AP Gov Midterm study guide

Which of the following is NOT a way in which the federal government regulates campaigns?

By prohibitions on negative advertising

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.

Article I, Section 9 of the United States Constitution lists several powers that are denied to the federal government, such as granting titles of nobility and passing ex post facto laws. This best demonstrates which of the following ideals of democracy?

Limited government

Which of the following principles of government is most related to the author's argument in the passage?

Separation of powers is necessary to our constitutional system to limit the power of the three branches and guarantee limited government.

If the state is similar to most other states, how will the electoral votes most likely be allocated?

The Democratic candidate will receive all 11 electoral votes.

Which of the following is an accurate description of the decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) ?

The federal government had the authority to establish a national bank, and Maryland's tax was unconstitutional.

Which of the following statements about political parties and the United States Constitution is true?

The issue of political parties is not addressed in the Constitution.

Since the 1960s, support for the Democratic Party has declined the most among which of the following groups?

White southerners

Which of the following represents a consequence of candidate-centered electoral campaigns?

A decrease in the role of political parties in campaign management

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

Wyoming

A primary election in which voters are required to identify a party preference before the election and are not allowed to split their ticket is called

a closed primary

Typically, presidential candidates implement their campaign strategies by

focusing on larger, competitive states, because they might tip the balance of the electoral college

Which of the following best accounts for the lack of success generally encountered by minor / third 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 is a difference between the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution that is a response to a problem expressed in the passage?

The Articles of Confederation allowed for the federal government to request revenues from states but did not permit it to tax citizens directly, whereas under the United States Constitution the federal government could tax citizens directly.

In the 1950s Southern states attempted to prevent integration of their public schools. In return, the National Guard was sent to force states to implement federal regulations. This scenario illustrates which of the following about the relationship between the state and national governments?

The debate over the role of the national government and state powers is ongoing.

Which of the following experiences most likely influenced the perspective conveyed in the passage?

The debt crisis of the 1780s which the national government was unable to address due to lack of authority

The primary function of political action committees (PAC's) is to

raise campaign funds to support favored candidates

In The Federalist 10, which of the following did James Madison argue would best control the negative effects of factions?

A large federal republic

Which of the following best explains how parties link citizens to the electoral process?

Parties send volunteers to knock on doors to register voters.

The franking privilege refers to the

right of members of Congress to send mail to their constituents at the government's expense

In the passage, Brutus is most concerned with the conflict between which of the following political ideas?

Participatory democracy and elite democracy

Which of the following excerpts from the passage best describes the author's reason for opposing an expansion of the scope of the federal government?

"... [I]t is impossible to have a representation, possessing the sentiments, and of integrity, to declare the minds of the people, without having it so numerous and unwieldy, as to be subject in great measure to the inconveniency of a democratic government."

Which of the following excerpts from Article I of the United States Constitution resolves a problem described by the author?

"The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;"

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates from larger states argued that each state's representation in the legislature should be proportional to its population. Smaller states argued that each state should have equal representation, regardless of population. The disagreement over representation threatened to derail the ratification of the United States Constitution. Which statement accurately describes the compromise that led to both sides reaching agreement?

A bicameral legislature with an upper house representing each state equally and a lower house with representation proportional to each state's population

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.

Which of the following is an accurate summary of James Madison's argument in The Federalist 10?

A large republic presents more opportunities for groups to participate, compete, and limit each other.

When party members meet to nominate a candidate for office, they participate in which of the following?

Caucus

Which of the following describes a possible method that can check the power of the president who willingly violates the constitutional balance of power as described in the passage?

Congress can impeach and remove a president who is unable or unwilling to perform his or her official functions.

Which of the following statements accurately describes the majority opinion of the Supreme Court in United States v. Lopez (1995) ?

Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime.

Which of the following would result from the direct election of presidential candidates?

Each vote would count equally in determining which candidate won the election.

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

As a compromise, the framers agreed on a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives elected by popular vote within states and the Senate selected by state legislatures. The direct election method conforms most to which of the following democratic ideals?

Government should be based on the consent of the governed.

The advantages of incumbency in congressional elections include which of the following? 1. Incumbents receive more campaign contributions than do challengers. 2. Incumbents are able to provide important services for individual voters. 3. The government provides campaign funds for incumbents. 4. The President usually endorses incumbents for reelection. Most American voters believe Congress does a good job.

I and II only

The use of direct primaries instead of the convention system in selecting presidential candidates results in which of the following? 1. A weakening of party control over nominations 2. A reduction in the costs of election campaigns 3. An increase in the number of people involved in the choice of candidates 4. An increase in voter turnout in midterm elections

I and III only

Which of the following cases expanded the powers of Congress by defining the necessary and proper clause more broadly?

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Which of the following statements would the author of the passage most likely agree with?

Nations with extended territory cannot fairly represent their citizens in a republican form of government.

The Declaration of Independence cites specific reasons for separating from British rule, including the British imposing taxes and maintaining a standing army without consent. Which of the following principles or ideas would these grievances be most related to?

Natural rights such as life, liberty, and property

Which of the following scenarios reflects the most direct effect of the practice described in the passage on the electoral process?

Political parties will rely increasingly on social media advertising to reach different coalitions of voters.

Which of the following political processes would best solve the problem regarding the system of checks and balances, as articulated by the author in the passage?

The Supreme Court rules that legislation permitting the president to launch military strikes without congressional approval is unconstitutional.

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.

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.

The practice of "microtargeting" described in the passage is an even more powerful campaign tool for parties if they are able to

collect and manage large databases of information on specific groups of voters

In order to appease both Federalists and Anti-Federalists, it was agreed at the Constitutional Convention that a group of delegates would be charged with selecting the president. This would ensure that

the most capable individuals would decide which candidate would be president

The concept of realignment refers to changes in

the social bases of the parties' voting support

Critical elections in the United States typically have occurred

when groups of voters have changed their traditional patterns of party loyalties