AP US GOVERNMENT
Table of Contents Introduction ............................................................................................ 1 US Government Test .................................................................... 1 Tips for Multiple Choice .............................................................. 3 Different Type of Multiple Choice ............................................... 3 Tips for Writing the Essay ............................................................ 6 What You should Bring ................................................................ 7 How to Use This Audio Book ...................................................... 7 Constitution ............................................................................................ 9 Historical Background .................................................................. 9 Drafting the Constitution ............................................................ 11 Presidential Elections ................................................................. 12 Ratification of the Constitution .................................................. 13 Basic Principles of the Constitution ........................................... 14 Amendment Process and the Bill of Rights ................................ 16
The Bill of Rights ....................................................................... 17 Questions .................................................................................... 21 Federalism ............................................................................................ 26 Federalism in the Constitution .................................................... 26 Advantags and Distadvantages of Federalism ............................ 30
Questions .................................................................................... 32 Congress ............................................................................................... 37 Powers of Congress .................................................................... 37 Who Serves in Congress ............................................................. 38
Organization of Congress ........................................................... 39 How a Bill Becomes a Law ........................................................ 41 Other Responsibilities of Congress ............................................ 43 i
How Congress Votes.................................................................. 44 Questions ................................................................................... 45 Presidency ............................................................................................ 51 Presidential Authority ................................................................ 51 Organization of the Executive Branch ....................................... 54 White House Office ................................................................... 55 Executive Office of the President .............................................. 55 The Vice President ..................................................................... 58 Questions ................................................................................... 61 The Bereaucracy .................................................................................. 67 Growth and Structure of the Federal Bereaucracy ..................... 67 Federal Civil Service.................................................................. 69 What the Federal Bereaucracy Does? ........................................ 69 Critism of Bureaucracy .............................................................. 70 Controlling the Federal Bureaucracy ......................................... 71 Questions ................................................................................... 73 Judiciary ............................................................................................... 77 Judiciary in the Constitution ...................................................... 77 Structure of the Federal Court System ....................................... 78 Who Serves in the Federal Courts? ............................................ 79 The Supreme Court Action ........................................................ 80 Judicial Decision Making .......................................................... 82 The Court, The President and The Congress ............................. 83 Questions ................................................................................... 85 Public Opinion ..................................................................................... 89 Measuring Public Opinion ......................................................... 89 Political Socialization ................................................................ 90 Political ideology ....................................................................... 91 Questions ................................................................................... 93 Mass Media .......................................................................................... 97 Organization of the Mass Media ................................................ 98 ii
Reporting and Presenting the News .......................................... 100
Media and Politics .................................................................... 101 Questions .................................................................................. 103 Political Parties ................................................................................... 107 Development of Political Parties .............................................. 107 What Political Parties Do? ........................................................ 109 Organization and Responsibilities of Political Parties .............. 110
Political Parties Today .............................................................. 111 Questions .................................................................................. 113 Voting and Elections .......................................................................... 117 Expansion of Suffrage .............................................................. 117 Voter Turnout and Who Votes ................................................. 118 Types of Elections .................................................................... 120 Running for President ............................................................... 121 Role of the Media ..................................................................... 122 Electoral College ...................................................................... 122 Financing Presidential Campaigns ........................................... 123 Questions .................................................................................. 125 Interest Groups ................................................................................... 129 Types of Interest Groups .......................................................... 129 Interest Groups and Their Members ......................................... 130 What Interest Groups Do? ........................................................ 130 Regulating Interest Groups ....................................................... 131 Questions .................................................................................. 133 Civil Liberties ..................................................................................... 137 The Bill of Rights ..................................................................... 137 Freedom on Religion ................................................................ 138 Freedom of Speech and Press ................................................... 139 Rights of Criminal Defendants ................................................. 140 Questions .................................................................................. 143 Civil Rights......................................................................................... 147 iii
History of Slavery .................................................................... 147 Struggle for Equality ................................................................ 148 Women’s Rights ...................................................................... 149 Age, Disability and Sexual Orientation ................................... 151 Questions ................................................................................. 153 Public Policy ...................................................................................... 157 Process of Making Public Policy ............................................. 157 Politics and Policy Making ...................................................... 158 Development of a Regulatory Policy ....................................... 159 Social Welfare Policy .............................................................. 160 Questions ................................................................................. 163 Economic Policy ................................................................................ 167 Economic Policy in Theory ..................................................... 168 The Budget Process ................................................................. 169 International Economy Policy .................................................. 170 Taxation ................................................................................... 171 Questions ................................................................................. 172 Foreign Policy .................................................................................... 177 Overview of American Foreign Policy .................................... 177 Making Foreign Policy ............................................................ 180 Institutions of Foreign Policy ................................................... 181 Questions ................................................................................. 183 Sample Test........................................................................................ 191 Sample Essay Questions & Answers ................................................. 257
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Introduction Welcome to an audio review for the A-P United States Government test. Research has shown learning in different formats such as audio can help you remember information
better on the test day!
