American Government Final Exam Study Guide PDF

**American Government** **Final Exam Study Guide** *Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. All responses must be handwritten.* **[Chapter 1]** 1. What are the four essential features of a state (country)? Describe each of the four. 2. Describe John Locke's Social Con...

**American Government** **Final Exam Study Guide** *Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. All responses must be handwritten.* **[Chapter 1]** 1. What are the four essential features of a state (country)? Describe each of the four. 2. Describe John Locke's Social Contract Theory. people willingly give up some rights to the government in exchange for protection 3. What is a federal system of government? How is power organized in this system? 4. Describe the characteristics of a totalitarian government. 5. What is economics? 6. What is a constitution? 7. How would you describe the governmental system of a "republic"? 8. Describe the economic model of capitalism. 9. Compare (similar) and contrast (different) socialism and democratic socialism **[Chapter 2]** 10. What's the difference between a Federalist and an Anti-federalist? 11. Name three weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?  Where was most power held between the states or the national government? 12. What were the Articles of Confederation*?* 13. What were some reasons the colonists resented the taxes imposed by Parliament?  Why did Parliament impose those taxes? 14. Describe the Three-Fifths Compromise? 15. What was missing from the original draft of the Constitution that prevented ratification? 16. What does it mean that the legislature is "bicameral" under the Connecticut Compromise? **[Chapter 3]** 17. What are enumerated powers and give 3 examples. 18. What is the elastic clause and how is it used by Congress? 19. What is Judicial Review and how is it used to check the executive and legislative branches? 20. Describe the system of checks and balances, give an example of a check that each branch has on another branch. (Pg. 95 chart) 21. What is the process to amend the U.S. Constitution? **[Chapter 4]** 22. Describe the system of Federalism and how it is used in the United States. 23. What is the Supremacy Clause and why is it significant? anytime a national law and state law conflict the national law automatically wins 24. Give 2 examples for: National Powers, Concurrent Powers, and Reserved Powers. (Pg. 133 chart) **[Chapters 5-7]** 25. What is redistricting and how is this different from gerrymandering? 26. What are incumbents and how likely is an incumbent to get reelected to Congress? 27. What is a filibuster and how is it used as a political tool? 28. What are expressed powers and what are implied powers? 29. Describe what impeachment is and describe the process. 30. Describe the following terms regarding congressional investigations: Subpoena, perjury, and contempt. 31. What is a "rider" and how can it be used as a political tool in Congress? 32. What are some examples of interest groups and how is lobbying used as a political tool? 33. Describe "pork-barrel legislation" and "logrolling". **[Chapter 9]** 34. What is executive privilege? the president doesn\'t exist to special levels of privacy in the interest of national security 35. What is the responsibility of the Chief Executive regarding the law? 36. Describe "appointment power" that the President has, how can this influence the nation? 37. Define: reprieve, pardon, and amnesty. [reprieve]: postponing legal punishment by the president [pardon:] dropping all criminal convictions by the president [Amnesty]: The president pardoning a large group of people for crimes committed 38. What is the War Powers Act and how has it been used by Presidents? 39. What are executive orders and how are these different from a law? 40. What does the President do as the Commander in Chief? 41. What are "Shadow Wars" and give at least one example of a Shadow War? 42. What is the USA Patriot Act and what does it allow the U.S. Government to do? 43. Define and point out the differences between a "treaty" and an "executive agreement". **[Chapter 13 & 14]** 44. Which early systems of law influenced the American justice system? Ideas on democracy came from state constitutions, the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights 45. Which principles of a republic are integral to the judicial branch? Equal protection under the law, innocent until proven guilty, trial by jury, due process 46. What is judicial review? How is this a check on the other two branches? Allows the courts to determine if a law or executive action is constitutional or not. Checks Congress and President by overturning bad laws/ actions 47. Explain the difference between a civil and criminal case. [Civil]- suing a person for damages [Criminal]- a law was broken. Fines, jail or prison time 48. What is original jurisdiction? The first level of court that hears a certain case 49. Explain the differences between a plaintiff, prosecutor, and defendant. [Plaintiff] is bringing legal complaint against a person in civil court [Prosecutor] is trying to prove guilt in a criminal trial [Defendant] is defending themselves from charges in civil or criminal court 50. What is the role of a public defender? Taxpayer funded attorney that is free for a person who choses to use them in criminal court 51. What is a jury? Explain their function. Group of ordinary citizens that actually determines if a person is guilty in a criminal trial. Usually 12 people 52. Explain double jeopardy. A person cannot stand trial for the same crime more than once, or serve a sentence for the same crime more than once 53. How many Federal Judicial Circuits are there? Which circuit is California located in? There are 12, California is in the 9^th^ circuit 54. What is a court-martial? How is this different than civilian courts? Military court for service members, rule of law is different, only made of other military members 55. What is the Supreme Court? How many total justices are there? Highest level of the judicial branch, constitutional experts. There are 9 justices. 56. Where does the Supreme Court derive its powers? (1803) Supreme Court case ruling Marbury v. Madison (1803) which established judicial review 57. What is a writ of certiorari? An appeal/request for a Higher level courts to challenge and overturn lower court rulings 58. Explain the process of how a judge becomes a Supreme Court Justice. They must be nominated by a President and then confirmed by a majority vote in the Senate 59. Explain the difference between judicial restraint and judicial activism. Judicial restraint is the courts not changing the pattern of previous rulings on similar cases. Activism is a stronger urge to change rulings of previous case law/ precedent 60. Explain the idea of a "living constitution". The constitution can be interpreted differently as time goes on to fit the needs of a changing society and technology 61. What does it mean to be a Constitutional "Originalist"? The Constitution should be read, and laws should be interpreted based on the original intent of the framers that wrote the Constitution **[Chapter 15 (Lecture Notes)]** 62. What is the Establishment Clause and what does it prevent Congress from doing? 63. When can the government search private property? 64. What is symbolic speech? Non-spoken speech. Burning flag, black arm bands Vietnam War protest 65. When can a person be "forced to testify against themselves? Drug test, breathalyzer, etc. 66. What are the two levels of crime and briefly describe each of them. 67. What is the significance of the 5th amendment? **[Chapter 17-2]** 68. How is liberal ideology and conservative ideology different?  69. What is a party platform? 70. What does it mean that Americans have become more polarized in recent years?