AP gov FRQ

define direct democracy

rule by the people plus Making decisions without delegating authority to elected representatives (or Individual participation on legislation or policy)

define republican form of government

Authority is delegated to elected representatives to make decision on behalf of citizens

Describe one reason the framers of the United States Constitution chose a republican form of government over a

direct democracy

Fear of mob rule (tyranny of the majority)

• Size of country

• Elitism - inadequate

education/uninformed public

• Did not trust people

• To counter the influence of factions

• Preexistence of states

• Reinforcement of federalism

Explain how the following serves to limit interest group influence.

a) Pluralism

•Pluralism limits interest group influence because of the competition among a vast number of

groups.

Explain how each of the following limits the powers of the national executive.

i) Federalism

ii) Checks and balances

Federalism — divides power between national and state governments, which limits the authority

of the national executive.

• Checks and balances — the response must explain how other branches of government can check

(limit, restrict) what the executive can do. A correct example of a check or balance on the national

executive is acceptable to earn this point.

Identify the part of the national government that was originally most closely tied to citizens and explain how it

was tied to citizens.

the House of Representatives or Congress is most closely tied to citizens.

Acceptable explanations are:

• Members of the House are more directly elected than the president and were originally more

directly elected than members of the Senate.

• The shorter term length (or frequent elections) ties them to the people.

• Members must live in the state they represent.

• House members represent relatively small districts.

Explain two ways the United States Constitution limited majority rule.

Provisions that limit how the majority can

have an impact on government

• Electoral college

• U.S. senators originally selected by state

legislatures

• Longer terms of senators

• Independent judiciary

• Life tenure for U.S. Supreme Court justices

• Appointment process

• Representative form of government

Provisions that limit the power

of government

• Bill of Rights

• Expressed powers

• Specific prohibitions (e.g., ex post facto

laws, bills of attainder)

• Separation of powers

• Checks and balances

• Federalism

• Bicameralism

Compare state sovereignty under the Articles of Confederation and under the Constitution.

Compare state sovereignty under the Articles of Confederation and under the Constitution.

Explain how each of the following has been used to expand the power of the federal government over the states.

i) Commerce clause

commerce clause - Federal gov/ congress controls interstate commerce and the states cannot control; it is an exclusive federal authority

• federal gov./ US supreme court increases the power of the federal government througg h decisions and the states cannot; it is a exclusive federal authority

Explain how each of the following has been used to expand the power of the federal government over the states.

ii) Mandates

mandates

-the federal gov. directs the states to implement policies, thus reducing state discretion and increasing federal discretion

Explain how each of the following has played a role in the devolution of power from the national government to

the states.

i) Block grants

block grants- broad federal funding that allows states to have more discretion in how funding is spent, thus states have greater flexibility in policy implementation

Explain how each of the following has played a role in the devolution of power from the national government to

the states.

ii) Supreme Court decisions

supreme court decisions

• struck down encroachments of national gov. attempts to take states' power, thereby protecting states' powers.

• through the use of judicial review, state power is protected

Describe one reason that the framers chose to use the Electoral College as the method to elect the president.

-compromise between big and small states

-protection against direct election by uninformed citizens/ cater to elites

-did not trusts the people, congress, or state legislatures to solely select president

-reinforced federalism and gave states a role in presidential selection

Describe each of the following constitutional provisions

i) Supremacy Clause

The Supremacy clause establishes that federal laws/United States Constitution take precedence

over state laws/state constitutions.

Describe each of the following constitutional provisions

ii) Tenth Amendment

• The Tenth Amendment establishes that powers not delegated to the federal government are

reserved to the states.

Explain how one of the following court ruling changed the balance of power between the national government

and state governments.

i) United States v Lopez

• The Court's decision in Lopez struck down a federal law creating gun-free school zones, which

limited the power of the federal government in relation to the states.

• The Court's decision in Lopez adopted a more narrow interpretation of Congress's use of the

Commerce Clause, which limited the power of the federal government in relation to the states.

One point is earned for an explanation of how Obergefell v. Hodges affected the balance of power between

Explain how one of the following court ruling changed the balance of power between the national government

and state governments.

ii) Obergefell v Hodges

The Court's decision in Obergefell declared that state laws prohibiting recognition of same-sex

marriage violate the United States Constitution, which limited the power of state governments.

Describe two advantages of federalism for the creation of public policy in the United States.

States can make policy specific to their individual needs.

• States serve as laboratories of democracy/policy innovators.

• The federal government can establish uniform policy, if and when necessary.

• Multiple access points increase the likelihood of success in policymaking.

• States can make policy in the absence of national consensus.

• The federal government is able to distribute necessary resources.