Benchmark Review Guide – 11/19/15
Foundations of Government:
1. What is a state and what is government?
2. What are the theories of the Origin of the State and how do they apply to the U.S.?
3. What is a Constitution?
4. What are the various types of governments and how are they different?
5. What are the systems of government and how are they different? Where are they best used?
6. How are presidential systems and parliamentary systems different?
7. How have English forms of government influenced the foundations of U.S. government?
8. How have classical and religious influences played a role in the formation of U.S. government?
9. Who are the enlightenment philosophers and how have they influenced the formation of U.S. government?
10. What impact did John Locke have on Jefferson when he wrote the Declaration of Independence?
11. What are the parts of the Declaration of Independence?
12. What were the Articles of Confederation? How was government structured under the Articles?
13. What made the Articles of Confederation a weak government?
14. What made the founding fathers realize that the Articles of Confederation needed to be replaced? Why?
15. What was the purpose of the Constitutional convention? Who was there? Who wasn’t there?
16. What were the New Jersey and Virginia plans? How were the different? Who did they make happy/unhappy? Who were the
people associated with them?
17. What is the significance of the Great Compromise? What did it entail?
18. What agreements were made concerning the Presidency and Washington, D.C.?
19. What is the significance of the 3/5ths Compromise?
20. What is the significance of the Slave Trade and Commerce Compromise?
21. Who were the Federalists? Who were some specific federalists? How did they feel about the Constitution?
22. Who were the Antifederalists? Who were some specific Antifederalists? Why were they against the Constitution?
23. What were The Federalist Papers? What was their purpose? Who wrote them?
Federalism & The Constitution
24. In the early years of the United States, how was Federalism interpreted by the government?
25. When modern Republicans are in control of the government, how do they view the role of federalism?
26. How is power divided in a Federal System?
27. Which functions are duties of the states and which functions are examples of duties of the federal government (list examples)?
28. What are some advantages of federalism?
29. Why did the Framers want a federal system in place?
30. Where in the U.S. government does the idea of Federalism come from?
31. What is the significance of McCulloch v. Maryland?
32. Who has primary say over interstate commerce?
33. What were the first types of grants-in-aid?
34. What are the different types of grants given by the Federal government and how are they different?
35. Why do states favor block grants?
36. What is an unfunded mandate?
37. What is a mandate?
38. What is devolution? When and why did it originate?
39. What are the different powers of the federal and state governments and be able to pick out examples?
40. What is the purpose of Article IV? What does it protect?
41. What are the National government’s guarantees/obligations to the states?
42. What are the States’ guarantees/obligations to the national government?
43. How are the interactions of states governed?
44. What is the significance of Gibbons v. Ogden?
45. In which direction does Federalism seem to be moving in the future?
46. What are the different types of federalism, which politicians are associated with those types of divisions, and which policy
initiatives stem from them?
47. How does the amendment process work in the U.S.?
48. What are the drawbacks of federalism?
Political Culture & Public Opinion:
1. What are the basic elements of US political Culture?
2. What does the phrase equality of results mean? Does it apply to American political thought?
3. What do Americans think of economic equality?
4. Why is there religious diversity in the U.S.?
5. How does Class consciousness factor into American politics?
6. What is political efficacy? How do most Americans view their own political efficacy?
7. What is political socialization? What are the main factors of American political Socialization?
8. Describe how party identification factors into most American families?
9. Describe the voting behavior of most American women?
10. What is a random sample?
11. What does margin of error mean? How does it work?
12. What beliefs tend to be characterized as liberal?
13. What beliefs tend to be characterized as conservative?
14. What is public opinion?
15. What is ideology? What things tend to impact ideology?
16. How do particular groups in America tend to behave politically?
Voting:
1. What acts/Laws have increased voting throughout U.S. history?
2. What is suffrage?
3. What is the Voting Rights Act of 1965?
4. Describe the characteristics of voters in the U.S.?
5. Describe the characteristics of non-voters in the U.S.?
6. How do people vote in the various elections?
7. How do the different voting blocs vote in the U.S.?
8. What are the various amendments that affect voting and how do they do so?
9. What are the functions of political parties?
10. What is the significance of Baker v. Carr