US/VA Government Final Exam Review 23-24
Units 1 and 2: Foundations/Origins
1. Identify the following terms:
○ Federalism: A system in which power is divided between the
central government and lower regional governments.
○ Bicameral legislature: type of legislature that is divided into
two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses.
2. What are the Articles of Confederation? Why did it fail as a form of
government?
The first national constitution of the newly independent
United states. Articles of Confederation allowed open travel
and trade, fugitives, and the state keeped all power. The
article of configurations failed because it did not establish a
strong central government. Some weaknesses are no power
to tax, no power to enforce laws,
no power to trade between the states, no power to coin
money, no executive or judicial branch.
3. What is the name of the first 10 amendments of the Constitution?
The bill of rights
4. Why did the Anti-Federalists believe it was necessary to add a Bill
of Rights to the Constitution before it was ratified?
5. At the Constitutional Convention, there were two competing
proposals for what the new government should look like - the
Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan. Briefly describe both of these
plans below.
Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan
A detailed plan for the new The New Jersey Plan was
constitution serves as the designed to protect the security
foundation for the structure of a and power of the small states
new government, proposing a by limiting each state to one
strong central government vote in Congress, as under the
composed of three branches: Articles of Confederation.
legislative, executive, and
judicial.
Units 3 and 4: Constitution and Federalism
6. Familiarize yourself with the Constitution. Briefly explain what
each of the following parts says in the chart below.
Part of the Brief Summary of What it Says/Does:
Constitution:
Preamble To form a more perfect Union, establish
Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide
for the common defense, promote the general
Welfare.
Article I Legislature
Article II Courts
Article III Establishes congress's power to create the
federal courts
The bill of rights
1st Amendment Grant's freedoms including the right to
petition, peaceably assemble, freedom of the
press and freedom of speech.
2nd Amendment Give citizens the right to bear arms
3rd Amendment States that no Soldier shall be quartered in a
house without the consent first of the owner
4th Amendment Protects the people against unreasonable
searches and seizures.
5th Amendment Protect citizens against Double Jeopardy and
self incrimination while also granting due
process of law
6th Amendment All those who are accused of a crime are
granted the right to have a speedy and public
trial by an impartial jury; such trials shall
occur within the district and state in which the
crime is taking place.
8th Amendment Protects against excessive bail in addition to
cruel and unusual punishments
9th Amendment Defense rights which are not specifically
mentioned in the Constitution.
10th Says that rights not given to the federal
Amendment government nor denied to the state
government shall be reserved to the state or
the people
13th made slavery illegal
Amendment
18th prohibited the making, transporting, and
Amendment selling of alcoholic beverages.
19th granted women the right to vote.
Amendment
21st Amendment Ends Prohibition-gives state the right to allow
making of and selling of alcoholic beverages.
Unit 5: Political Process
6. Define the following terms using your notes:
1. Political socialization - The process by which we develop political
values and opinions throughout our lives.
2. Gerrymandering - Drawing congressional districts to favor one
political party or group over another.
3. Lobbyist -
4. Incumbent -
7. Identify and describe the 3 roles of the media in the U.S.
government.
1. Gatekeeper - Makes decisions about which Stories the public sees
2. Watchdog - Acts as a check on the government. let the public know if
the government is doing something wrong or shouldn't
3. Score keeper - Keeps the public informed about election winners and
losses
8. What are the requirements for voting in the United States?
U.S. citizen
18 or older by election day
Resident of state
9. What is the primary goal of special interest groups?
Unit 6: Legislative Branch
10. The United States Congress consists of two chambers. What
are they?
Senate and house of representatives
11. Identify some of the key differences between the U.S. House
of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in the chart below:
House of United States Congress Senate
consists of two chambers
Representatives
435 Number of 100
Members
25 year of age Constitutional 30 years of age
Us citizen Qualifications Us citizen
In the state you Residency in state
represent
2 Term Length 6
12. Describe the role/duties of each of the following
Congressional Leadership positions:
a. Speaker of the House
Leader of the majority party, presiding officer of the house, interprets
and applies the rules, refers bills to committee, puts motions to vote,
follows the VP in line of succession.
b. Vice President
United States presides over the U.S. Senate and takes over the role of
president of the United States if the president is unable to perform his or
her duties.
13. What are the expressed powers of Congress? Give three
examples.
Given to Congress in the Constitution like Levy taxes, Borrow money,
Regulate commerce, Coin Money
14. The implied powers of Congress are derived from which part
of the Constitution? Identify two examples of an implied power of
Congress.
Elastic Clause: Congress can do whatever is “necessary and proper” to
carry out its expressed powers. like Declare war, Control immigration.
