MA Political Science 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which term describes a system in which a single party or leader controls government with no meaningful opposition?
- Oligarchy
- Authoritarianism (Correct answer)
- Theocracy
- Plutocracy
Correct answer: Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism is a form of government characterized by strong central power, limited political freedoms, and suppression of opposition.
Question 2: The 'Iron Triangle' in U.S. politics refers to the relationship between:
- The President, Speaker, and Senate Majority Leader
- Congressional committees, federal agencies, and interest groups (Correct answer)
- The Supreme Court, Congress, and the President
- Political parties, PACs, and media organizations
Correct answer: Congressional committees, federal agencies, and interest groups
The Iron Triangle describes the mutually beneficial relationship among congressional committees, federal bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups that shapes policy in specific areas.
Question 3: What is 'gerrymandering'?
- The process of voter registration purges
- The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a particular party or group (Correct answer)
- The practice of ballot harvesting in competitive districts
- The drawing of district lines based on census population alone
Correct answer: The manipulation of electoral district boundaries to favor a particular party or group
Gerrymandering is the manipulation of electoral district boundaries by the party in power to create districts that favor their candidates or disadvantage the opposition.
Question 4: The principle of 'checks and balances' in the U.S. system ensures that:
- Federal spending is balanced with tax revenues
- Each branch of government can limit the powers of the other branches (Correct answer)
- States can veto federal legislation
- The Supreme Court must approve all executive orders
Correct answer: Each branch of government can limit the powers of the other branches
Checks and balances give each branch of government specific powers to constrain the other branches, preventing any single branch from becoming too powerful.
Question 5: What is the role of the U.S. Senate in treaty ratification?
- The Senate votes to negotiate the treaty terms
- The Senate must approve treaties by a two-thirds majority (Correct answer)
- The Senate ratifies treaties by a simple majority
- The Senate has no formal role in treaty ratification
Correct answer: The Senate must approve treaties by a two-thirds majority
Under Article II of the Constitution, the President negotiates treaties, but they require approval by two-thirds of the Senate to be ratified.
Question 6: Which voting system awards all electoral votes in a state to the candidate who wins the popular vote in that state?
- Proportional representation
- Ranked-choice voting
- Winner-take-all (plurality) system (Correct answer)
- Instant-runoff voting
Correct answer: Winner-take-all (plurality) system
The winner-take-all system used by 48 U.S. states awards all of a state's electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the state's popular vote, even by a slim margin.
MA Political Science 2
Which term describes a system in which a single party or leader controls government with no meaningful opposition?