Ap Government and Politics / Review for Ap Exam / Mr. Lipman

Ap Government and Politics / Review for Ap Exam / Mr. Lipman

AP GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS / REVIEW FOR AP EXAM / MR. LIPMAN

As you know, the AP Exam for this course will be given on Thursday, May 4th which gives us no more than 6 classes with which to review the material we have covered all year following your practice exam on Friday, April 7th. We may even miss some of these class sessions due to your other AP exams. In order to properly review for the AP exam the following summative assignment is being given based on the six units we have studied all year. Those units are as follows:

(1)Constitutional Foundations;

(2)National Institutions;

(3) Political Parties, Interest Groups andtheMedia;

(4) Political Beliefs and Behavior; and

(5)CivilRights and Civil Liberties;

(6)Public Policy.

Your assignment is to answer the following 23 questions, in a complete and detailed hand written paper. Your submission must be in pen and should include the number of each question. This paper is to be brought to me on Tuesday, April 18th when you return from Spring Break. Your textbook, as well as your notes, would be a good source of information in answering these questions. You are to answer each question completely and in full sentences. This will be a summative assignment.

QUESTIONS

  1. The founding fathers were very afraid of any one branch of government having too much influence over society. What safeguards were written into the Constitution to safeguard against such a strong influence?
  2. Compare and contrast the theories of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. How did each impact the formation of the Constitution?
  3. What were the various ratification debates that were held over the formation of the Constitution?
  4. What are the formal methods available for amending the Constitution?
  5. What is the difference between enumerated and implied powers?
  6. Explain our system of Federalism. Citing at least 3 Supreme Court cases discuss the role of the Court in developing the concept of Federalism.
  7. What were the importance of the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?
  8. Identify the differences and similarities that state governors have to the president.
  9. Identify what are term limits and what is Dillon’s Rule.
  10. What is the difference between Civil Rights and Civil Liberties? Where do each come

from? Provide examples of each.

  1. What is the Doctrine of Incorporation? When was it first announced? Identify and

explain 5 cases in which it was used.

12. Discuss the implications of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of

1965.

13. What control can Congress and the President exert over the judicial system? Provide

specific examples of when they have done so.

14. What is judicial activism? What is judicial restraint? Provide examples of each.

15. What advantages do incumbents have over their political challengers in Congressional

elections? Identify as many as possible and explain each one.

16. Discuss the process of impeachment. When has it been used against a president?

17. What is a divided government? Identify as many effects of a divided government as

you can. What methods can a President use to overcome the barriers created by a

divided government?

18. What is the Iron Triangle? What is the Hatch Act? What was the Pendleton Act?

19. Identify the different methods by which interest groups influence public policy.

Identify 10 major interest groups and what each group’s particular concern is.

20. What were the federalist essays? Who wrote them and why? Indicate what #10,

#51 and #78 were about.

21. How are political opinions measured? How are political opinions formed? What

influences us in forming our political opinions?

22. How has government’s role in American society changed since 1789 concerning

social policy, economic policy and foreign policy. Identify the key time periods when the changes took place and what caused the changes to occur.

23. Give a brief review of the Watergate scandal. What impact did it have on America’s political system and why?

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