GOVT Exam Review
1. Be prepared to give two examples of Internal Validity problems AND two examples of External Validity problems that can cause inaccurate or biased results in public opinion polls.
2. Be able to explain what the Electoral College is and how it works. What does the Constitution say about it? How many electors does each state get? How do they decide for whom they vote?
3. Be able to briefly explain the difference between a caucus and a primary. Be able to briefly explain the difference between an open and closed primary. Note the advantages and disadvantages of each.
4. Be prepared to give three reasons that America remains a two-party system with little chance for third parties to win elections. Note the functions that third parties can serve even if they fail to win elections.
5. Explain how the balance of power between interest groups representing business and interest groups representing labor has shifted over time in the United States.
6. Know how to explain three subtle ways that media outlets can include bias in their news reports.
7. Be able to write out the quote from the Declaration of Independence that begins with "We hold these truths...." and ends with "...Safety and Happiness".
8. Be able to write which branch of government ArticlesI and II of the Constitution areabout, and two powers granted to each branch.
9. Be able to write which branch of government Article III is about, and how the members of that branch get into their office:
10. Be able to write what each of the following Amendments to the Constitution is about, and one substantive thing you learned about it. For example, a substantive thing might be how each amendment has been interpreted by the courts(for example, how government may or may not restrict the liberty, what it protects or what it doesn't, etc.), or how a major case has shaped its interpretation, or the historical reason behind the proposal and passage of the amendment.
a. Selections from the Bill of Rights: First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth, Tenth.
b. The Civil War Amendments: Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth.
c. Other Suffrage Amendments: Nineteenth and Twenty-Sixth:
11. Be able to answer these questions from the student presentations:
a. Name the four main parties we discussed this semester and their candidates for President.
b. Be able to explain two policy proposals championed by each of the four presidential candidates.
c. Be able to briefly describe the general philosophy of each of the four parties.
d. What were the main accusations plaguing both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in their campaigns?
e. What were the polls projecting in the week leading up to the election, and how were the results different than expected?
f. Name three of the people nominated by President-elect Trump to cabinet or White House positions.
g. What was the name of the Cuban dictator who died recently and how was he important in shaping U.S.-Cuban relations?