AP Gov Practice Exam

A nonprofit advocacy group seeks to block an expensive subsidy to what it believes is an environmentally destructive project. Which of the following accurately depicts the free-rider problem in this scenario? a. the public can expect to reap the benefits of blocking the subsidy without making any contribution to the nonprofit group b. the public will recognize that the cost of the project greatly outweighs the benefit, so they can expect their legislators to vote against the subsidy c. the advocacy group will be able to carry out activities at an unusually low cost because of discounts and tax breaks afforded to nonprofit organizations d. a company can purchase support from certain members of the public who will persuade their legislators to vote in favor of the subsidy

A

A recent poll indicates that 60 percent of all people in the US support a flat tax system. Which of the following supports the credibility of the poll result? a. the poll reported a sampling error b. the poll was conducted online and open to anyone who wished to particpate c. the poll was administered to several thousand people who were stopped while shopping in malls across the country d. before the question was asked, respondents were told that a flat tax system is fairer than a progressive tax and will lead to economic growth

A

Based on the infographic, which of the following claims would an opponent of state voter-ID laws most likely make a. voter-ID laws are less likely to decrease turnout among African American voters because they are less likely to have government-issued IDs b. voter turnout will likely decrease by 10% if voters are required to present a gov-issued ID to vote c. voter-id laws will likely decrease election fraud, which will increase voter confidence in institutions and thereby increase turnout d. african american voters who do not have government-issued IDs are less likely to participate at the grassroots level and exert influence through channels other than turning out to vote

A

Members of the US House of Representatives Committee on Veterans Affairs are concerned ab the quality of services at hospitals run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Which of the following is an action the committee can take to address the problem a. holding a hearing and supoening high-level officals in the department of veterans affairs to testify b. impounding funding for veterans hospitals until problems are resolved c. palcing a referendum on the ballot in each state to increase health-care funding for veterans

A

Senator Smith votes her conscience on bills that her constituents care little about, but she votes according to the wishes of the majority of her constituents on other bills. Which model of representation do her actions embody? a. politico model b. trustee model c. majoritarian model d. delegate model

A

The Omnibus Budget Reconicliation Act of 1985 authorized the government to deny income tax deductions for employer health plans that did not offer employees the option of keeping their health insurance after leaving the job. Which enumerated power allowed Congress to make the law? a. regulating commerce among the states b. declaring laws unconstiutional c. borrowing money on the credit of the US d. issuing copyrights and patents

A

Which of the following best describes the message in the political cartoon? a. contributions from special interests have undermined fair and competitive political campaigns b. placing limits on special interest contributions would not diminish the role of money in elections c. although the money garners attention from the media and voters, it does not influence how people vote d. special interests have a large amount of cash but a small number of votes to use to influence elections

A

Which of the following is a consequence of the way the district is drawn on the map? a. it will likely lead to a less competitive general election, which could lead to increased partisanship b. it will likely lead to a highly contentious and competitive election c. it will lead to a seat that will be occupied by a member of a third party d. it will lead to a very high turnout in the election

A

based on the data shown in the table, which of the following statements is true about the electoral college a. it can work against the principle of popular sovereignty when a candidate wins without winning the most votes nationwide b. it creates a scenario in which electors frequently do not vote for the candidate they pledge to support c. it undermines the rights of the states to determine their own method of electing the president d. it encourages independents and third-party candidates to run for office

A

based on the information in the line graph, which of the following is most likely implication of entitlement and defense spending as a portion of the federal budget? a. changes in entitlement spending put pressure on discretionary spending b. discretionary spending levels are set by law and cannot be changed c. congressional budget committees can ignore entitlement spending d. democrats and republicans generally agree on increasing entitlement spending

A

supporters of Hamilton's view that a bill or rights could be dangerous to liberty could point to which of the following cases? a. Schenck v. US b. Engel v. Vitale c. NY Times Co. v. US d. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District

A

which of the following constitutional provisions limits the power of the national government in Hamilton's argument a. enumerated powers in article 1 b. faithful execution of the laws in article 2 c. judicial review in article 3 d. supremacy clause in article 4

A

A new president has been elected and has a number of positions to fill within the federal bureaucracy. Which of the following is an example of filling a position based on political patronage? a. choosing secretary of state to appease members from the opposition party b. nominating a high-level campaign fundraiser to serve as an ambassador to New Zealand c. reappointing the secretary of defense even though he or she was appointed by the previous president, who is a member of the opposite party d. asking the chair of a prestigious university's economics department to serve as chair of the council of economic advisers

