U.S. Government (Grade 12) Midterm — Full-Course Review

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. Federalism is best defined as
   1. A. the power of courts to strike down laws
   2. B. the separation of power among three branches
   3. C. the division of power between the national government and the states
   4. D. the rule that the majority always decides
2. What does the Tenth Amendment say?
   1. A. The federal government may not establish an official religion
   2. B. Congress may collect an income tax
   3. C. Citizens have the right to a speedy and public trial
   4. D. Powers not given to the national government nor denied to the states are reserved to the states or the people
3. The Necessary and Proper Clause is the basis for which kind of powers?
   1. A. Concurrent powers of cities
   2. B. Reserved powers of the states
   3. C. Implied powers of Congress
   4. D. Inherent powers of the courts
4. What was a major weakness of the national government under the Articles of Confederation?
   1. A. The national army was too large
   2. B. The president had too much power
   3. C. Congress had no power to collect taxes
   4. D. Federal courts constantly overruled the states
5. What is the most common way the Constitution has been amended?
   1. A. The Supreme Court proposes it, and Congress ratifies it
   2. B. Two-thirds of both houses of Congress propose it, and three-fourths of state legislatures ratify it
   3. C. Two-thirds of the states propose it, and the president ratifies it
   4. D. A majority of Congress proposes it, and the president signs it
6. According to the Constitution, bills to raise revenue must begin in
   1. A. the Senate
   2. B. the Supreme Court
   3. C. the House of Representatives
   4. D. the Treasury Department
7. How long is the term of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives?
   1. A. Six years
   2. B. Two years
   3. C. Four years
   4. D. Eight years
8. What is a filibuster?
   1. A. A vote of both houses to override a veto
   2. B. A committee hearing on a nominee
   3. C. Extended debate in the Senate used to delay or block a vote
   4. D. A rule limiting debate in the House
9. What is reapportionment?
   1. A. Redistributing House seats among the states after each census
   2. B. Changing the number of senators per state
   3. C. Redrawing state boundaries every ten years
   4. D. Assigning bills to committees
10. Which power belongs only to the Senate?
    1. A. Starting bills to raise taxes
    2. B. Approving treaties by a two-thirds vote
    3. C. Declaring war
    4. D. Bringing articles of impeachment
11. The Federal Communications Commission, which regulates broadcasting, is an example of
    1. A. an independent regulatory commission
    2. B. a cabinet department
    3. C. a government corporation
    4. D. a congressional committee
12. What did the Pendleton Civil Service Act of 1883 do?
    1. A. Began hiring many federal workers based on merit instead of political loyalty
    2. B. Created the president's Cabinet
    3. C. Required federal workers to join political parties
    4. D. Allowed presidents to fire any federal employee
13. Which is a constitutional requirement to be president?
    1. A. Holding a college degree
    2. B. Owning property in the United States
    3. C. Having served in Congress
    4. D. Being at least 35 years old
14. What does the Twenty-Second Amendment do?
    1. A. Lowers the voting age to eighteen
    2. B. Limits a president to two elected terms
    3. C. Allows the direct election of senators
    4. D. Sets the order of presidential succession
15. The Twenty-Fifth Amendment deals mainly with
    1. A. presidential disability and filling a vacancy in the vice presidency
    2. B. the abolition of poll taxes
    3. C. the creation of the Electoral College
    4. D. the two-term limit for presidents
16. What is a dissenting opinion?
    1. A. A written opinion by justices who disagree with the majority's decision
    2. B. An opinion that agrees with the outcome for different reasons
    3. C. A brief filed by an outside group
    4. D. The official ruling of the Court
17. How long do federal judges appointed under Article III serve?
    1. A. Ten-year terms
    2. B. During good behavior, which usually means for life
    3. C. Until the president who appointed them leaves office
    4. D. Six-year terms, like senators
18. Most federal cases begin in which courts?
    1. A. U.S. courts of appeals
    2. B. State supreme courts
    3. C. U.S. district courts
    4. D. The U.S. Supreme Court
19. A judge who practices judicial restraint believes courts should
    1. A. ignore the original meaning of the Constitution
    2. B. overturn precedents whenever possible
    3. C. defer to elected branches and strike down laws only when clearly unconstitutional
    4. D. actively use rulings to create new social policy
20. When the Supreme Court grants a writ of certiorari, it
    1. A. refuses to hear an appeal
    2. B. orders a new trial with a jury
    3. C. sends a case to Congress
    4. D. agrees to review a lower court's decision
21. What did Miranda v. Arizona (1966) require?
    1. A. Police must have a warrant for every arrest
    2. B. Police must inform suspects of their rights before custodial questioning
    3. C. Suspects must be given a jury trial within thirty days
    4. D. States must provide free lawyers in civil cases
22. Mapp v. Ohio (1961) applied which rule to state courts?
    1. A. The exclusionary rule barring illegally obtained evidence
    2. B. The clear and present danger test
    3. C. The one person, one vote principle
    4. D. The rule of four
23. What does the Eighth Amendment prohibit?
    1. A. Unreasonable searches and seizures
    2. B. Forcing a person to testify against himself
    3. C. Housing soldiers in private homes during peacetime
    4. D. Cruel and unusual punishment and excessive bail
24. What did Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) establish?
    1. A. States must provide lawyers for defendants in felony cases who cannot afford one
    2. B. Illegally obtained evidence must be excluded
    3. C. Police need a warrant to search a car
    4. D. The death penalty is unconstitutional
25. Selective incorporation is the process by which
    1. A. the Supreme Court applies Bill of Rights protections to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment
    2. B. states choose which federal laws to follow
    3. C. Congress adds new amendments to the Bill of Rights
    4. D. the president selects which rights to enforce
26. In a closed primary, who may vote?
    1. A. Only voters who did not vote in the last election
    2. B. Only voters registered with that party
    3. C. Any registered voter
    4. D. Only party officials and delegates
27. When the news media influence which issues the public thinks are most important, this is called
    1. A. logrolling
    2. B. impoundment
    3. C. gerrymandering
    4. D. agenda setting
28. Political parties, interest groups, and the media are called linkage institutions because they
    1. A. are created and run by the federal government
    2. B. connect citizens' concerns to government policymakers
    3. C. link the three branches of government
    4. D. connect state governments to one another
29. How many electoral votes are needed to win the presidency?
    1. A. 218
    2. B. 435
    3. C. 538
    4. D. 270
30. What is a political action committee (PAC)?
    1. A. A government office that counts ballots
    2. B. A group that raises and spends money to help elect or defeat candidates
    3. C. A committee of Congress that investigates elections
    4. D. A party convention that writes the platform

Part 2: Written Response

31. Has the power of the presidency grown beyond what the framers intended? Take a position using at least two examples, such as executive orders, war powers, or the bureaucracy.
32. Should the United States keep the Electoral College? Take a position and support it with at least two arguments, and respond to one counterargument.