AP Government Midterm Sample Exam
MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1. Governments in the modern world, whether democratic or not, are similar in doing all of the following EXCEPT A. providing public services
B. protecting citizens' civil liberties C. maintaining a national defense D. collecting taxes
E. providing public goods
2. An example of public policymaking would be
A. Congress and the President deciding not to act on the AIDS crisis.
B. a majority of the public supporting the idea of government dealing with unemployment.
C. the President meeting with the heads of oil companies.
D. the press creating public concern about racial discrimination.
E. all of these
3. Which of these is a linkage institution?
A. the House of Representatives B. USA Today
C. the ambassador to France D. the President's cabinet E. all of these
4. Two of the most important principles of democratic theory are majority rule and A. majority restraint.
B. the plurality rule.
C. judicial review.
D. minority rights.
E. Roberts' Rules of Order.
5. American government is viewed most positively by the
A. pluralist theory.
B. positivist philosophy.
C. hyperpluralist theory.
D. elite and class theory.
E. socialist theory.
6. Which of these was NOT among John Locke's key philosophical concepts?
A. natural rights
B. consent of the governed C. property rights
D. checks and balances E. limited government
7. Lockean thought and the Declaration of Independence are similar in that both A. recognize the right of the people to
determine their own form of government, short of resorting to revolution.
B. support the concept of natural rights and the idea that government be built on the consent of the governed.
C. seek common ideals in government through the establishment of a constitutional monarchy.
D. were developed in the late 1700s.
E. value the preservation of private property.
8. The Founding Fathers believed that a major source of political conflict was the A. absence of majority rule.
B. unequal distribution of property.
C. government's attempt to preserve private property.
D. religious differences in society.
E. Indian tribes.
9. Compared to the government under the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution gave the central government
A. about the same economic powers. B. more economic powers.
C. total control of the economy. D. far fewer powers.
10. Two key elements of the Madisonian model were to
A. Combine the powers of different institutions and create a powerful presidency.
B. require a system of checks and balances and extend democracy.
C. keep as much of the government as possible beyond the control of a popular majority and extend the right to vote to everyone.
D. promote state power while separating the powers of different national institutions.
E. keep most of the government beyond the control of a popular majority and separate the powers of different institutions.
11. The Supreme Court in Marbury v.
Madison (1803) asserted the power of the Court to
A. check the actions of the other branches through judicial review.
B. nullify constitutional amendments.
C. determine its own size and makeup.
D. impeach the President.
E. confirm presidential appointments.
12. In United States v. Lopez, the Supreme Court ruled that
A. illegal immigrants can be denied access to basic social services.
B. the Gun Free School Zones Act was constitutional.
C. the Gun Free School Zones Act exceeded Congress's authority to regulate commerce among the states.
D. the Gun Free School Zones Act violated citizens' rights to bear arms.
13. Federalism is a way of organizing a nation so that
A. power is centralized in the national government.
B. there is one federal government and all regional governments are administrative subunits of it.
C. both national and state levels of government have authority over the same land and people.
D. power is centralized in state and local government.
E. there are three branches of government and a system of checks and balances.
14. States are responsible for most public policies dealing with each of the following issues EXCEPT
A. family issues B. police powers C. moral issues D. economic issues E. social issues
15. In our federal system, the powers of the state governments are ultimately granted by A. their state's Supreme Court.
B. the United States Constitution.
C. the United States government.
D. their state legislature.
E. the people of their state.
16. The Constitution's supremacy clause A. makes the President supreme in any constitutional conflicts with the other two branches.
B. is vague about which level of government should prevail in a dispute involving
federalism.
C. gives the states superiority over the national government's Constitution and laws.
D. made the Constitution, the laws of the national government, and the national government's treaties the supreme law of the land.
E. does not apply to state and local matters.
17. The primary thrust of the original intent and wording of the Tenth Amendment is that A. both the states and national government are bound by the limitations in the Bill of Rights.
B. states have certain powers that the national government cannot encroach upon.
C. state legislatures have the ultimate authority to determine what a state government's powers are.
D. the national government can take control of a state government during a national
emergency.
E. national laws override state laws when there is a conflict between the two.
18. The principle that the national
government has certain implied powers that go beyond its enumerated powers was first elaborated in the Supreme Court's decision in _________.
A. Miranda v. Arizona B. McCulloch v. Maryland C. Marbury v. Madison D. Gibbons v. Ogden
E. United States v. the States
19. The enumerated powers of Congress and the national government are those
A. set out in the first ten amendments.
B. only involving taxes, spending, and fiscal policy.
C. not specifically spelled out in the
Constitution, but nonetheless acknowledged.
D. requiring ratification by the states.
E. specifically spelled out in the Constitution.
20. Federal policies to regulate food and drugs, build interstate highways, protect consumers, try to clean up dirty air and water, and do many other things are all justified as ________ of Congress.
