AP GOVT
shifting the responsibilities and cost of many programs from the national government to the state governments.
The most significant trend in federal-state relations during the 1980's was
The long-term relationship between agencies, congressional committees, and interest groups in specific policy areas
Which of the following best illustrates the concept of iron triangles?
The majority of Senators and the majority of House members are from one party, and the president is from another
Which of the following best illustrates the meaning of divided government in the United States political system?
Necessary and Proper Clause
Which of the following clauses in the constitution justifies the "implied powers" doctrine?
Social Contract
Which of the following democratic ideals is described in the passage? John Locke, Second Treatise of Government, 1690
Schedules and manages the flow of legislation on the floor
Which of the following describes the role of the House Rules Committee?
Popular sovereignty
Which of the following ideas does the author of the passage advocate? Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence
Cloture
Which of the following identifies the formal procedure for ending a filibuster
the winner does NOT need to receive an majority of votes to win
Which of the following is a primary characteristic of a plurality system of elections
It can change appellate jurisdiction of federal courts
Which of the following is a way that congress can influence the federal judiciary?
Comparison D: Believed a large republic ensured the best protection of individual freedoms///believed only a small republic could ensure protection of individual freedoms
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of Federalist and Anti-Federalist views on the government?
Comparison C: Members elected by constituents in a local district based on population///Members are elected by constituents of an entire state
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the House of Representatives and the Senate
Even though the House may pass a bill, the Senate can kill the bill with a filibuster
Which of the following statements best explains how rule differences in the House of Representatives and the Senate can affect the policymaking process?
Enumerated power
The United States constitution says congress has the power to coin money. This is an example of an
Marbury v. Madison
"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?
8th Amendment
"It is clear that the ancient and humane limitation upon the State's ability to execute its sentences has as firm a hold upon the jurisprudence of today as it had centuries ago in England. The various reasons put forth in support of the common-law restriction [on executing the insane] have no less logical, moral, and practical force than they did when first voiced. For today, no less than before, we may seriously question the retributive value of executing a person who has no comprehension of why he has been singled out and stripped of his fundamental right to life." -Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall, majority opinion in Ford v. Wainwright (1986) Based on the text, which of the following amendments was the focus of the Court's ruling in Ford v. Wainwright (1986)?
Schenck v. United States (1919)
"The character of every act depends upon the circumstances in which it is done. The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic." Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Supporters of Justice Holmes's argument could point to which of the following cases?
Correct answer: Popular Sovereignty
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government." -Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence
legislative activity is more constrained by rules
A difference between the House and the Senate is that in the House
Filing for a discharge petition
A member of the House of Representatives has introduced a bill to raise the minimum wage, but it has been in committee for 36 days and is unlikely to make it to the floor. Which of the following is the best course of action for the representative to take to get a vote on the bill?
an amicus curiae brief
A nonlitigant group or individual that wants to attempt to influence the court in a particular case can file
Three-Fourths of the states to ratify
After a constitutional amendment has been proposed by the House and the Senate, its adoption requires
declaring war
All of the following are presidential powers EXCEPT
Life terms for federal judges mean that presidential appointments can have influence long after the president's term is lover
Appointments to the federal judiciary are often contentious for which of the following reasons?
