AP Test Review
• 2 part test
– PART I - 60 MC – 45 MINUTES
– Part II = 4 Free Response – 100 MINUTES
– Each part is worth 50 percent of your grade
Let’s Break it Down
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Constitution
Political Beliefs and Behaviors
Pol Parties, Int Grps, Mass Media
Cong, Pres, Bureaucracy, Fed Crts
Public Policy
Civil Rights and Liberties
Grades
• 1 to a 5
Mult Choice
• 5 – 49-60
• 4 – 40-48
• 3 – 28-39
• 2 – 19-27
• 1 – 0-18
13%
17%
25%
24%
20%
Last Minute Study Guide
• 1. Review the Big Ideas
• 2. Review the Test Taking Tips
• 3. Take a practice Test
• 4. Be Prepared
Study Sites
• http://www.citizenu.org/
• Cram for the Exam 2013
Big Ideas
• Federalism
– Dual vs. Cooperative/fiscal
– McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819
• Nat Gov’t reg interstate commerce
Big Ideas
• Separation of Powers
– Legislative/Executive/Judicial
– No one branch intended to dominate American
Government
Big Ideas
• Checks an Balances
– Prevent tyranny
– Know at least two way a branch can counteract
another branch
– War powers Act - Uncon
Big Ideas
• Constitution and Limited Government
– “Constitutionalism”
– Replaced Articles of Confed
– “Bundle of Compromises” – CT Comp, Electoral
College, Commerce and Slave trade
– LESSAS 9/13
Big Ideas
• Bill of Rights and Civil Liberties
– Part of Con in 1791
– 1-10
– 14TH “Amend Due Process Clause” – SC used this
clause to incorporate the rights in the B of R to the
States, Gitlow vs. NY, 1925 1st case
Big Ideas
• Freedom of Expression
– 1st Amend
– Speech – verbal and symbolic
– Not absolute – can be denied if – endangers
National security/obscene/false(libel & slander)
Big Ideas
• Freedom of Religion
– Establishment Clause – Engel v. Vitale
– Free Exercise Clause – Wisconsin v. Yoder
– Lemon Test
Big Ideas
• Equal Rights
– 14th Amend – “equal protection clause”
– 13/14/15 Amends – Civil War Amends
– Plessy/Brown v. Board
– Civil Rights Act of 1964
– Voting Rights Act 1965
– 19/24/26 Amend
Big Ideas
• The Legislative Process
– Bill
– Committees
• Standing
• Conference
– Filibuster/cloture - Senate
Big Ideas
• Presidential Leadership
– Bully pulpit
– Activist president
Big Ideas
• Federal Bureaucracy
– Bureaus/Depts/administrations/commissions/
agencies
– Civil service system
– Cabinet
– Independent regulatory agencies
Big Ideas
• Independent Judiciary
– Jurisdiction
– Rule of 4 – writ of certiorari
– Stare decisis
– Judicial restraint ( decide case based on precedent
and defer to elected leaders to make policy) v.
Judicial activism ( courts should take action when
elected leaders have failed)
– Warren Court (1953-1969) activist court
Big Ideas
• Majority Rule
– Representative democracy – “republic”
– Government should be the “will of the people”
– Minority rights have to be respected
• Rule of 4
• filibuster
Big Ideas
• Elections
– Presidential elections – every 4 years
• Midterms – lower voter turnout
– State make election laws
• Registration
• Ballot access
– Primary Elections
• Open/Closed/Blanket
– $$$$ - Media Events
– Swing State/Swing voters
Big Ideas
• Two Party System
– Dem – Repub since Civil War
– Left v. Right coalitions
– Third Parties
• Hurt by winner take all and single member districts
– Parties in decline – more independents
Big Ideas
• Electoral College and Presidential Selection
– Caucuses/Primaries – convention – national
election – Electoral college – inauguration
– 538 electors – 270 to win
– Winner take all
– Swing states
– 2000 election
Big Ideas
• Interest Groups - pluralism
– “pressure groups” – “special interest”
• AARP/NAACP/PETA/AFL-CIO/NRA
– Lobbying - negative connotation – but can
provide info testify, campaign $
– Influence public
Basic Test Taking Strategies
• If you don’t know answer start by eliminating
choices
• Answer every question
• Be careful on the answer sheet
• Mark up the test booklet
• Pace yourself
Basic Test Taking Strategies
• Free Response
– Think first and then write
– Read the entire question
– Decide the number of responses needed
– Outline your response before writing
– Answer all parts to the question
– Guess even when you don’t know
– Write legibly and coherently
Grades
• 1 to a 5
Mult Choice
• 5 – 49-60
• 4 – 40-48
• 3 – 28-39
• 2 – 19-27
• 1 – 0-18
13%
17%
25%
24%
20%
Mastering Multiple Choice
• Straight forward question – find the best
choice
(1) (41)
• The negative question – Which of the
following is NOT…
(2) (42)
– Looking for the “wrong” answer
– Plug the answer back into the question
Mastering Multiple Choice
• The Chart or Graph question
(10) (40)
– About 6-9 questions on the test
– Big question – trends
– Specific questions - compare
– Interpret the chart first
– If you don’t understand skip and comeback later
– Pay attention to labels
Mastering Multiple Choice
• The Multiple Choice within a Multiple Choice
Question
(18) (36)
– Expect 3 to 5 questions on the test
– Take the time to be careful with this confusing
question
– Read all the Roman numeral choice and circle the
statements that are correct
Mastering Multiple Choice
• The Political Cartoon Question
– Expect one question
– Interpret the cartoon
Mastering the Free Response
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Describe
Define
Explain
Identify
Identify and Explain
Define and Explain
“Identify and explain two reasons voter turnout is
considerably lower in midterm elections than
presidential elections”
Mastering Multiple Choice
• Make sure to provide enough responses to a
question… you can give more.