US Government Test Here is an overview of the A-P United States government test. The test will cover six broad areas of U-S government. The constitution, political beliefs and behaviors, the role of political parties, interest groups and the media, the structure of American government, public policy, and civil rights and civil liberties. When studying, be sure to pay close attention to how the government works, and how individuals, groups and institutions participate in the political process. This information can be up to eighty five percent of the material
on the exam! The test will be two hours and twenty five minutes long. The test is divided into two sections. Each section will make
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up fifty percent of your grade. The first section will have sixty multiple choice questions. You will have forty five minutes for the multiple choice questions. That's only forty
five seconds per question, so budget your time carefully. Also remember that questions with charts and graphs will
probably take longer to answer. You may want to make two passes through the test. During the first pass, you can quickly answer questions you are sure of. Then during the second
pass, you can spend more time on the questions you are unsure of.
The second section will have four essay questions. You
will have one hundred minutes to complete the essays. Each essay will be weighted equally. Try to budget your time so
you spend twenty five minutes on each essay. The four essays will be mandatory, meaning you will not be able to choose which essay you want to write. However, you might have some choice WITHIN each question. Most of the essay questions will have multiple parts. Most likely,
at least one of the essay questions will be based on data from a graph, table, or chart. Points are not taken away for grammar or spelling during the essay. Write neatly, and be sure to answer all parts of the questions. Be sure to visit the College Board's web site on the A-P
government test. The website will tell you about any last
minute changes to the test. The test will be scored on a five point scale. Five is considered extremely well qualified, four is well qualified, three is qualified, two is possibly qualified, and one means
not qualified. Three is considered a passing score. 2
Here's how the multiple choice section is graded. You will get one point for every question you answer correctly. You
will get one fourth of a point deducted for every wrong answer. You will get zero points if you skip a question.
Tips for Multiple Choice Here are some tips for the multiple choice questions. Remember, the first step is to read the question and the
five answer choices carefully before answering! You should use the process of elimination on the multiple choice questions. You should cross out answer choices which you know are wrong. If you can't eliminate any answer choices as incorrect, you should NOT guess on the question. Remember, you lose points for wrong answers! If you can narrow down the choices to two or three, then you
should take a guess.
Different Type of Multiple Choice Here is an overview of the different type of multiple choice questions. The direct question will ask you to pick one of the choices as being true or correct. Here's an example of a direct question.
Which clause of the constitution gives Congress the powers to pass laws to carry out its enumerated powers? 3
Here are the answer choices: A. Supremacy clause B. Necessary and proper clause C. Commerce clause D. General Welfare clause E. Interstate compact
The answer to this question would be B. The necessary and proper clause gives Congress the power to pass laws to
carry out its enumerated laws. The next type of question is the reverse multiple choice. The reverse multiple choice question can be tricky. Be sure
to pay close attention to questions with the words NOT, EXCEPT, or LEAST. Here's an example of a reverse multiple choice question.
Which of the following was NOT one of the Whig's party platforms? Here are the answer choices: A. supporting business B. strong central government 4
C. weak central government D. the ideas of Alexander Hamilton E. creating the national bank
The answer is C. The Whigs believed in a strong central
government. The Whigs had ideas similar to those of the
Federalists. The Federalists based their party platform on the ideas of Alexander Hamilton.
The Multiple Multiple choice question will give five answer choices and more than one of them may be correct.
You have to read the question carefully and eliminate answer choices that are clearly incorrect. Here's an example of a multiple multiple choice question.
