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 formal instructions that government issues for implementing laws.






2. A technique of Congress to establish federal regulations. Total preemption rests on the national governments power under the supremacy and commerce clauses to preempt conflicting state and local activity. Building on this constitutional authority - f






3. Written defamation of another person. For public officials and public figures - the constitutional tests designed to restrict libel actions are especially rigid.






4. Essays promoting ratification of the Constitution - published anonymously by Alexander Hamilton - John Jay - and James Madison in 1787 and 1788.






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






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






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






8. Those citizens who follow public affairs carefully.






9. Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents.






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






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






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






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






14. Programs such as Medicaid and welfare under which applicants must meet eligibility requirements based on need.






15. 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.






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






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






18. 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.






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






20. Money spent by individuals or groups not associated with candidates to elect or defeat candidates for office.






21. A formal - public agreement between the United States and one or more nations that must be approved by two thirds of the Senate.






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






23. Established rules and regulations that restrain government officials.






24. Government regulation of property so extensive that government is deemed to have taken the property by the power of eminent domain - for which it must compensate the property owners.






25. 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.






26. 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






27. The rights of an individual to own - use - rent - invest in - buy - and sell property.






28. Opponents of ratification of the Constitution and of a strong central government - generally.






29. Voting by member of one party for a candidate of another party.






30. A philosophy that encourages individual nations to act on their own when facing threats from other nations.






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






32. Remedial action designed to overcome the effects of discrimination against minorities and women.






33. The widespread belief that the United States is a land of opportunity and that individual initiative and hard work can bring economic success.






34. 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






35. Economic theory based on the principles of John Maynard Keynes stating that government spending should increase during business slumps and be curbed during booms.






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






37. Synonymous with 'collective action -' it specifically studies how government officials - politicians - and voters respond to positive and negative incentives.






38. Arrangement whereby public officials are hired to provide legal assistance to people accused of crimes who are unable to hire their own attorneys.






39. Tax levied on imports to help protect the nation's industries - labor - or farmers from foreign competition. It can also be used to raise additional revenue.






40. Trade status granted as part of an international trade policy that gives a nation the same favorable trade concessions and tariffs that the best trading partners receive.






41. 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.






42. The system created by Congress in 1913 to establish banking practices and regulate currency in circulation and the amount of credit available. It consists of 12 regional banks supervised by the Board of Governors. Often called simply the Fed.






43. Providing automatic increases to compensate for inflation.






44. 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.






45. An international trade organization with more than 130 members - including the United States and the People's Republic of China - that seeks to encourage free trade by lowering tariffs and other trade restrictions.






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






47. The total output of all economic activity in the nation - including goods and services.






48. Exemption from prosecution for a particular crime in return for testimony pertaining to the case.






49. Efforts by government to alter the free operation of the market to achieve social goals such as protecting workers and the environment.






50. A theory of government that holds that open - multiple - and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group.