AP Government Exam Questions and Answers 2025

activation - ANSWER One of three key consequences of electoral campaigns for voters, in which the voter is activated to contribute money or ring doorbells instead of just voting. Adarand Constructors v. Peña - ANSWER 1995 SuCo decision: Federal programs that classify based on race should be assumed unconstitutional and put up to strict scrutiny. They're only okay if they are "narrowly tailored" for a "compelling governmental interest." Affirmative Action - ANSWER A policy designed to give special compensation to a previously disadvantaged group. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 - ANSWER Requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for the disabled, and not to discriminate against them in hiring. amicus curiae briefs - ANSWER Briefs submitted to the court by outside parties to influence the decision. Anti-Federalists - ANSWER At the time of the Con, they argued that the Con was a class based document, would erode fundamental liberties and weaken the states. antitrust policy - ANSWER Policy that ensures competition and prevents monopoly. appropriations bill - ANSWER Act of Cong that funds programs within authorized limits. Usually these bills are annual. Articles of Confederation - ANSWER First Con, adopted in 1777, enacted in 1781. They established a national legislature (Continental Congress), but left most authority with the states. authorization bill - ANSWER Act of Cong (type of bill) that makes or continues a government or entitlement program, also defines budget limits for said program. Barron v. Baltimore - ANSWER 1833 SuCo: The Bill of Rights only applies to the National Gvt. bicameral legislature - ANSWER A legislature divided into 2 houses, such as the US Congress and most state legislatures. bill - ANSWER A proposed law written in legal language. Only o member of Congress can submit one, although anyone can write one. Bill of Rights - ANSWER First 10 Amendments written to satiate Anti-Federalists. They define basic liberties and rights. blanket primaries - ANSWER Primaries in which voters can be from and vote for any party. block grants - ANSWER Federal grants automatically given to states to support broad programs. (Compared to categorical grants) Brown v. Board of Education - ANSWER 1954 SuCo: School segregation is unconstitutional because it violates the 14th Amendment guarantee of equal protection. Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson. budget - ANSWER A policy document allocating taxes and expenditures, budget resolution - ANSWER The bottom line for all federal spending. bureaucracy - ANSWER A system of departments and agencies formed to carry out the work of government. cabinet - ANSWER A group of presidential advisers. Consists of 14 secretaries and the attorney general. campaign strategy - ANSWER Master game plan of a political campaign. capitalism - ANSWER An economic system in which individuals and corporations, not the government, own the principle means of production and seek profit. casework - ANSWER Pork barreling, basically. Activities of Congressmen that help individual constituents. categorical grants - ANSWER Federal grants that can be used only for specific purposes. These grants have strings attached. (Compare to block grants) congressional caucus - ANSWER A group of Congressmen sharing an interest or characteristic. (Not the party version) state party caucus - ANSWER A meeting of all state party leaders for selecting delegates to the national party convention. Usuall organized as a pyramid (Not the congressional version) censorship - ANSWER Government regulation of media content. census - ANSWER Demographics report required by the Constitution to be redone every 10 years. checks and balances - ANSWER An important part of the Madisonian model designed to limit government's power by requiring power to be balanced among different institutions that check each other's activities. civic duty - ANSWER The belief that it is a citizen's duty to vote in order to support democracy. civil disobedience - ANSWER A form of political participation where people consciously break a law and suffer the consequences to make a point. civil law - ANSWER Judicial law not involving criminal charges. Cases are between 2 parties and involve common law. civil liberties - ANSWER Legal constitutional protections against government. (compare to civil rights) civil rights - ANSWER Policies designed to protect people against arbitrary or discriminatory treatment by government.