AP Gov UT Assessments Recap

Which of the following did the Magna Carta and the English Bill of Rights attempt to limit?

The divine right of kings

What was the enlightenment?

An intellectual movement that questioned existing political forms

In which way did the Enlightenment not contribute to the American Revolution?

Philosophers established the concept of rule by divine right of kings

Use the excerpt to answer the question:
“All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…”

Which Enlightenment philosopher influenced this excerpt from the Declaration of Independence?

John Locke

The concept of natural rights was a radical departure in thought at the time of the Enlightenment because it-

Rejected the idea that rights were given by the ruler

Where did John Locke believe governments derive their power?

The people

A social contract exists when-

The government rules according to the consent of the governed on a specific agreement.

Use the excerpt to answer the question:

“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

Which of the following concepts does the excerpt illustrate?

Social contract theory

Which of the following concepts did Charles de Montesquieu develop?

Separation of powers

Which of the following is not a reason for the creation of the US Constitution?

To find housing for troops

“We must have a party to oppose those Federalists – the power of the state governments must be preserved!”

Thomas Jefferson

“The best system of government is achieved through the separation of powers.”

John Adams

“Why don’t we count the slave population as three-fifths for purposes of representation AND taxation?”

James Wilson

“While I prefer a unicameral legislature, there still might be room for the Great Compromise.”

Roger Sherman

“We must have a party to advocate for strong central governments – look at the failure of the Articles!”

Alexander Hamilton

“We cannot have the three-fifths compromise – there must be a complete abolition of slavery now!”

John Jay

“The most important function of the government is to raise and supply an army. The Articles cannot stand!”

George Washington

“A constitution must include a Bill of Rights – I am non-negotiable on this point!”

George Wilson

How did the Seven Years' War affect the relationship between the colonies and Great Britain?

It increased tensions between the two because Great Britain increased taxes to pay for the war.

Which of the following is a form of colonial self-government?

Virginia House of Burgesses

Why was the government created by the Articles of Confederation ineffective?

It did not have the powers to act effectively at the national level

What did the conflict between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson center on?

The amount of power that a central government should hold over the states

Why is James Madison the “father of the Constitution”?

He was influential in developing the structure of the Constitution

Which of the following best describes John Jay’s contributions to the writing of the Constitution"?

He helped author the Federalist Papers in support of a strong central government

Why did the larger states favor the Virginia Plan for representation?

Representation would be based on population

What did the Great Compromise create?

A bicameral legislature

Why was the Electoral College created?

To reconcile differences between states’ rights and federal rights supporters

What was the purpose of the 3/5 compromise?

It allowed slaves to be counted as part of the population to determine representation in the house of representaties

Which of the following is a principle included in the US Constitution?

Checks and balances

Those who supported the ratification of the Constitution in 1787 were called-

Federalists

Which group wanted a strong national government?

Federalists

Which group wanted a Bill of Rights?

Anti-Federalist

The national government is split into three branches: legislative, judicial, and executive. Each branch has different duties, roles, and responsibilities to the people.

The statement above describes which of the following?

Separation of powers

What is the Bill of Rights a part of?

The US Constitution

Which of the following explains the purpose of the Constitution and, more broadly, the purpose of government?

The Preamble

What does Article VI - National Supremacy basically explain?

The national government has more authority in some areas than state governments

Which of the following is a correct statement about amendment process?

It is fairly difficult to amend the Constitution

How did the Founding Fathers believe most constitutional issues could be settled?

Through normal political processes

Many of the amendments to the Constitution, including the first ten, were ratified for what purpose?

To strengthen individual rights

Which of the following is a true statement about the Supreme Court’s current interpretation of free speech?

