AP Government Diagnostic Test
This test is a sample of questions from all the topics we will cover this semester. This grade will not be entered in the gradebook, rather you get a grade for completion. This is intended to show your baseline before we cover any material.
- 1.The Constitution as ratified in 1788 most clearly reflects the framers' commitment to
- A.
The idea of direct democracy
- B.
The principle of limited government
- C.
The abolition of slavery
- D.
Protecting the right of the accused
- E.
Maintaining the primacy of the states
- 2.Which of the following most accurately describes The Federalist Papers
- A.
The Federalist party platform during the presidency of John Adams, the first Federalist president
- B.
A popular anti-British booklet of the pre-Revolutionary era
- C.
A collection of essays arguing the merits of the Constitution
- D.
A series of congressional acts defining the relationship between the federal and state governments
- E.
The laws under which the South was governed during Reconstruction
- 3.A Supreme Court that demonstrates a willingness to change public policy and alter judicial precedent is said to be engaging in
- A.
Judicial activism
- B.
Due process
- C.
Judicial restraint
- D.
Ex post facto lawmaking
- E.
Judicial review
- 4.A writ of Certiorari from the Supreme Court indicates that the Court
- A.
Will review a lower court decision
- B.
Has rendered a decision on a case
- C.
Has decided not to hear an appeal
- D.
Will recess until the end of the calendar year
- E.
Plans to overturn one of its previous rulings
- 5.American foreign policy is directed primarily by the
- A.
House of Representatives
- B.
Senate
- C.
President
- D.
Supreme Court
- E.
Federal bureaucracy
- 6."We conclude that in the field of education the docterine of 'separate but equal' has no place. Separate education facilities are inherently unequal." The Supreme Court issued this opinion in its ruling on which of the following cases?
- A.
Gideon v. Wainwright
- B.
Marbury v. Madison
- C.
Engel v. Vitale
- D.
Regents of University of California v. Bakke
- E.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
- 7.Under which of the following circumstances is congress LEAST likely to pass a bill the president has threatened to veto?
- A.
The president's public approval rating is extremely high
- B.
A failed attempt has been made to develop a compromise bill with the White House
- C.
The party controlling Congress is not the president's party
- D.
The president has also expressed the possibility that he might not veto the bill
- E.
Congressional leaders believe they have the votes necessary to override a veto
- 8.Which of the following best describes the practice of "Ticket Splitting"?
- A.
A presidential nominee selects a running mate who can appeal to voter groups whose support of the nominee is weak
- B.
A voter chooses the presidential nominee of one major party, but chooses congressional nominees of the other major party
- C.
A mayor orders the local police force to hand out fewer parking tickets in the weeks leading up to the general election
- D.
A delegate to a national party convention supports the front-runner but remains uncommitted on the party platform
- E.
A member of Congress votes against legislation proposed by his or her party leader.
- 9.The Rules Committee is considered among the most powerful in the House of Representatives because it has great power over the
- A.
Ethical conduct of House members
- B.
Selection of federal judges
- C.
Number of subcommittees that a standing committee may establish at any given time
- D.
Scheduling of votes and the conditions under which bills are debated and amended
- E.
Regulations governing federal elections
- 10.Compared with political parties in countries such as England and Israel, both of which have multiparty systems, American political parties are
- A.
Less interested in influencing the outcome of elections
- B.
Less clearly identified with consistent political ideologies
- C.
Less effective at raising money from political supporters
- D.
Better able to reflect the goals of their entire constituencies
- E.
More likely to organize around a single issue or goal
- 11.Which of the following people would most likely be accused of influence peddling?
- A.
A congressperson who retires to take a position teaching political science at a university
- B.
A former president who advises a current president on a particular foreign policy issue
- C.
A voter who researches the positions of all candidates in a race before choosing whom to support
- D.
A judge who consistently hands down the maximum sentence to convict felons
- E.
An official who leaves the State Department to work as a paid consultant to foreign governments
- 12.The only president to resign from office was
- A.
Calvin Coolidge
- B.
Spiro Agnew
- C.
Lyndon Johnson
- D.
Richard Nixon
- E.
Zachary Taylor
- 13.Impeachment cases must be tried in the I . Senate only II. House only III. Senate and House IV. Senate and House with the Supreme Court residing
- A.
IV
- B.
I
- C.
I and II
- D.
II
- E.
III
- 14.The Supreme Court of the United States has both original and appellate jurisdiction. The Court usually hears cases on appeal and decides only a few cases each year. Who decides which cases the court will here.
- A.
The chief justice of the Supreme Court
- B.
The members of the Supreme Court as a group
- C.
The attorney general of the United States
- D.
The solicitor general of the United States
- E.
The chief associate judge of the Supreme Court
- 15.Bicameralism is
- A.
Impeachment cases must be tried in the I . Senate only II. House only III. Senate and House IV. Senate and House with the Supreme Court residing a legislative body dominated by two major political parties
- B.
A legislative body composed of one house
- C.
A legislative body composed of two houses
- D.
A legislative body that shares powers with a judiciary
- E.
A legislative body that shares power with an executive
- 16.A primary election open only to known voters of a political party would best be described as a(n)
- A.
Open primary
- B.
Indirect primary
- C.
Blanket primary
- D.
Wide-open primary
- E.
Closed primary
- 17.What is the minimum age requirement for a U.S. Senator
- A.
25
- B.
30
- C.
35
- D.
There is no age requirement
- E.
18
- 18.Which of the following best describes a public interest group?
- A.
A public interest group seeks benefits of its self-interest
- B.
A public interest groups seeks to benefit the nation as a whole rather than its self interest
- C.
A public interest groups seeks to destroy government bureaucracy
- D.
A public interest groups seek to provide information to certain groups within Congress
- E.
A public interest groups seek to win support of the president
- 19.How many court of appeals are there in the federal court system?
- A.
1
- B.
90
- C.
6
- D.
12
- E.
50
- 20.What is the total membership of the Electoral College?
- A.
435
- B.
535
- C.
438
- D.
538
- E.
270
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