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WorksheetsUS Gov Final Review
Total questions: 121
Worksheet time: 6hrs 3mins
Which courts hear the vast majority of cases in the United States?
bankruptcy courts
federal courts
appellate courts
state courts
Which term refers to the sole right of a court to hear a case?
appellate jurisdiction
exclusive jurisdiction
concurrent jurisdiction
original jurisdiction
Who makes a legal complaint in a court proceeding?
plaintiff
defendant
jury
public defender
Which type of jurisdiction is held by a court that reviews the proceedings of a lower court?
original jurisdiction
appellate jurisdiction
exclusive jurisdiction
concurrent jurisdiction
Which courts serve as the trial courts of the federal system?
district courts
courts of appeals
state supreme courts
bankruptcy courts
Which of the following would be handled in a civil trial?
kidnapping
murder
dispute over property
making false statements in a legal proceeding
How many justices does the Supreme Court have today?
six
seven
eight
nine
ten
The concept that a judge should interpret the Constitution according to the Framers’ original intention is known as judicial
activism.
philosophy.
review.
restraint.
Which term refers to previous court rulings?
precedent
senatorial courtesy
judicial review
jurisdiction
Senatorial courtesy plays a role in nominations to the
district courts.
courts of appeals.
Supreme Court
state supreme courts
The Framers thought that making federal judgeships permanent would help ensure
that judges would become wealthy.
strong party involvement in the selection of judges.
judicial independence.
diversity among federal judges.
Congress and the states can check the federal judiciary by
cutting the judges’ pay.
refusing to obey unpopular rulings.
amending the Constitution.
firing judges.
Judicial independence is a cornerstone of the American judicial system because it safeguards the jobs of federal judges.
True
False
The Judiciary Act of 1789 set up the basic three-tiered federal court structure that is still in place today.
True
False
The Constitution requires all federal judges to be trained lawyers.
True
False
(a) refers to cases that fall under both federal and state jurisdiction.
(a) have original jurisdiction over nearly all criminal and civil cases heard in the federal court system.
The Constitution gives the (a) the power to approve all federal judges.
Congress has the power to (a) judges and remove them from office.
Which group gathers to hear evidence of a possible crime and to recommend whether there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges?
grand jury
trial jury
magistrate judges
public defenders
Which term refers to the legal process by which people who cannot pay money they owe others can receive court protection and assistance in settling their debts?
sovereign immunity
bankruptcy
court-martial
precedent
What is the main job of a federal district court judge?
deciding which cases to hear
presiding over trials
hearing appeals from lower courts
maintaining court records
To say that a judge is an Article III judge means that he or she can serve
as long as Congress sees fit.
14 years.
until death or retirement.
8 years.
Which of the following is a minor criminal case?
misdemeanor
felony
civil suit
bankruptcy
What is the U.S. attorney’s job?
representing defendants who cannot afford a lawyer
handling cases before the Supreme Court
helping district judges decide cases
representing the United States in court
Study the diagram and answer the question that follows.
Appeals from the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims reach the Supreme Court through the
U.S. Courts of Appeal.
district courts.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
Who provides security at federal courthouses?
public defenders
U.S. marshals
military tribunals
local law enforcement
Which term refers to someone who files an appeal?
appellant
plaintiff
public defender
defendant
The written arguments of each side to an appeal are called
complaints.
responses.
briefs.
petitions.
In which court do people bring claims against the United States?
U.S. Court of Federal Claims
U.S. Tax Court
U.S. district courts
U.S. Court of International Trade
Which of the following refers to the immunity a nation has against being sued?
diplomatic immunity
sovereign immunity
executive immunity
congressional immunity
If members of the military violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice, they are subject to prosecution in a
military commissions.
district court.
national security court.
court-martial.
The special military commissions created by President George W. Bush after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, were struck down by the
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Supreme Court.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
A federal district court judge’s main job is to preside over trials.
True
False
Lawyers in the U.S. attorney’s office represent people accused of criminal offenses.
True
False
The ruling of a court of appeals is typically the final ruling on a particular case.
True
False
Read the selection and answer the question that follows.