What happens when there is a closed rule for debate for a bill in the House of Representatives? Here are the answer choices: A. There is no debate on the bill. B. There is a strict time limit on the bill. C. Amendments related to the bill can be added. D. No amendments can be passed on the bill. E. Both B and D. 5
The answer is E. If there is a closed rule in debate in the House, there is a strict time limit on the bill, and no amendments can be passed on the bill. The Rules Committee of the House established the rules for debate of a bill.
There will also be multiple choice questions based on data presented in a table, chart or graph. Study the data carefully. You will need to be able to interpret the visual information. You should study the graphs and charts closely in your A-P textbook to prepare for the exam.
Tips for Writing the Essay Here are tips for writing the essay portion. Read the directions carefully. Review all four test questions before you start writing. Think of good points and examples for your essay. You can use the green booklet to outline your essays and create a thesis statement. Read the question carefully and be sure you understand EXACTLY what the question is asking for. Listing means
you can just name the concepts requested. Spend more time on concepts the question asks you to describe or discuss. Include terms and concepts in your essay and be sure to define
them. Don't write everything you know about a topic. Be sure to focus and answer the given question. 6
You can answer the questions in any order. Just be sure to label your answer correctly! There are no strict guidelines for how long your essays
should be. Write enough so you cover all parts of the question in detail. There will likely be one data based question on the essay test with a chart, graph, table or map. As stated before, to
prepare for this section, be sure to carefully study the illustrations in your A-P textbook. The data based question usually has two parts. The first will ask you to identify trends in the data. The second will
ask to explain the points you found in the data.
What You should Bring Here's an overview of what you should bring to the exam. Bring two number two pencils with good erasers. Also
bring two blue or black pens. Remember to write your essay in ink! You will also need your high school code number, your social
security number and a watch.
How to Use This Audio Book Here is an overview of how to use this audio book. This audio book covers all the information you will need to know for A-P United States government exam! This audio 7
book will help you remember key facts about the U-S government if it's been awhile since you took your A-P class! We will start with a thorough review of the main subject areas on the test. Listen carefully for key phrases, vocabulary and names. It may be helpful to take notes during the review. After the review section for each area, there will be review questions to test your knowledge. Go slowly through this section. Make sure you understand the answer and explanation for each questions. After the question is read, five answer choices will be given. Listen carefully and select the best choice in your mind. The correct answer choice and an explanation will then be read. After you have completed the review of each subject area, you should next listen to the complete practice test. The practice test has one hundred multiple choice questions and three essay questions. If you miss a question and do not
understand the explanation, it may be helpful to return to the review of that subject area. Let’s get started!
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Constitution Welcome to subject review section. Let's start with the constitution.
The constitution represents the republican form of government. In a republican form of government, there are
three branches: the legislative, executive and judicial branches. The constitution gives a system of checks and balances so one branch doesn’t become more powerful than
the others.
Historical Background Welcome to the section on the historical background of
the constitution. The American colonies broke with Britain and made their own political system. The first continental Congress was established in seventeen seventy four. The first continental Congress issued statements of rights and principles. The second continental Congress was established in May, seventeen seventy five. The second continental Congress created the postal service and made George Washington the head of the continental Army. The second continental Congress declared independence from Britain on July fourth, seventeen seventy six. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson. The Declaration of Independence has three parts. 9
The first part is the theoretical justification for independence. In this part, Jefferson used John Locke’s idea of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Jefferson also talked about the social compact theory of government. The social compact theory of government says that people create governments to protect their rights. If the government does not protect people’s rights, the people can then make a new government. The second section of The Declaration of Independence contained grievances against King George the third of
England. The third section of The Declaration of Independence established that the colonies were free and independent, with no connection to Britain. The second continental Congress also wanted the states to make their own constitutions. There were two models of state government. The Unicameral model came from Pennsylvania. The unicameral model had one House in its legislature and an executive council with limited power. The bicameral model came from Massachusetts. The bicameral model has two Houses of legislature and a
governor. There was a bill of rights which protected basic freedoms in most of the state constitutions. The first written constitution was called the articles of confederation. The articles of confederation were finally ratified by all the colonies in seventeen seventy seven. Here is an overview of the weaknesses of the articles of
confederation: 10
The articles of confederation did not have an executive or judiciary branch, only legislative. The powers of Congress were limited. Congress could not tax, regulate trade or create an army. Nine of the thirteen colonies had to agree on an issue before action could be taken. Powers not directly given to Congress were given to the
states. The states had to agree unanimously to changes. Shay's rebellion was a rebellion of farmers in debt in Massachusetts. Shay's rebellion helped convince people a stronger government was needed.
