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. A type of policy that provides benefits to all Americans.






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






3. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill.






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






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






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






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






8. A belief that limited government insures order competitive markets and personal opportunity.






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






10. Agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant that the defendant will plead guilty to a lesser offense to avoid having to stand trial for more serious offense.






11. 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






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






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






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






15. Advertisements and commercials for products and services; they receive less First Amendment protection - primarily to discourage false and misleading ads.






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






17. Mutual aid and vote trading among legislators.






18. State laws formerly pervasive throughout the South requiring public facilities and accommodations to be segregated by race; ruled unconstitutional.






19. Democratic and civic habits of discussion - compromise - and respect for differences - which grow out of participation in voluntary organizations.






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






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. Citizenship in more than one nation.






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






24. The candidate or party that wins more than half the votes cast in an election.






25. 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.






26. Powers that the Constitution gives to both the national and state governments - such as the power to levy taxes.






27. Party leader who is the liaison between the leadership and the rank-and-file in the legislature.






28. A formal decision to reject the bill passed by Congress.






29. An explanation of the decision of the Supreme Court or any other appellate court.






30. The process - most notably in families and schools - by which we develop our political attitudes - values - and beliefs.






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






32. A minor party that believes in extremely limited government. Libertarians call for a free market system - expanded individual liberties such as drug legalization - and a foreign policy of nonintervention - free trade - and open immigration.






33. The process by which individuals perceive what they want to in media messages.






34. 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.






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






36. How voters feel about a candidate's background - personality - leadership ability - and other personal qualities.






37. A theory that government should control the money supply to encourage economic growth and restrain inflation.






38. Weakening of partisan preferences that points to a rejection of both major parties and a rise in the number of independents.






39. Programs such as unemployment insurance - disability relief - or disability payments that provide benefits to all eligible citizens.






40. Power of a government to take private property for public use; the U.S. Constitution gives national and state governments this power and requires them to provide just compensation for property so taken.






41. 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.






42. The assigning by Congress of congressional seats after each census. State legislatures reapportion state legislative districts.






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






44. Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787 - protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out.

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45. An informal and subjective affiliation with a political party that most people acquire in childhood.






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






47. Agreement signed by the United States - Canada - and Mexico in 1992 to form the largest free trade zone in the world.






48. Powers expressly or implicitly reserved to the states.

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49. 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.






50. A collection of people who share a common interest or attitude and seek to influence government for specific ends. Interest groups usually work within the framework of government and try to achieve their goals through tactics such as lobbying.