• 53 questions

AP Government Unit 2 Practice Test

Unofficial practice on Interactions Among Branches of Government: Congress, the presidency, the courts and the bureaucracy.

Only a third of the Senate's seats are up for election every two years, while every House seat is. What does this make the Senate?

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Unofficial practice questions, not affiliated with the College Board. Bank checked October 10, 2026.

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Topics 2.1 to 2.3: Congress 23

  • A bill has sat in a House committee for months, and the chair will not schedule it. What can bring it to the floor if a majority of members sign? Wikipedia, "Discharge petition"; College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.2.A.3; course topic 2.2
  • A group of senators keeps debate on a bill going for days so that no vote can be held. What is this tactic called? U.S. Senate, "About Filibusters and Cloture"; course topic 2.2
  • A member adds money for a bridge in her own district to a large appropriations bill. What is this called? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.2.A.5; Wikipedia, "Pork barrel"; course topic 2.2
  • A representative personally favors a bill but votes against it because polls show that his constituents oppose it. Which role is he playing? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.3.A.4; Wikipedia, "Delegate model of representation"; course topic 2.3
  • A senator tells her party leader that she will object if a certain bill is brought up by unanimous consent. What is this called? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.2.A.3; Wikipedia, "Senate hold"; course topic 2.2
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Topics 2.1 to 2.3: Congress, continued

  • A senator votes as her state's voters wish on most bills, but on a few questions she follows her own judgment against them. Which role is she playing? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.3.A.4; course topic 2.3
  • A senator writes a bill to raise income tax rates and asks the Senate to pass it first. What stands in the way? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 7 (National Archives transcript); course topic 2.2
  • A state draws a congressional district so irregular that its shape can be explained only as an effort to separate voters by race. What did Shaw v. Reno (1993) hold? Shaw v. Reno, 509 U.S. 630 (Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School); College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, required Supreme Court cases; course topic 2.3
  • Before a major bill reaches the House floor, which committee sets the rules for its debate? Wikipedia, "United States House Committee on Rules"; College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.2.A.3; course topic 2.2
  • Entitlement costs rise each year while tax revenue stays flat and the deficit is held steady. What happens to discretionary spending? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.2.A.4; course topic 2.2
  • The House and the Senate pass bills on the same subject with different wording. What must happen before one text can go to the president? U.S. House of Representatives, "The Legislative Process"; course topic 2.2
  • How does the Speaker of the House come to hold the office? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 2 (National Archives transcript); College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.2.A.3; course topic 2.2
  • Members of which party lead the committees of each chamber? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.2.A.2; course topic 2.2
  • Members vote almost wholly with their own parties, the parties have moved far apart, and no major bill passes for a year. What is the result called? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.3.A.1; Wikipedia, "Gridlock"; course topic 2.3
  • Only a third of the Senate's seats are up for election every two years, while every House seat is. What does this make the Senate? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 3 (National Archives transcript); College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.1.A.3; course topic 2.1
  • The president belongs to one party, and the other party holds a majority in the Senate. What is this situation called? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.3.A.3; Wikipedia, "Divided government in the United States"; course topic 2.3
  • Two members strike a deal: the first will vote for the second's farm bill, and the second will vote for the first's harbor bill. What is this called? Wikipedia, "Logrolling"; College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.2.A.5; course topic 2.2
  • Under the rule the Senate adopted in 1975, how many votes does it take to end debate on a bill? U.S. Senate, "About Filibusters and Cloture"; course topic 2.2
  • Voters sue in federal court, saying their state has not redrawn its legislative districts in 60 years and their votes now count for less. After Baker v. Carr (1962), what may the court do? Baker v. Carr, 369 U.S. 186 (Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School); College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, required Supreme Court cases; course topic 2.3
  • What is the Committee of the Whole in the House of Representatives? U.S. House of Representatives, "The House Explained"; College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.2.A.3; course topic 2.2
  • Which enumerated power lets Congress shape the judicial branch? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8 (National Archives transcript); College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.1.A.4; course topic 2.1
  • Which of these is mandatory spending in the federal budget? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.2.A.4; Wikipedia, "Mandatory spending"; course topic 2.2
  • Why is debate more tightly limited in the House than in the Senate? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.1.A.2; U.S. House of Representatives, "The House Explained"; course topic 2.1

