Term
| "Bicameralism" is a constitutional principle that means |
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Definition
| division of Congress into two chambers |
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Term
The most common method of passing an amendment of the Constitution is
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Definition
| passage in bith house of Congress by a 2/3 vote, followed by ratification by 3/4 of the state legislatures |
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Term
| How many amendments are there in the U.S. Constituion? |
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Definition
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Term
| Judicial review is the power of |
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Definition
| the courts to decide on the constitionality of actions taken by the other branches of government |
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Term
| The three branches of the government created by the Constitution are |
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Definition
| executive, judicial, and legislative |
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Term
| The principle of granting the federal government only those powers specifically listed in the Constition is called |
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Definition
| the theory of seperated powers |
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Term
| What is the term lenght of a member of the House of Representatives? |
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Definition
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Term
| The system of shared powers, divided between a central government and the states, is called |
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Definition
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Term
| The ability of the president to veto a bill passed by Congress is a good example of what principle of limited government? |
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Definition
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Term
| What is the Three-fifths Compromise? |
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Definition
| It determined that three out of every five slaves would be counted for purposes of representation and taxation |
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Term
| The Great Compromise lead to the |
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Definition
| creation of a bicameral Congress |
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Term
| The first written constitution for the United States was called |
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Definition
| the Articles of Confederation |
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Term
| Beyond voting, most forms of political participation take place at what level of government? |
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Definition
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Term
| Those seeking to restrain the power of the national government look to what part of the Constitution? |
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Definition
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Term
What is the main purpose behind the privledges and immunities clause of Article IV?
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Definition
| It prevents a state from giving special favors to its own residents or discriminating against nonresidents |
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Term
| What level of government is not mentioned at all in the Constitution? |
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Definition
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Term
| Which level of government writes the majority of all criminal laws? |
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Definition
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Term
| What clause of the Constitution requires that states normally recognize the laws, acts, and judicial decision of other states? |
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Definition
| full faith and credit clause |
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Term
| What constitutional clause affirms that national laws and treaties, made under the authority of the Constitution, are the supreme law of the land? |
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Definition
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Term
| When both state and national governments possess a certain authority, it is called |
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Definition
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Term
| What constitional clause requires states to normally honor the public acts and legal decisions of one another? |
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Definition
| full faith and credit clause |
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Term
| The authority of the states to regulate the safety, health, and even morals of its citizens is called |
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Definition
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Term
| The specific powers granted to the federal government in Article I, Section 8 are called |
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Definition
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Term
| A system of government in which power is divided between the national government and lower levels of government is called |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the following was not one of the writers of the Federalists Papers |
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Definition
John Madison
John Adams
Alexander Hamilton
John Jay |
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Term
| What is a person who lives in the district represented by a member of the legislature? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| Congress is____ legislature with___ members |
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Definition
|
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Term
| How long is the term of office for a U.S. senator? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| As of 2003, how many women serve in the U.S. Senate? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| The most common occupation among members of COngress before coming to Congress is |
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Definition
|
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Term
| In each House district there are approximately___ persons. |
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Definition
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Term
| A senator or representative running for re-election is called the |
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Definition
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Term
| In recent years, approximately what percentage of House members seeking re-election successfully win their race? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| Redistricting is controversial because |
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Definition
| the way districts are drawn can advantage one party over another |
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Term
| Pork-barrel legislation deals with |
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Definition
| specific projects and their location within |
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Term
Who is the Speaker of the House?
