April 28, 2017
AP US GOVT: PRACTICE EXAM FORM A
1. Which of these is true about the exclusionary rule?
a. It bans the use of executive privilege by the President
b. It prohibits the use of illegally obtained evidence in criminal cases
c. It excludes the use of cruel and unusual punishment
d. It prevents states from denying a grand jury indictment
e. It forbids states from denying the right to keep and bear arms
2. A key method in which Congress can exert influence over the federal bureaucracy is:
a. appropriation of funds
b. appointment of Cabinet officers
c. the legislative veto
d. judicial review
e. campaign contributions
3. Which of these is true about a filibuster?
I. It can be stopped by a vote of cloture
II. It is allowed in the House, but not the Senate
III. Its threat can be used to bring about changes in a bill
a. I only
b. III only
c. I, II only
d. I, III only
e. I, II, III
GAINS/LOSSES FOR THE PRESIDENT’S PARTY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
House Gains/Losses in House Gains/Losses in
Presidential Election Years Midterm Election Years
Johnson
1964 +37
1966 -47
Nixon
1968 +5
1970 -12
1972 +12
Ford
1974 -47
Carter
1976 +1
1978 -15
Reagan
1980 +34
1982 -26
1984 +14
1986 -5
Bush
1988 -3
1990 -9
Clinton
1992 -10
1994 -52
1996 +9
1998 +5
Bush
2000 -2
2002 +8
2004 +3
2006 -31
4. From the chart above, one could conclude that:
a. The “loyal opposition” generally fares well in midterm elections
b. The coattail effect is very strong in midterm elections
c. The political party of incumbent presidents does better in midterm elections than presidential elections
d. There is no change of the majority party in Congress during midterm elections
e. Party leadership positions do not change after federal elections
5. The US system of separation of powers involves dividing power between the:
a. states and the national government
b. three branches of the national government
c. states and the local governments
d. Cabinet departments
e. two major political parties
6. As compared to the nations of Western Europe, the US health care system is largely run by:
a. the national government
b. the state governments
c. the private sector
d. cities
e. counties
7. All of these presidential appointees require confirmation from the Senate EXCEPT:
a. Secretary of Commerce
b. Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board
c. White House Counsel
d. Chief Justice of the United States
e. Attorney General
8. Lobbyists are criticized because they:
a. engage in unconstitutional activities
b. over-represent political and economic elites
c. are too small in number to have any substantial effect
d. ignore the federal bureaucracy
e. pay too little attention to the Congress
9. Referring to the chart above and your knowledge of US government and politics, which of the following conclusions could NOT be drawn?
a. The national debt has persisted since 1981
b. Budget deficits have largely persisted since 1981
c. Congress has found it difficult to prevent federal spending from exceeding federal income
d. Neither political party has consistently produced balanced budgets between 1981 and 2003
e. Trade deficits have contributed to the increase in the national debt since 1981.
10. Which of these is a constitutional exercise of presidential power?
a. Holding a press conference
b. Making an executive agreement with a foreign head of state
c. Sending peacekeeping troops abroad
d. Exercising the line item veto
e. Endorsing a senator for reelection
11. Which of these is true regarding the right to privacy?
a. It is not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution
b. The Supreme Court has refused to recognize it
c. It is protected against the national government, but not the state governments
d. It is protected against the state governments, but not the national government
e. It is derived from Amendment 27.
