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Unit 2

2.17 MC Answers and Review

5 min read•june 18, 2024

AP US Government 👩🏾‍⚖️

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Answers and Review for Multiple Choice Practice on Interactions Among Branches of Government

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⛔STOP ⛔ Before you look at the answers make sure you gave this practice quiz a try so you can assess your understanding of the concepts covered in Unit 2. Click here for the practice questions: AP US Gov Unit 2 Multiple Choice Questions.

Facts about the test: The AP US Government exam has 55 multiple-choice questions and you will be given 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete the section. That means it should take you around 22 minutes to complete 15 questions.

The following questions were not written by CollegeBoard and although they cover information outlined in the AP US Government Course and Exam Description the formatting on the exam may be different.

1. A major power of the Rules Committee in the House of Representatives is to:

A. Calendar bills after they have been passed out of committee

B. Select the members of each House committee

C. Introduce all revenue and taxation bills

D. Allocate funding to cover the budget set forth in each bill

Explanation: Setting the legislative calendar, in addition to setting time limits and rules for debate, is a major power of the Rules Committee over the legislative process.

📄 Study Unit 2.2: Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress

2. What is the fate of most bills introduced in Congress?

A. They die in Congressional committees

B. They are filibustered in the Senate

C. They are killed by the Rules Committee

D. They pass one chamber but not the other

Explanation: The vast majority of bills are referred to committee but never pass out of committee to the full floor debate. 📄 Study Unit 2.2: Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress

3. What is the role of a Conference Committee?

A. Ensure that the President has the information required before signing a bill

B. Create a compromise bill based on differing House and Senate bills

C. Control which bills are sent to each of the chambers of Congress

D. Allow for discussion between Senators and House Representatives while they are each debating bills

Explanation: A Conference Committee takes similar bills passed by the House and the Senate and works to create a compromise bill that is then sent back to both chambers for final passage 🎥 Watch: Bill to Law Process

4. Who is responsible for drawing House districts every ten years?

A. House Rules Committee

B. Federal Election Commission

C. State legislatures

D. The Census Bureau

Explanation: Each state legislature has the power to draw its own Congressional districts, often resulting in gerrymandering.

📄 Study Unit 2.1: Congress

5. Of these individuals, who has the most power in Congress?

A. House Minority Leader

B. Appropriations Committee Chairperson

C. Senate Majority Whip

D. Speaker of the House

Explanation: The Speaker of the House, through his/her role on the Rules Committee, has a great deal of power in the legislative process. 📄 Study Unit 2.2: Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress

6. Which committee would be responsible for first considering a bill to increase payroll taxes to support Social Security?

A. Senate Finance Committee

B. House Ways and Means Committee

C. House Appropriations Committee

D. Senate Appropriations Committee

Explanation: All tax laws must be initiated in the House of Representatives, and come through the House Ways and Means Committee. 📄 Study Unit 2.2: Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress

7. Which of the following is not an action President have taken to expand power without requiring Congressional approval?

A. Executive Orders

B. Executive Agreements

C. Executive Filibusters

D. Signing Statements

Explanation: Executive Orders, Executive Agreements, and Signing Statements are all ways presidents have expanded their power to avoid Congress. There is no such thing as an Executive Filibuster. 📄 Study Unit 2.4: Roles and Powers of the President

8. According to the War Powers Resolution, how long does the President have to notify Congress after taking military action?

A. 24 hours

B. 48 hours

C. 30 days

D. 60 days

Explanation: The President must notify Congress within 48 hours of taking military action, and troops must be brought back after 60 days if Congress has not approved of their use.

🎥 Watch: Checks on Presidential Power

9. Which of the following do NOT need to be approved by Congress after being appointed by the President?

A. White House Staff

B. Cabinet Secretaries

C. Supreme Court Justices

D. Ambassadors

Explanation: Members of the White House Staff are appointed at the will of the President and do not require Congressional approval.

📄 Study Unit 2.5: Checks on the President.

10. Which of the following is NOT a part of an iron triangle?

A. Media Organization

B. Bureaucratic Agency

C. Congressional Committee

D. Interest Group

Explanation: Iron triangles are composed of Congressional committees, bureaucratic agencies, and interest groups. The media would be a part of a broader issue network.

🎥 Watch: Interaction Among Branches

11. How can Congress check the power of a bureaucratic agency?

A. Control the agency's budget

B. Select the director of an agency

C. Change the length of an agency head's term of office

D. Fire an agency head without just cause

Explanation: One of the strongest checks on the bureaucracy is Congress' power of the purse, which allows it to control agency budgets.

📄 Study Unit 2.2: Structures, Powers, and Functions of Congress

12. Which Latin term refers to precedent, and often guides the Supreme Court's decision-making?

A. Writ of Certiorari

B. Writ of Mandamus

C. Habeas Corpus

D. Stare decisis

Explanation: The Supreme Court often looks to stare decisis - or precedent - when making decisions, though it can reverse stare decisis if it chooses to do so.

📄 Study Unit 2.9: Legitimacy of the Judicial Branch

13. The Supreme Court can use judicial review to overrule all of the following EXCEPT:

A. State Laws

B. Acts of Congress

C. The Bill of Rights

D. Executive Orders

Explanation: The Supreme Court can judge laws and actions unconstitutional, but since the Bill of Rights is part of the Constitution, it is not subject to judicial review.

📄 Study Unit 2.8: The Judicial Branch

14. Which case established the concept of judicial review?

A. Marbury v. Madison

B. McCulloch v. Maryland

C. Gibbons v. Ogden

D. Schenck v. US

Explanation: Judicial Review was established by Marbury v. Madison, decided under Chief Justice John Marshall.

🎥 Watch: Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland, and US v. Lopez

15. When the TSA decides that shoes must be removed during airport security screening, which bureaucratic power are they using?

A. Oversight

B. Independent Expenditure

C. Administrative Adjudication