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. Attempting to overthrow the government by force or use violence to interrupt its activities.






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






3. An election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote.






4. A minor party founded by Ross Perot in 1995. It focuses on national government reform - fiscal responsibility - and political accountability. It has recently struggled with internal strife and criticism that it lacks an identity.






5. A provision in a deed to real property prohibiting its sale to a person of a particular race or religion. Judicial enforcement of such deeds is unconstitutional.






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






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






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






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






10. A policy-making alliance among loosely connected participants that comes together on a particular issue - then disbands.






11. A belief that government can and should achieve justice and equality of opportunity.






12. 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.






13. A decision made by a higher court such as a circuit court of appeals or the Supreme Court that is binding on all other federal courts.






14. Period at the beginning of the new president's term during which the president enjoys generally positive relations with the press and Congress - usually lasting about six months.






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






16. Programs in which eligibility is based on prior contributions to government - usually in the form of payroll taxes.






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






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






19. Clause in the First Amendment that states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. The Supreme Court has interpreted this to forbid governmental support to any or all religions.






20. A company in which new employees must join a union within a stated time period.






21. Biological - chemical - or nuclear weapons that can cause a massive number of deaths in a single use.






22. Federal program that provides medical benefits for low-income persons.






23. 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.






24. Incumbents have an advantage over challengers in election campaigns because voters are more familiar with them - and incumbents are more recognizable.






25. Programs that the Federal government requires States to implement without Federal funding.






26. 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.'






27. Essays promoting ratification of the Constitution - published anonymously by Alexander Hamilton - John Jay - and James Madison in 1787 and 1788.






28. A term the founders used to refer to political parties and special interests or interest groups.






29. A judicial system in which the court of law is a neutral arena where two parties argue their differences.






30. An opinion that agrees with the majority in a Supreme Court ruling but differs on the reasoning.






31. The residents of a congressional district or state.






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






33. Holding incumbents - usually the president's party - responsible for their records on issues - such as the economy or foreign policy.






34. A meeting of the members of a party in a legislative chamber to select party leaders and to develop party policy. Called a conference by the Republicans.






35. God's or nature's law that defines right from wrong and is higher than human law.






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






37. 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.






38. Election system in which each party running receives the proportion of legislative seats corresponding to its proportion of the vote.






39. People who favor national action over action at the state and local levels.






40. 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






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






42. A theory of government that holds that open - multiple - and competing groups can check the asserted power by any one group.






43. A technique of Congress to establish federal regulations. Federal grants may establish certain conditions that extend to all activities supported by federal funds - regardless of their source. The first and most famous of these is Title VI of the 196






44. Government in which the people elect those who govern and pass laws; also called a republic.






45. Divisions within society that cut across demographic categories to produce groups that are more heterogeneous or different.






46. A minor party dedicated to the environment - social justice - nonviolence - and the foreign policy of nonintervention. Ralph Nader ran as the Green party's nominee in 2000.






47. A formal - public agreement between the United States and one or more nations that must be approved by two thirds of the Senate.






48. Employment cycle in which individuals who work for governmental agencies that regulate interests eventually end up working for interest groups or businesses with the same policy concern.






49. General tax on sales transactions - sometimes exempting food and drugs.






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