12. Logrolling occurs when members of Congress:
a. perform casework for constituents
b. investigate abuses within the federal bureaucracy
c. vote to adjourn
d. run election campaigns that are based upon name recognition
e. exchange votes among one another
13. In which act did the federal government attempt to exert some control over the states through grants-in-aid funding?
a. Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974
b. No Child Left Behind Act 0f 2002
c. Hatch Act of 1939
d. Federal Election Campaign Acts of 1971-1974
e. Freedom of Information Act of 1974
Use the chart below and your knowledge of US government and politics to answer #14:
14. All of the following conclusions could be drawn from the above chart EXCEPT:
a. Senate challengers are at a disadvantage as compared to Senate incumbents
b. Both House and Senate challengers are outspent by incumbents
c. More money is spent in the average Senate election than in the average House election
d. Candidates for open seats spend less than challengers
e. Congressional incumbents have a substantial advantage over challengers in raising campaign money
15. All of these are strong supporters of the Republican Party EXCEPT:
a. Southerners
b. evangelical Protestants
c. big business
d. Cuban-Americans
e. labor unions
16. “According to the plan of the convention, all judges who may be appointed by the United States are to hold their offices during good behavior. The standard of good behavior for the continuance in office of the judicial magistracy, is certainly one of the most valuable of the modern improvements in the practice of government. In a monarchy it is an excellent barrier to the despotism of the prince; in a republic it is a no less excellent barrier to the encroachments and oppressions of the representative body.” - Alexander Hamilton, Federalist #78
In this passage, Hamilton is arguing in favor of:
a. judicial activism
b. judicial restraint
c. life terms for federal judges
d. judicial review
e. allowing federal judges to control their docket
17. Which of these was a weakness of the Articles of Confederation
a. The states lacked the power to tax
b. The national government taxed citizens to an excessive degree
c. The states had little power in the Congress
d. The national government lacked the power to regulate interstate commerce
e. The states depended upon the national government for funding
18. The Committee of the Whole enables the:
a. President to influence the Congress on economic policy
b. House to operate more quickly and with less of a quorum
c. Senate to reject presidential appointments
d. Congress to override presidential vetoes
e. Congress to influence presidential foreign policy initiatives
19. Which of these has reduced the power of the two major political parties?
a. Congressional committees
b. Direct primary elections
c. Congressional subcommittees
d. Soft money
e. The Electoral College system
20. All of these are interest group tactics that can be used at the national level of government EXCEPT:
a. campaign contributions
b. litigation
c. endorsement of candidates
d. campaign ads
e. the initiative process
21. Salaries of which of these cannot be lowered during their terms of office?
I. Members of Congress
II. Presidents
III. Federal judges
a. III only
b. I, II only
c. I, III only
d. II, III only
e. I, II, III
22. Which of these requires a supermajority?
a. Congressional approval of a federal budget
b. Senate confirmation of a judicial appointment
c. Congressional override of a presidential veto
d. Senate confirmation of an ambassadorial appointment
e. Impeachment of a President by the House of Representatives
23. All of these are examples of fiscal policies EXCEPT:
a. raising interest rates
b. raising defense spending
c. lowering income taxes
d. incurring budget deficits
e. reducing agricultural subsidies
Use the chart below and your knowledge of US government and politics to answer #24:
24. All of these conclusions could be inferred from the chart above EXCEPT:
a. voter turnout has declined since 1960
b. voter interest is stronger in presidential elections than congressional elections
c. more media attention is given to presidential elections than congressional elections
d. voter turnout in presidential elections has declined each year since 1960
e. midterm election voter turnout is consistently lower than presidential election turnout
25. Which of these limits presidential influence over federal workers?
a. The civil service system
b. Sunset laws
c. Shield laws
d. The spoils system
e. The impeachment process
26. The establishment clause of the Constitution bans:
a. denial of the writ of habeas corpus
b. denial of the right to counsel for an accused person
c. government sponsorship of religion
d. government regulation of firearms
e. the quartering of troops in private homes
27. According to the principle of stare decisis, federal judges:
a. defer to congressional statutes
b. use the doctrine of original intent
c. rule on cases that concern the US Constitution
d. follow precedent
e. can control their own dockets
28. Which of the following is most closely associated with the contention that voters are turning away from political parties and finding them less meaningful?
a. Party neutrality
b. Party realignment
c. Party passivity
d. Party activism
e. Party dealignment
29. Some critics of the US Supreme Court’s decision in Bush v. Gore (2000) claim that the Court:
a. ignored the Rule of Four
b. engaged in judicial activism
c. practiced “court packing”
