AP Government Practice Exam Part A
(Breakdown of paid election expenses chart) What conclusion can be drawn about the data in this chart?
Advertising accounted for the largest portion of the campaign budget in 2008.
(New Bedford walking graphic) Based on data in the table, what conclusion can be drawn about why Anti-Federalists opposed larger government?
Anti-Federalists believed smaller governments create closer connections between representatives and citizens, leading to better people being selected for office.
Which of the following accurately compares Congress's authority to appropriate funds and its taxing powers?
Appropriation: Allocates funding for programs Taxing Powers: Levies duties
(The presidency is just one problem after another graphic) Which of the following concepts is reflected in the message of the political cartoon?
Checks and balances
How has the advent of social media most changed citizens' relationships with their government?
Government now has more avenues to reach the public.
(Roosevelt's Farewell Message graphic) Based on the cartoon, which conclusion about Roosevelt's perspective on government policy toward big business might be drawn?
Government should take a more hands-on approach to developing market regulations.
In the case of Fletcher v. Peck (1810), Georgia sold large tracts of land to speculators in 1795. A few years later, the Georgia legislature voided the sale in response to public outcry that the original agreement was conducted with bribes. In the intervening period, Robert Fletcher, a land speculator, had purchased a tract of land from John Peck, who had acquired the land from the original agreement in 1795. Fletcher took Peck to court, arguing that he had no right to sell the land and that the sale was a breach of contract. The Court's decision favored Peck based on the argument that bills of attainder and ex post facto laws are unconstitutional. Source: Oyez.org Which of the following statements accurately characterizes the Supreme Court's action in the scenario?
Judicial restraint motivated the decision in Fletcher, as the guidance from the Constitution stipulated that Congress cannot annul past legislation and grants.
Which of the following correctly compares Marbury v. Madison (1803) and Article III of the Constitution on the issue of judicial review?
Marbury v. Madison: Established the power of judicial review Article III: Delegates the power of judicial review
(Legislation flow chart) How can a president influence compliance monitoring of a regulation that is at odds with the goals of the administration?
Propose an amendment during the legislative process
A published newspaper editorial calls for a massive peaceful protest in Washington, D.C. Which statement explains why this newspaper editorial is protected under the First Amendment?
Supreme Court precedent states that publicizing peaceful protest is a protected action.
(TSA Agent image) How does this image reflect how the institutions of the federal government use their power to create a functioning government?
The agency creates policies and procedures to implement legislation about airline safety.
(Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation graphic) Which fundamental weakness of the Articles of Confederation is made evident in the political cartoon?
The sovereignty of state governments over the national government
We gather today to say that we insist on equal protection under the law for every American, for workers' rights, women's rights, for the rights of religious freedom, the rights of individual privacy, for the rights of sexual preference. We come together for the rights of all American people. ... Today I stand with you. Election Day you stand with me. —Rev. Jesse Jackson, Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, October 11, 1987 What does this excerpt suggest about the speaker's purpose?
The speaker was suggesting changes in policy would be made through his successful candidacy.
Which of the following is a common difference between presidential elections and midterm elections?
Voter turnout is often higher during presidential elections than during midterm elections.
(Total pages code of regulations graph) What conclusion can be drawn about federal agency discretionary authority based on the graph?
When more regulations are added to the code, the implication is that discretionary authority in federal agencies has increased.
What pair represents an amendment and associated right that is addressed when the Supreme Court considers appeals to state death penalty statutes?
Amendment: Eight amendment Right: Protection from cruel and unusual punishment
Which core value of American political culture is enhanced by the ability of constituents to actively communicate with political parties through a party's social media accounts?
Democracy
(Blank Iron Triangle graphic) What organization would complete the Iron Triangle?
Environmental Protection Agency
(Total Pages, Code of Regulations graph) Which of the following statements is an accurate generalization about discretionary authority from 1950 to 2016?
Federal agencies were given more authority over their reporting groups as a result of the increasing number of regulations approved over the last few decades.
(Defendant with Attorney graphic) This scene is relatively common in modern courts because of which Supreme Court case ruling?
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Why is the trend of modern presidents engaging in armed conflicts without seeking a declaration of war by Congress considered by some to be a troubling use of presidential power?
It oversteps the war powers that are given to Congress.
[T]he several laws of the State of New York as prohibits vessels, licensed according to the laws of the United States, from navigating the waters of the State of New York by means of fire or steam is repugnant to the said Constitution, and void. This Court is therefore of opinion that the decree of the Court of New York ... is erroneous, and ought to be reversed ... —From Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) Which case has the same relationship to the commerce clause as Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)?
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
(State of Indiana License to Carry graphic) Which Supreme Court ruling made it possible for states to pass legislation further restricting the activities covered by the object in the image?
McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
(Salus-Grady Libel Law graphic) Which of the following Supreme Court case rulings supports the view expressed by the artist in this cartoon?
New York Times Co. v. United States (1971)
(Photograph of Members of the National Women's Party image) Protests such as the one in the image led to the passage of which constitutional amendment?
Nineteenth amendment
(Latest Spring Style cartoon) Which of the following is reflected in the message of the political cartoon?
Nominees to the Supreme Court must be prepared for difficult Senate confirmation hearings.
Which of the following is true of party caucuses and primary elections during the presidential election process?
Only a few states hold party caucuses, while most states hold primary elections.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of congressional oversight and executive action?
Oversight Power: Investigative Committees Executive Action: Nominate cabinet members
In 1992, three candidates ran for president. Democrat Bill Clinton won 43 percent of the popular vote and 370 electoral votes. Incumbent Republican George H.W. Bush won 37 percent of the popular vote and 168 electoral votes. Independent candidate Ross Perot, who ran on a platform advocating reduction of the federal deficit, won 19 percent of the popular vote and no electoral votes. Which of the following statements best explains these results?
Perot received no electoral votes because he did not win the popular vote in any state.
(Sign Ordering Japanese American Relocation image) The noted policy was created by an executive order. How else might a similar action be imposed?
