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AP Political Science > Unit 1 Test > Flashcards

Unit 1 Test Flashcards

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0
Q

The Framers of the Constitution preferred which of the following political arrangements?

A. a republic as opposed to a pure democracy
B. a monarchy as opposed to a constitutional system
C. a pure democracy over a republic
D. a pure democracy over a representative democracy
E. socialism over capitalism

A

A. a republic as opposed to pure democracy

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1
Q

A constitutional democracy

A. provides for majority influence in elections
B. protects minority rights
C. operates under the rule of law
D. was created in 1787 by the U.S. Constitution
E. all these answers are correct

A

E. all these answers are correct

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2
Q

Americans’ national identity rests largely upon

A. ethnic kinship
B. common language
C. shared political ideals
D. religion
E. federal law
A

C. shared political ideals

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3
Q

The American ideal of equality

A. promotes the idea that all citizens should be equal in their standard of living
B. is fully consistent with individualism
C. does not include the idea that everyone is entitled to fair treatment under the law
D. is a concept whose precise definition is frequently contested among American citizens
E. has always fully been implemented in U.S. history

A

D. is a concept whose precise definition is frequently contested among American citizens

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4
Q

Inalienable rights

A. belong to the government only
B. belong to individuals but can be denied by government
C. belong to individuals and cannot be denied by government
D. do not exist in the United States
E. are not mentioned in the Declaration of Independence

A

C. belong to individuals and cannot be denied by government

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5
Q

Complications in the practice of America’s ideals occurs because these ideals

A. are general principles, not precise rules
B. sometimes conflict with one another
C. are only one of many sources of political action
D. are enduring and powerful
E. all of these answers are correct

A

E. all of these answers are correct

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6
Q

The principle of self-government emphasizes majority rule whereas the principle of liberty emphasizes individual rights. There principles

A. are universal and are the foundation of all legitimate governments
B. have no real meaning in practice
C. have the same meaning for all Americans
D. are not fully consistent with each other
E. are not expressed in the Declaration of Independence

A

D. are not fully consistent with each other

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7
Q

Political conflict is rooted in which two general conditions of society?

A. authority and scarcity of resources
B. differing values and scarcity of resources
C. differing values and liberty
D. authority and liberty
E. authority and differing values
A

B. differing values and scarcity of resources

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8
Q

In a constitutional system,

A. there are no restrictions on the lawful uses of power, as long as this power is obtained by the majority rule
B. citizens have basic rights which government cannot deny
C. the economy is based on the free enterprise system
D. officials govern according to the traditions established by their predecessors
E. all citizens have absolute free speech rights

A

B. citizens have basic rights which government cannot deny

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9
Q

Americans’ emphasis on self-sufficiency and material accumulation reflects their belief in

A. liberty
B. self-government
C. individualism
D. diversity
E. collectivism
A

C. individualism

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10
Q

Which concept is integral to the political philosophies of Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau?

A. popular sovereignty 
B. absolutism
C. inalienable rights
D. social contract
E. constitutionalism
A

D. social contract

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11
Q

A major criticism of the theory of pluralism 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 influence policy makers
D. the needs of special interest groups are ignored
E. none of these answers are correct

A

C. only a small number of powerful groups are well-organized and influence policy makers

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12
Q

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

A

A. government is most dangerous when a single group is powerful enough to gain full political control

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13
Q

Viewed in historical terms, federalism has been a

A. pragmatic principle, in that the relationship between the nation and the states has adapted to the needs of time
B. theoretical principle, in that constitutional provisions for federalism have had virtually no impact on the relationship between the nation and the states
C. flawed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and the states has been a constant source of problems without many positive benefits
D. fixed principle, in that the relationship between the nation and states is almost completely defined by the provisions of the Constitution
E. poor replacement of the confederal system which existed before the Constitution

A

A. pragmatic principle, in that the relationship between the nation and the states has adapted to the needs of time

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14
Q

Which of the following is not an enumerated power?

A. public education
B. regulation of commerce
C. declaration of war
D. taxation
E. print money
A

A. public education

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15
Q

Which of the following were arguments in favor of federalism at the time of the writing of the Constitution?

