ap gov final - unit 1
Which of the following is the most likely consequence of divided government?
Delays in confirmation of federal court nominees
Which of the following is a fundamental element of the United States Constitution?
Division of government authority across political institutions
In the Constitution as originally ratified in 1788, the provisions regarding which of the following most closely approximate popular, majoritarian democracy?
Election of members of the House of Representatives
Which of the following accurately characterizes the main difference between elite theories and pluralist theories of politics in the United States?
Elite theories argue that a single minority dominates politics in all policy areas; pluralist theories argue that many minorities compete for power in different policy areas.
Unlike the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution does which of the following?
Emphasizes both national sovereignty and federalism.
Which of the following constitutional principles most directly addresses the relationship between the national and state governments?
Federalism
Which of the following characteristics best explains the data on the map?
Federalism creates differences between states on the implementation of health-care policy.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the arguments made in The Federalist 10 and Brutus 1 ?
Federalist 10 - most dangerous Brutus 1 - small republics
Which of the following public policy problems is most likely to result from the situation shown in the chart?
Government employees may become responsible for larger bodies of regulation than they can effectively monitor.
Which of the following ideals of democracy is reflected in the procedure for apportionment in the House of Representatives?
Government is based on the consent of the governed.
Under the Articles of Confederation, which of the following were true?
I and III
Which of the following statements can be supported from information in the table above?
I, III, and IV only
The Warren Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education (1954) demonstrates which of the following about Supreme Court decisions?
Ideological changes in the composition of the Supreme Court have led to the rejection of an existing precedent.
The Connecticut (Great) Compromise drafted at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 is significant for which of the following reasons?
It proposed a Senate with equal representation for each state and a House of Representatives with membership established according to the population of each state.
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 debates is at the center of the national conversation regarding the surveillance program referred to in this scenario?
Liberty versus stability and order
Which of the following is the best example of a categorical grant?
Money given to states for special education programs
Which of the following statements best reflects James Madison's beliefs about political representation as expressed in the passage?
People are best represented by a few politicians chosen to voice their issues.
Which of the following best captures the author's argument regarding the forms of democracy?
Pluralist democracy, though it involves groups at different stages of the process of developing policy, excludes a significant portion of the population.
Which of the following actions by the federal government best illustrates the concept of unfunded mandates?
Requiring states and municipalities to provide certain services for their citizens without providing resources to pay for those services
The increasing number of state and local government employees reflects which of the following about the political system in the United States?
State and local governments provide many necessary public services in a federal system.
Which of the following is the most accurate interpretation of the political cartoon?
State governments prefer federal funding but do not want federal oversight over how the money is spent.
Which of the following is the most reasonable implication of James Madison's argument in The Federalist 46 ?
States can resist the federal government's encroachments more readily than the federal government can oppose state policies, leading to a federal system based on a foundation of states.
Which of the following scenarios best exemplifies Madison's argument in The Federalist 46 ?
States creating universal health care for their state even though the federal government does not endorse such a policy.
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?
Supremacy clause
Which of the following statements is supported by the data on the map?
Texas (TX) has a higher rate of uninsured people than New Jersey (NJ).
In what respect does the Constitution address Washington's concern regarding the "spirit of encroachment" expressed in the excerpt?
The Constitution distributes power across national institutions.
The language in the first paragraph of the selection most closely parallels that of which of the following documents?
The Declaration of Independence
Which of the following is an accurate description of the decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) ?
The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 was struck down as unconstitutional because it exceeded the commerce clause.
The House of Representatives impeaches the president. Which of the following scenarios represents how bicameralism is used as a check on the vote to impeach?
The Senate deliberates the case and votes to determine the president's guilt or innocence.
Which of the following is an example of the constitutional design of checks and balances?
The Senate rejects a president's nomination for secretary of state.
Of the following, which has been used most to expand the power of the national government?
The commerce clause of the Constitution
Which of the following was the most important effect of replacing the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution of 1787?
The creation of a strong national government
Which of the following is the best example of a constitutional concept that supports the vision of the United States as a union of states, rather than a union of individual citizens?
The electoral college
Which of the following best defines the constitutional interpretation of federalism?
The federal government and the states have separate but overlapping powers; where these powers conflict the federal government prevails.