Personal choice
Many Americans did not vote in the presidential election of 2016. When asked why they did not vote, almost 25 percent of them said that they did not like the candidates or the campaign issues. Which of the following factors influenced about a quarter of the nonvoters in the presidential election of 2016?
Personal choice
(Iron triangle graphic) What political concept is illustrated by the diagram?
Relationships between special interests and government
(The Bosses of Senate graphic) What does the political cartoon from 1889 reveal about the way iron triangles work?
Special interest groups influence policy makers' legislative decisions.
(Amendment process infographic) Which of the following statements best reflects the information in the infographic?
The Constitution was framed so it could be changed to meet the changing times of a growing country.
(filibuster Gorsuch image) Which statement about checks on governmental power is reflected in the image?
The Senate can use its constitutional role to oppose presidential nominations to the Supreme Court.
In 1924, Robert La Follette ran for president as a member of the Progressive Party. He gained 17 percent of the national popular vote. He also won his home state of Wisconsin and came in second place in 11 states. What structural barrier did Robert La Follette face in this scenario?
The candidate who wins the popular vote in most states receives the most electoral votes.
The results of public opinion polls show that a majority of the public in one state belongs to one political party and favors a bill banning plastic shopping bags. According to the same polls, so do most of the state's legislators. Who might the supporters of this initiative choose to lobby to increase their chances of success?
The chair of the Environmental Affairs Committee
I'm thrilled to be with a distinguished group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers from both the House and the Senate. We have something in common, we'd like to see this get done, and you know what this means. We are here today to advance bipartisan immigration reform that serves the needs of the American families, workers, and taxpayers. ... I'm appealing to everyone in the room to put the country before party, and to sit down and negotiate and to compromise, and let's see if we can get something done. —From President Donald Trump, January 8, 2018, welcoming bipartisan members of Congress to a televised "listening-session" on immigration, allowing the public to watch a real-time policy discussion. The individual in the excerpt would most likely agree with which of the following statements?
The president can most effectively share policy initiatives by utilizing available communication technologies.
(Political buttons graphic) The political buttons pictured here were worn to support ratification of which constitutional amendment?
26th amendment
A political party wins a majority of the seats in one house of a state legislature. However, members of that party are unable to pass a bill supported by most of the party's members in the house. What is a possible explanation for a chamber's inability to pass a bill supported by most of the members of the majority party?
A faction of the majority party who opposes the legislation threatens the majority's numeric superiority.
Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, my fellow Americans: [T]his can be a breakthrough year for America. After five years of grit and determined effort, the United States is better-positioned for the 21st century than any other nation on earth. ... As president, I'm committed to making Washington work better and rebuilding the trust of the people who sent us here. I believe most of you are, too. ... What I offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class. Some require congressional action and I'm eager to work with all of you. But America does not stand still—and neither will I. So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that's what I'm going to do. —From President Barack Obama, State of the Union address, January 28, 2014 Which of the following descriptions identifies the purpose of the State of the Union address as exemplified in the text?
A tool for the president to identify and promote agenda items
In a series of cases, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that race-based affirmative action could not be used by itself to increase diversity in college admissions. Study the graph of admissions at four state universities before and after race-based affirmative action programs ended. Based on this data, how did the Supreme Court's rulings regarding affirmative action affect enrollment of black and Hispanic students?
Although there was an initial drop at some schools, enrollment has grown.
What pair represents an amendment and associated right that would inform the treatment of convicted criminals?
Amendment: Eighth Amendment Right: Protection from Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Which statement best describes the balance of the political culture and legislation that reflects that culture in the United States?
American political culture engages in pluralism in order to represent the differing views of the public through debate and legislation.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of interest groups' realm of influence and a bias pertaining to direct access to decision-makers?
Area of influence: Defense contractors Bias: Develop and nurture personal contacts with senior congressional staff
(weaknesses of the articles of confederation graphic) Which of the following events arose from the situation depicted in the political cartoon?
Assembling of delegates to revise the Articles of Confederation
By its terms, the Labor Act [allowing employees to join a union without penalty] extends to employers, large and small, unless excluded by definition. ... Obviously what is determined as to these concerns may gravely affect a multitude of employers who engage in a great variety of private enterprises. ... It puts into the hands of a Board power of control over purely local industry beyond anything heretofore deemed permissible. —From the dissenting opinion, National Labor Relations Board v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. (1937), 5-4 decision Why was this case cited in connection with United States v. Lopez (1995)?
Both cases raised the concern of federal overreach
Because our constitutional structure leaves local criminal activity primarily to the states, we have generally declined to read federal law as intruding on that responsibility, unless Congress has clearly indicated that the law should have such reach. The Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act contains no such clear indication, and we accordingly conclude that it does not cover the unremarkable local offense at issue here. —From Bond v. United States (2014) In what way is the case Bond v. United States (2014) similar to United States v. Lopez (1995)
Both uphold state jurisdiction in criminal law.
SEC. 1. That all persons within the jurisdiction of the United States shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of inns, public conveyances on land or water, theatres, and other places of public amusement, subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to citizens of every race and color, regardless of any previous condition of servitude. —From the Civil Rights Act of 1875 This act was declared unconstitutional in 1883. Which case dealt with some of the same conditions that this Civil Rights Act tried to solve?
Brown v Board of Education
SEC. 1. That all persons within the jurisdiction of the United States shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of inns, public conveyances on land or water, theatres, and other places of public amusement, subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to citizens of every race and color, regardless of any previous condition of servitude. —From the Civil Rights Act of 1875 This legislation was ruled unconstitutional in 1883. Which of the following case rulings is consistent with the intent of the 1875 law?
Brown v Board of Education (1954)
(How banning affirmative action hurts black students' enrollment graph) Which case would have had to have precipitated the activity indicated the graph?
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
The president nominates an individual with a shared political ideology to serve as Secretary of State. In a divided government, how might the Senate be able to limit the president's agenda in this scenario?
