AP Government Exam Review Notes

Unit 1: Foundations of Government

  • Democratic Republic: The US is a republic, elected representatives make decisions.

  • Direct Democracy: citizens vote on every issue.

    Participatory Democracy: Direct citizen involvement in the US.

  • Enlightenment Philosophers: John Locke and Rousseau had significant influence on the US Gov’t. i.e. limited gov’t., natural rights, idea of a social contract.

  • Limited Gov’t. + Natural Rights protect individual liberties.

    • Natural Rights: the importance of life, liberty, and property (pursuit of happiness) as fundamental rights that the gov’t. cannot infringe upon.

  • Popular Sovereignty: Political power resides in the people.

  • Pluralism: where various groups influence political outcomes: interest groups, PACs, 527s.

  • Social Contract: people giving up freedoms in exchange for gov’t. protection.

  • Montesquieu: ideas on checks and balances, and the separation of powers to prevent tyranny.

  • Federalist Paper 10: Madison’s warning about factions and how a large republic can mitigate their negative effects

  • Elite Democracy: the role of wealthy groups and individuals, how their influence affects policy decisions.

    • Citizens United v. FEC: allowed super PACs to give unlimited money to campaigns.

Articles of Confederation - First constitution, an attempt at a unified US gov’t.

Weaknesses: difficulty passing laws which required 9/13 states to agree (supermajority)

Amending the AOC: required all 13 states to agree, nearly impossible to adapt to change.

Weak Fed. Gov’t.: Most powers resided in the states causing disunity and inefficiency.

Shay’s Rebellion: inability to maintain order/military weaknesses.

One branch: only had a legislative branch, hindering effective governance.

Taxation: lack of authority to enforce taxes leading to financial instability and inability to fund essential functions.

U.S. Constitution - Composed of the Preamble, Articles, and Amendments.

Preamble: stated the goals of the founding fathers

Articles: describes the structure of the gov’t. with its three branches.

Article 1: Congress (legislative powers) enumerated in section 8.

Article 2: Executive powers of POTUS and the bureaucracy.

Article 3: Judiciary, SCOTUS and the federal court system

  • Judicial Review: interprets constitutionality of laws.

Article 4: the relationships between states: (full faith and credit clause, privileges and immunity, extradition).

Article 5: amendment process, 2/3 proposal at the national level and ¾ ratification by the states. - changing the constitution is a difficult process.

Article 6: supremacy of the federal gov’t.

Article 7: the ratification process of the constitution.

The constitutional convention involved significant disagreements, leading to several key compromises including…:

  • Great (Connecticut) Comp.: bicameral legislature w/ the Senate and House of representatives to balance the interests of small and large states.

    • New Jersey: supported the Senate w/ equal representation to protect smaller states

    • Virginia: advocated for house of representatives based on population to favor larger states.

  • 3/5 comp.: resolved issue of representation and taxation relating to slavery by considering a slave 3/5 of a person.

  • Commerce + Slave Trade Comp. Delayed the abolishment of importation of slaves for 20 years to appease southern states.

  • Electoral College: method for electing the president balancing direct democracy and federalism.

Bill of Rights - addresses concerns of anti-federalists and protects civil rights.

Amendments

  1. freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, petition, fundamental rights.

  2. rights to bear arms, with certain regulations

  3. prohibits quartering of soldiers w/o consent

  4. against unreasonable search or seizure; requiring a warrant based on probably cause (Mapp v. Ohio)

  5. self incrimination (plead the 5th), Miranda rights (Miranda v. Arizona), ensures due process, prohibits double jeopardy, eminent domain.

  6. the right to a speedy, public, and fair trial; right to counsel (Gideon v. Wainwright)

  7. the right to a trial by jury in civil cases

  8. prohibits cruel and unusual punishment (gray v. Georgia) and excessive bail

  9. rights not explicitly listed in the Constitution are still protected (non-enumerated rights)

  10. reserves powers not delegated to the fed. gov’t. to the states, reinforcing federalism.

Federalism - the division of powers between national + state gov’t.s

Federalism

  • Definition: Federalism is the division of powers between the national and state governments ensuring a balance of authority.

