AP US Government Practice Questions, Examples, and FRQ Samples

A central concern of the Anti-Federalists was that the Constitution would

• Aallow state governments too much power
• Bcreate a national government too strong and distant from the people
• Cabolish slavery immediately
• Dreplace representative democracy with direct democracy

Federalist No. 10, written by James Madison, argues that

• Aa large republic is better than a small one for controlling the effects of factions
• Bfactions must be eliminated to preserve liberty
• Cdirect democracy is the ideal form of government
• Dthe executive branch should dominate the other branches

Which of the following is a check that Congress has on the federal judiciary?

• AThe power to veto Supreme Court decisions
• BThe power to impeach federal judges
• CThe power to directly appoint Supreme Court justices
• DThe power to override judicial review with a simple majority

A filibuster in the Senate

• Ais a procedure to fast-track bills to a floor vote
• Bis an extended debate that can only be ended by cloture (usually 60 votes)
• Crequires unanimous consent to begin
• Ddoes not exist in the modern Senate

In Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), students wore black armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War. The school suspended them.

The Supreme Court ruled that

• Aschools have absolute authority to regulate student speech
• Bstudents do not have First Amendment rights in schools
• Cstudents retain First Amendment rights at school unless speech substantially disrupts the learning environment
• Dthe armbands constituted unprotected 'fighting words'

Brown v. Board of Education (1954) overturned which earlier decision?

• AMarbury v. Madison
• BPlessy v. Ferguson
• CDred Scott v. Sandford
• DGibbons v. Ogden

Which pair of policy positions is most consistent with modern American liberalism?

• ALower taxes and reduced government regulation
• BExpanded social welfare programs and environmental regulation
• CStrict immigration limits and minimal foreign aid
• DMinimal government spending and a balanced budget above all else

Which factor is most consistently associated with higher voter turnout in US elections?

• AYounger age
• BLower income
• CHigher education
• DResidence in a non-competitive state

A primary function of US political parties is to

• Awrite legislation directly without elected officials
• Brecruit candidates, mobilize voters, and organize government
• Creplace interest groups entirely in the lobbying process
• Dselect Supreme Court justices directly

Congress passes a law requiring the EPA to reduce air pollution from power plants but leaves the specific emissions standards to the agency to determine.

This delegation of regulatory authority to the EPA is an example of

• Ajudicial activism
• Bbureaucratic rulemaking
• Cexecutive order
• Dlegislative veto