*Note – This review is an important part of your exam preparations.
Please also study your notes, assessments, and course materials and attend a live FINAL EXAM REVIEW.
CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES
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Examine the constitutional principles of representative government, limited government, consent of the governed, rule of law, and individual rights.
Identify how these principles are reflected in Declaration of Independence and US Constitution
(including Bill of Rights).
Illustrate examples of how government affects the daily lives of citizens at the local, state, and national levels.
KEY TERMS: anarchy, authority, public policy, institutions, infrastructure, US Constitution, rule of law, legitimacy, natural rights, Enlightenment, social contract, representative government, limited government, federalism, separation of powers
KEY FIGURE: John Locke
CITIZENSHIP/NATURALIZATION
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Evaluate the constitutional provisions establishing citizenship, and assess the criteria among citizens by birth, naturalized citizens, and non-citizens (i.e. eligibility requirements and step by step process).
Identify the benefits of legal citizenship.
KEY TERMS: 14 th Amendment, naturalization, Jus soli, Jus sanguinis, resident alien, Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution, US Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952, deportation, green card, visa
CIVIC PARTICIPATION
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Evaluate the importance of political participation and civic participation.
Analyze the impact of citizen participation as a means of achieving political and social change.
KEY TERMS: civic duty, citizen responsibility

KEY FIGURES: George Washington, Sons of Liberty, Paul Revere, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman,
Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King, Jr.
DECLARING INDEPENDENCE
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Explain how the Declaration of Independence reflected the political principles of popular sovereignty, social contract, natural rights, and individual rights. Note the organization of the Declaration of
Independence.
Explain how changes in British governance beginning in the 1760s lead to eventual American independence, noting impact of events such as the French and Indian War, the Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party.
Evaluate the significance of the colonial response to British actions in the First Continental Congress, the Second Continental Congress, and the publication of Common Sense.
KEY TERMS: Enlightenment, popular sovereignty, direct democracy, republic, natural rights, social contract, popular sovereignty
KEY FIGURES: Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, John Locke, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson
FOUNDING DOCUMENTS
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Evaluate the ideals and principles of the founding documents (Declaration of Independence, Articles of
Confederation, Federalist Papers) that shaped American Democracy.
Identify the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
KEY TERMS: Articles of Confederation, confederation, federalism, republicanism
US CONSTITUTION
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Evaluate how the Constitution and its amendments reflect the political principles of rule of law, checks and balances, separation of powers, republicanism, democracy, and federalism.
Examine how power and responsibility are distributed, shared, and limited by the Constitution.
Evaluate, take, and defend positions on the founding ideals and principles in American Constitutional government.
Analyze and categorize the diverse viewpoints presented by the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists concerning ratification of the Constitution and inclusion of a bill of rights.
KEY TERMS: ratification, delegates, Philadelphia Convention, pure democracy, aristocracy, Virginia
Plan, New Jersey Plan, Great Compromise, bicameral legislature, Three-Fifths Compromise, Federalist
Papers, amendment, Bill of Rights, checks and balances
KEY FIGURES: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee
ACRONYMS: LEJRASR (Articles of the Constitution)

FEDERALISM
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Define federalism, and identify examples of the powers granted and denied to states and the national government in the American federal system of government.
Examine constitutional powers (expressed (delegated), implied, concurrent, reserved).
Evaluate the significance and outcomes of landmark Supreme Court cases.
KEY TERMS: cooperative federalism, dual federalism, jurisdiction, Article V, Article VI, Amendment 10, charter, municipality, state militias, infrastructure, precedent
SUPREME COURT CASES: Gibbons v. Ogden, McCulloch v. Maryland, District of Columbia v. Heller
CIVIL LIBERTIES
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Evaluate, take, and defend positions about rights protected by the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Evaluate, take, and defend positions on issues that cause the government to balance the interests of individuals with the public good (e.g. emergency response).
Explain why rights have limits and are not absolute.
Contrast how the Constitution safeguards and limits individual rights.
KEY TERMS: absolute rights, civil liberties, probable cause, double jeopardy, self-incrimination, due process
LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
 Analyze the structures, functions, and processes of the legislative branch as described in Article I of the
Constitution.
KEY TERMS: constituents, legislation, census, apportionment, powers of Congress, Speaker of the
House, presidential succession, President pro tempore, conference committee, “Floor Action,” veto, committees (standing, ad hoc, joint, conference, House Rules, Joint Economic)
LEGISLATIVE PROCESS: bill introduction, subcommittee review, committee review, House Rules
Committee, floor action, conference committee, final vote
PUBLIC POLICY
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Analyze public policy solutions or courses of action to resolve a local, state, or federal issue.
Monitor current public issues in Florida
KEY TERMS: foreign policy, domestic policy, social welfare policy, economic policy, environmental policy, defense policy, initiative (referendum), ordinance, externalities
KEY SITES: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Welcome/

