AP US Government Formative Assessment #2

AP US Government Formative Assessment #2 1. In Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, the Supreme Court established which of the following principles? A) A school official can search a student for drugs. B) Everyone must go to school at least until the age of 16. C) Tuition for private schools cannot be tax deductible. D) Separation of students by race, even in equally good schools, is unconstitutional. E) A moment of silent prayer at the beginning of the school day is allowable under the First Amendment. 2) An advocate of strong civil liberties would most likely have objected to all of the following EXCEPT A) the anti-communist investigations led by Senator McCarthy during the Cold War B) the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II C) the trial of alleged terrorists in the criminal justice system D) the passage of the PATRIOT Act of 2001 E) suspension of the writ of habeas corpus during the Civil War 3. Which of the following is NOT a core value of United States political culture? A)Legal equality B) Political equality C) Economic equality D) Freedom of religion E)Freedom of speech 4. Political socialization is the process by which A) the use of private property is regulated by the government B) governments communicate with each other C) public attitudes toward government are measured and reported D)political values are passed to the next generation E) children are trained for successful occupations 5. The Supreme Court case New York Times v. United States, which concerned the publication of classified government documents, addressed the constitutionality of A) symbolic speech B) eminent domain C) bills of attainder D) prior restraint E) ex post facto laws 6. One widespread effect of the mass media on presidential campaigns is that the mass media have A) lowered the cost of campaigns by making it easier to reach large numbers of voters B) replaced political parties as the primary sources of information about candidates C) increased the importance of party conventions in the selection of nominees D) introduced a liberal bias into campaigns by pushing candidates to the left E) increased public optimism by encouraging positive campaigns for the presidency

7. Which of the following is a basic tenet of pluralist theory? A) politics is best understood as competition among groups of people with shared interests B) politics is best understood as the study of individuals rather than groups C) Interest groups are too closely controlled by their leaders to be representative of the public at large D) courts should play almost no role in the political process because judges are almost never elected E) political leaders are motivated more by their values or visions than by their desire to be reelected 8. Which of the following best defines political socialization? A) The process by which political parties seek financial support from wealthy supporters B) The process by which individuals formally join a political party C) The process by which people acquire their attitudes toward politics D) The attempt by candidates for public office to meet and greet as many voters as possible E) The interaction that occurs when individuals attend political rallies and conventions Base your answer to Question 9 on the cartoon image below. 9. The cartoon above depicts the assertion of which principle of American civil liberties A) Freedom of religion B) The right to bear arms C) Freedom of the press D) Freedom of association E) Freedom of speech 10) A person who is conservative on economic issues but liberal on social issues would be considered a A) populist B) liberal C) conservative D) libertarian E) communist

11) The Fifth Amendment protection against double jeopardy ensures that A) a person cannot be tried more than once for the same crime B) a defendant may not be forced to incriminate himself or herself C) a poor person accused of a crime will be provided with legal counsel D) no one will be required to post excessive bail E) a defendant may compel witnesses to appear in his or her defense 12. Which of the following statements is accurate regarding the right to privacy? A) It is expressly guaranteed in the Bill of Rights B) It has been accepted as a constitutional right only by conservative Supreme Court justices C) The Supreme Court acknowledged it as a Constitutional right in the case of Griswold v. Connecticut D) It has been limited to cases involving abortion E) The Supreme Court has ruled that it only applies to federal legislation 13. In the post- Civil War United States, the grandfather clause was A) a law giving only men over 60 the right to vote B) an amendment giving women the right to vote only if their grandfathers had lived in the United States C) a law exempting men whose grandfathers were eligible to vote before 1867 from some voting restrictions D) a law denying the right to vote all former slaveholders E) a law giving Black men the right to vote only if their grandfathers had been slaves 14. In scientific public- opinion polling, which of the following is true of random sampling? A) each individual has a 50% chance of being selected B) each individual has an equal chance of being selected C) The selection of respondents is unsystematic D) The selection of respondents is based on preliminary quota sampling E) The selection of respondents is based on initial stratification by sex and age 15. The First Amendment prevents the federal government from doing all of the following EXCEPT A) establishing a state religion B) abridging the free exercise of religion C) passing bills of attainder or ex post facto laws D) abridging the right of freedom of speech or of the press E) abridging the right of the people to assemble peacefully 16. When a child s parents both identify strongly with the same political party, the child will most likely A) identify with the opposing party B) identify with the parents party C) have a low sense of political efficacy D) become an independent rather than a party identifier E) become alienated from the political system