A. reserved powers B. categorical grants C. enumerated powers
D. constitutionally specified powers E. implied powers
21. The Constitution's provision that Congress has the right to "make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution" its powers is often referred to as the
A. privileges and immunities.
B. enumerated powers.
C. heart of fiscal federalism.
D. Unwritten Amendment.
E. elastic clause.
22. In determining the power of Congress to regulate commerce in the case of Gibbons v.
Ogden (1824), the Supreme Court A. prohibited Congress from regulating business activity on the grounds it violated private property rights.
B. defined commerce very narrowly in
considering the right of Congress to regulate it.
C. listed the implied powers of Congress and the national government.
D. defined commerce very broadly, encompassing virtually every form of commercial activity.
E. listed the enumerated powers of Congress and the national government.
23. The fact that a driver's license from one state is valid in other states is an example of A. implied powers.
B. privileges and immunities.
C. full faith and credit.
D. extradition.
E. unmandated reciprocity.
24. Funding for the interstate highway system is an example of
A. national federalism.
B. cooperative federalism.
C. a unitary system of government.
D. tripartite federalism.
E. dual federalism.
25. The term "minority majority" refers to the fact that
A. Hispanic Americans will soon become the largest minority group in the United States.
B. the majority in America has always been a collection of minority ethnic groups.
C. America will soon cease to have a white majority and together the minority groups will become a majority.
D. minority groups have been able to impose their will upon the majority.
E. African Americans are the largest minority group in the United States.
26. The Simpson-Mazzoli Act
A. required all immigrants to register with the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
B. required employers to document the citizenship of their employees.
C. established a National Identification Card that all Americans will have to possess by the year 2000 in order to get employment.
D. placed a limit on the number of Mexican immigrants allowed in the United States per year.
E. granted amnesty to all illegal aliens.
27. __________ occurs after every census to reallocate the 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, reflecting shifts in the population of the states and, thus, how many seats each state is allotted.
A. Demography B. Equalization C. Restructuring D. Reapportionment E. Political socialization
28. The key to the accuracy of public opinion polls is
A. the larger the size of the sample, the better.
B. polygraphs.
C. sampling error.
D. random sampling.
E. political ideology.
29. A pollster using a representative sample of 1,500 Americans finds that 52% support candidate X and 48% support candidate Y.
The pollster's conclusion should be that A. polls are unreliable predictors of political outcomes.
B. X is likely to win.
C. the poll should be retaken with a larger sample.
D. the race is too close to call because of a possible sampling error.
E. the poll should be retaken using random digit dialing.
30. Which of the following is TRUE about most liberals in American politics?
A. They are supportive of prayer in public schools.
B. They oppose abortion.
C. They believe we should guard carefully the rights of defendants in criminal cases.
D. They favor keeping taxes and government spending low.
E. none of these
31. Which of the following is TRUE of most conservatives in American politics?
A. They are opposed to prayer in public schools.
B. They believe we should spend much less on the military budget.
C. They favor free market solutions to problems rather than looking to the government for regulating business.
D. They are in favor of affirmative action programs.
32. News management in the Reagan White House operated on each of the following principles EXCEPT
A. revving helicopter engines so the president would not be able to hear reporters' questions and not have to answer them
B. control the flow of information
C. talk about the issues you want to talk about D. expand reporters' access to the president E. stay on the offense
33. The cozy relationship between politicians and the press in the 20th century lasted until A. World War II.
B. the Iranian Hostage Crisis.
C. the Vietnam War and Watergate.
D. the beginning of Franklin Roosevelt's presidency.
E. the commercialization of television.
34. Following the first Nixon-Kennedy presidential debate of 1960, opinion polls showed that
A. those who watched on television and listened over the radio both thought Kennedy had won.
B. those who listened over radio thought it was a draw, while those who watched television thought Kennedy did better.
C. those who watched on television thought Kennedy had won, while those who listened over the radio thought Nixon won.
D. those who watched on television and listened over the radio both thought Nixon had won.
E. those who watched on television thought Nixon had won, while those who listened over the radio thought Kennedy won.
35. Television coverage of the war in Vietnam had the effect of
A. simultaneously undermining support for the war in North Vietnam while boosting public morale in South Vietnam.
B. exposing governmental naivetaccent(e) and lies about the progress of the war.
C. generating popular support for the president and the war.
D. hiding the true horrors of the war and the number of casualties from the American people.
E. duping the public into believing the war would soon end.
36. During the Persian Gulf War, reporters A. were barred from covering the war or
speculating about it from the time the air strikes began until the entire war was over.
B. had very free movement but only limited access to accurate military information on a timely basis.
C. were frequently captured by Iraqi troops and sentenced to long jail sentences for reporting information unfavorable to the Iraqi
government.
