AP GOVERNMENT
UNIT 1 2ND
QUARTER STATE GOVERNMENT
ESSAYS
DIRECTIONS: Answer each of the following essays according to the directions provided. Each essay answer must be typed, 10-12 font with one-inch margins. DO NOT COPY AND PASTE YOUR ANSWERS. NO CREDIT FOR MULTIPLE COPIES OF ESSAYS. DO YOUR OWN WORK! Upload ALL FOUR ESSAYS AS ONE FILE to the appropriate assignment box on Turnitin.com by 11/11/08.
http://legis.state.va.us/Laws/search/Constitution.htm
2.
Give an overview of the Virginia General
Assembly (both Houses) by providing specifics concerning the history,
powers, meeting times and dates, structure, membership, presiding officers and
duties of the clerks. Also explain the Virginia Bill Passage Process by using
your personal or delegate bill to illustrate the specific steps required for
passage in the
http://legis.state.va.us/1_cap_class/just_teachers/jft_ga_unit.html
3. Give an overview of the Virginia Executive branch by providing specifics concerning the qualifications, powers and duties of the major elected (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General) and appointed (Governor’s Cabinet) officials in the executive branch. Use the web links below to help prepare your answer:
http://www.oag.state.va.us/ - Attorney General
http://www.ltgov.virginia.gov/ - Lieutenant Governor
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/VirginiaGovernment/cabinet.cfm - Governor’s Cabinet
http://legis.state.va.us/Laws/search/ConstitutionTOC.htm - Article V - Executive
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/ - Governor
4.
Give an overview of the
http://www.courts.state.va.us/cib/cib.htm
-
http://www.courts.state.va.us/glossary_of_court_terms.html - Glossary of Terms
MULTIPLE CHOICE PRACTICE QUESTIONS FOR UNIT ONE TEST. Approximately
10 – 20 of these questions will appear on the Unit 1 test.
1) Approximately how
many states have governors with strong executive powers?
A) 21 B) 14 C) 33 D) 7 E) 28
2) Except for
A) bicameral legislature.
B) plural executive.
C) governor and lieutenant
governor.
D) supreme court.
E) unicameral legislature.
3) In the 1960s, a
succession of United States Supreme Court decisions required that state
legislative districts be redrawn to
A) give rural areas more clout.
B) follow county lines.
C) give minority parties more
opportunity.
D) ensure the election of more
women to the legislature.
E) adhere to the principle of
"one man, one vote."
4) Which of the
following statements about executive offices other than the governor is FALSE?
A) In some states, it is possible for the two top
executives to be members of different political parties.
B) One governor was afraid to leave his state because of
the lieutenant governor.
C) Eight states don't have a lieutenant governor.
D) Most lieutenant governors have few formal duties.
E) Re-organization of state executive branches has resulted
in cost-savings and efficiency.
5) State courts of
appeals
A) hear only the facts of a case.
B) decide cases using a panel of
three or more judges.
C) are organized on a local basis.
D) use juries in 42 states.
E) have seen their case load
decrease in recent years.
6) Most modern state
legislators are
A) millionaires.
B) very effective and
professional.
C) corrupt.
D) inexperienced.
E) paid on a part-time basis.
7) Gubernatorial
elections tend to be decided based on
A) "hot-button" issues such as abortion.
B) presidential coattails.
C) what voters think about the
candidates.
D) campaign spending.
E) the national economy.
8) The judicial
system in most states is set up
A) as a merit system.
B) as the lowest level of the
federal court system, with the states having little say over structure or
operations.
C) without an appellate level; any
appeals of state trial court decisions go directly to the United States Supreme
Court.
D) in a haphazard fashion, with
trial courts and appellate courts differing county by county, municipality by
municipality.
E) as a hierarchical system under state
control, similar in its organization to the federal court system.
9) The lieutenant
governor
A) runs separately from the
governor in seven states.
B) does not exist in seven states.
C) runs with the governor as a
team in 42 states.
D) runs with the governor as a
team in eight states.
