Georgia State University (GSU) POLS 1101 Introduction to American Government Exam 2 Practice

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• How do committees facilitate congressional oversight of the executive branch?
• What is required to override a presidential veto?
• How do interest groups differ from political parties?
• Which statement best describes an executive order?
• Where are Congress' enumerated powers listed in the Constitution?
• What is a filibuster, and which chamber allows it? What vote is needed to end a filibuster?
• Which trio forms the core of the iron triangle in policy making?
• How does a bill become law in Congress?
• Which amendment granted Congress the authority to tax income?
• What is the function of a conference committee in the lawmaking process?
• What distinguishes judicial activism from judicial restraint?
• What is the difference between categorical grants and block grants?
• Which statement best describes how to improve poll representativeness through sampling?
• What are the official options for a president when legislation sits on the desk?
• What is substantive due process versus procedural due process?
• What is gerrymandering and how can it affect congressional elections?
• Which group raises and spends more money on average, incumbents or challengers?
• Is executive privilege limitless?
• Which court primarily handles initial trials in the federal system?
• What is the role of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)?
• Explain the concept of the 'iron triangle' in policy making.
• Which body has the primary responsibility for approving most presidential appointments?
• What is a standing committee, and what is its main function in Congress?
• In Congress, which of the following best defines an incumbent?
• How can a presidential veto be overridden?
• What is judicial review?
• Which branch has the power to declare war?
• What is the difference between discretionary authority and rulemaking in the federal bureaucracy?
• What is a filibuster and how can it be ended in the modern Senate?
• Which leadership position is the head of the House?
• Which right was applied to the states through selective incorporation in Gideon v. Wainwright?
• What is the difference between political parties and interest groups in American government?
• What is jurisdiction?
• In the modern Senate, how many votes are required to invoke cloture and end a filibuster?
• Why has judicial review been important for the development of federalism?
• Compare the consequences of a gridlocked Congress versus streamlined presidential action on policy outcomes.
• What is the difference between civil liberties and civil rights?
• What is the difference between procedural due process and substantive due process?
• What is the 'honeymoon period' for presidents?
• How is a Supreme Court decision published?
• What does selective incorporation refer to, and give an example of a right that has been incorporated at the state level.
• What is the Lemon test and in what area is it used?
• Which amendment established direct election of United States Senators?
• Which description best characterizes a block grant?
• Which statement about the role of stare decisis in the courts is most accurate?
• What are basic methods and sources of public opinion polling, and why is margin of error important?
• What was Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) about?
• What is the iron triangle in policy making?
• Which of the following describes the functions of the president's cabinet?
• Where in the Constitution are the powers of the president located?
• The welfare reform that devolved authority to the states created what program as a block grant?
• Which term describes funds that are required by law and not annually appropriated, such as Social Security?
• The Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination is commonly invoked as what practice?
• Why did the national debt double during the 1980s?
• After the Judiciary Committee reports a nomination, what happens next?
• What is random sampling and why is it important for accurate polls?
• Who is the plaintiff in a case? Who is the defendant?
• What two factors explain the continued high federal spending after World War II?
• What does the Fourth Amendment protect?
• Which statement about the political question doctrine is true?
• What is political socialization and which agents influence it in the United States?
• What does stare decisis mean and why is it important?
• Which statement about polling samples is correct?
• Which statement correctly differentiates standing, joint, select, and conference committees?
• In Supreme Court opinions, what is a concurring opinion?
• What characterizes categorical grants compared to block grants?
• Which statement about standing best describes its purpose?
• What is pork-barrel spending and how does it relate to distributive policy and constituent service?
• What is the difference between revenue and appropriation in budgeting?
• What is standing in the Supreme Court and why is it important?
• What are the steps of a case before the Supreme Court (starting with a writ of certiorari ending with opinions)?
• What are the three main levels of the federal court system?
• Which clause allows Congress to pass laws necessary to execute its enumerated powers?
• What are the constraints on the judiciary mentioned in the material?
• What is a sunset provision and why would lawmakers use one?
• In American federalism, what does the term 'police power' refer to?
• What is the difference between a bill and a resolution, and which one bears executive authority?
• Which mechanism did the Voting Rights Act of 1965 use to overcome barriers?
• The expression 'pleading the fifth' is associated with which constitutional amendment?
