Chapter 1 Midterm Review AP Gov

Punishing citizens for certain types of speech is a step towards authoritarianism.

In 2017, the controversial Bill C-16 was passed in Canada, which compels its citizens to address transgender people by their preferred pronouns or potentially face harassment charges otherwise. Which argument would be a legitimate critique of the bill?

Liberty

Having social, political, and economic freedoms is characteristic of which self-evident right?

Authoritarian

Which system of government was America under prior to declaring independence from Great Britain and adopting the Constitution?

The students who formed the Gay-Straight Alliance were harassed, and all groups were shut down.

Why was a letter to Boyd County High School from the American Civil Liberties Union that referenced the Equal Access Act insufficient in addressing the issue of the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance?

The students at Boyd County High School experienced far more backlash than Mergens but achieved greater change within their school district.

How does Bridget Mergens' experience with forming a Bible study group at her high school compare to the experience of the Boyd County High School students who wanted to form a Gay-Straight Alliance?

Popular sovereignty / Political Equality among citizens

John Locke's concept of natural rights and the social contract emphasizes which pair of concepts and definitions?

Many Americans are not well informed and hold conflicting views about the role of government.

The cartoon expresses which of the following viewpoints?

(two people on couch)

Totalitarian

In the 1930s and 1940s, Nazi Germany ruled its people with unlimited power and is an example of which system of government?

Under popular sovereignty, the people grant the government the right to rule, which gives the people more power than other forms of sovereignty.

How does the concept of popular sovereignty compare to other forms of sovereignty?

Politicians tend to be more focused on public opinion than policy.

The cartoon expresses which of the following viewpoints?

(founding fathers with quote)

Over the past four decades, America's wealthiest individuals have been earning a larger share of America's national income.

The graph supports which of the following conclusions?

(U.S. Income graph)

Liberty, equality, and rights

Which ideas form the foundation of American political culture?

Representative

Citizens of a small American town have been dissatisfied with their elected representative in the House of Representatives and are planning to vote for a different candidate in the next election. Which form of government allows the citizens to take such an action?

They can vote for Congressional representatives who can set the amendment process in motion.

Suppose a group of women's rights activists in America are pushing for the reconsideration and ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. Under the constitutional republic, how can these activists achieve their goal?

authoritarian.

Despite China allowing private businesses to operate within the country, the government has increased its control over the way its citizens communicate and act within society, making it

political institutions.

The executive, legislative, and judicial branches are examples of

pursue happiness through hard work, sacrifice, and one's own skill set.

In a debate about the scope of the American government providing social welfare programs, one student argues that such programs are conducive to helping Americans realize the American Dream, while the other argues that such programs run contrary to the inherent right to

The maturity of high school students

Which factor did the Supreme Court consider when making its decision on Board of Education of Westside Community Schools v. Mergens?

Alexis de Tocqueville

Who was it that noted the uniquely American phenomenon of diverse citizens joining like-minded groups in the 1830s?

Get supporters to participate in a campaign to contact representatives and voice their opinion.

Suppose a free speech advocacy group is attempting to stop legislation that would infringe upon American citizens' First Amendment rights, but they lack money to donate to a pro-free speech candidate's campaign. What is another way this group might be able to influence this legislation?

pluralist theory.

The power of like-minded groups to impact the policymaking process is known as

The Constitution

What is considered the supreme law of the nation in America?

Great Britain's government at the time stated that kings were granted the right to rule by God, whereas Locke's concept of a social contract dictated that leaders were granted the right to rule by the people.

How does John Locke's concept of a social contract compare to the form of government that existed in Great Britain at the time?

John Locke

Who proposed the concept that some rights cannot be provided or taken away by governments?

People have the right to elect representatives to the legislatures that govern them.

The following question(s) refer to the following quote from the Resolution of the First Continental Congress, acting on behalf of the American colonists, dated October 14, 1774.

[O]ur ancestors, who first settled these colonies, were at the time of their emigration from the mother country, entitled to all the rights, liberties, and immunities of free and natural-born subjects, within the realm of England. . . . By such emigration they by no means forfeited, surrendered, or lost any of those rights, but that they were, and their descendants now are, entitled to the exercise and enjoyment of all such of them, as their local and other circumstances enable them to exercise and enjoy. . . . The foundation of English liberty, and of all free government, is a right in the people to participate in their legislative council: and as the English colonists are not represented, and from their local and other circumstances, cannot properly be represented in the British parliament, they are entitled to a free and exclusive power of legislation in their several provincial legislatures, where their right of representation can alone be preserved, in all cases of taxation and internal polity. . . .

What political philosophy set forth in the quote was incorporated two years later into the Declaration of Independence?

The charitable church organization acts in the interest of the common good, whereas the AARP advocates for its own interests.

What is the primary difference between a civil society group like a charitable church organization and an interest group like the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP)?

The Sierra Club

Which group would be considered a civil society group?

The freedom of the students to form a club infringed upon the teachers' freedom from being subject to beliefs they may not agree with.

How does the case of the Boyd County High School Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) demonstrate the tension between the two visions of liberty?

It listed numerous grievances that clearly violated the human rights that were outlined just before.

How did the structure of the Declaration of Independence justify the American colonies' break from Great Britain?

Participatory democracy theory

Which theory states that citizens taking part in political processes is essential to a democratic government?