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Definition
| The elected leader of the majority party in the House |
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Term
| Who has the most formal power in the Senate? |
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Definition
| the majority and minority leaders |
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Term
| A filibuster allows members of the Senate to prevent a vote on a bill by speaking continuously on the floor |
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Definition
|
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Term
| How can a president's veto be overridden by Congress? |
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Definition
| by a 2/3 vote by both houses |
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Term
| Oversight can be best described as |
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Definition
| the efforts of Congress to supervise the manner in which its laws are implemented by the executive branch |
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Term
| The role the House of Representatives plays in impeachments can be best compared with that of a |
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Definition
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Term
| The frequency with which they must seek re-election makes members of the House |
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Definition
| more responsive to the needs of local interest groups in the districts they represent |
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Term
| Three factors related to the American electoral system affect who gets elected to office in this country, and what they do once they get there ARE |
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Definition
| incumbency, franking, and party affiliation |
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Term
| What is the process by which 3/5 of the Senate can end a filibuster |
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Definition
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Term
| A vote on which 50% or more of the members if one party takr one position while at least 50% of the members of the other party take the opposing position is called |
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Definition
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Term
| Since the 1960s, Americans trust in their government generally has |
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Definition
|
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Term
| The decline of political efficacy results from |
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Definition
- the belief that citisens cannot effect what happens in government
- the decline in active participation in public debates
- the decline in politcal knowledge
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Term
| Survey date shows that the level of Americans politcal knowledge is |
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Definition
|
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Term
| What is the principle difference between an autocracy and an obligarchy? |
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Definition
| the number of people in charge |
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Term
| A government that accepts no legal limits on its power, by may accept the restraint of other social institutions, such as churches, is known as |
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Definition
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Term
| If the government was controlled by a small group of wealthy landowners and corporate leaders, this would be best described as |
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Definition
|
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Term
| Government can be best defined as |
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Definition
| the institutions and procedures by which a piece of territory and its people are ruled |
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Term
| A service that a person needs but is usually unable to provide for him or herself individually is called |
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Definition
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Term
| According to the textbook, what is the main benefit of constitutional government? |
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Definition
| the government must obey democracy |
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Term
| Who described politics as "who get what, when, and how?" |
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Definition
|
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Term
| Direct democracy is best defined as |
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Definition
| a systemt that allows citizens to vote directly for laws and policies |
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Term
|
Definition
| the first 10 amendments of the Constitution |
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Term
| The Bill of Rights was designed to protect |
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Definition
|
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Term
| In American political culture, economic freedom means |
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Definition
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Term
| The Constitution's Preamble, beginning with the words "We the people.." is an indication of what principle? |
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Definition
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Term
| Affirmative action is very controversial because |
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Definition
| Americans argue about whether it promotes or restrains equality |
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Term
| Politcal rights are a protection against |
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Definition
| the tyranny of the majority |
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Term
| The seperate but equal doctrine was introduced in what Supreme Court case? |
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Definition
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Term
| Disputes over affirmative action demonstrate that |
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Definition
| Americans disagree over what is the public's legitimate role in ensuring equality of opportunity |
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Term
| Which of the following statements is true? |
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Definition
- The U.S. has a greater gap in income between the poorest and richest than any other developed nation
- Income gaps between the Americans are small, compared with those in other developed nations
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Term
| What restrictions were placed on the right to vote? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| Low voter turnout and political apathy endangers |
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Definition
|
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Term
| "Political culture" refers to the |
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Definition
| shared values, beliefs, and attitudes that serve to hold a nation and its people together |
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Term
| The right of each citizen to vote is an example of |
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Definition
|
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Term
| The central historical conflict regarding liberty in the US was the |
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Definition
| enslavement of African Americans |
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Term
| The power to declare war is given to whom under the Constitution? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| The term ___ was coined by critics who feared that the cheif executive's powers had grown too great since WWII |
