UNIT 4 American political ideologies and beliefs

5 Steps to a 5: 500 AP U.S. Government and Politics - Brian Stevens, William Madden 2022

UNIT 4 American political ideologies and beliefs

One unexpected victim of the recent Covid-19 pandemic: the 2020 Census. The fallout of the virus dramatically slowed down the Census and shortened the redistricting process; this process would have been crucial to the states that needed time to draw new state legislative and congressional district lines.

332. What are the short-term political implications of the delayed Census information in 2021?

(A) It has impacted who is running in local county races in 2021.

(B) The delay in drawing congressional district lines has made it difficult for political parties to plan for the 2022 midterm elections.

(C) The Census can affect the number of Senate seats available in each state in 2022.

(D) It puts pressure on the House of Representatives to draw each state’s congressional district lines by 2022.

333. Longer-term implications of the 2020 Census delay include

(A) how Electoral votes will be allocated for the 2024 presidential election.

(B) the length of terms for members of the House of Representatives.

(C) the number of Senate seats open for election in the 2020 decade.

(D) whether the Census data will be challenged in the Supreme Court.

334. How could the new Census data affect federal budget concerns after 2020?

(A) New Census data could change the types of cases the Supreme Court accepts.

(B) As the national population shifts, spending on entitlement programs such as welfare can change from state to state.

(C) States that lose population will be given more federal funding to offset local tax losses.

(D) The president is more likely to impound funds if budget issues loom.

335. According to the Constitution, what institution determines how members of the Electoral College are selected?

(A) State legislatures

(B) Congress

(C) Supreme Court

(D) Special state conventions

336. If a president were seeking to learn what citizens think about a piece of legislation he or she is about to propose, a member of his or her staff would put into the field

(A) an exit poll.

(B) a random-sample poll.

(C) a straw poll.

(D) tracking polls.

Image

337. One distinct observation from the above charts is that

(A) white people dominate both the Republican and Democratic parties.

(B) minorities tend to join the Democratic Party.

(C) white people make about one third more people in the Republican Party than in the Democratic Party.

(D) All of the above

338. Based on recent racial demographics and trends, which party appears to be better positioned for the future?

(A) Republican Party

(B) Democratic Party

(C) Both parties

(D) Neither party

339. Although much of the American government is based on majoritarian politics, what electoral institution is designed, at times, to protect minority parties?

(A) The Presidency

(B) The Senate

(C) The House of Representatives

(D) The Supreme Court

340. What is true about public access to bureaucratic officials?

(A) The bureaucracy puts many obstacles in place for the public to have access to them.

(B) Lobbyists, usually representing interest groups, have easier access to the bureaucracy than the general public.

(C) Both A and B

(D) None of the above

341. What would be an appropriate term for the difficult path to access that the public generally faces when encountering the bureaucracy?

(A) Red tape

(B) Bureaucratic discretion

(C) Overlap

(D) Iron triangle

342. Interest groups, what Madison would call “factions,” were the main focus of what Federalist Paper?

(A) Federalist #10

(B) Federalist #51

(C) Federalist #70

(D) Federalist #78

Polling is merely an instrument for gauging public opinion. When a president or any other leader pays attention to poll results, he is, in effect, paying attention to the views of the people. Any other interpretation is nonsense.

—George Gallup

343. Polling has been used extensively in politics since the early part of the twentieth century. Unlike Gallup’s assessment above, the validity of polling has been challenged in recent years. This is most likely due to the fact that

(A) the methodology of random-sample polling has been questioned.

(B) exit polls are not allowed in most states.

(C) political elites have discredited polling; some of the public agrees.

(D) only political parties can execute proper polls.

344. Presidents like to use random-sample polls to

(A) gauge the public’s reaction to a president’s public policy initiative.

(B) challenge similar polls used by Congress.

(C) determine whether the president should run in a midterm election.

(D) All of the above

345. Polls used to monitor how people would vote in a presidential election would fulfill the media’s role as a

(A) watchdog.

(B) gatekeeper.

(C) scorekeeper.

(D) None of the above

Change doesn’t come from Washington. Change comes to Washington.

—Barack Obama

346. The quote above from President Barack Obama suggests that the real power in our government comes from

(A) interest groups.

(B) the people.

(C) elite politicians.

(D) the president.

