AP U.S. Government Final Exam "Review" with Answers
Which of the following is an example of the executive branch implementing a public policy passed by Congress?
A Federal Trade Commission official is asked to testify before Congress about the agency's activities.
Based on the data, which of the following is the most likely consequence for the legislative process in Congress?
A decrease in party-line voting on important legislation introduced in the House
Which of the following is an example of checks and balances?
A filibuster in the Senate can be ended with a cloture motion that has the support of 60 senators.
On November 2, 2014, a Gallup poll reported that 51 percent of Americans support legalizing marijuana, while 47 percent oppose legalization. The reported margin of sampling error was +/- 4 percent. Which of the following inferences can be made from the poll?
A majority of people under 35 years of age support legalizing marijuana.
Which of the following scenarios is most closely related to the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) ?
A state senator receives a large cash donation from a corporate executive in exchange for specific political favors.
Critics of the winner-take-all aspect of the electoral college are most likely to make which of the following arguments?
A state's presidential election results rarely mirror a state's congressional election results.
In May of 2015, a federal appeals court ruled that the National Security Agency's collection of Americans' phone records was in violation of the USA PATRIOT Act. Which of the following core values are involved in the national debate regarding the surveillance program referred to in this scenario?
Common good versus freedom of expression
Circle Graph: How Senators Voted... Which statement best explains the information in the graphic?
Confirmation was blocked by one party.
Which of the following accurately compares the powers of Congress and the president?
Congress Has Greater Control The bureaucracy President Has Greater Control The bureaucracy Fiscal policy
Which of the following is an example of Congress using its implied powers?
Congress ratifying a new trade agreement with Mexico and Canada
South Carolina passed a law to increase the state tax on gasoline to help fund repairs on highways and bridges. The state tax is in addition to the federal tax on every gallon of gasoline that is sold. Which of the following constitutional provisions does this scenario illustrate?
Delegated powers
The Supreme Court ruled in McDonald v. Chicago (2010) that a citizen's right to keep and bear arms at home for self-defense is protected from state and federal infringement. Which of the following is most relevant to that decision?
Equal protection
Which of the following scenarios explains how demographic factors affect voter participation in elections?
Individuals who belong to marginalized groups are likely to participate in elections because their issues are often highlighted by political party leaders.
Graph: America's Trust in Mass Media Which of the following statements about Americans' trust in the mass media is best supported by the data in the graph?
It experienced its largest increase in 2013.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the checks held by the legislative and judicial branches?
Legislative checks to the judicial branch Confirming federal judges Judicial checks to the legislative branch Reviewing laws prior to enactment
Which of the following is a correct comparison of the positions of libertarians and conservatives on matters of social policy?
Libertarians Support laws to restrict abortion Conservatives Oppose affirmative action programs
A person claiming that the House can pass legislation with a simple majority, but the Senate is unlikely to pass legislation unless a bill has the support of a 60-vote supermajority is most likely to cite which of the following institutional differences as the cause of this trend?
Members of the House often represent a much narrower constituency than senators do.
Which of the following situations is an example of the president using the bully pulpit as a tool for agenda setting?
President Obama issuing an executive order delaying the deportation of at least five million undocumented immigrants
Which of the following statements represents a trend supported by the data in the bar graph?
The Republican caucus consisted of more ideologically conservative members in 1982 than in 2012.
Which of the following scenarios best explains how the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment has influenced political behavior?
The Supreme Court has ruled that Fifth Amendment prohibition on double jeopardy was made applicable to the states.
The Washington Post receives a top secret report that details how the executive branch mishandled a deal made with a foreign nation regarding nuclear weapons. The executive branch attempts to stop the publishing of the report, but the publishers cite the precedent in New York Times Company v. United States (1971) establishing which of the following legal rules?
The exclusionary rule for evidence
In The Federalist 78, Alexander Hamilton argued that the federal judiciary "is beyond comparison the weakest of the three departments of power." Which of the following statements represents a reason he gave for this argument?
The federal government is further from the people and thus less accountable.
Circle Graph: How Senators Voted... In 2013 a parliamentary procedure was implemented in the Senate that allowed a simple majority vote to end debate on Cabinet member confirmations. Which of the following best explains how the procedural change relates to the information in the graphic?
The procedural change resulted in Democratic senators adding pork barrel legislation to the appropriations bill that funds the Department of Health and Human Services
Data Table: Issues Mentioned by 3% Or More... Which of the following is a limitation of the data when drawing a conclusion about the most important problem facing the country in 2017 ?
The results are incomplete, as only 3% of respondents were taken into account when the list was compiled.
A political science professor is researching the effects that the Fifteenth and Twenty-Sixth Amendments have had on the American political system. Which of the following is the most likely reason the professor is researching these amendments?
To study the expansion of due process rights
Which of the following rulings is most likely to cite the Supreme Court's decision in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969) as a legal precedent in support of the decision?
