Institutions Review

1. Institutions Review Questions from previous AP Tests Chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10 in textbook

2. Response TEST • A • B • C • D 29

3. In which scenario would a presidential veto most likely be upheld? • The President has the support of the Supreme Court • The President is in a second term, removed from partisan politics • The proposed legislation enjoys widespread bipartisan support • Two-thirds of the representatives and senators are members of the same party as the President 1

4. When a lower court decision is appealed to the Supreme Court, which of the following is most likely to occur? • The Supreme Court will reconsider the case, and overturn the lower court decision • The Supreme Court will reprimand the lower court judge for improperly deciding the case • The case will be retired at the lower court level • The Supreme Court will not hear the appeal 1

5. The term “fiscal federalism” and “cooperative federalism” refer to situations in which • The federal government completely dominates state and local governments • States are forbidden any activity that has not been specifically approved by the Supreme Court • State, municipal, and local income taxes are pooled by special agreement and redistributed in accordance with individual need • Federal, state, and local governments work together to complete a project, with the federal government providing much of the project funding 1

6. Which of the following is a result of the electoral college system? • The winner of the presidency often lacks a majority of the popular vote • Candidates focus on one-party states in which they can win most of the electoral votes • Candidates focus on the states with the largest populations • Campaign spending increases because candidates emphasize television advertising 1

7. Which of the following committees of the House sets the conditions for debate and amendment of most legislation • Ways and Means • Appropriations • Judiciary • Rules 1

8. In recent presidential administrations, the principal staff for the President has been made up of members of the • White House Office • Cabinet • Congress • Civil service 1

9. Congressional district boundaries are usually redrawn every ten years by the • Bureau of the Census • State legislatures • President • Federal Election Commission 1

10. Participant Leaders

11. What percentage of your current points would you like to wager on the next question? • 0% • 25% • 50% • 75% • 100%

12. The franking privilege refers to the • Federal Reserve Board’s control over the interest rates • Practice of permitting senators to preview lists of judicial nominees • Practice whereby legislators with the most seniority select the committees on which they want to serve • Right of members of Congress to send mail to their Constituents at the government’s expense 1

13. Which of the following took place after presidential candidates Truman (1948), Nixon (1968), and Clinton (1992) won only pluralities of the popular vote? • The election was formally decided in the House of Representatives • The election was formally decided in the Senate • The winning candidate took office after receiving less than 50% of the popular votes cast • The electoral college votes cast by independents were critical in determining the winner 1

14. Which of the following is generally true of the gerrymandering of congressional districts? • It results in more Democrats being elected in the House • It results in more Republicans being elected to the House • It creates districts that favor one political party over another • It violates the principle of one-person, one-vote 1

15. Which of the following is NOT a presidential role authorized by the Constitution? • To be commander in chief of the armed forces • To lead the political party of the President • To negotiate treaties with foreign nations • To be chief executive 1

16. Which of the following is true under the system of checks and balances? • The Supreme Court can overrule the President’s policy proposals • The Senate must ratify treaties negotiated by the President before they become law • A bill becomes a law when the House and Senate pass it, and the Supreme Court declares it constitutional • The Supreme Court can remove members of Congress, and Congress can impeach the President 1

17. Fastest Responders

18. A major reason why the majority of Supreme Court justices have had political experience prior to appointment to the Court is that • Presidents seek to place individuals on the Court whose policy views are similar to their own • Justices are expected to act like politicians in their decision-making • Appointment to the Supreme Court is a reward for political party loyalty • The Court is expected to defer to the political branches in making its decisions 1

19. The president can do which of the following without seeking consent of either the House or Senate? • Ratify a treaty • Appoint ambassadors • Deploy troops • Declare war 1

20. A major difference between the House of Representatives and the Senate is that • Filibusters are possible only in the House • Revenue bills must originate in the Senate • Each state has equal representation in the House but not in the Senate • There is unlimited debate in the Senate but not in the House 1

21. Participant Leaders

22. What percentage of your current points would you like to wager on the next question? • 0% • 25% • 50% • 75% • 100%

23. All of the following serve as checks on the power of the federal court EXCEPT • Federal judges can be impeached • The voters can oust federal judges in national elections • Congress can pass a law clarifying “legislative intent” • Congress and the state legislatures can amend the Constitution 1

24. Federal benefits that must be funded by Congress and paid to all citizens who meet eligibility criteria are called • Discretionary appropriations • Individual entitlements • Tax expenditures • Distributive benefits 1

25. The term “pork barrel” refers to legislation specifically designed to • Encourage a balanced federal budget • Ensure the careful inspection of farm goods and other foodstuffs • Distribute excess produce to the poor • Provide funding for local projects that are intended to benefit constituents 1

