WorksheetsAmerican Government Unit 8 Review
Total questions: 24
Worksheet time: 14mins
The purpose of a political party primary election is to ____.
Assure that black citizens are guaranteed their civil rights
Ensure the President of the United States stay within their constitutional powers
Present the Federal Government from taking power away from the states
Allow citizens an opportunity to engage in direct democracy.
The major role of political parties in the United States is to____.
Meet constitutional requirements.
Nominate candidates and conduct political campaigns.
Continue a tradition that began during the colonial period.
Ensure that candidates for public office are honest and law abiding.
The American political party system began as a direct result of differing viewpoints concerning the ______.
Location of the nation’s capital.
Wartime powers of the President.
Acquisition of territory by the Federal Government.
Extent of the powers of the Federal Government.
Which state had the largest increase in the percentage of African Americans registered to vote from 1965 – 1988?
Alabama
Georgia
Louisiana
Mississippi
Which conclusion is best supported by the changes shown on the chart?
African American voters would have little impact on presidential elections.
The income of African Americans had increased between 1965 and 1988.
Efforts to encourage African American voter registration were successful.
After 1988, no further effort was made to register African Americans.
Which generalization is supported by the information provided by the graphs?
Third party candidates take popular votes from major political party candidates.
The House of Representatives settles Presidential elections in which third-party candidates participate.
The electoral college system weakens the two-party system.
Electoral college members often vote against their party’s candidates.
The main reason for a political party’s selection of a presidential and vice-presidential candidate is ____.
Present the public with alternative views on major issues.
Attract support from additional groups of voters.
Choose an appropriate substitute for the Presidential candidate during the campaign.
Secure additional campaign funds.
How are political parties essential to the U.S. political process?
They organize competition and unity voters.
They operate polling machines and record votes.
They determine the eligibility of registered voters.
They set the pay scale for federal employees’ salaries.
Which state in the presidential election process follows the national nominating Convention and completes the flowchart?
Presentation
Plank statement
General election
Inaugural address
Which statement best explains why critics have called for a change in the electoral college system?
A person who did not receive the largest percentage of popular votes can be elected President.
The system is a threat to the two-party system.
Electors often vote for candidates not listed on the ballot.
States with small populations have greater influence on Presidential elections than more populated states do.
Which of the following news headlines addresses an argument in favor of the current Electoral College System?
“California tips the scales in the presidential race by casting their 55 electoral votes”
"Montana electors cast their 3 electoral votes and maintains their voice in the Electoral College”
“Popular vote winner in Nebraska does not win all electoral votes”
“Maine splits its electoral votes between Presidential candidates”
The most commonly proposed solution to the problem shown in the cartoon is to ____.
Establish poll taxes.
Have candidates finance their own campaigns.
Eliminate primaries from the election system.
Use public funds to pay for political campaigns.
What would be an expected result of the 100% public financing of all election campaigns?
Personal income taxes would be reduced.
Political parties would no longer be necessary.
People who contribute large amounts of money would lose their influence.
Incumbents would be guaranteed reelection.
The problem referred to in the quotation would probably be relived mostly by an increase in ____.
The length of political campaigns.
The number of primaries.
The number of candidates running for each office.
Public funding of political campaigns.
The most serious threat to democracy resulting from heavy election campaign cost is that, once elected, candidates frequently _____.
Owe loyalty to a few major contributors.
Owe loyalty to friends and relatives.
Plan to use public funds to pay their debts.
Have little of their own savings left.
Which situation best illustrates the benefit of special interest groups?
Congress decides to reduce the number of military bases in California.
The federal government cancels a defense contract with a company in New York State.
A senator from Pennsylvania and a senator from New Jersey agree to support each other’s bill in Congress.
Several environmental groups, such as the Sierra Club and Green Peace, try to persuade members of Congress to vote for the Clean Air Act.
Which of the following best describes how the Buckley v. Valeo (1976) case substantially altered the campaign finance landscape predicted by Congress?
The Supreme Court does not impact campaign finance.
Established regulations on campaign finance; created the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to monitor contributions to campaigns and potential corruptions.
This case did not impact campaign finance and does not set regulations on contributions.
Abolished the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971.
A statewide poll of Georgians reflected wide difference in their reactions to issues such as crime, education, taxes, and employment, and traffic.
Which of these most likely had the greatest impact on the results of this poll?
The number of registered voters in the state.
The results of similar polls from surrounding states.
The gender, age, and ethnicity of the people polled.
The political beliefs of government officials in the state.
How does the media in the United States generally influence elections?
The media offers the most reliable sources of information available to voters.
The media reporting of news allows for more independent decision making by voters.
The media provides news coverage on a wide range of topics, candidates, and advertising that influences voters.
The media sets the agenda for political party platforms, which influences voting.
Thomas Jefferson said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free...it expects what never was and never will be.” What does this statement say about being a citizen?
Citizens need to be informed about what their government is doing.
It is important to maintain secrecy about some government affairs.
Citizens do not need to participate in government.
Government can exist without citizens taking part in it.
Which of the following are responsibilities for United States citizens?
Run for federal office
Serve on a jury and vote in a federal election
Bear arms
Exercise religious freedom
Why are paying taxes considered a civic duty?
The government wants to line its pockets and pay the salaries of legislators.
The government uses tax dollars to send jobs to foreign nations.
Supports only the military.
Supports common resources such as police, fire, and roads/highways.
Which of the following explains why jury duty is a required responsibility?
The U.S. Constitution establishes our right to be judged by a jury of our peers.
Everyone deserves time away from their place of employment.
To establish a tyrannical government
To create a criminal justice system that is flawless.
Why are males, ages 18-25, required to register for the Selective Service?
To decrease the size of the growing population in the United States.
To establish state militias.
To establish a compulsory enlistment of males eligible to serve in the military; to avoid dependence upon volunteers for the military.
To insure all males in the United States experienced some form of military service.
