American Government 2305 Final Exam Questions and Answers Latest 2025
What was the Mayflower Compact? - Answers It was an agreement reached by the first Pilgrims to
constitute themselves a civil body politic.
What led to the Boston Massacre? - Answers Protests against the taxes and the quartering of British
soldiers
What laws came from the Boston Tea Party? - Answers The Intolerable Acts
What are the governing documents of the United States? - Answers Declaration of Independence,
Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights
What led to the Shays Rebellion? - Answers Inflation, debts, and fears of farm foreclosures
What bill created some governance over campaigns in the United States? - Answers The Federal Election
Campaign Act of 1971
What Supreme Court case changed the rules of campaign finance? - Answers Citizens United v. Federal
Election Commission
What is an independent candidate? - Answers One that does not claim any parties; no party ID.
What is a responsible party? - Answers theory requires that voters hold parties electorally accountable
for their performance in control of government.
What is period where one party does not control all of the elected government? - Answers divided
government
How are Party in the Electorate members determined? - Answers Public members forming an
organization to support beliefsStructured into 2 categories-Formal Members: Dues paying member of
organizationIdentifiers: Voters for party but not members of organizationExpected to be straight party
voters-Strength miscalculation created by split-ticket voting
What is the structure of US political parties? - Answers a two-party system dominated by the Democratic
Party and the Republican Party
What is dealignment? - Answers Rather than shifting loyalties from one party to another, voters today
seem less inclined to affiliate with any of the major parties. Instead they are registering as independents,
which results in dealignment of political parties.
What is realignment? - Answers A process in which a substantial group of voters switches party
allegiance, producing a long-term change in the political landscape.
What are the three types of elections held in the United States? - Answers presidential election, special
elections, elections on issues
, What are the three types of primary elections? - Answers closed, open, blanket
What is gerrymandering and the ways to achieve it? - Answers when a political group tries to change a
voting district to create a result that helps them or hurts the group who is against them:
packing, cracking
What does the 15th amendment do? - Answers Guarantees the right of citizens to vote, regardless of
race, color, etc.
What does the 19th amendment do? - Answers Gave women the right to vote
What does the 24th amendment do? - Answers Eliminates poll taxes
What does the 26th amendment do? - Answers Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18
What are the types of legislation? - Answers bill, joint resolution, concurrent resolution, or simple
resolution.
What are the different types of committees? - Answers standing committees, subcommittees, select
committees, joint committees, and the Committee of the Whole.
What role does each type play in Congress? - Answers Standing: Deals with permanent legislative
concern. Most common.
Joint: Permanently formed and consisting of members of both houses. Conducts tasks of joint interest of
both houses.
Select: Temporary committee created for a specific purpose. Investigations or studies.
Conference: A common type of committee temporarily formed to iron out differences between similar
bills.
What practice is allowed only in the Senate? - Answers filibuster
What does the 17th amendment do? - Answers Direct election of US senators
What does the 27th amendment do? - Answers Prevents congressmen from giving themselves pay raises
or decreases by making changes to pay apply to the next term and not the current term.
What is the purpose of the 12th amendment - Answers Separate election of Presidential and Vice
President
What is the purpose of the 20th amendment? - Answers designed to remove the excessively long period
of time a defeated president
What is the purpose of the 22nd amendment? - Answers prevents a president from serving more than
two terms or more than ten years
What was the Mayflower Compact? - Answers It was an agreement reached by the first Pilgrims to
constitute themselves a civil body politic.
What led to the Boston Massacre? - Answers Protests against the taxes and the quartering of British
soldiers
What laws came from the Boston Tea Party? - Answers The Intolerable Acts
What are the governing documents of the United States? - Answers Declaration of Independence,
Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights
What led to the Shays Rebellion? - Answers Inflation, debts, and fears of farm foreclosures
What bill created some governance over campaigns in the United States? - Answers The Federal Election
Campaign Act of 1971
What Supreme Court case changed the rules of campaign finance? - Answers Citizens United v. Federal
Election Commission
What is an independent candidate? - Answers One that does not claim any parties; no party ID.
What is a responsible party? - Answers theory requires that voters hold parties electorally accountable
for their performance in control of government.
What is period where one party does not control all of the elected government? - Answers divided
government
How are Party in the Electorate members determined? - Answers Public members forming an
organization to support beliefsStructured into 2 categories-Formal Members: Dues paying member of
organizationIdentifiers: Voters for party but not members of organizationExpected to be straight party
voters-Strength miscalculation created by split-ticket voting
What is the structure of US political parties? - Answers a two-party system dominated by the Democratic
Party and the Republican Party
What is dealignment? - Answers Rather than shifting loyalties from one party to another, voters today
seem less inclined to affiliate with any of the major parties. Instead they are registering as independents,
which results in dealignment of political parties.
What is realignment? - Answers A process in which a substantial group of voters switches party
allegiance, producing a long-term change in the political landscape.
What are the three types of elections held in the United States? - Answers presidential election, special
elections, elections on issues
, What are the three types of primary elections? - Answers closed, open, blanket
What is gerrymandering and the ways to achieve it? - Answers when a political group tries to change a
voting district to create a result that helps them or hurts the group who is against them:
packing, cracking
What does the 15th amendment do? - Answers Guarantees the right of citizens to vote, regardless of
race, color, etc.
What does the 19th amendment do? - Answers Gave women the right to vote
What does the 24th amendment do? - Answers Eliminates poll taxes
What does the 26th amendment do? - Answers Lowered the voting age from 21 to 18
What are the types of legislation? - Answers bill, joint resolution, concurrent resolution, or simple
resolution.
What are the different types of committees? - Answers standing committees, subcommittees, select
committees, joint committees, and the Committee of the Whole.
What role does each type play in Congress? - Answers Standing: Deals with permanent legislative
concern. Most common.
Joint: Permanently formed and consisting of members of both houses. Conducts tasks of joint interest of
both houses.
Select: Temporary committee created for a specific purpose. Investigations or studies.
Conference: A common type of committee temporarily formed to iron out differences between similar
bills.
What practice is allowed only in the Senate? - Answers filibuster
What does the 17th amendment do? - Answers Direct election of US senators
What does the 27th amendment do? - Answers Prevents congressmen from giving themselves pay raises
or decreases by making changes to pay apply to the next term and not the current term.
What is the purpose of the 12th amendment - Answers Separate election of Presidential and Vice
President
What is the purpose of the 20th amendment? - Answers designed to remove the excessively long period
of time a defeated president
What is the purpose of the 22nd amendment? - Answers prevents a president from serving more than
two terms or more than ten years
