AP Government Semester Exam
AP Government Semester Exam
DIRECTIONS: Select the “BEST” answer for the following.
1. The foremost attraction for the job of serving in Congress is
a. a salary four times the income of the typical American family.
b. generous retirement benefits.
c. the power to make key public policy decisions.
d. travel benefits.
e. free living accommodations in fashionable Washington D.C.
2. The principle of checks and balances is based on the notion that
a. leaders are the trustees of the people.
b. a weak government is always preferable to a strong government.
c. all legislative and executive action should be controlled through judicial power.
d. power must be used to offset power.
e. legislators and executives cannot be trusted, but judges are trustworthy.
3. About two-thirds of adults call themselves ____________ in terms of party identification.
a. liberals.
b. Republicans or Democrats.
c. Republicans.
d. Independents.
e. Democrats.
4. Relative to the total population, the most underrepresented group in Congress is
a. African Americans.
b. Hispanics.
c. Jews.
d. lawyers.
e. women.
5. All of the following are true about incumbents EXCEPT
a. they usually win elections.
b. they usually have more money than their challengers.
c. they usually have higher name recognition and visibility than their opponents.
d. they usually have more PAC contributions than their opponents.
e. they usually face very tough challengers, especially in race for the House.
6. Regular voters are characterized by all of the following EXCEPT
a. being less educated.
b. having a strong sense of civic duty.
c. possessing a higher economic class standing.
d. being older.
e. being more educated.
AP Government Semester Exam
7. Those who possess a disproportionate share of political power would adhere to which
theory of American Democracy?
a. Capitalists
b. Majoritarians
c. Elite and class
d. Hyperpluralism
e. Socialists
8. Occasionally, a major political tidal wave rolls across the country and throws large
numbers of incumbents of a given party out of office. When did this last occur?
a. 1998
b. 1980
c. 1974
d. 1964
e. 2006
9. A single Political Action Committee
a. has no limit on the amount of money it can spend on a candidate.
b. can at most account for only a small percentage of a winner’s total spending.
c. usually puts all its efforts into one candidate.
d. can gain the most influence by giving money to candidates who disagree with
them.
e. can make or break a candidate in a particularly close Congressional election.
10. All of the following tend to decrease voter turnout EXCEPT
a. sharp differences between major parties.
b. alienation.
c. frequent elections.
d. An individualistic culture.
e. lack of interest in politics.
11. To be sent to the President, a bill must be passed by
a. the House.
b. the Senate.
c. either the House or the Senate.
d. both the House and the Senate.
e. a majority vote of Congress, regardless of which house the votes come from
12. The House ____ Committee reviews most bills coming from other committees before
they go on to the full House, thus performing a traffic cop function.
a. Appropriations
b. Ways and Means
c. Rules
d. Authorization
e. Review
AP Government Semester Exam
13. Nominees to the US Supreme Court must be confirmed by
a. the Senate.
b. the House.
c. either House or Senate.
d. both the House and Senate
e. the President.
14. Articles of Impeachment must be passed by
a. either the House or the Senate.
b. both the House and the Senate.
c. the Senate
d. the House.
e. the Supreme Court.
15. According to the Constitution, once impeached, federal officials are then tried in the
a. Supreme Court.
b. House.
c. Senate
d. Department of Justice.
e. US District Court for the District of Columbia.
16. All of the following are Congress’ checks on the executive EXCEPT
a. power to ratify treaties
b. power to approve executive appointments.
c. power to hold hearings.
d. power to impeach.
e. power to administer the laws directly if it chooses to do so.
17. To cut off debate and end a filibuster is known as
a. franking.
b. gerrymandering.
c. cloture.
d. overriding.
e. reapportionment
18. The Speaker of the House performs all of the following functions EXCEPT
a. making committee assignments.
b. presiding over the House when it is in session.
c. recommending which members should be expelled for not voting the party line.
d. assigning most bills to committees.
e. appointing the party’s legislative leaders.