  • Supremacy( Article six): Federal government has more power, via the Supremacy Clause.

  • Expressed Powers: Powers in the Constitution (Article 1, 2, and 3) that are specifically granted to the federal government.

    • Examples: declare war, coin money, regulate interstate commerce. These powers define the scope of federal authority.

  • Implied Powers: Powers derived from the necessary and proper clause, allowing Congress to enact laws necessary to carry out its expressed powers.

    • Examples: establish a central bank (The Fed), regulate immigration, and create the IRS for taxation. These powers expand federal authority beyond what is explicitly stated.

  • Reserved Powers: Powers reserved to the states by the 10th Amendment, protecting state autonomy.

    • Examples: establish schools, create election laws, and regulate marriage. These powers ensure states have control over local matters.

  • Concurrent/Shared Powers: Powers that are shared by both the federal and state governments, reflecting cooperation in governance.

    • Examples: Creation of Banks & taxes (federal and state). These powers illustrate the overlapping responsibilities of different levels of government.

Types of Federalism (Cakes)

  • Layer Cake (Dual Federalism): Characterized by distinct and separate federal and state powers, prevalent in early US history.

  • Marble Cake: Involves federal and state governments intermingling and cooperating, a common feature in the mid-1900s.

  • Devolution: The process of transferring more power and responsibilities to the states, often associated with conservative policies (started with Nixon).

  • Grants: Financial assistance from the federal government to the states, supporting various programs and initiatives.

  • Block Grants: Preferred by states due to their broad usage and flexibility, allowing states to allocate funds according to their needs.

  • Categorical Grants: Preferred by the federal government as they are designed for specific purposes, ensuring federal oversight and control.

Unit 2: Political Ideologies and Political Process

  • Political Ideologies: Encompass liberal and conservative perspectives, shaping policy preferences and political affiliations.

    • Liberal: Aligned with the Democratic Party, advocating for social and economic equality.

    • Conservative: Associated with the Republican Party, emphasizing individual liberty and limited government.

  • Federalists vs Anti-Federalists: Comparisons can be made with Liberal Democrats and contemporary Conservatives, reflecting ongoing debates about the role of government.

  • Realignment: Occurs when significant numbers of voters switch political parties, altering the balance of power and policy direction.

  • Gender Gap: Highlights differences in voting behavior between women, who tend to favor Democrats, and men, who often support Republicans.

  • GOP: The Grand Old Party, referring to the Republican party, symbolized by the Elephant and associated with the color red.

  • Political Socialization Process: The biggest influence on your political ideologies. Factors like family, education, and media exposure shape individual political beliefs and values.

  • Connect Ideology to Political Parties to Policies: Exploring how ideologies align with political parties and influence policy outcomes.

    • Liberals usually vote democrat: Typically advocate for progressive taxation and increased corporate taxes to fund social programs.

    • Conservatives typically vote Republican: Often support a flat tax to reduce the tax burden on the wealthy and stimulate economic growth.

Campaign Process & Elections

  • Linkage Institutions: Connect the people to the government and the election process. Channels such as elections, media, interest groups, and political parties.

    • Examples: Elections, media, interest groups (special interest groups), and political parties that facilitate communication and influence.

  • Campaign Length: US campaigns are longer than other countries (about a year), impacting political discourse and resource allocation.

    • Positives: Provides candidates with ample time to communicate their policies and engage with voters.

    • Negatives: Can be excessively expensive and dominated by the influence of money, especially after BCRA and the Citizens United versus FEC ruling, which led to the rise of soft money in campaigns.

  • First election to become president? Primaries.

Primaries, Conventions & General Elections

  • Primaries: Party elections where voters select candidates to represent their party in the general election.

    • Ideology during primaries: Primaries often emphasize more partisan and ideological appeals to mobilize party members.

  • Caucuses: Iowa holds a caucus, not a primary, where party members gather to discuss and select candidates.

  • Plurality: Winning candidate gets at least one more vote in the presidential election the electoral college process, and that's the winner takes off.

  • Conventions: Delegates cast their votes to represent the popular votes from the primaries, formally nominating the party's candidates.

