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






2. Views the national government - 50 states - and thousands of local governments as competing with each other over ways to put together packages of services and taxes. Applies the analogy of the marketplace: we have some choice about which state and ci






3. The process by which provisions of the bill of rights are brought within the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment and so applied to state and local governments.






4. A formal writ used to bring a case before the Supreme Court.






5. The process by which individuals screen out messages that do not conform to their own biases.






6. A theory that is based on creating enough military strength to convince other nations not to attack first.






7. Advisory council for the president consisting of the heads of the executive departments - the vice president - and a few other officials selected by the president.






8. Trial or punishment for the same crime by the same government; forbidden by the Constitution.






9. Presidential power to strike - or remove - specific items from a spending bill without vetoing the entire package; declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.






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






11. Money government provides to parents to pay their children's tuition in a public or private school of their choice.






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






13. A philosophy that encourages individual nations tacked together to solve international problems.






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






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






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






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






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






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






20. A policy-making alliance that involves a very strong ties among a congressional committee - an interest group - and a Federal Department or agency.






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






22. Clause of the Constitution (Article 1 - Section 8 - Clause 3) setting forth the implied powers of Congress. It states that Congress - in addition to its express powers has the right to make all laws necessary and proper to carry out all powers the Co






23. A procedure for terminating debate - especially filibusters - in the Senate.






24. 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.






25. The desire to avoid international entanglement altogether.






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






27. 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.






28. Assigning police to neighborhoods where they walk the beat and work with churches and other community groups to reduce crime and improve relations with minorities.






29. The tendency in elections to focus on the personal attributes of a candidate - such as his/her strengths - weaknesses - background - experience - and visibility.






30. The constitutional requirement (in Article II - Section 3) that presidents take care that the laws are faithfully executed - even if they disagree with the purpose of those laws.






31. The first governing document of the confederated states drafted in 1777 - ratified in 1781 - and replaced by the present Constitution in 1789.






32. The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals - groups - and parties can spend unlimited amounts in campaigns for or against candidates as long as they operate independently from the candidates. When an individual - group - or party does so - they are






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






34. 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






35. 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.






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






37. The total amount of money the Federal government has borrowed to finance deficit spending over the years.






38. The process of putting a law into practice through bureaucratic rules or spending.






39. Petition that - if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members - will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration.






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






41. Domination of an industry by a single company; also the company that dominates the industry.






42. 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.






43. Quality or state of a work that taken as a whole appeals to a prurient interest in sex by depicting sexual conduct in a patently offensive way and that lacks serious literary - artistic - political - or scientific value.






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






45. An economic and governmental system based on public ownership of the means of production and exchange.






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






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






48. In a criminal action - the person or party accused of an offense.






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






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