AP GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: 2021 Review Exam:

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AP GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: 2021 Review Exam: Info is Online (keep eye on Website the info below is void for the test format) Congratulations! You’ve made it through your AP U.S. Government cours... e and are now ready to prepare for the AP Exam. These tips and strategies should help you in the final days or weeks before taking the exam. Remember that preparing for the Exam is a bit like training for a marathon--you won’t do as well if you wait and cram a lot of training into the day before the Exam. Working at a reasonable pace from now until test day will pay off in the end. The Format of the Exam: Let’s begin by looking at a breakdown of how the AP US Government Exam is structured: Questions Time allowed Percentage of grade 55 multiple choice 1 hour & 20 minutes 50% 3 free response and Argumentative Essay 1 hour & 40 minutes 50% The questions on the test will cover topics from the whole course. However, in the multiple-choice section, you’ll find that certain subjects come up more often: Subject Percentage of the Test Government Institutions 35 to 40% (Congress, presidency, courts, bureaucracy) Political Behavior of Individuals 10 to 20% (political culture, public opinion, voting) Political Behavior of Groups 10 to 20% (political parties, elections, interest groups, PACs, and mass media) Constitutional Foundations 5 to 15% (federalism, checks & balances, separation of powers, theories of democracy) Civil Liberties and Civil Rights 5 to 15% There are 15 Required Supreme Court Cases:Marbury v. Madison McCulloch v. Maryland Schenck v. US Brown v. Board of Ed (1954) Baker v. Carr Engel v. Vitale Gideon v. Wainright Tinker v. DesMoines NY Times Co. v. US Wisconsin v. Yoder Roe v. Wade Shaw v. Reno US. v. Lopez McDonald v. Chicago Citizens United v. FEC Required Documents: The Declaration of Independence The Articles of Confederation The Constitution of the United States Federalist #10 1 | P a g eBrutus #1 Federalist #51 Federalist #70 Federalist # 78 Letter from a Birmingham Jail 2 | P a g eUnit 1: Foundations of American Democracy The U.S. Constitution arose out of important historical and philosophical ideas and preferences regarding popular sovereignty and limited government. To address competing states’ visions for the allocation of governmental authority, compromises were made during the Constitutional Convention and ratification debates, and these compromises have frequently been the source of debate and negotiation in U.S. politics over the proper balance between federal and state power and between liberty and social order. A balance between governmental power and individual rights has been a hallmark of American political development. Explain how democratic ideals are reflected in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Define: natural rights popular sovereignty republicanism social contract Discuss the five Madisonian Principles of a representative democracy that continue to be reflected in contemporary institutions and political behavior. Define and provide an example:Federalism Popular Sovereignty Checks and Balances Separation of Powers Limited Government The Constitution emerged from the debate about weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation as a blueprint for limited government. Explain how Federalist and Anti-Federalist views on central government and democracy are reflected in U.S. foundational documents. Madison’s arguments in Federalist No. 10 focused on the superiority of a large republic in controlling the “mischiefs of faction,” delegating authority to elected representatives and dispersing power between the states and national government. What is a faction? What is the source of factions? How are factions controlled? Anti-Federalist writings, including Brutus No. 1, adhered to popular democratic theory that emphasized the benefits of a small decentralized republic while warning of the dangers to personal liberty from a large, centralized government. Why were the Anti-Federalists reluctant to sign the new Constitution? 4 | P a g eExplain the relationship between key provisions of the Articles of Confederation and the debate over granting the federal government greater power formerly reserved to the states. In other words, identify the problems in the Articles of Confederation and how they were corrected in the Constitution. Compromises deemed necessary for adoption and ratification of the Constitution are represented by the: Great (Connecticut) Compromise Electoral College Three-Fifths Compromise Compromise on the importation of slaves The Constitutional Basis of Federalism: Although the term federalism is not found in the Constitution, it is clearly defined in the enumerated, concurrent and reserved powers of the national and state governments. Interstate relations: Describe the general obligations that each state has to every other state under the Constitution. Enumerated powers 5 | P a g e The Commerce Clause & the Elastic Clause have played key roles in the expansion of Federal power. Be able to give examples.Implied powers Inherent powers Reserved powers (1) Full Faith and Credit Clause (2) Privileges and Immunities Clause (3) Extradition The Constitution creates a complex competitive policy-making process to ensure the people’s will is represented and that freedom is preserved. Explain the ideas represented in Federalist No. 51 Explain the implications of separation of powers and “checks and balances” for the U.S. political system. Federalism reflects the dynamic distribution of power between the national and state governments. Explain how societal needs affect the constitutional allocation of power between the national and state governments. 10th Amendment v. 14th Amendment [Show More]

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