AP Government & Politics Exam Essentials: Constitutional Convention, Federalism, Political Theories, and More

1. Essentials AP Government & Politics

2. AP Exam • 60 multiple choice questions – 45 minutes • Free-Response • 100 minutes to answer four questions

3. Constitutional Convention • Reasons for the convention • Major argument • Representation – Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan Solution = Connecticut Compromise or Great Compromise

4. Question • All of the following were concerns about the Articles of Confederation that led to the calling of the Constitutional Convention • A. dissatisfaction over safeguards of individual rights and liberties • B. fear for the stability of the central government • C. desire to promote trade among the states • D. the need to give the central government the power to levy taxes

5. Figure 3.1: Lines of Power in Three Systems of Government (cont’d)

6. Federalism • Conditions of aid – Federal gov’t tells states what activities and policies must be in order to receive grant money • Mandates – federal gov’t imposes its will outside the context of the grant. Ex. – civil rights & environmental protection

7. Question • The American with Disabilities Act, which provides protections for the disabled, is an example of • A. state supremacy • B. horizontal federalism • C. affirmative action • D. dual federalism • E. a federal mandate

8. Political Theories: Who Governs? • Four basic theories • 1. Elite theory- • 2. Bureaucratic theory- • 3. Interest group theory- • 4. Pluralist theory

9. American political assumptions • Liberty • Equality • Democracy • Civic duty • Individual responsibility

10. Question • Which of the following is NOT a core value of United States political culture? • A. Legal equality • B. Political equality • C. Economic equality • D. Freedom of religion • E. Freedom of speech

11. Figure 4.5: Changes in Levels of Political Tolerance, 1930-1999 • Source: Gallup poll data, various years, as compiled by Professor John Zaller, Department of Political Science, UCLA; The Gallup Organization, Poll Releases (March 29, 1999), 2-6.

12. Checks & Balances • Congress check on Executive & Judicial • President check on Legislative & Judicial • The courts check on Legislature & Executive • Federal Gov’t check on states

13. Sources of Political Attitudes • The importance of family as an agent of political socialization

14. Question • Political socialization is the process by which • A. the use of private property is regulated by the government • B. governments communicate with each other • C. public attitudes toward government are measured and reported • D. political values are passed to the next generation • E. children are trained for successful occupations

15. Voting • Profiles that suggest likelihood of voting and likelihood of not voting

16. Figure 6.4: Voter Turnout in Presidential Elections, by Age, Schooling, and Race, 1964-1996 • Source: Updated from Gary R. Orren, "The Linkage of Policy to Participation," in Presidential Selection, ed. Alexander Heard and Michael Nelson (Durham, N.C.: Duck University Press, 1987). Data for 1996 are from Statistical Abstract of the United States 1998, 296, as supplied by Christopher Blunt.

17. Elections • Comparing Presidential and Congressional Campaigns • Types of elections • Primary • General

18. Question • Considering all elections at all levels of government, which of the following best describes electoral behavior in t he United States? • A. primary elections tend to elicit a higher voter turnout than do general elections • B. the majority of the electorate does not vote in most elections • C. Voter turnout plays an insignificant role in election outcomes • D. Adult citizens under the age of 30 tend to have the highest rate of voter turnout • E. Voters with strong party identification vote less regularly than do independents

19. Question • The primary system of selecting presidential candidates has had which of the following effects? • A. It has increased the importance of state organizations • B. it has loosened the hold of party leaders over the nomination process • C. It has reduced the role of citizens in the candidate selection process • D. it has lowered the cost of running for office • E. it has led to a decline in the importance of party voter-registration drives

20. What is the difference between presidential and congressional campaigns? • Presidential more competitive • Fewer people vote in midterm elections (off-year elections) • Congressional incumbents can serve their constituents • Congressional candidates can campaign against Wash. DC • Power of presidential coattails has declined

21. Political Parties • Ticket splitting & divided government

22. Question • Which of the following is the most likely consequences of divided government? • A. Reorganization of the federal bureaucracy • B. Conflicts between states • C. Delays in confirmation of federal court nominees • D. Conflicts between national government and states • E. Elimination of the sonority rule in Congress

23. Figure 7.1: Decline in Party Identification, 1952-2000: • Source: National Election Studies, The NES Guide to Public Opinion and Electoral Behavior, 1952-2000, table 20.1.

24. Interest Groups • Activities of interest groups • Supplying information • Raising public support • Creating PACs – Super PACs • Litigation • Protest & disruption

25. Question • An interest group is most likely to have influence in Congress when the issue at stake • A. is narrow in scope and low in public visibility • B. is part of t he president’s legislative package • C. has been dramatized by the media • D. engages legislators deeply held convictions • E. divided legislatures along party lines

26. Question • Which of the following is argued by James Madison in The Federalist paper number 10? • A. a system of republican representation helps to limit the excesses of factionalism • B. small republics are better able to ensure individual liberty than are large republics • C. The presence of a few large factions helps to protect the rights of minorities • D. Participatory democracy is the surest way to prevent tyranny • E. the elimination of the causes of factionalism is the best protection against tyranny

27. Mass Media • Gatekeeper • Scorekeeper • Watchdog

28. Congress • Advantages of being an incumbent in understanding the dynamics of Congress • Powers • Importance of leadership positions

29. Figure 11.2: Percentage of Incumbents Reelected to Congress • Source: Harold W. Stanley and Richard G. Niemi, Vital Statistics on American Politics, 1999-2000 (Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Press, 2000), table 1-18.

30. Standing Committees • House – Ways & Means – taxes

31. Question • The voting patterns of members of Congress correlate most strongly with • A. the population density of their districts • B. their economic background • C. their educational level • D. their political party affiliation • E. the location of their districts

32. The Presidency • Leadership style • Powers • Organization of the Presidency

33. Question • Which of the following is true of a presidential veto of a piece of legislation? • A. it is rarely overridden by Congress • B. it is not binding unless supported by the cabinet • C. it can only be sustained on revenue bills • D. it is automatically reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court • E. it is subject to approval by a congressional committee

34. The Bureaucracy • Organization of the Bureaucracy • Power & influences on Bureaucratic policymaking

35. Federal Courts • Judicial activism v. judicial restraint • Power & limitations of the courts • Landmark court decisions

36. Political Agenda • Involves government officials and groups outside of the government competing to determine which problems government will address

37. Economic Policy • How government influences the economy • Fiscal policy • Monetary policy • Supply-side

38. Social Welfare Programs • Social Security • Medicare • Problems with funding

39. Military Powers • Shared powers • War Powers Act

41. Civil Rights • Laws – Civil Rights Law 1964 • Court case - Brown v. Board of Education • Amendments – 13,14,15,19,24 & 26

42. Civil Liberties • Bill of Rights – 1st 10 Amendments • Incorporation doctrine – 14th Amendment