U.S. Government (Grade 12) Midterm — Units 5–6

Part 1: Multiple Choice

1. In Engel v. Vitale (1962), the Supreme Court ruled that
   1. A. public schools must teach religion classes
   2. B. school-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause
   3. C. students may not pray privately at school
   4. D. religious groups cannot meet on public property
2. The Equal Protection Clause is found in which amendment?
   1. A. The Tenth Amendment
   2. B. The First Amendment
   3. C. The Fourteenth Amendment
   4. D. The Fifth Amendment
3. 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
4. In New York Times Co. v. United States (1971), the Court ruled against the government's attempt to
   1. A. block newspapers from publishing the Pentagon Papers
   2. B. shut down newspapers that criticized the president
   3. C. tax newspapers more heavily than other businesses
   4. D. require newspapers to print government statements
5. 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
6. 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
7. Which statement best describes the difference between civil liberties and civil rights?
   1. A. Civil liberties limit government action; civil rights guarantee equal treatment
   2. B. Civil liberties come from state law; civil rights come from local law
   3. C. Civil liberties apply only to citizens; civil rights apply to everyone
   4. D. Civil liberties are about voting; civil rights are about speech
8. 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
9. 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
10. In Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), the Supreme Court held that students
    1. A. keep free speech rights at school unless their speech substantially disrupts learning
    2. B. may say anything at school without any limits
    3. C. have no free speech rights inside public schools
    4. D. need a parent's permission to express political views
11. 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
12. Why do incumbents usually win reelection to Congress?
    1. A. Their districts are redrawn every two years
    2. B. They have name recognition, fundraising advantages, and records of service to voters
    3. C. The Constitution gives them extra votes
    4. D. They are not allowed to face challengers
13. 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
14. Why do third parties rarely win seats in Congress?
    1. A. Third parties may not appear on federal ballots
    2. B. Single-member districts award each seat only to the top vote-getter
    3. C. The Constitution bans more than two parties
    4. D. Third-party candidates cannot raise money
15. In Citizens United v. FEC (2010), the Supreme Court ruled that
    1. A. corporations may give unlimited money directly to candidates
    2. B. government may not ban independent political spending by corporations and unions
    3. C. all campaign spending must be publicly funded
    4. D. political ads cannot be shown on television
16. How many electoral votes are needed to win the presidency?
    1. A. 218
    2. B. 435
    3. C. 538
    4. D. 270
17. 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
18. How is the number of a state's electoral votes determined?
    1. A. The number of counties in the state
    2. B. Its share of the national popular vote
    3. C. Its number of House members plus its two senators
    4. D. Its land area
19. 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
20. What did the Twenty-Sixth Amendment (1971) do?
    1. A. Allowed District of Columbia residents to vote for president
    2. B. Gave women the right to vote
    3. C. Lowered the voting age to eighteen
    4. D. Banned poll taxes in federal elections

Part 2: Written Response

21. Should the United States keep the Electoral College? Take a position and support it with at least two arguments, and respond to one counterargument.