AP Government fall semester final

Which of these scenarios best represent straight ticket voting?

A citizen casts votes for all Republicans based solely on the candidates affiliation with the Republican party

In 1980 a small group of parents personally affected by drunk driving formed the group (MADD). Over the past 4 decades they've grown in number and have lobbied on state and local levels promoting legislation such as stricter limit on blood alcohol levels for drivers. MADD is an example of what?

single-issue group with the goal of impacting policy making

which of the following scenarios reflects the most direct effect of the practice described in the passage on the electoral process (Facebook one)

political parties will rely increasingly on social media advertising to reach different coalitions of voters

which of the following political processes or behaviors is most directly affected by the development described in the passage? (Facebook one)

voter mobilization

the practice of "micro targeting" described in the passage is an even more powerful campaign tool for parties if they are able to...

collect and manage large databases of information on specific groups of voters

an advertisement airs on television attacking a candidate running for office. the advertisement was produced and distributed by a group that was not affiliated with nor funded by any political campaign. Which of the filling statements explains why this expenditure is not prohibited by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002?

political spending by groups not directly affiliated with a campaign is a form of protected speech

which of the following best explains how most candidates are recruited to run for office?

political parties usually recruit and train people at the local level they believe are most fit to run for office

a CEO of a corporation believes that the Republican candidate for president will act policies that are more beneficial to her business. the CEO donated the max amount allowed by law directly to the candidate's campaign fund. to increase the candidate's chances for election, the CEO also directed her corporation to donate funds to an independent political action committee to create ads criticizing the opposing candidate. according to the decision in "citizens united vs Federal election commission" which provision of the constitution protects her actions?

freedom of speech in the 1st amendment

develop an argument that explores whether longer presidential campaign seasons are helpful or harmful to American democracy

use:

Fed 70

Brutus 1

Article II of the constitution

the congressional leadership fund, a PAC has raised over $50 million, which it plans to spend on advertising in the next midterm election. It plans to target its spending in competitive districts in the days leading up to Election Day. Which of the following court cases decision is most likely to protect the right of the group in the scenario?

citizen united vs federal election commission

which of the following statements can best be supported by the survey data displayed in the bar graphs? (graphs)

republicans with a low level of political efficacy are the most likely group to say that government needs major reforms

which of the following conclusions is best supported by the graphs? (graphs)

political efficacy is a major factor in shaping political views about government, but political ideology also plays a major role

which of the following conclusions can be drawn from the graphs? (graphs)

those with greater political efficacy have a more positive view of government; as a result, they are more likely to vote in elections

the NEA is an organization of teachers, administrators, and other educators who work together to advance the interest and impact of public education. One of the NEA's goals is to support public education by ending government funding of voucher programs that promote school privatization. Vouchers give parents financial; incentives to see their children to private schools rather than having children attend local public schools. Which of the following strategies would be the most effective way to achieve the NEA's goal of fathering the interest of public education?

Lobby members of congressional committees to vote against all legislation that would support school voucher programs

the animal rights group PETA urges its members to take action in support of what they term "animal friendly" legislation through their website. In addition to providing information about important issues that legislators may vote on, the nonprofit organization also describes the best ways to contact a legislator and tips on how best to interact with law makers. Which of the following is being illustrated in the scenario?

interest groups sometimes form around a narrow set of issues with the goal of impacting policy making

which of the following explains how the Fed 10 relates to the decision in "citizens united vs federal election commission"?

in both a limited approach to government regulation was argued for

which of the following best explains how parties link citizens to the electoral process?

parties send volunteers to knock on doors to register voters

based o the data in the chart, which of the following best explains a likely impact of 3rd party votes in the 2016 election? (3rd party graph)

the 3rd party vote in the 3 states depicted in the chart helped Donald Trump acquire enough electoral votes to win the election

based on the data in the chart and your knowledge of presidential elections, which of the following is the best strategy that Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump could have used to pull votes away from the 3rd party candidates, Jill Stein and Gary Johnson?