EXECUTIVE BRANCH
 Analyze the structures, functions, and processes of the executive branch as described in Article II of the
Constitution.
KEY TERMS: Electoral College, powers of the President, succession, veto, Cabinet, bureaucracy, regulations, Congressional oversight, authorization bill, appropriation, subpoena, “executive privilege,”22 nd Amendment
REGULATORY AGENCIES
 Identify the impact of independent regulatory agencies in the federal bureaucracy.
INDEPENDENT REGULATORY AGENCIES: FCC, UPS, Fed, CIA, CPSC, FTC, SSA
INFLUENCING POLICY
 Evaluate the origins and roles of political parties, interest groups, media, and individuals in determining and shaping public policy.
KEY TERMS: political ideology, third party, independent, liberal, moderate, conservative, campaigns, special interest group, labor union, political action committee, coalition
MEDIA
INTEREST GROUPS: Citizen’s Flag Alliance, SADD, Greenpeace, AAA
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Explain the changing roles of television, radio, press, and Internet in political communication.
Analyze various forms of political communication and evaluate for bias, factual accuracy, omission, and emotional appeal.
KEY TERMS: State of the Union Address, bias (accuracy, omission, emotional appeal), symbols, propaganda, monopoly, Telecommunications Act of 1996
ELECTIONS
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Evaluate the processes and results of an election at the state or federal level.
Analyze trends in voter turnout.
Interpret population growth and other demographic data for any given place.
KEY TERMS: demographics, socioeconomics traits, voter turnout, Electoral College, popular vote, gerrymandering, Congressional district/seat, primary elections (open, closed), caucus, midterm elections, voter fraud, disenfranchise, swing state, factors that influence turnout (party identification, type of election, campaign tone, age and gender, ethnicity, education and income)
US CENSUS when, where, why, how
ELECTION FOR ANALYSIS: 2000 Presidential Election, Bush v. Gore

JUDICIAL BRANCH
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Analyze the structures, functions, and processes of the judicial branch as described in Article III of the
Constitution.
Analyze the various levels and responsibilities of courts in the federal and state judicial system and the relationships among them.
KEY TERMS: Article III, Judiciary Act of 1789, federal district court, appellate court (appeal), jurisdiction
(original jurisdiction, state, federal), trial, jury, criminal case, civil case, dual sovereignty, Federalquestion cases, diversity cases, bench trial, prosecution, writ of certiorari, in forma pauperis, classaction suits, litigation
US COURT SYSTEM: State-level courts of original jurisdiction, state-level courts of appeal, state-level courts of last resort, US District Court, US Court of Appeal, US Supreme Court
TRIAL: jury selection, trial, Judge’s Charge, jury deliberations, verdict
JUDICIAL REVIEW
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Describe the role of judicial review in American constitutional government.
Compare the role of judges on the state and federal level with other elected officials.
Simulate the judicial decision-making process in interpreting law at the state and federal level.
KEY TERMS: judicial review, unconstitutional, precedent, appointed, elected, stare decisis
KEY FIGURES: Harriet Miers, William Marbury, John Marshall, Allan Bakke
KEY DOCUMENTS: Federalist Paper No. 78
US SUPREME COURT
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Evaluate the significance and outcomes of landmark Supreme Court cases.
Distinguish between types of judicial opinions (majority, dissenting, concurring, per curiam).
KEY TERMS: stare decisis, strict constructionist, loose constructionist, symbolic speech,
KEY FIGURES: Roger Taney, Earl Warren, Abe Fortas,
SUPREME COURT CASES: Marbury v. Madison, Worcester v. Georgia, Dred Scott v. Sandford, Tinker v.
Des Moines, Texas v. Johnson, Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, T.M. v. Florida, Plessy v. Ferguson,
CIVIL RIGHTS

