Exam 1 Study Guide – Spring 2022 basically good (or not)?
Why does
US Government and Civic Practices this matter?
Dr. Crothers • Faction – majority or
minority/problems of
This study guide is intended to help you prepare • First, Second Continental Congress
for the upcoming exam. Be able to define and • Constitutional convention
explain the significance for US politics of each • Articles of Confederation
of the following terms. NOTE: These terms • Shays’ Rebellion
cover LECTURES ONLY; you are responsible • Newburgh Conspiracy
for any additional information covered in the
• Separation of powers/Checks and
text.
balances
• advantages and disadvantages of
• Government: goals; why we have them; Constitution
types of governments; “the state” • impeachment
• Politics; why have them; why people • Judicial independence
don’t like; why politics matters
• New Jersey Plan, Virginia Plan,
• Legitimacy; sources of; importance of Connecticut (Great) Compromise
• Elements of effective government • Why the Framers accepted the 3/5
• Power – what it is, how it works, compromise
elements of • Expanded powers of Congress in the
• Ideology; what it is; why it matters new Constitution
• Ideas of American liberals and • Powers denied to federal
conservatives government in Constitution
• Democracy/Representative democracy • Layers of inefficiency in
• Limited government Constitution; why they matter
• Federalism • Supremacy clause
• Political liberty/freedom • Necessary and proper clause/elastic
• Positive/negative liberty clause – what it is/why it matters
• Individualism • Full faith and credit clause – what it
• Political equality; other types of equality is/why it matters
• Justice/fairness • ratification
• Procedural, Substantive, Distributive • Bill of Rights
justice • “mistakes” in the Constitution;
• Citizenship – types and significance fixes/changes to the Constitution
• Partisanship • Divided government
• Welfare state, regulatory state, • Major programs of federal
administrative state government spending
• Public/common goods
• Interests: what they are, why they
matter, where thy come from
• WEIRD countries
• Differences between US and similar
countries
• Colonial history/effects on our politics
• Natural rights/social contract theory –
what they are/why they matter
• Theory/logic of the Constitution
• “theory” of people in the Constitution:
