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161 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Over time, "equality" has tended more to mean equality of _____
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outcome
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Lincoln's edict on January 1, 1862, which declared "all persons held as slaves within any State, or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free," is called the...
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Emancipation Proclamation
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In the Civil Rights Cases of 1883, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional federal laws that prevented discrimination by ____
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private individuals
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The ruling in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka applied to _____
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schools
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Which of the following years was a turning point in the civil rights movement, marked by a large protest in Birmingham, Alabama?
a) 1951 b) 1957 c) 1963 d) 1969 e) 1972 |
1963
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Which of the following is NOT a trend in Supreme Court policy on affirmative action?
a) Policies are adopted in response to a past proven history of discrimination. b) Policies do not absolutely bar whites or ban them from competing or participating. c) Policies are "narowly tailored" to achieve the government's compelling interest in the "least restrictive" way. d) Policies mandate immediate solutions to the problem. e) Policies are written to achieve the best circumstances for the government. |
d) Policies mandate immediate solutions to the problem.
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Currently, the Supreme Court's take on affirmative action is that it is...
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permissible, with strict scrutiny
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_______________ will NOT tend to allow an affirmative action program to pass Supreme Court scrutiny.
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Not absolutely barring whites or banning them from competing or participating.
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Which of these is the largest group of Hispanics?
a) Cuban Americans b) Puerto Ricans c) Spanish Americans d) Guatemalan Americans e) Mexican Americans |
e) Mexican Americans
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How did recent amendments to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 benefit Hispanics in America?
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They extended voting rights protections to "language minorities"
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The goal of the Dawes Act of 1887 was Native American _____.
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assimilation
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What did the Education of Handicapped Children Act of 1975 mandate?
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Handicapped children will be provided with free education by public schools.
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13) The earliest active feminist organizations grew out of the pre-Civil War movement for
a) Native American rights. b) temperance. c) settlement houses. d) abolition. e) urban reform. |
abolition
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14) Feminists hope to address the earnings gap with
a) the glass ceiling. b) the Equal Rights Amendment. c) set wage levels, similar to those used in the federal government. d) the natural impetus of the labor market. e) comparable worth. |
comparable worth
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15) The military’s policy under President Clinton and President George W. Bush made being gay in the military
a) a secret. b) impossible. c) cause for punishment. d) subject to criminal penalties. e) openly acceptable. |
a secret
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True or False
Over time, the concept of equality has moved toward meaning “equality of outcome.” |
True
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True or False
The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution dated to about the same era as the Bill of Rights. |
False
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True or False
De facto segregation can occur naturally and may be allowed to remain unchallenged. |
True
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True or False
The case of University of California Regents v. Bakke gave clear support for affirmative action. |
False
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True or False
The color-blind doctrine was the main test of constitutionality concerning race issues for most of the 1900s. |
False
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True or False
Puerto Ricans are the largest group of Hispanics in the United States. |
False
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True or False
As a group, Hispanics vote at somewhat higher rates than non-Hispanic whites. |
True
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True or False
Up until the 1930s, treatment of Indians focused on “civilizing” them, often through assimilation. |
True
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True or False
The Americans with Disabilities Act applies only to the physically handicapped. |
False
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True or False
Much of the difficulty in dealing with sexual harassment in the courts has been in defining what constitutes harassment. |
False
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According to the authors, what is the goal of international politics?
a) Peace b) Stability c) Balance d) Power e) Money |
Power
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The League of Nations was based on the principle of
a) territorial sovereignty. b) collective security. c) balance of power. d) regional security. e) deterrence. |
collective security
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Which of the following was true of American involvement in the League of Nations?
a) President Wilson proposed the idea, and the United States was the first member. b) President Wilson proposed the idea but then backed out of joining. c) The French premier Daladier proposed the idea, and the United States was a founding member. d) President Wilson proposed the idea, but the United States never joined. e) The French premier Daladier proposed the idea, which explains the United States’ failure to join. |
President Wilson proposed the idea, but the United States never joined
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World War II can be seen as a failure on the part of which of these institutions?
a) The United Nations b) The European Union c) The World Court d) The League of Nations e) The Balanced Powers |
The League of Nations
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Which of the following was NOT an original permanent member of the United Nations Security Council?