Comparison C: Decided that federal courts could intervene and decide redistricting cases/// decided that redistricting plans based on race based on race must be held to a strict level of scrutiny
Baker v Carr (1961) V Shaw v Reno (1993)
Local and state governments are better equipped to deal with issues affecting people's daily lives
Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with? "In a pure democracy the people are the sovereign, and their will is declared by themselves; for this purpose they must all come together to deliberate, and decide. This kind of government cannot be exercised, therefore, over a country of any considerable extent; it must be confined to a single city, or at least limited to such bounds as that the people can conveniently assemble, be able to debate, understand the subject submitted to them, and declare their opinion concerning it." -Brutus No. 1
The national government under the Articles lacks necessary tax enforcement power
Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with? "Our Debts being unfunded and unprovided for, the Interest cannot be paid. Those therefore who trusted us in the Hour of Distress are defrauded. To expect that under such Circumstances others will confide in the Government would be Folly, and to expect that Foreigners will Trust a Government which has no Credit with its own Citizens must be madness . . . "The United States have call'd for eight Million of Dollars early in November last, of which the first quarterly Payment was to have been made on the first Day of April next. But I cannot find that a single State has laid the Taxes." -Robert Morris, letter to the president of Congress, 1782
The lack of centralized military power under the Articles of Confederation poses a serious threat to the stability of the United States
Based on the text, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with? "The insurgents who were assembled at Worcester in Massachusetts have disbanded. The people at Boston seem to be glad at this event and say it was the effect of fear. But the fact is that the insurgents effected their object . . . "The commotions of Massachusetts have wrought prodigious changes in the minds of men in that State [with regard to] the Powers of Government. Everybody says they must be strengthened and that unless this shall be effected there is no Security for liberty or Property. Such is the State of things in the east, that much trouble is to be apprehended in the course of the ensuing year." -Henry Knox, letter to his former commander George Washington, 1786
guidelines issued by government agencies, which provide specific details about how a policy will be implemented
Bureaucratic rule making is best defined as
Block grants provide states with a great deal of flexibility in using federal funds to address specific local needs
In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the federal government authorized the Justice Assistance Grant in order to provide states and local governments with the funding necessary to support a range of law enforcement and crime prevention programs. Which response illustrates the best rationale for the type of grant fitting this scenario?
limit the presidents power to commit troops overseas
Congress adopted the War Powers Resolution to
Control an executive agency's annual budget
Congress is most likely to exert oversight of the executive bureaucracy in which of the following ways?
Politico model
Congress member Amy Santiago votes her conscience on bills that her constituents care little about, but she votes according to the wishes of her constituents on bills they care about a lot. Which model best represents congresswomen Santiago?
Gerrymandering
Establishing the boundaries of United States congressional districts to give one party an advantage over another party is referred to as
At least four justices on the supreme court agree that a case should be put on the court's docket
In which of the following circumstances would the rule of four be applied?
pocket veto
If Congress adjourns during the ten days the president has to consider a bill passed by both houses of Congress, but which the president has not yet signed, what is the result?
Categorical grants
In 1972, the federal government established the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Recipients of aid must be women who are pregnant or breastfeeding or children under the age of 5 whose family income falls below 185% of the federal poverty line. This is an example of which of the following types of federal aid?
Issue an executive order
In 1993, when President Clinton reversed President Bush's "gag rule," which banned federally funded family clinics from discussing abortions with patients, Clinton was exercising his right to
The free exercise clause
In 2006, the Supreme Court heard a case about a state banning a substance used during religious ceremonies. The state banned the substance because it contained a drug prohibited by the Controlled Substances Act. But the religious organization, O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao de Vegetal (UDV) said the government was interfering with religious practices by banning the use of the substance. The Supreme Court agreed and ruled that the government did not prove a compelling interest in regulating the UDV's use of drugs for religious ceremonies. Which of the following constitutional clauses does this case have in common with Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)?
Participatory democracy
In June 2017, voters in Puerto Rico voted on a referendum to make Puerto Rico the 51st state of the United States. This is an example of which of the following models of democracy?
Participatory democracy
In June 2017, voters in Puerto Rico voted on a referendum to make Puerto Rico the 51st state of the United States. What form of democracy is describe in the above scenario?
the division of powers between regional and national governments
In the United Stated political system, the terms Federalism refers to
stare decisis
In the United States judicial system, when a judge decides a case based on decisions rendered in similar cases in the past, the judge is following the principle of
When an individual claims that a right protected by the Bill of Rights is infringed upon by a state
In which of the following situations would the Supreme Court be most likely to utilize the doctrine of selective incorporation?
The preferences of the majority of their constituents
Members of Congress who have adopted the delegate role of representation normally cast their votes based on which of the following?
standing committees
Most of the work related to law making takes place in
Which of the following clauses in the constitution justifies the "implied powers" doctrine?
Necessary and Proper Clause
provided for a strong national government with many national powers, while the articles created a weak central government with limited powers
Of the following, the most significant difference between the Constitution of 1787 and the Articles of Confederation was that the Constitution
The House represents states according to the size of their population, while the Senate represents the states equally
Ohio has 16 representatives in the House of Representatives, but only two representatives in the Senate. Which of the following statements best explains the reason for this difference in representation?
