AP Gov Questions
Which of the following represents a consequence of candidate-centered electoral campaigns?
A decrease in the role of political parties in campaign management
Which of the following activities by interest groups best illustrates attempts to educate members of Congress on public policy?
A green energy group sending a research report to congressional offices
The bar graph shows the National Rifle Association's spending on Democratic and Republican candidates over several decades of election cycles in support of gun ownership rights. How could a visual best be created to better understand how the spending of the NRA compares to that of gun control proponents?
A pie chart that tallies total spending by both the NRA and gun control proponents since 1992
Which of the following exemplifies the free-rider problem for interest groups?
A teacher who does not join the local teachers union but receives a salary negotiated by the union
Which best describes a likely reason for the information depicted in the graph?
An increase in concerns over media bias
Which of the following is the most likely result of the changes in voter registration rates illustrated in the table?
An increase in the number of African American members of Congress from Georgia
Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the table?
Barriers to registration existed in all of the states in the table but were most significant in Mississippi.
Based on the data in the bar graph and your knowledge of presidential elections, how should Hillary Clinton's campaign have responded if Jill Stein's support in the polls had increased significantly as Election Day approached?
By adopting positions on issues similar to Stein's in an attempt to win over those voters before the election
Which of the following is NOT a way in which the federal government regulates campaigns?
By prohibitions on negative advertising
For which of the following tasks would using the bar graph as currently designed be the LEAST helpful?
Calculating the election cycle spending based on the intervals shown on the vertical axis
Which of the following criticisms of political campaigns is the author of the political cartoon most likely to agree with?
Candidates rely too heavily on professional consultants.
Which of the following Supreme Court cases is most related to the topic in the cartoon?
Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010)
Which of the following provides the most accurate explanation of how consumer-driven media increases partisan polarization?
Consumer-driven media reinforces existing political biases in individuals.
Increases in the amount of money spent on national defense and security contracts, such as those that occurred after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and during the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, would most likely have which of the following consequences?
Defense contractors would increase their lobbying efforts in order to improve their chances of winning a contract.
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 scenarios best represents the model for party-line voting?
Despite not recognizing the name, a candidate votes for the Democratic Party candidate because he is a Democrat.
Which of the following describes a visual limitation of the bar graph?
Even though the bar graph contains data from 1998 to 2014, there is no illustration of how spending is broken down by specific years or elections.
Which of the following form an "iron triangle"?
Executive department, Congressional committee, interest group
Which of the following statements is true regarding political advertisements in 2012 based on the information graphic?
Few advertisements appealed to positive emotions.
A chief executive officer (CEO) of a corporation believes that the Republican candidate for president will enact policies that are more beneficial to her business. The CEO donated the maximum amount allowed by law directly to the candidate's campaign fund. To increase the candidate's chances for election, the CEO also directed her corporation to donate funds to an independent political action committee to create ads criticizing the opposing candidate. According to the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), which provision of the Constitution protects her actions?
Freedom of speech in the First Amendment
Which of the following best accounts for the lack of success generally encountered by minor political parties in electing members to the House or Senate?
General elections in the United States are based on the winner-take-all principle.
Which of the following describes the activities represented by data in the table?
Groups in American society form political action committees (PACs) so they can influence policy.
The data displayed in the table above best support which of the following statements?
House seats are safer from election turnover than are Senate seats.
The use of direct primaries instead of the convention system in selecting presidential candidates results in which of the following? I. A weakening of party control over nominations II. A reduction in the costs of election campaigns III. An increase in the number of people involved in the choice of candidates IV. An increase in voter turnout in midterm elections
I and III only
Political parties serve which of the following functions in the United States? I. Informing the public about political issues II. Mobilizing voters and getting them to the polls III. Organizing diverse interests within society IV. Establishing the rules governing financial contributions to political candidates
I, II, and III only
The table above supports which of the following conclusions? I. A plurality of the people has consistently supported the Democrats. II. Support for the two major parties increased slightly between 1952 and 1994. III. The largest percentage increase in political identification between 1952 and 1994 occurred among independents.
III only
Which of the following explains how The Federalist 10 relates to the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) ?
In both, a limited approach to government regulation was argued for.
Which of the following is a significant trend in the presidential nominating process over the past three decades?
Increasing importance of presidential primaries rather than state conventions
Which of the following factors contributes most to the data in the line graph?
Incumbents have an advantage over challengers because of name recognition.
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.
The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urges its members to take action in support of what they term "animal friendly" legislation through their website. In addition to providing information about important issues that legislators may vote on, the nonprofit organization also describes the best ways to contact a legislator and tips on how best to interact with lawmakers. Which of the following is being illustrated in the scenario?
Interest groups sometimes form around a narrow set of issues with the goal of impacting policy making.
