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






2. 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.






3. Established rules and regulations that restrain government officials.






4. The authority of a court to hear a case 'in the first instance.'






5. 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.






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






7. Authority given by Congress to the Federal bureaucracy to use reasonable judgment in implementing the laws.






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






9. Interpretation of the First Amendment that would permit legislatures to forbid speech encouraging people to engage in illegal action.






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






11. Aid to the poor; 'welfare.'






12. Electoral system used in electing the president and vice president - in which voters vote for electors pledged to cast their ballots for particular party's candidates.






13. Trade status granted as part of an international trade policy that gives a nation the same favorable trade concessions and tariffs that the best trading partners receive.






14. Trial or punishment for the same crime by the same government; forbidden by the Constitution.






15. The tendency in elections to focus on the personal attributes of a candidate - such as his/her strengths - weaknesses - background - experience - and visibility.






16. A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of the bill or nomination.






17. Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling taxing and spending.






18. A company with a labor agreement under which union membership can be a condition of employment.






19. A government agency or commission with regulatory power whose independence is protected by Congress.






20. A tax whereby people with lower incomes pay a higher fraction of their income than people with higher incomes.






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






22. 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






23. A belief that government can and should achieve justice and equality of opportunity.






24. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments.






25. Formal accusation against a president or other public official - the first step in removal from office.






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






27. A commission created by the 1974 amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act to administer election reform laws. It consists of six commissioners appointed by president and confirmed by the Senate. Its duties include overseeing disclosure of camp






28. Agency that administers civil service laws - rules - and regulations.






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






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






31. A government that enforces recognized limits on those who govern and allows the voice of the people to be heard through free - fair - and relatively frequent elections.






32. Unlimited and undisclosed spending by an individual or group on communications that do not use words like 'vote for' or 'vote against -' although much of this activity is actually about electing or defeating candidates.






33. 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.






34. Constitutional requirement that governments proceed by proper methods; limits how government may exercise power.






35. Advertisements and commercials for products and services; they receive less First Amendment protection - primarily to discourage false and misleading ads.






36. Citizenship in more than one nation.






37. How voters feel about a candidate's background - personality - leadership ability - and other personal qualities.






38. The total output of all economic activity in the nation - including goods and services.






39. A law that governs relationships between individuals and defines their legal rights.






40. The study of the characteristics of populations.






41. Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government - generally.






42. Media that emphasize the news.






43. Literally - a 'friend of the court' brief - filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case.






44. Incumbents have an advantage over challengers in election campaigns because voters are more familiar with them - and incumbents are more recognizable.






45. Attempting to overthrow the government by force or use violence to interrupt its activities.






46. Method whereby representatives of the union and employer determine wages - hours - and other conditions of employment through direct negotiation.






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






48. Procedure for submitting to popular vote the removal of officials from office before the end of their term.






49. Elections held in years when the president is on the ballot.






50. The principle of a two-house legislature.