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c181 Study Guide
c181 Study Guide
c181 Study Guide
Answer the questions as you read through the learning resource. Remember, the section and sub-
section headings in the chapters are a useful way to identify the main points in the chapter.
If you feel that you still need additional help, contact the course mentor.
Prior to taking the assessment, review the guide to help you study.
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Purpose Definition
Maintaining Order
Providing Public
Goods
Promoting
Equality
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Study Guide Survey of United States Government and Constitution
Section 1.4- The Concepts of Freedom, Order and Equality
Answer the following questions:
1. What is the difference between political equality and social equality?
Public schools
2. Circle, highlight, or check the policy that best reflects the original dilemma:
Mandatory testing for HIV/AIDS
Paying men and women the same wages
4. Circle, highlight, or check the policy that best reflects the modern dilemma:
Banning controversial YouTube videos
Mandating that buses and trains are accessible to people with disabilities
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Study Guide Survey of United States Government and Constitution
1. Define political ideology:
Mentor Note: The economic theories differ based on how much government involvement each
theory argues that there should be in the economy. We have capitalism here in the United
States, which supports free enterprise (privately-owned businesses) with some government
regulation, like making sure our food is safe for consumption. Laissez-faire is like an extreme
form of capitalism, where there is free enterprise but no government intervention at all.
Communism is on the other side of the spectrum, where all aspects of the economy are run by
the state.
Conservative
Communitarian
Liberal
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Study Guide Survey of United States Government and Constitution
For additional information, please attend one of our live cohort sessions. If you feel you still
need and would like further assistance, please contact the course mentor.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Mentor Note: There are different views of what actually makes up a democracy. For some,
democracy is defined by the procedures and methods of decision-making being used; for
others, democracy is defined by the actual policies that result. We focus on two types of
democracy that emphasize procedures, such as citizen decision-making and elections. We then
discuss two models that explain how democracy may actually work in the real world.
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Study Guide Survey of United States Government and Constitution
Section 2.2- Institutional Models of Democracy
Mentor Note: There are two models, or blueprints, of democracy: the majoritarian model
(majoritarianism) and the pluralist model (pluralism). To explain, imagine going to the doctor with
a cough, a fever, and a sore throat. The doctor questions you about your symptoms to diagnose
what is making you sick. Majoritarianism and pluralism are like different sets of questions we
can ask to diagnose a government as democratic or not.
Compare models the democracy in the chart below:
Fill out the following table to compare two models of democracy by considering their stances on
a variety of statements. The first column states a belief or assumption. The second column is for
the majoritarian model and the third column is for the pluralist model. For each statement, if you
think the statement represents the model write or type yes, if you do not believe the statement
represents the model write or type no.
Majoritarian
Belief or Assumption Pluralist Model
Model
Assumes people are interested in politics
2. If the interest groups representing major hospitals and insurance companies opposed
increasing individuals subsidies for health insurance, but the public supported it, what
action(s) of Congress would support the pluralist model of democracy?
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3. Explain how Elite Theory differs from the Majoritarian and Pluralist models.
For additional information, please attend one of our live cohort sessions. If you feel you still
need and would like further assistance, please contact the course mentor.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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1. What is social contract theory?
2. What connections do you see between social contract theory and the ideas and language of
the Declaration of Independence, in an excerpt from it below?
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are
endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness...To secure these rights, Governments are instituted
among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed Whenever
any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People
to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...
Mentor Note: In Chapter 1, you learned about national sovereignty, which is the ability of
nations to govern themselves. In this Chapter, popular sovereignty means that the people
should have the power to rule.
2. How is this term, republic, related to the idea of popular sovereignty that is reflected in the
social contract theory and the Declaration of Independence?
3. Under a confederation, who has more power- the state or the national governments?
4. What powers did the states have under the Articles of Confederation?
6. Explain how Shays Rebellion serves as an example of the weakness of the Articles of
Confederation.
