AP Government: Semester 1 final study guide

Baker v. Carr (1962)

"One man, one vote." Ordered state legislative districts to be as near equal as possible in population; Warren Court's judicial activism.

Reserved powers

10th amendment: "powers not prohibited to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states or the people, respectively."

Suppose a strict constructionist on the Supreme Court is reviewing Roe v. Wade case and issues a dissenting opinion on the Court's decision. This justice would likely criticize the Court's broad interpretation of

14th amendment

The city of Denver passes a law that bans civilians from purchasing or possessing handguns. People who are upset with this could file a lawsuit arguing the new law violates the

2nd amendment

Suppose the Department of Energy has decided to provide funds to state governments for the purpose of researching, establishing, and implementing any number of clean energy sources in any way the state sees fit. This is an example of

A block grant

After Revolutionary war, but prior to adoption of Constitution, the US was under which system of government?

A confederation (articles of confederation)

writ of habeas corpus

A court order requiring explanation to a judge why a prisoner is being held in custody.

Partisan polarization manifests itself during the end of a president's term in the form of

A lame duck period - when a president has been voted out of office, but has not yet finished the term, this is the waiting period before the new president is sworn in.

standing committee

A permanent committee established in a legislature, usually focusing on a policy area

Democracy

A political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them

Checks and Balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

select committee

A temporary legislative committee established for a limited time period and for a special purpose.

Libel

A written false statement of a person's character, reputation, business, or property rights.

Suppose a member of the Securities and Exchange Commission is a former employee of a large investment firm on Wall Street and has been easing the enforcement of regulations on his old firm. This is an example of

Agency capture - the process whereby regulatory agencies come to be protective and influenced by the industries they were established to regulate.

main idea of Federalist no. 70

Alexander Hamilton argued that an energetic single executive will protect against foreign attacks, provide for the administration of laws, and protect liberty and property.

Schenck v. US (1919)

Allows limits to speech based on the "clear and present danger" principle

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Anti-discrimination against disabled.

How is the president able to influence the federal bureaucracy?

Appointing agency directors and subheads, issuing executive orders, increasing/decreasing an agency's budget, appointing heads of the 15 cabinet departments, etc.

Shay's Rebellion (1786)

Armed uprising of western Massachusetts debtors seeking lower taxes and an end to property foreclosures. Though quickly put down, the insurrection inspired fears of "mob rule" among leading Revolutionaries.

A president may use the State of the Union Address as a tool for

Bargaining and persuasion in Congress

Edward Snowden's situation and it's similarity to the Gitlow v. New York case.

Both Snowden and Gitlow acted in a way that was intended to inform the American people, however it posed a threat to the safety of others.

Rational Basis, intermediate, and strict

Determines whether laws violate the equal protection clause

A candidate running for the House of Representatives has promised constituents that she will push for legislation to reform campaign finance laws so that the wealthy elites and business owners do not have greater influence on policies than American citizens. Such legislation is based on which theory?

Elitist theory

Concerns that large companies like the e-commerce giant Amazon are not paying enough in taxes reflects which theory of democracy?

Elitist theory

Why were the Federalist Papers so effective in gaining support for the Constitution?

Encouraged the ratification of the constitution.

On Election Day, the local news station has a reporter posted outside a large polling place asking people who have just voted who they voted for and why. This reporter is conducting

Exit polling

American system of federalism

Federalism is a way of organizing a nation where multiple levels of government have formal authority over the same area. (America has federal, state, and local levels)

Those who supported the new Constitution and wanted a stronger national government were known as

Federalists

Suppose a free speech advocacy group is attempting to stop legislation that would infringe upon American citizens' First Amendment rights, but they lack money to donate to a pro-free speech candidate's campaign. What is another way this group might be able to influence this legislation?

Get supporters to participate in a campaign to contact representatives and voice their opinion.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Guaranteed a student's right to protest (wearing armbands).

How did James Madison's proposed amendments for the Bill of Rights address Alexander Hamilton's concerns that a list of rights would be incomplete and allow for tyranny?

He added the 9th amendment, which did not deny certain state rights not included in the Bill of Rights.

The Judicial Branch

Interprets the laws

Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act

Largely banned party soft money, restored a long-standing prohibition on corporations and labor unions for using general treasury funds for electoral purposes, and narrowed the definition of issue advocacy.

Why was the freedom to practice religion and the avoidance of establishing a national religion important to the founding fathers?

Many who came to America did so to escape religious persecution.

Based on what you know about news media, what is causing consolidation?

Mass media companies work together with government agencies to control the media that is shown.

Danielle has a distrust of new, online news sites and likes to tune into a variety of news networks to get a balanced opinion of what is going on in the world, mainly watching CNN and Fox News to do so. Which type of media does Danielle depend on for information?

Mass media/new media

Which aspect of infotainment would be considered negative?

Merging entertainment and politics

What motive is there for news media outlets to report on political news as opposed to important public policies?

Money

A political activist who supports gun control legislation believes that interest groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA) have too much money and influence over lawmakers in Congress. Such a belief is characteristic of which theory?

Pluralist theory

enumerated powers

Powers given to the national government alone

open primary

Primary election in which any voter, regardless of party, may vote.

According to John Locke, it is the government's job to

Protect those natural rights that the individual cannot effectively protect in a state of nature.