E) is appointed by the governor in
43 states.
10) Which of the
following statements about state constitutions is FALSE?
A) A state constitution spells out basic rules of the
political game for that particular state.
B) All fifty states have constitutions.
C) State constitutions are subordinate to the United States
Constitution.
D) State constitutions are typically much shorter than the
United States Constitution.
E) State constitutions take precedence over state laws.
11) Which of the
following powers is NOT given to most state governors?
A) holding sole authority in the
state's executive branch
B) calling the legislature into
special session
C) informal ceremonial authority
similar to the president being "Head of State"
D) overseeing the preparation of
the state budget
E) line-item veto
12) After the 2002
elections, how many states had divided government?
A) 12 B) 17 C) 38 D) 10 E) 28
13) One power most
governors have, but that the president does not, is the
A) line-item veto.
B) symbolic head of state.
C) responsibility for preparing
the budget.
D) ability to initiate
legislation.
E) executive clemency.
14) Which of these
is INCORRECT?
A) Most state legislatures have become much more
professionalized over the past thirty years.
B) The
C) Although it is the second largest state, the
D) All states now limit the terms of their legislators.
E) Many state legislators are part-timers who have other
careers.
15) Modernization in
state governments has resulted in
A) enhanced powers for governors.
B) weaker governors.
C) resolving the fragmentation of
executive power.
D) greatly increasing the number
of independently elected officials and independent boards and commissions.
E) fewer incumbent governors
winning reelection.
16) All states have
a ________, usually called the supreme court, that is
the final appellate level in a state.
A) trial court
B) court of last resort
C) judicial review
D) intermediate court of appeals
E) criminal court
17) Most lieutenant
governors
A) are not in line for succession
to the governor.
B) have few formal duties.
C) have substantial authority in
the budgetary process.
D) preside over the state house
chamber.
E) none of the above
18) The states most
likely to send women to the United States Senate are those which
A) have had a strong tradition of
women's involvement in school politics.
B) have been in the
C) have had high rates of women in
the state legislature.
D) have elected women as
governors.
E) have a high proportion of women
in the workforce.
19) Most states
provide for legislative sessions every
A) four years.
B) year.
C) week except holidays.
D) two years.
E) three years.
20) Which of the
following is FALSE?
A) There was only one woman governor as of 1995.
B) Some governors are not allowed to run for reelection.
C) Two independents won governorships in the 1990s.
D) There has never been a black governor.
E) all of the above
21) The most common method used to amend state constitutions is
through
A) constitutional convention.
B) popular initiative.
C) legislative proposal.
D) judicial review.
E) executive order of the
governor.
22) Most states
A) have unwritten constitutions
rather than written constitutions.
B) do not have their own
constitutions.
C) have constitutions more
detailed and longer than the United States Constitution.
D) have constitutions less
detailed and shorter than the United States Constitution.
E) have constitutions with about
the same level of detail as the United States Constitution.
23) About how many
gubernatorial vetoes are overridden by state legislatures?
A) 40 percent
B) 20 percent C) 30
percent D) 15 percent E) 10 percent
24) State
legislative races are
A) more personalized than
presidential elections.
B) more personalized than
congressional races.
C) not personalized at all.
D) less personalized than
gubernatorial races.
E) more personalized than
gubernatorial races.
25) Since the 1960s,
most states have
A) shifted gubernatorial elections
to off-Presidential years.
B) reduced the number of elected
state executives.
C) changed the governor's term of
office to four years.
D) both A and C
E) both B and C
26) The executive
powers of governors
A) vary from state to state.
B) are very strong in almost all
states.
C) have decreased in modern times.
D) usually do not include a veto
power.
E) all of the above
27) In the state
judicial system, it is at the ________ level that the facts are considered
before a single judge and a jury.
A) court of last resort
B) federal district court
C) trial court
D) appellate court
E) none of the above
28) Most state
legislators
A) mirror the characteristics of
their constituents.
B) lack a college education.
C) are women.
D) are from rural areas.
E) have professional jobs.