B

Appointments to the federal judiciary are often contentious for which of the following reasons? a. the Hof R can undermine presidential authority by overriding judicial appointments b. life terms for federal judges mean presidential appointments will continue to have influence long after the president's term is over c. the president selects nominees based on political orientation, while the Senate focuses on academic credentials of nominees d. federal judges are given a platform to legislate from the bench, and the Senate is hesitant ab relinquishing power to the judiciary

B

The application of the death penalty has been limited in recent decades and cannot be applied to minors and people who are found to be mentally incompetent. Which of the following is a reason for this a. The Supreme Court redefined what constitutes an unreasonable intrusion under the 4th Amendment b. the Supreme Court changed its interpretaion of what constitues cruel and unsual punishment under the 8th Amendment c. The 5th Amendment's due process clause motivated state legislatures to limit the death penalty d. the right to an attorney guranteed by the 6th Amendment led to limited application of the death penalty

B

The president is most likely to use an executive order to make important policy when: a. Congress is dominated by the president's party b. a compromise cannot be reached with Congress c. the supreme court is divided along ideological lines d. a negotiation with foreign heads of state reaches an impasse

B

Which of the following Supreme Court cases is most relevant to the topic of the cartoon? a. baker v. carr b. citizens united v. FEC c. NY times Co. v. US d. Shaw v. Reno

B

Which of the following important functions of democracy would most likely be more difficult without political parties a. eliminating corruption in the bureacracy b. educating the public about upcoming elections c. ensuring that only eligible voters can vote d. reducing gridlock in Congress

B

Which of the following is a potential consequence of the trend illustrated in the bar chart: a. social media has led to more candidates running as independents rather than as members of political parties b. elected officials and candidates running for office are increasingly using social media to reach out to voters and constituents c. social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter have been overrun with political content d. social networking sites have led to increased political participation in the general public

B

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of constitutional provisions? a. Enhance federal power- necessary and proper clause ; enhance state power-14th A b. Enhance federal power- commerce clause ; enhance state power-10th Amendment c. Enhance federal power- supremacy clause ; enhance state power- 17th Amendment d. Enhance federal power- 5th Amendment; enhance state power- Article V

B

Which of the following is contained in the 14th Amendment and was likely an inspiration for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"? a. the guarantee that citizens have the right to a speedy and public trial regardless of gender, race, or age b. the principle that all people should be equal under the law, as embodied in the equal protection clause c. the guarantee that all people, regardless of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, have the right to free speech d. the due process clause, which implies the right to vote, shall not be denied on the basis of race

B

Which of the following may the president do to limit the Supreme Court's power? a. fire and replace justices b. refuse to enforce a ruling by the Court c. adopt new constitutional amendments d. veto parts of the court's decisions

B

Which of the following statements best summaries Hamilton's arguement? a. even though civil liberties are protected by a bill of rights, there are some reasonable exceptions b. lisitng rights will lead some to assume that government may regulate those rights c. freedom of the press is essential for a functioning democracy d. a bill of rights is necessary to protect civil liberties such as freedom of the press

B

Which of the following statements is reflected in the data in the chart: a. Those who are younger are more likely to be registered to vote than those who are older b. among registered voters, there was a steep increase in social media usage to follow political figures across all groups and party affiliations c. registered voters in the 65+ age group did not increase their use of social media to follow political figures d. of those using social networking sites, those registered as republican were more likely to vote than those registered as Democrats

B

bureaucratic rule-making is best defined as a. legally binding decisions made by congress to constrain regulatory agencies b. guidelines issued by gov agencies, which provide specific details about how a policy will be implemented c. directions given by the president to the bureaucracy regarding how a specific policy will be applied d. review and supervision of departments and agencies conducted by congressional committees

B

the legislative process at the national level of government reflects the intent of the framers of the Constitution to create a legislature that would be: a. less powerful than the executive b. slow and deliberate in the law-making process c. able to involve as many citizens as possible in the law making process d. able to ensure that all citizens are equally represented

B

which of the following is an accurate conclusion based on a comparison of the trends in the line graph above and your knowledge of voter behavior: a. more citizens vote in presidential elections because more citizens are eligible to vote in presidential elections than in midterm elections b. more citizens vote in presidential elections because there is more media coverage of presidential elections than in midterm elections c. more citizens vote in midterm elections because midterm elections are more important than presidential elections d. more citizens vote in midterm elections because there is more money spent on campaigns in midterm elections than in presidential elections

