Civic Literacy Exam Public Policy & Political Systems 2

Question 1

What is the difference between a parliamentary system and a presidential system of government?

Accepted Answer

In a parliamentary system the executive is drawn from and accountable to the legislature; in a presidential system the executive is separately elected and serves independently

Answer

A parliamentary system has a hereditary monarch while a presidential system has an elected head of state

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A presidential system requires coalition governments while a parliamentary system has two parties

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Parliamentary systems use proportional representation while presidential systems use first-past-the-post voting

Question 2

What is the policy-making significance of 'iron triangles' in American government?

Accepted Answer

They represent stable relationships between congressional committees, executive agencies, and interest groups that can dominate policy in specific areas

Answer

They describe the three-branch system of checks and balances among Congress, the president, and the courts

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They refer to alliances between the military, defense contractors, and the Pentagon

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They are informal coalitions of three states that coordinate voting on federal legislation

Question 3

What is 'federalism' as practiced in the United States?

Accepted Answer

A system dividing governmental power between the national government and state governments, each with their own spheres of authority

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A system in which the national government holds all sovereign power and delegates some authority to states

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A system in which states are sovereign and delegate limited powers to a central government for coordination

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A system in which an unelected federal judiciary has final authority over both state and national laws

Question 4

What are 'enumerated powers' of Congress?

Accepted Answer

Powers explicitly listed in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, such as the power to tax, regulate commerce, and declare war

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Powers that Congress has accumulated over time through legislative practice

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Powers shared by Congress and the President as co-equal branches

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Powers that Congress can exercise only with the approval of a supermajority of states

Question 5

What is the role of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)?

Accepted Answer

It assists the President in preparing the federal budget and oversees the administration of the executive branch

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It audits federal agencies for waste and fraud and reports to Congress

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It manages the federal debt by issuing Treasury securities to the public

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It sets spending caps for each department through binding appropriations legislation

Question 6

What is the significance of the 'necessary and proper clause' (elastic clause) in Article I of the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

It gives Congress the power to make all laws needed to carry out its enumerated powers, allowing flexibility as circumstances change

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It allows the president to issue executive orders that have the force of law without congressional approval

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It permits the Supreme Court to strike down any law that is not explicitly authorized by the Constitution

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It restricts Congress from passing any law not directly related to the powers listed in Article I