In the passage, Hamilton is concerned that under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government does not have sufficient constitutional powers to gain compliance from state governments. Which of the following is a way that the Constitution allows the federal government to address this problem?
The federal government can pass laws that allow it to fine or tax individuals directly.
Which of the following scenarios illustrates a solution for the problem of getting states to comply with federal government policies, as described in the passage?
The federal government can withhold highway funds from states that do not raise the age to drink alcohol to 21.
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 scenarios best illustrates the concept of concurrent powers?
The federal government provides about 25% of the total funding for highways and transit in the United States, while the other 75% of the funding comes from states.
Which of the following is a correct statement about the federal government's role in interstate commerce?
The federal government's role has been greatly expanded through the interpretation of the interstate commerce clause.
Which of the following best describes the influence of social contract theory on the Constitution of the United States?
The framers attempted to legitimize the Constitution through an appeal to popular sovereignty.
However, these efforts have been unsuccessful. Which of the following statements best explains why these efforts have been unsuccessful?
The framers made the amendment process difficult in order to protect individual rights.
Which of the following is commonly identified as a failure of the Articles of Confederation?
The national government lacked an effective power to raise revenue.
Which of the following clauses in the Constitution justifies the "implied powers doctrine" ?
The necessary and proper clause
Which of the following is true based on information on the map?
The poverty rate in the United States varies by state and region.
Which of the following resulted from this Supreme Court decision?
The power of the national government was strengthened.
Which of the following is an example of how separation of powers creates friction between the executive and legislative branches in the policy-making process?
The president threatens to issue an executive order to address climate concerns if Congress continues to refuse to take action.
Which of the following is an example of checks and balances in action in the United States government?
The president vetoes a bill passed by Congress.
By using the phrase "creative federalism," President Johnson is most likely referring to which of the following features of the American system?
The relationship between the national and state governments evolves over time and is flexible enough to permit new forms of interaction.
Which of the following is an example of checks and balances, as established by the Constitution?
The requirement that presidential appointments to the Supreme Court be approved by the Senate
The debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists were primarily about which of the following issues?
The scope of power of the central government
Which of the following features of the United States Constitution would most concern the author of Brutus 1?
The supremacy clause, which gives the federal government supremacy over states
The process in the diagram reflects which of the following about the perspective of the framers on constitutional government?
The system should be able to accommodate political change, but the process for change should incorporate checks and balances.
Concurrent powers have which of the following effects on the United States political system?
They make it possible for the states and the national government to simultaneously exercise influence in the same areas of public policy.
Which of the following best describes Madison's primary concern about representative government?
Those who seek to represent the people may be tempted to act in their own interests instead.
Which of the following is a method by which Congress is likely influencing state policy being depicted in the cartoon?
Unfunded mandates
Which of the following newspaper headlines best summarizes the excerpt from Washington's Farewell Address?
Washington Warns of Dangerous Party Factions
The Connecticut (Great) Compromise provided for
a bicameral legislature with one house's composition based upon state population and another's on equal state representation
The Americans with Disabilities Act, which provides protections for the disabled, is an example of
a federal mandate
The framers of the Constitution intended to establish
a representative republic
All of the following are consequences of the federal system in the United States EXCEPT
a strict division of power among levels of government
The practical effect of this clause has been to
allow the national government to extend its powers beyond those enumerated in the Constitution
In The Federalist papers, James Madison expressed the view that political factions
are undesirable but inevitable in a free nation
The legislative process at the national level reflects the intent of the framers of the Constitution to create a legislature that would
be cautious and deliberate
Brutus was an example of an Anti-Federalist because he
believed a centralized government posed a major threat to individual rights
States and localities have the most discretion in establishing policy when federal funding is derived from
block grants
All of the following were concerns about the Articles of Confederation that led to the calling of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 EXCEPT
dissatisfaction over safeguards of individual rights and liberties
In a federal system of government, political power is primarily
divided between the central government and regional governments
The term "bicameralism" refers to the
establishment of two legislative chambers that have different structures and rules
The supremacy clause in the Constitution states that
federal law takes precedence over state law when the laws conflict
Diversity of public policy throughout the United States is primarily a consequence of
federalism
As originally ratified, the United States Constitution included provisions designed to
increase the economic powers of the central government
The framers of the United States Constitution left decisions on voting eligibility to the