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Identify the expansion of civil rights and liberties by examining the principles contained in primary documents including Declaration of Independence and US Constitution.
Analyze the relationship between constitutional amendments and key Supreme Court cases.
KEY TERMS: Jim Crow laws, incorporation, Warren Court,
KEY EXPANSIONS: Emancipation Proclamation, 13 th Amendment, 14 th Amendment, 15 th Amendment,
19 th Amendment, 24 th Amendment, Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, 26 th
Amendment, Brown v. Board of Education (and relationship to Plessy v. Ferguson), Miranda v. Arizona,
Gideon v. Wainwright, Roe v. Wade, Mapp v. Ohio
KEY FIGURES: Abraham Lincoln
WORLD GOVERNMENTS
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Explain how the world's nations are governed differently and identify an example of each.
Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each type of government.
KEY TERMS: authoritarian, republic, communism, socialism
TYPES OF GOVERNMENTS: democracy (direct, representative), oligarchy, autocracy (monarchy, dictatorship)
POLITICAL STRUCTURES: unitary, confederation, federation, parliamentary
DEMOCRATIZATION
 Compare indicators of democratization in multiple countries.
KEY TERMS: gross domestic product, qualitative, quantitative, “per capita,” market economy, Freedom
House, universal suffrage, Myanmar
INDICATORS: GDP; internet users; education and literacy rate; economy and natural resources; culture, population, and elections;
RESOURCE USE
 Use geographic terms and tools to analyze case studies of policies and programs for resource use and management.
KEY TERMS: arable land, natural resources, import, export, renewable resources, sustainability, emissions, interdependence
KEY POLICIES/ORGANIZATIONS: Environmental Protection Agency of the US, Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Kyoto Protocol, Clean Air Act of 1970
FOREIGN POLICY

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Evaluate the influence of American foreign policy on other nations and the influences of other nations on American policies and society
Distinguish between approaches to foreign policy and examples of each.
KEY TERMS: tariffs, quotas, War Powers Act, isolation, diplomacy (internationalism), interventionalism, imperialism
DOMESTIC POLICY ISSUES: health, environment, economy, education, immigration
FOREIGN POLICY GOALS: spreading democracy, humanitarian help, world peace, national security
HUMAN RIGHTS
 Assess human rights policies of the United States and other countries.
KEY TERMS: universal human rights, Holocaust, Nanking Massacre, Japanese-American internment, reparations, United Nations, genocide, human trafficking, Human Rights Watch
KEY POLICIES: Geneva Conventions, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
When answering a test question, the first thing you should always do is read the question to make sure you understand it. Then it is helpful to identify the complexity level of the question (high, moderate, or low) so that you can know how much time to spend thinking about the question.
Low-Level Complexity
(LC)
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“Right there” questions – you can typically point to the answer in the lesson.
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Ask you to recognize or recall information
Moderate-Level Complexity
(MC)
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Goes beyond just remembering – ex. cause and effect relationships, determining why something is significant
High-Level Complexity
(HC)
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Requires more thinking, often have multiple steps, ask you to think abstractly
(often have a stimuli like a passage to read or map to analyze)

Complexity coding: LC, MC, HC
Note in multiple-choice questions, the answer choices are called distractors because there is not supposed to be one clear answer. A well-written multiple-choice question will have answer choices that all look correct. It is up to you to think and reason your way to the correct answer.
TIP: Sometimes items will ask you to apply what you learned in the course
AND what is in question to determine the best answer.
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Step 1: Read the stem (question) carefully.
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Step 2: Look for key words in the stem that will help you answer the question.
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Step 3: Try to answer the question or complete the sentence before looking at the answer choices.
 Step 4: Read each answer choice.
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Step 5: Eliminate the choices you know are incorrect.
 Step 6: Choose the BEST answer.
Multiple Choice Map Items
 Step 1: Read the stem carefully. This will help guide your study of the map.
 Step 2: Analyze the map and identify the key elements (title, labels, key/legend, compass rose, scale) needed to answer the question.
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Step 3: Read each answer choice, eliminate the choices you know are incorrect, and choose the
BEST answer.
TIP: Sometimes items ask you to apply what you learned in the course and what you can see on the map to determine the best answer.
Multiple Choice Document/Quotation Items
 Step 1: Read the stem and any information provided carefully. Determine the context of the document (who, what, when, why…)
 Step 2: Carefully read the text, using context clues to help you understand difficult or unfamiliar words.
 Step 3: Summarize what you read and apply to the question.
 Step 4: Read each answer choice, eliminate the choices you know are incorrect, and choose the
BEST answer.
Multiple Choice Graph/Chart Items
 Step 1: Read the stem and any information provided carefully.

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Step 2: Review the diagram, table or graph to determine the subject and purpose.
 Is there a title?
 What labels can I see?
 Are there trends in the information presented?
 What is the relationship between the information shown?
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Step 3: Summarize what you can tell from the diagram and apply to the question.
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Step 4: Read each answer choice, eliminate the choices you know are incorrect, and choose the
BEST answer.
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Step 1: Read the stem and any information provided carefully. Verify the length expectation for your response. (Note a paragraph is 5+ sentences.)
 Step 2: Plan out your answer before you start writing.
 Step 3: Restate the question, answer the question, and provide details from the course to
 support your response. Use terms from the course appropriately.
 Restate
 Answer
 Support
 Support (include at least 2 facts to support your answer)
Step 4: Reread your response to ensure that you have answered the question clearly and with support.