In a debate about the scope of the American government providing social welfare programs, one student argues that such programs are conducive (good) to helping American realize the American Dream, while the other argues that such programs run contrary to the inherent right to

Pursue happiness through one's own hard work, sacrifice, and skill set. (Without interference from the government.)

Citizens of a small American town have been dissatisfied with their elected representative in the House of Representatives and are planning to vote for a different candidate in the next election. Which form of government allows the citizens to take such an action?

Representative democracy

Having social, political, and economic freedoms is characteristic of which self-evident right?

Right to liberty.

How does John Locke's concept of social contract compare to the form of government that existed in Great Britain at the time?

Social contract: The government must be built upon the consent of the governed. Britain was a monarchy, independent of the people's agreement.

Which type of state would have been in favor of the proposed Virginia Plan?

Southern states with large slave populations

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Struck down state-sponsored prayer in public schools. Ruled that the Regents' prayer was an unconstitutional violation of the Establishment Clause.

New York Times v. US

Supreme Court case protecting the freedom of the press by allowing the New York Times to publish the "Pentagon Papers" despite the Justice Department's order to restrict it

Following the Civil War, how was the concept of federalism applied to the rights of African Americans?

The Supreme Court supported the rights of states to take their own action regarding the rights of African Americans but did not provide protection for African Americans at the national level.

Why might the citizens of a certain state choose to elect a new senator in an upcoming election?

The constituents may feel that the senator no longer represents their values or interests

Suppose you are working for the president and are responsible for coordinating foreign policy initiatives. Which part of the Executive Office of the President do you work for?

The national security council

How does the position of the Speaker of the House compare to the Senate majority leader?

The speaker of the House has more power, whereas the Senate Majority Leader retains little power.

What was the Antifederalists' most compelling argument against the Constitution?

They feared the new national government would be too powerful and thus threaten individual liberties, given the absence of a bill of rights.

Marbury v. Madision Significance

This case established the principle of judicial review, which is the power of the federal courts to determine the constitutionality of laws passed by the legislative and orders issued by the executive. It established the Constitution as the supreme law of the land and SCOTUS as the final authority for interpreting it.

Suppose an interest group that advocates for accessible and affordable health care is lobbying members of Congress on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services to secure additional funding to develop a public health campaign to increase awareness about changes to the Affordable Care Act. These groups are engaged in which activity?

Using the iron triangle

Suppose Congress has presented a law to the president that the president believes will infringe upon the due process rights of Americans. To prevent this from happening, the president may

Veto the bill

The Rush Limbaugh Show

a conservative American talk show is the highest rated radio talk show in the US had a big influence of republican politics.

War Powers Resolution of 1973

a federal law intended to check the president's power to commit the United States to an armed conflict without the consent of the U.S. Congress.

Ex post Facto

a law that would allow a person to be punished for an action that was not against the law when it was committed

closed primary

a primary election in which voting is limited to already registered party members

One argument Alexander Hamilton made in favor of only one executive leader was that having

a strong presidency is essential to protect the community against foreign attacks; steady administration of laws to protect property; secure liberty against enterprises & assaults of ambition, faction, and anarchy.

Function of Federal Election Commission

administer campaign finance laws, and enforce compliance with their requirements.

major parties will go through realignment

because of important events in history or because of changes in the kinds of people in the country.

What is the purpose of federal bureaucrats?

carry out the policy and work on the finer details of the bills passed by Congress

What lasting impact did the Supreme Court's decision in Schenck vs. US have on the 1st ammendment?

freedom of speech became restricted if spoken or printed a "clear or present danger" to society

Government Accountability Office (GAO)

helps Congress perform its oversight functions by reviewing activities of executive branch to see if it's following congressional intent of laws and efficiency and effectiveness of policy implementation. also sets government standards for accounting, provides legal opinions, and settles claims against gov.

Globalization can best be described as the increased

interconnectedness of economies, political systems and societies on a global scale

Many accuse CNN of consistently reporting negative news stories about President Donald Trump and other Republican or conservative officials, suggesting that CNN

is biased

How do public approval trends impact a president's ability to take action during a time of crisis?

it sets the limits of what Congress will do for or to the president. It allows them to expand executive power without backlash

symbolic speech

nonverbal communication, such as burning a flag or wearing an armband. The Supreme Court has accorded some symbolic speech protection under the first amendment.

school vouchers

payments from the government to parents whose children attend failing public schools; the money helps parents pay private school tuition

push polls

polls that are designed to manipulate the opinions of those being polled

The daily show

portrays recent news stories in comedic and/or satirical ways.

concurrent powers

powers shared by the national and state governments

Conference committee

special joint committee created to reconcile differences in bills passed by the House and Senate

Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969)

speech that does not call for illegal action is protected, and even speech that does call for illegal action is protected if the action is not "imminent" or there is reason to believe that the listeners will not take action

MLK's Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963)

stated that racial segregation was the result of the encouragement of the white American society.

Slander

the action or crime of making a false spoken statement damaging to a person's reputation.

Three-Fifths Compromise

the agreement by which the number of each state's representatives in Congress would be based on a count of all the free people plus three-fifths of the slave population

Gerrymandering

the drawing of legislative district boundaries to benefit a party, group, or incumbent