American Government Common Final Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. 1. American revolutionary leaders were deeply influenced by a. Richard Nixon. c. John Locke. b. Chief Justice Roger B. Taney. d. Karl Marx. 2. The United States form of government is a. an oligarchy. c. constitutional republic. b. a totalitarian government. d. an autocracy. 3. Signed by the Pilgrims in 1620, this item was the first American government document. a. Constitution c. Petition of Rights b. Mayflower Compact d. Magna Carta 4. This concept is the basis of the Constitution. a. popular sovereignty c. Congressional powers b. Supreme Court justice d. executive privilege 5. In some states these kept low-income African Americans from voting. a. poll taxes c. sunset laws b. sunshine laws d. extradition laws 6. These powers belong to both the national and the state governments. a. reserved powers c. concurrent powers b. delegated powers d. implied powers 7. To settle regional issues, states form a. enabling laws. c. extradition laws. b. interstate compacts. d. civil lawsuits. 8. This stops a filibuster. a. caucus c. closed rule b. gerrymander d. cloture 9. The presiding officer of the House is the a. Speaker. c. majority leader. b. majority whip. d. Senate leader. 10. In each house of Congress, the standing committees are controlled by the a. majority leader. c. minority party. b. majority party. d. minority leader. 11. Most of the federal government's spending money comes from a. uncontrollables. c. taxes. b. special-interest groups. d. entitlements. 12. Lobbyists and these special-interests groups influence lawmakers' votes. a. conferees c. riders b. PACs d. whips 13. Most of the work on tax laws takes place in the a. executive offices. c. Senate Appropriations Committee. b. hearings. d. House Ways and Means Committee.
14. The commander in chief of the United States armed forces is the a. national security advisor. c. attorney general. b. president. d. secretary of defense. 15. Students with disabilities may have their needs met through this department. a. Department of Justice c. Department of Health and Human Service b. Department of State d. Department of Education 16. This is a constitutional power of Congress. a. override c. mandate b. pardons d. line-item veto 17. To release an individual from legal punishment is to a. give a reprieve. c. pardon. b. serve with an executive order. d. give amnesty. 18. American ambassadors in foreign countries work in a. foreign embassies. c. American embassies. b. cabinet offices. d. the White House abroad. 19. The decision in this Supreme Court case changed law enforcement across the nation. a. Miranda v. Arizona c. Plessy v. Ferguson b. Marbury v. Madison d. Train v. City of New York 20. A legal argument set forth in a statement is called a. a brief. c. an indictment. b. bail. d. an opinion. 21. This Supreme Court case limited a president's impound power. a. Plessy v. Ferguson c. Marbury v. Madison b. Train v. City of New York d. Miranda v. Arizona 22. Most of the Supreme Court's cases come a. by amicus curiae. c. through Congressional hearings. b. through presidential appointment. d. as appeals from lower courts. 23. The "boxer's big knockout punch" is the Supreme Court's power of a. concurrent jurisdiction. c. jurisdiction. b. judicial review. d. checks and balances. 24. The Supreme Court determines policy in all but this way. a. interpreting the meaning of laws c. overruling its previous decisions b. using judicial review d. passing laws 25. A Supreme Court decision sets a a. precedent. c. trial court date. b. judicial circuit. d. state court jurisdiction. 26. The deciding vote is also called the a. litigant. c. voting bloc. b. law. d. swing vote. 27. This entity has the final rule on the establishment clause.
a. the Supreme Court c. Congress b. a religious leader d. a state court 28. Political parties and interest groups who influence the action of government must have this freedom. a. freedom of religion c. freedom of assembly b. freedom of libel d. freedom to slander 29. This is at the heart of the government of the United States. a. freedom of religion c. freedom of assembly b. human rights d. freedom of speech 30. The keepers of the freedoms of the United States are the a. religious leaders. c. presidents. b. military leaders. d. citizens. 31. A person who gives up United States citizenship and lives in another country is a. an expatriate. c. a naturalized citizen. b. a denaturalized citizen. d. a non-resident alien. Standard 12.3 32. This is a key step in the naturalization process. a. a trial c. to obtain a warrant b. a hearing d. to seek counsel Standard 12.3 33. This is the official notice of a lawsuit. a. affidavit c. warrant b. tort d. summons 34. This is the goal of the U.S. justice system. a. expressed contracts with citizens c. equal justice under the law b. fundamental rights d. hung juries in criminal cases 35. This person's responsibility is to organize party workers. a. precinct captain c. patron b. ward captain d. party boss 36. This national convention committee writes the party's statement of beliefs. a. credentials committee c. committee on permanent organization b. rules committee d. platform committee 37. This is vital for the success of American democracy. a. literacy tests c. voting b. poll tax d. PACs 38. The lobbyist's strongest tool is a. friendship. c. a campaign contribution. b. information. d. an entertainment gift. 39. Business-related and labor-related interest groups are interested in this subject. a. education c. the economy b. housing d. the public's welfare 40. The shared basic beliefs and values about a nation and its government create the a. universe. c. peer group. b. interest group. d. political culture.
41. This is the protector of the rights of the mass media. a. League of Women voters c. Federal Communications Commission b. First Amendment d. Telecommunications Commission Standard 12.8 42. Controlling money to influence the economy is called a. reconciliation. c. monetary policy. b. reserve requirement. d. fiscal policy. 43. These are the federal government's financial instruments, such as bonds, notes, and certificates. a. securities c. discount rates b. entitlements d. uncontrollables 44. The United States's largest entitlement program is a. the discount tax rate. c. the tax credit program. b. Social Security. d. the tax loophole program. 45. This was the country's first federal transportation undertaking. a. public safety on highways c. railroads b. the National Road d. mass transit 46. This government department promotes business interests worldwide. a. FAA c. Department of Energy b. FDA d. Department of Commerce 47. This is an agreement between nations and approved by Congress. a. treaty c. executive agreement b. sanctions d. bipartisan agreement 48. The United States offers all except this to friendly nations. a. economic aid c. technical assistance b. voting privileges d. military aid 49. This is NOT a function of a state constitution. a. appoints officials c. creates the structure of government b. outlines methods of election d. provides for separation of powers 50. A two-chambered state legislature a. is unicameral. c. has the same number in both houses. b. is bicameral. d. is half Republican and half Democrat. 51. The executive branch of the state is headed by the a. speaker of the house. c. attorney general. b. lieutenant governor. d. governor. 52. This is issued by the state to make the incorporated community legal. a. referendum c. bond b. charter d. mass transit permit 53. This promotes economic growth in cities. a. revitalization c. assessment b. incorporation d. town meetings 54. This is an example of personal property. a. buildings c. houses
b. land d. stocks and bonds 55. Moving many people into and through cities is the work of a. metropolitan government. c. airline companies. b. the infrastructure. d. mass transit. 56. The ability of nations to develop economically while at the same time protecting the environment is called a. equilibrium. c. sustainable development. b. human rights. d. positive rights. 57. The United States used this as coercive measures against South Africa. a. quotas c. tariffs b. trade limits d. economic sanctions 58. An economic system with a central authority is called a a. Mixed system. c. command system. b. traditional system. d. market system. 59. This is the opposite of competition. a. monopoly c. apartheid b. oligarchy d. economic sanctions 60. The Soviet bureaucracy, with its centralized planning, bred a. an emerging democracy. c. a free market. b. apartheid. d. economic stagnation.