?
In what ways can we see that presidential appointments are influential? Does it matter that there has been more turnover in these positions within the Trump administration than was the case for previous administrations? Why or why not?

Video Resources

By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, HBO Films

Chisholm ’72: Unsought, Unbossed, REALside Productions

Fahrenheit 9/11, Dog Eat Dog Films

The Fog of War, Sony Pictures

Wag the Dog, New Line Cinema

The War Room, Trimark

Obama’s Deal, Frontline

Website Resources

The Cabinet, http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet/

The Executive Office of the President, http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/

The Presidency Project at U.C. Santa Barbara, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/

The White House, http://www.whitehouse.gov/

The White House Staff, http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/staff/

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: factual

Page number: 202

1. Which article and section of the Constitution requires that the U.S. president be at least 35 years old, a natural-born citizen, and a U.S. resident for at least 14 years?

a. Article 1, Section 2.

b. Article 2, Section 1.

c. Article 3, Section 4.

d. Article 4, Section 3.

Question type: factual

Page number: 202

2. Which of the following was not a characteristic of all U.S. presidents prior to 2009?

a. White.

b. Male.

c. Protestant.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 202

3. Who was the first African American to seek the presidency on a major party ticket?

a. Frederick Douglass.

b. Shirley Chisholm.

c. Jesse Jackson.

d. Herman Cain.

Question type: factual

Page number: 202

4. Who was the first woman to seek the presidency?

a. Victoria Woodhull.

b. Geraldine Ferraro.

c. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

d. Carol Moseley Braun.

Question type: factual

Page number: 202

5. How many Latinos ran for the 2016 Republican Party presidential nomination?

a. 0.

b. 1.

c. 2.

d. 3.

Question type: factual

Page number: 203

6. Which of the following women ran for the 2016 Republican Party presidential nomination?

a. Carly Fiorina.

b. Michele Bachmann.

c. Sarah Palin.

d. Tomi Lahren.

Question type: factual

Page number: 203

7. Who was the first woman to secure the presidential nomination on a major party ticket?

a. Kamala Harris.

b. Carol Moseley Braun.

c. Sarah Palin.

d. Hillary Clinton.

Question type: factual

Page number: 208-209

8. Which of the following is accurate?

a. Donald Trump tended to garner more votes in states with higher concentrations of Whites.

b. Donald Trump tended to garner more votes in states with lower concentrations of Whites.

c. Donald Trump garnered votes equally well across states, regardless of racial composition.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 203

9. A caucus is

a. a method for political parties to select their candidates for office whereby party members convene at local meetings.

b. a method for political parties to select their candidates for office whereby people vote in an election.

c. an entity that selects the president and vice president, consisting of 538 electors chosen from the states and the District of Columbia based on the election outcome within each state and proportioned according to state population.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 203

10. A primary is

a. a method for political parties to select their candidates for office whereby party members convene at local meetings.

b. a method for political parties to select their candidates for office whereby people vote in an election.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 203-204

11. The Electoral College is

a. a method for political parties to select their candidates for office whereby party members convene at local meetings.

b. a method for political parties to select their candidates for office whereby people vote in an election.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 203

12. The first presidential caucus is generally held in

a. New Hampshire.

b. New Jersey.

c. Iowa.

d. Minnesota.

Question type: factual

Page number: 203

13. The first presidential primary is generally held in

a. New Hampshire.

b. New Jersey.

c. Iowa.

d. Minnesota.

Question type: factual

Page number: 205

14. Which of the following was controversial due to electoral irregularities concerning ballots and counting in Florida?

a. The 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln.

b. The 1876 election of Rutherford B. Hayes.

c. The 1948 election of Harry S. Truman.

d. The 2000 election of George W. Bush.

Question type: applied

Page number: 205-209

15. Which of the following have contributed to the lack of diversity of presidential candidates?

a. The selection process.

b. The campaign finance process.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 205

16. Which of the following does not require financing in a presidential campaign?

a. Travel.

b. Advisers.

c. Polling.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 214

17. Betsy DeVos, President Trump’s appointee as Secretary of ___________, was the first cabinet nominee whose Senate appointment that had to be decided by a tiebreaking vote by the vice president.

a. Health and Human Services.

b. Homeland Security.

c. State.

d. Education.

Question type: factual

Page number: 210

18. When did SuperPACs officially begin to form?

a. 1995.

b. 2003.

c. 2010.

d. 2015.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 210

19. A political action committee that is allowed to raise an unlimited amount of money from any source and then is allowed to spend this money in support of or opposition to any political candidate so long as their activities are not directly coordinated with a campaign is called a

a. PAC.

b. SuperPAC.

c. MegaPAC.

d. Corporate PAC.

Question type: applied

Page number: 210

20. In what way are SuperPACs singularly able to be extremely influential in presidential campaigns?

a. They are legally able to buy significant numbers of votes for candidates.

b. They are legally able to restrict certain groups from accessing voting precincts.

c. They are legally able to raise and spend unlimited funds, unlike campaigns.

d. They are run by the government, thus giving them significant power, unlike campaigns.

Question type: factual

Page number: 210

21. Which 2016 presidential candidate received the most financial support from SuperPACs?

a. Donald Trump.

b. Hillary Clinton.

c. Gary Johnson.

d. Jill Stein.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 211

22. Why did the Framers only provide for limited presidential powers as expressed in the U.S. Constitution?

a. They were wary of significant executive power.

b. They were unsure of what they wanted in the government and made a mistake.

c. They were wary of significant legislative power.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 211

23. The Framers wanted the executive to be mainly concerned with

a. Symbolic gestures.

b. Creating policies.

c. Administering congressional policies.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 211

24. Nineteenth- and early twentieth-century presidents

a. Played a relatively limited role in the political system.

b. Enjoyed a great deal of political power.

c. Were not very different from current presidents in terms of the amount of power they exerted.

d. Had no power in the political system.

Question type: factual

Page number: 211

25. Which president ushered in the era of the modern presidency?

a. Theodore Roosevelt.

b. Woodrow Wilson.

c. Franklin Roosevelt.

d. Harry Truman.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 211

26. The modern presidency is characterized by a powerful president who

a. Seeks to lead Congress.

b. Connects with the American public.

c. Presides over an enormous executive branch.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 212

27. How is the administrative power of the president defined?

a. As the president’s authority to enforce laws and ensure that policies take effect.

b. As the president’s authority to receive other nations’ ambassadors, negotiate treaties, and serve as commander in chief of the armed forces.

c. As the president’s authority to draft, create, and enforce legislation that benefits both the nation and his or her political party.

d. As the president’s authority to influence the policy concerning matters within the United States.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 215

28. How are the foreign powers of the president defined?

a. As the president’s authority to enforce laws and ensure that policies take effect.

b. As the president’s authority to receive other nations’ ambassadors, negotiate treaties, and serve as commander in chief of the armed forces.

c. As the president’s authority to draft, create, and enforce legislation that benefits both the nation and his or her political party.

d. As the president’s authority to influence the policy concerning matters within the United States.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 217

29. How are the domestic powers of the president defined?

a. As the president’s authority to enforce laws and ensure that policies take effect.

b. As the president’s authority to receive other nations’ ambassadors, negotiate treaties, and serve as commander in chief of the armed forces.

c. As the president’s authority to draft, create, and enforce legislation that benefits both the nation and his or her political party.

d. As the president’s authority to influence the policy concerning matters within the United States.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 212

30. Presidential declarations that are issued along with legislative bill signings that express reservations about parts of a bill or announce an unwillingness to enforce aspects of the bill are known as

a. The veto.

b. Executive agreements.

c. Executive orders.

d. Signing statements.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 212

31. Directives that the president issues to subordinates in the executive branch that have the force of law are known as

a. The veto.

b. Executive agreements.

c. Executive orders.

d. Signing statements.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 215

32. Agreements between the president and foreign nations that, because they are not treaties, do not need the approval of the Senate are known as

a. The veto.

b. Executive agreements.

c. Executive orders.

d. Signing statements.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 217

33. The president’s ability to cancel legislation passed by Congress is known as

a. The veto.

b. Executive agreements.

c. Executive orders.

d. Signing statements.

Question type: factual

Page number: 214

34. In accordance with the Constitution, which of the following are presidents not in charge of nominating?

a. Federal judges.

b. Executive branch officials.

c. Senators.

d. Ambassadors.

Question type: applied

Page number: 214

35. The requirement that the Senate provide its approval for the president’s executive branch nominees provides an example of the legislative branch’s ___________.

a. Check on the judicial branch’s legislative power.

b. Check on the executive branch’s legislative power.

c. Check on the judicial branch’s administrative power.

d. Check on the executive branch’s administrative power.

Question type: applied

Page number: 212

36. The president’s ability to exercise discretion in terms of enforcing laws is most directly seen in

a. The veto.

b. Executive agreements.

c. Executive orders.

d. Signing statements.

Question type: applied

Page number: 212

37. The president’s ability to exert administrative power in the area of policy making is most directly seen in

a. The veto.

b. Executive agreements.

c. Executive orders.

d. Signing statements.

Question type: factual

Page number: 215

38. In terms of foreign powers, the modern presidency has usurped legislative authority in the areas of

a. Making treaties and declaring war.

b. Nominating ambassadors and making treaties.

c. Declaring war and treaty ratification.

d. Declaring war and nominating ambassadors.

Question type: applied

Page number: 215

39. How have modern presidents gotten around the legislative check on foreign powers by way of treaty ratification?

a. The veto.

b. Executive agreements.

c. Executive orders.

d. Signing statements.

Question type: factual

Page number: 213

40. Which president signed Executive Order 9088 to forcibly remove more than 100,000 Japanese Americans from their homes on the West Coast to internment camps?

a. Franklin Roosevelt.

b. Harry Truman.

c. Dwight Eisenhower.

d. John Kennedy.

Question type: factual

Page number: 215

41. Which of the following is not one of the three presidential foreign policy–making powers granted by the Constitution?

a. Declare war.

b. Receive foreign ambassadors.

c. Negotiate treaties.

d. Serve as commander in chief of the armed forces.

Question type: factual

Page number: 215

42. Congressional War Powers (the power of Congress to declare war) are granted within the Constitution by

a. Article 1, Section 8.

b. Article 1, Section 12.

c. Article 2, Section 2.

d. Article 2, Section 3.

Question type: factual

Page number: 215-216

43. How many times have formal Congressional War Powers been used since the 1950s?

a. Zero.

b. One.

c. Three.

d. Five.

Question type: factual

Page number: 215

44. Which was the first major and prolonged conflict in which the president dispatched troops without a subsequent congressional declaration of war?

a. Korean War.

b. Vietnam War.

c. Persian Gulf War.

d. Iraq War.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 216

45. What is the status given to individuals captured in battle who do not belong to any national military force?

a. Active combatants.

b. Enemy combatants.

c. Prisoners of war.

d. Evildoers.

Question type: factual

Page number: 217

46. The usage of __________ was/were authorized under the Bush administration and continued under the Obama administration in order to attack suspected terrorists; however, they also resulted in civilian deaths.

a. Waterboarding.

b. Unmanned drones.

c. Enhanced interrogation.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 200

47. Who served as both Secretary of Homeland Security and Chief of Staff within President Trump’s administration?

a. Sen. Jeff Sessions.

b. Sen. Orrin Hatch.

c. Gen. John Kelly.

d. Gov. Mitt Romney.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 218

48. What is needed to override a presidential veto?

a. A two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives.

b. A three-fourths vote in the Senate.

c. A two-thirds vote in both chambers of Congress.

d. A three-fourths vote in both chambers of Congress.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 218

49. The __________ is a form of presidential legislative power that allows him or her to overturn a bill passed by Congress when the president does not act on a bill within 10 days of passage and Congress has adjourned.

a. Veto.

b. Pocket veto.

c. NATO.

d. Lame duck veto.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 218

50. If Congress does not adjourn within 10 days of sending a bill to the president to be signed and the president does not sign or veto the bill, it automatically

a. Returns to Congress for review.

b. Is subject to the pocket veto.

c. Dies.

d. Becomes law.

Question type: factual

Page number: 218

51. What is the annual occasion in which the president speaks before Congress to suggest laws that Congress should pass?

a. The State of the Union address.

b. The Inauguration.

c. The Great Law of Peace ceremony.

d. The State of the Nation address.

Question type: factual

Page number: 218

52. Which president delivered the first televised State of the Union address?

a. Franklin Roosevelt.

b. Harry Truman.

c. Dwight Eisenhower.

d. John Kennedy.

Question type: factual

Page number: 218

53. Which president was the first to use his State of the Union address, televised in the evening, to push for major civil rights law enforcement?

a. Lyndon Johnson.

b. Gerald Ford.

c. Jimmy Carter.

d. Ronald Reagan.

Question type: factual

Page number: 218

54. Aside from the State of the Union address, what is another way the president attempts to influence legislative policy?

a. Writing and presenting legislation.

b. Presentation of the annual budget.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 219

55. Who is not in the closest circle to the president within the executive branch?

a. Vice president.

b. President’s spouse.

c. Cabinet.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 220

56. Which amendment changed the Constitution to allow for political party teams for presidential and vice presidential candidates?

a. Tenth.

b. Eleventh.

c. Twelfth.

d. Thirteenth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 220

57. Vice President Mike Pence has worked to

a. convince Congress to pass President Trump’s legislative agenda.

b. enact policy preferences connected with social conservatism.

c. defend the Trump administration across media outlets.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 220

58. Who was the only non-White vice president?

a. Calvin Coolidge.

b. Charles Dawes.

c. Charles Curtis.

d. John Garner.

Question type: factual

Page number: 220

59. Who was the first female running mate on a major party ticket?

a. Victoria Woodhull.

b. Geraldine Ferraro.

c. Sarah Palin.

d. Carol Moseley Braun.

Question type: factual

Page number: 221

60. Which of the following first greatly expanded the role of the first lady into political, social, and economic issues?

a. Martha Washington.

b. Dolly Madison.

c. Eleanor Roosevelt.

d. Hillary Clinton.

Question type: factual

Page number: 221

61. Which first lady was the first to be qualified to serve in an important formal capacity within the executive branch?

a. Dolly Madison.

b. Eleanor Roosevelt.

c. Barbara Bush.

d. Hillary Clinton.

Question type: factual

Page number: 221

62. The first president to appoint his wife to an official position beyond her role as first lady was ____________.

a. Franklin D. Roosevelt.

b. Ronald Reagan.

c. Bill Clinton.

d. Barack Obama.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 222

63. The key presidential aides, each of whom heads an executive branch department, as well as others that the president designates, are known as

a. The Executive Office of the President (EOP).

b. The Cabinet.

c. White House staff.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 225

64. A part of the executive branch that is divided into specific offices and contains key advisers who assist the president in managing the executive branch and developing policies is known as

a. The Executive Office of the President (EOP).

b. The Cabinet.

c. White House staff.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 226

65. The president’s personal advisers, who do not need senatorial approval when appointed and provide critical political and policy advice to the president, are known as

a. The Executive Office of the President (EOP).

b. The Cabinet.

c. White House staff.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 222-223

66. Which position is not a part of the “inner Cabinet”?

a. Secretary of the Interior.

b. Secretary of State.

c. Attorney General.

d. Secretary of the Treasury.

Question type: factual

Page number: 223

67. Which department was largely responsible for discriminating against American Indians, particularly in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries?

a. State.

b. Labor.

c. Interior.

d. Homeland Security.

Question type: factual

Page number: 223

68. Which of the following is least likely to be involved in deliberative meetings with the president?

a. The Executive Office of the President (EOP).

b. The Cabinet.

c. White House staff.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 222-223

69. Which of the following is a major responsibility and purpose of Cabinet members?

a. To provide advice for the president on issues specific to their individual departments.

b. To build political support for the executive administration’s policies.

c. To build public support for the executive administration’s policies.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 225

70. The individuals selected for the Executive Office of the President (EOP) are chosen for

a. Economic purposes.

b. Political purposes.

c. Expertise.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 229

71. Why is diversity (e.g., racial, ethnic, and gender) important within the structure of the executive branch?

a. Diversity in positions of power decreases the likelihood of revolution and riots.

b. This branch has the ability to influence and shape public policies concerning groups that have traditionally lacked influence and resources.

c. Diversity in positions of power placates the masses by helping them to feel that they have influence on the political system.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 226-227

72. ___________ is not one of the positions on the White House Staff?

a. Chief of staff.

b. Attorney General.

c. Press secretary.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 227

73. A member of the president’s staff who conducts daily briefings with members of the media is known as the

a. Chief of staff.

b. Press secretary.

c. Counselor to the president.

d. Senior advisor.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 227

74. A key assistant to the president who coordinates executive branch employees and serves as a link between other presidential advisers and the president is known as the

a. Chief of staff.

b. Press secretary.

c. Counselor to the president.

d. Senior advisor.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 229

75. A period in which the president is of one political party and the majority of one or both houses of Congress are of the other party is called

a. Patriotic government.

b. Unified government.

c. Ineffective government.

d. Divided government.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 229

76. A period in which both houses of Congress are controlled by the president’s party is called

a. Patriotic government.

b. Unified government.

c. Ineffective government.

d. Divided government.

Question type: factual

Page number: 229-230

77. Was the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) successfully repealed by the U.S. Congress in 2016?

a. No, the repeal never passed the Senate.

b. No, the repeal passed both chambers, but it was vetoed by President Obama.

c. Yes, the repeal was signed into law by President Obama.

d. Yes, the repeal passed after Congress overrode a presidential veto.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 231

78. A president’s claim to Congress that his or her election victory signifies the public’s support for his or her policies is known as a(n)

a. Mandate.

b. Directive.

c. Obligation.

d. Requirement.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 232

79. The process by which the House of Representatives charges a president, vice president, or federal judge with a high crime or misdemeanor, after which the Senate can decide to remove that official from office, is known as

a. Impeachment.

b. Executive privilege.

c. Arraignment.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 233

80. Presidential authority to keep some of the communication among executive branch personnel private and free from Congress, the courts, and the public is called

a. Impeachment.

b. Executive privilege.

c. Arraignment.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 233

81. A presidential administration can shield itself from an investigation into its activities if it claims those activities are specific to security and its official functions by way of

a. Impeachment.

b. Executive privilege.

c. Arraignment.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 217

82. Which of the following presidents ordered the most drone strikes, authorized the killing of the most suspected terrorists, and announced an end to enhanced interrogation techniques?

a. President Bill Clinton.

b. President George W. Bush.

c. President Obama.

d. President Trump.

Question type: factual

Page number: 224

83. In June 2018, Sec. Kristjen Nielsen, the Secretary of the Department of __________, publicly defended the government’s “zero tolerance” policy concerning undocumented immigration at the southern border, despite the fact that the policy separated thousands of young children from their families

a. Homeland Security.

b. Interior.

c. State.

d. Health and Human Services

Question type: factual

Page number: 202

84. The first presidential election in which a non-White candidate was elected took place in:

a. 2004.

b. 2008.

c. 2012.

d. 2016.

Question type: factual

Page number: 202

85. The oldest person to be elected to become president was:

a. William Henry Harrison.

b. Andrew Jackson.

c. Ronald Reagan.

d. Donald Trump.

Question type: factual

Page number: 202

86. The first Catholic president was ________.

a. Herbert Hoover.

b. John F. Kennedy.

c. Jimmy Carter.

d. George W. Bush.

Question type: factual

Page number: 203

87. The first female presidential nominee for a major political party was:

a. Hillary Clinton.

b. Elizabeth Dole.

c. Shirley Chisholm.

d. Victoria Woodhull.

Question type: factual

Page number: 205

88. Which of the following reflects the outcome of the 2016 presidential election?

a. Donald Trump lost the Electoral College; Hillary Clinton won the popular vote.

b. Donald Trump lost the Electoral College; Hillary Clinton lost the popular vote.

c. Donald Trump won the Electoral College; Hillary Clinton won the popular vote.

d. Donald Trump won the Electoral College; Hillary Clinton lost the popular vote.

Question type: factual

Page number: 211

89. More money was spent by the top ten SuperPACs on _____________ messages as compared to ____________ messages in the 2016 presidential election.

a. conservative; liberal.

b. liberal; conservative.

c. moderate; extreme.

d. extreme; moderate.

Question type: factual

Page number: 217

90. What was the status of the drone program, as used by President Bush and President Obama?

a. Neither ever used drones.

b. President Bush ordered ten times more drone strikes than President Obama.

c. President Obama ordered ten times more drone strikes than President Bush.

d. Both Presidents ordered approximately the same number of drone strikes.

Question type: factual

Page number: 220

91. Who was the 2016 Republican candidate for Vice President?

a. Mike Pence.

b. Lindsey Graham.

c. Chris Christie.

d. Rudy Giuliani.

Question type: factual

Page number: 225

98. President Obama appointed _________________ as attorney general, and she was the first African American woman to serve in that position.

a. Elizabeth Warren.

b. Loretta Lynch.

c. Condoleezza Rice.

d. Anita Hill.

Question type: factual

Page number: 212-217

99. Since assuming office, which of the following types of policy that President Obama supported have been reversed by President Trump?

a. Immigration.

b. Health care.

c. Traditional international relations.

d. All of the above.

Short-Answer Questions

1. Why are President Barack Obama’s presidential wins of particular historical significance?

He was the first African American to win the presidency.
He was one of only three Democratic presidents to win two elections with a majority of more than 50 percent of the votes.

2. Identify the requirements for becoming president of the United States. Have they changed over time?

35 years old, natural-born citizenship, and at least 14 years’ residency in the United States.
They have not changed over time.

3. In what ways have we seen homogeneity among the presidents? In what ways have presidents been diverse?

Homogeneity: All males, all White before Obama, all Christian, most college educated.
Diverse: One Black, one Catholic.

4. To what degree has there been diversity among presidential candidates?

There has been very little diversity.
There have been several racial minority candidates (mostly Black) and several female candidates.

5. Who was the only non-White vice president? Of which racial minority group was he a part and under which president did he serve?

Charles Curtis; American Indian; served under President Herbert Hoover.

6. What was President Obama’s approach to the issue of race in his first inauguration speech?

To downplay racial differences and demonstrate that we are all Americans.
He also promoted cultural, racial, and religious diversity and noted that that diversity is a strength rather than a weakness.

7. What is a caucus? What is a primary? How are they similar and different?

Caucus: A method for political parties to select their candidates for office whereby party members convene at local meetings.
Primary: A method for political parties to select their candidates for office whereby people vote in an election.
Both are used for nominating a presidential candidate; caucuses are more easily influenced by party politics.

8. What is the difference between primary and general elections?

Primary elections are in place to work toward determining who the party nominee for president will be.
The general election determines which of the party nominees will become the next president.

9. Given the traditional first caucus and traditional first primary, why is it difficult for minority candidates to gain early support in the nomination process?

First caucus: Iowa; First primary: New Hampshire.
Neither state is racially diverse, with White population percentages in the low 90s.
Racially polarized voting often results in little support for minority candidates.

10. Describe the process by which a presidential election is determined. Is the popular vote the only determining factor?

Not directly by popular vote.
Electoral College; answer should define the Electoral College and connect it to the popular vote.

11. What is the purpose of the Electoral College and how is it structured?

Purpose: Elect the president and vice president.
538 electors, in proportion with the number and state distribution of members of Congress and the 3 nonvoting members of the District of Columbia.
The answer should clearly demonstrate that the electors are not the members of Congress.

12. What is the modern presidency? When did it begin?

Modern presidency: Since Franklin Roosevelt in 1933, the conception of the presidency, which is characterized by a powerful president who seeks to lead Congress, connects with the American public and presides over an enormous executive branch.

13. Define presidential veto power and indicate how the veto differs from the pocket veto.

Veto: The president’s ability to cancel legislation passed by Congress.
Pocket veto: A way for the president to overturn a bill passed by Congress when the president does not act on a bill within 10 days of passage (excluding Sundays) and Congress adjourns in the meantime.
With the pocket veto, the president can choose not to act on it, and it will not become law.

14. What is executive privilege? Why is it controversial?

Presidential authority to keep some of the communications among executive branch personnel private and free from Congress, the courts, and the public.
Controversial: It allows presidents to work in obscurity rather than transparency; people worry that executive privilege can cover criminal or inappropriate actions.

15. How and why does the president use signing statements?

Signing statements: Presidential declarations issued along with legislative bill signings that express reservations about parts of a bill or announce an unwillingness to enforce aspects of the bill.
Use: To express publicly that a president does not agree with all aspects of a bill, possibly suggesting an unwillingness to execute them.

16. How do SuperPACs influence presidential elections?

SuperPACs infuse a great deal of money into a presidential election, although they are not allowed to coordinate with a presidential campaign.
They can create many political ads that support policies of a candidate without directly supporting the candidate.

17. What does it mean that candidates “move to the center” for general elections? How and why are presidential candidates’ messages during primaries different from their messages during the general election?

During primaries, candidates must appeal to the more extreme components of their parties; they must moderate their positions a bit when they get to the general election stage to attract more supporters – i.e. they must “move to the center”.

18. What is a mandate?

A president’s claim to Congress that his election victory signifies the public support for his policy preferences.
He uses it to try to get congressional support for his policies.

19. What is impeachment? How many presidents have been impeached?

The process by which the House of Representatives charges a president, vice president, or federal judge with a high crime or misdemeanor; then the Senate can decide to remove that official from office with a two-thirds vote.
Two presidents have been impeached, but none have been removed.

20. What is the purpose of the press secretary? How has this changed under the Trump administration?

To conduct daily briefings with the White House press corps.
This allows the president to get his or her messages to the public.
While all press secretaries must choose the ideas/issues/narratives to highlight to best present their administration, the expectations and accountability regarding truthfulness from the press secretary has diminished under the Trump presidency.

21. Who won the 2016 Electoral College vote? Who won the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election? How does this outcome influence discussions regarding the Electoral College?

Electoral College win: Trump
Popular vote win: Clinton
Clinton winning the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes calls into question the degree to which the Electoral College is reasonable in a democratic system.

22. Why did the founders institute the Electoral College?

They wanted a peer-review system to place a check on the popular vote, if the people had been swayed by a persuasive individual that would not uphold the tenets of the political system.

23. Explain the importance of presidential appointment choices. How might these appointments affect racial and ethnic minorities?

The secretaries of departments chosen by presidents largely guide the direction of the policies of the departments.
Consider the differences between Obama and Trump appointees (e.g. Department of Justice; Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch vs. Jeff Sessions)

24. Why do some presidents use executive orders more than others?

Often those working in a divided government will need to circumvent a hostile Congress, as long as the executive order is specific to the constitutional powers of the president.

Essay Questions

1. Discuss the influence of executive orders. Be sure to provide at least one example of an executive order and its effects.

Define executive orders and discuss their similarity to legislative power, which the president then gets to execute.
Example (can provide any example): FDR’s Executive Order 9066, which removed Japanese Americans from their homes and placed them in internment camps; allowed for the confiscation of their property.

2. Examine presidential campaign financing. Be sure to provide details concerning how money plays a role in whether an individual obtains office.

Note the importance of money in presidential campaigns.
Examine issues relating to fundraising.
Discuss the difference between money that directly influences an individual’s campaign and money that floods the election stage via SuperPACs.
Provide examples from the 2012 election.

3. Discuss the process of becoming president. Be sure to examine the difficulties encountered at every stage of the process.

Describe the nomination and selection processes.
Highlight difficulties in getting to the nomination stage, including racial and ethnic minority status.
Examine the difficulties encountered when facing an opponent’s campaign strategies.

4. Consider the constitutional powers of the president. Are they greater or less than they were at the founding of the nation?

Enumerate presidential powers.
Examine the modern presidency and increased presidential power since the Founding.
Suggest the modern presidency takes on powers that are not given to it by the Constitution.

5. Discuss the structure and organization of the executive branch. Be sure to include the Cabinet, the Executive Office of the President, and White House staff.

Include a description of the purpose and members of the Cabinet, the Executive Office of the President, and White House staff.
Include the vice president and first lady and their roles in relation to the president.
Examine how the structure increases the efficiency and efficacy of the executive branch.

6. Discuss the administrative powers of the president. How do they allow the president to shape public policy?

Demonstrate that these powers relate to the president’s ability to enforce the laws of Congress.
Consider the power to exercise discretion in enforcing laws (include discussion of signing statements).
Reference executive orders and how they qualify as administrative (in that they are specific to commanding a subordinate).
Examine the importance of appointment power.

7. Examine the purposes of the Electoral College. Why did the Framers create this institution? To what degree is it necessary? What are some of the suggestions for altering or abolishing it?

Define and describe the Electoral College.
Acknowledge the Framers’ desire to keep the election of the president away from the direct influence of the masses (this is in line with classical republicanism).
Suggestions: Get rid of the Electoral College and elect the president by popular vote; allocate electoral votes proportionally instead of by winner-take-all rules.

8. Consider the foreign policy powers of the president. Incorporate these three powers into your discussion and examine whether the presidency has usurped other foreign powers.

Identify the three foreign policy powers: receiving foreign ambassadors, negotiating treaties, and serving as commander in chief of the armed forces.
Provide a detailed description of each and the overlap.
Examine executive agreements as alternatives to treaties and the purpose for using them.
Examine congressional war powers and the way in which the presidency has usurped this power (provide examples).

9. Consider the domestic powers of the president. How does the president influence policy?

Acknowledge that the Framers did not intend for the president to have a great deal of domestic policy–making power.
Recognize the main policy-making power of the presidency is the veto and pocket veto.
One way the president influences policy is by suggesting to Congress which laws to pass (mention State of the Union Address and annual budget).

10. Consider the president’s ability to negotiate with Congress when the government is divided versus when it is unified. Discuss these issues and examine President Johnson’s ability to negotiate with party members who did not agree with his policies.

Recognize that the president must negotiate with Congress to have his or her policy agenda enacted.
Recognize this negotiation is more complicated and difficult when the government is divided rather than unified (define each).
Acknowledge that the president’s desired policy outcomes do not necessarily come easily in a unified government if there are major party divisions.
Examine President Johnson’s successful negotiating with Southern Democrats in getting them to cease blocking civil rights bills

11. Using the Obama and Trump presidencies as case studies, identify and evaluate the degree to which presidents can wield power and the degree to which presidential power is constrained by other branches and institutional factors.

Identify and examine the powers of the presidency.
Delineate the checks and balances, and the lack of abilities given, that limit the power of the president (e.g. the president cannot introduce legislation or create new laws; the legislature can override a veto; etc.)
Answers must provide at least one direct example from the Obama and Trump administrations.

12. Consider how the Electoral College influences the Presidency, institutionally and among the people. Provide an answer that examines the history of the Electoral College.

Incorporate understanding of the structure of the Electoral College (including why there are 538 electors).
Review that there have been changes to how the electors are selected.
Indicate that public trust in the system (particularly concerning the presidency) decreases when the Electoral College chooses a winner that is not chosen by popular vote.

13. Examine the ways in which the Trump administration has influenced policy areas and politics in ways that can directly affect racial and ethnic minorities.

Strong answers will examine both specific policies and the broader tone and rhetoric used by President Trump and members of his administration.
In this examination, there should be an analysis of how and why these examples can influence racial and ethnic minorities.
Negative rhetoric specific to racial and ethnic minorities (e.g. the demonization of immigrants that cross the border with Mexico) can be examined.
Specific policies (e.g. repeal of DACA, separation of children from parents without documentation at the border, indirect effects of the government shutdown, and so forth) should be examined in detail in terms of their effects on people.

CHAPTER 8: THE BUREAUCRACY: CAREER GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND RACE

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Learn the structure and purposes of the federal bureaucracy.
Examine the history and diversity of the selection process of bureaucrats.
Determine how the bureaucracy creates and shapes public policy.
Explore how each branch of government works to control the bureaucracy.
Understand the bureaucracy’s connection to the concept of representative democracy.
Determine the ways in which bureaucratic decision making and actions have harmed or helped racial and ethnic minorities.

Outline

I. Bureaucratic Organization

a. Cabinet Departments

b. Independent Regulatory Commissions

c. Independent Executive Agencies

- Our Voices: The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and the Controversy over Florida and the 2000 Election

d. Government Corporations

II. The Bureaucrats

a. Politics versus Merit

b. Diversity

- Evaluating Equality: Diversity in the Bureaucracy: The Case of the Bureau of Indian Affairs

III. Bureaucratic Policy Making and Power

a. Implementation

i. Enforcement

ii. Rulemaking

- Measuring Equality: Minority Representation in the Federal Civilian Workforce

iii. Administrative Adjudication

c. Sources of Bureaucratic Power

IV. Controlling Bureaucracies

a. Executive Control over Bureaucracies

b. Legislative Control over Bureaucracies

c. Judicial Control over Bureaucracies

V. Conclusion

Discussion Questions

In terms of the issue of bureaucracy, what accounts for the failings of FEMA in the Hurricane Maria disaster in 2017? What might have helped to ensure this government agency did not fail?
With regard to structure, what are the four separate categories of the federal bureaucracy? How are they similar to and different from one another?
How have racial and ethnic minorities been disadvantaged and advantaged in terms of bureaucratic decisions, politics, and employment?
Examine the checks on bureaucratic power. Which branch of government can exert the most power? How and why?
What strategies are used by Congress to control and oversee the bureaucracy? What has the government done to shrink the bureaucracy and why?
Why did President Trump choose so many people to run the Cabinet Departments whose records clearly indicated that they strongly opposed the main purposes of those departments? To what degree can those new heads of departments change the direction of the implementation of policy?

Video Resources

Blackout in Puerto Rico, FRONTLINE, PBS Films

Inside the State Department, National Geographic

The Secret Service, A&E Home Video

Trouble the Water, Elsewhere Films

Website Resources

Bureau of Indian Affairs, http://www.bia.gov/

The Cabinet, http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet/

Customs and Border Patrol, http://www.cbp.gov/

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, http://www.eeoc.gov/

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, http://www.usccr.gov/

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, http://www.epa.gov

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: factual

Page number: 238-239

1. Which of the following federal agencies failed to respond adequately to the damage from Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in 2017, when it did not have similar problems in responses to hurricane damage in Texas and Florida in the same year?

a. Environmental Protection Agency.

b. Federal Communications Commission.

c. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

d. Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Question type: factual

Page number: 238

2. FEMA stands for

a. Federal Events Management Administration.

b. Federal Emergency Management Agency.

c. Federal Environment Management Agency.

d. Federal Evaluation and Monitoring Administration.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 239

3. A large, complex organization in which employees work within specific levels of rank and authority to carry out the policies of that organization is called

a. Bureaucracy.

b. Autocracy.

c. Democracy.

d. Theocracy.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 239-240

4. The federal government bureaucracy is not in charge of

a. Providing services to the American public.

b. Carrying out federal policies.

c. Determining the constitutionality of the policies it carries out.

d. Any of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 240

5. The federal bureaucracy is a part of which branch of government?

a. Legislative.

b. Executive.

c. Judicial.

d. Its own branch.

Question type: factual

Page number: 240

6. The __________ is made up of cabinet departments, independent regulatory commissions, independent executive agencies, and government corporations.

a. Federal judiciary.

b. Federal legislature.

c. Federal bureaucracy.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 240

7. Which branch(es) of government is/are responsible for establishing and eliminating sections of the bureaucracy?

a. Executive.

b. Legislative.

c. Judicial.

d. Executive and Legislative.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 240

8. Cabinet departments are

a. Government bodies that issue and enforce regulations on specified economic and social interests.

b. Parts of the federal bureaucracy that charge fees for the services they provide to the American public.

c. Major divisions within the executive branch, which each perform a specific function.

d. Parts of the federal bureaucracy with specified functions that are independent from cabinet departments, do not regulate, and do not charge fees for their services.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 243

9. Independent regulatory commissions are

a. Government bodies that issue and enforce regulations on specified economic and social interests.

b. Parts of the federal bureaucracy that charge fees for the services they provide to the American public.

c. Major divisions within the executive branch, which each perform a specific function.

d. Parts of the federal bureaucracy with specified functions that are independent from cabinet departments, do not regulate, and do not charge fees for their services.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 244

10. Independent executive agencies are

a. Government bodies that issue and enforce regulations on specified economic and social interests.

b. Parts of the federal bureaucracy that charge fees for the services they provide to the American public.

c. Major divisions within the executive branch, which each perform a specific function.

d. Parts of the federal bureaucracy with specified functions that are independent from cabinet departments, do not regulate, and do not charge fees for their services.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 247

11. Government corporations are known as

a. Government bodies that issue and enforce regulations on specified economic and social interests.

b. Parts of the federal bureaucracy that charge fees for the services they provide to the American public.

c. Major divisions within the executive branch, which each perform a specific function.

d. Parts of the federal bureaucracy with specified functions that are independent from cabinet departments, do not regulate, and do not charge fees for their services.

Question type: factual

Page number: 241

12. Which are the four longest standing departments in the federal bureaucracy?

a. State, Treasury, Defense, and Justice.

b. State, Labor, Agriculture, and Defense.

c. Labor, Justice, Defense, and Agriculture.

d. State, Veteran’s Affairs, Homeland Security, and Justice.

Question type: factual

Page number: 241

13. By 2019, there were __ Cabinet Departments within the federal bureaucracy.

a. 9.

b. 11.

c. 13.

d. 15.

Question type: factual

Page number: 240

14. When was the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice created?

a. 1866.

b. 1910.

c. 1957.

d. 1976.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 258

15. Whistleblowers can at times expose __________________ occurring within the federal bureaucracy, which would normally go unnoticed.

a. judicial wrongdoing.

b. racial and ethnic discrimination.

c. legislative backroom deals.

d. interest group fund abuse.

Question type: factual

Page number: 247-248

16. The majority of employees in the bureaucracy are

a. Appointed by the president.

b. Appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

c. Hired based on their political affiliations.

d. Hired based on their qualifications.

Question type: factual

Page number: 240

17. Which of the following does the Civil Rights Division work to protect from discrimination?

a. Racial and ethnic minorities.

b. Disabled individuals.

c. Members of nontraditional religions.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 240

18. Issues of discrimination in the United States are most likely to be investigated by the

a. State Department.

b. Department of Justice.

c. Department of Homeland Security.

d. Department of Defense.

Question type: applied

Page number: 241

19. Issues concerning the United States and foreign relations are most likely to be handled by the

a. State Department.

b. Department of Justice.

c. Department of Homeland Security.

d. Department of Defense.

Question type: applied

Page number: 241

20. Issues relating to the health of the economy in the United States are most likely to be addressed by the

a. Department of Labor.

b. Department of Agriculture.

c. Treasury Department.

d. Department of the Interior.

Question type: applied

Page number: 241

21. Issues relating to employment and the welfare of workers are most likely to be handled by the

a. Department of Labor.

b. Department of Agriculture.

c. Treasury Department.

d. Department of the Interior.

Question type: factual

Page number: 241

22. The __________ is the cabinet department most recently added to the federal bureaucracy?

a. Department of Interior.

b. Department of Homeland Security.

c. Department of Education.

d. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 243

23. When does Congress create new independent regulatory commissions?

a. When Democrats want to create bigger government.

b. Every time a new regulatory law is created.

c. When it does not want to be in charge of a regulatory issue.

d. When it finds that laws alone are not sufficient to handle important regulatory needs.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 243

24. Which of the following falls under the purview of independent regulatory commissions?

a. Make rules.

b. Enforce rules by investigating violations.

c. Adjudicate disputes over rule enforcement.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 244

25. In terms of partisan bureaucratic politics, independent regulatory commissions

a. Must have a close balance of Democratic and Republican commissioners.

b. Must have commissioners chosen from the main party in power.

c. May choose their own commissioners based on party affiliation.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 244

26. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an example of a(n)

a. Independent regulatory commission.

b. Government corporation.

c. Cabinet department.

d. Independent executive agency.

Question type: factual

Page number: 244

27. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an example of a(n)

a. Independent regulatory commission.

b. Government corporation.

c. Cabinet department.

d. Independent executive agency.

Question type: applied

Page number: 245

28. As an independent executive agency, what type of activity is the Commission on Civil Rights most likely to engage in?

a. Create civil rights laws.

b. Enforce civil rights laws by investigating violations.

c. Adjudicate disputes over civil rights enforcement.

d. Research and examine the effects of policies and sociopolitical issues on civil rights.

Question type: applied

Page number: 247

29. The U.S. Post Office is an example of a(n)

a. Independent regulatory commission.

b. Government corporation.

c. Cabinet department.

d. Independent executive agency.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 247

30. Why are government corporations controversial?

a. They are public-run, instead of private sector, businesses.

b. They are subsidized by the government and may often lose money rather than making a profit.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 247

31. In what way can government corporations be considered useful to the American public?

a. They help economically disadvantaged citizens by providing services at lower fees than the private sector.

b. They undermine the private sector.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 250

32. When was the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) created?

a. 1789.

b. 1824.

c. 1868.

d. 1911.

Question type: factual

Page number: 250

33. Which Department was the Bureau of Indian Affairs originally under?

a. Department of War.

b. Department of State.

c. Department of Justice.

d. Department of the Interior.

Question type: factual

Page number: 250

34. Which of the following is accurate in terms of the relationship between American Indians and the bureaucracy?

a. All four categories of bureaucracy are involved in the government’s relationship with American Indians.

b. Only the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has contact with American Indians.

c. There is no longer a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and the U.S. government only interacts with American Indian tribes through the State Department.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 248

35. A system of hiring bureaucrats because they supported the winning political candidate, not because they had the skill, training, and experience for their jobs, is known as

a. Patronage.

b. Partisanship.

c. Sponsorship.

d. Bureaucracy.

Question type: factual

Page number: 248

36. Which of the following is a federal law passed in 1883 that required bureaucrats to be hired and retained according to their demonstrated skill, not their political affiliation?

a. Naturalization Act.

b. Cleveland Act.

c. Pendleton Act.

d. Hatch Act.

Question type: factual

Page number: 248

37. A patronage system within the federal bureaucracy was introduced by which president?

a. George Washington.

b. Thomas Jefferson.

c. Andrew Jackson.

d. Andrew Johnson.

Question type: factual

Page number: 249

38. Which of the following is a federal law passed in 1939 and amended in 1993 that restricts federal employees’ partisan political activities?

a. Naturalization Act.

b. Cleveland Act.

c. Pendleton Act.

d. Hatch Act.