Topics 2.4 to 2.7: The presidency 10

  • A president answers a Senate vote with a video posted minutes later, seen by millions before any news conference is held. What change in presidential communication does this show? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.7.A.1; course topic 2.7
  • A president keeps troops abroad in a conflict that Congress never declared. Which power lets Congress force an end to it? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8 (National Archives transcript); course topic 2.5
  • A treaty comes to a vote with all 100 senators present and gets 62 votes in favor. What is the result? U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2 (National Archives transcript); course topic 2.4
  • After losing re-election, a president sends the Senate a nominee in the last weeks of the term. The other party holds the Senate. What is this president called, and what is likely? Wikipedia, "Lame duck"; College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.3.A.3; course topic 2.5
  • Congress has gone home for the year when a crisis breaks out. Which formal power lets the president bring it back? U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 3 (National Archives transcript); course topic 2.4
  • Federalist No. 70 lists four ingredients of energy in the executive: unity, duration, an adequate provision for its support, and what else? Federalist No. 70 (Avalon Project, Yale Law School); course topic 2.6
  • In one term a president vetoes 40 bills, and Congress overrides 3 of the vetoes. What does this pattern show about the veto? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 7 (National Archives transcript); course topic 2.4
  • On what authority does an executive order rest? U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 1 (National Archives transcript); College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.4.A.2; course topic 2.4
  • The president cannot introduce a bill in Congress. Which constitutional duty still gives the president a formal part in proposing laws? U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 3 (National Archives transcript); course topic 2.4
  • The president vetoes a bill while Congress is in session. Where does the bill go next, and with what? U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 7 (National Archives transcript); course topic 2.4

Topics 2.8 to 2.11: The federal courts 10

  • A court decides a new case the same way an earlier court decided one with similar facts. Which doctrine is it following? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.9.A.1; Wikipedia, "Precedent"; course topic 2.9
  • A president dislikes a Supreme Court ruling and announces that one of the justices is dismissed. Why does the announcement have no effect? U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 1 (National Archives transcript); U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 4 (National Archives transcript); course topic 2.8
  • According to Federalist No. 78, when would liberty have everything to fear from the judiciary? Federalist No. 78 (Avalon Project, Yale Law School); course topic 2.8
  • Angry at a ruling, Congress votes to cut the pay of the federal judges now serving. Why can it not do so? U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 1 (National Archives transcript); course topic 2.8
  • Congress passes a law that closes one federal court of appeals and moves its work to another. Why may Congress do this to a lower court but not to the Supreme Court? U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 1 (National Archives transcript); U.S. Courts, "Court Role and Structure"; course topic 2.8
  • In Marbury v. Madison (1803), whose act did the Supreme Court check, and how? Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 137 (Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School); Wikipedia, "Marbury v. Madison"; College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, required Supreme Court cases; course topic 2.8
  • In one ruling the Supreme Court strikes down a popular act of Congress and overturns a precedent 50 years old. Critics who say the Court went too far accuse it of what? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.11.A.1; Wikipedia, "Judicial activism"; course topic 2.11
  • Over ten years, presidents of one party appoint several justices who share a legal philosophy, and the Court then overturns a ruling 40 years old. What does this show? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.9.A.2; course topic 2.9
  • The Supreme Court strikes down one law as unconstitutional. A year later it reads a second law in a way Congress did not intend. Which ruling can Congress answer with an ordinary statute? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.11.B.1; U.S. Constitution, Article V (National Archives transcript); course topic 2.11
  • Two states dispute their boundary along a river. In which court may the case begin? U.S. Constitution, Article III, Section 2 (National Archives transcript); course topic 2.8

