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WorksheetsMEGA Practice - District Interim #2
Total questions: 79
Worksheet time: 3hrs 38mins
In what ways can citizens participate in the electoral process BESIDES voting?
participating in primaries
acting as a state delegate for a political party
working at a polling location
financially contributing to a campaign
campaigning for a candidate
Political parties appeared in the United States shortly after the Constitution was adopted because
differences arose over political and economic issues.
the Constitution provides for a two-party system.
Washington disliked Jefferson.
Great Britain had a two-party system.
Which of these is a benefit of volunteering in one's local community?
You can earn extra spending money.
You can help with causes that need assistance.
You can use it to bring up your grade in some classes.
You can use the experience to get out of trouble at a later date.
Why is paying taxes considered a civic responsibility of citizens living in a democracy?
Taxes allow private businesses to grow.
Congress has the power to pass tax laws.
Non-payment of taxes results in imprisonment.
Taxes support government services and programs.
Sometimes referred to as "McCain-Feingold," the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) hoped to regulate the financing of political campaigns. Which of these was a major issue addressed by BCRA?
overturning the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974
diminishing the influence of "soft money" in campaigns
overturning the ruling in Citizens United v. FE
lessening the impact "iron triangles" have on the political process
A platform is a series of statements expressing a political party's principles, beliefs, and positions on election issues. When is a political party's platform written?
At the state and local caucuses
After the exit polls have closed
At the party's national convention
After the party's candidate wins
The "Pledge of Allegiance" was written
to inspire patriotism
as a reaction to the Cold War.
to encourage racial equality.
as a reaction to the First Amendment.
Information presented by the media about important issues
reaches few people across the country.
can influence public opinion.
is usually responsible for low voter turnout.
is largely ignored by the public.
What are men between the ages of 18 and 25 required by law to do in case of a military emergency?
register for jury duty
participate in the Reserve Officers Training Corps
register for the selective service
enroll in the Peace Corps
The purpose of a "general election" is to
decide on a party nominee for office.
place people in public office
approve military spending.
remove public officials.
The purpose of a primary election is to
choose party candidates for the general election.
determine a winner when no candidate received a majority of the vote.
give the voters a chance to express their opinions on a specific issue.
decide among the candidates representing the different political parties.
Which term refers to donations given to political parties and not designated for a specific campaign?
lobbying
soft money
hard money
contributing
The MAIN function of political parties in the United States is to
narrow down choices for citizens voting in elections.
keep certain types of political candidates out of power.
ensure that country remains a representative democracy.
help people with similar political ideas express their views.
Which of these BEST describes why education is an important part of a democratic self-government?
Citizens with a good education will not allow their government to make poor laws.
Citizens must be educated so they can make informed decisions about their government.
Societies with low standards of education are always ruled by dictators or monarchs.
Education systems give employment opportunities to many individuals living in democracies.
Serving on a jury is an important duty because
juries decide how the laws will be executed.
there are not enough judges to try every court case
trial by jury is a basic right guaranteed in the Constitution.
juries assure that an accused person's civil rights will be upheld.
In the United States, the Electoral College
is responsible for electing the President
approves the results of the General Election.
meets yearly to revise elections rules.
is appointed by the majority party in Congress.
Minister Francis Bellamy is MOST important for
composing the words and music for "America the Beautiful."
creating the "Pledge of Allegiance" that was adopted by Congress.
writing the music that would eventually become the "Star Spangled Banner."
getting the phrase "under God" added to the "Pledge of Allegiance" in the 1950s.
One major difference between a PAC (political action committee) and a Super PAC is that
a super PAC has a cap on the amount of money that can be raised.
a super PAC is not allowed to donate funds directly to a political candidate.
super PACs are not required to be report their donors to the Federal Election Commission.
funds collected from a super PAC must be donated to either the Republican or Democratic parties.
While nearly 150 years old, this cartoon represents an issue still alive in American politics today. Which of these is MOST associated with this cartoon?
campaign finance reform
the accused's right to council
illegal immigration
voter fraud
As technology has increased over the years candidates have employed more media technology to improve their chances of winning. Identify the most influential ways that candidates are using the media reach voters.
podcasts
social media
internet ads
television ads
direct interviews
What are the TWO types of court systems in the U.S.? (Select TWO answers)
Federal
Universal
State
International
What is the job of an appellate court?
to automatically overturn the original ruling
to select cases for the Supreme Court
to uphold the original ruling no matter what
to review an original case for a mistake
Which description best fits a jury?
a panel of average citizens who review all the evidence of a trial and decide on guilt or innocence
a panel of three judges who review all the evidence of a trial and decide on guilt or innocence
a panel of lawyers who review all the evidence of a trial and decide on guilt or innocence
a panel of detectives who review all the evidence of a trial and decide on guilt or innocence
What are the TWO reasons it's difficult to get a case all the way to the Supreme Court?
has to go through the appeals process first
has to affect at least 5 different states
has to wait for a period of 5 years while the Justices review the case
the Supreme Court gets to choose their cases
Who appoints Supreme Court Justices?
