Review Sheet for the Government Final Exam
Directions: The Review Sheet is a mandatory assignment worth 50 pts. (AP govt = 25 pts)
1) It must be HAND-WRITTEN, not typed. You are required to write in complete sentences.
2) Be sure to SKIP SPACES in-between each number.
DUE DATE: _____________
DEADLINE: _____________
1) Explain the difference between power, authority, and legitimacy.
2) Define sovereignty and explain how it relates to why a State (of the US) is not considered a state (country).
3) Identify the different types of geographic distribution of power. The European Union is ______ and the US is
______.
4) Identify two ways a prime minister can be removed from power (not including death or resignation).
5) Explain how a US President’s election is different from a UK’s prime minister selection.
6) Define coalition government and its significance to UK from 2010-2015.
7) Identify the different types of participation in government. The US Constitution created a __________.
8) List the (a) participation in government, (b) executive/legislative relations, and (c) geographic distribution of
power for the following countries: US, Mexico (post-PRI 2000), UK, Russian Federation, and China.
9) Identify the major components of Jeffersonian philosophy. Define strict construction.
10) Identify the major components of Hamiltonian philosophy. Define loose construction.
11) Identify the difference between dual and cooperative federalism and the years that each existed in the US.
12) Define “carrot and stick” policy and explain how it relates to cooperative federalism.
13) Define “unfunded mandate” and explain how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is an example of ADA.
14) Identify the difference between a block grant and a categorical grant. Identify which grant is most common.
15) Explain the Virginia and New Jersey Plans.
16) Explain the Great Compromise and identify the state that introduced it.
17) Identify the two groups that emerged over ratification of the US Constitution. Identify what convinced a
majority of states to ratify the US Constitution.
18) Identify the method most often used to amend the Constitution. (Proposal and ratification process)
19) Identify the significance of Barron v. Baltimore.
20) Briefly explain how the 14th Amendment has been used to overturn the Barron decision. (Be sure to mention
Gitlow V. New York (1925), the due process clause, and selective incorporation.
21) Identify how Hamilton and Madison supported ratification of the U.S. Constitution in the following Federalist
papers:
a) #10
b) #51
c) #78
22) Explain how the ideas of Locke and Montesquieu influenced writings of the Declaration of Independence
23) and the U.S. Constitution.
24) Identify whom the Democrats consider as their first President. Who was the first Republican President?
25) Identify the different types of minor parties that exist in the U.S.
26) Explain how minor parties can have an impact on US politics.
27) Explain how a political party differs from a pressure group (interest group).
28) Identify PACs and what advantage they have in campaign financing.
29) Identify how PACs are different from Super PACs.
30) Explain the significance of Buckley v Valeo (1976), Citizens United v FEC (2010), and McCutcheon v FEC (2014).
31) Identify the major sources of campaign funds for Congressional candidates.
32) Identify the major functions of American political parties. Which function is the most important?
33) Identify the primary factor in determining who participates in politics.
34) Define straight-ticket voter and split-ticket voter.
35) Identify the two types of ballots used in the US today. Which ballot makes straight ticket voting easiest?
36) Identify the major ways of nominating candidates in elections for public office today.
37) Identify which method is most often used for nominating candidates in state/federal elections AND local
elections.
38) Explain the difference between an open and closed primary. California uses a ___________________ primary.
39) Blanket primaries were ruled unconstitutional because of __________________ voting.
40) Explain the difference between a direct primary and a presidential primary.
41) Identify what is chosen at each party’s national convention and what is written and approved by the delegates.
42) Identify the federal commission that regulates campaign financing and expenditures at the national level and
the restrictions that are placed on individual and PAC contributions.
43) Explain how interest groups use lobbying and litigation to influence public policy. (For AP US gov’t only –
identify the symbiotic relationship that exists in an iron triangle (aka issue networks)).
44) Name the last SEVEN presidents and their political parties.
45) Identify and explain the difference between jus soli and jus sanguinis.
46) Identify how proportional representation is different from single-member-district. Explain why minor parties
prefer proportional representation.
47) Identify the qualifications to vote In the US today.
48) Identify the amendments that expanded voting qualifications. What restrictions can states place on voting
today?
49) Name 5 limitations on the powers of the president.
50) Identify the different roles of the President and the specific power of each role.
51) Name the extra constitutional roles of the president.
52) Identify the 20th, 22nd, and 25th amendments.
53) Identify the 3 major provisions of the War Powers Resolution of 1973. Explain why it is ineffective.
54) Define legislative veto and explain why it is unconstitutional.
55) Explain how a president may be removed from office. Identify other civil officers that are also removed by the
same process.
56) Identify and explain the feature in the Electoral College that determines how electoral votes are distributed by
most states. Identify how many electoral votes are needed to become President and how many total electoral
votes exist.
