Deck 6: Authoritarian Systems of Government

Question 1

Which constitutional amendment guaranteed voting rights to women?

A)Sixteenth
B)Seventeenth
C)Eighteenth
D)Nineteenth
E)Twentieth

Answer 1

D

Question 2

What was one reason for shifting the election of senators from state legislatures to the people?

A)Suspicion that senators were under undue foreign influence
B)Pressure from European powers to reform American institutions
C)Fear of corruption by political and economic elites
D)Agitation by a new breed of political radicals
E)Lurid tales of Senate incompetence in the popular press

Answer 2

C

Question 3

At what size was the House of Representatives capped with the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929?

A)155
B)225
C)325
D)435
E)535

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What are the two most important powers that the Founding Fathers saw as vested in the legislative branch?

A)Appointing the chief executive
B)Declaring war and controlling government finances
C)Nominating judges to federal courts
D)Declaring war and deciding who gets to be a citizen
E)Controlling government finances and legislating public morals

Question 5

Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted to the people the power to elect senators directly?

A)Fourteenth
B)Fifteenth
C)Sixteenth
D)Seventeenth
E)Eighteenth

Question 6

Why did the Founding Fathers give Congress the power "to declare war," instead of their original concept, "to make war?"

A)They never expected that the United States would fight another major war after the Revolution.
B)They did not want to limit wartime decisions of the executive branch if Congress was not in session.
C)They did not want to impinge on the strategic latitude needed by military leaders.
D)They trusted future American generals to always do the right thing.
E)They wanted to prevent the possibility of war between states.

Question 7

According to the Founding Fathers, what was the original purpose of the Senate?

A)To protect states' rights
B)To be direct representatives of the people
C)To act as a check on state power
D)To drive of social progress
E)To be guardians of the economy

Question 8

The Founding Fathers saw the House of Representatives as what?

A)Guardians of the social order
B)Direct representatives of the people
C)Guardians of the public trust
D)Support for the executive branch
E)Adjuncts of the court system

Question 9

What is the term for having a legislative district with a smaller population exercise more power than one with a larger population?

A)Malapportionment
B)Apportionment
C)Legislative equity
D)Voter suppression
E)Gerrymandering

Question 10

What is one function reserved solely for the Senate?

A)Ratification of treaties
B)Declaring war
C)Originating spending bills
D)Taxation
E)Electing the vice president

Question 11

Based on the requirements of the US Constitution, what did the Founding Fathers want members of Congress to be?

A)Virtually anyone with enough popularity to be elected
B)Rich businessmen and farmers, including recent immigrants
C)American citizens of some age and experience, connected to both their states and their country
D)Young and idealistic men and women of diverse backgrounds
E)Middle-aged and elderly veterans of the Revolutionary War

Question 12

How did James Madison expect the size of Congress to affect its composition and performance?

A)Large enough to represent the people but small enough that it would not be an unruly mob
B)Large enough to represent the interests and passions of the people, at the risk of being somewhat unruly
C)Small enough to keep popular passions at bay and guard public morals and social norms
D)Small enough to be composed solely of intelligent, educated social elites
E)Small enough to represent the states effectively and large enough to provide appointees to the executive branch

Question 13

What was the original purpose of the US Senate?

A)A deliberative body that would moderate the decisions of the House of Representatives
B)An institution for the growth of democracy in the new republic
C)A body that would check the excesses of the state governments
D)An elite body in control of the country's public finances
E)The body that would elect the president should the electoral college produce a tie

Question 14

According to the U.S. Constitution, under what circumstances can members of Congress be arrested on their way to or from a legislative session?

A)For any crime
B)Only for treason or larceny with violence
C)Not for any crime whatsoever
D)Only for treason, breaches of the peace, or a felony
E)For misdemeanors and some high crimes

Question 15

When the US Constitution was adopted, who elected members to the Senate?

A)The people
B)The House of Representatives
C)State governors
D)State legislatures
E)The electoral college

Question 16

Which Supreme Court decision struck down inequality among state legislative districts and reaffirmed the rule of "one man one vote"?

A)Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969)
B)Baker v. Carr (1962)
C)Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
D)Powell v. McCormack (1969)
E)Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

Question 17

What is the term for the mechanism by which senators can halt legislation by prolonging debate indefinitely?

A)Rules suspension
B)Conference committee
C)Advice and consent
D)Cloture
E)Filibuster

Question 18

According to his political theory, John Locke perceive d the legislature as what ?

A)The agent of the people's immediate desires
B)The agent of religious authority
C)Subordinate to the courts
D)Subordinate to the executive branch
E)The sacred and supreme center of government

Question 19

What was the original intended relationship of the US Senate to the state and federal political environments?

A)Immersed in the give and take of the political world
B)Largely above politics
C)Consisting of the most skilled politicians
D)A bastion of democratic impulses and actions
E)Divorced from the politics of state governments

Question 20

Which constitutional amendment guaranteed voting rights to African Americans, including freed slaves?

A)Thirteenth
B)Fourteenth
C)Fifteenth
D)Sixteenth
E)Seventeenth

Question 21

What is the term for a member of Congress trading a vote for one bill in exchange for a vote by a colleague on another?

A)Pork barrel
B)Logrolling
C)Rent seeking
D)Pay to play
E)Lobbying

Question 22

What is the term for a committee formed of senior members of both chambers that merges House and Senate versions of the same bill into a single compromise version?