17. Which of the following best defines civil liberties? A) The freedom to refuse to obey laws an individual considers to be immoral violations of civil rights B) Provisions in the Bill of Rights that provide guarantees against arbitrary interference by government C) Precedents pertaining to criminal procedure that are set by the Supreme Court that are upheld in the lower courts D) Those features of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution that pertain to the actions of individuals and groups E) Laws passed by Congress to define the powers and privileges of individuals Base your answer to Question 18 on the excerpt below. Just as the Fourth Amendment s right to privacy has been declared enforceable against the states through the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth, it is enforceable by the same sanction as is used against the federal government. Were it otherwise, the assure against unreasonable searches and seizures would be a form of words valueless in the concept of ordered liberty. Justice Tom Clark, Mapp v. Ohio (1961) 18. Which two principles are addressed in the excerpt above? I. The incorporation doctrine II. The concept of eminent domain III. The exclusionary rule IV. The wall of separation doctrine A) I and II B) I and III C) I and IV D) II and III E) II and IV 19. The United States Supreme Court has used which of the following to incorporate the Bill of Rights into state law? A) the necessary and proper clause B) the Fourteenth Amendment C) The Judiciary Act of 1789 D) The Civil Rights Act of 1964 E) The Voting Rights Act of 1965 20. Jim Crow laws, still in place in the early 1960s in the South, were outlawed by the A) incorporation of the Bill of Rights B) 1963 march on Washington C) passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act D) Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka E) Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott v. Sandford

21. In Gideon v. Wainwright, the United States Supreme Court ruled that he A) Bible could be distributed at public schools under the free exercise clause of the First Amendment B) exclusionary rule prevented the introduction of evidence seized in violation of the Fourth Amendment from being introduced in court C) eminent domain clause of the Fifth Amendment prevents government from taking religious property for public purposes D) Sixth Amendment right-to-counsel provision applies to those accused of major crimes under state laws E) Eighth Amendment cruel-and-unusual-punishment provision cannot be applied in a discriminatory manner 22. All of the following United States Supreme Court decisions strengthened the power of the federal of government EXCEPT A) Gibbons v. Ogden B) Marbury v. Madison C) Dred Scott v. Sandford D) McCullough v. Maryland E) Korematsu v. United States 23. According to the clear and present danger test, speech may be restricted A) when it incites violent action B) when it lacks a political purpose C) whenever the United States is at war D) if it is deemed offensive to religious organizations E) if the writer or speaker is not a citizen of the United States 24. Which of the following most accurately describes media coverage of elections? A) coverage of presidential primaries gives relatively equal power to states regardless of when they hold their primaries B) coverage tends to focus on issues rather than on which candidate is ahead in public opinion polls C) reports use secret sources in their campaign coverage are shield by federal law from having to reveal those sources D) radio and television states must provide on their news broadcasts equal time for equal coverage of major party candidates E) network news coverage is usually dominated by reports who offer relatively short sound bites from candidates 25. In Plessy v. Ferguson, the United States Supreme Court ruled that state-imposed racial segregation is constitutional, based on the (A) clear and present danger doctrine (B) separate but equal doctrine (C) dangerous tendency doctrine (D) privileges and immunities clause (E) necessary and proper clause

26. Both Gitlow v. New York and New York Times v. Sullivan are United States Supreme Court cases that dealt with which of the following amendments to the United States Constitution? (A) First Amendment (B) Second Amendment (C) Fourth Amendment (D) Fifth Amendment (E) Fifteenth Amendment 27. The process of extending the protections of the Bill of Rights by means of the Fourteenth Amendment to apply to the actions of state governments is known as (A) judicial review (B) incorporation (C) broad construction (D) federalism (E) stare decisis 28. Which of the following describes a consequence of the growing concentration of ownership of the news media? (A) Newspaper prices have gone down. (B) Coverage of political events has gotten more liberal over time. (C) Prices for televised campaign ads have gone down. (D) Candidates get more free airtime. (E) There is increased similarity of network news coverage. 29. The Supreme Court has ruled which of the following concerning the death penalty? (A) A state may not impose the death penalty on a noncitizen. (B) Lethal injection is the only constitutionally acceptable method of execution. (C) Females may not be executed. (D) The death penalty is not necessarily cruel and unusual punishment. (E) The death penalty violates the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution. 30. Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954) was a significant Supreme Court ruling because it (A) placed limitations on the federal government and affirmed the rights of people and of the states (B) made it illegal for members of the Communist party to be schoolteachers (C) upheld laws allowing for the internment of ethnic groups during wartime (D) applied the freedom of press provisions of the First Amendment to the states by means of the Fourteenth Amendment (E) held the separate but equal concept to be a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment 31. Which of the following best describes a purpose of the Establishment Clause? A) it gives Congress the power to protect civil rights and civil liberties B) it prohibits Congress from establishing a state religion C) it empowers Congress to create a national bank D) it prevents Congress from prohibiting the possession of guns on school grounds E) it grants Congress the power to establish post roads and post offices

