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. Mutual aid and vote trading among legislators.






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






3. 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.






4. Domination of an industry by a single company that fixes prices and discourages competition; also - the company that dominates the industry by these means.






5. 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.






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






7. 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.






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






9. 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.






10. The redrawing of congressional and other legislative district lines following the census - to accommodate population shifts and keep districts as equal as possible in population.






11. Usually the largest organization in government with the largest mission; also the highest rank in Federal hierarchy.






12. An official who is expected to represent the views of his or her constituents even when personally holding different views; one interpretation of the role of legislator.






13. A small political party that rises and falls with a charismatic candidate or - if composed of ideologies on the right or left - usually persists over time; also called a third party.






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






15. 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.






16. 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






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






18. Aid to the poor; 'welfare.'






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






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






21. An organization that seeks political power by electing people to office so that its positions and philosophy become public policy.






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






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






24. Divisions within society that cut across demographic categories to produce groups that are more heterogeneous or different.






25. 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.






26. A system of government in which the legislature selects the prime minister or president.






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. Citizenship in more than one nation.






29. A local or judicial election in which candidates are not selected or endorsed by political parties and party affiliation is not listed on ballots.






30. A company with a labor agreement under which union membership cannot be required as a condition of employment.






31. International organization derived from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that promotes it free trade around the world.






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






33. 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.






34. 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






35. A career government employee.






36. Proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by William Paterson of New Jersey for a central government with a single-house legislature in which each state would be represented equally.






37. A court order forbidding specific individuals or groups from performing certain acts (such as striking) that the court considers harmful to the rights and property of an employer or community.






38. Employment cycle in which individuals who work for governmental agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern.






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






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






41. 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.'






42. An economic and governmental system based on public ownership of the means of production and exchange.






43. The assigning by Congress of congressional seats after each census. State legislatures reapportion state legislative districts.






44. Elections in which voters elect officeholders.






45. 30-second statements on the evening news shows. The media have been accused of simplifying complicated political issues by relying on sound bites to explain them to the public.






46. Governance according to the expressed preferences of the majority.






47. Government in which the people elect those who govern and pass laws; also called a republic.






48. The presiding officer in the House of Representatives - formally elected by the House but actually selected by the majority party.






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






50. The practice of exporting U.S. jobs to lower paid employees in other nations.