AP Gov't Midterm Exam Review

In Plessy v. Ferguson, the United States Supreme Court ruled that state-imposed racial segregation is constitutional based on the

'separate but equal' doctrine

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the bureaucracy defended by German sociologist, Max Weber?

-NONE OF THE FOLLOWING -specialization -centralization -standardization -expertise

Which of the following are powers granted to Congress in Article 1 of the Constitution?

-The power to levy taxes -The power to declare war

Which of the following is an advantage enjoyed by incumbents in congressional elections?

-name recognition -greater visibility in the media -Relative ease of fundraising

The powers of the Speaker of the House include

-the power to recognize members who rise to speak

Two ways the US Supreme Court is insulated from public opinion:

1. appointed for life 2. can't be removed for going against the publics views

Two Factors that work to keep the US Supreme Court from deviating too far from public opinion:

1. interest groups 2. appointed by a partisan president

Which of the following serves as an example of accountability?

Completion of training is mandatory when new technology is adopted

When a bill passes the House and the Senate in different versions, the bill is resolved by which of the following types of committee?

Conference

The President can do which of the following without seeking the consent of either the House of the Senate?

Deploy troops

Following the Civil War, the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution was designed to overturn the...

Dred Scott Decision

All of the following is true about the House of Representatives except

Each state has 40 members of the House

In which landmark Supreme Court decision did the Court determine that the reading of a nondenominational prayer at the start of the school day violates the 'establishment of religion' clause of the first amendment?

Engel v. Vitale

The largest portion of 'uncontrollable spending' in the federal budget is designated for which of the following?

Entitlement spending

Which of the following powers is shared by the House of Representatives and the Senate?

Establishing federal courts

Which of the following statements is TRUE about the chief justice?

He is the first among equals

Which of the following is NOT a way in which interest groups influence the legislative process?

Holding leadership positions

Senate confirmation is required for which of the following presidential appointments? I. Secretary of State II. White House Chief of Staff III. Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation IV. Attorney General

I, III and IV only

Advocates of shifting the drawing fo the US House districts from state legislatures to independent commissions are likely to claim which of the following as an advantage of independent commissions?

Independent commissions significantly reduce the influence of partisan gerrymandering in the redistricting process

Which of the following about the Senate is true?

Individual Senators can exercise substantial influence over the legislative process

Which of the following best explains the principle of stare decisis?

It encourages judges to follow precedent when deciding cases

Which of the following statements about the War Powers Resolution is true?

It establishes conditions for the commitment of armed forces by the president

Which of the following statements is NOT true of the Supreme Court's decision in McCulloch v. Maryland?

It held that state governments could pass a law negating a federal law within their boundaries if they believed the federal law was unconstitutional

Which of the following is true about a cloture?

It requires the signatures of 60 senators

Legislator X votes for a colleague's bill with the exception that the colleague will vote in turn for a measure favored by Legislator X. This practice is called

Logrolling

Which of the following statements about writs of certiorari is accurate?

The Supreme Court grants certiorari for less than 5% of the cases appealed to it

When a lower court decision is appealed to the Supreme Court, which of the following is most likely to occur?

The Supreme Court will not hear the appeal

Which one of the following is a provision contained in the Constitution?

The justices of the Supreme Court serve life terms

Which of the following constitutional provisions broadened the power of Congress?

The necessary and proper clause

Which of the following is NOT a way in which a bill can die before becoming a law?

The president can use his executive privilege

Which of the following is true of amicus curiae brief?

They are used by interest groups to lobby courts

Which of the following is an example of presidential use of inherent powers?