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engage in active review. Here is an example at the end of Chapter 3.2 From Revolution to
Confederation:
Alternate description
2. What were the key differences between the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan?
2. Identify and explain the four basic principles of the U.S. Constitution.
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3. Which one of these basic principles most closely aligns with the Social Contract Theorys
idea that the people should have the power to set up their government?
Look carefully at the Figure 3.2. See how each branch has their main
constitutional power in a green box for their column. The main powers are what that branch
does most of the time without the other branches stopping them. Then see how each branch
also has other extra powers in the white boxes for their column. The white boxes show Checks
& Balances which are extra powers over the other two branches. These extra powers are how
each branch can stop, confirm, investigate or even change the other two branches actions. For
more information on how these branches interact review the following link: Power, Checks and
Balances in the Three Branches of Government.
Use Figure 3.2 below (also with an alternate description) to answer these questions:
1. Explain how checks and balances work.
2. Is there any evidence to support the claim we have separate institutions sharing powers -
i.e., three branches of government that share some of the same powers? Explain your
answer.
Alternate description
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Explain the following terms:
1. Supremacy clause:
2. Enumerated powers:
4. How do implied powers come from the necessary and proper clause?
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2. What was the chief obstacle to the adoption of the Constitution by the states?
3. How long did it take for the Bill of Rights to be ratified after the U.S. Constitution was
passed?
Proposal Stage:
Ratification Stage:
For additional information, please attend one of our live cohort sessions. If you feel you
still need and would like further assistance, please contact the course mentor.
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Chapter 4: Federalism
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Mentor Note: In Chapter 3, you learned about two constitutional clauses that address the
power of the national government, the Necessary and Proper Clause (Article 1) and the
Supremacy Clause (Article 6). Article 4 includes two clauses that address the states. The Full
Faith and Credit Clause says that the judicial acts and criminal warrants of each state are
honored in all other states, while the Privileges and Immunities Clause forbids discrimination
against citizens of one state by another state.
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1. Define federalism:
4. Which amendment says that the powers not delegated to the United States nor prohibited to
the states, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people? In other words, which
amendment protects other powers for the states?
5. According to Figure 4.1 Metaphors for Federalism, what cake metaphor is used to describe
dual federalism?
7. According to Figure 4.1 Metaphors for Federalism, what cake metaphor is used to describe
cooperative federalism?
8. Circle, highlight, or check which description best describes how the Elastic Clause was
interpreted under cooperative federalism:
broadly, thus expanding the powers of the national government
narrowly, thus limiting the powers of the national government
1. Circle, highlight, or check the time that represents when the greatest changes to national
power usually happen:
times of peace and stability
times of crisis and change
2. In the case McCulloch v. Maryland, what was the Court asked to decide in regards to a
national bank? How did the Court interpret the Necessary and Proper Clause in deciding the
outcome of this case?
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Mentor Note: The way the Supreme Court has interpreted the Commerce Clause has led to
significant increases in the power of the national government. For instance, in the 1824 case
Gibbons v. Ogden, the Courts defined commerce very broadly and upheld the powers of
Congress, which gave the national government great authority to regulate businesses.
Mentor Note: In the section National Intervention in State Functions, you learn a few ways the
national government encroaches on state powers. A good example of this was during the shift in
American federalism from cooperative federalism to coercive federalism during the late 1970s.
Coercive federalism involves a powerful, centralized government where the federal government
can pressure the states to change their policies. In many cases the federal government will
withhold federal funding through the use of mandates, regulations, orders, or conditions.
3. Define the following terms and explain how each is used to force the policy choices of state
and local governments, as seen under coercive federalism (defined in the section below):
grants-in-aid:
mandates:
preemption:
4. Circle, highlight, or check the statement that best describes how the relationship between
the national and states government has changed over time:
Power can move from states to the federal government, and federal government to
the states, depending on factors like national crises, judicial decisions, and negotiations
over money/resources.
Congress has been less likely to use the Necessary and Proper Clause to
expand its power relative to the states, and strictly adheres to its enumerated powers.
American federalism has been very rigid, and is unlikely to be changed by internal or
external sources.