D. had very free movement, and access to accurate military information almost immediately.
E. were denied freedom of movement and had only limited access to accurate military information on a timely basis.
37. Almost all definitions of political parties have which of the following in common?
A. Parties try to win elections. B. Parties are run by elites.
C. Parties have a mass following. D. Parties have formal organizations.
38. Most American voters are A. conservative.
B. moderate.
C. liberal.
D. moderate-liberals.
E. non-ideological.
39. In closed primaries,
A. voters may vote for candidates from either party.
B. voters may choose on election day which party primary they want to participate in.
C. only voters who have registered in advance with the party can vote.
D. none of the above
40. In open primaries,
A. voters may choose on election day which party primary they want to participate in.
B. only voters who have registered in advance with the party can vote.
C. voters may vote for candidates from either party.
D. none of the above
41. In blanket primaries,
A. only voters who have registered in advance with the party can vote.
B. voters may choose on election day which party primary they want to participate in.
C. voters may vote for candidates from either party.
D. none of the above
42. At the beginning of party development in the United States,
A. there were many small parties, each representing a narrow interest.
B. parties tried to defeat each other in elections.
C. we had a one-party system where one powerful party dominated the government and blocked the creation of new parties.
D. parties were merely the personal following of certain charismatic individuals.
E. parties sought to destroy each other.
43. Critically affecting the electoral college vote, bringing new issues to the public agenda, and venting popular discontent are important roles played by
A. intra-party factions.
B. third parties in a two-party system.
C. splinter groups in a multiparty system.
D. the two-party system in thwarting extreme or unconventional views.
E. parties based on a single issue in a multiple- issue society.
44. The McGovern-Fraser Commission was set up to reform
A. the rules for selecting delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
B. party fund-raising.
C. the rules for selecting delegates to the Republican National Convention.
D. the financing of federal election campaigns.
E. the rules for selecting delegates to both the Democratic and Republican National
Conventions.
45. The Federal Election Campaign Act A. removed spending limits from Presidential campaigns.
B. provided public financing for Senate and House races.
C. required all candidates for federal office to disclose all contributions made to their campaigns.
D. required broadcasters to provide free air time to each major candidate for federal office.
E. ended public financing for Presidential campaigns.
46. The Federal Election Commission A. is a bipartisan body responsible for administering campaign finance laws and enforcing compliance with those laws.
B. administers all elections in the United States from school board to President with a staff of 160,000.
C. tabulates and certifies the votes in all federal elections.
D. is a non-partisan political organization which has sought for over 50 years to reform
campaign financing.
E. is the Republican party's watchdog
organization which monitors fund-raising and spending by Democratic candidates.
47. In the 1976 case of Buckley v. Valeo, the Supreme Court ruled that
A. the limitation on the amount of money people could contribute to their own election campaigns was not a violation of free speech, and was constitutional.
B. Presidential election campaigns could not be paid for by tax dollars.
C. Congressional and state legislative districts must be of equal population and reapportioned every ten years.
D. the limitation on the amount of money persons could contribute to their own election campaigns violated free speech, and was unconstitutional.
E. the forced disclosure of contributions to federal elections violated freedom of
association, and was therefore unconstitutional.
48. PACs are
A. committees organized by interest groups to channel money to parties and candidates.
B. subcommittees of the FEC.
C. groups organized by political activists to increase voter participation.
D. state commissions organized to reform campaign financing practices.
E. committees formed to lobby government officials in behalf of their interests.
49. Donating $200,000 to a political party to help its Presidential nominee in somewhat indirect ways is
A. legal, and known as soft money.
B. of unclear legality and the subject of a controversial and vague Supreme Court ruling.
C. legal, and known as a PAC contribution.
D. illegal under the McCain-Feingold Act.
50. The first peaceful transfer of power between parties via the electoral process in the history of the world occurred as a result of the Presidential election of
A. 1789. B. 1796. C. 1860. D. 1896. E. 1800.
51. The election of 1896 was largely fought over the issue of
A. the ownership of land in the west.
B. race relations.
C. government corruption.
D. economics.
E. war.
52. In Bush v. Gore (2000), the United States Supreme Court ruled that
A. the Florida Supreme Court did not have jurisdiction over the presidential election legal issues.
B. the time used to recount ballots could extend past December 12, when the Florida electors would meet.
C. the butterfly ballot was unconstitutional.
D. although a recount was legal, the same (or more precise) standards for evaluating ballots would have to be applied in all counties.