(Compare to civil liberties) Civil Rights Act of 1964 - ANSWER Law that made racial discrimination in public places illegal and forbade many forms of job discrimination. It created the EEOC to monitor itself, provided for the withholding of federal grants to nonconformers, strengthened voting rights legislation, and authorized lawsuits that advanced desegregation. civil rights movement - ANSWER movement in the United States beginning in the 1960s and led primarily by Blacks in an effort to establish the civil rights of individual Black citizens civil rights policies - ANSWER Policies that extend government protection to particular disadvantaged groups. class action suits - ANSWER Lawsuits permitting a small number of people to sue on behalf of all others similarly situated. Clean Air Act of 1970 - ANSWER Law that charged the Department of Transportation with the responsibility of reducing automobile emissions. Clean Water Act of 1972 - ANSWER Law intended to clean up the nation's rivers and lakes. closed primaries - ANSWER Primaries in which only registered voters can participate. collective bargaining - ANSWER Bargaining between representatives of labor unions and management to determine acceptable working conditions. committee chairs - ANSWER The most important influencers of congressional agenda. They play dominant rules in scheduling hearings, hiring staff, appointing subcommittees and managing committee bills when they're in front of the full house. congressional committees - ANSWER Conference, joint, select and standing committees. common law - ANSWER The accumulation of past judicial decisions applied in civil law disputes. comparable worth - ANSWER The issue raised when women are paid less than men for working jobs that require comparable skill. conference committees - ANSWER Congressional committees directed to reconcile House and Senate versions of a bill. Congressional Budget Office - ANSWER The budget office that advises Congress on the consequences of budget decisions and forecasts revenues. Connecticut Compromise - ANSWER The compromise reached at the Constitutional Convention that reconciled the Virginia and New Jersey Plans, creating our bicameral legislature. consent of the governed - ANSWER the idea that government derives its authority by the sanction of the people conservatives - ANSWER Those who advocate conservatism. constitution - ANSWER A nation's basic law. consumer price index - ANSWER The key measure of inflation. continuing resolutions - ANSWER When Congress cannot agree on an appropriation bill, this resolution allows an agency to spend at the previous year's level. conversion - ANSWER When a voter's mind is changed in an electoral campaign. Council of Economic Advisers - ANSWER 3 appointees who advise the President on the state of the economy and economic policy courts of appeal - ANSWER Apellate courts that can review all final decisions from district courts. Craig v. Boren - ANSWER 1976 SuCo: Gender classifications are subject to medium scrutiny. criminal law - ANSWER The body of law used when one is charged with a criminal action that warrants punishment. critical election - ANSWER Election periods marked by national crisis where new issues emerge and the majority party is displaced by the minority. cruel and unusual punishment - ANSWER punishment prohibited by the 8th amendment to the U.S. constitution Declaration of Independence - ANSWER Document approved in 1776 that stated the grievances with Britain. deficit - ANSWER An excess of federal expenditures over federal revenues. democracy - ANSWER Government by the people. demography - ANSWER The science of population changes. deregulation - ANSWER the act of freeing from regulation (especially from governmental regulations) direct democracy - ANSWER Procedures by which voters have a direct impact on policymaking by means of a voting booth. direct primaries - ANSWER an election in which voters shoose candidates to represent each party in a general election district courts - ANSWER Lowest level of fed. courts, where fed. cases begin &trials are held (bank robbery, environmental violations, tax evasion) dual federalism - ANSWER A system of govt in which both the national and state governments are supreme in their own spheres. due process clause - ANSWER Part of the 14th amendment which guarantees that no state deny basic rights to its people without due process of law. elastic clause - ANSWER the part of the Constitution that permits Congress to make any laws "necessary and proper" to carrying out its powers electoral college - ANSWER the body of electors who formally elect the United States president and vice-president electoral mandate - ANSWER A concept based on the idea that "the people have spoken." It is a powerful symbol in American electoral politics, according legitimacy and credibility to a newly elected president's proposals. elite - ANSWER a group or class of persons enjoying superior intellectual or social or economic status elite theory - ANSWER A theory of government and politics contending that societies are divided along class lines and that an upper-class elite will rule, regardless of the formal niceties of governmental organization. Engel v. Vitale - ANSWER 1962 SuCo: Prayer in school is a violation of the 1st Amendment. entitlement programs - ANSWER programs that provide benefits to eligible citizens. An uncontrollable expenditure. enumerated powers - ANSWER The powers explicitly given to Congress in the Constitution. Environmental Protection Agency - ANSWER An agency created in 1970 to administer all environmental legislation. equal opportunity - ANSWER the right to equivalent opportunities for employment