We are seeing recent trends that show the national and state governments are
refusing to share or overlap powers, as was seen under dual federalism.
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Section 4.4- Federalism and Electoral Politics
Mentor Note: Candidates for public office often gain experience at the state level (state
legislature, governor) before running for a position in the national government (U.S. House or
Senate, for example).
For additional information, please attend one of our live cohort sessions. If you feel you still
need assistance, please contact the course mentor.
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1. Which model says that the government should do what the majority of the public wants?
2. Which model argues that the public does not demonstrate clear, consistent opinions, and
that the government should instead listen to interest groups?
Mentor Note: This section discusses how we measure public opinion, primarily through
the use of polling. When examining the results of polling to see what the public thinks about
certain issues, the government must pay attention to the shape of public opinion distribution
graphs to see how much agreement and conflict there is over an issue, and how much opinions
have changed over time.
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Answer the following questions:
Primacy Principle:
Structuring Principle:
4. What is one of the most politically important things that children learn from their parents?
5. Based on what you learned about the primacy and structuring principles above, which is the
most important agent of socialization?
Mentor Note: People with similar social backgrounds tend to share political values, and we can
ask questions to determine how people prioritize values like equality, freedom, and order. For
example, we can ask Should the government see to it that every person has a job and a good
standard of living? to measure whether people believe the government should promote quality,
or if people should be free to succeed or fail on their own.
Circle, highlight, or check the answer that best represents the relationship in the
following statements:
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Study Guide Survey of United States Government and Constitution
freedom
5. All minority groups are ___________ than whites to support government action to improve
economic opportunity.
less likely
more likely
7. Women are ___________ than men to favor government action to promote equality.
less likely
more likely
Mentor Note: Ideology and ones opinions on political issues are closely related, but not
everyone fits neatly into categories such as liberal or conservative.
Mentor Note: While surveys of political knowledge have shown that most people know basic
facts about politics and government, the public is less knowledgeable about issues that can
affect public policy (i.e., understanding crime rates or how much of the budget goes to foreign
aid). If people are unsure about a policy, they can determine whether a policy will benefit them
personally, or take cues from parties, government leaders, or interest groups to help them make
political judgments.
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1. Define the self-interest principle:
2. What does the self-interest principle imply about public opinion and political socialization?
For additional information, please attend one of our live cohort sessions. If you feel you still
need assistance, please contact the course mentor.
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Mentor Note: Communication between the people and elected representatives is vital in a
democracy. The mass media transmits information to a diverse audience through print
(newspapers, magazines), broadcast (radio, television), and online forums (blogs, news sites,
etc.). The media is sometimes called the Fourth Branch of Government because of how they
hold government officials accountable and help us make informed political decisions.
Section 6.1- The Development of the Mass Media in the United States
Answer the following question:
1. Besides the internet, circle, highlight, or check which of these sources has the biggest news
audience of all media?
radio
newspapers
television
magazines
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Section 6.2- Private Ownership of the Media
Mentor Note: The mass media in the U.S. are privately owned businesses who seek to make a
profit. As sources compete for readers/viewers, it can affect the way news is reported and how
much substantive information is reaching the people.
1. What is the independent government agency that regulates the media industry?
1. What are the functions the media serves for the political system?
3. Does horse-race journalism enhance the publics knowledge of political issues? Why or why
not?
4. What does the television hypothesis reveal about the reason behind citizens low levels of
political knowledge?
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2. When journalists practice watchdog journalism, how are they making themselves adversaries
(or opponents) of the government?
3. How has the media advanced equality over order in the U.S.?
For additional information, please attend one of our live cohort sessions. If you feel you still
need assistance, please contact the course mentor.
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Mentor Note: When it comes to political participation, most Americans usually think of the act of
voting in elections. It is important to note, however, that there is more to participation than
simply voting. In general, there are two basic forms of political participation: conventional and
unconventional.
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2. Which of these two forms of participation would be considered less risky for participants to
engage in?
