GED Social Studies 2
Which of the following best represents a political system that relies on widespread voter participation in all or the majority of political issues?
Democracy refers to the idea that a government's authority and legitimacy come from the people it is meant to serve. The direct involvement of voters in political decision-making distinguishes direct democracies.
It is known as __________ form of government when more than one political entity have equal authority.
Federalism involves the sharing of power and legitimacy among several political entities. In the United States, there is a national government that retains the majority of control over the political sphere, but there are also state and local governments that have their own spheres of authority and a recognized legitimacy.
In the American government, the legislative branch's main function is to __________.
Three branches of government make up the American government. Laws are created by the Legislative Branch, carried out and enforced by the Executive Branch, and determined to be constitutional by the Judicial Branch.
The Sedition and Alien Acts were enacted during the administration of __________.
During John Adams' presidency in 1798, the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed. The so-called Quasi War with France saw the implementation of the Alien and Sedition Acts.
Only a(n) __________ has the authority to change the United States Constitution.
A two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as a constitutional convention called by two-thirds of the state legislatures, are required to ratify an amendment to the United States Constitution.
The Affordable Care Act was ruled __________ by the Supreme Court of the United States.
The court ruled that the ACA would be constitutional in 2012. Answers 3 and 4 are merely partisan rhetoric.
Observing the Eastern United States, the following can be determined as true:
Republicans didn't have the most support since they clearly did not win. Which candidate was technically weaker is a matter of opinion. Thus, Answer 2 is the only option that can be determined as factual since the Democratic candidate won in an electoral landslide.
What does it mean to “ratify” something?
The other three options do not accurately define the term.
The __________ includes the Equal Protection Clause.
The United States Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment contains the Equal Protection Clause. It forbids the states from depriving anyone of equal protection under the law due to their race, gender, or other characteristics.
The Watergate Incident took place during the administration of ______.
In the wake of a break-in at the Democratic Party headquarters in 1972, the Watergate Incident took place in the early 1970s. As a result of it, Richard Nixon's presidency came to an end after it was discovered that he and his aides had broken various moral and ethical laws. Nixon's attempted impeachment and eventual resignation were the outcome of this.
Which of the following phrases, found in the US Constitution, accurately describe the call towards self-government?
Answer 1 is the reason for the Constitution. Answer 3 is a granting of lawmaking powers to the Congress. Answer 4 dictates the requirements of Representatives. Answer 2 (the correct answer) shows that the Constitution was written by "people" not politicians and is thus the correct answer.
Which of the following statements is true regarding the Electoral process?
It doesn't happen very often, but it has happened in recent history (the 2000 presidential election). The popular vote has no bearing on who the President turns out to be. Only the candidate with 270 or more electoral votes will get that honor.
Which of the following is an example of a filibuster?
Filibusters are designed to prevent a bill from coming to vote, and there are no hard guidelines on what they may consist of, nor how long they may last.
Which of these government offices is filled by appointment rather than popular vote?
People cast ballots to choose the President and both Houses of Congress. Presidents appoint the justices of the Supreme Court, though. The Senate must ratify the nomination.
As a check on Congress's authority, which of the following may the President of the United States exercise?
The laws that the Congress enacts must also be obeyed by the President. However, Article I Section 7 of the US Constitution does give the President the authority to refuse to sign or outright veto a measure from Congress.
Republicans found the most support in which of the following states?
New York and Florida went to the Democratic candidate while Oklahoma had far fewer electoral votes, so Texas is the answer.
A state's governor is __________ member.
The executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state governments in the US are structured similarly to those of the federal government. A state's executive branch is made up of the governor.
What does it mean to “adjourn”?
Answer 2 is the only option that accurately defines the term.
The McCarran Act __________.
In 1950, the McCarran Act was enacted into law; this was during the Red Scare era in American history. All Communist groups and individuals were obliged by the McCarran Act to register their membership with the US government.
Looking at the 2008 Electoral College Map, in which Red represents the Republican candidate and Blue represents the Democratic candidate, the following can be determined as true:
While it's likely that Democrats won the popular vote as well as the Electoral, that cannot be determined from the image. Furthermore, the other responses are not correct.
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