A. federalism will protect liberty
B. federalism will force officials to be more responsive to the people
C. federalism will provide for a stronger national government than existed under the Articles of Confederation
D. federalism will preserve the states as sovereign governments
E. all these answers are correct

A

E. all these answers are correct

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16
Q

The Constitution grants the states the power to

A. make treaties
B. provide for law and order
C. wage war
D. print money
E. do anything that is "necessary and proper"
A

E. provide for law and order

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17
Q

The Tenth Amendment addressed the concerns of Anti-Federalists about

A. individual freedoms
B. the meaning of the commerce clause
C. popular representation in Congress
D. the powers of state governments
E. the Electoral College
A

D. the powers of state governments

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18
Q

The idea that government should be restricted in its lawful uses of power and hence in its ability to deprive people of their liberty is expressed by the term

A. federalism
B. self-government
C. judicial review
D. limited government
E. natural rights
A

D. limited government

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19
Q

Through the grants of power in the Constitution, the Framers sought to

A. define the powers of state governments
B. create a government in which sovereignty was invested in the national government only
C. both empower government and limit it
D. enumerate the rights of individuals
E. abolish slavery

A

C. both empower the government and limit it

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20
Q

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

A

D. power must be used to offset power

21
Q

In practice, the most significant restraint imposed by Congress on the president is its

A. ability to override presidential vetoes
B. power of impeachment
C. power to make laws and appropriate money, for these determine the programs the executive can implement
D. power to approve presidential appointees
E. power to investigate presidential activities

A

C. power to make laws and appropriate money, for these determine the programs the executive can implement

22
Q

Marbury v. Madison was an ingenious decision because it

A. returned a case that involved the issue of states’ rights into one that asserted national power
B. redefined the constitutional relationship between the president and congress
C. asserted the power of the judiciary without bringing it into direct conflict with the president or congress
D. turned a case that involved the issue of states’ rights into one that asserted judicial power over the institutions of society
E. gave more power to the presidency, at the expense of congress

A

D. turned a case that involved the issue of states’ rights into one that asserted judicial power over the institutions of society

23
Q

Which of the following is an example of checks and balances?

A. the veto
B. the impeachment process
C. approval of treaties
D. judicial review
E. all these answers are correct
A

E. all these answers are correct

24
Q

Which of the following developments in the national political system provided for more popular control?

A. primary elections
B. direct election of U.S. senators
C. recall elections
D. initiative and referendum
E. all these answers are correct
A

E. all these answers are correct

25
Q

According to the Constitution

A. the legislature enforces the law
B. the executive makes the law
C. the judiciary interprets the law
D. the bureaucrats make the law
E. interest groups directly determine public money outcomes
A

C. the judiciary interprets the law

26
Q

The Great Compromise produced

A. checks and balances
B. the abolition of slavery
C. a bicameral Congress
D. separation of powers
E. federalism
A

C. a bicameral Congress

27
Q

Dual federalism held that

A. the states were equal to the national government in all respects
B. a precise separation of national and state authority was both possible and desirable
C. national and state authority were indivisible
D. the Senate and the House were equal in their federal authority
E. none of these answers are correct

A

B. a precise separation of national and state authority was both possible and desirable

28
Q

From 1789 to 1865, the most significant issue of federalism was

A. the application of the Bill of Rights to action by the state governments
B. whether the states would accept the lawful authority of the national government
C. whether business trusts would be regulated primarily by the states or by the national government
D. whether the states would respect the sovereignty of neighboring states
E. laissez-faire capitalism

A

B. whether the states would accept the lawful authority of the national government

29
Q

According to the Federalists, the states would have political control over all of the following except

A. public morals
B. education
C. the country's economy
D. safety
E. public health
A

C. the country’s economy

30
Q

Which of the following is most closely related to the concept of implied powers?

A. necessary and proper clause
B. supremacy clause
C. Tenth Amendment
D. the commerce clause
E. the power to tax
A

A. necessary and proper clause

31
Q

A public policy program that is jointly funded, jointly administered, and jointly determined by both state and national government is an example of

A. dual federalism
B. cooperative federalism
C. unitary federalism
D. confederal federalism
E. cosponsor federalism
A

B. cooperative federalism

32
Q

Fiscal federalism refers to

A. the coordinated fiscal policy decisions of the federal government and the states
B. the expenditure of federal funds on programs run in part through state and local governments
C. the national banking system first established by Alexander Hamilton in the 1790s
D. the fact that both the federal government and the states have the power to tax
E. the ability of the states to manipulate federal decision making

A

B. the expenditure of federal funds on programs run in part through state and local governments

33
Q

Federal grants-in-aid used only for specific projects are called

A. categorical grants
B. block grants
C. revenue-sharing grants
D. targeted grants
E. streamlined grants
A

A. categorical grants

34
Q

The Anti-Federalists thought that state-centered government would do a better job that the national government in terms of

A. strengthening interstate commerce
B. preserving the nation’s security from foreign invaders
C. protecting and preserving the diversity of interests among the people
D. promoting national unity
E. none of these answers are correct

A

C. protecting and preserving the diversity of interests among the people

35
Q

The elastic clause is related to which of the following concepts?

