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 belief that limited government insures order competitive markets and personal opportunity.






2. A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.






3. 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.






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. Literacy requirements some states imposed as a condition of voting - generally used to disqualify black voters in the South; now illegal.






6. An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote.






7. Political contributions given to a party - candidate - or interest group that are limited in amounts and fully disclosed. Raising such limited funds is harder than raising unlimited funds - hence the term 'hard money.'






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






9. 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.'






10. A formal agreement between the U.S. president and the leaders of other nations that does not require Senate approval.






11. Advisory council for the president consisting of the heads of the executive departments - the vice president - and a few other officials selected by the president.






12. Divisions within society that reinforce one another - making groups more homogenous or similar.






13. 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.






14. The rule of precedent - whereby a rule or law contained in a judicial decision is commonly viewed as binding on judges whenever the same question is presented.






15. Contributions to a state or local party for party-building purposes.






16. Programs that the Federal government requires States to implement without Federal funding.






17. The process by which we develop our political attitudes - values - and beliefs.






18. Something given with the expectation of receiving something in return.






19. A notion held by a nineteenth-century Americans that the United States was destined to rule the continent - from the Atlantic the Pacific.






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






21. Formal orders issued by the president to direct action by the Federal bureaucracy.






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






23. Powers that the Constitution gives to both the national and state governments - such as the power to levy taxes.






24. People who favor state or local action rather than national action.






25. 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.






26. Constitutional arrangement in which sovereign nations or states - by compact - create a central government but carefully limit its power and do not give it direct authority over individuals.






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






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






29. Congress appropriates funds for a specific purpose - such as school lunches or for building airports and highways. These funds are allocated by formula and are subject to detailed federal conditions - often on a matching basis; that is - the local go






30. Formal accusation by the lower house of legislature against a public official - the first step in removal from office.






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






32. 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






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






34. A tax graduated so that people with higher incomes pay larger fraction of their income than people with lower incomes.






35. The authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts.






36. Supporters of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government.






37. Relationships among interest groups - congressional committees and subcommittees - and the government agencies that share a common policy concern.






38. A permanent committee established in a legislature - usually focusing on a policy area.






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






40. The reliance on diplomacy and negotiation to solve international problems.






41. 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.






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






43. Candidate or party with the most votes cast in an election - not necessarily more than half.






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






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






46. The cluster of presidential staff agencies that help the president carry out his responsibilities. Currently the office includes the Office of Management and Budget - the Council of Economic Advisers - and several other units.






47. Petition that - if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members - will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration.






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






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






50. In a criminal action - the person or party accused of an offense.