AP US Government & Politics Exam
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
Affirmative Action - ✔✔A policy designed to correct the effects of past discrimination;
requirement by law that positive steps be taken to increase the number of minorities in
businesses, schools, colleges, and labor.
*Supreme Court Cases:*
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)
Gratz v. Bollinger (2003)
Agenda Setting - ✔✔The process of forming the list of matters that policymakers intend
to address.
Ambassador - ✔✔A personal representative appointed by the head of a nation to
represent that nation in matters of diplomacy.
Amicus Curiae Brief - ✔✔Friend of the court; interested groups may be invited to file
legal briefs supporting or rejecting arguments of the case.
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 1
,Anti-Federalists - ✔✔Opposed the adoption of U.S. Constitution because it gave too
much power to the national government at the expense of the state governments and it
lacked a bill of rights.
*Key Individuals:*
Patrick Henry
George Mason
Richard Henry Lee
Appeasement - ✔✔The act of making concessions to a political or military rival.
Appellate Jurisdiction - ✔✔The authority of a court to review decisions of inferior
(lower) courts; see *Original Jurisdiction*.
Appropriations - ✔✔Money used by Congress or a state legislature for a specific
purpose.
Apportionment - ✔✔Distribution of representatives among the states based on the
population of each state.
Articles of Impeachment - ✔✔The specific charges brought against a president or a
federal judge by the House of Representatives.
At-large - ✔✔Election of an officeholder by the voters of an entire governmental unit
(e.g., a State or county) rather than by the voters of a district, a subdivision of that area.
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 2
,Articles of Confederation - ✔✔The first national constitution of the United States that
created a government lasting from 1781 to 1789; replaced by the current Constitution.
Bills of Attainder - ✔✔A legislative act, illegal without a judicial trial, that inflicts
punishment on an individual or group for the purpose of suppressing that person or
group.
Bipartisan - ✔✔Politics that emphasizes cooperation between the major parties.
Blanket Primary - ✔✔A nominating election in which voters may switch from one
political party's primary to another on an office-to-office basis; see *Direct Primary*.
Block Grants - ✔✔Federal grants to the states and local communities that are for general
use in a broad area, such as community development.
Brief - ✔✔Legal document submitted to the court setting forth the facts of a case and
supporting a particular position.
Bureaucracy - ✔✔Any large, complex administrative structure; a hierarchical
organization with job specialization and complex rules.
Burger Court - ✔✔The description given the United States Supreme Court from 1969 to
1986 (led by *Chief Justice Warren Burger*). It was expected that the "Burger Court"
would become a conservative court under Warren Burger and reverse many of the
liberal rulings of the earlier *Warren Court*.
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 3
, Capital Punishment - ✔✔The execution of an individual by the state as punishment for
heinous offenses.
*Constitutional Connection:*
Eighth Amendment
Cabinet - ✔✔Government departments headed by presidential appointees to help
establish public policy and operate a specific policy area of governmental activity.
Casework - ✔✔Assistance given to constituents by congressional members, answering
questions or doing favors.
Categorical Grants - ✔✔Federal grants to states and local communities that are
earmarked for specific purposes only, such as pollution control, schools, or hospitals.
Also known *Grants-in-Aid*.
Caucus - ✔✔Locally held meeting in a state to select delegates who, in turn, will
nominate candidates to political offices.
Caucus (Congressional) - ✔✔An association of congressional members who advocate a
political ideology, regional, ethnic, or economic interest.
Certificate - ✔✔A method of putting a case before the United States Supreme Court;
used when a lower court is not clear about the procedure or the rule of law that should
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 4
Questions and Answers 100% Pass
Affirmative Action - ✔✔A policy designed to correct the effects of past discrimination;
requirement by law that positive steps be taken to increase the number of minorities in
businesses, schools, colleges, and labor.
*Supreme Court Cases:*
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)
Gratz v. Bollinger (2003)
Agenda Setting - ✔✔The process of forming the list of matters that policymakers intend
to address.
Ambassador - ✔✔A personal representative appointed by the head of a nation to
represent that nation in matters of diplomacy.
Amicus Curiae Brief - ✔✔Friend of the court; interested groups may be invited to file
legal briefs supporting or rejecting arguments of the case.
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 1
,Anti-Federalists - ✔✔Opposed the adoption of U.S. Constitution because it gave too
much power to the national government at the expense of the state governments and it
lacked a bill of rights.
*Key Individuals:*
Patrick Henry
George Mason
Richard Henry Lee
Appeasement - ✔✔The act of making concessions to a political or military rival.
Appellate Jurisdiction - ✔✔The authority of a court to review decisions of inferior
(lower) courts; see *Original Jurisdiction*.
Appropriations - ✔✔Money used by Congress or a state legislature for a specific
purpose.
Apportionment - ✔✔Distribution of representatives among the states based on the
population of each state.
Articles of Impeachment - ✔✔The specific charges brought against a president or a
federal judge by the House of Representatives.
At-large - ✔✔Election of an officeholder by the voters of an entire governmental unit
(e.g., a State or county) rather than by the voters of a district, a subdivision of that area.
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 2
,Articles of Confederation - ✔✔The first national constitution of the United States that
created a government lasting from 1781 to 1789; replaced by the current Constitution.
Bills of Attainder - ✔✔A legislative act, illegal without a judicial trial, that inflicts
punishment on an individual or group for the purpose of suppressing that person or
group.
Bipartisan - ✔✔Politics that emphasizes cooperation between the major parties.
Blanket Primary - ✔✔A nominating election in which voters may switch from one
political party's primary to another on an office-to-office basis; see *Direct Primary*.
Block Grants - ✔✔Federal grants to the states and local communities that are for general
use in a broad area, such as community development.
Brief - ✔✔Legal document submitted to the court setting forth the facts of a case and
supporting a particular position.
Bureaucracy - ✔✔Any large, complex administrative structure; a hierarchical
organization with job specialization and complex rules.
Burger Court - ✔✔The description given the United States Supreme Court from 1969 to
1986 (led by *Chief Justice Warren Burger*). It was expected that the "Burger Court"
would become a conservative court under Warren Burger and reverse many of the
liberal rulings of the earlier *Warren Court*.
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 3
, Capital Punishment - ✔✔The execution of an individual by the state as punishment for
heinous offenses.
*Constitutional Connection:*
Eighth Amendment
Cabinet - ✔✔Government departments headed by presidential appointees to help
establish public policy and operate a specific policy area of governmental activity.
Casework - ✔✔Assistance given to constituents by congressional members, answering
questions or doing favors.
Categorical Grants - ✔✔Federal grants to states and local communities that are
earmarked for specific purposes only, such as pollution control, schools, or hospitals.
Also known *Grants-in-Aid*.
Caucus - ✔✔Locally held meeting in a state to select delegates who, in turn, will
nominate candidates to political offices.
Caucus (Congressional) - ✔✔An association of congressional members who advocate a
political ideology, regional, ethnic, or economic interest.
Certificate - ✔✔A method of putting a case before the United States Supreme Court;
used when a lower court is not clear about the procedure or the rule of law that should
Katelyn Whitman, All Rights Reserved © 2025 4
