Documents:
Declaration of Independence:
1. What is the purpose of this document?
2. What does “unalienable rights” mean?
3. What are the unalienable rights mentioned in this document?
The Constitution of the United States:
1. What is the purpose of a constitution?
2. What were the six goals of the Founding Fathers which were listed in the Preamble when writing this
document?
3. Which part of the Preamble does popular sovereignty most fit with? Why?
4. What is an amendment?
5. What are the first ten amendments called? What do they do?
Explain what is meant by the following Basic Ideals of American Culture:
1. Individual worth
2. Minority rule, minority rights
3. Compromise
4.
Equality of all people
5.
Individual freedom
Divide and Conquer:
1. What is the division which is defined by the term, “FEDERALISM”?
2. Name at least two of the divisions from question 1.
3. What are Grants-in-Aid?
4. What is the division which is defined by the term, “SEPARATION OF POWER”?
5. List the three divisions from question 2.
6. What are checks and balances? Give at least three examples:
What is the main job of the following?
1. Executive Branch:
2. Judicial Branch:
3. Legislative Branch:
4. The Bureaucracy:
How should I govern?
1. Legislative Delegate
2. Legislative Trustee
3. Legislative Partisan
4. Legislative Politico
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility:
1. What is Judicial Review?
2. What is VETO?
3. Which part of Congress is the ONLY group who can start a bill involving taxing the people and spending
government money?
4. What is an expressed power?
5. What is an implied power?
6. What is a reserved power?
7. What is an inherent power?
8. What is Congressional reapportionment?
9. How does #8 relate to the census?
10. What is gerrymandering?
11. What are the major steps a bill must pass to become a law?
The Public and Government
1. What is public opinion?
2. How can you find out what the most popular public opinion is?
3. What is public policy?
4. How does public opinion affect public policy?
5. What is a mandate?
6. What is the difference between a natural-born citizen and a naturalized citizen?
Voting
1. List three requirements needed to vote in most states.
2. What has happened to voter turnout over the past several years? Why?
3. What has happened to the cost of running for office over the past several years? How does that affect
people’s attitudes?
4. Why do some people hate that the Electoral College actually selects the president? What can go wrong?
Pennsylvania Politics
1. Pennsylvania has a closed primary, explain what that means.
2. Pennsylvania has the people elect a branch of STATE government that the USA does not allow voters to
elect for the NATIONAL government. What branch is that? How does the USA do it?
3. How many chambers (houses) are there in the PA State Assembly (our state “congress”)?
Linking the People to the Government
Political Parties
1. What is the main goal of political parties?
2. How many major political parties does the USA have? Why?
3. Are most Americans liberal, moderate or conservative?
Interest Groups
1. What is the main goal of interest groups?
2. What do we call someone who is a professional interest group representative?
3. Explain the following types of interest groups:
a. Special-interest groups
b. Public-interest groups
c. Political Action Committees
d. Group Organizations
Mass Media
1. What are the two main goals of the media?
2. What kind of people are least affected by media influence?
3. What area of politics and government does media most influence?