A ChatGPT-Produced APGov Stimulus-Based Multiple Choice Test

Unit 1: The Foundations of the American Government

Peter Paccone
5 min readMay 11, 2023

The test that appears below was created by ChatGPT in response to my having prompted the bot to “create an AP US Government, stimulus-based multiple choice question test for Unit 1: The Foundations of the American Government.”

This test consists of only 15 questions, whereas the other three Unit 1 tests I made today all consist of thirty questions. True, not one of the four has yet been proofread, but it’s a start. My goal is to significantly increase the number of AP-style MCQs not yet appearing on the internet that I can put before my students.

Stimulus: Excerpt from Federalist №10 by James Madison
“Among the numerous advantages promised by a well-constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction.”

Question 1

What is the “violence of faction” that Madison refers to in this quote? A) Violence during protests B) The inherent instability of political parties C) The potential for majority tyranny D) The potential for physical conflict between states

Question 2

Based on this excerpt, which system of government does Madison seem to favor? A) Direct democracy B) Representative democracy C) Autocracy D) Oligarchy

Stimulus: Diagram of the U.S. Government’s system of checks and balances

Question 3:

Which principle of the U.S. Constitution is represented by this diagram? A) Federalism B) Popular sovereignty C) Limited government D) Checks and balances

Question 4:

How does this system contribute to the functioning of a democratic government? A) By ensuring all citizens have equal power B) By preventing any one branch from becoming too powerful C) By guaranteeing the right to vote for all citizens D) By allowing the president to make all important decisions

Stimulus: Excerpt from the Declaration of Independence
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Question 5:

What principle of democracy is most clearly reflected in this excerpt? A) Individualism B) Equality of opportunity C) Free enterprise D) Rule of law

Question 6:

According to this excerpt, where do individuals’ rights come from? A) The government B) The people themselves C) The Constitution D) A divine or natural source

Stimulus: Excerpt from the U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8
“The Congress shall have Power To…provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States…”

Question 7:

Which power of Congress does this excerpt illustrate? A) The power to declare war B) The power of the purse C) The power to regulate commerce D) The power to interpret the Constitution

Question 8:

How does this power reflect the principle of popular sovereignty? A) It allows Congress to make decisions on behalf of the people B) It guarantees the right to vote for all citizens C) It ensures that all citizens have equal power D) It allows the president to make all important decisions

Stimulus: Table showing the distribution of power in the U.S. government

Question 9:

Which type of government structure does this table represent? A) Unitary system B) Confederal system C) Federal system D) Parliamentary system

Question 10:

How does this structure contribute to the principle of limited government A) By distributing power among different levels of government B) By concentrating power in the hands of a single ruler C) By giving the judiciary the power to interpret the Constitution D) By giving the executive the power to enforce laws.

Stimulus: Excerpt from the U.S. Constitution, Article IV, Section 4:
“The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government…”

Question 11:

What is the significance of this clause in the context of American democracy? A) It means each state must adopt a republican party platform B) It provides a constitutional guarantee of states’ rights C) It implies that states must have a similar structure to the federal government D) It establishes the two-party system in the United States

Stimulus: John Locke’s quote:
“Government has no other end, but the preservation of property.”

Question 12:

How does this quote reflect the principles of the U.S. government, as conceived by the Founding Fathers. A) It underscores the importance of economic equality B) It highlights the role of government in protecting individual rights C) It suggests that the government should control all property D) It implies that property rights should supersede all other rights

Stimulus: Excerpt from the U.S. Constitution, Preamble:
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Question 13

Which principle of American democracy is most directly reflected in this excerpt? A) Popular sovereignty B) Natural rights C) Social contract D) Republicanism

Stimulus: Excerpt from Alexis de Tocqueville’s “Democracy in America”:
“In the United States, the sovereignty of the people is not an isolated doctrine bearing no relation to the prevailing manners and ideas of the people; it may, on the contrary, be regarded as the final result of these manners and ideas.”

Question 14:

Based on de Tocqueville’s observation, what can be inferred about the relationship between the people and government in the United States? A) The government has complete control over the people B) The people are indifferent towards government C) The government and the people are separate entities D) The people play an active role in shaping their government

Stimulus: Excerpt from Thomas Hobbes’ “Leviathan”:
“In such condition, there is no place for industry; because the fruit thereof is uncertain: and consequently no culture of the earth; no navigation, nor use of the commodities that may be imported by sea; no commodious building; no instruments of moving, and removing, such things as require much force; no knowledge of the face of the earth; no account of time; no arts; no letters; no society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.”

Question 15

Hobbes’ quote above is often used to justify the necessity of what fundamental concept in government? A) Absolute monarchy B) Anarchy C) Social contract D) Direct democracy

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Peter Paccone
Peter Paccone

Written by Peter Paccone

Social studies teacher, tutor, book author, blogger, conference speaker, webinar host, ed-tech consultant, member of College Boards AI in AP Advisory Committee.

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