“Limitations [on the power of government] . . . can be preserved in practice in no other way than through . . . courts of justice, whose duty it must be to declare all acts contrary to the manifest tenor [obvious meaning] of the Constitution void. Without this, all the reservations of particular rights or privileges would amount to nothing.”
—Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist No. 78
What significant power did Hamilton foresee for the federal courts?
judicial activism
judicial review
precedent
stare decisis
In which case did the Supreme Court assert its power of judicial review?
McCulloch v. Maryland
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Marbury v. Madison
Gibbons v. Ogden
After the Civil War, the Supreme Court tended to view economic regulation as something that
Congress should handle.
the states should handle.
was necessary to protect workers.
was an assault on property rights.
In which case did the Supreme Court declare that Congress lacked the power to outlaw slavery in the territories?
McCulloch v. Maryland
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Marbury v. Madison
Gibbons v. Ogden
What was President Franklin Roosevelt’s reason for wanting to “pack” the Supreme Court?
so New Deal programs would survive legal challenge
to help the Court function more efficiently
to enable the justices to better handle their workloads
so that some New Deal programs would be struck down
Who served as chief justice when the Supreme Court reached the height of its liberal era?
Roger Taney
John Roberts
John Marshall
Earl Warren
Which Supreme Court ruling held that schools could not prevent students from protesting the Vietnam War?
Brown v. Board of Education
Tinker v. Des Moines
Gideon v. Wainwright
Miranda v. Arizona
The confirmation process of a nominee to the Supreme Court begins with hearings before the
Senate Judiciary Committee.
Department of Justice.
House Judiciary Committee.
American Bar Association.
From which court is a case most likely to make its way to the Supreme Court?
state supreme court
federal bankruptcy court
federal court of appeals
federal district court
What is a writ of certiorari?
ruling from the Supreme Court
order seeking review of a lower court case
petition that initiates a lawsuit
order to a district court to retry a case
In the process of hearing a case, what do Supreme Court justices do after reading the written briefs?
listen to oral arguments
write an opinion
issue a ruling
place the case on the court’s docket
A majority opinion is one that is signed by at least how many members of the Supreme Court?
three
four
five
six
Under the leadership of Chief Justice Samuel Chase, the Supreme Court became an equal partner of the other two branches of U.S. government.
True
False
In Dred Scott v. Sandford, the Supreme Court ruled that Congress lacked the power to outlaw slavery in territories.
True
False
The Supreme Court’s liberal era reached its peak during the chief justiceship of Earl Warren.
True
False
During the 1930s, President Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to (a) with justices who would support his programs.
When a party to a case wants to appeal a case to the Supreme Court, it asks the Court to issue a(n) (a) .
Which of the following is most likely to be a result of political socialization?
John decides to buy sneakers like those of his friend Rafael.
Mary goes to religious services every week with her parents.
Joan becomes a Democrat like her father.
Mushtaq loses all interest in national elections.
A newspaper’s investigative series exposing corruption in a public agency would be an example of how the mass media might
engage in political socialization.
help determine the public agenda.
measure public opinion.
cover electoral politics.
Which of the following best reflects changes in the mass media since the 1990s?
Television replaced radio as the public’s major news source.
The audience for network television news has grown.
Ownership of the mass media has become more fragmented.
Major newspapers publish online editions.
Read the selection and answer the question that follows.
“At its best, the Internet can educate more people faster than any media tool…At its worst, it can make people dumber faster than any media tool…Because the Internet has an aura of ‘technology’ surrounding it, the uneducated believe information from it even more.”
—Thomas Friedman, The New York Times (2002)
What does Thomas Friedman think is the main problem associated with using the Internet as a source of information?
A lot of people use the Internet to educate themselves instead of going to school.
People may be unduly influenced by the information they find on the Internet.
Internet technology is too complicated for most people to understand.
Accurate news and information cannot be delivered to home computers.
Which of the following best describes a desirable sample universe for a question about whom voters favor in a Democratic primary?
all newly-registered Democrats
all registered Democrats
all Democrats who have attended a recent campaign rally
all registered voters
Which of the following polls is most likely to be based on a truly random sample of 18- to 21-year-old voters?
online poll
poll of registered voters aged 18-21, contacting every tenth person on a list
poll taken by knocking on every third door in a college dorm
poll of all 18- to 21-year-olds attending a rap concert
The purpose of exit polls is to
judge who is leading in a primary election race.
determine public opinion on U.S. troop withdrawals.
predict election results before polls close.
influence voters to back a certain candidate.