By refusing to confirm the president's nominee
We also saw the use of social media in the 2016 presidential race. During the primary season, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders posted a total of 713 tweets in a three-week span. A month before the election, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton posted a combined 629 times on Facebook. —Excerpt from New Media and the United States Presidential Election, 2017 What does this excerpt reveal about the concept of political socialization?
Candidates can connect with and influence voters using social media.
What pair represents a Supreme Court case in which the court limited the powers of either the state or federal government?
Case: McCulloch v Maryland Level of Government Limited: state powers
Which action might a president take to ensure executive branch agencies act in ways that better align with the president's ideology?
Change the duties of an agency to match the president's agenda
[S]ome contending that the President ought alone to possess the power of making treaties; others, that it ought to have been exclusively deposited in the Senate. ... The essence of the legislative authority is to enact laws, or, in other words, to prescribe rules for the regulation of the society; while the execution of the laws, and the employment of the common strength, either for this purpose or for the common defense, seem to comprise all the functions of the executive magistrate. The power of making treaties is, plainly, neither the one nor the other. ... To have intrusted the power of making treaties to the Senate alone, would have been to relinquish the benefits of the constitutional agency of the President in the conduct of foreign negotiation. —From Federalist No. 75 Which of the following constitutional principles is common in both the excerpt and Federalist No. 51?
Checks and balances
Which of the following Supreme Court cases weakened legislation that had attempted to limit corporate spending in support of political campaigns?
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (FEC) (2010)
(Russo-Japanese war cartoon) Which of the following statements best captions the political cartoon?
Citizens rely on a free press to tell them what is going on in the world.
Contemporary political parties use party websites and popular social media services to achieve which of the following goals?
Clarify their political message to strengthen their base of support
To which of the following are federal regulatory agencies directly accountable?
Congress
Which of the following is an example of the principle of checks and balances?
Congress passes a new spending bill and the president vetoes the bill, indicating that it will raise the national debt.
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of congressional bodies' abilities to form coalitions?
Congressional Body: Senate Coalition Formation: Strong ability as longer terms allow coalitions
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of congressional bodies' rules and how they affect policy making?
Congressional body: Senate Effect: Longer debates because Senate has rule of cloture
(Public Opinion Trends and Roe v Wade graph) Which statement explains the opposing viewpoints toward the Roe v. Wade (1965) ruling shown in the data?
Conservative and liberal respondents hold opposing viewpoints on whether the role of the government is to restrict or expand access to abortion.
Earlier in this report we detailed various missed opportunities to thwart the 9/11 plot. Information was not shared, sometimes inadvertently or because of legal misunderstandings. Analysis was not pooled. Effective operations were not launched. Often the handoffs of information were lost across the divide separating the foreign and domestic agencies of the government. However the specific problems are labeled, we believe they are symptoms of the government's broader inability to adapt how it manages problems to the new challenges of the twenty-first century. The agencies are like a set of specialists in a hospital, each ordering tests, looking for symptoms, and prescribing medications. What is missing is the attending physician who makes sure they work as a team. —The 9/11 Commission Report, July 22, 2004 What challenge does this excerpt suggest each president faces in managing the federal bureaucracy?
Coordinating information and actions between many independent agencies
(Total pages code of regulations chart) Which of the following conclusions can be drawn regarding discretionary authority from 1950 to 2016?
Discretionary authority increased as a result of the increasing number of regulations approved from 1950 to 2016.
But this isn't just an abstract problem for political scientists. This has real impact on whether or not we can get things done together. This has a real impact on whether families are able to support themselves, or whether the homeless are getting shelter on a cold day. It makes a difference as to the quality of the education that kids are getting. This is not an abstraction. But so often, these debates, particularly in Washington but increasingly in state legislatures, become abstractions. It's as if there are no people involved, it's just cardboard cutouts and caricatures of positions. It encourages the kind of ideological fealty that rejects any compromise as a form of weakness. And in a big, complicated democracy like ours, if we can't compromise, by definition, we can't govern ourselves. —President Barack Obama, February 10, 2016 Based on the excerpt, which of the following would President Obama likely consider the greatest challenge facing Congress at the time?
Divided government
[T]his [current] system really lends itself to not getting along. It lends itself to hostility and anger, and they [Democrats] hate the Republicans. And they [Republicans] hate the Democrats. And in the old days of earmarks, you can say what you want about certain presidents and others, where they all talk about they went out to dinner at night and they all got along, and they passed bills. That was an earmark system. —President Trump reported in multiple media outlets, January 29, 2018 Which of the following statements summarizes President Trump's opinion on earmarking based on the excerpt?
Earmarking minimizes the effect of party favoritism.
(Roosevelt and his enemies graphic) Based on this cartoon created during the Roosevelt administration, what conclusion might be drawn about businesses and their supporters' reactions to economic policies they believe to be intrusive?
Efforts to regulate economic policy may result in businesses working with supporters to impede the president's agenda.
(Breakdown of paid election expenses graph) Which of the following is true according to the data in the chart?
Elected officials and candidates must secure a large portion of their budgets for advertising and in-person meetings with constituents.
(Breakdown of Paid Election Expenses graph) Which of the following is the most likely consequence of the data in the chart?
Elected officials and candidates will increase their exposure to voters by spending more on advertising.
A dual system of voter registration exists in Arizona. For state elections, eligible citizens must register for state elections by attaching documents such as a birth certificate to their voter registration forms. However, to vote in federal elections in Arizona, eligible citizens can vote by filling out a federal registration form under penalty of perjury and swearing that they are citizens. Both forms are readily available to eligible voters. What potential issue is most likely to occur in Arizona because of its dual registration system?
Eligible voters who have completed federal registration forms may be blocked from voting in state elections.
A local school board decides to provide transportation and pay other costs for a group of students to attend a religious, faith-based event out of town. Which of the following constitutional provisions or interpretations may have been violated in this scenario?
Establishment clause
(Sign Ordering Japanese American Relocation image) Aside from legislation itself, which instrument has the power of law to implement the actions described in the image?