The Vice President
The Speaker of the House
Congress
The President
The Supreme Court has the power of Judicial Review. What is Judicial Review?
when the Supreme Court decides if a law is unconstitutional or not
when the Supreme Court creates a new law
when the Supreme Court enforces the laws of the Legislative Branch
when the Supreme Court vetoes a Bill from Congress
How many justices make up the Supreme Court?
8
5
9
7
How many Supreme Court Justices does it take to approve an appeal to the Supreme Court?
6
7
4
5
Supreme Court nominees are confirmed by...
Congress
President
Senate
Chief Justice
Original Jurisdiction is when:
a court is the first to hear a case
a court has the authority to hear a case
a court reviews the decision of a lower court
power is shared between the Federal and State courts to hear a certain case
If a Supreme Court justice agrees with the decision of the court, but did not agree with the reasoning of how they came to that conclusion, the justice may write a:
Writ of Certiorari
Concurring Opinion
Majority Opinion
Dissenting Opinion
What is the opinion of the Supreme Court justices who make up the minority?
Majority Opinion
Concurring Opinion
Unanimous Decision
Dissenting Opinion
How long can you remain a Supreme Court Justice once you are appointed and approved?
10 years
6 years
until you are re-elected
until you resign or die
Why did the Constitution provide for two separate court systems?
to keep the federal court system from being overwhelmed
to establish the federal court system as having more power than State courts
to maintain a balance of power between the Federal Government and the States
to strengthen the balance of power between the three branches of Federal Government
What is the difference between original jurisdiction and appellate jurisdiction?
Original jurisdiction refers to a case being heard in a Federal court; appellate jurisdiction refers to a case being heard in a State Court.
Original Jurisdiction refers to a criminal or civil cases; appellate jurisdiction refers to a case being heard in a State court.
Original jurisdiction refers to a case that could be heard in a Federal or a State court; appellate jurisdiction refers to a case that must be heard in a federal court.
Original jurisdiction refers to a court where a case is first heard; appellate jurisdiction refers to a case being heard after it was tried in a lower court.
The outcome of Brown v. Board of Education, which desegregated schools, supports the judicial concept of___________.
Judicial Activism
Judicial Restraint
Constitutional Originalism
Strict Constructionalism
When a case is appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, the court can do which of the following?
Declare it unconstitutional without a trial
Send the case to Congress to review
Send the case back to the lower court for reconsideration.
Passes the case on to a higher court.
Appellate Jurisdiction is when:
a court is the first to hear a case
a court has the authority to hear a case
a court reviews the decision of a lower court
power is shared between the Federal and State courts to hear a certain case
This Article defines the Judicial Branch and establishes the Supreme Court as the highest court in the U.S.
Article 1
Article 2
Article 3
Articles of Confederation
You sue the school after you find a toenail in your chicken patty sandwich from the cafeteria.
Civil Case
Criminal Case
In a criminal case, a court determines whether a person accused of breaking the law is __________ or not ___________ of a misdemeanor or a felony.
responsible
guilty
worthy
culpable
The authority to hear a case is known as _________________
felony
misdemeanor
jurisdiction
original
What are the two types of crimes?
civil and criminal
felony and civil
misdemeanor and felonies
How earlier and similar cases have been decided in the past that are used as an example in future cases
Trial
Due Process of Law
Appeal
Precedent
What is the burden of proof in a criminal case?
Guilty
Preponderance of Evidence
Beyond a reasonable doubt
Substantive due process
During this hearing the defendant will enter a plea
Preliminary Hearing
Initial Appearance
Booking
Arraignment
If the Grand Jury decides there is enough evidence to go to trial, they will issue an
Indictment
Affidavit
Order
Injunction
This is the examination of the facts in which both the prosecution and the defense present their case
Sentencing
Grand Jury
Discovery
Trial
The money or bond put up to secure the release of a person who has been charged with a crime
Surety
Penalty
Fine
Bail
What is conducted to find enough evidence to arrest a suspect?
investigation
indictment
arraignment
trial
What is the next step after investigators find enough evidence to suspect a person of a crime?
arrest
arraignment
indictment
trial
What does the government need before they can arrest someone for a crime?
probable cause
reasonable suspicion
a hunch that the person is guilty
The JUDICIAL branch of the government is responsible for
making laws.
suggesting laws.
interpreting laws.
carrying out laws.