B

which of the following is an accurate statement ab the information in the line graph: a. defense spending has consistently been a larger part of the federal budget than entitlement spending b. entitlement spending has steadily become a larger portion of the federal budget c. between 1980 and 2000, defense spending increased faster than entitlement spending d. in 2000 entitlement spending passed defense spending as share of the federal budget

B

which of the following measures would a president adhering to Keynesian economic principles most likely employ during an economic recession: a. an executive order to increase the amount of money in circulation in the economy b. a budget with significant increases in spending for unemployment benefits and public works projects c. legislation to cut individual and corporate income tax rates and decrease regulation of the ecnomy d. a national budget with dramatic cuts in federal spending on entitlement programs like Social Security

B

Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with? a. The United States Constitution explicitly prohibits the government from restricting the press b. the amendment process would create confusion about the meaning of the US Constituiton c. The bill of rights could potentially be used to limit civil liberties d. the media ought to be held accountable for publishing untrue information about public figures

C

During the Civil War, President Lincoln suspended the right of habeas corpus and detained thousands of citizens who protested the war. Which of the following statements best illustrates this scenario? a. when the public does not support the right of others, those rights tend to no longer be applied b. there is nothing in the Constitution that guarantees the right to a fair trial c. there is a tension between civil liberties and public order d. freedom of speech is an absolute right

C

Which of the following best describes a trend in the line graph above: a. voter turnout in midterm elections increased substantially between 1982 and 2010 b. voter turnout in presidential elections generally increased between 1940 and 1948 c. voter turnout in midterm elections generally decreased between 1966 and 2014 d. voter turnout in presidential elections consistently decreased between 1972 and 2008

C

Which of the following best explains the difference in the number of bureaucrats employed by the Department of Education and the Department of Homeland Security? a. the department of homeland security was created before the department of education b. the department of education receives its funding from congress, while the department of homeland security works directly for the president c. Department of education primarily addresses state issues, whereas the department of homeland security primarily addresses national issues d. department of homeland security hires more employees at the state level than the department of education

C

Which of the following best illustrates the concept of iron triangles a. tendency of an interest group to hire former legislatures, lobbyists, and judges b. the inability of third-party candidates to garner public attention through media coverage c. the long-term relationships between agencies, congressional committees, and interest groups in specific policy areas d. the practice of congressional leaders diverting PAC funds meant for certain popular candidates to those in more competitive races

C

Which of the following ideological perspective is most consistent with the passage a.. liberal b. progressive c. libertarian d. socialist

C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the House of Representatives and the Senate a. HofR- only the speaker of the house can initiate the legislative process by proposing bills; Senate- only the majority leader can initiate the legislative process by proposing bills b. HofR- members can delay the policy making process by invoking cloture;Senate- members can delay the policy-making process through use of a filibuster c. HofR- members are elected by constituents in a local district based on population; Senate- members are elected by constituents of an entire state d. HofR- members serve 6-year terms;Senate- members serve two year terms

C

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases: McCulloch v. Maryland and US v. Lopez a. M v M: declared an act of Congress unconstitutional; Us v. L: recognized the importance of state sovereignty and local control b. MvM: decided that congress had implied powers; US v L ruled that state laws supreme to national laws c. MvM led to an increase in power for the national gov; US v L established limits to Congress' power under the commerce clause d. MvM decided that a state had the power to tax a national bank; US v L declared the Gun-Free school zones act unconstituional

C

Which of the following scenarios would be considered an unconstitutional use of state power: a. a state passes a law that increases the pay of state legislators b. a state enacts a law prohibiting smoking in all public places c. a state places a tax on furniture made overseas d. a state raises the drinking age to 25 years of age

C

Which of the following scenarios would most likely be considered a violation of the 4th Amendment? a. a suspect is interrogated without being informed of the right to an attorney b. a person is tried twice for the same crime c. a suspect's cell phone is analyzed by police before a warrant is issued d. a person is prosecuted for a federal crime without a jury

C

Which of the following statements describes a difficulty presidents face in the policy implementation process a. members of the bureaucracy often lack the expertise to carry out the president's preferred policies b. members of the president's cabinet can be removed at any time by congress c. because of civil service laws, it is not easy for the president to remove professional bureaucrats when they disagree with the president's agenda d. congress generally gives specific details about how the laws they pass will be executed by members of the professional bureaucracy

C

Which of the following statements is most consistent with the author's argument in this passage? a. equality is not an important outcome in society b. there should be more emphasis on governmental action to achieve equality c. undermining freedom will extinguish both freedom and equality d. individual freedom and equality are not compatible values

