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AP US Government and Politics Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government

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Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government

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Question 1

The Constitution's impeachment process requires the House to impeach (bring charges) and the Senate to try and convict. For a president to be removed from office, the Senate must convict by:

A.A simple majority of senators present and votingB.A two-thirds supermajority of senators presentC.A unanimous vote, since removal of a president is a political act requiring national consensusD.Three-fourths of all senators, the same threshold used for constitutional amendments

Question 2

A president issues an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to prioritize deportation of certain categories of undocumented immigrants. Opponents argue this exceeds presidential authority. Which is the strongest constitutional argument against the order?

A.The order violates the First Amendment by targeting people based on their national origin, which is a form of speechB.Immigration law is a congressional domain; the president may only act consistently with statutes Congress has passed, and cannot create new categories of enforcement priority beyond what law permitsC.Executive orders are only valid when the Senate approves them by majority vote within 30 days of issuanceD.The Tenth Amendment reserves immigration authority exclusively to the states, leaving the federal government no power over deportation

Question 3

The president nominates a candidate for the Supreme Court. Under the Constitution, what must happen before the nominee can take their seat?

A.Both chambers of Congress must approve the nominee by a two-thirds supermajorityB.The Senate must confirm the nominee by a majority voteC.The nominee must be approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee by at least a three-vote marginD.The nominee must pass a public referendum in the state from which they come from

Question 4

The Senate filibuster — the practice of extended debate that prevents a bill from coming to a vote unless 60 senators agree to invoke cloture — is best understood as an example of which concept?

A.A constitutional requirement that major legislation pass by supermajorityB.An internal Senate rule that empowers the minority to block legislation unless a supermajority chooses to proceedC.A presidential power to delay Senate action on legislation the White House opposesD.A House rule requiring committee approval before any floor vote on major legislation

Question 5

Which of the following is an example of Congress exercising its oversight function over the executive branch?

A.Congress passes a bill setting the federal minimum wageB.The Senate Judiciary Committee holds hearings to question the FBI director about an ongoing investigationC.The Supreme Court strikes down a federal agency regulation as exceeding statutory authorityD.The president issues an executive order directing all federal agencies to adopt new cybersecurity standards

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Question 6

A senator argues: 'The president cannot simply impound (refuse to spend) funds Congress has appropriated. Once we pass an appropriations bill, the executive must spend the money as directed.' This argument relies on which constitutional principle?

A.The president's duty to faithfully execute laws includes spending appropriated funds as Congress directsB.The Supremacy Clause requires the executive to follow all statutes regardless of the president's policy preferencesC.The War Powers Resolution prohibits the president from redirecting military appropriations without congressional approvalD.Article I gives Congress sole power to regulate the currency, which includes controlling how federal dollars are spent

Question 7

The Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Nixon (1974) is significant for the separation of powers primarily because it established that:

A.Congress, not the president, controls the release of executive branch documents in criminal proceedingsB.Executive privilege exists but is not absolute, and courts can compel disclosure of presidential communications in a criminal proceedingC.A sitting president cannot be indicted or criminally prosecuted while in officeD.The president has absolute authority over all executive branch records and may withhold any document from both courts and Congress

Question 8

The War Powers Resolution of 1973 was passed over President Nixon's veto primarily to:

A.Prohibit the United States from entering any military alliances without Senate approvalB.Reassert congressional authority over the commitment of U.S. forces abroad by requiring presidential notification and limiting deployments to 60 days without congressional authorizationC.Give Congress the power to declare war by simple majority rather than the two-thirds supermajority previously requiredD.Transfer command of the National Guard from state governors to the president during wartime

Question 9

The graph below shows presidential success rates on congressional votes from 1955 to 2020, broken down by whether the president's party controls Congress.

Presidential success rate when party controls Congress: ~85%
Presidential success rate under divided government: ~55%

Which conclusion is best supported by this data?

A.Presidents have more formal constitutional powers than Congress in all circumstancesB.Partisan alignment between the president and Congress significantly affects the president's practical legislative successC.Under divided government, Congress always overrides presidential vetoes at a high rateD.The president's legislative success rate is entirely determined by the quality of their personal relationships with congressional leaders

Question 10

The federal bureaucracy is often called the 'fourth branch' of government. Which of the following best explains why bureaucratic agencies are difficult for elected officials to fully control?

A.Federal employees are guaranteed lifetime tenure and cannot be removed under any circumstances once hiredB.Career bureaucrats possess specialized expertise and institutional memory that elected officials rely on, giving agencies practical autonomy in implementing policyC.The Constitution explicitly prohibits Congress from legislating on matters that fall within agencies' defined regulatory domainsD.Federal agencies are funded entirely by user fees and are therefore insulated from congressional appropriations control

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Question 11

A newspaper reports that a federal agency has been issuing rules without following the notice-and-comment procedures required by the Administrative Procedure Act. The most appropriate remedy for affected parties would be to:

A.Petition Congress to pass a resolution disapproving the rules under the Congressional Review ActB.File a lawsuit in federal court challenging the rules as procedurally invalid under the Administrative Procedure ActC.Request that the president remove the agency head for violating the APAD.Appeal directly to the Supreme Court, which has original jurisdiction over administrative procedural violations

Question 12

Congress passes a law directing the Environmental Protection Agency to 'issue regulations controlling greenhouse gas emissions as the Administrator deems appropriate.' A manufacturer challenges the resulting regulation as an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power. Which doctrine is the manufacturer most likely invoking?

A.The nondelegation doctrine, which holds that Congress cannot give agencies open-ended legislative authority without an intelligible principle guiding its useB.The vesting clause doctrine, which holds that all executive power is vested solely in the president and cannot be shared with independent agenciesC.The incorporation doctrine, which holds that federal regulations must observe constitutional rights applicable to the statesD.The political question doctrine, which holds that courts cannot review decisions committed to the discretion of political branches

AP US Government and Politics Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government — Free with Answer Explanations | Test Practice Hub