Question type: factual

Page number: 248

39. President __________ attempted to repeal the patronage system in the federal bureaucracy and ultimately lost his life as a consequence of expectations borne out of that system.

a. Abraham Lincoln.

b. James Garfield.

c. William McKinley.

d. John F. Kennedy.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 248

40. Federal bureaucrats who are not political appointees, but instead are hired according to their education and performance on an examination, are called

a. Federal workers.

b. Civil employees.

c. Civil servants.

d. Patrons.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 249

41. Why is the Hatch Act important?

a. It depoliticizes the federal bureaucracy by requiring that federal employees be hired based on expertise.

b. It depoliticizes the federal bureaucracy by forbidding federal employees from engaging in most political activities.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 249

42. Which of the following has traditionally led to a relative lack of diversity in both public and private jobs?

a. Inadequate minority job candidates.

b. Discriminatory hiring practices.

c. Lack of availability of positions.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 249

43. When did the Civil Service Commission begin to require federal government agencies to set numerical goals to attempt to ensure representation of minorities and women in hiring practices?

a. 1951.

b. 1965.

c. 1971.

d. 1980.

Question type: applied

Page number: 249

44. Why was the use of numerical goals legal in the preferential hiring of women and minorities in the federal government?

a. It was not legal.

b. It was necessary to have quotas to make the employers hire these groups.

c. The goals were not binding quotas.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 253-254

45. The fact that racial and ethnic minorities are not well represented in the upper levels of the federal bureaucracy demonstrates that

a. Antidiscrimination and affirmative action policies have not been fully effective.

b. There are not enough qualified minorities in the workforce.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 253

46. In terms of the federal workforce, Blacks are

a. Overrepresented at the bottom and underrepresented at the top.

b. Underrepresented at the bottom and overrepresented at the top.

c. Overrepresented at all levels.

d. Underrepresented at all levels.

Question type: factual

Page number: 254

47. The most underrepresented racial/ethnic minority group in every category except “other white collar” in the federal workforce is

a. Blacks.

b. Latinos.

c. Asians.

d. American Indians.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 247-248

48. Bureaucrats are

a. Unelected.

b. Unaccountable to the public.

c. Important policy makers.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 251

49. The day-to-day process by which bureaucrats enforce laws and carry out policies is known as

a. Rulemaking.

b. Implementation.

c. Administrative adjudication.

d. Policy making.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 252

50. The process by which bureaucrats issue regulations that have the force of law is known as

a. Rulemaking.

b. Implementation.

c. Administrative adjudication.

d. Policy making.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 254-255

51. The quasi-judicial process by which a bureaucratic agency resolves a dispute between the agency and a private citizen is known as

a. Rulemaking.

b. Implementation.

c. Administrative adjudication.

d. Policy making.

Question type: applied

Page number: 251

52. The ways in which bureaucrats follow guidelines for the enforcement of immigration laws reflect the concept of

a. Rulemaking.

b. Implementation.

c. Administrative adjudication.

d. Policy making.

Question type: factual

Page number: 252, 254

53. The Federal Register is

a. The official collection of U.S. government documents published on a daily basis.

b. The official collection of U.S. government documents published on a weekly basis.

c. The official collection of U.S. government documents published on a monthly basis.

d. The official collection of U.S. government documents published on a yearly basis.

Question type: factual

Page number: 252

54. When did the Administrative Procedures Act first require that all bureaucratic rules be published in the Federal Register at least 30 days prior to taking effect?

a. 1911.

b. 1917.

c. 1933.

d. 1942.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 252, 254

55. Although bureaucrats are not elected by the people, is there any means by which citizens can work to influence the rules created within the bureaucracy?

a. Yes, they can threaten to remove bureaucrats from office for bad policy making.

b. Yes, they can provide direct input on proposed rules after they are published in the Federal Register.

c. No, there is no avenue for public influence on the bureaucracy.

d. No, only the president and Congress have any means of connecting with the bureaucracy.

Question type: factual

Page number: 254

56. In 2010, which of the following engaged in rulemaking that would directly affect the lives of racial minorities and women and revised its rules based on public feedback?

a. Federal Aviation Administration.

b. Environmental Protection Agency.

c. Federal Housing Finance Agency.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 254-255

57. In the scope of administrative adjudication, who first hears disputes and offers solutions for the parties involved?

a. Administrative law judges.

b. Special congressional subcommittees.

c. The president.

d. U.S. Supreme Court.

Question type: factual

Page number: 255

58. To which courts can administrative adjudication decisions be appealed?

a. Local judiciary.

b. State judiciary.

c. Federal judiciary.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 255

59. Some agencies attempt to avoid administrative adjudication by providing __________ to eliminate the need for additional government involvement.

a. Mediation.

b. Immediate settlements.

c. Rule changes.

d. Cease-and-desist letters.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 255

60. A conception of bureaucracy in which policy making is dominated by congressional committees, interest groups, and bureaucratic agencies is referred to as a(n)

a. Issue network.

b. Triangle of influence.

c. Iron triangle.

d. Triangle of power.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 255

61. Which of the following is accurate?

a. Bureaucrats maintain good relationships with congressional subcommittees to gain favor and funding.

b. Bureaucrats maintain good relationships with interest groups to increase public support for their policies.

c. Interest groups and congressional committee members working with bureaucrats are able to influence the policy within agencies.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 256

62. A conception of policy making as dynamic and not controlled by any particular set of groups or institutions is called a(n)

a. Issue network.

b. Triangle of influence.

c. Iron triangle.

d. Triangle of power.

Question type: applied

Page number: 255-256

63. Which of the following provides an example for the iron triangle concept of bureaucratic power?

a. Defense policy.

b. Immigration policy.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 256

64. Which of the following provides an example for the issue networks concept of bureaucratic power?

a. Defense policy.

b. Immigration policy.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 256

65. Given the problematic nature of an elected bureaucracy in a representative democracy, which branch of government works to check the power of the bureaucracy?

a. Legislative.

b. Executive.

c. Judicial.

d. All three branches.

Question type: applied

Page number: 256

66. Generally speaking, what is the relationship between career bureaucrats and higher level political appointees?

a. Higher level appointees exert full control over the actions of career bureaucrats.

b. Career bureaucrats exert full control over their agencies without regard to the commands of appointees.

c. Career bureaucrats and higher level appointees can come into conflict over policy for an agency and both exert power.

d. Higher level appointees and career bureaucrats work together to ensure there can be no outside influence on an agency.

Question type: applied

Page number: 257

67. Of the following groups, which are NOT considered federal bureaucrats?

a. CIA operatives.

b. U.S. border patrol agents.

c. Congressional staffers.

d. FEMA workers.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 257

68. High-level bureaucrats the president places in different agencies to ensure compliance with his or her directives are known as the

a. Whistleblowers.

b. Central clearance enforcers.

c. Senior Executive Service.

d. Agency reorganizers.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 258

69. Bureaucrats who publicly expose waste, fraud, or abuse in their agency are known as

a. Whistleblowers.

b. Central clearance enforcers.

c. Senior Executive Service.

d. Agency reorganizers.

Question type: factual

Page number: 257

70. President ________ instituted the Senior Executive Service.

a. Harry Truman.

b. Dwight Eisenhower.

c. Richard Nixon.

d. Jimmy Carter.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 257

71. A requirement that all agency budget requests receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget before the president submits them to Congress is known as

a. Congressional clearance.

b. Central clearance.

c. Presidential clearance.

d. Judicial clearance.

Question type: applied

Page number: 258

72. Which of the following is not related to methods used by the president to control the bureaucracy?

a. Whistleblowers.

b. Central clearance.

c. Senior Executive Service.

d. Agency reorganization.

Question type: factual

Page number: 258

73. Which of the following protects bureaucrats who call attention to major problems within their agencies?

a. Civil Service Reform Act of 1978.

b. Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 258

74. The legislative branch checks the power of the bureaucracy by way of

a. Creating, altering, and eliminating agencies and positions.

b. Funding decisions.

c. Oversight of agencies.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 259

75. The part of the legislative branch that is responsible for auditing how bureaucratic agencies spend money appropriated by Congress is called the

a. Comptroller General.

b. Legislative veto.

c. Government Accountability Office.

d. Office of Management and Budget.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 259

76. An act of one or both houses of Congress that overturned an administrative action was known as

a. Comptroller General power.

b. Legislative veto.

c. Government Accountability Office power.

d. Office of Management and Budget power.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 259

77. The head of the Government Accountability Office is known as the

a. Comptroller General.

b. Attorney General.

c. Surgeon General.

d. Office of Management and Budget General.

Question type: factual

Page number: 259

78. What is the current status of the legislative veto?

a. It is frequently used to check bureaucratic power.

b. It is rarely used given that Congress often cannot garner enough votes for it.

c. It is never used.

d. It was invalidated by the Supreme Court.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 260

79. How does the judicial branch check the power of the bureaucracy?

a. By forcing agencies into court over policies it does not like.

b. By ruling that agency rules or actions brought before the court are unconstitutional or in violation of federal statutes.

c. By providing oversight over agency actions.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 261

80. Which of the following is a reason for the creation of public interest groups such as the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund?

a. The high cost of litigation disproportionately has affected racial and ethnic minorities in terms of seeking justice, especially against the bureaucracy.

b. Racial and ethnic minorities did not realize that other resources were available to them, and they chose to focus on race and ethnicity instead of class.

c. Racial and ethnic minorities are seeking special favors from the government by way of attacking the bureaucracy through the judicial system.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 242

81. President George W. Bush’s administration restructured the federal bureaucracy in order to create the

a. Department of Education.

b. Department of Energy.

c. Department of Homeland Security.

d. Department of Justice.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 242

82. An example of ______________ is apparent in the case of Hurricane Katrina, during which FEMA was led by President George W. Bush’s appointee Michael Brown, who was a political supporter with no emergency management experience.

a. bureaucratic overreach.

b. bureaucratic leadership incompetence.

c. bureaucratic organization success.

d. bureaucratic regulations.

Question type: factual

Page number: 257

83. Under central clearance, agency budget requests must be approved through the ______ before they are submitted to Congress by the President.

a. Office of Management and Budget.

b. Congressional Budget Office.

c. Governmental Accountability Office.

d. Executive Office of the President.

Question type: factual

Page number: 239

86. Which group continues to call for an independent commission to investigate why the federal government significantly underestimated the number of deaths in Puerto Rico associated with Hurricane Maria?

a. Republicans in Congress.

b. Democrats in Congress.

c. Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

d. Neither Republicans nor Democrats in Congress.

Question type: factual

Page number: 251

87. Women and racial minorities often occupy ___________ in the federal bureaucracy.

a. upper level positions.

b. lower level positions.

c. mid-level positions.

d. front level positions.

Short-Answer Questions

1. What does FEMA stand for? What is the purpose of this agency?

Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Purpose: To coordinate the government’s response to natural disasters (e.g., fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes).

2. What are civil servants and how do they factor into the bureaucracy?

Civil servants: federal bureaucrats who are not political appointees, but instead are hired according to their education and performance on an examination.
They decrease corruption and increase the effectiveness and ability of a bureaucracy in that they are not tied to a patronage system.
They run many of the day-to-day operations of the bureaucracy.

3. What are cabinet departments? How many are there?

Provide definition of cabinet departments.
There are 15 cabinet departments.

4. What are the four original cabinets established near the time of the founding of the nation?

State, Treasury, Defense (originally War), and Justice (originally just the Attorney General).

5. What is the purpose of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice? When was this division created?

Purpose: To enforce laws racial and ethnic minorities from discrimination, protect against unequal treatment of the disabled, elderly, and nontraditional religions.
Created in 1957.

6. What are independent regulatory commissions? Why are they considered independent? Provide an example of these commissions.

Define independent regulatory commissions.
Note that these commissions are independent because they do not fit into the cabinet department structure; additionally, the executive branch has less control over these commissions.
Example: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

7. What are independent executive agencies? How do they differ from independent regulatory commissions?

Independent executive agencies are parts of the federal bureaucracy that are independent of cabinet departments.
Different: Unlike independent regulatory commissions, they do not create or enforce any regulations, policies, or laws; instead, they largely gather and examine information.

8. Provide two examples of government corporations. What is the purpose of having corporations that are a part of the governmental structures?

Examples: Amtrak, U.S. Postal Service.
Purpose: To provide important or essential services to American citizens and residents for lower costs than can be found within the private sector.

9. In terms of market economics, why are government corporations criticized?

They threaten the private sector by way of providing lower pricing for services via large government subsidies.

10. How do independent executive agencies differ from other bureaucratic entities? Provide two examples of independent executive agencies.

They do not regulate or make policies.
They provide research and examination services, but do not charge fees for these services.
Examples: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), NASA, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

11. When was the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission established? How has it influenced the lives of racial and ethnic minorities?

EEOC established in 1964.
It has helped to decrease the amount of racial discrimination in hiring practices and in workplace settings.

12. To what degree are racial and ethnic minority groups represented in the different rankings (GS levels) of the federal bureaucracy?

They are present at all levels, but Blacks and American Indians are overrepresented at the bottom and Asian Americans are overrepresented at the top and the bottom.
Latinos are underrepresented at all levels and Blacks are underrepresented at the top.

13. What is implementation?

The day-to-day process by which bureaucrats enforce laws and carry out policies.

14. Define and compare the concepts of the “iron triangle” and “issue networks.”

Iron triangle: Bureaucratic agencies, congressional committees and subcommittees, and interest groups form relationships that allow them to solely influence particular bureaucratic policies.
Issue networks: A wide variety of groups are able to influence bureaucratic policies, rather than just specific groups or institutions.
The degree of openness and influence on policy separates these concepts.

15. Describe rulemaking and indicate how bureaucrats exercise this power?

The process by which bureaucrats issue regulations that have the force of law.
Authority: Congress has delegated much of this power to agencies.

16. Define administrative adjudication? How does this differ from the work of the judicial branch?

The quasi-judicial process by which a bureaucratic agency resolves a dispute between the agency and a private citizen.
This relates to disputes within the bureaucracy, rather than disputes over the interpretation of law and policy across branches.

17. What is the Senior Executive Service? What is central clearance? How are these related?

Senior Executive Service: High-level bureaucrats the president places in different agencies to ensure compliance with his directives.
Central clearance: A requirement that all agency budgets receive approval from the Office of Management and Budget before the president submits them to Congress.
They are both means by which the executive branch attempts to control the bureaucracy.

18. What are whistleblowers and how do they fit into the issue of executive control over the bureaucracy?

Bureaucrats who publicly expose waste, fraud, or abuse in their agency.
This is a means of limiting executive control of the bureaucracy.

19. Identify the ways in which the legislative branch attempts to control the bureaucracy?

Creation, alteration, and elimination of agencies and positions.
Congressional oversight of agencies (including committee oversight hearings).
Budgeting.
Government Accountability Office.

20. Identify the ways in which the judicial branch attempts to control the bureaucracy? How does this power within the judicial branch differ from that of the executive and legislative branches?

Ruling that bureaucratic actions are unconstitutional.
Judicial control is not as strong as executive and legislative control.
The judicial branch has to wait for aggrieved parties to come forward, and the high cost of litigation decreases the degree to which this happens.

21. Define bureaucracy and indicate why it is essential for the operation of a large government.

Bureaucracy: “a large, complex organization in which employees work within specific levels of rank and authority to carry out the policies of that organization.
Bureaucracy is meant to make policy implementation run more smoothly through specialization and division of labor.

Essay Questions

1. Given that, on the whole, FEMA handled other major hurricanes in 2017 on the mainland well (Harvey and Irma), many have suggested that the Trump administration’s FEMA failures with Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico were in some measure connected to racial and ethnic bias. Examine this claim in the context of FEMA’s handling of this natural disaster and the bureaucracy’s historical treatment of racial and ethnic minorities.

Analyze the claim that FEMA’s failures in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria were tied to race and ethnicity.
Describe the failures of FEMA in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
Connect the president’s decision making concerning FEMA and Maria to a more general understanding of presidents and their bureaucracies.
Examine the (historical) failures of the bureaucracy to help and protect racial and ethnic minorities.
From the progression of the essay, the student should then provide an argument concerning the accuracy of the claim.

2. Discuss the differences between and among the four categories of federal bureaucracy. Are any levels more or less similar to one another?

Define and describe cabinet departments, independent regulatory commissions, independent executive agencies, and government corporations.
Identify overlapping responsibilities and highlight the differences in the purposes of each category.

3. Discuss the purpose of independent executive agencies and the amount of power they enjoy in the bureaucratic system.

Describe the purposes and roles of these agencies.
Demonstrate that they have relatively little direct power in that they cannot create regulations and they do not collect fees for services.
Nevertheless, point to the CIA as an example of an independent executive agency that manages to exert power.

4. Discuss the purpose and controversy of government corporations. Be sure to incorporate the issue of a free-market economy in your discussion.

Define government corporations and provide examples (e.g., U.S. Postal Service and Amtrak).
Highlight how these corporations provide services that are widely needed by the population and make them available at reduced rates compared with what is otherwise available in the market.
Provide the economic argument against government corporations.

5. Discuss the issue of bureaucratic organization and American Indians, particularly in the context of the sovereignty of the latter.

Examine the history of the relationship between the American government and American Indians.
Examine more specifically the history between the BIA and American Indians.
Describe current conditions in terms of how various bureaucratic agencies interact with American Indians and affect their daily lives.

6. Examine how the process of hiring federal bureaucrats has changed over the course of American history. How have these hiring practices influenced racial and ethnic diversity in the federal bureaucracy?

Discuss the history of patronage and the power of political parties in hiring within the federal bureaucracy.
Discuss the efforts to do away with patronage, professionalize the federal workforce, and completely remove party influence from the bureaucracy (civil service exam, etc.).
Examine the influence of the Civil Service Commission in beginning the process of increasing the diversity of the bureaucracy in the 1970s.

7. Discuss the defense policy iron triangle. What entities are included? What does this mean in terms of the degree to which defense policy can be influenced?

Define iron triangle.
Demonstrate the strength of the defense iron triangle (defense contractors, members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, and officials in the Department of Defense).
Argue that outside influences (e.g., interest groups) have a difficult time influencing this kind of policy.

8. Examine the issue of minority representation in the federal workforce. Be sure to include the degree to which this representation occurs at all salary levels.

Determine that minority representation is not equally or proportionally distributed in terms of the racial and ethnic minority groups.
Recognize that African Americans, on the whole, are well represented in the federal workforce, whereas Latinos (who are the most underrepresented) are not.
Highlight that African Americans are overrepresented in the lower classes and salary ranges and underrepresented in the higher ones.
Highlight that American Indians are overrepresented in the lower classes and salary ranges.

9. Discuss the ways in which the bureaucracy can influence the daily lives of racial and ethnic minorities. Provide examples.

Discuss the idea that the bureaucracy enforces law (and even has its own power to make rules), and as such it is largely in charge of ensuring that laws to protect racial and ethnic minorities are being appropriately implemented.
Examples: Administrative adjudication to resolve internal conflict; rulemaking can be against or in favor of racial and ethnic minorities (e.g., creating rules to ensure fair treatment).

10. What are the powers and limitations of the president, Congress, and the judiciary over the bureaucracy? Provide examples.

Examine the tools for bureaucratic control that are enjoyed by the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
Provide examples of how the bureaucracy works around these tools of control.

Argue that the bureaucracy can be influenced but not completely controlled, which might be problematic given that it does not have elected members.

11. Examine the importance of the secretaries that lead the Cabinet Departments. Why are these appointed positions critical in terms of policy? Choose any three Cabinet Departments and compare the chairs of those department across the Obama and Trump administrations.

Briefly explain that secretaries are the heads of the departments.
Demonstrate knowledge regarding how secretaries can direct the implementation of policy.
Example: Show the differences in approaches to issues concerning civil rights among the various attorney generals under Obama and Trump.

CHAPTER 9 THE JUDICIARY: BLENDING LAW AND POLITICS

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Learn about the organization of the federal judiciary.
Learn how judges are selected and the ways in which race and ethnicity have factored into these selections.
Examine the issue of decision making in the federal judiciary.
Explore how the Supreme Court has withheld and extended civil rights.

Outline

I. Law and Courts

a. Dimensions of Law

b. Organization of the Federal Judiciary

II. Judicial Powers and Limitations

a. The Origins and Development of Judicial Review

b. Judicial Review and Constitutional Interpretation

c. Judicial Review and Civil Rights

- Evaluating Equality: Judicial Review, Legal Interpretation, and Civil Rights

d. Limitations on the Courts

III. Judicial Selection

a. Nominating Judges

b. Confirming Judges

c. Race and Ethnicity and Judicial Nominations

- Measuring Equality: Presidents’ Records of Minority Judicial Appointments to the Lower Federal Courts

IV. Decision Making on the Supreme Court

a. Decision-making Procedures

b. The Influence of a Judge’s Background on Judicial Decision Making

b. Attorney Influence on Court Decision Making

- Our Voices: Opinions of African American Supreme Court Justices

V. Conclusion

Discussion Questions

What is the main purpose of the judiciary? How much power does this branch of government have and exert?
Consider the issues of judicial restraint, original intent, judicial activism, and a living constitution. How do these fit into current court standards and which provides the most appropriate approach to judicial review?
How have the federal courts worked to deny and extend civil rights to racial and ethnic minorities?
Examine the issue of justiciability. What are standing and mootness, and why do they matter to the Court?
Was there a legitimate reason for the Senate GOP to withhold their advice and consent concerning President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to fill Justice Scalia’s position on the bench? What were the effects of this decision to leave the seat unfilled for at least a year?
What are the similarities and differences between the confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Brett Kavanaugh?

Video Resources

Judicial Appointments: President and Senate, C-SPAN

Sex and Justice: Anita Hill vs. Clarence Thomas, First Run Features

The Supreme Court, Ambrose Video

Thurgood Marshall: Before the Court, American RadioWorks

Website Resources

Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, http://aaldef.org/

Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, http://www.maldef.org/

NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, http://www.naacpldf.org/

U.S. Court System, http://www.uscourts.gov/Home.aspx/

U.S. Supreme Court, http://www.supremecourt.gov/

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: factual

Page number: 265

1. Which group’s extreme underrepresentation in the federal judiciary has been challenged by President Obama’s nomination efforts?

a. African Americans.

b. Latinos.

c. Asian Americans.

d. American Indians.

Question type: factual

Page number: 266

2. The nomination of judges for the federal judiciary is highly

a. Social.

b. Straightforward.

c. Monetary.

d. Political.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 265-266

3. The story of Goodwin Liu’s unsuccessful nomination to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals demonstrates

a. The strength of partisan politics in judicial politics.

b. The importance of the perceived ideology of a judicial nominee.

c. The ability of a few politicians to prevent and delay essential political processes.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 267

4. Institutions that interpret the laws of the land are known as

a. Political parties.

b. Interest groups.

c. Media outlets.

d. Courts.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 267

5. The rules of conduct that pertain to a given political order in society, rules that are backed by the organized force of the community, are known as

a. Rules.

b. Laws.

c. Policies.

d. Instructions.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 267

6. Constitutional law is a type of law pertaining to

a. The rules made by bureaucrats and administrative agencies.

b. The rules for our government expressed in the Constitution.

c. Violations of a code of behavior specific in local, state, and federal statutes.

d. Rules made by legislatures, especially Congress.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 267

7. Administrative law is a type of law pertaining to

a. The rules made by bureaucrats and administrative agencies.

b. The rules for our government expressed in the Constitution.

c. Violations of a code of behavior specific in local, state, and federal statutes.

d. Rules made by legislatures, especially Congress.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 267

8. Criminal law is a type of law pertaining to

a. The rules made by bureaucrats and administrative agencies.

b. The rules for our government expressed in the Constitution.

c. Violations of a code of behavior specific in local, state, and federal statutes.

d. Rules made by legislatures, especially Congress.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 267

9. Statutory law is a type of law pertaining to

a. The rules made by bureaucrats and administrative agencies.

b. The rules for our government expressed in the Constitution.

c. Violations of a code of behavior specific in local, state, and federal statutes.

d. Rules made by legislatures, especially Congress.

Question type: applied

Page number: 267

10. If a case is brought before a federal court concerning the separation of powers or civil liberties, it is said to deal with

a. Civil law.

b. Constitutional law.

c. Criminal law.

d. Statutory law.

Question type: applied

Page number: 267

11. If a case is brought before a federal court concerning a law created by a state legislature, it is said to deal with

a. Administrative law.

b. Constitutional law.

c. Criminal law.

d. Statutory law.

Question type: applied

Page number: 267

12. If a case is brought before a federal court concerning regulations made by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), it is said to deal with

a. Administrative law.

b. Constitutional law.

c. Criminal law.

d. Statutory law.

Question type: applied

Page number: 267

13. If a case is brought before a federal court concerning an alleged homicide, it is said to deal with

a. Civil law.

b. Constitutional law.

c. Criminal law.

d. Statutory law.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 267

14. A type of law that pertains to a dispute between two parties, at least one of which is a nongovernmental private party, is known as

a. Civil law.

b. Constitutional law.

c. Criminal law.

d. Statutory law.

Question type: applied

Page number: 267

15. If a case is brought before a federal court concerning compensation for an individual’s negligent actions, it is said to deal with

a. Civil law.

b. Constitutional law.

c. Criminal law.

d. Statutory law.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 268

16. Unlike criminal law cases, civil law cases

a. Result in prison time or fines.

b. Do not result in prison time or fines.

c. Are different in name only.

d. Always involve the government.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 267

17. Very serious crimes, such as homicide and armed robbery, often receive lengthy sentences and are known as

a. Crimes.

b. High crimes.

c. Misdemeanors.

d. Felonies.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 267

18. Crimes that are not the most serious in the judicial system often receive relatively little jail time and low fines and are known as

a. Crimes.

b. High crimes.

c. Misdemeanors.

d. Felonies.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 268

19. Criminal cases always involve the government as

a. The prosecutor.

b. A player with an unfair advantage.

c. The defendant.

d. The jury.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268-269

20. What are the two simultaneously operating tracks of the American judiciary?

a. State courts and federal courts.

b. State courts and local courts.

c. Local courts and federal courts.

d. Federal criminal courts and federal civil courts.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268

21. Where do the majority of court cases take place?

a. Local courts.

b. State courts.

c. Federal courts.

d. The U.S. Supreme Court.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268

22. For the federal judiciary to rule on a case, it must be demonstrated that the case is within federal __________.

a. Dominion.

b. Spheres of influence.

c. Jurisdiction.

d. Influence.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 268

23. Federal jurisdiction relates specifically to accusations of

a. Breaking state statutes.

b. Breaking criminal law.

c. Breaking civil law.

d. Breaking federal statutes.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268

24. When did Congress fulfill the obligation to create the federal judiciary?

a. 1788.

b. 1789.

c. 1796.

d. 1803.

Question type: factual

Page number: 269

25. Which of the following is not a part of the three-tiered structure of the federal judiciary?

a. U.S. district courts.

b. U.S. circuit courts of appeals.

c. U.S. Supreme Court.

d. U.S. intermediate appellate courts.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 268

26. Which of the following is the primary purpose of U.S. district courts?

a. To review legal questions that arise from district court trials.

b. To serve as federal trial courts that are fact-finding institutions.

c. To hear appeals from federal appellate courts and state supreme courts.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 269

27. Which of the following is the primary purpose of U.S. circuit courts of appeals?

a. To review legal questions that arise from district court trials.

b. To serve as federal trial courts that are fact-finding institutions.

c. To hear appeals from federal appellate courts and state supreme courts.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 269

28. Which of the following is the primary purpose of the U.S. Supreme Court?

a. To review legal questions that arise from district court trials.

b. To serve as federal trial courts that are fact-finding institutions.

c. To hear appeals from federal appellate courts and state supreme courts.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 270

29. A defined set of cases that avoids a lower court and goes directly to the Supreme Court is said to have

a. First jurisdiction.

b. Last jurisdiction.

c. Original jurisdiction.

d. Appellate jurisdiction.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 270

30. The types of cases in which the Supreme Court reviews legal issues decided by a lower court is said to have

a. First jurisdiction.

b. Last jurisdiction.

c. Original jurisdiction.

d. Appellate jurisdiction.

Question type: factual

Page number: 270

31. The U.S. Supreme Court largely hears cases in which it has

a. First jurisdiction.

b. Last jurisdiction.

c. Original jurisdiction.

d. Appellate jurisdiction.

Question type: factual

Page number: 269

32. Most U.S. circuit court of appeals decisions are made by

a. One judge.

b. A three-judge panel.

c. A five-judge panel.

d. A jury.

Question type: factual

Page number: 269

33. There are ____ federal circuits that are based on geographic location.

a. 5.

b. 11.

c. 15.

d. 21.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268

34. During the 2017 fiscal year, how many district courts were there?

a. 12.

b. 50.

c. 72

d. 94.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268

35. __________ is responsible for establishing the geographic districts for the federal judiciary.

a. Congress.

b. The U.S. Supreme Court.

c. The federal judiciary.

d. The president.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268

36. In federal district court cases, ________ determines whether there has been guilt or negligence.

a. A jury.

b. A three-judge panel.

c. A five-judge panel.

d. One judge.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268

37. Who determines the constitutionality of government actions in the federal district court system?

a. One judge.

b. A three-judge panel.

c. A five-judge panel.

d. A jury.

Question type: factual

Page number: 269

38. What is the total number of circuits in the U.S. circuit court of appeals?

a. 3.

b. 11.

c. 13.

d. 21.

Question type: applied

Page number: 268-269

39. Which federal courts were responsible for applying the second Brown v. Board of Education (1955) ruling to specific geographic areas?

a. U.S. district courts.

b. U.S. circuit courts of appeals.

c. U.S. Supreme Court.

d. U.S. intermediate appellate courts.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 270

40. Judicial review is known as

a. The power of a court to overturn a law or official government action because it is deemed unconstitutional.

b. A conception of judicial review that holds that courts should not overturn laws or government actions unless there is a clear directive in the Constitution.

c. A conception of judicial review that believes courts should overturn laws or government actions even if there is no clear constitutional directive.

d. The power of a court to create new legislation once it determines that a law is unconstitutional.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 271

41. Judicial restraint is

a. The power of a court to overturn a law or official government action because it is deemed unconstitutional.

b. A conception of judicial review that holds that courts should not overturn laws or government actions unless there is a clear directive in the Constitution.

c. A conception of judicial review that believes courts should overturn laws or government actions even if there is no clear constitutional directive.

d. The power of a court to create new legislation once it determines that a law is unconstitutional.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 271

42. Judicial activism is

a. The power of a court to overturn a law or official government action because it is deemed unconstitutional.

b. A conception of judicial review that holds that courts should not overturn laws or government actions unless there is a clear directive in the Constitution.

c. A conception of judicial review that believes courts should overturn laws or government actions even if there is no clear constitutional directive.

d. The power of a court to create new legislation once it determines that a law is unconstitutional.

Question type: factual

Page number: 271

43. Which Supreme Court decision established the concept of judicial review?

a. Marbury v. Madison (1803).

b. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819).

c. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824).

d. The Constitution established judicial review.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 270

44. The Framers designed the judicial branch to be

a. Dependent on the opinions of the public majority.

b. Independent of the opinions of the public majority.

c. Unable to make decisions without the consent of the legislative and executive branches.

d. Stronger than the legislative and executive branches.

Question type: factual

Page number: 270

45. Can federal judges be removed from office because of unpopular decisions?

a. Yes, as written in the Constitution.

b. Yes, given that the public can vote them out of office.

c. No, impeachment is largely reserved for ethical violations.

d. No, federal judges can never be removed from office.

Question type: applied

Page number: 271

46. If a judge demonstrates a desire to defer to the decisions of elected branches of government, he or she is providing an example of

a. Judicial examination.

b. Judicial restraint.

c. Judicial activism.

d. Judicial decision making.

Question type: applied

Page number: 271

47. If a judge demonstrates a desire to vigorously check the power of the other branches, even when there is not a great deal of constitutional basis for this, he or she is providing an example of

a. Judicial examination.

b. Judicial restraint.

c. Judicial activism.

d. Judicial decision making.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 272

48. A belief that the Constitution should be interpreted only according to the intent of its authors (and the intent of the state legislatures that ratified the amendments) is known as

a. Living constitution.

b. Original intent.

c. Constitutional intent.

d. Original constitution.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 272

49. A belief that the Constitution should be interpreted to reflect contemporary times is known as

a. Living constitution.

b. Original intent.

c. Constitutional intent.

d. Original constitution.

Question type: factual

Page number: 272

50. Which branch of government was most responsive to the civil rights demands of racial and ethnic minorities in the mid-1900s?

a. Legislative branch.

b. Executive branch.

c. Judicial branch.

d. All were equally responsive.

Question type: applied

Page number: 272

51. Why is the judicial branch in a particularly well-suited position to advance civil rights?

a. It is not beholden to the discriminatory whims of public opinion.

b. It must take into account the public’s calls for greater civil rights for many groups.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 272

52. In the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) case, the Supreme Court used judicial review to make racial discrimination a national issue, thus

a. Making states’ rights to racial discrimination unconstitutional.

b. Allowing states to work with the national government to determine rules on racial discrimination.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 272

53. The extension of civil rights to Blacks through Supreme Court rulings demonstrates the use of

a. A living constitution.

b. Original intent.

c. Judicial restraint.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 272

54. How was the Fourteenth Amendment reinterpreted in the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision?

a. Equal protection, although not explicitly stated, was inferred from the amendment.

b. Equal protection prohibits racial discrimination.

c. It was not reinterpreted, but instead, adequately applied.

d. Equal protection prohibits discrimination against sexual orientation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 272

55. Which of the following is a limitation on judicial authority?

a. Inability to enforce judicial rulings.

b. Constitutional amendments against judicial rulings.

c. Congressional clarification of laws in response to judicial rulings.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 274

56. The requirement that there must be an actual case or controversy between two parties for the federal judiciary to decide a case is known as

a. Justiciable.

b. Mootness.

c. Precedent.

d. Standing.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 274

57. An aspect of justiciability that requires that the conflict causing the case must still be germane and could not have been resolved on its own is known as

a. Justiciable.

b. Mootness.

c. Precedent.

d. Standing.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 274

58. An aspect of justiciability that requires the party bringing the case to show that the policy in question has caused it an injury is known as

a. Justiciable.

b. Mootness.

c. Precedent.

d. Standing.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 274

59. A principle articulated in a previous case that judges use to decide current cases is known as

a. Justiciable.

b. Mootness.

c. Precedent.

d. Standing.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 274

60. Which of the following acts as a check on judicial power?

a. Justiciable.

b. Mootness.

c. Precedent.

d. Standing.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 275

61. Personnel changes on the Supreme Court can lead to

a. The overturning of precedents.

b. A decrease in the number of Justices on the Court.

c. The creation of new policy.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 282

62. Who was the first African American Supreme Court Justice?

a. Clarence Thomas.

b. Charles Rangel.

c. Thurgood Marshall.

d. Sonia Sotomayor.

Question type: factual

Page number: 284

63. Who was the first Latina Supreme Court Justice?

a. Elena Kagan.

b. Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

c. Sandra Day O’Connor.

d. Sonia Sotomayor.

Question type: factual

Page number: 276

64. When do the elected branches of government have influence over the composition of the federal judiciary?

a. The selection process.

b. The judicial decision-making process.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 276

65. The practice whereby a president consults with senators in his party to find potential lower court vacancies that occur in the senators’ states is known as

a. Presidential courtesy.

b. Senatorial courtesy.

c. Judicial courtesy.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 276-277

66. One of the primary concerns a president has concerning potential judicial appointees is

a. Their qualifications.

b. Their educational background.

c. Their ideology.

d. Their economic background.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268-270

67. In terms of the laws set by Congress, how many justices are allowed to serve on the Supreme Court at any given time?

a. 3.

b. 6.

c. 9.

d. 12.

Question type: factual

Page number: 279

68. The Senate Judiciary Committee

a. Investigates the results of every federal court ruling.

b. Conducts hearings for judicial nominees and issues recommendations.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 279

69. The Senate may reject a judicial nominee if he or she is seen as

a. Having major character flaws.

b. Extremely ideological.

c. Unqualified.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 285

70. A formal legal document filed by the losing party in a lower court case that asks the Supreme Court to hear an appeal is called a

a. Writ of mandate.

b. Writ of certiorari.

c. Amicus curiae.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 286

71. Briefs filed by parties that have an interest in the outcome of a case but are not directly involved in it are called

a. Writ of mandate.

b. Writ of certiorari.

c. Amicus curiae.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 286

72. The opinion reflecting the winning outcome of a Supreme Court case that is signed by at least a plurality of the justices is called a

a. Concurring opinion.

b. Dissenting opinion.

c. Majority opinion.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 286

73. An opinion that agrees with the outcome of a Supreme Court case but for reasons different from those expressed in the majority opinion is called a

a. Concurring opinion.

b. Dissenting opinion.

c. Majority opinion.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 286

74. An opinion that disagrees with the winning side of a Supreme Court case and explains why is called a

a. Concurring opinion.

b. Dissenting opinion.

c. Majority opinion.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 287

75. A high-ranking lawyer in the Justice Department who argues cases before the Supreme Court on behalf of the U.S. government is called the

a. Attorney General.

b. Solicitor General.

c. Federal Prosecutor.

d. Prosecutor General.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 288

76. Which of the following is accurate concerning law clerks?

a. Most are White.

b. Most are male.

c. Most have elite law degrees.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 289

77. Justice Clarence Thomas’s dissenting opinion in the Virginia v. Black Supreme Court case concerning cross-burning argued

a. That cross-burning is free expression that should be covered under the protection of the First Amendment.

b. That cross-burning is not free speech or expression, but rather relates to a call to intimidation and violence against groups the KKK does not like.

c. That cross-burning is constitutional.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 289

78. Justice Thurgood Marshall’s dissenting opinion in the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke case concerning racial quotas in admissions argued that

a. Racial quotas were necessary for helping to remedy the effects of the legacy of discrimination.

b. Racial quotas were constitutional because they were protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.

c. Racial quotas were unconstitutional because the University of California is a public institution.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 288

79. The practice of interest groups arguing cases before the judiciary as a means of influencing public policy is known as

a. Judicial demands.

b. Racial litigation.

c. Interest group litigation.

d. Political party litigation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 287-288

80. Which of the following have a special position from which they can influence judicial decision making?

a. Law clerks.

b. Solicitor General.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 266

81. In 2013, the Democratic-controlled Senate altered the filibuster rules to prevent a minority of Senators from being able to obstruct the confirmation of the president’s

a. Lower court nominees.

b. Appellate court nominees.

c. Supreme Court nominees.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 265-266

82. Goodwin Liu’s unsuccessful nomination to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals was due to

a. race-based presumptions.

b. Republican obstruction of presidential court appointees.

c. lack of support from the Senate.

d. A and B.

Question type: factual

Page number: 266

83. When the Democrats controlled the Senate in 2013, they attempted to decrease Republican obstruction by altering rules concerning the use of the ________ for nominees to the lower-court.

a. rules committee.

b. filibuster.

c. reconciliation arrangement.

d. majoritarian rule.

Question type: applied

Page number: 280

84. How many justices served on the Supreme Court for the majority of 2016 after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia?

a. 6.

b. 7.

c. 8.

d. 9.

Question type: factual

Page number: 278

85. Which Supreme Court Justice has the most conservative average ideology rating of Justices appointed since 1937?

a. Justice Samuel Alito.

b. Justice Clarence Thomas.

c. Justice Antonin Scalia.

d. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268

86. The trial courts at the federal level are called

a. U.S. district courts.

b. U.S. trial courts.

c. U.S. appellate courts.

d. U.S. supreme courts.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268

87. Which article of the U.S. Constitution creates the Supreme Court and allows of the federal judiciary?

a. I.

b. II.

c. III.

d. IV.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268

88. U.S. district courts rule on

a. criminal law.

b. civil law.

c. constitutional law.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268

89. Civil law cases can result in

a. prison time.

b. monetary damages.

c. legal fines.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 268

90. Approximately how many U.S. district court judgeships existed in 2017?

a. 7.

b. Nearly 70.

c. Nearly 700.

d. Nearly 7,000.

Question type: factual

Page number: 269

91. Approximately how many U.S. circuit court judgeships existed in 2017?

a. Around 17.

b. Around 170.

c. Around 1,700.

d. Around 17,000.

Question type: factual

Page number: 269

92. The appeals courts at the federal level are called

a. U.S. district courts.

b. U.S. trial courts.

c. U.S. circuit courts of appeals.

d. U.S. supreme courts.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 273

93. Have Supreme Court rulings always moved the nation toward more equality and respect for civil rights?

a. Yes, as seen with Brown v. Board.

b. No, as seen with Dred Scott v. Sandford and Plessy v. Ferguson.

c. Yes, because all constitutional interpretations result in greater levels of justice for all.

d. No, as seen with Brown v. Board.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 273

94. The federal judiciary does not have significant enforcement power, and when respect for rulings fails, the courts often rely on the __________ branch to enforce their rulings.

a. executive.

b. legislative.

c. judicial.

d. technocratic.

Question type: factual

Page number: 277

95. How many Justices from racial and/or ethnicity minority groups currently serve on the Supreme Court?

a. 0.

b. 2.

c. 4

d. 6.

Question type: factual

Page number: 280

96. If the Senate Judiciary committee had held hearings for President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, and had he received a majority vote from the Senate, how many Justices would President Obama have placed on the Court?

a. 1.

b. 2.

c. 3.

d. 4.

Question type: factual

Page number: 282

97. As of 2016, approximately how many federal court judges are women?

a. 27%.

b. 37%.

c. 47%.

d. 57%.

Short-Answer Questions

1. Why is “the law” important in any society?

The law helps to ensure order and (presumably) fairness and equality by way of being relatively static.

2. Define constitutional law. Provide an example and indicate why this type of law is important.

A type of law pertaining to the rules for our government expressed in the Constitution.
Example: Arguments over the application of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Importance: connect to rule of law and national institutions.

3. Define statutory law. Provide an example and indicate why this type of law is important.

A type of law pertaining to rules made by legislatures, especially Congress.
Example: Arguments over the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Importance: connect to rule of law and national institutions.

4. Define administrative law. Provide an example and indicate why this type of law is important.

A type of law pertaining to the rules made by bureaucrats and administrative agencies.
Example: Arguments over EPA regulations.
Importance: connect to rule of law and national institutions.

5. Define criminal law. Provide an example and indicate why this type of law is important.

A type of law that pertains to violations of a code of behavior specific in local, state, and federal statutes.
Example: Arguments in a murder case.
Important: connect to rule of law and maintenance of national institutions and safety of citizens.

6. What is civil law? Give an example.

A type of law that pertains to a dispute between two parties, at least one of which is a nongovernmental private party.
Example: Arguments over negligence in a situation between two entities.

7. Why do we differentiate between criminal and civil law?

Criminal law relates to laws and statutes, which is clearly a government matter, whereas civil law relates to a disagreement between two parties, which might have nothing to do with the government and its decision.

8. How is the federal judiciary organized? Which courts have supremacy over the others?

U.S. District Courts are lower than U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals, which are lower than the U.S. Supreme Court.

