AP Government and Politics › Enactment of Public Policy
Five days ago you drove 65 mph on the freeway. This week, the speed limit was changed to 55 mph. If a police officer gave you a ticket for driving 65 mph last week, which of the following would be in violation?
No ex post facto law
No bill of attainder
Habeas Corpus
Preferential treatment
Preemption
Ex post facto laws mean "after the fact." If you were driving 65 mph five days ago, even though the speed limit has been changed to 55 mph, it is not lawful for any law enforcement officer to issue you a ticket. Any illegal actions that were committed before the enforcement of the law cannot be punished.
Protectionism is __________.
the economic policy of protecting the national economy from excessive imports
the political policy of protecting government representatives from slander and libel
the economic policy of ensuring that small businesses have the opportunity to compete with larger corporations
the economic policy of ensuring that the United States supports free trade around the world
the economic policy of protecting striking workers from losing their jobs
Protectionism is an economic policy designed to protect the national economy from being overrun by imports. This is primarily achieved through tariffs and other restrictions on imports into the country. Protectionism has been enforced at various times throughout United States history, particularly in the early years of the nation. The policy runs in direct contrast to free trade which is more recently the dominant economic policy of the nation.
How does Medicaid differ from Medicare?
Medicaid is designed to provide healthcare for poor Americans, whereas Medicare is designed to provide health benefits for senior citizens.
Medicaid is offered free to all U.S. citizens, whereas Medicare is intended to provide health benefits only to the very poor.
Medicaid was established during the Johnson administration, whereas Medicare was set up as part of the sweeping health care reforms of President Obama.
Medicaid is considered unconstitutional but necessary, whereas Medicare is supported by a constitutional amendments.
Medicaid is designed to provide health benefits for senior citizens, whereas Medicare is intended to provide healthcare for working-class Americans.
Medicaid, enacted into United States law in 1965, is designed to provide healthcare to poor Americans who would otherwise be unable to afford health care coverage. Medicare, enacted in the same piece of legislation during the Johnson administration, is designed to provide health benefits to senior citizens. Taken together, these two government programs may be understood as part of the widespread extension of social welfare that took place in the United States during the 1960s.
A progressive income tax involves __________.
the tax rate on an individual increasing as the income of the individual increases
the tax rate on an individual decreasing proportionally as the income of the individual increases
a tax that is only levied on corporations and not small businesses
a tax that is only levied during times of war or great national catastrophe
a tax that is issued at a fixed rate for all individuals regardless of income level
A progressive income tax involves an increasing tax rate for people as their incomes (and thus ability to pay) increase. It is generally seen as an important way to correct the natural social and economic imbalances of a capitalist society. The United States income tax has always been progressive, namely through the use of income tax brackets. However, it has become substantially less progressive in the past 50 years.
Antitrust policies are intended to __________.
ensure competition and prevent monopolies
guarantee the job security of striking workers
prevent the government from breaking up cartels
undermine the laws surrounding Prohibition
facilitate interstate commerce
United States antitrust laws are designed to prevent businesses from forming monopolies or cartels and to ensure that competition is allowed to flourish. The most notable pieces of legislation that relate to antitrust laws are the Sherman Act of 1890 and the Clayton Act of 1914.
Affirmative action is __________.
a policy designed to provide compensation or advantages to a previously disadvantaged social group
a policy designed to protect the national economy from international competition
a concept generally favored by the contemporary Republican Party
a concept deemed unconstitutional during the Clinton administration
a policy designed to favor working-class students at the expense of wealthier students
Affirmative Action is the name given to the government policy, or any legislation related to the policy, which is designed to give special compensation or advantages to a social, religious, or ethnic group that has previously been disadvantaged. The idea is to try and correct for longstanding social ills against certain groups within society by granting them special dispensation. It first appeared as part of the Wagner Act issued during the 1930s and has been a controversial part of United States’ government policy ever since.
A brief, warrantless pat down of a person is acceptable under which exception?
Stop and frisk
Good faith
Exclusionary rule
Suspicion
Self- incrimination
Brief, warrantless pat downs are permitted by stop and frisk. Stop and frisk is when a police officer, when given reasonable suspicion, can stop an individual and conduct a pat down. Reasonable suspicion and good judgment/observation on the officer's behalf allows for these warrantless pat downs.
A Congressperson who want to introduce a bill on a subject that he or she fears will be controversial. In order to test public reaction to it, s/he call a friend at a major newspaper. The friend publishes a story about the fact that this issue is likely to be considered by Congress soon. What have I done?
Floated a trial balloon
Used loaded language
Written a feature story
Attributed a source
Swayed public opinion
Floating a "trial balloon" is the term for anonymously giving information to a news source to test the public reaction to a policy or appointment before it is formally introduced in Congress or another forum.
The most prevalent method of execution in the United States today is ____________.
Lethal injection
Electric chair
Firing squad
Food poisoning
Lethal gas
The most common form of execution in the United States today is lethal injection. The Constitution does not state that any of these methods of execution are inhumane or cruel and unusual. The standards for cruel and unusual punishment have also changed with the times. Although a controversial issue, lethal injections are most widely used as a humane form of execution today.
Police see a car swerving on the freeway late at night. After they pull over the car and see that the driver is drunk, they get a law passed which states that it is illegal for everyone to drive cars past 12 am. This solution violates which of the following?
Congruent and proportional
Bill of Attainder
Ex post facto
Due process
Rule of law
Police see a car swerving on the freeway late at night. After they pull over the car and see that the driver is drunk, they get a law passed which states that it is illegal for everyone to drive cars past 12 am. This solution is NOT congruent and proportional. The concept of congruency and proportionality states that solutions must be congruent and proportional (suitable, balanced, and correlative) to the problem at hand. Banning all citizens from driving past 12 am is not a congruent and proportional solution. A better, congruent and proportional, solution would be issuing a breathalyzer test to all cars swerving on the highway late at night.