POLS 2301: Exam #2 Review – Covering US Chapters 3, 8 and parts of Ch.

4 Spring 2025
Federal v/s Unitary System v/s Confederal System - What/Characteristics? Where used?
Federal v/s State powers? Who writes most laws? Who oversees property?
Federalism – What? Difference between this and the separation of powers. 1st nation to use.
Expressed Powers – What are they? Where in Constitution?
Supremacy Clause?
Implied Powers – What? Examples?
State Government Powers – Role? Powers? Where in Constitution?
10th Amendment – What is it? Purpose? Supporters? Another name for it? Ways it limits the national government.
Police Powers – What things fall under here?
Concurrent Powers – What? Examples?
Full Faith and Credit Clause – What? Examples? What things are excluded?
Comity Clause/ Privileges and Immunities Clause – What? Purpose/Why needed? Examples? Defense of Marriage Act – What?
Local Government – Role? Authority? Powers? Where in Constitution?
Home Rule – What?
Dual Federalism – When? Role of the federal and state governments? Who had the most power?
Dual Federalism – Role of federal government v/s role of state government?
Commerce Clause – What? Where in Constitution? What has it done? When did the interpretation for commerce change?
Commerce Clause – How has this changed? Role of states and compacts? Examples of compacts/contracts?
McCulloch v. Maryland and Gibbons v. Ogden – what did these cases do?
United States v. Lopez and Printz v. United States – role in limiting power?
Devolution – What?
State’s Rights? Problems? Why did it become tarnished? Southern Manifesto? Fugitive Slave Clause?
Preemption – What? When used? Examples?
Changing Role of the Federal Government – What caused changes?
Great Depression/New Deal? President? What happened? How bad was the economy under the Depression? Hoover?
Cooperative Federalism – highway system?
Regulated Federalism – What? Examples?
Unfunded Mandates – What? Examples? Who supports? Unfunded Mandate Reform? No Child Left Behind – What did it do?
Diffusion – What? Examples?
Affordable Care Act – Supreme Court ruling?
Redistributive programs – what?
Doctrine of Nullification – What? Who supported this?
Layer Cake v/s Marble Cake Federalism – what are they?
Types of Grants - Grant-in-Aid: Categorical; Project; Formula; Matching– What? Examples of each?
New Federalism - General Revenue Sharing and Block Grants – What? Problems with each one?
New Federalism - Who proposed? What other changes happened with grants?
Cooperative Federalism V/s Dual Federalism v/s Regulated Federalism v/s New Federalism
Changes in Federalism since the 1930s? Since the 1960s?
Current Federalism issues and controversies? Dreamers – What? States as laboratories of democracy?
Physician Assisted Suicide – Supreme Court ruling? What state challenged the federal law?
Civil Liberties v/s Civil Rights
Bill of Rights – What is it? What liberties does it contain? Supporters and Opponents? Why did some oppose?
Bill of Rights - Year? Why adopted? Role of 14th amendment and the Bill of Rights?
1st Amendment – what? Role with national government?
Establishment Clause v/s Free Exercise Clause – What? Examples?
Free Speech – Guarantees? Types protected and not protected. Student speech?
Free Speech/Press - Why important for democracy?
Slander v/s Libel
Speech Plus – What? Examples?
Clear and Present Danger? Strict Scrutiny
Absolutely v/s Conditionally Protected Speech – which is the most protected type of speech?
Fighting Words – What? Protected or not?
Obscenity and Pornography – how defined?
Flag Burning as speech.
Rights to Assembly and Petition & Freedom of Press & Prior Restraint
Due Process of Law – What? Where is it found?
2nd Amendment – what? Controversies?
4th – 6th Amendments – Protections? Guarantees?
Exclusionary Rule, Anticipatory warrants, Miranda Rights
Self-Incrimination; Grand Jury; Double Jeopardy; Eminent Domain and Takings Clause
8th Amendment – Protections? Role of states? Do other nations use the death penalty?
Right to Privacy – What issues fall under here? Cases? Supreme Court’s decisions? T. Schiavo, Lawrence v. Texas
Political Participation – Who participates? Types of participation?
Protest rights? Examples of protests?
Who has always been able to vote? What percentage participated?
Role of states in voting and voter registration?