9. What was the major outcome of the Marbury v. Madison (1803) case?

The establishment of judicial review.

10. What is judicial review?

The power of a court to overturn a law or official government action because it is deemed unconstitutional.

11. Compare and contrast judicial restraint and judicial activism. Discuss which approach to judicial review is most in line with the Constitution.

Restraint: Conception of judicial review that believes courts should not overturn laws or government actions unless there is a clear directive in the Constitution.
Activism: Conception of judicial review that believes courts should overturn laws or government actions even if there is not clear constitutional directive.
It can be argued that both are in line with the Constitution, in that the former emphasizes specifically the ideas that the Founders wanted, whereas the latter emphasizes the Founders’ desire for it to be a living document that could mold to conditions of the present day.

12. List the three main types of law. Are any of these types any more or less likely to appear in federal court cases?

Constitutional, statutory, and administrative.
Each is likely to come before the federal judiciary specifically when they deal with rules made or executed by the federal legislative and executive branches of government.

13. Examine the characteristics of judicial appointees that are sought by Republican versus Democratic presidents.

Suggest Republicans seek judges interested in judicial restraint and original intent.
Suggest Democrats seek judges interested in judicial activists and a living constitution.
Demonstrate that these desires are particularly of interest in terms of civil rights and civil liberties.

14. Define judicial activism and indicate why it may be discussed in a negative light.

A conception of judicial review that believes courts should overturn laws or government actions even if there is not clear constitutional directive.
Some view this as negative as it may extend behind the words specifically found in the U.S. Constitution.

15. What is original intent? How is it connected to judicial review?

A belief that the Constitution should be interpreted only according to the intent of its authors and the intent of the state legislatures that ratified the amendments.
Connects to the judicial restraint view of judicial review.

16. What is a living constitution? How is it connected to judicial review?

A belief that the Constitution should be interpreted to reflect contemporary times.
Connects to the judicial activism view of judicial review.

17. In the case of racial and ethnic minorities, as well as women, what was the original intent of the Constitution?

To deny rights and to exclude them from the political system.

18. How has judicial review advanced civil rights causes?

Prior to the 1950s, judicial review did little to advance civil rights (although the Supreme Court did strike down grandfather clauses, which was a step in a positive direction for civil rights).
With the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) case, judicial review began to advance civil rights by broadening the way in which the Fourteenth Amendment was applied.
Fourteenth Amendment now used to protect civil rights at all levels of government.

19. How did the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision change the application of the Fourteenth Amendment?

Since the mid- to late 1800s, the Supreme Court had adopted an extremely narrow view of the Fourteenth Amendment and did not use it to protect minorities from state action against them.
In Brown v. Board of Education, the Court found that the Fourteenth Amendment should be applied to protect racial minorities from negative state action (and inaction).
Further, the Fourteenth Amendment should provide equal protection across all levels of government.

20. Define justiciable, standing, and mootness. Why are these important concepts concerning the Supreme Court?

Justiciable: The requirement that there must be an actual case of controversy between two parties for the federal judiciary to decide a case.
Standing: An aspect of justiciability that requires the party bringing the case to show that the policy in question has caused it an injury.
Mootness: An aspect of justiciability that requires that the conflict causing the case must still be germane; it could not have resolved itself on its own.
For a case to go before the Court, the Court must agree that the case is justiciable by way of having standing and not being moot.

21. How did the system of checks and balances keep the Supreme Court at only eight Justices for the majority of 2016?

Republican Senators decided they did not want President Obama to fill Justice Scalia’s consent.
They used their power to check the President by withholding advice and consent, by choosing not to meet with Merrick Garland, President Obama’s nominee.

22. Which racial group has comprised the highest proportion of lower federal court appointments? Presidents from which party have appointed higher percentages of racial and ethnic minority judges to lower federal courts over the past 40 years?

Whites comprise the highest proportion of appointees.
Democratic presidents have been more likely that Republican presidents to appoint racial and ethnic minorities to the bench.

23. In what ways was the nomination and confirmation of Justice Sonia Sotomayor unprecedented?

She is a woman of color (Latina; Puerto Rican).
She grew up poor and was raised by a single mother.
There was a strong confirmation battle over her nomination that was closely tied to issues of race and ethnicity.

24. Define the Rule of Four. Indicate the effects of this concept.

Rule of Four: Four of the nine justices must grant certiorari in order for the Court to hear a case.
This gives power to a minority of the Court; however, it can also lead to the setting of a precedent that is contrary to an opinion held by a minority of the Court.

Essay Questions

1. What does Justice Goodwin Liu’s failed nomination to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals tell us about judicial politics?

Include the following points:
- The strength of partisan politics in judicial politics.
- The importance of the perceived ideology of a judicial nominee.
- The ability of a few politicians to prevent and delay essential political processes.
- Race continues to influence judicial politics.

2. Why is it important to differentiate among different types of law?

Demonstrate the differences among types of law.
Argue regarding the differing approaches courts must take when they encounter various types of law.
Examine the importance of each type of law for the maintenance of the political and social order.

3. Discuss the similarities and differences between criminal law and civil law.

Define each type of law.
Differentiate among them in terms of government involvement.
Connect them in terms of the fact that they generally involve an issue concerning a citizen.

4. What were the circumstances behind the Marbury v. Madison (1803) case? How did this lead to the full establishment of the concept of judicial review?

Describe the details of the case specific to Jefferson, Madison, and Marbury.
Explains how John Marshall ruled and how this ruling (because it relied on judicial review) in turn established this concept.

5. Compare and contrast original intent and a living constitution. Discuss the degree to which each is in line with how the Framers envisioned the government.

Define both terms.
Examine the degree to which it is likely that the Framers wanted the Constitution to be static.
Recognize that the Framers were largely committed to the idea of excluding large segments of the population (e.g., based on race and gender) from access to the political system, which is no longer seen as acceptable in most areas.

6. Examine the types of opinions put forth by the Court. Explain the importance of each and how they relate to the issue of precedent.

Define majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions.
Demonstrate how they are connected to one another.
Highlight that the majority opinion becomes precedent, whereas the other two do not.

7. Why might the concept of original intent be seen as problematic to racial and ethnic minorities? Provide three examples of problematic issues.

Define original intent.
Identify the Framers’ and state legislators’ original intent to deny civil rights and political access to racial and ethnic minorities.
Examples: Slavery was allowed to continue through the Constitution; Blacks counted as three-fifths of a person for representational purposes and not with the expectation that they would have government representation; Fugitive Slave Clause made it apparent that Blacks were to be viewed as property that had no rights to its body or life.

8. Examine the process by which a case comes before the Supreme Court.

Acknowledge that very few cases get to the Supreme Court, and even if a case makes its way through all other court systems, it might not be accepted by the Supreme Court.
Explain the process of being accepted by the Court, including the writ of certiorari and the rule of four (four of the nine Justices must agree to hear it).
Explain the issue of justiciability.

9. How do the Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) ruling and the Fourteenth Amendment demonstrate limitations on the courts?

Explain the Dred Scott ruling, as well as the Fourteenth Amendment.
Highlight the fact that Congress limited the Court’s influence on this issue by amending the Constitution.
Discuss the fact that Congress wielded more power than the Supreme Court (ultimately) on the issue of citizenship.

10. Provide a full examination of the ways in which the concept of precedent came into play in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) and Brown v. Board of Education (1954). Be sure to include the ways in which racial and ethnic minorities were affected by these rulings.

Provide details of both cases and detail that Brown overturned Plessy’s “separate but equal” ruling.
Demonstrate understanding that both were specific to the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Examine the fact that in 1954 the Court did not follow the precedent set by the Court in 1896.

11. Consider the ways that race factored into the court opinions given by Justice Marshall and Justice Thomas in University of California v. Bakke and Virginia v. Black, respectively. How does the race of the Justices come into play in these decisions? Why is this question never asked concerning white Justices for most other cases.

Briefly review Marshall’s and Thomas’ opinions.
Connect their experiences with race to a valuable perspective not held by all Justices.
Note that the racial views and experiences are rarely suggested as influencing their opinions concerning the law because white race is perceived as the “norm” and as having little to no race-based bias.

12. Consider the ways in which the eight-Justice Supreme Court was limited in terms of its ability to complete its constitutional purposes after the death of Justice Scalia. Be sure to indicate why the Supreme Court only had eight justices through much of 2016 and 2017, as well as how and when the Court returned to a nine member body.

Review the intended size of the Court and the purpose of an odd number of Justices.
Examine the effects of the vacancy of Justice Scalia’s seat that lasted for over a year.
Connect the answer to judicial review and decreased ability of the Court to engage in its appellate role.
Explore the circumstances around the Senate Republicans’ refusal to complete their constitutional responsibility of “advice and consent” in 2016 in the context of the prospect of eventually seating a more conservative Justice.

CHAPTER 10 PUBLIC OPINION: DIVIDED BY RACE?

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Develop an understanding of the concept of public opinion.
Examine the concept of political socialization.
Learn the determinants of public opinion and the influence of demographics on public opinion.
Examine how public opinion is measured and problems that can arise in the measurement process.

Outline

I. Public Opinion Overview

- Our Voices: Transcript of Conversation between Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and Governor Ross Barnett of Mississippi (Sunday, September 20, 1962)

II. Political Culture and Public Opinion

- Political Socialization

III. Expressions of Public Opinion

IV. Measuring Public Opinion

V. The Mechanics of Polling

a. How the Sample Is Drawn

b. How a Question Is Worded

c. When a Question Is Asked within the Survey

d. When Data Are Gathered

e. How Data Are Gathered

VI. Race, Gender, and Public Opinion

a. Race

- Evaluating Equality: Differences in Perception of Racism against Black Americans

b. Gender

- Measuring Equality: Donald Trump, Barack Obama, and the “Birthers”

c. Demographic Factors

d. Partisan Identification

e. The Media

VII. The Bradley Effect

VIII. Public Opinion and Politics

IX. Conclusion

Discussion Questions

What is public opinion and how does it relate to American politics?
Why do demographic factors matter when it comes to public opinion? What kind of differences in opinion do you find and why?
What is political culture? What forms does it take in the United States? How does it influence public opinion?
Discuss the positive and negative aspects of survey research. What factors may help us to ensure that public opinion data are as accurate as possible?
Why does it seem as though public opinion is becoming increasingly polarized within the nation? Do race and ethnicity play a role? Technology and social media? Examine these ideas individually and together.
How do you, as students, view the development of public opinion concerning political issues? Does it seem to you that this will continue to become more polarized on a partisan basis, or do you find that there is a movement away from this polarization? Explain your answer.

Video Resources

Affirmative Action: The History of an Idea, Films Media Group

Buying the War, PBS

The New Los Angeles, Beyond the Dream

Race to Execution, PBS

Website Resources

American National Election Study (ANES), http://www.electionstudies.org/

Gallup, http://www.gallup.com/

Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, https://ropercenter.cornell.edu/polls/

The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, http://people-press.org/

Pew Research Center, Hispanic Trends, http://www.pewhispanic.org

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 295

1. Which of the following affects political public opinion?

a. Race.

b. Gender.

c. Partisanship.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 295

2. The collective opinions of large segments of the population on an issue, candidate, or public policy on which the public might be much divided and lack consensus are known as

a. Political opinion.

b. Public opinion.

c. Personal opinion.

d. Faction opinion.

Question type: factual

Page number: 295

3. How did some of the Framers attempt to encourage public opinion to swing in favor of ratifying the Constitution?

a. By publishing the Constitution.

b. By publishing the Bill of Rights.

c. By publishing The Federalist Papers.

d. By publishing The Anti-Federalist Papers.

Question type: factual

Page number: 295

4. President __________ stated the following: “In this age, in this country, public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed. Whoever moulds public sentiment, goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces judicial decisions.”

a. Jefferson.

b. Jackson.

c. Lincoln.

d. Grant.

Question type: factual

Page number: 295

5. President __________ was forced into pushing against public opinion in the case of the integration of the University of Mississippi.

a. Kennedy.

b. Johnson.

c. Nixon.

d. Ford.

Question type: factual

Page number: 298

6. The Bush administration hired a former Madison Avenue advertising executive to drum up and maintain public support for

a. The war on terrorism.

b. The war on drugs.

c. The war on poverty.

d. The war on illegal immigration.

Question type: applied

Page number: 309

7. Why are the results of much of the early research on public opinion flawed?

a. The methods used were poor.

b. The surveys were too large.

c. The surveys were based solely on White opinion.

d. The surveys did not ask the right questions.

Question type: factual

Page number: 309

8. In what way is race becoming increasingly important in terms of public opinion?

a. Continuing racial demographic shifts.

b. Increasingly hostile racial minority groups.

c. Decreasing political interest of Whites.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 309

9. In which year did Massachusetts colonial law officially include language allowing for slavery?

a. 1594.

b. 1619

c. 1641.

d. 1720.

Question type: factual

Page number: 309

10. Legal racial discrimination, segregation, and denial of political freedoms and constitutional guarantees remained in place until

a. The Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) decision.

b. The end of the Civil War.

c. The Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) decision.

d. The Civil Rights movement.

Question type: applied

Page number: 309

11. Which of the following provides an example of differing sociopolitical realities for Blacks and Whites?

a. Black defendants required to post higher bail than White defendants.

b. Higher car prices for Blacks than for Whites.

c. Higher mortgage rates given to Blacks than to Whites, despite equal qualifications and history.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 310

12. In terms of a 2015 Gallup poll, how did racial differences play out for the following statement: Blacks have as good a chance as Whites of getting any kind of job for which they are qualified.

a. A vast majority of Whites agreed and a majority of Blacks disagreed.

b. A majority of Blacks agreed and a vast majority of Whites disagreed.

c. Whites and Blacks equally disagreed.

d. Whites and Blacks equally agreed.

Question type: factual

Page number: 310

13. What helps to account for racial differences in opinion regarding the degree of racism against Blacks in the United States?

a. Government propaganda.

b. There are no racial differences in opinion.

c. Racial minorities just like to dwell on past wrongs.

d. Life experiences that differ by race.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 310

14. Why is it inappropriate to use the standard political ideology labels of liberal, moderate, and conservative (which were developed through national surveys) to label racial and ethnic minorities?

a. Racial and ethnic minorities are less involved in the political system.

b. Those surveys were conducted with very few non-White respondents.

c. Those surveys asked racial and ethnic minorities the wrong questions about ideology.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 310

15. Why are African Americans largely considered “liberal”?

a. They overwhelmingly support the Democratic Party.

b. They overwhelmingly support liberal policies.

c. They always rank high on liberal ideology scales.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 310-311

16. Which of the following best describes the policy preferences of many Blacks?

a. Conservative on economic issues, liberal on social issues.

b. Conservative on economic and social issues.

c. Liberal on economic issues, conservative on social issues.

d. Liberal on economic and social issues.

Question type: factual

Page number: 311

17. Latinos largely support

a. Conservative domestic policy.

b. Liberal domestic policy.

c. Conservative economic policy.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 311

18. What decreases the degree to which it is appropriate to make claims concerning Latino ideology?

a. Latinos’ general disengagement from the political system.

b. The wide variety of familial nationalities and ethnicities subsumed under the pan-ethnic “Latino” label.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 310-311

19. Which of the following helps to explain how racial minorities can call themselves conservative and simultaneously believe in having more government involvement in expanding opportunities for equality and in bolstering antidiscrimination laws?

a. Unregulated ideology.

b. Undisciplined ideology.

c. Group differences.

d. Historical context.

Question type: applied

Page number: 312

20. Why are Blacks and Latinos less likely than Whites to support the death penalty?

a. The former groups recognize the bias in the justice system against individuals from these groups.

b. The former groups are more liberal than the latter group.

c. The former groups do not want to see justice served against people from their groups.

d. Each of these groups supports the death penalty equally.

Question type: applied

Page number: 312-313

21. Why are Blacks and Latinos more likely than Whites to want it to be more difficult to buy a gun?

a. The former groups do not believe in Second Amendment rights.

b. The former groups are more liberal than the latter group.

c. The former groups, Blacks in particular, are more likely to be the victims of violent crimes.

d. Each of these groups supports gun laws equally.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 313

22. Social relations between the sexes and attitudes about how the sexes interact and the roles that society assumes they will play concern the concept of

a. Sex.

b. Sexual orientation.

c. Gender.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 313

23. When was the factor of gender recognized as important in the formation of public opinion?

a. Between 1790s-1810s.

b. Between 1830s-1850s.

c. Between 1850s-1870s.

d. Between 1960s-1980s.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 313

24. Whether an individual is male or female concerns the concept of

a. Sex.

b. Sexual orientation.

c. Gender.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 313

25. The difference between men and women on such crucial issues as partisan identification and voting for certain candidates is known as the

a. Sex gap.

b. Gender gap.

c. Sex disparity.

d. Gender disparity.

Question type: factual

Page number: 313

26. Which decade saw a notable increase in the gender gap?

a. 1970s.

b. 1980s.

c. 1990s.

d. 2000s.

Question type: factual

Page number: 313

27. The emergence of the gender gap in politics is most frequently attributed to the period during the ________ administration.

a. Wilson.

b. Roosevelt.

c. Kennedy

d. Reagan.

Question type: factual

Page number: 314

28. Which of the following is accurate?

a. The 2008 election gender gap was relatively equal across races.

b. The 2008 election gender gap was a result of the overwhelming support of non-White women for candidate Obama.

c. The 2008 election did not have a gender gap.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 314

29. What helps to account for the gender gap in public opinion?

a. Increased numbers of women in a workforce biased against them.

b. Increased gender consciousness.

c. Recognition of policy preferences and interests that differ from those of men.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 314

30. Which of the following is not an issue with a major gender gap?

a. Protection of women’s rights.

b. Protection of religious freedoms.

c. Protection of aid to the unemployed.

d. Protection of the environment.

Question type: factual

Page number: 314

31. Has male political behavior contributed to the gender gap?

a. Yes, males are now more politically active than they once were.

b. Yes, males have moved to the Republican Party at a greater rate than women.

c. No, only women’s opinions have altered over time.

d. No, there is no discernible gender gap in political public opinion.

Question type: factual

Page number: 316

32. Among various groups at the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender, Black women are the _______of the death penalty?

a. most supportive.

b. least supportive.

c. most apathetic.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 316

33. Among various groups at the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender, White men are the _______of the death penalty?

a. most supportive.

b. least supportive.

c. most apathetic.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 316

34. Among various groups at the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender, non-White women are the _______of stricter laws on gun sales?

a. most supportive.

b. least supportive.

c. most apathetic.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 316

35. Among various groups at the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender, White men are the _______of stricter laws on gun sales?

a. most supportive.

b. least supportive.

c. most apathetic.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 315-316

36. What is the effect of race and gender on public opinion?

a. There is no discernible difference in public opinion based on gender, but there is in terms of race.

b. There is no discernible difference in public opinion based on race, but there is in terms of gender.

c. Race and gender each have independent effects on public opinion.

d. There is an intersectional effect, with White women, Black women, Black men, and so on, having differing opinions as groups unto themselves.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 298

37. Political culture refers to

a. The attitudes, beliefs, and values that undergird or are at the foundation of a political system

b. The process through which a person gains political understanding and forms a set of political beliefs.

c. The process through which a person works to change their attitudes and perceptions regarding political issues.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 299

38. Political socialization refers to

a. The attitudes, beliefs, and values that undergird or are at the foundation of a political system

b. The process through which a person gains political understanding and forms a set of political beliefs.

c. The process through which a person works to change their attitudes and perceptions regarding political issues.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 298-299

39. American political culture is based on which principle?

a. Freedom.

b. Equality.

c. Exclusion.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 298-299

40. What helps us to understand the current state, thinking, and direction of political culture?

a. Public opinion.

b. Political socialization.

c. Political development.

d. Public values.

Question type: applied

Page number: 298

41. The dynamic nature of public opinion concerning interracial marriage and homosexual marriage over time reflect changes in

a. Political culture.

b. Public opinion.

c. Political development.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 298-299

42. What most directly might lead to reforms in the welfare system?

a. Changing beliefs concerning the tax system.

b. Changing beliefs concerning self-sufficiency.

c. Changing beliefs concerning homosexual marriage.

d. Changing beliefs concerning immigration.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 299

43. Children often adopt the political positions of their

a. Friends.

b. Parents.

c. Relatives.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 299

44. How do governments engage in childhood political socialization?

a. Schools.

b. Instruction guides for parents.

c. Government corporations.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 299

45. How do schools encourage the development of civic values among children?

a. School elections.

b. Recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

c. Social studies, history, and civics classes.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 299

46. Which of the following is accurate concerning political socialization?

a. It only occurs during childhood.

b. It only occurs during adulthood.

c. It is a lifelong process.

d. It requires active work on the part of the individual.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 299

47. Which of the following is accurate concerning political socialization?

a. Political views become rigid after childhood.

b. Political views never change.

c. Political views only change if challenged by family members.

d. Political views can change over time based on variable life circumstances.

Question type: factual

Page number: 320

48. Which of the following is not a characteristic of someone that is more likely to identify with the Republican Party?

a. High income.

b. High education level.

c. Blue-collar job.

d. Suburban residence.

Question type: factual

Page number: 320

49. Which of the following is not a characteristic of someone that is more likely to identify with the Democratic Party?

a. Professional occupation.

b. Low income.

c. Low education level.

d. Urban residence.

Question type: factual

Page number: 321

50. What percentage of the delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention delegates were racial/ethnic minorities?

a. About ¼.

b. About ½.

c. About ¾.

d. All.

Question type: factual

Page number: 322

51. What percentage of Millennials state that they obtain their news about politics on Facebook?

a. 7%.

b. 23%.

c. 45%.

d. 61%.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 320

52. The political party an individual most identifies with specifically relates to his or her

a. Partisan effects.

b. Political involvement.

c. Political values.

d. Partisan affiliation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 320

53. Which of the following is accurate?

a. Those affiliated with the Republican Party are more likely to want government to have a relatively limited role in society.

b. Those affiliated with the Democratic Party are more likely to want government to have a relatively limited role in society.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 320

54. The “Southern strategy” used by many Republican presidential candidates uses __________ to attempt to pull __________ into their party.

a. Gender; men.

b. Race; Black Republicans.

c. Gender; women.

d. Race; White Democrats.

Question type: factual

Page number: 320

55. What was one result of President Lyndon Johnson’s push for civil rights?

a. Many Blacks decided not to accept their constitutional rights.

b. Many Black Republicans further entrenched themselves into the party.

c. Many White Democrats moved to the Republican Party.

d. Many White Democrats and Republicans moved out of the South.

Question type: factual

Page number: 318-319

56. In which region are people most likely to say buying a gun should be more difficult?

a. Northeast.

b. Midwest.

c. South.

d. West.

Question type: factual

Page number: 319

57. In which religion are people most likely to say buying a gun should be more difficult?

a. Protestant.

b. Catholic.

c. Jewish.

d. Other.

Question type: factual

Page number: 320-321

58. The Democratic and Republican conventions visually demonstrate

a. The lack of gender equity in both parties.

b. The difference in racial and ethnic diversity of the parties.

c. The lack of religious diversity in both parties.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 299

59. Which of the following concepts does this scenario best reflect? A child’s parents belong to one political party and the child becomes affiliated with the same party as an adult. Once that child is of retirement age, he or she switches party affiliation based on his or her new party’s stances on various policies and likeminded friends.

a. Political affiliation.

b. Political socialization.

c. Political knowledge.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 321

60. Which of the following is most often cited as a main source for political information?

a. Newspapers.

b. Internet.

c. Television.

d. Radio.

Question type: factual

Page number: 321

61. According to a 1981 survey, which of the following was cited as a main source for political information?

a. Newspapers.

b. Internet.

c. Television.

d. Radio.

Question type: factual

Page number: 321

62. In terms of people gathering political information through television, are television news programs the main source that is sought?

a. Yes, the traditional broadcasting stations continue to be the main source for news.

b. Yes, the traditional networks and cable news networks overwhelming serve as the main source for news gathering.

c. No, people rarely watch news programs.

d. No, although people do watch news programs, they also watch entertainment programs for their news.

Question type: factual

Page number: 321

63. Which of the following is accurate?

a. Only young people seek news from online sources.

b. Only older adults seek news from online sources.

c. The gap between younger and older people in terms of seeking news online is shrinking.

d. Older and younger people have always sought news online at similar rates.

Question type: factual

Page number: 320-321

64. Which 2016 national party convention had the highest percentage of Latino convention delegates?

a. Democratic Party.

b. Republican Party.

c. Democratic-Republican Party.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 300

65. What is one of the major means by which American citizens express public opinion?

a. Online polls.

b. Voting.

c. Writing to elected officials.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 300

66. Which of the following are means of expressing public opinion?

a. Voting.

b. Writing to elected officials.

c. Participating in demonstrations.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 301

67. What is the main method for measuring public opinion?

a. Experimental research.

b. Survey research.

c. Game theoretic modeling.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 301

68. The administration of questionnaires to a sample of respondents selected from a particular population, useful for making descriptive and explanatory studies of large populations, is known as

a. Experimental research.

b. Survey research.

c. Game theoretic modeling.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 302

69. The American National Election Study and General Social Survey are examples of

a. Public opinion polls conducted through universities.

b. Samples.

c. Business research tools.

d. Public opinion polls conducted through news organizations.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 302

70. A small set of people carefully drawn from a larger population to reflect its overall characteristics is known as

a. An experiment.

b. A survey.

c. A sample.

d. A quota.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 303

71. Quota sampling is

a. a type of sampling that requires the researcher to poll only the people in their closest inner circle.

b. a general term for a sample selected based on political ideological leanings.

c. a type of sampling in which individuals to be interviewed are selected based on their proportion or quota in the general population being polled.

d. a general term for a sample selected in accordance with probability theory, which ensures that every person in the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 304

72. Probability sampling is

a. a type of sampling that requires the researcher to poll only the people in their closest inner circle.

b. a general term for a sample selected based on political ideological leanings.

c. a type of sampling in which individuals to be interviewed are selected based on their proportion or quota in the general population being polled.

d. a general term for a sample selected in accordance with probability theory, which ensures that every person in the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample.

Question type: factual

Page number: 303-304

73. Which election prominently exposed the problems of quota sampling?

a. Lincoln, 1864.

b. Harding, 1920.

c. Truman, 1948.

d. Kennedy, 1960.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 304

74. The degree of expected error in sampling results that comes from estimating the responses of the population from a sample is known as

a. Probable sampling.

b. Sampling error.

c. Quota sampling.

d. Probability error.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 304-305

75. How does question wording influence the reporting of public opinion on a topic?

a. It can influence the understanding a respondent has concerning the issue in question.

b. It can place a negative, positive, or neutral viewpoint on the issue in question.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 304-305

76. Why do public opinion results differ when questions concerning affirmative action are referred to in terms of “preferential treatment” rather than “affirmative action to overcome past discrimination”?

a. The former casts a positive connotation, whereas the latter is somewhat more negative.

b. The former casts a negative connotation, whereas the latter is somewhat more positive.

c. Results would differ because there is no way to adequately measure public opinion.

d. The results would not differ because everyone understands the concept of affirmative action in the same way.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 305

77. Why would when a question is asked in a survey matter?

a. Respondents might not be paying attention.

b. Respondents’ views might be affected by political events that are occurring at the time of the survey.

c. Respondents might be primed by an earlier question to think of a later question in a positive or negative way.

d. It does not have any effect on the results.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 306

78. Why would the period during which data for a survey is gathered matter?

a. Respondents might not be paying attention.

b. Respondents’ views might be affected by political events that are occurring at the time of the survey.

c. Respondents might be primed by an earlier question to think of a later question in a positive or negative way.

d. It does not have any effect on the results.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 323

79. What is the Bradley effect?

a. The difference between how Black candidates poll and how they perform on Election Day.

b. The difference between how White candidates poll and how they perform on Election Day.

c. The difference between how female candidates poll and how they perform on Election Day.

d. The difference between how Protestant candidates poll and how they perform on Election Day.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 324

80. Which of the following is accurate concerning the 2012 presidential election?

a. Romney received the majority of votes of the White population, and Obama received the majority of votes of the non-White population.

b. Obama received the majority of votes of the White population, and Romney received the majority of votes of the non-White population.

c. Obama received the majority of votes of the White population and the non-White population.

d. Obama only received the majority of votes of the Black population.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 314

81. Which of the following is accurate concerning the 2016 presidential election?

a. Trump received the majority of votes of the male population, and Clinton received the majority of votes of the female population.

b. Clinton received the majority of votes of the male population, and Trump received the majority of votes of the female population.

c. Clinton received the majority of votes of the male and female populations.

d. Trump received the majority of votes of the male and female populations.

Question type: factual

Page number: 311

82. Which of the following groups has the highest proportion that believes racism against African Americans is widespread in the U.S.?

a. Whites.

b. Latinos.

c. African Americans.

d. They all believe this in equal proportions.

Question type: factual

Page number: 312

83. Which of the following groups has the highest proportion that are critical of police tactics, due to collective group experiences?

a. Whites.

b. Latinos.

c. African Americans.

d. They all believe this in equal proportions.

Question type: applied

Page number: 312

84. Why are racial and ethnic minorities more likely to believe that police violence is a problem, particularly as it pertains to their groups?

a. These groups want to find something to complain about.

b. These groups have experiences that other groups do not share.

c. These groups think they should be above the law.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 306

85. According to polls from early 2015 regarding the 2016 presidential election, which two candidates were likely to be the Republican and Democratic nominees, respectively?

a. Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.

b. Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton.

c. Jeb Bush and Bernie Sanders.

d. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.

Question type: factual

Page number: 309

86. As of 2017, which of the following states has a majority-minority population?

a. California.

b. Texas.

c. New Hampshire.

d. Michigan.

Question type: factual

Page number: 309

87. As of 2017, Latinos constitute the largest racial/ethnic minority group in the U.S., with approximately ______ percent of the total population?

a. 8.

b. 18.

c. 28.

d. 38.

Question type: factual

Page number: 309-310

88. Different racial and ethnic groups have varying public opinions because they often have

a. different political realities and lives.

b. different DNA.

c. the same experiences.

d. the same DNA.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 310-311

89. Which of the following best describes the ideological positions of racial and ethnic minority groups?

a. They are all quite liberal.

b. They are all quite conservative.

c. They are neither liberal or conservative.

d. They are conservative on some issues and liberal on others.

Question type: factual

Page number: 313

90. According to 2013 data collected by the United Nations, Black Americans are eight times more likely than White Americans to be murdered; their public opinion reflects this in that

a. Blacks are less likely to favor gun regulation than Whites.

b. Blacks want to make purchasing guns easier.

c. Blacks are more likely to favor gun regulation than Whites.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 314

91. Which of the following groups did not cast a majority of votes for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election?

a. Latinas.

b. White women.

c. Black women.

d. Racial minorities.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 313

92. Which of the following contributed to the development of a gender gap in public opinion?

a. Greater employment opportunities.

b. Greater gender consciousness.

c. Greater social freedom.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 317

93. Donald Trump worked to delegitimize Barack Obama’s presidency by claiming

a. that Barack Obama was not born in the United States.

b. that Barack Obama was not actually Black.

c. that Barack Obama had multiple divorces.

d. that Barack Obama did not know the Constitution.

Short-Answer Questions

1. What is public opinion? Why does it matter in the context of politics?

Public opinion: The collective opinions of large segments of the population on an issue, candidate, or public policy on which the public might be divided or lack a consensus.
The expression of public opinion is essential for democracy.

2. How did President Bush attempt to influence public opinion concerning the war on terrorism?

His administration hired an advertising executive to garner positive public opinion.

3. What is the role public opinion plays in a representative democracy?

Democracy is based on the participation of the public; it is based on public opinion.
Representative democracy is supported by public opinion.
The expression of public opinion through voting directly influences the composition of the representatives in the system.

4. In what ways does race influence public opinion and why?

Disparate racial treatment of racial minorities leads to differences in public opinion.
(Answers should connect to different experiences, levels of privilege/advantage, and sociopolitical treatment.)

5. In what ways does gender influence public opinion and why?

Gender: Social relations between the sexes and attitudes about how the sexes interact and the roles that society assumes they will play.
Interests that differ from those held by men contribute to the development of public opinion directly influenced by experiences differing based on gender.
(Answers should connect to different experiences, levels of privilege/advantage, and sociopolitical treatment.)

6. Define political culture. In what ways does political culture influence public opinion and why is this the case?

Political culture: The attitudes, beliefs, and values that undergird or are the foundation of a political system.
Political culture is the basis of the development of political public opinion, in that it sets forth the values out of which our ideas and opinions develop.

7. Define political socialization. What is one source of political socialization and when does political socialization end?

The process through which a person gains political understanding and forms a set of political beliefs.
Sources: Friends and family.
Political socialization does not end.

8. How does the gender gap play into presidential politics?

Gender gap: The difference between men and women on such crucial issues as partisan identification and voting for certain candidates.
There is an apparent gender gap in support for presidential candidates, often running along partisan levels, but more important, it appears in terms of interests and ideology.
In the 2008, 2012, and 2016 elections, there was an apparent gender gap; however, it was even more apparent in terms of the intersection of race and gender, where the majority of White women voted against Obama/Hillary Clinton and the majority of non-White women voted for Obama/Hillary Clinton.

9. What is partisan identification?

The political party with which an individual most identifies.
This can influence public opinion, but our opinions also influence our partisan identification.

10. How does the media influence public opinion?

Media, especially television and the Internet currently, are major sources for data transmission.
Many people get news reports, which can influence public opinion, by way of both television news shows and entertainment shows.

11. List and describe three ways people express their political ideas and opinions.

Voting, writing letters or e-mail to elected officials and newspapers, participating in demonstrations, taking online polls.

12. List and describe three factors that have an effect on public opinion.

Media, political socialization, demographics, partisan identification.

13. What is survey research and what purpose does it serve?

Administration of questionnaires to a sample of respondents selected from a particular population, useful for making descriptive and explanatory studies of large populations.
Additionally, we use survey research to measure public opinion.

14. Identify and define the two different types of sampling used in survey research.

Quota: A type of sample in which individuals to be interviewed are selected based on their proportion or quota in the general population being polled.
Probability: A general term for a sample selected in accordance with probability theory, which ensures that every person in the population has an equal chance of being selected for the sample.

15. Explain the ways in which question order and question wording can affect survey research?

They can influence the understanding a respondent has concerning the issue in question.
They can place a negative, positive, or neutral viewpoint on the issue in question.
As a result, question wording and question order can influence the measurement of public opinion and might be more or less accurate.

16. Why does it matter when a question is asked within a survey?

Respondents might be primed by an earlier question to think of a later question in a positive or negative way.
This could influence the accuracy of the measurements taken in the survey.

17. Which group is most likely to believe that racism against Blacks is widespread in the United States? Which group is least likely to believe this? What contributes to these differences in opinion?

Blacks are most likely to think racism against Blacks is widespread and Whites are least likely to think this.
Differences in life experience and discrimination contribute to these racial differences in opinion.

18. In what ways can region influence public opinion? Provide three examples of regional differences of opinion.

Differences in life experiences and political culture.
Examples: Westerners are least likely to think buying a gun should be more difficult; Southerners are more likely to think President Obama was not born in the United States; Southerners more like to support the death penalty.

19. What demographics are involved in the “birther” movement? Be sure to include issues concerning race and region.

Define “birthers” as people that claim President Obama was not born in the United States.
Birthers most likely to be White and from the South.

20. What is the Bradley effect?

The difference between how Black candidates poll and how they perform at the ballot box (this is also called the Wilder effect).
It matters in that it demonstrates that voters (particularly White voters) might be uncomfortable with saying they will not vote for a Black candidate, although they do not plan to vote for that candidate on Election Day.

21. In various polls, more Republican voters believed Ted Cruz was born in America than believed Barack Obama was born in America (despite the fact that Cruz was born in Alberta, Canada and Obama was born in Hawaii, USA). What accounts for the holding of these sorts of inaccurate beliefs?

This is explained by a mixture of racial and partisan prejudices and biases.

22. What is the source of news that people found most helpful in terms of learning about the 2016 presidential election? Why are newspapers not frequently seen as helpful?

Most helpful source: Cable TV news
Newspapers are decreasingly less economically viable; thus, people have less access to them.

23. Why is question wording in polling important?

The way that a question is worded can influence how a person thinks about an issue; this can directly influence how a person answers the question.

24. How will changing demographics alter reports of public opinion?

Over time, public opinion will be more likely to reflect the opinions, beliefs, and experiences of racial and ethnic minorities.

Essay Questions

1. What is the difference between preferential treatment and affirmative action? Why do we see racial differences concerning these issues?

Affirmative action is at times seen as a program that helps to equalize a playing field that has traditionally been unequal, whereas preferential treatment is seen as giving preference to one group over another for no good reason.
Suggest that one of the reasons minorities are less likely to find “preferential treatment” for minorities problematic is that they recognize the preferential treatment that has been given to Whites for such an extended period of time (and these groups see it as a way to help balance the playing field).
Note that an important issue here is that question wording influences how people view or understand an issue and thus influences the opinions people express.

2. How has concern with public opinion influenced presidential politics? Provide two examples.

Argue that candidates for president want to maximize their chances for success, so they want to appeal to a large number of voters; as such, they want to know and appeal to public opinion.
Suggest that two ways concern with public opinion has influenced presidential politics are that (1) especially by way of polls, candidates seek public opinion to know the ideas and ideals held by the people; and (2) presidential candidates might seek to influence public opinion; this issue influences the way a candidate runs his or her campaign.

3. Why is public opinion important in the American political system?

State the following:
- It reflects the degree of support for government actions.
- It provides a check on political leadership and power.
- It can provide policy feedback in the run-up to an election.
- It provides a gauge concerning how people feel about the government and its institutions.
Incorporate the understanding of the connection between the expression of public opinion and democracy.

4. Discuss the issue of gender and the gender gap in presidential politics. Provide examples of the gender gap and a plausible explanation concerning this gap in opinion and support.

Define gender (differentiated from sex) and the gender gap.
Explain differences in life experience based on gender and how these differences lead to gender differences in public opinion and the gender gap.
Include examples of where the gender gap is found.
Examine the gender gap in presidential politics and electoral outcomes.

5. Examine the gender gap at the intersection of race and gender in presidential politics. Be sure to highlight the differences between the 2000/2004 elections and the 2008/2012/2016 elections.

Examine the concept of politics at the intersection of race and gender and how it influences political opinions and outcomes.
Note that there is a well-documented gender gap in presidential politics (since researchers started looking at gender as a political factor, especially in the 1980s).
Highlight that during the 2000 through 2016 presidential elections, there was a gender gap in party support, with the majority of women supporting the Democratic candidate.
In terms of the 2008, 2012, and 2016 elections, we find that this greater support for the Democratic candidate was driven by non-White women, given that more White women voted for the Republican candidate in both elections.

6. What is the relationship between experiences and the development of public opinion? How has race-based and gender-based discrimination contributed to differences in public opinion? How does this connect to intersectional identity.

Specify ways in which we find racial discrimination and gender discrimination, which might be social, economic, and political in nature.
Should reference that a group’s recognition of discrimination, because of greater interaction between Whites/non-Whites and men/women in the political, economic, and social spheres, contributes to differences in opinion on politics and policies.
Examines the reasons behind differences in opinion across various intersectional identities.

7. Describe and discuss the process of political socialization. Pay particular attention to the factors that influence this socialization and the degree to which it is stagnant.

Define political socialization and describe its sources.
Demonstrate by way of examples how political opinion can change over time as a result of evolving sources of political socialization.

8. Examine the ways in which partisan identification influences public opinion.

Define partisan identification.
Examine the differences in ideology and policy positions of the two dominant parties.
Argue how partisan identification influences public opinion and how public opinion can determine partisan identification (provide examples).

9. Discuss the method used to measure public opinion. Your answer should include an examination of the positive and negative aspects of this method.

Define and describe survey research.
Cover issues relating to sampling, sampling error, question wording, when questions appear, and when and how data are gathered.
Argue concerning the usefulness of survey research for measuring public opinion.

10. Discuss the effect of the Bradley/Wilder effect. Why does this matter?

Define the Bradley/Wilder effect.
Examine the ways in which this phenomenon has influenced elections and whether it still exists.
Include the issue of White voters not wanting to admit bias against Black candidates.

11. With the plethora of video evidence of unarmed racial and ethnic minorities being physically harmed and/or killed by police, why is there still a significant gap in public opinion along the lines of race concerning whether police use excessive force against racial minorities?

Examine the issues of public opinion and demographic difference.
Examine the topic of different experiences.
Note that admitting or acknowledging this sort of targeting brings forward uncomfortable topics regarding privileges of White race.

12. Discuss the ways in which the intersection of multiple salient identity markers influences public opinion? Within your answer, be sure to define intersectional identity and provide at least on example of how intersectional identity can influence public opinion.

Define intersectional identity.
Examine the ways in which people with different identities have different social and political experiences.
Connect this with differences in public opinion.
Bring in examples regarding differences in opinion of women of color as compared to racial/ethnic minority males, White women, and White men. Address at least on topic (such as gun control, death penalty, 2016 election results, etc.)

CHAPTER 11 THE MEDIA: REINFORCING RACIAL STEREOTYPES?

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Learn about the history of the media in the United States and its connection to issues of race and ethnicity.
Examine the media as an industry.
Develop a better understanding of the relationship between the media and the political system.

Outline

I. A History of Media and Politics

a. Print Media

- Our Voices: The Liberator and Abolitionism

b. Broadcast Radio and Television

c. Cable and Satellite

d. The Internet and Social Media

II. The Media Industry

a. The Media Business

b. Media Personnel

- Measuring Equality: Racial and Ethnic Minority Representation in the Media

III. Press Coverage of Politics and Government Officials and Institutions

a. Reporting of Elections

b. Coverage of Government Officials and Institutions

c. Government Regulation

IV. Conclusion

- Evaluating Equality: Racial Bias in the Press Coverage of Hurricane Katrina?

Discussion Questions

What is mass media? How does it relate to politics?
What is the function of the parallel press? Does it continue to be influential in minority group politics?
How do the media work to cover presidential elections? Discuss the argument that constant media coverage has increased the degree to which politicians are campaigning rather than engaging in and focusing on their political work.
How has the advent of the increasing dominance of the Internet altered the mass media?
In what ways is “fake news” harmful to the political system? How have we seen this influence the politics?
How have the Trump campaign and administration influenced trust in the media as a political institution/watchdog?