347. What structure of government best facilitates change coming to Washington versus from Washington?

(A) Unitary structure

(B) Confederate structure

(C) Federal structure

(D) Authoritarian structure

348. Critics of President Obama would say that he does not embrace the grassroots approach the he suggested. This can be found in

(A) the high taxes proposed by the Obama administration.

(B) Obama’s excessive use of executive orders.

(C) implementation of Obama’s healthcare system, known as Obamacare.

(D) Obama insisting that the Supreme Court investigate public officials.

Image

349. What year saw the peak of support for gay/lesbian marriage rights?

(A) 2004

(B) 2005

(C) 2012

(D) 2014

350. Ultimately, the branch of government that gave relief to gays and lesbians to marry was

(A) the legislative branch.

(B) the executive branch.

(C) the judicial branch.

(D) the federal bureaucracy.

Image

351. In terms of Supreme Court job approval ratings, which group appears to be consistent in its view of the Supreme Court?

(A) Republicans

(B) Democrats

(C) Independents

(D) All of the above

352. In what year did all three groups have the same rating above 50 percent?

(A) 2011

(B) 2014

(C) 2017

(D) 2020

353. What may be an explanation for why the two major party respondents may have greater fluctuation in Supreme Court approval ratings versus the independent groups?

(A) Members of the two parties tend to be more fickle than independents.

(B) Independents tend to be more moderate in their view of the Supreme Court.

(C) There may be years the Supreme Court produces fewer cases, thus not provoking much reaction from the two-party respondents.

(D) In years with large dips and rises in cases, there may have been major cases that respondents from the two parties feel strongly about.

354. Generally speaking, approval ratings of the Supreme Court versus Congress and the presidency tend to be

(A) higher.

(B) lower.

(C) about the same.

(D) usually in line with Congress.

Image

355. In the graph above, which year did Congress receive its highest approval rating?

(A) 1998

(B) 2000

(C) 2004

(D) 2010

356. Which of the following appears to be a trend for congressional approval ratings?

(A) Congress is popular with the American public, with approval ratings usually above 50 percent.

(B) Congressional approval ratings are consistent throughout the years.

(C) Congress is not popular with the American people, as evidenced by approval ratings that usually are below 50 percent.

(D) Democrats and Republicans hold about the same views of Congress.

Image

357. The results of the above polling reflect which of the following old political adages?

(A) “If you can’t beat them, join them.”

(B) “People hate Congress but love their Congressman.”

(C) “All politics are local.”

(D) “The effect of presidential coattails is real.”

358. What may be a reason why members of Congress get reelected at such a high rate?

(A) Members of Congress have the franking privilege to send out information.

(B) Interest groups tend to aid winners, which usually are incumbents.

(C) Incumbents have a huge name-recognition advantage over their challengers.

(D) All of the above

359. Which of the following federal officials faces term limits?

(A) U.S. representatives

(B) U.S. senators

(C) The president

(D) Justices of the Supreme Court

Studies show that as many as two thirds of American congregations were subject to explicit political messages in sermons directly before the 2020 election and that one quarter of churches posted overtly political messages. Studies also show that a substantial majority of Evangelical Protesant churches was subjected to more than one sermon referencing the election, followed by mainline Protestant congregations and Black Protestant congregations. Catholic churches saw the lowest number of sermons.

360. Is the rise of political messaging in American congregations a violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause?

(A) Yes, churches are public places where political messages should not be carried out.

(B) Yes, ministers are agents of the state, and that violates the Establishment Clause.

(C) No, churches are not government funded, and ministers are also exercising their right to free speech.

(D) No, but it would be a violation of the church’s right to assembly, not the Establishment Clause. Ministers could be considered agents of the state.

361. What does the polling suggest about using church sermons for political messaging?

(A) A supermajority of churches appears to use church sermons as a forum for political messaging.

(B) Political messaging happens in American congregations but by a slim majority.

(C) American congregations are not used for political messaging.

(D) None of the above

362. What are the differences between exit polls and random-sampling polls?

(A) Exit polls are used for caucuses; random-sampling polls, for primaries.

(B) Exit polls help predict election results; random-sampling polls are used to collect information.

(C) Exit polls involve interest groups making phone calls to voters prior to elections; random-sampling polls are phone calls made by interest groups after elections.

(D) Exit polls are conducted by election workers; random-sampling polls are only used by interest groups.

