AP Government Exam Review Guide

Principle of Federalism

Power is shared between the central government and state governments.

Where does government authority in the U.S. come from?

The constitution

“If all men were…” —Madison

“…angels, no government would be necessary.”

Central issue in framing the U.S. Constitution

How strong to make the central government

Virginia Plan & New Jersey Plan

Virginia Plan: The Virginia Plan sought to have representation based on population. (Since big states would have more representation this way).

New Jersey Plan: The New Jersey Plan wanted equal representation. (Afraid of big-state tyranny).

Necessary & Proper Clause

(AKA the Elastic Clause) Gives congress the ability to make all laws which shall be deemed necessary and proper to carry out expressed powers.

• Allows for Implied Powers

• Was upheld in McCulloch v. Maryland

Branches of Government

• Legislative (Bicameral Congress)

• Executive (President)

• Judicial (SCOTUS)

The Great Compromise

Established two houses in Congress (Bicameralism).

• The Senate (Upper House) would be based on equal representation; each state got 2 Senators.

• The House of Representatives (Lower House) would be based on population.

Dealing w/ Slavery Question in the Constitution

3/5 Compromise: Counted slaves as 3/5 of a person so as to give South more representation.

Slave Trade Compromise: Extended the slave trade for another 20 years after which it would be banned.

Characteristics of the Electoral College

• Elects the President

• Each state is given a number of electors equal to the number of senators and representatives that it has in Congress.

• Electors vote for whoever wins the popular vote in a Winner-Take-All System, except in Nebraska & Maine where there is a Proportional System.

• 270 electoral votes are required to win

Numbers in the House and Senate

• 100 members in the Senate

  • Have 6-year terms, staggered elections

• 435 members in the House of Representatives

  • Have 2-year terms

The Census

• Occurs every 10 years

• Counts population so as to redistribute seats in congress (reapportionment) according to gains and losses in population.

• Also calls for redistricting—the redrawing of district lines.

Gerrymandering

The legislative process by which the majority party in each state legislature redraws congressional districts to ensure maximum number of seats for its candidates

• Redistricting done to benefit a specific party by basing district lines on the demographics of residents.

Why have a Filibuster and its Characteristics

• Unlimited debate in the Senate allows for a filibuster which is where you talk a bill to death so as to kill it or prevent action on it.

• To end a filibuster, a Cloture Vote (60 votes aka 3/5 of Senate) is needed.

Where most of work in congress gets done

In committees

Constituents

The people elected officials represent.

Presiding Officer of the House & Senate

• House: Speaker of the House

  • Elected by the majority party

• Senate: Vice President

  • If VP is not present, the President Pro Tempore presides.

Separation of Powers & Checks and Balances

• The President has the power to veto legislature

• Congress has the power to override a veto with a 2/3 majority-vote

• The Supreme Court can rule both executive and legislature unconstitutional

• The House can initiate impeachment and the Senate tries it

• Senate must approve presidential appointments

• Congress can withhold funding

Types of Committees

• Standing Committee: Permanent, present in both houses, focuses on particular areas, members become experts on their area, all bills go to standing committees, are divided into subcommittees.

• Select Committee: Temporary, separate in each house, study specific issues (investigations).

• Conference Committee: Special type of joint committee that reconciles bills (makes Senate & House versions match up).

• Joint Committee: Made up of members from both houses; mundane, day to day tasks.

Engel v. Vitale

Does reciting a prayer in school violate the 1st amendment’s Establishment Clause?

Was ruled unconstitutional and was incorporated via 14th amendment.

Wisconsin v. Yoder

Does the state have a compelling interest in the education of Amish kids’ education past the 8th grade? Does requiring school past the 8th grade violate the 1st amendment’s Free Exercise Clause?

SCOTUS ruled in favor of Yoder and was incorporated via 14th amendment.

Marbury v. Madison

Established Judicial Review

Gideon v. Wainwright

Gideon was declined an attorney in the state of Florida because his case wasn’t capital, and he was too poor to afford one.