Video Resources

All the President’s Men, Warner Bros

Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media, Necessary Illusions

Network, MGM

Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism, BRAVENEW Films

Who, What, When, Where, Why Do Hyperpartisan News Sites Exist?, PBS NewsHour, Daily Video

Website Resources

CNN, http://www.cnn.com/

Chicago Defender, http://www.chicagodefender.com/

Fox News, http://www.foxnews.com/

MSNBC, http://www.msnbc.com/

New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/

NPR, http://www.npr.org/

PBS NewsHour, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/

The Living Room Candidate (a storehouse of presidential election commercials since 1952), http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/

Wall Street Journal, http://online.wsj.com/

Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 329

1. Sources of information, including print, radio, television, and the Internet, that reach a large number of people are known as

a. Media.

b. Grand media.

c. Mass media.

d. Mass broadcasting.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 329

2. Framing refers to

a. The media’s power to influence the importance that the public places on issues.

b. The media’s ability to shape how viewers interpret political events and issues.

c. The media’s power to use other stories to prepare viewers to perceive a news story in a specific way.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 330

3. Agenda setting refers to

a. The media’s power to influence the importance that the public places on issues.

b. The media’s ability to shape how viewers interpret political events and issues.

c. The media’s power to use other stories to prepare viewers to perceive a news story in a specific way.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 330

4. By inaccurately portraying the outcome of the Trump University case as influenced by a biased “Mexican” judge, President Trump’s tweet regarding this fraud case was an attempt to alter perceptions of the case by way of racially-biased

a. Agenda setting.

b. Framing.

c. Priming.

d. Focusing.

Question type: factual

Page number: 330

5. Early in the American political system, newspapers were

a. Not influential.

b. Highly opinionated.

c. Not biased.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 330

6. Nineteenth-century newspapers that eschewed coverage of politics and instead focused on human interest stories were known as

a. The parallel press.

b. The penny press.

c. Yellow journalism.

d. The printing press.

Question type: factual

Page number: 331

7. A form of journalism popular during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries that sensationalized stories and distorted facts to sell more papers was known as

a. The parallel press.

b. The penny press.

c. Yellow journalism.

d. The printing press.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 331

8. Newspapers and other forms of media geared toward specific racial and ethnic minority groups are known as

a. The parallel press.

b. The penny press.

c. Yellow journalism.

d. The printing press.

Question type: factual

Page number: 330-331

9. In the early nineteenth century, newspapers were controlled by

a. Political parties.

b. Religious organizations.

c. Interest groups.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 331-332

10. Early nineteenth-century media

a. Expressed and perpetuated negative racial stereotypes about non-Whites.

b. Expressed and perpetuated positive racial stereotypes about non-Whites.

c. Expressed and perpetuated negative racial stereotypes about Whites.

d. Did not give any attention to racial matters.

Question type: factual

Page number: 332

11. Negative portrayals of Mexicans in the media in the 1840s

a. Had no influence on politics.

b. Helped Mexican Americans gain political positions of power.

c. Caused Americans to discourage immigration.

d. Increased American support for the Mexican–American War.

Question type: factual

Page number: 335

12. Which group used newspapers to advocate the end of slavery and, in some cases, the recolonization of the slaves?

a. Colonists.

b. Abolitionists.

c. Secessionists.

d. Anti-Federalists.

Question type: factual

Page number: 330-331

13. Which of the following was not an abolitionist newspaper?

a. The Chicago Defender.

b. The Liberator.

c. The Genius of Universal Emancipation.

d. The North Star.

Question type: factual

Page number: 330

14. Which of the following was an abolitionist who published the most influential abolition periodical?

a. William Randolph Hearst.

b. William Lloyd Garrison.

c. Abraham Lincoln.

d. John Brown.

Question type: factual

Page number: 331

15. Frederick Douglass’s abolitionist newspaper was called

a. The Chicago Defender.

b. The Liberator.

c. The Genius of Universal Emancipation.

d. The North Star.

Question type: factual

Page number: 331

16. The first major newspaper operated by an African American was called

a. The Chicago Defender.

b. The Liberator.

c. The Genius of Universal Emancipation.

d. The North Star.

Question type: factual

Page number: 331

17. Which of the following was rarely reported in newspapers engaging in yellow journalism?

a. “Miracle cures.”

b. Scientific hoaxes.

c. Accurate political news stories.

d. Sensationalized crime and vice stories.

Question type: factual

Page number: 332

18. How did the San Francisco Examiner portray Chinese and Japanese immigrants?

a. In a highly positive and flattering light.

b. It did not include portrayals of these groups.

c. In a negative, false, and racialized light.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 331

19. In the late 19^th century, The New York Times was referring to American Indians as

a. Noble, civilized, and essentially American.

b. Semicivilized, wild, and predatory.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 331

20. In general, aside from issues concerning racial and ethnic minority groups, the New York Times was different from many other periodicals in that it largely

a. Reported accurate information.

b. Reported human interest stories.

c. Reported sensationalized crime and vice stories.

d. Reported and perpetuated scientific racism.

Question type: factual

Page number: 333

21. The first edition of The Liberator was published in

a. 1659.

b. 1773.

c. 1831.

d. 1865.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 332-333

22. What was one of the main purposes of the parallel press?

a. To counteract the stereotypical portrayals of racial and ethnic minorities in the more traditional press.

b. To perpetuate stereotypical portrayals of racial and ethnic minorities for political purposes.

c. To make money by reporting sensationalized stories.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 331-333

23. Which of the following did not have an African American publisher?

a. The Liberator.

b. Memphis Free Speech.

c. The North Star.

d. The Chicago Defender.

Question type: factual

Page number: 332

24. Which of the following is still a leading African American newspaper?

a. The Liberator.

b. Memphis Free Speech.

c. The North Star.

d. The Chicago Defender.

Question type: factual

Page number: 332

25. Which of the following encouraged Southern African Americans to move to Northern cities to have better economic opportunities and face less discrimination?

a. The Liberator.

b. Memphis Free Speech.

c. The North Star.

d. The Chicago Defender.

Question type: factual

Page number: 332

26. Which of the following was published by an African American woman?

a. The Liberator.

b. Memphis Free Speech.

c. The North Star.

d. The Chicago Defender.

Question type: factual

Page number: 332

27. The first Spanish-language newspapers in America were founded in San Francisco in the

a. 1830s.

b. 1850s.

c. 1870s.

d. 1890s.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 332

28. What have been the main purposes of twentieth-century Latino and Asian American newspapers?

a. Provide news concerning issues relevant to Latino immigrants.

b. Provide news concerning countries from which some Latinos have immigrated.

c. Provide news concerning issues pertaining to life in the United States.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 332-333

29. Tribal newspapers largely

a. Report news relevant to a specific tribe and its governing institutions.

b. Report national news as found in most media outlets.

c. Report news specific to issues affecting American Indians throughout the nation.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 332-333

30. Pan-Indian newspapers largely

a. Report news relevant to a specific tribe and its governing institutions.

b. Report national news as found in most media outlets.

c. Report news specific to issues affecting American Indians throughout the nation.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 334

31. When did radio broadcasting first flourish?

a. 1910s.

b. 1920s.

c. 1930.

d. 1940.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 334

32. How did political leaders originally feel about radio broadcasting?

a. They saw it as an interesting technological advance that was only useful for entertainment.

b. They saw it as a useful tool to broadly and quickly disseminate their messages.

c. They saw it as a dangerous new medium that could not be trusted.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 333-334

33. Which event was instrumental in shaping public opinion concerning the civil rights movement?

a. 1963 March on Washington.

b. Police brutality against civil rights protesters in Alabama.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 335

34. Why do some argue that the media did not help advance civil rights?

a. Various media outlets outside of the South carried stories about the movement that were negative in tone.

b. Various media outlets were decreasing their coverage of civil rights demonstrations and issues at the height of the movement.

c. The media generally reinforced negative racial stereotypes.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 336

35. How have cable and satellite television altered how media covers politics?

a. They have increased the popularity of network news stations.

b. They are able to broadcast concerning the news throughout the 24-hour period.

c. They have moved away from politics coverage because it is not profitable.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 336

36. Which of the following is not a cable news station?

a. CNN.

b. FoxNews.

c. HGTV.

d. C-SPAN.

Question type: factual

Page number: 337

37. Which racialized issue has Lou Dobbs, a news network host, worked consistently at framing in a negative light?

a. Civil rights for Blacks.

b. Illegal immigration.

c. Cross-burning.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 337

38. The Daily Show is a

a. Real news program.

b. Fake news program that provide insightful commentary on current political issues.

c. Real news program that provide insightful commentary on current political issues.

d. Fake news program have very little influence.

Question type: factual

Page number: 340

39. Which of the following groups is most likely to use social media in order to obtain news about politics?

a. 18-29.

b. 30-49.

c. 50-64.

d. 65 and older.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 337

40. Which of the following individuals is not classified as a political satirist?

a. Stephen Colbert.

b. Joe Scarborough.

c. Mark Twain.

d. Samantha Bee.

Question type: factual

Page number: 338

41. Which of the following is increasing most quickly in terms of its influence on politics?

a. Television.

b. The Internet.

c. Newspapers.

d. Weekly magazines.

Question type: factual

Page number: 338

42. Throughout his presidency, President Obama delivered his radio address through

a. Radio broadcast.

b. Television broadcast.

c. YouTube.

d. He has done away with this weekly address.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 339

43. A file that users can download off the Internet and that often features discussions about cultural and political issues is known as a

a. Audiobook.

b. Diary.

c. Blog.

d. Podcast.

Question type: factual

Page number: 339

44. One of the major problems with politics coverage on the Internet is

a. It updates too quickly.

b. Depending on the website, the facts might be less likely to be verified.

c. Internet access is not always reliable.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 339-340

45. Which of the following was not a false Internet rumor concerning President Obama?

a. He was born in Kenya.

b. He is secretly a Muslim.

c. He appeared in a hip-hop video.

d. All were Internet rumors.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 340

46. Why is social networking media increasingly important to politics?

a. It provides a means for communication and mobilization, particularly among younger populations.

b. Its importance has been overestimated.

c. It works as a means of directly increasing voter participation by allowing people to cast their ballots online.

d. It works hard to censor unpopular political ideas.

Question type: factual

Page number: 340

47. Social networking media is recognized as having played an important role in the development of the

a. Afghanistan War.

b. Iraq War.

c. Escalation of tensions with North Korea.

d. Arab Spring revolts.

Question type: factual

Page number: 343

48. Racial minorities traditionally have been __________ in the media industry.

a. Underrepresented.

b. Overrepresented.

c. Absent.

d. Vocal.

Question type: factual

Page number: 344-346

49. Which of the following groups has seen a significant decrease in representation in many areas of the media industry recently?

a. Blacks.

b. Latinos.

c. Asian Americans.

d. American Indians.

Question type: factual

Page number: 344

50. Which of the following groups has seen a slight increase in representation in the broadcast television workforce between 2000 and 2017?

a. Blacks.

b. Latinos.

c. Asian Americans.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 344-346

51. By 2017, which of the following groups that was formerly overrepresented in 2000 among the radio broadcast workforce and radio and television news directors had witnessed a significant decline in this sort of representation.

a. Blacks.

b. Latinos.

c. Asian Americans.

d. American Indians.

Question type: factual

Page number: 341

52. When did many newspapers begin to lose their profitability?

a. 1980s.

b. 1990s.

c. 2000s.

d. 2010s.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 340-341

53. Social media has been used to

a. Mobilize social movements, such as Black Lives Matter.

b. Promote political campaigns.

c. Promote ideas related to various interest groups.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 342

54. After being bought by large corporations, local radio stations currently have

a. Less economic stability.

b. Less independence.

c. More independence.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 342-343

55. Which of the following is accurate regarding media personnel?

a. Many are college educated and have postgraduate degrees.

b. Many who maintain a high degree of professionalism work to investigate and report news objectively, despite their personal biases.

c. Racial and ethnic minorities are underrepresented among these personnel.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 342-343

56. Journalists currently are more likely to pursue politics than average Americans, more educated than average Americans, and

a. less swayed by personal ideological biases than the average American.

b. less able to differentiate between fact and fiction as compared to the average American.

c. have a higher socioeconomic status than average Americans.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 343

57. Professional journalists

a. Do not attempt to hide their biases in their reporting.

b. Attempt to hide their biases in their reporting.

c. Are unbiased.

d. View the world with an unbiased view.

Question type: factual

Page number: 343

58. Journalists

a. Lean slightly more to the Democratic Party than the American public.

b. Lean slightly more to the Republican Party than the American public.

c. Are equally distributed across the partisan spectrum.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 343

59. The public’s focus on the liberal versus conservative bias of the media overlooks the media bias created by

a. Race.

b. Profit-seeking.

c. Gender.

d. Religion.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 343

60. The goal of increasing profits and ratings encourages

a. Negative news coverage.

b. A focus on human interest stories.

c. Positive news coverage.

d. A focus on fine arts coverage.

Question type: factual

Page number: 343

61. Which of the following groups is not underrepresented in the media?

a. Women.

b. Blacks.

c. Latinos.

d. Men.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 346

62. Citizens’ perceptions of government officials and institutions are largely based on

a. Their occupations.

b. Where they live.

c. How the media chooses to cover them.

d. Their race.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 347

63. The relationship between political campaigns and the media is

a. Negative.

b. One sided.

c. Symbiotic.

d. There is no relationship.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 347

64. The media’s ability to influence how the public perceives politicians and candidates is known as

a. Storytelling.

b. Picturing.

c. Preparing.

d. Priming.

Question type: factual

Page number: 347

65. During the 2016 election season, conservative media outlets primed Donald Trump __________ and Hillary Clinton __________, while liberal media outlets primed each candidate in the opposite fashion.

a. Positively, negatively.

b. Negatively, positively.

c. As evil, as good.

d. Fairly, fairly.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 348

66. Those elite journalists responsible for covering the president and key executive branch officials are known as the

a. President’s press corps.

b. President’s press group.

c. White House press group.

d. White House press corps.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 349

67. A member of the president’s staff who conducts daily briefings with members of the media is called the

a. Press secretary.

b. Press czar.

c. Secretary of state.

d. Press handler.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 349

68. Formal question-and-answer sessions that the president or the press secretary holds with the White House press corps are called

a. Press meetings.

b. Media meetings.

c. Press conferences.

d. Media conferences.

Question type: factual

Page number: 349

69. Throughout the past several decades and prior President Trump’s tenure, the president’s administration reached out to the media

a. Hourly.

b. Daily.

c. Weekly.

d. Biweekly.

Question type: factual

Page number: 349

70. How many racial and ethnic minorities have served as press secretary?

a. Zero.

b. One.

c. Two.

d. Three.

Question type: factual

Page number: 349

71. How many women have served as press secretary?

a. Zero.

b. One.

c. Two.

d. Three.

Question type: applied

Page number: 349

72. If, as a part of the White House press corps, you see that the president has arrived to speak, you know that you are most likely at a

a. Daily meeting.

b. Press conference.

c. State of the Union address.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 343

73. In 2017, approximately _____ percent of all newspaper employees were women.

a. 19.

b. 39.

c. 59.

d. 79.

Question type: factual

Page number: 349

74. How often do House and Senate party leaders schedule press briefings while Congress is in session?

a. Hourly.

b. Daily.

c. Weekly.

d. Biweekly.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 350

75. How does the government attempt to regulate the press?

a. Censorship.

b. Prior restraint.

c. Threatening to withhold funding.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 350

76. Government attempts to censor the press by preventing the publication of apparently objectionable material is called

a. Prior restraint.

b. Public restraint.

c. Priority examination.

d. Speech restriction.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 351

77. An independent regulatory commission that licenses and regulates the content of broadcast radio and television is called the

a. Federal Radio and Television Commission (FRTC).

b. Federal Broadcast Commission (FBC).

c. Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 347

78. Much of the news priming surrounding the 2016 presidential election suggested

a. Trump: erratic and undisciplined; Clinton: insincere and untrustworthy.

b. Trump: thoughtful and disciplined; Clinton: sincere and trustworthy.

c. Trump: erratic and undisciplined; Clinton: sincere and trustworthy.

d. Trump: thoughtful and disciplined; Clinton: insincere and untrustworthy.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 351

79. Journalists do not have

a. A First Amendment right to publish their opinions.

b. A First Amendment right to withhold their sources.

c. A Fourth Amendment right against search and seizure of their media material.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 350

80. When did the Supreme Court rule against the government’s claim to prior restraint concerning the New York Times and the Pentagon Papers?

a. 1941.

b. 1951.

c. 1961.

d. 1971.

Question type: factual

Page number: 342

81. The vast majority of the media outlets in the United States are owned by ______ large corporations.

a. 3.

b. 6.

c. 9

d. 12.

Question type: factual

Page number: 337

82. Cable and satellite television entertainment shows such as The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, which are sometimes referred to as “infotainment,” frequently provide

a. Serious news coverage.

b. Extreme amounts of fake news.

c. Advertisements to revitalize the print media.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 337

83. When Stephen Colbert moved from The Colbert Report to hosting The Late Show on CBS, he dropped his ______________ character.

a. Liberal media pundit.

b. Conservative media pundit.

c. Green party media pundit.

d. Bull Moose party media pundit.

Question type: applied

Page number: 337-338

84. When of the following is accurate regarding John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight show?

a. It examines some issues that influence racial and ethnic minorities that do not get covered by traditional news outlets.

b. It uses a lens of humor to examine significant social and political issues.

c. It provides more in-depth examinations than the major news outlets.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 339

85. How have unsubstantiated rumors on the Internet influenced politics?

a. People are able to widely disseminate their unfounded opinions.

b. Professional news organizations do not always heavily check the sources of their Internet news stories.

c. Both of the above.

d. All claims on the Internet are true.

Question type: factual

Page number: 340

86. Which of the following presidents was frequently critiqued for his extreme reliance on Twitter to disseminate messages?

a. Bill Clinton.

b. George W. Bush.

c. Barack Obama.

d. Donald Trump.

Question type: factual

Page number: 340-341

87. Which of the following continues to grow increasingly important in terms of American politics at the fastest rate?

a. Print media.

b. Broadcast television and radio.

c. Cable and satellite television.

d. Social media.

Question type: factual

Page number: 340

88. In 2016, people used _________ most often in order to obtain political information.

a. Print media.

b. Talk radio.

c. Online news.

d. Television.

Question type: factual

Page number: 340

89. Which of the following is accurate?

a. Seniors are more likely than people age 18-29 to use social media for political news.

b. More people report using print media as compared to television for political news.

c. More people report using print media as compared to social media for political news.

d. More people report using television as compared to online news sources for political news.

Question type: factual

Page number: 340-341

90. Donald Trump frequently used Twitter in his 2016 presidential campaign and continues to use it while in office in order to

a. Spread racist and other hate-based messages specific to various groups and individuals.

b. Spread purposefully inaccurate information.

c. Promote his campaign and tout the accomplishments of his administration.

d. All of the above.

Short-Answer Questions

1. What is framing and how is it used? Include at least two examples of framing.

Definition: The media’s ability to shape how viewers interpret political events and issues.
Provide examples.

2. Define agenda setting and its influence on public knowledge.

Definition: The media’s power to influence the importance that the public places on issues.
Include an example.
Influence: the public largely only knows about the issues that media sources choose to cover.

3. In terms of the mass media, list four sources of information that comprise this entity.

Newspapers, pamphlets, newsletters, radio, television, Internet.

4. Which forms of mass media traditionally have been the most relied on? Which forms have grown in importance?

Traditionally, written media such as newspapers, newsletters, and pamphlets have been most influential.
As technology has progressed, radio and television became extremely important, although newspapers also remained influential.
Currently, the Internet has become increasingly important, decreasing the influence of most other forms.

5. What increased anti-Mexican prejudice and American support for the Mexican–American War in the 1840s?

Negative racialized portrayals of Mexicans in the printed media.

6. What was the penny press? What type of stories did the penny press report?

Nineteenth-century newspapers that eschewed coverage of politics and instead focused on human interest stories.

7. Name at least two abolitionist newspapers. What was the main purpose of these periodicals?

The Liberator, The North Star, The Genius of Universal Emancipation.
Purpose: The full emancipation of slaves.

8. What is yellow journalism and how has it affected racial and ethnic minorities?

Define yellow journalism.
Demonstrate that this form of journalism specifically attacked racial and ethnic minorities by way of negative stereotyping and negatively influenced these groups in terms of the way the American public viewed them.

9. What is the parallel press and what are its purposes?

Define the parallel press.
Purposes: To counteract the stereotypical portrayals of minorities in the mainstream media and to report issues relevant to minorities.

10. What were some of the purposes or messages of newspapers such as Memphis Free Speech and Chicago Defender?

Speak out against discrimination and lynching and push for antilynching legislation.
Encourage Southern Blacks to move to Northern cities for economic and social issues.

11. How are Spanish-language newsletters, newspapers, and pamphlets in the United States classified? Comment on why they are important.

They are a part of the parallel press.
Importance: They provide news concerning issues relevant to Latino immigrants, news concerning countries from which some Latinos have immigrated, and news concerning issues pertaining to life in the United States.

12. Compare the purposes and messages of tribal and pan-Indian newspapers.

Tribal: Specific to news concerning individual tribes; some criticize tribal governments and institutions.
Pan-Indian: Broader messages concerning issues affecting American Indians throughout the country; may include messages of assimilation or strict tribal identification.

13. What encouraged television networks to begin nightly news broadcasts? How long were the original broadcasts, and what has become the traditional broadcast time?

Eisenhower’s successful use of the television in the 1952 presidential campaign.
Originally 15-minute broadcasts, which moved to 30 minutes.

14. Examine the ways in which television broadcasting influenced the outcomes of the civil rights movement?

This is debated.
Some argue the broadcast of the March on Washington and police brutality in Alabama helped to turn public opinion toward civil rights.
Others argue that television in various regions did not provide much coverage and that in some cases it was negative toward the demonstrators.
Additionally, television included many negative stereotypes concerning Blacks in terms of how they were portrayed.

15. How do podcasts and social media influence politics?

Podcasts: Disseminate political and cultural information and opinions.
Social media: Disseminate information broadly and quickly; mobilize people quickly.

16. To what degree is each of the four main racial and ethnic minority groups represented in the upper echelons of the media?

American Indians are the only one of these groups that is currently overrepresented (this was not the case in 2000 but had changed by 2012).
Blacks, Latinos, and Asian Americans are all underrepresented.

17. In what ways does the media demonstrate racial bias?

Fewer positive stories concerning racial and ethnic minorities.
The perpetuation of negative racial and ethnic stereotypes.
Proportionally less coverage of racial and ethnic minorities in politics.

18. What is priming and how does it influence public perceptions? How does the media use it?

Priming: The media’s ability to influence how the public perceives politicians and candidates.
Media uses priming to create the best possible ratings and revenue and to promote the broader messages it wants to send.

19. Prior to the Trump administration, how frequently did the president’s press secretary hold press briefings? Do these benefit or harm the executive branch?

Daily.
They are a benefit in that they can help to provide the image of transparency, unless the press secretary will not provide real answers to certain questions.
They can be harmful during periods of scandal or policy difficulty.
They can be beneficial during positive times for the administration in that they can help to bolster the president’s image.

20. What is the function of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)?

FCC: An independent regulatory commission that licenses and regulates the content of broadcast radio and television.
It is in place to ensure that highly inappropriate material is not broadcast given that unwitting consumers (particularly children) might not be able to avoid it.

21. How are cable and satellite entertainment programs able to provide important news?

These shows engage in in-depth research on current political topics.
They deliver news in a humorous fashion, thus maintaining the interest of the audience.

22. Who were the three main racial/ethnic minority candidates in the 2016 presidential race and what party did they belong to?

Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Ben Carson
All belonged to the Republican Party

23. Why did Robert Mueller indict the Russia-based Internet Research Agency in February 2018?

It illegally attempted to interfere with U.S. elections.
It created fake accounts that spread thousands of fake ads and stories that reached over 125 million Facebook followers and over 700,000 Twitter users in the attempt to influence the outcome of the election and the stability of the nation.

24. Why does it matter that Donald Trump tweeted inaccurate information about how frequently African Americans murder Whites?

This perpetuated the belief in African American danger and violence.
This acted as a “dogwhistle” for those harboring anti-Black affect, leading to mobilizing supporters based on racist messages.

Essay Questions

1. How do agenda setting and framing in the media affect minority-group politics? Provide at least two examples.

Define agenda setting and framing.
Examine media bias against non-Whites.
Provide examples of how minority-group politics can be affected by the media, such as:
- The way in which affirmative action programs are framed by the news media.
- The way news media outlets decide to portray immigration and illegal immigration and place a negative, racialized viewpoint on these issues.

2. How does the example of Russian-based anti-Black propaganda demonstrate the ways in which social media messaging can use racial biases to perpetuate agendas?

Examine the purposefully inaccurate information found within examples of this sort of propaganda.
Describe race portrayals and the media more generally.
Discuss the ways in which, through social media, political entities can attempt to use negative racial narratives to sway political outcomes.

3. How did Frederick Douglass’s periodical, The North Star, vary from other abolitionist periodicals? Why was this newspaper particularly important?

Include an examination of the purposes of abolitionist newspapers more generally.
Indicate that this newspaper was the first operated by an African American, helping to demonstrate the intellectual capabilities of this group.
Highlight that the newspaper was different from others in that it advocated that Blacks arm themselves and advocated women’s rights.

4. Discuss the parallel press. Be sure to examine the purposes of these periodicals and the degree to which they are similar and different across racial and ethnic minority groups.

Define the parallel press and describes the purpose of this form of media.
Detail the varying purposes of these newspapers across each racial and ethnic minority group.
Compare and contrast the newspapers across groups, as well as with the mainstream print media.

5. Consider the difference between framing and priming. Explain how they are used by the media and for what purpose.

Define and differentiate between framing and priming (particularly in terms of framing as shaping how events and issues should be interpreted and priming in terms of creating an idea or image associated with someone or something so that this is what you think of any time you see them).
Provide an explanation of how these techniques are used by the media.
Mention profit and bias as reasons for using framing and priming.

6. Discuss the positive and negative aspects of the advent of cable and satellite television news networks.

Provide a brief history of the development of these networks.
Highlight the ability to have 24/7 news as both positive and negative and provide an explanation of why it is both.
Examine how financial considerations influence the tenor of the news that is reported.

7. Evaluate the statement: “Media coverage of minority candidates and government officials is especially important in minority-group politics.”

Address the meaning of the quote.
Examine the issue of press coverage and minority candidates and government officials.
Examine the issue of how racial and ethnic minorities are portrayed in the media and how this portrayal can influence the way minority politicians and minority-group politics is covered.
Argue for or against this statement.

8. Discuss the issue of news media coverage of minority candidates.

Highlight that there is a great deal of debate.
- White candidates say the media is positive toward minority candidates.
- Minority candidates say they are either ignored or primed negatively.
- Media outlets say they are neutral.
Examines the degree to which these assertions are accurate.
Media outlets provide greater coverage for races between two minorities than they do for a race between a White candidate and a minority candidate.

9. Discuss the issue of prior restraint. Be sure to include an example of how this has been used.

Define prior restraint.
Examine the degree to which it impinges on First Amendment rights.
Provide an example, such as the 1971 executive branch attempt to keep the New York Times from publishing the Pentagon Papers.

10. Why is it vital that the information that is reported in the media is accurate? In what ways did inaccurate, racialized media coverage affect President Obama?

There needs to be accuracy in reporting given that democracy hinges on having an informed citizenry.
Examine the ways in which racialized narratives were used to undermine Obama’s presidency.

11. The news coverage during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 perpetuated highly racialized and differentiated narratives regarding the Black and White victims of the storm. Examine why these racialized narratives exist and indicate whether this sort of racialized news reporting continues today. Within your answer, be sure to directly examine news coverage of and attention to Hurricane Harvey and Maria in 2017.

Consider the ways in which race is treated within the news media.
Highlight the differences in reporting during Katrina.
Note the importance of stereotyping and how this can relate to the business aspect of the media industry.
Highlight the racial and ethnic aspects of how and whether the media covered the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

12. Discuss the ways in which targeted Russian ads on social media were used in an attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election. Within this answer, provide at least one example of a social media post that used anti-racial minority bias to further divide American voters. Additionally, provide some indication of the sort of outcomes the Russian interference hoped to create.

Examine the use of social media by Russian (and other) foreign entities as a means of attacking the U.S. by exploiting weaknesses pertaining to race relations.
Provide an example of Russian-based social media campaigns that were anti-Black or anti-Latino in nature (such as the anti-Black Lives Matter vignette from the beginning of the chapter).
The Russian interference was geared to increase internal dissension, xenophobia, and isolationism in the U.S., and either weaken Hillary Clinton as a president or elect Donald Trump as president.

CHAPTER 12 SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: CIVIL RIGHTS AS A MOVEMENT MODEL

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Learn about the concepts undergirding social movements.
Increase knowledge concerning social movements in the United States.
Explore the causes of success and failure of American social movements.
Contrast social movements and political activism.

Outline

I. A Social Movement Defined

a. Conditions That Give Rise to Social Movements

b. Social Movements and Democracy

II. Successful American Social Movements

a. The Civil Rights Movement

i. Start of the Movement: 1900–1920

ii. Movement Spurred by New Deal and World War II: 1930–1950

iii. Modern Phase Begins: 1950–1960

iv. Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Increases: 1960–1965

- Our Voices: Excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail

b. The Women’s Suffrage and Women’s Rights Movements

i. The First Stage of the Women’s Rights Movement

ii. The Second Stage of the Women’s Rights Movement

iii. Third Wave of the Women’s Rights Movement

- Evaluating Equality: What Arguments Did Supporters and Opponents of the ERA Put Forth?

c. The Labor Movement

- Measuring Equality: Unions and Wages

d. The Environmental Movement

e. The Anti–Vietnam War Movement

f. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Movement

III. Other Important U.S. Social Movements

a. The Chicano Civil Rights Movement

b. American Indian Movement

c. Asian American Movement

d. The Antinuclear Movement

e. Religious Fundamentalist Movement

IV. Why Some Social Movements Decline and Some Fail

a. Factors That Contribute to Social Movement Decline

b. Factors That Contribute to Social Movement Failure

V. Social Movement or Political Activism?

a. March for Our Lives

b. Black Lives Matter

c. Tea Party

VI. Conclusion

Discussion Questions

Why is the right to assembly protected by the U.S. Constitution? How are social movements connected to the ideas and values that are considered essential for democracy?
What is the difference between a social movement and political activism? Provide examples and explanations as to why these are different concepts.
What would make groups that have participated in social movements more or less likely to support the efforts of other groups participating in similar movements, particularly in the case of civil rights?
Why do some social movements decline and fail, whereas others are largely successful? Provide examples to support your claims.
To what degree do social movements choose to work through means that are legal and extralegal? Why might it be necessary to work outside of that which is deemed legal? In what cases might this extralegal activity be seen as right or just?
Given the nation’s history regarding the use of weapons, dogs, and water cannons on peaceful protestors in the 1950s and 1960s, why would people choose to use those same methods against the water protectors at Standing Rock? How effective were they at shutting down the protest?

Video Resources

Kent State: The Day the War Came Home, Single Spark Pictures

The Spirit of Crazy Horse, PBS

Chicano! The History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement, Galan Productions

To Form a More Perfect Union: Milestones of the Civil Rights Movement, U.S. Allegiance, Inc.

One Woman, One Vote, PBS

Freedom Summer, PBS

American Experience: Eyes on the Prize, PBS

Website Resources

Civil Rights Resource Guide, http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/civilrights/home.html/

Cultural Politics: Social Movements and Culture, http://www.culturalpolitics.net/social_movements/

Gay Civil Rights, http://www.gaycivilrights.org/

March For Our Lives, http://marchforourlives.com/

National Urban League, http://www.nul.org/

National Organization for Women, http://www.now.org/

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: applied

Page number: 356

1. Why was the Dorothy Davis et al. v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, Virginia (1953) case attached to the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Supreme Court lawsuit?

a. It showed that Black students were just as intelligent as White students.

b. It demonstrated that the “separate but equal” doctrine only led to unequal conditions for Blacks.

c. It demonstrated that, without change, there could be a major response from the Black community.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 356

2. Which of the following was not one of the states involved in the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) case?

a. North Carolina.

b. South Carolina.

c. Kansas.

d. Delaware.

Question type: factual

Page number: 356

3. In the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) decision, the Court ruled that “separate but equal”

a. As precedent must stand as it had since Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

b. Was impossible to overturn.

c. Had no place in the American social system.

d. Had no place in public education.

Question type: factual

Page number: 357

4. Many states began passing laws segregating most aspects of the daily lives of Black Americans in the

a. 1850s.

b. 1880s.

c. 1910s.

d. 1940s.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 357

5. A main goal of the civil rights movement was to

a. Break down legal barriers to racial equality.

b. Dismantle the separate system of laws under which Blacks lived.

c. Ensure equality under the law in terms of social, political, and economic issues.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 357

6. It is generally understood that the civil rights movement began on a more widespread level in the

a. 1930s.

b. 1940s.

c. 1950s.

d. 1960s.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 357

7. A sustained challenge to those in power put forth by individuals, acting in concert with others, who have been excluded from the political process or who consider themselves political outsiders is known as

a. Political activism.

b. A social movement.

c. Social activism.

d. An economic movement.

Question type: applied

Page number: 357

8. What is one of the major advantages of a social movement?

a. It provides a means for those without a voice in the political system to get political representatives.

b. It provides a means for those without a voice in the political system to influence the socioeconomic system.

c. It provides a means for those without a voice in the political system to make their concerns known to decision makers.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 358

9. Social movements are most effective when they

a. Manage to gain the support of people like the majority of the members of the movement.

b. Pressure decision makers to make the desired changes.

c. Appear on television.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 358

10. Shared grievances are

a. An environment receptive to the ideals and demands of a social movement.

b. Complaints against the political system (national, state, or local) by a group of people who agree generally on the causes of the complaints.

c. Events that energizes and coalesces a social movement.

d. Networks of social activists who create or recognize opportunities to galvanize people to organized action.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 358

11. A supportive environment is

a. An environment receptive to the ideals and demands of a social movement.

b. Complaints against the political system (national, state, or local) by a group of people who agree generally on the causes of the complaints.

c. An event that energizes and coalesces a social movement.

d. A network of social activists who create or recognize opportunities to galvanize people to organized action.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 358-359

12. Which of the following is a condition that gives rise to social movements?

a. Shared grievances.

b. Catalyst.

c. Supportive environment.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 358

13. If society has become more tolerant of the concerns espoused by a movement, then the environment in which the movement finds itself is seen as

a. Supportive.

b. Neutral.

c. Hostile.

d. Aggressive.

Question type: applied

Page number: 358-359

14. Why do polls suggesting decreased societal outrage concerning rights for homosexuals suggest a more supportive environment for the LGBT rights movement?

a. It demonstrates that lawmakers want to extend rights for this group.

b. It shows that people are less willing to fight against rights for this group.

c. It shows that the LGBT community no longer has to push for greater rights.

d. This is not what these polls suggest.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 359

15. A catalyst is

a. An environment receptive to the ideals and demands of a social movement.

b. Complaints against the political system (national, state, or local) by a group of people who agree generally on the causes of the complaints.

c. An event that energizes and coalesces a social movement.

d. A network of social activists who create or recognize opportunities to galvanize people to organized action.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 359

16. Catalytic leadership is

a. An environment receptive to the ideals and demands of a social movement.

b. Complaints against the political system (national, state, or local) by a group of people who agree generally on the causes of the complaints.

c. An event that energizes and coalesces a social movement.

d. A network of social activists who create or recognize opportunities to galvanize people to organized action.

Question type: applied

Page number: 359

17. In terms of the civil rights movement, the 1955 brutal murder of Emmett Till, a young Black boy who allegedly whistled at a White woman, would be considered

a. Shared grievances.

b. A catalyst.

c. A supportive environment.

d. Catalytic leadership.

Question type: applied

Page number: 359

18. The presence of Dolores Huerta in the United Farm Workers’ rights movement would be considered

a. Shared grievances.

b. A catalyst.

c. A supportive environment.

d. Catalytic leadership.

Question type: applied

Page number: 359

19. In terms of protests against the Vietnam War, the decreasing sense of “winning the war” and the steadily increasing number of causalities would be considered

a. Shared grievances.

b. A catalyst.

c. A supportive environment.

d. Catalytic leadership.

Question type: applied

Page number: 358

20. The inability of homosexual partners to marry, to have hospital visitation rights, and to be able to obtain adequate governmental protection from physical harm would be considered

a. Shared grievances.

b. A catalyst.

c. A supportive environment.

d. Catalytic leadership.

Question type: applied

Page number: 359

21. The 1969 Stonewall uprising against police harassment and raids specifically against gay bars in New York would be considered

a. Shared grievances.

b. A catalyst.

c. A supportive environment.

d. Catalytic leadership.

Question type: factual

Page number: 359

22. Which of the following would not be considered a catalytic leader for a social movement?

a. Dolores Huerta.

b. Cesar Chavez.

c. Malcolm X.

d. Richard Nixon.

Question type: factual

Page number: 359-360

23. Which of the following was not one of the tactics used in 1965 by Cesar Chavez to garner more public support for farmworkers’ demands?

a. To speak before church gatherings.

b. To speak before the Supreme Court.

c. To speak before university audiences.

d. To speak before union meetings.

Question type: applied

Page number: 360

24. The 1995 Million Man March in Washington, DC, is an example of

a. A social movement.

b. A catalyst.

c. A demonstration.

d. A sit-in.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 360

25. Why does a march or demonstration not qualify as a social movement?

a. It does not constitute sustained activity over a long period of time.

b. It does not get very much media attention.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 360

26. Why have social movements been necessary in the midst of democracy in the American political system?

a. Classical liberalism.

b. Classical republicanism.

c. Inegalitarianism.

d. Egalitarianism.

Question type: applied

Page number: 360

27. Why did Blacks, Mexican Americans, American Indians, and women have to use social movements to address their grievances, rather than legislative means?

a. They did not realize the importance of legislative power.

b. They did not have adequate access to political means and resources within the government.

c. They wanted to cause social chaos.

d. They did not primarily rely on social movements.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 361

28. What helps to push decision makers to support the purposes of social movements?

a. Changing demands from social movements.

b. Changing public opinion.

c. Changing political institutions.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 361

29. What is one of the principle objectives of most social movements?

a. To get attention for the leaders.

b. To disrupt the peace of the social and political systems.

c. To dismantle the American political system.

d. To change public policy.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 361

30. Social movements can directly influence politics by

a. Increasing political participation by those affected by the messages of the movement.

b. Increasing the exposure of ideas in the media.

c. Decreasing the political interest of those already in power.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 361

31. Which of the following is inaccurate?

a. All social movements could influence public policy.

b. All social movements have a positive influence on American democracy.

c. All social movements could increase political participation.

d. All social movements can work toward altering unsatisfactory political institutions.

Question type: factual

Page number: 361

32. Which of the following social movements has worked to deny civil rights to various groups?

a. American Indian movement.

b. Civil rights movement.

c. Women’s suffrage movement.

d. White supremacy/separatist movement.

Question type: factual

Page number: 361

33. Which of the following is an element of the White supremacy/separatist movement?

a. Hatred toward the U.S. government.

b. Hatred of Blacks and other minorities.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 362

34. The 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City by Timothy McVeigh was in support of the

a. American Indian movement.

b. Civil rights movement.

c. Women’s suffrage movement.

d. White supremacy/separatist movement.

Question type: factual

Page number: 362

35. Toward the end of his presidency, approximately how many threats against President Obama (largely based on hate groups) were investigated by the Secret Service?

a. 10 per year.

b. 10 per month.

c. 10 per week.

d. 10 per day.

Question type: factual

Page number: 363-364

36. All of the following are grievances that influenced the civil rights movement EXCEPT

a. Disenfranchisement.

b. State-sponsored violence.

c. Jim Crow laws.

d. Relegation to the private sphere.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 363

37. Which Supreme Court ruling was of particular importance in starting the civil rights movement?

a. Prigg v. Pennsylvania (1842).

b. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).

c. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

d. Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

Question type: factual

Page number: 363-364

38. Although the civil rights movement largely grew and solidified in the _______, it began to develop as early as the _______.

a. 1930s; 1880s.

b. 1950s; 1900s.

c. 1970s; 1920s.

d. 1990s; 1940s.

Question type: factual

Page number: 363

39. Which Supreme Court case established the “separate but equal” doctrine, thus ruling that racial segregation was constitutional?

a. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).

b. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

c. Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

d. Obergefell v. Hodges (2015).

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 364

40. The practice of killing people by mob action outside of the formal judicial process is known as

a. Mobbing.

b. Attacking.

c. Violating.

d. Lynching.

Question type: factual

Page number: 364

41. What were some of the earliest actions (early twentieth century) of the civil rights movement?

a. Boycotts to protest racial segregation in social settings.

b. Protests against racial segregation in the armed forces.

c. Lynching of White shop owners.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 364

42. Which case is largely seen as the first after Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) that helped to break down the barrier of segregation?

a. Missouri ex rel Gaines v. Canada (1939).

b. Davis v. County School Board (1953).

c. Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

d. Griswold v. Connecticut (1965).

Question type: factual

Page number: 364

43. What often precipitated significantly increased activity on a broader scale to end racial segregation?

a. Lynchings.

b. Poll taxes.

c. African American veterans returning from war.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 364

44. The civil rights movement was

a. A highly structured social movement, led by a large organization from the top.

b. A collection of small local movements that constituted a larger movement.

c. A movement led solely by the elite in Black society.

d. A movement led solely by the least well off in Black society.

Question type: factual

Page number: 365

45. The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was

a. an organization of college students dedicated to continuing the campaign for social justice, which had been started by the North Carolina A&T students.

b. a group designed to be the umbrella organization that would link church-based affiliates throughout the South in the nonviolent struggle for racial justice.

c. a group that eventually created the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).

d. a group formed in 1954 in Mississippi to prevent the implementation of Brown v. Board of Education, with membership consisting of plantation owners, bankers, doctors, legislators, and others opposed to Black civil rights.

Question type: factual

Page number: 365

46. The White Citizens Council was

a. an organization of college students dedicated to continuing the campaign for social justice, which had been started by the North Carolina A&T students.

b. a group designed to be the umbrella organization that would link church-based affiliates throughout the South in the nonviolent struggle for racial justice.

c. a group that eventually created the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).