regardless of race or color or sex or national origin equal protection of the laws - ANSWER a right guaranteed by the 14th amendment to the US constitution and by the due-process clause of the 5th amendment. It was a major part of Brown v. Board of Education. equal results - ANSWER An idea that government must go beyond equal opportunity. Equal Rights Amendment - ANSWER constitutional amendment passed by Congress but never ratified that would have banned discrimination on the basis of gender establishment clause - ANSWER the First Amendment guarantee that the government will not create and support an official state church exclusionary rule - ANSWER Evidence obtained unconstitutionally can not be used in court. executive orders - ANSWER regulations originating from the executive branch. They are one method presidents can use to control the bureaucracy. exit poll - ANSWER a poll of voters as they leave the voting place expenditures - ANSWER Federal spending of revenues, mostly spent on social services and military. extradition - ANSWER the surrender of an accused or convicted person by one state or country to another (usually under the provisions of a statute or treaty) factions - ANSWER Interest groups arising from the unequal distribution of property or wealth that James Madison attacked in Federalist Paper No. 10. Today's parties or interest groups are what Madison had in mind when he warned of the instability in government caused by these. federal debt - ANSWER all the money borrowed by the federal government over the years and still outstanding Federal Election Campaign Act - ANSWER law passed in 1974 for reforming campaign finances. The act created the Federal Election Commission (FEC), provided public financing for presidential primaries and general elections, limited presidential campaign spending, required disclosure, and attempted to limit contributions. Federal Election Commission - ANSWER A commission created by the 1974 amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act to administer election reform laws. Its duties include overseeing disclosure of campaign finance information and public funding of presidential elections, and enforcing contribution limits. Federal Regulation of Lobbying Act - ANSWER 1946; intended to allow the government to monitor lobbying activities by requiring lobbyists to register with the government and publicly disclose their salaries, expenses, and nature of activities in DC Federal Reserve System - ANSWER The country's central banking system, which is responsible for the nation's monetary policy by regulating the supply of money and interest rates Federal Trade Commission - ANSWER (WW) 1914 , A government agency established in 1914 to prevent unfair business practices and help maintain a competitive economy, support antitrust suits federalism - ANSWER a form of government in which power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the states Federalist Papers - ANSWER a series of 85 essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay (using the name "publius") published in NY newspapers and used to convice readers to adopt the new constitution Federalist Paper 10 - ANSWER The Federalist Paper warning against faction such as interest groups and political parties Federalist Paper 51 - ANSWER The Federalist Paper advocating three seperate, independant branches with the same amount of power. Government should control people, but also its self, and individual rights should be protected. Federalists - ANSWER Supporters of the Constitution that were led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. They firmly believed the national government should be strong. They didn't want the Bill of Rights because they felt citizens' rights were already well protected by the Constitution. filibuster - ANSWER a tactic used only in the Senate for delaying or obstructing legislation by making long speeches or talking a bill to death fiscal federalism - ANSWER The pattern of spending, taxing, and providing grants in the federal system; it is the cornerstone of the national government's relations with state and local governments. fiscal policy - ANSWER a government policy for dealing with the budget (especially with taxation and borrowing) entirely determined by Congress and the Prez Food and Drug Administration - ANSWER Federal agency formed in 1913 that approves all foods and drugs for sale in the US. foreign policy - ANSWER a nation's overall plan for dealing with other nations formula grants - ANSWER Federal Categorical Grants distributed according to a formula specified in legislation or in administrative regulations fragmentation - ANSWER A situation in which responsibility for a policy area is dispersed, making it difficult to coordinate the policy. free excercise clause - ANSWER 1st amendment guarantee that prohibits gov't from unduly interfering with the free excercise of religion free-rider problem - ANSWER the problem faced by interest groups when citizens can reap the benefits of interest group action without actually joining, participating in, or contributing money to such groups.