Mentor Note: The civil rights movement used direct actionassembling crowds to confront
business and local governmentto insist on equal treatment for black Americans. This kind of
political activity eventually resulted in the United States Congress passing civil rights laws to
prevent discrimination. Obviously, direct action has not been confined to just the civil rights
movement. Citizens in general may engage in direct action for any political cause. Though
unconventional participation can be very effective, most Americans disapprove of this kind of
participation because it interferes with daily living.
Mentor Note: Participation can be further subdivided within the category of conventional
participation. Political behavior can also be characterized as either supportive behavior (i.e.,
actions that express allegiance to government and country) like saying the Pledge of Allegiance
or waving the flag, or influential behavior (i.e., behavior that seeks to modify or reverse
government policy to serve political interests), like voting.
1. Besides the ones listed above, provide some examples of conventional participation.
Mentor Note: While we have universal suffrage now, this was not always the case in the United
States. Rather, this has evolved over time. At first, suffrage was confined only to white male
property owners. It was later extended to black males (regardless of property ownership) and
then later to women. Historically, the extension of suffrage was brought about and maintained
by constitutional amendments, Supreme Court decisions, or congressional acts.
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1. What is meant by the term suffrage?
2. Which amendment expanded suffrage by giving black Americans the right to vote?
5. Circle, highlight, or check the correct answer. The terms suffrage and franchise both refer to
the right to vote.
True
False
Mentor Note: The standard socioeconomic model is based on research on the relationship
between the socioeconomic status of a citizen and the likelihood of participating in certain
kinds of political behavior. Political researchers have found a relationship between
socioeconomic statusa combination of a persons income, education, and occupationand
the persons political participation. Though all three of the variables are related, education
seems to be the single most influential factor here.
1. According to the standard socioeconomic model, are people of higher socioeconomic status
more or less likely to participate? Circle, highlight, or check the correct answer.
More likely
Less likely
2. Which of the following factors has the strongest effect on conventional participation? Circle,
highlight, or check the correct answer.
education
income
religious affiliation
3. According to the standard socioeconomic model, are younger people more or less likely to
participate in unconventional forms of participation such as protests, demonstrations, or
boycotts? Circle, highlight, or check the correct answer.
More likely
Less likely
4. Circle, highlight, or check the correct answer. There is no meaningful relationship between
socioeconomic status and political participation.
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True
False
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need assistance, please contact the course mentor.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Mentor Note: Political parties help link citizens to government. Though parties were not
included in the constitution, they developed later and became an informal institution for helping
citizens participate in our political system.
o Nominating candidates
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Description Function
The idea of reducing the number of candidates on the
ballot to those who have a realistic chance of winning.
The idea of party officeholders cooperating and
collaborating within and across political institutions to
bring about favorable outcomes for the party.
The idea of recruiting individuals to run for public office.
Mentor Note: Notice that the first one of these functions is the characteristic that most
distinguishes political parties from interest groups, which you will learn more about in Chapter
10. Interest groups are another informal institution that link citizens to government. Where
political parties seek to place people in public office, interest groups only seek to influence those
who occupy public office. In short, political parties seek to place their members in public office
while interest groups do not.
Section 8.2 A History of U.S. Party Politics & Section 8.3 The American Two-Party System
1. What happened in the First Party system that caused the passage of the 12th amendment?
6. Which critical election established the Democratic and Republican Parties in our two-party
system? After this election, how long did the Republicans majority status last?
8. Historically, our political system has been dominated by two political parties. What are two
explanations for why we have this two-party system?
10. What role does party identification play in fostering our two-party system?
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11. How is this idea related to the second major function of political parties?
12. Circle, highlight, or check the correct answer. On the whole, party stances on issues and
public policy tend to reflect the organizations ideological orientation.
True
False
Mentor Note: Everyone is unique. It is not the case that everyone will see everything the
same way or react to things the same way. However, some commonalities have been
discovered among people with similar social backgrounds. Here some general tendencies about
the relationship between background factors and a person's political outlook have been
uncovered by political research over the years. These findings have to do with six social
background factors in particular: education, income, and region, race/ethnicity, religion, and
gender. Considering each of these factors alone, political researchers have found a significant
relationship between such factors and certain political values. Based on the textbook (see
Chapter 5), complete the statements below pertaining to each social background factor.
