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WorksheetsAP Gov Midterm 2025
Total questions: 81
Worksheet time: 41mins
Which idea is most closely associated with John Locke’s influence on American government?
Natural rights of life, liberty, property
Absolute monarchy preserves social order
Divine right justifies royal authority
Collectivist rights over individual liberties
Montesquieu’s key contribution to political theory emphasized which governmental principle?
Direct democracy in all cases
Majority rule without limits
Separation of powers among branches
Total legislative supremacy
In political philosophy, what does the social contract primarily explain?
The consent to be governed
Military power ensures stability
Religious law guides governance
Economic wealth creates rights
Republicanism in the American context centers on which core idea?
Hereditary rulers maintain order
Markets should regulate politics
Courts control elected officials
Government derives from the people
Which example best illustrates participatory democracy in practice?
Experts managing monetary policy
Judges issuing constitutional rulings
Lobbyists drafting complex bills
High voter turnout in local elections
Elite democracy assumes which of the following about policy making?
Military officers should govern
Rich, small group of people making decisions. Electoral College
Masses directly decide every policy
Random selection ensures fairness
Which scenario reflects pluralist democracy?
Technocrats rule without voting
Citizens avoid organized politics
One party dominates all offices
Multiple interest groups competing
What is the primary function of an interest group?
Influence public policy outcomes
Conduct nationwide elections
Interpret constitutional disputes
Administer criminal penalties
Which statement aligns with typical Federalist ideas during ratification debates?
Direct democracy solves all conflicts
State sovereignty should be absolute
Strong national government supports unity
Weak central authority prevents tyranny
Which critique was common among Anti-Federalists?
Central power threatens individual rights
National power must expand commerce
Executive needs more foreign authority
Courts should override state juries
Which problem best describes a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
Direct taxation of citizens
No executive to enforce laws, no taxation
Too powerful national judiciary
Equal representation in Senate
The Great Compromise (Connecticut) created which legislative structure?
Bicameral with mixed representation
Unicameral with equal seats
Bicameral with proportional seats
Tricameral with appointed seats
Which statement correctly describes the impeachment process?
Courts impeach, Senate tries
President impeaches, House tries
Senate impeaches, Courts try
House impeaches, Senate tries
Which concept is central to federalism?
Division of power between levels, shared with state and federal
Concentration of power in states
Elimination of national authority
Supremacy of local ordinances
What does the 9th Amendment primarily protect?
Freedom from quartering soldiers
Unenumerated rights of the people
Powers reserved to the states
Right to a speedy criminal trial
What does the 10th Amendment affirm?
Powers reserved to the states
Unenumerated rights of people
Ban on excessive bail
Right to bear arms for militias
Which is an example of an exclusive power of the national government?
Running public school districts
Issuing local business licenses
Coining money and regulating currency
Setting municipal speed limits
Which best defines concurrent powers?
Shared by state and national
Held only by national level
Held only by state level
Delegated to local governments
Which best describes reserved powers?
Powers held by the courts
Powers kept by the states
Powers listed in Article I
Powers shared by all levels
Which statement accurately defines a categorical grant?
Federal funds for a specific purpose
State funds with broad discretion
Local taxes for general services
Block grants without conditions
Which best describes a block grant in U.S. federalism?
Federal funds for broad state programs
Federal funds with strict program rules
State tax revenue shared to cities
Loans that states repay with interest
What distinguishes an unfunded mandate from other mandates?
Applies only to federal agencies
Provides full federal cost coverage
Requires state action without funding
Allows states to opt out freely
Which clause of the 14th Amendment most directly protects individual rights from state action?
Commerce and Supremacy Clause
Full Faith and Credit Clause
Necessary and Proper Clause
Due Process and Equal Protection
Federalist 10 primarily argues for which solution to control the effects of factions?
Rule by a hereditary elite class
Ban organized interest groups entirely
Direct democracy with town meetings
Large republic to dilute faction power
Federalist 51 emphasizes which structural principle to prevent tyranny?
Separation of powers with checks
Unitary executive with speed
Legislative dominance in budgeting
Judicial supremacy over policy
Brutus 1 warns that the proposed Constitution would lead to what outcome?
Stable coalition governments
Efficient local policy innovations
Stronger state sovereignty balance
Consolidated national authority
Which statement best reflects the core of the 10th Amendment?