What is the relationship between interest groups and political action committees?
There is no relationship between interest groups and political action committees.
Many interest groups have political action committees to support candidates for office.
Many political action committees create interest groups to help promote their goals.
Unlike political action committees, interest groups can contribute money to candidates.
An interest group that wants to contribute to candidates for Congress would most likely
hire a lobbyist.
start a Web page.
create a trade association.
form a political action committee.
Which of the following is a type of group that promotes the interests of a group of businesses?
commodity group
cause-based group
trade association
labor union
Which of the following would be most likely to support a law requiring new safety measures in an industry?
labor group
business group
cause-based group
professional group
Which of the following descriptions is most likely to apply to an interest group whose Web site offers the article “Can the Amazon Rainforest Be Saved”?
cause-based group interested in the environment
trade association for tropical lumber producers
labor group for workers in the banana industry
cause-based group interested in building democracy
An interest group that endorses a candidate is
criticizing the candidate’s actions.
giving money for a campaign.
asking voters to elect the candidate.
asking for the candidate’s help.
What is a goal common to all interest groups?
electing a slate of candidates
promoting business-friendly laws
influencing public policy
expanding democratic freedoms
Which of the following might help an interest group to influence public opinion?
conducing an exit poll
having a lobbyist meet with a legislator
contributing to a candidate
supplying information on a Web site
In what way would the National Organization for Women most likely differ from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce?
employing lobbyists to promote legislation it favors
representing a societal rather than business group
allowing women to be members
not trying to influence public opinion
Which of the following was a goal of Congress’s 2007 legislation aimed at checking the influence of powerful interest groups?
prohibiting lobbying by corporations
outlawing lobbying
banning lobbying by labor unions
limiting some activities of lobbyists
Electronic media date back to the growth of television in the 1950s.
True
False
Joining a march or demonstration is a responsible way for citizens to try to influence public policy.
True
False
A commodity group might represent tomato farmers but not farm laborers.
True
False
An official who seeks support from a particular neighborhood might want the help of a grass roots organizer.
True
False
A typical task for a trade association would be to help an industry’s workers to organize a labor union.
True
False
The accuracy of a public opinion poll is greater if it is based on a random (a) .
The news media may show (a) by ignoring or downplaying an important story.
A well-informed person gets information from multiple sources and avoids (a) .
A(n) (a) group might represent the interests of accountants or lawyers.
A group may organize a demonstration or march at the (a) level to show support for a particular position.
What is the origin of the today’s two major U.S. political parties?
Constitution
Federalist Papers
a party split
Bill of Rights
Which of the following best describes a political party’s ideology?
set of proposals for new laws to be passed
list of candidates chosen to run for office
campaign statement on how tax burden should be addressed
ideas about the proper goals of government
A significant difference between political parties and interest groups is that
political parties tend to focus on a single overriding issue, such as taxes.
political parties pressure government from the outside.
the main goal of political parties is to elect their members to public office.
interest groups operate in all areas of the country.
What party system is the most common party system?
one-party
two-party
third-party
multiparty
In the 2000 presidential election, Ralph Nader ran as the candidate of the Green Party. Which of the following best describes the role he took?
independent candidate
multiparty candidate
write-in candidate
third-party candidate
In the 2000 presidential election, which party was hurt more by Ralph Nader’s candidacy?
Green Party
Democratic Party
Republican Party
Federalist Party
Which of the following is a principal reason that a political party would sponsor an affiliated organization, such as the National Federation of Republican Women?
bolstering party fund-raising
winning over specific groups of voters
filtering out extremist candidates
helping elect the parties’ congressional candidates
How does the fact that parties provide a political “brand name” help a political party?
Most voters join one of the two major parties.
White conservative men tend to vote for Republicans.
Office seekers are more interested in the good of the party than their own success.
Voters may vote for an unknown candidate because they support the party’s views.
In our two-party system, each major party tries to
form a coalition with the other.
focus on one overriding issue.
appeal to as broad a base as possible.
avoid catering to special constituencies.