A ruling against a public school's practice of having prayer at school assemblies
Map: US Population living in poverty Which constitutional principle best explains the differences in poverty rates presented in the map?
Enumerated powers
Congress passes a law requiring that all public accommodations provide access for people with disabilities. The United States Supreme Court rules that the law does not apply to the airline industry. Which of the following is the best way for Congress to provide people with disabilities access to the airline industry in light of the Court's ruling?
Override the court with a two-thirds majority in both chambers
Diagram: Supreme Court Jurisdiction Which of the following describes the origin of the United States court system presented in the diagram?
Article II of the Constitution established the three-tiered court system and the jurisdiction of each court in each tier.
Arizona enacted an immigration law in 2010, claiming the legislation complemented existing federal law. The Obama administration disagreed, claiming the state law conflicted with national law. Which clause of the Constitution did the Supreme Court most likely use to strike down a section of the state law?
Necessary and proper clause
Diagram: Supreme Court Jurisdiction Which of the following statements best explains the diagram?
The United States District Court is the starting place for all cases going to the United States Supreme Court.
A woman is arrested for possessing illegal substances that were obtained after a warrantless search of her home by local police. Which of the following best explains whether the evidence could be used in a criminal trial?
Since the evidence obtained suggests illegal activity, the evidence may be used against the defendant in a criminal trial.
Which of the following was a direct outcome of the Three-Fifths Compromise?
Slaveholding states were able to count slaves to determine their number of senators.
Which of the following illustrates a situation that would not be protected by the First Amendment due to time, place, and manner restrictions?
An independent political advocacy organization is prevented by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from running political advertisements on television.
Graph: America's Trust in Mass Media Which best describes a likely reason for the information depicted in the graph?
An increase in the median age of the population
A member of Congress who advocates for a more Keynesian approach to solving a recession will likely support which of the following policies?
Lowering taxes on the wealthy to increase business investments
Which of the following scenarios best explains the inclusion of Title IX as part of the Education Amendments of 1972 ?
Paid lobbyists added the amendment on behalf of teachers unions in order to increase pay and tenure for public school teachers.
Which of the following is a correct comparison between the United States Constitution and the Articles of Confederation?
United States Constitution Required approval by three-fourths of Congress for a constitutional amendment Articles of Confederation Required unanimity of Congress to amend
The case United States v. Lopez (1995) struck down the Gun-Free School Zones Act because
it violated Fourth Amendment protections against unwarranted searches
A member of Congress votes in favor of a bill as a result of receiving many letters of support for the bill from constituents. Which form of democratic representation best describes this voting decision?
Elite
Graphic: Party System... Which of the following statements regarding political parties is true based on the graphic?
Regional interests have not played a major role in any of the party systems.
Graph: Percentage of Liberal Decisions... Which of the following factors most likely led to shifts in Supreme Court decision making over time?
After 1960, the Supreme Court deferred to the wishes of state and local governments rather than voting to expand the authority of the federal government
Data Table: Issues Mentioned by 3% Or More... Which of the following represents the most likely way the information in the table will be used?
Social movements will use this data in their legal briefings before the federal courts.
Graphic: Party System... The graphic illustrates which of the following statements about political parties?
The founders refused to join political parties because they agreed that parties were contrary to the public interests, so parties did not form until well after the ratification of the Constitution.
Graph: Percentage of Liberal Decisions... Based on the data in the chart, which of the following is true?
The percentage of liberal decisions made by the federal district courts on civil rights and civil liberties cases increased between 1900 and 1928.
Map: US Population living in poverty Which of the following is true based on information on the map?
The poverty rate in the United States has increased since the last census was taken.
In the last years presidential primacy, so indispensable to the political order, has turned into presidential supremacy. The constitutional Presidency—as events so apparently disparate as the Indochina War and the Watergate affair showed, has become the imperial Presidency and threatens to be the revolutionary Presidency. . . . The imperial Presidency was essentially the creation of foreign policy. A combination of doctrines and emotions—belief in the permanent and universal crisis, fear of communism, faith in the duty and right of the United States to intervene swiftly in every part of the world—had brought about the unprecedented centralization of decisions. Prolonged war in Vietnam strengthened the tendencies toward both centralization and exclusion. So the imperial Presidency grew at the expense of the constitutional order. Like the cowbird, it hatched its own eggs and pushed the others out of the nest. And, as it overwhelmed the traditional separation of powers in foreign affairs, it began to aspire toward an equivalent centralization of power in the domestic polity. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Based on the passage above, which of the following constitutional provisions would the author most likely identify as a solution to the problem of the imperial presidency?
Congress exercising the power to regulate commerce
A person votes for Democratic candidates based on the belief that the policies of the Democratic Party will be personally beneficial. This type of voting matches which of the following voting behavior models?