Reserved powers to the states
National supremacy over states
Implied powers for Congress
Rights protected against searches
In McCulloch v. Maryland, the Court decided what about federal power?
Federal agencies need state charters
Implied powers validate a national bank
Congress must have enumerated powers only
States can tax federal instruments freely
A state claims a federal environmental rule is an unfunded mandate. Which factor most supports that claim?
Penalties are limited to small fines
States were consulted during drafting
Rule applies only to federal lands
Required compliance without federal money
Which qualification is required to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives?
At least 25 years old, seven years a citizen
At least 30 years old, nine years a citizen
At least 35 years old, natural-born citizen
At least 21 years old, five years a resident
Which term length correctly matches the U.S. Senate?
Eight-year terms, limited re-election
Six-year terms, staggered classes
Two-year terms, all seats elected
Four-year terms, concurrent cycles
What is a primary role of the Vice President in the Senate?
Authors majority party platform
Presides and breaks tie votes
Chairs all standing committees
Schedules floor debate time
Which responsibility best describes the Speaker of the House?
Leads House agenda and presides
Negotiates treaties with nations
Commands National Guard forces
Appoints federal district judges
Why does majority status matter in Congress?
Ensures automatic bill passage
Guarantees executive vetoes
Provides judicial review power
Controls committees and agenda
What do party whips primarily do?
Count votes and enforce discipline
Draft constitutional amendments
Lead conference committees
Rule on points of order
Which step commonly occurs in the process of how a bill becomes law?
Supreme Court oral argument
Committee review and markup
Cabinet-level rulemaking vote
Electoral College certification
What is a joint committee?
Temporary House-only group
Members from both chambers
Partisan campaign committee
Senate committee on treaties
Which description fits a standing committee?
Bipartisan conference negotiators
Short-term task force mission
Permanent panel with jurisdiction
Entire House acting as one body
What is the main purpose of a select committee?
Confirm executive nominees
Negotiate budget resolutions
Manage routine legislation
Investigate a specific issue
When is a conference committee used?
To reconcile bill versions
To approve treaty ratification
To begin impeachment trial
To assign subcommittee chairs
What is the Committee of the Whole in the House?
Entire House as one committee
Senate sitting as one body
Joint session with the Court
State legislatures convened
What is a discharge petition used for in the House?
Force a bill to the floor
Start a treaty ratification
Initiate a judicial review
Remove a committee chair
Which Senate procedure allows extended debate to delay a vote on a bill?
Cloture motion limiting debate
Filibuster by continuous speech
Unanimous consent agreement
Committee markup and revision
What is the purpose of cloture in the Senate?
To send a bill to conference committee
To introduce a new appropriations bill
To end a filibuster and limit debate
To confirm presidential appointments
Pork barrel spending is most likely used to
Provide targeted benefits to a member’s district
Fund nationwide infrastructure upgrades
Expand mandatory entitlement programs
Reduce the overall federal deficit
Logrolling in Congress refers to
Trading votes to support each other’s bills
Assigning bills to standing committees
Holding the floor to delay a vote
Negotiating with the executive branch
Which category of federal spending is required by law and continues without annual approval?
Capital spending on federal buildings
Discretionary spending appropriated yearly
Mandatory spending set by statutes
Emergency supplemental appropriations
Discretionary spending primarily involves
Court-ordered expenditures
State-funded matching grants
Annual appropriations decisions
Automatic entitlement payments
Deficit spending occurs when the government
Runs a balanced annual budget
Collects more taxes than it spends
Spends more than its revenues
Eliminates all discretionary programs
In the delegate model of representation, legislators
Vote based on personal judgment
Follow the preferences of constituents
Prioritize national over local interests
Balance personal views with party goals
The trustee model of representation expects legislators to
Mirror constituent opinions directly
Act using their own informed judgment
Exchange votes to advance district bills
Follow party leadership on all votes
Under the politico model of representation, a legislator
Always votes with the party majority
Alternates between delegate and trustee roles
Rejects constituent input entirely
Defers decisions to committee chairs
What constitutional principle is reinforced by the legacy of Baker v. Carr?
Federal supremacy over state taxation
Absolute immunity for legislative acts
Justiciability of apportionment and equal representation
Judicial review over executive actions
Shaw v. Reno primarily addressed
Limits on campaign contributions
Racial gerrymandering and equal protection
Powers of congressional committees
Authority to issue executive orders
What is the role of the Executive Branch?
to write and pass new laws
to interpret laws in courts
to enforce federal laws nationwide
to fund and audit agencies
Qualifications of the Executive Branch?
no age requirement stated
natural-born citizen requirement
appointed by Congress
lifetime judicial tenure
What is the 22nd Amendment?
limits presidential terms
abolishes the Electoral College
grants voting at eighteen
establishes income tax
What is the role of the Department of Justice?
manage public schooling
enforce federal law
conduct foreign diplomacy
supervise agriculture
What is the role of the Department of State?
run domestic policing
administer federal taxes
handle foreign affairs
regulate energy markets
What is the role of the Department of Treasury?
direct space exploration
manage national finances
lead military strategy
oversee public health
What is the role of the Electoral College? How does the system work?
Congress selects president
courts choose finalists
direct popular vote
states appoint electors
What is the 25th Amendment? Why is it significant?
details presidential succession
creates cabinet departments
repeals term limits entirely
expands voting to minors
What's a policy agenda?
prioritized government issues
formal court procedures
list of campaign donors
budget line-item ledger
Which action best defines a presidential veto?
Delaying a bill until next session
Rejecting a bill sent by Congress
Amending a bill after signature
Returning a bill to committee
Bargaining and persuasion by a President usually aim to
Reduce Supreme Court caseloads
Increase executive salaries
Rewrite laws without Congress
Build coalitions to pass policies
How can presidential approval ratings influence bargaining and persuasion?
Higher ratings strengthen leverage
Lower ratings guarantee bill passage
Higher ratings limit public outreach
Lower ratings remove Senate filibuster
What is an executive order?
Directive managing federal operations
Statute enacted by Congress
Treaty ratified by the Senate
Judicial ruling from the Court
Why are signing statements considered important?
They nominate federal judges directly
They fund agencies without budgets
They repeal laws without Congress
They explain how a law will be enforced
In federal appointments, Advice and Consent refers to
Senate approval of key nominees
House confirmation of ambassadors
Court review of Cabinet selections
State approval of military officers
Which presidential appointments typically require Senate approval?
Cabinet secretaries and ambassadors
White House personal staff
Military unit commanders
State governors and mayors
Which constitutional article establishes the Judicial Branch of the U.S. government?
Article III establishes the courts
Article IV establishes the courts
Article II establishes the courts
Article I establishes the courts
What is original jurisdiction?
Power to hear a case first
Authority to review state laws
Authority to hear appeals only
Power to enforce Court rulings
What is appellate jurisdiction?
Authority to impeach federal judges
Power to hear appeals from lower courts
Power to issue advisory opinions
Authority to hear a case first
Describe how Marbury v. Madison led to Judicial Review?
It forced states to follow federal treaties
It created the federal district courts
It limited Congress’s taxing power only
It established the Court’s power to void laws
What is Judicial Review?
Power to appoint federal judges
Authority to interpret the Constitution
Power to declare laws unconstitutional
Authority to enforce criminal sentences
What happens if evidence is found illegally?
It is excluded from trial
It must be used by prosecution
It is sent to federal appeals
It is kept for sentencing only
What is the equal protection clause?
Creates separate federal schooling
Requires equal treatment under law
Demands equal voting turnout
Mandates equal state tax rates
Why is it important for the Supreme Court to have precedents?
They guide consistent legal decisions
They allow Congress to appeal
They increase judicial salaries
They reduce the number of trials
Which term best describes a government system where power is divided between national and state levels?
Confederation with weak central coordination
Authoritarian regime with concentrated authority
Federal system sharing sovereignty across levels
Unitary government structure with central control
Which document typically outlines citizens’ fundamental rights and governmental limits?
National budget detailing fiscal appropriations
Constitution establishing legal frameworks
Treaty regulating international boundaries
Referendum pamphlet explaining ballot measures
Which scenario best illustrates checks and balances in a democracy?
Courts drafting tax policy for the legislature
Executive veto reviewed and overridden by legislature
Military appointing judges to constitutional courts
Legislature selecting local police chiefs nationwide
