Antoon AP Government
AP Government & Politics EXAM REVIEW
Unit 1 Introduction to Government in America
 Weaknesses in the articles (unicameral, power
concentrated with the states)
 Fixes in the constitution for the weaknesses in #3
(Connecticut compromise)
 Linkage institutions (4)
 Policy making institutions (4)
Unit 2 Constitutional Foundations
 Ways to formally amend the constitution (federal &
state approval)
 Ideas Jefferson got from Locke
 Madisonian plan to prevent tyranny of the majority
(checks & balances)
 Federalist #10 Madison’s views on factions
 Important cases of the Marshall court & significance
(Marbury, McCulloch, Gibbons)
 Advantages & disadvantages of federalism
 Cooperative vs. Fiscal federalism
 Kinds of grants in aid (categorical vs. block-
devolution/new federalism giving more power to the
states to decide- 1996 Welfare Reform Act)
 Theories of contemporary democracy (pluralist,
elite/class, hyperpluralism)
Unit 3 Civil Liberties & Civil Rights
 Clauses in the 14th amendment (equal protection,
due process)
 Liberties in first amendment (5)
 Cases that have to do with the due process clause
(Mapp, Miranda, Gideon; civil liberties- amendments
1-10)
 Cases that have to do with the equal protection
clause (Dred Scott, Brown v. Board)
 Religion clauses in the 1 amendment (Free
st
exercise, establishment clause- separation of church
& state)
 Prongs of the Lemon Test (3)
 The process of nationalizing the bill of rights through
the due process clause of the 14th amendment
(selective incorporation)
 Unenumerated rights (9th amendment: right to
privacy; Roe)
 Actions by the federal government to expand civil
rights
 Federal Mandate (ADA)
 Civil rights v. civil liberties
Unit 4 People & Linkage Institutions
 Characteristics or resources of interest groups;
protections, in the Constitution, for interest groups
(1st amendment also protects lobbyists)
 Tactics of interest groups to influence congress
(electioneering, going public, lobbying)
 Tactics of interest groups to influence judicial
policymaking (litigation, amicus curiae)
 Tactics of interest groups to influence judicial
selection (coalitions to block or support)
 Differences in interest groups & parties (provide
information/get members elected)
 Party polarization/partisanship (squeezing out
Moderates)
 Types of interest groups (AARP, AMA, AFL-CIO,
public interest like League of Women Voters)
 Ticket-splitting
 Political socialization
 Reapportionment
 Exit polling
Unit 5 Campaigns, Elections & the Media
 Main requirements of the Federal Election Campaign
Act 1974 (required candidates to disclose sources of
campaign contributions)
 Requirements of the Campaign Finance Reform Act
2002 (McCain-Feingold- set limits on soft money)
 PAC's (established to raise money for elections)
 Demographic characteristics associated with voting
(college educated, income level; split-ticket voting)
 Plurality vs. majority
 Reapportionment (redistricting- same # of people in
each district, districts have to be contiguous) vs.
gerrymandering
 Institutional barriers to voting
 Retrospective (based on past performance) vs.