AP Government Semester Exam
19. Appropriations, Judiciary and Armed Forces are all examples of ____ committees.
a. select
b. standing
c. conference
d. joint
e. rule
20. Legislative _____ is the process of monitoring the bureaucracy and its administration of
policy.
a. apportionment
b. congruency
c. supremacy
d. overview
e. oversight
21. The best way constituents can influence Congressional voting on legislation is to
a. sign petitions.
b. write letters.
c. fax or call in their opinions.
d. elect a representative or senator who agrees with their views.
e. demonstrate on the capitol steps
22. In U.S. Term Limit, Inc. et al. v. Thornton et al., the Supreme Court ruled that
a. state imposed term limits were constitutional.
b. state imposed term limits were constitutional, but must be at least four terms in
length.
c. state imposed term limits were unconstitutional unless passed by a state
referendum.
d. only state parties could establish specific term limits.
e. state imposed term limits were unconstitutional.
23. A budget deficit occurs when expenditures exceed
a. appropriations.
b. revenues.
c. inflation.
d. authorization.
e. borrowing.
24. When citizens have a high degree of trust in their government, the level of voting turnout
tends to
a. increase.
b. decrease.
c. be largely unaffected.
d. increase among lower-income citizens but decrease among higher-income
citizens.
e. increase among elderly citizens but not among younger voters.
AP Government Semester Exam
25. Constitutional amendments are usually ratified by
a. legislatures of three-fourths of the states
b. a national convention
c. a two-thirds vote in each house of Congress
d. state conventions called by two-thirds vote in Congress
e. presidential approval.
26. Marbury v. Madison is a landmark Supreme Court decision because it
a. established national supremacy.
b. set the precedent for judicial review.
c. defined the scope of state powers under the Tenth Amendment.
d. affirmed the necessary and proper clause.
e. helped to end Thomas Jefferson’s political career.
27. Which of the following are components of the elaborate system of divided spheres of
authority which control the powers of government?
I. Separation of powers
II. Federalism
III. Checks and balances
IV. Electoral College
a. I only
b. I + II
c. II + IV
d. I + II + III
e. IV only
28. A member of Congress who wants to act on what the majority of his or her constituency
thinks on a particular issue would be advised to respond to which of the following
indicators?
a. Letters from constituents
b. The editorial positions of newspapers in the constituency
c. Public demonstrations by constituents
d. A poll based on a random sample of constituents
e. The number of yard signs on major streets
29. The accuracy of a poll is usually expressed in terms of
a. population density.
b. census parameter.
c. population error.
d. sampling error.
e. interview error.
AP Government Semester Exam
30. All of the following are characteristics of a realigning election EXCEPT
a. sharp divisions between the parties.
b. enduring changes in party coalitions.
c. major policy initiatives by the winning party.
d. a very close electoral result.
e. the disruption of the existing political order.
31. Party de-alignment is
a. essentially the same as party realignment.
b. a process that has discouraged the formation of third parties.
c. a process that has strengthened the major parties.
d. a process that refers to American political parties in the early 1800s.
e. when voters become independent voters instead of following party lines.
32. Minor political parties have problems with which of the following?
I. Advocating broad, radical philosophies.
II. Getting their candidates on all 50 state ballots
III. Having a lasting impact on American politics.
IV. Promoting single-issue platforms
V. Financing their campaigns.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
I+V
I + III
II + III + V
III + IV
IV + V
33. The “Three-Fifths Compromise” was a response to
a. the institution of slavery.
b. the concerns of small states.
c. apportionment in the U.S. Senate.
d. the Electoral College.
e. the demands of large states.
34. The North-South Compromise was reached when the framers negotiated compromises
concerning
a. power over who can declare war.
b. intrastate border issues.
c. economic issues including tariffs and slave issues.
d. selection of key executives
e. where the Mason-Dixon line would split the North and the South.
AP Government Semester Exam
35. All of the following are enumerated (expressed) powers EXCEPT
a. public education.
b. regulation of commerce.
c. declaration of war.
d. taxation.
e. print money.
36. States may by the Constitution
a. make treaties.
b. provide for law and order.
c. wage war.
d. print money.
e. do anything that is “necessary and proper.”
