AP Government and Politics Exhaustive Review Guide

AP Gov Review Strategy and Notebook Preparation

Preparation Strategy: Students should create an organized review notebook specifically for the open-book exam.
Time Management: Time is a critical issue during the exam; students cannot waste it looking up information. Having a notebook ensures info is at their fingertips.
Notebook Sections: The review notebook should have clear sections to facilitate quick navigation: * Required Documents * Required SCOTUS Cases * Unit 1: Constitutional Foundations * Unit 2: Interactions w/ Branches of Government * Unit 3: Civil Liberties & Civil Rights

Required Foundational Documents

Declaration of Independence

Natural Rights: All people are created equal and are endowed with rights to Life, Liberty, and Property.
Purpose of Government: Governments are created for the specific purpose of protecting these natural rights.
Right to Revolution: If a government fails to protect these rights, the People have a duty to change or destroy it.
Caveat on Change: Imperfect governments should not be destroyed for light causes; only those seeking to subject people to Tyranny (the destruction of Natural Rights) should be overthrown.
Big Idea: American political development is characterized by a balance between governmental power and individual rights.

Articles of Confederation

Structure: A confederation of states characterized by an extremely limited central government.
Limitations: The central government was rendered ineffective at governing growing states due to imposed limitations.
Sovereignty: Each state remained sovereign.
Legislature: A unicameral legislature where each state received one vote.
Missing Branches: There was no President and no Judiciary.
Financial and Military Weakness: The government could not force taxation and lacked a standing army.
Big Idea: The framework established a weak national government where states held more power.

Federalist 10

Factions: Argues that a strong, united republic is more effective at controlling "factions" than individual states.
The Large Republic: A large republic helps control factions because as more representatives are elected, a greater number of opinions are present.
Prevention of Oppression: Diverse opinions make it far less likely for a single majority to oppress the rest of the population.

Brutus I

Anti-federalist Perspective: A series of essays designed to encourage New Yorkers to reject the proposed Constitution.
Loss of Liberty: The immense power of the federal government requires people to sacrifice their liberties.
Bill of Rights: Asserted that a bill of rights was necessary to protect the people from the government.
Congressional Power: Argued that Congress possessed too much power regarding taxation, standing armies, and the Elastic Clause (Necessary and Proper Clause).
Territorial Limits: A free republic cannot exist in a territory as large as the United States.
Judicial Tyranny: Judicial authority is expected to broaden federal power, eventually leading to tyranny.

The Constitution, Bill of Rights, and Amendments

Purpose: Provides an outline of federal government structure, powers, and the limits of those powers.
Three Branches: Establishes Legislative ( $L$ ), Executive ( $E$ ), and Judicial ( $J$ ) branches under the principle of Separation of Powers.
Checks and Balances: The branches are designed to limit each other’s power.
Federal System: Organizes the government into a federal system.
Supremacy: The Constitution is established as the Supreme Law.
Bill of Rights Overview: * Amendments $1$ through $8$ : Individual Rights. * Amendment $9$ : Rights not listed are NOT denied to the People. * Amendment $10$ : Powers not granted to the Federal Government nor denied to the states are Reserved State Powers.
Amendment Trends: Amendments generally represent expansions of people's rights, specifically mentioning Amendments $13$ , $14$ , $15$ , $17$ , $19$ , $22$ , $24$ , and $26$ .
Big Idea: The Constitution emerged from debates over the Articles' weaknesses as a blueprint for limited government.

Federalist 51

Branch Structure: Proposes a government broken into three branches: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
Self-Sufficiency and Power: Each branch should be self-sufficient but possess power over others to prevent any single branch from taking over the government.
Legislative Division: The Legislative branch is split into the House of Representatives and the Senate because it is the most powerful branch.
Judicial Appointments: Members of the Judicial branch must be chosen by the President with Senate approval to ensure qualified candidates for life-long positions.
Controlling Factions: This style of government helps suppress the power of factions ( $recurring theme from Federalist 10$ ).
Big Idea: The Constitution created a competitive policy-making process to ensure the will of the people is represented and freedom is preserved.

Federalist 70

Unitary Executive: Argues for unity in the executive branch as a main ingredient for energy and safety.
Energy: Arises from the proceedings of a single person characterized by "decision, activity, secrecy, and dispatch."
Safety: Arises from the unitary executive's unconcealed accountability to the people.
Congressional Balance: A slow-moving Congress (designed for deliberation) is balanced by a quick, decisive executive.
Autonomous Power: Balance is achieved only if each branch has enough autonomous power to prevent tyranny of one branch over others.
Duration: Argues for a presidential term long enough to promote governmental stability.
Support: Defined as a presidential salary, which attracts capable, honest men and insulates them from corruption.
Big Idea: The presidency has been enhanced beyond its expressed constitutional powers.

Federalist 78

Strengthening the Judiciary: As the "weakest of the three departments of power," the Judiciary needs strengthening.
Independence: Without an independent judiciary, rights reserved to the people by the Constitution "would amount to nothing" because the legislature cannot be relied upon to police itself.
Life Appointments: Appointments are guaranteed "during good behavior" to ensure judges can resist encroachments or threats/bribes from the legislature.
Big Idea: The judicial branch's design protects Supreme Court independence, and judicial review remains a powerful practice.

