AP Government Review

1
AP Government Review
2
Powers of Congress

• Tax, borrow, coin
• Power of the purse
• Regulate trade
• Regulate interstate commerce
• Declare war
• Make rules for armed forces
• Establish federal courts
• Establish agencies in bureaucracy
• Implied powers necessary and proper
• w/ states amend Const.

• Senate
• Ratify treaties (2/3 vote)
• Confirm SC justices
• Confirm fed. Ct. judges
• Confirm ambassadors
• Confirm heads of Cabinet
• Confirm heads of other bureaucratic agencies
  (FED, FBI, EPA, SEC)

-- checks balances on another branch
3
Powers of the President

• Formal
• Commander-in-chief
• Chief executive
• Executive orders
• Sign treaties
• Appoint SC justices
• Appoint fed. Ct. judges
• Appoint cabinet, ambassadors, heads of
  bureaucracy
• Sign/veto bills
• Pocket veto

• Informal
• Bully pulpit
• Executive agreements
• Meet w/ world leaders
• Meet w/ members of Congress

4
Supreme Court and Bureaucracy

• Bureaucracy
• Enforce laws
• Use expertise and size to make policies based on
  framework given to them by Congress
• Limits
• Congressional oversight
• -- Congress
• Presidential appointment
• Senate confirmation

• Supreme Court
• Judicial Review
• Limits
• Const. amendments
• Lack of bureaucratic enforcement
• Congress can change SCs jurisdiction, of fed.
  Courts, of justices

5
Federalism separation of powers between fed.
Govt. and states

• Grants
• categorical specific project, Congress chooses
• Block general project (community development),
  state chooses
• Federal mandates requirements often, but not
  always, accompanied by (NCLB, ADA)
• Devolution more administration of programs by
  states

6
Nominations and Elections

• Nomination process
• Parties elect nominee to run in general election
• Primaries elections
• Caucuses party meetings where nominee is
  elected
• Pres. candidates earn delegates to national
  convention candidate w/ majority of delegates
  becomes nominee

• General Election
• Dem vs. Rep.
• House single member districts person who gets
  majority wins
• No proportional representation
• Gerrymandering for House seats
• Incumbents have advantage get most

7
Electoral College

• States have same of electors as members of
  Congress (each has at least 3)
• Candidate who wins most votes in a state wins all
  of that states electoral votes
• Candidates campaign in swing (purple) states
  Ohio, Florida, Missouri

8
Campaign Finance

• Money matters!
• FEC created to enforce campaign spending laws
• All contributions to candidates, parties, PACs
  are limited and reported (hard )
• Campaign spending cannot be limited (Buckley v.
  Valeo) -- is speech!

• McCain-Feingold outlawed soft
• Super PACs interest groups who do not
  contribute to candidates they run issue ads
• contributed to Super PACs cannot be limited,
  doesnt have to be reported, spending is unlimited

9
Incorporation Doctrine

• Fundamental rights in the Bill of Rights applied
  to the states through the 14th amendment due
  process clause
• Includes free speech, search and seizure,
  attorney, privacy, etc.
• Done on a case-by-case basis (selective
  incorporation)

10
FRQ tips

• Circle the verbs in the prompt know what the
  FRQ is asking!
• Take your time
• Outline your answers
• Explain means answer the question How? or
  Why?
• Be thorough in your answers
• Answer the question that is asked you get no
  points for accurate information that doesnt
  answer the question