AP GOVERNMENT PRACTICE EXAM PART A QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
(Committee on Juidiciary Nomination Hearing graphic)
Which statement explains how the event described in the image could cause tension between the
branches of government? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The Senate can place a check on executive
appointment powers by withholding confirmation.
Which statement best describes why winner-take-all voting districts impede third-party candidates? -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Third-party candidates need to come in first place in the district to be successful
(How Banning of Affirmative Action Hurts Black Students' Enrollment graph)
What conclusion about the Supreme Court's rulings restricting race-based affirmative action for college
admissions can be drawn from the data in the graph? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The rulings have led to a
disproportionately lower rate of black college students compared to the proportion of black college-age
population.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces a new set of rules intended to limit water
pollution from community sewage in rivers, imposing a substantial fine on communities that break the
law. Which describes the source of authority allowing the agency to impose these fines? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅It is in the law passed by Congress
SEC. 1. That all persons within the jurisdiction of the United States shall be entitled to the full and equal
enjoyment of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of inns, public conveyances on
land or water, theatres, and other places of public amusement, subject only to the conditions and
limitations established by law and applicable alike to citizens of every race and color, regardless of any
previous condition of servitude.
—From the Civil Rights Act of 1875
This legislation was ruled unconstitutional in 1883.
Which of the following case rulings is consistent with the intent of the 1875 law? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Brown v Board of Education (1954)
,(The Presidency is Just One Problem After Another graphic)
Which of the following is an accurate statement about the message of the political cartoon? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅The president must carefully consider who he intends to nominate to the Supreme Court,
or the nominee might not make it through the Senate confirmation hearing.
A political party wins a majority of the seats in one house of a state legislature. However, members of
that party are unable to pass a bill supported by most of the party's members in the house.
What is a possible explanation for a chamber's inability to pass a bill supported by most of the members
of the majority party? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A faction of the majority party who opposes the
legislation threatens the majority's numeric superiority.
Which of the following is an accurate statement about voter turnout in the United States? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Latinos are less likely to vote than are white, non-Hispanics.
(Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation graphic)
Which fundamental weakness of the Articles of Confederation is made evident in the political cartoon? -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The sovereignty of state governments over the national government
A dual system of voter registration exists in Arizona. For state elections, eligible citizens must register for
state elections by attaching documents such as a birth certificate to their voter registration forms.
However, to vote in federal elections in Arizona, eligible citizens can vote by filling out a federal
registration form under penalty of perjury and swearing that they are citizens. Both forms are readily
available to eligible voters.
What potential issue is most likely to occur in Arizona because of its dual registration system? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Eligible voters who have completed federal registration forms may be blocked from voting
in state elections.
Which of the following correctly compares Marbury v. Madison (1803) and Article III of the Constitution
on the issue of judicial review? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Marbury v. Madison: Established the power of
judicial review
Article III: Delegates the power of judicial review
,The Government says that health insurance and health care financing are "inherently integrated." But ...
no matter how "inherently integrated" health insurance and health care consumption may be, they are
not the same thing. ... The individual mandate forces individuals into commerce precisely because they
elected to refrain from commercial activity. Such a law cannot be sustained under a clause authorizing
Congress to "regulate Commerce."
—From National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012)
In what way does this case differ from McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The
ruling found a federal law to be unconstitutional.
Which statement best describes the balance of the political culture and legislation that reflects that
culture in the United States? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅American political culture engages in pluralism in
order to represent the differing views of the public through debate and legislation.
The constitutional basis for allowing unlimited independent expenditures by corporations and labor
unions for political advertising was found in which of the following amendments? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅First amendment
(Top Five States for Earmarks graph)
The data in this chart are indicative of which legislative technique? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Logrolling
While the Republicans did not do as well as they had hoped in [the 2002 congressional] elections for the
United States House of Representatives, they made gains in the Texas House of Representatives and
won a majority of seats in that body. This gave Texas Republicans control over both bodies of the state
legislature, as well as the Governor's mansion, for the first time since Reconstruction. With full control
of the State's legislative and executive branches, the Republicans 'decided to redraw the state's
congressional districts solely for the purpose of seizing between five and seven seats from Democratic
incumbents.' ... According to former Lieutenant Governor Bill Ratliff, a highly regarded Republican
member of the State Senate, "political gain for the Republicans was 110% of the motivation for the Plan,
... it was 'the entire motivation.'"
—Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, opinion on LULAC v. Perry et al - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Gerrymandering
(Public Opinion Trends and Roe v Wade graph)
, Which statement explains the opposing viewpoints toward the Roe v. Wade (1965) ruling shown in the
data? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Conservative and liberal respondents hold opposing viewpoints on
whether the role of the government is to restrict or expand access to abortion.
In the case of Fletcher v. Peck (1810), Georgia sold large tracts of land to speculators in 1795. A few
years later, the Georgia legislature voided the sale in response to public outcry that the original
agreement was conducted with bribes. In the intervening period, Robert Fletcher, a land speculator, had
purchased a tract of land from John Peck, who had acquired the land from the original agreement in
1795. Fletcher took Peck to court, arguing that he had no right to sell the land and that the sale was a
breach of contract. The Court's decision favored Peck based on the argument that bills of attainder and
ex post facto laws are unconstitutional.
Source: Oyez.org
Which of the following statements accurately characterizes the Supreme Court's action in the scenario?
- CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Judicial restraint motivated the decision in Fletcher, as the guidance from the
Constitution stipulated that Congress cannot annul past legislation and grants.
[S]ome contending that the President ought alone to possess the power of making treaties; others, that
it ought to have been exclusively deposited in the Senate. ... The essence of the legislative authority is to
enact laws, or, in other words, to prescribe rules for the regulation of the society; while the execution of
the laws, and the employment of the common strength, either for this purpose or for the common
defense, seem to comprise all the functions of the executive magistrate. The power of making treaties
is, plainly, neither the one nor the other. ... To have intrusted the power of making treaties to the Senate
alone, would have been to relinquish the benefits of the constitutional agency of the President in the
conduct of foreign negotiation.
—From Federalist No. 75
Which of the following statements reflects how the author of the excerpt indicates that the separation
of powers is achieved in the national g - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The Constitution delegated the power to
create treaties to the president.
Which of the following is a common difference between presidential elections and midterm elections? -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Voter turnout is often higher during presidential elections than during midterm
elections.
ANSWERS
(Committee on Juidiciary Nomination Hearing graphic)
Which statement explains how the event described in the image could cause tension between the
branches of government? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The Senate can place a check on executive
appointment powers by withholding confirmation.
Which statement best describes why winner-take-all voting districts impede third-party candidates? -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Third-party candidates need to come in first place in the district to be successful
(How Banning of Affirmative Action Hurts Black Students' Enrollment graph)
What conclusion about the Supreme Court's rulings restricting race-based affirmative action for college
admissions can be drawn from the data in the graph? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The rulings have led to a
disproportionately lower rate of black college students compared to the proportion of black college-age
population.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces a new set of rules intended to limit water
pollution from community sewage in rivers, imposing a substantial fine on communities that break the
law. Which describes the source of authority allowing the agency to impose these fines? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅It is in the law passed by Congress
SEC. 1. That all persons within the jurisdiction of the United States shall be entitled to the full and equal
enjoyment of the accommodations, advantages, facilities, and privileges of inns, public conveyances on
land or water, theatres, and other places of public amusement, subject only to the conditions and
limitations established by law and applicable alike to citizens of every race and color, regardless of any
previous condition of servitude.
—From the Civil Rights Act of 1875
This legislation was ruled unconstitutional in 1883.
Which of the following case rulings is consistent with the intent of the 1875 law? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Brown v Board of Education (1954)
,(The Presidency is Just One Problem After Another graphic)
Which of the following is an accurate statement about the message of the political cartoon? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅The president must carefully consider who he intends to nominate to the Supreme Court,
or the nominee might not make it through the Senate confirmation hearing.
A political party wins a majority of the seats in one house of a state legislature. However, members of
that party are unable to pass a bill supported by most of the party's members in the house.
What is a possible explanation for a chamber's inability to pass a bill supported by most of the members
of the majority party? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅A faction of the majority party who opposes the
legislation threatens the majority's numeric superiority.
Which of the following is an accurate statement about voter turnout in the United States? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Latinos are less likely to vote than are white, non-Hispanics.
(Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation graphic)
Which fundamental weakness of the Articles of Confederation is made evident in the political cartoon? -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The sovereignty of state governments over the national government
A dual system of voter registration exists in Arizona. For state elections, eligible citizens must register for
state elections by attaching documents such as a birth certificate to their voter registration forms.
