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






2. Clause in the First Amendment that states that Congress shall make no law prohibiting the free exercise of religion.






3. Constitutional requirement that governments act reasonably and that the substance of the laws themselves be fair and reasonable; limits what the government may do.






4. The tendency of presidents to learn more about doing their jobs over time.






5. Aid to the poor; 'welfare.'






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






7. Election in which voters choose party nominees.






8. An opinion disagreeing with a majority in a Supreme Court ruling.






9. The idea that the rights of the nation are supreme over the rights of the individuals who make up the nation.






10. National Health Insurance program for the elderly and disabled.






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






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






13. The proportion of the voting age public that votes - sometimes defined as the number of registered voters that vote.






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






15. A theory of international relations that focuses on the tendency of nations to operate from self-interest.






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






17. A career government employee.






18. A division of population based on occupation - income - and education.






19. A government agency that operates like a business corporation - created to secure greater freedom of action and flexibility for a particular program.






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






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






22. International organization derived from the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) that promotes it free trade around the world.






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






24. Policy of erecting trade barriers to protect domestic industry.






25. An official who is expected to represent the views of his or her constituents even when personally holding different views; one interpretation of the role of legislator.






26. Mutual aid and vote trading among legislators.






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






28. The informal list of issues that Congress and the president consider most important for action.






29. Powers that grow out of the very existence of government.






30. The act of declaring party affiliation; required by some states when one registers to vote.






31. A writ issued by a magistrate that authorizes the police to search a particular place or person - specifying the place to be searched and the objects to be seized.






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






33. 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






34. A court order requiring explanation to a judge why a prisoner is being held in custody.






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






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






37. A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator refuses to relinquish the floor and thereby delays proceedings and prevents a vote on a controversial issue.






38. An imbalance in international trade in which the value of imports exceeds the value of exports.






39. 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






40. Relationships among interest groups - congressional committees and subcommittees - and the government agencies that share a common policy concern.






41. The authority of a court to review decisions made by lower courts.






42. A national meeting of delegates elected at 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.






43. Philosophy proposing that judges should interpret the Constitution to reflect current conditions and values.






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






45. A policy adopted by the Bush administration in 2001 that asserts America's right to attack any nation that has weapons of mass destruction that might be used against U.S. interests at home or abroad.






46. 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.






47. The formal instructions that government issues for implementing laws.






48. A veto exercised by the president after Congress has adjourned; if the president takes no action for 10 days - the bill does not become law and does not return to Congress for possible override.






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






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