Elitist theory

A candidate running for the House of Representatives has promised constituents that she will push for legislation to reform campaign finance laws so that the wealthy elites and business owners do not have greater influence on policies than American citizens. Such legislation is based on which theory?

ensure an orderly and functioning society.

According to John Locke, it is the government's job to

Inequality makes it difficult for African Americans to achieve the American dream.

Which of the following statements best describes the viewpoint of American culture expressed in the cartoon?

(classroom with mad teacher)

By imposing unfair and damaging taxes

How did Thomas Jefferson and other signers of the Declaration of Independence believe the King of England was violating the colonists' right to liberty?

American democracy is furthered when groups representing all points of view help make public policy.

Which of the following arguments would a proponent of the pluralist system of political participation most likely make?

A list of basic rights

Suppose the subjects of a totalitarian government have successfully overthrown their leader and are planning a new form of government that will grant them greater personal and economic freedom and prevent future tyranny. Which element should they include in their new government?

everyday citizens can make effective change by joining civil society groups.

Someone who has an optimistic view of American democracy might believe that

a civil society group.

A woman who is looking to get involved with her community decides to join a local knitting group that knits hats, mittens, and scarves for the homeless. This knitting group is an example of

Pluralist theory

A political activist who supports gun control legislation believes that interest groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA) have too much money and influence over lawmakers in Congress. Such a belief is characteristic of which theory?

the American Civil Liberties Union.

The students at Boyd County High School who were prevented from forming a Gay-Straight Alliance received legal assistance from

America is not a pure democracy, but rather a constitutional republic, and the Electoral College is another system of representation.

In recent elections, the Electoral College has been attacked as undemocratic by many Americans. How might someone rebut this argument about the Electoral College?

John Locke

A political scientist living in the American colonies during the late 1700s believes it is the duty of the people to hold their government accountable and replace a tyrannical government if necessary. Who would this political scientist likely agree with?

Yes, because the American Civil Liberties Union initially cited the Equal Access Act and was successful.

Would the students of Boyd County High School have been successful in forming a Gay-Straight Alliance if Bridget Mergens had lost her case at the Supreme Court?

Hume's idea of limiting government to prevent greed coincides with Locke's belief that people have the right to replace a government that grows too powerful.

How do the ideas of John Locke and David Hume complement one another?

in which the people hold the power.

Democracy can be defined as a system of government

Representative

A high school is planning on establishing a student government in which the entire student body would elect a president to represent the interests of students as a whole. Which form of student government does the high school want to establish?

Standing armies threatened colonists.

Which grievance listed in the Declaration of Independence is an example of the King of England infringing upon the inalienable right to life?

By declaring that the people of the United States of America are the ones granting the government its power.

How does the Preamble of the United States Constitution establish the notion of popular sovereignty?

To prevent public high schools from excluding religious extracurricular clubs.

What was the main purpose of the Equal Access Act of 1984?

The American system of representative government is far more feasible than the direct democracy of ancient Greece.

Why is America's form of representative government preferable to the direct democracy of ancient Greece?

Gay-Straight Alliance

Following Bridget Mergens' struggle to form a Bible study club at her school, which other group also experienced resistance from their school when attempting to form a club?

Prohibiting the club from becoming official goes against the precedent set by Board of Education of Westside Community Schools v. Mergens.

Suppose you want to start an after-school club at your high school for pro-life Christians. Your school administrators say you can meet with fellow classmates after school but cannot use school facilities or be a formal club. Which argument would be the MOST effective to convince the administrators to make your club official?

The colonists were entitled to the rights of English subjects.

The following question(s) refer to the following quote from the Resolution of the First Continental Congress, acting on behalf of the American colonists, dated October 14, 1774.

[O]ur ancestors, who first settled these colonies, were at the time of their emigration from the mother country, entitled to all the rights, liberties, and immunities of free and natural-born subjects, within the realm of England. . . . By such emigration they by no means forfeited, surrendered, or lost any of those rights, but that they were, and their descendants now are, entitled to the exercise and enjoyment of all such of them, as their local and other circumstances enable them to exercise and enjoy. . . . The foundation of English liberty, and of all free government, is a right in the people to participate in their legislative council: and as the English colonists are not represented, and from their local and other circumstances, cannot properly be represented in the British parliament, they are entitled to a free and exclusive power of legislation in their several provincial legislatures, where their right of representation can alone be preserved, in all cases of taxation and internal polity. . . .

The quote makes which of the following arguments?

Elitist

Concerns that large companies like the e-commerce giant Amazon are not paying enough in taxes reflects which theory of democracy?

Natural rights

We should remember that the Declaration of Independence is not merely a historical document. It is an explicit recognition that our rights derive not from the King of England, not from the judiciary, not from government at all, but from God.

It increases the likelihood that American citizens will participate in political processes.

How does joining a civil society group impact participatory democracy?

The powers of government are both described and limited by the Constitution.

Which of the following best describes a constitutional democracy?

The National Legal Foundation

Which group represented Bridget Mergens in her fight to form a Christian Bible study club at her high school?

republicanism.

A system in which the government's power comes from the people is known as

He can seek legal assistance and file a lawsuit against the school or teacher.

A high school sophomore who belongs to his school's chapter of a Gay-Straight Alliance feels he is being discriminated against in the classroom by a teacher due to his membership in the group. How can this student utilize the political process to make quick and effective change?