American Government Final Review Sheet
What were the purposes of the government spelled out in the Preamble?
What group handled most governmental matters in Charter colonies?
What were the main ideas of the Declaration of Independence?
Which of the basic principles of the Constitution do the words WE the people
refer to?
5. How can the legislative branch check the power of the judicial branch?
6. What is meant by the term separation of powers?
7. What are concurrent powers?
8. What is federalism?
9. What is the full faith and credit clause?
10. What determines the political party that people belong to?
11. What is the biggest contribution of minor parties?
12. What are the functions of the major political parties?
13. What were the provisions of the voting rights acts of 1965 and its amendments in
1970, 1975 and 1982?
14. What is political socialization?
15. What act established a commission to look into claims of individual voter
discrimination?
16. What is the most significant predictor of a person’s partisan voting behavior?
17. Why do most states require voters to register?
18. What is gerrymandering?
19. What is the purpose of a poll watcher?
20. What is a precinct?
21. What is typically the most expensive item in a campaign budget?
22. What is a labor union?
23. What is a lobbyist?
24. What is propaganda?
25. What are the requirements for becoming a US Senator?
26. What dictates the number of seats held in the Senate by each state?
27. When must congressional elections be held?
28. Why does the constitution ensure members of Congress that they will not be
prosecuted for thing they say in relation to congressional business?
29. What branch has the sole power to declare war?
30. Who has the power to propose constitutional amendments?
31. What was the significance of McCulloch vs. Maryland?
32. What the main reason for committees in Congress?
33. What is the first step of introducing a bill to the House?
34. What is the purpose of a Conference committee?
35. What options are available to President who has just received a bill passed buy
Congress?
36. What is a filibuster?
37. What is the purpose of the 25th amendment?
38. What was the purpose of the Presidential Succession Act of 1947?
39. What is the 1st session at the national convention generally devoted to?
40. How did the Framers of the Constitution call for the president to be elected?
41. What was the importance of the 12th amendment?
42. What gives the President the power to issue executive orders?
43. What is the difference between a treaty and an executive agreement?
44. How are cabinet members appointed and approved?
45. What were the most glaring weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
46. What is jurisdiction?
47. What court has original jurisdiction over most cases heard in Federal Court?
1.
2.
3.
4.
48. What purposes do Federal Marshals serve?
49. Name all of the judicial system’s special courts?
50. How long are the terms of judges appointed to constitutional courts?
51. What determines the basis of which Federal courts can hear and decide cases/
52. What is the Free Exercise Clause?
53. Why were individual rights added to the Constitution?
54. What is the purpose of the establishment clause?
55. What was the original purpose of the 2nd Amendment?
56. What is the purpose of a writ of Habeas Corpus?
57. What is double jeopardy?
58. What was the significance of Jones v. Mayer (1968) and Runyon v. McCrary
(1976)?
59. What 2 amendments protect due process?
60. What was the significance of Furman v. Georgia ( 1972)?
61. What are the provisions of the 4th amendment?
62. What must a police officer have in order to make an arrest/
63. What was the intended purpose of affirmative action?
64. How can a person become an American Citizen?
65. What was the significance of the University of California v. Bakke?
66. What is the social contract theory?
67. What is a divine right advocate?
68. What is public policy? Give examples.
69. What are some of the problems with a presidential government?
70. What is the law of supply and demand?
71. What was the Commerce and slave trade compromise?
72. What were the foundations used for the crafting of the U.S. Constitution?
73. What is separation of powers?
74. Which branch plays the largest role in the amendment process?
75. How can the Supreme Court shape the constitution?
76. Draw a Venn diagram showing Delegated powers of the national government,
Powers denied to the states, concurrent powers, powers denied to the national
government, and powers denied to both the state and national government?
77. What are grants-in-aid?
78. What is the least democratic way for nominating a candidate?
79. What is the major motivator for contributors of political campaigns?
80. What are interest groups?
81. How have congressional terms changed since 1789/
82. Why does the party in power tend to lose seats in congress in an off year election?
83. Draw a Venn diagram showing the beliefs of strict and liberal constructionist?
84. What can congress do if the work loads of federal courts become to heavy/
85. What is a select committee?
86. What 2 things have caused the greatest growth in presidential power?
87. Which employees does the president most likely have the most influence over?
88. What is original jurisdiction?
89. What is a docket?
90. How does the Supreme Court Check and balance congress?
91. What are the limitations to citizen’s right to assemble?
92. What was the significance of Brown v. Board of Education?