53. The 2000 election was
A. the first time in the history of the United States that the winner of the Electoral College won the presidency.
B. the first time in the history of the United States that the winner of the popular vote lost the Electoral College.
C. the first time since 1824 that the winner of the popular vote lost in the Electoral College.
D. the first time since 1888 that the winner of the popular vote lost in the Electoral College.
54. Which of the following characteristics would make one more likely to vote in an election?
A. being a college student B. having a college degree
C. having a low income D. being a young adult
55. According to James Madison in Federalist Paper No. 1, the way to prevent any one group from having too much power is to
A. strictly regulate them B. eliminate most groups
C. increase the scope and number of groups D. none of the above
56. One of the main differences between American political parties and interest groups is that
A. political parties are policy specialists.
B. interest groups are concerned with more issues.
C. political parties run candidates for office.
D. interest groups concentrate on only one policy arena.
E. interest groups limit their membership.
57. According to ________ theorists, interest groups compete and counterbalance one another in the political marketplace.
A. hyperelitist B. free market C. hyperpluralist D. pluralist E. elitist
58. Part of Olson's Law of Large Groups is the argument that
A. an actual group and a potential group are virtually the same when it comes to
effectiveness.
B. the larger the potential group, the more likely potential members are to contribute.
C. potential group size does not have any measurable affect on the willingness of potential members to contribute.
D. the larger the potential group, the less likely potential members are to contribute.
59. An example of a collective good is A. employment.
B. food.
C. clean air.
D. housing.
E. all of these
60. Which of the following statements about interest groups is false?
A. Almost every group has a staff and publications.
B. There are an enormous number of highly specialized and seemingly trivial groups.
C. The majority of groups now have their headquarters in Washington, D.C.
D. The growth rate of interest groups has slowed in recent years.
61. ________ is a communication by
someone other than a citizen acting on his or her own behalf, directed to a government decision maker, particularly in the legislative and executive branch, with the hope of influencing his or her decision.
A. Electioneering B. Lobbying
C. An amicus curiae brief D. Campaigning
E. Litigation
62. Which of the following is NOT true about Political Action Committees?
A. Only a handful of candidates have
completely resisted the lure of PAC money.
B. There are far more PACs now than there were in 1974.
C. Most PAC money goes to challengers rather than incumbents.
D. Some PACs contribute to both challenger and incumbent, playing it safe.
63. Relative to the total population, the most underrepresented group in Congress is A. African Americans.
B. Jews.
C. Hispanics.
D. women.
E. homosexuals.
64. The single most important advantage to someone trying to get elected to Congress is A. having a clean record.
B. winning the endorsement of the top leaders of their party.
C. having more money to spend on campaigning.
D. being charismatic and photogenic.
E. being an incumbent.
65. The pork barrel and casework are examples of
A. Congressional continuity.
B. advertising techniques.
C. position-taking.
D. descriptive representation.
E. opportunities for credit-claiming by members of Congress.
66. On average, most of the money raised by a candidate for Congress comes from
A. loans.
B. political parties.
C. individual contributions.
D. the candidate's own savings.
E. Political Action Committees.
67. When Political Action Committees contribute money to members of Congress they are usually seeking
A. votes on specific legislation.
B. to install a preferred challenger in office.
C. access to policymakers.
D. to literally buy opposing legislators' votes.
E. to create a more pluralistic Congress.
68. Bicameralism means that a legislative body is one
A. that must share power with a president, providing more efficient policymaking.
B. with two houses, providing checks and balances on policymaking.
C. in which there are only two political parties.
D. in which each state has two senators, providing equal representation of the states.
E. in which incumbents have a better chance of being re-elected, providing continuity in policymaking.
69. The Constitution gives the House of Representatives the power to
A. ratify all treaties.
B. confirm Presidential nominations.
C. initiate all revenue bills.
D. try impeached officials.
E. all of these
70. The real differences between the House and the Senate lie in their
A. members' characteristics.
B. role in policy.
C. ideology.
D. power relative to each other.
E. organization and centralization of power.
71. The most powerful person in the Senate is the
A. President of the United States.
B. Vice President of the United States, who serves as president of the Senate.
C. majority leader.
D. chair of the Rules Committee.
E. Speaker.
72. Most important congressional activity is done
A. on the Senate floor.
B. in meetings of standing committees and their subcommittees.
C. on legislators' visits to their home districts.
D. on the House floor.
E. in the White House.
MULTIPLE CHOICE ANSWER KEY 1. B
2. A 3. B 4. D 5. A 6. D 7. B 8. B 9. B 10. E 11. A 12. C 13. C 14. D 15. B 16. D 17. B 18. B 19. E 20. E 21. E 22. D 23. C 24. B 25. C 26. B 27. D 28. D 29. D 30. C 31. C 32. D 33. C 34. C 35. B 36. E 37. A 38. B 39. C 40. B 41. A 42. E 43. B 44. A 45. C 46. A 47. D 48. A
49. D 50. E 51. D 52. D 53. D 54. B 55. C 56. C 57. D 58. D 59. C 60. D 61. B 62. C 63. D 64. E 65. E 66. C 67. C 68. B 69. C 70. E 71. C 72. B
