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






2. Literally - a 'friend of the court' brief - filed by an individual or organization to present arguments in addition to those presented by the immediate parties to a case.






3. 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.






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






5. The idea that a just government must derive its powers from the consent of the people it governs.






6. The drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party - group - or incumbent.






7. The candidate or party that wins more than half the votes cast in an election.






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






9. Literacy requirements some states imposed as a condition of voting - generally used to disqualify black voters in the South; now illegal.






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






11. 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.






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






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






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






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






16. The right of women to vote.

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17. Constitutional division of powers among the legislative - executive - and judicial branches - with the legislative branch making law - the executive applying and enforcing the law - and the judiciary interpreting the law.






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






19. Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787 - protesting mortgage foreclosures. It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for the Constitutional Convention went out.

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






21. The rights of an individual to own - use - rent - invest in - buy - and sell property.






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






24. The rights of all people to dignity and worth; also called human rights.






25. The convention in Philadelphia - May 25 to September 17 - 1787 - that debated and agreed upon the Constitution of the United States.






26. 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.






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






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






29. The dispensing of government jobs to persons who belong to the winning political party.






30. The presiding officer in the House of Representatives - formally elected by the House but actually selected by the majority party.






31. The right to vote.






32. Interpretation of the First Amendment that holds that freedom of expression is so essential to democracy that governments should not punish persons for what they say - only for what they do.






33. The principle of a two-house legislature.






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






35. Government policy that attempts to manage the economy by controlling the money supply and thus interest rates.






36. Committee appointed by the presiding officers of each chamber to adjust differences on a particular bill passed by each in different form.






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






38. Weakening of partisan preferences that points to a rejection of both major parties and a rise in the number of independents.






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






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






41. An economic system characterized by private property - competitive markets - economic incentives - and limited government involvement in the production - distribution - and pricing of goods and services.






42. People who favor state or local action rather than national action.






43. The process by which individuals perceive what they want to in media messages.






44. 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.






45. A formal agreement between a U.S. president and the leaders of other nations that acquires approval by both houses of Congress.






46. 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.






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






48. Presidential custom of submitting the names of prospective appointees for approval to senators from the states in which the appointees are to work.






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






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