A. enumerated powers 
B. reserved powers
C. implied powers
D. concurrent powers
E. all of the answers are correct
A

C. implied powers

36
Q

Which decision is indicative of how the Supreme Court interpreted the Fourteenth Amendment and state discretion in civil rights matters in the decades after the Civil War?

A. Brown v. Board of Education
B. the Dred Scott decision
C. Plessy v. Ferguson
D. McCulloch v. Maryland
E. Gibbons v. Ogden
A

C. Plessy v. Ferguson

37
Q

Devolution is

A. the passing of authority from the national government to the state and local levels
B. the expansion of national authority that began in the 1930s
C. the contraction of state authority and the expansion of local government authority
D. the expansion of national authority that began in the 1960s.
E. none of these are correct

A

A. the passing of authority from the national government to the state and local levels

38
Q

The federal government’s power to tax, regulate commerce among the states, and declare war are all examples of ______ powers.

A. reserved
B. enumerated
C. implied
D. concurrent
E. none of these answers are correct
A

B. enumerated

39
Q

A blending of state and national authority is associated with _____ federalism, while a separation of national and state authority is associated with _____ federalism.

A. dual, fiscal
B. dual, cooperative
C. cooperative, dual
D. picket-fence, cooperative
E. cooperative, pyramid
A

C. cooperative, dual

40
Q

According to _________, a large republic is less likely to have an all-powerful faction.

A. Patrick Henry
B. George Mason
C. James Madison
D. John C. Calhoun
E. John Marshall Harlan
A

C. James Madison

41
Q

Political conservatives who favor more political power developed back to the states prefer

A. categorical grants
B. block grants
C. Pell Grants
D. higher tax rates for the wealthy
E. none of these answers are correct
A

B. block grants

42
Q

In America today, public education is primarily the responsibility of

A. the national government
B. state and local governments
C. the National Education Association (NEA)
D. the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
E. the U.S. Department of Education

A

B. state and local governments

43
Q

Since McCulloch, which of the following sections of the Constitution has not been used to expand national power?

A. Interstate Commerce Clause
B. The Civil Rights Act
C. The Spending Clause
D. The 14th Amendment
E. The Taxing Clause
A

B. The Civil Rights Act

44
Q

Even though education is a state right and not a right of the federal government, which of the following has been used by the federal government to impose its will on the states?

A. Interpretation of the Interstate Commerce Clause
B. the passage of Civil Rights legislation
C. Federal Grants available for states on education
D. none of the above
E. all of the above

A

C. Federal Grants available for states on education

45
Q

Which of the following believes in the fact that America is governed by special interests of a few that operate in their own best interests and not in the interests of the whole?

A. elitism
B. constitutionalism
C. majoritarianism
D. bureaucratic rule
E. all of the above
A

A. elitism

46
Q

Which of the following contribute to the political model but are not part of the Constitution:

  1. Congress
  2. Political Parties
  3. The President
  4. The Media
A. 1
B. 2, 3, and 4
C. 1, 2, and 4
D. 2 and 4
E. 1 and 4
A

D. 2 and 4

47
Q

Which of the following were goals of the framers of the Constitution:

  1. to establish a government that would threaten the existing states
  2. to create a government what would maintain liberty
  3. a government strong enough to address the needs of the nation
  4. to establish a government based on popular consent
A. 1 and 2
B. 2 and 3
C. 2, 3, and 4
D. 3 and 4
E. 1, 2, 3, and 4
A

C. 2, 3, and 4

48
Q

Which of the following cases has transformed the constitution in an “informal” matter?

A. Gibbons v. Odgen
B. McMulloch v. Maryland
C. Marbury v. Madison
D. all of the above
E. none of the above
A

D. all of the above

49
Q

The Supreme Court has allowed Congress to define what is interstate commerce apart from one case involving guns inside of a school zone. They ruled that interpretation of the commerce clause to be unconstitutional. That case was

A. Printz v. The United States
B. Brown v. Board of Education
C. Heller v. D.C.
D. Affordable Health Care Act (2010)
E. Brady Act (1993)
A

C. Heller v. D.C.

AP Political Science (5 decks)

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