57) If no candidate receives a majority vote, identify how the President and Vice President are chosen.
58) Define the following presidential actions: line item veto, presidential veto, pocket veto, and signing statements.
59) Explain the significance of executive orders, executive privilege, and executive agreements.
60) Describe the impeachment process. How many presidents have been impeached and how many have been
convicted?
61) Identify the qualifications to be a member of the House of Representatives, a member of the US Senate, the
President, and the Vice President.
62) Define the elastic clause and the commerce clause. List two public policies passed by Congress based on both
clauses.
63) The 10th amendment reserves which policies for the states? Which clause applies when a federal policy conflicts
with a state policy?
64) Identify the significance of McCulloch v Maryland and Gibbons v Ogden.
65) Explain how the following help incumbents win reelection: pork barrel, franking privilege, and gerrymandering
66) Define legislative oversight. (AP US Gov’t only – explain the purpose of the CBO and the GAO)
67) Identify the criticism associated with logrolling and junkets.
68) Identify the significance of the House Ways and Means and the Senate Finance committees. (AP US Gov’t only –
define authorization, appropriations, and reconciliation bills)
69) Identify the most powerful committee and the most powerful person in the House of Representatives. How are
both typically chosen?
70) Identify how the House Rules committee can kill a bill. Identify the difference between an open and closed rule.
71) Explain how a filibuster can be defeated and why it does not exist in the House of Representatives.
72) If a bill passes one chamber, but is modified in another chamber, identify what must happen before the bill is
sent to the President.
73) Define census and explain how it impacts reapportionment of Congressional seats.
74) Explain how California addressed redistricting with Propositions 11 and 20.
75) Identify the three levels of federal courts. Identify the only court created by the US Constitution and how the
lower federal courts were created.
76) Identify the four different types of court jurisdiction. (AP US Gov’t only –Identify exceptions to Double Jeopardy)
77) Explain the significance of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and explain how the US Supreme Court upheld Congress’s
application of the commerce power.
78) Explain the significance of US v Lopez and how it influenced Chief Justice Roberts majority opinion regarding
Obamacare.
79) Identify the two major provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (remember the 3rd provision regarding
preclearance was ruled unconstitutional).
80) Identify the number of justices on the US Supreme Court and what is required for the court to ACCEPT a case
and DECIDE a case.
81) Identify the difference between a dissenting opinion and a concurring opinion.
82) Identify the writ issued when the US Supreme Court calls a case up AND identify the court order when it sends
the case down to a lower court to retry or rehear the case.
83) Identify the significance of Marbury v Madison (1803). Be sure to define judicial review and writ of mandamus.
(AP US Gov’t only-Identify the difference between statutory construction and judicial review)
84) Identify the significance of the following cases regarding suspect rights: a) Weeks v US (1914), b) Mapp v Ohio
(1961), c) Gideon v Wainwright (1963), d) Miranda v Arizona (1966)
85) Identify the significance of the following cases: a) Plessy v Ferguson (1896), b) Brown v Board of Education
(1954), c) Roe v Wade (1973), d) Planned Parenthood v Casey (1992), e) Obergefell v Hodges (2015) (AP US
Gov’t only – f) Griswold v Connecticut (1965), g) Swann v Charlotte-Mecklenberg, (1973), h) Bakke v CA Regents
(1978), i) Lawrence v Texas (2003))
86) Explain how strict scrutiny affects government discrimination based on race, whereas a rational basis approach
permits discrimination based on age and wealth. (AP US Gov’t only–what test is used for gender
discrimination?)
87) The 14th Amendment’s ___________ clause is used to end discrimination by the state, the _________ clause is
used to apply the Bill of Rights by the states.
88) Explain the difference between the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. (AP US gov’t only –
Identify the significance of Lemon test, Lynch v Donnelly, Sherber test, Smith v Division of Employment, Oregon,
and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act)
89) Identify when speech can be punished by the government. Define symbolic speech.
90) Identify the significance of New York Times v US and the Pentagon Papers.
91) Identify the difference between a criminal and civil case.
92) Define the following terms: extradition, full faith and credit clause, plea bargaining, and liability.
93) Identify and explain the three major tools of direct democracy that are used in California.
94) Identify the title of the most powerful leaders and the # of members in California’s State Assembly and State
Senate.
95) Identify the term limit restrictions placed on both California’s executive and legislative elected leaders.
96) Identify the qualifications for the following: CA state assembly, CA state senate, US House of Rep., US Senator.
97) Identify the number of counties in California and the title of the elected leaders that supervise counties.
98) Identify the title of the chief law enforcer for the state, county, and city.
99) Identify who is responsible for supervising elections in California.
100) Identify what all states must adopt before they are granted statehood.