Negotiate an executive agreement with the heads of the Middle Eastern governments
President Bellingham's administration wants to limit the development of chemical weapons in key nations in the Middle East, but Congress is unlikely to back a formal treaty. Which of the following is an action the president may take to accomplish their policy agenda?
Government censorship that blocks free speech or publication
Prior restraint is best defined as which of the following?
Logrolling
Senator Jon Snow has proposed a bill to increase funds to the military to fight the White Walkers threatening to invade the North. He hasn't received enough support to get the bill to pass, so he reaches out to Senator Daenerys Targaryen for her support. She agrees to support his bill as long as Senator Snow supports her legislation that allows public schools to teach High Valyrian as an elective language. This is an example of which of the following?
The agreement between people and the government defining the rights and duties of each
Social contract is best defined as which of the following?
Marbury v. Madison
Supporters of Hamilton's views that acts contrary to the Constitution are invalid could point to which of the following cases (Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No.78 "The Judiciary Department" 1788)
McDonald v Chicago
Supporters of Scalia's view that handgun bans violate Second Amendment rights could cite which of the following Supreme Court cases to support their argument?
The changing balance of power between the states and federal government in response to societal needs
The National Recovery Act of 1933, enacted by Franklin Roosevelt's administration to combat the Great Depression, vastly expanded the power of the federal government to regulate wages and labor standards. This scenario is an example of which of the following aspects of federalism?
Pluralist Democracy
The National Rifle Association (NRA) testifies in front of Congress to advocate for several laws, including one that would protect gun manufacturers from lawsuits concerning violence committed with weapons they made. What form of democracy is described in the above scenario?
For every five enslaved Africans, three would be counted for representation
The Three-Fifths Compromise is best defined as which of the following?
Supremacy clause
The clause in the constitution that states that federal law will supersede state law in the event on a conflict is known as
The Great Compromise
The excerpt above is the result of which compromise in the Constitutional Convention? "The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States . . . The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty Thousand, but each State shall have at Least one Representative . . . "SECTION 3 "The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; and each Senator shall have one Vote." Sections 2 and 3 of the United States Constitution
The courts
The framers of the constitution designed which of the following to be least responsive to public opinion
both houses of congress
The power to remove the president from office through the impeachment process requires action from
Pluralist Democracy
This is an example of which of the following models of democracy? The National Rifle Association (NRA) testifies in front of Congress to advocate for several laws, including one that would protect gun manufacturers from lawsuits concerning violence committed with weapons they made.
chosen by their state legislatures
Under the constitution prior to the seventeenth amendment, United States Senators were
conference
When a bill passes both the House and Senate but with different versions, it is reconciled by which of the following committees?
Conference
When a bill passes the House and the Senate in different versions, the bill is resolved by which of the following types of committee?
the House of Representatives
When none of the presidential candidates receive a majority of the electoral college votes, the winner is chosen by
Comparison C: school sponsorship of religious activities violates the establishment clause///compelling Amish students to attend school past the eight grade violates the free exercise clause
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the constitutional principles cited in Engel v. Vitale (1962) and Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)?
Comparison D: Casts a vote only if there is a tie///Assigns legislation to committees
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the roles of President of the Senate and Speaker of the House?
Comparison B: Responsible for proposing all tax bills///Responsible for ratifying all treaties
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the structure and function of the House of Representatives and the Senate?
comparison A: Incorporated a right to legal counsel///Incorporated the right to bear arms for self-defense
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) VMcDonald v. Chicago (2010)
Comparison B: Led to more power for the Supreme Court to check other branches///Led to "one person, one vote" judicial doctrine
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? (Marbury v Madison (1803) V Baker v Carr (1961))
Comparison D: Speech creating a "clear and present danger" is not protected by the First Amendment///Public school students have the right to wear black armbands to protest the Vietnam War
Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases? (Schenck v. United States (1919) V Tinker v. Des Moines (1969))
The federal government had the authority to establish a national bank, and Maryland's tax was unconstitutional.
Which of the following is an accurate description of the decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) ?
The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 was struck down as unconstitutional because it exceeded the commerce clause.
Which of the following is an accurate description of the decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) ?
Comparison D: Created a weak central government with few independent powers///created a strong national government with many powers
Which of the following is an accurate representation of the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution?
making a speech from a bus tour in support of a Healthcare bill
Which of the following is an example of a president's use of an informal power
he president threatens to issue an executive order for stricter gun control if Congress continues to refuse to take action.