Question type: factual

Page number: 365

47. The Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was

a. an organization of college students dedicated to continuing the campaign for social justice, which had been started by the North Carolina A&T students.

b. a group designed to be the umbrella organization that would link church-based affiliates throughout the South in the nonviolent struggle for racial justice.

c. a group that eventually created the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 365

48. What was one of the main methods employed by the activists in the civil rights movement?

a. Violent riots and protests.

b. Anonymous threats and demands against politicians.

c. Nonviolent civil disobedience.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 366

49. In response to demonstrations in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963, the police commissioner “Bull” Connor implemented which of the following against the Black demonstrators, many of whom were schoolchildren and teenagers?

a. Dog attacks.

b. High-pressure fire hoses.

c. Beatings with night sticks.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 367

50. The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was held in August

a. 1943.

b. 1963.

c. 1983.

d. 2003.

Question type: factual

Page number: 369

51. Which president worked and managed to get Congress to enact a Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act in consecutive years?

a. Truman.

b. Eisenhower.

c. Kennedy.

d. Johnson.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 369

52. The early origins of the women’s suffrage movement were

a. Increased awareness of shared grievances and poor conditions.

b. Growth of the antislavery movement.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 369

53. The Seneca Falls Convention (the first women’s rights convention in the United States) was held in July

a. 1848..

b. 1868.

c. 1888.

d. 1908.

Question type: factual

Page number: 371

54. Why did the women’s movement split into two groups in the debate over the Fifteenth Amendment?

a. Some did not like that the Fifteenth Amendment was going to allow suffrage for women.

b. Some did not like that the Fifteenth Amendment was going only going to extend suffrage to Black men.

c. Some did not like that the Fifteenth Amendment was going to allow suffrage for White women and Black men, but not for Black women.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 371-372

55. Which of the following part of the Black women’s club movement (beginning in the 1890s) sought to provide for the uplift of Black communities?

a. Women’s suffrage.

b. Health.

c. Education.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 372

56. The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified in ______, giving women the right to vote in federal elections.

a. 1870.

b. 1905.

c. 1920.

d. 1965.

Question type: factual

Page number: 372

57. When did the second stage of the women’s rights movement begin?

a. 1930.

b. 1940.

c. 1950.

d. 1960.

Question type: factual

Page number: 372

58. The first president to appoint a commission on the status of women was President

a. Kennedy.

b. Johnson.

c. Nixon.

d. Carter.

Question type: factual

Page number: 372

59. The presidential commission on the status of women led to the

a. Equal Pay Act of 1963.

b. Equal Opportunity Act of 1963.

c. Equal Rights Amendment of 1963.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 372

60. How does Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act pertain to women?

a. It outlaws disenfranchisement based on sex.

b. It outlaws political discrimination based on sex.

c. It outlaws domestic violence.

d. It outlaws employment discrimination based on sex.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 373

61. What is the purpose of the Equal Rights Amendment?

a. To ensure equality of rights under the law, regardless of sex.

b. To ensure equality of rights under the law, regardless of race.

c. To ensure equality of rights under the law, regardless of religion.

d. To ensure equality of rights under the law, regardless of disability.

Question type: factual

Page number: 373

62. When was the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) ratified?

a. 1952.

b. 1962.

c. 1972.

d. Never ratified.

Question type: factual

Page number: 373

63. What did the second stage of the women’s rights movement accomplish?

a. Open opportunities for women in professional fields.

b. Protect women in the workplace.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 373

64. What contributed to the success of the STOP ERA campaign?

a. Women’s support for the campaign.

b. The campaign’s arguments for how it would disadvantage women.

c. The overwhelming presence of men in state legislatures.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 376

65. One of the major methods used in the labor movement has been

a. Violent protest.

b. Union organization.

c. Nonviolent civil discussions.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 376

66. By 1866, the __________ formed with the purpose of protecting skilled labor.

a. National Federation of Labor.

b. National Confederation of Unions.

c. American Federation of Labor.

d. American Confederation of Unions.

Question type: factual

Page number: 377

67. Many civil rights activists had been members of the

a. American Federation of Labor.

b. Knights of Labor.

c. National Federation of Labor.

d. Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids.

Question type: factual

Page number: 377

68. Which of the following was not achieved through the labor movement?

a. 8-hour work day, 40-hour work week.

b. Health care for all workers.

c. Minimum wage.

d. Prohibition of child labor.

Question type: factual

Page number: 378

69. In which year did the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged to form the AFL-CIO?

a. 1843.

b. 1887.

c. 1929.

d. 1955.

Question type: factual

Page number: 378

70. President _________ was well-known for actively supporting antiunion policies.

a. Truman.

b. Reagan.

c. Clinton.

d. Obama.

Question type: factual

Page number: 380

71. The establishment of _________ was not a direct result of the environmental movement

a. Memorial Day.

b. Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA).

c. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

d. Earth Day.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 380

72. The intentional or unintentional racial discrimination in the enforcement of environmental laws and regulations and in the targeting of racial minority communities for the siting of pollution-producing industries or hazardous waste sites is known as

a. Racial targeting.

b. Environmental racism.

c. Race-based environmentalism.

d. Minority targeting.

Question type: factual

Page number: 381

73. Which group developed the beginning of the Anti–Vietnam War movement in the early 1960s?

a. Business executives.

b. Protestant Christian groups.

c. Right-wing politicians.

d. College students.

Question type: factual

Page number: 382

74. How were the antiwar and civil rights movements connected?

a. They had many of the same members and purposes.

b. They often combined their demonstration efforts.

c. In their overlapping time periods.

d. They were in no way connected.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 382

75. Which of the following was an argument against the Vietnam War?

a. Middle- and upper-class people and college students could more easily get a draft deferment.

b. The draft disproportionately affected Black youth and they were more likely to see combat.

c. Extreme casualties.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 384

76. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender movement is

a. A highly structured social movement, led by a large organization from the top.

b. A collection of small, group-based movements that constitute a larger movement.

c. A movement led solely by college students.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 384

77. The LGBT movement dates back to the

a. Seventeenth century.

b. Eighteenth century.

c. Nineteenth century.

d. Twentieth century.

Question type: factual

Page number: 386

78. The first gay-pride march was held a year after the

a. Stonewall riots.

b. Nationwide criminalization of homosexuality.

c. Creation of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 387

79. Which of the following was not a more militant LGBT group?

a. ACT UP.

b. Queer Nation.

c. Lesbian Avengers.

d. Human Rights Campaign.

Question type: applied

Page number: 386

80. The death of Matthew Shepard in 1998 after being lured out of a bar and murdered because he was gay is an example of

a. A catalyst.

b. Shared grievances.

c. A supportive environment.

d. Political activism.

Question type: factual

Page number: 387

81. Which president signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act?

a. Clinton.

b. Bush.

c. Obama.

d. It has not been signed.

Question type: factual

Page number: 393

82. Which of the following is not a social movement?

a. American Indian movement.

b. Chicano civil rights movement.

c. Tea Party movement.

d. Religious fundamentalist movement.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 393

83. Divisions that develop within a movement that might weaken it or cause its demise are known as

a. Partitions.

b. Detachments.

c. Factionalism.

d. Dissectionalism.

Question type: factual

Page number: 390

84. Another name for the Chicano civil rights movement is

a. Los Chicanos.

b. El Movimiento.

c. La Raza.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 390

85. The Chicano civil rights movement was mainly focused on the __________ region of the United States.

a. Northeast.

b. South.

c. Midwest.

d. Southwest.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 399

86. As demonstrated by way of the progression of the Tea Party, it is important to recognize that

a. Every movement that has a large following will be able to sustain itself to the point of becoming a social movement.

b. Influence on the political process always translates into a social movement.

c. Influence on the political process does not always translate into a social movement.

d. Right-wing groups cannot create social movements.

Question type: applied

Page number: 362

87. The 2016 Women’s March on Washington in Washington, DC, the day after President Trump’s inauguration is an example of

a. A demonstration.

b. A catalyst.

c. A sit-in.

d. A social movement.

Question type: factual

Page number: 366

88. At the beginning of his presidency, approximately how many threats against President Obama are investigated by the Secret Service (largely based on hate groups)?

a. 50 per year.

b. 50 per month.

c. 50 per week.

d. 50 per day.

Question type: factual

Page number: 362

89. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), as of 2018 there were approximately ________ hate groups in operation in the U.S.

a. 50.

b. 350..

c. 650.

d. 950.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 374

90. Given the recent attacks on women’s reproductive rights through attempts to decrease access to contraception and to decrease funding for Planned Parenthood, increased activism may suggest the development of a _____ wave of the Women’s Rights Movement.

a. 2^nd.

b. 3^rd.

c. 4^th.

d. 5^th.

Question type: factual

Page number: 379

91. Which of the following is NOT accurate?

a. The percentage of jobs that are union-based positions is at an all time low.

b. Most job growth over the past few decades has been in nonunion service or manufacturing positions.

c. Members of unions earn higher wages than nonunion employees.

d. The percentage of jobs that are union-based positions is at an all time high.

Question type: factual

Page number: 387

92. Which of the following Presidents spoke of the LGBT rights movement and the Stonewall uprising in an inaugural address to highlight the importance of civil rights struggles?

a. President George H. W. Bush.

b. President Bill Clinton.

c. President George W. Bush.

d. President Barack Obama.

Question type: factual

Page number: 387-388

93. How has public opinion concerning LGBT issues changed over time?

a. A majority of Americans supports same-sex marriage.

b. All age groups have become more supportive of LGBT rights.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 388

94. Which of the following Supreme Court cases ruled that it is unconstitutional to ban same-sex marriage?

a. Brown v. Board of Education (1954).

b. Citizens United v. FEC (2010).

c. United States v. Windsor (2013).

d. Obergefell v. Hodges (2015).

Question type: factual

Page number: 389

95. Which of the following is NOT a part of North Carolina’s 2016 “House Bill 2”/HB2?

a. Transgender people must only use the restroom that corresponds with the sex on their birth certificate.

b. Cities cannot pass ordinances protecting the rights of transgender people.

c. Transgender people may use the restroom that corresponds with their gender identity.

d. All of the above are part of HB2.

Question type: factual

Page number: 390

96. Which state signed HB1523 into law, declaring that court clerks could refuse to issue same-sex wedding licenses, after bans on same-sex marriage were deemed unconstitutional?

a. Mississippi.

b. Tennessee.

c. Indiana.

d. Ohio.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 390

97. Laws that limit LGBT rights after the Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) ruling, such as North Carolina’s HB2 and Mississippi’s HB1523, demonstrate

a. How political forces inevitably challenge advances in civil rights.

b. How advances in civil rights are always well-received in the political sphere.

c. How advances in civil rights cannot be altered.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 397-398

98. The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement demonstrates

a. National Movements can build into international movements.

b. People from highly marginalized communities are often at the forefront of the development of movements.

c. Social movements exist outside of political party structures.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 359

99. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre in Parkland, FL that led to the March for Our Lives movement would be considered

a. Shared grievances.

b. A catalyst.

c. A supportive environment.

d. Catalytic leadership.

Short-Answer Questions

1. How many cases were involved with the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) case? What was the ultimate decision of the Supreme Court for this case and how many Justices supported the majority opinion?

Four cases; unanimous decision.
Separate but equal was unconstitutional, particularly in public schools; schools must desegregate.

2. List three grievances that undergirded the civil rights movement.

Segregation, lack of voting and political rights, lack of police protection, lack of civil rights and liberties guaranteed in the Constitution, lynchings and physical (as well as economic) violence against Blacks, lack of equality in all aspects of life and government, various others.

3. What is a social movement? Name two social movements from the twentieth century in the United States.

Social movement: A sustained challenge to those in power put forth by individuals, acting in concert with others, who have been excluded from the political process or who consider themselves political outsiders.
Examples: Civil rights movement, American Indian movement (AIM), women’s rights movement, various others.

4. What are shared grievances and how do they factor into social movements?

Shared grievances: Complaints against the political system (national, state, or local) by a group of people who agree generally on the causes of the complaints.
This is the basis of a social movement, in that it brings people together to work toward ameliorating those grievances.

5. Name and identify three conditions that give rise to social movements.

Can include shared grievances, supportive environment, catalyst, catalytic leadership.
Must define the three chosen.

6. Define catalytic leadership and explain its importance to social movements.

Catalytic leadership: social activists who create or recognize opportunities to galvanize people to organized action.
They help to galvanize support for the movement among those most directly affected.
They often have a charisma that draws people in and helps them to convey the important messages of the movement.

7. Why is it necessary to have a supportive environment to have a successful social movement?

Without a supportive environment, it is difficult for public opinion to change in a way that will encourage widespread pressure on political figures to make the desired public policy changes.

8. Why is it that social movements are often organized by a minority of the population?

The majority is much more likely to have their interests represented within our representative democracy.
There are some minorities that are much more likely to have been denied access to traditional means of political change and influence.

9. Which social movement has worked toward maintaining the early American status quo and decreasing the rights of groups in social, political, and economic spheres? What are this movement’s methods?

White supremacy/separatist movement.
Often uses violent means to work to obtain its goals, in addition to more traditional social movement tactics of demonstrating, and so on.

10. Provide an example of how social movements can change political institutions.

One example can include the idea that when “outsiders” become “insiders” by way of being political leaders, they can directly influence the structure and composition of institutions.

11. What are Jim Crow laws and how do they relate to the “separate but equal” principle?

Jim Crow laws: The southern practice of racially segregating all public facilities, such as transportation, schools, libraries, hotels, hospitals, theaters, parks, and cemeteries.
These laws were constitutional because they cited the “separate but equal” principle, which was that racial segregation was allowed as long as “equal” facilities were provided for Whites and Blacks.
This equality was in name only because facilities for Blacks were consistently of much lower quality or they were not actually provided.

12. How did the Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) decision lead to the civil rights movement?

The Plessy ruling set the standard that racial segregation was constitutional. This diminished any real power of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and allowed for the burgeoning of Jim Crow laws.
The legal removal of protection for Blacks led to the worsening of the conditions that were protested against in this movement.

13. In terms of the civil rights movement, identify two organizations that helped to advanced the goals of the movement, and briefly describe how these organizations propelled the movement.

SCLC (brought together churches, which were major organizing institutions) and SNCC (organized students, who would participate in many of the demonstrations, sit-ins, etc.).
Students may include other organizations for this response.
These groups helped to organize the tactics, resources, and individuals for the movement.

14. What was the Seneca Falls Convention and when did it take place?

First women’s rights convention in the United States; it took place in July 1848; included many women who had worked in the abolitionist movement.

15. What was the disagreement between the National Woman Suffrage Association and the American Woman Suffrage Association? When did they come back together to address women’s suffrage?

They disagreed over the Fifteenth Amendment. NWSA thought it should be for Blacks and women; AWSA thought it should pass as it was and they could take the fight for suffrage to the states.
They came back together in the 1890s.

16. What two events led to the second stage of the women’s rights movement?

1. President Kennedy’s appointment of a commission on the status of women.
2. Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique.

17. What is the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009?

This act allows the 180-day statute of limitations on filing an equal-pay lawsuit to renew with every paycheck that reflects unequal pay.
This allows women who find out later in their careers that they were being paid less to address the issue.

18. What is the ERA? Why has it not yet been ratified?

The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was originally drafted in 1923 but without any real success; redrafted in the second stage of the women’s rights movement and fully passed by Congress in 1971 and sent to the states for ratification.
It fell short of the ratification terms by three states.
The ERA is meant to guarantee that equality under the law will not be denied based on sex.

19. Identify four achievements of the labor movement.

40-hour work week, 8-hour work day, minimum wage, prohibition of child labor, collective bargaining rights, workplace safety regulations, creation of the Department of Labor.

20. Why is union membership an important method for the labor movement?

It provides a means of collective action and organization for action that also provides some degree of protection for workers as they put forward their demands for change.
The large numbers and organization provide a means for pooling and activating resources that are needed for the movement.

21. How do unions influence the nature of the sociopolitical environment (supportive, hostile, neutral)?

Unions can create a supportive environment for the social movement if they are able to bring forth their message to the people and influence public opinion (especially if they can show how an important catalyst of the movement demonstrates a need for public policy change).
By striking, unions may influence public opinion in a positive or negative way.
A strike might be the biggest way to bring attention to major labor problems; however, given that it can inconvenience consumers, it could lead to negative public opinion (and thus a hostile environment for a movement).

22. Which movement led to the development of the EPA and OSHA? When did this occur? What do these acronyms stand for?

Environmental movement in the 1970s.
EPA: Environmental Protection Agency.
OSHA: Occupational Safety and Health Agency.

23. What is environmental racism?

Intentional or unintentional racial discrimination in the enforcement of environmental laws and regulations and in the targeting of racial minority communities for the siting of pollution-producing industries or hazardous waste sites.

24. Explain two shared grievances of the Anti–Vietnam War movement.

Special draft deferment treatment for middle- and upper-class individuals and college students.
Disproportionate drafting of young Black men and disproportionate combat missions for this group.

25. Identify three shared grievances of the LGBT movement.

Lack of protection by the law and law enforcement from violence.
Lack of rights for LGBT couples (including hospital visits, marriage and legal marriage privileges, etc.).
Lack of protection from workplace discrimination.
Various others.

26. What do the social movements of racial minorities shared in common? How are they different?

Similar shared grievances, in that much of the discrimination they face is the direct result of the tradition of exclusion that was solidified in the nation’s founding documents.
They used similar tactics, mainly in terms of nonviolent civil disobedience.
Mention the four factors that contribute to the development of social movements and how these relate to racial minority social movements.
Demonstrate how the American Indian movement was modeled more on the Black Power movement than on the civil rights movement.

27. Identify three social movements that are generally less well known compared to the civil rights, women’s, labor, anti–Vietnam War, and LGBT movements.

American Indian movement, Chicano rights movement, religious fundamentalist movement, Asian American movement, antinuclear movement.

28. What factors contribute to the decline of social movements?

Factionalism, changes in public opinion, countermovements, movement success on some of its goals.

29. Identify three factors that contribute to social movement failure.

Broad or unrealistic goals.
Ineffective organization of the movement.
Suppression by those in power.

30. Why is the Tea Party movement not considered a social movement?

Its goals are not fully and clearly articulated in a believable and sustainable way.
It has not existed long enough to demonstrate that it can move beyond the concept of political activism into social movement territory.
This movement decreased in terms of its political influence relatively soon after forming.

31. How many of the 2016 Republican presidential primary contenders were recognized as Tea Party candidates? Did one of them get the Republican Party’s nomination?

There were 6 Tea Party candidates.
No, Donald Trump was not considered a Tea Party candidate.

32. When and how did same-sex marriage become legal throughout the United States?

2015 with the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges ruling.

33. What was the catalyst for the development of Black Lives Matter (BLM)? What is one of the main aims of BLM?

Catalyst: the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the case of the murder of Trayvon Martin.
Main aims: Address police brutality against Black people (any answer approaching this idea is reasonable)

34. March for Our Lives, Black Lives Matter, and the Tea Party are all examples of what concept? Will they become social movements?

These are example of political activism.
If they are able to strengthen and continue to grow, they may in time become social movements.
Given the waning nature of the Tea Party, it is unlikely to become a social movement.

35. What was the catalyst for the development of March for Our Lives? What is one of the main goals of March for Our Lives?

Catalyst: the mass shooting at M. S. Douglas High School in Parkland, FL in Feb. 2018.
Main goals: prevention of gun violence, safety from gun violence in schools.

Essay Questions

1. Consider the Dorothy Davis et al. v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, Virginia (1953) case. What were the students’ grievances and how did they seek to have them addressed? What was the ultimate fate of this case and why does it matter in terms of civil rights in the United States?

Outline the major ways in which Black students did not receive equal educational resources as White students.
Highlight the nature of the protest the students embarked on.
Recognize this case as one of the four that went forward for the Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education (1954) case.
Tie the case to the ruling of the unconstitutionality of segregation, ultimately leading to more civil rights for racial and ethnic minorities.

2. Discuss how social movements are tied to the concept of democracy.

Define social movements and democracy.
Demonstrate the understanding that in a democracy it is possible for minority opinions and voices not to be included, even in the American system where there are some safeguards against the tyranny of the majority.
Examine the ways in which social movements work outside of the political system to create change inside the sociopolitical system.

3. Discuss the four conditions that give rise to social movements.

Define shared grievances, supportive environment, catalyst, and catalytic leadership.
Demonstrate the ways in which these concepts are interrelated.
Provide clear arguments concerning the necessity of each condition for the development of a social movement.

4. Identify three individuals who would qualify as catalytic leadership for a movement. How did they influence the movements in which they were involved? Do they have any common characteristics?

Define catalytic leadership.
Examples (not all inclusive) might include Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Cesar Chavez, Gloria Steinem, Gandhi, and Russell Means.
Should identify how each of the three leaders was involved in the movements and how their presence galvanized individuals into action on behalf of the movement.
Identify that catalytic leaders are generally persuasive and personable; they are often seen at the forefront of the action and speak eloquently on the grievances the movement attempts to address.

5. In this essay, you will examine the connection between public policy and social movements. Discuss specifically how social movements can lead to changes in public policy and increases in political participation. Provide two specific examples of the connection between a social movement and policy change.

Describe social movements and their goals of changing public policy.
Demonstrate the connection between changing public opinion and changing public policy.
Highlight how increased access to the political system for those affected by the movement can lead to higher rates of participation within this group.
Must provide two examples: Civil Rights movement and the Voting Rights Act of 1965; 1^st wave of women’s rights and the 19^th amendment; and so forth

6. Discuss why and how the civil rights movement came about. Be sure to incorporate the historical aspects as well as the organizing aspects.

Refer to the tradition of exclusion of racial minorities from the political system.
Overview the history of slavery and racial discrimination and segregation, solidified with Dred Scott (1857) and Plessy (1896), leading to the constitutionality of the separate but equal doctrine.
Give a general timeline of the progression of the civil rights movement, incorporating an explanation of the methods used to progress the movement through nonviolent civil disobedience.

7. Discuss the tactics used in the civil rights movement. Why were these methods necessary? Would other methods have been as effective? Why were these methods questioned, particularly by White moderates?

Highlight the major tactics used in the civil rights movement, particularly emphasizing the method of nonviolent civil disobedience.
Other, more violent, methods would have been less effective because the negative nature of these tactics would have overshadowed the messages and purposes of the movement.
Demonstrate the necessity of these particular tactics.
Understand that some White moderates felt the demonstrations were wrong in that they directly upset the social order that was in place.

8. Discuss the purpose of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” in 1963. What grievances did he address in this letter? How did this help to advance the civil rights movement?

Outline King’s grievances with the White power structure and “White moderates.”
Demonstrate an understanding that King chastises the White clergy of Birmingham for decrying the demonstrations in the city, all the while not addressing the conditions that led to the demonstrations.
Highlight the way in which the letter helps to focus attention on the purposes of the demonstrations, rather than on the “disobedient” nature of the actions (which were nonviolent on the part of Blacks).

9. Discuss the Equal Rights Amendment. Give attention to when it has been under debate and scrutiny and why it has been difficult to pass.

Outline arguments for and against the ERA.
Include discussion of the STOP ERA campaign.
Acknowledge that it was first developed in 1923, was passed by Congress in 1972, and was short of ratification by three states.

10. Compare and contrast the first and second stages of the women’s rights movement. Be sure to place them in historical context.

Examine the first stage in terms of the movement for women’s suffrage growing out of the abolitionist movement.
Point to why the first stage stalled (racial issues pertaining to the Fifteenth Amendment) and when it revitalized.
Examine the second stage in terms of social, political, and economic rights for women.
Point to when the second stage developed and why, as well as the achievements of the movement.

11. Compare and contrast any two major social movements. Be sure to include the purposes of the movements and the methods used.

Provide a comparative analysis of any two major movements.
Compare the types of shared grievances found in each movement and how those grievances influenced the methods chosen for advancing the movements.
Compare the level of success of the movements and suggest the degree to which they might have been more or less successful by way of adopting each other’s approaches.
Should include some mention of the four factors that contribute to the development of social movements.

12. To what degree has the labor movement been successful? Discuss the history of the labor movement and its achievements.

Highlight the history of the movement, including galvanizing, catalytic events.
Identify many of the achievements of the movement, including the 40-hour work week, 8-hour work day, minimum wage, prohibition of child labor, collective bargaining rights, workplace safety regulations, and creation of the Department of Labor.
Examine the opposition to the labor movement.

13. How did the environmental movement influence politics?

Highlight historical aspects of the movement.
Demonstrate the effects of the movement in the 1970s.
Pay close attention to the governmental agencies and institutions that were set up as a result of the movement.

14. Discuss the development of the anti–Vietnam War movement. Be sure to include various reasons for opposition to the war.

Briefly examine the history of the Vietnam War.
Examine the development of the opposition to the war in the 1960s, especially on college campuses.
Include the ways in which the protests against the war were executed.
Highlight the inequality in the draft (policies, race).

15. Discuss the nature and structure of the LGBT movement.

Highlight the differences in movements as organized by each group.
Explain the ways in which the structure of the movement is simultaneously fragmented and unified.
Highlight the shared grievances that unify the movement.

16. Examine the issue of same-sex marriage. How does this fit into the topic of social movements? Connect this to interracial marriage and the civil rights movement.

Review the history of the push for same-sex marriage.
Demonstrate the ways in which the LGBT movement has worked toward extending marriage rights to the LGBT community.
Examine the commonalities with the quest for interracial marriage, including the lack of approval in terms of public opinion and the successful push for this right via the civil rights movement.

17. Discuss the influence of factionalism on social movements. Provide examples for your arguments.

Define factionalism.
Demonstrate the link between factionalism and social movement decline.
Refer to at least two examples of the influence of factionalism on social movements, such as seen in the civil rights movement and the women’s rights movement.

18. Examine the ways in which countermovements and changes in public opinion can influence the outcome of social movements. Provide examples.

Define countermovements and changes in public opinion.
Connect each issue to the decline of social movements.
Suggest how countermovements can shift public opinion away from the purposes of the original movement.
May provide an example such as the push for the ERA and the STOP ERA campaign.

19. Discuss what causes social movements to fail. Connect to the factors that lead to the development of social movements.

Examine the issues of unrealistic goals, lack of effective organizing, and suppression.
Highlight the argument that more movements fail than succeed.
Connect the issues of failure to those of how they succeed in developing (shared grievances, supportive environment, catalyst, catalytic leadership).

20. Discuss the connection between social movements and political activism. Give particular attention to how they converge and diverge. Provide at least two examples of both.

Define social movements and political activism.
Highlight that one of the major issues that separates these concepts is time (political activism that continues on in the same direction with the same purposes for an extended period of time develops into a social movement).
Demonstrate that political activism might not develop beyond a few demonstrations.

Provide two examples of each.

21. Discuss the rise of both the Black Lives Matter and March for Our Lives movements. By way of detailed information and analysis, indicate whether these can be classified as social movements. Examine the details of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Define social movements examine whether Black Lives Matter and March for Our Lives meet the criteria.
Determine whether Black Lives Matter and March for Our Lives have moved beyond political activism into the realm of a social movement by highlighting the focus on policy and mobilization.

22. Discuss the rise of LGBT rights in the United States. Compare and contrast with civil rights for racial and ethnic minorities.

Highlight the historical markers of the LGBT rights movement.
Note that LGBT rights movement and civil rights movement have only been successful because they have developed into social movements that have existed for many decades.
Compare and contrast these movements.
Note that each has experienced significant setbacks over time, but those setbacks have not ended the movements.

CHAPTER 13 INTEREST GROUPS: GOOD OUTCOMES WITH FEW RESOURCES

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Learn about the basic concepts associated with interest groups.
Determine how to differentiate between interest groups and social movements.
Explore the differences between and among different categories of interest groups.
Determine the factors that affect interest groups’ abilities to influence public policy.

Outline

I. Interest Groups and Their Functions

II. A Group-Based View of American Politics

- Our Voices: Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862–1931)

a. Pluralism

b. Criticisms of Pluralism

III. Interest Group Formation

IV. Types of Interest Groups

a. Economic Interest Groups

i. Agriculture

ii. Business

iii. Labor

iv. Professions

- Evaluating Equality: The AMA Apologizes to Black Physicians

b. Noneconomic Interest Groups

i. Civil Rights

ii. Government

iii. Ideology

iv. Public Interest

v. Single Issue

vi. Religion

V. Techniques of Interest Groups

a. Lobbying

b. Electioneering

c. Education

d. Litigation

e. Media Campaigns

f. Factors That Make Interest Groups Effective

VI. Political and Financial Inequalities

- Measuring Equality: Selected Racial and Ethnic Interest Groups and Their Resources

VII. Conclusion

Discussion Questions

What is an interest group and how does it fit into a representative democracy?
How do interest groups and social movements differ from one another? Are there any ways in which they overlap?
Consider the differences between economic and noneconomic interest groups. Why are the former treated preferentially by many policy makers?
Discuss the varying methods used by interest groups to influence politics. Is any one group more likely to use a particular set of tactics? Why or why not?
What is the iron triangle? Do what degree is it capable of shutting out grassroots influence in the policy-making process?
How has the Citizens United v. FEC (2010) Supreme Court ruling altered the ways in which interest groups can influence the political system?
Why do interest groups form? Does the formation of racial and ethnic minority interest group differ from the formation of other types of interest groups (and if so, how)?

Video Resources

Interest Groups: Organizing to Influence, Annenberg Media (http://www.learner.org/)

In Their Footsteps: An American Muslim Civil Rights Journey,” Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)

M.A.D.D.: Mothers against Drunk Driving, Universal TV

Sit Down and Fight: Walter Reuther and the Rise of the Autoworkers Union, PBS

Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The 90-Year Journey of the NAACP, Lucerne Media

Website Resources

American Civil Liberties Union, http://www.aclu.org/

Center for Responsive Politics, http://www.fecwatch.org/

Council on American-Islamic Relations, http://www.cair.com/

Japanese American Citizens League, http://www.jacl.org

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, http://www.civilrights.org/

League of United Latin American Citizens, http://www.lulac.org

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, http://www.naacp.org/

National Congress of American Indians, http://www.ncai.org

National Rifle Association, http://www.nra.org/

U.S. Chamber of Commerce, http://www.uschamber.com/

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 405

1. Private organizations whose members act together to influence public policy to promote their common interests are known as

a. Political groups.

b. Interest/pressure groups.

c. Partisan/party groups.

d. Push groups.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 405

2. Interest/pressure groups can act as intermediaries in the political system by

a. Working to have the preferences of public and private groups converted into public policy.

b. Raising revenue.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 405

3. Interest groups are composed of

a. Individuals.

b. Institutions.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 405

4. What binds pressure groups together?

a. Common backgrounds.

b. An interest in politics.

c. An interest in the economy.

d. Common interests.

Question type: factual

Page number: 407

5. Ida B. Wells-Barnett was a(n)

a. Antilynching activist.

b. Journalist.

c. Women’s rights advocate.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 407

6. According to Ida B. Wells-Barnett, what was the main reason Blacks would have a difficult time creating the social change they wanted?

a. They did not have the intelligence and political know-how to do so.

b. They did not have the organization created by an interest group to do so.

c. They did not have the desire or will to do so.

d. They did not have the time or money to do so.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 406

7. Interest groups differ from social movements in that

a. Social movements have more organization and institutionalization than interest groups.

b. Interest groups have the ability to develop out of and last beyond social movements.

c. Social movements have longer time horizons than interest groups.

d. Interest groups are more committed to specific goals.

Question type: factual

Page number: 406

8. In Federalist No. ___, James Madison indicates a concern that conflict, rather than consensus, would be predominate in American politics.

a. 1.

b. 10.

c. 51.

d. 87.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 406

9. What was the cause of James Madison’s worry over conflict in the American political system?

a. Career politicians.

b. Agricultural politics.

c. Undivided factions.

d. Race.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 406

10. Which theory of politics contends that power is group based and that, because there are multiple points of access within American government, each group possesses an equality of opportunity when competing with other groups for power and resources?

a. Pluralism.

b. Elite theory.

c. The iron triangle.

d. Systems theory.

Question type: applied

Page number: 406

11. The concept that competition among groups is the basis for public policy creation and political outcomes in a democratic government best reflects

a. Pluralism.

b. Elite theory.

c. The iron triangle.

d. Systems theory.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 408

12. Which of the following is not an assumption of pluralism?

a. Politics is group based.

b. Differing political resources among groups will balance out in terms of their influence.

c. Race will always be a significant factor in politics.

d. Government is a neutral arbiter of group competition.

Question type: factual

Page number: 408

13. Which of the following is not a critic of the theory of pluralism?

a. E. E. Schattschneider.

b. Robert Dahl.

c. Theodore Lowi.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 409

14. A conception of bureaucratic policy making in which policy making is dominated by congressional committees, interest groups, and bureaucratic agencies is known as

a. Pluralism.

b. Elite theory.

c. The iron triangle.

d. Systems theory.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 409

15. The logic of collective action is

a. A concept of a person profiting from the activities of others without participating in those activities.

b. The view that the costs of large groups collectively organizing are high and the benefits to individual members are relatively low.

c. Any benefit that if available to one member of the community cannot be denied to any other, regardless of whether he or she bore any of the costs of providing it.

d. A conception of bureaucratic policymaking in which it is dominated by congressional committees, interest groups, and bureaucratic agencies.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 409

16. The free-rider problem is

a. A concept of a person profiting from the activities of others without participating in those activities.

b. The view that the costs of large groups collectively organizing are high and the benefits to individual members are relatively low.

c. Any benefit that if available to one member of the community cannot be denied to any other, regardless of whether he or she bore any of the costs of providing it.

d. A conception of bureaucratic policymaking in which it is dominated by congressional committees, interest groups, and bureaucratic agencies.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 410

17. A collective good is

a. A concept of a person profiting from the activities of others without participating in those activities.

b. The view that the costs of large groups collectively organizing are high and the benefits to individual members are relatively low.

c. Any benefit that if available to one member of the community cannot be denied to any other, regardless of whether he or she bore any of the costs of providing it.

d. A conception of bureaucratic policymaking in which it is dominated by congressional committees, interest groups, and bureaucratic agencies.

Question type: applied

Page number: 410

18. The way in which defense policy is developed and implemented in the United States provides an example of

a. The free-rider problem.

b. The logic of collective action.

c. The collective good.

d. The iron triangle.

Question type: applied

Page number: 409

19. A person not participating in a sit-in to be able to eat at a segregated establishment, then eating at that establishment once it integrates, provides an example of

a. A free rider.

b. The logic of collective action.

c. The collective good.

d. The iron triangle.

Question type: applied

Page number: 410

20. The provision and assurance of voting rights to all racial minorities, regardless of whether all individuals participated in the demonstrations and other activities that brought this about, provides an example of

a. The free-rider problem.

b. The logic of collective action.

c. The collective good.

d. The iron triangle.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 410

21. What is one way that interest groups help to ensure that people will join them?

a. Provide collective benefits for society.

b. Provide special benefits that are only distributed to active members.

c. Provide opportunities to engage the political system.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 410

22. Organizations such as the American Red Cross the American Cancer Society do not offer incentives for participation with the understanding that

a. People are interested enough in the missions of the organizations to participate without incentives.

b. People expect that the organizations will help them at a later date.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 410

23. Which of the following is not a way that organizations maintain member participation?

a. Incentives.

b. Interest in the purposes of the organization.

c. Prestige.

d. Provision of collective goods.

Question type: factual

Page number: 411

24. As of 2016, there are approximately __________ national interest group organizations in operation in the United States.

a. 243.

b. 2,430.

c. 24,300.

d. 243,000.

Question type: factual

Page number: 411

25. Which of the following constitutes the category with the largest number of national organizations compared to other categories in the United States?

a. Cultural organizations.

b. Religious organizations.

c. Health and medical organizations.

d. Fraternal, nationality, and ethnic organizations.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 412

26. According to Mahood, interest groups should be classified into which two categories?

a. Economic and noneconomic.

b. Social and antisocial.

c. Political and apolitical.

d. Racial and nonracial.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 412

27. Which of the following is not a subcategory of economic interest groups?

a. Business.

b. Professions.

c. Government.

d. Agriculture.

Question type: factual

Page number: 412

28. _______ were among the first to organize as an interest group in the United States

a. Mill workers.

b. Farmers.

c. Former slaves.

d. Priests.

Question type: factual

Page number: 412-413

29. Which of the following is not traditionally considered among the interests and goals of business organizations?

a. Protection of ability to sell products.

b. Protection of rights and safety of workers.

c. Make a profit.

d. Endure as little government regulation as possible.

Question type: factual

Page number: 412

30. When did business interests begin to organize?

a. Early eighteenth century.

b. Early nineteenth century.

c. Early twentieth century.

d. Early twenty-first century.

Question type: factual

Page number: 412

31. Which of the following is the world’s largest business federation?

a. Business Roundtable.

b. National Association of Manufacturers.

c. Consumer Financial Protection Agency.

d. U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 413

32. What is the purpose of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency?

a. To regulate financial markets.

b. To prevent another financial collapse.

c. To oversee credit reporting agencies, debit and credit cards, payday and consumer loans, and credit card fees.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 413

33. The power of labor unions is

a. Weaker than it was in the past.

b. Stronger than it was in the past.

c. The same as it was in the past.

d. Variable from week to week.

Question type: factual

Page number: 413

34. Many labor interest groups are made up of

a. Independent agencies.

b. Interrelated businesses.

c. Unionized workers.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 413

35. Which of the following is not a labor interest group?

a. Screen Actors Guild.

b. National Association of Manufacturers.

c. United Farm Workers of America.

d. Major League Baseball Players Association.

Question type: applied

Page number: 412-413

36. Which of the following is not a business interest group?

a. Business Roundtable.

b. National Association of Manufacturers.

c. Teamsters.

d. U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Question type: applied

Page number: 412-413

37. Which of the following is not an example of a profession’s interest group?

a. U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

b. American Medical Association.

c. American Bar Association.

d. All are professions’ interest groups.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 417

38. Which of the following is a subcategory of noneconomic interest groups?

a. Religion.

b. Civil rights.

c. Ideology.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 417

39. Noneconomic interest groups are concerned with

a. Benefits to society as a whole.

b. Benefits to large groups of individuals.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 417

40. _______ is not a subcategory of noneconomic interest groups.

a. Public interest.

b. Single issue.

c. Government.

d. Labor.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 417

41. Which of the following are not goals associated with civil rights interest groups?

a. Equal opportunities.

b. Removing business regulations.

c. Decreasing race, ethnic, and gender discrimination.

d. Civil liberties.

Question type: factual

Page number: 417

42. The nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, the NAACP, was founded in

a. 1909.

b. 1929.

c. 1949.

d. 1969.

Question type: factual

Page number: 418

43. The largest Latino civil rights organization serving Latino groups is

a. NAACP.

b. MALDEF.

c. NCLR.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 418

44. _________ is the largest feminist organization in the United States.

a. NOW.

b. CORE.

c. NAACP.

d. NCLR.

Question type: factual

Page number: 418

45. The National Organization of Women (NOW) was founded in

a. 1848.

b. 1898.

c. 1926.

d. 1966.

Question type: factual

Page number: 418

46. Which of the following is not an interest of NOW?

a. Eliminate workplace discrimination.

b. Create greater business sector opportunities.

c. Eliminate racism, sexism, and homophobia.

d. These are all interests of NOW.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 419

47. Most government interest groups are

a. Federal organizations that promote the interests of the national government with state and local governments.

b. State and local organizations that promote the interests of these regions with the federal government.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 419

48. Which of the following is not included in the activities of government organizations?

a. Lobbying for collective bargaining rights for public employees.

b. Strengthening and promoting cities.

c. Lobbying for collective bargaining rights for all employees.

d. All of these are activities that government organizations engage in.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 419

49. Groups that adhere to a particular belief system or ideal about how society and government should be structured and what policies are most desirable are known as

a. Labor interest groups.

b. Civil rights interest groups.

c. Government interest groups.

d. Ideological interest groups.

Question type: factual

Page number: 419

50. The __________ is not an example of an ideological interest group.

a. American Conservative Union.

b. American Civil Liberties Union.

c. People for the American Way.

d. National League of Cities.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 419

51. Public interest groups work to represent all of the following EXCEPT

a. Political reformers.

b. Environmentalists.

c. Politicians.

d. Consumers.

Question type: factual

Page number: 420

52. Which of the following is an accomplishment of Public Citizen?

a. Removal of dangerous dietary supplements from the market.

b. Standardized airbags in vehicles.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 420

53. _________________ is an example of a ______________.

a. National Council of Churches; profession interest group.

b. Mothers against Drunk Driving; single-issue interest group.

c. Public Citizen; religious interest group.

d. People for the American Way; single-issue interest group.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 421

54. Religious interest groups

a. Work to ensure that the government will institute an official government-sponsored religion.

b. Garner greater influence of the government on religion.

c. Push policy issues that conform to their beliefs.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 422

55. The process by which an individual, a group, or an organization seeks to influence government policy makers is known as

a. Litigation.

b. Lobbying.

c. Electioneering.

d. Education.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 423

56. Working actively on behalf of a political candidate or political party with activities that might include publicly endorsing a candidate, making a campaign contribution, or making phone calls is known as

a. Litigation.

b. Lobbying.

c. Electioneering.

d. Education.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 423

57. Indirect lobbying consists of

a. Letter-writing campaigns.

b. Phone calls.

c. General “grassroots” activities.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 423

58. Which group cannot legally engage in electioneering while at work?

a. Federal employees.

b. Service employees.

c. Manufacturing employees.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 423

59. Which of the following is not an aspect of electioneering?

a. Making phone calls on behalf of a candidate.

b. Publicly endorsing a candidate.

c. Contacting a candidate concerning his or her policy positions.

d. Making campaign contributions.

Question type: factual

Page number: 425

60. Which Supreme Court case allowed for First Amendment free speech rights for corporations and labor unions, thus allowing them to give unlimited amounts of money to SuperPACs?

a. McConnell v. FEC (2003).

b. FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life (2006).

c. Randall v. Sorrell (2006).

d. Citizens United v. FEC (2010).

