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. Interpretation of the First Amendment that holds that freedom of expression is so essential to democracy that governments should not punish persons for what they say - only for what they do.






2. A meeting of local party members to choose party officials or candidates for public office and to decide the platform.






3. 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.






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






5. Tax required to vote; prohibited for national elections by the Twenty-Fourth Amendment (1964) and ruled unconstitutional for all elections in Harper v. Virginia Board of Elections (1966).






6. The presiding officer in the House of Representatives - formally elected by the House but actually selected by the majority party.






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






8. A national meeting of delegates elected in primaries - caucuses - or state conventions who assemble once every four years to nominate candidates for president and vice president - ratify the party platform - elect officers - and adopt rules.






9. Authority given by Congress to the Federal bureaucracy to use reasonable judgment in implementing the laws.






10. 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.






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






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






13. The list of potential cases that reach the Supreme Court.






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






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






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






17. Photo opportunities set up by the candidates. The media have been accused of simplifying complicated political issues by relying on photo ops to explain them to the public.






18. 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.






19. 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






20. Belief in the superiority of one's nation or ethnic group.






21. Those citizens who follow public affairs closely.






22. 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.






23. A law that governs relationships between individuals and defines their legal rights.






24. Election in which voters choose party nominees.






25. 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.






26. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments.






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






28. A convention held in September 1786 to consider problems of trade and navigation - attended by five states and important because it issued the call to Congress and the states for what became the Constitutional Convention.






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






30. 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.






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






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






33. Clause of the Constitution (Article I - Section 10) originally intended to prohibit state governments from modifying contracts made between individuals; for a while interpreted as prohibiting state governments from taking actions that adversely affec






34. Interpretation of the First Amendment that would permit legislatures to forbid speech encouraging people to engage in illegal action.






35. 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.






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






43. Initial proposal at the Constitutional Convention made by the Virginia delegation for a strong central government with a bicameral legislature dominated by the big states.






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






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






46. A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals (each limited to $2000) and present them to a candidate or political party as a 'bundle -' thus increasing the PAC's influence.






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






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






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






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