trump and Clinton could have adapted issues that were popular with Stein's and Johnson's voters in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin as part of their campaigns

based on the data in the chart, which of the following strategies would best help 3rd party candidates like Jill Stein and Gary Johnson increases their chances of wining elected office? (3rd party)

lobbying state legislatures to shift from a winner-take-all system to a proportional voting system

in which of the following ways do political parties primarily rely on finance their election activities?

parties solicit funds from private donors who oftentimes contribute large sums of money

Senator Hoffman is campaigning for reelection in her state. Her campaign message emphasizes how the policies she has supported have benefitted her constituents. She has spotlighted job creation ad an overall improvement in the standard of living in the state in the past 6 years. Senator Hoffman is hoping to appeal to which of the following voting behavior models?

retrospective voting

describe the spending by outside groups graph

a. identify a year from the line graph when ether was a decline in the percentage of federal election spending by outside groups

b. describe an overall trend in the data after 2010

c. draw a conclusion as to why that overall trend accrued after 2010

d. explain how federal elections have changed based on the data presented in the line graph

if a researcher were interested in understanding how much the NRA spent in each state, what visual could be created to accurately display this information in the bar graph? (NRA spending)

a map showing the dollar amounts spent by the NRA in each state since 1992

for which of the following tasks would using the var graph as currently designed to be the LEAST helpful? (NRA spending)

calculating the election cycle spending based on the intervals shown on the vertical axis

there is an ongoing debate over the role of money in elections. The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 banned soft mane ad restricted advertisements in the weeks before an election. Parts of this act were challenged and struck down in the Supreme Court case "citizens united vs federal election commission". which of the filling was a consequence of that ruling?

the PACs may spend unlimited funds on advertisements that are to coordinated with the campaign because they are protected by the freedom of speech

In 2002, congress passed the bipartisan campaign reform act in an effort to regulate campaign finance by limiting the ability of corporations and unions to spend their general treasury funds on election communications. In 2010, the supreme court invalidated thus provision of the act. which of the following statements accurately derive the majority decision of the case?

the 1st amendment allows campaign and unions too make independent expenditures regarding candidates for office

which of the following scenarios is most related to the 26th amendment

an 18 year old votes in a presidential election

The framers believed that a constitution was necessary to create a stable political system that would protect individual rights. However, understanding the need for political change, they included a process to amend the constitution. Develop an argument that takes a position on whether the process to amend the United States Constitution should be simplified.

use:

Fed 10

Brutus 1

Article V of the constitution

In the early part of the twenty-first century, public opinion polls showed that a majority of Americans believed it should be illegal to burn the American flag. As a result, many members of Congress introduced amendments to make it illegal to burn or desecrate the American flag. However, these efforts have been unsuccessful. Which of the following statements best explains why these efforts have been unsuccessful?

The framers made the amendment process difficult in order to protect individual rights.

Brutus was an example of an Anti-Federalist because he?

believed a centralized government posed a major threat to individual rights

The House of Representatives impeaches the president. Which of the following scenarios represents how bicameralism is used as a check on the vote to impeach?

The Senate deliberates the case and votes to determine the president's guilt or innocence.

Which of the following features of the United States Constitution would most concern the author of Brutus 1?

The supremacy clause, which gives the federal government supremacy over states

The decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) reflected new ideas about federalism at the time that can be best characterized by which of the following?

Acknowledgement of the limitations of national power and a recognition of the reserved power of the states.

Which of the following is an accurate description of the decision in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) ?

The federal government had the authority to establish a national bank, and Maryland's tax was unconstitutional.

Which of the following is an accurate description of the decision in United States v. Lopez (1995) ?

The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 was struck down as unconstitutional because it exceeded the commerce clause.

Throughout most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, most African Americans were prevented from voting in many Southern states despite the Fifteenth Amendment, which extended the right to vote to African American males. Southern states were able to take this action because

the framers allowed the individual states to create voting processes and voter qualifications

In The Federalist 10, James Madison argued that the new constitution would help control faction by doing which of the following?