Question type: factual

Page number: 423

61. What is the limit for campaign contributions to a political candidate from a PAC for each election cycle?

a. $500.

b. $1,000.

c. $2,500.

d. $5,000.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 425

62. Can SuperPACs give money directly to candidates?

a. Yes, this has been ruled constitutional.

b. Yes, because this is a part of free speech.

c. No, SuperPACs may receive and spend unlimited funds on political activity, but not candidates.

d. No, SuperPACs are unconstitutional.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 425

63. The purpose of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain–Feingold Act) was to

a. Update old voting systems in poor counties.

b. Regulate campaign finance.

c. Change the methods for electing the president.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 424

64. Which PAC was the top contributor to candidates from 2017 to 2018?

a. Honeywell International.

b. Lockheed Martin.

c. Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

d. Northrop Grumman.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 425

65. What is the purpose of interest groups engaging in education campaigns for the public?

a. To influence public opinion.

b. To ensure a fair playing field for all policy ideas.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 426

66. Why do some interest groups turn to litigation to accomplish their policy goals?

a. Courts can establish constitutionality of policies.

b. Courts can be used to challenge the constitutionality of legislative and executive action.

c. Courts can help to initiate new policies.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 426

67. What tactics do interest groups use when pursuing litigation?

a. Filing amicus briefs.

b. Sponsoring individuals to pursue court cases in which they have standing.

c. Working to block the nomination of judges with records they find unsatisfactory.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 427

68. What was one major tactic used by the NAACP to outlaw racial restrictive covenants in real estate?

a. Sponsor the plaintiff in the Shelly v. Kramer (1948) case.

b. Attempt to block judicial nominations.

c. Educate the legal field on the topic of restrictive covenants and urge decision making in a particular direction.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 427

69. Which is not a type of media campaign used by interest groups?

a. Offensive.

b. Goodwill.

c. Supportive.

d. Defensive.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 427

70. A media campaign geared to create a favorable image concerning an interest group is known as a(n) __________ campaign.

a. Offensive.

b. Goodwill.

c. Supportive.

d. Defensive.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 428

71. A media campaign in which an interest group works to generate support for a particular policy position is known as a(n) __________ campaign.

a. Offensive.

b. Goodwill.

c. Supportive.

d. Defensive.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 428

72. A media campaign geared to prevent a policy change the interest group does not favor is known as a(n) __________ campaign.

a. Offensive.

b. Goodwill.

c. Supportive.

d. Defensive.

Question type: applied

Page number: 428

73. The “Facts and Fiction” media campaign developed by General Motors (GM) provides an example of which media campaign strategy?

a. Offensive.

b. Goodwill.

c. Supportive.

d. Defensive.

Question type: applied

Page number: 430

74. Why is the pluralism tenet that all groups have equal access to the political process problematic?

a. Many groups have encountered and continue to encounter legal and structural barriers.

b. Some groups choose not to influence the political process.

c. Both of the above.

d. This tenet is not problematic.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 432

75. Strolovich argues that minority interest groups do not fully represent the interests of those groups because

a. Some subgroups have not figured out how to articulate their interests.

b. Some subgroups are further marginalized within the larger group.

c. Some subgroups have yet to formalize.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 432

76. Which group has the fewest interest groups and the least interest group resources?

a. African Americans.

b. Latinos.

c. Asian Americans.

d. American Indians.

Question type: applied

Page number: 428

77. The “We Card” public service announcements sponsored by tobacco companies provide an example of which media campaign strategy?

a. Offensive.

b. Goodwill.

c. Supportive.

d. Defensive.

Question type: factual

Page number: 430

78. Which of the following is not a racial or ethnic minority interest group?

a. NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund.

b. MALDEF.

c. ACLU.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 430

79. How is the ACLU advantaged over the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and the MALDEF?

a. ACLU has greater financial resources.

b. ACLU has better trained staff.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 405

80. Which 2016 presidential candidate frequently accused the Muslim-American community of being complicit in terrorist attacks and harboring terrorists?

a. Donald Trump.

b. Hillary Clinton.

c. Bernie Sanders.

d. Ted Cruz.

Question type: factual

Page number: 404

81. The Council on American-Islamic Relations filed two federal lawsuits in April 2016 concerning

a. The federal government placing people on terrorist watch lists without affording them due process.

b. The federal government’s continued practice of categorizing Muslim Americans as potential terrorists.

c. The federal government’s targeting of thousands of Muslim Americans by way of the use of secret watch lists.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 413

82. What percentage of the U.S. workforce was connected to unions in 2017?

a. 1 percent.

b. 11 percent.

c. 21 percent.

d. 31 percent.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 413

83. Based on the shifting bases of the economy, which industries are seeing growth in unions?

a. Manufacturing.

b. Exploratory.

c. Science.

d. Service.

Question type: factual

Page number: 415

84. In 2017, the American Bar Association had approximately how many members?

a. 4,000.

b. 40,000.

c. 400,000.

d. 4,000,000.

Question type: factual

Page number: 420

85. Which of the following are accomplishments of the consumer protection Public Citizen public interest group?

a. Getting OHSA to create worker safety measures for exposure to silica dust.

b. Protecting students from for-profit college exploitation.

c. Ensuring that vehicles must be manufactured with airbags.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 423

86. As of December 31, 2016, approximately how many PACs are in the United States?

a. 87.

b. 870.

c. 8,700.

d. 87,000.

Question type: factual

Page number: 424

87. On average, higher percentages of contributions from the top 20 PACs in 2017-2018 went to

a. Republican candidates.

b. Democratic candidates.

c. Libertarian candidates.

d. Green candidates.

Question type: factual

Page number: 426

88. Which interest group has vehemently opposed gun control legislation, even after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, FL?

a. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

b. National Rifle Association.

c. Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

d. Keep Guns in Schools Association.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 426

89. After the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in December 2012, gun control legislation that was supported by President Obama, has not progressed into law due to

a. The influence of interest groups.

b. The influence of federalism.

c. The influence of civil rights.

d. The influence of the media.

Question type: factual

Page number: 430

90. Which of the following received more revenue and financial support in 2017?

a. NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

b. Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

c. American Civil Liberties Union.

d. They all received approximately the same funding support.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 429-430

91. Which of the following is accurate?

a. Interest groups representing marginalized groups do a good job of representing the interests of further marginalized subgroups.

b. Interest groups representing marginalized groups do a poor job of representing the interests of further marginalized subgroups.

c. There are no interest groups that represent the interests of marginalized groups.

d. Marginalized groups are monolithic and there are no subgroup interests.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 406-408

92. Which of the following concepts relates most directly to pluralism?

a. Factions.

b. Federalist 10.

c. Interest groups.

d. All of the above are connected to pluralism.

Question type: factual

Page number: 413

93. An interest group that forms to ensure that workers are able to obtain and maintain healthcare from their small business employers would be considered a

a. Labor interest group.

b. Profession interest group.

c. Civil rights interest group.

d. Government interest group.

Short-Answer Questions

1. Define the term interest groups. Indicate how they attempt to influence the politics.

Private organizations whose members act together to influence public policy to promote their common interests.

2. List 10 interest groups found in the United States.

Can list any interest groups.
Examples include U.S. Chamber of Commerce, NAACP, NCLR, Teamsters, American Medical Association, American Bar Association, LULAC, NOW, National Council of Churches, ACLU.

3. When did the NAACP organize and why?

1909.
Founded in response to continued and increasing violence toward African Americans.
Founded to promote civil rights for all non-White groups.

4. What is the difference between interest groups and social movements?

Interest groups are organized institutions that have a greater deal of permanence than social movements, which develop based on particular circumstances and may be relatively short lived.
Many interest groups develop out of social movements.

5. What are the main takeaway points from Madison’s Federalist No. 10?

Factions are dangerous to politics if they gain too much power.
Factions based on economic differences among people have the potential to be the most durable.
The problem of factions is significantly decreased because all people belong to many different factions and move in and out of them, thus decreasing the likelihood that any one faction would become too powerful.

6. What is pluralism?

A theory of politics that contends that power is group based and that, because there are multiple points of access within American government, each group possesses an equality of opportunity when competing with other groups for power and resources.

7. Name two critiques of pluralism.

The majority of Americans do not have interest group representation.
Interest group representation is skewed in favor of those who have political resources and influence.
Most Americans are shut out of the policy-making process, especially demonstrated by the iron triangle.

8. Define the iron triangle and indicate how it influences public policy.

A conception of bureaucratic policy making in which policy making is dominated by congressional committees, interest groups, and bureaucratic agencies.
Influence on public policy: most interest groups and individuals are kept out of the process for influencing policy outcomes.

9. What is the relationship between the concept of pluralism and the concept of the iron triangle?

They are at odds with one another because pluralism suggests that everyone has equal access to the political process, but the iron triangle suggests that only a very few groups have access to policy-making power in specific areas.

10. Why do interest groups form?

Common interests and recognized threats to those interests contribute to the formation of interest groups; nevertheless, there are organization problems that can decrease the likelihood of interest group formation.

11. What is the logic of collective action?

The view that the costs of large groups collectively organizing are high and the benefits to individual members are relatively low; thus the appeal to rational members is one of deterrence to organizing collectively.

12. Define the concept of a free rider. Provide an example.

Free rider: A person who profits from the activities of others without participating in those activities.
Must provide an example: (someone who receives a newsletter from an organization but does not pay dues, and so forth).

13. What are the purposes of economic interest groups?

To ensure the economic well-being of their members.

14. Identify the four broad categories of economic interest groups

Agriculture, business, labor, and professions.

15. How do business interests relate to consumer interests? Are these interests represented by the same groups?

Businesses are interested in profits and they need consumers for these products (converging interests) 🡪 they are both interested in lower costs imposed by the government.
Consumers want high quality and low prices, which goes against the business interest of increasing profits.
Interests diverge with consumers wanting safe products, which often increase the cost of production.
Generally not represented by the group interest groups.

16. What are the purposes of noneconomic interest groups?

They are concerned about issues of benefit to society as a whole or to large groups of individuals even if they are not members of the group.

17. Identify the six broad categories of noneconomic interest groups.

Civil rights, government, ideology, public interest, single issue, and religion.

18. What method of organization is generally found in labor interest groups?

These interest groups generally rely on unionization and union groups, which makes the most sense for this industry.

19. Identify at least five policy achievements of noneconomic interest groups.

Can list any achievements of noneconomic interest groups.
Examples might include Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, abortion rights, policy against workplace discrimination, standard airbags in vehicles, passage of a national minimum drinking age.

20. List the techniques used by interest groups to obtain their policy preferences.

Lobbying, electioneering, education, litigation, media campaigns.

21. Define lobbying. Indicate who engages in lobbying and who the lobbying targets.

The process by which an individual, a group, or an organization seeks to influence government policy makers.
Interest groups lobby policymakers and their staff.

22. What is electioneering? Are there any limitations on this sort of interest group participation?

Electioneering: Working actively on behalf of a political candidate or political party with activities that might include publicly endorsing candidates, making a campaign contribution, or making phone calls.
The main limitations come in terms of campaign finance limits for donating to political candidate campaigns and political parties.

23. How is education used as a means of encouraging the implementation of an interest group’s preferred policies?

Interest groups engage in and disseminate research to policy makers concerning the issues and policies that are of interest to them.
This information can help to sway a policy maker to support the interest group’s position on a policy.

24. Why is litigation important for interest groups? Provide two examples of court cases that had major influences on public policy.

Litigation allows groups to demonstrate or challenge the constitutionality of policies.
It also provides a means by which to make sweeping changes and initiate new policies.
Examples include Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade (other answers are acceptable).

25. Identify the three types of media campaigns. Indicate how these campaigns influence public perceptions and actions.

Goodwill, offensive, defensive.
Goodwill provides a positive image of the interest group (perhaps increasing the degree to which the public trusts the group); offensive provides the justification for the policy in question; defensive builds support for maintaining the status quo.

26. Name four factors that make interest groups effective.

Group resources (size, wealth, cohesion), perceived importance and reliability, business and economic interests (given more credence than consumer groups), attempts to prevent rather than push legislation, strength and cohesion of political parties in a legislator’s state, degree and amount of competition among interest groups on various sides of a policy debate.

27. Identify a media campaign for each of the following forms: goodwill, offensive, defensive.

Many answers will apply.
Goodwill: Tobacco companies’ “We Card” campaign.
Offensive: “Support the U.S. Auto Industry” campaign.
Defensive: STOP ERA campaign.

28. Why are interest groups’ efforts to prevent legislation often more effective than efforts to pass legislation?

This is because of the structure of the American political system.
The structure makes the creation of policy more difficult and convoluted than blocking legislation.
If interest groups can sway enough policy makers, they can stop legislation.
Creating legislation is harder because it involves getting many people in politics to agree on the specific makeup of a policy.

29. Why does the amount of competition among interest groups on either side of an issue influence an interest group’s success?

If there is no competition, an interest group has a better chance of getting the desired outcome because there are no other interests pulling the attention and favor of policy makers away from the original interest group’s preferences.

30. There are many arguments that critique pluralism. Explain the argument that suggests that pluralism obscures the role race has played and continues to play in the United States.

Pluralism ignores the very real legal and social barriers that are in place that prevent racial minorities from being able to influence policy and politics.

31. Define the concept of a collective good? Provide one example.

Collective good: Any benefit that if available to one member of the community cannot be denied to any other, regardless of whether he or she bore any of the costs of providing it.
Collective good

32. How are the concepts of free riders and collective goods related?

Free riders benefit from collective goods without incurring any costs.

33. What type of interest group is the NAACP?

Civil rights interest group, which is noneconomic.

Essay Questions

1. Discuss why interest groups are important for and natural within a democracy. Be sure to reference Madison’s Federalist No. 10.

Define interest groups and democracy.
Demonstrate the importance of interest groups in helping to bring forward the interests of the people who are to be represented within the democracy.
Outline Madison’s examination of the problem of factions, as well as why Madison did not believe they would ultimately cause real harm to the system.

2. Discuss how interest groups differ from social movements.

Define interest groups and social movements.
Discuss the time horizons of each.
Examine how they differ and how they relate to each other.

3. Identify and discuss the assumptions of pluralism.

Define pluralism.
Outline the tenets of pluralism.
Describe the degree to which pluralism accurately portrays the American political system.
Outline the main critiques of pluralism.

4. Discuss the logic of collective action. Be sure to connect your discussion to the concept of interest groups in democratic politics.

Define the logic of collective action.
Connect this discussion to the issue of why interest groups form and why they encounter barriers to organizing (based on this logic of collective action).
Recognize the importance of the expression of individuals’ and groups’ interests in democratic politics and point to why it is easier in principle than in practice.

5. Discuss how free riders and collective goods influence the efficacy of interest groups in the political process.

Define free riders and collective goods.
Connect these concepts to the logic of collective action to demonstrate how these concepts make the organizing of interest groups more difficult.
Individually address free riders and efficacy and collective goods and efficacy.

6. Examine the reasons why interest groups form. Be sure to include a discussion concerning why interest groups might not fully organize.

Provide an explanation for the formation of interest groups as connected to the concept of shared/common interests and goals.
Provide at least one example of common interests that led to the formation of an interest group.
Include a discussion of the difficulties that arise in the context of the logic of collective action (with regard to why an interest group might not form or solidify).

7. Examine the importance of the iron triangle. Why is it problematic for interest group influence in politics?

Define the iron triangle.
Address the closed structure of the iron triangle.
Highlight that this concept is problematic for interest group influence because only a select few interest groups end up having influence over a policy. The other groups are kept away from the sphere of influence.

8. Compare and contrast the various types of economic interest groups. Are there any major similarities among these groups?

Briefly outline the four categories of economic interest groups.
Compare the purposes and successes of these different types of groups.
Highlight the idea that a major similarity is that economic interest groups are more likely to focus on issues pertaining to the needs and preferences of larger entities, such as corporations. This means that they are often interested in the well-being of institutions, rather than people (labor can at times be an exception, although it is often focused on unions).

9. Discuss the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. Be sure to include the main components that developed from this act.

Explain the purposes of the act.
Outline the goals of the agencies that developed from this act.
Discuss the degree to which it was a successful piece of legislation, particularly in the context of the Citizens United v. FEC (2010) ruling.

10. Examine why the American Medical Association (AMA) needed to apologize to Black physicians. When did this apology occur? What does this apology suggest about interest groups?

Define the AMA and its purposes.
Demonstrate that it purposefully excluded Black physicians and worked against their professional success.
Highlight that this exclusion also led to the exclusion of the voices and interests of Black physicians in the policy-making endeavors of the AMA.
What does this suggest? It suggests that interest groups, in that they are made up of individuals, are just as (if not more) prone to racial discrimination, and the institutionalization of prejudice in interest groups can lead to highly negative consequences for those targeted by the prejudices.

11. Discuss the purposes of civil rights interest groups, the degree to which they are successful in achieving their goals, and the advantages and disadvantages they face in the political system.

Define civil rights interest groups and the goals they work toward achieving.
Examine the success of various civil rights groups (e.g., those based on race, gender, and sexuality).
Identify the legal and social barriers that disadvantage(d) these groups.

12. Compare and contrast the various types of noneconomic interest groups. Are there any major similarities among these groups?

Briefly outline the six categories of noneconomic interest groups.
Compare the purposes and successes of these different types of groups.
Highlight the idea that a major similarity is that noneconomic interest groups are more likely to focus on issues pertaining to the needs and preferences of individuals, rather than the needs and preferences of larger entities, such as corporations.

13. Examine the use of lobbying by interest groups. Be sure to examine the various forms of lobbying and how these practices influence public policy.

Define lobbying
Examine the different methods used in direct and indirect lobbying and the degree to which those methods are successful.
Provide an argument for why and how these forms of lobbying influence policy makers (can include a brief discussion of public opinion in the context of indirect lobbying).

14. Discuss the degree to which electioneering is likely to influence policy outcomes.

Define electioneering.
Examine the various forms of electioneering and the degree to which they can influence the outcome of an election.
Demonstrate an understanding that the larger the effect of an interest group’s efforts to get a policy maker into power, the greater the likelihood that that group will be able to influence the policy maker.

15. Discuss the Citizens United v. FEC (2010) ruling. How does this affect the influence of interest groups in political campaigns?

Briefly refer to the Dodd–Frank Act to provide context.
Provide the basic details of the Citizens United case and the majority ruling of the Supreme Court.
Demonstrate the understanding that this ruling increases the political power and influence of interest groups that have significant monetary resources and diminishes the power and influence (particularly in terms of elections) of the others.

16. Discuss the factors that make an interest group more or less effective.

Outline the six factors that make interest groups effective.
Examine the degree to which each factor is important in terms of the efficacy of an interest group (and whether this might change with the category of interest group in question).
Highlight the most and least important factors in making interest groups effective.

17. Why have highly disadvantaged interest groups (e.g., racial and ethnic minority groups) largely found it necessary to rely on litigation to advance their goals?

Define and explain the use of litigation by interest groups.
Demonstrate the understanding that disadvantaged groups (particularly those that were excluded through inegalitarianism) were unable to influence the elected branches of government, thus leaving the judicial branch as the main vehicle for influencing policy.
Provide examples of successful litigation push forward by these groups.

18. Discuss the factors that influence an interest group’s decisions concerning the type of media campaign to launch. Provide examples.

Define the three different media campaigns: goodwill, offensive, and defensive.
Explain that the goals and necessities of each interest group influence the type of media campaign a group launches.
Provide examples of each of the campaigns.

19. One of the tenets of pluralism is that race and ethnicity as the basis of interest groups will fade away. Why have we not seen this occur for racial and ethnicity minority groups in the United States??

Explain the tenets of pluralism.
Detail the logic behind the decreasing influence of race and ethnicity in politics (other cross-cutting issues would be seen as more important over time).
Detail how racial and ethnic minorities continue to be disadvantaged by the political system (and continue to lack full access), thus perpetuating the issues that cause organization around racial and ethnic issues.

20. Pluralism suggests that groups lacking in particular resources can call on other resources to influence politics. To what degree is this accurate in the American political system? Do some groups find themselves advantaged over others?

Define pluralism and briefly outline its tenets (particularly relating to resources and political access).
Examine the ways in which the tenets of pluralism both do and do not fit the reality of the American political system, with special attention to the groups involved when pluralism is less applicable.

Discuss the resources that give some groups advantages over others.

21. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is an interest group that works to challenge negative stereotypes concerning Muslims and works to push for the interests of Muslim-Americans. Examine the reasons as to why this group has engaged in lawsuits against the federal government various policies and rhetoric relating to Muslim Americans under the Trump administration.

Highlight the broad nature of government surveillance of Muslim Americans.
Note the ways in which many are wrongly placed on terror watch lists.
Explore the idea that, without groups like CAIR, there would be little support for the protection of Muslim Americans.
Examine the ways in which the Trump administration has targeted Muslim Americans, both in terms of negative rhetoric and policy, such as anti-Muslim immigration restrictions.

22. Examine the reasons why business interest groups are often more numerous than and more powerful than labor interest groups. What are the implications of this imbalance?

Examine the strength of business groups as compared to labor groups (in terms of numbers, monetary assets, and rate of increase/decrease).

Note that there are now more protections for business and fewer for labor, on the whole, thus reflecting the imbalance of interest influence.

CHAPTER 14: POLITICAL PARTIES: LINKING VOTERS AND GOVERNING INSTITUTIONS

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Learn about the history of political parties in the United States.
Understand the conditions leading to realignment and dealignment.
Examine party organization and understand the means by which parties exercise and maintain their power.
Examine the ways in which racial and ethnic minorities fit into political party politics.
Learn about the importance of group attachment and party identification and/or support.

Outline

I. The Development of the Two-Party System

a. The Early Parties

b. Realignment and Republican Party Dominance

c. The New Deal Coalition and Democratic Party Dominance

d. The End of Party Dominance and the Rise of Party Competition

e. Minor Parties

II. Party Organization

a. National Party Conventions

- Evaluating Equality: Minor Parties and Racial and Ethnic Minorities

b. National Party Committees

- Our Voices: Political Party Platforms and Civil Rights

c. State and Local Organization

III. Parties and Voters

a. Party Identification

b. Parties and Group Attachments

- Measuring Equality: Latinos, Religious Preference, and Party Identification

IV. Conclusion

Discussion Questions

Why are political parties important in the American political system? Support arguments for and against the idea that parties are the most powerful political entities in the United States.
What is party realignment and how has it affected the political system? When does it come about?
To what degree and in what ways are national conventions and national committees influential in the American political system?
How does money influence party politics and how has this changed over time?
How and to what degree do state and local party organizations influence the political system?
Why are there consistently only two main parties in U.S. politics? What happens to minor parties?
What evidence can you find for decreasing party polarization? What steps will be necessary for the two main political parties to become less ideologically split?

Video Resources

Adams vs. Jefferson: The Election of 1800, CSPAN

American Experience: Chicago 1968, PBS

Campaign Finance: Abuses and Reforms, Hedrick Smith Productions

Divided States of America, FRONTLINE

Gangs of New York, Miramax Films

Obama’s Deal, FRONTLINE

Website Resources

Democratic National Committee, http://www.democrats.org/

Green Party, http://www.gp.org

Libertarian Party, http://www.lp.org/

Republican National Committee, http://www.gop.com/

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: factual

Page number: 436

1. Tom Perez was

a. The first Latino man to manage a major party presidential campaign.

b. Secretary of Labor in the Obama administration.

c. Deputy Attorney General under Attorney General Janet Reno.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 437

2. The responsibilities of the chair of a political party’s national committee do not include

a. Raising money.

b. Working with the other party to find bipartisan policy solutions.

c. Putting a public face on the opposition to the agenda of the other party.

d. Developing strategies to win future elections.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 437

3. Mass organizations that seek to elect candidates to public office and influence policy making are known as

a. Interest groups.

b. Political parties.

c. Social movements.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 438

4. A government system in which only two political parties compete for elected offices is known as

a. A two-party system.

b. A plurality system.

c. An autocratic system.

d. A single-issue system.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 438

5. Political parties in a two-party system that are not one of the dominant two political parties are known as

a. Recessive parties.

b. Opposition parties.

c. Weak parties.

d. Minor parties.

Question type: factual

Page number: 438

6. Which early president was particularly strong in his opposition to the development of political parties?

a. Washington.

b. Adams.

c. Jefferson.

d. Madison.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 438

7. An early political party led by John Adams and Alexander Hamilton that supported nationalizing the economy was known as the

a. Democratic-Republicans.

b. Republican-Democrats.

c. Federalist Party.

d. Whig Party.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 438

8. An early political party that Thomas Jefferson formed to oppose the nationalist policies of John Adams and Alexander Hamilton was known as the

a. Democratic-Republicans.

b. Republican-Democrats.

c. Federalist Party.

d. Whig Party.

Question type: factual

Page number: 438

9. The development of which two parties marked the beginning of the American two-party system?

a. Republican-Democrats and Federalist Party.

b. Republican-Federalists and Democratic Party.

c. Democratic-Republicans and Federalist Party.

d. Democratic-Federalists and Republican Party.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 438

10. Which 1798 law criminalized harsh criticism of President John Adams and his policies?

a. Stamp Act.

b. Sedition Act.

c. Naturalization Act.

d. Crimes Act.

Question type: factual

Page number: 439

11. Which amendment to the Constitution requires the president and vice president to be elected on separate ballots?

a. Ninth.

b. Tenth.

c. Eleventh.

d. Twelfth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 439

12. When was the Twelfth Amendment ratified?

a. 1798.

b. 1800.

c. 1802.

d. 1804.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 439

13. Which amendment to the Constitution ensured that presidential and vice presidential candidates could run as a team, thus representing their political party together?

a. Ninth.

b. Tenth.

c. Eleventh.

d. Twelfth.

Question type: factual

Page number: 439

14. Which election marked the end of the Federalist Party?

a. 1800.

b. 1804.

c. 1808.

d. 1812.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 439

15. One of the two major political parties, established by Andrew Jackson in the 1820s to champion the interests of commoners, was known as the

a. Democratic-Republicans.

b. Democratic Party.

c. Republican Party.

d. Whigs.

Question type: factual

Page number: 439

16. President __________ is acknowledged as greatly expanding the patronage system

a. Jefferson.

b. J. Q. Adams.

c. Jackson.

d. Hayes.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 440

17. A political party founded in the 1830s to oppose the politics and policies of President Andrew Jackson was known as the

a. Democratic-Republicans.

b. Democratic Party.

c. Republican Party.

d. Whigs.

Question type: factual

Page number: 440

18. Which party was ultimately destroyed by internal disagreements over slavery?

a. Democratic-Republicans.

b. Democratic Party.

c. Republican Party.

d. Whigs.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 440-441

19. One of the two major political parties, founded in the 1850s by former Whigs who opposed slavery, was known as the

a. Democratic-Republicans.

b. Democratic Party.

c. Republican Party.

d. Whigs.

Question type: factual

Page number: 441

20. One of the factors that led to the election of Abraham Lincoln was

a. The lack of support of the Democratic Party.

b. The naming of two Democratic Party presidential candidates given the party division over slavery.

c. The support of Black voters throughout the United States.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 440

21. During the nineteenth century, Tammany Hall was

a. The most influential political party machine in the United States.

b. A means by which immigrants could gain a small level of political influence.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 442

22. Which political party was most successful for nearly 70 years following the Civil War?

a. Democratic-Republicans.

b. Democratic Party.

c. Republican Party.

d. Whigs.

Question type: factual

Page number: 442

23. Which period saw the most support for the Republican Party?

a. 1845–1864.

b. 1865–1896.

c. 1897–1933.

d. 1933–1969.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 441

24. Periods when voter allegiances toward the political parties shift for an extended period of time, resulting in one party emerging as dominant, are referred to as

a. Alignment.

b. Partisan shifts.

c. Realignment.

d. Shifting party lines.

Question type: factual

Page number: 442

25. Which region of the country did not see Republic dominance from 1896 through 1933?

a. North.

b. South.

c. Midwest.

d. West.

Question type: factual

Page number: 442

26. Which of the following is accurate?

a. Democrats were competitive with Republicans between 1865 and 1896.

b. Democrats dominated the political scene from 1896 through 1933.

c. Republicans dominated the political scene from 1865 through 1896.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 442

27. During the period between 1896 and 1933, Democrats largely supported

a. Laborers.

b. Breaking up monopolies.

c. Lowering tariffs.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 442

28. During the period between 1896 and 1933, Republicans largely supported

a. Those in the North, Midwest, and West.

b. Less government intervention in the economy.

c. Wealthy and middle-class voters.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 442

29. A wing of the Republican Party that supported civil rights for African Americans was known as

a. Black Republicans.

b. Lily White Republicans.

c. Black and Tan Republicans.

d. Tan Republicans.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 442

30. A wing of the Republican Party that opposed civil rights for African Americans was known as

a. Black Republicans.

b. Lily White Republicans.

c. Black and Tan Republicans.

d. Tan Republicans.

Question type: factual

Page number: 443

31. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Democrats

a. In the North supported civil rights for African Americans.

b. In the South supported civil rights for African Americans.

c. In the Midwest supported civil rights for African Americans.

d. Largely did not support civil rights for African Americans.

Question type: factual

Page number: 442

32. Which election marked a landslide victory for the Democratic Party?

a. 1920.

b. 1924.

c. 1928.

d. 1932.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 443

33. The groups that supported President Franklin Roosevelt’s policies and as a result made the Democrats the dominant party during the 1930s and 1940s were called the

a. New Deal coalition.

b. Great Compromise coalition.

c. Equal Rights coalition.

d. Great Depression coalition.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 443

34. During the period of Democratic Party dominance in the twentieth century, this party encountered internal disagreements over

a. Civil rights.

b. Foreign policy.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 444

35. The main source of contention over foreign policy during twentieth-century Democratic Party dominance was

a. Communism.

b. Colonialism.

c. German aggression.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 443

36. President __________ was the first to bring a significant number of African Americans into the Democratic Party after decades of their connection with the Republican Party.

a. T. Roosevelt.

b. F.D. Roosevelt.

c. Kennedy.

d. Johnson.

Question type: factual

Page number: 443

37. Which of the following formed the States’ Rights Party in 1948?

a. Barry Goldwater.

b. Strom Thurmond.

c. Spiro Agnew.

d. Thurgood Marshall.

Question type: factual

Page number: 443

38. Which was the first election in which several southern states broke with tradition and voted against the Democratic Party?

a. 1940.

b. 1944.

c. 1948.

d. 1952.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 443

39. Why was the States’ Rights Party formed?

a. Truman demanded that the Democratic Party combat communism.

b. Truman insisted that the Democratic Party work to end colonialism throughout the world.

c. Truman insisted that the Democratic Party support civil rights.

d. Truman wanted to institute a second Reconstruction period in the South.

Question type: factual

Page number: 443

40. During which election did many southern states support the Republican presidential candidate for the first time since Reconstruction?

a. 1960.

b. 1964.

c. 1968.

d. 1972.

Question type: applied

Page number: 443

41. What issue was the main cause of the South’s loosening ties to the Democratic Party throughout the twentieth century?

a. Communism.

b. Colonialism.

c. Federalism.

d. Civil rights.

Question type: factual

Page number: 443

42. Which Republican presidential candidate vehemently opposed federal government involvement in civil rights in 1964?

a. Barry Goldwater.

b. Strom Thurmond.

c. Spiro Agnew.

d. George Wallace.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 443

43. A period in which voters abandon their ties to the political parties, resulting in a balance of power between Republican and Democrats, is known as

a. Alignment.

b. Realignment.

c. Dealignment.

d. Partisan shifts.

Question type: applied

Page number: 443

44. If political parties have enjoyed a great deal of support from particular segments of the population, but they begin to see ebbing support from those same segments over time, they are said to be undergoing a period of

a. Alignment.

b. Realignment.

c. Dealignment.

d. Partisan shifts.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 443-444

45. Which of the following helps to explain the late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century dealignment?

a. Party splintering over social issues.

b. Party splintering over gay rights.

c. Party splintering over presidential politics.

d. Party splintering over Supreme Court nominations.

Question type: factual

Page number: 443

46. The period from 1968 through 2016 is understood as a period of

a. Alignment.

b. Realignment.

c. Dealignment.

d. Partisan shifts.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 444

47. Since the civil rights movement, conservative views on racial and social issues have attracted many of the southern states to the

a. Democratic Party.

b. American Independent Party.

c. Republican Party.

d. States’ Rights Party.

Question type: factual

Page number: 444

48. As of 2018, how many Governors in the states of the former Confederacy belonged to the Democratic Party?

a. 0.

b. 1.

c. 2.

d. 3.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 444

49. The fact that all of the state legislatures in the states of the former Confederacy are Republican-controlled reflects which of the following concepts?

a. Party dominance.

b. Party competition.

c. Party dealignment.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 444-445

50. Minor parties

a. Are highly ideological.

b. Focus on very specific issues.

c. Are generally short-lived.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 446

51. National party conventions are held every ____ years.

a. 2.

b. 4.

c. 6.

d. 10.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 446

52. What purpose do national conventions serve?

a. Nominate the presidential and vice presidential candidates.

b. Make governing party rules.

c. Solidify the party’s principles.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 446

53. Primary elections are a method for political parties to select their candidates whereby

a. Party elites make the final decision.

b. Party members convene at local meetings.

c. People vote in an election.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 446

54. Caucuses are a method for political parties to select their candidates whereby

a. Party elites make the final decision.

b. Party members convene at local meetings.

c. People vote in an election.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 448

55. Why did many states switch from caucuses to primaries?

a. To try a new method of candidate selection.

b. To limit the control of party leaders in an election.

c. To provide greater control over an election to the party leaders.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 448

56. Which party convention experienced a major clash concerning primaries and caucuses, thus causing the party to change its rules and encourage states to use primaries?

a. Republican Party Convention of 1948.

b. Democratic Party Convention of 1948.

c. Republican Party Convention of 1968.

d. Democratic Party Convention of 1968.

Question type: factual

Page number: 448

57. Which of the following is most accurate concerning how parties award delegates to candidates in primary and caucus elections?

a. Republican: all delegates; Democrat: proportional distribution of delegates.

b. Republican: proportional distribution of delegates; Democrat: all delegates.

c. Republican: all delegates; Democrat: all delegates.

d. Republican: proportional distribution of delegates; Democrat: proportional distribution of delegates.

Question type: applied

Page number: 448

58. In terms of the national conventions, what might cause an onlooker to believe the Democratic Party is more likely to support racial and ethnic minority interests?

a. The Republic Party convention will allow racial and ethnic minority delegates, but does not give them the ability to vote.

b. The Democratic Party convention has a significantly larger proportion of racial and ethnic minority delegates than the Republican Party.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 448

59. Who was the first African American elected to the House of Representatives from a southern state, who also gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 1976?

a. Shirley Chisholm.

b. Barbara Jordan.

c. Carol Moseley Braun.

d. Maxine Waters.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 450

60. A statement a political party produces at its national convention that summarizes the basic policy principles of the party is known as a

a. Principle statement.

b. Principle platform.

c. Party platform.

d. Party message.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 450

61. The organization responsible for making rules and regulations for a party when the conventions are not in season, raising money for the party, and directing the party’s electoral strategy is known as a

a. National committee.

b. National convention.

c. National party meeting.

d. General committee.

Question type: factual

Page number: 450

62. In terms of representation in the parties’ national committees, which is most accurate?

a. Republican: favors proportional diversity; Democrat: favors state sovereignty.

b. Republican: favors state sovereignty; Democrat: favors proportional diversity.

c. Republican: favors state sovereignty; Democrat: favors state sovereignty.

d. Republican: favors proportional diversity; Democrat: favors proportional diversity.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 450

63. The term “hard money” refers to is known as

a. The money that each party uses to buys stocks.

b. The illegal contributions that are solicited from crime bosses.

c. The heavily regulated money that is directly raised by political candidates.

d. The less-regulated money that is raised by a political party to support and maintain the party.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 450

64. The term “soft money” refers to

is known as

a. The money that each party uses to buys stocks.

b. The illegal contributions that are solicited from crime bosses.

c. The heavily regulated money that is directly raised by political candidates.

d. The less-regulated money that is raised by a political party to support and maintain the party.

Question type: factual

Page number: 450

65. The Federal Election Campaign Act placed limits on hard money, but not on soft money, in _____.

a. 1974.

b. 1984.

c. 1994.

d. 2004.

Question type: applied

Page number: 450

66. Prior to 2002, a political advertisement from a national committee was likely to be funded by

a. Clean money.

b. Party money.

c. Hard money.

d. Soft money.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 452

67. The head of each party’s national committee, who is most responsible for directing the party’s electoral strategies, is referred to as the

a. National committee governor.

b. National committee chair.

c. National committee president.

d. National committee chancellor.

Question type: factual

Page number: 452

68. Who is in charge of the primary operations of a party?

a. National committee chair.

b. National convention keynote speaker.

c. The majority party leader in the House of Representatives.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 452

69. The “Fifty State Strategy” was a successful electoral approach put into practice after the 2004 election by the

a. Democratic Party whip.

b. Republican national committee chair.

c. Democratic national committee chair.

d. Republican Party whip.

Question type: factual

Page number: 436

70. Who was the first Latino to chair the Democratic National Committee?

a. Ted Cruz.

b. Tom Perez.

c. Bill Richardson.

d. Julian Castro.

Question type: factual

Page number: 454

71. In both 1976 and 1990, the Supreme Court ruled that

a. Party patronage is acceptable for the national government.

b. Party patronage is constitutional for state and local governments.

c. Party patronage is unconstitutional for state and local governments.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 454

72. A practice by Southern state Democratic parties in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries intended to disenfranchise Blacks by preventing them from voting in the crucial Democratic Party primary elections was known as the

a. Traditional primary.

b. Poll tax primary.

c. Grandfather clause primary.

d. White primary.

Question type: factual

Page number: 454

73. The Supreme Court effectively deemed white primaries unconstitutional in _______.

a. 1844.

b. 1894.

c. 1944.

d. 1994.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 455-456

74. How is a voter’s psychological attachment to a political party determined and measured?

a. Party membership.

b. Party identification.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 456

75. How is party identification generally measured?

a. Three-point scale.

b. Five-point scale.

c. Seven-point scale.

d. Nine-point scale.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 456-457

76. Which of the following groups might influence one’s party affiliation?

a. Gender.

b. Race.

c. Income.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 456

77. Younger generations are more likely to identify as __________ than older generations.

a. Democrats.

b. Independents.

c. Republicans.

d. Tea Party supporters.

Question type: factual

Page number: 456-457

78. Wealthier individuals tend to identify as __________ more than poorer individuals.

a. Democrats.

b. Independents.

c. Republicans.

d. Tea Party supporters.

Question type: factual

Page number: 459

79. Evangelical Latinos are more likely to identify as __________ than White Evangelicals.

a. Democrats.

b. Independents.

c. Republicans.

d. Tea Party supporters.

Question type: factual

Page number: 457

80. Women tend to identify as __________ more than men do.

a. Democrats.

b. Independents.

c. Republicans.

d. Tea Party supporters.

Question type: factual

Page number: 457

81. Under Franklin D. Roosevelt’s presidency, many ________ began to identify with the Democratic Party

a. African Americans.

b. White men.

c. teenagers.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 444

82. Which political party’s candidate won the Electoral College in 2016?

a. Democratic.

b. Republican.

c. Green.

d. Libertarian.

Question type: factual

Page number: 444

83. The 2016 general election resulted in which party configuration?

a. Unified government: Executive/Legislative: Republican.

b. Divided government: Executive: Republican; Legislative: Democratic.

c. Unified government: Executive/Legislative: Democratic.

d. Divided government: Executive: Democratic; Legislative: Republican.

Question type: factual

Page number: 443

84. Between 1968 and 2016, which party won eight of thirteen presidential elections?

a. Democratic.

b. Republican.

c. The Republican Party won all thirteen elections.

d. The Democratic Party won all thirteen elections.

Question type: factual

Page number: 444

85. Which political party’s candidate won the popular vote in the 2016 presidential election?

a. Democratic.

b. Republican.

c. Green.

d. Libertarian.

Question type: factual

Page number: 448

86. The _________ national party convention uses superdelegates in addition to delegates to nominate a presidential and vice presidential candidate.

a. Democratic.

b. Republican.

c. Green.

d. Libertarian.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 448

87. Why did the Democratic National Convention agree in 2016 to establish a commission that would create new rules for how superdelegates must vote in the 2020 convention?

a. Superdelegates can give an unfair advantage to party leaders.

b. Superdelegates cannot influence the outcome of the nominating process.

c. Delegates have too much electoral power.

d. Delegates must wait to determine how superdelegates will vote.

Question type: factual

Page number: 450

88. Which of the following was NOT placed on the 2016 Republican National Convention party platform?

a. Allowing states to create laws requiring transgender people to use bathrooms corresponding with the sex on their birth certificates.

b. Seeking to overturn the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage.

c. Declaring health care as a human right.

d. Declaring pornography a public health problem.

Question type: factual

Page number: 452-453

89. There are higher levels of minority representation among party leadership at ______ levels of national party committees.

a. Lower.

b. Middle.

c. Higher.

d. The proportions of representation are relatively equal.

Question type: factual

Page number: 453

90. Which national party committee had no minority party leaders in its national committee?

a. Republican National Committee.

b. Democratic National Committee.

c. Both had minority party leadership.

d. Neither had minority party leadership.

Question type: factual

Page number: 456-457

91. Which of the following was accurate concerning party identification in 2016?

a. Most people making under $30,000 per year identified as or leaned Democratic.

b. Most people making over $30,000 per year identified as or leaned Democratic.

c. Most people making under $30,000 per year identified as or leaned Republican.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 457

92. Is there a gender gap in partisan identification?

a. No, men and women support the parties in equal measure.

b. Yes, women are more likely to support the Republican party.

c. Yes, men are more likely to support the Democratic party.

d. Yes, women are more likely to support the Democratic party.

Question type: factual

Page number: 457-461

93. Is there a racial and ethnic gap in partisan identification?

a. No, minority and white populations support the parties in equal measure.

b. Yes, racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to support the Republican party.

c. Yes, whites are more likely to support the Democratic party.

d. Yes, racial/ethnic minorities are more likely to support the Democratic party.

Short-Answer Questions

1. Define the term “political party.” How is this different from an interest group?

Mass organizations that seek to elect candidates to public office and influence policy making.
Interest groups are more directly interested in influencing policies and representing particular sets of interests found within groups.
Political parties are interested in getting their candidates elected and gaining electoral political influence.

2. What is a two-party system? Which are the two main parties in the United States?

A government system in which only two political parties compete for elected offices.
Democratic Party and Republican Party.

3. What are minor parties? To what degree do they factor into the political system?

Political parties in a two-party system that are not one of the dominant two political parties.
They have very little power and influence and are often short-lived.

4. List the five parties that have been dominant political parties in the United States and the general time period during which they were dominant.

Democratic-Republicans, Federalists, Democrats, Whigs, Republicans.
Federalists: Late eighteenth century, only first decade of nineteenth century; Democratic-Republicans: Late eighteenth and early nineteenth century; Democrats: Early nineteenth century to the present; Whigs: Mid-nineteenth century; Republicans: Mid-nineteenth century to the present.

5. What was the main difference between the Democratic-Republicans and the Federalist Party?

Federalists wanted greater national government power and Democratic-Republicans favored states’ rights and sovereignty over national government power.
Both parties were run and supported largely by elites.

6. What was the purpose of the Sedition Act of 1798? How did it influence the following presidential election?

Sedition Act of 1798: Criminalized harsh criticism of President John Adams and his policies.
This further fueled opposition to Adams and powerful national government, thus encouraging the shift in development of the Democratic-Republicans.
Jefferson won the 1800 election.