Based on the table, which of the following political action committees (PACs) is most partisan in its allocation of contributions to candidates?
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold) did which of the following?
It banned soft money donations to national parties.
Which of the following statements about Americans' trust in the mass media is best supported by the data in the graph?
It generally decreased over time.
The primary election system of selecting presidential candidates has had which of the following effects?
It has loosened the hold of party leaders over the nomination process.
Which of the following explanations describes the impact of Jill Stein's candidacy on the 2016 election as depicted by the data in the bar graph and your knowledge of presidential elections?
Jill Stein's supporters preferred Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump, hurting the Clinton campaign.
Which of the following statements is best supported by the data in the table above?
Latinos of Cuban descent are more supportive of the Republican Party than are Latinos of Mexican or Puerto Rican descent.
The National Education Association (NEA) is an organization of teachers, administrators, and other educators who work together to advance the interests and impact of public education. One of the NEA's goals is to support public education by ending government funding of voucher programs that promote school privatization. Vouchers give parents financial incentives to send their children to private schools rather than having children attend local public schools. Which of the following strategies would be the most effective way to achieve the NEA's goal of furthering the interest of public education?
Lobby members of congressional committees to vote against all legislation that would support school voucher programs.
Based on the data in the chart, which of the following strategies would best help third-party candidates like Jill Stein and Gary Johnson increase their chances of winning elected office?
Lobbying state legislatures to shift from a winner-take-all system to a proportional voting system
Which of the following scenarios depicts the concept of an iron triangle?
Lobbyists from the energy industry provide information to the Department of Energy before the department head testifies before the Energy and Commerce Committee in the House of Representatives.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison between the relative functions and electoral success of the two major political parties (Democratic and Republican) and third parties?
Major Parties: The rules of the electoral college favor the major-party candidates in presidential elections. Third Parties: Winner-take-all voting districts hinder the electoral success of third-party candidates.
Which of the following is the best interpretation of the political cartoon?
Members of Congress receive political contributions from many special interest groups.
Which of the following statements can be supported by the data in the line graph?
Members of the House of Representatives are more likely to be reelected than defeated.
Which of the following most accurately describes media coverage of elections?
Network news coverage is usually dominated by reporters who offer relatively short sound bites from the candidates.
Which of the following portrays an accurate example of horse race media coverage?
News media outlets report the results of public opinion polls that show the relative popularity of presidential candidates.
Which of the following best describes the difference between an open and closed primary?
Only voters who register as members of a political party may vote in that party's closed primary, while independents and others may be eligible to vote in open primaries.
Which of the following statements about political action committees (PACs) is true?
PAC spending makes up a higher percentage of congressional campaign funds than of presidential campaign funds.
Which of the following best demonstrates how political parties serve as linkage institutions?
Parties may organize activities to identify supporters, increase registration, and get out the vote.
Which of the following best explains the role of parties in Congress?
Parties organize government by selecting chamber leadership and determining committee membership.
Which of the following best explains how parties link citizens to the electoral process?
Parties send volunteers to knock on doors to register voters.
In which of the following ways do political parties primarily rely on to finance their election activities?
Parties solicit funds from private donors who oftentimes contribute large sums of money.
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.
Which of the following examples best illustrates how the trend in political communications described in the passage will most likely affect campaigns?
Political candidates will seek more data on voters so that their campaigns can create messages designed to attract different demographics.
While the central goal of political parties is to win elections, parties can also support democracy. Which of the following scenarios best illustrates this relationship?
Political parties use the social media site Instagram to reach out to younger voters to inform them about upcoming elections and encourage them to register to vote.
Which of the following best explains how most candidates are recruited to run for office?
Political parties usually recruit and train people at the local level they believe are most fit to run for office.
An advertisement airs on television attacking a candidate running for office. The advertisement was produced and distributed by a group that was not affiliated with nor funded by any political campaign. Which of the following statements explains why this expenditure is not prohibited by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 ?
Political spending by groups not directly affiliated with a campaign is a form of protected speech.
A citizen cast her vote for the candidate in a congressional election based on the candidate's promise to reform the health care system. Which voting behavior model best characterizes the citizen's choice?
Prospective voting
Which of the following is most frequently reported in the media during a presidential election?
Results from public opinion polls that indicate which candidates are most likely to win
A voter has seen his income increase by 3% over the past four years. He is encouraged that unemployment is down and the price of gas has remained relatively low. On Election Day, by voting for the incumbent presidential candidate, he has engaged in which type of voting?
Retrospective voting
Which of the following statements best describes the organization of the two major political parties in the United States?
Separate and largely independent party organizations exist at national, state, and local levels.