By creating a large republic, the new constitution made it less likely that a faction could gain enough power to completely dominate.

Based on The Federalist 21, which of the following arguments about government would Hamilton likely agree with?

As a practical matter, the laws of the national government ought to have supremacy over state laws.

In the passage, Hamilton is concerned that under the Articles of Confederation, the federal government does not have sufficient constitutional powers to gain compliance from state governments. Which of the following is a way that the Constitution allows the federal government to address this problem?

The federal government can pass laws that allow it to fine or tax individuals directly.

Which of the following scenarios illustrates a solution for the problem of getting states to comply with federal government policies, as described in the passage?

The federal government can withhold highway funds from states that do not raise the age to drink alcohol to 21.

Which of the following sections of the United States Constitution most concerns Madison according to the passage?

Article I, Section 2—"The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year by the People of the several States, and the Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature."

Which of the following statements best reflects James Madison's beliefs about political representation as expressed in the passage?

People are best represented by a few politicians chosen to voice their issues.

Which of the following best describes Madison's primary concern about representative government?

Those who seek to represent the people may be tempted to act in their own interests instead.

In 1974, the House of Representatives approved a resolution granting the Judiciary Committee authority to investigate impeachment of President Nixon for obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress. Which constitutional ideal of democracy is demonstrated in this scenario?

Limited government

Which of the following is a consequence of the dynamic competition among branches of government described in the passage?

Effective policy change among governmental levels and branches occurs with little long-term abuse of authority.

Which of the following best explains how the view of the author of the passage compares with The Federalist 51 regarding separation of powers and checks and balances?

Both the author of the passage and The Federalist 51 assert that the structure of government helps control ambitions among the branches in such a way as to promote effective government.

The author explains that the powers given to each branch "sometimes appear to swing like a pendulum" from one branch to another. Which of the following best describes how these shifts ensure that constitutional government is functional?

Separation of powers divides responsibilities and authority between branches, which allows each branch to be checked by the other two branches to ensure accountability.

In 2005, the Utah legislature passed a law that allowed school districts to ignore parts of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), a law passed by Congress in 2001 that supported standards-based education reform. Utah did this despite the fact that it endangered losing $76 million in federal aid to Utah public schools. Which of the following statements best explains why Utah took this action?

Educational policy is not mentioned in the Constitution, which has created debate about the proper role for the national government in educational policy.

On October 26, 2001, the 342-page USA PATRIOT ACT quickly passed through Congress and was signed into law just 45 days after 9/11. It expanded the federal government's ability to access phone and e-mail communications to an unprecedented level. It gave the FBI the authority to obtain personal information on people suspected of terror-related activities without the approval of judges.

Broad support for these additional security measures led to this quick response by Congress and the president, but it also ignited a long-standing debate in American government regarding the balance between civil liberties and social order. Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union launched campaigns opposing the measures and cautioning against the erosion of civil liberties in the wake of the 9/11 attack.

A. Describe a section of the Constitution that a group such as the American Civil Liberties Union would likely say is most affected by the USA PATRIOT ACT.

B. Explain how checks and balances could work to ensure that the section of the Constitution identified in Part A would be protected.

C. Over time, some of the measures of the USA PATRIOT ACT have been challenged by state governments who do not wish to cooperate with the federal government. Explain a concept of American government and politics that this action illustrates.

The Declaration of Independence states "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." This was a revolutionary change from the system of British monarchy, which was based on the divine right of kings. For which of the ideals of democracy does this quote provide a foundation?

Popular sovereignty

Respond to all parts of the question. In your response, use substantive examples where appropriate.

The federal government can share revenue with state governments through grants. Some grants, such as categorical grants, place constraints on how the states are allowed to spend the money. Other types of grants, such as block grants, allow the states greater authority to determine how the money is spent.

Develop an argument that takes a position on which type of grant best serves the interests of citizens.

Brutus 1

The Federalist 51

The Tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution