AP US Government Key Review Topics

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AP US GovernmentKey Review Topics
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I. Constitutional Underpinnings Federalism

• Considerations that influenced the formulation of
  the Constitution
• ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION
• John Locke / The Federalist Essays (10, 51)
• ADOPTION OF CONSTITUTION
• a) COMPONENTS OF MAJOR ARTICLES
• b) AMENDING PROCESS
• c) KEY AMENDMENTS
• d) ELECTORAL COLLEGE PROCESS
• e) IMPEACHMENT PROCESS

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I. Constitutional Underpinnings Federalism

• B) SEPARATION OF POWERS
• a) War
• b) Raising Revenue
• c) Impeachment
• d) legislation
• Major Checks and the nature of each
• Veto
• Supreme Court Rulings

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I. Constitutional Underpinnings Federalism

• C) Theories of Democratic government
• Interest group pluralism / hyperpluralism
• Elitism
• Incrementalism
• equality of opportunity NOT results

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II. Political Beliefs Behaviors

• Beliefs that citizens hold about their government
  and their leaders
• 1) Mistrust
• 2) Trends in presidential approval
• 3) Trends in approval of Congress
• B) Process by which citizens learn about politics
• 1) Political Socialization
• 2) Selective Perception

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II. Political Beliefs Behaviors

• - Demographic groups and voter behavior
• Identify major demographic groups and describe
  their political behavior.
• Describe voter turnout

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II. Political Beliefs and Behaviors

• C) The nature sources and consequences of public
  opinion
• - dealignment
• D) The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise
  participate in political life
• 1) Voting / statistics / obstacles to turnout
• 2) Other forms of political participation
• E) Factors that make citizens differ from one
  another in beliefs/behaviors

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III. Political Parties, Interest Groups and Mass
Media

• Political Parties and elections
• 1. Functions
• - organize competition
• - get candidates elected
• - provide loyal opposition
• 2. Organization
• - National vs grass roots party membership
• - two party systems / multiparty systems

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III. Political Parties, Interest Groups and Mass
Media

• 3. Development
• - Realignment
• - Identify obstacles to third parties.
• - Describe the decline of the political party
• 4. Effects on the Political process

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III. Political Parties, Interest Groups and Mass
Media

• 5. Electoral laws and systems
• - plurality elections, winner-take all,
  proportional representation
• - primary, caucus, convention
• - How do Dems/Repubs nominate Presidential
  Candidates?
• - Electoral College Procedure
• 6. Describe contemporary political campaigns

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IV. Institutions of Government(A) Congress

• Describe demographics of Congress
• Explain incumbency advantages
• Define gerrymandering / ID Supreme Court Limits

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IV. Institutions of Government(A) Congress. . .

• Factors that influence Congress
• - Divided Government
• - Party Discipline (Conservative coalition)
• - interest group pluralism
• - district

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IV. Institutions of Government(A) Congress. . .

• Legislative Process
• - Advantages of the majority party
• -The importance of committees
• - Speaker of the House
• - Rules Committee
• - Standing committees
• - committee assignments
• - leadership positions
• - filibuster / cloture
• - pork barrel politics

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IV. Institutions of Government(A) Congress. . .

• Non-Legislative
• - oversight of bureaucracy
• - confirmation politics (Senate)
• - impeachment / removal (House Senate)
• - investigations

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IV. Institutions of Government(A) Congress. . .

• What do Hse/Senate do collectively?
• What different powers do Hse/Senate have?
• Senate
• - More prestigious (Armed Services)
• - Less formal, fewer rules
• - Confirmations / Treaties
• - Filibusters

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IV. Institutions of Government(A) Congress. . .

• House of Representatives
• - power of the purse (Ways and Means)
• - closest to the people
• - more rules, fewer staff, less prestigious

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Institutions of Government(B) Presidency

• What are the Constitutional Powers of the
  President?
• What are the informal powers of the President?

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President Congress

• How has the President gained power over Congress?
• - Executive Orders
• - Executive Agreements
• - Impoundment
• - War Powers
• - Veto / veto threats

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Institutions of Government (D) Bureaucracy

• ID/Describe Cabinet, independent agencies, EOP,
  and Government Corporations.
• Describe quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial
  functions
• What are iron triangles?
• ID/describe rules of bureaucracy.
• Hatch Act
• Freedom of Information Act
• Pendleton Act

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Any Questions?
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VI. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

• The development of civil liberties and rights by
  judicial interpretation (see cases)
• B) Knowledge of substantive rights and liberties
• 1. Constitutional limitations on Free Speech
• a. In what cases can speech be limited?
• b. What types of speech are most unlimited?
• 2. Constitutional interpretations of Separation
  of Church and State
• a. Lemon v. Kurtzman
• b. New Jersey School Bus ruling

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VI. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

• 3. Constitutional development of right to privacy
• 4. Constitutional development of Due Process
• C) The impact of the Fourteenth Amendment on the
  constitutional development of rights and
  liberties
• 1. Barron v. Balitmore
• 2. Gitlow v. New York
• 3. Gideon v. Wainright

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Key Supreme Court Cases

• Bakke
• Brown v. Board (II)
• Engel v. Vitale
• Gideon v. Wainright
• Gitlow v. NY
• Griswold v. Ct
• Heart of Atlanta
• Lemon v. Kurtzman
• Marbury v. Madison
• Mapp v. Ohio
• McCulloch v. Maryland

• Miranda v. Arizona
• Miller v. California
• New Jersey School Bus
• Planned Parenthood v. Casey
• Roe v. Wade
• Schenk v. US
• Swann v. Charlotte
• Webster v. Reproductive Health
• Westbury / Baker

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V. Public Policy

• Public policy making in a federal system
• B) The formation of policy agendas
• C) The role of institutions in the enactment of
  policy
• D) The role of the bureaucracy and the courts in
  implementation/interpretation
• E) Linkages between policy processes and the
  following 1. Institutions/federalism 2. Parties
  3. Interest groups 4. Public opinion 5. Elections
  6. Policy networks
• F) THE PROCESS OF CREATING A NATIONAL BUDGET

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I. Constitutional Underpinnings Federalism

• C) Federalism Why federalism (4)?
• 1) Define federal, unitary, confederal gvts.
• 2) Describe state/national govt relationship
• a) McCulloch v. Maryland
• b) Unfunded Mandates give examples
• c) Types of sanctions (cross over/cross cutting)
• c) Block Grants
• 3) Identify federal responsibilities / state
  responsibilities

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III. (B)Interest Groups

• The range of interests represented
• 2) The activities of interest groups
• - techniques / resources
• - examples of specific groups and their
  resources
• 3) Effects on the Political Process
• - Federalist 10 James Madison
• - Incumbency advantage
• 4) Political Action Committees (PACs)
• - Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974
• - McCain-Feingold, and Buckley v. Valeo

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III. C) Media

• Functions and structure of Media
• Impact of media on politics
• a) campaigns (watchdog)
• b) gatekeeper
• c) horse race journalism

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IV. Institutions of Government( C ) Courts

• Who creates federal courts?
• How are federal judges selected?
• How is the court system organized?
• Describe basic jurisdictional issues.
• - What is habeas corpus?
• - How do most court cases end?

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• Describe Supreme Court procedure
• - What cases have original jurisdiction in the
  Supreme Court?
• - How do Justices decide to grant cert?
• How can outside groups influence the Supreme
  Court?
• Who is the solicitor General?
• What is a concurring / dissenting opinion
• What is Judicial Activism? What is Judicial
  restraint?
• Id/describe major rulings of the Warren, Burger
  and Rehnquist Courts.