29) Gubernatorial
elections have become more "presidentialized"
in that they
A) have come to rely on political
party organizations more.
B) have become more personality-focused.
C) receive greater media coverage
D) have become more
policy-oriented.
E) none of the above
30) Historically,
state elections have been decided by
A) strong political parties.
B) contributions of Political Action
Committees.
C) vigorous campaigning on the
part of candidates.
D) national political and economic
forces.
E) state political bosses.
31) One result of
the personalization of gubernatorial elections has been
A) the adoption of sunset legislation.
B) less media coverage.
C) more of an emphasis on policy
positions.
D) weakening of state political
parties.
E) divided government.
32) Only ________
state(s) does not have at least the initiative, referendum, OR recall
available.
A) ten B) twenty C) five D) fifteen E) one
33) Compared to the
federal district courts, state courts, on average, hear ________ trials and
appeals.
A) far fewer
B) far more
C) somewhat more
D) somewhat fewer
E) about the same number of
34) Since the 1960s,
women have
A) had limited success in running
for governor.
B) been less successful than Hispanic Americans in running
for governor.
C) had little interest in running
for governor.
D) been less successful than African Americans in running
for governor.
E) had numerous successes in
running for governor.
35) Since the 1960s
the states have become
A) more irrelevant to governance
in modern society.
B) more dependent on the federal
government.
C) more homogeneous in how they
govern.
D) revitalized in their
institutions, personnel and governance role.
E) less powerful in their
policymaking capacity.
36) Reforms of state
legislatures oriented toward enhancing their "legislative
professionalism" include all of the following EXCEPT
A) increasing the staff available
to state legislators.
B) lengthening legislative
sessions.
C) increasing the number of
legislative committees.
D) increasing the salary of state
legislators.
E) none of the above
37) Voters in many
states have recently approved ________ to guarantee legislative turnover.
A) shorter terms of office for
state legislative seats
B) recall elections
C) reapportionment
D) term limits
E) malapportionment
38) Over a ten-year
period, about ________ of state legislative seats turned over.
A) 10 percent
B) 90 percent
C) 75 percent
D) 30 percent
E) 50 percent
39) The judicial
branch in most states operates on a ________ system.
A) two-tier
B) circular
C) four-tier
D) three-tier
E) single-level
40) The ________ is
a system of appointing judges based on merit, with the governor given a list of
qualified persons from the state bar or a committee of jurists and other officials
from whom to make a selection, and the appointment subject to the state's
voters deciding on retaining the judge.
A) sunset law
B) judicial review
C) Missouri Plan
D) judicial restraint
E) Merit Plan
41) One of the
consequences of the greater visibility of state elections is that
A) state policies have become more
progressive.
B) media coverage of state
politics has increased.
C) state administration has become
more efficient.
D) citizens know more about state
politics.
E) state officials have become
more representative.
42) Which of the
following is NOT one of the methods used by states to amend their
constitutions?
A) legislative proposal
B) popular initiative
C) simple statute
D) constitutional convention
E) none of the above
43) The governor and
lieutenant governor are elected in separate elections and can be of different
parties
A) in about half the states.
B) in none of the states.
C) in eight states.
D) in all fifty states.
E) in about one-third of the
states.
44) The ten-year
turnover of state legislative seats
A) results in a completely new
legislature every ten years.
B) results in a significant change
in the people holding office.
C) averages over 90 percent.
D) is costly to taxpayers, but
results in nicely furnished capitols.
E) occurs at a very slow rate.
45) In the states,
making laws is the legal function of
A) governors.
B) state legislatures.
C) state courts.
D) direct democracy.
E) state agencies.
46) Most governors
have ________ authority, allowing them to reject certain parts of legislation
approved by the state legislature.
A) line-item veto
B) executive clemency
C) Missouri Plan
D) popular initiative
E) legislative turnover
47) All state
constitutions
A) have a bill of rights.
B) have provisions for a bicameral
legislature.
C) require a balanced budget.
D) require one legislative session
per year.