Split-ticket voting
In the last years presidential primacy, so indispensable to the political order, has turned into presidential supremacy. The constitutional Presidency—as events so apparently disparate as the Indochina War and the Watergate affair showed, has become the imperial Presidency and threatens to be the revolutionary Presidency. . . . The imperial Presidency was essentially the creation of foreign policy. A combination of doctrines and emotions—belief in the permanent and universal crisis, fear of communism, faith in the duty and right of the United States to intervene swiftly in every part of the world—had brought about the unprecedented centralization of decisions. Prolonged war in Vietnam strengthened the tendencies toward both centralization and exclusion. So the imperial Presidency grew at the expense of the constitutional order. Like the cowbird, it hatched its own eggs and pushed the others out of the nest. And, as it overwhelmed the traditional separation of powers in foreign affairs, it began to aspire toward an equivalent centralization of power in the domestic polity. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the text by Schlesinger and The Federalist 70 ?
While The Federalist 70 views centralization of power in the presidency as dangerous, Schlesinger views it as vital to the presidency's effectiveness.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government . . ." ". . . Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled. The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise. He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice. He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men. . . . Having deprived her of this first right of a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides. He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead. He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns." Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Seneca Falls Convention, 1848 Which of the following best captures a portion of the author's argument?
Women have faced too much suffrage due to the actions of the government.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government . . ." ". . . Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled. The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise. He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice. He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men. . . . Having deprived her of this first right of a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides. He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead. He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns." Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Seneca Falls Convention, 1848 The language in the first paragraph of the selection most closely parallels that of which of the following documents?
The Preamble to the United States Constitution
In the last years presidential primacy, so indispensable to the political order, has turned into presidential supremacy. The constitutional Presidency—as events so apparently disparate as the Indochina War and the Watergate affair showed, has become the imperial Presidency and threatens to be the revolutionary Presidency. . . . The imperial Presidency was essentially the creation of foreign policy. A combination of doctrines and emotions—belief in the permanent and universal crisis, fear of communism, faith in the duty and right of the United States to intervene swiftly in every part of the world—had brought about the unprecedented centralization of decisions. Prolonged war in Vietnam strengthened the tendencies toward both centralization and exclusion. So the imperial Presidency grew at the expense of the constitutional order. Like the cowbird, it hatched its own eggs and pushed the others out of the nest. And, as it overwhelmed the traditional separation of powers in foreign affairs, it began to aspire toward an equivalent centralization of power in the domestic polity. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Which of the following statements is a correct implication of the author's argument?
The modern president has abused the power of the executive branch through the use of the bully pulpit.
In the last years presidential primacy, so indispensable to the political order, has turned into presidential supremacy. The constitutional Presidency—as events so apparently disparate as the Indochina War and the Watergate affair showed, has become the imperial Presidency and threatens to be the revolutionary Presidency. . . . The imperial Presidency was essentially the creation of foreign policy. A combination of doctrines and emotions—belief in the permanent and universal crisis, fear of communism, faith in the duty and right of the United States to intervene swiftly in every part of the world—had brought about the unprecedented centralization of decisions. Prolonged war in Vietnam strengthened the tendencies toward both centralization and exclusion. So the imperial Presidency grew at the expense of the constitutional order. Like the cowbird, it hatched its own eggs and pushed the others out of the nest. And, as it overwhelmed the traditional separation of powers in foreign affairs, it began to aspire toward an equivalent centralization of power in the domestic polity. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Which of the following situations best reflects the author's concern about an "imperial" presidency?
The president appointing a new secretary of education
In the last years presidential primacy, so indispensable to the political order, has turned into presidential supremacy. The constitutional Presidency—as events so apparently disparate as the Indochina War and the Watergate affair showed, has become the imperial Presidency and threatens to be the revolutionary Presidency. . . . The imperial Presidency was essentially the creation of foreign policy. A combination of doctrines and emotions—belief in the permanent and universal crisis, fear of communism, faith in the duty and right of the United States to intervene swiftly in every part of the world—had brought about the unprecedented centralization of decisions. Prolonged war in Vietnam strengthened the tendencies toward both centralization and exclusion. So the imperial Presidency grew at the expense of the constitutional order. Like the cowbird, it hatched its own eggs and pushed the others out of the nest. And, as it overwhelmed the traditional separation of powers in foreign affairs, it began to aspire toward an equivalent centralization of power in the domestic polity. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., The Imperial Presidency, 1973 Based on the passage above, which of the following constitutional provisions would the author most likely identify as a solution to the problem of the imperial presidency?
The president making stronger use of bureaucratic discretion
"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government . . ." ". . . Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled. The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world. He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise. He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice. He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men. . . . Having deprived her of this first right of a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides. He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead. He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns." Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Seneca Falls Convention, 1848 The language in the first paragraph of the selection most closely parallels that of which of the following documents?
Seventeenth Amendment
