Test your basic knowledge |

AP Government

Subjects : civics, ap
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending.






2. Voting by member of one party for a candidate of another party.






3. Implies that although federalism provides 'a sharing of power and authority between the national and state governments - the state's share rests upon the permission and permissiveness of the national government.'






4. Democratic and civic habits of discussion - compromise - and respect for differences - which grow out of participation in voluntary organizations.






5. Constitutional arrangement that concentrates power in a central government.






6. Philosophy proposing that judges should interpret the Constitution to reflect what the framers intended and what its words literally say.






7. Inherent powers of state governments to pass laws to protect the public health - safety - and welfare; the national government has no directly granted police powers but accomplishes the same goals through other delegated powers.






8. Period at the beginning of the new president's term during which the president enjoys generally positive relations with the press and Congress - usually lasting about six months.






9. These are broad state grants to states for prescribed activities—welfare - child care - education - social services - preventive health care - and health services—with only a few strings attached. States have greater flexibility in deciding how to sp






10. The right of a federal law or a regulation to preclude enforcement of a state or local law or regulation.






11. An official who is expected to vote independently based on his or her judgment of the circumstances; one interpretation of the role of the legislator.






12. Constitutional requirement that governments act reasonably and that the substance of the laws themselves be fair and reasonable; limits what the government may do.






13. A philosophy that encourages individual nations to act on their own when facing threats from other nations.






14. A theory of international relations that focuses on the hope the nations will act together to solve international problems and promote peace.






15. An individual who does not to join a group representing his or her interests yet receives the benefit of the group's influence.






16. The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals - groups - and parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidates. When an individual - group - or party does so - they are






17. A legislative practice that assigns the chair of the committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee.






18. Clause in the First Amendment that states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. The Supreme Court has interpreted this to forbid governmental support to any or all religions.






19. Quality or state of a work that taken as a whole appeals to a prurient interest in sex by depicting sexual conduct in a patently offensive way and that lacks serious literary - artistic - political - or scientific value.






20. Money government provides to parents to pay their children's tuition in a public or private school of their choice.






21. Powers the Constitution specifically grants to one of the branches of the national government.






22. The process by which provisions of the bill of rights are brought within the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment and so applied to state and local governments.






23. The tendency of presidents to learn more about doing their jobs over time.






24. A congressional committee created for a specific purpose - sometimes to conduct an investigation.






25. The rights of all people to dignity and worth; also called human rights.






26. The residents of a congressional district or state.






27. Clause in the Fifth Amendment limiting the power of the national government; similar clause in the Fourteenth Amendment prohibiting state governments from depriving any person of life - liberty - or property without due process of law.






28. God's or nature's law that defines right from wrong and is higher than human law.






29. Elections in which voters elect officeholders.






30. Requirement that evidence unconstitutionally or illegally obtained be excluded from a criminal trial.






31. A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.






32. Through different grant programs - slices up the marble cake into many different pieces - making it even more difficult to differentiate the functions of the levels of government.






33. Belief in the superiority of one's nation or ethnic group.






34. Words that by their very nature inflict injury on those to whom they are addressed or insight them to acts of violence.






35. Clause of the Constitution (Article 1 - Section 8 - Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress - in addition to its express powers has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Co






36. A technique of Congress to establish federal regulations. Federal grants may establish certain conditions that extend to all activities supported by federal funds - regardless of their source. The first and most famous of these is Title VI of the 196






37. Holding incumbents - usually the president's party - responsible for their records on issues - such as the economy or foreign policy.






38. A nonprofit association or group operating outside of government that advocates and pursues policy objectives.






39. Stresses federalism as a system of intergovernmental relations in delivering governmental goods and services to the people and calls for cooperation among various levels of government.






40. The process - most notably in families and schools - by which we develop our political attitudes - values - and beliefs.






41. A minor party founded by Ross Perot in 1995. It focuses on national government reform - fiscal responsibility - and political accountability. It has recently struggled with internal strife and criticism that it lacks an identity.






42. Elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other - so the success of the party's candidate is almost taken for granted.






43. A government entity that is independent of the legislative - executive - and judicial branches.






44. The reliance on economic and military strength to solve international problems.






45. Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates.






46. Election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins.






47. Views the national government - 50 states - and thousands of local governments as competing with each other over ways to put together packages of services and taxes. Applies the analogy of the marketplace: we have some choice about which state and ci






48. A tax on increased value of the product at each stage of production and distribution rather than just at the point of sale.






49. Biological - chemical - or nuclear weapons that can cause a massive number of deaths in a single use.






50. An informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood.