AP Government Exam Morning Crash Session

www.misterfitz.net

5-11-13

What you are up against…

Some tips…

• Multiple Choice:

1. Read each question carefully. Don’t fall for the distractors

2. Bubble as you go!

• FRQS:

1. Define, Identify and Explain

2. Give examples even if not asked

3. No intro, thesis or conclusion

4. If it asks you to choose TWO of the following, choose ALL THREE for insurance

5. Demarcate your FRQs (A, B, C and so forth) this makes the reader happy

6. Answer the questions in the order you know them

ConstitutionCivil

Liberties and Civil Rights

Federalism

Public Opinion & Political

Participation

Political Parties

Campaigns and Elections

Media

Presidency

Judiciary

Congress

Interest Groups and

Policy-making

Bureaucracy

The “Big XII”

Question #1

Congress and the Bureaucracy

Question #2

Congress, Political Participation and

Civil Rights

Question #3

Judicial, legislative and executive branches

Question #4

Elections, media, interest groups

I. Constitution (5-15%)

• Locke and natural rights

• Shays

• “Miracle at Philadelphia”

• Factions and Federalist 10

• Madisonian Model

• Tyranny of the majority

• Great compromise

• Ratification debates

• Necessary and Proper clause (“elastic”)

• Commerce Clause

• 10th Amendment

• Theories of democratic gov’t:– Pluralism

– Hyper pluralism

– Elite theory

II. Federalism (5-15%)

• Dual federalism

• Fiscal federalism

• Supremacy clause

• Block grants

• Categorical grants

• Grants-in-aid

• Gibbons v. Ogden (1823)

• U.S. v. Lopez (1995)

• Mandates

• ADA (1990)

• McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

• Devolution (New federalism)

• Welfare Reform Act (1996)

• “Laboratories of Democracy”

• Inequality?

III. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights (5-15%)

• 14th Amendment

– Equal protection clause

– Due process clause

• Incorporation Doctrine (Selective)

• Free exercise vs. establishment clause

• Schenck v. U.S. (1919)

• Gitlow v. New York (1925)

• Near v. Minnesota (1935)

• Miller v. California (1973)

• Texas v. Johnson (1989)

• New York Times v. U.S. (1971)

• Engel v. Vitale (1962)

• Lemon v. Kurzman (1971)

• Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

• Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

• Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

• Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

• Roe v. Wade (1973)

MUST KNOW Civil Lib cases:

“2nd Tier Cases”

LESS likely to appear• Oregon v. Smith (1990)

• Reynolds v. U.S. (1878)

• Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

• Gregg v. Georgia (1976)

• New York Times v. Sullivan (1964)

• Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

III. Civil Liberties and Civil Rights (5-15%)

14th Amendment

• Discrimination-– Strict scrutiny

– Intermediate scrutiny

– Rational basis

Key Civil Rights Cases• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

• Korematsu v. U.S. (1944)

• Brown v. Board (1954)

• Baker v. Carr (1963)

• Wesberry v. Sanders (1964)

• Craig v. Boren (1976)

• UC Davis v. Bakke (1979)

IV. Public Opinion & Political Participation5-15%

• Political socialization– Role of family

– Role of Education

• Political efficacy

• Equality of opportunity vs. results

• Mistrust of government

• Polls and Random Digit Dialing (RDD)

• Reapportionment

• Sunbelt

• Forms of political participation

• Unconventional forms of participation

• (think time energy and knowledge)

IV. Public Opinion & Political Participation(5-15%)

• Who votes and for whom?– Blacks? Hispanics? Jews? Catholics? Evangelicals

Progressives? Conservatives?

IV. Public Opinion & Political Participation(5-15%)

Geographically…– Rural? Urban? Northeast? Rustbelt? Sunbelt? South?

IV. Public Opinion & Political Participation5-15%

• Suffrage Amendments– 15th, 17th,19th, 24th, 26th

• Open vs. Closed primaries

• Blanket primaries

• Voter fatigue

• Straight ticket voting

• Motor Voter Law (1993)

V. Political Parties(5-15%)

• Linkage institutions

• Party-in-the-electorate

• Party-in-government

• Party as an organization

• Party realignment

• Critical elections

–1828, 1860, 1896, 1932, 1968

• Gerrymandering

• Role of third parties

US THEM (Europe)

• Promotes stability

• Nearly impossible for 3rd parties to break-in

VI. Campaigns and Elections (5-15%)

VI. Campaigns and Elections(5-15%)

• Primary vs. general elections

• “Money, momentum and media”

• “Die-hard Diane” vs. “Donnie Don’t-Care”

• Caucus

• Direct primaries

• Role of the convention

• Gender gap

VS.

PRIMARY VOTERS

GENERAL ELECTION VOTERS

VI. Campaigns and Elections(5-15%)

• Super Tuesday

• Frontloading

• McGovern-Fraser Commission

• Superdelegates

• PACS

• FECA (1974)– FEC

– Matching funds

• BCRA (2002)

• Hard $

• Soft $

• 527 groups

• Buckley v. Valeo (1976)

• Citizens United v. FEC (2010)

