Deck 9: American Politics and Government

Question 1

When representatives act on the basis of what their constituents want them to do, they are acting as ______.

A) delegates
B) trustees
C) deliberators
D) debaters

Answer 1

delegates

Question 2

The fundamental right, found in the U.S. Constitution, that protects people from illegal detention or imprisonment is called the ______.

A) Bill of Rights
B) right to counsel
C) writ of freedom
D) writ of habeas corpus

Answer 2

writ of habeas corpus

Question 3

U.S. senators serve terms of ______.

A) six years
B) two years
C) four years
D) life

Answer 3

six years

Question 4

According to the authors, which of the following is not a function of legislatures?

A) representation
B) deliberation
C) legislation
D) ultra vires

Question 5

Which of the following is not a function of an American president?

A) acting as commander in chief
B) serving as party chief
C) acting as national spokesman
D) serving as head of the final court of appeal

Question 6

According to Max Weber, modern bureaucracies are ______.

A) rational, efficient, and impartial
B) inefficient, irrational, and biased
C) useless
D) overcome by charismatic leaders

Question 7

The idea of judicial review means that the Supreme Court can ______.

A) impeach a U.S. president
B) declare an act of Congress unconstitutional
C) amend the U.S. Constitution
D) order a new election

Question 8

The legislative function of legislatures is defined as ______.

A) representing the people
B) the formal responsibility of making law
C) supervising the work of the executive and bureaucracy
D) delegating authority to courts

Question 9

Interest groups can best be defined as ______.

A) organizations that staff government
B) organizations that nominate candidates for elected office
C) public groups that organize in an attempt to shape public policy
D) organizations of interesting people

Question 10

Newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and the Internet are all examples of ______.

A) the media
B) bureaucracy
C) political culture
D) polyarchy

Question 11

On the matter of presidential elections, which of the following is incorrect?

A) In the 2000 election, George W. Bush won the Electoral College but lost the popular vote by 500,000.
B) The number of electoral votes for each state equals the number of representatives and senators it seats in Washington, D.C.
C) In the 2016 election, Donald Trump won the electoral vote but lost the popular vote by 2.9 million.
D) The 2000 presidential election marked the first time in American history that a candidate won the electoral vote but lost the popular vote.

Question 12

An organization that seeks to elect candidates to office is called a ________________.

Question 13

In the United States, the president must seek the Senate's __________________
on treaties and major government appointments.

Question 14

A member of the U.S. House of Representatives serves for ______________ before having to run for reelection.

Question 15

The _______________--literally, "produce the body"--is a legal document requiring that a prisoner be brought before a court to determine whether he or she is being lawfully held in jail.

Question 16

Under the principle of ___________, the Supreme Court may declare an act of government unconstitutional.

Question 17

The concept of _________________ is the idea that America's development is different from that of other countries, that its democracy is not quite like that of other countries.

Question 18

In 2015 in the case of _____________, a divided Supreme Court ruled that gay couples had the right to marry.

Question 19

A _________________ is an agreement, usually written, and enforceable by law, between two or more people to do something.

Question 20

The authors contend that legislatures in developed democratic countries have four main functions: representative, deliberative, legislative, and supervisory. How do these functions help to facilitate the political process, and to what extent are they interrelated?

Question 21

Discuss the ideas of freedom and equality and how they shape American politics and policy.

Question 22

It is frequently charged that government bureaucracies are cumbersome, expensive, and plagued by red tape and that these characteristics make the process of governing more difficult, costly, and inefficient. In your judgment, are these accusations fair? To what extent does bureaucracy enhance security, liberty, justice, and welfare?

Question 23

Discuss what is meant by the concept of judicial review. In so doing, please consider whether judicial review is necessary in a democracy.

Question 24

Discuss the various roles played by the president of the United States in American politics. Is this too much power to give to one person?

Question 25

Define what a political party is, and explain why it is important to the functioning of a democracy.

Question 26

What is the main role of the media in a democracy? What criticism can you make of how the media function?

Question 27

If the Bill of Rights limits the ability of government to act, how does this weaken democracy? Is a Bill of Rights a good or negative thing for democratic government?

Question 28

Discuss the role and effectiveness of interest groups in the American political system. Cite examples.