37. The pluralist theory of power is characterized by which of the following statements?
a. Political elites will represent the masses equally and fairly.
b. Numerous groups will be spread across the political landscape, defusing their
power effectively.
c. Military groups will dominate civilian control of the government.
d. Two major political parties will represent all of the special interest groups
e. Power elites in the private sector will compete for power with special interest
groups.
38. The enumerated (expressed) powers in Article I of the Constitution were intended to
a. limit the powers of the state governments.
b. ensure that neither small nor large states would be at a disadvantage.
c. ensure that neither northern nor southern states would be at a disadvantage.
d. define the lawful powers of the national government.
e. limit the power of the presidency.
39. A major criticism of the pluralism theory is that
a. there are no organized interest groups.
b. majorities always win.
c. only a small number of powerful groups are well organized and highly influential
on policy makers.
d. minority groups always win.
e. institutions with sufficient power can overwhelm the majority of special interest
groups.
AP Government Semester Exam
40. In Federalist No. 10, James Madison argued that
a. government is most dangerous when a single group is powerful enough to gain
full political control.
b. monarchies are preferable to democracies.
c. America was not diverse enough to prevent powerful interest groups from
exercising too much political power.
d. interest groups should be heavily regulated in America.
e. interest groups are less troublesome than political parties are.
41. An important outcome of Marshall’s ruling in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) was to
a. place limits on the constitutional powers granted to Congress by refusing
McCulloch’s appeal
b. give greater power to the states in taxing agents of the federal government,
including banks
c. protect newspaper editors who publish stories critical of the federal government
d. confirm the supremacy of the federal government in the exercise of the
constitutional powers granted to Congress.
e. give state courts more jurisdictions in federal matters that may eventually become
the jurisdiction of the US Supreme Court.
42. The fact that a driver’s license from one state is valid in other states is an example of
a. privileges and immunities
b. full faith and credit
c. extradition
d. implied powers
e. full driving privileges.
43. The Tenth Amendment
a. states that powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor
prohibited by the states, are reserved to the states.
b. establishes the Constitution, laws of national government, and treaties as the
supreme law of the land.
c. declares that the national government is superior to the states in every concern.
d. establishes the Supreme Court as the final arbiter in all civil and criminal disputes.
e. influences Congress to allocate more
44. The Constitution failed to outlaw slavery because
a. few at that time recognized slavery as a moral evil.
b. the opponents of slavery lacked the courage of their convictions.
c. the Framers had no such mandate from those who had selected them.
d. Southern support was essential to the adoption of the document.
e. blacks felt slavery was not a social, but an economic issue.
AP Government Semester Exam
45. Which of the following is not a reserved power of the states?
a. Education Requirements
b. Drinking Age
c. Raise an Army
d. Marriage Licenses
e. Business Licenses
46. In a winner-take-all system
a. legislative seats are allocated according to each party’s percentage of the
nationwide vote.
b. if no single party gets a majority vote, a runoff election is held between the top
two parties.
c. unless a party wins, there is no reward for the votes it gets.
d. coalition governments are common.
e. the party winning the majority of voters wins all the seats up for election in the
legislature.
47. What bothers politicians most about the rising costs of high-tech campaigning is
a. that fund-raising has come to take so much of their precious time, distracting them
from legislation.
b. the increasing influence of PACS who constantly are calling on the phone.
c. that so many good people cannot afford to run for reelection.
d. the declining number of PACS that they relied on for large campaign
contributions.
e. they feel like they are used by the PACS for purely selfish reasons.
48. In Bush v. Gore (2,000) the US Supreme Court ruled that
I. the Florida Supreme Court did not have jurisdiction over the presidential
election legal issues.
II. although a recount was legal, the same (or more precise) standards for
evaluating ballots would have to be applied in all counties.
III. the butterfly and “chad’ ballot was unconstitutional so Bush was the
winner.
IV. a recount could not extend past December 12, when the Florida electors
would meet.
V. Even though Al Gore had won the popular vote, he did not win enough
key states or their electoral votes to warrant gaining the presidency.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
I + II + III
II + IV
II + III + IV
III + IV + V
V
AP Government Semester Exam
49. The group of people with the lowest voter turnout rate is
a. college graduates.
b. women.
c. males.
d. senior citizens over 70.
e. young people.
