AP GOV MIDTERM
Which of the following scenarios, related to the First Amendment, best illustrates the "right . . . to petition the Government . . ." ? Responses
A citizen calls a member of Congress to persuade her to vote yes on a bill.
Which of the following would be considered an instance in which time, place, and manner restrictions would be applied to the First Amendment? Responses
A city enforces its laws restricting noise to limit the scale of an outdoor concert event intended to raise public awareness of climate change.
Which of the following decisions 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? Responses
A decision in favor of students holding signs that protest a new policy
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?
A delegation of power from the state governments to the federal government, increasing the power of the United States government
Which of the following scenarios illustrates an action that would be protected by the free exercise clause in the First Amendment?
A person wears a necklace bearing a Christian cross to work.
Which of the following scenarios illustrates how social media has changed the way presidents relate to the public? Responses
A president announcing a major policy initiative via the Internet rather than calling a press conference
Which of the following is most likely to be considered speech that is protected by the First Amendment? Responses
An individual posts something on social media that is highly critical of the president.
Which of the following sections of the United States Constitution is most related to the case Marbury v. Madison (1803) ? Responses
Article III
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 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.
Which of the following is an example of a power exclusively granted to the Senate in Article II of the Constitution?
Confirming Ambassadors
In 1998, Goodyear employee Lilly Ledbetter filed suit against her employer for pay discrimination based on her gender. Though Ledbetter was initially successful, Goodyear appealed the decision and the case went to the Supreme Court. In Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (2007), the Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 requires that sex discrimination complaints must be made within 180 days "after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred," which Ledbetter had failed to do. Which of the following actions could be taken to reverse the impact of the decision? Responses
Congress could enact legislation to amend Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates delegated discretionary authority?
Congress giving the Environmental Protection Agency the power to establish national pollution standards
The mission of the Department of Transportation is to ensure the safety and efficiency of the transportation system. The Department of Transportation has accepted public comments regarding the safety of automated vehicles in the United States in order to establish standards and guidelines for this new technology. Which of the following concepts is most related to the scenario?
Delegated discretionary authority
Which of the following constitutional clauses was most relevant to the right to privacy? Responses
Due Process clause
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?
Exclusive Powers
Which of the following is an example of congressional oversight?
Holding hearings for review of an executive agency's activities
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate?
House of RepresentativesSenateDebate on bills is limitedDebate on bills can be unlimited
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate?
House of RepresentativesSenateThe Constitution's framers intended it to reflect the will of the people.The Constitution's framers designed it to represent the interests of the states.
Which of the following statements about the Senate is true?
Individual senators can exercise substantial influence over the legislative process.
Which of the following is true of an executive agreement made between a United States President and another head of state?
It does not require Senate approval, but may require congressional allocation of funds for implementation.
The doctrine of stare decisis is significant for which of the following reasons?
It is the principle that affirms that courts are bound by prior decisions.
In Engel v. Vitale (1962), which of the following provides the legal reasoning behind the Supreme Court's ruling?
It ruled that the state had no justifiable interest to compel students to listen to a nondenominational prayer led by public school teachers, finding a clear establishment clause violation.
"If, therefore, the legislature pass any laws, inconsistent with the sense the judges put upon the constitution, they will declare it void; and therefore in this respect their power is superior to that of the legislature." Brutus 15 Which of the following cases is most related to the quote? Responses
Marbury v Madison (1803)
In the majority opinion of a United States Supreme Court case, Justice Alito wrote, "we now turn directly to the question whether the...right to keep and bear arms is incorporated in the concept of due process. In answering that question, . . . we must decide whether the right to keep and bear arms is fundamental to our scheme of ordered liberty." Which Supreme Court case is most aligned with Justice Alito's reasoning to treat gun ownership for self-defense as a fundamental liberty?
McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
Shortly after the 2008 election, President Obama appointed outspoken and controversial House member Rahm Emanuel to lead his White House as chief of staff, the head of the Executive Office of the President. The selection drew criticism from Republican leaders, including House minority leader John Boehner, who remarked that the selection "is an ironic choice for a president-elect who has promised to change Washington, make politics more civil, and govern from the center." Which of the following explains how Congress could legitimately respond to the appointment?
Members of Congress could issue statements opposing the appointment but have no formal power to block it.
Which of the following best reflects the holding in the case Baker v. Carr (1962) ?
Opened the door to Equal Protection Clause challenges to redistricting by deciding that such cases could be reviewed by federal courts.
The Web site healthcare.gov was launched on October 1, 2013, to help citizens purchase health insurance for themselves in accordance with the Affordable Care Act. Within two hours of launch the site crashed. Once it was restored, problems continued, leading to difficulty for users. The following year, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius was called to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee to discuss the issue. The committee held this hearing as part of which of the following functions? Responses
Oversight
The majority party in the Senate is concerned that the Supreme Court has made a number of ideologically dangerous and controversial rulings. Which of the following actions could be taken by the Senate to limit the Supreme Court's power?
Pass legislation already passed by the House that would limit the impact of the Supreme Court's recent rulings
Which of the following situations is an example of the president using the bully pulpit as a tool for agenda setting? Responses
President Reagan delivering a televised address urging a reduction in federal taxes
In November 2014, President Obama announced an expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program through an executive order. The policy would protect over 700,000 more children of undocumented immigrants from deportation. Republican members of Congress denounced the order as an abuse of executive power. Previously, members of the House of Representatives had voted to defund the program. This scenario best illustrates which of the following?
Presidents exert informal powers when their policy agenda conflicts with that of Congress.
A group unhappy with local law enforcement distributes a memo to members encouraging physical confrontations with police officers. The leaders of the group are promptly arrested. Which of the following Supreme Court cases best justifies the actions taken by law enforcement in this scenario?