A)Subcommittee
B)Standing committee
C)Joint committee
D)Conference committee
E)Select committee

Question 23

What resource does a sitting member of Congress have to gain goodwill and recognition among voters, aiding reelection efforts, that is largely excluded to challengers?

A)Hav ing professional staff who work on behalf of constituents
B)Writing books on controversial topics
C)Appearing on late-night talk shows
D)Making a public display of supporting popular and nonpartisan causes
E)Taking progressive positions on prominent social issues

Question 24

What was the first group to have its voting rights specifically guaranteed by a constitutional amendment?

A)Irish Americans
B)Naturalized citizens
C)Native Americans
D)Women
E)African Americans

Question 25

In a parliamentary system of government, who elects the head of government?

A)The people
B)The legislature
C)The head of state
D)A council of experts
E)An electoral college

Question 26

Among bicameral national legislatures, what makes the US Congress unique?

A)The Senate can only delay legislation, not stop it.
B)The House of Representatives is less powerful than the Senate.
C)As elected representatives of the people, both the House of Representatives and the Senate have roughly equal power.
D)It has power over national taxation and spending.
E)Neither chamber of Congress can be considered largely honorary.

Question 27

What is the term for a bill that combines a number of smaller ones into one, larger piece of legislation?

A)Committee referral
B)Combined resolution
C)Joint resolution
D)Compromise bill
E)Omnibus bill

Question 28

What are the houses of the British parliament called?

A)Senate and Commons
B)Lords and Chamber of Deputies
C)Lords and Commons
D)Senate and Yeomanry
E)Upper House and Chamber of Deputies

Question 29

How can party identification and distribution in the Japanese National Diet be classified?

A)Nonpartisan
B)One party monopoly
C)Two party
D)One party dominant
E)Multiparty

Question 30

If the president receives a bill and does not sign or veto it and Congress is in session, what happens to the bill?

A)It becomes law.
B)It does not become law.
C)It is returned to the originating chamber.
D)It is sent to a conference committee.
E)It is held for the next session of Congress to reconsider.

Question 31

What is one of the key advantages of a unicameral legislature over a bicameral one?

A)Efficiency in seeing legislation passed
B)Nonpartisanship
C)Opportunities for deliberation
D)Immunity from corruption
E)Decorum

Question 32

If a member of Congress spends too much time in his or her home district, what is he or she likely to lose?

A)Popularity among constituents
B)The respect of colleagues in Washington, DC
C)Media attention
D)Social connections and relationships
E)Financial security

Question 33

How does the smaller and more elite nature of the Senate affect how senators vote?

A)They are under greater peer pressure to vote as dictated by party leaders.
B)Greater stature gives them greater freedom to vote according to their personal beliefs.
C)Lesser stature means that their views are largely dictated by their constituents' views.
D)They are little influenced by either constituents or colleagues.
E)They can vote as they want, and then influence their constituents to agree.

Question 34

By what kind of vote can Congress override a presidential veto?

A)Simple majority among the total members of both houses
B)Two-thirds supermajority among the total members of both houses
C)Three-quarters supermajority in each house
D)Two-thirds supermajority in each house
E)Simple majority in each house

Question 35

What are the most common professions among members of Congress?

A)Union leadership and labor
B)Military and law enforcement
C)Education and academia
D)Business and law
E)Medicine and nursing

Question 36

What event led to the creation of the Ukrainian unicameral parliament?

A)German invasion in 1941
B)Independence from the Soviet Union in 1991
C)Independence from the Russian empire in 1919
D)The collapse of eastern European communism in 1989
E)The death of Josef Stalin in 1953

Question 37

What is the general range of the rates of reelection among members of Congress?

A)More than 90 percent
B)80 to 90 percent
C)70 to 80 percent
D)60 to 70 percent
E)50 to 60 percent

Question 38

What is the objective of gerrymandering congressional districts?

A)Fair competition among all political parties
B)Ethnic and party balance among constituents
C)Benefit of one party over another in elections
D)Balance between urban, rural, and suburban voters
E)Giving advantages to the rich and powerful over the poor

Question 39

Who was the first female Speaker of the House of Representatives?

A)Geraldine Ferarro
B)Hillary Clinton
C)Shirley Chisholm
D)Nancy Pelosi
E)Barbara Jordan

Question 40

In the Japanese National Diet, which house has the greater power?

A)Senate
B)Privy Council
C)House of Representatives
D)Chamber of Councilors
E)Chamber of Deputies

Question 41

What is a key reason why Costa Rica has been able to maintain democracy, except for two brief periods, through its unicameral legislature?

A)Military protection of the electoral process
B)Lack of fear-inducing aggressive neighbors
C)Strong commitment to free and honest elections
D)A history of dictators who would rather have no elections than dishonest ones
E)A heritage of effective federalism

Question 42

How much should a member of Congress balance the "Washington style" and "home style" in order to be successful? Explain the tradeoffs and risks inherent in relying too much on one or the other.

Question 43

Consider the Supreme Court's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819). Analyze the Court's ruling that Congress ha s the implied powers needed to exercise the express powers written into the Constitution.  Does this give the legislative branch excessive power in fact, if not in theory?

Question 44

Describe the process by which a bill becomes law. How does this affect the rate at which bills are passed by Congress and signed by the president?

Question 45

Analyze the increased participation by women and minorities in Congress. What were some of the key trends and events , and why were they important?

Question 46

How does the British Parliament balance the need to respond to the needs of the people and the preservation of tradition in a democratic setting?