AP U.S. Government & Politics
Unit 8: The Federal Budget and Economic Policy
Study Guide
Overview
Public Policy- 5-15%
- Influences on policymaking (public opinion, interest groups, lobbyists, PACs, political parties)
- Role of bureaucracy and the courts in implementing and interpreting policy
- Role of federalism in policymaking
Guiding questions
1. What roles do the president, bureaucracy, and Congress play in the formation of the federal budget?
2. How is the budgetary process influenced by various actors, interests, institutions, and processes?
3. How significant is the federal budget in terms of policy implementation?
4. How is the federal budget impacted by political considerations?
5. How does the federal government implement fiscal and monetary policy to control the economy?
Vocabulary
1. monetary policy
2. fiscal policy
3. entitlement program
4. Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
5. deficit
6. tax expenditures
7. incrementalism
8. uncontrollable expenditures
9. budget resolution
10. reconciliation
11. authorization bill
12. appropriations bill
13. continuing resolutions
14. mixed economy
15. unemployment rate
16. inflation
Readings from textbook Chapters 14 and 17
4/17 – pages 436-448
4/18 – pages 448-459
4/21 – pages 542-550
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
consumer price index
Keynesian economic theory
supply-side economics
transnational corporations
antitrust policy
Government actions
22. The Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974
23. House Ways and Means Committee
24. Sixteenth Amendment
25. Social Security Act
26. Medicare
27. Senate Finance Committee
28. Federal Reserve System
29. Federal Trade Commission
30. National Labor Relations Act
4/22 – Unit 8-9 vocabulary/policy process quiz
4/23 – Tentative date for Unit 7-9 Exam
This unit corresponds to Ch. 14 in the Herzog study guide. Review the sections on multiple choice and FRQ practice.
AP U.S. Government & Politics
Unit 9: Public Policy (Foreign and Domestic)
Study Guide
Overview
Public Policy- 5-15%
- Influences on policymaking (public opinion, interest groups, lobbyists, PACs, political parties)
- Role of bureaucracy and the courts in implementing and interpreting policy
- Role of federalism in policymaking
Guiding questions
1. What factors (actors, interests, institutions, and processes) influence the formation of public policy agendas including the impact of politics and the role of federalism?
2. What are “policy networks” and “issue networks” in the foreign and domestic policy arenas?
3. In what way do geographic location and key natural resources impact the United States’ relationship with other
countries?
4. How does U.S. foreign policy affect other countries worldwide?
5. How does the U.S. government use economic resources in foreign policy?
6. Examine the policymaking and implementation process, including the role of three branches of the federal
government and the bureaucracy.
7. What is the relationship between the federal government and state and local bureaucratic institutions in the
formation and implementation of public policy?
8. What current policy issues are being debated in American society (such as the environment, health care, foreign
policy, defense, social welfare, and economics)?
Vocabulary
31. problem identification
32. policy formation
33. policy adoption
34. policy implementation
35. policy evaluation
36. rational choice model
37. cost-benefit analysis
38. realism
39. liberalism
40. diplomacy
41. foreign aid
42. economic sanctions
43. political coercion
44. covert operations
45. military intervention
46. protectionism
47. free trade
48. means-tested programs
49. poverty line
50. feminization of poverty
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
tax incidence
environmental impact statement
interdependency
balance of trade
Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC)
Government actions
56. Recovery Act
57. No Child Left Behind
58. Affordable Care Act
59. World Trade Organization
60. Environmental Protection Agency
61. National Environmental Policy Act
62. Clean Air Act of 1970
63. Clean Water Pollution Control Act
64. Superfund
65. Secretary of State
66. Secretary of Defense
67. Joint Chiefs of Staff
68. Central Intelligence Agency
Readings from textbook Chapters 18, 19 and 20
Instead of reading these three chapters in the textbook, review the Unit 5 (Public Policy) topic – including Domestic and
Foreign Policy – on Shmoop.com. All vocabulary words in italics above are from Shmoop. The others can be found in the
textbook.
This unit corresponds to Ch. 14 in the Herzog study guide. Review the sections on multiple choice and FRQ practice.
4/22 – Unit 8-9 vocabulary quiz
4/23 – Unit 7-9 Exam (tentative)