Midterm Exam – American Government
Study Guide
Name: ____________________________
Directions: Use the following study guide to help you study for your midterm exam.
Vocabulary and Identification
Absentee Voting
Amendment
Anti-Federalists
Ballot
Bicameral Legislature
Bill of Rights
Bipartisanship
Caucus
Checks and Balances
Closed Primary
Concurrent Powers
Confederation
Constitution
Delegated Powers
Democracy
Dictatorship
Direct Primary
Division of Powers
Due Process
Economic Protest Parties
Electorate
Exclusive Powers
Executive Power
Expressed Powers
Extradition
Federal Government
Federalism
Federalists
Full Faith and Credit Clause
General Elections
Gerrymandering
Government
Ideological Parties
Implied Powers
Incumbent
Inherent Powers
Judicial Power
Judicial Review
Legislative power
Limited Government
Marbury v. Madison
New Jersey Plan
Open Primary
Partisanship
Plurality
Political Party
Poll Tax
Popular Sovereignty
Privileges and Immunities Clause
Representative Government
Reserved Powers
Rule of Law
Single-Issue Parties
Single-Member District
Sovereign
Splinter Parties
Split-ticket Voting
State
Straight-ticket Voting
The Social Contract Theory
Treaty
Two-Party System
Unconstitutional
Unicameral Legislature
Unitary Government
Veto
Virginia Plan
Unit Outlines
I. Unit One – Basic Principles of Government
* What is Government?
* What are the three basic powers that a government must exercise?
* Why and how are Governments established? (Social Contract Theory)
* What are the four characteristics of a political state?
* What are the different forms of government?
* What are the five basic principles of American Democracy?
II. Unit Two – Foundations of American Government
* How did the relationship between the 13 colonies and England change during the 17th and 18th centuries?
* What role did the Second Continental Congress play in the foundation of American Government? (American Revolution)
* What was the significance of the Declaration of Independence?
* What was the significance of the Articles of Confederation?
* What was the significance of the Constitutional Convention?
* Who were the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists?
* What role did the Federalists and Anti-Federalists play in the ratification of the Constitution?
III. Unit Three – The United States Constitution
* What are the basic principles of the United States Constitution?
* What is in the first three articles of the United States Constitution?
* What are the first three articles of the United States Constitution’s significance to American Government?
* How is the United States Constitution amended?
* What are the Bill of Rights? What is in the Bill of Rights?
* What are Amendments 11-27? What is their significance?
IV. Unit Four – Federalism in the United States
* What are the different branches of government at the different levels of government?
* What are the advantages and disadvantages of federalism?
* What are three different types of delegated powers of the federal government?
* What is the Supremacy clause? What is its significance to the United States system of government? (Article VI)
* What are the exclusive powers of the federal government? Of the state governments?
* What are concurrent powers?
* What are reserved powers?
* What is the root of reserved powers?
* What are the federal government’s obligations to the states according to the United States Constitution?
* What important provisions are in Article IV of the United States Constitution which guides interstate relations throughout the
country?
V. Unit Five – Politics in the United States
* What is the political spectrum?
* What does it mean to be a communist? A capitalist? An anarchist? A fascist?
* What is the difference between liberals and conservatives?
* What is the difference between Democrats and Republicans?
* What functions do political parties perform?
* How are political parties organized?
* Why does the United States have a two party system?
* What historical or institutional factors have played a role in forging the two party system in the United States?
* What are the different types of third parties in the United States?
* What role do third parties play in American politics?
* What third parties played a role in the 2012 Presidential election?
VI. Unit Six – Voting and Elections in the United States
* How has the electorate been expanded throughout United States history?
* What are the three universal voting requirements throughout the states?
* What are Ohio’s basic voting requirements?
* What is the Electoral College?
* How does the Electoral College work?
* What people in the United States vote? What people do not vote?
* How does the presidential nomination process work?
* What are primary elections?
* How do presidential primaries work in the United States?
* How are elections administered throughout the states? Who is responsible for this?