Name: ______________________________
Date: __________________ Period: _____
Unit 1 Exam Study Guide
Advanced Placement U.S. Government & Politics
Directions: Each of the following questions alludes to the types questions which could be seen on the Advanced
Placement U.S. Government & Politics exam for Unit 1. Please answer each of the following in complete sentences.
[94 points total]
Chapter 1: Introduction to American Government
1. Identify the basic principles of democratic theory. [3 points]
2. List the four linkage institutions and describe how they connect the people to the formal government. [8
points]
3. What is the policy agenda? [1 point]
4. Differentiate amongst pluralist, elitist, and hyperpluralist theories. [3 points]
5. Describe the trustee model of representation and the delegate model of representation. [2 points]
6. Define each of the following: [3 points]
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a. Initiative
b. Referendum
c. Recall
Chapter 2: The Constitution
7. How did Thomas Jefferson contribute to the founding of the United States? [1 point]
8. Define consent of the governed. [1 point]
9. Differentiate between a democracy and a republic. [2 points]
10. What was the government like under the Articles of Confederation? [5 points]
11. What happened at the Annapolis Convention? [2 points]
12. Describe the demographics of the delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention. [2 points]
13. What did the Anti-Federalists dislike about the original Constitution? [2 points]
14. Who were the Federalists? What were they arguing in support of? Name two prominent Federalists. [4
points]
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15. Describe the Madisonian Model. [4 points]
16. Identify and describe two major compromises that occurred at the Constitutional Convention. [4 points]
17. Define and provide an example of each of the following: [4 points]
a) Delegated powers
b) Implied powers
c) Reserved powers
d) Concurrent powers
18. What is the purpose of checks and balances? [1 point]
19. How does the Constitution get amended? [4 points]
20. Define judicial review and identify the case from which it yields. [2 points]
21. Differentiate between full faith and credit and privileges and immunities. [2 points]
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22. What was the last amendment passed? [1 point]
23. Which Supreme Court case is associated with upholding the commerce clause? [1 point]
24. Describe the outcome of McCulloch vs. Maryland. [2 points]
25. What is decentralized government? [1 point]
26. What were the problems of decentralization under the Articles of Confederation? [4 points]
27. How did the Constitution fix those problems? [4 points]
28. What are first amendment rights? [4 points]
Chapter 3: Federalism
29. Differentiate amongst federal, unitary, and confederate systems of government. [3 points]
30. Small nations tend to have which form of government? [1 point]
31. What is an unfunded mandate? Provide an example. [2 points]
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32. Describe the evolution of federalism over time in the United States. [3 points]
33. Which amendment deals with reserved powers? Explain that amendment. [2 points]
34. Which clause of the Constitution supports centralized power? What does it mean? [2 points]
35. Which clause of the Constitution supports implied powers? What does it mean? [2 points]
36. What are categorical grants? [1 point]
37. How could categorical grants give the national government more power? [1 point]
38. What are the two main types of categorical grants? [2 points]
39. What are block grants? [1 point]
40. How could they give state governments more power? [1 point]
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