Drafting the Constitution Welcome to the section on drafting the constitution. The constitution was written at the constitutional convention in Philadelphia, in seventeen eighty seven. Experienced politicians debated on the constitution. James Madison introduced the Virginia plan. The Virginia plan wanted a bicameral legislature. The lower House would be chosen by people in the state. The upper House would be chosen by the lower House. The state legislatures would pick the candidates for the upper House. Representation in both Houses would be based on population. The judiciary would have supreme tribunals and inferior tribunals picked by the legislature. The council of revision would be made up of members of the judiciary and executive branches. The 11
council of revision could review and reject laws. The New Jersey Plan was more similar to the articles of
confederation. The New Jersey Plan let Congress tax and regulate trade. Each state would have one vote in Congress.
The New Jersey plan proposed an Executive branch of many people chosen by Congress. The judiciary would be appointed by the Executive branch. The New Jersey plan said that laws and treaties made by Congress were the supreme law of the land. The great compromise is also called the Connecticut compromise. The great compromise gave Congress the power of the legislature. Congress was to be made up of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House was to be directly elected by the people of the state. Each state would get representatives based on population. Each state would have two senators. The three fifths compromise helped determine how to count slaves when figuring out how many representatives
each state received. Five slaves would equal three free people. Congress did not end the international slave trade until eighteen oh eight.
Presidential Elections Welcome to the section on presidential elections. The framers of the constitution were scared of mob rule
and did not want the public to elect a president directly. The Electoral College let the states appoint electors based on the number of representatives in Congress. The electors would vote for two people. The person with the most votes would 12
be president. The person with the second most votes would be vice president. If there was a tie, the House of
Representatives would decide, with each state getting one vote. The constitution gave the president one four year term and didn’t say anything about a second term.
Ratification of the Constitution Welcome to the section on ratification of the constitution. Article eight of the constitution said the constitution would be ratified when nine out of thirteen state conventions approved it. The constitution went into effect when New Hampshire ratified it on June twenty first, seventeen eighty
eight. Federalists were supporters of the constitution. The most important federalists were Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. James Madison wrote the Federalist Papers. The Federalist Papers were articles which explained
the need for a strong central government. The antifederalists did not support the constitution. Famous antifederalists include Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson. The antifederalists did not approve of the constitution for three reasons. One. A strong central government might lead to tyranny. Two. The states would have too little power. Three. The constitution had no Bill of Rights to protect the freedom of the people. 13
The constitution gave the following civil liberties. Congress or the states were not allowed to suspend the writ of habeas corpus. Habeas corpus says that authorities must
say why a person in custody must not be released. The constitution also said Congress or the states could not make an ex post facto law. An ex post facto law makes something a crime after it has occurred. The constitution also said a person had a right to a jury trial. There would be no bill of attainder, which made a person guilty without a trial. The constitution also said no religious test would be required for a person to hold public
office. The federalists thought state constitutions gave people enough rights, but the federalists were willing to add a bill of rights to get the constitution ratified.
Basic Principles of the Constitution Welcome to the section on the basic principles of the constitution.
The constitution said the United States was a republic. In a republic, power is in the hands of people and elected representatives exercise the power of the people. The federal government said each state had a republican form of government too. However, a lot of people could not vote because of the strict qualifications for becoming a voter. The government is divided into three branches. The Congress is the legislative branch that makes the laws. The president, vice president, cabinet and staff are the executive
branch which enforces the laws. The Supreme Court is the 14
judicial branch which interprets the laws. Each branch is supposed to check the power of the others. Here is an overview of the powers of each branch. The president nominates judges and officials in the executive branch. Most of these appointments need to be confirmed by the Senate. Congress can impeach and remove both judges and the president from office.
The president can ask Congress to pass laws, but Congress can refuse. The president can refuse to sign laws approved by Congress. This is called a presidential veto. The law then goes back to Congress. If two thirds of both Houses approve the law, the presidential veto will be overturned and the law will take effect. The Supreme Court can say laws passed by the president or Congress are unconstitutional. Congress can increase the number of justices on the Supreme Court and make changes to the lower federal courts. The power of the Supreme Court is called judicial review. Judicial review was not established until the Marbury versus Madison case in eighteen oh three. The constitution establishes a federal system, which means power is divided between the federal government and the states. The constitution says what the states cannot do, but it gives little information on what the states CAN do.