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Definition
|
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Term
| What is required for Congress to override a presidential veto? |
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Definition
| 2/3 of both houses of Congress |
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Term
| Who was the first First Lady to seek and win public office on her own? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| The delcline of voting and political participation by Americans had which of the following effects? |
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Definition
| It enhances the power of the president while weakening Congress |
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Term
| The last time Congress exercised its constitutional power to declare was was in |
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Definition
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Term
| The office of the presidency was established by what article in the Constitution? |
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Definition
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Term
| In what type of law is the government always the plaintiff? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| If a private individual brought a suit against a corporation for breaking a contract, what kind of law would this lawsuit involve? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| The party that brings a complaint in court is called the ___, and the one against whom the complaint is brought is called the ___. |
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Definition
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Term
| The phrase "stare decisis" means |
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Definition
|
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Term
| When a case is resolved through a negotiated agreement before a full trial is completed, it is called |
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Definition
|
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Term
| The area of authority possessed by a court, in terms of either subject area or geography, is called its |
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Definition
|
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Term
| The right of due process is best described as the right of |
|
Definition
| every person not to be treated arbitrarily by a government official or agency |
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Term
| Original jurisdiction refers to |
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Definition
| the court with the authority to hear a case first |
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Term
| Trial courts in the federal judicial system are called |
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Definition
|
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Term
| How many justices currently serve on the Supreme Court? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| Through the exercise of ____, the Supreme Court has held actions or laws of the executive and legislative branches unconsitutional |
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Definition
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Term
| Why is the Supreme Court case of Marbury v. Madison important? |
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Definition
| In this case, the court authorized itself to exercise judicial review over laws passed by Congress |
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Term
|
Definition
| law made by judges through their decisions, not through specific statutes |
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Term
| A writ of certiorari is granted when |
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Definition
| at least 4 justices of the Court agree to hear a case |
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Term
| If someone is an advocate of judicial restraint, he or she believes |
|
Definition
- in looking only at the words of the Constitution in order to understand the meaning
- that the Court should beware of overturning the judgments of popularly elected legislatures
- that judges should limit their interpretations to the intention of the law's framers
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Term
| A single lawsuit involving thousands of smokers suin a tobacco company would be a good example of |
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Definition
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Term
| Since the early 1990s, the Supreme Court has adopted a more ____ position on civil rights, affirmitive action, abortion rights, criminal procedures, voting rights, desgregation, and the power of the national governemnt. |
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Definition
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Term
| The president has the power to appoint all the following, with the approval of the Senate, except |
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Definition
|
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Term
| The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution are called |
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Definition
|
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Term
| Which of the following is the best example of a substantive civil liberty? |
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Definition
| "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion" |
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Term
| According to the textbook, what is the constitutional problem relating to the nationalization of the Bill of Rights? |
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Definition
| Does the Bill of Rights put limits only on the national government, or does it limit state governments as well? |
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Term
| Which of the following is the best description of the Supreme Court's first ruling on the issue of the nationalization of the Bill of Rights in 1833? |
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Definition
| The Bill of Rights limits only the national government but not state governments |
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Term
| The process by which the Supreme Court has expanded specific parts of the Bill of Rights to protect citizens against states as well as federal actions is called |
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Definition
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Term
| The wall of separation between church and state is best found in what clause of the Constitution? |
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Definition
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Term
| Why was the Religious Freedom Reestorarion Act ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court? |
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Definition
| The Court argued that only the judiciary can interpret the scope of the Bill of Rights |
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Term
| when the government blocks the publication of material it does not want released, this is known as |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the following types of speech does/ does not receive full First Amendment protection |
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Definition
Slander
fighting words
obscenity |
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Term
| In order for a public official to win a libel suit against a news medium, the official must prove |
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Definition
| the story was false and malicious |
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Term
| Which of the following statements regarding the law and the Internet is false? |
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Definition