7. What was the purpose of the Twelfth Amendment and how did it affect political party power?

Twelfth Amendment: Requires the president and vice president to be elected on separate ballots.
As such, parties can present an executive team to run for the presidency, thus significantly increasing the influence of parties.

8. Which group did the Democratic Party claim to represent when it first developed? Who established this party?

Stood for the interests of commoners compared to the elites that had been in charge of the political parties and government.
Established by Andrew Jackson.

9. What were Andrew Jackson’s arguments for a patronage system in government?

He claimed that it made bureaucracy more responsive and government more democratic (by ensuring that commoners had government jobs) and that it provided the appropriate power to the winner of the election.

10. Why did the Whig party emerge? Why did it dissipate?

It emerged in response to Andrew Jackson’s politics and policy; however, it suffered from a great deal of internal strife, including disagreements over slavery.

11. When was the Republican Party founded and by whom?

1850; Founded by former Whigs who opposed slavery.

12. Examine the ways in which race has influenced or caused party realignment.

Given the sociopolitical influence of feelings concerning race and economic reliance on race, issues of race have been tied to party politics.
Any remote favoring of greater equality for non-Whites within a party’s policies necessitates opposition to these positions in the other dominant party.
As such, when a party shifts its policies, particularly on racialized matters, realignment occurs soon after.

13. Why was the Republican Party so successful from the 1890s to the 1930s?

It managed to position its policies to encourage the support of the upper class, the middle class, farmers, all regions except Southerners, and Blacks (who could vote).

14. Identify at least two time periods in which party realignment occurred.

1896: Shift toward the Republican Party.
1932: Shift toward the Democratic Party.

15. What were the two wings that the Republican Party fractured into after Reconstruction? What was the basis for this split?

Black and Tan Republicans versus Lily White Republicans.
They split over the issue of extending civil rights to Blacks.

16. When and why did the States’ Right Party form? Who formed the party and to what degree was it successful?

1948; in response to Truman’s call for the extension of more civil rights for Blacks.
Founded by Strom Thurmond.
Won four Southern states that were traditionally Democrat.

17. What is dealignment? Has this occurred in American politics, and if so, when?

Dealignment: A period in which voters abandon their ties to the political parties, resulting in a balance of power between Republicans and Democrats.
Currently in a period of dealignment since 1968.

18. In terms of shifts in policy positions in the parties since the 1960s, why have groups that traditionally supported the dominant parties moved out of those parties?

Socially conservative working-class Democratic voters began supporting the Republican Party because of increasingly socially conservative policy positions.
Many wealthy and suburban voters who voted Republican based on economic issues moved to the Democratic Party because they felt alienated by the Republican shift to social conservatism.

19. Name four minor parties from any period of American history.

Know Nothings, States’ Rights, Populist, Equal Rights, Tea Party, Prohibition, American Independent (among others).

20. Why is it difficult for minor parties to gain political office in our political system?

The rules of the game matter.
With a winner-take-all election system, instead of a proportional representation system, the person with the most votes wins, thus making it difficult for more than two parties to compete.

21. What are national party conventions and why are they necessary?

Definition and necessity: National meeting of each party every four years to determine the party’s presidential nominee, develop the party platform, and alter governing rules.
They are also necessary in that they can invigorate the party and potential supporters before an election.

22. What are national party committees and why are they necessary?

Definition and necessity: The organization responsible for making rules and regulations for a party when the conventions are not in season, raising money for the party, and directing the party’s electoral strategy.
They control the direction and economic, political, and social health of the parties.

23. What is winner-take-all? How does it compare to proportional representation?

An election system in which each state is divided into geographical districts, and a single representative represents each district; representatives are elected if they receive the most votes, even if it’s not a majority.
Proportional representation: An election system in which the entire state, or region of a state, selects several representatives, and the top vote-getters are awarded seats.
Winner-take-all is less representative of the views and interests of the electorate; more interests (and parties) are represented with proportional representation.

24. Define the terms “caucus” and “primary”, and identify the differences between the two.

Caucuses: Candidate selection process of meetings of party members to decide on the party nominee.
Primaries: Elections held to determine party nominee.
Primaries are less subject to direct political party influence.

25. What are superdelegates? How do they influence nomination outcomes?

Delegates to the Democratic National Convention who are not selected by primaries or caucuses but instead are established party leaders.
These party members have a great deal of power in presidential candidate nomination, in that they are not subject to the desires of the electorate; as such, they provide a significant example of party power over the nomination process and outcome.

26. What is a party platform? Why does it matter?

Party platform: A statement a political party produces at its national convention that summarizes the basic policy principles of the party.
Why does it matter? It puts forward the party agenda, thus directing public policy as it will be pursued by party members in political office.
Importance not always very high in that the platforms are not binding, so party members can choose to ignore parts of the platform.

27. Define the term “White primary.” How did it influence political representation and when was it overturned?

White primary: A practice by Southern state Democratic parties in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries intended to disenfranchise Blacks by preventing them from voting in the crucial Democratic Party primary elections.
It disenfranchised Blacks in the South by removing their only opportunity to influence who would be in office (which meant that the ultimate representative would not have to be beholden to their interests to win reelection).
Because elections in the South were fully dominated by the Democratic Party, it was the primaries, not the general elections that were most important.
Overturned in 1944.

28. What is hard money and how does it compare to soft money? Which major piece of legislation limited hard money while not addressing soft money?

Hard money: The heavily regulated money that is directly raised by political candidates.
Soft money: The less-regulated money that is raised by a political party to support and maintain the party.
The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974.

29. How is party support influenced by race?

On average, racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to identify with the Democratic Party than with the Republican Party (largely because of the latter’s lack of interest in, as well as initiatives and policies against, these communities).
Note the degree to which Asian Americans reported themselves nonpartisan.
A party’s positions toward race and racial issues and interests influences the degree to which non-Whites feel attached to it.

30. Does religion factor into Latino support for the dominant political parties? Explain your answer.

Evangelical Latinos are the most likely to support the Republican Party.
All other Latinos, regardless of religious affiliation, are more likely to support the Democratic Party.

31. Who won the Democratic Party presidential nomination in 2016? Who obtained the most superdelegates?

Hillary Clinton won both.

32. Which party was likely to obtain the majority of the racial and ethnic minority votes in the 2016 presidential election and why?

Democratic party
Racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to support this party.

33. Identify the party that obtained the majority of the female vote in the 2016 presidential election and indicate why this was the case. Were there intersectional differences in terms of the female vote?

Democratic party
Women are more likely to support this party, though this is not necessarily the case when examined with race (a majority of white women supported the Republican presidential candidate).
A majority of white women voted for Trump while the vast majority of non-white women voted for Clinton.

34. Where are party platforms developed?

Party national conventions.

Essay Questions

1. Discuss the similarities and differences among political parties, social movements, and interest groups.

Define political parties, social movements, and interest groups.
Demonstrate that each is interested in influencing public policy.
Highlight that parties are far more interested in who gets elected than social movements and interest groups are.
Highlight that political parties have more political power and influence than the other two.

2. Discuss the two-party system and minor parties. What contributes to the power of the dominant parties and the lack of success of the minor parties?

Define the two-party system and minor parties.
Demonstrate the influence of the electoral process (winner-take-all vs. proportional representation).

3. How did the first two dominant parties arise? How did the first to lose its dominant position fail?

Examine the history of the development of the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republicans.
Demonstrate that the Democratic-Republicans were the major political response to the Federalist Party, which was overstepping its bounds in terms of its pursuit of a strong national government (as seen with the passage of the Sedition Act of 1798).
Explain how the strong opposition to the Federalist policies caused it to fail.

4. How did the Twelfth Amendment help to solidify the party-based political system in the United States? Be sure to explain the political processes prior to this amendment.

Explain that, prior to the amendment, the vice president was generally the person who received the second highest amount of electoral support in the presidential election.
Explain the purpose of the Twelfth Amendment.
Demonstrate that this created the ability of political parties to have a team run for president and vice president.
Examine how this gave parties more power over the political system.

5. Discuss the development of the current dominant political parties. How do they differ from their original forms?

Andrew Jackson formed the Democratic Party in response to the governmental elitism and created a party he saw as representing the interests of commoners (on some level, particularly in terms of disadvantaged classes and races, this is somewhat the same today).
The Republican Party developed from antislavery Whigs (a party that had been the major response to Jacksonian politics and policies).
Current Democratic Party supports civil rights for groups that have been traditionally excluded from the political process.
Current Republican Party is more in favor of states’ rights and decreased government intervention.

6. Discuss the topic of realignment. Be sure to examine one example of realignment to demonstrate how and why it occurs.

Define realignment.
Discuss how large proportions of the population will support a party if it manages to have the preferred position on highly salient issues.
Provide one example of realignment, such as the 1932/1933 realignment and the beginning of Democratic Party dominance.

7. Discuss the conditions that brought about Democratic Party dominance. Be sure to include a discussion of the New Deal coalition.

Briefly refer to the period of Republican Party dominance (1896–1933).
Examine the political landscape (particularly in terms of economics) that led to the election of F. D. Roosevelt.
Define the New Deal coalition and explain its importance (as well as the importance of Roosevelt’s policies and racial politics) in bringing about Democratic Party dominance.

8. Examine the South’s support of political parties over time. What has caused changes in party alignment in this region?

Highlight longstanding loyalty to the Democratic Party.
Demonstrate the mid-twentieth-century shift to the Republican Party when it denounced support for federal intervention for civil rights for Blacks and when it became increasingly socially conservative.

9. When does dealignment come about? Support and critique the idea that we are currently in a period of dealignment.

Define dealignment.
Explore further the idea of greater competition between the two dominant parties, without one dominating the other.
Provide an argument that we are currently in a period of dealignment (point to significant wins and power of both parties and the ability to swing voters from one party to another).
Provide an argument that we are not in a period of dealignment (point to increasing attachment to parties based on demographics).

10. People often complain that there are only two major parties in United States politics. Within this essay, examine the reasons as to why minor parties largely have been fleeting and unsuccessful in the American political system.

Define minor parties.
Examine how the winner-take-all system disadvantages minor parties.
Reference how the goals and time horizons of minor parties differ from those of dominant parties and how dominant parties may incorporate these policy goals to gain a minor party’s supporters.

11. Discuss the concepts of winner-take-all and proportional representation. How do they influence democratic representation?

Define winner-take-all and proportional representation.
Examine these concepts in terms of the American political system.
Discuss the degree to which each electoral system provides representation for the people of a nation and their varying interests.
Demonstrate how proportional representation allows for greater representation of minority interests.

12. Compare and contrast national party conventions and national party committees. Be sure to incorporate issues of structure and political influence.

Define national party conventions and committees.
Demonstrate the differences in their purposes and structures.
Emphasize the importance of conventions for presidential politics in comparison to the importance of committees for broader party politics.
Mention the important role of the national party chair position.

13. Examine caucus and primary elections. Be sure to incorporate their purposes and outcomes, as well as their connection to democratic representation.

Define primaries and caucuses.
Establish that they are used in political party nomination processes at all levels of government.
Examine the degree to which caucuses and primaries are subject to political party influence compared to the influence of the majority (or plurality) in an election.

14. Discuss the role of money in party politics. Be sure to include the influence of the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974 and the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.

Define hard and soft money.
Highlight the ways in which money is necessary for election campaigns and political party power.
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974: Regulate hard money but not soft money.
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002: Prohibits parties from using soft money on political advertisements.
Incorporate more recent debates over money in party politics based on the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC (2010) ruling.

15. Discuss the importance of the White primary in the South. On what grounds was this practice overturned and when?

Define the White primary.
Discuss Southern party politics and the importance of primaries.
Demonstrate understanding that Black interests would not be represented because this group could not influence who the party nominee would be.
Acknowledge that the Supreme Court ruled that state party organizations are government institutions instead of private institutions, thus meaning that it was unconstitutional to discriminate against racial minorities within these organizations (ruling in 1944).
Provide the logic behind the government versus private institution ruling.

16. Discuss the degree to which race has been a part of party platforms. Be sure to include at least two examples.

Define party platforms.
Demonstrate the understanding that race and racialized issues often appear directly or indirectly in party platforms.
Examine the ways in which race issues can polarize the public and strengthen party identification.
Examples (not exhaustive) could include slavery or antislavery policies, provision of civil rights to Blacks, and anti-Latino immigration policies.

17. Examine the ways in which age, gender, race, income, and religion influence party identification and/or support.

Define party identification.
Address the argument that group attachment is important in terms of party identification, and demonstrate that this is a result of specific interests of these groups and the degree to which a party will represent or work against these interests.
Connect the interests of the five types of groups in the prompt to the support found in party platforms.
Introduce the complicating factor of socialization, which in some cases may decrease the degree to which these group attachments influence party identification.
Examine the degree to which factors relating to pan-ethnic groups (especially Latinos, Asian Americans, and American Indians) may decrease the likelihood that these groups identify with a party compared to merely supporting it.

18. Examine the effects of the White primary. Be sure to discuss the various ways in which it decreased the influence of non-White populations in the political system.

Define the White primary.
Examine the importance of primaries for choosing candidates and thus the policies that would be implemented if that candidate gained office.
Demonstrate an understanding that these primaries eliminated the ability of racial and ethnic minorities to get political candidates that would represent their interests on some level.
Refers to the fact that primaries were the most important elections during that time because the general elections were nearly always won by the Democratic candidate.

19. Provide an in-depth examination of the concept of partisan identification, as well as the degree to which various racial and ethnic minority groups support specific parties. Be sure to identify reasons as to why these groups often connect themselves with a particular party.

Define partisan identification/support.
Discuss why racial minorities may be more or less likely to support a party.
Demonstrate the strong link between Blacks and identifying as Democrat.
Demonstrate that various Latino groups, except for Cuban Americans, lean toward identifying/supporting as Democrat, and indicate why Cuban Americans appear to be moving toward the Democratic party.
Discuss the issue of many ethnicities under the headings of Latinos and Asian Americans and that these groups have different ways of viewing the political parties.
Acknowledge the high percentages of nonpartisans among Asian Americans, and suggest that this might be in part because these groups do not see themselves according to these parties (and provide an explanation for this).

20. Describe and explain the differences in party support among Latinos as religious affiliation varies (particularly in terms of Catholics, mainline Protestants, Evangelicals, and Seculars).

Explain how religious affiliation generally aligns with party affiliation.
Explain how Latinos generally identify with/support parties.
Examine how each of the four groups of Latinos mentioned in the prompt view the parties in terms of how well they can handle various sociopolitical issues.
Demonstrate that Evangelical Latinos are the most likely to support each party relatively evenly on sociopolitical issues, whereas the other three groups clearly favor Democrats.
Provide suggestions for what this means in terms of Latinos, religion, and politics.

21. Given what you know about party dealignment and party realignment, how do you find that the 2016 general election fit into these concepts?

Define party dealignment and realignment.
Review the fact that dealignment is still in operation, with higher percentages of voters stating that they are Independent.
Examine the possibility of a party realignment, given the rejection of Republican party leadership with the election of Donald Trump.

22. What accounts for gender and race/ethnicity-based partisan identification gaps? Is there a way for parties to alter these voter support configurations?

Examine the idea and facts behind gender and race/ethnicity-based gaps in party support.
Note that the party platforms outline policy positions, which may or may not match the interests of these groups.
Examine how altering and supporting new platform positions could alter partisan identification.

CHAPTER 15: VOTING AND ELECTIONS: THE END OF THE OBAMA ERA

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Review the various types of elections in the American political system.
Determine the degree to which political parties influence elections.
Learn the factors that contribute to relatively low voter turnout.
Learn how demographics and voting are connected.

Outline

I. The Electoral Process: Nominating a Candidate

a. Caucuses

b. Primary Elections

- Measuring Equality: Obama’s Attention to Caucus States in the 2008 Presidential Election

c. Party Conventions

i. Republican Convention

ii. Democratic Convention

II. General Elections

a. Electing the President: How the Electoral College Works

III. Campaigning for Elections

a. Developing a Campaign Strategy

b. Financing a Campaign

c. Running a Campaign

IV. Winning the Election: How Elections Are Decided

V. Voting

- Factors That Affect Voter Participation

VI. Why Americans Do Not Vote

- Evaluating Equality: Calculating Voting Turnout Rates

- Voter ID Laws

VII. Demographics and Voting

a. Race

b. Gender

c. Age

d. Marital Status

e. Socioeconomic Status

f. Region

VIII. The 2016 Presidential Election

- Our Voices: Excerpts from Hillary Clinton’s Speech on Donald Trump, the “Alt-Right” Movement, and Mainstreaming Racism

IX. Conclusion

Discussion Questions

What are the similarities and differences of primary and general elections?
To what degree are campaigns important for presidential candidates? How does money factor into this? Is it enough for a candidate to just rely on party affiliation to win? Connect this discussion to the current period of party dealignment.
Discuss the ways in which demographics relate to voting. Why is it necessary to care about race, ethnicity, gender, age, marital status, and so on, in terms of electoral politics? Connect this discussion to both electoral outcomes and candidate policy positions.
What is voter suppression? How does it work and who engages in it?
How has the Electoral College influenced presidential elections over time? How has the American public reacted when the Electoral College elects a president who did not win the popular vote?
Why is voter turnout in the United States relatively low? Given that voter turnout rates among registered citizens is relatively high, why do we not yet have an automatic voter registration system?

Video Resources

A Perfect Candidate, PBS/Arpie Films

Bulworth, Twentieth Century Fox

Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?, Iron Weed Films

Counting on Democracy, Bullfrog Films

The Choice: 2016, FRONTLINE

The War Room, Trimark

Website Resources

American National Election Studies (ANES), http://www.electionstudies.org/

The Democratic Party, http://www.democrats.org/

Election Center, http://www.cnn.com/politics/

Federal Election Commission (FEC), http://www.fec.gov/

Federal Voting Assistance Program, http://www.fvap.gov/

Project Vote Smart, http://www.votesmart.org/

The Republican Party, http://www.gop.org/

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: factual

Page number: 513-514

1. In an August 2016 campaign speech that addressed her recognition of the messages from the “Alt-Right” Movement and Donald Trump, what identities did Hillary Clinton highlight as being targeted negatively by this movement and her opponent?

a. Races.

b. Religions.

c. Immigrants.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 467

2. The process by which individuals make political choices by voting is known as

a. Elections.

b. Casting.

c. Balloting.

d. Decision making.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 467

3. Which of the following is not a form of elections used in the nomination process?

a. Primary.

b. General.

c. Caucus.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 468

4. Party members elected or chosen on the state and local levels to support a particular candidate at the party’s national convention are referred to as

a. Delegates.

b. Superdelegates.

c. Pledged delegates.

d. Free delegates.

Question type: factual

Page number: 468

5. In 2016, how many states held Democratic caucuses?

a. 5.

b. 9.

c. 11.

d. 14.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 468

6. Which of the following is accurate?

a. Caucuses choose the presidential candidate for a state.

b. Caucuses elect pledged delegates for the presidential nomination at the national convention.

c. Only primaries influence a party’s presidential nomination process.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 470

7. By the time the general election season arrives, why do presidential candidates have to moderate the stances they took during the caucus and primary season?

a. After appealing to strong party supporters, they find themselves in a position of having to appeal to members of other parties.

b. Those who participate in caucuses and primaries are more ideologically extreme than most general election participants.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 469

8. Who won the first caucus (Iowa caucus) in the 2016 Republican presidential nomination process?

a. Donald Trump.

b. Jeb Bush.

c. Rand Paul.

d. Ted Cruz.

Question type: factual

Page number: 471-472

9. Clinton’s 2016 nomination victory was in part a result of

a. Her position as a major figure in the traditional establishment of the Democratic Party.

b. Her ability to win over a higher proportion of racial and ethnic minority voters as compared to Sanders.

c. A and B.

d. Clinton did not win the nomination of her party.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 470

10. Elections in which voters select the individual to represent the party in the general election by voting directly for the candidates on the ballot are known as

a. Direct primaries.

b. Indirect primaries.

c. Open primaries.

d. Closed primaries.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 470

11. Primaries in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote in that party’s primary elections to choose the party’s candidate or delegate are known as

a. Direct primaries.

b. Indirect primaries.

c. Open primaries.

d. Closed primaries.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 470

12. Primary elections in which a voter does not have to declare a political party affiliation but may participate in the primary election of any party are known as

a. Direct primaries.

b. Indirect primaries.

c. Open primaries.

d. Closed primaries.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 470

13. Voters who do not designate a political party affiliation when registering to vote are known as

a. Political independents.

b. Political pundits.

c. Political scientists.

d. Political actors.

Question type: applied

Page number: 470

14. Political independents who do not want to declare a party affiliation are most likely to be allowed to participate in

a. Open primaries.

b. Closed primaries.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 471-472

15. Which of the following statements is accurate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination process?

a. Obama won the most caucus votes.

b. Clinton won the most primary votes.

c. Obama won the most delegate votes.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 472

16. Winning of an election by the candidate who receives the most votes (also known as “first past the post”) is referred to as a

a. Majority.

b. Plurality.

c. Minority.

d. Lion’s share.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 471

17. Winning of an election by the candidate who receives at least 51 percent of the vote is referred to as a

a. Majority.

b. Plurality.

c. Minority.

d. Lion’s share.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 471

18. A second election held in some states if no candidate in the primary election receives a majority of the votes is called a(n)

a. Direct primary.

b. Runoff primary.

c. Open primary.

d. Closed primary.

Question type: applied

Page number: 471

19. It is necessary to have a(n) __________ if a majority is needed in an election but the top candidate only wins a plurality.

a. Direct primary.

b. Runoff primary.

c. Open primary.

d. Closed primary.

Question type: factual

Page number: 473

20. Which of the following is accurate concerning the outcome of the 2016 Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses?

a. Ben Carson dropped out of the race.

b. Donald Trump secured the Republican nomination.

c. Ted Cruz dropped out of the race.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 473

21. Which of the following statements is accurate?

a. No one knows who will be a party’s presidential nominee until the final delegate count at the national convention.

b. Only elite party members know who will be a party’s presidential nominee prior to the final delegate count at the national convention.

c. Everyone knows who will be a party’s presidential nominee prior to the final delegate count at the national convention.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 473

22. Which of the following statements is accurate?

a. All states require either primaries or a caucus for the nomination process for state offices.

b. All states include all of their state offices in the same primaries or caucuses used for national elections.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 477

23. The certain number of signatures of registered voters that independent or third-party candidates must collect to qualify for inclusion on a ballot is known as

a. Third-party petitions.

b. Nomination petitions.

c. Inclusion petitions.

d. Exclusionary petitions.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 479

24. Elections in which the winner is elected to office and takes office after the end of the term of the current officeholder are known as

a. Primary elections.

b. Runoff elections.

c. General elections.

d. Presidential elections.

Question type: factual

Page number: 479

25. Which of the following statements is not accurate?

a. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are elected every two years, resulting in a completely newly elected House of Representatives with each election.

b. The president is elected every four years.

c. Members of the U.S. Senate are elected every six years, resulting in a completely newly elected Senate with each election.

d. All are accurate.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 479

26. Why did the Founders create the Electoral College?

a. To ensure that they could rig presidential elections in favor of the highest bidder.

b. To ensure that the masses of voters, who could be manipulated, could not directly elect the president.

c. To create a sense of fairness in the electoral process.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 479

27. In ______, Congress established that the appointment of presidential electors would take place on the Tuesday after the first Monday of a presidential election year?

a. 1789.

b. 1845.

c. 1889.

d. 1945.

Question type: factual

Page number: 480

28. Which two states do not award state elector votes in a winner-take-all fashion?

a. Virginia and North Carolina.

b. Alaska and Arizona.

c. Nebraska and Maine.

d. California and Ohio.

Question type: factual

Page number: 479-480

29. When are the electors for the Electoral College appointed every four years?

a. The Tuesday after the first Monday of November.

b. The Tuesday after the first Monday of December.

c. The first Monday after the second Wednesday of November.

d. The first Monday after the second Wednesday of December.

Question type: factual

Page number: 480

30. When do the electors from each state meet to cast their votes for president?

a. The Tuesday after the first Monday of November.

b. The Tuesday after the first Monday of December.

c. The first Monday after the second Wednesday of November.

d. The first Monday after the second Wednesday of December.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 480

31. Are electors bound to vote for the candidate who won the majority of votes within a state?

a. Yes, they are constitutionally bound to do so.

b. Yes, all states have laws that require they do so.

c. No, but they do so by custom.

d. No, they are encouraged to make their own decisions.

Question type: factual

Page number: 480

32. How many electors chose not to cast their votes for Hillary Clinton in 2016 despite the majority of their states choosing her in the general election?

a. Zero.

b. One.

c. Two.

d. Three.

Question type: factual

Page number: 481

33. President ______ had the largest Electoral College landslide victory since 1968 in ______.

a. Nixon; 1972.

b. Reagan; 1984.

c. Obama; 2012.

d. Trump; 2016.

Question type: factual

Page number: 481

34. The only presidential election that was essentially determined by a Supreme Court ruling that stopped recounts in Florida occurred in

a. 1948.

b. 1960.

c. 1984.

d. 2000.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 482

35. The winner-take-all system of allocating electoral votes (for all but two states)

a. Gives an advantage to states with large populations.

b. Gives an advantage to states with small populations.

c. Does not advantage states based on their size.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 482

36. How many Electoral College votes are needed to secure the presidential office?

a. 195.

b. 270.

c. 313.

d. 480.

Question type: factual

Page number: 483

37. One of the strategies of the 2008 Obama campaign was to

a. Focus all attention on the 9 states with the highest numbers of electoral votes.

b. Focus all attention on the states with the least number of electoral votes.

c. Focus on garnering support in all 50 states.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 513-514

38. The support from the “Alt-Right” for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was specifically support based on what ideology?

a. White supremacy.

b. Right-wing nationalism.

c. Anti-multiculturalism.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 485

39. The part of an election campaign conducted through broadcast media including radio, television, and the Internet is known as

a. Debate.

b. Political war.

c. Ground war.

d. Air war.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 485

40. The part of election campaigns conducted using “pavement pounding” methods including candidate public appearances, voter registration and mobilization, fundraising, and public opinion polling is known as

a. Debate.

b. Political war.

c. Ground war.

d. Air war.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 485

41. Important public face-offs between candidates discussing issues in a variety of formats and through a variety of media, most important television and more recently the Internet, are known as

a. Debates.

b. Political wars.

c. Ground wars.

d. Air wars.

Question type: factual

Page number: 485

42. The first televised presidential debate was between

a. Truman and Dewey.

b. Nixon and Kennedy.

c. Johnson and Goldwater.

d. Ford and Carter.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 485-486

43. What is the most important factor in presidential elections?

a. Volunteers.

b. Charisma.

c. Money.

d. Party loyalty.

Question type: applied

Page number: 486

44. Which of the following strengthened the limits, regulations, and reporting of campaign contributions (and is also known as the McCain–Feingold Act)?

a. Federal Election Campaign Act.

b. Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act.

c. Disclosure Act.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 486

45. Congress passed the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act in

a. 1889.

b. 1942.

c. 1973.

d. 2002.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 486

46. The less-regulated money that is raised by a political party to support and maintain the party is known as

a. Hard money.

b. Soft money.

c. Public funding.

d. Social funding.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 487

47. The financing of election campaigns by the American public through tax allocations as distinct from private fundraising by candidates is known as

a. Hard money.

b. Soft money.

c. Public funding.

d. Social funding.

Question type: factual

Page number: 487

48. Who was the first candidate to forego public funding for a presidential election since public financing had been introduced?

a. Bush.

b. Kerry.

c. McCain.

d. Obama.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 487

49. Which of the following does not fall under the category of campaign advertising?

a. Professional campaign commercials.

b. Posters.

c. Political contributions.

d. Car decals.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 489

50. Campaign activity devoted to undermining the public’s confidence in and support of a candidate, a key component of negative campaigning, is known as

a. Campaign advertising.

b. Advertising research.

c. Opposition research.

d. Competition research.

Question type: factual

Page number: 490

51. Which of the following is accurate in terms of voting problems in Florida in the 2000 presidential election?

a. Racial and ethnic minorities had an advantage because their precincts had better voting machinery.

b. Counties with higher proportions of Black voters were disadvantaged by outmoded voting machinery.

c. All voting machinery in the state was equally outmoded and, as such, the whole state had significant voting irregularities that needed additional attention.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 495

52. Which of the following is a factor in voter participation?

a. High level of interest in political campaigns.

b. Following elections in the media.

c. Interest in public affairs.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 495

53. The population of U.S. citizens age 18 or older is called

a. The voting-eligible population.

b. The U.S. population.

c. The voting-age population.

d. The constituency.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 496

54. The population of both citizens and noncitizens in the United State age 18 or older is called

a. The voting-eligible population.

b. The U.S. population.

c. The voting-age population.

d. The constituency.

Question type: factual

Page number: 495

55. Which of the following is accurate?

a. The United States has voter turnout rates similar to those found in other democracies.

b. The United States has voter turnout rates lower than those found in other democracies.

c. The United States has voter turnout rates higher than those found in other democracies.

d. The United States has compulsory voting, thus resulting in very high voter turnout rates.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 495-496

56. Which of the following should be considered when calculating voter turnout?

a. Age.

b. Citizenship status.

c. Voter registration.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 497

57. Which of the following does not account for low voter turnout?

a. Age.

b. Registration difficulties.

c. Ability to get to the polls.

d. Belief that one’s vote does not matter.

Question type: factual

Page number: 497

58. A law passed in 1993 that provides for voter registration by mail and in departments of motor vehicles (which is also called the “motor voter” act) is called the

a. National Voter Registration Act.

b. Election Law Reform Act.

c. Help America Vote Act.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 499

59. A law passed in 2002 to reform aspects of the voting process that failed in the 2000 presidential election and to increase voter education and turnout is called the

a. National Voter Registration Act.

b. Election Law Reform Act.

c. Help America Vote Act.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 502

60. In the _____ presidential election, the gap between non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black political participation practically disappeared.

a. 1992.

b. 2000.

c. 2008.

d. 2016.

Question type: factual

Page number: 501

61. Which group has traditionally had the highest registration and turnout rates?

a. Non-Hispanic Whites.

b. Non-Hispanic Blacks.

c. Hispanics.

d. Non-Hispanic Asians.

Question type: factual

Page number: 501

62. Which of the following influences the likelihood of voter turnout?

a. Race.

b. Gender.

c. Education level.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 502

63. The first year in which both registration and voter turnout rates were higher among women than among men was

a. 1928.

b. 1958.

c. 1978.

d. 1998.

Question type: factual

Page number: 497

64. What was a problem that arose with the “motor voter” law?

a. People lost their voting rights when they lost their driver’s licenses.

b. Not all states implemented it the same, and some motor vehicle departments did not submit the registration forms.

c. Both of the above.

d. There was no problem.

Question type: factual

Page number: 495-496

65. How are calculations of voter turnout rates that incorporate the voting-eligible population different from traditional calculations of voter turnout rates?

a. The former are higher than the latter.

b. The former are lower than the latter.

c. There is no difference.

d. These calculations cannot be made.

Question type: factual

Page number: 495-496

66. How are calculations of voter turnout rates that incorporate registered voters different from traditional calculations of voter turnout rates?

a. The former are higher than the latter.

b. The former are lower than the latter.

c. There is no difference.

d. These calculations cannot be made.

Question type: factual

Page number: 498

67. How are calculations of voter turnout rates that incorporate the voting-eligible population different from calculations of voter turnout rates that incorporate registered voters?

a. The former are higher than the latter.

b. The former are lower than the latter.

c. There is no difference.

d. These calculations cannot be made.

Question type: factual

Page number: 497

68. How many states have made Election Day a state holiday?

a. 5.

b. 11.

c. 25.

d. 38.

Question type: factual

Page number: 497

69. How many states allow state employees two hours off for voting?

a. 5.

b. 11.

c. 25.

d. 38.

Question type: factual

Page number: 497

70. In how many states do private employers not give time off for voting?

a. 5.

b. 11.

c. 25.

d. 38.

Question type: factual

Page number: 498-499

71. Which of the following was not a recommendation of the 2001 report of the National Commission on Federal Election Reform?

a. Every state should establish a statewide system of voting registration.

b. Election Day should be a national holiday.

c. Every state should allow provisional voting.

d. Every locality should establish a countywide system of voting registration and electoral processes.

Question type: factual

Page number: 503

72. People between the ages of ______ are the most likely to turn out to vote in United States elections.

a. 18–24 years.

b. 25–44 years.

c. 45–64 years.

d. 65–74 years.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 502

73. One theory as to why non-White women register and vote at rates higher than non-White men is that they encounter the sociopolitical system both in terms of race and in terms of gender, therefore experiencing negative outcomes on both dimensions, creating a situation in which they are

a. “Multiply discriminated.”

b. “Equally yoked.”

c. “Doubly bound.”

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 504

74. Which region has higher registration and voting percentages than other regions?

a. North.

b. South.

c. Midwest.

d. West.

Question type: factual

Page number: 510

75. Polling data regarding ________ largely underestimated their support for the Democratic Party.

a. African American and American Indians.

b. women and young people.

c. Catholics and Muslims.

d. Latinos and Asians.

Question type: factual

Page number: 510

76. Which of the following is NOT accurate concerning the 2016 presidential election?

a. It had the lowest turnout rate in over 20 years.

b. Clinton won over 2.8 million more votes than Trump.

c. Clinton won the majority of the White female vote.

d. Trump won the majority of the White vote.

Question type: factual

Page number: 512

77. Which group has seen a steady decrease in its share of the electorate from 2000 to 2016?

a. Whites.

b. African Americans.

c. Latinos.

d. Asian Americans.

Question type: factual

Page number: 515

78. The last of the following group of Americans to be granted citizenship and voting rights was

a. African Americans.

b. American Indians.

c. Asian Americans.

d. Latinos.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 512

79. Tactics used by governments, groups, or individuals to decrease the likelihood of voter registration and turnout among specific groups are known as

a. Electoral repression techniques.

b. Voter suppression techniques.

c. Electoral bolstering techniques.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 481

80. What was the final Electoral College vote in the 2016 presidential election?

a. Trump: 271; Clinton: 267.

b. Trump: 269; Clinton: 269.

c. Trump: 306; Clinton: 232.

d. Trump: 408; Clinton: 130.

Question type: factual

Page number: 515

81. Which of the following groups is most likely to have their voting rights suppressed in states that largely rely on mail-in ballots?

a. African Americans.

b. American Indians.

c. Asian Americans.

d. Latinos.

Question type: factual

Page number: 469

82. Who were the two main Democratic candidates in the 2016 presidential primary season?

a. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

b. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders.

c. Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley.

d. Hillary Clinton and Martin O’Malley.

Question type: factual

Page number: 469

83. How many candidates ran in the Republican presidential primaries?

a. 5.

b. 9.

c. 12.

d. 17.

Question type: factual

Page number: 469

84. Which of the following was not a frontrunner in the Republican presidential primary races?

a. Donald Trump.

b. Ted Cruz.

c. Marco Rubio.

d. Scott Walker.

Question type: factual

Page number: 469

85. Which of the following was accurate?

a. Bernie Sanders won more caucus states than Hillary Clinton.

b. Hillary Clinton won more caucus states than Bernie Sanders.

c. Bernie Sanders won more primary states than Hillary Clinton.

d. The won equal numbers of primary and caucus states.

Question type: factual

Page number: 471

86. How many states held open primaries in the 2016 elections?

a. 0.

b. 5.

c. 10.

d. 15.

Question type: factual

Page number: 470

87. How many states held completely closed primaries in the 2016 elections?

a. 0.

b. 3.

c. 6.

d. 9.

Question type: factual

Page number: 469

88. The first caucuses for the 2016 presidential election were held in

a. Michigan.

b. Iowa.

c. California.

d. Hawaii.

Question type: factual

Page number: 472

89. Racial and ethnic minority voters

a. largely supported Clinton over Sanders.

b. were important in Clinton’s eventual victory over Sanders.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 474

90. Exit polling concerning Latino support for Donald Trump

a. significantly overestimated support for the candidate.

b. used samples that were not highly representative of the population.

c. did not demonstrate the high levels of unfavorable views that were reflected in more representative polling.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 476

91. Approximately _____ of the delegate at the 2016 Democratic National Convention were non-White.

a. One-quarter.

b. One-half.

c. Three-quarters.

d. All.

Question type: factual

Page number: 475-476

92. The candidates for the Republican presidential/vice-presidential tickets for the two main parties in 2016 were

a. Hillary Clinton/ Tim Kaine; Donald Trump/Mike Pence.

b. Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine; Gary Johnson/Bill Weld.

c. Hillary Clinton/Bernie Sanders; Donald Trump/Mike Pence.

d. Bernie Sanders/Elizabeth Warren; Donald Trump/Jeb Bush.

Question type: factual

Page number: 485

93. How many televised debates were there between the two main presidential candidates in 2016?

a. 1.

b. 2.

c. 3.

d. 4.

Question type: factual

Page number: 519

94. Which of the following is accurate regarding the 2018 midterm elections results?

a. The first two Muslim women won seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

b. The first two American Indian women won seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

c. There was an increase in the number of women and racial and ethnic minorities elected to Congress.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 519

95. Which of the following is accurate?

a. Stacey Abrams won the gubernatorial race in Georgia.

b. Andrew Gillum won the gubernatorial race in Florida.

c. Ben Jealous won the gubernatorial race in Maryland.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 475

96. Approximately what percentage of Republican National Convention delegates were African American in 2016?

a. 1%

b. 11%

c. 21%

d. 31%

Short-Answer Questions

1. What are elections? How do they fit into a democracy?

Elections: The process by which individuals make political choices by voting.
Elections are central to the concept of democracy in that each citizen has a say in governmental decisions.

2. What is the purpose of caucuses and primaries? How do they differ?

To elect a party nominee for office for the general election.
Caucuses are meetings of party members, and primaries are elections in which party members vote.

3. Prior to 1832, how were presidential candidates chosen? Why did this change?

Caucuses of congressional members of a political party, not nonofficeholding party members, chose presidential candidates.
This changed because of the reforms put in place by the Democratic Party that were against the elite power over all governmental decision making.

4. What are pledged delegates?

Party members elected or chosen on the state and local levels to support a particular candidate at the party’s national convention.

5. What are direct primaries? How do they differ from caucuses?

Elections in which voters select the individual to represent the party in the general election by voting directly for the candidates on the ballot.
Caucuses do not require an electoral process.

6. Provide a definition for a closed primary and an open primary. Within your answer, indicate which of the two would be preferred generally by political parties.

Closed primary: Primary in which only registered members of a particular political party can vote in that party’s primary elections to choose the party’s candidate or delegate.
Open primary: Primary election in which a voter does not have to declare a political party affiliation but may participate in the primary election of any party.
Parties would prefer closed primaries because their main voters would be making the decision.

7. What are political independents? How do they factor into the party nomination process?

Political independents: Voters who do not designate a political party affiliation when registering to vote.
These individuals can participate in open primaries without declaring a party affiliation, but must declare a party affiliation to participate in a closed primary.

8. Define the terms “plurality” and “majority” in the electoral context. Indicate how they differ from one another.

Plurality: Winning of an election by the candidate who receives the most votes (also known as “first past the post”).
Majority: Winning of an election by the candidate who receives at least 51 percent of the vote.
A plurality is a lower standard for securing an electoral win.

9. What is a runoff primary and when does it occur?

A second election held in some states if no candidate in the primary election receives a majority of the votes.
This is only necessary in primary systems that require a majority, rather than a plurality, of the votes to determine a winner.

10. What are nomination petitions? How do these affect the political process?

The certain number of signatures of registered voters that independent or third-party candidates must collect to qualify for inclusion on a ballot.
Without nomination petitions, many smaller parties cannot place their candidates on ballots and, as such, cannot enter the electoral process.

11. What are general elections? Why do candidates generally moderate their positions for these elections?

Elections in which the winner is elected to office and takes office after the end of the term of the current officeholder.
Candidates moderate positions in general elections in order to appeal to more of the electorate.

12. How does the Electoral College factor into presidential elections?

It is an essential component of these elections.
It is the mechanism by which the president is elected.
The popular vote in presidential elections is actually in place to appoint state electors who will then cast ballots for the presidential candidates based on the popular vote in their states.

13. Why does the allocation of state electors to presidential candidates matter?

Forty-eight states allocate electors to presidential candidates on a winner-take-all basis; the other two states allocate electors on a proportional basis.
This provides less representation for the minority of voters whose candidate did not win the election.
Additionally, winner-take-all in the Electoral College system increases the power of states with larger populations.

14. In terms of campaign strategies, what is a ground war? What is an air war?

Ground war: The part of election campaigns conducted using “pavement pounding” methods including candidate public appearances, voter registration and mobilization, fundraising, and public opinion polling, among others.
Air war: The part of election campaigns conducted through broadcast media including radio, television, and the Internet.

15. In terms of obtaining support in various states, what is the difference between a traditional presidential campaign strategy and the Obama campaign strategy?

Traditional: Mainly focus on states with large numbers of electors; do not spend campaign resources in states that rarely vote with your party.
Obama: “Fifty state strategy”: Focus on garnering support in all states, even if they do not traditionally vote for the Democratic Party.

16. How do candidate debates influence electoral outcomes?

Debates: Important public face-offs between candidates discussing issues in a variety of formats and through various media, most important television and more recently the Internet.
Debates allow the public to view and better understand a candidate’s policy positions, personality, and ability to handle his or her opponent.

17. How are minor party candidates disadvantaged by debates?

They do not have the opportunity to express their policy stances.
Further, participation in debates lends a degree of authenticity to a campaign, and the fact that minor parties almost never get to participate in debates further solidifies the dominant two-party system.

18. Define public funding in the electoral context.

Public funding: The financing of election campaigns by the American public through tax allocations.
This is in contrast to private fundraising by candidates.

19. To what degree are negative campaign advertisements effective?

On the surface, they are viewed as ineffective because they can leave a negative perception of the candidate using them.
However, they are highly effective in tying negative policies and viewpoints to an electoral opponent.

20. Define “opposition research” and indicate how is it used.

Campaign activity devoted to undermining the public’s confidence in and support of a candidate, a key component of negative campaigning.

21. In terms of the concept of running a campaign, how has race factored into presidential elections?

Racial appeals, both explicit and implicit, have been made in campaigns to tie negative ideas and messages to candidates
This was particularly the case in the 2008 and 2012 elections, in which opponents of Obama worked to tie racialized messages to his campaign, despite the deracialized nature of his messages and policies.
In 2016, Donald Trump used rhetoric that utilized racial animus in order to garner votes.