VII. Media (5-15%)

• Functions:– Gatekeeper

– Watchdog

– Scorekeeper

• Trial balloons

• Scripted events

• Paid media vs. free media

• Broadcasting vs. narrowcasting

• Selective attention

• Horse-race journalism

• Agenda-setting

• Soundbites

• Role of Vietnam and Watergate

VIII. Presidency (20-30%)

• Seven Roles-

– Chief of State

– Chief Executive

– Commander-in Chief

– Chief Diplomat

– Chief Legislator

– Chief of the Party

– Guardian of the Economy

• 22nd and 25th Amendments

• War Powers Resolution (1973)– 24 hour notification

– 60/90 day to remove troops

• Vetoes-

– Regular veto

– Pocket-veto

– Line-item

• Role of the Cabinet

• Executive privilege

• Executive orders

• Executive agreements

VIII. Presidency (20-30%)

• Office of the VP– “Balancing the Ticket”

• Bully Pulpit

• Agenda-setter

• Role of divided government

• Pardons and reprieves

• National Security Council (1947)

• OMB

IX. Judiciary (20-30%)

• Fed. 78 and the role of the Judiciary

• Judicial activism vs. judicial restraint

• Original intent

• Marbury v. Madison (1803)

• Judicial review

• Collegial court concept

• Warren Court (1954-1969)

• Dual court system

• Trial courts

• Original jurisdiction

• Appellate jurisdiction

• District courts

• Circuit Courts of Appeal

• Justiciable disputes

• Standing to sue

• Class action lawsuits

• “Rule of Four”

• Majority opinion

• Concurring opinion

• Dissenting opinion

• Solicitor General “10th Justice”

• Political questions

IX. Judiciary (20-30%)

• Statutory construction

• Judicial implementation

• Precedent

• Senatorial courtesy

• Appointment process

• “Litmus test”

• Vetting process

• Amicus curiae briefs

• Stare decisis

• Writ of certiorari

X. Congress (20-30%)…Hope you’re sitting down

• Coffee pot (House) vs. the Saucer (Senate)

• Bicameralism

• Enumerated powers

• Know your checks and balances

• Legislative process

• Legislative oversight

• Implied powers (Necessary and Proper Clause)

• Commerce clause

• Reapportionment

• Gerrymandering

• CBO

• GAO

• Models of representation-– Delegate

– Trustee

– Politico

Legislative Process (what the ?...)

SENATESENATE HOUSEHOUSE

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X. Congress (20-30%)…Hope you’re sitting down

• Incumbency advantage

1. Name recognition

2. Casework

3. Party ID

4. Franking privilege

5. Access to $$$

6. Political “pork”

7. Position-taking

8. Weak opponents

• Safe seats

• Open seats

• Credit claiming

• Speaker of the House

• Pres. Pro Tempore (Senate)

• Majority Leader (Senate)

• Minority Leader (H/S)

X. Congress (20-30%)…Hope you’re sitting down

• Whips

• Caucuses

• Logrolling

• Filibuster (Senate only)

• Holds (Senate only)

• Cloture (Senate only)

• Discharge petition

• (House only)

• “Christmas Tree” bills

• Policy riders

• Gridlock

• Legislative veto

• Seniority system

• Standing committees

• Conference committees

• House– Rules

– Ways and Means

• Senate– Judiciary

– Foreign Relations

XI. Interest Groups & Policy-Making (5-15%)

• Interest groups vs. political parties

• Pluralism vs. hyperpluralism vs. elite theory

• Solidary benefits

• Material benefits

• Lobbying

• Electioneering

• “Going public”

• Litigation

• Class action lawsuits

• Free-rider problem

• Size of groups

• First Amendment protection

Iron Triangles vs. Issue Networks

SELF-INTEREST

XI. Interest Groups & Policy-Making (5-15%)

• Policy-making process:1. Agenda-setting (who sets it?) 2. Policy formulation

3. Implementation (Fed bureaucracy) 4. Evaluation

XI. Interest Groups & Policy-Making (5-15%)

• Monetary vs. Fiscal Policy– Monetary (FED)

– Fiscal (President and Congress)

– Keynesianism vs. Supply-side

• The Budget– Debt vs. deficit

– Entitlements

– Uncontrollable spending

– Discretionary spending

• Popularity of programs

• Role of the following in the budget process:– President, OMB, Agencies, Cong. Committees, Interest Groups

XII. Bureaucracy (5-15%)

• Civil Service

• Pendleton Act

• Criticisms of the Bureaucracy?

• How Congress controls the Bureaucracy

• How the President controls the Bureaucracy

• How the Courts control the Bureaucracy

• Structure of the Bureaucracy– Cabinet level agencies (15)…loyalty to the pres?

– Independent regulatory agencies

– Government corporations

– Independent Executive Agencies

Some final thoughts

• I will post the keys on my website tonight: www.misterfitz.net

• All review podcasts are up if you need to review a concept

• 7:30 Tuesday morning in the small gym- Don’t be Late!

• Good luck!

ReturnReturn

ReturnReturn Madisonian Model

Dual vs. Cooperative FederalismReturnReturn

Incorporation DoctrineReturnReturn

Gitlow v. New York (1925)

Iowa then New Hampshire

Road to the White House

“Last Man Standing”

Now who starts to pay attention?

IA and NH are now insignificant

Consequences?ReturnReturn

Campaign Finance Simplified

“Big Tex” (private citizen)

Quimby for America(PAC)-

Private citizens

Quimby for America(PAC)-

Private citizens

(Must report to FEC)

Soft $

Limits?

(Must report to FEC)

Hard $- Limits?

Hard $- Limits? Soft $- NO

LIMITS!

Soft $- NO LIMITS!

Americans for Quimby (527)Private citizens

Americans for Quimby (527)Private citizens

(Does NOT have to report toFEC)

May contribute directlyMay NOT contribute directly or coordinate

with

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