CHAPTERS 1, 2 & 3 REVIEW
DISCLAIMER: The following is a review of the above named chapters. This review is not by any means
meant to be exhaustive; there is nothing for preparation like reading each chapter by the due date,
outlining the chapter, and defining key terms and concepts. This is meant to be used as a supplement to
establishing that foundation.
Chapter 1
1. Please be prepared to define and fully explain the concepts of policy agenda and the
policymaking process.
2. Be able to identify what the policymaking institutions established by the Constitutions are.
3. Know and be able to fully explain the philosophy of the Founding Fathers that played an integral
part in their fashioning of the Constitution and in essence our government.
4. Please be prepared to define and fully explain the similarities and differences between the three
contemporary theories of democracy.
5. Define and explain the concepts of government and power.
6. Define and explain the concept of a linkage institution, name the four linkage institutions and
relate the example of a linkage institution that was given in my lecture.
7. Define and explain the concepts of public policy and policy impacts.
8. Define the concept of political culture and know, identify and explain the five elements of
American political culture.
9. What is a culture war?
Chapter 2
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
Know what led to the revolutionary war.
Define and explain the concepts of natural rights and consent of the governed.
Explain why the founding fathers wanted limited government. (lecture)
Explain why the founding father altered Locke’s phrase with regards to his concept of natural
rights.
Explain the Articles of Confederation, what type of government was setup under the articles?
Was it a strong national government or strong states governments, etc.
What was Shay’s Rebellion and why was it significant?
What happened at Annapolis?
What happened at Philadelphia? Who attended the Constitutional Convention?
Explain the four philosophical tenets that was the basis of the founding fathers’ ideas written
into the Constitution.
Explain the New Jersey Plan, the Virginia Plan, the Connecticut Compromise, the Three-Fifths
Compromise and the decision regarding voting that occurred at the Convention.
Know the individual rights issues raised and written into the Constitution.
Explain the checks and balances in the Constitution.
Define and explain the difference between Federalist and Anti-Federalists.
23. Explain the formal amending process of the Consitution.
Chapter 3
24. Define and explain the differences between Federalism, Unitary government and Confederation.
25. What is the Supremacy clause?
26. Describe how national supremacy was established through our history particularly through the
decisions of McCulloch v. Maryland, Gibbons v. Ogden, the Civil War and the decision in Brown
v. Board of Education.
27. Define and explain full faith and credit.
28. What does the term “Privileges and Immunities” mean?
29. Explain the difference between dual federalism and cooperative federalism.
30. What is devolution?
31. What are mandates?
32. What is the difference between categorical grants and block grants.