General Elections

  • Democrats vs. Republicans: During the convention, the parties develop and announce their official platforms, outlining their policy positions.

  • Election month: General elections are held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

  • The People Vote: And the electoral college votes.

  • Electoral CollegeNot a Direct Popular Vote:
    Compromise between big and small states.

  • How many electoral college votes to win: At least 270 electoral votes are required to win the presidency, highlighting the significance of the winner-take-all system in most states.

  • Inauguration: January 20 is when the president takes the oath of office, officially beginning their term.

Unit 3: Interactions Between the Three Branches of Government

Legislative Branch, Executive Branch, Judicial Branch

  • Legislative Branch (Congress): Bicameral legislature (House and Senate).

    Senator Side:Hundred Senators representing each state equally.

    House Rep: 435 members, with representation based on state population.

  • Executive Branch: POTUS, bureaucracy, and cabinet (Enforce laws).

    • Executive Office helps the President. Includes key advisors and staff.

  • Judicial Branch: SAD (Federal Court System).

    Acronym for Federal Cort System: Top court is a supreme court(S), A is Appellate Court also known as Courts of Appeals, D is District Courts

  • SAD: The Supreme, the A, and then the D. Review judicial activism versus restraint.

  • Review Strict versus loose constructions

Redistricting & Gerrymandering

  • Baker versus Carr: One person, one vote case (redistricting).

    Redistricing cases that need resolve with the Supreme Court.

  • Shaw versus Reno: Gerrymandering case with political bias.

    Drawing from political bias with racism.

Check and Balance System
Congress Legislative Branch

  • **Impeachment Process: ** The House brings the impeachment charges.

    Majority of house impeachment second step is senate, need 2/3 senators to remove the president.

    Congress to uses overhead over the judicial branch or President

  • Override by the House 2/3 is the amount of the vote must be achieved

Policy Making

  • Congress versus budget. Remember to review 12 of the bills one of them.

  • Legislative and laws Policymakers.

  • Environment and changing laws: Policy to legislation Specific laws and legislation.

  • Acronym to remember the Iron Triangle and the three parts: BIC

  • Policy to legislation

The Iron Triangle BIC(Bureaucracy, Interest Groups and Committees in Congres)

What is the acronym I use when doing B.I.C.

NRA-The Second Amendment example.

For the Policy

NR is an example of an Interest Group.

Which they send lobbyists.

Congress:

Fiscal Policy is the Budget deficit and debt.

Two Biggest parts of the Budget.

Medicare/Medicaid plus Social Security what that's the two Biggest Parts of the Budget

What Republicans Like/Conservitives/Butter Medicare,Medicaid plus Social Security

GUN=MLITARY defense for Democrats and Republicans.

Do the chain store congress and focus on these policies on more money on defense and less entitlements

Bureaucracy helps to enforce/execute the policy

The Bureaucracy work with that committees in Congress and firearms works with the Bureau of alcohol the back of firearms BDAf

They send lobbyists legally stock into the bug and put pressure on.

Enforce that Congress has to pass a law to even in supreme can't mean if enforced with their bureaucracy of the executive The school bureaucracy and school is run, bureaucracy, executive.

What are many iron triangles called and called issue network

Unit 4

  • Civil liberties-What is difference between civil liberties and civil rights:

  • *Civil liberties protect us from discrimination from the government.

  • The Bill of Rights.-Civil rights help from people discriminates

  • 14th amendment with equal protection clause.

    *.Brown Versus education is equal rights protection cases landmark

    *.Letter from Birmingham Jail inspired from the declaration of independence.

Court Cases

Mcculloch v. Maryland about the federal government and giving power to the federal

US v. Lopez about the more power to the state

Enangle Bettle from the Establishment Class: freedom or a religion. And not making kids recite a prayer

Wisconsin v. Yoda. The Amish not having school

First Amendment religion freedom religion about it or the free exercise clause

McDonald Bettle. About the first amendment: Freedom class for the media can use their shield laws

New York Times v. the United States about how your can take what you want

Chenk v. the United his right gets check.