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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. System designed to reduce voter fraud by limiting voting to those who have established eligibility to vote by submitting the proper documents.






2. 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.






3. 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.






4. The Federal government's primary intelligence officer - responsible for overseeing all national intelligence agencies and providing advice to the President on terrorist threats.






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






6. Retroactive criminal law that works to the disadvantage of a person.






7. Primary election in which any voter - regardless of party - may vote.






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






9. A minor party founded by Ross Perot in 1995. It focuses on national government reform - fiscal responsibility - and political accountability. It has recently struggled with internal strife and criticism that it lacks an identity.






10. 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.'






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






12. Government by the people - both directly or indirectly - with free and frequent elections.






13. A system of public employment in which selection and promotion depend on demonstrated performance rather than political patronage.






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






15. 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.






16. 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






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






18. Citizenship in more than one nation.






19. 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.






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






21. 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.






22. The power to keep executive communications confidential - especially if they relate to national security.






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






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






25. 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.






26. Constitutional arrangement that concentrates power in a central government.






27. Holding incumbents - usually the president's party - responsible for their records on issues - such as the economy or foreign policy.






28. Constitutional division of powers among the legislative - executive - and judicial branches - with the legislative branch making law - the executive applying and enforcing the law - and the judiciary interpreting the law.






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






30. An agency of Congress that analyzes presidential budget recommendations and estimates the cost of proposed legislation.






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






32. Loss of tax revenue due to Federal laws that provide special tax incentives or benefits to individuals or businesses.






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






34. The principle of a two-house legislature.






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






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






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






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






39. A provision attached to a bill






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






41. A monopoly that controls goods and services - often in combinations that reduce competition.






42. Review of all executive branch testimony - reports - and draft legislation by the Office of Management and Budget to ensure that each communication to Congress is in accordance with the president's program.






43. God's or nature's law that defines right from wrong and is higher than human law.






44. Constitutional arrangement in which power is distributed between a central government and subdivisional governments - called states in the United States. The national and the subdivisional governments both exercise direct authority over individuals.






45. A government agency that operates like a business corporation - created to secure greater freedom of action and flexibility for a particular program.






46. 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.






47. A policy that emphasizes a united front and cooperation between the major political parties - especially on sensitive foreign policy issues.






48. 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






49. A division of population based on occupation - income - and education.






50. Policy of erecting trade barriers to protect domestic industry.







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