The exam is on Chapters 11-14
This exam is a timed exam which is for 1hr and 15mins. It contains eight questions.
– Four short essay questions
– Two longer essays
JadaWada
Apr 10, 9:08 AM
Chapter 11 Learning Goals:
Recognize the enumerated powers of Congress
Describe what the Elastic Clause (aka the Necessary and Proper Clause) of the Constitution does
List at least five differences between the House and the Senate
Explain how incumbency gives sitting members of Congress an advantage in getting re-elected
Tell the difference between reapportionment and redistricting
Define gerrymandering
Understand the difference between partisan gerrymandering and racial gerrymandering, including the different legal standards for when each is permissible (or not)
Distinguish between the delegate, trustee, and politico styles of representation
Describe how members of Congress engage in constituent service (“home-style” activities), and the challenges they face in doing so
Know what the Congressional Budget Office, Government Accountability Office, and Congressional Research Service do
Define divided government
Understand how the recent increase in partisan polarization has affected the norms of how members of Congress interact with each other
Describe the leadership structure of the House and Senate
Know what congressional committees do and how they’re organized
Tell the difference between standing, special/select, joint, and conference committees
Explain how the House and Senate differ in their procedures in the legislative process
Describe the formal process of how a bill becomes a law
Describe the give-and-take between Congress and the President regarding using the military (declaring war, the War Powers Act, etc.)
Explain the investigative/oversight role of congressional committees
Understand Congress’s role in developing and passing the federal budget
Describe the two special powers of the Senate: confirming presidential appointees and ratifying treaties
Chapter 12 Learning Goals:
List the constitutional qualifications for the office of president
Understand these aspects of the Electoral College:
Why it was developed
How it was originally supposed to work
How the 12th Amendment changed it
How it works today
Give reasonable arguments both for and against its reform/abolition
Define and give examples of the president’s express, delegated, and discretionary powers
Describe the president’s official roles as:
Chief executive
Commander-in-chief
Chief diplomat
Chief of state
Lawmaker
Describe the president’s unofficial roles as:
Party leader
Economic leader
Opinion leader
Understand the organization of the executive branch in immediate contact with the president:
The Cabinet
Executive Office of the President (EOP)
Define the “unitary executive” theory of presidential power
Identify the privileges used by the president to keep information secret from the public and other branches of government
Describe the role the vice president plays in a presidential administration
Describe the procedures under the 25th Amendment for dealing with a dead or incapacitated president
Chapter 13 Learning Goals:
Define and give the characteristics of a bureaucracy
Distinguish between the spoils system and merit system of staffing the bureaucracy
Know the difference between political appointees and civil service employees
Understand the different components of the federal bureaucracy, and give examples of each:
Cabinet departments
Independent executive agencies
Independent regulatory agencies
Government corporations
Identify the sources of power in the federal bureaucracy
Describe the ways each branch of government (Congress, president, and the courts) can control the federal bureaucracy
Chapter 14 Learning Goals:
Explain the three-tiered structure of the federal courts
Define the concept of judicial review and understand how it works
Distinguish between civil and criminal law
Understand the difference between jurisdictional requirements and justiciability requirements
Describe how the Supreme Court deals with a case
Granting or denying a petition for writ of certiorari
Oral argument
Opinion-writing
Implementation of the Court’s ruling
Know how the other two branches of government exercise checks on the federal courts
Understand the impact of a judge’s political beliefs and judicial philosophy on his or her decisions
Distinguish between “judicial activism” and “judicial restraint”
Discuss the “textualism vs. purposive” and “originalism vs. living constitutionalism” conflicts over how courts should interpret laws
Explain the nomination and confirmation process for federal judges, including:
Factors that influence a president’s decision
Senate confirmation hearings
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