AP U.S. Government and Politics Practice Quiz: Affirmative Action
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Test your understanding with short quizzes. This quiz has 7 questions to check your progress.
Question 1 of 7
All Questions (7)
A) To address disparities in education and the workplace.
B) To establish mandatory quotas for hiring and admissions.
C) To provide financial reparations for past discrimination.
D) To amend the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Correct Answer: A
The text explicitly states that affirmative action policies are "intended to address workplace and educational disparities."
A) The First Amendment's free speech clause
B) The Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable searches
C) The Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause
D) The Fifth Amendment's due process clause
Correct Answer: C
The text directly links the Supreme Court debate on affirmative action to "the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment."
A) Gender
B) Disability
C) Religious affiliation
D) Ethnic origin
Correct Answer: C
The text specifies that affirmative action addresses disparities related to "race, ethnic origin, gender, disability, and age." Religious affiliation is not included in this list.
A) Whether the policies effectively reduce economic inequality.
B) Whether the policies are consistent with the principle of equal protection under the law.
C) Whether the policies are funded appropriately by the federal government.
D) Whether the policies infringe upon states' rights to set educational standards.
Correct Answer: B
The text states the debate is about "whether affirmative action is protected by the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment," which directly raises the question of whether such policies are consistent with the principle of equal protection for all individuals.
A) Political representation and military service
B) Housing and public accommodations
C) Workplace and educational settings
D) Judicial appointments and legislative districting
Correct Answer: C
The text explicitly identifies the domains as "workplace and educational" contexts where disparities are to be addressed.
A) The Fourteenth Amendment explicitly authorizes the use of affirmative action to remedy past discrimination.
B) The Fourteenth Amendment is the source of the legal debate surrounding the constitutionality of affirmative action.
C) The Fourteenth Amendment's provisions are considered irrelevant to the goals of affirmative action.
D) The Fourteenth Amendment was amended specifically to include affirmative action policies.
Correct Answer: B
The text frames the Supreme Court's involvement as a "debate" focused on whether affirmative action is "protected by" the equal protection clause, indicating this clause is the basis for the constitutional question and legal challenges.
A) federalism.
B) separation of powers.
C) individual equal protection.
D) due process of law.
Correct Answer: C
The text establishes a tension between policies designed to help specific groups ("address... disparities related to race, ethnic origin, gender...") and the constitutional mandate of the "equal protection clause," which is generally interpreted as protecting individuals from being treated differently by the law.