363. What is the most consistent factor in determining a person’s personal political ideology?

(A) Their religious faith

(B) The political values of their family

(C) Education level

(D) None of the above

Image

364. According to the graph above, which territory suffers the most from having full voting rights?

(A) Guam

(B) U.S. Virgin Islands

(C) American Samoa

(D) Puerto Rico

365. More than 6 million Americans are denied full voting rights because of a felony conviction. From a political theory perspective, why is this action justified?

(A) Security: a felon is a threat to the populace.

(B) Not paying taxes: this is the penalty for not paying taxes while in prison.

(C) Violation of the social contract: a felon is being denied this right because he or she violated his or her end of the contract.

(D) All of the above

366. All the people in the graph above are American citizens. For the people in the “Residency” section, how can they attain full voting rights?

(A) Petition the federal government for the right to vote

(B) Join the Democratic or Republican Party

(C) Became a resident of a state

(D) File a lawsuit challenging the inability to vote

Image

367. One clear trend on the above graph that involves equal treatment of minorities in the criminal justice system is that

(A) Black people believe that equal treatment is being achieved.

(B) Hispanic people receive better treatment in the criminal justice system than white people.

(C) all groups are confident about police training to avoid excessive force.

(D) no groups believe that minorities receive equal treatment in the criminal justice system.

368. Overall, people polled have confidence that police have been sufficiently trained not to use excessive force.

(A) No, it was by a significant majority.

(B) No, but the polling was close.

(C) Yes, but the polling was close.

(D) Yes, it was by a significant majority.

369. What constitutional principle is in question in this graph?

(A) Criminal due process rights

(B) Equal protection under the law

(C) Privacy

(D) The right to have an attorney

Image

370. An overall trend found in this poll would be that

(A) shrinking the police is supported by white people.

(B) regardless of race, a majority of people polled do not want to shrink the police.

(C) a supermajority of Black people do not want to shrink the police.

(D) All of the above

371. Regulating local police forces would be difficult for the federal government to do. This is mostly because

(A) the president of the United States is not their commander-in-chief.

(B) the local police is a militia overseen by a state’s governor.

(C) law enforcement is largely viewed as a reserve power given to the states.

(D) the federal government has its own police force, the FBI.

372. One way for the federal government to manage the behavior of state and local police forces would be to

(A) have the president commandeer the local police.

(B) provide categorical grants to local police with strings attached.

(C) allow Congress to “declare war” on state police and overrun them.

(D) threaten to take their weapons away from them.

373. Which of the following polls is designed to manipulate voter behavior by using biased questions or incorrect information?

(A) Exit polls

(B) Random-sampling polls

(C) Straw polls

(D) Push polls

President Joe Biden has a difficult task ahead with crucial legislation. Biden desperately seeks bipartisan support for his massive infrastructure bill. Liberal Democrats seek an even larger package that includes expanding social benefits and environmental programs. This increased spending threatens to spook moderate Democrats leery of more deficit spending. If President Biden loses any group, all of this legislation may sink.

374. President Biden has a daunting task of keeping crucial coalitions to maintain his ambitious policy agenda. Which presidential role is the key to achieving his policy goals?

(A) Chief administrator

(B) Head of state

(C) Chief legislator

(D) Leader of the free world

375. With coalition building and maintenance, what type of democracy is being utilized here?

(A) Participatory

(B) Pluralist

(C) Elite

(D) Direct

376. Which Foundational Document would argue that the factions that make up these coalitions are temporary and are tempered by a large republic?

(A) Brutus #1

(B) Federalist #10

(C) The Constitution

(D) Federalist #78

As the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, Jerome Powell can raise interest rates to keep inflation under control. Although inflation is a concern in 2021 and more present than anticipated, Powell also believes price pressures will ease later in the year. Powell expressed these views while testifying before House lawmakers.

377. The federal government engages in financial policy in several ways. In the above quote, Chairman Powell notes one method is to raise interest rates. The Federal Reserve oversees what type of financial policy?

(A) Budgetary

(B) Fiscal

(C) Legislative

(D) Monetary

378. What is a tool the Federal Reserve has to deal with inflation (raising prices of consumer goods)?

(A) Raise or lower taxes

(B) Decide how the federal government appropriates money

(C) Determine the prime interest rate

(D) Coordinate fiscal policy with Congress

379. The Federal Reserve is a part of the federal bureaucracy. What type of bureaucratic agency is the Federal Reserve?

(A) Cabinet department

(B) Government corporation

(C) Independent government agency

(D) Regulatory commission

Image

380. When it comes to the belief that U.S. officials are exaggerating the risk posed by the COVID-19 Delta variant, the highest number comes from what group?