Rate of Participation Over Time – What is the most recent group to be able to vote? Why can 18-year old’s now vote?
Voting – Problems with this type of participation?
Accidental Mobilization & Clicktivism & Expressive politics
Traditional v/s Online/Digital Participation? What? Pros and Cons of Online/Digital Participation, Digital Divide
Non-electoral participation types (anything besides voting)
Suffrage –- What? Expansion over time; Restrictions
Jim Crow – What? When? Laws?
13th, 14th, and 15th amendments
Women’s Movement for Voting Rights – When? Amendment?
Poll Tax – What? Amendment?
Voting Rights Act of 1965 – what did it do?
26th amendment – when? What? Main reason for this?
Turnout – What? Federal v/s state and local elections? Comparison US v/s other countries? – Why higher outside of US?
Gender Gap – what?
Socioeconomic Status – What? Problems with this measure? What groups are similar to whites in participation?
Ways to get people to vote/mobilized to vote, role of parties?
Reforms that made voting easier (pros and cons), Mail in voting only? Election Day Registration – What? Pros/Cons
What things are important for participation – indicators? Descriptive representation? Linked fate?
Voter registration – Main purpose? Who controls? Impact on turnout? Why do registration requirements decrease turnout?
Early primaries and caucuses? Who goes first? Impact of early states on turnout
Strict voter Identification laws?
Culture war issues
Obstacles to voting? Felons and voting? How many felons have lost their rights? Other obstacles? Gerrymandering and voting?
Civic Education and Political Mobilization and Recruitment
Role of Ballot Initiatives and Turnout? Competitive Elections and Turnout? Battleground states – what?
Rock the Vote – Goal?
Differences in participation across gender, race, age etc.? Role of religion in voting
LatinX participation and party support, Asian American participation, and party support
Most important reasons why people vote or do not vote.
Who votes at the highest levels? When do young people vote more?
2016 election- why didn’t people vote? Role Russia played?
REMEMBER – These are ONLY concepts; you must know more than a definition. To do well on exams, you must
UNDERSTAND the material and be able to interrelate it, as questions will NOT be straight definitions. Most questions will
combine concepts together and will require you to apply what you have learned. I highly suggest you reread the chapters to
gain a better understanding of the material as you are responsible for information in the chapters even if we did not directly
cover it. This review sheet is not exhaustive but gives you a good start for studying. The exam pool is quite large, no two
students will have the exact same exam. Do not wear sunglasses, headphones, hats, hoodies, or smart watches. Do NOT read
the ?s aloud or talk during the exam. Your WHOLE face must be fully visible the entire exam, if not you will be deducted
points. Make sure you are sitting up so that I can see you well during the exam. I must see your whole face and neck the entire
exam, if not there is an automatic 30-point deduction. You need to keep your eyes on the exam page and there should not be
other people in the room with you when you take the exam. You must do a complete room scan and show your workspace
NOT the ceiling. You must show me that your phone is off and is placed behind you. Please review BB messages as I am
alerting you to problems. All cell phones must be away from you as well as all books, notes, etc., put away. If I see or hear your
cell phone, it is an automatic zero. Put your phones away and this should not be an issue. Use a mirror to show your computer
and screen. You MUST use a government issued photo ID and NOT your Lamar ID (if you do not have a driver’s license,
please email me). Please make sure there is a light on in your room for the exam, it should not be dark. Do not start this exam
close to the deadline. If you take it in the middle of the night and you have a problem, I will be unable to assist you after about
7:30am the next day. If you experience an issue with Honorlock, contact them. If it is a BB issue, contact BB support.
Re-read the chapters, study your notes from lecture and go back through your Inquizitives. Remember you will have 50
minutes to take the exam. You need to keep your eyes on the exam page and not looking down or off to the side of the room.
There is A LOT of information on this exam, do make sure you are able to connect the information together as much of it is
related. Go back through Inquizitive to review. READ the chapters, study the notes that you have taken from the lectures.
Make sure you really know and understand the material!
Exam 2 OPENS at 10:15pm on February 8; Exam 2 CLOSES at 10:15pm on February 10
The LU Library is open: February 8 from 9:00am – 4:45pm; February 9 from 1:00-11:00pm; February 10 from 7:30am –
11:45pm