Executive Order
The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection For the Independent Journal. To the People of the State of New York: A FIRM Union will be of the utmost moment to the peace and liberty of the States, as a barrier against domestic faction and insurrection. ... The regular distribution of power into distinct departments; the introduction of legislative balances and checks; the institution of courts composed of judges holding their offices during good behavior; the representation of the people in the legislature by deputies of their own election: these are wholly new discoveries, or have made their principal progress towards perfection in modern times. They are means, and powerful means, by which the excellences of republican government may be retained and its imperfections lessened or avoided. ... I shall venture ... to add one more, on a principle which has been made the foundation of an objection to the new Constitution; I mean the ENLARGEMENT of the ORBIT within which such systems are to revolve, either in respect to the dimensions of a single State or to the consolidation of several smaller States into one great Confederacy ... The proposed Constitution, so far from implying an abolition of the State governments, makes them constituent parts of the national sovereignty, by allowing them a direct representation in the Senate, and leaves in their possession certain exclusive and very important portions of sovereign power. This fully corresponds, in every rational import of the terms, with the idea of a federal government. PUBLIUS —The Federalist Papers, "No. 9" Adoption of the "Union" described in "Federalist No. 9" remedied which of the following problems facing the United States in the years after the American Revolution?
Fear of repeated citizen uprisings after Shays's Rebellion
The constitutional basis for allowing unlimited independent expenditures by corporations and labor unions for political advertising was found in which of the following amendments?
First amendment
(Salus-Grady Libel Law graphic) Which of the following statements best describes the purpose of the political cartoon?
Freedom of the press should not be limited by angry politicians.
In modern times, Presidents oversee a White House bureaucracy of substantial proportions. Recently, the Executive Office of the President has ranged from 1500-1900 persons, while the White House Office within it has had about 400-500 persons. Of course, these numbers do not count the cabinet departments and the various executive and independent agencies they regulate. A President who wants to control the executive branch must first master his own staff, the cabinet, and a cloud of other regulators... —Harold H. Bruff, "Presidential Power Meets Bureaucratic Expertise," Journal of Constitutional Law, February 2010 Based on this excerpt, which statement identifies a challenge the president faces in trying to get executive agencies to implement new policies?
Gaining compliance with presidential directives may be difficult due to the size of the federal bureaucracy.
While the Republicans did not do as well as they had hoped in [the 2002 congressional] elections for the United States House of Representatives, they made gains in the Texas House of Representatives and won a majority of seats in that body. This gave Texas Republicans control over both bodies of the state legislature, as well as the Governor's mansion, for the first time since Reconstruction. With full control of the State's legislative and executive branches, the Republicans 'decided to redraw the state's congressional districts solely for the purpose of seizing between five and seven seats from Democratic incumbents.' ... According to former Lieutenant Governor Bill Ratliff, a highly regarded Republican member of the State Senate, "political gain for the Republicans was 110% of the motivation for the Plan, ... it was 'the entire motivation.'" —Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, opinion on LULAC v. Perry et al. (2006) Based on the excerpt, which of the following issues would a voter in Texas most likely be concerned about?
Gerrymandering
(Miranda rights graphic) Which statement from this image is a direct result of the outcome of the Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)?
If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you.
Group polarization is prevalent not only in the offline world (e.g., in the form of geographic sorting) but also in the online world. Blogs reflecting different political views rarely link to each other, and online news consumption is also biased, much like offline news. —Excerpt from "Sharing Political News: The Balancing Act of Intimacy and Socialization in Selective Exposure," 2014 What does this excerpt reveal about the concept of political socialization?
Individuals' consumption of biased news shapes and reinforces their political attitudes and values.
(How much do you trust the following information sources graph) Which of the following statements summarizes public opinion regarding information platforms?
Information consumers trust people they know more than other media sources.
Which of the following depicts an accurate comparison of an interest group's decreasing potential influence based on an interest group's access to resources?
Interest Group's Focus: Economic groups Resources: Labor unions employ 2 percent of all lobbyists.
"I'm thrilled to be with a distinguished group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers from both the House and the Senate. We have something in common, we'd like to see this get done, and you know what this means. We are here today to advance bipartisan immigration reform that serves the needs of the American families, workers, and taxpayers. ... I'm appealing to everyone in the room to put the country before party, and to sit down and negotiate and to compromise, and let's see if we can get something done. —From President Donald Trump, January 8, 2018, welcoming bipartisan members of Congress to a televised "listening-session" on immigration, allowing the public to watch a real-time policy discussion. Which of the following statements regarding presidential use of communication technology is exemplified in the excerpt?
It allows opportunities for the president to directly connect with constituents.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces a new set of rules intended to limit water pollution from community sewage in rivers, imposing a substantial fine on communities that break the law. Which describes the source of authority allowing the agency to impose these fines?
It is in the law passed by Congress
Which describes how the Twenty-Fourth Amendment extended voting rights in the United States?
It prohibited Congress from imposing poll taxes in order to vote in federal elections, opening opportunities for all citizens to vote.
(State of Indiana License to Carry graphic) Which of the following statements is true based on the image?
It represents a Second Amendment right that has been incorporated.
(Legislation Flowchart) At which step in the process would federal regulations be revised to comply with authorizing legislation?
Judicial Review
Which of the following is an accurate statement about voter turnout in the United States?
Latinos are less likely to vote than are white, non-Hispanics.
(Public opinion on Roe v Wade graph) Individuals possessing which of the following political ideologies would most likely seek to continue the trend seen in the graph?
Liberal
What political ideology influenced the passing of Civil Rights Act of 1964?
Liberalism
Which political ideology would most oppose stricter gun laws and regulations?
Libertarianism
Which of the following two types of elections typically have the lowest voter turnout?
Local and statewide elections
(Top Five States for Earmarks graph) The data in this chart are indicative of which legislative technique?
Logrolling
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of Marbury v. Madison (1803) and Article III of the Constitution regarding the role of the Supreme Court in the system of checks and balances?
