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Practice AP Gov Multiple Choice Questions Flashcards | StudBud
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Practice AP Gov Multiple Choice Questions
Practice AP Gov Multiple Choice Questions
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An array of Multiple Choice questions to practice for the upcoming AP Government Exam
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1
Of the following, the most important role in political socialization is
peer groups
media
places of worship
family
2
Which of the following is true under the system of checks and balances?
Supreme Court can remove members of Congress
Supreme Court can overrule President policy proposals
Senate must ratify treaties
House of Representatives appoints justices to Supreme Court
3
Which of the following is true of the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
Requires that minority officeholders be elected
Major instrument for increasing number of minority voters
Declared unconstitutional in Shaw v. Reno
Never been applied to any group except African Americans
4
Which of the following statements about voting behavior in the United States is correct?
Voters under age of 25 are likely to vote the most
Since 1920, women and men have voted proportionately equal
College graduates are more likely to vote than High School
Registration has no effect on voter turnout
5
How is a President chosen when no candidates receive a majority of the electoral college vote?
The Senate chooses a new president by a majority vote
The House chooses a new president by a majority vote
The Supreme Court directly elects the president
The election is null/void and Congress choose a president
6
All of the following are ways the legislative branch can check the executive branch EXCEPT:
Senate may refuse to approve treaties from president
May pass law declaring presidential actions unconstitutional
May override a presidential veto
Senate may refuse to approve presidential appointments
7
In which of the following scenarios would a presidential veto most likely be upheld?
Proposed legislation enjoys widespread bipartisan support
President is in a second term
2/3 of both houses are members of the same party as the Pres
President has the support of the Supreme Court
8
The Supreme Court's power of judicial review permits the Court to overrule all below EXCEPT
State Legislation
Bill of Rights
Executive Orders
Acts of Congress
9
Cooperative federalism can best be described by which statement below?
Federal government make laws applied across every state
Different levels of government are involved in common policy
Business and government work together to accomplish goals
Government must have cooperation from the people for laws
10
The largest portion of "uncontrollable spending" in the federal budget is designated for
entitlement spending
salaries of federal bureaucrats
defense spending
interest on the national debt
11
The main intent of "motor voter" laws is to
allow 16 year olds to vote if they have a valid license
increase voter turnout by providing transportation to polls
prevent states from using literacy requirements for voting
increase voter registration
12
Which of the following US Supreme Court case established the principle of judicial review?
Roe v. Wade
Marbury v. Madison
McCulloch v. Maryland
Gibbons v. Ogden
13
Which describes a consequence of the growing concentration of ownership of the news media?
Candidates get more free airtime.
There is increased similarity of network news coverage.
Newspaper prices have gone down.
Coverage of events has become more liberal over time.
14
The concept of "critical elections" is most closely associated with
elections during wartime
economic recession
party realignment
electoral college process
15
Of the following, which is the most powerful figure in Congress?
Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee
Speaker of the House
Majority Whip of the House
Chair of the Senate Finance Committee
16
Which of the following is a fundamental element of the US Constitution?
Division of government power across political institutions
Emphasis on a unitary system of government
An executive branch more powerful than the legislature
Direct election of members of the executive branch
17
Which of the following is true of most federal judges appointed by the president?
They serve for life unless removed by the president
They serve as long as appointing president stays in power
They serve for life unless impeached by Congress
They serve for life and are not subject to impeachment
18
The table supports which of the following statements about partisanship and the 1984 election?
Dems. were more likely to vote their party than were Reps.
Partisanship was a good predictor of the way a person voted
Number of strong Dems. was less than number of strong Reps.
Independents were less likely to vote than party identifiers
19
All of the following serve as checks on the power of the federal courts EXCEPT:
congress can pass clarifying laws
federal judges can be impeached
voters can oust federal judges in national elections
bureaucracy can refrain from enforcing court rulings
20
Process of extending protections of Bill of Rights to states by the 14th Amendment is known as
broad construction
incorporation
judicial review
stare decisis
21
Which of the following is true of political action committees (PACs)?
They effectively control the presidential campaigns
They may operate at the state level but not national level
They make campaign contributions to gain access to lawmakers
They are part of political party organizations
22
Which of the following is NOT a way in which the Federal Government regulates campaigns?
By limits on the distribution of soft money
By prohibitions on negative advertising
By requirements for disclosure of campaign donations
By establishment of agencies to regulate campaign finance
23
The President can do which without seeking the consent of either the House or the Senate?
Ratify a treaty
Declare War
Appoint ambassadors
Deploy troops
24
Federal benefits funded by Congress and paid to all citizens who meet eligibility criteria are
continuing appropriations
tax expenditures
distributive benefits
individual entitlements
25
Lobbyists try to influence legislators mainly through
threatening to help legislators opponent in next election
"wining and dining" legislators
providing legislators with information on technical issues
placing persuasive advertisements in the media
26
Which of the following is an example of congressional oversight?
