Desire2Learn Political Science (POS) 4 Practice Test

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• Which group is most underrepresented in Congress?
• How does substantive representation differ from descriptive representation?
• Which entity makes economic projections about the performance of the economy, the costs of proposed policies, and the economic effects of taxing and spending alternatives?
• What does inclusive institutions theory claim about development?
• Who nominates judges to the U.S. district courts?
• The Supreme Court issues __________, which are essentially written statements containing the legal reasoning behind the Court's decisions.
• How do elections influence policy agendas?
• Which event is most likely to result in presidential impeachment?
• What is the primary function of appellate courts?
• Path dependence in public policy refers to what?
• Which institution is charged with providing neutral budgetary and economic analysis to Congress for evaluating spending proposals?
• Which statement correctly distinguishes political power from political authority?
• Which Court was active in shaping public policy in a liberal direction?
• Which of the following is a major responsibility of the Supreme Court?
• To get his or her legislative agenda, a skilled president might __________.
• Which of the following is within the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court?
• What are consequences of media polarization?
• Where is malapportionment particularly acute?
• What is bureaucratic autonomy and how can it affect policy implementation?
• Which statement best describes policy feedback in politics?
• Which function best describes the typical role of a budgetary analysis office in Congress?
• Which scenario would most likely lead to impeachment, according to the material?
• Explain 'liberal democracy' and its core institutions.
• What term describes the perception that voters strongly support the president and his or her policies?
• Which cases fall under the Supreme Court's original jurisdiction rather than appellate?
• Why do presidents want high approval ratings?
• How do civil liberties differ from civil rights in practice?
• What is separation of powers and why is it important in constitutional design?
• What does democratic peace theory assert?
• What is political efficacy and how does it affect participation?
• Which approach best reduces uncertainty in polling?
• In which scenario is a congressional incumbent most vulnerable to defeat?
• When a court bases a decision on a previous court decision, the principle is __________.
• What best describes the confirmation process for recent Supreme Court nominees?
• Which court hears appeals directly from federal independent regulatory commissions?
• Historically, vice presidential candidates have often been chosen to __________.
• What is the difference between civil liberty and civil right?
• What is an amicus curiae brief?
• Which statement best captures the role of civic culture in democracy?
• What happens to most requests for Supreme Court review?
• What term describes the deliberate drawing of district boundaries to advantage a particular political party?
• In which courts are the majority of cases tried?
• How can a president be removed from office?
• Which statement best describes the public policy cycle stages?
• Describe the political science research cycle and its main stages.
• Which statement best describes sovereignty in the modern era?
• Which term describes a national election that produces a large cross-party shift in Congress?
• When presidents appear on television, they are trying to
• Which Court is commonly associated with liberal public policy in the mid-20th century?
• Which of the following best describes 'civil liberties'?
• In a presidential system, which example illustrates checks and balances?
• How do civic activism and political participation influence policy change?
• What was Watergate?
• What does appellate jurisdiction empower a court to do?
• Which body approves presidential appointments and treaties (in most cases)?
• Who presides over the House of Representatives and plays a crucial role in determining committee assignments and leadership roles and assigning bills to committees?
• How is a president different from a prime minister?
• What is the difference between an executive agreement and a treaty?
• Which statement best describes the purpose of life tenure for judges?
• Which best describes power in the Senate?
• Which of the following limits a judge's decision-making authority?
• In recent history, First Ladies have frequently pursued advocacy for specific issues rather than ceremonial duties.
• Which statement about constitutional legitimacy is correct?
• How does proportional representation affect party systems compared to majoritarian systems?
• Explain the concept of 'soft power' in international relations.
• What is agenda setting in the public policy process?
• What is state capacity and why does it matter for governance?
• Which of the following would be eligible to be a member of the U.S. House of Representatives?
• In which legal proceedings are a small number of people permitted to sue on behalf of all other people in similar circumstances?
• Which role is typically the chief architect of the Senate's legislative agenda within the majority party?
• Which argument would be made by an advocate for the Supreme Court playing a more aggressive policymaking role?
• Which statement best describes citizenship in liberal democracies?
• Which amendment limits the presidency to two four-year terms?
• Which office reviews the legislative proposals of executive agencies and assesses their budgetary implications and consistency with the president's agenda?
• Which action is the most efficient and effective way for a president to shape legislation?
• What is the term for a presidential veto when the president does not sign a bill and Congress has adjourned, effectively killing the bill without a formal veto?
• Which body confirms presidential appointments to the federal judiciary and many executive agencies?
• Which statement best summarizes the public's view of Congress?
• Some believe that legislators should act as __________ who use their best judgment to make policy in the interests of the people.
• Explain the bureaucratic politics model in policy making?
• What typically characterizes a liberal democracy?
• Which example best demonstrates a legislator acting as an instructed delegate?
• Why is it necessary for presidents to act as party leaders in order to accomplish their policy goals?
• __________ is the authority of a court to hear a case first, thus determining the facts of the case.
• Policy feedback refers to which concept?
• How is the number of seats a state has in the House of Representatives determined?
• What is traceability in political science research?
• Which statement best describes the 'iron triangle' in policymaking?
• Which policy instrument is most associated with neoliberalism?
• In public administration, policy diffusion occurs when ideas and programs spread from one jurisdiction to another through which mechanisms?
• Which term describes a judge's flexibility to adapt constitutional interpretation to contemporary issues?
• Who presides over the House and controls committee assignments?
• The phrase costs of proposed policies in budget analysis refers to evaluating what?
• Which case would the Supreme Court be most likely to hear on appeal from a state court?
• Which statement best contrasts executive agreements with treaties?
