Question 1

In what way does political culture most affect public policy?

Accepted Answer

A)  It dictates what movies can be shown in theaters.
B)  It limits the policy options from which policymakers can choose.
C)  Since the political culture contains all of the rules for a country, public policy can't really be distinguished from political culture.
D)  It encourages citizens to be active in all decision making.
E)  It doesn't affect public policy at all. B

Question 2

Which country receives the most exported goods from the United States?

Accepted Answer

A)  Mexico
B)  Canada
C)  Japan
D)  China B

Question 3

Why was George Washington's presidential administration so significant?

Accepted Answer

A)  His administration supported the British after the French declared war upon them in 1793.
B)  His administration abolished slavery.
C)  His was the very first administration.
D)  His administration established a strong connection with Native American tribes throughout the United States. C

Question 4

The term "Manifest Destiny" was used to describe which 19th century American ideal?

Accepted Answer

A)  That Americans were destined to settle the continent from coast-to-coast
B)  That white Americans were superior to enslaved Americans
C)  That women belonged in the home performing domestic duties
D)  That the country was destined to split into two separate nations

Question 5

Which of the following is true of countries that have high Gini indices?

Accepted Answer

A)  Most of the wealth is concentrated in a small segment of society.
B)  They have achieved a high degree of gender equality.
C)  They are on track to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals.
D)  They exhibit a high standard of living.

Question 6

Which Founding Father was the first Secretary of the Treasury?

Accepted Answer

A)  Benjamin Franklin
B)  James Madison
C)  Alexander Hamilton
D)  Thomas Jefferson

Question 7

What is one of the powers that a president holds without Congressional checks?

Accepted Answer

A)  The ability to forgive the crimes of some citizens
B)  Selecting the leaders in the executive branch
C)  Guiding the agenda of the year through the State of the Union address
D)  Creating a federal budget

Question 8

What is a flat tax?

Accepted Answer

A)  A tax where every taxpayer pays the same amount.
B)  A tax where every taxpayer pays the same percentage of her income.
C)  A tax that is the same in all 50 states.
D)  A tax that guarantees and equal distribution of wealth.
E)  A tax that cannot change over time.

Question 9

Which side of the US Congress has more ability to check presidential actions?

Accepted Answer

A)  The House of Representatives because it must confirm all executive nominations.
B)  The House of Representatives because it is the only body that can hold hearings on how the Executive Branch does its job.
C)  The Senate because it decides how much money each presidential project gets.
D)  The Senate because it must confirm all executive nominations.
E)  Neither. The House and the Senate have equal ability to check Presidential actions.

Question 10

Why is the bureaucracy system so critical to our government now?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Supreme Court has ruled that the system must exist to help Congress
B)  It is very difficult to remove once created
C)  Problems are too vast and complex for Congress to control
D)  It has no effective controls on its powers

Question 11

During the Renaissance, what did Europeans desire that eventually led to the discovery of the New World?

Accepted Answer

A)  To discover an all-water route to the East
B)  To establish a place where they could freely practice their religion
C)  To civilize all of the people around the world
D)  To spread Christianity

Question 12

What is Margaret Sanger best known for?

Accepted Answer

A)  She was a staunch supporter of women's suffrage.
B)  She wrote the quintessential American book about new wave Feminism.
C)  She opened the first birth control clinic in the United States.
D)  She was the first female cabinet member.

Question 13

If the U.S. system of single-member districts with plurality voting were replaced with a system of proportional representation, one possible consequence would be:

Accepted Answer

A)  Greater centralization of power in the hands of the president.
B)  Establishment of stronger interest groups.
C)  The disappearance of political parties.
D)  A movement toward a multiparty system.
E)  The responsible party system.

Question 14

Which historic event established that no member of government, including the president, is considered above the law?

Accepted Answer

A)  The Great Depression
B)  The Vietnam Conflict
C)  Iran Contra
D)  Watergate

Question 15

What did the Supreme Court decide in Grove City College v. Bell (1984)?

Accepted Answer

A)  Private colleges have the right, because they are private, to discriminate against whomever they wish without repercussions.
B)  Colleges must have equal accommodations for students with physical disabilities.
C)  Colleges must give an equal number of athletic scholarships to men and women.
D)  Colleges must abide by federal non-discrimination rules if they wish to receive federal funds.
E)  Colleges must admit students strictly on the basis of merit, and have no other consideration.

Question 16

The Council of Economic Advisors generally advocates that the government pursue goals in line with Keynesian economic theory, which advocates all of the following except:

Accepted Answer

A)  Increasing national production
B)  Maintaining price stability (or low inflation) 
C)  Maintaining low unemployment rates
D)  Allowing the market to correct course naturally when it falters

Question 17

When the Southern states passed Jim Crow laws after Reconstruction, what was the major effect?

Accepted Answer

A)  2 completely separate economies-one for white Americans, one for African Americans.
B)  Many African Americans lost U.S. citizenship.
C)  Voting requirements for African Americans became far more strict.
D)  Public facilities enforced racial segregation.

Question 18

Which of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention is commonly known as "The Father of the US Constitution"?

Accepted Answer

A)  George Washington
B)  Thomas Jefferson
C)  James Madison
D)  George Mason
E)  John C. Calhoun

Question 19

Which activity is a topological map best suited for?

Accepted Answer

A)  Determining a city's population
B)  Counting the number of states in the US
C)  Identifying Kansas's major crops
D)  Finding a mountain's height

Question 20

What is one big difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate in the legislative process?

Accepted Answer

A)  There are subcommittees in the Senate, but not in the House.
B)  The House allows filibusters, but the Senate does not.
C)  A bill must be voted on it its final form in the Senate, but not the House.
D)  A bill must go through a Rules Committee in the House, but not the Senate.
E)  The Senate never actually votes on bills-they just issue reports.

Exam 5: Hiset: History and Politics