Thomas Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase

In recent presidential administrations, the principal staff for the President has been made up of members of the

White House Office

A dispute growing out of an actual case or controversy that is capable of settlement by legal methods?

a justiciable dispute

In terms of the general makeup of Congress, which of the following people would be most typical?

a middle-income male lawyer

Which of the following best defines a 'concurring opinion'?

an opinion that agrees with the majority in a supreme court ruling but differs on the reasoning

Independent Regulatory Commissions are less responsive to political pressure from with congress or the president because

commissioners cannot be removed from office without clause before their term expires

The House Rules Committee is an important part of the legislative process because it

determines the terms and conditions of debate when a bill goes to the House floor

During the Watergate scandal, the President Nixon decided to exercise his right to keep executive communications confidential, especially if they relate to national security, otherwise known as

executive privilege

Since 1965, the number of full-time federal employees has

grown sharply

The _________ approach to managing the White House involves the president establishing tight control over who does what in making decisions

hierarchical

Which of the following is an example of congressional oversight?

holding hearings for review of an executive agency's activities

To which of the following congressional committees would a proposal to reform the national income tax system initially be sent?

house ways and means committee

Which of the following is generally true of the gerrymandering of congressional districts?

it creates districts that favor one political party over another

Which of the following is true about the pocket veto?

it occurs when the president takes no action on a bill for 10 days during which congress is adjourned

A philosophy proposing the judges should strike down the actions of the elected branches only if they clearly violate the literal meaning of the constitution is known as

judicial restraint

Law Clerks are influential figures in the Supreme Court decision making process because...

justices rely upon them in the decision to grant certiorari

To influence the Judicial Branch of the US government, an interest group can do all of the following EXCEPT

meet privately with a federal with a federal judge regarding a case

Which of the following is a formal qualification to serve as president?

natural born citizen

An agreement between a prosecutor and a defendant that the defendant will plead guilty to a lesser offense to avoid having to stand trial for a more serious offense is called...

plea bargain

A Presidential appointment made without Senate confirmation when the Senate is on a formal break is known as a

recess appointment

The difference between an appellate court and district court is that an appellate court?

reviews previous court decisions

The franking privilege refers to the

right of members of congress to send mail to their constituents at the government's expenses

The legislative practice that assigns the chair of a committee or subcommittee to the member of the majority party with the longest continuous service on the committee is known as the

seniority rule

Which of the following is least likely to influence votes by members of congress on controversial legislation?

state legislatures

As history has shown, presidential approval ratings

tend to decrease over a president's administration

The Supreme Court's power of judicial review permits the court to overrule all of the following EXCEPT

the Bill of Rights

The Supreme Court's Power of judicial review was established by

the Court's decision in Marbury v. Madison

The Doctrine of original intent holds that

the meaning of the constitution depends on the intention of the framers

Which of the following is a member of the White House Staff?

the national security advisor

Key people or organizations that are involved in the judge-selection process include

the president, interest groups, party leaders in congress, the justice department

Which of the following is true regarding the Speaker of the House?

the speaker is always a member of the majority party

Of the following, which is the most powerful figure in Congress?

the speaker of the house

Which of the following is a way in which we see the role of individualism in the Senate?

the use of holds and filibusters

All of the following serve as checks on the power of the federal courts EXCEPT:

the voters can oust federal judges in national elections

A major difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that

there is unlimited debate in the senate but not in the house

Which of the following statements about motion for cloture is true?

they are used by senators to end a filibuster and bring a bill to vote

Which of the following is NOT a presidential role authorized by the Constitution?

to lead the political party of the president

A formal, public agreement between the US and one or more other nations that must be approved by 2/3 of the Senate is known as a

treaty

The Supreme Court ruled the legislative veto unconstitutional on the grounds that such vetoes...

violated the principle of separation of powers

Which of the following is NOT a factor the president generally takes into account in nominating a person for Supreme Court justice?

whether the person has held elective office before

A major reason why the majority of Supreme Court justices have had political experience prior to appointment to the Court is that...

Presidents seek to place individuals on the court whose policy views are similar to their own

The process of changing the number of seats in the House is called

Reapportionment

Which of the following committees of the House of Representatives sets the conditions for debate and amendment of most legislation?

Rules

When Independent Regulatory Commissions make rules, enforce those rules and adjudicate disputes arising under those rules, they risk violating the constitutional concept of...

Separation of Powers

Which of the following is most likely consequence of divided government?

Serving as the chief executive officer of the Department of Justice

Most of the work of legislating in Congress takes place in

Standing Committees

District lines for the House of Representatives are drawn by the authority of the

State governments

Which of the following federal courts have/has original jurisdiction?

Supreme Court and US District Courts

Which of the following has primary influence upon Supreme Court decisions

Supreme Court precedent