(A) All adults

(B) Those who are vaccinated or likely to get vaccinated

(C) Those who are unlikely to get vaccinated

(D) None of the above

381. Among all adults in the United States, the trend that emerges is that

(A) a significant majority of adults believes that the crisis is not being accurately described.

(B) most Americans find that the crisis is being exaggerated.

(C) there is not a clear majority that believes one way or the other.

(D) All of the above

382. Why does there appear to be so much skepticism among Americans about the risk of the COVID-19 Delta variant?

(A) Citizens’ trust in government has dropped since the Watergate scandal.

(B) There is so much information for Americans to digest that it brings about skepticism.

(C) With the advance of technology and social media, it is easy for false information to be disseminated.

(D) All of the above

383. When dealing with a national crisis such as COVID-19, what is a criticism of the U.S. federal system?

(A) Too many political institutions are involved, thus making a national policy very difficult to develop.

(B) The federal government lacks the ability to deliver a consistent policy position on COVID-19.

(C) States may refute policy initiatives from the federal government if it lacks jurisdiction.

(D) All of the above

Image

384. The clear trend in the graph is that

(A) older people tend to be more socialist.

(B) as Americans grow older, they move more toward capitalism.

(C) the 45- to 54-year age range is the most balanced of all age groups.

(D) overall, citizens tend to favor socialism.

385. What may be a reason for the higher view of capitalism by older people in the above graph?

(A) People get greedier as they get older.

(B) As Americans get older, there are more opportunities for socialism.

(C) As Americans get older, they are more prone to protect themselves and their financial assets, and capitalism becomes more attractive.

(D) None of the above

386. Although the United States largely uses a capitalistic model, there are federal programs that could be viewed as socialistic. These programs include

(A) Medicare.

(B) capital gains tax.

(C) tax incentives for corporations.

(D) tariffs on imported goods.

With misinformation spreading on social media in regard to COVID-19 vaccinations, the Biden administration has decided to take tech companies to task in order to encourage more Americans to vaccinate. The point person on this attack was Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who stated that the misinformation was a threat and tech companies have done little to fight the false and dangerous claims. The speed of this misinformation in regard to vaccines, Vivek believes, has made it an urgent health crisis, giving the surgeon general license to address it.

387. The surgeon general is the leading spokesperson for public health in the U.S. federal government. Although surgeon generals routinely make statements on national health issues, why is this advisory unusual?

(A) Because the surgeon general is a member of the military, and this advisory borders on martial law.

(B) This type of advisory is usually done by the secretary of commerce.

(C) The briefing occurred at the White House, and the president is usually the only person who makes these types of announcements.

(D) Instead of addressing public health directly, the surgeon general directly held powerful tech companies accountable about how they handled the COVID-19 misinformation.

388. The danger with the surgeon general issuing such an advisory is that

(A) this advisory may be interpreted as an attempt by the federal government to censor a social media platform.

(B) this advisory goes beyond the scope and intent of the surgeon general’s position.

(C) Both A and B

(D) None of the above

389. If the surgeon general’s action were to be taken to court, what required Supreme Court case may offer some guidance?

(A) Schenck v. United States (1919)

(B) New York Times v. United States (1971)

(C) Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

(D) Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

390. Which of the following is NOT part of the iron triangle for public policy making?

(A) Federal courts

(B) Congressional committees

(C) Interest groups

(D) Bureaucratic agencies

391. In the twentieth century, which of the following events led to deep mistrust in the federal government?

(A) The progressive movement and World War I

(B) The Great Depression and World War II

(C) The red scare and the cold war

(D) The Vietnam War and Watergate scandal

392. Political donations were ruled to be a form of free speech in which of the following cases?

(A) Schenck v. United States

(B) Buckley v. Valeo

(C) New York Times v. United States

(D) Citizens United v. FEC

393. The process of acquiring political attitudes is known as

(A) political education.

(B) political culturalization.

(C) political understanding.

(D) political socialization.

394. What type of poll is used almost daily with the same universe of voters to monitor their perception of a candidate?

(A) Tracking polls

(B) Sample polls

(C) Focus polls

(D) Random polls

395. What is the most common form of American political participation?

(A) Joining an interest group

(B) Making campaign contributions

(C) Voting

(D) Contacting an elected official

396. What is the term for when a politician sends out an anonymous idea to see whether the public is receptive?

(A) Buoy

(B) Trial balloon

(C) Testing the waters

(D) Test flight

397. House and Senate members from the same state and party do not necessarily have the same political views because of

(A) constituency differences.