Court ruled in favor of Gideon, incorporated the 6th amendment to states—the right to counsel in all cases, and to be provided with one if you are too poor.

Brown v. Board of Education

• Did segregation challenge the 14th amendment’s Equal Protection Clause?

• Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson

• “Separate but equal” was inherently unequal

• Lead to desegregation of schools / outlawed segregation

Selective Incorporation

The process by which individual liberties (the Bill of Rights) are applied to the states (because the first 10 originally only applied to the Federal Government).

Done through the 14th amendment’s Due Process Clause.

Called selective because they weren’t all incorporated at once.

Basic Elements of U.S. Political Culture

• Liberty

• Democracy

• Individualism

• Civic Duty

Where do people get their political values from?

• Family, friends, the media, current government, school/education, religion…

• Primarily FAMILY—family is #1 factor.

Political Efficacy

The belief that your vote counts; belief that you can participate in politics and/or that the government will respond/listen to you.

How do Americans typically view economic equality?

Americans have a strong sense of equality of opportunity, and so they believe that everyone should have the same rate of pay, same access to economic resources, to opportunities, and to wealth, regardless of race, gender, etc.

African Americans tend to vote…

Liberal, typically leaning overwhelmingly Democratic.

(Also vote less)

How the South, West, and Northeast typically vote…

• South: Votes conservative

• Northeast: Votes liberal

  • Northerners typically vote more than Southerners

• West: Votes liberal

Qualities of Conservative & Liberal Voters

• Conservatives: Believe in a limited government and are pro-business/anti-regulation. They are individualistic, support a meritocracy where everyone rises based on their own efforts, champion states’ rights, are isolationists, are pro-death penalty, and are pro-life. They also support traditional family values.

• Liberals: Support big government and push for involvement and for civil rights. They are society over individual, are internationalists, want to increase government regulation and taxes on the rich, they support environmental and welfare programs, and are pro-choice.

Effect of College Education on Voting

As schooling increases, the more likely one is to vote in general, and to vote liberal.

Why incumbents get re-elected

• Can raise more money

• Have more visibility

• Low Voter-Turnout during such elections

Open & Closed Primaries

• Open Primaries: People from either party can choose to vote either democrats or republicans (just one of them, though). They don’t have to be affiliated with a single party, however.

• Closed Primaries: People can only vote for the party they are a registered member of—they must declare who they are affiliated with.

How 527’s effect elections

527’s are tax-exempt organizations created to influence the nomination/election of a candidate.

Causes of Factions

• The Nature of Man—people are people

• Factions are caused by the differing opinions of man and by the unequal distribution of property.

• Madison said you could either remove the causes of factions or control its effects, but to get rid of its causes would be to get rid of liberty and give everyone the same opinion (which is impractical).

Effect of Campaign Finance of 1974

• Lead to a rapid increase in the establishment of PACs

• Limited individual contributions to campaigns

• Created the Federal Election Committee (FEC)

• Attempted to regulate Soft Money.

Amendments that affect voting

• 15th: right to vote regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude

• 17th: Direct election of Senators

• 19th: Gave women the right to vote

• 23rd: Gave D.C. electoral votes

• 24th: Outlawed poll taxes

• 26th: Gave 18-year-olds the right to vote

Shield Laws

Laws which allow people, specifically journalists/reporters, to withjold certain information such as confidential sources.

Strength of Representative Democracy

Allows people to gain through competitive elections

Allows for a large scope of ideas to be considered

Controls factions and prevents a majority-tyranny

Articles of Confederation had what?

• A weak central government which couldn’t tax, raise an army, regulate or coin money, and did not have an executive or judicial branch.

• It only had a legislative branch which was unicameral.

• Was essentially a League of Friendship where the states were more powerful than the central government.

Interest Groups

Influence policymaking and are protected under the 1st amendment.