E) all of the above
48) The fact that
most states have a number of elected state executives in addition to the
governor
A) reduces the authority of the
legislature.
B) reduces the democratic
accountability of the executive branch of state government.
C) has no effect on the authority
of the governor.
D) reduces the authority of the
governor.
E) gives the governor greater
authority.
49) Which of the
following does NOT serve to limit the power of a governor?
A) civil service employment
policies in many states
B) state constitutional separation
of powers
C) the line-item veto
D) other elected executive branch
officials, such as the attorney general
E) none of the above
50) Which of the
following statements about the state court of last resort is FALSE?
A) State courts of last resort are the final appellate
level in a state.
B) State courts of last resort only hear criminal cases.
C) State courts of last resort may practice judicial
review.
D) They have recently exhibited a new wave of liberal
activism.
E) State courts of last resort are headed by a chief
justice.
51) A bicameral
legislature is one that
A) holds two sessions a year.
B) has only one house.
C) has two houses.
D) is evenly divided between
Democrats and Republicans by law.
E) meets every two years.
52) The ________ is
the most common method of amending a state constitution.
A) legislative proposal
B)
C) simple statute
D) constitutional convention
E) popular initiative
53) Until the mid-1960s,
the one group that was over-represented in state legislatures was
A) Southerners.
B) women.
C) minorities.
D) the rural population.
E) urban dwellers.
54) Every state is
governed by ________, in which the basic rules of the political game for that
particular state are established.
A) an official state guidebook
B) the state government clause in
the United States Constitution
C) the laws of the United States
Congress
D) a collection of state statutes
E) a state constitution
55) Most states
allow for amending their constitutions, and this is usually accomplished
through
A) a two-thirds vote of the
legislature followed by a simple majority vote of state voters in the next
election.
B) a simple majority vote of the legislature
followed by the governor's signature.
C) a simple majority vote of the
legislation followed by a simple majority vote of the state voters in the next
election.
D) a two-thirds vote of the
legislature followed by the governor's signature.
E) a two-thirds vote of the
legislature followed by ratification by three-fourths of the counties.
56) Increasingly
close partisan divisions in state legislatures
A) are relatively new as of the
1980s.
B) are relatively new as of the
1990s.
C) are evident only in the North.
D) are evident only in the South.
E) have occurred in both the North
and South.
57) A recent policy
change in some states that actually "deprofessionalizes"
legislature is
A) Dillon's rule.
B) line-item veto.
C) Missouri Plan.
D) sunset legislation.
E) term limits.
58) Prior to the
Supreme Court's rulings in the 1960s to end the malapportionment,
________ areas were overrepresented in many state legislatures.
A) rural
B) suburban
C) urban
D) Republican
E) none of the above
59) Divided
government exists when
A) a single party does not control
both chambers of the state legislature.
B) a single party does not control
both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.
C) when the Republicans and the
Democrats hold an equal number of congressional seats.
D) the major parties do not
control both chambers of the state legislature and a majority of state elected
officials.
E) a single party does not control
both chambers of the state legislature and a majority of state elected offices.
60) A governor's
control over policy administration is somewhat diminished because
A) new state constitutions tend to
limit the powers of the governor.
B) a large number of other
executive branch officials are also elected in most states.
C) state legislatures have taken
over many traditional executive duties.
D) of the weakness of state
political party structures.
E) all of the above
AP State Government & Chapter 21 Test Answer Key
1) D
2) A
3) E
4) E
5) B
6) B
7) C
8) E
9) B
10) D
11) A
12) E
13) A
14) D
15) A
16) B
17) B
18) C
19) B
20) D
21) C
22) C
23) E
24) D
25) D
26) A
27) C
28) E
29) B
30) D
31) E
32) E
33) B
34) E
35) D
36) C
37) D
38) C
39) D
40) E
41) E
42) C
43) A
44) B
45) B
46) A
47) A
48) D
49) C
50) B
51) C
52) A
53) D
54) E
55) A
56) E
57) E
58) A
59) B
60) B