310 mock exam I, 09-11-23

Government 310L Introduction to American Government Professor Shaw Fall 2023 Mock Exam Questions Multiple Choice Items: 1. The reasons that the judiciary produced few conflicts at the Constitutional Convention included all the following EXCEPT : A. The courts were not perceived as being as powerful as the other branches. B. The delegates were preoccupied with other matters. C. There was greater unity among delegates on principles of law and justice than on matters of powers and representation. D. The delegates quickly adopted the Virginia Plan's creation of a massive and powerful federal court system. 2. The Supreme Court decision that established the “separate but equal” doctrine is: A. Marbury v. Madison . B. McCulloch v. Maryland . C. Brown v. Board of Education . D. Plessy v. Ferguson . 3. The presidential veto power over legislation, the power of the Senate to approve presidential appointments, and judicial review over acts of Congress and presidential actions are examples of the principle in the American political system of: A. Federalism. B. Checks and balances. C. Habeus corpus. D. Institutional gridlock. 4. The notion that each American is a citizen of the national government and separately a citizen of one of the states is known as: A. double jeopardy. B. double identity. C. dual federalism. D. dual citizenship. 5. Perhaps the most important figure for the legalist phase of the modern civil rights movement was: A. Martin Luther King, Jr. B. Malcolm X. C. Thurgood Marshall. D. Bobby Seales. 1 1

6. The question of counting slaves for purposes of representation was ultimately resolved by: A. counting slaves just as non-slaves for purposes of representation. B. counting every five slaves as three people for purposes of representation. C. counting every four slaves as three people for purposes of representation. D. counting every two slaves as one person for purposes of representation. 7. Article I of the Constitution provides for the: A. judicial branch. B. executive branch. C. legislative branch. D. role of state governments. 8. Which of the following is an example of a “reserved power”? A. Establishing a city. B. Coining money. C. Collecting taxes. D. Creating a postal system. 9. What is a private interest group? A. A group that strictly utilizes professional lobbying strategies, rather than grassroots strategies. B. A group that promotes policies that provide benefits targeted to specific individuals or groups. C. A group that promotes policies that produce widely distributed benefits. D. A group that represents business interests. 10. What was the purpose of making all but one of the offices in the executive branch in Texas elected positions? A. To ensure that the legislature would not have undue influence on the executive branch. B. To create a strong executive branch with the authority and public mandate to actively govern. C. To divide authority and disperse the executive branch's ability to actively govern. D. To prevent one party from becoming overly powerful within the executive branch. 11. Under the Constitution, how is the president elected? A. Through the Electoral College. B. By the Congress. C. Through the state legislatures. D. By direct popular vote. 12. Thinking broadly, what was the primary reason for the Declaration of Independence? A. To write an historical treatise on democratic theory. B. To anger the King. C. To help the war effort. D. To offend the British Parliament. 13. What is “devolution”? A. Transfer of power from the state to the federal level. B. Transfer of political power from the federal level to the state level. C. A notion that picked up steam in the late 1980s and early 1990s among Democrats. D. The passage of popular policies like the Affordable Care Act. 2 2