AP U.S. Government and Politics · Past multiple choice · Question 11
Economic ideology
Pick the economic policy that a person with liberal views would most likely support.
The lesson this question tests
1 Read the question
The question is College Board's: sample question 11 in AP U.S. Government and Politics Course and Exam Description. It starts on page 182 of the PDF.
Open Question 11 (PDF, page 182)
2 Pick your answer
3 Check the explanation
Why the answer is B open once you have picked
In the course, a liberal economic view favors government action in the market to protect workers and reduce inequality. A conservative view favors free markets, lower taxes and less regulation.
Raising the minimum wage is government setting a floor on what employers may pay, which is regulating the market to help lower-wage workers. That makes it the policy a liberal would most likely support.
Each choice
- A. Raising interest rates is a step the independent Federal Reserve takes to slow inflation. It is monetary policy set by appointed officials, not a position that marks a person as liberal.
- B (correct). Regulating the market to raise wages for low-paid workers is the kind of government intervention liberals tend to support.
- C. Cutting a social welfare program is a conservative position. A liberal would usually want to keep or expand food assistance.
- D. Drawing businesses to a state sounds like it brings jobs, so it can read as pro-worker. But cutting taxes to attract companies is a free-market approach that conservatives favor, while liberals lean on regulation and spending.
Question and answer key: College Board. The title and summary are ours, and so is the explanation.