AP Gov: Full AP Exam Review

Required SCOTUS Cases & Documents, Constitutional Amendments, Articles of Constitution

First Amendment

Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition

Second Amendment

Right to bear arms

Third Amendment

No quartering of soliders

Fourth Amendment

No unlawful searches and seizures

Fifth Amendment

Due process, no double jeopardy, right to remain silent, no gov. seized property w/o just compensation

Sixth Amendment

Speedy and public trial, jury of peers, public defender if needed

Seventh Amendment

Jury Trial in Civil Cases, in suits over $20

Eighth Amendment

No excessive fines, no cruel and unusual punishment

Ninth Amendment

Non-listed (in consitution) rights are remained by the people

Tenth Amendment

Rights reserved to states and/or the people

Fourteenth Amendment

Birthright citizenship, equal protection under law

Article One

Legislative Department - organization, powers, restraints

Article Two

Executive Department - powers, restraints, duties, & elections

Article Three

Judicial Department - powers, jurisdiction, restraints, definition of treason

Article Four

Relations of the States - To each others and to the federal government. Guarantees to states. Government of territories.

Article Five

Amendment Process

Article Six

Debts of Confederation, “supremacy clause,” duties of officials.

Article Seven

Ratification

Gideon v. Wainwright

FL wouldn’t appoint lawyer to state felony case; Gideon won - fair trials require lawyers, all felony cases require defense

Brown v. Board of Education

Segregated schools were not “separate but equal;” overturned Plessy v. Ferguson; Brown won -  Education is essential and should be equal, diversity is important

Engel v. Vitale

Optional prayer at school; Engel won - school prayer forces religion

Wisconsin v. Yoder

Amish & forced schooling; can’t force school past 8th grade if against religion; Yoder won - mandatory religious disobedience is morally (and lawfully) incorrect

Schneck v. US

Flyers discouraging draft participation; time of peace vs. time of war; US won - speech was harmful to current war effort

NYT v. US

Pentagon papers suit; Publish confidential documents?; NYT won - gov. has no right to silence press b/c they don’t like what is being said

Tinker v. Des Moines

Arm bands in protest of Vietnam; Tinker won - students retain right of free speech, while non-disruptive, at school

McDonald v. Chicago

Chicago tried to limit gun usage w/ extensive background checks, applications; McDonald won - 2nd amendment applied equally to all states and citizens, no extensive restrictions to gun ownership

McCulloch vs. Maryland

Second National Bank in MD, Maryland said no, McCulloch said yes bc of “necessary and proper clause” - McCulloch Won

US v. Lopez

Lopez carried gun onto school property, GFSCA restricts this under commerce clause; US - Commerce clause restricts guns on school property, Lopez - gun legislation is a state right; Lopez won, commerce clause is not blank check

Baker v. Carr

TN had not redrawn their congressional districts in many years leaving rural votes counting more than urban votes. Baker sues citing 14th amendment; Carr (for TN) argues that voting districts are non-justiciable; Baker wins with SCOTUS saying reapportionment is judicial, if not political

Shaw v. Reno

NC drew two black majority congressional districts; Shaw - districts cannot be drawn racially; Reno - districts were drawn racially to support minority communities. Shaw won; racial gerrymandering of any kind is unconstitutional.

Marbury v. Madison

Jefferson wouldn’t honor Adam’s judge appointments, Marbury upset and sues. Marbury - is entitled to his judgeship under law; Madison - No law required to honor appointment.

SCOTUS Original Jurisdiction in question: SCOTUS can rule on case and require writ of mandamus, but not allowed to issue it because Marbury isn’t a state and, therefore, outside of SCOTUS original jurisdiction.

Citizens v. Federal Elections Committee (FEC)

Citizens United - made slam movie about Hiliary Clinton within 60 days before election, against BCRA’s rule. CU argues that speech is protected under 1st amendment; FEC argues that corporations are not individuals and not entitled to protected speech. CU won saying that limited election speech is same as gov. censorship.

Federalist 10

Madison; Warns of the danger of factions. Solution is either removing the cause or limit the effects. A republic government will dilute the effect of factions.

Brutus No. 1

Brutus; Confederacy > Republic; should have 13 confederated state governments and not one federal government. Fear of “necessary and proper” clause and fear of inability for states to raise taxes for themselves. Fear of federal courts overpowering state courts

This country will become too large to form a government that represents the people.

Federalist 51

Madison; Liberty will be upheld through seperation of power, federalism, checks and balances.

The more checks on the government, the more successful it will be in protecting liberty and freedom. Compromise and concession will be necessary for progress.

Federalist 70

Hamilton; one, energetic executive is essential. More executives leads to less energy and accountability. One executive will make it easy to blame success and failure; bring accountability.

Federalist 78

Hamilton; judicial branch. Lifetime appointments for federal judges. Life tenure will create impartial judges w/o any concern for votes, opinions, or political parties.

Courts are intermediary body between people and congress.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail

MLK Jr.; “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere”

Nonviolent direct action is essential for civil rights progress. Freedom is never voluntarily handed to the oppressed; an event is needed. Disappointed in white moderates who urged caution and silence.

Supply side economics (Reganomics)

Republican; lower taxes, deregulation, reduced government spending will fuel economy from the top because the wealthy will spend more

Demand Side Economics

Democratic; government intervention through increased public spending and tax cuts for the working/middle class. Give the middle class more spending power.