AP Practice Test

John Locke referred to "life, liberty, and property" as

Natural Rights

Which of the following concepts reflect the idea that the power of government derives directly from the people?

Popular sovereignty

Most delegates to Constitutional Convention were strong supporters of which of the following?

A republican government

What were the "Federalist Papers"?

A series of essays written to encourage ratification of the proposed Constitution

What did the Federalists support?

A strong national government, relative to the state governments

Which of the following most accurately describes the concept of federalism?

Federalism is a sharing of power between national and regional governments

Which of the following provisions of the U.S. Constitution is most reflective of the concept of Federalism?

The 10th Amendment

The concept of the states serving as "laboratories of democracy" best relates to which of the following?

In a federalist system, the states can test policy initiatives that the nation may not be ready for

You get stopped and issued a speeding ticket while vacationing in Florida. Which of the following provisions of the Constitution prevents the state of Florida from fining you more for your ticket than it does for its own citizens?

The Privileges & Immunities clause

The system under which each branch of government can limit the actions of the other branches is called

Cooperative Federalism

The Bill of Rights best exemplifies which of the following Constitutional principles?

Limited government

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, one proposal for the structure of the legislature argued that each state should get equal representation in the legislature. This proposal was part of the

New Jersey Plan

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, delegates from larger states argued that each state's representation in the legislature should be proportional to its population. Smaller states argued that each state should have equal representation, regardless of population. The disagreement over representation threatened to derail the ratification of the Constitution. Which of the following statements accurately describes the compromise that led to both sides reaching agreement?

A bicameral legislature with an upper house representing each state equally and a lower house with representation proportional to each state's population (correct answer)

What was the form of government that was first put in place for the new United States?

A confederate system

In "The Federalist 10," which of the following did James Madison argue would best control the negative effects of factions?

A large federal republic

Which of the following is an accurate summary of James Madison's argument in "The Federalist 10"?

A large republic presents more opportunities for groups to participate, compete, and limit each other from extremism

A ________ grant is a significant grant to a state by the federal government with only vague or general spending guidelines.

Block Grant

In order to appease both Federalists and Anti-Federalists, it was agreed at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia that a group of delegates would be charged with selecting the president, in what would be called the "electoral college." This was designed to assure that

Capable individuals would decide which candidate would become president

The founders borrowed all of the following ideas from English philosopher John Locke except

Checks and Balances

The system under which each branch of government can limit the actions of the other branches is called

Checks and Balances

Which of the following accurately describes the majority opinion of the Supreme Court in "United States v. Lopez" (1995)?

Congress may not use the commerce clause to make possession of a gun in a school zone a federal crime

When John Locke referred to the idea that a just government must derive its powers from the people it governs, he was referencing what concept?

Consent of governed

Which of the following types of "federalism" is most often practiced today?

Cooperative federalism

According to James Madison in Federalist No. 10, organizations such as PETA, the NRA, the Republican Party, AARP, and others, would be characterized as:

Factions

Which of the "Federalist Papers" addressed the dangers of "factions"?

Federalist Paper #10

An action by the national government which expands its reach into areas which traditionally are reserved to the states, using a promise to give or threat to take away government funding, is known as:

Fiscal federalism

As a compromise, the framers agreed on a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives elected by popular vote within states and the Senate elected by state legislatures. The direct election method best conforms to which of the following democratic ideals?

Government should be based on the consent of the governed.

What is the primary difference between a direct democracy and an indirect democracy?

In a direct democracy, people vote directly for the laws; in an indirect democracy, the people select representatives to vote on their behalf

Which of the following is not considered an advantage of a federal system of government?

In a federal system, there is less potential for conflict between the national government and the states, or between states and other states

The Supreme Court case of "Marbury vs. Madison" is important for establishing the Constitutional principle of

Judicial review

In Federalist 78, which of the following was NOT one of the reasons Hamilton used to support the idea of life tenure for federal judges on condition of good behavior?

Life tenure would prevent federal judges from considering public opinion and societal changes in making decisions

Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution lists several powers that are denied to the federal government, such as granting titles of nobility and passing "ex post facto" laws. This best demonstrates which of the following ideals of democracy?

Limited government

Most members of Congress believe the legal driving age should be 18, because statistics show that drivers under 18 have far more accident than those 18 and over. Which of the following is the most practical and lasting action Congress could take to address this issue?

Mandate states to set the driving age at 18 and then withhold highway funds from any state that does not comply

Which of the following cases expanded the powers of Congress by defining the necessary and proper clause more broadly?

McCullough v. Maryland (1819)

The 3/5 Compromise was primarily a compromise between which of the following?

Northern and Southern states

The three-fifths compromise was mainly a compromise between which of the following?

Northern and southern states

The opening phrase of the Constitution, "We the people," best reflects which of the following principles of the Constitution?

Popular sovereignty

What are "reserved" powers?

Powers not specifically delegated to the national government, nor prohibited to the states, by the Constitution

The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to

Protect individual rights

Which of the following is NOT a fundamental purpose/function of ALL national governments?

Protecting individual liberties

The principle that each branch in a government has powers distinct from the other branches is known as

Separation of powers

Which of the following is the best description of the argument made in "Brutus 1"?

That a large republic is dangerous to individual liberties, and undermines state authority

Anti-Federalists argued against the ratification of the Constitution for all of the following reasons except

That it created a central government that was too powerful

Which of the following expressed powers of the Congress listed in the Constitution has been most used to expand the powers of Congress pursuant to the Necessary and Proper clause?

The Commerce clause

Which of the following provisions of the Constitution would require that a judicial decree regarding child support payments against a divorced parent be enforced if that parent moved to another state?

The Full Faith & Credit clause

When state or local laws are preempted due to conflicts with the powers of the national government under the Constitution, under which clause does that preemption occur?

The Supremacy Clause

The Declaration of Independence not only declared the colonies a nation independent of Great Britain, but listed specific grievances for the separation, including complaints regarding British taxation without representation, trials without a jury, and quartering of soldiers in the homes of colonists. Which of the following concepts would these complaints most relate to?

The failure to protect our natural, or unalienable, rights, including life, liberty, and property

Shay's Rebellion highlighted which of the following weaknesses of the national government under the Articles of Confederation?

The lack of power to keep a standing army

Which of the following is an example of a concurrent power?

The power to tax

In a _____________ system, any local or regional governments derive all their authority from the nation government.

Unitary

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, one proposal for the structure of the legislature argued that each state should get representation proportional to the population of the state. This proposal was part of the

Virginia Plan