• What is the Supremacy Clause and what role does it play in federalism?
• Which term describes funds collected and used for government operations, distinct from appropriations?
• Which category is protected under Title VII's employment discrimination prohibition?
• In what year did Brown v. Board of Education decide that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional?
• Which statement best describes the Brown v. Board of Education decision in terms of federalism?
• Which of the following is a presidential power?
• Which statement describes how the media influences public opinion and its limitations?
• Which amendment established the two-term limit for presidents, and who is the only president who served more than two terms?
• Which statement best defines substantive due process?
• Which branch holds the power of the purse?
• Which term describes powers specifically listed in the Constitution as belonging to the national government?
• Which statement best describes executive agreements vs treaties?
• What is a line-item veto?
• What factors influence voter turnout and participation?
• Which statement describes the presidential appointment power?
• When is a president most likely to pass legislation and influence major policy changes?
• Critics described Great Society programs as coercive federalism because:
• The phrase 'starve the beast' refers to:
• What is a writ of certiorari?
• In the 'iron triangle' model of policy making, which participants form the core alliance?
• What is the case or controversy principle?
• What is the Vice President's constitutional role in the Senate?
• Which of the following is NOT a presidential power?
• Which body has the power to advise and consent to treaties?
• How many Justices must vote to grant a stay in a Supreme Court case?
• Which article of the Constitution establishes the constitutional basis of the federal judiciary?
• What is the difference between mandatory and discretionary spending in the federal budget?
• What is a political party's platform, and how does it guide party behavior?
• Which statement best contrasts cooperative federalism and dual federalism?
• What is the central purpose of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
• What is standing, and why is it essential for a court to hear a case?
• Describe the purpose and function of standing committees in Congress.
• What is senatorial courtesy?
• What is judicial review, and which case established it?
• Which approach views national and state governments as separate spheres?
• In the 1950s-60s, civil liberties and civil rights impacted federal-state relations by:
• Which principle explains why courts remember past decisions to guide future rulings?
• Which statement best describes a difference between the U.S. Congress and many other legislatures?
• Which statement best describes the majority opinion?
• Who presides over a presidential impeachment trial in the Senate?
• In a federal system, how is power distributed and what is federalism?
• What are the main functions of political parties?
• Which statement best defines standing?
• Name two formal powers of the U.S. President.
• Which statement accurately describes enumerated and implied powers and provides an example?
• Which type of committee is temporary and formed for a specific purpose and is mostly investigative?
• The term marble cake federalism refers to:
• What is the role of the Speaker of the House?
• What does Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibit?
• Under the War Powers Resolution, which statement about combat commitments is correct?
• What is a political question? Why doesn't the judiciary answer political questions?
• Define bureaucratic implementation and identify a common challenge in policy execution.
• What is the Equal Protection Clause and why is it central to civil rights?
• Judicial activism is described as rulings based on what?
• Which pair of cases established the 'clear and present danger' and 'imminent lawless action' standards respectively?
• Which amendment is most closely associated with the incorporation of the Bill of Rights to apply to the states?
• Why did Hamilton describe the judiciary as the 'least dangerous' branch?
• How do interest groups influence public policy through lobbying, litigation, and grassroots mobilization?
• What is de jure versus de facto segregation?
• Which entity did the Constitution explicitly create at its inception?
• Which statement about filibusters and their end is correct?
• What is the significance of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
• How can a federal judge be removed?
• Who holds the power to interpret the law of the United States?
• What is the difference between standing committees and select committees?
• What did the 26th Amendment do?
• Which stage of the policy cycle is focused on assessing the effectiveness of a policy after it has been implemented?
• Describe the doctrine of incorporation and name a case that applied it.
• Between 1968 and 2000, efforts to reduce the size of the federal government were:
• What are reserved powers?
• How do dual federalism and cooperative federalism differ in the U.S. system?
• According to pro-union arguments, what is a major advantage of forming unions?
• What term describes the Senate's constitutional role in approving treaties?
• What distinguishes categorical grants from block grants?
• Define incumbency advantage and name two factors that contribute to it.
• What is a pocket veto?
• Which statement best captures cooperative federalism?
• Historically, how often did Congress override presidential vetoes?
• What is the difference between content-based and content-neutral speech restrictions, and which standard governs each?
• Distinguish between the Hatch Act restrictions on federal employees and the impact of Citizens United on campaign finance.