Topics 2.12 to 2.15: The bureaucracy and policy 10

  • A department audits how a state spent a federal grant, to see that the money went where the law said. What is this activity called? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.14.B.2; course topic 2.14
  • A new rule requires a safety device on every passenger aircraft and long-distance bus. Which department sets safety regulations for all major modes of transportation? USA.gov, "U.S. Department of Transportation"; College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.13.A.1; course topic 2.13
  • A president's plan stalls in the House, and a court then blocks the agency rule issued in its place. What does this show about national policymaking? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.15.B.2; course topic 2.15
  • An agency with few inspectors chooses to check the largest factories first, though the law covers every factory. Which power is it using? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.13.A.1; course topic 2.13
  • Customs and border enforcement, emergency response to disasters and antiterrorism work belong to which department? USA.gov, "U.S. Department of Homeland Security"; College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.13.A.1; course topic 2.13
  • The framework lists four kinds of bodies in the federal bureaucracy: departments, agencies, commissions and which other? College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.12.A.1; course topic 2.12
  • The head of an agency is called before a House committee to explain why a program is behind schedule. Which power of Congress is at work? U.S. House of Representatives, "The House Explained"; College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.14.A.1; course topic 2.14
  • Where does a federal agency get its authority to write binding regulations? Wikipedia, "Rulemaking"; College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.13.A.1; course topic 2.13
  • Which department runs programs for people who served in the armed forces, such as disability payments, pensions and health care? USA.gov, "U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs"; College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.13.A.1; course topic 2.13
  • Which office prepares the president's budget proposal and supervises how executive agencies are run? Wikipedia, "Office of Management and Budget"; College Board, AP U.S. Government and Politics course description, EK 2.14.B.1; course topic 2.14

How this list was compiled: Our own questions, written to Unit 2, Interactions Among Branches of Government, in the College Board's AP U.S. Government and Politics Course and Exam Description, effective fall 2026, https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-us-government-and-politics-course-and-exam-description.pdf, read 2026-10-10: topics 2.1 to 2.15. Each fact was read on 2026-10-10 in the public page named under its question: the National Archives transcripts of the Constitution and its amendments; Federalist Nos. 70 and 78 at the Avalon Project of Yale Law School; the opinions in Marbury v. Madison, Baker v. Carr and Shaw v. Reno at the Legal Information Institute of Cornell Law School; pages of the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Courts and USA.gov; and Wikipedia. Licence: Own work. Short quotations from the public documents named under each question.

How it works

This AP Government Unit 2 practice test has 53 questions of our own on how the branches check one another. It is unofficial and not affiliated with or endorsed by the College Board.

Read the full guide

What the questions cover

The questions follow Unit 2 of the College Board's course description, effective fall 2026 and read October 10, 2026, in four parts: Congress (23 questions), the presidency (10), the federal courts (10) and the bureaucracy (10). The description gives topics no weights, so the spread is ours. For more on one branch, the executive branch practice test and the judicial branch practice test share no question with this page.

Sources you can open

Constitution questions quote the National Archives transcript. The rest cite Federalist No. 70 or 78 at the Avalon Project, a Supreme Court opinion at Cornell's Legal Information Institute, a Senate, House, U.S. Courts or USA.gov page, or a Wikipedia article.

  • For each power, name the branch that checks it: the veto and the override, the nomination and the Senate's vote, the statute and judicial review.
  • Keep the vote thresholds apart: a majority to pass a bill, three fifths for cloture, two thirds to override a veto or approve a treaty.
  • Two Federalist essays are named in Unit 2's topics: No. 70, on a single executive, and No. 78, on independent courts.

Questions and answers

What is Unit 2 of AP Gov?

Interactions Among Branches of Government. Its 15 topics cover Congress, the presidency, the federal courts and the bureaucracy, and how each checks the others, by the College Board's course description.

How much of the AP Gov exam is Unit 2?

25 to 36% of the multiple-choice section, the largest share of the five units, by the College Board's course page. That section has 55 questions in 80 minutes.

Which Supreme Court cases are in AP Gov Unit 2?

The course description's table links eight of the 14 required cases to Unit 2: Marbury, McCulloch, Brown, Baker v. Carr, New York Times Co. v. United States, Shaw v. Reno, Lopez and Citizens United. This bank asks about Marbury, Baker and Shaw.

Are these real AP Gov Unit 2 exam questions?

No. The College Board owns the real questions, and this page neither copies nor rewords one. Every question here was written from the Unit 2 topics and the public documents named under it.

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