Compared with political parties in multiparty systems, what are parties in our two-party system more likely to do?
support extremist ideas
engage in corruption
lack party unity
fulfill campaign promises
In a multiparty system, if one party leaves a coalition, new elections may be needed.
True
False
The same two political parties have dominated American politics for more than 150 years.
True
False
Several precincts sometimes make up a voting district called a(n) (a) .
The Democratic party falls in the liberal part of the (a) and the Republican party falls in the conservative part.
In a local election that uses nomination by petition, a candidate would be required to
collect the signatures of a certain number of qualified voters.
show proof of having voted in the most recent local election.
compete against other candidates in a primary election.
secure the approval of a political party’s caucus.
How has the nominating process changed since the 1890s?
Party leaders have gained more power.
Fewer states are using direct primaries.
Party conventions are no longer held.
Voters have gained a greater voice.
In which of the following might a Republican voter help to choose the Democratic nominee for a public office?
general election
open primary
closed primary
precinct caucus
The main task of a national nominating convention is to
choose a party’s candidate for president.
select candidates to run in the party’s presidential primaries.
elect a president from the top two candidates.
nominate delegates to state party conventions.
A meeting of party members to endorse candidates for office and select delegates is called a
primary election.
convention.
caucus.
secret ballot.
What takes place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of all even-numbered years?
presidential election
precinct caucuses
congressional election
national nominating convention
Which of the following best describes a possible drawback of electronic voting?
Vote counting might take longer.
Voting might not be secret.
Machines might not provide a paper trail.
It makes it impossible to use absentee ballots.
A common criticism of election campaigns is that they are too
inconclusive.
informative.
short.
negative.
Which of the following is most likely to be the occasion for a special election?
The regular election day falls on a Sunday.
An elected official resigns.
The president and Congress cannot agree on issues.
There is only one candidate for an office.
Which of the following is the best argument in favor of making it easier for people to use absentee ballots?
Voter fraud would be reduced.
Voter registration would become easier.
More 18-year-olds would vote.
Voter participation would increase.
Conventions and caucuses are similar in that both are open to the public.
True
False
Conventions and caucuses are similar in that both are open to the public.
True
False
In the United States, citizens are automatically registered to vote when they turn 18.
True
False
Of the two kinds of campaign contributions, the one subject to most restrictions is known as (a) .
In a four-candidate general election, the winner would generally be the candidate who wins a(n) (a) of the votes.
Voters who cannot get to the polls on election day may be allowed to use (a) .
What are civil liberties?
freedom to take part in a civil court case
basic freedoms to think and to act that are protected and that all people have
rights that involve equal status and treatment and the right to participate in government
freedom to do as one wishes
Freedom of speech can be limited whenever
a majority of Congress chooses to do so.
the president chooses to limit it.
it is likely to lead to immediate lawless action.
the states want to limit it.
Many delegates to the Constitutional Convention believed that a bill of rights was unnecessary because they thought that
the government would be unable to enforce a bill of rights.
state constitutions and a separation of powers were enough to protect Americans’ rights.
it was obvious that the English Bill of Rights had done little to protect people’s rights.
few people would care whether the Constitution included a bill of rights.
Supporters of the Constitution agreed to add a bill of rights in order to
win ratification of the Constitution.
support the Antifederalists.
make the U.S. Constitution more like the British Constitution.
ensure that the government would protect only those rights, and no others.
When can courts issue rulings?
at any time that judges think appropriate
when ordered by the president
only when cases are brought before them
whenever a majority of both houses of Congress votes to request a ruling
Which amendment enabled the Supreme Court to rule that much of the Bill of Rights applies to state and local governments?
Eleventh Amendment
Twelfth Amendment
Thirteenth Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment
When can courts issue rulings?
at any time that judges think appropriate
when ordered by the president
only when cases are brought before them
whenever a majority of both houses of Congress votes to request a ruling
To win ratification of the Constitution, its supporters agreed to add a bill of rights as soon as the new national government met.
True
False
Thanks to the Bill of Rights, people have complete freedom to do whatever they choose.
True
False
(a) are basic freedoms to think and to act that all people have and that are protected against government abuse.
(a) means following established and complete legal procedures.