1. Wealth, like education, is linked to class. Are people with higher income levels more or less
likely to support freedom over equality?
More likely
Less likely
2. Based on a person's income by itself, would you say that the person of high income would
be more likely to support the Democratic Party or the Republican Party than a person of low
income? You can refer to Figure 8.5 Party Identification by Social Groups.
Democratic Party
Republican Party
Mentor Note: Whereas in the past differences in ethnicity were associated with some
systematic differences in people's political orientations, this is no longer the case today.
Knowing a person's ethnicity helps very little to predict their political values and party
identification. However, differences across races continue to be found.
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2. As a result, are African Americans more likely to support the Democratic or Republican
Party?
Democratic Party
Republican Party
3. Are the political attitudes and party preferences of Hispanics more similar to blacks or
whites?
Blacks
Whites
5. When all other factors are held constant, are women more likely than men to support the
Democratic or Republican Party?
Democratic Party
Republican Party
1. The responsible party model advocates meaningful differences between political parties that
results in tangible results. What are the 4 tenets of responsible party government?
2. Circle, highlight, or check the correct answer. Political parties are not interested in placing
members of their party in political office.
True
False
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For additional information, please attend one of our live cohort sessions. If you feel you still
need and would like further assistance, please contact the course mentor.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Mentor Note: In seeking their partys nomination, political candidates conduct an election
campaign. If successful at winning the nomination, they continue their campaign in the general
election.
Mentor Note: The nations first state-level preliminary races for president are held in the states
of Iowa and New Hampshire. The Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primaries are
considered to be so-called bellwether elections during the primary election season in that
winning these states are considered crucial to winning the partys nomination. Conversely, if a
candidate does not do well in these elections, they are considered to have little chance of
ultimately winning the nomination. Due to focus on these two states historically because they
hold their preliminary races so early in primary season, other states have responded by moving
their primaries to earlier in the season as well. This has caused an increased tendency of front-
loading in an effort to make the respective state more influential in the nomination process. This
has also resulted in what is known as Super Tuesday, wherein 16 states hold their primaries
and 4 states hold their caucuses all on the same day.
1. What is a plurality?
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Mentor Note: The president is elected indirectly through the electoral college. The electoral
college consists of 538 electors, corresponding to the number of total number of members in the
United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate (plus the District of
Columbia). This can be broken down by state, resulting in the number of electors in the electoral
college per state. This is determined by the number of members a state has in the U.S. House
and U.S. Senate.
4. Circle, highlight, or check the correct answer. The vote for president is based solely on the
number of Americans voting for a particular candidate separate and apart from how many
electoral votes the candidate receives.
True
False
Mentor Note: When a candidate wins the plurality of the vote in a state, the candidate receives
all of the states electoral votes. This means that when voters cast their ballots in favor of a
presidential candidate, those votes are later formally cast by the electors. The number of
electoral votes that a candidate needs to win the presidency is 270 (i.e., 270 electoral votes).
Mentor Note: The party national convention is the national meeting of delegates selected in
primaries and caucuses. These meetings usually take place the summer before the general
election. It is here where the formal process of nominating the partys presidential candidate
takes place. This usually reflects the support of the leading candidate after primaries and
caucuses/conventions have been held. During their national conventions, each party assembles
a party platform (see Chapter 8), which is a series of statements of general policy expected to
be pursued in the general election. Each of these policy statements is called a plank.
For additional information, please attend one of our live cohort sessions. If you feel you still
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need and would like further assistance, please contact the course mentor.
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2. Interest groups serve various functions; explain the following five functions below, include an
example for each:
Representation:
Participation:
Education:
Agenda Building:
Program Monitoring:
3. Circle, highlight, or check the answer that does not represent a function of interest groups.
Voicing the concerns of voters to government officials.
Encouraging citizens to contact their government officials.
Providing updates to citizens about congressional action on a specific topic.
All of the above are functions of interest groups.