22. What is the difference between the voting-age population and the voting-eligible population?

Both are over 18, but voting eligible only consists of citizens, whereas voting age includes both citizens and noncitizens.

23. What are the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act?

National Voter Registration Act: A law passed in 1993 that provides for voter registration by mail and in departments of motor vehicles (also called the “motor voter” act).
Help America Vote Act: A law passed in 2002 to reform aspects of the voting process that failed in the 2000 presidential election and to increase voter education and turnout.

24. What might help to explain increasing registration and voting rates among women?

Increased participation in the workforce.
Increased educational attainment.
These are socioeconomic factors, but they also demonstrate the degree to which women have access to the public and political realms.

25. What registration and voting trends do we find in terms of region? Marital status?

Region: Midwest has higher registration, which is likely a result of fewer barriers to registration.
Region: The South traditionally has lower rates of registration and voting, although this has changed over the past couple of presidential elections. This may be a result of increasing southern Black registration and voting.
Marital status: Those who are married and living with their spouses are more likely to be settled, register, and vote than nonmarried individuals and divorced individuals.

26. What contributes to relatively low voter turnout rates?

Difficulty with registration (each state has different, and sometimes convoluted, procedures).
Lack of an Election Day holiday.
Lack of belief in the efficacy of voting (low cost–benefit analysis) 🡪 calculus of voting.

27. How does socioeconomic status relate to the issue of voter turnout? Who is more likely to turn out to vote?

Individuals with higher educational and income levels, homeownership, and residence in the same place for an extended period of time are more likely to register and to vote than are those who have lower educational and income levels, who rent their homes, and who reside in places for shorter periods of time.

28. Why is it argued that the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on voting are connected to the effects of race on voting?

Racial and ethnic minorities are proportionally more likely to find themselves lower on the income and education scales.
As such, on some level, lower registration and turnout among racial and ethnic minorities are related to SES.
Nevertheless, race has its own connection to turnout that is not related to SES as well.

29. What are voter suppression techniques? Provide two examples of voter suppression techniques and tactics used during the 2016 election cycle.

Tactics used by governments, groups, or individuals to decrease the likelihood of voter registration and turnout among specific groups.
Examples: Fraudulent, official-looking letters in Florida that informed citizens their citizenship and right to vote were in question; some older voters in Virginia were called and told they could vote by phone; billboards in Black and Latino neighborhoods warning that voter fraud is a felony; inaccurate election dates on Spanish-language government-issued pamphlets and material in Arizona; issues concerning Navajo voting rights and access to the ballot.

30. How did state governments attempt to decrease access to voting in ways that were more likely to affect non-Whites and those with lower SES?

Sudden voter ID laws: Non-Whites and the poor and working class (who are all more likely to vote for Democrats) are less likely to have the necessary photo identification.
Decreases in early voting days (with early voting benefitting Democrats in some states).

31. When Khizr Khan spoke at the 2016 Democratic National Convention regarding his son, U.S. Army captain Humayan Khan, who was killed in the Iraq War, he challenged Donald Trump on what grounds?

Donald Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric and policies would have meant their son would not have been understood as an American citizen and hero, and his sacrifice would have been disregarded.

32. What date are presidential elections held and how often?

The first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, every four years.

33. Name three parts of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential platform.

Expanding civil rights for racial/ethnic minorities, women, LGBT; immigration reform; clean energy; strengthening Social Security and Medicare; combatting terrorism.

34. Name three parts of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential platform.

Building a wall along border with Mexico; banning and registering Muslims; deportation-based immigration reform; tax reform; U.S.-China trade reform.

Essay Questions

1. Explain the idea that electing representatives and making them accountable by voting them out of office if they do not perform demonstrates the centrality of elections and the electoral process in a democratic republic.

Connect the concepts of a representative democracy and elections.
Highlight that voting representatives out of office further demonstrates how elections are central to a democratic republic in that this practice shows that the people are able to control the decision over whom to have in office to represent their interests.

2. Discuss the progression of change in how party presidential nominees are chosen.

Provide historical background of the electoral system.
Note that congressional caucuses once chose presidential candidates, thus keeping power in the hands of the elite.
Define caucuses and primaries and acknowledge the increasing reliance on the latter.

3. Discuss the primary elections process. Be sure to examine the effects of differing forms of primary elections.

Define primary elections.
Examine direct primaries and runoff primaries.
Define plurality and majority electoral rules.
Connect runoff primaries to majority electoral rules.

4. Compare and contrast closed and open primaries. Incorporate the concept of the influence of political independents.

Define closed and open primaries.
Acknowledge the various subcategories of closed and open primaries.
Define political independents.
Demonstrate that this group cannot remain “independent” if it wants to participate in closed primaries.
Comment on how closed and open primaries relate to the idea of political party influence over elections and the electoral process.

5. How do superdelegates (Democratic) and unpledged delegates (Republican) influence the presidential nomination process?

Define superdelegates and unpledged delegates.
Define their roles in national conventions.
Acknowledge that Democratic superdelegates and Republican unpledged delegates introduce a greater degree of party influence into the presidential nomination process, given that the pledged delegates base their votes on the outcomes of elections.

6. Discuss the path to the 2016 Trump Republican nomination. Examine the duration of the process in terms of the primary and caucus success.

Examine the progression of the 2016 Republican presidential nomination process.
Highlight that various candidates seemed to have the electoral advantage at different points, thus causing a longer period of not knowing who the nominee would be.
Acknowledge Trump’s successes in the primaries and caucuses.
Mention that the longer the duration of the nomination process, the shorter the time that can be dedicated to the general election campaign process.

7. Discuss general elections in terms of the influence of money and campaign strategy.

Define general elections and their importance to the American political system.
Examine the ways in which money may and may not be gathered and used for general election purposes; connect the issue of money to the campaign strategies that can be implemented.
Examine various campaign strategies and their efficacy.

8. Examine the purpose of the Electoral College. Pay attention to the way in which it influences presidential elections and whether it should be restructured or abandoned.

Identifies that the Framers instituted the Electoral College to keep the final decision over who would be president out of the hands of the public.
Comment on current controversies over the Electoral College, including (but not limited to) how the Electoral College favors states with large populations.
Identify suggestions for restructuring the Electoral College (removing winner-take-all elector allocation) and for abandoning the Electoral College (just selecting the president by direct election or popular vote).

9. Discuss the necessity for a campaign strategy. Be sure to include the main purposes and goals of campaign strategies in your answer.

Define campaign strategy and examine various aspects and types of strategies that candidates and their campaigns employ.
Define ground war and air war and explore the efficacy of each in past and present electoral politics.
Consider and recognize the need for a campaign strategy in the context of political party power and dealignment.
Acknowledge that a top priority in terms of strategy is to obtain the majority of the electoral votes.

10. Discuss how minor party candidates are disadvantaged in the electoral system. Be sure to examine the issues of access to the ballot and presidential debates.

Identify the Commission on Party Debates as the institution that has controlled presidential debates since 1987.
Define minor parties.
Demonstrate that the Commission on Party Debates keeps minor parties out of the debates (with the exception of Ross Perot in 1992).
Examine how this prohibition leads to less competition, increases the power of the two dominant parties, and decreases legitimacy for minor parties.

11. Discuss the importance of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain–Feingold).

Discuss the state of campaign finance prior to McCain–Feingold.
Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974: Regulate hard money but not soft money.
Define hard and soft money.
Highlight the ways in which money is necessary for election campaigns and political party power.
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002: Prohibits parties from using soft money on political advertisements.
Examine the limitations on election donations implemented in McCain–Feingold and whether those limitations had any effect on equalizing the effects of money on elections.
Incorporate more recent debates over money in party politics based on the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. FEC (2010) ruling.

12. Discuss negative campaign advertising and its efficacy. Be sure to include the Willie Horton ad campaign in your discussion.

Suggest that the public is often uncomfortable with even the moderate use of this campaign advertising.
Further suggest that this lack of comfort does not largely negate or counteract the negative messages.
Examine the ways in which negative ads are successful in tying negative ideas and messages to an opponent.
Explore the facts of the use of the Willie Horton ad campaign in the 1988 presidential campaign.

13. How does race factor into presidential campaigns? In addition to your response, be sure to include at least three examples of the use of race in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 elections.

Acknowledge that race is often a factor in presidential campaigns, whether explicit or implicit (e.g., Reagan’s references to “welfare queens”; the Willie Horton ad against Dukakis).
Argue that when candidates and campaigns want to incorporate negative racialized ideas and messages, they often “keep their noses clean” by having outside groups run negative advertising with this purpose (though this was not the case for the Trump campaign which frequently used highly racialized rhetoric).
Examples of racialized politics in 2008 and 2012:
- Gingrich’s declaration of Obama as the “food stamp” president.
- “Obama Bucks” in Republican women’s group newsletter.
- “Don’t Re-Nig in 2012” and “Put the White Back in the White House” bumper stickers and other paraphernalia.
- Romney’s inaccurate media campaign claiming Obama eliminated the work requirement for welfare (which is a highly racialized political issue).
Examples in 2016 in Trump’s campaign:
- Anti-Mexican rhetoric.
- Attacks on Judge Curiel and the Khan family.
- Proposals for a Muslim ban.
- (See the pp. 492-494 for additional examples.)

14. Discuss the importance of differentiating between the voting-age population (VAP) and the voting-eligible population (VEP).

Define both concepts.
Recognize that using VEP for voter turnout calculations provides a more accurate picture of voting in the United States. Provide an explanation for this argument.
Acknowledge that the importance of this differentiation further stands out when voter registration status is taken into account.

15. Discuss the measures that have been implemented since 1993 to increase voter turnout. Be sure to include important aspects of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA).

Examine the efficacy of “motor voter” (NVRA) registration in terms of both its successes and its failures.
Examine the efficacy of HAVA in terms of the policies it implemented:
- Funding to states to replace outdated voting machines.
- Better access for disabled voters.
- Better training for poll workers.
- Federal registration forms.
- Provisional ballots.
Acknowledge the successes of HAVA, as well as its failures in terms of full implementation.

16. Discuss the recommendations of the 2001 report from the National Commission on Federal Election Reform. Be sure to identify whether any of the recommendations were implemented.

Acknowledge the main 2000 presidential election problems that led to this commission and report.
Identify and examine the following recommendations:
- Every state should establish a statewide system of voting registration.
- Election Day should be a national holiday.
- Every state should allow provisional voting.
Acknowledge that many of the recommendations were not implemented, although all states do now have provisional ballots for those who believe they are registered but do not appear on the rolls.

17. Discuss the voter turnout issue of inability to get to the polls. What contributes to this phenomenon?

Introduce the problem of there being no national Election Day.
Examine the differing state policies concerning how much time (if any) is provided to employees on Election Day.
Acknowledge the limited hours of election sites and how this limits those with multiple or inflexible jobs.
Discuss early voting and the attempts to limit this practice, thus challenging the strength of voter turnout.

18. Examine the arguments for and against the use of photo identification at election sites. Why is the sudden call for photo identification understood as a voter suppression technique?

Identify concerns over voter fraud as an argument for photo ID in elections.
Examine the validity of concerns over voter fraud.
Identify concerns over voter suppression as an argument against photo ID in elections.
Identify photo identification and examine which groups are less likely to have this sort of identification (thus placing undue burdens on these groups to exercise their right to vote).
Voter suppression: Works to suppress the votes of non-Whites and the poor, who are significantly less likely to need (and therefore to have) this sort of identification. Recognizes that these groups are more likely to vote for Democrats.

19. Examine the ways demographics and voting are connected.

Acknowledge various demographics that have varying degrees of registration and voting (race and ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, marital status, region, etc.).
Note that there are historical and current legal and social barriers that have kept some groups from the political process.
Examine more directly the influence of these demographics on electoral politics and provide brief explanations of why these variations exist.

20. Discuss the issue of voter suppression.

Define voter suppression.
Identify groups that have been the most likely to be targeted and why they are seen as vulnerable to such attacks (i.e., lack of resources, lack of familiarity with political processes, etc.).
Provide examples of voter suppression tactics.

21. Representative Steve King (R-Iowa) attempted to defend the lack of diversity within the Republican Party by stating that White people are the ones who have contributed the most to the world’s civilization. This concept of white superiority frequently presented itself throughout the 2016 presidential election cycle. In what ways did this idea influence the outcome of the election?

Highlight the ways in which Donald Trump used racist and xenophobic language to garner support from White voters based on concepts of white superiority (this can include social media outreach).
Indicate the types of public support that followed based on groups connected to white supremacy, including the KKK.
Examine the ways in which racialized appeals influenced the outcome of the election, particularly in terms of the concept of the “White working class.”
Note that Steve King was eventually censured for expressing these ideas supporting white supremacy by politicians from both parties in 2019.

22. Examine the ways in which Voter ID laws can influence electoral outcomes. To what degree are these laws specific to real concerns over voter fraud? What have federal court rulings determined regarding the purpose of these laws?

Review the types of voter ID laws that exist throughout the states.
Note that they have largely been developed by Republican legislatures and that some lawmakers have specifically stated that these laws are going to help their party electorally.
Examine issues of voter ID laws and constitutionality.
Note that there is practically no voter fraud.

CHAPTER 16: THE MAKING OF DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN POLICY: SUMMING UP AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IN BLACK AND WHITE

What Students Should Learn from This Chapter

Examine domestic and foreign policy making in the United States and the ways in which race and ethnicity factor into these decisions.
Understand the various stages of agenda setting, policy enactment, and postenactment stages.
Examine the ways in which all aforementioned political topics throughout the book factor into decision making.
Explore this essential question: How are policies made in the United States and who contributes to them?

Outline

I. Agenda Setting

a. Social Movements, Interest Groups, and Agenda Setting

b. The Media and Agenda Setting

- Our Voices: President Obama’s 2009 Cairo Speech

II. Policy Enactment

a. Policy Formulation

b. Policy Adoption

- Evaluating Equality: Racism and the Public Debate over the Adoption of Health-Care Reform Policies

III. Postenactment Stages

a. Policy Implementation

- Measuring Equality: Race Disparities in the Punishment of Drug Offenders

b. Policy Evaluation

IV. Conclusion

Discussion Questions

Aside from their definitions, how do U.S. domestic and foreign policy vary? How are they similar?
Why is agenda setting important in the American political system? How does it work?
What is the most important stage of policy enactment? Explain your answer and the context in which you give it.
How is policy implementation influenced by racial, ethnic, and gendered views and prejudices? Does policy evaluation help or hinder this situation?
How can we determine whether “good” policy has been enacted? What criteria should be applied in this sort of evaluation process?
In what ways have racial minority members of Congress approached foreign policy making in comparison to their White counterparts?
Which branch of government is most influential in terms of domestic and foreign policy? Describe the ways in which each branch affects policy.

Video Resources

Darfur Now, Mandalay Independent Pictures

Lost in Detention, PBS/FRONTLINE

Perversion of Justice, Reel Lives, Inc.

Sand and Sorrow, HBO Documentary Films

Separated: Children at the Border, PBS/FRONTLINE

13^th, Kandoo Films

Website Resources

Administrative Procedure Act, http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/laws/administrative-procedure/

Brennan Center for Justice, http://www.brennancenter.org/

Cato Institute, http://www.cato.org/

Center for American Progress, http://www.americanprogress.org/

TransAfrica Forum, http://www.transafricaforum.org/

The William C. Velasquez Institute, http://www.wcvi.org/

Test Questions

Multiple-Choice Questions

Question type: factual

Page number: 528

1. Which of the following was a major factor in the inequitable prison terms for powder versus crack cocaine, a matter that was only recently addressed to make the punishment for the offenses more equitable?

a. Gender.

b. Age.

c. Race.

d. Religion.

Question type: factual

Page number: 528

2. What was district court Judge Clyde Cahill’s basis for his legal justification for not implementing a federally mandated sentence against an offender in possession of crack cocaine?

a. Sentencing disparities between crack and cocaine powder resulted in a violation of the Fourth Amendment’s protection against illegal search and seizure.

b. Sentencing disparities between crack and cocaine powder resulted in a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause on the basis of racial discrimination.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 529

3. The _____ Fair Sentencing Act that reduced, but did not eliminate, the disparities in crack and powder cocaine sentencing.

a. 1985.

b. 1999.

c. 2010.

d. 2018.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 529

4. The actions that government implements are known as

a. Decision making.

b. Policy making.

c. Political gesturing.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 529

5. Domestic policy refers to the laws, rules, and programs that

a. affect the relationship between the United States and other nations.

b. set up the judicial branch.

c. directly affect people living in the United States.

d. set up the legislative branch.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 529

6. Foreign policy refers to the laws, rules, and programs that are referred to as

a. affect the relationship between the United States and other nations.

b. set up the judicial branch.

c. directly affect people living in the United States.

d. set up the legislative branch.

Question type: applied

Page number: 529

7. A law concerning land rights, dairy farming, and interstate product distribution would be considered

a. Foreign policy.

b. External policy.

c. Domestic policy.

d. Internal policy.

Question type: applied

Page number: 529

8. A law concerning the need to carry a U.S. passport to travel to most destinations in the Caribbean would be considered

a. Foreign policy

b. External policy.

c. Domestic policy.

d. Internal policy.

Question type: applied

Page number: 529

9. A policy concerning gender workplace discrimination would be considered

a. Foreign policy.

b. External policy.

c. Domestic policy.

d. Internal policy.

Question type: applied

Page number: 529

10. Regulations concerning the importation of manufacturing goods would be considered

a. Foreign policy.

b. External policy.

c. Domestic policy.

d. Internal policy.

Question type: applied

Page number: 529

11. A resolution condemning ethnic cleansing in a foreign nation would be considered

a. Foreign policy.

b. External policy.

c. Domestic policy.

d. Internal policy.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 529

12. The stage in the policy-making process in which certain issues reach a level of public concern that attracts the attention of government officials is known as

a. Policy implementation.

b. Agenda setting.

c. Policy formulation.

d. Policy adoption.

Question type: applied

Page number: 529

13. The president is engaging in __________ when he or she gives the State of the Union speech.

a. Policy implementation.

b. Agenda setting.

c. Policy formulation.

d. Policy adoption.

Question type: applied

Page number: 529

14. The Congress is engaging in __________ when it passes a budget.

a. Policy implementation.

b. Agenda setting.

c. Policy formulation.

d. Policy adoption.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 530

15. All possible legitimate issues that could be brought to the attention of the public and possibly lawmakers are known as a(n)

a. Agenda universe.

b. Systemic agenda.

c. Institutional agenda.

d. Decision agenda.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 530

16. The set of issues that government officials recognize require their attention is known as a(n)

a. Agenda universe.

b. Systemic agenda.

c. Institutional agenda.

d. Decision agenda.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 530

17. The set of issues that a government body formally resolves to address is known as a(n)

a. Agenda universe.

b. Systemic agenda.

c. Institutional agenda.

d. Decision agenda.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 530

18. The set of issues that policy makers perceive as worthy of their attention is known as a(n)

a. Agenda universe.

b. Systemic agenda.

c. Institutional agenda.

d. Decision agenda.

Question type: applied

Page number: 530

19. Interest group pressure can cause a policy issue to be placed on a(n)

a. Agenda universe.

b. Systemic agenda.

c. Institutional agenda.

d. Decision agenda.

Question type: applied

Page number: 530

20. If a policy stance appears on a party platform, it can be said to be on the

a. Agenda universe.

b. Systemic agenda.

c. Institutional agenda.

d. Decision agenda.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 530

21. The last stage of the agenda-setting process is known as the

a. Agenda universe.

b. Systemic agenda.

c. Institutional agenda.

d. Decision agenda.

Question type: applied

Page number: 530

22. Would the policy position that all women in the U.S. must be required to get married, manage all home issues, and raise as many children as possible be a part of the agenda universe?

a. Yes, it is a policy position and therefore is classified as a part of the agenda universe.

b. Yes, as a domestic policy issue it is a part of the agenda universe.

c. No, it is not socially acceptable and as such could not be part of the agenda universe.

d. No, it is a policy that might be impractical to implement and as such could not be part of the agenda universe.

Question type: factual

Page number: 530

23. Which of the following is most important in moving policy items through the agenda-setting process?

a. Political parties.

b. Social movements and interest groups.

c. Political institutions.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 530

24. Civil rights movement protests and demonstrations in the 1950s and 1960s influenced racial discrimination policy in terms of

a. Policy implementation.

b. Agenda setting.

c. Policy formulation.

d. Policy adoption.

Question type: factual

Page number: 530-531

25. Which of the following groups staged protests and demonstrations to set the agenda on civil rights policies?

a. African Americans.

b. Latinos.

c. American Indians.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 530-531

26. Which of the following is a technique used by interest groups and social movements to influence the agenda-setting process?

a. Litigation.

b. Demonstration.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 531

27. The Native American Rights Fund and Asian Americans Advancing Justice have worked to set the civil rights agenda by

a. Sponsoring judicial cases.

b. Participating in juries.

c. Asking judges for special favors.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 530

28. Which of the following statements is accurate?

a. U.S. social movements and interest groups attempt to set the agenda for domestic and foreign policy.

b. U.S. social movements and interest groups only attempt to set the agenda for domestic policy.

c. U.S. social movements and interest groups only attempt to set the agenda for foreign policy.

d. U.S. social movements and interest groups do not attempt to set the policy agenda.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 531-532

29. How does the media influence agenda setting?

a. By controlling the amount of media exposure a policy receives.

b. By controlling coverage content.

c. By controlling the tone of media coverage.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 532

30. Which of the following statements is accurate?

a. The media refrains from negative racial stereotypes to further aid civil rights causes.

b. The media always works to improve the status of civil rights in the United States.

c. The media has aided in civil rights agenda setting, as well as perpetuated and promoted harmful racial stereotypes.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 533

31. The stage of the policy-making process in which legislators make policy is known as

a. Policy enactment.

b. Agenda setting.

c. Policy evaluation.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 535

32. The stage in the policy-making process in which government actors draft a solution to a problem that they have recognized merits their attention is known as

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 535

33. The stage in the policy-making process in which the policy is actually enacted is known as

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 535

34. When a piece of legislation undergoes examination and amendment in a Congressional committee, it is said to be in the midst of

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 535

35. When a president is signing a bill into law, it is said to be in the midst of

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 535

36. Which of the following plays a significant role in policy adoption?

a. The executive branch.

b. The legislative branch.

c. The judicial branch.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 535-536

37. Which of the following statements is accurate?

a. Agenda setting always leads to policy enactment.

b. Policy enactment always leads to agenda setting.

c. Agenda setting does not always lead to policy enactment.

d. Policy enactment does not always lead to agenda setting.

Question type: applied

Page number: 535-536

38. The lack of action by the government to ameliorate poverty, discrimination, and harsh living conditions in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina despite interest group, media, and international interest demonstrates which of the following?

a. Agenda setting always leads to policy enactment.

b. Policy enactment always leads to agenda setting.

c. Agenda setting does not always lead to policy enactment.

d. Policy enactment does not always lead to agenda setting.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 543

39. Which of the following is not a part of policy enactment?

a. Policy adoption.

b. Policy evaluation.

c. Policy formulation.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 535

40. When a president develops an executive order, he or she is engaging in the process of

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 535

41. When a member of Congress drafts a bill, he or she is engaging in the process of

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 535

42. When both Houses of Congress approve the final version of a bill, they are engaging in the process of

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 535

43. When federal judges write court opinions, they are engaging in the process of

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 535

44. When members of Congress, presidents, and federal judges engage in policy formulation, they

a. Do so by themselves.

b. Do so solely with help from other branches of government.

c. Do so with the aid of their staff.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 535-536

45. The degree to which policies favoring or benefitting racial and ethnic minorities are formulated often depends on

a. Minority representation in interest groups.

b. Minority representation with political institutions.

c. Minority representation in the media.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 536

46. _______ members of Congress were the group that was largely responsible for placing on the agenda and formulating the Darfur Genocide Accountability Act of 2005.

a. African-American.

b. Junior.

c. Christian.

d. Senior.

Question type: factual

Page number: 536

47. ________ members of Congress have led the way on agenda-setting and domestic policy formulation pertaining to immigration and the rights of people without documentation.

a. Female and Protestant.

b. Latino and Asian American.

c. Black and Evangelical.

d. Southern and Western.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 537

48. What is the public’s indirect means for influencing the policy formulation process?

a. Political institutions.

b. Economic success.

c. The media.

d. Political parties.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 537

49. What is the public’s main avenue for directly influencing the policy formulation process?

a. Political parties.

b. Congressional testimony.

c. Political institutions.

d. The media.

Question type: factual

Page number: 538

50. A federal law that requires administrative agencies to publish proposed rules and allow the public to offer comment on them before they go into effect is called the

a. Civil Rights Act.

b. Civil Liberties Act.

c. Administrative Procedures Act.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 538

51. The Administrative Procedures Act was passed into law in

a. 1866.

b. 1896.

c. 1916.

d. 1946.

Question type: factual

Page number: 537

52. The ___________ was developed by Congress in order to apologize to and compensate the Japanese American victims of internment during World War II?

a. Civil Liberties Act.

b. Executive Orders Act

c. Civil Rights Act.

d. None of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 537

53. Japanese American activists who testified before the Commission on Wartime Relocation are said to have engaged in

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 538

54. Which of the following laws gives the public some time to comment and possibly shape public policy?

a. Civil Rights Act.

b. Civil Liberties Act.

c. Administrative Procedures Act.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 538

55. Interest groups that focus on research and scholarly analysis of issues relevant to the people they represent are known as

a. Social movements.

b. Think tanks.

c. Political institutions.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 538

56. How do think tanks figure into the policy-making process?

a. They conduct research and analysis on various topics, thus producing important policy information.

b. They formulate policy based on their research.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 538

57. How do interest groups help to formulate policy in the federal judiciary?

a. They sponsor cases.

b. They write amicus curiae briefs.

c. The work for the prosecution.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 538

58. Which of the following types of groups or institutions published a report to make specific policy recommendations concerning extremely poor health outcomes for Blacks in Mississippi?

a. Interest group.

b. Political party.

c. Government institution.

d. Social movement.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 538

59. Although many policies are formulated,

a. Few are evaluated.

b. Few are adopted.

c. Few are rejected.

d. None of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 539

60. How do members of the public communicate their policy adoption preferences?

a. Through the media.

b. Through interest groups.

c. Through social movements.

d. All of the above.

Question type: applied

Page number: 539

61. Which of the following is nearly always essential in the policy adoption process?

a. Interest group backing.

b. Political institution approval.

c. Compromise.

d. Social movement backing.

Question type: applied

Page number: 540

62. The failure to adopt a 2018 bipartisan immigration reform for DACA immigrants demonstrates

a. The difficulties found in the agenda-setting process.

b. The difficulties found in the policy formulation process.

c. The inability to adopt policies without compromise.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 542-543

63. Which of the following has directly influenced the debate over the adoption of health-care reform policy?

a. Ageism.

b. Racism.

c. Religion animosity.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 540

64. Which of the following provides an example of a political position that allows a single individual to block policy adoption?

a. The Supreme Court.

b. Congressional committee chairs.

c. Congressional party whips.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 540

65. Of the many political powers and strategies held by the president, which of the following can be used to adopt policies unilaterally?

a. Executive orders.

b. Signing statements.

c. Veto power.

d. Position taking in the media.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 543

66. The stage in the policy-making process in which government actors and even private citizens carry out enacted policies is known as

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 543

67. The stage of the policy-making process in which government actors and private citizens determine whether an implemented policy is achieving its intended effect is known as

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 543

68. The practice of buckling a seat belt when entering a vehicle provides an example of

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 543

69. Executive branch enforcement of policies passed by Congress provides an example of

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 543

70. The drafting of legislation to rectify racial disparities in punishment for drug offenders that exist in current law would only come about due to

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: applied

Page number: 543

71. The main purpose of a congressional oversight committee is to engage in

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 543-544

72. Which of the following is necessary in the policy implementation stage?

a. Money must be allocated and spent.

b. Regulations must be enforced.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 544

73. The lack of funding for the implementation of the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act

a. Equally disadvantaged all school districts throughout the United States.

b. Further disadvantaged and impoverished many districts with large portions of racial and ethnic minorities.

c. Actually improved the chances of district success under the program.

d. Was not a crucial factor in the success of the program.

Question type: factual

Page number: 544

74. In the _______, the U.S. government began to enforce civil rights laws less vigorously as compared to recent decades.

a. 1950s.

b. 1960s.

c. 1970s.

d. 1980s.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 545

75. Why do policy makers formulate broad, rather than specific, policies?

a. To increase the likelihood that the policy will be adopted.

b. To decrease opposition over details that could be fatal to a policy.

c. Both of the above.

d. Neither of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 546

76. Which of the following is not engaged in policy evaluation?

a. Individuals.

b. Interest groups.

c. Political institutions.

d. All are engaged in evaluation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 546

77. Why might groups evaluate policies differently?

a. They had differing opinions concerning policy adoption and implementation.

b. They are upset about not being allowed to evaluate various policies.

c. They are interested in opposing all governmental action.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 547

78. Differences in rates of incarceration of Whites, Blacks, and Latinos for various crimes may suggest

a. Differences in rates at which various races commit various crimes.

b. Racialized differences in how police enforce laws concerning various crimes.

c. Racialized differences in the sentencing of various crimes.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 548

79. A policy evaluation report:

a. Can be interpreted in different ways by different groups and individuals.

b. Is always unbiased.

c. Rarely includes statistical details.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 549

80. Which of the following is the most important in the policy-making process?

a. Agenda setting.

b. Policy enactment.

c. Postenactment stages.

d. All are equally important and necessary.

Question type: factual

Page number: 540

81. Which of the following is accurate?

a. President Obama attempted to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

b. President Trump attempted to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

c. Attorney General Jeff Sessions attempted to end the detention of undocumented immigrant children.

d. All of the above are accurate.

Question type: factual

Page number: 533

82. Egyptian president, Mohammed Morsi, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, was removed from power by the Egyptian military in

a. 1956.

b. 1973..

c. 2003.

d. 2013.

Question type: factual

Page number: 536

83. Which members of Congress have led the process concerning the formulation of America’s foreign policy regarding genocide, particularly in the 21^st century?

a. Latino MCs.

b. Southerner MCs.

c. African-American MCs.

d. Jewish MCs.

Question type: factual

Page number: 544

84. Despite rhetoric supportive of the prevention and eradication of _______, the Trump administration has proposed cutting funding for ________.

a. AIDS; President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

b. malaria; President’s Emergency Plan for Ending Malaria.

c. measles; President’s Emergency Plan for Ending Childhood Diseases.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 536-537

85. In 2015, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) unsuccessfully attempted to create legislation that would allow the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to cover which group?

a. Billionaires.

b. Undocumented immigrants.

c. Fetuses.

d. European refugees.

Question type: factual

Page number: 537

86. What policy geared toward protecting minority voting rights appeared in the 2016 Democratic Party platform?

a. Advocating voting by mail.

b. Advocating early voting.

c. Advocating same-day registration.

d. All of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 537

87. The _________ Party platform in 2016 advocated for statehood for Washington, D.C.

a. Republican.

b. Democratic.

c. Independent.

d. None of the above.

Question type: factual

Page number: 537

88. Which 2016 party platform advocated for ending systemic racism?

a. Republican.

b. Democratic.

c. Both.

d. Neither.

Question type: factual

Page number: 537

89. Which electoral policy did the 2016 Republican party platform support?

a. Photo identification for voting.

b. Same-day registration.

c. Early voting.

d. Voting by mail.

Question type: factual

Page number: 537

90. Which of the following was NOT an immigration-related policy that appeared on the 2016 Republican party platform?

a. Building a wall along the border with Mexico.

b. Opposition to “sanctuary cities.”

c. Citizenship pathway for undocumented immigrants currently in the country.

d. Forcing undocumented immigrants to leave the country.

Question type: factual

Page number: 531

91. In 2018, Amnesty International publically criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies on the basis of potential

a. Human rights abuses.

b. Environmental dangers.

c. Civil wars.

d. Civil liberties.

Question type: applied

Page number: 543

92. Congressional committee meetings to examine the outcomes of No Child Left Behind policies provided an example of

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 535

93. Which of the following generally cannot operate without compromise among legislators?

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Question type: factual

Page number: 541

94. Which of the following influenced the debates regarding President Trump’s 2017 travel ban?

a. Racial prejudice and xenophobia.

b. Public protests.

c. Inaccurate information.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 535-537

95. Who engages in policy formulation?

a. Members of Congress.

b. Interest groups.

c. Political parties.

d. All of the above.

Question type: conceptual

Page number: 537

96. When a political party updates its party platform, it is engaged in

a. Policy formulation.

b. Policy adoption.

c. Policy implementation.

d. Policy evaluation.

Short-Answer Questions

1. How do disparities in mandatory prison terms for powder and crack cocaine demonstrate the influence of race on public policy?

They demonstrate that racial appeals and prejudices can influence both policy formulation and policy implementation.

2. Define agenda setting and indicate why it matters in the policy-making process.

Agenda setting: The stage in the policy-making process in which certain issues reach a level of public concern that attracts the attention of government officials.
This determines which types of policy will be considered and created.

3. What is an agenda universe? What type of policies is not considered part of the agenda universe?

All possible legitimate issues that could be brought to the attention of the public and possibly lawmakers.
Not part of agenda universe: Policy goals that are not socially acceptable.

4. What are systemic, institutional, and decision agendas? How are they related?

Answer should provide the definitions of the three concepts.
The agenda-setting process progresses through each of these agendas as they are listed above.

5. List at least three (3) of the tactics used by interest groups in their quest to influence policy agendas?

Demonstrations, protests, appealing to the media, litigation, lobbying.

6. How do media outlets influence agenda setting?

They control content.
They control issue exposure.

7. How did the media coverage of the civil rights movement during the 1960s influence agenda setting?

Civil rights activists were working to set the agenda by way of their nonviolent actions.
The media documented these actions and the violent government and private reprisals in a way and to a degree that many Americans had not seen, thus encouraging individuals to push civil rights to the forefront of the policy agenda.

8. Evaluate the following statement: The degree to which policies favoring or benefitting racial and ethnic minorities are formulated often depends on minority representation in political institutions.

This is largely true, in that it is often racial minorities that engage in agenda setting concerning minority interests (Haynie, 2001); the same is true of women and racial minority women.
Nevertheless, there are some instances (Brown v. Board of Education (1954); Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965) in which we see more sweeping changes that were brought about to extend equality to excluded racial groups.
Still, in terms of policy formulation benefitting racial and ethnic minorities, these groups often must be present in the institutions creating the policies.

9. How can the media influence foreign policy agenda setting?

Context of the reporting on international conflicts matters.
Whether the media chooses to report international issues and policies has an effect (as seen with the Rwandan genocide).
Reporting human rights violations can be very effective.

10. Define policy enactment and indicate how it is important in the policy-making process.

Policy enactment: The second stage of policy making, which includes the ever important concepts of policy formulation and policy adoption.
This works to determine how policies will go into effect and who they will influence.

11. Define policy formulation and provide two examples of instances where this takes place.

Definition: The stage in the policy-making process in which government actors draft a solution to a problem that they have recognized merits their attention.
Examples: Development process/stage of an executive order, Congressional bill drafting process, court opinion writing process.

12. Define policy adoption and provide two examples of instances where this takes place.

Definition: The stage in the policy-making process in which the policy is actually enacted.
Examples: Congressional passage and executive signing of legislative initiatives, federal court rulings.

13. Define think tanks and demonstrate their connection to the influence of interest groups on policy formulation.

Definition: Interest groups that focus on research and scholarly analysis of issues relevant to the people they represent.
The material produced by think tanks qualifies as policy formulation and can begin to proceed through the policy-making process if taken on by government officials.

14. How can nongovernmental entities influence the policy adoption process?

Members of the public can communicate their support or displeasure for a policy that is to be adopted by way of activity in social movements and interest groups and by way of appeals to the media.
Significant public opposition can stall or kill the adoption prospects of a policy.

15. Why is compromise important in the policy adoption process?

The process for passing legislation is long and convoluted, with many stages at which bills can stall or fail.
Compromise is necessary to get enough legislative support for a policy for it to surmount the many barriers to policy adoption.

16. Provide examples of how policy proposals or topics have been racialized.

The unprecedented outburst (“You lie”) against President Obama during a formal address specific to health-care reform.
The circulation of offensive “witch doctor” caricatures of President Obama in e-mails opposing health-care reform.
President Trump’s executive order concerning a ban on travel from Muslim-majority nations.
Highlights that these racialized responses had nothing to do with the policies that were being put forward.

17. Why is it necessary to examine what happens after policy enactment when examining the issue of policy making?

Policy making continues beyond the adoption process, especially because many policies are written broadly for them to be adopted.
This allows for a lot of policy-making power at the implementation level.

18. Define policy implementation and indicate how it is important in the policy-making process.

The stage in the policy-making process in which government actors and even private citizens carry out enacted policies.
Particularly in terms of the executive branch, there is a great deal of room for policy interpretation and prioritization of which portions of policies should be implemented and how.

19. Define policy evaluation and indicate its importance in the policy-making process.

Policy evaluation: The stage in the policy-making process in which government actors and private citizens determine whether an implemented policy is achieving its intended effect.
Without this aspect of policy-making, there would be no way to determine whether the policy is effective, whether it is having unintended consequences, and whom it is affecting.

20. Examine the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 and the concept of policy evaluation. How are these linked?

The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 (which decreased the inequality in sentencing for powder vs. crack cocaine sentencing largely because of the severe racial inequalities) came about as a result of policy evaluation.
Without interest group lobbying and judicial support in the evaluation of the sentencing policies that were in place, this legislation would not have been formulated or adopted.

21. What is one of the main ways that political parties engage in policy formulation?

The development of party platforms at party national conventions.

22. Identify and define the two policy postenactment stages?

Policy implementation: the stage in the policymaking process in which government actors and even private citizens carry out enacted policies.
Policy evaluation: the stage in the policymaking process in which government actors and private citizens determine whether an implemented policy is achieving its intended effect.

23. Which types of issues and policy positions are NOT a part of the agenda universe? Provide an example.

Issues that are not socially acceptable are not a part of the agenda universe.
Example: reinstating laws that require racial segregation.

24. Who is involved in the agenda-setting process?

Citizens/interest groups, legislators, other government/administrative officials.

Essay Questions

1. Discuss the agenda-setting process in the context of policy making. Be sure to include a discussion of the stages of agenda setting in your response and provide an example of a policy that makes its way through each stage of the agenda-setting process.

Define agenda setting, agenda universe, and systemic, institutional, and decision agendas (and demonstrate how these concepts are linked to one another).
Include an example of a policy preference making its way from the agenda universe to the edge of the beginning of the policy enactment process.

2. Evaluate the statement that all policy making is inherently about social issues.

Define policy making.
Validate this statement by demonstrating that it is generally social attention to an issue that brings said issue to the government level.
Counterargue that some policies are specific to the political or economic system, thus not starting at the social level.
Retort that political and economic policies may still be challenged on the social level.

3. Discuss which actors are the most important in the agenda-setting process.

Define the components of agenda setting.
Identify the roles of political actors, social movements and interest groups, and the media in the agenda-setting process.
Evaluate the strength of each of these groups in this process.

4. Compare the media coverage of the Bosnian genocide and the Rwandan genocide. How did the U.S. media coverage of these two events influence foreign policy? Did race play a role in this issue?

Briefly overview the two events.
Demonstrate a greater media interest in the Bosnian conflict than in the Rwandan conflict.
Highlight the racial differences and arguments concerning why the former genocide received more attention (and thus foreign policy action) than the latter.

5. Consider the policy formulation stage. Discuss how policies are developed and who gets the opportunity to influence this stage. Provide an example of a policy and examine the ways in which the policy formulation stage unfolded.

Define policy formulation.
Examine the ways in which political actors, interest groups, media, and social movements influence policy formulation, with the first group being the most directly influential.
Provides an example of a policy and discusses the policy formulation process. This could include a policy such as the development of the DREAM Act, and would discuss the ways in which immigrant rights activists have pushed for reform, as well as the reaction from legislators and the general public, and how the interactions among these groups influenced what was in the DREAM Act and whether it was adopted.

6. Examine the issue of compromise in the policy adoption process. Demonstrate how compromise is even necessary at the judicial level, based on the Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) case.

Discuss the purpose of the Regents v. Bakke (1978) case.
Examine the division concerning the ruling and how the court created a compromise to push forward the adoption of the change in affirmative action policy.
Highlight the importance of compromise in the policy formulation and adoption processes.

7. Discuss the ways in which racism has influenced the debate over the adoption of health-care reform policies.

Examine the debate over health care beginning in 2009 and the deracialized nature of the policies within the legislation.
Highlight the racialized attacks on President Obama and the policies he was presenting.
Provide an argument concerning the degree to which opponents to the president’s health-care reform proposals were motivated by racism.

8. Examine the failure of 2018 bipartisan immigration legislation. Evaluate the source of its failure.

Identify the purposes of the legislation, particularly in the context of DACA the the “Dreamers”.
Identify the ways in which the lack of compromise led to the legislation not being adopted.
Focus on the importance of compromise to the policy adoption process.
Include an examination of President Trump’s actions concerning Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

9. Discuss the postenactment stages of the policy-making process. Examine the broad scope of these stages.

Explain postenactment as the third stage of policy making.
Define policy implementation and policy evaluation.
Examine the broad ways in which policies can be implemented and the entities and individuals responsible for implementation.
Examine the entities and individuals that engage in policy evaluation and demonstrate that there can be differing viewpoints concerning evaluation.

10. Discuss the issue of racial disparities in criminal convictions and sentencing.

Explain what racial disparities are.
Highlight racial differences in convictions and sentences for various crimes.
Argue that racial disparities may be the result of:
- Differences in rates at which various races commit various crimes.
- Racialized differences in how police enforce laws concerning various crimes.
- Racialized differences in the sentencing of various crimes.
Argue that policy formulation and policy implementation have directly disadvantaged racial and ethnic minorities.

11. How is each branch of government involved in the policymaking process? Is any one branch of government more powerful in this process?

Review the ways in which the legislative, executive, and judicial branches are involved in the various policymaking stages.
Present a strong argument for any one branch, or a strong argument that they are equally powerful. This will be harder to do demonstrate with the judicial branch.

12. Which of the five stages of the policymaking process is the most important in terms of the efficacy of the policy itself? Identify, examine, and provide an example for each stage, then make a case for why one of these stages is the most important.

Define and examine the aspects of agenda-setting, policy formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation.
Include an example of each of these stages.
Present a strong argument for why any one of these stages is most important for the efficacy of a policy. This will be harder to do for the agenda-setting, policy adoption and evaluation stages, given that they do not directly influence the various aspects of the policy and how they are enacted.

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