Chapter 7: American Politics

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. Behavioralists in American politics generally study which of the following?

a. the actions of individuals within a political system

b. the rules and norms that guide how individuals ‘play the game’

c. the impact that specialized groups and social movements have on policy and political systems

d. the nature of groups that form to represent ideologies and values, or to access the perks of office

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Introduction

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. The study of the nature of Congress, the Courts, and the Presidency is an example of study in which of the following major topics in American politics?

a. political parties

b. interest groups

c. institutions

d. political behavior

Learning Objective: 7.1: Describe the major functions and characteristics of Congress.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Introduction

Difficulty Level: Medium

3. Which of the following best describes gerrymandering?

a. the widening difference between the policy positions of political parties

b. a maneuver used in the Senate to prevent a vote that would end debate on a bill

c. the redrawing of district lines for political purposes

d. the idea of diverse interests balancing each other out

Learning Objective: 7.1: Describe the major functions and characteristics of Congress.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Differences Between the House and Senate

Difficulty Level: Easy

4. How is representation in the House of Representatives structured?

a. Members are divided proportionally across states by population according to districts.

b. Members are divided proportionally across states as nominated by state legislatures.

c. Members are divided equally across all states regardless of population.

d. Members are divided equally across states as nominated by state legislatures.

Learning Objective: 7.1: Describe the major functions and characteristics of Congress.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Differences Between the House and Senate

Difficulty Level: Easy

5. How is representation in the Senate structured?

a. Members are divided proportionally across states by population according to districts.

b. Members are divided proportionally across states as nominated by state legislatures.

c. Members are divided equally across all states regardless of population.

d. Members are divided equally across states as nominated by state legislatures.

Learning Objective: 7.1: Describe the major functions and characteristics of Congress.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Differences Between the House and Senate

Difficulty Level: Easy

6. Which of the following is often used by the minority party in the Senate to prevent the end of debate over a bill?

a. polarization

b. filibuster

c. gerrymandering

d. pluralism

Learning Objective: 7.1: Describe the major functions and characteristics of Congress.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Differences Between the House and Senate

Difficulty Level: Easy

7. Which of the following best describes the central argument of David Mayhew’s thesis on Congressional behavior?

a. Members of Congress are primarily motivated by policy-making.

b. Members of Congress are primarily motivated by political ambition.

c. Members of Congress are primarily motivated by the perks of office.

d. Members of Congress are primarily motivated by reelection.

Learning Objective: 7.1: Describe the major functions and characteristics of Congress.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Congressional Behavior

Difficulty Level: Medium

8. With which governing institution is the process of creating and passing of the federal budget in the United States initiated?

a. the Presidency

b. the Congressional Budget Office

c. the House of Representatives

d. the Senate

Learning Objective: 7.1: Describe the major functions and characteristics of Congress.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Jobs of Congress

Difficulty Level: Medium

9. Which of the following is used to continue funding the federal government for a short time while a federal budget is still being drafted or debated?

a. executive order

b. continuing resolution

c. filibuster

d. signing statement

Learning Objective: 7.1: Describe the major functions and characteristics of Congress.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The Jobs of Congress

Difficulty Level: Easy

10. Which of the following scholars argued that growth in the presidency can be attributable to an increase in governmental activities?

a. Ragsdale and Thies

b. Dickinson and Lebo

c. Mayhew

d. Neustadt

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Power

Difficulty Level: Hard

11. Which of the following scholars argued that the growth in the presidency has been a function of the president’s charisma, reputation in Washington and among the public, and ability to persuade?

a. Ragsdale and Thies

b. Dickinson and Lebo

c. Mayhew

d. Neustadt

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Power

Difficulty Level: Hard

12. What is the central thesis of Dickinson and Lebo’s argument about the dynamics of presidential power in the United States?

a. It is a function of an increase in governmental activities.

b. It is a function of the changing dynamics of power in Congress, the influence of the press, and the mass public.

c. It is a function of the reelection ambitions of politicians themselves.

d. It is a function of the president’s charisma, ability to persuade others, and outward reputation.