26. Which of the following is a member of the White House Staff? • The chair of the Federal Reserve Board • The national security advisor • The secretary of commerce • The attorney general 1

27. The cooperation among the NAACP, NOW, and ACLU to defeat Robert Bork’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court was an example of • Impeachment • Litigation • Coalition building • The recall process 1

28. The Supreme Court’s power of judicial review permits the Court to overrule all of the following EXCEPT • Lower-court decision • State legislation • Acts of Congress • The Bill of Rights 1

29. Which of the following United States Supreme Court cases established the principle of judicial review? • McCulloch v. Maryland • Gibbons v. Ogden • Roe v. Wade • Marbury v. Madison 1

30. Which of the following is the most likely consequence of divided government? • Reorganization of the federal bureaucracy • Conflicts between states • Delays in confirmation of federal court nominees • Conflicts between national government and states 1

31. Participant Leaders

32. What percentage of your current points would you like to wager on the next question? • 0% • 25% • 50% • 75% • 100%

33. Which of the following best explains the principle of stare decisis? • It requires that at least four Supreme Court justices agree to hear a case • It encourages presidents to take judicial experience into account when nominating judges • It encourages judges to follow precedent when deciding cases • It reinforces the philosophy of judicial activism 1

34. Which of the following is NOT a way in which the federal government regulates campaigns? • By requirements of disclosure of campaign donations • By establishment of federal agencies to regulate campaign finance activities • By limits on the distribution of soft money • By prohibitions on negative advertising 30

35. Which of the following statements about the Senate is true? • Each state is represented in the Senate according to its population • The Senate, unlike the House, has a Rules committee • Individual senators can exercise substantial influence over the legislative process • The Senate has a strict time limit on debates 30

36. All of the following are ways that the legislative branch can check the powers of the executive branch EXCEPT • Congress may remove the president through its impeachment and conviction powers • Congress may override a presidential veto • Congress may pass a law declaring a presidential action unconstitutional • The Senate may refuse to approve a presidential appointment 30

37. Which of the following best describes the primary formal role of the attorney general? • Providing legal advice for the president • Serving as a liaison between the president and the Supreme Court • Serving as the chief executive officer of the Department of Justice • Directing the Government Accountability Office (GAO) 30

38. Which of the following is an example of congressional oversight? • Holding hearings for review of an executive agency’s activities • Assisting constituents with particular problems • Reporting campaign contributions to the Federal Election Commission • Signing trade agreements with other countries without input from the president 30

39. How is a president chosen when none of the candidates receives majority of the electoral college vote? • There is a national runoff election • The United Supreme Court directly elects the president • The election is ruled null and void and Congress appoints a new president • The House chooses a new president by a majority vote of its state delegations 30

40. Which of the following is an example of presidential use of inherent powers? • George H. W. Bush’s appointment of Clarence Thomas • Bill Clinton’s line-item veto of some congressionally authorized funds to the states • Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase • Woodrow Wilson signing of the Treaty of Versailles 30

41. Which of the following statements about motion for cloture is true? • They force a bill out of committee • They are applied to bills that failed in previous sessions of Congress • They are applied only to appropriation bills • They are used by senators to end a filibuster and bring a bill to vote 30

42. The difference between an appellate court and district court is that an appellate court • Conducts trials by jury • Has original jurisdiction • Reviews previous court decision • Hear civil cases but not criminal cases 30

43. The role Congress plays in ensuring that executive branch agencies are carrying out their legislated responsibilities • Judicial review • Legislative oversight • Bicameralism • Federalism 30

44. Participant Leaders

45. What percentage of your current points would you like to wager on the next question? • 0% • 25% • 50% • 75% • 100%

46. The Constitution states that all revenue bills must originate in • A White House budget resolution • The Congressional Budget Office • The United States Senate • The United States House of Representatives 30

47. Nominations to the Supreme Court must be approved by a • Simple majority in the Senate • Simple majority in both the House of Representatives and Senate • Two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives • Two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate 30

48. Which of the following is true of most federal judges appointed by the president? • They serve ten-year terms • They serve as long as the appointing president stays in power • They serve for life on good behavior unless removed by the president • They serve for life on good behavior unless impeached and convicted by Congress 30

49. Which of the following is true about the pocket veto? • It is used to strike down a provision of a bill that the President finds disagreeable • It may be overridden by a two-thirds vote in Congress • It occurs when the President takes no action on a bill for ten days during which Congress is adjourned • It is used when both houses of Congress pass separate versions of the same bill 30

50. Of the following, which is the most powerful figure in Congress? • The Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee • The Speaker of the House • The Minority Whip of the Senate • The Majority Whip of the House 30