75 questions

Latinos

Asian Americans

African Americans

All of the above

a and b, but not c.

2. Opponents of the initiative have made all of the following arguments except

propositions are often too complicated for voters to assess them intelligently.

initiatives have furthered the power of wealthy interest groups.

the process does not allow for compromise among different interests.

survey research shows that most voters dislike the idea of initiatives.

3. As organizations, political parties in California are

weak.

controlled by networks of precinct captains.

dominated by the state party chairs.

because of their control of patronage, able to dictate positions on issues to office holders.

4. In California, the initiative and recall were instituted during the ____________ Era.

Populist

Progressive

New Deal

post Vietnam War

5. The California constitution adopted in 1879 was intended to

restrict the power of the legislature.

guarantee the civil liberties of Asian Americans.

make it easier for the railroad industry to dominate the legislature.

All of these

6. According to Janda, Berry, and Goldman, the ?modern dilemma? involves conflicts between

freedom and equality.

freedom and order

equality and order.

All of the above

7. At the present time, __________ may vote in at least most contests in the Republican and Democratic primaries.

only those registered with the party

those registered with the party plus those who register as ?decline to state?

any registered voter

anyone eligible to register to vote in general elections

8. In California, the closest thing to C-SPAN (the Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) is

Cal-SPAN.

the California Channel.

the Golden State Network.

State Government In Focus.

9. A state officeholder can be recalled for

treason only.

?misconduct in office.?

?high crimes and misdemeanors.?

any reason.

10. In recent decades, changes made through the initiative process have included

establishment of term limits for elected state officials.

establishment of the California Lottery.

a guarantee for public schools of over 40 percent of state general fund revenues.

All of the above

11. The most common method of amending the California constitution has been by

referendum.

initiative.

constitutional convention.

executive order.

12. The ______ fought successfully to lessen the role of parties in the California political process.

Sandlotters

Populists

Progressives

Cal Plan

13. The referendum, initiative, and recall are collectively referred to as _________ democracy.

direct

plebiscitary

republican

liberal

14. Republican voters are ___________ than Democrats.

much more conservative

slightly more conservative

slightly more liberal

much more liberal

15. Approval of an initiative or referendum requires the approval of ______ of those voting.

two-fifths

a majority

three fifths

two thirds

16. Democrats in 2004 controlled __________ statewide elected positions.

all

most

about half of

only two

17. Compared to other parts of the country, California tends to be more liberal on

social issues.

economic issues.

both social and economic issues.

neither social nor economic issues.

18. Since the present California constitution was adopted there has/have been _____ constitutional convention(s) in the state.

no

one

three

thirty five

19. California?s blanket primary was

abolished by voters through the initiative process.

declared unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

repealed by the state legislature.

vetoed by the governor.

20. On most issues, _________ are more conservative than others.

African Americans

Anglos

Asian Americans

Latinos

21. A ____________ would tend to favor equality over freedom but freedom over order.

liberal

conservative

communitarian

libertarian

22. Comparing the political opinions of members of different ethnic groups shows that

all groups have pretty much the same viewpoints on specific issues.

viewpoints are heavily polarized on most issues, with minorities united in opposition to the views of Anglos.

because both groups include many immigrants, Asian Americans and Latinos have similar views on almost all issues.

patterns are quite complex.

23. The initiative process is found

only in California.

in some states, but not at the federal level.

in all states, but not at the federal level.

in all states, and at the federal level.

24. According to a study by the Center for Responsive Government, coverage of state politics by the media

is very extensive.

compares favorably to coverage of national politics.

has improved greatly in recent years.

All of the above

None of the above

25. Evidence from the 2000 primary provided suggests that the blanket primary

often led to ?raids? by one party into another party?s primary.

favored extreme liberals and extreme conservatives.

led to the nomination of weaker candidates.

had little impact.

26. Since 1990, there has been a decrease in the numbers of ______________ serving in the state legislature.

African Americans

Latinos

women

All of the above

None of the above

27. The ______ is California's chief investment officer.

controller

treasurer

legislative analyst

director of finance

28. To be eligible to register to vote in California, one must be

U.S. citizen.

a resident of the state for at least a year.

literate in English or some other language.

able to pass a standardized civics test.

All of the above

29. "The Secret Boss of California," ______, was a very powerful lobbyist in the 1930s and 1940s.

Hiram Johnson

Artie Samish

Upton Sinclair

Clayton Jackson

Jessie ("Big Daddy") Unruh

30. Democrats do best among

Anglos

African Americans

Asian Americans

Latinos

31. The Board of Equalization deals with

taxes.

state employment practices.

water rights.

voting rights.

32. Today, most executive departments

report directly to the governor.

report to other members of the state's "plural executive."

are grouped under agencies that report to the governor.

are independent of the governor and of other elected executives.

33. In its political philosophy, the Green Party is most like the ___________ Party.

Libertarian

American Independent

Natural Law

Peace and Freedom

34. In the California legislature, the chairs of standing committees are

always members of the majority party.

usually members of the majority party.

assigned in proportion to each party?s share of the seats.

chosen without regard to party.

35. In recent years, the proportion of voters who are Anglo has been decreasing, with the largest increases coming from ______________ voters.

African American

Asian American

Latino

Native American

36. In California, a line item in the budget can be ______ through the governor's item veto.

eliminated

reduced

increased

Any of these

"a" and "b," but not "c."

37. The California lieutenant governor's duties include

succeeding to the governorship should it become vacant.

serving as president of the state senate.

Serving as acting governor when the governor is out of state.

All of these

None of these

38. Which of the following firms pioneered the field of campaign management in California?

Decision Making Information (DMI)

Butcher and Forde

Campaigns, Inc. (Whitaker and Baxter)

The Field Institute

None of these. Campaign management firms were outlawed in California during the Progressive era.

39. Partisan offices make up about ___ percent of all elected positions in California.

one

ten

fifty

ninety

40. The California legislature has a total of ______ seats.

40

80

100

120

535