AP Review Quiz 4

A discharge petition is rarely used in the House of Representatives because

• the House is too large for a discharge petition to be effective
• a 2/3 majority is required to issue a discharge petition
• it is a challenge to majority leadership & informal rules of behavior
• it is unconstitutional to use a discharge petition in the House of Representatives

Which of the following is a principle underlying the Bill of Rights?

• the people should control all aspects of governance
• some rights are fundamental and should not be subject to majoritarian control
• all people should be guaranteed the same rights, whether they are citizens or not
• it is groups rather than individuals that have fundamental rights and immunities

Since the 1960's, support for the Democratic Party has declined the most among which of the following groups

• labor union members 
• African Americans
• business leaders
• white southerners

The House Rules Committee is an important part of the legislative process because it

• determines ethics rules for members' conduct
• determines whether a bill should be referred to a policy committee for consideration
• determines the terms and conditions of debate when  a bill goes to the House floor
• has the authority to limit the Speaker and Minority leader in their use of patronage

The president cannot veto which of the following?

• joint resolutions that propose constitutional amendments
• laws overturning US Supreme Court decisions
• legislation affecting foreign policy
• bills that originate in the Senate

To influence policy making by the federal courts, the president may do all the following EXCEPT

• take partisanship into account in making judicial appointments
• make public statements about issues that might appear before the courts 
• encourage the Justice Department to get involved in cases that test certain issues
• fire and replace federal judges

An example of a discretionary item in the federal budget is

• interest on the public debt
• spending on national parks
• Social Security payments
• veterans' pensions

Which of the following is the LEAST characteristic of the history of political parties in the United States during the 20th century?

• an increase in the number of organized interest groups
• an increase in the influence of political action committee (PAC) money in congressional elections
• state adoption of direct primary elections
• splitting of two major parties into a multiparty system

The US Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education was based on which of the following?

• the 1st Amendment's right to freedom of expression
• the 14th Amendment's due process clause
• the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection
• the 4th Amendment's exclusionary rule

When a bill passes the House and the Senate in different versions, the bill is resolved by which of the following types of committees?

• conference
• select
• rules
• standing