AP Gov Review
Hub dates/Eras
• Birth of a nation
• Articles of Confederation (AOC) drafted-document
held states together until Shays’s rebellion
• Need for stronger document after rebellion so
meeting held in Philadelphia to amend AOC
• Madison comes w/plan to write new doc
• Constitution written (secretly) w/ Great
Compromise and 3/5 Compromise
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Balance of power-3 branches
Fed vs Anti-Fed
Fed papers written to get ratification
Bill of Rights promised
Post Constitution
• Marshall’s Supreme Court expands the
power of the Fed gov’t- uses
commerce clause and Necessary and
proper clause
• Mc Cullough v Maryland
• Gibbons Ogden
• Congress seat of power
• George Washington sets precedent of
two terms
Pre-Civil War
• State vs Fed power
• States under Tanney court re assert
themselves
• Dred Scott decision-Scott has no rights, states
may have slavery
Post Civil War
• Amen 13,14,15 added to Const
• 13-freed slaves
• 14- all citizens…equal protection…due
process…states…(later is used for
incorporation)
• 15-suffrage for men
• Gilded Age later- yellow journalism,
high voter turnout due to patronage,
pressure
Great Depression/New Deal
• FDR’s New Deal
• Fed gov’t takes charge-implements w/
Congress new federal programs to
stimulate econ and create jobs
• Social Security, unemployment, “welfare state”
• Supreme Court at first ruled against FDR,
then w/ him after court packing threat
• Imperial Presidency
Watergate/Vietnam
• Declining trust in gov’t due to
Watergate scandal and Vietnam
• Public has never trusted pres/gov’t at preNixon levels
• Press role as watchdog increases 4th
branch
The Constitution set up a Republic not a
Democracy
• Constitution was established to address the
weaknesses of the Articles of Confed that
held the nation together during the Rev war
• Divisions between the Federalists (Hamilton) and
the Anti Fed (Jefferson)
• Stronger Executive created
• More powers to Congress
• Great Comp –House and Senate
• 3/5 Comp-counting people for House
• Checks and balances between branches, also
shared powers
• Writing a Bill of Rights agreed on in order to
ratify Const-Federalist papers to convince
Americans to support Constitution
Supreme Court cases
• Marbury v Madison
• Set precedent that SC would determine
actions by other two braches constitutional
or not
Federalism-Article IV, Amendment 10
• Advantages: Get people involved,
laboratory for ideas at state level,
states maintain identity
Fed Continued Layer Cake
• Things only Fed gov
does:
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Declare war
Coin $
Patents
Treaties with foreign
nations
Estab post offices
Punish piracies
Support army, navy
etc.
Regulate interstate
commerce
• Things only states
do/did
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Education (originally)
Drivers licenses
Marriage licenses
Regulate intra state
commerce
Fed Continued Marble Cake
• Both Fed and state gov:
• Make laws
• Tax people
• Have courts
Federalism Supreme Court cases
• Expanded power of Fed gov:
• Mc Culloch v Maryland 1819: yes, Fed gov can
establish a bank, the states may not tax it
• Gibbons v Ogden: Fed gov can regulate interstate
commerce (ferry boats licenses were the issue)
1824
• Texas v Johnson-states may not punish freedom
of expression in the case of flag burning
• Oregon may have right to die laws
Federalism Supreme Court cases
• Limited power of Fed gov
• US v Loez1995- Fed gov had gone too far with
gun leg-it wasn’t interstate commerce gun free
zones near schools
• Printz v US 1997-background checks for hand
guns as written in the Brady Act were unconstbut states cold have them WWLB 153
• Planned Parenthood v Casey-states may pass
abortion restrictions as long as the law does not
place “undue burden” on the woman
Legislative branch: Congress Article I
• Bicameral-House and Senate
• Enumerated powers: coin $, declare
war, borrow $ maintain army, navy,
estab post offices, issue patents,
promote science and art, piracies etc
• Implied powers: Necessary and Proper
clause/elastic clause
• Commerce Clause-used to expand
power of Congress
Only need majority to pass a bill 218 in
House, 51 in Senate!