Marbury v Madison: Defined the Court's power to check both the executive and legislative branches Article III: Establishes how the Court can be checked by Congress
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of Marbury v. Madison (1803) and Article III of the Constitution?
Marbury v. Madison: Interpreted the Constitution by declaring acts of the legislative and executive branches in violation of the Constitution Article III: Establishes the Court and outlines its power
A person applies for a job to deliver mail for the United States Postal Service. As part of the hiring process, the person must take a test and participate in an interview. The person was offered the job because they had the highest test score. Which of the following terms best describes the employment approach in the scenario?
Merit-based
A person applies for a job with the United States Postal Service. As part of the hiring process, this person is asked to take a test that involves mathematics and reading a map. Which of the following best describes the employment approach in the scenario?
Merit-based
The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection For the Independent Journal. To the People of the State of New York: A FIRM Union will be of the utmost moment to the peace and liberty of the States, as a barrier against domestic faction and insurrection. ... The regular distribution of power into distinct departments; the introduction of legislative balances and checks; the institution of courts composed of judges holding their offices during good behavior; the representation of the people in the legislature by deputies of their own election: these are wholly new discoveries, or have made their principal progress towards perfection in modern times. They are means, and powerful means, by which the excellences of republican government may be retained and its imperfections lessened or avoided. ... I shall venture ... to add one more, on a principle which has been made the foundation of an objection to the new Constitution; I mean the ENLARGEMENT of the ORBIT within which such systems are to revolve, either in respect to the dimensions of a single State or to the consolidation of several smaller States into one great Confederacy ... The proposed Constitution, so far from implying an abolition of the State governments, makes them constituent parts of the national sovereignty, by allowing them a direct representation in the Senate, and leaves in their possession certain exclusive and very important portions of sovereign power. This fully corresponds, in every rational import of the terms, with the idea of a federal government. PUBLIUS —The Federalist Papers, "No. 9" Hamilton's arguments in "Federalist No. 9" would have held appeal to many Americans in the wake of which event?
Outbreak of Shay's Rebellion (1786-1787)
"Politics?" says Paul. "Now, that's a subject I'd hate to get started on. We're both Democrats all the way back, and I hope to see that party continue to govern the country ... Our local politics have me disgusted, I must admit ... trouble is so many people take no interest but I believe they are waking up to facts now. We never fail to vote and I do a good deal of reading in order to keep up with politics in general." —(Burnell, E. E., Haskins, P. A. & Haskins, M. (1939) The Haskins Family. Florida. [Manuscript/Mixed Material] Retrieved from the Library of Congress In the 1939 interview with Paul Haskins, he indicated that he and his family used a particular voting model to determine how to vote. Which of the following models did he use?
Party-line voting
Which of the following trends demonstrates the ability of political parties to adapt in order to best gain support for policy initiatives?
Political parties utilizing modern communication tools to communicate with constituents
(Top five states for earmarks graph) Based upon the information in the bar graph, which of the following statements is true?
Pork barrel legislation has resulted in more assistance for Alaska per capita than the other states in the chart.
Which statement describes the constitutional principle of separation of powers and the reasons for it?
Power needs to be distributed among different branches to limit any one branch from overtaking the others.
Which of the following accurately compares how Congress's power of the purse affects the executive branch's actions?
Power of the Purse: Pass legislation funding programs Impact on Executive Branch: Budget cuts for preferred programs
(Sign ordering Japanese American relocation graphic) Outside Congress, which government entity has the power to issue such a command as the one that is enforced in the poster?
President
[B]ureaucratic behavior is shaped in considerable part and in predictable ways by the backgrounds of those who populate the agencies and by the experiences they share during their service there. It is interesting to note that this pattern of agency context influencing bureaucratic behavior is perpetuated by the American civil service system where, even with the advent of the Senior Executive Service, civil servants are likely to spend their entire career in the same agency. —Marissa Martino Golden, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, January 1992 Based on the excerpt, which statement makes a valid claim about presidential policy directives and implementation by the bureaucracy?
Presidential directives are often implemented by civil servants with considerable experience in their government agency.
(How Much Do You Trust the Following Information Sources graph) Based on the data presented in the graph, which of the statements is true about the perceived trustworthiness of the information sources available to the public?
Print magazines are viewed as less trustworthy than consumer product reviews.
Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost. —John Quincy Adams Which political model for voting behavior is most aligned with this idea expressed by John Adams?
Rational choice voting
And that forever hereafter ... it shall be requisite, the Assistants and such of the freemen of the said Company, not exceeding six persons for Newport, four persons for each of the respective towns of Providence, Portsmouth and Warwick, and two persons for each other place, town or city, who shall be from time to time, thereunto elected or deputed by the major part of the freemen of the respective towns or places for which they shall be so elected or deputed, shall have a general meeting or assembly, then and there to consult, advise and determine in and about the affairs and business of the said Company and Plantations. —Rhode Island Royal Charter, 1663 Which fundamental principle of American democracy is reflected in this excerpt?
Republicanism
This administration will cooperate with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in his expressed desires to return more control of curriculum and selection of textbooks to local school districts. We will support his efforts to make recruitment of out-of-state teachers less difficult. On the subject of education...hundreds of thousands of young men and women will receive an education in our state colleges and universities. We are proud of our ability to provide this opportunity for our youth and we believe it is no denial of academic freedom to provide this education within a framework of reasonable rules and regulations. —Ronald Reagan, Governor of California, First Inaugural Address, January 5, 1967; The Governors' Gallery, California State Library The excerpt is an example of which of the following concepts?
Reserved powers
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of two Supreme Court cases?
Roe v Wade: Created a limited privacy in the area of abortion Gideon v Wainwright: Recognized the right to a state-provided attorney in criminal cases
(State of Indiana License to Carry a Handgun graphic) Through which means in McDonald v. Chicago (2010) did the U.S. Supreme Court attempt to balance the individual right to firearms with the function of the object in the image?
Selective Incorporation
(1826-1912 cartoon) This cartoon references changes in elections made by which of the following?