(B) different responsibilities to the party.

(C) varying connections to interest groups.

(D) their message to the media.

398. The lack of distinction between the partisan and ideological motivations of members of Congress in policy making is largely due to

(A) contributions from interest groups.

(B) the narrow focus of public policy.

(C) party leaders creating policy that represents shared ideological goals.

(D) feedback from constituents.

399. Candidate-centered rather than party-centered politics flourished in twentieth-century American politics because

(A) political parties no longer controlled nominations.

(B) population movement out of the cities weakened the party machine.

(C) new election laws prevented third parties.

(D) there was no longer a need to package candidates.

400. What historical event led to creation of the Social Security Act?

(A) Civil War

(B) World War I

(C) Great Depression

(D) World War II

401. Which of the following is a characteristic of interest-group policy making?

(A) Being part of the iron triangle along with congressional committees and bureaucratic agencies

(B) Giving donations to political candidates

(C) Providing expert information to members of Congress

(D) All of the above

402. Which of the following is a traditional plank of the Republican Party’s presidential platform?

(A) Higher taxes on wealthy individuals

(B) Giving more political power to the federal government

(C) Strong defense of gun rights

(D) Against the use of the death penalty

403. Which of the following is a traditional plank of the Democratic Party’s presidential platform?

(A) More expansive healthcare coverage for Americans

(B) Higher taxes on wealthy individuals

(C) Seeking equal rights for women

(D) All of the above

404. Which of the following is a common trait of supply-side economics?

(A) Government should leave as much money as possible with the people.

(B) Let supply and demand determine the market.

(C) Levy fewer taxes on citizens.

(D) All of the above

405. Which of the following is an example of an entitlement?

(A) Medicare

(B) Revenue spending

(C) Categorical grants

(D) Defense spending

Image

406. Which of the following can be determined by the 2020 Census data provided above?

(A) Southern states grew at the highest rate.

(B) Ohio and Wyoming grew at the same rate.

(C) Western states were among the slowest-growing states.

(D) All states grew at about the same pace.

407. In terms of the actual number of people, which state had the highest jump in population?

(A) Utah

(B) Texas

(C) Pennsylvania

(D) Michigan

408. In terms of federal-state relations, what would be the political results of this Census information?

(A) North Dakota probably will receive a substantially higher amount of federal aid.

(B) Texas will gain congressional districts.

(C) Wyoming’s congressional status will remain the same.

(D) All of the above

Image

409. According to the above chart from the U.S. Census Bureau, which of the following groups had the largest amount of growth from 2010 to 2020?

(A) Hispanics

(B) Blacks

(C) Asians

(D) Multiracial people

410. Based on traditional party membership, according to the preceding chart, which political affiliation seems to benefit from the 2020 data?

(A) Democrats

(B) Republicans

(C) Third parties

(D) Independents

411. Looking at the data, how would you expect a person running for office to react?

(A) The needs of minority groups would have to be addressed more readily.

(B) Because white people’s numbers are declining, they are not a powerful group; thus their concerns can be put to the wayside.

(C) The Black population is growing, so more time and resources should be directed there.

(D) None of the above

Image

Source: Financial Audit of Federal Budget, Years 2017—2018, GAO

412. Nearly half the federal budget in 2017—2018 was spent on what areas?

(A) Other and Department of Defense

(B) Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense

(C) Social Security Administration and Department of Veterans Affairs

(D) Department of Health and Human Services and Social Security Administration

413. What type of spending is found in Health and Human Services as well as the Social Security Administration?

(A) Discretionary spending

(B) Entitlements

(C) Revenue sharing

(D) Deficit spending

414. What government institution is in charge of preparing the annual federal budget?

(A) House of Representatives

(B) Senate

(C) President

(D) Judiciary

415. Public opinion shapes congressional elections, which, in turn,

(A) shape legislation.

(B) create the need for more bureaucracy.

(C) make congressional races more competitive.

(D) make inroads in historically one-party districts.

416. Which of the following pairings provides accurate descriptions of political arguments found in Federalist #10 and Federalist #51?

Image

417. Which of the following pairings accurately compares prospective voting and retrospective voting?

Image

418. Which of the following pairings describes features of a participatory democracy and a pluralist democracy?

Image