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. Domination of an industry by a single company that fixes prices and discourages competition; also - the company that dominates the industry by these means.






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






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






5. The principle of a two-house legislature.






6. Compromise agreement by states at the Constitutional Convention for a bicameral legislature with a lower house in which representation would be based on population and an upper house in which each state would have two senators.






7. 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.






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






9. A notion held by a nineteenth-century Americans that the United States was destined to rule the continent - from the Atlantic the Pacific.






10. The tendency of presidents to lose support over time.






11. 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






12. 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






13. Government in which citizens vote on laws and select officials directly.






14. Powers expressly or implicitly reserved to the states.


15. A PAC formed by an officeholder that collects contributions from individuals and other PACs and then makes contributions to other candidates and political parties.






16. 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.






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






18. Widespread agreement on fundamental principles of democratic governance and the values that undergird them.






19. Legislative or executive review of a particular government program or organization. Can be in response to a crisis of some kind or part of routine review.






20. A dispute growing out of an actual case or controversy and that is capable of settlement by legal methods.






21. A person who is employed by and acts for an organized interest group or corporation to try to influence policy decisions and positions in the executive and legislative branches.






22. Consumer tax on a specific kind of merchandise - such as tobacco.






23. A close contest; by extension - any contest in which the focus is on who is ahead and by how much rather than on substantive differences between the candidates.






24. The power of a court to refuse to enforce a law or a government regulation that in the opinion of the judges conflicts with the U.S. Constitution or - in a state court - the state constitution.






25. Implies that although federalism provides 'a sharing of power and authority between the national and state governments - the state's share rests upon the permission and permissiveness of the national government.'






26. Constitutional arrangement in which sovereign nations or states - by compact - create a central government but carefully limit its power and do not give it direct authority over individuals.






27. Powers inferred from the express powers that allow Congress to carry out its functions.






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






29. Theory that opposes governmental interference in economic affairs beyond what is necessary to protect life and property.






30. A policy promoting cutbacks in the amount of Federal regulation in specific areas of economic activity.






31. 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.






32. Interpretation of the First Amendment that holds that the government cannot interfere with speech unless the speech presents a clear and present danger that it will lead to evil or illegal acts.






33. A decision by the president not to spend money appropriated by Congress - now prohibited under Federal law.






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






35. Compromise between northern and southern states at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.






36. Largely banned party soft money - restored a long-standing prohibition on corporations and labor unions for using general treasury funds for electoral purposes - and narrowed the definition of issue advocacy.






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






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






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






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






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






42. Deliberate refusal to obey law or comply with orders of public officials as a means of expressing opposition.






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






44. Voting based on what a candidate pledges to do in the future about an issue if elected.






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






46. An elected office that is predictably won by one party or the other - so the success of that party's candidate is almost taken for granted.






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






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






49. 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.






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