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






2. 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.'






3. Constitutional grant of powers that enables each of the three branches of government to check some acts of the others and therefore ensure that no branch can dominate.






4. The first governing document of the confederated states drafted in 1777 - ratified in 1781 - and replaced by the present Constitution in 1789.






5. The distribution of individual preferences or evaluations of a given issue - candidate - or institution within a specific population.






6. Powers that the Constitution gives to both the national and state governments - such as the power to levy taxes.






7. 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.






8. Media that emphasize the news.






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






10. Alternative means of health care in which people or their employers are charged a set amount and the HMO provides health care and covers hospital costs.






11. The total amount of money the Federal government has borrowed to finance deficit spending over the years.






12. 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.






13. 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.






14. The clause of the Constitution (Article I - Section 8 - Clause 3) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations.






15. Special spending projects that are set aside on behalf of individual members of Congress for their constituents.






16. During the Great Society - the marble cake approach of intergovernmental relations.






17. Petition that - if signed by majority of the House of Representatives' members - will pry a bill from committee and bring it to the floor for consideration.






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






19. An explanation of the decision of the Supreme Court or any other appellate court.






20. A legislative practice that assigns the chair of the committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee.






21. Theory based on the principles of John Maynard Keynes - stating that government spending should increase during business slumps and the curve during booms.






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






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






24. The residents of a congressional district or state.






25. 30-second statements on the evening news shows. The media have been accused of simplifying complicated political issues by relying on sound bites to explain them to the public.






26. A procedural practice in the Senate whereby a senator temporarily blocks the consideration of the bill or nomination.






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






28. A congressional committee created for a specific purpose - sometimes to conduct an investigation.






29. A system of government in which the legislature selects the prime minister or president.






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






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






32. Championed by Ronald Reagan - presumes that the power of the federal government is limited in favor of the broad powers reserved to the states.

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33. A law that defines crimes against the public order.






34. A widely shared and consciously held view - like support for homeland security.






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






36. A procedure for terminating debate - especially filibusters - in the Senate.






37. A technique of Congress to establish federal regulations. These sanctions permit the use of federal money in one program to influence state and local policy in another. For example - a 1984 act reduced federal highway aid by up to 15 percent for any






38. Engaging in activities aimed at influencing public officials - especially legislators - and the policies they enact.






39. A tax whereby people with lower incomes pay a higher fraction of their income than people with higher incomes.






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






41. A permanent committee established in a legislature - usually focusing on a policy area.






42. 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






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






44. Views the Constitution as giving a limited list of powers—primarily foreign policy and national defense—to the national government - leaving the rest to the sovereign states. Each level of government is dominant within its own sphere. The Supreme Cou






45. 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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46. Censorship imposed before a speech is made or a newspaper is published; usually presumed to be unconstitutional.






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






48. A social division based on national origin - religion - language - and often race.






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






50. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that prohibits any amendments to bills or provides that only members of the committee reporting the bill may offer amendments.