• The Your Choice Questions
• Choose two of the three Supreme Court
decisions below and describe how each of the
decisions expanded a constitutional right of
privacy
– Griswold v. Connecticut
– Roe v. Wade
– Lawrence v. Texas
Mastering Multiple Choice
• The Essay question with a Table or Graph
– Look at graph or table to get a general
understanding
– Pay attention to labels
Key Terms
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Amendment
Articles of Confederation
Checks and Balances
Constitution
Constitutional Convention
‘Declaration of Independence
Democracy
Executive Branch
Federalist papers
Great Compromise
Judicial Branch
Legislative Branch
Limited Government
Key Terms
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Natural Rights
Popular sovereignty
Ratification (federalist v. Antifederalists)
Republic
Separation of Powers
Social Contract
Key Terms
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Concurrent Powers
Cooperative Federalism
Devolution
Dual Federalism
Enumerated powers
Federalism
Fiscal federalism
Implied Powers
Interstate Commerce clause
Necessary and Proper Clause
Reserved powers
Supremacy Clause
mandates
Key Terms
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Bicameral
Bill
Caucus
Cloture
Conferences committee
Congressional Committee System
Congressional district
Earmarks
Filibuster
Gerrymandering
Impeachment
Incumbent
Open seat
Pork barrel
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Reapportionment
Redistricting
Rider
Safe seat
Sonority system
17th Amendment
Vacant seat
War Powers Act
Key Terms
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Administrative law
Cabinet
Civil service system
Departments
Discretionary spending
Entitlements programs
Executive Office of the President
Executive order
Executive privilege
Federal budget
Federal bureaucracy
Fiscal power
Independent regulatory agency
Mandatory spending
Monetary policy
Presidential veto
Key Terms
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The presidents “bully pulpit”
25th Amendment
22nd Amendment
Vice president
Key Terms
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Amicus Curiae briefs
Appellate jurisdiction
Brief
Civil law
Concurring opinion
Criminal law
Dissenting opinion
Judicial activism
Judicial restraint
Judicial Review
Jurisdiction
Majority opinion
Original jurisdiction
Key Terms
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Precedent
Supreme Court
Us Court of appeals
Writ of certiorari
Writ of habeas corpus
Key Terms
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Bill of Rights
Cruel and unusual punishment
Due process clause
Due process of law
Eminent domain
Establishment clause
Exclusionary rule
Free exercise clause
Freedom of expression
Miranda rule
Prior restraint
Rights of the accused – 5th amendment
Right to bear arms – District of Columbia v. Heller, 2008
Right to privacy – Griswold v. Connecticut, 1965
Key Terms
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Symbolic speech
Unreasonable search and seizure
Affirmative action
Civil Rights Act of 1964
Disenfranchisement
Equal Protection Clause – 14th
15th Amend
Literacy test
19th Amend
Poll tax
Racial segregation (de facto, de jure)
13th Amendment
Voting Rights Act 1965
Key Terms
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Blanket primary
Closed primary
Electoral college
Electoral realignment
General election
Midterm elections
Minor parties/third parties
National convention
Open Primary
Caucuses
Political party
Primary election
Ticket splitting
Two party system
Grass roots lobbying
Interest group
Iron triangle
Key Terms
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Lobbying
Lobbyist
Pluralism
Political Action committee (PAC)
Political gridlock
Capitalism
Ideology
Liberal/Conservative
Libertarianism
Political apathy
Political culture
Political efficacy
Political socialization
Socialism