In 1980, a small group of parents personally affected by drunk driving formed the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD). Over the past four decades, they have grown in number and have lobbied on state and local levels promoting legislation such as stricter limits on blood alcohol levels for drivers. MADD is an example of which of the following?
Single-issue group with the goal of impacting policy making
An emerging third party is struggling to get congressional candidates elected to office. Which of the following is a feature of the American political system that would explain why the party is struggling to achieve its goal?
Single-member districts
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (McCain-Feingold) was designed to curtail which of the following?
Soft money
There is an ongoing debate over the role of money in elections. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002 banned soft money and restricted advertisements in the weeks before an election. Parts of this act were challenged and struck down in the Supreme Court case Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010). Which of the following was a consequence of that ruling?
Super PACs may spend unlimited funds on advertisements that are not coordinated with the campaign because they are protected by the freedom of speech.
In 2002, Congress passed the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act in an effort to regulate campaign finance by limiting the ability of corporations and unions to spend their general treasury funds on election communications. In 2010, the Supreme Court invalidated this provision of the act. Which of the following statements accurately describes the majority decision of the case?
The First Amendment allows corporations and unions to make independent expenditures regarding candidates for office.
For decades, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has worked closely with members of Congress to successfully curtail the capacity of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to regulate firearms and track gun crimes. Which of the following statements best explains how the NRA maintains its influence in Washington?
The National Rifle Association outspends its competitors in all elections and stages of policy making.
Which of the following statements regarding political parties is true based on the graphic?
The Republican Party initially emerged as an antislavery political party.
Which of the following conclusions is most supported by the data in the chart?
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 has significantly reduced disparities in voter registration between Whites and African Americans.
Which of the following best explains why the winner of a presidential election usually claims to have a mandate from voters?
The allocation of electoral votes in the winner-take-all system exaggerates the margin of victory.
Which of the following is a correct statement about political action committees (PAC's)?
The amount of money that PAC's can contribute directly to an individual candidate is limited by law.
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.
Which of the following features of the data displayed make the use of the bar graph less helpful for a comparison?The bar showing the spending for the Chamber of Commerce makes comparisons with the other groups more difficult.
The bar showing the spending for the Chamber of Commerce makes comparisons with the other groups more difficult.
Which of the following describes the result in a winner-take-all, single-member-district plurality system?
The candidate who receives the most votes in the election wins.
What do the data in the bar graph indicate about how Gary Johnson's candidacy affected the 2016 election?
The data in the bar graph show that since Gary Johnson's supporters were split between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, his candidacy did not have an impact on the outcome of the election.
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.
Which of the following describes the potential impact on the electorate when daily media coverage of elections focuses primarily on the newest poll results?
The electorate will be less able to accurately compare the policy platforms of candidates running in the election.
Which of the following is the best explanation for the trend in voting behavior after the 2000 election?
The events that shaped the generation turning 18 after the year 2000 tended to create more liberal-minded voters who supported Democrats.
Over the past 20 years, reforms of the presidential nomination process have had which of the following effects?
The number of female delegates and minority-group delegates at Democratic national conventions has grown substantially.
Which of the following is the most accurate statement about political parties in the United States?
The percentage of voters identifying themselves as either Democrats or Republicans has been declining since the 1970's.
Which of the following best explains how political parties use party platforms?
The platform is used to define the party's general stance on political issues.
The new developments in campaigning described in the passage have the greatest impact on which of the following trends?
The rise of candidate-centered campaigns
Which of the following is LEAST characteristic of the history of political parties in the United States during the twentieth century?
The splitting of the two major parties into a multiparty system
The America First Action is a super PAC led by former administrator of the Small Business Administration Linda McMahon. Which of the following best explains how the organization can operate to influence elections, according to the decision in Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission (2010) ?
The super PAC can spend unlimited money on issue-advocacy advertisements that are not coordinated with the campaign.
Based on the data in the chart, which of the following best explains a likely impact of third-party votes in the 2016 election?
The third-party vote in the three states depicted in the chart helped Donald Trump acquire enough electoral votes to win the election.
Which of the following best describes César Chávez' view on the use of violence versus nonviolence?
The use of nonviolent actions allows more people to be involved in the movement and effect change.
Which of the following is most directly related to the large amount of money spent by outside groups in the 2012 election?
The use of super PACs as a mechanism to raise money and influence elections
The graphic illustrates which of the following statements about political parties?
There is an ongoing debate between political parties over the power and scope of the federal government, even as economic and demographic changes have altered party coalitions.
Which of the following describes a consequence of the growing concentration of ownership of the news media?
There is increased similarity of network news coverage.
Which of the following is true of amicus curiae briefs?
They are used by interest groups to lobby courts.
Which of the following is true of political action committees (PACs) ?
They make campaign contributions in hopes of gaining access to legislators.
