AP US GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
EXAM 2025/2026 EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS | 100% PASS
Articles of Confederation - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A weak constitution that
governed America during the Revolutionary War
Northwest Ordinance - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Enacted in 1787, it is considered
one of the most significant achievements of the Articles of Confederation. It
established a system for setting up governments in the western territories
so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the original
13 states.
Federalism - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A system in which power is divided between
the national and state governments
,Shay's Rebellion - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers
in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures.
It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for
the Constitutional Convention went out.
Constitution - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A nation's basic law. It creates political
institutions, assigns or divides powers in government, and often provides
certain guarantees to citizens. Constitutions can be either written or
unwritten.
Constitutional Convention (of 1787) - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A meeting in
Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution.
Virginia Plan - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔"Large state" proposal for the new
constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a
bicameral Congress. The plan favored larger states and thus prompted
smaller states to come back with their own plan for apportioning
representation.
New Jersey Plan - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A framework for the Constitution
proposed by a group of small states; its key points were a one-house
legislature with one vote for each state, the establishment of the acts of
,Congress as the "supreme law" of the land, and a supreme judiciary with
limited power.
Great Compromise - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A compromise that proposed two
houses of Congress; one where a state's population would determine
representation and another where all states were represented equally
Bicameral Legislature - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A lawmaking body made up of two
chambers or parts
Three-Fifths Compromise - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Agreement that each slave
counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the
House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th
amendment)
Federalists - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A term used to describe supporters of the
Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.
Anti-Federalists - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔They opposed the creation of a stronger
national government, arguing that a Constitution would threaten citizens'
personal liberties and effectively make the president a king
Federalist Papers - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Essays written by Alexander Hamilton,
James Madison, and John Jay that are the primary source for
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
3
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
, understanding the original intent of the Framers. They were designed to
persuade the states of the wisdom of a strong central government coupled
with autonomous political power retained by the states.
Bill of Rights - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔First 10 Amendments to the Constitution
Necessary and Proper Clause (elastic clause) - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Clause that
allows Congress to "make all laws" that appear "necessary and proper" to
implement its delegated powers.
Presidential Practice - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Through this, the president has
expanded his executive power
Executive Order - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Orders enacted by the president that
bypass Congress and have the same effect as law
Executive Agreement - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Agreements between heads of
countries and the president that has some of the same elements as treaties
Judicial Review - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Allows the court to determine the
constitutionality of laws
Confederation - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A system of government in which many
decisions are made by an external member-state legislation; decisions on
EXAM 2025/2026 EXAM QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS | 100% PASS
Articles of Confederation - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A weak constitution that
governed America during the Revolutionary War
Northwest Ordinance - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Enacted in 1787, it is considered
one of the most significant achievements of the Articles of Confederation. It
established a system for setting up governments in the western territories
so they could eventually join the Union on an equal footing with the original
13 states.
Federalism - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A system in which power is divided between
the national and state governments
,Shay's Rebellion - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Rebellion led by Daniel Shays of farmers
in western Massachusetts in 1786-1787, protesting mortgage foreclosures.
It highlighted the need for a strong national government just as the call for
the Constitutional Convention went out.
Constitution - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A nation's basic law. It creates political
institutions, assigns or divides powers in government, and often provides
certain guarantees to citizens. Constitutions can be either written or
unwritten.
Constitutional Convention (of 1787) - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A meeting in
Philadelphia in 1787 that produced a new constitution.
Virginia Plan - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔"Large state" proposal for the new
constitution, calling for proportional representation in both houses of a
bicameral Congress. The plan favored larger states and thus prompted
smaller states to come back with their own plan for apportioning
representation.
New Jersey Plan - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A framework for the Constitution
proposed by a group of small states; its key points were a one-house
legislature with one vote for each state, the establishment of the acts of
,Congress as the "supreme law" of the land, and a supreme judiciary with
limited power.
Great Compromise - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A compromise that proposed two
houses of Congress; one where a state's population would determine
representation and another where all states were represented equally
Bicameral Legislature - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A lawmaking body made up of two
chambers or parts
Three-Fifths Compromise - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Agreement that each slave
counted as three-fifths of a person in determining representation in the
House for representation and taxation purposes (negated by the 13th
amendment)
Federalists - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A term used to describe supporters of the
Constitution during ratification debates in state legislatures.
Anti-Federalists - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔They opposed the creation of a stronger
national government, arguing that a Constitution would threaten citizens'
personal liberties and effectively make the president a king
Federalist Papers - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Essays written by Alexander Hamilton,
James Madison, and John Jay that are the primary source for
COPYRIGHT©JOSHCLAY 2025/2026. YEAR PUBLISHED 2025. COMPANY REGISTRATION NUMBER: 619652435. TERMS OF USE. PRIVACY
3
STATEMENT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
, understanding the original intent of the Framers. They were designed to
persuade the states of the wisdom of a strong central government coupled
with autonomous political power retained by the states.
Bill of Rights - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔First 10 Amendments to the Constitution
Necessary and Proper Clause (elastic clause) - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Clause that
allows Congress to "make all laws" that appear "necessary and proper" to
implement its delegated powers.
Presidential Practice - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Through this, the president has
expanded his executive power
Executive Order - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Orders enacted by the president that
bypass Congress and have the same effect as law
Executive Agreement - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Agreements between heads of
countries and the president that has some of the same elements as treaties
Judicial Review - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔Allows the court to determine the
constitutionality of laws
Confederation - 🧠ANSWER ✔✔A system of government in which many
decisions are made by an external member-state legislation; decisions on
