AP Classroom

The decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) reflected new ideas about federalism at the time that can be best characterized by which of the following?

A delegation of power from the federal government to state governments, increasing state and local sovereignty

The next most palpable defect of the subsisting Confederation, is the total want of a SANCTION to its laws. The United States, as now composed, have no powers to exact obedience, or punish disobedience to their resolutions, either by pecuniary [fines], by a suspension or divestiture of privileges, or by any other constitutional mode. There is no express delegation of authority to them to use force against delinquent members; and if such a right should be ascribed to the federal head, as resulting from the nature of the social compact between the States, it must be by inference and construction... There is, doubtless, a striking absurdity in supposing that a right of this kind does not exist. . . Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist 21 Based on The Federalist 21, which of the following arguments about government would Hamilton likely agree with?

As a practical matter, the laws of the national government ought to have supremacy over state laws.

Which of the following statements accurately summarizes the reasoning for the decision in Baker v. Carr (1962) ?

Because rural districts had fewer people, representation was unevenly distributed; thus, Baker was denied equal protection under the law.

In The Federalist 10, James Madison argued that the new constitution would help control faction by doing which of the following?

By creating a large republic, the new constitution made it less likely that a faction could gain enough power to completely dominate.

Which of the following explains an action Congress can take that would have the most influence on the data on the graphs?

Congress can pass legislation that changes the federal salary structure.

In 1998, Goodyear employee Lilly Ledbetter filed suit against her employer for pay discrimination based on her gender. Though Ledbetter was initially successful, Goodyear appealed the decision and the case went to the Supreme Court. In Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (2007), the Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires that sex discrimination complaints must be made within 180 days "after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred," which Ledbetter had failed to do. Which of the following actions could be taken to reverse the impact of the decision?

Congress could enact legislation to amend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Which of the following possible actions illustrates a way Congress interacts with the bureaucracy to address the problem shown in the infographic?

Congress could have members of the Department of Transportation testify before a committee to discuss the issue and potential solutions.

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates delegated discretionary authority?

Congress giving the Environmental Protection Agency the power to establish national pollution standards

Which of the following best reflects the holding in the case Baker v. Carr (1962) ?

Created a one-person, one-vote standard for reviewing congressional districts.

The mission of the Department of Transportation is to ensure the safety and efficiency of the transportation system. The Department of Transportation has accepted public comments regarding the safety of automated vehicles in the United States in order to establish standards and guidelines for this new technology. Which of the following concepts is most related to the scenario?

Delegated discretionary authority

Which of the following statements is true based on the bar graph?

From 2011 to 2016, no stand-alone appropriations bills were passed on time.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the rules for debate used by the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate?

House of Representatives: Debate is limited. Senate: Members can filibuster.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate? (2)

House of Representatives: Debate on bills is limited Senate: Debate on bills can be unlimited

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate? (1)

House of Representatives: The Constitution's framers intended it to reflect the will of the people. Senate: The Constitution's framers designed it to represent the interests of the states.

Which of the following categories accounted for the majority of spending in 2017, according to the chart?

Mandatory

Shortly after the 2008 election, President Obama appointed outspoken and controversial House member Rahm Emanuel to lead his White House as chief of staff. The selection drew criticism from Republican leaders, including House minority leader John Boehner, who remarked that the selection "is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center." Which of the following explains how Congress could legitimately respond to the appointment?

Members of Congress could issue statements opposing the appointment but have no formal power to block it.

In which year did Congress pass all stand-alone appropriations (spending) bills on time?

1977

Which of the following is most likely an effect of the trend in the line graph?

A decrease in congressional oversight as a mechanism to control the bureaucracy

Throughout most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, most African Americans were prevented from voting in many Southern states despite the Fifteenth Amendment, which extended the right to vote to African American males. Southern states were able to take this action because

the framers allowed the individual states to create voting processes and voter qualifications

To be sure, the President's control over foreign affairs had been growing since the Theodore Roosevelt administration [1901-1909]. . . . [President Roosevelt's] acquisition of the Panama Canal Zone preceded Woodrow Wilson's decision to enter World War I, which was a prelude to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's management of the run-up to the victorious American effort in World War II. In the 1950s, Harry S. Truman's response to the Soviet threat included the decision to fight in Korea without a Congressional declaration of war, and Dwight Eisenhower used the Central Intelligence Agency and brinkmanship to contain Communism. Nineteenth-century presidents had had to contend with Congressional influences in foreign affairs, and particularly with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But by the early 1960s, the president had become the undisputed architect of U.S. foreign policy. One reason for this was the emergence of the United States as a great power with global obligations. Neither Wilson nor FDR could have imagined taking the country to war without a Congressional declaration, but the exigencies of the cold war in the 1950s heightened the country's reliance on the president to defend its interests. Truman could enter the Korean conflict without having to seek Congressional approval simply by describing the deployment of U.S. troops as a police action taken in conjunction with the United Nations. Robert Dallek, "Power and the Presidency, From Kennedy to Obama," Smithsonian magazine, January 2011 Which of the following statements describes the author's main argument in the passage?

Presidential power in foreign policy has expanded since the beginning of the twentieth century.

To be sure, the President's control over foreign affairs had been growing since the Theodore Roosevelt administration [1901-1909]. . . . [President Roosevelt's] acquisition of the Panama Canal Zone preceded Woodrow Wilson's decision to enter World War I, which was a prelude to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's management of the run-up to the victorious American effort in World War II. In the 1950s, Harry S. Truman's response to the Soviet threat included the decision to fight in Korea without a Congressional declaration of war, and Dwight Eisenhower used the Central Intelligence Agency and brinkmanship to contain Communism. Nineteenth-century presidents had had to contend with Congressional influences in foreign affairs, and particularly with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But by the early 1960s, the president had become the undisputed architect of U.S. foreign policy. One reason for this was the emergence of the United States as a great power with global obligations. Neither Wilson nor FDR could have imagined taking the country to war without a Congressional declaration, but the exigencies of the cold war in the 1950s heightened the country's reliance on the president to defend its interests. Truman could enter the Korean conflict without having to seek Congressional approval simply by describing the deployment of U.S. troops as a police action taken in conjunction with the United Nations. Robert Dallek, "Power and the Presidency, From Kennedy to Obama," Smithsonian magazine, January 2011 Which of the following is a difference between the power of nineteenth-century presidents and that of the modern president according to the passage?

Presidents in the nineteenth century had to contend with congressional committees, which had significant powers in foreign affairs.

In Worcester v. Georgia (1832), the United States Supreme Court ruled that a Georgia law violated the U.S. Constitution. In response to Chief Justice John Marshall's majority opinion, President Andrew Jackson said, "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it." Which of the following ideas regarding government does President Jackson's statement exhibit?

Since the Supreme Court has no enforcement mechanism, the executive and legislative branches can restrict its decisions.

Which of the following explains how the bureaucracy can address a problem shown in the infographic?

The Department of Transportation can write stronger regulations on freight volume.

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the process of bureaucratic rule making?

The Department of Veterans Affairs rewrites its regulations regarding compensation and pensions into plain language that is easier for beneficiaries to understand.

Which of the following is an accurate description of the decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) ?

The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 was struck down as unconstitutional because it exceeded the commerce clause.

To be sure, the President's control over foreign affairs had been growing since the Theodore Roosevelt administration [1901-1909]. . . . [President Roosevelt's] acquisition of the Panama Canal Zone preceded Woodrow Wilson's decision to enter World War I, which was a prelude to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's management of the run-up to the victorious American effort in World War II. In the 1950s, Harry S. Truman's response to the Soviet threat included the decision to fight in Korea without a Congressional declaration of war, and Dwight Eisenhower used the Central Intelligence Agency and brinkmanship to contain Communism. Nineteenth-century presidents had had to contend with Congressional influences in foreign affairs, and particularly with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But by the early 1960s, the president had become the undisputed architect of U.S. foreign policy. One reason for this was the emergence of the United States as a great power with global obligations. Neither Wilson nor FDR could have imagined taking the country to war without a Congressional declaration, but the exigencies of the cold war in the 1950s heightened the country's reliance on the president to defend its interests. Truman could enter the Korean conflict without having to seek Congressional approval simply by describing the deployment of U.S. troops as a police action taken in conjunction with the United Nations. Robert Dallek, "Power and the Presidency, From Kennedy to Obama," Smithsonian magazine, January 2011 Which of the following explains why the author believes presidential power has expanded?

The United States has emerged as a global power, which has enhanced the power of the president in foreign affairs.

In the case Wickard v. Filburn (1942), Roscoe Filburn was penalized for producing 12 acres of wheat above his allotment under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. The law, justified under Congress' power to regulate interstate commerce, limited the amount of wheat an individual could grow. This regulation would keep prices from dropping and prevent farmers from going bankrupt. Filburn claimed that the excess wheat was for his own use, and challenged that no interstate commerce was involved. The Supreme Court ruled that the commerce clause allowed the government to regulate Filburn's personal wheat production, even though it was only indirectly related to interstate commerce. Which of the following was a likely result of the decision in Wickard v. Filburn that contributed to the Court's later decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) ?

The expansive interpretation of the commerce clause by the Supreme Court which greatly extended the power of Congress drew criticism that eventually led to a more narrow interpretation.

The next most palpable defect of the subsisting Confederation, is the total want of a SANCTION to its laws. The United States, as now composed, have no powers to exact obedience, or punish disobedience to their resolutions, either by pecuniary [fines], by a suspension or divestiture of privileges, or by any other constitutional mode. There is no express delegation of authority to them to use force against delinquent members; and if such a right should be ascribed to the federal head, as resulting from the nature of the social compact between the States, it must be by inference and construction... There is, doubtless, a striking absurdity in supposing that a right of this kind does not exist. . . Alexander Hamilton, The Federalist 21 In the passage, Hamilton is concerned that under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government does not have sufficient constitutional powers to gain compliance from state governments. Which of the following is a way that the Constitution allows the federal government to address this problem?

The federal government can pass laws that allow it to fine or tax individuals directly.

Which of the following is an accurate description of the decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) ?

The federal government had the authority to establish a national bank, and Maryland's tax was unconstitutional.

In the early part of the twenty-first century, public opinion polls showed that a majority of Americans believed it should be illegal to burn the American flag. As a result, many members of Congress introduced amendments to make it illegal to burn or desecrate the American flag. However, these efforts have been unsuccessful. Which of the following statements best explains why these efforts have been unsuccessful?

The framers made the amendment process difficult in order to protect individual rights.

Which of the following features of the United States Constitution would most concern the author of Brutus 1?

The supremacy clause, which gives the federal government supremacy over states

Which of the following best describes how a president can influence the data in the graphs?

Through the role of chief executive officer of the executive branch, the president can determine salary grades of federal employees.

Brutus was an example of an Anti-Federalist because he

believed a centralized government posed a major threat to individual rights