15. Which chamber of Congress has the power to confirm high
ranking officials, such as members of the President’s cabinet,
federal judges, and ambassadors?
16. Who drafts the original budget proposal (the first step in the
budget process)?
17. Explain the difference between mandatory and
discretionary spending as it relates to the federal budget.
18. What are entitlement programs? Give three examples.
19. Where does the federal government receive most of its
revenue from?
20. What is a deficit?
the amount by which something, especially a sum of money, is too
small
Unit 7: Executive Branch
21. Identify and briefly describe the 4 formal roles of the
President of the United States.
Executive (Chief Executive, Chief Administrator)
Legislative (Chief Legislator)
Diplomatic ( Head of State, Chief Diplomat)
Military (Commander-in-Chief
Judicial (Chief Administrator)
Party (Chief of Party, Chief Citizen)
22. Identify the 3 informal roles of the President of the United
States.
23. What are the 3 constitutional qualifications for office for the
President of the United States?
Preside over the Senate, casting tie-breaking votes if necessary.
Help determine presidential disability under the 25th Amendment
and take over the presidency if necessary.
Qualifications are the same as that of president.
No term limits.
Selected at the national convention
“Balance the ticket”
24. Define the following informal powers of the president:
a. Executive order
b. Executive agreement
c. Executive privilege
25. What is a bureaucracy?
Large, complex administrative structure 🡪 handles everyday
business of an organization. Helps govt carry out their
responsibilities
26. Briefly describe the President’s Cabinet.
a. How many members does it have? 26
b. How does an individual become a member of the Cabinet?
Appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, the
members of the Cabinet are often the President's closest
confidants.
c. What are the two major duties of cabinet members?
advise the President on all important problems he/she must
face. They also lead the departments for the Executive Branch
of our government
27. Which cabinet level agency is responsible for assisting the
president with the creation and implementation of foreign policy?
The Department of State plays the lead role in developing and
implementing the President's foreign policy.
Unit 8: Judicial Branch
28. Define the following terms:
1. Jurisdiction - The authority of the court to hear a case
2. Appellate jurisdiction - The power of the courts to hear cases of
appeals refuse cases to make sure that there is no error of law or
violation of the defendant civil rights.
3. Original jurisdiction - The power of the court to hear a case for the first
time.
4. Judicial review - the power of an independent judiciary, or courts of
law, to determine whether the acts of other components of the
government are in accordance with the constitution.
5. Majority opinion - Tapes the main decision of the court and
established the first percentage for the future decision
6. Dissenting opinion - Judges who disagree with the majority issue a
descent which explains why the majority is wrong this can be helpful
when the court considered over turning percentages .
29. What type of jurisdiction does the Supreme Court have?
both original and appellate jurisdiction.
30. Explain why Supreme Court Justices were granted lifetime
appointments (subject to good behavior).
To ensure an independent Judiciary and to protect judges from partisan
pressures, the Constitution provides that judges serve during “good
Behaviour,” which has generally meant life terms.
31. Familiarize yourself with outcome of the following important
Supreme Court cases:
1. Mapp v. Ohio - Mapp was convicted of possessing obscene materials
after an admittedly illegal police search of her home.All evidence
obtained by searches and seizures in violation of the Fourth Amendment
is inadmissible in a state court.
2. Marbury v. Madison -
3. Plessy v. Ferguson - Louisiana enacted the Separate Car Act, which
required separate railway cars for blacks and whites. Plessy agreed to
challenge the Act. He was asked by a group of New Orleans residents to
sit in a "whites only" car of a Louisiana train. When Plessy was told to
move, he refused and was arrested. The Court held that racial
segregation in public facilities was constitutional as long as the separate
facilities were “equal in quality.”This ruling would provide the legal basis
for racial segregation in public spaces for the next 50 years.
4. Brown v. Board of Education - Oliver Brown challenged racial
segregation in public schools when he sued the Board of Education of
Topeka, Kansas on behalf of his school aged daughter, Linda. Linda was
forced to travel over an hour to attend an all Black school, rather than
attend the all white school located a few blocks away from her home.
The court ruled in favor of Linda and other African American students,
arguing that “Separate but equal” educational facilities are inherently
unequal, violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment. (separate but equal)
Unit 9: State and Local
32. Describe the type of government that each of the 50 states
have (unitary, federal, or confederation) with their local
governments
33. Describe the 3 branches of Virginia’s government
a. Executive Branch:
b. Legislative Branch:
c. Judicial Branch:
34. Make sure that you know how long elected positions are for
Virginia’s government officials (Governor, Lieutenant Governor,
Delegate, VA Senator, etc.)