50. ThefirstpoliticalpartiesinAmericawereformed
a. becauseoftherivalrybetweenHamiltonandJeffersonintheWashington
AdministrationoverConstitutionalinterpretation.
b. in1825withtheformationoftheWhigparty.
c. throughtheamendmentprocess.
d. inthewritingoftheArticlesofConfederation.
e. InordertoopposetheBritish.
51. According to many observers, the “new parent” in the socialization process has been
a. friends and peers.
b. schools.
c. the mass media.
d. interest groups.
e. the mother.
52. AmostcommonformofpoliticalparticipationinAmericais
a. civildisobedience.
b. communityactivities.
c. virtualconnections.
d. lobbyistactivities.
e. voting.
53. The most recent wave of immigration since WWII has consisted primarily of
f. northwestern Europeans.
g. southern and eastern Europeans.
h. Hispanics and Asians.
i. Africans.
j. refugees from communist countries.
54. Over the last 50 years much of America’s population growth has occurred
a. north of the Mason-Dixon Line.
b. east of the Mississippi River.
c. in the West and South.
d. in the Midwest.
e. on the East Coast.
AP Government Semester Exam
55. What occurs after every census to re-allocate the 435 seats in the US House of Representatives,
reflecting population shifts in the population of the states and, thus, how many seats each state is
allotted?
a. Demography
b. Restructuring
c. Gerrymandering
d. Equalization
e. Re-apportionment.
56. A candidate’s secret to controlling the media’s focus is
a. purchasing major media outlets similar to Ted Turner’s CNN.
b. limiting media contact to planned in-depth interviews.
c. limiting what they can report on to carefully scripted events.
d. avoiding the media whenever possible.
e. restricting media coverage to television.
57. Which of the following is TRUE about most liberals in American politics?
I. They favor keeping taxes and government spending low
II. They oppose abortion.
III. They believe we should guard carefully the rights of defendants in criminal
cases.
IV. They are supportive of prayer in public schools.
V. They believe that government is responsible for the welfare of the people.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
I + III + V
II + IV
III + V
III + IV + V
V
58. Which is TRUE about most conservatives in American politics?
VI. They are in favor of affirmative action programs.
VII. They believe we should spend much less on the military budget.
VIII. They are opposed to prayer in public schools.
IX. They favor free market solutions to problems rather than government regulation.
X. They favor current status quo and do not want to make any major changes in
policy.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
I + II + III
II + III + IV
III + IV + V
IV + V
V
59. In recent years, television political campaign commercials have come to be characterized by
a. a nearly exclusive focus on policy issues.
b. a reluctance on the part of the candidates themselves to appear in commercials.
c. a nearly exclusive focus on the candidates’ personality traits.
d. the dominance of negative commercials in many campaigns.
e. talking heads going on national debates to discuss key policy decisions.
AP Government Semester Exam
60. Political efficacy means
a. a person likes to vote.
b. a person believes an individual can affect the system.
c. a person advocates efficiency in politics.
d. political institutions solicit public input.
e. effective political socialization means effective policy making.
Semester Exam Essays
DIRECTIONS: Answer both questions.
1. A significant feature of the Electoral College is that most states have a winner-take-all
system.
a. Describe the winner-take-all feature of the Electoral College.
b. Explain one way in which the winner-take-all feature of the Electoral College
affects how presidential candidates from the two major parties run their
campaigns.
c. Explain one way in which the winner-take-all feature of the Electoral College
hinders third-party candidates.
d. Explain two reasons why the Electoral College has not been abolished.
2. The United States Constitution has endured for more than two centuries as the framework
of government. However, the meaning of the Constitution has been changed both by
formal and informal methods.
a. Identify two formal methods for adding amendments to the Constitution.
b. Describe two informal methods that have been used to change the meaning of the
Constitution. Provide one specific example for each informal method you
described.
AP Government Semester Exam
Semester Exam Key
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 C D B E E A C A E A D C A D C E C C B E D E B A A B D D D D 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 E C A C A B B D C A D B A D C C A B E A C E C C E C C D D B