1.
In which constitutional article is the executive power found?
A) Article I
B) Article II
C) Article III
D) Article IV
2.

A bill has been approved in the House and Senate, albeit in slightly different versions. The bill now goes to
A) the president for her/his veto or signature.
B) a conference committee.

C) the standing committees in the House and Senate where the bill originated.
D) the House Rules committee.
3.
The Postal Service and AMTRAK are examples of
A) cabinet departments.
B) government corporations.
C) independent agencies.
D) regulatory agencies.
4.
What is the strategy employed in the Senate to prevent a bill from coming to a vote?
A) mark up
B) filibuster
C) cloture
D) pocket veto
5.
A writ of certiorari is issued after what rule is invoked?
A) The rule of nine
B) The rule of eight
C) The rule of four
D) The rule of five
6.
Define inherent powers.
A) Powers held by all sovereign nations allowing executives to take actions required to defend the nation and protect its interests
B) Powers held by all sovereign nations allowing the legislative branch to take actions required to ensure steady commerce and domestic order
C) Powers held by all sovereign nations allowing the judicial branch to take actions required to ensure a constitutional balance of prerogatives among the various branches of the national government
D) Powers moving away from sovereign nations to the international system as a result of the processes of globalization
7.

Legislation whose tangible benefits are targeted solely at a particular legislator s constituency is
A) pork barrel legislation.
B) logrolling.
C) gerrymandering.
D) private legislation.
8.
What is legislative sovereignty?
A) The idea that lawmaking authority in government should be supreme over the executive and judicial powers
B) The idea that lawmaking authority in government should be held by the people
C) The idea that lawmaking authority in domestic affairs is the exclusive purview of the legislative branch
D) The idea that lawmaking authority held by the executive is subject to legislative review by the parliament
9.
Most members of Congress are
A) concerned with national issues, but even more concerned with local ones.
B) controlled by special interest groups.
C) interested only in the work of the subcommittee on which they serve.
D) opposed to the seniority system.
10.
A judicial decision that establishes a rule for settling subsequent cases of a similar nature is a
A) writ of certiorari.
B) landmark decision.
C) writ of mandamus.
D) precedent.
11.
Candidate strategy in the early presidential nominating contests (such as New Hampshire s primary) is designed chiefly to gain
A) momentum.
B) the support of the party s organizational leaders.
C) the support of the party s congressional leaders.
D) the endorsements of newspaper editors.

12.
The dominant political institution(s) during most of the nineteenth century was
A) the president and the executive branch.
B) Congress.
C) the Supreme Court.
D) the bureaucracy.
13.
Which of the following is part of the Executive Office of the President?
A) Office of Science and Technology Policy
B) Council of Economic Advisers
C) National Security Council
D) All of the answers are correct.
14.
According to the U.S. Constitution, if no one candidate receives a majority vote of the Electoral College, who chooses the president?
A) the U.S. Senate

B) the U.S. House of Representatives
C) both the Senate and House in joint session
D) the Supreme Court
15.
Today s Congress differs from the Congress of the nineteenth century in
A) the size of total staff.
B) the proportion of incumbents who successfully run for reelection.
C) the amount of legislation it considers.
D) All of the answers are correct.
16.
Which one of the following statements about the seniority principle is most accurate?
A) The seniority principle is based on length of time the member has spent in Congress.
B) Because of seniority, committee chairs exercise absolute power over their committees.
C) Seniority is no longer absolute in selection of committee chairs, but it is usually followed.
D) Seniority is no longer used at all in the choice of committee chairs.
17.
Which body of the Congress is constitutionally charged with confirming federal judicial appointments?
A) Neither
B) Both
C) The Senate
D) The House
18.
What was the spoils system prominent in the mid to late 19th century based on?
A) Nothing
B) Merit
C) Service
D) Patronage
19.
A concurring opinion
A) explains the chief justice s position on a case.
B) is delivered when a justice decides the same way on a case as the majority, but has a different reason for reaching that decision.
C) is delivered when the Court interprets a constitutional issue.
D) is delivered when at least two justices, but less than a majority, hold the same opinion in a case.
20.
The predictably highest point of public support for a president is
A) during the president s first year in office.
B) after reelection to a second term.
C) immediately after Congress enacts a major presidential initiative.
D) when international conditions are stable.