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. Denial of export - import - or financial relations with the target country in an effort to change that nation's policies.






2. Consumer tax on a specific kind of merchandise - such as tobacco.






3. Alternative means of health care in which individuals make tax-deductible contributions to a special account that can be used to pay medical expenses.






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






5. A technique of Congress to establish federal regulations. These sanctions permit the use of federal money in one program to influence state and local policy in another. For example - a 1984 act reduced federal highway aid by up to 15 percent for any






6. Those citizens who follow public affairs closely.






7. 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






8. A policy-making alliance that involves a very strong ties among a congressional committee - an interest group - and a Federal Department or agency.






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






10. Agreement signed by the United States - Canada - and Mexico in 1992 to form the largest free trade zone in the world.






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






12. Election in which voters choose party nominees.






13. A minor party that believes in extremely limited government. Libertarians call for a free market system - expanded individual liberties such as drug legalization - and a foreign policy of nonintervention - free trade - and open immigration.






14. Governance divided between the parties - as when one holds the presidency and the other controls one or both houses of Congress.






15. The dispensing of government jobs to persons who belong to the winning political party.






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






17. A decision made by a higher court such as a circuit court of appeals or the Supreme Court that is binding on all other federal courts.






18. 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.






19. The political arm of an interest group that is legally entitled to raise funds on a voluntary basis from members - stockholders - or employees to contribute funds to candidates or political parties.






20. A company in which new employees must join a union within a stated time period.






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






22. Powers expressly or implicitly reserved to the states.

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /var/www/html/basicversity.com/show_quiz.php on line 183


23. An election during periods of expanded suffrage and change in the economy and society that proves to be a turning point - redefining the agenda of politics and the alignment of voters within parties.






24. A person who is employed by and acts for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches.






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






26. Unlimited amounts of money that political parties previously could raise for party-building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state and local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.






27. The difference between the revenues raised annually from sources of income other than borrowing and the expenditures of government - including paying the interest on past borrowing.






28. Election in which voters choose party nominees.






29. 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.






30. The process of putting a law into practice through bureaucratic rules or spending.






31. Clause of the Constitution (Article I - Section 10) originally intended to prohibit state governments from modifying contracts made between individuals; for a while interpreted as prohibiting state governments from taking actions that adversely affec






32. 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.






33. A court with appellate jurisdiction that hears appeals from the decisions of lower courts.






34. Views the Constitution as giving a limited list of powers—primarily foreign policy and national defense—to the national government - leaving the rest to the sovereign states. Each level of government is dominant within its own sphere. The Supreme Cou






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






36. A meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy. Called a conference by the Republicans.






37. A close contest; by extension - any contest in which the focus is on who is ahead and by how much rather than on substantive differences between the candidates.






38. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill.






39. An imbalance in international trade in which the value of imports exceeds the value of exports.






40. A combination of entitlement programs - paid for by employer and employee taxes - that includes retirement benefits - health insurance - and support for disabled workers and the children of deceased or disabled workers.






41. A social division based on national origin - religion - language - and often race.






42. A landmark case in United States law and the basis for the exercise of judicial review in the United States - under Article Three of the United States Constitution. The case resulted from a petition to the Supreme Court by William Marbury - who had b






43. Constitutional doctrine that whenever conflict occurs between the constitutionally authorized actions of the national government and those of a state or local government - the actions of the federal government will prevail.






44. An official document - published every weekday - which lists the new and proposed regulations of executive departments and regulatory agencies.






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






46. The president's annual statement to Congress and the nation.






47. Presidential refusal to allow an agency to spend funds that Congress authorized and appropriated.






48. Interest groups organized under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code may advertise for or against candidates. If their source of funding is corporations or unions - they have some restrictions on broadcast advertising. 527 organizations were impo






49. Federal laws (starting with the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890) that try to prevent a monopoly from dominating an industry and restraining trade.






50. Censorship imposed before a speech is made or a newspaper is published; usually presumed to be unconstitutional.