AP Gov Test #1
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All of the following were weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation except
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the national government had too much power
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What was the result of the Great compromise?
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states were represented in the upper house, individuals in the lower
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Under the original Constitution, which branch(es) of government were selected by the citizens?
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the house of representatives
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what is the main result of judicial review?
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constitution is safeguarded from popular passions
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All of the following are part of the amendment process except
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a national referndum by popular vote with 2/3 approval
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How does the constitution provide an executive check on the judicial branch?
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nominating federal judges, subject to senate confirmation
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how did the antifederalists differ from the federalists?
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the antifederalists believed that a strong central government would be too distant from the peopl
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which of the following guarantees of individual liberties is found in the original constitution?
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no religious tests to hold office
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Which of the following is not a criticism of seperation of powers?
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it results in prompt, but hasty decision making
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what would be the impact of the line-item veto on the seperation of powers?
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would strengthen the presidency in relation to congress
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The national government under the articles of confederation consisted of a...
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unicameral legislature
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the stated purpose of the constitutional convention of 1787 was to
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revise the Articles of Confederation
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James Madison's Federalist #10 articulated the belief of the founding fathers that
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the constitution would control the effects of factions
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The system under which each branch of the federal government can limit the actions of the other branches is called
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checks and balancces
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the opening words of the constitution "We the people" express the fundamental principle of
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popular sovereignty
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The section of the constitution that clearly states the concept of federalism is the
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10th amendment
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which of the following best describes the body of american constitutional law?
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it best combines the elements of long-lasting consistency with needed flexibility
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the principles of american government that establishes concurrent state and national governments is known as
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Federalism
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the Virginia Plan would have created a
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legislature dominated by the larger states
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Which of the following is the best exmaple of devolution?
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block grants, by which money from the national government is given to the states for discretionary use with broad guidelines
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The founding fathers devised a federal system for all of the following reasons except
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federal systems were common throughout the world and were proven to be effective
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which of the following best describes the impact of the tenth amendment?
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it had little impact at first, but has been expanded over time to protect powers
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Which of the following Constitutional Provisions has beeen interpreted in a way to weaken the 10th amendment?
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the necessary and proper clause
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what did the Supreme Court decide in McCulloch vs. Maryland?
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congress can create a national bank, the necessary and proper clause enables congress to take actions not specifically listed in the constitution, states may not tax any federal institution
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The concept that the national government is supreme in its own sphere while the states are equally supreme in theirs is known as
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dual federalism
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The pie charts
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health increased the mst between 1960-2001
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states have found general grant money attractive for all of the following reasons except:
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federal grants rarely come with strings attached
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why do states prefer block grants to categorical grants?
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block grants allow local officials to satisfy the needs of interest groups
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the Americans with disabilites act requires states and local governments to provide equal access for the disabled. this is an example of a
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mandat
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which of the following is the best evidence that direct democracy is expanding in America today?
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a movement to directly elect federal judges
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what is the most basic definition of democracy?
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rule by the many
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all of the following are criticisms of direct democracies except
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direct democracies have never been successful
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which of the following most accurately descibes the federalist papers?
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a collection of essays arguing the merits of the cosntitution
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the line-item veto was found unconstitutional because
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it gave legislative powers to the executive
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according to federalist #10, federalism has which of the following effects on political factions?
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it limits the dangers of factionalism by diluting political power
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which of the following is a central assumption of Joh Locke's social contract theory?
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Governments safeguard hte life, liberty, and property of their subjects
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one of the reasons the founders were skeptical about using direct democracy as a model for the constitution was that
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they feared direct democracy would lead to chaos and violence
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elite theory holds that a representative democracy
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allows an elite class to make the most important political decisions
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shay's rebellion reinforced the founders common belief that
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the excess of democracy needed to be checked
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the great compromise at the constitutional convention created a
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bicameral legislature
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Which principle in the constitution s most directly represented in the procedures for creating formal amendments?
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Federalism
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which of the following best explains the difference between a unitary and a confederal political system?
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policy making power in a unitary system is geographically concentrated: it is dispersed in a confederal way
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the national congress has the most power to establish policy for a specific purpose within the states when the federal funding is derived from
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categorical grants
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the most important reason that federal mandates are controversial today is that they usually
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dont provide the states with adequate funding to carry them out
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the "devolution revolution" is a movement that promotes giving more policy making power to the
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states
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which of the following men is known as Father of the Constitution because of his keen political insights and his copious diary of the convention proceedings?
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James Madison
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The man who proposed an elite theory of government in which the power is excerised by the central bureaucracy was
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Max Weber
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The state that possessed what many considered to be the most democratic constitution in early US history and was greatly admired by the Europeans was
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Pennsylvania