Schenck v. United States (1919)
In Worcester v. Georgia (1832), the United States Supreme Court ruled that a Georgia law violated the U.S. Constitution. In response to Chief Justice John Marshall's majority opinion, President Andrew Jackson said, "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it." Which of the following ideas regarding government does President Jackson's statement exhibit? Responses
Since the Supreme Court has no enforcement mechanism, the executive and legislative branches can restrict its decisions by delaying their implementation.
The Supreme Court upholds a law passed by Congress as constitutional. The chief justice states in the majority opinion that previous decisions supporting Congress' power to make laws based on the commerce clause of the Constitution were the basis for the decision. Which of the following legal concepts did the chief justice apply in writing the opinion? Responses
Stare decisis
The boundary lines of congressional districts are drawn by
State Legislatures
Which of the following explains how the bureaucracy can address a problem shown in the infographic? Responses
The Department of Transportation can write stronger regulations on freight volume.
Which of the following is likely to occur as a result of new legislation regarding automobile safety?
The Department of Transportation will be given discretionary authority to create auto regulations.
Which of the following amendments to the Constitution most likely provides the basis for a driver to challenge the constitutionality of police use of sobriety checkpoints in enforcing drunk driving laws?
The Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure
Which of the following is an accurate description of the decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) ? Responses
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.
When a lower court decision is appealed to the Supreme Court, which of the following is most likely to occur?
The Supreme Court will reconsider the case, and overturn the lower court decision.
Which of the following is the primary reason for the tensions that exist between the legislative and executive branches of the federal government? Responses
The branches have different constituencies with different interests.
In McDonald v. Chicago (2010), the United States Supreme Court held that the Constitution protects the right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self-defense and that the Second Amendment applied to the states through which of the following constitutional clauses? Responses
The due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment
In the case Wickard v. Filburn (1942), Roscoe Filburn was penalized for producing 12 acres of wheat above his allotment under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938. The law, justified under Congress' power to regulate interstate commerce, limited the amount of wheat an individual could grow. This regulation would keep prices from dropping and prevent farmers from going bankrupt. Filburn claimed that the excess wheat was for his own use, and challenged that no interstate commerce was involved. The Supreme Court ruled that the commerce clause allowed the government to regulate Filburn's personal wheat production, even though it was only indirectly related to interstate commerce. Which of the following was a likely result of the decision in Wickard v. Filburn that contributed to the Court's later decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) ? Responses
The expansive interpretation of the commerce clause by the Supreme Court which greatly extended the power of Congress drew criticism that eventually led to a narrower interpretation.
The United States Supreme Court has used which of the following to incorporate the Bill of Rights into state law?
The fourteenth amendment
In the early part of the twenty-first century, public opinion polls showed that a majority of Americans believed it should be illegal to burn the American flag. As a result, many members of Congress introduced amendments to make it illegal to burn or desecrate the American flag. However, these efforts have been unsuccessful. Which of the following statements best explains why these efforts have been unsuccessful? Responses
The framers made the amendment process difficult in order to protect individual rights.
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 heavy presumption against prior restraint
Which of the following is one of the central concerns of the First Amendment?
The right of citizens to petition the government for redress of grievances
Which of the following is the best predictor of the Department of Education's annual budget? Responses
The size of the previous year's budget
Which of the following features of the United States Constitution would most concern the author of Brutus 1? Responses
The supremacy clause, which gives the federal government supremacy over states
All of the following serve as checks on the power of the federal courts EXCEPT:
The voters can oust federal judges in national elections.
Which of the following best reflects a function of the Supreme Court in Article III of the Constitution?
To serve as the highest court of appeals
Which of the following is an action a president can take to rally public support for the administration's legislative agenda?
Use the State of the Union Address to pressure Congress to pass a bill lowering income taxes.
Which of the following cases decided whether a state could compel children to attend school beyond eighth grade even if it violated the students' sincerely held religious beliefs? Responses
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
According to James Madison, which of the following best controls the effects of faction?
a large republic
A committee chair in the House of Representatives is always
a member of the majority party in the chamber
The United States Constitution says that Congress has the power to coin money.This is an example of
an enumerated power
One of the formal tools used by Congress for oversight of the bureaucracy is Responses
authorization of spending
When a bill passes the House and the Senate in different versions, the bill is resolved by which of the following types of committee?
conferance
In 2012, after negotiations on a bill in Congress failed, President Obama issued an executive order that protected from deportation individuals illegally brought to the United States as children by their parents. The president took this action because Responses
disagreement between congressional leaders and the president on the issue meant that a compromise on a bill was not likely
The term "bicameralism" refers to the
establishment of two legislative chambers that have different structures and rules
The process of extending the protections of the Bill of Rights by means of the Fourteenth Amendment to apply to the actions of state governments is known as
incorporation
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are examples of
independent agencies
The clear-and-present danger test devised by the Supreme Court was designed to define the conditions under which public authorities could
limit free speech
The federal Constitution guarantees all of the following rights to a person arrested and charged with a serious crime EXCEPT the right to
negotiate a plea bargain
The data illustrate that most conservatives believe that the United States Constitution
outlines a framework for government that the Supreme Court should apply strictly regardless of the political or personal preferences of judges
All of the following are formal or informal sources of presidential power EXCEPT Responses
presidential authority to raise revenue
A policy that sets emission standards for automobiles is an example of
regulatory policy
When independent regulatory agencies make rules, enforce those rules, and adjudicate disputes arising under those rules, they risk violating the constitutional concept of
separation
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 doctrine of original intent holds that
the meaning of the Constitution depends on the intention of the framers
An advantage that bureaucrats in federal government have over the President in the policymaking process is that bureaucrats
usually have a continuity of service in the executive branch that the President lacks