Letter from Birmingham Jail

Duty to Fight: Martin Luther King Jr. argues that he and fellow demonstrators have a duty to fight for justice.
Oppressed Action: It is the responsibility of the oppressed to demand equality.
Morality of Laws: Segregation debases blacks while uplifting whites, making it immoral in the eyes of God.
Just vs. Unjust Laws: According to St. Augustine, unjust laws are not actual laws. People have a moral obligation to oppose segregation and refuse to abide by such laws.
White Moderates: King identifies white moderates—who agree with desegregation but criticize activists' methods—as the biggest obstacle to equality. Their paternalistic attitude and belief that "time" will equalize things discourages others from joining the campaign.
Goal of America: Freedom.
Big Idea: The $14^{th}$ Amendment's equal protection clause and other provisions support the advancement of equality.

Essential Constitutional Clauses

Article I, Section 8: Necessary and Proper Clause: Allows the government to make laws that need to be made.
Article I, Section 8: Commerce Clause: Covers anything related to money.
Article VI: Supremacy Clause: Establishes that Federal law is above all other laws.
$5^{th}$ Amendment: Due Process Clause: The government cannot take anything away without due process.
$14^{th}$ Amendment Essential Clauses: Includes the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause.

Alphabetical Guide to Amendments 1-27

Amendments 1-10

Amendment $1$ : Freedom of Religion, Press, and Speech.
Amendment $2$ : Right to Bear Arms.
Amendment $3$ : No Quartering of Soldiers.
Amendment $4$ : Protection against Search and Seizure.
Amendment $5$ : Trial and Punishment, Compensation for Takings.
Amendment $6$ : Right to a Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses.
Amendment $7$ : Trial by Jury in Civil Cases.
Amendment $8$ : Protection against Cruel and Unusual Punishment.
Amendment $9$ : Construction of the Constitution (rights not listed are retained by people).
Amendment $10$ : Reserved powers of the states.

Amendments 11-20

Amendment $11$ : Judicial Limits.
Amendment $12$ : Choosing the President and Vice President.
Amendment $13$ : Slavery Abolished.
Amendment $14$ : Citizenship Rights.
Amendment $15$ : No race can be denied the right to vote.
Amendment $16$ : Clarification of the status of Income Tax.
Amendment $17$ : Senators elected by popular vote.
Amendment $18$ : Liquor abolished.
Amendment $19$ : Women's suffrage.
Amendment $20$ : Presidential and Congressional Terms ( $known as the "lame duck amendment"$ ).

Amendments 21-27

Amendment $21$ : Repeal of Amendment $18$ .
Amendment $22$ : Presidential Term Limits (max of $2$ terms).
Amendment $23$ : Presidential Vote for the District of Columbia.
Amendment $24$ : Poll Taxes barred.
Amendment $25$ : Presidential Disability and Succession.
Amendment $26$ : Voting Age set to $18$ years.
Amendment $27$ : Limiting Congressional pay increases.

Political Party Coalitions

Democratic Coalition

Disaffected moderate Republicans.
Pro-choicers (abortion rights).
Members and supporters of labor unions.
Gay rights supporters.
Intellectuals.
People with lower incomes.
City dwellers.
Feminists.
Environmentalists.
Quote: "I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat." — Will Rogers.

Republican Coalition

Veterans' groups and military supporters.
Religious conservatives.
Libertarians.
Opponents of gay marriage.
Supporters of developing natural resources on public lands.
Rural dwellers.
Quote: "Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15." — Ronald Reagan.

Ideological Differences: Democrats vs. Republicans

Fundamental Beliefs and Worldviews

Democratic View on Society: The world can be improved by redistributing wealth and interfering with personal behavior to make society fairer and "progress" forward. * Core Quote: "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice." — Martin Luther King Jr. * Education Philosophy: Teach respect for others through empathy, cultural diversity, and questioning authority so children can reach their potential.
Republican View on Society: Conserve the best aspects of our collective past and let individuals keep and create wealth through the market. * Core Quote: "Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made." — Emmanuel Kant. * Character Philosophy: Building character using "tough love," respect, fear, reward, and punishment.

Economics and Social Policy

Democratic Stance on Equality: Freedom in social spheres but regulation of the economy in the name of "fairness." Use government power to give the disadvantaged a "boost."
Republican Stance on Rules and Authority: Belief in "Law and Order." Freedom in economic life but regulation of social life.
Republican Beliefs Summary: * Religion: Theistic, organized, conventional. * Rights: Others must not interfere. * Criminals: Choose to be criminals. * Homeless: Lack of work ethic and sense of shame. * Society: Viewed as "Survival of the Fittest." * Immigration: Control is necessary. * Equality: Defined as opportunity. * Freedom: The chance to achieve or fail.

Statistical Support for Specific Issues (Chart Data)

War: Supported by $91\%$ .
God: Supported by $87\%$ .
Tax Cuts: Supported by $84\%$ .
Unmarried Sex: Supported by $80\%$ .
Gay Rights: Supported by $44\%$ .
Abortion Rights: Supported by $43\%$ .
Same-Sex Marriage: Supported by $12\%$ .

Specific Party Tendencies

Democrats Tend to:

Be less disposed to spend on defense.
Be less disposed to use vouchers or public funds for private schools.
Be more disposed to spend on social-welfare programs.
Be more disposed to spend on government-run health insurance.
Be more disposed to grant tax relief to targeted groups (lower and middle classes).
Be against private ownership of assault weapons.

Republicans Tend to:

Be more disposed to spend on defense.
Be more disposed to use vouchers for private schools and aid parochial schools.
Be more disposed to grant tax relief to everyone, especially wealthy corporations.
Be less disposed to spend on social welfare programs.
Be less disposed to spend on government-run health insurance programs.
Be less disposed to regulate firearms.