POS 110 American Government & Politics Midterm Study Guide PDF Fall 2024

**POS 110: American Government and Politics: A Study Guide for Midterm** **Arizona State University \| Fall 2024** **Professor Şengül Yildiz Alanbay** Midterm will consist of multiple-choice questions (mainly from Connect activities) and short answer questions (mainly from lectures), to be admini...

**POS 110: American Government and Politics: A Study Guide for Midterm** **Arizona State University \| Fall 2024** **Professor Şengül Yildiz Alanbay** Midterm will consist of multiple-choice questions (mainly from Connect activities) and short answer questions (mainly from lectures), to be administered online (**but in class -- please be present in class**), on **Canvas** (not on Connect) using the Respondus Lockdown browser + webcam, closed book. The exams will each consist of approximately 50 questions. Please note that students are responsible for resolving any personal or technological issues that may arise for the midterm. This study guide is made to assist you in your preparation for the midterm. It outlines the objectives and key concepts you should focus on from the chapters covered. Prepare thoroughly by focusing on these key areas, and good luck with your midterm examination! **[Chapter 1: Critical Thinking & American Culture]** - Understand the role of critical thinking in analyzing American culture and political discourse. - **Key Concepts:** - Definition and importance of critical thinking. - Influence of American culture on political values and behavior. **[Chapter 2: Constitutional Democracy]** **The Declaration of Independence:** - Understand the foundational principles of American independence and governance. - **Key Concepts:** - Unalienable rights and their implications for American democracy. - The concept of "just powers" derived from the consent of the governed. **John Locke and the Social Contract:** - Understand the philosophical underpinnings of American democracy. - **Key Concepts:** - John Locke's theory of social contract and its influence on the Constitution - Compare democracy and republic. - Bill of Rights. **[Chapter 3: Federalism]** - Understand the structure and debates surrounding the federal system of government in the United States. - **Key Concepts:** - Definitions and examples of sovereignty, unitary systems, confederacies, and federalism. - The Great Compromise and key debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. **[Chapters 4 & 5: Civil Liberties & Civil Rights]** - Distinguish between civil liberties and civil rights, and explore significant legal and social developments in their history - **Key concepts:** - The Bill of Rights, the doctrine of wall of separation, Equal-protection clause, intersectionality, Voting Rights Acts, *de jure* and *de facto* discrimination, the policy of affirmative action, women's rights. **[Chapter 6: Public Opinion]** - Understand the formation of public opinion and its impact on American politics. - **Key concepts:** - Political socialization (primary and secondary socializing agents) - The role of party identification, identity politics, and echo chambers in shaping political views. **[Chapter 10: The News Media:]** - Understand the influence of media on public perception and opinion in politics. - **Key concepts:** - The effects of framing, priming, and yellow journalism on public opinion. - Noam Chomsky's notion of manufactured consent and the notion of securitization. **[Chapter 7: Political Participation]** - Understand the various forms and barriers to political participation in the United States. - **Key concepts:** - The history and significance of voting rights, including women\'s suffrage. - Reasons behind lower voter turnout and forms of unconventional political participation. **[Chapter 8: Political Parties:]** - Trace the development and transformation of political parties in the U.S (the first, second, and civil party systems) - **Key concepts:** - The evolution of the American two-party system and its historical milestones. - The concepts of party realignment, polarization, and the mechanics of the electoral system (the two-party system, the winner-take-all system, the single-member district system of elections, proportional representation, plurality system, multiparty system). **[Chapter 9: Interest Groups]** - Understand the role and impact of interest groups in American politics. - **Key concepts:** - The function and strategies of interest groups in shaping policy and public opinion. - The debate over the influence of interest groups on democratic governance