Seventeenth Amendment
If these states should either be wholly disunited, or only united in partial confederacies, a man must be far gone in Utopian speculations, who can seriously doubt that the subdivisions into which they might be thrown, would have frequent and violent contests with each other. To presume a want of motives for such contests, as an argument against their existence, would be to forget that men are ambitious, vindictive, and rapacious. To look for a continuation of harmony between a number of independent unconnected sovereignties, situated in the same neighbourhood, would be to disregard the uniform course of human events, and to set at defiance the accumulated experience of ages. —Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 6 Which of the following may have influenced Hamilton's views on confederacies and the distribution of government power?
Shays' Rebellion
Which of the following statements best describes the states' role in amending the Constitution?
State conventions can propose amendments and approve amendments by a supermajority, or three-fourths vote in state legislatures or state ratifying conventions.
The Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection For the Independent Journal. To the People of the State of New York: A FIRM Union will be of the utmost moment to the peace and liberty of the States, as a barrier against domestic faction and insurrection. ... The regular distribution of power into distinct departments; the introduction of legislative balances and checks; the institution of courts composed of judges holding their offices during good behavior; the representation of the people in the legislature by deputies of their own election: these are wholly new discoveries, or have made their principal progress towards perfection in modern times. They are means, and powerful means, by which the excellences of republican government may be retained and its imperfections lessened or avoided. ... I shall venture ... to add one more, on a principle which has been made the foundation of an objection to the new Constitution; I mean the ENLARGEMENT of the ORBIT within which such systems are to revolve, either in respect to the dimensions of a single State or to the consolidation of several smaller States into one great Confederacy ... The proposed Constitution, so far from implying an abolition of the State governments, makes them constituent parts of the national sovereignty, by allowing them a direct representation in the Senate, and leaves in their possession certain exclusive and very important portions of sovereign power. This fully corresponds, in every rational import of the terms, with the idea of a federal government. PUBLIUS —The Federalist Papers, "No. 9" The Articles of Confederation contradicted the form of government Hamilton proposed in "Federalist No. 9" in which of the following ways?
States were given sovereign authority, excluding powers expressly delegated to the national government.
A critic of the No Child Left Behind Act argues that the federal government has no power to intervene in public education, as it is a right reserved for the state. Which constitutional amendment supports the critic's argument?
Tenth amendment
[S]ome contending that the President ought alone to possess the power of making treaties; others, that it ought to have been exclusively deposited in the Senate. ... The essence of the legislative authority is to enact laws, or, in other words, to prescribe rules for the regulation of the society; while the execution of the laws, and the employment of the common strength, either for this purpose or for the common defense, seem to comprise all the functions of the executive magistrate. The power of making treaties is, plainly, neither the one nor the other. ... To have intrusted the power of making treaties to the Senate alone, would have been to relinquish the benefits of the constitutional agency of the President in the conduct of foreign negotiation. —From Federalist No. 75 Based on the text, with which of the following statements would the author most likely agree?
The Articles of Confederation contain fundamental flaws that render the government ineffective.
[S]ome contending that the President ought alone to possess the power of making treaties; others, that it ought to have been exclusively deposited in the Senate. ... The essence of the legislative authority is to enact laws, or, in other words, to prescribe rules for the regulation of the society; while the execution of the laws, and the employment of the common strength, either for this purpose or for the common defense, seem to comprise all the functions of the executive magistrate. The power of making treaties is, plainly, neither the one nor the other. ... To have intrusted the power of making treaties to the Senate alone, would have been to relinquish the benefits of the constitutional agency of the President in the conduct of foreign negotiation. —From Federalist No. 75 Which of the following statements reflects how the author of the excerpt indicates that the separation of powers is achieved in the national government?
The Constitution delegated the power to create treaties to the president.
In the case of Fletcher v. Peck (1810), Georgia sold large tracts of land to speculators in 1795. A few years later, the Georgia legislature voided the sale in response to public outcry that the original agreement was conducted with bribes. In the intervening period, Robert Fletcher, a land speculator, had purchased a tract of land from John Peck, who had acquired the land from the original agreement in 1795. Fletcher took Peck to court, arguing that he had no right to sell the land and that the sale was a breach of contract. The Court's decision favored Peck based on the argument that bills of attainder and ex post facto laws are unconstitutional. Which of the following accurately describes how the Court exercised judicial restraint in this case?
The Court used judicial restraint in favoring Peck by citing Article I of the Constitution.
SEC. 1. That all persons within the jurisdiction of the United States shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of inns, public conveyances on land or water, theatres, and other places of public amusement, subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to citizens of every race and color, regardless of any previous condition of servitude. —From the Civil Rights Act of 1875 Which constitutional provision empowered the passage of this civil rights legislation?
The Fourteenth Amendment
How is a president chosen if no candidate wins a majority of Electoral College votes?
The House of Representatives elects the president from the five candidates who won the most votes.
(Committee on Juidiciary Nomination Hearing graphic) Which statement explains how the event described in the image could cause tension between the branches of government?
The Senate can place a check on executive appointment powers by withholding confirmation.
(Supreme court justice retires graphic) Which statement explains how the event in the image could cause tension between the branches of government?
The Senate could check the power of the president by denying confirmation of a nominee to the Supreme Court.
A radio station hosts a guest who calls for everyone to march to city hall and remove the mayor from office. Which statement explains the Supreme Court's establishment of criteria that would make the speech in this scenario not protected by the First Amendment?
The Supreme Court weighs the protection of speech against the interests of public safety.
A new medical care insurance bill is passed by Congress, and the president signs it into law. A group of citizens challenges the law as unconstitutional. Which of the following developments would demonstrate a governmental check to this action?
The U.S. Supreme Court hears the case and rules in favor of the citizens, striking down the law.
Which of the following examples demonstrates how the Constitution resolved a key issue in the Articles of Confederation?
The creation of a national court system
Which of the following statements best describes the process for amending the Constitution of the United States?
The different methods of amending the Constitution allow either the states or federal government to initiate the process, with a supermajority of states giving approval.
