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






2. A court order requiring explanation to a judge why a prisoner is being held in custody.






3. The formal process for making regulations.






4. Those citizens who follow public affairs closely.






5. A theory of government that holds that open - multiple - and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group.






6. A formal - public agreement between the United States and one or more nations that must be approved by two thirds of the Senate.






7. A specific course of action taken by government to achieve a public goal.






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






9. The process by which individuals perceive what they want to in media messages.






10. People who favor national action over action at the state and local levels.






11. Compromise between northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.






12. The proportion of the voting age public that votes - sometimes defined as the number of registered voters that vote.






13. A jury of 6 to 12 persons that determines guilt or innocence in a civil or criminal action.






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






15. Largely banned party soft money - restored a long-standing prohibition on corporations and labor unions for using general treasury funds for electoral purposes - and narrowed the definition of issue advocacy.






16. A theory that is based on creating enough military strength to convince other nations not to attack first.






17. Tax required to vote; prohibited for national elections by the Twenty-Fourth Amendment (1964) and ruled unconstitutional for all elections in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections (1966).






18. Philosophy proposing that judges should interpret the Constitution to reflect current conditions and values.






19. Interpretation of the First Amendment that holds that freedom of expression is so essential to democracy that governments should not punish persons for what they say - only for what they do.






20. Theory that opposes governmental interference in economic affairs beyond what is necessary to protect life and property.






21. The means by which individuals can express preferences regarding the development of public policy.






22. The clause in the Constitution (Article 1 - Section 8 - Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations.






23. Presidential custom of submitting the names of perspective appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are to work.






24. A decision by the president not to spend money appropriated by Congress - now prohibited under Federal law.






25. 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






26. Theory that opposes governmental interference in economic affairs beyond what is necessary to protect life and property.






27. A characteristic of individuals that is predictive of political behavior.






28. A law that defines crimes against the public order.






29. A national meeting of delegates elected at primaries - caucuses - or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president - ratify the party platform - elect officers - and adopt rules.






30. During the Great Society - the marble cake approach of intergovernmental relations.






31. The Federal government's primary intelligence officer - responsible for overseeing all national intelligence agencies and providing advice to the President on terrorist threats.






32. A veto exercised by the president after Congress has adjourned; if the president takes no action for 10 days - the bill does not become law and does not return to Congress for possible override.






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






34. A division of population based on occupation - income - and education.






35. Agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant that the defendant will plead guilty to a lesser offense to avoid having to stand trial for more serious offense.






36. Programs such as unemployment insurance - disability relief - or disability payments that provide benefits to all eligible citizens.






37. The power of a court to refuse to enforce a law or government regulation that in the opinion of the judges conflicts with the U.S. Constitution or - in a state court - the state constitution.






38. 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.






39. 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.






40. Presidential staff agency that serves as a clearinghouse for budgetary requests and management improvements for government agencies.






41. Constitutional grant of powers that enables each of the three branches of government to check some acts of the others and therefore ensure that no branch can dominate.






42. A secret ballot printed by the state.






43. 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.






44. An opinion disagreeing with a majority in a Supreme Court ruling.






45. The boost that candidates may get in an election because of the popularity of candidates above them on the ballot - especially the president.






46. The joint listing of the presidential and vice presidential candidates on the same ballot as required by the Twelfth Amendment.






47. 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






48. The process by which individuals screen out messages that do not conform to their own biases.






49. A rise in the general price level (and decrease in dollar value) owing to an increase in the volume of money and credit in relation to available goods.






50. A policy-making alliance among loosely connected participants that comes together on a particular issue - then disbands.