Unit 2 Interactions Among Branches of Government Practice Test

Last Updated on April 4, 2025

AP Government and Politics Exam: Unit 2 Interactions Among Branches of Government (1. The Legislative Branch 2. The Executive Branch and the Bureaucracy 3. The National Judiciary) Practice Test 2025.

Unit 2 covers three essential areas, all of which are crucial to understanding how the different branches of government work together:

The Legislative Branch: Roll up your sleeves and delve into the ins and outs of Congress, where laws are made and the magic happens!
The Executive Branch and the Bureaucracy: Get ready to scrutinize the power players, including the President and the vast bureaucratic machine that keeps government gears turning.
The National Judiciary: Last but not least, immerse yourself in the world of the Supreme Court and the entire federal court system, where justice is served and the Constitution reigns supreme.

Unit 2 Interactions Among Branches of Government

This riveting practice test features 30 mind-stimulating items in Section 1, all presented as multiple-choice questions. You’ll tackle a wide range of topics, from the nuances of lawmaking to the subtleties of executive authority and from the impact of landmark court cases to the ever-evolving landscape of checks and balances.

Unit 2 - Practice Test

Unit 2 AP Government and Politics Practice Test

AP Government and Politics Practice Test
Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government
(1. The Legislative Branch
2. The Executive Branch and the Bureaucracy
3. The National Judiciary)
Total Items: 40
Section: 1 - Multiple Choice
Time Limit: N/A

1 / 40

The judicial philosophy that advocates the courts’ active role in policymaking is called

(A) strict constructionist

(B) judicial activism

(D) judicial restraint

2 / 40

Which court was first known for narrowing the rights of defendants?

(A) Warren Court

(B) Rehnquist Court

(D) New Deal Court

3 / 40

The majority opinion, issued by the Supreme Court as the final decision of a case, becomes the standard or guide that will be followed in deciding similar cases in the future. This standard or guide is known as a

(A) precedent

(B) brief

(D) decision

4 / 40

Which term best describes the Supreme Court’s issuance of an order directing a lower court to send up its record for review?

(A) certificate

(B) rule of four

(D) writ of certiorari

5 / 40

Who was the first president to appoint an African American to the Supreme Court?

(A) Richard Nixon

(B) Lyndon Johnson

(D) John Kennedy

6 / 40

Which of the following has little bearing when the president makes an appointment to the Supreme Court?

(A) party affiliation

(B) judicial philosophy

(D) “litmus test”

7 / 40

Which of the following best describes the formal qualifications for a federal judge?

(A) They serve “during good behavior.”

(B) The president appoints them with the approval of the House of Representatives

(D) They serve at the discretion of the Congress.

8 / 40

When making an appointment to the Supreme Court, presidents

remain impartial by refusing candidate endorsements from members of the Supreme Court

often select a candidate who is neither decidedly liberal or conservative

tend to ignore race as a consideration for selecting a judge

end to choose judges from their own political party

9 / 40

Federal courts created by Congress under Article III of the Constitution include the Supreme Court, district courts, the Courts of Appeals, Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, and the U.S. Court of International Trade. These courts can best be described as

(A) legislative courts

(B) territorial courts

(D) original courts

10 / 40

Under the guidelines of the Constitution, which of the following is NOT within the jurisdiction of the federal courts?

(A) cases involving federal law

(B) cases involving interpretation of state constitutions

(D) treaties

11 / 40

Which power is used by the president for enforcing federal law?

(A) general executive power

(B) veto power

(D) patronage

12 / 40

Which of the following was NOT an original cabinet position?

(A) secretary of state

(B) secretary of war

(D) secretary of the interior

13 / 40

Members of the president’s cabinet are usually individuals of great ability but little or no political power. Which of the following best describes this statement?

(A) The Senate must approve all appointments made by the president.

(B) The primary functions of cabinet members are to effectively run a department of government and advise the president.

(D) Cabinet members serve as an informal advisory body.

14 / 40

Which of the following is NOT considered to be a part of the Executive Office of the President?

(A) National Security Council

(B) White House Office

(D) Office of Personnel Management

15 / 40

If the president becomes disabled and cannot perform his duties, how may the vice president take over the office of the president?

(A) The president may write a letter to the chief justice of the Supreme Court stating his inability to perform the duties of office.

(B) Congress removes the president.

(D) The vice president and a majority of the cabinet may inform Congress of the president’s disability

16 / 40

The president decides to send American troops into Syria to help in the fight against ISIS. This is an example of which of the president’s powers?

(A) powers as party leader

(B) power as commander-in-chief

(D) power to “faithfully execute the law”

17 / 40

When the Founding Fathers finally decided on the length of the presidential term of office, they established a term

(A) of 8 years

(B) of 4 years

(D) that could not be renewed after 4 years

18 / 40

Which of the following amendments provides for presidential succession and disability?

(A) Twenty-Second

(B) Twentieth

(D) Twenty-Third

19 / 40

The office of the president of the United States can best be described as an office

(A) of great responsibility and function

(B) created as a mere ceremonial head of state

(D) untouched by the power and experience of the person holding it

20 / 40

Which of the following is NOT considered to be a contributing factor to the incumbency effect?

(A) name recognition

(B) voting record

(D) experience in campaigning

21 / 40

Which legislative tactic is most effectively used only in the Senate?

(A) filibustering

(B) logrolling

(D) riders

22 / 40

After a presidential veto of a bill, Congress may

(A) sign the bill, and it becomes law

(B) override the bill if one house of Congress approves it

(D) pocket veto the bill, thereby allowing it to become law without the president’s signature.

23 / 40

Which of the following is NOT a step that a proposed bill would encounter on its journey through Congress?

(A) The bill is debated.

(B) The bill is voted on, at which time it may pass or be defeated.

(D) The bill is introduced by a president or by a member of the executive branch.

24 / 40

Which of the following best describes a nonlegislative power of Congress?

(A) power to declare war

(B) power to tax

(D) power to regulate commerce

25 / 40

Which of the following is NOT true of members of Congress?

(A) Members of Congress act as policymakers and make public policy through the passage of legislation.

(B) Members of Congress are constituent servants.

(D) After listening to constituents, members vote based on the opinions of those constituents; that is, they become the trustee of the constituent.

26 / 40

Temporary committees appointed for the specific purpose of investigating a particular issue are called

(A) joint committees

(B) select committees

(D) investigating committees

27 / 40

Which of the following is true about the officers of the House of Representatives?

(A) It is the responsibility of the party whip to keep track of vote counts and pressure members to vote with the party.

(B) The presiding officer is the majority leader.

(D) The major duty of the majority leader is to assign bills to committee.

28 / 40

Which of the following is NOT true of the Congress?

(A) Each house determines its own leadership and rules.

(B) Terms of Congress last for two years.

(D) Only the president may call special sessions of Congress.

29 / 40

After a national census has been taken, changes in population distribution cause the changing of congressional seats among the states. This effect is commonly called

(A) congressional districting

(B) apportionment

(D) reapportionment

30 / 40

Prohibited powers are powers that are denied to both the national and state governments. These denied powers are found in

(A) Article I, Section 8

(B) Article I, Sections 9 and 10

(D) Article I, Section 8, Clause 18

31 / 40