• For the legal system, what is the term for relying on past judicial decisions to resolve current cases?
• Which of the following is a common policy tool used when markets fail to provide public goods?
• No Republicans voted for Obama’s health care reform plan, and no Democrats voted for Trump's tax plan. What does this illustrate?
• The vice president of the United States is the ceremonial leader of the Senate. Who is the most prominent partisan leader of the Senate?
• Which is a constitutional power the president shares with the Senate?
• In which way do modern presidents differ from the intentions of the Framers?
• Which statement about constitutional supremacy is most accurate?
• What is a congressional staff member most likely to spend time doing?
• Which body must approve treaties negotiated by the president?
• What is substantive representation?
• What is uncertainty in polling and how can it bias results?
• In comparative politics, what is the difference between a presidential and a semi-presidential system?
• Which statement best describes the modern confirmation process for Supreme Court nominees?
• Which of the following best defines 'credit claiming' in a congressional context?
• Who breaks a tie in the Senate?
• What are constitutional conventions?
• Which stage is traditionally the first in the public policy cycle?
• Which statement best captures the distinction between positive and normative political theory?
• What form of legislature does the United States have?
• When is lobbying more likely to be successful?
• Which action is exclusive to the president and does not require Senate approval?
• What is democratic consolidation?
• What is 'the social contract' and who proposed it?
• Which power belongs exclusively to the president?
• In parliamentary systems, what happens when a vote of confidence fails?
• Which statement best describes descriptive representation?
• Explain checks and balances with an example in a presidential system.
• Which of the following describes the primary function of the House of Representatives regarding revenue?
• Which of the following is NOT typically considered a primary agent of political socialization?
• What do whips do?
• Most of the work of Congress happens in which setting?
• Which accurately describes President Trump's Supreme Court nominations through 2018?
• Political socialization is the process by which individuals acquire political beliefs. Who are identified as primary agents?
• Which rule determines when the Supreme Court will grant review to a petition?
• Which statement best contrasts neoliberalism with social democracy?
• Which statement best distinguishes descriptive representation from normative representation?
• In democratic peace theory, what factors are cited to explain fewer wars between democracies?
• How do interest groups differ from political parties?
• Which of the following is a common source of political legitimacy?
• What term describes the power of the courts to review acts for constitutionality?
• What is the power of the courts to determine whether the actions of the other branches are constitutional?
• Which describes the Senate's power distribution?
• Which statement best describes descriptive representation?
• In the U.S. Senate, who serves as the ceremonial leader of the body?
• Which body has the sole power to impeach federal officials?
• Which statement best describes the basic organizational structure of the federal court system?
• One reason that there are not more women in Congress?
• What is the role of the National Security Council?
• Civic culture refers to which of the following?
• Which is an example of soft constitutionalism in action?
• Explain the role of the judiciary in a system of constitutional government.
• How are vacancies in the vice presidency filled?
• In the Senate, which officer is responsible for counting votes and persuading members to support the party's position?
• Which statement best completes this sentence: In the context of constitutional courts, the term used to describe adherence to past decisions is known as?
• Which stage in the political science research cycle involves testing hypotheses with data?
• Which principle describes giving each state in the United States an equal number of senators, regardless of population size?
• What aspect of the presidency is the press most likely to report on?
• Which term describes the model where representation is by trustees who use their own judgment?
• Which statement best describes path dependence in policy making?
• Which term describes legislation that bundles many issues into one bill to gain broader support?
• Which body must confirm all federal judges?
• To challenge a law in court, which requirement must plaintiffs demonstrate?
• What outcome would most likely result from weak property rights and limited participation, according to inclusive institutions theory?
• What is the vice president's only constitutionally defined job?
• Historically, VP candidates have been chosen to placate a significant party constituency.
• Which judicial philosophy believes judges should make bold policy decisions to meet societal needs?
• Who represents the federal government in appeals to the Supreme Court?
• Which best describes recent First Ladies?
• What is political culture and how does it influence political behavior?
• Which body has the authority to impeach a president?
• Judicial activism is best described as ...
• Why did Franklin Roosevelt propose expanding the number of Supreme Court justices?
• A judge who believes in deferring to the decisions of elected representatives believes in __________.
• Which statement about sovereignty is FALSE?
• Describe the concept of 'policy diffusion' in public administration.
• Which action is least efficient for a president seeking to shape legislation?
• Only a(n) __________ court can review the decisions of a lower court.
• Which statement about the public policy process is FALSE?
• Which court typically has original jurisdiction?
• What is 'public goods' and how do markets fail to provide them efficiently?
• Which statement reflects a commonly cited barrier to women running for Congress?
• Differentiate between procedural and substantive democracy with an example.
• Which of the following would increase turnover in congressional membership?
• In a constitutional democracy with a written constitution, which statement best describes constitutional supremacy?
• Members of Congress are generally __________ than the general population.
• What are typical components of citizenship in liberal democracies?
• Which statement best defines political legitimacy?
• What is the key difference between a parliamentary system and a presidential system?
• What is common law?
• Which judicial power belongs to the president?
• A filibuster can be ended through __________; it requires the approval of __________ senators.
• What is federalism and how does it function in policy implementation?
• In policymaking, what best describes the 'iron triangle'?
• Which statement best characterizes majoritarian versus pluralist theories of democracy?
• What might a group of members of Congress do if they have a common desire to influence public policies involving an issue of mutual interest?
• Which part of the executive branch is closest and most loyal to the president?
• What is the main purpose of checks and balances?
• Which term describes the practice of exchanging favors or support among lawmakers in order to gain passage of legislation?
• In federal vs unitary systems, which describes sovereignty distribution?
• Which type of law involves the violation of the legal rights of one individual toward another?