(Accumulated gross federal debt graph) Which statement about the United States after 1792 provides the best explanation for the data shown in the graph?
The federal government did not have to rely on individual states to assess and collect taxes.
Read the excerpt from a summary of U.S. v. Talley (1999): Police officers executing a federal arrest warrant at a residence heard sounds indicating that a number of unexpected people were inside the home. The officers returned to their vehicles to get their bulletproof vests and then returned to the front door. After the defendant and another individual were secured by a police officer just inside the residence, the officer noticed other people inside the house who had not complied with the demand to come outside. The officer entered further into the residence to gain control of the unsecured subjects and tripped over a trash can that contained bullets and a magazine for a semiautomatic pistol. The officer returned to the two subjects and asked, "Where is the gun?" The defendant told the officer that the gun was inside a vacuum cleaner, from where it was retrieved. The defendant sought to suppress the gun, claiming the officer did not provide him his Miranda warnings first. The district court suppressed the defendant's statement, finding a violation of Miranda. The circuit court reversed and upheld the admissibility of the statement. Source: Public Domain Based on the evidence, why would the circuit court choose to reverse and uphold the admissibility of the defendant's statement?
The gun, ammunition, and unsecured people presented a public safety exclusion.
(Top Five states for earmarks graph) Which statement best connects the data to how representatives have used the lawmaking process to impact their districts?
The legislative process often includes earmarks, and Alaskan representatives have extensively used earmarks to bring programs to their home state.
(Accumulated Gross Federal Debt graph) Which of the following changes brought about by replacing the Articles of Confederation with the Constitution explains the trend depicted in the graph?
The new powers of Congress, one of which was to impose and collect taxes, took precedence over any state or local laws.
Read the excerpt from a summary of New York v. Quarles (1984): Respondent was charged in a New York state court with criminal possession of a weapon. The record showed that a woman approached two police officers who were on road patrol, told them that she had just been raped, described her assailant, and told them that the man had just entered a nearby supermarket and was carrying a gun. While one of the officers radioed for assistance, the other (Officer Kraft) entered the store and spotted respondent, who matched the description given by the woman. Respondent ran toward the rear of the store, and Officer Kraft pursued him with a drawn gun, but lost sight of him for several seconds. Upon regaining sight of respondent, Officer Kraft ordered him to stop and put his hands over his head; frisked him and discovered that he was wearing an empty shoulder holster; and, after handcuffing him, asked him where the gun was. Respondent nodded toward some empty cartons and responded that "the gun is over there." Officer Kraft then retrieved the gun from one of the cartons, formally arrested respondent, and read him his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U. S. 436. Respondent indicated that he would answer questions without an attorney being present and admitted that he owned the gun and had purchased it in Florida. The U.S. Supreme Court later upheld the admissibility of the statement given by the respondent under these circumstances. Source: Oyez.com Which statement describes why the suspect was not read the Miranda rights immediately after being detained by the officer?
The officer thought the public was in serious danger.
Read the excerpt from a summary of New York v. Quarles (1984): Respondent was charged in a New York state court with criminal possession of a weapon. The record showed that a woman approached two police officers who were on road patrol, told them that she had just been raped, described her assailant, and told them that the man had just entered a nearby supermarket and was carrying a gun. While one of the officers radioed for assistance, the other (Officer Kraft) entered the store and spotted respondent, who matched the description given by the woman. Respondent ran toward the rear of the store, and Officer Kraft pursued him with a drawn gun, but lost sight of him for several seconds. Upon regaining sight of respondent, Officer Kraft ordered him to stop and put his hands over his head; frisked him and discovered that he was wearing an empty shoulder holster; and, after handcuffing him, asked him where the gun was. Respondent nodded toward some empty cartons and responded that "the gun is over there." Officer Kraft then retrieved the gun from one of the cartons, formally arrested respondent, and read him his rights under Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U. S. 436. Respondent indicated that he would answer questions without an attorney being present and admitted that he owned the gun and had purchased it in Florida. The U.S. Supreme Court later upheld the admissibility of the statement given by the respondent under these circumstances. Source: Oyez.com On what grounds would the U.S. Supreme Court uphold the admissibility of the respondent's statement?
The officer's duty to protect public safety outweighed the respondent's Fifth Amendment rights.
(The Presidency is Just One Problem After Another graphic) Which of the following is an accurate statement about the message of the political cartoon?
The president must carefully consider who he intends to nominate to the Supreme Court, or the nominee might not make it through the Senate confirmation hearing.
(Iron Triangle Graphic) Based upon this image, which of the following scenarios are represented on the iron triangle?
The president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) testifies at a congressional hearing asking for more funds to stop drunk driving.
A new educational standards bill is approved by both houses of Congress. Which of the following developments would demonstrate a governmental check to this action?
The president vetoes the bill and returns it to Congress.
(How Much Do You Trust the Following Information Sources graph) Based on the graphic, which of the following statements represents information sources and their role in influencing public opinion about the news?
The public trusts information from people they know more than news from a company.
The Government says that health insurance and health care financing are "inherently integrated." But ... no matter how "inherently integrated" health insurance and health care consumption may be, they are not the same thing. ... The individual mandate forces individuals into commerce precisely because they elected to refrain from commercial activity. Such a law cannot be sustained under a clause authorizing Congress to "regulate Commerce." —From National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012) In what way does this case differ from McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?
The ruling found a federal law to be unconstitutional.
(How Banning of Affirmative Action Hurts Black Students' Enrollment graph) What conclusion about the Supreme Court's rulings restricting race-based affirmative action for college admissions can be drawn from the data in the graph?
The rulings have led to a disproportionately lower rate of black college students compared to the proportion of black college-age population.
