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 clause in the Constitution (Article 1 - Section 8 - Clause 1) that gives Congress the power to regulate all business activities that cross state lines or affect more than one state or other nations.






2. A tactic in which PACs collect contributions from like-minded individuals (each limited to $2000) and present them to a candidate or political party as a 'bundle -' thus increasing the PAC's influence.






3. A procedural rule in the House of Representatives that permits floor amendments within the overall time allocated to the bill.






4. Philosophy proposing that judges should interpret the Constitution to reflect what the framers intended and what its words literally say.






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






6. Government by the people - both directly or indirectly - with free and frequent elections.






7. Agreement signed by the United States - Canada - and Mexico in 1992 to form the largest free trade zone in the world.






8. A policy that emphasizes a united front and cooperation between the major political parties - especially on sensitive foreign policy issues.






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






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






11. 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.






12. 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.






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






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






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






16. Formal accusation by the lower house of legislature against a public official - the first step in removal from office.






17. 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.






18. Legal process whereby an alleged criminal offender is surrendered by the officials of one states to officials of the state in which the crime is alleged to have been committed.






19. A belief that ultimate power resides in the people.






20. 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






21. Constitutional arrangement that concentrates power in a central government.






22. 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






23. 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.






24. 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






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






26. The process - most notably in families and schools - by which we develop our political attitudes - values - and beliefs.






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






28. Election in which voters choose party nominees.






29. A jury of 6 to 12 persons that determines guilt or innocence in a civil or criminal action.






30. 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.'






31. The right to vote.






32. The boost that candidates may get in an election because of the popularity of candidates above them on the ballot - especially the president.






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






34. A convention held in September 1786 to consider problems of trade and navigation - attended by five states and important because it issued the call to Congress and the states for what became the Constitutional Convention.






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. The rule of precedent - whereby a rule or law contained in a judicial decision is commonly viewed as binding on judges whenever the same question is presented.






37. 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.






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






39. The total output of all economic activity in the nation - including goods and services.






40. Legislative act inflicting punishment - including deprivation of property - without a trial - on named individuals or members of a specific group.






41. Promoting a particular position or an issue by interest groups or individuals but not candidates. Much issue advocacy is often electioneering for or against a candidate and - until 2004 had not been subject to regulation.






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






43. Interest groups organized under section 527 of the Internal Revenue Code may advertise for or against candidates. If their source of funding is corporations or unions - they have some restrictions on broadcast advertising. 527 organizations were impo






44. A congressional district created to include a majority of minority voters; ruled constitutional so long as race is not the main factor in redistricting.






45. 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.






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






47. The practice of exporting U.S. jobs to lower paid employees in other nations.






48. Lawsuit brought by an individual or group of people on behalf of all those similarly situated.






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






50. Words that by their very nature inflict injury on those to whom they are addressed or insight them to acts of violence.