AP Test #1 Spring 2024

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the arguments made in The Federalist 10 and Brutus 1?

• Factions are inevitable with popular sovereignty. / A strong national government is needed.

• Factions are most dangerous at the local level. / Small republics are best for stable governments.

• Power should be concentrated in the executive branch to address factions. / National government is too far from the people.

• The effects of factions cannot be controlled. / Popular sovereignty leads to anarchy.

In The Federalist 10, James Madison argued that the new constitution would help control faction by doing which of the following?

• By creating a large republic, the new constitution made it less likely that a faction could gain enough power to completely dominate.

• The new constitution had significant limits on the freedom of expression, thereby limiting the ability of factions to organize.

• The new constitution gave political parties specific powers in the government which limited their influence.

• The use of the electoral college and the indirect election of senators would limit the influence that factions could wield.

Which of the following is an example of checks and balances, as established by the Constitution?

• A requirement that states lower their legal drinking age to eighteen as a condition of receiving funds through

  federal highway grant programs

• Media criticism of public officials during an election campaign period

• The Supreme Court's ability to overturn a lower court decision

• The requirement that presidential appointments to the Supreme Court be approved by the Senate

• The election of the President by the electoral college rather than by direct election

Enumerated powers of the federal government include all of the following EXCEPT the power to

• coin money

• declare war

• regulate interstate commerce

• regulate intrastate commerce

• tax

Which of the following is an example of checks and balances in action in the United States government?

• The House and Senate cannot agree on the same version of a bill to send to the president.

• The president issues an executive order that freezes federal government hiring.

• The president vetoes a bill passed by Congress.

• The voters reject the status quo and elect all new members of Congress.

• The voters at the state level elect a governor from a party other than the president’s.

Based on The Federalist 21, which of the following arguments about government would Hamilton likely agree with?

• The national government, by natural right, has more power than the state governments.

• Separation of powers means that the national government is limited to passing only legislation that all the states want.

• Under federalism, the states retain more power than the national government.

• As a practical matter, the laws of the national government ought to have supremacy over state laws.

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of checks on the legislative branch and checks on the executive branch?

• The president may veto bills passed by Congress. / The Senate must confirm judicial nominees.

• The president has the power to fund wars. / The House of Representatives can pass articles of impeachment.

• The Supreme Court has the power of judicial review. / Congress can remove members of the president’s cabinet.

• States may nullify federal laws that violate state constitutions. / The Supreme Court can declare presidential actions unconstitutional if a case arises.

Which of the following is empowered to create new federal courts and specify the number of judges who will sit on them?

• The Supreme Court

• Congress

• The President

• The Department of Justice

• The attorney general

The difference between an appellate court and a district court is that an appellate court

• conducts trials by jury

• has original jurisdiction

• reviews previous court decisions

• hears civil cases but not criminal cases

• does not follow the principle of stare decisis

The process shown in the diagram is outlined in which of the following parts of the United States Constitution?

• Article I

• Article II

• Article V

• Article VI