AP Government ReviewUnit 2: Political Behavior

Chapters: “American Political Culture”, “Public Opinion”, “Participation”

Sample Questions

All of the following are important elements in the American View of the political system EXCEPTa) Americans believe they should be able to do

pretty much as they pleaseb) Americans think government officials should

be accountable to the peoplec) Americans believe that individuals are

responsible for their own actionsd) Americans believe that government should try

to equalize the property and living conditions of citizens

e) Americans feel people ought to help out in their communities

Sample Questions

One core American attitude about the economic system is

A) A widely held commitment to individualism and personal responsibility

B) The belief that social welfare policies should be expanded

C) The belief that women and minorities should have preferential treatment in hiring

D) A commitment to help all citizens, whether or not they are truly in need

E) The belief that wages should be based on economic need, as well as hard work

Sample Questions

In comparison with most other nationsA) Americans have less confidence in public and

private institutionsB) Americans gave less confidence in private

institutions and more confidence in public institutions

C) Americans have more confidence in public and private institutions

D) Americans have less confidence in public institutions and more confidence in private institutions

E) This is impossible to measure due to diversity of views that Americans hold

Sample Questions

All of the following are true about religion in America EXCEPTA) Americans are more likely than Europeans

to believe in a higher powerB) Religiosity has increased in the past two

decadesC) Religious people donate over three times as

much money to charity as secular peopleD) Religious people are less likely than secular

people to donate to nonreligious charitiesE) Americans are more likely than Europeans

to pray everyday

Sample Questions

Which of the following is NOT a major source of cultural disagreement in America?A) AbortionB) Legal rights of homosexualsC) Legalization or

decriminalization of drugsD) Federal funding for the artsE) Socialism and communism

Sample Questions

Which of the following statements best describes the trend in Americans’ trust in government?A) Americans have had a high level of trust in the

government officials since World War IIB) Americans now trust government officials more

than they did during the 1950sC) Beginning with the Watergate scandal, there

has been a steady decline in Americans’ trust in government officials

D) Americans’ trust in government officials has declined at a fairly steady rate since the 1950s

E) Americans’ trust in government officials drops in wartime and rises in peacetime

Sample Questions

All of the following are true about political tolerance in America EXCEPTA) Americans are more tolerant of members of

different religious groups than they are of atheists

B) Lawyers and judges are more tolerant of specific political activities than most citizens are

C) Americans are willing to allow many people with whom they disagree to participate in the political process

D) Americans have become more tolerant over the years

E) Americans will support liberties for all groups both in theory and in practice

Sample Questions

Which of the following statements best describes the gender gap?A) Women are more likely than men to vote

for a female candidateB) Women are more likely than men to vote

for a Democratic presidential candidateC) Men are more likely than women to vote

for a Democratic presidential candidateD) Women change their ideologies more than

men do when they marryE) Unmarried men are more likely to vote for

a female candidate than married men

Sample Questions

What is the effect of social class on political attitudes?A) In the U.S., there is little correlation

between social class and voting patternsB) People who run their own businesses tend

to vote more as independents because they think more ideologically

C) There is a growing gap between the voting pattern of the upper and lower classes

D) Working class people tend to describe themselves as liberal

E) Professionals tend to be socially conservative and support Republicans

Sample Questions

Which of the following voters will most likely prefer a Republican candidate?A) A black woman with a college degree

and high incomeB) A middle-class Asian man who belongs

to a labor unionC) A southern white male business ownerD) An Hispanic employee of the federal

governmentE) A white “soccer mom” who lives in the

suburbs

Sample Questions

A Conservative would support which of the following measures?

I. Less government regulation of the economy

II. Affirmative Action programs for underrepresented groups

III. Increased spending on social programs such as welfare

IV. The death penalty

Sample Questions

All of the following are characteristics of an accurate random sample EXCEPTA) The questions must be asked in clear,

unemotional languageB) People must have some knowledge of the

things they are asked aboutC) The sample must include at least 10

percent of the populationD) Each person must have an equal change

of being interviewedE) Even the most accurate polls have some

sampling error

Sample Questions

Which of the following serve as checks on public opinion?

I. FederalismII. House of RepresentativesIII. An independent judiciaryIV. Separation of powers

Sample Questions

Which of the following has the greatest impact on political socialization?A) PeersB) The MediaC) The communityD) ParentsE) College professors

Sample Questions

All of the following are true about political elites EXCEPTA) They are more likely to be

activistsB) They are better informed about

politics than the general publicC) They tend to associate with

people that agree with themD) They tend to be ideologically

consistentE) They tend to have moderate

beliefs

Sample Questions

Which of the following is the best explanation for low voting turnout?A) More than half of all Americans are

apathetic toward politicsB) Mail-in ballots are difficult to obtainC) Most potential voters do not identify with

a political partyD) The burden of registering falls on the

individualE) It is difficult for many voters to get

enough information about the candidates to vote with confidence

Sample Questions

All of the following were used to keep blacks from voting EXCEPTA) SegregationB) Literacy testsC) Poll taxesD) Grandfather clausesE) Intimidation and threats

Sample Questions

Which of the following citizens is most likely to vote?A) A 65-year old African American high

school graduateB) A 35-year old white college educated

womanC) A 70-year old white college professorD) A 40-year old Hispanic with an

Associate’s degreeE) An 18-year old African American just

starting college

Sample Questions

What is the impact on religion on political participation?

A) Religious people are less likely to voteB) Religious people are more likely to give money

to charities, but less likely to voteC) Being active in a religious organization

increases the likelihood of charitable volunteer work as well as voting

D) Being active in religious organizations increases participation in nonpolitical activities but does not increase the likelihood of voting

E) Religion has no measurable impact on the likelihood of voting

Sample Questions

How do the number and frequency of elections in the United States differ from those in most other countries?A) The U.S. holds fewer elections because the

President is only elected every 4 yearsB) The U.S. holds more elections because of the

federal systemC) The U.S. holds more elections but they are

less frequent occurring every 2 yearsD) The U.S. holds about the same amount of

elections as most other countriesE) Most countries elect officials every year, which

is more frequent than elections in the U.S.

Key Vocabulary

Civic Duty Civil Society Culture War Political Culture Political Ideology Political Subculture Social Capital Work Ethic Conservative

Key Vocubulary

Liberal Moderate Political Cleavages Political Elite Political Ideology Political Socialization Public Opinion Activist Fifteenth Amendment

Key Vocabulary

Grandfather Clause Literacy Test Motor-Voter Law Nineteenth Amendment Participation (Conventional and

Unconventional) Poll Tax Registered Voters 26th Amendment Voting Rights Act of 1965