Final Study Guide

Multiple Choice Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. MAIN IDEAS ____ 1. Among the broad purposes of the United States government spelled out in the Preamble to the Constitution is the obligation to a. keep the executive and legislative branches of government separate. b. create an autocratic form of government. c. defend the country against Americans who oppose its policies. d. provide for justice and the people's general welfare. ____ 2. Locke, Harrington, Hobbes, and Rousseau would most likely agree that a. the state developed out of force. b. those of royal birth should rule the state. c. the state exists to serve the will of the people. d. government should be eliminated. ____ 3. The theory underlying modern democracies was developed to challenge the idea that a. those of royal birth have absolute authority to rule. b. the people as a whole are the sole source of political power. c. the head of a family, clan, or tribe has the natural right to govern. d. the strongest person or group has the right to control others by force. ____ 4. The dominant political unit in the world today is the a. government. b. nation. c. Constitution. d. state. ____ 5. A federal government is one in which a. all power is concentrated in the central government. b. limited powers are assigned to a central agency by independent states. c. power is divided between a central government and local governments. d. powers are divided between a legislative branch and an executive branch.

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6. Which of the following statements is NOT true of parliamentary government? a. The executive is chosen by the legislature. b. The legislature is subject to the direct control of the executive. c. The prime minister and cabinet are part of the legislative branch. d. The prime minister and cabinet must resign if they lose the support of a majority of the legislature.

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7. The individual 50 States lack which basic characteristic of a state? a. government b. sovereignty c. Constitution d. defined population

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8. The Internet seems especially suited to satisfy which of these needs in a democracy? a. to control the lives of citizens b. to be informed about the many different institutions and policies of the government c. the need for accurate, and always reliable, information on which to base decisions d. the need for an uneducated elite to run the government

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9. In case the President is disabled, the way the Vice President becomes President is determined by the a. original Constitution. b. Presidential Succession Act. c. 25th Amendment. d. Congress.

____ 10. According to the Constitution, the President must a. be a man who owns property. b. be at least 35 years of age. c. have held one major public office. d. have lived in the U. S. for at least 20 years. ____ 11. As of January 20, 2001, the President receives a yearly salary of a. $50,000. b. $99,500. c. $400,000. d. $900,000.

____ 12. The electoral system broke down in the election of 1800 because of the a. rise of political parties. b. 12th Amendment. c. use of the national convention as a nominating device. d. appearance of a presidential primary. ____ 13. If an incumbent President is seeking another term in office, who will his party likely nominate? a. the Vice President b. the President c. the Speaker of the House d. the House majority leader ____ 14. A State's presidential electors are chosen by a. the State legislature. b. its members in Congress. c. popular vote. d. a State convention. ____ 15. A President can serve no more than _____ years in office. a. 8 b. 4 c. 10 d. 12 ____ 16. According to the Presidential Succession Act of 1947, which of these officers follows the Vice President in the line of presidential succession? a. Speaker of the House b. secretary of state c. president pro tempore of the Senate d. secretary of the treasury ____ 17. The President may decide to resume duties after an illness by informing Congress that no inability exists, but that decision can be challenged by a. Congress. b. the Vice President. c. the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet. d. any representative in the House of Representatives.

____ 18. Most presidential caucuses differ from Statewide presidential primaries in all of the following ways EXCEPT the a. number of States that hold caucuses. b. ways in which delegates to the national convention are chosen. c. main purpose for which the delegates are chosen. d. number of steps taken in choosing delegates to the national convention. ____ 19. During the nomination process, political battles are most likely to occur in a. presidential primaries in the President's party. b. presidential primaries in the party out of power. c. the Cabinet. d. the electoral college. ____ 20. The national convention is held to accomplish all of the following EXCEPT a. unify the party behind its candidates. b. pick its presidential candidate. c. select the party's delegates. d. adopt the party's platform. ____ 21. The least number of presidential electors a State can have is a. one. b. two. c. three. d. four. ____ 22. Which of the following statements is NOT an argument against the electoral college system? a. A candidate who loses the popular vote may still be elected President. b. An elector may vote for someone other than the voter-selected candidate. c. A strong third-party effort might throw the election into the House. d. The results depend upon how State congressional districts are drawn. ____ 23. The structure of the Chinese Communist Party is similar to that of a. Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party. b. the former Soviet Union's Communist Party. c. the Japan Democratic Party.

