AP Gopo STUDY GUIDE

AP GoPo STUDY GUIDE

CONSTITUTION and FEDERALISM

1. What were the basic liberties that the colonists wanted when they broke away from Great Britain?
2. What did my man, Thomas Jefferson mean when he wrote, “the pursuit of happiness” in the Declaration of Independence?
3. When, where, what types of people attended, what were the conditions, and what was the purpose of the Constitutional Convention?
4. How were delegates to the national legislature selected under the Articles of Confederation?
5. What were the Articles of Confederation? Why did they fail?
6. How were the Pennsylvania and Massachusetts constitutions different?
7. How did Shays’s Rebellion have an effect on attendance at the Constitutional Convention?
8. What was the main issue in framing the U.S. Constitution?
9. Differentiate between the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan?
10. How was the conflict between the Virginia and New Jersey plans resolved?
11. What compromise was settled after the Great Compromise?
12. How was popular majority rule limited by the U.S. Constitution?
13. How are separation of power and federalism related to each other?
14. What is the amendment process? Include proposal and ratification.
15. How have most amendments to the U.S. Constitution been ratified?
16. What were the Federalist Papers? Who wrote them? What were #10 and #51 about?
17. Why did some delegates hesitate to include a Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution?
18. Why was the Bill of Rights finally agreed upon?
19. Why wasn’t the issue of slavery mentioned in the U.S. Constitution?
20. How was the issue of the importation of slaves resolved by the delegates?
21. Discuss Charles Beard’s economic interpretation of the U.S. Constitution?
22. Differentiate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists beliefs in strong federal government.
23. What is a line-item veto?
24. Differentiate between cooperative and dual federalism.
25. What is a confederation type of government? Give an example from our history.
26. What amendment deals with state’s rights?
27. Which founding father was the most fired up about a strong national government?
28. Which founding father was on the opposing side of the above founding father?
29. Who was the first chief justice to expand the powers of the national government?
30. How did the following Supreme Court cases expand the power of the national government?
31. Gibbons v. Ogden
32. Marbury v. Madison
33. McCulloch v. Maryland
34. Dred Scott v. Sandford
35. What is nullification and when was this an issue in American history? Who was the main advocate for nullification?
36. What is interstate commerce? How does this relate to a strong national government?
37. Give some specific examples of powers of the states.
38. What’s the difference between initiative, referendum, and recall?
39. Define:
40. Grant-in- aid
41. Categorical grant
42. Mandate
43. Block grant
44. Revenue-sharing

1. Why have revenue-sharing and block grants been somewhat successful?
2. How could census results have an effect on grants?
3. What is the Americans with Disabilities Act? When was it enacted? What type of grant is it?
4. What was the first cutback of the 1994 Republican congress?
5. Explain devolution.