Here is a summary on the constitution. Article one gives legislative power to Congress, creating the House of Representatives and the Senate. The article 15
covers the qualifications for holding office, the organization of each house, and the impeachment and veto process. The
article spells out the powers of Congress by naming its enumerated powers. The necessary and proper clause says that Congress can pass laws to carry out its enumerated powers. Article two covers the presidency. Article two outlines the Electoral College, the qualifications for holding office and
the powers of the president. Article three establishes the Supreme Court, but does not give specifications. Article four talks about the relationships between the states. The full faith and credit clause says that the laws, records and court decisions of one state are valid in another. Article five explains how the constitution is amended. In article six, the U-S assumed all the debts of the government under the Articles of Confederation. Article six
also contains the supremacy clause. The supremacy clause says that the laws and treaties of the U-S are the supreme
laws of the land. Article seven explains how the constitution needs to be ratified by conventions in nine of the thirteen states.
Amendment Process and the Bill of Rights Welcome to the section on the amendment process and the bill of rights. To amend the constitution, an amendment needs to be 16
proposed and then ratified.
There are two ways to propose an amendment. One. By a two thirds vote in Congress. Two. Two thirds of the state legislatures ask Congress to call a national convention. There are two ways to ratify an amendment. One. Three fourths of the state legislatures approve the
amendment. Two. Conventions in three fourths of states approve the
amendment.
The Bill of Rights Welcome to the section on the bill of rights. The bill of rights is the first ten amendments to the constitution. The first eight amendments deal with rights that were commonly found in state constitutions. Here's a summary of the bill of rights. Amendment one. Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom to petition the government. Amendment two. The right to bear arms Amendment three. Prohibits putting troops in people's houses without their consent. 17
Amendment four. Protects against unreasonable search and seizure. Probable cause is needed for a warrant. The warrant must describe the place to be searched and what is
be searched. Amendment five. The grand jury must indict for serious
crimes. Protects against double jeopardy. Double jeopardy is trying a person more than once for the same crime. Protects against self incrimination. Guarantees due process and eminent domain. Eminent domain means that a person must be compensated if their land is taken for public use. Amendment six. Provides for the right to a speedy trial by jury in criminal cases. The defendant must be informed about the charges. The defendant has the right to confront witnesses. The defendant has the right to represented by an
attorney. Amendment seven. Provides for a trial by jury in civil cases. Amendment eight. Prohibits excessive bail and fines and
cruel and unusual punishment. Amendment nine. The people are not denied any rights that are not specifically mentioned in the constitution.
Amendment ten. Powers not granted to the federal government or denied to the states are given to the people.
These powers are called reserved powers. Here's an overview of amendments to the constitution after the bill of rights. Amendment eleven. Puts limits on suits against states by 18
citizens of foreign countries or other states. Amendment twelve. Electors can vote separately for the
president and vice president in the Electoral College. Amendment thirteen. Prohibited slavery. Amendment fourteen. Defines U-S citizens as anyone born or given naturalization in the U-S. Prohibits states from denying people life, liberty, or property without due process. Amendment fifteen. Prohibits denying the right to vote
based on race, color or previous condition of servitude. Amendment sixteen. Authorizes federal income tax. Amendment seventeen. Allows for the direct election of
senators. Amendment eighteen. This amendment was called prohibition. Prohibition prohibited the making, sale or distribution of alcohol. Amendment nineteen. Gives women the right to vote. Amendment twenty. Changes when the president, vice president, and Congress take office. Amendment twenty one. eighteenth amendment.
Repealed
probation,
the
Amendment twenty two. Limited the president to serving two terms. Amendment twenty three. Gave the District of Columbia
the right to vote in presidential elections. 19
Amendment twenty four. Prohibits the poll tax in federal elections. Amendment twenty five. Covers the line of presidential
succession. Amendment twenty six. Lowered the voting age to eighteen in state and federal elections. Amendment twenty seven. Changes the law saying that the compensation of members of Congress does not go into
effect until after an election to the house.
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You have reached the end of the audio review for
AP US Government Sample Test.
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