However, to vote in federal elections in Arizona, eligible citizens can vote by filling out a federal
registration form under penalty of perjury and swearing that they are citizens. Both forms are readily
available to eligible voters.
What potential issue is most likely to occur in Arizona because of its dual registration system? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Eligible voters who have completed federal registration forms may be blocked from voting
in state elections.
Which of the following correctly compares Marbury v. Madison (1803) and Article III of the Constitution
on the issue of judicial review? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Marbury v. Madison: Established the power of
judicial review
Article III: Delegates the power of judicial review
,The Government says that health insurance and health care financing are "inherently integrated." But ...
no matter how "inherently integrated" health insurance and health care consumption may be, they are
not the same thing. ... The individual mandate forces individuals into commerce precisely because they
elected to refrain from commercial activity. Such a law cannot be sustained under a clause authorizing
Congress to "regulate Commerce."
—From National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (2012)
In what way does this case differ from McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The
ruling found a federal law to be unconstitutional.
Which statement best describes the balance of the political culture and legislation that reflects that
culture in the United States? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅American political culture engages in pluralism in
order to represent the differing views of the public through debate and legislation.
The constitutional basis for allowing unlimited independent expenditures by corporations and labor
unions for political advertising was found in which of the following amendments? - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅First amendment
(Top Five States for Earmarks graph)
The data in this chart are indicative of which legislative technique? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Logrolling
While the Republicans did not do as well as they had hoped in [the 2002 congressional] elections for the
United States House of Representatives, they made gains in the Texas House of Representatives and
won a majority of seats in that body. This gave Texas Republicans control over both bodies of the state
legislature, as well as the Governor's mansion, for the first time since Reconstruction. With full control
of the State's legislative and executive branches, the Republicans 'decided to redraw the state's
congressional districts solely for the purpose of seizing between five and seven seats from Democratic
incumbents.' ... According to former Lieutenant Governor Bill Ratliff, a highly regarded Republican
member of the State Senate, "political gain for the Republicans was 110% of the motivation for the Plan,
... it was 'the entire motivation.'"
—Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, opinion on LULAC v. Perry et al - CORRECT
ANSWER✅✅Gerrymandering
(Public Opinion Trends and Roe v Wade graph)
, Which statement explains the opposing viewpoints toward the Roe v. Wade (1965) ruling shown in the
data? - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Conservative and liberal respondents hold opposing viewpoints on
whether the role of the government is to restrict or expand access to abortion.
In the case of Fletcher v. Peck (1810), Georgia sold large tracts of land to speculators in 1795. A few
years later, the Georgia legislature voided the sale in response to public outcry that the original
agreement was conducted with bribes. In the intervening period, Robert Fletcher, a land speculator, had
purchased a tract of land from John Peck, who had acquired the land from the original agreement in
1795. Fletcher took Peck to court, arguing that he had no right to sell the land and that the sale was a
breach of contract. The Court's decision favored Peck based on the argument that bills of attainder and
ex post facto laws are unconstitutional.
Source: Oyez.org
Which of the following statements accurately characterizes the Supreme Court's action in the scenario?
- CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Judicial restraint motivated the decision in Fletcher, as the guidance from the
Constitution stipulated that Congress cannot annul past legislation and grants.
[S]ome contending that the President ought alone to possess the power of making treaties; others, that
it ought to have been exclusively deposited in the Senate. ... The essence of the legislative authority is to
enact laws, or, in other words, to prescribe rules for the regulation of the society; while the execution of
the laws, and the employment of the common strength, either for this purpose or for the common
defense, seem to comprise all the functions of the executive magistrate. The power of making treaties
is, plainly, neither the one nor the other. ... To have intrusted the power of making treaties to the Senate
alone, would have been to relinquish the benefits of the constitutional agency of the President in the
conduct of foreign negotiation.
—From Federalist No. 75
Which of the following statements reflects how the author of the excerpt indicates that the separation
of powers is achieved in the national g - CORRECT ANSWER✅✅The Constitution delegated the power to
create treaties to the president.
Which of the following is a common difference between presidential elections and midterm elections? -
CORRECT ANSWER✅✅Voter turnout is often higher during presidential elections than during midterm
elections.