| while there have been a number of bills concerning internet regulation as of 2004 no federal laws have been passed |
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Term
| In criminal cases the burden of proof lies on the |
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Definition
|
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Term
| The _____ rule forbids the introduction in trial of any piece of evidence obtained illegally |
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Definition
|
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Term
|
Definition
| a jury that determines whether there is enough evidence to justify a trial |
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Term
| The controversy over suspicionless drug tests at school and in the workplace pits the governments war on drugs against the right |
|
Definition
| to privacy from unwarranted searches |
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Term
| The right against ____ prevents persons from being tried twice for the same crime |
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Definition
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Term
| The requirement that persons under arrest be informed of their right to remain silent is known as the ____ rule |
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Definition
|
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Term
| The term "eminent domain" describes |
|
Definition
| the power of the government to take private property for public use |
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Term
| The case Gideon v. Wainwright established the right |
|
Definition
| to counsel in felony cases |
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Term
| Since 1973, the right to abortion has been |
|
Definition
| uoheld but narrowed in scope |
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Term
| The substantive constraints found in the Bill of Rights |
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Definition
| Put limits on what government shall and shall not have the power to do |
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Term
| The procedural restraints found in the Bill of Rights |
|
Definition
| define how the government is supposed to act |
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Term
| The constitutional basis for the nationalization of the Bill of Rights is |
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Definition
|
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Term
| A woman's constitutional right to an abortion was established in |
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Definition
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Term
| Which of the following is the key question behind civil rights protection? |
|
Definition
| how has the the expansion of the bureaucracy effected democracy? |
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Term
| The NAACP had the most success with which of the following political strategies for combating racism? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| Which of the following best describes how to distinguish civil rights from civil liberties? |
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Definition
| unlike civil liberties, civil rights place positive obligations on the government to take action |
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Term
| The attempt to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment was an important political struggle for |
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Definition
|
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Term
| Which of the following was not used as a way to prevent African Americans from voting? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| The right to vote was strengthened in 1975 when Congress |
|
Definition
| made literacy tests illegal and mandated bilingual ballots or other assistance for non-English speaking Americans |
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Term
| Who inaugurated government affirmative action programs? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| Which of the following best summarizes the Supreme Courts ruling in Brown v. Board of Education? |
|
Definition
| racially segregated schools can never be equal |
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Term
| Which of the following best describes the trend in the federal courts toward school desegregation since the 1990s? |
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Definition
| the courts decreased the federal supervision of local school desegregation |
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Term
| Proposition 209, passed California voters in 1996, did what? |
|
Definition
| protecteed illegal aliens from discrimination by government agents |
|
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Term
| In the civil rights act of 1964, Congress vastly expanded the role of the executive branch and th credibility of cour orders by |
|
Definition
| requiring that federal grants in aid to state and local governments for education be withheld from any school system practicing racial segregation |
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Term
| The Supreme Court's ruling Plessy v. ferguson |
|
Definition
Anniunced the separate but equal rule |
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Term
| Women were guaranteed the right to vote with the passage of the 19th Amendment which was ratified in |
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Definition
|
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Term
| What was the goal pursued by members of the abolitionist movement? |
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Definition
|
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Term
| What was the Supreme Court's record in segregation cases in the years before Brown v. Board of Education? |
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Definition
| the court overturned forms of segregation, using the separate but equal rule on factual grounds |
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Term
| The civil rights of Latinos and Asian Americans were assisted by the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling that |
|
Definition
| school districts must provide instructions that students can understand |
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Term
| To what does the term Jim Crow refer? |
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Definition
| it refers to the system of racial segregation in the South after Reconstruction |
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Term
| One step taken toward the desegregation of public schools was |
|
Definition
| busing children from poor urban school districts to wealthier suburban ones |
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Term
| The rights of the disabled not to be discriminated against in employment and access to public businesses is guaranteed by |
|
Definition
| the Americans with Disabilites Act of 1990 |
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Term
| Which of the following practices was explicitly protected by the seperate but equal principle? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| When did civil rights become part of the US Constitution? |
|
Definition
| civil rights were incorporated with the ratification of the 14th amendment |
|
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Term
| Which of the following areas of discrimination was not touched by the legal principles of Brown v. Board of Education? |
|
Definition
voting
racially discriminatory jury selection
public accomodations |
|
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Term
| What is the name for the type of school segregation that is the result of racially divded neighborhoods, rather than state laws? |
|
Definition
|
|
Term
| What was the purpose of California's Proposition 187? |
|
Definition
| it barred illegal immigrants from receiving most public sevices |
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