d. refused to consider any amicus curiae briefs
e. ignored the principle of senatorial courtesy
30. In which of the following is the concept of limited government demonstrated?
a. Federal grants
b. Impoundment
c. Cloture
d. Gerrymandering
e. Bill of Rights
31. The LEAST amount of media coverage is devoted to:
a. Congress
b. the Supreme Court
c. the daily activities of the President
d. domestic policy
e. economic policy
32. All of these are typical criticisms of the federal bureaucracy EXCEPT:
a. bureaucrats are ineffective
b. agencies are slowed down by red tape
c. civil service workers are inefficient
d. bureaucrats are risk takers
e. federal workers are lazy
33. Which of these is a partisan position in Congress?
I. Speaker of the House
II. House Majority Leader
III. Senate Minority Leader
IV. Senate President Pro Tempore
a. I, IV only
b. II, III only
c. I, II, III only
d. II, III, IV only
e. I, II, III, IV
34. Which of these is a characteristic of American political culture?
a. Authoritarianism
b. Equality of opportunity
c. Establishment of religion
d. A centrally planned economy
e. Nationalized health care
35. The main source of policy making power for the Vice President is:
a. presiding over the Senate
b. voting in case of ties in the Senate
c. exercising authority that he/she is granted by the President
d. becoming President if the President is impeached and removed
e. becoming Acting President in case of presidential disability
36. All of these play an important role in tax policy EXCEPT:
a. Senate Finance Committee
b. House Ways and Means Committee
c. President
d. Interest groups
e. Secretary of State
37. Since 1980, which position have Presidents occupied more than others, before they held the Executive Office:
a. House member
b. Senate member
c. State governor
d. Cabinet secretary
e. Federal judge
38. Which of these is a justiciable dispute that could be resolved by a federal court?
a. The amount of funding Congress should provide for a new bomber
b. The refusal of Congress to establish a new preschool education program
c. The refusal of the federal government to allow a demonstration on the National Mall
d. The President’s nomination of a Cabinet secretary
e. The President’s veto of an energy bill
39. Which of these is most associated with the Tenth Amendment?
a. States’ rights
b. Judicial review
c. Judicial activism
d. Checks and balances
e. Separation of powers
40. Which constitutional clause has been used to justify the principle of separation of church and state?
a. Supremacy clause
b. Elastic clause
c. Privileges and immunities clause
d. Establishment clause
e. Commerce clause
41. Which of these theories suggests that public policy results from competition among groups?
a. Elite theory
b. Pluralism
c. Original intent
d. Separation of powers
e. Checks and balances
42. The equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment has been used by the Supreme Court in cases involving:
a. executive privilege
b. the franking privilege
c. military tribunals
d. civil rights
e. federal campaign finance laws
43. Political parties reward loyal supporters with federal positions through:
a. the civil service system
b. patronage
c. iron triangles
d. the seniority system
e. reapportionment
44. Presidents have the LEAST amount of control over policy decisions made by which of the following?
a. White House Chief of Staff
b. Federal Reserve Board
c. Office of Management and Budget
d. National Security Council
e. Council of Economic Advisors
45. Which of these is part of the informal organization of Congress?
a. Congressional Black Caucus
b. House Rules Committee
c. Senate Foreign Relations Committee
d. Congressional Budget Office
e. Government Accountability Office
46. When a bill is passed by Congress, which of the following options does the President have?
I. Sign the bill
II. Veto the bill
III. Amend the bill
IV. Take no action on the bill
a. I, II only
b. I, II, III only
c. I, II, IV only
d. I, III, IV only
e. I, II, III, IV
47. Elite theory of interest group politics suggests that:
a. government pays little attention to interest groups
b. interest groups are ineffective
c. corporations have excessive influence in government
d. all points of view are equally heard by government on policy issues
e. no single interest dominates any policy issue
48. The largest source of revenue for the federal government is:
a. social insurance taxes
b. corporate income taxes
c. borrowing
d. excise taxes
e. individual income taxes
49. Original jurisdiction is held by which of these federal courts?
I. District Courts
II. Courts of Appeals
III. Supreme Court
a. I only
b. I, II only
c. I, III only
d. II, III only
e. I, II, III
50. Critics of minority-majority districts claim that these districts are the result of:
a. logrolling
b. casework
c. racial profiling
d. pork barreling
e. racial gerrymandering
51. All of these are possible in the Senate EXCEPT:
a. “holds”
b. initiating spending bills
c. filibusters
d. ratifying treaties
e. confirming presidential appointments
52. The McCain-Feingold Act of 2002 banned:
a. PAC contributions to political candidates
b. Soft money contributions to national political parties
c. Individual donations to political candidates
d. Presidential candidates from soliciting campaign contributions
e. Congressional candidates from soliciting campaign contributions
53. Which of these is true about Supreme Court dissenting opinions?
a. They may be written only by senior Justices
b. They are insignificant since they represent the minority view
c. They may be used for legal reasoning in future Supreme Court decisions
d. They may be revised by the Chief Justice
e. They are in agreement with the majority opinions, but for different reasons.
54. The most common way in which Americans engage in political participation is:
a. Donating money to political campaigns
b. Volunteering for political campaigns
c. Attending a political rally