U.S. Government and Politics Exam 2023

Section I: Multiple-Choice 1. Despite concerns raised by her constituents, a member of the House of Representatives votes in favor of a bill, believing that in the long term it is in the best interest of her constituents. This is an example of which of the following models of representation? (A) Delegate (B) Politico (C) Trustee (D) Virtual 2. Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the arguments made in The Federalist 10 and Brutus 1? The Federalist 10 (A) Factions are inevitable with popular sovereignty. (B) Factions are most dangerous at the local level. (C) Power should be concentrated in the executive branch to address factions. (D) The effects of factions cannot be controlled. Brutus 1 A strong national government is needed. Small republics are best for stable governments. National government is too far from the people. Popular sovereignty leads to anarchy. 2023 Questions 3 and 4 refer to the chart. Source: Survey of United States adults conducted March 13-27 and April 4, 2017, Pew Research Center 3. According to the data, both gun owners and non–gun owners (A) answered similarly regarding the importance of the right to own guns (B) believed that the right to vote was less essential than freedom of religion (C) chose freedom of speech as most essential to their own liberty (D) demonstrated deep division between one another in most categories 4. Which of the following best explains how poll respondents regard the relationship between the right to own guns and personal freedom? (A) The poll shows there is an ongoing debate over whether gun control laws promote or interfere with individual rights. (B) The poll shows that gun owners and non-gun owners have widely different views over a range of civil liberties issues. (C) The poll shows that party polarization has a sizable impact on elections and policymaking at each level of government. (D) The poll shows that even Congress has mixed opinions as to whether the second amendment involves individual liberty. 5. Which of the following powers allows both the federal and state governments to make policies involving taxation? (A) Concurrent powers (B) Exclusive powers (C) Implied powers (D) Enumerated powers 6. In which of the following ways could the president try to limit the impact of a Supreme Court decision? (A) Calling for the removal of the Supreme Court justices (B) Instructing the Department of Justice to delay enforcement of a provision in the decision. (C) Passing legislation that overrides the Court’s opinion (D) Changing the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court 2023 Questions 7–9 refer to the excerpt below. The vice of the groupist theory is that it conceals the most significant aspects of the system. The flaw in the pluralist heaven is that the heavenly chorus sings with a strong upper-class accent. Probably about 90 percent of the people cannot get into the pressure system. The notion that the pressure system is automatically representative of the whole community is a myth fostered by the universalizing tendency of modern group theories. Pressure politics is a selective process ill designed to serve diffuse interests. The system is skewed, loaded, and unbalanced in favor of a fraction of a minority. —E. E. Schattschneider, The Semisovereign People, 1960 7. Which of the following best captures the author’s argument regarding the forms of democracy? (A) Pluralist democracy, which seeks to shield elites from popular opinion, functions best when individual citizens do not participate in the process. (B) Participatory democracy, which emphasizes limited participation, marginalizes those who do not have the economic means to participate. (C) Pluralist democracy, though it involves groups at different stages of the process of developing policy, excludes a significant portion of the population. (D) Participatory democracy, which emphasizes expanded participation, creates too much conflict within the system. 8. Which of the following statements about interest groups would the author most likely agree with? (A) Interest groups play the important function of including more people in elections. (B) Interest groups undermine stability by creating too much conflict and polarization in politics. (C) Interest groups tend to over-represent elite interests. (D) Interest groups have less power in American government than political parties have. 9. Which of the following activities would the author most likely be concerned about interest groups engaging in? (A) Educating and mobilizing citizens around their cause (B) Introducing legislation that limits the power of others (C) Representing broad segments of society and sparking emotional political debates (D) Forming iron triangles with bureaucratic agencies and congressional committees 2023 10. According to the United States Constitution, all revenue bills must (A) be passed by a conference committee (B) originate in the House of Representatives (C) be passed by two-thirds of the Senate (D) be reviewed by the Supreme Court 11. Which of the following illustrates an economic policy most likely supported by an ideologically liberal individual? (A) The Federal Reserve increasing interest rates (B) Congress placing regulations on the marketplace by increasing the minimum wage (C) A bill that would decrease funding for the food stamp program (D) A state lowering income taxes to attract businesses 2023 Questions 12 and 13 refer to the political cartoon. 12. Which of the following is the best interpretation of the political cartoon? (A) Members of Congress are richer than the people they represent. (B) Members of Congress represent a wide diversity of political and economic interests. (C) Members of Congress receive political contributions from many special interest groups. (D) Members of Congress are specialists in economic policy issues. 13. Which of the following Supreme Court cases is most related to the topic in the cartoon? (A) United States v. Lopez (1995) (B) McDonald v. Chicago (2010) (C) Shaw v. Reno (1993) (D) Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010) 14. Which of the following arguments best supports a claim that the Electoral College does not fully support democratic principles? (A) The winner-take-all system encourages candidates to campaign in every state, which limits the attention each state will receive from the candidates. (B) Electors are chosen by the voters in each state, which gives parties undue influence over candidates’ success. (C) At times, a candidate who receives the most popular votes may not win the presidential election. (D) The Electoral College lacks transparency because electors frequently switch their vote during the national convention. 2023 15. Which of the following best describes the reasoning in Baker v. Carr (1961)? (A) Unequal representation of citizens in legislative districts is unconstitutional and may be reviewed by the courts. (B) Political issues such as reapportionment, redistricting, and gerrymandering are to be resolved by the legislative branch. (C) Racial gerrymandering is a violation of the Fourth Amendment’s exclusionary clause. (D) Gerrymandering that favors a single party is not subject to legal action because there is no standard to determine how a state legislative district map should be drawn. 2023