Holding hearings for review of an executive agency
Assisting constituents with particular problems
Conducting ethics investigations of congressional leadership
Reporting campaign contributions to the FEC
27
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
(1954) was a significant Supreme Court ruling because it
affirmed rights of the people and limited federal government
held "separate but equal" to be violating 14th Amendment
upheld internment of ethnic groups during wartime
made it illegal for Communist party members to be teachers
28
When a lower court decision is appealed to the Supreme Court, which is most likely?
Supreme Court will overturn lower court decision
Case will be retried at the lower court level.
Supreme Court will not hear the appeal.
Plaintiffs/defendents will file motions for change of venue
29
Which of the following best explains the principle of
stare decisis?
It encourages judges to follow precedent when deciding cases
It increases the number of cases judges are required to hear
It reinforces the philosophy of judicial activism
It requires that at least four justices agree to hear a case
30
Which of the following is the most likely consequence of divided government?
Conflicts between national and state governments
Delays in confirmation of federal court nominees
Reorganization of the federal bureaucracy
Elimination of the seniority rule in Congress
31
Which of the following is generally true of the gerrymandering of congressional districts?
It guarantees that minorities will be equally represented
It violates the principle of one-person, one-vote
It results in more Republicans being elected to the House
It creates districts that favor on party over another
32
Which of the following best describes the concept of political efficacy?
Belief that politicians must keep people well-informed
Belief that the average citizen can make no difference
Belief that intelligent voting cannot be made without info
Belief that one can make a difference in politics
33
Which describes a fundamental difference between political parties and interest groups?
Parties disclose all finances, Interest Groups do not
Parties focus on national issues, Interest Groups locally
Parties can't sponsor campaign ads, Interest Groups can
Parties have broad issues, Interest Groups focus narrowly
34
Which of the following is a member of the White House Staff?
National Security Advisor
Ambassador to the United Nations
Chair of the Federal Reserve Board
Attorney General
35
Which of the following statements about writs of certiorari is accurate?
Supreme Court does not grant certiorari to cases in states
Cases appealed by the solicitor general are automatic
Supreme Court has granted certiorari to all cases
Supreme Court grants certiorari for less than 5% of cases
36
Which of the following is a result of the electoral college system?
Winner of the presidency often lacks a majority of the vote
Candidates focus on the states with the largest populations
Spending increases to emphasize television advertising
Focus is on one-party states to win most electoral votes
37
A major difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that
revenue bills must originate in the Senate
each state has equal representation in House but not Senate
there is unlimited debate in the Senate but not the House
filibusters are possible only in the House
38
The term "pork barrel" refers to legislation specifically designed to
ensure the careful inspection of farm goods and other food
equalize representation for farming and non-farming states
provide funding for projects to benefit constituents
encourage a balanced federal budget
39
Which of the following principles addresses the relation between national and state government?
Bill of Rights
Checks and Balances
Federalism
Separation of powers
40
The "wall of separation" doctrine refers to the
differentiation of municipal powers from county powers
division between levels of government
division of church and state
barrier between legislative chambers
41
Which of the following statements about gerrymandering is true?
It was used to maintain urban control of the House of Reps
It's used by parties to draw lines to control many districts
It has been banned by Baker v. Carr
It ensures liberal control of the House of Reps
42
Which is a leading predictor of how an individual will vote in a congressional election?
Presidential endorsement
Gender
Occupation
Partisanship
43
Which of the following is an example of presidential use of inherent powers?
Woodrow Wilson's signing of the Treaty of Versailles
Dwight Eisenhower's deployment of troops to Arkansas
George H. W. Bush's appointment of Clarence Thomas
Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase
44
The free-exercise clause protects
A person's right to practice polygamy
Voluntary prayer by student groups before school
A person's right to burn the American flag
Individuals who, for religion, refuse to pay taxes
45
Since the early 1980s, the Republican Party platform has been increasingly influenced by
civil libertarians
active military officers
labor unions
evangelical Christians
46
The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in
United States Senate
Office of Management and Budget
Congressional Budget Office
United States House of Representatives
47
Unlike the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution does which of the following?
Establishes a unitary form of government.
Emphasizes both national sovereignty and federalism.
Emphasizes state sovereignty over national sovereignty.
Restricts the ability of Congress to tax.
48
When Congress ensures that the executive branch is carrying out their legislated duties is
federalism
executive privilege
legislative oversight
judicial review
49
Which of the following is true of
amicus curiae
briefs?
They are used by interest groups to lobby courts.
They are now unconstitutional.
