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 company with a labor agreement under which union membership can be a condition of employment.






2. A combination of entitlement programs - paid for by employer and employee taxes - that includes retirement benefits - health insurance - and support for disabled workers and the children of deceased or disabled workers.






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






4. Congress appropriates funds for a specific purpose - such as school lunches or for building airports and highways. These funds are allocated by formula and are subject to detailed federal conditions - often on a matching basis; that is - the local go






5. A nonprofit association or group operating outside of government that advocates and pursues policy objectives.






6. The right of a federal law or a regulation to preclude enforcement of a state or local law or regulation.






7. Procedure whereby a certain number of voters may - by petition - propose a law or constitutional amendment and have it submitted to the voters.






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






9. 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.






10. 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.






11. Clause in the Fifth Amendment limiting the power of the national government; similar clause in the Fourteenth Amendment prohibiting state governments from depriving any person of life - liberty - or property without due process of law.






12. Political contributions given to a party - candidate - or interest group that are limited in amounts and fully disclosed. Raising such limited funds is harder than raising unlimited funds - hence the term 'hard money.'






13. Aid to the poor; 'welfare.'






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






15. 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.






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






17. An election system in which the candidate with the most votes wins.






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






19. 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.






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






21. Primary election in which any voter - regardless of party - may vote.






22. Inherent powers of state governments to pass laws to protect the public health - safety - and welfare; the national government has no directly granted police powers but accomplishes the same goals through other delegated powers.






23. Clause in the Constitution (Article 4 - Section 1) requiring each state to recognize the civil judgments rendered by the courts of the other states and to accept their public records and acts as valid.






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






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






26. Federal statute barring Federal employees from active participation in certain kinds of politics and protecting them from being fired on partisan grounds.






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






28. Officer of the Senate selected by the majority party to act as chair in the absence of the vice president.






29. Congress appropriates a certain sum - which is allocated to state and local units and sometimes to nongovernmental agencies - based on applications from those who wish to participate. Examples are grants by the National Science Foundation to universi






30. 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.






31. A form of organization that operates through impersonal - uniform rules and procedures.






32. 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.






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






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






35. An official who is expected to vote independently based on his or her judgment of the circumstances; one interpretation of the role of the legislator.






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






37. Clause in the Fifth Amendment limiting the power of the national government; similar clause in the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the state governments from depriving any person of life - liberty - or property without due process of law.






38. A theory of international relations that focuses on the hope the nations will act together to solve international problems and promote peace.






39. Requirement that evidence unconstitutionally or illegally obtained be excluded from a criminal trial.






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






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






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






43. Financial contributions by individuals or groups in the hope of influencing the outcome of the election and subsequently influencing policy.






44. 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






45. A commission created by the 1974 amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act to administer election reform laws. It consists of six commissioners appointed by president and confirmed by the Senate. Its duties include overseeing disclosure of camp






46. A large body of people interested in a common issue - idea - or concern that is of continuing significance and who are willing to take action. Movements seek to change attitudes or institutions - not just policies.






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






48. The power to keep executive communications confidential - especially if they relate to national security.






49. A legal action conferring citizenship on an alien.






50. Established by Congress in 1978 as a flexible - mobile corps of senior career executives who worked closely with presidential appointees to manage government.