prospective voting (near future)
 Major party era’s (1st political party, New Deal
Coalition, Anti-slavery party, Divided government)
 Critical elections & realignment (southern strategy of
the Republican party)
 Causes of dealignment (third parties)
 Signs & consequences of dealignment
 Ethics in Government Act 1978 (after Watergate
requiring public disclosure of financial & employment
history)
 Ways delegates to the national convention are
chosen (frontloading, primary vs. caucus)
 Agents of political socialization (family most
influential, school, media)
 Causes of low voter turnout (political efficacy;
primary vs. general election turnout)
 17th amendment (direct elections of senators)
 Criticisms of the electoral college (winner take all,
difficult for 3rd party candidates)
 Criticisms of the primary system
(open/closed/blanket, turnout is a small % of
general election vote)
 Initiative, referendum, recall
 Political efficacy
 Trial balloons
 Media events
 Sound bites
 Investigative journalism
Unit 6 – Congress
 Terms for Senators & House of Representatives
 Majority / minority leaders & Whips
 Enumerated powers of congress (spelled out in the
Constitution)
 Implied powers of congress (elastic clause-
"necessary & proper" clause)
 Inherent power of congress (enter into treaties)
 Types of committees (Select, standing)
 Special powers of the house (Rules committee;
revenue bills, impeach, 12th amendment)
 Special powers of the senate (filibuster; advise &
consent to appointments)
 Formal/informal powers of the president in foreign
policy area (treaties, receive ambassadors/executive
agreements, state dinners)
 Formal powers of the congress in foreign policy area
(declare war, appropriations)
 Causes of conflict between president & congress in
policy making
 Factors that contribute to incumbency advantage
(pork barrel, casework)
Antoon AP Government
 Powers of congressional leaders to enhance the  Diplomatic & War powers of President (deploy troops
chances of legislation passing (power of the Speaker without Congressional approval; War Powers Act)
of the House, Senate Majority Leader, & whip)  Committees in Congress that deal with budget
 Kinds of committees (1st place for bills-standing (House Ways & Means- tax law, entitlements;
(subcommittees); conference) Budget Impoundment & Control Act)
 Things that influence how a congressman votes Unit 8 – The Federal Courts
(constituents, conscience, lobbying, trustee  Appellate vs. original jurisdiction
(constituents + opinion) vs. delegate (constituents  Cases in which Supreme Court would have original
view only) jurisdiction (ambassadors, ministers, & one state is a
 Checks of congress on the executive branch (politics party)
of upholding a veto, senate advise & consent)  Term served by federal judges (life assuming good
 Tools of congress for legislative oversight (subpoena behavior)
power, hearings)  Original intent vs. judicial activism vs. judicial
 Law passed by congress in the 70’s to limit restraint
president’s power (War Powers)  Administrative law (governs government agencies)
 Steps in the impeachment & removal of a federal vs. statutory law (laws from the legislature)
official  Groups that traditionally support Democrats (unions,
 Formal powers of the president in domestic policy trial lawyers, minorities, urban, women)
(submit budget, veto, state of the union, pardon,  Groups that traditionally support Republicans (rural,
executive order) religious groups, white males, pro-business groups,
 Formal (Congress controls the $) powers of Congress pro-guns, pro-life)
in domestic policy  Article 4- relations between states (full faith & credit,
 Gerrymandering power (every 10 years after census) privileges & immunities)
 Path a bill takes (intro, committee referral,  15 Landmark Supreme Court cases
subcommittee, full committee report, rules o Marbury v Madison (1803)
Committee, full House vote, conference o McCulloch v Maryland (1819)
o Schenck v United States (1919)
committee, send to president)
o Brown v Board of Education (1954)
Unit 7 – The Presidency & the Bureaucracy
o Baker v Carr (1961)
 Informal powers of the president to influence
o Engel v Vitale (1962)
congress (media, bully pulpit)
o Gideon v Wainwright (1963)
 Formal powers of the president to influence
o Tinker v Des Moines (1969)
policymaking in the bureaucracy
o New York Times Co. v United States (1971)
o (appoint heads of departments)
o Wisconsin v Yoder (1972)
 Relationship between bureaucratic regulatory
o Roe v Wade (1973)
agencies & the industries being regulated
o Shaw v Reno (1993)
 Patronage vs. civil service- merit
o United States v Lopez (1995)
 Executive checks on the judicial branch (appoint)
o Citizens United v FEC (2010)
 Considerations for the president when making
o McDonald v Chicago (2010)
cabinet/judicial appointments (litmus test)
 Differences in white house staff & cabinet members
(how are they selected?)
 EOP (includes National Security Council-National
Security Advisor, OMB, & Council of Economic
Advisors)
 Things that make up mandatory or nondiscretionary
spending vs. discretionary spending like defense
spending
 Entitlements (social security)
 OMB vs. CBO (president/congress budget advisors)
 Monetary (Fed. Reserve Board) vs. Fiscal policy
(Congress tax & spend)
 Explanation for high/low presidential approval ratings
 Members of iron triangle
 Role of lobbyists in the political process (provide
information)
 Reasons for the supreme court issuing a writ of
certiorari (court grants a petition to hear the case;
SC accepts few cases); habeas corpus petition-
person is given the right to go before a judge
 Legislative check to the judiciary (declaring a law
unconstitutional, impeach judges)
 Influences on judicial decision making (ideology,
precedence)
 10th amendment powers (reserved to the states)
 Federal mandates (unfunded- Leave no child behind,
ADA, Clean Air Act, Medicaid)
 Civil Rights laws passed during Johnson presidency
(Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965)