4. List some examples of interest groups that are active in American politics.
Mentor Note: Interest groups exist because an individual, or entrepreneur, cared about an
issue and decided to invest the resources necessary to organize a group. As any student who
has worked in a group knows, groups can pose unique challenges, like how you convince
people to do their part (instead of just profiting from your hard work without doing anything, i.e.,
free-riding). To address this problem, interest group entrepreneurs give individuals additional
reasons, or incentives, for joining the interest group.
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1. Identify and describe the resources that interest groups have at their disposal to pursue their
goals.
2. What is a political action committee (PAC) and what primary function do they serve?
3. Circle, highlight, or check the answer that best describes the relationship between an
interest group and political action committee.
Political action committees help interest groups overcome the free-rider problem that
plagues attempts to organize an interest group.
Political action committees help interest groups with their function of program
monitoring.
Political action committees help interest groups recruit experienced interest group
entrepreneurs.
Political action committees help interest groups pool financial contributions and
donate them to candidates that are aligned with the groups interests.
1. Identify and discuss the four strategies and tactics used by interest groups to influence the
policymaking process.
For additional information, please attend one of our live cohort sessions. If you feel you still
need and would like further assistance, please contact the course mentor.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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1. We discuss congressional power in terms of the enumerated and the implied powers of
Congress. Considering the origin of the implied powers in the necessary and proper clause,
what expands the powers of Congress more: the enumerated or implied powers of
Congress? Why?
2. Bicameralism is a term that describes a legislative body, like Congress, that is composed of
two chambers or groups. What are the two chambers of Congress? Why did the authors of
the Constitution set up Congress to be bicameral?
Complete the following table by comparing the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S.
Senate.
The first column of this table lists a characteristics. Fill out these characteristics for both U.S.
House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. The House of Representatives is in the second
column and the Senate is in the third.
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1. Which of these statements best characterizes a difference between the House and the
Senate?
The House has permissive rules for debate, whereas the Senate does not.
The Senate has shorter terms, whereas only one-third of House members are re-
elected every two years.
The House votes to impeach a federal official. The Senate votes on guilt and
sentencing.
The Senate has no checks and balances on the president that the House does not
have.
1. Redistricting:
2. Reapportionment:
3. Gerrymandering:
Use Figure 11.4 in your text to fill in the following steps of the Legislative Process for
the House of Representatives
Step One
Step Two
Step Three
Step Four
Step Five
Step Six
Step Seven
Step Eight
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While the legislative process for the House and Senate is basically the same, what step do we
see in the House that is not in the Senate?
For additional information, please attend one of our live cohort sessions. If you feel you still
need and would like further assistance, please contact the course mentor.
__________________________________________________________________________________
1. Identify and describe the formal powers explicitly granted to the president in Article II of the
U.S. Constitution.
Mentor Note: The constitution lists several powers of the president, but presidents have
expanded their powers through other means by use of inherent powerspowers claimed by the
president that are not explicitly mentioned in the constitution. For example, Executive Privilege
is the presidents prerogative to withhold classified or sensitive information that, to divulge,
would threaten national security. Not all attempts by presidents to expand their powers have
been upheld by the courts, though. For example, Executive Privilege can be overruled by a
court decision, forcing the president to release the requested information.
1. Which three formal powers involve the president in the policymaking or legislative process
(legislative powers)?
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2. Define an executive order:
3. Describe when and how a president might use an executive order to expand his presidential
power. Give a historical example.
4. What other presidential powers are not listed in the U.S. Constitution?
1. Compare and contrast the cabinet and the Executive Office of the President, paying
attention to how they get their job and what role they play in the executive branch.
2. What does the U.S. Constitution say about the bureaucracy in Article II?
Mentor Note: The Power to Persuade is a term used to illuminate the fact that not all of
the presidents power comes directly from the Constitution. In some instances, a president is
able to accomplish his goals because he can persuade othersparticularly Congress and the
publicto agree with them. For much of our nations history, the president would work quietly
with Congress to pass his legislative agenda. Since the 1930s, however, presidents have shown
more leadership by proposing the budget and working openly with Congress to achieve their
policy goals.