d. the United Kingdom's Conservative Party. ____ 24. The customs and practices of British government are derived from a. the ruling monarch. b. nine law lords. c. a written constitution. d. an unwritten constitution. ____ 25. In today's Russia, the Communist party is a. the official lawmaking body. b. the central political authority. c. one of several political parties. d. denied the right to exist. ____ 26. Under the process of devolution, the British Parliament has reserved for itself exclusive powers in the areas of a. agriculture, education, and housing. b. defense, foreign policy, and macroeconomic policy. c. health services, education, and culture. d. education, the environment, and health services. ____ 27. The main difference between the constitutions of China and the United States is that a. the United States Constitution cannot be changed. b. the Chinese constitution is intended to be fundamental law c. the Chinese constitution reflects curren government policy, no fundamental law. d. the current Chinese constitution is only about 5 years old. ____ 28. In England, Northern Ireland, and Wales, the final court of appeals in all cases is a. the House of Lords. b. the House of Commons. c. the Prime Minister. d. the Queen. ____ 29. In Mexico's local government system, each state has all of the following EXCEPT a. a separate president. b. a unicameral legislature. c. a system of state courts. d. a state constitution.

____ 30. Which political party has dominated Japanese politics since the end of World War II? a. Japan Communist Party b. New Frontier Party c. Liberal Democratic Party d. Japan Socialist Party ____ 31. The collapse of the Soviet communist government was mainly due to a. the outpouring of support for the coup in 1991. b. Gorbachev's refusal to restructure the political system. c. the election of Boris Yeltsin as President. d. its own inability to accommodate the rising demand for widespread democratic reform. ____ 32. Japan is a unitary state, so its individual prefectures have a. much less power than the individual States in the United States. b. much more power than the individual States in the United States. c. about the same amount of power as the States. d. no power at all. ____ 33. Like the Constitution of the United States, Mexico's fundamental law establishes a national government a. with three separate, independent branches. b. headed by the leader of the majority party in the General Congress. c. headed by a unicameral General Congress, holding both executive and legislative power. d. with one branch, headed by the president, holding all powers. ____ 34. Today, the Republic of Taiwan regards China as a. a sovereign ally. b. an independent nation. c. its province. d. an autonomous region. ____ 35. In China's political structure, the central government's control over local subdivisions is best described as a. direct. b. indirect. c. loose. d. nonexistent.

____ 36. The Mexican constitution of 1917 a. set off waves of invasions, revolutions, dictatorships, and reforms. b. established a system in which the government played a more active role in promoting the quality of Mexican life. c. denied democratic representation to the Native American population. d. was the country's first constitution. INTERPRETING TABLES Use the chart to answer the following questions.

____ 37. Government in which power is limited to a single person or very small group exists in a. Cuba. b. Costa Rica. c. the United States. d. Brazil. ____ 38. Which form of government does Cuba, Costa Rica, and France have in common? a. parliamentary b. democratic c. unitary

d. dictatorial ____ 39. Which characteristic do the United States and Botswana have in common? a. Both countries are democratic. b. Both countries have a presidential form of government. c. Both countries have a unitary form of government. d. Both countries have parliamentary governments. ____ 40. All of the following countries are democracies EXCEPT a. France. b. India. c. Syria. d. Brazil. INTERPRETING MAPS Use the map to answer the following questions.

____ 41. The number of electoral votes that Iowa has is a. five. b. seven. c. nine. d. twelve. ____ 42. The States with the largest electoral vote include a. Pennsylvania and Illinois.

b. Alaska and Hawaii. c. Texas and Florida. d. California and New York. INTERPRETING POLITICAL CARTOONS Use the cartoon to answer the following questions.

____ 43. Which event resulted in the situation depicted in the cartoon? a. the failed coup of 1991 b. Gorbachev's election c. the revolution of 1917 d. the Stalinist purges ____ 44. What were these people's lives like before the situation depicted? a. They were jobless because of the stagnant Soviet economy. b. Their jobs were at risk because of their illegal activities. c. They led the secure and privileged life of the Communist party elite. d. They led the secure and privileged life of democratic reformers.

Essay

CRITICAL THINKING 45. Recognizing Ideologies Two broad purposes of American governmentinsuring domestic tranquility and securing the blessings of libertysometimes come into conflict. Considering this, do you agree or disagree with Benjamin Franklin's view: "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety"? Explain your reasons. 46. Testing Conclusions The text states that "the electors go through the form set out in the Constitution . . . but their behavior is a far cry from its original intent." Cite evidence to support or refute this statement.