Only speech that calls for “imminent lawless action” presents enough danger to allow for government restriction

In Near v. Minnesota (1931) and in New York Times v. United States (1971), the Supreme Court established an important principle when dealing with freedom of the press called the principle of–

Prior restraint

In Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972), the Supreme Court ruled that Amish parents were not required to send their children to school after the 8th grade and could not be prosecuted under a Wisconsin law which required school attendance through age 16. The justices in a unanimous decision said that this would be a violation of–

The free exercise clause of the 1st Amendment

Our “Miranda rights,” as established by the 5th Amendment, were an attempt by the Supreme Court to protect criminal suspects against-

Self-incrimination and unfair police interrogation

Along with freedom of religion, speech, and the press, the 1st Amendment also protects our right to-

Peaceably assemble

Which of the following cases were important in establishing the right to privacy under the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 9th, and 14th amendments?

Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade

Because of the role religious persecution played in the establishment of this country, the Framers wrote protections for religion into the 1st Amendment. These protections are found in-

The establishment clause and the free exercise clause

Which of the following statements best describes the Supreme Court decisions surrounding the 2nd Amendment?

The government does not have the right to ban gun ownership but some regulation of firearms is constitutional

In the context of the modern US, the most important provision of the third amendment is best described by which of the following statements?

The 3rd Amendment has been used to argue that our homes lie within a “zone of privacy”

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."  This statement is found in–

The 10th Amendment

In Mapp v. Ohio, the Supreme Court established the exclusionary rule and protected our constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. These constitutional protections are found in which amendment?

The 4th Amendment

Which of the following situations is protected under the provisions in the 6th Amendment

When preparing for trial, both the prosecution and the defense may reject potential jurors in order to achieve an impartial jury

The provisions for civil, not criminal disputes are found in the-

7th Amendment

One of the more controversial provisions in recent years has been the provision against "cruel and unusual punishments".  Which of the following statements best describes the Court's views on the 8th Amendment?

The Court has not created a test for what constitutes “cruel and unusual," but it has continued to narrow the situations under which the death penalty may be applied

What is the purpose of the 10th Amendment?

It reserves power to the states where the federal government does not or chooses not to exercise its power

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, was a landmark 2010 court cases which said that individuals, corporations, and unions could donate unlimited funds to independent political groups as long as these groups do not seek the election of a particular candidate.  They argued that to limit these donations was unconstitutional because–

People express opinion through donations so to limit them would be a violation of free speech

A law or act of government that stops someone from publishing an article critical of the President before it has been released to the public is unconstitutional and is called–

Prior restraint

The standard used by the Supreme Court to decide if a law or other government action creates an "excessive government entanglement" with religion is referred to as–

The Lemon test

The language in the 5th Amendment that guarantees protection from being tried twice at the same level of government for the same crime is generally referred to as our protection from-

Double jeopardy

Which of the following statements is NOT correct about our right to privacy?

The right to privacy is explicitly stated in the Constitution and in the 9th Amendment

In Mapp v. Ohio, the Supreme Court extended the 4th Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure in federal cases to the states.  This was done by using the due process clause of the 14th Amendment and is generally called the–

Incorporation doctrine

Not all of the rights and provisions found in the Bill of Rights have been nationalized by the Supreme Court. The Court has done this on a case by case basis, which is why the actual process is called-

Selective incorporation

What do the 5th and 14th Amendments have in common?

Both contain a due process clause which protects a citizen’s life, liberty, and property

The right of the government to take private property for public use as long as “just compensation” is provided and is found in the 5th Amendment is called-

Eminent domain

Two similar cases that helped to define the right to privacy for all American citizens both at the national and state level were-

Griswold v. Connecticut and Roe v. Wade

The first Supreme Court case to apply the freedom of speech provisions found in the 1st Amendment to the states was-

Gitlow v. New York

Read over the following provisions from the Bill of Rights and pick the statement below that is most correct about these four provisions. 

• The 3rd Amendment protection against forced quartering of troops in private homes.

• The 5th Amendment right to indictment by a grand jury.

• The 7th Amendment provision for the right to a trial by jury in civil cases.

• The 8th Amendment protection against excessive bail and fines.