a) Britain b) France c) China d) Germany e) The Soviet Union |
Germany
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How are votes distributed to members of the United Nations?
a) One vote is given per country. b) One vote is given per million inhabitants. c) Two are given to the founding members, one to others. d) Two different systems are used for the bicameral deliberative body. e) Each country gets ten representatives. |
One vote is given per country
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About how many nations were members of the United Nations in 2010?
a) 50 b) 150 c) 200 d) 250 e) 300 |
200
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) What was the overall impact of the Cold War on the actions of the United Nations?
a) Alignment with the Soviet Union against Western powers b) Deadlock c) Alignment with the Western powers against Asian powers d) American control of all decisions of the General Assembly e) Temporary cessation of all United Nations activities |
Deadlock
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Who took over the Soviet Union’s seat as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council?
a) Chechnya b) Poland c) Russia d) Korea e) Ethiopia |
Russia
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is based on the principle of
a) territorial sovereignty. b) collective security. c) balance of power. d) regional security. e) deterrence. |
regional security
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The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was successful in
a) destroying the Soviet Union. b) creating the League of Nations. c) unifying the Scandinavian states. d) halting the expansion of the Soviet Union. e) ending the Cold War. |
halting the expansion of the Soviet Union
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Which of the following ended with the demise of the Soviet Union in 1989?
a) Russia b) The Warsaw Pact c) The North Atlantic Treaty Organization d) The United Nations Security Council e) The Marshall Plan |
The Warsaw Pact
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NATO troops were used in the 1995 campaign in Bosnia, establishing a precedent for using NATO forces
a) in ethnic conflicts. b) outside of Western Europe. c) with American involvement. d) against European powers. e) in internal struggles. |
outside of Western Europe
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Which of the following is NOT currently a member of NATO?
a) Turkey b) Spain c) Ireland d) Germany e) France |
Ireland
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The Truman Doctrine was primarily
a) offensive. b) Communist. c) dedicated to the destruction of Communism. d) defensive. e) economic in its strategies. |
defensive
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The Korean War was an effort to put which of these policies into action?
a) The Monroe Doctrine b) The Truman Doctrine c) Rearmament d) The Marshall Plan e) Containment |
Containment
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All of the following were the sites of major face-offs between Western powers and communist forces EXCEPT
a) Korea. b) Berlin. c) Cuba. d) Guatemala. e) Vietnam. |
Guatemala
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Who oversaw the major buildup of American defense in the 1980s?
a) Woodrow Wilson b) Dwight D. Eisenhower c) Jimmy Carter d) Ronald Reagan e) Gerald Ford |
Ronald Reagan
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Which of the following Soviet republics gained independence under Mikhail Gorbachev?
a) Bulgaria b) Hungary c) Lithuania d) Czechoslovakia e) Poland |
Lithuania
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How did the Vietnam War impact American foreign policy? It resulted in
a) isolationism. b) an aggressive pursuit of containment. c) abandonment of the Marshall plan. d) continuation of the foreign policy outlined by President Truman. e) concentration on containment in Africa. |
isolationism
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Deterrence—in nuclear terms—relies on
a) second-strike capability. b) conventional forces. c) first-strike capability. d) ground forces. e) ideology. |
second-strike capability
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Which of the following is a weapon system intended to destroy missiles in flight?
a) Multiple-warhead missiles b) Ballistic missile defense c) Strategic nuclear launch vehicles d) Long-range cruise missiles e) Missile silos |
Ballistic missile defense
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The New START Treaty was negotiated in 2010 by President Obama and
a) Dmitry Medvedev. b) Vladimir Putin. c) Mikhail Gorbachev. d) the United Nations Security Council. e) the Warsaw Pact nations. |
Dmitry Medvedev
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Terrorism is defined by all of the following EXCEPT that terrorist attacks
a) target civilians. b) are launched by national governments. c) involve violence. d) are premeditated. e) are politically motivated. |
are launched by national governments
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The components of a free-market system are individual decisions and ____________ ___________.
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voluntary exchange
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Monetary Policy deals with all of these EXCEPT
-the money supply -taxation -interest rates -banking activity -private borrowing |
taxation
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The members of the Federal Reserve are largely removed from the vagaries of politics by being given terms of ____ years
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14 years
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One measure of the health of the economy is the...
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gross domestic product
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The unemployment rate measures...
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the percentage of all adults who are not employed
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Mandatory spending is fixed by...
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Congress
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Entitlement programs cannot be decreased because they are based on...
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rights
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Indexing benefit levels causes the annual costs of programs to...
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increase
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The amount of money spent by the federal government in excess of what it collects in revenue is the...
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national debt
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An individual's total money income minus expenses incurred in earning that income is called...
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adjusted gross income
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Which of these is NOT a major source of federal revenue?
-Income tax -Social Security payroll taxes -Corporate income tax -Excise taxes and custom duties -Sales tax |
Sales tax
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Tax avoidance and loopholes result in...
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tax expenditures
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If you called for all taxpayers to pay 15 percent tax on their income, you would be proposing what kind of tax system?
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Flat
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A progressive taxation system...
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takes a higher percentage from those who make more
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A flat tax is also called...
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proportional
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True or False
Both a political system and an economic system are concerned with the production and distribution of goods and services. |
True
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True or False
Monetary policy focuses on printing money. |
False because that's the job of Congress and the federal reserve.
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True or False
Fiscal policy is generally more subject to political pressure than is monetary policy. |
True
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True or False
Unemployment rates include all of those who are between jobs or looking for work. |
True
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True or False
During the Great Depression, the gross domestic product fell by more than one-third. |
True
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True or False
Entitlements are a privilege, not a right. |
False
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True or False
Only about 20 percent of the federal budget is discretionary and not earmarked for the military. |
True
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True or False
Federal income tax accounts for almost half of federal revenue. |
True
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True or False
Taxes on exports and imports account for about 35 percent of the federal revenue. |
False. They only account for about 1 percent.
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True or False
Those who support a proportional tax argue that such a system is good for business. |
True
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It is _____ policy that largely determines who gets what from government.
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social welfare
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Approximately ___ percent of Americans were living below the poverty line in 2010.
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11-15%
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The percentage of individuals who live below the government's poverty line would be highest among which group?
-African Americans -female-headed households -the elderly -Hispanics |
female-headed households
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Government spending for benefits that are distributed on the basis of the recipient's income is known as...
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means-tested spending
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approximately ___ percent of the United States' population recieves some form of benefit from the federal government.
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33
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The Supplemental Social Security Income program is a _____ administrated program.
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federal
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Tax refunds that are in excess of taxes received from low-income workers are...
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earned income tax credits
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The most politically powerful age group is...
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65 and older
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The recipients of the benefits of the Social Security program as a percentage of contributing workers is the _________ ratio.
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dependency
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Americans are in conflict over what causes poverty. Many believe that it is caused by
-a weak economy -individual characteristics of the recipients -the welfare system itself -all of the above |
all of the above
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It would be correct to maintain that since the passage of the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families legislation in 1998, the number of people receiving cash assistance has...
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declined by more than 50 percent
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It would be accurate to say that
-perhaps one-third or more of long-term welfare recipients are disabled. -many of those on welfare (approximately 40 percent) have no previous work experience -approximately two-thirds of recipients did not graduate from high school -all of the above |
all of the above
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The leading cause of death in America is...
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heart disease
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It would be true to say that compared to health care systems
-a relatively high infant mortality rate -a relatively low life expectancy -a costly (per capita) health care system -all of the above |
all of the above
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The new health care legislation that will require citizens to buy medical insurance...
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is likely to be challenged in the courts
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The new health insurance program will
-allow private insurance companies to continue -prohibit insurance companies from not covering preexisting conditions -create a new health insurance exchange -all of the above |
all of the above
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It would be truthful to say that Obama succeeded in achieving major health care reform but
-Franklin Roosevelt failed -Harry Truman failed -Bill Clinton failed -all of the above |
all of the above
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Congress accepted all of President Obama's health care recommendations <i>except</i>
-"public option" -individual mandate -insurance coverage of preexisting conditions -insurance coverage of young adults |
"public option"
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It would be accurate to say that the political system involves ______ decision making and that the economic system involves _____ decision making.
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collective; individual
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The study of the proper relationship between markets and governments is the study of...
