Final Exam Review
AP Government
Unit 1
Theory & foundation
Chapters 1, 2
Unit 1
• 4 characteristics of state:
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Population
Borders
Sovereignty
Government
• 4 theories on government:
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Divine right
Evolutionary
Force theory
Social contract theory
Unit 1 cont…
• 4 main purposes of government:
– Maintain order
– Provide public services
– Make economic decisions
– Providing national security
• 3 types of government:
– Autocracy
– Oligarchy
– Democracy
Unit 1 cont…
• 3 systems of government:
– Unitary
– Federal
– Confederacy
Unit 1 cont.…
• Early influences on Am. Govt.:
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Greeks!
Romans
Magna Carta
Glorious revolution
English bill of rights
• Enlightenment & 3 philosophers:
– John Locke
– Jean Rousseau
– Baron De Montiseque
Unit 1 Cont…
• Path to the Const.
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Early good relations turned sour
King George takes throne & England in debt
Series of acts/taxes placed on colonies
Colonies rebel form first & second Cont. Congress
Declaration of independence & common sense
written
– US wins war, moves from 2nd continental congress to
Articles of Confederation
– Articles weaknesses makes call for constitutional
convention
Unit 1 cont…
• Path to Constitution cont.:
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Meet Philadelphia PA
Virginia plan proposed
Countered with New Jersey plan
Stalemate leads to Connecticut/sherman/great
compromise
– 3/5th Compromise struck to settle representation &
taxation in the south
– Slave trade/Commerce compromise
– Electoral college & presidential term length
compromise
Unit 2
US Constitution
Chapters 3, 4
Unit 2
• 3 parts of US Constitution:
– Preamble:
– Articles 1-7
– 27 amendments
• 6 principles of US Constitution:
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Popular sovereignty
Federalism
Judicial review
Checks & balances
Separation of powers
Limited government
Unit 2
• 7 Articles:
– 1. Legislative Branch: makes laws
– 2. Executive Branch: executes laws
– 3. Judicial branch: interprets laws
– 4. Relations among the states: full faith & credit,
Extradition clause, immunities & privileges Clause
– 5. How to amend Constitution: formal ways
– 6. Supremacy Clause: highest law of land
– 7. Ratification: proof this government legit
Unit 2 cont…
• Amendment process:
– Proposed:
• 2/3 of both houses of congress
• National convention at request of 2/3 of states
– Ratified:
• ¾ of state legislatures
• By ¾ of states in state conventions
– Informal ways:
• Court rulings
• Passing laws
• Governing the country and addressing its needs
Unit 2 cont…
• 1st amendment: speech, press, petition,
assembly, religion
– Know court cases creating limits or lifting them
• 2nd: right to bear arms, militia or people
• 3rd: quartering of troops, times of war vs.
peace
• 4th: illegal searches & seizures
– Know sup. Ct. cases; exclusionary rule
Unit 2: cont…
• 5th: grand jury clause, double jeopardy, due
process, eminent domain, self-incrimination
(Miranda rights)
– Know sup. Ct. cases
• 6th: speedy public trial, witnesses for, witnesses
against, lawyer, nature & cause of accusation
• 7th: civil suits above $20 ($75,000), jury trial
• 8th: no ex. Bail, ex. Fines, cruel & unusual
punishment
Unit 2 cont…
• 9th: power reserved for the people
• 10th: power reserved for the states, or people
(root of federalism)
• 13th: end to slavery
• 14th: equal rights, incorporation doctrine (BOR
applied to states), citizenship for former slaves
• 15th: right to vote on basis of color or previous
servitude
Unit 2 cont…
• 16th: income tax
• 17th: senators picked by people & not state
legislatures
• 19th: women's right to vote
• 22nd: limiting presidential terms, with max. time
• 24th: end to poll tax
• 25th: presidential disability, VP vacancy
• 26th: 18 year olds right to vote
• 27th: congressional pay raise
Units 3
Federalism
Chapter 3
Unit 3
• Federalism: system of government where
power is divided between National, state/local
• Difference: unitary one national government
making decisions, Confederacy is a loose
union of independent states come together
for limited purpose
• National vs. state: look over Venn diagram
with powers for each, with some in middle
they share
Unit 3 cont…
• Supremacy Clause: states when federal & state laws at conflict
Federal will prevail due to US Constitution
• National govt. has become more powerful than states due to:
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Implied powers/necessary & proper clause
Commerce power
General welfare
Supremacy clause
Equal protection clause
• Obligations to each other Article IV:
– Full faith & credit clause
– Extradition
– Privileges & immunities clause
• 10th Amendment: Federalism root
Unit 3 cont….
