Political Science 4

1. The founders created the ________ as an intermediate body to elect the president.

House of Representatives

Electoral College

Council of Governors

Federal Election Commission

2. The constitutional safeguard that places legislative, executive, and judicial powers in different hands is called

Separation of powers.

Checks and balances.

Fusion of powers.

Federalism.

3. Cooperative federalism is a theory that

Was an accurate depiction of American federalism during the eighteenth century

Defines state and national powers as interdependent, requiring the cooperation of each other to get things done.

Reflects the formal distribution of powers by the Constitution.

Is modeled after a layer cake.

4. The theory that defines the state and national governments as essentially separate from each other and carrying out independent functions is

Cooperative federalism.

Dual federalism.

Separation of powers federalism.

Ndependent federalism.

5. In the United States,

The legislative and executive branches have gradually come to share all institutional powers.

Legislative powers include the ability to initiate and implement laws.

Legislative, executive, and judicial powers are handled by separate institutions.

The judiciary takes precedence over the legislative and executive branches by design.

6. The Supreme Court has interpreted the ______ clause of the Constitution so broadly that there are very few restrictions on what Congress can do.

Necessary and proper

National supremacy

Full faith and credit

Commerce

7. The founders hoped that the Senate would be __________ the House of Representatives.

More responsive to the public than

More stable than

Similar in every way to

More accessible to the people than

8. The Constitution represents

The founders’ views of the philosophically best government.

The official rules for who gets what, when, and how in American politics.

The justification for the Revolution.

The most extreme example of popular sovereignty ever created.

9. McCulloch v. Maryland increased the power of the federal government by

Interpreting the commerce clause of the Constitution very broadly.

Interpreting the “necessary and proper” clause of the Constitution very broadly.

Interpreting the federal police power very broadly.

Establishing that the states did not have the power to secede from the union.

10. An advantage of the unicameral legislature over the bicameral legislature is that

Many more interests can be represented in it.

It is much more responsive to public opinion.

It can represent different levels of a federal government.

It divides the power of government more than a bicameral legislature.

11. The powers of the president include all of the following EXCEPT

He is commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

He negotiates treaties

He can call Congress into session under extraordinary circumstances.

He can declare war.

12. In McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), the Supreme Court held that

The Supreme Court could declare acts of Congress to be unconstitutional.

The federal government had the implied power to create a national bank.

Congress was not allowed to outlaw slavery in U.S. territories

13. Article III of the Constitution

Defines a ten-year term for federal judges.

Forbids Congress from adjusting the structure and organization of federal courts

Creates the Supreme Court but allows Congress to establish lower courts.

Spells out in detail the structure and organization of the federal judiciary.

14. Legislative supremacy

Is an alternative system to judicial review.

Grew more important after the Civil War.

Was never seriously considered by the founders.

Is provided for in Article I of the Constitution.

15. All of the following comparisons between the president and senators are true EXCEPT

Senators have always been chosen by direct election.

The minimum age to be president is older than the minimum age to be a senator.

Presidents cannot be naturalized citizens.

Presidents have shorter terms than senators.

16. In Federalist No. 78, Hamilton argue that the judiciary would be the least threatening branch of government because

Judges are naturally peaceful.

Its members can be impeached.

It does not control the military or the budget of the nation.

Its functions are totally passive.

17. Aspects of the system of checks and balances include all of the following EXCEPT

Presidents can veto legislation.

Presidents can force Congress to adjourn.

Congress can impeach members of the judiciary.

18. Both the states and the national government may exercise all of the following powers EXCEPT

Borrowing and spending money for the general welfare.

Levying import or export taxes on goods.

Establishing highways.

Taking private property for public purposes.

19. The congressional abilities specifically listed in Article I, Section 8, are called the

Concurrent powers.

Elastic powers.

Enumerated powers.

Necessary and proper powers.

20. Gibbons v. Ogden increased the power of the national government by interpreting the

Federal police power very broadly.

Congressional power to declare war very broadly.

Commerce clause of the Constitution very broadly.

21. The "necessary and proper clause"

States that it is necessary and proper for Congress to have sufficient reasons to impeach the president.

States that the authorities must have a necessary and proper clause for search and seizure of private property.

Is used by Congress to justify the exercise of powers not mentioned in Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution.

Is used by the Supreme Court as justification for the power of judicial review.

22. All of the following comparisons between the House and the Senate are true EXCEPT

Only House members have always been chosen by the public.

Senators have longer terms than members of the House.

Senate terms are staggered whereas all House members are elected at the same time.

23. The power of the Supreme Court to declare acts unconstitutional

Is limited to acts of Congress.

Was argued by Hamilton to be consistent with the Constitution.

Can be overruled by laws passed by Congress.

Is subject to presidential veto.

24. All of the following comparisons between the American presidential and parliamentary systems are true EXCEPT

A prime minister can call new elections, whereas the president cannot.

The prime minister is a member of parliament, whereas the president cannot be a member of Congress.

Parliament chooses the head of the executive branch, whereas Congress normally does not.

The prime minister is not chosen directly by the people, whereas the president is chosen directly by the people.

25. Which of the following is NOT a consequence of federalism?

It creates a tendency for states to cut social benefits to better compete with each other.

It creates a tendency for states to engage in “smokestack chasing.”

It creates greater flexibility at local levels of government.

It creates a more uniform environment for business activity across the country.