AP U.S. Government and Politics · Past multiple choice · Question 1, Effective Fall 2014
Divided government
Predict a likely result when different parties control the presidency and Congress.
Lessons this question tests
1 Read the question
The question is College Board's: sample question 1 in AP Government and Politics: United States Course Description. It starts on page 16 of the PDF.
Open Question 1 (PDF, page 16)
2 Pick your answer
3 Check the explanation
Why the answer is C open once you have picked
Divided government means one party holds the presidency while the other controls at least one chamber of Congress. The Senate must confirm federal judges, so when the Senate majority opposes the president, it has both the motive and the means to slow nominees down: committee hearings stall, votes are delayed, and some nominees never get a vote.
The other choices describe things that have no special connection to which party controls which branch.
Each choice
- A. Reorganizing the bureaucracy needs the president and Congress to agree, which divided government makes harder, not likelier.
- B. Disputes between states are a federalism matter. They do not depend on whether the White House and Congress share a party.
- C (correct). An opposing Senate majority uses its confirmation power to delay or block the president's judicial nominees.
- D. National and state conflict is about federalism, not the partisan split between the two elected branches in Washington.
- E. The seniority rule is an internal congressional custom. Party control of the presidency has no direct effect on it.
Question and answer key: College Board. The title and summary are ours, and so is the explanation.