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| According to Prof. Murray, World War I dealt a devastating blow to which form of government? |
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| Citizens' belief that they have the ability to achieve something desirable and that government listens to people like them is called |
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| Which president broke a strike by air traffic controllers, signaling a major shift in power away fro labor unions in the United States? |
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| This philosopher argued that without an effective government in place, people would live in continual fear and danger of violent death; and thus that the life of man would be "solitary, nasty, brutish, and short." |
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| Professor Murray identified which MExican city as a modern example of the dangers of life when legitimate political authority collapses? |
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| When did Alexis de Tocqueville visit the United States? |
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| According to Professor Murray, what factor(s) drove the independent Republic of Texas to seek to join the United States in the 1840s? |
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| the inability to protect the frontier from Native American raids |
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| During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, many of the small states rallied behind the _________ Plan, which would essentially rework the Articles of Confederation. |
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| Only one amendment to the United States Constitution was repealed by a subsequent amendment. That was the: |
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| The U.S. Constitution has been amended 27 time in 225 years. How many times has the Texas Constitution been amended since it was ratified in 1876? |
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| According to the 2010 U.S. Census there are more than 300 million Americans. What percentage of this population are Native Americans? |
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| The second great wave of immigration the United States after the Civiil War featured a huge increase in persons coming from |
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| Eastern and Southern Europe |
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| An integrated system of ideas or beliefs about political values in general and the role of government in particular is a political: |
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| Which of the original American colonies was founded by the Dutch and drew a diverse population of immigrants mainly motivated by economic opportunity? |
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| The current Chief Justice of the United States is: |
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| The specific issue that triggered the crisis over slavery and lead to the Civil War was: |
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| Should slavery be further extended into the western territories of the United States |
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| Amendments to the U.S. Constitution can be proposed by 2/3s vote of both the Senate and House of Representatives, or by two thirds of the state legislatures petitioning Congress to call a special constitutional convention to draft proposed changes. How often has the second method been used to propose amendments? |
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| According to Professor Murray, the “golden age” of economic growth in the United States that helped create a large middle class occurred between: |
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| According to the Declaration of Independence, the natural, inalienable rights of man include all the following except: |
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| One of the most prominent Anti-Federalist leaders who opposed ratification of the U.S. Constitution was: |
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| The case of Cohen v. California dealt with the issue of: |
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| Of the current nine member U.S. Supreme Court, how many were appointed by Democratic or Republican presidents? |
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| Five by Republicans, four by Democrats |
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| Karl Marx’s political theories stressed the critical importance of: |
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| Which of the following is the least good example of a public good? |
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| Which of the following are most often described as “hawks” when it comes to foreign policy and national defense policies? |
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| The modern Tea Party movement traces its origins back to an incident in the: |
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| Shay’s Rebellion was rooted in a clash between: |
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| The Three-Fifths Compromise addressed the issue of: |
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| Representation in Congress |
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Term
| When did the U.S. Supreme Court establish a right to privacy under the Constitution? |
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| The U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) under Congress’s power to: |
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| Supporters of gun rights base their constitutional claims on the: |
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| How many six year terms can a member of the U.S. Senate serve? |
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| This president, claiming emergency powers for his office, suspended the writ of habeas corpus that protects an individual in police custody from being held indefinitely without the right to be heard in a court of law. |
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| hen was the U.S. Supreme Court most supportive of expanding the rights of persons criminally accused? |
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Term
| How are amendments to the Texas Constitution ratified? |
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Definition
| By majority vote of the people |
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| Texas governors are generally rated among the weakest in the nation in terms of formal powers. Which governor was or has been most successful in expanding the powers of that office? |
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| Political democracy’s theoretical roots can most closely be traced to the ancient: |
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| The establishment clause of the Constitution deals with: |
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| Thirty years before the Civil War, this southern state threatened to secede from the Union over the federal government’s use of tariffs to raise revenue. |
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| Recent data show that income inequality among Americans is greater than at any time since the: |
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| In which presidential election did the “gender gap” first become evident? |
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| Which magazine sponsored a public opinion survey that wrongly predicted the outcome of the 1936 presidential election? |
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| National public opinion polls typically interview about how many respondents? |
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| Which of the following states is not considered a competitive or swing state in the 2012 presidential election? |
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| Which amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right of citizens to organize interest groups to secure political objectives? |
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| Mitt Romney chose Congressman Paul Ryan for the vice-presidential nomination of the Republican Party. Mr. Ryan represents which state in the U.S. House of Representatives? |
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| American voters finish voting for presidential electors on Tuesday, November 6th. When do the electors vote for president and vice-president? |
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| Which major political party collapsed in the 1850s? |
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| The last time Texas voted for a Democrat for president was for: |
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Definition
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| Every four years the Democrats and Republicans adopt a party ____________ that lays out what their stand for in national politics. |
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| The best example of a “splinter” political party was the: |
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| The “franking privilege” is relevant to which of the following? |
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Definition
| The incumbent advantage in congressional elections |
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Term
| The “Butterfly Ballot” was an issue in which state’s presidential election? |
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| According to Professor Murray, the one group of voters in 2012 that Barack Obama is expected to do better with than he did in 2008 is: |
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| About how many PACs (political action committees) are active in American politics? |
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| The Citizens United v. the Federal Election Commission decision by the U.S. Supreme Court has upended campaign financing in American elections. When was this decision handed down? |
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| The Democratic Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, represents which state? |
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| Which Republican presidential candidate first adopted the “Southern strategy” of appealing to conservative white voters in the old Confederate states? |
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| Which U.S. Supreme Court decision outlawed the “white primary” in Texas and other Southern states? |
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| Compared to other countries, voter turnout in the United States is: |
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Definition
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| The state agency in Texas responsible for enforcing rules concerning money collected and spent by interest groups and candidates is the: |
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| In the 2008 presidential election, about what percent of Asian Americans voted for Barack Obama? |
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| Public opinion surveys that measure changes over the course of days, weeks, or months are called: |
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| When people join a political interest group because it offers the feeling of belonging, companionship, friendship, and satisfaction derived from socializing with others, we call these: |
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Definition
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| The current Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives is: |
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| The “spoils system” of rewarding political supporters with government jobs is most closely associated with the presidency of: |
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Definition
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Term
| When it comes to partisan politics, are “Tea Party” supporters: |
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Definition
| Mostly active in the Republican Party? |
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| The most successful independent or third party candidate for president in the United States in the last 40 years was: |
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Definition
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| Most Americans of Hispanic origin lean toward the Democratic Party with the notable exception of: |
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| The secret ballot widely used in the United States was modeled on one used in: |
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Definition
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| Partisan political activities like fund-raising for federal candidates by employees of the U.S. government is banned by the: |
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Definition
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Term
| Going into the 2012 General Election, what is the makeup of the two party caucuses in the U.S. Senate? |
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Definition
| 53 Democrats and 47 Republicans |
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Term
| According to the text, the best predictor of whether a person votes in American elections is: |
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Definition
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Term
| About what percentage of age-eligible Americans voted in the 2008 presidential election? |
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Definition
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| Drawing political district boundaries to make it more or less difficult for candidates of one party to win offices is called: |
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Definition
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| Most states use primary elections to pick delegates to represent them at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. An exception is _______ which uses caucuses to kick off the delegate selection process. |
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| ernor Romney helped his 2012 campaign with a strong performance in the first televised debate on October 3rd. When did the first presidential debates occur? |
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| What is the minimum number of Electoral College votes needed to win the presidency? |
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| Of the fifty American states, about how many are considered competitive in the 2012 presidential election? |
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| The “free rider problem” is most relevant in American politics with respect to: |
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