AP Gov MCQ

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a member of Congress supporting pork-barrel legislation?

A senator from an agricultural state amending legislation to establish a potato research institute in his or her state

Which of the following constitutional amendments is most related to the issue shown on the map?

Eighth Amendment

Which of the following Supreme Court cases established that those accused of felonies who cannot afford legal counsel are entitled to legal counsel provided by the state?

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally. This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy. The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty. Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. . . . It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism. George Washington's Farewell Address, 1796 Which of the following scenarios illustrates Washington's concerns?

Ideological divisions within Congress can lead to partisan gridlock.

The data in the graph best illustrate which of the following common criticisms of the electoral college?

Individuals in small-population states have a greater impact on the electoral college than individuals in large-population states.

"If, therefore, the legislature pass any laws, inconsistent with the sense the judges put upon the constitution, they will declare it void; and therefore in this respect their power is superior to that of the legislature." Which of the following cases is most related to the quote?

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

The majority party in the Senate is concerned that the Supreme Court has made a number of ideologically dangerous and controversial rulings. Which of the following actions could be taken by the Senate to limit the Supreme Court's power?

Pass legislation already passed by the House that would limit the impact of the Supreme Court's recent rulings

Which of the following makes a correct comparison between political parties and interest groups in the United States?

Political Parties, Political parties recruit and run candidates in elections Interest Groups, Interest groups seek to influence public policy

During his confirmation hearing, Chief Justice John Roberts stated that Roe v. Wade (1973) "is the settled law of the land." This statement suggests that in a future case that challenges the constitutionality of legislation restricting privacy and reproductive rights, which of the following should be a key factor in the court's ruling?

Reliance on legal precedent

A voter's decision to support the incumbent president in an upcoming election is based on recent economic growth and record low unemployment. Which of the following models of voting behavior best characterizes this voter's decision?

Retrospective voting

I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally. This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy. The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty. Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. . . . It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism. George Washington's Farewell Address, 1796 In what respect does the Constitution address Washington's concern regarding the "spirit of encroachment" expressed in the excerpt?

The Constitution distributes power across national institutions.

In a public opinion poll, a polling company used an online survey tool to randomly contact respondents who did not have telephone lines in addition to contacting people over the phone. Which of the following best explains this decision?

The company wanted to ensure that the sample of the population was truly random.

I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally. This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy. The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty. Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. . . . It is important, likewise, that the habits of thinking in a free country should inspire caution in those entrusted with its administration to confine themselves within their respective constitutional spheres, avoiding in the exercise of the powers of one department to encroach upon another. The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism. George Washington's Farewell Address, 1796 Which of the following newspaper headlines best summarizes the excerpt from Washington's Farewell Address?

Washington Warns of Dangerous Party Factions

A media organization is interested in reporting election results in a congressional election prior to the final tally of votes which will not occur until later in the evening. The organization randomly selects several polling places across the district asking voters whom they voted for. The type of poll being used in this scenario is known as

an exit poll

Which of the following scenarios is an example of the trustee model of representation?

A member of Congress votes to close a popular tax loophole based on the belief that the money would be better spent paying down the national debt.

Which of the following is the correct pairing of powers found in the Articles of Confederation and powers found in the Constitution?

Articles of Confederation Unicameral legislation United States Constitution-Bicameral legislation

A 2017 study in The American Economic Review found that watching Fox News during an election cycle increased a Democrat's chances of voting Republican by 28 percent. Conversely, by watching MSNBC Republicans were more inclined to vote Democrat by 8 percent. This scenario best illustrates which of the following about the media?

Cable news programming is oftentimes ideologically driven and effective in persuading citizens to adopt their point of view.

Which of the following pair of Supreme Court cases best illustrates how views of federalism have shifted in the United States?

Case 1 McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Case 2 United States v.Lopez (1995)

Which of the following is a true statement about the role of the media in providing citizens with information?

Demand for instantaneous news reporting has led to the growth of 24-hour news operations and a shift to online media consumption.

Which of the following is generally the most important agent of political socialization?

Family

Which of the following constitutional principles best explains why there is variation among states on the use of capital punishment?

Federalism Federalism is the system of sharing power between the federal and state governments. The concept of federalism accounts for variation between the states on issues such as the use of capital punishment. Most crimes are prosecuted at the state level and each state determines for itself the appropriate punishment for that crime.

Which of the following sets of policies would most likely be supported by a libertarian?

Legalization of the commercial sale of marijuana and a reduction in government spending on prisons

Which of the following is true based on the information graphic?

Over 75% of the population is eligible to vote, but only about half the electorate actually voted in the 2016 presidential election.

Which of the following best explains how political parties are likely to respond to the data in the chart?

Political parties will adapt their positions and find ways to appeal to voters from growing demographic groups.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of rights protected and not protected by the First Amendment?

Protected by the First Amendment The right to burn a flag Not Protected by the First Amendment Obscenity

A new president has been elected after running on a campaign of lowering taxes and reducing spending on discretionary programs but now must work with Congress to ensure legislation passes which achieves those goals. Which of the leaders in the diagram plays the most crucial role in shaping the legislation that the president wants passed?

Speaker of the House

Which of the following best explains why eligibility criteria vary by state as shown on the information graphic?

States can create criteria for voting rights so long as they do not violate the United States Constitution.

Which of the following is a likely effect of the trend depicted in the bar graph on voting and elections?

The Democratic Party will win more elections, based on current voting trends.

Which of the following is likely to occur as a result of new legislation regarding automobile safety?

The Department of Transportation will be given discretionary authority to create auto regulations.

Which of the following is most likely responsible for the increase in the number of southern African American state legislators between 1960 and 1992 as shown in the graph?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

Two interest groups are competing for influence in Congress. One group represents banking institutions, while the other advocates for consumer protections. A critic of the influence of interest groups would make which of the following claims?

The banking interest group likely has greater financial resources and access to policy makers than the consumer protection group.

An important Senate race takes place in the state of Georgia. Rather than focus on the issue positions taken by the candidates, a 24-hour cable news station instead focuses primarily on poll results and campaign strategies using a "big board" to show the counties where each candidate has the most support. Which of the following is an effect of this type of new coverage?

The electorate will be less able to accurately compare the policy platforms of candidates running in the election.

A public school district implemented a policy that allowed students to vote on whether they wanted a student-led prayer to be read at football games. This policy was later found to be unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. Which of the following clauses did the policy most likely violate?

The establishment clause

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of concurrent powers?

The federal government provides about 25% of the total funding for highways and transit in the United States, while the other 75% of the funding comes from states.

Which of the following is an example of how separation of powers creates friction between the executive and legislative branches in the policy-making process?

The president threatens to issue an executive order for stricter gun control if Congress continues to refuse to take action.

Based on your knowledge and the diagram, which of the following is true regarding the leadership structure of Congress?

The role of the minority leader in both the House of Representatives and the Senate is to coordinate a strategy for the minority party.

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a formal check on the power of the bureaucracy?

The secretary of defense being called to testify before a congressional committee

Which of the following statements presents the most important limitation of the data in the graph?

There is no information about the total number of state legislators.

In the 1780s, proponents of the new Constitution cited Shays' Rebellion as an example in support of which of the following criticisms of the national government under the Articles of Confederation?

There was a lack of a national military power to address security concerns.

Which of the following Supreme Court decisions allows public school students to wear T-shirts protesting a school board decision that eliminates funding for high school arts programs?

Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)

In which of the following situations would the Supreme Court be most likely to utilize the doctrine of selective incorporation?

When an individual claims that a right protected by the Bill of Rights is infringed upon by a state

Given the information in the graph, in which of the following states would an individual's vote likely have more influence?

Wyoming