AP Government and Politics Exam 2007

By Dylan Ruda and, Jack Kennell The Third

Question Number 1

• A significant feature of the electoral college is that most states have a winner take all system.

• a) Describe the winner take all feature of the electoral college

• b) Explain one way in which the winner takes all feature of the electoral college effects how the presidential candidates from the two major political parties run their campaigns

• c) Explain one way in which the winner take all feature of the electoral college hinders 3rd party candidates

• d) Explain two reasons why the electoral college hasn’t been abolished.

Part A

• a) Describe the winner take all feature of the electoral college

• In the winner take all feature of the electoral college the winning candidate secures the majority of the votes and wins that states electoral votes.

Part B b) Explain one way in which the winner takes all feature of the electoral

college effects how the presidential candidates from the two major political parties run their campaigns

• During the campaign before an election candidates often focus on the competitive, swing and large states, which carry the most electoral votes since. States like New York, California, Texas, Ohio and Florida carry high electoral votes. These states are often the deciding factor for the winner of a presidential election.

• When choosing running mates they may choose a partner form a bigger state in an attempt to secure that states electoral votes. George W. Bush chose Dick Cheney as his running mate, bushing being from Texas and Cheney from Wyoming.

• When visiting certain states they focus on key issues to help swing a bloc of voters in favor of them. Often when visiting Florida candidates focus on issues like social security, Medicare and Medicaid to address the high elderly populous.

Part C

• c) Explain one way in which the winner take all feature of the electoral college hinders 3rd party candidates

• Third party candidates, like Ross Perot in the 1992 election, may win popular votes but fail to win electoral votes unless they could carry a state.

• Without electoral votes third party candidates are less likely to receive campaign resources and donations like the popular Democratic or Republican nominees.

Part D• d) Explain two reasons why the electoral

college hasn’t been abolished.• The Electoral College has not been abolished for

several reasons. One is the history and tradition of it, dating from the creation of the constitution.

• To make this change it would require a new amendment to the constitution, but no one has a clear alternative for it.

• Racial minorities and interest groups like the electoral college like it because it protects their rights.

Question Number 2• The First Amendment includes two clauses relating to the

freedom of religion.a) select one of the following cases and identify the First

Amendment clause upon which the united states supreme court based its decision.

b) Describe The Supreme Court’s decision you selected in A.c) Select one of the following cases and identify the First

Amendment clause upon which the Supreme Court based its decision.

d) Describe the supreme Courts decision you chose in C.e) Many of these decisions have caused controversy in the

United States. Describe two ways in which other political institutions many limit the impact of supreme court decisions.

Part A and Ba) select one of the following cases and

identify the First Amendment clause upon which the united states supreme court based its decision.

b) Describe The Supreme Court’s decision you selected in A.

• Lemon V. Kurtzmen Violated the Establishment Clause of the first amendment

• The court decided that it was illegal for teachers of private religious schools to get payed with public funds

Part C and Dc) Select one of the following cases and

identify the First Amendment clause upon which the Supreme Court based its decision.

d) Describe the supreme Courts decision you chose in C.

• Oregon v. Smith was a supreme court case in which the free exercise clause was challenged

• The court said that ingesting peyote, even for religious purposes, can be defended using the free exercise clause and that the men were fairly fired from their job for ingesting the peyote

Part E• e) Many of these decisions have caused controversy in

the United States. Describe two ways in which other political institutions many limit the impact of supreme court decisions.

• Congress may pass a law which helps make Supreme Court decisions look better in the public eye. When the Supreme Court passed its decision in Oregon v. Smith the current Congress felt pressure from certain rights groups at the time and thus they passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act

• Congress may make a constitutional amendment which nullifies the Supreme Courts ruling

• State and local legislation may make new laws which circumvent the Supreme Court decisions. Such as when Arkansas’ governor used the national guard to block African Americans from going to school after Brown v. Board’s decision

Question Number 3• Conflicts Between Congress and the president over

war powers have their origins in the United States Constitution. In 1973 congress passed the War Powers Resolution in an attempt to clarify the balance of powers between the two branches of government

a) Describe the primary constitutional Conflict between Congress and the President over the decision to go to war.

b) Describe two provisions of the War Powers Resolution that were designed to limit the President’s power over war making.

c) The War Powers Resolution has received mixed reviews but Congress has other powers over war making. Other than the Constitutional power you described in A) identify and explain two other powers congress has over war making.

Part Aa) Describe the primary constitutional Conflict

between Congress and the President over the decision to go to war.

• The President is commander-in-chief of the armed forces but only Congress has the power to declare war on a foreign country. President Jackson sent troops to the south to silence a Native American rebellion against settlers moving farther south into states like Florida and Georgia. Congress made no laws or bills approving this action.

Part Ba) Describe two provisions of the War Powers

Resolution that were designed to limit the President’s power over war making.

• The War Powers Resolution limits the Presidents power to wage war in multiple ways.

• The President must notify congress within 48 hours of sending troops into combat.

• He must consult with congress whenever feasible.• After 60 days into a conflict congress can extend

the time or withdraw troops with adequate notification to the president.

Part Ca) The War Powers Resolution has received mixed

reviews but Congress has other powers over war making. Other than the Constitutional power you described in A) identify and explain two other powers congress has over war making.

• Congress has other war powers besides being able to declare war.

• Congress has the power of the purse so they control the funding for the war.

• They can impeach a possibly war crazed president.• They have to ratify all war time treaties. Congress has

choose not to ratify treaties in past conflicts. As in World War I where they did not accept the Treaty of Versailles because the Congress wanted to continue trade with Germany. They felt the treaty treated Germany to harshly.

Question Number 4

• The framers of the United States Consitiution Created a federal system.

• a) Define Federalism• b) Select two of the following and explain how

each has been used to increase the power of the federal government relative to the states.

• c) Select two of the following and explain how has been used to increase the powers of the states relative to the federal government.

Part A

• a) Define Federalism• Federalism is a division of power

between nation and state levels of government.

Part B• b) Select two of the following and explain how each has

been used to increase the power of the federal government relative to the states.

• The federal government’s power has grown over the years. • Categorical grants are to be used for a specific purpose

which is specified by the national government. In present day States budget’s have become dependent on the Federal grants awarded to them.

• Federal mandates are when the national government forces a state government to implement a policy if they do not there are strict consequences such as not receiving aid.

• Federal Courts can over turn the decision of state and local courts

Part C• c) Select two of the following and explain how has

been used to increase the powers of the states relative to the federal government.

• States have been trying to gain power back from the Federal government in recent years.

• As of today 14 states have legalized the medicinal use of Marijuana even though it is an illegal drug under Federal law. This is a common example of the use of the 10th Amendment.

• The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 where states were allowed to fund and run their own welfare programs. They were given discretion on how to transfer people form welfare to work.

• Block Grants are grants from the federal government that have few mandates so the state officials can decide where the funding is used.