individual states
In The Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that factions in a republic are
natural but controllable by institutions
Of the following, the most significant difference between the Constitution of 1787 and the Articles of Confederation was that the Constitution
provided for a strong national government with many powers, while the Articles created a weak central government with few independent powers
After a constitutional amendment has been proposed by both houses of Congress, its adoption requires
ratification by three-fourths of the states
The congressional power that has been contested most frequently in the federal courts is the power to
regulate interstate commerce
Enumerated powers of the federal government include all of the following EXCEPT the power to
regulate intrastate commerce
The Americans with Disabilities Act was widely unpopular with governors and mayors because it
required that states and cities pay for federally mandated construction and remodeling
The Tenth Amendment to the Constitution has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to
reserve powers to the states
When independent regulatory agencies make rules, enforce those rules, and adjudicate disputes arising under those rules, they risk violating the constitutional concept of
separation of powers
The most significant trend in federal-state relations during the 1980s was
shifting the responsibilities and costs for many programs to state governments
The clause in the United States Constitution that states that federal law will prevail in the event of a conflict between federal and state law is known as the
supremacy clause
One example of constitutional checks and balances is
the House can impeach federal judges and the president, and the Senate holds the impeachment trial
In the United States political system, the term Federalism refers to
the division of powers between the levels of government
Throughout most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, most African Americans were prevented from voting in many Southern states despite the Fifteenth Amendment, which extended the right to vote to African American males. Southern states were able to take this action because
the framers allowed the individual states to create voting processes and voter qualifications
All of the following issues were decided at the Constitutional Convention EXCEPT
voting qualifications of the electorate
According to the chart, in which of the following years (approximately) did the number of federal military personnel fall below that of federal civilian personnel?
1990
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the checks held by the legislative and judicial branches?
A - Impeaching and removing federal judges - Declaring an entire law unconstitutional
According to James Madison, which of the following best controls the effects of faction?
A large republic
Which of the following statements about the federal government between 1948 and 1978 is supported by the chart?
A relatively stable number of employees administered larger federal budgets and enforced more regulations.
Which of the following is an example of checks and balances?
A rule issued by a bureaucratic agency may be declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Which of the following is argued by James Madison in The Federalist paper number 10?
A system of republican representation helps to limit the excesses of factionalism.
Which of the following is NOT a trait of a liberal democracy?
Achieving income equality
The decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) reflected new ideas about federalism at the time that can be best characterized by which of the following?
Acknowledgement of the limitations of national power and a recognition of the reserved power of the states.
Which of the following sections of the United States Constitution most concerns Madison according to the passage?
Article I, Section 2—"The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature."
The process shown in the diagram is outlined in which of the following parts of the United States Constitution?
Article V
Based on The Federalist 21, which of the following arguments about government would Hamilton likely agree with?
As a practical matter, the laws of the national government ought to have supremacy over state laws.
Which of the following is a correct comparison between the United States Constitution and the Articles of Confederation?
B - Granted Congress the power to levy taxes - Granted states alone the power to levy taxes
Which of the following pair of Supreme Court cases best illustrates how views of federalism have shifted in the United States?
B - McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) - United States v. Lopez (1995)
Which of the following forms of financial aid from the national government gives the states the broadest discretion in the spending of money?
Block grants
Which of the following policies would the states most likely prefer according to the political cartoon?
Block grants
In The Federalist 10, James Madison argued that the new constitution would help control faction by doing which of the following?
By creating a large republic, the new constitution made it less likely that a faction could gain enough power to completely dominate.
Which of the following is the correct pairing of powers found in the Articles of Confederation and powers found in the Constitution?
C - Unicameral legislature - Bicameral legislature
Which of the following actions did President Johnson suggest he would take to address problems in public schools?
Calling on experts to advise the federal government in finding ways to improve public education
Which of the following is a consequence of having concurrent powers within a federal system of government?
Citizens and interest groups seeking policy change can choose from multiple access points.
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?
Concurrent powers
Which of the following powers allows both the federal and state governments to make policies involving taxation?
Concurrent powers
The decision of the Supreme Court upheld the principle that
Congress has the power to make laws to carry out its constitutional duties
All of the following are ways that the legislative branch can check the powers of the executive branch EXCEPT:
Congress may pass a law declaring a presidential action unconstitutional.