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?
Amending the Articles required a unanimous vote of the states, which was nearly impossible
Which of the following is one example of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
Declare an executive order unconstitutional
Which of the following may the judicial branch do to limit the power of the president?
refuse to enforce a ruling by the court
Which of the following may the president do to limit the supreme court?
elite democracy
Which of the following models of democracy is the author advocating? Alexander Hamilton "Speech in the Constitutional Convention on a Plan of Government" (1787)
Pluralist democracy
Which of the following models of representative democracy is most consistent with the passage? "The influence of factious leaders may kindle a flame within their particular states, but will be unable to spread a general conflagration through the other states: a religious sect may degenerate into a political faction in a part of the confederacy; but the variety of sects dispersed over the entire face of it, must secure the national councils against any danger from that source: a rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any other improper or wicked project, will be less apt to pervade the whole body of the union." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10, 1787
Separation of Powers
Which of the following principles of US government is most consistent with the author's argument? "In a single republic, all the power surrendered by the people is submitted to the administration of a single government; and the usurpations are guarded against by a division of the government into distinct and separate departments. In the compound republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portion allotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 51, 1788
The secretary of defense being called to testify before a congressional committee
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a formal check on the power of the bureaucracy?
A senator from an agricultural state amending legislation to establish a potato research institute in his or her state
Which of the following scenarios best illustrates a member of Congress supporting pork-barrel legislation?
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 scenarios best illustrates the concept of concurrent powers?
The president confers diplomatic recognition on the new nation of South Sudan
Which of the following scenarios would be considered a constitutional use of executive power?
A suspect's phone is analyzed by the police before a warrant is issued.
Which of the following scenarios would most likely we consider a violation of the 4th amendment?
Judges should limit the exercise of their own power to interpreting the Constitution according to its original intent
Which of the following statements best describes judicial restraint?
It can assign bills to committees
Which of the following statements best explains an advantage the majority party in the House of Representatives has in lawmaking?
It limited the power of state governments by striking down a school policy that required the reading of a prayer at the start of the school day
Which of the following statements best explains how the Court's ruling in Engel v. Vitale (1962) changed the balance between governmental power and individual liberty?
It restricted the power of the federal government to prevent the press from releasing classified information
Which of the following statements best explains how the Court's ruling in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) changed the balance of power between law and order and the protection of individual liberties?
A large republic can control the negative aspects of factions
Which of the following statements best summarizes Madison's arguments? "As long as the reason of man continues fallible, and he is at liberty to exercise it, different opinions will be formed . . . The diversity in the faculties of men, from which the rights of property originate, is not less an insuperable obstacle to a uniformity of interests. The protection of these faculties is the first object of government. From the protection of different and unequal faculties of acquiring property, the possession of different degrees and kinds of property immediately results; and from the influence of these on the sentiments and views of the respective proprietors, ensues a division of the society into different interests and parties." -Publius (James Madison), Federalist No. 10
The Great Compromise failed to anticipate growing population differences in small and large states, leaving matters unresolved
Which of the following statements best summarizes the author's argument? "Given the increasing difference in size between the largest and smallest states, combined with other changes in the American political context[,] any effects of Senate apportionment are greater today than in the past. By reference to the one person, one vote standard, the Senate is the most malapportioned legislature in the world . . . Currently Wyoming, with fewer than half a million residents, enjoys the same level of representation as California, with more than 30 million." -Frances E. Lee and Bruce I. Oppenheimer, Sizing Up the Senate: The Unequal Consequences of Equal Representation, 1999
Congress has implied powers not listed in the Constitution in order to implement its enumerated powers
Which of the following statements best summarizes the decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?
Congress cannot use the commerce clause to regulate the possession of firearms in public schools
Which of the following statements best summarizes the decision in United States v. Lopez (1995)?
While President George W. Bush issued fewer signing statements than President Clinton, his included more objections than President Clinton's
Which of the following statements is most accurately supported by the data in the table? "Presidential Signing Statements: Constitutional and Institutional Implications"
closed
Which of the following type of primary election requires registration as a party affiliate to vote
Standing committee
Which of the following types of committee is permanent and deals with broad areas of public policy
I. The federal government could not levy taxes. III. The federal government could not raise an army.
Which two were weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?