32. The passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a significant political event because it A) scaled back the provisions of the Fifteenth Amendment B) was used to emancipate southern African Americans C) was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in Shaw v. Reno D) was instrumental in increasing the number of African American and other minority voters E) required that minority officeholders be elected 33. Party identification in the United States is most successfully transmitted by which of the following? A) workplace B) church C) educational system D) the media E) family 34. The agenda-setting function of the media refers to the power to A) endorse specific candidates for political office B) favor the position of one interest group over another C) counter the censorship activities of media watch groups D) mobilize economic interests in favor of a particular candidate E) decide which issues are important enough to bring to public attention 35. Legislation forbidding flag burning was deemed unconstitutional because it violated the A) First Amendment s free exercise clause B) necessary and proper clause C) First Amendment s protection of expression D) Fourteenth Amendment s definition of citizenship E) First Amendment s establishment clause 36. In Roe v. Wade, the majority of Supreme Court justices determined that A) a constitutional right to privacy necessitated B) abortions could be performed only during the first twelve weeks of a pregnancy C) homosexuality is unconstitutional D) the United States Constitution implies a right to privacy and thus made abortions legal E) a husband is allowed to veto his wife s decision to have an abortion 37. With respect to prayer in public schools, the United States Supreme Court has ruled that A) state-sponsored prayer violates the establishment clause of the First Amendment B) state-sponsored prayer is permitted by the free exercise clause of First Amendment C) since educational policy is controlled largely by state governments, the First Amendment does not affect school policy on prayer D) the free exercise clause permits teachers to mandate silent prayer E) in school districts in which local authorities can demonstrate that all students belong to a single religion, mandated prayer is permissible

38. The grandfather clause is significant in United States political history for which of the following reasons? A) It was a means whereby elderly voters were excluded from the electorate B) It was declared unconstitutional by the Fifteenth Amendment C) It was a means whereby Black citizens in southern states were disenfranchised D) It was created by the Supreme Court s decision in Plessy v. Ferguson E) It was struck down by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka 39. Which of the following is a principle underlying the Bill of Rights? A) the people should control all aspects of governance B) some rights are fundamental and should not be subject to majoritarian control C) the legislature should be the most powerful branch of government D) All people should be guaranteed the same rights, whether they are citizens or not E) it is groups rather than individuals that have fundamental rights and immunities 40. The United States Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka was based on which of the following? A) The First Amendment s right to freedom of expression B) The Fourteenth Amendment s due process clause C) The Fourteenth Amendment s guarantee of equal protection D) The Fourth Amendment s exclusionary rule E) The Fifth Amendment s power of eminent domain 41. All of the following are traditional political values held by most Americans EXCEPT A) individual freedom B) representative democracy C) equality of opportunity D) equality of outcome E) due process of law 42. The media s effect on public opinion can best be described as A) influencing older citizens opinions of incumbents B) affecting the public s views on domestic policy only C) influencing which issues sees as important D) changing well-educated people s views on foreign policy E) influencing the public s views on controversial issues only 43. Interest groups are protected under the Constitution by the A) provisions of Article I, Section 88 B) First Amendment C) Ninth Amendment D) Tenth Amendment E) Fourteenth Amendment

44. The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, the Equal Rights Amendment and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 were all directed toward the goal of A) protecting the rights of minority children in the schools B) overcoming discrimination based on sexual orientation C) racial justice D) equality for women E) affirmative action 45. Which of the following amendments to the Constitution most likely provides the basis for a driver to challenge the constitutionality of police use of sobriety checkpoints in enforcing drunk driving laws? A) The First Amendment right to petition the government for a redress of grievances B) The Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable search and seizure C) The Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination D) The Eighth Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment E) The Tenth Amendment right of states to powers not given to the national government 46. The Americans with Disabilities Act was widely unpopular with governors and mayors because it A) required that people with disabilities be given equal access to public facilities B) required that buildings be retrofitted or remodeled to give equal access to people with disabilities C) did not go far enough to establish equal access to public facilities D) applied only to federal facilities and did nothing to accommodate people in municipal buildings E) required that states and cities pay for federally mandated construction and remodeling 47. Civil rights activists, such as those who campaign for gay and lesbian equal rights and those who advocated for racial equality in the 1950s and 1960s, often find the most effective way to secure those rights is A) through mass demonstrations to raise awareness of their cause B) through lobbying of individual members of Congress for support on legislation C) through litigation in the courts to gain legal protections against discrimination D) by launching educational campaigns to increase the level of public support for their cause E) by persuading presidents to issue executive orders that prevent discrimination within the federal workforce 48. Which of the following groups would be most likely to support a constitutional amendment banning all abortions? A) Conservatives B) Libertarians C) Independents D) Liberals E) Moderates 49. Policy that describes the impact of the federal budget (including taxes, spending and borrowing) on the economy is referred to as which of the following? A) monetary policy B) trade policy C) Fiscal policy D) Antitrust policy E) Capitalist policy

