AP US Government & Politics Exam
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Tuesday, May 15 (8:00 am morning session)
 Bring photo ID, pens/pencils, & DO NOT BE LATE
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2 hour exam
 Section 1: Multiple choice =50% of your score
○ 60 questions (A-E)
○ 45 minutes
○ ANSWER EVERY QUESTION! GUESS GUESS GUESS!
 Section 2: Free response
○ 4 required questions =50% of your score
○ 100 minutes
AP Government Exam Info
Here’s a breakdown of coverage on the United States exam:
Topics % of Exam
I. Constitutional Underpinnings of 5-15%
United States Government
II. Political Beliefs and Behaviors 10-20%
III. Political Parties, Interest Groups,
Mass Media
10-20%
IV. Institutions of National Government:
The Congress, the Presidency, the
Bureaucracy, and the Federal Courts 35-45%
V. Public Policy 5-15%
VI. Civil Rights and Civil Liberties 5-15%
Many students believe they must make close to a perfect score to
receive a 5. Nothing could be further from the truth. Exam contains
a total of 120 points-60 from the multiple choice and 60 from the
free-response questions. Here’s a typical score range from released
exams.
Score Range
AP Grade
90-120
5
Minimum
Percent Right
75 percent
75-89
4
62 percent
60-74
3
50 percent
36-59
2
30 percent
0-35
1
29 percent
Unit 1 Review Topics
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Terms/Ideas
Majority rule
Checks and balances
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Unitary system
Federalism
Dual federalism
Cooperative federalism (aka marble cake
federalism aka fiscal federalism)
Expressed powers (aka enumerated powers)
Implied powers
Inherent powers
Reserved powers
Concurrent powers
Categorical grant
Block grant
Mandates
Devolution revolution
Important People to
Know
 John Locke
 Charles de
Montesquieu
 Jean-Jacques
Rousseau
 Thomas Jefferson
 James Madison
 Alexander
Hamilton
Unit 1 Terms Continued
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Enlightenment
Natural laws
Articles of Confederation (“a league of friendship)
Shays’ Rebellion
Philadelphia Convention
Virginia Plan
New Jersey Plan
Connecticut Plan (Great Compromise)
Three-Fifths Compromise
Federalists
Anti-federalists
The Federalists Papers
Federalist No. 10 (Madison argued political factions are
undesirable but inevitable. Believed that the excesses of
factionalism could be limited by the republican govt. created
by the Constitution.
3 Systems of Govt.
A. __________ (power vested in a central govt.)
B. __________ (decentralized system of govt.;
weak central govt. Has limited power over the
states)
C. __________ (power is divided by a written
constitution between a central govt. and
regional govts.
Framers Choose FederalismIntergovernmental Relations
 A. ______ _______ a system of
govt. in which the national and state
govts. Remain supreme within their
own spheres. For ex. National govt.
responsible for foreign policy,
waging war. State govts.
Responsible for public schools.
Often called a “layer cake”
 B. _______ _________ national and
state governments work together to
complete projects. Often called a “
marble cake”
2010 state and local govts. Received about $480 billion
in federal grants. (accounts for about 21% of all funds
spent by state & local govts.
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Types of federal grants (Ans. Choices:
categorical grants, block grants, madates)
 A. _______ _____ funds provided for a specific and
clearly defined purpose. Ex.money spent by states to
build interstate highways
 B. _______ ______ Funds given to states for a broadly
defined purpose. These type of grants give state broad
discretion in how to spend the money. Fewer strings
attached. Ex. Money given to the states for community
development.
 C. _________ a rule that states what they must do to
comply with federal guidelines. Civil Rights and
environmental protection are the most common
mandates.
Advantages & Disadvantages of Federalism
Advantages
Disadvantages
1. Encourages pluralism Federal Leads to a lack of
systems expand government on national,
accountability: The overlap of
state, and local levels, giving people more
access to leaders and opportunities to get
involved in their government.
2. Practices pragmatism: Running
a country the size of the United States,
with such a diverse population, is much
easier to do if power is given to local
officials.
3. Ensures the separation of
powers and prevents tyranny:
the boundaries among national and
state governments makes it tricky to
assign blame for failed policies.
Creates confusion difficult for
citizens to know what different
governments are doing
Prevents the creation of a
national policy: The United
States does not have a single policy
on issues; instead, it has fifty-one
policies, which often leads to
confusion.
Assignment Work with a
partner select 2 of the
units from the Table of
Contents (next slide).
Create a review “packet”
for your topics. You will
working on the review
packet next week also.
Counts for 33% of this 6
weeks grade!
AP Exam Review Table of Contents
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Unit1 Constitutional Underpinnings & Federalism (Ch. 1-4)
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Unit 2 Political Beliefs, Public Opinion, and Voting (Ch. 11 & 13)
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Unit 3 Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media (Ch. 12, 15)
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Unit 4 Congress & Congressional Elections (Ch. 7 & pp. 430-433)
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Unit 5 Presidential Elections, the Presidency, and the Bureaucracy (Ch. 8,
9, & pp. 423-429)
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Unit 6 Federal Judiciary (Ch. 10)
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Unit 7 Federal Budget
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Unit 8 Civil Liberties and Civil Rights ( Ch. 5 &6)
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Unit 9 Public Policy (Ch. 17, 18, & 19)