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political economy
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The federal government's response to the financial crisis that began in 2008 included
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Wall Street bailout, TARP, and stimulus package
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Decisions about taxing, spending, and borrowing at the national level are known as
-fiscal policy -Keynesian policy -monetary policy -reserve policy |
fiscal policy
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The principal responsibility for monetary policy rests with...
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the Federal Reserve Board
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The Federal Reserve would probably react to a decline in the general level of prices--not just the prices of some select products--by ______ interest rates.
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lowering
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Measures of the performance of the nation's economy include
-unemployment rate -gross national product -inflation rate -all of the above |
all of the above
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From a political point of view, the most important measurement of a nation's economy might well be...
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unemployment rates
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In recent presidential elections, when a majority of people say the economy has gotten worse...
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the incumbent party's candidate lost
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A general decline in prices is referred to as...
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deflation
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Spending for program commitments made by previous Congresses is...
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mandatory spending
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So much of the U.S. budget is mandated for entitlements that total discretionary funding accounts for approximately ____ percent of the budget.
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40
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The federal government's largest source of funds is from...
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individual income taxes
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Revenues are lost to the federal government because of _____ in the tax laws
-exemptions -deductions -special treatments -all of the above |
all of the above
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More people pay this tax than any other federal tax
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individual income tax
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The federal income tax
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progressive tax
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A tax that takes a smaller share of the income of high-income tax payers is a...
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regressive tax
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Bureaucratic power stems from the power to
-develop formal rules -adjudicate individual cases -use administrative discretion -all of the above |
all of the above
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The development of formal rules for the implementation of legislation is called...
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regulation
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It would be accurate to say that the
-federal bureaucracy consists of about 2.8 million civilian employees -the federal government spends about 50 percent of the nation's GDP -the senior and most important cabinet office is the Department of the Interior -all of the above |
federal bureaucracy consists of about 2.8 million civilian employees
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Which of the following is NOT considered to be a major regulatory agency?
-Federal Trade Commission -National Aeronautics and Space Administration -Federal Communication Commission -Food and Drug Administration |
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
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Historically, government employment was baased on party loyalty, political support, and friendship. This was known as...
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the spoils system
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The ______ prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activities.
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Hatch Act
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Government contracting with private firms to perform public services is known as...
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outsourcing
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The most important policy statement of any government is its...
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annual budget
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The agency that has the principal responsibility for preparation of the budget is the...
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Office of Management and Budget
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Legislation that provides money for programs authorized by Congress is an...
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appropriation act
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A method of budgeting that tries to review the entire budget of an agency (not just requested changes) is...
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zero-based budgeting
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Recent polls by the Gallup Organization show that Americans believe that about _______ percent of their tax dollars are wasted by the governmental bureaucracy.
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50
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Identifying items in a budget according to the functions and programs that are to be spent on is...
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program budgeting
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The agency that is responsible for conducting studies of the federal bureaucratic performance is the...
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General Accountability Office
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Services performed by legislators and their staffs on behalf of individual constituents are known as...
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casework
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The American Farm Bureau would probably want to pay most of its attention to the activities of which of the following governmental agencies?
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Agriculture Department
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In an effort to influence the bureaucracy, interest groups may
-hold press conferences -lobby the bureaucracy directly -testify at public hearings -all of the above |
all of the above
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The courts become involved in agency actions when they
-violate congressional legislation -have exceeded the authority granted to them -have engaged in activities that have been determined to be arbitrary -all of the above |
all of the above
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Texas courts carry out all but one of the following functions:
-resolve civil disputes over property rights and personal injuries -hear cases involving crimes committed within the state -set punishment in criminal cases where a jury trial has been waved -hear cases involving personal bankruptcy |
hear cases involving personal bankruptcy
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Which of the following best describes the structure of the Texas court system
-it is a highly centralized system with clear control and coordination by the Supreme Court -while it has not achieved the ideal, recent reforms have made significant inroads, bringing more uniformity and coordination of court jurisdictions and management. -it is highly decentralized with overlapping jurisdiction of the courts. -despite its decentralization, Texas is known for the high quality of its courts. |
it is highly decentralized with overlapping jurisdiction of the courts.
