Fall 2015
Civics Final
Study Guide
Your civics final will range between 175-200 questions. It will cover the chapters noted below, and include multiple choice and
true/false questions. You must take the final to pass the class. To assist you in your preparation, here is a handout which identifies
most of the material which will be covered on the final. The study guide identifies important vocabulary words, and key concepts to
know. Also know that your final will be broken into units and include chapter headings. You are allowed one piece of paper, front
and back, with hand written notes. Or, if you saved all your note cards, you can use those instead. Please give yourself one hour of
study time per chapter, and two hours going over the chapter assessment questions in the book at the end of each chapter. We will
use the dead week period to review as much information as possible.
YOUR TEXTBOOK IS DUE ON THE DAY OF THE FINAL!!
Unit 1
Chapter 1 Principles of Government
Government
public policy
legislative power
executive power constitution
Judicial power dictatorship
democracy
state
sovereignty
unitary government
federal government
division of powers
Confederation presidential government
parliamentary government
compromise
Define government and the basic powers every government holds.
Describe the four defining characteristics of the state.
Identify four theories that attempt to explain the origin of the state.
Understand the purpose of government in the United States and other countries.
Classify governments according to three sets of characteristics.
Define systems of government based on who can participate.
Identify different ways that power can be distributed, geographically, within a state.
Describe a government by how power is distributed between the executive and legislative branches.
Understand the foundations of democracy.
Chapter 2: Origins of American Government
Limited government representative government Magna Carta Petition of Rights English Bill of Rights
Bicameral confederation Albany Plan of Union New Jersey Plan Virginia Plan Fedralists Anti-Federalists
Chapter 3: The Constitution
Preamble
articles constitutionalism
rule of law
Veto
judicial review unconstitutional federalism
Bill of Rights
executive agreement
treaty
Supremacy Clause
separation of powers
checks & balances
amendment
formal amendment
electoral college Cabinet Full Faith and Credit
Outline the important elements of the Constitution.
Need to know the articles and amendments.
List the six basic principles of the Constitution.
Identify the four different ways by which the Constitution may be formally changed.
Identify how basic legislation has changed the Constitution over time.
Describe the ways in which the Constitution has already been altered by executive and judicial actions.
Analyze the role of party practices and custom in shaping the Constitution.
Unit 2
Chapter 4: Federalism
Federalism
division of powers
delegated powers
expressed powers
implied powers
inherent powers reserved powersexclusive powers
concurrent powers
interstate compact
Full Faith and Credit Clause
extradition
Privileges and Immunities Clause
Identify which powers are delegated to and which are denied the National Government.
Describe which powers are delegated to and which are denied to the State.
Understand that the national Government holds both exclusive powers and concurrent powers with the States.
Explain the role of local governments in the federal system.
Examine how the Constitution functions as “the supreme Law of the Land.”
Examine why States form interstate compacts.
Understand the purpose of the Full Faith and Credit Clause.
Define extradition and explain its purpose.
Discuss the purpose of the Privileges and Immunities Clause.
Chapter 11: Scope of Congressional Power
Tax indirect tax deficit spending public debt commerce power naturalization
Chapter 14: Presidential Powers
Executive order
ordinance power
commutation amnesty
treaty
executive agreement
eminent domain
diplomatic recognition pardon reprieve
clemency
Unit 3
Chapter 10: Congress
term, session, adjourn, prorogue, special session, apportion, reapportion, off-year election, single-member district, at-large,
gerrymander, continuous body, constituency, impeachment
Explain why the Constitution provides for a bicameral Congress.
Describe a term of Congress.
Describe the size and terms of the House of Representatives.
Explain how House seats are reapportioned among the states after each census.
Describe a typical congressional district and its representative.
Analyze the formal and informal qualifications for serving in the House.
Compare the size of the Senate to the size of the House of Representatives.
Describe how States have elected Senators in the past and present.
Identify the qualifications for serving in the Senate.
Chapter 12: Congress in Action
Speaker of the House, president of the Senate, president pro tempore, party caucus, floor leader, whip, committee chairman,
seniority rule, bill, discharge petition, subcommittee, engrossed, filibuster, cloture, veto, pocket veto
Compare the roles of the presiding officers in the Senate and the House.
Identify the duties of the party officers in Congress.
Describe how committee chairmen are chosen and explain their role in the legislative process.
Explain how the standing committees function.
Describe the duties and responsibilities of the House Rules Committee.
Compare the functions of joint and conference committees.
List the first steps in introducing a new bill to the House.
Describe what happens to a bill once it enters a committee.
Explain what happens to a bill on the House Floor, and identify the final steps in passing a bill in the House.
Explain how a bill is introduced in the Senate.
Compare the Senate’s rules for debate to the House rules.
Describe the role of conference committees in the legislative process.
Evaluate the actions the President can take after both houses have passed a bill.
Chapter 13: The President and the Electoral College
Chief of…… state, executive, administrator, diplomat, legislator, commander in chief
Presidential succession (Act of 1947) presidential electors electoral votes electoral college 12 th amendment presidential
primary winner-take-all proportional representation national convention platform
Understand the Presidential nominations and national convention process.
Understand the primary system and the role of electors.
Evaluate the National Party Conventions and the role they play in electing a president.
Explain the electoral college process.
Chapter 18: The Federal Court System
jurisdiction
appellate jurisdiction
original jurisdiction
Marbury v Madison
judicial restraint “gatekeepers”
Weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.
What type of jurisdiction does the Supreme Court have?
How long are federal judges terms?
appeals court
Unit 4
Chapter 5: Political Parties
Define a political party and describe the major functions
Identify and describe contemporary mainstream political ideologies.
Evaluate the platforms of the two political parties today
Understand the impact of minor parties on elections.
Chapter 8: Public Opinion, Political Socialization and Mass Media
Explain how various forms of political socialization shape political opinions.
Explain how polls are conducted and what can be learned from them about American public opinion.
Examine the role of mass media in providing the public with political information.
Explain how the mass media influences politics.
Chapter 9: Interest Groups
Describe the role of interest groups in influencing public policy
Explain the three major goals of interest groups in influencing public opinion.
Analyze how interest groups try to influence political parties and elections.
Examine how lobbying brings applies pressure to public policy making.
Final Exams Schedule
Final
Schedule
8:10 – 10:15
10:15 – 10:30
10:40 – 12:45
Monday
Dec 14
Regular
School
Day
Tuesday
Dec 15
Periods
Wednesday
Dec 16
Periods
Thursday
Dec 17
Friday
Dec 18
1
Brunch
2
3
Brunch
4
5
Brunch
6
NO
SCHOOL
FOR
STUDENTS!