Unit Overview
Sections of your AP Gov't book that will be helpful in preparing for this exam for the 2012 version of this test:
- All of Chapter 3 on Federalism
- All of Chapter 16 on the Judicial Branch (you took notes on this)
- All of the content covered in The Constitutional Study Guides - some of this content is supported by chapters 4 & 5
FROM 2011
Sections of your AP Gov't book that will be helpful in preparing for this exam:
- All of Chapter 4 on Civil Liberties and Public Policy (we worked on this out of the CP book, pp.#355-382)
- All of Chapter 5 on Civil Rights and Public Policy (you took notes on this)
- All of Chapter 6 on Public Opinion and Political Action (lecture notes on this)
- All of Chapter 7 on Media and Politics (you have notes from the CP book)
- All of Chapter 11 on Interest Groups (you have notes from the CP book)
- All of Chapter 16 on the Judicial Branch (you took notes on this)
Some of the Key Concepts you'll want to review:
- The specific powers granted to the Federal Courts
- The important basic facts surrounding the landmark court cases discussed in the section
- The role the Supreme Court plays in shaping public policy on the United States
- Examples of the Court using its power to control the power of other branches
- The weaknesses inherent in being the "law interpreting" power
- The foundations of our nation's belief in individual rights for its citizens
- The important mechanisms in our constitution that guarantee those rights
- The way the Supreme Court has interpreted those rights
- The role of interest groups (and PACs) in shaping our public policy agenda
- The ways in which the media hold the government accountable
- The ways government officials and agencies use the media to campaign and communicate
- The manner in which the media tries to shape our public policy agenda