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More than ____ percent of all litigation in the nation is based on state laws or local ordinances.
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97
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In criminal cases, who is responsible for initiating action against the person accused of a crime?
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the state of Texas
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Which of the following statements best describes the district courts in Texas?
-they are courts of limited jurisdiction -they are the primary trial courts with unlimited jurisdiction -they are courts with only appellate jurisdiction -they are courts with jurisdiction only over criminal matters |
they are the primary trial courts with unlimited jurisdiction
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Which of the following statements does NOT apply to the two courts of last resort--the Supreme Court and the Court of Criminal Appeals?
-both courts are compromised of nine judges or justices. -members of the courts serve for 6 years. -to be eligible, judges or justices must be 35 years of age. -both courts share responsibilities for developing administrative procedures for the state courts. |
both courts share responsibilities for developing administrative procedures for the state courts.
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A panel that reviews evidence submitted by prosecutors to determine whether to indict an individual with a criminal offense is called...
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the grand jury
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The authority of a court to try or resolve a civil lawsuit or a felony prosecution being heard for the first time is known as...
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original jurisdiction
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Most cases get to the Supreme Court of Texas on...
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a petition for review
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The $11 billion Pennzoil Oil case of 1987 raised a question about...
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the influence of campaign contributions in the decisions of judges.
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In 1986, Chief Justice Hill announced that he supported the...
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appointment of judges with retention elections.
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As a result of a Supreme Court decision in 2002, Texas, as well as other states, can no longer execute a person who...
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is mentally impaired.
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One indication of the Court of Criminal Appeals' conservative orientation is...
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its pro-prosecutional record.
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Texas trial judges hate to see their decisions reversed by the Court of Criminal Appeals because...
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their record of reversals can be used against them when they are up for reelection.
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In 1994, the Texas Supreme Court held that parents...
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can home school their children.
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In the Texas Supreme Court's public education finance decision, the court held that school finacne laws violated the constitutional requirement for an _______ educational system.
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efficient
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The power of the Supreme Court to declare a law passed by Congress or one of the states unconstitutional is known as
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judicial review
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The idea that "the courts should interpret the laws...not make them..." is
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consistent with the ideas of judicial restraint
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The rules of self-restraint that are used by the Court include all of the following <i>except</i>
-the Court will decide on the constitutionality of legislation only in an actual case -the Court will offer only limited advice to the president on constitutional matters -complaints must have exhausted all remedies available in lower courts -the Court will invalidate a law only when a constitutional issue is crucial to the case |
the Court will offer only limited advice to the president on constitutional matters
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The rule of <i>stare decisis</i>
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is based on following precedent and thus limits the decision-making power of the Justices
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The trial courts of original jurisdiction in the federal system are the
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District Courts
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The number of federal court criminal cases has _____ in recent years mostly because of _______
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increased; enforcement of federal drug laws
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The idea of sovereign immunity involves
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the idea that the government cannot be sued without its consent
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Orders of a court to correct a wrong, including a violation of the Constitution, are known as
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remedies and relief
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The Constitution requires that all federal judges be appointed by the president and confirmed by __________ in the ________
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a two-thirds vote; Senate
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The <i>litmus test</i> that has come to dominate the recruitment process in judicial selection revolves around the case of
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<i>Roe v. Wade</i>
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The Justices share commonalities among one another in that they usually
-have law degrees -have a common educational background -went to the nation's most prestigious universities -all of the above |
all of the above
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At least ____ Justices must agree to hear a case before they will issue a ______, which is the way most cases reach the Supreme Court.
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four; writ of certiorari
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The attorney that represents the United States in cases before the Supreme Court is the
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solicitor general
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The current Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is
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John Roberts
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The "swing vote" on the court today is considereed to be _______ because he/she is often the deciding vote between the conservatives and liberal voting blocs.
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Anthony Kennedy
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Restraints on the power of the Supreme Court come from all but which of the following?
-the president -the Congress -public opinion -judicial review |
judicial review
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Many people were upset with the Supreme Court in the case of <i>Bush v. Gore</i> because they believed that it brought into question
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the political impartiality of the Court
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The case of <i>Marbury v. Madison</i> is notable because it resulted in the court gaining the power of
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judicial review
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