• What are the steps in the impeachment process?
• During the Progressive Era, which statement describes the Court's doctrine about regulation of economic production?
• Explain the significance of Brown v. Board of Education (1954) in civil rights and federalism.
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954) held that segregation in public schools is what?
• Civil liberties differ from civil rights in what primary way?
• What are the different leadership positions in Congress (for example: House Majority Leader, Speaker of the House, etc.)?
• What happens when Congress overrides a presidential veto by a two-thirds vote in each house?
• Through which amendment does selective incorporation apply most protections to the states on a case-by-case basis?
• What is the function of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals?
• What are the main constitutional powers of the presidency?
• Which statement about welfare reform is accurate?
• What is logrolling?
• What are the different types of cases?
• In the policy cycle, which stage involves formal approval of a policy proposal?
• Which statement describes a role of Senate party leaders?
• What is stare decisis and how does it affect court decisions?
• Which standard applies to content-based restrictions on speech?
• What are the steps before a bill becomes a law?
• Which sequence correctly lists the typical steps a bill goes through from introduction to floor vote in a congressional chamber?
• How does an executive order differ from a statute?
• Which party has more seats on a committee?
• What is the difference between original and appellate jurisdiction?
• Selective incorporation accomplishes what?
• What is the purpose of a filibuster and the cloture rule in the Senate?
• When should turnout be higher, in a midterm or presidential election year?
• What is a key implication of Citizens United for campaign finance?
• What is the concept of devolution of powers in federalism, and what has driven policy debates about it?
• Which is harder to put into effect for a president?
• Which of the following is NOT a primary function of Congress?
• What is agenda setting in the media?
• What is the role of the Senate Judiciary Committee in federal judicial appointments?
• Executive agreements can be made without Senate consent if:
• What are majority, concurring, and dissenting opinions?
• What is the 'necessary and proper' clause and how does it relate to implied powers?
• Where must revenue bills originate, and why is this origin significant?
• What is standing?
• Where are the enumerated powers of Congress primarily listed?
• What is the role of the Senate in treaty ratification?
• What does the 24th Amendment abolish in federal elections?
• Which of the following best describes 'reserved powers' in the federal system?
• Which statement best describes a feature that distinguishes a federal system from a confederacy or unitary system?
• What are the stages of the policy cycle?
• Which type of committee is created to work out differences between the House and Senate versions of a bill?
• Which of the following statements correctly distinguishes voting behavior from political participation?
• Which of the following is a pitfall of incumbency?
• What is the President's appointment power and the role of the Senate in treaties?
• What is the 'commerce clause' and why is it central to federal regulatory power?
• Define margin of error in polling and explain why sample size matters.
• Who is generally considered the president's closest advisor?
• What is the significance of Marbury v. Madison (1803) for the power of judicial review?
• Which of the following statements describes going public?
• Looking ahead to debt reduction, what policy changes are commonly suggested?
• What are the three main sources of staff assistance to the president?
• Which of the following is an agent of political socialization in the United States?
• What is de jure segregation and how did Brown v. Board challenge it?
• What is the difference between affirmative action and colorblind policies in civil rights?
• Which of the following best describes the power of judicial review?
• Which of the following best describes devolution?
• Which of the following is an advantage of incumbency?
• Which amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment?
• Which constitutional power allows the president to direct the operations of the federal bureaucracy without new legislation?
• Which case established judicial review?
• Critics described the Great Society as coercive federalism because:
• Which statement best describes judicial review?
• According to the material, has party unity in Congress gone up or down since 1970?
• Since the beginning of the 21st century, which two concerns seem to contribute to an enduring increase in federal power?
• Inferior courts are created by which body?
• Where are Congress' enumerated powers located in the Constitution?
• What is 'going public' and how do presidents use it to influence Congress?
• Which statement about Article III is true?
• Dual federalism is best described as:
• Has the national government's power generally increased or decreased since 1789?
• Who are the primary agents of political socialization?
• Which factor is commonly associated with incumbency advantage?
• What is the constitutional requirement for approving a treaty?
• Which type of committee is permanent and handles a particular area of public policy?
• Which constitutional provision limits the states' police powers?
• Which statement accurately describes the structure of the U.S. Congress compared with many other legislatures?
• Which action requires Senate approval by two-thirds?