Litigants use these to review lower court decisions.
They are used exclusively by liberal interest groups.
50
Which statement about presidential ratings is supported by information presented in the graph?
President Carter suffered the largest drop
President Reagan was the most popular President
President's popularity tends to fall during his term
Presidents tend to become more popular over time
51
The difference between an appellate court and a district court is that an appellate court
conducts trials by jury
reviews previous court decisions
hears civil cases but not criminal cases
does not follow the principle of stare decisis
52
The differences shown in the table demonstrate which of the following?
The gender gap
Women's greater political participation
Men's greater political participation
Age discrimination
53
The 1973
Roe v. Wade
decision upheld a woman's right to secure an abortion based on
privacy implied in the Bill of Rights
due process of law in 5th and 6th amendments
equality guaranteed in 14th and 15th amendments
life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness in Declaration
54
Which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the table?
Latinos are fairly homogeneous in their party identification
Cubans are more supportive of Reps. than Mexicans or Puertos
Mexicans are less independent than Cubans or Puertos
Majority of Latinos probably voted for Bill Clinton in 1992
55
Which of the statements about political parties and the US Constitution is true?
Political parties are not addressed in the Constitution
Only two major political parties can exist at one time
Constitution requires parties to meet federal and state laws
Political party leaders must be native-born US citizens
56
One reason for the persistence of a two-party system in the United States is
the lack of divisive issues in United States politics
low voter turnout in most elections
the lack of a strong labor movement
the single-member district electoral system
57
Which of the following statements about motions for cloture is true?
They are used by Senators to end a filibuster.
They are applied only to appropriations bills.
They are applied to bills that fail in previous sessions.
They force a bill out of committee so the House can vote.
58
Compared to the general population, delegates to presidential nomination conventions are
more ideological
more likely to register as independent
financially worse off
less educated
59
Which of the following statements about the Senate is true?
The Senate has a strict time limit on debates
Each state is represented in the Senate by its population
Senate is responsible for initiating appropriations bills
Individual senators exercise big influence in a law process
60
Which of the following best explains the trend depicted in the chart?
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Voting Rights Act of 1965
Elimination of all-White primary elections
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
61
Which of the following is the best example of a categorical grant?
Money given to individuals in the form of tax rebates
Money given to private business fro economic development
Money given to states for special education programs
Money given to states to spend at their discretion
62
The Supreme Court has ruled which of the following concerning the death penalty?
Females may not be executed.
A state cannot impose the death penalty on a noncitizen.
Lethal injection is the only acceptable method of execution.
It is not necessarily cruel and unusual punishment.
63
Giving states greater discretion in how to achieve the goals of welfare reform is an example of
an unfunded mandate
implied powers
devolution
dual federalism
64
When Independent Regulatory Agencies make, enforce, and adjudicate rules, they risk violating
due process of law
the separation of powers
equal protection of the laws
federalism
65
In the process and structure of public policymaking, "iron triangles" refer to the
group of advisers who form the president's foreign agenda
corporate power in setting the policy agenda for benefit
networks of congress, bureaucracy, and interest groups
relationship among federal, state, and local governments
66
Nominations to the Supreme Court must be approved by a
simple majority vote in the Senate only
simple majority vote in both the House and Senate
2/3 vote in the House only
2/3 vote in both the House and Senate
67
Explanations for low voter turnout include all of the following EXCEPT
weak party affiliation
registration requirements
laws protecting voting rights for minorities
weekday elections
68
The debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists were primarily about which issues?
The scope of power of the central government
The right of the people to rebel
The need to establish a standard currency
The representation of large and small states
69
The 10th Amendment to the Constitution has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to
restrict the application of judicial review
prevent states from taxing agencies of federal government
reserve powers to the states
limit the use of legislative veto
70
Federal budget entitlements refer to spending
on behalf of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness
by legislators on trips home to confer with constituents
to provide individual benefits established by legislation
targeted to benefit residents of specific districts
71
Interest groups engage in all of the following activities EXCEPT
using the franking privilege
filing federal lawsuits
lobbying federal agencies
testifying before congressional committees
72
Which of the following is true about the line-item veto?
It is used by many state governors
It is specifically granted to the President by Constitution
Its use was upheld by the Supreme Court
It is basically the same as a pocket veto
73
States have the most discretion in establishing policy when federal funding is derived from
categorical grants
block grants
grants-in-aid
project grants
74
Which of the following is NOT a presidential role authorized by the Constitution?
To be chief executive
To lead the political party of the President
To present the State of the Union address
To be commander in chief of the armed forces
75
Which of the following is one of the central concerns of the First Amendment?
Right to bear arms
Right to petition the government for redress of grievances
Division of powers among the three branches of government
Supremacy of the national over state governments