We march today for jobs and freedom, but we have nothing to be proud of. For hundreds and thousands of our brothers are not here. For they are receiving starvation wages, or no wages at all. ... As it stands now, the voting section of this bill will not help the thousands of black people who want to vote. It will not help the citizens of Mississippi, of Alabama and Georgia, who are qualified to vote, but lack a sixth-grade education. 'One man, one vote' is the African cry. It is ours too. It must be ours! We must have legislation that will protect the Mississippi sharecropper who is put off of his farm because he dares to register to vote. We need a bill that will provide for the homeless and starving people of this nation. —John Lewis, Chairman of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, speech at the "March on Washington," August 23, 1963 What does this excerpt suggest about the speaker's purpose?
The speaker was rallying popular opposition to a piece of legislation he opposed.
I believe we are on the verge of a great American awakening. And it will begin here and begin now and begin with you. This Administration and this Congress are getting a badly needed history lesson, starting with just what our founders meant by 'consent of the governed.'. ... We the people, do not consent to runaway federal spending. We the people, do not consent to the notion that we can borrow and spend and bail our way back to a growing America. And we the people, do not consent to government-run insurance that will cause millions of Americans to lose the insurance they have. ... Let us do as those great Americans we remember in this city have done before: let us stand and fight for freedom. And if we hold the banner of freedom high, I believe with all my heart that the good and great people of this country will rally to our cause. —Indiana Congressman Mike Pence, Taxpayer March on Washington, September 12, 2009 What does this excerpt suggest about the speaker's purpose?
The speaker was trying to inspire political action to effect changes in policy.
(Public opinion trends and Roe v Wade graph) Why would those adhering to a conservative political ideology seek to reverse the trend seen in the graph?
They believe government has the responsibility to defend the fundamental rights to life that apply to all individuals.
How do winner-take-all voting districts impact third-party candidates?
They prevent third-party candidates from gaining a voice in the political process.
How have third-party candidates impacted the American political process?
Third-party candidates may take votes away from one major party candidate, allowing the other major-party candidate to win the election.
Which statement best describes why winner-take-all voting districts impede third-party candidates?
Third-party candidates need to come in first place in the district to be successful
How is the accountability of the federal bureaucracy maintained by the executive branch?
Through the constitutional power to appoint officials
A president needs to appoint a Supreme Court Justice to fill a vacancy left by a justice who had the same ideology as the president's. The Senate is controlled by a party that is different from the president's. Which of the following statements explains why the president might nominate a fairly moderate candidate to fill the vacant seat?
To reduce the probability of the Senate rejecting his nominee
Historically, the federal government has mandated that some U.S. jurisdictions must print ballots in multiple languages, depending on how many eligible citizens live in these areas and have limited English skills. The Census Bureau recently reported that 29 states, covering about 263 jurisdictions, will now have to follow this requirement, which is an increase from the last time the number was measured. Which statement about the use of multilingual ballots is the best explanation of how they can impact voter turnout?
Translating ballots into the languages of eligible voters can increase turnout by reducing a structural barrier.
The same people who did the phony election polls, and were so wrong, are now doing opinion approval rating polls. They are rigged just like before. —President-elect Donald J. Trump on @realdonaldtrump, January 17, 2017 Any negative polls are fake news, just like the CNN, ABC, NBC polls in the election. Sorry, people want border security and extreme vetting. —President Donald J. Trump on @realdonaldtrump, February 3, 2017 Which best explains why President Trump questioning the legitimacy of polls might effectively persuade some voters to disregard negative polling results?
Voters are exposed to polling results that are sometimes contradictory
As in other recent campaigns, the media's coverage focused on the horse race—the question of who is winning and who is losing, and by what margin and why. ... The horse race has been the dominant theme of election news since the 1970s, when news organizations began to conduct their own election polls. Since then, polls have proliferated to the point where well over a hundred separate polls—more than a new poll each day—were reported in major news outlets during the 2016 general election. —Professor Thomas Patterson, "News Coverage of the 2016 General Election: How the Press Failed the Voters," December 7, 2016 Which most accurately describes an effect of the media coverage on voters discussed in this passage?
Voters tend to view elections as competitions between rival personalities.
Journalists' fondness for polls is no great mystery. Polls are a snap to report and provide a constant source of fresh material. Their influence on election news goes beyond the stories that describe the latest poll results. Poll results increasingly frame the content of other stories, as journalists use them to explain shifts in candidate strategy or the impact of the latest development. —Professor Thomas Patterson, "News Coverage of the 2016 General Election: How the Press Failed the Voters," December 7, 2016 Which would the author of the passage cite as the most likely effect of the media's use of polls on voter perception of an election?
Voters will understand issues and controversies in terms of their impact on the election.
Politics and music have enjoyed a rather persistent relationship. And it's never more evident than during campaign season when candidates use music to connect with voters. The tradition can be seen as far back as the presidential election of George Washington, although he was uncontested. Often set to popular songs of the day, during the early nineteenth century, most tunes were in celebration of the candidate and not necessarily about campaign issues. It wasn't until the election of 1840 that the songs became issue-based and were really used to try to affect the outcome of an election. During this time, partisan politics was well developed, and the Democrats and Whigs—the two major parties of the day—used the power of song as a campaign tool. —From Erin Allen, "Rock the Vote," 2012, Library of Congress Which voting behavior did most popular political songs try to influence at the beginning of their use in the 1800s?
Voting based on candidate's images
If these states should either be wholly disunited, or only united in partial confederacies, a man must be far gone in Utopian speculations, who can seriously doubt that the subdivisions into which they might be thrown, would have frequent and violent contests with each other. To presume a want of motives for such contests, as an argument against their existence, would be to forget that men are ambitious, vindictive, and rapacious. To look for a continuation of harmony between a number of independent unconnected sovereignties, situated in the same neighbourhood, would be to disregard the uniform course of human events, and to set at defiance the accumulated experience of ages. —Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 6 Referring to the excerpt, which of the following statements reflects the reasoning behind the Federalist's views on dispersing power between the states and national government?
Without a strong federal government, completely independent states would inevitably go to war, as demonstrated throughout history.
A proponent of federally mandated Common Core educational standards argues that the federal government needs to set national education standards because public education affects the nation at large. What constitutional clause supports this argument for federal involvement in education?
general welfare clause
