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 head of the White House staff.






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






3. The inclination to focus on national issues - rather than local issues - in an election campaign. The impact of the national tide can be reduced by the nature of the candidates on the ballot who might have differentiated themselves from their party o






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






5. The widely shared beliefs - values - and norms about how citizens relate to governments and to one another.






6. Financial contributions by individuals or groups in the hope of influencing the outcome of the election and subsequently influencing policy.






7. Conceives of federalism as a marble cake in which all levels of government are involved in a variety of issues and programs - rather than a layer cake - or dual federalism - with fixed divisions between layers or levels of government.






8. 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.






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






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






11. The portion of the Federal budget that is spent on programs - such as Social Security - that the president and Congress are unwilling to cut.






12. Donations made to political candidates - party committees - or groups which - by law - are limited and must be declared.






13. A meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy. Called a conference by the Republicans.






14. Mutual aid and vote trading among legislators.






15. Unlimited amounts of money that political parties previously could raise for party-building purposes. Now largely illegal except for limited contributions to state and local parties for voter registration and get-out-the-vote efforts.






16. The powers expressly given to Congress in the Constitution.






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






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






19. Alternative means of health care in which people or their employers are charged a set amount and the HMO provides health care and covers hospital costs.






20. Interest groups organized under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code may advertise for or against candidates. If their source of funding is corporations or unions - they have some restrictions on broadcast advertising. 527 organizations were impo






21. The residents of a congressional district or state.






22. Legislative act inflicting punishment - including deprivation of property - without a trial - on named individuals or members of a specific group.






23. Elections held midway between presidential elections.






24. An electoral district in which voters choose one representative or official.






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






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






27. Those citizens who follow public affairs closely.






28. Philosophy proposing that judges should interpret the Constitution to reflect current conditions and values.






29. The rights of all people to dignity and worth; also called human rights.






30. A grouping of human beings with distinctive characteristics determined by genetic inheritance.






31. A rise in the general price level (and decrease in dollar value) owing to an increase in the volume of money and credit in relation to available goods.






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






33. 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.






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






35. A jury of 12 to 23 persons who - in private - hear evidence presented by the government to determine whether persons shall be required to stand trial. If the jury believes there is sufficient evidence that a crime was committed - it issues an indictm






36. Primary election in which only persons registered in the party holding the primary may vote.






37. A form of organization that operates through impersonal - uniform rules and procedures.






38. Segregation imposed by law.






39. An election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins.






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






41. Election in which voters choose party nominees.






42. A consistent pattern of beliefs about political values and the role of government.






43. Constitutional requirement that governments act reasonably and that the substance of the laws themselves be fair and reasonable; limits what the government may do.






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






45. A nonprofit association or group operating outside of government that advocates and pursues policy objectives.






46. Directive issued by a president or governor that has the force of law.






47. A characteristic of individuals that is predictive of political behavior.






48. 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.






49. The president's annual statement to Congress and the nation.






50. A formal written statement from a grand jury charging an individual with an offense; also called a true bill.