Based on the data in the chart and your knowledge of presidential elections, which of the following is the best strategy that Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump could have used to pull votes away from the third-party candidates, Jill Stein and Gary Johnson?
Trump or Clinton could have adopted issues that were popular with Stein's and Johnson's voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin as part of their campaigns.
Given the evolution of campaign communication described in the passage, which of the following is a way that political candidates most likely would use these tools to reach the broadest possible base of supporters?
Using social media tools to target different demographic and political groups with messages designed to appeal to them
Which of the following best characterizes the influence of the news media on public opinion in the United States?
Which of the following best characterizes the influence of the news media on public opinion in the United States?
Given the information in the graph, in which of the following states would an individual's vote likely have more influence?
Wyoming
An election involving more than two candidates in which the person who receives the most votes is the winner is called
a plurality election
The primary reason for the current existence of only two major political parties in the United States is that
a winner-take-all electoral system makes it difficult for new parties to emerge and survive
Since 1972, voters in presidential elections have
become more focused on individual candidates
If one were interested in showing how much certain industries spend on lobbying, the best way to change the visual would be to
categorize the data by industry group and combine the data so that a bar represents each group
Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president in 1932 after running on the Democratic Party platform that included an expansion of federal programs aimed at pulling the United States out of the Great Depression. The expansion plan, known as the New Deal, substantially increased the voting base of the Democratic Party. As a result, the Democratic Party dominated Congress and many state governments for the next half century. The election of 1932 is considered a critical election because it
changed the base of support in each party
In 1987 the cooperation among the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Organization for Women (NOW), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to defeat Robert Bork's nomination to the United States Supreme Court was an example of
coalition building
The term "horse-race journalism" refers to the tendency of the media to
cover campaigns by emphasizing the relative standings of the candidates in the polls rather than the issues they discuss
The largest amount of political coverage in newspapers during presidential campaigns is devoted to
day-to-day campaign activities
The agenda-setting function of the media refers to the power to
decide which issues are important enough to bring to public attention
An electoral system based on single-member districts is usually characterized by
domination of the legislature by two political parties
When contributing to congressional campaigns, political action committees (PACs) are most likely to contribute to
incumbents of both major parties
In response to the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold Act), the United States Supreme Court, in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010), ruled that
independent campaign expenditures by corporations and unions are protected by the First Amendment
The media's effect on public opinion can best be described as
influencing which issues the public sees as important
An interest group is most likely to have influence in Congress when the issue at stake
is narrow in scope and low in public visibility
One of the best strategies that interest groups can use to achieve their goals is
lobbying members of Congress to make small changes in existing policy
Compared to the general population, delegates to presidential nomination conventions are
more ideological
An interest group would likely have the greatest influence on policy matters involving
narrow issues, only a few interest groups, and technical information
In the process and structure of public policymaking, "iron triangles" refer to the
networks of congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups that strongly influence the policy process
All of the following are commonly used by interest groups to influence the political process EXCEPT
nominating candidates
The free rider problem occurs when
people benefit from an interest group's efforts without making any contribution
Lobbyists try to influence legislators mainly through
providing legislators with information on technical issues
Interest groups use political action committees (PACs) to
raise and spend money on election campaigns
The primary function of political action committees (PAC's) is to
raise campaign funds to support favored candidates
An election in which there is a significant shift in the bases of electoral support from one political party to another is called a
realigning election
Tom believes that the government should be limited in its regulation of the economy, but he wants to find out more about economic policy. As he researches the topic, he increasingly relies on a well-respected conservative blog as his main source of information. Tom's actions demonstrate the tendency of individuals to seek out information from sources that
reinforce existing political beliefs
The development and persistence of the two-party system in the United States is best accounted for by
single-member legislative districts
The concept of realignment refers to changes in
the social bases of the parties' voting support
The process known as front-loading refers to
the tendency of states to choose an early date on the primary calendar
Interest groups engage in all of the following activities EXCEPT
using the franking privilege
Which of the following scenarios is most closely related to the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) ?
A labor union spends millions of dollars to independently run negative advertisements about a presidential candidate shortly before the election.
If a researcher were interested in understanding how much the NRA spent in each state, what visual could be created to accurately display this information in the bar graph?
A map showing the dollar amounts spent by the NRA in each state since 1992
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.
All of the following are examples of a linkage institution influencing the policy process EXCEPT
the president delivering the State of the Union speech
One reason for the persistence of a two-party system in the United States is
the single-member district electoral system
The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC, has raised over $50 million dollars, which it plans to spend on advertising in the next midterm election. It plans to target its spending in competitive districts in the days leading up to Election Day. Which of the following court cases decision is most likely to protect the right of the group in the scenario?
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
