Question 1

Antebellum

Accepted Answer

The period in the South before the Civil War.

Question 2

Manifest Destiny

Accepted Answer

19th century belief that the U.S. was destined to expand across the continent.

Question 3

Gilded Age

Accepted Answer

Late 19th century era of rapid economic growth.

Question 4

Progressive Era

Accepted Answer

Period of widespread social activism and political reform across the U.S. from the 1890s to 1920s.

Question 5

Great Depression

Accepted Answer

Severe worldwide economic depression in the 1930s.

Question 6

Cold War

Accepted Answer

State of political tension and military rivalry between the U.S. and Soviet Union after WWII.

Question 7

Civil Rights Movement

Accepted Answer

Struggle for social justice for Black Americans to gain equal rights in the U.S. in the mid-20th century.

Question 8

Vietnam War

Accepted Answer

Long, costly armed conflict pitting the communist regime of North Vietnam against South Vietnam and its ally the U.S.

Question 9

Watergate Scandal

Accepted Answer

Major political scandal in the U.S. involving the Nixon administration in the 1970s.

Question 10

Gulf War

Accepted Answer

War waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the U.S. against Iraq.

Question 11

War on Terror

Accepted Answer

International military campaign launched by the U.S. government after the September 11 attacks.

Question 12

NAFTA

Accepted Answer

Agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America.

Question 13

Checks and Balances

Accepted Answer

System that allows each branch of a government to amend or veto acts of another branch to prevent any one branch from gaining too much power.

Question 14

Bill of Rights

Accepted Answer

The first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

Question 15

Judicial Review

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court's ability to invalidate unconstitutional laws.

Question 16

Federalism

Accepted Answer

System of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units.

Question 17

Executive Order

Accepted Answer

A directive issued by the President that manages operations of the federal government.

Question 18

Gerrymandering

Accepted Answer

Process of redrawing legislative boundaries for the purpose of political gain.

Question 19

Filibuster

Accepted Answer

A tactic used in the U.S. Senate to block or delay action on a bill or other measure.

Question 20

Lobbying

Accepted Answer

The act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in a government.

Question 21

Electoral College

Accepted Answer

Body of people representing the states of the U.S., who formally cast votes for the election of the president and vice president.

Question 22

Super PACs

Accepted Answer

Political action committees that can raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations and individuals.

Question 23

Citizens United v. FEC

Accepted Answer

A 2010 Supreme Court decision allowing corporations and unions to spend unlimited money on political campaigns.

Question 24

Fourth Amendment

Accepted Answer

Part of the Bill of Rights that protects people from unlawful searches and seizures.

Question 25

Fifth Amendment

Accepted Answer

Constitutional amendment that provides for the right to due process, protection against double jeopardy, and protection against self-incrimination.

Question 26

Miranda Rights

Accepted Answer

The right to remain silent and the right to an attorney during interrogation.

Question 27

Eighth Amendment

Accepted Answer

U.S. Constitutional amendment that forbids cruel and unusual punishment.

Question 28

Brown v. Board of Education

Accepted Answer

1954 Supreme Court case that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.

Question 29

Roe v. Wade

Accepted Answer

1973 Supreme Court case that legalized abortion.

Question 30

Affirmative Action

Accepted Answer

Policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, especially in relation to employment or education.

Question 31

Supply-side Economics

Accepted Answer

Economic theory that argues economic growth can be most effectively created by lowering taxes and decreasing regulation.

Question 32

Keynesian Economics

Accepted Answer

Economic theory stating that active government intervention in the marketplace and monetary policy is the best method of ensuring economic growth and stability.

Question 33

Fiscal Policy

Accepted Answer

Government policy relating to setting tax rates and spending levels to monitor and influence a nation's economy.

Question 34

Monopoly

Accepted Answer

A company that has exclusive control over a commodity or service in a particular market.

Question 35

Comparative Advantage

Accepted Answer

The ability of an entity to produce a particular good or service at a lower cost relative to other producers.

Question 36

Elasticity of Demand

Accepted Answer

A measure of a market's sensitivity to changes in price or income.

Question 37

GDP

Accepted Answer

Gross Domestic Product, the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year.

Question 38

Inflation

Accepted Answer

The rate at which the general level of prices for goods and services is rising.

Question 39

Unemployment Rate

Accepted Answer

The percentage of the total labor force that is jobless but seeking employment.

Question 40

CPI

Accepted Answer

Consumer Price Index, a measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for goods and services.

Question 41

Opportunity Cost

Accepted Answer

The cost of forgoing the next best alternative when making a decision.

Question 42

Scarcity

Accepted Answer

The fundamental economic problem of having seemingly unlimited human wants in a world with limited resources.

Question 43

Free Market

Accepted Answer

An economic system in which prices are determined by unrestricted competition between privately owned businesses.

Question 44

Photosynthesis

Accepted Answer

The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.

Question 45

Cellular Respiration

Accepted Answer

The process by which cells use oxygen to break down glucose and create energy.

Question 46

DNA

Accepted Answer

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that carries most of the genetic instructions used in the development, functioning, and reproduction of all known living organisms and many viruses.

Question 47

Natural Selection

Accepted Answer

The process through which species evolve over time through the survival and reproduction of individuals that are best adapted to their environment.

Question 48

Plate Tectonics

Accepted Answer

Theory explaining the structure of the earth's crust and the phenomena associated with it, including continental drift and earthquakes.

Question 49

Law of Conservation of Energy

Accepted Answer

The principle that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or transformed.

Question 50

Newton's Laws of Motion

Accepted Answer

Three fundamental laws that describe the relationship between a body and the forces acting upon it, and its motion in response to those forces.

Question 51

Atomic Theory

Accepted Answer

The scientific theory of the nature of matter, which states that matter is composed of discrete units called atoms.

Question 52

Mitosis

Accepted Answer

A type of cell division that results in two daughter cells each having the same number and kind of chromosomes as the parent nucleus.

Question 53

Meiosis

Accepted Answer

A type of cell division that results in four daughter cells each with half the number of chromosomes of the parent cell.

Question 54

Periodic Table

Accepted Answer

A tabular arrangement of the chemical elements, organized based on their atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties.

Question 55

Evolution

Accepted Answer

The process by which different kinds of living organisms develop and diversify from earlier forms over the course of history.

Question 56

Quadratic Formula

Accepted Answer

A formula that provides the solution(s) to a quadratic equation.

Question 57

Pythagorean Theorem

Accepted Answer

Theorem stating that in a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

Question 58

Trigonometry

Accepted Answer

Branch of mathematics that studies relationships involving lengths and angles of triangles.

Question 59

Calculus

Accepted Answer

Branch of mathematics that deals with rates of change and the accumulation of quantities.

Question 60

Probability

Accepted Answer

Measure of the likelihood that a given event will occur.

Question 61

Statistical Mean

Accepted Answer

The sum of all numbers in a set divided by the count of numbers in the set.

Question 62

Median

Accepted Answer

The middle number in a sorted list of numbers.

Question 63

Mode

Accepted Answer

The number which appears most frequently in a set of numbers.

Question 64

Exponential Function

Accepted Answer

A function in which the variable is in the exponent.

Comprehensive ACT Prep: Grades 9-12 for Arizona