Why are federal judges appointed for life?
to ensure freedom from control by elected officials
to attract people with experience to the job
to guarantee that states retain their powers
to protect the wishes of the majority of citizens
Which court correctly completes the diagram?
United States Court of Records
United States Civil Court
United States Superior Court
United States Court of Appeals
Impoundment means that the president puts aside or refuses to spend the money Congress has appropriated for a certain purpose. For example, in 1803, President Jefferson refused to spend money set aside for new gunboats until a less-costly design could be built.
This action is an illustration of which presidential role?
chief executive
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
representative of the nation
chief agenda setter
Correctly identify THREE government corporations.
Internal Revenue Service
Amtrak
Tennessee Valley Authority
Transportation Security Administration
United States Postal Service
Following the Vice President, what governmental position next in line the the order of Presidential succession?
Speaker of the House
President Pro Tempore
Secretary of State
Secretary of Defense
What governmental purpose do Cabinet members serve?
as liaisons to Congress for passing of legislation
ceremonial duties to represent the major executive departments
as an advisory body to aid the President
each Cabinet member has be elected in order to serve the President
Based on the photograph, Franklin Delano Roosevelt might not have fit the "unwritten" qualifications for the Presidency because he
had young children.
was an older man.
had a physical disability.
exposed his personal life.
In the area of foreign policy, the President has both formal and informal powers.
What is the Constitutional difference between an executive agreement and a treaty?
Treaties must be approved by Congress and executive agreements do not.
Treaties do not need approval and executive agreements must be approved by the House .
Treaties and executive agreements are the same thing.
Treaties must be approved by the Senate and executive agreements do not need approval.
If a state has 13 members of the House of Representatives, how many electoral votes will it have?
11
15
17
22
Which Amendment to the U.S. Constitution changed the way the Vice-President was elected?
13th Amendment
12th Amendment
22nd Amendment
25th Amendment
The title "Commander-in-Chief" belongs to
The Vice President.
Secretary of Defense.
The President.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
February 23, 2008 U.S. President George Bush ended his five-nation tour of Africa today, pledging billions of dollars for health, education, and development projects around the continent. The president's tour ended in Liberia where he participated in a number events with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
This news release shows President Bush fulfilling his role as the country's
party leader
chief diplomat
chief executive
chief agenda setter
Which of these BEST describes the process for confirming someone to a Cabinet position in the United States Government?
A 2/3 vote by the Senate is required and then the President confirms.
A 2/3 vote by the House of Representatives is required and the then President confirms.
The President appoints a nominee and then the Senate confirms with a majority vote.
The President appoints a nominee and then the House of Representatives confirms with a majority vote.
Which of these statements- as of the Election of 2020- is an accurate description of the Presidents of the United States?
all have been men
all served in the military
all have been members of a political party
all have been either Democrats or Republicans
The 20th Amendment changed which of these situations?
the minimum age for voting
the definition of what it means to be a citizen
the number of times a person can be elected President
the dates on which Congress, the President, and the Vice President take office
Which is the BEST example of the United States' use of economic aid as a tool of diplomacy?
the Marshall Plan
the Monroe Doctrine
the Truman Doctrine
the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution
Which requirement is a written qualification for President of the United States?
The candidate must be a political party member.
The candidate must be a native-born American citizen.
The candidate must have college or university degree.
The candidate must have previous political experience.
"No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected." - from Amendment XXII to the United States Constitution
According to the excerpt from the 22nd Amendment from the U.S. Constitution, how many terms can a person be elected president of the United States?
Unlimited terms
1 term
3 non-successive terms
2 terms
Which person would be eligible to run for president of the United States in the Election of 2020?
Susan, born in 1988 in Texas, has lived in Georgia for 15 years
George, a naturalized citizen, has lived in New York for 20 years
Tiffany, born in 1973 in Nebraska, has lived in the U.S. for 45 years
John, a legal immigrant, has lived in the U.S. for 14 consecutive years
When Americans vote for president they vote
for members of the Electoral College.
directly for the best candidate.
for the Democratic or Republican party.
vote for members of the Federal Election Commission
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Federal Election Commission (FEC)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Small Business Administration (SBA)
What would be the BEST name for this list?
"House Standing Committees"
"Joint Committees of Congress"
"Federal Executive Departments"
"Independent Agencies of the Federal Government"
