AP Gov Unit 1
The decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) reflected new ideas about federalism at the time that can be best characterized by which of the following?
A delegation of power from the federal government to state governments, increasing state and local sovereignty
Which of the following is argued by James Madison in The Federalist paper number 10?
A system of republican representation helps to limit the excesses of factionalism
Based on the Federalist 21, which of the following arguments about government would Alexander Hamilton likely agree with?
As a practical matter, the laws of the national government ought to have supremacy over state laws.
In The Federalist 10, James Madison argued that the new constitution would help control factions by doing which of the following?
By creating a large republic, the new constitution made it less likely that a faction could gain enough power to completely dominate.
Which of the following is a fundamental element of the United States Constitution?
Division of government authority across political institutions
Which of the following accurately characterizes the main difference between elite theories and pluralist theories of politics in the United States?
Elite theories argue that a single minority dominates politics in all policy areas; pluralist theories argue that many minorities compete for power in different policy areas
In 1974, the House of Representatives approved a resolution granting the Judiciary Committee authority to investigate impeachment of President Nixon for obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress. Which constitutional ideal of democracy is demonstrated in this scenario?
Limited government
In 2015, the United States Supreme Court decided the case Obergefell v. Hodges (2015), which ruled that states must recognize same sex couples' right to marry. Which of the following ideals of democracy would the attorneys for the same sex couple most likely put forth as their argument?
Natural rights of life and liberty include the right to marry whom you choose.
Which of the following statements best reflects James Madison's beliefs about political representation?
People are best represented by a few politicians chosen to voice their issues.
The Declaration of Independence states "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." This was a revolutionary change from the system of British monarchy, which was based on the divine right of kings. For which of the ideals of democracy does this quote provide a foundation?
Popular sovereignty
Which of the following statements reflects a pluralist theory of American politics?
Public policies emerge from compromises reached among competing groups
Which of the following is an accurate description of the decision in United States v. Lopez (1995)?
The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 was struck down as unconstitutional because it exceeded the commerce clause.
In The Federalist 21, Hamilton is concerned that under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government does not have sufficient constitutional powers to gain compliance from state governments. Which of the following is a way that the Constitution allows the federal government to address this problem?
The federal government can pass laws that allow it to fine or tax individuals directly.
Which of the following scenarios illustrates a solution for the problem of getting states to comply with federal government policies, as described in the passage?
The federal government can withhold highway funds from states that do not raise the age to drink alcohol to 21.
Which of the following is an accurate description of the decision made in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)?
The federal government had the authority to establish a national bank, and Maryland's tax was unconstitutional.
The debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists were primarily about which of the following issues?
The scope of power of the central government
Which of the following features of the United States Constitution would most concern the author of Brutus 1?
The supremacy clause, which gives the federal government supremacy over states
Which of the following best describes Madison's primary concern about representative government?
Those who seek to represent the people may be tempted to act in their own interests instead.
According to James Madison, which of the following best controls the effects of faction?
a large republic
Brutus was an example of an Anti-Federalist because he
believed a centralized government posed a major threat to individual rights
American political culture is characterized by strong popular support for all of the following EXCEPT
economic equality
In The Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that factions in a republic are
natural but controllable by institutions
The framers of the Constitution all believed that one of the primary functions of government is
protecting individual property rights
In The Federalist papers, James Madison argues that political liberty is best protected by
the fragmentation of political power in a large republic