These provisions have not been incorporated and may be restricted by the states

The Supreme Court case, McDonald v. Chicago,(2010), incorporated the idea previously stated in District of Columbia v. Heller, that the 2nd Amendment–

Right to possess firearms applied to individuals as well as the Militia

The 6th Amendment case which incorporated an individual’s right to an attorney in felony cases was-

Gideon v. Wainwright

In 1972, what Supreme Court case resulted in the Court ordering a halt to all death penalty punishments unless a less arbitrary method of sentencing was found?

Furman v. Georgia

On December 1st in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Park refused to give up her seat on a bus.  This act would eventually lead to the Supreme Court declaring that Alabama's laws calling for segregation on buses were illegal.  This is an example of–

The use of civil disobedience to bring about a change in government policy

The Anti-Federalists opposed the new constitution because they believed that it-

Created a government that would be an enemy to freedom and a threat to individual rights

During the second half of the twentieth century the struggle for racial equality reopened the issue of states rights versus national power.  Which of the following cases helped to establish the right of the national government to set standards for racial equality?

Brown v. Board of Education

The 19th Amendment helped to make the American political system more democratic by-

Extending voting rights to women

Until 1925 the Bill of Rights’ protections were interpreted to apply only to-

The national government

In the 1950's and 60's many Americans took part in protest marches and sit-ins to express their opposition to segregation.  The conscious decision to break a law believed to be unjust for political reasons is called–

Civil disobedience

Which of the following is the term for a policy that seeks to encourage underrepresented or minority groups in achieving equality in employment, education, and government contracts?

Affirmative Action

A suspect class is defined as a class of individuals-

That have been historically subject to discrimination

Among the laws targeted by civil rights groups in the south using the due process and equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment were a group of laws that required segregation by race in public and private facilities called–

Jim Crow laws

On of the most famous amendments to be proposed but not ratified, was the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).  It failed because it–

Did not pass in ¾ of the state legislatures

Which of the following did the most to expand civil rights in the 1950s?

The Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education

Which of the following was directly responsible for ending Jim Crow laws that allowed segregation in public places?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Warren Court (1953-1969) was known for which of the following?

Expanding the rights of criminal defendants

The Supreme Court has consistently found that civil rights cases involving a suspect class, involving race, national origin, or religion must pass–

The strict scrutiny test

This piece of legislation has done the most to help create equal opportunities for women in education and has led to a growth in women’s athletics

Title IX

Which of the following cases showed that the Supreme Court was willing to uphold the rights of the states to put limits on abortions, including a 24 hour waiting period, and parental permission for girls under 18?

Planned Parenthood v. Casey

In Plessy v- Ferguson (1896) the Supreme Court established the doctrine of-

Separate but equal

Which of the following cases was the first case to use the 14th Amendment's due process clause to apply the 1st Amendment's provision of free speech to state law?

Gitlow v. New York (1925)

Segregation that occurs in fact, but is not supported by law is called–

De facto segregation

Most of the 8th Amendment cases that the Supreme Court has taken have addressed the issue of-

Cruel and unusual punishment

What is a set of common values or beliefs about our country?

Political culture

Most Americans believe that all people should have the same opportunity for success. This basic belief is referred to as a belief in-

Equal opportunity

Which of the following is NOT one of the basic values that make up our political culture?

It is the government’s job to supply all Americans with a basic standard of living

The process by which political culture, political values, and political identity are acquired is called-

Political socialization

Which of the following is NOT considered a major factor of political socialization?

Exit polls

Which of the following agents of socialization is the best predictor of party identification?

Your parents’ party affiliation

Which of the following statements is true about the impact that level of education has on political activity?

College graduates participate in the political process at higher rates than less educated Americans.

Events like the Vietnam War and government scandals have affected political socialization by contributing to-

Increasing distrust in government

Which of the following statements about group affiliations (such as interest groups, unions, professional groups, etc.) is correct?

Membership in social groups impact political attitudes about issues that impact that group

Which of the following statements about the concepts that make up our political culture is NOT correct?

By sharing these values people will always share the same views on how government should carry out policy

A consistent set of beliefs about politics, public policy, and the role of government in our lives is called our-

Political ideology