C

based on the infographic, which of the following strategies would a group seeking to increase turnout likely pursue a. use radio ads to advocate stricter voter-id laws b. hold a voter registration drive in public high schools c. lobby state legislatures to overturn voter-id legislation d. lobby congress to eliminate the voting rights act

C

based on the previous court rulings, which of the following scenarios would most likely violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment a. a police officer inspects the contents of a computer hard drive without a warrant b a mayor refuses to allow an unpopular group to hold a political rally c. a public school system uses race-based segregation d. The federal government passes a law prohibiting assault rifles

C

Based on the previous rulings, the Supreme Court is most likely to view a case concerning which of the following as a right-to-privacy case? a. a university whose admissions standards prevent women from attending the institution b. a person who is licensed to carry a hangun and brings one to a politcal rally c. a high school student who leaves class at a specified time during each school day for daily prayer d. a woman who is prevented from an abortion

D

Based on the results shown in the table, which candidate won the election a. democratic party candidate b. green party candidate c. reform party candidate d. republican party candidate

D

The map shows the outline of a congressional district. Which of the following statements best explains the motivation behind the way in which it is drawn? a. it has been drawn by a political party to group together moderate voters b. it has been drawn cooperatively by both political parties to ensure a fair election c. it has been drawn to group together diverse voters to foster highly competitive elections d. it has likely been drawn to pack together voters who are registered with the same party

D

Which of the following accurately describes the information presented in the pie chart? a. the legislative, judicial, and executive branches employ more bureaucrats than does the Department of Veteran Affairs b. the number of federal employees working in DC outnumbers those working in states c. Congress has allocated more money to the Department of Homeland Security than to the Department of Defense d. The US Postal Service has the largest number or employees within the federal bureaucracy

D

Which of the following actions by public school students would most likely be protected symbolic speech based on the precedent established by Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969)? a. leading prayers over the school's public address system b. publishing an editorial in the school newspaper c. protesting a school board decision by disrupting a school assembly d. wearing t-shirts objecting to a school board decision

D

Which of the following governmental policies would the author most likely support a. restricting the individuals from carrying guns in public b. requiring individuals traveling in cars to wear seat belts c. establishing minmum age requirements to access adult social media sites d. allowing indiiduals to purchase marijuana for recreational use

D

Which of the following is a consequence of candidate-centered campaigns? a. the electoral success of a third-party candidates sharply increase b. parties tighten their control over candidate fund-raising to ensure compliance with regulations c. candidates have less accountability for their positions because the importance of the party platform increases d. candidates' ability to appeal to voters can outweigh the importance of experience and policy positions

D

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of Federalist and Anti-Federalist views on government(chart with answers): a. Federalist favored weak central government and strong state governments; Anti-Federalist favored a strong central government and weak state governments b. Federalist-believed the creation of a bill of rights was necessary; Anti-Federalist- believed the creation of bill of rights was not necessary c. Federalist-favored the legislative branch having more power than the executive; Anti-federalist - favored increasing the power of the national judiciary over the states d. Federalist- believed a large republic ensured the best protection of individual freedoms; Anti-federalist - believed only a small republic could best ensure protection of individual freedoms

D

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of conservative and liberal views concerning social policy: a. conservative- federal gov should have stronger role in shaping education; liberal- federal gov should provide more funding for public schools b. conservative- licensed gun-owners should be permitted to openly carry firearms in public; liberal- federal gov should not conduct background checks for gun purchases c. conservative- racial and gender considerations should be taken into account to promote diversity in workplace hiring decisions; liberal- job promotion should be based on skills and experience, not race or gender d. conservative- individuals should not rely on gov aid for their economic well-being ; liberal- gov should be responsible for helping to improve the economic position of low-income people

D

Which of the following most likely accounts for the different results? a. the questions were not open-ended b. there were no welfare recepients in the sample c. the sample size was not large enough to be reliable d. the questions contained a difference in wording

D

Which of the following policies is most likely to cause tension between the competing values of individualism and equality of opportunity a. expanding the national defense system b. reducing environmental regulations c. decreasing funding for space exploration d. implementing affirmative action programs

D

a member of the House of Representatives has introduced a bill to raise the minimum wage, but it has been in committee for 36 days and is unlikely to make it to the floor. Which of the following is the best course of action for the representative to take to get a vote on the bill a. presenting a cloture motion b. placing a hold on the bill c. introducing a concurrent resolution d. filing for a discharge petition

D