AP Chapters 17-21 Test

1. Politicians are most likely to support programs

whose costs are

a. accurately estimated.
b. remote in time.
c. immediate.
d. borne by everybody.
e. large.
2. A high rate of crime can be categorized as
a. a widely distributed cost.
b. a narrowly concentrated cost.
c. a widely distributed benefit.
d. a narrowly concentrated benefit.
e. none of the above.
3. An example of client politics is
a. social welfare.
b. labor legislation.
c. a dairy subsidy.
d. antitrust legislation.
e. none of the above.
4. An example of pork-barrel politics occurs when

Congress
chooses committee chairmanships on the basis
of seniority.
b. enacts election laws that favor incumbents.
c. passes laws that distribute benefits and costs to
the great majority of the people.
d. enacts a program that benefits a single
members district.
e. enacts a program that benefits a group of
senators but not the entire Senate.
a.

5. The process by which legislation can be enacted

only for projects (such as new dams or irrigation

systems) affecting several congressional districts is
called
a. entrepreneurial politics.
b. social welfare.
c. economic rationality.
d. legislative courtesy.
e. logrolling.
6. The health of the American economy creates
a. majoritarian politics.
b. interest group politics.
c. client politics.
d. entrepreneurial politics.
e. egalitarian politics.

7. The pocketbook issue tends to preoccupy

politicians most
early in a presidential term.
toward the end of a session of Congress.
when presidential popularity is at its peak.
when the economy is doing poorly.
just before elections.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

8. The text suggests that economics played a major

role in the defeat of

Gerald Ford in 1976.
George H. W. Bush in 1992.
Jimmy Carter in 1980.
all of the above.
none of the above.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

9. In Lochner v. New York, the Supreme Court

famously struck down a law that limited the

number of hours that may be worked by
a. baseball players.
b. coal miners.
c. police officers.
d. bakers.
e. milk delivery workers.
10. If a tax is progressive,
a. the wealthiest individuals pay the lowest rate.
b. the wealthiest individuals pay the highest rate.
c. every taxpayer pays the same rate.
d. rates are lower at the lowest and highest income
e.

brackets.
rates are the highest for the middle class.

11. An example of a welfare policy in which most or

all people benefit is

Aid to Families with Dependent Children
(AFDC).
b. Social Security.
c. SNAP (food stamps).
d. Medicaid.
e. C and D
a.

12. An example of a welfare policy that helps only a

small number of people is

Aid to Families with Dependent Children
(AFDC).
b. Social Security.
c. SNAP (food stamps).
d. Medicaid.
e. A, C, and D
a.

13. Means tests place specific focus on

a. employment.
b. education.
c. income level.
d. age
e. A and B.

e.

and nearly everyone pays are characterized by

neo-institutional politics.
minoritarian politics.
client politics.
concurrency politics.
majoritarian politics.

15. Which of the following makes U.S. welfare policy

different from that of most European democracies?

Americans have tended to insist that welfare
benefits be particularized and take the form of
cash payments.
b. Americans have been quicker than other
countries to adopt many components of the
welfare state.
c. Americans have insisted that the federal
government play a large role in running welfare
programs.
d. Americans have tended to favor aid in the form
of money over aid in the form of services.
e. Americans have generally taken a more
restrictive view of who is entitled to receive
government assistance.
a.

16. In America, we have insisted that _______ play(s) a

large role in running welfare programs.

the states
the private sector
the U.S. Senate
the federal judiciary
county boards

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

17. The 1996 law that abolished the Aid to Families

with Dependent Children program contained a

provision directing that
a. religious nonprofit organizations be permitted to
compete for grants with which to administer
federal welfare-to-work and related policies.
b. former AFDC recipients be exempt from the
general qualifications of TANF.
c. government employees be given special
consideration in requests for social services.
d. large corporations be allowed to contribute to
social welfare programs directly through tax

Which president called for an

expanded role for religious organizations in
administering federal social programs?
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Ronald Reagan
Richard Nixon
John F. Kennedy
18.

14. Welfare policies in which nearly everyone benefits

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

incentives.
members of Congress be allowed individually to
audit all existing programs in accordance with
federal laws.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

19. Which of the following replaced the old AFDC?

a. Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance

(OASDI)
Medicare
Unemployment insurance
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF)
e. Supplemental Security Insurance
b.
c.
d.

20. All of the following involve a means test except

a. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
b. Supplemental Security Income.
c. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
d. Medicaid.
e. Medicare.
21. The impetus for the creation of various welfare

programs in the United States came from

the labor movement of the 1890s.
the progressive movement that began in 1908.
ordinary politics, as in France.
ordinary politics, as in Great Britain.
the Great Depression of the early 1930s.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

22. Concerning the provision of welfare benefits by the

federal government, the U.S. Constitution

was clear in requiring them.
specifically permitted them but did not make
them mandatory.
c. was unclear until the Fourteenth Amendment
was added.
d. was silent.
e. was unclear until the Fifteenth Amendment was
added.
a.
b.

23. The passage of the Medicare bill was made possible

by
a.
b.

a marked shift in public opinion.

the strong support of the American Medical

Association (AMA).
the watering down of the bill to remove the
more controversial provisions.
d. a Democratic landslide in the 1964 elections.
e. a shift in voting patterns on the United States
Supreme Court.
c.

24. The Medicare Act was signed into law by

a. Franklin Roosevelt.
b. Lyndon Johnson.
c. John F. Kennedy.
d. Woodrow Wilson.
e. none of the above.
25. Medicaid differs from Medicare in that it provides
a. medical assistance to the aged.
b. medical assistance to the general public.
c. medical assistance to the poor.
d. catastrophic medical coverage.
e. catastrophic medical coverage to veterans.
26. Presently, workers and employers pay Social

Security tax payments on the first _______ of

wages.
a. $20,000
b. $50,000
c. $75,500
d. $97,500
e. $100,500
27. A commission recommended ____________ to

President Bush, but Democrats in Congress resisted

the proposal.
a. raising the retirement age
b. reducing benefits
c. raising payroll taxes
d. letting individuals invest in Social Security
e. having the government invest in Social Security
28. Among the guiding principles of Barack Obamas

health care policy proposals was the desire to end

a. federal funding of abortion.
b. coverage for seniors making over $100,000 a
year.
c. outpatient surgery for minor injuries.
d. barriers to coverage for people with preexisting
conditions.
e. All of the above.
29. Republicans have generally favored the notion of

_______ for parents of children in public schools.

fellowships
assistantships

a.
b.

c.
d.
e.

stipends
scholarships
vouchers
30. For welfare politics to be client politics, what must
be true?
a. The bureaucracy must accept the norms of
policy statements.
b. Political elites must personally benefit.
c. The public must perceive the costs to be low.
d. Beneficiaries must be poor.
e. Relatively few people must benefit, but
everybody must pay.
31. Washingtons provision of assistance to U.S.

corporations doing business abroad is an example

of _____ politics.
a. majoritarian
b. client
c. interest group
d. entrepreneurial
e. neo-institutional
32. The president usually takes the leading role on

foreign policy issues that are matters of

majoritarian politics.
interest group politics.
entrepreneurial politics.
client politics.
neo-institutional politics.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

33. The constitutional power to appoint ambassadors

and to negotiate treaties is vested in the

State Department.
Senate.
president.
Congress.
House.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

34. The constitutional power to declare war and to

regulate commerce with other nations is vested in

the State Department.
the Senate.
the president.
the Pentagon.
Congress.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

35. Since 1789, the Senate has ratified some _______

treaties. Presidents during this time have signed

about _______ executive agreements without
Senate approval.
a. one hundred; seven hundred
b. seven hundred; one hundred

c.
d.
e.

one thousand; seven thousand

seven thousand; one thousand
one hundred; twenty thousand

36. Which of the following statements about the

presidents power in foreign affairs it true?

It is greater than that of leaders of other nations.
It has rarely caused great controversy or
political debate.
c. It is probably less than the Framers intended.
d. It is strictly limited by the federal court system.
e. It is greater than his or her power over domestic
affairs.
a.
b.

37. Which president sent troops to overthrow a pro-

Castro regime in Grenada?

a. John F. Kennedy
b. Ronald Reagan
c. George H. W. Bush
d. Bill Clinton
e. George W. Bush

crisis.
Bushs inability to recruit congressional support
for Operation Desert Storm.
c. Wilsons inability to lead the United States into
the League of Nations.
d. Kennedys unwillingness to commit troops in
Vietnam.
e. Johnsons unwillingness to commit troops in
Vietnam.
b.

42. we signs a treaty with another nation, he or she is

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

38. Which president ordered a U.S. invasion of Panama

to depose the dictator Manuel Noriega?

John F. Kennedy
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

39. Which president attacked Serbian forces with cruise

missiles and bombs?

John F. Kennedy
Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

40. Compared with that of the leaders of other nations,

the ability of a U.S. president to act decisively

during times of foreign crisis is generally
a. more limited.
b. less limited.
c. about as limited.
d. more constrained by the courts, less constrained
by the legislature.
e. more constrained by both the courts and the
legislature.
41. An example of the relative weakness of U.S.

presidents in foreign affairs, compared with that of

leaders of other nations, was
a. Reagans indecisiveness during the Grenada

issuing
his or her personal guarantee that the United
States will act in a prescribed fashion.
a legal mandate that has been approved by both
the courts.
a congressional promise that the United States
will act in a prescribed fashion.
a legal mandate that has been approved by
Congress.
his or her promise to try to get the Senate to go
along.

43. When legal challenges were brought in regard to

the executive order that Japanese Americans on the

West Coast be sent to relocation camps,
a. the courts refused to entertain the cases.
b. district courts struck down the relocations, but
they were upheld on appeal.
c. district courts declared the relocations
unconstitutional.
d. the U.S. Supreme Court declared the relocations
constitutional.
e. the U.S. Supreme Court declared the relocations
unconstitutional.
44. Which of the following is a tool that Congress has

used to limit presidential action in foreign affairs?

Log roll
Legislative veto
Line item veto
Earmark
Markups

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

45. The War Powers Act of 1973 requires that

a. Congress not interfere with the presidents role

as commander in chief.
the president not spend money for military
engagements without the prior approval of
Congress.
c. troops be committed for only sixty days without
a formal declaration of war.
b.

d.

Congress declare war whenever the president

sends troops into a conflict.
e. troops be removed from conflicts within 120
days of the beginning of an operation.
46. The text suggests that the War Powers Act of 1973

has had ________ influence on American military

actions.
a. tremendous
b. noticeable
c. positive
d. negative
e. very little
47. The text suggests the War Powers Act is

politically all but impossible to use because

a. Congress often lacks the will to oppose the
president.
b. the president can bypass Congress in order to
fund military operations.
c. most presidents can accomplish all of their
goals before reporting deadlines.
d. the Supreme Court has struck down the
legislative veto.
e. members of the Senate are usually doves.
48. Studies of how casualty rates affect public opinion

show that as death rates rise, people

a. develop more favorable attitudes toward the
war.
b. support withdrawal from the war.
c. support surrender.
d. support escalation in the fighting to defeat the
enemy more quickly.
e. support withdrawal after a series of powerful
strikes.
49. Which of the following groups of people turned

most strongly against the Vietnam War as it

progressed?
a. Working-class people
b. Members of minority groups
c. College-educated people who regularly read
several periodicals
d. People of low status generally, especially those
who had little contact with elite media
e. Individuals in large metropolitan areas with
blue-collar occupations
50. The American public and foreign policy leaders are

most divided on the issue of

expanding economic aid to other countries.

a.

b.

taking the side of Israel in conflicts with

Palestinians.
c. combating international terrorism.
d. supporting U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
e. protecting the jobs of American workers.
51. Compared with European countries, environmental

policy making in the United States tends to be

more regional.
less centralized.
more adversarial.
less client centered.
more uniform.

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

52. Which of the following is a correct pairing of one

style of politics and an example of this style applied

to environmental policy making?
a. Majoritarian politics: timber cutting on federal
lands
b. Client politics: acid rain
c. Entrepreneurial politics: global warming
d. Interest group politics: agricultural pesticides
e. Reciprocal politics: protection of the spotted
owl
53. If the benefits of increased gasoline taxes include

cleaner air and a reduction of oil consumption, the

average citizen will
a. still not support an increase in gasoline taxes.
b. support an increase in gasoline taxes if the
increase is less than ten cents a gallon.
c. support an increase in gasoline taxes if the
increase is less than twenty cents a gallon.
d. support an increase in gasoline taxes if the
increase is less than thirty cents a gallon.
e. support an increase in gasoline taxes regardless
of its size.
54. The law that included the compromise reached by

Congress and the George H. W. Bush

administration over acid rain was the
a. National Environmental Policy Act of 1989.
b. Water Quality Improvement Act of 1991.
c. Clean Air Act of 1990.
d. Environmental Omnibus Act of 1989.
e. Protective Shield Act of 1988.
55. Which of the following statements about the efforts

of policy entrepreneurs to restrict the use of

agricultural pesticides is true?
a. Farmers have effectively resisted such efforts.
b. These entrepreneurs have been largely

successful.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
has consistently sided with farmers.
d. Volunteer compliance by farmers has replaced
the need for legislation.
e. None of the above
c.

56. Assume that Congress orders the Department of the

Interior to sell gold mined on federal lands at

below-market prices, thereby subsidizing the
precious-metals industry. Such a program would
best illustrate
a. entrepreneurial politics.
b. client politics.
c. majoritarian politics.
d. interest group politics.
e. reciprocal politics.
57. The rules and regulations typically used by the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to achieve

its environmental policy goals are part of its
a. command-and-control strategy.
b. incentive programs.
c. environmental impact statements (EIS).
d. clear-cutting policy.
e. regulatory-expansion statutes.
58. Which of the following is not cited as a reason for

the apparent failure of the Superfund?

Finding and suing the responsible parties were
very difficult.
b. Cleaning up a site is a complicated and timeconsuming task.
c. Environmental lobbyists insisted that the list of
sites be increased but not necessarily assigned
priorities.
d. Lawyers representing major corporations
effectively blocked suits.
e. There was rapid turnover in EPA Superfund
managers.
a.

59. The text suggests the congressional deadline

regarding the complete elimination of water

pollutants was
a. politically wise.
b. sound.
c. clearly feasible.
d. utterly unrealistic.
e. unconstitutional.

60. An Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

incentive that allows a company higher levels of

pollution in one of its plants in exchange for lower
levels of pollution in another of its plants is called

a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

a pollution allowance, or bank.

an offset.
an allowance.
a bubble.
none of the above.

AP Chapters 17-21 Test

Answer Section
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.

B
A
C
D
E
A
E
D
D
B
B
E
C
E
E
A
A
B
D
E
E
D
D
B
C
D
D
D
E
E
B
A
C
E
C
E
B
C
D
A
C
E
D
B
C

46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.

E
A
D
C
A
C
C
A
C
A
B
A
D
D
B