AP U.S. Government and Politics Unit 2 – Interactions Among Branches of Government Practice Test

“And the closer the 2006 midterm elections got, the more nervous congressional Republicans could be expected to get. Republican leaders in the House of Representatives sought to have the Senate move first, not wanting to have their members go out on a limb with a series of potentially costly party-line roll call votes that would have no policy payoff if Republicans in the Senate decided not to move a bill because they did not have the votes needed to pass it.”

— Martin A. Levin, et. al, Building Coalitions, Making Policy: The Politics of the Clinton, Bush & Obama Presidencies, 2012

How might term-length differences have contributed to the lack of support from House Republicans?

In 1963, Congress passed the Clean Air Act, which sets limits on air pollution on a national level. In response, the Environmental Protection Agency set standards to limit carbon dioxide emissions from new power plants in the United States.

The action taken by the Environmental Protection Agency is an example of which of the following?

“There is no position which depends on clearer principles, than that every act of a delegated authority, contrary to the tenor of the commission under which it is exercised, is void. No legislative act, therefore, contrary to the Constitution, can be valid.”

— Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 78, “The Judiciary Department,” 1788

Which of the following statements best summarizes Hamilton’s argument?

Which of the following statements best explains the impact the necessary and proper clause has had on congressional power?

Which of the following scenarios would be considered logrolling?

Which of the following is an accurate comparison of the roles of President of the Senate and Speaker of the House?

The Republican Party in the House of Representatives has recently proposed a new tax bill that would cut corporate taxes for the top 1% of Americans. Representative Ron Swanson, a libertarian, has decided to vote for the bill even though a recent poll of his district shows that 56% of his constituents do not support the new tax bill.

Which model of representation do his actions embody?

Which statement accurately summarizes the impact of the Shaw v. Reno (1993) decision?

Which of the following statements describes a consideration presidents face when deciding whether or not to issue a veto?

Which of the following scenarios would be considered a constitutional use of executive power?

Appointments to the White House staff are often uncontested for which of the following reasons?

Which of the following statements best explains a limit to the Court’s powers over bureaucratic agencies?

“Anti-Third Term Principle,” by Clifford K. Berryman, 1912. The cartoon depicts Theodore Roosevelt, left, and George Washington, right. Source: National Archives

Which of the following Constitutional Amendments is most relevant to the topic of the cartoon?

Which of the following statements explains how Congress can use its power of the purse to restrict presidential power?

Examine the graph and answer the question below.

Source: The American Presidency Project

Which of the following best describes a trend in the line graph above?

Under Chief Justice Warren, the Supreme Court established several precedents which drew criticism for interfering with state powers and the powers of the other branches.

Which of the following actions may the president take to change how the Supreme Court rules on similar cases in the future?

Which of the following statements best explains how judicial activism influences decisions made by individual justices when deciding cases heard by the Court?

After a hard-fought election, President Greene appoints a major campaign donor as ambassador to Greece.

This is an example of which of the following concepts?

The Federal Election Commission enforces federal election laws. However, they have not filled an open position in four years, preventing the commission from enforcing laws. In response, the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration calls a hearing and subpoenas the members of the Federal Election Committee to testify.

Which of the following statements best explains the reason the Senate committee called this hearing?

Which of the following best explains how the president can limit the Court’s power by appointing a new Supreme Court justice?