50. Which of the following statements best describes conservative ideology? A) The belief that the private sector can outperform government in economic activity. B) The belief that government should promote civil rights C) The belief that government should promote economic equality D) The belief that she government should be actively involved in regulating private economic activity. E) The belief that the government should support gay rights 51. How does regulation of radio and television broadcasts differ from the treatment of newspapers and magazines? A) Newspapers are not subject to libel and slander laws, while broadcasters are. B) The FCC regulates broadcasters but not newspapers. C) Because of the First Amendment, broadcasters and newspapers have equal free-speech rights. D) Newspapers do not need to be regulated because their content is rarely controversial; most papers simply report the news as it happens E) Both newspapers and television stations must be licensed. 52. A state decides to provide funding for math textbooks. This law will provide tax dollars for both public and private schools. What would be the most likely result if this law were challenged in court on grounds that it violates the establishment clause? A) It will be overturned because it fosters an excessive government entanglement with religion B) It will be overturned because it violates the principle of separation of church and state by using tax dollars to benefit private schools C) It will be overturned because it advances religious beliefs D) It will be upheld because tax dollars can be spent for primary or secondary educational purpose. E) It will be upheld because it has a secular purpose, does not advance religion, and will not cause excessive government entanglement with religion. 53. What was the Court s decision in Bakke v. University of California? A) Affirmative action programs are reverse discrimination and violate the Fourteenth Amendment B) Affirmative action programs are designed to provide racial equality and are required by the Fourteenth Amendment. C) Schools can take race into account in making admissions decisions, but the use of quotas will be viewed with strict scrutiny. D) Schools can take race into account in making admissions decisions, and using quotas is the best way to accomplish this. E) Affirmative action programs are permissible but not required; states may abolish them if they wish. 54. What is the difference between monetary policy and fiscal policy? A) Monetary policy involves taxing, and fiscal policy involves spending B) Fiscal policy occurs when there is a deficit, and monetary policy is used when there is a surplus. C) Fiscal policy uses tax cuts to stimulate the economy, while monetary policy uses government spending to stimulate the economy. D) Fiscal policy involves the budget, and monetary policy involves interest rates and the money supply. E) There is no difference; these terms are synonymous.

55. The economic theory that emphasizes government spending to stimulate the economy is A) Supply side economics B) Keynesian economics C) Monetary policy D) Fiscal federalism E) New Deal activism 56. The Supreme Court s decision in Texas v. Johnson, which overturned a state law against flag-burning, was based on A) the First Amendment right to peacefully assemble to protest B) The Free-Exercise Clause of the First Amendment C) the First Amendment right of freedom of speech D) the restrictions on search and seizure of the Fourth Amendment E) the establishment clause of the First Amendment 57. What interpretation of the Constitution did the Supreme Court use in District of Columbia v. Heller and McDonald vs Chicago? A) The Second Amendment prohibits state and federal governments from requiring the registration of firearms. B) Federal and state laws restricting some people, such as convicted felons from purchasing guns, violate the Second Amendment. C) The wording of the Second Amendment means that the constitutional right to gun ownership applies only to people serving in a state militia. D) The Second Amendment contains a constitutional right to gun ownership irrespective of service in a state militia. E) The right of privacy implied in the Bill of Rights extends to carrying of guns in public places. 58. In which landmark Supreme Court decision was the right to an attorney extended to require the government to provide lawyers for poor defendants in state courts? A) Miranda v. Arizona B) Gideon v. Wainwright C) Engel v. Vitale D) Baker v. Carr E) Mapp v. Ohio 59. Since the 1950s, the greatest expansion of civil rights has stemmed from reinterpretation and enforcement of the A) due process clause B) equal protection clause C) comity clause D) full faith and credit clause E) just compensation clause

60. Although the Ku Klux Klan is regarded as a radical white supremacist group, it is permitted to assemble as long as A) it is a "peaceable" assembly B) it is on public property C) it applies for a permit D) it does not disrupt public order E) it does not publicly broadcast its activities