2. Discuss the consequences that divided government has for the ability of the president
and Congress to get things accomplished (i.e., gridlock)?
1. Which of the following does not describe a key power or role of the president?
The power to take care that the laws are faithfully executed.
The legislative power to veto laws.
The role of political party leader.
The role of chief counsel to the Supreme Court.
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For a closer look at the nature of executive orders watch Executive Orders. This video was
created by one of the course mentors. The transcript for this video can be accessed here:
Executive Orders Transcript. For additional practice, you can also complete the Executive
Orders Knowledge Check to assess your learning.
For additional information, please attend one of our live cohort sessions. If you feel you still
need and would like further assistance, please contact the course mentor.
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1. Define bureaucracy?
1. What are the basic types of government organizations? (i.e., different parts of the executive
branch). Provide an example of each type.
2. Which of the following provides the best description of the organization and operation of the
executive branch? Circle, highlight, or check the correct answer.
The executive branch has a top-down administrative structure in which the president
exercises a great deal of control over similarly structured administrative agencies.
The executive branch is made up of diverse organizations with varying degrees of
independence from and control by the president.
Presidents operate with a high degree of control over personnel and policy decisions
across a wide range of administrative agencies within the executive branch.
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All bureaucrats within administrative agencies are insulated from party politics and,
thus, presidents are really not able to exert much influence over policy goals and policy
making.
Term Description
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Answer the following questions:
2. How is the rule making process tied to how administrative agencies make policy?
Mentor Note: We often talk about bureaucracy as if it only exists as part of government.
Bureaucracy, however, is something we confront everyday as we encounter complex
organizations in our lives. In this section, the authors highlight the importance of culture for
understanding how a government agency works. Consider the culture of different private
bureaucracies (e.g., Apple or Wells Fargo) as a way of thinking about bureaucracy in general.
What norms or unwritten rules seem to be at work? How do those norms or unwritten rules
influence decision making?
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Study Guide Survey of United States Government and Constitution
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Mentor Note: The federal courts are structured differently than the legislative and executive
branches. Federal judges are not elected and have, essentially, lifetime appointments. Federal
judges are, therefore, insulated from the direct political pressures of elections. The courts also
have reactive powers. In other words, courts do not exercise their powers until parties bring
their disputes to the courts in the form of litigation. In addition, if the parties to the dispute settle,
then the courts do not exercise their powers at all. Finally, the courts are constrained by the
facts of specific cases and bound by the law. This means that they make decisions on a case-
by-case basis and are expected to justify decisions on the basis of the law.
2. Briefly describe the place of judicial review within the constitutional structure of checks and
balances.
1. How does the organization of courts in the US reflect the principle of federalism?
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Study Guide Survey of United States Government and Constitution
Section 14.3 The Supreme Court
Mentor Note: According to Article III, some cases going to the Supreme Court will fall under its
original jurisdiction, while others enter under the Courts appellate jurisdiction.
4. Why does the Supreme Court pick some court cases and not others?
5. What happens to an appealed court case that the Supreme Court refuses to hear?
7. Explain the difference between judicial restraint and judicial activism. Connect these different
judicial philosophies with the majoritarian and pluralist models of democracy.
9. Which of the following statements about judicial review is not correct? Circle, highlight, or
check the correct answer.
It is the power of the courts to declare national, state, and local laws invalid if they
violate the Constitution.
Marbury v. Madison (1803) formally established the Supreme Courts power of
judicial review.
The Supreme Court has no discretion about the cases it wishes to hear as part of its
exercise of judicial review.
Article III of the Constitution does not include an explicit reference to judicial review.
10. Which of the following is the result of a court issuing a petition of certiorari? Circle, highlight,
or check the correct answer.
A lower courts ruling is kept in place
A defendants arguments are rejected
A lower courts ruling is subject to review
An apellant's case is dismissed
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For a closer look at the federal judiciary and the power of judicial review watch The Judicial
Branch. This video was created by one of the course mentors. The transcript for this video can
be accessed here: The Judicial Branch Transcript. For additional practice, you can also
complete The Judicial Branch Knowledge Check to assess your learning.
