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. The informal list of issues that Congress and the president consider most important for action.






2. The distribution of individual preferences or evaluations of a given issue - candidate - or institution within a specific population.






3. 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






4. In this type of sample - every individual has unknown and random chance of being selected.






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






6. Clause in the First Amendment that states that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion.






7. Lawsuit brought by an individual or group of people on behalf of all those similarly situated.






8. A government entity that is independent of the legislative - executive - and judicial branches.






9. Championed by Ronald Reagan - presumes that the power of the federal government is limited in favor of the broad powers reserved to the states.

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10. The set of arrangements - including checks and balances - federalism - separation of powers - rule of law - due process - and a bill of rights - that requires our leaders to listen - think - bargain - and explain before they act or make laws. We then






11. Procedure whereby a certain number of voters may - by petition - propose a law or constitutional amendment and have it submitted to the voters.






12. Mutual aid and vote trading among legislators.






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






14. Legal process whereby an alleged criminal offender is surrendered by the officials of one states to officials of the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed.






15. The precise legal definition of how government will implement a policy.






16. A dispute growing out of an actual case or controversy and that is capable of settlement by legal methods.






17. 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.






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






19. Election in which voters choose party nominees.






20. Segregation resulting from economic or social conditions or personal choice.






21. A widely shared and consciously held view - like support for homeland security.






22. A writ issued by a magistrate that authorizes the police to search a particular place or person - specifying the place to be searched and the objects to be seized.






23. Libel - obscenity - fighting words - and commercial speech - which are not entitled to constitutional protection in all circumstances.






24. A congressional district created to include a majority of minority voters; ruled constitutional so long as race is not the main factor in redistricting.






25. 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.






26. 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.






27. 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.






28. Means of communication that are reaching the public - including newspapers and magazines - radio - television (broadcast - cable - and satellite) - films - recordings - books - and electronic communication.






29. 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.






30. The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party - group - or incumbent.






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






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






33. Government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials directly.






34. 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.'






35. Federal program that provides medical benefits for low-income persons.






36. A PAC formed by an officeholder that collects contributions from individuals and other PACs and then makes contributions to other candidates and political parties.






37. Powers the Constitution specifically grants to one of the branches of the national government.






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






39. Biological - chemical - or nuclear weapons that can cause a massive number of deaths in a single use.






40. Election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote.






41. 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.






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






43. Presidential power to strike - or remove - specific items from a spending bill without vetoing the entire package; declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.






44. A committee composed of members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate; such committees oversee the Library of Congress and conduct investigations.






45. Legislative or executive review of a particular government program or organization. Can be in response to a crisis of some kind or part of routine review.






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






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. A system of public employment based on rewarding party loyalists and friends.






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






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