Study Guide

Outside of the terms below, you will need to know the following documents:

  • 9 Mandatory Supreme Court Cases

  • 7 Articles within the Constitution

  • 27 Amendments

Unit 1: Foundations

  • Representative democracy

    • Participatory democracy

    • Pluralist democracy

    • Elite democracy

  • Anti-federalist

  • Federalist

  • Faction

  • Shay’s rebellion

  • Electoral college

  • Virginia Plan

  • New Jersey Plan

  • Great Compromise

  • 3/5th Compromise

  • 10th Amendment

  • 14th Amendment

  • Ratification

  • Separation of Powers

  • Checks and Balance

  • Impeachment

  • Concurrent Powers

  • Categorical grants

  • Block grants

  • Mandates 

  • Delegated Powers

  • Implied powers

  • Enumerated powers

  • Elastic clause


Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government

  • Legislative Branch

    • Advise and consent

    • Conference committees

    • Congressional oversight

    • Delegate model

    • Politico model

    • Discharge petition

    • Enumerated powers

    • Expressed powers

    • Filibuster

    • Gerrymandering

    • House Judiciary Committee

    • Impeach

    • Implied powers

    • Logrolling

    • President of the Senate

    • President pro tempore

    • Reapportionment

    • Redistricting

    • Rules committee

    • Trustee model

    • Unanimous consent

    • War Powers Act

    • Ways and Means 


  • Executive Branch

    • Approval ratings

    • Articles of impeachment

    • Executive Order

    • Executive privilege

    • Expressed powers

    • Honeymoon period 

    • Lame duck

    • Line item veto

    • Cabinet

    • Chief of staff


  • Judicial Branch

    • Amicus curiae brief

    • Appellate jurisdiction

    • Attorney general

    • Concurring opinion

    • Defendant

    • Dissenting opinion

    • Judicial activism

    • Judicial review

    • Judicial self-restraint

    • Liberal constructionist

    • Litmus test

    • Majority opinion

    • Original jurisdiction

    • Precedent

    • Rule of four

    • Stare decisis

    • Earl Warren

    • Writ of Certiorari


  • Bureaucracy 

    • Freedom of Information Act (1966)

    • Hatch Act (1939)

    • Iron triangle

    • Issue networks

    • Legislative veto

    • Merit system

    • Patronage

    • Pendleton Civil Service Act (1883)

    • Red tape

    • Spoils system


Unit 3: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

  • Civil Liberties

  • Civil Rights

  • Rights of the Accused

  • Writ of habeas corpus

  • Ex post facto law

  • Procedural Due process

  • Substantive Due Process

  • Selective incorporation

  • Establishment clause

  • Free exercise clause

  • Clear and present danger test

  • Prior restraint

  • Unprotected speech

  • Libel

  • Obscenity

  • Eminent domain

  • Due process

  • Search warrant

  • Exclusionary rule

  • Double jeopardy

  • Civil rights

  • Natural rights

  • Affirmative action

  • Naturalization

  • Women’s suffrage

  • Equal protection clause

  • Due process clause

  • Literacy test


Unit 4: Political Ideologies and Beliefs

  • Political culture

  • Political socialization

  • Individualism

  • Equality of opportunity

  • Free enterprise

  • Rule of law

  • Limited government

  • Political ideologies

  • Liberal ideology (Democratic Party)

  • Conservative ideology (Republican Party)

  • Libertarian ideology


Unit 5: Political Participation

  • Electoral College

  • Free Rider

  • Horse Race

  • Interest Groups

  • Iron Triangles

  • Issue Networks

  • Media

  • Media Bias

  • Party Identification

  • Voting strategies 

  • Party Platforms

  • Political Action Committees (PACs)

  • Political Efficacy

  • Political Parties

  • Political Realignment

  • Third Party