For additional information, please attend one of our live cohort sessions. If you feel you still
need and would like further assistance, please contact the course mentor.
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1. Explain how civil liberties (negative rights) promote the value of freedom. (Use the freedom
of religion as an example. See section 15.1 of the text.)
2. Explain how civil rights (positive rights) promote the value of equality. (Use the example of
the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as an example. See section 15.1 of the text.)
Mentor Note: For review, and to connect the chapters, we recommend you complete the
following Constitution Amendments chart. Use it as a reference to study for the assessment.
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
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7th
8th
9th
10th
3. What are the main ideas in the following Supreme Court cases on the free-exercise and
establishment clauses of the 1 Amendment?
st
What are the main ideas in the following Supreme Court cases on the free speech clause of the
1 Amendment?
st
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Section 15.4- The Right to Bear Arms
What are the main ideas in the following Supreme Court cases:
McDonald v. Chicago:
1. What is the due process clause in the 14th amendment and what does it mean?
2. How does the Supreme Court case Gideon vs. Wainwright illustrate the process of
selective incorporation? Specifically, what constitutional right did the Court extend to
defendants in state courts?
3. Explain the main ideas and legal standards from these Supreme Court cases:
Gideon v. Wainwright:
Miranda v. Arizona:
Mapp v. Ohio:
4. Explain the USA Patriot Act and how it impacts civil liberties.
5. Explain how the exclusionary rule relates to unlawful search and seizure.
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2. Explain how the right to privacy is different from other protections found in the Bill of
Rights.
3. Explain the main ideas and legal standards from these related Supreme Court cases:
Griswold v. Connecticut:
Roe v. Wade:
Lawrence v. Texas:
4. Which of the following accurately highlights the difference between the right to free
speech and the right to privacy (personal autonomy)? Circle, highlight, or check the
correct answer.
The right to free speech is absolute and the right to privacy is qualified.
The right to privacy is absolute and the right to free speech is qualified.
The right to privacy is an implied right; the right to free speech is an enumerated
right.
The right to free speech is an implied right; the right to privacy is an enumerated
right.
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need and would like further assistance, please contact the course mentor.
__________________________________________________________________________________
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Study Guide Survey of United States Government and Constitution
1. What is the difference between equality of opportunity and equality of outcome?
3. Describe racial segregation in the United States. Reference the Supreme Court decision in
Dred Scott (found in chapter 4.2 in subsection Judicial Interpretation).
5. How did the court apply the Fourteenth Amendment in Plessy v. Ferguson? * See Mentor
note in Section 15.2 about what you should know about each court case.
1. How did the court apply the Fourteenth Amendment in Brown v. Board of Education? * See
Mentor note in Section 15.2 about what you should know about each court case.
2. Explain the differences between de facto and de jure segregation. Which of these types of
segregation was upheld in the Plessy case, but dismantled in the Brown case?
2. Who was Rosa Parks and why was she significant to the civil rights movement?
3. What was the Montgomery Bus Boycott and why was it significant to the civil rights
movement?
4. Who was Martin Luther King Jr. and why was he significant to the civil rights movement?
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Study Guide Survey of United States Government and Constitution
6. How did affirmative action laws change with the Supreme Court's ruling in the Regents
case?
Native Americans
Hispanics
Disabled Americans
3. How did the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) extend the protections provided in the
Civil Rights Act of 1964? What does the ADA guarantee to individuals with disabilities?
4. Ending the dont ask, dont tell policy in the military led to what result?
Mentor Note: The Supreme Court decided that the right to same-sex marriage was
guaranteed by the Constitution in the case Obergefell v. Hodges (2015).
1. Define protectionism:
3. Describe how Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 pressed for womens rights.
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Study Guide Survey of United States Government and Constitution
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need and would like further assistance, please contact the course mentor.
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Study Guide Survey of United States Government and Constitution
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