Test Information Guide

Field 48: Political Science/Political Philosophy
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions

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Political Philosophy

Objective 0002
Understand political philosophy of the classical and medieval eras.

1. Use the excerpt below from St. Thomas Aquinas's On the Governance of Rulers to answer the question that follows.

But because a man does not attain his end, which is the possession of God, by human power but by divine . . . the task of leading him to that last end does not pertain to human but to divine government. . . .

Thus, in order that spiritual things might be distinguished from earthly things, the ministry of [God's] kingdom has been entrusted . . . to priests, and most of all to the chief priest, the successor of St. Peter, the Vicar of Christ, the Roman Pontiff. To him all the kings of the Christian People are to be subject as to our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. For those to whom pertains the care of intermediate ends should be subject to him to whom pertains the care of the ultimate end, and be directed by his rule.

Which of the following developments of the late Middle Ages posed the greatest challenge to the view of government expressed in the excerpt above?

  1. the evolution of parliamentary institutions
  2. the outbreak of major international conflicts
  3. the emergence of unified states under strong central rule
  4. the unification of German states under the Holy Roman Empire
Answer
Correct Response: C.

Correct Response: C.

Objective 0004
Understand developments in political philosophy from 1700 to the present.

2. Use the excerpt below from the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (1789) to answer the question that follows.

No one should be desquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law.

Which of the following Enlightenment philosophers is most closely associated with the defense of the principle stated in the excerpt?

  1. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
  2. Denis Diderot
  3. Voltaire
  4. Baron de Montesquieu
Answer
Correct Response: C.

Correct Response: C.

U.S. Government and Civics

Objective 0006
Understand the historical development of political thought and democratic government in the United States from its origins through the twentieth century.

3. Which of the following best describes the primary concern of nearly half the amendments that have been added to the U.S. Constitution since the ratification of the Bill of Rights?

  1. broadening the powers of state and local governments
  2. providing a constitutional basis for an expanding executive bureaucracy
  3. redefining Congress's power to levy and collect taxes
  4. expanding the electorate and modifying the electoral process
Answer
Correct Response: D.

Correct Response: D.

Objective 0007
Understand the structure, organization, and operation of government at the federal, state, and local levels in the United States.

4. Which of the following best describes a major check on the power of the U.S. Supreme Court?

  1. The Supreme Court has no means by which to enforce its decisions.
  2. Supreme Court rulings involving intrastate issues can be overturned by state courts.
  3. The Supreme Court lacks the power to review executive orders.
  4. The Supreme Court can hear only those cases that lower courts have referred to it.
Answer
Correct Response: A.

Correct Response: A.

Objective 0009
Understand the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens and the personal attributes necessary for successful participation in democratic self-government.

5. Read the excerpt below from the U.S. Constitution; then answer the question that follows.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; . . . and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

The excerpt above best illustrates the meaning of which of the following terms?

  1. original jurisdiction
  2. equal protection of the laws
  3. judicial restraint
  4. procedural due process
Answer
Correct Response: D.

Correct Response: D.

Comparative Government and International Relations

Objective 0010
Understand, compare, and contrast historical and contemporary forms of government.

6. The main difference between parliamentary democracies such as Great Britain and presidential democracies such as the United States is that:

  1. there is greater cooperation between the executive and legislative branches of government in presidential democracies.
  2. it is more difficult for one branch to obtain full control of government in parliamentary democracies.
  3. there is a clearer separation of power between the executive and legislative branches of government in presidential democracies.
  4. the legislative branch of government is directly responsible to the prime minister in parliamentary democracies.
Answer
Correct Response: C.

Correct Response: C.

Objective 0011
Understand international relations, the purposes and functions of international law and organizations, and the formation and execution of U.S. foreign policy.

7. Which of the following best describes the historical context in which the concept of "natural rights" first emerged?

  1. the revival of humanist learning during the Renaissance
  2. the interactions between Europeans and other cultures during the Age of Exploration
  3. the Enlightenment quest for basic laws governing human behavior
  4. the reaction to the human costs of the early Industrial Revolution
Answer
Correct Response: C.

Correct Response: C.

History

Objective 0012
Understand major political, economic, social, and cultural developments in U.S. history.

8. Writing about the debate surrounding Missouri's admission to the Union in 1821, Thomas Jefferson likened it to "a fire bell in the night" that "awakened and filled me with terror." Which of the following best explains why Jefferson found the controversy so disturbing?

  1. The final compromise banned slavery in areas of the Louisiana Purchase north of 36º 30' N.
  2. Members of Congress divided along sectional lines on most votes related to the issue of slavery.
  3. Missouri's proposed state constitution contained a provision barring free blacks from settling in the state.
  4. Missouri was likely to be surrounded by free states as settlers moved into other parts of the region.
Answer
Correct Response: B.

Correct Response: B.

Objective 0014
Understand major political, economic, social, and cultural developments in world history.

9. Which of the following colonial legacies has most obstructed nation-building efforts in postcolonial Africa?

  1. the political boundaries established by colonial powers
  2. the forms of government administration created by colonial powers
  3. the educational systems developed by colonial powers
  4. the location of transportation networks constructed by colonial powers
Answer
Correct Response: A.

Correct Response: A.

Geography and Economics

Objective 0015
Understand major physical features of the world, geographic concepts, and the effects of geographic factors on the development of human societies.

10. Use the map below to answer the question that follows.

Which cities on the map are located between 10º north and 20º north latitude, and between 20º west and 20º east longitude?

  1. Luanda and N'Djamena
  2. N'Djamena and Banjul
  3. Banjul and Freetown
  4. Freetown and Luanda
Answer
Correct Response: B.

Correct Response: B.