AP Practice Exam review

Which of the following is a potential consequence of the trend illustrated in the bar chart?

• Social media has led to more candidates running as independents rather than as

  members of political parties.

• Elected officials and candidates running for office are increasingly using social

  media to reach out to voters and constituents.

• Social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter have been overrun with

  political content.

• Social networking sites have led to increased political polarization in the general public.

Which of the following best describes a trend in the line graph above?

• Voter turnout in midterm elections increased substantially between 1982 and 2010.

• Voter turnout in presidential elections generally increased between 1940 and 1948.

• Voter turnout in midterm elections generally decreased between 1966 and 2014.

• Voter turnout in presidential elections consistently decreased between 1972

  and 2008.

Based on the information in the line graph, which of the following is the most likely

implication of entitlement and defense spending as a portion of the federal budget?

• Changes in entitlement spending put pressure on discretionary spending.

• Discretionary spending levels are set by law and cannot be changed.

• Congressional budget committees can ignore entitlement spending.

• Democrats and Republicans generally agree on increasing entitlement spending.

Which of the following statements best summarizes Hamilton’s argument?

• Even though civil liberties are protected by a bill of rights, there are some reasonable exceptions.

• Listing rights will lead some to assume that government may regulate those rights.

• Freedom of the press is essential for a functioning democracy.

• A bill of rights is necessary to protect civil liberties such as freedom of the press.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the two court cases?

• a

• b

• c

• d

The president is most likely to use an executive order to make important policy when

• Congress is dominated by the president’s party

• a compromise cannot be reached with Congress

• the Supreme Court is divided along ideological lines

• a negotiation with foreign heads of state reaches an impasse

Which of the following statements describes a difficulty presidents face in the policy implementation process?

• Members of the bureaucracy often lack the expertise to carry out the president’s preferred policies.

• Members of the president’s Cabinet can be removed at any time by Congress.

• Because of civil service laws, it is not easy for the president to remove professional bureaucrats when they disagree with the president’s agenda.

• Congress generally gives specific details about how the laws they pass will be executed by members of the professional bureaucracy.

Which of the following may the president do to limit the Supreme Court’s power?

• Fire and replace justices

• Refuse to enforce a ruling by the Court

• Adopt new constitutional amendments

• Veto parts of the Court’s decisions