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Power

Difficulty Level: Hard

13. What is the central thesis of Neustadt’s argument about the dynamics of presidential power in the United States?

a. It is a function of an increase in governmental activities.

b. It is a function of the changing dynamics of power in Congress, the influence of the press, and the mass public.

c. It is a function of the reelection ambitions of politicians themselves.

d. It is a function of the president’s charisma, ability to persuade others, and outward reputation.

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Power

Difficulty Level: Hard

14. The ability of the president to operate independently of the Congress is referred to as ______.

a. administrative presidency

b. executive order

c. presidential unilateralism

d. signing statement

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The President and the Other Branches

Difficulty Level: Medium

15. The strategy presidents have used to influence mass opinion so that that constituents can influence their members of Congress is often referred to as ______.

a. enacting executive orders

b. going public

c. acting unilaterally

d. issuing a signing statement

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The President and the Other Branches

Difficulty Level: Easy

16. The concept of the administrative presidency refers to the ______.

a. political functions, executive, and unilateral powers of the president to influence public policy

b. ability of the president to operate independently of the Congress

c. directives issued to government agencies to undertake a task or interpret a law in a particular way

d. praising of bills passed into law and interpreting the new laws as understood by the office of the presidency

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: The President and the Other Branches

Difficulty Level: Easy

17. Which of the following is used to direct government agencies to undertake a task or interpret a law in a particular way?

a. executive order

b. continuing resolution

c. filibuster

d. signing statement

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Policymaking

Difficulty Level: Easy

18. Which of the following is used to praise the passage of a bill and to lay out its interpretation?

a. executive order

b. continuing resolution

c. filibuster

d. signing statement

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Policymaking

Difficulty Level: Easy

19. What is the purpose of signing statements?

a. undertake a task or interpret a law in a particular way as per the Executive Branch’s orders

b. continue funding the federal government for a defined period of time, in the absence of a federal budget

c. prevent a cloture vote that would end debate on a bill in the Senate

d. praise the passage of a bill and to lay out a high-level interpretation of the bill as well

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Policymaking

Difficulty Level: Easy

20. Which of the following landmark Supreme Court cases makes the clearest example of policymaking from the bench?

a. Brown v. Board of Education

b. Marbury v. Madison

c. Bush v. Gore

d. Worcester v. Georgia

Learning Objective: 7.3: Examine the role and politics of the federal courts.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Role of the Courts

Difficulty Level: Hard

21. Which of the following landmark Supreme Court cases establishes the Court’s power of judicial review over Congress?

a. Brown v. Board of Education

b. Marbury v. Madison

c. Plessy v. Ferguson

d. Worcester v. Georgia

Learning Objective: 7.3: Examine the role and politics of the federal courts.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Role of the Courts

Difficulty Level: Medium

22. After 2013, cloture in the Senate was required only for nominations to the ______.

a. District Court

b. Appellate Court

c. Circuit Court

d. Supreme Court

Learning Objective: 7.3: Examine the role and politics of the federal courts.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Judicial Nominations

Difficulty Level: Medium

23. In political behavior, the process through which people acquire beliefs about the world around them is known as ______.

a. socialization

b. the funnel of causality

c. partisanship

d. polarization

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Socialization

Difficulty Level: Easy

24. Which of the following describes the funnel of causality?

a. the process through which we acquire beliefs about the world around us

b. a model of the different influences on a person’s voting behavior

c. being specifically or especially in support of one thing or another

d. the widening difference between the policy positions of political parties

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Public Opinion

Difficulty Level: Easy

25. In political behavior, the model originally used to predict the different influences on a person’s decision for whom to vote is called ______.

a. socialization

b. the funnel of causality

c. partisanship

d. polarization

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Public Opinion

Difficulty Level: Easy

26. In political behavior, to be supportive or in favor of one political party or another is called ______.

a. socialization

b. the funnel of causality

c. partisanship

d. polarization

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Partisanship and Polarization

Difficulty Level: Easy

27. Which of the following describes the polarization?

a. the process through which we acquire beliefs about the world around us

b. a model of the different influences on a person’s voting behavior

c. being specifically or especially in support of one thing or another

d. the widening difference between the policy positions of political parties

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Partisanship and Polarization

Difficulty Level: Easy

28. Most recently, political scientists studying American politics often use which of the following to measure polarization?

a. NOMINATE

b. D-NOMINATE

c. W-NOMINATE

d. DW-NOMINATE

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Partisanship and Polarization

Difficulty Level: Medium

29. ______ are political groups that represent the interests of citizens in the aggregate and run for office.

a. Factions

b. Interest groups

c. Political parties

d. Social movements

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Interest Groups

Difficulty Level: Easy

30. ______ are political groups that represent narrow interests and attempt to influence policy through means other than running for office.

a. Factions

b. Interest groups

c. Political parties

d. Social movements

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Interest Groups

Difficulty Level: Easy

31. Which of the following best describes collective action problems?

a. the widening difference between the policy positions of political parties

b. a maneuver used in the Senate to prevent a vote that would end debate on a bill

c. the difficulty of getting a large number of people to work together for a common goal

d. the idea of diverse interests balancing each other out

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Interest Groups

Difficulty Level: Easy

32. Which of the following best describes pluralism?

a. the widening difference between the policy positions of political parties

b. a maneuver used in the Senate to prevent a vote that would end debate on a bill

c. the difficulty of getting a large number of people to work together for a common goal

d. the idea of diverse interests balancing each other out

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Interest Groups

Difficulty Level: Easy

True/False

1. In daily life in the United States, as in many countries around the world, politics is more ubiquitous than we realize.

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Introduction

Difficulty Level: Easy

2. The two chambers of Congress are different in their scope, power, and capacity to legislate.

Learning Objective: 7.1: Describe the major functions and characteristics of Congress.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Congress

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. Gerrymandering affects both Houses of Congress.

Learning Objective: 7.1: Describe the major functions and characteristics of Congress.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Congress

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Referring to the president is synonymous with reference to the presidency.

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The Presidency

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Scholars argue that, in general, presidential power has been growing significantly since the crises of the early 20th century.

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Presidential Power

Difficulty Level: Medium

6. In the lawmaking and law executing part of government, the presidency is capable of working independently of Congress.

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: The President and the Other Branches

Difficulty Level: Hard

7. The President does NOT have a hand in the policymaking process other than signing and vetoing bills.

Learning Objective: 7.2: Understand the powers and functions of the presidency.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Policymaking

Difficulty Level: Easy

8. It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish judicial review from judicial policymaking.

Learning Objective: 7.3: Examine the role and politics of the federal courts.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Role of the Courts

Difficulty Level: Easy

9. Senate Republicans were the first to use the ‘nuclear option’ (no longer requiring cloture) on justice nominations.

Learning Objective: 7.3: Examine the role and politics of the federal courts.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Judicial Nominations

Difficulty Level: Medium

10. Voting is the only means through which American citizens have a voice in the political process.

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Comprehension

Answer Location: Voting and Other Political Behavior

Difficulty Level: Easy

11. Elite theory is based on the premise that it is in fact a small number of groups or people who control political power.

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Knowledge

Answer Location: Interest Groups

Difficulty Level: Easy

Essay

1. What is the job of the U.S. Congress? Does the Congress fulfil its duties? How does it do so, if it does it at all? Why or why NOT?

Learning Objective: 7.1: Describe the major functions and characteristics of Congress.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Congress

Difficulty Level: Medium

2. What motivates, or should motivate, Members of Congress? Do the representatives in the U.S. legislative branch fulfil their duties? Why or why NOT?

Learning Objective: 7.1: Describe the major functions and characteristics of Congress.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Congress

Difficulty Level: Hard

3. What is the role of the Supreme Court of the United States? Do the courts in the United States have an obligation to influence (if NOT make) policy from the bench, or is this a ‘step too far’? Why?

Learning Objective: 7.3: Examine the role and politics of the federal courts.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Role of the Courts

Difficulty Level: Medium

4. Why is voter turnout as low as it is in the United States? What things have been attempted to increase turnout—are the effective? What could or should be undertaken to increase turnout?

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Application

Answer Location: Voting and Other Political Behavior

Difficulty Level: Medium

5. Consider the concepts and theories that you have learned about so far. What would it take for a third party to succeed in the United States, and why? Make an argument as to why you think this could be possible—or NOT.

Learning Objective: 7.4: Examine patterns of political behavior in the United States.

Cognitive Domain: Analysis

Answer Location: Political Parties

Difficulty Level: Hard