• House
• 25 years old
• 2 year term
• 435 members frozen in
1929
• Bills of Revenue must
originate in House
• Closer to the people
• # depends on census every
10 years-districts re draw
may lead to safe seats of
gerrymandering
• Rules committee=house
moves faster
• Majority party is king
• Members more extreme
• Senate
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30 years old
6 year term
2 per state
100
No rules committee
More prestigious
Less formal than House
Executive duties-confirm
ambassadors, ratify
treaties, confirm SC
nominees
• Sit on more committees
• Minority party has lots of
power due to Clotureneed 60 votes to end
debate
Executive Branch Article II
• Power has increased- especially since
Great Depression and New Deal
• “imperial presidency”
• 30, natural born citizen
• Amend 22-held to 2 four year terms
• Formal Powers
• Commander in Chief
• Convene Congress
• Make treaties
(w/consent of
Senate)
• Nominate
ambassadors
• Nominate Supreme
Court appointees and
other Federal judges
• Give State of the
union address
• Informal powers
• Bully pulpit to bring
attention to issues
from Global Warming
to exercise
• Power images: Air
Force One, Pres seal,
Hail to the Chief
• Media attentioninstant platform
Political Culture
• Aspects that are somewhat unique to US
• Religion in politics
• Gun ownership
• 2 party system
• Political socialization
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Family
School
Peers
Media
• Culture war exaggerated by media- most
Americans are moderate
• Trust in gov declined after Vietnam,
Watergate
Ideology
• Liberal/Left/Dems
• Less gov intrusion in
social issues
• More gov assistance for
financial issues
• Less spending on defense
(historically)
• Regulation needed to
protect citizens
• Conservative/Right/
Rep (GOP)
• Less gov intrusion in
financial or business,
• Less regulation of
business-too much reg
stymies innovation and
job creation
• Uphold traditional values
(this is somewhat recent)
• Maintain strong military
Electoral process
• It’s Complicated-little of this is in Const
except Electoral College
• Winner take all-majority of votes gets all
Electoral Votes
• Primaries for Pres Elections:
• Open, closed and blanket primaries
• Has changed, used to be back room deals
• Conventions highly scripted, debut for VP
• Less id with parties
• BCRA attempt to limit $
• Outlaws “soft Money”
• parts have been struck down-Wisconsin
Right to Life-limits on Corporate donations
UNCOST
• $2,000 limit per person per cycle adjusted
for inflation
• Loophole created 527s-unlimited funds for
“issue ads”
Influences
• Lobbyists
• Interest Groups-AMA, NRA, unions,
Sierra Club, Insurance Companies
• They may hire lobbyists and form PACs
• PACs-interest groups form PACs
• Give more to incumbent members of
House
• Donation limits
Voter turnout
• Old people vote
• young people don’t
• Wealthier people tend to vote in greater
numbers
• Ditto for white voters
• African Americans most consistent group
• Hispanic turnout low-usually Dem, but can
split
• Low voter turnout for Asians-lean right
Supreme Court Cases and Elections
• Baker v Carr 1962• Equal protection Clause of Amend 14 used- Fed
gov can decide reapportionment in states
• Rural districts were over represented, urban
under rep (racial overtones)
• Buckley v Valeo 1976
• $ is speech
• Candidate can use as much of their personal $ as they
want
• Bush v Gore 2000• Stopped Florida recount in two counties under
equal protection-ballots not the same-election
went to Pres Bush
Media The Fourth Branch
• Ideally a watch dog-Watergate
Agenda Setter
• Now more intrusive to candidates
personal lives
• Scorekeeper during elections
• Polling role-stratified, tracking polls
• NY Times v Sullivan-1949-made
slander difficult to prove actual malice
• NY Times v US-Pentagon papers could
be published