AP U.S. Government and Politics · Past multiple choice · Question 11, Effective Fall 2014
American political culture
Pick the value that is not among the core beliefs of US political culture.
The lesson this question tests
1 Read the question
The question is College Board's: sample question 11 in AP Government and Politics: United States Course Description. It starts on page 18 of the PDF.
Open Question 11 (PDF, page 18)
2 Pick your answer
3 Check the explanation
Why the answer is C open once you have picked
American political culture values equality of opportunity and equality before the law, not equal economic results. Legal equality means everyone is under the same laws, protected by the equal protection clause. Political equality means each citizen gets one vote of equal weight. Freedom of religion and freedom of speech are First Amendment rights at the center of the culture.
Economic equality, in the sense of equal incomes or wealth, is not a shared core value. Americans broadly accept unequal outcomes from a free market, which is why C is the one that is not a core value.
Each choice
- A. Equality under the law is a core value, written into the Fourteenth Amendment.
- B. Political equality, one person and one vote of equal weight, is a core value.
- C (correct). Equal economic outcomes are not a core American value. The shared value is equal opportunity, with results left to the market.
- D. Religious liberty is protected by the First Amendment and is central to the culture.
- E. Free speech is protected by the First Amendment and is among the most widely held values.
Question and answer key: College Board. The title and summary are ours, and so is the explanation.