• Types of federalism & eras:
– Dual: when each their own mostly clear cut areas
(layered cake) beginning to Great Depression
– Cooperative: powers & policy shared between the
two levels (marble cake) Great depression to now
• It involves:
– Shared costs
– Federal guidelines
– Shared administration
Unit 3: cont…
• Fiscal Federalism: (1970s on) the main
relationship of the levels; pattern of spending,
taxing & providing grants in the Federal system:
– Federal aid (Grant system):
• *Categorical grants: (main source) of federal aid to states,
very strict, only used for specific categories set aside by
national; comes with strings attached of federal guidelines
(non-discrimination provision)
– Cross over sanctions: money in one program to influence & state
& local policy in another program
– Cross-cutting requirements: one federal grant condition extended
to all activities supported by federal funds
Unit 3: cont…
• Federal aid (Grant system) cont.:
– 2 types of categorical grants:
• 1. Project grant: most common, granted on basis of
competitive application (National Science grants given
to college professors)
• 2. formula grant: the portion of funds you get is based
on a strict formula that congress has created; not
applied for by state, all states receive some based on
formula (ex. Medicaid, child nutrition programs)
Unit 3: cont…
• Federal aid cont:
– Block grants: to ease the burden & lengthy
process; given automatically to states with
discretionary power by state to decide how to
spend
– An attempt to return power under federalism back
to states decide some of the matters within own
border (Devolution)
Unit 3 Cont…
• New Federalism (1980s to early 2000s):
– Started with election of Ronald Reagan and really
went into effect in 1990s when Republicans took
control of Congress (1990s) for first time since
prior to Depression
– Conservatives being fans of state & local
governments (anti-federalists), began giving more
decision making and enforcement powers back to
states (Devolution)
– They also used more Block grants in giving states
more power to decide how to spend money
Unit 3: cont…
• Advantages of federalism:
– A. More opportunities for citizen participation in
government due to layers
– B. Greater citizen access to government
– C. Differences of opinion can be reflected in different
policies in different states
– D. Reduces decision-making at federal level, which could
be overwhelming
Unit 3: cont…
• Disadvantages of federalism:
– A. Resources are not distributed evenly, resulting
in different quality of services (education, welfare,
etc.)
– B. Local interests can sometimes thwart national
interests (ex.: civil rights)
– C. Too many levels of government can be costly
and inefficient
– Can lead to voter fatigue.
(app. 87,000 government entities)
Court Cases
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Don’t forget to look over your Federalism Court cases.
Maryland v. McCulloch: implied powers
Gibbons v Ogden: Commerce Clause
Heart of Atl. Motel v. US: Commerce Clause
South Dakota v Dole: General Welfare Clause
Puerto Rico v Branstad: Extradition Clause
US v Lopez: reversal of Commerce Clause
Gonzalez v Raich: Commerce Clause (national market)
Gonzalez v Oregon: Reserved powers used to push back
Windsor v US: 10th amendment & equal protection clause
Unit 4
Public Opinion, Elections, Voting
Chapters 6, 9
Unit 4
• Due to large population, diversity & lack of
knowledge people’s preference for policy hard to
reach
• US on path to minority majority
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Largest group African Americans
Latinos predicted to pass/be #1 by early 21st century
Asian Americans the most skilled & best off group
Native Americans, the worst of group, least healthy, poorest
& least educated!
• However, we still share a lot we call our political
culture
Unit 4 cont…
• How do we acquire our political socialization?
– Family
– Media
– School
• Most of our learning more informal than formal
• How is our political socialization measured?
– Public opinion polls (Gallup)
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Sample population (1500)
Random sampling
Sampling error
Most of it done through digital dialing today
Unit 4 cont…
• Pros & cons of polling:
– supporters: tool for democracy, keep up w/changing
opinions on policy
– critics: it distorts election process: bandwagon effect; east
coast vs. west coast; manipulation through wording
• Political participation consensus:
– Little more conservative than liberal, but changing due to
minority majority
– Conservative/liberal decided by age, race, gender,
socioeconomic status
– Women not so much minority but suffer from gender gap
Unit 4 cont…
• Political participation: many activities used by citizens
to influence the selection of political leaders or the
policies they pursue:
– 1. United States has a participatory political culture:
• a. 51-60% participate in Presidential elections
• b. 39% participate in mid-term elections (off-year)
• c. Local election turn outs usually 20%-30%
• Two types of political participation:
– 1. Conventional: widely accepted modes of influencing
government:
• a. voting, persuading others, ringing doorbells, running for office
– 2. Unconventional: dramatic activities:
• a. protesting, civil disobedience, and even violence
Unit 4 cont…
• Political participation a class-biased activity
w/citizens of higher socioeconomic status
participating more:
– 1. differences decline when income & education
kept equal, minorities actually participate more
– 2. we want smaller government but more services,
therefore we are coined as “ideological
conservatives” & “operational liberals”
Unit 4 cont…
• 8 Phases of electing President & VP: Nov. 2014 to
Nov. 2016:
– 1. Exploratory & announcement (ton of traveling
speeches, fundraisers)
– 2. Primaries & Caucuses (closed vs. open vs. semi)
– 3. DNC & RNC
– 4. Face off
– 5. General election: popular vote
– 6. General election: electoral college votes
– 7. Congress certifies election
– 8. Inauguration
Unit 4: cont…
• Remember the evolution of voting:
– Male landowners  15th Amend. All males  19th
amend. All women & men over 21  24th amend.
No poll tax; civil rights act of 1965 no literacy test
 26th amend. All 18 year old and up
– Exception: felons & non-citizens
Unit 4: cont…
• Why do we vote?
– Believe one party can do it better than other
– High sense of political efficacy: their civic duty
• How do we vote?
– We must register first, to prevent voter fraud and only
vote first
• Why we have low voter turn out?
– Different voter registration rules
– Voting too frequently due to federalism
– Hardly any difference between candidates
• Solution: Voter Motor Act
Unit 4: cont…
• Profile of voter vs. nonvoter:
– Voter:
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Higher educated
Older on average
Female
White
Married, kids
Possible union
member/govt. employee
– Non-voter:
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Low education
Younger
Minority
Man
Single
Non-union member/govt.
employee
Unit 4: Cont…
• 3 elements of a voter’s decision:
– Party ID: strongest predictor of how people vote!
– Voters evaluation of candidate:
• Integrity
• Reliability
• competence
– Policy voting (4 steps)
• Retrospective voting theory: election affects
policy and policy affects elections! Should I elect
you again? Let me sing that Janet Jackson again!
– “What have you done for me lately?????”